Situation Z

by Semple, A. M.

  Fred ignored Riley and frantically began searching through the glove box. He didn’t want Gary getting left behind just because he was losing it. He grabbed a marker and a road map. “Here take these. I’m glad you’re over your writer’s block.”

  Gary nodded and grabbed both items, then braced himself against the side of the truck and began writing feverishly.

  ****

  Wilson stared at Gary in awed fascination. “My god, he’s writing.”

  Marjie turned and watched as Gary wrote on what appeared to be a road map. “It looks like a road map, but maybe he’s starting another book.”

  Wilson laughed. “He’s still talking to Jane. Maybe she’s telling him her life story, and he’s turning it into science fiction. “The Return of Jane, Zombies That Never Die.”

  Marjie giggled. Jennifer and Sadie groaned in unison.

  Chapter 18

  The obstacles and vehicles along the road increased over the next half hour. They were on the outskirts of Prescott. Everyone grew more alert, more on edge. Even Gary set down his pen and tucked the map inside his shirt. He glanced up at Jane, not liking that her back was against the side of the truck. He had the advantage of being able to look around and move if necessary. But she could be grabbed and taken with no defense. He wrapped on the back window.

  Fred slid the window open. “Yeah?”

  “I’m moving Jane over here so her back’s against the cab.”

  “Why?” Riley barked.

  “I know she’s dead, but as long as we’re bringing her, there’s no use just leaving her where she could be grabbed.”

  “You’re starting to sound like Wilson. You get bit, we’re leaving you behind.”

  “Fair enough.”

  Fred gave Gary a sympathetic look as he slid the window closed.

  Gary sat closer to Jane so that he could grab her elbow. Since she was so stiff, it wasn’t too difficult to slide her toward the middle of the truck bed. From there, he grabbed her feet and pushed her backwards. She blinked again. It was probably a reflex, but Gary decided to take it as a thank you.

  Everyone in the jeep that followed, with the exception of Sadie, looked on at Gary’s efforts with approval.

  Wilson’s mouth dropped open as he braked and swerved around a motorcycle. “Gary’s a lifesaver.”

  Sadie leaned forward. “Doesn’t she have to be alive to have her life saved?”

  “Not necessarily.”

  Sadie was having serious concerns about this group. She prayed Riley was staying level headed.

  ****

  Riley stared at the chaos in front of him feeling his neck and shoulder muscles tightening. The fatigue and stress of the last two days had taken their toll on his sanity. He’d been thinking they couldn’t get to Prescott, and now he was no longer sure he could handle the challenge. There were a lot more stragglers. With the increase in abandoned vehicles, it was getting harder to squeeze through large sections of road. He glanced briefly at Fred. “I don’t like the looks of this.”

  Fred shook his head. “I don’t either.” He looked back at Wilson who was swerving and pointing at Gary. “Wilson doesn’t seem terribly concerned.”

  “That’s hardly reassuring.”

  As though reading their thoughts, Wilson honked and motioned for them to stop on a surprisingly clear bend in the road.

  Riley pulled over and jumped out. Wilson was already at the back of the truck.

  “Hey, Riley.” Wilson was staring wide eyed at Gary. “You two ready to do some off-roading?”

  Riley shook his head. “Not really, but I’m listening.”

  Wilson smiled. “Since this leads to the 89a, the traffic will start bunching up. Russell lives in a partially, wooded area just southeast of Prescott. There are back roads we could take, but they could easily get blocked. They’re also well populated. There’s a path, well more of a deer trail, leading into his place. I’ve used it a few times.”

  Riley swore. “A deer trail?”

  Wilson nodded and shrugged. “It’s pretty uneven, but with the sparse trees, we should be able to drive through it.”

  Riley stared at Wilson for a long, tense moment.

  Wilson read the doubt on his face and was quick to clasp a hand on Riley’s shoulder, speaking quietly. “I’ll pull off the road in about two miles, onto a back road. The first part is well populated. There could be traffic, but by then the houses are spread out on large pieces of land. Of course the real problems will begin after that.” Wilson laughed. “You haven’t met Russell.”

