Massacre at Lonesome Ridge: A Zombie Western

by Samantha Warren

  She waited in the bush until the only sounds she could hear were the grunting and groaning of those trying to free the wheel, then she left her hiding spot and crept up to the carriage. Walton was on the other side giving direction to the others in his monotonous, dull tone. She always hated that voice. It grated on her nerves and she resisted the urge to attack him. As she rounded one wheel, one of the men trying to free the carriage caught her eye. She tensed and waited for him to call her out, but he just turned away as if she didn't exist and went back to trying to lift the carriage.

  She padded up to the other door and pulled it open a crack. A blond woman sat inside, peering out the opposite window at the men working. Every now and then, she called out alternating threats and encouragement, but she refused to get out of the carriage to lighten the load or help.

  Summer Rain's nose curled. What was a white woman doing with Walton? And where was Little Bear? Perplexed, she sneaked back to the hill and hunkered down to wait and watch.

  The others returned and still more fussed with the wagon. They finally jerked the wheel free, but in the process, a piece of it broke, rendering it useless. The harsh shouts of the angry woman echoed off the hills and rolled over the men and women. And then the woman exited the carriage. She stormed away from the scene and left Walton and the others to fix it.

  Summer Rain hesitated only a moment before following the woman into the woods. It was a stroke of luck she had not expected and she acted solely on instinct. She waited until they were truly alone before she stepped out from behind a tree.

  The woman jumped back a step when she saw Summer Rain standing before her, but she recovered quickly and straightened her shoulders. When she spoke, her voice was hard and accusatory. She spoke quickly and it took Summer Rain several seconds to translate the words into her own language.

  “Who are you? What do you want?”

  Summer Rain took a step forward. The woman stood her ground. "Little Bear?" Summer Rain's voice was rough and gravelly. She was unused to speaking and it was uncomfortable to make her mouth form the white man's words.

  The other woman laughed. "Little Bear?" She said a lot that Summer Rain could not understand, but there was one word she caught. Dead. The look of triumph on the other woman's face confirmed it.

  A sudden and unexpected fury boiled up in Summer Rain's chest. It overwhelmed the sadness that tried to grow and blocked out any other thoughts. With a blood-curdling howl, Summer Rain threw herself at the woman. Her hands were out and her fingers were curved like talons. She tackled the woman to the ground, hissing and spitting like a cat in pain.

  For a stunned moment, the other woman lay there taking the brunt of Summer Rain's attack, then she lifted a foot and kicked the dark-haired woman in the gut. The kick was powerful and sent Summer Rain flying into a tree. Her back cracked against the trunk and she grunted as she sank to her knees.

  But she refused to stay down long and pushed herself back to her feet. The woman was coming at her and she barely had time to get her hands up. They ripped at each other with hands and teeth, snarling and growling. It was an evenly matched battle and while they both took a lot of damage, they gave as good as they got.

  "Stop! Summer Rain, stop!" Walton broke through the trees, shouting at them both. It was the most passionate Summer Rain had ever heard him be. She shoved the woman back away from her and stood panting, but ready to go again if the woman tried to attack her.

  She watched as Walton talked to the other woman. Then he approached her.

  "Summer Rain," he said. "This is Charity. Little Bear turned her after you left. She is our new queen."

  Summer Rain bristled again at the thought of Little Bear having a queen besides her. She hissed at the woman, but Walton continued. "She is like you. She is smart and strong. She wants to build a... What is it called?"

  "An empire." The other woman took a step toward them as she eyed Summer Rain.

  "An empire?" Summer Rain tested the odd word and then repeated it again in her own language when Walton explained.

  "She no longer wants to hide?" Summer Rain asked Walton.

  He shook his head. "She wants to build an army, to take over the West. She wants to be feared, to make men cower before her."

  Summer Rain pressed her lips together. "Little Bear?"

  Walton hesitated. "He is dead. He did not want it."

  The anger threatened again, but Summer Rain forced it down. She had wanted him dead, after all. She had wanted to do it herself, but it was too late to change that.

  "Where are you going?"

