Kristie giggled like a schoolgirl and squeezed my arm. “Holy crap, did he look like Josh Duhamel! I just couldn’t bring myself to shoot the fellow.”
Paige snorted. “Well, this thing was ready to eat you for breakfast!”
Placing her hands on her hips, Kristie flashed a sardonic grin and said, “Listen, anyone who looks like Josh Duhamel can have himself a little lick, zombie or not.”
Austin threw me an incredulous look, but I couldn’t help but smile a little as I opened the front door. Even in the most stressful situations, those two managed to lighten the mood.
“Mom, that’s really disgusting,” muttered Paige, following us outside into the darkness.
“Oh, Paige, just chill the hell out,” replied Kristie. “You’re no fun.”
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could see that there weren’t any signs of Bryce or the missing children.
“Damn it, a flashlight would have been smart,” grumbled Paige.
“Fortunately, the moon’s pretty bright,” stated Austin. “Let’s stay together and keep to the center of the road.” He looked at my war hammer. “Damn, I wish I would have brought a weapon.”
“We’ll cover you,” I said.
We started moving down the middle of the street, past the cul-de-sac, calling out for the kids. I knew it greatly raised the chances of us running into a zombie or two, but it was the only way to get their attention. Besides we hadn’t seen any zombies in the neighborhood for a while.
“Goldie!” I yelled.
There was a faint bark in the distance and we all took off running in the direction of the park. When we arrived at the horrifying scene unfolding by the big slide, my heart stopped. Two zombies lay motionless near the bottom of it, and Bryce was trying to fight off a couple other very vicious ones. Not only were they quick, but surprisingly more calculating in their attacks.
Goldie was there too, whimpering. She raced toward me and I held her close. The dog was smart enough to be afraid of the crazy-looking dead humans.
“Crap,” muttered Paige as three other ones stepped out of the darkness. She raised the bat and started walking toward them.
“Wait, Paige,” I said, a shiver running down my spine. The zombies were advancing toward us slowly, but not because they were having difficulties. They seemed to be studying us, almost like they were preparing an attack.
“A little help here would be nice!” growled Bryce. The zombies he was fighting off appeared to be super-fast, it was all he could do to keep them at bay, and he was a third-degree Black Belt. The only way to kill them was to destroy their brains, and karate chops only slowed them down. “Shoot them in the head, someone… today would be great!”
“For the love of God,” gasped Kristie, who’d just caught up with us, her hands on her knees. “I’m getting too old for this hero shit.”
“It’s the cigarettes, mom,” muttered Paige. “What did you expect?”
Kristie looked at the zombies staring us down. “Well, I could really use one right now,” she said, trying to catch her breath. She turned to Paige and scowled. “It’s funny how my smokes seemed to have disappeared overnight.”
Paige didn’t say anything, she just turned away.
Bryce began hollering at us again, as the zombies he knocked down kept getting back up.
“Just give me your gun,” I said to Kristie. “I’ll take care of this.”
“Oh, sorry,” she said, straightening up. She handed it over and I rushed to the zombies circling Bryce. One of them, a severely rotted male stinking of something far worse than anything rolled up in a diaper, opened its twisted mouth and began shrieking. The other seemed to understand what I was about to do and lumbered toward me with an oddly determined look for a dead man.
I raised the gun and shot them both in the face.
“Thanks,” said Bryce as he staggered toward me and grabbed the gun out of my hands. He took a moment to catch his breath then walked over to the other zombies, who were still studying us, and raised the gun. In a sudden blur, all three zombies came to life and rushed him at once. They were so quick that by the time Bryce fired his rounds, he’d only shot one in the head. The other two ended up knocking him to the ground and his gun was now out of reach.
“Bryce!” I screamed, running toward them just as one of the zombies opened its mouth to attack. Fortunately, Bryce kicked the zombie in the skull several times before he had a chance to do much. We watched as zombie blood sprayed everywhere from the impact of his steel-toed work boots.
“Don’t let him bite you!” I shouted as he tried to keep the other one away from his face, which was scrunched up in a look of disgust.
He laughed without mirth. “Trying really hard not to, Wild! Damn it, these things just reek of shit!”
I tried to get closer but they kept rolling around in the sand. Finally when I had a good angle, I raised the war hammer and slammed it into the zombie’s head.
Bryce, who now lay totally exhausted on the ground, closed his eyes and said, “Wild, next time can you bash the zombie’s skull a little more quickly?”
As I dislodged my weapon, I looked at Bryce, who was covered in bloody visceral and bone. “What is it with you not ever saying, ‘thank you’? It’s a very simple phrase.”
He groaned then jumped to his feet. “Tell you what, I’ll give you something better,” he answered, preparing to kiss me.
I glanced at the carnage left on his shirt and smelled the stench emanating from him. Pointing to his clothing, I said, “No offense, Bryce, but I’ll settle for a hive-five this time.”
He snorted. “That was far… too close. These things are getting much harder to beat. Thank goodness Bobby and Brooke were well hidden in the jungle gym.”
A piercing scream cut through the darkness and we all jumped.
