The Undead Survivor Series (Book 2): Undead and the City

by Radke, K. E.

  “Someone invested time into this little oasis.”

  “Whoever they are has probably already spotted us. And since they haven’t introduced themselves, I’m assuming they aren’t friendly,” Noah began shifting his binoculars skyward, and searched for spies.

  “They might not have enough manpower for spies,” Lincoln offered.

  “Okay princess, I know you want a happily ever after, but let’s keep the glass half empty for now. Assume everyone’s the enemy is how we’re going to survive. City dwellers are a different breed,” Noah said ominously.

  “First of all, fuck you,” Lincoln began. “Secondly it’ll be hard to counter attack with two fucking people in wheelchairs. Plus, you never know what we might go home to. We might find ourselves turning right back around and joining them.”

  Snorting derisively Noah disagreed, “This shit show stinks worse than the ghouls. Right now there’s enough to go around, but sooner or later someone will fuck it all up. Someone always fucks it up.”

  “I guess we’ll find out,” Lincoln said faintly. They packed up everything and moved out of the alley. Wyatt and Gloria were tasked with keeping an eye on the people with guns up ahead, while Noah and Lincoln searched for the electronics store and other threats.

  Passing a drug store with the windows blown out, but not burned to the ground like the previous businesses, Lincoln pushed his mother inside. The wheels struggled over the shattered glass and ripped, moldy food items that were strewn across the floor. Tiny vermin footprints were scattered in every direction and the smell reeked of toxins that would violate every building code. Everything loudly crunched and squelched underfoot as Lincoln made his way around the toppled shelving and told everyone to search for a map of the city.

  Noah helped Lincoln move shelves out of the way and found a six-pack of beer and vegetable juice. He shoved the juice at his mother and continued searching for a map when an unmistakable sound of a cap hit the ground followed by a familiar fizz. Behind him Gloria had managed to pop a beer open and she guzzled it down like her life depended on it.

  Running his hand down his face in frustration, Lincoln growled at Noah, “You couldn’t grab that out of her hand before she opened it?”

  Noah watched in awe of the woman as she absorbed the beer through her mouth, “Are you seeing this?! Is anyone timing her?”

  “Stop encouraging her! That shit is fucking hot!” Lincoln said roughly and tried to snatch the bottle away from her. She turned slightly out of his grasp and finished it off. Lincoln clenched his jaw spitting out, “That counts as not cooperating.” She threw her hands in the air and surrendered herself in the wheelchair. To Noah he said icily, “Be useful next time or you’ll play the nurse when she pukes.”

  “It was the first time I saw her truly happy. No one was going to get that bottle from her.” Noah admitted in a dead serious tone. “And your mom scares the hell out me.”

  Wyatt rolled around near the front by the magazines sifting through them on the floor with his good foot. Playboys and Penthouse were the top layer covered in muck. Noah glanced over Wyatt’s shoulder and nudged him mumbling, “That’s the best idea anyone’s had all day.”

  “I’m looking for maps not porn,” Wyatt said absently as he turned his head to get a better look at a naked woman.

  “So am I,” Noah winked at Wyatt conspiratorially. Under the first layer Noah found bent magazines still in good shape and started placing them in Wyatt’s lap. While he sifted through them Wyatt kept an eye out for maps.

  “Well shit,” Noah pulled a map from the bottom of the pile and held it up for Lincoln to see.

  “See how many you can find in good condition,” Lincoln said and tasked himself with finding salvageable food.

  Twenty minutes of searching scored Lincoln vegetable juice and a few smushed fruit bars still in the package. Noah found three maps, one torn, dusted in footprints but salvageable. On their way out, Lincoln eyed the nudey magazines in Wyatt’s lap, “We’re not taking those. It’s extra weight.”

  “I’m surprised they’re still sitting on his lap,” Gloria sniggered to herself.

  Lincoln pushed his mother out first and passed Wyatt snatching one out of the pile. He rolled it up and gave it to Noah muttering, “Put that in my bag real quick.”

  Noah unrolled it, took a quick glimpse and grinned, “Extra busty.”

  “It’s to start fires,” Lincoln muttered.

