Free Only Love Survives (Love and Zombies) by Renee Charles Page A

be done the next day and any problems that may have arisen. Megan sat quietly next to Sam on a log listening to the conversations around her. Every so often someone in the group stared at them, out of curiosity she presumed, and Megan tried to smile back to let them know she and Sam were on the up and up.
    “This is Sam and Megan.” Allan introduced them. “They are the ones who brought the apples today, and they need gas. I told them we would share our gas in trade for chores like we’ve done in the past for other travelers.” Murmurs floated through the crowd. Megan looked around nervously trying to gauge their reaction.
    “I told you before that it’s a bad idea to give away the gas. What if we need to move at some point?” A robust, bald man spoke up.
    “And go where? I told you this camp is not moving, Mark. We’re dug in and that’s where our strength comes from. The more we fortify the camp the more permanent it becomes. You’re welcome to keep your gas and leave when you feel the need. But in general, the gas here is a commodity we can trade for things we can use. My RV alone held sixty gallons. To drive where? I’d rather have the apples for them.” Allan pointed to two small children curled up on one woman’s lap, and again Megan wished she had picked all the apples off that tree instead of leaving them for the next refugee.
    Despite the fire, Megan shivered and rubbed her arms to ward off a chill. Without a word, Sam wrapped his arm around her lending his body heat while he listened. Regardless of what they decided, Megan was grateful for his presence.
    “I’m not going anywhere. I just like to have options.” The man turned to Sam. “Nothing personal.”
    “I understand.” Sam nodded.
    “Where did you get so many nice apples? They weren’t even bruised.” The woman holding the two little ones directed her question at Megan.
    “An apple tree about four hours north of here, but…” Megan shook her head unable to describe what had transpired between the apple tree and finding this camp.
    “Problem being, there’s an infested town between here and there.” Sam finished for her.
    The woman squeezed her children a little closer. “Thank you for sharing what you had.”
    Megan nodded.
    Sam changed the subject. “Do these fences keep them out?” He pointed around the camp.
    “The corpses seem to be opportunistic feeders, not hunters, so we haven’t had to find out. Seems to me, they stay close to where they turned, unless they are drawn away following something that grabbed their attention.” Allan sat down next to his family as he spoke.
    “I’ve noticed the same thing.” Sam agreed with Allan’s summation.
    “But, the fences will keep us from being surprised.” Allen took one of the little girls from the woman and plopped her on his lap.
    “By anyone,” Sam added.
    Megan stared into the fire, not really listening to the arrangements they made for the gas, just grateful for the warmth she found under Sam’s arm. It was hard to believe she’d only known him a couple of days. Saying goodbye once they got to Vegas was going to be rough. Every moment she spent encompassed by his strength only made it that much harder to accept.
    Megan adjusted the ridiculously large sports watch for about the hundredth time that day making sure the scar remained concealed. She was probably the only person on the planet who knew what time it was, the date, and their exact global position. The GPS part of the watch still worked. Apparently, all the satellites had not fallen from the sky just yet, because she’d been able to plug in coordinates from a map and had been following them to the Hoover Dam. Hopefully, there would be signs posted to guide them from there. Sam seemed confident in being able to find it.
    She glanced up at his strong profile highlighted by the flickering campfire. He needed a shave, but Megan knew just how soft the blond hair growing along the edge of his chin was. She