Something about him seemed to drive Jenni over the edge. She was running up the stairs before anyone could even react. Katie followed, her boots thudding against the wood steps.
"Jenni!"
Jack charged past her, barking, excited.
When Katie hit the second floor, she saw no sign of Jenni. She saw the door to the back patio was open. Running to the doorway, she saw Jenni standing near the rail, gun raised, Jack poised at her heels, barking away.
"Hey, fuckface!" Jenni's voice was full of hatred.
The zombie turned slowly, saw her up on the balcony, opened his mouth to shriek, and rushed forward. As soon as he was clear of the window, Jenni put a nice little hole through his right eye. The enormous zombie pitched forward, onto two female zombies who had turned to see Jenni and effectively trapped both of them under his enormous girth.
Katie stood next to Jenni, a little shocked.
Jenni turned and looked at her, then shrugged. "He looked like my Dad," she explained. She walked past her into the building.
Katie stood for a moment, registering this. Jenni's sanity had been in question since yesterday; but then again, they were all slightly insane now, weren't they? She watched the two female zombies trying to wiggle out from under the huge dead man and slightly smiled. Turning on her heel, she followed Jenni back down the stairs.
Jenni stood near the top of the stairs waiting. From her expression, Katie knew she was struggling internally.
"We should have gone last night," Jenni whispered.
"In the dark? With those things?" Katie lifted an eyebrow. "Would you really want to do that?"
Jenni sighed and shook her head. "I'm just worried about Jason."
"I know, but we have to take care of ourselves, too, you know."
"I know, Katie." Jenni sighed softly. "I know."
Packing was quick. Ralph being an old pro, he knew what they needed. Nerit gave them a cooler full of sandwiches and drinks. She seemed especially pensive, but she smiled reassuringly whenever her gaze rested on them.
Katie was busy double-checking the small bag holding their ammo when Nerit came up and laid Katie's phone next to her on the table.
"I found this up on the roof. I thought you may want it," she said in her warm, rich accented voice.
Katie glanced at it and hesitated. "There isn't any service anymore."
Nerit nodded, but flipped the phone open to show Lydia's lovely face smiling up at them. "For her, not the service."
Katie looked at her sharply, her hand closing the phone, but her gaze anxious, waiting.
"She was beautiful. And she loved you. I can see it in her face," Nerit said softly.
Katie's eyes filled with tears for a moment. "She was my life."
Nerit looked past her to Jenni. The other woman was rearranging one of the backpacks with a very dire expression on her face. "But now you are going to take care of her. And her son. I can see it in your eyes. It's what you do."
"Well, I can't say you're wrong. I was a prosecutor. I tried to find justice in the world," Katie admitted.
Nerit took Katie's hand in her old, leather one, and pressed it between her palms. "You are a good person, Katie. Come back safe. I think I want to know you better and make you family."
Katie smiled widely and flung her arms around Nerit in a tight hug. "Thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for us."
"Nuff of that. Sun is climbing. If you are going to round trip it today, gotta start now," Ralph said from behind them.
Nerit let go of Katie and nodded. "I'll be in position." She headed toward the stairs, snagging her sniper rifle off the counter on her way.
Katie stuffed the bag of ammo in her backpack, grabbed the cooler, and followed Ralph.
"Nerit will toss the decoy in five minutes. You head out the back door. She'll cover from up top. I'll cover from the door. Both of you, keep your eyes sharp and head for the truck."
Katie and Jenni looked at each other and that gaze steadied each other. They were ready. Backpacks adorned both their backs. Katie slung the cooler by its long strap over her shoulder. Each had a gun in their hand. In Jenni's extra hand she carried another backpack, that she would drop if she had to. Katie held the truck keys.
A few minutes later a lot of noise erupted in the front of the building. A man's voice talking loudly about the zombie infestation quickly drew the attention of any of the undead milling behind the store. Through a slit in the curtains, Ralph saw most of them head around the side of the building.
