by TW Brown
Again, he was just giving me advice—and good advice if I was being honest—but there was something about him that set my nerves on edge. He just had a quality that I did not care for.
At last, I had all I could carry. The pack was a bit heavier than I would have liked, but I could not part with one single thing that I’d put in it.
I explained to Brandon where we were heading. He winced when I told him about the zombie race track. Something passed through his eyes, but I was too happy to care about any misgivings he might have. I was bringing back something that would enhance my Chewie’s chances of healing up better. Also, I had almost everything that Carl and Betty had put on the request list.
Now, all we had to do was make it back.
12
The Children
We hadn’t taken three steps out of my little rear entrance that opened onto 92nd Avenue when we were spotted by zombies. A small group of them were off to our right and already headed our direction. The others were to our left and must have heard us come out of the building. They were all turning around and coming with arms out and hands grasping at air.
I was just about to make a run for it when I saw something that froze me in place. Just beyond the group to our left were three children. While they were barely far enough away that I could not make out any details, I knew they were zombies without a doubt. The dark stains down their fronts gave that away past the fact that three kids were basically standing in the middle of the street with zombies everywhere.
Unlike all the other zombies around us that had caught sight or smell or whatever the hell zombies use to home in on us humans, these were just watching us. And I had no doubt that they were doing exactly that. The only difference was that they were not coming after us. They were simply watching.
And waiting.
“What are they waiting for?” I mumbled.
Brandon looked up and glanced around frantically. “Who?” I noticed a slight tremor in his voice.
“Them.” I pointed at the trio of children who were still standing there like statues.
By now, some of the other zombies in the distance that had been drawn to investigate what all the fuss was about were shoving past them. When the children began to actually move out of the way to let others pass, I knew something was different.
Wrong.
That word echoed in my mind as I started across the street with Brandon just ahead of me. I’d given him general directions towards where Carl and the others would be waiting. He was just starting up the long drive that would take us between the house I’d entered through the back—the one where I’d discovered the man who’d blown his brains out—and the first group of homes that I’d searched. That is when I spotted him.
There was a house just to the right of us. On the porch was a lone zombie child. He was standing there…watching. I saw the head cock first to one side, then the other as it tracked us. And I had no doubt that was exactly what it was doing as its head moved slightly with us as we hurried along towards that housing development that bordered the place that Carl, Betty, the kids, and I were currently calling home.
“Stop!” I hissed, but Brandon kept going.
I hurried after him and grabbed his arm, yanking him to a stop just before he ducked into the bushes that would take us along the fence line of those first houses—the ones where I’d spotted the dog.
“We can’t just go straight home,” I snapped when he spun on me, an exasperated look on his face. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve sworn that he was about to take a swing at me.
“Why not.” His anger was replaced by something else as he apparently spotted the child on the porch.
“It’s watching us. I’m afraid of what might happen if we go back now. We need to take a different route,” I said hurriedly. Glancing back, I could not believe that the child was still just standing there staring at us with its creepy, filmed-over, blackshot eyes.
Things from the movies and everything that I thought I knew were starting to crumble. This was all so much worse.
I looked around and figured that we had no choice other than to go right instead of left. We could loop all the way around the outer ring of this neighborhood until we ended up on Johnson Creek Boulevard again. From there, we would just have to play it as it came until we could make it back up the hill and to the house.
“This way,” I said, already starting along the back side of the houses that bordered the zombie racetrack.
I glanced back once to ensure that Brandon was following me. I noticed him giving the house with the suicide-by-shotgun guy a strange look. Maybe he’d come this way already and knew what was inside the place. That really didn’t matter at the moment, what did was our getting the heck out of this situation. If any zombies followed—namely the child variety—we would have to stay in their line of sight for a while and lead them on. Eventually, we could pour on some speed and lose them.
We hooked left after passing the fourth house. I looked back and spotted him. I’d been correct. The child zombie had followed us. Even worse, he seemed to be pausing and making noise every so often. He couldn’t be calling others…could he?
“Why is he doing that?” Brandon huffed after we scrambled up a steep dirt incline that would put us between the four houses on the south side of the zombie racetrack and the four that made up the east “wall” of it.
“Calling for help?” It was a guess, but I was beginning to believe it. I really wanted to know why the children appeared to be so different from the adult versions.
A moan to my right was my only warning as a pair of the undead stumbled through the trees that acted as a border between the houses we were skirting behind and the neighborhood a block over. One of them was on me before I knew it and we both fell to the hard-packed ground. I landed solidly on my left side and my elbow smacked a rock, sending sharp pain shooting all the way to my fingertips.
I threw up my right hand instinctively and caught the creature by the throat as it was about to lean in and take a bite out of my face.
The teeth clamped together with an audible click and something cold and wet splattered on my cheek. I didn’t even want to think about what that might be as I shoved the undead menace aside. I kicked out with all my strength to scoot it as far away as possible. I tried to get up, but my pack was a serious problem in that department.
