“It just keeps getting weirder and weirder man,” Derek said. “Come on, we’re running out of time.”
“You go back to the boat,” John said dropping the empty magazine and inserting a full one, “I’ll see if the truck starts and pull it down to the dock.”
Derek walked back to the dock and sat down. Amy and Jimmy joined him.
“What happened?” Amy asked.
“There were two zombies tied up in the bathroom.”
“Tied up? Why? What kind were they?”
“Just your basic zombies. The gomer you saw dragging the body down the driveway…”
“A body?” Amy interrupted.
“Well, it was a zombie actually. He had it tied up. Anyway, in his previous life this guy was a serial killer.”
“A gomer serial killer? Wow, that’s crazy.”
“What about the first two shots?” she asked.
“That was me shooting the two in the bathroom,” Derek said.
“And the machine gun?”
“That was John. And its an M-16 not a machine gun.”
“Whatever…anyway.”
“We found the assault rifle, M-16, in one of the closets. He unloaded a whole clip into the dude.”
“Did it come after you?”
“Not exactly. We were watching it. After it saw that we had killed its two captive zombies in the bathroom it went into the bedroom to get the 16. That’s when John shot it.”
“Cool,” Jimmy said looking around from behind Amy, “we’re the good guys aren’t we Derek?”
“Yeah buddy,” Derek said winking at him, “we’re the good guys.”
John put the key in the ignition and turned. The truck came to life and idled smoothly. He pulled out into the driveway being careful not to run over the tied up zombie then backed down to the dock. The gas tank was half full. Plenty of gas for now he thought. They can always siphon more later if they need to.
John turned off the truck and stepped out. Derek, Amy and Jimmy were seated under the covered dock. Suzie lay on the deck tied to a post. John joined them and sat down.
“Amy remember what you said about the gomers being real people and not monsters?
“Yes.”
“Well, this one may have been both.”
“Yeah Derek told me... unreal.”
“Too real actually,” John said. “Guys I think we should scout the light house before we pack everything up,”
“You two go,” Amy said, “I’ve had all the scouting I can handle for one day.”
“I’ll go,” Jimmy said.
John shrugged and looked at Amy.
“No, no, no,” she said, “sorry Jimmy. It’s too dangerous.”
Jimmy folded his arms across his chest and looked very disappointed.
“You two should stay in the cabin while we’re gone,” John said looking at Amy and Jimmy, “and keep the door locked.”
“Leave me the shotgun,” Amy said, “I’ll stay on the bridge to stand watch. Jimmy you take Suzie into the cabin and get her something to eat ok.”
“Whatever,” Jimmy said as he got up to untie Suzie.
“Watch that attitude young man,” Amy said with a stern look.
“Sorry.” Jimmy answered sheepishly.
John helped him get the dog onboard then reloaded the shotgun and set it beside the ladder.
“What about that one?” Amy said pointing toward the zombie in the driveway.
“We’ll take care of it on the way out,” Derek said.
“Have your other gun?” John asked Amy.
“Yes,” she answered. “Don’t take too long John. Check it out quickly then come straight back. It’s already after four o’clock and it gets dark at seven.”
“We will. It will only take us twenty or thirty minutes to get there and back.”
Derek reloaded the rifle and checked his pistol. John did the same throwing more ammo for the rifle into the truck.
Amy made sure Jimmy and Suzie were secure in the cabin then took up position on the bridge.
The truck pulled up to the living corpse in the driveway and stopped. John and Derek stepped over to it. Derek leaned down and picked up the rope. The zombie squirmed and snarled.
John grabbed the rope also and helped Derek drag the thing to the front of the house. It rolled from side to side along the way.
“You want to shoot it?” Derek asked.
“No, the shots will scare them back on the boat,” John said walking over to the steps at the front of the house and stooping down to pick up a large river rock.
Calmly he walked over to the zombie, lifted the rock over his head and dropped it. The force of the rock being dropped from almost nine feet flattened the zombie’s skull with a sickeningly wet thud. The struggling stopped immediately.
“That should do it,” he said slapping his hands together to get the dirt off.
They walked back to the truck.
“I’ll ride in the back,” Derek said, “easier to take care of any trouble. My turn give me the 16.”
“Oh man, I knew you were going to want it sooner or later,” John said handing him the rifle and extra magazines.
Derek handed him the hunting rifle and climbed up into the bed. “Open the sliding rear window so we can hear each other,” he told John, “and I’ll be standing up so no sharp turns.”
John got in, slid the window open and started the truck.
After turning onto the road he picked up a little speed, the cool fall air pouring in the window and filling the truck with the smell of wet, salty death. The drive to the lighthouse was short. They drove right up to front doors. Heavy double metal doors. They were closed. There was no activity in or around the lighthouse. A crisp clean breeze blew in from the sea.
“Well look at that,” John said, “the key is still in the door.”
“Lets take a look,” Derek said climbing down.
“Right, and quickly,” John said getting out of the cab.
