Dead South Series (Book 1): Dead South

by Bohannon, Zach

  “Let’s get going,” Jon said. “And you’ll follow me and do exactly as I say.”

  “That’s fine,” Brooke said. “But first, I think we’re going to need some weapons.”

  24

  Brooke pushed the coffee table off of the oriental rug in her living room. Then she squatted at the edge of it and pulled at the corner. Dust bunnies scattered in the air as Brooke rolled up the rug, revealing a door in the floor.

  Jon laughed. “Son of a bitch.” He looked over at Terrance, who smiled.

  Brooke pulled the door open to reveal a shallow storage space. A blanket covered its contents, but Jon knew what lay under it.

  Removing the blanket, Brooke revealed a collection of guns and ammunition. There had to be over a dozen weapons. She pulled some out, showing off an array of handguns, shotguns, and rifles.

  “Where did you get all of this?” Jon asked.

  “My ex-husband owned most of it,” Brooke said. “But we’ve also found some stuff over time and managed to hide it from the Vultures.”

  “If they knew this was here,” Terrance said, not needing to finish his sentence.

  “What do you want to take with you?” Brooke asked Jon.

  “I’ll take that 12 gauge. And if you’ve got any rounds for a .22.”

  Brooke handed Jon the shotgun with shells as well as the ammunition for his .22. As she and Terrance were picking out what they wanted, Jon noticed a couple of cans of something in the hole.

  “What’s that?”

  “Kerosene,” Terrance said. “We keep some empty bottles and rags over in Mouse’s garage.” He shrugged. “In case we want to make Molotov cocktails.”

  “Should we bring those with us?” Brooke asked.

  “I don’t think so,” Jon said. “The guns should do. And we should get going.”

  Jon turned off of the highway and onto Dawson Road just as Angie had instructed. He stopped the bike in the middle of the dirt path, letting the bike idle as Brooke and Terrence pulled up beside him in the car they’d driven.

  “According to Angie, the place should be just up ahead, right?” Terrence said from the driver’s seat.

  Jon nodded.

  “What’s the plan?” Brooke asked.

  “She said the road is pretty flat as we approach,” Jon said. He pointed ahead. “So, I’m guessing that the farm is going to be right over that hill there. We should stop at the top of it and shut these engines off. See what we can see.”

  “Then what?” Brooke asked.

  “That all depends on what we see.” Jon revved up the engine and started down the dirt road. Terrence and Brooke followed.

  As they approached the hill, Jon thought about what they would see on the other side. Angie had tried to describe the scene, but she’d never been able to calm down. She’d been in shock. For all Jon knew, they could be walking into two zombies or two dozen. Tim had already been killed, and Max could already be dead as well.

  Jon gave the bike some gas as it climbed the short hill, and he came to a stop at the top of it. The car stopped beside him as he shut his bike’s engine off and stepped in front of it. Brooke and Terrence exited their vehicle and stood on either side of Jon, following his gaze down to the farmhouse.

  “Son of a bitch,” Terrence said.

  At least a dozen zombies stood in a pack at the front of the farmhouse. They lingered in a fenced-in part of the yard, clawing at the brick-front house. Sitting on the roof, his knees up to his chin, was Max.

  “He’s trapped up there,” Brooke said.

  Jon watched Max look over his shoulder at the back of the house. Then Jon shifted his vision there and saw the arm of a zombie around the back corner of the structure.

  “They’re not just in the front.” Jon pointed to what he’d seen. “That’s why he’s not just jumping off the back of the roof and making a run for it.”

  “I wonder how many are back there,” Terrence said.

  “No way for us to know,” Brooke said. She turned to Jon. “Got any ideas on how we’re going to approach this? You wanted the lead.”

  Jon chewed on his lip. He observed the scene, trying to think of the best course of action. He could only think of one way to approach the situation.

  “We’ve got to try and pull as many of those bastards away as we can,” Jon said. “We’re never going to get him off that roof otherwise.”

  “How do you wanna do that?” Terrence asked.

  Jon looked back at his motorcycle. “You two are gonna hang back while I ride down there. I’ll draw as many of them away as I can. Hell, maybe I’ll be able to get all of them. You two have got to stay hidden while I pull them away. And when they’re far enough out, you two race in and get him off that roof.”

  “You sure that’ll work?” Brooke asked.

  “Nope. But I’m open to any other ideas.”

  Neither Terrence nor Brooke said anything.

  “Well, I guess that’s it then.” Jon mounted his bike. He exhaled as he looked down the hill.

  “I’m going to lead as many of them that way as I can,” Jon said, pointing farther down the road ahead. “Hopefully, I can get some of the bastards from the back of the house, too. You two just be ready.”

  “We will,” Terrence said.

  Brooke had closed her eyes, and she stood there taking in several deep breaths. Before Jon could ask her if she was ready, she came over and wrapped her arms around him. Surprised and unsure what to do, Jon left his hands hanging for a moment before he put them on her back. It had been so long since he had had human contact with anyone, and no woman had held him since Carrie. Brooke held the hug for several moments, and as uncomfortable as it made Jon, he didn’t want to let her go. When she finally did pull away, they looked into each other’s eyes. Jon expected to find tears, but instead he found strength.

