“Nope, just a foul mouth,” Ernest called back.
Clear of the zombies, the trio shared a relieved laugh as they headed north towards the capitol building.
CHAPTER FOUR
Myles and Susanna drove the beat-up muscle car down the road through the farmland. Matt stretched out across the back seat, staring out at the landscape rolling by, seemingly dazed.
“Are we taking Matt back to the ranch?” Susanna asked.
Myles shook his head. “No, I’m going to drop him off at the Mansfield place.”
“Why so far away?” She furrowed her brow. “Why not the Johnston place? It’s only a mile or so from the ranch.”
He rolled his window down a bit. “Because several people from the ranch just moved into the Johnston place and it’s packed,” he replied. “We just cleared out the Mansfield place a couple days ago, so it’s mostly empty. He looks like he could use some rest, and this is the best option.”
She pursed her lips, not looking convinced.
“Don’t worry,” her fiancé assured her. “We’ll be close enough to check on him regularly. It’s only a few miles up from the Johnston place, and we’re only a few miles up from that.”
Matt began coughing in the back, wrapping his arms around himself.
“Are you okay?” Susanna asked, turning in her seat. “Do you want some more water?”
He nodded, and extended his hand to take the bottle she offered. He opened it and took a few gulps to clear his throat.
“So we’re not going to your ranch?” he asked, voice raspy.
“No, not yet,” she replied. “It’s a little crowded, so you’ll be more comfortable out here.”
He shrugged, clearing his throat again. “I don’t mind crowds, you can take me to the ranch.”
The couple exchanged curious looks, pausing.
He sat up straighter. “I mean, I don’t want to be a burden,” he explained. “If the ranch is easier, I don’t mind going there.”
“It’s no trouble, buddy,” Myles assured him with a smile. “We need to check in on these people anyway.”
Matt nodded and then leaned against the window again, staring outside.
As they came up a long winding driveway towards a large two-story house, Myles honked the horn. As they pulled up, a young couple emerged from the front door.
Ann reached the car as they got out, brushing her short dark hair behind her ears as she smiled. “Hey, how are you?”
“I’m good,” Myles replied. “You and Felix doing well?” he asked, inclining his head towards her husband. “Getting settled in?”
Felix smiled underneath his bushy mustache. “Very much so,” he replied. “It’s so peaceful out here. Not like living in the city at all. No traffic, no sirens, nothing.”
“Pretty sure it’s like that in the city now, too,” Susanna retorted, and the young couple shared a nervous laugh.
Myles gaped at his fiancee, eyes wide in shock at her bluntness. She wrinkled her nose and lowered her gaze in apology.
“What brings you by?” Ann asked.
Myles motioned to the car. “We found somebody else from the city this morning, and he could use a nice quiet place to rest up,” he said.
“Oh my,” Ann gasped, putting a hand to her chest. “Of course! We have an upstairs bedroom that nobody is using, that we just got fixed up. Will that work?”
Myles nodded. “That will be just fine,” he replied. “And say, wasn’t there another couple staying here with you?”
“Yeah, Karen and Bobby,” Felix replied, jerking a thumb over his shoulder to motion behind him. “They’re in the back playing with their two youngsters.”
Susanna smiled, eyes lighting up. “Youngsters, huh? How old?”
“Six and eight, I believe,” Ann replied. “Both girls.”
“You should tell them to bring them by the Ranch tomorrow,” Myles offered. “We’re going to be having a story time campfire for the kiddos.”
Ann clapped her hands together. “I think they’d love that!”
“Felix, can you give me a hand?” Myles asked, motioning to the car.
The mustached man headed over to the back passenger door as Myles opened it, revealing Matt. They helped him out, his body still a bit weak, but they were able to walk him towards the house together.
“Hey, I’m…” he stammered, “I’m Matt.”
“It’s good to meet you,” Felix replied gently. “You don’t worry about a thing, my Ann here is the best cook in the state, so she’ll get you right fixed up.”
