by Cluke, D. L.
“All right, listen up everybody. I’ve scoped the best way out of this wretched city. There’s no clear path, so we will need to zigzag and dodge again. They’re starting to collect in hordes, which is both good and bad. If we can avoid the hordes, we can survive.”
“And if we can’t?” asked Brandon.
Josh shrugged his shoulders, no one needed to hear the answer to that. They already knew. They had already seen what those things could do.
“We should get moving, the area seems somewhat safe at the moment.”
The group gathered their things and followed Josh out the window, down a rusted metal staircase. Each step sent a metallic ting echoing into the city. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be any infected around to hear it. They stepped off the staircase into an alley, ducking behind some garbage cans to wait and listen.
Sitting behind those garbage cans, the smell was horrendous. It had only been a few days. What would it be like in a month? She held back a gag. This city would quickly turn into a cesspool without anyone left to care for it.
Anna didn’t hear anything. She looked at Becca, seeing the same confused look on her face. The city was eerily quiet. The moaning of the infected was gone. The screams of the dying were gone. The wind whistled eerily through the buildings, the only sound the rustling of discarded garbage. It was as if the infected had simply vanished.
Sensing their thoughts, Josh turned to them and whispered.
“Don’t let the quiet fool you. The infected seem to go into some sort of dormant state when there’s nothing of interest around. The hordes have moved south of us, following the sounds of the fleeing and dying. That doesn’t mean we’re safe. There will still be stragglers. We need to keep our guard up and dispatch them as quickly and quietly as we can. We cannot give them the chance to scream and attract more. We will try to avoid them as much as possible. Stealth is our best bet. Only engage and dispatch them when there are no other options. Are we understood?”
They all nodded, they knew what was at stake. Josh turned and walked to the end of the alley, looking both ways before motioning for them to follow. Stepping out onto the main drag, Anna saw the street was empty. Well, empty of anything living or reanimated.
Body parts littered the ground. Blood, now dried into dark stains, was everywhere. How many times would it need to rain before the streets were clean and all evidence of the horror erased? The infected would see to the leftovers once fresh prey ran short. And in a city of millions of undead, that wouldn’t take long. She didn’t want to be here when they came back looking for their next meal.
Josh took off, staying low and using vehicles, trash cans, and anything else he could for cover. The group followed, mimicking his moves the best they could, trying to stay as quiet as possible. And so the morning wore on with the group doing everything to avoid the infected and Josh dispatching groups of one or two when necessary. Anna watched in with awe, his body sure of the movements needed to keep them all safe. He managed to kill them without attracting more. Would she ever learn to be so graceful in this new world?
By noon, they had covered a great distance and Josh estimated they only had a few short miles to go until they’ve reached his truck. Things were going smoothly and she began to worry that they would run out of luck. She could feel the anxiety building inside her.
After some water and a quick granola bar for lunch, they left their hiding spot inside an overturned bus and continued picking their way through the ruined city. They went around a parked semi and came face-to-face with a group of about 20 infected. They had been hidden by a smaller white truck at the tail end of the trailer.
The group stopped dead, hoping and praying the creatures had yet to detect them. The creatures all faced the other direction, noses lifted as the wind carried scents towards them. Luckily, the group was downwind of the creatures, but if the wind shifted or stopped… They needed to move. Josh motioned for them to back up.
Brandon muttered what sounded like oh shit. He turned heel and took off running. The pounding of his heavy frame hitting the pavement rang out like a dinner bell. As one, the horde turned. Screams of guttural excitement filled the air.
They were on the hunt and Anna was the prey.
Chapter Twelve
“Go go go!”
Josh screamed, pushing the girls ahead of him. They sprinted into an alley, trying to follow Brandon as he ran willy-nilly down side streets and across intersections. More of the infected joined the chase as they were stirred from their dormant states.
“Josh,” gasped Anna. “What are we going to do? We can’t keep this up for long!”
She was right. They were exhausted, running only on fear and adrenaline. Fear would keep them moving, but the adrenaline would only last for so long. They closed the gap on Brandon as he started to slow. Anna could see him wheezing from the exertion, he wasn’t going to last much longer.
Josh pushed the two girls ahead of Brandon.
“You idiot.”
That was all Anna heard before she saw Josh kick out with his right foot, connecting his size 12 boot with Brandon’s kneecap. Brandon screamed, tumbling to the ground. Josh brushed off his hands as they reached up for him and sprinted ahead.
“You bastard!” Becca screamed, stopping in her tracks and running back towards Brandon. Anna turned to follow her, but Josh roughly yanked both her and Becca’s arms and shoved them forward once more.
“Run if you want to live!”
“Brandon!” She stopped, trying to shove past Josh as the horde barreled towards their easy meal. Anna could barely hear Brandon’s terrified screams as the horde descended upon him. Their growls and shrieks drowning out all other sounds.
Josh slapped Becca across the face, sending her flying forward.
“He was a goner. He wouldn’t have made it another 100 feet. Now move unless you want to join him.”
