The Wilder Side of Z

by S A Ison

“What if Ethan gets mad at us?” Lauren wanted to know.

  “When we change, we don’t change out of anger. No matter how angry we get, we are still us. None of us has ever hurt someone that we didn’t want to hurt and none of us has ever hurt a child,” Xander said softly.

  Lauren seemed to mull that over. Then Shay stood up and went to stand beside Zahara.

  “I’m a werepup. I’ll be a werewolf when I grow up. My mom was a werewolf and she never ever hurt me. Even when she got mad,” Shay said. Lauren’s eyes grew large and she looked from Shay to the adults.

  “We are special and magic, we were born to protect those who can’t protect themselves. We protect children and the reason we look so scary is so bad guys will run away,” Zahara said softly. She then began to let her face change, first her ears and then her snout. She let her teeth slide down and Shay stood there touching her fangs and grinning. She then petted Zahara behind her ears. The twins did the same to Xander and Ethan. By the end of show-and-tell, the boys sat in their laps and petted the full werewolves. Lauren shyly petted Zahara and when she scratched behind Zahara’s ear, her foot began to jiggle and tap, causing Lauren to giggle. When they all transformed back to human form the children ran off to play.

  “I think that went well,” Rose said, a soft smile on her face. Zahara suspected that seeing the werewolves interact with the children eased her mind and she was glad for Ethan’s sake. She knew Ethan cared about Rose; it was clear on his face. But if Rose didn’t feel safe with Ethan, then that relationship would be at a stalemate. Each of the assassins had lived a lonely life with neither friends nor lovers. Here was their chance to live a life away from the government and actually see a future that was bright, despite the zombies.

  Reggie got up and stretched and looked around.

  “I’m gonna head over and help the lady in the house. See if I can get her situated a little better,” he said.

  “I’ll come with,” Ethan said and stood. Xander’s eyes slid over to Zahara and she shrugged. When the men pulled away in Reggie’s Jeep, Zahara got up and went to the swing where Xander joined her. Rose had gone into the house so Xander and Zahara would keep an eye on the children.

  “I think Ethan’s trying to get to know Reggie better. Maybe he’s hoping if they can begin a friendship, it will be easier living under one roof,” Zahara said.

  “I think you’re right. I think it went pretty good with the kids. They know to keep the secret, but more importantly, they’re not afraid of Ethan. I think I’ll suggest he turn from time to time and play with the kids, you know, like a dog,” Xander said and laughed.

  “What a mutt,” Zahara snorted.

  The sun was setting and Xander watched as Zahara folded Shay’s clothing up neatly and put them into a bag. They were leaving early in the morning and he was torn between excitement to go home and the sorrow of leaving his new friends. Even Reggie, who he didn’t think he’d like. The man was thoughtful and helpful and watched the children like a hawk. Despite his previous proclivity and activity, Reggie had stepped up to the plate and exhibited no animosity nor bigotry toward Ethan.

  He sighed. In the best of times, it would be roughly a six-hour trip. However, they were going to be traveling on secondary roads and unknown dangers. They would steer clear of Huntsville on their way west along with any other urban centers. They would go along the secondary routes and pass-through small towns and hamlets which he was sure would have their own dangers. It was impossible to avoid all trouble, but they could try.

  “I’m going to plot out our route while you’re doing that. Rose, do you have a notebook? I’d like to get a route laid out for us,” Xander said getting up. She smiled and got up and went into the house. A few minutes later she came back with a spiral notebook and pen. He thanked her and went to sit beside Zahara. He turned on his phone and cursed under his breath.

  “What is it?” Zahara looked up from folding the clothing.

  “There’s no internet service and no cell service. Try your phone,” he said and she pulled out her phone and turned it on. After a few moments she looked up at him and shook her head.

  “Xander, my uncle has a road atlas you are welcome to,” Rose said, getting up.

  “I won’t take that; you guys may need it some day in the future. I’ll borrow it though and plot my route that way. On our first chance, we’ll pick one up at a gas station on our way out,” he said. He looked back at Zahara and she shrugged.

  “We knew it was just a matter of time. It’s started.”