Matt fell into a coughing fit again, and a bit of blood splattered from his lips onto the front walk.
“Are you okay?” Myles asked, brow furrowed.
The wiry man swallowed hard. “Yeah…”
“Just hang in there, bud,” Myles said gently. “We’ll have a doctor up here in no time to make you feel better.”
Ann trotted after them. “And I’ll get you some soup here, after a bit,” she promised. “Got something I need to take care of first.”
Matt nodded as the boys headed up the steps into the house.
Ann glanced at Susanna with a knowing look.
“We’ll catch up, boys,” Susanna called, and then leaned against the hood of the car. “Are you okay?” she asked as the petite woman approached her.
“Yeah, I didn’t want to worry our new friend here, because it’s nothing really,” Ann replied. “Bobby said one of the girls was playing and saw some zombies out at the edge of the property.”
Susanna stood up straight. “I’ll get my gun.”
“No, no, it’s okay, it can wait,” Ann assured her, putting up her palms. “They’re tied up pretty good in the barbed wire, so they’re not going anywhere. Bobby didn’t have his gun on him, so we were going to take care of it.”
Susanna nodded, relaxing her shoulders. “Well if they’re tied up, I wouldn’t worry about it just yet,” she said. “Myles and I can handle it when we get back. We really need to get the doc from up at the ranch.”
“You sure?” Ann asked.
“Yeah, if there are zombies in the fence, there might be more out there roaming around,” Susanna replied. “Myles and I will do a sweep once we get back.”
Ann pressed her hands together, as if in prayer. “Thank you,” she said sincerely.
Myles came back outside, and headed to the driver’s side of the muscle car. “You ready to run up to the ranch?” he asked.
“Yeah, let’s hurry though,” Susanna replied as she walked around to the passenger’s side. “Got some critters tied up in the barbed wire. So we’ll have to clear them out and do a sweep when we get back.”
Myles shook his head, chuckling. “Day never ends, does it?” he asked.
She smiled and shook her head as well as she got in the car. “Thank you, we’ll be back in about twenty minutes,” she said out the window.
“No rush,” Ann replied with a wave. “We’ll take good care of Matt until you get back.”
Myles fired up the car, and they peeled out back down the dirt driveway towards the ranch.
CHAPTER FIVE
Glenn drove past the capitol building, seeing signs of the carnage they’d left behind a couple of weeks earlier. The SUV that had wrecked on the entrance sat there, a monument to the ranch hand that had lost his life inside, the rest of the bodies of the dead that had been gunned down in their frantic attempt to escape.
The group was silent as they passed, taking a moment of reflection out of respect for the dead. There were a few dozen zombies milling about, but most of them were closest to the entrance so they weren’t attracted to the rumbling of the truck engine.
“How much further up is this place?” Glenn finally asked as they cleared the capitol grounds.
“No clue,” Emily replied. “He just said it was east of the capitol.”
Glenn eased off the gas. “I’ll take it slow, then,” he said, and knocked on the back window. “Hey city boy, if you want to keep
an eye out for trouble, we’ll look for the hotel.”
“You got it,” Ernest replied, and then popped up to his feet, keeping a keen eye on the roads as they passed them, taking note of how many zombies there were.
The first cross street was swollen with ghouls, a hundred, maybe a few more. The second cross street was similar, though the zombies were a few blocks down.
Ernest shook his head, clenching his jaw. One false move and we’re gonna get swallowed up real quick, he thought.
They drove a couple more blocks, before Emily put her hand on Glenn’s shoulder.
“Do you see it?” he asked, looking around.
She pointed to the building on the next corner, which boasted a sign that said The Sandrock Inn. It was a six story building with a stone exterior. It looked like it had been there for decades, something that with a little better upkeep could have been a tourist destination.
“There it is,” Emily said.
There were several zombies around the entrance, maybe half a dozen or so.
Ernest knelt down to talk through the window. “We got it?” he asked.
