Planet Dead (Book 1): Bloodthirsty

by Sylvester Barzey

  Catherine closed her eyes and rested her head back on the seat, “Maybe because you made it very clear you wanted him dead and- ” Catherine’s words were cut off as Tennessee laughed.

  “I never said that, but let's be honest. He was killing and raping girls long before he decided to help Barbie back there,” Tennessee said.

  Catherine softly replied, “He said he didn’t take part in that.”

  Tennessee’s head spun towards Catherine, “Would that hold up in court? Oh yes your honor, my brothers raped, slaughtered and ate some chicks, but not me!” Tennessee mockingly said as she pointed a thumb at herself, “No sir! I just tied them up and moved the bodies.”

  Catherine’s eyes finally opened to look at Tennessee, “There aren’t anymore courts. Just us and we don’t have the right to decide who lives or dies,” Catherine said.

  Tennessee turned her head back to the road and smiled, “Seemed like you exercised your rights all over The Ringmaster’s face back there.”

  Catherine looked over at the the dark road that was ahead of them, she didn’t say another word. Part of her knew Tennessee was right, they were all questioning and labeling Tennessee a murderer in their minds, when they all had some kind of blood on their hands.

  There was no way of making it out of this world clean, not if you wanted to make it out alive. Catherine could say her kill was justified, that The Ringmaster was a monster, but what made her excuse any more just than Tennessee’s.

  Catherine looked out the window once again, “Where we heading?” she asked.

  Tennessee looked back at both Sue and Faith, they were passed out by the empty ice cream containers, her eyes went back to the road and she softly said, “The CDC.”

  “What the hell is at the CDC?” Catherine asked.

  Tennessee shrugged her shoulders, without really looking at Catherine as she said, “That’s what Faith’s plan was before we met. She’s not the brightest bulb in the house, but it sounded as good of a plan as any. Faith and her husband were really big into horror movies and shit. Faith said that the CDC made a plan for something like this, like if a zombie outbreak ever happened. So it’s the best place to go.”

  Catherine’s head turned towards the window again, “Yeah well plans change when you get kidnapped. I’m not going on some wild goose chase, I’m going to Savannah.” Catherine said.

  Tennessee laughed shaking her head as she said, “Nah, Faith wasn’t kidnapped. Her husband sold her to The Ringmaster. Told her she was just slowing him down.” Tennessee looked over at Catherine’s wide eyes, “I know, fucked up huh?” Tennessee finally added.

  Catherine felt bad, but she didn’t really care what reasoning Tennessee had behind it all. All that was really running through her mind was how far away from Savannah this road was taking her. She had been through so much to get to her boys, that she wasn’t ready to just give up.

  “It’s really fucked up,” Catherine softly said, and then let out a long sigh before closing her eyes, “Stop the truck.” Catherine said.

  Tennessee smiled and turned her head to look at Catherine, “What?” Tennessee asked.

  Catherine looked back over her shoulder at Sue who was slowly starting to wake up. Sue jumped in pain as the cuts on her back rubbed up against the cold walls of the truck.

  “Stop the truck!” Catherine said once again.

  Sue’s head turned towards Catherine’s voice, then she shook her head and softly mouthed ‘No.’ unable to let her voice find the word. The truck slowed down and then came to a rolling stop, all that could be heard was the rumbling of the engine and the distant moans throughout the night.

  Catherine gazed back at Sue for a moment, Sue sat there staring in disbelief before Catherine looked back at Tennessee.

  Catherine softly said, “I have to find my family.” Catherine’s hand went towards the door and Tennessee’s hand shot out onto her shoulder, stopping Catherine from turning away.

  “You can’t just leave!” Tennessee words came out sharp and cold, for a moment they just hung in the cool night’s air, till she followed them up with, “I mean you can’t just leave us. Faith and Sue need help, and the CDC is the closest thing I can think of.”

