by Adams, Lucia
Before he could call out, I slapped him again.
“Shhh,” I said, and slid the flat of my blade down his cheek, resting the point just to the left of his adam’s apple. “We haven’t been formally introduced. You must be Micah. My name’s Gerry and I’ve been dying to meet you.”
“Sinner. You’ll burn for what you’ve done.” He pointed his bony finger at the dead giant. “Brother Adam was an innocent lamb, and you slaughtered him.”
“Fuck you. Your innocent lamb is wearing a necklace made of human fingers.” My blade bit into his neck and blood dribbled down and pooled in the bony crevasse above his collar bone. His eyes widened, but a sneer turned his lip.
I pulled the knife away and wiped it on his robe. “Do you know why I’m here?”
“To infect the minds of the young and bring ruin upon the righteous?”
“No,” I said. “As fun as that sounds—no.” I laid the knife across his throat and pressed until blood seeped around the blade. “Where are my friends?”
“Martyr me and another will rise up to take my place.”
He may have been nothing more than a twisted old bag of sticks, but Micah had balls. I stepped back from him and nodded out the window.
“You know,” I said. “From here it looks like there won’t be any Chosen left alive to fill your shoes, fuckwad. I grasped his ear and squeezed until he screamed. “Tell me where my friends are, or I start taking souvenirs.”
He shook his head and I let go. “Please. We meant your people no harm. You brought it upon yourself.” As he spoke, his hand crept along the desk behind him, moving so slowly I almost didn’t notice. There were books, a map, and a few papers, but no weapons. All the same, it was better to be safe than sorry. I let him get his hand to the center of the desk, then I plunged my knife into it. His scream was both immediate and ear-piercing. I stepped back and clapped my hands over my ears.
When his cries died down, I noticed two things: he was giggling as tears streamed down his cheeks, and the gunfire outside had all but ceased.
My mind reeled. The infected must have broken through. I ran to the window to see, but smoke from several fires close by lay like a blanket over the compound. I strained to hear, but Micah’s cackling drowned out all but the closest noises.
“They’re all dead, sinner, and now God’s army of resurrected come for you. Reap your reward, for Hell is where you are headed.”
I ignored him and strode to the staircase. “Justin!”
No answer.Fuck.
“Justin! Get your lumpy ass up here.”
Still no answer. Thankfully, Micah had lost steam and stopped giggling. His eyes remained on me, but at least he’d shut up for the time being. I walked to the west facing window and peered out into the smoky haze. Sporadic movement caught my eye, but was gone before I could discern what or who it was. I thought about calling out the window, but realized that would be the best way to give myself away if things had gone bad and the dead were all that was left. Or worse, Micah’s people.
Just as panic mode kicked in and I began mentally counting bullets I may or may not have fired, a noise from downstairs caused the breath to catch in my lungs. A stair creaked and I pulled both .45s.
When Micah spoke, I nearly shot him—I was that spooked.
“The tide rises, fool.” His eyes shone with the single-minded purpose of the insane. “We are the eternal wave that shapes the shore,” he said. Then his eyes rolled back as he passed out.
“Chickenshit,” I said. “You’re not even gonna be awake when they chew your shit off.”
“Fuck it.” I walked to the stairs to meet whatever came with dignity. The stairwell was dark, but two shapes climbed toward me. “Friend or foe,” I said. “Speak now or moan and die twice.”
“Whoa! Gerry! It’s me, Kyle.”
“And me,” came Justin’s familiar voice. “Kyle wanted to come see the woman with the tits.”
My head bubbled over with questions. “Where is everybody? Are the infected gone? Did you—”
Kyle cut me off. “We got them out, and all the dead things are gone.”
“But—”
Kyle wiped grime from his face, then smiled. “Come see. It’s the coolest thing.”
I was so confused I thought my brain would shut down, but I nodded. “Yeah, OK. I guess I can come back and finish playing with Micah later.”
