Riley was about to get out of his truck when Wilson’s head popped up at his window. He lowered it and stared hard at Wilson. “Can you step back a couple feet? I’ve got a flat.”
Wilson shifted his attention, first to the rear tire, then to the front tire. “Holy, sweet baby jeepers, how did you manage that?”
Riley opened his truck door, making Wilson jump back. He took one look at the front tire and swore. Fred joined them as Wilson elbowed his way closer to the tire. He started pulling hard on what looked like a broken femur. It didn’t give an inch.
Wilson stepped back. “Man, I hope you have a spare.”
Riley’s patience was wearing thin. He hated stopping for a few seconds not to mention long enough to change a tire. “Of course I’ve got a spare. Jane is sitting on it, thanks to you.”
“Let’s unpack her and get it out,” Wilson said.
Fred and Wilson jumped into the bed of the truck. Though Jane’s mouth was bound, Wilson was cautious as he grabbed her arms.
Fred grabbed her feet. “Let’s set her on the ground.”
Wilson hesitated. “Maybe inside the cab would be better.”
“Wilson!” Riley’s bark stalled any arguments.
Wilson nodded. “OK, the ground’s good.”
****
Though Sadie decided to stay within the safety of her vehicle, Marjie and Jennifer approached Riley’s truck, wondering what happened.
Fred and Wilson responded in unison. “Riley’s got a flat.”
Jennifer and Marjie offered to keep an eye on Jane until the flat was fixed. They both stared down at their charge. Jane’s gaze was unfocused. Wisps of blond hair were caught up by the breeze blowing in her face but not causing her to blink. Marjie took one of the barrettes from her own hair and fastened down the blond strays. Jennifer adjusted Jane’s torn shirt and wiped dirt smudges off her face. She turned to Marjie. “It is amazing. If it weren’t for her skin turning, she really is in good shape. “
Marjie studied Jane a long moment. “I wish there was more we could do for her. I know she looks dead, but she is so different from the others. If only we could find a bite mark or something. I would feel a lot better.”
Jennifer agreed. “Well, at least we brought her along. It wouldn’t have felt right leaving her with Larry unless of course she’d eaten him.”
They laughed, easing a little of the apprehension they’d been feeling since they stopped.
Wilson jogged back and rummaged around in Riley’s tool box. He smiled at the women, then glanced at Jane. “Hey, nice work.”
Marjie smiled, and Jennifer responded. “I’m glad she won the coin toss.”
Wilson smirked. “Yeah, Larry was a pain in the ass. Glad to be rid of that baggage.”
“Wilson!” Riley barked. Wilson smiled sheepishly and ran to the front.
Jennifer glanced around at the men. The tension was building. Riley was snapping at both Fred and Wilson as they worked on the tire. Everyone kept making furtive glances around. Even though the houses had thinned out, there were still numerous homes dotting the horizon, and the road was in plain sight. By the time they had jacked up the truck and taken off the flat, some stragglers could be seen approaching in the distance.
Chapter 16
Inside the jeep, Sadie kept a close eye on the others. She had been more than a little surprised to see Jennifer and Marjie fixing up Jane. She’d hooked up with a strange bunch. She looked around, scanning the area. Behind her, she spotted movement coming up the road. She stopped herself from honking the horn just in time. Lord only knew what kind of attention that would have gotten them.
She needn’t have been concerned. Wilson was already checking his Desert Eagle. He ran to the jeep and grabbed a shovel from the back. Fred and Riley worked feverishly getting the spare on. Sadie was about to get out to see if she could help when Wilson stalled her.
“Start up the jeep. You may have to use it as a weapon. We don’t want to use our guns unless we have to. They’re too loud.” He pointed to his ear and trotted off. Sadie sat dumbfounded for a moment, then climbed over the seat and started the jeep.
Jennifer and Marjie had started to lift Jane when Wilson jogged up and took her instead. He tossed her into the truck bed, telling them over his shoulder to get in the jeep.
