“The one … you want to talk to … was in the other truck. He was our leader.”
“Colton! Sprinters!” Chalice pointed.
“Back inside.” Colton grabbed the young man’s arm and shoved him toward the mall. “Hurry!”
They dashed, dodging the undead that still reached for them, to the mall. Someone screamed. Colton glanced back as one of the new guys fell under the onslaught of two sprinters. Before he could turn away, they had the man ripped open and were pulling out his intestines before his screams faded.
His group jumped inside, closing the bars seconds before another sprinter leaped at the bars. Colton bent at the waist, his chest heaving. Shots rang out from those inside, dropping the three sprinters to the asphalt.
Colton glanced at the young man beside him. “You and your friend can clean all this up.”
5
Chalice stared at the spreading blood on one of the young men’s shoulder. “Is that your blood?”
“No.” He put his hand over the spot.
“Let me see it.”
He shook his head.
Chalice pulled her sword from its scabbard and held it at his throat. “Let me see it. Now.”
He paled and pulled down the collar of his tee-shirt. “It’s just a graze.”
“He’s bit!” She motioned for Mychal and Amos to take his arms. “Take him to the doctor.”
“You have a doctor?” The man smiled. “Whew. I was worried when that thing grabbed me. I’m going to be okay.”
“Sure.” Chalice replaced her sword. Poor idiot. She turned to his friend. “Who are you?”
“Dante Parker.” He swiped his forearm across his sweaty head. “We saw y’all on the mountain and had someone follow you.”
“How many more are there?”
He ducked his head. “About thirty. All men. All armed.”
Chalice met Colton’s gaze. If they all attacked at once, she wasn’t sure they could hold them off. “Guess we aren’t going to the facility any time soon.”
“Eric and I will go alone.” Rachel stiffened. “We’ve been alone before.”
“What facility are you talking about?” Dante lifted his head. “The one that started this mess? You’ll never get close. We have a radio back at the camp, and we’ve heard how the president has quarantined that whole area.”
“The president is still alive?” Chalice couldn’t believe it. They hadn’t had news of the rest of the world in so long.
Dante shrugged. “Guess so. It sounded like him. Anyway, he said to stay away. That the government was working on a cure.”
For the first time in almost a year, hope sprang fresh. Tears filled Chalice’s eyes. All they had to do was survive until the government came through.
She turned back to Dante. “What happens when the rest of you don’t return to your camp?”
“They’ll send someone looking for us.” He glanced at Colton. “You’ve got to hide those trucks. I want to stay here, if you’ll have me. That group is bad news, always going on about how they’re going to take over this part of the country. They kill anyone they don’t think worthy of living in the new world. They saw that you have some young girls, and plan on taking them.”
“That’s not going to happen.” Colton exhaled sharply. “You’re a good fighter. We’re glad to have you. But, if I feel in any way that you’re lying to me to help your friends, I’ll kill you on the spot.”
“Come on.” Chalice grasped his arm. “Let’s get you settled in.”
“I’m not lying. This place seems more like a home,” he said. “I miss that feeling. They found me hiding in a gas station a few months back and took me in because I’m strong. I’d rather use my strength here.”
“You’ll have plenty of opportunity.” Especially if the other camp showed up. She handed him over to George and Grandma, then headed for the roof.
She wasn’t disappointed that there would be no trip to the facility, but hoped with all within her that the government hurried up in finding a cure. Rachel was right, though. No one had ever found a way to cure something as simple as a cold.
She wrapped her arms around her knees and stared at the mountain. They’d lived several months on a farm there, surrounded by a tall spiked fence, and still the undead had overrun them. How did the camp Dante come from defend themselves?
The mall was the safest place her group had been since the whole horror started. She’d be damned if she was going to let some wannabe survivalists take it away. Bringing in a load of zombies, as they’d attempted that morning, would do nothing but cause Chalice and her group to hole up. Lack of food would be the one thing to drive them out. They could ration what they had and last for a few weeks. A lot longer than anyone stuck out in the parking lot.
She glanced in the other direction. There was a gated community they hadn’t checked out. Even from where she sat, she could see the non-breathers milling around on the other side. There might be food in those houses. The trick would be getting in and out without those things knowing they were there.
*
Colton stared through the window of one of the armored vehicles Dante had arrived in. While Chalice had made a good point about these large homes possibly holding food and weapons, he still didn’t see how they were supposed to get in and out without being killed.
All six in the truck wore helmets, leather, and carried a riot shield, courtesy of Dante’s former friends. Still, the sight of so many undead shuffling on the other side of the fence sent ice water through his veins.
“We could open the gate and lure them away,” Dante said, peering over his shoulder. “Some will stay, but the less we have to worry about the better.”
“Lure them away how?” Mychal shook his head. “Unless you’re offering yourself up as bait, that’s a stupid idea.”
“Sure. I was the star running back on my high school football team. If anyone can outrun them, it’s me.” His teeth flashed against his dark skin. “I love a challenge.”
