by Russ Watts
“You know, what, I can’t force you. Let’s go back to the van.”
Javier turned toward the van, and Jonas followed him, surprised that Gabe had caved.
“Goodbyes are hard, that’s what my Mom used to say,” said Javier. “Of course, she was a drug addict whore, so what did she know? Personally, I find saying goodbye quite easy. Do you?”
“Huh?”
“Am I speaking French? I said, do you find saying goodbye hard? I was just wondering how hard it was going to be for you to say goodbye to your wife.”
“Gabe, what are you talking about?”
“Well, as soon as we get back to the van, I’m going to kill Dakota. I’m going to drag her out onto the road and chop her up into pieces while you watch. Then, when I’m done, I’m going to start on your friends. Of course, you won’t be able to stop me, not with my girl holding a gun to your head.”
“Gabe, stop it. Stop this.”
“I think I’ll save Freya ‘til last. Should be interesting to see how she copes with seeing her parents chopped up. Maybe I’ll leave enough of her Mom to reanimate. Now that would be interesting.”
“Enough!” Jonas stopped and raised his axe. “Fine. I get it. I’ll go.”
Javier smiled and pointed toward the amassed zombies on the bridge. “Ladies first.”
As Jonas walked toward the pile of broken cars and trucks, the zombies spilling from the sides of them like ants scurrying around their nest, he knew he was unlikely to get back to Dakota if Gabe had his way. He would sell him down the river, just like he had Terry. If he was going to make it through this, he was going to have to do it his own way. To hell with Gabe, the man was certifiable. He seemed to have Mara under his spell too.
The first zombie Jonas took down was easy. A thin woman, slow on her feet, took the axe through her jaw and fell like a stone. The next was a little harder: an old man, his body shriveled and withered, his skin pale and greasy, took two blows to go down. After that it became increasingly difficult. They came at him in quick succession. Men and women, black and white, all of them waving their arms, all of them grinding their teeth, and all of them focused solely on him. He tried to use the vehicles for cover, keeping his back pressed up against them so he couldn’t be snuck up on. He kept the zombies in his line of sight so he could pick them off one or two at a time. He didn’t need any surprises, and had to contain his rage, to maintain a cool head as he fought. He didn’t think beyond the next zombie. If he thought about how many there were, about how insurmountable it was, he would feel overwhelmed. Instead, he locked his eyes on the next zombie, raised his axe, and killed it.
When one pocket was done, he moved on, and trod carefully. So many body parts and pieces of metal from smashed cars littered the road that he didn’t want to trip and find his face buried in a zombie’s grasp. Jonas swiveled on his feet and ventured forward, knowing there was no going back. Gabe was somewhere behind him, but Jonas knew that the coward wasn’t putting himself in harm’s way. Gabe would stay well back. Jonas just hoped that Gabe wasn’t getting back in the van and driving off.
“Like having my own soldier,” said Javier as he watched Hamsikker fight. He stayed on the road, just outside of the crash zone, ready to pick off any stragglers. If any zombies got past Hamsikker, he didn’t want them getting to the van.
One zombie that had been caught under a vehicle heard Javier’s voice and crawled out. Its body was emaciated, weathered by being out in the open for so long, and deep cuts and gashes were evident from head to toe. The extended belly had blown out, spilling entrails and intestines which waved around its knees and legs like a hula skirt. Javier saw it coming and wondered how it had got past Hamsikker.
“Tut tut, Hamsikker. You missed one.” Javier let it get up close, so close he could feel the stench of death wash over him, and then he smashed it. The Pulaski’s blade sank through the zombie’s brittle bones like a sharp knife through warm butter, and when the zombie was dead, Javier yawned. Killing was too easy. This world had taken all the fun out of it.
Jonas wiped the sweat from his brow. His arms were trembling, but he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t go back to Gabe without having finished off the dead. Swathes of them were cut down, line after line tumbling like dominoes. To Jonas it resembled something out of a war movie, with dozens of soldiers climbing from their damp trenches only to be mown down before they had a chance to fight. The dead came at Jonas constantly, wave after wave of them. There had to be even more than they’d thought.