“Yep, just up ahead,” Glenn replied. “How are those side streets looking?”
“The less noise we make the better,” Ernest said, scratching the back of his head. “Probably four, five hundred of those things just a few blocks away.”
Emily grunted in frustration. “Guess that means no guns to get those by the entrance,” she said.
“I’m okay with bashing a few heads,” Ernest said brightly.
Glenn shook his head. “I got a better idea.” He put the truck into four-wheel drive mode.
“Oh shit, here we go,” Ernest muttered, and got down on one knee, bracing himself by holding onto the window frame.
Glenn punched the gas, picking up speed. He sailed towards the entrance of the hotel, aimed straight at the zombies. He smacked into them while slamming on the brakes, and the truck skidded to a stop right by the door. Four of the six zombies hit the grill hard and went flying through the air, smacking into the pavement. The other two flailed around, trapped in their new makeshift playpen between the truck and the entrance.
Ernest hopped to the ground and smacked one ghoul with the butt end of his rifle, cracking its skull open. Emily jumped down from the passenger’s side and ran around to the front of the truck, smashing the other one in the face with her crowbar.
Glenn got out of the driver’s seat, a big smug smile on his face.
“What are you so happy about, hillbilly?” Ernest asked, raising an eyebrow.
The cowboy rested a thumb in his belt, raising his chin. “Scoreboard,” he replied as he regarded his friend. “Just beat you four to one.”
“And if you can smack into about fifty more of those things today,” Ernest shot back, “you might catch up with me.”
The smile fell from Glenn’s face, and he scowled. “Well, I beat you that round at least.”
Ernest chuckled, and opened the front door to the hotel. “Fourth floor, right?”
“Yep,” Emily replied with a nod, keeping her crowbar handy.
“I’ll lead the way,” Ernest said, “you get me the light.”
Glenn pulled out a high-powered flashlight, clicking it on and easily holding it over the shorter man’s head as they entered the building.
The lobby was very dark, as the windows in the old building were small. They did a quick sweep of the immediate area, seeing dust-covered tables and chairs, but no evidence of a struggle anywhere.
Ernest nodded that he was headed to the left towards the outer wall. He got to the corner and turned, seeing nothing except a doorway halfway down. He motioned for the group to come over, and slipped into the stairwell.
He led them up four flights of stairs, completely devoid of zombies as if the building had been immune to the outbreak. He glanced back at Glenn, a questioning look on his face, and his tall friend shrugged and shook his head.
“Hell if I know,” the cowboy murmured.
When they reached the fourth floor, the door was slightly propped open with a small wooden pencil at the base. Ernest pointed at it, brow furrowing in concern, and the other two frowned at the sight.
He nodded to Glenn, who threw open the door to the fourth floor hallway, allowing his shorter companion to burst in. He quickly swept the area, finding that there was nothing all the way down.
“Emily, you’re up,” he said quietly, and the stocky woman moved forward quickly, heading up to the first door.
She followed the numbers until she found room four-eighteen. She gently knocked on it while the others kept watch.
“Matt’s mom, are you there?” she called softly. “We’re friends of your son. He sent us to come and get you and your boy.”
There was no answer. She knocked again, this time a little louder, but there was still no answer.
“Okay, ma’am, we’re gonna come in,” Emily called, and reached for the knob.
Glenn put a hand over hers and shook his head, ushering her to the side. She stepped away, allowing him to try the knob first. He was shocked to find that it clicked open, and turned to Ernest. His short companion nodded to show he was ready, and Glenn counted down on his hand from five to zero before throwing it open.
Ernest burst in, just in time to see a small wire connected to the door glinting above his head.
Deafening sirens filled the air, causing the trio to momentarily double over and cover their ears. They looked frantically around the hotel room, trying to find the source of the noise.
