Michelle made a sudden decision to remove the dead man from the hood of their SUV before driving it into the barn. She wasn’t sure how long they would have to hide in there, but she definitely did not want a dead body inside with them. With Lucia’s help and amidst her teenaged protests, they each grabbed a leg and pulled him from the hood leaving a blood trail smeared across the hood and down to the ground. Michelle climbed back into the driver’s seat and quickly drove into the barn as Lucia jogged alongside. Lucia stopped suddenly, bent down with her hands on her knees and vomited. With the entire contents of her stomach now on the ground, she continued to dry heave for a moment before she was able to stand up and pull herself semi-together. Once inside the barn, Michelle was relieved to see Lucia visibly relax.
Michelle hopped out and helped Joey to pull the door closed. She looked for a way to secure the door from the inside and saw that there was a metal lift bar that could be placed on the inside of the doors to secure them. She grabbed one end and Lucia lifted the other as they placed the bar in the slats.
Joey had hurried to the other end of the barn to check the doors on the front. There was already a metal drop bar in place. The only light in the barn came from two windows above hay lofts at either end. The windows allowed just enough light for them to maneuver around the barn without running into anything, but not enough light to reveal the full contents of the barn.
Michelle opened the rear of the SUV and reached into the duffel bag stored there searching for a flashlight. It was still light enough outside that there was no danger in using the flashlight inside the barn. Shining it around, she saw a large tractor, some gas cans and tools taking up nearly a quarter of the barn’s space. In other areas she saw rakes, shovels, gardening tools, oversized hedge clippers, bags of fertilizer and some other maintenance items. There were a variety of tools and supplies she was unfamiliar with, but the barn appeared to be used solely for storing everything required to maintain the property.
“You both need to eat. Grab food and water from the trunk. Don’t touch your backpack supplies; we need to keep them full in case we need to leave in a hurry,” she quietly told Joey and Lucia. “I’m climbing up to the hayloft so I can look out that front window.” She desperately wanted to know if their plan had been successful or not. Looking out that window was the only safe way to find out.
The wooden ladder appeared to be well made and sturdy. Michelle tested the first step with her weight and felt secure to climb it. She quietly made her way up the fifteen steps to the top and climbed onto the hayloft. She stepped lightly toward the window, and then crouched down to look out. The dead were just starting to come around the curve. They stumbled and shuffled about slowly but followed the road in front of them. Some of them were in front of the ‘fancy house’ now, but none had made it past yet. The crowd of zombies filled the road from shoulder to shoulder with a few shamblers in the grass on either side.
Michelle heard a light noise behind her and turned to see Joey climbing the ladder with his hands full. He quietly made his way over to her and handed her a bottle of water and a protein bar, then settled down next to her to watch the dead on the road.
“What’s Lucia doing?” Michelle whispered to Joey.
“She’s getting another flashlight from the backpack in the front seat.”
Moments later they heard Lucia climb the ladder with her flashlight in hand. She silently joined her brother and her mom at the window. The lead element of the dead was now passing the wooded area that sat before the barn. They still followed the road as if it were leading them to their next meal. A few stragglers out front of the large group of dead walked straight ahead without glancing in the direction of the barn. The barn sat at least a half-acre back from the road, but Michelle doubted whether it would matter how close it was to the road. They didn’t seem to look up or notice their surroundings unless they saw or heard a living person.
They quietly watched for a half hour as the dead continued to appear from around the curve and followed the path of the zombies in front of them shuffling up the road. The group had swelled to at least two hundred. The houses here were spread so far apart that they had yet to see any of the dead come out from the houses to join the procession as they were parading by.
They continued to trudge by in a seemingly endless flow. Michelle decided they would stay the night in the barn. As long as they kept quiet, there was nothing to draw the dead toward them so they would be relatively safe there. The sun was starting to set, so she told the kids to get some sleep while she kept watch.
Chapter 9
Day 1
Anna stared at her phone for a second, completely stunned to see that she had a text message. She opened it and almost cried with relief when she saw that it was from Max.
‘Babe, I’m okay. Jesse’s with me. We’re on the scaffolding about to go inside to figure out what to do next. We saw everything fall apart in the square while we were up here. This thing moves faster than you could imagine. Everyone down in the square is dead now. The only way to kill them is a headshot. Nothing else stops them. They’re everywhere. I’m sure they’ll make it to the suburbs soon. Secure the house, load all of the guns and keep quiet. I’ll get there as soon as I can. Love you baby.’
Anna read and reread the message. It was sent early in the afternoon. So much could have happened between then and now that the relief she felt upon seeing the message started to dissipate. She tried calling him, but the phone lines were still nothing but static. She decided to send him a text with the hope that it would go through but her phone unexpectedly chimed. It was another message from Max. Her heart did somersaults in her chest as she opened the second message.
