Paige squeezed her mom’s hand. “I know, mom. We all do.”
“Well, what should we do now?” asked Bryce, feeling beaten. “They’ve obviously lost us. Hell, they could be anywhere in the city.”
“Don’t give up, Bryce. He might be parked around here with his lights off,” said Nora.
Bryce rubbed his forehead. “Why the hell does she have to be so damn reckless all the time? She should have stayed in the vehicle, where it was safe.”
“Could have, should have, but as usual- didn’t,” said Paige. “That’s the way she is and you should know that by now.”
“I guess I should. Obviously, everything I tell her goes in one ear and out the other. I never know what the hell she’s going to do next.”
Nora chuckled. “When she climbed onto the fence and then jumped onto that dude’s truck, I couldn’t freaken believe it, man. Seriously, I’m not even that crazy. I think it stunned the hell out of the people in the truck though.”
“Did anyone get a good look at who was in the vehicle?” asked Tiny.
“No,” replied Nora. “I tried, but the windows were too dark.”
“So, what now?” asked Bryce, staring off into the darkness. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know if I can leave this part of town without trying to locate her. I know it’s not fair to you guys, though. Maybe I should find another vehicle so you can head out to the mall.”
Henry took off his hat and smoothed his hair down. “Looky here, Bryce, Cassie will be just fine. Whoever left with her has no idea what kind of a fighter that little lady is. Hell, she’ll probably kill the bastard and still find the girls before we even reach the damn mall.”
Bryce smiled grimly. “I don’t know, Henry. She’s been so lucky up until now. I’m just afraid…”
“Don’t think like that,” interrupted Tiny. “Now, this is Cassie we’re talking about. If anyone has a fighting chance it’s her. Don’t start talking like that and don’t give up hope.”
“I don’t want to,” he said. “I really don’t.”
“Well, we’ve got to get moving,” said Henry. “Wasting time talking about this isn’t helping.”
“Personally, I think we should look for the kids first,” said Tiny. “I hate to say it, but they need our help more than anything right now. If they’re at the mall, then we need to get our asses there before it’s too late.”
“What’s too late?” squeaked Kristie.
He turned around and squeezed her knee. “Just saying, babe. I’m sure they’re fine but we need to get out there. Time’s wasting.”
Bryce sighed and drove towards the freeway. “Yeah, I know we do and for some reason, I’m starting to get this feeling that whoever has Cassie, isn’t even in this area.”
“She knows where we’re heading,” said Henry. “So, once she gets away, and I believe she will, you’ll see her again.”
He wished he felt as confident as everyone else, but in his gut, he knew that Cassie was in mortal danger and the thought of never seeing her again was killing him.
Chapter Twelve
Cassie
The rain died down, but I was still chilled to the bone. I figured that if I wasn’t killed by the people in the truck, I’d probably die of pneumonia if I didn’t get out of my wet clothes soon and into something dry soon. I decided that the first thing I’d do if I escaped, was to break into a vehicle and search for clothing or a blanket. For now, however, I had to bear the cold and as usual, hope that I’d survive whatever lay ahead of me. It was obvious that I’d made another dumb decision without thinking it through, and now I’d be paying for it somehow.
At least my friends were safe.
But Bryce, he had to be just furious with me again. If I didn’t watch myself, he’d change his mind on marrying me. That thought made my heart ache. I wasn’t sure if I could handle it if he dumped me. I wouldn’t necessarily blame him if he did, but I’d rather die than lose him; which was why I had to survive, get back to him, and prove that I could stay out of trouble. Or at least try a little harder.
I stared down at my ring and felt tears burning in the back of my eyes. I didn’t want to die, not without getting married to the big lug. Heck, we still needed time to get to know each other. I knew which foot he preferred to kick with and that he had a helluva right hook, but I had no idea what his favorite color was, how he liked his eggs, or what his favorite food even was.
My God, did he even like pickles?
