by Tim Moon
Just as Ben was about to continue on his mission, a section of roof collapsed on one of the buildings. Smoke billowed out, the embers stoked by the exposure to fresh air. One infected that Ben could see immediately turned toward the noise and began to meander over. He was a younger man, maybe in his 30’s, and like the woman he’d just killed, wore a blue TSA uniform.
It seemed strange to him that so many TSA officers had turned into infected. What had they been doing? Maybe they’d been caught off guard by the exploding airplanes? There was no telling. A thought struck him. Why had Neal and the other soldier not become infected? In his rush to loot the bodies, he’d overlooked the fact that they’d clearly been bitten, yet were not zombies.
Questions for another time, he thought.
Several other infected began to move, following the sound of the crash. Ben already knew that sound and light could attract their attention. What was interesting was that didn’t have enough knowledge to realize that if they walked into the fire, even they would die. Perhaps their vision was hampered by the change in their eyes?
In any case, the infected were aware enough to zero in on him if he wasn’t careful. The noise of the renewed fire was accompanied by popping sounds and a hiss that sounded strangely like air leaking out of a tire, and it helped to cover the sound of Ben’s movement as he dashed from car to car with a rifle in his hand, the other rifle slapping against his back.
Ben peeked at the infected again and quickly counted eight of them, twice as many as he’d seen before. The sight of them set his teeth on edge. He became aware of just how vulnerable he’d be once he reached the vehicle. Although the Humvee was still about sixty yards away, Ben was certain he couldn’t run to the vehicle in time without having to fight off at least one of the bastards.
Smoke began drifting in Ben’s direction. The smell was dreadful, but what worried Ben the most was that it began to tickle the back of his throat. Suddenly, he wondered if he should even continue in that direction. He looked around for Ty or Anuhea to see if they were close to finding anything useful. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see either of them. Ben hoped they were okay, but nothing he could do would help them more than focusing on his mission to secure the Humvee.
The Humvee sat almost kitty-corner in the intersection with the driver’s side door on the airport side, furthest from Ben. He’d have to run around like he was doing a Chinese fire drill to get to the door. Ben hoped the keys were inside. If he had to look around for them, he may not be able to get away before the infected grew tired of the building fire and wandered back.
Ben saw another soldier lying on the ground. All around her was a semi-circle of at least ten bodies, presumably the infected that she’d gunned down. They were piled on top of each other, like a poorly stacked woodpile. The soldier still clutched her rifle in her hand and it was clear she’d fought to the end.
The soldier was young, like Ben. Her face was contorted in fear; her mouth locked in a silent scream that was stained by blood. Her face was covered with grime and soot from the fires that had raged the night before.
Ben approached carefully, hoping that none of the bodies would move. He couldn’t help but stare at the face of the soldier. Tracks extended down the side of her face from the corners of her eyes, evidence of tears.
Ben swallowed hard and approached the body. As he knelt down beside her, he realized that she’d shot herself under the chin. The rifle still lay there clenched in her hands, resting under her chin. He swallowed down the bile that burned his throat and slowly reached for the rifle. She’d made her choice, rather than die a horrible death at the hands of infected. Under those circumstances, surrounded by infected, alone and without hope, it almost made sense.
Seeing so many horrible injuries and death was quickly numbing Ben’s heart. The soldier’s death was less shocking to him than others he’d seen before, and certainly less horrific than others. Without time to waste, Ben focused on what he had to do which at that moment meant taking her gear. Carrying three rifles was going to be ridiculous, but he didn’t think he should leave the rifle behind. Three weapons were enough for nearly everyone to be armed. All he had to do was carry them to the Humvee. After that, if all went well, they’d be riding like bosses in their new ride.
He searched quickly for extra ammunition. There was only one magazine in a pouch on the soldier’s vest. Ben also found a grenade and a canister that read “smoke.” Ben had never actually seen a grenade in real life and thought it looked rather small, about the size of a tennis ball, but much heavier. He carefully pulled the grenade out of its pouch and stuffed it in a pouch on the vest he wore, along with the smoke canister. Smoke might not kill infected, but if it helped them escape at some point, it’d be worth lugging it around.
Like the second rifle he carried, Ben slung this one on his back. Walking would have to be slow because they would make noise, but he was satisfied that it was worth the risk. Finally, he began to pat down the pockets of the soldier looking for the keys.
No luck.
What the fuck? Do they not need keys?
He wasn’t sure, but now that he thought about it, it’d be kind of dumb to need keys to drive a military vehicle. Under fire from an enemy or returning from a raid, it’d be pretty stupid to be stranded because someone lost the keys. Since none of the three soldiers he’d come across had keys, he concluded that they must be unnecessary.
So far, he’d collected weapons and ammo, checking off two of the most important things their group needed. Now it was time to get the final one so they could get away from the smoking graveyard that was the airport.
Ben’s way was clear, so he sprinted toward the Humvee with the rifle in his hands. The weapons on his back jostled and clanked, scrapping against each other and his skin. He ignored everything other than what was in front of him. He only stopped at the edge of the parking lot, mere feet from the Humvee. Its big boxy rear end rose about as high as Ben could reach. The rear door was ajar.
