by Kirk Allmond
“Zombies. Just what we need. Hang on, I’ll take a look.” Victor closed his eyes and shot himself forward. It was a big horde. He looked around the group; some of them were in pretty terrible shape. The Texas sun and underbrush had not been kind. Almost all of them were rotting, many of them missing limbs or large pieces of flesh. It seemed that when the regular zombies lacked direct control of a lieutenant, they grouped themselves up into super-hordes and wandered, looking for people to turn.
When Victor opened his eyes, he banged on the back window of the cab. “Turn left up ahead!” he yelled. “There’s a road that will skirt the group ahead, but hopefully the guys following us won’t make it. Step on it. The window is short!”
Chapter 25
Narrow Margin
Renee barely slowed down as she took the left turn from the gravel road that ran along the edge of the army base. The huge truck slid sideways into the turn, throwing gravel into the trees along the side of Route 8123. She deftly downshifted and gunned the truck forward, picking up speed coming out of the turn.
In the back of the truck, John's unconscious body slid violently into the benches along the side, and everyone on the driver’s side of the truck was thrown to the floor. The children seemed delighted by it as if they were on a fun ride at an amusement park. It was a sharp contrast to the way everyone else in the truck felt as they picked themselves up off the truck bed floor.
"Does anyone have anything they can use as a weapon, in case we don't make it past where the horde will cross the road in time?" Victor asked.
"I have my knives, but I'm out of bullets," said Alicia.
"I grabbed Leo's swords," Kris said. "It was all I could think of to save of her. We couldn't get her body out from under the truck,” she said. Kris then looked over to Alicia and added, “Just wish I had my fu--darn bat..."
Kris opened her backpack and gently handed the two swords to Victor. The blades were blued from the heat of the fire, and the edges of the horn handles were singed. Victor handled the swords carefully, wondering what Leo would want. He thought about his time with her. He reflected on what a good and loyal friend she was and how many times she’d saved his life, regardless of her own safety. With a deep sense of regret, he realized that he’d never really known what she wanted. Now he never would.
On the beach, she’d said to him, "How would any of us know you care about us? All day long every day all we do is try and keep up with you. Occasionally, we could stop and look at the scenery. Every once in awhile, you could stop and be a human for a day.”
For the first time, maybe since all this started, Victor longed for the day that he could stop and be human. He lowered his head and closed his eyes. I’d give anything to have the people I’ve lost back. What is it going to take to make sure that no one else has to suffer this way? What do I have to do to stop this? How many more people are going to die along the way? His eyes filled with sadness, he looked over the weapons Leo had carried since the day he met her. How many fucking more people?
“Mister Tookes,” said Reggie softly from beside Victor, “I believe Miss Leo would want you to have those. She believed in what you’re all doing, and she would want you to continue on.”
On the opposite bench, Kris was watching him closely, desperately trying to not interfere with his thoughts. She could hear that his heart rate had increased and his breathing pattern had shifted; it was odd seeing him like this. It was a version of Tookes that she had never seen before, and as she watched him touch the waters of grief, she was reminded of what they were here for. But as she was watching him, she felt her thoughts link with his.
How many more people are going to die? Victor thought, careful not to broadcast. How many more people are going to grieve the loss of their friends before all this is over? What is it going to take to keep any more people from dying?
“Tookes,” Kris thought, still looking at him, “you’re not alone in any of this. All of us, every last one, has lost someone. You and I have lost more than one someone...and I know I’ll mourn for them every day of my life. But Tookes, I believe in you—I believe in this. You might have moments of batshit insanity, but I trust in everything that you’re doing.” She paused for a moment. “Eyes on the prize. Think of Max. Of all the kids. If anyone can do this, it’s you. And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’ll always come whenever you ask it. Always.”
Victor opened his eyes and looked at Kris. “I was hoping you’d stay.”
