Endgame (Book 1)

by W. A. R.

  “Fine. But if we are doing this, we are doing this together.” Shelly stated firmly, pressing harder into the seat and gripping the dashboard as he accelerated even more so, the back end of the car sliding on the asphalt as he rounded a curb. Brian cut the wheel back, straightening up easily.

  “Deal.” He told her and he rounded another curb, barely avoiding two Biters that emerged from the ditch where an overturned car lay.

  “That was Ki-Niyah Jefferson” Amber wheezed glumly from the backseat, and he heard Kyle sniffle. He looked in his rearview mirror to see his nephew curled into his mother’s side, her arm securely around him. He shifted against her ribs, and she winced but never moved. Yes, they were going to see friends, familiar faces that had turned; haunting them. It was going to be incredibly painful. He only hoped that it wasn’t too late for Rick. He slowed before taking another left, watching from the corner of his eye as Shelly shifted in her seat to look at the pair in the backseat.

  “Kyle, honey are you alright?” she asked, and Brian knew she was attempting to ease her mind about leaving them alone in the car while they went searching for Rick. He sniffled, and his meek voice reached Brian’s ears.

  “I just want to go home.” He cried into his mother’s shirt, the sobs muffled by her body. She gently stroked his arm and Shelly sighed. It was a reminder to Brian that she didn’t agree with his actions.

  “We will soon honey.” Amber assured him before turning her swollen face to Shelly. “He will be fine. And so will I. You two do what you need to do. We can’t leave Rick.” She told Shelly, but Shelly didn’t seem too convinced.

  “Amber, you have been through a lot tonight…” She began, but Amber cut her off.

  “I know.” She wheezed, withholding a cough. She quickly cleared her throat to continue before Shelly could intervene. “Rick needs your help. I will be fine.” She forced the words out, struggling to find breath, and when she did inhale deeply, she winced against the pain involuntarily. Shelly eyed her up and down before turning back in her seat, facing the road as Brian ran a stop sign, turning left once more. She shook her head.

  “I hope that man makes it through this. If anyone deserves it, it’s him.” Shelly said, referring to the man that had killed Amber’s attacker at Jenson’s Farm Supply. Brian grimaced at the memory. Amber simply turned her head, looking out of the window at the Biters moving across the open field through half-lidded. Brian took a hard right, jerking them all towards the left before stopping the car in the middle of the road, a house to their right.

  “I’m sure he will.” Amber said softly, continuing to rub Kyle’s arm in comfort. Brian looked at Shelly and she sighed, looking about the car for any tools that might come in handy. All they had was Brian’s pocket knife. He looked at her apologetically.

  “Stay with me, and we will find you a weapon in the house.” He told her before bringing a hand up to cup the side of her face. She easily fell into the palm of his hand, her eyes staring hard at him. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” He promised her and she nodded, believing every word he said. He quickly kissed her forehead and opened his door, clambering out easily and hearing Shelly do the same. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness around him, and he rounded the front of the car, reaching for Shelly. He found her hand and pulled her behind him. She gripped the back of his shirt into her fists.

  There was the faint rustling of leaves a good distance to their left, and yet still he could feel Shelly’s hands grip his shirt tighter. He had opened his knife, holding it tightly as they rounded a big shrub, seeing the porch light shining brightly in the darkness. Shelly seemed to relax and Brian was grateful that the world’s power had yet to go out. He knew that it would happen soon, with nothing but anarchy at the helm. Everything would stop. Once they were certain there were sure that no Biters were coming from the darkness that settles against the glow of the light, they surged forward, practically running to the open front door. The warped wooden boards on the porch creaked under their weight as Brian’s heart rate heightened. The front door was wide opened, every light in the house on. He eased forward, Shelly directly behind him. His eyes peered around the corner of the door frame, seeing no sign of activity, no evidence of a struggle…There was nothing but normalcy.