“Gabe, where are you? I could use some help,” panted Jonas.
He and Erik should’ve been more prepared. They had thought the threat from Gabe and Mara was minimal, so they’d given up their weapons and risked everything. He hoped the others were still waiting. He hadn’t heard the van’s engine, but he couldn’t be sure of anything. His face was covered in blood, and the air was full of terrible groaning sounds as more of the dead attacked him.
If they had left, then what? Erik would do what he could to protect the group. He would fight, kill if he had to. But they were at a disadvantage, and Gabe knew it. Gabe had the upper hand, and Jonas couldn’t figure out how he was going to get out of this.
“Gabe!” The zombies seemed to be spurred on by something, and another wave of them crashed into him like a long line of bugs, all following the leader. Jonas swung his axe, dismembering arms and heads from their owners, leaving chunks of meat lying in pools of blood on the road. One tore his shirt, ripping off several buttons, and another almost succeeded in biting his flesh, but Jonas ducked and weaved, dodging them like a boxer, remaining light on his feet. Slowly, slowly, their numbers began to drop.
All of a sudden, they stopped. As he took the last zombie down, a small boy with fair hair and blue eyes, they ceased completely. Jonas sank to his knees. He looked up at the road ahead. It was clear. He had done it. He had fought them all, and won.
Gabe.
The man hadn’t lifted a finger, hadn’t helped at all. Jonas got to his feet wearily. He was drenched in blood, and spat out thick saliva. Was this some sort of joke? A test? Jonas glanced around him, hoping he might see something in one of the cars he could take. If only he could stumble across a gun, he could regain the advantage. As he looked around, he heard a noise. A faint rumbling that grew louder as he walked amongst the smashed cars. He shook his head, and the van pulled up slowly on the sidewalk. The side door slid open, and Mara was sat there pointing the gun at him, grinning from ear to ear.
“Need a lift?”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“How’s she doing?” asked Jonas as he hopped into the van. It was warm inside, and he was aware that he was covered in blood. Mrs. Danick looked terrible and was still unconscious.
“I really don’t know,” said Dakota. “I’ve tried to stop the bleeding, but she really needs proper medical attention. Maybe if we…”
“All right, cut it out.” Javier brought the van back onto the road with a bump, and they began to speed up, leaving the grisly carnage behind them. “See what happens when we work together?”
“I’d hardly call that working together,” said Jonas as he wiped his face. “You stood and watched me do all the hard graft.”
“It’s called delegation, Hamsikker. No point in me getting my hands dirty when I’ve got you to do it for me.”
“So that’s how this is going to work? You kidnap us and force us to kill as many zombies as we can, just so you can go on a wild goose chase to find your brother?”
“Something like that. You can dress it up however you like.” Javier found himself coming up onto the Interstate and smiled. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Finally.”
“Nice work, honey.” Rose waved the gun around, enjoying watching the rest of the group in the back squirm. “So from here on in, not a peep. Understand?”
They drove on silently for a few minutes, and the road opened out before them. There were precious few cars around, and they managed to pick up some speed.
Erik nudged Jonas in the back, and pointed out of the left window. He whispered into Jonas’s ear. “That’s the regional airport. We’re not heading north. That idiot’s going to lead us into Princeton. That’s several thousand zombies just waiting for us, man. We’ve got to do something.”
Jonas could hear the worry in Erik’s voice. “You sure?” he asked.
“Sure as I know Gabe’s done a deal with the devil. He took a wrong turn back there and brought us up onto I80 instead of I39. We passed La Salle five minute ago.”
“Uh, Mara, can I say something?” Jonas leant forward. “I hate to tell you this, but you’re going the wrong way.”
“Sure we are. I guess you want us to head on back to Jeffersontown.” She turned to Javier. “You want me to snag him?”
“I’m not kidding here. Jesus, just listen to me. We need to get off this road, quick.”
Jonas saw a small airport disappearing fast behind them and the van whistled past a golf course. Stooping figures shambled across the greens, slowly pursuing the van, but they had no chance of reaching it. Jonas saw two zombies fall into a sandpit, and then he looked up to see a large road sign announcing Princeton was 21 miles away.