“I’ve met Alicia’s group. They’re just like the folks in Virginia, but they don’t have someone like you to protect them. Alicia is all alone up there with five hundred acres to watch over...and I know that I can help them.” Kris paused, weighing her next thoughts carefully. “Between you and me, I have feelings for her. Feelings I never thought I’d have after Jeff. I know it’s not much, but you’re strong, Victor. Any ass-kicking there is to be had, you’re the man for the job.” She looked down at the floor of the truck.
“You’re in love with Alicia?” Victor asked. “That was very quick. She’s beautiful, but it’s only been a week.”
“After Atlanta, I really thought that was it. Life was over—end of story. But once I got out of that fucking hotel and met Alicia and her brother, I finally understood all of the things you had been saying since the day we met. The link that you and I have is even stronger with her. I touched her face, and I learned every single aspect of her. She is as beautiful inside as she is out. Being that close to someone showed me that there is hope. There is a way to come out on top. If everyone sits around on their ass and does nothing, we all fail.” Again, she locked eyes with him. “And we can’t fail because you, and all of us, won’t let that happen.” Her vocal timbre changed into a male’s voice, and she added, “And we are just too pretty for God to let us die.” She shook her head and added. “Fucking Firefly. I’m sorry. The inner-monologue fell out.”
“Love comes in all sorts of crazy ways. If you have feelings for her, you need to be with her. Love is what makes us human; it’s what separates us from them. And if she has family in Tennessee, that’s where you need to be. Thank you for saving us again. And thank you for your belief in me. In us. I was beginning to think I was the only one who felt this way.”
Kris smiled. “You’re never alone. We’re just a thought away. I just... Oh, fuck. We’re going to be cutting this close.”
“Close?” Victor asked aloud.
“Zombies. Lots of them. We’d better push it or we’ll run right into them. I don’t think we could survive a horde that size,” she said. She reached down and squeezed Alicia’s hand. As Alicia smiled, it looked like the two women exchanged a thought.
“How close are we talking about?” Marshall asked, leaning forward.
“Twenty yards from the road,” she replied.
Renee sharply turned around another bend and saw them walking through the woods, towards the noise of the truck.
“They’re here!” Renee shouted. “Those guys still behind us?”
“Yea, about a quarter mile back,” said Kris.
“They’re not going to make it. They’re going to run straight into this horde,” said Alicia.
As the huge truck passed the far edge of the horde, the last zombie was able to drag its fingers along the last foot of the canvas. Behind them, they heard gunfire open up and then seconds later fall silent. One last shot rang out before the huge truck was out of earshot.
The crew drove on for four more hours before stopping at a local motel for the rest of night. Renee had kept to back roads until they entered the town of Menard, twisting and turning through the Texas countryside. Renee pulled the truck into a Budget Inn, a one-story motel with rooms all opening out into the parking lot. Marshall hopped out of the truck and went into the office, returning with the master key just as Renee was parking the huge deuce and a half truck as close to the overhang as she could get.
Marshall opened up four of the blue painted doors and then unlocked all the do
ors that joined the rooms on the inside. “Vic, Max, and I will take this end,” he said. “Let’s put Renee and the girls next to us. Reggie and John next to them and then Kris and Alicia, if you two would take the last room. That way those in the middle are most protected with the truck in front of them.”
“There is a gas station across the street with a small restaurant,” Alicia said. “Kris and I will go see if there’s something edible there. Otherwise, it’s going to be a hungry night.”
“Thanks, Alicia,” said Tookes.
Marshall climbed up into the back of the truck, picked John up, and carried him into his room. Victor, Reggie, and Renee followed, each carrying one of the sleeping children.
“We’re going to need fuel too. I don’t know if this thing is gas or diesel. But it’s got less than half a tank. Sometime early tomorrow, we’ll hit desert. We’re going to need a bunch of cans of fuel as well as supplies. I’d say at least ten gallons of water, an extra fifty gallons of fuel, and food. We need ammunition and guns, and we’re going to need medical supplies for John tonight. He shouldn’t still be unconscious, and he’s getting cold,” said Renee.
