“I’ll keep it in my bag,” I said.
“Good idea.” He looked at the .500. “I don’t want to sit on it again. Turn around.” He opened my bag and slid the revolver inside. He then shoved it all the way to the bottom. “There. Now remember, don’t show that to anyone. Don’t use it unless you absolutely have to.”
I nodded as we went back, but then Dad stopped me and let me fire his AR-15 on the way. Random, I know, but Dad is awesomely spontaneous like that.
The rifle was fine. I didn’t like how bulky it felt. Hand-held was more my thing. After we slammed a few holes into a wheelbarrow, we passed the aluminum shack and headed for the road, my lip and nose throbbing all the while. When the Explorer came into view, I did my best to clean up, hoping no one would notice. Mom was outside the car, her shotgun ready.
The two girls were staring at us from inside. For the first time, Kaylynn actually had a concerned face.
Mom held her hand up. “You forgot the radio.”
Dad slapped his hand on his forehead. “Whoops.”
Jewel poked her head through the sunroof again. “What did you shoot at?”
“Uh,” Dad stuttered. “I let Jeremy try my rifle.”
I put my poker face on. Smooth one, Dad.
Mom gave us a suspicious smirk, and then she returned to her side of the car. I didn’t look her in the eye, which paid off. She had said nothing about my face. Somehow I knew she hadn’t bought our story completely, although it was partially true. Dad never made up stories when it mattered, except for that one time when people were freaking out over the government wanting to take people’s guns away. Being the son of a gun dealer in Illinois is no cakewalk.
I viewed the stretch of highway behind us before I climbed into my seat, making an effort to peer out my window when I closed my door. I tucked in my cut lip. Before Dad could start the car, Kaylynn’s eyes were on me. Studying me, like she knew I was hiding something.
“Hey,” she said. “What’s with your face?”
“Whose face?” Mom looked back at me. “Jeremy?”
I had no choice. She’d find out eventually, so I lowered my lip and showed her the damage.
Thanks for blowing my cover, Chicago Cubs . . .
“Jeremy Barnes!” Mom cried. “What happened?”
Dad cleared his throat. “It was just an accident, Honey. He had a nasty spill with a truck door.”
Those were the facts, so I nodded. Jewel glanced at me next and leaned against Kaylynn. The mystery girl scooted away, more anxiously than before. What was her problem? When that Stalker came up behind me, she didn’t react. She could’ve let that thing sneak up on me and I wouldn’t have known until it was too late. Now she acted like a pansy because of my cut lip?
Grow a backbone or get out, Your Highness.
“Did you trip into a door?” Mom asked.
“Can we just get to David City already?” I said. “It’s getting dark . . .”
Mom turned around and faced the front. “I want to look at that when we stop.”
“He’ll be fine,” Dad said, trying to downplay the whole thing. “Just don’t kiss any Vectors, Jeremy.”
Jewel giggled into her hands, and Mom let out a scoff before laughing herself. Kaylynn’s reaction was altogether different. She didn’t say a word. I sensed an aversion, and some kind of empathy? That may have been wishful thinking. Dad turned the car on, pulled forward and made a right turn. Jewel began singing On the Road Again as we drove toward David City. Chloe panted behind me. It amazed me how quiet she was.
We passed a house on the right. A second house came into view on my left. Instead of scanning them, as I usual do, I stole a glance at the mystery girl. A strange feeling came over me, an interested feeling that made me all warm and stupid. I had felt that way for Cassidy, but thinking this way about Kaylynn came as a surprise.
Who was I kidding? We’d just met. At that age, I didn’t know if I was supposed to think of girls like that. Then again, I wasn’t a model teenager. Most of my peers filled their summers with Redbox, video games, or camping trips. I did too, but I also liked occasional chick-flicks, games where I save the princess, and, while looking at the stars and licking s’more guts off my fingers, I’d think of Cassidy. Sometimes I wished I could be a hopeless romantic. I’m no good at it. My problem with this problem is I’m not a heartthrob. What could I do with brown hair and brown eyes? Not much.
I was plain, boring, and a smidgen skinny. The easy-to-push-over kind of skinny. I won’t bother mentioning my freckled arms and the weird mole on my chest.
