The girls stared at each other in horror.
“No,” begged Allie, turning to Travis. “Please don’t let him kill Justice!”
“Child, not only is he going to slit your friend’s throat,” chuckled Travis, as he grabbed a warm beer from the cooler. “But he’s also going to kill your sisters and eventually, every person that you care about. Damn,” he groaned, after taking a long swig of beer. “This is tasty.”
“What do you mean?” asked Kylie, standing up. “Do you know where our sisters are?”
Travis sat down at a table across from them and put his feet up. “Why, yes I do,” his eyes turning red. “Now, sit back down before I kill Allie, just for shits and giggles. I really only need one of you.”
Kylie immediately sat down.
“Now,” he said, tapping his fingers on the table. “There’s been a change of plans. After I finish this beer, we’re going to take ourselves a little ride.”
“Where?” asked Kylie, trying not to cry.
He took another pull of his beer and belched. “Cheer up. I’m going to bring you back to your mommy.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Cassie
“Excuse me?” I gasped.
“He has your sister and Kylie,” said Justice.
“I think she means the part of him being some kind of demon. You know, an entity from hell,” said Paige with a smirk.
“I know you guys think I’m crazy, hell I would too if I hadn’t seen the stuff he can do with my own eyes. He actually took possession of my body, for God’s sake.”
I tried not to smile. “And, how’d you get it back?” I asked, wondering if he was a complete nut-job.
He nodded towards the necklace I was holding. “I think it had something to do with that,” he smiled sheepishly, “and the fact that I finally believe in God.”
“You didn’t before?” asked Bryce.
He sighed. “No. Not until today.”
“So, you say this guy’s name is really Travis?” asked Henry.
“That’s what he claims, but I’m sure it’s not his real name.”
“See Wild,” said Henry. “I told you it was that pecker-head, didn’t I?”
“Yeah you did. So,” I said turning back to Justice. “I think it’s time you took us to my sister and Kylie.”
Before he could answer, the sound of gunfire exploded all around us and we all crouched down on our hands and knees.
“Cassie!” hollered Bryce, grabbing my hand and pulling me with him. “Come on, this way!”
“Paige!” I screamed, looking back for her.
“I’m fine!” she hollered. She was kneeling behind a large garbage can with Justice crouched down beside her.
We scurried over to the other side of the level to a purse-kiosk and Bryce pointed. “There.”
I looked up and saw Dwayne as he aimed the gun towards us and began firing once again.
“Shit!” growled Bryce, pulling me down.
“What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to have to get up there and take him down because I’m no marksman. There’s no way I’ll hit him from this distance.”
Just then, I looked over at Henry, who was standing up without any kind of cover, had his gun raised, and was aiming for Dwayne.
“What is he doing?” I gasped. “He’ll never hit him at that range with a shot-gun!”
Bryce swore, then raised his revolver and fired up towards Dwayne.
“Henry!” I screamed, trying to get his attention when Dwayne ducked behind a wall.
Henry lowered his gun and crouched back down.
“I’m going up there,” said Bryce, pointing towards the escalators, which were shutdown. “You try to distract him, somehow.”
“How?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he pointed to my t-shirt. “Flash him or something.”
I scowled. “Very funny.”
“It wouldn’t work anyway, he wouldn’t be able to see much.”
I smacked his shoulder. “Bryce!”
“For God’s sake, I’m saying he’s too far away!”
I stared at him for a second. “Don’t you dare smile.”
Biting back a grin, he turned and fired, then bolted behind a coffee stand that was closer to the escalators.
“Better give yourselves up!” hollered Dwayne. “You can’t beat him. He’ll skin you all alive and eat you for dinner if you don’t stand down!”
“Cassie!” whispered Paige, loudly. “Look out!”
I looked behind me and saw two zombies approaching the kiosk.
Crap!
It was obvious that they weren’t there to buy but I began chucking purses at them anyway.
“Where’s your bat?” asked Paige, coming up behind me just as the first zombie rounded the corner.
“I dropped it,” I said, as she swung her bat and bashed the zombie’s skull in.
“Nice going,” she snorted, as I raised my leg and kicked the other zombie in the face, sending him flying backwards.
I sighed. “I know, not very smart. Crap, here comes another one.”
The third zombie charged us but was stopped when Justice slammed a metal chair into his face. When the creature stood back up, he quickly grabbed a long metal paper-hole punch that was sitting on the kiosk and drove it into the zombie’s skull.
Paige nodded in approval and when he turned away, I noticed her checking out his buns.
I smiled.
If we got out of this alive, it was my turn to tease the crap out of her.
“Where’s Bryce?” she asked.
“He went up the escalator,” said Justice.
I looked up but couldn’t see Bryce or Dwayne, nor did I hear anymore gunfire.
“Henry!” I whispered loudly.
He was still hiding in the same spot and when he turned, I could see that he’d just stuck another wad of chew into his mouth.
“What?” he hollered.
“Where’d Bryce go?”
Before he could respond, we heard gunfire from above. This time it was deeper in the mall.