  “Rick?” Brian called out for his cousin, his friend. Silence was the only thing to greet them. There were no footsteps, no signs of life anywhere in the house. “Fuck.” He grumbled to himself before turning to Shelly. His eyes stared into hers determinedly. “Find a weapon. I’m going to check the rest of the house.” He said, the implied being that he was searching for Rick’s body. A fresh pain settled in his chest and he swallowed the bile that threatened to rise in his throat, walking from Shelly and down the hall that led to Rick’s bedroom. He was torn; he wasn’t sure how well he could handle finding Rick in any condition other than the man he was before. He was a lot like Brian, in the sense that his sense of humor came out more often than not, and also that they both exhibited courage, strength, and not least of all real compassion. Every footstep he took sounded in his ears, as well as every move Shelly was making from the kitchen, his ears alert to any new sound or movement. He eased the door open with the very tips of his fingers, and the hinges creaked every few centimeters until finally, the entry was wide enough for Brian to go through. The room was bright with incandescent lighting, and in its normal disarray and Brian released the breath he had been holding. Relief washed over him, coupled with worry and he turned back, checking the bathroom on his way back to the kitchen. His eyes skimmed over the living room, which was open and visible from where he stood. He watched Shelly retrieve a large butcher’s knife from a drawer.

  “Anything?” she asked as she turned to him, gripping the handle of the knife so tightly her knuckles turned white and he instantly felt regret for putting that fear in her. He placed his free hand on her shoulder and sighed, shaking his head.

  “No. I guess he is on his way to Charlotte’s.” he told her and he felt the worry that overwhelmed her. Charlotte was his sister, and she lived in town amongst the chaos that overran the city. Biters were everywhere, monsters; deformations of who they once were. Rick couldn’t make it to her on foot, and even with a vehicle he shouldn’t have been going into town alone. Brian ran a hand across his face in exasperation, the events of the day taking their toll on his mind and body. “Come on. We will see if we come across him. If we don’t, I promise I will take you all home before things get any worse.” He told Shelly sincerely and she nodded, offering no argument. Instead, she turned and followed him as he barreled off of the porch, leading them into the darkness where their car and possible Biters lay in wait. She didn’t clutch at his shirt this time, feeling more secure with a weapon, and for that he was grateful. He could now move freely, should anything happen, and he felt more prepared for what lay in store for them. He made out the faint outline of the car against the moonlight and he led Shelly to her side, opening the door for her and glancing around them to ensure there were no hell-bound creatures before rounding the car and jumping into the driver seat, slamming the door behind him. He shook his head free of the penetrating anxiety that was threatening to tear him apart from the inside out.

  “Did you find him?” Amber wheezed from the backseat, her words slurring together in his ears. Kyle was no longer crying, and he suspected that the boy was asleep, worn out from the fear and the overwhelming emotions that came with the end of the world as they knew it. Good, he thought it was better he not witness any of the catastrophes that they would have to endure just in order to make it home safely. Brian cleared his throat, turning the key in the ignition and listening to the sound of the motor running against the stark contrasting silence around them.

  “No.” he told her simply, gripping the steering wheel tightly. He heard her cough slightly behind him and he sighed.

  “Oh.” She replied easily, before turning her head from the window and looking at him. He watched her from the corner of his
eye.

  “I promise I will get you all home as soon as I find him.” He said softly, attempting to be reassuring. A sudden movement next to Amber caught his peripheral vision and he turned to face the backseat fully.

  “Awww. How sweet!” Rick exclaimed, his head popping up from the floorboard. Brian yelped and Shelly shrieked in response to his sudden appearance in the backseat. Brian’s heart pounded hard against his ribs, and he had his hands balled into fists, ready to fight. Every muscle in his body was tense, aching from the pressure. Rick fell back into the seat, laughing joyfully as he had gotten the expected response from the both of them. “You…you should have…seen your faces!” he gasped during his hilarity. Brian lowered his fists, his body relaxing with the reprieve that was given him. He leaned his head against the seat and exhaled a shaky breath. Shelly, on the other hand, reached back and slapped Rick’s knee as hard as she could.

  “That wasn’t funny.” She squeaked at him, tears evident in her eyes. Brian reached over as she settled in and firmly squeezed her hand, hoping it eased her mind.

