Countdown to Zero (Patient Zero Book 2)

by Adrianne Lemke

  “Jake is injured, Rex. Badly. Do you really think we should be putting him in more danger by bringing him along? Wouldn’t it be better to leave him and the others somewhere safe?”

  “And leave us with no back up?” he argued. “With no real plan to get our friends out, let alone keep ourselves from getting caught? Besides, Jake would never forgive us for leaving him behind. Probably not the best plan, Z.”

  Yeah, he was probably right. I wasn’t having the best luck coming up with good ideas recently.

  “Kinda par for the course for me lately, huh?” I asked ruefully.

  He glanced at me over his shoulder. “You’re exhausted, Zero. Honestly, you need a break from everything. I wish we’d managed to find a vehicle, so you could at least get some rest as we travel.”

  Our conversation dwindled as the sun rose over the horizon. We rode in silence as we kept our eyes open for any sign of our friends’ passage. We turned where Rex thought they had planned to and kept going.

  I lost track of the horde once we turned. We’d managed to get far enough away that I now felt confident we wouldn’t be leading them right to our friends. Chances were that Brent, his guard friends, and the horde would manage to catch up to us again before too long. It wasn’t like they didn’t know exactly where we were heading. But for now, we were as safe as we could be.

  “There!” I said. At the side of the road was a T-shaped intersection, where an old street sign was hardly standing. On it was a rough drawing of a small black bird with its beak pointing to the right.

  Grinning, Rex said. “Caleb’s handiwork, you think?”

  “Seems that way,” I agreed as he turned the horse to the left. “If I had to guess, I’d say we’ll catch up to them soon.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Soon was apparently a bit of a stretch. “I’m sorry, we have to stop,” I said. “Riding like this is definitely not the most comfortable thing in the world.”

  “Right, break time,” Rex agreed. We’d checked every possible turn off for marks from our friends, but had yet to come up with another mark. “We should have caught up to them by now.”

  I sighed and nodded. “Yeah. We probably should have. I honestly can’t tell you why we haven’t.”

  The bird drawing we’d seen should have been placed near their stopping point. If they confidently believed Rex and I would be following behind, the mark would have been left, then they would have traveled to the nearest empty house or abandoned building to stop and wait for us to catch up. Not continued moving with no further signs.

  “Did we miss something?” Rex asked, pulling at a piece of grass and tossing it to the ground. “Where are they?”

  “I have no idea,” I said. “Do we keep going this way, or backtrack to see if we missed something?”

  Rex grabbed at the grass again and shook his head. “I don’t know what would be best,” he said. “But I think we keep going.”

  I sighed, hating the idea of not catching up with the others. Even if I had brought up the possibility earlier, I hadn’t relished the idea of being separated from our friends. “You’re right. We don’t have time to backtrack.”

  Slumped on the grass by the side of the road, I had to struggle to keep the tears at bay. I could see Rex raise his arms as if to give me a hug, but he stopped himself.

  Instead he spoke gently. “We will find them, Z. I don’t know when or where, but we will find them again. We’re family. We won’t be separated forever.”

  I gave him a weak smile. His words sounded good, but all I could think about were the others I’d lost during this outbreak. There were no guarantees. All of us had lost people we would never see again. I dreaded the idea that this would end that way.

  The name of the game was hope. I could hold on to Rex’s words, and at least part of me could believe we’d find our friends. I chose to focus on that part.

  “I know,” I finally answered him. “We will find them. They know where we’re headed. It’s possible they took an alternate route to the same location.”

  He grinned. “That’s the spirit! And in that spirit, we should probably get going.”

  The thought of riding double any more made me groan. “I miss Freedom. It was so much better when we each had our own horse.”

  Rex took my hand and helped me off the ground. “I don’t know. It’s not so bad having you close.”

  Heat rose in my cheeks, and I looked down at our still-entwined hands. I gave a shy smile. “Yeah, okay. That part’s not too bad.”

