The Wilder Side of Z

by S A Ison

  She knew Xander was a little uncertain about the readymade family, but she thought he was getting used to the idea. There was so much to do once they got back and her mind went again to the loft area for Shay’s bedroom. They would fix it up nice for her and then over the next few days, head to town and pick up supplies. Last night the lights had flickered on and off. Then stable out and was back on for a while. They had put on a movie in the DVD player for Shay. Xander had made dinner and they had settled in for the night. There were some crazy-ass people out there. One less now. If she could have torn the bastard up for hours, it would have been too fast. She sighed and put him out of her thoughts.

  They had shifted to back roads now and she was glad to see less and less people and zombies. She’s seen the desperation of the living as she passed and she knew their lives would be difficult if they didn’t pull their shit together and start working toward building up defenses. Waiting for someone to help was a non sequitur, there was no one coming. She thought perhaps werewolves would fare better, but they could still be killed by the zombies. It took vigilance. She had watched as people filled their trucks or cars with supplies. She’d seen the fear in their eyes as they’d passed. Once people were stuck in one place, with no cars and such, they’d have to figure out a way to get out and trade. She thought that if small communities worked together, they might just make it. Xander had talked about meeting their neighbors. She thought that might be a good idea. As much as she didn’t like people, Rose and Reggie had taught her that there were actually good people out there. Even Ethan was a good guy, though she’d never admit that out loud.

  She shifted on the seat; her legs restless. She wasn’t used to sitting for so long. She wondered what Ethan and Rose were doing right now. She wouldn’t admit she missed them either.

  “There’s a little country store ahead. I want to stop and see what we can get from it and I want to stretch my legs,” Xander said, bringing her out of her thoughts.

  “Me too, my brain feels fuzzy. Looks like only about half a dozen gooey gomers,” she said and figured they could use her sword. No need to waste bullets. The infected were looking more and more decomposed as the days passed. She hoped at some point they would just rot away. She couldn’t even imagine what New York City, Chicago or Los Angeles looked like. Millions of infected, maybe millions of zombies. Where could you hide? The smell alone would be so noxious and the environmental conditions after, catastrophic. She was sure the large cities would be hotbeds for cholera, typhoid and any other nasty bug.

  There were three vehicles parked at the little country store. She looked at the plates, Florida, Colorado and North Carolina. She wondered if the first two had been on vacation when the shit hit the fan? Xander slowed the truck down and Zahara eased Shay’s head down on the pillow. She’d let her sleep; she didn’t need to see this. They would lock the doors; she’d never again leave Shay vulnerable like that. She shivered at the remembrance of finding her gone from the truck. Reaching behind her, she drew the sword from behind the bench seat and looked at Xander. He smiled tiredly at her and nodded.

  Easing the door open, she pushed the lock button down and then shut the door quietly. She went after the first zombie and quickly cut the head off the woman. Part of her lower jaw was missing and it made for an easier slice. She flicked the bits of gore from the blade and saw Xander coming from around the truck, machete raised. He was swift and cut then sliced through the zombies. She noticed that one of the zombies was faster than the others, Zahara quickly moved and she felt her adrenaline spike. She didn’t need to get complacent and she shifted and ducked and then came up behind the two. She swung with all her might and caught the man, perhaps a week gone, behind the base of the skull. She cursed softly when the blade stuck in the bone of the skull and she had to use her foot to kick him off her blade.

  She barely missed getting raked with filthy nails from the next gomer and hopped nimbly to the side and brought the sword up and caught the creature under the jaw. She jerked back and swung again; the head flew off the staggering body. She looked for Xander but he had finished and was walking toward her, scanning their surroundings. Neither wanted a sneak attack. From the corner of her eye, she caught movement from within the store and wondered if it were really worth it. She was hormonal and could use a couple of chocolate bars so she supposed they might as well, they were already here.

