Dying To Live & Fighting To Live-Book One and Book Two (Zombie Overload Series)

by Wright, C. M.

  A small noise behind me and I immediately whip out the gun as I spin around. I found Tom.

  Chapter 10

  He's coming from the end of the hall where I had just left, shuffling slowly toward me. So it wasn't me that was moaning while I was in the shower. I guess I should have stuck around when he was undressing. He has a bite in his upper thigh. I thought it was just a tear in his pants. But I was wrong. So wrong. I look into his young but dead face and feel sick. He was just a kid! So young, so scared, so sweet. I scream in anger from knowing I have to kill him. He is about five feet from me when I finally pull the trigger, tears streaming down my face. I lean my back against the wall and sink to the floor, sobbing.

  Jake runs in and almost trips over me. He glances at me, then at the corpse on the floor. Dropping to the floor next to me, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me close. He holds me tight, hiding his face in my hair. I know he's covering up his own grief by comforting me, and I think he's using me to comfort himself, as well. I realize in this moment that Jake really did care for that kid. A lot. He may act big and bad, but he does have a heart. I respect and like him a whole lot more now.

  Finally, Jake releases me and he looks down at my bare feet and starts laughing, one of those pain-filled wobbly laughs. I look down and join him when I see my own bare feet. Why is it funny? Hell if I know. Just one of those moments.

  Jake stands and, grasping my hands, pulls me up. Leading me back to the lockers, he opens a bin perfectly stacked with shiny black boots. He throws me a couple pairs of black socks and I slip a pair on, stuffing the other into one of my many awesome pockets. Jake excuses himself to use the restroom. I stand, taking a few steps after putting on the boots and sigh with relief. So. Freaking. Awesome! Ok, fine. I admit it. I feel and look like a total bad ass now. Spying some strips of fabric and, unable to resist, I grab one. Wrapping it around my forehead and tying it in the back, I look in the full-size mirror. I make an awesome looking Rambo chick! Yeah. I look good!

  I hear a snicker and stop abruptly in the middle of a pose. I gulp. I forgot about Jake! I look over and he's standing against the wall, arms crossed, grinning at me. Ugh! I rip off the strip of cloth and toss it on the floor. I can't believe I just did all those stupid Rambo impersonations in front of him. I am such an idiot! I can feel the fire burning my face. Humiliation 101, I'm the professor. I'll teach you well.

  Trying to act tough and like I don't care what he thinks, I straighten my spine and storm past him and out the door, hearing him follow and still snickering. My face flames with renewed intensity and it pisses me off. Throwing my head back, I stomp even faster down the hall. Mumbling under my breath where I'd like to shove his head. Apparently, he can hear me because he just laughs louder. Remember that respect I said I had for him? Well, I take it back. Asshole! I storm past a pile of stuff, not giving it much attention in my anger, and am halfway down the hall when I hear Jake calling me.

  "Hey, you going with me or staying here.......Rambo?" I hate him! I turn around and finally realize the pile of 'stuff' is actually a pile of guns. Different sizes and types of handguns, rifles, shotguns. Sweet! There are other things there, but the only ones I know for sure are the boxes of ammo. He hands me a whole box of ammo and I slip it into the thigh pocket. Reloading his rifle, he throws a bunch of ammo in a pocket, and adds a handgun to his fatigue holster. How fair is that? Two guns and I get one? Jake turns his back and I snatch up another handgun and some more ammo. Hiding them in my fatigue pockets, I have a look of total innocence when he turns around.

  He pulls four large black canvas bags next to the cache (see me using military terms!) and starts putting shotguns in one, rifles in another. I grab another bag and put all the handguns and their ammo inside. He puts all the other things into the last bag. Handing me the bag with the handguns, he grabs the other three (show off) and leads the way to the door. Again, he listens first, then opens the door slowly. Motioning to me, we run to the Hummer, put the bags inside and he tells me to drive. When we reach the large doors, I stop so he can jump out and open them. I pull through and the outside light fades as the door shuts behind us.

