Connor didn’t know how to answer. He could tell that being out after dark was worrying Juliet. Hell, it worried him, too. She was just getting used to the day outside the walls. Night was a different monster. The night was dangerous. Low visibility meant they could be attacked by zombies without warning. It was why they had never stayed out after sundown unless it couldn’t be avoided. But how could Connor give up hope on Phil? If Phil was hurt, he was in just as much danger as they were. Connor refused to believe Phil was dead.
“I think—” BAM! There was a bright flash of light and then a loud ringing filled Connor’s ears. He saw Juliet moving her mouth, pointing the gun in his direction, but he couldn’t hear her. She was screaming. Her face contorted in panic. Connor turned and saw the zombie lying on the ground, a chunk of his skull scattered amongst the leaves. Behind it, two more zombies approached. Connor drew the revolver from his belt and fired two shots. Both zombies fell to the ground as sound began to intermingle with the constant ringing.
“Oh, god!” Juliet screamed. Her panic came in waves through his ringing ears. She searched the darkness for more zombies, swinging her flashlight wildly. “Connor, are you okay? They came out of nowhere.”
“I’m fine.” He told her, his voice sounding distant even to himself. He tilted his head in, an attempt to stop the ringing. “We need to get back to the Jeep.”
The wind had picked up and blew fiercely as they hurried back. Leaves rustled along the ground like scattering cockroaches and branches waved in the trees above.
Juliet trailed Connor as he hurried towards the Jeep. He lumbered through the forest, crushing branches and leaves beneath each step. He moved like a bull on the run. He was far from graceful, but he knew where he was going and tore down anything that got in his way. If Juliet was alone, she would be lost like a ship at sea amid the trees and many winding paths.
She had never witnessed Connor so worried, so unsure of his own decisions. Normally, he was the pillar of strength, but for the first time, she was aware just how frail he could be. He was as human as she was. She never had a brother, so she couldn’t fully appreciate the bond that could bring. Juliet had had a best friend in high school, but she doubted that even at their best they were as close as Connor and Phil.
Juliet could see the outline of the Jeep in the moonlight. Two cars were parked behind it. A chill crept up Juliet’s spine. Connor evidently saw them as well, because he stopped walking and held out his hand. He turned off his flashlight and Juliet followed suit. In total darkness, sound became amplified. The leaves rustled, crickets chirped, an owl hooted somewhere nearby, and then there was the click of a shotgun being cocked.
Juliet’s stomach dropped and a cold sweat erupted across her body. Had Connor been right? She searched the darkness, looking for the source of the sound. Everything looked the same in the dark. The trees, the bushes, everything was shadows. Whoever it was could be anywhere. She looked to Connor for answers. His head barely moved as he scanned his surroundings in the darkness. Juliet reached for her gun.
“Now, don’t try anything stupid,” a voice came from the darkness. “We have you surrounded. If you want to make it out of this alive, I suggest you do as we say.”
“Who are you? What do you want?” Connor questioned, his voice defiant. “Where is my brother?”
“Who we are is not important. But what we want, that is precisely why we are here. We want what you have.” The voice was distant, cold, calculating. Juliet wasn’t sure how she knew it, but it was the voice of a killer.
“Where is Phil? Where is my brother?”
“Now, now. Don’t you worry about him. We got your brother put away somewhere safe and sound. You’ll be joining him soon enough if you don’t give us any problems. First off, though. I’m gonna have to ask you to drop your weapons.”
When Connor didn’t move, a shot blared from the woods opposite the voice. Juliet jumped, a small scream escaping. Pieces of tree bark rained down from overhead.
“We won’t ask you again.”
Connor tossed his gun to the ground.
“You too, girl.”
Juliet let her revolver fall from her shaking hand. They had no choice but to cooperate. What have we gotten into?
“Phil!” Connor screamed into the night. “Phil! Are you out there?”
“Enough of that!” The voice boomed in the darkness. “You are going to do what we say, or you’re going to catch a bullet to the gut and have a very painful evening ahead of you. Now let’s talk the terms of your surrender.”
