Transformation: Zombie Crusade VI

by Vohs, J. W.

  “I could teach you how to swim,” Andi offered with more than a little ambivalence. She could never decide whether or not she hated Thelma—would she enjoy drowning her? She wondered if Barnes could swim . . .

  “Oh, I’m too old for that nonsense. Now come sit with me and I’ll have the help bring us a late lunch. You’re still too thin—it’s not healthy.”

  Andi climbed out of the pool and wrapped herself in a towel. “Either I exhaust you with my energy, or I’m not healthy—which is it?”

  Thelma sighed. “You are as exasperating as a child.”

  Andi briefly froze at the word “child.” It took considerable effort to live in the moment, to constantly assess possible avenues of escape, and to play the role of Andi Carrell whenever Barnes was around. She didn’t feel like Andi Carrell anymore; she wouldn’t allow herself to feel anything at all. Her goal was to live in a state of cold, calculating enmity. Sometimes, she had to pretend to be the woman who’d been engaged to Jack Smith, the social studies teacher with two beautiful young daughters, but it was just an act to manipulate Barnes and his lackeys. Andi Carrell, if she even existed anymore, was locked far, far away from this alternate reality. Sometimes, the new Andi would be caught off guard by a sight or a smell, and a memory would vie for her attention, but she wouldn’t allow it to surface.

  “Are you thinking of your children, dear?” Thelma pried. “You get that faraway look when—”

  “I’m thinking about lunch,” Andi interrupted. “Do you think they’ll have any of the roast beef leftover from last night? What wine should we get?”

  “I’m sure they’ll have leftovers; when I inspected the kitchen yesterday afternoon they were making enough to feed an army.” Thelma was easily distracted by questions about food. “We could have them make us sandwiches with lemon-basil mayo and roasted red onions, and pair that with a full-bodied, youthful red—maybe a Shiraz.”

  Andi decided that drowning Thelma might be satisfying after all. “You’re the expert on such things,” she said with a shrug. “If you’ll arrange the food, I’d like to go upstairs and get some dry clothes on.”

  “Of course, dear.” Thelma rang a little bell and a soldier seemed to appear out of nowhere. “Escort Ms. Carrell to her room so she can change for lunch.” She turned to Andi. “I’ll have everything set up out here in half an hour.”

  Andi followed the soldier inside, and her eyes hadn’t adjusted from the bright sunlight when another man in uniform stepped in front of her. She recognized so-called President Barnes the instant he spoke. “Ah, Ms. Carrell, I’m glad to see that you’re enjoying the amenities of this fine location.” The soldier escorting Andi maintained his salute until Barnes half-heartedly returned the gesture.

  Andi squinted at Barnes. “Do you swim?”

  “As a matter of fact, I’m an excellent swimmer. I was even captain of my high school swim team. Perhaps we should start a morning ritual—a few pre-breakfast laps?”

  Andi tried to picture Barnes as a high school student, but found the task impossible. “Perhaps,” she replied, “but I’ve grown fond of sleeping in. Will we be staying here long?”

  Barnes pursed his thin lips. “As long as necessary. I do rather like the weather here; I think perhaps California should be the new national capitol.”

  “It might be appropriate; after all, the San Andreas Fault is due for a major adjustment.” Andi shivered, “I was on my way to get dressed for lunch with Thelma—”

  “By all means, be on your way.” Barnes waved his hand dismissively. “I’m due for an update from my operatives in Utah. They’re earning major bonuses for embedding themselves with such insufferably boring people.”

  It was standing room only in the meeting house, with an expanding crowd outside, once word got around that Luke was back in town. While a few vocal extremists had riled up the settlement after Luke emerged from his hunter-bite fever with black eyes and a thick pink scar on his hand, most citizens of Vicksburg still considered him one of the heroes of the resistance. For many, his miraculous recovery only served to enhance his already near-mythic reputation. With several refugees from Fort Wayne added to the mix, the atmosphere in and around the massive room was beginning to resemble a mob of fans waiting to catch a glimpse of their favorite celebrity. Harden assigned a couple dozen soldiers to crowd control.

