She knew she had to leave, remembering seeing keys dangling from the ignition of one of the trucks. She would soon be on her way once the zombies moved on. Her thoughts suddenly shifted to Marion, Mario, something. She had forgotten Mariano’s name. She wondered where he was and if he was safe. The moon appeared from behind the clouds. It really was a beautiful night she thought until gunshots rang out in the distance. She ran to the west edge of the roof listening to the battle. The sky lit up. The sound of the explosion took a moment to reach her but she knew it came from the Center. She began to cry.
***
Mariano hid in the rear of a city bus, waiting for them to pass. With any luck it had fuel and would start. Activity outside dwindled enough allowing Mariano to move. He walked to the front of the bus and sat down in the driver’s seat. He found the master switch located on a panel to his left and switched it to day-run. Nothing happened. He pushed the front doors open and exited walking to the rear. He found the battery box along with an ON/OFF lever. He pulled the lever to ON. Buzzers sounded and airlines began their cycle. He quickly walked back to the front and pulled the doors closed. In the shadows they move towards the sounds of the bus. The buzzer finally ceased. Mariano pushed the starter button. The Cummings Diesel roared to life.
Mariano released the parking brake, inching the bus forward. He found the headlights turning them on illuminating the roadway along with multiple zombies. He accelerated easily plowing through the undead. A runner kept pace with the side of the bus. Mariano guided the zombie into a parked car. He chuckled. The bus rounded the corner onto Cypress Avenue and headed for old downtown and Dayton’s group home. He was on the Sacramento River Bridge when the sky lit up to the north. He heard the explosion a short moment later. He thought of those at the Convention Center but continued his quest to find his friend.
Thirty-Three
Ty’s Jeep led the way through the streets. They spied only a few zombies here and there after the big explosion on the north side of the city. Sugar sat in the front as always. Ty felt at ease with her nearby and periodically placed his right hand on her rump and patted her gently. Jess followed in his truck with Tom Hanks riding shotgun. On streets, sidewalks, and in yards the carnage was gruesome. Bodies were, by every sense of the word, eviscerated.
Some zombies paid the small caravan no attention and continued to consume their victims. Ty was surprised by the few that sprinted after his Jeep. The Runners continued to catch him off guard. He couldn’t waste ammunition so he simply sped away. At one point, he allowed a runner near his Jeep. He swore he recognized the guy but changed his mind when it reached out for the roll bar. Ty accelerated leaving the zombie for the front fender of Jess’s truck. Ty kept a close eye on his rearview mirror watching Jess. The two-way radios came in handy offering a little comic relief. Ty estimated they would arrive at the Bixter building within ten minutes.
***
“Get in the truck Rick, we’ll deal with that thieving bitch in a minute.” Sammy yelled.
Rick watched Sammy get back into the Ford. He hesitated, looking for Katie. She had disappeared into the shadows. Streetlights flickered a few blocks away and Rick could see figures moving in his direction. He considered shining his flashlight around but thought better of it when Sammy yelled for him again.
“Shit. I told you I would help you.” Rick spoke loud enough for Katie to hear. He walked to the passenger side of the truck.
“What now?” Rick asked as he jumped in.
Sammy placed the truck in drive. Rick continued watching the shadows for Katie. The headlights were off allowing Sammy a stealth approach to the intersection. Rick turned to say something but stopped seeing the devilish smile on Sammy’s face. A chill ran up his spine.
Katie watched from the shadows. She looked down the street to the functioning streetlights as one flickered. She figured she had about five minutes until the zombies found her. She struggled with the folding stock of the shotgun. Her frustration mounted when an eerie red hue from brake lights flooded her hiding spot. She looked around realizing she had no time. She counted six zombies within twenty feet of her position. In the background she heard vehicles approaching. With the snub nose held out, she moved quickly to the rear of Sammy’s truck, passing a few zombies within arms reach.
