“We haven’t seen any of them for two days,” Mr. Creepy, as Mary referred to him, argued.
“No, but we don’t know where they were going,” Gwen countered. “It might have been across town or even the next town over. We still have a lot of food here,” she continued.
“Plus the Davises said they’d send help as soon as they could,” Hayley offered.
“That was how long ago? They are dead. No one is coming! We are on our own,” Creepy said, his volume increasing with each sentence.
Hayley spoke up again. “Sue, Chris, Mary, what are your opinions?” Creepy began to protest about children but was silenced by Hayley’s anger. “Young, old, doesn’t matter! We are all in this together, and we will make decisions that way!”
Gwen stepped between the two, hands raised and voice calm. “This is not a prison.” She turned to face Hayley. “And it is not a democracy.” Now Gwen was addressing everyone. “We have food and shelter here. You are free to leave at any time.” Creepy began to stuff things into a bag. “However, you will not take what does not belong to you, and you will not take more than you need.”
The man turned to her, his face a tangle of angry scowling. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Gwen snagged a box of cereal he held, “you are welcome to a share of what we have, but you will not take all of anything.”
Mary watched as he went from creepy to murderous. Stepping forward to snatch back the food, he was stopped by the click-clack of a weapon being cocked. Chris nudged Mary, inclining his head toward the gun held at Hayley’s side. Gwen’s eyes bulged at the sight. Sue whimpered, scampering onto the lumpy sofa and curling into a ball.
“What are you gonna do? Shoot me over some Kiddy Crunch?”
“If I have to.” Hayley’s hand shook, but her eyes held a steel gaze. “You want to leave, then go. If you all want to leave, we’ll divvy up the goods and part ways. I am staying here.”
“With the gun, no doubt,” Creepy growled.
Gwen stood facing Hayley. “Where did you get that?”
“From a gun store after my ex-boyfriend couldn’t seem to let go.” Hayley’s glare never left the man’s face. “And don’t worry, it turns out I’m a pretty good shot.”
Something Wicked
Nikki watched the strands float in the breeze until something else caught her attention. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement by the tree line. Then it struck her that the tree line used to be closer. The area around the house had been cleared recently, but very haphazardly. It was as if whoever did it got bored or interrupted halfway through. “You’d think they would have done a nicer job,” she mumbled.
“I might not have done a good job either if zombies were attacking,” Shane said, sending her heart through her chest as her feet left the ground.
“Don’t do that!” she shouted, rubbing her chest. Calming slightly, she glared at him. “When did you get up?”
“Just now.” He moved closer to the window. “And you shouldn’t wander off.” Shane stared past her out to the tree line. She rolled her eyes at him.
“You sound like my dad,” she grumbled.
“ You act like my sister, and that didn’t end well,” he stated as he turned to face her. “Don’t wander off.” She began to protest, but the look on his face told her now was not the time. He brushed past her and headed to the closet.
“Nothing in there but a bunch of flannel,” she stated while looking back at the tree line, wondering what happened to his sister, even if she felt she already knew.
Shane ’s back was to her as he moved the shirts around, taking out one and then two. He held the boots up to his feet. They were too big for him. He ran his hand over the top shelf and found nothing but dust. He clapped his hands together, sending it cascading through the room.
Nikki turned as she sneezed. “Oh shit,” she whispered as one of the undead stumbled out of the woods. Shane was at her side in an instant.
“We are OK; he can’t get to us,” he assured her, but as he did so, another one came out of the woods. She sucked in a breath and began to back away from the window as a third emerged.
“OK, not good, time to go.” Nikki was backing away from the window and heading toward the stairs.
Shane mirrored her but kept saying, “We’re fine; they can’t get to us.” But his tone betrayed his concern.
“Are you trying to convince me, you, or them?” Nikki tried to joke through a trembling voice.
“Yes,” he replied as the fourth zombie stumbled out of the brush. As if on cue, they all stopped.