And I just did. Crap.
I slipped my backpack between my legs and allowed reality to supersede the memories of my past. There was no easy fix for our world. There was no safe house, and most importantly, there was no reset button. The minute I stopped thinking about the here and now, the more likely we’d become Vector meat. Or worse, we’d become one of them. I shivered at the thought.
Jewel leaned against her window. “Can you fly a plane, Dad?”
He let off the gas. We coasted by an airstrip to our right. Nothing seemed significant out there, just a few small planes on a runway. A full-sized fighter jet was at the entrance, mounted on a pole, made to look like it was soaring high above ground. We passed another intersection, then a school with a big cross on the building. We’d seen many crosses on our trip so far, even before we had entered Nebraska. I didn’t mind them, but I was a bit tired of the religious jokes by then.
Thankfully, no one cracked a single pun.
They were too focused on the road.
“I’d rather drive.” Dad slowed the car down even more. “Is that what I think it is?”
“That’s horrible!” Mom gagged. “What happened?”
“What is it?” Jewel peeked over Mom’s shoulder. “Eww! That’s gross!”
“Sit back,” Mom said. “You shouldn’t see that.”
But I wanted to see it. So did Kaylynn, apparently. I followed Jewel’s lead and freed myself from my seatbelt. Then, when I glimpsed over my dad’s shoulder, I doubled back and tried my best not to throw up. Stretched across the road was a line of human corpses.
It didn’t stop with the road. A border of death went down both hills and deep into the neighborhoods. There had to be over a hundred, old and young, their dead gray bodies baking under the hot sun. Dad reached for his console and pushed the recycled air button.
On the other side of the road was a painted sign:
All Dead
Dad sneezed. “That dog is getting to me.”
The sign doubled as a warning. But then, why would someone go through the effort of making a sign like that or lining the edge of the city with bodies? We’d seen a few piles of dead people throughout Iowa now and then. I assumed the living had put their dead there and burned them. This was far too creepy. We drove on, carefully crossing over the squishy speed bumps.
As we neared the middle of the city, it was clear that the place was empty—like a ghost town. Nothing but vacant cars, abandoned streets. There was no gas station in sight. We passed a supermarket, an old church, a fitness center, and more neighborhoods, but it wasn’t until we reached the north end of town when Dad found a station with a yellow shell. We pulled into it. Dad parked and cut the engine. We waited for about a minute, checking around for signs of movement.
Dad opened his door. He stepped out and wiped his nose. I cracked my window. No funky smell. Yet.
Dad made his way to the pumps. “No electricity.” Without power, we couldn’t pump gas—the normal way. “Come on out and stretch your legs.”
We did. Mom checked the parameter and the convenience store windows. Dad went to the trunk and pulled out a five-gallon gas can, a hose, and a hammer.
“I’ll siphon what I can from these cars,” he said. “If there’s any food and water inside, let’s stock up. And if you need a bathroom break, now’s the time.”
“Finally!” Jewel cried. “I gotta take an epic pee!”
“Mr. Barnes?” she said.
Dad turned away from the pickup truck that he was inspecting. “Yes, Kaylynn?”
“I know Chloe’s bothering you. Thank you for the ride, but . . . I think we’ll stay here.”
That decision came out of nowhere. We had our misunderstandings, sure, but the dog thing could work.
Okay, fine. I’ll be honest. I wasn’t ready to let her go yet. “Are you sure?” I asked with a straight face.
Her eyes found me. She nodded with confidence.
“I don’t like it.” Dad went back to prying the gas cap off the pickup. “You’re the first person we’ve seen in weeks, Kaylynn. Not much left of humanity now.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Barnes. You’re not my dad.”
“You’re right.” Dad screwed the pickup’s gas cap open and fed the long hose into it. “I have my own to look after. We wouldn’t force you to stay with us.”
Kaylynn turned down the street. “Good luck.”
“And you.” Dad sucked on the hose and spat gas from his mouth.
I stood dumbstruck as the girl walked the way we had come. Just like that, my dad was letting her go without trying to convince her to stay.
