The Living Dead Boy (Book 3): Journey Across Zombie Texas

by Rhiannon Frater

  The other kids nodded.

  “Okay. So let’s go eat. I’m starving,” Josh said.

  Chapter 11

  “I really, really love tacos!” Troy said enthusiastically.

  Sam shoved half a taco in his mouth, nodding in agreement.

  Though he was full, Josh reached for another taco from the pile in the center of the table. It was the first really good meal he’d had in days. There was plenty of food. Tacos, ranchero beans, Mexican rice, pico de gallo, baked chicken, and huge stacks of fresh corn and flour tortillas were set on the dining room table so everyone could serve themselves. Plates of food covered in foil were sent out to the people patrolling the street. Many of the adults had guns in holsters on their hips or under their arm, and a few had rifles strapped across their backs. Spanish and English mingled together in conversation. Despite the dire circumstances, there was some laughter.

  Josh and his friends were off to one side of the big table seated on folding chairs. The Zombie Hunters kept to themselves even though Daisy and Nathan introduced them to Daisy’s extended family that overflowed the dining room into other sections of the house. Most of the children in the Ortega family were babies or toddlers. There was a wide age gap from the smaller children to Daisy’s teenage brother and a few of his cousins. The youngest were in the kitchen, while the teenagers were in the living room near the television.

  Once again, Josh was a little jealous. It appeared the family was complete and surviving together, while his was separated and broken. Guilt came with envy, but he couldn’t help how he felt.

  Through the buzz of conversation came the sound of the television being turned up. A few adults wandered out of the dining room to watch.

  Corina sipped her sweet tea and peered down the hallway toward the living room. “The news is in Spanish. I wonder what its saying.”

  Dulce chased the last few beans on her Styrofoam plate with a piece of a corn tortilla. “Not good. All bad.”

  “Like what?” Troy asked.

  Danny moved so he could see the television and craned his head to listen. “They blew up all the bridges to Manhattan and are going to firebomb the island because that’s where most of the zombies are in New York. The president might drop nukes on Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago to try and wipe out the zombie infestation. Dulce is right. All bad.”

  “I wonder how the Battle of San Antonio is going.” Josh’s heart was heavy remembering the soldiers who had escorted the convoy before being redirected.

  “We should go in there and see,” Corina decided abandoning her chair, and picking up her tote bag.

  “My dad doesn’t want me to see the news. He says it will upset me,” Sam protested.

  “Dude, you’re living in the zombie apocalypse! You already killed a zombie. How can the news upset you anymore?” Danny asked, his eyebrows lifted high with disbelief.

  “Oh yeah.” Sam chuckled.

  The kids carried their plates and cups through the throng of adults. Reaching the living room, they gathered in one corner where they could see the television, but be out of the way of the others.

  “Can we see the news in English?” Corina asked.

  Hector, Daisy’s teenage brother, nodded. “Sure, kid.”

  The channel changed to show a different set of anchors looking just as scared and serious as the ones on the Spanish channel.

  Josh watched the anchors deliver somber news as tickers ran across the bottom and top of the screen. It was mostly news about the outbreaks in the big cities, the evacuations, and the planned bombing of the major population centers. A demonstration on how to track the evacuation routes on a smart phone played in a graphic in one corner over and over again.

  “This is weird,” Troy decided.

  “Huh?” Josh looked at him curiously. “Why?”

  “This is that scene in every zombie movie where the heroes get an update on what’s happening in the world. This is a classic trope.”

  “What’s a classic rope?” Sam asked, confused.

  “Trope, Sam,” Troy corrected. “It’s like a common thing that happens in a story. In zombie stories, there’s always the scene where the heroes get updated on what’s going on in the world.”

  Sam widened his eyes. “Oh.”

  “So we’re being a cliché?” Danny asked.

  “A cliché is when—” Troy started to explain to Sam.

  “I know what a cliché is. I’m not dumb like Chad,” Sam grumbled. “And I thought you said rope.”

  “So what happens after we get the latest news?” Danny asked. “In the zombie movies?”

