“What?”
Jerry, his laugh filled with relief, said, “I knocked out all its teeth. It couldn’t bite me.”
Neil walked into the main lobby with a confused smile on his face. He looked first at Jerry and then at Emma, standing next to him and laughing hysterically. He was about to ask when Jerry held up his arm to stop him. “It didn’t have any teeth,” Jerry said. “It didn’t have any teeth.”
Neil joined the infectious chuckling. When Jerry pulled his sleeve back down, he realized some of the mortal matter stuck in the bloody goo was teeth, yellow, worn, and misshapen. Shaking his arm violently, Jerry flicked the teeth from his coat and onto the floor.
Instantly sobering the mood, Jerry pointed out, “More zekes are coming. That’s probably my fault.”
Neil asked, “How many?”
“I only saw a few but there could be more. What are you thinking?”
Neil rubbed his chin, now covered in a full, if patchy beard. He said very thoughtfully, “I wonder...”
Emma glanced around to try and figure out what he had in mind. “What are you thinking about?”
“Well, I was thinking that we have that big fenced yard out back. If we could lure enough of those things back there and then close the gate, we might be able to even the odds around here a bit. What do you guys think?”
Emma was shaking her head and looking at the ceiling but saying nothing. Finally she said, “Neil, if you thought of it, then I’m sure it will work out. Let’s give it a shot.”
“Maybe we should go get the others first and bring them back,” Jerry suggested. “More hands to help out. We may need them.”
“And they’re probably scared shitless. They must have heard my scream,” added Emma.
Neil smiled. “Emma, I think they heard your scream in Anchorage, my friend.”
Chapter 19
When Neil, then Emma, and then Jerry all appeared, all six people, three children and three adults, breathed a collective sigh of relief. They were back. All of them were back. Danny couldn’t stop smiling, but Jules hadn’t moved. She was watching all the emotional reunions but she remained stoically separated, her expression unchanged.
After the hugs and the happy tears, Neil said, “We found a place but we have to move fast. Let’s get our stuff and head over that way.”
Climbing the fence on the far side of the lot made reaching the depot much quicker and much safer. They were in a huge, open, empty lot. The ground was painted with several long yellow lines between which cars, trucks, motorcycles, RVs, and any variety in between would be parked for loading onto the ferry.
Jules walked along one of the lines like she was walking a tightrope. She danced back and forth to music only in her head. Her precarious steps and disregard for her own safety at the promise of plummeting to her certain death was anything but playful. Losing her balance on more than one occasion, she nearly fell off her narrow perch.
Feeling himself drawn into the uncomfortable illusion a little too deeply, Neil had to turn away. He couldn’t watch, as if her fall would be all too real for him. He focused on the four ghouls pressing themselves into the gate on the far side of the lot. He wondered to himself how many the gate would be able to withstand. What was its tipping point? Maybe they could move a vehicle up against the gate as a support and restrict the amount the gate would sag. With the right bait and a little luck, they could get most of the things from this side of the city cleared in no time at all.
Of course, he was no fool, and realized their luck had not always been kind to them. He hadn’t completely detached himself from reality. He chanced a glance back over at Jules and felt the same discomfort raise the hair on his arms and the acid in his stomach. No, he was still connected. Regardless, he could hope that with enough planning, they could mitigate any potential threats through careful and meticulous planning. Why shouldn’t it work? The next step was to sell the idea to the other folks in their group because it was going to take all of them to get it done.
They ran to the back door and threw themselves in with a rush. The children ran into the first available office and collapsed behind a big, official-looking desk. It would eventually feel good to be back inside but for the moment, they were still pretty wound up from the day’s activities. After some rest and a little more to eat, they would all feel better.
Jess and Danielle moved to the enclosed counter area where ferry passengers would book passage. They looked into the main lobby with interest. It was empty except for some chairs but it looked so...ordinary, like they were gazing into the past. The office was just waiting for the clerks to arrive in order to open. If the front door had opened and in came a person to check on their reservation, neither of them would have been surprised.
Instead, at the front door but on the opposite side of a very strong, thick pane of glass stood three ghouls, all awaiting a different kind of service. Their bony arms were splayed across the glass but they didn’t appear to be much of a threat. There may have been more of them outside and likely were, but that was all they could see.
“I think we should put some paper over those windows and probably on the windows on the inside doors too,” Neil said from behind them, causing both of them to jump. “Keep them from seeing in and let us have a little light in here later tonight. Maybe we can find a metal trash can. We might be able to light a fire or something.”
Jess said to him, “I think we can make that happen.” She scanned the desk area and found a full tape dispenser and suspected she would be able to find some newspapers, copy paper, or something else to cover the glass. She thought that maybe after she and Danielle covered the outside windows, she could have the kids do the inside windows. She could give them a little distraction and a chore.
Neil, meanwhile, explained to everyone his plan. Despite some skeptical looks, no one voiced any dissent. It was decided that it was too late in the day to begin such an endeavor; they needed a full day to accomplish all they wanted done. They could take the balance of the day and the night to rest, eat, recuperate, and plan.