  “Yes it was.” Rick replied, leaning forward and placing his chin in the edge of Brian’s seat.

  Amber attempted to laugh, but it only came out as a cough. “Don’t feel too bad, he scared the hell out of me by banging on my window.”

  Brian turned on his headlights and shifted the car into drive. “Do that again and you could get killed. Don’t you have any idea what’s going on?” he asked, knowing that Rick did indeed know. The air in the car became thick with tension and the seriousness of the situation was once again weighted. Rick leaned back once again into the seat and sighed.

  “I do know. I was on my way to Thurston when I saw ya’ll turn in towards the house. I figured you were looking for me. Decided to save you some trouble.” He smiled and Brian couldn’t help but chuckle nervously in spite of himself.

  “We weren’t looking for you. We were looking for weapons.” Amber told him and Brian couldn’t help but notice the small smile on Shelly’s face. Rick turned his gaze to her, analyzing her before turning to Brian.

  “Sister…I am a weapon.” He replied with a smug grin on his face.

  She shook her head and Shelly watched as Brian turned towards the city. “Where are we going?” she asked and he sighed.

  “Charlotte’s.” he replied, and things grew silent in the car for a moment before Amber coughed.

  “So, what in the hell happened to her anyways?” he asked, nodding towards Amber, “All she would tell me is some asshole roughed her up. Is that true?” Rick asked Brian, changing the subject, as Brian wound the car around the curves. Brian sighed.

  “ ‘Her’ has a name.” Amber replied and Rick merely reached over and poked her in the cheek, causing her to wince in pain. “You ass.” She accused of him and he laughed lightly before turning back to Brian.

  “Something like that.” Was all that Brian offered in reply, refusing to allow his mind to go back to that place, that feeling of helplessness.

  “I hope you killed that son of a bitch.” Rick exclaimed as they hit the main highway where cars lay overturned, wrecked. The sounds of people screaming reached them, even through the windows.

  “Something like that.” Brian repeated in response to Rick’s statement, his focus entirely on the road before them. They had to move slow around the cars, watching as Biters fed on humans between the vehicles. Brian felt disgusted. In a grey Sedan, a woman slammed her fists against the window, urging them to help her before a Biter came into focus in the interior light of the car, devouring her. Her screams pierced the air, but Brian had to ignore it. He had to ignore all of it. He had to let go of the man and child that were running in the ditch on the other side of the road from three Biters that were chasing after him animatedly. Months later, Brian would realize that their swiftness and their strength then came about because they were recent. Their muscles weren’t gone from lack of use; instead their bodies were relatively still human.

  “Ho..ly…shit.” Rick drew out, leaning forward and looking out of the window at the scene before him. Brian ground his teeth together from the agony of watching people die, knowing he couldn’t do anything to save them without risking the lives of his own family. They had one person to retrieve and one person only. Everyone in the car remained quiet, pondering, regretting having to do what they were doing. Brian didn’t mind. He wasn’t sure he could very well make light of that situation. Once they hit Thurston though, it was a different story.

  “Brian, I don’t like this.” Shelly said noticing the lessening of people compared to the amount of people before. There were no longer people throwing various items at cars or houses, no more people looting, and certainly no more people out trying to destroy the monsters. Instead, the only people they saw were running away from the infected as fast as they could, only to become a meal for other Biters that crossed their path. The screams were more distinct than they were before, and Brian had to agree. He didn’t like it either. How could anyone? It was a massacre at every turn. Blood spilled down the streets, bodies littered the roads and yard, and even more zombies were eating away at their flesh. The sight made Brian feel sick.

  “Man, this is wild. I didn’t realize it had gotten this bad.” Rick said, his voice full of emotion and Brian felt an overwhelming urge to turn right and head home. He couldn’t however, because Charlotte was depending on them. “What are we going to do?” he asked Brian, who sighed in response.