  “Everything goes wrong,” Josh replied, frowning. “Like bad.”

  “Well, this isn’t a movie,” Corina said quickly. “People watch the news to get informed. Which is what we’re doing. Everything is not going to go wrong. We’re not in a movie.”

  “Besides, everything already went wrong. Zombies, remember?” Troy finished eating his taco with a little extra flare.

  “If this is a movie, I don’t like it,” Sam decided. “And since it’s real life, I really, really don’t like it. Well, except for being a Zombie Hunter. That’s cool. I killed a zombie, saved Yessica, and have friends.”

  “I’m just glad Yessica and Drake aren’t with us,” Corina decided. “It would have been harder getting away from the zombies with little kids.”

  Josh missed Drake, but he had to agree. “I’m just glad they’re safe with my dad and the convoy.”

  “I thought Yessica was going to be my new sister. I guess not.” Sam’s shoulders sagged with disappointment. “Now she’ll forget me.”

  “I’m sure she won’t, Sam,” Corina said, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “She liked you.”

  “Even when we didn’t,” Troy added.

  “Hey!” Sam exclaimed.

  Troy grinned. “Just picking on you.”

  “Like a friend?” Sam asked worriedly.

  “Totally, dude,” Danny answered.

  “Friends don’t let friends be lame. So we have to break you of a few lame things,” Troy explained. “Like not knowing when we’re joking.”

  “Okay. I’ll try harder not to be lame.”

  “Hey, there you are!” Nathan jogged over to where the kids were clustered. “All done eating?”

  “I ate a million tacos,” Troy replied, patting his stomach.

  “I ate a billion!” Sam was not about to be outdone.

  “Well, since you’re both about to explode, maybe we should get you away from all these people to reduce collateral damage,” Nathan answered in a very serious voice.

  “Dad, we’re not going to explode! We’re joking. Don’t be lame.”

  “Lame? Me? I’m not lame.” Nathan tried to continue looking serious, but a smile tipped the corners of his mouth upward. “Anyway, Daisy, who is also not lame, is ready to head over to her house, so we all need to go. And when we get there, we got some good news for you.”

  “Are you getting married?” Sam obviously had a one-track mind about his father’s relationship status.

  With a chuckle, Nathan slung his arm around his son’s shoulder. “No, Sam. I’m not getting married.”

  “But you’re old!”

  “I’m not old! I’m in my early thirties!”

  “So old,” Sam said, but Josh could see he was joking.

  “I think your friends are corrupting you,” Nathan teased, but he looked pleased. “Let’s go.”

  Nathan led them through the house. After disposing of the plastic cups and plates in a big trash can, they met Daisy at a side door that led outside. Her hair was no longer in a bun, and it curled around her shoulders. Still in uniform, she held a rifle in one hand.

  “Hey, Josh, Corina, Troy, Danny, Dulce, and Sam,” she said with a grin, pointing to each kid as she said their name.

  “You got our names right,” Josh said, pleased.

  “See, I told you I’d get your names right by tonight. Not bad, huh?”


  Josh always felt awkward when adults did this type of banter. He was never sure what to say, so he shrugged.

  “Ready to go, Daisy?” Nathan asked, rescuing the kids from answering.

  “Yeah. The horde passed by around thirty minutes ago, and didn’t notice the town. We already called it in, so it’s all good.” She knocked on the door, and it opened to reveal a man holding a shotgun. “Coast clear?”

  “It’s clear, but we got an eye on the west just in case any of the zombies double back,” he answered.

  “Thanks, Emilio.” Daisy stepped into the carport and waved the kids out. “Stay in a line, kids. Follow me.”

  With all the windows in town boarded up, it was very dark. There was a street lamp on the far corner, but it barely bit back the dark. Daisy flipped on a flashlight to guide them across the driveway to the gate in the chain-link fence that surrounded the house. The fence had been waist level, but Daisy’s family had added rolls of barbed wire to the top. Josh glanced back at Corina. She was clutching her bag tightly. She never had it far from her side.

