She smiled at me and then turned her attention to Nick, who looked stunned.
“Camouflage gear and combat boots?” she asked. “You’re military all the way, aren’t you?”
“You know it.”
“I figured as much.”
“Where did you find a rifle?” Nick asked.
“There’s a false wall in the bedroom closet. It’s loaded with guns and ammo.”
“That’s awesome!” I said.
Nick flashed his famous white smile. “You’re as resourceful as me.”
Val shrugged. “Well, what can I say? I’m the curious type.”
“That was a compliment,” Nick said, slapping her shoulder slightly, “because I’m pretty resourceful myself.”
A hue of red flushed across her cheeks. “Uh…okay. In that case, thanks.”
Never much one for giving out words of praise, Nick rubbed the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed. “Uh…I didn’t have too much time to look around. You were passed out, and I was worried for everyone’s safety with all those zombies around, and—”
Val grinned. “No need for explanations. We’re all on the same team. But if I were you, I’d go upstairs and get some more ammo for your gun.” She then reached down and threw me a handgun, which I caught in one swift move.
She regarded me from under lowered brows. “You know how to use one, right?”
“Yep,” I said. “I’ve been training at the shooting gallery for some time now.”
“Good.”
Nick put his gun away. “Thanks for saving our butts back there.”
Her blue eyes twinkled. “Hey, what are long-lost sisters for?”
We both smiled.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Nicholas,” she continued.
“Please call me Nick. I-I don’t even know where to begin. I have so many questions. This entire thing has totally taken me by surprise.”
She grinned.
Nick ran up to her, hugged her tight, and spun her in a circle. “Dean told me a little, but not much.”
“We’ll catch up later, huh?” she asked.
He nodded, and then motioned around to the dead zombies on the ground. “I didn’t know I had such a tough sister.”
I laughed and joined in on the reunion.
Val held our hands as tears welled up in her eyes. “I’ve waited so long or this moment. I’ve met my biological parents, and now I’ve met both of my siblings. This is best day of my life! I couldn’t possibly let those monsters take that away from me.”
My brother tucked his gun away. “Girl, we crashed in the middle of Zombie Land.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’re together, and that’s all that counts.”
Even though it had barely been a day, I already loved her just as much as I loved Nick. I knew how important it was for us, a family, to stick together through thick and thin. I did have to wonder, however, if humanity would even survive the cruel plague of reanimated cannibals. It wouldn’t be easy, but deep down, I felt we’d somehow make it. We had too; failure was absolutely not an option.
“Hey, do you have that cure with you?” Val asked. “Now might be a good time to use it.”
She wanted to use it because she was slowly beginning to change; I could see that much in her eyes. I thought about how I could break the news and soften the blow, but it would be like trying to hit someone gently with a battle axe. “I do, but I can’t give it to you yet.”
Mistrust filled her voice. “Why not?”
I realized I’d have to tell her delicately, so she wouldn’t flip.
“You’re going to have to let the change occur first, become a zombie,” my brother chimed in. “I’m sorry, because it’s going to suck, but there’s no other choice. As much as I detest it, we’ll be there for you. When the time is right, I’ll give you the antidote.”
Val’s jaw dropped, and various emotions crossed her features, from dread to disbelief, then back to dread.
I elbowed my brother. “I was going to tell her in a nicer way than that,” I half-whispered.
“There’s no way to sugarcoat it, bro. She needs to know the truth.”
“But I…I can’t…I don’t want to turn into one of those things!” Val’s eyes brimmed with tears.
“It’s the only way,” I softly said, rubbing my hand up and down her back, which was about all I could do. As much as I wanted to help, I was helpless. I couldn’t even find the right words to soothe her, if soothing was even possible at that point.
I expected a fit or lots of crying. She did neither. She just spun around and headed toward the house, her long hair dangling behind her like a curtain.
“Wait!” I shouted, running after her. “Where’re you going?”