So did Shane and Nikki. The zombies looked confused. They stumbled around in circles; a zombie in a business suit fell over a log. Nikki gave a little laugh and immediately felt ashamed. It didn’t last long. Her hand clenched tightly on Shane’s arm as the undead began to howl. The color drained from his face, yet he still patted her hand reassuringly. Shane edged forward, Nikki firmly attached to his arm but behind him. Looking out of the window, he saw the group turn and head back into the woods. They moved with a purpose, moving faster than their normal mindless shuffle.
“They found someone,” Shane whispered. “This was just a potential. They actually found someone.”
“What do you mean?” Nikki whimpered.
“ I mean, they were just wandering to the house. They heard something, and you saw how they moved; they were…” But what they were doing was left hanging in the room, as several gunshots were heard.
Nikki increased her grip on Shane’s arm. “Let’s go while they are distracted,” she exclaimed while trying to pull him to the stairs.
Shane stood still for a moment, ignoring her insistence. Something in the woods troubled him. “Yeah, yeah, maybe you’re right,” he finally said. Turning quickly, he pulled his arm free and then hurried toward the stairs, leaving Nikki to stare, shocked, at his departure.
Regaining her thoughts, she exclaimed, “Hey, wait!” Running after him, she took the stairs two at a time. Behind her through the window, a lone figure emerged from the woods, with a heavy bag over his shoulder.
Back to the Woods
Shane was quickly collecting his things from the living room; his bag was slung over his shoulder, and the rifle was cradled in his arms by the time Nikki hit the bottom of the stairs. He held a finger to his lips as he motioned her to get to the door. She didn’t question him but just helped move the heavy bar from across the door. She hurried forward and unbolted the deadbolt. Her hand moved to the handle, but his hand flew up, motioning for her to wait. He pointed to himself and then to her. She pulled the gun out from inside her jacket and nodded her readiness. He gave her a look. “What?” she mouthed.
“Safety,” he hissed.
She took a moment to figure it out. It clicked off, and Shane moved the barrel far away from him. He nodded to her; she returned it. Both took a deep breath. Shane flung open the door. Nikki’s hands shook. Quickly Shane moved around the door to look out onto the porch.
It was clear. Checking the surrounding area, he motioned for Nikki to follow. The cold air greeted them in the early-morning sun. It again dazzled her as she shielded her eyes after the gloom of the cabin. Shane had barely taken three steps off the porch when they heard it.
“Well, hello there,” a gruff voice called. “I don’t remember having guests.”
Slowly Nikki and Shane turned to the source of the voice. Shane was careful not to appear threatening. He lowered his rifle but did not take his finger away from the trigger. A man who appeared to be in his late fifties or sixties was approaching the cabin. He had unkempt white hair and a scruffy beard. He was wearing a pair of filthy jeans, boots, and a flannel shirt under a grubby orange vest jacket. He was carrying a large bag that he let drop when he reached the end of the porch.
“I see you made yerselves at home,” the man said as he adjusted his rifle into a more readied position.
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Shane said. “Didn’t think anyone lived here.�
��
“No, I can see that a bolted door and a lantern burning would give the impression of tha place abeing empty.” The man gave a humorless laugh.
“Yeah, well, we are leaving; so sorry about staying in your house,” Shane said while backing away, pushing Nikki behind him. He had his own gun ready.
“She ain’t going nowhere in my shirt.” The old man referenced Nikki with his rifle.
“Right! Sorry,” she said, quickly stripping off the flannel, holding it out.
“ There, no harm. So we’ll just be leaving,” Shane stated. “Just leave it there.” He turned his head slightly to address Nikki while not letting his eyes leave the newcomer. Nikki laid the shirt down, keeping her gun hidden behind Shane.
The old man ’s eyes only darted back to Shane for a second as he leered at Nikki. He made her increasingly uncomfortable. His tongue darted out through the beard. “Well, you can go, boy, but I think you can stay.” He readjusted the gun again to point at Shane. “Consider it rent. Now go on, boy, get.”
Shane ’s rifle was up and pointed at the man. “Let’s call this a misunderstanding and head our separate ways. There is enough dead wandering around. You don’t need to be one of them.” As he spoke Shane put some distance between them, backing up and pushing Nikki further along the porch.
