by Tim Moon
Ben and Anuhea began to hurl the rocks at the infected closing in on them. Ben stopped to pick up another good sized rock and held it in his off hand.
“This is stupid, you know?” Ty said, slowly following them.
“If they get too close, just back up,” Ben said. He threw another rock and hit the fat guy in the knee. He toppled to the ground. “You’ll be fine.”
Soon everyone was throwing rocks. It didn’t take long for them to work out a system. Charlotte and Ty aimed for their legs. A head shot would work, but it was such a small target that it was easier to knock them over. Downed zombies were vulnerable zombies.
After the infected fell to the ground, Ben and Anuhea would close in to crush their skulls, beating their heads in. Ben preferred to finish them off by dropping heavy stones on them.
Another man fell with a gurgling sound. He landed on the edge of a sharp boulder. It opened up his swollen stomach like a bursting water balloon. Dark blood splashed over the equally dark rocks. Momentum twisted him and he slid off the rock onto his side, flailing, gurgling and kicking his fat legs. Ben ran up and pounded his head in.
Anuhea got the next infected in the head with a clean shot to his forehead. It could have been a Kodak moment for the apocalypse. The stunned look on the man’s face was hilarious, if morbid. Ben couldn’t help but laugh.
He hit a girl in the thigh and she stumbled into the skinny skater boy next to her. But she didn’t fall. Charlotte followed up Ben’s toss by launching a rock that bounced off the ground and crashed into the girl’s shin. It cracked and she went down. Ben flashed Charlotte a smile before he hefted a large stone and ended infected girl’s struggle.
Anuhea launched a rock at an infected man about twenty yards away. She missed, but luck was on her side. He tripped on the uneven ground. Unable to break his fall, he landed on his shoulder and thrashed about like a landed fish.
Ty nailed him from a few yards away. The guy’s skull cracked, but he kept moving. With one arm unable to move, the infected scrambled in the dirt to no avail. Anuhea walked over and finished him off by stomping on the back of his head.
“Nice teamwork,” Ben said. He threw a rock at another infected and missed. His second throw hit the infected in the knee. It toppled over.
Anuhea walked closer, picked up a big rock, raised it above her head and dropped it on another man she’d knocked down. With a dull splat, the struggling zombie stopped moving.
One by one, they toppled and killed the infected. Charlotte beamed one infected woman in the forehead. Her skin peeled back exposing the thin layer of fascia and other tissue that held skin to the scalp. Dark blood dripped down the side of her face. Before they finished, even Ty managed to kill a couple more.
The real star was Anuhea. She took to the attack with enthusiasm, as if it was her favorite sport.
As the infected left the corpses of Travis and Kathy, some fell on their own. In this case, the uneven ground became their ally. Ben crushed the head of one with a rock, but it kept moving despite in the massive dent in its skull. Ben picked up the rock again, pushed the infected man down with his foot, and bashed his head several times until he fell still. Blood splattered on his arm and face from the brutal kill.
“Keep going. Kill them all,” Ben said.
Rocks flew and zombies fell. Skin tore, bones cracked, skulls split open and blood ran. It was gruesome, but effective work.
Charlotte moved to the outside flank, with Oliver following behind.
Ben led the group toward the road at an angle away from where their former companions lay. Several zombies continued to feast on the bodies, completely ignoring the group.
“You guys go hide in the ditch. We’ve got this,” Ben said, gesturing at Anuhea and himself.
Anuhea raced over to the group of infected hunched over the bodies of Travis and Kathy. Ben followed close behind and together they killed the zombies. Smashing and stomping them into submission. After crushing the skull of the last one into a pulp that stained his shoes, Ben looked around, sensing the relative silence around him.
They had done it.
A rush of emotion filled Ben. He wanted to cheer, but held it back. It felt odd taking so much pleasure in killing them, even if they were infected. Regardless, Ben was thrilled that the plan worked so well. Looking at Anuhea, he realized how much he appreciated her strength and determination.