Anna cast one final glance back at her friend, but there was nothing left to see. The horde fell onto him and greedily consumed him. The sounds of ripping flesh and agonized screams filtered through the excited moans of the infected. Blood-soaked hands raked his ample flesh, pulling it to their mouths in a heated frenzy.
“There’s nothing you can do for him, Anna. He brought this upon himself. The fool, but at least his sacrifice won’t be in vain. We need to move now.”
Josh griped her and Becca’s arm harder, pulling them along as he rounded the corner and zig-zagged through several more streets. Becca’s face was blank and she allowed Josh to pull her to safety. The shock of seeing her boyfriend eaten alive was too much for her to comprehend and her mind had simply shut off. Brandon’s dying screams echoed behind them until, thankfully, they could hear him no more.
Josh kept moving, pulling them behind cars when one of the infected appeared. He dispatched several and where Anna had been in awe of his prowess earlier, she now had a staunch reminder of just what Josh was.
A cold-blooded killer.
How was she going to get her and Becca away from him? And then what, he knew where she was headed. She couldn’t let him harm her family or their farm. She needed to be rid of him, once and for all. Her heart hardened, the emotions of the past few days leaving her body. She felt a renewed strength. Josh had made the decision for her.
Now she just had to wait for an opportunity. Their very lives depended on it. She looked over at Becca, already her friend was a mere shell of her former self. Becca hadn’t said a single word since Brandon had died. Killed, Anna reminded herself, since Brandon had been killed.
She knew Josh had a mean streak, but she never imagined he would kill someone. Let alone, someone who he had hung out with, gone on group dates with. Who was this man she had dated for so long? She had no idea.
The only thing she knew was that Josh needed to die.
Chapter Thirteen
Anna bided her time, waiting for just the right moment to strike Josh from behind. The moment never came. All that came her way were more
of the infected. The closer they got to the edge of the city, the thicker they seemed to become. Josh could no longer dispatch all of them alone. Anna and Becca had to jump in and get their hands dirty. Really dirty.
She swung her tire iron, recently snagged from the back of a red pickup, smacking a middle-aged man in the side of the head. He fell over and she followed him to the ground, finishing the job. Placing her foot on the side of his face, she yanked it out from his white eye, wiping the gooey innards on the man’s overalls.
And so their afternoon went. They were just miles from the safety of Josh’s truck, but they just couldn’t seem to find a clear path to get there. Frustration grew as the sun sunk lower in the sky, shadows growing long once more. Suddenly, there were blind spots in the shadows. Blinds spots that could easily lead to death.
Josh stopped outside a pharmacy, the once quaint storefront now a smashed and bloody mess. Blood streaked down the broken glass shards. Something bad had happened here.
“We should take a look around, make sure it’s safe, and rest up. Night’s closing in fast.”
He poked his head into the bright interior, the power somehow still working. He pulled back onto the sidewalk and faced them. He eyed Becca, who still seemed to be in shock. She had killed several infected throughout the afternoon, but still showed no sign of any emotion. Anna was really starting to worry about her. She needed her head in the game, or she wouldn’t survive.
“Maybe we can find something for your friend to take. Help take the edge off of today’s events.” He lowered his voice, so only Anna could hear him. “She needs to toughen up, or she will end up like her boy toy.”
Anna scowled at Josh but stopped herself from saying something smart.
We still need the jackass.
She kept repeating her new mantra, but as each minute passed, she realized she would rather take her chances fighting off the infected than dealing with Josh. Who knows what he would do next.
“Yeah, doesn’t hurt to look, but if the aisles are any indication, we might not find much.”
Maggie’s Pharmacy had seen better days. Climbing through the busted storefront, they stood behind the cramped counter. Anna picked up a few candy bars from the display by the register, tossing a couple to Josh and putting a few into Becca’s backpack. No telling when they would see chocolate again. Just another casualty of the apocalypse.
She followed Josh deeper into the small store, stepping around tipped over racks and spilled cough medicine. Becca followed along silently, her ax hanging down by her knees, bouncing against her leg with each step. Anna thought she looked ready to accept whatever fate had in store for her. They needed to find something for her to take and soon. Anna couldn’t lose her as well.
Rounding the end cap, Josh pointed to the floor and placed his finger against his lips. A smear of blood, like something or someone had been dragged, stained the white tiles. The trail disappeared behind the pharmacy counter. It was still wet. Whatever had happened, happened recently.
Thud.
The movement sounded from somewhere in the back. They weren’t alone. Her heart rate spiked, adrenaline filling her veins as she watched Josh approach the counter.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Anna watched Josh clear the area, his machete leading the way as he circled around shelves and down the small aisles. The trail of blood seemed thicker, fresher back here. He went around the last corner and Anna heard a low growl. Her body tensed, ready for the coming attack.
“What in the world… Anna, Becca. You guys better come back here.”
Chapter Fourteen
Becca shoved past her, dropping to her knees in front of a deceased woman. Her long blonde hair was now dyed scarlet from where she had been scalped. A smooth cut lined the top of her forehead, the flap of skin dangling to the side. Blood dripped from the ends of her hair. Her clothes were torn, her skirt hiked up around her hips, and her green eyes now dull and wide open. A knife stuck out of her stomach and congealing blood pooled beneath her.
