“I’m really impressed with you kids. A lot of adults haven’t made it and here you are, sitting pretty with food and water.” Bill perched against the table. Yep, I’m right impressed.”
Chalice met Colton’s gaze, then looked at Bill. “We appreciate your offer and would be happy for you to join us. But,” She narrowed her eyes. “I take care of the children. Not you.”
###
Chalice woke the next morning and glanced out the motor home window. There was no sign of the three newest to the group but five zombies paced the fence, filling the air with their unearthly moans and growls. No doubt brought on by the previous day’s carnage. Maybe they had a sixth sense about a large number of their own being killed.
The adults had seemed nice enough last night, especially the woman, Sarah, but Chalice wouldn’t trust them to be alone around the younger kids until she knew them better. Sure, they came to the rescue when they were being overrun last night, but they could have any number of motivations. Plus, feeding them took away an entire meal that could have gone into the kid’s mouths.
She dropped the thin curtain, a couple of inches too small for the space, back into place. She’d slept in her blood-encrusted clothes since there was little water to be wasted on laundry and a short supply of clothing, not to mention a private place to change. Maybe if she drew the curtain she could have just enough time before the others woke.
Yanking the curtains closed, the best she could, she disrobed and dropped the smelly clothes on the floor. She grabbed a container of wet wipes and sponged down her skin before dressing in the last clean pair of pants she owned, camouflage cargo pants and a white tank top.
She turned to pick up the dirty clothes and glanced out the window.
Fred Williams stood and stared, obviously watching her bathe and dress. The frigg’n pervert.
She stuffed her pistol into her waistband, tempted to put a bullet in his brain. It was most likely as tainted as the zombies growling outside the fence.
When she shoved back the privacy curtain, the others were eating dry cereal. Colton held the box of Cheerios out for her. She grabbed a handful and bent to glance back out the window. Fred had disappeared. Hopefully, to tell the others they were ready to leave.
“We need to let Bill know to stop for gas,” she told Colton.
“What’s the point?” Hanna spoke up from where she sat at the table, face buried in her hands. “Get gas and drive, drive, drive. It’s only a matter of time before every one of us is zombie food.”
“I have a theory about that.” Colton passed the cereal box to Mychal. “Think on all the zombies you’ve seen. Some look relatively normal, with minimal signs of decay, while others look like walking corpses. I think their bodies deteriorate over time. Once we settle somewhere, I plan on catching one and keeping it in a cage.”
“Like a pet?” Chalice crossed her arms. “I think that’s a great idea.” She glanced at the dogs. “We also have to keep the dogs quiet somehow when zombies are around. They bark, and the zombies come.”
“We need a muzzle,” Mychal said. “I can work on making a band of some sort out of a pair of socks. I can do that while we’re driving today.”
A knock sounded on the door. Chalice turned to see Sarah.
“Here’s some extra weapons and ammo.” She stepped inside. “Do you think you could spare us some water for the truck?”
“Take a bottle a piece.” Chalice pulled three from a cabinet. “We only allow ourselves one a day unless we find water somewhere else.”
Sarah smiled. “Thanks.”
When she’d left, Chalice pulled out another handgun. She preferred them to the rifle. Now, Mychal could have the rifle along with his bow and arrow. True to her word, Sarah had supplied them with ammo for their guns. In Chalice’s mind, the water was an insufficient trade. For now. She’d change her mind when water was hard to find.
“Looks like we’re leaving.” Colton hurried to the driver’s seat.
Chalice rushed to the passenger seat while Mychal scurried around making sure the doors and windows were latched. “All the way to Colorado, huh?”
Colton shrugged. “Looks that way, unless we find something sooner.”
They burst through the fence, sending zombies exploding like watermelons. Body parts flew. A leg bounced off the front window.
Colton laid on the horn and followed, the motor home bumping over zombies too stupid to move and adding more of the black congealing mess they had for blood to the front bumper.
It amazed Chalice that the sight no longer sickened her. She thought no more of body parts flying than she did of eating or sleeping. What did that mean? Did she no longer have any value for human life? She looked over her shoulder at the children.
