by J. B. Havens
“Thank you for all your help,” I said to the group in general, the adults looked up in response, but didn’t say anything. A woman who looked like a younger replica of Betty nodded and laid a gentle hand on Dalia’s shoulder. “It’s just not safe for you guys if I stay here.”
I didn’t wait for a reply and not making eye contact with the kids, I grabbed my bags and walked out.
Outside, I strapped the tool kit onto the fender of the bike and was buckling the chest strap of the backpack when Tristen and Dalia rushed outside.
“Molly!” Dalia yelled, running at me and hugging me tight. I was so shocked by the hug that I didn’t return the gesture right away. The only human contact I was used to anymore was of the violent variety. It showed just how sad a state the world was in when I forgot how to hug.
“Dalia, you’re going to be safe here. This is the best thing for you.” She was a good kid, I’d give her that. She kept going and fought to remain herself amid all the chaos and trauma she’d experienced, she was one resilient little girl. I’m sure her mom would have been proud of her.
“I know.” Her little voice was muffled by my sweater. She had her face pressed tight against me, her arms gripping me with more strength than I expected from a little girl. “Thank you for saving us and for bringing us here.”
“You’re welcome.” I patted her back awkwardly. Looking up, Tristen was looking at his feet, scuffing his shoes around in the dirt. “Tristen, it’s going to be okay.”
“Yeah, I know. I guess, um, sorry I shot you. And, you know, be careful. Maybe you could, I don’t know, come back one day?” He kept his hands tucked into his pants pockets, hunching his shoulders in on himself.
Teenagers, always changing their minds on how they felt and what they really wanted. “Sure thing, Tristen. I’ll do my best.” I tried to smile with feelings that I didn’t really feel. Being around people sort of rubbed me the wrong way. It was hard to have genuine feelings for people that you thought smelled more delicious than a bucket of extra-crispy. And on that thought, I pushed Dalia away and waved goodbye as I peddled down the long dirt lane.
Chapter Sixteen
I was on the highway, weaving between cars at a steady pace and had quickly gotten the hang of steering the bike. As soon as I’d gotten out of town, the roads were mostly all parking lots, the swish of my tires on blacktop was the only sound. Silence draped the world around me. It was eerie and I wasn’t sure I’d ever fully get used to it. I covered miles, with no particular destination in mind.
Along the way, I saw a group of three zombies coming out from behind a couple of wrecked cars. A red minivan had T-boned a sedan, they were stuck together in a heap of twisted metal and shattered glass. A woman, her dress nothing but rags that exposed naked breasts and a belly of wrinkled skin, walked in front of a man dressed in a nearly untouched blue, three-piece suit. Behind him was an old woman, her wig half-falling off and glasses still hanging from a chain around her neck.
I bet the guy had been in the sedan and the two women in the van. From there, I couldn’t tell what had happened.
Coming to a stop about thirty yards from them, I flipped down the kickstand and pulled the bat off the handlebars where I’d secured it with two short bungee cords. I sauntered toward them, feeling rage at the injustice of their very existence. Our planet was going to hell, all because of a mutation in a virus. It was so hard to wrap my head around the fact that something that could only be seen with an electron microscope could cause such devastation. It wasn’t just the zombies, it was the rapid fall of society. Humans had reverted to their most basic form: kill or be killed. Hundreds of years of education and advances in technology were wiped out. My life was over. I was an Alpha zombie, whether I wanted to be or not. These three walking corpses were convenient as an outlet for my volatile, burning fury.
“Batter up, mother fucker!” I bellowed.
Jogging a few steps, I set myself up and swung for the fences. The wood of the bat cracked against the skull of the woman in the ripped dress, startling birds from nearby trees into flight. She staggered, but didn’t go down right away. “Tough old bitch, aren’t you?” I swung again, this time catching her under the edge of her jaw, my added strength snapping her neck to the side. She fell over like a sack of rotten potatoes. I smashed down into her head, splitting her skull in a flood of blood and grey brains.
