The smell rolled off Manhattan and to the very island where they now placed their feet. The odors of death and decay, and the burning flesh-charred stench that filled their noses, rested on the back of their throats and made all of them feel queasy and restless. They each put on the bandanas that Harry had been collecting. It helped a little.
“You know, I truly didn’t think you guys were coming back,” Oliver said as he stepped up the ramp. His footing echoed in the stillness.
“For a while there, we didn’t think we would be. It got pretty intense for a while. How were things on the boat?” Bellamy asked, while going with Oliver up the ramp.
“Nakos’s sister is getting worse. Jackson, too, he doesn’t seem to be healing well at all. Apart from tending to the ill, it was just a waiting game. Lucky for you, my mom taught me how to be patient,” he said, casually slapping his large hand across the top of Bellamy’s back.
They hadn’t gotten much past the pier when they saw the first group of human zombies, with their grotesque mutilated faces on top of drawn-in skeletal frames bent at extraordinarily unnatural angles. Their arms, hands, and mouths all reaching for the men as they took shaky, almost drunk-like steps toward them.
The deep gagging groans, a shrill deep-throated sound, reminded Noah of a collection of alligators that were caught by poachers. He’d been part of an international animal rights protection group, catching poachers in Africa. He shivered as he drew his pistol up, aimed, and began firing.
The horde began to fall, one by one. Their crumbling, diseased bodies would catapult forward, backward, some even sideways. A bullet went into the open mouth of one, spilling teeth that seemed to dance in the air before falling. Another had short hair on one side of its head, the other side void of anything other than sprouts of fine whiskers. It was hit in the stomach. It leaned over and then stumbled on uncertain legs as it still reached forward in a desperate attempt to grab one of the men.
They kept coming. The ones in front were down, and the ones in back kept lumbering closer with an inexorability that stunned Noah. A man in torn jeans, no shirt, and a hole the size of a large bowl in the middle of his abdomen lurched forward. He tried to grab hold of Harry’s shotgun, mistaking the shotgun for an arm. Harry pulled the trigger and the thing blasted backward, taking two more down with him.
The ones on the ground Bellamy shot in the head. Still, the others continued coming. Some fell into the water and some spun in half-circles before falling into heaps, allowing more to push through. But bullets rained down on them faster than they could move. The line in front of the men began to whittle down, seemingly exploding. Blood the color of black ink covered everything like a rain shower from a stormy cloud.
They went down, their heads split open and their torsos blasted to fibrous pieces, making way for the few left behind them. The men stood about five feet from the horde of undead. Just when they thought it was over, a dead man rose from the pile, wriggling to free himself of the twice-dead zombies that were heaped around him. The struggle was astonishing to watch. His outstretched arms clawed at nothing, his decayed mouth biting at the air while continuing to make that horrid deep-throated sound.
Ethan stepped forward and used his wooden sword. Fluidly, he took the thing out. The ringing in their ears lingered for a bit as they each studied the masses before them. Then they studied the areas above the pier, making sure it was clear enough to carry on with the search.
Harry reached into his backpack, pulled out lighter fluid, poured it over the dead, and lit them up. They carried on. Fanning out around the perimeter of the island, every inch was checked. Inside the café and bookstore, they faced a couple of human zombies. Some were found in the information center, and some were ambling around the flagpole plaza with zombie dogs. A handful of human zombies were eliminated inside Fort Wood, along with more zombie dogs around the outside near the Sculpture Garden. They believed they’d cleared every inch, so the cleanup began. A few hours later they were able to get the passengers off the ferry, and areas of the island were sorted for their first overnight stay.
They put Ankti, along with Jackson and his son, in the Information Center building. Bellamy wanted them quarantined, since he was still unsure of their illnesses. While the doctor had diagnosed Ankti with a flesh-eating disease, something wasn’t sitting well with Jackson, and although he hadn’t developed any sores Bellamy wanted him isolated none the less. He went on a gut feeling that all wasn’t as it seemed.
The others found the ground floor of Fort Wood to be too overwhelming, so they established themselves in the café and bookstore. They made them habitable by pushing things to the sides, and what was completely unnecessary and in the way was dumped outside.