"Now!"
Katie flung open the door and ran. The truck was parked under a small carport about 15 feet from the back door, but it seemed an eternity away. She could hear Jenni right behind her, Jack bringing up the rear.
Shots erupted almost immediately. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something drop.
A man came running around the truck, screeching with his hands flung out. Katie raised her gun and fired. It seemed like an almost point blank shot. His head exploded in a volcano of gore, and he was down. Another shot to her side told her Ralph and Nerit were covering them.
Her finger kept pressing the button to unlock the truck as she ran and finally she heard the singsong sound of the alarm flicking off and the click of the doors unlocking. Jenni reached the truck first and opened the passenger side.
"Jack, in," Jenni ordered and turned to see a woman coming around the side of the building. It was a very old woman, still clutching a cane in one hand, but still running at a surprising speed. The retort of Jenni's gun stabbed her eardrums, but the woman went down. Flinging the extra backpack in, then shedding her own swiftly, Jenni was momentarily clear of any zombies.
Katie reached the truck and started to open the door when someone grabbed her. A baby, on the ground, had her foot.
"Shit!" She flung the cooler into the truck, trying to shake the baby off her foot. There was no way it could ever bite through her boot with its baby teeth, but it was hissing and trying hard to crawl up her leg.
"They're coming around, Katie! Just go," Ralph's voice ordered and she heard the door slam shut to the store.
Katie shook free of the mutilated baby that was maybe eleven months old and slammed her foot down on its head. Using it as a step, she slid in backward, backpack first.
Three zombies were closing fast on her side and she raised her gun and fired. The first one went down, the second spun around as the shot took it in the shoulder, but the third was on her.
At the last second, she managed to raise her gore-splattered foot and slam it into its chest before it reached her. Its hands scrabbled at her pant leg, but it didn't seem smart enough to bend down and bite it. Its eyes were strictly on her face, its hands straining for her. Its face was so mangled she wasn't sure if it was a man or a woman.
The truck door on the other side slammed shut. Over her shoulder Jenni's hand appeared holding her gun. Katie twisted her torso to the side as Jenni rammed the gun into the thing's face and fired.
Katie felt her ears go numb.
Blood splattered both of them and Jenni reached out and slammed the door shut just as Katie drew her legs all the way in.
Hitting the button on the side panel, Jenni locked them safely inside the cab.
Katie shrugged off the backpack and tossed it into the backseat where Jack already sat, growling and barking out the back window at the swiftly approaching zombies.
More shots rang out and Jenni looked anxiously over one shoulder. "I think the radio in the dummy ruse is over."
"There are more than we expected," Katie said.
Katie's fingers were trembling so hard she could barely get the key into the ignition, but she finally managed to slide it in and twist. The engine roared to life and she quickly reversed.
She could feel the thunk of several bodies hitting the back end of the truck. She shifted and aimed for two runners trying to head her off as her foot pushed down on the accelerator. They bounced off the deer guard in a graceful arch.
> "Nailed 'em!" Jenni laughed and clapped her hands.
Moving swiftly down the gravel drive that cut behind the hunting store, the truck sent several zombies hurtling either into the building or into the grass and down a steep embankment behind the store.
Katie turned the truck onto the main road and floored it.
"You girls safe," a voice cackled.
Jenni grabbed the hand held CB transceiver off its holder and pushed the button. "Roger that! We are safe and en route to rescue point!"
Katie smothered a laugh that was born of both amusement and a little hysteria.
"We're a little more infested than we thought. I think some of the bed and breakfast folks had a large crowd in town. We'll try to clean them up as much as we can before you get back tonight," Ralph answered. There was a long pause. "Katie, you didn't get bit did ya? That guy was right on ya."
Jenni's eyes widened and she looked at Katie anxiously.
"I'm fine. Tell him I'm fine." Except for the ringing in her ears, that was.
Jenni sighed with relief. "She's okay. We're both okay."
