Next to him, Corina strove to keep up with the others. One of her hands was pressed to her leg, and blood seeped from between her fingers. “How many zombies, Josh?”
“Just a few, but there could be more behind them. Plus, they’re fresh, and moving fast. I don’t know if they saw us, but they’ll definitely see Chad.”
“He’s screwing things up as usual!” Troy groused angrily.
“Into the alley!” Josh called out.
If they could reach the alley and cut behind the buildings, they might possibly stay out of the view of the zombies while outrunning Chad. That would leave Chad as the zombies’ focus, not the Zombie Hunters.
Dulce was in the lead, and she darted around the fence dividing the property of a small house from a narrow alleyway behind a row of boarded up buildings. Danny and Troy followed on her heels. Sam scampered around the fence with his face bright red from exertion. At Josh’s side, Corina struggled, her face pale with pain. Josh pulled Corina into the alley, casting one more worried look toward Chad.
The teenager had no sense of caution. He sprinted across the intersection without even looking either way. It was certain Chad hadn’t seen the zombies further up the block, but there was a good chance the zombies had seen him. Josh tensed, waiting to hear the cries of the undead, but the crack of rifles firing echoed through the morning, blocking out other sounds.
Josh ducked out of view to find the other kids had come to a halt, not daring to move on without his commands.
Dulce had her stake hoisted, ready to strike. “Is the dumb boy coming?”
“Yeah. Follow me. Hurry and keep quiet.”
Josh darted past them, urging them to follow with the wave of his hand. There was a gap in the buildings up ahead. If he remembered correctly it would lead to a parking lot bordering Main Street. They’d have to cross over it to reach the road that would lead them to the hayfield bordering the west side of town.
“I need to get the gun out,” Corina gasped, stumbling to a halt behind the battered trash cans lined up against the building.
“Corina, we need to move.” Josh took hold of her arm just above her bruised wrist.
“We have to deal with Chad,” Corina responded stubbornly, pulling her arm away to rummage in her bag.
Dulce edged ahead and checked the area between the two buildings. “No zombies. No people.”
“Get around the corner. Go!” Josh ordered.
Sam followed Danny and Dulce reluctantly. “Josh, Corina needs to shoot Chad, or he’s going to kill me.”
“You mean get us all killed,” Troy corrected.
“He’s following to kill me. I know it.”
“Still clear. Hurry,” Danny said in a hushed voice, waving to them.
Taking hold of the bigger boy’s arm, Troy dragged him out of sight. “If we don’t hide, he’s definitely going to kill us. C’mon, Sam.”
Corina hoisted the tote bag over her shoulder and snapped the magazine into the pistol. “He’s going to keep following us. I have to confront him.”
“There’s zombies,” Josh protested.
“I have a plan. Get out of sight.”
Corina walked to the gap between the buildings, the gun pointed at the ground. She positioned herself so she could easily duck into the passage and join the others. The opening was only ten feet wide, and a bike rack and old vending machines took up a portion of the space. Josh remained close to the corner, but out of sight so he could keep tabs on the alley.
Chad appeared not even a minute later. Breathing heavily, he skidded into the mouth of the alley and came to a halt when he saw the teenage girl waiting for him. “Corina, we need to go back. Right now! There’s zombies!”
Corina’s answer was to raise the gun, aiming it at him.
Chad scoffed at the gun. “Why are you pointing that at me? I’m the one trying to save you!”
“I’m not going back. I’m going with Josh and the others. You go back to the Rec Center. Right now. Before it’s too late.”
Leaning forward to rest his hands on his knees and still gasping for air after his sprint, Chad stared at her with a mix of anger and desperation in his gaze. “I came out here for you! You don’t belong with those losers! I’m trying to save you!”
The sound of gunfire continued in the town around them. At the other end of the passage, Dulce was on guard. Josh was relieved that she was watching the front of the building. Sam huddled against the wall near the vending machines, biting on his thumbnail while Troy pulled at the bike rack trying to break off a piece. Danny had picked up a stick somewhere and was busy sharpening the end against the rough concrete wall. Josh hoped Corina knew what she was doing by confronting Chad. Staying in one place too long was dangerous.
