Jude opened his mouth as if to say something, changed his mind, and clamped his jaws shut. He grabbed a hammer and some nails from the tool chest they had appropriated.
“I’ll shore up some weak spots,” he said, and he was soon happily hammering away and surprisingly it made him feel better. He had to fight the impulse to whistle. Billy would find a way, he was sure.
Outside Billy already made one complete circuit of the island. It was very small and though a large beach and swim area was facing the marina; a thin beach ran the entire shoreline making it easy to tramp around the island without fighting through scrub brush. The snow looked like it was ebbing a bit. Billy hoped that meant the skies were clearing. That cut both ways as sun during the daylight was certain to help melt any ice, but clear skies at night meant frigid temperatures. Billy didn’t think the cold snap would last long. They were too far south. If they could just hold out then they could start for home and look for survivors and maybe even family.
Billy gulped a little thinking about his mother. She had always been so tough since Billy’s dad had passed away. It was so long ago Billy couldn’t even remember what his father’s voice had sounded like. His mom had tossed ball with him and taught him to slide. She would have made a good shortstop, Billy thought at times. The guys thought that Billy was blasé about returning home, but the fact was he didn’t think anyone was left. Going home and finding them dead would just complete a book he didn’t want to get to the end of.
He found himself back at the main beach and tried to make the far shore, but even with the snow abating, it was obscured. He felt like a lonely sentry and he forgot the cold. A sudden snapping of a branch brought him out of his daydream. He spun around and faced towards the woods. He felt a thrill as he saw a figure emerging from the small trees and brush. It was a girl of maybe ten years. He lowered his rifle in astonishment and took a step back. How could a child have survived all this time alone? He started to put his gun away so as not to scare the child when his heart turned to ice. The girl growled at him and increased her speed. The look of hunger was in its dead eyes. Billy realized he was crying as he raised his gun.
Chapter Four
Billy could not bring himself to shoot at first. He tried to call out to his friends, but the sound died in his throat. When the girl was less than ten feet away, he shot. The bullet hit the girl in the shoulder and spun her around, but she kept her feet and continued towards him. She had almost reached him when Billy pulled the trigger again and blow a hole out the back the of the girl’s head. She crumpled to the ground in front of him with one scaly hand on his boot. He wondered what her name had been.
Reacting to the sound of the shots, Jude and Harley came spilling out of the shelter house. Harley had a rifle in one hand and an axe in the other. Jude had a rifle and a pistol. Harley was roaring in a mad rage as he burst through the door and ran towards Billy. He stopped a few paces away when he saw the scene and began to comprehend what had happened. Jude immediately assumed a sentry post and scanned the woods and the ice for more intruders.
Billy had sunk to his knees and was silently weeping. Harley knelt beside him. Laying his axe on the ground he put a gentle hand on Billy’s shoulder.
“Billy, are you alright, man?” he asked. “Are you hurt?”
There was no reply from Billy.
“Billy, please snap out of it. Come back to us.”
“Harley, I just killed a child,” Billy said slowly. “I’m going to Hell.”
“Billy, that girl was already dead,” said Harley. “You saved her from the Hell she was in. Do you think God meant for her to hunt people? Do you think He had that in His plan? No, sir. This is the work of the Devil and we are doing God’s work by putting these people to rest. You think I like putting these monsters down when I’m off this island hunting? Well, I don’t. I do it because I am saving them from the misery that they are in through no fault of their own. We’re the angels, man.”
“What?” said Billy. “You are an unlikely angel, man.”
“All I know is that there must be a reason we survived this far. God must have a plan and I know part of that plan is to stay alive and that means putting these creatures down. Remember, we said no mercy for these monsters and I meant it. It’s part of the plan.”
Billy stood up and Harley did as well. Jude was still stalking the perimeter looking for attackers.
“When did you get so religious, Harley?” asked Billy skeptically. “I don’t remember you as a churchgoer?”
“Here’s the deal, dude. They say you start to believe when God gets your attention. The old man said it was a reckoning and he was right. Whether we caused this or not, a reckoning has been had. Look at it this way. When there were billions of people on Earth we were pretty insignificant, but now maybe there are only thousands or less. Each person is now more important to God’s plan. Each person must stay alive to fulfill that plan.”
Billy gazed at Harley like he was seeing him for the first time. There was a look of admiration mixed with something like alarm. Jude had walked up and joined them.
“I never heard you talk like this before,” said Billy.
“Hey, just because a guy wears camo and likes to hunt doesn’t make him a back woods imbecile. Besides, I’ve had some time to think. Maybe I’m wrong, but I feel a purpose. That’s all I’m saying. Aren’t you the one who said we are the stewards of this new world?”
“That’s what I said,” Billy grinned. “I suppose every time we thin the herd of zombies the world gets a little safer.”
“Well, get prepared to thin it some more,” shouted Jude. He pointed towards the woods and at least two dozen more zombie children were emerging from the trees and scrub. They were all coming from the side of the island that did not face the beach. The snow had stopped and visibility was clearing.
