“How did you last this long?” Amos yanked him back, disposing of the zombie, then rolled up the window. He yanked a bandanna from around his neck and tied it around Larry’s wrist. “He’s bitten!”
Colton cursed. “He was worthless with two hands. With one … ugh. Cut it off and toss it out the window. That’s the best we can do right now.”
“No, no.” Larry shook his head. “I can’t. You can’t take my hand. Let me go. I’ll make my own way.” He fumbled with the door, finally getting it open. He leaped out, and disappeared as the undead converged on him. His scream drowned out the groaning of those eating him.
“Get the door!” Chalice turned and got on her knees, firing into the crowd trying to squeeze inside. Oh, God, they were getting in. “Amos!”
“I’ve got it.” He planted a booted foot in a zombie’s chest and shoved, knocking several others down. He grabbed the door and slammed it closed. “That Larry was crazy. I could have saved his life.”
“You did what you could.” Colton shook his head. “Some people aren’t cut out for this new world.”
*
Colton clenched his teeth. Larry had been a fool. A crazy, scared, fool. But, he hadn’t deserved to die that way.
Chalice sniffed, silent tears running down her cheeks. He put a hand over hers, and squeezed. “We couldn’t have stopped him,” he said.
“I know, but I’m tired of losing people.”
“This world is weeding out those who can’t make a go of it. The rest of us … well, we’ll be the founders of a new world.”
“Not as long as those things are still around.” She pulled her hand free.
“The living have to stay alive long enough for the dead to decay. Their bodies won’t last forever.”
She glared. “They just got another meal. This will never end. We’re nothing more than a moving buffet line.”
He sighed and plowed through the last of the horde. Losing even one was bad, but it could have been a lot worse. Chalice’s mood dropped whenever one of their group died, but she always bounced back. The main thing he was thankful for. He couldn’t do this without her.
By the time they arrived back at the mall, the sun had started to peek over the mountain they had climbed. He pulled the Hummer as close to the front doors of the mall as possible and exited.
“Tell those people to ditch the Prius for something tougher,” he ordered. There were plenty of vehicles left in the parking lot. He skirted around some bodies on the pavement that hadn’t been there when they’d left and knocked for someone to open the door.
“You’re back.” Bill looked around him and frowned. “And brought some others. Did you run into any trouble?”
“Some. We lost Larry.” Colton brushed past him. “If Grandma is awake, could you have her get these new people sorted out?”
“Sure.” Bill nodded. “The doc wants to see you and Chalice. The man’s like a mad scientist.”
Colton shoved aside his fatigue and motioned for Chalice to join him. They could both sleep later. He passed a storefront that had once been empty and jumped back when something snarled at him. He peered inside.
Chained in a corner was one of the undead. “Looks like doc got his experiment.” Colton would have preferred the thing kept outside, but that was a matter to be discussed at a later date.
“That’s Jim,” Chalice said. “Doesn’t look like the experiment worked.”
“That’s too bad.” He’d have to dispose of the man later. “I thought you said Hooper only needed the man’s blood?”
“That’s what he said.”
Doctor Hooper was waiting for them in his clinic. “It didn’t work.” He looked up from his desk, his eyes rimmed with dark circles. “I’m not sure what else to do. I guess I could try a direct blood transfusion. ”
“What does Eric say about that?” Colton plopped into a chair.
“He’s willing to do whatever it takes.” The doc rubbed his hands over his face. “I’ll need someone else to experiment on.”
“Fresh out of live bodies I’m willing to give you.” Colton crossed his arms. “Would it work on an undead?”
“Not sure. I’ve never tried. I guess we can tie Jim to one of the beds and see.” He pushed to his feet. “We’ll have to make sure Eric is well-fed enough to keep generating the blood supply.”
“I’ll let the kitchen know,” Chalice said. “We can set aside extra rations for him.”