***
Ty slowed down, seeing abandoned vehicles, personal belongings, and dead bodies, lining the streets. The neighborhood had been densely populated. The in-dash radio played the usual serenade of static. Sugar sat by his side continuously sniffing the air. She growled from time to time, as a runner got too close.
Ty watched the sidewalks closely looking for groups of zombies. The single zombie didn’t concern him much; packs on the other hand worried him greatly. Ahead a four-way intersection waited. Ty checked his mirror as Jess followed closely.
“We’re about five minutes out.” Ty said over the radio.
“Copy that rubber ducky.” Jess said looking over with a goofy smile on his face. Tom missed Jess’s attempt at humor instead looking into the darkness of the dead city.
Smart-ass. Ty thought. Sugar popped up in her seat looking across the dash. Her ears pulled back a little and she suddenly growled deeply.
“What is it, girl?” Ty asked peering in the same direction.
Ty couldn’t see past the dark building. He reached down and retrieved his spotlight. Seeing nothing, he turned the spotlight off and proceeded towards the intersection.
***
Katie followed along the rear bumper of the Ford as it began to inch along slowly. She could hear slow approaching vehicles from the south. With each step zombies moved closer to her. She wondered if the rednecks had any idea how many zombies they had attracted. She had to make a choice fast. Start shooting and draw the rednecks out of their truck or run? Out of the corner of her eye she saw light shining through several windows of a building she had used for cover only moments ago. The zombies continued towards her.
Sammy, without looking at Rick, told him they were going to stop the vehicles traveling in their direction, rob them and take any females. Rick stared straight ahead. He made up his mind. He couldn’t let his best friend become a monster. Everything he had known in the past about his best friend was just that, in the past. Sammy was insane, mad, and worse he was capable of horrendous acts. Rick had witnessed glimpses of Sammy’s deteriorating views of the world, but he never thought in a million years an infection would come along and wipe out the world leaving somebody like Sammy alive.
The truck moved along slowly. Rick thought of Katie hoping she found safety in the shadows.
***
Ty approached the intersection. Bright lights pierced the darkness from his left and blinded him momentarily. Sugar barked. Ty hesitated, he didn’t know if he should punch the gas or stop. It didn’t matter. The bright lights charged forward.
“SHIT, We have company!” Ty yelled over the radio pulling his .357 up from his lap.
“Duck, Tom. If the shit hits the fan, get the fuck out of here.” Jess pulled out one of his .40 cals and placed it on the seat next to him. The lights shining from up ahead revealed multiple zombies in the immediate area.
“We have more company, punch it and let’s get the hell out of here.” Jess yelled into the radio. Tom sank to the floorboard wondering if this was it.
Ty punched the gas and tried to swerve away from the big truck. He could hear the large engine screaming as it closed the gap quickly. The front of the truck caved in the side of the Jeep. The impact turned the Jeep on its side and it slid thirty feet from the truck coming to rest against the curb. Sugar was thrown from the Jeep but landed on soft grass. Ty remained trapped in his seat. His seatbelt functioned properly but blood seeped from a gash to his head. He was dizzy but already trying to maneuver his way out of the belt. He spotted his gun fifteen feet away. In the back of his mind he thought zombies had learned to drive.
***
Katie stood in the darkened street. She hesitated a
moment too long, and now her cover had driven away. She held her pistol at the ready while her mind raced. They closed in around her. She lowered the gun and ran. They grabbed at her but missed. One found the stock of the shotgun but lost its grip. The rednecks and their new friends were within fifty feet now and the coast was clear, although she was leading a large group of zombies right to them. She heard fast approaching steps from behind.
“Stay here.” Jess shouted to Tom as he ran from the old truck.
Jess could see Ty struggling with the seatbelt. From the other side of the big Ford he saw movement. He stopped in a shadow raising his .40 cal. The passenger door of the Ford opened and a tall man exited with a shotgun. Jess sighted him.
