by Bianca D’Arc
Then he began to notice footprints in the loamy soil beneath the trees. They were dragging footsteps. The hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle in awareness. He pointed to the footprints, making Sarah aware of them. She’d noticed but her shrugging reply to him said she hadn’t made a connection between the pattern of the print and the way the bad guys walked, sort of dragging their feet behind them.
“Zombies.” He whispered the word so only she could hear, still pointing to the drag marks. Sarah’s eyes widened. Xavier drew his weapon. The one that was loaded with toxic darts. Sarah did the same.
The prints proved the creatures had been here in the past. The recent past, if he was reading the freshness of the prints correctly. They might’ve left, but he wouldn’t bet on it.
God, he hated putting Sarah in the path of danger. She did have training to deal with rough situations, though. That was some consolation. It helped, too, that she’d faced these guys on her own before and lived to tell the tale.
This time, they would face the zombies together. Nothing really bad would happen to her if he had anything to say about it. He also felt good knowing that she was impervious to the contagion that would kill almost anyone else. He had to end the danger. He and the very few others like him who were immune had to shoulder the burden for the rest of humanity.
It was his calling to protect, just like it was Sarah’s. As a cop, she was sworn to protect and serve. Well, she was about to get her wish. Xavier saw movement in the woods ahead.
He gestured and she nodded. Good. She saw it, too. She probably had never had to do much sneaking around in her line of work, but she was a quick study and light of foot. Her petite size helped her when it came to moving silently through the trees. That was good. So far, it looked like the zombies had no idea he and Sarah were there. He’d like to keep it that way as long as possible.
Xavier positioned them along the side of the property about twenty yards from the house. The area was filled with trees, only a ten-foot clearing between the woods and the structure.
Xavier caught sight of one of the creatures as it came around the corner of the house. He dragged his feet in a sloppy imitation of a march step, his eyes empty, his expression slack. Xavier spared a second to glance at Sarah. Her eyes were wide with recognition. This, then, was most likely one of the creatures that had attacked her.
He was a big son of a bitch. And he’d died young. The kid was no more than twenty-two or so, if Xavier was any judge. His face was also suspiciously free of bite marks. He’d been one of those made by the experiment, then, and not one made by an attack. His blond hair was riddled with filth, but the empty blue eyes and the leeched skin that still retained a pale tan made Xavier think this kid had spent a lot of time at the beach. Hell, he was probably a surfer. Poor kid. He was dead now, and in a few minutes there’d be nothing left of him at all but a pile of goo.
Not after Xavier got through doing his job. He had to put the surfer kid out of his misery, but first he had to see if there were more of the creatures in the area. It wouldn’t do to launch an attack, only to be surrounded by dozens of the bastards. More reconnaissance was in order.
Xavier began to move, mentally tagging the surfer’s location for the moment he launched his offensive. It wouldn’t be long now.
Moving carefully, Xavier circled the house, trying to cover as much of the woods as possible, Sarah his silent shadow. He didn’t see any other zombies, though he noticed a lot of tracks. Dragging feet of different sizes meant several different creatures had been through here in the recent past. Where were they now? In the house? Or waiting in the woods? Or have they been let loose on an unsuspecting population?
He hoped to hell they were still here, even though that would make his job more dangerous. The more of them he had to take out at one time, the more potential for problems. Of course, he had his trusty sidekick with him. That meant double the firepower. Maybe they could swing this after all.
Xavier motioned Sarah to hang back while he went around the corner of the house first. She nodded agreement and he moved stealthily forward.
He rounded the corner and…damn. There was another one, not five yards from him. It looked up.
Xavier let loose with two darts, hitting the target cleanly as it advanced slowly on his position.
“Xavier?” Sarah’s voice came from behind him.
“One up here,” he reported swiftly. “He saw me. I darted him twice but he’s still advancing.”
“Xavier…” She sounded breathless. “There are more behind us.”
He glanced over his shoulder.
“Shit!” Four more were coming at them through the woods from different angles. They were nearly surrounded. How the hell did that happen? “Open fire. Take the two on your left. I’ve got the other two.” They were both moving and firing before he’d even finished speaking.
They put two solid hits in each target. The four in the woods continued to stalk forward, their slow and steady motion unchanged.
He heard that moaning sound that set his teeth on edge as he looked for the first one he’d darted. Damn. The guy was still standing, closer now, even though Xavier and Sarah had darted through the only gap in the line of creatures, out into the deeper woods in back of the house.
“Are any of those one of the ones that attacked you before?” Xavier was trying to keep a mental tally of the monsters. There were too damn many of them.
“No. Just the one we spotted first. He’s the one that snuck up behind me.”
“Son of a—” Xavier spun around, checking the dense woods. Sure enough, there was the surfer, trying to perform the same maneuver. They’d been neatly trapped. He’d ponder the implications of that bit of news later. If they survived.
Xavier let loose at the surfer with two rounds but one ended up stuck in a tree. Sarah had a better angle and she took it, hitting the surfer solidly in the thigh.
