by James Gurley
The area of the courtyard in front of Macy’s was a sea of zombies, illuminated by a thin sliver of moonlight entering through a broken skylight. They milled about on both levels in great numbers, raising a loud group moan. When he saw Jessica, her face pale in the moonlight, his heart thundered in rage. She was trussed up like an animal sacrifice on the stairs. The barricades at each end of the stairwell were flimsy and beginning to give under the combined weight of starving zombies. Her movements were frantic, as she tried to free herself. He knew any move he made toward her would reveal him to Levi. That was Levi’s demented plan – toy with him before killing him. Even the automatic shotgun wouldn’t have cleared a hole through the massed zombies. What could he do with a pistol, a knife, and three remaining crossbow bolts?
He needed some way to draw the zombies away from Jessica, create a distraction that might also fool Levi. Seeing the big ears of Mickey Mouse on a sign at the Disney Store gave him an idea. Inside the store, he searched for the items he needed for his diversion. After finding them, he crept back down to the mall courtyard and around a corner to prepare his surprise. He set his armload of foot-tall Buzz Lightyear action figures on the floor around him. Working quickly, he activated their lights and pressed their gauntlets to activate the toys’ laser sound effects. Then he taped down the talk button with electrical tap and scattered them across the courtyard behind him, as he raced back toward Jessica. Multiple Buzz Lightyear voices filled the mall, and the laser lights and sound effects drew the zombies’ attention. He waited behind a wall as a phalanx of the creatures filed past him to investigate.
To his horror, he saw that the upper barricade protecting Jessica was beginning to topple. He used his remaining three crossbow bolts to kill the creatures nearest it. Jessica saw them fall dead and increased her attempt to free herself.
“Nice try, Blakely,” Levi called out from above him. “But you’ll never make it.”
Levi was probably right, but he had to try. He pulled out his .45, took a deep breath, and fired three quick rounds into the walkway directly above him. He tossed the useless crossbow in one direction and made a mad dash for the stairs.
* * * *
Jessica watched in horror, as the zombies tore at the flimsy barricade with the vigor of the starving. Dozens of the creatures surrounded her, close enough to smell their stench. She knew it would not be long before the barrier fell, and she would die in a most gruesome manner. She didn’t see Levi again after he left her, but she knew he was somewhere within the darkened mall lying in wait for Jake. In spite of her certain grisly death, she hoped Jake wouldn’t come for her.
The first report of gunfire echoed down the mall courtyard, followed by Levi’s insane laughter, attracting the attention of some of the zombies. Jake! He had come for her. In spite of her earlier wish to the contrary, she was relieved and grateful that he had come. A handful of the creatures shuffled toward the sound, but most remained gathered around her. She feared Jake was dead until she heard twin shots from his shotgun. She smiled. A few more rifle shots a short while later proved Jake was still alive and getting closer. Then, ten minutes passed in silence. She began to worry that something had happened to him. To her surprise, and then amusement, the familiar sound of a dozen Buzz Lightyear’s voices brought a smile to her face. He was drawing the creatures away from her. Now, most of the creatures abandoned their vigil and moved toward the flashing lights and sound. Her smile faded as a window shutter toppled from the upper barricade and skidded down the stairs. Not all of the creatures were fooled. Some preferred the food closest at hand. Not long now, she thought.
She tugged on the ropes but they wouldn’t yield. Her wrists were bloody from her earlier attempts, but not slick enough to force them through Levi’s tight knots. A few minutes later, the rest of the barricade came crashing down the stairs. She tried to scream through the gag. One zombie took two steps down the stairs, and then fell with an arrow protruding from its head. Jake. The two remaining creatures suffered similar fates. She heard Levi’s voice taunting Jake from across the courtyard. Jake replied by firing three shots and running toward her. She tried to warn him back, but couldn’t. He raced by the foot of the stairs, tossing his knife onto the landing as he passed. She pounced on the knife to keep it from falling off the edge of the landing. He fired three more rapid shots in Levi’s direction and disappeared behind the staircase.
“Come out now or I’ll kill her,” Levi shouted.
