by Eric Baker
Thinking about it, she realized that her back was cold where it had been toward him while she slept. That meant he’d been gone a while. She blew a stray lock of hair out of her eyes in exasperation. Stupid men, always trying to do things on their own. Why wouldn’t they learn? He could be in the back bathroom, but she felt there was more to it.
Sitting on the floor, fuming, Daisy felt like she was being watched. She looked over to where Doc had ended up in the corner and saw he was awake. He, too, had a pistol in hand, but his was resting on his thigh. She watched as he put the pistol away and then stretched, joints popping loud enough to be heard where she sat.
Doc rolled over and stood up with care. He wiped down his hair and brushed off his dingy suit. Amazingly, he looked pretty much the same as he always did. Daisy, on the other hand, was sure she looked as bad as her mouth and eyes felt. Full of grit, dry, and in need of a bath.
Standing, Daisy looked at the front door. While the door was shut, the tables that were barricading the door had been moved back. Just enough for someone to slip out. Shaking her head, she looked at Doc.
“Doc, did Eli do that to the door? Did he leave?” Daisy was trying hard not to sound hysterical at the thought of what could have happened to him.
Before Doc could answer, more gunfire came from outside. It wasn’t close, and in the small town with buildings on both sides, the sound echoed enough to disguise a direction.
“Well, at the risk of getting you even more riled, I guess you should know. Yes, our Sheriff headed out on his own.”
“But, why? We had a plan… ah. When he said we’d get supplies from the Office, he didn’t actually mean ‘we,’ did he?” Daisy looked at Doc accusingly, and he at least had the courtesy to duck his head under her glare.
“Well, now, I gathered that he was headed to the Office to get supplies. Least that’s what I made out from his pointing back and forth. He’s been gone about a half hour, and I’ve been covering the door.”
Doc stretched again then faced Daisy.
“Now, if you’re done giving me the once over for all the things your boyfriend did that you didn’t like, I think I’ll go check on my patient.”
Doc let out an indignant harrumph as he turned and practically marched into the other room. Daisy couldn’t help but smile at his antics. She knew he was worried just as much as she was. All they could do was pray that Eli would make it back safe.
Walking over to the bar, she glanced down at the dark spot of blood on the ground next to where Frank had lay. No, she couldn’t let herself get emotional. Not now. Later, when everything was finished, she’d sit down and have a good long cry. Right now, she might as well get some water and see what food she could rustle up. This would be their last chance to eat. Soon, they’d be fighting for their lives.
____
Eli stood on the small front porch of the Sheriff’s Office and listened. While fighting the zombie, he thought he had heard noises from down the street, maybe a few gunshots. Maybe a scream.
While he waited a moment to make sure there were no other zombies around, he took the time to chastise himself. He was in such a hurry to get back to Daisy that he almost got himself killed. Or worse. He had spent the last year ignoring her and the occasional advances she made. But now he was acting like a blamed schoolboy.
He had to admit, though, it kind of felt nice to not feel the weight of the world on his shoulders. Every time he thought of Lorelei and Matt, the guilt, the pain, had always come crashing down. Now? It was still there, but not the same. Was it the run-in with the woman and kid in the canyon? In being willing to give up, had he somehow let go?
Eli almost laughed as he thought about Pastor Steve. If he’d had this conversation with him, he’d probably tell him he’d been born again, in a sense. Well, maybe he had. If so, he prayed God would let him and Daisy live through the morning, so they could figure it all out. Together.
Eli shook his head and chastised himself again. Standing out here, trying to make sure he wasn’t about to get eaten, and what does he do? Daydream. Sighing at his craziness, he looked around one last time. Women. And yet, he felt down deep she was worth it.
Setting himself to make a dash across the street, Eli stopped and squinted down the street. A flash in the dim early morning light caught his eye. The light fog cleared just enough, and then he saw it: a white sheet. A sense of relief flooded him. He hadn’t allowed himself to think about the consequences of Tommy not making it back to the hotel, or if they didn’t like his plan.
