“No games, mamasita, or I’ll cut you in half,” Tomas mumbled.
“None at all, Tomas,” Teresa purred, grabbing the erection with her hands. She gave it a gentle stroke. “That’s it, um, yes. Your tongue is magic.”
The tension in Tomas’ muscles relaxed as he dug in, nipping, licking, and biting. Teresa pushed past the pain and zeroed in on her plan.
In one swift motion, and with the speed of a cat, Teresa clamped her thighs together, smothering Tomas’ face. With all her strength, she squeezed her legs and twisted, muffling Tomas’ screams.
Then, she opened her mouth, shoving the nasty piece of flesh inside. With all her might, she bit down, her teeth ripping through the flesh with surprising ease. The bitter taste of copper filled her mouth while blood seeped from her lips. Turning her head, Teresa spit out the limp chunk of flesh onto the ground. Hot, sticky blood poured from the wound onto her face and neck. Tomas’ body jerked and writhed in agony as his fingers clawed at her legs.
Years of yoga and kick boxing had made Teresa’s body strong. Though Tomas fought back, she held on with every fiber of her being until his struggles lessened.
In seconds, Tomas’ convulsions stopped. Just to make sure he was dead, Teresa reached for a sharp rock to the right, grabbed it, relaxed her thighs, and rolled left. Tomas collapsed onto the ground, blood soaking the dirt underneath him. He whimpered only once before Teresa smashed the rock into his temple.
Again.
And again.
And again, until Tomas’ head was unrecognizable.
Glancing at his chest, she could tell he wasn’t breathing, so Teresa scrambled to her feet. Tomas’ pants and belt rested in a crumpled pile about ten feet away.
And the belt contained the holster with the pistol.
Teresa smiled after checking.
It was loaded.
Hallelujah!
“Tomas? You done? My turn.”
The sound of Miguel’s voice was close, so Teresa hid behind a boulder.
Miguel appeared from the tree line, stopping short when his gaze found Tomas’ remains. On instinct, his hand went for the gun on his hip.
Two shots broke the quiet afternoon, yet they weren’t from Miguel’s weapon.
Or Teresa’s.
They came from the direction of the truck.
Miguel drew his weapon and immediately crouched low. He was mumbling under his breath, cursing the powers above while backpedaling toward Teresa’s hiding place. The distance between them was about twenty feet.
Then ten.
Then five.
When less than two feet away, Teresa raised the gun. She held the position until Miguel’s head was only inches away. Holding her breath, she extended her arm and stuck the barrel against the base of his neck.
Before Miguel had a chance to register his mistake, Teresa pulled the trigger.
“That’s two down,” she whispered to the destroyed head of Miguel.
“Ma’am? You okay?”
Teresa spun around at the sound of an unfamiliar male voice, gun pointed in front of her. Two men stood at the top of the rise. Father and son, maybe, judging by their ages. Only the elder one on the right had a gun.
“If you don’t want to end up like them, go. Leave me be.”
“Ma’am, we mean you no harm. I swear. I just shot the other man. He was tryin’ to rob us. You weren’t with them willingly, were you?”
Teresa answered by shaking her head.
“Looks like you handled yourself quite well, ma’am. Quite well. I’m Cooper Hollingsworth and this here’s Mason Hall. We’re survivors, like you, just tryin’ to get home.”
“Yeah, well good for you. Again, leave. I don’t need—or want—any help. As you can see, I can take care of myself.”
“I thought the same thing, but changed my mind after I saw dead people chasing live ones. There’s safety in numbers,” Mason offered.
Teresa stared at the kid then back over to the other man. Part of her wanted to believe them, but the other, stronger part, feared them enough to sacrifice the potential safety they offered.
The men who’d raped and tortured her were dead, and she now had three weapons and a vehicle. But, where would she go? Would she just drive around until the gas ran out? There was no home to go back to; no one waiting to be rescued. Teresa started to shake.
“Please, ma’am. It’ll be dark soon, and it’s much harder to stand guard against the dead at night. We just stopped here to refill our gas tanks, eat, and rest up a bit. Planned on leavin’ soon. You can stay in your vehicle with the doors locked. We’ll do the same. Just, please, come on up here. Won’t sit well with my soul if we just leave you all alone out here.”
