Chad growled, pulling back his fist.
“That’s it, kids! Break it up!” The guard from the door jogged toward them, waving his hands.
“This wetback is causing trouble,” Chad declared, smirking. “You know how they are!”
“Leave her alone, dude.” Danny pushed Chad from his cousin.
Chad started to lunge at the smaller boy, but the guard stepped between them.
“Son, we don’t need no trouble. We got enough with the zombies. Back down,” the older man said, placing one hand on Chad’s chest and moving him away from the kids. “Besides, real men don’t hit women. Or smaller kids.”
“They started it!”
“They’re much younger than you. You’re nearly a man. Why let little ones get to you?” the guard chided Chad. “Act like a man, not a little boy. Now I gotta keep my eye on you.”
Sputtering, Chad reluctantly fell in step with the guard.
Corina slung her arm around Sam’s shoulder to guide him away. Josh hesitated, then followed with Troy at his side. Dulce remained, glaring after Chad. The guard let go of the teenager and returned to his post. Chad glowered back at Dulce, but stayed rooted to where he was standing.
“C’mon, Dulce,” Danny said, taking her hand. “He’s not going to mess with us now.”
Josh stopped in his tracks, not sure if she would do anything else. He’d seen the hurt flare in her eyes when Chad had used the slur against her. “Dulce, let it go. He sucks.”
Reluctantly, she turned around and followed the rest of the kids toward the far corner of the play area.
“I should hit him harder. With a truck,” Dulce muttered.
When Josh reached the huddle beneath some trees, he found that the chubby boy was crying. Corina did her best to calm him, but Sam was very upset.
“Sam, calm down. It’s okay, “Corina said.
“But Chad is going to kill me!” Sam wailed. “He said so!”
“He’s not going to kill you.” Troy kicked at a rock near his foot. “There are guards around here. I’m not gonna say he won’t try, but you’ll be safe. They’ll stop him.”
Sam sniffled loudly. “He said... he said... he’ll cut open my stomach and let me bleed to death. And then I’ll turn into zombie and eat you guys.”
Josh made a face and shook his head. “It’s not established yet if it’s the bite or death that makes people zombies.”
“Josh, he’s upset,” Corina said in her babysitter voice. “He doesn’t care about zombie lore.”
“But Josh is right. We don’t know,” Troy said. “Anyone dying in here could be a really bad thing even if by natural causes if we’re already infected by an airborne virus.”
Sniffling, Sam said, “You’re not making me feel better.”
“Chad will try to kill him.” Dulce pushed her thick dark hair back from her face, and looked toward where Chad was being forced to stand in the guard’s line of sight. “He’s crazy. And stupid.”
Danny moved so he could stare into Sam’s tear-stained face. “So you tell your dad what he said, so he locks him up, dude. Easy as that. Okay?”
“But you’re leaving,” Sam blubbered. “I’ll be alone.”
Josh pulled the smartphone from his pocket and checked for another update. There wasn’t one yet. “Sam, your dad will take care of you. So will Daisy.” Josh pointed toward the building. “Look, the guard is making sure that Chad doesn’t come this way.”
Sniffling, Sam looked over his shoulder at the guard and Chad. “No, no, he’s not.”
Josh craned his head to take another look. The man was sprinting across the play area toward several other guards gathered along the fence toward the back of the property. They were gesturing toward the side of town the kids had entered the day before.
“Everyone please come inside now,” Mabelynn said over the loudspeakers set above the door and in some of the trees. “Stop what you’re doing and enter the building in an orderly fashion.”
Several adults ran out of the building, scanning the play area for their children. The parents already outside snatched up their kids and rushed for the doors. There was instantly a jam at the entrance.
Troy’s dark eyes scanned the area. “This is bad. Something’s up.”
“Josh, does the phone say anything?” Corina asked. “Is there an update about zombies coming this way, or something?”
Josh activated the screen again. The previous message remained on top. “No. Nothing.”
In the distance came the sharp popping sounds of gunfire.
“Maybe more infected people are trying to run the barricades,” Danny suggested.