What if one of them was bitten? Hanna or Mychal? Could she shoot them? She honestly didn’t know. She did know that should she be bitten she would want someone to shoot her. The thought of feeding on humans grossed her out.
She thought about Colton’s theory of zombies dying over time. What if they cut off the arms and took out the teeth of a zombie? Then they could find any type of enclosure and not have to worry if it broke free. She’d keep her eyes open.
“You’re the toughest girl I know,” Colton told her, cutting her a sideways glance. “Most girls wouldn’t grab a gun and face down one zombie much less several. I’m glad to have you by my side.”
Chalice’s face heated. The words of admiration from Colton meant a lot. Not once since they’d met had he ever seemed to falter in what needed doing, except for the little girl yesterday. Knowing that he thought her as tough and capable as himself left her speechless. She gave him a nod and stared out her window, feeling every bit the geek she’d always been.
What would it feel like for someone to think her pretty rather than tough?
Someone ran through the trees. They ran with much more coordination than any zombie she’d ever seen. The person stopped and grabbed another person from the forest floor. “Stop. There’s someone out there.” She looked back in the direction the two ran. “And there’re a lot of zombies chasing them.”
“We shouldn’t stop.”
“We have to. We can’t not help anyone who needs us. If we make it quick, they’ll be inside before the zombies catch up.” She grabbed her weapons and stood by the door. “Close the door and don’t open it until I’m ready to step inside.”
“I’ll go with you.” He reached out to stop her.
“No. Take care of the others. Lock the door. Have Mychal stand watch for when I’m ready to come in.” She took a deep breath and stepped out. “Here!” She waved her arms.
A man and teenage girl raced toward them. The girl glanced repeatedly over her shoulder, slowing them down. The zombies were quickly gaining ground.
“Hurry.” Chalice’s heart beat faster. What if they didn’t make it? What if she had to watch a person ripped apart and devoured? Just the thought made her sick.
The truck with Bill and the others stopped up the road and slowly backed up. Bill sat on the frame of the open window, rifle aimed at the mob chasing the man and girl.
They reached the motor home, and Chalice pounded on the door for someone to open up. “Hurry, hurry, hurry.” The zombie’s groans and growls increased in intensity.
“No, Mark is out there.” The girl tugged against the man’s hold.
“Get in.” He shoved her inside and followed.
Chalice turned. A young man sprinted for them, mere feet from the herd chasing him.
“Get in.” Mychal grabbed her arm and yanked her inside before slamming the door and locking it. “We can’t help him. It’s too late.”
“No.” Their new passenger plastered herself to the window.
Colton started the motor home moving forward. The boy outside raced alongside, pounding his hands against the fiberglass sides. Then, he fell, and the zombies were upon him.
Chalice wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. The girl screamed, the dogs barked, and tears strea
med down her cheeks as an undead ripped into the boy’s throat. Blood gushed from his jugular, splashing the window. Why was Colton driving so slow? They needed to get away. Nobody should watch such a display of violence.
Despite the gruesomeness of the sight, Chalice walked along the windows, crying as the zombies ripped the boy’s stomach apart and grabbed handfuls of his intestines while he was still alive. Steam rose from his entrails. The boy’s screams pierced her ears, shrill and not like anything she’d heard before.
She had to do something. Anything to halt his suffering. She cracked her window and aimed.
One shot through the eyes, and the boy stopped screaming. Chalice fell back on the bed as the truck in front of them sped up, and Colton followed.
Sobs shook Chalice. They’d left someone behind. Maybe they could have gotten him inside, maybe not. Now, they’d never know. Chalice rolled over, hiding her face in a pillow and let the tears flow.
10
Chalice didn’t get out of bed until the motor home stopped again. She couldn’t. Not if every waking moment meant fighting for her life.
Through the window, she spotted an empty gas station. A plastic bag blew across the cracked pavement. The place appeared as if it had been deserted for a very long time. There probably wasn’t any gas left in the tanks, but a few vehicles sat in the bay awaiting repairs that would never happen.