Cautiously they approached the door. Derek stood back while John tried the knob. It was locked. Slowly he turned the key. Suddenly the door flew open as it was pushed from the inside. An angry growl filled the air as the zombie stumbled out. It took two steps before the assault rifle barked to life and sent two rounds into its face sending the head snapping backwards as the body jerked and fell to the ground. John jumped out of the way as soon as the door swung open and raised his rifle firing one shot just for good measure. The zombie was dressed in a Coast Guard work uniform.
John motioned for Derek to cover him, leaned the rifle against the outside wall and pulled the pistol from his waistband. Stepping up to the doorway, he peered inside. He saw nothing else. The zombie must have been trapped inside for days. They did a quick check of the oddly shaped lighthouse and found no one else inside. Boxes of MRE’s and bottled water were stacked up near the stairs so food and water wouldn’t be a problem for sometime to come.
“Looks good,” Derek said. “Let’s get back.”
John closed the doors and locked them sticking the key in his pocket. After dragging the corpse out of sight they got back in the truck and headed back with the news.
They were back quickly without incident. The entire trip had only taken twenty minutes. Amy was relieved to see them turning into the driveway. John drove up to the dock and turned off the truck.
“Well?” Amy said as she met them half way to the boat.
“Looks good,” Derek said, “completely intact. There’s food and water. No zombies. At least not now.”
“What do you mean at least not now?” Amy asked.
“There was one,” John said, “but Derek took care of it.”
“Ok,” she said. “I’ll get Jimmy and we’ll start loading our stuff.”
It took forty-five minutes to load everything and check the boat over to make sure they weren’t leaving anything behind. The sun hung low over the horizon as they finished up.
“That’ll do it,” John said.
Derek climbed up to the bridge and took the keys from the ignition. Amy double-checked to make sure the cabin was locked then helped Jimmy put Suzie in the bed of the truck. Derek climbed up with the dog and took a seat on the fender well. Amy and Jimmy got into the cab.
“I’ll keep a look out to the sides and rear,” Derek said, “let me know if you see anything to the front. I can cover it over the top of the cab.
John nodded and joined Jimmy and Amy in the front. Slowly the truck pulled away from the dock and headed out to the road. Derek looked back on the boat as if he was leaving an old friend. It had served them well for the past couple of days. He felt much safer on the water.
Amy looked over as they passed the zombie lying in the yard. She glanced over at Jimmy but he was looking straight ahead and didn’t notice. John cleared his throat to get Amy’s attention and nodded. Jimmy, excited about the new adventure, sat up straight and looked ahead eagerly.
“Can we play catch when we get to the lighthouse?” Jimmy asked looking up at John.
“Maybe tomorrow, ok.”
Jimmy nodded.
“I’m hungry,” he said.
“We’ll eat when we get there,” Amy answered.
Turning right out of the driveway they drove two blocks then turned left. This street took them directly there. The truck turned into the lighthouse grounds and parked near the entrance.
The day was already growing dimmer. The large sun had dipped below the horizon turning the sky a mixture of purple, pink and orange.
Derek jumped down from the truck bed and walked over to the door.
“Toss me the key,” he said to John.
With Suzie following, John got out of the truck and threw him the key. Derek unlocked the door and stepped in.
“We can pile our stuff here,” he said pointing to a spot just inside, “beside the water and MRE’s.”
John led Jimmy, Amy and Suzie up to the top of the lighthouse.
“Here,” John said tossing Jimmy a green packaged MRE.
“What’s this?” Jimmy said shaking it.
“Food. It’s good try it. You may get lucky and get some candy. You want one,” he asked Amy.
“I’ll pass for now,” she answered, “maybe later.”
Jimmy smiled and tore open the bag dumping the contents out on the table.
“You guys hang out up here,” John said tossing Amy a pair of binoculars. “Keep an eye out while we unload everything.”
“You got it.”
John left to help Derek unload as Jimmy tore into a pouch labeled beef stew. Amy opened a window and looked back toward the harbor. She was struck by the beauty but knew she was looking at a dead world. Peering through the binoculars she could see Fort Sumter clearly. The zombies still wandered the fort aimlessly. St. Phillips was clearly visible, the bell tower standing watch over the city. She could see the sheet hanging over the side but it was too far to be able to read in the dull light. She made a mark on the counter pointing directly at the church so she would be able to point the flashlight in the right direction when the time came to signal the Rector. Turning to the west she caught the last bit of sun as it dipped completely below the horizon. After their time on the boat she felt uneasy now. The lighthouse was secure but they could easily be trapped here. She pushed the thought from her mind.
Jimmy had finished the beef stew and was tearing into a pouch marked brownie. Amy looked down on John and Derek as they unloaded the truck. She was suddenly struck with the thought of how much she had become dependent on Johns presence over the last few days. She hadn’t thought much about what would have happened to her had he not come along but now the realization suddenly hit her and her eyes watered and a tear started down her cheek. She watched him wishing he would hurry and get back up stairs. She looked up at Jimmy who had stopped eating the brownie and was staring at her. Wiping the tear away she smiled at him. She was actually a little surprised by the feelings she was having.
“Can I have a bite of that brownie?” she asked.
“Sure,” he said handing it to her, “you can have the whole thing. It tastes like chocolate flavored cardboard.”