Josh watched the guards inside the fence line rush toward one segment of the perimeter. “No, I don’t think so.”
There was a mob of people jostling to get through the entrance into the building. Panic was starting to set in, and small children were crying.
“It’s zombies,” Josh said, his voice hitching with excitement and fear. “I’m sure of it.”
“This is just like the school,” Corina agreed.
“Let’s hurry, guys,” Sam said, starting toward the door. “Before they get here!”
“It’s time to decide what we’re going to do,” Josh said, his gaze sweeping over the frightened faces of his friends.
“Josh, there are zombies coming!” Sam exclaimed.
“This is our chance to escape. We need to go now while the zombies have the guards distracted,” Josh insisted.
The fear and hesitation on the faces of his friends worried him. Maybe they were going to back out of going. If they did, would he dare to go alone?
The crack of a rifle made them all jump.
“Guys, you can’t go now. There’s zombies!” Sam protested.
Observing the mad scramble to enter the building, Josh said, “We’ve dealt with zombies before.”
Troy regarded Josh with dark eyes widened by fright. “Josh, do you think we can really make it?”
“Yeah, I do. We survived the school, the school bus crash, and hiding in the treehouse.”
“Not me and Dulce,” Danny reminded him.
“I know, but we all survived what happened at the truck stop, and we came all this way on our own yesterday. I know we can do this. I know it!” Josh heard the desperation in his voice, but also his confidence.
“How will we defend ourselves?” Danny asked.
“I have the gun,” Corina said softly.
“You have the gun? You said you threw it away!” Sam stared at her in shock. “Why do you keep lying to me?”
“Sam, you talk without thinking. I didn’t want the adults to take it away,” Corina replied.
“But… but… I’m a Zombie Hunter. I’m on your side,” Sam said, obviously hurt.
“We have the gun. We have a map. We just need a car,” Troy decided.
If Troy was on his side, Josh knew the others would most likely come too. “You’re okay with going now?”
“Yeah. I got you, bro,” Troy answered, smiling nervously.
“I’m scared of the zombies, but I want to see my family again,” Danny said. “Let’s do this.”
“Yes. Go now.” Dulce pointed to where the guards were standing with their weapons raised away from the Zombie Hunters. “No one looking at us.”
Another rifle shot echoed in the morning air.
“But Chad is going to kill me,” Sam wailed. “You can’t go! I need you!”
Corina grabbed Sam by the shoulders and stared into his swollen, teary eyes. “Sam, go inside. You’ll be safe with the adults. We’ll see you when this is over.”
“No, you won’t! Because Chad is going to kill me. No one will believe me. No one ever believes me. You didn’t even believe I would keep our secrets! I’m coming with you.”
“Sam, your dad is here,” Josh argued. “Stay with him.”
“No. I’m going with you.” Sam pushed past him and jogged toward the portion of the fence that faced in the opposite dire
ction of whatever was invading the town.
“Kids! Get inside!” a young woman shouted at them from near the doorway, waving her hand. “Hurry!”
The Zombie Hunters ignored her and followed Sam. Josh glanced over his shoulder to see the woman running after them. Her brunette ponytail bounced against her shoulders and she appeared to be holding a gun. He wasn’t afraid that she’d shoot at them, but he didn’t want her dragging one of them back either.
“Over the fence! Hurry!’ Josh ordered.
Dulce ran past Sam, collided with the chain-link fence and started to climb. Sam followed, hooking his chubby fingers over the wire. Josh jogged behind the others, keeping an eye on the woman pursuing them.
“Kids! Kids! Don’t do that! Come inside!”
Corina scaled the fence with Troy beside her. At the top, Corina let out a little cry of pain, and Josh whipped about. Grimacing, she shook her head at him. “I’m okay. Just caught my leg on the top.”
Relieved, Josh easily climbed over and landed with a thump on the asphalt other side. Danny followed Corina while Sam struggled.
The parking lot was empty except for a few cars. Dulce rushed to the nearest one and tried the door. When it failed to open, she tried the next.
