Trepidation

by Chrissy Peebles

  “Infection is going to set in quickly. I gave her some antibiotics, but we’ll need more.”

  “Antibiotics? That was why I stopped here in the first place,” I said.

  “When you rescue Megan, you’ll be at Walgreen’s. Scoop up as many antibiotics as you can,” the doctor said. “Time is of the essence. I’ve done my part, and now it’s time for you to do yours.”

  “Take care of them, Doc,” I said. “And if I don’t make it back, please tell them...that I loved them.”

  “You can tell them yourself when you get back here with my niece and those antibiotics, Dean,” she said, handing me a piece of paper with the names of antibiotics written on it.

  I could feel the compassion in her voice, and I knew she would treat my siblings and friends well. I slipped on my coat and hopped into the truck to go survey the scene. I’d be by myself, with no backup. It was beyond dangerous, but I now owed the doctor a huge favor. At least it was morning, so I would have the advantage of light instead of going on a suicide mission at night.

  Just as I was about to pull out, the woman on crutches yelled my name. She hobbled over and opened the passenger door, then put her crutches inside.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “I’m coming with you,” she said, climbing in and buckling up, “kind of.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do you honestly think you can rescue Megan from a herd of zombies all by yourself?” she asked.

  “Of course not. That’s why I’m gonna create a diversion of some sort.”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know yet.”

  “I’ve got a better plan!” she squealed. “Turn right on Lucinda Street, and you’ll see.”

  “I don’t like surprises,” I said.

  “You’ll like this one!” she said, then gave me directions to a blue house.

  Chapter 14

  My eyes instantly lit up when I spotted the armored combat vehicle out front, a green tank, sitting right there in the yard. “Does it work?” I questioned, jumping out of the truck as excitement flooded through me.

  “Yup. It’s all ready. My father’s out of town, helping other relatives, but he keeps this to defend the house if too many zombies come.”

  “And he won’t mind if I borrow it.”

  “He probably would mind, but he’s not here, but you’ll never get Megan out of there alive without a little manpower behind you.”

  “I’m afraid I skipped that class in driver’s ed though,” I said.

  “Heh. Don’t worry. I can give you quick instructions. My dad has let me drive it on supply runs.”

  Even though she couldn’t go with me due to her broken arm and leg, remnants of a horrible car accident, she graciously gave me detailed instructions on how to operate the vehicle, and she let me take it on a test run while she told me exactly what to do.

  “You got this?” she said.

  “I got it.”

  “Then hurry up and go rescue Megan!” she said.

  We said our goodbyes, and then she went inside her father’s house.

  I opened the hatch and crawled in the manhole-like opening, then hit my elbow and head. I looked around at all the white walls and gray metal, the protruding objects, dials, buttons, and hanging straps. I was a bit worried about the powerful machinery, as I didn’t want to lose a limb or be burned. I got into position the best I could, scraping my knuckle bloody in the process in the tight, cramped little space. “I swear, I’d need to be a contortionist just to get comfortable in here. How do those big, bulky military guys do it?” I said, trying not to bump into the lights and computer screens.

  I sat in semi-supine position in the front section of the hull, directly under the main gun. I leaned back in a reclining seat that reminded me of a dentist’s chair. I looked at the directions I’d been given to get to Walgreen’s. I would steer the tank with the motorcycle-style handlebar and accelerate by twisting a handle grip throttle. Fortunately, the brakes were operated by a pedal on the floor, just like a car. With my thumb and forefinger, I could easily move the gear selector. This isn’t so bad, I thought. The transmission was automatic, with four forward speeds and two reverse. I navigated using three periscopes, one of which was equipped with a night-vision sensor. There were digital instrument panels that provided me with all sorts of navigational data.

