“It could be like this all the way to New Orleans,” Neil said, inspecting the cars. “Maybe if we had some long rope or a chain we could pull this apart?” Ram glanced back the way they had come. There was a full town back there where they could find a towrope, unfortunately it was a town full of zombies as well.
“I bet there's a good dozen hardware stores back in town that would carry what we need,” Ram said, not liking the idea—not after what had happened in Amarillo.
Julia agreed with his subconscious mind. “And there are how many thousands of zombies? I don't think it's a good idea to go rooting around in any town that size. And even if you found a rope I don't know if the Bronco can pull three cars like that.”
“I say we get a new car,” Sadie mentioned as she stretched her slim legs. As the men gave her looks she pointed across the bridge. “There are a bunch of houses just over there. I bet we can find a car that'll do for us. Or maybe even two.”
“What about gas?” Ram asked. “I bet they're all sucked dry. And even if they aren't there's still the battery to worry about.”
The girl shrugged a single shoulder. “We have gas in this car and a battery. We can pop out the battery and bring a gallon of gas with us. There's a car right there,” she said pointing at a minivan at the other end of the bridge. “We could have that one running in five minutes.”
This seemed like a good plan except they failed to take into consideration not having keys.
Armed with loaded M16s, but lacking the knowledge of hotwiring a car, Sadie, Neil, and Cassie went to the minivan, while Sarah and Julia transferred the gear from the back of the Bronco to the other side of the obstruction. Ram, still limping, climbed to the top of the barricade with his SAW and set watch all around, keeping an eye on a few stiffs who had been drawn to the movement on the bridge.
“How are they doing?” Sarah asked after a few minutes, nervous for her friends.
Ram squinted at the minivan and noticed for the first time that no one was around it at all. He struggled to sit higher. “I don't see any sign of them.”
“They're gone? What do we do?” Julia came to stand on the lowest car. “Should we keep unloading?”
“Yes, no matter what happens the Bronco is probably done. Maybe they saw a better vehicle, a bigger one…oh shit!” The distinctive thin crackling of M16s could be heard from the direction they had been staring. “Get your guns and check your ammo. And I'll need another box up here.”
Down at the far end of the bridge he saw figures running—it was the two girls. Of Neil there was no sight. “Who is that?” Sarah asked, but she knew and there was a whine of fright to her words. “Where's Neil? Where is he?”
He wasn't there, nor was he struggling to catch up. Instead, behind the girls, came a mob of lurching, swaying beasts.
At two-hundred yards, Ram opened up with the SAW, walking the tracers from the far left so that he wouldn't hit the girls who were flagging after the long sprint, yet still running. “Watch our six, Sarah,” he ordered. “Julia, don't spray your bullets…”
“Behind us!” Sarah screamed the second she turned. Attracted by the sounds of the guns, stiffs were streaming down to the bridge from the west and the blonde started ripping 5.56 rounds into them, aiming center mass where she was most effective. This slowed the beasts down, but didn't stop them. Bullets thumped and body parts flew yet the dead only picked themselves up and kept coming.
Sarah cried for help and Julia spun and began firing as well. Even working together there were too many and things might have gone horribly wrong, but just then at the far end of the bridge a huge black SUV burst onto the roadway plowing over anything that got in its way.
When she saw it, Sadie whooped in delight and stuck out a thumb as if hitch-hiking, because high up in the cab Neil could be seen grinning like a madman as he slammed on the brakes just long enough for the two girls to climb on the running boards And then moments later the truck was rumbling a few feet away from the barricade.
“We only have thirty seconds!” Neil cried out leaping down to help gather their gear.
Ram turned his SAW around and tore into the horde coming up on their rear, laying the first three rows flat before he climbed laboriously down. This bought them a few more seconds and everyone grabbed bags and gas and ammo and threw it all in messy glump in the rear cargo area and then, when they were all safely aboard, the group was laughing and plowing through the dead heading east.