Shots rang out. Rick turned quickly and peered into the darkness. He knew it was Katie and she was in trouble. He removed a flashlight from the front seat of the truck and shined it down the street. He saw Katie’s back to him. She fired a third shot then turned to run in his direction. On the other side of the truck, Sammy stopped to watch. This is going to be a good night. Not only was the bitch back, he was gong to kill the driver of the Jeep and take whatever he wanted from the poor bastard. Sammy smiled as he walked towards the Jeep. He un-holstered his .45 and pulled the slide back.
Sugar darted out from the shadows and latched onto Sammy’s right arm. He screamed as she growled and twisted her head violently. The .45 fell to the pavement. In the Jeep, Ty finally freed himself. He heard the cries coming from the other side of the truck. He wondered where the shots had come from then his mind stopped. He knew he was in serious trouble. He scrambled to retrieve his revolver from the ground. He screamed like a girl when Jess grabbed him from behind.
On the other side of the truck, Sammy fought with Sugar, finally freeing his arm. He kicked at her landing one good blow. It was enough to send her running back into the shadows. He picked up the .45 and walked slowly around the wrecked Jeep. Blood ran down his arm from the bite. The driver was gone and the damn dog was still nearby. He stopped at the back of the Jeep, watching the shadows. He could hear them, many of them. He ignored the sound and walked on.
Katie turned running for the truck after her third shot. She killed one runner but there were more coming. Katie couldn’t see Rick’s silhouetted face. She stopped and raised her gun.
“Don’t shoot. I’m here to help.” Rick said ducking.
“Fuck. You don’t give up do you?” Katie said rudely as she sprinted by.
“Please stop, Sammy’s gone fucking ballistic!” Rick yelled.
Katie stopped. The redneck made a good point. His buddy was psycho. She had a choice, either zombie’s all of whom wanted nothing more than to eat her, or the sadistic fucking redneck that wanted to enslave her. Rick caught up to her quickly.
“Look. I know we got off on the wrong foot. I never wanted to hurt you. I don’t know what’s happening to my friend. I think this whole situation has snapped his mind. My name’s Rick.” Rick stood there in childish innocence with his hand held out.
“Goddamn it. Why the fuck did I end up here?” Katie said angrily. She reluctantly grasped his hand and shook it slightly. His large hand engulfed hers and she suddenly felt flush. The growls and moans of the undead brought them back to reality.
Sugar made her way around in the dark, easily avoiding the walking corpses. She spotted Ty and Jess and ran to their sides. Jess had pulled Ty back to his blacked out truck and told him to get in. Tom was still curled up on the floorboard when he heard Jess and Ty return to the truck. He felt a sudden rush of relief until the passenger door opened.
“Help me!” Tom screamed out.
Jess took aim through the open cab of the truck with his .40 cal and shot the zombie in the head. Tom pulled himself up and looked around for more zombies. They were everywhere.
“Were you bit?” Jess yelled out. Tom didn’t answer as he fired three shots dropping one zombie. Jess looked at Ty then back towards Tom.
“WERE YOU BIT?” Jess yelled out. Tom’s back was still to them.
“NO, goddamn it.” Tom yelled.
“Dude, just asking.” Jess was enjoying the situation a little too much.
“Sugar. Up.” Ty commanded his faithful dog. She jumped into the bed of the truck with ease.
“We have to get out of here before the idiot in the truck finds us. Ty said urging Jess into the truck.
“Fuck that, we’re going to kill those motherfuckers.” Jess knelt down and sighted another zombie.
“Dude, we have to go. They’re everywhere.” Ty paused, remembering his work keys were still in his Jeep.
“Shit, my keys.” Ty said pointing towards the Jeep.
Jess squeezed off a couple of shots and looked at Ty.
“Tom, keep a sharp eye. We have to go back to the Jeep.” Jess said. Tom was again sitting in the passenger seat with the door locked.
“Hurry. I think there’s more coming.” Tom said nervously as he reloaded his pistol.
Ty and Jess began to maneuver carefully back to the Jeep.