Rachel and Eric came from the back room. “That might work. Lord, knows I’ve tried everything I can think of with the supplies at hand. What do you think about making a run to the research facility. We can see whether anything is left. Not only did we create the virus there, but another scientist was working on an antidote. He was close. Might even have finished.”
“I thought it took a direct hit,” Colton said.
“It did. But there’s an underground bunker that might have something spared. If I can get even a few drops of the antidote he was working on, I might be able to replicate it.”
Colton met Chalice’s hopeful gaze. “We can try,” he said. “Later. I’ve got to get some sleep.” He took Chalice by the hand and led her into the hall.
The other residents were waking, emerging from their corners of department stores and/or stores. If they kept adding people, they’d run out of mattresses. Still, knowing how many resided under the same roof, gave him a feeling of safety and well-being. They were on their way to a better life. In time.
He walked Chalice to the corner of the JC Penny that she and her mother had claimed. They’d formed two bedrooms with dividers once used to make cubicles in offices and set up beds from the display floor. He’d claimed a similar space on the other side of the furniture section. Families with small children had emptied out smaller stores and made small homes for themselves. It was working. If not for the ever-present worry of food running out, they could stay behind the concrete walls of the mall until the world was no longer overrun by those preying on the living.
“See you in a few hours.” He kissed Chalice, too tired to do much more than a quick peck.
“Wake me if you get up first. We’ll need to plan the trip tomorrow. It’ll take at least two, maybe three days.”
“Yeah.” And he hadn’t forgotten the fact that the research facility was where it all started. None of them would go anywhere without hazmat suits. There was no telling what was in the air.
He shuffled to his bed and toed off his boots, before removing his leather clothing. He flopped across the bed and stared at the pages he’d torn from a calendar. Pictures of peaceful landscape scenes and wild animals. Did those places exist anymore or had the zombies eaten anything roaming the forests?
He could do his part to protect the living, but the wild things were on their own. Hopefully, they could adapt, too, and manage to stay hidden when non-breathers crossed their paths. He’d hate to think things such as deer and squirrels were now extinct.
What if they were all on the list for extinction? Maybe the virus was Mother Nature’s way of starting over? Maybe all the work he and Chalice had done was for nothing?
No. He refused to believe that way. The world was only renewing itself, and he intended to be around when it was finished.
4
“If Rachel believes there may be an antidote, why haven’t we gone to get it sooner?” Chalice a mask in her backpack.
Colton shrugged. “I’m wondering the same thing.”
“Because I think we’re wasting our time,” Rachel said, coming up behind them. “I was there when the meteors hit. I know the destruction that was caused. We’re going into danger for something that may be a big waste of time. But, I don’t know what else to do.”
“We’re running out of options.” Chalice zipped her back. “There has to be a cure.”
“There’s no cure for cancer,” she said. She shook her head. “Or the common cold.”
“It’s worth a try.” Colton slung his pack over his shoulder. “We might find other su
pplies along the way. If we do, it wasn’t a waste of time.” He pushed past her and headed for the front doors.
Chalice followed, shrugging. Colton woke that morning in a bad mood. She hoped it wouldn’t continue the whole day.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Colton faced Eric. “You’re too valuable to go on this trip.”
“You can use me. I’m a good shot. If I get bit, it won’t kill me.” Eric crossed his arms and glared. “The doctor has taken enough of my blood for a while.”
“We can use him,” Chalice said. “You told Amos and the older boys to stay behind in case there’s trouble. Four is better than three.”
“You’re willing to risk his life?”
“If he’s willing, who are we to say no?” They were all risking their lives. If the doctor had several pints of blood in the cooler to work with, then Eric was right. They could use him.
“I still think you should let me go.” Mychal pushed away from the wall. “There are plenty of people left behind.”
“No, you’re needed here.” Chalice put a hand on his shoulder. “Mom and Hanna need you.”
“You need me.”
