by David Rogers
“Jesu cristo.” Jorge said, emerging from the store. “Estás loco hombre.”
“Holy shit Austin.” Arcelia said from behind him. She was limping slightly as she walked. “I thought you were dead when you jumped.”
“Just get in the truck.” Austin said, still facing into the street. Then he raised his voice into a shout. “Everyone in the truck. Let’s go, load up. Nate, can you grab my stuff, and Jessica’s?”
“Yes, in the truck.” Jessica said, turning and looking into the store. “Time to leave. Before the zombies get here. This will be attracting them from all over town.”
“I got it man.” Nate said, as Carlo staggered against Byron and the two of them limped away from the edge of the cargo box so the wounded Houseboater could sit out of the way.
The ‘prisoners’ pushed out of the store’s doorway and got themselves into the back of the truck, Byron and Jorge helping those who needed it to make the climb. Tori and Donita stayed on the ground, shooting. Until Jessica shook Donita and the woman looked to see it was just her and her friend, and Jessica and Austin, left out. They joined the others in the vehicle, and all that was left on the ground was zombies and zombie bodies.
“That’s everyone.” Austin said as Jessica went up to the front of the cargo box. “We’re all here.”
“Where’s Wes?” Milo asked.
“Shut up.” U said.
“What?”
“We’re all here.” Austin repeated. “Wes caught a bullet up on the roof. Drop it.” He scooped up their packs and carried them up to the front before dropping them. Then he sat down next to Jessica and pounded on the front of the cargo box three times. “Hit it Happy.” he said, raising his voice.
“Let’s go Happy!” Byron shouted.
“Hang on fuckers!” Jessica heard the drunk shout back.
“It wasn’t just zombies.” she said to Austin as the truck lurched into motion. The ride was rough, jostling everyone back and forth as the wheels ground forward over fallen zombies.
“She’s safe. We’re out now.”
“Or how far it was.” Jessica said, ignoring his attempt to calm her. “Thirty miles Austin, thirty.”
“I know.” he said patiently.
“Or the danger. Bandits or people crazier than those bastards that put us in here. Or the crazy bastards shooting at her Austin! No, she had to let a fucking drunk drive her into the middle of a zombie horde.”
“She’s a smart girl.” Austin said.
“Not smart enough.” Jessica all but snapped, then lurched as the truck careened around in a turn that threw everyone in the back of the truck to one side. Jorge and Rico quickly laid themselves flat on the bed, followed a moment later by Diego. Austin took her by the shoulder so she didn’t slide as everyone else struggled to keep from tumbling across the cargo box’s bed.
“She made it this far.” he said soothingly.
“Luck.” Jessica said. “Sheer blind stupid luck. She could’ve died a hundred different ways.”
“Jessica—”
“Don’t Jessica me.” she said, shaking her head sharply. “I’m mad, and I’m going to be mad.”
“For how long?”
She glared at him, but couldn’t make herself put any of the anger and fear she was feeling seriously into the look. He just gazed back at her patiently, calmly; every bit of his being showing that he was there for her. She realized her whole body felt like it was shivering. Her insides were trembling, not just her arms, or her legs. She felt cold. Empty. “And I’m not mad.” she told herself. “I’m terrified. Oh God!”
As she started crying, she felt Austin wrap his arms around her. She gave up and buried her face against his chest, fitting into a spot that didn’t have gear and pouches and stuff strapped to it, and just cried.
Chapter Eighteen — Home is wherever your family is
The truck stopped. It had been making some strange noises since before they left Belle Glade, the tone and note of its engine changing more than simply slowing down could explain. And something was wrong with the wheels or tires or something. There was a grinding that was felt as much as heard going on beneath the vehicle. There was also an enormous bent depression in the roof, where Austin had landed on it jumping down from the store; but that was just cosmetic.
The survivors in the back exchanged some glances with one another, and then all looked out at what they could see through the open back. All Jessica saw was paved road lined with out of control weeds and tall grass. No zombies, except the last one she’d felt Happy run over a couple of minutes ago. It was lying on the pavement in the distance. The city was further, out of sight and behind them now.
