Finally, after what seemed like an excruciatingly long time, we made it. The relief was so overwhelming, I wanted to laugh, and was barely able to contain myself. I gave Stephanie a big grin as I pointed to a spot against the wall, tossing my packs down.
"Wait here." I said, and wasn't ready for the panicked look she shot back at me. Both of her hands reached out to grasp my arm and she shook her head fiercely. Tears sprang to her eyes.
"Woah." I said, catching her hands in mine. She stepped against me, afraid to let me leave. I wasn't comfortable leaving her alone with a bunch of dead-brains in view, but it was a necessity to make sure no surprises were waiting. I gently pushed her back against the wall, hoping I could soothe her enough to let me go. "Ali cleared it already. I'm just going to poke my head around the corner real quick."
The tears spilled over, and she sucked her trembling bottom lip into her mouth. Reluctantly, she pulled her hands back, but the pleading look never left her eyes. Finally, she nodded, causing the tears to drip free from her pale face. She looked so scared she might faint.
I backed away, taking several steps before I finally broke eye contact. Reaching the corner, I cautiously poked my head around, before holding a finger up for Stephanie to hold on. No sound came from her as I slipped around to the side of the building. I quickly rounded the other corner, saw two freshly killed dead-brains bleeding out, but nothing else.
I retraced my steps, seeing Stephanie visibly exhale as I came into view again, and she actually let me slip past to check the other side without trying to grab me. As least I didn't have to lose her from view to check this last corner. Everything was clear around the buildings. More than a few dead-brains wandered around the golf course, but none in earshot. I returned to a grateful Stephanie, and she laid her head against my arm as I watched Ali clear out the last of the followers.
When Ali came back to us, she wasn't jogging anymore. She breathed heavily, and I knew she was thoroughly exhausted. When she spoke, her voice was flat. Another sign of how weary she was. "I think we're clear for a bit. Let me check out what's inside before we let Stephanie go in."
"You rest for a second. I can do it." I said, and Stephanie looked up quickly. She didn't protest though. In fact, a look of worry creased her forehead when she finally looked at Ali. It surprised me how quickly her fear faded behind her concern.
"Use the bricks," was all Ali said as she threw off her last pack and leaned against the wall, slumping down to a sitting position. "We'll be right here."
Bricks?
I decided not to ask. Ali was exhausted, but I was restless despite the lack of a good night's sleep. Jogging to the door of the shed, I frowned at the tarnished padlock that held it closed. Rust came away in my hand as I jiggled the lock, hoping for a little give, but it held the door tightly shut. Looking for some tool to help me break it, I saw the bricks lying against the other shed.
"Oh." I muttered, quickly picking one up and turning back to the lock. The padlock connected two brackets, one screwed into the door and the second into the door jamb. The assembly looked like it had seen better days. A big grin spread across my face as I realized I was able to do something to help out, and I raised the brick high above my head.
In a quick motion, I brought the brick crashing down against the loose brackets and immediately dropped it as a flash of pain shot through my hand. I danced away, looking down to see I had scraped a good part of my knuckles raw, and a small bit of blood began to seep to the surface. It didn't look horrible, but it hurt like a son-of-a-bitch.
Shaking my hand, I ignored the pain and inspected the door. One of the brackets had been knocked loose, barely holding on by a couple rusted screws, and my grin returned. I pulled one of the screws out and was reaching for a second when the whole door rattled as something on the other side thudded against it.
I fell back into a low crouch, the smirk wiped away. There shouldn't have been anything in there, not with the door padlocked from the outside, and there was no other way in.
Something fell against the door, I tried to tell myself. Then a second thump sent my heart pounding, and I reached for the dagger strapped to my thigh.
"Joss?" Ali called softly from the other side of the shed.
"I got this." I answered, drawing the dagger as the blood from my knuckles dripped through my fingers. If it was a dead-brain in there, it wasn't frenzied. If it wasn't frenzied, I could kill it easily, just like Ali had killed all the others.
