Z Chronicles Box Set [Books 1-3]

by White, A. L.

  He put the cap back on the bottle and shoved it into a coat pocket as he made his way back through the dining room. Sliding on the wood floor as he rounded the table, he only just stayed on his feet thanks to the high-backed chairs he caught himself on. Entering the foyer, he didn’t check to see if anything had changed, he just kept heading toward the front door with only one thought, to get to Lori and for them to get away clean and unharmed. As he passed a mirror that had gone unnoticed the first time through, Jermaine caught a reflection out of the corner of his eye coming toward him. Turning just in time, he blocked the creature with his forearm. Blood washed down to his elbow as the creature sank its teeth deep into his flesh. Lifting the barrel of the gun up to the creature’s temple, it took everything to not pull the trigger. Lifting it higher up he brought the butt of the grip crashing down on the skull over and over as chunks of skull and flesh sprayed all over and the creature fell to the floor with a heavy thud. Feeling the wound where a gaping hole replaced a significant portion of his arm, Jermaine shook his head in disbelief at his stupidity. Knowing that he should have gone out the same way he came in wasn’t helping matters. Putting the gun back into his coat pocket Jermaine stumbled out of the front door, falling down the stairs.

  “Jermaine!” Lori yelled when she saw him hit the ground, taking off running to help.

  Getting back up just as Lori reached him, Jermaine looked at her. “We have to go now.”

  “What happened to you?” Lori asked.

  “I got careless and walked into something that bit me.” Jermaine replied.

  Lori stopped and looked into his eyes as a tear rolled down her cheek. “I am so sorry Jermaine.”

  “Don’t count me out just yet. I think I thought of a way to stop it from spreading. Either way we have to move fast and get back to the others.”

  “We will move as fast as we can. I don’t want you to get your heart pumping fast, causing it to move through your system quicker.” Lori replied.

  “Lori, on the other side of that house I saw the largest herd that I have ever seen.” Jermaine said.

  Chapter 30

  Pulling the hose out of two tanks and coiling it up, Charlie thought they had all they needed for now. “That’s about as much as we’re going to get. Should be enough to get us to the next town.”

  Tillford nodded his head in agreement. “Where do you think the other two are at?”

  “That’s a good question, I wish they would get back so we can get back on the road.” Charlie replied.

  “Should I honk the horn until they come?” Todd asked excited at the thought.

  “Nah Todd, let’s give them a little longer before we start doing that.” Charlie replied.

  “There is more than enough gas left in the Dually to go take a ride and find them.” Tillford pointed out.

  “Sounds like a plan.” Charlie replied, handing Tillford the keys. “Virginia, can you get everyone else ready to go?”

  “Sure.” Virginia replied. “Looks like they are ready.”

  Tillford drove down the street in the general direction that they thought Lori and Jermaine had gone. At the cross street, taking a left then following that as far as they could until it dead ended into a field.

  “Which way now?” Tillford asked.

  Charlie didn’t answer right away, sitting there as still as a statue. “You hear that?”

  Tillford held his breath so that he wouldn’t miss the slightest noise then exhaled and replied. “Sounds like someone crying for help or the wind playing tricks on us.”

  “What direction do you think it’s coming from?” Charlie asked.

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath that he held for a moment while his listened intently. “I would say from that way.” He pointed out Charlie’s window.

  “That’s my guess too. Could be one of ours in trouble.” Charlie replied.

  Tillford started the engine and turned the truck toward where the noise was coming from. Moving slow to not have their presence be known, they cruised up the road.

  “There!” Charlie said. “Do you see it over by that can?”

  Bringing the truck to a stop, Tillford squinted and strained his eyes to see what Charlie was pointing at. It looked like the figure started waving an arm in the air. “I see it, let’s go.” Tillford replied.

  Before Charlie could say anything Tillford was out of the truck, running at full speed. Before Charlie was even out of his seat, Tillford was yelling for him to pull the truck up. Tillford ran straight for the figure crying out, paying little heed to his surroundings.

  The hairs on the back of Charlie’s neck began to stand up once he was out of the truck. He couldn’t help but feel like death was standing behind him. His mind began to imagine that it could hear the scythe cutting through the air to reap his soul. Peering over his shoulder, Charlie saw the first one come out of the shadows. It was joined by another and then another until he could no longer keep track for sure. Screams of agony snapped the icy death grip of fear that held Charlie in place. Raising his gun, he squeezed off a round at the closest, then squeezed off another. Screams became more desperate, almost mind numbing. Charlie lost all sight of Tillford. Chaos reigned supreme all around; inside Charlie was as calm as a lake on a windless day. Targets presented themselves just long enough for Charlie to squeeze off a round, dropping them. Shots echoed off to his left so Charlie shifted his feet and took aim. Seeing Lori and Jermaine standing there, he let his hand fall to his side. Lori went over to where Tillford had been and poked around a little. Coming back, she said. “We need to get back to the station.”

