by Zoë Archer
The one Marine that was left was one he’d been hunting for a long time. This one had been part of a sniper-spotter team. He had been an expert at stealth in life and had demonstrated a propensity for the same now that he was…something else. He’d also been one of the original test subjects. He’d died honorably in battle, only to have his body experimented on after death to become a thing of nightmares. Nobody deserved that.
As they made their way down the lane, Simon decided to share a little more information with Mariana. She had already faced two of the creatures, and they might be walking into the lair of a third. She deserved to know what he’d learned and observed during his time in the field hunting these creatures. Plus, it would help him organize his thoughts to bounce them off her. She had always challenged him intellectually, and he respected her knowledge and ability to reason things out.
“They’re able to learn simple things.” He could tell he had surprised her by speaking. She listened attentively even as she navigated the narrow gravel lane. “Luckily, the more complex operations, like using firearms, seem to be beyond them.”
“Thank heaven for that, at least. I can only imagine a platoon of zombie Marines able to use Uncle Sam’s artillery against an unsuspecting populace. Talk about a nightmare.”
She caught on quick. He really enjoyed that about her. “They can use simple weapons like sticks and such. The knowledge of anything more mechanical than opening a door seems to have disappeared along with their humanity. They don’t move fast but they can sneak up on you if you’re not careful. They don’t talk either. Sometimes they make a sort of moaning sound.”
“I heard that when Becky Sue got close. It was horrible. Like she was begging for help or something. I’ve had a few patients make similar sounds while they were delirious, but Becky Sue’s vocalizations sounded like a wounded animal. It was inhuman.”
“She wasn’t human. Not any longer, Mari. Try not to let it get to you. You did the right thing. You put the girl out of her misery and let her soul finally rest in peace.”
“I didn’t know you had a spiritual side, Simon.” She raised one eyebrow in his direction as she slowed the vehicle. They were close to the neighbor’s house. He saw no problem with parking in the old lady’s drive and knocking on the door. There was bright sunshine in the sky and the zombies shunned the light. If the worst had happened and the old lady had been turned, she should be cowering inside. If she was still alive, she would probably welcome a visit from Mariana after not seeing her granddaughter for a day or two.
Simon shrugged off Mariana’s interest in his spiritual beliefs. “Like most soldiers, I have faith in a higher power. I’ve seen too many weird things and too much death not to believe the spirit lives on.”
They arrived at the neighbor’s house and Mariana parked in the drive. There was an open space between the car and the house, which suited him just fine. He felt the weight of her stare.
“That’s deep,” she commented when he finally looked at her.
He had to laugh. His Mari always managed to surprise him with her reactions. She’d managed to take a very serious situation and make it light without discounting the innermost thoughts he’d just revealed.
“Look, I want you to stay here. Keep the car doors locked, and the windows rolled up. I’m going to do some recon around the house. I’ll make one circuit of the perimeter and then come back to you. If I don’t see anything suspicious, we can go knock on the door together, just in case your neighbor is all right. She would probably be alarmed to see a strange man at her door, but like you said, she knows you. If she’s been turned, I’ll take care of her. I want you to stand clear. Run back to the car and lock yourself inside. There’s still one Marine unaccounted for and he’s the smartest of the bunch that I’ve faced. He could be hiding around here somewhere. Especially if he’s the one who attacked Becky Sue.”
He hated the fear that reentered her eyes. Unfortunately, she had to know the truth about what they could be facing.
“If you see anything bad while I’m gone, honk the horn. A short tap for something suspicious. Two taps if you see one of them in the distance. Lay on the horn if you need immediate help. I’ll come running.”
She visibly gulped and he took her hand, leaning in to kiss the fear away. She warmed to him, but this wasn’t the time or place. Why couldn’t he keep his hands off her? Why couldn’t he get enough of her? And why was he tormenting them both this way—letting them both glimpse something that could never be?
No doubt about it, he was a glutton for punishment. Still, his duty was clear. She had been dragged into this mess and he had to stay by her side and protect her until the situation was resolved. He owed her that much at least. He would do the same for anyone, but knowing it was Mari who was in danger made it all that much more disturbing to his psyche, his deeply buried emotions…and his heart.
“Be good while I’m gone.” He gave her a lopsided smile as he drew back, liking the way her eyes dilated in pleasure even under such dire circumstances. For that short moment in time, she wasn’t scared anymore. He had given her that respite. It made him feel proud and even more protective.
“Be careful, Simon.” She touched his sleeve as he opened the car door.
“Don’t worry. I do this for a living.” He winked at her and slipped out of the SUV, waiting by the door until she locked it behind him. With a parting grin, he left her to do a circuit of the house.
Chapter Six
Mariana watched him go with her heart in her throat. She hated seeing him in danger. She knew intellectually that in his profession, he often put himself in harm’s way, but actually seeing it—participating in it, even to a small degree—was something very different. Watching every tree branch for movement, she did her best to stay vigilant, biting her lip when the sun dipped behind a scudding cloud for a long minute.
She watched what she could see of the sky through her moon roof. It looked like clouds were gathering, which could mean trouble.
