I started to slow as we approached a massive pileup blocking the exit ramp. At least 30 cars were either completely crushed or shoved against each other to the point we would actually need to climb over several of them to get off the interstate.
I stopped and stared, waiting for the others to catch up. Twisted metal and blood marred the various shapes of blue, white, black and red stretched out before me. It looked like the ghastly aftermath of a demolition derby gone wrong and I just hoped there weren’t any zombies hanging around.
“Whatcha waiting for? Let’s go!” Ty said and he bumped my shoulder in passing. He tossed me a ‘let’s have fun while trying not to die’ grin as he climbed onto the back of an old Chevy and proceeded over the top to slide down the hood.
Chloe and Roscoe were hot on his heels as I continued to stand there. I don’t know why I didn’t just jump up there with them, but something just didn’t feel right. With all of these cars just sitting here, where were all the people who had been in them?
Blood was certainly present, if the hand prints marring the windows were anything to go by, but where was the cause?
I was scratching at a particularly pesky itch that was getting worse on my left shoulder when Jack came to stand next to me.
“You ok?” He took my chin in his hand and proceeded to stare intently at the bruises on my face. I knew he’d figured out that I wasn’t going to talk about what had happened, but I had a sneaking suspicion he was on to the fact that there was way more than just getting the shit beat out of me.
Staring into his eyes, my heart started to hurt even as I continued to scratch. I wanted to tell him everything, I needed him to hold me and tell me it was all over and we’d live happily ever after, but when I caught the helpless concern radiating back at me from those beautiful hazel depths, I reigned that shit in faster than a big game fisherman. He just didn’t need to know.
Scratching harder, “I’m good,” I said with a fake smile and nodded towards the kids. “We’d better catch up before they leave our asses.” I finished while still scratching in earnest. Damn, why does this itch so bad?
Jack’s face went from concerned to closed pretty fucking fast. He knew I was keeping something from him and he wasn’t pleased about it, but what was I supposed to do? “Fine.” With that he turned and started to climb after the kids.
Heaving a sigh, I let my level of douchebaggery set in and marinate. I wanted to think he would understand and still like me, but the insufferable coward in me just wouldn’t let the words out.
I started towards the pileup and pulled my shirt sleeve up to look at the offending itch. I almost tripped when I saw the definite teeth marks and tracks of blood that had already clotted and started to scab over. I had been bit. Well, fuck.
How long ago was it? I thought desperately as my chest heaved from panic and I mulled over my options. I knew it must have happened when I’d been caught on the door and Austin had freed me, but wouldn’t I have noticed teeth actually making contact and breaking skin? Well, maybe not. I still didn’t know the full effects of the fucking serum and for all I knew, it could’ve affected my ability to feel pain.
Think, Angie, think. I looked back to the sun, which was now almost completely dipped below the city and thought about what time we’d escaped. I turned around and looked back at the expanse of highway and cars we’d passed since we left and figured it had to have been about 2 hours since I’d been bitten.
From my time on my balcony, I knew that it took about 20 minutes, give or take, to turn after being bitten. Granted you weren’t ripped apart in the interim, which means I should’ve been a goner a while ago.
The bite was angry and festering, but I didn’t see any tell tale signs that I was infected. The flesh surrounding the wound was pink, but the veins weren’t popping out and my skin was still its usual color. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!
Was it just taking longer because of whatever shit they’d pumped in my veins or had those sadistic sonsofbitches actually found a cure?! They were all dead now, so I’d likely never know.
I pulled my sleeve down and grabbed the bumper of the Chevy, hauling myself up and over it. The others were a few cars ahead of me and I could hear Chloe giggling at something Jack said.
Sliding down the windshield, I thought about what to tell them. I could only guess at how long I had left, and felt cheated that I’d come so far only to go out like this. I got angry at the whole thing and felt like breaking shit. Coming up to the Ford F150 in front of me, I slammed my fist into the tailgate for all I was worth. Pain shot up my arm as my knuckles split open and bled and the now mangled metal made a satisfying ‘crunch’ on impact.
