She relaxed a little as he pulled onto the highway and the horror of suburbia gave way to scattered country buildings and forest.
“Think about it. Even if they stuck it out the first few months, which judging by the boarded up windows, some did, they would have eventually had to move on. The only thing left to eat around here would have been each other.”
As if on cue, Megan’s stomach growled so loud Sam raised his eyebrows. A smile spread across his face that could have lit up the sky. Wow. He was gorgeous. Even in his torn jeans and ghost of a beard.
“I’ve got meat in a cooler in the back. Don’t ask what kind, or you won’t eat it. It’s fresh though, I killed it yesterday.”
She grappled for the right words, but it had to be asked. The last couple of months led her to some strange tables, one of which offered the remnants of a fallen comrade. “Is it…human?”
Sam’s smile faded and he slammed on the brakes. The car shuddered to a stop right there in the middle of the road while the tires screeched in protest. Megan grabbed the door handle prepared to run.
“I am not one of those monsters. Understand?” He turned to her and through clenched teeth told her how things were before she had a chance to pull the door open.
All she could do was nod.
“I used to run a multi-million dollar business that I built from nothing. I saved worldwide corporations from failing and turned them into moneymaking ventures. I ate caviar and lobster. I do not eat people.” He must have realized he was freaking her out because his shoulders relaxed. “Sorry. I just…” Sam turned and faced the windshield, but didn’t put the Suburban in gear.
Megan took a deep breath and forced herself to let go of the door. He sounded as lost as she felt. “Sorry, I’ve met a few weirdos. I had to ask.”
Sam leaned his head back against the seat and turned toward her. “I bet you have.”
Megan contemplated telling him about the mother she saw feed her youngest child to three others after he died in an effort to keep them alive. It wasn’t a choice Megan ever wanted to face. If he’d not yet seen that particular horror in person, there was no need for her to share. Chances were, he’d seen his share of revulsion.
He shrugged and smiled again. “It’s raccoon. Almost as bad, but it’ll fill your belly. Let’s find a safe place to stop and eat.” Sam finally put the vehicle in gear, and Megan relaxed a little as he started back down the road.
“You’re going to share your food with me?”
“That’s how polite people do it.” He threw her own words back at her, and for the first time in a long time Megan smiled.
“Do you prefer four walls, or being out in the open?”
“There doesn’t seem to be much of a difference. They either find you, or they don’t.”
“Personally, I like a wall at my back. Can you hold out until we find shelter?”
Megan nodded. If it meant a decent meal, she would wait all night if need be.
Unlike the freeways back in the city choked in gridlock from residents fleeing all at once, the highway stretched ahead of them mostly abandoned. A wayward car littered the shoulder here and there, but for the most part you could forget the devastation and watch the scenery pass. Megan rested her head back against the seat.
Almost forget.
When it all first began and people became sick, the news crews filmed every zombie attack they could catch on camera. The decline of society had been chronicled on a series of breaking news events. That lasted about two weeks. Then the broadcasts announced the hospitals had begun to turn people away. That’s when things got really bad.
People abandoned their posts. The newscasts stopped. Megan’s doctor quit answering her calls. And when the power went out, no one came to repair it.
Some of her neighbors ran, and some holed up where they were. That lasted about another two weeks. Once the food ran out, families had no choice but to leave their homes.
You could measure the gradual progression of the disease as you moved away from the city. At the core, Zombies roamed in hordes. Around the edges, clusters of overloaded vehicles told a story of people trying to escape with everything they could pack. The fact that those vehicles now stood abandoned told of the owners’ final attempt to escape with their lives and little else. Megan liked to pretend those people were on foot like her, alive, surviving, but blood stains on the sides of the cars often spoke of a different reality.
Here on this highway, there were few reminders. The thick green forest stretched around them. Were it not for roaming man-eaters, Megan would have rolled down her window and let the wind tear her hair out of its tie. But the threat persisted, and she was still alive seven months later, because she never let her guard down. Never. Well, except apparently to save a cat from time to time.
Twenty minutes passed and at least as many miles, before he pointed at a minimart alongside the road with a small house attached in back. “That one will do.”
An abandoned car sat with its hood up next to one of the gas pumps, but nothing stirred.
The sun sat low in the sky and gravel crunched under the tires as Sam pulled off the two-lane highway. The tips of the trees took on a golden-green hue that heralded summer was near the end, but Megan didn’t dare stop to enjoy what used to be her favorite season. She hummed with the anticipation of battle mixed with the desperation of hunger.
The car ground to a stop on loose gravel as Megan unfastened her seatbelt and slipped on her trusty pack. She’d learned a while back not to leave it behind. Often enough, once you started to run, whatever got left behind stayed behind. Lessons hard learned on the road. Sam grabbed a gun as he climbed out of the car, and Megan could only imagine what kind of lessons he’d learned.
“See that?” He pointed at the big white holding tank a few yards away from the building. “That’s a propane tank. I bet there’s a gas stove in there somewhere.” He circled around to the back of the Suburban and rummaged for a minute, then returned with a package of meat wrapped in newspaper.
