Episode 11

"Could yall go help Waylon in the west field? Your damn cats knocked over the fence, and we don't want the cow getting out," said Sarah.

Bella and Jordan nodded, and she sighed as they got to their feet.

"You coming to help?" Bella asked Charlie, putting out the fire, and he shook his head.

"Nope. No offense, sis, but I don't like your pets," he said, and Jordan laughed, patting the boy's back.

"Me, too, little man, but your sister has saved my ass twice now with her pet's help, and it's the right thing to do."

"Well, then you and my sister go do the right thing. My sister's a badass. Have fun fixing the fence. I'm going to go see what Bonnie's up to," he said, getting off the truck and running into the house.

Bella grabbed a couple of joints and looked at Jordan thoughtfully.

"Come on, Jordan Baker. Let's go see what kind of damage the twins did."

"Twins?"

"Yeah. The two little ones have the same markings, and I can never tell them apart," she said as they headed toward the field.

"It's cute how you care about them," he said, and Bella wrinkled her nose.

"We're connected along with the other undead creatures that roam the earth. The bite did something to me, and I'm constantly changing," she sighed.

"You don't sound thrilled about becoming a superhero," Jordan teased, and she scoffed.

"I'm not. I don't know what I'm feeling and have no one to guide me. The sensations are so strong sometimes, and it's hard to understand, even for me."

Bella sighed, looking out into the field, and Jordan gave her a thoughtful look, licking his lips.

"Like what?" he asked.

She glanced at him, shaking her head, and looked back at the field.

"I don't know. I can't explain it," she mumbled, and Jordan looked at her with care.

"Tell you what," he said, nudging her with his arm, and Bella looked at him.

"When you're ready and need someone to listen. My door is always open. Call it a nonjudgmental freedom of speech zone. How's that sound?" he asked, and she chuckled.

"Freedom of speech zone, huh? What did you say you did before the world went to shit?"

"I never did, but I'm surprised you, out of your whole group, haven't recognized me yet," he said.

Bella studied Jordan's face for a moment and shook her head.

"Why should I?" she laughed, handing him a joint, and he gave her a clever look.

"Let me give you a hint, baby girl."

He put the joint behind his ear, cleared his throat, and gently touched Bella's face. Jordan stared into her eyes, and she froze.

"I know this wasn't what we expected. The important thing is we stay together, get away from the zombies, and find safety. I will not stop until I know you are safe," he said in a deep voice, and Bella's eyebrows rose.

She pushed his short dreads to the side and wiped mud on his face. Jordan pushed her hands away and stepped back, wiping the mud off.

"What's you do that for?"

"Now, I recognize you. You're Victor from the "Dead Alive" movie," she said.

Jordan gave her an irritated look, sighed, and laughed.

"It took you putting dirt on my face to recognize me, baby girl?" he asked, wiping his face with a wet rag, and Bella nodded.

"Personally, I thought the mud was an improvement. Your face was too clean," she teased, wrinkling her nose, and Jordan laughed, shaking his head.

"A badass and a comedian. Someone should have warned my ass about you, baby girl. I think I need to speak with your father or Dale."

Bella raised her eyebrows and grinned.

"You shouldn't tread into deep water if you don't know how to swim," she teased, biting her bottom lip and gently fist-bumping his arm.

Jordan looked at her, thinking how sexy she was, when she bit her bottom lip and watched her walk toward Waylon.

"Come on, Jordan Baker," she said, and he shook his head, chasing after her.

***************************************

"Mom?" called Bella, walking into the house, but the place was silent and empty.

"Mom? Sarah?" she called, walking around and out onto the porch, but there wasn't any sign of Megan, Charlie, Sarah, or Bonnie.

Waylon and Jordan were drinking from their water bottles by the front steps, and she gave them a worried look.

"They're not here," she said, and they looked at her oddly.

"What do you mean? All the vehicles are still here except Liam's truck," said Waylon, and Bella shook her head.

"The house and yard are empty," she said, walking down the steps.

"Maybe the barn?" suggested Jordan, and she shook her head.

"No one goes down there, and Charlie is terrified of that place."

"High Point? Maybe they walked the back way?" asked Waylon.

"Nope. Everyone is terrified of the tigers," Bella sighed.

Jordan blew a breath, put a hand on her shoulder, and rubbed her collarbone with his thumb.

"I'm sure they'll turn up, baby girl. You stay here, and me and Waylon will finish the fence."

Bella sighed, feeling a calm wash over her, and only nodded.

*************************************

Bella sat on the porch steps, staring at the road, hoping her father would drive up, but no one came. She was scared and didn't understand how or why everyone disappeared. Jordan walked up the steps and sat beside her.