  “In his pants,” Wyatt finished.

  Back on the sidewalk they were immediately spotted by the people guarding the perimeter to the little oasis. Noah decided the woman holding the Glock incorrectly would be the easiest person to coerce into helping them, and the least likely to shoot accurately.

  Everyone voted Noah as the least intimidating person to approach her because of his height. He couldn’t scare many people at four foot eleven, which is why he’s an accurate shot. The group stayed twenty feet back while Noah held his hands out in front of him—so she could clearly see they were empty—and slowly strode in her direction.

  “I just want some information and then we’ll be on our way,” Noah guaranteed her softly in a kind voice.

  Red tinged her face in the heat and clashed with the dark bags under her skittish hazel eyes. She couldn’t decide who to keep her steady gaze on. A little closer, Noah realized a Glock 43 was pointed at him and his hands itched to be around his 1911. Exhaling slowly, he asked, “Is there an electronics store around here?”

  The greasy, dark blond hair pulled back in a ponytail swished behind her as she aimed between the group of three and Noah. Her hands tightened around the Glock and she peered at the guns slung around Noah instead of focusing on his question. Rolling forward a few feet, Gloria eyed the girl to gain sympathy and manipulate her into cooperating for the sake of the handicapped group.

  The guard’s eyes fled to Gloria’s innocent face and then over to Wyatt before landing on Noah again. Noah kept his distance and repeated lowly, “All I need is directions to an electronics store if you know where one is. Otherwise we’ll be on our way.”

  Seconds ticked by slowly while Lincoln watched the woman assess them. Her grip never faltered but when she finally spoke up, the quaver in her voice was prominent. A tone that knew she’d get in trouble for the information she was about to give freely. “There’s a computer fix it shop three blocks up to the right.”

  “How much time do we have before they send someone to greet us?” Noah asked lowly for only the woman’s ears.

  “Standing here and talking to me means you’re already wasting time,” she warned hastily. Noah’s gaze surpassed hers and found a crowd of looky loos that wouldn’t make eye contact with him. He nodded his head in thanks and turned, taking very calculated, unhurried steps back to the group.

  Whispering quickly and being straight forward Noah said, “This shit show reeks. We need to get out of sight and up three blocks as fast as we can.”

  “If someone’s trailing us, I doubt we’ll be able to hide from them in wheelchairs,” Wyatt said in a self-assured tone and pushed himself forward. Noah tugged on the chair to stop his progression and Wyatt growled over his shoulder, “I got this.”

  Noah backed off with his hands raised allowing Wyatt to move freely. Wyatt gazed forward determined to cross through their claimed territory. The pulse in his ears and the pounding against his ribcage competed for blood as adrenaline flooded his body.

  Everyone inhaled as Wyatt crossed over into unknown territory with a nod of his head to the guard. The woman’s conscious was visibly warring between her duty as a sentry and threatening a helpless man in a wheelchair.

  Before the blond could make up her mind, Gloria followed Wyatt’s lead. She pushed herself toward the invisible boundary line until Lincoln took over. He slowed his pace watching the woman’s face twist with unease as she turned and found them a lot closer than before. Gloria jerked in the chair to keep him moving forward. She kept her mouth shut and played the feeble woman the on
lookers thought she was.

  The guard’s hesitant gaze locked on Gloria before meeting Lincoln’s unwavering eyes. He saw dread before the woman looked away and focused on Noah. Whoever was in charge would hold her responsible for letting a group of strangers breach the perimeter. Not a word was spoken between them and the trio crossed into the oasis city, taking advantage of the palpable sympathy from everyone in the vicinity.

  Noah took his place behind Wyatt’s wheelchair and whispered in his ear, “We all just stepped right into a pile of shit. This plan of yours better work.”

  “My plan is to get to the electronics store as fast as possible and leave before anyone follows. If we wasted time going around they’d get there before us.”

  “But now we might not make it there at all.”

  “I’m hoping you’re wrong.”

  “Shit, me too,” Noah agreed enthusiastically.

  Not able to eavesdrop, Lincoln steered clear of people in his path and tried to stop his paranoia from erupting into an uncontrollable monster with every step he took. Every darted glance was repeated automatically to rooftops and shadows where their enemies would be lurking.