“Gabe, get us off…”
Suddenly a gas tanker loomed up ahead of them in the road, its front end a crumpled mess, tangled up with the highway barriers and a delivery van. Javier saw the exit just in time, and took them off the Interstate. Following the curve of the road, he slowed down, and the road narrowed into a straight line.
Pleased they were finally heading away from Princeton, Erik realized they were now heading south, which was really no better. They were going to find themselves in a dead-end when they met the Illinois River, and he had to somehow convince Gabe to get them back heading the right way. He didn’t want them to end up driving in circles. “Gabe, take a left. We can cut through Spring Valley, and go back to…”
“I’m not going back.” Javier swung the van round a hard right corner, jolting everyone out of their seats.
“Slow down a little, honey, or you’re going to get us all killed,” said Rose. “Please?”
Javier slowed down a little. “I don’t need everyone telling me what to do or how to drive. Got it?” The town of De Pue came up to greet them, and Javier saw the burning buildings in the distance. He had to admit he was frustrated. It felt like Diego was only getting further away, and he knew he had to stop and check what direction to go. He didn’t want that cop telling him what to do, but maybe he could find a map and check.
Javier swung the van to the left before they reached the town center and travelled down the road a short way. He brought the van to a screeching halt. At the end of the road he could see the Illinois River. If only he could jump in a boat and sail up to Canada. The choice now was simple: east or west. Javier was so confused that he turned the engine off and waited for inspiration. It was a mess, he knew that.
“Everyone out.”
With his feet planted on the dusty ground, Javier looked around at where they were. Another dead-end town that was dying long before the zombies turned up. Laid out just before the sluggish river lay some unused rail tracks; weeds grew on the line, and the iron had rusted. A skink darted across the ground, and Javier could swear he heard the whistle of a train. It seemed to float on the wind, and he knew he was imagining things. There couldn’t have been a train pass by here in months, at least. From the look of the tracks, it had probably been years.
The air was hot, and he could feel beads of sweat snaking their way down his back. Wiping his brow, Javier watched the others file out of the van one by one. Quinn and Hamsikker gently placed Mrs. Danick on the ground, propping her up with her back against the van in the shade. The old woman still held onto her handbag, but a makeup mirror and empty purse couldn’t help her now. She had regained consciousness and was looking around with a frown on her face, obviously disorientated. Her eyes wore the tired look of someone who knew they were defeated.
“What do you think?” asked Rose quietly.
Her face was still red from where he’d hit her, and he stroked her cheek with his fingers. “I think we need to thin out our numbers. They’re throwing me off. We need to get back on track.”
Rose drew a long knife from her boots. “Can I go first?”
Javier simply nodded, and they walked back around the van to where the others were sat on the ground, sheltering in the meager shade that the van offered.
“Have you come to your senses? Are you going to find some help?” asked Jonas. He looked from Gabe to Mara, searching for humanity, but finding nothing but evil.
“We’re going to play a little game,” said Javier crossing his arms. He wanted to kill Erik, but it was too soon. Javier had plans for Erik. The cop still had his uses. “I’ll let Mara explain. No need to get trigger happy, just do your thing, sweetheart.”
Pippa clutched Freya to her. “I’m not letting you harm my daughter. I don’t know what you people did to my boy, but if you so much as look at my daughter the wrong way I’ll kill you. You hear me? Just leave us alone!”
Javier walked across to Pippa, reached down, and grabbed Freya’s arm. He pulled her easily from Pippa’s weak grip.
“No!” Pippa fell to the ground and began sobbing.
Erik kept his head bowed and spoke clearly. “Gabe, if you harm my daughter…”
“You’ll what? Arrest me?” Javier tossed Freya to Rose. “Put her in the van. She’s coming with us.”
Freya looked back at her mother, but was too weak to resist. Jonas could see the pain etched onto Erik’s face and didn’t know how the man managed to resist the urge to attack Gabe, even with a gun in his face.
Rose effortlessly picked the girl up, and put her gently in the back of the van. “Don’t worry, cupcake, we’re going to look after you.”
