“She’s sweating up a storm, but she’s out cold,” Nick said, cool and calm as ever. “Look up ahead.”
I rubbed my eyes to get rid of the foggy sensation and peered out the windshield as Nick hit the brakes slowly. The Jeep came to a halt a few feet away from our obstacle. The headlights shone on a figure in the middle of the road. I couldn’t make out his features because a dark hood hung over his face. “Is it a zombie? Run it over, Nick!”
Nick shook his head. “No, it’s not a zombie.”
I didn’t reply because he was right, as usual. I squinted to get a closer look, and as my sight adjusted, I could make out more details.
He was at least six foot, maybe six-two, with a strong physique that boasted of regular physical activity. His feet stood apart, turned toward us, and his hands hung by his side, hidden beneath his coat. Something shimmered at his waist, and it appeared to be some kind of belt buckle. When I inclined my head to get a better look, I realized it was a weapon, pushed halfway up to his shoulder. The guy’s hand moved ever so slowly up to the gun, and his fingers hovered there, maybe to signal us he wasn’t afraid, but he didn’t retrieve it.
“I think he’s dangerous,” I whispered to no one in particular.
If Nick heard me, he didn’t reply. There was, after all, nothing to say. No one could argue that point.
“What is that shadow on the right side of the road?” I said, pointing ahead.
Nick leaned into me and followed my line of vision, to the place where the headlight didn’t reach. “I don’t know.”
Keeping the guy in focus, I peered from him to what looked like a black, shapeless pile cast in darkness. It looked like someone had gathered a mound of firewood, but some of the timber seemed larger than the rest, like whole tree branches instead of twigs. What would anyone need all that for? If he’s trying to barricade the street, why is it all piled over there? I was inclined to believe it was nothing but a pile of wood, until a strong breeze blew against our windows, carrying with it the unmistakable scent of dead flesh, even stronger and more noxious than the one coming from Val’s wound. The latter was probably the reason why we hadn’t noticed the stench before.
“Looks like the guy’s killed a zombie or two,” Nick said, mirroring my thoughts.
“I hope he’s not infected. If he’s healthy, he might need help,” I said hesitantly, almost expecting Nick to ask why I was being so stupid. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying we should offer him a ride or anything, but—”
Nick slipped out his gun. “Okay. I want to help him if we can, since the guy looks like some kind of master zombie slayer, but we have to be careful. Even if he’s not infected, he’s armed, and he might try to steal the Jeep. Times like these will turn otherwise good people into all sorts of things, zombies and thieves included.”
“Well, just a thought, but it looks to me like he’s pretty good with whatever weapon he’s slinging. There are more than a couple dead zombies on that heap,” I offered.
Nick put the Jeep in park, flung the door open, and jumped out, then stopped in his tracks. “What the…?”
I peered from him to the figure, who was still standing in the middle of the road.
“Dean, you aren’t gonna believe this,” Nick said, laughing.
I frowned and jumped out of the car, my hand wandering to the weapon attached to my waist. Out of the car with the headlights no longer reflected by the windshield, I could make out more details.
The guy tossed back his hood and headed straight for us. His military short hair and Army fatigues caught my attention before my brain registered his facial features.
My mouth gaped in sudden recognition. It can’t be! “Lucas? How did you—”
“Dean!” He came over and slapped my shoulder, laughing.
I noticed spots of blood and gore on his coat, but I didn’t pull back.
“You know Rambo?” Claire asked, approaching us from the left.
“Hey, ladies,” Nick said. “Next time, wait for me to deem the situation safe before you leave your vehicle. What if this guy was some kind of serial killer or something?”
“And that’s supposed to scare me?” Jackie asked. “For all I know, I could be riding with one.”
Lucas raised a brow.
“They picked up a straggler we had a run-in with,” I explained.
“Let’s not open up that can of worms right now,” Claire chimed in. “I’m not up for another fight. So, Nick…” She turned and gawked at my brother, wearing the most obvious I-have-a-crush-on-you smile I’d ever seen. “Now, do you know him?”
“This is my best friend Lucas. We go back a long way.”
“Hey, gals. What’s up?” Lucas smiled and gave me a fist-bump, then turned to Nick. “I’ve been looking for you, man! When you didn’t come back to the city, we were all worried. I came with a team, but we all got separated in the woods when a group of zombies ambushed us.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. We meant to get in touch, but we had no phone out here in the middle of nowhere,” Nick said quietly. “I’m just glad you made it. Can’t believe you even found us! How’s that possible?”
“I tracked you. Bet you didn’t know the bag of vials Dean took were tagged.”
I tried to make sense of his words. “Whoa! What? Wait a sec! What tracking device? You never told me about that.” I didn’t know whether to be pissed or hug the guy. Having Big Brother on my heels felt kind of intrusive, but at the same time, it was nice knowing that someone had known our whereabouts all along.
Ignoring my question, he eyed the girls cautiously, as though to warn us that he didn’t want to divulge that information in front of civilians. “I’ll explain everything, but how about some introductions first?”
I motioned toward Nick. “Well, you know my brother.”