With the coming night, tensions began to rise. Night was an exceptional host for uncertainty, especially as of late. Horrible things happened every day in this new world but those events, those tragedies became all the more terrifying in isolating darkness where terror became very personal. For now, the threatening sisters of Dark and Night were held at bay on the outside.
Going through the supplies in the bags and backpacks, William happened upon more than just food. He found Gus’ bag, which had been picked up by someone. It was filled with bottle after bottle of liquor. There were so many bottles in the bag that they didn’t clatter together. William felt sorrow for his lost friend but also found a smile at his friend’s decision about priorities. The only food William found in the bag was a jar of cocktail olives, some maraschino cherries, and a jar of salted peanuts. Gus had packed a bar’s worth of essentials.
William held up a bottle of spiced rum. “Gus wanted us to have an Irish wake for him...and everyone else.” Quietly to himself, William said, “I only wish he was here to enjoy it with us.”
Emma disappeared into a dark room and reemerged with a handful of coffee mugs. She passed one around to everyone but came up one short. She looked at Jerry and asked if the two of them could share.
Neil had a couple of mugs of Jack Daniels while Emma and Jerry shared some Absolut vodka with cranberry juice in it. Jess found a bottle of Don Julio tequila that she shared with William.
Knowing what alcohol could do to a diabetic’s blood sugar, Danielle did not share in the drinking but she did share in the muted revelry. It felt good to be smiling again. The threat of having to dive back into the fray again on the morrow was still there, but for the moment it took a back seat to the immediate comforts and delicacies this life afforded, if even for this brief time.
From the sugar buzz of the fruit and other treats they’d been given, the children perked up a bit. Well, Danny and Jules did for a bit until
their exhaustion and the dropping temperature in the depot finally caught up with them.
Some small fires were started in a pair of metal trashcans to warm the main lobby and diminish the darkness somewhat. The sounds coming from the street outside had most of them on edge on and off through the night but there were brief periods of peace. As a result, rest was elusive, coming in fits and starts.
As soon as the children’s eyes closed, they jerked, quivered, and whimpered. Eventually they settled into a more peaceful sleep, but Neil assumed that was when their minds were finally too exhausted to taunt them any longer.
Jess walked up behind Neil as he watched them. “I’m worried about Nikki,” she said.
Neil answered with a raised eyebrow as if to say, “No shit.”
“No, really. I haven’t heard her say a single thing. I don’t think she would have even eaten tonight if I hadn’t spooned some food into her mouth. I think about half of that ended up on the floor. She’s just so gone.”
Neil sighed again, his head feeling the effects of the booze. He looked over at the three kids and wondered about all of them. Danny was growing stronger and more independent by the day. Jules, once doing the same, was retreating into her shell again. Today in the snow, it was the first time he’d seen her animated since Meghan’s death. He was worried about her, but that concern paled in comparison to that which he felt about Nikki.
Nikki had been pale and weak looking since he first encountered her along a lonely stretch of the Seward Highway. She harbored a frailness of both body and mind in her eyes that couldn’t be dismissed. Her bone-thin arms rarely left her side while her legs only moved when prompted by someone else. Her face, though pretty and almost angelic in its pureness, was impossibly thin.
Knowing all of this did not necessarily make it any easier for Neil to guess what to do. If she didn’t eat and didn’t run when they needed her to run... He couldn’t think of a child as a liability, but there was no denying it. He couldn’t ignore a basic truth. They needed to get her to a place where she could heal, if that were still possible. For her sake, Neil hoped it was.
There was always some other distraction though. Something else always took priority over caring for the mental wellbeing of a child. And seemingly on cue, the sounds from the street drew all of the adults’ attention. The moment of levity granted to all of them had come to an end.
They crept to the front door and peered out through a flap left in the newspapers. There was a group of a dozen that had gathered in the empty street. They were gathering with a purpose though. They had been drawn to this place like bees to flowers. They weren’t completely sure as to why, but their predatory minds had shown them the way.
Chapter 20
Neil hadn’t realized he had gone to sleep until Danny roused him awake early the next morning. He must have dozed either very late in the night or very early in the morning. He had been feeling his eyes go nearly cross trying to pick out details on the growing mob in front of their hiding place in the ferry terminal. The dim moonlight and the hazy, persistent snow falling made any efforts to see into the night more than a few yards nearly impossible.
Trying to remember his last memories of the night before, Neil’s eyes finally came into focus. He looked at Danny for a good long while and then smiled. They were in the front entryway, as close to danger as he could be. He’d slept in the shadow of the walking corpses standing on the other side of a thick pane of glass.
Danny asked, “Why you smilin’?”
“It’s good to be woken up and not hear the words, Neil we have a problem, before I can see straight. Everything still okay?”
Danny gestured with his head toward the window. “They’re still out there, but they’re not standing right at the door anymore. Jerry doesn’t think they know we’re here. He thinks we should get started early.” Danny wasn’t entirely sure what “get started” meant, but he was tasked with delivering the message. Danny had heard only the barest details of the plan to corral zombies into the ferry’s fenced lot.
“Jerry’s probably right. We shouldn’t waste time and sunlight.” Noticing a mug in Danny’s hand, Neil asked, “Whatchya got there?”
