by Steven Till
She scanned the sky and checked for more helicopters nearby. Satisfied that they were no longer under attack, she turned towards her brood. Many had been destroyed with that horrible gun and others still had limbs cleaved off from the torrent of shrapnel from the crash. They’d live, sort of. The attack had depleted her ranks significantly. She needed more. Opening her grotesque mouth, she released a screech that echoed throughout the valley and out into the surrounding ruins.
More of her children would hear her call and come. Sunshine looked to the warriors before her and gave her bidding. Moments later, they spread out in all directions, communicating with the others. Soon, the Horde had scattered and hid themselves, save for the one hundred zombies who stayed behind to protect their queen.
The trap can still work. She could not afford for her army to be surprised like that again. She moved back to the overlook and stared out at the beautiful destruction. HE will come. Soon.
CHAPTER 24 THE ROOFTOP
The loud inhuman howl echoed in the distance. Nathan and Ronnie stopped on a random rooftop and listened.
“Whoa, dude, what the hell was that?” Ronnie asked.
“It’s HER,” Nathan replied. A look of trepidation spread across his face.
“Who’s HER?”
“It’s that little girl that I saw downtown, right before I bee-lined it down into the subway.”
Ronnie laughed uncontrollably. When he had settled down enough to talk, he looked at his friend, who wasn't laughing. “Dude, are you telling me that you’re afraid of some punk-ass little girl?” This comment prompted another fit of hysterical laughter.
Nathan waited a moment for the laughing fit to stop. “Look man, there’s something really fucked up about that little girl. I don’t know what it is, but she’s different from the other dead-heads out there. She’s smart. She’s a thinker like we are. There’s something else too, but I can’t figure it out. One thing for sure is that she’s their leader.”
Yet another outburst of hysterics from the former hot dog vendor, but this time he almost toppled over the ledge of the building from laughing so hard.
“O. M. G., dude. You’re killing me!” Ronnie gasped, but the irony of his own comment fueled his fit.
“C’mon man, try to be serious for one minute,” Nathan managed to interject.
“Sorry bro,” Ronnie replied, finally calming down.
“All I’m saying is that I think she might be dangerous to us. She ordered the other zombies to attack me, which means she wants me for some reason.”
Ronnie tried his hardest to stifle a laugh. “Pedophile,” he retorted.
“You really are a piece of work, my friend.”
Nathan heard commotion from the street below and peered over the ledge to check it out. Below them, dozens of creepers made their way down the street, looking into cars and buildings as they moved. Are they looking for food? For more prey? he thought as he watched the zombies search the streets and alleys as they continued down the road.
He motioned Ronnie over to take a look. “There’s a ton of them down there and it looks like they’re searching for something.”
Ronnie peeked over the side of the building just in time to see a human survivor dart out of a hiding spot and bolt down the street behind the group of dead-heads. Several of the ghouls turned to see the frantic woman flee, but they ignored her and continued on in their search.
“Hey bro, that’s really weird,” Ronnie observed, “Why didn’t they attack her?”
“I’m not sure. I thought they were searching for prey, but...” Nathan grew nervous.
“What?” Ronnie asked.
Nathan turned to his friend with a dead-serious expression. “I think WE’RE the prey.”
CHAPTER 25 HOME SWEET HOME
The old station wagon sped down Babcock Boulevard as fast as it could while it weaved around the various obstacles cluttering the road. The bus trailed right on their heels. Sam focused on the road ahead while Evelyn reloaded their weapons and took stock of their ammo.
With guns fully loaded, she glanced back at the bus behind them. Its bobbing headlights danced around the interior of the car, reminding her of one of the night clubs her and Nathan used to go to on occasion. Evelyn hadn’t thought about him in hours. She hoped he was safe, wherever he might be.