  None of the guards budged from their spots once the group crossed the invisible border. Lincoln noticed everyone paired with handguns, and not rifles, which, would be a much better weapon to guard with. No one was carrying heavy machinery like the AK slung over his shoulder—a warning to anyone spying to be careful when they approached—a sign they were not part of the oasis city, and a threat to the whoever controlled the little haven.

  Lincoln cringed internally every time he passed a pair of staring eyes. Ignoring his gut impulse to make sure they weren’t being tailed was slowly feeding the paranoia. Noah and Wyatt were playing the part, pretending to be oblivious to their surroundings, and the danger of crossing someone else’s territory.

  They reached the third block and as soon as they realized they were on an abandoned street without scrutinizing eyes, Noah took off at a jog and pushed Wyatt along with him. Signaling Lincoln to take the left, their eyes were peeled for the computer store hoping for the best.

  It surprisingly stood untouched by the looting parties. The metal gate protecting the storefront from raiders had been pried up and bent out of shape. An interrupted attempt because other than the gate, the store seemed to be in perfect shape.

  “No one wants computer parts in the new world,” Wyatt deadpanned.

  Right next door was a convenience store and on the other side a fast food joint. Both were identical, wrecked beyond repair. Everything seemed to still be inside, just smashed and damaged like a bunch of teenagers decided to run amok. They didn’t have time to search for anything salvageable, someone was bound to show up, and Lincoln wanted to be gone by then.

  He pulled on the metal gate to see if it would budge. It lifted just enough for a small person to slide underneath it. “Noah, get under there and see if you can get the door open,” Lincoln grunted.

  “Or we can go through the store next door and shoot out the lock on the back door,” Noah suggested taking his own advice.

  Inside the convenience store, Lincoln moved shelving to make a path for the wheelchairs. Noah hinted it was a waste of time, but Lincoln refused to leave his mother alone and whispered to Noah, “They could take her hostage.”

  Mumbling to himself so Lincoln couldn’t hear him, “She’ll be too exhausted to kill us when they free her.” The backdoor hung haphazardly and creaked loudly as Noah poked his head out to check for trouble and found it eerily quiet.

  While trying to push his way out into the alley, the backdoor fell off its hinges and Noah watched it fall creating a wall of dust once it hit the ground. Lincoln growled incoherently behind him.

  One door down, Noah found a simple entryway with a deadbolt. Instead of wasting a bullet he picked up an old pipe off the ground and slammed it against the doorknob until it fell off.

  Noah kneeled peeking through the hole waiting for something hungry to greet him. Placing his ear against the door he heard nothing and swallowed hard before sticking his arm through to unlock the deadbolt.

  The door swung open and he aimed the gun at the dark shadows untouched by the sunlight inside the building. Buckets filled to the brim had small electronic parts in various stages of completion. A table sat against the wall with several laptops completely taken apart. There was a microwave and shelving that held laptops with names attached to them.

  Lincoln glanced over Noah’s shoulder. While everything seemed to be in disarray, he knew someone out there had purposely left the spot untidy. The tiny space was clear of threats, so Lincoln treaded lightly to the only other entrance in the small backroom. Down the hallway, he found the front of the store completely empty. Backtracking, he found everyone safely inside with the door shut to any wandering creatures outside.

  Everyone tried to make themselves small, but they filled the room and Lincoln needed to clear them out. His eye twitched at the same time he declared, “We should split up and cover all the exits. Noah you take the front down the hallway and Wyatt, keep an eye on the back door.” He placed his pack against the wall so he could move easier but kept the AK sling on his shoulder.

  “What about me?” Gloria asked contemptuously narrowing her eyes at Lincoln. “I’m not useless.”

  “Follow Noah up front,” Lincoln said in an agitated tone. Gloria’s back was to Noah and he immediately started making silent, desperate pleas to Lincoln mouthing ‘do not leave me alone with your mother.’

  Ignoring Noah’s theatrics, he started searching through the buckets full of mismatched parts. Out of the wheelchair, Gloria stretched her legs and disappeared down the corridor with Noah on her trail.

