"It's less than four hours to Fort Knox. We could be sitting on a time bomb here right now ... literally. The sooner we get to the fort and let the experts assume responsibility with the package and the kid, the better. Then you can worry about stocking up on supplies. Stay focused. Just because things feel normal, doesn't mean it won't change around the next corner. Just pay attention to where we're going, and make sure that damn GPS doesn't turn us down some back-alley slum swarming with freaks."
"Alright. She just seems so exhausted, I have to wonder when she ate last."
"If you feel that bad for her, you can give her some of your rations. Don't forget, we have no clue what we're dealing with here. She said she was a zombie, and we're in the business of killing those mothers. If that's truly what she was, then we can't let our guard down. What's to say that she won't turn back? It's all too friggin’ crazy to be real. This war was a lot easier when the enemies were all slobbery, mangy beasts from hell. Now, they’re shooting sniper rifles and dressing up like little girls. What's to say she won't pick up a sniper rifle and take a shot at you while you're buying her treats in the local quickie mart over there?"
"Hell, Colonel, I don't know. My gut tells me she's fine. Different, yeah, sure, but not evil. At least, not towards us. Wouldn't she have done something by now if she could have? All she's done so far is sleep."
Alex continued down Martin Luther King Blvd through the heart of the city, then picked up the main interstate that would take them out of the city. The interstate looped around the Tennessee River as it wound north to south. They could see across the river what looked like a major medical facility. Half of it looked like it had been bombed out. The other half was smoking from a still smoldering fire. The GPS indicated it was a mental hospital.
"Can you imagine, Colonel, what turning into a zombie would be like for a mental patient? I mean, you're already pretty screwed up to start with. What would go through your head when you start falling apart and have urges to eat your friends and family?"
"Zombies don't think, son. Their brains are mush. It's probably a relief to the crazies that they can't think anymore."
Alex noticed that Christa had woken during their conversation, and was staring across the river at the burning buildings. She was listening, but couldn't take her eyes off the buildings. She lifted her bound hands and placed them, palms out, against the window. It was as far as she could reach. "I wouldn't want to be any crazier than I am now. Maybe that's how insane people start. Maybe they all used to be zombies. Am I going crazy?"
"I don't think it works that way, kid. Crazy people have been around a lot longer than zombies."
Christa glanced back at Alex. "Are you sure about that? How do you know? For sure, I mean."
"Well, it's just common sense. We've only been fighting the zombie wars for the last fifteen years."
"Yeah, but we've had wars for a lot longer than that. I learned about them in school. Those wars all seemed pretty crazy. Insane, even. Maybe those bad guys were zombies?"
"I don't think so. We'd know the difference."
"I hope you’re right. Do you think they can fix me where we're going? At the fort?"
"So you were listening? Just pretending to be sleeping, huh?"
"I wasn't pretending, I can do both."
Alex narrowed his eyes. He looked at Christa, then back at the road a few times. "What do you mean you can do both? Either you're sleeping or you're not."
"Part of me was sleeping, the other part of me was listening to you guys."
Alex felt a bit of a shiver down his spine, and looked up in the rear-view mirror to see if Chaz was paying attention. Chaz's rifle was on the seat beside him, but his right hand was on the handle. He stared back at Alex without saying a word. The remaining car ride to Chattanooga's city limits was silent.
Once outside the city limits, the scenery changed. Out in the low-lying foothills, green space abounded. It was easier to see distances in the open spaces, no longer surrounded by urban sprawl. They were surrounded by trees, hills, and mountains. No longer could creatures in human or zombie form jump out from behind the next street corner. This was as close to smooth sailing as could be expected.
Alex enjoyed the change of scenery. He let himself imagine a world were beautiful vistas were the norm, and children were allowed to be children. A world where everyday was as boring as the next. Where, the only complaint most people had was about their hum drum jobs or spouses. He wondered, if he'd ever get to live in a world like that again. Maybe, just maybe he thought ... the next road would lead him there.
Also by Norman Christof
Parables From The Apocalypse
Endings
Revealed
Mutation
Awakening
Rising
Find out when the next book releases here: http://NormanChristof.com
Endings: Dystopian Post Apocalyptic Zombie Thriller (Parables From The Apocalypse Book 1) Page 8