by Levi Doone
“Oh crap!” What now? I look at the other three cars and quickly realize the truck is Luke’s best chance. He can jump in the back and we would be off to get the others.
I look back inside the truck and see undead arms flailing at me. I know what I have to do. Luke’s and everybody else’s lives depend on me killing this Zeb. I stand about a foot from the thing and hesitate. I like to think I’m allowing my nerve to build up so I can unleash myself on this creature. Yeah, that sounds better than the truth.
As I’m readying myself, something grabs me from behind. I swing around to see it’s the girl zombie pulling me to her. It has a killer grip as I try backing away, keeping in mind not to get too close to the truck dude zombie. I drop to the ground to get the thing to release me. My shirt tears, and I back-crawl my way to the truck’s large tire. The zombie falls forward on top of me, and I have nowhere to go. It opens its mouth and comes for my face.
The only option left is still in the palm of my hand. I hold up and point the bayonet at its left eye. Squeezing my eyes closed, I thrust the blade forward. I feel it hit something. I open my eyes, and find the bayonet sticking out of the Zeb’s eye, but she’s still moving toward me.
Well, this is it for me. Its teeth are inches from my neck, and I’m out of tricks. I close my eyes again, turning my head away, and wait for the bite. Something blunt jabs my head. It presses onto my skull and my head is jammed between the object and the tire. It hurts pretty intensely, and for a second, I think my head is going to just pop. Then I feel the zombie collapse onto me.
I slowly open my eyes and see the creature is dead. That blunt object was the bayonet handle. As it pressed on my head, the blade was forced into the brain of the zombie. Whew, I did it… sort of.
I roll the thing off me, grab the bayonet, and yank on it. Its head moves forward, but the blade stays put. The creature inside the truck is still grabbing at me over the opened door. “Fine, you want some?” I put the heel of my boot on the dead undead’s head and yank out my weapon.
I slip around the truck door and go for it, rushing toward the thing. As its hands latch onto me, with all my might I jam the blade into its eye, with my eyes wide open this time.
The beast goes limp. I did it! Now I’ve got work to do. First, I pull out my blade, unlatch the seatbelt, and let the Zeb fall out of the truck. I check for keys and find them in the ignition. The driver must have died while going to a hospital or something.
I turn the key and the truck rumbles to life. I blow the horn a few short times and put the truck into drive. I kind of know how to drive. I’ve been watching other licensed drivers. It really can’t be that hard. I turn the wheel toward Luke and hit the gas. I quickly hit the brake, then the gas, brake again. I slowly release the brake and softly press the gas. That’s better—slow but better. I line up the truck with the tractor-trailer and then stop and wait for Rudy’s fire.
I see the figure atop the truck’s trailer, and I want to give a signal to my bro that we’re on our way and he should get himself ready. Unfortunately, that isn’t part of the plan. I need to stay quiet and wait for Rudy to do his thing. Everyone’s depending on me to follow the plan. I hope Rudy and the others are still all right.
Just as I begin to have doubts, sparks from a Roman candle burst into the air. The brightness blinds me, and I can’t make out if the Zebs are reacting. I take an educated guess and assume the zombies will go for the flying sparks just as I’ve seen them react to bright fire. They always go where the action is, probably because that’s where the fresh meat is. I cautiously drive the truck toward Luke.
I feel anxious and can’t wait for Luke to be safe with me, however safe that is. As I creep closer, a large explosion erupts, and I squint my eyes against the glare. It’s the bonfire that looks more like a barn on fire. I think Rudy may have some pyromaniac issues, but at this particular moment, I’m thankful for them.
I can see the left side of the bridge, as it’s illuminated by the blaze. Zombie silhouettes topple over the bridge’s rail. I get closer and turn on the headlights to draw Luke’s notice. He waves his weapon over his head, trying to get my attention.
“Don’t worry, bro. I’m way ahead of you.” He sure will be surprised to see it’s me.
I drive up to the side of the truck and hear a loud thud and feel a thump. He’s in the back, so I drive to the end of the bridge where Rudy and the others should be arriving. I see figures coming out of the woods. One, two, three, four, five… That’s too many. They aren’t running either. I turn the pick-up toward the figures and shine the lights at them. Yup, zombies, surprise, surprise, and they’re everywhere.