“I need to punch something, preferably a wall.”
I looked at Nick. “Yep, she definitely has our temper.” Of course, if I’d have been faced with the same dilemma, I’d probably have wanted to start punching holes in things too.
“C’mon,” Nick said. “Punching a wall will solve nothing. Trust me on that. I’ve only done it a million times. Some of the holes I’ve left aren’t pretty, and my knuckles weren’t either. Like I said, it accomplishes absolutely nothing.”
She stopped and turned slowly, her eyes ablaze. “Fine! Then I’m going to give those chicks you picked up a piece of my mind.”
“Geez. You should’ve just let her go hit the wall,” I mumbled.
She threw her hands up in the air. “You two left me in the hands of complete and utter idiots. Had I not woken up, we’d all be dead!”
I hated to admit it, but she was right. Even if the girls didn’t want to fight, they could’ve been our eyes and ears and let us know which way the zombies were coming from so we wouldn’t have had to worry about sneak attacks. Instead, they just hid inside the house after we risked our lives to help them find shelter.
“You’re angry at us,” Nick yelled, “not them. You’re mad at the way the cure works. I understand, because I’d be pissed, too, but you can’t take out your anger on them.”
“Who in the heck dresses fashionable in the middle of a zombie apocalypse anyway?” she said. “Look at me. I’m wearing blue jeans, a t-shirt, and some great running shoes to get me the heck out of Dodge should the need arise. Really, who are they trying to impress? You can’t turn on a freaking zombie, no matter how cute your outfit is!”
“Maybe they have a thing for Bob.”
“Bob?”
I pointed down at the dead zombie in the mechanic’s work suit. “At least that’s what his name tag says.”
She rolled her eyes, obviously not finding my joke very funny, and I really couldn’t blame her for being in a bad mood. We didn’t even know if the cure would work. If I was a nervous wreck myself, since the thought of losing my only sister scared me to death, I knew she had to be even more on edge.
“Those little fashionistas hid in the house like a couple of scared mice,” roared Val before she slammed the door, beyond pissed.
I certainly hoped those girls had found some weapons, because it seemed my sister’s wrath might be more fatal than any brain-devouring zombie.
Chapter 6
Nick and I hung outside for a few minutes, and I listened to his monologue as he went over our game plan. I tried to listen as closely as I could, but after a while, I couldn’t help but interrupt his train of thought.
“Those zombies looked like animated corpses, like something out of a horror movie. It’s just…unbelievable.”
“I think you’re still high from all that adrenaline. As you can see, it’s not all movie magic getup. It’s the real thing. We’re fighting against the living dead here.”
I shook my head, trying to comprehend his words. “They’re pretty easy to take down when they come at ya solo.”
“Like I said, never underestimate them. All it takes is one scratch or bite. We lost Martin from just one tiny prick from one of their nasty nails.”
I nodded, t
hinking back to the one guy everyone on our street liked, Martin. We had grown up together and gone to school together, where we’d been trained in combat, since that had become customary. I still couldn’t believe he was gone. “I know,” I said, eager to change the subject before my emotions got the better of me and I slumped into that depressing dump I always sank into when I thought of poor Martin. “That’s why I was freaking out when a zombie bit my boot.”
Nick’s eyes grew wide. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He knelt down and started examining my scuffed-up boots.
I pushed him away, a bit rougher than intended. “Hey, I’m fine. He didn’t get through.”
Nick stood. “You’re pretty lucky. Their teeth can cut right through leather.”
“Yeah…lucky.”
His gaze pierced mine. “Don’t ever let a zombie get that close to you ever again.”
I returned his glare, ready to stand my ground if need be. “It wasn’t like I planned it.”
“Yeah? Well, that’s what Martin said too,” Nick said dryly.