Lucas playfully slugged him. “Nick? That’s your name? I’ve always called you The One-Man Army, dude. You’ve got more zombie kills than all of us put together. It’s good to put a name to that face.”
“Stop messing around.” Nick rolled his eyes. “I’m still pissed at you. I can’t believe you helped my brother break Val out without telling me.”
“Come on, man! You woulda done the same in my situation. When Dean came to me, I understood his point straightaway. The girl didn’t deserve the death she was going to get,” Lucas said. “I felt compelled to help her just as much as Dean did. When we see something going on that just isn’t right, we gotta step in and try to do something to fix it.”
“Had you told me the truth, I would’ve helped you,” Nick said.
Lucas sighed. “With those high morals of yours, always sticking to the rules and the code? I highly doubt that.”
Lucas was right. Nick would’ve come up with some stupid legal way that wouldn’t have worked in a million years. My brother always played by the rules, no matter what. It was his strength in many cases, but it also drove me nuts at times. Eager to change the subject and ease the tension, I continued with the introductions. “Lucas, this is Jackie and Claire,” I said. “We met them along the way.”
Lucas held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, beautiful ladies.”
They smiled and shook his hand.
“And where’s this drifter you picked up?”
“Tahoe’s sleeping right now,” Claire said. “He’s recovering from a knife wound.”
Lucas cocked a brow. “A knife wound? Who stabbed him?”
“He had a fight with his psychopath buddy. The dude’s doing just fine. It looks like it’s just a flesh wound.”
“You’ll have to introduce me,” Lucas said. “I’m a good judge of character.”
“Don’t get too attached,” Nick muttered. “We’re dropping the idiot off as soon as he’s better.”
I still couldn’t believe Lucas was there, yet there was something else I couldn’t wrap my head around either. “Okay, let’s get back to the topic at hand here. Don’t keep me in suspense. How did I get tagged like a wild an
imal?”
Before he could answer, a zombie ventured out of the woods, moaning.
Lucas pointed his gun and nonchalantly shot it in the head. “It’s not safe out here. Let’s get moving, and I’ll fill you in on everything. Mind if I drive? We had to leave the cars behind, and I’ve kind of been hoofing it everywhere. I miss driving.”
Nick clapped his shoulder. “You’re still the same old Lucas. It’s great to see you, man. Even still, the answer is no. I’m driving.”
He nodded. “Fine.” He then turned his gaze to me. “I didn’t know it at the time, but every bag of vials had a tracking device installed.”
“I should’ve known,” I said.
Lucas opened the door and peered onto the back seat, where Val lay sprawled, still sleeping, her hair spread around her like a soft blanket. She looked so serene that it was hard to believe she was about to turn into one of those monsters, but there was no denying the inevitable.
“How’s your sister doing?” Lucas asked.
“Good as can be expected,” I said.
“I can’t believe you knew about Val being my sister before I did,” Nick said.
“Dean tells me everything. Why do you think I put my neck on the line like that to help her escape? She’s family, and I knew I had to help. I just hope the cure works. It hasn’t been tested enough, and no one knows what it’s capable of.” Lucas threw his backpack over the back seat. He scooted Val over and sat down.
“It’ll work,” I said in a stern voice. It just has to.
“Not again,” Nick said, glancing out the window.
“What?” I asked.
“The girls are having a hard time starting the Jeep again.”
“We need to hotwire them a better car,” I said. “Let’s keep an eye out for one.”
“Definitely,” Nick said.
“Okay, looks like they got it started,” Lucas said.
Nick pulled out onto the empty road.
Lucas then pulled a thin black computer out of the satchel dangling over his shoulder. It looked like an iPod or something. He turned it on, and it beeped loudly. “See? The bag with the vials is in here.”
“Of course it is,” I snapped. “I don’t get it. There’s an entire lab filled with those vials. Why do they care about one missing bag of them?” I asked. When he looked away, I knew something was horribly wrong. Am I in big time trouble? I bet they saw me on the security cameras! Lucas would never rat me out. “Did they send your team here to arrest me? And why would they risk their lives just to bring me in?”
“Just the opposite, buddy,” Lucas said, avoiding my gaze.
I blinked. “The opposite?”
“Yeah. You’re being hailed as a hero for stealing them out of the city.”
“Why?” I asked. “What are you not telling me?”
“There’s something else.” A shadow crossed his features.
I tried to make sense of his words. Why would I be a hero for sneaking out a bag of vials? “What’s going on, Lucas? Just spit it out.”
He bit his lip and then finally spoke. “There’s no easy way to say it, but the city’s been overrun by zombies.”
A shudder shot down my body. “How’s that even possible? It’s an island, with walls, and those undead freaks don’t go in the water!”
“They didn’t actually break in. It was the virus itself. Somehow, it accidently got inside, and many people became sick and started attacking everyone.”
“I-I don’t believe it,” Nick said, shocked.
“Too many people were bitten, and an overzealous general even bombed parts of Kelleys Island. The lab is completely demolished.”
“No!” I shouted. “How could they do that?”
He swallowed hard. “The formula’s gone. All that’s left are those vials you stole.”