Stepping forward, Eli leaned down and grabbed the handle of the knife in the zombie’s head and pulled it free. He began a light jog across the street. Loaded down as he was, he tried to minimize any jingling of the belts by holding his arms tight against them.
Halfway across the street, he thought he saw a movement in the shadows of the saloon. He slowed, trying to make out what it could be. If Daisy had come outside to…
No, not Daisy. The zombie lurched toward him as he continued across the street. He fought back the concern that others may have gotten past his temporary barricade. He needed to focus on the threat before him.
The closer he got to the porch of the saloon, the better he could see. The bench appeared to still be in place before the door. There wasn’t any other movement, so this should be the only one. He decided to face it head on and get inside. They didn’t have long before the sun would break and illuminate Main Street.
Moving up the stairs, Eli approached the zombie. Now that he was closer, he could make out the details. And the stink. This appeared to be one of the men from the mine. Same clothes as the others, and weathered from the sun and heat.
The zombie reached for him with both arms, letting out a dry, raspy growl. The teeth clacked together, almost like it was anticipating its breakfast. Well, Eli wasn’t about to oblige the thing.
Using the two rifles clutched in his left hand, Eli swung them at the zombie’s hands to knock them away. He swung the knife at the head at the same time. But the zombie didn’t follow the plan, and instead of its arms getting knocked to the side, it grabbed the rifles with both hands and yanked.
Eli was pulled forward unexpectedly and lost his balance. Sliding his left foot forward, he stayed upright, but he was now leaning too close for comfort toward the zombie. His knife hand came forward, but due to the sudden movement, he missed the head, and his wrist banged into the zombie’s ear.
The zombie continued wrenching the rifles from Eli’s hand, causing them to clatter to the wooden decking. It growled again, this time louder, expecting victory as it pushed forward toward Eli.
Without a second to waste, Eli twisted his knife hand around and turned the blade inward. He plunged the knife into the back of the skull. He tried to aim upward as much as possible, but he had to risk the chance he would stab himself.
Pulling as hard as he could, the knife and zombie pulled tight up against Eli. He felt the zombie’s body relax. Looking down, he realized that an onlooker would think he was hugging the creature. At least, until they saw the tip of the blade, pointing from the top of the head straight at Eli.
Leaving the knife in place, Eli moved the zombie off him, letting the body slide to the porch. He took a second to compose himself, all the while surveying his surroundings. He didn’t want to chance that others were skulking about, waiting to jump him.
It was curious, though. First the one outside the office, now here at the saloon. With all the noise going on at the hotel, why were these two waiting for him? Both were outside the doors… Eli’s eyes widened as it hit him. They had seen him at the doors. They had waited for him. That meant they at least retained some intelligence. But what else?
Reaching for the rifles on the ground, he was just glad they didn’t remember how to shoot. He moved over to the bench he had placed in front of the door. As quietly as he could, he slid it to the side. With great care, he pushed the door open with a light scraping sound. He was about to slide into the room when he rememb
ered Doc taking a shot at him earlier. He wasn’t busting in like before, but better safe than sorry.
Sliding into the gap, he let his right eye slide into view. Surveying the room, he didn’t see anything out of place. Moving in a little more so he could see into his blind spot to the left near the stairs, he stopped. A pistol and a shotgun were both aimed directly at his head.
Since they hadn’t already shot him, he took a chance and tried to slide the rest of the way in. He promptly got stuck. Eli gave both Doc and Daisy a sheepish smile.
“Um… Morning. Would you mind pulling the table back a bit, so I get in? I really don’t want to get bit this close to safety.”
Doc grunted, then turned and set the shotgun down on the bar. Turning back, he saw that Daisy still had her pistol out, aimed somewhere in the neighborhood of Eli’s head. Shaking his head, he reached over and put his hand on the barrel, pushing it down.
