Dead Tropics

by Sue Edge

  “Please tell me we won’t have to do that again. Because frankly, I would rather cut my way through a horde of walking corpses.”

  Mike laughed softly in response, and the intimacy of the moment disappeared.

  “Let’s head down the river. There is a shanty village not far from here. We should be able to pick up a dinghy there.”

  Once again, we trudged through the mangroves, keeping to the mud bank. At least on this side of the river, there was little chance of running into zombies. The area here was protected and therefore free from urban development. Thank God for small mercies.

  I wondered about the shanties. Of course, I’d heard rumors about the makeshift homes in the mangroves which provided shelter to the dispossessed. That was pretty much the extent of my knowledge. I couldn’t imagine anyone choosing to make a home in a mosquito-plagued, muddy, humid environment like this. Hell, if I never set foot in this place again, it would be too soon.

  The moon decided to make an appearance. I felt like shouting ‘hallelujah’ as its light illuminated the banks along which we were proceeding. Suddenly we could see where we were placing our feet, instead of having to feel our way through roots and mud.

  For another fifteen minutes, we fought our way through the mangrove edge. A gleam ahead caught my eye. I was looking at a piece of corrugated iron which formed a rough roof over a sleeping figure. Behind it, I spotted a blue tarp strung up between trees and some figures snuggled together beneath it. Scanning the area, I counted another four rough shelters.

  Mike caught my eye and gestured to the bank ahead of us. I saw a metal dinghy loosely tied up. Stealthily, we skulked past the sleeping figures and knelt beside the boat. Mike untied it and gestured for me to get it. As quietly as I could, I stepped into the small boat and sat down carefully.

  Mike pushed the boat quietly away from the bank as he stepped in. We let the boat just drift down the river for several minutes, ears pricked for any noise from the camp. Finally, Mike picked up the oars and started rowing smoothly. I felt bad for taking the camp’s little fishing boat - but not bad enough.

  From within the safety of the boat, the river looked beautiful in the glow of the moonlight. Occasionally, a fish jumped out of the water and splashed back in. A bird cried hauntingly from a nearby branch. Then as we rounded a bend, the airport came into view.

  Brightly lit, the grounds were full of moving figures. Not living people, I realised with a sinking feeling as I noted the staccato jerkiness of their movements. Nothing appeared to be moving on the fields except dead people. The vehicles were stationary, the helicopters were gone and I could not hear the sound of any gunfire. Mike pulled out his binoculars and scanned the airport for several minutes before silently putting the binoculars away again.

  “Anything?” I asked, afraid of his answer. He shook his head mutely. We sat in silence for several minutes as we passed the remains of the airport camp. I wondered sadly how many had made it out.

  Mike pulled the oars through the water with practiced ease. “We should reach the highway in thirty minutes or so. Hopefully, we won’t have a welcoming party.”

  “God, I hope not. Right now I would be hard pressed to give anyone a good talking to, let alone fight.”

  He grinned. “So you don’t want a go at rowing, then?”

  I smiled weakly at him. Just the thought of rowing or even having to walk filled me with dismay. Watching Mike, I marveled at his composure and strength. Pull back his skin, I thought drily, and there was probably a hyper alloy combat chassis underneath.

  “You’re doing a great job, Mike, pal, mate.” I wheedled. He mimed retching in response.

  ***

  We sat quietly for a long time, lost in our own thoughts. I was desperate to hear my family’s voices, see their faces, and know for sure that they were all okay. The memory of the look on Michele’s face, the way she had begged me to stay home…remorse filled me at my selfish need to be in control, even at my family’s expense.

  I looked over at Mike as he pulled strongly on the oars. The moonlight played across his strong jaw, dimpled chin and the curve of his lips as he gazed pensively across the water. I hastily redirected my thoughts. Clearing my throat, I offered a penny for his thoughts.

  Mike shrugged his shoulders. “Making plans.”

  He raised a brow at me. “You?”

  “Wondering about you.” The heat rose in my cheeks as his brows rose. “I mean, how is it that you only have a dog to come home to? You seem…nice.”

