“Aw… thanks, hon!” called the woman as the large man stalked toward the tobacco store.
He ducked down so the big mug wouldn’t spot him, thankful that he’d hidden the motorcycle in a fairly inconspicuous spot. He watched and waited until the man returned empty-handed, which produced an immediate scowl on the woman’s face.
“It’s a sign,” echoed the man’s voice in the parking lot. It was high and unusual for such a muscle-bound guy. “Someone else ransacked the place… no smokes left, babe. No cigars or chew either; sorry, gramps,” he motioned to someone else in the back of the van. “You should both quit smoking anyway. You’ll live longer.”
The woman snorted. “Hell, I don’t think I’ll survive another day if I don’t get my hands on a cigarette. Damn thieves.”
His lips curled up at the woman’s logic, considering her boyfriend probably wouldn’t have left any money on the counter for her smokes either.
“What about the store next to it?” she asked, pointing.
Her “hon” shook his head. “Are you kidding me? That’s a health food place. Everything in there is natural and good for you.”
“Natural, huh? Maybe they have those clove cigarettes? Aren’t those supposed to be better for you? All natural?”
The man burst out laughing and then got back into the van. A minute later they were peeling out of the parking lot.
“Wow, do you know who that was?” blurted an excited voice behind him.
He dropped the bag of food and whipped around to find a teenaged boy staring at him. The boy’s face turned white when he noticed his firm grip on the ax and he took a step backwards.
He lowered the weapon. “You scared the shit out of me, kid. Don’t ever sneak up on someone like that again. It’s dangerous.”
“Sorry,” he replied. “I saw you, and then I saw Tiny. It freaked me out to see a real live celebrity in the parking lot.”
He stared at the tall, lanky boy who couldn’t have been more than thirteen or fourteen. His red hair was messy and his face was streaked with something resembling dirt.
“Who’s Tiny?” he asked the boy.
The kid stared at his “I Love Hooters!” T-shirt and grinned, his mouth full of metal. “Far out, dude, love the shirt!”
He didn’t respond.
“Yeah… um… Tiny’s a famous wrestler. Everyone knows Tiny.”
Seriously? Tiny?
He bent down and picked up his supplies from the floor. “You all alone?”
The boy looked away. “My parents… they’re…”
“Gone, huh?”
The kid’s lower lip trembled slightly and it took him a while before he could answer. “Yeah.”
Something tugged at his heartstrings and he sighed. “Well, you’re welcome to tag along with me, if you want, that is. I’ve been thinking about trading in my motorcycle for something bigger anyway.”
The boy’s green eyes lit up. “You have a motorcycle?”
He smiled at the kid’s excitement. “I do at the moment.”
“Sweet. I was getting tired of this place anyway.”
He nodded. “It’s too dangerous for a kid like you to be alone anyway.”
“I’m Luke, by the way,” said the boy, holding out his pale hand.
He shook it. “Nice to meet you, Luke.”
Luke tilted his head and smiled. “And you are…?”
He let out a ragged breath. “The hell if I know, kid.”
5
Paige
Their bad luck started shortly after they arrived at “Fred’s Gas and Go” in Deer Ridge. The station had appeared promising from the outside, but on the inside, it had been ransacked. No food or beverages, no first-aid supplies, and definitely not any kind of tobacco products. The one thing left were maps. Nobody cared enough to steal them.
Apparently most people have enough common sense to understand things like road signs, thought Paige. Everyone but Tiny; the dumbass.
Henry was the first one back inside the van with the news. He sat down, then opened his empty can of chew and grimaced. “No cigars and no tobaccy; the world has truly gone to pot.”
Kylie, who was still groggy from sleeping, lifted her head from the seat. “The world is on pot? But that’s against the law!”
Paige turned to her and rolled her eyes. “No, he means the world sucks, worse than ever.”
Kylie bit the side of her lip. “Oh.”