  “Tillford?” Charlie asked.

  “Not much left to him.” Lori replied, starting the truck and backing up until she slid into a turn on the street.

  “The one that was crying for help?” Charlie asked.

  “He was probably dead when you guys got here.” Lori forced the Dually into drive and fish tailing down the street.

  “We found the herd that has trampled all the snow around here. Let me tell you it is huge!” Jermaine stated.

  “You couldn’t tell they were here?” Charlie asked Lori.

  “No, I didn’t have any idea or scent of them. I don’t think Tillford did either or that back there would have ended differently.” Lori replied, sliding the Dually onto main street and into the station lot. “Charlie, you drive the truck, I will send Virginia and Perseus to ride with you.”

  As soon as Perseus came out followed by Virginia, they were on their way. Charlie took the lead thinking that he would be able to cut a path through the herd if it closed in around them. Just outside of town they found the leading edge. They were just standing alongside the road, watching as Charlie and the others approached. Keeping the truck as far toward the opposite side as he could, Charlie kept a close eye for movement. There was no breaking toward them, no surge onto the road, just the heads all turning in unison as they passed by.

  “Ever see anything like that, Virginia?” Charlie asked in a hushed tone close to a whisper.

  “Never.” Virginia replied. “What happened back there?”

  “Tillford and I heard cries. We followed the sound and come up on a man or something laying in the street waving an arm at us for help.” Charlie replied.

  “When you went, they sprang on you, right?” Virginia asked.

  Turning his head in shock, Charlie looked at her. “How did you know that?”

  “This guy named Jack that was with us in the beginning with Bob told us about something just like that. He said the two-point-zeros had set a trap for them. You go to help the crying man and they come at you from all directions.” Virginia replied.

  “That was how it happened all right.” Charlie said more to himself than to Virginia.

  “When did Lori and Jermaine get there to help?” Virginia asked.

  “The end I think, not really too sure now.” Charlie replied.

  “Then you did ok for yourself, Charlie!” Virginia play punched Char
lie in the arm.

  “Thank you, I think…” Charlie replied, trying to force the images out of his head.

  “You’re alive Charlie and that’s all that matters. You stood your ground against a group of two-point-zeros, that is something!” Virginia continued.

  “Have you ever, you know, been by yourself against them?” Charlie asked.

  “I used to go out with the lads and hunt them. Well, I did until Bob and Lori found out about it. They weren’t all that happy with me. “Virginia replied.

  “You hunted them on purpose?” Charlie asked not wanting to believe what he was hearing.

  “It is a lot easier than you would think once you know how they move.” Virginia replied.

  “And you know this?” Charlie asked staring at her for a second.

  “Trust me Charlie, you could do it too. They always set a half dead person or one of their own as the bait to draw you in. Once you reach a certain point the close the trap on you.” Virginia explained.

  Charlie shook his head in disbelief. “Come at you from all directions?”

  “Exactly!” Virginia replied. “The secret is to set yourself up outside of the trap and drop the bait. Works best when they use one of their own but will still work if it is a wounded person.”

  “Then what?” Charlie asked wanting to know more.

  “They come out from hiding when the bait is dead, and they know you’re not coming. Drop them as soon as they show themselves and let Zeus and Perseus deal with the ones you miss.” Virginia continued. “It really is that simple and easy.”

  “Wow! Jermaine was right about you.” Charlie stated.

  “Oh yea, and what was it he said about me?” Virginia asked.

  Charlie smiled. “You were not the girl to mess with and it is great to have to you in a fight.”

  “I think I will take that as a compliment. So thank you both for thinking that.” Virginia replied.

  Chapter 31

  Zoe sat on one side of the table with Jermaine facing her from the other side. His arm was laying out before them on a folded-up blanket. She jabbed at the wound in different places with stiff fingers that barely closed. Jermaine winced on a few of pokes but managed to hold it in on most. Turning her hand over she placed the back against his skin, just outside of the bite, to feel the heat. She gingerly stood and placed her hand against his forehead for a few seconds. Sitting back down, Zoe looked across at Jermaine and the sadness returned to her from when her great nephew had been bitten. “Do you want us to get Virginia to ride with us?” Zoe asked.