  The dead end was blocked off with old cars, a boat, and lots of sand bags and concrete blocks to fill in the gaps. A man and woman were seated on the top of the pile gazing out over the field the stretched out to the horizon. Despite all the assurances that the town was safe, Josh had his doubts. A huge wall would feel much safer, but he supposed there hadn’t been enough time to find the materials to build one.

  Daisy lived two doors down from her parents and grandmother. Though her house looked a lot like the older homes on the street, her house had been renovated to look more modern. Josh was not too thrilled that her front yard did not have a fence, but her windows had fancy security bars over them. As they drew closer to the house, he saw that the windows were boarded on the inside.

  Josh couldn’t help but keep glancing toward the end of the street. The darkness in that direction was thick, and he was afraid of what might lurk beyond the light cast by street lamp.

  “Are you sure there aren’t zombies?” Sam whispered to his dad.

  “We’re safe, Sam,” Nathan answered. “I promise.”

  Daisy unlocked the ornate iron security door, then the actual front door.

  “Everyone inside,” Nathan said.

  “It’s not like we want to stay out here with the zombies,” Sam remarked.

  “Is that sarcasm?” Nathan arched an eyebrow.

  “Yup!” Troy grinned, disappearing inside. “We’re teaching him!’

  “They’re definitely corrupting you, Sam,” Nathan said with an amused smile.

  “Yeah, but so I’m not lame,” Sam replied.

  “We’re actually really cool,” Josh said to the sheriff as he entered the house behind Sam.

  “I’m seeing that. Glad that Sam has some good friends. Finally.”

  Josh turned to watch Nathan shut and lock the security door. Stepping into the house, Nathan swung the door shut, and twirled the locks.

  “Here we are. Safe and sound,” Nathan announced.

  Josh hoped he was right.

  Chapter 12

  The light snapped on inside the house.

  “It looks like Ikea in here,” Troy observed as they were ushered into a large living space.

  Walls had been taken down to expand the living room into the dining room and kitchen, creating a large open area. The decor looked very modern, yet comfortable. Troy was right. It looked like an Ikea store display, and not like the mishmash of older furniture and family heirlooms in Josh’s old home.

  “Really? That’s interesting, since I bought practically everything at Ikea in Austin,” Daisy answered with a wink.

  “I like it!” Sam looked around excitedly. “Is this our new home?”

  “That’s what we want to talk to you about,” Nathan answered. “Sit down, kids.”

  The sectional sofa he pointed to was a light blue color and covered in decorative pillows that had various black and white designs on them. The kids immediately flopped onto the sofa and faced the flat screen television. Josh sank into the comfortable cushions tucked in the curve of the sectional. It was quieter and more comfortable at Daisy’s house, and he almost wished he could stay.

  Corina sat next to him, her tote bag wedged between them. “This place is nice.”

  “Do you have a lot of money?” Sam asked.

  Danny smacked him. “Dude, that’s rude.”

  “There was a sale at Ikea, and I had credit cards,” Daisy answered, taking a seat across from the kids. Nathan hovered behind her. Josh could see why Sam was so obsessed about his Dad’s marital status. The two adults acted like a married couple. The thought made Josh miss his own parents even more.

  “So, kids, first off: we’re thrilled you made it here safely,” Nathan started, his boyish face lighting up with joy. “Especially because you brought Sam with you. I was so afraid I’d lost my boy forever, and here he is! With friends!”

  “I’m a Zombie Hunter now. I killed a zombie,” Sam said, grinning.

  “That’s my boy!” Nathan high-fived Sam.

  Josh could definitely see the resemblance between Sam and his dad. Corina nudged his side, and gave him an amused smile when he looked her way.

  Daisy took over from Nathan. “There are some things Nathan and I feel you should know. First off, there is a governmental database of all the people arriving at rescue camps, and secure towns. Pious is considered a secure town, so we have access to the database. All the citizens and the survivors coming here are being logged into the system.”

  “So the government is still working?” Josh was surprised, since in movies it collapsed right away.

