I'd never let anything happen to her.
She scared easy but she'd been brave with her dad. Scared of being trapped?
“What is it?” I asked, brushing a wisp of hair that had escaped her hair band and curling it behind her ear.
“I hate being trapped,” she said. Like I thought.
“We won't be. It's just dark but we'll keep the door propped and that will let in light.”
“Okay,” she said without enthusiasm.
“Listen, I'll stay next to you and I'm just gonna say, it wouldn't be much of a hideout if it was easy.”
“I know.”
We went, me propping the door open behind me with the bar. I sorta wedged it in and pulled on it to make it grip the door jamb thing.
Satisfied, I turned and we traveled through the whole tunnel the way the Js and I had. It didn't seem to take nearly as long as it had yesterday. I came through the tight squeeze first and was turning to help Jade out when she just popped right out no problem. Huh.
I clicked the LED light on and let her just look at it all.
“Wow. You're right, this is perfect. It's a creep-factor, but it will be invisible to most adults.”
I was the MAN after all.
“Can you pulse?”
That was a smart question, I thumbed the pad: Pulse-signal impairment.
“No, I can't get squat.”
“Me either,” she said.
We sighed in unison and I gave her a kiss on the cheek, but she turned just enough and our mouths collided softly. I hadn't actually had a chance to kiss Jade but had given it a lot of thought. I used one hand to palm my pulse inside my jeans pocket and folded Jade into my body as if she was always meant to fit perfectly. I worked my mouth over the top of her lips, barely lifting off its silky surface for even an instant. She tasted, wonderful. She stood on tiptoe to reach me, winding her slender arms around my neck, pressing her hand into the base of my skull as I clenched her body in against mine.
I broke away and looked down at her, our bodies just skimming each other. I watched her pulse thudding in the hollow of her throat, mine a mirror.
All I could think was she was this close to me, smelling great and this feeling of swimming need pressed down on my chest, suffocating me. It was a new sensation. I backed up a little, giving her some space.
“That was nice,” she said.
“Yeah it was.”
“Our first real kiss,” she said, ducking her head.
I was dazed, but was up for a repeat performance. Yeah, I was into the whole practice-makes-perfect philosophy.
“Better get going or your aunt will freak out.”
“Yeah, I guess. I could stay here with you all night.”
“Not scared anymore?” I teased.
“Not so much, no.” She smiled.
I put the LED back in its spot, making my way back to about the spot where I thought light should have been. But, it was still dark.
What-the-hell?
“Caleb?” Nervously.
“It's okay.”
“No... no it's not.”
“What?” I turned to her, not able to see her face in the inky blackness.
“I think someone closed the door.”
“What? Who?”
“Those jerks.”
That narrowed it down.
“Carson and Brett.”
No way. Did they follow us?
“How do you know?”
Duh.
“They've been in here, one of them,” she paused. “Brett touched the same place where I was crawling.”
Well-hell. No pulse, no way out, in the dark with my girlfriend.
Hey... in the dark with my girlfriend. Now that had possibilities.
“Caleb!” She sounded a little hysterical.
“I'll think of something.”
My mind turned to the graveyard not two blocks away. I guess the zombie crew were going to have to start early.
We needed zombies, (and the Js suddenly appearing wouldn't be too bad either). Were Carson and Brett still out there? I was gonna have to deal with them. Doesn't look like Brett had softened toward me when I lent him a hand with his crazy-ass dad. Huh.
Jade was mashed up next to me, which was great, but she was my responsibility.
I had an idea.
“Are they still out there?”
“I think so.”
Okay. I decided that if I just didn't fight all the calling the Dead were doing then they'd just come.
I let that thread of power slide out of me, visualizing one grave in particular, knowing that probably, in the Zombie Handbook, there was a rule about too many multiple raisings.
I called Clyde to me, come. Then threw a visual net, using it in my head like a lasso, tossing it around that one grave like a circle. I clenched it tightly, pulling it toward me.
“What are you doing?” Jade said, sensing something big.