Nope. I wasn’t about to let her go so easily. She was the first non-zombie girl I’d seen since May. Who knew if I’d ever see one again? Mom and Jewel came back from the store empty-handed, and Dad wasted no time in informing them of Kaylynn’s departure. Mom disapproved. Jewel protested. And before he could explain, I put aside my gutless-Jeremy and slipped on my brave-Jeremy. I had to talk to her, so I left on my own.
“Jeremy!” Mom called. “Don’t leave us!”
My parents told me to stop. I pretended I couldn’t hear them. The girl was in sight half a block away. I ran with a hand pressed to my pocket so my .45 wouldn’t fall out. Chloe noticed me first. Her tail wagged as Kaylynn spun around, her bat resting on her shoulder again. She leaned slightly, standing in the middle of the road. I couldn’t get over how bubbly she made me feel.
“Don’t follow me,” she said. “Fix your lip.”
When I came to a stop, sweat was seeping from my brow. Man, was I out of shape. Kaylynn had a hand on her hip, the sure-fire sign of an uninterested girl. “Why didn’t you warn me about that Stalker?” I asked.
That was all I could come up with? Gag.
The girl bit on the corner of her lip. “If I’d startled you, it would’ve riled him up.” She looked at the pavement. “Your family means well. I didn’t mean what I said earlier. I’m just better off alone. Trust me, okay?” She turned and waved. “Was good knowing you, Jay.”
Jay? That’s not my name. Why’d she call me that?
I meant to keep our conversation going when a thud distracted me, accompanied by a moan. A Vector lumbered for us from behind a Sudan. A woman—what was left of a woman, her hair saturated with wet blood.
Kaylynn faced the monster as Chloe growled. This was my chance to show her what I could do. I drew my .45, ready to fire, but then an arrow beat me to the kill. The shaft soared into its head, and the dead lady fell.
Kaylynn and I spun around. A guy was standing in the shade of an oak tree. He lowered a compound bow, his body resembling a high school quarterback. His tight Green Day T-shirt showed every muscle in his arms and chest. The guy could’ve given the Hulk a run for his money. His eyes never turned away from Kaylynn. My scumbag alarm went off as he combed his hair back.
He nodded at us both. “Welcome to David City.”
Mr. Green Arrow yanked his arrow from the Vector’s head and wiped the shaft on the back of his leg. Dark blood smeared his calf. A brownish hue coated his jeans from the knees down. Two black nylon straps hugged at his chest, supporting a quiver on his right shoulder.
Over his left shoulder was a machete.
This guy was a little over the top.
“Good to see fresh faces.” He put the arrow back into his quiver. “I’m Cody. What’s your names?”
I let my finger off the trigger. He looked friendly, and he was two feet taller than me. “I’m Jeremy.”
Cody smiled a kind of half-smirk before he turned to Kaylynn. “What about your friend? Does she have a name?” Kaylynn said nothing. With a short laugh, Cody stepped closer and looked her squarely in the eyes. “We’re all friends here, or should I call you Blue Eyes?”
“Kaylynn,” she said, less icy than I expected.
A few soft taps of the Explorer’s horn caught our attention. Dad had stuck his head out of the window, looking relieved and surprised. “I can’t believe it. Two survivors in one afternoon.”
Cody hooted. “Where’re you folks from?”
“Out of state,” Dad said, cautiously. He warned us early to leave the talking to him, more so if people had weapons. “We’re passing through, looking for gas.”
“You won’t find any. We stripped the town clean. It’s all stocked inside the compound.” Cody turned and pointed south for a second. “I can take you there.”
“Can you tell us why this place is lined with dead bodies?” Mom asked. “It’s very disturbing.”
“It’s to keep the dead out,” Cody explained. “The signs are for keeping the living out—except you.”
Now that he mentioned it, lining the town with dead bodies made a truckload of sense. The dead avoided the smell of their own. As gross as it sounded, I couldn’t think of a better kind of Vector repellant.
“It is only you or is this a caravan?” Cody asked.
“Just us,” Dad said. “I know we’re a bunch of outsiders. Will your people be happy to see us?”
