A Broken World (Book 2): Shattered Paradise

by Lauck, Andrew

  After a few nauseatingly stressful minutes, my shoulders bumped against rock and I felt around with my left hand to make sure I had made it across. Sure enough, it was nothing but wall so I felt around for something to grip. I was never much of a rock climber before, but I had seen Mission Impossible II enough times to learn the basics.

  I made it high enough to see the line of the quarry wall contrast with the sky, thanks to the moon as a backdrop, but I could feel my fingertips straining to hold on. My right hand gave out and I swung down, my body smacking against the wall and almost causing me to lose my grip completely. Barely managing to hold on by sheer force of will, I swung back and reached out with my hand again, grabbing the rock with everything I had left.

  Gritting my teeth and breathing hard for the last few feet, my fingers finally found the top of the wall and I hauled myself up over the lip, bracing my forearms and hooking my foot on the edge. I rolled onto my back and flexed my fingers for a minute, feeling the blood rush back to them with a satisfying warmth.

  That had been too close for comfort, but I’d made it to the top and could now help the others up. Staying prone, I pulled out my lighter and ignited it, covering the flame with my other hand to keep from being seen from the bridge. After letting it burn for a few seconds, I flipped it shut and waited. Across the way, I saw a dim light flash on twice, three times, then nothing. Dave had covered his flashlight with his hand, letting me know they were on their way. I held my sigh of relief, though, knowing the tension was just beginning.

  Chapter 90

  It was impossible to know exactly where the two were, they were so quiet, but I caught periodic glimpses of their silhouettes. They had dropped down from the path, cautiously moving away from the wall as I had. I paid close attention to the sounds of the zombies to my left, listening to each shuffle, each misstep, waiting for that one step to get too close.

  There was a loud thud and my hand reflexively shot to my hip, but I exhaled slowly and focused. Below was the eeriest sound of flesh scraping against rock, a disturbing combination of dragging and tearing that had the nails-on-the-chalkboard effect. The zombies weren’t moaning in alarm, so I assumed one of the zombies had fallen off the bridge above and broken its legs, causing it to pull itself along the quarry floor. Still, if it made me jump, I hoped it wasn’t enough to rattle my two companions into making a mistake.

  Being tough as nails, though, they didn’t miss a beat as they silently worked their way closer. My eyes caught movement and I saw Jessica’s slender figure reach the base of the wall. I smiled to myself, anxious to greet her and Dave at the top. Admittedly, I may have been a little more excited for one, but my feelings are my own.

  Of course, no matter how well a plan is going, you can’t foresee Mother Nature intervening. It started with a single, cool drop that caught me off-guard before several touched down and my heartrate skyrocketed.

  “No…” I pleaded, but it didn’t matter. The downpour erupted in an instant, cascading over rocks, as if the climb wasn’t already precarious enough.

  I saw Dave’s shadow hoist Jessica up, waiting for her to find a grip before feeling for one himself. When it rains, it pours, though, and the low rumble of thunder in the distance told me this night was far from over. Lightning trailed several seconds later, far enough away that Jessica remained concealed.

  “Just a little lon—” Thunder and lightning clashed again, this time closer. “Shit!” My nerves were on edge with the need to act, but urging them to haul ass would undo our silent approach. Removing my pack, I sifted through the contents until I found my paracord bracelet. Unraveling it and looping it three times, I tied several knots along its length before tying it around my waist. Thunder rumbled nearby as I tossed the rope down the quarry wall, creating a race against time. The paracord wasn’t long enough to reach the bottom by any means, but hopefully it would speed up the climb.

  That’s when the lightning struck, illuminating the night with a fierce surge of light for the briefest of moments. Time slowed as I took everything in; Dave cursed loudly, Jessica froze against the wall, mere inches from the end of my rope, and the zombies seemed to all turn as one. The roar of their moans erupted and filled the night, leaving the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end after the lightning faded and shrouded everything in darkness.