  “Thank you - I think.” He shrugged. “Spent several years caring for the old folks after they were injured in a car accident. Since, well, I guess I haven’t found the right person yet.”

  “You must be pretty picky.” An attractive man like that would have women throwing themselves at him.

  “Guess so.”

  “So what are you looking for in a woman?” I knew I was straying into dangerous territory but curiosity drove me on. What made him tick, this enigmatic man before me?

  “Right now?” He grinned. “Still breathing would do.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Come on. I’m serious. What are you looking for in a woman that you haven’t managed to find in forty years?”

  He sighed. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

  “Probably not. Beats thinking about everything else right now.”

  He dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Well, I’ve met a lot of fine women, just not the right one.”

  As I opened my mouth, he continued. “When I meet her, I’ll know it.”

  I looked at him wonderingly. “You’re looking for a soul mate.”

  He winced.

  I laughed. “No, it’s sweet that you are still a romantic. I hope you find her, your soul mate, one day.”

  He smiled without comment. But there was a look in his eyes, an intensity, that made my heart start to race. Heat rose in my cheeks as our eyes met and held for a long moment. Looking away, I suddenly found a newfound fascination with the moonlit river.

  As we rounded a bend, a houseboat moored by the bank of the river appeared. I could see some lights in the distance, indicating the presence of homes on the beaches - and people. And where there were people, there were zombies, I thought nervously. The lights in the houseboat were on but I couldn’t see any movement. Mike angled the dinghy to take us safely past the houseboat. As we drifted slowly by, I scanned the houseboat for signs of life. The decks were bare and the large open windows revealed a table set for dinner but no people. My unease increased.

  I glanced at Mike. He was carefully examining the river and surrounding mangrove. At this time of night, the tide was going out. Zombies could have reached the houseboat, moored as it was at the shallow end of the river. Putting the oars back in the water, Mike started to pull strongly through the water towards the middle of the river. I felt the sudden urgency in him.

  The dinghy suddenly dipped on one side. I gasped and clutched the sides of the little boat. It dipped again like a fishing rod with a large fish on the end.

  “Grab your knife, Lori.” Mike spoke coolly, eyes alert. I pulled the parang out, feeling adrenaline pumping through my veins.

  A grey hand appeared over the edge of the dinghy, making the boat tip to the side. Stepping forward, I swung the parang down and severed the hand at the wrist. More hands reached up. I could see the pale gleam of eyes just beneath the surface of the water. Faint with horror, I chopped off the fingers creeping over the side.

  A sudden vicious lurch.

  “If the boat tips over, dive for the middle of the river, Lori.” Mike spoke grimly.

  I nodded, trembling. Mike heaved with the oars but it was like trying to move through jelly. The boat swung sluggishly to the side. Mike stood up slowly and moved to the middle of the boat, oar in hand. A wet, pale dead corpse suddenly dragged itself over the side of the dinghy. Mike shoved the oar viciously into the creature’s face and pushed him off. To my horror, I could see the gleam of pale eyes just
below the surface of the water all around us.

  “We’re going to have to go for it, Lori.” Mike said quietly. “Dive right over their heads and then swim like hell for the middle of the river.”

  “Oh, dear God.” I groaned, my whole body shaking with fear. “This night really sucks.”

  18

  The boat lurched as many hands pulled at it. I propelled myself forward as hard as I could, over those pale eyes in the water, and hit the water a good six feet away. Immediately, I kicked my feet and surged away as fast as I could. Desperation leant strength to my arms and legs and within seconds, I had reached the cooler dark channel in the middle.

  Mike passed me with a glance and headed downstream. Even knowing that the river in the middle was too deep for the zombies, I expected to feel a hand or teeth on my legs at any moment.

  We stayed in the river for several more minutes until we reached a dense stretch of mangroves unlikely to be accessible to humans - and, hopefully, zombies. We swum to the side of the bank and heaved our wet, bedraggled bodies out of the water.

  I collapsed on the bank, panting. Just when it seemed I could not be more frightened, life seemed to be determined to prove otherwise.

