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

by Rhiannon Frater

  Josh waited a full minute before raising his head. The road was clear again. “Okay, we can go.”

  “Hold on,” Troy said. “Corina hurt herself when we had to hit the ground.”

  Worried, Josh remained crouched as he rushed over to where the girls were dealing with Corina’s bandage.

  “Josh, she tore the stiches all open. It’s really gross,” Sam said when Josh squatted beside him.

  “Does it hurt a lot?” Josh asked.

  Corina nodded, but didn’t speak.

  “Daisy’s mom said it’s infected. She gave her medicine, but she left it at Daisy’s house. It’s not good.” Lifting the bandage up, she let Josh see there was pus seeping out of the puffy red flesh. “She has fever now.”

  “Why didn’t you say you didn’t feel good?” Josh asked Corina.

  Corina lifted her face, revealing tear streaked cheeks. “I thought I could tough it out. I know how important it is for you to get to your dad. And I really, really didn’t want to stay here with Chad.”

  His heart sinking, Josh understood why she was upset. She was going to stay behind. “I’ll help carry you.”

  “All the way to San Angelo?” Corina shook her head. “You can’t do that.”

  “We can’t leave you behind,” Josh insisted. They’d come so far together. How could he go on without her?

  “You have to. I can be a distraction, so you can get away. That was Daisy’s SUV. She’s looking for us. I can lead her from where you’re going.” Corina thrust her bag at Dulce. “There’s two bottles of water, some cookies, and jerky in there.”

  “We can’t just leave you out here alone. There’s zombies roaming around.”

  “They’re not shooting as much now,” she replied. “Listen.”

  It was quiet now. It had been since the last barrage that had been somewhere in their vicinity.

  “Maybe all the people are dead,” Sam gasped, eyes wide with horror.

  “More like they killed all the zombies.” Troy pointed at flares arcing over the town from various directions. “Those might be the all clear sign.”

  “Or more zombies sign,” Danny pointed out.

  “We didn’t see them earlier.” Josh watched the flares slowly descending. “If they were a warning, we would have seen them go off when the zombies rushed the Rec Center.”

  “You might be right, dude. Which means we need to go now,” Danny said. “The grownups are gonna be freed up to look for us.”

  Josh knew he was right, but it was hard for him to even consider leaving Corina behind. “We can make you a crutch or something, Corina.”

  “It’s okay, Josh. You don’t need me to get to your dad. You can do it.” She tried to smile, but disappointment was in her eyes.

  Josh didn’t want Corina to give up on the journey, but he could see that her leg was infected and her face was flushed. He was being horribly selfish, but he couldn’t help it. She meant so much to him, and the thought of going on without her made his heart clench. At the same time, he could see that she’d only get worse when trudging across fields until they found a car.

  “I don’t want to leave you behind all alone. It’s still dangerous. There could be random zombies around.” Josh was torn. He wanted to get to his family, but leaving Corina in Pious was like a knife through his heart.

  “I’ll stay with her,” Sam said, surprising everyone.

  “For real?” Troy looked skeptical. “What about Chad trying to kill you?”

  “He’s probably dead,” Sam answered, shrugging. “And if he’s not, I’ll have my dad teach me how to fight. Then I’ll bash his face in. Besides, Corina can’t go, and I can’t carry her. And we all know I’m going to slow you down. You guys can go much faster without me. I guess Troy’s right. Skipping gym all those times was stupid.”

  “Sam, are you sure?” Corina reached out to touch his arm gently. “You were so scared of Chad.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure. I heard you stand up to him. I can do it, too.” Sam shrugged. “Plus, if you stay, I guess you get to be my older sister for a while, huh? So that’ll be cool.”

  Corina slightly smiled. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “I don’t know if I can do this without you, Corina.” Josh hated that he was tearing up. He didn’t want her last memory of him to be of him being a baby.

  “You’re going to make it, Josh. I know you will. You’re the hero of this story.” Resting her hand against his cheek, she gazed at him with sadness in her gray eyes. “You’re brave and smart. You’ll find your dad.”