Marjie jumped into the jeep’s front seat next to Sadie. Jennifer dove in the back, closing the door behind her. Sadie adjusted the rearview mirror in time to see several dead just yards away. “Lock your doors, girls.” Sadie’s voice was none too steady. Her hand shook as she ground the gears, then finally put the jeep into reverse. An elderly man covered in blood came around to the driver’s side throwing himself against the window as she reversed past him, striking two others.
Marjie watched in horror as Wilson’s precise movements beheaded the elderly man who had slipped past. Wilson took a precious moment to give Sadie a thumbs up for her efforts. The two men Sadie had struck with the truck were back on their feet moments later. She pulled forward, then reversed again, praying to God they stayed down this time. Wilson had his hands full with two more who were approaching from the opposite direction. They appeared to have been a middle aged couple. The woman’s head was at an unnatural angle, and the man was dragging a nearly severed foot.
Riley continued to work on the tire, but Fred grabbed the crowbar and ran to help Wilson. Marjie and Jennifer both jumped out of the jeep to help when they spotted a small group approaching from the shoulder. Marjie grabbed a hoe from the back, and Jennifer took a shovel. Cautiously they jogged up to join the guys.
Wilson nearly lost it when he saw the women approaching. He had his hand on his Desert Eagle, wanting to make quick work of the small group, but Fred stopped him. “No, Wilson, we can’t afford to draw attention. We haven’t got a choice.”
Marjie gave Wilson’s arm a squeeze. “We can do this.”
There wasn’t time for him to respond with the small group closing in.
Riley glanced up to see the trouble unfolding beside him. He leapt up and grabbed the shovel from Jennifer’s hands, standing in front of her and Marjie. He swung and connected with one of two teenage girls who closed the distance. He partially severed one of their heads with the first blow. He aimed at the second girl who was missing an arm and clicking her teeth at him. As he thrust the blade of the shovel in her neck, Marjie turned to see Fred with two others surrounding him. They had been young men with good long reaches despite their injuries. The short length of the crowbar made it hard for Fred to get in close enough to do any damage. Marjie swung the hoe and hooked it on one of their ankles. She yanked with all her strength, causing him to fall hard against the pavement.
Wilson had been watching while struggling with two others and nearly dropped his shovel.
Riley swung just as one of them was about to latch onto Wilson. “For Christ sake, Wilson! Pay attention!”
Wilson gave himself a mental shake and smiled. “Did you see Marjie with that hoe? I don’t think there is anything that woman can’t do.” He was smashing a head as he spoke.
Riley swore. “Just don’t lose your focus.”
Wilson smiled. “That is a tall order under the circumstances.”
Riley shook his head and fought off an elderly woman missing an arm. “I can see you’re going to be a lot of help today.”
Sadie ran up with a rake, thanking God that it looked like she wasn’t going to need it. With one final bone crushing blow, Riley silenced the last of the small group. He gave the shovel back to Jennifer and hurried to finish the tire.
Wilson and Fred joined Riley. Within minutes they were tightening the lug nuts. As Wilson tossed the rest of the tools into the back of the pick-up, he spotted a man running toward them waving his arms. Wilson popped his head around the truck’s side. “Looks like we got company.”
“Live or dead?” Riley barked as he and Fred joined him.
“With the way he’s running and yelling, I’m guessing live.”
“If it was up to me…” Wilson said, just as Riley and Fred started to shake their heads. Wilson turned toward them. “This guy’s no Larry. It’s obvious he’s smart enough not to get bitten if we put him with Jane.”
Riley barked a humorless laugh. “You’ve known him all of two seconds. You’ve no idea how smart he is. Larry never got bit, and we still determined it wasn’t safe with him. We need to leave. Now. Wilson make a choice. Gary or Jane.”
Wilson turned to Gary speaking fast. “If we put you in with the dead chick, you won’t get bit, will you?” He thrust a thumb in Jane’s direction. “That’s who you’ll be sitting with. She’s tied up, not hard on the eyes.”
Gary looked horrified. “You think she’s pretty. That’s sick. Never mind. You’re crazy. You’re crazy, Jesus.” He turned and started back in the direction he came.