  “I’m just thankful my cabin is off grid. I guess we don’t need these anymore,” he said and tossed his cellphone to the porch floor. Zahara grinned and tossed hers beside his. Rose came out with the large book and handed it to Xander. He laid it out in his lap and turned to a clean sheet in the notebook. He paused a moment when he heard the soft humming from Zahara and he didn’t dare look at her. His eyes teared up because he’d never heard her do that. Not once. It struck him that she was happy, truly happy. The wild woman, Flea, Agent Zed, and werewolf was actually happy and she wasn’t even killing anyone. He felt his heart squeeze and he went back to plotting their route.

  The rooster was crowing and it wasn’t light out. The children were still asleep but the adults were all down in the kitchen as Rose made breakfast for them. They’d be heading out soon and it would be a long day. By Xander’s route, it would take them two days to get home, if they didn’t run into too many roadblocks or hordes of zombies. Rose was also making extra biscuits for them to take along. For now, it was biscuits and gravy with fried eggs. Zahara was helping her, she wanted to learn how to make the flaky biscuits because she’d become addicted to them. Rose had also written down several other recipes, just in case.

  After breakfast, they would go to the coop and select five hens and a rooster. There was a large dog kennel in the back of the Chevy with straw and a water bottle suspended from the kennel door. The chickens could peck at the water to drink. There were several metal trashcans with grain and feed for the chickens as well. The clothing and little belongings had been packed last night. There was also a cooler with a special weapon they had made. Napalm, which Reggie had produced with a bit of acetone and Styrofoam. It was for large gatherings of zombies. This way, they could be killed with a direct hit. It was brutal but it would save them ammunition and it would also save others.

  Xander sipped his coffee and was glad that Rose had filled a thermos for them. They would need it. Zahara had started a list in the spiral notebook Rose had given them. It was a list of things they would need to gather for their end of the world shopping spree. Coffee was at the top of the list, along with more ammo, meds, medical supplies and so on. She’d already filled up three pages and he thought that perhaps one of the first things he would do once they got back to the cabin was to build a barn. Either that or see if he could commandeer a big-rig with container. He could park the thing on his property and store nonperishable goods, such as clothing, hardware and so on.

  He figured they had roughly six months to a year to go out and gather what they needed and store away. He was giving the power grid less time and he’d have to see about fuel and fuel treatment to extend the life and his ability to be mobile. There was a lot to think about. If it were only himself and Zahara, he’d not worry about it, but they had Shay now. They would need educational supplies along with clothing that she could grow into. So much to think about and they’d not even left yet. He sighed again and caught Zahara’s eye. She smiled serenely and his heart beat a little slower. They had this. They could do it and both were killers. In a few years, Shay would be as well and wouldn’t be as vulnerable.

  Reggie and Ethan would follow them out and they would head for the stores to begin taking all the supplies they could. With the loss of their cellphone service, they had talked about what needed to be done before the grid across the country went down. Rose had tried her phone as well and it had been the same for her. No service nor internet. She checked on the tel
evision in the den and there was nothing but static on it now. No news stations, nothing was being broadcast. He was glad to see that the two men were getting along and there was no kind of animosity between the two. They were all they had now and it was an odd feeling to know that when he and Zahara left, they would be on their own as well. It was like being on a never-ending mission but with no extraction.

  When Reggie and Ethan came back late the evening before, they relayed the situation at the other farm. The woman, Rachel Abila, had been trapped in the house over a week. Her husband, Johnathan, had been turned, along with two neighbors and her best friend who’d been staying with them. She’d tried to defend them, but they’d run out of ammunition. It would seem that the weapon she’d pointed at them had been empty. Neither Ethan nor Reggie mentioned the werewolves and Rachel had said that she’d seen two wolf creatures in the yard, but that they had killed the zombies so she thought they might have been okay. Xander’s mouth twitched at that.