The infected didn’t do this.
A whine sounded from in front of Becca, tearing Anna’s eyes away from the disheveled and mutilated corpse in front of her. A large German Shepard cowered in the corner, just barely able to reach the woman, his chin lowered onto the petite woman’s feet. He was chained to a metal heater, his neck rubbed raw where he had tried to escape and save his owner.
“She must have dragged herself back here. There’s a pile of bedding in the corner, over by the dog. Looks like she was staying here and thought the dog was enough protection… Guess she thought wrong.”
She glanced over at Josh, ready to give him hell for being so callous. She snapped her mouth shut, shocked to see he was upset by what had occurred here. His face had paled considerably since entering the pharmacy. He looked at anything except the woman.
The dog whined at Becca, his chin leaving his owner’s legs just a fraction of an inch when she reached her hand out slowly. He sniffed her fingers, his pink tongue flicking out to lick her. Her fingers caressed his nose, moving to his ears when he perked up a bit.
“Come on, boy. It’s okay. Let me help you,” Becca murmured, her voice low and calm. He nuzzled his big head against her arm. She inched closer, taking her time, letting him get used to her.
“We need to move. I don’t like this.” Josh was back to poking around the woman, his color a bit better. He was finally noticing what Anna had noticed as soon as they walked in. “Whoever did this could be back and soon. The blood is still wet.”
Becca unhooked the chain from the heater, coiling the end tightly around her small hand. She reached down to scratch his ear, careful of the wounds on his neck. A jingle sounded and she reached down to read the blue tag, her nose touching his.
“Here we are, Remi. What a good boy you are. Let’s get you out of here.”
Anna watched as some life flowed back into her friend. The dog took one last look at his previous owner and joined Becca as she moved towards the front of the store. Maybe they didn’t need anything from behind the counter after all. Maybe this apocalypse wouldn’t be all bad all the time. Just maybe.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here? Looks like round two is on the agenda, boys.”
Or maybe not.
Josh’s hand clamped over her mouth, pulling her down behind one of the shelves. She struggled, wanting to help her friend, not wanting her to end up like that poor woman in the corner.
“Wait. If we go out there now, we are sitting ducks,” he whispered, not releasing his hand until she could control herself.
She calmed her breathing, nodding at him. He slowly let go of her mouth, but he didn’t move away. He placed a finger to his lips, then slowly reached into his backpack.
“Y’all alone, sweetheart?” A rough voice asked Becca.
“Y-yes.” Anna could hear Remi’s low growl as his new owner was threatened. This time he wasn’t chained to a heater. This time he would do his job.
“Ya better shut that mutt up, or else I’ll do it for ya. I was nice enough to let him live last time, but don’t ya dare think I will be that caring again.”
“Please, don’t hurt him. He’s all I got.”
Anna looked at Josh, impressed at Becca’s ability to think on her feet. She hadn’t missed a beat when she realized that Josh and Anna hadn’t been spotted yet. They might just make it out of this alive.
“Who were ya talking to back there? Ya sure ya don’t have any friends hiding back there?”
“No, I said I was alone. Three grown-ass men don’t have anything better to do in this zombie apocalypse than pick on a lonely girl and her dog?”
Josh’s eyes met hers and he smiled, “We can take three of them. Good girl, Becca.”
His hand emerged from the backpack, sporting a Glock 9MM handgun. Where had he been hiding that this entire time? Why hadn’t he used to help Brandon? She could see red at the edges of her vision. She took a calming breath. Now was not the time to get distrac
ted by how much she hated his guts. She buried the feeling for later use.
“Get ready to run. As soon as I fire this thing, it will be like ringing the dinner bell. Every infected in hearing distance will on us. Let’s just hope we can get out the back door.”
“You two, go check out the back. I will stay with our new friends here. Fill her in on how this new arrangement of ours is gonna work.”
Footsteps sounded, but Anna could barely hear them over the sound of her thudding heart.
Chapter Fifteen
Josh released her, motioning for her to move to the far back corner of the pharmacy. He stood at the end of an aisle with her across from him. Directly in front of their position was a door with a bright red EXIT sign above. She motioned to it and he nodded.
“What about Becca?” She mouthed, her voice barely a whisper. She’d be damned if she was going to lose both her friends.
He shrugged, “Let’s hope she’s smart enough to run this way.”
Before Anna could reply, the sound of the half-door opening brought her to a halt. Two male voices carried through the air, setting her nerves on edge.
“Anyone back here? You might as well give up and come out now. Things will be much easier if you do.”
The second man snickered, “Yeah, like they are gonna believe that Chuck. Looks like that bitch you stuck like a pig dragged herself back here. Here piggy, piggy.” More snickers flowed through the quiet pharmacy.
“We better check it out, or the boss will have our heads. Leave your singing for the shower, Joe.”
Anna saw Josh’s knuckled tighten around the 9MM as the footsteps drew near. She pressed back against the empty rack behind her, her hands tightening around the tire iron. The coldness of the steel felt reassuring in her small hands.