by Joseph Zuko
Valerie kept one arm draped across her sister’s back as she whispered in her ear. “I think it’s the Scary Man.” The rumble of the engine and whistling wind covered their conversation.
Robin whispered back, “Where Mama?”
Valerie’s eyes darted around as she searched for an answer. “Daddy said stay and uh… he’d be… uhm, right back.”
“But goin’.” Robin covered her eyes to hide her falling tears.
Valerie patted Robin’s back. “It’s okay, baby. I’ll keep you safe. You want your toy?”
Robin nodded.
Valerie scooted out from under her hiding spot. She popped her head up and found the Bert and Ernie dolls resting on the seat where they left them. Next to them were the cheap plastic race cars Mama had gotten from the store. She snagged everything and ducked back under the seat.
She handed the plush doll and a car to Robin, who took them and clutched Bert to her chest.
Valerie ran her hand through Robin’s hair and comforted her sister like she thought Mama or Daddy would do. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”
The bus slowed to a stop. Valerie held her finger to her lips and signaled Robin to be quiet.
Shawna pinched the bridge of her nose. Dead ahead was a garbage truck. It had slid sideways and blocked both lanes. There was no room to get around the blockade and deep ditches ran along both sides of the road.
An infected wearing the overalls of the garbage company crawled from under the abandoned vehicle. Its face covered in blood. It had recently been feasting. A second body crawled out from under the truck, followed by a third.
Shawna glanced in her mirrors. The road behind her appeared narrow and unforgiving, but she didn’t have a choice. Shawna put the rig into reverse and slowly traveled back the way she had come. The infected kept pace as they sprinted after her.
She backtracked for a quarter mile until an intersection appeared in her mirrors. “Dang it. That was my turn.” She remembered passing the same pink Cherry Blossom tree on the way to Desiree’s. She missed it when she was zoned out.
She concentrated and watched the edge of the road. She glanced up at the overhead mirror to get a better look at the distance to the intersection. At the same time a little plastic car rolled out from under a seat and stopped in the middle of the aisle. It was just one of the toys those girls were playing with. What Shawna saw next scared the tar out of her. It was like a ghost. A tiny pale white hand shot out from under the seat and snagged the car.
“No freaking way!” Shawna blurted out as she spun in her seat. The scare was enough of a distraction that she didn’t notice her rear tire approaching one of the ditches. Her foot reached for the brake pedal, but it was too late. The whole bus tilted as the tires dropped off the asphalt and came to a rest in the soft, wet dirt at the side of the road.
Shawna panicked and put the rig into first. She shoved the gas pedal to the floor. The engine revved. The tire spun. The bus didn’t move. She jammed the shifter into reverse and punched it. Same result. Shawna slapped at the steering wheel. “This can’t be happening!” She reached for the key and killed the engine. That’s when her fears were confirmed. The tiny little whispers coming from the middle of the bus.
Frustration mounted. Shawna clutched a fist full of hair and yelled. “Come on!” She saw both girls get off the bus to go to the bathroom at Desiree’s.
How the heck are they back there? Shawna kept her face buried in her hands. She massaged the sides of her skull. This couldn’t be happening. No way. Her brain must be playing tricks on her. It was PTSD, that’s all. Then she heard the little ones whispering again.
No wonder Karen and Jim raced after me like a bunch of crazies! Reality hit her like a bullet train.
I took their children. Shawna was racked with guilt. She had stolen everything from those people.
The bus, food, weapons, medicine, and their kids! She slumped back into the driver’s seat.
Banging at the door pulled her from the pit of despair. The three infected had caught up with her. The noise scared the girls. They could no longer hold back their tears and they wept for their mother.
Shawna had locked the side door when she took the bus. She knew there was no way for them to get in, but the girls didn’t. She climbed from her seat and slowly stepped down the aisle.
