The man turned towards Theo, revealing the right side of his body. The entire right side of his face and his right arm were eaten away. He bared his teeth and shrieked at Theo.
"Uh oh, not good," Theo said.
The dead thing shot towards Theo. The corpse was almost across the street by the time Theo readied his crowbar.
"Shit!" Theo yelled.
Macey looked up from her work, "What kind of crap has Theo gotten into now?"
Alan saw what was happening, "Stay here, get that tire fixed," He told Macey and ran over to help Theo.
Theo was struggling with the rotter, the crowbar was somehow knocked out of Theo's hands. Alan picked up Theo's weapon and tried to push Theo aside. The dead thing went in for a bite on Theo's neck, and that's when Alan, using the pointed end of the crowbar, drove it through the roof of the corpse's mouth. The pointed end erupted through the top of the dead guy's skull. The corpse fell down near the curb, and Alan removed the crowbar from its head.
"Man, Macey's right. That's nasty as all hell," Alan said. "Here's your crowbar Theo."
"Thanks. That fucker was speedy. He was on me before I knew it," Theo replied.
Alan examined the rotter closely, "He looks pretty fresh. And judging by his backpack, he was either out gathering supplies or he had to strike out on his own." Alan quickly rummaged through the guy's pack. There really wasn't anything worth taking, and neither Theo nor Alan felt right taking what the guy did have.
"Leave him be and let's get out of here," Theo told Alan.
Macey honked the horn of the Blazer; she finished putting the spare tire on the vehicle and was sitting in the driver's seat. Theo and Alan ran to her.
"Uh, Macey? Honking the horn is not the greatest idea. For future reference that is," Theo said as he climbed in the passenger seat.
"What's that? 'Thank you, Macey, for fixing the truck and getting us the hell out of here.' Is that what you meant?" Macey said to Theo.
"Yeah, that too."
Macey started the vehicle and drove away from the booby-trapped road. She drove on the sidewalk for a bit to avoid the shards of metal. Alan gave her directions to get back to his home. Just like Theo had been, Macey was careful while she drove. She made sure not to run into any debris or undead that bolted towards the truck.
"Is this a bad time to tell you guys that I failed my driver's test.....twice?" Macey quipped.
Alan and Theo both buckled up. "Just get me back to my wife in one piece, okay, Macey?" Alan said.
"Sure thing."
Macey parked the truck on Alan's lawn, and the three slipped back into the basement.
"You're back," A relieved Erica said.
"Miss us?" Theo asked her.
"Macey, yeah. You? Not at all."
"Such a sweetheart."
"How did it go out there?" Silvie asked.
"Not too bad, Macey handled herself quite well out there. She drove us back home actually," Alan replied.
"Really?" Erica asked Macey.
Macey nodded. "Yeah. I had to use my hatchet too."
"What happened?"
"She took care of a rotter. Hit the dead prick dead center in the forehead," Theo answered.
Macey sat down on the couch, "It wasn't very pleasant."
"She puked twice," Theo told Erica.
Silvia laughed. "I puked all over myself the first time I put a rotter down with my machete."
Theo and Erica looked at one another. Erica laughed. "Hell, the first dead things that Theo and I put down, we didn't even have time to puke."
"That's right," Theo replied. "Seems like that was eons ago."
Everyone gathered around the basement table to eat. Alan made dinner for everyone; cold cuts on wheat bread, but it beat the usual granola bars.
"So when do we leave?" Erica asked Theo. "I'm assuming we're still gonna head to the river?"
Theo nodded. "Yeah, I still think we should try for Beakman's park."
"You guys aren't that far away from there," Brittney said. "I think I know where that is."
Theo finished his sandwich. "What are you guys bringing along?" He asked Alan and Brittney.
Alan and Brittney both looked at one another, "We're not going," Alan said to Theo.
Theo couldn't believe what he just heard. "What? Why?"
"This is our home, we don't want to leave it," Brittney answered.