Sam jerked the wheel to the left to avoid a pile of bodies, then straightened out. Evelyn brought her attention back to the road and then to the grizzled old man. His face beaded with sweat, despite the wintry chill outside. Night had fallen and it was now close to impossible to see more than a couple feet around them. The power had gone off earlier. Not a single street light, traffic light, or building was lit. The various cars and buildings that were on fire made the scene all the more frightening.
“Hey Sam, exactly where are we going?”
“Someplace safe,” was all he offered her.
Evelyn liked Sam, but his short, stubborn attitude really got to her. “Okay, are you able to be more specific?”
Sam shot her a look and then caved in. “I own a retail outlet where we can hold up. There aren’t any windows, and only two entrances on ground level. It’s defensible and I’ve got it stocked with a few supplies for just such an event.”
“You actually planned for all this?!” she asked in disbelief.
He let out a slight chuckle. “Well, not zombies per se, but it was only a matter of time before the proverbial shit hit the fan.”
“So how close are we to this store of yours?”
“Oh, don’t you worry, we’re close. It’s right on McKnight, past the Day’s Inn and that New Age Christian church.”
They made it to the cloverleaf that connected Babcock to McKnight and made a sharp left, screeching onto the on-ramp. After a sharp bend to the right, they were now cruising along the berm to avoid the main road, which like most other roads around, choked with cars. The driver of the bus behind them was good and didn’t miss the turn, still following them closely.
Sam was right, they were close. A few seconds after turning onto McKnight, he turned right into a large parking lot that surrounded a medium-sized building. The store sat centered towards the back of the lot. Behind that, a seventy-five foot cliff reached towards the sky and provided good defense to the back of the building. From what Evelyn could gather, there was only a couple of feet from the back of the building to the cliff face.
Sam skidded to an abrupt halt next to the building. The bus followed in suit, coming to rest parallel to the front of the building, its passenger door pointing towards the store entrance. Evelyn jumped out of the car and scoured the immediate area for any creepers. Satisfied that the coast was clear, she opened up the back doors and began to pull out the various bags of ammunition and supplies. Sam got out and loaded up as well.
The walked around the corner to the entrance in time to see the bus doors open. One by one, the survivors on board emerged. They were a motley crew, ranging in age, race and gender. Altogether there were eight of them; three women and five men. They all looked like hell, most of them covered in blood and grime.
Sam dropped an armful of bags and brandished his pistol at the group. “Are any of you folks bitten?”
Everyone in the group tensed. Including the six foot eight inch Indian fella standing in the back. Sam was almost startled at the sight of the brown-skinned man. He was tall and built like a brick shithouse. If Sam had to guess, he figured the guy could bench two-fifty without even breaking a sweat.
After a brief awkward silence, a short, rather fat Hispanic man in his early forties took a step forward. “No sir, none of us are infected. We’re a little banged up, but none of those things got to us.”
Sam did another quick once-over of the group. Satisfied that none of them were going to turn, he pounded on the door and picked up the load of bags. “Bill, Pete. It’s Sam. Open the door.”
A moment later a voice sounded from the other side. “How do we know it’s really Sam?” asked the vo
ice.
“Open the door NOW you useless shit!”
“Hey Bill, Sam’s back!” the muffled voice yelled from behind the door.
A second later, several locks clicked and slid open and the door swung out. Sam pushed past the large store clerk and indicated for the group outside to follow. Evelyn was surprised that there were lights on inside the store. She hadn’t seen any exterior lighting on. Sam must have a generator.
Once everyone was inside, Pete locked up the door and turned to face the group. “Gee Sam, I didn’t know you were bringing company with you,” he said.
“Shut up and help me with this gear,” the gruff man replied.
The crowd stood in the middle of the shop. They took stock of their surroundings and immediately became uncomfortable. Evelyn was beside herself. She couldn’t believe that this was where they were going to make their stand.
“Sam, are you fucking kidding me?” she asked.
Sam turned to her with one of those what’s your problem looks on his face. “What’s your problem?”