I only had a few feet of room to regain my feet and struggled gracelessly to my knees. I spied the other zombie that had attacked us; it was sprawled on the ground with a neat hole in its forehead. I could just see one of Brandon’s legs off to the side, but they did not seem to be moving.
Was he just standing there watching me struggle? I thought as I heaved myself up and into a kneeling position. As I reached a more upright position, I saw him stride over and swing his pick into the head of the zombie that had jumped me.
I was about to lay into him when I heard a chorus of moans from behind us. I grabbed a nearby branch that was jutting out and made my way to my feet. I was positive that I wasn’t imagining things. He had not made any offer to give me a hand up before he turned and began to hurry along the route we’d been taking.
I was at least a good twenty feet behind him as I got moving. I’d paused to look back the way we’d come and saw the leading edge of a small group of zombies. Leading the pack was that kid from the porch. But I swear, as soon as it…he…whatever…as soon as the child zombie realized that I saw him, he fell back in the crowd. I caught glimpses of him from behind the legs of some of the first few rows of adult zombies.
I started after Brandon again, and now I was almost certain that I would not be allowing him to join our group if it were up to me alone. There was even a more primitive voice in my head suggesting much darker things. I shoved those thoughts away, terrified of what that might mean for me if I even considered embarking down a path like that.
We reached the fourth and final house, and Brandon had pulled up suddenly. Maybe he realized that he’d bee
n leaving behind the person that was offering him some sort of sanctuary. We would be passing between a fifth house as this row of houses continued on for a few more. But ducking in here would put as at the lone road that branched off from the zombie racetrack. We would need to cross it and then duck behind a house that was on the fringe of the burnt ones.
“I think we should go one more house up,” I suggested.
Of course, at this point, I didn’t care if he followed me or not. I started back down the narrow gap between these two houses and followed the back fence of the neighboring home. I heard the footsteps behind me that indicated Brandon was following. I really wanted to look back and check on the progress that the zombies pursuing us were making, but I was afraid of what my expression might convey to this stranger.
Reaching the end of the fence, I looked and saw that the coast seemed clear. Without bothering to say anything or communicate with Brandon, I made a quick dash up the side of this house’s fence line until I came to the end and could look out onto the street. My first glance was to my left towards the zombie racetrack. I was in luck. The last of the herd was shuffling past and out of sight.
If I used the house across the street as a shield, I could pass through and hopefully come out on Johnson Creek Boulevard. From there, I would have to see how much traffic there was shambling about. If it was clear, then I would be home in a matter of minutes.
I could hear Brandon’s footsteps getting closer. Once more, without so much as a word, I took off. Crossing the street was the worst part, and I felt totally exposed. I was halfway when I could’ve sworn that I heard a weak scream. I paused, but Brandon practically plowed me down when he ran into my back. I was really get tired of being run into and knocked over.
A hand reached out and caught my shoulder to keep me from falling, but just as fast, I was pushed ahead. “We need to move. We lost that group behind us. If we can get to the end of this house and around that clump of trees just ahead, we might actually lose ‘em.”
I started to glance back, but Brandon was in the way as well as shoving me forward. I staggered ahead and tripped over a corpse. Thankfully, it was completely dead. It was also burnt to a crisp. I glanced down at it, but once again, Brandon was ushering me along with haste.
At last we reached those trees. I almost dove around them in the hopes that we didn’t get spotted by that pack of zombies we’d left behind. I leaned against a tree and caught my breath.
“What the hell is your problem?” I asked the man with his hands on his knees, sucking in great gulps of air.
He looked up at me, his face an empty slate with practically no emotion on it. The only color was his flushed cheeks from the exertion of the run.
“That was close,” he said, but there was a mechanical sound to his voice.
I had way more questions than answers when it came to Brandon, but here and now was not the place or the time. And maybe we just got off on the wrong foot. There are people you meet who you sometimes take an instant disliking to, and that can cloud your judgement. I knew that we would eventually need to bring more people in, and I wasn’t about to be the person who said somebody could not join us of my own volition.
I turned and started towards the compound. Despite the fact that I would not make a snap decision on my own about this guy…that did not mean I wouldn’t be watching him like a hawk.
***
“…and then we just cruised down Johnson Creek. It was practically deserted,” I said, finishing my narrative on the events, doing my best to stick to reporting the facts.
Carl nodded and then handed my pack to Betty. Apparently, she was a regular volunteer at a local animal shelter. She helped clean up new arrivals and assisted with little things during the staff vet’s rounds. Again, I was learning something about her that made me reconsider my stance on her. It was that same revelation that had me doubting my opinion of Brandon; who was sleeping in one of the bedrooms already after both Carl and Betty seemed to welcome the new arrival with open arms.
