by Zuko, Joseph
She carried the last lady back into the coop and dropped her off with her sisters. Penny slid the door shut to the coop, locking them in for the rest of the day. Something was on the other side of her fence. She could hear the sound of footsteps crushing her flowers and kicking the bark dust. Penny was still inside the cage of the coop and thirty feet from her back door.
She held her breath and listened.
The steps moved closer to the gate. A set of fingers curled up over the top of the fence. Penny’s heart came to a full stop. Its head inched above the edge of the fence. Black eyes sat hollow in its skull. Fresh blood encircled its unshaved mouth. It was missing teeth. It was the creepy satellite salesman that tried to scare the shit out of Karen earlier that day. Its black eyes spotted Penny inside the chicken cage. It pulled itself up and over the fence in one fast move and crash-landed face first in the dirt.
Penny raced for the coop’s open gate, but the cramp in her calf and the sore ankle slowed her. It crawled along the ground on all fours until it reached the chicken wire cage and pulled itself up off the ground. Penny knew she wouldn’t make it to the house so she pulled the chicken coop’s gate closed a second before the beast got there. Its body smashed into the fence and it shook the whole cage.
“Someone! Help!” Penny sounded like all of the other poor souls calling for help in her neighborhood. No one came to their rescue.
Would anyone save her?
She couldn’t lock the gate from her side. The latch was hooked to the outside post. Penny could only pull it closed, but it left her fingers exposed through small holes in the chicken wire. The infected tossed its body over and over into the cage door. It noticed her pink digits poking through the fence. Penny pulled her hand from the fence as its teeth grinded on the thin metal wire. Its mouth played a horrible game of hide and go seek with each of her hands. It would bite at her and she would pull her hand back a split second before its disgusting mouth collided with the gate.
After only a few chops and near misses it dug its fingers in between the fence wall and the gates opening. It pulled and yanked on the fence with all of its might. The wire dug deep into Penny’s skin. Her grip was about to give.
“Go away!” she begged. This was her first up close look at an infected human. The open wound on its neck made her sick. The idea of it touching her body sent her gag reflex into overdrive. She wanted to puke, cry and shit her pants all at the same time. Tears formed and clouded her sight. Her mind raced. She looked behind her and a metal bucket, half-filled with chicken feed, sat on the ground. It was the closest thing to a weapon within arms reach.
The thing yanked the gate from her grip. As she stepped backwards, Penny reached down and picked up the metal bucket and swung it. The thing stepped into the coop’s cage, its arms reached out for Penny’s soft skin. She backhanded the bucket at its snapping jaw. The metal rim at the bottom of the bucket caught the back of its jaw and spun it like a top. The chicken feed exploded into the air. It covered her and the monster with white powder and dried corn.
She didn’t K.O. the bastard, only knocked it off balance. It fell to the dirt and she sprinted as fast as her old legs could carry her out of the cage. Penny grabbed the door and slammed it shut. There was no real locking mechanism for the coop. A tiny hook dangled from the two by four that made up the frame of the gate. She dropped the hook into the eyebolt.
The infected got to its feet and threw itself at the locked door. The tiny hook held. The infected bounced off the wire barrier. Penny leaped back. Terrified by its ferocity. That hook wouldn’t hold for long.
An outdoor table with umbrella and matching chairs sat on a concrete pad between the coop and the house. This was its third year sitting out in her backyard. Green algae had formed on all of the edges of the fabric and glass. It needed a serious power washing. Penny’s heel caught the lip of the concrete and she fell straight back, crashing into a chair. Her elbow slammed into the glass tabletop. As the table tipped over the glass surface shattered under her weight. The cheap metal folded around her body. The umbrella fell on top of her. Chunks of glass penetrated her skin.
Blood spilled.
The concrete gave no comfort as her knees and shoulder grinded across the porous surface. Every joint in her body screamed in pain, her tendons stretched and ligaments popped.