“You own a fucking porn shop?! You think that the best place to go is a fucking sex playground?! Why didn’t you tell me you owned a goddamn perv store?” Evelyn chided.
“First off, I didn’t think it was relevant. Second, this IS a defensible position. We have a cliff behind us, which means that’s one less direction we have to protect. I’ve stocked enough food, water, and ammunition to supply the next World War, and I saved your sorry ass from being the brains-du-jour on some creeper’s dinner table. So if you don’t mind, a little respect would be appreciated.”
Evelyn sank into herself, ashamed for getting so irate. He was right, he did save her. He was also right about this building. There were no windows, except the one in the front door. Like Sam had told her earlier, there was only one exit out the front and one out the back, which made it much easier to defend. “Sorry Sam,” she whispered.
“Look folks, I know that you aren’t thrilled to be making humanity’s last stand among a slew of giant, veiny cocks and ball gags, but the situation is what it is. Better make the best of it.” Sam turned and continued taking inventory of the supply bags that were now splayed out on the front counter.
The new additions from the bus settled in, resting against the shelves of pornography. Evelyn made her way to the front door and peered out through the blinds. She thought of Nathan. She thought of Boomer. She thought of Julie. There was no going back to that life. Not after this. Her hopes that Nathan was still alive dwindled with every passing hour. Soon she would have to come to terms with the fact that he was likely dead.
CHAPTER 26 DOBBS
The two friends had been sitting on the roof for over an hour, not sure what to do about the other zombies who hunted them. Ronnie would leer over the ledge to see what the search parties were up to. While he focused on the streets, Nathan kept a vigilant watch on the rooftops around them. The creatures didn’t seem all that smart, but they didn’t appear to be completely stupid either. It would only be a matter of time before they got wise and started checking the skyline.
It had been thirty-five minutes since they last saw anything on the street and nothing had come up to their level. The pair decided that they needed to keep moving, since a stationary target was easier to find than one that was roaming. They went to the far side of their roof and down into the alley.
Nathan had suggested they go down to street level, since there would be more hiding places down there. Although faster, the roof offered little to no cover. That made them much more vulnerable to both the dead-heads that hunted them and any military that might patrol the air.
“Alright, we go slow, keep alert, and above all else, keep quiet,” Nathan said as he peered around the corner into the deserted street.
“No worries, man,” Ronnie whispered back.
They made their way out into the ravaged street. Bodies, or at least parts of bodies, littered the road like discarded trash. The sound of war permeated the cold night air from the many pockets of conflict that raged within the metro area. Screams and wails from the dying infected resonated in the distance. Mingling with the sound of the dead was the sound of the dying; humans devoured by the diseased. The symphony of death assaulted Nathan’s ears and he tried to tune out the barrage.
Every seventy-five feet or so, they would stop and duck behind a car or building to check for pursuers. So far, they were making good time and covering a decent amount of ground. They continued on down the street, away from the city towards the West End. There was a bridge there that led to the north shore of the Ohio River. If they could get across, then they’d be about halfway home.
As they neared an intersection, a Marine emerged from the left, staggering into the middle of the four way junction. He was alone, shaking, and terrified. Must have gotten separated from his unit, Nathan thought. With his enhanced eyesight, Nathan could see the word "Dobbs" stamped on his BDUs.
The lone soldier turned to his right and faced Nathan and Ronnie, who had stopped in their tracks. For a brief moment, they merely stared at each other. Dobbs looked at Nathan. Nathan looked at Dobbs. Dobbs looked at Ronnie. Ronnie looked at Nathan. Nathan looked at Ronnie. Ronnie and Nathan looked at Dobbs. The enlisted man freaked out and raised the pistol in his hand. He screamed and fired off a clip at Nathan.
“Shit, dude! Wait!” Nathan exclaimed, holding up his arms in a peaceful gesture as two of the eight slugs embedded into his chest.
The soldier was now shaking uncontrollably as he struggled to reload a new clip into his pistol.
