Zombie Games (Uncut) Boxed Set

by Kristen Middleton

“But you won’t be alone,” said Bryce. “You’d be with other survivors, including your friends.”

  “It’s very nice of you to invite us,” said Barb. “But Tom is right – we’re going to hang here. It’s the only place that feels normal and we really need that.”

  Bryce nodded. “Well, I guess I can appreciate that. If you change your mind, though, we’ll be hanging out at Steven and Irene’s home for a week or two, unless everyone shows up earlier. Otherwise, we’re staying at the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta beyond that.”

  “Thanks, Bryce,” said Tom. “We’ll keep that in mind.”

  He climbed back down to the swimming platform. “Well, wish me luck,” he said, then dove into the water.

  “Good luck!” they yelled after he resurfaced. He waved and then started swimming back to the shoreline as the rain began to pick up again. When he reached the spot he’d left Billie, it was deserted. Thinking they left to get out of the rain, he quickly put his boots and shirt back on, and then headed back toward the truck.

  17

  Allie and Kylie

  “Something’s wrong,” whispered Kylie.

  Allie yawned and stretched her arms. “What do you mean?”

  “Nobody up front has talked or said anything for the last couple of hours. It’s so quiet… it’s eerie.”

  They were still in the sleeper compartment, which was separated from the truck’s cab by a curtain. Allie crawled over to the curtain and peeked around it.

  “Justice is sleeping in the middle,” she said, lying back down. “The other two guys aren’t really saying a word to each other,” she said to Kylie.

  “It’s kind of weird, isn’t it?”

  Allie shrugged. “I don’t know, guys don’t usually have as much to say as we do.”

  “Hello, ladies,” said Dwayne, sticking his head through the curtain. “Have a good rest?”

  “Yes,” they answered in unison.

  He smiled. “Good. We’ll be stopping soon, so you can stretch your legs.”

  “Thanks,” answered Allie.

  “Um, is Justice still sleeping?” asked Kylie.

  He hesitated. “Yes, but I’m sure he’ll be waking up soon.”

  “Are we almost to Minnesota?” asked Allie.

  “Almost. You excited to see your sister?”

  Allie nodded.

  “Good. Now, just hold tight and we’ll let you know when we get to our first destination.”

  “Where is that?” asked Allie.

  “You’ll see. It’s a surprise, actually. A place in Minnesota you’re both very familiar with.”

  “Oh, okay,” said Allie.

  Dwayne closed the curtain and Kylie turned to Allie. “Is it me, or is that guy seriously creepy?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Did you see that tattoo on his eye? I think it’s some gang thing.”

  “You think he’s in a gang?”

  Allie snorted. “Hello? Just look at him. He’s got that long-haired hippie thing going on, has tattoos, and wears a jean vest. Guys in jean vests are almost always in gangs. Haven’t you ever watched Sons of Anarchy?”

  “No.”

  “Well, take it from me, they both belong to some type of gang and I’m sure they’re dangerous. We should watch them closely.”

  “Justice wouldn’t let them do anything to harm anyone,” she said. “He’s looking out for us now.”

  “I hope so,” said Allie.

  ***

  Two hours later, the semi came to a stop.

  “We’re here,” said Travis, opening up the curtain.

  “Thank goodness,” said Allie, laying her hand down. They’d been playing cards for the past hour and she’d lost interest in them forty-five minutes ago.

  “What’s wrong with Justice?” asked Kylie, noticing that his head was still slumped forward in sleep.

  Travis turned and laid a hand on Justice, whose head immediately lifted. “Wake up, son,” he said. “We’ve arrived.”

  Justice nodded and mumbled something incoherent.

  “Oh, my God!” cried Allie, looking over Justice’s shoulder at the view outside of the truck. “I never thought I’d see this place again.”

  “What?” asked Kylie, moving in beside her. She leaned forward and smiled sadly. “Oh.”

  “The Mall of America,” said Travis, as they stared at the entrance to the massive structure. “What a tragedy, huh?”