It wasn’t fair. After so many years alone I had finally found people who seemed to give a shit about me and I was going to try to eat them. Fate really was a cruel, vindictive bitch.
Still trailing behind, I began to come up with a plan. I would find a safe place for them to hole up the night and then disappear. I decided not to tell them I’d been bitten so they wouldn’t freak out, but knew I had to say something, lest they follow.
I had almost caught up to them when I decided the best thing to do was make up some shit about not wanting them to drag me down and how I’d rather go it alone. It was going to break my heart and just thinking the lie left a horrible taste seething down my throat, but I couldn’t think of anything better. It was better this way. I’d rather die knowing they wouldn’t come after me than see the pity and terror on their faces when they found out I was little more than a ticking time bomb.
I climbed over the mountain of twisted metal in the direction of the others, one eye on the fading light, the other on everyone a few cars ahead of me. They had made it over the main part of the pile, and were sliding down the last few cars blocking the off ramp we had finally found.
Wanting to stop and just cry and break shit, I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. I couldn’t let them know anything was wrong besides what they’d already guessed at and we were fast running out of time to find a spot for the night.
Hauling myself up and over the last car, I caught up with everyone as they had stopped and waited for me on the street while trying to catch their own breaths.
Trying to appear winded I looked around and my eye caught a small building less than a block ahead. Pointing in its direction, “Hey, what about there?” I panted.
Jack had been bent over, hands on his knees as he heaved and looked to where I was pointing. His eyes squinted and his head tilt in consideration. “Looks as good as any other at this point.” He looked at the sun, which had completely sunk below the skyline before peering back at the building in the now near-darkness. “Think we can get in?” He looked back at me, the question on whether my resume included B&E apparently being presented.
I walked over to him until I was within reach and punched him in the shoulder. “I should assume the same of you, asshat.” With that, I turned and started towards the building, hearing the kids snickering behind me and Jack mumbling something about bruises under his breath.
As we neared what I hoped was an abandoned building, I reached into my holsters and pulled out a gun, clicking off the safety as I walked. Smoke was in the air and the eerie silence was unnerving. It was a one-story setup on about a half-acre of property, fenced in all around. Trucks were scattered around the front and I could make out piles of building materials around the lot. It looked like it had been some sort of manufacturing operation, but the sign above the fence was old and rusted and I couldn’t make it out in the dark.
I stopped at the gate and listened. Jack and the kids had stopped and the only sound was Roscoe’s panting and my heartbeat. At least my heart was still beating.
Ty walked in front of me and grabbed the latch on the gate testing it. The metal protested with a loud creak, but it was unlocked so getting in wouldn’t be too hard.
He walked through, with the rest of us in tow. Glancing around, Jack had a gun out, and Chloe had a gun in one h
and and Roscoe’s leash in the other; it was like a messed up family outing with the dog.
Gravel crunched underfoot and piles of trash and lumber were scattered about in the modest yard and I tried my damnedest to not trip on the loose wood lying across the walkway as we made our way slowly to the door.
I’d never had to case a place in my life, but I knew enough that it was too quiet, and there was bound to be trouble at some point; it couldn’t possibly be this easy.
We reached the main door with little fanfare, and I held my breath as Ty tried the handle. My heart sank when he shook his head and looked back at us. “Nope.”
“We’ll just have to make a little noise, then.” Jack said and he stepped forward and tried forcing the door with his shoulder. It was one of the heavy-duty solid doors with a deadbolt and I knew we wouldn’t be able to break it down.
I stepped forward and tugged on Jack’s sleeve. “Just shoot the lock, we don’t have much choice,” I whispered up at him as he rubbed his shoulder where it had met the door.
