He headed quickly for the front of the store, let the greeter check his receipt, and then plunged out into the cool night air. Where the truck was parked, it would certainly be within range of the Wi-Fi signal. He opened the box, turned on the iPod, and frowned in concentration.
It came fully charged, but the charge wouldn't last forever and the only charger needed to be plugged into the wall. But the thing picked up the Wi-Fi signal like a champ and he began the tedious process of registering it. Of course, he used completely bogus information, but it got the task done and out of his way. Then he had only to input Linda's number. Then he entered the text carefully. It was hard to maneuver his big, floppy fingers over the virtual keyboard, but he made it work.
DON'T TELL THE COPS. THIS IS PAUL. MEET ME IN THE EAST PARKING LOT OF MEGA MART. I'M THERE NOW.
He sat back with a smile and waited for her answer. In his mind, he could see her pulling into the lot, racing across the pavement to him, hugging him. She would forgive him everything once she found out what had happened to him down in that tunnel. She would tell him that she loved him, no matter what, and then she would climb into the truck and embrace him. They would drive off into the sunset together . . .
The sound of brakes squealing in his mind. The ocean was there, where the sun set.
They would drive south, to Mexico, where they would live happily ever after. Yea, that was it.
Bing!
Paul looked down at the iPod. Linda had responded.
BE THERE IN FIFTEEN. I LOVE YOU.
She still loved him. Even after all this, she still loved him. Paul felt like crying again, only this time it was because he was so happy. He shoved his right hand into his pocket, just to check on the ring one more time. The ring and the paper were both still there. Good. In fifteen minutes, he and Linda would finally be together again and they would stay together this time, no matter what.
Except that Linda would never make it there.
Linda grabbed her purse and keys from the foyer table and yanked open the door. The night was cool and she was wearing short sleeves, but she didn't care. She was on her way to see Paul, the man she loved more than anything else in the world. She had never loved anyone else. For her, Paul was IT.
She made it as far as the car before the officer approached her, his face full of good humor. He had apparently just started his shift. The scent of coffee rolled off him like water off a duck.
"Ma'am, might I ask where you're going?" He smiled, just to take the edge off.
"Well, I'm running to the store. I need some . . . um . . . feminine products." She smiled sheepishly, hoping he bought it and would leave her alone.
"I see." He seemed to think this over for a moment. There were only two officers and they were supposed to keep her and her apartment under surveillance. The only way he could do that was if he went with her. "I'll just ride along with you, then."
Stunned, she mulled this over. She could jump in the car and lead the cops on a merry chase, then text Paul and tell him, The key's under the dead plant. Text me when you get into the apartment. But they would probably arrest her for obstruction of justice or some silly thing. She wouldn't do well in prison. She looked awful in orange and she didn't want to be anybody's bitch. "Fine," she sighed at last.
She unlocked the car doors and slid inside, wondering what the hell she was going to do. Paul was expecting her and she didn't want him to think she had just bailed on him. As she started the car, she realized the obvious answer. She would have to text him from inside the store and have him meet her during the day, while she was at work and could more easily slip away.
She backed the car out and stopped long enough that the officer could tell his partner where they were going. Then she drove straight to the convenience store on the opposite corner from the Mega Mart.
"I'll just be a minute," she said with a grin. And then she dashed into the store.
She managed to walk all the way around to the back of the store, where the feminine products and medications were. She texted as she went, trying not to let the officer in the car outside see her.
COPS WATCHING. COULDN'T GET AWAY. WILL TEXT YOU DEETS TO MEET ME DURING WORK. LUV U. L
She grabbed a box of tampons and a candy bar as she passed, then hurried to the counter and slid her card in the machine. She was very frustrated and shaken by the whole thing. Being a criminal didn't come naturally to her. Heck, she had never even shoplifted, or eaten grapes from the bag while she was still shopping. She could only imagine how disappointed Paul must be, sitting there in his car, waiting for her. It made her want to cry.