“Marshall, you up for a run through town? We might see if we can find some less conspicuous vehicles also.”
“Sure. This is Texas. I’m sure we can find a gun store in town. Let’s look for that first. We’ll find a first aid kit and get back as soon as we can, Ren.”
The brothers stopped in the office of the hotel first, where Marshall picked up a Yellow Pages and flipped through it. “Ha! There’s two gun stores in town. I love Texas. One of them is just two blocks away. Let’s check that one first.”
Two hours later, the Tookes brothers returned. Each of them was driving a brand new hybrid minivan, courtesy of the only car dealership in town. The two of them had cleared out both gun shops and then split up. Marshall had four cases of bottled water and enough canned food to last them a week, and Victor had enough medical supplies for a small hospital and ten five-gallon gas cans strapped to the roof.
Everyone in their party was asleep. Victor found Max asleep with Maya and Holly in Renee’s room. He gingerly picked up his son, gave him a hug and a kiss, and carried him to bed.
It was just before eight o’clock in the morning when Max woke up. He rolled over and gave Victor a kiss on the cheek. “I love you, Daddy,” the boy said when his father finally opened his eyes. “Sean said he’s on the three-ten to Yuma. They’re finally leaving Hawaii today. He said they had some trouble with the plane, but it’s finally fixed, and they’re taking off in a couple hours.”
“Ugh,” groaned Victor. “I was hoping for a day off.” Then he spoke louder, “Marshall, we gotta go. Sean’s landing in Yuma today; we have twelve hours to make a fifteen-hour drive.”
Marshall woke everyone up while Victor liberally applied baby wipes from the gas station across the street to Max’s entire body. “I don’t have any new clothes for you, so we have to put these back on. In a couple of days, we’ll be back on our train heading home, and we can change clothes then.”
“Ok, Daddy. I like this shirt. It’s my favorite.”
By ten after, they were all on the road. Sometime around ten, Victor looked down at the speedometer and realized he was driving 120 miles per hour down the deserted Interstate 10.
“I wonder what Tucson is like this time of year,” said Vic.
“We have a couple hours to think about it,” said Renee in the seat next to him. “If you don’t blow this van up first.”
Chapter 26
Tucson is Burning
“It’s a brand new van, Ren. If I blow it up on the first day, I’m never stealing another Toyota again!” said Victor with a smile.
About an hour later, Victor realized they were in the desert. The change had been slow. They started in the east Texas pinewoods, then into the prairie, and then the grass started disappearing. By eleven o’clock in the morning, they were in full desert where there was virtually nothing except rocks and sand. The beautiful desert rock formations passed by, almost unnoticed.
About two hours later, Victor’s radio crackled to life. “Hey Vic, John’s awake and he’s starving. You have all the food,” said Marshall.
“All right, I’ll pull over and we can swap some food out. We don’t have a lot of time though, so we have to be fast.”
The vans pulled slowly to the side of the road. Victor jumped out, opened the hatch, and grabbed one of the boxes of food, anxious to get to the other van and check on John. As he opened the van door, the hot air took him by surprise. Vic had the air conditioning running, and he hadn’t realized just how warm it was outside. The sun was shining without a cloud in the sky, and as he squinted, Vic wished he had some sunglasses.
When he got to the other van, his Australian friend was sitting up in the back seat. The cuts had closed to angry red scratches, but it looked like John was going to have a permanent scar down his cheek. “That scar is gonna look badass, dude,” said Victor. “We’re a few hours from your family, and we have a few hours left to drive. It’s going to be a close thing, but we’re going to make it.”
“I’ll be ready,” croaked John.
Victor reached in the box of food and tossed John a bottle of water. “I hope we don’t need you. Maybe Yuma will be empty, and we can watch the plane land when we wake from our naps.”
“Bloody oath, I hope you’re right, mate.”
“Rest up. Nothing in our life is ever easy,” said Tookes.
“Looks like home. I worked in a mine that looked just like this,” said John.