"Yeah, why did you think we were coming with you?" Alan asked the group.
Theo shrugged. "I don't know, I just assumed you two were coming along with us. Sure could use your help."
"Yeah," Erica said.
"We know Theo's a pain in the ass, but you get used to him, we swear," Silvia joked.
"Exactly.....wait, what?" Theo said.
"Hell, even I thought you guys would coming with us," Erica said to Alan and Brittney.
Theo got up from the table and went and sat down on the couch, he was stunned. "Are you two absolutely sure you don't want to head to the river with us?"
"We're staying here," Alan answered.
Theo could only shake his head, "Damn."
Silvia thought about it for a few moments. "It's probably just the shock of us meeting new survivors. Ones that aren't assholes."
"Man, I really thought the strength in numbers things would help out," Theo muttered.
Alan heard him, "Sorry, Theo. You guys can stay here for a little bit. We're not kicking you out or anything."
"But we're staying behind. We don't want to leave. And besides, this is going to blow over eventually," Brittney added.
"You really think so?" Erica asked her.
"Yeah, we do."
"It will," Alan added.
Theo sighed. "I wish I shared your guys' optimism."
"Me too," Erica told Brittney and Alan.
"We'll probably head out in the morning," Theo said. "If that's okay?"
Erica nodded, "Yeah, we might as well."
"Hey, if the river is a no go. You guys can always come back and regroup if need be," Brittney said.
Chapter 20
It was time for the group to get back on the road. The sun was hardly up in the sky when Theo awoke. "Damn stubble," Theo grumbled. "Itches like hell."
"You're starting to look like a mountain man," Erica said when she sat up from the couch.
One by one, the others in the basement got up. The group double and triple checked their belongings before leaving the house. Alan and Brittney escorted them outside.
"I hate goodbyes. Unless it was to my ex-wives and their attorneys," Theo said to Alan and Brittney.
Alan laughed and shook Theo's hand. Theo pulled Alan in for a hug. "Come back anytime," Alan said. "We mean that."
Theo reached into his right front pocket and pulled out his Zippo and gave it to Alan, "For luck. And for saving our asses."
"You guys be safe out there, you hear?" Brittney said to the group. The four of them nodded and finished saying their goodbyes to the couple.
Theo couldn't help but notice Erica wiping away some tears. "Oh Erica, don't be such a girl."
Erica playfully smacked Theo on the arm, "Shut it."
Theo looked in the rearview mirror at Brittney and Alan sliding back into their basement. He started the Blazer and slowly pulled out onto the street in front of Alan's home. Using the directions that Alan had given him before they left, Theo began to drive in the direction of Beakman's park.
"That was rough," Macey said. "Saying goodbye to them like that. I hope they make it."
"They will," Silvia replied.
"That Brittney sure was hot. How Alan scored her, I'll never know," Theo said.
"Great rack on her," Erica said with a smirk.
Theo chuckled. "Once again Erica, so damn hot."
The Blazer pulled out onto a main road. It was relatively clear of any wrecked vehicles. Save for an ambulance that had crashed into the front of a store and caught fire most likely at the beginning. Besides that, the road was empty.
/> "Weird, no dead pricks around," Theo said.
"Well, it is starting to get hotter out. Maybe they're avoiding the heat," Silvie joked.
"Please tell me you're not lost again," Erica said to Theo. Just thinking about it made her anxious. Who knew what other types of survivors like the masked men could be laying in wait.
"No not at all, I recognize where we are now," Theo answered. "Believe it or not, I know what I'm doing....sort of."
"Relax Erica," Macey said from the back seat, "Even if Theo doesn't know where we are, I do."
"Should I speed up? Just in case there are people watching us? More people like those masked assholes?" Theo asked the girls. "I do have a clear shot for a little while."
"Go for it," Erica replied, and Theo stepped on the gas.
