Situation Z

by Semple, A. M.

  Marjie stifled a scream as they drove by a group of vehicles. There was blood everywhere. Numerous half-eaten bodies lay on the ground. A group of dead were eating the remains of what must have been a couple in a minivan.

  Wilson glanced over, seeing Marjie’s pale face He stepped hard on the brakes. He was oblivious to Riley’s truck almost rear ending him. Wilson turned Marjie’s head to face him. “You OK, Marjie?”

  Jennifer glanced at him in disbelief. “Wilson, I’m sure she will be all right. We should keep going.” The look he gave her reminded her that he’d put Fred on his shit list, and she wasn’t far behind.

  Marjie blinked hard. “Jennifer’s right. I’ll avert my eyes.” She would have to do a better job of hiding her emotions. Wilson’s protective streak was growing. It was flattering but dangerous under the circumstances.

  He smiled at her. “That’s good thinking. But let me know if you need me to pull over.”

  Marjie managed a smile. “Thank you, Wilson. I will.”

  Riley rapped on the window.

  Wilson lowered it. “Hey, Riley.”

  “Is there a problem?”

  “Nope.” Wilson stepped on the gas leaving Riley in a cloud of dust.

  Riley swore and hopped back in his truck. “That man’s a few cans short of a six-pack.”

  Fred nodded his head. “I’ve been with him most of the day. I think you pretty much summed it up.”

  Larry spoke. “I say we ditch him first chance we get. I could drive his truck.”

  His words were met by two angry sets of eyes. Riley spoke first. “Nobody is ditching anyone. But you’re welcome to leave anytime you feel like it.”

  “Remember, you joined us,” Fred added.

  Larry glared at them. “Whatever. You said the guy’s nuts. I offered you a solution.”

  ****

  Further along, Wilson veered off onto a dirt road. “Marjie, check this out. This road is a little out of the way, but the scenery’s much better. I hiked the next five miles...” Wilson continued happily as they began winding their way along the hilly area. Pine trees shaded the road, and at that moment there were no other vehicles.

  Marjorie glanced over at Jennifer, giving her a smile she often used with customers when the lines were overlong. She was about to tell Wilson that maybe it would be best if they stay focused but stopped herself. The last four years had been miserable. She had to put on a smile no matter how bad the work environment or the customers were. If Wilson wanted to show her something nice, she was going to enjoy it. This was an apocalypse. This might be her last chance.

  Riley stared at the truck ahead in disbelief. “I might be mistaken, but is Wilson sightseeing up ahead? I think he just pointed out a hiking trail.”

  Fred shook his head. “The man has no sense of priorities.”

  Larry was silent, eerily so. His eyes were cold, calculating.

  Riley laid on the horn. Wilson gave a friendly wave and accelerated. He’d gotten carried away. Russell was always lecturing him about that. “Sorry ladies, the others are getting restless. We better get back to the main road.”

  Jennifer exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She mouthed the words ‘thank God.’

  Marjie glanced at Wilson’s profile. “I’ve never thought about hiking, but if I ever get the chance, I’m going to check out that trail.”

  Wilson’s eyebrows shot upward. “Well then, we should go together. I can give you a complete tour.”

  “I’d like that, Wilson.”

  If Jennifer hadn’t been so irked, she’d have found Marjie and Wilson sweet. All she could manage at the moment was a wry grin.

  ****

  The next couple of miles were relatively uneventful. The cars began thinning out, and it seemed as though the worst was behind them, but Wilson had a bad feeling. It was too quiet. A white pickup truck rounded the bend with lights flashing. Wilson slowed and lowered his window. He had a hand on his Desert Eagle, just in case.

  The guy in the truck stopped. His face was filthy under a torn ball cap. “You folks best turn around! There is nothing good that way. The town is overrun, and the highway’s blocked.”

  Wilson nodded. “Thanks for the tip.”

  “Just thought you should be warned.”

  After the guy drove off, Riley pulled up alongside Wilson’s truck. “What was that all about?”

  “There’s trouble up ahead. The highway’s blocked.”

