Marionette Zombie Series (Book 2): Walk With Me

by Poe, S. B.

  “Sure.” Josh said, standing. They walked off.

  Scott stood and walked around the other side of the bus and sat down next to Kate. She looked into his eyes as she took his hand.

  “It’s going to be ok. Ok?” she said.

  “I know. I am going to make sure of that.” Scott said smiling.

  “What do you mean?” Kate said.

  “I am just going to do everything I can to keep us safe. All of us.” He said. “That’s what Dad would have wanted.”

  “Yes he would. He did.”

  Bridger and Charlie had brought the last of the dead from around the campsite to the burn pile. They had gathered thirty-one plus the four of their own they found. Chris was still missing but nobody was looking any more. There had been some objection to burning the bodies but JW put that to rest before he died.

  “The way this new world works seems if you bury folks you end up spending all the time you have left either dying or digging.” JW said. And that was that.

  Before they had brought the last one from around the campsite Charlie had approached Dottie.

  “Do you want to see him?” he asked as gently as he could.

  “No. I don’t. I don’t need to.” She said, gathering her hand across her shirt. “I can’t”

  Charlie just nodded and patted her on the shoulder. What else could he do?

  He and Bridger brought the last one to the pile. They had put their own people in the middle so they wouldn’t have to see the faces. Moving the two boys was hard. Janice had been just about completely eaten from the waist up. Her face was barely recognizable but the two boys looked normal. Well normal for having large bite marks and a bullet hole in Jeremy’s forehead. They put them on top of Janice and then Ray on top of that, the whole time pouring gasoline over the pile.

  “You think we’re using too much gas? I mean, not to burn, but do you think we might need the gas?” Charlie asked.

  “Probably, but that bus back there holds about two hundred gallons and the gauge says over half full. We can spare a few.” Bridger said. “We just don’t need to make this a habit, so how about let’s start trying to figure out how to survive a little while longer.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Josh and Lori walked towards the creek. The sun was approaching its highest point and the cold morning had turned a little warmer. They still wore the same sweatshirts and jeans they had on yesterday. Lori pulled her sweatshirt over her head and tied it around her waist.

  “So, what do you think they will decide?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. I think they may actually try and see if that guy is telling the truth. But even if he is, I don’t want to go.” He said.

  “Why not?”

  “I just think that if it is there, it’s just the same as here. Hiding in the woods, waiting. I don’t want to do that. I want to be out there, like my father was.”

  “Your father died because of that.” She said.

  “I know. I know.” He looked down. She touched his shoulder. “But I still can’t stay.”

  “I’ll go with you.” She said, looking up at him.

  He kissed her. He didn’t know why, but he did. She kissed him back. They stepped back from each other. She turned and stepped past a bush. Her foot felt something squish under it. She looked down and screamed. They had found Chris.

  Raj and Tilly were trying to sort through the rubble of the burnt bus. They were hoping to find some of the food stores safe. So far they had not been lucky. Finally Tilly pushed one of the seats over and found a scorched cooler. She opened the lid and even though the outside was singed, the inside was still safe. They had stored canned goods in the coolers to save space. She reached in and pulled out a can of green beans and thrust it towards the sky in victory.

  “Look what I found.” She said, a screamed pierced the air. “Come on green beans aren’t that bad.”

  “I think that was Lori.” Raj said. “That way.”

  They hustled towards the sound of the scream and Lori came running past them.

  “Wait, what is happening?” Tilly said, grabbing her as she went by.

  “Back there, it’s back there.” Lori said, pulling away from her.

  Raj walked a little further and saw Josh looking down on the ground. He followed his eyes down. Lying next to the bush was Chris. His arms were reached back over his head and below his chest was, nothing. His rib cage was open from the bottom and they could see his spine. His arms were not moving. The only movement was a methodical chomping of his teeth. Bridger and Charlie came through the trees to see the crowd gathered round.