Mariana didn’t breathe easy until she saw Simon rounding the corner of the house, moving at ease though obviously alert. He ambled up to the driver’s side window and she rolled it down to talk to him.
“It looks clear. Clouds could pose a problem later, but it’s still a little too bright for them to be very active. Come on out and let’s check on the old lady.”
She popped the locks and Simon opened her door for her, his head swiveling to check all directions before he stepped back to let her out. She was careful to chirp the doors locked behind her as she walked at Simon’s side up to the front porch. The place looked welcoming, with bright pink petunias in the flower boxes and a profusion of red and white impatiens lining the walk.
There was no sound from within though, which was troubling. Mrs. McGillicuddy couldn’t get around much, but she loved her television. From sunrise to sunset that old TV was usually blaring some game show or soap opera. Now it was eerily silent.
She looked up at Simon with apprehension. “Something’s wrong. She usually has the TV turned up loud all day long.”
Simon immediately took point. “Stay behind me. I’ll knock, you get ready to run if this goes bad.”
She nodded, knowing he was the only one who could really face these monsters. He had already been bitten and lived to tell the tale. Nobody else had been so lucky. It was likely she would face the same fate as Becky Sue if she got stupid and got bitten.
Simon walked up to the door and knocked loudly. “Call out to her,” he instructed.
“Mrs. McGillicuddy. It’s Mariana, from next door. I came to see if you were all right.” She spoke as loudly as she could, given the lump in her throat. “Mrs. McGillicuddy, are you there, ma’am?”
A shuffling sound came from within the house and then she heard that distinctive, inhuman moaning sound. The sun was swallowed for the moment by a thick cloud, casting a pall over the landscape. Mariana cringed, shuddering as she realized her worst fears had come true. Becky Sue’s grandmothe
r—that sweet, crippled old lady—had been turned into a zombie.
“Get back to the car. I’ll handle it.” Simon’s words were clipped as he braced himself to kick in the old wooden door. “Stay alert. There could be more. Run. Now!”
She pulled out the pistol and held it ready as she flew back down the porch steps, looking wildly all around as she made a beeline for her SUV. Behind her she heard an ominous crack as Simon broke through the door with one solid kick. Then she heard the faint report of the rifle as he shot twice in quick succession. His boots hit the wooden boards of the porch steps with loud, hurried steps as she unlocked her car door. She pushed inside, barely remembering to check the backseat before she got in and locked the doors tight.
Turning, she watched in horror as poor old Mrs. McGillicuddy made her way down her porch steps. The plump old lady was walking stiffly and her head looked misshapen. Mariana realized why as she drew closer. Her skull had been bashed in and it looked like something—or someone—had been gnawing on her brain.
Mariana had to stifle the urge to vomit. She had seen a lot of things as a doctor but never anything as truly horrific as this.
Simon reached the car and she unlocked the passenger side door for him. He hopped inside with little fanfare and slammed the door shut.
“Back up to the end of the lane. She should go any second now.”
Mariana didn’t have to be told twice. The gruesome specter of Mrs. McGillicuddy advanced steadily, the flailing ends of Simon’s darts sticking out of her neck and hip. He’d hit cleanly and if their luck held, she would disintegrate any minute now.
Mariana backed the SUV to the end of the gravel drive and waited. The old woman advanced a few more steps, reaching out as if for help, making that high pitched moaning sound. But there was nothing more they could do for the poor old thing.
Mrs. McGillicuddy took one more step and then began to dissolve, melting from the sites of the darts, inward. It was all over in a matter of seconds. Mariana gripped her steering wheel, shaken to the core. It was one thing to see it happen in the dark of night. It was quite another to watch a sweet old lady turned monster melt before her eyes in the harsh light of day.
“Sweet Lord,” she whispered.
Simon’s hand on her thigh snapped her attention to him. “It’s better this way, Mari.”
“I know you’re right, but…damn, Si. This isn’t something they prepared me for in medical school, or even in boot camp. This is a nightmare come to life.”
“Welcome to my world. I’ve been living with this for months now. I’m only sorry you got dragged into it.” He removed his hand and turned to scan the trees. “The only good thing is that it will all be over soon.”
“But it’s spread to civilians.”
“Yeah, that is a problem. Luckily, there are only the two houses in this area—this one, and yours. You’re safe, and the two occupants of this place are now accounted for. With any luck, it hasn’t spread any further. Now if I can just get that last Marine, we can call this done. Frankly, it’ll be a relief.”
“I can understand that.” Yes, she understood it, but feared the end of his mission would spell the end of their renewed affair. It was an agonizing thought. She wasn’t ready to give him up yet.
“Drive back up to the old lady’s house. I have to check inside, to make sure she was alone.”
She hated the thought of him going back in there, but knew he had to be certain. This contagion was too dangerous to allow to spread any further. She pulled up next to the house again and left the car running. If they had to make a quick escape, she would be ready.
“Remember the signal?”
“Tap my horn once for something suspicious. Twice if I see one of them far away. Lean on it if I’ve got a serious problem.”
