Chapter 13
Al headed straight for the truck when we left the house. Cindy ran after him and climbed into the passenger seat. They sat talking for a minute and then drove off. Rick and Gina looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders and headed for the Hummer.
“What happened in there?” Gina asked.
“They were all dead. Dillon had already turned and the others probably weren't far behind. We had to shoot all those little kids.”
“Are you okay?”
“No, I'm not. Could you get the radio for me? I need to talk to Al.”
“I'll get it.” Rick climbed in the front of the Hummer and brought me the radio.
“Al, what the hell's up?”
“He can't talk right now.” It was Cindy on the radio. “Al's a little upset and we're getting ready to drive through this bunch of zombies. He says don't come this way. There's too many. We'll meet you up on the highway. Over.”
“Will the truck make it through? How many are there? Over.”
“Al says we'll make it. There's lots of them on the road. It looks like they're all the way back to the ramp we'll use to get back on the highway. Steve, I'm really scared. Over.”
“I'm going to get on the highway and drive back to the on ramp. We'll be within site. Hang in there. Over.”
“We better get moving.”
The three of us got into the Hummer and headed away from the farmhouse. The fire was going pretty good by then. I looked in my rear view mirror as I drove away and could have sworn I saw something moving in the house.
“Somebody's still alive in there.”
I turned the Hummer around and drove back to the house. The whole place was on fire. Windows had started busting out. Flames were working their way up the exterior by this time. Looking in the door, you could see the whole floor was engulfed in flames.
“Honey, what do you think you saw?”
“I don't think I saw anything. I know I saw someone walk past the door.”
“It was just the flames. There is no way somebody could be alive in all that.”
Just then I saw movement again. One of the kids stumbled out the door. I think it was little Cindy. It was too small to be any of the other kids. I couldn't be entirely sure though because the whole body was on fire. It looked in our direction and ran towards the Hummer.
Rick still had his rifle in his hands and he pointed it out the window. “What should I do?” He shouted.
“You better start shooting.” I said.
Rick opened fire and of course, missed five times. I was too shocked to do anything. I heard Gina's door open and she got out of the vehicle. She walked around to the front of the Hummer and shot the little zombie in the head with her pistol. She came back around to her side of the Hummer, got in, looked at Rick and said, “You really need to learn how to shoot that thing.” She reached over, tapped me on the shoulder, and said my name. When I didn't respond, she started shaking me. “Al needs us, Steve. Let's go.”
That brought me out of it. I turned the Hummer back around and hurried out of there. This time I didn't look back. We crossed the median and headed down the highway. It wasn't long before we came to the U-Haul. The truck was stopped on the access road. They were surrounded by zombies. I got the radio and called Al.
“What can we do?”
“Took you long enough.” He came back.
“There was a problem back at the farm house. Looks like you're stuck.”
“You have an eye for the obvious, my friend. There's too many of them. Try to draw their attention. If I can get moving again, I might be able to make it through.”
“Alright. Give us a minute. Over.”
“Gina, you want to slide over here and drive? Rick, I want you to start shooting the ones behind the truck. Be careful. Don't hit the U-Haul. It's full of propane. Honey, start honking the horn and yelling out the window. I'm going to get out and shoot the zombies that cross over to our side.”
I took an assault rifle, grabbed a bag of magazines and got out of the Hummer. Gina got into the driver's seat, started honking the horn and yelling out her window. That was all it took. The zombies surrounding the U-Haul looked our way and started heading in our direction. It was eerie the way they all turned their heads in unison and began the slow methodical shuffle toward me. Rick opened fire on the zombies behind the truck and I began shooting the ones crossing into the median.
Al got the truck moving again and was able to get about a quarter mile down the road before getting bogged down again. Rick and I weren't having any problems stopping the zombies from crossing to our side of the road. There were too many bodies in front of the truck for Al to be able to break free. And there was the added problem of the horde becoming aware of the fine meal waiting for them up on the highway. They were crossing the median in growing numbers. Soon we'd both be trapped. I went to the window of the Hummer and had Gina hand me the radio.
“We need to move up.” I climbed on the running board and held on to the mirror.
“Al, we'll never make it this way. Can you cross the median?”
“Yeah, there's a gravel access road a few hundred yards ahead. I can cross there.”
“Pull up baby and turn this thing around. Rick slide over. Same thing. You take the back I'll get the front.”
“You got it boss,” Rick said.
Gina got us turned around and we started back in. The undead began crossing the median in droves. Rick kept up pretty damn good for someone that couldn't hit shit earlier in the day. I think the reason he'd had trouble back at the farm was his reluctance to shoot a little kid. That was something he would have to get past. Occasionally, a zombie would break away from the group, running full speed at us. Each time, either Rick or I was able to stop them from getting to the Hummer. Rick was going to be fine. He just needed to quit thinking of the zombies as people. You couldn't afford the luxury of seeing them as a little kid, a woman, or as anything other than what they were. Monsters. Maybe Al needed to get his head on straight too.
