“John, the demons,” Amy shouted.
“I see them,” John said calmly.
“Swim boy, swim,” Amy pleaded.
“My God,” John exclaimed, “they’re swimming.”
“Shoot,” Derek shouted from the bridge, “shoot the bastards!”
The Lab made it half way to the boat then started to slow. The demons were catching up. Their eyes wide with hatred.
John leaned back and took aim. The rifle barked as the round left the barrel and entered the closest demon’s left eye. The back of the zombies head exploded then the body quickly sank.
“Hurry boy, you can make it,” Amy encouraged the dog.
John worked the bolt and slammed another round home. The dog was fifteen feet from the boat now and beginning to flounder.
Suddenly there was a tremendous splash as Derek jumped into the water. He surfaced a couple of feet from the dog who had become confused and was swimming parallel to the boat. Derek grabbed the dog by the collar and began swimming for the boat pulling the dog behind him.
“Shoot” Derek screamed, “shoot damn it!”
The demon was almost to them when John fired the rifle again. The round slammed into the demon’s shoulder. It paused, dropped below the surface for a second then popped back up and began swimming for them again. John chambered another round and pulled the trigger. This time the left side of the zombie’s head disappeared in a mist of red and white. It stopped swimming, rolled over on its side and sank.
Coughing and spitting seawater Derek reached the landing and grabbed the ladder with his free hand. With the other he lifted the dog up onto the platform. Amy took the dog as Derek climbed up onto the deck and collapsed.
“That was intense dude,” Derek said gasping for breath.
“That’s putting it mildly,” John answered.
“Help me get the dog up on the deck,” Amy told John.
Amy climbed up the ladder and reached down for the dog as John lifted it up and into Amy’s arms.
“She’s heavy,” John said.
“She?” Amy said.
“It’s a girl,” John said grinning, “you were calling her, boy.”
“Woops, sorry girl,” Amy said, “didn’t mean to insult you like that.”
“Derek, nobody’s driving the boat,” John said.
“It’s ok,” Derek answered, “we’re drifting into the harbor with the tide. Let me catch my breath and I’ll get back up there.”
Amy checked the dog over good and didn’t see any wounds. John climbed back up onto the boat.
“Her name is Suzie. It’s stamped on her tag,” Amy said.
“Welcome aboard Suzie,” John said as he patted the dog on the head.
Suzie shook violently spraying Amy and John with water. Amy led her inside to give her some water.
Somehow Jimmy had slept through all the commotion and awoke with a start when Suzie licked him on the face. He grinned when he realized what it was.
“Jimmy meet Suzie,” Amy said.
Jimmy put his hand on the top of her head.
“Wow,” he said. “She’s just like Mr. Beckham’s dog… and she’s wet.”
“Yeah, she just went for a little swim.”
Derek finally made it back to his feet and climbed up. John was sitting on a cooler.
“That was wild man,” Derek said. “I didn’t know demon’s could swim.”
“Me either,” John said. “We’re drifting fast. Should we drop the anchor?”
“It’s getting late,” Derek said, “we need to find a place to anchor or tie up before dark.”
He climbed back up to the bridge. John followed. They were both shivering from the cool air and wet clothes.
“What now?” John said.
“I was thinking we could tie off to one of the Ravenell bridge supports,” Derek said. “It’s in the middle of the river, I think we would be safe there.”
“Ok lets do it.”
The engines roared to life as Derek pushed the ignition, put the props in gear and pushed the throttle forward. Daylight was fading fast. The boats bow was high in the water as Derek pushed it as far as he could to get to the bridge while they still had enough light.
“Hey,” Derek said to John smiling, “you’re the Navy guy, shouldn’t you be driving the boat.”
John laughed. “I flew helicopters man, and made a point of learning as little as possible about the actual workings of the boat. Besides you’re doing just fine.”
In the cabin Amy was busy preparing food for Jimmy. A sandwich made with canned meat.
Up on the bridge John said. “I’ll go down and see if I can find some dry clothes. You’re soaked and I’m pretty wet myself.
“Yeah, I’m freezing,” Derek said. “We’ll change after we get the boat tied up. It’ll only take ten minutes to get to the bridge.”
In the cabin Suzie’s ears suddenly perked up as she jumped up, pushed the door open and ran out onto the back deck of the boat. She jumped up with her front paws on the side and her back paws on the deck. She barked furiously.
The boat was just then passing by the marina they had left from originally.
John and Derek looked at each other.
“There still there,” Derek said. “She can sense them.”
John nodded in agreement. Amy emerged from the cabin and took a very agitated Suzie back inside.
“I’ll be right back, you need anything?” John asked.
“Yes,” Derek said, “a cold beer.”
“I hear you, when we get this thing tied up we’ll get some dry clothes on and open one of those cases.”
“Don’t forget the fully stocked liquor cabinet,” Derek shot back with a grin.
“Right.”
John climbed down and into the cabin. Amy and Jimmy were sitting on the floor playing with Suzie.
