Nose mashed to the glass, Josh strained to see. He could make out some figures moving a few vehicles ahead, but wasn’t sure if his father was among them.
Drake lifted his tear-stained face and declared, “I’m hungry.”
“I’ve got half a protein bar left. I’ll get it, Drake.” Savannah hurried to reclaim her bag from under the seat. After a second, her head popped back up. “My bag is gone. Has anyone seen it?
An uncomfortable quiet was the only answer.
“I’ll look for it!” Yessica offered, and promptly started to crawl on the floor.
“No, honey. Get up. The floor is dirty.” Savannah stretched out her hands to help the girl up.
“It’s okay! I can see under the seats,” Yessica answered.
Blowing her messy bangs out of her eyes, Savannah said, “Okay. I guess we’re all dirty anyway.”
An uncomfortable silence filled the bus as Savannah looked for her bag with Yessica.
Corina leaned forward and whispered, “This isn’t good.”
“Yeah, if someone took it...” Josh faltered realizing there was nothing he could do to set a wrong right. He was just a kid. The adults would have to deal with the thief.
Though Savannah kept her lips tightly pressed together, it was clear she believed someone had taken it. Most of the passengers avoided looking at her.
“Found it.” Yessica grabbed the battered bag from the floor near the rear door.
“Thanks, honey.” Savannah took it and hurried to where Drake was still sniffling. The bag was already unzipped and she stared into it with a furious look on her face. “Which one of you as–” she cut the word off, shot a look at the kids around her, and took a breath. “Which one of you selfish jerks stole the protein bar I had in here?”
“If you had food, you should’ve shared it,” Ron said in a surly voice. He had yet to return to his seat.
“I was sharing. With the children.” Savannah tossed the bag down. “Whoever stole that protein bar took food out of the mouth of a child.” With a frustrated sound, she sat across from Corina. She ran a shaking hand across her eyes to wipe away angry tears.
“I’m hungry, Sanah,” Drake whined.
“I know, baby. I’ll find you food. Somehow,” Savannah vowed.
Maybe too tired to keep wailing, Drake sobbed softly while sucking on his fingers. Corina rested her head against the window, her breath steaming the glass. She looked tired and defeated.
“That was low,” Troy whispered. “Stealing.”
“Yeah, but not everyone is nice like Savannah.”
“Josh, I don’t like how this feels. I felt safer in the treehouse.” Troy sighed. “We had food, water, and the zombies couldn’t get us.”
“I know, but we’d eventually have run out of food and water. This is where we need to be. The convoy will get us to a FEMA camp and it’ll be okay.”
“You really think so?”
Josh hesitated before answering, carefully pondering if he did believe the words he said. “Yeah. I do.”
The doors to the bus opened and Jamie stepped on board with a different soldier at his back. “Listen up. I need anyone with military, law enforcement, and security experience to come with me. ROTC in high school and college is fine, too.”
“Why? What’s going on?” Ron demanded.
“We’re organizing our defenses,” Jamie answered.
“But what about the soldiers?” Rachel asked, yawning as she straightened in her seat.
“They’re helping organize us,” Jamie answered.
Josh detected the evasive tone his father used when he didn’t want to give a complete answer. He shot an alarmed look at Troy, but his friend didn’t seem to notice and watched the scene in front of him with interest.
Jamie continued: “As far as I know I’m the only one armed with a firearm on this bus, right?”
Silence was his answer.
“If you know how to handle a gun safely,” Jamie looked at Josh, who was already perking up in his seat, “and are an adult, then I need you, too.”
“I was in the Army, but I have my son with me!” Melissa called out.
“I’ll take care of him while you go,” Savannah offered.
“I’m a hunter. A good shot,” Ron said, lifting his chin with confidence.
“Okay, you two then. Anyone else?”
“My dad’s a sheriff,” Sam said in a very sleepy voice, just waking up.
Jamie looked amused. “Sam, thanks for the offer, but you stay here, okay?”