Wilson shrugged. “Just as well. Jane seems to be fitting in better.” He gave Riley a friendly shove. “Time’s wastin’.”
Once they all returned to their vehicles and started to pull away, Gary turned and ran toward them. Grabbing hold of the tailgate, he threw himself in the back of the pickup. He settled himself against the back end of the bed, as far away from Jane as space would allow.
Wilson tapped his horn and gave a welcome wave. Marjie, Jennifer and Sadie began talking at once, wanting to know about him. Wilson looked to the side and glanced in his rearview mirror. “That’s Gary. Looks like he’s replacing Larry. He didn’t want to sit next to Jane.” Wilson chuckled. “Guess he’s changed his mind.”
Marjie already had a soft spot for Jane and was immediately concerned. “You don’t think he’ll hurt her, do you?”
Wilson squinted his eyes, staring at the vehicle ahead of them. “If you ask me, Jane’s got the upper hand on this one.”
Sadie was much more practical in her concerns. “If he gets bitten…maybe we should leave Jane…”
Wilson shook his head. “She’s different, we can’t leave her.”
Chapter 17
Gary stared down at his hands. They were shaking uncontrollably. He was shocked at his quick decision to join the group. Reality had set in the moment they started to pull away. He would be alone, and another chance at escaping was unlikely. The idea of being left behind forever flashed through his mind, and impulse took over. He wasn’t sure what he was getting into, but any other alternative was bleak at best.
He’d watched with relief and horror as the small group dispatched his dead neighbors. Those same neighbors had surrounded his cabin the morning before, when he’d unsuccessfully tried to start his motorcycle. He had to fight several of them off just to get back into his house. He’d had a sleepless night. In the morning, he was relieved when their groaning started to die down. He’d watched as they began drifting away from his cabin, heading towards the road. Seeing the two vehicles stopped there, he figured that it was the break he’d been hoping for.
Though he’d been rescued, he could not believe he was sharing a ride with one of the turners. He glanced sideways at her and was surprised. Though she appeared dead, she was staring off in space and not looking at him like he was lunch. She didn’t seem to have any injuries. He hated to admit it, but the squirrely guy was right, she was pretty. Not that he found the dead attractive. But compared to the neighbors he’d seen around his cabin, attacking one another, she was in pretty good shape.
He waved a hand to see what she would do. Nothing. Maybe this group wasn’t as bad as he thought. Maybe they had a reason for bringing her along. He looked back at the other vehicle. The guy driving was eating and talking animatedly. Though he didn’t seem to be paying attention, he managed to swerve around most of the road debris.
Gary turned and saw that the men up front were darting glances back at him and talking too, probably about him. He couldn’t blame them. He wasn’t at his best. He’d spent too much time holed up in his cabin even before the outbreak.
A sudden squeal of tires sent him up and forward. He landed hard on something soft. It was Jane. Terrified, he scrambled backwards, waiting to feel teeth sinking into his skin. They’d tied a towel over her mouth, but she still could’ve bitten through it. But nothing happened. When he finally looked up, he saw her vacant stare. The only other movement was that she blinked her eyes.
****
Wilson honked, letting Riley know to stop. He’d seen Gary land on Jane when Riley braked for a lurker who had stumbled out from an abandoned vehicle. Wilson jumped out of his truck. “You all right, Gary? Were you bitten?”
Gary shook his head. “No, I didn’t get bit, but I saw her blink.”
Wilson focused on the last bit. “Yeah, our Jane is different.” He hopped up on the tailgate. “She’s not the ‘bitey’ type.”
Riley turned around and waved an arm. “Wilson, get down. We’re wasting time.”
Wilson jumped down, thumped Gary on the shoulder, then handed him some beef jerky. “Don’t worry about Riley. He’s all bark and no bite.” He laughed at his own pun.
Gary managed a smile. “Thanks for the jerky.”
“There’s plenty more where that came from. Keep an eye on Jane for us.”