She sweetened her voice. “Girls? It’s okay. They can’t get in here, I promise.” Shawna arrived at the row where they hid. She got on her hands and knees and peered under the seat. A set of the saddest faces in the world looked back at her. The poor things melted her heart.
“It’s okay. You’re safe. I won’t hurt you. I promise. I didn’t know you were on the bus. It’s okay, please don’t cry.” She reached for the older one. The child retreated. Tears flowed. They begged for Mama and Daddy.
Shawna’s time as an EMT taught her the fastest way to get a child to trust you was with food, candy preferably, and time. If she let them come out on their own instead of forcing them she could gain their trust.
“Hang on guys, I got something for you.” She rose to her feet and headed for one of the garbage bags full of supplies. She dug through two of them before she found one with a stash of chocolate bars and grabbed three. She lowered herself to their level and set the bars on the ground in front of them.
“Here you go.” Shawna smiled at them. “These are for being so brave.”
“See? I’m having one. Because I’m so brave too.” Shawna sat cross-legged in the center of the aisle and opened her candy bar. It was mostly an act, but the truth was she needed the chocolate just as badly as the children did. She took a bite. Endorphins released. The emotions of the day caught up with her.
So much loss. Shawna contemplated as she took another delicious bite.
What the heck am I going to do now?
How am I going to get these girls back to their parents?
If they see me again will they want retribution? Shawna was drowning in questions she couldn’t answer.
A tiny hand poked from under the seat and reached for the two bars. It snatched them and dragged the candy back to the hiding spot. The plastic wrapper proved to be impenetrable and the eldest girl crawled from under the seat and handed the bars to Shawna.
“Can you open them for me, please?” asked the girl.
Her eyes were big and brown. Plus, she had the longest lashes Shawna had ever seen.
“No problem. Why don’t you guys come out and take a seat? That way you don’t have to eat them on the dirty floor.” Shawna worked the wrappers open and held the bars out in front of her.
The eldest whispered to the toddler and seconds later the two emerged from their hiding spot. They each took their candy and hopped into the bench seat. They dove into the chocolate.
Shawna nibbled at hers and said, “My name is Shawna. I’m an EMT. Do you know what that is?”
Valerie and Robin shook their heads.
“Do you know what an ambulance is?”
They nodded.
“I drive an ambulance and help people when they are hurt. I’m a helper. You see, this bus is owned by my group and I was trying to help them by bringing it back. I had no idea you guys were hiding in here. How silly am I?” Shawna made a face that got both girls giggling. “Can you tell me your names?”
Valerie swallowed her bite and said, “I’m Valerie and she’s Robin.”
“Well Valerie and Robin, it’s very nice to meet you. I tell you what, because I’m a helper I’m going to get you girls back to your parents. I bet they really miss you.”
“Can you drive us?” asked Valerie.
“No, I’m afraid the bus is stuck.”
Valerie’s face scrunched. “How will we get back?”
“That’s a good question. You’re good at asking questions, aren’t you?” Shawna took another bite.
“Mama calls me a question box,” said Valerie as she smiled with pride.
The frenzied smashing at the door increased. The monsters cr
ashed their fists and shoulders into the entrance as if they wanted a bite of delicious chocolate too.
The girls jumped. Their gaze fixed on the door.
Shawna smirked. “Don’t worry about them. That door is locked. They can’t get in here.”
They crashed into the folding door and this time something snapped. Followed by a chunk of metal dropping to the stairs. The doors pushed open.
Shawna’s head snapped toward the front of the bus. The church’s mechanic had welded a lock to the frame and it just broke under the pressure.
Shawna sprang to her feet in the blink of an eye.
The leader of the infected was the waste collector in the company overalls. He crested the steps and turned for the aisle, black eyes locked on the children.
They screamed and climbed under the seat for their hiding spot.
Shawna’s rifle was four seats away. She charged the aisle and seized her gun at the last possible second. The zombie reached for her, its fingers grazing her shoulders as she raised the rifle toward its skull and tugged at the trigger. Exit wounds blasted the front of the bus with gore. Five headshots left a massive hole in the center of its skull.
