Mary snorted. “Or we might be the food.”
I sat back and called my dad to let him know what was happening. He agreed to meet up in Nashville; they were also, finally, on the road.
“You talk to mom?” I asked.
He released a ragged breath. “I did. She said your sister’s in some kind of coma. Allie woke up once and was acting very erratic, so they had to subdue her by putting her to sleep. Now she’s in a coma again and hasn’t woken up.”
“Oh, poor Allie,” I whispered. “Is there anything they can do for her?”
“Well, I guess there is some kind of experimental drug, but the scientist who was working on it is missing. They aren’t sure if he’s alive or what the hell is going on.”
“Did he get the vaccine?”
“No, he didn’t. In fact, he was against the vaccine from the very beginning. That’s why he initially began experimenting with some of the components in the drug, to find something that might counteract any negative effects the vaccine created.”
“Great, and now he’s missing?”
“Yes. They’re searching for him, though. He has an underground bomb shelter located somewhere in Atlanta, but he was always secretive about its location. The good news is that he was still alive when the zombies started waking up. Unfortunately, nobody’s heard from him since.”
“God, I hope he’s still alive and they can locate him.”
“Me too, and we aren’t the only ones. I guess the facility where the CDC is located is getting bombarded with survivors and their family members, needing help.”
“I’m sure they’ll figure something out soon.”
“Hope so.”
“Dad… can I call mom?”
I just wanted to hear the sound of her voice, to know she was really alive and not just a voice in my dreams.
“Sorry, honey, maybe later. The cell phone she’s been using is being shared by a number of people, so calls are limited. Your mom told me to tell you she loves you very much and to stay safe. Don’t take any risky chances. She wants both of you girls alive,” his voice cracked. “So do I.”
“I’ll do the best I can,” I answered.
Dad cleared his throat. “Call me when you get to Nashville and we’ll meet you somewhere safe. Also, thank that couple for me, too. I owe them, big time.”
“Okay,” I said. “Dad, can I talk to Bryce really quickly?”
He paused. “Well, he’s driving the other vehicle right now. He gave me his cell phone to use, just in case you called.”
“Oh, okay. Um, who’s driving with him in the van?” I asked, biting the side of my lip. I know it was petty, but the thought of Eva being anywhere near Bryce still irritated me.
“Let’s see… Eva, Paige, Kylie, and Kristie,” he answered then snorted. “I think there’s a romance brewing in the mist.”
My stomach clenched up. “What… what do you mean?”
“Well, Eva and Bryce; she follows him around like a puppy dog, and if I didn’t know it any better, he’s eating up all the adoration. Every time I turn around she has her hands on him and they’re laughing.”
I closed my eyes and tried not to throw up all over Henry’s backseat.
***
We sat in silence as we drove the next several miles to find some kind of edible food. Eventually, we came to a truck-stop diner called “Gramma’s Grub.” Although there were a few cars in the parking lot, it looked pretty uninhabited.
“This place use to serve the best steak and eggs,” sighed Henry as he shut off the ignition. “It’s surely a shame that I’ll probably never get to enjoy another meal here or tease one of those purdy little waitresses. Yessiree, the owner sure knew how to keep his customers happy.”
Mary’s eyebrows raised and she punched him playfully on the arm. “Purdy waitresses, huh? I thought you were saving yourself for me, Old Timer.”
He turned to her with such a startled look, that I thought he may have filled his Depends. When he eventually composed himself, he let out a deep, raspy chuckle. “Mary,” he said, clearing his throat. “I just love it when you talk dirty, my little puddin’.”
Mary laughed heartily and patted him on the back. “Hen, you better stop. You’re going to make me pee my pants and I don’t have any spares!”
He rubbed his jaw and smirked. “Speaking of getting out of your pants…”
I interrupted him before he could finish. The banter between them was making me a little ill. “Hey, I have a great idea. Let’s go inside that restaurant and see if there’s any food left.”
