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  'I should have stayed with Jimbo another day and learned more about this mental crap.' Red thought, struggling through the thick mud to take cover under the bridge.

  Red concentrated on keeping himself undetectable from Ramey and he was pretty sure it was working. Five zombies dropped down on the downstream side of the bridge, four of them landed in the mud and sunk up to their knees, the fifth landed softly and padded under the bridge as if walking on solid ground. 'Another useful trick.' thought Red. With no time for subtlety Red launched himself at the first zombie while the other struggled to clamber out of the mud. 'I guess my mind control didn't override Ramey's' Red told himself, launching a mental attack before he impacted the middle aged female. With one outstretched blow he tore her head, part of her shoulder and one of her arms from her body. Her head and mouth continued to move, making a muffled gurgle noise as Red bent over and picked up her body by the legs. He twirled it once and flung it at a three of the zombies who were close to each other in the mud, knocking two over. The one he missed ducked quickly and fired at Red with an assault rifle, the fourth man joined him a split second later.

  Bullets pounded into Red's body, most flew through him, but he felt his shoulders and ribs cave in under the barrage and flung himself down to grab for the woman's gun, which lay at his feet. Rolling towards the water Red fired an inaccurate burst that did little to dissuade the two firing on him. He had some luck and one of the zombies weapons jammed. Red concentrated on the only zombie firing at him, his next three round burst struck the guy in the neck and face, shattering his jaw and blowing off one of his ears. The thing went down, but was still moving. The two Red had knocked over with the body were now prone and firing in Red's direction, but they could not see him very well from where he was laying close to the river. Fountains of dirt spit up near the top of the bank and after a furious minute of firing, all gunshots ceased. Red was out of ammo. He raised the barrel of the rifle up to one side of where he was, another short fusillade rang out and then stopped. Slipping and sliding Red rose in the mud and jumped sideways as the bullets stuttered to a stop. Feeling around mentally Red looked for Ramey. The zombie was on the upriver side of the bridge, as Red watched he jumped off and seemed to glide down underneath of it.

  The bridges were very wide, the highway in this part of the country was six lanes wide and Ramey was at the end of a long, low corridor. Red felt he could deal with the lessor zombies before having to face Ramey again, but he kept a tab on the man so he would not be surprised. The three zombies who were still up moved towards Red with a purpose, their guns held as clubs. The arm and head of the woman he had struck initially had a bloated sack attached to it where the zombie's body was trying to re-grow, red counted her as out. Likewise the man he had shot in the face was still crawling around on his hands and knees. The three to one odds didn't bother Red in the least; these were lessor zombies, things not even of Jimbo's quality. Stepping up to the first one Red laughed as he ducked under the swung rifle, then came up fast and broke the zombies arm at the elbow. He launched a fist that struck the thing in the side of the head, crushing its skull and flinging bits of brain and both eyes to the mud when his hand passed through it.

  Both of the remaining zombies looked like they wanted to run, but Red couldn't risk having them turned by Ramey and used against him. The zombies saw no mercy in him, even as their eyes pleaded that they had no choice. Both jumped him at the same time, hindering each other more than helping and Red grabbed on by a flailing arm and spun, letting go when the zombie was swinging towards the river. The zombie sailed out over the water and hit the concrete support twenty feet off shore, it dropped like a misshapen, white sack of flesh, no longer resembling a human body. The last zombie had fallen after making the poorly timed jump and swung his legs around to sweep Red's feet out from under him. Red was not quick enough to dodge and fell on his thigh in the slippery mud. Both scrabbled to their feet and stood facing each other. Ramey ran up firing his gun, at the same time he grabbed ahold of Red's mind, trying to pin his opponent in place to make a head shot possible. Red was surprised at the ferocity of the mental attack.

  'I shoulda known he would be a fast learner.' Red thought to himself as Ramey slowed down his reactions. Bullets walked up Red's body, the last of which smashed through his adam's apple and blew out his spinal column, dropping him like a rock. Red fell on his back and lay there looking up as Ramey and his remaining zombie approached.

