Apocalypsis 01 - Kahayatle

the Everglades, he’ll never survive.   He’ll get eaten.”
    I saw from a few faces around that the idea didn’t seem all that likely to them.
    “I don’t know how much you guys have gotten out of the swamps lately, but in case you’re living in a fantasy world that doesn’t include zombies, let me enlighten you - there are cannibals out there.   Kids are eating kids.”   I waited a few seconds to let that sink in.
    Someone in the back spoke up.   “That’s isolated stuff.   It’s not all over.”
    “Don’t be so sure,” said Bodo, standing up next to me.   “I came from West Palm Beach.   She and Peter came from Orlando.   Dare are zombies in both placess and in between.   Dat’s like almost two hundredt miles.”
    “Right,” I said.   “So it’s not just one group or one isolated situation.   It’s all over and probably spreading as the resources dry up.   This whole fighting thing you’re doing with the Creek is a bad idea.   You need to get together and make one big tribe instead of a bunch of small ones disagreeing and fighting over grenades.”
    “It takes both sides agreeing,” said Coli, “and that’s not going to happen.”
    I looked at her with disapproval.   “Well I guess you only have yourself to blame for that, don’t you?”
    She stood up suddenly, taking a step towards me.  
    Kowi held out his arm, bracing it across her legs.   “Trust me, Coli.   You don’t want to go there.”
    She looked down at him in disgust.   “You guys might have bowed down to her little games, but I’m not going to.”
    Kowi pulled his hand away and used it instead to gesture in my direction.   “Well, then, by all means.   Have at it.   But don’t come crying to me later when she hands you your ass.”
    Coli seemed to be considering the idea of being publicly humiliated in front of her tribe and decided to stay by her man’s side.   But that didn’t change her opinion about me one bit.  
    I sighed.   “Seriously, Coli.   You’re Creek for god’s sake.   Why can’t you go talk to them?”
    She folded her arms.   “I’m not going to get in the middle like that.”
    “Why the heck not?” I demanded.   “You’re the girlfriend of the chief over here.   You’re second in command.   It’s your job to make peace with neighboring nations, isn’t it?”
    She stuck her chin out in defiance but didn’t seem to have anything to say back.
    “Are you guys all crazy out here, or what?   Can’t you see what’s happening right under your noses?”   I stared Coli down.   “How did they know about the grenades, anyway?   Did you tell them?   Maybe you’re a mole.”
    She gasped at me, clearly outraged that I’d even suggested it.   Or at least, she was acting outraged.   She took a step forward and Kowi stood, taking her by the shoulders and pulling her back.   “No.   You’re not going to fight her.   I like your face the way it is.”
    He looked at me.   “I think the Creek were tracking you before you got here. That’s how they knew about the grenades.”
    “Dat’s not likely,” said Bodo.   “Dey were covered all da time.   You probably got a spy in here.   I bet it’s her,” he said, pointing to Coli.
    She struggled to get out of Kowi’s arms.   If she were guilty, she was doing a good job of hiding it.
    “Whatever.   It doesn’t matter,” I said.   “Actually, it just underlines the fact that this thing, this conflict you have with the Creek, is dangerous.   You can’t trust each other.   You’re all working against your common interests.”   I took a deep breath and continued.   “Let me go talk to them.   Maybe I can help negotiate some kind of truce.”   I stared at Coli.   “I’ll bring her with me.   She can prove to everyone she’s not a spy.”
    She jerked her arms out of Kowi’s grasp and practically spat at me.   “I don’t have to prove to you or anyone else that I’m not a spy.”
    “Yes, you do,” said Paci.   He stepped forward from the group.   “You were gone and no one could find you.   You disappear like that all the time.   And someone had to tell them about those grenades.   I think it was you.”
    I saw the murderous look on Kowi’s face and knew these words were not being spoken or taken lightly.   Coli looked stricken.
    “Okay, so whatever,” I said hurriedly, not wanting to lose the momentum we had.   “I’ll take Bodo and Coli and we’ll go talk to the Creek.