Byron got up and took hold of the grab bar before poking his head out for a longer look. Then he checked up the side of the truck. As he did so, Jessica heard a door open, and started scrambling up.
“Jessica—” Austin said, sitting patiently while she levered herself to her feet using him as a push point.
The door slammed shut, and Happy’s yell broke across the quiet. “There you fucking go fellas. One fucking rescue, how about that shit?”
“Where are we?” Byron asked, swinging himself down out of the truck and turning toward the vehicle’s driver’s side.
“Shit, I don’t fucking know. Somewhere south of Belle fucking Glade.”
Jessica reached the back edge of the truck just as Happy appeared. He had a bottle in his hands. The label said it was a Coke, but the way he tipped it back and drained what was left of it, just as much as his history, told her it wasn’t just Coke.
“You stupid son of a bitch!” she yelled, dropping to sit on the edge of the truck and scooting over to land on her feet. “I can’t believe you!” She heard feet on the cargo bed behind her, pounding feet, but ignored that.
Happy only just had time to start lowering the bottle before she slapped it out of his hand. Her fingers were stinging, but she ignored that too. He blinked at her, then tried to sway backwards as she raised her hand and struck him a second time. This blow landed full on his cheek, raising a loud audible smack even through his beard. It made him stumble backwards, trip over his own heel, and land on his ass near the side of the road.
“A girl. A ten-year-old girl. My daughter!” Jessica spit, glaring at him. “You not only take her across half of South Florida, but do it drunk? Into a Goddamn zombie horde?”
Happy surged to his feet, his own expression abruptly not happy. As he came at her with his hands coming up in fists, Jessica was suddenly shouldered roughly back and aside as Austin inserted himself between her and the bearded man. He caught Happy and pushed him back, without any malice but firmly.
“The hell is your problem?” Happy slurred as he swayed back from Austin. “Fucking gratitude? She hit me!”
“She’s sorry.” Austin said. “It’s been rough lately.”
“This is fucking bullshit.” Happy said, trying to dodge around Austin to get at Jessica. The taller man caught him with one arm and pushed him back again. Happy went back exactly one step, then swung his fist up in a punch that landed high on Austin’s cheek. Hard enough to produce a loud thunk of bone-on-bone contact.
Austin’s head rocked sideways, and he staggered back a step. Happy advanced, but Austin blocked the second blow by sweeping his arm up and out to catch and deflect it, then used his other hand to push Happy back a third time.
“You get that one.” Austin said calmly, though he shook his head once like he was making sure everything was still attached. “That’s fair. But don’t push it.”
“Taken bigger guys than you down.” Happy said, his fists coming up again.
“Don’t.” Austin said, sliding one of his feet back a little to adjust his stance. “She’s sorry. She’d not going to do it again. It was a mistake.”
“Drunk!” Jessica said angrily. “All the way over here drunk off your ass, and her in the damn car with you. You could’ve gotten her killed.”
“Not helping Jessica.” Austin sai
d sharply without turning.
“Uh, what’s going on?” Donita asked from the back of the truck.
“She fucking asked me to get off my ass and come fucking help save yours.” Happy retorted, though he was watching Austin closely. He stepped unsteadily to his right, and Austin moved with him. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Too … loud.” Jorge said. “Zombies.”
“You’re a Goddamn adult!” Jessica shot back, ignoring the bystanders and their questions. “Even if you are lazing around waiting to drown in a bottle. She’s ten damn you. Ten! You say no and put her back in the house where it’s safe.”
“This whole fucking thing was her fucking idea.” Happy said, going to his left. Again Austin matched his movement. “I was sitting on my porch. Minding my own fucking business. No, sleeping on my damn porch. Happy as Happy is. And she come fucking knocking saying ‘help me, help me.’ Shit.”
“Do they know each other?” U asked.
“Jessica’s sorry.” Austin said. “So am I. Just drop it, and we’ll make it up to you.”
“I have no idea bro.” Ed said.