I heard her voice as if far away, I felt them coming, heading toward the dump. Belatedly, it occurred to me that they may draw some attention.
I thought, stay hidden... I heard a response... yeeeesss; a hiss in my mind like a razor. I shuddered, the communion with the zombie felt like breathing. Natural and right.
My voice answered Jade, sounding as dead as what I called, “Getting help.”
“I think they're here,” she said.
Outside of the door I heard a scuffle, then shouting, “I told you he'd get those fuckin' dead creepers out of the ground. They're going right for the door,” Brett screeched.
“Don't worry, I have this under control,” Carson said.
He was going to burn my zombies, couldn't have that.
I yelled, “Clyde, rip the door off!” And put everything I had into it. A great bubble of power left me and I felt a moment of extreme vertigo, my skin feeling as if it would slide off my body. Then the world righted and sunlight streamed in, a rotting head poking in as the door hung crookedly off its hinges.
That solved the locking-us-in-the-hideaway problem, I thought wildly.
Jade yelped when Clyde poked his head in. Clyde wasn't a chatty guy, he just stared and I said (very literally; zombies were a task-oriented group): “Grab the kid named Carson, don't hurt him.”
Carson saw Clyde coming and tried to throw a fire ball, which he held, suspended, in the palm of each hand. I noticed that one of my other zombies was frantically beating at the flames on its feet or what was left of its feet.
Carson was going to need work on his aim. But Clyde was fast-as-hell. Whoever said zombies only shambled, hadn't met my zombies, they could have serious speed.
I exited the broken freezer door, pulling Jade out as I went. I kept her behind me until I figured out this new mess. I saw something blurring toward me in the periphery.
Jade screamed, “Caleb, watch out!” and then Brett was on me, both of us rolling away from Jade, our hands swept apart.
I turned desperately, trying to keep sight of Jade and Brett belted me a good one in my jaw. Hell! I gave him a knee right in the crotch but it glanced off and got him in the stomach. Too bad the damn kidneys were around the back. We grappled. I got on top and punched him right in the head. I sprung up, trying to get to Jade who was very near Carson, but Clyde had Carson pinned to him, his back against Clyde's chest. Carson could move his hands and he was moving his hands... against Jade.
She stood with four zombies around her, tiny looking, them a rotting back drop, Carson preparing to torch her.
I didn't hesitate, “Move in front of her.”
The zombies twitched as one, moving in front of Jade, the one with the burning feet, crawling to be in front of her. Cripes! I'd think about that later, right now Jade needed saving.
“Clyde, the hands!” I screamed.
Clyde looked at me, his eyeballs rolling wetly in my direction, a dark understanding lighting in them. Clyde folded one arm across both of Carson's, tightening it like a vise. The remains of one cuff of his sleeves waving s
mall fingers of material in the light breeze, a cuff-link tenaciously hanging on, twinkling in the hazy sunlight.
“He's breaking my hand,” Carson screamed at me with true alarm.
“Oh well!” Jade screamed back.
Huh.
Clyde was busying himself with bending Carson's hand back toward his wrist. “Now Clyde, don't break it off. Yet.”
“Yeah Clyde... how's he gonna scratch his ass?” Jonesy asked reasonably, taking a swing at the now-lunging Brett who had crept up behind me to finish our business together.
“It's about damn time!” I said, ducking out of the fray. “I thought I was going to do all the work.”
Geez, that was close.
John followed Jonesy, who was in a full-on struggle with Brett. I turned my attention back to Carson. “Say 'uncle' you troublesome prick.”
“Screw you, Hart.”
I just looked at Clyde, who got it, exerting more pressure on old fire lover.
“Ouuuuuw... tell him to stop,” Carson squealed like a pig.
“Clyde stop,” I said like I didn't mean it.
Jonesy and Brett were still dueling it out behind me; distinctive meaty thumping sounds of fists swinging.
Interestingly enough, Clyde didn't stop.
“Stop him!”
