by Russ Melrose
And then I got the seed of an idea. A sudden inspiration. It came out of nowhere and was hardly brilliant, and it might even have been a little insane. But I couldn't think of anything else. I went back to my bedroom and inched one of the blinds up. By adjusting my vantage point, I could see three other backyards besides the backyard to the home we were staying in. Two of the yards had two infected in them and the third yard didn't have any. It confirmed what I was thinking. There weren't a lot of infected in the neighboring backyards, and that made the idea I had plausible. Dangerous but plausible.
I tried to think of a better plan, one that wouldn't involve me going out there amongst the infected, but there was no other viable plan. If I wanted to get them to the facility this morning, this was the only plan that had a chance.
Then I began to think about the possibility of staying put till the infected tried to get into the house. When they attacked, we could hide in the attic and there was no way they could get to us even if they knew we were there. We just had to stay quiet. Eventually, the infected would go elsewhere to find food. This was by far the safest alternative. And who's to say the people at the facility wouldn't wait for us? They might.
I went to Sarah and Becky's room to check on them, but also to see if Sarah might be awake. I peeked around the door and saw them lying in bed. Even in the dim light of the room, I could see Sarah's eyes open. I stepped around the door and walked over to the bed. She followed me with her eyes. She lay quietly on her back with Becky's head resting on her stomach. Becky was sleeping soundly. Sarah had lightly covered Becky's ear with her hand, not wanting her daughter to hear them.
Sarah's eye and cheek looked about the same as yesterday except for the discoloration under her eye which had darkened perceptibly, though it could have been the lack of light in the room. The good news was Sarah's cheek hardly looked swollen. The bag of ice-cold peas seemed to have done their job.
Sarah was wide awake. She looked at me the same way she had back at the underpass. There was a steadiness in her dark eyes marked by a quiet determination. And I knew Sarah would do whatever was necessary to protect Becky. Nothing would shake her resolve. She would never flinch when it came to protecting her daughter. And in that moment I knew I would go ahead with the plan. I would go ahead with it because it was their best chance, maybe their only chance.
I leaned down and whispered in her ear. "It's going to be all right," I told her. "I know what to do."
I left them and went to my room. I grabbed my notepad and wrote down the specifics of the plan. Then I got my iPad out of the backpack and went into Google maps to plot out the route I'd take. I zoomed in so I could see the outline of the individual homes. I knew exactly where I needed to go. Not much more than a block. That's all I'd need.
*****
After they'd read the plan, they looked at me as if I were crazy. Sarah shook her head in disbelief and silently mouthed the word no. Raj just stood there with his mouth open in a kind of quizzical wonderment. Even Becky looked at me queerly as if I were an odd duck.
I quickly wrote them a second note and didn't mince words. I told them it was the only plan that had any chance of getting them to the facility this morning. There were no other options. Then I finished the note by reminding them that they had agreed before we ever left to follow my instructions implicitly. I told them there would be no vote.
They sheepishly went along, even Sarah, though she gave me a hard look I couldn't quite decipher. It wasn't that I'd convinced them of the soundness or efficacy of my plan. There simply wasn't an alternative and they knew it. If we waited around, there was a good chance we'd all die. We might survive in the attic for a while, but what would we do after that? The facility would likely be lost as an option if we waited. Then where would we go with the East Bench crawling with the infected? And with the backyard gates open now, traveling through backyards was no longer a viable option. If we stayed, we'd likely die. I was convinced of that. And I convinced them too.
And then they went to their rooms and gathered their things.
When we had everything we needed, Raj went up first. He stepped onto the chair and easily pulled himself up into the attic. Then I handed him everyone's backpack, including my own. After that, I handed him my bat. I knew there was no way I'd be able to take it with me. Raj handled the bat as if it were made of precious jewels. And then he gave me his own determined look and nodded to me as if we had some sort of understanding or unspoken agreement.
Sarah went next. She stood on the chair and reached up and Raj grabbed her by the wrists and she grabbed his. Then she stepped into my cupped hands and I lifted her up while Raj helped pull her up into the attic. I stepped onto the chair and then lifted Becky up with me and then lifted her up to Raj and Sarah. The chair groaned from our weight as I lifted her.
I knew there was a chance the infected might have heard the sound, but I wasn't too concerned. They would likely hear me when I went downstairs anyway. I wanted them to hear me.
I had them leave the trap door uncovered. They would only replace it if the infected broke into the house. If everything unfolded as planned, they could come down in about thirty minutes or so. Placing them in the attic was just a safety precaution.
I checked my watch. It was five-fifteen now. If things went well, they could be at the facility before six.
I moved the chair into the nearest bedroom. If the Swimmer came into the house, I didn't want him making the connection between the chair and the trap door. And I knew Raj was long enough and strong enough to let himself down from the attic when the time came, and then he could always retrieve the chair.
I went into the boy's bedroom where I'd left the Glock and the extra magazine. I didn't know whether I'd need the extra rounds or not, but the idea of having a full magazine in the Glock made me rest easier. I grabbed the Glock and the magazine and headed downstairs. I went as fast as I could and made no effort to be quiet. My thigh muscles didn't care for the stairs, but they weren't nearly as tight as they'd felt yesterday. I knew I'd be able to move quickly if the need arose.