***
Sammy fired, not at them but at the many undead attracted by all the activity. He tried to ignore their approach but finally had to start defending his position. He knew the surrounding apartment buildings would become his final resting place if he waited any longer. At the rear of the Ford, Katie and Rick shot at Runners. They continued to shoot as Rick led them to the front of the truck for more weapons and ammo. Katie emptied her pistol and struggled with the folding stock on the shotgun again. Rick snatched it out of her hand, flipped the stock out easily locking it in place. He racked the first shell into the firing chamber and handed it back to her.
“Careful, it kicks harder than you.” He said with a smile.
She swung the shotgun around placing the butt firmly against her shoulder and fired. It felt good.
Sammy ran back to the Ford, stopping at the sight before him. Rick stared at his friend through the open cab. “You made your choice you fucking traitor. Fight to your death, but I won’t be there to help you.” Sammy removed the keys from the ignition, and grabbed more clips for his pistol before moving back into the shadows. Rick couldn’t believe what he heard. He couldn’t believe his friend would abandon him in Hell.
Shots rang out all over. Zombies dropped lifelessly. Ty and Jess made it back to the Jeep, firing as they moved, only to find Sammy waiting for them with his .45 raised.
“I’ll need your guns, ammo.” Sammy’s gaze was unwavering.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Jess yelled out. Ty reached over and grabbed him by the arm.
“Quiet Jess. Let him talk. He needs our help just as much as we need his.” Ty explained in a calm voice.
“I don’t need your help, I just need your weapons and ammo.” Sammy was playing it cool even though the bite wound he received from Sugar was bleeding heavily and it hurt like hell.
“We don’t have time for this. You can come with us if you want.” Ty stated loudly as he grabbed his duffle bag.
Sammy raised his gun. Ty and Jess froze.
“Fuck dude, what is your problem? They’re everywhere. We need to get out of here.” Jess pleaded.
“You two have wasted enough time, now give me that bag and your weapons.” Sammy said in a cold calculating voice.
“Man I can’t believe this guy.” Jess said to Ty.
“Hand him your gun Jess.” Ty said dropping the duffle bag off his shoulder.
“What?” Jess asked surprised.
***
Katie looked up at Rick. “Can you hold them off of me for about two minutes?” She asked.
“Uh…sure, no prob. Why?” Rick asked as he reloaded her shotgun.
“I’m getting us out of here.” Katie said, jumping into the cab of the truck. She pulled several wires out from under the dash and began cutting them. Rick kept watch at the passenger side door and fired at approaching zombies. He couldn’t see where Sammy was and he hadn’t seen the guy from the Jeep. He feared the worst for him.
He fired the last shot from his pistol then swung the shotgun up. He looked to see what Katie was doing. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw she was hotwiring Sammy’s truck. He smiled and returned to his zombie-killing spree. Katie stripped wires with her teeth and twisted them together. It had been a long time since she last hotwired a car, but in some respect it was like riding a bike. She twisted one last group of bare wires together and jumped back when they sparked.
“Bingo.” She said aloud finding the wires she needed.
The big Ford F-350 roared to life. Katie sat up behind the wheel and found the headlight switch. They shined upon Sammy and his new friends. Sammy felt the keys in his front pocket.
“FUCK!” Sammy yelled out. He turned and aimed at the windshield of his truck. The impact knocked him forward a few steps. He stumbled then regained his footing. He turned. His eyes focused briefly on the man with the goatee and the smoking pistol.
Sammy sank to his knees. Blood dripped from the exit wound in his chest. It was warm. He didn’t have the strength to raise his weapon up and return fire. His mind raced. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He was supposed to survive the Apocalypse. He was supposed to become the new leader of a new society. He was supposed to be wearing his bulletproof vest. Why is this happening? The noise around him confused him. He could hear people talking and walking. He could feel his gun being pulled from his hand. His finger clinched on the trigger. The .45 fired, echoing through every one of his senses. It rang through his ears and he could taste the smoke from the spent shell. The muzzle flash hurt his eyes. His head slumped forward and he looked at the ground. It was red and he was cold. His began to see stars. His last thoughts were of his dreams of the future. There was light, then nothing.
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