  What was once an impressive infrastructure and one of the world’s largest malls in the world, was now just another victim in the zombie apocalypse. Glass doors were smashed, graffiti graced much of the outside walls, garbage, and what looked like human remains, lined the white sidewalks.

  “It’s horrible,” shuddered Kylie, remembering how thrilling the mega-mall had seemed when she was little – especially the indoor amusement park, the numerous toy stores, and mouthwatering candy shops. Now, she’d never get a chance to try out the new rollercoaster or see another movie in the mall’s theater. Nothing would ever be the same. Not here or anywhere else, for that matter.

  “Shall we get out of the truck?” asked Travis.

  “What are we doing here?” asked Allie. “Getting supplies?”

  “That, among other things,” said Dwayne with sly grin on his face.”

  “What’s going on?” asked Kylie. “I thought you were going to bring us to Wolf Creek?”

  “All in good time. First we have a very important meeting to attend,” said Travis, leaving the truck.

  “A meeting? With whom?” asked Allie after she and Kylie jumped down from the cab.

  “With others who want to join our cause,” smiled Travis. “You’re certainly invited. In fact, I insist that you come. It will be fairly enlightening.”

  The girls looked at each other in confusion and then turned back to him. “I’m not sure what cause you’re talking about, but we really can’t stay,” said Allie. “We have to go find my sister as soon as possible. Is there any way that either of you could drive us to Wolf Creek?”

  “Certainly,” said Dwayne. “Later.”

  “When later?” she asked.

  “After the meeting is over. After midnight.”

  “But that’s too late!” Allie hurried over to Justice, who still looked disoriented and confused. “Justice, can you get us to my grandparents’ house sooner? Please? Maybe you can hotwire another car or something?” she said, looking around. They’d parked in a lot across from Nordstrom’s and there were plenty of abandoned vehicles to choose from.

  He didn’t respond. Instead, he raised his hands and began staring at them as if he’d never seen them before.

  “Uh, Justice?” she tried again, stepping closer. “Are you okay?”

  “He’s fine,” said Travis, placing a hand on Justice’s back. “Just needs a little more fresh air. Isn’t that right, kid?”

  “Yes,” said Justice, dropping his hands. “I just need a little more fresh air.”

  “Okay, then can you help us?” asked Kylie.

  Justice looked at Travis, who shook his head.

  Allie scowled. “What’s happening here? Why are you acting so weird?”

  “We can’t leave,” answered Justice, his eyes still transfixed on Travis. “I’m needed here.”

  Frantic, Allie grabbed ahold of his arms and tried shaking him. “What in the world is wrong with you?”

  Justice tilted his head and stared at her in confusion, his eyes dilated. “I’m needed here.”

  “Oh, my God!” cried Kylie, pointing toward the road. “Zombies!”

  Allie turned and gasped in shock.

  “Ah, yes,” smiled Travis, nodding his head. “Some of the guests have already begun to arrive.”

  The girls watched in horror as hundreds of zombies, in all of their decomposed glory, trudged through the streets toward them.

  “We’ve got to get out of here!” hollered Allie, backing toward the semi. “Come on, you guys!”

  “Relax,” said Travis, turning to her. “
You have nothing to fear.”

  “Uh, yes we do!” she cried. “And so do you!”

  Kylie grabbed Justice’s arm and tugged. “Come on!”

  He ignored her and watched the zombies creep closer.

  “Justice!” she yelled. “They’re coming! You have no chance surviving that mob! Seriously!”

  Still, he did not respond, nor did he make any move to follow her.

  “They’re glorious, aren’t they?” smiled Travis, with a satisfied grin.

  Kylie turned to him in disbelief. “Glorious? What are you talking about?”

  “My soldiers. They’re almost perfect, actually.”

  Believing that Travis had gone completely mad, Kylie tried one more time to pull Justice toward the truck, but he wouldn’t move.