The man was next. He was much taller than me, probably in the neighborhood of six-foot-five. I swung like I was doing an upper-cut, bending at the knees in a near crouch in front of him, using the strength of my legs to power the swing. His head snapped back with a crack of bone and he hit the pavement. He’d fallen on his side in front of me, with his back facing my feet. Alternating between the bat and my heavy boots, I pummeled his back until I heard something break in his spine. His teeth snapped and he flailed his head back and forth, the only thing on his body that would move. I kicked him in the head repeatedly, stomping down on his face until nothing but a pile of red was left that looked more like hamburger than a person’s face.
The old woman with her cute glasses stood by, she could have been waiting for the bus the way she stood there so patiently. I smacked her in the knee with the bat, her leg giving out instantly. Old brittle bones were easy to break. I didn’t waste any time with her, I swung forward and caught her in the temple. She fell over and lay still, her head split open, leaking blood and brain matter on the black pavement.
The end of the bat was stained red and black, wet drips of gore hitting the ground like a leaking faucet. I wiped it off on the old lady’s cardigan and got back on my bike.
Wow, I feel better.
Violence can be cathartic after all. I’d cleared my head, the uncertainty and self-doubt gone. I now knew what I needed to do. I turned north and peddled as fast as I could. I flew along the road, swerving past cars and trucks. Soon, I passed the dirt road leading to the farm. I backtracked through my old home town, flying past small hordes of zombies who reached to me, moaning at the sight of a queen. I ignored them all. My focus, and my drive, now centered on a little, red-headed bitch suffering from a severe case of insanity.
****
Kelle walked along, skipping every other step, humming a tuneless song under her breath. She swung her arms in time to the beat, happy with herself and the world around her. She’d been made for this world and she was determined to make it kneel to her. She already had a horde of around fifty or so, which she added to all the time. They gathered together like a bunch of college students on a civil rights march. No command was necessary, once they got close enough they were snared in the web of her power.
She cried out in surprise as pain smashed into her head. Shards of glass pierced her brain but when she touched her forehead there was no wound. Furious at the intrusion there could only be one explanation. “Molly!” she screamed, her voice echoing back through the night.
Clenching her fists in rage, she started to run. In seconds, she left her horde behind. They were no match for her speed. She could feel her, closer than she’d been in days. And this time, Molly was on the offensive.
Bring it, you bitch, she thought as she sped south. Her hatred was formless, with no real purpose, but it was as alive as she was. Logically, there had been no real reason to hunt Molly, but it was as inevitable as a lion killing his rival. Two Alphas couldn’t co-exist, they must fight to the death.
She ran for about half an hour when she felt it. The ping in her mind was stronger, it had a pulsing heartbeat. She followed it, using it to guide her to her enemy. She couldn’t see her yet, but she could smell her adversary. Following her senses, she left the road, hiking into a small copse of trees.
“Where are you? Come out and fight, instead of hiding like a coward.” Her ears picked up a rustling sound, needles rained down upon her. Looking up, she saw nothing but a blur before she was knocked to the ground.
****
I crouched like a cat on a branch of the pine tree, sticky sap gettin
g all over my hands from where I gripped the bark. I knew Kelle would sense me, but I gambled on her not looking up. I’d had enough of running and hiding. When I’d smashed through those zombies I remembered what I’d forgotten. I was Molly-Fucking-Everett and I was strong. I’d survived for months on my own. I’d come through some pretty tight spots with both humans and the undead alike. I wasn’t going to let one teenager on a power trip from Hell finish me off.
The hunter would now become the hunted.
Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the small link I had with her. I could feel it in my mind like a thread. Pulling the thread, I jerked it taught and sent a ripple down the line to her. I suspected that we were connected this way because we’d been turned together, so near one another. Though I didn’t know for sure and I wasn’t going back to that lab to find out. I pulled on that weird mental string harder, sharp enough I felt the answering blow in my own brain.