“No! Quit joking,” I said.
Lucas nodded gravely. “It’s absolutely true, pal. I’m sorry, but you have the only remaining vials.”
I froze, numb. Parts of me wanted to believe him, but it all sounded so far-fetched that I just couldn’t. We’d been safe for months on the island, but now all was lost. Our safe haven had been compromised, infected, blown to bits. I sucked in a trembling breath as my mind contemplated his words over and over again.
“No! I can’t believe this,” Nick said, his harsh tone jerking me out of my trance.
“I was on zombie patrol inland, battling a herd in a tank, shooting as many of those smelly, decaying freaks as I could. I missed the whole thing so there was no way I was exposed to the virus.”
My heart lurched as horrible images and thoughts and worries flooded through me. “What about Mom and Dad? Grams? Dr. Hamming? My friends and family?”
“Lots of people escaped to South Bass Island. I think your grams and your parents were with them, but Dr. Hamming is dead. As of now, Dean, you hold the only cure in your hands.”
“I don’t believe this,” Nick said, slowly letting out a breath. “It’s impossible.”
“I assure you it is entirely possible and entirely true, crappy as it is. You’re our only hope, Dean. General Rika didn’t send my team to capture you, but to bring you back to safety, along with those precious vials.”
“Is the island totally destroyed?” I asked, fearing his answer.
Lucas hesitated. “All the zombies have been killed. We’re rebuilding the parts of Kelleys Island that were bombed. The south side, where you live, was untouched, so I’m sure your family’s safe, but they don’t know how long the restoration will take.”
“I hope they weren’t infected,” I said quietly.
“Like I said, a lot of people escaped to the other islands around Lake Erie. The important thing is that we managed to avoid an epidemic.”
“But you don’t know specific names,” I said. It wasn’t Lucas’s fault, and I knew I shouldn’t be taking my anger and helplessness out on him, but I couldn’t help it. Not having answers frustrated me big time. In a brief moment of anger, I punched the window until my knuckles ached.
“It’s a big mess over there,” Lucas said. “Everything’s in total chaos, but I plan on going back and helping the island get back on its feet. We just have to be more careful about letting anyone new onto the island. Stricter guidelines have been put in place.”
“How much stricter could they get?” I’d already felt like I was living in a prison.
“Every resident has to carry an electronic ID badge. If you leave the island and come back, you have to be put in isolation for one week for observation.”
As much as it infuriated me, I was willing to do whatever it took to be safe. Nick and I questioned Lucas for the next hour, but that interrogation didn’t change anything. For all I knew, my parents and my grandma were dead—or worse, undead. I wanted to scream from the emotional torment ripping through me like a knife. No! They aren’t dead! They aren’t infected! Not my family! I didn’t believe that for a minute, and neither did Nick. I had to quit thinking about everything, because my mind was turning to mush.
We took turns driving through the night so everyone had their turn for a catnap. When it was my turn to ride in the back, as much as I tried not to think about things, thoughts of my parents wandered into my head. I wondered if they were okay and when we’d be reunited. I thought about them giving Val up for adoption. I wasn’t even sure why that popped into my head, but it did. I still couldn’t believe I had a sister, and even though my parents had had their teenage reasons for giving her up, I was still bitter about missing out on all those years I could have had with her. I hadn’t had the chance to grow up with a big sister. Maybe part of me wanted to make up for it by protecting her and saving her life, now more than ever. Knowing my parents, even if they had only been teenagers at the time, they wouldn’t have given Val to just anyone. I knew my grandma would have made sure Val had a loving, caring, safe, happy home. I only wished I would have known about her. Why did she have to be a big secret? Was that really fair, keeping our sibli
ng away from us like that? But there was no use dwelling on things I couldn’t change. I had to keep my mind focused on getting to the next city. Nick, Val, and I had become fighters, and somehow, I knew we’d get through it together.
Beams of sunshine shone through the trees, and mist billowed and swirled all around us. Morning had come so fast! Val was sleeping quietly in the back seat next to me, and I was thankful for the chance to focus on my thoughts and form a plan. There was no way I could have dealt with any of her crazy antics at that moment.
Lucas shook his head, jamming to songs on his iPod, and Nick drove us down the highway, past deserted towns.
“Great! Another obstacle,” Nick suddenly said, breaking the silence.
Black skid marks caught my attention as I peered through the windshield. Further down the road, cars and trucks had crashed and were now abandoned on the little stretch of road. What the heck happened here? I wondered.
Chapter 17
The sun shone brightly in the early morning. Through the windshield, we peered at the scene before our eyes. Even though months must’ve passed, the car accident looked like a picture frozen in time with countless vehicles piled up on top of one another, stretching out as far as my eyes could see. Scraps of metal were strewn all along the road.
I swallowed hard and pointed at the mess, even though Nick had already gotten a good look at it. “Whoa! Look at that. I’ve never seen such a big collision before.”
“There’s broken glass everywhere,” Nick replied with a frown.
I could sense the implication in his words: That glass could have led to a flat tire or two, and we had no time for obstacles.
“We can swerve around some of the cars to get past,” Lucas said, hesitating.
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