I went into the kitchen to make sure the back door was locked. I wanted to make sure the house was as secure as possible. I could hear one of them pawing at the back door and rasping in a low, gravelly voice.
After I'd checked the kitchen door, I headed for the living room. Except for the Glock, I would travel light. I had my lock pick set in the front pocket of my shorts, and I wore my watch so I could monitor the time. And that was it other than the t-shirts. I had on three long sleeve t-shirts I'd found in the master bedroom upstairs. I'd chosen a forest green tee to wear on the outside. The t-shirts were light enough that they wouldn't inhibit my movements. Wearing the t-shirts was a precautionary measure in case one of the infected took a swipe at me. I didn't want to get infected from a scratch and I thought the three layers would be sufficient to protect me.
There were three of them in the front yard moving steadily in their lumbering gait toward the picture window. They must have heard one of the noises and were coming to investigate. I stepped in front of the window in clear view and ejected the used magazine and set it down on the arm of the couch in front of the picture window. The magazine would be too bulky and heavy to lug around with me. Once outside, I would need to move quickly.
I raised the Glock to eye level and put the full magazine into the magwell and shoved it up till it snapped into place. The sharp, metallic clicking sound got their attention and they suddenly came to life. Their moans became animated and they moved with a rejuvenated liveliness.
I waited till they were less than ten feet away and had a clear view of me, then I fit the Glock as snugly as I could into my waist band in the back. I was hoping the Glock wouldn't be juggled loose as I ran. As they approached, I ducked down in front of the couch and out of sight. I wanted them to focus on the picture window. I lay prone on my stomach and crawled quietly to the front door. By the time I got to the door, they had already begun raucously pounding
away at the window, grunting and moaning hysterically. I knew that would likely draw the infected from the backyard—from everywhere else too.
I stood up and got myself ready. I would have to unlock the door, open it, lock it again, close it and run out in about two seconds or less. I took a moment to rub my thigh muscles to loosen them up. My shins felt okay.
Once outside, the next thirty seconds to a minute would be critical—for me and the plan. I knew they would be drawn to me and would follow me. I was hoping to get at least two houses up toward Jupiter before I'd have to get into a backyard. If I could get two houses up, that would draw them away from the house we were in. At least, that's what I expected would happen.
I took a deep breath and opened the door, but before I could lock it, I noticed an infected woman just off the one-step cement landing. She was heading toward the picture window, a middle-aged woman, fleshy in her arms and upper torso. The moment I opened the door, she turned around and moved toward me with a fanatical urgency. I panicked and fumbled around trying to lock the door. By the time I had the turn-lock in the vertical position, she was back on the landing reaching for me. I grabbed the door jamb with both hands for balance, bent down low and side-kicked her as hard as I could in the stomach. She stumbled a few steps back and fell off the landing, her arms still reaching for me as she fell. I slammed the door shut behind me and began to run.
I ran at an angle toward the front of the yard next door. I needed to get into an open area. The biggest advantages I had were my quickness and the spacious East Bench lawns. I could feel some soreness in my thighs but it didn't affect my running. I ran at half speed so I could change directions quickly if I had to and also so I could keep my bearings.
I found the best pathway near the front of the yard where I was equidistant from the infected on the street and those near the homes. In the next two yards, there were fifteen to twenty infected I'd have to get by. I'd planned all along to run near the front of the lawns so I could draw them out away from the houses. And it was working. Then when they got close, I'd try to find a lane to cut back through and get to a fence.
They were coming at me from every direction, but I was already nearing the second lawn. A tall, bony infected man coming from the street was about to cut me off and I didn't have a clear lane to cut back toward the houses yet. I knew heading out into the street would be suicidal.
The infected man was all arms and legs. He wore a filthy polo shirt and shorts. His clothes were soiled with dried blood and grime. I knew I wasn't going to be able to get by him. I was bursting with adrenalin and it filled me with a crazed determination. I ran hard right at him. And right before I got to him, I leaned down as if I were going to tackle him, but at the last moment I raised my forearms in front of me like a battering ram and slammed him hard in the chest. He toppled backwards, arms and legs flailing.
I tried to run past him but one of his long arms caught my leg and I stumbled onto the lawn, my knees scraping the grass. I was scrambling to get up before I was down all the way. The gun had been jostled and I had to reach back to secure it. They were closing on me from every direction and I didn't have time to find a cut-back lane. Three of them from the yard were closing fast, not ten feet away. A small boy was in the middle of them with maybe five feet clearance on either side of him. He couldn't have been more than seven years old, but it was my only chance. I headed straight for him, screaming wildly at the top of my lungs, but my insane screams didn't seem to register with them. I ran into the boy at an angle, hitting him on his right side and he spun around like a wobbly boxer and fell onto the lawn. The collision had me slightly off balance and a young infected woman to the boy's right grabbed me by the arm. But I was a wild man. There was no way I'd let them catch me. I wrenched my arm free and ran like hell for the side fence.