“Now that sounds like a good idea,” replied Mary.
“Let’s go, ladies,” said Henry as he opened his door.
We all got out with our weapons raised. I still had the Ruger with a few bullets left, Henry had an old Winchester shotgun, and Mary took out some type of Samurai sword. I chuckled as she removed it carefully from the scabbard and raised it, ready for battle.
“Where’d you get that katana, Mary?” I asked.
She winked. “From this wonderful garage sale last summer. It’s a beaut, isn’t it?”
I nodded. “Yes, very impressive. Have you used it on any zombies?”
Mary nodded proudly. “Oh yeah, thing’s so sharp, it’s like cutting through butter.”
“You better at shootin’ than you are at driving, young lady?” asked Henry, eyeing my gun.
I nodded. “Probably. I do miss my war hammer, though. It came in handy when I ran out of ammunition.”
He nodded. “War hammer, huh? I’ve seen those things before. Yes, they would certainly do the trick and right nicely, I reckon.”
The smell in the diner was a mixture of spoiled food, feces, and death. I raised the gun and looked around nervously.
“Mary, get down on your knees!” shouted Henry, raising his own gun.
She gave him a disgusted look. “You just won’t quit. I told you before, I don’t…”
Henry’s gun went off a second after I pulled her to the floor. There was a loud thud as the zombie’s body dropped. Mary let out a low moan and her entire body began to tremble.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, squeezing her shoulder.
Henry cackled loudly and spit out his chew. “Gotcha… you son-of-a-bitch.”
I stood up and limped over to the zombie who was now resting in peace on the other side of the room; a naked bald man with a swastika tattoo on his chest. His body was so rotted and gnarly that I had turn away before I added to the disgusting sight.
Henry came over and stood next to me, staring at his kill. “You know, I always said that a good Nazi was a dead Nazi,” he said as he scratched his whiskers, “but even that’s fucked up now.”
“Henry!” screamed Mary.
We both turned to find two ghastly zombies stumbling toward her, growling and smiling with wicked intentions. It always amazed me that they could somehow feel happiness, but not one speck of remorse for such gruesome eating habits.
“Hold on, Mary!” hollered Henry.
“Behind you, Henry!” I screamed as another zombie stepped out of the shadows behind him.
He turned around and paled at the horrific sight. The ghoul was dressed in a tattered and bloodied waitress uniform. Her face was so rotted and grisly, that the skin around her mouth was all but gone. Patches of red hair were missing from her putrid, decomposing head.
“Jesus, who hired this homely one?” he mumbled, cocking his gun.
Her skeleton mouth curled into an evil grin that I knew would haunt my dreams for months to come, if I ever survived that long. I turned away as he fired his gun at the dead waitress and limped toward the other two zombies. My gun was raised but I was fearful of hitting Mary.
“Lord, have mercy!” Mary moaned as she slid the katana into the stomach of one of the zombies. Although it was still alive, the sword prevented it from getting any closer to her as she held the zombie at bay.
As the second one tried to reach out for her, I raised my good foot
and hit him with a sidekick to the face, sending him crashing to the floor.
“OW… OW… OW…!” I howled in agony. I really needed to ice my ankle badly.
The zombie’s red eyes burned with something close to hatred as he growled angrily at me.
“Drop dead, maggot,” I said, glaring back at him. Then I raised my gun and shot him in the face.
“Stand back, Mary,” demanded Henry as he raised his shotgun again. She let go of the sword and the skewered zombie took a bullet right between the eyes.
“Are you ladies all right?” asked Henry as he shuffled toward us.
“I’m fine,” I said.
“Oh, I’m okay, too,” said Mary. “Just a little disappointed with the service.”
Henry laughed and then hugged her tightly.
“You rocked with that sword, Mary,” I said, and she smiled.
Henry shuffled over to me and touched my shoulder. “Well, I have to admit… you handled yourself pretty good there, too, Cassie.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
With a gleam in his watery blue eyes he said, “What you did with your leg… that was impressive! Could you teach Mary to get her leg up that high?”
