The Beginning of the End (Book2): Road to Damnation

by Kidd, Sean

  “You know what I mean, smartass. He can take care of himself, and he’s taught us to do the same. I’m sure it’s driving him crazy that he’s not here to protect us.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right, Mom, but I just want this thing to be over.”

  I watched as Charger chased Herman around the parking lot. She was biting at his cape as he sang the Batman theme.

  “He makes me smile,” I said.

  “Ty, the only way this thing will be over is if we help Sophie get the cure to Atlanta.”

  My smile disappeared as I thought about the dangers we had encountered.

  “I know, Mom.”

  “If you know, then maybe you better quit screwing around. You need to get this group moving. The longer it takes to get to Atlanta, the more people are going to die.”

  “Point taken, Mom.”

  “Then let’s get everyone moving,” she said, with a firm pat on my back. Sometimes she was too much like dad, as usual, she was right. But like any stubborn kid, I’d never admit it.

  It was time to get these troops moving.

  Herman was still running around the parking lot with his arms straight out like he was flying. He had worn Charger out, and she was now napping against the Humvee tire.

  Thurman was yelling for him to help to wedge a frame pack into the passenger seat of the Ferrari.

  I went over to help so that we could get moving, “Not a lot of room in there, huh? Why don’t you find some rope and strap it to the top of the Humvee with our gear? It will give Batman a little more leg room.”

  Thurman pulled the pack out and dropped it on the ground, “Thanks, that will help a lot. I know the car’s not practical, but Herman had to have it, and I feel bad about not telling him mom is dead. We’ll keep it until we can find something a little bigger. We can’t travel south, down the east coast in this thing.”

  “That’s a good idea,” I said, “how are you guys doing with weapons and ammo?”

  “We don’t have anything quite as good as you,” he said, motioning to my slung M4, “ but we’ve got a couple hunting rifles. One’s a 308, and the other is a .30-.30 Winchester. It’s lever action like cowboys used to carry.”

  I chuckled, “I bet our Cowboy would get a kick out of it.”

  “He’s more than welcome to try it anytime he wants, as long as he lets me take a few shots with that sniper rifle.” Thurman offered.

  “I’m sure that can be arranged, but for now, get your pack loaded on the Humvee. As soon as you’re done, we’re heading out of here.”

  “Sounds good, Ty. Herman and I will be ready in five minutes.”

  Thurman grabbed the pack and walked away heading toward the Humvee.

  Mom must have let everyone know we were leaving. They were already circling the vehicles except Chevy. He sat on the ferry railing staring at Thurman as he tied his pack to the top of the Humvee.

  I wandered over out of curiosity, “Hey, what’s up brother?”

  “I don’t like them,” Chevy said.

  “You don’t like whom?”

  “Dumb and Dumber.”

  “Whom are you taking about?” I asked.

  “Whom do you think? The new guys, there’s something about them. I just can’t put my finger on it.”

  “I think you’re just being paranoid, Chevy. The one guy got creamed with a car when he was a kid, and his brother is just trying to take care of him.”

  “I don’t care about the Batman kid. It’s the other one, what’s his name? Thurman. Don’t you find it strange that everyone in Port Kent is dead except for Batman and his brother?”

  “Chevy, what the hell are you talking about? They’re stuck in the middle of this thing, just like we are. There’s no one left in Port Kent because they all turned into zombies or got eaten by them. Just like in Plattsburgh. I think you need some sleep.”

  “Damn it, Ty. I don’t need any sleep. Trust me on this one.”

  “Okay, Chev. I’ll keep a close eye on them, but you can’t treat everyone we meet like they’re the enemy.”

  “What about, Kane?”

  What about him?”

  “How many other crazies do you think there are out here? I know he’s not Kane. But there is something about him. I can’t put my finger on it. All I’m asking is you is just to keep an eye on him.”

  I threw my arm around Chevy’s neck, “You got it, brother. You know I’d do anything for you. If you think there’s something up with him, then I will watch him like a hawk. Now come on, let’s get the fuck out of here.”