  “Come on!” hollered Allie, opening the semi door. “If he’s not joining us, there’s nothing more you can do. He’ll just have to take care of himself!”

  “But –”

  “Kylie! Look, he’s not listening to you and he’s obviously not going anywhere, but you have to! You can’t fight those things!”

  “Justice!” sobbed Kylie. “Get into the truck!”

  “Let him be,” said Travis, pulling her away. “He will not be persuaded.”

  Kylie backed away and then quickly got into the truck with Allie.

  Allie stared down at the three men incredulously. “What are you doing?” she screamed, through the window. “They’re going to kill you all!”

  “Justice!” moaned Kylie, tears running down her cheek. “What’s wrong with you?”

  The three men ignored the girls and watched as the zombies moved closer, making their familiar guttural noises. When they were less than twenty feet away, however, the zombies stopped moving and everything became silent.

  Dead silent.

  “Good!” hollered Travis after a few seconds. Then he walked back to the semi and climbed onto the hood of the truck until he was standing and facing the crowd. He raised his hands and smiled down at the horror that was watching him with attentiveness. “Yes, indeed, this is very good.”

  18

  Cassie

  Nora finally took out her dad’s CD and we listened to it as we resumed our journey back to Minnesota. She sat in the front, staring out the window while Henry drove, his hands clutching the steering wheel so tightly, that I thought he worried the heavy metal music would somehow shake him off. He was a trooper, however, and didn’t complain, although I was sure the music was driving him crazy. When the last song ended, Henry removed the CD and handed it back to Nora.

  “What did you think?” she asked him, trying to bite back a smile.

  He cleared his throat. “Well, it was loud.”

  She chuckled. “Yeah, I know. Not your type of music.”

  “Well, now, I never said I didn’t like it. Fact is, I’m pretty hip about a lot of things.”

  Nora and I both burst out laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked, his watery blue eyes twinkling.

  “Hip?” I chuckled, still laughing at the old term. “Oh, come on, Henry. Wasn’t it just yesterday that you were complaining about the horrible music being made these days?”

  “I will have you know that just because I’m seventy-five years old doesn’t mean my mind isn’t open to change or new ideas, Wild.”

  “Now, Henry,” I said, “I thought you were eighty-something?”

  He scowled. “Never assume anything. Didn’t I teach you that?” Henry reached into his pocket and pulled out his tin of chew. “Besides, eighty is the new seventy, Wild. Haven’t you heard?”

  “Oh, of course.”

  “So you really liked the CD?” asked Nora.

  He shoved a wad of chew into his mouth. “No.”

  “What did you think?” she asked, turning to look back at me.

  “He’s very talented,” I said, although thrash metal wasn’t really my type of music, either.

  She turned back around. “He’s more talented at making music than being a father,” she said softly.

  Nora had told me once that her grandfather had died when her father had been very young, and they’d been very close. His death had almost destroyed the eight-year-old boy at the time.

  “Maybe it had something to do with his dad dying so young. You said it messed him up pretty bad,” I said, putting my hand on her shoulder.

  She stiffened up.

  “Sorry,” I said, removing it.

  “It’s okay,” she replied, turning back around. “I’m just kind of tense right now.”

  “I understand,” I said. We were all pretty stressed out and on the edge.

  “So, Nora, where do you think we might find your father?” asked Henry, opening his window.

  “We should check my grandmother’s house,” she said. “I left him a note a few weeks ago. Said I’d try making it back there and that he should leave me a message if he made it.”

  Henry spit out his wad of chew. “Sounds like a good plan. Wild, what about your grandparents?”

  “We need to drive out to their house, see if they’re there.”

  “You haven’t spoken to them since this mess started?” he asked.

  “No. We tried calling them but they never answered their cell phone. My dad had told me they’d gotten the flu shot this year and I actually think he was afraid to search for them. If they would have been zombies…”

  Henry nodded. “I know he wouldn’t have been able to shoot them. Sometimes it’s better to not know.”

