"Since you have my undivided attention and you're looking down my most private of areas, feel free… unless you have a comment about why I don't shave down there or if it looks funny," Darlene said before grunting again. "I still hate you."
"I'm sure I saw you not too long ago in St. Augustine, right? Definitely less than nine months if I can do the math right. There is no way you were pregnant then. Even a few weeks in."
Darlene closed her eyes and sighed. "I don't get it, either. I should only be a few weeks into it, yet… the zombie who tried to kill us told me I was pregnant, even though John and I had just recently consummated our relationship. There was no way he could've known, yet he did."
"Did he tell you what it was going to be?"
Darlene nodded. "A boy. A tough little male who is ripping me apart."
"Then let's pull him out of you quickly so I can go outside and throw up my lunch," Tosha said. "Holy shit, John, where are the fucking towels?"
This is fucked up beyond all belief, Tosha thought. Murph was dead in the corner and they were about to pop a kid out of Darlene, all within an hour. This was insane.
"Oh, fuck me now," Tosha said when she saw Mathyu sitting next to Murph's body, staring at the old man as he slowly rotted. Now was not the time to be seeing her dead sister again. "Please just tell me I'm insane."
"You're insane. Now help her with the baby," John said as he ran over and dumped a stack of towels onto the floor next to Tosha and Darlene.
When John took a few steps backwards, Tosha wasn't surprised. "I guess I'll do this on my own," she said in a stage whisper. She glanced at her sister as she gathered some towels. "John, I need some water, too."
Mathyu was staring at Murph. Tosha didn't ever remember her sister not focused on her and her alone. What did it mean? Was Murph going to sit up, his ghost joining Mathyu to haunt Tosha until she died?
Darlene screamed in pain.
"You need to keep quiet," Tosha admonished her. "Every zombie in five miles will hear you. And that isn't the worst of what could hear, you know."
"Piss off," Darlene said, but she said so quieter. "Just get this basketball out of my cooch."
Tosha smiled. "That's the spirit." She was about to yell for John again when he came running with two buckets of water and set them down.
"Have a seat near her head and let her squeeze your hand, John. You don't have to see anything down here but you are going to help," Tosha said.
"Yeah, you're also to blame for this mess," Darlene said between heavy breaths. "Let me dig my nails into your arm so you can taste some of this pain."
"Sounds like fun," John said. He took his spot next to Darlene and winced when she actually did dig her nails into his skin.
"Ok, now, if I remember how to do this from watching television shows, at some point the baby will start to show and I'll need to pull it out." Tosha put a hand on her mouth and gagged. Just saying that makes me want to throw up, she thought. This is going to suck.
Darlene was pushing again, her hips rising off the ground as she struggled to keep still. Her arms were thrashing and she was gritting her teeth so loudly Tosha could hear them grind.
"Calm down, we're almost there," Tosha lied. She had no fucking clue if this would take an hour or fifteen. She put her hands on Darlene's thighs and tried to keep her legs apart so she could see if the baby was coming.
Darlene turned to John. "Don't you ever touch me again," she hissed.
By the traumatic look on his face, Tosha doubted he'd fight her about it.
All Tosha could do right now was take a hand away from Darlene and gather some towels under her ass and in front of her open legs, hoping this would be sanitary enough. The water buckets were pushed closer but not close enough Darlene could kick them over during a bad thrust.
"Hell, we need something to cut the cord with, right? I need a knife. But it has to be sterile," Tosha said to John. "Get out my knife and heat it up. Hurry."
She had no idea if she'd need it, but it was best to have it ready.
John pulled his arm away from Darlene, a trickle of blood where she'd dug in. He grabbed a towel. "I'll heat it and wrap it in the towel until you need it."
"No time," Darlene said through clenched teeth. "I can feel him moving out."
"Imposs…" Tosha turned her head and threw up on the dirty floor.
The baby boy slid out of Darlene onto the towels without a sound and stared at her with his gray eyes.