Mary and I looked at each other and started laughing.
14
Fortunately, we didn’t run into any more zombies, probably because food was slim pickings for everyone, living or dead.
“You find anything?” asked Henry, who was resting in one of the old vinyl booths. He was an old geezer with a lot of fire, but even he wasn’t immune to arthritis, which I guess was now flaring up in both of his knobby knees.
“Unfortunately, everything is spoiled in the cooler. Good news, however, there is plenty of canned food,” said Mary.
“I found several bags of chips and pretzels, too,” I called out from behind the counter. “Oh, and some bottled water.”
He nodded, looking weary. “Let’s stock up on that stuff and get rolling. Mary, you might have to drive; it’s going to be dark soon and my eyes don’t particularly work their best at night.”
Mary raised her eyebrows and looked at me. “He never wants me to drive,” she mumbled. "He’s very narrow-minded when it comes to women and controlling things that move.”
“Oh, you mean he’s chauvinistic?” I said.
“I heard that, kid,” said Henry as he shuffled toward the bathroom. “I’m old, not deaf.”
“Do you want one of us to come in there with you, Henry?” asked Mary.
“Not unless you want to watch me drop some kids off at the pool.”
“Oh, for goodness sake,” said Mary. “Just be careful in there.”
“Woman, I’ve taken a dump alone for more years than I can count. When I can no longer do it all by myself, do me a favor – take me out back and shoot me once in the head and a second time in the ass.”
“You heard the man,” I said, grinning. “Leave him to poop in peace.”
“Don’t have to ask me twice,” she murmured.
“I love old diners,” I said, looking at the display case still filled pies and cookies. Unfortunately, they were all spoiled and rotten, adding to the ripe fragrance of the diner.
Mary smiled sadly. “My son used to manage a diner, much like this one.”
“Oh?” I answered. I was afraid to ask her what happened to him.
She nodded. “Well, actually it was a nightclub and there were dancers there that used to take off their clothes,” she said. “But other than that, this reminds me a lot of that place.”
I raised my eyebrows and scanned the room. This place looked as wholesome and clean as any diner could possibly get. I had a hard time believing it could be compared to a seedy strip joint. Of course, I’d never actually been in one of those, either.
“Really?”
“Yeah,” said Mary. “Ben was a very good businessman and entrepreneur. He was in the process of starting a dating service when he disappeared.”
“He disappeared? I’m sorry, Mary. That must have been horrible for you.”
She nodded. “Well, he actually left the country for a bit. He told me that the cops were trying to frame him for being part of some type of prostitution ring. But I know Ben, and he’d never get involved in something like that.”
“When was the last time you spoke to him?” I asked.
“Oh… about a year ago. He was in Amsterdam and needed to borrow some money to send some girls to America.”
“Wow, well I hope he survived in this zombie mess.”
She nodded. “Yes, I say a prayer for him every night.”
Just then, Henry came out of the bathroom. “Jesus, it smells like something died in there.”
“You didn’t happen to find any zombies in the bathroom?” I asked.
He smiled sheepishly. “No, but I left them a present in there that will confuse the hell out of them.”
I didn’t want to ask Henry what he meant, so I ignored his comment and searched for boxes to load the food we’d found. Luckily, we found milk crates and they worked perfectly.
“I think this will do,” said Mary when we packed the third milk crate. “Let’s load them into the car.”
“Sounds good. I grabbed toilet paper, too,” said Henry, holding up a couple rolls.
As we were loading everything into the Cadillac, a large Greyhound bus pulled into the parking lot, shocking all three of us.
“Well, would you look at that?” smiled Mary.
The doors opened up and three men stepped out, all dressed in drag.