“Gee, thanks,” she said taking a bite. “you’re right, it is bad. Hey watch this.”
She walked over to the open window above where Derek and John were working and tossed the brownie into the back of the truck just as John was taking the last thing out. He jumped back startled then looked up and saw them.
“Very funny,” he said, “very funny.”
Amy and Jimmy laughed. Amy put her arms around Jimmy and hugged.
“Are we safe now?” Jimmy asked.
“I think so. You see all this stuff?” she said pointing to the radio equipment. “If we can get this stuff working maybe we can call someone to come and get us.”
“Really?’
“Yes, really,” she said hoping she wasn’t lying.
After putting the last of the things inside John sat down in the truck and turned the radio on. The tone was still there but nothing else. They went inside and closed and locked the heavy double doors then lowered the steel locking bar and secured it with a bolt.
The weapons were carried upstairs along with the ammo and checked. They were cleaned as best as they could be. Everyone joined in counting the ammo. There were enough rounds for all the guns but John regretted not trying to find more when they had the chance. They could be here a long time and you could never have too much. Praise the Lord and pass the ammo he thought. Night came quickly as they finished up.
“It’s almost seven,” Amy said, “we have to signal the Rector at nine.”
“Right,” John said, “he’ll be glad to know we made it.”
“I hope those two idiots don’t get him killed,” Derek added.
“Me too,” Amy said, “me too.”
“Tomorrow we’ll try to get the generator running,” John said, “then we’ll try out the radios.”
“Where are we going to sleep?” Amy asked.
“Up here,” John said lighting a candle and placing it on the counter, “we can close the trap door over the stairs and lock it. There’s enough room downstairs but this is the most secure place. I’ll go get some blankets.”
“I’ll help,” Amy said getting up to follow him.
Once downstairs she fell into his arms and kissed him. Tears streaming down her face.
“You better not ever leave me,” she said finally, “do you understand?”
“I don’t plan on it,” he said hugging her tightly.
He struggled once again for something else to say but came up blank, so he just said nothing.
They stayed in each other’s arms for a while until Derek shouted down to them.
“Hey, ya’ll need any help?”
“No, we have it. Thanks,” John answered back.
“Come on,” Amy said taking him by the hand.
They grabbed several blankets and pillows they had taken from the boat and headed back up.
Amy made Jimmy a bed in the corner, which he fell into and was quickly asleep. Suzie laid down beside him. Amy made a place for herself near him then a place for John beside her. Derek positioned himself over the trap door and placed the shotgun and a pistol within easy reach. Nothing was getting in without going through him first.
John leaned over and patted Jimmy on the back and pulled the covers up over his shoulders.
“That’s a tough kid,” he said to Amy. “Can you imagine being his age and going through this?”
“He’s a good kid,” Amy said looking down at him with a motherly gaze.
“I need to talk to Derek. You go to sleep. I’ll stay awake long enough to signal the Rector.”
“Ok,” she said touching him gently on the cheek.
John went over and sat down on the floor beside Derek.
“We made it,” Derek said tapping John on the arm, “but now what?”
“The generator,” John said, “we have to get it running tomorrow and tr
y these radios.”
“Yeah but what if we get it working and can’t reach anyone? We can’t stay here forever.”
“Lets take it one step at a time. If this doesn’t work we’ll figure something else out.”
“The problem is,” Derek said, “there is nowhere to go. At least we have the boat just a short distance away. If we need it we can make our escape on water.”
“Right, actually I think we’ve found out the safest place to be is on the water.”
“I don’t know about you,” Derek said, “but I feel trapped here.”
“I know what you mean. If this doesn’t work maybe the thing to do is find and island to stay on. Or maybe even the Yorktown.”
“Whatever we do,” Derek said and paused to rub his eyes, “I’m getting a headache thinking about it.”
“Me too, I’ll stay up and signal,” John told him, “you get some rest. We’ll talk more about it in the morning.”
“Alright,” Derek said then rolled over to go to sleep.
John got up and pulled a stool over by the window looking out in the direction of the church. The city was dark. Not a light in sight. The sky was clear and filled with stars. The cool air was growing colder. John put his feet up and waited. He checked his watch. It was 7:45 P.M. He didn’t know how he would manage to stay awake until nine. That was the last thought he had before falling asleep.
John was startled awake by the sound of a child screaming. He opened his eyes. Bright flames filled his field of vision. He was paralyzed and couldn’t move. He heard the scream again. He was no longer at the lighthouse but standing outside his own house, in the night, watching it burn. He wanted to rush in and put out the fire but he was stuck to the ground where he stood. Coming from the second story bedroom window, a child’s room, the screaming became louder. Standing in the window was a little girl. His little girl. Pleading for Daddy to save her. John screamed in anguish but was unable to act. His mind felt like it was going to explode. His feet were held to the ground as if they weighed a ton each. Tears streamed down his face as he watched the flames rise higher into the air. Behind the child Susan suddenly appeared. She nodded her head once and smiled at him then placed a hand on the little girl’s shoulder. The child stopped screaming and looked up at her mother. They looked at him, smiled and waved, then stepped into the flames and disappeared.
The Demon Dead Page 24