The infected bounced once more off the metal chicken wire. Penny rolled out from under the umbrella and pushed the chair off of her. A rusty hunk of metal from the bottom of the table protruded out of Penny’s stomach.
“Karen!” she moaned. Blood pooled under her. The infected clawed at the gate.
Chapter 18
Karen woke to the sound of her children. They were playing. Her eyes were still closed. The lids felt impossibly heavy. She had never blacked out before. Now she knew why they called it that. It was like she fell into a bottomless pit. Darkness. No dreams. No feelings of any kind. Her mind felt shrouded in black. She woke up covered in sweat and thirsty as hell. Her wrist had gone from the unbearable jackhammer of pain to a more reasonable sledgehammer. She muscled through and opened her eyes. The first thing she checked was the first thing she checked every morning when she woke up.
Her children.
Valerie and Robin were crammed into one chair together. Valerie thumbed through a pamphlet on crime like it was a children’s book. She didn’t have the skills to read it so she made up a story and told it to her little sister. It was a story about a princess being taken to jail by a prince, but the guard dog saved her.
They were adorable.
Karen raised her wrist to investigate the damage done. Troy had found a splint and wrapped it tight with an Ace bandage. All five fingers moved. It was a struggle to get her hand to close fully. Her grip was shit now, but at least she could move her arm without her stomach turning. Botchy was out of her bag and drinking water out of a little dish on the floor. Troy sat across from her. His hands folded in his lap. A forced smile formed on his face.
“How long?” Karen’s voice was raspy.
“Half hour.” Troy answered.
“We need to get going.”
“Yeah…How? We don’t have a car.” Troy’s knee nervously bounced up and down.
Karen sat up, grabbed her water and took a drink from the coffee cup, “Did you ask the Sarge if we could commandeer one of their cruisers?”
“No, Sergeant Poole hasn’t been much of a talker. Maybe if you asked he would be more willing to help.” Troy stood up and took the empty mug from his sister and headed back to the locker room.
“Hello girls,” Karen said as she waved at her children.
“Mama.” Valerie squealed and put down her makeshift book.
“Mama.” Robin copied. They crawled out of their chair and raced over to their Mama.
Karen scooped them both up and planted kisses on the top of their heads.
“Do you feel better now that Uncle Troy got you some medicine?” Valerie reached out and put her skinny arms around her Mama’s neck for a long hug.
“Yes baby, Uncle Troy got me all fixed up. It still hurts, but I’ll be okay.” Karen was not sure that her wrist would ever be the same, but she did not need to worry her kids with it. Troy entered with a fresh glass. Karen took it and gulped down the fresh water.
“How does it feel?” Troy pointed at her hand.
“It’s f-,” she mouthed the rest of the curse word over her two babies’ heads, “But it is much better. Thank you.”
“I felt it pop back into position and it seemed to have a normal range of motion. Book said this kind of thing could take months to fully heal. So try and take it easy…I’m worried about Mama. I didn’t want to be gone this long.” Troy’s head dropped.
Karen struggled with what to say next. “The fence around her place will help keep it safe. That’s why we have to get there.” Karen fished her phone from her pocket and swiped it on. No calls.
Where the hell was Jim?
A strong feeling of urgenc
y struck her. She had to get them moving again, but how? They needed to find a ride. They also needed a better way to carry the girls. She gave the girls one more squeeze and then pushed them down out of her lap.
“Let’s take a look around and see if there is anything that could help us get home.” Karen stood up and put the girls back into their chair. “Read to your sister.”
“Okay.” Valerie opened up another pamphlet and went to work weaving an epic tale.
Karen began to search all of the cabinets and drawers in this room.
Troy joined her, “What are we looking for exactly?”
“Anything that you think could help.” After searching the office Karen moved to the locker room. Inside that room she found a supply closet. It had stacks of towels and fresh linens for the beds in the cells. A plan started to take shape. After ten minutes of heavy reconnaissance Karen had compiled a stack of supplies she thought could help.
