Foamers

by Justin Kassab

  Kade heard footsteps, and then felt the foamer get knocked from its perch.

  “What the hell was that?” Will asked, hoisting Kade to his feet. Tiny was a few car lengths away, with her rifle still tucked to her shoulder. Kade sent her a nod.

  Kade studied the red foam at the corner of the woman’s mouth. “A foamer.”

  “A what?”

  “Sixty percent of the people who got the vaccine turned into those things.” Kade straightened his legs and made his face go slack, emotionless. He knew it was a foamer, but it still looked like a dead person to him. At least from this encounter they could deduce that a foamer didn’t have the dexterity or thought process to open a door. Kade would have to gather notes on these monsters to learn their strengths and weaknesses.

  “Are you some sort of scientist?” Will asked.

  “No,” Kade said. “But my brother is the Dr. Frankenstein behind these monsters.”

  “Where is he?”

  “I wish I knew. He’s out there somewhere.”

  “Then how do you know about … foamers.”

  “He sent me a letter. Day late to save the world, but at least able to save a few.”

  “Are you a man of fate or a man of luck?”

  “I’m a man of bad luck,” Kade said.

  “You should revaluate that sometime, but it seems like we have a situation we didn’t expect with these creatures. Trapped in their cars they are pretty defenseless it would seem, and I know you probably aren’t too keen on giving me back my gun, but I’ll volunteer me and my brothers to putting down the threat,” Will said.

  Kade wiped his hand. “Don’t make me regret it.”

  They split the group into three teams. The first team, Ashton, Grace, and Victoria, had been given the easy job of clearing the cars that were still functional. They were able to drive some of those out of the life-sized Tetris grid, though most of the cars either didn’t have keys or weren’t running. Those that didn’t have keys, but could still roll, were put in neutral and pushed along the road until the team could get enough space to dump the cars into the parking lots.

  The Wilson brothers hunted and killed the foamers trapped inside the cars. Kade could hear their gunfire echoing through the silent world, followed by hyena-like laughter. The amusement they took in putting down the foamers gave Kade goose bumps. Monsters they may be now, but once they were people. However, Kade figured folk like the Wilson brothers were the type that would thrive in the Primal Age, and it was better to have them on his side.

  Kade, Tiny, X, Mick, and Lucas prepared to roll the two car frames that had fused into charred skeletons from the accident. None of them were looking forward to the work, but they had no other option if they were going to keep the convoy traveling to Houghton. Argos was lying on the pavement. The rain soaked his fur, while he watched the team with contented amusement. They lined up along the destroyed car. Half of the group squatted and grabbed the bottom of the frame, while the others faced the wreck with their hands on the upper frame.

  Kade placed his back against the remains of the car. “One. Two. Three.”

  A collective grunt rose from the group. Kade’s legs flexed as he gritted his teeth. The cars lifted off of the ground until all of the team was standing tall. One at a time, they switched to help push the cars over. As they lifted the frame, the wreck passed the apex and gravity crashed the cars onto the pavement.

  All of them lined up and went through the process again.

  By the time they were on the last flip, Kade couldn’t tell his sweat from the rain. His mind wrestled with a decision on the Wilsons. They had their own vehicle packed full of supplies, most of which he hadn’t thought to bring. With them, they would have a solid fortress and would increase their chances of having plumbing and electricity. The brothers had weapons and weren’t afraid to use them. Plus, Ashton would be livid with him if he sent away her friend.

  The only reasons he hesitated to accept the Wilsons was their initial attitude. He had trouble holding that against them. After all, guns had been pointed both ways.

  His quads and calves flexed as they rolled the wreck clear of the road. They all stretched, looking back at the now-open road. The sun dropped into evening and the streetlights flickered on. Clearing the road had cost them a day. The time table Kade had hoped for was long gone.

  X flipped water from the brim of his hat. “Let’s go get some dry clothes on.”

  The sore group shuffled toward the Sheetz like a moaning horde of zombies.

  Will jogged to Kade. “Have you decided yet?”

  Kade shook his head.

  Will nodded and went back with the group. Tiny grabbed Kade’s wrist, allowing the others to move out of earshot.

  “What did you decide?” Tiny asked, her black Under Armour wicking the drops of rain off her body.

  “Open to ideas,” he replied, tapping his fingers off his thumb.

  She spiked his wet hair with an amused smile on her face. “Let them join us, or kill them.”

  He found the casual nature of her toying with his hair, something she had done hundreds of times before, compounded with the weight of her suggestion, to be unnerving. He had to remind himself this wasn’t the first time she had faced such dire circumstances, and he was grateful to have her guidance.

  “Kill?”

  “They’re armed, and they know where we’re going. The last thing we want is a militia arriving on our doorstep.”

  Kade hated that Tiny was right.