The truck broke free and Al made it to the access road. He turned onto the highway and headed our way. I got into the Hummer but continued shooting at the zombies coming at us. Cindy and Al pulled up next to us in the truck, slowed for a second, then pulled away. Cindy was in the process of rolling her down window to say something but didn't get the chance. The son of a bitch could have at least stopped to say thanks. I know it was hard shooting those kids. Hell, I had to shoot just as many as he did. He was the one that hadn't ended Cindy. He could have got somebody killed like that.
We didn't make much headway the rest of the day. Cars were stranded everywhere along the highway. Accidents were every few miles. We'd make a little progress and have to stop and winch apart a group of cars piled up in the middle of the road. Al stood guard while Rick and I dealt with the obstacle. It was unnerving. I'd be hooking the winch up to a car and Al would fire on an approaching zombie. After this went on for a while, I got used to hearing shots ring out from behind me. I would just continue with what I was doing and not even look up. For the most part, the zombies coming down the road toward us were slow moving and not much of a threat. Then there would be one of the fast moving zombies that would come running at us out of nowhere. A few got a little too close for comfort. It was a good thing Al was there to take care of them. If it would have been Rick or me on lookout, somebody probably would have gotten bit. It never ceased to amaze me, the way Al could hit a moving target. One would jump up from behind an obstruction, come running at us faster than I'd ever seen a living person move, and Al would blow its brains out with one shot. After five hours on the road, we were hot and tired and ready to call it a day.
“Hey guys, Al wants to find a place to spend the night.” Cindy said over the radio. “There's an exit up ahead. Let's pull over.”
“I've had enough too. Let's find a Holiday Inn.” Gina said.
“Alright then. Tell them to go ahead and get off here then.” I said.
�
��Okay, Cindy, we're done in too. Any time you're ready.”
There was a gas station at the end of the exit ramp so we decided to gas up before finding a place to spend the night. Al climbed into the back of the truck and came out with the hand pump. I got the tools and removed the access cover to one of the underground holding tanks. We took a vote and Al and I stuck Rick with pumping duties. He ran the hose down into the storage tank and started filling the U-Haul. Gina and Cindy stood guard on one side of the vehicles while Al and I took the other. I wanted a chance to talk with Al alone about what had happened at the farmhouse and I hoped this was it.
“Al, tell me what happened back at Calvin's.”
“They didn't listen to us and they all got turned into zombies.”
“That's not what I'm talking about.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“After you drove off, one of the kids came from the burning house. I'm pretty sure it was little Cindy. She was burned to hell but I'm pretty sure it was her.”
“We must have missed one.”
“I didn't miss shit. I shot everyone in that upstairs room. Dead, wounded, zombie, adult, little kid, I shot them all.”
“So you're saying I missed her.”
“I'm not saying anything. I'm asking you. What happened?”
“Okay, then I missed one. Is that what you want me to say?”
“You're too good to have missed her. I've been watching you kill zombies for days now. You don't miss a thing. Did you not shoot her on purpose?”
Al stood looking at me for a few seconds, then turned and walked away. “She must have been downstairs.” He said with his back to me. “Rick you about done?”
“That's bullshit and you know it. We both cleared the downstairs.”
“Let it go.”
I helped Rick finish gassing up the Hummer. Then we all got into the vehicles to leave. Al pulled the truck up to the doors of the gas station and got out.
“What now?” Gina asked.
“I have no idea.”
Al looked around for a second. I assumed he didn't find what he was looking for because he pulled his pistol and used it to break out the glass to the entrance door. He finished clearing the glass from the door then went into the station. A few minutes later, Al came back through the door carrying two cases of beer. He went to the back of the truck opened the lift gate and put the beer in back. Before closing the gate, he reached back in, grabbed a six pack held it up and looked at us in the Hummer. I guess he was offering us a beer. The three of us shook our heads no. Al shrugged his shoulders and headed for the cab of the U-Haul, climbed in and drove away.
“This is going to be one fucked up night.” Gina said.
Al headed down the access road until he came to a side street. He turned right, drove for about three miles finally coming to a house. Technically it was a house; four walls, a door, windows, and most of a roof. He stopped the truck in the street and backed into the yard in front of the house.
“You've got to be kidding me,” Gina said. “We're not staying here.”
I got on the radio and called Al. “Hey buddy. How about we go a little further? This place is about to fall down.”
“I'm tired of driving. This place isn't so bad.”
I could hear Cindy yelling at him in the background. “We took a vote. Nobody wants to stay here. We'll all end up with lice or something.”
“I've got some Raid in the back of the truck somewhere. I'll spray the place down.”
“Fuck that.” Gina said. “Drive away. He'll follow.”
“Al, I'm going to find someplace else. Follow me. Okay?”