He stood in the shadows, but she could see the brim of his Stetson and the barrel of his rifle pointed at her glinting in the moonlight. Shifting as little as possible, she positioned her body until she could reach the knife with her hands. Her bonds were so tight that she could barely grasp it.
“If I come out, you’ll just kill us both,” Jake replied.
“Drop your gun, step out where I can see you, and we’ll finish this man to man with knives.”
She pushed until the hilt of the knife wedged against her stomach, and then moved the rope over the sharp blade. The knife kept flipping over, but she wriggled it back into position each time and continued to saw at her bonds.
“Throw out your rifle first,” Jake called out.
She started at the clatter of a rifle skidding across the tiled floor. She hadn’t believed Levi’s offer, but he had thrown out his weapon. He still might have another weapon.
“I’m coming down,” Levi yelled.
Fool, she wanted to yell at Jake. Don’t trust him. You don’t have your knife and I can’t give it back to you.
Jake’s pistol followed Levi’s rifle onto the floor. He was going to take Levi at his word and meet him weaponless.
“What about the shotgun?” Levi asked.
“I lost it in the tuxedo shop upstairs. I think it’s in the cummerbund section if you want it. Let’s do this.”
Jake stepped out from behind the staircase, his empty hands held out in front of him. He looked up at her and smiled encouragingly. Levi walked around the walkway until he was standing above her at the head of the stairs, and then took the steps one at a time. When he reached her, he paused, glared down at her, and continued. He didn’t see the knife beneath her. When he had passed, she continued to work on the rope. Slowly, the knife was parting the tough nylon of the rope. As the rope loosened, she forced her hands apart to break it, biting back on a scream as the circulation returned to her wrists. Then she removed the gag.
“Don’t do it, Jake,” she yelled. He didn’t reply. His gaze was fixed on Levi. “Here,” she said and tossed him the knife. He caught it with one hand. Levi stopped moving until he saw that it was only a knife.
“Run,” Jake called out to her. “Go to the upper level. Exit through Dillard’s. Head west along the river until you reach the ATV. Go home. Reed’s hurt. He needs you. I’ll join you later.”
She couldn’t believe what he was saying. He was sending her away. “No. I can help.”
“No. This is between me and him.”
Rage rose in her. The image of his body on top of her clouded her vision. “After what he did to me,” she screamed. “I want to kill him.”
Levi looked up at her with a sneer. “You can wait and watch your man die, and then I’ll take real good care of you.”
“Like you did Hawk,” she shot at him.
His face clouded for a moment. “She forgot where her loyalties lay.”
“Go,” Jake repeated.
He walked to the middle of the courtyard and crouched with his knife pointed towards Levi. Levi moved to meet him, stopping a few yards away. The two circled one another warily, each feeling the other out. She retreated to the upper level, staring back at the two adversaries the entire time. She wasn’t leaving. She couldn’t leave Jake alone. Most of all, she couldn’t leave without knowing that Levi was dead. She wanted to see his dead body on the ground. She hugged the shadows inside a doorway and watched.
25
June 30, 2016 Tucson Mall, Tucson, AZ –
Jessic
a was free. That was all that mattered to Jake. Between his diversion with the Buzz Lightyear toys and the noise he and Levi were making, she shouldn’t encounter any zombies. They would be coming to him. Instead of the heat of battle he had experienced in Afghanistan or a rage of anger at what Levi had done, a sense of calm washed over and through him, as if his entire life had been a prelude to this moment. He could see nothing beyond the instant he was now in. He felt relief.
Levi was grinning, enjoying the rush of adrenalin that his eagerness to kill pumped through his veins. Jake hoped his eagerness pushed him to take risks. Jake moved slowly and deliberately, knowing the longer he could prolong the fight, the further Jessica could escape in case he lost. With his eyes on Levi, his foot slipped in a puddle of water. As he regained his balance, Levi rushed in and slashed at his chest. Jake ducked to avoid the blow, but the blade sliced into his shirt. He swung his knife upwards at Levi’s arm but missed. Levi retreated three paces backwards and stared at him, breathing heavily. The foul stench of decay drifted from Levi’s clothing. So that’s how he managed to avoid zombies. He rolled in a corpse like a dog in road kill.