  He tried not to sniffle. “I’m going to miss you.”

  “I’m going to miss you, too. Maybe one day when this is all over, you’ll come find me.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  With a sad smile, she withdrew her hand from his cheek.

  “Sam, help me up. We need to get going. We’ll go first, then you guys take off for the field.” Corina struggled to her feet, and looped her arm around Sam’s shoulders.

  Troy hugged her tightly. “Bye, Corina. You’re pretty cool. I’m glad you’re a Zombie Hunter.”

  “Me too.”

  Danny handed her his spear. “You might need this. I can make another.”

  “Thanks, Danny.” Corina smiled, and hugged him.

  “You don’t need to be mushy, dude,” Danny said, blushing.

  Dulce embraced Corina tightly before kissing her cheek. She whispered something in Corina’s ear, and they both giggled.

  Josh stood awkwardly to the side, not sure what to do or say. That his time with Corina was over didn’t seem real. Finally, he walked over and put his arms around her, mindful of the pistol in his one hand. She was taller than him, so his face fit awkwardly against her shoulder. He inhaled the sweet smell of her hair, and clung to her slender frame. It was strange being so close to a girl that wasn’t his mother. It was a wonderful sensation and a little intimidating. Looking up into her face, he tried to think of something not lame to say to her. When she kissed him very lightly on the lips, he felt the warmth of her fever on her skin. The moment passed too quickly, but he tried to memorize the press of her lips against his. He vowed to himself he’d remember the kiss forever.

  “You’re not my boyfriend,” she said, “but maybe one day.”

  “Yeah, maybe one day,” Josh answered, blushing.

  Troy nudged him with his elbow. “Told you.”

  “I’m going to miss you guys. You’re the best friends I’ve ever had!” Sam grabbed Josh and hugged him so tight it almost hurt.

  “We’re the only friends you’ve ever had,” Troy corrected him.

  “Yeah, but still the best.” Sam let go of Josh. He awkwardly fist bumped with Troy. “I’m glad I’m a Zombie Hunter.”

  “One of the best,” Josh said, and meant it. He could feel Corina watching him, and it made the pain of leaving even worse.

  “You’re okay, dude,” Danny said, play punching Sam’s shoulder.

  “Be good, and beat up the stupid boy. If he lives,” Dulce added.

  One of the hardest things Josh ever did in his life was watch Sam and Corina walk away.

  It hurt more than words could ever express.

  Then he heard the approach of another car, and motioned for the remaining Zombie Hunters to follow him. Together, they ran through the empty lot and into the trees.

  Chapter 22

  Slipping out of the town was easier than Josh imagined. Following the curve in the road, they left the houses behind and ended up in an area with trees and wild shrubs, and no buildings. A barbed wire fence ran along the edge of a vast hayfield. The road didn’t come to a dead end, but looped around until it intersected with another.

  “Is anyone patrolling this area?” Danny wondered.

  “Maybe they’re killing zombies at the Rec Center,” Josh answered.

  “They are trying to protect way too much land.” Troy wagged his head with disapproval.

  Josh slipped through the gap between the barbed wires a
nd into the field. Dulce tossed Corina’s tote bag through, then followed. Danny and Troy easily joined them on the other side. They were standing at the edge of a golden hayfield, the tall grass rising high around them. The ground was very soft, and crumbly beneath their feet. Josh slid past several scratchy plants until he was standing in between two rows, and hidden from the road. It seemed like the field continued onward forever.

  The other kids followed, and it was a little shocking to realize what a difference it made to have two friends gone. The group felt so much smaller.

  “Let’s go. Keep in this row. If we hear people, duck down.”

  “Okay, Josh,” Troy answered. “You lead.”

  Taking a deep breath, Josh nodded. He tucked the pistol into his waistband and pulled out the phone. Turning it on, he accessed the map. The zombie radar application had yet to be downloaded. The map, though, was very helpful. He’d have to be careful not to run the battery out. Once he was sure of his bearings, he turned it off and put it back in his pocket.

