Z-Burbia 4: Cannibal Road by Jake Bible Page B

hijackings or stowaways. They actually found a guy hanging underneath a Chevy Blazer, but he was way too whacked out of his head to tell us anything useful.
    Pup and Porky Fitzpatrick found three vehicles that had sustained enough damage from the attack in the mountains that it was decided to move the supplies and occupants from those into other vehicles. We just couldn’t risk a truck breaking down when we needed to make up the time we’d already lost.
    It was a couple hours before we decided we were ready to push on and hopefully reach Knoxville before nightfall. We wanted to get as close as possible, but also have time to get everyone secure and our position fortified for the night. We could fit most people in the structures in the haul truck bed, but it was a squeeze and a lot of us would need to be out guarding the convoy anyway.
    Especially since we knew, we weren’t just dealing with Zs, but gangs of people that eat people. That’s never a fun surprise in the middle of the night.
    By the time we reached the outskirts of Knoxville, the sun had started to set and we knew it was time to call it a night. Stuart began barking orders, as did Critter. Between them and the Fitzpatricks, we had things pretty much squared away within an hour. A sentry schedule was put in place and we made sure there was a driver in every vehicle in case we needed to move fast in the night. They didn’t have to stay awake, but they did have to be ready to wake the fuck up and put the pedal to the metal if/when needed.
    I insisted that Stella and the kids get up in the haul truck, and I would stay with the Explorer. I may not have been in the best shape to drive long distances, but I could start the SUV and make some tracks if I needed to. Stella only agreed when Elsbeth said she’d hang with me through the night. I know my wife was not happy about it, but I could also see she was dead tired and the rest would be good for her. It was probably her need to sleep that really won out.
    The night was cool and clear as Elsbeth and I sat in the Explorer with the windows down and listened to the crickets and late peepers make their night noises.
    “Did you ever hear about canny gangs?” I asked her. “Did any members come into Asheville to check out the scene?”
    It was pretty dark, but I could still easily see the indignant look Elsbeth gave me.
    “What?” I asked. “It’s a fair question.”
    “You think because I was a canny that I knew all the cannies?” Elsbeth grumbled. “Is that what you think, Long Pork? That we all know each other?”
    “Well, no, but I thought I’d ask,” I said. “No need to get all defensive. It was worth a shot.”
    She was quiet for a while then sighed. “Yeah. We’d heard of there being gangs of cannies.”
    “What?” I nearly shouted. “You did? You made me feel like an asshole when the answer was yes? Not cool, El. Not cool at all.”
    “I can’t make you feel nothing,” she countered. “If you felt like an asshole then that’s your problem.”
    “Okay, I don’t want to fight about the emotional and psychological dynamics of assholery,” I said. “Just tell me what you know about the canny gangs.”
    “Not much,” she replied. “Pa came across a couple people here and there that would talk about the gangs. Sometimes, they were just folks that had come from far away and made it through without getting caught. Some were folks that escaped and some were actually from the gangs. Didn’t really matter what they said since it all turned out the same in the end.”
    “What do you mean?” I asked. “How’d it all turn out the same?”
    Elsbeth patted her stomach. “We ate ‘em.”
    “Oh...right,” I responded. “Stupid me.”
    “Yep. Stupid you.”
    We stayed quiet for a bit, but I just couldn’t let it go.
    “So you didn’t learn anything from any of them?” I asked. “Like how many gangs there were or how many people were in the gangs? They didn’t say where they came from?