“When I kill you I’m going to rip that Ranger’s badge off your chest and wear it to remind me to kill my enemies quickly,” Levi boasted.
“Soon, you won’t have to worry about enemies. I’m going to rip out your guts and feed them to the zombies, one loop at a time.”
As they circled, Jake had been keeping one eye on the zombies. The zombies were ignoring Levi. However, the smell on Jake’s pants leg wasn’t enough to fool them, especially after sliding through the water and washing most of it away. They were beginning to understand that the lights and voices from the toys were not food and were moving back toward the sounds of fighting.
Levi began tossing his knife from hand to hand. “I’ve had plenty of practice with shivs in prison. You don’t scare me, copper.”
Jake ignored the ‘copper’ comment. “I don’t want to scare you. I want to kill you.”
He crooked his finger at Levi and motioned him to come on. Levi growled and lunged at him. This time, he was ready. He waited until the last second, and then turned and sidestepped Levi’s knife thrust. As he turned, he made a backhanded swipe at Levi’s exposed back, slashing his shirt and drawing blood. Levi reached back with his free hand and felt the shallow gash. He looked at the blood glistening on his fingers.
“Barely a scratch,” he said
“I wasn’t trying to kill you,” Jake said. “I just wanted to draw blood.” He motioned toward the zombies surrounding them. A few heads were turning toward Levi. “Now they smell fresh blood. I don’t think your corpse stink will fool them for very long.”
Levi cast a worried look at the zombies. Jake waited until the closest one zeroed in on him, and then kicked it in the stomach, knocking it to the floor face down. Casually, to send a message to Levi, he stomped on the back of its neck with the heel of his boot. With the sound of its spine shattering, the creature ceased to move. He then turned his attention back to Levi. He saw a glimmer of worry cross Levi’s face and smiled.
“What say we get this little soiree over with,” he said.
Holding his knife low, he moved toward Levi. When he was within three feet, Levi suddenly whipped off his Stetson and sent it spinning Frisbee fashion at Jake’s head. As Jake ducked the hat, Levi faked a move high to the right before moving low to the left. The unexpected feint left Jake’s right side open. He saw the knife coming too late. He reached out his free arm to block it, but he felt the blade sink into his flesh like a red-hot branding iron. Only his grip on Levi’s forearm prevented the blade from going in deep enough to reach a vital organ. Still, the pain was excruciating. He pushed Levi’s arm back and stumbled away, pressing his hand over the wound. Waves of pain lanced through his side, radiating from the wound like aftershocks of a tremor. Blood seeped between his fingers and ran down his side. He gritted his teeth, released the wound, and faced Levi.
“Now we’re even,” Levi said, grinning.
The zombies, smelling the fresh blood, were becoming agitated. Their focus shifted from him to Levi, confusing them as the two moved in a circle. Their shuffling feet beat a staccato counterpoint to their hungry wails and moans. More and more of them spilled onto the courtyard around the stairs. Both men were forced to dodge their outstretched arms while watching out for their opponent. Levi used them like blocking dummies, keeping one of the creatures between him and Jake, as Jake tried to reach him. Jake grew tired of the game and shoved one creature away from him. It collided with another, creating a domino effect of falling zombies. If not for the severity of the situation, it would have been comical. Levi, having lost his zombie barricade, closed in quickly, forcing Jake backwards toward the zombies. He couldn’t turn to look without letting down his guard. One of the creatures, a Runner, fell on him from behind the stairs, wrapping its arms around his neck. The Runner was strong. Jake couldn’t break its grip. As its head closed on his neck, Jake jammed his knife twice into its throat. It released him and staggered backwards, wrenching the knife from Jake’s hand. Seeing that he was now defenseless, Levi rushed in for the kill.