It might work. He had willingly handed over the weapons and ammo from the trucks and bodies of his friends. Colton took a deep breath. “We’ll begin with that blue Victorian and move east. Once you feel it’s safe to return, you can find us there.” Not that he expected him to return. More than likely, if he wasn’t killed, Dante would hightail it back to his camp.
Dante climbed out the back of the truck. “Hey, dead people!” He put his fingers in his mouth and let out a shrill whistle just as he slid the iron gates open. “Wish me luck.” He dashed around the corner.
Most of the horde followed, leaving maybe ten to fifteen behind. A manageable number.
Colton drove the vehicle through the gates. “No gunfire. We have all we can handle as it is.” He slid from behind the wheel and closed the gates. As he turned, a large undead in a tattered business suit tackled him to the ground.
Colton put his hands around the monster’s throat and averted his face from the dripping saliva. Soon, he could barely see through the shield covering his face. The beast struggled to rip out his jugular.
“A little help here.” He head butted the creature fighting to kill him. All that accomplished was to splatter his shield with more thick fluids. He bashed forward again.Stars blinked in front of his eyes.
“We’re surrounded!” Chalice swung her sword. “They’re coming from between the houses.”
No more head butts. Not unless he wanted to knock himself unconscious. The monster on top of him had a thick skull.
Colton planted his feet under the zombie’s stomach and pushed. The beast fell off him, but had no sooner hit the ground, then it was back at him. Colton scrambled to his feet and pulled his knife from his belt. He plunged it up to the hilt in the softer part of the man’s head that had met Colton’s helmet and turned to deal with the next one.
A girl, no more than ten-years-old, ran at him, snarling like a rabid dog. He rubbed his forearm across his faceplate to give himself better sight.
“Pull b
ack!” Amos yanked Colton out of the way, and sunk a hand ax in the child’s head. “There’s too many. Get to the first house.” He shoved two more out of the way with his riot shield.
Colton nodded and stabbed the monster after Chalice. “Let’s go. We’ll pick them off from the porch.”
The house they ran to had a front porch as long as the width of the house. A railing covered every foot, except the steps. Colton, Chalice, Amos, Mychal and Eddy formed a line and waited for the undead to shuffle up the steps. By the time they all lay at the feet of the survivors, each of the breathing was covered in foul blood and struggling to regain their breath.
“Keep on your guard,” Colton said. “There are probably others inside the houses.”
“This better be worth it,” Eddy said. “If not for this helmet, I’d be a goner.”
Colton faced him. A blood smear covered the boy’s faceplate. Lucky, indeed. But, how long could their luck hold? He took out the same five people on every run. Sooner or later, someone would pay the price.
They entered the dark house. No odor of decaying flesh greeted them. Suitcases sat in a straight line in the foyer. The owners had been attacked, or fled, before loading their car. “Mychal and Eddy, check the garage. There may be things in a vehicle these folks were loading. Be careful. The owners could be waiting for you.”
“I’ll check upstairs.” Amos headed to the second floor, his boots muffled on the carpet runner.
Colton and Chalice moved to the kitchen. Cabinet doors hung open. On the island, sat two boxes of canned and dried foods. In the corner of the kitchen were two five-gallon water jugs. Colton grinned and grabbed a box. “Let’s pile whatever we find in the middle of the street. We can load the truck when we’re finished.”
“There’s a jeep in the garage with two rifles and five boxes of ammo,” Mychal said. “We left the weapons there. I’m driving the jeep back to the mall. We can’t all fit, with supplies, in the armored truck.”
“I’d rather we stuck together.” Colton glanced up. “But, you’re right. Go ahead and park the jeep next to the truck.”
Amos rejoined them, his arms loaded with diapers and baby formula. “I’ll have to make two trips, but these folks made it easy. Everything was piled on the bed, just waiting to be loaded up.”
“I doubt we’ll get this lucky at every house.” Colton opened the refrigerator, recoiling at the smell of rotted food.
Chalice pulled her collar over her nose. “Let’s move on. We’ve got everything here that we can.”
The back door banged open. She withdrew her sword at the same time Colton cocked his pistol.
Dante stepped inside, grinning. “I told you I’d be back. Those dead fools are wandering around a fenced park wondering where their meal went.”
“Are they contained?” Colton uncocked his gun and slid it back into its holster.
“Yep. I closed the gate on them. What kind of community keeps everything behind bars?”
“A rich one that wants to keep everyone else out. Start loading this stuff in the vehicles.” He watched as Dante hefted a box in his arms and rushed outside.
“I didn’t expect to see him again.”
Chalice put a hand on his arm. “I guess he’s serious about wanting the type of life we’ve made. I don’t think you need to worry about him. It’s his friends that will be coming soon that we really need to be concerned about.”
6
Chalice smelled the dead inside the house before she opened the door. They’d thought twice about entering, but the four-wheel drive truck with a gun rack in the open garage convinced her these people might have been prepared for just about anything. Thus, they could possibly have weapons and stored food. The others had split off to make the search faster, leaving this house for her, Mychal, and Dante.
Breathing through her mouth as much as possible, she pushed open the front door, ready to fight. No one greeted her. She waved the other two inside. She gave them a hand signal to search downstairs while she headed up, Lady close on her heels. The dog whined deep in her throat.
