Z-Railed

by Holcomb, Joshua

  Maybe the rotters are trying to get me, he thought to himself. He felt the dirt scraped away from his butt, and he squeezed his cheeks in anticipation of the bite to come. Instead of a bite, he was surprised to feel a hard slap. He jerked in shock as more dirt was scraped away from his back and shoulders. Several arms lifted him backwards into a seated position on the edge of the hole, and he gasped for breath.

  Gentle hands scraped the dirt from his eyes where it had mixed with his tears, forming a coarse mud. Finally able to see again, he could make out the face of his wife, Jackie.

  "How? Wha--?" he stuttered, his voice scratchy with the dirt still in his throat. Jackie handed him a canteen, and he drank greedily.

  "No one paid attention to us, so we followed you guys out here and then waited until they left," Jackie said gently, as she brushed dirt off his shirt.

  "You let them bury me alive!?" Franklin exclaimed.

  "Shhh! It was best that they think you're dead." Jackie replied.

  "You said, 'Us'?" Franklin wondered aloud and then looked around him. Audrey, Tracy, and the security guard that Franklin had threatened to toss over the railing stood there, looking at him.

  Audrey stooped down and stuck out her hand. "Looks like we're even, pal."

  Franklin grinned and took her hand firmly. "Looks like we are.”

  Audrey helped him up and he turned to address the small group. “As thankful as I am that I’m not still in that hole and as nice as it’d be to just stand here, we have to put a lot of distance between us and The Company. Shall we head to Lexington now, ladies and gentleman?"

  “How are we going to get there?” Tracy inquired, her hands on her hips. “I can’t walk 100 miles down I-64.”

  Jackie piped up. “We wouldn’t expect you to, Tracy. I’m sure we will find some kind of transportation, right, Franklin?”

  Franklin nodded. “Eventually, they will notice that Tracy, Jackie, and Jermaine are missing and put two and two together. Will they come looking? I don’t know. But let us start walking and put some distance between us and them as quickly as possible. A few of us can branch out ahead and find something to carry our sorry butts that hundred miles, but let’s do it while moving away. Make sense, everyone?”

  Everyone offered their agreement, and they began the arduous trek to Kentucky’s second largest city. Franklin held silent about the large herd of feeders the train hit on his way into the city even though he didn’t know if it lay between them and their destination or not. However, there was no point in worrying them needlessly if the herd wasn’t nearby. But doubtless there were still thousands upon thousands of the ravenous un-dead in their way. He quickly scanned the faces of the others as they slowly walked and saw the same dread and dismay etched on their faces as was etched in his heart. Transportation indeed was a high priority.

  When they finally reached the on-ramp to I-64, Franklin stopped them. “It will be dark in about an hour, I reckon, so set up camp and some basic defenses for the night. I’m going to head on out and see if I can round up a truck, some bikes, or heck, horses. If Kentucky is truly the horse capitol of the world, why haven’t I seen any dang horses in a while?”

  “They probably ran and hid in the woods! That’d be the smart thing to do for a big meaty animal a bunch of rotters would like to chow down on,” said Jackie.

  “I’ll go with you!” Audrey said suddenly, ignoring the comments about horses and hopping up to follow Franklin. Jackie looked at her curiously, but didn’t say anything. Instead, she started planning for the night with Jermaine and Tracy, but made a mental note to keep her eye on her.

  * * *

  A short distance from the interstate Audrey and Franklin found a small housing subdivision. Together, they began searching the homes for the keys to the cars parked outside and for any weapons. Having no luck on the left side of a small cul-de-sac, they headed back up the other side.

  “So your wife is nice. I’m glad you found her,” Audrey said.

  Franklin smiled, “Me too.” He opened a drawer and rifled through it quickly. “Oh look! Score! Water-resistant matches!” He shoved them into his pocket and opened another drawer to go through.

  “You know, I was a wife once. Had a husband like you. Cute, sexy, good biceps. He couldn’t grow a beard, but I still loved him.”

  “What happened to him if you don’t mind my asking?” Franklin asked mildly curious.