  Luke sat between Carter’s mother and sister and mostly listened as they provided details about the people his heart ached for—family and friends he hoped could forgive him for not being there when they could have used his help.

  “. . . and Deb won’t leave Christy’s side now that the baby is almost here. Carter wanted her to come here to Vicksburg with him, but she wouldn’t hear of it—”

  Charlotte interrupted her mother, “She’s probably getting used to running things on her own.” Carter kicked her under the table. “Oww. Deb’s a saint. So how’s Gracie? I wish you’d have brought her; I miss that girl.”

  Luke grinned. “She’s running the show back at the depot. That place is massive, and we’re rounding up all kinds of vehicles and supplies while keeping an eye out for pockets of the infected.”

  “That doesn’t sound like fun to me,” Charlotte said with an involuntary shudder. “So how long can you stay with us?”

  “What time is it? I’d really just planned on dropping off the kids and heading right back.” Luke looked over at Jack who was talking to Harden several feet away. “I didn’t expect to find my father here.”

  “Ya’ll should at least spend the night—head back at the crack a dawn,” Carter suggested. “That depot ain’t goin’ anywhere, and we should be coordinatin’ our efforts.”

  “And Andi’s girls want to see you—they’re with Sarah and her kids down the street at the clinic,” Charlotte said persuasively. “They’re meetin’ with your friends from Texarkana—you know Sarah should’ve been a doctor.”

  Harden walked over and tapped Luke on the shoulder. “I hate to interrupt, but I think it might be a good idea if you said a few words to the crowd, maybe here and outside too. Seems like you’re a pretty popular fella.”

  “I didn’t feel so popular when I got here,” Luke pointed out half-jokingly. “I’ll make a statement or two—thank everyone for their interest, let them know that I’m doing well and that we’re recruiting for the Allied Resistance in Texas—but then my men and I are going to hit the road.” He looked over at Charlotte. “I don’t want to worry Gracie.”

  “Sounds like ya need better long-range radios,” Carter pointed out.

  “We haven’t wanted to advertise our position,” Luke explained, “but we’ll make sure to have what we need before we leave Red River.”

  Jack had returned to the table in time to hear the latter part of the conversation. “So you’re heading back this afternoon?”

  Luke felt conflicted—he wanted to spend more time with Jack and Carter, but he didn’t want to deal with the crowd or his newfound popularity. “I need to get back tonight, but it was a pretty easy road trip. We might be able to bring some more armored vehicles your way.”

  “I should come with you,” Jack decided. “I’d like to have a look at that depot myself.”

  “I’d love the company,” Luke responded, “but you’re in direct contact with Utah from here, and you can get up-to-date specifics about their defenses without setting off any extra alarms. Plus, you’ve got Redders and the Castle to deal with ASAP. Give me a few days and I’ll have a better idea about what’s available at the depot, and you’ll have a better idea about what’s up in Utah and Indiana.”

  Jack rubbed his chin as he considered Luke’s suggestion. “I think your idea makes sense, but I want you back here in three days or I’m coming to you.”

  “Deal,” Luke agreed. “Will you let Andi’s girls know I’m thinking about them?”

  “I’ll tell them you had to leave on a secret mission, but that you’ll be bringing them something special very soon.”

  Luke raise
d an eyebrow. “So what should I bring them?”

  “You’re staying at a supply depot—I’m sure you can find something,” Jack replied. “Better yet, just have Gracie take care of it.”

  “Good thinking.” Luke reached out to shake Jack’s hand. “Now I guess I better give my regards to the good people of Vicksburg before it gets any later.”

  The small convoy was making good time on the trip back to the depot, even though the sun had begun to set well before they’d reached the Texas border. Luke was riding shotgun in the lead Hummer while Jenkins drove and recounted tall tales he claimed were all true childhood adventures, “. . . so I was with my mama on Narrow’s Bridge when we heard the siren pullin’ us over. We still hadn’t fixed our headlight from when the deer ran into us, and mama was swearin’ ‘cause she figured we’d be gettin’ a ticket. She told me to double over and say I was sick for sympathy—truth is, we were so busy tryin’ to figure out how to avoid that ticket that we weren’t payin’ attention to where we was. It was common knowledge that we were in the stretch where that officer got killed in the fifties, and people had been getting’ pulled over by his ghost ever since—”

  “That’s an urban legend,” Luke protested.