She walked out the door then, the officer still sitting in the car, smiling like a goon. She knew it wasn't his fault. He was just doing his job. But she hated him for it nevertheless.
Paul looked down at his phone one more time, just to make sure he had read the message right. Linda wasn't coming. Cops were watching her. She wasn't coming. Those two thoughts ran through his mind in an endless loop until he thought he would go mad from it. Judging by the blotches on his hands, his meat was wearing off anyway. The best thing to do, he mused, was to go somewhere and wait for Linda to send him another message. Then he could find another meal somewhere and be in fine shape when he met Linda.
To that end, he drove back to the abandoned grocery store and backed the truck into the loading bay, where it couldn't be seen unless you walked right up on it. He would wait there, in the shadow of the broad building, until Linda sent for him. Then he could drive to a place of her choosing and deliver his message of love.
Linda gathered her things for work, tucked the ungraded papers into her laptop case, and drained her coffee mug. She hadn't had more than three hours of sleep that night. She felt like shit and she was sure she looked like it too. There was a meeting at nine with the department heads, one at two with the admissions committee. And at some point, she knew, she had a meeting with one of her students who was having problems with his senior dissertation.
She walked out the door, making sure she had engaged the lock before turning toward the police car. She drew a bead on it, marched straight up to it and leaned on the door. "I'm going to work now. Is one of you going to come with me?"
"No ma'am," answered the driver. "I think you'll be safe on campus. Besides, campus security knows what to look for."
"Okay, then. Have a good day, officer." She smiled her best smile and turned away, walked back to her car.
She backed out of the driveway and drove around the corner, where she eased into a parking space and kept the engine running.
ON MY WAY TO WORK. ALONE. WHERE R U?
She tapped one nail on the phone and waited for a response. One glance in the mirror told her that she hadn't yet been followed. That much was in her favor.
LOADING DOCK OF THE ABANDONED GROCERY STORE ON FIFTH.
She smiled more than she ever thought possible. Aside from the aiding and abetting of a felon, this was damned exciting stuff.
ON MY WAY.
Paul smiled and high-fived the air. He was finally going to see Linda. This awful mess was about to be over. God, how he loved her. And needed her. And . . . well, that part of him didn't work anymore . . .but if it did, he would want her too.
He looked in the mirror, frowned at the blotches and sagging. His hands were a mess and his right leg still didn't work quite right. Like a drug addict, he needed a fix. But where in the hell was he going to find a hunk of meat ready to be eaten in the next five minutes.
A clang echoed across the loading docks as a trash can fell over two bays down. The cat was back and, judging by its desperate searchings, it was starving. Paul eased himself out of the truck cab and left the door open. He needed that cat. There were lots of cats. The world wouldn't miss this one.
"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty," he began, suddenly realizing that the cat heard nothing but a feral growl coming from his throat. He watched as its tail puffed up and it arched its back.
He tried a different tac
tic then. Having no idea what he smelled like, he at least counted on the leftover scent from the pig meat to guide the cat to him. He stooped down and held out one hand, fingers together as if he were holding food in them. The cat's tail un-puffed and began to sway slowly back and forth as it regarded him. Paul wanted to yell at it, to pounce, but he kept calm and held still.
The cat took one tentative step toward him, making a deep, guttural sound and then stopping. Its whiskers twitched as it sniffed the air and it suddenly walked in a circle. Then it stretched out its neck, taking another step and another. A few more steps and it would be within Paul's easy grasp. He would be merciful. He would kill it quickly.
Then there was the squeak of shocks as a car went over a speed bump, the roar of an engine as it accelerated over it. Paul turned in time to see Linda's car round the corner. The cat screamed and ran off.
"Godammit!" Paul growled.
He flipped the hoodie up over his head and turned his back. The ring and the note were in his pocket and he had to give them to Linda, but he couldn't let her see his face. He heard the car door slam, jumped a little. And then he had to use every ounce of determination he had in order to not turn around when he heard her voice.