At the same time, at least two motorcycles pulled up outside and parked.
Chapter Twenty Nine
Russ sighed. "Are you sure?"
"Sure as my heart is beating. Oh, wait…" Ben laughed. "Can you at least take me out of the car? My ass hurts from all this sitting."
"No. Move around. We broke your legs, not your arms. Make due," Russ said.
He'd parked the car not far from the Pizza Hut when Ben sat up and slapped the seat. "I know where she is, and she's close. Pull over to the end of this lot and angle the car to the west."
Russ was looking through a few dead trees, across the four-lane road, at a diner. It looked like every other building these days: windows shattered, dark patches where a fire had licked at the outside, and debris everywhere. Behind it stood the remains of a motel with only a couple of walls still standing. "You sure she's in there?"
"You like asking the same question."
"Who else is with her?" Russ asked. He didn't want to walk across the street and get shot by someone who had no idea who he was.
"I can only sense her," Ben said.
Russ turned back to the zombie. "I thought you could sense the baby."
Ben shrugged. "I'm not sure. Does it matter? They are together. I just know I can hone in on their location with little effort right now. We're so damn close I can taste it." Ben smacked his lips and laughed. "I'm looking forward to eating the baby."
"Not on my watch. I should shoot you in the face right now. I don't need you anymore," Russ said.
"True enough. Can't say I'd blame you. But you aren't an animal, Russ, and we both know it. I can't do any harm with two broken legs. You'll go across the street and save Darlene and her brat and we'll drive away together and live happily ever after. Isn't that what's going to happen? I've seen enough apocalyptic movies to know there is a safe haven out there for all of us. Humans. Zombies. We just need to work together." Ben pretended to wipe tears from his eyes and then grinned.
"You're quite the sarcastic asshole."
"It is a gift. I'm so glad I kept it, even in death. But you do know how all of this ends, right? We all become zombies in the end. Some of us get shot in the face and die again. But most of us will live. Thrive, even." Ben leaned back in the seat. "I'm not sure why you're even fighting it. You seem smarter than this, and especially as interested as you seem to be with how all of this works. Doesn't every superhero experiment on himself to find the cause and/or solution to these powers?"
"No, every super-villain does."
"Such a fine line, isn't it? All I'm saying is to keep your mind open for the possibilities the future holds for all of us. Not just the living."
"I don't know what you're even talking about," Russ said.
"I'm telling you I can help with the baby," Ben said.
"I don't think eating the baby will really be helpful," Russ said. "You're stalling. I need to go rescue her."
"I am stalling, because someone very bad is coming down the road. But I am being sincere. The baby is… gifted. You will need my help raising him the right way. This close to them, I see the advantage to him staying alive. I would be at his side as he grows."
"Thanks, but even in this mess, I think we can find a better nanny. Nothing personal," Russ said. He scanned up and down the road from his perch. "Where are they coming from?"
"You can't hear the engines? My hearing is even better than I thought," Ben said. "Last chance to help me out of the car before the shit hits the fan."
"I think I'll pass.
But I won't kill you just yet, until I see what I need to get her and the baby to safety," Russ said.
"What a knight in shining armor you turned out to be," Ben said. He smiled. "I know you can hear them now."
Russ nodded and took position.
Two motorcycles pulled up in the parking lot of the diner with three people: Jeff with a female behind him, and a man Russ thought he'd seen before, but not on Main Street.
The two men were heavily armed and looking right at the diner.
"Is it time for you to go and rescue Darlene?" Ben asked. "Those two seem pretty bad-ass. I'd be careful."
"How do they know she's in there?"
Ben chuckled. "I don't think they do. The diner is a beacon, don't you think? One of the only buildings on the block still standing. Everyone is going to head for it. Everyone."
Russ didn't like the sound of any of this. He made sure his guns were loaded and he had all the ammo he could carry before stepping quietly onto the sidewalk.