“Help!” shouted Bobby from the other side of the playground. It was dark, but I could make out two small figures on top of a large jungle gym, one being Bobby and the other I assumed to be Brooke.
Austin, who hadn’t said one word the entire time, suddenly came to life. Both guys bolted toward the structure to get to the frightened children and whatever was scaring them. When they reached the top, I heard a strangled type of mewling noise followed by some shuffling.
“Damn it!” hollered Austin, right before I heard the echo of a single gunfire shot.
“You okay?” asked Bryce from somewhere up in the top.
“Just a couple little scratches,” replied Austin as he climbed back off of the equipment. Bryce and Bobby climbed down soon after him.
“Where’s Brooke?” I asked, trying to see in the darkness.
Austin pursed his lips as he stepped closer. He touched my arm and said, “Sorry, Cassie. Brooke attacked us; she was a zombie.”
My chest felt heavy for the little girl but I could also see that Bobby was terrified and needed consolation more than anyone. I walked toward him as Bryce tried to calm the hysterical boy. “It’s okay,” I said softly, putting my arms around him.
“She…she…tried to bite me,” he cried. “I didn’t do anything to her and she tried to bite me.”
“She was very sick,” I whispered into his hair. “Brooke didn’t know what she was doing, sweetie.”
“The little girl must have gotten bit at some point,” said Bryce. “She lunged at Austin and almost ended a certain cowboy’s future career in the rodeo.”
Austin smiled and then held up his hand which was bleeding from the scratches. “No harm, just a few scratches from her nails. She didn’t bite me or anything.”
“Austin,” said Bryce, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Listen, thanks for helping to save Bobby. If you wouldn’t have gotten to Brooke so quickly, she may have bitten him.”
Austin nodded. “Bobby’s a good kid. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
“Let’s go back to the house before we run into any more of those things,” said Paige, looking toward the dark trees. “I have this creepy feeli
ng we’re being watched.”
7
“What in the hell is going on?” barked my dad as we trudged into the house.
“Believe me, you don’t want to know,” replied Kristie as she removed her shoes and began rubbing her feet.
Dad looked at Bryce and turned green. “Damn, what happened to you? You look and smell like my brother’s dog after rolling in a pile of shit. Jesus, someone take him outside and spray him down before I lose my breakfast.”
“I can spray down Bryce,” said Eva who suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs holding Chi Chi. The flirtatious smile on her face was nauseating.
I clenched my fists tightly. If anyone needed to be sprayed down with cold water, it was Eva. I was about to offer those words of advice when Kristie grabbed my arm and whispered, “Just let it go.”
“Damn, girl, you’re like a bitch in heat,” stated Paige loudly. “I think you need to be sprayed down with the garden hose. No offense, Goldie sweetie.”
Goldie barked and jumped up on Paige.
Kristie closed her eyes and groaned while I burst out laughing.
“Paige, the only bitch around here is you,” snapped Eva.
“That’s it!” raged Paige, throwing aside her bat. She raced up the stairs only to be blocked by my dad.
“Girls, even though I enjoy a good catfight now and again, there’s absolutely no time for this. Both of you need to mellow out and save your rage for the zombies.”
Paige and Eva continued to glare at each other until Kristie finally separated them.
“So, I heard things didn’t go well at the cabin,” said my dad when Eva finally stormed back downstairs. “I’m really sorry to hear that, Kristie.”
She nodded and looked away. She’d been very close to her mom and the wounds would be fresh for a long time.
“Listen,” announced my dad. “Anyone wishing to tag along with us to Atlanta should be prepared to leave within the hour. It’s almost daybreak and I really want to get a move-on.”
“I think we’re all going,” said Kristie. “The zombies are getting more aggressive and we’re much safer in numbers.”
Dad nodded. “I agree. One hour, everyone, please be ready.”
I went to my room and threw together some clothing and toiletries into a backpack, then went to Allie’s to prepare one for her. I wanted to bring something from home to comfort her.
“Oh, Allie,” I sighed, sitting on her pink and white satiny bedspread. I picked up the stuffed kitty she’d slept with for the last ten years and crushed it to my chest. As I looked around her room, a photo sitting on her bookshelf caught my eye. It was a picture of the both of us at the state fair; I was about ten and she was four. Allie was wearing a sparkly pink cowgirl hat and I had on a blue mohawk wig that our grandmother had just purchased for us. I hadn’t paid much attention to the picture before, but now as I stared at it, tears welled up in my eyes. We were holding hands and she was smiling at me with such loving adoration that it broke my heart. Like most sisters, we had our rough moments, but there was never any doubt in my mind how much she loved me.
“I’m coming, little sister,” I whispered, wiping my eyes. “I’m coming.”
***
“Cassie!” called Austin about ten minutes later. I was still lying on Allie’s bed, staring off into space and holding the prized stuffed animal.
“In Allie’s room!” I answered.
He walked in and closed the door behind him. “I need to talk to you.”
“What’s up?” I asked, getting off the bed; being alone with him in a bedroom felt slightly awkward.
“The pain in my shoulder is getting much worse,” he said slowly, his normally tanned face was very pale. “I really need to find my buddy’s duffel bag. How about taking a quick trip with me to the military vehicles?”
