"Where did this gun come from Todd?" Randy asked.
"Vicki's grandpa, if you believe it. That was a wedding present from her Grandpa Elmer," Todd replied as he handed Randy a box of bullets.
Jamie followed Todd, Randy, Casey, Adam and Jillian outside to the Land Rover. The majority of the supplies needed to travel east were already loaded up in the silver vehicle. Jamie realized he had never seen a Land Rover up close.
"Randy, be careful," Todd said as he embraced his brother tightly.
"I will be Todd."
"I hope you guys find surviving family," Todd told Adam and Jillian.
"Thank you Todd. If we don't, we'll be back," Adam said.
Jamie wondered how Randy would return if either Adam's or Jillian's families were still alive. Would they send him back on his own? What if the Land Rover couldn't make it to Cleveland?
"How much extra gas do they have?" Jamie asked.
"About fifteen gallons. Should be enough to get them to Cleveland and most of the way back. They should be able to scavenge the rest. I gave them the tools to siphon gas from cars," Todd replied as the three got into the Rover and started it. Everyone waved as the Rover pulled forward and then suddenly Randy, Adam and Jillian were gone as the Rover disappeared around a corner.
"We'll set out in a few minutes," Todd said. "We'll make our way to the river and try to find a motorized boat we can take upriver to the van. Maybe we can be back before sundown. You have a bag packed with supplies Casey?"
Casey nodded. He was wearing a black hoodie and had a canvas backpack. Jamie's own bag felt surprisingly light in spite of the load of ammunition, water and food.
"We'll head east toward Lake Michigan," Todd said. "There's a harbor southeast of here. We'll look for a boat there."
It was eerily quiet as they walked. The only sound besides their footsteps was the rustling of leaves as a gentle breeze blew. They passed boarded up storefronts and burned out cars as they moved toward the Lake. Every now and then Jamie would spy a few crows fluttering away from a rotting corpse as they approached. As they turned right on North Broadway, Jamie noticed a faint noise that sounded like the noise a stick makes when it hits a metal barrel. He suddenly felt disquieted. They walked through the parking lot of an abandoned gas station as they headed east on Sheridan Road.
"It's so quiet," Casey said.
Jamie nodded. "Do you hear that thumping noise up ahead?"
"What do you think it is?" Casey asked.
"I don't know," Jamie replied.
"Look alive guys," Todd said. "Could be trouble."
As they neared the lake, Jamie saw what was causing the commotion; hundreds of cars were stopped on a highway up ahead. Each car had a zombie trapped in it and the creatures were hitting the inside of the car windows trying to break free.
"Alright, let's squeeze between the cars. See there? There's a pretty good gap between that semi and the little brown Volvo in front of it," Todd said.
As they neared the stopped cars, an overwhelming stench hit them. Jamie gagged.
"They stink," Casey said.
"You wouldn't smell too good either if your corpse had been trapped in a car for a few weeks," Todd replied.
As they crossed in front of stopped cars, Jamie saw the putrid zombies reaching for them, clawing at them.
HONK!
The sudden noise made Jamie jump as the semi's horn began to blare. That caused the car alarm on a nearby car to start going off. The air was quickly filled with the cacophony of car alarms and truck horns. The sound was deafening.
"We'll go that way!" Todd yelled, pointing south. "The harbor is-" His lips were moving but Jamie couldn't hear anything else he said over the noise.
Jamie covered his ears with both hands as he, Casey and Todd began to run south through a parking lot that sat adjacent to some tennis courts. He looked back and saw dozens of zombies staggering toward them.
"Guys!" he yelled as they put some distance between themselves and the blaring alarms. "Behind us!"
Todd and Casey stopped and turned around. Todd's jaw dropped when he saw the zombies. "Run!" he yelled. "This way!"
Jamie and Casey followed Todd down a running path as a mostly empty harbor came into view.
"There!" Jamie yelled as he pointed toward a gray jon boat tied off at a dock about three hundred feet away. He looked back and saw they were now being followed by hundreds of zombies.