  Riley wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so he nodded and turned to open his door. “I hope we make it. I’ll wait while you pull ahead.”

  “Oh, we’ll make it.”

  Riley got in and put the truck in gear. Wilson was already steering the jeep back onto the road. He honked as he passed. Gravel sprayed as Riley accelerated to keep up. He just prayed Wilson’s route worked.

  Once they rounded the bend, the next two miles were nearly impassable as they weaved their way between cars and stragglers. Whatever havoc had been wreaked must have happened some time ago. The dead only became animated when they heard the approaching vehicles.

  Wilson spotted their turnoff up on the left side of the road. There had been a collision leaving only the shoulder clear of cars. A considerable number of dead were blocking the road. Wilson slowed and used the jeep to bump or maneuver them out of the way. At the last minute one of them threw himself in front of the jeep and ended up on the hood. He was overweight and missing a cheek. His hands pummeled the glass as he tried reaching for them through the windshield. Wilson made a tight swerve and the guy slid off.

  More faces, hands and arms thumped the jeep as they continued on. Marjie and Jennifer shifted their eyes to the floor. Sadie threw her hands over her ears but could still hear their pounding and moaning. The jeep shifted violently as Wilson ran over something nobody wanted to think about. Riley followed close behind, having slightly less luck. The dead that had leaned against the jeep lost their balance and fell in front of his truck. He swerved to avoid as many as he could.

  ****

  Sharon lay on the floor in the back of her SUV waiting to turn. She and her husband had left Prescott when their neighbors tried to force their way into their home. Most of their downtown neighborhood had turned on one another. She and Allen decided they would have to make a run for their vehicle parked in the alley behind their house. Allen left the house first. She followed closely behind. As she entered the SUV, throwing photos and a sack of food into the back seat, she noticed Allen was out of breath and holding his arm. It was obscured from her view. She leaned forward to get a better look when a thumping sound against her window startled her. It was their neighbor’s son, a teenager. His eyes were glazed. Blood was dripping from his mouth. He pounded a handless arm against her window as Allen pulled away.

  “My lord, that was Robbie.”

  Allen nodded but didn’t say anything.

  Over the next hour, as they passed one horror after another, he refused to talk or say anything about his arm or the blood on his hand. She prayed that it was Robbie’s and not his. They made their way past abandoned vehicles, into the hills, testing the SUV’s off road capabilities for the first time since they bought it five years ago. Allen was a good driver and managed the obstacles well. When he suddenly pulled to the side, she finally got a good look at his face. He was pale and withdrawn, his eyes were glazed. When he spoke, his voice was raspy.

  “I got bit, Sharon. I don’t think I can drive any further.” He slumped forward. She brought a shaky hand up to touch him, and he groaned, then spoke his final words. “Push me outside and lock the doors.”

  She tried shaking him, but he was unresponsive. His body was ice cold. She unfastened her seatbelt, then pushed him back against the seat. She leaned and moved forward so she could look at his arm and wished she hadn’t. The damage was severe, the area torn open. Her response was automatic and illogical. She to
ok her jacket off and tied it around the wound, wishing she had something to clean it with.

  Allen’s sudden jolt upward startled her, but she didn’t move away. He groaned, his glazed eyes fixed on her. When he clicked his teeth, survival instinct finally kicked in, and she scrambled into the back seat. She felt Allen’s teeth sink into her calf as she landed hard on the floor. He tried to follow, but his seat belt held him in place. While she lay there, he struggled and groaned but seemed incapable of doing much more than grab at her with his free arm. The piercing pain in her calf spread quickly up her leg. Eventually, her thoughts slowed, and she grew cold and hungry. As she went in and out of consciousness, the sound of cars approaching galvanized her into action. She reached for the door handle and pulled. Everything around her was shrouded in a gray haze.

