The SUV collided with his rear bumper, sending the station wagon lurching forward in the desert. Ken clutched the wheel, struggling to retain control, but the tires seemed to have a life of their own. He swerved back and forth, hoping he didn't crash.
If he did, the agents would be on him in seconds.
When the dust cleared, he could see two men in the vehicle behind him. The one on the passenger's side was leaning out the window, aiming an assault rifle. Ken regained control of the wheel and stared at the highway.
Unfortunately, the interstate was rife with obstacles, and there was no way back onto it. For the moment, at least, he was stuck riding on the highway's unpaved shoulder. Stones and scrub brush tore at the undercarriage, filling the air with awful sounds.
The gunfire resumed. Several bullets clanked against the bumper, and he figured it was only a matter of time until one connected with the windshield or a tire.
He had to do something.
Ken let one hand off the wheel and retrieved the pistol on his lap. He flung his arm out the window, doing his best to aim, and fired off a shot. He looked in the rearview. The SUV was still on his tail. There was no indication he'd connected.
Dammit.
He'd just pulled his hand back in the window when he felt another crash. The station wagon skidded in the dirt, veering to the right. The vehicle groaned. He could hear the men behind him yelling and swearing, and their cries filled Ken with a sense of foreboding. Was this the end?
Were those the last sounds he'd hear?
He strained to see through the windshield. The last impact had kicked up another swell of dust, and he squinted to see through it, struggling to keep track of his surroundings. When it cleared, Ken caught sight of the highway again. The image gave him a glimmer of hope.
Finally, it was clear—unbelievably, mercifully clear. No broken-down vehicles. No bodies or debris.
Ken yanked the wheel to the left and tore back onto the road. The station wagon jolted as it met the asphalt, and suddenly he was back on the pavement, accelerating rapidly.
The SUV's engine growled as it sped up behind him.
Chapter Sixteen
"What are we going to do?" Kate screamed at Isaac.
Isaac glanced from the door to the creatures careening around the side of the building. Any head start he and Kate had had was eliminated. He pounded on the tattoo shop door one last time, hoping for a miracle, but the door remained closed. There was no sign of his companions.
They'd written him off. Just like they'd written off Rick back at the movie theater.
In any case, there was no time to consider it further. If he and Kate didn't move, they'd be torn apart. He latched onto Kate's wrist, dragging her further down the plaza, his breathing hard and fast.
As they ran, he tried each of the remaining door handles, hoping one would be open, but none of them provided any refuge. All of the stores were locked. The cries behind them grew louder. The creatures were so close Isaac could smell them.
They reached the end of the building, and Isaac surveyed the adjacent parking lot. There were several standalone restaurants in the distance; the closest was about three hundred yards away.
With no cover in sight, they'd have to sprint to get there.
Kate was already beginning to falter.
"I don't think I can make it!" she yelled.
"Keep going!" Isaac responded, clutching her tighter.
Although his former companions had left him behind, it'd be unconscionable to do the same to her. Whatever happened, he'd stick with Kate, even if they both fell together.
They broke from the shopping plaza and entered the open lot.
Without the cover of the buildings, the sun radiated down on them, and the heat made Isaac feel like his skin was melting. He was still holding his automatic rifle, but he had no idea how much ammunition he'd spent. For all he knew, he was out of bullets, and even if he'd had extra clips, he had no idea how to reload. As much as he hated to admit it, he'd grown reliant on his companions.
He wiped the sweat from his eyes and cursed at himself.
Maybe the men had moved in numbers for a reason. With so many targets to choose from, the creatures could be distracted and redirected. Maybe that was why they'd locked him out in the first place—a sacrifice of one man for the greater good, a trade of his life for their own.
Wasn't that how animals survived in the wild?
Isaac felt a surge of anger. He wouldn't be one of the weak. No matter what it took, he'd prove those fuckers wrong.
Despite Kate's protests, she kept pace with him, and soon they were closing on the first of the restaurants. It appeared to be a taco chain, and although Isaac wasn't familiar with it, the building gleamed like a beacon of rescue. They might be outnumbered, but if they could get inside, they'd have a chance at staving the creatures off.
Isaac stumbled over a piece of trash, catching a glimpse of the things in his peripheral vision. Three of the infected were closing in. One of them, a male in a white T-shirt, blathered something indecipherable, the sound almost as insidious as its appearance. Its eyes were an inky black.
Isaac spun back around, refocusing on the building twenty yards ahead. They'd almost made it. He noticed a few other creatures loitering near it, and they turned their heads at the sight of the survivors, prepared to give chase.
Shit. That was all they needed. If the creatures ran at them from both sides, they'd be walled in. They needed to get to the building.
The taco restaurant was square, with windows on the front and sides. Despite the apparent lack of security, it appeared the glass was intact, and Isaac didn't see anyone inside.
Isaac and Kate barreled up on a glass side entrance. He gave the door a tug, but it wouldn't budge. They scrambled down the building, catching sight of another metal door—probably an entrance to the kitchen or storeroom. There was no handle, but a piece of metal on the side provided an inch of room to grip. Isaac took hold of it and yanked hard, to no avail.