A set of sheets. Magazines. Roll of Duct tape.
“So your plan is something called “A Wrap”?” Troy did not quite get what she was talking about.
“We use the sheets and wrap them around the girls and wear them like a backpack.” Karen took a sheet and dragged it across her back to show Troy what she meant.
“Got it. And the magazines?”
“Armor.”
“Armor?”
“Try and bite through this issue of People. You can’t get through it. We put it on the girl’s backs and maybe their arms and legs. We should do our own forearms and calves too. What do you think?” Karen could hear herself talking quickly. Every second that passed made her more anxious about what was happening with her Mama and Jim.
“Sounds good to me. What do we need to do first?”
Karen found a paper cutter and she went to working cutting the magazines down the middle. That way she could put the top half of Guns and Ammo around Valerie’s bicep and the bottom half around her forearms. Then she secured it with a good strip of Duct tape.
“It’s a Halloween costume,” Karen told the confused five-year-old.
Valerie dropped her eyebrows at her Mama.
“You’re Magazine Girl.” Karen used her teeth to tear a stretch of tape off the roll. It brought a smile to the child’s face. Troy worked the same set up on Robin.
After twenty minutes of cutting, taping and manufacturing they had a good working set of armor built for the girls. The suits wouldn’t be able to stop a horde from tearing them apart, but it would stop or slow a solo biter’s attack. It would give Karen and Troy an extra second to react. Maybe it was a feeling of false protection, but it was still a good feeling. Karen took the girls to use the restroom and then she made sure that her own bladder was empty. If the wraps worked like she thought they would, taking a piss with Robin on her back in the middle of someone’s yard would be almost impossible.
They propped both girls up on a desk and put their backs to them. Troy helped wrap the thick cotton sheet around Robin’s torso and butt. Then they crisscrossed it over Karen’s chest and around her waist. Troy used two twin-sized sheets to cinch the baby down to her Mama’s back. The fabric ended in a big knot at Karen’s belly, but Robin felt as tight and secure as any hiking backpack.
Troy took off his bandoleers and held Valerie to his back as Karen duplicated the wrap on him. It was easier the second time since they had worked out the kinks on Karen. It took no time at all for Karen to get the wrap secure enough for him to pull the knot tight. Valerie was locked in on her Uncle’s back and thought it was a ton of fun.
The children had totally forgotten all about the drive to the police station and the monsters they saw on the way. Once she was attached, he put back on his bandoleers.
In no time at all they had both girls up, safe as they could, on their backs with some magazine armor for all of them. Karen lengthened the straps on her purse and the bag for Botchy so she could sling them over her neck. They double and triple checked that all of her gun magazines were loaded and reattached her holster so it sat on her left side.
Karen eyed the red medical bag, “It would be nice to take that too.”
Both of them felt incredibly weighed down. Neither could imagine carrying anymore without it feeling dangerous.
“We need another body.”
A minute later they were standing outside of Poole’s new apartment. He had finished his third game of solitaire and had begun to lay out another round.
“What did he do?” Karen asked Poole.
“Who?” The old man toyed with them.
“What did Leon do?” Troy shifted his weight to compensate for the child on his back.
“Are you guys talking about me?” Leon sat up from his midday nap. He popped up and was at the bars in no time. “It was a simple misunderstanding. That’s all. I didn’t hurt anyone.”
Karen and Troy didn’t turn to face him.
“He stole a motor vehicle.” Poole turned over a King of Hearts.
Leon talked rapid fire at them, “Total misunderstanding. A friend of mine told me I could borrow his roommate’s car. I trusted my buddy and didn’t ask the roommate. Next thing I know cops are pulling me over and telling me I committed grand theft auto. My friend forgot to tell his roommate that’s all. Total misunderstanding. I’m innocent.” Leon looked at them with puppy dog eyes, “I’m innocent I-“
“Is he violent?” Karen cut off Leon.
