Zombies were only one part of the world going mad, there were cannibals and cults and strange things happening that had no real explanation.
Reynolds is a survivor and has helped many others survive.
Reynolds learned to trust certain
people a long time ago when the world had started to go mad.
The
Highwaymen were some of those people he trusted.
The
man who approached him on the highway was another.
“Ditto,”
Reynolds said. “This is Gail.”
Ditto’s
smile was missing two teeth but was welcoming.
“Gail?”
Ditto said. He smoothed his black and grey moustache.
“Yes,
sir,” she said. His rough, thick hand engulfed hers.
“A
pleasure, dear.” Ditto said.
“Come
out to meet us,” Reynolds asked.
“Yep.
Missed you, boss.”
“I’m
sure you did.”
Ditto
was a rugged older Hispanic man with an oval face and strong jaw.
“Where
did ya find this young chica?”
“Just
outside of Edmond.”
“Did
he save your life,” Ditto asked Gail.
She
nodded.
“Si,
Si, welcome to the club,” Ditto said. “How far did ya get this time, boss?”
“412
outside of Enid,” Reynolds said.
“You
went to Enid?” Gail asked.
“No,
Enid is Skinner central.”
“The
Highwaymen don’t even go into Enid,” Ditto said.
“Highway
412 goes from Enid to I35 and onward to east to Tulsa,” Reynolds said. “The
Skinners turned it into a hunting ground between Enid and I35. You heading back
home, Ditto?”
“Nah.
I’m going to get some fishing in while the boys make their Strong City run.”
Ditto
and Reynolds spent a lot of time fishing in the newly expanded Lake Overholser.
“Wish
I could stay but I’m ready to be home.”
“Si,
Si. No problemo.”
Gail
stopped in her tracks. It is a common reaction to the sight.
“You
ok?” Reynolds asked.
“Is
that a glacier,” Gail pointed to large gray thing in the distance.
“Yep.
It’s a glacier,” Reynolds said.
“I
had heard but never imagined.”
“Yep,
it’s a big chunk of ice,” Ditto said rather duly.
“Where
did it come from,” Gail asked.
“Where
ever glaciers come from,” Reynolds said.
“How
has it not melted away,”
Oklahoma
summers were very hot.
“It
was bigger,” Ditto said.
“This
world is really mad, isn’t it,” Gail said.
The
Settlement the Reynolds calls home is housed in an old computer hard drive
company building. It now houses two hundred survivors in and around the
facility instead of hard drives.
The
large parking lot on the west side of the facility is walled off with
semi-trailers tipped over and lined up to provide protection to the market that
has sprouted up on the parking lot.