  She didn’t have much feeling left in her legs but was able to move them. Her last coherent thought was that she hadn’t turned yet. She stepped in front of a jeep that was swerving past an abandoned truck. She had been too foggy headed to be concerned with her own safety. She hardly felt the impact as the jeep hit her. She landed hard on the hood then slid off as the jeep braked. A man jumped out and began making sounds she could no longer decipher. She glanced up at him groaning. She brought one numb arm up and tried to grasp his boot. He stepped back then disappeared inside the jeep. Sharon’s strength deserted her, and she drifted into unconsciousness.

  ****

  Wilson nudged the safety off his Desert Eagle, checking his rearview mirror. Riley wouldn’t be happy they stopped, but he couldn’t leave that woman the way she was. She hadn’t turned yet, but she was close. The look in her eyes had been desperate and confused. If he’d been in his truck, he would’ve tossed her in back to keep Jane company.

  Marjie laid her hand on his. “Is she dead?”

  He shook his head. “Not yet, but she’s close.” He glanced in the rearview mirror. “If we could just wait a few minutes…”

  Sadie leaned forward interrupting. “Wilson, I’m going back to join Riley and Fred. You’re putting us all in danger by stopping.”

  Wilson turned, pinning her with a surprisingly, intense look. “That could be you or Marjie out there. We can’t just leave her.”

  “Wilson, she’s dead. That’s all.” Sadie stared at him waiting for him to choose between her and the woman outside.

  He looked around. Several stragglers were closing in on them. Riley leaned on the horn. He would have to make a quick decision.

  ****

  Sharon’s eyes popped open of their own accord. No thoughts passed through her now-quiet mind. Her movements were automatic and instinctual as she sprung to a sitting position, then managed to balance on her damaged legs. She saw people moving. It triggered a relentless hunger. Her legs moved with a disjointed wobble in their direction.

  ****

  Wilson yelped when he turned to see how the woman was doing and found her next to his driver’s side window. Her mouth hung ajar, her eyes vacant. She had turned. It made his decision easier. He lowered the window a fraction and fired, then stepped on the gas. He didn’t look back.

  Chapter 19

  Riley followed Wilson as he turned off the main road and into a neighborhood. A large number of the homes were burned while others appeared relatively unaffected. Most of the dead were gathered around their doors and windows. Now that they were close to their destination, Riley was having serious doubts about having listened to Wilson. At best the man was a loose cannon. “Fred do you know anything about Wilson’s ‘pal’ Russell.”

  Fred’s laugh held no humor. “No, not really, just that he may not be all that pleased about us coming.”

  “My god, I hope Wilson hasn’t led us on a wild, goose chase.”

  Fred shook his head. “I don’t know about you, but it’s not like I had any other options.”

  “None of us do. If we did, do you think anyone would be following that man?”

  Fred laughed. “Uh, no. Then again he has kept us alive so far.”

  “Yeah, so far.”

  ****

  The houses began to thin as the road narrowed. Wilson turned off onto an unpaved portion, keeping up a fairly good speed, jarring everyone inside the jeep. Dust rose up along the sides as he dodged rocks and dips. His speed varied only slightly when the road dead ended and veered into a field peppered with trees. As the trees grew thicker, he slowed the jeep and finally stopped. “I’ll be right back.” He got out and gave Riley a friendly wave, then disappeared into the trees.

  Sadie was the first one to talk. “Think we’ll ever see him again.”

  Jennifer was amazed to find herself laughing. “He reminded me of a ninja the way he just disappeared like that.”

  Marjie smiled back at the two gals. “You know he’ll be back.”

  Riley and Fred walked up and leaned against the windows. Jennifer lowered hers so she could grasp Fred’s hand. Everyone was quiet, feeling an odd combination of tension and relief as they stared into the trees and waited.

  ****

  Wilson ran down a deer path and came to a sudden halt. He absently scratched his leg, trying to decide between Russell’s front gate and back gate. The back gate was closer but always alarmed Russell when anyone used it. Very few knew about it. Thinking of the others waiting, he made a quick decision. He ran the short distance to the back gate and stopped in a clump of trees along an intimidating fence line.

  He triggered a sensor and was relieved to hear Russell’s voice.