  “Was that Lori? The scream? Where is she?” Charlie asked Tilly. Tilly pointed back to camp.

  “She’s fine. Just a little shook, from this.” She said, looking down at the thing on the ground.

  She turned to look towards camp and saw Dottie and Amanda coming. She headed them off.

  “You don’t need to see.” She said, taking Amanda’s hand.

  “Is it, is it Chris?” Amanda said, wide eyed. “Let me go. Let me go now.” She said, pulling free. She turned a walked forward. She looked down.

  “Oh my God. Ohhh” she got weak in the knees and Raj helped catch her as she started down. He put his arm around her and turned her back around. He and Dottie walked her back to camp.

  The rest had gathered around the thing on the ground. Bridger pulled out his knife. He knelt down on the ground and put his hand on the things forehead. He brought the knife next to the temple and gently slid it in. Pop. It made him stand up quickly while the rest of them jumped back a little.

  “It did it again.” Bridger said, looking at Charlie.

  “Did what?” Josh said. “That sound?”

  “Yeah, we had another one do that.” Charlie said.

  “I had one do that too.” Tilly added.

  “Do they all do that?” Josh asked. “Why?”

  “I don’t know.” Bridger said.

  Bridger and Charlie took what was left of Chris back through the woods to the burn pile as the rest of them returned to camp. Charlie poured one more pour of gasoline on the pile and grabbed the stick they had wrapped to use as a torch. He tossed it onto the pile and they stood back as it caught fire. The breeze carried most of the smell away from camp but every now and then a little wisp of wind would bring the sickening sweet smell of burning flesh drifting into camp. They all spent the rest of the evening trying to ignore it.

  9

  Empty Spaces

  Abandoned Places

  Kate and Evelyn joined Dottie and Amanda in the bus for the night. Charlie and Jennifer were settling into the front of the bus and Lori was helping Josh move his stuff from the bus to the truck. After the fire Dottie and Amanda along with Tilly and Raj were left homeless. Raj and Tilly decided they would use the SUV so Josh and Scott moved to the truck to give more room to Dottie and Amanda. Bridger moved Ed to the Harrison’s car so he could keep an eye on him.

  They had cleaned up the camp enough that they could sit and eat. They had scrounged through all the remains of the bus and had brought together everything they could find. Even with their reduced numbers they all knew they only had a couple of days left. They could stretch it but not much. Evelyn had spoke up at dinner.

  “Guys, as far as shitty days go, this one is on top. I know we have things to think about.” She looked at Bridger. “But we have lost a lot today. We can start again tomorrow.”

  After that they all found their own place to think about what they lost and what came next. Raj and Tilly knew that Bridger would be coming by to get them for watch soon so they found their way to the SUV for a few minutes alone. They opened the rear gate and she sat down. He stood.

  “I have not had a chance to really talk to you since yesterday.” Raj started. “Are you sure you’re ok? Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  “No. I’m fine. It shook me, I admit it. But after what happened last night, it seems like a long time ago. Beside
s, I dealt with it.” Tilly said.

  “You killed him. That’s what you said. Is that dealing with it?”

  “New rules, new world.” Tilly said.

  “What?”

  “Just something that asshole said. I just decided he wasn’t going to be the one making the rules.” She said.

  “And who gets to make the rules? You?” He asked.

  “Maybe”

  “Are you going to include me in that?” He asked.

  “Only if you’re very good to me.” She said, smiling and wrapping her arms around him. It felt good to hold him. He had always understood her. Even when she didn’t understand herself, Raj always knew what she needed. He knew how to make her feel strong and safe at the same time.

  “I’ll always be good to you.” He said.

  “I know” She kissed him.

  Bridger knocked on the hood of the SUV. Raj walked around from the back. Tilly joined them.

  “OK guys. I need you two to watch this place tonight. It’s not going to be business as usual. You need to be good with this.” Bridger said.