Shaking his head, his voice came out a smooth, low grumble, “Too much noise; the shot would echo for miles. It’d be ringing the dinner bell.” He was right, but how else were we going to get in? It was now pitch black and it wasn’t safe to stay out in the open if we couldn’t see what was attacking us. Sure, there were lights, but considering the city was without power, it was basically a really dark obstacle course filled with zombies. Not exactly a place I wanted to be stranded in long.
We stood there for a moment, mulling over our options when Chloe broke the silence, “Here, hold this,” she said, handing me the leash.
I started to ask her why when she abruptly thrust the leash at me and walked over to a wooden crate that had been sitting to the left of the door and I watched her dumbstruck as she dragged it until it stood beneath a high window on the front of the building. It luckily wasn’t barred, but it had that heavy glass with metal weaved through it, which would be a bitch to try to shatter.
“You’ll never break-“ I began to say but shut right up as she slid her little fingers under what I could now see was a crack at the bottom of the window and slid it right open. Well, I’ll be damned, why didn’t I think of that?
I was still standing there in my stupor as Jack quickly climbed up and stopped her before she could climb in. Shaking his head at her, “I’ll go first.”
Heaving a sigh of irritation, “Fine, but let’s just not forget who the smart one is around here,” she shot out in a loud whisper.
Ty and I walked over to the crate and peered around Chloe to watch Jack shimmy through the window and disappear into the darkness. The sounds of his boots hitting the concrete echoed, but no other sounds followed; it was safe.
“Ok Chloe, go for it,” I said to her as I shifted my backpack on my shoulders in preparation for the climb. It wasn’t a high window, but it wasn’t very big and getting through with all the crap strapped to me would be an interesting endeavor.
Ty had hopped up on the crate behind her and I picked up Roscoe and handed him the dog as Chloe slid through the window into what I hoped were Jack’s waiting arms.
“Geez, Ang, when did you start lifting weights?” Ty teased as he took hold of Roscoe and maneuvered him onto the windowsill. He was joking, but I caught the hint of seriousness in his voice and started to think I needed to hit the road soon; I was getting too obvious.
“Whatever,” I said casually and rolled my eyes, brushing off his remark. He looked at me, and my skin started to crawl under the intensity of his gaze; this kid didn’t miss much and I was pretty sure he was on to me. I squirmed and looked away, effectively breaking our stare down, and gestured for him to get on with it.
With one last look at me, he followed Roscoe into the darkness, leaving me standing by myself outside. Casting glances around the lot, I thought about just leaving now. It would be hard for them to get back out the window and I was sure I could run fast enough that they wouldn’t have any hope of catching me but…but I had to make sure this place was safe before I left them. Yeah, that was it: I couldn’t leave them until I knew they were safe.
I climbed onto the crate and grabbed the wall and the edge of the window to steady myself as I lifted my leg and eased myself through. I had to duck and twist in order to not get caught on the sill, so it took me a minute to slide all the way in. I turned my body so I could pull myself all the way in, but my pant leg caught on something and I lost my balance. Grasping desperately for something in the dark, I started to fall.
Chapter 2
Before I even had a chance to brace myself for the impact, strong, warm arms wrapped around me and pulled me to the ground. Jack may have misjudged the combined weight of me plus my weapons as we collapsed into a tangle of limbs on the cement.
I was wrapped in his arms, surrounded by the smell of dirt and grease and I never wanted to leave. Pressing my nose into his neck, I inhaled the scent of soap and the smell of Jack, which instantly caused things to stir below the belt. I started to blush at the sudden arousal as he pulled himself up until he was propped above me on his arms and smiled down at me in the dark. Had we been alone, I almost wondered what would’ve happened, but with a wink, he rolled over and stood up, holding a hand out to help me up.
Grabbing it, I used him for balance as I pulled myself to my feet and brushed the dirt off my butt as I looked around.
There wasn’t much to see as I squinted into the blackness; the only light was the muted moonlight struggling through the grime covered and sparse windows. I blinked a few times to adjust to the dark until I could make out the shapes of the kids and machinery.