I heard her scream my name, more in my mind than with my ears. I had her. I kept that link open and I could feel her running my way. The link, or whatever it was, worked both ways. If I could feel her, she could feel me in return. She was fast, scary in her speed. If I was the Hulk, she was Flash. As Kelle got closer, the link between us became stronger and clearer. Blood trickled out of my nose and I shut the connection down. Clamping down on it and tying it off in my mind with the dexterity of a surgeon tying sutures.
Once the distraction of the link was gone, I could hear Kelle below me. A human might not hear the near silent footfalls on the leaf litter but to me it was clear as day. As she drew even closer I could hear her breathing, the rustle of her clothing as she walked, and the slow beat of her heart. Looking down, she came into view, right below where I was perched. Bracing myself, I inched into perfect position. Kelle stopped, looking around, not once thinking to look above her.
I dropped down, landing on top of her with a bone jostling crash. Leaves and pine needles flew up into the air around us as I pushed her face down into the dirt. I moved as fast as possible while recovering from the impact. I put a knee into the small of her back, digging it deep into her muscles. I gripped the back of her neck with my right hand, using my left to keep her face flat against the ground. My hand almost spanned her small neck. She’d seemed so large when she was in front of me at the apartment, but having her in such a vulnerable position I was forcibly reminded how young she was before she died. Her body may be that of a teenager, but her mind was stained with evil.
“Get off me!” she screamed and bucked against the ground, trying to throw me off. Her heels slammed against my back, the power of her kicks moving me slightly. My knee slipped off her back and she rolled, throwing me to the side.
She was on her feet before I could get up, and she kicked me in the stomach, pain exploded outward from the strike. I gagged, retching into the leaves. She drew back, moving to kick me again, but I saw it coming and grabbed her foot. I twisted her leg, throwing her off balance and jerking her back onto the ground. She landed hard on her side, her leg twisted awkwardly to the side.
I rose quickly and stood there, ready and waiting for her to get up. She did so, slowly, favoring her right knee. Her back was to the tree where I’d been hiding. I was patient, looking for the right moment to get past her to the bat I’d stashed at the base of the tree under some leaves, I could see the sleek wooden handle sticking out through the orange and brown. She crouched slightly keeping her hands out at her sides, her weight balanced on her toes. I feigned right and she took the bait, running at me. I sidestepped her, and using her shirt as a hand hold, pushed her hard as she passed. She crashed headfirst into the tree trunk behind me. Diving forward, I grabbed the bat and was back on my feet when she recovered, shaking her head. Blood ran down her face from a cut near her eyebrow.
“You’re going to die today, Molly,” Kelle growled, spitting blood from her mouth. I watched as the cut on her forehead healed and she wiped the blood away with the back of her hand. She licked the liquid off. “Tastes good. I’ll have to see how yours stacks up against it.” She grinned, showing me her nasty teeth. They were stained brown and red, with hunks of black meat stuck between them.
I twirled the bat around in a circle and took two big, quick steps closer to her, swinging as I did. The impact of the bat striking flesh rang up my arms, stinging my palms, but Kelle still stood in front of me.
What the hell?
Tracing my eyes down the length of the wood, I was surprised to see a black leather gloved hand gripping the weapon. Looking up, I found who the hand belonged to. A soldier, his rifle hanging from a strap on his chest, his big hand holding the bat. He’d saved Kelle by less than a foot.
“You’re going to want to let go. Now.” Fury thickened my voice. I could hear his heart racing in fear though you couldn’t tell by looking at him. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard him coming. Where the hell did this fucking guy come from? His uniform looked familiar somehow, though at the moment I was having trouble placing where I’d seen it.
“Not going to happen.” He smirked, pulling hard on the bat, trying to take it from me. I kept hold of it easily.
“This isn’t going to work out too well for you. I don’t want to kill you. You need to run and let me finish dealing with her.”