  Daisy nervously laughed, and gave a little shrug. “So far. Believe it or not. Some of the higher ups did die in the first big outbreak, but there were systems ready to go for a disaster of this level. In fact, it’s called Operation Romero. Apparently someone at FEMA decided to make a zombie disaster plan a few years ago.”

  “Probably as a joke,” Nathan said.

  “But now it’s been activated,” Daisy finished.

  “That’s so cool!” Troy twisted about on the sofa to look at Josh. “Right, Josh?”

  “I know! They named it after George A. Romero!” Josh responded with delight.

  “You don’t think it’s cool that they made a zombie plan?” Danny asked, furrowing his brow. “You’re excited because they named it after the director of Night of the Living Dead? You guys really are die-hard zombie fans.”

  “I’m excited about both,” Troy assured his new friend with a serious nod. “Plus, I’m impressed with the adults.”

  “For once,” Josh added.

  “I’m so glad we got your approval on this,” Nathan said, shaking his head with amusement.

  “No offense, dude, but adults have been screwing things up like forever,” Danny pointed out.

  “Yeah, they probably made the zombies,” Sam agreed.

  “You’re probably right, Sam,” Daisy admitted, “but they’re now trying to fix it and save us all. That’s good, right?”

  “If they don’t screw it up, sure,” Troy replied, but sounded a little doubtful.

  “And adults don’t screw up everything,” Nathan said, appearing just a bit insulted.

  Daisy laid her hand on his arm. “We do screw up a lot of things, Nathan. The kids have a legit point.”

  Nathan nodded slightly. “Like making zombies. I admit it. We probably made them.”

  Josh and Troy exchanged approving looks. Maybe Sam’s dad wasn’t so bad after all.

  Daisy leaned forward, and smiled at Josh. “I have more good news. Josh, your dad and brother are listed as being at the San Angelo FEMA camp.”

  “Dude, they made it!” Danny fist pumped the air. “Yeah!”

  Josh swallowed hard, finding it hard to speak as Troy clapped him on the back.

  “Isn’t that great news?” Daisy waited for him to answer.

  Josh’s voice squeaked out. “Can I talk to hi
m? Call him? Can I borrow your phone?” It was difficult to breathe he was so excited.

  “I wish I could say yes, Josh,” Nathan started, and Josh’s stomach clenched. “But the government implemented a security protocol where everyone’s cellphones can only receive orders from the government. Here. Let me show you.” Sam’s father pulled out his smartphone and turned it on. He turned it around so the kids could see the screen. It looked far different from the way it usually looked. The screen was black with red scrolling text and two icons at the bottom: an American flag and a map.

  “What happens if you touch the map?” Corina asked.

  “It shows you the nearest FEMA camp or airlift location, and the evacuation route to it,” Daisy answered. “And there was a post earlier that said they’re going to start a zombie forecast. You’ll be able to see where swarms are based on satellite tracking.”

  “And the flag?” Josh asked.

  “That’s the updated message from the President.” Nathan pushed a button and a photo appeared alongside text and a signature.

  “That’s the Vice President,” Corina said, frowning.

  “Not anymore. President Cisneros took office when President Barron was killed during the evacuation of the White House,” Nathan said soberly.

  “So we have a woman president?” Sam appeared unsure of this development.

  “And she’s Latina.” Daisy winked at him. “Like me.”

  Sam blinked at the screen. “But she’s a girl.”

  “Don’t make me kick your butt, Sam,” Corina grunted, folding her arms.

  “Sam, I raised you better than that, didn’t I? Girls can do just about everything men can do. Except pee standing up.”

  “But, Dad, you said that women are super emotional and that’s why mom—”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa, Sam! I didn’t put it quite that way!”

  Daisy raised her eyebrows at Nathan. “Oh?”

  Nathan looked a little like Josh’s dad used to when he said something dumb to his wife. “Well, the new president can’t screw things up any worse than her predecessor did.”

  “Right.” Daisy shook her head. “Men.”