I stood up and began moving towards the escalator. They’d obviously moved and there was no way I was going to stay down here if Bryce needed me.
Plus, he only had so many rounds.
“No!” hollered Henry. “Wild, you get your ass back to that kiosk!”
Ignoring him, I ran as fast as I could up the escalator and then hid behind another garbage container.
“What are you doing?” whispered Justice, who’d obviously followed me.
“Bryce is going to need my help,” I whispered back.
Another round of gunfire and my stomach started twisting into knots.
If anything happened to Bryce…
“Sorry, but you’re no help without a gun,” said Justice.
“You haven’t seen me in action,” I replied, and then ran towards another kiosk, this one a calendar shop.
“Well, look who we have here?” chuckled Dwayne, popping his head around the side of the booth.
My heart sank as he raised the gun and pointed it at my face. “It’s a shame, sweetheart. I really thought you and I could have had ourselves a good time the other day.”
“Wait,” I squeaked, raising my hands slowly to my waist. I un-tucked my shirt.
He chuckled. “What you doing, brown eyes, changed your mind?”
Holding my breath, I lifted my T-shirt up and flashed him.
His eyes widened but before he could say anything, I heard a loud blast and he fell forward.
“You’re supposed to show all the goods when you flash someone, Wild,” said Henry, his gun still smoking. “Not just that little training bra.”
My face turned bright pink and I pulled my shirt back down right before Bryce arrived.
“Everyone okay?” he asked, out of breath.
“Not everyone,” said Henry, spitting his chew on the dead man’s back. “Looks like he got more than he was expecting with Wild, here.”
Bryce put his arm around my shoulders. “You okay?”
I nodded.
Henry smiled. “Bryce, what were you doing when she was whipping out those headlights of hers?”
“I was cornered by a couple of zombies,” answered Bryce. “What in the hell are you talking about? What headlights?”
“Nothing,” I said, shooting Henry a dirty look. “Look, we need to find Allie and Kylie. Justice!”
“Right here,” he said, walking towards us with Paige.
“Where are they?” I asked.
He looked up towards the top floor. “If they’re still here, that’s where they’d be.”
“What do you mean, still here?” I asked.
“He’s using the girls to find the baby,” said Justice.
“What baby?” asked Paige.
“He called him ‘The Chosen One’.”
“Whatever,” said Bryce. “This Travis sounds like a real fruit-loop. Let’s go look for the girls.”
“One thing,” said Justice, halting him. “This guy has powers- some kind of supernatural ones. Don’t underestimate him and don’t let him touch you.”
“I don’t intend to,” said Bryce, moving around him towards the escalators.
“Neither did I,” replied Justice, rushing after him.
“He ain’t touchin’ me neither,” said Henry. “No siree…I don’t go for any of that flim-flam stuff.”
“Flim-flam?” asked Paige.
He adjusted his hat. “Yeah, you know…the freaky-deaky kind that usually happens in the ‘john’ at one of those rainbow bars. Hell, you go in to take a dump and the noise in the next stall isn’t from someone pushing one out, it’s from someone pushing one in.”
I groaned.
“You’re a sick man, Henry,” mumbled Paige.
“Why, cause I tell it like it is?” He lifted the shotgun and waved it towards the escalators. “Come on, now, let’s go take care of business.”
***
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Cassie
Travis ushered the girls across the mall and down one of the emergency stairwells when the gunfire began.
“You try anything,” he’d warned, before they’d left the club, “I’ll burn your flesh from the bone while you’re still breathing.” Then he raised his hand and a small ball of fire appeared above his fingertips. As they stared at the flames, an image of both girls screaming in agony appeared inside of the fire. He smiled. “I advise you not to test me.”
When they stepped outside of Macy’s, a dark SUV was waiting for them. The driver, an older man with jet-black hair and glasses, stepped out of the vehicle and held the door open for the girls.
“Get in,” demanded Travis, when they hesitated.
Both girls glanced back towards the mall entrance and then their eyes met.
Help was so close.
“Don’t even think about trying to escape,” warned Travis, forming another ball of fire. He rolled it in his hands until it grew larger and then flung it at a small group of zombies shuffling towards them. The flames consumed them although they kept moving. It wasn’t until Travis whispered something that the zombies halted and continued to burn until they were just piles of ash. “You see girls, the fires of Hell are hotter than anything up here,” he said with a nod of approval. He turned back to the girls. “Now, get in before you find out just how hot.”
The girls quickly got into the backseat and Travis slipped in front with the driver.
“Where to?” asked the short little man.
Travis smiled darkly. “Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we go.”
***
“They’ve already left,” said Justice, staring at the empty beer bottles left on the bar. “This is the last place that I saw him with your sisters.”
“Where do you think they went?” asked Bryce.
“I have no idea,” said Justice.
“Isn’t it obvious?” I said. “He’s looking for a baby.”
“Adria,” mumbled Paige.
“He’s looking for a baby boy,” said Justice.
“Maybe he’s changed his mind,” said Henry.
Bryce sighed. “Guys, how would he even know about Adria?”