  “So, why are we searching for them if they had the flu shot?” asked Nora.

  “Well, Allie and I both survived getting bitten by zombies. They might be immune to the virus as well.”

  “What are you going to do if we find them and they’re not who you think they are anymore?” asked Henry.

  My grandparents were kind and loving people. There was one thing I knew for certain – they’d rather die than hurt another living soul.

  I sighed. “Lay them to rest.”

  ***

  A couple hours later, we entered Minnesota and my heart began to race.

  We were so close.

  “Where should we go first?” asked Henry.

  “Nora’s grandmother’s house,” I said, watching the raindrops on the windshield. Since the trip had been her idea, it was only right.

  “You sure?” she asked.

  “Yep. Let’s go find your dad before we lose him again.”

  She nodded. “Thanks, Wild.”

  “Don’t thank me. This entire road trip was your idea and I should be thanking you, especially if we find my grandparents alive.”

  “If they’re alive, we’ll find them,” said Nora. “We won’t stop looking for them, either.”

  I smiled.

  “You guys want to listen to my dad’s CD again?” asked Nora.

  “No!” both Henry and I answered in unison.

  She chuckled. “You guys are wimps,” she said, playing with the dials. When she pushed the FM button by accident, we heard a man’s deep voice being broadcasted over the airwaves. We stared at each other in shock and turned up the volume.

  “The time has come for the remaining survivors to form a stronghold against the zombies. We need to band together and take back what is ours,” he said. “So if you’re out there, find us, and join us.”

  “Yeah but where are you?” whispered Nora.

  The man kept talking about having a generous food and water supply that they were willing to share as well, if and when other survivors showed up to join their cause.

  “Get on with it,” mumbled Henry. “Can’t find you if you don’t tell us where you’re at.”

  Then, as if the man had heard him, he announced where their bunker was.

  My jaw dropped.

  “The Mall of America,” said Nora, turning down the radio. “How in the world could anyone secure that place? There are too many doorways. They’d have to kill all the zombies and then board up ever
y one of those glass doorways.”

  “Anything is possible,” said Henry. “Besides, most of the zombies were sick people before they turned. Probably weren’t many of them hanging out at the mall with the flu.”

  “Yeah, right. My sister wouldn’t let a little vomiting or fever keep her from shopping if she had the money and the vehicle to get her there. I’ll bet there were plenty of zombies wandering the mall before these guys secured it,” I said.

  “This is good news,” said Nora. “If we can’t find our relatives at their homes, there may be a chance they’ve joined this Minnesota survivor’s group.”

  “You might be right,” said Henry. “But it still sounds a little too good to be true.”

  “I know. But at least we have another place to check if we can’t find our families,” I said.

  “Damn tootin’. Plus, I could use me a new change of clothes if we do make it to this mall. The ones I’m wearing are about ready to get up and walk away on their own.”

  “Yeah,” said Nora. “You’re starting to smell as bad as the zombies.”

  “It’s all a part of my camouflage,” smiled Henry. “Blend in with their smell and they can’t even tell I’m alive. Hell, I’ve got one foot in the grave as it is.”

  “Oh brother,” sighed Nora.

  I shook his shoulder playfully. “You do not have one foot in the grave. Quit talking that way.”

  “I tell you one thing,” said Henry. “Dying doesn’t scare me anymore, Wild. Dying before I have the chance to get you girls safely back to Atlanta, now that’s what scares the tar out of me. I don’t want to let you down.”

  “You could never let us down,” I said. “Now quit talking about dying.”

  “Well, I just want you both to know, I’ve got your backs.”

  “We’ve got yours, too,” I said.

  He nodded but said nothing more, which was a relief, because this melancholy side of him made me feel guilty. Back at the hotel, he’d obviously felt secure and happy for the first time in weeks. But then he’d decided to be a hero, just to keep the two of us safe from harm. If anything happened to him, I’d never forgive myself, and either would Nora.

  “Thanks, Henry,” I said.