“I don’t need saving. I don’t like you, Chad. I’m not your girlfriend. I don’t want to be around you. You need to leave now!” Corina’s fingers flexed around the pistol grip. She had yet to place her finger on the trigger. “I’ll shoot you if you don’t.”
“I know it doesn’t have bullets!” Chad paced back and forth, his mouth in a sneer. “I’m not stupid.”
“Yes, you are. You came all the way out here for a girl who hates you. Go away! Now! Before it’s too late!”
“We have something special, and you know it! You’re just scared. I know you like me. You liked it when I kissed you!”
Josh clenched his hands into fists so tight his nails burrowed into his skin. He wanted to run out and punch Chad, but this was Corina’s fight.
Anger made Corina’s voice tremble. “If I liked you, I wouldn’t be holding you at gunpoint!”
“I’m trying to save you! I’m doing everything right! I saved you. I found a house for us to live in. I was going to take care of you. You should love me!”
“I hate you! Go away, Chad! I mean it!”
“Those little kids keep coming between us!” Chad took a step forward. “Where are the losers? Hiding?”
“Don’t come closer. I will shoot you, Chad.”
Josh didn’t understand how Chad could ignore the fierce resolve in Corina’s eyes. When her finger settled on the trigger, Josh drew in a deep breath.
“Stop being a stupid girl! I’ve done everything for you! You should thank me! I found us a place to be safe and you ran away! I’m only trying to protect you! Stop being stupid!” Chad twisted his mouth into an ugly snarl and started to walk toward her.
Corina fired the pistol.
Chad froze, stunned.
Lowering the pistol so it was aimed at the ground, Corina said, “Next time, I’ll hit you right between the eyes. That was a warning shot. Now get out of here! I’m leaving with my friends, not you!”
“You’re just a bunch of stupid kids,” Chad sputtered.
Corina raised the weapon. “I’m a kid with a gun, and I’ll shoot.”
Furious, Chad stalked about in a circle at the mouth of the alley, running his hands through his hair. “You’re lying!”
Growls ripped through the air, sending chills down Josh’s spine. “Corina, they’re coming.”
With a shocked look on his face, Chad finally saw the zombies that had been pursuing him as he followed the kids. He started down the alley, but Corina fired the pistol. Jolting to one side, Chad’s hand flew to his shoulder, and he gaped at Corina in shock.
“Run, or I’ll shoot your leg, and let them get you.”
Finally understanding that Corina meant every word, Chad turned and fled. Not even a second later, the lead zombie appeared, racing after him.
Corina ducked into the space between the buildings, breathing heavily. Pressing her back to the wall on the other side of Josh, she held the pistol at her side. “They’ll follow him. They didn’t see me.”
Nodding to reassure her, he hoped she was right, but he had to be sure. Pressing his cheek to the bricks, Josh peeked around the corner. A pack of zombies raced across the end of the alley in pursuit of Chad. They were definitely freshly-dead, and very fast. With his hear
t thudding in his ears, he watched until the last bloodied figure dashed past before he fell back against the wall.
“Are they gone?” Corina asked.
“Yeah, but what if he circles around the front to come back to us?” Chad was completely obsessed when it came to Corina. Would her shooting him in the arm be enough to make him stay away? Or would he come back for revenge?
“He won’t.” Corina sucked in a deep breath before slowly exhaling to calm her nerves. “He’ll run to the Rec Center.”
Josh could feel Corina trembling, probably from adrenaline. He was feeling a bit shaky, too, but at the same time he was impressed by how she’d obviously lured Chad into becoming bait.
“I can’t believe you shot him in the arm.”
“I nicked him. On purpose. I don’t want to kill people. Though... I guess if he doesn’t run fast enough the zombies will get him.” Corina lifted her shoulder in a shrug. “But that’s not me killing him.”
Josh wasn’t too sure if that assertion was the truth, but nodded anyway.