“Great job,” Ben said to Anuhea. He put his hand up for a high-five.
She grinned at him and slapped his hand.
Bodies lay strewn about, sprawling on the rough ground. Black blood coated the rocks and created puddles on the dusty earth. Death and body fluids tainted the air.
Now they had a clear path to the parking lot.
29
Once again, the group was at the edge of the road. Bodies littered the ground behind them and the leftovers of Travis and Kathy were a mere thirty yards away. They knelt in the dirt, keeping a low profile while they planned their next move. Everyone breathed hard from the slaughter.
Across the road, beyond a narrow strip of rocky ground was the north parking lot of the airport. Beyond the parking lot were the remnants of the main airport buildings and then the runway. Off to the right were several small buildings and a seemingly endless stretch of black lava rock.
Ben eyed the cluster of cars. With plenty to choose from, the problem became finding keys and then matching them with the right vehicle without setting off an alarm. He thought he saw an abandoned Humvee, but he wasn’t sure.
Somewhere out there were the bodies of the soldiers that protected them the night before. Ben hoped that they hadn’t become infected, because killing them would be tough.
“Our main focus is a vehicle,” Ben said. “But if you find any weapons, be sure to grab them. Check for extra ammo too. If we’re going to make it back to the Quarantine Center, we need all the help we can get.”
Ty scoffed. “Do you even know how to shoot?”
“Of course, don’t you?” Ben asked, genuinely curious.
Ty rolled his eyes.
“I can shoot. My brothers used to take me hunting all the time,” Anuhea said.
Ben turned to Charlotte with an apologetic look.
“I know. We’ll wait here for you guys,” she said, ruffling Oliver’s hair. She sighed and said, “I still think a rental car would be better.”
“Too many infected and all the guns are over there,” Anuhea said, pointing toward the airport.
Charlotte nodded. “You guys be careful.” She pulled Anuhea into a hug.
“We should be able to get a car without fighting more infected.” Ben shifted in the dirt, preparing to leave.
“Do we really have to go? Can’t we just walk back to the Quarantine Center?” Ty asked again. “This place is creepy and it stinks.”
“The fastest way to get back is to get a car,” Ben insisted. Ty’s description was spot on though. “It’s too far to walk in the heat and with so many infected wandering around.”
“We just killed like two dozen of them,” Ty said, gesturing behind them. “I think I’d rather walk than go near the airport again.”
“How about this, let’s keep it democratic. All those in favor of stealing a car, raise your hand.” Ben raised his hand and looked at the others.
Everyone other than Ty raised their hands, even Oliver.
“Three and a half against one,” Ben said, smiling.
“Majority rules,” Charlotte added.
Ben smirked at the look on Ty’s face. “Guess you’re shit outta luck, kid.”
Oliver looked at him with curiosity. Ben laughed and said, “Not you.”
Ty folded his arms over his chest and frowned at the airport.
Ben still hadn’t confronted Ty about his behavior. He’d have to bring it up eventually, it was inevitable. His friend had to get his shit together, but calling him out in front of the group, would only make him defensive. This wasn’t the time.
Anuhea on th
e other hand, wasn’t at all shy about showing her disapproval. Ever since the airplane crash, she’d basically ignored him. Her scowl and cold shoulder were enough for even Ty to know he’d fucked up. He didn’t confront her or apologize, so no one else brought it up. For now, everything was calm.
They agreed that Charlotte would stay with Oliver.
“What if instead of staying in the ditch, they hide behind that building?” Anuhea asked.
Ben looked at the building. Its fenced parking lot was where some of the infected they’d killed had come from. “If the lot there is cleared of infected then I don’t see why not.”
“No bodies over there,” Anuhea said softly to Charlotte. They both glanced at Oliver and Charlotte nodded.
“You two will be our spotters.” Ben pointed at Charlotte and Oliver. “Make sure the road stays clear and nothing sneaks up behind us. We’ll scavenge what we can and come back with a vehicle. Stay alert,” Ben said, looking each of his friends in the eyes. With any luck, they’d be able to collect guns and ammo to go with a vehicle. “We should be able to hear when someone starts up a car, don’t honk or anything, but drive up here right away and get them.” He gestured at Charlotte and Oliver.