Luke yells, “Stay put!” He jumps out of the truck’s bed and comes to the passenger side to hop in. “Lea?! Is that you? How the heck…?”
We embrace for a second. I feel awesome. I’m with my bro and this will start setting everything right, whatever that means.
“Buckle up. We gotta go.” He listens to me, which is odd because he never did what I said before, at least not without arguments. He places his weapon on his side, which is a four-foot metal pipe with a large knife jammed into one end and a wad of duct tape wrapped around it. I laugh a bit when I see it. It’s so Luke.
I drive a few hundred feet to safety and then stop. “We gotta pick up my friends, but Zebs are all over the rendezvous point.”
“Zebs? You mean zombies? They’re all over this bridge. There’s a fence at the tree line. If they’re coming that way, they’re screwed.”
Chapter Nineteen
A burning sensation consumes my chest. I have to get to Rudy. I have to do something for my friends. I think for a second, then exclaim, “We’ll be the bait!” I turn the truck around to face the zombies.
“Yo, sis, what are you thinking?”
“They were the bait so I could save you. Now it’s our turn!”
“Yeah, sure, but what are you doing?”
I don’t have time to explain, so I show him. I turn on the high beams, blow the horn, and slowly drive the pickup back to the bridge. Zebs take notice and come toward us, but there are still many that can’t resist the fire. They’ll get caught in the fence and will be there to complicate Rudy, Guille, and Maria’s exit plan.
I flash the lights and go crazy with the horn. That gets their attention. I drive close to the mob, then put the truck in reverse. We back slowly to clear away the zombies for my crew. I just hope it isn’t too late. I hope Rudy and the others are safe, and I hope they don’t just cut and run. I know Rudy would only do that if there wasn’t any other option. If that’s the case, then I just want them to be safe, but not knowing will kill me.
Luke quietly watches me attracting Zebs to save my friends. “Where’s Chloe? What happened to her?” Stupid question, I know, but I had to break the silence.
“I made it to the house. It was empty. Their cars were gone. It looked like they left in a hurry. Then the zombies attacked. Got back to the car, but didn’t make it far. It turned on its side. I barely made it out, then ran to another house and made this weapon.
“Kept on moving ‘til I got to the bridge, got cornered against the truck, climbed it, and been there ‘til you came.” Luke sounds distant and deflated.
“I’m so sorry, Luke. I hoped you’d both be safe.”
His look changes to determination. “I’m going to find her, Lea. I swear I won’t stop ‘til I do.”
“I know, and I’ll be with you to help.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You don’t have to. After what’s happened, I’m not letting you out of my sight. Now look for three people that are not zombies.”
There must be about fifty Zebs following us, but no sign of Rudy and the others. They were in a very vulnerable spot in the middle of a parking lot and were already being threatened when I left them. We’re getting far from the bridge, and soon, I fear we’ll be too far for them to catch up to us. I just hope we helped them get away.
“Whoa, Lea, up
there. I saw three figures run across the street.”
“I missed it! How far? Where’d they go? Never mind, you take the wheel and give me that spear thing!”
“Don’t you think—”
Before he can argue my new plan, I grab his weapon and hop out of the truck, and climb into the bed. I yell, “Get as close to where you last saw them! Shine the lights toward that spot! Go now!” I feel myself getting pumped up and ready for anything.
As the pickup moves forward, I kneel down. He doesn’t go too fast and I see glowing eyes turning as we pass them. Luke swerves around to avoid hitting them, which I appreciate, as I don’t want the jolting of the truck to send me flying into the waiting undead.
He drives off the road and faces the truck into a wooded area, flashing the high beams on and off. I stand at the rear of the truck and wait to stick Luke’s weapon into a glowing eyeball, and by the looks of it, there will be plenty opportunities.
It doesn’t take long until I hear the crushing of leaves and sticks under my friend’s feet. “Jump in the back!” I ready the weapon as Zebs arrive. The first one comes straight for me, and I plant the blade deep within its eye socket. I press my foot against its face and forcefully yank out the knife. Then I stab another, then another. I’m about to take out another Zeb when its head comes clean off, separated from its body by Rudy’s sword. I turn and see him, Maria, and Guille holding Bruno in the truck. They made it! “Luke, we’re set! Drive!”