  CHAPTER V

  HIGHWAY TO …

  ___________

  Lucas was unsure what to make of the teenager sitting beside him. Sure he understood why she had ended up in his SUV, but he still didn’t like it. They were over stuffed in the Wilson’s van, and Grace was the one they wanted gone. He didn’t know her, and he didn’t trust her. Every move she made caught his attention like he was waiting for her to sabotage him.

  “Is this your car?” Grace asked.

  “Yeah,” Lucas replied.

  Grace ran her hands over the leather seats. “No offense, but you don’t look like the premium package type.”

  “Because of this?” Lucas asked, stroking his mountain man beard.

  “Yeah, you look a bit like you should be walking on water and living the life of poverty.”

  “News for you girl, there is nothing glorious in being hungry. I have—had—a small company that specialized in green energy.” Lucas opened up the glove box and handed her a business card. “Looking like Hippy Jesus boosted sales over 20 percent.”

  “I wouldn’t have ever guessed you were a businessman,” she replied.

  “And what do you do?”

  “I’m a senior in high school, but I work for my brothers and before them my father. Very few things I can’t build, install, or fix.”

  “So, I can count on you to give me a hand installing solar panels when we get there?”

  “Of course. That is if you don’t mind taking orders from a younger woman.”

  Lucas laughed. “I said you could help, not be my boss.”

&n
bsp; “I have found most bosses to be incompetent. So, I repeat, as long as you don’t mind taking orders from a younger woman.”

  “I think I will have to speak with your union representative before I can allow you on the project.”

  Grace leaned back in her seat and put her boots on the dashboard. “You just wait. You’ll be begging for my help.”

  Lucas shoved her feet off of the dash. “I’m not the begging type.”

  Grace flashed him a smile. “That’s what they all say.”

  * * *

  They rode in the dark, accompanied by the hypnotic squeal of the wiper blades against the glass. Kade sat with his back to the wall of the bus, his legs extending into the aisle, resting on top of Argos. Tiny, behind the wheel, kept the bus focused on the taillights ahead.

  The sports car scouted in front of the convoy. The lead car was the SUV, driven by Lucas with Grace as his copilot. Old Yeller was next in line, where Kade enjoyed his chocolate milk, a last luxury of the Old World. Behind them was Victoria, driving the ambulance; Mick followed in the cop car with the Wilson Brothers in the rear. Kade took another swig of chocolate milk and grabbed the walkie.

  “Old Yeller to X,” he said, for the fourteenth time. “Damn it, X, report.”

  He didn’t need a blood pressure cuff to know his was escalating.

  “Kade, relax,” Tiny said. “They could be out of range, or the battery might have died. If the road is clear, they should be fine.”

  He couldn’t relax. Ashton was out there, and he didn’t know if she was okay.

  The SUV swerved across the road, swaying the trailer behind, before skidding to a stop. Tiny stood on the brakes to avoid hitting the trailer. The bags in the bus poured forward like an avalanche, burying Kade in the front seat. A hard case of road flares smacked into the back of his head while a bat bag landed on his lap, pinning him under the weight. Argos whined at the pile of gear that trapped Kade. Tiny laughed, then started digging Kade free.

  “We’ve got a flat. Just going to be a quick minute while we fix this,” Lucas’s voice said over the walkie.

  Back in the cop car, Mick grabbed the door handle to go help, when the headlights from the Wilsons’ van illuminated the interior. The van plowed into the police cruiser. Mick fought the steering wheel away from the ambulance. The impact sent the police car across the shoulder and rolling over the embankment. Mick’s forehead crashed into the steering wheel, knocking him unconscious.

  The screws of the bulletproof lining in the police car punctured the gas tank. The car rolled onto its roof, causing the screws to spark against the metal. The gas ignited from the spark setting the rear of the car ablaze. The flames were too much for the rain to put out, and each drop landed with a hiss. Mick dangled upside-down unaware of the fiery doom creeping toward him.

  Lucas stopped jacking up the SUV and rushed to the side of the road. The blaze of the fire reflected the panic in his pupils.

  The slap of his shoes against the pavement changed to the wet slop of mud. Lucas dropped to his knees beside the upside-down car and grabbed the thick fabric of the seat belt. His hands slid along the belt toward the clasp. The heat drove sweat from his body.

  A gunshot broke through the night. Lucas was slammed against the police car. Blood rushed down his shirt from a bullet hole. The moment he saw the wound, pain coursed from the disconnected muscles. With the pain came the realization that they were under attack, which gave Lucas the boost of courage he needed to get Mick to safety. He gritted his teeth and unhooked the seatbelt. Mick fell onto the roof of the car and Lucas pulled him out through the window. Mick’s eyes blinked and focused on Lucas’s face. Mick smiled like he had just awakened from a nice dream.

