Zombies and Chainsaws (Book 2): Dark Roads
Page 14
Joann did the sign of the cross in her head, trying to stay cool and calm. “Honestly, Chuck, I couldn’t be happier than if you were right. I just want things to go back to normal—I don’t think that's asking too much, is it?”
Chuck shook his head, looking at Jude manning the rifle on the trailer. “So when this is all over, do you think you and Leslie are going back home, or are you thinking you might stick around here?”
Joann smiled, knowing he was thinking of himself for sure, but of Jude and her as well. “Well, I work for the CDC. I can pretty much get a job anywhere, Chuck. But I’d say it’d depend a lot on Jude. We met under pretty stressful circumstances. I’d hate to think that was the reason we clicked so quickly. I’d like to see where things will go.”
“Are you shitting me? That man hasn’t touched a woman since his wife passed, and let me tell you, sweetheart, there’s been no lack of women trying. That man deserves a medal for turning down all the women offering him more poontang than he can handle."
“Wow, Chuck, really, I’m speechless. It's good to know he hasn’t been whoring it up. Nothing like dating an easy guy.”
“Well, Jude’s your man, then.”
They drove in silence for a few minutes; the lights on the truck and the few streetlights still working were the only thing illuminating the dark streets. Joann found a floodlight and ran it across the streets, making sure that nothing was going to ambush them. When they reached the woods, she could see the dead walking in among the trees, and a red tent that had been trampled. She gripped Chuck’s shoulder, pointing, and they heard shotgun blasts coming from the tree line. She didn’t need to say anything to the others, because Jude had a canister of the liquid with him and was already making his way through the tree line.
The citizen army made their way through the woods quickly, taking out the dead which stumbled without direction around the trees. When the shotgun blasts stopped, the screaming for help began. Jude ran through the woods, leaving the group behind.
He heard a voice and recognized it immediately. Jude screamed out, “Maria! Maria, Patrick, where are you? Where are you? It’s me!”
Maria never quit screaming until Jude found them in the tree. Seeing him, she rested her head against the trunk. She had never been happier in her life to see Jude. The dead clawing at the base of the tree were quickly dealt with. Maria tried not to shut her eyes as she watched Jude take the chainsaw across the tops of their heads from behind.
Patrick yelled, “That is disgusting—that's great! Do it again, Dad, do it again!”
Jude looked around, making sure the dead were no longer an immediate threat. He killed the saw, dropping it on the ground, and barely had time to raise his hands before Patrick leapt from the tree and into his father’s waiting arms. Maria screamed when he jumped, but knew just as well that there was no chance of him ever touching the ground if his father was near.
Jude caught Patrick and brought him in, hugging the boy and kissing the top of his head. “Oh, my God, did I miss you, Patrick. I love you so much—are you okay, you got all your fingers and your toes?”
Patrick let go of his dad’s neck, holding out both hands for inspection and wiggling them. “What took you so long, Dad?”
Jude smiled and said, “You're kidding me, right? I heard you’ve been busy shooting off fireworks without me?"
“Well, we had to, Dad, they had the house surrounded! They broke the kitchen window, but Maria killed them, so I guess it's okay, huh?”
Jude hugged him again. He had been gone for stints of time before, but had never thought he could possibly miss his son so much. “We can fix the house, Patrick. Besides, I have a feeling we're going to be busy enough for the next few days. I want you to meet some people. These are my new friends. This particularly beautiful one is Joann. She’s a scientist, Patrick, and is super-smart. You can be one of those someday, if you study hard.”
“I'm gonna throw wood and run saws, Dad. I'm going to be just like you when I grow up.”
Joann held out a hand to shake Patrick’s. “You know, your dad and Chuck helped save the whole world. They're heroes.”
Maria gave Jude a hug next and whispered, “Hey, I thought the lady you were going to bounce in the sheets with got eaten.”
Chuck heard this and couldn’t help himself. “Oh, that isn’t a problem. That one got eaten—this is a completely different girl.”
Maria stared at Jude, just shaking her head. “God, you do get the offers. So do you want to get out of town, Jude?”
Jude shook his head and gripped the saw again. “We aren’t going to run from the dead. We are going to put them back where they belong.”
The End
By Mike Evans
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