  “It’s not when you’ve seen it for yourself,” Jenkins countered. “And fifteen or sixteen members of my family saw that officer with their own eyes one time or another. He was still drivin’ that old patrol car—”

  Luke was grinning. “Fifteen or sixteen family members?”

  Jenkins nodded. “I come from a big family. We’d all get together for holidays, and we’d have to rent out the church basement just to fit us all in. We had a tradition where Grandma would pour fresh cream in a jar, and we’d pass it around the table, takin’ turns giving it a good shake. By the time it got back to Grandma, it was butter.” He squinted in the rearview mirror, “Looks like they’re slowin’ down behind us.”

  The radio crackled and the voice of one of Gracie’s men interrupted Jenkin’s latest story, “Find a spot to pull over when you can; Kordel enjoyed too many desserts back at Vicksburg and says he’s gettin’ the runs.”

  “Jesus, can’t he hold it? We’re only about half an hour out.”

  “You wouldn’t ask that if you were riding with him—just pull over and we’ll keep him covered.”

  Sergeant Jenkins grumbled under his breath as he eased his Hummer to the side of the highway, “Least we’re back in farm country.”

  “I’ll go back and have a word with them,” Luke offered. “I’d like to stretch my legs anyway.” He grabbed his bow and hopped out the door.

  The night was crisp and cold; a full moon illuminated the area, reflecting off the patchy snow on the ground and in the trees. Luke jogged back to the second vehicle, thinking that the noisy engines disrupted what would otherwise be a tranquil scene and would likely attract any hunters from miles around.

  “We’ll be back on the road in five minutes, sir,” one of the young soldiers called out when he saw Luke approaching.

  “Make it four,” Luke responded curtly. He didn’t sense any immediate danger, but he felt as if they were being watched. Not threatened—just watched. He sniffed the air and decided that there were still cattle nearby from the ranches that had been common in this area. His stomach growled, and he wondered why hunters hadn’t been attracted here in droves. He decided that Barnes must have taken advantage of this region when he was rounding up flesh-eaters for the attack on Vicksburg. Thinking about Barnes made him think about all the things Jack had said, especially about Andi. Luke couldn’t help but wonder how he would have reacted if Gracie had suffered such a fate, and he wished he would have taken Jack up on his offer to come along on the trip back to the depot. For the first time, he felt an overwhelming connection to Jack, not just as the heroic leader of the resistance, but as his natural father. Why did I leave him behind again? He needs me--

  Luke’s thoughts were interrupted by a new feeling: a presence, both unfamiliar and familiar at the same time . . . He quietly slipped off the road and over a leafless thicket blanketing a mostly crushed wire fence. About twenty feet ahead, a large alpha stepped out from the meager tree-line and took a few deliberate steps toward Luke. Even though he didn’t feel threatened, Luke subconsciously readied his bow. The hunter slowly advanced, making a strange noise, with one hand extended in front of him.

  Jack had tried to slip away from the meeting house unnoticed after Luke left, but Charlotte had her eye on him. She jogged to catch up as he walked to nowhere in particular. “Did Luke look taller to you?” Charlotte asked, quickly falling into pace with Jack.

  “Not taller—bigger,” Jack corrected.

  “You’re right,” Charlotte agreed, still slightly out-of breath. “I’d even call him beasty but that might not be appropriate under the circumstances.”

  Jack stepped in front of Charlotte and stopped dead in his tracks.

  “I, I didn’t mean to offend you,” she stammered.

  “I know.”

  “You probably just need some time alone, and here I am, following you around. I should be helping my mom get her place set up—we’ve arranged for her to have her own house just down a ways from mine—”

  “I know,” Jack repeated. “I’ve been invited to stop by and help Carter and T.C. with some heavy lifting after I check in with Tina about the castle. Lucy and Andi’s girls are helping your mom make me cookies to make sure the kitchen is fully functional.” He stared into Charlotte’s eyes. “There’s no one at your house.”