It was decided that a trip back into the city for camping cots, tents, gas cookers, and more weapons would be done in the morning.
The first night on the island spooked most of them. The smell still creeped into the backs of their throats. Ronan was far too irritable for Shadow to tolerate, so she moved herself into the gift shop, talking Ethan into joining her.
“Come on, dude, you gotta come with me. I promise you I won’t bite. I just can’t stand that little kid. He’s driving me insane, and there’s no way I wanna be alone, so you’re it.” She slapped Ethan across his ass with her hand.
“I can do that. After tonight, though, you might want another roomie. I snore like a trumpeting herd of elephants.” He smiled as he spoke to her, leading her out and heading for the gift shop.
“It would take a real herd of elephants to wake me. After I smoke this joint, I’m going to be out for the count. Nothing will wake me, and that’s what I’m most scared of,” she said as she rolled her doobie while walking at the same time. When they reached the door to the gift shop, she stood outside smoking, the instant euphoric flush. The numbness and sweet zippiness etching its way throughout her body. She drew in large drags, and her eyes closed. Her body seemed to automatically relax as an orgasmic, pleasurable rush flowed through her.
Ethan watched her without blinking an eye. He put Crunchie down to let him have a frolic and do his business, and then they both went in. Shadow was always very different after her weed. It was beginning to cause Ethan reefer envy, even though he would still not accept her multiple offers to share a joint. He would sustain himself until he no longer could.
“Oh, I wonder what food they have in here that’s edible,” Shadow said as she skipped around the gift shop, picking things up and tossing them aside. Suddenly, she burst out laughing while tossing a package from hand to hand.
“What’s so funny?” Ethan asked as he made himself comfortable using a large fur rug that he’d picked off a rack.
“This.” She held up a Barbie doll. It was a Statue of Liberty Barbie, wearing a patina-inspired gown. Ethan couldn’t see the funny side. He smiled and petted Crunchie. Feeling tired, he hunkered down and curled up on his side. Crunchie nestled into the space between Ethan’s chest and the tops of his thighs.
Shadow dropped the Barbie, grabbed a chocolate bar and some Liberty gummies, and inhaled them as she took a rug off the rack for herself. Imprinted on it was the Liberty lady, with bright gold sparkly stars woven throughout. She lay down next to Ethan, her head next to his. Her eyes blinked in the light from their lanterns.
Ethan reached his hand out and turned off the lantern.
“Goodnight, Shadow.”
“No, don’t turn that lantern off. Turn it back on, dude.” Her voice threatened to break as she gripped hold of Ethan’s outstretched arm.
“All right, this better?” he said, turning the lantern back on.
“Yeah, dude. Now shush, I need my beauty sleep,” she snickered. She closed her eyes, refusing to let go of Ethan’s outstretched arm. He fell asleep with his arm stuck out and woke to it being numb and tingling all over. He pulled away from her hand, reached up into the air, and shook his arm until the tingles vanished. Getting comfortable again, he shut his eyes and drifted back into a dee
p sleep.
In the bookstore, Julie curled up alongside Calloway. Her body shook as she tried to find sleep.
“It’ll be okay now, babe. We have a safe place now,” Calloway said as he reached back with his hand and gently squeezed her hip, pulling her into him a little closer.
“Nothing will ever be okay, Calloway. You know that, right?”
“It may never be the same, but we are safer, and that I believe.”
Julie lifted her shoulders in a deep sigh. She mumbled under her breath as her body shook like the tail of a rattlesnake.
“This is the first time in a while that we’ve had a moment to think, to breathe, and I don’t like it,” Julie said as she began to gnaw on her fingernails. Calloway turned to face her. In the dim light of the lanterns, he could see how fragile she was. Her once pixie hair had grown a few inches. It sat untidily on the tops of her shoulders. Under the light, her diminishing weight made her look even more gaunt. He took her hands in his, to stop her nail biting. Looking deeply into her eyes, he said, “Babe, what is it that you don’t like? We’re safe, so I don’t understand.” Calloway held her hands a little tighter as he felt her pulling away to bite her fingernails some more.