My hand trembled as I pulled at the last screw, and it easily came away in my fingers. The bracket fell away, and the lock shifted and scraped against the door, still attached by the remaining bracket. I reached for the knob with my left hand, and firmly clutched the dagger hilt with my right. I held my breath.
The door opened easily, although the rusty hinges squealed in protest. The rank smell was the first thing that hit me, followed by a dead-brain that shuffled out into the light. Its scrawny body collided against me with enough force to knock me back, and I swung my dagger at it in a panic, missing it completely. I lost my blade as my wrist bounced off its bony arm, and the dagger fell from my unsteady hand.
The dead-brain stopped, blinking weirdly in the bright sunlight. It hadn't noticed my attack, nor did it bother to look at me with its unsettling eyes. Scrawny and repulsive, it was impossible to tell how old it was, and its clothes were the only clue it was male. Its pasty, white skin seemed to be stretched over the bone as there was no flesh left on the thing. It had all been starved away.
I glanced at its hands, remembering what Ali had said they would eat if they couldn't find anything else, but this one had no open wounds in sight. Its long, skeletal arms and fingers were dirty but undamaged.
"Joss?" Ali's voice came again, louder this time with another emotion lying underneath. Concern? Fear? I didn't have time to respond. The dead-brain had turned his head toward the sound of Ali's voice. Turned toward them. Toward Stephanie. I had to act.
I scrambled for the dagger, and as I straightened, I envisioned every dead-brain I had watched Ali kill. The way she plunged her knife into the soft underside of the chin and twisted, pulling it out quickly to let the body fall. I could do it. I would do it.
Gulping down a breath of rancid air, I lined up my shot and thrust. My aim was true, and the dagger slid easily into its flesh. The dead-brain quivered grotesquely as its breath hissed through its closed lips, and I stared into the whites of its eyes, the crimson irises already rolled deep into its head. Somehow, I managed to twist the hilt, causing the dead-brain to spasm and cough, and then I kicked its body away.
It landed on its back with the whites of its eyes facing the sky, and its last breath of air leaked out slowly. I had done it. My first clean kill.
"Goddammit, Josh!" Ali screamed at me from the other side of the building.
"Hold on." My reply was so breathless it was possible she didn't hear me. I quickly stuck my head inside the small shed to make sure there was no other threat. Choking back from the stench, I called out, "Clear!"
~ ~ ~ ~
"That's new." Ali said as she led Stephanie around the side of the building. "Where the hell did it come from?"
"It was inside." I said as I poked my head back into the building.
"Not possible. It was locked from the outside." Ali followed, and then reeled back as the unexpected stench hit her. I was prepared for it, but that didn't make it any easier to handle. I was able to get a good look inside the shed before I pulled back.
"I think it was locked in. There are pallets laid out in there. Looks like he was the only one that lived." Leaning up against the wall next to Stephanie, I realized there was no way we were using this building as a shelter. One of the pallets had a decayed skeleton under the rotting blanket. The other two were empty. Considering all the bones scattered around in there, it was easy to figure out what had happened.
Stephanie sniffed.
"Maybe we can clean it out some, so she can rest a bit." Ali said, poking
her head back inside.
"Maybe we can see what's in the other building first." I countered. Ali pursed her lips and frowned at me before disappearing into the shed. I sighed. "Or not."
The small, dark window was pushed open, and shortly after, an unpleasant scraping sound resonated from inside the shed. Stephanie was back to grabbing at my arm, and I figured Ali could be right. If there were more dead-brains locked up in the other shed, at least Stephanie had a safe place to rest, as long as she could get past the smell.
"Come on. Maybe we should check it out." I offered, holding my hand out to her. She gripped it quickly, and we walked to the doorway. Inside, Ali had found a rake and was in the process of sweeping the old pallets and bones into a corner. Stephanie gagged, but she didn't hesitate before entering the shed. She went directly to the window and poked her face through the open frame.
