by Karen Carr
Suddenly we heard a rattle at the door. Huck jumped up and pulled out his gun. I did the same, and sent an avalanche of strawberries and bread to the floor. I clutched my shirt to my chest as the front door opened.
“Hi,” Zeke said as he walked in the place. He took a look at Huck and then rolled his eyes over me, and grinned widely. “Am I interrupting something?”
“No,” Huck and I said in unison and a little too forcefully.
“Then you better put your shirts on,” Zeke said.
Stan and Saudah walked in behind him. “Wow,” Saudah said. “You look great. What a healthy glow.”
I put my shirt over my head, and when I pulled it down I saw Zora and Boa and Zora’s boyfriend standing in front of me. My jaw dropped.
“Hi,” Zora said.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my mouth still gaping open. “You were going to stay behind in Pittsboro and you’re here. I am so happy.”
I rushed to Zora and Boa and hugged them.
“What about us?” Saudah asked. “We don’t get a hug?”
“Wait your turn,” I said, still holding on to Zora. I knew Saudah and Stan were coming, but the fact that others had shown up made me feel hope. We couldn’t have Haverlyn Village, or even Pittsboro, but maybe we could have a walking community, a tribe of nomads wandering the earth together, a family.
“It was Boa’s idea,” Zora said after I let her go. She put her pack on the ground and a bottle of travel shampoo rolled out. “Boa didn’t want to stay in that town after the bombs. I don’t blame her, it was really scary. We’re safer with you, Hella.”
“Oh.” I smiled at Boa and then turned to Zora’s boyfriend.
“This is Greg,” Zora said. “We can trust him.”
Greg came forward and extended his hand. He was wearing a short sleeve shirt matching his dark brown skin and a tie, black slacks and oxford shoes. He looked very uncomfortable.
“Hi,” I said. I took his hand and shook it.
“What makes you think we can trust you?” Huck asked Greg.
Greg turned his head toward Zora and shrugged. “I’m just an accountant.”
“Huck, his strings lead back to Hipslow, not Mace,” I said. “I think we can trust him.”
The Professor walked in and came straight for me. He gave me a hug.
“Glad to see you are alright,” the Professor said.
“Are you the last one?” I asked the Professor. He nodded. I wanted him to say no, and that Harper was behind him. She was part of my family and I wanted her with us.
“How’s Harper, any word?” I asked. “Did Sivan make it?”
“Harper’s fine,” Saudah said. “Sivan was able to get to her in time and she stopped all of the bleeding. She’ll need to rest a few days. Sivan’s taking her back to Jordan Lake with her. No one wants to stay in Pittsboro right now.”
“Good,” I said, relieved that Harper was going to be safe with Sivan, but heartbroken that I would never see her again.
We spent the next few hours talking about the past and planning our future, and then everyone decided it best to get some rest. We decided to sleep in shifts, with Zora and Boa taking the first watch and Huck and I the second.
I woke up early the next morning to the red dawn through the window, knowing that Huck had let me sleep through our shift. Huck was sitting on the floor next to me making me want him all over again. I stretched out a hand, touched his neck and made an account of everyone. Stan and Saudah were sitting on the fireplace’s big hearth, Zora and Boa were making something on a table in the corner, and the Professor and Greg were in heavy conversation. The only one missing was Zeke.
“Where’s Zeke?” I asked.
“Patrolling,” Huck said. “He wanted to make sure there were no other tracks around.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “If it weren’t for me, you all wouldn’t be in this rut.”
“If it weren’t for you, we would be dead,” Saudah said. She sat between Stan’s legs and shivered. “Better cold than dead.”
“It’ll warm up soon, once the sun gets higher,” Stan said, rubbing Saudah’s back. “You know how these spring mornings are—frosty.”
Zora showed us the contraption she had made with Boa. It was a cardboard box with some kind of spring mechanism inside. “It’s a trap.”
“You’re not going to catch Mace in that,” I said. “It’s way too small.”