“They’re all around us. They’re closing in!” Sarah’s voice held a trace of panic, though she seemed to be holding it together pretty well. Xavier knew their situation wasn’t good.
“They’re not disintegrating, either. We shot each of them twice. They should be gone by now.”
“Should we hit them again?”
“Yeah. Two more pops each. Try to spread out your shots.” He suited his words to his action and they both started firing, standing back to back. They were at the center of a very deadly circle. Only a few yards separated them from the ring of monsters, their slicing claws and sharp teeth.
Sarah could see the deformed, blood-stained faces as they neared. Bite marks showed where they had been savaged, and bits of dead flesh hung off their skulls in places like something out of a Halloween horror show. Except makeup could never look as bad as this. Or smell as bad.
Sarah wanted to gag but did her best to keep her professional demeanor. She wouldn’t let Xavier down again. She wouldn’t let herself down again. She could handle this without falling to pieces.
“They’re getting closer, Xavier.”
“The toxin should take effect any moment now. Damn. Come on, darts, do that toxic thing.”
Despite the nearly desperate situation, she was amused. “I don’t think talking to the darts is going to help.”
“Couldn’t hurt.” Xavier’s back touched hers. She felt his warmth, his strength and his quivering alertness. His body was on edge, but not with nerves. No, it was more eager anticipation of action. “You okay, Sarah?”
“Just peachy.” She watched the creatures advance, her heart racing. They were closer now, just a few feet away.
“Bingo.” Xavier’s soft exclamation alerted her.
She turned just in time to see the first one he’d shot take a step, then sort of implode right before her eyes.
“Quick! That way.”
Xavier pushed her ahead of him, out of the tightening circle. She jumped over the pile of old clothes and organic goo, Xavier right behind her as the zombies changed course. The two
of them could outrun the zombies, as long as the creatures weren’t setting another trap.
Damn. They’d actually set a trap. She didn’t think they were supposed to be capable of that kind of organized thought.
“Xavier, do these guys seem a lot smarter than the other ones you’ve faced?”
He looked at her sharply before returning his attention to the woods around them and the zombies on their trail. “Yeah. And they’re harder to kill. Takes more of the toxin and more time.”
As he said that, the others started imploding behind them. One by one, they went down in the order they’d been shot. Only the one who’d snuck up behind her in the abandoned building remained.
“Surfer boy will go in another minute,” Xavier said quietly as they kept alert for more of the creatures while watching the one they’d shot. “He’s the one who bit your shoulder, right?”
“Yeah. Sneaking up behind people seems to be his thing.”
“Not for long.” Xavier’s head swiveled as he searched the grounds, then returned to focus on the remaining zombie. “Ah. There he goes.”
As they watched, the creature sank in on himself, dissolving in seconds into a steaming pile of organic debris and old clothes on the ground. Sarah felt an immense sense of relief knowing that one of her attackers was no more. She also felt sorry for the young man who’d been cut down in the prime of life. Somewhere, someone would grieve for his loss, if they were ever able to identify who he’d been. Otherwise, his loved ones would never know how or why he’d disappeared.
“So that leaves at least one more. Probably more than that, actually, based on their current multiplication rate.” Xavier was moving again, his head turning from side to side as he scanned the woods. Sarah did the same, even as she asked questions. There was no need for silence any longer, though she kept her voice low. After that last little confrontation, anyone else on the grounds had to know they were here by now.
“What multiplication rate?”
“They like to bite. They seem driven to do it. One can become many in a few days. Judging by how many we just took out and the fact that only surfer boy looked like one of the original models, these things have been multiplying for a while. There are bound to be more in addition to the one who messed up your leg.” He shot her a concerned look. “How’s the leg holding up?”
“I’m good,” she rushed to assure him. She wasn’t about to let on how the uneven ground was causing more than a little discomfort to her thigh, despite the rapidly growing muscle and skin. “The woods look clear,” she said, trying to take the focus off her condition. Xavier gave her a suspicious look but allowed the change of subject.
“I agree. I think we can check out the house now, but be careful. There may be more hiding inside. I noticed there was only one viable entry. The back door was boarded shut.”
“Yeah, I saw that, too. It’s not unusual for empty places around here to be boarded up to keep kids and vandals out.”
They skirted the edge of the wooded area, approaching the front entryway at an oblique angle. There was a larger clearing in the front of the house where the long driveway led to a parking area. There were no cars in any of the parking spots and no sign that anyone was home.
“The house looks deserted,” she observed.
“Looks can be deceiving. Stay sharp.”
Xavier made his move, covering the distance between the trees and the front door in a hustling sort of crouched jog. Sarah followed behind as best she could on her gimpy leg. The twilight had turned to full dark as they finished searching the woods around the house. No lights shone from within.
Sarah’s eyes had adjusted to the dark. It wasn’t a pitch-black night. There was thin cloud cover and a bright moon that had risen before dark. Its light reflected off the clouds, bathing the world in an eerie glow. Creepy, but useful.
Xavier went to the door, warning her first and counting down before he kicked it open. It made the most horrendous noise. He reached one hand in, looking for a light switch in the dark interior.