“You can kill him later. For now, let’s get him inside before something grabs him. It won’t be as satisfying if you have to kick his zombie butt.”
Daisy continued to stare at Eli, anger shooting darts out of her eyes. But she holstered the weapon and moved with Doc to move the table.
Despite the lightness of the comments, Eli had begun to sweat. He could turn his head a little, but he couldn’t make out much behind him. He could see some zombies lying on the porch, and that fueled his imagination even more. The pressure on his chest from the door lessened, and he slipped inside. Pushing the door closed, he helped Doc and Daisy push the tables back in place.
After laying the two rifles down on the table, Eli shrugged out of the four pistol belts and set them down. He turned, opening his mouth to talk, only to feel two small hands hit his chest with incredible force.
“What. Do. You. Think. You. Are. Doing?” Daisy spit each word at him, emphasizing each one with another hit in the chest.
She was halfway done before Eli could recover from the shock. His first instinct was to get mad. He was the Sheriff! It was his job to keep people safe, especially those he loved. Why didn’t she get that?
Eli looked at Doc and was surprised to see him walking toward the side room where Maggie and Alice were resting. He was shaking his head as he walked, holding his hands up as if to emphasize the futility of it all.
Looking down at Daisy’s face, he caught her hands. Then it registered. Yes, she was mad. But she was also on the verge of tears. She was scared. And obviously, he was an idiot.
When she finished, he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. She struggled at first, but then he felt her fall against him, the tears falling on his shirt. He put his head next to hers so she could hear him.
“Daisy, I’m sorry. I know it was a terrible risk, but I felt it was worth it. We needed weapons, the deputies needed to know what was going on, and it was safer if I went…”
Daisy pushed out of his arms with a strong shove. The tears were still there, but the anger seemed to have gone up a notch.
“You don’t get it, do you? I know why you did it. I don’t agree, but I understand. But you lied. You said WE would wait until morning, implying we were in this together. And on top of that - you didn’t TELL ME you were leaving!”
She hit him in the chest once more before whirling around and following Doc into the side room. Eli just watched her go in amazement. It had been so long since he’d been able to break down the emotional walls inside, he had forgotten the need for honest communication that all relationships depended upon.
Taking a cue from Doc, he shook his head. If this morning’s plan worked out, they would have time to figure this all out.
Walking over to the window, he looked to see the sun peeking out above the horizon. Only about thirty minutes until it would be time to go. Looking toward where Daisy had disappeared into the side room, he guessed that it would be a long thirty minutes.
CHAPTER TEN
The sun won its slow race with the shadows down Main Street. When the first tendrils of light touched the last building and started climbing, Sheriff Eli Roberts was ready.
He would have been lying if he said he wasn’t afraid. But he had spent a lot of time going over this plan, and plenty others, and he was convinced this was the best way to make the town safe. He’d even prayed a good bit about it, too. Heck, it seemed like he’d been praying since the first body showed up yesterday morning.
Facing the street, looking out the corner of the window, he closed his eyes one last time. He thanked God for the time he’d had with his family, for his life on this earth, and for allowing him to open up to Daisy. Then he prayed for safety. Not for himself, but for Daisy and the town. He was resigned to his fate, whether good or bad.
He knew, though, that it could very well end with the fate that seemed to be allotted all men of the gun and sword. But in the end, if he had done what was right, if he had somehow done his duty and protected those he cared about… this time… then it was worth it. Turning, he faced Doc and Daisy.
“Doc, I’m trusting you to take care of her.”
Doc just grunted and nodded. Nothing more to say.
Daisy still looked a little mad about his early morning excursion. She also looked resigned to what he was about to do. Hand on hip, she wasn’t about to let it go, though.
“I may have agreed to this foolishness, but it doesn’t mean I like it. You better take care of yourself and come back to me, hear? Or I’ll find your zombie body and kick its tail.”