Teresa lowered the gun. Stepping over Miguel’s body, she grabbed his weapon then moved over to where Tomas’ pants sat. After yanking them on, she almost laughed at the absurdity of wearing the clothes of a man she’d killed.
She shoved the extra gun into the waistband, then looked back up. The men hadn’t moved.
“I did this. To both of them. Won’t hesitate to kill again if either one of you tries to hurt me. I swear.”
“Don’t doubt that one bit, Miss?” Cooper said.
“Names don’t mean shit anymore. Keep your distance. I’ll be gone by morning.”
Teresa made her way up the hill, gun trained on the men named Cooper and Mason. They backed away until Teresa slipped inside the SUV. When she locked the doors, both turned and headed back to their own vehicle.
After setting the guns in the passenger seat, Teresa searched for food and water. She found a few backpacks crammed in the front floorboard, each full of supplies. She ate and drank until she could do neither anymore while night descended from the sky.
For the next several hours, Teresa kept an eye on the vehicle with the two men, waiting, watching for any signs of movement. Though the one named Cooper mentioned they wouldn’t hang around long, they had yet to leave. Once, she climbed over to the backseat and dug around to see what else was inside, happy when she discovered her purse.
The trio of fools hadn’t touched anything inside of it, including the money, and Roberto’s journal. Digging deeper, she remembered her makeup bag had a few items of use inside. Yanking it out, she felt around until she found the hand sanitizer and a few tampons. After cleaning her hands, Teresa took the cotton from the tampons and dabbed some sanitizer on them, then set about cleaning the wounds to her face, arms, leg and chest.
All her other wounds would simply have to heal on their own. Some, she knew, would be with her permanently.
Teresa poked and dug around every inch of the SUV, looking for anything of use. She stuffed the flashlight and extra batteries she found inside her bag, along with a long switchblade. She nearly squealed with delight when she pulled out an entire carton of cigarettes from under the front passenger seat. Though she’d given up smoking years ago, the craving rushed back while holding a pack in her hands.
If ever there was a time to smoke, it was now. A victory puff for the new woman she’d become.
She was, after all, the daughter of Mario Alvarado, and today, Teresa’s actions would have made her father proud. The memory of standing in the den at home, forcing her mind to imagine herself as a badass, was now her new reality.
Teresa cussed a blue streak when she realized there wasn’t a lighter anywhere inside the SUV.
“Duh, use the one in the dashboard,” she muttered.
She turned the key in the ignition and popped the lighter. The first few drags made her cough, but she pushed on and kept puffing. Soon, the interior filled with smoke, and she had to pee. She grabbed a gun and opened the door, stepping out into the cold night air.
Pausing, she scanned the area for any signs of movement. Seeing none, and only hearing the faint sound of a vehicle or two on the main road, Teresa held the smoke between her lips and squatted next to the back tire. She barely had a chance to yank the pants back up when the sound of a vehicle approach
ing at a high rate of speed caught her attention.
Teresa flung the cigarette to the ground and jumped back inside the SUV. Headlights bobbed and weaved as a car careened down the road, heading straight toward her position. Teresa started the engine and shot forward, but not fast enough. The runaway car clipped the back quarter panel. The impact forced Teresa’s head into the steering wheel. On instinct, her foot stomped on the brake.
Dazed from smacking her head, Teresa couldn’t stop herself from watching the accident unfold in front of her eyes.
The car rolled down the hill at full speed, only stopping after it smashed into a clump of trees. Smoke plumed from underneath the crumpled hood. Two bodies crashed through the windshield, flying through the air at least four feet until they each landed with a sickening crunch on the ground.
“Holy shit!” Teresa muttered while rubbing her forehead. “That was close!”
Teresa put the SUV in park and stepped out to assess the damage. She didn’t even glance back to see if the occupants of the car needed aid. Even if either of them survived being ejected from the car, their injuries would be too much for her to do anything about. She had no medical supplies, no training, and honestly, no interest in helping people who just damn near killed her.