"Me and Waylon finished the fence. Now, you just have to tell your furry friends to stay away from it," he said, leaning back on his elbows, and Bella only nodded, not taking her eyes off the road.

"So, did you see any signs of struggle? I know this may sound crazy, baby girl, but how do you know they weren't taken?" he suggested, and she looked at him oddly.

"Well, I figured, since your dad was a cop. You'd look for that kind of stuff."

"He was a cop before I was born, and now he's a sergeant. I didn't think of them being taken, though," she said, and Jordan put his hand on her lower back.

"Come on. I'll help you look."

Bella nodded, and they stood. Suddenly, there was an explosion, and she grabbed Jordan's forearms as she jumped. She stared, sinking her nails into his skin, and he winced at the pain. He could admit she was a lot stronger than she looked.

"High Point."

She heard the whisper, grabbed Jordan's hand, and pulled him toward the truck.

"What's wrong, baby girl?" he asked, getting in the vehicle, and Bella stepped on the gas.

"We need to get to High Point!" she cried and sped off.

****************************************

Bella pulled into the park, and she and Jordan stared in horror. Four tigers were piles of burning carcasses, and two beasts huddled together, moaning in agony. The twins and two larger cats were dead, and the playground and spring were destroyed.

Bella got out of the truck, tears streaming down her face, and hit her knees, blowing shaky breaths. Jordan got out, ran to her side, and stared, watching her eyes shift into feline eyes. She uttered an ear-piercing scream, and he turned away, covering his ears. The windows and mirrors in the vehicle shattered, and he ducked as glass rained on him.

The living beasts roared to their feet, and Bella's scream turned into a mighty roar.

"Bandits," she sneered, and Jordan uncovered his ears.

"You sure?"

Suddenly, they heard a loud whistle, and the boulder above the spring exploded. Jordan grabbed Bella and shielded her from the falling debris. He yelled out in pain as a large rock hit his back, and she put her hand on his chest.

"You okay?" she asked, and he nodded, breathing heavily.

One of the beasts snarled, and Jordan let go of her. Bella looked toward the road and saw a truck with a rocket launcher attached to the top. Her eyebrows shot down in anger, and the tigers charged toward the vehicle. The truck stopped, and two men ran from it, screaming. She glared at the men, and a horde of mutants surrounded them. Jordan made a face, closing his eyes as he heard the men's dying screams, and the tigers knocked the truck with the rocket launcher down the hill.

Bella looked at Jordan with feline eyes and smirked.

"Are you sure about that open-door policy?" she asked, stepping closer to him and searching his eyes.

Jordan looked at her, blowing a shaky breath, and grabbed her shoulders.

"After meeting you, what else is there?" he asked, rubbing her soft skin with his thumbs.

"Take your chances out there. I know you're scared of what I am, and I don't blame you. I'm scared, too. But you could have a chance, and I will make sure the mutants protect you. You can have a chance to survive," she said as her voice cracked, and he shook his head.

"Nah, I ain't leaving you to deal with this on your own, baby girl," he said.

"But you could die if you stay," she said, and Jordan saw tears in her eyes.

He searched her eyes and saw she cared for him more than he had thought.

"Then it's worth it. You saved my ass twice, baby girl. What kind of man would I be if I just left, huh?" he asked heatedly.

"Your father would hunt my ass down and kill me for leaving his little girl. I'm staying!"

Bella searched his eyes, and her eyes faded to purple. She sobbed, and Jordan pulled her into his arms. He held her face against his chest and rubbed her back.

"We'll get 'em," he whispered.

"But they have my family, my friends, and Charlie. They have my baby brother."

She sobbed uncontrollably, and the beast groaned sadly. Jordan gently rocked her back and forth and ran his fingers through her hair. He couldn't believe how perfectly she fit in his arms and how right it felt. Jordan shook the thoughts from his head and had an idea.

"Why don't you use your spies to find out what happened?" he said softly, and she tilted her head back, looking at him.

"My spies?"

He gave her a knowing look and chuckled.

"The freaks."

The tigers snarled, and Jordan rolled his eyes as Bella snorted.

"Geez, they're uptight," he breathed, looking at Bella, and she giggled.

He smiled, searching her eyes, and she huffed a quiet sob.

"Listen, baby girl. I will be here for you. Whatever you need me to be, I'm here. You got this. Now, do your thing and get in touch with your inner beast."

She sniffed, resting her head against his chest, and nodded.

"Imma let you go. You good?" he asked, and she nodded.

He let her go, and she steadied herself. She blew a breath, shaking out her arms, and closed her eyes.

"Show me my pack," Bella whispered.

She inhaled sharply as visions of her family flooded her mind.