  Riley shook his head, staring at the setting sun. “It would seem we’re between a rock and a hard place.”

  Everybody was silent. Normally, Wilson would continue on, but one glance at Marjie had him thinking otherwise.

  Riley spoke. “We could camp out here. Maybe think of a plan for tomorrow.”

  Larry was quick to argue. “Camp out in the open with all these diseased people running around. You’re out of your mind.”

  Riley shot him a look. “Hey, if anyone has a better idea, let’s hear it.”

  Wilson spoke. “I could drive ahead alone, see what’s what. I know all the roads and trails.”

  Riley thought it was risky, but Wilson knew the territory better than anyone. “All right, Wilson, why don’t you, I and Larry scope things out?”

  Larry barked a laugh. “I’m not scoping anything. You, Fred and Wilson go. I’ll keep an eye on Marjie and Jennifer.”

  Wilson unconsciously gripped his Desert Eagle as he got out of his truck. “Riley, let Fred out.” Larry started to get out on the passenger side, when Wilson shoved him to the middle of the seat. It helped that he had his gun drawn. Larry was silent as he moved over. Wilson got in and closed the door. “Fred, keep an eye on them.”

  “Don’t worry, Wilson. We’ll move your truck down toward the brush. If we have any problems, we’ll head back to where you turned off the road.”

  Marjie looked near tears. “Wilson, be careful. You too, Riley.”

  Wilson flushed. “Don’t worry, Marjie. We’ll be back.”

  ****

  They watched silently as Riley’s truck disappeared around the bend. They were all tired and stressed. Fred got in Wilson’s truck and glanced to the side. “I’m sure they’ll be all right. Wilson seems to always land on his feet.”

  Marjorie took off her glasses, studying them. “He is the most thoughtful person I have ever met. He gave me flowers. I haven’t gotten flowers in years.”

  Jennifer patted her hand. “He seems quite taken with you. I imagine he’ll do everything he can to get back in one piece.”

  Marjorie started crying. “I haven’t been able to reach my parents. It’s all been so unbearably scary until Wilson came along. He makes me feel like everything is going to be OK.”

  Jennifer squeezed her hand. “He’ll be back.”

  Fred cleared his throat. “He’ll go in and assess the situation, then come back. There’s nothing to it.”

  Marjorie dried her eyes with Wilson’s handkerchief. “Do you really think so?”

  Fred looked at Marjorie. Though she was a bit plain and her eyes were red, he could understand Wilson’s fondness for her. There was a sweetness to her, an almost old fashioned quality. “Yes, I do.”

  Fred adjusted the seat, checked for traffic, then moved to the other side of the road. He studied the terrain beyond the shoulder. It was fairly steep with a sizeable drop-off just beyond the brush. He carefully drove down the incline, avoiding large rocks. He pulled in parallel with the brush. “We should be well hidden from the main road, but easy for Riley to spot since he’ll know where to look.”

  No sooner had Fred spoken the words when the back end on the driver side took a sudden dip. He hadn’t realized how loose the dirt was near the edge of the drop off. Everyone began frantically looking around as Fred put it in gear and gingerly accelerated. Dirt shot out from the back, and they dipped further. This time the front tire dipped as well.

  “You two get out on Jennifer’s side. I’ll try to move again once you’re out.”

/>   Jennifer and Marjie protested at once.

  Jennifer grasped his hand. “Fred, it’s not safe. Get out with us.”

  Marjie grabbed his arm. “She’s right Fred. Once we’re out we’ll see what we can do.”

  Fred shook his head. “All right. Wilson’s going to kill me.”

  All three got out on the passenger side. Within seconds the truck slid another foot. Fred was considering getting back in when the truck slid ten feet further down the embankment.

  Marjie looked up at Fred, his expression tight with frustration. “Wilson will understand.”

  Jennifer laid a comforting hand on his back. “There was no way you could have known.”

  Fred swore under his breath. “Even Larry could have done a better job protecting you two.”

  Jennifer dropped her hand. “That’s ridiculous. You’ve been my rock since we met last night. Larry is pond scum.”

