The Feral Children [A Zombie Road Tale] Box Set | Books 1-3

by Simpson, David A.

  The kids wolfed down Martha’s home cooking but then started to look sheepish halfway through the meal. They were eating like animals. Kodiak was the first to slow and actually start chewing his food and using the napkin instead of the back of his hand. Tobias was the last to start acting civilized and that was only after Analise kicked him.

  They let the animals have the rest of the food, gave them directions in, told them what to expect in town and wished them well for the night. They’d see them in the morning.

  “Don’t be too late.” Gunny said as he fired up his truck and the triplets climbed in the back seat of the crew cab. “The three young ladies you saved from that Gordon character are eager to see you and of course those three probably won’t sleep a wink.” He gestured at Landon, Caleb, and Clara. “They haven’t shut up since the giraffe arrived. We’ve got each of you homes to stay and your companions will be safe. There’s nothing to fear, welcome home.”

  36

  Swan

  She was clean. Her hair was damp and she relished the feel of the soft cotton bathrobe that covered her frame.

  She looked at the pictures that decorated the wall of the new President’s house. One in particular held her attention.

  “That’s my son, Jessie.” Lacy said.

  She watched the girl as she stared open mouthed at the last school picture taken of her boy before the outbreak. His hair was long, he had on a plain black pocket t-shirt, had a half smile on his face and stared directly into the camera. He didn’t seem particularly happy to be there and Swan could imagine his mom giving him a lecture that morning. Something about smiling this time, grandma thought you looked angry in last year’s picture.

  “He looks a lot like somebody I knew; only this guy was way more scarred. His name was Bob.” Swan said.

  “Bob? Lacy asked. “My Jessie has a dog that travels with him he calls Bob.”

  The hair was the same and Swan stared into the eyes. Bob hadn’t been a handsome boy, he had an ugly scar on his face and he’d been black and blue with bruises but the eyes were the same. She reached up to touch the face as she put the two images together in her mind. He looked so different then, so innocent. She supposed they all did.

  “I worry about him out there.” Lacy said as she watched the girl touch the photo almost reverently. “He’s been through so much, but he’s making a difference and I guess that’s all a mother can want for her son.”

  “It’s him.” Swan said, her mind remembering the broken boy. “He was hurt. We nursed him back to health, but he didn’t have a dog.” Swan said.

  “I haven’t heard from him in months.” Lacy admitted. “The last anyone has seen him was at the Tower. His girlfriend had died, Johnny thinks he got a load of supplies and is camping out somewhere in the mountains. Tell me more about this Bob.” She urged.

  Swan told her of the week Bob, or rather Jessie, had spent with them back in the spring and something didn’t add up. Jessie had been exploring new territories and his reports, although sporadic, had been regular. She thought she would have heard if he’d been hurt so badly or had lost the car but maybe not. It was a crazy world beyond the walls.

  “That sure sounds like him.” She sighed. “He must have used that alias to protect you guys from his enemies. He has plenty, though from what I hear, most of them don’t survive when they catch up to him.”

  “He’s very brave.” Swan blushed at the memory of the boy she’d had a crush on. “I’d like to see him again.”

  “Me too.” Said Lacy. “Me too.”

  Zero interrupted their conversation as he whined at the door. Nature called.

  “They are very well behaved.” Lacy said. “I was a little skeptical of having four wolves in my house. Our cat hasn’t come out from under the bed since they arrived.”

  Swan took pride in the words spoken to her. “They are my pack.”

  “How’s the arm?” Lacy asked.

  “It’s getting better. Doesn’t hurt to make a fist anymore. Soon I’ll be sharpening up my skills again.” she answered.

  Lacy watched her buckle the weapons belt around her bathrobe then follow the pack out to the meadow. It looked comical but she knew the girl was deadly with the tomahawks even with one arm in a cast and the other just starting to heal from the infected wounds. She’d heard the stories and read the reports. The doctors had been concerned, the infection looked like the beginnings of the zombie virus. It was spreading the same way a bite from the undead did with the long, red runners. They knew penicillin wouldn’t cure it and had given her some kind of experimental drug, something they’d gotten from Jessie, before it spread any farther. It seemed to be working, she was healing nicely and would be starting school next week.

  37

  Tobias and Analise

  Tobias watched through the curtains as the bears splashed in the swimming pool. It was a big one, twelve foot on the deep end and Runa had happily pumped all the treated water out and filled it with lake water. It was a kind gesture and the polars didn’t seem to mind being confined to the back yard. The fence had been reinforced overnight and now stood taller and stronger than the original wooden one. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it. He understood the bears couldn’t run free, there were too many people, something might happen. He’d argued that Daisy or Popsicle would never hurt anyone on purpose but not too hard. He knew they really couldn’t wander around town on their own. The dogs barked like crazy when they were near and if one was dumb enough to attack them then there would be a dead dog and an angry owner.