  “I have no idea. We will see when we get there what the plan will be.” He said before taking a left. He went down the road a bit, crossing the intersections of roads that ran along the houses in town. The amount of cars and Biters both seemed to have thinned out exceptionally. They may have a chance to make it, he thought, but it still didn’t ease the tension in his body. The tension was causing every muscle in his body to go rigid, including the hand that gripped the steering wheel.

  “I haven’t spoken to Charlotte since about an hour ago. I tried calling her but something is wrong with the service. I guess that’s down already.” Rick said, indicating to the cell phone that he decided to throw out of the window. He then turned back to Brian and Shelly, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. “I have a bad feeling about this. I think we should go back and take the girls and Kyle home. I can just come up here on my own.” Brian didn’t even consider his notion, even though he felt the regret burning deep in his gut.

  “You wouldn’t be going alone. Her house is right up here and there don’t seem to be many creatures around. We can handle it.” He told Rick. It wasn’t until a few weeks later, after having lost people to these creatures that they coined the name Biters. It seemed fitting, seeming as it was the only thing they seemed to want to do. Brian kept going, the houses growing more so in distance between them until they reached Charlotte’s house. The dank blackness of the night was foreboding and Brian noted Shelly’s already tense body tense even more. Tears were streaked across her cheeks, and Brian knew that she had seen too much of the brutality…and he hated himself for it. He hated having to bring her into the depths of despair and hopelessness. The trembling of her bottom lip made his heart twist in unusual pain and he longed to take away the horror. Instead, he turned the headlights off and eased the car into Charlotte’s driveway. The lights were on in every window of the house, but Brian saw it. He saw the crimson finger trails across one of the now shattered windows.

  “Fuck.” Rick breathed. Brian sighed in agreement, shifting the car into park and killing the ignition. Screams and begs for mercy were heard from across town, crystal clear in the silence. The sounds damn near made Brian sick again.

  “What are you guys waiting for?” Amber coughed out before groaning. Rick and Brian both turned to look at her, seeing her eyes glazed over from the pain, and yet still she seemed determined. Her head leaned against the window, and her eyes stared off into the distance.

  “How do we kill these things if we come across them? Any idea?” Rick asked, turning his at
tention to Brian.

  Brian shrugged. “I’m not sure.” And he didn’t have any idea…he figured he would figure out through process of elimination.

  “Destroy the brain. That is what that scientist said on the news.” Shelly said and Brian nodded. He didn’t want to have to go through with this. Every nerve-ending was on edge and urging him to turn back before it was too late, but he simply shoved those thoughts away. It wasn’t that he wanted to be a hero; on the contrary, he wanted nothing less. He simply wanted to turn back time and gather all of the people he cared about, securing them safely somewhere where this bitter world could never touch them. Reality called to him however, and he had to answer it.

  “I have a knife, and that’s it. What about you?” Brian asked Rick, who was leaning forward with his elbows against his knees, head lowered into his hands. He brought his face up, running his fingers across the length of it. He looked as if he were about ready to fall to pieces.

  “I have a .380 and a knife.” He replied and Brian willed all of his courage to the forefront, inhaling air that puffed up chest.

  “Are you ready to do this?” he asked and he felt Rick shift in the backseat.

  “As I’ll ever be. Front door?” he asked and Brian nodded in response, placing a hand on the door handle.

  “You know it.” He pulled back on the handle, hearing the audible click that sounded as the door eased open. The cool night air hit him like a slap to the face and he shivered. He placed one foot outside of the car and felt a hand tenderly touch his arm. He turned to face Shelly, the woman that was one day going to be his wife before the world changed all of that. Her tear filled eyes bore into his own and he leaned forward to plant a kiss on her forehead. “I love you. We will be back as soon as we can. Just…stay in the car.” He told her and she nodded, sniffling against the screams and the light of fire in the distance. He handed her his knife, feeling better about their safety as the handle rested in her palm. To quickly drown that pain out for her, he swiftly climbed to his feet, Rick doing the same, and they closed the doors, effectively leaving Shelly, Kyle, and Amber in the comfort of the car. He felt Rick reach forward and hand him his knife and Brian gratefully took it from him.