  I mounted and slid back behind the saddle. When he got on, I let myself lean on him. In theory it was to stay safe while riding. In reality, it was so I could accept his warmth and comfort. It felt nice to wrap my arms around him and rest my head on his back as he directed the horse.

  Allowing myself to let go of being the leader for a little while was good. Instead, I just thought about what our next steps should be. Rex knew where we were heading, so I trusted him.

  After riding in silence for a while I voiced some of my thoughts. “We need supplies, and probably a better, faster method of travel,” I said. “If nothing else, another horse I can ride, and some bags we can use to carry whatever supplies we can find.”

  “Sooner the better,” Rex agreed. “Don’t know about you, but I’m kinda hungry already. We didn’t exactly get to have breakfast before we were rousted from our camping area.”

  “Good point,” I agreed. Okay, next place you see that looks promising, stop. We’ll look around quickly and see what we can find.”

  It didn’t take long to find a place. We looked around as we rode up the driveway of an old farmhouse, which appeared to be the norm in this area. The green siding was cracked and the flower gardens and yard were weed-filled and overgrown. The roof seemed new, though, which told me the people who lived here had tried to keep their home looking nice.

  As we rode up, I didn’t see any sign of life. No movement though the windows. No sounds of animals nearby. Just the silence and lonely feeling of an abandoned house.

  “Wait… It’s not quite abandoned,” I warned. “I think there’s a zombie in there.”

  Rex shifted and looked at me with a frown. “You think?”

  I shrugged. “Without the others, it’s a bit harder to tell. And it was always harder to feel if there’s only one or two of them nearby.”

  “You still have your sword, and I have my gun,” he said thoughtfully. “But I don’t have extra ammo, and you don’t have your crossbow.”

  Not that I disagreed with his assessment, but we didn’t have time to argue. “We need stuff,” I said. “We can handle one creature.”

  He shrugged fatalistically. “All right. You’re the boss.”

  We dismounted and tied the horse’s lead rope to the railing on the front porch. “Have you named your horse yet?” I asked with a smile.

  “Well… I named him Frodo,” he said. A slight blush rose on his cheeks. “I always enjoyed Lord of the Rings, and this whole quest to end the outbreak made me think of it.”

  I grinned. “You’re such a nerd.”

  “Truth,” he acknowledged. “Now, we should stop stalling and see what we find in the house, right?”

  Rex held his gun at the ready, and I gripped my sword. He wasn’t far off in his assessment, I supposed. The Lord of the Rings started with a large group working toward a single goal, then they all broke up into smaller groups in order to divide and conquer.

  Speaking of… “We should split up,” I suggested. “We don’t have time to waste.”

  “I’ll go up, you stay down?” he said. “Yell if we need help?”

  I agreed, and we separated. Nothing in the downstairs appeared to be a threat, so I grabbed some reusable shopping bags I found in the pantry and put every bottle of water I could find into them. Including a couple that had been in the refrigerator. It was worth braving the smell of rotten food to find the extra water.

  There were several cans of fruit, soup, tuna, and chic
ken in the pantry. I took them all, and put them in a separate bag from the water.

  I had almost everything packed into the bags when I heard Rex yell.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Mike

  “How did this happen?” I asked. “How do we get away from a threat and leave our leader behind to get captured?”

  It wasn’t the first time I’d said it, and no one had an answer for me now either. “We can’t go back. We know where they’re heading,” Jake said. “If they even got caught. Rex and Z are survivors, Mike. They’ll do whatever it takes to get away.”

  “Then they’ll head the same direction we are,” Caleb added. “They know exactly where we’re going, and won’t leave our other friends to the guards.”

  I didn’t know Rex or Zero as well as some of the others did, but I figured they were probably right. “Okay. But we should leave them some sort of sign that we’re okay and also heading that way.”