  He wasn’t sure what they’d expected when they got here, he hadn’t thought about it much. He supposed they would all live together like they had at Piedmont house. That hadn’t happened. They’d been separated to live with foster families and were supposed to go back to a normal life like everyone else. He should have known it would be like this, they all should have but no one had really thought about it. They were impressed with the town at first. It had everything they’d dreamed of. Hamburgers and hotdogs. Movies and popcorn. Hot running water and electricity. It was wonderful but it came with a price and he was still debating if it was worth it.

  He wondered what the others were doing, how they were fitting in with the foster families that opened their doors to the orphaned tribe. They’d already been here for a week and the days had been a blur of activity. Doctor appointments, vet appointments, school enrollments, shopping for clothes and getting comfortable in their new environment took up most of their time. They had internet and spent time catching up, reading through other kids’ blogs and Facebook posts. It was limited but every time Lakota added servers the Tower would send more terabytes of random information pulled from the NSA computers. Eventually, if they wanted to keep expanding, they could have the entire internet up until the day it crashed. He’d tired of it after the novelty wore off. He learned that most of the kids hadn’t been outside the walls other than the first few weeks of the outbreak. Their families had fled here and hadn’t left since. They’d been safe and sound for a year and had forgotten about what it was like outside the walls. The things they complained about were trivial and dumb. The chains on one of the swings set were too long. The truckers hadn’t raided any sports stores in ages and the soccer net had already been patched twice. The internet was too slow and there was too much lag on multiplayer Call of Duty matches.

  They all sounded like a bunch of sissies and he wasn’t really looking forward to meeting any of them. He was still adjusting to having hot water with the turn of a knob and electricity at the flip of a switch. He worried that someday the memories of their time in the wild would seem more like a dream and not the reality they’d fought their way through.

  Analise came out of her room wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt looking like an ordinary girl in every way. None of her tattoos were showing, her long hair was brushed and she had replaced her combat boots with sandals. She was trying her best to fit in.

  He let go of the curtains and they moved
in unison to the entry way of the kitchen. He watched Runa as she bustled about laying out ingredients. She seemed nice. Like him and his sister she had the pale blonde hair and glacier blue eyes.

  She had volunteered to foster him, Analise and the bears and it was probably the best match they could have asked for. She’d been a flight attendant from Oslo and had barely made it out of the Chicago O’Hare International Airport on the first day of the outbreak.

  She hummed as she busied herself and nodded towards the cutting board when she noticed them.

  “You can chop the vegetables.” She said in her faintly exotic Norwegian accent.

  She knew they had been the primary cooks for the tribe for a year and were pretty handy around a kitchen.

  “What are you making?” He asked as he eyed the cutlets of fish on the counter.

  “It’s a dish from home, but the fish here is not so good. We make do with what we have and thank the Gods it’s not less.” She said, quoting an old Norse proverb.

  He picked up the knife and began dicing the carrots and potatoes as she told him about her recipe and asked about the fish they caught out of the Mississippi. Tobias was happy in the kitchen and confident, in a different life he may have become a chef. She watched the tattooed boy as he worked. He was thin, all lean muscle, heavily scarred and tattooed, wild eyed and long haired. He would be a handsome man someday but she wasn’t sure he was going to be able to slip back into society as easily as the others. His hair was long and he hadn’t combed out the little braids and the mementos woven into it. He wore short sleeves and tribal tattoos covered his arms. He had a short fuse and knew if the kids at school teased him it would lead to a fight, he wouldn’t take much abuse from anyone. Her heart went out to him, she knew he was a good kid, but he would need more time to adjust. The other foster parents had met to discuss the best ways to integrate the children back into civilized society. From the stories they shared, they had had it rough. They had been at war, had killed the entire gang that had kept Trish, Misty and Sasha as sex slaves. They had killed thousands of undead and it was a miracle they had survived all that they had endured.

  She asked them if they were excited to start school again and meet new friends. Analise was eager to get back and try to have a normal life. Tobias was still on the fence. He said nobody better mess with him or his sister and talked of not going, maybe learning how to drive and become a Retriever.

  He seemed more nervous of sitting in a classroom with a group of other children than he would riding into battle.

  “Eg vet dere har hatt det vanskelig.” I know you haven’t had it easy. She said in Norwegian.

  “We’ve done just fine on our own.” Tobias grunted. “And these soft handed kids’ best not forget it.”

  He understood some of the language. Their grandfather had come from Norway as an adventurous young man. A beautiful American exchange student had captured his heart when he was a ski instructor in Lillehammer. After a whirlwind romance they’d gotten married, much to the surprise of her friends and family. He’d followed her back to the States and they spent the next forty-seven years together. Again, much to the surprise of her father who had prophesied a quick end to the foolish marriage. Grandfather Gjurd had regaled the twins with tales of Norwegian explorers and mythology. Brave adventurers and mighty warriors.

  “This place, it is safe.” She said, choosing her words carefully. She knew he was trying, that he wanted to be a part of the town, but it was hard for him.

  “The people of Lakota are good people.” She continued. “The president is fair and they are rebuilding the world into a better place. I don’t think there is a better town out there.”

  She looked at him intensely. “But, is it for you? The way of the warrior is in your eyes and your blood. You may be a great explorer and do heroic things like our ancestors someday but for now, you must be polite in a civilized society.” She stated.

