“It’s all good,” I said. “I’ve got a couple bags of food and water downstairs. If you want to check the garage and barns for anything else we can use, I’ll finish up here.”
When he turned and practically fled from the hall, I laughed out loud. Boys. Any hint of a girl needing toiletries and they’re completely thrown for a loop.
I was pleased to note that the bathroom was pretty well-stocked. So along with two blankets and a couple sheets, I stuffed the duffel bag with toilet paper, feminine products, soap, and shampoo. The last find I was super happy with. Dry shampoo. For the many, many times we weren’t in a position to fully wash ourselves, it would definitely be nice to get at least some of the oily feeling out of my hair.
It’s the little things, I guess. There were some clean towels in the cabinet as well. I debated for a minute before refolding the blankets and sheets into tight rolls to make them as compact as they could possibly be. Then I did the same with two towels. If we found a place we could bathe, it would be nice to be able to dry off properly before getting dressed again. In the same dirty clothes we’d been wearing for almost two days already.
I sniffed at my shirt and cringed. Yeah, a detour to the bedrooms for some fresh clothes was definitely in order. Happily, I managed to find a backpack that I emptied of books and stuffed it with a stash of T-shirts both Rex and I could use, a couple pairs of jeans that looked like they might fit me, and some clean socks. After a debate with myself about using other people’s undergarments, necessity won, so I also added a few pairs of underwear.
When I got back downstairs, I eyed our stash. Two bags with food and water, one with bedding, and one with clothes… how were we going to carry it all?
“Hey! I found a bike in the garage. It has one of those stroller attachments on the back. We can put all of this in there, and I can ride the bike while you ride Frodo,” Rex said as he came back in from outside.
I grinned. “Sounds good! I already changed into some clean clothes. I only checked one room upstairs, but there were definitely some things I think would work for you. Then we should get back on the road.” My mood grew more serious and I took a breath. “We’ve already been here too long.”
Rex grew more somber as well. “I’ll be fast. Promise,” he said, racing back up the steps.
It hardly mattered. At the rate we were going, I was doubtful we’d make it to the guard’s station by the deadline. Our friends would have been better off if I’d given myself up to Brent and his men. As their prisoner, I would have been able to get to my friends sooner. And the countdown would have ended, along with the threat of throwing them in with the zombies.
Unless, as Brent had said, the countdown was meaningless. An arbitrary number to give us the incentive to rush toward our enemies and allow them to trap us.
Still, I couldn’t take the risk that they would follow through on their threat to punish our friends if we were late.
I picked up the bags and brought them out to the bike. A slight smile crossed my face when I considered that, before the outbreak, Rex—or most teenagers, really—wouldn’t have been caught dead riding the hot pink bike with a bright orange child trailer dragging behind. I stuffed the bags into the little trailer and zipped it up to avoid losing anything as we rode.
My amusement died quickly. Eleven and a half days. And we were riding a horse and a bike. After this, our stops would have to be limited severely. Go until it was too dark to see, get up as soon as it was light enough. Quick stop just to eat in the middle of the day. No more long pit stops.
It was the only way we even stood a chance of making it in time. I considered the storage space and went inside to get a couple more blankets and a few more cans of food. Once I was done, I evaluated the potential of somehow hitching the little orange bike trailer to the horse. Frodo would likely be able to pull it more efficiently, and it would allow Rex to ride more easily. The extra time spent switching things around might end up saving us time in the long run.
True to his word, Rex was back outside within a couple minutes. He’d managed to find a T-shirt and some pants that fit him relatively well.
Once I explained my idea to him, he eyed the setup doubtfully. “I dunno, Z. In theory, we could find some rope or something to tie it to the extra metal loops on the saddle, but I’m not sure it would actually be stable. I doubt we’d lose anything with it all zipped up, but I would worry it would tip, or Frodo would get a bit freaked out.”