  Lincoln shoved everything on the desk to one side and dumped one bucket after another carefully fingering through the pile of computer tidbits. Minutes ticked by as the pile of parts grew. His eyes fled to his full pack and then back to the fragile electronic parts. If anything gets damaged during transport all his efforts would be for nothing.

  Wyatt watched Lincoln search the room, “I would help but... ,” He pointed to his swollen foot not actually sorry he couldn’t help. Lincoln gave him a slightly annoyed glance and without opening his mouth, warned Wyatt to stop being an asshole.

  “I’m looking for something to keep all the parts safe. I can’t stuff them in the pack, and I don’t want to carry around a bucket.”

  “What about rolling it up in bubble wrap?”

  Clenching his jaw, Lincoln wanted to punch Wyatt in his smart mouth and said through his teeth, “I don’t have any bubble wrap.”

  “You could use the one in the corner over there,” Wyatt pointed to it nicely with a smug grin on his face.

  Lincoln snatched up the bubble wrap and unrolled it on the floor. One by one he placed the tidbits in a row and gently rolled it over. He repeated the process until everything was safely stored inside the bubble wrap. Holding it in his hand he glanced between the four full packs.

  Wyatt started humming the Jeopardy song. Lincoln slowly turned his head toward Wyatt with irritation oozing out of him, “Shut. Up.”

  Between the four packs Phoebe’s was the only one he didn’t pack so he grabbed hers. Rifling through it he pulled out the cylinder packed tent and opened it. Leaving the contents on the floor he pushed the electronic filled bubble wrap inside. It was the perfect disguise.

  Glancing around the little area one last time, he found three GPS locators, four walkie-talkies and a package of batteries that he commandeered before signaling Noah with a whistle that it was time to move out.

  Everyone lugged their packs back in place and Noah unlocked the backdoor when something jabbed him in the stomach. He glanced down and found himself on the wrong end of a barrel.

  “Fuck.”

  EIGHT

  “L et me see them pretty little hands of yours,” a voice hollered right outside. He kept the gun in the hole previously occupied by the doorknob and poked another o
ne through the door crack as it opened slowly. Gloria quickly flopped back into her wheelchair as everyone’s hands slowly rose above them.

  The scrawny man in front of them spit his dip right outside the door and poked the AK into Noah’s chest several times, making him step backward. His clothes were damp with sweat and yellow teeth peeked out from the sneer of his lips.

  In the doorway he squinted at them bunched up inside the room and placed the handgun in its holster. With a probing tone he said, “You know when they said you holed up in the computer place I thought to myself, what an odd place to be.” His beady blue eyes scanned the room and tried to find the answer to his curiosity.

  Pulling on Lincoln’s sleeve Gloria stammered fearfully, “What’s happening? Are we in trouble? Will they kill us?” She leaned to one side of the wheelchair and tried to shield herself with her arm.

  Lincoln tried to keep the dread from leaking into his expression but heard the desperation in his mother’s voice—something she never willingly showed. His ribcage vibrated from his heart thrashing against his chest.

  If her mind became unstable she’ll get herself killed—and possibly everyone here. White knuckling the wheelchair handles he ignored his mother’s desperate questions and said with concern coating his voice, “We wanted to get out of the sun, and find a GPS to get us to the nearest hospital.”

  “Is that so?” The scrawny guy was still staring around the room when Noah quickly shoved the AK up, pointing the lethal end at the ceiling. The man’s face was jabbed with his Desert Eagle and Noah spit venomously, “You will slowly take that rifle off and give it to me or I will blow your fucking head off.”

  The thunderous noise coincided with the scrawny man’s brains flying out of the hole in his face drenching Noah in bone, gray matter and blood. The bloody tissue that didn’t spray him, flew over his head and doused Lincoln.

  High-pitched screams erupted from Gloria while Noah and Lincoln tried to clean off their faces. The lifeless body with a giant hole where his head use to be, tilted forward and Noah stepped out of the way before it landed on him. It swung forward, the lanky arm striking Wyatt’s broken foot on the way down. Shouting obscenities, he tried to breathe through the pain.