  “Jessica, grab the rope! Dave, you have to move!” With our cover blown, time replaced stealth as the survival factor. I felt the paracord go taut around my waist and I braced my legs on the edge of the quarry, holding the line slightly out so it didn’t rub against the rock.

  I hadn’t heard the thunder over the moans of the undead closing in, but lightning flashed again and I saw the mass of zombies gathered beneath Dave, their hands eagerly clawing against the wall to climb after him. Out of my peripheral vision, though, I noticed something worse: The zombies on the bridge had been enlightened to our presence and were heading toward us.

  Jessica reached the top of the rope and I offered my hand to pull her up, practically throwing her behind me. She sprawled on the ground and shook out her hands before coming over to hold the rope.

  “Dave, I know you’re hurrying, but move your ass!” The newest paint of lightning alerted me to how uncomfortably close the zombies had become.

  “Don’t wait on me, Eric!” he yelled in response, and I could hear the exhaustion in his voice. “Cut the rope if you have to!” The moans of the undead were beckoning, hungry for flesh, and I considered my options.

  “Fuck that.” With Dave holding on below, I grabbed a knot in the paracord with my hands and pulled, taking a step back from the edge. My feet almost slipped in the mud, but I dug my feet in and pushed my thighs down, lowering my weight. “I’m not…letting…you…die…you stubborn…son…of a…bitch!” Grunting with each exertion, I pulled, feeling the rope burn against my palms. Jessica synced her pulls with mine, her strength taking some of the strain off until we saw Dave’s hands appear over the edge. With one final effort, we yanked him up, falling back into the mud as one. I splashed around until I found my balance and stood, looking over to find Dave on all fours.

  “I’m way too old for this shit,” he heaved, but the zombies were almost on top of us so there was no time for him to rest. I ran over and helped him up by the arm, the three of us making our getaway from the quarry. As we did, I felt a zombie’s fingers brush the back of my shirt, letting me know just how close they were.

  We could only see when the lightning lit up the sky, but we knew the moans of undead weren’t far behind, so we knew which direction to move. The ground quickly melted as the rain poured, leaving us splashing through the night in loud puddles. We didn’t stop running until the moans faded to a dull hum in the distance, allowing us to finally catch our breath.

  “That was…too close,” Jessica panted, her hands on her knees. Dave had chosen to kneel, unconcerned with the mud soaking through his clothes. At this point, it didn’t matter since we were all drenched anyway. There was a nice respite before, over the sounds of the storm, the wind carried the familiar droning of the undead in tow.

  “They’ll keep walking in this direction, so we have to keep moving.” We quickly resumed jogging in the same direction, knowing that eventually the rain would stop, the sun would rise, and we needed to create as much separation from the zombies as possible by then.

  Chapter 91

  Day 241

  The previous day hadn’t been very eventful. We left the quarry behind us and jogged for what must have been a few miles before stopping for a much-needed break. Every step required effort as the sinking mud created suction pockets around our feet. With our legs burning and bodies exhausted from all the physical exertion over the last few days, the rain finally let up. Despite a good pace, though, we could still make out the moans of the hive-minded undead, always following, never tiring.

  “They can’t be the same ones from the quarry. We’re too far ahead.” Jessica was perched on a nearby rock, observing our newest a
cquaintances.

  “You think they might have seen us running? The moan-relay thing couldn’t have worked over the sound of the rain, let alone that distance, could it?” I sucked in air and walked to Jessica’s position.

  “I don’t know, but these ones are a lot closer. We need to go.”

  “That’s what’s wrong with the world today. Too much talk, not enough action.” Dave adjusted the sling on his rifle and started walking, his obligatory character cliché achieved. Mills and I followed, keeping our heads on a swivel the entire time in case more zombies decided to join the party.