“Better idea; just ask my dad to stop on the way to Atlanta,” I told him. “He’ll do it, no problem.”
He shook his head. “No, I already asked him and he told me it would take up too much time. Please, just come with me. It’s only a couple blocks away. I need you to cover me while I search the truck in case any zombies show up.”
I didn’t think it was a good idea but I could see from the look in his eyes that he was really in rough shape.
“Is it infected? I should probably look at it for you.”
“I’ve already cleaned it, again. I just really need something for the pain, especially if we’re going to be driving around for the next few hours.”
“Fine,” I said, walking out of the bedroom. “I’ll grab Bryce so he can come with us.”
“Bryce is busy helping Bobby pack. We have to go now so we make it back in time.”
I rubbed my forehead and sighed. “Okay, let me grab the war hammer.”
“Thanks,” he said, flashing me a grateful smile.
“Bring a weapon this time,” I said.
“Your dad’s letting me use his ten millimeter Ruger for the trip,” said Austin, holding it up. “It’s already loaded and good to go.”
Ten minutes later, we were sneaking out of the house to get the Vicodin. The sun was just rising and as I looked back toward the house, I saw Eva watching us through the window.
“Great, Eva’s going to open up her big mouth and tell my dad,” I grumbled, glaring at her nosy face.
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just get to the truck quickly. It’s only about three blocks away.”
We started walking west and ran into our first zombies only a block away from the house.
“Get ready,” I said.
Two of the undead were racing toward us, looking like they’d just won the lottery.
“Save your bullets so my dad doesn’t wonder where they went,” I said, advancing toward the two zombies holding the sharp war hammer.
“No, Cassie,” argued Austin. “Protecting you is my job.” He then raised his gun and shot the first one.
I groaned and swung at the second zombie, hitting him square in the forehead. As I removed my weapon, I said, “You know, Austin, I’m not some little wallflower who can’t take care of herself. If I was, do you think I’d have made it this far?”
He grinned. “I know, darlin’, but it’s really not in my nature to put anyone in danger, let alone a beautiful girl like yourself.”
My cheeks turned pink at the way he was staring at me. “Um, let’s get going before my dad finds out we’re missing.”
He nodded.
We started walking again and I noticed that Austin’s face was getting paler.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
He nodded and touched his shoulder. “I reckon I’ll be much better once I have something stronger for the pain.”
“Be careful,” I whispered as we approached the vehicles. “There could be some zombies crawling around in one of the trucks, especially if you’ve left any food.”
There were three camouflaged military vehicles parked parallel to each other, one of them a large cargo truck. I followed him to that one and he began rummaging through several duffel bags that were lying in the back while I watched for zombies.
“Score,” he said, walking toward me with a huge grin. He was holding a bottle of prescription drugs and the keys to the truck. “Get in; I’ll drive us back to your house.”
I got into the passenger side while he opened the bottle and swallowed a couple of the pills.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to be driving when you take those pills,” I said as he hopped in next to me.
He stared at me, his pale face looking almost feverish and glossy from perspiration.
I touched his arm. “Austin? Are you okay?”
He nodded slowly and looked around as if he was in some kind of daze. Then he licked his lips. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”
I grabbed the door handle. “I think it might be better if we walked back or I drove.”
“Do you know how to drive a stick?”
I sighed. “No.”
/> He sat back in his seat and put the keys in the ignition. “Seriously, Cassie, I don’t think I can walk all the way back to the house. I’ll probably pass out and then you’ll be vulnerable against any zombies. Especially if you’re trying to drag me back with you.”
“Maybe I should go back and get Bryce. I really think it’s too dangerous for you to be driving.”
He stared at me again, his expression was unreadable.
“What?” I asked. The intensity of his gaze was disconcerting.
“I’ll be right back,” he murmured, jumping out of the truck. He walked to the back and I could hear him digging around again.
“We’d really better get going, soon!” I yelled. “My dad is going to totally wig out.”
My door opened and he stood watching me as if in a daze, swaying slightly. Something about the way he gazed at me made the sirens blare loudly in my head. “Austin?” I asked, backing away from him.
His eyebrows furrowed as he came toward me, and the last thing I remember is his hand covering my face with a horribly smelling rag.
8
I was in Bryce’s arms and he was about to kiss me passionately, when a bump in the road jolted me from the fantasy. When I opened my eyes, the walls were spinning and it felt like someone was hammering me in the head with a tire iron.
“Oh man,” I mumbled, the pain almost unbearable. I tried to lift my hands to rub my temples but noticed they were bound together with a piece of rope.
What the heck?
As my eyes finally adjusted to the surroundings, I found myself in the back of the same cargo truck I’d helped Austin find, and we were moving very quickly.
“Austin!” I shouted, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in my skull. I called for him several times then began kicking the walls of the truck, trying desperately to get his attention. Eventually, he pulled over and came back to check on me.
“Sorry about this, Cassie,” he said softly.
I scowled. “Why am I tied up and where in the hell are you taking me?”
He cleared his throat. “I told you before; I’m going to take care of you.”
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