Poking his face outside he thought he saw movement a few blocks away and hunched down again into shaded crevice. He hid deep inside a cinder block wall that encased pool equipment on the side of a house. The owner had placed a makeshift, green plastic roof over the top. It was small, yet just large enough for him to squeeze his body around the pump and filter and hide.
Um…I think I’ll wait until its dark. Bobby sat down with his back against the block wall. Not sure how long that is away, but I’ll be harder to see at night and be able to get the heck out of here. I sure hope Diane got away…
*****
Wheezing, Diane tried to catch her breath during a brief pause in her flight from the chasing group. They were nearly all men – something she noticed the last time she had to stop for a moment. One or two women also hunted with the group. If they hadn’t starting shooting at us from the beginning, I would have thought they could be approachable. We didn’t even say a word before they jumped us. Lucky the car was nearby or we’d be screwed worse than we already are.
Pushing off the wall she leaned against, Diane jogged around an unkempt hedge only to see three men fifty feet away. They noticed her immediately and gave chase when she turned on her heel and backtracked. She thought she had time to pass the wall and reach the next street before the first group closed the gap and trapped her between both hunting parties.
She was wrong.
The larger of the two groups rounded the corner beyond the wall and blocked Diane’s only other escape route. Fruitlessly, she spun in a circle, desperately looking for a way out. The click of a rifle being primed made her stop and raise her hands above her head.
“That’s right. Better drop all yer weapons. Slowly. And kick them over here.” A squat, dark man gestured with a pistol.
Slowly, Diane complied pulling handguns and knives from her belt. A small blade she left tucked inside her boot, hidden from view. She knew if they searched her thoroughly, it would be found, but did not want to give up her last weapon unless forced to. Roughly, they grabbed her arms and marched toward another man standing behind them all, who watched quietly, arms folded.
He was tall and lanky, dark curly hair with a visible scar that carved its way through one eyebrow. Her handlers pushed her down to her knees in front of the man.
“You are in our town, taking our property. I should just kill you now and be done with it.” He glowered down at Diane.
She felt a spike of hope. If they acted aggressively toward them because they thought her and Bobby were stealing, then the situation might be salvaged with an apology and peace offering of some sort. Maybe they were simply protecting what they thought was theirs? “I…I’m sorry. We didn’t know if anyone was alive here, let alone that the town belonged to anyone. We’re just trying to survive.”
Diane stopped from giving out any more information about the rest of group. There was a gut feeling she had not to trust these people, even though she truly believed the entire situation might be a misunderstanding.
The leader’s face changed – beaming a maniacal grin and laughed obnoxiously. “Bull shit. I can tell by looking at you that you’re a liar. There’s a place where we’re gonna take you that will make you talk. And if not, well…you will provide entertainment…for the masses!” He gestured grandly making the others chuckle. “Where’s your friend? The dude with the long, dark hair?”
Diane flinched as the man talked, watching the bright, crazed gleam in his eyes. There is something ‘off’ about him, but nothing I could put my finger on. All I know is, I’m in deep trouble here. I can’t give away any info, but I better not blatantly lie either, especially when I know they’ve seen Bobby. Half truths….
“I don’t know where he is; we split up when you started firing on us.”
Pausing and staring at her for a moment, he nodded. “Ok. Well then, where were you two running to?”
She swallowed nervously. “You shot up our car. We were just trying to get away. Back to the freeway, anywhere but here. Flying bullets and hordes of undead tend to do that to us.”
One of her captors slapped her across the face. “Don’t get smart!”
Their leader held up his hand and leaned close to Diane’s face. “No, no. It’s ok. We will find him and probably just shoot him for all the trouble he’s caused. You – you I have another plan for. First, you’re going to give us all the information you’re hiding in that head of yours – we have people who are good at that back at our HQ. Then…”
He looked up at the fading light of the sky and smiled, deep in visualization. “Oh. I won’t ruin the surprise for you. It’s all part of the reveal!”
Turning around with his arms wide, he beckoned the rest to follow. They bound Diane’s hands behind her and shoved her after the irrational man.
*****
Sucking in his breath, he watched the people walk up the street casting glances around looking for and dispatching zombies when they came too near. Bobby knew that if they saw him, he would be next.
Raised voices had lured him from his hiding place in the waning hours of daylight. He used the glaring, setting sun to cover his movements from those forced to look toward it while searching for him. He shimmied under a car, lying flat on his stomach, not far from where Diane gave up her weapons to the captors. Clenching his fist, he watched helplessly as they jostled Diane and trudged away. He had to try to follow them, but understood the risk of being caught.
I can’t just run off and tell Jaimee and the rest what happened. I have to at least know where they’re taking her – and more. Like…what their defenses are. Any way for us to slip in? Lots of stuff. I have to follow. Just don’t get caught stupid! Bobby slid crabwise from his place of concealment and used the twilight to cover his movements while carefully tailing the group. Several times, he was forced to stop and hunker down, unmoving because of the flanking guard watching their back.
