Pedal to the Metal (Riders of the Apocalypse Book 4)

by Alex Westmore

  “Because she’s a hazmatter? No. You thought I would be?”

  “I...I didn’t know what to think. My brains are sorta smooshy these days.”

  Dallas laughed. “Smooshy? You’ve been through a lot, Z. Besides, Akiko and Yuzo are two of us now.”

  “I’m so happy to hear you say that.”

  “How’s the rest of your heart?”

  Zoe blew out a breath. “I took the shot because no one else would have. That doesn’t make me a killer, Dallas. Akiko showed that to me. She kinda handed my humanity back to me and that made me love her even more.”

  “I’m glad. I was afraid you had second thoughts about putting him down.”

  “I did. She convinced me that I saved Butcher’s life and that I needed to focus on that.”

  “Good. I am glad they’re with us. They pretty decent fighters in there?”

  Zoe laughed all the way back to the Fuchs.

  Dallas’s Journal

  The airport had more than enough fuel for us to fill up once we siphoned it from all of the grounded planes. I think we were most surprised to find three helicopters still sitting there as if waiting for someone to fly them. There are a handful of us who can fly a plane, but only Akiko can fly a chopper.

  We were able to get one of the planes going, and, after giving Julie a written message from me to Wendell, we sent her and her two friends on their way back to Angola.

  I am thrilled to be able to let them know where we are and what our plans are. I know they probably felt like we were abandoning them when we left, so it’s good to have some sort of closure.

  After we sent Julie and the others on her way, it took a while for us to get through the stalled cars on 580 to get to Berkeley. With the Bay Bridge destroyed by our military a year ago, we were forced to find the nearest marina in the East Bay in order to secure a boat to take us to Alcatraz.

  The 45 minute trip took us almost four hours as we had to move vehicles, take side roads, and avoid interchanges that were so bottlenecked it would have taken forever just to clear a path.

  Once we made our way to the Berkeley marina, we found ourselves standing amid a level of carnage even we have rarely seen.

  Smashed boats, dead bodies with barely any meat, severed limbs and the like littered the marina. Blood stains were everywhere.

  We’ve pieced together these man eater mysteries before...this one was almost too easy: when the initial virus hit, people tried to escape using their boats and were met by a marina already overrun with the zombies. My guess was when the military blew the Bay Bridge, and all those undead tumbled into the water, the man eaters that could walked right out of the ocean. Some found their way to the marina and the blood games began. Many of the slips were empty, meaning those folks had gotten out but were probably blown to bits by the global military security waiting in the bay.

  How ever it all went down, at one point the zombies won...until they went in search of a horde to join. Now, there was nothing left but picked over bones, wreckages of boats, and a marina falling into disrepair.

  Oh…and a few good boats--a couple of speedboats, a small fishing boat, and a larger yacht. Just what we needed, and seeing it gave me an idea…

  We gassed up the boats, moved the motorcycles on board the larger one, and covered the horses’ eyes so we could get them on board as well. It was a delicate maneuver, but Roper had trained them well, and they went in without a hitch.

  Once everyone was on board, we parked the Beast and Monster, emptied them out, and pulled tarps over them. I surprised myself by feeling a pang of insecurity at leaving the Beast. It had saved our bacon more times than I cared to count. It felt like an old friend I was forced to leave behind, and it tugged at my heartstrings to have to leave it at the marina.

  Roper sensed my melancholy and stood silently next to me as I said my thanks.

  “We’ll be back,” Roper said.

  I knew she was probably right, but I felt like a kid whose security blanket had just been taken away.

  “It’s not just that.”

  “Butcher?”

  I nodded. “When we get to Alcatraz, I need you and Einstein to hear me out. Let me say my piece and then I’ll let it go.”

  Roper kissed me and agreed we would have that conversation the night we settled in.

  Once we were all loaded on the boats, I gave specific directions about how I wanted Alcatraz handled. I expected there might be other survivors, even tourists, but I never expected there to be so many man eaters once we arrived at the island.