  As my eyes adjust from being in the bright sunlight, I see a bunch of people running toward us. Finally, my vision adjusts enough that I can make out who they are. My door is flung open and before I can even turn my head, I have people all over me. My boys, my husband, my parents. I hug them back and laugh in relief that I actually did make it back ok.

  They release me and my husband pulls me out of the vehicle, snatching me back to him almost before my feet are touching the ground. He covers me in kisses and tells me over and over he loves me. I finally push away from him and take a deep breath. Will goes to Jake and shakes his hand, thanking him for getting me back safe. Jake tells him it was no big deal. You got that right, Jake. It was no big deal for YOU, now was it? Considering I was the one who killed all but ONE of them. Bet you won't mention that, huh?

  "But, actually, your wife is the one who saved my ass." I'm shocked. Did he really just say that? Have I mentioned how much I like that man? My husband looks at me and laughs. What the hell are you laughing about, Punk?

  He says, "for some reason, that doesn’t surprise me." Oh. Ok. Sorry about the punk part.

  Jake calls over all the adults and hands them each a gun with ammo. After they have all been given a weapon, he does a quick walk-through on how to use their guns and load the ammo. After he's done they all go back to their vehicles and put the guns away. Kneeling down, Jake picks up a rifle and looks up at me.

  "You any good at sniping on those games of yours?" He asks me with a grin.

  Grinning back, I tell him, "As a matter of fact, I kick ass at sniping."

  He hands me the sniper rifle. "Better take this, then. You got enough ammo for both those handguns?" He asks me with a wink. Gulp! He caught me.

  Handing me more ammo, he stands. Looking past me, I see his body stiffen. I turn and see the others standing in a group, facing us. One of the guys, I think his name is Bart, but not positive of that, asks if they can speak to Jake. I move behind Jake and kneel down, moving the extra few guns around in one bag, pretending like I'm not listening.

  "Look, we appreciate everything you've done for us. A safe place to sleep for the night and the guns. But none of us want to go to the hospital with you. I'm sorry, but we want to live and the worst place to be is in a hospital." Says another guy, whose name I don't know.

  I can't believe they are doing this! Jake has done so much and he only wants one thing, his brother. Good or bad, he needs to at least know the truth. And they won't help! We'd have a much better chance with all of us going in. I stand up behind Jake and suck in a deep breath, ready to give these ungrateful people a piece of my mind, when Jake turns and puts his arm around my waist and turns me around. He pushes me toward Will and gives him a look meant to say 'keep her quiet'. As if!

  Turning back to the group, he says, "I understand and I respect your decision. The protection for the night and the weapons were given freely with no expectations on my part. I hope you all stay safe and get where you're wanting to go." He then turns, kneels at the weapons still lying on the floor, and starts putting them back in the bags. I glare fire at the group. They walk away, some with shamed faces. Some relieved.

  Kneeling beside Jake, I tell him that we aren't deserting him. Will agrees but says we need to come up with a solution to protect our boys and the other kids that are with us now.

  As we're talking, Lily, the teenage babysitter, walks over and informs us she's leaving with a couple who are going to check on family near where her parents live. That scares me. The couple she's planning on leaving with seem unable to take care of themselves, let alone someone else. But what can I do?

  "Alright. Please be careful. Did you get a gun?" She nods yes.

  Then she asks me, "Can you keep Kaleb and Grace? It would kill me if something happens to them." Honestly, I never had any intention of letting her take them. But
I nod yes and say of course. I watch her as she walks to the other couple's vehicle, knowing I will probably never see her again. Sighing, I stand and ask Jake what the plan is.

  "None of you are going. Just leave. Go where you had planned to go and stay safe. I really don't think I will get out of that hospital alive now, and I'm not putting your lives in danger. I really appreciate all the help.

  Riled up, I tell him how it's going to be. "Sorry, Jake. Not happening. We are going and that's that. Don't you dare think for one second that we are going to desert you. You will come back alive and so will we. So what's the damn plan?"