  She leaned in and kissed his cheek, saying nothing. She didn’t have to. Her eyes said everything. “We’re going to live,” they told him.

  Jon stared at the house. He saw the dead things scratching and clawing at it, trying to get to a frozen Max sitting still on the roof. For the past two years, Jon had slain the dead bastards without an ounce of fear inside of him. But as he looked down on them now, a tinge of the emotion crept inside his chest. Because for the first time in a long time, he might have something to live for.

  He glanced over at Brooke, and still they said nothing to each other. But he knew she could read that his eyes said they were going to make it out of this alive.

  Facing forward again, Jon started his bike and revved the engine. He twisted the throttle, and then he sped down the hill toward the farmhouse.

  25

  Jon pulled off the dirt path and drove into the tall grass. It brushed against him, much of it shredding as he sped through. He glanced up at the roof and watched Max sitting there, his knees up at his chest.

  When Jon was about twenty yards away from the house, he turned the bike and came to a skidding stop. As the motorcycle idled, he put his fingers in his mouth and whistled.

  Many of the zombies turned in his direction.

  “That’s right, you ugly motherfuckers,” Jon said. “Come and get me.”

  Several of the beasts faced Jon. They snarled almost in unison, like a choir. This got the attention of some of the others, which then also looked at Jon.

  “Come on,” Jon said to himself.

  Some of the zombies started walking towards him. He grinned.

  “That’s right. Keep coming.”

  It drew the attention of more of the creatures. Their lumbering walks turned into runs as they came after Jon. He twisted the throttle, and the bike kicked up some dirt as he took off.

  The zombies followed him in a trail as he turned in big circles around the yard. He glanced over at the house and saw that all of the creatures from the front had followed him. Then he glanced around the side of the house to find a trail to the back. There didn’t appear to be a fence. Some of the creatures that had been i
n the back had already made their way around to the front. He still wasn’t sure how many were back there, but he’d find out. He turned left toward the house and headed for the right side of it.

  He hit a hole as he flew over the ground, nearly sending him over the handlebars. The tall grass made it impossible to see holes in the yard, but it was part of the risk. On the flip side, the uneven terrain seemed to be slowing the zombies down, and Jon even watched one of them trip and fall before getting trampled by the ones behind it.

  Around the back of the house, he saw another half-a-dozen zombies clawing at the brick. As soon as he came around the house, they turned to look at him, falling in line with the rest of the zombies.

  Jon glanced in his rearview mirror to see a group of zombies running after him, all of them snarling and creating a howl loud enough to be heard over the sound of his engine.

  He rode back around to the front of the house. Checking the mirror once more to assure himself he had all the creatures, he then looked up the hill to where Brooke and Terrence remained parked, awaiting his signal. He gave it to them, waving his hand.

  The car sped down the hill, and Jon took a hard left to draw the monsters the opposite way from which Brooke and Terrence were coming. Jon went about thirty yards before slightly turning in order to head to the road himself. After almost falling, he didn’t trust staying in the grass any longer than he needed to.

  Glancing in the mirror again, Jon saw that a few of the zombies at the tail of the group had started back toward the house, having seen Brooke and Terrence making their way there. But it didn’t worry him. Jon had led the creatures far enough away to where Max would be off the roof and in the car before the zombies made it to them.

  Feeling like he'd driven far enough and approaching another hill, Jon went to the top and then pulled off the road again. He didn’t want the house out of sight. He’d put enough distance between himself and the creatures that he was able to slow down some. He looked down the hill to his left and saw the car parked in front of the house, Max right above it.

  Only, Max wasn’t moving.

  Get in the fucking car, asshole.

  Brooke waved her arms out the window, and Jon could see her screaming at Max even though Jon was too far away to make out what she was saying over the sound of his bike and the howling horde behind him.

  “Get off the goddamn roof!” Jon said.

  The zombies that had trailed off of Jon had already made it halfway back to the house. More followed behind them, but they had separated themselves from the pack.

  Brooke stepped out of the car, and that was when Jon knew he had to go back.

  He turned the bike, heading down the grassy knoll without paying much attention to the terrain. It was a mistake that could have cost him dearly, but he managed to make it down the hill without laying the bike down. He then sped across the field.

  Drawing his pistol off of his waist, Jon pulled up next to one of the zombies heading back to the house and aimed at its head. The first shot missed, but the next hit the creature in the face, dropping it into the tall grass. Another zombie was only a few yards in front of that one, but Jon decided to save his bullets. He’d instead try to catch up to the creatures closer to the house. He didn’t have a lot of ammo, and it was looking like he’d need to save as much of it as he could.

  Jon gathered the attention of two other zombies as they came within 15 yards of Brooke. He stopped the bike with a slide, jumping off and laying it down. At the same time, he pulled the bat off of his back.

  Rearing back, Jon swung the bat at the head of the zombie closest to him. Its skull cracked and it hit the ground. Adrenaline pumping through him, Jon turned and hit the other zombie, landing an exploding blow on the top of its head.