  Catherine nodded, “I understand that, but I can’t go. My boys are in Savannah and I’ve taken a long enough detour as it is,” Catherine said. She put her hands over her face, after everything that had happen tonight, the last thing Catherine wanted to do was this. She looked into Tennessee’s eyes and did her best not to look any where near Sue and said, “You can handle this. Get them to the CDC, take care of them.”

  Sue shook her head once again as her soft voice finally found the word, “No.”

  Catherine turned to look at Sue, the young broken woman slowly started to move closer towards the front of the truck.

  “Let’s just go to the CDC first, then we can go to Savannah,” Sue said.

  Catherine’s eyes rested on Sue as she listened to her continue.

  “We can rest up. Get a better car, and we’ll go non-stop. Right to Robert, Jordan and Peter, I swear.” Sue put her hand out and rested it on Catherine’s hand, “Please Catherine.”

  Catherine looked down at Sue’s hand and then quickly pulled hers back. “How do you know about Pete?”

  Sue’s hand dropped back to her knees, “What?” Sue asked.

  Catherine’s door pushed open and she jumped out of the truck, slamming the door behind her.

  “I said! How do you know about Peter, Sue!” Catherine’s voice echoed around the truck and Sue slowly started moving back to the rear doors.

  She debated locking it and just telling Tennessee to drive.

  There were tears filling up Sue eyes, she was alive because of Catherine. Every moment from this point on was owed to Catherine, a woman who risked her life to save someone she didn’t know. Someone who almost got her killed, someone who's been lying to her from the moment they met. Sue stared at the truck’s doors through her tear filled eyes, she owed Catherine and she was finally going to pay her back, with the truth.

  “They’re not in Savannah!” Sue screamed out.

  Quick moving footsteps made their way to the other side of the doors. Sue kept her head lowered to her knees, because she knew what was coming next. She knew that there would be screaming, followed by questions, and maybe even a beating. She knew this would all happen but the fear of losing Catherine and being on her own once again was far greater than any other fear Sue had. The back doors of the ice cream truck swung open and the moonlight casted down on Sue like an interrogation light in an old crime movie. Sue kept her back to the light and to the voice that filled the night with a question she really didn’t want to answer.

  “How do you know about Peter, Sue?” Catherine said once again.

  Sue kept her back to Catherine as long as she could without answering her, till she felt two hands grab onto her arms, and without any care for the pain that she was already in Sue was dragged out of the back of the ice cream truck and dropped onto the cool asphalt of the road. She stayed there, taking in the cool feeling that the ground gave, it broke through her pain. Sue was staring up at the moon until Catherine’s face came into view and block out the light.

  “How do you know about Robert’s brother and what do you mean, they’re not in Savannah!” Catherine screamed.

  Sue slowly started to get to her feet. When she finally did she looked down at Catherine’s hands, they were balled up into two tight fists, waiting for the wrong answer. Sue ran her fingers through her hair before crossing her arms over her chest.

  “When I told you about my last night with Sam and Dean, I didn’t tell you about the days that lead up to that night,” Sue said softly.

  Catherine started walking slowly towards her as Sue was slowly backing away. She only got two steps before her ripped and bloody back was pressed up against the metal of the ice cream truck’s open door. Catherine kept moving forward till she was eye to eye with Sue.

  “Well
tell me now and no lying, Sue. Tonight’s not a good night for lying,” Catherine said.

  Sue nodded and swallowed deeply before starting again, “We were holding up in our house, like everyone else in the complex. Like Peter and his mom used to,” Sue said. She went to ease her back off the metal door, only to have Catherine push her back into place. Sue closed her eyes, “We were all just trying to look out for ourselves, the thought of helping anyone else didn't even come into my mind until they showed up.”

  Catherine softly said, “Until who showed up?”

  Sue stared into Catherine’s eyes. The woman wanted to strangle Sue, tie her to the back of that truck and drag her ass down to Savannah. That's what her mind wanted to do but as she stared into Sue’s eyes, the last eyes to have seen her boys, all Catherine could do was silently cry.

  “A few weeks after the outbreak someone kept coming by and knocking on our door. Everyday at 8am like clock work, asking if anyone was home. I think he was doing it for everyone,” Sue said.