Their new passengers sat at the motor home’s dinette table, the girl wrapped in the man’s arms. Chalice sighed and introduced everyone.
“I’m Bruce Whitetower,” the man said. “And this is my daughter, Sadie. Thank you for stopping. A few more minutes and…”
“The boy?” Chalice’s stomach lurched.
“My boyfriend.” Sadie swiped long raven hair from her face. “We met him about a month ago while hiking through some Podunk town in the middle of nowhere. A zombie tried to bite me, and Max stuck a rebar through its head. Now, he’s dead, too.” Her crying started again.
“We’re looking for gas, then headed to Colorado. Someone said there was a safe zone there.” Chalice moved to the door.
“Maybe.” Mr. Whitetower untangled himself from his daughter’s arm and stood by Chalice’s side. “Let me go. I owe you that much for saving us.”
Chalice smirked. “A wasted effort if you get yourself killed, isn’t it?”
He grabbed an axe from the counter. “My ancestors are Apache. I taught myself a long time ago how to use one of these. I’ve won competitions. Let me come.”
“Okay.” She shrugged. “Colton?”
“Right here.” He grabbed his rifle. “Mychal, keep watch from the window. Call out a warning if you see anything.”
They joined Bill and his small group outside the gas station, allowing the dogs to join them. Chalice prayed they’d find gas with no incident. Her hands still shook from Mark’s death, and she feared she wouldn’t be able to hit her target.
“I’ll stay back and keep watch from the top of the motor home,” Sarah said. “I don’t like the boy having to take watch by himself.”
Bill nodded. “Good idea. You’ll be able to see up and down the freeway from there.”
Chalice stepped in front of the dark garage and listened. Nothing sounded. She glanced at Lady who sat next to her, searching for signs of alarm. Lady glanced up, tail wagging. “I think it’s clear or at least the immediate area is.”
“We’ll check out the inside for anything of value while you two fill up the tanks.” Fred joined her and sent Colton back with Bill and Hightower. “I figured it’s always good to mix things up, don’t you? That way, there’s always someone looking out for their friends.”
The man made her skin crawl. She hadn’t forgotten him watching her dress. “I’d rather search with Colton.” She turned to leave.
Fred grabbed her arm. “I don’t think so. That’s a right pretty little sister you’ve got, if you get my meaning.”
Chalice got his meaning just fine. If she had an axe in her hand, she’d show him what her meaning was. Instead, she lifted her chin, snapped her fingers for Lady to scout ahead, and stepped into the garage.
If the man meant to rape her, well, then he was in for one hell of a surprise. Chalice wouldn’t go down easy. She’d leave plenty of marks behind.
Once they entered into what would have once been someone’s office, she glanced around for something in which to defend herself. She’d never get her gun pulled in time. Not with Fred as heavily armed as she was.
Although she expected his attack, it still stunned her. Fred whipped her around to face him and pressed her against an office desk. He bent her backward, his mouth searching for hers. His breath smelled foul. Even after a month how hard was it to find a toothbrush?
She tried to knee him in the crotch. He anticipated her move and slapped her. Her head whipped back. Grabbing a handful of her hair, he pulled her closer.
Lady barked from the doorway, giving Chalice the opportunity she needed. While her dog latched onto Fred’s arm and shook like a shark at a feeding frenzy, Chalice raced to the next room.
Very little light came through the dirty window of a storage room. In the far corner sat a large dog crate: one big enough for a Great Dane or a human with thick wire woven together to form the sides.
Growls alerted Chalice to the fact that she wasn’t alone. She raced for the crate and dove inside, getting the latch hooked just as two zombies staggered into the room.
They moved amazingly fast for dead people. Chalice cowered.
The zombies rocked the crate, sliming her with saliva. Their groans ripped at her soul. Tears poured down her face. She would die in a cage like an animal. She wanted to scream for help, but by doing so would put everyone else in jeopardy. Mr. Whitetower might even think he owed her something for saving his and Sadie’s life, and put himself in unnecessary danger.