  The other zombie he had passed on the bike came running toward him. Jon put the bat on his shoulder and swung like a home run king, nearly decapitating the zombie and sending it down onto the ground.

  He then looked out to see the rest of the horde making their way back to the house and returned the bat to his back. There wasn’t much time. Jon hurried over to the house.

  “Max, you have to come down here now,” Brooke said.

  “What the hell is going on?” Jon asked.

  “He won’t move,” Brooke said.

  “I think he’s in shock,” Terrence said, standing next to the open door of the car. “Probably from seeing what they did to Tim.”

  “Then we leave him.” Jon grabbed Brooke’s arm. She jerked it away.

  “We’re not leaving him. We didn’t come out here just to let him die up on that roof.”

  Jon bit his lip and looked up. “Max, you have to come down now.”

  The man sat there, lips trembling and not responding. Jon peeked into the field to see the zombies fast approaching.

  “Goddamnit, Max!” Jon said. “Get your ass down here now!”

  Max stared down at Jon with empty eyes. He still didn’t move.

  Jon heard the snarls of the horde and turned around. They were approaching fast.

  “We’re out of time,” Jon said, stepping over to his bike. “We’ve got to go.”

  Brooke stayed by the house, looking up at Max.

  “Brooke, come on.”

  Ignoring Jon, Brooke climbed onto the hood of the car. Then she reached for the edge of the roof, pulling herself up.

  “Brooke!” Jon yelled. “Goddamnit.”

  “She said it, man,” Terrence said, coming around to join Jon. “She’s not going to leave him behind.”

  Jon bit his lip. He wanted to leave, but with the zombies fast approaching and Brooke up on the roof, it was too late for that now.

  “Then we’ll just have to fight these bastards off as long as we can.”

  26

  Jon pulled the shotgun off his back. He’d already loaded it with more shells ready, but with the zombies coming toward them, he was going to have to land every shot. Terrence stood beside Jon with his pistol raised. Jon hoped Terrence was a good shot, or this might not end well.

  Glancing back, Jon looked at Brooke up on the roof. She shook Max, trying to snap him out of the state he sat in. Then Jon focused on the zombies coming his way.

  “Try to clear the ones coming for you,” Jon said. “That way, we don’t waste ammo.”

  Rather than answering, Terrence fired the first round. He hit his target, but in the shoulder. It slowed the zombie down, but it continued to come at him. The second shot landed in the creature’s head, sending it down to the ground.

  Knowing now that he had someone capable at his side, Jon took his first shot. The shotgun boomed, and the slug that came from the barrel took off the head of a creature running at him. Blood splatted from where its head had once been, and the rest of its body tumbled to the ground.

  The zombies came at Jon and Terrence two to three at a time, many having tripped in the field trying to get to them. It made them easier to handle as opposed to the entire horde coming in a cluster. Jon and Terrence continued to land critical hits, and as Jon ran out and was forced to reload, he checked on Brooke.

  She continued to shake Max and yell at him, and her face had grown red. Finally, she reared back and slapped him across the face. His eyes went wide and he came out of the trance, flailing his arms up and brushing Brooke. The movement was enough to throw her off-balance on top of the sloped roof. Jon jerked as he watched Brooke fall off the roof.

  She landed on her feet, but still tumbled to the ground, falling forward onto her hands. Her gun fell from the waistband of her pants, landing on the ground next to her.

  “Terrence, hold them off!” Jon ran to Brooke.

  She lay on the ground clutching her left wrist. Jon fell to his knees next to her, letting the empty shotgun fall.

  “We’ve got to get out of here,” he said. “Are your legs okay?”

  Brooke nodded. “They hurt, but it’s my wrist. I’m not sure if it’s broken or not.”

  “Jon, look out!”


  The warning had come from Terrence. A zombie had ignored him and was making its way toward Jon and Brooke. Jon grabbed the shotgun off the ground and pumped it, having forgotten it wasn’t loaded.

  Shit.

  He raised the gun as the zombie lunged at him. The creature grabbed onto it and pushed Jon against the house.

  It snapped its jaws as Jon tried to use his leverage with the weapon to get the beast off of him. The thing had at least thirty pounds on him. He’d handled bigger ones before, but not ever after a fight like the one he’d been through.

  Jon screamed as he tried to push the creature away from him, but its jaws grew ever closer to his face. He could smell its sharp, dead breath. Spittle sprayed onto his cheeks and into his brown eyes. It snapped its jaws, teeth yellow and brown and only a couple of inches from his face now. Jon mustered the last bit of strength he had to push it off of him, and he was preparing to crack it in the skull with the shotgun when a blast went off in his right ear and the zombie hit the ground.

  He followed the direction of the shot to see Brooke still sitting on the ground. The pistol she’d dropped was in her hand which shook. For a moment, he thought she was in shock from what she had done, but then she aimed the gun again, this time past Jon. She fired, and Jon turned back as a zombie dropped to the ground behind him.

  Terrence took out the last couple of zombies, then worked to catch his breath as he walked back toward the vehicle and Brooke.

  As Jon stared back at Brooke, a blur caught his attention in the corner of his eyes. Max hopped off the roof and down onto the hood of the car. Jon stepped over to Brooke and offered her his hand.