  “Come on.” Mike said, readjusting his wet pack. “We haven’t got far to go.” Yeah, right.

  We struggled through the mangroves until we reached the creek leading into Redlynch. Staying low, we made our way along the riverbank.

  The highway bridge stood empty and silent. As we drew parallel to the shopping centre where our bike was parked, we crawled to the top of the bank and peered across the road. The field still crawled with corpses. They staggered and bumped against each other as they wandered aimlessly across the grass and along the road.

  I gazed yearningly at the spot I knew our bike was, but I knew that it would be ridiculously dangerous to try to navigate the corpse-infested streets at night by bike. We had already discussed it and decided to follow the river home, even though it would take another hour at least. Another hour that Sarah was without treatment.

  Sighing, I turned to Mike. “Can we at least try to contact the house from here? See how everyone is? Surely the walkie talkie will be in range?”

  “Yes. Unfortunately, walkie talkies don’t take well to a dunking.”

  “Oh.” I replied in a small voice. “Forgot about that.”

  Mike’s voice softened as if he could read my thoughts. “I know it feels like we’ve been away all night, Lori, but it’s been less than four hours since we got the call from Emma. Sarah will be fine.”

  He was right, I realised, feeling my spirits rise a little. God, it seemed so much longer. Sarah would get the antibiotics in time.

  I smiled tentatively at him. “The sooner we get going, the sooner we’ll get there, I guess.”

  We followed the freshwater creek, staying below the top of the bank. As the creek wound its way closer to the road, we could hear the sounds of the dead dragging their feet nearby. It was unnerving, knowing there were so many corpses within touching distance. If they chose to look over the bank’s edge…It was a relief to enter the cover of the trees which lined the river as it passed through the suburbs, even though it meant we had to move more cautiously. While the thickets along the river hid us well, it meant they could hide other things also.

  The silence struck me all over again. No cars driving by, no planes overhead, no radios and tvs blaring, no babies crying - just total stillness marred only by the moans of zombies. Even the birds and crickets seemed to have fallen silent.

  I shivered and edged closer to Mike’s solid presence. As the river meandered its way closer to the road, I peered through the trees. The hint of moonlight shining through the overcast night revealed a few corpses standing on the lawns of darkened homes or wandering down the road.

  A sudden crashing through the trees ahead froze us in our tracks. Something blundered through the shrubbery with all the finesse of a mad bull. My heart stopped for a moment as I realised it was headed straight for us.

  Mike pushed me against a thick tree, covering my body with his. We stood perfectly still, trying to blend in with the shadows as a dark shadow floundered nearby, seeming to trip over something. I heard a plethora of panicked curses as the man struggled to pick himself up.

  All around us, the bushes erupted as corpses bludgeoned their way towards the poor man. Everywhere I looked, I saw dark shapes. Mike instinctively pressed harder against me, making it difficult for me to breathe. The man screamed in panic and thrashed through the shrubs towards the creek. Hurry, I urged him silently, get to the creek. Unfortunately, he must have become disoriented as the sounds he was making were moving away from the creek.

  Mike tensed, and with the pressure of his body, forced me to slide slowly around the side of the tree. I realised that corpses were approaching our tree. My heart started pounding in my chest as the awareness that we were surrounded hit home.

  A zombie pushed through bushes to stand beside our tree. From the corner of my eye, I could see the hook shape of his nose and the white gleam of his eyes as he stared into the darkness. He was so close that if he turned even two inches, he would see us. For the longest horrifying minute, we stood in a frozen tableau, just waiting… and then the corpse lurched forward after the man who was still frantically crashing through the trees and shrubs.

  Trembling all over, I released my breath slowly. There were still other corpses nearby. We remained motionless as we waited for the dead to stagger away in the wake of the unseen man. Only after we had heard no further sounds of movement around us for several minutes, did we relax.

  I drew a deep, gasping breath in. As the terror receded, I started to feel uncomfortably aware of Mike’s body along the length of mine, the feel of his thigh, his muscled arms on either side of me, his breath in my hair. Glancing up, I caught the gleam of his eyes as he looked down at me quizzically. My cheeks flamed as I realised he could probably feel my heart racing.

