“This girl is ready for trouble.”
He couldn’t really blame her after everything that she had been through. He decided to give her the choice of staying or not when she woke up. If she did stay she would need more than one little bag though. A trip to town would be in order.
It was close to noon before she finally woke up. He had spent the morning doing maintenance around the cabin and on the truck. He was busy loading bullets when she got out of bed.
“Good morning. How did you sleep?”
“Good” she replied. She stood still quietly for a moment before continuing. “Thank you for last night; taking me in and putting up with me blubbering like a little girl.”
He waved off that last comment. “It was nothing anyone else wouldn’t have done.”
“Somehow I highly doubt that. There are plenty of people out there who would have taken advantage of a girl traveling alone.”
He had always been uncomfortable with being praised. He shifted uneasily in his seat and tried to change the subject. “What are your plans from here?”
“I’m not sure. I suppose that depends on what my options are.”
“You are welcome to stay here if you’d like. If you aren’t comfortable staying here with me there are other cabins close by. If you’d like there are plenty of houses in town that we can make more secure.”
She took a small step back and shook her head. He saw that her eyes were wide and her breathing had picked up.
“It’s ok. I won’t make you stay in town. If you feel safer here you can stay as long as you’d like.”
The set of her shoulders relaxed slightly and she took a deep slow breath.
“Ok. I’d like that if you don’t mind. Just for a little while.”
“Then that’s settled. If you’re going to stay then you need more than whatever you brought in your pack. I can take you into town for more clothes and what not?”
She stiffened again at his mention of town.
“Don’t worry” he said quickly. “It’s perfectly safe. I’ve spent a lot of time and energy keeping it clear of those things.”
“Ok. If you say so then let’s go.”
He watched her out of the corner of his eye. She might have agreed to go with him, but the set of her shoulders never changed.
“I actually need to do my weekly perimeter sweep around town. Could we put off a run into town until later?”
The set of her shoulders relaxed immediately. A strand of hair had fallen over face and she blew it off with a sigh.
“I think that would be ok. Can I ride along though? Get an idea of the layout?”
He gave her a little smile and a nod. It wasn’t long before they were winding down dirt roads in his beat up pickup truck. As they bounced along he talked about the town. She could hear the affection in his voice almost as if he had built it himself. She was looking at him when she saw his lips press together and his brow furrow. He slammed on his brakes and she had to put a hand on the dash to steady herself. Looking out the front glass there were two zombies staggering down the road towards them.
“Stay here” Tim instructed.
He hopped out rifle in hand and fired off a shot that dropped the first one like a stone. He moved forward to execute the second one and promptly slipped in mud. Cassie began frantically grabbing for her handle but he was up in seconds. By the time her door opened the air was cracked again with gunfire. She walked around the truck to see Tim slinging his arms in an effort to shed muddy water.
“My hero” she called out.
“Yeah yeah yeah. Save a girls life and this is the thanks you get.”
“I don’t have any idea what you are talking about” she replied with a smile.
“Come on, help me load up these bodies. I’ll take em to be burned later today.”
The two of them lifted the corpses into the bed of the truck. When that was done they wheeled around to head back home. They climbed the ladder to their loft and Tim began shrugging wet clothes immediately.
“Whoa there big boy! Wanna maybe go behind the curtain before you give me the full monty?”
Tim paused with his shirt around his head. “Sorry, I’m not used to company” he said in a muffled voice. He turned to walk towards the makeshift privacy and heard Cassie gasp.
“What is that mark on your shoulder? Is that a bite? Oh God, why didn’t you tell me you were bitten?”
She began backpedaling towards the door while reaching for her pistol. Absentmindedly he realized that it was a 9mm. He threw his hands up.
“Wait! I can explain. I was bit but it was years ago and I never turned. See, it’s completely healed. Just a scar.”
Cassie stopped moving but she didn’t relax her hold on her firearm.
“Explain” she instructed. So he did. He told her his whole story. It took several hours for him to finish and by the time he did they had moved to the couch. When he finished with rescuing her she let out a sigh and blew a lock of hair off of her face again.
“I guess if some of these zombies can be smart then I shouldn’t be surprised if someone can be immune.”
“I never said I was immune” he replied.
“Well, it makes sense. A certain number of people are immune to any virus. Why should this one be any different?”
They sat in silence for a few minutes. “I’m sorry I panicked on you” Cassie finally said.
“I probably would have done the same thing.” Saying this he glanced out the window at the lowering sun. “I need to take those bodies up to the stadium to burn before it gets dark. Wanna ride?”
She shook her head. “How about I make supper instead?”
“Deal. Tomorrow if you feel up to it we’ll make a run into town and get you an actual wardrobe.”
She looked around nervously but nodded yes finally.