Jake’s gaze fell on the staircase off to his right. He loped up the stairs, stopping on the first landing to face Levi. He was unarmed, but now Levi would have to come at him straight on from below. As Levi mounted the steps, Jake grabbed the piece of rope from that had bound Jessica’s hands from the floor. Using it as a whip, he flailed it at Levi’s face, keeping him at bay. He knew he couldn’t fend off Levi for long with a length of rope. His foot brushed against one of the zombies he had killed with the crossbow. He reached down and plucked the bolt from its head, just as Levi danced beneath the rope. In one swift movement, he fell to the floor, reached up, and jabbed the bloody bolt into Levi’s leg just above the knee. Levi yelled in pain and fell backwards, tumbling down the stairs.
As much as Jake wanted to finish off his opponent, Levi was still armed and he wasn’t. He believed wholeheartedly in Jake’s Law #3 – A fool and his life are soon parted. He searched the courtyard for his pistol and saw it being trampled beneath the feet of zombies merging on the prostate Levi. Then he noticed the rifle Levi had thrown out, an M16, at the base of a planter. Following the direction of his gaze, Levi saw the weapon a moment later, and he was closer. Jake vaulted over the stair rail to the courtyard below. The impact on the hard tile produced a bone jolting pain that shot through his wounded side, taking away his breath. His vision clouded for a moment as he fought to breath. Even wounded and dragging his injured leg behind him, Levi reached the rifle first.
Before he could train the barrel on Jake, he was inundated by a mob of zombies. He pushed them away with the butt of the rifle, and then fired two short bursts into their midst, but those not hit by the stream of bullets continued to press him backwards into the entrance of Macy’s, firing the M16. Jake ignored the pain and leaped over a planter, headed for his pistol. Before he could reach the pistol, a bullet shattered the tile beside it.
“Next one goes through your head,” Levi called.
Jake stopped and turned slowly, arms raised in the air. He preferred dying facing his killer than to receive a shot in the back. Half a dozen zombies lay dead around Levi, but they had done some damage to him. His arm bled from three wounds, and his shirt was ripped and covered in blood from deep scratches to his chest.
“You’re tougher than I expected, Blakely, but I don’t have time for a slow death for you. Thanks to you, now I have to escape through the zombies.”
“I hope they chew your liver,” Jake spat at him.
Levi took two steps toward Jake and raised the M16 level with his chest. Levi’s hand trembled, but from so close a distance, he could hardly miss. Jake prepared to die. Then, Levi’s body folded at the waist and he lurched backwards, as if struck by some invisible hand. His chest turned crimson. Jake realized whose hand it was when the sound of the shotgun reached his ears. Jessica. The look of utter surp
rise on Levi’s face was worth all the pain he had endured. Levi’s eyes lifted skyward just as a second blast ripped open his side. The M16 clattered the floor.
“Come on, Jake,” Jessica yelled at him.
He watched Levi crawling across the floor toward the rifle until the zombies fell over him. His screams filled the mall and seemed to continue far beyond his death, as the creatures ripped into his body with hands and mouths. Jake watched for a few moments more, and then went upstairs to Jessica. As she stared down at Levi’s mutilated body, her chest heaved. Her grim expression frightened him.
“I said I would kill that bastard,” she said.
“You did.” Jake took the shotgun from her trembling hands. She fell into his arms and began sobbing, not from any weakness on her part, but as a catharsis. Now, she too had murdered. It didn’t matter that it was a man who needed killing or that she had done it to save his life. Once that thin line was crossed, one could never retreat. He had crossed it in Afghanistan, and it had changed his life forever. Her future would be forever marred by this one moment of revenge. He knew how she felt, but this time, he knew how to save her, as she had saved him.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go home.”
26
July 1, 2016 Tucson Mall, Tucson, AZ –
Jake sat with Jessica on the bank of the Rillito River and watched the sun come up over the Catalina Mountains. The wound in his side ached but had scabbed over and stopped bleeding. It would need stitches, but he would live. Jessica was slowly recovering from the shock of her first killing. He had tried to reassure her that she had done nothing wrong, but getting through the thick veneer of her civilized moral code would take time. He didn’t want to destroy her beliefs, just amend them to the new world. It would take her a while to recover from her trauma, but he would see to it that it didn’t take as long as it had him. He would see that she didn’t descend into the dark places from which he had barely escaped.