“Yeah,” Justin said. “There are so many of them.”
“So many of what?”
But they were already down the stairs and out the door. I spared one more look at Micah, then followed the departed boys down the stairs.
CHAPTER 27
Yoho National Park, Canada
Lucia
“Why did the zombie cross the road?”
“I don’t know, Lucy. To eat you?”
“No, because he wanted a UPS truck to pop his brains out of his skull.”
The truck jumped as we ran over a zombie. Fred grabbed his side and winced.
“Sorry,” I tossed over my shoulder. “I didn’t like the way that one was looking at me.
I cracked my neck from side to side. I hurt from being awake for so many days.
“We’re not too far from the McArthur camp.”
“I hope they have valet service and a wheelchair handy.”
“I’m hoping for cocktail hour—short on the tail, and long on the cock,” I quipped.
Fred laughed, “You should have asked me before I was shot, Lucy.”
I popped another Adipex in my mouth and washed it down with piss-warm water. “Oh yeah? You should have asked me before I was a month into developing my eau du shower-less scent.” In the review mirror, I looked him in the eyes, winked, and laughed. I leaned my head to look at the sky—it was gunmetal gray. “I hope it doesn’t snow. When does it start snowing in Canada?”
“I don’t think it ever stops snowing in Canada.”
I could see something up ahead—it was black—perhaps a wrecked vehicle. “Hey, Fred, I’m coming up on something.”
“What is it?” He strained to lean forward to look.
I squinted as we neared. “It’s some sort of military gathering.”
“Zombie infested?”
“I can’t tell, but they’re not moving like zombies… no, it’s the fucking Army or something. What should I do?”
“Slow up and look.”
“It’s a helicopter and a bunch of guys in riot gear. They don’t look infected. Maybe they can help!” I was excited.
“Lucia, be careful,” Fred warned.
“Someone’s waving me down. I’m stopping.”
A soldier approached the truck with his gun pointed. “Are you infected?”
“Nope! No infection here,” I smiled.
Another soldier came alongside the other door, “What about the man in the back? Is he infected?”
“No, he was shot.”
“Are you sure he wasn’t infected?”
“He was shot days ago. He’s not showing any signs of infection.”
Their guns were still pointed at me. “Get out of the vehicle.”
I listened. I eased myself out of the truck slowly. “My friend can’t move. Please, don’t make him get out. Do you have a medic? Someone can check him. Please.” I was pleading, and I shivered without my squirrel suit on. I only wore a tank top and shorts in case I had to slip the suit on quickly, and the air attacked my bare limbs. Desperate times made me feel even more naked.
An older soldier came towards us, “Put your guns down and let’s get the back of this truck opened up.”
“Yes, Captain,” they responded in an echo.
They threw open the back of the truck and looked at Fred.
“What happened to you?” the Captain asked.
“Some fucking redneck shot me in Montana.”
“Looters?” The Captain scratched the stubble on his chin.
“Yes, and rapists too, apparently,” I said with disdain.
The
Captain glanced at me, “Hmph. Okay, I’ll get someone to look at you.” He moved around the side of the truck and yelled, “Murphy! Get your kit and look at this man.”
Another soldier reached into the helicopter and trotted over with a bag in his hand. I was smiling. Help was a freedom I hadn’t tasted in weeks.
“I—I had to operate on him. The bullet ruptured one of his splenic arteries.”
“Are you a doctor?”
“No, I did an internship in an ER and was pre-med. That’s it.”
Murphy examined Fred. “I can’t tell exactly what you did, but the site isn’t infected. How long ago did you operate?”
“Two days, nearly three.”
“And the bleeding stopped?”
“Yes.”
Murphy shrugged. “Okay, I’m just going to take some vitals.”
Murphy talked to Fred as I approached the Captain. “Are you going to rescue us?”
“We weren’t scouting for civilians and we aren’t on a rescue mission for them. We needed to land for some repairs, but we’re headed for the Pacific coast.”