He wondered if this was a medical version of the Humvee, but he didn’t see any red crosses designating it as such. He raised the rifle in front of him, ready to strike out. At this point, he wasn’t ready to shoot, because infected were too close. His breath was quick and shallow. His brow furrowed and eyes squinted with focus.
Coming around the back end of the vehicle, Ben jumped out with the rifle held out toward the opening of the door. It was empty. Inside, it was filled with communication equipment or something like that. It wasn’t important. What was important was space, and the vehicle had that in spades. There’d be plenty of room for the entire group.
Ben lowered the rifle. He pulled the two rifles off his back, set them down inside the rear of the Humvee, and reached out to close the door. He was careful to close it quietly. It snapped shut with a metallic click that sounded far too loud to him. His heart began to pound in his chest and he silently cursed himself for being careless. Peeking around the edge of the vehicle, he was relieved to see that none of the infected seemed to notice.
A rush of joy crept up into his chest and big smile broke out on his face. He wanted to whoop with joy. This was it, their chariot of freedom.
Ben moved around the back of the Humvee in a crouch. The driver’s side door was already open so he climbed right in and pulled the door shut behind him. He set his rifle in the passenger seat and leaned over to see if the keys were in the ignition. Mild surprise registered on his face when he saw that there was no keyhole. His suspicion was confirmed: no keys needed. The barren interior gave him only a few options. A quick scan revealed a keyless ignition system. Apparently, all he had to do was flip a switch and he was ready to roll. He nearly shouted with joy.
Ben twisted the switch, but nothing happened. His joy shriveled up. After staring at it in confusion for a moment, it slowly dawned on him that he first had to press a button located above the switch before turning the ignition. His heart began to slow and he let out his breath, not realizing that he’d been holding it.
Ben was all smiles again as he started up the vehicle. It growled to life. He winced at the rumbling sound. What it lacked in stealth, the Humvee made up for by being sturdy as hell. Even if they had to drive off-road, it could easily transport them to the Quarantine Center with no problem.
Ben almost felt like a soldier as he pulled back the shifter and put the thing into reverse so he could straighten out. One body on the ground stirred but just as the man stood up, Ben gunned the engine and ran him over. The body thumped against the back of the Humvee as it slammed into him. It flung the man backward several feet. He bounced on the pavement until the curb of the parking lot caught him. In the side mirror, he saw the zombie was now an unmoving meat sack.
Ben pushed the shifter into drive and pressed the gas. The Humvee slowly built up speed, and its oversized tires growled against the pavement. He raced along the road and turned hard onto the road where Charlotte and Oliver would be hiding. The Humvee bounced over several bodies, crushing them underneath the beefy tires.
He slowed as he drove down the road since there were few, if any, infected there and he didn’t want to run over his friends on accident if they jumped out.
Up ahead, Charlotte’s head peeked out from behind the building where he left them. She grinned and waved him down.
Ben pulled up next to her and stopped. Popping the heavy metal door open, he said, “Hey beautiful, wanna ride?”
Charlotte’s eyebrow shot up and a sly smile lit up her face.
32
Ben climbed out of the Humvee, leaving it running. Charlotte laughed and threw herself into his arms. His heart jumped as he hugged her back. It reminded Ben a little of their moment on the beach at Kua Bay the first day they met. She’d “fallen” into him and put a hand on his chest to catch herself. The only major difference this time was they were both grimy and desperately needed a shower. He grinned at the thought. Not to mention the feel of her body pressed against his.
“Thank you for keeping us safe,” Charlotte whispered in his ear.
He wasn’t sure what to say. Ben was just trying to survive like the rest of them. He pulled back, looked down at her, and smiled, giving her a quick nod.
Oliver looked amazed to see the Humvee; his face beamed like he’d always wanted to ride in one. Charlotte pulled back and nodded at the Humvee in approval.
“Where are Anuhea and Ty?” Ben asked. He held up a finger and stuck his head inside the door, it hadn’t even taken two seconds for the kid to climb in. “Oliver, don’t touch the guns. They’re not toys.”
Oliver nodded. He was busy looking at everything inside, which wasn’t much, but it clearly captivated the boy. Ben grabbed his rifle and slung it over his shoulder.
Ben looked at Charlotte again. “Have you seen them?”
“Not for a while.” She shook her head.
Then he looked out over the parking lot, wondering where the others were. The noise of the Humvee was going to attract a lot of attention. Other than the crackling of the fire still gnawing away at the airport buildings, it was the loudest single noise in the area. Ben reached inside and turned off the engine.
Something caught Charlotte’s eye. “Look, Anuhea.”
“Okay, get in. Once they’re both back we’re going to have to make a quick exit,” Ben said.
She nodded.
Ben turned slightly to look over his shoulder. Anuhea was dashing between cars as she made her way toward them on the road. Ty wasn’t near her and Ben feared the worst.
Ben slid the rifle off his shoulder. He went around the back of the vehicle to grab one of the other rifles and jogged toward Anuhea. Four zombies were trailing about twenty yards behind her.
When she was close enough to talk to without yelling, Ben asked, “Where’s Ty?” He handed her the extra rifle.
