by Noah Porter
Quietly, Vanessa began talking to him in tones that no one else could hear. He listened intently, occasionally shaking his head or nodding. After a few minutes he spoke a few words, also too softly for anyone else to hear. The show seemed to be over now. Everyone became engrossed in their own thoughts or conversation. All they could do was wait for Paige and Dylan to return.
Claire crouched a little way from the group and shook her head. Really, some of these guys could be so dumb. She wished things had turned out differently in Hood River; they lost a lot of really good people there, including her brother. The first vacation she’d had in five years had devolved into a nightmare, and this is what she had to work with.
At least they had picked up Vanessa in The Dalles, a town about a half-hour drive from Hood River. Claire only knew that because, during their vacation, they had gone to The Dalles a couple of times for things they couldn’t get in Hood River. It had taken three days to walk there now that it was winter. Fortunately, there hadn’t been much snow yet. The group had stopped in The Dalles to pick up supplies, warmer clothes, and to try to find somewhere they could rest for a few days. They had not found anywhere safe to rest, but they had found Vanessa. She brought some sanity and morale to the group, something they had almost lost in Hood River. On some level, they all felt compelled to protect Vanessa, another element that helped keep the survivors together. That girl really had a good head on her shoulders, even though she hardly ever talked and always followed others’ instructions. Obviously, Vanessa was a survivor. They had found her all alone in the town, one of the few still alive there. Looking at her, Claire wouldn’t have thought Vanessa was over 18 years old. But if she judged by maturity, she would have said Vanessa was one of the oldest members of the group, the girl was just so calm and collected. Then again, being immature was a luxury now. You wouldn’t survive in this new world without some serious common sense and the ability to control yourself. It was a hard lesson that most of the modern world had not learned in time.
Claire looked over the group. A few of them were surveying the field, trying to devise a strategy, while most of them chatted in low voices. She had been too harsh. They weren’t bad people, and the fact that they were all still alive showed that they had their priorities mostly straight because no one could have made it through the past few months if they didn’t act with survival in mind. Nearly all of them had some form of combat training, whether military, recreational, or practical. No. They were really a good group. It had been too long and too much without a break, and now they were going to have to fight through yet another round of the creatures. At least this time they were prepared and had time to plan. Perhaps that was why she was so edgy, if anything went wrong, most of it was on them. This wasn’t like Hood River where everything had happened unexpectedly. This time, they were in control.
She looked back at the road they had followed here with a sense of paranoia that she could not shake. This seemed too straightforward and easy, despite the numbers, because they could see everything and had a chance to plan. The zombies were either quietly standing still or slowly bumping into each other, mindlessly shuffling across the lawn. The building looked like a place where they could easily hole up once they reached it, and it would be easy to take out this horde from the roof, like Dylan had said. So why did she feel like there was something really wrong?
A quiet voice over her shoulder startled Claire, “Hopefully our luck is about to change. We just need a couple days of peace and quiet to sleep and feel safe.” Noticing her jump, Kyle put a hand on her shoulder, “Sorry, didn’t mean to alarm you.”
“It’s ok. Just tired. I think we all are, and it’s starting to show that we are more than frayed around the edges.”
Kyle wrapped his arms around her and held her. For a few moments the world stopped spinning and she felt that it might work out in the end. He turned his head to the lawn, and said, “We will get some peace and quiet tonight. If what Andrew said is still true, once we get in, there will be plenty of space to spread out. I think that we all need some space to ourselves for a little while. I just hope there is some food. Not having to scrounge for dinner tonight would be amazing.” Claire pulled back and smiled. As if in afterthought, Kyle said, “And not a lot of undead shambling around inside. I could stand walking without having to keep a weapon at the ready.”
Claire chuckled, “No kidding.”
Ben walked over to them and pulled Claire into a quick hug. “How’s our tough girl holding up? You look a bit distracted and, um, depressed.”
“I think Kyle got that one right, I could kill for a room of my own right now.”
Ben held up his hands as if she were holding a gun on him, “Now, now, let’s not get violent quite yet, tiger, save that for the zombies.”
Again she chuckled. They were away from the group and out of sight of the zombies so they could speak more freely. “Hey, once we are inside, would you guys mind showing me some more martial arts? I mean, I have the least practical training for this.”
Kyle raised an eyebrow, “I would say after three months of hardcore zombie slaying you are pretty well set. But, sure, I would be alright with teaching you.”
Ben nodded, “Yeah. I would love an excuse to throw you around for a bit. Any invitation for physical contact with a woman is welcome nowadays.”
Claire punched him in the arm and he chuckled. A smile spread across her face, “If I keep learning at this pace, I might be tossing you around by tonight.”