  The short version is that we walked for a long-ass time, taking measures to stay hydrated, and set up a small camp at nightfall, taking watch in shifts. You can probably insert your own dialogue, since it varied between sarcasm and bitching. We’ve lost enough people out here, so I don’t want to kill you with boredom.

  Fast-forward to the current day, where, surprise, we’ve been walking for hours. Unlike the day before, the weather was cooler, probably because of the rain. Either way, after being soaked last night, the cold breeze wasn’t as welcome as I would have expected yesterday. Our clothes dried as we walked, though, aided further by the sun peeking through the clouds periodically. Seriously, the weather in Texas was crazy.

  We hadn’t seen a zombie since the previous night and travelled miles from the quarry before finding asphalt in the form of an access road. A crossroad that ran under the overpass intersected with the access road, where a seemingly abandoned gas station stood.

  “I guess we’re almost to Austin, which means we’re on track to San Antonio.” Dave sighed, the sound of relief strong in his voice. Regardless of the face people could put on these days, hope was a hard thing to come by, and even harder to believe in. I’m sure that, despite what he had said, he didn’t expect to get to San Antonio. I just hoped his family was there, because he didn’t need any more loss and we all needed a victory.

  “We should raid the station for supplies, just in case it hasn’t been stripped,” Jessica suggested, taking the lead.

  There were several vehicles surrounding the gas pumps, left there after the drivers realized the station had run out of fuel days, or even weeks, before. The most heartbreaking sight was that of a child’s car seat, a small stuffed elephant next to it, left in the back of an Escalade. I wanted to tell myself the child was okay, along with the parent, but I had trouble lying to myself. If I could barely survive out here, what chance did a child have?

  Forcing myself to look away, we entered the station to find it barren. Shelves were toppled in frustration or urgency, freezer windows were shattered, even the cash register had been broken into. I guess they thought money would still be useful after everything, assuming that a new government would be established and utilize the American dollar, despite every film, novel, and videogame over the last several decades teaching otherwise.

  “Dammit.” Jessica ground her teeth and slapped her hand on the counter, knowing our supplies were running dangerously low. Between the breaks during our journey and losing a few things while running from the quarry, our rations were becoming scarce.

  “We’ll be okay, Jessica,” I said setting my hand on her shoulder, “I promise.” I knew that wasn’t one I could keep, but I had to shoulder my weight in being the positive one for a change. Taking a moment to regain her composure, her hand found mine and she turned around.

  “We needed this, Eric. We won’t make it to San Antonio with what we have, and if we have to stop in the city…”

  “I said we’ll be okay, and I meant it. I’ll figure this out, I always do. We’ve gotten this far, and I’m sure the odds of that were lower than I’d like to find out. Besides,” I added, “we survived the prison. I think it’ll take more than a little hunger to kill us.”

  “She’s right, though. We’ve got a snowball’s chance on foot, especially through a major population like Austin.”

  “Then we won’t be on foot.” I smirked and stepped back toward the entrance, looking out. “I’m sure one of these cars has some gas we can siphon. If not, there has to be one on the highway. And if that fails, too, then we’ll have to walk until we find a bicycle.” I turned back to them. “Look, maybe it won’t be a cakewalk to San Antonio, but did anyone really think it would be? It’s a shame that no one has an axe to aid in our quest, but we’ve still got my sense of humor, a tough-as-nails veteran, and the most badass woman I’ve ever met. What’s the worst that can happen?”

  Chapter 92

  Day 245

  The worst that could happen

  I stared through the window of the second floor, watching the smoke billow from the buildings down the street. Blood trickled down from a gash in my head, sweat stinging my eyes, but I just watched the scene unfolding below, clutching a radio in my shaking hand. My other hand reflexively hung near the grip of my Sig, my fingers brushing the cool metal in anticipation as an internal war was fought.

  “I don’t know what to do,” I whispered, more to myself than to anyone behind me. I could feel eyes on me, waiting for my reaction to the situation, but I had nothing left for them. Not now, not after everything that had transpired over the last few days.