Dulce waved to Josh, and he hurried over to her. The older girl pointed in the direction of the Rec Center.
“The stupid boy and zombies go that way. Where do we go?”
Sweeping his gaze over Main Street, Josh spotted the tail end of the pack of zombies chasing Chad. The rest of the road appeared empty. To reach where they needed to go, they’d have to risk being out in the open for a few minutes. Josh was about to answer Dulce when a familiar SUV drove into sight.
It was Daisy.
Chapter 20
Josh sprawled onto the ground, and the other kids followed his example. Lying flat, he watched the SUV cruising up Main Street.
“Josh, what do we do?” Sam’s voice was a raspy whisper.
Holding up his hand, Josh signaled for the other kids to wait.
Daisy drove slowly up the road, her head swiveling back and forth. It was obvious she was looking for the kids. The Rec Center had probably reported that they’d jumped the fence. Josh knew the second Daisy spotted the zombies chasing Chad. The SUV growled as it abruptly accelerated. It soon vanished down the street.
“Everyone up,” Josh ordered. “Get ready to run.”
He crept forward and checked the parking lot. It was empty of any vehicles. A battered lighted sign near the sidewalk was shattered and plastic letters littered the ground. It looked like someone had hit it with a vehicle. There wasn’t much cover until they crossed Main Street. That reality made him very nervous.
“Josh, wait,” Dulce said, pulling on his arm.
Looking over his shoulder, he saw that Dulce was pointing to Corina. She was sitting on the ground pressing her hand against her thigh. Blood was bubbling up from beneath her fingers. Rushing to her side, he knelt down.
“What happened?”
“I tore more stiches and pulled it open when I ducked. I’m so stupid.” Corina’s face was pale with pain as she pulled a wad of napkins from her bag.
“Oh, man, this is bad,” Sam exclaimed.
“Shhh.” Troy held his finger to his lips. “Library voice, Sam.”
“Watch for zombies,” Josh whispered, pointing to Danny, then Dulce.
The two kids quickly took up positions on either end of the passage.
Another volley of gunfire filled the morning air. Josh wondered if it was the people at the Rec Center killing the zombies that had followed Chad. Had Chad made it to safety? Or was he one of the undead? Josh found he didn’t really care either way. The teenager was out of their lives for good.
Feeling helpless, Josh crouched next to Corina as she tried to make a bandage out of the napkins and one of her socks. The entire time she was wincing with pain. Josh caught a glimpse of the ugly inflamed skin and jagged wound. It looked worse than the day before. Finally, after putting her shoe back on, she cautiously climbed to her feet. Josh provided his shoulder so she could support herself. It was obvious she was in a lot of pain.
“Sam, help Corina,” Josh ordered.
Not complaining, which was surprising, Sam wrapped one arm around Corina’s waist to support her.
“Take the gun, Josh,” Corina said. “I can’t use it now.”
The weapon rested on the ground near her feet. Josh picked it up, and made sure the safety was on. The weight of the pistol in his hand was sobering. The words of his father echoed in his mind. He had to respect the gun and its power to do harm.
Corina pulled the box of bullets from her bag and tucked them into the front pocket of Josh’s jeans. “In case we get separated.”
He nodded. A lump was forming in his throat, making it hard to speak. He was worried about her ability to travel far on foot. As Corina and Sam moved forward, the teenager limped. Josh motioned for Troy to get Danny, and soon, they were gathered at the opening of the gap between the buildings. Troy had managed to pull a very rusted bar from the bicycle rack and he held it with both hands over his shoulder. Danny had his spear, and Dulce her stake. With Josh wielding the gun, they were better armed than they had been.
Again, Josh studied the area, searching for signs of zombies or anyone possibly looking for them. There was a lot of gunfire from the direction of the Rec Center. That appeared to be the hub of the zombie activity. Hopefully, that would remain true while they made their escape.
“Stay together. We’re going to go straight across the parking lot and cross the street to where that white house is. That is the road that dead ends at the field. There might be guards, so we need to keep out of sight. Again: if you see people or zombies, hide.” Josh tried to give them an encouraging smile, but he felt like his lips were paralyzed.