Ben grinned, “Hey, I’m not against you on top, whatever makes you happy.”
This time she gave his bicep a couple of punches, “Not what I meant and you know it. Get your mind out of the gutter and back to work.”
Ben threw his hands up, “Fine, fine.” Then he turned serious, “The best way for you to learn, though, is by watching us as we beat up the corpses. One of the biggest problems with learning against people is that a corpse does not move or give the same way that a living body does.”
With a quick movement, Kyle had wrapped his arm around Claire’s body and simultaneously moved a leg behind her’s so that if he let go she would fall. A small cloud of dust rose from the dirt and a couple of pebbles rolled down the hill.
“See? You are fighting the motion, which means that the follow through is different. If Kyle hadn’t stopped your fall you would have been almost rigid when you hit.” Kyle let her down gently so that she could feel the different angles of her body as she hit the ground. She thought about how messed up her knee would have been in that position and how it would have affected her ability to fight.
Ben continued, “When you fight the living, you count on the body showing signs of the fight. That does not happen against these things. It’s more like fighting a drunk. They don’t register any of the blows, so no matter how powerful your moves are, the best you can hope is that they fall. Never - let me repeat - never try to put your hand through their face.”
Claire gave him a look of disbelief, “Really, you think you can put your hand through a skull?”
Kyle and Ben both nodded, and Kyle said, “Yeah, there was a guy back in Portland who thought it would be a quick and easy way to take care of the problem. Their skulls are actually pretty soft now because most of them have been decomposing. There are some real benefits to them being dead you know.”
“Ok, so why not take them out with your fist if you can?”
“Because that is still bone you are punching through. No matter how soft it has gotten, it is still going to mess up your hand.” Kyle said.
Ben finished the thought, “And when you pull your fist out, all of the cuts and gashes from that bone are going to be infected.”
Claire put a hand on her mouth, “And you know someone who did that?”
Ben shrugged, “Yeah, there were plenty of idiots out there. If nothing else, zombification is the ultimate proof of survival of the fittest. How many idiots and fools do you see still among the living - apart from a couple we kee
p protecting,” and he nodded toward Karen and Seth. The two of them were talking rather animatedly and were beginning to get a little too loud.
A voice from behind made them jump, “I would say our group is full of idiots, but that’s alright. You guys don’t seem to be easy to kill. Even when you make enough noise play fighting over here,” Mason was smiling at them.
“God, Mason, we didn’t hear you sneak up on us,” Claire put her hand over her heart as if to slow it down.
Ben stretched out his arms, “If it isn’t the pedophile come to talk to us.” He tried to hug Mason, but Mason nimbly avoided him, the smile still firmly in place.
“Hey, I did not tell Vanessa to do that. Of course, had I known, I might have set her off a little earlier.”
“Gross,” “Ewww,” and “You’re so perverted,” were furiously whispered in response. Mason sat back down on his rock and laughed silently. “In case you puppies hadn’t noticed, there is a different type of law and order in the world today.”
Claire appraised Mason for a moment, “It’s alright guys, he isn’t serious. Mason isn’t going to do anything to Vanessa.”
Mason shrugged, “That would be true if she were as young as you seem to think she is, but even that taboo isn’t likely to last too long in the new world as men become desperate and the human populace declines into six digits.” The others looked about to argue with him, but he help up a hand, “I’m not saying me personally, just a fact in the world we live in. You know there were places that married off kids much younger than Vanessa before zombies shambled the Earth.”
Ben sat on a rock next to him, “It wasn’t right then, either.”
Claire tilted her head to the side, “How old do you think she is?”
A smirk spread across his face as Mason stood up, “I know she is 19, which would make her legal even if this were six months ago. Now if you don’t mind, please keep it down or I’ll throw you to the zombies to give the rest of us time to escape.”
After he was out of earshot, Ben asked, “So how old do you think he is?”
Claire pondered for a few seconds, “I would put him in his late twenties.”
Kyle looked at here, “So about the same age as most of us then?”
Ben shrugged, “Seems as good a guess as any of the others. He won’t say. Even if he is right about Vanessa, she’s our youngest member, which would mean he had better keep his hands off.”
“Oh come on, he didn’t instigate, and to be honest, I don’t think he would consider any of us in that way.” Claire shook her head before the others could respond. “He talks, but notice how he hardly ever touches anyone. It’s like he has too many personal barriers.”
Ben watched Mason, “Who knows? When I first saw him I thought he was just a kid, like a teenager. Course hard to think that once you get to know the guy. Maybe he had a bad marriage or something and he’s not willing to let anyone in now.”
The other two pondered that idea.