  I turned on the switches, and the engine cranked to life. I only had to worry about steering, throttle, and the brake, and I was sure I could handle that. The M1 surged through all its gears, and I decided it was a good time to test the brakes; they could have stopped on a dime. “Incredible!” I said. I slid the selector in place and pulled back hard on the throttle. With a jerk, the tank took off. Really, the M1 didn’t drive much differently than a heavy-duty truck, and I was protected by sixty tons of killer steel as I maneuvered down the road. I’d only seen the steely beast on television and in the movies, but now I was behind the wheel of one, and it was quite exciting.

  I crept up to ten MPH, then twenty, then fifty. The turret motor and ventilator were pretty loud, and the smell of burning oil was all around me. As the tank cruised down the road, I felt the vibrations shooting through my body. The squealing tracks were louder than the engine itself. “What a rush!” I said with a laugh. It was just as thrilling and exhilarating as the Ferrari joyride down the highway that I’d taken with Val.

  If I had that truck I took from Rita, there was no way I could pull into the parking lot of Walgreen’s, though, because it was zombie central. There were far more enemies out there than I had bullets for, so I was thankful to be safe and snug inside my big tank. They were shuffling all over the place outside, and I was sure there were even more of them inside, especially since the windows had shattered, giving them free access to the store. I bit my lip and thought hard, realizing I needed a distraction. I had to rescue Megan and get the antibiotics for my suffering sister.

  I sucked in a deep breath. Here goes nothing, I thought. I had been deployed to the combat zone, and I planned on the mission being successful. Through the periscope, I had 200 degrees of visibility. Aimlessly stumbling around the parking lot like clumsy idiots, the hostiles weren’t hard to spot. My plan was to expend a little bit of my ammunition from my current position to destroy my enemies and take their numbers down. As I looked around, I caught sight of the doors I needed to break through, and several undead were there, shuffling over the broken glass.

  I turned the handlebar to the left. As I pulled into the parking lot, I backed off the throttle, and the tank came to a stop. I fired every second, and gunfire rang out all around me. Cars were scattered around, blocking my path to the entrance of the stores, but that was no problem for me; I could just bulldoze right through them. I slowly crashed through cars and shopping carts, small trees and lampposts, then rumbled past the herd of zombies, feeling like I was at a demolition derby at a county fair, only without the corndogs and people cheering me on.

  Metal creaked the second I connected with the first car, and the multi-ton tank crushed the priceless Mercedes like a tin can. The luxury automobile was pulverized in seconds, flat as a pancake under the tank treads, along with any zombies who happened to be in the way. Bouncing around in the metal box, I annihilated anything in my path. It was bumpy and jarring, but I plowed through the roadblock like an experienced commando. The roaring and clattering of the tracks boomed in my ears. My heart pounded in my throat, and I coughed as the exhaust fumes hit me full force. When I moved my arm, I bumped into something metal and pointy and realized I’d cut myself. I examined my battle wound; it was no biggie—just a little scrape. The sixty-ton, car-crushing, armored vehicle plowed through a huge crowd of the undead, who just stood there like deer caught in the headlights as they were mowed down.

  I aimed under the “One-Hour Foto” sign and fired my powerful cannon. With a loud boom, the crumbling doorway was engulfed in fire. The loud bang and shockwaves washed over me, and my ears began to
ring. “Target acquired!” I yelled. I drove my armored vehicle straight through as the smell of ammonia drifted around in the wake of the gunfire.

  It was difficult to maneuver the big tank, and when I crashed through the wall of the store office, the tracks began to whir; I was stuck. Through the night-vision screen, I could see zombies pouring in around me. I put the tank in reverse and started firing the gun. The clank of the shell casings hit the bin.

  Boxes of cereal flew all over the place as I headed down an aisle. Snap, crackle, pop, I thought, laughing, as zombies, gore, and guts flew everywhere. I smashed countless bodies under the treads, plowing through them like they were nothing. I saw the pharmacy section up ahead, and I was happy to see it; now all I had to do was rescue the girl, get the medicine, and get out. Hordes of zombies were coming, so I just fired away, watching their bodies jerk as bullets tore through them.