  "I guess if you want something done you just gotta do it yourself." Ramey said, coming into Red's view. "Look Ed, he's a twitcher!"

  Pointing at Red's body with his gun he continued, "How long until you heal that up? A minute? Less? Probably. More if I do this." Ramey pointed his gun at Red's neck and let loose with full burst, then another, he fired until his magazine was empty, then reloaded.

  Red felt like his head was severed, his body was not even shaking anymore and he had no feeling anywhere.

  "I could kill you now. But I am going to make you wish you were dead instead."

  Red's perspective changed, he was being lifted, but both Ramey and the other zombie were standing there unmoving, 'The bastard is using his telekinesis on me. Goddamn it, what is my special power?'

  "Red, did you know that your body will grow back? Look at Leslie over there, you did a number on her, but she will be okay. For her though, well she will come back a little less powerful, she loses something, but zombies at our level, we don't lose anything. If I were to walk away right now, you would be right as rain in a day or two. I've seen it. I've experimented with other stubborn assholes like you. Why, I let one guy grow out three times and he seemed pretty much the same to me even after that. I think I will keep you somewhere safe, somewhere I can continue my research. Will you be the same after a hundred times? I mean, think about it, is that even possible? Physically, it makes no sense; you don't need any sustenance, so where does this power come from?"

  Red croaked a reply, but his throat was still too mangled to make a response.

  "Shhh. Shhh. Don't talk." Ramey said, putting one finger on Red's lips, "I know you're grateful now that I haven't killed you-that you think you will figure out a way to overcome me and still win. And you might have, with your ability to block me out mentally. But you won't and in the end I will get inside you and figure out what you did, then I can do it too. Then Aubrey and I are going to set down and have a little chat. Oh that's right you don't know Aubrey do you? She was sent to Chicago along with James and me. Much like you and old what's his name went to Denver. Don't worry about that now, no you just rest. Bring him Ed."

  Feeling was returning to Red, and that feeling was pain. He wanted to scream as his body healed itself, it felt like a million burrowing insects were making tunnels into his brain, involuntarily he grunted and his control slipped, causing Ramey to jerk his head around and stare at him again.

  "I felt that. Hurts a bit doesn't it. Don't worry, it gets worse and when it does I will be here to get inside."

  Red felt Ramey pounding on his mental defenses, scouring them for a weakness as the pain built up. Everything stopped for a moment, a moment that expanded into infinity as the battle of wills went on. Finally, irrevocably Red's shields broke, unleashing a torrent of pain and anguish.

  Ramey screamed in triumph as he poured into the hole in Red's mind, Ed almost dropped Red's body in surprise. Ramey started ransacking through Red's very being, this was not the smooth, measured hand that Jimbo had, but a heavy, hamfisted bludgeoning that added to Red's pain.

  Then abruptly, it all stopped. Red felt the hold in his defenses snap shut and he felt calm and warm, there was no pain…deep in his mind Ramey screamed.

  "Let me out! Let me…out!" A massive attack hit the inside of Red's defenses, but rebounded like a bird hitting a plate glass window. Momentarily knocked senseless, Ramey fell into the abyss of Red's mind, not even struggling to find a way out. Red used this time to open his physical eyes and see what was going on. His body was falli
ng. Ramey was laying on the ground twitching as Red fell, a furry blur leaped on the body and started savaging it. Ed was still standing, but his arms were limp at his sides as Red hit the ground. This time Red fell sideways, with his view facing parallel to the river, upstream. Three figures were slowly making their way towards him.

  The pain from regenerating was suppressed, and Red knew who was helping him now. Clearing his repaired throat was a struggle, but he managed, spitting out a glob of coagulated blood, he asked, "What took you so long?"

  Jimbo laughed.

  Chapter 5 — Whatever happened in Nebraska?

  "How is he?" Jimbo asked Red.

  "Mad, angry and Insane, that kind of mad. I don't think he realizes what's happened to him yet."