"A little Febreze and I think we're good to go." Ali said as she topped off her morbid pile with an old tarp, hiding the disgusting thing from view. Although it wasn't ideal, the walls afforded a safe barrier against the dead-brains for the time-being. I pulled a tool box to the window so Stephanie could sit on it instead of the floor, and she shook out her soiled blanket, folding it over the box for padding. She sat, her hand resting protectively across her belly, and she propped her pack against the wall, resting her head against it.
The window didn't allow much light in, but at least we weren't in total darkness. After Ali was finished with her swift clean up, she began to rummage through the boxes and cabinet drawers. Everything was covered in a fine layer of dust, but it seemed there was no shortage of gardening tools here. I watched with little interest until I noticed something had caught Ali's attention. She came back to me, hefting a decent sized hatchet.
"Think you can put that to use?" She asked as she handed it over. I took it from her, and tried not to shudder as visions of killing with the small axe flooded my mind. It seemed it would be so much bloodier than the dagger.
Then, almost involuntarily, my eyes strayed to where Stephanie was trying to rest. For a moment, I saw Becky in her place; her straight brown hair, slim figure, and white tennis shoes. When she opened her eyes, they were still powder blue and full of life, not the blood red eyes of a dead-brain.
I blinked the images away, and Stephanie was back again, trembling against the wall and ignoring us. My grip on the axe tightened as I looked up at Ali. "I think I can make this work."
My expression was hard, I could feel it. Ali nodded in understanding and didn't comment. She wore that same hard expression most of the time, and I had always known why, even if I didn't fully comprehend it. Now I was beginning to understand.
Ali turned to Stephanie, bending down next to her as she spoke softly. "I need Joss's help to break into the other building. Will you be okay here for a few minutes alone?"
Stephanie's eyes popped open, but despite the fear that was evident on her face, she didn't protest. Ali patted her shoulder gently before straightening, and then she purposefully began looking around the shed. First, she grabbed a huge pair of bolt cutters, and then another tool that I could only describe as a small pitch fork. The latter she gingerly handed to Stephanie.
"Just in case, okay?" Ali said, and Stephanie stared wide-eyed at the tool, holding her silence. Ali motioned me to the door but paused before Stephanie. "Just don't stab us."
The comment actually broke some of the tension, and Stephanie managed a small smile. I grinned myself as I followed Ali out into the sunlight, pulling the door shut behind me. Seeing Stephanie's smile made me feel better.
Following Ali to the other building, she paused to test the single door, but it was locked from the inside, and she continued on to stand in front of the garage door. This one was secured to the ground by a padlock much larger and less rusty than the one I'd dealt with.
"Just keep an eye on the door." Ali mumbled as she bent down to fiddle with the lock. After a moment, she sighed deeply, and I knew she didn't bring me out here for my help.
"Joss, I don't know how we're going to do this." She was looking down and shaking her head, her short curls bouncing with the movement. My moment of elation was over, and I glanced back at the shed, my shoulders sagging.
"What about the clubhouse?" I asked after a moment but already knew it wasn't a real solution. Even if the clubhouse was clear, we were too close to the hotel. It could only offer shelter for a day or two at most. Ali glanced up at me, her green eyes flashing, and she looked away without commenting.
"Might be a better place to rest up," She said, setting the bolt cutter against the lock. "If it's safe enough, I could scout that neighborhood at night. Maybe get lucky and find something I can get started."
"Sounds risky." I frowned down at her, but she wasn't looking at me.
"It might be our only option. How far do you think we're going to make it into Vegas with her on foot?" Her voice was hushed so her comment wouldn't make it back to the open window where Stephanie sat.
"Maybe we should skip Vegas." That actually earned another look, but then she shrugged.
"I guess we need to make it through tonight. Get to the clubhouse and get some real rest before we decide on anything." She turned her attention back to the bolt cutters, and I bent to help, but seconds later my jaw dropped open in surprise. In one quick motion, Ali snapped through the small ring of steel like it was paper.