  "Lonesome Ridge," he said as he waved a hand in the direction of the town she had just come from.

  Summer Rain bit back a smile. What would they find there, she wondered. A town full of the dead? Or the undead?

  Charity took another step, bringing her within arms' reach of Summer Rain. "Come with us," she said. "Join us."

  Summer Rain glared at her, but her mind was made up. She nodded once and walked to the carriage.

  Chapter 26

  Jeremiah sagged in his saddle as the horses plodded along in the dark. His entire body ached and all he wanted to do was sleep, but every time he asked to stop, Jed went into a rant.

  "Hell no. You told that damn sheriff we'd be far outta town and never come back, so we're gonna keep ridin' til the horses drop."

  Jeremiah leaned against the saddle horn and groaned. "What good'll it do us if the horses die? Com'on, Jed. Just a few minutes. There's a stream right over there." He flopped his hand in the direction of a bubbling brook just off the road.

  "That damn Jasper. Ungrateful little shit. After all I did for him..." Jed continued to grumble under his breath, but he yanked on the reins and pulled the horse off the dirt path. He stopped Saddle next to the stream and jumped off. The exhausted creature immediately sank his head into the water up to his eyeballs and took a long, loud drink.

  Jeremiah steered his own horse over to the stream and dropped the reins. It dipped its nose into the cold water and slurped. Jeremiah took a deep breath and focused on breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth. His stomach roiled and screamed, threatening to spill its contents onto the horse. With clenched teeth, he leaned heavily on the saddle horn and dragged his left leg over the back of the beast until it flopped off. He dangled there for a moment before he let go. His knees gave out as he hit the ground and he collapsed into a heap.

  Jed spared him a glance. His lips were pressed tight and his eyes were narrowed. "Maybe I shoulda left you behind, too."

  Jeremiah didn't bother to remind him that Jed had only left because of him. Instead, he used what little energy that remained to drag himself over to a tree. He propped his back up against it and slouched down. His body still screamed at him, but at least he no longer had to make himself to stay upright.

  "I'm just gonna rest for a bit," he mumbled just loud enough for Jed to hear. "I just need to rest. Then I'll be all right." He almost believed the lie. Almost.

  "Yeah, yeah, all right. Fine." Jed dug through his pack and found some dried deer jerky wrapped in brown paper. Jeremiah watched him through half-closed eyes as he walked up the stream. Jed kept tossing furtive glances at him. Despite his insistence that he didn't believe a word of what the sheriff said, Jed was suspicious and concerned. He didn't trust Jeremiah anymore. There was no doubt about it. The entire ride he had kept several paces in front of his younger brother. He would barely look at him.

  Jeremiah decided he didn't care anymore and leaned his head back against the tree. He pulled his hat down over his eyes and let them fall all the way shut. He listened to his own breathing as it grew soft and slow, and slower. And slower.

  ****

  Jed wandered up the stream away from Jeremiah. He purposefully kept the younger man at his back and did his best to not keep looking around at him. The woman on the road was crazy, sure, but the sheriff's story was even crazier. The dead rising to attack the living? Hogwash. Jed stuffed another piece of je
rky in his mouth and chewed it loudly.

  "Freakin' Jasper," he mumbled. The distraction worked. The fear that was growing in his gut was beaten back by the anger that flooded through his veins. He'd done everything for that damn boy. Everything. Ever since Ma and Pa Gaines got sick, Jed had been the one to keep the family going. He was the one who had to bury Ma. He was the one who had to put Pa out of his misery when he was left alone without the woman he loved. He was the one who fed and clothed the other two. He was the one who risked his life going after stage coaches and trains when they were boys so that they didn't starve to death. And how did Jasper repay him?

  "Damn kid," he grumbled again and kicked a stone into the water. It plunked loudly and the horses snorted behind him. He stopped walking and sat on the edge of the stream. He cupped his hand and dipped it into the water. It was cool on such a warm evening. He pulled his hand out and slurped at the refreshing liquid. Some dribbled down his chin and neck, leaving tracks in the dust on his face.