Poole smirked as he turned over an unexpected Ace of Spades. It reminded him of one of his favorite songs, “We have no records of him committing violent crimes.”
Karen looked to her brother. He shrugged his shoulders back at her.
“Can we please take him with us?”
“You want me to release him?” Poole finally looked up from his game.
“You want us to leave? Well, we need him.”
“Don’t I get a say in what happens to me?” Leon cleared his throat.
Karen and Poole entered into a staring contest. First to speak would lose. Poole carefully weighed the upside versus the down. Leon would become their problem. Upside. With all of the chaos he could easily lose the paperwork on the car thief. Upside. He wouldn’t have to listen to all of his bullshit whining. Upside. Poole struggled to come up with a downside to this deal. Why was he even worried about it? There wasn’t anyone left at the station that gave two shits. Poole stood up and pushed his card table to the side. He walked to the bars. He made eye contact with them and unclipped the keys from his belt.
“He’s your mess now,” Poole said as he handed the key over to Karen.
“Thank you.” Karen’s hand made contact with Poole’s as she took the keys.
“Is that a nine mil.?” Poole nodded at her gun.
“Yes.”
Poole reached over to the stack of ammo on his bed and picked up another case, “Here.”
Karen took the box of shells, “You should come with us.”
“No. I’m good.” Poole stepped back to his card game and that was it.
Karen found a little extra space in her purse for the case of ammo. They turned to face Leon.
“Hi,” he said as he gave them a big smiled and a soft wave.
“We’re backpacks.” Valerie’s head popped above Troy’s shoulder.
“Yes, you are.” Leon gave the girl a big thumbs up.
“Can we trust you?” Karen hit him with her most serious Mama voice possible.
“Lady, if you let me out of this cell I’ll be all yours,” Leon said with a smile that came off a little slimmer than he intended. Karen unlocked the cell and Troy pulled it open.
As Leon stepped free from his jail cell he gave his arms a stretch, “Darn it. That was a long weekend on a horrible mattress.”
Karen appreciated his G rated language in front of the girls, but it sounded all wrong when he spoke. Troy passed the red medical bag to Leon.
He took it by the nylon strap and slung it over his shoulder, “My care-package. Finally, I’m contributing to society aga
in. Where are we heading then?”
“Our mother’s house. It’s across town.”
“How many miles?” Leon’s brow dropped with concern.
“About three or so,” Troy said as he readjusted the weight on his back.
“We will need a ride.” Leon mimed steering a driver’s wheel. “Officer Poole, may I be allowed to retrieve my personal belongings?”
“You won’t need them.” Poole laid down a five of diamonds.
“It sounds pretty hairy out there. Could I possibly borrow one of those firearms from you?”
“Pushing your luck.” Poole dealt himself another three cards.
“Thank you for your wonderful hospitality during my incarceration and may the solitaire gods shine down upon you,” Leon said as he did a curtsy towards Officer Poole.
“Keys.” Poole didn’t look up from his game.
Karen tossed the keys through the bars and Poole caught them midflight.
“After you.” Leon motioned towards the offices in the other room.
“Close the holding cell door when you leave.” Poole turned the Ace of Clubs. The gods did favor him today. The group left the old man to his game. Troy let the heavy door close behind them as they reentered the office.
Leon noticed the messy state of the office, “I thought I heard some ransacking. Did either of you find scissors or a knife?”
“I’m sure there were scissors in the desks. Why?” Karen made her way to the exit.
“I need something that will cut wires and I could use a weapon. I would like to be able to protect myself.” Leon found a long set of shiny scissors at the first desk he tried. He placed his index finger through one of the loops and held the makeshift blade like he was a psycho killer and he pretended to stab an invisible victim. “That should work if they get close, but let me take a look and see if I can find anything else.”