Shawna’s face was doused with a backsplash of slop.
Third time today! She yelled at herself.
The next two infected were right behind the waste collector’s falling body. Shawna emptied her magazine in a blaze of ear-piercing gunfire. When she was done, the window, dash, driver’s seat, and aisle were all freshly coated with brain soup.
“We’re okay. I got them,” said Shawna as she turned from the mayhem at the front of the bus. But it wasn’t okay. Outside, a quarter mile down the road was a swarm of infected heading their direction.
The door was busted and couldn’t keep out three monsters. Maybe, if Shawna had backup she might be able to kill a swarm that size. Alone? No chance. There was only one thing she could do.
Shawna barked. “Girls, we’ve got to run!”
Chapter 7
The trailer doors swung open and revealed a mountain of supplies inside the steel container. A smattering of cheers and whistles fluttered through a crowd of survivors that surrounded the end of the rig. Brother Paul stepped forward and examined the goods. Seeing such a hefty amount of resources lifted the man’s spirit. The day had been long and full of suffering. This windfall was a good start.
The base of his skull throbbed from the staples Doctor Bryant used to suture the gash he received fighting his own infected people. The wound hurt more than anything Paul had suffered before and getting a handful of Advil was high on his to-do list.
A cool spring breeze floated on the air and carried the smell of pine. The scent was fresh and revitalizing. Paul’s earlier dark thoughts and self-doubt were slowly replaced with a sense of optimism. His group suffered losses. Families destroyed. Considering the level of destruction they faced in Vancouver, it was a miracle they made it out at all. Paul had a choice to make. Dwell on the past he couldn’t possibly alter or focus on the blessings given to him at this moment. The decision was easy.
Cooper stepped next to Paul. He lowered his sunglasses, pushed his hat back on his scalp and soaked in the treasure trove he was responsible for providing.
Paul patted Cooper on the back. “Fine job securing such a well-stocked trailer. We all owe you.”
Brother Paul turned from the semi. His gaze scanned the forest of evergreen trees that surrounded their new base of operation.
It’s too early to call it home, Paul thought to himself.
Everything was green as far as the eye could see. In the center of this lush heaven in the Pacific Northwest was a massive structure that looked completely out of place in such a remote part of Battle Ground, Washington. The building was called the Old Church of Christianity. It was the ideal place to hold up and stay safe until the world got a handle on this disease.
The man known as Cane, the leader of the group that inhabited the building, stood next to Cooper. He released a heavy sigh and said, “You folks are life savers.” His dark eyes lightened as he faced Brother Paul. “The building has a generator and sits on a well. We have all the water you could want, but there ain’t a single crumb of food in the entire place. We were about to risk sending a scavenger party into town, but thanks to you folks we don’t have to. Well, not for a little while anyways.”
Paul nodded and said, “We’ll have to ration.”
“No doubt. We don’t want to burn through this in a week.” Cane handed his bloody axe to a woman standing in the crowd. “Most of us haven’t had a bite to eat since yesterday afternoon.” Cane extracted a knife from his pocket. He flicked open the blade and hopped into the truck. “We’ve got a bunch of people suffering from the hangries, if you know what I mean.” Cane slid the blade down the first stack of shrink wrapped boxes. “Let’s get these unloaded.” Cane grabbed the first box and handed it to an eager set of reaching hands. “Bring everything to the main hall. There we can take inventory and hand out something to tide us over for the day. I’m sure your people could use some food.”
Paul nodded. “I’m sure they could. How many people do you have in total?”
Cane answered, “About forty,” as he unloaded a box from the trailer. “If you’re worried about space, don’t. The southern wing of the building hasn’t been touched yet. Plenty of room for your people to set up camp.”
Paul turned to Cooper. “Radio everyone, tell them to unload the supplies and meet us inside.”