Nikki ’s left foot met air as they reached the end of the porch. Instinctively her hands grabbed Shane’s arm. She was falling backward, pulling him along with her. Shane’s gun left its mark to point at the ceiling of the porch. At once Nikki screamed, the man’s gun fired, and Shane howled, falling beside her.
Nikki rolled over and sat up. She tried to pull the trigger on her gun. Nothing happened. Shane had dropped his rifle in the fall. Wood on the post next to his head splintered as the man fired a second round at him. The third shot clicked; panic showed in the eyes of the shooter as he tried to clear the round.
“Safety!” Shane screamed at Nikki. She had put it back on when they seemed safe.
“Where?” she shouted back, cursing herself for putting it back on.
“ On the gun, you…” Shane cried, jumping to his feet. He ran full force at the man as he cleared the misfire. He slammed a round home. The gun boomed, and wood splintered off the wall close to Nikki. Shards of shattered wood flew, cutting into her face and hand. The heavy gun clattered on the boards. Shane’s shoulder slammed into the shooter, sending them both to the ground.
Nikki scrambled to her feet. Ignoring the sting on her face, she ran over to the struggle. Finally flipping off the safety, she swore loudly. She couldn’t get a clear shot. Shane was on top, punching every inch he could get to. Suddenly Shane was flipped over. The silver gleam of a blade flashed. Shane threw up his arm to block the blow. They rolled; Nikki’s target disappeared. Screaming in frustration, Nikki dropped the revolver and snatched up the knife from her waist.
Shane was on the bottom again, and the man was pushing down with all his weight, the blade getting ever closer to Shane’s throat. With a cry Nikki flew into the melee. A howl of agony erupted when Nikki plunged the blade of her knife into Shane’s attacker’s back.
In a flash the man ’s arms flew out, smashing the hilt of his knife into her temple. Stars exploded behind her eyes; pain filled her head. She was on her back, the base of her skull bouncing off the planks of the porch. Suddenly, through the fog that was her mind, her ears were ringing with a hideous howl. She rolled over, trying to regain her feet. As she made it to her hands and knees, she was grabbed roughly. Crying out, she tried to fight. An arm snaked across her chest, and the other was across her stomach and wrenched her to her feet.
“ Stop fighting! Come on!” Shane screamed into her dazed face. “Nik, move!” He dropped her on her feet. She stumbled and fell. Again Shane pulled her to her feet. Suddenly he leaned heavily on her. She could barely hold her own weight, let alone his. The cabin door slammed closed. There was more gunfire. Nikki couldn’t tell where it was coming from. “We have to move,” Shane groaned.
Her eyes began to focus, and she could see a group of zombies shuffling fast across the open space from the woods to the cabin. The pain in her head screamed as she stood up straight, fighting the urge to vomit. Shane was heavy against her. She realized he was hurt. She wasn’t sure how bad, but she was sure it was bad enough. Her vision was still blurry, and her balance was bad.
“ You have to guide.” Nikki huffed as she fought to keep the bile and stale bread from coming up. Together they limped as fast as they could away from the zombies and the cabin. Her vision began to clear with her balance returning. Nearing the woods, she turned to look back. The scene stopped her in horror; Shane fell as she did. “Oh God, are those hands?” she cried. Half of the cabin’s roof was shingled in the leathered, severed hands of the dead.
Shane grabbed her arm, pulling himself to his feet. Ignoring the gruesome display, he pulled her forward. “Come on,” he wheezed. She got under his arm; again they were moving. Her astonished cry had not gone unnoticed. Two of the dead had heard them breaking off from the main group surrounding the cabin, and they were pursuing them. Reaching the woods, they were able to outmaneuver the zombies for a while. Shane became heavier and slower until Nikki could barely support him.
As they hid behind a couple of large trees, Shane motioned for Nikki to shoot the closest undead. With a nod she began to search her jacket. It was then she remembered dropping it back at the cabin. Raising her arms, she noted no gun to Shane. “Shit,” he whispered, checking his own jacket. His rifle was also back at the cabin. He made stabbing motions, telling her to use her knife.
