“Yeah,” Alexis said, “and a lot more pleasant.”
The sun sank below the horizon and the light began to fade. They should be able to see the Canadian border soon. Emmett had only been through there once before. He remembered there was a Hutterite colony west of Sweet Grass. That might be the best place to stay, depending on how bad the border was. Maybe it would just be easier to go across and wait for them in Canada.
Buildings started coming into view. They’d arrived. He continued toward the overpass. Vehicles were crashed in a haphazard line, leaving only a vehicle-size opening to go through, so he drove through the hole and under the overpass. Ahead, vehicles lined both sides of the road, effectively boxing them in. It looked like someone had cleared a path through there. Or set up a trap.
Emmett slammed on the brakes and the other vehicles slowed behind him. Was it just his imagination? After all they’d been through, he wasn’t about to take any chances. He motioned out the window for the vehicles behind him to back out. Troy just looked at him, lifting his hands into the air.
Right. They don’t know the damn hand signals.
Rolling down his window, he looked back to yell at Troy when movement caught his eye. There were a dozen heavily armed men in black uniforms on the overpass, standing with guns aimed down at them. They were standing next to two black, armored vehicles. Four of them held LAWs, rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
“Come out with your hands in the air!” yelled one of the men above them.
“Not again,” Emmett said, slamming his hands against the steering wheel.
26
The Fight Inside
Post-outbreak day eight, afternoon
“Wake up, bro,” Connor said.
James blinked, leaning away from the window. There was a rotten taste in his mouth and his shoulder was wet. He must’ve really been out cold to drool onto his shoulder. Taking a bottle of water, he swished it around in his mouth to wash the taste away.
“How long have I been out?” James asked.
“An hour and a half,” Connor said. “We’re almost to Hardin.”
“Sweet,” James said. “I assume nothing happened while I was out.”
“Just Chloe snoring,” Tank chuckled.
“I was not!” Chloe said.
“Oh, you were,” Tank said.
Chloe just shook her head. Unlike before when she would have had a scowl on her face, she now wore a slight smile. Things were changing, that much was for sure.
James glanced out the windshield. It was darker now, the clouds having thickened. Small raindrops splattered on the glass, running in small lines up the windshield past the two places where bullets had hit. The impact zones were perfect circles, with streaks shooting out from them for a few inches. They almost looked like craters where a meteor had hit, just on a lot smaller scale. It was impossible to see through where they’d impacted since the glass was now white. It was a good thing Scourge was bulletproof or their plan would’ve needed tweaking.
“You guys think we should’ve done that a little differently back there?” James asked.
“We’ve been talking about that while you were asleep,” Connor said.
“It was awesome, that’s for sure,” Tank said.
“I agree,” James said. “But was that our best option? Even a bulletproof vehicle like this isn’t invincible.”
“We didn’t have much of a choice,” Connor said.
“What if they’d shot the windshield until it broke?” James asked.
“They would’ve had a hard time hitting it in the same exact place over and over again,” Connor said.
“They could’ve gotten lucky and just blown your head off,” Tank said, looking at James.
“Or thrown a grenade, like you guys did to James’s truck,” Chloe said.
“With how fast it happened,” Tank said, “we didn’t give ‘em much time to react, though.”
“I took out the girl with the RPG right away,” Connor said. “After that, they would’ve had a hard time taking this thing down.”
“Wait, what RPG?” James asked.
“The one that blew up the truck,” Connor said. “Don’t tell me you didn’t notice the exploding vehicle.”
“I thought…” James said.
Tank started laughing. “James thought he did that.”
“What?” Connor asked, starting to laugh.
“Hey, I didn’t know,” James said. “I just thought…”
They all started laughing.
“The look on your face was priceless,” Chloe said.
“That solves that mystery,” Tank said.
“I’m glad you saw her,” James said. “Otherwise, that wouldn’t have ended so well.”
“No, it wouldn’t,” Tank said.
“I had your backs,” Connor said.
“We got pretty lucky,” Tank said.
“It was more than just luck,” James said. “We had someone watching out for us.”
“In this case,” Tank said, “I think you’re right.”
“Yeah,” Connor said, glancing out the window.
“Time to suit up,” Tank said. “We’re here.”
“Take the exit for MT-47 north,” James said. “There’ll be a gas station there.”
“Got it,” Tank said, pulling off on the exit.
“Oh, wow,” James said. “That Love’s is new.”
“Wanna stop there and check it out?” Tank asked.
“Why?” Connor said. “We have all the food and water we can fit. All we need is fuel.”
“Just wanted to make sure,” Tank said.
“Let’s hit the one across the street,” James said.
“Guys,” Chloe said. “I do need to use the restroom.”