“Surrender, what do you mean ‘surrender’?” asked Connor.
“Like I said, boy. We have been watching you. We want what you have.”
“You’ve got the wrong people. We don’t have anything. We were just passing through,” Connor lied.
“Don’t lie to me. We know about your house. The little ring of zombies you have protecting you. Those nice big walls. We’ve seen it all. I can only imagine what’s on the other side. Now either you give it to us or your brother dies.”
Juliet knew Connor would never give over the farm. Not with his mother inside. He loved her more than anything. More than Phil, more than his own life. Juliet began to realize there was a very real possibility she would not make it back to her father. She couldn’t even remember the last words she’d spoken to him.
Her mind raced as she thought of ways to escape. Their weapons were on the ground, so they couldn’t shoot their way out of it. If they brought these people to the farm, there was no one manning the guard tower to spot them or take them out. She only now realized how ludicrous it was to have such a massive wall and no one guarding it. We are surrounded by only God knows how many people and we are at their mercy. Juliet wanted to cry.
“Light ‘em up!” the voice bellowed. Juliet closed her eyes and waited for the onslaught of bullets to rip through her skin, tearing apart vital organs while the deathly screams of Connor played her to sleep. They never came. What she saw instead was a faint glow behind her eyelids. When she opened them, the light of a half-dozen high-powered flashlights nearly blinded her.
She could see nothing but the lights.
Several men started laughing.
“Oh, God. You should have seen the look on your faces! The cowering! Oh, man. I didn’t expect that.” The laughing poured in from all sides.
“Yeah, that was he-larious,” another man echoed. Juliet heard the wet sound of tobacco spit hitting the forest floor and she almost feinted. The edges of her vision went black and the blinding light ceased to exist for a moment. Oh, no. They’ve found us. For several seconds, she could only hear the sound of her blood pounding in her ears.
“Damn, Bill. She looks like she having a fit.”
Juliet opened her mouth, but didn’t know what to say. How did they find us? The question repeated over and over in her mind.
“Go ahead—” Greg’s words were cut short by the roar of motorcycles. Two long beams cut through the darkness as they approached. The men surrounding Connor and Juliet turned toward the noise. Connor took advantage of their distraction and grabbed Juliet by the hand, pulling her away into the night.
“Get them!” screamed Greg, and the beams of the high-powered flashlights blasted through the forest like a techno dance party.
Connor ran like a raging bull through bushes and tree limbs, trampling everything that stood in his way. He jerked Juliet along, a tight grip on her wrist. He didn’t speak, he only ran. Juliet worried she might lose her balance and fall, but somehow she stayed upright. The two motorcycles were behind the parked cars. Shots rang out and the cars sunk lower to the ground.
Polly and Rus sat astride their bikes, guns pointing into the woods when Juliet and Connor emerged into the clearing. They fired shots into the darkness. The men had turned off their flashlights and were now cloaked again.
“Are you okay?” asked Rus, his long beard blowing in the wind.
“Not now, we need to go!” yelled Connor.
Juliet jumped into the Jeep, her heart racing. Connor slammed the drive shaft into gear and dirt and gravel exploded into the air as the tires spun, searching for grip. Bullets roared in the background as they accelerated away.
CHAPTER NINE
Connor sat at his desk while Mr. Moore stood at the front of the classroom lecturing about the causes of World War II and how Hitler was able to rise to power. Connor wasn’t paying attention and his mind drifted to other things. Something strange was definitely afoot. Several teachers had visited Mr. Moore in the past hour. They talked in hushed voices with grave expressions and then hurried out of the room, eyes straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge the students.
Connor assumed it had something to do with the outbreak taking place across the country. There was some sort of virus driving people insane, making them incredibly violent. The government said they had it under control, but every day, it seemed more and more cases were being reported.