“Oh, here. Emma thought you might like this. It’s real coffee.” Danny added, “I’m not supposed to tell you where the water came from though.”
Neil eagerly took the very warm coffee mug and peered into the dark, hot liquid. The strong aroma caused his taste buds to tingle and the hair on his arms and neck to stand on end. He took a sip, letting the strong drink burn his tongue. The caffeine lit up his senses in an instant, chasing away whatever sleep still lingered. It didn’t really matter to him from where the water had come when he felt like that after one sip.
Taking a longer drink from his mug, Neil pulled aside the strip of newspaper to expose a section of glass and looked again into the street. It was still snowing, much of which was starting to accumulate in ankle deep piles around the mostly motionless undead standing in the storm. There were more than twenty gathered outside by then. They filled the air with their otherworldly moaning, calling out to every zombie in the area to join them.
Danny lingered for a moment longer not saying anything. Neil picked up on the boy’s hesitation and asked, “Wanna know what’s going on?”
Danny started to nod and then shrugged his shoulders. Neil gave Danny the short version of their plan. Danny was the only one to have asked about the window on the back door. Neil assigned Danny the task of covering it with paper. Jules and Nikki supervised and helped him by handing strips of tape at the appointed times.
Chapter 21
Feet pounding a steady rhythm on pavement. Breathing coming in shallow, labored gasps. Eyes widening with fear following each desperate step.
Emma couldn’t believe she had volunteered to be one of the “rabbits.” What was she thinking? Jerry could have done it and had done it in the past. Why did she volunteer? The answer eluded her.
Honestly, Emma didn’t have time to consider her poor judgment at the moment. She had to concentrate on running and staying alive. It was her job to make certain no zeke could come at them from the right side. Neil was responsible for the left.
It was like trying to hold back water with only your hand. The things approached from both sides, agitated and driven by hunger. They came in pairs and groups, their wretched jaws snapping aggressively, chewing the air as they neared.
The two of them ran as long as they could without using their firearms. The plan all along was to use their guns, sparingly, but Neil wanted them closer to the ferry office before they did.
He thought that if they used their guns too early, they could burn through too much ammunition and also land themselves in a trap with too many coming at them from every direction. If they could keep the zekes only coming at them from three sides, Neil and Emma could fairly easily make it back to the office.
Neil looked over his shoulder as he ran and was astonished at the number of the things trailing the two of them. The creatures were no longer capable of running, but their pace was more than walking. They moved with a grave purpose, following Neil’s and Emma’s every move.
Emma said nearly breathlessly, “Neil, in front of us.”
Neil turned and saw that they were heading directly into a tightening cul de sac. The opening in front of them was slowly closing like an unforgiving mouth. “Nowwwww!” he shouted.
Emma, still running, raised her assault rifle and fired. The bullets struck flesh and bone, punching holes through chests, arms, necks and heads. Not all of the bullets fired found their targets. Emma was finding it hard to steady the rifle and its kick due to her pace. Regardless of whether her shooting was bringing down many of the undead, she was successful in driving back the gathering throng in front of her.
Neil had chosen to use a pistol instead of taking another of their assault rifles. His shots were more controlled and paced, though not every one of his bullets found their marks either. The imposing, modern-look
ing forty-five caliber pistol sent powerful shockwaves through his arms with each of its metallic barks.
In front of them, acting like a dam against the flood, jutted the rear end of a car. Neil needn’t say anything. The two of them leapt first onto the bumper, then onto the car’s trunk, and next the roof, which crumpled loudly with their combined weight. They hurried across the hood of the car and finally jumped clear of harm and but nowhere near away from danger.
Both Neil and Emma spun around and fired off the remaining rounds in their weapons. These bursts were less controlled and more random. It felt good though. Watching the bullets literally barrel their way through the crowd was grimly satisfying.
Both guns clicking on empty, Neil and Emma once again sprinted away from mob. The two of them reloaded their weapons on the run in case a similar measure was needed. With the ferry office getting closer and closer, Neil doubted they would need to use their guns again but it paid to be prepared for anything these days.
There were six more of the creatures standing in the road outside the office, a gruesome greeting party. Beyond the ghouls, Neil spied Danielle standing on the opposite of the fence gate. Excited to see Emma and Neil, Danielle waved desperately.
Neil shouted, “Opennnnnnnnn ittttttttt!!!”
Danielle forced herself to walk over to the gate latch. On the way, she stumbled on a rock and fell into the fence. It wasn’t much of a fall, but it was enough for her to rattle the metal fence links. And the sound the fence made wasn’t much to hear, but it was enough to be heard by one of the six ghouls nearest to her.
In her haste, Danielle didn’t see the zombie that was making its way toward her. The lumbering beast stagger stepped its way in her direction, its rotting jaw clicking and cracking as it opened and closed. A steady, nearly unbroken rusty hinge of a groan spilled from its gnashing maw. The moan carved into the air with all the subtlety of a buzz saw but Danielle didn’t see it. She was too focused on her task to notice anything around her.
Alaskan Undead Apocalypse (Book 4): Resolution Page 14