“A message, from who?” asked Allie.
She looked up at the stars. “Someone up there, who’s looking out for us.”
Chapter Twelve
Cassie
“Is that the last of the kids?” asked Henry, bending over as he tried to catch his breath.
I stared into the darkness at all of the children, many of them peering back at me with tear-stained faced. “Yes. Everyone’s accounted for. Nora said in a few minutes, we should be able to bring everyone back inside.”
Fortunately, we’d gotten the flames out with hoses and wet blankets before the fire had caused any real damage to the church.
He stood up straight and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. “What in the hell happened back there, Wild?”
I shook my head. “I don’t really know, Henry. I’ve already pinched myself several times, to make sure I’m not dreaming. Right now, I almost wish I was.”
“That feller, Travis? He must be some kind of magician or illusionist to pull that off.”
“Something. He certainly was a wack-job.”
“Both of them were,” he said.
“At least they’re gone now,” I said.
He took his cowboy hat off, ran a hand through his white hair, then plopped it back in place. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. I think we should all try and get some sleep, then head on out of here before noon. Get back to Minnesota.”
“I agree, but what if those guys come back and cause more trouble for the nuns?” I whispered.
“You know, something tells me that they’re not coming back this way. No, I think they’ve got bigger fish to fry and this was just a little pit-stop.”
“You really think so?”
He nodded.
“What about you, Nora?” I asked, as she walked over to us. “What’d you make of those two guys?”
She sighed. “Tell you the truth- that dude Travis, he seriously gave me the chills.”
I raised my eyebrows. “He even freaked you out, huh?”
“Hell yeah. The way he handled the big Dufus, and that ball of fire he conjured up…that was some strange shit.”
“Sister Theresa called him a demon,” I said. “Um, you don’t think there was anything to that?”
Nora burst out laughing. “Seriously, Wild? A freaken’ demon? What funny plants have you been smoking, girl?”
I frowned. “Well, if I would have mentioned zombies three months ago, you would have laughed at me then, too.”
Her smile fell. “Good point.”
Henry waved his hand in disgust. “Okay, enough demon-mumbo-jumbo talk. That guy was some kind of illusionist, just like I told Wild. That’s all it is. Why do you think he had that tattoo under his eye? Been in prison, obviously. If he was a demon, you think he would have ended up in the slammer? Hell no.”
“Maybe you’re right,” I said. “I’m just being paranoid. That stuff the nuns were talking about earlier, it’s been niggling at me.”
“Listen, Wild, those two were just trying to scare the tar out of us. Obviously, they did a good job. Even left me a little miffed. But now we know better, right? It’s just illusion brought on by an evil man. One that is human, and nothing more.”
I nodded.
“Okay,” he said. “Now, I’m tuckered. I’m going to lie down for an hour or two. When I’m refreshed, we’re going to make sure these women have what they need to keep those kids safe for a while. Then, we’re going to get back to our original mission- find your grandparents, Nora’s old man, and then get our butts back to Atlanta.”
Thinking of how much I missed my sister and Bryce, I couldn’t agree more.
He stared off into the darkness, a wistful look on his face. “I tell you what- I sure miss watching Belinda do those Pilate moves, by golly. I don’t even have to exercise- she squats and it’s all that’s needed to get this old man’s blood flowing.”
I bit back a smile as Henry started shuffling towards the church.
Chapter Thirteen
“Do you think she’ll stay put?” asked Billie as they skidded down the mud-covered hill and through the trees.
Fortunately, the boat was anchored in a spot that was accessible, although not easily on foot. Thus, their trek had been more challenging than they’d anticipated.
“She better or she’s going to have more than the zombies to worry about. If she doesn’t fall going down this hill, then she’ll fall backwards when I rip into her about defying us.”
Billie chuckled. “Somehow, I don’t think you scare her.”
“I must be losing my touch,” said Bryce, with a humorless grin. “I can’t keep any of these girls in line.”
“They’re all pretty unruly. I’m surprised they’ve made it this far, being so reckless.”
“If you ask me, they’ve just been really lucky.”
“Well, I don’t know about just being lucky. Nora, Cassie, and Paige are pretty tough chicks. They put a lot of men I’ve met to shame.”
“Yeah, well they’re also overly-confident when it comes to these zombies. I mean, seriously, one false move and that’s it. Tar-tar for the zombies. They all need to start thinking before acting.”
“I hear you.”
When the guys reached the bottom of the hill, they moved to the edge of the water and Bryce took out his flashlight.
“The water,” whispered Billie. “It’s pink again, isn’t it?”
Bryce shined it at the water near their feet and nodded. “Yeah, it kind of looks that way.”
Billie frowned. “I can’t believe this. What in the heck is going on?”
“Just relax, man. Don’t go jumping to conclusions.”
“It’s hard not too, after everything that has happened.”
He shook the flashlight several times, to charge it. “We have to focus on finding the girls right now. We’ll worry about this other stuff later.”
Billie’s eyes widened and he pointed. “Oh my God- what is that?”