“Sure.” Ty remained skeptical of the plan.
“Oliver, I have a special mission for you. You be brave and protect Charlotte, okay?” Ben said, kneeling in front of the boy. “Stay quiet and watch out for the bad people.”
“A mission?” he said with wide eyes.
“Yep, a special mission,” Ben said with a serious look.
“Like Captain America?”
Ben smiled. “Yeah, just like Captain America, because you’re so strong and brave.”
“Okay,” said Oliver, assuming his guard duty. He stood up on a rock and looked around with a serious expression, his head barely reaching over the edge of the ditch.
Ben stood and looked at Charlotte. She smiled at him.
“Hurry up. We’ll be fine,” she said.
Anuhea gave Charlotte another hug and ruffled Oliver’s hair. “See ya kiddo.”
Oliver put a finger to his lips. “Shh.”
Ty was staring at the airport looking rather nervous.
“We got this, man,” Ben said, trying to encourage him.
An eerie calm had settled over the airport. Compared to the vortex of death it had been the night before, the airport was almost pleasant.
The fresh ocean breeze couldn’t mask the stench of burnt flesh, melted plastic and smoldering wood mixed with the overpowering odor from the infected, a putrid mix of feces and decay. At least it made the stench bearable.
Instincts that Ben didn’t realize he had seemed to kick in. He felt light and his mind was clear, like he was experiencing this moment in high-definition. He could feel the air tickle the hair on his arms, the humidity dampen his throat and he could hear their footsteps against the pavement. They escorted Charlotte and Oliver across the street and they hid outside the fence behind a clump of bushes.
Ben, Anuhea and Ty continued on, walking close together. Ben was in the middle, flanked by his friends.
A movement in the parking lot caught Ben’s eye. He dropped down into a squat. The other two stopped and squatted next to him.
“What?” Ty asked. His eyes darted around searching for whatever Ben had seen.
“Infected. There are a few of them are in the parking lot. More are near the buildings,” Ben said. “They’re just milling about, but I don’t want them to see us. So stay low. Use the cars as cover. As long as we’re quiet they shouldn’t bother us.”
They nodded.
“We should spread out a little,” said Anuhea. “So we can cover more ground.”
“No way,” said Ty. “This is a stupid-”
“Sounds good,” Ben said, cutting him off. “Keep an eye out for guns and ammo.”
He caught Ty’s eye and frowned. His friend looked like he was going to piss his pants.
“What if they do see us?” Ty asked.
“Lead them out to the lava field, if you can, and take care of them like we did before.” Ben put a hand on Ty’s shoulder. “You can do this, man. We’re all scared, but we’ll be fine.”
Ty gave a quick nod.
“Anuhea you go to the right, Ty you stay in the middle, and I’ll stick to the left edge here to the south,” Ben said gesturing to the most torn up section. “Let’s go.”
Ty was muttering to himself, probably fighting the release of his bladder contents. Ben smirked at the look on his face. It was difficult to feel sorry for someone that had ditched you in a burning airplane. Everyone deserved a second chance, or at least that’s what Ben grew up hearing from his parents. He just hoped Ty wouldn’t fuck them over now.
Ben made his way forward, crouching behind cars and moving between cover. He was careful not to touch the vehicles to avoid setting off an alarm. The last thing he wanted to do was call in all the infected.
Shit, I should have told the others, he thought.
Ben came around the side of a silver Volkswagen and gasped, falling back on his ass.
A young girl, pale as a pearl, sat propped up against the car, leaning against the driver’s side tire. Her head was turned and slumped to the side and angled slightly down. Her eyes were frozen, looking up as if she was glowering at Ben, her mouth slightly open as if aching to say something.
Ben paused, expecting her to move. Moments ticked by.