“It’s my brain. Now that we’re not running, hiding, escaping death, I can think. My brain isn’t shutting up, so all I can think about is Tiffany and death.” She burst into tears. Her lips sucked in and out as tears bunched up and fell across her cheeks. Calloway drew her closer, held her tightly, and whispered into her ear.
“Tiffany is never forgotten. She’s with us every single day, and the sad reality is that you’ll grieve forever, as will I and Timothy. None of us will get over the loss of our loved ones. We’ll learn to deal with it, we’ll heal, and we’ll rebuild ourselves around the losses we’ve suffered. We’ll all be whole again, but we’ll never be the same, nor should we be, nor would we want to be.” He took his left hand and held it firmly against Julie’s chest, over her heart. Her tears flowed heavily until she cried herself to sleep.
Calloway lay there watching her for a while, and then his eyes roved to his son Timothy. His thoughts jumbled about like a jack-in-the-box within his mind. He too was feeling the loss and missing his daughter, the one he always called Princess. He would never forget her. A stray tear rolled from his left eye and suspended on his cheek before dripping slowly downward.
He laid his head down, unable to find peace as his mind flooded with the tribulations he’d suffered along the way. Reaching Liberty Island was solace, but not forgiveness.
Bellamy and Lily had moved themselves to a far corner of the bookstore. The space was limited, even with the clearing of items. They managed to find an area slightly away from the group, and though both of them felt the urgency for an intimate roll in the hay, they held off. They stayed entombed in a tight embrace, mesmerized in the gaze of each other’s eyes.
“We made it,” Lily said softly, with a hint of flirtation edging her smooth voice.
“We did, babe, we did. It’s not over, though. As much as I want to say it is, it isn’t. We have a lot to do to make this our new home.” He leaned in and kissed her sweetly on her cheek. She turned and kissed him full on the lips.
“Will you promise me something?” she said as she pulled back from the kiss.
“Anything, babe.”
“Well, first you have to promise me you won’t laugh, and second, you have to promise me you won’t run for the hills.”
Bellamy raised one eyebrow, gave her a wink, and squeezed her hands in his. “I solemnly swear I will not laugh, nor will I run away,” he promised as he looked at her with an eagerness that fanned Lily’s internal flame into a barely banked fire.
“Okay, I just wanted to say… You’re the first man to give me, to give me… Well, to give me butterflies.” Her eyes caught his as she looked into them, the lantern dancing a faint glow over his right eye.
“I’ll tell you a special secret.” Bellamy leaned in close, putting his lips right next to her ear. His hand went around her waist and he pulled her in closer.
“You give me butterflies, too.” With that, he kissed from the top of her ear all the way up to her hairline, across her forehead, and down her nose. He lingered over her plush red lips before diving in for a full kiss, their tongues exploring each other. Then he pulled back, running kisses back up her petite face until he was at her ear again.
“I love you,” he said as he nibbled on her ear lobe. Lily shivered and felt her face go hot.
“I love you, too,” she said, and his tongue met hers once more. “Truth be told, you make the pain of our losses feel easier to deal with. I continue to think about Ruth and Beth, my brother, your best friend Jonah, and everyone else that has died. Somehow, you’ve made it a little easier to move forward. How do you do that?” she asked as she shifted her body, placing her head across his lap. Looking up at him and seeing his strong jaw protruding forward and his muscular chest busting forth was turning her on.
“I don’t know, babe. I didn’t even know I had that effect on you. I guess the feelings we have for one another are the foundation for moving forward, you know? Like building blocks. The ones we loved who have succumbed to those vicious creatures have not nor ever will be forgotten. We just keep on going. That said, I doubt I could ever carry on without you.” He leaned down and kissed her button nose.
“I couldn’t live without you either.” Lily angled her neck in an arch so he could kiss her lips. They needed no words, with their body language taking care of everything. Lily’s eyes grew droopy with sleep weighing them down like an anchor. She couldn’t hold them open any longer and allowed them to close. She drifted off easily, though her dreams were not filled with happiness. They were terrifying recounts of the events leading them to Liberty Island. She woke several times that first night.
