by David Rogers
“Run-flats.” Austin grinned. “Even bullets would have to work at it to disable one.”
“Reassuring.”
“It’s supposed to be. Okay, turn right up here, then left when we’re back on Brickton. Follow that a mile west, and look for Highway-225.”
Jessica looked at the GPS when he turned it back to face her. He’d set a destination, with a purple line stretching out along the route he’d just described. The little strip on the bottom of the screen indicated she had a right turn coming up in a tenth of a mile, which was the road leading back to the one that connected to I-75, Brickton Road.
“Why are the ditches so deep around here?” Candice asked as Jessica headed for the turn off Brickton.
“Flood control.” Austin said.
“Floods!” the girl blurted.
Austin grinned. “Rain really. Florida tends to get quite a bit of rain when the clouds show up, a lot of rain in a really short period of time. When that much water falls so quickly, it can be a problem to get rid of. The ditches are for drainage, so it doesn’t pool on the roads and turn yards into lakes.”
“Georgia doesn’t have that problem.”
“We didn’t usually get heavy rain up there.” Jessica answered as the GPS indicated she was close to the turn north of Brickton. “Not like what Austin’s talking about.”
“If it rained for, say, most of the day in Atlanta; take that and compress it into a shower that lasts only an hour.” Austin told Candice. “That’s the kind of rain that Florida usually sees. It’ll be a nice day, then in the afternoon it’ll switch from sun to clouds to rain in about half an hour. The rain doesn’t last very long, then everything clears up and the sun comes back out.”
“Weird.” Candice said, sounding puzzled.
“Florida’s not called the sunshine state for nothing.” Austin laughed. “But even the sunshine state needs rain. It just gets it really fast.”
Jessica found the turn, then slowed and cleared the destination from the GPS so the screen was less cluttered. The road pattern indicated another batch of neighborhoods up ahead, and she left Highway-225 and started investigating them. There were still zombies present, but not as many. After fifteen minutes of touring through the side streets, she was frowning though.
“Is everything around here a single story ranch layout, or a trailer?” she fretted.
“I didn’t spend a lot of time puttering around in the suburbs when I was stationed in Tampa.” Austin shrugged. “And we’re still several hundred miles north of Tampa. I do have an idea if it comes to it though.”
“What’s that?” Jessica asked as she wove around the latest couple of zombies eager to investigate the big black vehicle.
“We could try an attic or roof.”
“Roof?” Candice said in surprise.
“I think I’d rather sleep in the car than on a roof.” Jessica told him with a stern look. “And how are we going to get you up on a roof in your condition?”
“I was thinking ladder or something.” he shrugged.
“Points for effort, but the roof idea is tabled.”
He shrugged and unfolded the road map. “Well, assuming you don’t want to backtrack . . . hang on.” Austin trailed off as he found Ocala on his paper map and oriented himself. “Okay, assuming you don’t want to look somewhere north, we can sort of drift south some. That’ll keep us moving in the right direction, to the west of the city.
“Either we find something, or we pull over and just sack out in here. Either way, we’ll be in a good position to get as far as the Tampa-Orlando line you’re worried about before noon tomorrow. That would give us over half the day to take a look and figure out if continuing south is going to be an issue.”
Jessica sighed with a little frown in place. She really didn’t want to sleep in the car again, but she didn’t want to be at ground level in a building with doors and windows either. She remembered . . . whatever it was . . . breaking through the glass back door of her Lawrenceville home the second night of the outbreaks. Stairs offered safety; they were a single route up and down that could be blocked, defended if necessary.
And the houses down here were actually worse on the window front than most styles she was familiar with back in Georgia. The abundance of sunshine and nice weather apparently encouraged residents to select for lots of windows. Everything, even the trailers, had plenty of glass. She looked at it all and didn’t see something warm and inviting. Not anymore. She saw threat and danger.
“If this keeps up, we might have to spend some time fortifying something near the lakes.”
“One thing at a time.”
“I know, I know.” Jessica sighed. She reached Highway-225 again and turned south, heading back for Brickton Road. “Okay, let’s start drifting south, as you put it. South and west, until we’re well clear of Ocala, then mostly south until we either find something or run out of daylight.”
“What are we going to do about dinner if we have to sleep in the car?”
Jessica glanced over her shoulder at Candice, then shrugged. “We can eat crackers and peanut butter.” She half expected the girl to offer some sort of protest over that – the most friction Jessica had experienced with her daughter since all this began was the odd meals they ate at times – but Candice just nodded. Jessica would like something closer to a proper hot meal herself, but if the worst that happened until they got where they were going was a steady diet of peanut butter and crackers . . . that wasn’t that bad.
“Good thing you filled up all the water jugs.” Austin remarked.
“We’ll need to work a water stop in somehow tomorrow, one way or another.” she replied. “And dealing with bathroom visits could be interesting if we’re on the side of the road.”
“Don’t worry, I never look.” he said too quietly for Candice to hear.
“I’m concerned about the zombies you goof.” she smiled.
“Oh.” he said, winking at her. “Yeah, I guess those might be a problem too.”
Chapter Seven – Best Laid Plans
“I know, I know. Stay in the car, keep a look out.” Candice said.