  Herman and Thurman got into the Ferrari and took the lead. I hopped in the driver’s seat of the Humvee so Chevy could navigate and get a little shuteye. He was on edge about the new guys. Mom, Sage, Sidara, Luther, and Charger squeezed into the back of the Humvee while Cowboy and Sophie took up the rear of the convoy in the jeep.

  What was going on with Cowboy and Sophie? I’d have to ask Cowboy at the next stop.

  “Why don’t you try to get some sleep,” I said to Chevy.

  He gave me a wink, crossed his arms, and slid down into the passenger’s seat.

  The Two-gun clan was on the move. I followed as the Ferrari climbed the ferry road, leaving the dock. I admired the sheer sexiness of the vehicle but thought red suited me better. If Thurman wanted to shoot an M4, I’d be more than happy to let him try mine in exchange for a few minutes behind the wheel of that baby.

  I was so lost in thought, I almost ran into the back of the Ferrari when the brake lights came on, stopping halfway up the hill, “What the hell?” I bitched.

  “What is it?” Sidara asked, pulling herself forward from the back seat.

  “Thurman stopped the car halfway up the hill, right in the middle of the road.”

  The door swung open, and Thurman stepped out of the vehicle.

  “What’s up?” I called out, through my open window.

  He leaned back inside the Ferrari and pulled out the .308, “Zombie!” he yelled back.

  My hand instinctively dropped down to my Glock. I didn’t see anything. I backed the Humvee up a few feet and pulled forward next to the Ferrari, trying to get a better view.

  I didn’t know what he was talking about until I saw it step out from behind an old rotted elm tree. It was a little blonde girl, no more than six or seven years old. She was wearing a filthy white nightgown and holding a small teddy bear. She wasn’t attacking, but rather standing there watching us.

  “Let’s just go around her,” I shouted back to Thurman.

  He gave me a wave and a smile, “Don’t worry, this will just take a second.”

  Before I could say anything, I watched Thurman take three shots from his hip. The first two struck her in the chest, and the third hit her in the shoulder. She fell backward, tumbling into the ditch, dropping the teddy bear in the long grass.

  “Just leave her alone!” I screamed from the Humvee.

  All six of us locked our eyes on Thurman, as he proceeded to finish the little girl off by slamming the butt of his rifle against her skull. Black ooze splattered from the little girl’s brains leaving Thurman’s shirt covered in evidence.

  We all sat there speechless with our mouths wide open, not believing what we’d just witnessed. Thurman walked back toward his vehicle, only stopping long enough to shoot a round through the teddy bear’s head.

  Thurman paused when he reached the Ferrari door, turned to the Humvee and said, “That little bitch used to live across the street from us. That kid and her mommy played with dolls and sang all the time. The thought of her walking around made me sick. I’ve been looking forward to taking her out since the start of this thing.”

  He got back in the Ferrari and started driving. I could feel Chevy’s eyes burning into the side of my face, “I told you.”

  “Told you what?” Sidara asked.

  “Chevy had a bad feeling about Thurman.”

  “Well, do you think maybe he’s right?” Sidara said, “he just crushed in that little gi
rl’s skull with the butt end of his rifle. Zombie or not that’s just sick.”

  “I got the same feeling, Chevy,” Luther said from the back of the Humvee.

  Sidara spun around to Luther, “Like the feeling you got from your psycho buddy, Kane? Oh, yeah. You’re an excellent judge of character. Why don’t you sit back there and shut up before you end up digging another hole for yourself.”

  “Okay, okay. Everybody relax and take a breath.”

  Chevy told me he thought something was off about Thurman, and I told him I’d keep an eye on him. It appears Chevy was right. The first opportunity we get, we’ll try to dump him and his brother. I’ll tell him it’s not working out.”

  “Oh, honey,” Mom said, “I understand everyone is upset about what they saw, but we don’t know what happened to them before we got here. Let’s not forget, we’ve all killed our share of zombies and not in the nicest ways. If he blames them for killing someone they love, then it’s almost…understandable.”