‘We’re safe. It’s just me and Jesse. We made it to the top of the parking garage by the hotel. The dead can’t get to us here. We’re going to stay here tonight and figure out a plan for tomorrow morning. I don’t know if the texts are going through but my last message said it was sent so I’m hoping you get this. It’s a little after nine now. Baby, it’s going to take us a minute to get there. The city is burning, and zombies are everywhere. Board up the house; block the gate, bar the windows if you can. Pack go bags for you and the kids in case you have to leave fast. Pack as much water, food, weapons and ammo as you can. The power probably won’t last more than a few days. Michelle and the kids are probably headed your way. Keep things quiet and dark. If the dead don’t see or hear you they’ll probably pass by without even seeing the house. If something happens and you have to leave, head for the lighthouse. If you have to keep going, hell, leave me a note. I’ll find you. I love you Annalise.’
Anna’s eyes filled with tears as she read the message. She looked at the time. It was just after 9, so he had just sent it. Max was safe. At this very moment he was three stories off the ground in the open air and he was safe. She didn’t know how the hell he would make it home, but she knew he would do it.
Anna hit the reply button on her phone.
‘Baby, I love you. It’s 9:15. I just got both of your messages. We’ve secured the house. Damon was on top of everything. We’re boarded up inside and out and almost everything is barred on the outside. The house is as safe as it can be. I’ve done a few perimeter checks. So far only one zombie across the street. A neighbor a few houses down and probably his wife too. I’ve gathered all the weapons, loaded all of the guns, and packed necessities if we have to leave quickly. No word yet from Michelle. You come home to us, Max. I love you.’
Anna took a moment to compose herself. She sent a message to Michelle then she went to share the news with Camille and Damon.
Chapter 10
Day 2
Max awoke to the sunrise. He’d dozed on and off during the night but didn’t get any solid sleep. Reliving the horrors of the day before and trying to figure out a plan of what to do next had kept him from getting real rest. He glanced at Jesse and saw that he was awake too. He lit a cigarette then passed the pack to Jesse.
On the streets
below crowds of zombies shuffled about everywhere. Most wandered aimlessly while others feasted on the few unfortunate living who were caught in their grasp. Screams could be heard but they were distant, didn’t last very long and weren’t constant anymore. There weren’t many living people being torn apart by the dead. Most were now dead themselves or were hidden away within various pockets throughout the city. Max thought that surely there must be some living people scattered about and trapped or hiding in office buildings, hotels and shopping centers, but he was unable to see any living person out there other than himself and Jesse.
Downtown had fallen so quickly yesterday that Max thought the dead had probably taken over most of the country by now. Considering the news reports from overseas, the news Jesse had seen yesterday morning about the East Coast, and that Cleveland was pretty much dead and on fire, he couldn’t imagine that any part of the country was still normal at this point.
He’d been overwhelmed with relief last night when Anna had texted him. She was as equally smart as she was stubborn and would do anything to protect their children, so he wasn’t surprised to learn that they had already secured the house and made as many preparations as they could. Now he just had to figure out a way to get home to them.
He looked at Jesse and knew what his best friend was thinking. As of last night, Michelle, Joey and Lucia hadn’t made it to the house yet. A small part of him couldn’t help but fear the worst, but Michelle was every bit as tough as Anna was. He had to believe they would make it.
“They’re going to make it, bro,” Max reassured Jesse. “Hell, they may already be there.”
“Yeah,” was all Jesse said. He wasn’t going to give up hope, but he needed to know that they were safe. He checked his phone again. Nothing. He sent a quick message to Michelle to let her know they were okay and were going to get there as soon as they could. They sat quietly for a few minutes as they finished their smokes and let their eyes scan what they could see of the city.
The Terminal Tower building was on fire. Flames shot upward through the building all the way to the observation deck at the top. Smoke billowed from broken windows. The building also encompassed several stories that were underground including the rapid transit station. Underground walkways to the basketball arena and to the large parking facility that sat out of view several streets over were bound to catch fire if they hadn’t already. The hotel was attached to the tower building. It didn’t look to be on fire yet, but it was only a matter of time. Once the hotel caught, the attached parking garages would go next. Max and Jesse were on the roof of the farthest garage at the rear of the building complex, but it was inevitably going to catch fire. And it was possible that the fire had already spread several stories below ground level. Their remaining time on top of the parking garage was limited.
Max and Jesse had talked a bit on and off during the night as they watched the city die around them. They had discussed possible options but hadn’t settled on a definitive plan yet. There was no obvious choice.
They had to find a vehicle to at least get them out of the central downtown area. Going on foot here wasn’t a possibility. They could run non-stop but no matter which way they ran, they would end up in the waiting arms of the dead. They were at the far rear of the building complex, at the opposite end from where Public Square sat. They would have to continue in that direction because heading toward the square would be suicide. There were countless open blocks and parking lots expanding outward from the square and that entire area was full of zombies. Once they found a vehicle they would have to drive the other way in the general direction of the interstate.