  Ethan and Reggie had set the pile of zombies on fire and cleared out the barn of the dead animals with her tractor. When they’d come home, they’d been filthy and stunk. They would swing by there again today and help Rachel with whatever she needed doing. At least they would have a neighbor or two. Ethan planned to go out farther afield and take the lay of the land, kill zombies and meet neighbors and see how they might set up some kind of trade. They would need to depend on each other in the coming days. With lots of land planted, their food concerns would be taken care of. They would have to harvest and store that food, but one day at a time.

  Xander wondered if he would visit his neighbors? He’d never met them and of course didn’t even know if they were alive. Only time would tell. As breakfast wound down, Zahara went up to get Shay. Xander was now getting antsy to get on the road and get home. He got up from the table and took his dishes to the sink. He was torn again about leaving and staying but he had to get his new family home. It was a funny feeling to have an instant family, but he couldn’t feel sad about that. He went to the living room and picked up a sturdy cardboard box. It was filled with loaded magazines for their weapons. If they ran into trouble, they wanted full loads when needed. Zahara had sharpened her samurai sword and the machete and had placed them behind the bench seat in the Chevy.

  An hour later they stood by the truck. Ethan stepped forward and gave Xander a hug. He’d been surprised, but slapped the man on the back. Rose stepped up and hugged him, then Reggie stuck a hand out. He looked into the man’s eyes and saw an honest man before him. A man who would help Ethan care for this family. He watched as Zahara got just a little misty eyed and hugged Rose. She punched Ethan and shook Reggie’s hand. All the adults hugged Shay and she got into the truck. The other children were still asleep and had said their goodbyes the night before. The sun was just tinging the eastern horizon and the morning was already humid and warm.

  “If I can find a radio, I’ll try to reach out and contact you. You do the same. I’ll try at the first of each month at 7 p.m., if and when I do. My call sign will be Wolfman,” Xander said and Ethan snorted.

  “Fine, I’ll be Zombie-killer,” Ethan said shook Xander’s hand before he got into the truck. For a moment, Xander looked at each of the faces and then he looked at Zahara. Her face was soft in the low light and he smiled at her. She reached over and squeezed his arm and he lifted a hand in farewell. He pulled out of the drive and turned the truck and left the farm behind. He and Zahara had agreed to kill any zombies they saw until they hit the ten-mile mark. That would mean less zombies for Ethan and Reggie to worry about.

  Shay had a large pillow and was laid across Zahara’s lap. She was sound asleep and it was quiet in the cab. They were seven miles out when they saw a small group of zombies. Zahara rolled down her window as Xander slowed down. It was like shooting fish in a barrel and she dropped the six zombies. When they got to Route 72 East, there were few abandoned vehicles. It was far enough from Rose’s farm that Zahara didn’t bother shooting the zombies that were roaming in between the cars. The thought of a cow catcher floated through Xander’s mind. In some areas along the road were hundreds of zombies clustered together. At the sound of the truck’s engine, they started moving toward the road. Their truck was faster and easily passed them.

  “Maybe slow down, not so they can catch up, but so they walk in this direction. It will be taking them farther away from Rose’s farm,” Zahara said softly, her hand stroking Shay’s hair.

  “Good idea. As long as the road ahead is clear, I just don’t want to get bogged down.” For twenty minutes they let the zombies follow and then Xander picked up speed. They were on roughly high ground in places and he looked down into the shallow valleys. There were a lot of rural areas with homes spread out. Then he’d see small bedroom communities with swimming pools and playgrounds. They were far from the road, but he could still make out forms wandering around. He knew they were not human.

  Their world truly was dead. He looked down at the sleeping form of Shay and wondered what her future would bring. Maybe he would reach out to his neighbors. In ten years, she would be nearly a grown woman and he didn’t want her life to be a lonely one like his had been.

  “Up ahead,” Zahara said and he looked off to the north where she was pointing. It was a massive group of zombies and they were heading for the road. If they got stuck in the middle of that, they’d be screwed.

  “Shit. Is Shay buckled in?”

  “Yeah, what are you thinking?” Zahara asked.

  “I’m gonna speed up and see if I can get past the bulk of them. We might be hitting some turbulence,” he said and the truck picked up speed.

  “I’ll pick off the ones in front, maybe clear a path. It’s gonna be bumpy.” Zahara shook Shay awake.