  He glanced back at his brother. Jeremiah was sleeping beneath the tree. Or so he hoped. There was no movement that Jed could see, not from that distance. The oldest Gaines brother bit his lip. He was half-tempted to go wake his brother up, just to make sure he wasn't dead, but instead he pulled his boots off. He tossed them to the bank and stripped off the rest of his dirty clothes before submerging himself into the fast moving water. The horses raised their heads and glared at him for polluting their drink, but he didn't care. He squatted so that the water came up to his shoulders and let it wash the grime and irritation away.

  He glanced at Jeremiah again. Still no movement. Jed dipped his head into the water and scrubbed it hard with his fingers. He couldn't remember the last time he'd given himself a real good cleaning.

  "Yeah, I do remember," he muttered to himself with half a smile. "That whore house in Abilene six years ago with Bobby Blake and Jimmy Two Fingers." Jed snorted a laugh. The smile faded from his lips. Jeremiah had never been to Abilene. Jed decided that's where they would go. There were good doctors in that town, more than one. They'd sort him out and fix him up right, better than that quack Whitman ever could.

  Jed pulled himself out of the water and back onto the bank. He shook like a dog before pulling his clothes back on. Then he ran his fingers through his hair to try to rid it of some of the knots that had accumulated there.

  "A good barber, too," he muttered. Jed's face wrinkled. He'd been talking to himself a lot since they left Lonesome Ridge. It wasn't natural and he didn't like it. It made him feel crazy. There was enough crazy to go around without him adding to it.

  He pulled his boots on and stood up. Jeremiah still hadn't moved. "Well, shit," he said as he slapped his hat against his leg. With a resigned sigh, he walked slowly over to where his brother lay.

  Jed nudged Jeremiah's toe with his own. No response. He nudged a little harder. Still nothing. He hauled his foot back and kicked Jeremiah's foot so hard it made his own toe hurt.

  Jeremiah grunted. The horses snorted softly as their ears perked back.

  Jed kicked him again, gentler this time. "Get yer lazy ass up. We gotta get movin'."

  Jeremiah groaned, but didn't move to stand. Saddle and Nelly danced, only their years of training keeping them in place.

  Jed leaned over and tipped Jeremiah's hat back. The moonlight made his brother's skin look gray and his eyes look dull and mottled. He gasped and stepped back.

  "Jer?" His hand found his gun belt and rested on the handle of his pistol.

  Jeremiah tilted his head up so he could see Jed. The hat fell off to reveal a hungry stare.

  Jed stumbled back a step. His free hand shot up in front of him, palm out. "Now, Jer, don't go doin' nothin' crazy-like. Yer not one of them things. Yer fine. Yer just sick s'all."

  His brother groaned and struggled clumsily to his feet. The horses bolted, leaving their owners far behind as their terrified whinnies echoed through the still air.

  Jed took another step back. "Jeremiah, now you stop this bullshit. I already lost that rat bastard Jasper. I ain't losin' you, too, ya hear? There ain't nothin' wrong with ya. Nothin'."

  Even as he spoke, he pulled his gun from its holster and cocked the hammer back. He could hear the horses crashing through the trees. They were long gone and he had no other means of escape.

  Jeremiah took a step toward his brother and snarled. Jed tried to backpedal again, but his heel caught on a rock and he fell over. He landed hard on his backside with a loud whoof as the air left his chest. As he went down, Jeremiah continued to move forward.

  "Don't come any closer," Jed shouted as loud as he could. Jeremiah kept advancing, slow and steady, one laborious step at a time. "You filthy bastard," Jed shouted as he leveled his gun.

  The bullet ripped through the air. It slammed into Jeremiah's pelvis and forced him back a couple steps. But it didn't bring him down as it should have. He righted himself and continued walking toward Jed.

  Jed fired again, this time aiming for his brother's shoulder. The shot hit and Jeremiah jerked hard, but it didn't stop his forward progress. The gun barked again and again, hitting Jeremiah in the stomach, the thigh, the chest. Each bullet had less of an impact and the weapon clicked with a dreadful sense of finality just as Jeremiah reached him.

  Jed threw the gun, trying to hit Jeremiah in the face, but it missed and tumbled harmlessly into the water.