  Sue’s eyes looked back into the Truck, Faith was still passed out on the sleeping bag and Tennessee was sitting there, with her hands on the steering wheel and her eyes on Catherine and Sue through the rear view mirror.

  “The first few times we didn’t answer, but then the Internet went out and the radio. Cell phones were down for a month by then . We lost all connection to the outside world, so when we heard that knock we rushed to the door, just to see another person.” Sue stopped her story, she hung her head and started to cry out, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

  Catherine’s hand went on Sue’s cheek and she lifted the girl's head, till they were eye to eye again, “Finish the story.” The soft words sent a chill through Sue’s body.

  She didn’t want to continue, but Sue knew she didn’t have a choice, she owed Catherine this much.

  “I opened the door and they were just standing there, the man had an awkward smile on this face when he saw us. He looked down at the boy and just said ‘You were right’ and the boy just kept his eyes on me and nodded and he said ‘I know’. The three of us just stood there looking at one another for what felt like forever before Dean and Samantha came to the doorway. We had some small talk or what passed for small talk back then. He wanted us to pull together and help one another. Dean was so grateful to have another guy around that he jumped at the idea of helping.” she said.

  Sue smiled as she thought back on the moment and then was pulled back to reality when she felt Catherine’s finger flick her in the forehead.

  “Is there something funny?” Catherine asked and Sue shook her head quickly. Catherine nodded as she said, “I thought not. Get to the point! Where the hell are my boys!” Catherine shouted.

  Sue jumped, “I don't know! The week before I left a ton of military trucks and people rolled up to our gate,” Sue said, she ran her hands over her face and sighed into them before softly saying, “The last time I saw them, they were handcuffed and being loaded up onto a truck. The only reason they didn't get us…” Sue stopped her head picked up from the floor and she stared into Catherine's eyes as she said, “The only reason the didn't get us is because Jordan told us to hide. He jumped a fence and told us to hide, Jordan saved us.” Sue softly finished her story and her eyes dropped back down to the road.

  “So let me see if I got this right.” Catherine’s hands folded together on the top of her head as she started to pace back and forth slowly. “My boys saved your skinny ass. Helped you and your fuck buddies survive and you repay them by letting them get rounded up like a fucking dog?” Catherine said

  Sue shouted, “It wasn't like that!”

  “Then what the fuck was it like Sue? You knew what happened to them this whole time and you let me-” Catherine's words were cut off by the sound of Tennessee rolling down the old clunky window.

  “Y'all might want to get back in the truck,” Tennessee said softly.

  Catherine put up her hand and shouted, “When we’re done!”.

  Tennessee started rolling up her window and rested her head back, “Okay.” she softly said to herself.

  Catherine’s hand came down and her arms folded over her chest, then her arms dropped and she softly said, “Sue,” like a soft whisper she didn't want the world to here.

  Sue’s face was buried in her hands, she wanted so bad for the ground to open up and shallow her. Catherine was right, everyone was always risking their lives to save her and all she ever was run and let them down.

  “I was too scared. Sam and Dean were dead. I was alone.” Sue’s head came up and she shouted, “I’m sorry Catherine!”

  When her eyes started to focus through the tears Sue could see the fear in Catherine’s face, Catherine slowly took a step back. Sue went to turn around but Catherine grabbed Sue’s hand and started pulling her.

  Catherine screamed, “Don’t turn around, just get in the fucking truck!”

  The two women jumped into the back of the ice cream truck and heard the motor start up.

  “I told you to get back in the truck.” Tennessee’s voice sung over the rattling of the engine.

  Catherine’s head spun around, “Just Drive!” she hollered.

  Sue wasn’t focused on them, her eyes were focused on the figures that were slowly making their way out of the darkness of the woods. She watched as the dead slowly made their way from beyond the trees, first there were three, then seven, then twenty, then there were too many to count. All of them were making their way toward the light in the back of the ice cream truck.