Jude got off the first shot and dropped a small boy in his tracks. The others advanced inexorably. In a moment all three of the guys were firing. Most of the children were in rags and they went down quickly. Four were coming towards Harley as his gun jammed. Harley swore and threw down his firearm and grabbed his axe with both hands. He cut down the children zombies as if they were a stand of small trees. He was in a berserker type rage, thought Billy.
It seemed the battle was about over when another group burst through the brush. In his surprise, Billy could not raise his gun in time and was swarmed under. Dead eyes and snapping jaws were everywhere. Billy was protected by his thick winter clothing, but he felt claws and teeth tearing at him. In a panic he rolled over and over, trying to shake the biters off of him. One was tearing at his upper arm, when Billy heard a crunch. The child zombie’s skull split in front of him from Harley’s ax. Two more whacks took care of the others tearing at his neck and he was able to kick the two off of his legs. Regaining his feet, he fired at a girl in front of him and exploded her skull; spraying him with gore. Turning to the other, he missed the head and tore a hole in the monsters chest. It fell down and began to rise again, growling towards him. Jude calmly walked up and put his gun to its head and blew it off.
Billy was breathing hard and felt as if he was going to throw up. The ground around him was covered with the bodies of children. Blood and gore marked the ground and stood out in stark contrast to the fresh fallen white snow. Jude was staring across the ice towards the beach. It was visible again since the snow had stopped and the shore was filled with the dead. Harley was walking from body to body smashing each head with his axe. It had probably taken less than a minute and now it was over. Billy’s head was still spinning at the attack from the children, when he heard his name being spoken.
“What?” he said turning around.
“I said are you bit, Billy?”
Jude was looking at him with hard, yet sad eyes. Billy realized suddenly what Jude was implying. If a bite got through they had already decided that there could be no mercy. Jude saw the realization sweep over Billy and his heart ached for his best friend. How could I go
on without Billy, he thought, but he knew that he would do what had to be done. Harley had joined Jude and stared at Billy with an unreadable expression on his face. Billy threw down his gun and stood straight up.
“I don’t think I’m bit,” he said hesitantly. “I don’t think they got through my jacket and gloves. You better check for yourselves. I got nothing to hide, guys.”
Harley and Jude began an examination, but it was soon apparent that Billy was right and although he had had a close call, he was undamaged. He was, however, covered in zombie guts. Harley’s assault on the ones that had swarmed over Billy had left its mark all over Billy’s clothes. Jude’s nose wrinkled at the smell.
“Good God, you stink, man,” he said. “But I’m glad you’re still with us even if you do smell like a slaughterhouse. I wasn’t rooting against you buddy, but I’m shocked you could get snowed under like that and not get bitten.”
“I think its just anatomy,” said Billy. “Small jaws couldn’t get around my arms or legs. The heavy clothing I had might as well have been armor. It's like having a sandwich too big for your mouth. I was lucky.”
“Do you think anymore of them are coming?” asked Jude.
“I don’t know. What do you think, Harley?”
Harley mulled it over and looked to the far shore.
“Here’s the deal,” he said. “The children got over the ice because they are lighter than the adults. They also came from the wooded side of the lake. That side is closer, so the ice is probably a little thicker. I think once one made it over, they all came, at least those that were light enough. You know how they operate. They move in herds, so I’m guessing all of them that could make it already came over.”
“That makes sense,” said Billy. “If they all come at the same time…”
Billy trailed off. No one needed him to finish his thought. The sun was shining brightly now, but it still felt bitterly cold. They all instinctively felt their sight drawn to the army on the beach that was milling about in their typical swaying fashion.
“Maybe we should try and light out across the ice towards the woods,” said Jude in a low voice.
“The ice might not support us and we wouldn’t survive a dunking at these temperatures. In fact, our heavy clothing would likely drag us down,” said Harley grimly. “And even if we made it, where would we be? No wheels in the bitter cold with the zombies nipping at our heels the whole way. No, thanks. They might never make it across the ice, and once its warm again we’ll leave just like we planned.”
Jude wanted to argue, but he’d lost that argument before so he decided not to go down that road again. Besides, he thought it was cold enough in the shelter house. How many nights could he survive in the wilderness fleeing from zombies?
****************
On the beach the zombie army was growing, and they were growing restless. They sensed a change in something. They could also see their prey again on the island, and they were starving. They longed to rip apart and eat the flesh of the living. They had nothing a human would call intelligence, but they did have a beastlike raw instinct in acquiring prey. The temperature bit them, but they could not freeze and now something told them the ice was almost ready. A few wandered out onto it again, and this time it held. A feeling almost like excitement went through the legion of the dead and they surged forward to feed.
Chapter Five
The advance of the herd went unnoticed for a few moments until Harley’s sharp eyes caught the attack.
“Here they come,” he said in a strange emotionless voice.
The mob came on slowly, yet with something that approached determination. The calm slow approach was eerie in a way. A group of screaming banshees would have been less stressful to the nerves of the men watching.
“We’re gonna need extra clips,” Billy called out.
“I got it covered,” said Jude and he ran back into the shelter house.