  He runs his hand over his face and sighs. He tells us the only plan he has right now is to get there, get in, find his brother, or at least what is left of his brother, and get out. You can hear that the small hope he had in finding his brother alive is nearly gone. I want to tell him not to lose hope but I can't. I reach over and pat his arm. He shrugs my hand off and walks away with his head down, his body stiff. I watch him walk away and sigh. What he finds at that hospital could very well break him. I'm terrified of what he may do. I turn away and walk toward Will.

  Chapter 11

  Will and I talk about a few different options on how best to keep the kids safe and, once we agree on one, discuss it with Mom and Dad. We have decided they will drive out of Springfield and wait for us on the Interstate outside of the city, if they can get there and if it seems to be clear of zombies. If not, they will either find a safer place or continue to Missouri, where we will catch up. No one makes any reference to the fact that one or all of us might not make it. That just isn't an option.

  We strap both babies in and help the boys load some of their stuff. After holding on to each of our boys, hugging, and kissing and not wanting to let go, we finally help them in the Hummer. Mom and Dad hug us tight and tell us to hurry up and get back to them and stay safe. We say we will. But we don't promise. I walk away and get inside our Hummer, where I bawl like a baby for a few minutes. The pain of leaving my boys behind is almost too much. But I know my parents will take care of them. Or die trying.

  Will gets inside and tells me he had just talked to Jake. I didn't notice as I was lost in my own misery. Jake told Will that we'll follow him to the hospital and stay in touch through the cellphones in case we should happen to get separated. Once Jake scopes the hospital and decides the best way in, he will call us. The others will follow us out of here and then go their own way. I just nod to let him know I heard him.

  Jake starts his vehicle and moves toward the big door. I hear the others start their own engines and Will starts ours, and then we all line up behind Jake. I watch as he gets out, listens at the door, then shoves the door open wide. Jumping back in, he drives out into the bright sunlight. We head toward the front gate where Jake slows but then continues on. Hundreds of zombies outside that gate. As we drive past, they seem to get a little agitated but it's not to the point of a feeding frenzy. It's odd to me to see them in the daylight. I guess I always attributed zombies to nighttime. Not sure why. They aren't vampires, after all. Being able to see them better in all their dead glory, is worse, for me, than at night when you can't see what they look like very well.

  Jake drives us around to the right side of the armory and we see another gate. Not as big as the main gate, but big enough for our vehicles to get through. We only see a few zombies wandering around on the other side, but none pressed against the fence. Jake stops, opens the gate, and gets back in. We follow him through and he makes a left turn, away from the mass of zombies in the front. We drive through several intersections before I see the Hummers behind us start turning onto side streets. Dad finally turns off on the road that will lead to the Interstate. I'm overwhelmed with terror. But I breath through it and try to put it out of my mind. No way am I going to stay alive if I'm worried about what-ifs.

  We can see the huge hospital up ahead. As we get closer, my stomach dips in fear. I've been to this hospital several times and so I know it's big, but now it looks much, much bigger. This is not going to be easy. This isn't even going to be hard. More like impossible! We follow Jake all the way around the hospital. The undead are thick here. And that's just on the outside. Jake heads up the parking ramp and climbs to the top level. We only see a couple zombies and Jake takes them out with his Hummer. He pulls up next to the stairs and we park next to him. Getting out of our vehicle, we take a look around.

  "I think it's best if we go in here. We can go down one flight and be at the door of the cancer wing of the hospital. No need going through all this shit to get here when we can just do like this." Uh, yeah. Makes sense to me!

  I pull out my guns and make sure they are both fully loaded. Jake opens his back door and pulls out a smaller bag. Opening it, he takes out some metal tubes. Handing me two, I study them and realize they are silencers. Screwing them on each gun, I put one of the guns in my holster but keep the other in my hand. The men put their silencers on and Jake asks if we are ready. We nod yes and he picks up his rifle, straps it over his shoulder so it lay on his back. Obviously, it's meant as a backup since we want to stay as quiet as possible and not draw more of the undead to us. He begins to walk toward the door for the stairs when he stops suddenly and goes back to his truck. Pulling out three nice-sized knives, he comes back to me and shows me where the knife sheath on my pants are. I stick the knife in and Will tucks his into the back of his jeans, handle sticking out. Hope he doesn’t stick himself in the ass. I almost laugh with the image of him doing so. Wouldn't that be just like my hubby? I probably should have grabbed him a military outfit, as well, but I just didn't think about it.