We had both been through so much personal loss: friends, comrades, and even Nick’s girlfriend Darla, whom he was forced to shoot. But while I liked to talk about things to unburden my heart from all the fear and guilt over being alive while others were dead, Nick insisted on bottling up his pain, which consequently grew stronger by the day. “I know Martin was your friend as well,” I said slowly. “You’ve been through a lot. I-I’m sorry I called you a monster back at the crash site. I guess I overreacted. I just couldn’t believe you’d want to kill our sister.”
He hesitated a moment before answering. I could see his emotions on his face, playing out like a film, right before my very eyes. He felt guilty, but at the same time he also felt it was his responsibility to take on the lion’s share of work. “It’s okay. I’ve never claimed there isn’t any blood on my hands. I’m probably everything you said and more, but it’s what I’ve had to do to stay alive and defend the city…to survive.”
I cocked a brow. “We’re cool then?” I asked, knowing we’d just about reached our limit of sentimental, emotional talk.
He gave me a fist bump. “Yup, little brother. Cool as ice.”
As we took a quick walk around the house, I noticed two four-by-four Jeep Wranglers in the back yard. “They’re perfect! I love Jeeps, man. It’s the perfect go-anywhere, do-anything vehicle.”
“No off-roading, Dean,” Nick said. “We don’t want to give the zombies an advantage over us. We stay on open, paved roads. Got it?”
I nodded.
My brother’s gaze darted toward the house. “The first thing we need to do is see if anyone lives here. We’re all fighting to survive out here, and we have to learn to respect each other, so no stealing. If the owner has abandoned this place or is, uh…gone, then the trucks are up for grabs.”
On first glance, the house had looked abandoned to me. I felt confident that we’d soon have ourselves a set of wheels as I swung the door open. I knew the place had to be unoccupied because dust was caked on the furniture and mirrors. The fireplace wasn’t stocked with wood and was ice cold to the touch. The living room was spacious and furnished in ugly yellows, antique furniture, oak floors, and cream-colored walls. A mirror hung over two large yellow sofas. I listened to Val going off on the gals and had absolutely no doubt she was my sister; she acted exactly like Nick—and maybe a little like me too.
Claire ignored Val and kept playing a simple tune on an ebony grand piano sitting in the corner of the room.
“You’re a natural,” I said.
She closed the lid of the piano as tears welled up in her eyes. “I know now isn’t the right time to be playing. I just couldn’t help myself. That was the last song my mom and I played before we got separated.”
“I’m sorry,” I said softly, hoping the words would convey just how much I meant them.
She walked away, and my gaze drifted over to the spiral staircase that led up to the second-floor balcony, which stretched across the room with a glass railing. I glanced around for Jackie, who was sitting on the sofa, sipping on a can of Pepsi. My eyes roamed over her perfect body. I knew Val hated her outfit, but it sure showed off her incredible curves and long, pretty legs. I was mesmerized.
Val stared at me for a while, her mouth pressed into a thin line. For a moment, I thought she wanted to say something, but then she just shook her head, as though she found it a hopeless cause to share what was on her mind. She turned her back on me, hesitating, then poured bottled water over a towel and handed it to me. “Clean that thing off! And don’t think I didn’t notice your drooling.” She pointed down at my sledgehammer.
I wasn’t sure whether she meant I should clean it or that she thought she’d seen me drooling over it. My gaze wandered from the damp towel to the sledgehammer, and a smile crossed my lips. “I didn’t realize a sledgehammer could be so sexy,” I said.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m pretty sure you know what I meant.”
“Thanks. I know you mean well.” With a nod from her, I started to clean all the zombie guts off the hammer.
Val had calmed down some, but I could tell my sister’s theatrics weren’t over. “When did you have time to change that dress of yours?” she asked Claire, her voice sweet as honey. “While I was out there saving our butts?”
“It was bloody!” she yelled back with mock disgust.
“If all you care about is looking cute, you’ll never survive out here! How far do you think you’ll get in flimsy sandals?”