  “I know.” He sighed. “I think I’ve had enough of fighting to survive for a while. I want to see what it feels like to be a normal kid again.”

  Runa smiled and took the vegetables he’d chopped to add to the hot skillet.

  “You know you are welcome to stay with me as long as you like, but when the day comes that you take a boat and sail to Norway, do not forget me.” She said. “I miss home. I miss good fish and the smell of salt air. I miss the wind blowing in off the fjords.”

  Tobias contemplated what she said as he cleaned the knife and methodically sharpened the blade. He had never thought that far ahead. Before the fall, he was only worried about getting passing grades. Now he was so used to scratching out a day to day existence that he’d never bothered to think about the future. Her words struck a chord, though. The possibilities were limitless. He could go anywhere, be anything. Why couldn’t he rediscover the places that were lost? Why couldn’t he sail to the land of his forefathers and claim the untold riches and relics that were gathering dust in museums. He was snapped from his daydream by the sudden silence and realized she was waiting for a response.

  “Sorry. What?” He asked.

  “I said, when you reach the north, you must watch out for Huldra.” She repeated with a smile.

  “Huldra, what is that?”

  “She is a beautiful elven spirit that lives in the forest. The most beautiful woman you will ever see and she will ask you to dance with her and her friends.” Runa said.

  “Nothing wrong with that.” Tobias said. “I’d dance with a bunch of hot elves.”

  “Ah, but if you accept her invitation, you’ll be there forever. Time moves different in a fairy ring and long after you’re exhausted and dying of hunger, begging for them to stop, they will laugh and dance until you die.”

  Analise giggled. “Tobias will be safe. He’s scared of girls.”

  He shot her a dirty look and touched the braid of Kassie’s hair. “No, I’m not. I have a girlfriend, remember?”

  38

  Donny

  Donny and Yewan kept lookout for the kids rummaging through the cargo containers below. They were all younger than him but he enjoyed their company. It seemed the rest of the tribe was all starting to assimilate into society again. The unofficial leader of the band of scofflaws looting below was called Slippery Jim. The mischievous boy was always concocting some scheme that would surely land them in trouble and his pal Gage was right there in the middle of it. There were eight of them all together. Most of them were boys except for Lizzie, a sassy, smart mouthed beanpole of a girl.

  When the container wall had been built last year, they’d been in a hurry. Hordes of hungry zombies were following the train and they only had hours to throw it up. Some of the boxes were crooked, some of the hastily bulldozed dirt path they sat on was washing away with the rains. They had brought in another trainload of containers and were methodically swapping them out as they made the wall another row higher and reinforced the foundation. The boxes they replaced were stacked up in a holding yard where they would be inventoried and emptied if they held anything of value. It was a back-burner project and they didn’t have the manpower to search through every box so hundreds were stacked up waiting until someone had the time. Once Jimmy realized what they were doing, the Bullet Brigade went into action. There was too much treasure at stake to stay away and the group had a thriving black market of goods that they ran through the school. Every few nights they would sneak out and ride their bikes to the holding yard. They knew which guards were diligent and walked their post and which ones would stay in the booths on top of the wall and nod off. The only unknown was Phil. He was the head of security and you never knew when he would make the rounds or have a surprise inspection.

  From his position on the highest container, Donny could the see the top of the wall to watch for roving guards and also spot a blacked-out golf cart if Phil was trying to sneak up and catch a guard sleeping. He was content but not truly happy. He loved the time he got to spend with Analise exploring the town in safety. They didn’t have
to be wary of the Savage Ones or zombies or gangs trying to kill them. He didn’t have to hunt for their food and if he had a bad night, they didn’t go hungry. They’d done all the things dating teenagers were supposed to do. He had bought her ice cream sodas, taken her to the movies and had walked hand in hand through the parks.

  One of the bullet brigade had a jet ski and had promised to show him how to ride it. He was warm and safe and happy but something was missing. He was almost bored at the complacency of everything. There was no thrill. No adventure. No adrenaline rush taking down game or killing something that was trying to kill you. His biggest excitement was acting as lookout. The pilfered items meant nothing to him, but his new friends did. He felt protective of them, they were a lot like the kids in the orphanages he’d run away from. Looting the containers was the only real excitement in this town. There was no real danger in it though. Lakota was more secure than Fort Knox. He almost wished the kids would find a long-lost zombie in one of the containers to spice things up. In the days since the tribe had arrived, he hadn’t had an opportunity to hunt. Kim Li acted like a bossy older sister and was adamant that he stay inside the walls. He was pretty sure that she knew he snuck out the window most nights with Yewan to prowl the streets and back alleys but she didn’t push the issue.

  Despite his grumpiness, Cobb and his family had welcomed him in with open arms. Kim Li was wonderful to him and Mama Martha treated him like a long lost relative.

  Kim’s dad, Tommy, had invited him to help out in the truck shop and he discovered that he liked it. He learned quickly and usually only had to be shown once how to do something. He liked working in the shop better than going to school but he did what they wanted. They said he should give it a try but he was way behind. Most of his classes were with the little kids. Book learning had never been his thing. He could read and write and do some basic math but not much more.