“I thought you were a goner,” Cassie said to Neil.
“You can't count out my Neil,” Sadie cried, joyfully, grabbing him by the shoulders from behind and shaking him. “They ambushed us in this house and we shot ourselves dry and then Neil runs up some stairs and says: Yoo-hoo! Over here!” Sadie couldn't go on—she was too tired from running, and now she was snorting and giggling.
Cassie took over the story. “He really did say that. It was so fucked up. So they chased him upstairs and there were too many for us to do anything but run.” They looked to Neil and he only shrugged.
“I just jumped out a window and then ran across the street where this was parked in the driveway. The keys were on a key ring by the front door. It started on the first try and everything.”
Sarah, who was in the far back, said, “I'm just glad you're alright. I was…I was really, uh nervous for you.”
This seemed to please Neil to no end and Ram had to pretend not to notice the blush that crept up the man's neck. Instead he looked out the window as they came upon a sign that read: Shawnee National Forest. He had not been in a forest such as this in ages and the closeness of the trees turned his good mood sour and gave him a bit of a bad thrill down his neck.
The place was dense with underbrush and was likely a haven to untold numbers of zombies and when they attacked there would be no forewarning like on the bridge or the open prairies of the west. The stiffs could march right up, almost invisible until they were right on top of them.
Thankfully the forest didn't last, though it was a harbinger of things to come. As they progressed southeast the roads narrowed and the trees crowded in close.
Much to Ram's relief, Neil made for the open farmlands and found a good house to stay in for the night, though he confused them all by heading to the barn first. “What are you doing?” Julia asked giving the distant house a significant look.
“Houses are no good. I need to stretch again,” Sadie said, sliding out of the Suburban. “I can't stand being cooped up like this for so long. Too bad you can't join me, Ram. Maybe when your leg is better.”
She then took off in a light skip toward the barn and in a few seconds she was loping faster over the fields, raising her fingers in a peace sign. Neil looked down at the ground and picked up a good-sized rock.
“She's found a couple,” he said and then turned quickly as she squealed.
“Look at her showing off,” Sarah said, coming to stand by Neil and watching the girl dashing away at her unnatural speed. “I think she must be showing for you Mr. Ram.”
Julia shook her head. “No, it's Neil she's playing to.”
“No, I don’t think so,” Neil replied with a nervous laugh. “We don't have that sort of relationship.”
“You do, you just don't realize it,” Julia said with a smile. “Haven't you ever heard a child at a playground cry out: Look at me, Dad! That's exactly the behavior she is demonstrating. She is looking for approval from a father figure.”
“Well, that's sweet,” Neil said, with a quick glance to Sarah. She stood watching Sadie, happily.
“It's stupid is what it is,” Cassie remarked. “She's gonna get herself kilt, when we got all these guns.”
“I don't think so,” Neil said. “Watch.”
It looked like Sadie was drawing them away, but then she came back straight toward the little group at the Suburban. “Where's your axe, Neil?” she called to him from forty yards.
“I got this,” he said holding up the rock. “You see she's separated them by speed.
Now I'll just have to kill them one at a time.” Sadie slowed, letting the first zombie catch up and then, just as she came close to Neil she darted off to her right. The zombie couldn't decide which way to turn: after the girl or on toward the man, and when he paused to make the decision, Neil brained it with the rock.
The next zombie was even easier to kill since it was the slow variety.
“Nice silent kill,” Ram said, impressed.
“A gun will bring them down on us by hundreds,” Sadie remarked stretching her lean muscles once again. “Though I sure do feel better having so many guns around. Come on, let's see if they have anything good to eat.”
They explored the house and found a few odds and ends to add to their foodstuffs, including three bottles of wine of which they drank two as they sat nibbling at their dinner. It loosened their tongues and they each told stories of the apocalypse. Though the face of Shelton ghosted into his mind, Ram pushed it aside and told how he had tracked the original terrorists and then showed them the vial of blood, which they stared at as if it was more than just glass and blood.