Instead, she put her arms over her head, curled into a ball, and prayed the zombies would go away. They tore at her clothing, trying to latch their fingers onto anything that would pull her close enough for them to bite. Thank goodness, the wires were too close for their mouths.
Fred screamed from the other room. The two undead terrorizing Chalice turned and shuffled away. Soon, gunshots rang out. Yet, Chalice remained where she was, safe in her cage, away from the carnage.
Lady appeared at one side of the cage and licked her through the wire.
“You’re okay.” Chalice noticed an open wound on her dog’s hip. “Dogs are immune to the virus, right, old girl?” She hoped so. She couldn’t bear to lose a single member of her family.
Shots were fired in more rapid succession until finally quieting. The quiet seemed louder than the echo of guns in a steel garage.
“Chalice!” Colton’s voice rang out.
“I’m here.” She fumbled for the latch on her cage.
Colton thundered toward her. “Are you okay?” He helped her with the latch and pulled her out and against his chest. “I thought we’d lost you. My heart stopped.” He cupped her face, resting his forehead against hers. “Don’t scare me like that again. I don’t want to go on without you.”
“I found you a cage for your pet zombie.” She stepped back and grinned. “It kept out two really big ones, so I think it’s sturdy enough.”
“You’re one crazy freak, you know that?” Colton lowered his head and kissed her, driving all thought and reason out the door.
His kiss might not have been her first, but it was the first that left her breathless and her body tingling. She didn’t care that he was covered with zombie blood or that her shirt was ripped and her hair wet with sweat.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed closer, returning his kiss as if it were the last one she’d ever receive. Who knew? Maybe it would be. They weren’t guaranteed the next breath. Not in this world.
Her legs weakened, and her heart fluttered. Who knew a kiss could be so hot?
“Seriously? We’re running for our lives and you two are making out?”
Mychal stood in the doorway and frowned. “I’ve seen everything now.” He whirled and stomped away.
Colton laughed and stepped back, keeping his hands on Chalice’s shoulders. “Us kissing was the most memorable thing he’s seen?”
Face hot, stomach still dancing, Chalice headed for the open garage door. She sidestepped dead zombies and halted in surprise.
Fred leaned against the truck. Blood dripped down his arm and from another spot on his neck. Two fingers were missing from his left hand.
Chalice pulled a pistol from her waistband and marched up to hold the barrel against his crotch. “You tried to rape me.”
“What? No.” He shook his head. “You came on to me, you little whore.”
###
Colton threw a punch to the man’s jaw, snapping Fred’s head back. No one talked about Chalice that way, much less lay hands on her. “You’re bit.” He jumped back, his hand going for his gun.
“Her dog bit me.”
“Lady latched on to your arm then came to me a few minutes later.” Chalice narrowed her eyes. “You screamed and attracted the zombies to you, then fired your weapon.”
“That’s right.” Colton stepped to her side. “We ran in when we heard your gunfire,You were on the floor with a zombie on top of you. We could clean the blood off to tell for sure. I’ve studied enough medical books to be able to tell a human bite from a dog’s.” He was tempted to keep Fred as his experiment, but preferred someone smaller and weaker. Besides, he didn’t want the reminder of what the man tried to do to Chalice.
He also needed to form a mask of some sort so the zombie couldn’t bite anyone. He couldn’t do that while the person could still reason. And, as much as he’d like to cut off the man’s hands for touching Chalice, he couldn’t do that to someone he knew. No matter how rotten the person was. But, they could still use the cage.
“I suggest we put Fred in the dog crate in the storage room. If he doesn’t turn in a few days, we release him. If he does turn, we put a bullet through his skull.” Colton glanced from Bill to Chalice.
Bill nodded. “Sounds like a fair idea.” He sighed and leaned against the bumper of the truck, keeping his rifle aimed at Fred’s gut. “A little over a month ago, the world went dark. I have little hope of things getting better. Maybe the sun will come out again once the dust settles or maybe something darker will descend upon us. Either way, I aim to keep kicking until there’s no breath left in me. I expect others to do the same.
The Zombie Awakening (Complete 6 Volume Series, plus prologue) Page 8