“I want to go back to that medical center,” I said once Betty hoisted up my pack and went to sort through everything. She’d promised me that we would take care of Chewie’s tail as soon as she sorted out the supplies.
“Check out that military stuff?” Carl sat back and took a sip from a water bottle. “You know we can just load out one of the rigs and bring it back here,” he said. “Don’t need keys with most military rigs. Push button start ‘em and bring it all here pretty as you please.”
“And have every zombie for miles march to our front gate?” I scoffed.
“Yeah,” Carl’s head drooped, “you got a point there.” He paused and sat back in deep thought for a moment. “You think we can bring that stuff back on our backs…one trip after another?”
“You got other plans?” I chuckled. “Not like you gotta be to work tomorrow…or ever again.”
“Then maybe you and I can head out first thing tomorrow morning,” Carl offered.
“Yeah…about that. You think we can just leave Betty and the kids alone with the new guy this soon?”
“Can I say something about that?” Betty appeared from the hallway, a small plastic bag in her hand with what looked like a few bottles of some of the stuff I’d brought back as well as boxes that I could plainly see marked as being gauze.
“Sure,” I answered, but she was already talking and pretty much cut me off.
“You two seem to think that I’m an invalid. That I need watching over and such. Well let me tell you both…I’m a grown woman who has been taking care of business for longer than I think you’ve even been alive, Mister Berry.” She put a lot of emphasis on the word ‘Mister’ and I could tell she was just getting started on this little rant. “I may not be in very good shape, but I am very aware of the danger that a new person represents. If it comes down to this stranger and the children…you can be assured that I will put a bullet in that man’s head before I allow either of those little ones to be harmed in any way.”
Wow, I thought. She is further along in the game than I am if she is that prepared to take another living person’s life. I’d had chances to put the guy away a few times in our journey back here. I hadn’t been able to do it even when I thought he’d left me out to dry.
“You need to have somebody with you out there, Mister Berry. I may not know much, but I am very aware of the level of danger outside the walls of this house. I was with you out there. And in case you forgot, it was me that took care of that gigantic zombie man in the coveralls that had you pinned to the ground.” Betty glanced over at Carl. “And unlike you, I have been by that man’s side from the beginning. I was out there holding those children by the hand as we waded through the unthinkable after you abandoned us.”
Planting her hands on her hips, I think Betty was prepared for our retorts. Personally, I didn’t have anything to say. She was correct on all counts, and if she was already seeing our recent addition as something that needed watching and was not willing to accept him, then I guess she had her stuff together.
“I have something that I want you to put someplace you feel comfortable with. You need to be able to grab this the moment something goes wrong.” Carl walked into the main kitchen on the ground floor. Betty and I followed. I was admittedly curious.
Carl knelt behind the big island counter in the middle of the kitchen and then re-appeared with a black case. He unzipped it and pulled out what I initially mistook as a pistol.
“This flare gun should be able to get our attention if you need us.” Carl waved the gun before replacing it in the case, zipping it, and sliding it across the counter to Betty.
That seemed to settle the situation. Carl would be coming with me, Betty would be keeping my Ruger on her person, and if something went wrong while she and the kids were here alone with Brandon, she would have to get to the flare gun, fire it into the air, and then hold out until we got back. The funny thing was that we would only be a few blocks away as the crow flew, but in this
new world, that seemed like miles.
Betty returned to taking care of Chewie while Carl and I packed what we felt would be the best to bring along for our little expedition. The plan was to get one of the military trucks, load as much into it as we could and then drive it around to the main gate to this place. Despite my misgivings about leading the undead to our gates, it would reduce the number of trips exponentially. We could then use the trucks as an addition to our barricade. If we backed up the driveway, we could have the open cargo bay facing in for easy unloading. After that, we could disable the vehicle and it would help as far as keeping that weak point a bit more secure. Of course, my mind instantly went to the big finale of the original Dawn of the Dead. I swore that if I saw a motorcycle gang led by a guy with a bushy black mustache, I would shoot first and ask questions later.
Yeah, I chuckled to myself, who was I kidding? I would probably run screaming and hide like a bitch.
***
The sun was probably an hour from coming up. Brandon had not stirred or at least not made his presence known since we’d gotten here and he retreated to a room. I still could not get over my initial opinion of him, but I seemed to be the only one.
Chewie was sitting beside me as I cinched the straps on my pack a bit tighter. I had a Glock 21 on each hip and felt just a little bit like a badass. While I was familiar with all sorts of firearms and even had a permit to carry, I had never actually gone out with a weapon. To know that I was about to embark on something that was straight out of the movies was a bit scary.
I glanced down at my dog and could not help but feel more than just a little gratitude towards Betty. The remainder of the tail had been cleaned up and properly bandaged. I’d even been given a tube of some sort of ointment that she suggested I apply every other day which coincided with when she would be wearing the bandages. The alternate days would be so that she could get some air to the area and help with the healing process or something like that. All I knew was that she was still apparently fine.