Bryce aimed the flashlight towards the moonlit water and felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck. “I, um, believe those are a couple of zombies enjoying a midnight swim.”
“That’s pretty creepy,” he said, watching the zombies, who were wading out into deeper water.
“Yeah, a little bit.”
“Wonder if zombies got to the people on the boat?”
“I guess we’ll soon find out. “Hello!” he called, aiming the flashlight towards the dark yacht.
Nobody answered.
“Hello!” he yelled louder, his voice echoing across the water.
“This doesn’t look good,” muttered Billie, after a few minutes of silence.
“No, it doesn’t,” he said, handing him the flashlight. “Here hold this.”
“What are you going to do?”
Bryce lifted his gray T-shirt over his head. “I’m swimming out there.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep. Just watch out for zombies for me, okay? Especially those two we just saw. They seem to be ignoring us for now, but that could change in a heartbeat.”
“Yeah. No problem.”
Bryce removed his socks and boots. “Okay, wish me luck.”
“Good luck, man.”
He stepped into the water and swore under his breath. Even though it was in the middle of the summer, the river’s water was still pretty chilly.
“Cold?”
He waded further into the murky water. “Very,” he said through clenched teeth. He then launched forward and began swimming towards the yacht, which was about three hundred yards away. Bryce tried to ignore the smell of the water as it splashed against his face. Although he was no ecologist, he knew there was definitely something wrong with the river. Not only was it the wrong color but it smelled like iron.
“Bryce!”
He stopped swimming and turned back to find both Billie and now Paige, both standing on the embankment, waving their arms frantically.<
br />
Dammit, he thought, planting his feet on a sandbank. Why can’t one of these girls just do what there told, for once!
“Zombie!” hollered Billie.
Bryce turned around and found himself face to face with a zombie. Gasping, he pulled his fist back and delivered a hard punch to the creature’s nose, shattering any remaining bone and cartilage. Before the zombie could do make any moves, he threw himself back into the water and began swimming again. When he reached the back of the yacht, he climbed onto the swimming platform, took a few seconds to catch his breath and then stepped into the aft.
“Hello?” he called, knocking on the sliding glass door. When nobody answered, he pulled it open, stepped inside, and searched the impressive boat. Unfortunately, it appeared to have been abandoned.
Sighing, he turned to leave the galley when something caught his eye. A note taped to the refrigerator that said:
Went in search of supplies. If you are a stranger, please be respectful to our boat and we’ll share what we have. If you’re family, take off your shoes and stay awhile! We’ll try to hurry - XOXO
Sighing, he rubbed a hand over his face, wondering what to do. They certainly couldn’t wait around for Cassie’s family to show up. It might not ever happen.
Noticing the pen, he quickly scribbled a message of his own on the same note:
Cassie,
If you get this, we’ll be at your grandparents for the next couple of days. Come find us.
Love,
Bryce
Sighing, he walked out of the galley, through the boat’s salon and out the back, closed the sliding glass door. When he turned back around, he found himself looking right into a double-barrel shot-gun.
Chapter Fourteen
“Wait, you guys. I just can’t walk any further,” said Allie. “My feet hurt are killing me.”
“We need to keep moving,” said Justice, turning around, walking backwards. “I think there’s a house over that next hill.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You say that before every hill.”
“One of these times, I’ll be right.”
She stopped, took off her pink canvas shoes, and stared at her heels in alarm. “See, they’re both raw from blisters.”
Justice walked back and stared at her ankles. “It’s your fault for wearing such cheap tennis shoes and no socks.”
“It’s not like I had a lot of choice in the matter,” she muttered. “The only other ones I had were left in the truck we abandoned back at that parking ramp. The one you said was too dangerous to return too. So if anything, it’s your fault.”
“Well, it wasn’t like I planned this hike,” he said. “We just got stuck with the wrong truck.”
“Hey, someone’s coming!” cried Allie.
They both turned to stare at the large pair of headlights heading towards them in the distance.
“It’s a semi,” said Justice. “You girls get behind those trees over there. I’ll see if they stop.”
The girls ran towards the dark woods and hid behind a large oak tree as the truck got closer. When it slowed down and finally stopped came to a stop, Justice ran up to it.
“Hey kid,” smiled the passenger, a man who looked to be in his late twenties. “You need a ride?”
The dark-haired man had a friendly enough smile but there was something about him that seemed off. “Maybe. Where you heading?” asked Justice.
“Oh, here and there,” he replied, scratching his chin. “What about you?”
“Minnesota.”
“You have a long way to go.”
Justice chuckled. “Tell me about it.”
“Well, you’re in luck because we’ll be passing through that way. Have some business to take care of in Canada. You may as well join us.”
“You don’t mind?” asked Justice.
“Hell no,” said the man. “In fact, it’s your lucky day, kid. We’ve got space as well as food and water. That’s why we’re using this rig.” He grinned and patted the outside of the door. “It came fully supplied with life’s little necessities.”
Truth be told, he was parched and the thought of water made his mouth feel even drier. “So, what about your friend in the cab- he okay with that? Sharing a ride along with your supplies with a stranger?”
