"Ok. I got the obvious, now fill me in." I tell him.
"Oh, right. Sorry. Well, we made it to Darling and we cruised down Main Street, which wasn't too bad. We saw a few zombies but not very many. No survivors. Then Dad turns onto the street Grandma lives on, we stop to go get her, and then this happens. So, you are now filled in."
"Mommy?" Ash's head pops up behind the seat and he looks terrified. Once again, the zombies are about to find out why you don't piss off Mommy!
"Ash, climb back here and get on the floor like you did before, ok? Will, hand me my handguns. And don't argue with me. Either help me, or get the hell out of my way. Ok? Oh. And I love you." Will hands me my guns, very reluctantly, I might add. And a little (lot) pissed off.
Using the anger, adrenaline, and a lot of help from the pain pills, I stand on my seat and open the hatch. Somehow, I climb through the top and onto the roof. I look around at the other vehicles and I see Dad's head pop through the top of their truck. I look at Jake's and see that he is already on top and just about to shoot. I also see a head with long black hair rising from the hatch in his truck and think what great zombie bait she would make.
I turn my attention to the beasts below me and start shooting. Will joins me and we fight together. I check on Ash every once in a while and he seems to be doing better. Well, as can be expected.
As I duck my head toward the hatch to check again on Ash, I hear what is unmistakably a bullet zinging past my head! I drop to the roof and turn my head in the direction it came from and I see Sara looking straight at me, giving me one of her evil grins and then shrugs as if it was an 'accident'. Jake is looking over at me, his body tight with anxiety until he sees me lift my hand and wave that I'm ok. Then I watch in astonishment as Jake backhands Sara so hard that she falls onto her back and straight through the hatch. Ha Ha! Good Job, Jake! Now, if she had been as big as a cow, she wouldn't have fallen through, now would she?And before you get all pissy about me being happy a man just knocked the crap out of a woman (and it isn't accidental this time), need I remind you she tried to KILL me?
Will, who is on the rear part of the roof, doesn't know about the bullet, but had seen Jake hit Sara. Of course, he gets all upset and threatens to shoot Jake until I finally get his attention and explain to him what happened. Now I have to calm him down from wanting to shoot her himself. Haha! I love my hubby.
Finally, the large group of undead were really dead, except for some stragglers slowly shuffling toward us, late for the party, I guess. We prepare to go inside the house and get my grandmother, but I'm filled with terror when I notice her door is smashed in. But she's alright. She's upstairs and they can't climb. For some reason, that doesn't make me feel better. As I've seen over and over through this whole mess, anything can happen. And what you expect isn't always what you get.
Everyone insists I stay behind. I argue. I lose. So, I'm stuck in the stupid truck while Will, Dad, Jake, and Sam go inside to get Ma. Yes. I'm pouting. Bite me. But I finally get over it and Ash and I climb onto the the roof. He sits close to me and points out zombies, then tells me what gun I should use. I let him try shooting the undead with each gun and he prefers the sniper rifle. I never imagined any of our travel games could ever be like this.
We jump when we hear the gunfire inside the house. My anxiety raises even higher when we hear a scream. I can't tell who it is with the blasts of the gun almost covering it up. Just when I think no one is coming out alive, Jake casually walks out the door, followed by my MA! After her comes Sam and Dad. I wait for Will to come out but he doesn't.
I stare at each one and not a damn one of them will look at me. Are they deliberately ignoring me? As Jake walks past my truck, I slam my fist down on the roof, unable to talk. I know if I open my mouth I will start screaming, unable to stop. My husband's gone. He has to be. This can't happen!
Startled, Jake's head whips up toward me. I look at him with terror and questions in my eyes. He hesitates for a few seconds, seems reluctant to tell me anything. And now I'm sure something terrible has happened.
He climbs up to the roof and tells Ash to go down and help his great-grandma get settled in, give her some food and water. Ash disappears down the hole in the roof and Jake turns his attention to me. I see the expression of sadness on his face and my terror rises. I clutch at his hand, digging my nails in, letting him know my fear. But, I'm terrified to actually hear the words. He clears his throat to speak, and I shake my head furiously. No. Don't say what I'm positive your going to say. Please no, Jake!