Chapter Thirty
Lilly held onto Jeff because she'd always hated motorcycles. She hated men who rode them and the biker look. She especially hated Jeff. But she didn't want to fall off the back of his bike, and he wasn't making it any easier on her by weaving in and out of abandoned cars instead of finding a lane between them.
When he glanced over his shoulder and grinned, she knew he was being a jerk on purpose, but in the short time she'd known him she wasn't surprised. They pulled into the parking lot and the men killed the engines.
"Why are we stopping here?" Lilly asked.
"Because it is the only defensible position in this shitty town. We can hide out here until we figure out where Darlene is," Jeff said. "She's close. I can feel it."
Lilly knew, if given the chance, she'd get away from these two as fast as she could, but she had no idea where she'd go. There was no way she could survive long by herself. She'd relied on her father for so long. Actually, he relied on her to do everything for him. It had ended up being such a huge part of her life and she loved her father dearly, but… she was sick of slaving away for someone else. And she knew Jeff would be a cruel master.
"I feel like we're being watched," Doug said. He spun around.
Jeff laughed as he pulled weapons from his saddlebag. "There's a zombie a block away. They're still everywhere. Of course we're being watched. Which is why we need to go inside and rest."
Doug was still looking around when Jeff suddenly grabbed Lilly's ass and grinned. "We might let him keep first watch outside so I can give you a spin and try out the merchandise before I buy it."
Lilly pushed away, repulsed.
Jeff took two strides and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her face closer to his. "Fight it all you want, bitch. I'm going to enjoy it whether it's nice and easy or hurting you. I'd much rather hurt you. Rip you open and fuck your bleeding corpse if I have to."
"Let her go," Doug said quietly.
"Fuck off," Jeff said, still looking into Lilly's eyes.
She was mad because she knew she was showing fear, but she knew he would kill her in a heartbeat. She closed her eyes and tried unsuccessfully to stop the tears.
"I like it when they cry," Jeff said.
"Let her go," Doug repeated louder. "Last chance."
"Or what?" Jeff asked.
Lilly opened her eyes to see the two men nose to nose, chests puffed out. Both held pistols in one hand and a knife in the other.
"Do you want to find out?" Doug spun the knife in his hand. "Do you think you're better with a knife than I am? I've been a prepper for years, dude. I've lived in the cold woods of Upstate New York while you were sucking dicks in a cozy prison, pretending you were watching them."
"I'll cut you up just for that, motherfucker," Jeff said.
"You both need to stop," Lilly said. If they came to blows and killed one another, she'd be alone. She feared being alone more than anything, she realized. She needed one of them to survive. At this point, it didn’t matter which one, either. They were both shit. Doug had given her away without a thought after acting like he'd rescued her. And he thought she owed him for it, but did she?
Jeff was going to rape and abuse her until she was broken and then leave her on the side of the road for the zombies. She knew it.
Either man was going to hurt her but it was better than having to fend for herself.
Both men were still jawing back and forth.
"Stop this right now," Lilly said. She pushed her way between the two men. "You need each other to find this woman, right? She's probably watching this stupid macho bullshit. She probably got away. While you're pissing on each other, she's running."
Doug started to laugh and put his pistol in his side holster. "The gal is right. We're on the same team." He took a couple of steps back and looked around at the closing zombies. "While we're wasting time, the zombies are closing in on us. We'll be ripped apart for nothing, while Darlene gets away. She's more important than settling some stupid grudge you and I have."
Lilly noticed, as Doug spoke, he was still holding the knife and trying to act casual, but he was ready to spring.
Jeff laughed but it had no humor behind it. Lilly could see the fear in his eyes before he replaced it with a seething anger. He was scared of Doug but even he wasn't stupid enough to attack him in a fair fight. "Let's get inside, like I've been saying all along."
"After you," Doug said.
Jeff shook his head and swept the air with his hand. "Please, after you. Age before beauty."
Lilly shook her head when she heard a car engine in the distance. She turned and saw the mob heading toward them. "Guys, we got company."