I closed my eyes and tried to picture his face. Thankfully, it came easily and not surprisingly, he was scowling at me.
I smiled.
Damn, I loved his scowl. I loved everything about my karate man. But then my thoughts drifted from him to my sister and my smile fell.
Allie, God she must be terrified.
I hoped that Billie snapped out of whatever was happening to him and brought her back to my grandparent’s house. That’s what I hoped, but something inside told me that wasn’t going to happen. That something much more sinister was going on. Something also told me that I was going to be there when it went down. I hoped that I was wrong. I prayed that she and Kylie were safe and would stay that way.
When the pickup veered off of the highway near MOA’s exited, I couldn’t believe it. Here I’d been kidnapped, but taken to the one place I really wanted to be. If I hadn’t felt so much hate for the bastard driving the truck, I’d have offered him gas money.
As the truck slowed down to make a turn, a couple of blocks from the mall, I jumped out of the back and began running through the rain. With every puddle splash, I expected to hear a squeal of tires and the roar of an engine, but, amazingly, the truck ignored me and sped away. It was odd, but then the guy was a nut case and I knew not to really expect anything rational from someone that crazy. But, the fact that he’d driven me to Bloomington was a little unnerving.
Pushing away thoughts of the crazy pickup driver, I continued towards the mall, slowing to a jog and then finally, my tired and undernourished body could do nothing but walk. Thirsty and famished, I stared at the restaurants near the mall and my stomach groaned. I hadn’t eaten anything for quite a while and memories of cheeseburgers, heavy on the pickles, and strawberry malts made me want to cry. Feeling frustrated and sad, I turned my eyes away from the painful reminders of what had once been and noticed that there were zombies hovering around, some in the shadows, but most of them by the mall.
Your fault that I can’t have ice cream anymore, I thought angrily as I watched a couple of zombies loitering near the entrance of a steak joint that my dad had loved. And your fault he’s gone.
I glared at the zombies but kept walking, a little surprised that they hadn’t yet come for me.
As I approached the street by the mall, I noticed that many of the creatures were doing their normal thing of shuffling around without reason, lost in their own little worlds, but some of them seemed to be actually watching me with a keenness that was creepy. Remembering that I was basically weaponless, I slowed down, not wanting to get too close to them; if more than two came at me at once, I’d be screwed.
I really needed a weapon.
Making a quick decision, I turned around and headed towards the steak joint and the two zombies still hanging around by the entrance. As I approached, they stared at me hungrily, but made no attempt to attack me. Still, not trusting them, I kicked the nearest one in the face, sending it flying backwards and then turned to the other zombie, a woman with knotted red hair and oozing sores all over her face.
She stared at me, swaying.
I stared back, scowling and ready to strike.
The door to the restaurant swung open and someone grabbed my arm, jerking me inside before I had time to react.
“What in the hell are you doing?” asked a big burly guy with a black beard and a patch over his left eye. He locked the door and turned to me. “Do you want to be a victim?”
“Uh, no,” I replied, shocked.
“Well, you could have foole
d me,” he said, sizing me up. “Kids, they just don’t pay enough attention.”
“I’m eighteen,” I protested.
He rolled his eye. “Oh, well then you have no excuse.”
Sighing, I turned to look at the small group of people sitting next to the bar. There were two women, I figured somewhere in their thirties, a middle-aged dark-skinned man, and a boy who appeared to be in his early teens. “Wow, I didn’t know anyone was alive around here.”
The tall man with the beard headed back towards the bar. “If that’s what you want to call it.”
“What’s your name, honey?” asked one of the women. She had medium length blond hair and green haunted eyes.
“I’m Cassie.”
“I’m Carolyn,” she said. “That’s Lisa, and Mac, and Rob’s son Daniel.”
“I’m Rob,” said the bearded man, now leaning over the bar, which was lit up by candles.
“Hi,” I answered.
“Where’d you come from?” he asked, in a softer tone.
“It’s kind of a long story,” I replied, shivering.