“Can you take us with you?”
“Miss, I’d consider it, but we’re already lifting thirteen people in an eleven-person Black Hawk. I’m not even sure we’ll make it at the capacity we’re at with the fuel we have left.”
I put my hand on his arm, “Would you please… please just try fourteen people?”
The Captain looked me up and down. I was a mess, but wasn’t below sucking my way out of the situation. “How much do you weigh?”
“Not me, Sir, my friend. He wouldn’t have a chance without me. If you can take just one of us, please, let it be him.”
“You’d be alone then.” The Captain was still eyeing me.
“I’m alone anyways. He can’t help me.” I bit my lower lip. “We heard there’s a safe camp up at Lake McArthur. I’ll keep heading there if you can take him. Maybe I’ll find others. Please, I have a chance, but he doesn’t.”
The Captain turned from me and walked back to the UPS truck, “Murphy!”
“Yes, Sir!”
“How’s that man holding out?”
Murphy ran over to us, “He’ll live, Sir, if he doesn’t get an infection in that wound. He’s in good health besides the gunshot, so he has a decent chance.”
The Captain looked at me, “What’s your friend’s name?”
“Fred, Sir,” I said, continuing to unknowingly copying the ‘sir’ the others had called him.
“Fred!” The Captain called into the back of the truck.
Fred lifted his head. “Yes?”
“How much you think you weigh?”
“Uh…maybe about 170.”
“Hmph!” The Captain walked over to the helicopter. “Okay, we need to unload! Let’s get rid of anything else unnecessary—we’re taking on a wounded civilian.”
I hugged the Captain and started crying, “Thank you, thank you so much. I’m sorry; I know I probably smell, but thank you.”
I pulled back and the Captain patted me on the arm. I wiped my tears.
“Get the stretcher ready once you are done; we’ll load him in first. Whatever gear the girl can use, load in the truck for her.”
I ran to the truck and crawled in the back with Fred, “They’re taking you with them.” I smiled.
“Me? What about you?”
“Just you.”
“Lucy, NO!”
“Fred, stop. It has to be this way. You’d never make it without me and they shouldn’t even fit one of us. It has to be you.”
Fred started crying. I sat near him and gently lifted his head onto my lap.
“Sshh…don’t cry.”
“Lucia, I’m so worried about you.”
“Don’t worry,” I smiled, “I promise—no more talking to zombies. And besides, I’m almost there.”
“I’ll come back for you.”
“Don’t do anything foolish. If you get to safety, stay there. I’ll be okay, and you’ll know exactly where to find me if this thing ever ends.”
I started stroking his hair and two soldiers arrived with a stretcher.
“We’re ready to take him now, Ma’am.”
I leaned forward and kissed Fred upside-down. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it.
“Not goodbye…” he said.
“No.” I bit my lower lip so I wouldn’t cry.
I moved as they transferred him to the stretcher. I watched them load him into the helicopter and stack items into my truck. The Captain approached me.
“Lake McArthur, eh?”
“Yep.”
“You’d best avoid Calgary—take 93 North.”
“Will do.”
“Captain, I—I was wearing a squirrel costume when I was first attacked and the zombies couldn’t bite through it.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes, I’m a materials chemist at a place called MLCP Technologies in Pittsburgh. We do R&D for the Department of Defense—bullet proof, stab proof, and fire proof fabric, mostly. I had lined my squirrel costume with some of the material we manufactured at our facility—it seems like the zombies can’t puncture it with their teeth. I know it’s probably similar to what you’re wearing now, but ours was silicone based, treated with an anti-viral chemical, and intended for biological warfare. Maybe if someone can remote access our files they can use what we were making to produce bite-proof suits for people.”
“Good to know, thanks. I’ll pass the information along.”