  When I didn’t see any activity, I grabbed my flashlight and rifle. I climbed down from the tank, which wasn’t the easiest to do. “Megan!” I shouted. “I’m here to rescue you. Your aunt sent me.”

  A door clicked open, and a girl with long brown hair ran out.

  “It’s okay,” I said. “You’ll be all right now.”

  “Let’s go.”

  “I have to get some antibiotics first,” I said, grabbing the list from my pocket. “Can you help me find these?”

  “There’s no time for a shopping spree!” she yelled.

  “We’ve got to get them,” I said. “Without them, my sister will die.”

  She swallowed hard and reached for the list, then motioned me over to where the drugs were kept. The medicine supply had been raided, but there were still some left.

  A low hiss, followed by a moan, echoed through the dark building, and I suddenly had a grim since of déjà vu, as if I was back in the eerie lab again. I cringed, and my heart began to race.

  “Let’s go!” she said.

  Just as a zombie came into view, I aimed and fired. The girl screamed, but I handed the list to her. “Please find as many as you can. I’ll hold ‘em off.”

  She darted off to the medications and started sifting through them.

  I hurried over to the place where I heard more hisses. I knew we couldn’t stay there very long, and we had to get back to the tank. A naked zombie with green, tattered skin snapped its jaws. I shot it, but then another one came out of nowhere. Its black fingernails reached for me, and I fired a single shot into its brain. Two more stumbled over all the supplies, litter, and debris, and more came from the left. I swallowed nervously. “How much longer?” I asked.

  She held up three large bottles. “I’ve got them!”

  “Let’s get outta Dodge then!”

  She hurried over, and I fired away as she climbed inside the tank. I told her where to sit, then climbed in myself and shut the hatch. I fussed with the switches for a minute before the tank whirred to life. I immediately backed up.

  Megan was holding tightly to a metal rod, not letting go, gasping for air. She was absolutely terrified and looked like she might pass out.

  I tried to comfort her, but it did little good. I started back down one of the aisles, this time toppling over drink displays and candy bars. When I tried to turn toward the door, the tank went the other direction and rammed into the wall. I tried to back up and get back on track, but it wasn’t working.

  “What’s happening?” my petrified passenger screamed hysterically.

  “I’ll get it,” I said, fumbling with the buttons.

  “And just how long is that gonna take?” she said. “Some rescue this is! You can’t even drive!”

  Fear rose in my voice. “I’m trying, okay?”

  “We’ve gotta get out of here before more come.”

  “I shot lots of them,” I said.

  “That doesn’t matter. For every one you kill, there are five more out there. They’re like freaking rats! Let’s leave the tank. You can come back and get it another time.”

  “We can’t go out there,” I said, looking through the periscope. “There must be fifty of them.”

  “We can’t stay here and wait for more to surround us. We have to move!”

  “I know!” I shouted, frustrated and trying to think. “But I don’t wanna get killed in the process!”

  Chapter 15

  “I’ve got an idea,” I said.

  “What?”

  “We can lay down a smokescreen,” I said.

  “A what?”

  “This tank can do that. It’ll confuse the zombies, and they won’t be able to see us.”

  “I like it!”

  After shooting off another round of bullets, I flipped a toggle switch next to the ignition, and a gallon of fuel went through the turbine’s exhaust manifold, causing huge clouds of white smoke. I lifted the hatch, which was big enough to swallow at least nine or ten tanks. The white cloud gobbled us up, and we were able to climb down under the cover of smog. I used my rifle to poke through the smoke, because I couldn’t see a thing. When I felt the barrel of my gun touch a body, I instinctively shot at it. We carefully maneuvered our way through and hurried out the door, with zombies shuffling in our direction. I grabbed Megan’s hand, and we bolted to the right.

  Much to both of our surprise, we made it back to the doctor’s office in one piece, with the antibiotics in hand.

  Dr. Willows ran over and pulled Megan into a tight hug. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she checked her niece over. Then she hugged me tightly. “Thank you, Dean. Thank you so much for bringing her back to us!”