  “Wilson!” Russell didn’t say anything else.

  Wilson spoke “Russell” and knew that the single word meant he was glad to see him. He turned to face the hidden camera. “Hi, Russell.”

  “Where’s your truck?”

  He smiled a cocky smile. “Lost it.”

  There was a brief pause before Russell spoke again. “You’re covered in blood. Any of it yours?”

  Wilson glanced down at himself. “No…uh, Russell.”

  “How many did you bring?”

  Wilson pursed his lips. “In around eight.”

  “Any of them bitten?”

  Wilson stared up at the camera a long moment. “There’s this one, Janie…”

  ****

  Russell half listened as Wilson went on to describe one of the dead that he had to bring along. Had it been anyone else, Russell would have refused outright, but Wilson was special. He’d been there when it counted. Russell’s first Wilson encounter had taken place over the phone five years ago. Russell had been served divorce papers that day and had tried to call his soon to be ex-wife in Phoenix. He got Wilson on the other line when he unknowingly misdialed after one too many beers.

  Russell had been in a black mood and immediately assumed that the man on the other end was sleeping with his wife, Barbara. “Where’s my wife, you son of a bitch?”

  “If you don’t know where she is, how would I know? May I ask who’s calling?”

  “Russell, god dammit.”

  Rather than clarify the misdial, Wilson pulled a Wilson. “Well Russell, it sounds like you are having a hell of a day. What happened to your wife?”

  “Nothing happened to her, except she moved on awful damned fast!”

  “Oh… I’m sorry to hear that. Only I think you have the wrong number. What number did you dial?”

  Russell stared down at the paper in his hand. “What number are you?”

  When Wilson gave his number, Russell was about to hang up, but his beer-filtered thoughts came to the surface and were spoken with a slur. “Don’t ever get married.”

  “Why not?”

  “Women, they’ll tear your heart out.” As he spoke, Russell heard the unmistakable sound of a can being opened on the other end. He heard Wilson take a long swallow.

  “Sounds awful,” Wilson said. “I haven’t got any further than serious dating.”

  “Lucky devil.”

  “Gets a bit lonely though.”

  “There are worse things than being alone.”
Russell was about to hang up, but Wilson had a question.

  “Like what’s worse?”

  “Like someone…” Russell paused. “I don’t know you.”

  “My name’s Wilson. I’m in sales. I live in an older section of Phoenix…” Over the next ten minutes, Wilson filled Russell in on the most pertinent parts of his life including his survival skills, collection of antique weapons, even his favorite color… green. Oh, and also the fact that he didn’t trust the government. The last part loosened Russell’s tongue.

  “I have theories. My wife thinks I’m crazy.” In a hushed voice, Russell tested the waters and told Wilson one of his mildest government conspiracy theories.

  After opening another can, Wilson replied. “My god, you must be some sort of genius.”

  They talked for hours. One small section of Russell’s battered heart healed that night. He didn’t reveal any more theories to Wilson until they met in person. Phone lines couldn’t be trusted, even if Wilson could.

  Russell was brought back to the present by Wilson’s stating that he was in love with a woman named Marjie. “That was awful damned fast.”

  Wilson smiled, taking Russell’s comment as a compliment. “She’s the one.”

  Wilson had a big heart that was often accompanied by a child’s sense of logic. “Wilson, now may not be the best time to be losing your head over a woman.”

  “It’s already gone.”

  Russell decided not to comment on that last statement. It was time to get down to basics. “Wilson, they can stay in the tank.”

  Stunned speechless with relief, Wilson merely nodded his head. He knew all about the tank. It was a small barracks-style building in the center of Russell’s property.

  Russell noisily cleared his throat. “I have cots and sleeping bags for ten. Your friend, Jane, will have to stay in one of the vehicles.”

  Russell’s voice took on a steely edge when talking about Jane. There was no arguing that point. Wilson nodded his agreement.

  “They will be under constant surveillance. Oh, and one other thing, they will have to fill out a questionnaire, a 1052.”