Sarah told about how she didn't fly out to New York that very first day when everyone heard about the Q-zones. She thought it was the worst mistake of her life and she cried on Neil who wouldn't be pushed away.
Sadie and Julia talked about different family members who turned into zombies in their houses even as they watched. And Neil talked about the rats that ate the jerk from New Jersey.
“What about you, Cassie?” Neil asked when it came around to her turn.
“Naw.”
“Come on,” Sadie said shaking the black girl's foot. “It's like taking a load off your back…or like vomiting. Everyone feels better after vomiting.”
“You want vomit?” Cassie asked. “How's this? I got raped by six guys and Mister Hero over there didn't do a thing to stop it. Ram just watched like it was TV.”
“You could've walked away at any time,” Ram said, stiffly.
“Hold on. This shouldn't be about blame,” Julia said. “We've all been through things and maybe did things we probably shouldn't have. And that we regret. Ram has apologized, and though it was still a traumatic event for you Cassie, you need to stop blaming him for it happening.”
“I did some bad stuff too, I was a thief,” Sadie reminded them. “I know what I did caused people to die before they were ready. I wish I hadn't done it.”
“And I was a coward,” Neil said in a small voice. “There was a stranger…a girl with me when the man was killed. We ran and she didn't make it. I was too afraid to even try to help her.”
“And I was nearly a whore,” Sarah spoke as if in a dream. Her eyes were still wet and they were far away seeing something none of the rest could. “I was going to whore myself out to the army for food and protection.”
This silenced the conversation until Cassie said, “Damn, you a cheap ho. At least they had to take it from me.”
Sadie was on her feet in a flash and in her hand was a long, sharp hunting knife that seemed to have come from nowhere. “You take that back or I'll gut you,” she seethed, her dark eyes running hot.
“Try it, dumb ass cracker, bitch,” Cassie said easily, not at all worried. In her hand was the knife's trump card, one of the Berettas looking like night itself.
Neil got up quickly holding his hands out to the two girls. “Put the weapons down. Sadie, give me that,” he said, taking the knife from her. “And you, drop it.”
“Naw, I don't think so,” Cassie replied. “She pull a knife on me what do you expect?”
“I expect you to be civil,” Neil shot back. “What you said is almost inexcusable.”
“But she was right,” Sarah said hollow voiced and still distant. “I was cheap…I had my parents to worry about. And myself. I was worse than cheap…if you knew, Neil, you wouldn’t look at me the way you do.” Tears streaming, she shot a glance at him in fear over what his reaction would be to her confession.
“Hey, no that's not true,” he said, coming down to her level and looking her in the face. “It didn't even happen. You can't fret over something that didn't happen. And there's no way I'll look down on you because you thought about maybe doing something wrong? You'll have to go further than that to keep me from lo…” Now he choked on his words. “From, um…to keep me from thinking anything but good of you,” he finished in a hurry, his face flushed and red.
“I suppose,” she said and gave him a tiny smile. She then glanced up at Sadie. “And you. I'm so thankful that I have you and Neil on my side, but I can't have you getting hurt over something like this, Sadie. They're just words. Just mean words that…that are unfortunately true.”
Sadie answered her smile with one of her own and then she turned it into an acid glare for Cassie and she was joined by Neil who said in the clipped tones of an angry patriarch, “You had better watch how you talk to the people I care about.”
The episode set a damper on the evening and they soon made ready for bed. The night was chill and the group slept split apart. Neil made a makeshift tent from sheets and used all the blankets he could find for warmth and padding for his group and they snuggled up close to one another—and Ram was envious.
Ram's group of three, slept in separate sleeping bags and there was space between each. He had wiggled in close to Julia, however she was concerned with Cassie. The girl seemed to be pulling away and Julia didn't want to alienate her any more for fear that she would lash out.