By the time they arrived at the hostage takers stronghold, it was dark. Bobby used the cover of night to canvas most of the outer edges of the compound. He could not approach as close as he wanted too because of guards posted irregularly along rooftops and make shift walls and fences. From what he could discern, their headquarters encompassed a few businesses, houses and a high school. They used buildings as walls to keep the undead out and piled upturned cars or corrugated fencing in the gaps between. A rolling chain link fence was the main entryway into the compound defended by several guards.
Believing he had seen enough, Bobby slinked away in the general direction of the street that would lead him back up into the hills above town. He stuck to the dark shadows in case this new group still was searching for him. There were always zombies in the way though that hampered progress and forced Bobby to fight his way past only using his knives. The noise from his remaining gun with ammunition would attract too much attention from the undead and Diane’s captors. It took several hours to bring him within sight of the house and his friends.
I’m exhausted. I don’t know how long I’ve been out here, but I think I could sleep for days. Can’t yet though – gotta tell everyone what happened. He stumbled forward and caught himself before falling onto the asphalt. Damn. Pay attention yo – they’re gonna think I’m a zombie the way I’m walking. Sheesh.
Taking a deep breath in of the chilly evening air, he shook his head to clear it and continued walking. There was movement beyond the cars parked in front of the home, and moments later a bright beam lit up Bobby and the area around him. He threw up an arm, eyes smarting at the sudden light.
“Bobby?” he heard Tom’s voice say.
“Uh yeah. Dude, can you turn that off? You’re blinding me.” Bobby responded.
Grunting an affirmative, the light switched off and Tom limped out with a small flash light. “What happened? We got worried when you didn’t come back by dark. Where’s Diane? Is she behind you?”
Bobby shook his head. “No and we have problems. I…I need to tell everyone at once. She..I mean we…”
>
He wobbled as he stood until Tom took him under his shoulder and slowly helped him into the house.
*****
Jaimee slept on and off on the large couch in the front room. She was worried when Bobby and Diane had not returned from raiding down in the town before full dark. They always tried to return before they lost light to help conceal their location from others. She was determined to stay awake until Diane returned. By the time midnight came and went, Jaimee was in a fine state of worry and stress. Pacing until she thought there was a bald spot on the carpet, she finally sat on the couch and fought falling asleep, nodding off once or twice only to jerk awake after subconsciously hearing a sound. She struggled not to let her fears get the best of her.
It was close to three in the morning when Tom hobbled through the front door supporting Bobby. He bellowed loudly for everyone to come down to the front room as Bobby flopped onto an easy chair, resting his head in his hands. Tom called out again when only Tori appeared at the top of the stairwell.
“Bobby where’s Diane?” Jaimee asked, hoping to see her follow them through the door whole and unharmed.
He looked up at her through straggly hair. “I don’t know. Well, I don’t know exactly, but I know where they took her.”
“What? Who?” She tensed, fear taking over.
Henry and Blanca finally joined the rest downstairs, rubbing the sleep from their faces. Tori sat down next to her and placed a hand over Jaimee’s arm.
“Not them.” Bobby began. “Not those guys from Riverside. These people are new.”
Someone brought him some water while he recited what happened to him and Diane after only having the chance to search a couple stores. Three cars with several people firing at them immediately set upon them as they exited the second business.
“They didn’t even stop to ask questions or give us a chance to say we were cool with sharing. Just started shooting.” He blinked and shook his head. “We jumped into the SUV and tried to get away, but…”
Jaimee felt sick to her stomach with worry over Diane. What happened to her? Is she still alive? Dammit, this is happening all over again except this time I really care about these people. Especially her.
Bobby told them everything including the details of their stronghold and possible weak points. “The only problem is I have no idea where she is inside. We might be able to find a point to sneak in, but who knows where they’re keeping her.”
That’s if she’s even still…Jaimee swallowed and refused to think in that direction. Regardless of whether Diane was dead or alive, she knew she had to find out. My ribs feel better. Even though I doubt I could take anyone out hand to hand, I have my guns…
Tori watched Jaimee struggle emotionally. “We’re going after her. Not right now. Not with Bobby like this. Everyone should rest all day and we’ll head back down at dusk or night and get inside. Jaimee…we will find her. We will.”
Jaimee could only nod. She tamped down the frustration and impatience, trying to rein in the fears and doubts created by Diane’s capture. What she wanted to do was jump into a car, fully loaded with automatic weapons; fly down to where they held her prisoner and attack. Remove every single one of them from existence and rescue her lover. Now.
Henry scratched at his beard. “Given what Bobby told us, I think I have a plan…”
End of Volume 3 of
The Still Alive Series
Hunting Party
Available now on Amazon, Volumes 1 and 2 of the Still Alive series
Hunting Party (Still Alive; A Lesbian Love Story in an Undead World Book 3) Page 7