  “Curl up, it’s gonna get a little rough. Don’t worry, we’ll keep you safe,” Zahara said as Shay sat up. Her eyes widened as she saw the massive group ahead. Zahara rolled down her window and stuck several full mags in her back pocket. She began shooting as they got closer and bodies began to fall. Xander had to slow the truck to move out of the way of several oncoming zombies. He didn’t need to disable his truck in the middle of this horde.

  “Should we use some of the napalm?” Zahara asked over her shoulder.

  “That’s a good idea. Let me get out ahead of them and I’ll throw a bottle into the middle of the larger group. I’ll have to let them get a little close, you’ll have to pick off any of the front-runners.”

  “When you get ready to throw, use your werewolf shoulders to lob that thing,” Zahara said.

  “Good idea, didn’t even think about that,” Xander said and shook his head. He was so used to not using his wolf side that he’d forgotten that he could access parts of his body with ease now. It didn’t matter now; he didn’t need to hide the fact he was a werewolf. The truck sideswiped two zombies and they pirouetted onto the asphalt. He slowed down more when he hit a zombie head on. He was a tall thin man and his rotting arms tried to hold onto the hood as he was pulled under. The truck bounced over bodies and Xander hoped that the tires would hold.

  “Maybe we should pick up a couple extra tires when we hit a gas station or find a tire store?” he said.

  “Good idea and I think we’re clear. Maybe go up a hundred feet or so then get a bottle of the good stuff,” Zahara said. Xander nodded and looked around as he pulled over to the side of the road. The horde was still coming, but it would take them a minute or two to reach them. Zahara opened her door and stood on the inside and braced herself on the roof. She watched and kept an eye out for any strays and Xander went to the bed of the truck and opened a cooler. Inside were glass bottles of napalm. There were rags stuffed in, he’d light the rag and toss the glass bottle of napalm into the oncoming zombies. It was hoped that the napalm would spread the fire among the walking dead and perhaps spread on and kill many. The grass around the road was dry and might start a wildfire. That would kill the zombies as well, but might start a widespread fire. They were d
amned if they did and damned if they didn’t.

  He pulled a lighter and lit the rag. There was gas on the rag and so it burned well. He waited a moment and then took aim. Feeling his shoulder and arm swell he reared back and let the bottle fly. It landed in between the zombies and he heard the glass break but nothing happened. He got back in the truck and turned and watched. The zombies were still coming and nothing.

  “I think it didn’t work,” Zahara said, disappointment in her voice. Then there was a whoosh and blue flames began to crawl over the zombies. The zombies didn’t seem fazed by it and kept moving forward. The flame moved like a living thing as it spread across the zombies. Their dry clothing was fuel for the fire as well as their hair. Soon, the mob of the moving dead began to slow as the fire took hold. Xander pulled the truck forward when Zahara got back in. She hugged Shay and kissed her head and tickled her neck playfully. They moved slowly forward as did the now moving mass of flaming zombies. Black smoke spiraled upward into the sky as the fire spread along the grass and then to several cars. When the fire reached the vehicles, Xander picked up speed. Those things would blow up sooner rather than later and he didn’t want car parts raining down on them.

  He checked his rearview mirror from time to time and then heard and felt the shockwave of the cars exploding. Black smoke was now obscuring the zombie horde.

  “I’ll mark that as a success,” Zahara said and smiled.

  NINE

  Ethan rode shotgun as Reggie drove into the little town, they were lucky because there were three small towns within a thirty-minute drive in different directions of the farm. They drove to the feed store and he was curious to see if those assholes who had harassed Zahara and Xander, were still there. They’d been told the story and though Reggie and Rose hadn’t laughed, there had been a little bit of satisfaction on their faces. A smile flitted across Ethan’s face as he could just imagine. They were going to pick up more feed and also canning jars. Rose said that she would need as many as they could find for future canning and preserving. When they pulled into the parking lot of the feed store it was deserted. There was a large dark stain by the door and once more a smile twitched on Ethan’s lips. He saw a ball and then realized it was the man’s head. It looked as though the rest of the body had either been removed or scavengers had gotten to it.