He covers my hand with his other, and squeezes. "Canada, we don't know where Will is." WHAT? What the hell does that mean? I give his hand a jerk to get him to continue.
"There were a lot of undead in there. We had split up to clear each room when Sam started screaming in the living room. We all ran in to help him. He was hiding between the wall and sofa, and a zombie was trying to get to him. After all that, we noticed Will wasn't with us, so we assumed he'd gone ahead and went upstairs. But he wasn't there. We yelled for him and searched the house. Canada, he wasn't there."
I clench his hand tighter and just stare at him, lost in my own confused mind. Where is he? What happened to him? Why isn't he here with us? I just don't understand. I look back at the house, around the yard, around the neighborhood. No Will.
"Look, we will wait here for a half hour and see if he shows, ok? But, Canada, we can't stay here forever." Jake gently tells me. I stare into his eyes, wanting to hit him, tear his eyes out, scream and punch him over and over for thinking for one second that we will just leave my husband behind. But, deep down, I know he's right. Son-of-a-bitch! I nod and release his hand. He puts his arm around me and tries to comfort me, but I move away from him. Turning my back on him, I watch the area with hope and fear. Praying.
After a few minutes, I feel Jake climb off the truck. I hear him telling everyone we are going to wait about a half hour but I don't pay any attention to the conversations beyond that. Time ticks by and each minute that passes makes me sicker and sicker. Fear overwhelms me to the point I can't move. Where is he?
I hear someone climbing on the truck behind me. Hope and happiness flood my body and I whip around. But it's Jake. Not my Will.
"Honey, we have to go." He softly says, knowing how devastating this is for me. "We waited an hour instead of half, but we just can't wait anymore." Really? It didn't seem like an hour. I want to beg him for more time. I want to refuse to leave and stay behind if I have to, but I have to think of the others. Of my kids. So I just nod at him and lower myself into the truck.
Ma and Ash are sitting in the very back and I start to climb into the front, when the door opens and Jake slides into the drivers seat. I stop halfway over the seat and stare at him a few seconds. I decide I probably shouldn't be driving, anyway, so I shrug and settle into the passenger seat. I don't stop looking desperately for Will. Every second we get closer to the end of town, my heart beats faster, harder, pounding through my entire body. Then we pass the sign saying 'You Are Now Leaving, Darling, MO. Please Drive Carefully'. The hope of finding him and having him back with us shatters, and I curl up against the door, sobbing.
Every mile away from Darling brings a sharp jolt of pain. Ash is taking it pretty hard and is now upfront between Jake and I. I hold him tight and force myself to put aside my own pain to help my baby. I'm worried about Bo, but I know his grandparents will take care of him. I grab my phone out of the cell holder on the dash and call my mom. I can hear in her voice that she's been crying, too. I ask her how Bo is and she says he's starting to settle down and has about cried himself to sleep. He, too, is sitting up front with her and dad. Then, she says something that cause me to smack my forehead, hard.
I hang up on her mid-sentence and dial Will's phone. Excitement mixes with the fear. The phone rings I my ear...and on the floorboard. SHIT! I go through the pain of hope dying, once again. I send Mom a text, letting her know he left his phone in the truck, unable to call and talk to her with th
e sobs stuck in my throat.
I do the only thing I can do, I sit back and hold my baby.
Chapter 28
We keep going, taking detours when needed, killing the zombies when needed, eating, bathroom breaks, taking care of the kids and baby. Everything done with me on autopilot. Don't think. Don't feel. I chant to myself over and over. Then, finally, we make it to the highway leading to my sister's home. The highway is overrun with zombies and the living running for their lives. We are forced to stop after zigzagging around several vehicles. A semi is parked in the center of the lane and vehicles are crashed into one another on both sides, some having slid or been smashed hard enough to turn the vehicle side-ways, making it impossible to go around them.