  Marjie nodded in agreement. “Worse than pond scum.” She had already started walking toward the truck. “Let’s unload some essentials.”

  The other two followed.

  Chapter 11

  No one spoke as they drove the short distance to the next town. When they rounded the final bend, it was worse than any of them had imagined. Riley braked hard. About a hundred dead surrounded a group of vehicles. They were pounding on the windows. The bizarre part was that one of the vehicles had tried to plow through the crowd and ended up running over some of the dead. There were numerous bodies writhing under the wheels. The women inside the vehicle could be seen screaming.

  Larry spoke first. “Thanks for bringing me.”

  “My pleasure.” Wilson spoke absently, his attention on the crowd ahead. “Riley, any ideas?”

  “No, not yet. We gotta help them.”

  “Hell no,” Larry yelled. “You two are a couple of sympathetic losers.” His expression took on a nasty sneer. “You’ll get bit just like the rest of them, and I’ll enjoy watching. By the way, Wilson, everybody thinks you’re a nut case. I can’t wait to see you get torn to shreds, or maybe I’ll get to see Riley blow your head off.”

  Wilson listened to Larry, blinked a couple of times and continued to think. “I’ve got an idea. We need to draw their attention. We need something for bait.” He stared at Larry as he spoke.

  “You’re out of your f’n mind.”

  “Am I?”

  Riley found his first smile in hours. “I like it.”

  Larry pounded the dashboard. “No way, no way.”

  Wilson smiled. “Don’t worry, it’ll be perfectly safe. Riley back up around the bend.”

  “You got it.”

  Riley backed away slowly, then turned his truck around so that the bed would be facing the crowd when he backed in. He jumped out, taking Larry with him. Larry fought but was no match for Riley’s iron grip. Wilson found rope in the back of the truck and tied Larry’s hands together. He and Riley shoved Larry onto the truck bed. Wilson held onto the other end of the rope and got into the truck, giving Larry instructions as he went. “Just start yelling, and we will pull away slowly. Hopefully, they’ll follow. We won’t let them get too close to the truck. You’ll be fine.”

  Though his hands were tied, Larry shot him the bird.

  Wilson just smiled. “OK, Riley, back in.”

  Riley backed around the bend. As he got closer to the group of dead, he began honking his horn. Numerous sets of vacant eyes turned in their direction. Larry started yelling and pounding on the cab of the truck. “Let me in! Let me in!”

  Larry’s words acted as an incredible catalyst. The entire crowd began moving in their direction. Riley waited until they were only twenty feet away, then slowly drove back down the road with Larry continually screaming obscenities at him.

  Riley looked over at Wilson. “I had no idea Larry was going to be this useful.”

  Wilson laughed. “We’ll have to watch our backs after this little episode.”

  Riley shrugged. “Or I could break real hard and you could let go of the rope.”

  At that moment Larry let out a string of insults that nearly had Riley doing just what he’d suggested. “My god, that guy is a pile of shit.”

  Wilson turned and looked back at the group, then Larry. “I’d say he’d fit right in with them.”

  Riley drove slowly for several blocks keeping just enough space between the dead and Larry. A number of stragglers fell behind but still tried to follow.

  “We shouldn’t have to go much further…” His words were cut short as he swerved to avoid hitting a woman in a flannel night dress with a large chunk of her neck torn. A car driving the opposite direction plowed into her, throwing her against the side of Riley’s truck where she managed to grasp the edge though her legs and feet were dragging. Riley saw her through the side mirror. “Christ, we have a clinger.”

  Wilson did a double take. “Larry’s making friends.”

  While pounding against the back window, Larry felt something wet splatter against the back of his shirt. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that it was blood. “What the hell?” As the words came out of his mouth, he caught sight of the woman in his peripheral vision. “Shit!” He stopped pounding and started pulling harder on the rope.

  Wilson chuckled. “Larry’s getting antsy.”

  “I’ll put some distance between us and the others, then we’ll take care of her. I don’t think she can climb into the back.”

  Larry screamed at the woman and began looking for things to pry her away from the edge. Anything useful was locked in a large tool box that was secured to the truck. He made an angry kick in her direction. She moaned and clicked her teeth.