Bellamy shot up. He looked around the room. Thinking he’d had a bad dream, he laid his head back down, but not before watching Lily sleep. Then he heard it again. It sounded like a muffled child’s screams for help. Getting up, he made his way around the room. Nearly everyone was sound asleep, except for Nakos and Harry.
“You two hear that?” They both nodded. All three of them followed the noise.
CHAPTER 39
AFTER DARK… BLOOD SPILLS
“Daddy! Daddy, wake up!” cried William, shaking his father’s shoulders.
“Daddy! Please! Daddy, wake up!” William’s cries grew louder, arousing his father into a semi-wakeful state.
“Daddy, stop her, she’s trying to eat me! Please, Daddy, wake up!”
Jackson’s eyes felt like glue. It was a great effort to pry them open. He got his left one open first and saw a fleeting dark shadow dart in front of him. His other eye fully opened, and now he could see. Reaching wearily for his son, he tried to speak.
“Wi, ge ba ere.” His speech was disorientated and missing letters, though William somehow knew what his father was trying to say. Quickly, he scampered beside his father, pulling on Jackson’s shirt.
“Do something, Daddy. She’s going to get us!” he squealed, his breath ragged like a ninety-year-old man. William pushed himself backward, ripping Jackson’s shirt in the process. He was unable to let go of it. He pushed back again, but the wall prevented him from going farther. He pressed his back heavily into the wall. His eyes grew large and his black skin paled as his little feet kicked out.
“Daddy, please! Daddy, stop her!” William’s voice turned into a whisper, “Daddy, please!”
Jackson had no strength to pull her from his son. His internal organs felt mushy, asleep somehow. He just wanted to sleep and helplessly watched Ankti wrap her mouth around William’s ankle. She pulled her head back and William’s flesh and muscle went back with her. She sat gnawing at it before going back for more.
Jackson rolled onto his side, further ripping his shirt as William still held onto it strongly. It was an energy-zapping moment, just to tear away from his son’s grip.
Once he
got onto his side, he used every muscle in his legs to get himself to stand. Now on two legs, he looked around the room for a weapon.
Slowly he walked toward a desk. A paperweight globe with Lady Liberty inside sat on top of it. He picked it up and ambled over to Ankti, raised his arm, and brought it crashing down upon her skull. She crumpled to the floor, looking up at Jackson.
She had white glazed eyes, explosive boils, and welts so big it looked as though a horse had trodden over her repeatedly.
As she gazed into Jackson’s eyes, there was some kind of communication going on. He wasn’t sure how he knew, but he knew just what she was saying.
He picked up the paperweight and tossed it to the side, sat down heavily, and watched as she began to eat the rest of William.
The little boy’s screams tore through the room. His tiny voice soon became so scratched and hoarse that he was no longer making coherent sounds.
Ankti’s cranium had a sunken-in hole where Jackson had pounded her with the paperweight. One of her cheekbones hung much lower than the other. Her nose was missing the nostrils, leaving black holes as dark as those on a skull.
Half her lips were missing and replaced with sores, exposing broken teeth.
In place of her fingernails pointed talons grew. Her entire skin tone had changed from dark olive brown to a murky bluish gray. Every part of her was scabby, bloated with rot, and saturated in congealed, ink-colored blood.
William could feel her hot breath spitting thick glue-like saliva as her mouth pulled back wide enough to envelope most of his thigh in one bite.
He jutted his hips backward, eyeing the paperweight. Throwing his body downward and reaching for it, he wormed his little body toward it, his outstretched fingers just barely scraping the side of it.
At just eight years old, he was no match for Ankti’s strength. He bawled his eyes dry as the desert. William managed one more scream before Ankti moved up to his throat. He felt her frenzied breaths right before she sunk her teeth into the soft tissue on the left side of his neck. She pulled back, his arteries entangled with veins rupturing over her face like a water balloon. His hot blood sent her into a frenzy as she tried to lick her own face.
Hounded | Book 3 | Hounded 3 Page 26