“It’s not for Mace,” Boa said. “It’s for squirrels.”
“Our family loves squirrels,” Zora said. “My grandma made great squirrel meatballs.”
“I remember,” Boa said. “She added lots of breadcrumbs and spices.”
“We’re going to have to take that with us,” Huck said. “We’re too close to start any fires, can’t cook squirrel right now. The plan is to rest up here a few days and then leave.”
“Where are we going to go?” Saudah asked.
I looked at Huck. “I’m not sure. I think I’d like to move south, get out of winters. Maybe we can make it to Wilmington, see what’s down there.”
“Or we can go to Charlotte,” Stan said. “Wipe out a million deads at once.”
“That would be interesting,” I said.
“We’ve still got two ultra-lights,” the Professor said. “They’re parked outside.”
“I like the idea of Wilmington,” Huck said. “It’s on the beach. There’s all those islands out there too, it’s probably safe. Most likely there are some survivors down there. We could fish and sail and surf.”
“And frolic in the ocean waves.” I giggled and pinched Huck’s cheeks. He kissed me on my nose.
Suddenly, a whistle sounded outside, and then something exploded and another whistle and explosion. We were under attack.
We all scrambled for our weapons and looked around. A third whistling sound, and this time something hit the door and exploded. Another whistle, and something came in through the window.
“Duck,” Huck yelled. He grabbed me and pushed me to the ground.
A cloud of smoke began to hiss from the whistling projectile. Another one flew in the window and began to hiss. My eyes started to burn.
“It’s tear gas,” Huck said. “We have to get out of here.”
I was blinded from the smoke and frozen in place. My friends were coughing and choking around us, but I couldn’t help them. Sunlight blazed into the log cabin from an opened door, lighting everything around us. I could see blurry figures with masks walking inside, and others doubled over on the ground. Huck grabbed my hand and pulled me behind the couch.
“We have to go out the back,” Huck said.
My eyes were burning. My throat was burning. I couldn’t speak.
Huck pushed open the back door and we ran into the sunlight. I bent over and keeled to the ground in a fit of coughing.
“Don’t stop,” Huck said. He picked me up and dragged me into the woods.
Someone grabbed me roughly from behind and I screamed out. I still couldn’t see. My eyes were burning. I saw two shapes around Huck. He was fighting them.
The person, a very big man, who grabbed me put his arm around my throat. “I got her,” he hollered out.
I reached for my gun. It was still in the holster but I couldn’t get it free. I knew I had to defend myself and get away.
“Huck, I’m going to bite,” I shouted.
I sunk my teeth into the man’s arm and bit down as hard as I could. I bit down again and tasted blood in my mouth. My eyes were still burning and I gagged on the blood.
“She bit me,” the man hollered.
His grasp weakened and I was able to push him away. I ran toward a trio of men, one of which I knew was Huck, but I couldn’t yet tell which.
I heard the man I bit holler for help and then scream in pain.
“Huck,” I called out.
Another man saw me and ran in my direction. The man grabbed me by the arms, but not before I sunk my teeth into his neck. I bit down as hard as I
could, biting through the soft flesh in the neck. He flinched in pain, but did not release me, so I kicked him in the balls.
The first man hollered again, but this time he sounded a little less human.
“Huck, he’s going to change,” I called out.
I made it to Huck, who had managed to get the man he was fighting down on the ground. The man hit Huck with a stick, and Huck twisted it out of his hand, using it to knock the guy out.
“Let’s get out of here,” Huck said.
“We have to help the others,” I said.
The man on the ground groaned like he was going to get up. At the same time, the first man I bit came staggering toward us. His eyes were black and had lost their soul. He gargle-groaned when he saw us.
“Huck, he’s changed,” I said.
“Come on,” Huck said. He pulled me farther into the woods.
The other man whom I bit began to change too. The first man, now a zero, lunged for the guy whom Huck had knocked out on, sinking his teeth deep into the man’s flesh. The second man changed into a zero too and joined his friend to feast on the corpse. Two zeroes whom I had bitten meant two zeroes who wouldn’t be affected by my virus. My bite made them immune to the head-explosions which meant they were a danger to us all.