  Charlotte could see the pain behind Jack’s ever-stoic gaze and her heart ached for her former lover. She reached out and gently touched his face. “Too bad you have to check in with Tina.”

  Jack leaned in close enough to feel Charlotte’s warm breath against his face. “Actually, I already did while Luke was getting all the attention. I’m expecting a report around midnight—from the Castle if they can manage it.”

  Charlotte smiled provocatively, “It’s surely not fair for Luke to monopolize all the attention. Now, if you’re sure that I can have you all to myself for an hour or two . . .” she brushed her lips against Jack’s before whispering in his ear, “Only one rule: no guilt allowed.”

  Luke lowered his weapon. I know you, he thought. Then he said it out loud, “I know you, from Louisiana—by the river.” He had no expectation that the creature would be able to understand a word he said, and he remembered something he’d told Jack, It’s not like I’m having conversations with every hunter I see . . . The memory made him chuckle nervously.

  The hunter cocked his head and looked quizzically at Luke. He’d stopped a few feet away, and was no longer making any sound at all, but his hand was still outstretched.

  As had happened before, Luke seemed to instinctively sense what the creature was feeling. The hunter saw him as a dominant pack leader, a master alpha, and he seemed compelled to get closer to Luke, and to follow him. That was mainly what Luke sensed, but he also felt that there were other, more complicated issues, buried underneath. The creature wanted to connect with Luke, but he was also fearful of approaching one so dominant—he was offering himself to a powerful, nearly-alien alpha, and it was up to Luke whether to accept him or kill him.

  Luke knew that he only had a minute or two before he had to get back to the convoy. He didn’t want this hunter trying to follow him, but he certainly didn’t want to kill him either. He tried sending a mental message, telling the creature to run away, but his own thoughts were racing and jumbled. Not knowing what else to do, he reached out and grasped the hunter’s outstretched hand and focused his mind on a single thought, danger here—run away.

  The instant they touched, Luke was inundated with a barrage of images and emotions. It was as if a floodgate had opened, and the contents of the creature’s mind overflowed into Luke’s consciousness. It was too much at once, and Luke dropped the hunter’s hand.

  The creature took a step back and locked eyes with Luke. The shaken teenag
er deliberately focused his thoughts. Danger here—run away. The hunter just continued to stare at him. “Run away!” Luke spoke out of frustration. “I’ll come back and find you, but leave now—”

  Finally, the hunter seemed to understand. He took a few steps back, and Luke sighed with relief. Before he turned and disappeared into the night, the creature slapped his own chest several times and made a deliberate sound, “Wwillll.”

  Luke felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. Oh my God—Will, your name is Will . . . A few of the hunter’s memories—Will’s memories—pushed their way into Luke consciousness: Hey Will, you okay? . . . Daddy, push high!

  Luke stumbled back toward the road; as soon as he’d climbed back over the broken down wire fence, he stopped to retch. The young soldier who’d spoken to Luke a few minutes earlier shined a flashlight in the direction of the noise.

  Luke waved off the intrusive spotlight. “I guess that rich Vicksburg food didn’t agree with a few of us.”

  “Yes, sir,” the soldier replied respectfully. “Kordel says he thinks he can make it back without any more problems. We’re loading up now.”

  “Good; I’ll let Jenkins know that we can hit the road.” Luke climbed back in the lead Hummer, still feeling shaky.

  “Them idiots ready to go?” Jenkins asked, studying the rearview mirror and not really looking at Luke.

  “Yeah—how soon until we get back to the depot?” Luke felt like he might be sick again.

  “Soon enough,” Jenkins replied as he pulled back out on the highway.

  “If you don’t mind, I’m going to try to catch a quick nap.” Luke pulled a blanket up over his head.

  “I thought you didn’t need much sleep ever since the bite.”

  “That’s true,” Luke mumbled from under the cover. “So twenty minutes now will probably last me for the whole night.”

  Jenkins shook his head. “I don’t envy ya. There’s not much I like more than about ten straight hours of shut-eye. Best thing about winter is the long nights.”