We get on top of our Hummers and look around. If the semi wasn't in the way, we could have made it to the exit, which we can see up ahead. I see Dad start to climb off the roof to the ground so I grab my sniper rifle. The others help take out any zombies that head his way. I watch the area around him through the scope, taking down the ones closest to him.
As he's a truck driver, he has the rig started and moved in no time. We all climb back in our vehicles lining up behind him. The squeal of metal on metal as it breaks free from the vehicles on each side of it, has us all cringing. Dad moves the truck to the side of the road, and we drive through, stopping so he can get in his Hummer with Mom.
Finally, we take the exit to my sister's. The relief is dulled with the pain of losing Will. A few miles down the road, a turn, and a few miles up the hill we arrive at Rose's long driveway. The main gate is closed, chained, and padlocked. Mom calls her and eventually we see her bouncing down the road in her four-wheeler. She opens the gate and we all pull through.
Pulling up behind her house, we all climb out of our vehicles, stretching with relief. I hug Rose and, after she looks around, asks where Will is. Seeing my face crumble, she grabs me and holds me tight. After a few moments, I gently push her away and ask how she's doing.
"Ok, I guess. This shit is kinda unreal." Kinda? Really, Rose? "We've had to kill several that were trying to get in, but it's been quiet for a few hours. Let me help you get your stuff and get it inside."
I nod and turn as I hear voices coming from the house, getting closer, until the house seems to vomit out the rest of my siblings and their families. Ricky, my oldest younger brother, is a successful business owner and computer whiz. His wife, Kally, who is cute, short, and tough is a farmer's daughter who's worked her whole life on her family's farm. And their two kids, MaLayna and Alec.
Next is my baby brother, Ryder, another computer whiz and business owner. His wife, Coco, who, like her name implies, is a bubbly blond, but we still love her. She definitely makes things more interesting and her laugh is something I love to hear. It's bubbly, like her. She's a nurse, like my mom. They have two sons, Joel, who is a Doctor for CDC (If, somehow, you don't know what CDC is, it's Center for Disease Control. And, yeah. That's one nephew of mine I want to talk to, ASAP!), and their youngest, Gage, who is a member of a bomb squad for the government. But they're not here, and I'm not sure if they will be coming, or not.
Finally, my brother Andy is a cop who is very popular with the public, but not so much with the criminals. He's been on TV and in newspapers for several different captures and other crime-busting. His wife, Lindey, is a Department of Family Services caseworker but was also taking classes to be a Ultrasound Technician. They have three kids, all under six. A son, Avery. And two daughters, Laney and Lyndsey, the baby.
They all surround us giving us more hugs than we can count. And we enjoy every one of them. I missed my family so much and I'm very happy to see them, but this particular reunion sucks! One by one, everyone files back into the house, except me. Rose stops and turns to me. I'm standing by the Hummer, watching all of my loud loved ones.
"You coming in?" She asks me.
"In a minute." She nods, understanding, and walks inside, giving me the time I need.
I check the ammo in my handgun and walk back down the long drive to the gate. Finding a big rock close by, I sit and look out over the land. I think about Will. How much I miss him. How much I need him. How angry at myself I am for the shit that happened with Jake. I think about all times I drove him nuts, made him angry, sad, hurt. But no matter what I did, he never stopped loving me. He laughed at my craziness and held me even tighter when other men would have run. He dealt with my bipolar moments with understanding and patience, always seeming to know what I needed even when I didn't know. He was there for me in ways I never expected any man to be. And I took for granted that he always would be. I am so stupid!
Without any warning, huge sobbing wails come flooding out of my mouth, shaking my entire body. I stand and scream with the power of the pain and with anger at myself, and because he was taken from me. No longer able to hold myself up, my legs give way and I drop to my knees on the cold hard ground. Still sobbing.
A twig snaps behind me and to my left. I slightly quiet the sobbing but give no indication that I hear them. Tracking their sound until they are within ten feet of me, I whip around, gun aimed and ready.
Jake throws his hands up, surprise on his face. I keep the gun on him, still angry at some of the things he did to hurt my husband, too.