  “Oh, he got bit early on in all this. A feeder got a hold of his hand just a little bit, but that’s all it took. He turned four hours later, and I put one in his head right in our living room.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear that…” Franklin said hollowly, not really sure what else to say at this point.

  “It’s ok now. I was bummed then, but I have moved on. We’ve all had to move on pretty quickly now, right? No time to truly grieve for those lost, right?”

  Franklin nodded, although he hadn’t really lost anyone incredibly close to him yet. He assumed that his brothers and sisters were gone and maybe his parents, but they were all in other states and he had heard nothing, so he hadn’t grieved.

  “I’ve been alone since then,” Audrey continued. “Staying out of sight, scavenging, staying alive, and missing my husband.”

  “Speaking of him, you do remind me of him a little,” she said coyly. “You’re cute like him.”

  “Oh really?” he said laughing and ceasing his drawer exploration. “Well, I can’t help it if I’m ruggedly handsome.”

  “Oh, yes, you are. After you took care of those men today and before we found your wife, I was looking at you all like, ‘Mhmm, fine!’”

  Franklin’s ears turned beet red as he blushed at the compliment and tried to stammer a reply.

  “Shhh, you don’t need to talk,” she whispered as she bit her lip slightly and placed her right index finger on his lips. She pressed her hips into his and slid her left hand behind his neck. She looked up into his eyes and whispered huskily, “I need to properly thank you for helping me today.” She pulled his head down to hers and softly pressed her lips against his. Intoxicated with the touch of her body on his, Franklin answered her kiss, slowly at first, but then with more passion, wrapping his right arm around her waist and pulling her even tighter to him. He picked her up and cleared off the kitchen table with a sweep of his left hand, still kissing her deeply.

  “Oh!” she gasped between kisses as he deposited her on the table. “I’m ready!”

  Suddenly, Franklin pushed back off the table, breathing heavily. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and leaned up against the counter.

  “What’s wrong?” Audrey asked. She slid off the table and came over to him. “Kiss me again,” she whispered and tried to undo his belt and brush her lips past his.

  He pushed her away. “I have a wife,” he said simply. “If I thought she was dead, then yeah, probably, but she’s not even a mile away. I can’t do this.”

  “But she doesn’t have to know. It can be our secret! Our little rendezvous! There aren’t any rules now anyway!”

  “No rules?” he replied incredulously. “Were you thinking that about no rules earlier today?”

  Audrey looked down at her feet and mumbled, “I hate those people.”

  “Look, you are a very attractive woman, Audrey, and any man would be lucky to have you, but I have a wife, and I don’t want to have to live with this guilt if I don’t have to.”

  Audrey sighed. She walked over to him again and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, “This is why you’re so hot,” she whispered, before turning and heading out of the room.

  ***

  Back at camp, Franklin and Audrey sat on opposite sides of the fire, an awkwardness filling the air between them. Jackie noticed the tension and plopped down next to her husband and snuggled up to him. “What’s wrong?” she whispered up at him. He grunted and stared deep into the fire, trying to forget the feel of Audrey’s lips on his and his feeling of desire for her. Tossing the rest of his coffee in t
he fire, he stood up and pulled Jackie to her feet with him.

  “Let’s go to bed, honey,” he said. Jackie quickly agreed, and they crawled into the back of an empty minivan and shut the hatch behind them. There, he was met with a passionate kiss from his wife, and he returned it hungrily. All frustration and guilt from his mistake with Audrey melted away from his thoughts as he embraced Jackie and experienced her love again. Back in her arms, he felt like all was right in the world…

  Still outside by the fire, Audrey glared at the van and hunched her blanket tighter over her shoulders. Bitterness crept into her lonely soul and she cursed the apocalypse that emptied her life of companionship and love. I just want my chance, she growled to herself.

  XVIII

  Outskirts of Louisville, KY

  In the morning, a light misty fog hung over the area, chilling the small group as they huddled close to the fire for warmth. “You’re a hero, Jermaine, for finding that hot chocolate,” Tracy said, shivering a little.

  “Thanks,” he said, smiling.