  “This way,” he said, and started to walk. “We’ll have to go several miles before we reach the road.”

  “This is gonna suck. This stuff is itchy,” Troy muttered.

  “Dude, as long as we get to my aunt, I’m good,” Danny said.

  Dulce remained quiet at the back of the line. She was still carrying her stake, and looked ready to stab a zombie in the eye if she had to. Josh thought she was the coolest girl he’d ever met next to Corina. He was glad that the cousins had decided to come with them. He couldn’t imagine making the journey with just Troy.

  After a while, they passed from the hayfield into a field with small green plants. They were now well out of view of the town, and far from the nearest road. Josh checked the map on the phone again to make sure they were going in the right direction, and he was relieved to see they were on track. Once they reached the country road, they’d need to find a car before continuing to the nearest evacuation route.

  As the morning crept on, the sun climbed higher in the sky, and the rays burned into Josh’s head and shoulders as he trudged along. For a while they walked through a pasture with cows grazing nearby. Another long stretch was through a sparsely wooded area before they came to another hayfield. Keeping his chin down, he watched the world from beneath his damp bangs. Sweat ran down along his spine and dripped from his chin.

  Even though they were far from the town now, the group remained quiet. After the events of the morning, Josh supposed they were all tired. It also seemed strange to be fewer in numbers. They’d bonded together after the events of the previous day. Though he was heartbroken at leaving Corina behind, he was excited to once again be on his journey to reach his father and brother. Once he was with his family, maybe he could talk his dad into rescuing Corina from Pious. That small bit of hope made his heartbreak a little more bearable.

  After hours of walking, they took a break beneath some trees to eat cookies and sip from one of the water bottles Corina had stored in her bag. The sun was moving across a pale blue sky with big white clouds. To the south, the clouds were thicker, and Josh worried another storm was coming. If they encountered hail again, they’d need to find some shelter.

  “At least there’s no zombies,” Troy said abruptly before taking another bite of a cookie.

  “Yeah. We got lucky, dude,” Danny agreed.

  “Why zombies be out here?” Dulce asked.

  Josh noticed that the more she spoke English, the easier it seemed for her. But once in a while she would say something that sounded slightly off. Of course, he couldn’t speak Spanish, so he didn’t bother to correct her.

  “Towns infected by evacuees from cities, for one,” Josh answered. “Or overrun convoys.”

  “I wonder what happened to all those people trying to leave San Antonio.” Troy poked at the dirt with the toe of his shoe. “We never saw them again.”

  “Maybe they were on a different evacuation route,” Josh said with a shrug.

  “Or they got overrun by zombies,” Troy said, frowning. “Like what almost happened to us yesterday.”

  Danny nodded. “That was a bad scene. Real bad.”

  Tipping her head back to look at the sky, Dulce said, “We need to go faster. Storm is coming.”

  “How long do we have to walk, Josh?” Troy peered at Josh from beneath the brim of his cap.

  Josh checked the phone again. “I guess three hours, or so? Depending on how fast we walk.”

  “Is the zombie radar thing up yet?” Danny asked.

  Josh shook his head. “Still no app.”

  Dulce tucked away the half empty bottle of water and the last of the cookies. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she stood. It was easy to understand her impatience. It was miserable traversing fields and pastures with the sun blazing, bugs biting, and the uneven ground making it hard to walk. They were walking parallel to the road out of Pious, and though it was tempting to make their way over to it, Josh suspected Daisy and Nathan would be looking for them. Heading to a different road that led to the evacuation route was the better choice. There was less of a chance of Daisy and Nathan finding them.

  Reaching a dirt road an hour later, Josh leaned against a closed wooden gate. The road curved past the field they’d just crossed and Josh suspected it probably ended at a farmhouse. It was tempting to try to find transportation or short-term shelter, but they needed to keep moving if they were going to make real progress in their journey. It was the thought of seeing his dad and brother again that kept him walking even though he was tired. Several days of being on the run was taking its toll on him. Pulling out the smartphone, he turned it on. The map showed their progress, and there still wasn’t any sign of the new app.

