by Andrew Lauck
I don’t know how long I waited for him to wake up, but I had watched the fires for a long time before his body jerked awake. Standing up from the porch of his manor, I walked over until my boot was inches from his head.
“Dawes, I have to say you’ve truly pushed me to do things I never thought I would have to do in this lifetime. The things I’ve had to do in the past few days have really made me question my humanity, my morals…hell, I don’t know if my idea of what’s right is actually right anymore.” I patted the carpet and stepped over Dawes, looking over the city as a judge looking down at a guilty criminal. “Katherine is a good woman, Dawes. She’s managed to keep so much faith and heart through all of this mess, and you people have gone to great lengths to drown every possible shot at happiness for her. Now I’m no saint, no moral role model, but I know that she deserves more from people. So, if I were to follow in her footsteps I would just walk away right now. Mercy, after all, is the mark of a great man.”
I sensed Dawes gaining a sort of twisted hope at that idea, so I moved around and crouched in front of him.
“But there’s a problem that we’ve overlooked here Dawes, and I plan to reckon that. You see,” I paused, pulling the box of matches out of my pocket, “I always keep my promises, asshole.” I slowly walked through the town and made my way into each house, lighting a match and setting curtains, books, liquor, anything I deemed flammable on fire. I felt the heat of the flames washing over my back when I was done with the last house, and I stopped to kneel next to Dawes as we both watched his precious town burn.
“You paint me as this unforgivable villain, Eric, but deep down you know I’m right. It may not be today or the next, but at some point you will have to make a choice, and I can’t wait to see when that moment comes. And how dare you judge me!” His body jerked in the carpet and the movement made his face contort with pain. “You burn my town, kill my people, and call me the bad guy?”
“I told you what would happen, Dawes! I could have walked away, even after playing your crazy game, but you went after Katherine, and that’s something I can’t forgive. Unfortunately, I’m now at a dilemma. Part of me wants to leave you for a zombie to eat alive, and I really do like the idea of you squirming as one of those things tears your skin off one layer at a time. You deserve it. But that’s not my place to decide, I guess.” I started to stand and Dawes exhaled, thinking I was done. “I hope you’re ready to reap your rewards, you sick bastard.” With that, I opened a bottle of Scotch and took a drink before pouring it over the carpet slowly. Lighting a match and rolling it over the rest of the box, I dropped the flaming heap on the carpet, and kicked it for several feet until it, and Dawes, rolled through the front doors of the manor.
It would be a long walk back to the garage, but the sight of Dawes burning alive inside his ignited manor was an image that I welcomed being seared in my brain. It would serve as a constant reminder of how far I was willing to go to protect someone I cared for, but also told me that some people could not be saved. Humanity was out there, and I was more determined than ever to find it.
Chapter 25
Back to day 179
2200 Hours (approximately)
So, now you’re all caught up on why I’m sitting on this hill overlooking the burning town. Dawes, along with his posse of sideshow freaks, is dead; the town is a beautiful sight with its burning glow lighting up the night sky, and most importantly, I kept my promise.
I got up and jogged along the road, checking behind me every now and then to remain aware of my surroundings. With all the time in the town and dealing with them, I never forgot about the zombies. They still haunted my dreams relentlessly, and I could hear their moaning ringing in my ears when I woke up.
After a few miles, I noticed a shimmer of sunlight on the horizon; I assumed it was getting close to dawn as I began to feel the heat of the sun roll over me. I also made out the garage across the way and slowed my jog to approach with caution. While I was anxious to see that Katherine was okay, I also didn’t want to rush into a horde of the infected.
The front of the garage was barren, void of plant life or any signs of human activity except for a dual tire tread leading around to the back. Matthew must have had some intelligence whether on purpose or by accident, because by parking in back he avoided someone or something seeing them. I say someone, because while the town was destroyed, I couldn’t trust that they didn’t have yet another area of people as part of their insane survival plan. I edged around the building and saw Bill’s car. Exhaling in relief, I jogged over.
“Matthew? Katherine?” I called out, my hand going to my Sig in anticipation. I saw movement in the front seat of the car before it opened, and Matthew stepped out. My eyes went to the backseat immediately to find Kat still lying down.
“She’s sleeping, sir. I didn’t want to bother her.” He closed the door quietly and stepped toward me. “What do we do now?”
“We?” I looked to him. “Matthew, while I appreciate you getting her out, none of this shit would have happened if you had told me the truth back there in the bar. I can understand not saying anything at the hotel, because we were obviously outnumbered, and you knew I wouldn’t leave without Katherine anyway.”
“I had no choice, sir. I barely convinced Dawes to put you in the game instead of executing you right there on the spot.”
“Yeah, thanks for that,” I replied dryly. “But back in that bar, it was just you, me, Katherine, and Bill. And I sure as hell could have taken him out. Now, with this being a garage and you having so many people in the town, I know there has to be another vehicle around here somewhere.”
“Bill kept a truck in the side garage. He was sort of teaching me how to drive it.” The way he put the last statement made me wonder if Bill was like a father figure to the kid and causing a moment of guilt to hit, but I had to stay true to my convictions.