  “Lori?” He breathed my name questioningly, and the way he said it made me melt. There was so much yearning in his voice, so much unsaid. He cared for me, I suddenly realised with wonder. Not just as a friend and comrade in arms, but as a woman. And, wrong as it was to feel like this with my husband barely gone from my life, I cared for him, too.

  For the first time in my life, I didn’t want to think about consequences or plan out tomorrow; I didn’t need to be in control. I just wanted to lose myself, to feel alive and whole again, in the arms of a man who loved me.

  I reached up tentatively and stroked Mike’s cheek. His eyes widened and he sucked in his breath, standing motionless, as I ran my finger lightly over his eyes, down his nose and along his lips. My fingers curled around his neck and pulled his head towards mine. His lips hovered hesitantly above mine for an unendurable moment. I arched yearningly against him, my eyes pleading with him in the dark. Just let us have tonight, Mike. There may not even be a tomorrow.

  As always, he seemed to hear my thoughts. His uncertainty disappeared as his arms closed around me. He brushed his lips teasingly against mine. I could feel the hint of a smile on his mouth. The touch of his firm lips set my nerves alight throughout my body.

  “Mike…” I groaned breathily, achingly. I quivered like an excited puppy when his hands tangled in my hair and drew my head back, exposing the long line of my neck.

  “So soft,” He breathed as his mouth painted a delicate path down my neck. “Your skin feels like silk…”

  “Mike…” I pleaded again, feeling giddy with the scent and feel of him as his lips made their way back up my neck, over my cheekbones and down… The tip of his tongue traced the outline of my mouth, sending a shiver of desire through me.

  Oh. The utter delight of his lips over mine. The kiss went on and on, filling my senses till all I could feel was the gentle firmness of his mouth, the slightly rough brush of his cheek, the sweetness of his breath. I moaned softly as he deepened the kiss, drawing me in with his need, his hunger for me. I
had forgotten it was possible to feel this way…so delirious, lost, intoxicated with the feel of holding your beloved close.

  A distant scream broke the hypnotic spell we had woven around us. Mike pulled away a little. The moon had risen overhead, dimly lighting the grove around us.

  He cleared his throat. “We should get going.”

  I nodded, still feeling his kiss burning on my lips. My head spun. This is crazy. You have a family you need to focus on keeping alive, and you’re acting like a lovestruck teenager.

  Mike hesitated for a moment and then leaned forward to look intently into my eyes.

  “I’ve spend my whole life looking for you, Lori, and now that I’ve found you, I don’t want to let you go. Ever. But the time isn’t right., is it? You’re still grieving for your husband.” His eyes searched mine as I looked back at him mutely, my heart in turmoil.

  I guess he found the answer he was looking for. He smiled wryly as he pulled away. “I can wait.”

  I swallowed in dismay as he moved off through the dense trees. I wanted to reach out to him but I couldn’t even begin to talk to him when I felt so confused. Silently, I followed him.

  Relief flooded me as we crossed the bridge and saw the house still intact. However, the number of zombies surrounding the house had swelled fourfold. The ground beneath and around the house was thick with dark swaying bodies. I kept my fingers crossed that the steep tangled rainforest on the hillside had continued to deter them from finding the back entry.

  We crossed the road further up the street and made our way quietly up the mountain till we were directly above the house. It was hard going feeling our way through the thick rainforest in the dark and I was sweating profusely by the time the house came into view. Cautiously, silently, we moved down the mountain towards the back door. Pausing frequently, we listened for sounds that didn’t belong in the rainforest. Like dead people.

  Mike slipped up to the back window and flicked his Maglite torch on and off. A minute later, we were inside the house surrounded by familiar, smiling faces, softly lit by candlelight. Michele and Jessie wrapped their arms around me tightly as other hands patted me on my back. I gripped the kids tightly and grinned widely at the people surrounding me. It was the best possible homecoming ever.