Anderson had been spared so far. The mayor said it was a big city thing, that they would be turning around any outsiders trying to make their way into town. Connor knew there was no way to enforce this. Their police force was not big enough to block every back road in and out of the city for weeks or months on end. And how could they honestly turn away people’s families? He knew the mayor was lying through his teeth in a desperate attempt to appear in control.
The clock on the wall ticked by at a snail’s pace. In fifteen minutes, history would be over and Connor could find Phil and see if he had any news to share.
“Mr. Moore,” James, the red-headed boy covered in freckles who sat next to Connor, had his hand waving in the air, vigorously trying to get his teacher’s attention.
“What is it, James?” Mr. Moore asked with a sigh, one hand on his hip. His thick glasses amplified his eyes, making him look like a cartoon character. His large gut spilled over his pants, threatening to untuck his blue dress shirt.
“Is it the virus? Is that why the other teachers keep coming in? Is it in Anderson? It is, isn’t it, Mr. Moore?” The words spilled out of James’ mouth, almost running over each other.
“Everything is fine, James.” Connor could tell he was lying. Mr. Moore’s brow was suddenly glistening.
“Mr. Moore,” Connor interrupted, desks screeched as everyone turned to look at Connor. He wasn’t normally one to talk in class. It was probably the first time he had ever spoken up without being called on. “If something is going on, we have a right to know.” His words were the spark that ignited the classroom as others chirped in, demanding answers. Connor was surprised at the uproar he had just caused.
Mr. Moore refused to give details and after banging a ruler on a desk so hard it broke in half, he had order. By this time, the bell rang and students were rushing out into the hallway, hungry for answers.
The hallway was a sea of backpacks as Connor shoved his way towards the math wing, where Phil had Advanced Calculus. Phil was a genius destined to go to a great college in the next few years. Once everything blows over, thought Connor. Phil’s teachers treated their students like adults. They had been frank with them about the virus and how it was spreading, and said that eventually it might make its way here. If there had been any changes, Phil would surely know.
Connor spotted Phil and bulldozed his way through the crowd, pushing backpacks and students aside with ease. He was twice the size of most of his peers.
“What’s going on? They haven’t told us anything,” asked Connor.
“It’s finally here. The teachers are wanting to keep everyone in classes to avoid a mass panic, but there have already been reports of people with the virus in the streets. All the phone lines are down across town; cell reception isn’t working.”
“We need to get out of here then. Do you know where Rich and Marie are?” Their cousins were a year younger than Phil. The four of them usually sat at lunch together, but lunch wasn’t for another hour.
“I think they might be in English. They always talk about English and Biology in the morning. I’m not sure which comes first, though.”
“Okay, let’s hurry. We have to find them before the bell rings, otherwise they will try to make us stay in class.”
The halls were emptying when Connor and Phil made it to the English wing. The bell rang, leaving them alone except for a girl walking down the hallway. She dangled a hall pass in her hand. It was Juliet. Connor had almost dated her freshman year. That was before her father forbid them from spending time together, because she ‘deserved better than a farm boy.’ It had stung Connor to hear those words. Juliet had seemed genuinely sorry they couldn’t be together, but after that, they pretty much stopped talking altogether. They were barely more than acquaintances nowadays. Connor debated telling her what he knew. Their eyes met briefly as they passed. She gave him a smile and then looked away, eyes fixed on her destination.
“Juliet!” Connor yelled at her before she turned the corner. She stopped and looked back at him, shocked that he was speaking to her. “The virus is here. You should go home if you can.” Connor didn’t know how much good it would do, but at least he wouldn’t have her on his conscience.
They found Rich and Marie in Mrs. Taylor’s classroom. She had already started her lesson for the day and was pointing at a Venn diagram on the chalkboard. Connor and Phil brought the lesson to an abrupt halt when they barged in the room.
“What are you two boys doing in my classroom? You’re a little too big for tenth grade English, aren’t you?” She smiled as she said it. Mrs. Taylor had taught both Connor and Phil previously and knew they were good, hardworking students.
