by TW Brown
When I reached our own wall, I saw that Betty was no longer on the roof. She’d come to meet me. She was staring down from the other side of the wall, the rifle jutting up over her shoulder. Her face was red and puffy and it was obvious that she’d been crying.
“He…he…he…” she tried to speak, but then broke down sobbing.
She had to set down the rifle in order to hand the step ladder over to me. I hadn’t even gotten both feet on the ground when a large, furry, black shape loped across the yard. Her front paws bounced up and down on the ground as she woofed her enthusiastic greeting to my return.
“Hey, girl,” I said as I knelt and allowed her to coat most of my face with slobber.
“She doesn’t like it when you leave,” a small voice spoke up and I looked to see Michael emerge from behind a decorative pine tree. He stared at the ground, but for just an instant, his face turned up to mine and he made eye contact. “She is afraid you won’t come back.” His head dropped once more.
Next to arrive was Selina. She appeared more confused than anything. It was obvious that she knew terrible things were happening around her, but she didn’t know what exactly.
“Let’s get everybody inside,” I suggested.
Part of me did so because I wanted to down about a half a bottle of ibuprofen, but the other half needed to get up onto the roof. Carl was still out there, and this was far from over until he was safe and sound on our side of the wall. As we walked, I again noticed that, now that she seemed satisfied that I was okay, Chewie stuck to Michael’s side like glue.
Once inside, I hurried up the stairs and told Betty I would meet her as soon as I downed a few pills to take the edge off the pain. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Michael sit down on the floor in the large entry. Chewie plopped down beside him and rested her head on his lap.
A few minutes later, I was out on the roof with the field glasses searching for any sign of Carl…or Brandon. Betty joined me and I was glad to see that she still had the rifle. Although I was not confident in her ability to do much considering the fact that she’d already gotten in a couple of shots. If she’d scored a hit, I think she would’ve said so by now.
“He’s a monster,” she whispered, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence that was growing between us.
“What did you see?” I asked as I continued to search.
“He ran up the hill and I lost him for a minute. When I spotted him, he was coming around the side of the house where that poor person was standing on the back porch. As soon as the person spotted Brandon, they ran inside and I lost sight for a moment. That girl took off for the house and vanished inside as well.”
Betty paused and I could hear her voice crack as she related the story to me. I’d never believed she could sound so fragile and broken.
“He came out dragging the one person behind him on the ground and tossed the extension cord he’d tied around their neck up and over that power line. As soon as I thought I had a good shot, I aimed and fired. I should’ve hit him. I know I had him in my sights. He paused and looked right at me for a moment and then just continued to haul the person up. It was awful the way those legs kicked and flailed. I guess he had something to tie the cord off to around the side of the house, because that is where he vanished for a moment. When he reappeared, the person was almost done struggling and he actually did a strange sort of skipping dance back into the house.”
Disgust and venom started to replace the grief and horror. As she spoke, I narrowed my search to a pair of houses that had zombies stumbling all around them. While not absolute, it was likely that one or both of the people I was searching for were inside those houses.
“When he started to haul that poor girl up, I swear I could hear him laughing…I know it is impossible, but…” Her voice trailed off and I wasn’t sure if she was done or not. After a deep, steadying breath, she continued. “I fired again and there is no way I missed. But he only turned to face me for a moment before returning to what he was doing. I had to prove it to myself, so I sighted on the cable where it was knotted above the girl’s head and fired. I don’t think I could make that shot a second time, but I’ll be damned if that girl didn’t plummet to the ground. By then, I think Brandon knew you guys were coming because he took off at a run towards the houses that are just out of sight behind that grove of pines.”
Just as she said it, I spotted something moving along a row of waist-high hedges. It was Carl. He moved in a fast crouch as he slipped past a small cluster of zombies gathered at the head of a nearby driveway. I saw something dark arc through the air and then watched as a huge picture window shattered. A second later, I heard the crash of glass breaking.
Many of the zombies turned to this new sound and began heading for the house with the newly busted window. Carl slipped down the side of a truck and stayed in a crouch as he hurried to the front door of the house where the suicide-by-shotgun person would be.
From my perch, I was able to see the rear of the house clearly. I knew instantly before he even popped out from the doorway that it had to be Brandon. There was no way that Carl could make it through that house and out the back so quickly.
“Betty,” I snapped. “Get him.”
The woman stepped up beside me and brought the rifle to her shoulder. I felt a surge of annoyance that she wasn’t already prepared. That couple of heartbeats that it took for her to locate and come to bear on her target gave him time to slip down the dead-end street that ran behind this row of homes. He’d broken into a run as soon as he exited, obviously aware that we would likely be trying to snipe him from here.
I saw a puff of dirt a few feet behind him as Betty fired off a round. He was around the corner and once more out of sight before she could fire a second time.
“Maybe it’s for the best,” Betty sighed. I could hear the emotional exhaustion in her voice.
“Until he comes back and kills us in our sleep,” I retorted.
A moment later, Carl emerged from the same door at the rear of the house. He looked our direction and gave a wave. I pointed in the direction Brandon took off, and through the glasses, I saw him glance that way. He looked back at me and made an exaggerated shake of his head.