  Franklin stood up and stretched. “We need to start moving since its daylight,” he remarked.

  Jermaine cleared his throat. “I’m not sure if we’re going anywhere right now, Boss-man. There are a few men with guns over there.”

  Franklin groaned audibly and turned towards the direction of Jermaine’s gaze. “Hey, you all over there! What do you want?” he yelled.

  The ragtag group of five men ran up and quickly surrounded the group. Each man had a weapon, but no weapon was the same variety, neither were their clothes the same kind. They each wore a different shade of camouflage, and they tried to move as if they were a trained army unit, but it was obvious to Franklin they were amateurs. Four of the five looked nervous, nothing like the cocky armed men the Company utilized, so Franklin assumed the only non-nervous one was the leader.

  "Would you boys mind telling us what's going on?" Tracy asked boldly.

  "Are you from the Company?" the only confidant man barked, ignoring Tracy. In spite of their situation at gunpoint, Franklin felt a twinge of pride for correctly perceiving who the leader was. He spoke up.

  "No, we aren't from the Company. We hate the Company. With a passion. Do you--"

  Before Franklin could finish his question, Audrey blurted out, "Are you attacking the company? I want to join if you are!"

  The man's eyes narrowed. "You're coming with us" was all he growled.

  Jackie looked worriedly at Franklin and he just shrugged helplessly. They didn't have any weapons, so fighting a group of well-fed armed men was too risky, even if four of them were nervous. So the group followed Franklin's lead and let the men prod them down the road peacefully.

  The men led them several miles back to a small group of military trucks and flatbeds tucked inconspicuously among some trees. Two men, looking just like the four nervous ones who were bringing them in, slid out from behind some bushes and asked for a password. The confidant man grumbled a reply, and they were allowed to pass through. Coming closer, Franklin could see a few pickups and SUVs with larger guns mounted on the top. As he was looking around, an order was shouted telling them to sit in a circle on the ground, so they all complied.

  After a few moments, a man in a camouflage jacket with his sleeves rolled up past his elbows stepped into the circle with a stool and sat down. Jerry Fields was the name on his chest. He was a middle-aged man, probably in his fifties, a serious set to his face that demanded respect. His forearm bore the United States Marine Corps emblem, the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor. "Semper Fidelis" was scrolled out in the ribbon clasped in the eagle's beak.

  "Oo-rah, sir," Franklin said quietly as the man got situated.

  The man's eyes lit up. "You a Marine?" he asked quickly.

  "No, sir," Franklin responded, "But I have had many friends who've served."

  "You must not be all bad then," the man said, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Tell me your story."

  Franklin explained everything that had happened from the kidnapping up to where they were at now. Fields' eyes hardened as he silently listened. When Franklin stopped, he stood up and nodded to a man standing in the shadows. That man barked an order, and the camp came alive, men and women dashing to and fro, loading weapons and putting on gear.

  "Sir! You're not going to attack right now, are you?" Franklin asked incredulously.

  Fields stared down at him. "We cannot let this menace defile our land and our people any longer! We wipe them out now! Either join us or get out of our way!" he growled.

  "But sir, with all due respect! Your men aren't ready now! The company is too strong! Come back with us and regroup and plan!"

  Fields laughed as he stepped onto the running board of a truck, "Why don't you come join me and see what some Missouri boys can do to this scum?"

  Franklin hopped on the bed of the same truck, and pleaded with Fields, "I just came from there! You have some stuff, I see that, but your men are nervous!"

  The cocky smile on Fields' face disappeared as he grabbed Franklin's shirt and jerked him close to his face. "You think I don't know that?" he hissed. "We have to strike now while we have some momentum or we are toast for sure. The Company is too strong for us to wait until we're done. Now shut up before I make you."

