by Derek Slaton
DEAD TEXAS
BOOK TWO: NO COMFORT
BY DEREK SLATON
© 2018
CHAPTER ONE
Two hours.
Two long hours since the trio of survivors had escaped the zombie horde at the docks, and they still didn’t feel safe. Even though it had barely been a day, they’d gotten to used to the danger, the constant battle for their lives, that it was difficult to relax.
In two hours, it was difficult to have hope.
Two hours since Ben had avenged the murder of his girlfriend by putting a bullet in Agent Jackson’s kneecap, leaving him to be food for the enemy. Two hours of slowly bobbing up the Guadalupe River in their attempt to escape the horror and make it out west.
“How’s the fuel looking, Sparks?” Jeff asked, running a hand over his bald head.
“Not too good,” Officer Lacy Sparks replied. “The current is picking up a bit though, so I think we could cut it and coast. Water is getting a little shallow for my tastes. Last thing we need is to blow out the motor by hitting some rocks.” The redhead motioned to the rocks at the bottom of the river.
“Not a bad idea.” Jeff nodded. “If some of those things spot us it would be good to have the ability to make a speedy getaway.” He glanced at the kid, pursing his lips. “Yo Ben, how you doing man?” Jeff asked gently, but there was no response.
His dark skinned companion hadn’t said a thing the entire trip. His eyes were glazed over, staring into nothingness, still in shock.
Jeff softly put his hand on Ben’s shoulder, and the kid still didn’t say anything, but turned a steely glare at the older man. The skinhead immediately removed his hand, nodding and backing off.
“Just give him some time, Jeff,” Sparks said quietly, and her companion nodded in agreement.
The only sound between the three of them was the babbling trickle of water, and had it been any other situation, it might have even been soothing.
An explosion racked the stillness of the night and they all startled, tensing right back up again.
“What the fuck was that?!” Jeff exclaimed.
“Sounds like it’s coming from up ahead,” Sparks replied, brow furrowing.
“I thought we weren’t going to be coming close to civilization?” he responded with a snarky question.
The redhead pulled out her phone and opened up a GPS app.
“The 281 bridge is just up ahead,” she said. “If this thing has hit San Antonio it’s possible people are already trying to get away.”
Jeff grunted as he grasped the two emergency oars, extending one to Ben. “I know you’re hurting man, but we might need you to paddle here in a minute.”
The kid eyed the oar reluctantly, reaching out to accept it before turning to continue his staring into the darkness. Jeff stood at the bow of the boat, steering it as best he could in the dark around a bend.
A gasp escaped Sparks’ lips at the sight of the bridge of flaming wreckage. There was a massive pileup of cars, one at the far end on fire. Without a fire department to deal with the blaze, it made its way from car to car, detonating them as they go.
“You think someone’s in there?” Jeff asked, motioning to a trapped car surrounded by zombies.
“If there are, there’s nothing we can do for them,” Sparks replied, clenching her jaw. They watched helplessly as the fire spread to the car. A zombie managed to get up on top of the car and upon reaching the sunroof, flying backwards with the poppop of gunfire.
“Fucking hell,” Jeff snapped. “Someone is in there.”
“We have to paddle,” Sparks instructed. “And do it now. Watch the rocks. It looks like the river is only a few feet deep here.”
Jeff tapped Ben a little harder than was maybe necessary. He wasn’t happy about having to leave these people to die; but he knew that it was their only play. The kid nodded and dipped his oar into the water.
They propelled themselves silently under the bridge, holding their breaths to try not to attract any attention. Just as they cleared the other side, there was a scream and another pepper of gunfire.
Sparks turned just as a body fell from the bridge, the sickening crack of a spine making them all wince as it hit the water. A few more splashes as half a dozen zombies flopped down.
“Might be a good time for the motor,” Jeff piped up as the zombies managed to pick themselves up from the rocks and stagger through the water at them.