  “Mom’s right,” I said, “Thurman told me that his mother is dead, and it was most likely from a zombie attack. It’s just him and his brother now. He also said that Herman doesn’t know. So keep it on the down low.”

  “Herman? Which one is Herman?” Sage asked.

  “Batman is Herman,” Sidara said, you know the three hundred pound guy running around in the mask and cape. Try to keep up here, Sage.”

  “Well, how was I supposed to know? I was loading all the magazines.” Sage said in a defending tone.

  “Okay, girls. Let’s all try to get along,” Chevy joked.

  “He’s right,” I said, “we need to stick together, and we need to be wary of any outsiders. Until we can figure this thing out, why don’t you all try to get a little sleep. We’ve got a long drive in front of us, and we’ve already had quite an eventful day.”

  We were on the move again; I watched in my side view mirror as Lake Champlain disappeared from my view.

  We faced so many unknowns. A constant stress loomed over me, not knowing if something was about to happen any second, or if it would be five days from now.

  I had to deal with the priorities first. For example, I didn’t know how far I could go in this vehicle before it ran out of diesel. I knew I’d find out as soon as we turned onto the highway. I’d be running the engine wide open for the next couple of hours. This would give me a good estimate of how far I can go until I need to refuel. I’d have to start keeping track of our mileage.

  Miles ticked away. As we drove, the Adirondacks disappeared into flatter green pine forests. I enjoyed the spectacular views of the mid-October fall foliage on New York’s scenic Interstate 87 while everyone else in the Hummer slept. I’d almost forgotten about what was happening in the world around us.

  Thurman’s car was fast, and I had trouble keeping up with him. The Hummer’s top speed was about 55mph, and the closer I got to that, the hotter the engine ran. I was afraid to push it any harder. Breaking down in the middle of nowhere was the last thing we needed.

  The highway was almost vacant except for the vehicles strewn along the median. Anyone who was on the road had the sense to pull over before they died. If it stayed clear like this, we’d be at New York City in no time.

  As soon as I thought that, I started gaining on the black Ferrari. We weren’t going any faster. Herman and Thurman had to be slowing down. Less than a mile later, we were side by side. Thurman motioned to me to roll down the window. He looked concerned. There was something wrong.

  “Chevy, wake up. Chevy.” I said, punching him on the arm.

  “Really, dude?”

  “Sorry, man,” I said, pointing at the Ferrari, “There’s something wrong.”

  Chevy rolled down the window, and I moved over in the lane as close as I could get without hitting the Ferrari.

  Thurman pointed at the fancy black numbered, yellow backed gauges, “She’s running hot. I need to find some coolant.”

  “What do you want to do, Ty?” Chevy asked.

  “Tell him to take the next exit,” I said.

  Chevy relayed the message, and Thurman responded with a thumbs up.

  “I’m Batman!” Herman yelled, as he leaned over Thurman and stuck his head out the window. The Ferrari swerved as Thurman pushed Herman back into his seat.

  Chevy shot him a smile and rolled up the window, “Thurman might be a dick, but I think Batman is kind of cool.”

  Mom reached up from the back seat and gave Chevy’s head a rub, “I think we all feel the same way about Herman, honey. How’s your shoulder doing?”

  Chevy opened the top of his shirt and looked at the gunshot wound. The scratch was tender and turning purple around the edges.

  Chevy examined it and touched the discoloration, “Do you think it’s infected?”

  Mom leaned over the seat and examined the wound, “No, it looks like it’s just turning black and blue. It’s healing honey, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to find some antibiotics when we stop.”

  “Well, you’re in luck. We’re about to stop,” I said, as I followed the Ferrari up the Exit 20 off ramp.

  The sign read, Gas-Food-Lodging-Amusement Park.”

  Chapter 20

  Daniels stopped in mid-stride and turned back to Bunker, “What do you mean, she’s been bitten?”

  “Keep it down, she’ll hear you. I didn’t say Cecilia was bitten. I said she’s quiet, she looks pale, and she’s acting like she was bitten. For all we know, she may have banged her head harder than we thought and doesn’t feel well.” Bunker explained.