  There were nine zombies, sitting under the bridge. They had moved over to firm ground to get off the mud, but all of them were still a mess. Bobby was the worst, but that was just from playing in the river. Five zombies from Ramey's crew were under the bridge with them. Sue and Chuck had come down after the fight and the two Red had injured severely were also present. The woman, with a half formed body and squeaky voice, was named Nina. The man Red had throat shot was named Leonard. They had Ramey's body too, it would twitch once in a while, but aside from those unpredictable movements it could have been the corpse it looked like.

  "The active calling stopped." Sue said. She was referring to the constant call for them to come east, to keep moving east at all costs. The signal had ceased after one last powerful urge for them to head that direction. Most of the less advanced zombies were still heading that direction, the nine under the bridge were able to resist the call to keep moving.

  "I noticed that." Red said, concentrating on pushing what was left of Ramey down into a little hole in his mind.

  "You okay?" Jimbo asked.

  "I don't know. You didn't tell me this could happen."

  "I didn't know."

  "I still don't get it. What happened to Ramey?" asked Chuck.

  "He tried to push into my mind, you know the feeling, I watched him do it to you. He pushed in and I got this idea that maybe I should let him. Only I imagined it was like he was trying to force a door open and I put a pit behind the door. A pit with a lid. Then I let him in past the door and he fell into the pit and I slammed the lid shut. That's the best analogy I can come up with."

  "So he isn't dead again?" Chuck said.

  Red shook his head, "I don't think so." Red pointed at Ramey's body, "I think I could let him back out and he would go back. I just don't know if I should."

  "What if his body was dead? Where would he go?"

  "Hell if I know. Jimbo?"

  Jimbo shook his head, "You were beyond anything I've ever done when you started with the 'door' analogy."

  "Well I can't keep him here. He is fighting me and he is strong. I think I got lucky because he was disoriented."

  "So that brings us back to the question of what you are going to do." Jimbo said.

  The group of zombies suddenly paused, as if listening to some distant, faint sound.

  "Something happened." Veronica said, "I think someone important just died. I can't feel the pull anymore!"

  "Max came through!" Red said, gritting his teeth as Ramey fought harder to get out.

  The zombies let out a whoop of joy as the leaden chains that had been dragging them ever east dissolved and disappeared. It took Jimbo a moment, and then he raised one hand to quiet everyone.

  "No. I don't think they are dead. It's weird. Maybe they are badly hurt…but I don't think they are out of the game yet."

  "Jimbo….Ramey is getting persistent."

  "Want to try and put him back?"

  Red nodded.

  "We better disable him then." Jimbo stepped over to Ramey's body and leveled his rifle towards its throat. He fired three times and smiled when Ramey's eyes opened, burning hatred at him. Turning back to Red Jimbo said, "That was just in time, wasn't it?"

  Red was still straining, he shook his head, "I didn't put him back yet."

  Confused Jimbo looked down at the healing body and asked, "Well then, who is this?"

  Ramey's eyes roved over the band and fixated on Red. The mouth moved, working up and down like an old water wheel. Only faint sounds escaped as it tried to draw in air to speak with through the damaged throat. Keeping an eye on the thing's hands Jimbo bent over and put his ear to Ramey's lips. His eyes widened in shock and he sat up and said, "It says it's Aubrey. She says you know her Red."

  Red was waging an internal war as Ramey sought to escape the prison he was held in. He nodded to Jimbo, "If it's her ask her who I was with and who she was with."

  Jimbo leaned over to hear Ramey's answer, "She says, Neil and Harry."

  Red nodded. "So she is in his body now?"

  Jimbo listened to Aubrey answer and then shook his head, "No. Just listening in. She wanted to find out what happened to him. She came looking and he was….well she said he was empty." Jimbo leaned over and listened more, "She kept pushing and said she could take control, she wants to know how you took out Ramey."

  "Like we know." muttered Red. Louder he said, "We don't really want to tell you. We like being free."