The first of the creatures were already on them.
He spun and took aim, firing at them at close range. The creatures shrieked and fell to the ground, bodies pierced by bullets. The gunfire rang in Isaac's ears, but he fired several more shots, letting up only when they were still.
He turned back to the door. Kate was prying on it, but she wasn't having any luck, either. Another cluster of creatures was only twenty feet away.
"Back up!" he shouted.
Kate leapt clear, and Isaac shot at the door handle. The bullet tore into the metal, and all at once the door was ajar. Isaac grabbed it and thrust it open. He pushed his companion through the opening and then darted in after her, slamming the door shut just as a chorus of fists pounded on the other side. The room was pitch black.
Even though Isaac couldn't see, he'd gotten a quick glimpse before the door closed. From what he could tell, they were in a kitchen. The room reeked of cleaning products and old food, and he held his breath as he braced his body against the door.
"Look for something to barricade it!" he yelled into the dark, hoping that Kate was nearby, that she was listening.
"OK!" she called. It sounded like she was already searching.
He felt a mild swell of relief. As precarious as their position was, they'd made it inside. They'd gotten out of the open.
The creatures battered against the door, and he struggled to hold it shut, his face dripping sweat. He swept his hands across the smooth surface, hoping to find a way to secure it. But the lock was broken; he'd destroyed it with the gunshot.
The metal buckled against his shoulder, and he could hear the hiss and groan of the creatures, toppling over one another to get inside. He braced his foot against the floor. He didn't know how much longer he could hold it. The weight of the creatures was too intense, and soon he'd have to let it go.
"Kate!" he yelled again.
"Coming!"
He heard the scrape of something in the dark, and then he fel
t the touch of her hand on his arm, determining where he was.
"There's a metal table over here! I think I can move it!"
"Push it as close to the door as you can!"
He heard the groan of metal legs being pushed across the floor, then the sound of Kate straining. Within a few seconds, the table was next to him, and he slid down to make room for it.
As he repositioned, the door gave way slightly, and several mottled hands pushed their way through the crack.
"Keep pushing!" he yelled.
He ran behind it and dug his heels into the floor. The force of the creatures had grown more intense. Judging by the noise and commotion, there were many more outside than had initially been chasing them. Isaac grunted and strained, pushing with both his legs and his arms. Kate joined him.
All at once the door slipped close, and he heard the shriek of the things subside. The room went black again.
Although they'd managed to get the door closed, the pounding had increased in fervor, threatening to rupture the makeshift barricade. They needed to find something else to secure it. Isaac raced across the room, feeling with his hands, trying to find something heavy, something he could move.
His hands landed on something cold, and he determined it was a commercial cooler. To his surprise, he could move it—it was on wheels. He dislodged and unplugged it, then worked it over to the door.
When it was in place, he locked the wheels.
They remained in place for several seconds, the sound of their winded lungs filling the room. Isaac retrieved the gun, which he'd set on the floor, and then examined their surroundings. After a bit of exploration, he found a flashlight on a nearby counter. It seemed like someone had left it behind. He snapped it on. To his relief, it worked.
He splayed the beam across the disheveled kitchen, revealing a commercial dishwasher, several sinks, and cabinets. He immediately sighted the reason for the smell—several bins of meat and refried beans had been left in the open, and they were brimming with mold and insects.
"Ugh," he said, disgusted.
"It could be worse," Kate whispered. "We could be out there."
She pointed at the door behind them, which was still shaking from the pounding of the creatures.
"You're right," Isaac agreed. "Now let's keep moving."
On the other side of the kitchen was a storage room. Unlike the kitchen, with its rotten food and festering dishes, the storeroom was well-organized, with rows of cans and dried goods stacked neatly on wire shelves.
Isaac shined the light over the room. The door was wooden, about several inches thick, and the room was only a few feet wide. Staring at it, he had a sudden bout of claustrophobia, and he repressed the vision of being trapped in the small storage room, waiting for the creatures to break inside. He hoped it wouldn't come to that.
He wouldn't allow it to come to that.
"Come on," he said, motioning for Kate to continue.
She kept pace with him, and he noticed she'd picked up a knife from the kitchen. Past the kitchen and the storage room were two swinging exit doors, presumably leading to the main room. Neither had windows. A thin stripe of light illuminated the gap underneath them. In their rush to get inside, they'd given little thought to what might be lurking within the building. Although they'd been fortunate enough to encounter nothing in the kitchen, it was entirely possible one of the creatures was waiting in the restaurant itself, and had already heard them.
They'd have to tread carefully.
Isaac pointed the gun at the doors and signaled for Kate to get behind him. He paused for a minute, attempting to listen, but all he could hear was the banging and ululations of the creatures at the back door. If something was waiting in the next room, it was doing so quietly. Isaac kicked the door open with his foot.