“Please, don’t do this. We’re going to be gone for a few days. What if the mall is attacked? Who’s going to keep the undead from the parking lot? There is plenty to keep you busy.” She pulled him close for a hug. “Just be careful. We’ve already told Bill that you are second-in-command.”
“Whatever. I hate staying locked up here.”
“I know you do.” She’d already had a run-in with Faith that morning. The teenagers had no idea how bad things could really get. All they could focus on was going stir crazy and wanting to relieve their boredom. Life wasn’t safe enough for that anymore. “Check with Bill. Maybe there is enough electricity stored up from the solar panels to watch a movie. You haven’t done that in a long time.”
His eyes widened. “Not since this all started. That’s a great idea. Maybe there’s even popcorn.” He pulled away and dashed down the atrium.
Chalice smiled. A movie might lift all their spirits. She wasn’t sure what was left in the theatre, but she doubted any of them would be picky.
“That was a good idea,” Colton said, grinning. “I wish I was staying.”
“Me, too.” But for more reasons than watching a movie. The thought of going back to where the nightmare started chilled her blood.
She glanced up to see her mother watching. Her face was grim, yet she forced a smile. They’d said their goodbyes earlier. Chalice hoped it wasn’t a forever goodbye. She’d already done that with her mother once before.
“Let’s go. I’d like to reach the facility before it gets dark.” Colton opened the doors and led them out into the early morning sun.
A slight breeze carried a whiff of rotting flesh with it. Chalice wrinkled her nose and glanced to the ditch where they dumped the dead. They really should burn them. Still, the odor helped mask the smell of the living.
She climbed into the front of the Hummer, leaving the back seat for Rachel and Eric. Everyone wore their leather and carried several guns and knives on their belts. They were as prepared as they could be. Then why the feeling that everything was about to go wrong?
“Wait. Listen.” She rolled her window down. “Is that gunfire?”
Colton stopped the vehicle. “Smell that? Oh. My. God.”
A truck full of chickens drove slowly down the road. Every few feet, someone threw a chicken out the back. A horde of the undead followed, their moans filling the air. Behind them, drove three armored trucks.
Colton backed the Hummer into a ditch and sped back to the mall. “Let the others know we’re going to have company. Make sure everything is locked up tight.”
“Who are they?” Chalice shoved open her door.
“My guess is that they’re our late night visitors from the mountain. Who else knows we’re here well enough to be as prepared for an invasion as they are?”
They raced inside the mall. Colton slammed the barred doors closed and slid the metal rolling door into place. “Get the kids in the kitchen,” he ordered Faith and Alyssah. “Everyone else, grab a gun and take up your positions around each entrance. We’ve got company. Living and dead.”
“Can they get inside?” Chalice swallowed against the wad of cotton in her throat.
“I don’t think so, and it will be hard to burn us out. But, they have something planned. Why else would they lure that herd here?”
“So much for the movie.” Mychal propped his crossbow against the wall and shoved the barrel of his rifle through a hole drilled into the wall for such a purpose. He peered through a wider hole provided as a vantage point.
“You wanted excitement.” Chalice took her spot a few feet away. “Remember, every shot counts. We don’t have the ammo to shoot randomly.”
“Here.” Amos set a box of grenades at her feet. “We’ve only got twelve left.”
“Hopefully, we won’t need them.” She took a deep breath and stared at Colton.
He gave a nod and opened a small door cut into the main one. He squared his shoulders and watched the armored vehicles roll into the parking lot.
*
The bars would protect him against the undead, but not bullets. Colton left the door open behind him.
“Come on out,” someone shouted from the chicken truck. “Give yourselves up, and we’ll take care of these zombies for you.”
Colton stepped back. He’d received his answer without asking. Their visitors weren’t friendly. He slammed the door into place. Why did others always want to take what they’d worked so hard to build?
“Is that containment room ready?” He asked Amos. “How many can it hold?”
“About fifty, but are you seriously ready to lure the non-breathers here?”