"Good. Now you girls take care out there. Come back safe."
"Roger that. Over and out." Jenni carefully put the CB transceiver back on its hook and strapped herself into her seat with the seatbelt.
Katie once more marveled at how well Jenni was doing. From dazed survivor to gun-toting mama, but then again, she had a feeling that this may have been the most living Jenni had ever done.
"We're gonna do this and come back, "Jenni said firmly.
Katie nodded. "Yes, we are," she agreed with determination.
But deep down inside, she had a horrible feeling that things were not going to go quite as they hoped.
2. Hell Has Highways
The drone of the road was steady and unwavering as the truck roared over the slowly warming asphalt. The sun was climbing and would soon be an unmerciful tormentor of heat and light. Jack lay snoozing in the back seat with his nose tucked beneath his front paws all doggy contentedness and cuteness.
Jenni smiled at him and looked back toward the road. Ralph's truck was much more luxurious than the truck they had escaped from the city with. It was a much bigger truck that sat higher off the ground and the seats were leather and very comfortable. The CB had been quiet for awhile after their last check-in. They had listened to the emergency broadcasting radio network for a short time, but as Ralph said, it was just bullshit. Jenni found it amusing that she understood more of what was going on than officials in high places because of her steady diet of zombie flicks thanks to her asshole of a husband.
Glancing at Katie, she was relieved to see her companion looking cool and in control. Katie was wearing very sporty men's sunglasses that made her look like a cop and that thought sent Jenni into a fit of giggles. Katie just peered over the tops of the sunglasses and slowly stuck out her tongue.
It was a huge relief to know exactly how things were supposed to be now. Yesterday-oh, God! It was just yesterday! - Jenni had spent the morning swinging between sheer panic and a trance-like state. By afternoon, she had felt safe in Katie's presence and confident her new friend would see them through all of this. A heroine was filling the usual hero role and Jenni accepted that. Where she had made the mistake was thinking that just because Katie was a lesbian, she was merely a man in a woman's skin.
But last night, seeing Katie naked, sobbing, overwhelmed with grief, Jenni had seen that Katie was all woman, with a woman's reaction to things, a woman's emotions, a woman's way of dealing with it. Then she had gone and been a damn fool trying to comfort her like she was a man.
Even now, in the truck, Jenni blushed at the thought of her awkward attempt to kiss Katie. No, she hadn't felt any attraction to her or even particularly wanted to even try to be with a woman. But Jenni was used to putting aside her needs and her desires for the men in her life. First her father, then her brother, then her husband. She had shut up, put up, and dealt with whatever they wanted from her.
But Katie...
Jenni smiled at her affectionately.
Katie caught her look out of the corner of her eye and gave her a quick glance. "What?"
Jenni kept smiling goofy.
Katie just kind of laughed and turned her gaze back to the road. "You try kissing me again..."
Jenni laughed. "Noooooooooo!" She snuggled down in the seat and pulled the map onto her lap. "We're looking for the handsome black leading man. I'll kiss him."
Katie grinned, but then it faded as she saw a sign for a town. "Checkersville. What do Ralph's notes say?"
Jenni immediately grew serious and studied the map. "Ralph made a note that it’s got a small population. It's Emorton we need to worry about. It's a lot bigger."
Katie sighed, noting that according to the road sign they were ten miles out of Emorton. "Okay, get ready."
Jenni dutifully drew her gun and snapped off the safety.
They hit the small town at seventy miles per hour. It was two blocks long in both directions and appeared completely deserted. The truck cleared the first block and Katie expertly swung it around a car stalled in the middle of the intersection.
"So far so good," Jenni said with relief.
"Don't curse it," Katie chided her and the truck started down the second block.
A man broke free of a building ahead of them, running fast, and screaming. It was not a zombie scream, but "Stop! Stop!"
The truck sailed past him in a flash and Katie slammed on the brakes and shifted into reverse.
"Get ready to open the door, Jenni."
