Lifting the latch and throwing open the gate, Danielle finally noticed the creeping beast. She screamed an earsplitting wail, attracting the other five undead toward her as well. She tried to run but found her legs unwilling to budge. She was as stuck to the ground as a tree.
Danielle, her feet planted and unmovable, could no longer find her voice to scream any easier than she could find the will to flee. Crying was the only thing she was able to do. The tears came fast and hard, producing chest-seizing, fear-filled sobs.
Its cloudy eyes wide with rage, the creature moved quicker. Its moan became a bone-chilling, raspy growl and its arms raised hungrily toward her.
Danielle closed her eyes and awaited the inevitable. She thought of her family...her father and mother, her ancient grandfather, and finally her brother. She hoped their kind memories would greet her in the gloom. Maybe she would find help in getting through the coming pain. She tried to see their faces but all she saw was the gray face of relentless death when her eyes closed.
She heard a crack but was unable to recognize it for anything other than a sudden, foreign noise. When she felt her shoulder get tugged fiercely, she gritted her teeth and prayed that it would be over quickly. Then there was another sound and more tugging. She was being pulled away. Was it a voice she was hearing? Danielle was stupefied.
Finding the courage, Danielle finally opened her eyes and saw that the fiend closest to her was no longer on its feet; it was lying on the ground in a heap just inside the open gate. The ghoul’s head was partially collapsed on one side and a jellied pool of dark fluids had formed beside it.
Looking around in wonder, Danielle saw Jess next to her. The blonde woman was holding her pistol, a black automatic, extended in her right hand. The sleek firearm’s barrel was still trailing a faint line of thin smoke. Jess pulled on Danielle, this time grabbing onto the younger woman’s coat more forcefully. With a firm grip on Danielle, both physically and metaphorically, Jess led the two of them away. Danielle allowed herself to be pushed and pulled according to Jess’ desires.
Before they had taken more than two steps though, another of the demons started to make its way through the gate. A wiry, thin arm followed a claw of a hand. When its head emerged, looking not much more than a set of chomping teeth and deep-set eyes, Jess decided she’d had enough.
Forcing Danielle further ahead toward the open door with Danny standing in it, Jess stopped, raised her pistol again and fired, shouting, “I’m through taking shit from youuuu! From all of you!” When she had stopped, her voice was rising to a shrill pitch. Her bullets tore away bony fingers, shattered a clavicle, bore themselves into the creature’s brittle sternum, and finally punched holes in its skull.
The creature was hurtled backward and tumbled into another of them starting to come through the gate. Jess didn’t wait for them to become untangled. She pushed Danielle through the door and Danny slammed it shut.
In the meantime, Neil and Emma had also gotten within striking distance of the gate entrance. Neil shot another of the original half dozen; the other three had already rounded the corner into the lot and were out of sight.
Neil and Emma heard another, recognizable gunshot. It was Jerry. They could only hope he was shooting the targets still in front of them. If everything worked according to plan, Jerry would be shooting any errant zekes that wandered into the lot in front of the two of them. They had to trust in the plan.
There was another shot just as they got through the gate, and Neil saw another of the creatures in front of them as its head came apart. Emma eliminated the final zombie unceremoniously with a pull of a trigger. Having been shot from behind, the monster was knocked forward onto its face, grating roughly across both gravel and pavement.
Neil shouted, “Dannnnnnnyyyyyy! Open the doooooorrrrrrrrr!”
Dutifully, Danny cracked open the door just wide enough to verify that it was indeed Neil calling to be let into the building. When he confirmed it was, Danny opened the door wider and welcomed in the two adults.
The second he shut the door Danny could hear the grunts, moans, and howls of the undead in the lot outside. His chest filled with the sound triggering the unfortunately familiar nausea.
“They’re out back,” the boy said. “A bunch of ‘em. I think the plan is working.”
Neil looked at the closed door and its small window. “Now we just have to hope they don’t find a way in.”
Chapter 22
Jerry slid the bolt on his rifle, peered through the scope, and fired again. His heart rate was rising and his breathing was starting to quicken as his excitement built. He was making enough racket to attract all of them to his position and it was working.
As one, the cadaverous mob turned their attention to the source of the shooting and moved in that direction. The vast majority of the creatures trailing Neil and Emma had already gotten into the lot though a few stragglers continued to enter. The mass of decomposing bodies, more than fifty of the fiends in all, was surging away from the ferry office building to find their way into the far corner of the lot. Their progress led by their chorus of stomach-turning moans, the creatures yearned for the promise of flesh.
Jerry couldn’t remember how many he had shot up to that point. He was usually better about keeping track of the load in his rifle, but with William standing next to him and watching their backs he didn’t feel nearly as pressured. William was armed with Allen’s shotgun and was keeping a steady and revolving eye on the limited approaches behind and around them. So far, they only seemed to have been noticed by those abominations already in the lot.
They needed to wait a few more moments before they could move back to the ferry office. They were to go to the back door of the building where someone was supposed to be watching for them.