“If we can lock them up, then all we have to contend with are those idiots in the trucks. Where’s that shark-resistant armor?” Colton started peeling off his leather.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Amos stopped him. “I’ll wear it.”
“It was my idea.” All he had to do was put it on, walk out to where the horde was, and get their attention so they would follow him into the underground room they’d sealed off, then get back out. A piece of cake—for anyone with a death wish.
“We aren’t ready to start gathering undead and locking them away.” Amos stepped in front of him. “You’re crazy. We need to finish the ten foot fence around that vacant lot before we can begin to attempt your crazy plan. Have you told Chalice of it yet?”
“No.” He’d come up with the plan one night while struggling to fall asleep. They already knew the zombies would decay when deprived of food. So, gather them up, lock them away, and wait for them to fully die. Slowly, they could do their part in making the world a safer place. He hadn’t told Chalice, because he didn’t want her thinking he was as crazy as Amos and Bill thought he was.
“Worry about what’s out there now, and we’ll finish the fence later.”
Colton sighed. “You’re right. I wanted to make the fight more fair for us.”
He got back into his leather. The strange world around him left him confused and angry. So much of the time, he felt as if he was losing his mind. Of course they weren’t ready to implement his plan. Stop and think! Impatience would only get him killed.
Gunfire erupted, drawing him back to his spot at the wall. The horde had knocked over the chicken truck and were feasting. A few others had transferred their attention to the trucks. Maybe their guests’ plan would backfire.
A man appeared through the roof of one of the armored vehicles. He held a massive blowtorch and sprayed the horde with fire.
“Should we help?” Amos peered over Colton’s shoulder.
“No. They brought that trouble here, let them deal with it.”
Several of the non-breathers sniffed around the bars protecting the front doors. Colton gripped the knife at his belt. If too many surged forward, the bars might bend. He’d have to stop them befo
re that happened. Once he stepped outside, he’d draw the attention of many more.
Quite a few of the chickens got away, drawing more of the zombies to the field next to the mall. While there was still a massive amount of undead, they were no longer in a concentrated group. Was that a good or a bad thing?
“Ready?” he asked, as five more shuffled toward the bars. “It’s time to clear out this herd in front of the door.”
Amos nodded and unsheathed his machete. “Let’s clear the door.”
“Chalice, cover us.” Colton opened the door just enough to slip through. “Don’t shoot!” The last thing he needed was for one of the crazies in the truck to start shooting at the undead on the other side of the bars.
He plunged his knife into head after head, until black blood ran down his arms and pooled at his feet. The undead piled up, preventing a barrier between Colton, Amos, and those on the outside.
More gunfire erupted as zombies scrambled on top of the trucks, reaching through the hole in the top. Fools. Cutting a hole in the roof of a vehicle with no way of closing it was suicide.
The undead dragged a man screaming from the vehicle.
“Start shooting!” Colton yelled. Bad news or not, he couldn’t allow those inside the trucks to suffer death at the hands of a ravenous horde. “Open the gate.”
Amos nodded and motioned for Bill to push the button that would roll the bars away. With his back to Amos’s, Colton stepped outside. They were soon joined by Chalice and Mychal.
“Work your way to the truck,” Colton said. “Protect them the best you can.”
Chalice shot him a questioning look, but didn’t argue. Instead, she plunged her knife into a woman’s temple. They moved, foot-by-foot, toward the truck left untouched by the zombies. The poor fools inside the one with the hole in the roof couldn’t be helped.
Their little group circled the truck. “Come out and help,” Colton ordered. “We aren’t risking our lives to fight your mistake alone.”
Three men, no older than Colton, rushed from the vehicle, knives drawn. “Thanks.” A young black man, said.
“Don’t thank me yet.” Colton’s arm ached from the repetitious motion of stabbing one after the other of people wanting to eat his face. “We’ve still got a ways to go before we’re out of this. Then …” he stabbed, “you have some explaining to do.”
The Zombie Awakening (Complete 6 Volume Series, plus prologue) Page 30