"Paul! Oh Paul!" she cried, running toward him. Her arms were open and she was smiling.
He reached out an arm, thrust it out behind him in a STOP motion. She stopped mid-stride and didn't make a sound. Paul thrust the paper out toward her. He gave it a little shake so she would be sure to know that he wanted her to take it.
She walked up to him more slowly then, taking the paper from him with just thumb and forefinger. Her eyes were fixed on the back of his head as he stood there, motionless. And for the first time since all of this had started, Linda felt scared.
She began to read the note and as she read, Paul reached into his pocket and grabbed hold of the ring box. He opened it carefully, then he thrust the ring out behind him.
"Oh, Paul," she gasped, without reading past the first sentence. "I'm so sorry all of this happened to you. Please, won't you turn around?" She looked at the ring then, took the box delicately from his hand. There were some blotches there, black and green spots scattered across his hand like paint splatters. "It's beautiful, Paul. I love it so much. Please, turn around, honey."
He shook his head, refused to budge.
She started to walk around him then, to circle around to look in his face. Paul turned, growled "No," and kept his face from her.
"I love you, Paul, and you have to know that I'll marry you. Of course I'll marry you." There was a lilt in her voice, a girlish joy that made Paul's heart melt and he nearly turned around then.
She tried to dart in front of him but he was too quick. He spun away before she could see his face.
"Paul, honey, I know this all seems so bad. But I love you and I don't care what happens or what you look like, I'll always love you. Please, Paul, turn around. We'll get married right away. I love you, no matter what. And whatever's happened, we can fix it. Together."
It sounded to Paul as though she was going to cry any minute. The pain in her voice broke his heart and he began to turn, slowly, his chin tucked against his chest, his eyes on the ground. He was terrified of how she would react. He didn't want to see the look of horror in her face. But he had to know.
Linda sucked in one last breath of air and held it, watching as Paul turned. She braced herself, gripped the note and the ring so tightly that she feared she would break the ring box. She was afraid to even blink for fear the tears would start flowing.
His face came into full view then and he lifted the hoodie up and away from his face. Linda gasped, clapped one hand over her mouth, and began to shake. It started as a small tremble in her lips, then spread to her head and her hands and finally it took over her entire body. She shook so hard that she dropped the ring and the note.
She took a step back.
And she took another.
Paul watched as, screaming, she turned and fled to her car. He reached out for her, the very worst thing he could have done, and tried to follow her. His dragging leg slowed him down and, in slow motion, she leaped into the car and turned the key.
"Please, Linda! I won't hurt you, I swear. I love you. Come back!"
None of that got through to her, though. In her eyes, a monster was coming for her, reaching out to snag hold of her and growling his hunger. She threw the car into drive and roared past him, taking one last look in the rear view mirror to see Paul standing there, motionless, his head cocked to one side and his arm still outstretched.
And just like that, she was gone.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Paul stood there for a very long time, unblinking and numb. Then he walked back to the truck and got in, slamming the door after him. He screamed and raged, pounded his fists on the steering wheel until one of his fingers broke off and fell with a soft thump to the floor. Then he started to sob, great wrenching sobs that shook him through and through.
When he had a chance to calm himself and think things through, he realized that the note and the ring were still outside on the pavement. The wind had caught the note and so it was slowly blowing down the length of the loading docks. He got out right away and began to chase after it, his feet slapping and dragging on the pavement until finally, in desperation, he lunged for it. His fingers managed to slap down on one corner of the paper and he pulled it to him. He collected the ring on the way back to the truck.
What to do now? Linda had been terrified. There was a chance, though, however slim, that she would shake off that initial fear, reconsider, and come back. He sat in the truck for a long time, clinging to that feeble hope. But Linda never came back. She hadn't even read the note and now she would never know how much he loved her.