Happy glared at what he could see of Jessica past Austin, which wasn’t much. His eyes were open wide and furious with bloodshot veins standing out, and with a fixed intensity that was almost alien on his normally placid and cheerful face. She met his gaze, her jaw set firmly.
“We’ll make it up to you.” Austin said again. “We’ll get you something. What do you want, more booze? Better booze? What?”
“She already fucking promised we were gonna do that.” Happy growled. “Candy. But I changed my mind.” His expression started to calm some.
“Okay, so what then? What can fix this?”
“Dog food.”
Jessica blinked. Austin cocked his head a little to one side.
“What?” Byron said, from where he was standing next to the truck watching.
“What?” Arcelia asked, sounding incredulous.
“What?” Austin said evenly, though Jessica heard the note of confusion in his voice.
“I found me a dog. Another one. Mine now. Good dog. He likes me.” Happy said, almost mumbled. “Those crazy bastards were gonna kill it. Don’t like that shit. But I can’t feed no dog no damn booze. Ain’t right. You gotta treat your dog right. That’s how it fucking works.”
“Dog food.” Austin said calmly. “Okay, no problem. We’ll get some dog food for you. How’s that? Bags of it.”
Happy lowered his hands, dropping his head. He mumbled something else.
“What?”
“Some beer.” Happy mumbled louder. “I can’t go cold turkey. Tied one on too long. Done it before. Ain’t gonna work. Gotta have some beer to … to … you know, come down easy.”
“Dog food and beer.” Austin said. “No problem. Day after we get back, you’ll have it. By sundown. Dog food and beer, okay?”
“Okay.” Happy said, still looking at his shoes. Then he abruptly sat down, just folding himself right onto the pavement untidily. His shoulders started shaking. After a moment Jessica realized he was crying.
“I miss that dog. I’m so sorry.” he wailed.
Austin looked down at the crying man for a moment, then turned his head and looked at Byron. Jessica saw an expression of distinct pleading helplessness on Austin’s face.
“Happy … Jared,” Byron said, coming forward and kneeling down next to the bearded man, “you’re okay. It’s going to be okay. We’ve all been through hell. All of us. Not just you.”
“I was supposed to fucking look out for him.” Happy said through wracking sobs. “And I let the fucking zombies just get him. Just got him, and he was fucking gone.”
“Él es jodidamente loco.” Rico said.
“No shit.” Jorge said.
“Todos estamos locos después de lo que hemos pasado.” Arcelia said.
“We’ll get you fixed up.” Byron was saying to Happy, who was still bawling. Tears were marking clearly visible streaks through the dirt and grime encrusted on his cheeks above his beard. “You and your dog. It’s okay man. We’ve all been there, we all get there sooner or later. You’re cool, it’s going to be fine.”
Happy sort of lurched into Byron, throwing his arms around the other man and burying his face in his shoulder. “I miss him so much.” Byron wrinkled his nose, but patted the crying man awkwardly on the back.
“And that’s stage five of grief.” Tori said. Jessica looked over in time to see the blonde woman shaking her head. “Lovely.”
“Shut up Tori.” Donita said.
“Don—”
“At least he’s working through his.” Donita retorted. “What are you at, still anger? Stage two, right?”
“Okay, okay, we’re all emotional.” Ben said, stepping forward. “Like Austin said, it’s been rough lately. Let’s just relax.”
“Yeah, we’re out.” Phil said. “Not trapped. Calm down.”
Jessica turned and went around the passenger corner of the truck, up the side, and reached for the door handle. When she opened the door, she saw Candice sitting there in the seat, her seatbelt still on. There was a brown and black dog on the floorboard between the seats, sitting behind her, that looked over quickly when the door opened. It studied Jessica for a moment, then gave a friendly bark.
Candice’s shoulders were drawn in, and she was hunched in the seat. As her head came around to look at Jessica, it was bowed halfway to her chest. There were dried tears smeared around on her face, glinting in the late afternoon sun. And her eyes were afraid as she kept them on the ground after that first stolen peek at Jessica.
“I’m sorry.” Candice whispered in a barely audible voice.