Ben’s breath came in quick gasps as he contemplated having to put her down if she attacked. But she never moved. She never would again.
Curiosity took hold. Beckoning him to move closer to try to understand what happened. The girl was covered in blood, yet she didn’t appear to have any bites. When he was almost within arm’s reach, he saw the reason for her tilted head. She’d been shot in the side of the neck.
Poor thing. She must have bled out here, all alone.
In situations like last night, accidents like friendly-fire were bound to happen. Glad that it ended quickly for the girl, Ben decided not to dwell where he wasn’t needed. He glanced around to check for infected, but nothing moved.
Time to move on.
He continued south along the rear of a row of cars. When they had arrived at the airport yesterday evening, he remembered seeing a couple of army vehicles posted along the road where cars enter the airport. That was too far away, but he thought he’d seen one on the far side of the parking lot. Of course, it meant getting very close to the buildings where most of the infected were, but if he was lucky the vehicles would be drivable and have weapons, either inside or nearby.
Slowly standing up behind a car, he scanned the parking lot for any infected. The only ones he spotted where the ones he’d already seen before and none were headed his direction. He couldn’t see Ty, but he spotted Anuhea darting from car to car before disappearing behind a big truck.
Then he looked for his target, an army vehicle.
It took a moment to scan the lot for it but then he spotted it. A big tan Humvee just sitting there waiting for him. Ben thought it looked different from the ones he’d seen before. Instead of a machine gun mounted to the roof, this Humvee had a strange camper-like box attached to it. Whatever, as long as it ran and had a gun inside they would be golden. Good news came with bad though. The damn thing was angled across the little road right in front of the buildings.
Ben would be very exposed to the infected stumbling amongst the ruined buildings. It sat on an intersection between the road that ran directly in front of the airport buildings, and a road that led to the tarmac. Ben would have to cover several big gaps with no cover to hide behind.
Beggars can’t be choosers, he thought.
A Humvee was worth the risk because it was the best vehicle they could hope for: big, strong and durable. If worst came to worst and he was spotted along the way, at least he could hide safely inside the vehicle.
With a deep breath, Ben started forward.
30
Altoona, PA
Vanessa looked across the antique dining table at Steve.
They’d made it to the safe house in Altoona. It was an older house, slightly smaller than most in the area. A generous grandmother had left it for her grandson, who in turn had left it for their group to use as a safe house. The cozy house sat in the middle of a typical suburban neighborhood, quiet and safe. The house was gray-blue with rows of carefully manicured shrubs beneath the front windows, which looked out over an equally well-cared for lawn. She’d been impressed when they drove up. It was comfortable looking and discreet.
Droves of people were fleeing the city and the drive had been slow and stressful. They didn’t see any infected outside of Washington, D.C., just scared people fleeing the big cities. As they had driven further away from D.C. the roads had cleared up. Yet, Vanessa knew it wouldn’t be much longer until the frightened masses escaping the cities jammed the roads, leaving everyone else trapped. Thankfully, they had left the crowds far behind.
Now the two of them sat at a small dinner table in the safe house, eating spaghetti that Vanessa quickly whipped up for them. Not her best foray into the kitchen, but given the groceries they’d found stocked in the house, and the insanity and stress of the day, it was edible. She barely had an appetite. Steve seemed satisfied with it, practically shoveling it into his mouth.
The sight of him scarfing the food reminded Vanessa of the infected and made her feel slightly queasy.
She glanced around the room again. Although the furnishing was sparse, and it smelled like an old person’s home, it had everything they needed, including a stocked kitchen, cable TV and internet service. She was so grateful to have a great team. They’d done well.
“We’ve done the right thing, you know,” she said, reaching for another piece of toasted bread. Sadly, there hadn’t been any garlic seasoning for the bread.
“I know we did. I’m just not sure what happens now,” he said quietly.
Steve was a shy person. He was kind of a typical nerd: smart, but slightly awkward. It wasn’t like he gave off a creepy-guy vibe, but conversations were always a little strained with him. Getting him to talk could be a chore.