I was there in a matter of seconds. I went over the fence on the side of the house where there was no gate. I waited for a moment and then crept slowly to the back edge of the house and peeked around the corner. The last of the infected in the yard were heading for the gate.
There was a home to my right, the last home before Jupiter Drive, but I had already decided I wouldn't be going into that backyard. I wanted to have some distance from Jupiter when I crossed Apollo. I knew there was a good chance Jupiter would be thick with the infected and I didn't want to get too close.
As soon as the last infected from the backyard was out of sight, I ran to the back fence no worse for wear, a few grass stains on my knees, and that's when I heard them. This had been the fence I'd planned to go over before crossing Apollo. The yard had been clear of the infected when I looked out the widow earlier, but not now. I stepped onto the fence's lower brace and pulled myself up to make sure. Four infected were stumbling wildly across the lawn and more were filing through the backyard gate. Their rasping moans spiraled crazily when they saw me.
I had to think quickly. There was no way I could go over the fence now. I'd never get past them. I also knew their excited moans would draw the infected right back into this backyard. I raced to the opposite corner of the backyard and glanced back to the open gate as I ran. A dozen or so infected were grumbling excitedly as they made their way up the driveway. They'd be in the backyard in a matter of seconds. I jumped to the top of the corner fence to take a look. I needed to get into the catty-corner backyard, but there were two infected there and more were coming. When I saw the yard next to me was empty, I knew what to do. I made sure to stay up long enough for the infected in both yards to see me.
I pulled myself over the fence into the empty backyard and started to walk quietly along the back fence toward the opposite corner. I had to make sure they didn't hear me. The infected from the neighboring yards were converging near the corner where they'd last seen me. Once there, they began slamming their fists and heads into the fence boards. As long as they believed I was still there, I should be able to climb over the fence and run unimpeded to the side yard fence.
I suddenly felt paranoid and wondered if any of them might have heard me walking and were trailing me on the other side of the fence. I put my ear close to the fence and listened. But all I could hear were the crescendo of moans from the infected gathered in the far corner.
I saw a golf-sized stone on the ground and picked it up and threw it as hard as I could against the fence where they were congregated. The stone struck the fence sharply with a distinct thudding sound. Their moans spiked and they attacked the fence even more aggressively. I counted slowly to five, then pulled myself up and over the fence. There were five of them now in the far corner feverishly assaulting the fence. I ran to the side fence, keeping my eye on them the whole way and then I climbed over.
This time I ran at as fast as I could. I didn't wait to see where they were. I just ran. And I was out in the street before they took notice of me. There didn't seem to be as many of them on Apollo as there were on South Fortuna Way. But I could only see half a block. Apollo cut sharply to the right a few houses down and paralleled Jupiter before cutting left down to Wasatch.
Once I evaded three of them in the street, I had a clear path to the side yard between the first and second house down from Jupiter. It was exactly where I needed to be.
A large group on Jupiter were headed south in the direction of South Fortuna Way. They must have sensed the activity there. One of them spotted me and then they were all headed toward me, adjusting their route like a herd of buffalo. There was a runner amongst them, but I knew I could get to the fence before he or the others reached me. I glanced to my left and the handful of infected on Apollo were headed for me too. And then I wondered about the Swimmer. I'd half expected to run into him somewhere out here, but I knew he could be anywhere.
I ran through the front yard of the second house and reached the side fence a few seconds later. I kept my head on a swivel to make sure I was clear both ways. The runner from Jupiter was closing, but he was over half a yard away. When I reached the fence, I lifted myself up to take a look, b
ut the sides of the homes limited my view. I couldn't tell if there were infected in either backyard, and I didn't have the time to figure things out. I slipped over into the side yard of the corner house.
I moved quietly to the back wall of the house. I had yet to hear any infected in the backyard, but when I peered around the back corner of the house, I spotted two of them. One of them was lying down and the trunk of his body had disappeared down a basement window well. The other was standing by the gate, craning his head as he looked out toward the street and the sudden commotion there. I knew I could easily get to the backyard fence before they would notice me.
I ran to the corner of the fence where the four backyards met. The infected man near the gate noticed me and began his inevitable pursuit. But it would be short-lived. He had no chance to get to me. I checked out the three adjoining backyards. I'd decided before I left it would be best to go over fences in the back corners of the yards where the adjoined four yards met. That way I could make a quick decision as to which yard would be safest.
In the backyard in front of me, an infected female stood by the back door. She leaned her head against the window of the door, her arms dangling inert at her sides, mesmerized by whatever it was she was seeing in the house. In the yard catty-corner to the yard I was in, two of them milled about near the back wall of the home. A male and a female. They saw me and began to amble excitedly toward me. This time it was an easy choice. I climbed over into the backyard with the infected woman in it.
There would be three more backyards after this one before I came to the house where Lois Lane connected South Hale with Jupiter. That had been my target area all along and I was well on my way. I was thrilled to get this far unscathed, but I wasn't overconfident. Whenever I became overconfident or assumed things would work out, they almost never did. I preferred wariness over confidence.