“Candy Bear.” Jessica said, bursting into tears again for the second time in an hour. She hadn’t cried even once in nearly three months. Now it was twice just today. Stepping up on the boarding ledge, she put her arms around her daughter and hugged her tightly, pulling the girl against the seatbelt and into her. “Oh sweetie.”
Candice hugged her back. Jessica could feel Candice trembling, shaking, all over. It was rumbling through her chest and back, her hands and arms were quivering as they squeezed Jessica. Unable, unwilling, to stop the tears Jessica just hung on and tried to let the contact reassure them both.
“We’re safe.” Jessica got out. “We’re safe now. All of us.”
It took her a minute, but she managed to get herself under control enough to shove her pain and terror back down into the box. Wrestled the lid on and sat on it firmly. When she could trust her voice again, she took a slow breath.
“Why did you do that?”
“I don’t know.”
Jessica shook her head and pushed her daughter back just enough so she could see her. Candice was still looking down, and was still crying. Gently she put two fingers under the girl’s chin and lifted it so they could look at each other. “Why did you do that?”
“I …” Candice said, then faltered and sort of shrugged.
“Why? Tell me.”
Candice moved her head, freeing herself from Jessica’s fingers, and dropped it again. She rubbed at her face, wiping it. “I didn’t want to be alone.”
“You’re not alone.” Jessica said, pressing herself back down on the box’s lid. It was still rattling, trying to spill its contents out again.
The girl’s voice was barely audible. Faint and thin. “If you guys die, I will be.”
Jessica lost her trust in her voice again. She had to just stare moist-eyed at her daughter while she struggled to keep the box together as it threatened to come apart and break her down again. Candice looked up after several seconds.
“I miss dad. I miss grandma and grandpa. I miss Sandy and Joey.” She swallowed hard, and her voice got very wobbly. “I don’t want to miss you guys too. It hurts too much.”
“We’re tough.” Austin said from behind her. Jessica didn’t even bother to startle; she was still trying to keep from losing it a third time. “All three of us
. Especially you and mom. Toughest people I know.”
“If mom and you love each other, that makes you my new dad, right?”
Jessica turned her head in time to see Austin shrug with his familiar wry grin. He had one hell of a bruise right next to his eye, one that was darkening and spreading almost as she studied it. “Well that’s up to you and mom.” he said casually. She caught his eyes, and he just gave them to her steadily. So she could dive down into them and find that strength she’d come to rely on.
“We don’t need a church to be married and be a family.” Jessica heard herself say, then blinked. She turned the words over in her head for a moment. And decided she meant them. A flicker of pleased agreement appeared in Austin’s gaze, but he said nothing as he studied her.
“Can I take my seatbelt off?” Candice asked quietly.
Looking back to her daughter, Jessica nodded and reached for the buckle. It came loose and rewound back into the holder. Candice slid out of the seat, bounced off the step ledge, and landed with both feet on the ground. Then she took Jessica’s hand and pulled on it.
Jessica let her daughter turn her around as the girl tugged, then watched as Candice reached for Austin’s hand too. Hers was swallowed up in Austin’s as he took a half step forward so Candice didn’t have to stretch so far as she held on to them both. There was dried blood on it, but Candice didn’t seem to mind.
“Families stay together.” Candice said uncomfortably. “Even when it’s bad.” She looked up at Jessica, then at Austin, then back to Jessica again. “Right?”
“Right.” Jessica said after a moment. Candice looked so nervously earnest it almost hurt, like she was trying to brace herself for a no. And when Jessica added a nod, a relieved expression bloomed across the girl’s face so fast it did hurt. Jessica lifted her eyes to Austin, almost ashamed she had to try to distract herself from Candice’s reaction so she didn’t start crying.
He just smiled at her, pouring such an endless amount of love into his face that Jessica gave up and blinked the tears in her eyes out so they ran down her cheeks. “Right.” he said before he bent down and put his free arm around Candice. “Especially then.” She draped hers around his neck and held on as he lifted her up and stepped closer still to Jessica. “Especially when it’s bad.”