“Well that’s just fucking great! Hope there’s another tire in the back.” Teresa shook her head. “Who am I kidding? I don’t know how to change one, anyway.”
The crunch of dirt behind her from footfalls caused Teresa to spin around. Cooper and Mason ran toward the creek. The stupid men were actually going to see if they could help, and perhaps risk injuring themselves in the process! They’d be back soon enough, once they realized the mission was pointless.
Teresa made up her mind to ask for assistance changing the tire, then get the hell out of the eerie mountains. If Cooper Hollingsworth and Mason Hall wouldn’t willingly help, she’d give them some incentive in the form of a gun pressed against the old man’s head.
Stepping back to the driver’s door, Teresa leaned in and grabbed a gun.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
The three gunshots made the hairs on Teresa’s skin stand erect. Looking up, she peered out the passenger window, but couldn’t make out much in the dark.
“Shit! I missed them! Get back to the vehicle! Now!”
“What’s going on?” Teresa yelled.
“Zombies heading your way. Come on, follow us!” Mason screamed as he ran past the front of the SUV, Cooper right on his heels.
Teresa looked back toward the accident scene. Sure enough, two corpses were heading her direction.
Fast.
Teresa’s instincts kicked in, blocking her misgivings about Cooper and Mason. Snatching her purse and gun, she left the broken down SUV and followed the two men to their own. Though she ran with everything she had, pushing her muscles to their limits, Teresa sensed the creatures were only steps away.
They made it to the SUV with mere seconds to spare. When Teresa shut the door, the first corpse slammed into the metal door, cracking the glass. The vehicle shook with the impact.
“Hurry the fuck up! Go! Go! Go!” Mason screamed.
Cooper cranked the engine to life then gunned it. “Hang on!”
Teresa watched with shock and disbelief as the second zombie launched itself into the air, landing on top of the roof. It pounded on the glass of the sunroof, trying to break through.
“Do something, Cooper!” Mason yelled.
Cooper didn’t say a word. He responded by slamming on the brakes. The maneuver worked, and the monster flew from the roof, tumbling over the hood to the ground. Teresa looked out the back window. Her stomach clenched as the other one grabbed onto the back bumper.
“Fuck this,” Teresa muttered. She raised the gun.
“Wait!” Mason yelled. “Don’t shoot! There’s gas cans in the back and we need that window in one piece!”
“I won’t get torn apart by that foul thing!”
Teresa didn’t have a chance to shoot. Cooper tromped on the gas, throwing her off balance. She bounced around the back seat like a ragdoll as the vehicle did donuts.
“It’s gone! Go!” Mason yelled.
The roar of the engine as they fled the rest area sounded like music to Teresa’s ears. She resituated her body in the seat and looked behind them. The corpses tried to keep up, but the speed of the SUV won out.
“Wow, I had no idea they were so fast,” Teresa whispered. “How can they move like that? Their bones were broken! The ones in Phoenix didn’t move that quick! Then again, the ones I saw didn’t just crash through a windshield, either.”
“Welcome to Hell. Anything’s possible here,” Cooper answered.
For the next ten minutes, no one said another word. Teresa stared out into the dark night, convinced she’d finally gone insane. As the adrenaline rush wore off, the shakes set in.
“Teresa,” she finally whispered.
“Why don’t you get some rest, Teresa. I’ll need you to take over drivin’ duties soon. That is, if you wish to continue on with us. Like I said before, I promise we won’t hurt you. We’re headin’ back to my hometown in Arkansas. My kids are there.”
“Are you two related?” Teresa asked.
Mason turned around in the seat. “No. Actually, we just met yesterday in Steamboat Springs. Cooper’s a cop, or, well, he was. He’s good people. He saved my life; tried to get me back to my family.”
“Tried?”
“Santa Fe’s gone. Along with Denver, Steamboat, and probably every other big town. Nothing left but piles of smoldering rubble. Seems the government’s response was to simply carpet bomb infected cities. Looked like people tried to flee, but they didn’t make it. The roads were impassable. That’s when I decided my best chances of surviving rested with him.”