The Blazer flew down the street, the roar of the engine attracted a few rotters, but not many. Two or three. They chased after the truck but stopped only after a block or so, it was enough confirmation for the group that the rotters did give up after realizing that they couldn't catch the vehicle. Theo had to stop and maneuver around an intersection that was choked with several wrecked and abandoned cars. Theo had to drive up on the sidewalk to get around it. When he made it around the wreckage, the road ahead was still somewhat clear.
Silvia turned around to look at the debris. "Those things can be deadly."
"Yeah, you never know what could be on the other side," Erica replied.
Theo pointed ahead, "Like that?"
"What do you mean?" Erica asked him.
Several blocks ahead of the Blazer was an overpass, clogged with the dead things. The group couldn't tell, but it looked like the corpses numbered in the hundreds. If the four of them sat perfectly still, the group could hear the collective low growl that the dead things made.
"Holy shit, they're wall to wall in there," Macey whispered.
Erica sat back in the passenger's seat, "I take it we have to drive under that, don't we?"
Theo sighed, "Yep."
"Of fucking course."
"Do I need to remind you that if even one of those things spots us, we're boned."
"Not necessarily."
"How do you figure?" Erica asked Theo.
"Maybe we can speed right underneath them and be gone by the time the dead notice us."
"There's no other way around?" Silvia asked.
"If you can think of something else, go right ahead," Theo answered.
"Well then buckle up everybody."
The group braced themselves as Theo stepped on the gas, heading right towards the bridge. The Blazer picked up speed, but the truck wasn't going fast enough; one of the corpses on the overpass noticed the vehicle. The dead things began climbing onto the retaining fence on both sides of the bridge and were throwing themselves off of the overpass, plunging down to the asphalt below.
The first few rotters landed feet first to the ground, with their legs shattering upon impact. Bending and breaking into hideously impossible angles. Then more undead came pouring down from the overpass, crushing the other rotters beneath them.
"You cannot be serious," Erica said.
"We're almost there, hang on," Theo replied.
Driving under the bridge, Theo avoided the corpses falling. However, when the vehicle came speeding out the other side, two rotters landed on top of the Blazer. One crashing on the roof, and more importantly, one on the windshield. The glass didn't break, but the dead thing obscured Theo's view.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Theo screamed as he swerved the Blazer from side to side, trying to shake the dead things from the vehicle.
"Hit the brakes!" Erica yelled.
Theo waited until they were a safe enough distance from the rotters on the overpass to bring the Blazer to a halt. Finally, Theo slammed on the brakes and sent the two corpses flying from the vehicle. The dead things landed in the street in front of the Blazer. Theo hit the gas once more and plowed into the two rotters, brushing them aside.
Macey and Silvia both looked back at the overpass. The dead things were still falling off of the bridge. The rotters were starting to pile up beneath it, the corpses were rolling down the pile and getting back to their feet unharmed. The rotters began to chase towards the truck. One of the dead things managed to latch onto the back of the Blazer and it punched a hole through the back windshield.
The rotter almost grabbed hold of Macey's head. Silvia pushed her down and began to hack at the corpse's arm with her machete, slicing off a few fingers. Silvie took her blade and drove the point forward and into the corpse's skull. The dead thing fell off the back of the truck.
"Theo you gotta speed it up man, the rotters aren't giving up," Silvie said.
Theo looked in the rearview to see about a dozen corpses that were chasing after the blazer with even more falling onto the pile of rotters beneath the bridge. Theo had to lose the pack, so he made a sharp left turn and sped down a side road, and then he made a quick right. Theo shot down the street trying to be rid of the dead things. The group ran into a problem though as the entire street was blocked off: a wrecked firetruck blocked the width of the road, and there was no way getting around it.
The four of them heard the shrieks of the undead. "Maybe I lost them," Theo said.
The corpses rounded the corner and charged towards the Blazer.
"Out, now!" Silvie yelled.