“In a simple world, he wouldn’t,” I said. “But things are happening, crazy, totally unpredictable things that we obviously can’t explain.”
Henry cleared his throat. “I agree. You know me- I’m older than dirt, stubborn as a mule, and very much set in my ways. But, even I have to admit, there’s some strange stuff happening and we can’t always go with what’s rational.”
“Let’s head back to my grandparent’s house,” I said. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and find them there.”
***
Nora sat on the porch, rocking, as she stared blindly towards the street. Memories, both good and bad, of her childhood flitted through her mind, mostly of the times she’d spent with her grandmother, when she was little and her father was on the road.
As a child she’d never noticed that Grams had been different or her father, for that matter. To her, she’d always been the smiling, robust woman, with the bright blue eyes and silvery black hair always tied back in a loose bun. The kind and loving woman whom she used to dance and sing with, the person who had always encouraged her to speak her mind and not let anyone push her around. She’d tried teaching her the importance of being independent and brave, and to live life without regret. Unfortunately, Grams had preached but had never been able to follow her own advice. She’d kept that from Nora and it wasn’t until she’d started school she’d first glimpsed her grandmother’s phobia of the world outside. Sadly, now, everyone had to fear the world outside and the nightmares walking the streets, both during the day and night. It was as if Grams had known these days would come.
Thunder rumbled above and Nora leaned forward, wiping away stray tears. Being a pansy wasn’t going to help her bring her family back, and it certainly wasn’t going to do anything for Billie either.
Sighing, she stood up and turned towards the door when the sound of an engine caught her attention.
A Suburban.
It slowed and then came to a complete stop in front of the house, just as the rain started.
She ignored the drops and walked towards the vehicle with her hand on the ax. When the back door opened up and she saw the familiar face, she sighed in relief.
“Allie! Oh my God, we’ve been looking all over for you. Is Kylie with you?”
Allie nodded and then both girls slid out of the back.
“Who’s with you?” asked Nora, trying to catch a glimpse of the two people in front. The windows were so dark she could barely see their silhouettes.
Neither girl said anything, just stared at her with fear in their eyes.
Not good.
“Um, why don’t you girls run into the house and I’ll just thank your ride, personally.”
Just then the front passenger door opened up and the dirt-bag, Travis, stepped out of the SUV.
“Well, well, well…we meet again,” he laughed. “How delightful. Well, I’ll bet you didn’t expect this happy reunion when you woke up this morning.”
“Get into the house, girls,” said Nora, raising her voice. “Now!”
“Tisk, tisk,” said Travis, walking up to her as the girls started running towards the porch. “I don’t know about you but I don’t think that’s the right way to greet someone who has just returned your friends.”
“You asshole,” she growled, raising her ax. “Get the hell out of here or I’ll chop off one of your hands and make sure you never start another fire as long as you live.”
“Oh, scary,” he giggled, mocking her with his hands waving in the air.
Just when she was about to take a swing and relieve some of her anger, the sound of groans and snarls caught their attention and they both turned towards the street.
“Oh my God,” she gasped, staring in horror.
Hundr
eds of zombies had turned the corner of the street and were moving towards them through the pouring rain.
Travis smiled and clapped his hands. “Ah…some of my lovely minions have arrived to assist me. Oh, this is going to be fun to watch.”
Nora turned and ran to the front door when Tiny opened it from the inside.
“What’s happening?” he asked. “Who’s our new friend?”
“He’s not a friend and look,” she pointed towards the zombies. “We’ve got some major problems.”
He swore and then turned around. “Kristie! Get my gun!”
“Oh, you’re going to need more than that,” chuckled Travis, stepping onto the porch.
Furious, Nora turned around and launched herself at Travis.
“Foolish mortal,” he growled, catching her by the throat. “You just don’t learn, do you?”
Nora’s face turned red as he lifted her into the air and flung her down the steps and onto the grass.
Tiny, after shaking off his initial shock, rushed Travis, but found himself slammed back into the door with such force that he slid down to his butt.
“What in the hell is going on out here?!” hollered Kristie, now standing over him by the door. “Oh my God, Nora, are you okay?” She looked down at Tiny. “What the hell are you doing, Tiny? Your pants are getting wet and dirty.”
Nora stood up and grabbed her ax. “I will be great when I kill this freak.”
“You can’t kill me, girl,” scoffed Travis. “Look, people, just give me the infant and this will all go away.”
Tiny stood up and grabbed the gun out of Kristie’s hands. “That’s it, brother, get the hell off of this property or I’ll shoot your ass to the curb.”
Travis smiled. “Tell you what- I will leave and even take my army with me if you give up the child.”
Kristie and Tiny stared at each other and then at the large crowd of zombies that were nearing the edge of the grass.
Kristie looked at Travis. “Your army?”
He turned towards the zombies. “Yeah, I know, they aren’t exactly the most pristine of soldiers but they’re all I have at the moment.”
Tiny raised the gun. “Listen, I don’t know what the hell is going on here, but you’d better turn it around and get back into that SUV.”
Zombie Games (Book 4): Road Kill Page 16