However, Cassie acted cool the following morning as though the night before had been of little importance. She didn't fool Ram. Her eyes were quick to glare and her lips were always a half second from sneering. To him it was astonishing who seemed to make her the most upset.
“So what do you think of the new people?” Ram asked as the others left to have a long talk by themselves.
“Ok I guess. Usual white folk. Whatever.”
He looked at her close. “Ok? I expected you to have more choice words than that. Especially about Sadie.”
“I like her the most. Shit, at least she gots some balls. Not like that Michael J. Fox lookin motherfuckin Neil. Did you hear them go on about him being heroic? Shit. I'm stronger than that dude.”
She probably wasn't far off. Cassie was taller than Neil by a few inches and was likely close to the same weight. “And Sarah?”
“You mean the Jennifer Aniston wanna be?” Cassie laughed at her own joke. “I do declare, I almost had a man in me! Whatever will I do but cry? Shit. She and Julia are exactly why you shoulda hooked up with me. They haven't gone through nothing like what I did and do you see me cryin? Hell no. I'm tougher than all of them put together. Shit, I'm even tougher than you.”
“You are,” Ram admitted. He was slowly getting better; he could feel it on a daily basis. “But it's turning you like leather inside. It can't be good for you.”
“You sound like Julia. She's the weakest and the worst of them all.”
Ram couldn't believe his ears. “She's nicer to you than anyone! She's always on your side.”
“And why is that?” Cassie replied putting a hand on her hip. “Because she thinks I'm the weak one. Admit it. She is so afraid of my poor little black mind. She afraid I'll get hurt up in here. That I'll go crazy or something. Does she treat Sadie like this? No. She condescends every time she speaks to me. She's always speaking down to me. I hate her because she's the worst type of racist. The type that think they can relate; the type who keeps a black friend on hand so they can pull the: Some of my best friends are black line. Shit. Gimme a klansman any day. At least I know where I stand: they hate me and I hate them.”
“You are one messed up girl,” Ram said. “With all your hate, you're going to have a tough time of it at the CDC. What color do you think the majority of their scientists are going to be? Ninety-nine percent of them are going to be white or asian. What are you going to do then? Hate everyone?”
“When you put it like that, maybe I don't want to go.”
Ama
zingly, she was serious, but Ram wouldn't find out how serious or how deep her hatred ran for another two days. And what with the sudden appearance of a baby in their lives he forgot the conversation and failed to notice the smoldering anger in Cassie's eyes.
Chapter 42
Sarah
Tennessee
Ram had been an excellent test for Sarah. Not only was he a strong, virile man—tall, dark, and handsome—he was also a good man. A caring man.
And Sarah felt nothing for him. This she found very interesting. In the old days, had he asked her, she would have accepted an invitation to go out with him in a snap, and even though she had officially sworn off all men, since a zombie apocalypse seemed the worst possible time to consider romance, she found herself attracted to the least likely man.
Neil Martin. Before all this she would never have gone out with him. He was cute in his way, but was so slim and small. She had always liked her men to dominate her physically. It made her feel safe and warm.
Yet there she was, looking eye to eye with this little man, and the feeling of being safe was there. And so was the warmth. It made no sense, especially since she had torpedoed his advances early on—though clearly her torpedo had turned out to be a dud, since he had continued to fall for her at a rapid pace.
Sarah suspected it might have been Sadie's near constant cheerleading for Neil that had her finally giving him a second look. Or it might have been Sarah herself, coming out of the fugue state she had been in after her parents died…after she killed her parents, that is.
Or it might have been just Neil being Neil. If this was so, what did it say about her? Clearly it showed that she had been a very shallow person back in the old days, where she had taken men based more on their looks and confidence than anything else. And what had these men been so confident about? Certainly not their intelligence, emotional maturity, or their level of commitment, which was rarely anything but average. They were just confident that women were shallow creatures and wouldn't look beyond their height.
The Undead World (Book 1): The Apocalypse Page 31