“We have to warn the others,” I said. “They won’t be thinking about zombies.”
“Those two will l be feasting for a while.” Huck handed me a water bottle, which he must have grabbed from one of the men. “We have some time. Wash your eyes out.”
I rinsed my eyes, which helped with the sting and Huck did the same. Huck and I circled behind the cabin to the front door. We heard several shots and quickened our pace. My lungs were still burning, but I did everything to prevent myself from coughing.
I gasped when I saw how many men there were in the small clearing—at least a dozen. Someone must have tipped them off to our location, but who? I looked at Zora’s new boyfriend who was being held by one of Mace’s men. He looked genuinely scared, but I didn’t trust him even though he was supposedly on Hipslow’s side. Who knew for sure where he had come from?
Zora and Boa had both been captured and were sitting on the ground with grim looks on their faces. The Professor, too, had been captured and was shaking like a leaf in a storm. Stan and Saudah were both still fighting and two of Mace’s men were dead on the ground at their feet. Zeke was nowhere in sight, hopefully he escaped and would be able to rescue us later.
“We can’t help them,” Huck whispered. “We better get out of here.”
Huck was right. We couldn’t take them all out. If we saved Zora, Mace’s men might kill Stan. It was no good. I was still free. We had to leave. A stout figure appeared and walked toward Zora and Boa.
“Santiago,” I whispered.
“Santiago,” Huck whispered back.
Santiago leaned in toward Zora and licked her face. He then motioned to one of his men, who handed him a megaphone and he put it to his lips. “Hella, I know you can hear me.”
“This way,” Huck whispered. He tried to drag me away, but my eyes were focused on Santiago.
Someone kicked Stan in the jaw and another one punched Saudah in the stomach. They were both on the ground.
“Hella, we have all of your friends,” Santiago said.
“Huck,” I said. Tears welled in my eyes.
“Not now,” Huck said. “There’s nothing we can do. We can help them later.”
Huck tried to pull me away, but I wouldn’t budge. Santiago motioned to one of his men, and pointed to the Professor.
The man brought the Professor to Santiago’s side. The Professor could barely walk because of his shaking legs. My heart broke looking at him. I felt his fear from this distance, it was hanging in the air like fog, making it hard for me to breath.
“Hella, I will kill your dear friends, one at time, if you don’t come out.” Santiago pulled a gun out and aimed it at the Professor’s head.
“No,” I screamed. I felt like I was being strangled by the fear-fog cloud. I broke free of Huck’s grip and ran through the woods and out into the open before Huck could stop me.
Santiago laughed and waved at me with his free hand.
“Let him go,” I said.
“Well, good morning, Hella,” Santiago said. “How did you sleep?”
I looked at my friends, knowing there were two zeroes behind me who were probably just finishing their meal.
“Let him go,” I said. “I am here. I am the one you want. Let the others go.”
Several men came up behind me, but they didn’t touch me.
“Sure thing, Hella,” Santiago said.
He let the Professor go and he fell to the ground. I rushed forward, but before I reached him Santiago raised his gun and shot the Professor in the head.
“No,” I cried.
By the time I reached the Professor, he was dead. Suddenly, I heard a shot and one of Mace’s men fell to the ground. Zeke must have been sharp-shooting them. Another shot resounded through the air, and another man fell on the ground. In the confusion, Santiago ordered his men to grab me, but I was able to duck out of their reach.
“Hella, watch out,” Huck said. “The zeds are coming.”
Two zeroes staggered from the woods and toward us. I watched Santiago’s eyes bulge as his two undead soldiers came out of the woods.
“Her virus, it’s gone,” Santiago shouted. “Look at those men. They are not changing.”