Josh looked up at Sam as he started to heave his leg over the fence. “Sam, you should stay.”
“No! Chad’s going to kill me!”
Josh glanced past Sam toward the woman that was almost to them. On her face was an expression of surprise and fear. “Kids, please! Come inside! Don’t go out there!”
“Go away!” Sam shouted at her.
“Sam, your dad is here! Don’t you want to be with him?” Josh couldn’t wrap his mind around Sam willingly leaving his dad when he’d do anything to get to his.
“My dad won’t believe me.” Sam finally cleared the top and started to climb down.
The woman reached the fence and stared at the kids on the other side in horror. “What are you doing? Get inside! You shouldn’t be outside the fence!”
Sam dropped to the ground, wobbled, and landed on his butt.
“Sam, go back inside,” Josh said one more time.
“No!” Sam got to his feet and ran after the other kids who were attempting to get into one of the cars.
Movement on the other side of the complex drew Josh’s attention. “Lady, you better get inside.”
She spun about and gasped.
Zombies had reached the fence on the other side of the complex.
Josh didn’t wait to see what she did. Instead, he ran toward his friends.
“Forget the cars! We gotta run!”
So they did.
Chapter 18
Josh and his friends sprinted across the Rec Center parking lot. Taking the lead, Josh led the group away from the front of the building and down a side street lined with small houses with boarded up windows.
“I can see the zombies!” Sam cried out.
Troy glanced back. “They’re on the other side of the Rec Center. Just run!”
Earlier, Josh had made a point to peer down every street Daisy drove past, so he had a rough layout of the town in his mind. It was to their advantage that it wasn’t very big.
“Where are we going?” Corina matched his pace, the tote bag banging against her side.
“One block more, then we turn left,” Josh replied. “There’s a street with a lot of overgrown yards that will give us cover.”
“Are we looking for a car?” Troy ran slightly behind Josh. He was younger and smaller than everyone else, but fast.
“Looking for a car in town won’t help us,” Josh answered. “That lady back there is going to tell everyone we took off. They’re going to be looking for us. We won’t make it out of town if we try to find a car.”
“Yeah, dude, the last thing we need is a car chase,” Danny agreed. “Plus we’d have to ram the barricade and probably ruin the car.”
“So how are we leaving?” Troy asked.
“There are fields all around the town. We just have to reach one and use it for cover while we head to the nearest evacuation route,” Josh answered.
“Are we going to run all the way to San Angelo?” Sam was wheezing, but maintaining a steady pace slightly behind the other kids.
Josh shook his head. “No, we’ll find a car outside of town. I’m sure of it.”
There’d been so many cars on the road into town, Josh was confident they’d find one in the opposite direction. Hopefully with the keys still in the ignition. Of course, they might have to deal with zombies. They’d have to arm themselves soon. They couldn’t leave the defense of the group only to Corina.
The steady pop of gunfire echoed through the morning.
“So... we’re on the run again. I’m sensing a pattern,” Troy said with grim sarcasm.
“This time we’re choosing to be on the run,” Corina reminded him. “This is our choice.”
“I can see the guards shooting the zombies,” Sam grunted. “We need to find guns!”
Dulce darted ahead of them and picked up an old election sign out of yard. She pulled the sign off, and tested the strength of the wood stake. “This is good.” Rejoining the group, she flicked the dirt off the pointed end.
The steady pounding of their feet against the street and their labored breaths were again muffled by the sound of gunfire.
“Josh, what if the zombies come after us?” Sam gasped. “Maybe they can see us.”
“They want those guards,” Troy assured him. “They’ll keep them distracted.”
The last thing Josh needed was someone in their group pulling the zombies’ attention to them. “Sam, if you see zombies, don’t freak out, or yell. Just let me know there are zombies around so I can come up with a plan. We need to keep it together no matter what.”
“Josh, I’m not going to yell.” Sam sounded insulted. “I killed a zombie, you know.”
“Yeah, we know. You won’t let us forget.” Troy rolled his eyes.