“Good girl.” He smiled as he leaned close to give her a peck on the cheek.
Simon was out of the car and in the house before she could tell him to be careful again. She watched the surroundings, her eyes straying to the destroyed front door of the house every few seconds, willing Simon to reappear, safe and sound.
She thought she saw something flicker through the woods, but wasn’t certain enough to sound the horn. A few minutes later, Simon appeared at the door. His expression was closed as usual. There was no real urgency in his movements, which she took as a very good sign. Likely, the rest of the house was clear.
He made a few hand signals that she interpreted to mean he was going to scout the grounds again. He disappeared around the side of the house and she went back to waiting. If this is what his life was like in the special forces, he could keep it. Moments of blind panic interspersed with what felt like hours of tense waiting. All in all, her medical job was easier on the nerves. Even her stint in the Emergency Room a few years back had been less nerve wracking than this.
Simon appeared again a few minutes later. He stopped by the pile of debris that had been Mrs. McGillicuddy and dropped a small object onto the ground. He gave the area another searching look, then ambled up to the passenger side door. She unlocked it for him and he climbed in. She could see the weariness of the long night in every move of his muscular body. The man needed sleep and a few hours away from the tension of his mission.
“As your doctor, I’m prescribing bed rest for the next six hours, at least.” She always enjoyed the challenge of making him smile and was rewarded when one side of his lips quirked upward.
“I’ll be glad to follow your orders, ma’am, as soon as I report in. Commander Sykes has to get the cleanup team to sanitize this area as well as your backyard ASAP. It’s standard operating procedure for this mission sent down from the CDC. I mark all the kill sites and the hazmat guys come in and do their thing. You didn’t see them, but they were out behind your house yesterday.”
“When?” She was shocked by the idea that a group of soldiers had been on her property and she’d never even known about it.
“When I was keeping you otherwise occupied.” His eyes heated with remembered desire and her stomach clenched.
“Damn, Simon. Is that what had you so eager to keep me in bed all day?” She put the SUV in gear and backed out of the driveway again, turning onto the gravel road.
“No, sweetheart, that was just a fringe benefit. I didn’t want you worrying.”
“So what changed?” She began the short drive back to her place.
“The girl was bad enough, but now her grandmother. You’re involved now, Mari, more than you should be. I didn’t want you in this at all, but you’re in it now, up to your neck. You have a right to know the full parameters of the op and what happens next. You’re a doctor, after all. I bet you were already speculating about what happened to the remains after I did my part of the job. Weren’t you?”
She shook her head. “You know me too well. I just didn’t think you’d tell me so much about the operation, Simon. I know it’s probably all top secret, right?”
“It is. And you’ll be held to that top secret classification. Which means you don’t talk about any of this to anyone except me. You’ve already seen and done too much to be kept out of the loop. I talked to Matt Sykes last night, while you were in the shower, and he agreed.”
“You already talked to Commander Sykes about me?” That was a surprise.
“He needed to know where I’ve been. He’s keeping close tabs on me since I’m the only thing standing between the base, the surrounding populace, and…well…what you saw happen to your neighbors.”
She thought about that. “A lot of responsibility is riding on your shoulders, Simon.”
“It’s what I do.” He shrugged. The casual attitude didn’t fool her. She knew he was feeling every bit of that responsibility. Simon always took important things, like his duty, very seriously indeed.
She would have said more but a flash of white at the side of the road caught her eye. She slammed on the brakes.
“What?” he asked, instantly alert.
“I thought I saw something.” She
backed up the SUV carefully. “Look over there.” She pointed to a dense patch of greenery. It was ripped up and torn now that she looked closely, with obvious tire tracks leading away from the gravel road bed and onto the dirt and grass at the side of the road.
Simon hefted his weapon and slid out of the vehicle. “Stay here and keep the engine running.” She didn’t have to be told to lock the doors behind him as her heart crept into her throat yet again.
Simon approached the vehicle. It was small, boxy and white, with the distinctive stripes and logo of the Postal Service. Even from several yards out he could see the smashed windows and deep red streaks of blood all over the interior of the crashed Jeep. Mail was strewn all around, but the postman was nowhere to be seen.
No doubt he’d been attacked and was likely already dead.
Another fatality in a string of deaths that had gone on far too long. And another target to add to his list. Simon dropped a transmitter tag in the vehicle, did a quick sweep of the area, and headed back to Mariana’s SUV.
She waited for him with the world in her smile. The relief on her face as he broke from the cover of trees warmed him from the inside out. God, she was good to come home to. These past days had teased him with a glimpse of how good life could be.
But not for him.
He was weakening, though. His resolve to stay detached was on the wane. Would he be strong enough to resist the allure of her? Would he be able to do the right thing when this was all over? Would he have the strength to leave her again? He wasn’t so sure. And that thought was even scarier than the zombies.
He didn’t want to hurt her. He didn’t want to ruin her life. Right now, he was still firmly convinced that his continued presence in her life could only accomplish both of those things. He just didn’t see how being with him could spell anything but disaster for her.