Glenn followed the wire to a potted plant in the corner, and turned it over, stomping on the mechanical box that fell out to quench the noise. “What the fuck is going on?!” he cried as soon as the siren inside stopped. He thought his ears were ringing, but it was clear after a moment that there was still another siren somewhere bleating loudly.
Emily poked her head into the hallway. “It’s in the stairwell!” she called.
“Well let’s go get it!” Glenn yelled.
Ernest held up a hand. “Wait!”
“What for?!” the cowboy barked.
Ernest pointed out the window, and then threw it open, causing the sound of the high-pitched alarm to flow inside to them. He stuck his head out, and reached his arm out to one of the little mechanical boxes stuck to the outside wall several feet away.
He grunted with the effort, but he couldn’t quite reach it. He ducked back inside. “Grab my belt!” he yelled.
“What?” Glenn threw his arms up.
“Grab my belt, hillbilly!” Ernest screamed, and his companion finally complied, rushing over and holding onto his belt.
Ernest leaned far out the window, aimed his rifle, and fired, destroying the little siren. Glenn pulled him back inside, and they listened for a moment, finding no more loud noise on the outside.
“We gotta get out of here!” Glenn demanded.
Emily approached the side window, looking out over the sea of zombies pouring in from side streets, all heading towards the hotel. “He’s right,” she agreed, turning back to them. “We gotta go, Ernest.”
The man in question didn’t answer, simply staring at the wall, slack jawed, his rifle limp in his hands.
“Snap out of it, city boy,” Glenn barked, striding over. “We need you.”
Ernest simply pointed to the wall, and the others turned to look, their eyes widening in realization. Scrawled across the wall in tall red letters read: Now I will inflict the pain that you inflicted on me.
“That son of a bitch!” Glenn roared. “I’m gonna kill him!”
Emily grabbed his arm to calm him down. “We gotta live first, so let’s go!”
Ernest quickly reloaded his gun to the max as they bustled out into the hallway. They rushed down the stairwell, and Glenn grabbed the last siren box on the way and smashed it beneath his boot with a scream of anger.
With the silence came a new terrifying sound—moaning.
“Light,” Ernest croaked. �
�I need light!”
Glenn fumbled with his flashlight, but finally managed to get it out. He shone it down to the next landing, and there were a few zombies on it. Without hesitating, Ernest fired three shots, taking them down efficiently.
He darted down the flight, the other two following swiftly. When he reached the next door, a zombie emerged, and he fired, catching it in the head.
“Door!” he cried, and Glenn put all his weight against it, shoving it closed hard.
Ernest dragged the corpse out of the way so it could shut fully, snapping yet another pencil that had propped it open a tiny enough bit that the zombies had been able to push through.
“Next floor, let’s go,” he said, and led them down further, kicking closed the second floor door from its makeshift pencil stop, thankful that nothing was coming out of it.
When they reached the first floor, he cracked the door slightly to survey the scene. His heart skipped a beat and he backed out, closing the door as quietly as he could.
“We’re not going that way,” he murmured, blinking away the image of the lobby filling with zombies.
“Second floor?” Emily suggested. “Maybe there’s a fire escape.”
Glenn nodded. “We can only hope.”
Ernest led them back up to the second floor, and the taller man opened it up so the city boy could burst through first. He noticed movement in the dim light halfway down the hallway, so he popped off several rounds to take them out.
Glenn shone the flashlight, revealing a few more pallid dead faces staggering towards them, and Ernest quickly dispatched them. Glenn aimed the light towards the wall which had a FIRE EXIT sign with an arrow pointing to the left.
“Got it!” he hissed. “Down on the left!”
Ernest headed towards it, rifle at the ready, coming around the corner ready to fire. When he saw it was clear, he kept going and reached the window at the end of the hall, shoving it open.
His heart sank at the sight of the intact fire escape, leading straight down into a veritable horde of zombies. Glenn let out a stream of obscenities, turning away from the window. Emily stepped up, calmly looking around for some sort of solution.
Dead America The Third Week Box Set | Books 7-12 Page 10