“We need about thirty more yards to clear the rocks,” Sparks replied with a shake of her head. “And I wouldn’t worry, they look far too damaged to keep up with us.”
“I think we’re good, Sparks,” Jeff agreed as they floated into a deeper portion of river, the zombies struggling to keep their heads above water.
She nodded and fired up the motor, steering them into the darkness once again.
CHAPTER TWO
The engine let out a few rough chugs before shutting off completely.
“Well, that’s all she wrote on the motor,” Sparks said, and the guys dipped their oars back into the water to continue paddling.
“What the hell time is it, anyway?” Jeff asked after a few strokes.
She checked her phone. “Close to one.”
“We really should be thinking of finding some shelter soon,” he suggested. “We need to get some rest.”
Sparks opened up the GPS again. “Looks like there are some structures about a mile upriver. Could be some houses.”
“Here’s hoping it’s some rich people wanting the river lifestyle, and not the Deliverance kind of river people,” Jeff grunted on the upstroke.
She couldn’t help but chuckle in reply. “So you prefer champagne over moonshine, I take it?”
“I prefer thousand thread count sheets of the prospect of squealing like a pig,” he said.
“No argument there,” Sparks agreed.
Before long, they paddled up to a dock that led to a large two-story home. As they bumped against the wood, Sparks leapt out and tied off the boat.
“Well, there you go, Jeff,” she said, wiping her hands on her pants. “Looks like we’re sleeping in style this evening.”
“After the day we’ve had it’s about time we caught a fucking break,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “And look, the power is still on, too. Hopefully that means cold beer.”
“First things first,” Sparks pulled out her handgun and cocked it. “We have to make sure we’re alone.”
Ben held out his gun to Jeff, who raised an eyebrow as he took it.
“Why don’t you hang onto this, man?” the skinhead asked. “I can handle myself.”
Ben pulled out his knife and stuck it between his teeth, cracking his knuckles before taking hold of the blade again. “I’m good.”
Jeff shrugged as the kid led the way at a brisk pace, his companions following close behind, guns at the ready. He flung open the door and stalked straight in, Sparks and Jeff flanking him, each taking a side to make sure the main floor of the house was clear.
Ben led them into the living room, and clenched his jaw.
“Come and get me, motherfuckers!” he screamed suddenly, causing both Sparks and Jeff to startle, whipping around to stare at him, wide eyed.
A zombie barreled out of the kitchen, a formerly well dressed soccer mom covered head to toe in blood.
“Ben, get down!” Sparks cried, trying to line up a shot. He ignored her, standing his ground as the woman screeched towards him. When she was within grabbing distance, he ducked and grabbed her thighs, standing up and slamming her down onto her back. As soon as she hit the floor, Ben leapt onto her chest, stabbing her in the face repeatedly.
“Die, die, DIE!” he cried, tears streaming down his face as he continued to stab the zombie long after she stopped flopping aro
und.
Jeff and Sparks shared a worried glance.
“Why don’t you clear the house?” the skinhead asked. “I got this.” He inclined his head to the maniacal kid and she nodded, moving quietly out of the living room.
As soon as she was gone, Jeff walked over and shoved Ben with all his might, sending him to the floor. The knife clattered and skittered away.
“What the fuck, man?” Ben growled.
“What the fuck indeed?” Jeff asked, kneeling down to get right in his companion’s face. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I just don’t care anymore, man,” the boy seethed.
Jeff bristled. “Well you need to start fucking caring.”
“Why?” Ben threw his hands up. “Ashley is fucking gone, man. What do I have to live for?”
“Oh, boo fuckity hoo,” the skinhead replied with disdain, voice raising an octave. “Like you are the only one who’s ever lost someone.”
“I…” Ben’s lips flapped like a fish. “Uh, but…”
“Yeah, that shut you the fuck up, didn’t it?” Jeff snapped. “No more kiddie gloves for you.” He grabbed Ben’s collar and lifted him from the floor, shoving him down onto the couch before flopping down next to him. “Look man, I know you’re hurting. I’ve been there. When I was fifteen, I watched my brother die, and worse, it was my fault.