Eli’s heart lurched, and he smiled at her.
“I will do everything I can to not get my zombie tail kicked. I promise.”
Daisy didn’t look convinced. Eli glanced at Doc, who grumbled something about patients and walked away.
Walking over to Daisy, Eli took her in his arms.
“I promise I will be careful. But you know as well as I do that these things are unpredictable. Things can, and probably will, go wrong. But the last thing I want to do, now that we’ve… um, figured out our feelings, is to lose you.”
Eli was having a hard time saying what he wanted to say. Daisy looked him in the eyes and saw what she needed to know. Then she smiled. That little, quirky, wonderful smile he knew was most likely about to lead to her saying something sarcastic about his lack of eloquence. He didn’t give her a chance. He leaned down and tenderly kissed her lips. It was only a moment, and then Eli stepped back.
“Stick to the plan. Be careful. I… I love you.”
Before she could say anything, Eli turned and walked to the front door. On his way past the tables by the front door, he picked up a shotgun and a rifle. He paused for a moment, hand on the door, then opened the door and walked out.
Daisy watched him go, her eyes wide at his final words.
“I love you, too.” The words were a whisper and a promise.
Then she smiled again. Only this time, it was a hard, determined smile. No way would she let him go. Not now. Not ever.
She walked to the table where all the ammo and weapons lay. Eli had brought a surprising number of items back with him. Picking up an additional gun belt, she checked the ammo. If she went out the back, she could meet up with him at the corral. Silly men. Always thinking they could do things by themselves when what they really needed was a woman.
Standing in the shadows of the saloon’s porch, Eli once again surveyed his surroundings. The stench from the body lying next to him was overwhelming. At least the bodies inside weren’t this bad yet. Focusing on the street, he forced himself to stand still, listen and watch.
It had only been a half hour since he had last stood on the porch, but the town looked different. The sun was coming up at the end of Main Street. Almost all the shadows had been pushed back. And the bodies in the street were obvious.
Eli headed to the stairs, looking for any signs of movement. At first, he felt something wrong. He knew the main source of it was the zombies, but it was something else. Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Then it hit him: no buzzards. There
were a few bodies lying here and there, but none of the animals seemed interested.
Looking up the street, he let his peripheral vision do the work. There. In the remnants of shadow just a few storefronts from him, he spotted a shadow that didn’t belong. Once his eyes adjusted, he picked out more figures in the dark.
The shadows made it look like people were standing by, waiting for a signal to start their day. But Eli knew these weren't his people. They were mindless predators, waiting for a sound, a motion, anything they could attack.
Eli took a moment to double check his shotgun and rifle. He shifted his hips a little, feeling the additional weight of the extra pistol, belt, and holster on his left side.
Holding both long guns in his left arm, he pulled his hat off with his left hand. Then he ran his free hand through his hair before putting the hat back on. Lorelei would never have let it get so long. He smiled a little at the thought. She and Daisy would have been fast friends.
Taking the rifle back in his right hand, he stepped off the porch into the street. He could see movement in the shadows, people waking up and noticing him. He could almost imagine they were normal.
In the middle of the street, he turned toward the sun. It was so bright at first he had to squint. But it wasn’t the street he was looking at. It was the shadows still on the boardwalk. And the people that moved out of them.
Kneeling, he set the shotgun down in front where he could grab it. He had preloaded a shell into the chamber of both weapons, giving him one extra shot. He planned to wait until he knew he could make a clean kill with each shot. Taking a deep breath, he said one last prayer.
“Lord, I don’t know if these people are dead or alive, but they’re obviously here to kill and destroy. Please give me the strength to protect this town and those I love. Please don’t let me fail…“
Eli choked back a sob, pausing in his prayer as his heart tightened. The old pain of his failure and the loss of his family hit him as hard as it ever had. He took a deep breath. The figures in the sunlight kept getting closer. He placed the rifle against his shoulder.