“You cold?” asked Mac, the dark-skinned man.
“Uh, yeah. You guys wouldn’t have a blanket or some extra clothing, would you? I’m freezing.”
“I’ll get you one of the uniforms from the back,” said Lisa, standing up. “It’s better than nothing.”
“Thanks,” I replied, walking towards the bar.
Rob grabbed a shot glass and filled it with something brown. “Here, drink this. It will warm you up.”
I picked up the shot glass. “What is it?”
“Rum.”
I’d never had rum.
I took a sip and shuddered. “Oh my God…”
Rob chuckled. “Just drink it quickly. You’ll be glad you did.”
I took a deep breath and then slammed the shot. As the liquid entered my stomach, I began to feel warm and fuzzy all over. I smiled. “Oh, that’s nice.”
“So, what are you doing out here?” asked Mac, who was playing solitaire at the end of the bar. “This time of the morning with all the dead walking around.”
Feeling unnaturally chatty, I began to talk, telling them my story, all the way from when I’d been kidnapped by Austin to how I’d escaped the pickup. Fifteen minutes later, they all stared at me like I was crazy.
“I think you gave her too much rum,” chuckled Mac, rubbing his chin.
“No, it really happened,” I said, staring at the bottle of rum. “Seriously, it did. Hey, um, how about one more shot, I’m getting cold again.”
“How about - no,” he replied with a smile. “Why don’t you change your clothes now that Lisa found a uniform for you? After you’re finished, I have a few questions for you.”
I nodded. “Okay. I have some questions for you guys, too.”
“I’m sure you do,” he replied, grinning.
Lisa handed me a flashlight and the clothes before I went into the Ladies Room. When I stepped inside, I set the flashlight on the counter and then changed into the uniform, which consisted of a black pair of cotton shorts and a white short-sleeve shirt with the restaurant’s logo on it. I removed my boots, wrung out my socks, which were soaked, and slipped them back on. After that, I washed my face and then stepped out of the bathroom carrying the empty gun.
“You hungry?” asked Carolyn as I walked back over to the bar.
“Uh, yeah,” I replied, staring at a fresh bag of sour cream and onion potato chips on the counter. “Very.”
She handed me the bag. “Try to save us some.”
I put my gun down on the counter and tore open the bag. “Oh, definitely. I will. Thanks.”
“So, you really think that some demon has your sister and they’re holding up inside of the mall?” asked Mac, his expression unreadable.
I shrugged. “I really don’t know. I mean, demons… right? Sounds too crazy to be real.”
“So did zombies at one time,” mumbled Daniel.
“Yeah, right? Well, I’m hoping that they’re heading back to Atlanta or my grandparent’s house,” I replied and then stuffed two chips into my mouth. I groaned. “God, these are good. Thank you.”
“No problem,” said Carolyn. “So, tell me - do you plan on just walking right up to the mall, past the hordes of zombies, and into the front door?”
“Well, that’s why I wanted to stop in here. See if you guys have anything I can use as a weapon? I could also use some bullets,” I replied, nodding towards the gun.
“I’m sorry,” said Rob. “I can’t afford to give up any of our ammunition.”
Mac stood up and stretched his arms in the air. “Especially for a suicide mission like that. Do you have any idea of how many zombies are wandering around this area?”
“Yeah, but I really have no choice. I have to see if my sister and the other girls are in the mall, being held against their will. In fact,” I stood up. “I’d better not waste any more time. Thanks for your help and the uniform.”
“Seriously, you’re really going there alone? By yourself?” said Daniel. “Are you nuts?”
“Probably, but it’s helped me survive up to this point.”
“Girl,” said Mac. “You go out there and try to get past those things, you’re never gonna see your sister again.”
“I’ve been through worse, believe me,” I said.
They all looked at each other and I wondered if they still didn’t quite believe my story. “Um, do you have a machete or a butcher knife somewhere in the kitchen?
“Nope, no machete. You can probably use one of Daniel’s Tomahawk Axes,” said Rob.