It was time for Josh to take charge. “Dulce, Danny, watch behind us. Troy and Corina watch the sides. Sam, watch the front area with me. If you see zombies, or people maybe looking for us, let me know.”
If anyone was watching from the houses the Zombie Hunters ran past, the inhabitants evidently decided to leave the kids to their fate. No one stepped out of the front doors to offer shelter.
The slap of Josh’s shoes against the surface of the road was a comforting sound. He was finally moving forward again. Though their stay with Daisy had been nice, he wanted to get to his dad more than ever. It was evident that the town of Pious was not ready to deal with the zombie apocalypse.
“Chad just jumped the fence,” Danny announced.
“What?” Corina gasped.
“Run faster!” Dulce ordered. “Stupid is coming.”
“He ran past that lady, and got over the fence,” Danny answered. “That dude does not give up.”
“He’s coming to kill me!”
“Sam, quiet voice, remember?” Corina smacked his arm.
Josh dared to look over his shoulder as he fled. The scrawny figure sprinting at full speed toward them was definitely Chad. His long, skinny legs carried him rapidly in their direction. Behind the fence, the female guard was yelling.
“Hurry! He’s gaining on us,” Corina gasped.
“Corner! Left! Now!” Josh ordered.
They cut across a lawn of dry grass to the intersecting street. It was just as empty of people and zombies as the previous one. The sun was higher in the sky, and the asphalt was beginning to heat up. Josh wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced back at his friends. They were all running at a swift pace, but Sam was starting to fall behind. And, to Josh’s surprise, so was Corina.
“Hurry up,” he ordered. “Chad is coming.”
“My muscles all hurt,” Sam wailed.
“You’re not used to using them. I saw you sitting on the bench at gym class all the time.” Troy jogged back to run alongside Sam. “Just
breathe like this when you run. Pump your arms. Don’t drag your feet.”
As Troy helped Sam, Corina stumbled. The hole in her jeans, where the barbed wire had torn the fabric, showed that one of her stitches had popped, and the wound was oozing blood. Josh hesitated, waiting for Corina. Once she caught up, he stayed by her side, matching her pace. The other kids reduced their speed to keep together in a pack, but continued to run along the side of the road in the shade cast by trees, fences, and houses. Loose pebbles, dead twigs, and broken glass slowed them down even more.
“We should hide from Chad,” Troy said.
“Where, dude?” Danny swept his arms out.
Wood fences lined both sides of the street, and there weren’t any cars or other objects to hide behind.
“The dumb boy is still coming,” Dulce said, pointing.
Josh looked up to see Chad rounding the corner.
“Why is he following us?” Danny asked. “I don’t get it!”
“To kill me! He said so!” Sam exclaimed, forgetting to keep his voice down.
“Hurry! Get across the next street. There’s an alley behind the stores,” Josh ordered.
“You have to shoot him, Corina,” Sam said, breathing heavily.
“No, she won’t,” Josh said firmly. “All of you, run faster!”
Holding onto Corina’s arm, Josh tugged her forward. His friends followed his lead, pushing themselves into a sprint. Even Sam pumped his arms and legs harder. The kids reached the corner of the next intersection and plunged onward in the direction of a row of businesses Josh directed them toward. As Josh ran from one corner to the next, he glimpsed movement out of the corner of his eye. A quick glance told him all he needed to know.
“We need to move faster,” Josh urged. “We got zombies coming our way.”
Chapter 19
At the word zombies, his friends panicked, tossing scared looks over their shoulders.
“Don’t look. Just run,” Josh instructed.
To Josh’s relief, everyone cleared the intersection and dashed out of the sight of the zombies. The overgrown shrubs lining the edge of the property gave the kids cover. Unfortunately, they were still in trouble, since Chad was still pursuing them. Josh had anticipated the possibility of encountering zombies, but not dealing with Chad. Seeing the bloody figures streaming out from behind one of the houses up the road was terrifying enough. Having Chad in the mix only made things deadlier. He’d already put all their lives at risk more than once.
The Living Dead Boy (Book 3): Journey Across Zombie Texas Page 11