Jenni whipped around in her seat as Jack raised his head blearily, curious as to the drama.
The man ran toward the stopped truck, sobbing, and clutching one of his arms. It was a mangled mess.
"Go." Jenni said softly.
"What?"
"He's infected."
Katie looked into the review mirror, saw the man's arm and slammed her fists hard against the steering wheel. "Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck."
The man drew near the truck, waving his good arm, looking relieved. Behind him three battered, torn, and running figures appeared.
"Just go," Jenni sighed.
Katie glanced into the rear view mirror as Jack began to bark at the approaching zombies. "Sorry," she whispered and shifted gears and truck lurched forward as more zombies, slower ones, shuffled into view.
"No," the man shouted. His voice was full of disbelief, despair and terror. "No! Don't leave me here!"
Jenni considered shooting him. But leaning out the window and actually hitting him in the head or anywhere vital enough to kill him instantly seemed just impossible. She tried not to look behind her, but her eyes strayed to the side mirror. She winced as she watched him be caught by the faster zombies and dragged down. Her hand lashed out and grabbed Katie's. Katie held it tightly and they both sat in silence as the town vanished behind them.
After a few miles, Katie withdrew her hand and put it back on the wheel as they drew near Emorton.
"Ralph advised that we go down this side road. It will help us avoid the main part of town. FM 1342."
Katie nodded. "Okay. Got it."
Jenni looked at Katie again and thought of Katie's words last night. They did share a bond. She felt it. Yes, she had been a little confused about it last night, but not anymore. She understood now. And she felt comfortable now with the warmth in her heart when she looked at Katie. She had a new friend, a sister, a comrade and she could love her and not be afraid of being used or hurt.
Katie turned onto the farm road and they both sat tensely in the moving truck, both aware that the larger towns were deathtraps. Jack softly woofed from the back seat and Jenni turned to see he was staring straight ahead with a very serious look on his face.
Three large buildings loomed ahead. Emorton Elementary, Junior High and High school all in one row. The parking lot was crammed with cars and high gates surrounded the building. But the gates were down in one section. Two cars eviden
tly had rammed into it and the car doors were open. No one was inside, but the doors were smeared with blood.
"Not good," Katie said softly.
Jenni flicked off the safety on her gun. "They must have made the school the rescue center." She twisted around in her seat and studied the buildings as they passed. Blood and bits of bodies were littered across the courtyard in front of one of the buildings. The doors to what appeared to be the gym were wide open.
"Katie, floor it!"
Two zombies raced out of the gym toward the truck and it was if a dam had broken. A torrent of moaning, screeching zombies poured out of the building, a mixture of adults and children, racing toward them. The slower, more mangled corpses lurched out behind them, intent to join in the feast.
"There is a fuckload of zombies coming our way!"
Jack began to bark anxiously at the approaching mob and looked at Katie worriedly, as if wondering why she wasn't hurrying it up.
Katie was following the road around the school and the truck swiftly approached a knot of cars crashed into each other. They had to do a half loop to get around the school and this kept them in range of the chasing mob. To the other side of the road there was farmland and no easy escape.
"They're gonna cut us off!" Jenni was horrified at how shrill and terrified she sounded. But then again, she was terrified.
The first of the zombies scrambled past the crashed cars and onto the road a head of them. They immediately began to charge the truck.
"We're meals on wheels," Jenni said with a bitter laugh.
"Chewy center is what it's all about," Katie said gloomily.
The truck plowed through the first zombies, but more were spilling out of the fence. It was starting to get hairy. The truck barreled through them and Katie saw another turn in the road. And more zombies coming from that direction. Another part of the fence was down due to someone ramming into it.
"Damn stupid people!" Katie slammed on the brakes.
A series of cars were clogging the road. People had obviously abandoned them in haste and had probably run for the school. Now they were probably running for the truck. To their right was the fence, to their left a slight shoulder and an embankment.
As The World Dies: The First Days-A Zombie Trilogy Page 8