“Yeah.” Lazlo nodded, refusing to even look at her.
“Good morning!” Korech boomed and appeared in the kitchen doorway.
Lia blushed and lowered her eyes. Korech walked over to us, and Lia mumbled an excuse and hurried away.
“Morning,” I said, still trying to swallow the awful toast.
Lazlo moved so he was almost behind me. He bowed his head, looking as if he wanted to disappear into the cupboards.
Korech glanced at him diffidently before settling his gaze on me, and I forced a thin smile at him.
“I trust you slept well,” Korech said, putting a strong hand on my arm.
To onlookers, it probably appeared to be a comforting, warm gesture, but I only felt him trying to show his strength and dominance over me.
“I was just telling Lazlo that I slept fantastic,” I smiled as wide as I could and leaned back against the counter, pulling my arm away from him. He was much stronger and bigger than me, but that didn’t mean I would let him dominate me.
“That’s excellent news.” Korech crossed him arms over his chest. “We’re going to be having our morning worship shortly, and we would love it if you joined us.”
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” I nodded. I wasn’t ready to rock the boat quite yet, not without talking to Harlow, and I didn’t even know where Blue was at. “I should just check on Ripley, the lion, first.”
“I’m sure she’s doing alright. Shiloh fed all the cats this morning when she went hunting,” Korech said. I must’ve looked confused, because he continued, “The women hunt every day, usually killing small game like rabbits or coyotes for us to eat. They also find the occasional zombie or other food not meant for human consumption, and they bring that back to feed the tigers.”
Other food made me swallow hard, because I’m sure that meant bodies of the uninfected human variety.
“I’d still like to check on her,” I insisted with a plastic smile.
“As you wish.” Korech made no attempt to hide the displeasure in his voice.
The kitchen had several girls in it, but as the tension thickened, the room fell silent. Harlow watched me as she helped make more of the sour bread, but I couldn’t read her expression.
Korech stood directly in front of me, and he took a small step back so I could get by. I nodded and slid past him. Lazlo said he’d go with me, following directly on my heels, and I half-expected Korech to stop him, but he didn’t.
In the front room, Nevaeh straightened the pillows and couches, and Blue helped her move the furniture. He smiled at us but didn’t come with.
As soon I stepped outside, feeling the warm breeze, I took a deep breath.
“Ripley! Kitty kitty!” I shouted, stepping off the porch into the sunlight. Lazlo stayed right with me, glancing back at the house. “Ripley!”
“We should just get in the SUV and go,” Lazlo whispered. He leaned in close to me, his dark eyes intense and worried. “Do you have the keys?”
“Of course I do.” I had taken them with me and locked the SUV behind me. I didn’t trust Korech, so I made sure to keep the keys on me.
“Let’s just go.”
“We’re not leaving Blue and Harlow here,” I brushed him off and looked around for Ripley. I saw a tiger a few meters away, eating what I hoped was a zombie arm, but that was all. “What happened that has so you freaked?”
“I don’t know.” Lazlo kicked at the ground. “You know the other ‘boys’ who live here? There are only three of them, and they’re twelve, nine, and five.” He looked at me, waiting for it to sink in. “Korech is the only adult male here.”
“I get it,” I said in a hushed tone and stepped further from the house. “But Harlow likes it here.”
“Then leave her here,” Lazlo said without missing a beat.
“No,” I scoffed.
“She is safe,” he pointed out. “They want her. They love her. And as much as this place creeps me out, it’s the safest place I’ve been to since this whole zombie thing happened. She’s not gonna get killed or infected here. She might even be happy.”
“Being indoctrinated into a cult?” I shook my head, and pushed away any of the points he made.
“Maybe it’s not a cult,” Lazlo shrugged, but I don’t think he even believed that. “It doesn’t matter. The world is a different now, Remy. Food, electricity, water, safety, those things might all be worth staying here for.”
“If you really believe that, then why are you telling me to leave?” I asked. “If it’s worth it to stay, then why shouldn’t I?”
He met my gaze but didn’t answer right away.
“You wouldn’t survive,” he said finally. “Even if you weren’t trying to find your little brother. Korech can’t break you.”
“Let me talk to Harlow. I can’t leave here without her.” I squinted up at the bright sunlight. “Until then, stop acting like such a spaz. He’s not gonna kill you right in front of everyone.”
“How do you know?”
“I won’t let him,” I promised, and that actually seemed to calm him down. “We better go back inside before the worship thing starts. I’ll look for Ripley later.”
“So you really just found that lion on the side of the road?” Lazlo asked as we walked back to the ranch.
“Yeah. Why? Did you just think that I had a pet lion?”