All four of them jumped from the truck and looked around for someplace to hide. Erica reached into the back of the Blazer and pulled out the AK. She took aim and fired off a few rounds at the corpses that were streaming towards them.
"Erica, stop!" Macey yelled.
"I'm buying us some time," Erica replied, squeezing off another round into the group. One of the shots struck a corpse below the left eye, dropping it. The rotters behind it stumbled to the ground.
A corpse came charging out of its nearby home, no doubt lured by the sounds of the gunfire. She tried to grab Theo, but he sidestepped the dead thing and tripped her to the ground. He swung the curved end of his crowbar downwards, connecting with the back of the rotter's skull.
Macey ran to the cab of the firetruck and looked out through the passenger side window, "Follow me!" She shouted to the others.
The group squeezed through the front of the firetruck to the other side, Macey pointed towards a small apartment complex.
"What about there?" She asked, pointing to the two-story building.
"Might as well, come on!" Theo replied.
The dead things were climbing up the side of the fire engine as Theo and the others ducked inside the front lobby of the apartment building. They all hunkered down behind the front desk while the dead things bolted past the broken down entrance doors.
The inside of the apartment complex was humid and musty. The hallway to the left of the front desk was barricaded heavily with the phrase, 'STAY BACK' painted in neon green spray paint. To the right of the front desk, the long hallway was lined with apartment doors on both sides. Some were boarded shut, others wide open.
Silvie popped her head out over the top of the desk and watched as the corpses ran past the building. "They didn't see us," She whispered to the rest of the group.
"We'll just lay low here for the time being," Theo said. He sat on the floor next to Erica. "Good aim," he whispered to her.
"I know it was risky, but I had to do something," Erica replied.
"It's fine, it bought us a few precious seconds," Silvia said.
In between deep breaths, Macey said, "I really need a smoke."
"I need a vacation," Theo replied.
The four of them sat there in the lobby of the apartment complex for over an hour, waiting for the undead to stop lurking around. Eventually, it got quiet outside.
"I don't really want to, but I guess I'll go and take a look outside," Theo said.
"No, I'll go," Erica said. "If you hear me pop off, you guys get the hell out of here."
Erica got up from the floor and quietly stepped towards the entrance
to the building. Erica poked her head out and looked both ways up and down the road in front of the apartment complex. Just as she was about to turn and tell the group that it was all clear outside, she heard a hacking noise coming from the stairway behind her.
When Erica turned around and looked, there was a rotter standing at the top of the stairs. A bloated man with light gray and rotting flesh. His t-shirt was covered in dried brown blood. Theo and the others slid away from the dead thing as it dropped whatever it was eating on the ground and bolted down the steps right towards Erica. Erica had no other alternative but to raise the AK and fire at the corpse. The bullet tore through the corpse's head and it dropped to the ground.
Erica heard the corpses outside that were now worked up due to the gunshot. She could hear their footsteps as they began to speed towards the building. The group had no other alternative but to run and hide deeper inside the apartment complex. Theo and the girls got up from behind the counter, they had no choice but to run down the hallway to the right of the front desk.
In addition to the dead things outside, the corpses lingering inside of the building were worked up too. The group could hear the corpses still trapped inside of their apartments, crashing up against the doors, trying to get out.
"Where are we going?" Silvie asked.
"Away from that damn entrance, that's for sure," Theo replied.
Macey turned her head and looked behind her, the dead things outside were beginning to file into the building and running after the group. "We've got company and lots of it."
"I know, I know," Theo said.
Theo was looking for an apartment that they could duck inside. At the end of the hallway was a staircase that only led to the upper floor. The four of them had no choice but to venture upstairs. Once they were on the second floor, the group scrambled to try and find an unlocked apartment.
"Whatever we're doing, we better do it fast! They're charging up the steps," Silvie said.
"Screw it," Theo replied. He broke off the doorknob of one of the apartments and the four of them made it inside before any of the rotters made it up the stairs.
Urban Decay Page 19