“We were dicking around at a construction site and I knocked over a pallet of rebar when I was playing on the second floor. I didn’t know my younger brother was below me. That shit just cut right through him.
“I lost my way for a long time after that. Hell, it’s how I eventually ended up with these.” He patted his chest where his tattoos were. “So I know where you are coming from. Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of you going through a self-destructive phase, or hell, even a grieving period right now.
“You need to keep your head on straight and focus on the task at hand, which is surviving to see another day. And if you ever start thinking it’s not worth it, just remember, in a matter of weeks you could be one of the smartest people on earth. And if we survive long enough that might actually be valuable.” He tapped his temple.
Ben sighed. “Thanks, Jeff,” he said quietly, nodding.
Jeff clapped him on the back. “Anytime, brother.”
“We’re all clear,” Sparks said, striding back into the room. “Doors are locked and nobody else is in the house. Well, nobody else alive.”
“How bad is it?” Jeff asked.
“Let’s just say we’re sleeping on the couch tonight,” she told him. “Unless you want to do a load of laundry for the sheets.”
“Couch works for me,” he agreed, and stood up. “But first, we need nourishment. In the meantime why don’t y’all try and dial us up some news.”
“I didn’t realize you were a gourmet, Jeff,” Sparks said in an amused tone as she sank down onto the love seat.
“You should temper your expectations a bit,” he admitted as he headed to the kitchen. “However, I do make the best bachelor chow this side of the Red River.”
“If it means I don’t have to cook, I’m all for it,” the redhead smiled, and he returned it just before he disappeared from the living room.
Ben clicked the button on the TV remote, but there was nothing but static. “Damn, nothing,” he murmured.
“Try some of the twenty-four hour news stations, they’ve gotta have something,” Sparks suggested, leaning forward as he flipped through the channels.
“Doesn’t look like they have cable or satellite,” Ben said as he got through them all. “And all the local channels are out.”
“Who the hell doesn’t have TV these days?” Sparks scoffed.
“Check that laptop over there, they might have wi-fi,” he said and motioned to the desk in the corner.
“Good call,” she agreed and strode over, opening it. It was on, but she was met with a password screen. “Well, so much for that.” She sighed as she pulled out her phone. “And of course no reception, so we’re in the dark.”
Ben found another remote in the couch and pointed it at the TV, triggering the stereo system. He flicked to the FM channels and soon Sparks’ voice came out of the speakers—her recorded message.
“Tuned in to college radio?” She raised an eyebrow. “That may be a first.”
“No, this is 102.9,” Ben replied, shaking his head. “So another station must have picked up the broadcast and is replaying it.” He hit scan, and every station they found was playing the same broadcast.
Sparks’ heart skipped a beat as she sank back down onto the couch. “Well, we did our part, we got the word out,” she said as Ben clicked off the stereo.
“Now we just have to hope it did some good,” he replied.
Jeff emerged from the kitchen carrying three beer bottles. “I hope y’all are hungry,” he said with a grin. “Just put a frozen pizza in the oven. Looked like there were at least four different kinds of meat on there!”
“I’m a vegetarian.” Sparks deadpanned.
Jeff stopped in his tracks. “Oh, I mean…” he motioned behind him. “I think there was a head of lettuce in the fridge.” He pursed his lips, looking defeated.
Her face erupted into a massive smile and she laughed. “Sorry, Jeff, I couldn’t resist,” she said as she waved him forward. “I mean come on dude, I’m a police officer. I have a hard enough time being taken seriously in the precinct without opening myself up to a barrage of ‘well I got some meat you’d like to eat’ jokes.”
“Thank fucking Christ,” Jeff said with a sigh, extending a beer to her.
The trio leaned back into the cushions, taking a sip of ice cold beer to enjoy a well deserved break from the horrors of the day.