“Oh, thank God,” gushed a tall blond, wearing a stunning blue evening gown and sparkly high heels. The resemblance to Christina Aguilera was so uncanny that if it weren’t for the Adam’s apple and husky voice, I would have asked for an autograph. “Real, living people! Come here so I can give you a hug!” he said as his heels clicked loudly on the asphalt. He threw his arms around me and I could smell a light fruity scent of perfume that actually reminded me of my mom.
“Hi,” I said, smiling. “Wow, you smell nice.”
He put a hand on his hip and smiled. “Thanks, gorgeous. I’m Billie, by the way, what’s your name?”
I blushed. “I’m Cassie, and that’s Mary and Henry.”
The two other guys introduced themselves as Shane, who looked like Beyoncé, and Dale, who was the spitting image of Cher.
Henry smiled and laid on the Southern charm. “My… my… my… I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful group of women in all my years. I believe I may have died and gone to heaven.”
Billie sashayed over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Well, aren’t you just the sweetest ol’ cowboy I ever did see? I could just gobble you up, you’re so darn cute!”
Henry’s eyes opened wide and he licked his cracked lips.
“Excuse me for a minute,” he said pleasantly to Billie. He then pulled Mary to the side, although everyone could still hear his words clear as day.
“Mary,” he pleaded, smiling from ear to ear. “For the love of God, woman, find me those pills you took from me. I think an old man’s last dying wish has been granted. I just might get lucky.”
Mary sighed wearily. “You’re not dying, and for heaven’s sake, old man, go sit down someplace before you actually do have a stroke.”
“Fine, I’ll do it myself,” muttered Henry under his breath as he began shuffling toward the car. He popped open the trunk and began searching for the pills she’d apparently hidden. I could tell he was getting frustrated by the colorful words he was using.
“Oh, for the love of God… someone please give that poor old man a break,” said Shane. “Help him find his pills before he keels over.”
Mary shook her head and chuckled. “Believe me; the pills he’s looking for need to stay hidden. There’s nothing more unsettling than seeing Henry walk around with a tent in his pants.”
There was a stunned silence and then we all burst out laughing.
“Oh, man,” said Billie, fanning himself. “I
haven’t laughed that hard since before this nightmare began. I really needed that.”
“Where are you from?” asked Mary, wiping the tears from her eyes.
“Well, we are originally from Vegas but have been traveling the country, performing our drag show,” said Billie. “We were just leaving one in Minneapolis when the zombies cut the tour short.”
Mary sighed. “They really made a mess of everything, that’s for sure.”
“Where are you from?” asked Billie.
“Henry and I are from Wisconsin. We picked up Cassie earlier today, and now we’re all going to Nashville to meet up with family.”
“Well, we’re heading to Florida to check on our folks,” said Billie. “Well, I am. Shane and Dale had nothing else better to do.”
“Tell you the truth, we were just getting ready to leave,” said Mary. “And just so you know, there’s more food inside the diner if you need any. We didn’t take everything.”
Shane pointed to the Cadillac. “You’re leaving in that little car? It can’t be very safe with those things running around.”
“It’s all we have,” said Mary.
“Listen, we’ll be passing right through Nashville and you’re welcome to ride with us,” said Billie. “The bus is fairly comfortable and there’s plenty of room for everyone. Even has a decent bathroom.”
I smiled at that. “Hey, I’m game. I’d always wanted a ride in one of those Greyhound buses anyway.”
“That settles it then, we’re with you guys,” replied Mary. She then touched Billie’s arm and lowered her voice. “Tell you the truth, hon, old Henry makes me nervous when he drives. And boy does he throw a fit when I volunteer to take the wheel.”
We all glanced at Henry, who was walking back toward us looking frustrated. “Well, you may as well be happy, Mary, I still can’t find those darn pills.”
She cleared her throat. “Say, Henry? These lovely people have offered to share their cushy bus with us. They’re heading our way and can drop us off in Nashville,” said Mary.
“Yeah,” I said. “The bus is much more protective against zombie attacks and there’s even a toilet.”
Zombie Games (Uncut) Boxed Set Page 21