  Sue was on all fours her hands lightly rested on the metal of the truck, she wasn’t ready when the truck took off, no one was. Catherine’s body slammed into the broken freezer that once held summer treats for the joyful little children. Then she shot forward into glass window with the color ice cream sticker. Her head smashed into the glass and then her body dropped down next to Faith.

  “Catherine!” Sue screamed and crawled over to her.

  Catherine was out cold and the truck was racing down the road. Sue held Catherine’s head in her lap and stared at the blood that was covering the back of the truck. There was nothing joyful about this world and as Sue looked down at the gash on Catherine's head, she wondered if there ever would be joy again.

  Sue’s thoughts stopped as a zombie leaped through the air, his upper body slapping into the metal of the truck’s floor. His dark black hair blew in the wing as he started clawing at the cool metal of the truck.

  “Umm Barbie, you mind handling that,” Tennessee shouted out from behind the wheel.

  Sue stared as the zombie’s body was dragged along the road, slowly he was starting to come undone. First his feet, then his knees. All this was making it easier for him to pull himself up into the back of the truck.

  Sue sat there, part of her wanted him to make it, part of her wanted him to kill her. She didn’t want to continue on just fighting and hiding to make it to another day. Yet fate seemed to always be smiling down on Sue.

  First with her narrow escape, then with meeting Catherine and now fate stepped in once again as the door came flying closed cutting off the zombies arms and causing him to smack into the asphalt.

  Sue watched as his bloodied and broken body rolled into the darkness, then with a small kick she sent his arm into the dead of the night as well.

  As Tennessee started to gain speed Sue couldn’t see anything but the glow of their tail lights. “I think you lost them,” Sue said softly.

  Tennessee looked back through her mirror and screamed, “Motherfuckers!” She placed her eyes back on the road and softly said, “She dead?”

  “No!” Sue shouted, she looked down at Catherine for a moment then said “I mean, I don't think so, she hit her head pretty bad,” tears slowly started to fall, “Don't be dead,” she softly said

  Tennessee’s head turned back trying to get a better look. “Nah, that's just a nasty cut. Blood doesn't always mean danger.” Tennessee said.

  “How can you be sure?” Sue aske
d.

  Tennessee’s head turned back towards the road and she let out a laugh “I’m not sure, but I used to have a roommate that would slice her head up. She said it gives you the most blood with the least pain.”

  Sue’s head spun around, “Why the hell did she do that?” Sue asked.

  “She was odd, always doing shit for one crazy plan or another. Some people are always trying to plan out life.” Tennessee’s head turned to look at Sue, “You look like a planner”

  “You don't know me,” Sue said.

  “Nope, I guess me and Mrs. Briggs got that in common,” Tennessee said as her eyes went back to the road, “We don't know you at all blondie.”

  Sue’s eyes slowly fell onto a blood covered Catherine, she ran her hand over Catherine’s hair and Sue said “It's gonna be okay.” Sue eyes closed to hold back the tears that were forming, “We’re gonna be okay.” she said softly.

  CHAPTER 9

  “ T iffany.”

  “TIFFANY.”

  Jordan’s lips were parting ever so slowly as he looked up at his mother and father.

  Catherine laughed, holding on Robert’s hand tightly her words came out soft with a dash of concern, “What’s he talking about? Who’s Tiffany?” Catherine asked. Staring down at Jordan’s rich brown skin, Catherine got lost in the sight of her son. His shaggy, wild hair, reminded her of his constant refusal to getting a haircut.

  Reminded…

  The word just seems to roll over and over in Catherine's mind. She put her free hand out and rested it on his dark little fro and softly said once again, “Who’s Tiffany, baby?”

  Reminded?

  Jordan stared at her, the empty look in his eyes caused Catherine to pull her hand back as she asked once again, but this time the concern wasn't hidden, it was very much leading the way of her question, “Jordan, who’s Tiffany?”

  Reminded...No that's not it.

  Jordan stood still; his eyes didn't blink, his chest didn't rise or fall. Catherine found herself wondering if he was even alive at all, that thought worried her so much that she found her hand slowly going out once again towards Jordan.