****
They pulled into the town square and parked in front of the town’s only department store. Hopping out he swung the door closed with a creak and a slam. Across the truck he could see Cassie nervously checking her surroundings with her hand on the butt of her 9mm. She had insisted on bringing it and even though he knew the town was safe he hadn’t seen anything wrong with being prepared. He shouldered his rifle and started towards the front of the store. Pulling out the key ring to all of the shop and public buildings he opened the door and they went inside.
He locked the door behind them and stood still a moment letting his eyes adjust to the gloom. Taking a long look around the store they wormed their way over to women’s fashion. She began pulling clothes down to look at, wrinkling her nose up at some of the selections. She quickly made a pile of sensible clothes like jeans, shirts, and a jacket before moving on to look at nicer apparel. She pulled down a short dress and held it up to her body turning to him.
“Whatcha think?”
He looked at where the dress fell, high up on the thighs and low cut in the front, and nodded his head while gulping air. She smiled at him and turned quickly with a little flounce to head to a dressing room. He walked behind her and waited by the door. He couldn’t help but think this was a little absurd to be trying on dresses as if the world hadn’t changed almost overnight. His next thought was memories of waiting in similar stores for his wife while she tried on clothing for work or nights out. He felt a pang of regret and wondered, not for the first time, where she might be. If she might be. The door opened with a creak and out stepped Cassie lightly on the balls of her feet. She spun around and struck a little pose.
“Ta Da! Do you like?”
Tim gave a low whistle. “I like. You look amazing.”
“Too bad we can’t go out clubbing. This would be a perfect dress for dancing on a bar top don’tcha think?” While she said this she did a little shimmy and Tim felt his heart beat pick up a little.
“You can shake it for me any time” he replied.
“I just might do that sometime.” She turned back to go into the dressing room and he could have sworn that sh
e arced her back in his direction a little as she went. When she came back out they collected any other essentials that she might need and left back out the front.
“What now” she asked while he locked up.
“Well’ he started with a gleam in his eye, “Wanna watch a movie?”
“Like, in a theater?”
“Oh yeah. There is a tiny little theater in town and I hooked up a generator to watch movies. There might even be a little popcorn left.”
“It’s a date” she said while linking her arm though his. “Lead the way.”
While they walked Cassie looked up at him and asked “If you’ve worked so hard to keep this place clear of zombies why haven’t you tried putting up a fence or a wall around it?”
“I don’t know” he replied. “It never occurred to me I guess. That’s kind of a big job for one guy though. I’m not sure I could do it alone.”
“You’re not alone now” she told him. “I bet two people could come up with something.”
“That’s not a bad idea. But, for now, we are here” he said indicating the theater. They let themselves in and he led her to where the reels were stored. He was a little surprised when she picked a raunchy comedy over something romantic.
“It’s been a long time since anyone in this world laughed I bet” she said at his questioning look.
He cranked up the generator in the projector room and set their reel up. It had taken a little trial and error on his part to get this right. When it was running they used the light it provided to find some seats in the middle of the theater. Cassie giggled and laid her head on his shoulder. He felt his heart skip a beat and tried to focus on the movie. He simply couldn’t ignore her presence though. He turned his head in her direction as she was turning in his. Their lips met lightly and briefly. They pulled back a second and then both gave in. Her lips were hungry against his. His hands went to her face pulling them in tighter and it was no time before they were roaming over her back. She left her chair and straddled his lap. The seat was uncomfortable, but neither of them cared.
Tim broke off saying “Let’s go home.”
Cassie just nodded. She was breathing too heavy to answer him. Her eyes were dilated and he could tell that she was as ready as he was. They killed the generator and almost ran back to the truck. The drive home had never felt so long to him. It didn’t help that Cassie was constantly nibbling on his ear and neck. When they were back to the cabin Cassie darted out of the truck and up the ladder. Tim almost slipped on a rung trying to keep up. When he reached the deck the first thing he saw was her shirt lying by the door. Just inside were her pants. In the afternoon light he saw her form sprawled out on the bed propped up on one elbow. He walked towards the bed pulling off his shirt as he went. As he slid onto the bed her hands reached for him. Pulling at his clothes. Pulling him down to her. Then they were skin to skin and all thinking went away for a while.
****
He woke up the next morning to the sound of bacon frying. Sitting up and stretching slowly he felt rested. Rested in a way that he hadn’t felt in longer than he cared to remember.
“Something smells delicious” he said.
“It’s not much” Cassie replied.
She was standing in front of the stove in one of his oversized T shirts. He took an admiring glance at her legs starting at her feet. When he reached her back he realized that he hadn’t been quite as subtle as he had thought. Cassie was staring over her shoulder at him with an amused smile. He grinned sheepishly and quickly asked what he could do to help.
“Just sit and try not to enjoy the view too much.”
He sat. He couldn’t keep from enjoying the view however. He realized that she was several years younger than him but she was definitely a grown woman. She moved around the small kitchenette cooking for a few more minutes before bringing over steaming plates of food and coffee. They dug into the food but he still couldn’t help glancing at her often. He noticed her glances in his direction as well. He supposed that she had decided to trust him. When they were done they wrapped up in blankets and moved out onto the porch to finish their coffee.