“Okay.” Rubbing his eyes, Sam looked around curiously. “What’s going on?”
“Melissa and Ron, you’re with me.” Jamie looked at Derrick. “Keep the doors closed until I’m back.”
“But why aren’t we moving?” Beaux called out.
“We will be shortly,” Jamie assured him.
Melissa ushered Oscar over to Savannah, kissed him, then whispered to him in Spanish before hurrying after Jamie and Ron.
Oscar looked close to crying, his bottom lip trembling.
Drake poked his arm. “Rex is here. Don’t be scared. He’ll take care of us.”
Smiling shyly despite his tears, Oscar admired the stuffed dinosaur.
Drake was always good at making friends. “You can hold his tail if it makes you feel better.”
Oscar timidly took hold of the stuffed toy’s tail. “I like him.”
Corina and Savannah exchanged looks of relief.
Flattening his nose against the window again, Josh strained to see what was happening outside. The mist was starting to lift, but it was still difficult to see.
“Your dad is a soldier again, huh?” Troy said.
“Yeah. I think so.” The nervous feeling was filling Josh’s stomach again.
“That’s cool.” Troy lowered his dark eyes. “I miss my dad. I wish he’d been a soldier. Then he wouldn’t have died.”
Guilt weighed on Josh’s shoulders. “Sorry about what I did.”
“Don’t say that. You were brave and saved us. Dad was a zombie, and he would’ve killed us. I wish I could’ve been as brave as you, but Rog was freakin’ out so bad, and…” Tears filled Troy’s eyes. “Stupid Rog.”
Josh wished he could erase the image of Roger as a zombie from his brain. “He didn’t understand what was happening.”
“He didn’t want to understand, Josh. He didn’t want it to be real. I get that. I don’t want all of this to be real, too. But if you try to pretend everything is okay, that’s how you die.”
From behind them, Sam said in a tired, whiny voice, “Savannah, I’m hungry.”
“I know, hon. As soon as Sergeant Rondell gets back, I’ll talk to him about getting us some food. Okay?”
“Derrick!” Rachel called out. “Do you think we can get off soon? I need a restroom break. So does Bonnie.”
“I hope so. I can see movement out there, but I’m not sure if its people or zombies.” Derrick glanced over at Rachel and Bonnie with a concerned look. “When Jamie gets back, I’ll ask him.”
“Who farted?” Sam demanded in an offended voice. “Yuck! Excuse you!”
“Sorry,” Yessica called out from under the seat. “I gotta go.”
“They can’t keep us in this bus forever!” Hector, the Latino man who liked to argue with Jamie, exclaimed.
“And we need food,” Clare agreed.
“At least for the children,” Savannah said in a still furious tone.
“Of course,” Clare said in a not too nice voice.
Josh glanced over his shoulder to see Savannah watching Drake and Oscar playing with Rex together. There was a very worried look on her face. At the rear of the bus a cluster of people, including the couple from the day before, were whispering to each other. This time they were throwing angry looks in Savannah’s direction.
“You sure this is a safe place to be?” Troy asked again, his brow scrunched with worry.
Pressing his lips together, Josh nodded.
T
his time he was lying.
Chapter 10
It was nearly an hour later when Jamie returned to the bus. Josh was startled by how different his dad looked. It wasn’t that he was now wearing Army boots and a flak jacket. Or the big weapon on a strap over his shoulder. It was something about the way he held himself when he stood in front of the bus.
Melissa, also wearing a flak jacket and carrying a weapon, remained on a lower step as the doors shut. Oscar smiled and waved at her. She cracked a small smile in return. Ron wasn’t with them.
Jamie ignored the questions already being shouted at him and signaled for silence. “Okay, everyone, I’ve been going down the convoy vehicle to vehicle to let everyone know what’s going on. I’ve got fifteen more vehicles to visit after this one, so please let me talk. I need to do this quick before we roll on.”
“But what if we have questions?” Hector protested.
Beside him, Beaux nodded in agreement.