  “I think I’ll stock up on chocolate,” she said as they walked to the door. Xander eyed her but she simply smiled and shrugged. She wasn’t up to discussing her period just yet. She still wanted a little mystery in their budding romance. Xander tried the door but it was locked. He used the handle of his machete and tapped around the glass near the lock. The glass broke easily and he reached in carefully and unlocked the door. The interior of the country store was quiet but Zahara could hear something moving around behind the closed door of what appeared to be a storage room.

  “I think there’s something in that closet,” she said and nodded toward the door.

  “Guess we’ll leave it alone,” Xander said. There was no power to the store and Zahara wondered if it were just this store or if the grid had finally gone down. It didn’t really matter; the gas tank was nearly full and they had several five-gallon cans in the back of the truck if they needed it. She hoped if and when they went to get more gas and gas cans that the gas stations would be running on generators. If that were the case, they would need to take advantage and get gas while they could. She jerked around when she heard a sound, lifting her sword.

  Behind the counter that held an old-fashioned cash register stood a little boy, his large brown eyes watching her with curiosity and fascination. He had a mass of chestnut curls that crowned his soft face. His blocky eyebrows twitched and she lowered her sword. She cocked her head to the side and the boy did the same and she smiled. A soft smile reflected on the little face.

  “Xander?” she said softly and he turned and looked at her and she nodded to the little boy.

  “What the?” he said and looked at her. She shrugged; they’d found a little boy, who moved out from behind the counter.

  “Hi. I’m Zahara, that’s Xander. Who are you?”

  “I’m Jack. I’m a tough guy,” Jack said and lifted his arm and pulled the shirt sleeve back and attempted to make a muscle. His bottom jaw jutted forward and his bottom teeth bit into his upper lip as he flexed his tiny muscle for Zahara. His little body vibrated with effort to show her just how strong he was. Her heart shattered into a million pieces and he was hers. There was no choice and she walked forward and squatted in front of the little boy.

  “Wow, you sure are a tough guy,” she said softly as she squeezed his little arm. Jack’s mouth wabbled a bit and his large dark brown eyes filled with tears and he walked into Zahara’s open arms and wrapped his slender arms around her neck in a fierce hug. I must be hormonal, she thought as her own eyes teared up and she crushed the boy to her and stood. His small legs wrapped around her waist and she held on to him, rocking him. She felt Xander beside her and she looked up at him. He was a little blurry but she could see the sorrow and compassion in his eyes. She sniffed and smiled. Then she sniffed again. She looked back at Xander and she started sniffing the little boy, like a dog. She snuffled his neck and she looked back at Xander, confusion on her face.

  “He smells different,” she said.

  “Is he a werepup?” he asked softly and laid his hand on the boy’s small back and sniffed. Jack looked up at Xander and reached out a hand and petted Xander’s black beard.

  “I’m a tough guy. My mommy said I was.”

  “Yes, I can see that you are a really tough guy,” Xander said with a gentle smile. He leaned forward and sniffed the boy again and Jack giggled.

  “Jack, you smell different? Do you know what you are?” Zahara asked carefully. Jack’s eyes clouded for a moment.

  “It’s a secret,” he said.

  “I’ll tell you, my secret. I’m a wolf and so is he,” she said.
Her finger came up to caress the soft curve of his rounded cheek. Jack leaned forward and sniffed and he grinned shyly.

  “My mommy said I’m her grizzly cub. She said I’ll be a big tough guy when I grow up,” he said, his little block eyebrows going to his hairline, his eyes wide. Xander jerked.

  “Is your mommy a bear?” Zahara asked.

  “No. My daddy is a grizzly. I’m four.” Jack held up four fingers.

  “Where is your mommy, Jack?” Xander asked softly. Zahara thought she knew when she heard another thump from the storage room. Jack pointed to the door.

  “Mommy said I couldn’t open that door. She got bit. She said she was sick,” Jack said and his eyes began to tear up and his bottom lip trembled. Zahara looked at Xander. He shook his head.

  “Where’s your daddy?” Xander asked.

  “My papa bear is gone. We don’t know where he is,” Jack said and fat tears slid down his cheeks. Zahara hugged him and looked at Xander.