Roscoe was busy snuffling at the ground and Ty was inspecting a large machine in the center of the room. It wasn’t huge; just a modestly sized machine shop with a crap-load of tools and spare parts scattered about.
I began to walk around the edge of the room along the wall to my right, gun out and trying not to trip on anything. I dodged a large saw and caught sight of a hallway up ahead to my left. Skirting the table of tools next to the saw, I reached the hall and took note of 2 doors on one side, 1 on the other, and a door at the end, with what I imagined was an EXIT sign above it. I crept silently towards the first door seeing it was partially opened and used my foot to open it the rest of the way.
The door squealed loudly in protest and before I had the chance to step foot into the room, the groans of the dead rose up and headed towards me at an alarming speed.
It was darker in here than it had been in the shop so I could only just make out the 2 figures diving towards me. I lifted the pistol and took aim, hoping I was aiming high enough, and pulled the trigger, steadying myself for the impact of the shot.
Half the screaming stopped, so I assumed I’d guessed correctly, but didn’t have time to congratulate myself as the other had reached me.
It grabbed my arm and started for my face, but before it got closer I jerked my elbow up, effectively nailing it in the jaw and causing it to stumble backwards. Not giving it the chance to recover, I ran towards it, jammed the pistol against its face and fired off another shot. The sound of bone and brain matter splattering against the wall behind it was wet, like beating a wet towel against concrete, but darker somehow. The sound crawled beneath my skin and took up residence, like it was promising to secretly creep me out for the rest of my life. Fucking awesome.
“Angie!” I heard Jack’s pounding footsteps and quickly dropped the body and started for the door.
“Angie, are you ok?” Jack tore around the corner and into the room panting and waving a gun and a gas lantern around, causing the light to cast frantic shadows on the horror scene. I took in the blood and guts in the dim light and felt my stomach churn. Head growing light, sweat broke out across my forehead and vomiting became a very real possibility.
Swallowing down the bile that had risen, I tried to clear my throat, but my reply came out more as a croak then words. “I’m fine.”
Jack held the lantern up to
my face and studied me closely. “You sure?” The concern in his voice was real, and he didn’t just mean the 2 I’d taken out; I knew he meant more.
“Yeah, where’d you get the light?” I ducked around him and walked back out the door, turning and waiting for him to follow.
“We found a couple of these in the shop,” he pulled the door shut behind him as he followed me back into the hall, where I was watching Ty and Chloe finish checking out the other 2 rooms.
“Cool.” I didn’t meet his gaze, choosing to walk to the end of the hall and tug on the exit door instead. Fuck, I couldn’t deal with them too much longer; they cared, I could feel their concern for me and it was eating me up that I was lying to them and couldn’t stay. It wasn’t safe for me to stay with them; I had no way of knowing how the bite would affect me.
Looking all around the edges of the door and giving it a final shove, I was pleased when it didn’t budge. The bite on my shoulder still itched like crazy and I felt sick.
Turning around, I jumped when I realized all 3 of them had been standing there, just watching me. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Angie?” Chloe’s voice was both concerned and accusing and I knew I was trapped.
Keeping my head down, I tried to pass by them, but they kept blocking the opening to the shop, effectively trapping me in the hallway. Half smiling at them, “Is everything else clear? I mean, are we alone?”
“Answer the fucking question, Angie,” Chloe said, this time moving to stand right in front of me until our noses were almost touching. “You’ve been weird since we found you and now you’re sweating, you’re kind of green and you look like crap, what gives?” Her voice started to rise in pitch and for a moment, I started to fear her a little; this tiny thing was kind of scary when she was pissed off.
I was trying desperately to come up with a believable lie when understanding filled her eyes and she started backing up, “You were bit, weren’t you?!” She bumped into Ty standing behind her and he grabbed her shoulders pulling her behind him as they all latched onto her words. Well, crap.
This is the End (Book 2): Not Dead Yet Page 2