“I don’t have a lot of time for questions, just facts. You know me as Jamie, but from this point on I’m Sergeant Rondell. I’ve been officially put in charge of this convoy. Ladonna Richards, the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, is now in charge of the Texas evacuations. She’s in transit with a National Guard unit. The Governor, sad to say, didn’t make it out of Austin.”
There were audible gasps, and Zoey started to loudly sob again.
Jamie continued: “Houston and Austin are overrun. Dallas and Fort Worth are being evacuated. There’s a massive airlift at DFW, but things are not looking too good right now for those cities. The Army unit that has been traveling with us has been recalled to the Battle of San Antonio. There’s a real shot at reclaiming that city from the zombies.”
Panic seized Josh, and he found it hard to breathe. The rest of the passengers reacted immediately with gasps and panicked sobs.
Several started yelling.
“They can’t abandon us!”
“You can’t let them do this!”
The voices overlapped with each other.
“Pardon me, Sergeant Rondell, but who will protect us?” Rachel asked, clearly frightened.
“The departing unit has provided us with as much weaponry as they can spare to protect ourselves until we meet up with the National Guard outside of San Angelo. I have a detailed plan on how to get us there, and I need all of you to listen carefully to my directions. This is the only way we all survive to a safe zone.”
Complaints filled the air. The anger and hostility in the tone of some of the passengers surprised Josh. Others tried to shush the complainers. Josh noticed that most of the people on the bus seemed willing to do whatever was asked of them, but the smaller group of disgruntled people in the back was the loudest.
Troy covered his ears to block out the noise. Drake and Oscar burst into frightened tears. Corina tried to calm them, but her expression was one of despair. Yessica remained under her seat with her arms over her head.
Sam looked around in confusion. “Why are you people being so dumb? He’s going to rescue us!”
Savannah turned about in her seat and shouted, “Listen to Sergeant Rondell and stop complaining! It’s obvious he’s trying to save all of us!”
“I need your attention. Now!” Jamie said in a tone Josh hardly ever heard. It was the voice of a man in command. “If you want to survive, I need you to pay attention to what I have to say!”
The clamoring voices tapered off.
“I know you’re scared, but we’re not defenseless.” Jamie gripped the poles on either side of him and stared at each face on the bus one by one. The quiet grew. “The Army is leaving, but we still have many capable people who will keep this convoy safe. Men and women that are willing to step up and put their lives on the line to protect you.”
“What about food for the kids? And going to the bathroom?” Savannah asked. “We can’t keep going like this.”
Jamie nodded. “We got that covered, too. We’re ten miles from a truck stop. The area has been secured by the county sheriff department and the highway patrol. We’re going to gas up and get supplies. As each vehicle is refueled, the passengers will to go inside, use the facilities and grab two drinks and two items to eat. Don’t worry about paying. Just get your business done and grab supplies. Do not dawdle.”
Josh bristled a little, feeling his father’s gaze on him. He had no intention of dragging his heels like he usually did on trips. His bladder was about to explode and he was dying of thirst and hunger.
“Once the convoy is refueled, we are heading to San Angelo, where there is a massive airlift underway. There are some areas of high infection along the route. We will keep moving at all times. We won’t be slowing down. We’re not taking on new passengers. We’ve got to get as far away from the cities as we can.” Jamie crossed his arms and stared at those in the back. “I’ve heard the complaints about being stuck on the bus with the kids. I’ve arranged for the children on the other buses without chaperones to be moved to this one, along with a few of the elderly and disabled. Those of you who want to move will be escorted now to one of the other buses. I’d like a few volunteers to help with the kids. I got three teachers on the other bus ready to assist with taking care of them.”
“I’ll stay,” Savannah said swiftly.
Rachel lifted her hand. “I can try to help. Bonnie is good with children.”
“Mama?” Oscar called out.
“I’m staying here with you and the other kids, Oscar,” Melissa replied.
Joe, the other bus driver, eased into the aisle to move to the front. “I’m sticking with this bus until we get to the safe zone.”