I shrugged ruefully. “Just thought it might make riding a bit easier for you if you didn’t have to pull the trailer. Guess not. Let’s get going.”
Rex helped me get up onto Frodo, and then he mounted his bike. “Lead the way, Rex,” I said. “We have to get moving.”
He would have it harder riding a bike. Even if he didn’t have to pull the trailer, it seemed like harder work than riding a horse. Or at least, different work. Maybe we’d have to switch off at some point.
“Do you remember the whole way?” I asked. “We don’t exactly have the benefit of maps.”
He shrugged as he kicked the kickstand up and started rolling the bike down the driveway. “I remember at least most of it. Kate and I spent enough time poring over the maps together. We’ll get there, Z.”
I nudged the horse to get him moving as well. The bike’s wheels crunched over the gravel beside us, making Frodo take a couple quick steps as he tried to figure out what was making the noise. A couple pats to the neck and a soft word had him settled down quickly.
Rex led the way and set a steady, but easy pace. It wouldn’t be smart to push too hard and wear ourselves out. Especially if we happened to run into more trouble.
“I’d say we should do our best to avoid towns, but it would take longer to go around them,” Rex said when we passed a road sign pointing to the next small town on the route.
The thought of the risk we’d face heading into town made me cringe. But really, had we been all that much safer in the outskirts? Our farm had been overrun, friends kidnapped, Jake nearly killed, me kidnapped, and now we were separated from our other friends.
Yes, other things could go wrong if we went into town. But I hoped we were due a couple good days after everything we’d been through lately.
We rode in silence for a while. I hardly had to do anything as Frodo trotted. He had a pretty smooth gait, and I’d grown accustomed to the motion over the last couple days.
As we rode up to the town, we saw a barrier set up across the road. We might be able to cut through since we weren’t trying to drive a car through it, but any survivors here wouldn’t appreciate uninvited guests pushing into their town.
We exchanged a look and paused at the cars turned to block the road. “Hello?” I called.
A couple seconds passed. I had to hold Frodo back as he tried to continue walking. Rex stood with the bike slightly leaned under him. He looked up at me and shrugged. “Hello?” he called a bit louder.
Two men came out of the house closest to the road. Both held guns, although they weren’t aimed at us. “Kids, huh?” one muttered. “You two have an adult escort?” he asked.
I frowned. “Not that it’s any of your business, but we got separated from our group. We’re all heading to the same place, so I figured we’d be able to save a bit of time by cutting through here.”
“So, all you want is to go straight through?” the other man asked.
Rex nodded. “Yeah. That’s it. Promise.”
“Dane, can you escort these two to the other side of town?” the first man asked. He turned his attention back to me. “It’s not that we don’t believe you, but we’ve learned to be distrustful of strangers. For most people here, even kids like you wouldn’t be welcome. Having Dane with you will help. Just stay with him, and you’ll be through town in no time.”
Rex glanced at me, one eyebrow raised. I gave a slight nod. “Yeah. Okay,” I agreed.
Not that we had much choice at this point. We were in their territory now. We had to follow their
rules. Dane waved us through the barricade and we let him lead us onto the main street. He then studied us critically, his eyes taking in our small trailer of supplies.
“You kids okay? You have enough supplies and stuff? I’d let you stay here if you didn’t have anyone, but I’m not sure how some of the others would react.”
I held up a hand to stop him. “We’re okay, Dane. Thank you. Really. We’re pretty careful about traveling, and we have weapons if we run into trouble.”
He nodded quickly and faced forward again. “Yeah. Good. I figured the two of you look like you can handle yourselves.”
“You’re a dad, aren’t you?” Rex asked with a smile.
Dane looked over to him and grinned sheepishly. “Obvious?”
“Only in that most of the people we’ve met don’t really care whether we’re okay, as long as they are,” Rex explained.
The man frowned at that. “Yeah. Nothing like an outbreak like this to show you people’s true colors.”