The man turned to the driver and said something, then turned back. “He said to get in, time’s a-wasting.”
Justice turned towards the woods, wondering if he was making the right choice. Plus, they still didn’t know about the girls.
“You’re friends are also welcome,” said the driver, leaning over to the open window. He smiled warmly. “We have plenty to spare and would be honored if you joined us.”
He stared at the red-haired man and wondered he’d known about the girls.
***
Five minutes later, Justice sat between the two men while the girls rode in the back sleeping area.
“So, what’s your name?” asked the dark-haired man, who was a lot bigger than Justice had originally thought.
“Justice.”
“I’m Travis,” said the driver. “And that’s Dwayne. Glad you could join us.”
“Uh, sure. Thanks for inviting us.”
“So, where’d you hook up with those two girls?” asked Dwayne, his eyes glittering with a little too much interest for a man his age.
Justice’s eyes narrowed when he noticed Dwayne’s tear-drop tattoo. Having spent time in a tattoo shop, he was well aware of the symbolism of Dwayne’s tattoo. “Met them a few towns back. When did you get the tat?”
“Which one?” he chuckled, raising the bottom of his t-shirt until his inked torso was exposed. He had had dozens of them- from dragons and skulls, to pierced hearts and black roses.
“I was talking about the one under your eye.”
Dwayne sighed. “Well, got that one a while back.”
“You kill someone?”
“Now, if I asked you that question right now, I am pretty sure we’d both have the same answer.”
“The people I kill are already dead,” said Justice.
He chuckled. “Well, the ones I’ve killed should have been.”
“Don’t worry about him,” interrupted Travis. “He won’t kill unless instructed to.”
Realizing he was serious, Justice tried to remain calm. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yes, his priorities have been adjusted.”
“That’s…refreshing.” This conversation was both disturbing and crazy, he thought.
“Now, Justice, don’t get yourself all flustered. I have no issues with you at the moment. In fact, I believe you could be very helpful in our mission,” said Travis.
“Ah…what kind of a mission are we talking about, besides staying alive?”
“It’s a little complicated,” he answered. “And, I don’t think you’re quite ready to appreciate the enormity of our plans or your current situation. But something tells me, you’ll step up to the plate when… properly persuaded.”
He frowned. “Is that right?”
Travis smiled darkly. “Oh, yes. We’ve been watching you, Justice. You’re a good soldier, very dependable. The way you risked your life to help those two girls in the parking ramp. My master was quite impressed with your determination and fighting skills.”
“Your master? And… what the hell, were you watching us?” asked Justice, tensing up. “You could have offered to help out a little if that was really the case.”
Travis laid a hand on his forearm. “Calm down,” he said in a hypnotically smooth voice. “Or you’ll scare your friends in the back. You don’t want that now, do you?”
Justice felt a strong wave of nausea and his lungs felt as if all the air had been sucked out. He attempted to pull his arm away from Travis’s firm grasp, but instead found himself immobile.
“Your fear,” hissed Travis, his eyes turning a golden-red hue, “is… intoxicating, I must admit. I wonder how exhilarating it would be if I were to tear the three of you, from limb to
limb, starting with the lovely little girls in back? Let you listen to their terrified screams and watch all of that sweet agony, all the while knowing that you’re next…hmm?”
Justice tried to talk, but couldn’t move his mouth.
Travis went on, his strange eyes dancing with delight. “It would be quite fun for me, I assure you, but fortunately for you, we need you to help our cause.”
It was then that Justice noticed the truck was still moving forward on the road, on its own, without any help from Travis.
Who was this guy?
“Oh, I am one of your worst nightmares,” said Travis. “That’s all you need to know.”
I still don’t understand, thought Justice, staring in horror at Travis’s glowing eyes- they seemed to penetrate into his very soul. And why does he need me?
Because you’re an atheist, proclaimed the amused voice in his head.
Chapter Fifteen
Cassie
The nuns had generously offered us food, bottled water, and blankets for our journey. We had just finished loading the Honda with the items when I felt as if I was forgetting something else. I closed my eyes and did a mental list of what we’d need and what might still be missing but just couldn’t put my finger on it.
“You’re leaving?”
I opened my eyes and turned around to find Kallie staring up at me with tears in her eyes.
“Yes,” I said, feeling a tug at my heart. I bent down on one knee. “I have to go look for my grandparents, and Nora needs to find her father.”
“Take me with you,” she pleaded, throwing her arms around me. “I’ll be good. I promise!”
I hugged her back. “I can’t, honey,” I said, now feeling sad myself. “It’s too dangerous out there for you. Heck, it’s too dangerous for all of us.”
“But you can’t leave me!” she cried, pulling away. “What if my mother wants to hug me, again?”
I groaned inwardly- me and my bright ideas. I shouldn’t have ever mentioned her mother. “Kallie, if your mother wants to hug you, she will. Whether it’s in the form of Sister Theresa or any one of the other nuns, you will get that hug. She doesn’t need me to do it.”
Zombie Games (Book 4): Road Kill Page 9