Jerry fired again and then again, watching through his scope as two more brittle, ossified skulls burst like overripe melons. “Reloading,” he said calmly. “We still good?”
William nodded, his comfort level decreasing with each passing second. “Yeah, we’re good. Nothing around.”
William wondered how they were going to get back to Shotgun Cove without access to a vehicle. There were many cars and trucks available on the streets and in the parking lots of Whittier, but they couldn’t be sure if any would have keys in the ignitions or even gas in their tanks. It was a crapshoot for all of them going that route. They couldn’t take any unnecessary chances, especially with the kids with them. He didn’t want to put any of them in danger and was certain that fellow Neil didn’t want to do that either.
They could walk, but it was a hell of a long way away. It would be even longer with their fully stuffed backpacks and other bags filled with supplies. Besides, if they were spotted and followed by any of those things, he would be putting his friends in peril and that wasn’t fair. They didn’t deserve that.
No, it was quite apparent that they needed a vehicle to get them back to the Cove. He thought maybe they could find one closer to them if they looked in different places. Instead of looking toward all the packed cars over toward the tourist end of town, maybe they could find a car or a truck over toward the commercial docks on the other side of the ferry dock. He looked that way, straining to see anything. The empty shipping containers, handful of dormant buildings, and other odds and ends didn’t hold much promise for them. William did spot a couple of vehicles but neither looked to have been driven for an age.
He panned further to the left and stopped on a short service pier. There was a small launch, no more than a rowboat, tied at the end. He watched it rise and fall with the lively current, mesmerized with the little craft.
William loved being on the water. There was no place he would rather be. When he was on the water, William felt connected to the world in ways that he didn’t feel in any other place. Things just made sense to him riding the tide in and out of the Sound. It was as predictable as a heartbeat to him.
His eyes wandered to another building, a small office of some sort. He
paused for a moment, then looked back to the boat. William cocked his head to one side and side hopefully, “I think I might have a way out for us.”
Jerry didn’t look away from the lot. His rifle was reloaded and ready but he was no longer shooting. He had the beasts’ attention and they were quickly approaching him. Jerry was thankful for the fence between him and them, and he fervently hoped it would be enough to restrain them. Standing there and waiting was becoming more and more difficult. Jerry wasn’t accustomed to feeling such leg buckling terror at seeing the things anymore. They were so tragically commonplace that he normally didn’t have much reaction these days.
Finally, Jerry asked, “You see a truck or bus or something?”
William was smiling. “No. I got something different in mind.”
“Good. I think we should get outta here. We’ve got as many in that lot as I think we are goin’ to get. Time for us to head inside.”
Chapter 23
“One of your boats? Really? Did you not see the docks?”
Danielle was about to re-launch her barrage of questions at William but her headache was too distracting. She rubbed her temples and wiped away more sweat from her forehead. The glucose tube she ingested was still taking effect. She couldn’t afford to lose her wits and become a burden to these people. It was one thing to have to drag unresponsive children but she was an adult and would require much more effort.
Danielle lowered her head into her hands. She was afraid her responses might be unduly influenced by her condition. Maybe William’s plan made perfect sense to everyone else.
“How bad are the docks?” Jerry asked. He didn’t like being in the ferry office without any way to see out. He felt claustrophobic and blind at the same time. He needed to see where they were headed. William grew excited about whatever he saw while they were still out by the fence, but they moved away so quickly Jerry wasn’t able to look himself.
“They were pretty bad when we saw them last,” William acknowledged. “I didn’t think no one saw. No tellin’ how bad they are now with all the activity we stirred up. We may have gotten most of them locked away behind the fence anyway. This may be the best time to do it and it’s got to be safer out on the water. You asked for any ideas and that’s my idea.”
Emma said, “We don’t know how many more of them are left out there. If we’re goin to Shotgun Cove, and I mean if, then we need to find a good way to get there. We got more cars than we can possibly use out there waiting for us, but we don’t know if any of them are still working. It would suck to get out there all exposed only to find that not a one on the outside of those knots would start. If we did get one to start, then we’d have to cut through both sides of town to get out and probably have those things trail us all the way back. ‘Sides, we don’t even know if those things have gotten into the Cove already. What happens if we get there and it’s overrun? We’ll just have to find our way back again... Neil, if we could get a boat, we would have some other travel options. Zombies can’t swim, ya know.”
Neil agreed and added, “We can take a look. If it doesn’t look safe, we can always come back here and hole up a bit longer.”
William nodded. “Okay then. I think I’ve got an idea about how to get there.”
“You got a tank parked nearby?” Emma quipped. In her mind, Danielle was right. There could be and probably were hundreds of those things still down there, and once they were out on the piers, there wouldn’t be room to move around. She shuddered at the thought of getting trapped and overwhelmed on those narrow strips of slippery boards. Would there be any escaping their ravenous jaws even in the water? She doubted it very much.