“I don’t know.” Anuhea looked at him with wide eyes. Her head spun as she scanned for him, but there was only the slow-moving group of infected. Neither of them had any idea where Ty had gone.
“Goddamn it. You don’t think he ran away again, do you?” Ben asked.
“Pssh, who knows? I feel like I barely know him,” she said.
Ben nodded. Ty had proved to be so unreliable that Ben wouldn’t be surprised by anything he did at this point.
“Don’t shoot the gun, but you can use it like a club to bash their heads in,” he said.
“Thanks.” Anuhea looked at the rifle he’d handed her and turned to face the incoming zombies, now only ten yards away.
“I still don’t see him. What the hell?” Ben scanned the parking lot quickly, but kept most of his attention was on the approaching group of infected.
“Should we split them up?” Anuhea gestured at the zombies with her M4.
Ben shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
Anuhea looked around on the ground, but there weren’t any good rocks on the side of the road.
“I think I have an idea,” Ben said, wondering if his brushes with death had knocked a screw loose. “Stay behind me.”
Anuhea didn’t say anything, but fell in behind him.
The group of infected was comprised of a teenaged boy, two middle-aged women that looked related, and a stooped old man, although he didn’t move any slower than the rest of them. All of them had grievous injuries and blood stained clothing. The women had multiple gunshot wounds in their torsos. Of the four of them, the boy was the least damaged. Still, from the elbow down, his left arm was like a skeleton. Hardly a piece of muscle remained attached, and it was only the white connective tissue that held the bones together in a recognizable shape while it flopped about useless at his side.
“Welcome to the fucking zombie apocalypse,” Ben said, glancing back at Anuhea with a disgusted look on his face. “Ready?”
“Let’s do it,” she said.
Ben looked at the four, took a deep breath, chose his target, and charged the group. Several feet from them, he raised the rifle with both hands, holding it out like a hockey stick, and plowed into the boy. The teen flew back like a bowling pin, slamming into the others and tripping them up.
Once they were on the ground, Ben and Anuhea went to town dispatching the infected. They cut off the furious growls and moans of the infected with dull, wet splats as skulls fractured under a relentless flurry of blows. Ben grimaced the entire time, even though he knew slaying the infected was necessary. The sight of blood and gore, and the smell, forced him to fight the urge to gag. He doubted he’d ever get used to killing.
Inky drops of zombie blood covered Ben and Anuhea when they were done. Their hands and weapons were spoiled as well. Ben wished the ocean were closer so he could rinse himself off. As soon as they got back to the Quarantine Center, he was going to take a long shower.
Anuhea stood up, wiping sweat from her brow in the crook of her elbow.
Ben turned toward the parking lot while he caught his breath. He didn’t even bother trying to wipe his brow. His arms were slick with sweat and his clothes had been drenched since they stoned the mob after Travis and Kathy died.
“We need to hurry. I need some goddamn water,” Ben said, licking his parched lips.
“I’d kill for a cold glass of juice,” Anuhea said. Then she waved her arm. “It’s Ty.”
Ben looked in the direction that she was facing. Ty ran a little ways before ducking out of view. He’d gone further than Ben would have guessed. Unfortunately, Ty wasn’t paying attention. Infected had begun to move toward the road where the Humvee sat behind them.
Ty came around a large truck and nearly ran into one, but stopped himself at the last moment. He stumbled away, tripping clumsily, and slammed into the back of a blue car.
The car alarm began to blare. Ty jumped back in surprise and fell down.
“Shit!” Ben said, flinching a little at the noise and ducked down. He saw Anuhea flinch out of the corner of his eye.
Ty’s mistake had drawn the attention of the group of zombies that had wandered toward the coll
apsed roof, not to mention all the other ones wandering through the maze of cars and bodies. Ben figured every zombie still at the airport would eventually hone in on the high-pitched beeping. Ty clambered up from where he fell and stared at the car, like he was in a trance.
“Hurry up! Run!” Anuhea shouted at Ty.
Ben shot a look at her.
“No point staying quiet.”
Anuhea was right, with the alarm drawing all of the attention, their shouts would hardly affect anything.
The infected woman that Ty had almost run into walked around the car between them. He had enough time to run away and he could use the alarm as cover, but not if he stood there like an idiot.
Anuhea yelled again, but Ty couldn’t hear them. He turned and saw all of the infected shuffling his direction. Running a hand through his hair, Ty looked around. Panic was plain on his face.
“Ty! Run!” Ben shouted.
But he didn’t run. Ty didn’t even glance in their direction. He turned and began tugging on car door handles. The first two he tried didn’t open. Instead, he set off another alarm.
“What the hell is he doing?” Anuhea asked.
Ben cursed again and began to run toward his friend.
Glancing around for quick check, he saw that all the infected were focused on the car alarm. Then he realized that Ty was nowhere to be seen. Risking a glance over his shoulder, Ben saw Anuhea following him. Knowing that she had his back renewed Ben’s energy. He dashed between cars, hopped over bodies, and nearly fell from sliding in pieces of shattered glass that glistened in the sunlight like diamonds.