“I have to pee, Daddy,” said Max, unbuckling his seat belt.
“That’s probably a good idea for everyone. The next stop is Yuma. We should top off the gas tanks too.”
Everyone got out of the vans and headed off in different directions to take care of their needs while Victor unstrapped the gas cans from the roof and put two by his van and two by Marshall’s. He watched Kris and Alicia get out and walk away. He knew what was coming next. He watched the two of them together. They’d only known each other a few days, but their body language spoke of a deep connection.
-----
Alicia and Kris were deep in quiet conversation. It had been over twenty-four hours since Markus had been bitten, and Alicia was anxious. She needed to get back to see her brother and to make sure Riley had kept the farm running. He wasn’t used to being the primary caretaker of so many people. Liam filled in where he could, but it was too much for one person. Riley wasn’t an organizer or a leader, but he was an excellent man to have at her side to help her do what needed to be done. He was a man that would have done anything for his family.
“Will we need to connect with Markus to get back home? I mean, will I need to look through his eyes like what I did with Tookes?” Kris asked.
Alicia shook her head. “No. I know that place well enough that I just need to think it and we’ll be there.”
“You’re sure?”
“For fuck’s sake, Kris. I got us here okay, didn’t I?” Alicia stuck her tongue out and smiled broadly. “Remember what I said about trust?”
Kris made a face at her. “Yeah...”
“Well,” she said, putting her hand on Kris’ back, “I think getting us both back in one piece is a good start.”
Kris sighed and nodded. She had her hands buried in her pockets as she walked over to Tookes, kicking at the dirt as she walked.
“I’m going to guess that you know what I’m about to say,” she said.
“I saw you two having a conversation. Can she get you all the way home from here?”
“That remains to be seen.” She laughed. “Nah, we’ll be good. Believe it or not, I have faith in her.”
“I’m glad you finally met someone you can believe in,” said Victor with a grin.
“Can’t run forever,” she replied with a shrug.
“Thank you for coming, Kris. It would have been ugly without you.” Victor stretched his arms out, inviting K
ris in for a hug. “After all we’ve been through and all that you’ve done, I’ll always consider you a member of the family.”
She smiled and looked down for a moment. “Family. That’s such a...new concept.” Looking back up at him, she added, “And I really like it.” She met his embrace and moved in close to him. “If you need me, you know where I’ll be.”
“Likewise, Kris. If you’re ever in trouble, you’ll always have a place with us.”
“Thank you. Really,” she said, breaking their embrace.
“Stay safe, Kris. Marshall would kill me if something ever happened to you,” Victor said, winking at her.
Kris laughed. “I think we’ll be okay.” She stuck her tongue out at him and added, “Do us all a favor and don’t get yourself killed, Tookes. Got too much to do for that shit to happen.”
“I’ll do my best,” said Victor, still smiling. “Get out of here, we gotta go. Tucson’s gonna be a nightmare, and we still have a lot of miles to cover.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she said. Kris turned around from Tookes and walked back to Alicia. The two women stood next to each other, fingers laced together. “I’ll see ya around, Vic,” she called, and with that, they disappeared in a puff of dark smoke.
Victor stared at the spot until the swirling black particles dissipated. Then he turned around and walked back towards the van. “Let’s go, everybody,” he called.
In minutes, they were back to full speed, flying down the abandoned highway. The miles ticked by without incident. The worst obstacle was the occasional sand dune that had crept over the road. The hours rolled by until Renee finally spoke, pointing to the horizon. “What’s that?” she asked.
“I think that’s Tucson. It looks like it’s on fire.”
As they drove by the city, it was clear that it had been burning for a very long time. The road was covered in a black oily film and very slick. Someone had cleared most of the cars. Almost all of them were pushed against the retaining wall, and most of them had some yellow scuffmarks that looked like it was from a snowplow or a city truck. The left lane was open the whole way through the burned-out city. There was almost nothing left standing. Victor wondered how many years it would be before all the great monuments of humanity would be reduced to ash and rubble.