“If he was teaching you with it, I assume it runs?”
“It’s beat up, but it works.”
“Good. Take the truck and some supplies and leave, Matthew. I can’t ignore that you were in that town before I got there, so you’re just as responsible for anyone who died there.”
“But I never ate anybody!” he protested.
“Kid, I’ll make it simple. If I see you again, I may very well shoot you on sight. Go while I’m still being nice.” Matthew realized he wouldn’t dissuade me, and carrying a plastic bag of food and Bill’s rifle, he walked off toward the side of the abandoned garage. Part of me felt bad for being so hard on him, but I honestly wasn’t sure if I could trust him.
In moments, I heard the engine of a truck start up and saw a Ford pull out onto the road through a broken board in the fence. The sound must have startled her, because Katherine rustled in the back seat behind me, and I turned to her.
“Matthew?” She sat up and held a hand to the side of her head as her body swayed involuntarily. Her other hand went to the car door for support. “What’s going on?”
“Matthew just left, but don’t worry about that. Are you okay?” Upon realizing I was there, Kat visibly relaxed. I crouched down on my haunches and placed a hand on hers. This action prompted a weak smile, and her voice came out groggy.
“I’m fine, just tired.” She seemed like she was going to ask about Matthew, but stopped herself. She must have figured out what I’d done and was either okay with it or waiting to bring it up later. “Where are we?”
“Bill’s garage.” I slid into the driver’s seat and set my bag down on the floorboard of the passenger side, adjusting the mirrors and starting the engine. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to get the heck out of here.” I twisted my head around to look at her and she laughed.
“Don’t worry about me, Eric. I’m fine, seriously. Let’s go.” With that, I flipped the car into drive, and slowly pushed the gate open with the bumper before pulling onto the road going the opposite direction of the town. I had no idea where we were going now or what lay ahead, but Katherine w
as safe, and that was all that mattered.
But for how long?
Chapter 26
Day 180; 0800 Hours
Miles down the road from the town
Katherine drifted back to sleep not long after we started down the road, so I had some time to think to myself. The thought that I could die at any time and leave her unprotected bothered me, my decision to vote Matthew off the island nagged at me, and I felt like part of my humanity had been lost when I killed the people in that town. While they were cannibals who threatened both my life and Kat’s, they were still human beings. Though I was beginning to question who the real monsters were in this new world, and the answer I kept coming to was an unpleasant reality.
Still, seeing Kat smile after all that had taken place last night was definitely a sign that humanity out here was not all lost, which gave me hope. Hell, maybe she was right, and there was even the potential to rebuild. I continued to hold onto the hope that I would find a city that remained untouched by the destruction all around, somewhere safe that I could finally enjoy a second of peace and not be scared and fighting for my life, but the more we experienced the new world, the further away that dream seemed to get.
I sifted through my pack to take inventory of everything, making sure of what I still had. Everything seemed to be there that I had gone into the town with, so I pulled out two MRE’s and set the best one to the side for Katherine. It may seem odd, but after being out in the open for the better part of the last six months, the car felt very comfortable. I reached down and pulled the lever to ease the seat back slightly and started to eat. I can’t remember the last time I ate a full meal, which probably wasn’t helped by how often I had been knocked unconscious lately, but that MRE tasted damn good.
After several minutes of nothing but the sound of my chewing and the wind outside blowing over the flat area, Katherine stirred in the back seat and sat up rubbing her eyes.
“Good morning, sunshine,” I said into the rearview mirror, handing the reserved MRE to her. She took it hesitantly and rubbed her eyes before lifting an eyebrow at me.
“What’s with the smiles? Did you get happy pills in your meal?” I laughed.
“No, I just think it’s gonna be a good day.” I actually believed it, too. After all we had been through, I felt like maybe we had earned a break. Kat didn’t protest and started to devour the contents of the package. It didn’t seem to matter what it was; she was just hungry. “Also, I was thinking today I might teach you some things.”
“Things like what?” She asked between shoveling crackers into her mouth.
“Like how to shoot.” This got her attention, and she barely concealed her anticipation as she looked up, her mouth acting as a dam against the flood of crumbs threatening to burst out when she spoke.
“Seriously?” she asked.
I nodded thoughtfully, and having finished my MRE, set the plastic to the side. “Awesome! When can we start?” I laughed at the uncontained excitement in her voice. I told her to finish eating and meet me outside.
Once she finished her breakfast, she met me at the front of the car. I searched our surroundings a full 360 degrees to make sure we wouldn’t be surprised by any unwelcome visitors and held up the rifle.
“This is a bolt-action .22 rifle. The box magazine is similar to the Sig I showed you back in the hotel. Since this is only a .22, you want to keep it medium-range shooting at most because .22 rounds are more affected by wind and other effects I won’t go into. Now,” I continued, shouldering the rifle. She leaned forward and watched closely, almost studying me, “When you find a situation that requires you to put a target down, this is the stance you’ll want. I know it’s tempting to look like a badass and fire from the hip, but that never works in real life. Place the stock against your shoulder and squeeze into it. Some people have the habit of leaning back, but you need to lean into the weapon to reduce recoil and lessen the impact on your body. Given, the .22 doesn’t have nearly as much recoil as other rifles, but it’s a good habit to get into. I’ll let you fire off a few rounds to get the feel for it.” I walked over and put the rifle down on the hood of the car, leaning into the front seat. “Give me a second.”