"Fuck," Jeff said. "Inside, like I keep saying."
* * * * *
Lincoln was pissed. Their camp had been violated, and several of their women and children scared. And it wasn't the zombies this time.
He glanced at Dana, the woman he'd taken as his lover the last few months, but now wanted her to be gone. She was too vocal and turning everyone against him.
When he'd returned from chasing the van with the other men she'd ridiculed him in front of the camp. "I told you to leave men here to protect the helpless. You could've left me a weapon to defend us, but you are too macho for it, right? Too headstrong and manly. What if a woman had killed what you could not?"
"Shut yer trap," Lincoln had said, fuming. All eyes were upon him. "We'll deal with this later. For now we need to go find these people and kill them."
Dana stepped forward with a lopsided grin. "I'm coming with you. Some of the other women are, too."
"It's too dangerous."
Dana threw up her hands and looked around the group. "It seems to me it's more dangerous sitting here. I'd rather be with you, fighting and earning my keep, than cooking and sewing like a bitch."
Lincoln's right-hand man, Heath, subtly nodded to him. They'd talked about how annoying and vocal Dana was getting. Maybe this would be a good thing…
Now, the entire camp marched down Route 1, despite repeated warnings the old and children should stay behind. If this went bad it would be on Lincoln.
Every death would be on his hands, and he didn't like it. This was a suicide mission.
Zombies stumbled at the large group, forcing them to fight their way to the diner, where all the action seemed to be centered.
Chapter Thirty One
Bri aimed the pistol at the zombie but couldn't pull the trigger. Since coming upon him, he'd made no move to attack or defend. He'd simply stared at her with watery gray eyes as he sat against a tree.
When he was alive, he'd been handsome. About her age. But now he was dead, Bri reminded herself. "Don't move."
"I won't," he said quietly. He closed his eyes and turned his head. "Please do it in one shot. I can still feel pain, although it is a strange sensation."
"Just shut up so I can kill you," Bri said.
He put up his hands but didn't look at her. "I'll be quiet."
"But you're
still fucking talking."
The zombie laughed.
"Now what's so funny?"
He looked back at Bri and smiled. "The way you said fucking talking. Really tough but really funny, too."
"It wasn't meant to be funny," Bri said. She knew she should stop talking to him and pull the trigger and be done with it. She had to find Darlene and Russ and get out of here. She knew something bad was going to happen if she didn't find the baby, too.
"It was. I'm Hayden. At least, I used to be. That was the name my parents gave me. I'm sure I did horrific things to them before they died. Or maybe they're also zombies and looking for me. We could be like a big zombie family again, like a bad Young Adult book."
"You really do need to stop talking."
"I can't help it," Hayden said. "Even when I had a heartbeat I couldn't shut up. I have ADHD. I guess I still do. I'd be talking whether you were about to kill me or not."
"I figured the thirst for human blood would curb all other things," Bri said, an edge to her voice. She wanted to kill him…
"I don't have it anymore. I'm sure I did, judging by the clothes I woke up in, though. Covered in blood and guts and who knows what else. I know I've killed," he said.
"You're not making this any harder on me to kill you, especially when you're admitting to all the people you've killed," Bri said.
"Fair enough." Hayden slowly stood and put his hands in the air. "I definitely deserve to die again. I can't deny it. At least I'll be killed by a pretty girl."
Bri blushed and looked away. Realizing her mistake, she turned back, expecting Hayden to try to wrestle the gun from her. Instead, he was still standing with his hands up and staring at her.
Hayden. She'd thought of him as Hayden and not a zombie. "This is going very wrong."
"You need to shoot me or let me put my arms down. It's getting uncomfortable," Hayden said. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. Can I tell you something?"
"Yes," Bri said. She liked the way he was looking at her, even with his gray eyes. There was no anger in Hayden. He wasn't a mindless killer. He was just a young man who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and been bitten.
Dying Days 4 Page 15