  So very many.

  I have absolute faith in my team, and I was not at all surprised by how quickly we dispatched those on the pier. Quickly, efficiently, and even somewhat quietly, we secured the dock area, and I welcomed everyone to Alcatraz.

  “Same protocols for The Rock as for any other area we’ve taken over. Everyone works in pairs, one of which is a CGI. No ZBs together. Roper?”

  Roper stepped up and surveyed the group. “We’re not looking for survivors, but if you do find any, consider them hostile and potentially sick until proven otherwise. Based on the number of eaters we just took out, it’s a good bet there aren’t any. Once we get in to the prison area, everyone grab a map from the information booth or gift shop. Much of the area has been blocked off for years so they can funnel tourists through the main area. Do not go outside once we go in. We are going to clear the dining room for the evening. Right now, we want to clear out the open sections and then bunk in the dining room tonight.”

  A hand went up, followed by a question. “Is it functional?”

  “The dining room? No. It’s empty. It will be a good place for us to store our stuff for now and get some much needed sleep. Tomorrow is a big day.”

  Einstein piped in. “The gardens here have been renovated within the last decade or so, which means once we secure the penitentiary parts, we can grow crops for a sustainable lifestyle like we did at Angola. We’ll also be able to fish, and once we really get settled in, Roper will bring cattle over for beef. That’s one of the main reasons we got the horses. She can rope…hence her name. This place has everything we need, including the lighthouse, which will enable us to keep tabs on ships guarding the bay and any activity going on around us until we can get out of here.” He paused. “Any questions?”

  “How far are we from over there?” A young man named Todd asked as he pointed to San Francisco.

  “Less than two miles. That’s why this is the perfect base of operations for us,” Dallas replied. “Once Alcatraz is secured, we will continue with our plans to get the hell out of here. There’s a lot to be done before we can do that, so we’re going to settle this place as if it were our last.”

  Einstein nodded. “There’s bound to be a ton of usable goods on the wharf. Those piers were working docks, so there’s a smorgasbord of goodies just waiting to be plucked.”

  “First things first,” Roper interjected. “Let’s get everything cleared out and then empty the boats.”

  As the group started walking up the street that would lead them to the front entrance, Dallas pulled Zoe and Akiko aside.

  “I need you both to get to the lighthouse and see what you can see from there. Note the position of any ships and make sure there won’t be any surprises. They might very well have seen us making our way here. We don’t want to get caught with our pants down.”

  Zoe nodded. “Roger that.”

  “Be back before nightfall.”

  With that, Zoe and Akiko took off.

  “You afraid of something?” Roper asked when Dallas rejoined her.

  “Not afraid. Cautious. We sure as hell can’t be the only people who thought this would be a good place to settle. We need to make sure no one tries to come after us here. We also need to know more about that ship in the bay…the one that’s probably been stationed there since this whole thing started.”

  “Because?”

  “Because I think that’s our ride out of here.”

  Z
oe and Akiko killed only a handful of eaters on their way to the lighthouse.

  The lighthouse had only been partially refurbished when the virus broke out, so they had to pick their way over scaffolding equipment in order to get to it.

  Once inside, they carefully wound their way up the stairs to get to the top of the tower that had seen better days. Everything was covered with dust and bird shit, and the windows were cracked and broken.

  “You know, I’m not at all sure how the man eaters got to the island.”

  Akiko trudged up the stairs ahead of Zoe. “Someone brought it over with them at some point after the initial outbreak.”

  “Yeah. Things went to shit in a hurry back then.”

  “It must have been awful.”

  “Oh, love, you have no idea. It swept over us like a fire. Once they started biting people, the numbers of undead quintupled overnight. ”

  Once in the lighthouse, they had a good three-hundred and-sixty degree view that, under normal circumstances, would have been breathtaking.

  “Oh. Wow.”

  “Beautiful. Look at the city. Hard to tell it’s probably falling apart. That broken bridge there? That’s where Dallas and Roper met. Along with Einstein, of course.”