The radio stayed silent. At least he hadn't got out of the truck yet. Gina kept on my ass so I drove off. I watched the mirror until I came to the crest of a hill and lost sight of the truck. It still hadn't moved. There was a huge valley in front of us. Sitting on a ridge on the far side of the valley was the nicest house I'd seen in a long time. I kept going and stopped in front of the road leading back to the house. We sat for a while watching for Al and Cindy. Gina was pretty hot by now and was in the process of calling Al on the radio when the truck crested the hill. I was glad to see them coming. My ears were burning by now from the steady stream of obscenities coming from Gina's mouth. I wasn't relishing the confrontation between the two that was on its way.
The house was huge. I'd seen places like this when I was a kid. When my dad would take me hunting, we saw houses like this occasionally. People with lots of money liked to have a “cabin” in the woods for when they went “roughing it.” The house sat on a rise overlooking the valley. There was a pasture and a stable for horses. I saw an in ground swimming pool in back of the house when we drove up and an elevated putting green behind the pool. There was an archway over the driveway with a large circle in it. In the center of the circle were the initials RRH. We followed the long driveway back to the house. It was a circle drive that headed back out to the main road so I wouldn't have to turn the Hummer around. Al pulled the truck in, drove down the driveway, and stopped behind me. Gina, Rick, and I got out and walked back to the truck. Cindy got out and joined the three of us standing at Al's window. He sat staring at the house sipping his beer.
“Honey, are you getting out or not?”
“Yeah, give me a minute. Nice place.”
“Beats the hell out of that dump you wanted to stay at.” Gina said.
“Look little girl, I don't feel like arguing with you.”
“Look old man, I don't know what your problem is, but I don't feel like putting up with any of your shit today.”
“Alright you two let's all calm down. Al get down from there. I want to talk to you.” I said. “Give us a minute.”
Al got out of the truck And we walked away from everyone. “Last chance. Tell me what happened.”
“I couldn't do it. That little one, Cindy, I couldn't bring myself to shoot her. She was laying there with her throat ripped out. It looked like she was sleeping. Well, she was covered in blood, but she had that sweet little face. You know.”
“Yeah, I know. It's hard. It's over with now. Let it go.”
“I'm trying. I don't mind killing zombies. It's the little kids. I hate having to shoot them.”
“Me too. They're better off though. I wouldn't want to be left like that.”
“Me neither. If it happens to me you'll take care of it, right?”
“Al, if I even think you've been bit, I'll shoot you. I promise.”
“I knew I could count on you.” Al said as he laughed. “Let's hug it out.”
“At least you have your pants on this time.”
“You liked that didn't you?”
“Yeah it was nice having your dick on my leg. Had trouble sleeping that night just thinking about it.”
Al gave me a big hug and we headed back to the others. I understood how he felt. It was surreal, all the killing I'd done over the past few days. The part that bothered me the most was how easy it had been killing those men that were about to rape Al and Cindy. Even Gina didn't have a problem with it. Before all this happened there was no way I could have done that. But when the time came and I saw Al and Cindy laying in the road like that, I didn't give it a second thought. I just pointed the gun and pulled the trigger. I didn't think of myself as a killer. It came down to survival. This new world had a different set of rules. People were going to change; some for the worse and others for the better. I hoped I fell into the latter category.
As I walked back to our group, I saw the curtains move on an upstairs window of the house.
“Did you see that?” Al said.
“Yeah, somebodies in there.”
“What do you think?”
“Whoever it is, I hope they're alive and not looking for trouble.”
“They're alive.”
“How do you know that?”
“Just looked out a different window. I don't think a zombie would be going for a better view.”
“You
're probably right.”
“Right about what?” Rick asked. We were back to the group.
“There's somebody in there.” I said.
“Should we be worried?” Cindy asked Al.
“I don't think so. The second time he looked out the window I saw the barrel of a rifle. If he wanted to, he could have shot us all by now.”
“You said he. Are you sure it's a guy?” Gina asked.
“Yeah, I got a good look at him. Steve, come with me. The rest of you stay here,” Al said. “Honey, if he shoots me do me a favor.”
“What Al?”
“Kill him.”
“Just be careful Al.”
“Steve,” Gina grabbed my arm.
“What baby?”
“If he shoots Al, try to get away.”
Al and looked at Gina. They stood there smiling at each other until we were all laughing. The war was over. We were all friends again.
We went to the door and Al knocked. We stood there for a few minutes and got no reply. Al banged on the door with his fist and shouted, “We know you're in there.” Still, there was no reply.
“He's looking out the window beside the door.” Gina called out.
I went to the window and tried to look in. The shades pulled back and I was greeted by an unshaven face with a bald head. He shouted at me. “Go away!” Al beat on the door again. “We're just looking for a place to spend the night. How about it?”
The intercom beside the door came on. A British sounding voice replied, “Go away. We don't want any.”
Al laughed and pushed the button on the intercom. “We're not selling and we're not looking for trouble. We just want a safe place to spend the night.”
“Not interested.” The intercom replied.
“Come on, Al. Let's go.” I said.
Al pushed the button on the intercom again. “Alright then, we're going.”
Dead Life (Book 3) Page 10