  This was the delayed answer to my question, the ironic sense of humor in the universe. This was the worst that could happen.

  Surrounded by smoke and zombies, I couldn’t help but think about the events leading up to this moment. Before I do anything, though, I believe it’s time to catch you, dear reader, up to speed, because, depending on what happens next, I may not get another chance.

  **********

  There was, in fact, no fuel to be found in any of the vehicles around the station, so we were forced to move on, climbing the steep hill up to the four-lane highway and following the signs. The closer we got to the city, though, it became clear that driving would have proven problematic. As it was a road out of a major city, cars were packed bumper to bumper and, even if we stole one, there was no room to maneuver through the gridlock. Of course, there was another dilemma as we rounded the side of an eighteen-wheeler.

  “Well, that could be a problem.”

  Dozens, if not hundreds, of zombies meandered between vehicles, shuffling without purpose. They were still a ways out from our position, but we’d have to contend with the horde if we wanted to continue.

  “Any ideas?”

  “We don’t have enough ammo to fight them, even with precise shots. In any direct confrontation, we’d be overwhelmed in seconds. We could try to sneak past them, but the access road connects with the highway further down, so we’d end up right in the middle of the herd.” Dave shrugged. “They’ll see us no matter what we do, so at least we don’t have to worry about that.”

  “We could try leading them toward us and haul ass past them.” I’m not sure if Jessica was joking or not, but it wasn’t a bad suggestion, and I didn’t have anything better, so we agreed to try it. Dave waited off the highway, because he didn’t have to say that he was tired for us to notice.

  Jessica and I waded through the metal gridlock, edging closer to the zombie horde with increasing anticipation. My heart was pounding in my ears by the time we were close enough to make out visuals, which I regretted seeing. Seriously, decomposition was disgusting and, even at this distance, the smell was rancid.

  A loud smack sounded inches from Jessica’s head and she jumped, backing against a car as she raised her handgun. The culprit was a zombie, still trapped in his car, slapping a shriveled hand against the passenger window. Without feeding, its skin was barely clinging on to the bones and left a bird-like handprint behind.

  Another hand slapped glass, this time behind Jessica. The car she had backed into was also occupied, a soccer mom still wearing her child’s jersey, though the fabric now hung off of her shrill frame. Exhaling slowly, Jessica looked at me with irritation.

  “I think we’re close enough to get this party started.”

  “Agreed.” We both turned as one and started wa
ving our arms erratically and yelling. The first zombie to notice turned, its mouth already open to elicit a moan, before a chorus of horror erupted to join it.

  “Well, we definitely have their attention, so let’s get the hell out of here!” I grabbed Jessica’s arm and we ran, weaving in and out of cars as we made our way back to the hill. As we passed vehicles, various passengers attempted to grab us, their hands and skulls landing on rolled-up windows in futility. One was able to catch a hand on my leg as we passed, but its bones were so brittle that its fingers snapped away like a finish line.

  Reaching the edge of the hill, I stopped and looked back.

  “Jessica, go. I’m going to stay here and make sure they took the bait.”

  “I’ll stay with you.” She waited next to me.

  “That makes no sense! Get down there and catch up to Dave.”

  She sighed with impatience, but hopped over the barricade and jogged down the hill. I glanced around and moved closer to climb on top of a mail truck, allowing me to get a good look ahead. The zombies were definitely coming toward me, but it wasn’t just slow progress. They were catching themselves on open car doors, torn bumpers, and it looked like they were getting stuck somewhere near an eighteen-wheeler. No zombies were rounding the corner of the cab, which meant they would lose interest soon and head back.

  I jumped down and sprinted forward, reaching the truck and climbing on top of it using the handles at the back. The gridlock was so tight that the cars had pinned the zombies in, and they didn’t have the sense to climb over. One or two had been pushed over the trunks by the sheer mass of zombies behind them, but they lacked the functionality to climb.