  Danny and Troy climbed onto the gate and sat on the top, balancing precariously. Dulce slipped through the barbed wire and sprawled onto a patch of grass on the other side. Pulling her dark hair up, she twisted it into a bun and tucked the ends under.

  “How much longer now?” Troy asked. “I’m tired.”

  “If we keep going at the same walking speed, about thirty minutes or so to the road.” Josh didn’t move though. His feet hurt and he scrunched up his toes in his sneakers.

  “We better keep moving.” Troy sighed and jumped down. “That storm is still coming our way.”

  Josh glanced up the curving dirt road. Maybe they could try to find a place to ride out the storm. But then again, the road was probably only thirty minutes away, and there was a possibility that they might find a car. Undecided, he scrunched his brow and ran his foot along the bottom of the post.

  “Josh?” Troy was staring at him. “You okay? You’re not thinking of going back?”

  “No, no.”

  “Good. I want to be with my mother,” Dulce said sitting up.

  “Yeah, if I can’t be with my parents, dude, I want to be with my aunt.”

  “I go where you go, bro,” Troy said, and thumped Josh’s arm.

  The three other kids were looking at him, waiting for him to tell them what to do. They expected him to be the leader, and he needed to not let them down even if he was tired. “Let’s get going. If we reach the road, that’ll give us a better shot at finding a ride.”

  “I miss our truck. We had food. Water. Gas.” Dulce got to her feet and brushed off her clothes.

  “Chad would have to screw things up,” Troy muttered.

  “That dude is just bad news. I hope he’s dead. Or a zombie.” Danny suddenly dashed forward and fished something out of the grass. Triumphantly, he held up a rusted shovel. “Check it out.”

  “Excellent,” Troy said with approval.

  “Gross. It’s all dirty.” Dulce made a face.

  “But it will kill zombies. That’s what counts,” Danny said, smiling.

  Josh started toward the next field. It was another hayfield. The other kids fell into line behind him. Troy was second, Danny third, and Dulce took up the rear. Keeping a steady pace wasn’t easy on the uneven ground, and Josh stum
bled a few times. He’d never felt so tired in his entire life, but he knew he had to keep going. The plan was simple, but it would work.

  Get to the road.

  Find a car.

  Drive to San Angelo.

  Then he’d get to see his father and brother, and Dulce would be with her mother.

  It was a solid plan.

  At least until they emerged from the field and saw the long line of crashed vehicles clogging the road.

  “I think we found the missing convoy,” Troy said, pointing to the San Antonio Spurs sticker on the back of one truck. “And it ain’t good.”

  Chapter 23

  “Well, there are cars,” Danny said with a shrug. “That’s something.”

  “Everyone down,” Josh ordered in a ragged voice.

  Crouching in the high grass near the fence, Josh studied the endless line of crashed vehicles. It had obviously been a chain reaction. Doors hung open, personal effects spilled out of crushed trunks, and the air smelled of gasoline and oil.

  “No blood. Or guts.” Troy pointed to the vehicles closest to them.

  “Yeah. I see that.” Josh craned his head, trying to see down the long lines of cars on both side.

  “So there was a car accident, and they all crashed?” Danny frowned. “Lame.”

  “Yeah, for miles it looks like. Kinda like the pile ups that happen up north when it snows,” Josh answered.

  Danny studied the area, then turned to Josh. “Where are the people?”

  “They started walking,” Josh answered. “What other choice would they have?”

  “So all these people are walking toward San Angelo?” Troy adjusted his cap on his head and sighed. “Should we follow?”

  Josh pulled out the smartphone to look at the map again. The road they’d found actually curved away from the closest evacuation route. It did cross another road that intersected the evacuation route, but to go that way would take them miles out of the way and through several small towns that might not be safe. It would take days to get to San Angelo that way.

  “So?” Troy leaned over to stare at the screen.