“Wait man, we’re not going to hurt you!” Nathan pleaded. He held up his hands to show the shell-shocked marine that he wasn’t a threat. Two mangled bullets popped out of his chest as his body began to heal the gunshot wounds. The young leatherneck paused and stared at the two zombies standing in the middle of the deserted street. A look of fear and confusion contorted his face as he watched the holes in Nathan’s chest close.
“Wha...Why are you talking? How can you be talking? You things can’t talk,” Dobbs stammered, his gun lowering as he tried to process and assess the situation.
Nathan took a small, cautious step forward, keeping his hands high in the air. “I don’t know why we can still communicate, but for whatever reason, we haven’t completely changed like the others. We’ve been feeding on rats and birds; we don’t want to eat or hurt anybody. I’m just trying to find my family. Can you help us?”
The Specialist’s gun raised back to eye level when Nathan stepped forward. “How do I know this isn’t a trick? If I let my guard down, you’ll eat me the first chance you get.”
Ronnie stood silent and looked back and forth between Dobbs his friend as they talked. Movement caught his eye on the cross street, about fifty feet beyond the solder. It moved fast and ducked out of his field of view before he could get a good look. Turning to his right, another shadow ducked out of sight further down the cross street. He moved his attention to the tops of the surrounding buildings. Countless shapes and figures lurked in the darkness. His enhanced heat vision lit up everywhere he looked. The rooftops were ablaze in the red aura of the dead.
“Um, guys, I think we better...” Ronnie started, but Nathan cut him off before he could get the warning out.
“Hold on buddy, I think we’re making progress here.”
“Yeah, but...” This time Dobbs broke him off.
“So you want a truce, is that right?” he asked Nathan
“Yeah, that’s right.”
The man lowered his gun again, still focused on the two creatures before him. “And what do I get if I help you?”
Nathan pondered this for a second before answering. “Protection. Our eyesight allows us to see the ones like us, even in the dark. Plus, if we encounter any obstacles along the way that might hurt you, we can take care of them, no problem.”
“Guys, I hate to crash your little love-fest here, but you really need to listen to me!” Ronnie interjected. Nathan turned to Ronn
ie, who was getting pretty agitated. The Marine took three slow steps towards his new allies.
“Alright, we’ll call it a truce for the time being, but so help me God, if you try anything I’ll scramble your brains so fast you’ll...”
Nathan and Ronnie watched as a blur slammed into an unaware Specialist Dobbs and carry him into the shadows further down the street. A fine, red mist lingered airborne for a moment where the soldier once stood. Nathan saw the red glowing aura of other zombies in the direction of the doomed corpsman. Realizing that there were other ghouls around, Nathan circled and examined both the street and buildings for potential threats. Now he understood why Ronnie was getting so damn antsy. Surrounded and overwhelmingly outnumbered, the two friends stood back-to-back.
Behind them, further down the street, the dead rained down from the rooftops like suicide jumpers. With total disregard for their own bodies and well-being, they hurled themselves onto the street below. An ungodly crunching resounded as bones snapped from the impact. The injured creepers crawled towards their prey, their mangled legs already started the healing process as more of the Horde fell upon them.
More dead warriors emerged from the wrecked cars along the street. Figures moved from alleyways and filtered out into the road. They all advanced slowly, but at a steady pace. They appeared to be waiting to see what the two were going to do before they gave chase. Noises from the intersection had told Nathan that the hunters flanked their sides. Options for escape were dwindling at an alarming rate.
“You got a plan homie?” Ronnie asked, the nervousness in his voice not completely disguised by his tough-guy facade.
“Well, not really,” Nathan replied. “I mean, we could try to find a thin spot in their ranks and fight our way through; maybe get us an opening so we can run away.”
“You know me, bro. I’m never one to back down from a fight, but I doubt we’re gonna get out of this without getting pretty messed up,” Ronnie observed.