  “I’m going out to the truck. I need a hell of a lot of chocolate, don’t disappoint me,” she said and then her eyes slid over to the storage closet. He would put the mother down. Xander handed her the keys and she walked to the door and walked out. The late afternoon sun slanted off the trees and dappled the parking lot of the country store. The birds were singing their get ready for night songs and she walked to the truck. Shay was still asleep and she smiled looking down at her daughter, for daughter she was. Now she had a son. A grizzly bear. She’d never known there were grizzly bears, only werewolves. Would this child be a full bear or like them, werebear? Only time would tell and she wanted to laugh. Now she knew how Ethan felt when he’d first found out about werewolves.

  Xander walked out with two large plastic bags filled with chocolate bars. It was a damn good thing; she was going to need a lot of bars. She unlocked the truck and nudged Shay who sat up, rubbing her eyes. She saw the little boy and grinned.

  “I have a brother?” she chirped and scooted over.

  “You sure do. This is Jack. Jack, this is Shay,” Zahara said, setting Jack beside Shay. Shay reached and drew Jack in for a hug and Jack grinned and hugged her back.

  “He’s a werecub. Jack, Shay is a werepup. She’s like me.” Zahara handed over the keys to Xander and he started the truck.

  “Are we a secret family now?” Shay asked.

  “Yep. We are.” Xander pulled out and put the store behind them. Only a couple more hours and they’d be home. He kept the truck a little slower. There weren’t enough seatbelts and so Zahara had buckled the children into the middle one. His mind was spinning. Grizzly bear. What in the hell? He’d never once in his life ever heard or met anything other than humans and werewolves. He thought about the license plate of the vehicle. Colorado. He’d never been up there and maybe if he had he might have met one. He’d never know. What did Jack mean about they couldn’t find his father? Had his mother been going to meet him?

  He’d opened the storage room door to find Jack’s mother tied up. She’d done it to herself, he could tell. She had also tied a gag over her mouth. She had also wedged a folded-up piece of cardboard under the door and it was hard for him to open it. He guessed she was afraid Jack might try to open the door at some point and she’d bite him. He saw the bite mark on her arm and her eyes were just starting to cloud over. She’d been bitten roughly a week ago, maybe less. He shook his head and his eyes slid over to Jack, who was now sound asleep in Zahara’s lap. He smiled, Shay was holding his hand, her fingers caressing his hand. Shay understood better than anyone what it meant to lose a parent.

  Ž

  Ethan shifted the framework in the yard. The solar panels were set up so that they could rotate the frame if they needed it to move. He and Reggie had dug a long shallow trench and laid the cables so they were underground. The battery banks and converters of the original system were in the barn and already connected to the power panel for the house.

  He let Reggie take care of this part, since he was pretty sure if he got electrocuted, werewolf or not, it would kill him fast. He was a handy kind of man, but he knew his limits. He did the grunt work for Reggie and did what he was told. Rose took the twins in when they wanted to help. The two were very disappointed when Reggie said no.

  “Sorry, this is dangerous work. You never touch electrical equipment, boys. You understand? Even Uncle Ethan doesn’t touch it. It would kill you quick,” Reggie said. Their eyes were huge and they nodded but there was still disappointment on their faces.

  “I think that’s about it. We’ve got enough extra panels and converters along with the deep cell batteries to last us for years. Tomorrow, we’ll go over how to change out and troubleshoot. I want Lauren and Rose to learn as well. If any of us are hurt or die, the others will need that knowledge base,” Reggie said.

  “That’s a good idea. Redundant knowledge. How about we all go swimming? I’m about to die from this heat,” Ethan said as he wiped at his face. He’d never been so overheated in his life. He hoped that over time, he’d get used to it.

  “I could do with some downtime,” Reggie laughed and walked toward the house. The boys were playing on the porch with little cars that they’d found in the attic. Lauren was laying in the swing reading a book and Rose was snapping beans in a bowl. She and Lauren had canned thirty quarts of green beans earlier in the day. The kitchen was too hot to enter so Rose was working out on the porch.