Though his friends looked frightened, they also looked determined. Dulce gave him a nod, and the other kids mimicked her.
Taking a deep breath, Josh hurried across the parking lot. He remained crouched down while moving as fast as he could without running. Checking behind him, he saw Sam and Corina struggling to keep up. Dulce stayed close behind them, taking up the rear position. Reaching the sidewalk, Josh looked both ways. Main Street was deserted, so he dashed across the hot asphalt. Continuing to check in both directions, he hoped they’d evade detection until they were out of town. In the distance, Josh saw a truck roar out of a side road near the Rec Center and turn toward the battle. Hopefully the driver and passengers hadn’t looked behind them and spotted the Zombie Hunters.
Josh reached the yard of the white house and plunged through the overgrown grass to take cover on the porch of the house. Troy and Danny were close behind him, but the last three kids were slower. Dulce ducked under Corina’s other arm and helped lift her up. Together, Sam and Dulce ran the teenage girl the final few feet to the yard and onto the porch.
“Do you think the people in the truck saw you?” Josh asked.
Dulce shrugged. “Maybe.”
“We need to keep moving,” Troy urged. “Standing around will get us spotted for sure.”
Josh grimly nodded in agreement. “Follow me.”
The road was lined with very old houses. A few looked like they were about to fall down. Some had boarded up windows, but appeared to have been like that for a long time. A few houses didn’t have boarded windows, and thick grimy glass hid the interiors. Josh wondered if anyone lived in those houses. Maybe the occupants had taken shelter at the Rec Center. The yards were overgrown with high grass and untrimmed tree branches dipped toward the ground. A few were bordered by chain fences that were bogged down with vines, or wood ones splintered by time and weather.
Leading the kids through the gloom and keeping close to the rundown houses, Josh’s heartbeat thudded in his ears. Every shadow, movement, and sound sent chills down his spine. Holding the pistol with both hands, he cautiously peered around corners into overgrown yards. If not for the sound of gunfire in the distance, it would have seemed like they were traveling through a ghost town.
When they reached the end of the block, another sprawled out in front of them. This one had several empty lots
overgrown with weeds and gnarled trees. Josh suspected they were in the not-so-great part of town. There wasn’t a sign of zombies or people on patrol, so Josh scurried across to the next weedy yard. The Zombie Hunters followed. Wading through the high grass, Josh tried to peer past a copse of trees to the end of the street, but it was difficult to see.
The sound of a vehicle approaching caught him by surprise. He swiftly crouched down, motioning for everyone else to do the same. The kids hid in the tall, dry grass as the insects buzzed in their ears. Something smelled dead nearby, and Josh hoped it wasn’t a zombie. Keeping his head down, he listened to the car slowly pass by their position. Troy waved away some gnats darting around his head, lost his balance, and fell backward into Danny. Both boys fell over, rustling the wild grass and weeds around them. The Zombie Hunters froze, looks of fear on their faces.
Had they been seen?
Chapter 21
Josh found himself holding his breath, fearful that any sound or movement might draw the attention of the driver of what sounded like a truck or SUV. Maybe the people in the truck had told Daisy or Nathan that they’d spotted the Zombie Hunters when they ran across Main Street. Josh wanted to poke his head up and see if it was Daisy’s vehicle, but he couldn’t risk it. It sounded like the vehicle was idling at the intersection.
Troy mouthed something to Josh, but he couldn’t read his lips. Behind him Danny was flat on his back, not daring to move. A few feet beyond the boys, Dulce, Corina, and Sam were huddled together. Corina was seated with her head bent downward, and Dulce appeared to be messing with the makeshift bandage on her leg. Josh was really worried about Corina. He’d noticed on and off how much her leg was hurting her since yesterday, but it seemed to be worse today.
There was a clatter of gunfire somewhere nearby, and the vehicle roared off.
The Living Dead Boy (Book 3): Journey Across Zombie Texas Page 12