  Akiko slid her hand into Zoe’s. “I am glad she knows about us. Your Dallas is a good leader...a smart woman.”

  “She’s the reason we’re all still alive.”

  Akiko lightly touched Zoe’s arm. “You underestimate yourself, Zoe. I think you all are the reason she’s alive.”

  Cocking her head, Zoe frowned. “Meaning?”

  “Meaning she needs all of you as much as you need her. Running away is not in the DNA of a woman like her. She is a fighter. So is her lover. For them to want to leave means they truly believe fighting is useless. She wishes to save the lives of those she loves, but do not think she has given up the fight. Fighting is in her nature.”

  “Well, she was a firefighter in her old life.”

  “Exactly. Fighting is second nature to her. This?” Akiko waved her arm in the air. “This here is something she is doing for all of you, but it would not surprise me in the least if she came back here one day to finish the fight.”

  “Oh, I don’t think so. All she wants is to live the rest of her life without the fear we’ve lived in since this started. You can’t imagine what it’s like sleeping with one eye open every night. To be suspicious of every corner. To be looking over your shoulder twenty-four seven. It’s exhausting.”

  “I can’t imagine.”

  Putting binoculars to her face, Zoe studied the ship in the bay. “Is it one of yours?”

  Taking the glasses from her, Akiko adjusted the sight. “Yes, it is. It is a Zumwalt Class destroyer. Skeletal crew. We took off full crews over six months ago because of wasted manpower. We also feared the Chinese or Koreans. All of our ships have reduced manpower now. They know we are here, I’m sure.”

  “Will they come after us?”

  Akiko lowered the binoculars. “Eventually, yes. They will not like that we have managed to find our way to get a boat to the island. They will send someone to check us out…or worse. That’s why Dallas wants everything secure tonight…so we can be ready to defend.”

  Zoe’s eyebrows rose. “Defend? Oh, love, I am pretty sure we’re done defending. Actually, my guess is she’s planning on attacking it.”

  Akiko stared at her. “Attacking that ship? That’s a destroyer.”

  Zoe chuckled. “I don’t care if it’s the Battlestar Galactica. If we’re going to get out of here, there’s only one ride large enough to carry us all safely. You’ll see. That woman has a master plan. Sitting back and waiting for them to come to us isn’t part of it.”

  As Akiko studied the destroyer, she said, “I see. Going after the destroyer is suicide. You realize that, right?”

  Shrugging, Zoe’s gaze lingered too long on Akiko’s face. “I don’t think she looks at it that way. What Dallas sees is a way out. To that end, she will go on the offensive in order to secure that way out.”

  “It’s suicide nonetheless.”

  Zoe kissed her quickly. “Maybe it is, but that’s how we roll, baby. That’s how we roll.”

  While movie land zombies keep smacking into the same walls and walking in circles, these man eaters migrated to the nearest horde so that the group could begin a search and destroy mission. If all the humans on the island were dead, the horde would have walked into the water toward the mainland, where other hordes were drawn as if by some universal zombie magnet.

  But they did not, and that only meant one thing: there were other humans alive on the island.

  “So we’re not alone?” Hunter asked as they fortified the dock area.

  Dallas shook her head. “I seriously doubt it. They’ve stayed on the island because something in them knows there’s food still here. I want you, Roper, and Yuzo to go with me and see if we can find anyone else alive.”

  Roper nodded as she rolled an old tire to a stack she’d been making. “I think you’re right on this one, love. There were too many at the dock. Those zombies were looking for someone.” Hefting the tire onto the pile, she peered around it toward the city. “Fortifying and securing the pier was a great idea, love.”

  Dallas and Hunter carried a metal door closer to the pier and wedged it between two rocks. “I don’t want just anybody to walk on up on us.”

  Hunter stopped and wiped his sweaty brow. “I hate the idea someone else is creeping around out here. Makes me uncomfortable.”

