Chapter 165: 165
I took one last look at the figure we took care of earlier as we drove off for a few more minutes. We’re hugging a part of the public market at this side and we finally arrived near his house. It’s located in a much smaller fishing areas that are enclosed by cement so the fishes here could be bred indefinitely with proper care. However, one of the two fishing areas here has already a few zombies inside trying to climb back up from the side. The color of the water is very different from the normal one and the smell it produced could make one easily vomit. The vicinity has several houses though there’s no sign of any other people living at this side as far as we know based on sight.
This time, I left Kaley on the truck and brought Mark with me since he’s much closer with Borris.
We’re walking on the cement enclosure while I would poke some of the heads that are sticking out from the fishing area to clear as much of them as possible. I just held my katana downward and almost used it as a walking stick though the place I would place it would be the heads of the zombies below.
We reached his wooden gate and Mark started to knock.
*knock* *knock* *knock*
“Bor? You there dude?” Mark said.
I tried to check a small opening where I could peek or jump through but I have my own reasons to why I’m not forcing or finessing my way in.
Just on the other side of the gate I could see a small point of a wooden pole hidden amongst leaves and I fear there are more hidden that we don’t know about.
“I think he’s not here boss. Could he have gone somewhere else? I know it’s improbable but it’s too quiet here.” Mark said.
“Hmm. Wait, let me try.” I said as he give way.
“The Earth is flat!” I shouted.
Mark looked at me weirdly but I placed my finger over my lips with a smile to make him silent.
“The lizard people are not real!” I shouted once more.
“Zuckerberger is a reptile bent to take over the world!”
“Chemo is the only cure for cancer!”
“Aliens do not exist!”
I started on spouting bullshit people believe in the Internet to get a reaction and just as I was about to pile on more… I heard a creak of a wood just to the right of us.
“THE F.U.C.K WHO IS SPEAKING SUCH F.U.C.KI- JESUS F.U.C.K.I.N.G CHRIST YOU TWO ARE STILL ALIVE!!!” Borris came from below a small hidden door covered by trash glued together and some leaves and debris to hide it from plain sight.
“Borris! The f.u.c.k are you doing down there?!” Mark exclaimed.
“Cool contraption eh? Made this a few months ago in case aliens came knocking on my door. What’s up? I’m saying this already, I’m not coming with you! Well, how many are you f.u.c.kers now?” he said several sentences with almost no spaces between them.
He… looks pretty normal. To what we’re used to seeing him but he has very long hair and a full beard. He’s covered to the point the all that we’re seeing from him is part of skins from his face. He’s carrying a wooden staff that I think he made himself though the other end of it is pointed. He pulled himself up from the tunnel that I think he also dug himself and he took a short glance from where we came from. He also has a cloak on and a sling bag that is on his back. He looks to be well fed since he’s living alone and I think he hasn’t come out that much.
“We’re doing fine, we’re just visiting. We’re past a hundred people now, we-” he cut me off.
“Hold on a f.u.c.k.i.n.g minute now! Did you kill the ones on the fishing area on the way here?!” he exclaimed.
We both nodded and he almost loses it.
“Why?! Those things are for camouflage! It could make it appear that no one is here! Why would you do that?! There’s still a few on the other side but I may need to lure a few of them there again.” he said.
“I think it’s best to kill them and burn them after. They’re mutating Borris, albeit in a small pace, they’re mutating. We killed one earlier that exhibits more intelligence than the usual ones. It tried to…” I told him the rest of the story.
His eyes are stuck to me as he listens intently. Before I told him more, he led us inside his place via the small tunnel that he dug.
“Good thing you didn’t try to break in there. You’d be a human pincushion if you ever did.” he said while he led us inside another door.
I told him a few stories about outside and he started on writing on a notebook a few things that caught his attention.
“In short Borris, we just came here to check on you. I know you don’t want to be with people but the place is still open for you if you wanted to join in the future. However, I’m wondering if you could trade some of your animals here for a few items we got from scavenging?” I said.
“Wonderful! I’ll check it first, where are you guys parked at?” his eyes lit up.
His place looks really rundown from the outside but it’s quite decent inside. I think he just made it look like that for people to avoid coming to his place to loot stuff. He has a few vegetables growing at his small garden and there is a flock of pigeons and several chickens, quails and ducks at his backyard. He’s been collecting some eggs from them and I’m seeing a few vegetables getting pickled or preserved by methods that would not need electricity to store for future use. He could definitely live his days here though I couldn’t see a gun anywhere. There’s a few cleavers and some wooden spears but I couldn’t see a trace of a box of ammo or aything.
“I could definitely make use of his skills back home. He’s particularly safe here but he needs a gun.” I thought to myself.
We led him outside and he only picked a few supplies that are organic or just plain raw materials. He didn’t pick food items that are processed though he picked a few containers of water. He didn’t even look at the other people we’re with as he rummaged through everything.
“Is that all you need Borris? You could take more in exchange for some of your animals. We could always gather a few more outside.” I said.
“Nah! This is fine, this is fine. I could give you four of each animal I have and a few pieces of eggs since I could always gather a few every day. But if you could get your hands on some feed that would be nice. There’s a few shops around here since there are several farms scattered here also.” he said as Dong and Mark helped him take it back to his hidden house.
We were about to say goodbye but I picked up one of Glock 19s in the holster and a radio.
“Here.” I said.
“What’s that for?” he asked.
“You know it’s a gun, right? I figured you might need one here or if you decided to come to my place.” I said.
“I ah…” he seems hesitant.
He removes his cloak and my eyes lit up as I saw a couple of guns in the bag that he’s always carrying.
“I’ll trade all of this for that since I don’t want to owe you anything and be obligated. That looks much more menacing and this thing here makes it quiet, right? I fired a couple of shots before and it attracted a lot of them.” he asked.
“Yeah. That’s a suppressor. Where did you get all of these guns?” I asked as I saw a .38 Revolver, a Glock 17 and an Armscor GI Standard FS Pistol. All of them are scratched up and the revolver has no ammo left except for the two that has a few loose .45 ACP ammo left inside them.
“I picked those up from the ones roaming at the fishing area. They tried to break in to my house and I ah… you know the rest.” he said as he looks down.
The group gave solemn expressions from his statement and he bid his goodbye to us as he went back. He just made a simple head nod to Mark and Dong that are carrying a few cages where the animals that he promised us for trade are there.
“He crossed that line eh? Hope he doesn’t let it go through so much in his head.” I thought to myself.
*bzzt*
“Stay safe there, yeah?”
*bzzt*
*bzzt*
“Sure.”
*bzzt*
We drove away to a few more stores and Jared tapped me.
“Bro, I just received a signal.” he said with wide eyes as he turned his phone towards me.