The first bedroom was empty. It wasn’t until she reached the master bedroom that the hairs on Chalice’s neck stood on end. She pulled her sword from its scabbard and opened the door.
A man lay on the bed, a rifle propped in his mouth. The wall behind him was splattered with dried brain matter. In an easy chair to the right, sat what was left of a young boy. From the master closet came the groaning Chalice was so familiar with.
“Ready, girl?” She placed her hand on the dog’s head.
So far animals seemed unaffected by the virus that had brought humankind so low. Lady and Buster were excellent at providing a diversion when undead was around, and a comfort in situations such as the one Chalice found herself in.
She whipped open the door. A woman, clutching a dead infant, staggered from behind expensive suits and gowns. With her free hand, she reached for Chalice. Raising her sword, Chalice brought it down with all her might, cleaving the woman’s head in two.
Staggering backward, Chalice crumpled to the floor. She’d seen many horrible sights in the last year. The one at the daycare a few months back—a room full of undead toddlers—had almost been her undoing. Still, seeing a non-breather who loved her child so much, even in death as to not relinquish her hold on her baby, ripped at her heart.
“Sis?” Mychal stepped into the room. “Wow.”
“Yeah.” She held up a hand for him to pull her to her feet.
“Someone turned, then dad couldn’t handle it so he whacked himself.” Mychal bent over the body on the bed. “Is it okay to leave the rifle here? Doesn’t seem right to take it.”
“I agree. There are some hiking boots in the closet we can take. Any luck downstairs?”
“These people were preppers. We’ve got tons of stuff, and I saw Colton rolling one of them big water barrels. This was a good idea you had.”
She almost wished they could clear the place out and move their little community here where everyone could have a house rather a small store. But, even with the gated community, the mall was easier to defend against attack. She sighed and followed her brother downstairs. She grabbed an armful of blankets and headed to where Dante was parking the truck from the prepper’s garage.
“We’ll never get all this stuff back without more vehicles.” He grinned. “I think we hit paydirt, don’t you?”
Chalice nodded. A scavenging trip where they didn’t have contact with the unfriendly living was always a success. She glanced over her shoulder at the upstairs master bedroom. The sight of that woman cradling her baby would stay with her for a long time.
Heart heavy, she headed for the next house assigned to her. She was greeted at the door by four half-starved kittens. “Mychal!”
“Yeah?” He jogged to join her. “Cool.” He scooped one into his hands. “Can we keep them? They’re going to die if we leave them here. The kids will love them, and they can help keep the mice away.”
“Find something to put them in. They can’t run free around the truck. Not with the dogs.” She picked up a gray tabby. Her hands vibrated with its purring. Hopefully, they could find enough food to keep the little things fed for a while. She handed the ball of fluff to Mychal and headed into the kitchen. Finding no sight of the mother cat, she loaded a box with cat food. The kittens would have to be trained to use the bathroom in a corner of the mall’s outdoor area. No one had time to mess with a litter box.
Her spirit had lifted at the sight of the little darlings. So engrossed was she in making sure they could care for them, she didn’t at first hear the groaning from behind her. She whirled, just as a non-breather knocked her to the floor. She had no time to grab her sword. Instead, she grabbed one of the cans of cat food and slammed it against the woman’s head. Over and over she screamed, bringing the can down until the skull broke and the body lay without moving.
Chalice dropped the can and scooted against the counter. Her chest heaved as she fought to catch
her breath. She’d broken the group’s number one rule and allowed herself to be distracted. Even though the only part of her body unprotected by leather was her neck and the back of her head, it would be too easy for one of them to bite her, sealing her fate.
“Are you all right?” Colton rushed into the room, jumping over the body on the floor. “I heard you scream.”
She buried her face in his chest. “We may have scored with supplies, but emotionally, this trip is almost more than I can take.”
*
Colton held her until her tremors settled. Each time they headed out, he wanted to ask Chalice to stay behind, but she was one of their best fighters. The trips might cast her into a funk for a couple of days, but she always pulled through. They needed her. He needed her.
“I’m fine.” She pulled away, wiping her face on the back of her hand. “Let’s get this finished and get home.”
Colton nodded. “Stay with me. The others can work together.”
After telling Mychal to take Colton’s place with the other group, he and Chalice entered the next house. No undead greeted them. No furry animals roamed the hall. Cupboards and closets were empty, left open as the owners fled in a hurry. Colton hoped they had made it to a safe place. The roads were testimony to how many had been left stranded as fodder for the undead.
“There’s nothing here,” he said. “Let’s go.”
The further into the development they went, the less they found. It was almost as if someone had been there before and left before clearing out all the residences. Either that, or most made it out before being attacked.
Colton approached the last house. Boards were nailed over the door and windows. From inside came the sound he would never forget. The growls and groans of those no longer living. The door shook as the crowd on the other side increased their banging.
“They smell us.” Chalice pulled his arm. “We’re done here.”
The Zombie Awakening (Complete 6 Volume Series, plus prologue) Page 31