“Thank you Candy Bear.” Jessica nodded as she checked outside the SUV’s door again. Nothing dangerous was in view, so she opened it. The yard was clear except for a scattering of trash and debris caught amid the foot high grass. She’d never seen Bermuda grow so high, but other than making her footing a little spongy, and dragging at her feet as she got out of the SUV, the unmaintained and out-of-control grass was mostly just a curiosity.
The house set back in the yard was actually three stories, not two. With the sun getting uncomfortably low in the sky, Jessica had finally found a neighborhood that was upscale – or contrary enough – to have built up rather than out. The houses were all Spanish style split levels, though a couple were a little bigger. Actually, Jessica was pretty sure the neighborhood was a moneyed one. In addition to the nice big houses, each also had a sturdy fence of maintained wood or brick.
“Why’d you pick this one?” Austin asked as he came around the front of the SUV.
Jessica finished her initial survey and straightened from checking beneath the vehicle. “The extra story.” she admitted. “And if it wasn’t just a status symbol for a working couple without a family, there might be a decent sized pantry we can clean out.”
“Three stories is one more to clear.” he pointed out as he settled the MP5 on its strap.
“And one more for you to climb, poor baby.”
“Hey, I’m doing okay.” he pointed out with a laugh.
“For someone who got shot you mean?”
“It was you who brought it up this time.” he teased.
Jessica shook her head. “You’re a real trooper, but I’ll still make you climb the extra flight.”
“I’ll follow you anywhere, you know that.”
“Famous last words.” Jessica smiled as she regripped the Taurus and looked around again. “But enough chit-chat, we’re losing light
.”
Austin nodded and fell into place behind her, about five steps back, as she moved slowly toward the front door. The wind was rustling overhead, briskly enough that if this were Georgia she’d be worried about incoming rain. But Austin didn’t seem concerned, and the sky was still both sunny and clear. The sun was low on the horizon, but it was still out, and there were no troublesome looking clouds.
The house was built up on a half-story brick foundation, so the front door was up some steps. Austin stopped at the bottom to cover her from a distance while Jessica went up to the door and knocked. The house looked deserted, but there was no sense taking chances. Last night was still fresh on her mind, and things were too dicey to chance someone else being less restrained than she and Austin were about opening fire or otherwise responding to intrusions violently.
So she knocked; first politely, then loudly, then finally with the handle of the Taurus. The pistol’s metal frame echoed from the door’s wood as she went for volume on her last set of knocks. The seconds were now up to nearly three minutes by the count in Jessica’s head, and nothing had happened. No one came to the door, or peered out from a window. The house was either empty, or whoever was inside had to be stone deaf.
“Okay, trying it.” she said, reaching for the knob. It turned, but the door didn’t open. Jessica pushed harder on it, then gave up and stepped back. “You want the honors, or me?”
“We’ve still got tons more nine mil than forty-five, so clear out of the way and I’ll take care of it.” Austin said, hefting the MP5.
Jessica retreated down the steps and stood behind him, scanning the yard. The submachine gun barked two short bursts behind her, then Austin grunted. “Okay.”
Turning, Jessica saw the door swinging open slowly. The bullets had ripped through the wood around the knob and deadbolt, fracturing it enough to give the locks nothing to hold onto. She moved up the stairs and nudged the door open with her foot so she could look inside. The entry hall was broad and airy, with stairs right there that led up to the second and third floor. A skylight on the roof was well positioned to admit light down into the entry.
“Okay, heading right.” Jessica murmured.
“With you.” Austin said in response.
The entry hall ran into what was obviously a kitchen; but several open doorways lined it before it got there. Jessica slid up cautiously, the Taurus held before her in a two handed grip, and peered cautiously into the first room. Some sort of very comfortable looking living or sitting room; with seating for ten and an enormous flat screen television on the wall between two windows.
“Definitely a rich neighborhood.” Austin remarked quietly.
“Didn’t save them.”
“Maybe they got out. You’re just assuming they’re dead.”
Jessica shook her head and shrugged as she started edging close enough to the couches along the wall to check behind them. “The whole area seems dead. That can’t be a good sign.”
“How lively do you think the Atlanta suburbs are right now?” he asked.
“I’m not sure lively is the right word considering how things were the last time we were there.”
“Exactly.” he said.
Jessica shook her head and kept checking the room. Atlanta was, literally in this case, dead to her. There was nothing left there, and she had no intention of going back.
Ever.
Here in this house, she saw nothing behind the furniture; only some accumulated dust on the carpet and walls. The whole house had a smell she was starting to get familiar with; that of being unoccupied. Air got stale and musty when a building stayed shut up and undisturbed. It was easy to tell the difference when they moved into a new place; the first time she left it for a few hours to do some scavenging or water fetching, upon returning it smelled fresher just from being occupied.
“This might work, don’t you think?” he asked as they eased toward the next room. “Unless something turns up, obviously.”