  He shoved Franklin back, and Franklin sat back against the cab of the truck. He was given an old British .303 along with twenty five rounds, so he loaded it and then pondered his situation as they bounced over potholes. The sharp point of a piece of gravel jabbed into his left buttocks as they rattled over a particularly bad divot in the road. He jerked the offending rock out from under him, and a sidearm toss sent it careening off the asphalt and into the tall grass alongside the road. A rotter stumbled out from where the rock had landed and was promptly demolished by the bumper of the deuce and half following Franklin's ride. Franklin noticed Audrey laugh maniacally as the rotter's skull disappeared beneath the tire with a satisfying crunch. A crazed look of hate and anger glinted in her eyes as she gripped her rifle and gazed down at the arm still stuck to the bumper.

  "I don't have a good feeling about this," he mumbled, still leaning against the cab.

  "What was that, sir?" a pimple-faced boy asked.

  "Nothing!" Franklin replied a little louder. He leaned back against the cab again and absently rechecked his rifle. His brows were furrowed worriedly, but he sat silently until the convoy stopped about a mile outside of the Company's compound.

  "Everybody off!" Fields ordered, gesturing with his arm in a wide sweep above his head. "We march in from here!"

  Streams of men hopped off trucks and gathered around the grizzled leader. Fields stood with his feet about shoulder width apart, his hands on his hips, and addressed the group, "Jones, MacNamara, Jackson! Take your men to the west side of the station!" He removed his hands and pointed to the east, "Smith and Travis! Yours to the side opposite! Your two groups must hold or we in the middle will get flanked! Do not fire until our group opens up first! Go to it!"

  Men shouted and weapons clattered as they followed Fields' orders. The groups that were sent out disappeared into the fading light as Fields personally led the main force against the front gates of the Company compound. Quietness reigned as men found cover behind trees, burned out cars, stone walls, and dips in the ground. Fields stood behind the line of men and surveyed the gates just before them, his hands back on hips. A runner silently ran in and informed Fields that Force 1 was in position to the west, and five minutes later another informed him that the force to the east was in position as well.

  Fields took one last look at the waning light in the west and took a cigar from his pocket. He lit it and then clenched it between his teeth. Waving out the match, he noticed Franklin's gaze resting on him and remarked, "We'll have another after our victory!"

  Fields continued, "In about 15 minutes, we'll atta--". His statement was interrupted by a barrage of gunfire to the west followed by the same on the east. Fields cursed and grabbe
d a rifle that was propped up against a wall next to him. "Can't wait! Attack now!" he bellowed.

  Men burst from cover and sprinted towards the gates carrying rifles and ladders. Above Franklin's head, a few sharpshooters in the building above him fired over the approaching men and took out the guards at the gates.

  Resistance was light as the men mounted over the fence and set foot on Company soil. "We're in," Fields informed Franklin. "Let's move in the rest." He barked an order to the small number of remaining forces and ran to the gates. Franklin joined the troops running through the now-open gates.

  As he passed through, he noticed lights and movement deeper inside the huge compound. He shouldered his rifle and hunkered down behind a water barrel. Fields motioned for Franklin and a handful of men to remain at the gate, as he moved deeper with the main force.

  Franklin took a deep breath and scanned the men that were at the gate with him. Only a couple of them seemed to know how to handle a weapon, and he exhaled raggedly. His gut was telling him that something bad was about to happen, but there was no indicator of what it was yet. He tried reassuring himself. You're just being a sissy, he thought. Intense gunfire began to erupt down the road, muzzle blasts flashing like lightning in the darkness. It hit him all of a sudden, Where were the muzzle flashes from the other two groups?

  Several minutes passed, the gunfire continuing to echo like thunder in a stormy night. Abruptly, a man appeared out of the darkness, running for all he was worth, screeching in fear, "They're shredding us!" Several more men were behind him, some wounded, sprinting for the gates. The men next to Franklin began shifting nervously and glancing towards the exit. Franklin glanced at the men and then stood up with his rifle. As the squealing man ran by him, he hit him with the butt of the rifle in his face.

  "Get a hold of yourself!" he bellowed. The other fleeing men, joined by more and more every second, stopped as they witnessed Franklin standing there over the now-groaning deserter.

  "Form a line in front of the gate! Cover the retreat! Don't run or I'll personally shoot you!" He grabbed a pistol from a shaking man and held it up. "With this!"