“Hi guys, we’re going to tie up at the bridge for the night. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“John,” Amy said looking up with a sad look on her face. “I’m sorry.”
“About what.”
“It was my idea to go to the Fort.”
“Amy it was a great idea. Besides it got us off land for a while. We’re safer out here, and, we saved the dog.”
“Suzie,” Jimmy corrected him.
“Right, Suzie,” John said.
“Can we keep her,” Jimmy asked.
“Of course we can,” Amy answered.
“That’s right buddy. From now on she’s your dog ok?” John added.
“She’s a cool dog,” Jimmy said stroking her back.
Amy looked up at John and smiled. He smiled back.
Things are looking up, he thought.
They continued to smile at each other. John held his gaze a little too long. Jimmy noticed.
“I think she likes you Jimmy,” Amy said petting Suzie on the head.
“And I think,” Jimmy said then paused. “That he,” and he pointed to John and giggled. “Likes you.”
“You think so?” she said blushing.
“Yes, I think so.”
John felt more relaxed now than at any time since all this began. He wasn’t quite sure why. Maybe it was having the kid and the dog around or maybe because they were more secure out here on the water. What ever it was it felt good. It was hard for him to believe that it was just this morning that they were at his house. It seemed like weeks ago.
John lay out some dry clothes for himself and Derek then went back outside. They would be at the bridge soon.
“How are we doing?” he asked Derek.
“Almost there.”
Nearing the bridge Derek eased off the throttle and slowed.
“John, get ready to tie off the bow. I’ll get us next to the footings, tie us off to those signposts.”
“You got it,” John said.
Derek eased the boat in along side the footing. John threw the bumpers over the side and tossed the rope up onto the concrete. Climbing over to the footing he tied the bow off
then the stern.
Once Derek was satisfied the boat was secure he killed the engine.
“How about that cold beer now,” he said as he climbed down.
“Sounds good. Lets get out of these wet clothes.”
“Right behind you.”
After changing clothes John looked around the cabin for the two cases of beer.
“It’s in the fridge,” Amy said, “over there by the sink.”
“We have a fridge?”
“Yes we do.”
“Well I’ll be damned,” John said.
“I put some in there before we left the dock. It won’t be cold but it will at least be cooler than it was. The rest are in the cabinet.”
“Great. Derek and I are going to sit outside and have one. Want to join us?”
“Maybe later. I think I’ll stay in here with Jimmy for a while.”
Derek came out of the stateroom dressed in his new clothes.
“How do they fit,” John asked.
“Not bad. We’re about the same height. They would have been to tight in the waist a week ago but fit pretty good now.”
John took two beers from the fridge and followed Derek out onto the back deck of the boat where they sat down in deck chairs.
The water was calm and rocked the boat gently as it lapped at the side. A cool breeze was blowing in from the Atlantic. The fresh sea air was refreshing. The smell of death they had become used to was absent. The Western horizon faded from orange to purple in the last light of dusk.
Derek took a long slow drink of his beer.
“Damn that’s good,” he said.
John turned his can up and relieved it of half its contents.
“Yeah it is,” he said wiping his chin, “If I only had my MP3 player and a little Megadeth, life would be good.”
Derek started laughing.
“What’s so funny?” John asked.
“Some dudes I was in the Army with were rabid about that stuff man. They used to argue about it all the time.”
“Argue about it?”
“Yeah man, argue,” Derek said.
“You were into thrash metal?” John asked.
“Briefly. Very briefly,” Derek said laughing. “The guys I hung out with were into it big time. We did a great deal of partying back then so it was always blaring. Either that or rap but mostly that.”
“What would they argue about?” John asked.
“This,” Derek said. “Megadeth or Metallica?”
“That’s easy. Megadeth,” John answered matter-of-factly, “hands down. No question about it. You have to look at the body of work. There’s no comparison dude. I mean come on... an entire CD with no lead guitar? What the hell was that all about?”
“Whoa take it easy dude... I don’t have a dog in this hunt. I’m just posing the same question to you that they would argue about. I’m talking about almost coming to blows sometimes,” Derek said laughing. “They were serious about that shit.”
John laughed. “Yeah well... you know.”
“Enough about thrash metal. Not really my cup of tea anyway but I’m happy to help you get that off your chest,” Derek said still laughing. “All that aside, What do you think our chances are?”
“I don’t know. I feel pretty good about it though. We’ve made it this far. I see no reason we can’t survive.”
“Me either. I think our chances are good. I didn’t think so back at the hotel when I was alone, but now, with the three of us working together I think we’ll be ok.”
“What did happen? Back there, at the hotel?”
“It’s all kind of a blur now, I mean… I went to work at eleven as usual. The evening clerk handed over the front desk to me and I checked in a couple of late arrivals. It was quiet so I kicked back to study.”
“Study? You going to school?”
“Yes, during the day. Working nights at the hotel gives me a chance to study. I’m pretty much either at work, school or asleep. Not much time for anything else.”
“No girlfriend?”
“Not right now. I don’t have the time or the money. Girlfriends are expensive and time consuming.”