All three of us were silent for a moment in contemplation. Then Dane broke the silence again. “Yeah, I’m a dad. And I hate the idea of kids your age being on your own out there. We’ve managed to keep our little town going so far. I’d like to think we can keep working together to do so, but…”
I finished for him. “Every other safe zone nearby has been overrun. There aren’t very many truly safe areas left, at least in this part of the country. It’s hard to be optimistic in the face of almost certain death.”
Dane raised an eyebrow. “You’ve seen some stuff, haven’t you, kid? Yeah. I’m not feeling great about our chances. But I’m still hopeful that someone will find a cure for this thing. Then our country can start to rebuild.”
It was a nice thought. One I fully supported. If he hadn’t already told us he had kids, I might have asked him to come and help. Based on how he talked, I guessed he would want to, especially since my goal was to find a way to fix everything. For everyone, not just me and my friends.
“My kids need me here, or I would offer to travel with you,” Dane continued.
He seemed genuinely concerned. Not something I’d felt aimed in my direction by very many people since the outbreak. Even without knowing anything about us, or our goal of ending the outbreak, he wanted to help. Confirming my thought that he would have made a good ally.
“We will be careful,” I assured him. “And Frodo can run pretty fast if he has to.”
A grin crossed his face. “Frodo, huh?”
Rex and I smiled back. “Yeah. We felt it was an appropriate name for our situation.”
“Love those books. Would have thought they were a bit much for kids your age though.”
“Nah,” I said with a wave of my hand. “I’m a huge reader. Although,”—I held my hand up to block my face from Rex and said in a stage whisper—“I’m pretty sure Rex only saw the movie.”
Rex got an overdramatically offended look on his face as he gasped. Then he shrugged and nodded. “Okay, yeah. I saw the movie. Couldn’t get through all the description in order to finish the book.”
Dane grinned and answered. “Yeah, I get that. I wasn’t a huge reader, but I definitely enjoyed those books.”
He frowned and glanced around the town. “I gotta be honest here, kids; I really don’t like you going off on your own.”
I eyed him warily. His tone, which before had been open and friendly, now gave me the chills. “You have one of two choices,” I told him. I had a hand on my sword, ready to fight if I had to. “Either get us to the edge of town so we can leave, or you come with us. Which you said you can’t do because of family circumstances here. Your friend seemed to agree.”
He glared ahead as if he thoroughly disliked the situation. “I can’t go. You’re right. But I hate that we can’t even consider the third option.”
Rex’s eyes narrowed. “The ‘third option’ being what, exactly?”
Dane’s gaze dropped to the ground as he answered. “Keeping you here. This town has been safe for nearly the whole outbreak. Barring the first couple zombies, and a small untrustworthy group that got in near the beginning. You would have a better chance at surviving if you stay here.”
When Dane looked up at us again, he seemed almost desperate to not have us leave. We kept walking toward the edge of town anyway. I no longer felt that he was a threat, now only seeing a man who truly wanted to keep a couple kids safe.
“Third option isn’t an option,” I said firmly. “Sorry, Dane. We really do have people out there who will be missing us. Rex and I are pretty capable.”
Sensing hostile eyes on us, I looked around to see some of the townsfolk eyeing us distrustfully. “Also, pretty sure the others here don’t want us to stay. You’ve said as much yourself.”
Letting out a deep sigh, Dane conceded. “You’re right. I know it. I knew it from the beginning. Just… Any healthy human I see… I hate the idea that they could so easily become one of those monsters.”
I swallowed thickly, understanding the desire to keep people safe. “You’re a good man, Dane. One of the few we’ve come across. Thank you for being concerned.”
Most people at this point—at least, those I’d had the pleasure of running into—had been more concerned with their own survival than that of kids they didn’t know. It was one thing several zombie books and movies had gotten right. While communities of people might band together, they would be unlikely to invite strangers among them. It was too dangerous. From my perspective, Dane was pretty unique.