Jonas thought Freya was going to speak, but all she did was look sorrowfully out of the window as Rose slammed the side door shut. The girl couldn’t possibly understand what was going on. Hell, Jonas didn’t know if he understood what was happening. Gabe and Mara were on a different planet. What did they think they hoped to achieve by kidnapping Freya and abandoning the others in the desert?
“Gabe, I’m warning you,” said Erik. He lifted his face and looked calm. Jonas could see he was seething, but he realized that if he attacked Gabe he would likely be shot, and then he would never be able to help his daughter. “You need to stop this now, before it goes too far. Just talk to me, okay, buddy? Let’s just talk this out.”
Suddenly Pippa jumped up and screamed. “Leave my daughter alone!”
Pippa raced towards Javier, and before anyone had time to react, Rose fired three rounds off, hitting Pippa twice in the stomach and putting one into the shoulder. Pippa crashed to the ground, kicking up a dust storm as her body cartwheeled. Jonas felt like he was watching it in slow motion. One minute Pippa was running, the next she was on the ground with the life bleeding out of her.
Erik jumped to his feet, and Rose pointed the gun at him. “Don’t.”
Jonas became aware that Dakota was crying, and he looked at Erik, who was eyeballing Gabe. Jonas didn’t doubt for one second that Erik was not about to stand there and wait whilst his wife died.
“You’d better have enough bullets for all of us. If I get my hands on you…” Quinn was tensed up, her arms and legs ready to fight, her body poised like a cat about to jump on its prey.
“Gabe, I’m going to my wife. You want to stop me, you better put a bullet in me right now,” announced Erik.
Erik walked over to Pippa and knelt over her. Jonas couldn’t see Pippa moving, and he knew he was unlikely to see her move again. Was this real? Was he having another bad dream? The heat on his neck told him this was real, but he couldn’t believe Gabe was doing this.
“Rose, come here.”
Rose walked sheepishly across to Javier. He smiled at her, and then slapped her face so hard that she stumbled backwards and tripped, ending up with
her ass in the dirt.
“Don’t do that again. Please?” Javier looked at Rose with disdain. He was tiring of all of them, and her inability to follow his simple instructions was beginning to grate.
“Rose?” asked Jonas. “What are you talking about, Gabe?” Was Gabe suffering from some sort of delirium? Had he flipped out so badly that he didn’t know who he was or where he was anymore?
“I’m sorry, Javier, but she was going to take her away from me,” said Rose. “I’m sorry, honey,” she said as she rubbed her face. Her cheek was cut, and a thin line of blood splashed across her face. She held up the gun as if it were a peace offering.
“Later.” Javier snatched it from her. “You and I are going to have a little talk. Understand?”
Rose nodded, all too aware what that meant. Javier did his talking with his hands. It was something she had grown accustomed too. He wasn’t the first man to beat her, and it was better than being alone.
“Javier?” As if he had been doused in cold water, suddenly Jonas understood. Mrs. Danick had been right all along. “Your name’s not Gabe, is it? You and Rose killed him. Mara, too, I’m guessing. Jesus, how could I have been so stupid. All this time…”
“What?” Dakota’s tears were falling into the dust, and her voice was faint. “What’s happening?”
“These two were never high school sweethearts. They’re just a couple of common thugs.” Mrs. Danick sighed. “I didn’t have the convictions of my beliefs to follow it through, but I knew something was up. Something about their story just never rang true.”
“Just who are you freaks? What the hell are you doing?” Quinn was aching to get up and fight. She was beginning to think she might be able to reach Javier before he could shoot.
Jonas watched Javier’s face as they talked. The man never looked shocked, concerned, or angry; he was calm and cold and waiting for his time to speak. He almost looked amused, as if this was all some game.
Javier pointed his gun into the air and fired. The gunshot rang out around the valley, and everyone stopped talking. “Now that we are clear on that, it’s time to get a few others things cleared up,” he said. “Firstly, I am Javier, and this is Rose. I appreciate you must be a little confused, but it’s really down to your own stupidity. I mean, who trusts a complete stranger nowadays?”