  Jed scrambled backward as he pleaded with his attacker. "Jeremiah, I'm your brother. You can't do this to me. I took care of you."

  Jeremiah stopped in front of him. The dull, slack face lit up into a smile. "No, you didn't." Then he lunged. He grabbed Jed by the neck and smashed his head into a big rock. Blood sprayed out across the ground as his older brother collapsed beneath him. Jeremiah fell to his knees and sank his teeth into Jedidiah's throat.

  He ate until he could eat no more, then he sank back onto the ground. The small battle had worn him out. His body ached, he could feel it still changing, but the food had helped. He felt renewed, more alive than he had ever felt before. He lay there for awhile next to the cooling body of his oldest brother, his biggest enemy. He rolled his head to the side to look at Jed's frozen, startled face.

  "That was for Jasper," he said. "And Ma and Pa."

  Then he pushed himself to his feet and walked into the stream to wash the blood off. When he decided he was clean enough, he tried to follow the horses, but every time he got anywhere near them, they would spook and run.

  Resigning himself to his fate, he walked back out to the road. He didn't know where to go. He was a monster, he knew that. He couldn't go back to town, he couldn't go to any town. He would be killed on sight. He decided to head back to the home he grew up in until he could figure out what to do. He kept to the trees, just in case he ran upon any travelers.

  The path he was on met the road to Lonesome Ridge further down. As he neared the fork in the road, he heard the muffled sound of numerous footsteps. He ducked down behind a big rock and watched the large group as it shambled along. It didn't take long for him to realize what he was seeing. There were so many of them, all people like him. The undead. If he had any blood left in his veins, it would have frozen. They were shuffling along in the dark, over a hundred of them. All heading for Lonesome Ridge. For Jasper.

  Jeremiah clenched his teeth. He had to do something. He couldn't let them hurt his little brother. He stayed where he was and watched them pass. A carriage rolled by, pulled by a dozen men. He could see a women and a man through the window. A plan formed in his mind. Their leader had to be in there. He would talk to them, try to steer them away. There were other towns they could hit, other places they could find food. He rose from his hiding spot and strode down the hill.

  Chapter 27

  "Okay, boys, listen up!" Cora Monroe stood on the porch of the saloon with the most popular whores assembled in a semicircle behind her. They were all dressed in their finest, most revealing outfits and had their hair and makeup done up. The large crowd
that had gathered to hear her speak was made up of mostly men and they shushed each other into silence. The sun was rising up over the saloon, turning the sky behind her a bright, bloody pink.

  Jasper stood next to Connor near the back of the group. "You think the warning about red skies in the morning apply to dead folk rising up, too?"

  The sheriff gave the young man a sideways glance. "I sure hope not."

  Cora rested a hand on a cocked hip as she beamed at the crowd. "Now," she said in her most sultry voice. "Some of you fellas may have heard some rumors circlin' about, claimin' that the dead coming back to life and all that." She paused for effect and Connor smirked as the whole crowd leaned forward in anticipation. She took a big breath and placed a hand on her chest as if to steady herself. "I hate to tell you lovely folks this, but all the rumors are true."

  Murmurs rumbled through the crowd. Cora gave them a moment to rise to a swell, then she held up both hands to quiet them. "I know, I know. It sounds crazy. I'm sure some of you think I'm a total loon, but when have you ever known Sheriff McClane or Doc Whitman to lie? They are the most honest and upstanding men this town has ever seen, and I for one trust them with my life." She clapped her hands over her heart and gave them all a doe-eyed you-can-trust-me look.

  She caught Connor's eye over their heads and tossed him a wink. The sheriff shook his head as he laughed at how the men responded to her.

  "It's scary, I know," she continued. "I'm all a-shiver just thinking about it." Her forehead puckered in worry and she waved a hand in front of her face to fight back fake tears. Then she reached both hands back and clasped the hands of the women behind her. They all took her cue and began swooning and fretting. Cora turned her attention back to the crowd. "But with all you strong, able men out here, I just know you'll help protect this town from all the bad guys and keep us lovely ladies safe. Right?"