They both laughed. Then Derek continued.
“At 2:30 some people came through the lobby. They had been downtown partying. Got out of the taxi shitfaced, making too much noise. Sam, the security guard followed them in and told them to keep it down. Then he went back out to his car. I talked to Martha and Sandy, they worked at the hotel at night washing sheets and stuff, I talked to them around 3:30. I kept studying until about 4:00 then fell asleep myself. I’m not supposed to sleep but sometimes I can’t help it. There’s a bell on the desk if anyone needs me. I woke up at 5:00 and made some coffee then started doing paperwork and getting ready for some of the early checkouts. Then around 5:30 things started to get crazy man, I mean I’m not kidding.”
“5:30? Really?” John said sitting more straight in his chair.
“Yeah, why?”
“That’s the same time it started to get crazy where I was.”
“How so?”
“The fire Department came around my hotel knocking on doors telling everyone to stay in their rooms. They wouldn’t tell me why.”
“Then it started at about the same time there,” Derek said.
“Right. I was woken up at 5:30 so the trouble started sometime before then.”
“Where were you?”
“In the upstate on business.”
“Wow, and it took you guys four days to get back down here?”
“We could have made it sooner but we stopped in Columbia.”
“What for?”
“To look for Amy's family.”
“Did you find them?”
“We found evidence of them, meaning, we found a note they left behind.”
“What did it say?”
“It was made out to Amy, telling her they were going to the lake house to hide out. So, we think they thought they could hold out there better than in town. It also said her sister died the first day and had to be “put down” as they put. They didn’t elaborate. We found her grave in the front yard.”
“Did you look for them?”
“We went to the lake house but, evidently they never made it there. There was no sign that anyone had been there since the last time Amy was there a few weeks ago. Nothing was disturbed. No car.”
“How’s she taking it?”
“It was bad at first,” John took another drink from his can. “What about your family?”
“My family? I don’t have a family. I was orphaned as a baby, never knew my real mother or father. I was adopted when I was twelve. My adopted parents were killed in a car wreck when I was in the Army. ”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“That’s ok. They were great. I don’t know what would have happened to me if it weren’t for them. I mean I was headed for trouble with a capital T.”
“Where were you until you were adopted?”
“I went from one foster home to another. Some good, some bad. Seems like when I wanted to stay I had to leave and when I wanted to leave I had to stay,” Derek shook his head and laughed. “Life’s cruel that way I guess.”
“Yes, it seems so,” John said.
“Your adopted parents have any other children?”
“No, just me. They were older when they adopted me. Mid fifties. Kind of late to start a family but they knew the social worker that handled my case. They were initially going to be foster parents but after a few months decide to adopt me.”
“How did they settle you down?”
“They didn’t, I did.”
“Really?”
“After I was adopted and I knew I wasn’t going to be sent away again it changed me. It wasn’t a conscious decision it just turned out that way.
After they adopted me I decided to do everything I could to make sure they didn’t regret it. You know?”
“Yeah I can understand,” John said, adding. “I didn’t
mean to change the subject.”
“That’s ok, I don’t mind, sometimes it helps to talk about it,” Derek said. “Therapy.”
“I think we could all use a little therapy right now,” John said grinning.
They both laughed.
“They wanted me to go college," Derek continued. "It disappointed them that I didn’t.”
“Why didn’t you?” John asked.
“Don’t get me wrong, they supported me and understood why I did what I did.”
“Understood why you joined the Army?”
“Yes, I mean my life up until I was adopted was like being a soccer ball man, bouncing around from one place to the other. It was tough. A lot of times I took it out on my foster parents. I feel bad about it now but I was a kid then and couldn’t understand why things were like they were. I wanted to be like the other kids. The kids who had real parents and a real house with their own rooms and their own stuff.
Even after I was adopted I would have nightmares that the Department of Social Services would come and take me away in the middle of the night. So, when I turned eighteen, I wanted to do something that was my decision and mine alone. I wanted to be in control. Have something that no one could take away from me, so, I joined the Army.”
“Let me get this straight,” John said. “Now don’t forget I was a military man myself, you joined the Army so you could feel like you, were the one in control.”
“Yeah, right,” Derek said laughing. “Pretty absurd huh?”
“I’m just saying,” John said grinning.
“Seems weird now,” Derek said, “but it made perfect sense at the time.”
“Just kidding you man,” John said. “I understand completely.”
“It was one of those deals where I needed to prove something to myself. Not to anyone else but to me. So I did my four years and got out. I promised my adopted parents I would go to school when I was discharged but with them gone it didn't happen right away.”
“Why not?” John asked.
“My girlfriend at the time got pregnant so I wound up getting married, and divorced of course a couple of years later.”
“Where’s your kid now?”
“Virginia, that’s where her mother’s from. I don’t get to see my daughter much. Three times a year if I’m lucky. But I’ve never missed a child support payment.”
“How old is she now?”
“She’s seven almost eight. Her name is Katelyn. You have any kids?”
The Demon Dead Page 16