“Okay Clyde, stop breaking Carson's hand, for right now.” Clyde slowed his progress but let his skeletal hand linger over the top of Carson's palm, white from the pressure.
John came up behind me. “Not that this isn't terrific entertainment, but I want to mention that we're not exactly being subtle.”
He had a point.
I looked over at Jade who looked a little shocky, huh, better shore her up. I walked over to her, the zombies marking my progress like it was the single most important thing in the world.
She fell into my arms. “I thought he was going to burn me Caleb!”
It was lesson-time for Carson.
I looked over at Brett and saw that Jonesy had him in an elbow lock. Nice. I guess we couldn't deliver them back all broken; the adults would ask about that.
“Jonesy, get off Brett.”
“Ahhhh!”
“Just do it!”
Jonesy backed off Brett carefully, giving him full eye contact. That was really necessary with Brett, a proven weasel.
Brett was looking at us all sullenly.
I glanced at one of the zombies over the top of Jade's head, it was a girl zombie. But I was a believer after Gran and said, “Go watch him,” I pointed to the pile of sullenness that was Brett. The zombie shuffled over there, oops, that was the one with the feet issue.
Brett stood up, fists clenched (I knew that look), and said, “Get your creepers away from me Hart.”
“Ah... no, ass-wipe. You locked me and Jade in there then tried to beat on me.” I looked over at Jonesy.
“No, I beat on him,” Jonesy interrupted.
I finished with, “And Jonesy had to beat on you. Your butt can just stand there while we deal with Carson here.” I jerked my head to where Clyde stood holding Carson.
The other three zombies stood there, blankly staring at me, waiting for the next directive. Their rotten smell clung to all of us like loose clothing.
I turned back to Carson. “Listen, I haven't done anything to you (except for the fire thing at the graveyard), but you...” I thought about it, “insist on driving me crazy, endangering my girlfriend, and hassling us all. Stop it or I'm gonna sic my zombies on you.”
The zombies took a step toward Carson, Clyde giving an enthusiastic squeeze. “Not now guys, and girl,” I hurriedly corrected, her eyes almost gone but somehow alive.
The zombie brigade, energetic bunch.
“Wow, they were going to make it happen there with Carson,” John said.
“Yeah, nice,” Jonesy agreed.
Jade was leaning against me but looking steadier.
My attention went to Brett.
“Not so easy, Hart. You need us.”
Was he high?
“How do you figure, Mason?” Jonesy asked.
“Cuz, you've got this hideaway for a reason. I'm thinkin' you're all tryin' to hide from something... or someone. Looks like you're limited on how many of your creepers can help you, right?”
Damn. If he were really dumb, this would be easier.
John said, “Here's the thing, this is like a stalemate, like in chess. You're a mundane, Jonesy's a mundane. We're not,” John indicated, sweeping his hand out to include me and Jade, “and Carson is a pyro. That's all of us against you. I think it's to your...” he thought, “benefit, to just go away.”
“Yeah, don't go away mad, just go away,” Jonesy said.
“Don't help Jonesy,” I said, maybe I could negotiate.
“Don't even try Terran. You and your dip-shit friends don't stand a chance.” He struggled against Clyde.
So not going to work.
Jade piped in, “Just go now and leave us alone. Find someone else to abuse.” She looked directly at Brett. “You should know better, Caleb helped you,” she said, referencing the fight with the manic gophers.
“You think he helped me?” Brett bit out. He barked out a laugh. “What do you think happened after you left?”
We were all quiet.
“He used me like a punching bag. You made it worse not better, Hart. You think you're so damn good. Because your dad's 'all-that'. Well, you're not. You need to be put in your place, like all the other jerks that think their shit doesn't stink.”
I felt sick... his dad had beat him anyway.
“So your dad's a royal dickhead. You wanna be like him, he's so cool?” Jonesy asked.
John face-palmed.
“No!” Brett yelled.
“Then stop it Brett. Stop it now,” Jade said quietly.