Before Jessica could answer him, the SUV’s horn sounded from outside. It honked several times unsteadily, then settled into a solid blast of noise as Candice leaned on it. Jessica inhaled sharply; that was the panic signal. Austin was already in motion, having reacted much quicker than her despite his ginger, injury-induced movements. He was out of sight behind the entry hallway wall before Jessica could take the first step. Before she could make it to the doorway, she heard his MP5 firing.
Jessica reached the front door and went out, covering to either side reflexively as she stepped through in case something was lurking along the walls. But the sides of the house were clear. When she moved clear from behind Austin, who stood centered at the top of the steps down to ground level, Jessica felt her blood run cold as she saw what was happening.
This house, like most of the others in the neighborhood, had a wall closing it off from the street. The gate had been standing open, which was one of the other reasons she’d picked it to have a look. Some of the gates were closed; not all, but some. It was going to be tough enough to break into a house, she didn’t want to fool around with an exterior gate if she didn’t have to.
A few of the gates had showed signs of damage, but the area had seemed quiet. Driving in had shown only a very few zombies wandering around. That was another reason she’d decided to take a look at a house. Three stories or not, if it had been packed with hungry undead she would’ve kept right on driving.
Now though, there were dozens of zombies flooding in from the street. And dozens more behind them. It was an avalanche of apocalypse staggering in from the street. Austin had his weapon up on his shoulder, his eye aligned with the sights, and was firing in a rapid series of barely spaced out shots; but she didn’t see how it could make a dent. There were just so many. Zombies were tumbling to the ground as the ex-soldier put rounds through faces and skulls, but for every one he put down, there were plenty more pushing forward behind it.
“Get in the car.” Austin shouted between shots. Jessica realized she’d moved up next to him and raised her pistol. Austin continued firing as she glanced at him.
“Get in the car!” he repeated, yelling to make himself heard over the crack of bullets.
“But—” she began, then chopped herself off. The zombies at the gate were getting tangled up in the bodies on the ground. Zombies were not renowned for coordination or awareness. Their single-minded focus on their next meal meant they never paid attention to where their feet went or what was in their way. She’d seen them step off ledges and walk right into waist high walls without noticing; even after they fell.
That was what was happening here. Austin was creating a temporary stumbling block for the creatures that would slow them down. He was shooting to kill, but the bodies were still an obstacle the zombies were unable to gracefully navigate. He was right; staying wasn’t a great idea. Jessica went down the steps quickly and was stretching her legs out into a full sprint by the time she hit ground level. The SUV was only fifteen feet away, so she didn’t have time to reach speed, but she wasn’t interested in dawdling.
Candice was leaned forward between the front seats, from having pushed on the horn, when Jessica opened the door. The girl sat back, her expression frightened. “Mom!”
“Seatbelt.” Jessica said tightly as she heaved herself into the car fast and untidily enough to bump her elbow into the center console. It smarted despite the padding covering the console, but she ignored that as she pulled herself in.
“What about Austin?”
“He’s coming.” Jessica said as she closed her door. She made herself double check the safety on the Taurus before jamming it back into the holster, then dug in her pocket for the SUV’s key. The engine started as she twisted the ignition, and she pulled the transmission into drive hard enough for the mechanism to protest.
Austin was down the steps, changing out his magazines as he moved. Jessica looked over her shoulder, but there was room for him to reach the car and get in before any zombies could cut him off. The tida
l wave of horror was plentiful, but slow. She kept her foot on the brake and waited anxiously until he opened the door and hauled himself inside.
“Candice, seatbelt.” Jessica repeated. She let Austin get the door closed – so she could be sure he was all the way in – then pulled away from the front steps. The yard was more than big enough for her to turn the SUV around without having to back and fill. She did back and fill partway through the turn though, positioning herself near the house with the vehicle facing toward the gate. Making a simple turn would have left the SUV near the front wall, and she needed a better angle to get through the gate.
“How many is too many?” Jessica asked as she eyed the zombies. Now that she was behind a reasonable barrier – the armored SUV – she could get her brain to cooperate enough to help her figure out some sort of an estimate. There were so many zombies in view already, and the ones entering the yard were still all but shoulder to shoulder as they kept coming. Triple figures seemed to be a low, a very low, estimate.
“Don’t ram into them like a cannonball.” Austin said, hitting the lock button on his armrest that secured all the doors. “Hold your speed steady and keep us headed straight for the gate. Twenty tops. Let mass and the engine, not speed, do the work.”
Jessica took her foot off the brake again and pressed on the gas. The SUV surged forward, but smoothly; she made sure not to spin the wheels. “Candice, sit back. This is going to be rough.”
“I am.” the girl’s voice came from deep enough in the back seat that Jessica was reasonably sure she actually was sitting back against the seat properly.
“Just hold us steady.” Austin repeated when the leading edge of the building zombie pack was only a few feet away.
Jessica gripped the steering wheel tightly as the SUV’s bumper slammed into the bodies before it. The vehicle rocked violently forward as the impacts slowed it, even its mass and inertia being absorbed by the density of the zombies. She instinctively applied more gas, pulling more power from the engine to keep the SUV in motion, even as she braced herself against the steering wheel so she didn’t get flung forward into it. Then she was hanging on as the uneven terrain of bodies being ground beneath the wheels tipped the SUV back and forth.