Her stomach growled again and all of a sudden raccoon sounded like a delicacy.
He laughed. “Come on. Let’s see if we can’t quiet you down before you manage to tell every zombie within a mile where we are.”
Sam handed her the meat, then took the lead into the building with his gun raised to his chin. Megan followed.
They walked up the middle aisle. The store shelves sat nearly empty.
“We’ll come back after we eat, and see if there’s anything we can salvage.” He moved cautiously toward the door at the rear of the building.
She nodded, afraid to speak and quite content to be behind him and his gun.
The last group of people she hooked up with, the guy in front just tromped on through wherever he went, and it eventually got most of their group killed. The idiot led them right into a nest of zombies. Only four of them made it out. The other three eventually came down with fevers and turned, leaving Megan on her own again. Sam seemed much more vigilant. It made her feel safe. Almost safe.
He turned the knob, and let the door swing free while he lifted the gun back up to his chin. Megan peeked around him. The doorway opened to a cozy living quarters where handmade quilts covered the seats and a porcelain bear collection cluttered the flat surfaces.
“Stay here.” He crept across the room toward the next door. She stayed right at his back. He shook his head, but kept moving.
The door swung open to a small bedroom. Another colorful quilt donned the bed and on the other side, a doorway framed a clear view of the bathroom beyond. This time when he walked in the bathroom, she hung back by the door. He looked at the shower and tilted his head.
“Ah, what the hell.” Sam shifted the gun in his hand, and turned the knob. Nothing happened. “Damn electric pumps.”
“It was worth a try.” The luxury of a hot shower seemed unimaginable. He looked so disappointed, she added, “It’s always worth a try.”
Megan meandered back over t
o the kitchenette. Maybe a hot shower was out of the question, but it looked like a hot meal was plausible. The stove had four burners, one of which clicked when she turned it, and rewarded her with the hiss of gas. But there wasn’t a match to be had.
Sam slid up behind her, reached over and lit it with his lighter. She ignored the warmth of his body. “Handy.”
“Never leave home without it.” He tossed it in the air and caught it in his fist.
“So, how exactly does one prepare raccoon?” She turned and folded her arms in front of her.
“I was hoping you had an idea because yesterday… Let’s just say it wasn’t great.”
“I saw a bottle of mustard back there.” Megan pointed toward the store.
“See if you can find a pan. I’ll get the mustard.”
Not only did she find a pan, but she managed to come up with some canned vegetables and salt and pepper from the back of the stove. Megan had a gourmet meal cooking by the time Sam came back.
“Are those green beans?” He peered over her shoulder.
“Yep.”
“I almost forgot what they look like. Here’s the mustard.” He reached above her head, pulled two plates down out of the open cupboard and set them next to the mustard on the counter. Then with the gun still in his right hand, he rummaged through the drawers until he found two knives and forks. Sam brought those over and set them on the counter as well, then stepped back to observe his handiwork.
“Norman Rockwell would be proud,” she offered and they both laughed. It felt good to laugh again. Megan peeled off her backpack and set it between her feet. With no kitchen table available, they stood at the counter and shared a meal fit for…well, a meal anyway.
She leaned against the counter with one hip and looked at him while she chewed. He’d buttoned up the shirt at some point. What a shame. His rock hard abs went so well with his wild hair. It worked for him. Of course, the fact that he’d saved her, fed her and above all else had made her smile, had nothing to do with the raw attraction she felt at the moment, or the warm sensation that spread from his touch when they both reached for the mustard.
Megan relented and instead, reached down into her sack to retrieve a two-liter soda bottle filled with water.
“You provided the meal, how about I provide the drink?” She held out the large bottle and he took the water like a man trapped in the desert too long.
He’d finished a third of it before he stopped and met her gaze. His cheeks glowed a slight hue of pink as he wiped his chin and held it back out to her. “Sorry, I haven’t found any water in a couple of days.”
“Go ahead.” Megan indicated for him to drink some more. “I’ve had plenty. I camped next to a stream last night.” She left out the part about hiding in a hollow log where she battled creepy crawlies all night. The possibility of sleeping in a real bed had drawn her into suburbia that morning as much as the prospect of food. Guess that plan was kaput.
Sam took a few more swallows then handed it to her. She wiped off the opening with the edge of her shirt and took a drink.
“The sun’s setting. We ought to figure out where we’re going to sleep tonight.” He stated it so casually, she choked on a mouth full of water. Sam patted her on the back and added, “I didn’t mean together, unless…”
His cheeks turned even redder and Megan laughed while she choked, which didn’t help the situation any. “Do you want to sleep inside my car or here in the building?”
She waved him off so he would quit pounding her back and allow her to catch her breath.
“Ah hell, I don’t know how to do this. I mean to say, you are welcome to sleep in my car on your side. No hanky panky. Just sleep.”
“I get it. Safety in numbers.” She cleared her throat one last time. “I like the idea of being locked in a car full of weapons. We should go through the store first, just in case.”
He nodded and his color returned to normal. She packed the mustard, salt and pepper in her backpack then followed him back into the store.