Henry shook his head. “We need to get to Atlanta before my blood pressure settles. I’m sure we’ll find something there. Tobacco’s the only thing keeping me on my toes, by golly.”
Paige raised her eyebrows. “What kind of logic is that? High blood pressure can kill you, Henry.”
Henry shrugged. “At least I’ll go out with a spring in my step, little lady. When you get to be my age, you use whatever you can to keep your ticker pumping.”
“Even when it’s too fast?”
He nodded. “You’re damn tootin’.”
Paige didn’t feel like arguing, so she just dropped it.
“Where’s mom and Tiny?” asked Kylie, stretching her arms.
Henry cackled and said, “Why I believe they’re finding other ways to keep the heart pumping.”
Paige groaned. “Seriously, Henry…”
“See,” said Henry, motioning outside. “They’re getting their exercise.”
Tiny and Kristie were running toward the SUV followed by a mob of zombies. She was screaming bloody murder, although Tiny looked more excited than anything.
“Jesus, let’s get the hell out of this town,” hollered Kristie as she slammed the door. She was out of breath and her hands were shaking.
Tiny got in. “Did you see that? I haven’t had that kind of rush since my last cage match in Chicago. That was intense!”
Paige snorted. “Like your cage matches are anything compared to this crap.”
“Even though you know it’s staged,” he said, his eyes shining, “you can’t help but feel the adrenaline rush, man. I’m going to really miss wrestling.”
The zombies surrounded the van, and Kylie began to whimper as even more staggered toward them from other parts of town. Soon, hundreds of disfigured undead crowded the truck, some even crawling onto the hood, slobbering all over it.
“It’s okay, baby,” said Kristie, reaching back toward her youngest. “Tiny’s going to get us out of here.”
“Jesus,” scowled Henry, looking sick. “I never thought I’d live to say this, but Tiny, put the pedal to the metal and get me away from those knockers!”
A naked female zombie was pressed up against his window, her fleshy breasts now a cesspool of squirming maggots and oozing sores. She began licking the glass with her blackened tongue and even Henry shuddered at the horrifying sight.
“I think she likes you, Henry,” chuckled Kristie.
“Jesus, woman – even my standards are higher than that,” he said gruffly. “That one’s not even breathing.”
Paige smiled. “But look at the longing in her eyes. I think you’re going to break her black heart.”
“Better than her eating mine!” he snapped.
The zombies were beginning to slap and hit the glass so loud, it sounded close to breaking.
“Okay, enough gawking at the animals,” said Paige. “Get us out of here, Tiny.”
“Ready, babe?” he asked Kristie, rubbing her knee.
She nodded. “Oh, yeah. Let’s move before they figure out a way in and ol’ here Henry gets molested.”
“Mom, that’s so not funny,” said Kylie, crossing her arms under her chest. “This is a very serious situation.”
“Sorry, sweetie,” she answered, trying to keep a straight face.
Tiny put it in drive and floored it, knocking several zombies down, many of them catching under the tires. The sounds of bones crunching and groans from the zombies shut everyone up, and it wasn’t until they were well past the mob that everyone began to breathe normally again.
Kristie studied the map they’d grabbed and directed Tiny so they made it to Atlanta within forty-five minutes. On the way to the CDC, she hollered at him to stop at a small mini mall.
“Tobacco Shop,” she pointed with a triumphant smile.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” groaned Paige. “Enough with the nic-fit, mom.”
“Quit being so sassy, Blondie,” piped in Henry. “Tiny, you just pull into that parking lot and make this woman of yours happy.”
Tiny nodded.
“Oh, and get me a tin of chew while you’re in there, son. And if they have cigars, I prefer them Montecriscos.”
“You mean Montecristos?” asked Tiny.
“Yeah. Whatever.”
“I’ll see what they have,” said Tiny.
“I knew you had an agenda,” said Paige.
“Don’t talk back to your elders, kid,” answered Henry.
When Tiny returned without anything, both her mother and Henry became very surly.