“It’s still in that crazy dude,” she hissed.
Slumping against the tree, Shane rechecked his jacket. His hand paused for a second and then dipped inside. A weak smile crossed his face as he pulled out another handgun. His face was pale. He was sweating badly, and his breathing was labored. He used the tree to hold himself up.
Nikki noticed blood seeping through his shirt, the stain growing by the second. She saw the knee of his jeans was also torn and bloody. She ran a hand through her hair in fear. He was hurt really bad. She let her hand drop and noticed it came back crimson. The throb returned. Distracted by her own injuries, she jumped as two shots boomed nearby, felling the pursuing zombies.
“Come on, the sound might bring more,” he wheezed, trying to push himself off the tree.
“How bad is it?” she asked, getting under his arm to steady him.
“Hurts like a fucker. How’s your head?” He tried to smile, reaching up to brush her hair aside to look. Halfway up he faltered; with a groan, he let his arm fall to his side.
“Shane, we need to find a place to rest.” She looked around. Not seeing anything but trees, she began to move forward.
“Ow, oh God,” he moaned. She immediately stopped, concerned. He looked over at her. “Sorry, just a blinding case of the obvious.” He coughed as he tried to laugh.
“When you are feeling better, I’m going to beat your ass,” she grumbled. He tried to laugh again as she pulled him further into the woods. They could still hear the gunfire from the cabin.
Unwanted Company
Even though it was a nice day outside, Ray was uncomfortable with Krissy going out. He and Kyle had cleaned out the yard and closed off the front gate with the second set of metal doors. This did not, however, keep out the smell or the sound. Jen thought it would be good to let Krissy run around and get some exercise.
“Come on, man,” Kyle complained. “Let her get out for a bit. She is driving me crazy.”
“ You’re not the only one…Dude,” Ray replied. “All right, but we are going to be out there with her.” Once outside, Ray immediately regretted the decision. He had forgotten the propensity of his daughter to scream for no reason. Kyle had been playing tag with her, and she had been laughing and screeching until the moaning drowned out everything else.
Jen had ushered them all back into the house. “Alistair says the…things are agitated f
or a couple of blocks around us.” Kyle swore under his breath. “Kyle, don’t swear,” his mother admonished and then sighed. “But, yes, that about sums up things.” Kyle tried not to laugh until he saw the screen behind his mother. He had seen videos of Mecca and the devote circling it. The zombies surrounding their fortress looked similar. Five or six thick, close to the walls, with more moving in every moment, the zombies seemed to be a swarm.
“What happens if they start to climb over each other?” Kyle asked the monitor.
“ Fortunately, I don’t think that will happen too soon. Our bigger problem is going to be them building up a ramp.” Ray pointed to the group closest to the wall. They were raised slightly above the others. The wall itself was covered in gore. The pressure of the outer rings of the undead on the inner was grinding the corpses up. Kyle could imagine bodies trampled underfoot in an ever-growing pile.
“I didn’t think there was that many people in this town,” Kyle whispered.
“What are you watching?” Krissy demanded.
“Nothing, just boring stuff.” Jen smiled. Kyle frowned at her. Ray gave a slight nod to his son.
“ Krissy, we were just looking outside the walls,” Kyle began. Jen hissed him quiet. He ignored her. “There are a lot of the bad people around us.” Jen was appealing to her husband for help. Ray shook his head.
“I think she should know,” he told his wife.
“Mom, I know we are trapped. I know the bad, dead people want to hurt us.” Krissy spoke with her hands on her hips. “I’m not a baby or stupid, you know.”
“No,sis,you aren’t.” Kyle smiled. “Besides, if it gets bad, Uncle Alistair will come get us. He has a castle that we will be able to stay in until it is safe outside again,” Krissy finished. She spotted Dude Cat and took off after him.
“Seems we don’t have to worry about scaring her with the truth.” Jen sighed.
“Better to be straight with her. She needs to know the danger,” Kyle said. A hand appeared on his shoulder.
Nothing is Certain Page 9