“You’re in Nebraska—most neighborly state in the country, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be happy to see you. I sure am, though.” Cody gave Kaylynn a wink.
I thought Kaylynn would give Cody one of her I’m-going-to-smash-your-face-in glares, but a hint of color rose to the surface of her pale cheeks—a soft pink. I couldn’t believe it. We had found her less than an hour ago and she was already crushing on another guy?
It shouldn’t have surprised me. The girls I knew liked the tall, buff, complete jerks. Then you have guys like me, a toothpick in comparison, who would treat a girl better than his own self. If she gave me a chance, I would build Kaylynn a pedestal and keep flowers on it!
That’s kind of creepy—ditch the pedestal, keep the flowers. Whatever. I didn’t have time for jealousy junk. We had to survive the night. That’s what mattered.
“Give us a second, would you?” Dad turned back and asked Kaylynn and me to come in the car. When we did, Dad rolled up his window—it was time for another family meeting. “This could be a safe haven.”
“How do we know it’s safe?” Mom asked. She seemed objectionable, but open.
“We don’t,” Dad said. “It’s worth looking into.”
Jewel wasn’t listening. She was too busy head-bobbing to something on her iPod. When she noticed that everyone was staring at her, she hit pause and yanked the buds from her ears. “Something happen?”
“There’re people in this town, Jewel,” Kaylynn said. “There’s a guy outside.”
“What guy? Where?” Jewel peeked out the window, enough so she could see. “Hey . . . he’s a hottie!”
Dad groaned. And so did I. “I’m not making any promises. If they’re willing to trade for gas, we can make it to the Rockies in a straight shot. Or if this is a sound place, maybe they’ll let us stay.” Dad gave Jewel, Kaylynn, and me an equal share of his famous grin. “Just leave all the talking to me, you three. At the first sign of trouble, we’ll high tail out of here. Copy that?”
The three of us nodded in unison.
Dad rolled his window down. “Where do we go?”
“I’ll catch a ride on your back.�
�� Cody passed my door and went to the rear of our car. It jostled when he climbed onto the bumper. Chloe made a little growl in her throat when Cody slapped the roof a couple of times. “Head down this road. I’ll tell you when to turn.”
We drove east, away from the lowering sun. Some quiet time would’ve been nice, but Jewel couldn’t wait to ask Kaylynn about Mr. Blond-Rambo. Mom asked about the Vector that he’d left in the road, and then she lectured me—and Kaylynn—for leaving the group. I chose not to listen. It was Kaylynn’s fault, anyway.
We passed a few houses and vacant lots. Many of them fit the narrow stereotype of what I thought a small country town was like: laidback, rundown, faded siding, weathered porches. Some had their doors smashed in. Others had broken windows. Not the work of Vectors.
“Turn right,” Cody said. “Head down this road!”
Dad took the turn slowly and we headed south on 9th Street. The pavement was almost white. It had more cracks, lines and tar sealant than I’d ever seen. House after house and tree after tree, Dad checked all of the intersections before crossing them. If this was a safe place with plenty of people around, maybe we could stay. Or we could drop Kaylynn off and move on, but the idea of leaving her alone with a vulture like Cody leering at her body, exposed to his constant ogling—
Yeah. I pretty much hated that idea.
The east side of town was as plain as the west. All the buildings were sandwiched between the two routes. I didn’t bother to look. I couldn’t think straight. Jewel was going on and on about boys from her school. She said they were stupid, as if they were still alive and well back home. None of us knew anything to the contrary. It was her way of keeping the world sane. She didn’t let the horrible truth weigh her down at every turn. I gave up thinking that way. No sense in lying to myself.
“Another block,” Cody said. “I’ll wave us in.”
It was at Nebraska Street when things got interesting. A semi-truck blocked the east road. On top of the freight, sitting in a lawn chair under a beach umbrella—with a rifle in his lap—was a man in a checkered hunting shirt. They’d made a barrier of trucks and construction equipment. Dead Vectors sat slumped against the walls. Other bodies were left sprawled in the street. Cody whistled. A door of plywood opened.
My Zombie Summer (Book 1): The Undead Road Page 4