I didn’t like it. He was coming back and that lunatic was still out there. He knew where we lived and how we were set up. Not killing him was almost more dangerous than the zombies.
I was just about to drop the glasses when a second figure emerged from the house behind Carl. It was the woman that had been miraculously saved by Betty’s one-in-a-million shot. She slung an arm around Carl and the pair began to limp our direction through the tall grass of the open lot.
I saw a few zombies falling in behind them and was almost embarrassed when I felt a surge of excitement rush through me. I started down and headed in the house. Only then did I realize that Betty had already abandoned me.
I hurried through my room and out to the hall that led to the stairs. It didn’t really surprise me to see that Michael was right where I’d left him and Chewie. The only difference was that he seemed to be leaning down next to one of her big ears like he may be telling her a secret.
I hurried down the stairs past the pair and paused at the door. There was no sign of Selina or Betty. We needed to do something about giving people specific assignments when we were faced with a crisis. Sure, there was no way to plan for every eventuality, but at the moment, we all seemed to be doing our own thing. We needed to be a team. Maybe we’d get lucky and some kickass Marine would stroll into our little compound and whip us into shape. He wouldn’t be the dickhead type from the movies. He would be the real type…the hero that had volunteered to put his life on the line for his country.
I exited the house and rushed over to where my trigger for the strand of cans I set up out in that field was positioned. Climbing the ladder, I looked over and soon spotted Carl and the female moving through the grass towards the wall. I grabbed the rope ladder and tossed it over so they could climb to safety, then
I waited.
It felt like an eternity passed. Again, I warred with the guilt that I was feeling for being able to try out one of my kooky plans. This was a defining moment. We would know right here and now just how effective my lure would be in the future. Sure, not every situation is the same, but this would give us at least some idea.
Carl finally arrived. By now, I could see at least twenty zombies stumbling and staggering in pursuit. I scanned for any possible child versions and breathed a sigh of relief when all of these appeared to be of the adult type.
“Up you go,” Carl said to the woman. She paused and looked up at me.
Her left eye was swollen shut and she had a nasty bunch of bruises and rope-type burns around her throat from the cord that had been used in the attempt to hang her. Her lower lip was split, but I couldn’t tell if that was due to dehydration or being assaulted. She had dark hair, a naturally tan complexion, and brown eyes that hinted at Hispanic or some sort of South American heritage. She reminded me a bit of Selma Hayek in From Dusk ‘til Dawn.
Once she climbed up and over, I realized that she was also above average when it came to height. She might even be an inch or so taller than my five-foot-nine-inches. She was curvy and, while not skinny, she wasn’t heavy either. She looked like she might even be some sort of athlete.
“Evan, this is Amanda Rivera,” Carl said as he climbed over after the woman. “Amanda, this is Evan Berry.”
She mumbled something and waited patiently for Carl to reach the ground. She looked like she might bolt at the slightest provocation. Since I didn’t know exactly what she’d been through, the only thing that I could think of was that perhaps it might help ease her mind if she saw Betty and the kids. It was a guess, but it was the best I had at the moment.
“Go ahead and take her in. Maybe Betty can check her out and make sure that she is okay,” I suggested.
Carl nodded and led Amanda away by the elbow. I watched her walk and noticed that she was limping on her left leg. Betty checking her out was absolutely a good thing.
I turned my attention back to outside our walls. I saw the zombies continuing to stagger towards us. Their numbers were such that it would not be any problem to dispatch them once they reached me, but I was itching to try out my lure. My gaze kept flicking between the oncoming little pack of undead and the rope suspended in the air between the trees.
As soon as I felt they were all a few yards past my lure, I slipped out of sight and gave my line a tug. In the distance, I could hear the rattle of gravel inside the suspended cans. There were moans that almost seemed to be in response. I had to fight the urge to climb up and look. It would be stupid to pop up and perhaps get the attention of a few stragglers and bring them back. Again, I gave the rope a few tugs and smiled when I heard moans that sounded distinctly different. If I had to guess, I would say that they were pretty much facing the other direction, but I waited a few more seconds.
It felt like an eternity passed until I eventually crept up the ladder and peered over the wall. I felt my heart do a flip in my chest.
“It works!” I hissed, actually clamping my hand over my own mouth despite the fact that the zombies were already starting to disappear through the trees.
Satisfied, I turned and headed for the house. I walked in and looked around. The entry was empty. Michael and Chewie had vanished someplace. I had no idea what had become of Selina and Betty, and I hoped that Carl had found them. I wanted Betty to give that woman a good exam. If she was bitten, it would be nice to know in advance that we would have to put her down soon.
I wandered around until I heard the low drone of voices. Eventually, I found Carl, Betty, and Amanda downstairs in the pool room. The water didn’t look gross yet, but it wouldn’t be long. I felt guilty that I’d allowed Chewie to just go swim in the swimming pool. While the water wouldn’t have been drinkable due to the chlorine, it might’ve been better used by us humans to get cleaned up.
Betty was at the far end of the cavernous room with Amanda. The two had stepped behind a partition and Carl was just standing there, a grimace on his face. As soon as he saw me, he headed over.