Daniel’s jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”
Rob leaned forward. “You have two and obviously Cassie needs some kind of weapon. I’m not letting her go empty handed. I’d never forgive myself.”
“Not if you just talk her out of going out there. It’s suicide. You said so yourself,” he said.
“Exactly,” said Lisa. “You shouldn’t go over there, honey. You’ll never make it to the front door.”
“Well, it’s a chance I’m willing to take,” I replied evenly. “Besides, my friends should be arriving shortly.” I turned back to Daniel. “Please, can I use the ax?”
He stood up, walked around the bark, and kneeled down. A few seconds later, he stood back up holding a black ax with a shiny stainless steel head. “Here, this is the smaller one of the two.”
“Thanks,” I said, examining both sides of the blade on the head. This could do a lot of damage. “So, um, you guys are just going to hang out here?”
“Yep. Until the government steps in and gets rid of the rest of the zombies,” said Rob. “We’ve got a grocery store up the street, a cellar full of beer, and a drug store across the street. Haven’t had many looters around here, now with the influx of zombies, so we’ve been lucky.”
“Don’t hold your breath for the government to step in,” I said. “I’ve been to the C.D.C. and back, and haven’t seen any military forces taking down zombies.”
“Well, I’m sure they’ve got their hands full,” said Rob. “Until then, we’ve decided to stick together and hang out here. You’re welcome to join us.”
I smiled. “Well, thanks but after I find my sister and friends, we’re heading back to Atlanta.”
“Suit yourself,” he replied. “But don’t say I didn’t offer.”
“I’d never say that.” I walked towards the doorway. “Well, here goes nothing.”
“Sun up yet?” asked Carolyn, as I peeked outside.
“Nope,” I said. “Strange, huh?”
“Very,” she said. “It’s almost eight in the morning.” She laughed nervously. “God, with the zombies, the crazy weather, and now this unexplained darkness, you’d think the world was coming to an end or something.”
Before I could give her a witty answer, the ground began to vibrate.
Chapter Thirteen
Bryce and Company
They drove in silence on the ride to the mall
. The roads were dark and lifeless, which made everything seem that much more ominous.
When they reached the exit leading towards Bloomington, Henry cleared his throat. “What time is it?”
“Almost six,” said Bryce, glancing at the dashboard.
“In the morning?” he asked, surprised.
“Yep,” replied Bryce.
Henry stared into the darkness. “Well, where’s the damn sun? Has the planet stop spinning now or what?”
“If that happened, I’m sure we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” said Bryce. “We’d probably be dead.”
Henry frowned. “Well, how do you explain the darkness? The sun should be well up by now.”
“Maybe the earth has just slowed down?” volunteered Paige.
“Maybe,” said Bryce. “But I don’t think it would be that dramatic. Not in one day.”
“Okay then, perhaps, Billie was right,” said Paige. “And it’s really the End of Days.”
Bryce groaned. “I’m going with - the clock is messed up, or worst case scenario - the earth actually has slowed down.”
“What do you think, Justice?” asked Paige, turning to him.
He smiled grimly. “Believe me, you don’t want to know what I think.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Okay, now you have to spill it. What do you really think?”
Justice stared outside. “I know this sounds crazy but when Travis had control of my mind….”
“Oh, come on now,” scoffed Henry. “That feller couldn’t have really had control of your mind. You were probably hit in the head and just in your right mind.”
“I thought you believed him before,” said Paige.
“I did, I do… oh it’s just so hard,” said Henry. “I’m struggling with it I guess.”
“Henry,” said Justice. “Seriously, I wish that would have been the case, but I haven’t been injured. Not physically, anyway. As far as Travis goes, well, we definitely had some kind of psychic connection and I hate to say this, because you’ll really think I’m nuts… hell I feel like I’m going nuts, but Travis knew about the darkness. He also knew about the hole…”
Zombie Games Book Five (End Zone) Page 8