Cooper raised his radio and stepped away from the noise of the crowd to make his announcement.
Cane cleared the stack, picked up the last box and jumped from the rig. He motioned to a few of his people and said, “Take over for me so I can show Brother Paul around.”
They hopped into the back of the rig and got to work.
Cane walked quickly as he headed for the main doors at the front of the building. “As you can see, we’ve got a fence that runs the perimeter.”
Paul kept pace and asked, “Have you had any breaches?”
“We had one this morning. The rear fence was left unguarded for fifteen minutes and that’s all it took. Two of them got in and killed seven of our people. With your group here, we should have plenty of people to stand watch.” Cane motioned to the stack of bodies at the edge of the property. “We were getting ready to dispose of them when you arrived.”
“Are you planning to bury them?” asked Paul.
“We thought about that, but figured putting diseased bodies into the ground might poison the Earth. If we’re stuck here for the next year, we’ll need to farm. Burning them seems like our best option.”
“Makes sense.”
They approached a set of large wooden doors.
Cane led the way and propped open the door. “After you good sir.”
Paul entered the building. The foyer was about the size of their entire old church. Oversized paintings of their Lord and Savior covered every wall. A set of enormous double doors were locked in the open position. The room was like a stadium. The building could hold thousands of people on any given Sunday. The vaulted ceiling peaked at close to thirty feet in the air. It was inspiring.
Cane headed for a row of tables at the back of the room. “Crazy big isn’t it?”
“You could say that.”
“There are so many church members they have to do sermons in shifts, all Sunday long.” Cane dropped off the box and headed for the south end of the building.
“You’re not a member?” asked Brother Paul.
“I remain unaffiliated at this time,” smiled Cane.
“How did you know about the facility?”
“I did all the landscaping. I just happened to be barbecuing down the road at Battle Ground Lake when all hell broke loose. That’s where most of us came from. The remote locale, high fences, and massive size of the building made me think it was a good place to ride this shit out. Oops, sorry. I keep forgetting I’m in God’s house.” Cane opened a door and stepp
ed into a hallway. “There are offices, a playroom for the young ones, bathrooms and a kitchen designed to feed an army. No showers though. Any of your people plumbers?”
“I believe we have one.”
“Maybe they can rig up something to tide us over.” Cane headed toward an unlabeled door at the end of the hall. He opened it. “Here you go.”
Paul entered the room. The office was twice the size of his old one. Modern furniture. No expense spared. Paul faced the man at the door and asked, “This is for me?”
“You brought us a trailer full of food. I think you’ve earned it.” Cane’s smile was contagious, but Paul fought off the urge and remained stoic. Cane let out a giggle. “I’ve got my own office on the other side of the building, like I said, we’ve got plenty of space. I’m gonna go unload the trailer.” He pointed at the bandage wrapped around Brother Paul’s skull. “That looks pretty bad. You should get some rest.” And with that Cane headed for the exit.
Paul stood next to the desk with its mahogany brown executive chair. His tired hand brushed against the soft leather. His fingertips slid across the high gloss finish of the desk. It was very tempting to sit and let the day’s emotions drag him into a void of darkness.
Brother Paul grumbled to himself, “I have work to do.” He stepped from the desk, took the hall back to the stadium sized main room and found his people trickling in through the foyer. They were led by Pastor Michael, Doctor Lindsey, and Scott.
Paul met the church leaders at the center of the room and said to Scott and Michael, “This location is more than adequate. Excellent work, gentlemen.”
Michael gawked at the height of the ceiling. “It’s even bigger than I remember.”
Paul pointed to the door. “Through there are offices and a playroom for the children. That’s where we make camp.” He made eye contact with Doctor Bryant. “At the end of the hall is a perfect space for you to set up a new med-center.”
Michael gently touched the fresh bandages on his limbs. “If you need an untrained nurse, I’m willing to lend a hand.”