  “I’m with you there, pal,” Dallas said. “We’re going to find out who’s around. Once Z and Kiko get back, we’ll have a better idea of what’s what. Let’s finish this and get back to the dining area. We need to go over protocol.”

  When Zoe and Akiko returned to the dining room, they filled everyone in on what they saw.

  “I couldn’t see much activity on the deck, but then, that doesn’t really mean anything. Kiko believes this is the only ship in the bay.”

  “Really? Just one ship out there?” Ferdie asked. He had cut his dreadlocks with a pair of scissors he’d found on the pier and now looked all of fourteen.

  Akiko nodded. “That was all we could see with these.” She held up the binoculars. “But trust me. They know we’re here.”

  “Then why didn’t they blast us out of the water, dude?”

  Everyone looked to Einstein, who took his glasses off, blew on them, and wiped them off before replying. “I can’t imagine the last time there was any movement in the bay. It’s entirely possible no one saw us. Entirely possible they’ve gotten very lax in the thirteen months they’ve been out there guarding nothing. I’m not so sure I agree with Akiko. I think they might have missed us or simply don’t care.”

  “Would they fire on us?”

  Akiko shook her head. “Remember, they want to preserve the infrastructure as much as they can, and besides, Asians have a fascination with this place. Few can understand why the Americans let it become a tourist attraction instead of keeping it a maximum security prison. We did not see any signs of major shelling on any of the building facing the ship. They left it untouched.”

  “Too expensive,” Einstein muttered. “Alcatraz upkeep was too expensive. That’s why it closed.”

  “For Americans. Not for our people. We believe violent criminals should be separated from society. What better place to remove them to than an island? That’s what the British did with Australia, right?”

  No one responded.

  “Believe me, the A.N. will use this place. For what and for whom remains to be seen, but it will be restarted once they take over.” Akiko turned to Yuzo and spoke in rapid Japanese.

  Yuzo nodded once before going over to the window that overlooked the bay. The San Francisco skyline was easily visible and she pointed to it as she continued her conversation with Akiko.

  “Yuzo thinks the lack of pushback from that ship means their orders have changed. They are no longer here to prevent
people just from leaving. They may be here to prevent others from coming.”

  “That doesn’t mean the ship and its crew aren’t dangerous. I want that lighthouse manned twenty-four seven.” Dallas assigned watch in three hour increments and then cut everyone loose to get some rest.

  “You need some rest, yourself,” Roper said, lightly touching Dallas’s face. “It’s been a long trek and you’ve been sleeping with one eye open. Come lay your head on my lap and just breathe for a little bit.”

  To Roper’s surprise, Dallas did not fight her on it. Instead, she laid her head in Roper’s lap and closed her eyes.

  “I can’t stop wondering where Butcher is…how she is. Is she safe? Is Egypt okay? I wish there was something I could have said…something I could have done.”

  “There was nothing you could have said to change her mind. She wanted to fight for a safe place for her daughter.”

  “But we are heading for a safe place.”

  “It’s more than that and you know it. Now hush and rest your eyes. Just stop for a moment and let the rest of you catch up.”

  “I want to go after her. I…I think she needs us.”

  “Shh. We let her go, love. You need to do the same.”

  As Dallas’s head became heavy in her lap, Roper motioned for Einstein and Zoe to come over.

  “She okay?” Zoe whispered.

  “She’s fine. Just tired. Look, I know everyone needs their rest tonight, but I need you both to assign watch right outside the dining hall. Make sure all of the cells are closed before you send anyone out there. I just…I don’t know. I have a feeling we are being watched and I want whoever it is to know we’re not to be fucked with.”

  Zoe nodded. “Gotcha. Anything else?”

  Roper smiled. “Congrats on landing a girlfriend. She’s hot.”

  Zoe smiled widely. “Why yes. Yes, she is.”

  The next morning, just as the sun rose, the ones chosen to scout left the dining hall to do a perimeter check and to see if they might be able to ascertain the whereabouts of the survivors who were keeping the zombies from joining the next closest horde.