I looked over his shoulder at Kelle and knew what she was going to do before she even moved. She jumped up onto his back, sinking her teeth into his neck. He screamed, whipping around trying to get her off. He fell to his knees with his arms wrapped around her head, his fingers pulled at her hair, desperate to remove her. He jerked on her filthy hair, twisting around frantic to dislodge her.
Flipping the bat around, I popped her in the face with the handle, making contact right between her eyes. It stunned her enough that he managed to get free. The soldier staggered to his feet, wheeling around like a drunk. His hand went to his neck where blood flowed freely from the gaping wound, coating his chest and stomach. The smell was intoxicating, reminding me of the feeling when driving past a steakhouse and the smell of grilling steaks wafted into the car making your mouth water and your stomach rumble.
I swung to Kelle, the soldier was going to be dead in a few more minutes anyway. Another black clad soldier came out the trees behind Kelle, a Taser held out in front of him. Pulling the trigger, the silver prongs flew out, sinking into her back. She stiffened up, muscles seizing as she screamed, and collapsed. The solider immediately began to tie her hands and feet, quickly and efficiently.
I heard a branch snap behind me, whirling around I swung the bat before I really saw who was behind me. The barrel of the bat made contact, a man screamed in pain, clutching his arm against his chest. I pulled my weapon back again, intending to smash his stupid head in.
Shooting pain exploded in my back and legs. I managed to turn just enough to see yet another soldier behind me, the wires imbedded in my flesh leading back to the Taser in his hands.
“Tie them up with the paracord, make damn sure they’re secure,” a commanding voice spoke from above me. My arms were jerked behind me, I tried to struggle but the asshole with the Taser just pressed it again. I faded in and out of consciousness, I couldn’t focus. “Prepare them for transport to the runway. We’re about to make Dr. Reeves’ day.”
They slipped a gag into my mouth, securing it behind my head. All I could see in front of me were a pair of huge, muddy boots. I tried to break the cord tying my hands together, but it was useless. It was so strong and tied to so well even with my added strength it didn’t so much as stretch or give even a millimeter.
The one who seemed to be the leader spoke into a radio, “On our way back. Wait to start the truck up until you see us. This area is fucking crawling with zombies, I don’t want to draw in more.” Looking over his shoulder at the soldier that Kelle had attacked, he pointed toward the body. “Take care of that, last thing we need is another fucking zombie wandering around.” One of his men pulled a knife and knelt beside his fallen comrade. Emotionless, he slipped the shin
y blade into the base of the dead man’s neck, severing the brain stem.
Grabbing us by the ropes at our ankles, they drug Kelle and me out of the forest. Sticks and leaves bunched up underneath our backs and rocks bumped against the backs of our heads. Kelle cursed and yelled at the men through her gag. She kicked and bucked her legs, which only got her twisted around onto her stomach. Every stone and branch now smacked her in the face. I stayed quiet and bided my time.
They kept pulling us along to the road, the asphalt tearing our shirts and the skin underneath until we stopped at a military style truck. It was massive, painted all black it looked like a newer version of the giant deuce and a halves I’d seen in movies. The back was covered in heavy black canvas, which a waiting guard had flipped to the side as we came closer. Hoisting us up and into the back, the inside was pitch dark and it made me feel like I was being sucked into a black hole.
I was more pissed than scared right now, I didn’t know who these men were or why they were doing this, but I was sure it had something to do with the lab. Remembering the doctor there sent a shiver down my spine. There had to be a way out of this, I just needed to wait for the right moment.
In the open now, I could get an accurate count of the men taking us. Four came out of the woods with us, two were in the truck bed, and a third must be in the cab. Seven heavily armed men for just us two. If it weren’t for those Tasers they would’ve needed a lot more and if it wasn’t for this damn, impossible-to-break rope tying me, I’d be ripping them apart right now. I could almost taste them. When in a rage like I was, I always seemed to lose the tenuous grip on my humanity. Maybe letting the zombie part of myself take over sometimes wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