“Come on, babe,” said Tiny, grabbing Kristie’s hand. “You told me earlier that you’d stopped smoking for a couple of years. You can handle this.”
Kristie scowled. “That was pre-zombies. Now I’ve found that smoking is the only way I can manage my Z.S.S.”
“Z.S.S.?” he asked.
“Her Zombie Stress Syndrome,” muttered Paige.
“Jesus Christ, I think I have that, too!” hollered Henry, sitting up straighter. “I knew there had to be a name for it.”
“For the love of God, we’re wasting time!” cried Paige. “Forget Z.S.S and B.S.S. and let’s do what we came here to do; find our friends! They might need our help. Heck, they could be dead for all we know, while we’re tooling around town on the hunt for tobacco!”
The van was completely silent after Paige’s outburst. Nobody said a word, not even Henry.
After a few minutes, Kristie cleared her throat, then grabbed the map and started charting a course to the CDC, which fortunately, wasn’t very far. When they arrived, Paige’s heart took a plunge; the place looked utterly abandoned.
“What now?” groaned Paige.
The large glass building, which had always seemed impressive on CNN, looked very dismal now. Windows were broken, trash blew across the once-manicured lawns, and zombies stumbled in an out of the entrance. It was a scene out of a horror movie.
“Don’t worry, Paige. We certainly didn’t come all this way for nothing,” said Kristie. “We’ll just sit here for a while and wait for something to happen. I have a feeling Dave will be showing up soon, or who knows, maybe someone else who might know what’s happening.”
Tiny nodded. “Or, I could go in and look around if you want.”
Kristie smiled. “Aw… you’re such a sweetie,” she said, grabbing his scruffy chin and kissing his lips.
His face was solemn. “Hey, they’re your friends, and without them, we may have never met. I owe these guys for bringing you into my life, babe.”
Kristie’s eyes filled with tears. She touched his arm. “You know, your heart is as big as your biceps.”
He flexed. “You get my blood pumping in many places, mama. Just like I told you before, though, it’s destiny. We were meant to be together. And now that I’ve found you, I will never let you go.”
Ugh, thought Paige as her mom threw her arms around Tiny and smothered him with kisses. They’ve only known each other for a few days and now they’re like, what – soul mates?
Henry grunted. “I’m truly happy for you both. Now someone better get their ass inside and look around before I grow a tail and can’t make it to the shitter. If you haven’t noticed, there isn’t a public restroom anywhere close.”
“Don’t worry, gramps. Well get you to a toilet,” said Tiny.
“You have about an hour before my intestines force one out. It’s clockwork with me, by golly.”
Paige shuddered. “I can’t believe I’m actually listening to this.”
Henry’s eyes narrowed. “When you’re my age you’ll appreciate a healthy dump, young lady. Once, I was backed up for two weeks…”
“Okay,” said Paige, holding up her hands. “Sorry, now can we change the subject?”
Henry mumbled something under his breath and then looked out the window.
“Let’s just wait until the zombies spread out a little more,” said Tiny. “It will be much easier.”
They waited awhile and watched as the zombies wandered aimlessly around the building without even so much as a glance in their direction. When the undead seemed somewhat manageable near the entrance, Tiny decided it was time for him to go in and investigate.
“I’m coming with,” said Kristie, grabbing her gun from the glove compartment.
He shook his head. “It’s too dangerous, hon. Just let me go and you stay back to protect the girls. I’ll take Henry.”
Kristie shook her head. “Not a good idea. You’ve never met Kris, you won’t recognize her. Plus, you’re kind of intimidating for someone who has never actually met you.”
“Yeah, she’ll think your some biker dude wanting to start trouble,” said Paige.
“Doesn’t anyone watch pro wrestling anymore?” asked Tiny incredulously. “I’m one of the heroes; the good guys. I thought everyone knew me?”
“She runs a daycare. The only television shows she’s familiar with is Elmo or the Teletubbies,” said Paige.