  Caleb pointed to a mostly fallen street sign. “There. I can draw one of our symbols so they know which direction to go.”

  Without waiting for a response, he dug out a marker from one of the bags and started to draw.

  “Someone’s coming,” I warned after Caleb had been drawing for a while. “We need to go.”

  Kate motioned for everyone to get back on the wagon or onto their horses. “Beak’s the opposite way that we’re going,” I said when I saw Caleb’s drawing.

  “Yup. That’s in case someone else tries to follow it,” Caleb answered with a slight smile. “We had this set up a while ago in case we got separated.”

  Shanti giggled. “Yeah, and Caleb practiced drawing those birds on just about everything he could find.”

  The artist in question shrugged, a wistful look on his face. “I would have tried aiming you guys in the right direction when we were taken, but the guards kept us under pretty strict watch after Mike ran off.”

  “Let’s go!” Kate urged. “Alex thinks some of the creatures are headed our way.”

  I nodded, catching a glimpse of dark uniforms too. “There are some guards coming too. I don’t think they’re the same ones we ran into earlier. They’re coming from the opposite direction.”

  Everyone was now back in their seats ready to leave. Those on horseback held back in order to stay with the wagon. Chance couldn’t race ahead the way the less burdened horses could.

  “Take this,” Jake said, handing me a handgun. “If that horde catches us, shoot.”

  “What about the guards?”

  Our de facto leader shrugged. “They’re as much a threat as the monsters. That said, if possible, we should try to get away or scare them off rather than kill them.”

  The wagon jolted as Kate pushed Chance to go faster. I looked out the window. My heart sank. “They saw where we turned. They’re following us.”

  “And catching up!” Kate yelled.

  Alex rode up beside the wagon and pointed to the left. “The horde is coming too. It looks like they’re going to intersect with the guards.”

  Jake shifted, a slight wince on his face when he tried to sit up. “Horrible as it sounds, I hope they do. It would be best if we could get away clear while those two groups fight.”

  Assuming these zombies weren’t being controlled by the guards too. Although, I doubted they could without Brent to lead them.

  “Alex, do you think you and Lia can do for us what you did for the compound?” Jake asked. “I mean, keep the zombies away from the wagon and our horses while pushing them toward the guards?”

  He and Lia rode next to each other, the easy canter not interrupting their ability to hold their silent conversation. “Yes. We should be able to.”

  “Good. Do it.”

  “We have to take a detour!” Kate warned. “There are more people ahead!”

  Caleb shook his head as we made the unplanned turn. He glanced back at the other road and frowned.

  “What?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “We can’t let Zero and Rex know we turned. The symbol would have told them the direction we headed and that we were planning to stop at the closest safe location.”

  All of us had survived at least part of the outbreak on our own. Why was it that now we couldn’t stand the idea of dividing our group at all? That I, for one, felt like we were missing a limb once we got cut off from Zero.

  “Turn in here!” Kate yelled.

  I reached to brace Jake when the wagon took a sharp turn. The quick shift had him groaning in pain once again. Once the wagon straightened out, I grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up to check the wound.

  “No blood,” I said. “I think we’re good for now.”

  Another sharp turn had us riding through an area that was thickly wooded and hard to see through. We slowed down a little, and took yet another turn.

  After a few more minutes Kate pulled the wagon to a stop. When I looked out the window, I saw a farm house with evergreens planted around the entire property. Hidden behind the trees, we would be invisible from the road.

  “We can’t keep using the horses,” Kate told us as we climbed out. Her voice was full of regret as she walked up to Chance and patted his neck. “We’re not fast enough, and we’re too noticeable.”

  Jake nodded. “Check for a vehicle,” he told us. “If we can’t find one here, we’ll pack our stuff on the horses and walk. The wagon will have to stay here. Too many people have seen it.”

  Shanti and Caleb looked like they wanted to argue, but instead they went to the garage to check.