  Daniels watched as Cecilia lagged behind the others. She was staring at the ground and dragging her feet. At a quick glance, she looked exhausted and defeated, but Bunker was right. She was as pale as a ghost.

  “What do you think?” Bunker asked, as the two men moved forward again.

  “Bryant Park is just around the corner, according to Destiny. When we get there, we’ll try to find some food. I’ll have a talk with her, see if I can get any information on what happened to her before we met.”

  “While you’re at it, maybe check her for bite marks too,” Bunker suggested.

  Daniels wasn’t sure he was comfortable with that. Maybe he’d pass that chore onto Destiny. For now, he was focusing on the fountain a hundred yards in front of him. It had to be part of Bryant Park. The strange thing was, it hadn’t been the fountain that got his attention, but rather a plume of water shooting out from the top. It was still working. He was under the impression the power was out in the whole city. It must have been localized to specific grids.

  As they got closer, Daniels could see a large screen and stage beyond the fountain. Community members must have used it for outdoor plays, like Shakespeare in the park, while people watched from the forest of green umbrella tables. This had to be Bryant Park.

  “Destiny, is that it, up ahead by the fountain and umbrellas?”

  “Let me take a look, sugar.” Destiny took her time walking up to Daniels for a better view, “Oh, yeah. That’s it, baby. You can always tell because every one of those umbrellas says ‘Bryant Park’ on them.”

  She was right. Every one of those green umbrellas did indeed have Bryant Park written in large white letters. How did he not see that? He felt his face flush with embarrassment. She seemed to have a knack for embarrassing him.

  “Yeah, I see it now,” Daniels said in a deeper embarrassed voice. He didn’t bother looking back when he heard Destiny breathe an, “Uh-huh.”

  Daniels checked out the entire park. Beyond the stage was a large grassy area. To the left, was the street and to the right, a children’s carousel. Smaller tables surrounded the carousel. They looked like they were set up for eating. There must be some place to get food around here Daniels thought.

  “Destiny, where do they sell food here?”

  “There are a few places, papa bear. There’s always an outdoor vendor by the carousel, but I don’t see him set up now. Just beyond the carousel by all them flowers and cute sh
it is the solarium. They got this cheesecake good enough to kill someone over. Yummy.”

  Daniels dropped to one knee and raised the M4. He adjusted it on his shoulder and peered through the EOTech scope for a closer view. He scanned the park, searching for any movement. He stopped at the solarium, “There’s someone moving in there. How good is that cheesecake, Destiny?”

  “I told you already. It’s worth dying for.”

  Daniels lowered the rifle, “Good, because we may be doing that if we’re not careful.”

  Chapter 21

  I watched as the overheating Ferrari pulled off the ramp and into Queensbury. I knew this town as well as Plattsburgh. On second thought, maybe that was not entirely accurate. A better way to say it may be, I am familiar with Queensbury.

  Growing up a hundred miles away, we would come here every summer right before my birthday in July. I’m sure you’ve already guessed it. If not, it’s because I come from a family of thrill seekers, and this town was home to one of the largest roller coasters in the area. My dad used to tell me that my Grandma brought him here every year.

  My father made the same promise to me. He kept his word. We never missed a summer. This is why I knew, when the Ferrari turned right, he was heading towards The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom.

  A half-mile down the road, Thurman turned into the empty amusement park lot. It looked like the place had been deserted for years. The once manicured lawns and flower beds were overgrown with weeds and dead leaves. The parking lot was strewn with park cups and trash, giving the abandoned theme park an eerie feeling. It was the perfect setting for a horror movie.

  We pulled right up to the front gate and I shut down the engine. Mom leaned forward from the back seat, “This is the best parking spot we’ve ever had at this place.”

  “Why do you think he came here?” I asked aloud. No one answered, but everyone was wondering the same thing.

  I opened the Humvee door and asked Thurman, “What are we doing here?”

  Herman stepped out of the Ferrari and stretched his hands over his head for a few seconds before answering me,