  “What do you mean? Good with what?” Tilly asked.

  “I need you two to step up because the others are wiped out. Plus I have to leave for a bit.”

  “What? Where are you going?” Raj asked.

  “I plan to take that Ed guy and make him take me to this compound or bunker or whatever the hell it is. If he is telling the truth, it could be a huge stroke of luck.”

  “You’re calling what his friend tried to do to me lucky?” Tilly said.

  “That’s not what I mean. I’m sorry about that but if this guy does have a stash of food and weapons, it could be a big deal. I particularly like the whole not starving to death part.” Bridger said. “And he seems like he just wants to help.”

  “And you trust him.” Raj asked.

  “Nope. That’s why I am going to take a little trip with him. Find out if it’s bullshit or not.”

  “And if it is?”

  “Well, I’ll deal with it.” Bridger said, matter of fact. “Listen, this was always JW’s gig. He was the guy who knew what to pick up on. He could spot problems in the corners. But he’s gone. The only way I know to do things is to ferret out the bad choices. This one is fifty fifty. And after last night, that’s pretty damn good odds.”

  “So what do you need us to do?” Tilly asked.

  “Stay awake and alert. Charlie said this guy told him it was just a mile or two up the creek from here. I should be back by midmorning. Just keep everyone busy until I get back. Make sure folks stay alert.” Bridger said.

  “Ok. We can do that.” Raj said. He and Tilly grabbed their shotguns out of the back of the SUV and made sure they were loaded. They both carried 9MM pistols in holsters on their hips. They checked them too. Bridger had spent some time with them over the past week showing them how everything worked and how to keep it working. After doing the weapons check they both looked at each other. They giggled a little.

  “Look at us. Regular Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” Tilly said.

  “Love you.” Raj said.

  “Love you too” Tilly smiled as she turned to walk into the woods.

  Raj watched her fade into the darkness. They would cross paths on the other side of the camp. The rest of the night would be spent making these circles around the camp. They would stop and talk, occasionally sitting back-to-back watching the woods. Bridger waited an hour or so before getting Ed.

  “Get up.” Bridger said as he opened the door of the Harrison’s car.

  “What?” Ed said, leaning forward in the reclined seat.

  “Get up. We’re going for a walk.”

  “Damn man, please, no don’t kill me…” Ed said, eyes wide.

  “I ain’t gonna kill you. I want you to take me to that place. Your place. Can you do that?”

  “I think so. I don’t know for sure but I know we followed that creek here. The creek backed up to his place just inside the woods. I think I can find the spot. Yeah. I can find it.” Ed said.

  “You sure?” Bridger said.

  “Pretty damn sure. Besides, what choice do I have?” Ed said.

  “None.” Bridger reached down his hand. “Let’s go.”

  Josh was lying in the bed of the truck looking up at the stars. Lori was lying next to him. Scott was sitting in the front seat trying to see if he could get anything on the radio. As he turned the dial he picked up a voice.

  This is the Emergency Broadcast System Zone 3

  Refugee Camp Update #1.

  Refugee Camp 12 Mile Marker 112 I-20 East Madison County - Closed

  Refugee Camp 9 Mile Marker 93 I-20 West Jefferson County -Open

  Refugee Camp 3 Mile Marker 64 I-10 Mobile County -Open

  No other active refugee camps to report on at this time.

  This is the Emergency Broadcast System Zone 3

  It repeated the same message twice more. Lori jumped out of the bed of the truck to listen.

  “What does that mean?” Lori asked.

  “I think it means that there is still some people out there, somewhere.” Scott said.

  “Not just somewhere. Jefferson County is near here. Zone 3. I wonder what that means.” Josh said.

  “Well the rest of the places were in Alabama. Maybe we’re Zone 3 now. Doesn’t have the same ring to it. Not saying I hate it, but…” Scott said.

  “Will you shut up?” Josh said.

  “Um. Ok.” Scott said.