Teresa let the words sink in. It wasn’t just contained in Arizona. “Phoenix is, too.”
“Damn,” Mason muttered.
“Bombed, you mean?” Cooper asked.
“Yes. I was trapped inside a building when those men found me.”
“Ah, now I understand your apprehension. You thought they were helping you, but they turned out to be monsters of another kind. Right?” Cooper asked.
“Yes, and I knew them. You two are strangers.”
“True, but sometimes, strangers turn out to be a blessing,” Mason said. “I’m living proof.”
“You mentioned you were trapped in a building?”
“Yes, I was. Roof collapsed on me when the bombs exploded.”
“There’s a first aid kit back there somewhere if you need it. Also, there’s a suitcase with some of my wife’s clothes. Probably too big, but at least they aren’t covered in blood, and didn’t belong to monsters.”
Teresa heard the hitch in Cooper’s voice. She considered asking about his wife, but decided she really didn’t care why Mrs. Hollingsworth wasn’t around. Instead of asking, she reached behind her and felt around for the suitcase. The thought of wearing Tomas’ pants any longer than necessary made her skin crawl.
“Any broken bones you need help with?” Mason asked.
“No, but I do have a deep gash that could probably use some antiseptic and a bandage,” Teresa answered, looking around. She spotted the white kit on the floorboard behind Cooper.
“Need some help?”
“No. Well, yes. Hold the flashlight for me, Mason?”
“Sure thing.”
Teresa dug out the light from her bag and handed it to Mason. It took her several minutes, but she finally managed to clean and dress the wound. “Thanks,” Teresa said, holding her hand back out for the flashlight. “Appreciate you both keeping your eyes on the road while I change.”
Mason gave it back, smiled, then turned around. “Now that you’re patched up and in fresh clothes, like Cooper said, you should rest.”
A prickle of worry eased up Teresa’s back as she tugged off the jeans. “Why don’t you just take over when your friend tires?”
Mason chu
ckled. “Oh, I would, but there’s one little problem.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t know how.”
Teresa stared at the back of the kid’s head, wondering if he was lying. She didn’t get the vibe he was. After putting on a warm pair of sweat pants and a thick sweater, she asked, “You’re serious? Jesus, how old are you? Twelve?”
“Seventeen, thank you very much. I had strict parents. They bought me a car for Christmas. Was going to take driving lessons after the first of the year.”
Teresa shook her head. Mason was just a young, spoiled rich kid.
Just like she’d been.
Both of them were frightened, maybe even more than Teresa. They’d been on the road quite some time, if their original starting point was in Colorado. They’d probably seen—and perhaps participated in—a variety of disturbing events. Yet through all the horrors they’d surely endured, Teresa sensed their kind spirits. After all, they did warn her when the zombies were coming. No one else she knew would have. They would have simply run away and let Teresa be the bait.
And they’d just saved her life. Teresa decided, just for the time being, she’d trust them.
“Okay, I’ll drive when it’s my turn, but I’m not tired. Too much going on. Got some reading to catch up on,” she muttered.
“Oh, good. Glad I’m not the only geek in the vehicle. Hope you’re reading something happy, because every fictional horror novel just became nonfiction. Just one more question, though? I want to see if I’m right.”
“About what?”
“Your accent. You’re originally from El Salvador, correct?”
“How did you know?” Teresa answered, shocked the kid was on target.
“My dad worked for a pharmaceutical company, and one of his co-workers was from San Salvador. They were working on a big deal to manufacture some kind of pill that helps with erectile dysfunction, and the meetings had to be in person. One of Dad’s interns went too. His name was Daryl Riverside.”
“Is there a time when this story answers the lady’s question?” Cooper asked.
“Sorry. Mom always said I should’ve been a writer, because I like to set the scene. Anyway, one summer, about seven years ago, my family went on a trip to San Salvador. For my dad’s work. You know, he was working most of the time, but Mom and I had a blast. The beaches were stunning. Mom begged Dad to put in for a transfer permanently the first few days. Of course, all that changed after Daryl disappeared.”
Tainted Future (The Rememdium Series Book 3) Page 10