The light went on inside, casting a warm glow over the threshold.
“Looks clear. I’ll go first. I want you right behind me, then shut the door. We’ll hear it if anyone comes in after us.”
She understood. The door squeaked like the dickens. If anyone opened it after them, they’d definitely hear it. There was no way around it.
Xavier entered and she followed close behind, shutting the door after her. When she turned around, Xavier was already across the large, open great room and in a short hall. He was at the door to a side room and reached in to find the light switch.
“Fuck!” he swore, pulling his hand back. It was bloody. Long furrows marred his tanned skin from wrist to elbow. They were deep and painful looking. “There’s one in there. Bastard scratched me.”
The lights were still off in the room and no sound came from within.
“Hang on. I’ll shine my light inside.”
“Do it from back there.” He indicated a spot about three feet away. “I may need room to maneuver.”
Sarah backed off three paces while she reached for her flashlight. On Xavier’s nod, she flicked it on and aimed the widely dispersed beam into the small room.
She saw the creature right away, huddled in the corner. It was female.
The poor girl was young. Maybe twenty or so, with what had been long blond hair, now matted with blood and filth. Her face had no doubt once been pretty but was now a ruined mess. She shied away from the light as Xavier walked into the room. He took aim as the pathetic creature looked up at him.
“Mas-ter?”
The girl seemed to be addressing Xavier. She’d clearly called him “master.”
“What the hell?” Xavier seemed completely taken aback.
So was Sarah, if truth be told. The creatures weren’t supposed to be able to speak, according to Xavier.
“That’s right,” Xavier temporized. “Be a good little zombie and stand up for your master. Stand up, girl.”
Astonishingly, the girl got to her feet. Sarah could see the fresh, bright-red blood on the talons of her left hand. That was Xavier’s blood.
“What’s your name?” Sarah asked from the hallway.
The girl looked past Xavier to stare blankly in Sarah’s direction.
Xavier shot Sarah a questioning look. She shrugged. “It was worth a try. If we knew who she was, we might be able to learn where Sellars is getting his victims. It would also help to be able to notify next of kin when this is all over. Knowing who she is would probably close a missing person’s case. Somebody is bound to be looking for her.”
Xavier looked impressed by her reasoning. Suddenly the girl started to move toward him. Her claws rent the air as she advanced on him. There was no doubt about it. The girl was out for blood.
He took aim and fired three rounds into the girl at point-blank range, backing off as she continued to move forward. He added a fourth dart for good measure as he crossed the great room, Sarah preceding him toward the door. The girl followed behind, her left leg lurching at a funny angle. It was broken near the ankle, but still she kept walking on it. The very image of it made Sarah want to retch.
“I suppose that’s why she wasn’t outside as part of the welcoming committee,” Xavier observed, watching the girl’s halting progress carefully. “Probably why she was left behind, too. She can’t move fast on that.”
“This is so sad.” Sarah felt awful for the ruined creature that had probably once been a beautiful young woman in the prime of her life.
Xavier looked at Sarah with understanding in his eyes. “It is, but what we’re doing is a good thing. We’re putting them to rest, giving their souls peace.”
“You truly believe that?”
“I have to.”
He backed off farther, almost to the door as the girl came nearer.
As she drew close to the door, she disintegrated right before their eyes. Xavier turned to check the rest of the house. He did it q
uickly and efficiently, circling back to Sarah a few minutes later.
“The house is clear. Stay here and poke around while I make sure we got all of the ones in the woods and mark the debris piles.” Xavier opened a pouch on his thigh and clicked a locator transmitter to life, dropping it on the pile of goo just inside the door. She knew he had to do the same to all the others they’d taken down tonight, so the cleanup team could find them and decontaminate the area.
Xavier surprised her, cupping her neck in one strong hand and pulling her into a searing kiss that rocked her world. No warning. No mercy. Just an all-out assault that made her body hum with want and need. Then it was over and he stepped back.
“Be careful, Sarah.”
The look in his eyes said much more than his simple words, warming her down to her soul. Could it be that the big, strong soldier cared? Something led her to believe he just might.
Sarah edged into the house. It had a simple layout for such a large place. It looked almost unfinished inside. There was one massive great room that was open clear up to the ceiling. There was no second floor—just high cathedral ceilings in every room—and very little furniture. Someone had either moved out in a hurry or nobody had ever moved in to begin with.
She began a methodical search of the premises, snapping latex gloves on her hands before she started. It wouldn’t do to contaminate a possible crime scene or any evidence she might have to handle. There wasn’t anything of immediate interest in the great room, so she moved on to the smaller rooms. The kitchen held a few bottles of chemicals the techs might be able to make something of, but Sarah continued her exploration. A bathroom held nothing of interest that she could see.
It was when she hit the corner bedroom that she felt a chill run down her spine. Taped to the wall, just inside the door, where she’d be certain to see it, was an envelope. It was one of those square jobs with a clear plastic cutout in the center to showcase a computer disc. The shiny silver disc had a name scribbled across its face in bold capital letters. It simply read SARAH.