  Jake resumes his journey toward the stairs. He looks through the small narrow window on the door and then slowly and, as quietly as he can, pushes it open. He looks down the stairwell, and we all three hear the grunts and bangs. We follow him down the stairs cautiously. On the landing before the door we need to go through, we see a single zombie. She shuffles to the door, unable to open it, banging and pushing against it, although it opens out this way instead of inside. Giving up, she turns to the stairs going up toward us and, never lifting her feet, falls on the first step. She rolls off, gets back on her feet, and shuffles back to the door. Jake looks back at us, motioning for us to stay where we are, but before he gets the chance to go down more than a couple stairs, the zombie goes near the edge of the landing leading to the floor below and disappears with a series of thuds. Jake looks back at us and shrugs. Well, that was easy!

  We meet up on the landing and Jake peers through the window on that door. He backs away and lets out a breath that seems to come from the bottom of his soul. He hangs his head for a moment before turning back to us. I'm afraid of what he's going to say.

  "There's at least fifty walking around in there. And that's just the ones I see. You sure you wanna do this?" Nope. Not really! But I nod my head yes. If it were my loved one, nothing would stop me. Not to mention, Jake has already proved he would help us and other strangers, too.

  Will says, "No sense in turning back now. We can do this. I have a plan. We seem to be safe here, unless there are some outside on the top level that push the door open." Stopping, he looks at the door and we see one of those door locks that you can push down to lock the door into the floor. He goes over and pushes it down, locking it in place. Will runs back up the stairs and soon after, Jake and I hear the top stairwell door lock. He runs back down and says that now we don't have to worry about falling zombies. We grin. Then he continues telling us his plan.

  "So, we open this door and get on the stairs. They can't climb so we will be safe and can take them out." Wow. Brilliant idea, Babe! Jake and I nod at him, and I give him one of my winks, which is a blink of both eyes. I can't wink, remember. Bite me! Well, considering the current situation, don't bite me. And anyway, Will thinks it's cute and laughs every time. This time is no different. Will and I climb the stairs, him a few steps above me. Jake goes to the door and, making sure we are ready first, flings it open,
and smashes the door prop down. Running to the stairs, he climbs up beside Will.

  We can hear them better now. The grunts, shuffles, smashes and crashes of items being knocked over and probably some of the undead falling over things to get to us. The first one, a patient in a hospital gown, appears. He turns toward us and I take the shot. He drops to the ground. We wait for the zombies to clear the doorway so that they aren't stacking up and the others can't get in. Eventually, they stop coming. We reload and carefully step over the ones we can and climb over the ones we can't. Looking down the hall, we see a couple stragglers. Jake takes them both down and then he carefully pokes his head out and looks to the hallways on the left and right of us. Apparently, all is clear because he goes through the door and into the hallway.

  We enter the hallway and see Jake running down the left hall. He gets to the big door that separates this wing from the next and shut and locks it like Will did with the stairwell doors. Will takes off down the right hall and does the same. Being in many hospitals, we all know there is another set at the end of this wing. We just have to be careful and keep our eyes and ears open. We start down the hall in front of us and stop at each door, listening. Some we can hear the undead. Some sound empty. We reach a door a little more than halfway down the hall, and Jake rests his hand on the door and bows his head. He's reluctant to open it and I know that's the door to his brother's room.

  Will and I watch the hall, giving Jake the time he needs. Finally, he turns his head and presses his ear against the door. He listens for awhile and looks at me. I can't tell if his look means there are zombie sounds inside or if it's quiet. Either way can be a bad thing. He turns the handle and slowly pushes the door open. He never raises his gun but I raise mine and follow as he slowly enters the room. Will stays at the door watching the hall.