CHAPTER THREE
The sun shone cheerfully down on the dock, illuminating the trio of survivors as they loaded up as much as they could onto the small boat.
“How much gas have we got?” Sparks asked as Jeff hauled two mid-sized cans into the watercraft.
“I siphoned off ten gallons from their SUVs, so that should get us pretty far upriver,” he replied. “Although in retrospect, I should have done this before having coffee. All I can taste at the moment is Exxon.”
Ben opened the small box of food they’d managed to pack from the kitchen and and produced a half fun can of salted nuts. “Here, this should help with the taste some.”
“Thanks,” Jeff said as he popped the top and took a handful.
“Whoa whoa whoa, easy there,” Ben said, putting up a hand. “These rich folk are all about eating healthy, which means there wasn’t a lot in the way of non-perishables. We have maybe two days worth of food here before we’re out.”
The skinhead sighed and dumped half of the handful back into the can, tossing it back to Ben as Sparks untethered the boat from the dock.
“Well, captain?” he asked through a mouthful of nuts. “How are we lookin’?”
“Looking pretty good for the time being,” Sparks replied as the boat floated lazily away from the docks. “We got a lot of river ahead of us before we hit any sort of civilization.”
“Define civilization,” Jeff said, raising a concerned eyebrow.
“Don’t know really,” the redhead admitted. “The river runs right into a town called Comfort.”
He shrugged. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”
“Well, it’s on the I-10 and it’s large enough to have a truck stop,” she warned. “So it could potentially be trouble.”
“Well, that’s future us’s problem,” Jeff replied, propping his feet up on the side of the boat. “I say for right now, we sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery.” He playfully waved her off. “Captain, away we go.”
She chuckled and rolled her eyes, firing up the engine.
Sparks killed the motor as the boat approached a dried up portion of river, floating as far as the boat allowed until it bumped into dirt.
“Now what?” Jeff asked.
Sparks studied t
he GPS app on her phone. “We’re still several miles from Comfort, but it looks like if we cut through the woods in that direction we’ll come up on a small township,” she said. “Doesn’t look that big, like the size of a neighborhood.”
“Lead on Captain, unless you think the better course of action is to sit in a dried up riverbed eating snack food until the sun goes down.” The skinhead was already stepping out of the boat.
“Alright, let’s go experience small town Texas,” she agreed, and tried to offer Ben a smile. He avoided her gaze, simply exiting the boat with his knife in his hand.
Sparks led the trio through the overgrowth. They were lucky it wasn’t too thick, and soon they came upon a two lane road. There was a tree line on one side and a farm with a white picket fence on the other.
“Stay alert,” she instructed, cocking her gun and starting down the farm side of the road. “If something jumps out of the trees, be ready to get over that fence.” They moved down the road, eyes darting all around, though the air was still and quiet.
“So, do we want to find a house to bed down for the night?” Ben spoke up, startling the other two. “I don’t like the idea of being this exposed once the sun goes down.”
“We will, but we need to make sure we aren’t in a bad situation first,” Sparks replied. “The center of town, if you want to call it that, is at that intersection up ahead. If we don’t see anything major we’ll find us someplace for the night.”
When they reached the four way stop, it seemed like there was nothing major. There were no zombies, no people, and no cars save for one truck sitting outside of the country store.
“Looks like the entire town just bolted,” Jeff commented.
Sparks shrugged. “Can you blame them?”
“Well what do ya’ll say to picking up some beer and snacks from the store before breaking into a home for the night?” he asked, a spring in his step as he moved towards the store.
Ben nodded. “Yeah, I can eat.”
Jeff reached for the doorknob but Sparks grabbed his wrist, raising her gun.
“Hold on, listen,” she hissed, and the other two did so. There was a faint banging sound from inside the store, and she left the door to pick up a few metal planter sticks. “Don’t waste bullets unless you have to,” she said as she handed them to her comrades, holstering her gun. “Follow my lead. Ben, you stay behind Jeff.”