“Yeah…OK.” The day couldn’t get any weirder. Gary found himself staring at Jane, wondering if she was going to blink again. He tapped her foot with his and was shocked at how stiff it was. He glanced at her eyes, but they remained vacant and unblinking. While he was debating about trying something else, Riley swerved, causing the blonde to fall on her side. Gary was deciding whether or not to lift her back, when Wilson leaned on his horn, motioning for him to prop her up. Gary nodded and waved reassuringly while grumbling under his breath.
As he moved toward Jane, Riley called out and shook his head, indicating he should keep his distance from her. This group had problems. Gary decided to ignore Riley and cautiously moved forward. He poked at Jane’s leg and waved a quick hand in front of her face. He grabbed her stiff lower arm and pulled her upward. He slid a supply box against her side so she wouldn’t fall again. Wilson tapped his horn and gave him the thumbs up. “Christ,” Gary exhaled. “I miss my cabin already.”
He felt around in his pocket and took out the jerky. After cautiously biting into it, he was surprised at how good it tasted. He glanced back at Wilson and begrudgingly returned the thumbs up. Despite all the horrors they passed along the road, Gary’s attention was continually pulled back to Jane. She was an enigma, and he began wondering how she’d ended up in her condition. It was the author in him as much as anything else that had him asking that question. She had a story, and he wanted to know it. For the first time in months, he felt his creative juices flowing. He’d been suffering from a wicked case of writer’s block. It was the reason he’d ended up at his cabin in the first place. “So what’s your story, Jane?” He was talking to a dead person. Hell, what difference did it make?
****
Up front, Riley glanced behind him. “Did I just hear Gary say something?”
Fred looked back to see Gary addressing Jane. “Yup, he’s talking to Jane.”
Riley pounded the steering wheel. “We can’t afford another nutcase on this expedition. Fred, watch him, and if he attempts to get close to her in any way, we’re giving him the boot.”
Behind them, Wilson nudged Marjie. “Hey, look at that, Jane’s already made a friend. I knew those two would be fine.”
Marjie nodded in a vacant sort of way.
Jennifer struggled not to laugh.
Sadie had been holding her tongue, but this pushed her over the edge. “Wilson, I know she’s different, but she’s still dead. Gary shouldn’t be talking to her. It’s dangerous.”
Wilson shrugged. “I don’t see how.”
She leaned forward. “He could get too close. She could bite
him.”
“As I was telling Riley earlier, he’s way too smart to let that happen.”
“How do you know he’s smart?”
“I could just tell.” Wilson was silent for a moment then nearly shouted startling everyone. “I know why I know he’s smart. His face, I’ve seen it before. He wrote that series of books, ‘The Dark Side of Jupiter and Back, The Outer Alien Chronicles.’ That’s how I know he’s smart.”
****
As one idea after another flooded his mind, Gary kept up a steady stream of chatter, handling both his side and Jane’s side of the conversation. Jane would make the perfect character for his end of the world series. He began building a back story for her. “You were in a seven-year coma, when the apocalypse hit. No one bit you, but you were infected by, let me think...when your spouse kissed you one last time, after he’d been bitten, knowing that you would never regain consciousness anyway. But the infection woke you up. Only half your brain is working at first, but as the infection spreads, you become a mutated zombie with extraordinary abilities, using parts of your brain that no other human has used.” He laughed a little wildly to himself as book ideas flooded his mind.
In a near panic, he began frantically searching the truck bed for paper and something to write with. “Jane, you are such an inspiration. I could kiss you if you weren’t dead.” He carefully flipped open the toolbox, darting glances at Jane as he tore through it. He wrapped on the back window, startling Fred and Riley.
Fred slid the window open, more than a little concerned that Gary was losing it. “What is it?”
“Do you have a pencil and paper?”
Fred shot a look at Riley, then turned back. “Gary, just sit back and stay away from Jane. Trust me on this.”
“You don’t understand. My writer’s block is gone. I’ve had it for six months, ever since my publisher rejected the latest manuscript I sent him.”
Riley swerved around an overturned camper and watched as Gary steadied himself holding onto the truck. “Dammit, Gary, I think there are bigger issues at stake than your writers block.”
Situation Z Page 11