One of the zeroes lunged at the nearest person, the one who had been fighting with Stan. It grabbed him and sunk his teeth into the man’s flesh before he could do anything. If we didn’t act fast, everyone would be zero dinner. I had to do something, but what? Another shot downed another one of Mace’s men. I reached for my knife and stabbed the man who grabbed me.
Two zeroes became three and then three became four. A zero grabbed Stan and he twisted away from its wide-open mouth. Saudah stepped in to help Stan and pulled the zero’s head back just in time. She fell to the ground with it as she stabbed it in the head.
Stan helped Saudah up after her kill, but another zero was already upon them. Zeke rushed into the clearing and ran for Zora and Boa, helping them out of their ties. Huck followed right after him and came to my side.
Panicked, Santiago made a retreat. Once Santiago’s men saw him leaving, they followed.
“We have to get out of here,” Huck said.
“I can’t leave the Professor,” I said.
Stan and Zora killed two more zeroes and we were left with only one. I rushed to the Professor’s side and my breath caught in my throat. The Professor was like a father to me. I told him my many secrets and he helped me through so much. I didn’t want to leave him. Zora came over and touched the Professor’s head and said goodbye.
“We have to go,” Zora said.
I sniffed and let Huck pull me from the Professor’s body. All of us, Stan, Saudah, Zora, Boa, Greg, Zeke and Huck, gathered together. I hoped that Santiago believed my virus to be gone, but knew he would soon find someone who knew my secret. My bite kills.
All at once, dozens of guns clicking around us and dozens more men appeared from the woods. Santiago walked out of the crowd of men, now numbering more than twenty.
“It’s always good to have backup,” Santiago said.
We were surrounded.
Chapter 18
Santiago’s men to put heavy iron shackles that looked like they were from the Middle Ages on our ankles. I couldn’t help but think that he robbed a museum to get these ancient clasps and hoped that they would be able to take them off after they secured them. Maybe that was their idea—they would never let us out of them. They paired us together by our ankles, with Zeke to Boa, Stan to Zora, Saudah to Greg and me to Huck. If I were to spend a lifetime shackled to someone, at least it would be with my best friend.
“March,” Santiago said.
We left the sleepy hollow that was supposed to be our salvation much differently than we arriv
ed. The shackles were heavy and rubbed against my ankle every time I lifted my foot. Huck put his arm around me to support my weight, which helped us move faster, but we would never be able to run a three-legged race away from these men.
We made it to a fork in the gravel road where several vehicles were waiting, including a large covered military transport vehicle. Santiago took us to the back of the vehicle and gestured to it.
“Get in,” Santiago said.
The back of the vehicle was as high as my shoulder, with only a bar for a step. There were chains on the wall inside the truck, and more across the middle, dangling down like a beaded room divider.
“How do we get up?” I asked. I immediately felt stupid for opening my mouth because Santiago and his men burst out laughing.
“However you want,” Santiago said. He grinned at me showing a mouthful of rotting yellow teeth. I wanted to spit at him.
Zeke made the first attempt, placing Boa on his hip and taking two giant steps up. Once he was up, he helped the rest of us into the truck. There was a long bench on either side of the truck. Huck and I sat opposite Zeke and Boa, Stan and Zora sat next to us, and Saudah and Greg next to Zeke. Two of Santiago’s men followed us up and sat on opposite sides near the rear, blocking our only exit.
The truck started and drove down the bumpy gravel road making the chains on the walls and over the middle swing in all directions. I felt like I was in a blender with cannonballs. Shock absorbers would have been nice. Everyone ducked and swayed to avoid being clobbered by a chain and swore when we hit pot holes. Soon we were on smooth road, which made the ride a little easier.
“We’re on the 15/501,” I said. “Going toward Haverlyn Village.”
“Must be headquarters,” Huck said. He gave me an ominous look.
We arrived in the village and drove through the entrance, all of us watching out the back of the truck. We drove past the church and the pizza parlor, and the shops and apartments we all used to live in. We drove slowly around Oval Park Place, the oval shaped road housing all the shops and a green in the middle, and watched all the faces as we passed bye.