  Realizing that she wasn’t able to get in the truck, Larry taunted her. “You want some of this?” He pounded his chest, then waved his bound hands just out of reach. She let go of the side with one hand and grabbed at the air. That was all it took for her to lose her grasp and fall. Inside, Riley felt his tire go over something soft. He knew without looking that the woman was gone. Squinting his eyes, he turned to Wilson. “I just ran over the clinger.”

  Wilson heard the edge in his voice and decided maybe it was best not to say anything. An image of Marjie in a flannel nightgown popped in his head. The idea of something like that happening to her was overwhelming. “Stop the truck.”

  Riley pulled to the side of the road. “What’s wrong?”

  Wilson handed him the rope. “This will only take a second.”

  Wilson checked both ways, then jogged to the side of the road where a number of bluebells were blooming. He gathered a handful and returned.

  Larry’s eyes were bulging. “Holy Christ, man! What the…?” Wilson put his hand on his Desert Eagle, and Larry’s words drifted to a stop.

  Wilson jumped back in the truck to an incredulous Riley. He grasped the flowers tightly. “She’s just really important to me, that’s all.”

  Riley sighed. “I guess that makes sense.”

  Larry started pounding again.

  “What do you think? Should we bring Larry back in?” Riley asked.

  Wilson shook his head. “I say we leave him in back for the rest of the trip. We can’t trust him. Not that we ever could.”

  Riley pulled back onto the road. “Let’s get the rest of our group, then check on the trapped people. If we have to, we can push the vehicles off to the side of the road.”

  They had to talk loudly to be heard over Larry’s pounding. He’d taken off a shoe and was using it with gusto.

  Riley braked hard and opened his door. “This will only take a second. Hold onto that rope.” He walked around to the back of the truck easily dodging Larry’s attempt to kick him. “What’s your problem? You’ve been a pain in the ass since we met. We needed a decoy. You fit the bill because you’re a loud jackass.”

  Larry stopped tugging the rope and shrunk back under Riley’s glare.

  Riley gripped the side of the truck. “We have no obligation to you. I don’t know why we brought you. Give me
one good reason not to drop you off right here, right now.”

  Realizing he might be left alone in the wilderness, Larry did a one eighty. “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re not sorry. Sit still and shut up.”

  Larry pressed his lips together.

  Riley got back into the truck. Wilson was doubled over laughing. Riley fought a smile. “You can let go of the rope now.”

  “Not a chance.”

  Riley wasted no time putting it in gear and heading back for the rest of the group.

  ****

  Wilson’s anxious gaze scanned the side of the road. His truck was nowhere in sight. He unconsciously gripped the bluebells tighter.

  Riley pulled up along the shoulder and continued to look. It was shadowy and hard to see details, but if there had been a truck, they’d have seen it. “Maybe we should check out the other turn off. Fred had mentioned it just before we left.”

  Wilson heaved a sigh.

  Riley was afraid the guy just might lose it. He had a death grip on the bluebells. “Let’s check the other spot.”

  “Wait!” It was a near shout. Wilson saw movement down below. He got out of the truck and headed down the embankment. He realized almost immediately that it was Fred he’d seen.

  Wilson ran right past him and peered down the drop-off. There he saw Marjie lifting a heavy box. “Marjie!”

  “Wilson!”

  He hurried down the drop-off, lifted the box out of her hands and set it on the ground, still managing to hold onto the flowers. “You all right, Marjie?”

  “We’re fine.”

  Her smile was filled with relief and something more that did odd things to his heart.

  Fred joined them. “I’m really sorry about your truck.”

  Wilson seemed to notice him for the first time. “I should have warned you about the terrain. I can come back for my truck once things settle down. Russell will have a wench I can use. At least it’s hidden from the road.” His attention was back on Marjie. “I picked these for you.” He handed her the slightly crumpled bouquet.

  Fred was baffled. Never mind that they were down a vehicle, Wilson had bluebells to deliver. Fred looked over at Riley who simply shrugged.

  Jennifer shook her head. “What’s Larry doing in the back of your truck?”