He would have to try again to see her. He needed to refresh himself, wait until dark, and then go to her apartment. He scrunched down on the seat, trying to stay out of sight in case someone drove around the back of the store. That's when he saw the iPod and remembered that he had it. He snatched it up and turned it on, found Linda's number.
LINDA, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. I WOULD NEVER EVER HURT YOU. PLEASE, COME BACK AND READ THE NOTE. I'M NOT CONTAGIOUS AND I PROMISE TO STAY BACK FROM YOU. PLEASE.
He waited for what seemed an eternity for her answer. And when it came, he began to weep again.
I CAN'T.
Nothing more. Just "I can't." He stared at it until the words doubled and blurred and finally disappeared into a soft white puddle.
When he had gotten hold of himself and the sobs had faded into light hitches in his gut, he tried to focus on a solution. Linda had to read the note. If she didn't read it, then everything he had gone through was for nothing.
In order for Paul to give her the note, he had to be normal looking. And that meant feeding again. He looked around him, to see if he could spot the cat. The beast had bailed and was nowhere to be found. Paul fixed his eyes on the field, the last place he had seen the cat just as it had disappeared from sight. He kept watching, hoping, praying that the cat would return.
After nearly an hour of sitting as still as a statue, he saw the tall grass beyond the curb move. It rustled a bit and then it began to dance. The cat peeked its head out, its tail dragging low on the ground. It was cautious, ready to turn and run.
Paul let the animal make its way across the parking lot. He waited until it was over by the trash cans where it felt safer and more comfortable. He gave it time to gain courage. Then he slowly opened the truck door and simply slipped down onto the ground. He sat there, cross-legged, not moving, for a good half hour. The cat hid behind the trash cans, looking out every now and again but not making a move. And then, the most miraculous thing happened: The cat simply walked out from behind the cans and straight toward Paul.
Still, he didn't move. He let the cat sniff him, watched as its whiskers twitched and its eyes scoped him out. The tentative cat rubbed its head against his leg, turned, rubbed its way back the other wa
y. If Paul had been of the breathing variety, he would have exhaled just then.
He knew he had one chance and one chance only. If he let the cat slip out of his grasp now, it would never come back to him. He felt kind of bad about the whole thing. The poor creature was hungry and it had trusted him. Despite the stench of decay and the festering sores, the cat had come to be his friend.
Moving faster than he ever thought possible, Paul lashed out with both hands and grabbed hold of the cat. It spit at him and claws lashed out at Paul's hand, but still he held on. It tore great hunks of flesh from his arms and shredded his shirt as he brought the creature to his mouth. He took one giant bite then, directly into the cat's neck where he supposed its artery would be. Blood bathed his hoodie and spattered his face. Mercifully, the cat died instantly.
Paul spat out a hunk of the cat's neck. It was covered in fur and he had almost choked on it, so he spat it away and took a fresh bite from the cat's lean neck. Then, he let it sit limply in his hands for a moment, the blood draining onto the concrete. "I'm sorry," he said in his growly voice, feeling genuine sorrow for having taken the cat's life. But his body felt instantly better. His mind cleared.
He took the cat back to the truck, sitting it on the front seat beside him. He would eat the rest of it right before he went to see Linda tonight, after dark, when things would be easier. He would drive the truck to the block behind Linda's apartment and sneak up to the back door. She couldn't possibly refuse to see him, not when he looked so normal.
He checked himself in the mirror. Skin clear, eyes bright; once he cleaned the blood from his face, he would look like a million bucks. Nothing to do now but wait for dark. Then he would make one last attempt to see Linda.
Linda had been so shocked at Paul's countenance that she had nearly run off the road trying to get away from him. She had made it as far as the Quickie Mart, where she had pulled into the parking lot and put it in PARK. She was crying so hard that she couldn't see the dashboard and her body was trembling.
Zombie - A Love Story Page 11