Shaking away my admiration, I grabbed her wrist as she reached for the door handle. She gave me a curious look as I thumped the door with the back of my hatchet, and then understanding brightened her eyes. We both waited, listening for an answer, but only silence came back to us.
Ali grabbed the handle of the door and gave me a grim smile. "You ready?"
Gripping the shaft of my hatchet with both hands, I fell back into what I thought was a good battle stance. Even though we had not heard anything inside, I was tense, and my hands had a white-knuckled grip on my new weapon. As ready as I was ever going to get, I met Ali's eyes and nodded.
She heaved, and the door rolled loudly up its rails, slowly exposing what it held inside. We both gasped, our surprise quickly turning to excitement as we exchanged glances. Inside were housed three golf carts, and one four-wheeler.
Darting inside to inspect our find, it only took a few seconds to discover the golf carts were electric, but I was more interested in the four-wheeler.
"My dad had one of these." I said, remembering the times Seth and I had taken it out to ride through our fields. I twisted off the gas cap to check the tank. The smell of gasoline hit my nose, and I could see a clear liquid almost filled to the brim. I turned a hopeful look to Ali.
Her eyebrows rose skeptically as she glanced at me, but then she shook her head and turned away. "It's not going to start."
I shrugged and continued my inspection. I quickly located the kill switch and the choke, and grinned as I saw the key in the ignition, dangling there like a big Christmas present. "I'll need a push."
Ali snorted as she studied the golf carts. "They're loud, aren't they?"
"Yeah." I said, releasing the brake and giving it a push. Even though the tires were a little low, it rolled easily enough out into the daylight. I smiled as I brushed some of the dust away. "But they can move."
"Hey, look at this." Ali called back to me. Pulling my attention away from the four-wheeler, I looked up to see her braced against the side of the cart and hoisting herself up to look at its roof. "Is this what I think it is?"
"What do you think it is?" I asked, walking back to her. I didn't have to lift myself up to see the black top covered in dust. I glanced at the other two, but this was the only one that had the black covering.
"A solar panel." She said, hopping off. She tugged on the cart, pulling it to the opening of the garage with a cloud of dust following her. A sneezing fit stopped her before she could get the cart into the sunlight.
Hiding my smirk, I left her to it, not wanting to abandon the four-wheeler. Fumbling with the gear
shift, I tried to remember how we had jump-started ours when the battery was dead. Throwing my leg over the four-wheeler, I sat down on the dusty seat and closed my eyes. The memories came rushing back, sharp and clear.
I had always been the one on the four-wheeler while Seth pushed. I had to hold the clutch, aim it downhill, and pray I could stop before I hit the pond. I wasn't always successful. One time I stopped the four-wheeler just in time, but I went flying over the handlebars to land with a splash.
Dad had been so mad at us, but even he feared Mom's wrath. He had thrown me in the shower and helped hide my mud-stained clothes, but eventually Mom found out anyway. Seth and I were both grounded, and we never found out what happened to Dad.
I shook the bittersweet memories away and opened my eyes to inspect the landscape. I could clearly see where the driveway used to be, although it was partly hidden by sand and clay. I frowned at the two dead-brain bodies that were lying right in the middle of the path, blocking the way.
Grumbling, I decided to pull the bodies around to the side of the building. If for no other reason, at least Stephanie wouldn't have to see them anymore, but I was determined to test the four-wheeler. Ali glanced at me and sighed as she realized what I was doing, but she helped me move the second body.
"Do you think you can get the cart to run?" I asked her.
"I don't know. Maybe we should plan on me looking for another truck."
"I'll push Stephanie to Vegas in that cart if I have to." I muttered and actually got a chuckle in response.
"I suppose it might come to that." She answered and managed to produce a threadbare rag to wipe the dust from the cart.
The Phoenix Curse (Book 3): After Page 6