Mason silenced the other group before their laughter became too loud. It was almost like these pathetic people wanted to be found. If these morons weren’t so entertaining, and if Dylan and Paige hadn’t insisted on staying with them, Mason would have left a long time ago. But there was always something going on, so he was willing to cope with idiots to stay with the real power. Could he make it on his own? The odds were certainly in his favor, but it was an unnecessary risk. And risk was something he had been able to assess since he was able to read. As soon as the group got too sloppy, that was his cue to go, and of course he had an exit strategy as well. Until then he could play babysitter while the adults were off scouting.
Mason had just finished quieting Karen and Seth, when Lily signaled for everyone’s attention. “They’re coming back.”
A few minutes later, Dylan and Paige were back and the news was pretty much what the group expected.
“They are all over the west side as well. And the gates are closed over there,” Paige reported. “It looks like there is another way in from the front, but it would require the same tactics and we can’t see if the doors are barred.”
Dylan nodded, “Our best move is to get to the door on the east.”
“We talked it over on the way back and we need to split up into two groups,” Paige was all business now. “A small group of us will draw their attention by going right down the middle of the art exhibit.”
A couple of people vehemently shook their heads. Dylan held up a finger, “Only people who volunteer will go. If it is just Paige and I, so be it. Now hush and listen.”
Paige continued, “While we have their attention, the larger group will go down the road and circle behind them. We should be able to get their attention so that you will have minimal fighting to get to the doors. From here, it looks like the doors are open. If that is the case, send us a signal and we will push forward. Of course, if you can send help, it would be much appreciated. If the doors are closed and locked, make your way back here and start shooting at the bastards and we will head back this way to regroup.”
Karen looked at them with a nasty expression, “And what then? If the doors are barred and locked and we come back here, our cover is blown. What are we supposed to do then?”
“We throw you in as bait and hightail it out of here. Did you not hear Dylan say to stay quiet, because I think everyone else did. And if you can’t follow simple directions, that would make you the most expendable,” Karen had not expected Mason to intervene. Her blood began to boil, but she knew there was no point in arguing with him.
“We aren’t using anyone as unwilling bait, Mason,” Dylan was giving him a stern look, then, without looking at Karen, “no matter how difficult that person is. This plan is the best we could do. Who agrees with it?”
Karen was the only one who did not raise her hand.
“It’s settled. Paige and I will create a diversion while you guys try to get inside.”
Mason stood up, “I’m going with you two.”
Lily, Kyle, and Ben also volunteered.
Paige gave a genuine smile, but she could not agree to risking five members, “Very thoughtful, but we can’t have that many. Kyle and Ben, would you please lead the larger group to the door? Don’t worry, you can be our white knights once you get the others in.”
They reluctantly agreed.
“Alright, it looks like we know what to do. Everyone take some time to prepare. Kyle and Ben come with me. We’re going to look over the parking lot to see if there are any obvious surprises.” Dylan led the other two up the hill to examine the parking lot.
Claire walked over to Paige, Mason, and Lily as they prepared. “You guys be careful, alright?”
“Whatever do you mean,” Mason quipped, “What need is there for caution when knowingly running head first into a zombie horde? It’s the perfect gift for the adrenaline junkie.”
Claire grabbed him while he was distracted and gave him a big hug, “Yeah, no unnecessary heroics out there.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then turned to hug Paige and Lily. “Thanks, guys. You always do so much for us, it’s not right.”
Mason wrapped his arms around the three women and said, “The best way to say thank you is to get that door open so that we don’t have to be out there too long.”
“Um, Mason, I’m getting smothered in here,” Lily was in the middle of the hug, and as the shortest, her face was pressed against bodies on all sides.
“Oh fine, break up a touching moment,” Mason let the women go and moved to the side to survey the zombies from a new angle.
“You mean touching like you getting to touch a lot of women at one time,” Lily said as she enjoyed the fresh air.
“Like Ben, I see nothing wrong with accepting the willing touch of a woman. Women, many of them, are even better. Now hush up, woman, and let me study,” Mason tried to look focused.
A lopsided grin spread across Claire’s face, “As if making out with little Vanessa wasn’t enough.”
Paige�
��s head whipped around, “What’s that supposed to mean?” She looked at Mason, “What did you do?” Anger flared in her eyes.
Mason wore a mock look of hurt, “Who needs zombies to tear them apart when you are so willing to do it for them?” He then resumed his indifferent state and looked over the field, “I’m sure you’ll hear about it in full detail later. I didn’t do anything to that crazy girl to encourage her behavior and I was every bit as shocked as everyone else. Now if you will excuse me, there are far more serious things to attend to at the moment.”
Paige dropped her head momentarily, “You are right. I am sorry. We will discuss this later. For now we need to determine our moves.”
The guys returned a couple seconds later, immersed in hushed scheming.