  “I wonder how old that message is. I mean it could be just repeating something.” Scott added.

  “I said shut…ok. That may be a valid point.” Josh conceded. “But it can’t be more than a day or two old or we would have heard it. Someone would have heard it.”

  “Makes sense.” Scott said.

  “We can check it again in the morning.” Lori said, climbing back into the bed of the truck. She didn’t want to walk back to the bus. Not tonight. The shock of seeing Chris’s head like she had was horrifying but it was more than that. For the first time since this had all started she felt safe for just a second. When she kissed him.

  Josh looked back at Lori as she climbed into the truck. He smiled at her and reached in and patted Scott on the shoulder.

  “Get some sleep little brother.” He said.

  “You too.”

  Bridger and Ed followed the creek for almost two miles when Ed stopped.

  “Here. I think it was right here.” Ed said.

  “You said that once already.” Bridger said. “Is this just bullshit?”

  “No. No it’s not bullshit. It was just, it’s night and I wasn’t sure. This time I am sure. I remember that gnarled up old tree stump. That was just opposite where we came down the bank. So it’s right up there.” Ed said, pointing up the small bank towards the trees.

  “Let’s go.” Bridger said.

  They climbed the small bank and walked a few yards into the trees. Bridger could see the camouflage netting hanging on the fence. It was one of those shapes that if you spend a good portion of your youth living under, you recognize right away. They both walked up to the fence.

  “Ok. So how do we get in?” Bridger turned to Ed.

  “This way.” Ed started down the fence. “Shit”

  Ed stopped. One of the dead was standing just ahead. It was leaned against the fence with its head down. There was a small trench under its feet because it was still trying to walk. The fence was slightly bowed from the constant pressure against it but was holding strong. Bridger walked up behind it with his knife out. Pop. He let it slide down to the ground.

  “Do they all make that sound?” Ed asked.

  “I don’t know. I think they might. Let’s go.”

  They followed the fence around to where it crossed what looked like a logging road. The fence had a gate in it. They approached the lock.

  “You got the key.” Bridger asked.

  “No key. Kinda neat actually. They gate is a sham. If you break the lock it still won’t
open, look at the top.” Ed said pointing up.

  Bridger looked up and saw the top rail of the gate was actually a solid piece all the way across. The gate doors wouldn’t open. He looked back at Ed. He was pulling a hidden pin through the post the gate was hooked too. He slid the pin out and lifted the whole post out of the ground. The fence swung open.

  “Neat huh?”

  “Why do some shit like that?”

  “Russell said is was so he could keep it locked up without having to keep up with the key.”

  “Russell? I guess that is asshole guy.”

  “Yeah, that was asshole guy.” Ed said.

  “Probably want to stick with calling him asshole guy.” Bridger said.

  “Point taken.” Ed said. They walked through the gate and Ed set the post back in its hole.

  Bridger looked around. He was standing in the middle of the logging trail and on either side of him was a row of old wooden buildings. Most of them were old shotgun shacks or dogtrot houses that had been brought from the surrounding area. There were two old barns and at the far end of the trail he could see a squat block building with a door. He started walking towards it looking in each building as he went.

  “So you had never been here before you evacuated?” Bridger asked.

  “No. He had told me about it a time or two but he never invited me to come see it. Until that day.” Ed said.

  “And what did he tell you when you got here?”

  “Just that he might need some help to get the new world started and shit like that. I never took him too serious. I mean he had that, spent too many days in the sun, look about him, but he didn’t seem all that dangerous. He seemed kind of excited about it. Like he was hoping something like this would happen. Crazy huh?”

  “Folks have been hoping for the end of days since days began. For some folks crazy is their religion.” Bridger said.

  “What’s in there?” Bridger asked, pointing towards the two-story building with saloon painted on the front.

  “Just what it says. Got a bunch of canned beer and a few cases of Jim Beam. Maybe a bottle or two of rum somewhere.”