  “Nah Zoe, it isn’t going down like that.” Jermaine replied.

  Todd came forward and wrapped Jermaine in a bear hug that smothered him. With tears flowing freely, Todd held as tight as he could.

  “Don’t you worry Todd. It’s going to be alright. I have a plan to beat this bite before it beats me.” Jermaine said as Lori helped pull the crying Todd off of him.

  “Son, there is no way to beat this.” Zoe stated. “I can feel the heat traveling up your arm while we’re sitting here.” Poking the skin just below Jermaine’s elbow then poking an inch lower with more force she sat back. “Cool and then blazing hot.”

  Pointing to the spot that Zoe had just said was still cool. “It hasn’t moved to this part yet?”

  “Not as far as I can tell with these old hands and fingers. I am not a doctor, Jermaine.” Zoe replied.

  “Closest thing we have to one now.” He replied smiling. “Let’s say we cut the arm off at the elbow, what happens then?”

  “You lose your arm, son. What are you asking me?” Zoe pleaded.

  “Zoe, I am asking you if I would be alive and missing one arm or will I be dead missing one arm?”

  Zoe could see the desperation in Jermaine’s eyes, Like Albert a short time ago, he was really asking the old woman to say that everything was going to be ok. “There is no guarantee that you won’t still turn.” Zoe forced out finally.

  When Jermaine was little and found himself filled with fear from a nasty thunderstorm he would run and hide in the back of his closet. He wanted to be in the back of that closet now waiting for the deep voice of his father to tell him that the storm was passing, that he could come out from hiding. “I got nothing to lose by doing it then.”

  “It will be painful because we don’t have anything to cut it with.” Zoe replied.

  “There is a circular saw in the toolbox in the back of Charlie’s truck. We can use the power from the RV.” Jermaine replied. “We need to do this soon before it moves too far.”

  Zoe looked up at Lori for an objection. Finding none she looked back into Jermaine’s eyes. “Tressa honey, if you see any place that looks safe enough to stop could you let us know?”

  “I saw a sign for a feed warehouse a little way back.” Tressa replied. “Do you think we have gone far enough to be stopping?”

  “Well, Jermaine, will a feed warehouse do?” Zoe asked.

  “Tressa, I think we will be good now, please pull into the warehouse when you see it.” Jermaine replied ignoring Zoe’s question.

  The RV shifted to the right hard, feeling like it had left the ground as the back end swung around toward the front. “Hold on, it kind of just came up on me.” Tressa yelled back as everything came to a stop. Within seconds Charlie and Virginia were pounding on the door to get in.

  “What the hell happened back there?” Charlie asked bursting into the RV.

  “We are all good.” Jermaine replied. “Have to do a minor surgery so we thought we could stop for the night here.”

  Looking at the gaping hole where Jermaine’s forearm had once been, Charlie felt the wind knocked out of him. “Jesus Jermaine, I didn’t know that you were bitten. Why didn’t you say something back there?”

  “You know me, Charlie. I don’t want anyone worrying for nothing.” Jermaine replied.

  Zoe stood up and shushed Charlie with her hand. “Where are you wanting to do this at? In here or out in the snow?”

  Jermaine looked around and shook his head no. “Let’s do it in the snow, I don’t think anyone wants to ride around sitting in my blood.”

  “Do what out in the snow? What are you two planning to do?” Charlie asked, confused.

  “Virginia, could you go look in that large box in the back of Charlie’s truck for a saw?” Zoe asked.

  “Circular saw, woman! I can’t do this with just any old saw.” Jermaine stated.

  “You’re going to cut his arm off?” Charlie asked. “Have you guys lost it?”

  “If I don’t cut it off, Charlie, I will turn. If I do cut it off there is a chance that I will live and not turn.” Jermaine replied growing teary eyed.

  “Look at Lori, she didn’t turn!” Charlie stated.

  “Charles, that is even slimmer odds of happening. By the time we find out for sure it will be too late for him.” Zoe stated.

  Charlie tried to wrap his head around what was happening. It took him back to the arguments that he had with Doc about Annie. “Then let’s at least see what is in the building and do it in there. That way we are all in an enclosed place, safe from the elements and any surprises in the night.”

  “Fine Charlie, I can go along with that. You and Virginia go check it out and come back and let us know.” Jermaine replied.

  Virginia came back in with a dirty looking, worn out circular saw that the name had long been worn off.

  “Come on Virginia, let’s take the dogs and check out the building.” Charlie said.

  ***