The trio all climbed in the little boat and Todd fired up the engine as a dozen zombies emerged from a nearby bar and grill. Todd eased the boat out away from the dock and soon they were speeding out into Lake Michigan, away from the horde. The abandoned towers of downtown Chicago towered over the water south of them. The boat veered toward downtown.
"We got away!" Casey yelled triumphantly.
"Be that as it may, those car alarms are going to be going off for a while," Jamie replied. "And sound seems to attract zombies."
"Let's just hope we can get back to the house," Todd said. "Vicki has a few guns, and she knows how to use them. Let's hope she doesn't have to use them. Besides, the front door is nice and sturdy and the windows are more than six feet off the ground."
As they floated into the mouth of the Chicago River, Jamie was struck by how quiet the city was. They floated past a horde of several hundred zombies on Lower Wacker Drive as Todd turned the boat to follow the South Fork of the river. A chilly breeze blew in from behind as the river curved to the west. They passed abandoned factories and burned out warehouses. Here and there Jamie noticed submerged cars near the river's banks. He was surprised by how desolate the once bustling city was. Even the birds were quiet, although he supposed that was because most had already flown south for the winter.
They crossed beneath Western Avenue. A trio of men hung from nooses on the bridge's west side. Jamie realized one had been disemboweled; he couldn't tell if that had occurred before or after the man had been hung. He felt sick but he couldn't take his eyes off the macabre scene. He wondered who had hung the men and wondered if they were waiting for more victims. He turned and looked back at the city. That was when he saw it. The sun reflected off something in the water. He squinted his eyes to figure out what it was.
"We're being followed," he said calmly.
"By what?" Todd asked.
"Don't know. Looks like it might be a small fishing boat."
"Hmm," Todd huffed. "Probably one of those cars we passed."
Jamie wasn't sure about that.
"Besides, if it's someone who wants trouble, he'll have to deal with us and our guns," Casey said, patting his rifle.
"You sound awfully confident Casey," Jamie said.
"He's just young," Todd said laughing. "How old are you anyway Casey?"
"Twenty-six," he replied, as the wind blew his hair out.
Jamie chuckled. "You were a Goth in high school, weren't you?"
Casey smiled. "I was."
"I can tell."
"I remember when Randy met Casey, my parents were freaked out!" Todd exclaimed. "Here this Goth kid with white makeup was befriending their youngest son."
"They thought I was a vampire," Casey said matter-of-factly.
"No they didn't," Todd said. "They were just freaked out."
"No, your dad asked me if I preferred B Positive or O Negative."
At that they all laughed.
"Well? What was your preference?" Jamie asked.
"I told him I liked pessimists, so O Negative."
Jamie smiled. "Witty."
"Hey Jamie, I think you were right," Todd said abruptly. "Look. Whatever that is, it's got to be powered. It's following us upstream. We don't know whether it’s carrying someone who is friendly or hostile, but either way we need to be prepared. Have your guns ready." He turned up the throttle and as the engine grew louder the little jon boat accelerated.
Jamie breathed a sigh of relief as the little vessel pursuing them seemed to shrink. They were outpacing it.
"Hey, we're
getting close to where Randy said you guys abandoned the van," Todd said a few moments later. "Right?"
"Yeah," Casey said. "This all looks familiar."
Distant gunfire broke out to the north. Jamie looked at Todd. "We'd best be getting out of here quickly once we reach the van."
Suddenly it grew quiet around them. Jamie raised his eyebrows. "I don't like this."
Todd reached back and killed the throttle for a moment. All around them it was quiet. Not a sound came from the urban landscape to their north and not a sound came from the woods to the south.
Jamie looked back and saw their pursuers getting closer. He saw that it was a small fishing boat pursuing them. "Come on," he said, "let's get goi-"
His voice was suddenly drowned out as two single-prop stunt airplanes flew over them at high speed. The airplanes were only about ten feet above Jamie, Todd and Casey as they flew over the river heading north. They were flying so fast that their livery blended into a colorful blur. Jamie looked upriver at a bridge they were approaching and suddenly the bridge exploded in a massive fireball; he felt the heat on his face as the shockwave almost knocked him backwards out of the jon boat.