I jogged out about fifty yards and pinned the MRE plastic against the top of a larger rock, letting the plastic drape down and create a target. Returning to Katherine, I held the rifle out to her.
“Can I ask what changed your mind, Eric?” she asked as she reluctantly took the weapon. I waited for her to find her stance before pointing downrange at the plastic.
“I want you to shoot that. Right now, there’s not much to interfere with your shot, but keep in mind that sometimes you might need to adjust your shot to account for the wind or lead your target if it’s moving.” I brought my hand back and stood to the side, letting her take aim and begin to fire. Her first shot went wide, but her next few began to drift toward the center as she got the feel for it. “The reason I didn’t want to teach you this wasn’t because I didn’t trust you, Kat. I also know that the decision isn’t always black and white. If it’s a zombie, assuming you accept that the person inside is long dead, it’s an easy choice. But even knowing what Dawes did back there, would you have been able to take the shot? I know how it feels to take a life, infected or not, and I didn’t want you to go through that.”
She stopped shooting and looked back at me. I don’t know what she was thinking, but her eyes showed an emotion. It could have been sadness, or possibly respect.
“The truth is that as much as I wish I could always protect you from that, I won’t always be here. Whether it’s the next minute, day, year, or even old age by some miracle,” I paused and looked to the sky, “I’ll die someday, and I’d rather you know how to survive out here. Sadly, knowing how to use a gun is almost a necessity now.” I felt her hug me and looked down to find her crying against my shoulder. I patted her back and waited for her to pull away.
“Eric, I know you think you’re this hardcore guy, but deep down I think you’re a softy.” She put the rifle down on the hood and ran out to retrieve the plastic. Coming back, she held it out to me. “Thank you.” Her voice seemed to break.
I held the target up toward the sun and saw five holes, one being pretty close to the center. Knowing she had fired ten shots, it wasn’t a bad start. Lowering the target, I looked down to see her sitting on the hood of the car with a grin.
“You’re no marksman, but we’ll work on it.” Her smile grew, which made my brow lower in worry. I’ve been around women long enough to know when they want something. “What?”
“Now will you teach me those moves you used in the store?”
Women.
Chapter 27
Day 181; 1100 Hours
On the road again
We spent the better part of the prior day on hand-to-hand techniques, despite my reluctance, before finally camping out in the car for the night. I’ll be honest with you, sleeping in a car sure beats the hell out of sleeping outside when there are zombies roaming. I still monitored the surroundings, but there was a certain comfort having tempered glass and metal between you and any zombies that might wander over in the night.
I drove past a sign for “Chicago Heights” and decided it might be a good chance to restock on supplies. We weren’t running dangerously low on food or anything, but I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity here and regret it later. The sign showed the pictures for a gas station, a restaurant, and two hotels. I thought of a good fast-food joke relating to zombies, but decided to keep it to myself.
The main reason I avoided the bigger cities wasn’t so much the large populations during the outbreak, because by now one would assume the zombies had moved on to better pastures, but because of the traffic. In a time of crisis, people panic. Panicking Penny packs her kids in the minivan and drives to the highway only to find that she’s stuck at a snail’s pace from all the traffic. You’d think the cars would be moving together, but there’s always that one asshole that can’t
drive and causes an accident two miles up the line. Then the people driving past just have to slow down to see what happened, and before too long, traffic is backed up as far as the eye can see, and the zombies are left with an all-you-can-eat buffet. Therefore, if you find yourself asking why I refuse to go toward a big city since it would have more supplies to plunder, you have your answer.
We hit the city limits of Chicago Heights, and I debated the pros and cons of hitting a gas station up ahead. The car wasn’t dangerously low on gas, but I’d rather have extra gas on hand then get stuck somewhere in the middle of a hundred zombies beating on the car to get at the gooey center. It was a risk, but I decided it could prove worth it. The biggest concern was that people would have stocked up on gasoline on their way out of town, so the chances of a gas station having any gas left were pretty bad. On my way out of Chicago, I recalled passing by quite a few that had “Out of gas” signs up.
I could tell we were closing in on a gas station as the cars became more condensed, and I had to work to maneuver through the maze. The gas station was connected to a small restaurant, so the likelihood of food being present was becoming a greater possibility. I slowed the car to a halt a hundred yards from the entrance to scope out the situation before immediately rushing in.
The blinds in some of the windows were broken and tilted toward the floor; others were fine. No signs were present, and the glass was mostly clear except for a spot where I could see writing. Pulling the binoculars out of my bag, I tried to make out the words, but they were gibberish. The gas station doors had a bar draped across them to keep them closed, but the restaurant side’s doors swung open with the wind.
I shook Katherine awake and checked my Sig for the hundredth time. It had become a habit now to check my ammo, not only to make sure I had a round chambered, but it also helped clear my mind. Out here, that brief moment of sanity was everything.