  “I got ya,” Lucas said, before a bullet tore through the base of his skull, bursting teeth and blood out the front. Lucas’s body collapsed beside Mick, who rolled onto his belly searching the darkness for their attacker. He patted his holstered handgun to be sure it was there before he crawled around the burning vehicle. For the first time in Mick’s life he felt rage. He pushed the rage aside and cleared his mind to focus his efforts on the attack and not on the loss of his friend.

  Like popcorn, the ammunition in the backseat discharged as the fire crept to the interior. Mick threw himself behind the engine. The popcorn effect burst into rapid succession as the flames found more powder. Covering his head, Mick buried his face in the mud.

  On the road, Will made his way along the passenger side of the convoy. He stood on his tiptoes to see into the ambulance. Victoria had wedged herself on the ground between the seats and curled up with her hands on top of her head. Satisfied she wasn’t a threat, Will moved forward with his AK-47 aimed at the doorway of the bus. The stop sign extended as the door opened and Kade stepped out. Will tapped two shots into Kade’s chest, sprawling him near the front tire of the bus.

  Will glanced over his shoulder to be sure his brothers were in place. His sight never budged as he rushed toward the middle of the bus.

  “We don’t want to kill you, Tiny. We could use a woman of your talents. Just throw your gun out, and you can join us.”

  The assault rifle bounced off the first step. Will grinned. “I am going to need your sidearm and knife too.”

  A snarl reverberated from under the bus as Argos leapt out, seizing Will’s forearm in his powerful jaws. Argos shook with his iron-like neck muscles until the bone snapped. Will screamed and dropped his rifle. With his free arm, he beat Argos, but the dog refused to let go. Tiny stepped out of the bus, her pistol aimed at Will’s forehead. His eyes met hers as her bullet met his forehead. Argos released Will’s arm as the body crashed to the ground.

  Before he landed, Tiny had retrieved her assault rifle and was hobble-sprinting toward the end of the bus. She slammed into the front of the ambulance using it for cover. Her heart was disintegrating ounce by ounce, knowing that Kade was gone, but with each piece that crumbled away, hatred took its place. They took from her the man she loved. She would take each of their lives in return. They had brought to her a war, and war she knew well. She stood, poised and listening, the high beams from the van casting light around everything but the shadow in which she was lurking.

  “It’s me. It’s me. It’s me,” Mick said, diving to the wet ground at Tiny’s feet. A bullet, meant for Mick, pinged into the rear of the bus. Mick moved his mud-covered body beside Tiny.

  “I killed Will, but he got Kade,” she said.

  Mick shook his head. “Lucas is dead.”

  His words were heard, and she understood what he had said, but she had tuned out feeling in preparation for combat. There was nothing left but the warrior she had spent years harnessing. Not even her impaired leg crossed her mind. She had an objective, and she would see it through. She slid toward Mick’s side of the ambulance. The whites of his eyes were the only recognizable feature in his mud-slicked face.

  “Close your eyes. I’ll turn off the lights,” he said.

  Moving away from the ambulance, she faced the front bumper and brought her rifle to her shoulder. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling her calm warrior-self fully emerge to meet the chaos. Mick patted her leg, and then stepped out of the cover of the ambulance. With the base of the pistol resting in
the palm of his right hand, he fired off two rounds at each light. The bullets shattered the bulbs and the world went dark.

  Opening her eyes, Tiny slid to her knees beside the ambulance. Mick rotated behind her, using the vehicle as cover. She waited, holding her breath. The running engines purred in the otherwise silent night. Tiny felt her comfort level rise.

  A glint of light reflected in a rifle scope on her side of the van. A soft touch of her trigger launched three rounds into the owner’s chest, dropping the dark mass to the ground. Tiny could dimly see the silhouette crawling toward the van. She kept her sight on the creeping body as her eyes scanned for other movement. Seeing nothing else, she unleashed another burst, and the body was still. She had taken care of two of them, but the job wasn’t done.

  Tiny slipped back behind the ambulance with Mick. “I got him.”

  “The other brother is by the van. I have no idea where the girl went,” Mick replied.

  Tiny glanced around. “Stay to the left. Head toward the front. Find her.”

  “You sure we should split up?” Mick asked.

  “Go,” Tiny commanded. She spun around the ambulance with her rifle ready, aiming at the cross side of the van. She took short, smooth steps, keeping her aim steady and easing her damaged leg. Crossing the distance to the van, the cold wind drew tears from her eyes, which she allowed to run freely. Her jaw was clenched and her breathing steady as she pressed her back to the driver’s side door. She peered inside, but found no one.

  She lifted Chris’s forehead with her toe and let him drop. His skull crashed into the pavement with a hollow thud. Tiny slid toward the back of the van, keeping her eyes on the darkness. Cutting around the corner, she scanned for motion, but the zone was empty.

  She stepped around the back as Grace sprinted along the convoy in her direction. Tiny tucked the stock snug against her shoulder and let her cheek rest against the side of the rifle. Taking a deep breath, she lined the sight at hip level. Her finger moved into the trigger guard.