"What the-" Todd yelled.
Suddenly mortars began arcing overhead from the north and from the south, whistling as they flew over the river. Explosions began to ring out all around them as the bridge up ahead collapsed in a fiery cloud.
"Get to the south bank!" Casey yelled. "Those people are still chasing us!"
Jamie spun around as something whistled by his head. He saw the fishing boat was less than five hundred feet away. He saw another muzzle flash and realized they were being shot at. "They're shooting at us!" Jamie yelled as he raised his rifle. He aimed and fired and saw someone fall off the fishing boat into the river.
The jon boat scraped gravel as it ran ashore on the south bank. Jamie, Todd and Casey leapt out and ran up into the brush. Bullets ricocheted all around them. A slender birch tree splintered less than five feet from Jamie.
"We'll have to jump that fence!" Casey yelled.
Jamie clambered over the seven-foot tall chain link fence and realized they were in a large scrap yard. "Over there!" he yelled, pointing at some shipping containers. They ran and entered one. Jamie's heart was pounding. He heard the fence jingling and realized they were still being followed. He readied his rifle as footsteps neared the shipping container. His finger moved to the trigger.
Suddenly four gunshots rang out. Jamie waited for what seemed like a long time.
"Come out of the container!" a young man called from outside. "You were being chased by four Stickneyans. I shot them and they are dead. You are safe now! Come out, all three of you!"
Jamie looked at Todd and Casey and shrugged. Todd nodded. Jamie walked out and heard Todd and Casey follow. He looked around. The sun was directly overhead. Four dead men lay only a few feet away. About twenty feet away stood a wiry young man holding an assault rifle. He was tanned and looked nervous. He was wearing a camouflaged jacket and had a red bandana tied around his head.
"My name is Mahmoud Razza," he said. "You are safe with me."
"Where are we?" Todd asked.
"Near Garfield Ridge, over by Midway. We aren't in safe territory. I'm sure you heard the skirmish up north of the river."
"Skirmish? It looked more like all-out war!" Jamie exclaimed.
Mahmoud nodded. "Those mortars were flying directly over where we are standing. We need to get somewhere safe. We're standing in contested territory. I have a safe house over in Summit, about a mile west of here."
"How do we know you're leading us to safety?" Jamie asked suspiciously.
"Why would I be leading you into danger?" Mahmoud asked. "I just saved your lives."
"We don't know you. But, I know that you shot four armed men in less time than it takes me to sneeze," Jamie replied. "If we are in contested territory, as you said, how do we know you aren't taking us to be prisoners or something?"
Mahmoud shrugged. "I guess you don't. If you want to be standing here when more Stickneyans cross the river in a few minutes, go ahead. They sure seemed like they liked you guys."
Todd sighed. "We'll follow you."
Jamie looked at Todd and raised his eyebrows. Todd shrugged.
"Great! Let's get going. Zombies will surely be approaching this area soon."
One by one they followed Mahmoud to the entrance of the scrapyard and then west toward Summit. Jamie hung back behind the others. He didn't like this. The young man had saved their lives, which was true. Still, Jamie wasn't so sure he had saved them for purely altruistic reasons. Could it be he was going to deliver them to a fate far worse than they had been saved from? Jamie fingered the trigger of his M4.
"Where are you all from?" Mahmoud asked.
"The city," Todd replied.
"Me too," Casey said.
"Ah, you know, I forgot to ask your names," Mahmoud sighed.
"I'm Todd, that is Casey and our quiet friend is Jamie," Todd said.
"Where are you from Jamie?" Mahmoud asked.
"All over," Jamie replied. "You?"
"The same. My family immigrated here about a year before I was born.”
"Where did they immigrate from?" Casey asked.
"Yemen. Where are you guys headed?"
"West, to see if a friend is still alive," Todd said.
"I hope they are still alive."
Jamie noticed that the gunfire was fading behind them. He looked back and saw a few zombies stumbling toward the clamor. He saw smoke rising in the distance. He turned and saw the landscape around them becoming more suburban.