Henry sighed. “I hate to say this, but maybe Kristie should go in with you and I’ll stay back to watch the girls. My back is pretty sore and I probably won’t be much help bent over and staring at the ground.”
“See, you do need me. I’m coming with,” said Kristie.
“Why don’t I just go with him?” asked Paige. “I can hold my own.”
Kristie turned and looked at her. “No way am I placing you in any more danger than I have to, not while I’m still alive. Besides, you need to keep Kylie calm. You also know what Kris looks like, so if you see her outside, you can get her attention. Obviously, Henry has never met her.”
Paige bit the side of her lip. “Oh, fine. Just be careful, mom.”
Kristie raised her gun and smiled. “Don’t worry, honey. I’m getting the hang of this thing. I can shoot at my target from over two feet away now. Plus, I have Tiny on my side of the ring.”
“That’s right,” said Tiny, flexing his muscles. “And I’m bringing out the big guns, mama.”
Paige groaned.
“Okay, Tarzan, just remember what I said and make it quick,” said Henry. “Not only will I have to poop, but it’s going to be dark soon. This place might not have a generator working inside anymore, and you two don’t want to be stuck alone on the tenth floor in the dark.”
“Oh, I don’t know, I could think of worse things,” said Kristie, smiling slyly at Tiny.
Henry shook his head. “Don’t even think about it. You lose sight of what you’re doing in there and the only one enjoying your bootie will be the zombies. Keep your pants on, both of you.”
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake, we’re not a couple of teenagers,” said Kristie.
“No, but women can’t seem to control themselves around us. It’s always been a curse in our family, if you want to know the truth,” said Henry.
Paige rolled her eyes. “Oh, Lord, here we go again…”
“It isn’t funny. Why do you think my back is so messed up? Not just ‘cause I fell earlier today. Back when I worked the rodeo, it wasn’t the horses or bulls that rode me hard.” He took off his cowboy hat and scratched his head. “Too bad you couldn’t claim disability on that.”
“You’re incredible,” said Paige.
“I am, but you’re a little young for me. So don’t get any ideas,” he said with a light in his watery blue eyes.
“I’ll try to control myself,” she mumbled.
“Okay, we’re out of here,” said Kristie. “And you watch your mouth around my girls, Henry.”
Henry looked appalled. “I don’t know what you’re talki
ng about.”
“You’re looking tired, gramps, why don’t you just take a nap,” said Tiny.
“You just remember my warnings,” grumbled Henry.
Tiny and Kristie gave each other a kiss for good measure, then got out and bolted toward the front entrance. Two zombies began to follow them immediately but Tiny took them out with his rifle.
“You know, I think I’m just going to rest my eyes,” said Henry. “Let me know when they come back out.” He then laid his head back and placed his hat over his face.
“You doing okay?” Paige asked Kylie.
Kylie nodded. “Yeah, but a little hungry.”
Paige leaned over and started digging through the bag of snacks next to her. “Chips?”
Kylie’s eyes lit up. “What kind?”
Paige sighed, thinking about Cassie who loved those particular chips. “Well, there are some dill pickle flavored kettle chips.”
“Yum, I’ll take some.”
She handed Kylie the chips and opened up a can of grape soda for herself. “You want any?” she asked.
Kylie shook her head. “No. I still have some water from before.”
“Okay.”
Henry began to snore and both girls smiled at each other.
“He’s a lot quieter when he’s sleeping,” whispered Paige. “I love it.”
“No doubt.”
Paige watched as two zombies stumbled by the van without even looking toward them. “Not very good at hunting for their food, are they? Maybe they’ll die off soon.”
“They’re already dead,” said Kylie.
Paige sighed. “Fine, I mean hopefully they’ll just stop ‘being’.”
Kylie nodded. “There are too many of them. The ones who aren’t shot or killed by the living will eventually run out of food. Mark my words, a year from now, the zombies won’t be a problem.”
Zombie Games (Uncut) Boxed Set Page 31