“We have to go after that guy,” he said by way of greeting.
“I agree.” I glanced down at my wrapped-up arm and felt a surge of frustration.
“You may not be able to fight hand-to-hand with them things, but having a second set of eyes would be well worth it. If we go now, we have a chance. I imagine he scurried someplace and is hiding, hoping for darkness. That’s what I’d do.”
“We have a general direction,” I offered hopefully.
“Then I will go grab a few things and we will go now.” Carl had his mind made up and I agreed with him.
I glanced over at the little partition that hid Betty and Amanda from view. Time was definitely of the essence, but I had to know.
“You grab what you think we’ll need and I will be upstairs and ready in just a minute.” I didn’t wait for any questions. I turned and walked quickly over to the women.
“…gonna sting a little,” Betty was saying.
I heard a hiss and guessed that some form of antiseptic had been applied to one of Amanda’s injuries. I didn’t want to keep Carl waiting, so I tapped my hand on the top of the partition.
“Betty, can I talk to you for a sec?”
The woman stuck her head out, her face a hard scowl that seemed natural and reminded me of the woman that I’d met in the parking lot that first day. “What?”
“Any signs of bites or scratches?”
“Don’t you think I would’ve told you if there were?” the woman shot back. “Now, if you don’t mind, I need to finish getting her cleaned up and bandaged.”
I raised my hands and backed away. That gave me a small sense of relief. Satisfied that Betty had things under control, I headed up to meet Carl.
He looked like a background character from a Road Warrior movie. In the brief time since I’d spoken with him, he managed to slap on a set of spiked gloves that I had never seen, a motorcycle helmet with a tinted visor and a runner’s headlamp strapped to it that was similar to the one I was wearing, as well as a set of shin guards that I was pretty sure had belonged to Brandon. This was all in addition to his steel-toed boots, denim jeans, and a leather jacket over the heavy flannel shirt he wore. He had his big knife on one hip, a pair of Glocks in a pair of shoulder holsters that he’d fashioned, and the handle of an aluminum baseball bat jutting up over one shoulder.
“Let’s go get this guy,” Carl said with a grim voice.
“I’m ready.”
That was a lie. I was about to go hunt down and possibly kill another person. Despite anything the man had done, I was simply not programmed to be okay with killing a human being. I thought back to the incident with the flare. Somehow, I’d hyped myself up to the point where I wanted to kill.
I dug down and tried to find that same resolve. The only thing that I found was that I was tired and felt like maybe all of this was hopeless. Would this be the shape of our existence from here on out?
We headed for the ladder and nothing that I could do mentally was working. I just hoped and prayed that my participation in this endeavor would be limited to keeping the undead at bay while Carl finished the deed.
“It’s okay to murder this time,” a voice startled me as I was about to climb the ladder and exit our little compound.
I looked down to see Michael walking beside Chewie; the pair were coming up the path and Michael was looking up at me as he spoke. Such a small change in his stature was enough to cause me to do a double-take.
“You called Brandon a bad man,” I said, hoping that I would not break whatever spell was weaving around this moment. “Why is he a bad man, Michael?”
“He was stealing.”
“Evan” Carl hissed, “we need to get moving.”
“Just a sec,” I called over my shoulder.
“What was he stealing?” I turned back to the boy. He was no longer looking up at me. He
was petting Chewie who sat dutifully at his side.
“Bags of stuff. He took it last night.”
I didn’t have time to run inside the house to where we’d been stockpiling our food, medical supplies, and weapons. Something told me that I would be very upset if I checked.
“He went to the doctor’s office.”
I had no idea how the kid knew this stuff. What I did know was that he had a knack for not being seen. If Michael said that he had taken whatever he stole over to the medical complex, I believed him.
I threw my leg over the wall and was preparing to jump. Carl was already on the move, apparently not interested in waiting on me.
“You should say thank you,” Michael said in his creepy flat tone.
I shot a look over my shoulder. The boy and the dog were already turning to leave.
“Thank you, Michael,” I called after the pair.
“Welcome.” The word drifted to me as I dropped to the ground.
I jogged after Carl. “We need to loop around to the medical center,” I said just as we reached the trees.
“What?” Carl spun to face me.
“Brandon took a bunch of gear out of our place last night.”
“And you’re just telling me now?” Carl fumed.
“I just found out.”
“How?”
“Michael. He just told me that Brandon stole supplies and took them to the medical center.”
“That kid told you this?” Carl’s voice oozed skepticism. “He doesn’t talk to anybody except your dog.”
“Well, that is probably why we need to take this serious.”
Carl considered it for a moment. “If you can live with the consequences when this turns out to be a wild goose chase and that piece of crap gets away, then so be it.”
Carl shoved past me, but I knew that there was no way he would change his path if he didn’t think that this was a possibility. I fell in behind as we made our way down the hill towards 92nd Avenue. To our right, through the trees, I could see the outlines of the trucks we had parked in the driveway.
When we reached the road, Carl crouched in the bushes and brought his field glasses up. I scanned the front of the building and something caught my attention.