"Hey, it's just me." He says in what's supposed to be a soothing voice but, in fact, makes me want to pull the trigger more. "Canada? What's going on? Are you going to shoot me?"
I think about it for a few moments. But, lowering my gun, no. It's not all his fault and he isn't that bad, really. I think I'm more angry at myself but he's easier to blame.
He walks slowly over and kneels in front of me. I lower my gaze to my lap. Neither one of us say anything for a while. Finally, with tears streaking down my face, I look up at Jake. He holds his hand out and I look at it for a few moments. Finally, I slip my hand in his and he pulls me to him in a tight hug. I sob some more and he just holds me and rubs my back. It hurts like hell, but I don't pull away or tell him to stop. The pain feels familiar. It matches the pain I feel inside.
Finally, exhausted from crying, I pull away from Jake. He moves and sits beside me. Both of us now facing the gate. We sit quietly for quite a while. Then Jake clears his throat and I prepare myself for whatever he might say.
"I'm really sorry for everything, Canada."
I nod. "Me, too."
"I'm sorry about Will, too. I can't imagine what you're going through right now. I hope we're still able to be friends. I hope you know I will always be around if you need me." He watches me and I watch the gate.
Finally, I look at him and say, "Jake, I know you're here for me and I really appreciate it. Thanks."
"Look, this may not be the best time, but I need to say it. I don't know why I kissed you. I didn't intend to, it just happened. But I really care about you. A lot. I don't want to lose our friendship over that or anything else that happened on the way here." He says.
"Jake, that was the best and prettiest insult I've ever gotten. You don't know why you kissed me and darn sure didn't intend to? Thanks! You sure know how to talk to a woman." I tease him, needing to lighten the mood, knowing I have no choice but to deal with Will's death, move on, and take care of my boys.
He laughs.
"Well, I hardly think telling you that you made me all hot and bothered would go over very well, now would it?" He teases me back.
I laugh.
"Look, we went through a lot together, the two of us alone, and then with the entire group. We got close fast. So let's just write it off as a moment of insanity from the tension, fear, and survival-mode we were in. Ok? We're good." I tell him.
He grins and bumps his shoulder into mine.
We sit quietly, just looking out at the terrifying new world together.
"Jake?"
"Yeah?"
"My body still hurts." I say quietly, looking out the gate. "You bump me again, I'll shoot your ass."
Jake stares at me wide-eyed for a moment, th
en shakes his head and chuckles a few times before going silent.
I stare straight ahead, tears flowing down my face. I love you, Will.
To be continued........
Special Thanks and Acknowledgments
Thank you to all of you who read the first book and gave me the confidence and encouragement to keep going on to make the rest. I hope this one wasn't too horrible!
Special thanks to; Misty Peters, Jane DeFreitas, William, Bryson, and Austin Noble, Nancy James, Nancy Creamer, Candace Wright, and the rest of my family. I love you all. You have no idea how much I appreciate your support!
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Many, MANY thanks to Trisha Wilko for the amazing photos on the covers of the first book, the second book, and for the ones to come. You are beautiful, even when you look hideous! Love you, my friend and fellow Walking Dead Freak!
From The Author
Thank you for purchasing and reading my second book in this series. I am hurrying to get the next book out and look for a post with an excerpt on my Facebook Page. All links are below.
If you liked it, and I hope you did, please give it a good rating/review and tell your friends about it. If you would like to be updated when the next book is finished, you can send an email to [email protected] Please be sure to type UPDATES in the subject line.
Again, thanks!
C. M. Wright
Find me on Facebook at: writercmwright
Follow me on Twitter: @CMWzombie
About The Author
C.M. Wright lives outside Decatur, IL. with her husband and two sons. She started the Zombie Overload Series because she was having withdrawals from one of her favorite walking dead TV shows. When she's bored or can't sleep, C.M. plan's what she would do if the undead really were to take over. She always thinks she's come up with the BEST plan, until she shares it with her husband. He's too quick to point out all that is wrong with her plans. She doesn't share with him anymore.
Dying To Live & Fighting To Live-Book One and Book Two (Zombie Overload Series) Page 17