  “We were thinkin’ about going swimmin’, y’all wanna come?” Reggie asked and the boys jumped up like tightly wounds springs.

  They jumped off the porch and ran for the pond. Rose started laughing and got up.

  “I’ll go get the towels, I don’t want them drippin’ all over my floors,” she said.

  “I’ll get a couple of lawn chairs and we can put our feet in the water,” Ethan said and headed to the barn. He heard Lauren laughing at something and Reggie was clapping his hands. The mutt, Rufus, was barking and the boys squealed with joy. He grabbed three folded lawn chairs and bounced them on the ground to get the dust and cobwebs off of them. The cow mooed and he knew at some point he was going to have to learn how to milk the creature. He shook his head. He couldn’t believe he was even contemplating milking a cow. He was an assassin for shit’s sake. He was a government sanctioned, highly trained CIA operative turned farmer/werewolf. He would never have imagined himself here in the middle of an apocalypse with a former KKK member with three orphaned children.

  Ethan laughed and shook his head. He watched as Rose walked down to the pond with towels draped over her arm. Her arm was around Lauren’s shoulder and their heads together. He smiled and his heart beat lightly and his soul felt somehow transformed. He wasn’t a fool nor a romantic. They were now living in deadly times. He had no idea what lay ahead for any of them. But he knew each night he would transform and he would patrol and kill anything that didn’t belong. He would protect his pack for they were now his family. His wolf knew them to be so, even that mutt.

  Rose looked back behind her and he met her eyes. He saw sweetness there and joy. Her face was beaming with an inner light and he felt nearly intoxicated. He would go slow. He’d let her be in charge of their relationship. It was too important to him to let it be otherwise. He knew he had something so special here. Reggie did too, he’d seen it on the man’s face. Reggie had been given a second chance. They all had. He hoped that one day he’d hear form Xander and hoped that he and his little family did well and survived. He was sure they would. Zahara was so wild that he was sure she’d kill anything that even thought about hurting her Shay. He laughed softly to himself and felt like he was the luckiest man on earth.

  Ž

  As they drew closer to home, Xander felt excitement, hope and relief fill him. He and Zahara only left two weeks before but it truly seemed like a lifetime ago. He’d gone to Huntsville expecting to head back to work. Then come back with a family of otherworldly creatures in a world that had fallen apart and was filled with mindless monstrous zombies. He pulled up
to the gate and got out, looking into the truck. Zahara’s face nearly glowed and he saw the bright excited eyes of Jack and Shay. They were going to see their new home.

  He was glad to see that the locks had not been tampered with and he unlocked the gate and swung it open. Zahara had gotten behind the wheel and pulled the truck forward. The rooster crowed in the large kennel and he laughed, he thought even the rooster knew he was home. He closed the gate and walked to the other side and got in.

  “Is this our home?” Shay asked, her voice almost hushed.

  “It sure is. You and Jack get to sleep up in the loft. I’ll have to get some wood and build a little wall, so you can each have your own room, but I think you’ll like it,” Xander said and hugged Shay.

  “I get to share?” Jack said and a wide grin split his sweet face. He giggled and Shay giggled too. Zahara drove up the curing drive and soon the cabin came into view. He felt the tension bleed from his body, it had been there since they’d seen their first zombie. Zahara parked the truck and turned off the engine. It was silent around them and no one spoke or moved. He closed his eyes and listened to the birds that were calling from the trees. He heard the buzz from the ever-present cicadas and the frogs by the pond.

  “Welcome home,” he said softly to his family.

  EPILOGUE

  Ten years later

  Ethan pushed the cart filled with dried cow manure. Rose and the twins were in the high field getting the ground ready for planting. It was the end of February and the weather was turning warmer each day. He had already set up the benches with the old gallon milk jugs. The jugs were cut nearly in half and the lower half held nutrient rich soil with a seedling while the top half covered the seedling making a mini greenhouse. During the day the twins moved the benches in and out of the sun for maximum advantage. At night, the benches were moved into the barn. When it got closer to April, they would harden the seedlings and by May they would be out in the gardens to grow.