“How many do you think we can take down, Harley?”
Harley considered it and then spit. Billy thought he heard the tinkle of breaking ice as the spit hit the ground. Was it that cold, he wondered?
“The key is to aim every shot.”
As he spoke, Jude returned with a bag of rounds and clips.
“What I’m saying,” continued Harley, “is to not just spray shots out there, but if they overrun us we’re gonna have to retreat to the shelter house and hope it will hold.”
Jude was used to Billy giving the orders and looked over at Billy. Billy was transfixed by the army crossing the ice and seemed willing to cede Harley tactical control of the group, for now at least.
“Harley’s right,” said Jude and entirely missed the smile that Harley and Billy exchanged. They knew Jude always felt best when he was following the leader.
Billy said a silent prayer and closed his eyes. He was interrupted by the sharp crack of Harley’s rifle. He saw a zombie fall at over two hundred yards away. Harley had his eye to the scope and a grin spread across his face.
“That’s one more for me, guys. I’m just killing you all in this thing.”
By the time Billy brought his rifle to his shoulder Jude and Harley had each squeezed off another round. Billy joined in and soon all three guns were barking. Zombies fell and others fell over them, but it was like trying to hold back a stream with bare hands. The others continued on and it was impossible to tell that the group was any smaller.
The zombies were only one hundred yards away now and the firing from the guys became more frantic. Jude in particular was firing round after round in a frenzy. He didn’t seem to be aiming anymore and he was unaware that he was screaming.
Billy and Harley remained as calm as they could. In the bitter cold Billy realized he was perspiring and that his heart was racing, but he held his rifle firmly against his shoulder and made every shot count. He lost track of how many heads exploded a second after he pulled the trigger. In his heart though he knew it wasn’t going to be enough.
Harley concentrated on his gun. He had a way of hypnotizing himself when shooting so that the gun became a living extension of his body. He had already gone through four clips, but his count was very high too. Another soul released, he thought, as an undead attacker went down. I am God’s avenger. Why else am I here? If they overrun us, I hope the last man takes care of his friends. He knew he would. They had never discussed it, but surely Billy and Jude wouldn’t abandon him to a life of ravenous hunger chasing the few humans left alive for food. Another one went down and Harley smiled. The nearest were only fifty yards away now. That just made it easier to aim.
Jude was beginning to panic. He could see the eyes of the monsters and it seemed to him that they were all concentrated on him. No one ever listens to me, he thought. We would all be home if they had listened to me. He wondered what it would feel like to be eaten alive and the hairs on his neck and arms stood up. Jude felt a warmth begin to spread across his lower body. He realized he had pissed his pants. It quickly became cold as it started to freeze. He concentrated on his targets and fired over and over.
Some of the leaders of the pack were almost on to the beach.
“I got it,” shouted Harley over the melee.
He stepped almost to the shoreline and began firing at nearly point blank range. A monster fell with every shot. With Harley taking the leaders Billy started working backwards from the first dozen or so and taking down the next nearest. The main body was still well back, but it was useless. Billy figured that they had used about half of the ammunition and yet the pack still rolled towards them, swaying back and forth as they lurched along with their arms out eager to grasp their next meal.
Jude glanced over his shoulder towards the dark woods. This second wave had come exclusively from the marina side of the island, yet Jude felt as if there were dark figures just out of his sight. He peered deeper into the woods and strained his eyes. Was there something there? He felt a hand fall on his shoulder and nearly fell down spinning to face it. It was Billy.
“Do you see something, man?” Billy asked over Harley’s gunshots.
“What…What?”
“Did you see something moving?” asked Billy again, shaking Jude’s shoulders.
“No…No. Nothing, I just felt something that’s all.”
“Look, we’re gonna have to pull back here soon so listen for my call, okay?”
Jude noticed how close the vanguard of the army now was.
“Sure, Billy. Whatever you say, man.”
Billy clapped him on the shoulder again and began firing towards the approaching monsters. It still seemed hopeless, but he was going to take as many down as he could before they retreated. If they could retreat. He went forward to support Harley, and soon he was standing side by side with his hairy friend firing at the zombies.
“Get ready to fall back, Harley,” Billy shouted. “Jude is watching our back, but we can’t hold them off much longer.”
Harley nodded and kept firing. Billy sighted a huge zombie in his crosshairs just twenty yards away and put a bullet right between his eyes. It gave him a satisfied feeling, but he felt the inexorable crush of the zombie army as it advanced at a shambling gate. Many of the faces were clear now. They seemed to grow eager as they approached their meal.
“Its now or never,” shouted Billy. “Back to the shelter house. Right now, or we’ll never make it.”
With a nod, Harley began walking backwards and continuing to fire. Billy followed his example and they retreated step by step. Harley was an open field fighter and dreaded being locked inside the cabin with a herd of voracious zombies outside, but what else was there to do? Billy felt the same way as they retreated and then he stopped. Harley thought that maybe Billy had decided to make a final stand and he stopped also.
Zombie Civilization: Exodus (Zombie Civilization Saga Book 2) Page 3