“Same here. I’m not leaving.” Derrick looked toward Rachel in that special way people do when they like someone. Josh wondered if it was the same expression he wore when he gazed at Corina.
Staring at the adults gathering their few possessions, Jamie said nothing. It was clear most in the back were ready to abandon the bus.
“They expect us to die,” Troy muttered.
“Yeah. They think we’re dumb kids.” Josh didn’t like the ugly feeling he had in his chest. He wanted to prove the adults wrong.
Outside, Ron knocked on the rear door. Behind him were a police officer and a man dressed in hunting gear.
“Open the doors, Derrick. Their escort is here,” Jamie instructed.
The rear doors yawned open, and Ron stepped inside. “Okay, everyone coming with me get out here. We gotta move fast.”
Zoey leaped from her seat, bounded down the stairs, and slammed into Ron, knocking him off his feet. They sprawled onto the shoulder of the road.
“What the–” Ron exclaimed.
“Let her go!” Jamie ordered.
Scrambling to her feet, Zoey ran past the two people with Ron so fast she was almost a blur. Josh shot to his feet to watch Zoey sprint to the fence and slip between the barbed wire. Without pausing, she dashed into the mist. The last thing he saw of her was her bright red hair in the morning light before she vanished behind some trees.
“Aren’t you going to save her?” Troy shot a frantic look toward Jamie.
“We can’t save everyone, son. It’s clear she doesn’t want to be here. We’re not going to hold her against her will. She’s a risk to all of us. I’m sorry.” Jamie sighed, shaking his head. “Ron, get these people to the other bus, please.”
“You got it, sir.” Now that he had a position of some responsibility, Ron seemed more cooperative. He motioned to the people lined up to leave, and soon, the back of the bus was empty.
“Shut the back doors and open the front,” Jamie said to Derrick.
Out of the mist came a line of children, a few teenagers, an elderly couple, and a few adults. Jamie and Melissa stepped outside as the newcomers filed into the bus. Bonnie watched excitedly as the children climbed on board, a few stopping to pet her. Josh knew people weren’t supposed to touch service dogs, but it was hard to resist her doggy charm.
One of the teenage girls was lifted out o
f her wheelchair and carried onto the bus by Jamie. Her wheelchair was brought around to the back entrance, and Joe secured it to the floor, so Jamie set the girl back in the wheelchair.
The elderly couple sat behind Corina and Drake, holding hands tightly, and looking relieved. They were so old their white skin looked like parchment paper.
“We’re on the rejects bus,” Troy whispered to Josh.
Josh didn’t like that description, but knew it was true.
“Derrick, close the doors and pull out into the lane. We’re moving to the front of the line,” Jamie instructed.
“Really?” Derrick gave Jamie a startled look.
“Yeah. This bus is high priority. It goes to the front where we have more firepower to protect it.”
With a grin, Derrick palmed the doors shut and shifted gears. “Yes, sir! Should I salute?”
Jamie laughed. “Nah. Just take us to the front.”
The bus glided out of line and drove past the rest of the vehicles in the convoy. As they passed the bus where the complainers had settled, Josh felt smug when he saw their shocked faces.
Troy raised his hand and waved. “Bye, losers!”
“This is better, right, Josh?” Sam called out.
Looking over the new friendlier faces, Josh smiled. “Yeah, Sam. This is much better.”
The bus moved back into position behind several police cruisers, two highway patrol SUVs, and a big construction truck. Once the bus was back in line, Josh saw the Army vehicles coming out of the mist and heading in the opposite direction to return to San Antonio. As the trucks and jeeps passed, the soldiers waved to the kids.
“I hope they win,” Corina said.
“Me, too,” Savannah agreed. “Me, too.”
Troy leaned toward Josh. “Do you think they will win?”
Josh hated to lie to his friend, but he nodded. “Yeah. Totally.”
With a honk of a horn, the convoy rolled on.
Chapter 11
The Living Dead Boy (Book 2): Lost in Texas Page 5