Not that I particularly blamed those people for wanting to protect their own. I understood the desire. It’s just… after losing my family, the only way I could survive was to let strangers in. After a bit, those strangers became my family.
“You want to protect your family, Dane, I get that,” I said as we neared the far end of town. “Rex and I… we have to do the same thing.”
Dane shook his head and gave a slight laugh. “You are one determined girl, aren’t you? I forget sometimes that even kids can’t be carefree and safe during this outbreak.”
He led us to the barrier where several other men gathered to keep watch. Dane waved for them to let us through, and we followed him to the outer part. “I guess this is it,” he said. A wistful tone in his voice. As much as he knew we had to go, he clearly still wanted to do something to keep us safe.
“Sorry I can’t get you a better way to travel than a horse and bike. We use the cars to run for supplies, and gas is limited,” he explained.
“I’m fourteen,” I said. “Haven’t been taught to drive anyway. I might be able to figure it out, but I’m a bit more comfortable up here for now.”
Dane patted Frodo’s neck with a sigh, then winked up at me and whispered loudly. “Take care of these two, Frodo. They need all the help they can get.”
I grinned. “Thanks for your help, Dane. We won’t forget it.”
Rex and I exchanged a look. “Good luck protecting your town,” Rex said after a moment. “It seems like a nice place.”
Without another word, I urged Frodo to a trot, and Rex picked up the pace on his bike. After a couple minutes, I glanced back to see that Dane still stood outside the barrier, his arm raised in farewell. I waved back to him, then put the encounter out of my head.
We had our family to rescue.
Chapter Thirty
The next couple days continued without incident. We travelled as long as we could during the day, slept and ate at night, with only short stops as needed for water breaks and to let Frodo rest. About three days after going through the little town, I felt another horde.
“Rex!” I called in warning.
He stopped his bike and spun to face me. “Horde?” he asked.
His eyes were wide with fear. Probably in response to my own. Without the others, I could sense the creatures. I would be able to repel them briefly with a scream if they got too close, but I couldn’t fully connect with their hive mind in order to send them away.
Based on past
experience, I could still get in, but they had to be close. And I was more likely to fall into their desire for blood and violence than I was to protect anyone. Rex had been with me long enough to know my limits.
“How far?” His hand gripped his gun as he asked. His handgun. My sword. Not the best weapons when faced with a large horde. Especially since we were limited to only one extra clip for his gun.
The answer was: definitely not far enough. I glanced around urgently, trying to find a place where we could hide. After a few seconds, I saw a place where the underbrush was thick and tangled. The bike would be difficult to pull through it, and Frodo would likely not enjoy it… I pointed out the brush to Rex. “We should hide in there, but I can’t see a place to get through with the horse and bike.”
His keen eyes scoured the area. “There!” he said, pointing out a small spot where some of the brush had previously been cut away. It wasn’t wide enough to go through without branches hitting us, but I hopped off Frodo, and led him through the tangled weeds.
We found a small clearing beyond the initial wild tangle, and I left Frodo there to go back and help maneuver the bike and trailer through. The trailer wheels snagged on the branches as we pushed through. With Rex pulling the bike forward, I untangled the brush from the wheels. Once we made it through, the brush and trees made us practically invisible from the road.
“Rub dirt and pine sap on yourself!” I whispered urgently. “They’ll still smell us!”
We both quickly covered ourselves with as much natural smell as we could, then crouched where we could peer through the twisted branches to the road.
I chafed at the delay. We’d been making good time the last couple days. I hated having to stop when we came across the zombies, rather than being able to manipulate them into not even realizing we were there.
“Don’t try it, Z,” Rex warned after seeing the look on my face. “You know you can’t control them without the others. Not enough, anyway.”
I nodded sharply. He was right. We both knew it. I just had to learn to accept it.
Countdown to Zero (Patient Zero Book 2) Page 14