"There, that house over there," Mahmoud pointed at a light yellow one-story house with boarded up windows. "That's my place. Stay with me for a bit and then I'll show you how to get out of here."
Jamie followed them through the yard upto the porch. Mahmoud fumbled through his pocket and pulled a key out. He slid it into the lock on the doorknob and turned it. Jamie noticed the door had scratch marks all over it.
As Mahmoud opened the door, the smell of incense wafted out from the darkened house. They entered. Jamie noticed that pinholes had been drilled in the plywood over the windows allowing a small amount of light in. Jamie saw a beat up leather couch in the living room. He also noticed the faint scent of marijuana.
Todd sat down on the couch and Casey sat on the floor. "Do you have anything to drink?" Casey asked as Jamie sat down in a recliner.
"Is wine okay?" Mahmoud asked.
"Sure," Todd replied. "What do you have? Merlot?"
"Shiraz. Sorry, but it's cheap stuff from the corner liquor store. At least you won't get sick from drinking it. I'll be right back." He disappeared into the darkened hallway.
"I don't trust him," Jamie whispered to Todd.
"I don't either," Casey said quietly.
"I don't either guys. We'll drink some wine and then be on our way. If he can get us around all the fighting, it's worth sharing a glass of wine with him. I don't know about you guys, but I don't feel like we are equipped to go against someone who has airplanes and mortars," Todd replied.
A few minutes later Mahmoud returned with a bottle of wine and three glasses. He set the glasses on the coffee table and then poured wine into each. "Drink up gentlemen."
Jamie grabbed a glass and swirled the wine around in it, eyeing it suspiciously.
"You guys have any family out there?" Mahmoud asked.
"Yeah, we all do. You?" Todd asked as he took a swig of the red liquid.
"Yes. I have a younger sister named Zia. She is fifteen. She disappeared a few days ago."
"Where did she go?" Casey asked.
"I don't know," Mahmoud replied pensively. "She disappeared while I was out looking for food. That was a few days ago."
"Any ideas what happened?" Jamie asked.
"I think one of the warring groups kidnapped her."
Jamie nodded as he took a sip of wine. It was delicious. He took a larger sip and the
n quickly downed the rest of the glass. "This wine is good Mahmoud!"
Todd nodded. "It's delicious."
"Yeah, it is!" Casey piped in.
"Thank you, you all honor me," Mahmoud smiled. "More?"
"Yes please," Jamie said, holding out his glass. Mahmoud topped it off and it seemed to Jamie like he inhaled the second glass. His eyes began to feel heavy. He looked over and noticed that Casey had fallen asleep. Todd was leaning forward. What was going on?
Mahmoud was saying something about his sister. Jamie saw Todd fall forward into the coffee table with a crash.
"What is in this wine?" he slurred at Mahmoud. "You drugged us?" He tried to stand up and suddenly his legs felt like jelly. The room began to spin.
"I am sorry Jamie. I have to get Zia back," Mahmoud said as he helped Jamie lay down on the floor. "Sleep now."
And that's what Jamie did.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Andy Gibson
Day 34
Andy sat in his bed reading the note Shelly had left over and over again.
Andy, I am so very sorry. I’m so sorry.
I pray this letter never finds you. It would be better for you to have died at sea than to come ashore and discover the horrible fate that has befallen mankind…
He couldn't help but weep softly and think about how he would never hold her again. He would never kiss her again. That conversation where he had told her helicopters weren't coming was the last conversation he ever had with her and he hadn't even gotten to say goodbye.
He wondered what her last thoughts had been. Had she concluded he had died at sea, on the platform, in the hurricane?
He shook his head. He knew she was in a better place, but that did little to mollify his pain. And Isaiah, little Isaiah was gone too.
Andy had been so delighted to learn they were going to have a son. He had been ecstatic with joy when Isaiah had been born. He would just count the boy’s tiny fingers and toes all the time, marveling at how little they were. He and Shelly threw a huge birthday party for him on his first birthday. And now he too was gone. Andy would never get to tickle his belly and hear his hearty laugh ever again. He’d never get to read him a bedtime story ever again. He’d never get to hear Isaiah call for him ever again.
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