  “Get some water and food while we’re stopped. We’ll have to try to make up for this detour by going nonstop the rest of the day,” Jake told us.

  Food and water. Something Rex and Zero wouldn’t have. All the supplies were on the wagon. Until they found a safe place to stop and search, they would likely have nothing.

  A hand landed on my shoulder. “They’ll be okay, Mike,” Jake assured me. “And so will we.”

  With a tight smile and a nod, I probably told him how little I actually believed him. But I did open a bottle of water and take a long drink. Despite the situation, I found myself relaxing in the pleasant warmth of the morning. The sun was out, and there was just a hint of a breeze to keep the temperature from climbing into the too hot range.

  “There’s a station wagon in the garage,” Shanti reported when she returned. “But the real prize is in the machine shed.”

  She grinned, and motioned for us to follow her. Caleb had apparently remained behind to help with the big reveal. “Ta-dah!” They sang together as they theatrically presented the huge RV.

  “We could ride in cramped confinement with the station wagon,” Shanti said. “Or we can ride in comfort with this well-built and sturdy apartment on wheels. Jake would have a bed to rest in as we travel, and the rest of us could spread out, while still having room for all our stuff.”

  Kate examined it with a smile. “Did you happen to check the status of gas?”

  “Full tank. And it seems to be at least mostly stocked. I’m guessing the owner had intended to use it before everything happened,” Caleb answered.

  I eyed the huge vehicle warily. “It won’t get great mileage,” I warned. “Or go fast, or maneuver well.”

  Jake shrugged. “We’ll work around it. All right, everyone untack the horses, and say your goodbyes. Unfortunately, it’s time to set them free.”

  Alex and Lia seemed the most upset. Lia had tears in her eyes as she removed the saddle and bridle from her mount. Alex just patted his horse’s neck when he turned her loose. Then he went to unhitch Chance.

  “Thanks for your help, buddy,” he muttered to the horse. “We couldn’t have gotten this far without you.”

  Kate went up to them and said, “Take comfort in knowing the zombies don’t seem interested in animals. Once we set them free, the horses will be allowed to just be horses. Running when they want, grazing, and relaxing in the sun… They’re most likely going to stay together as a herd
, since they know each other already.”

  The siblings smiled, and I found myself smiling as well. Kate was probably right. The horses would maybe wish for some human companionship for a while, but they could do quite well as a wild herd.

  “Thanks guys,” I whispered. “Take care of yourselves.”

  We climbed into the RV and Kate started the engine. A final glance out the side windows showed the four horses watching curiously as we pulled out of the driveway.

  They would be fine. Now, it was time to make sure the rest of our friends would be too.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Zero

  Rex’s yell was closely followed by the sharp crack of gunfire. I could have sworn my heart stopped for a moment before I dashed up the steps to get to him. “Rex!” I yelled. “Rex! Are you okay?”

  He came out of one of the bedrooms, his hands shook as he holstered his gun. “Found the zombie,” he said with a weak smile. “It-it’s not going to be an issue for us.”

  “You’re okay? No injuries? You didn’t get any of its blood on you?” As I spoke I grabbed him by the arm and forcefully turned him to check for any possible problems.

  He put his hands on my arms, halting my frantic search. “I’m good, Z. I’m good. There’s some clean bedding in the closet.” He held up a bag and continued, “I found a duffel bag we can use for some blankets and stuff.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief that he was safe, then checked the bedding. The blankets were soft and clean, and still smelled a bit like a dryer sheet. “Nice,” I said, enjoying the clean smell.

  He hesitated. “I-uh… I also found some baby wipes. They’ll come in handy. We should be able to use them to clean ourselves off a little whenever we can’t find a place for a proper bath.” He paused as he stuffed a couple blankets into the bag. “I… uh, I thought you might want to check for anything you could use from the bathrooms too.”

  I raised an eyebrow and he blushed. “Well, I didn’t know what you might need, or I would’ve taken it.”