They sipped in silence for a few minutes before Cassie sat up and cocked her head to one side like she was listening to something. Tim started to ask, but she held up a finger to hold him off. He froze and listened as well. Slowly he realized that he could hear it as well.
“Is that Radiohead” he asked after a minute.
“I think so. But where is it coming from?”
“I think it’s coming from town. The only thing I can think of that would be that loud is the PA system at the football field.”
“Isn’t that where you burned all the bodies?”
“It is. Who could be playing music and how did they get it working?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t like this. Something doesn’t seem right.”
“It could be survivors” he said excitedly.
“If it’s survivors why are they blaring music like that? It would draw those things from miles around!” She was chewing on her bottom lip nervously.
“Either way we have to check it out. If its survivors then we need to know who they are, what they’re doing, and get that music shut down. As you say it will draw zombies like a magnet. If it’s them then we need to know that too. That’s a threat that we can’t afford to ignore.”
He shuddered at the thought of zombies smart enough to hook up generators and work a sound board. Adrenaline start flowing in his veins and his knees felt weak but he forced himself to move inside to get ready. Cassie followed him. When he looked up at her she was almost white with fear. He gave her a smile that he hoped looked confident and trooper that she was she returned it. It wasn’t long before they were armed to the teeth and ready to go. It could have taken longer as far as he was concerned.
They drove most of the way to town before ditching the truck in the woods and traveling on foot the rest of the way. It was a calculated risk. Neither of them wanted to be caught on foot with no chance of escape, but they also didn’t want to alert anyone, or thing, that they were coming. They crept through the woods behind the school. As they got closer the music pumping through the PA system at the stadium became louder until it was almost deafening. Tim thought that much longer and one or more of the speakers might blow from the abuse. Underneath all of it all he thought that he heard the rumble of a generator.
“Where did they get the generator” he wondered out loud.
Cassie looked at him questioningly.
“They were all locked up and I have all of the keys. Where and how did they get one?”
“I’m sure that’s the least of our concerns” she snapped. She couldn’t stop fidgeting and was barely making eye contact.
“I guess you’re right. Follow me.”
They crept to the edge of the school grounds. Luckily the grass had become very overgrown giving them plenty of cover. The stadium lights were all on but the main building was completely dark. Moving along the chain link fence around the back of the stadium they took what cover they could find. The small group of aluminum bleachers was empty as were the larger concrete stands on the home side. The grass on the field was beginning to grow back but was still blackened in areas from the piles of burned bodies.
“It looks empty” Cassie said. She tried to whisper it but she ended up having to shout directly into his ear to be heard. “Should we go up to the press box and turn off the music.”
He shook his head no. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. This feels like a trap. There’s no sense letting them know that we are here if we don’t have to. I think we need to get back to the cabin and hole up for a bit.”
“Is that going to be enough? Maybe we should just pack the truck and run.”
“And go where?”
“Anywhere away from zombies that can set freakin traps!”
Tim looked down for a second while he thought before nodding his head. He jerked his head back towards their truck and th
ey started crawling back through the high grass. They made if almost twenty yards before they ran head long into a zombie crawling their way. Cassie shrieked involuntarily while scrambling backwards. She fell on her butt and whipped out her pistol putting a round between the ghoul’s eyes before Tim could stop her. The gun blast could be heard even over the roar of the stadium speakers.
“That’s it. We gotta run” Tim yelled while pulling Cassie to her feet.
The two took off at a dead run as more zombies popped up all around them. Their appearance on all sides of them brought them to a sliding stop. With a few choice words they started taking aim and firing all around them. All hope of stealth was long gone at this point. Tim concentrated his fire in the direction of their vehicle trying to open up a hole in the circle around them. He dropped three of the oncoming zombies giving them enough room to run.
He grabbed Cassie’s arm and pulled her along with him as he started to sprint. In no time their breaths were coming in harsh sobs of air but they continued to pump their arms and legs. The truck came into view and Tim felt a moment of relief before a small horde shambled out of the woods surrounding their means of escape. The two slid to a stop trying to reverse direction. Cassie put out an arm to catch herself as she almost over balanced.
“Damn” exclaimed Tim. He jerked his head back and forth looking for a way out. The group behind them was closing in. They were about to be sandwiched between the two groups. The only clear exit he could see was to their right back towards the school.
“We need to make a run for the school” Cassie shouted. She jerked her head towards the building for emphasis.
Tim froze in place feeling his hard thunder in his chest.
Cassie stopped and looked back towards him. “What is it?”
He shook his head frantically. “It’s a trap, don’t you see? We’re being herded towards the school.”
“Where else can we go? If we can get inside we can bar the door and hold out.”
Encounters Page 9