Jackie cut in, “Hey, if we’d have known zombies were about to break in and we’d end up running for our lives, trust me, we would’ve chosen other shoes.”
Val set her bottled water down on the coffee table. “If you’re going to hang with us, you darn well better get yourself a decent pair of tennis shoes…and next time, you better have my back.”
“We will,” Jackie said. “We’ll go find some jeans and better shoes upstairs. I think I saw some close to our size.”
“Why do I smell perfume?” Nick asked.
Val motioned to the girls. “These geniuses found a bottle upstairs and slathered themselves with it.”
“We were trying to get the smell of blood out of our hair and clothes!” Claire whispered, the telltale hue of red covering her cheeks. “We’ve been through a lot, so please, can you just…?” Her voice trailed off insecurely.
I regarded her intently. The way her gaze shifted across the floor uncomfortably told me she knew she should’ve been out there helping us instead of cleaning up, but either she couldn’t help herself or it was her way of dealing with the prospect of an untimely death. Who can blame her?
Val looked at me and shrugged. “Can you believe these girls? How are they still alive? I’ll tell ya. They’ve been riding everyone’s coattails and—”
“Val, that’s enough,” Nick said as he sipped on a can of warm Pepsi from the pantry. “These girls have lost people they’ve cared about. They’re in shock and doing the best they can. Besides, they’re the least of our worries right now. Let’s scavenge the house for supplies.”
I nodded. “Yeah, let’s look for any possible weapons, canned food, bottled water, and medical supplies,” I suggested, knowing Val’s dressing needed to be changed as soon as possible.
“You guys are right.” Val stood and walked over to the glass wall. “There’re Jeeps outside. Whoever lived here might’ve tried to make it out alive, but they obviously didn’t, which explains why the place is deserted. Let’s load the Jeeps up with survival gear and get our butts on the road before the same fate befalls us.”
“We need to hurry, people,” Nick said. “Lingering in this fancy glass house makes us sitting ducks. The only way to stay safe is to keep moving.”
Claire suddenly cleared her throat. “Why can’t we all just stay here? You killed the zombies who were chasing us.”
Val shot her an irritated look. “You’re crazy! You might think you’re safe in here, but you’
re not. You can do whatever you want, but we’re not staying here. Come with us if you want, or stay here and play dress-up and die.”
“What makes you such an expert? After what we’ve seen out there, you couldn’t pay me to come with you, and surely not if you keep being bossy.”
“Bossy? Me?” Val looked at me like she was shocked to be called such a name. “Am I bossy?”
I bit my lip. “Uh…well—”
“Well?”
“Maybe just a tad.”
Val blew out a breath and turned back toward Claire. “Trust me, the feelings are mutual. I’ll drop you off in a heartbeat at the first safe place we find.”
Claire tossed her long red hair over her shoulder. “I’m not hitching up with a new group. I’ve been there, done that. The last one couldn’t protect us, and I doubt you can either. My new game plan is just to stay here.” She nudged Jackie’s arm. “This is a great hiding place, right?”
Before Jackie could answer, Val cut in. “Suit yourself. It’s your funeral. But we’re outta here, right, guys?”
Nick carried a case of bottled water. “Definitely. Staying here is like signing your own death certificate, especially with these glass walls. Besides, you girls don’t even know how to defend yourselves.”
“I packed up all the guns, but I left two out for Claire and Jackie,” Val said, pointing to the fireplace mantel. “I also put a bunch of holsters on the table for everyone. Well, I think Nick has his own. But anyway, give Claire and Jackie one, and while you’re at it, maybe you should give them some pointers.”
Claire rolled her eyes. “I’m really not into violence.”
“I don’t care what you’re into. It’s all about survival now,” Val said. “’Cause those things will tear you apart. They’ll munch on your flesh—gnawing, biting, and chewing—all while you’re still alive watching.”
Jackie threw a couch pillow at Val. “C’mon! That’s gross!”
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