William saw her worry and said in a calm and confident manner, “If we head the other way,” he pointed in the direction opposite where his boats would be parked, “we can get ourselves into another boat and use that one to get over to mine.”
Jess asked, “Why not just use that boat to get us back? Why go through the effort of getting onto one of yours? Sounds a little like you’re just trying to save your own investment.”
William shook his head. “It was a rowboat. You don’t want to try and row all the way over to the Cove. That’s a pretty good distance. The boat would be overloaded too. If we came into any inclement weather— and it looks like we probably would— that boat would be swamped in a heartbeat. We need something bigger. The only reason why we’re goin’ after mine is because I’ve got the keys to mine and know that they’re all gassed and ready to go.”
Jess asked, “How can you be sure?”
William had spoken with Paul. Both boats were ready for their charters and just waiting for William. William also guessed that there would be ample provisions still on the boats too. If they could get on them, things would start looking up. He was sure of that. The problem was just getting onto them safely.
William took a deep breath. “Anyone have a better idea?”
No one did, although none of them were willing to say that William’s plan or any of its many moving parts were “good ideas.” With an absence of other options, William’s plan quickly grew legs.
Neil was relieved that for once he was not the one to have to come up with the answers to their problems. If pressed, he would also admit that he wasn’t entirely comfortable with ceding control to anyone else, especially a stranger. Could they trust this man? Could he trust this man? Did he have a choice?
Regardless of hesitation or trepidation, Neil allowed himself to do exactly that: trust. He had no reason to do so. He didn’t know this man or the woman with him for that matter. These strangers seemed ill prepared to face the world as it was, and yet, Neil saw something in the imposing black man who was built like and as big as a bulldozer. His eyes possessed a deep-seated strength, but glowed with compassion and kindness as well.
It was trust that led them out the back door of the building and onto the road again. They ran out along the fence, the horrid faces on the opposite side growling and snapping at them the whole way. Upon clearing the fence, William pointed toward a lone dock still some distance away that jutted out into the water. He said enthusiastically, “That’s it. The boat is tied up there.”
Jerry, peering through his scope, corrected, “I think I see two boats.”
“Good,” Neil said. “We’ll use them both. That gives us more options.”
They moved along the waterline, picking their way carefully over the rocky shingles. The snow had iced up across some of the surfaces causing each of them to slip at least once along the way. Their bags were getting heavier and heavier. On more than one occasion, there were thoughts about dropping items from them or setting down an entire bag. Neil understood the griping about sore arms but he kept everyone focused on getting through it with as many supplies as they could. In the long run, they would appreciate the food and the bullets if it meant the difference between living and dying.
Emma asked, “With two boats, can we just use those to get to Shotgun Cove?”
“No, we need to get ourselves onto Serenity,” William said. “She’ll get us there safely. You can count on Serenity.”
Of his boats, Serenity was his favorite. She was a great boat with fine character. He’d ridden her through some serious squalls and she always rose to the occasion. Serenity could be trusted. She was also in a better position to be able to push off quickly if the need arose, and it most certainly would. If they were to make a fast getaway from danger, he couldn’t ask for a better scenario.
“What’s Serenity?” Danny asked.
William chuckled. That was a great question and one that he wished he could truly answer. Maybe once he was aboard her, Serenity would remind him. He needed to be on the sea. That was where he always found serenity. He said through his shiny grin, “She’s my boat and she’s gonna get us home.”
Chapter 24
They climbed from the waterline and emerged on a paved road, which angled down to the water in other spots. The pier was just beyond. In front of them, the road was
empty, though there were several small buildings to either side of and a few stalled trucks in the middle of the sloped road.
Their legs found reserves of energy, while the descending angle of the road also did its part to help quicken their pace. They weren’t running, but the solid jog at which each of them traveled was carrying them down the road quickly. They moved like people excited by opportunity, like Black Friday shoppers rushing into the early bird sales while everyone else was at home still sleeping off their Thanksgiving meals.
They charged down the road. The challenge was in controlling the noise they made as they barreled down the pavement. With the water beckoning more and more in front of them their focus and speed increased. The excitement nearly getting the better of them, Neil finally slackened his pace as he approached the first vehicle, a dirty but fairly new full sized Chevy pickup. Ahead of the others, he stopped and leaned into the car to catch his breath.
“We need to be more careful,” he huffed through strained breath. “We’re making too much noise.”
His warning came too late. They’d drawn the attention of a handful of ghouls slithering from behind and around the rusting shipping containers and shacks which served as service offices in front of them. They oozed into the road with their emaciated, claw-like hands extended in front of them. Their heads, more animated than any other part of their bodies, jerked with excited, tortured tics.
“Damnit!” Neil barked. “I knew this was going to happen.”
Emma raised her rifle and squeezed off a series of rounds. The first two bullets punched holes in the front windshield of a blue family sedan parked along the street’s shoulder and near to the walking abominations.
Alaskan Undead Apocalypse (Book 4): Resolution Page 15