“There isn’t much left.” She grabbed some string, Chap Stick, a package of sunflower seeds she found under a box and looked over to see what he’d found. Sam was filling a milk crate with similar stuff. When Megan turned back to the shelf in front of her, a rat scurried across and a shiver ran down her spine. Seven months ago, she would have screamed and ran. Nowadays there were worse things to scream and run from. She shook it off and moved on.
“You ready?” Sam stood by the door. She nodded and headed out behind him. He loaded his stuff into the back of the SUV and pulled out a worn blanket.
Megan got in and made herself comfortable in the passenger seat. Sam followed and tossed her the blanket.
“I can’t take that.”
“Why do women argue about everything? The world is literally coming to an end…” He turned and stowed his gun behind his seat while he spoke, “…and you can still manage to find something simple to argue about.” Then he smiled at her and she laughed.
“Thank you. Not just for the blanket.” She pulled it up to her chin. Instead of leaning back like she figured he would, Sam started the engine. “Aren’t you going to sleep?”
“Yeah, but I’m moving the car behind the building first, just so it’s off the main road. You don’t want to be an easy target, do you?”
“Not particularly.”
When he drove around back Megan saw what became of the storeowners. One buried, one spread across the grave in an unnatural position. Megan was grateful they were far enough away, she couldn’t see the details of the tragic scene. Without a word, Sam pulled back around the front of the building.
“Thank you.” Megan’s heart ached for the couple.
He gave a quick nod of the head and turned off the motor, but left the keys in the ignition. His hands slid off the wheel and he leaned his seat back, then closed his eyes.
“So you’re a school teacher,” he started, but looked over at her and quickly amended his question. “Were a school teacher.”
“Fourth grade.” She nodded.
“Tough gig.”
“Not really. I loved it. They are smart at that age, but still interested in what you have to tell them.” That same old feeling of wanting to scream welled up inside her and threatened to explode. It always did when she thought about the life she’d led before the epidemic, but there was no point. That life was gone and screaming about it didn’t help. At least she didn’t have to watch her students get sick anymore, and vanish one by one. That first week had been a blurry nightmare. Half her class had disappeared before the school finally shut down.
“And your sister? When was the last time you spoke to her?” Megan couldn’t help but wonder about a guy who just got in a car and drove “South” as he put it, to find someone he cared about. Seemed a little cocky, if you asked her.
“Right after this all started, I put a plane ticket on will call and told her to get her ass home. She said ‘yes sir’ and never picked up the damn ticket. When she didn’t get off the plane, I drove straight down there to get her, but she was gone. One of her roommates said she hitched a ride.” He ran his hand through his hair. “It was a hell of a lot easier getting down there the first time around.”
Megan stared at him for a minute. She didn’t suppose she needed to tell him the chances of finding her walking down the highway were slim to none. His sister was probably dead. Megan didn’t dare say that either. Instead, she turned her gaze to the sunset in front of them. He still had hope. Once someone lost that, there was nothing left.
“So, were you married?”
He caught her off guard, and she swung back to gape at him. His expression was innocent as if he’d asked the time. She snapped her jaw shut and answered. “Why would you ask that?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” He lifted his eyebrows.
Megan chided herself, not every man was on the prowl. “No. Were you?”
He chuckled, but Megan could tell his heart wasn’t in it.
“Nope. Too busy building a corporate empire. Welcome to my corner office, by the way.” He waved his arms to encompass the interior of the Suburban.
They talked while they watched the sun set, and Megan mused at how easy it was to fall back into old habits. Talking with a friend. Sharing a meal. It almost felt normal, but normal was dangerous. Normal made you let your guard down. Then bad things tended to happen.
Megan adjusted her oversized watch and her fingers brushed the scar underneath. The world had hope and that hope coursed through her veins. Her watch served as a reminder that she had a task to finish. She couldn’t risk the luxury of letting her guard down while she sat here and got to know this very, very good looking man. Ah, jeeze.
Why did her head keep going there? It wasn’t like she’d been all about dating before the epidemic. Although, it would be wonderful to have a companion on her long journey. Male, female, whatever. Someone to talk to would be nice. Not to mention a car, a thought that piqued her curiosity.
“How is it you keep your car running? Mine ran out of gas months ago, and you can’t get gas from the stations without electricity.”
“I have a jiggler.”
“Do I want to know what that is?” She shot him a look meant to say “watch it buddy.”
Sam chuckled. “It’s a piece of hose with a mechanism on it that you jiggle, and it siphons gas without having to suck it out of a tank with your mouth. That’s why I was so close to that city where I found you dangling off a roof. You’d be surprised to know how many people left a car behind in the garage with a half a tank of gas in it.”
“After you find your sister, will you find a place to stay put until they fix all this?”
“Fix this? Who do you think is going to fix this?” He lifted his head off his arm.
“The government, in Las Vegas.”
“Don’t tell me you believe in that bullshit.”
Megan nodded.
“Is that where you’re headed? Lake Mead on foot?”
“So it would seem.” Boy, for a corporate mogul he could be dense. She wiggled further down under the blanket. Once the sun went down, the air had cooled off fast.
Only Love Survives (Love and Zombies) Page 2