I sit down and say to everyone, “Hold on now. It’s gonna get rough.” I’m right, as the pickup bounce us around until Luke finds the road again. Once he does, he takes off fast.
Rudy stares at me in a strange way. “Look at you, zombie slayer. That’s your brother driving, I hope.”
“Nah, I got a Zeb to do the driving. He said he can wash windows too.” We all laugh, more to release tension than over my stupid joke.
Guille crawls over to me and looks at Luke’s weapon. “Wow, where’d you get that? It’s so cool!”
“Luke made it.”
“What’s it called?”
“I don’t know. Ask Luke.” I shrug.
“I want one.”
Chapter Twenty
The truck stops after a few minutes, and we all pile out of the back. We stand in front of the pickup’s bright headlights, and I hug Luke for real this time.
He acts like himself and pulls away. “Okay, okay, you’re happy to see me. Enough of the love stuff. I get it.” He’s a real tough guy.
I release Luke from the horror of my embrace and make the introductions. Luke says, “Thanks for getting me off that truck and for taking care of my sis.”
Rudy gazes at me. “Looks to me like she can take care of herself now. Hope she doesn’t ditch us for a cooler group.”
Guille says to Luke, “Hey, can you make me one of those spear things?”
“Sure, I guess.”
“What do you call it?”
“I call it a pipe with a combat knife jammed in it.”
“It’s your invention. You gotta name it.”
“He won’t let this go,” Maria warns. “He takes these things quite seriously.”
Luke thinks for a second. “Fine, it’s Luke’s cool staff and blade, LCSB for short. How’s that?”
“Awesome,” Guille decides.
Maria asks, “Can I have one too?”
“Guys, leave the poor kid alone. He’s been up on that truck for who knows how long,” Rudy says. He hands Luke a bottle of water.
“Oh yeah, thanks. I’ve been up there since yesterday afternoon.”
We give him time to drink. He then looks to me. “I’m gonna have to get going soon. I just wish I had some idea of where to start.”
“What are you talking about? Go where?” Rudy asks.
“We have to find Chloe,” I answer.
“Oh, that’s easy,” Maria say. “They most probably went to Stafford Spring, Connecticut.”
“How do you know that?” I ask.
Maria takes out the papers she took from Chloe’s. “These were on the microwave. They’re orders from the Air National Guard, telling Major Michael Bucklin to report to a location in that town. They were postmarked this past week. The date he was told to report with his family was yesterday, the day after the expected end of the world.”
“Whoa, hold on.” Rudy holds up a hand. “Are you saying at least part of the government expected this to happen? Not the end of the world we thought would happen, but the pandemic, the zombie apocalypse?”
“I’m just sharing what I found.”
“Okay, everybody, just hold it. Let me think for a second.” Rudy walks out of the light.
Luke steps in. “You can think all you want. I know where I’m going.”
“And I’m with my bro.”
Maria adds, “And I’m with Lea.”
“Me too,” Guille chimes in.
Rudy comes back to the group. “Yeah, of course we’ll go. We have to. Maybe we’ll even find some answers or at least find a safe place to stay.”
“That’s if we’re welcome. The government doesn’t like intruders,” Maria points out.
“If we’re gonna do this, we’re gonna need to get supplies and stuff,” Rudy states. “My house has everything we’ll need. Let’s get going.”
Luke tosses Rudy the keys. “You know where we’re going.”
We all pile into the pickup.
Just before we take off, I suddenly remember. “Before we go for Chloe, there’s a radio personality in Woonsocket that needs our help.”
# # #
Thank you for reading my book. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did would you please consider writing a review at your favorite retailer?
Thanks!
Levi Doone
Coming this Fall 2015
Search for the Immune
Follow Levi Doone on Twitter and Facebook
This novel is dedicated to the memory of my nephew
Luke Charles Seth Brunelle
LCSB
1989—2013
The creator of the Luke’s cool staff and blade and best zombie
apocalypse prepper I’ve known.
You left us too soon and you will always be part of our lives.