Half a block down there was a garbage truck stopped in the lane closest to them. If there were keys in it, they could leave the dumpster retriever bars down for extra protection and try to drive it through the crowds for as far as it would take them. They would have to rappel down the side of the garage and run half a block to the truck. They figured it would be difficult but doable. If the truck were unlocked and had the keys inside, they would take it and go. If they made it to the truck only to find it locked, they’d have no choice but to climb up on top of the truck and possibly get themselves surrounded while sitting up there. The crowd between them and the truck wasn’t nearly as thick as the crowd that poured over Public Square. They could shove some of the dead out of the way while killing others, just like they had done inside the hotel. In the opposite direction, the square was so packed with the dead that they were barely moving. There would be no getting through that crowd.
The only other option they could see was to climb down into the parking garage and hope to find an oversized truck or SUV in the valet parking area. Several upscale hotels utilized this parking garage, so there were sure to be luxury vehicles. There was also the guarantee of keys for every single vehicle. There were two downsides that could make things difficult. One was that they had no idea whether the parking garage was full of the dead of not. The other was that they would have to get down to the first floor to gain access to the keys.
“If we try the parking garage, we’re going to have to exit on the front side in view of the corner of the square,” Jesse started. “And if we take the truck, we’re going to make a hell of a lot of noise, but it’ll be for a smaller audience.”
“If the truck doesn’t have keys, we could be stuck on top of it for a while,” Max said. “But have you noticed how these things never look up?”
“They will if they see us.”
“Yeah,” Max replied. “How about we check out the parking garage first? I’ll hook up my harness and climb down slowly. If it’s full of the dead, you pull me up and our decision’s made for us.”
“It’s as good a plan as any,” Jesse said. “I’m not sure how much longer we have up here before the fire spreads. Hell, before it spreads inside the parking garage.”
“Let’s go,” Max said. He dug some rope out of one of the backpacks and adjusted his safety harness. Jesse looped the rope through a carabiner and around a thick metal pole that was strong enough to hold five times their weight.
“Whenever you’re ready.”
“I’m good. I’m going to rappel lightly. Just be ready to pull me up if I give the word,” Max replied. He stood at the edge of the roof getting himself into position and then started to make his way down. The corner of the garage housed a staircase, so it was fully encased in brick. Max lowered himself slowly down the brick wall, not wanting to go feet first in the barred openings where the cars were parked. If the garage were full of the dead, they could grab him by his boots before he even laid eyes on them. He got himself level with the top floor of the garage then moved slightly to his left to peer into the parking garage. There were no dead in sight, at least not at this end. He looked straight down at the ground directly below and saw a half dozen of the dead almost directly below him but none of them looked up.
“Nothing there. I’m going down another level,” he quietly called up to Jesse. He lowered himself further down against the wall trying to listen for any dead inside as he approached the second level. Hearing nothing from within, he moved to his left again and took a good, long look seeing nothing.
“Bro, you’re getting too close to the bottom,” Jesse called down quietly. “You’re going to attract an audience on the ground if you’re not careful.”
Max gave him a thumb’s up, and Jesse started pulling him back up to the roof. Max climbed as Jesse pulled and he was back up top in no more than a minute or so.
“Second and third floors are clear. Seems like these things don’t do much climbing. Path of least resistance and all of that,” Max said as he caught his breath.
“No telling about the first floor or underground levels, but if two’s clear, we should be able to make it to the key box on one. Then we take the biggest truck or SUV we can find nearby,” Jesse said. “Let’s lower ourselves to the second floor. Any lower and we’ll definitely attract attention.”
Max agreed. They quickly gathered their gear. J
esse hooked his safety harness to the line. They had four backpacks between them, and their tool belts were heavily loaded with hammers and screwdrivers. They wore thick construction uniforms, heavy gloves and safety vests. They were going to be hot and weighed down, but they weren’t willing to give up a single item for the sake of ease or comfort.
When they were both ready Max started down first. As he passed the third floor he saw that it was still empty of the dead. He continued down to the second and took a quick look to make sure it was still clear. Seeing nothing, he inched to his left and climbed over top of the bars into the garage. Jesse came down after him, climbing in as Max unhooked his harness. They left the rope because they couldn’t risk it falling and attracting any of the dead below. They had plenty of rope in the backpacks if they needed more.
They moved quietly down the gradual slope of the ramp toward the first floor. They hugged the outer wall until they could get a glimpse of the first floor around the corner. Further down the sloping ramp they saw half a dozen zombies. They were spread out and shuffling around aimlessly.
“We should take them out,” Jesse suggested. “It’ll give us more time with the keys. I’d feel better if they weren’t following us and moaning. They’d probably just bring more our way.”
“You ready?” Max asked. Jesse nodded. They quietly made their way to the nearest of the dead. Max came up behind a dead man dressed in a suit that looked expensive. Probably a guest at one of the luxury hotels. Max brought his hammer down on the man’s head, crushing his skull with a loud pop that echoed within the parking garage. “Shit,” Max muttered.
Chronicles of the Undead | Book 1 | Urban Gridlock Page 8