The light from the other room was bright and immediate, and it spilled like fingers across the kitchen floor. Just ahead of them was a counter area; beyond it was the main restaurant, filled with tables, booths, and chairs. Isaac opened the door wider, peering out the glass windows that surrounded the dining room.
A horde of creatures raced through the parking lot. They ran and tripped over one another, heading for the side of the building where Isaac and Kate had entered. There had to be at least fifty of the things.
"Holy Jesus," Isaac whispered.
It was as if the city had sent out a memorandum, informing the infected where to congregate.
"What do we do?" Kate whispered.
Isaac shook his head. "We stay here."
The back door wasn't an option—that was obvious. The only other room they could shut themselves in was the storage room, and Isaac had the distinct feeling that if they did that, the room would be become their tomb.
The only other option was to hide in the main restaurant and wait for a chance to escape. If they could avoid being seen, perhaps they could wait it out until the creatures left. Either that, or until they broke down the back door—whichever came first.
Isaac pointed to the swinging doors he'd pushed open. "Let's secure these and hide in here. We'll just have to be careful they don't see us."
Isaac swallowed. He watched through the front windows as the things flitted past, their features indiscernible. It was as if the outside world were inhabited by nightmares, flashes of spectral movement. His fear was that one of them would stop and take notice. Although the glass windows seemed secure, he wasn't sure how long they'd hold if the creatures spotted them.
He hunkered down, then crept through the doors.
"Stay low," he instructed Kate.
He opened them just wide enough to accommodate his companion, then let them close.
They'd entered the main room, and they crawled toward the counters, trying to keep out of sight from the creatures. As he moved along, Isaac scanned for anything he could use to block the doors. He could still hear the fervent banging from the kitchen. Each crash was like a needle to his nerves.
Underneath the counter was an array of plastic silverware, condiments, and napkins. Nothing they could use. The cash registers hung open, the money gone. Against the wall to Isaac's right were several metal racks, similar to some he'd seen in the storage room.
He crawled to the edge of the counter and peered into the main restaurant area. It looked like the tables and chairs were bolted to the floor.
"I guess we'll have to make do with the wire racks," he hissed to Kate.
She'd been following close behind him, and she nodded. She scooted over to the first rack, awaiting his signal. He grabbed the other end and they heaved it toward the doors. Once they'd put it in place, they retreated and grabbed the other one.
Even with the racks in place, he hardly felt secure.
Isaac and Kate scampered back behind the counter. After a few seconds, Isaac peered back into the restaurant, catching a glimpse of the front lobby. The creatures were still racing past. Several scanned the interior of the restaurant as they ran, their black eyes rolling left and right. He stared through the lobby at the front door.
Then he saw it move. It was jolting against the frame.
Was the door unlocked?
A wave of panic hit him. He couldn't be certain, but it looked like the lock wasn't engaged. He looked left and right. There was another door on the left-hand side of the room, but that one appeared secure.
"What's wrong?" Kate hissed.
He pointed to the front door. "I think it's unlocked."
Kate's eyes widened. "What should we do?" she asked, her eyes darting from Isaac to the windows.
"Let's wait until the parking lot clears, then I'll scoot over and try to lock it."
The creatures in the parking lot had grown sparse. By the looks of it, all those in close proximity had joined the others, and were pounding at the back door. Isaac rose to a crouch and scanned the room. The closest table was about ten feet away.
Here goes nothing.
Isaac sucked in a breath, then scampered across the tile floor, sliding t
o a stop next to the closest table. When he reached it, he glanced out the front window, then back at Kate. She mouthed "all clear".
Isaac planned his next move. The next table was five feet away. He exhaled and darted toward it, reaching it in less than a second. The windows still revealed an empty parking lot.
There were only a few tables and chairs between him and the lobby. Isaac continued, gliding between tables and chairs, keeping his cover.
He'd almost made it to the front when he slipped on something wet, and he skidded to a halt, bumping one of the bolted-down chairs. The seat swiveled back and forth, creaking. Isaac reached up to stop it, but not before he saw movement from outside.
Heart racing, he slowly looked out the front windows.
One of the creatures was staring at him. It slapped its hands against the glass, locking eyes with him. Isaac went stock-still, as if his lack of movement might make him invisible, but it was too late.
He'd already been seen.
Without warning, the creature reared back and flung itself at the window. The impact shook the pane, and it hissed at him through the glass. The front door opened and closed slightly with the impact. Another creature joined it, scratching its nails against the pane.
Isaac stared at the things, then at the front door. Two more creatures had found their way there, and were already tugging at the handle. He watched in horror as the door inched open and pallid hands slid their way through the crack.
"Quick!" Isaac said. "Out the other side!"
He changed direction, bolting toward the left side of the restaurant. Outside, several of the creatures matched his movement, as if he were a magnet sliding them along the glass. In his peripheral vision, he caught sight of Kate running behind him.
The side door was locked. Desperate, he fiddled with the knob. At the same time, a cluster of the things spilled inside, spitting hot breath and tearing across the tile.
In just a few seconds, the restaurant had been overrun.
Contamination: Dead Instinct (Contamination Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Series) Page 8