“We need to talk to Rich and Marie for a second if we can?” asked Connor.
“Don’t you boys have classes to be in?” She was kind, but her demeanor had changed. The entire classroom was focused on the exchange. They all seemed to have the same anxiety Connor had been experiencing.
“We’re leaving and we need Rich and Marie to come with us.” Connor figured honesty was the best policy. He looked to Rich and then Marie, who were sitting near the front, and gave them a nod towards the door. They both immediately grabbed their bags and stood up.
“You can’t do that, Connor.” Her voice was stern this time.
“I’m sorry to say this, Mrs. Taylor, but I don’t think you can stop me.” Several students gasped at the boldness of Connor’s statement. Mrs. Taylor stepped aside as the four of them walked out of the classroom.
They rushed down the hallway towards the parking lot. Outside, two administrators stood along the walkway, attempting to block their path. Mrs. Taylor had evidently used her intercom to contact the office.
“You four need to get back to your classes,” the principal, Dr. Smith, told them. Beside him stood Mr. Baldwin, the assistant principal.
“Sir, with all due respect, we are leaving,” said Connor. He couldn’t back down. Not now. Whatever punishment they wanted to inflict would have to wait. Connor’s gut feeling was telling him they needed to leave. His instincts had not let him down so far in life. They would be leaving, by force if necessary.
“Is that a threat?” asked Mr. Baldwin. He crossed his arms and tilted his head, daring Connor to admit it.
“Sir, we know what’s going on out there. You can try and keep the whole school here if you want, but you’re not doing us any favors. We have to get home at some point. I’m not going to wait around to see what happens.”
“Son, get back in the school now.” Dr. Smith was direct, mustering every bit of authority he had in his voice. Connor saw Rich and Marie slink back out of the corner of his eye.
“I think it’s odd,” Phil had decided to speak, “that this virus had made it to our town and no one’s parents have tried coming to the school to get their kids. Did you tell them everything was fine? Because otherwise I think this parking lot would be full of parents right now.”
Dr. Smith’s face was a bright scarlet after hearing this. “Now you listen here, you little punk. Either yo
u all turn around and go back inside, or I’m going to make you.”
Connor turned to Rich, Marie, and Phil. “Stay behind me and let’s go to the truck.” Connor stepped towards the two administrators. At eighteen, he was still much larger than both of them. Hard manual labor everyday after school would do that to a boy.
He kept his eyes on Dr. Smith as he walked. Dr. Smith grabbed Connor by the arm. His grip was strong, but Connor shrugged him off, sending the man stumbling back.
“Hey! You can’t do that!” yelled Mr. Baldwin. He reached for Connor, but Connor grabbed Mr. Baldwin’s arm first. He gave a hard pull and used the man’s weight against him. Mr. Baldwin tumbled to the ground.
They took off running to the parking lot.
“You’ll go to jail for this,” Mr. Baldwin screamed at them.
“Connor, that was bad,” Marie said as they rushed down the sidewalk. Her brow was furrowed, troubled by the situation she found herself in.
“I know. I’ll deal with that later. Right now, we need to get home. Hopefully your dad is already there.” Their two families had made an agreement to meet at Connor and Phil’s house if there ever was an emergency. It was far enough outside the city to be a safe spot.
Connor drove an old pickup truck that had once been his father’s farm truck. The blue paint was scratched so bad that it flaked off in spots. There was only room for three in the cab of the truck.
“Phil, can you ride in the back?” Phil was the only one he trusted to not fall out if he was speeding down the highway.
“No problem,” Phil said as he tossed his backpack over the edge and climbed in.
The school was on the edge of town. As they neared the town’s center, Connor noticed people walking aimlessly in the streets. He had heard about this on the news when they talked about the virus in other cities. It made people delusional and aggressive. Others sat in their cars, blaring their horns, trying to move the pedestrians out of the way. One man exited his vehicle and was promptly attacked by a group standing near him. The virus made people violent. Connor thought he saw blood dripping down the man’s neck.
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