  Ramey's voice cut through the humid air, "I…do too." It croaked. Jimbo sat back onto the sandy shore, no longer needing to play go between.

  "You do too?"

  "I want out. You know who sent us. You know most of us don't like him. If this is something you can give me, I will use it against him."

  "Sentry?"

  "Some people think saying his name draws his attention."

  "I didn't hear that."

  "It's speculation." Aubrey said.

  "But why take the chance?"

  Aubry nodded with Ramey's head, beside her Jimbo shifted his rifle until it was inches from the side of her head.

  "Where is Ramey?"

  Shrugging Red tapped the side of his head, "He stepped out for a moment. He has to go back though soon. So we better keep this short."

  Ramey's body sat up and turned towards Red. Jimbo kept his rifle barrel inches away from the back of the zombies head.

  "Okay. You took him down. I need to know how. I want out of this shit. I didn't do well following orders before I died, I certainly don't see a reason to do it now that I am dead."

  "Where are you?"

  "Chicago."

  "So Max lost then."

  "I wouldn't say that."

  "What happened?" Red asked.

  "I thought time was critical?"

  "I can hold him for a little while."

  "A fuckload of building dropped on me. This was after I got shot."

  "By Max? No, no I bet it was that woman of his!"

  Ramey's head shook, "The woman is dead, I am pretty sure Ella killed her when she smashed her skull in. No Max didn't get me either, it was some army fuck that shot me with a rifle. In the neck. From behind. There isn't any honor anymore, is there? Or course I count myself luck, Harry got it in the head."

  "He's dead? He was your second, wasn't he?"

  Ramey's head nodded. "And I made a few others, I didn't quite follow the doctor's orders when we arrived in Chicago."

  "Ramey." Red stated.

  "Him, and a few others. All the good it did me. I want out of this Red. You killed Ramey and I was pretty sure I'd made him strong enough to deal with a second, maybe even a first tier child of the doctors."

  "He was strong. He wasn't a Harry though."

  "I thought one Harry was enough. So can you do it?"

  "Just on your word?" Red shook his head, "No, I don't think so. I better put Ramey back. It's been good talking to you Aubrey."

  "No! Wait!"

  Red paused, "What?"

  "I can help you!"

  "I know, but if I show you what I know, you can hurt me more." Red turned away to look at the river.

  "Hugh."

  Red stood up and turned around. "What about him?"

  "I can give him to you."
>
  Laughing Red said, "You think I don't see the bigger picture? You give me Hugh, I give you the ability to resist Sentry? Is that the deal? Well no thanks! I know how this plays out. You'll find a way to twist this power around and come after me. After Sentry swats you down, of course. Then he'll find a way to use it. Goodbye Aubrey."

  Red imagined a funnel in his mind, with the wide end over the trap door of the pit and the other end pointed towards Ramey's body. He didn't just open the trap door, he made it appear weaker and let Ramey fight his way through it, a process that took seconds.

  "Red. Listen to me. I just want him gone, then we can go our own way. You'll never have to…what?" Ramey let out a long, agonized scream as he poured back into his body. It looked like the man was fighting for control of it, trying to wrest it away from Aubrey. Jimbo was staring at the body intently.

  "Now Jimbo." Red said, "Do it now."

  Jimbo, however, was wrapped up in his own world, watching the battle in Ramey's mind.

  Veronica stepped up and with one over handed swing she brought down her cruved paper cutter blade onto Ramey's head, ending the war in mid battle. Blood from the blow splatter onto Jimbo and he looked up in disgust.

  "Thanks!"

  "Well you weren't moving!"

  "I think I could have gotten him. Captured him, I mean, and controlled him."

  Chuck's hand rose, then rose above his head. His face contorted, twisting together around his mouth.

  "What Chuck?" Red asked.

  "She. Is in. My head."

  Worriedly Jimbo, stood and looked around at the others, "Red, we don't have any way to keep her out of these guys."

  "They are stronger and the power seems to weaken with distance. I bet Chuck fights her off."