“Oh, you're all nice now that you're with him,” Brett glared at me. “But you have bad taste in dudes Jade.”
“Ah... how is this relevant?” John asked.
Right.
Carson squeezed out, “Make this,” he rolled his eyes up to rotting-Clyde, “dead thing let me go and we'll leave you alone, for now.”
“Not good enough. Leave us alone, forever,” I said.
“Fine. Just so you know we're not gonna be friends, ever,” Carson said.
“Yeah, I think we got the,'we're enemies' thing down,” I looked at Clyde. “Let him go.”
Clyde released Carson.
Carson stumbled and glared at Clyde, who unflinchingly stared back.
“They're not too smart, your zombies,” Carson said.
“Smart enough,” I replied.
“Nah, they're dumb. But that one,” Brett said, motioning toward Clyde. “That one is something.”
I had to agree with him there.
Carson was rubbing his arms with his hands like he was cold. But I knew it was, I-was-held-against-a-zombie and have eau de zombie cologne on now.
“Let's split. We'll leave the zombie-lover and his freak friends together. They can get it on in the cave back there in the dark.”
Carson and he laughed. They're just a couple of comedians.
The zombies watched the two with dark intent. I was really betting that my residual feelings were leaking some on my zombie horde.
At the gate Carson turned and flipped us off.
“He's so consistent it's scary,” John said.
“He's always a dick, if that's what you mean,” Jonesy said.
“Yes, that's what I meant.”
“Are we done yet?” Jade asked.
I looked down at her, her normally perfect face pale with purple smudges under her eyes like bruises. Maybe she wasn't up to all the zombie fun like the guys were.
“Ah, yeah. But I think, since we have a group assembled here that we should fix some stuff.”
“Okay. But, now that they know where the hideaway is it's not a secret,” John said.
“Secret enough. Carson's a coward and won't want to get mixed up in a th
ing where adults show up and he's around,” I responded.
“True,” John said.
“We got to hurry up because Jade needs to get back,” I looked down at my watch, “real soon.”
“Okay,” Jonesy clapped his hands together, the zombie-posse turning to look at him. “Whoa! Hey Caleb, call the dogs off.”
I laughed and John smiled. “I don't think they're gonna get ya,” I said.
“Maybe. I don't want any special attention either,” he said, gazing nervously at the zombies. Clyde seemed pretty sharp today.
Speaking of which. “You have need for us this day, master?” Clyde asked, his voice raspy.
Master?
“Ah... yes, Clyde. Maybe you and,” I gestured vaguely at the others, “can help with our hideaway.”
“This is what you would have of us?” Clyde asked, after I explained what needed doing.
“Yeah.”
“This is a small thing, this that you require.”
“Yeah.”
Jade sorta stepped further behind me. There was a tone in Clyde's voice. I wasn't sure that there could be a different quality to a dead voice but here it was.
“This magic you have, necromancer, is not a small power. You must think on this thing that you wield.”
He gave me that level stare, his dead eyes holding the weight of his words. I squirmed under that gaze, feeling uncomfortable.
“I think you need to give old Clyde here the sales pitch,“ Jonesy said.
“The what?”
“Tell him why,” Jonesy said.
I turned to Clyde, I couldn't believe I was discussing things with a zombie, but I pressed on. “There's these government dudes that want to take me...”
“The young men that we dispatched?” Clyde asked. The zombies were reacting to Clyde too, splitting their attention between he and I.
“Ah-no. Actually, those guys just want to beat me up and make us all generally miserable.”
A look of confusion came over Clyde's face, with like three teeth and a partial lip. I was pretty impressed to be able to interpret any facial emotion.
“They mean you harm without infraction on your part?”
That wasn't exactly accurate but I needed to speed this up.
“Kinda, I don't know. Listen, they're jerks and they don't like me and just enjoy causing trouble. Here's the thing, I need this place to hide in case these government guys are looking for me and I need to escape. Can you and them,” I looked over at the patient zombies (would they just stand there all day and into the night?), “make the tunnel bigger.”
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