  I held her at arm’s length. “How’s Val?”

  She frowned. “Not good. I’m afraid...well, we don’t expect her to make it through the night without a miracle.”

  Her words hit me like lightning, stealing my breath and words away.

  She touched my shoulder. “But Nick is awake, and so is Lucas. Also, I was able to stabilize Kate.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “Can I see them?”

  “Sure,” she said and motioned me to follow her. She led me to an exam room to see Val.

  On the hospital bed, under a white blanket, my sister looked so peaceful, as if she was merely sleeping. There was an IV hooked to her arm, but it just led to a bag on a pole, and it wasn’t the electronic kind. She looked pale and tired.

  I reached for her hand as tears welled up in my eyes. I didn’t know what to say or do, since I’d just been told she wouldn’t make it through the night. She was my sister, and I’d grown so close to her that I also thought of her as a friend. “I-I love you so much, Val,” I whispered as a tear rolled down my face.

  The door creaked open, and Nick walked in.

  Thankful to see that he was okay, I quickly wiped my face and embraced him. It was the most emotional moment we’d ever shared, both of us consoling one another about Val. My throat constricted, and more tears threatened to spill from my eyes. Neither of us could speak for a moment, so we just looked at each other. I could tell by the horrified look on my brother’s face that the doctor had told him the awful news.

  “I-I can’t bear to lose her,” he said, his voice trembling uncharacteristically.

  I wiped my eyes. “Me neither.”

  Nick sat on the edge of the bed and held Val’s hand. “If she doesn’t make it, I’ll never forget this time we had with her. If she hadn’t come to the island, we never would have met her or even knew she existed. Just knowing that kills me.”

  “She’s a beautiful person,” I said. “We have to keep the faith, Nick, even when there’s no hope.”

  He looked away and pondered. “I heard you rescued Megan. A tank? Wow. Nothing short of amazing.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I was kind of sketchy about what happened back at Rita’s,” he said, “but Lucas filled me in on a little of it. He told me Rita was crazy and wanted to cannibalize us. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

  “It’s not your fault. You were drugged.”

  “I wanted t
o leave, but I let everyone convince me to stay. I should have insisted,” he said.

  “It wasn’t your fault, Nick. We outvoted you. How’s your shoulder?”

  “Better. Just bruised now, and that’ll heal.”

  “Claire has to be worried sick about us,” I said.

  He nodded. “I know. I wish we could phone her.”

  I looked away. “We can’t go back without Val.”

  “I don’t think Claire’s heart can take losing her.” He paused. “I don’t even think my heart can.”

  There was a knock at the door, and Lucas and Kate came inside. I hugged both of them, and they told me they were glad I was okay and that they’d been worried about me. We all said a prayer for Val, and it took everything I had not to burst out in tears.

  “You should’ve taken me with you to that store,” Lucas said.

  “You were out cold,” I said.

  “I’m sorry about that whole Rita thing, man,” he said. “A lot of it’s still fuzzy though. How’d you get us all outta there and here? Give us Cliff’s Notes version, would ya?”

  “Well, Rita drugged you with valium, and us with something like roofies. I didn’t eat that much, so it didn’t affect me that long. Val was affected at first but snapped out of it, probably because of that serum in her blood. We carried you out of here, but Rita and her crazy sons tried to stop us. We shot most of them, and we drove off. Zombies showed up just in the nick of time to distract Rita, so I rushed out of there and drove here to get bandages and antibiotics, only to run into Dr. Willows, who offered to help Val and you guys if I rescued her niece. I did my part and...well, I guess she did the best she could to help all of you.”

  Nick looked at Lucas in stunned confusion.

  “What if Dean and Val hadn’t been able to overcome the drug?” Kate asked.

  “We’d be dead,” Lucas said, “probably on a sandwich with mayonnaise.”

  “Man, that old broad was sicker than I thought,” Nick said.

  “A few more things happened, but I’ll fill you in later. Right now, I just want to be with my sister and send her all the positive energy I can.”