I nervously smiled and backed away as the Captain returned to directing his men. I gave them a friendly smile, anxious that they might change their mind and offload Fred. The helicopter took off, kicking dirt and loose grass all over me. I quickly sought refuge in my truck, double checking that the doors were locked. I was awake now, and somehow, less frightened than I had been in weeks.
CHAPTER 28
Dublin, Ireland
Paul
A harshcaw-caw from behind made me duck down just as a huge black bird swooped over my head, landing on a corpse in front of me. I watched the crow with disgust as it pecked at the face of the body, pulling out an eyeball with its sharp, evil beak. All around me a low mist, no higher than my knees, covered the soft, marshy ground I stood on. I had the axe in my hand; it felt more like an extension of me than a weapon or tool.
I heard my name on the wind—the soft, gentle voice of a woman called to me. I squinted into the distance and saw her standing on a hill. She had long, dark hair that fell over her shoulders, down to her elbows. She wore a simple, ankle-length dress, belted at the waist. The only thing of beauty left in a desolate world, she raised her arm and beckoned to me. The crow regarded me curiously before returning to its gruesome meal.
I knew then I had to go to her; to reach her meant sanctuary. I stepped forward onto the wet, spongy ground. Almost immediately, dark shapes rose from the mist—grotesque undead creatures risen up from their eternal slumber. The first one ran at me: a childlike demon yelling a high-pitched wail. My axe came up before the creature could touch me; its head spun in the air.
A woman cried then—it was Mrs. Watson. She cradled the headless body of her little son, Brian. Her mournful weeping carried across the marsh.
“You did this,” she said sadly. One side of her skull was smashed in; half her face was missing. She rocked back and forth with the boy in her lap.
“I…” I was lost for words. I looked up to the woman on the hill; she was beckoning urgently, but her words were drowned out by the sobs of Mrs. Watson.
“You did this,” she repeated. “You left the door open.”
“No! It wasn’t me.”
Another shape appeared in my path. It was Robbie, his whole cheek hung down off his jaw now, and one eye was missing. I realised it had been his body the crow feasted on.
“You killed me! You left me to die.”
“No! What could I do?” I looked up to the girl on the hill again. I could see her face now; she really was beau
tiful. Somehow she looked familiar, like I’d known her all my life, and yet I knew I had never seen her before. I had to reach her; she needed me to reach her. All around me the rotting corpses of everybody I ever knew gathered, pulling and clawing at me with skeletal hands. They started to drag me down. The girl on the hill reached for me with outstretched arms. Tears rolled down her cheeks. I knew she wanted to help, but could not reach me. I had to go to her. The weight of the dead was too much for me. I screamed as they pulled me down into the mist.
“Hey!”
My eyes snapped open. I was disoriented as I took in my surroundings. I was sitting in a plush leather armchair; all around me books lined the walls of an expensive room.
“Shit,” I said.
“You Okay?” the soldier asked.
“I must have fallen asleep, I was dreaming.”
“Yeah, we noticed,” he grinned. “Half the north side of Zombieland heard you screaming.”
“Christ, I’m sorry.” I remembered now, we’d made it back to government buildings. I was ushered inside and led into the plush surroundings I woke up in. I had even been fed a hot meal. I must have dozed off.
“Don’t worry about it; I think we’re all entitled to a few bad dreams lately. I’m Sean, by the way.” He offered a hand.
The memory of the girl stood out vividly in my mind. She was not somebody I knew or had ever met before, and yet in the dream she felt so familiar. I couldn’t help wonder, would I ever meet a girl like that again?
“Paul,” I said, taking his hand.
“That was a brave thing you did, Paul, coming back for me. I won’t forget it.”
“Meh,” I waved away his thanks, embarrassed by it, to be honest.
“Fuck sake, seeing you go at that big bastard zombie with the axe had me shittin’ meself,” another soldier quipped.
There were three other soldiers besides Sean in the room. They all looked a lot more human and friendlier without the goggles and masks. They all chuckled at the joke.