“Shat or piss,” Tank asked.
“I have to piss,” Chloe said.
“See,” Tank said. “Even she says piss, Jamesy Boy.”
“You’ll have to learn to go outside,” James said. “Might as well start now. We’re not going in just to use the restroom. It’s too risky…”
James only half heard Tank say something about showing her how. Flashes of images were burning through his mind—a blonde woman smiling at him from the back seat and the fear in her eyes, now replaced with hope; the same woman, her face pained, a gaping wound in her neck; a blood-stained face, striking blues eyes pleading to end it; a gunshot.
James was still aware of what was going on around him, but he could feel himself slipping. Images of a burning bus and a room covered in blood boiled below the surface. He tried to push back against the coming darkness as Tank pulled up to the gas station, but it was no use.
Lord, help me, James said.
Light clashed with the darkness in his mind—images of his father’s body lying in a pool of blood-soaked hay and his mother barely recognizable beneath the bruising and wounds. The darkness pushed back against the light, fervent to consume him.
Jesus, heal me, James prayed desperately.
Light burst to life in his mind, burning away the darkness, sending it retreating from his mind. He sat there in the backseat, sweat covering his brow. It was gone. The darkness that had begun to grow with his parents’ deaths was no more, and the healing that had started with his unusual dream a few nights ago was complete. He could feel himself, all of himself. He felt whole—better than he had in a long time—and knew in his heart that the episodes were gone. Hope had replaced the fear. James smiled.
“Yep, he’s officially lost it,” Tank said.
James’s attention snapped back to reality, and he glanced up to see Tank and Connor staring at him.
“Another episode?” Connor asked with worry in his eyes.
“Almost,” James said, joyfully. “But it’ll be the last one.”
“How do you know that?” Tank asked.
“Because God gave me the strength to fight the darkness,” James said, remembering somethi
ng he’d seen recently. “‘For when I am weak, then I am strong.’”
“Good on ya, bro,” Tank said. “Glad all that’s over. I didn’t want to have to start worryin’ about you like your brother was.”
Connor continued to stare at him, a calculating look on his face. His brother didn’t believe he’d been healed, and James didn’t blame him. All this was even a little hard for him to believe. The last time he’d seen that scripture was on Olive’s coin purse. He prayed she was alive. The intense desire to protect her was still there inside him, even when she wasn’t around. And what about Mila? Was she alive? Or Alexis? An image of those blue eyes set in her gorgeous face and framed by brunette hair appeared in his mind. He hoped Alexis was safe.
“Ready?” Tank asked, pointing outside.
James looked out for the first time, realizing they were parked at the pumps with six zombies stumbling towards them.
“Let’s do it,” James said, drawing his tomahawk.
“Damn,” Tank said. “I never did get one of those.”
“Wait a second,” James said.
He turned around and grabbed his backpack from the back seat. Opening it, he was surprised to find all his gear was still inside. Sitting on top was one of the unopened tomahawks they’d gotten from the sporting goods store in Miles. He pulled it out and showed it to Tank.
“Oh hell, yeah,” Tank said. “I might just kiss ya for that.”
James handed him the tomahawk. “Please don’t.”
“Fine, but only because you asked nicely,” Tank said, ripping open the packaging. “This’ll do.”
He pulled the tomahawk out of its sheath and stepped out of Scourge. James and Connor jumped out after him. The canopy over the gas pumps kept most of the rain off. Tank already had two zombies down before James slammed a tomahawk into his first zombie’s eyes and it fell to the ground. Connor dropped one next to him, and then there were just two more in front of them. The brothers stood side-by-side, tomahawks raised, ready to take down the last two only a few yards away.
With a cry of, “Leeeeeroy Jenkins!” Tank ran at the two zombies from the side. The first one took a tomahawk to the face and Tank spun around, jerking the point out and using the momentum to slam it into the other one. Its skull caved from the force of the blow. Tank stood there, panting, with blood speckling his face.
“Damn, that’s fun,” Tank said, glancing over at the brothers. “What? You guys always get to have all the fun. I didn’t even get to shoot a single Reclaimer. It was my turn.”
“That was very impressive,” James said. “especially with that little pirouette in there.”
“You’re just jealous because of how badass I am,” Tank said, walking back to the rig.
“A little,” James admitted.
“I don’t understand why you guys don’t have girls hanging off each arm,” Chloe said, getting out. “I mean with your maturity, sophisticated conversations, and non-video-game quotes, I just don’t get it.”
“If girls only knew what was hidden below all this joking around—” Tank began to say but was cut off by Chloe.
“They’d run in fear,” she said.
“Exactly,” Connor said.
Chloe began to laugh but her smile faltered when she registered the serious look on his face. Then Connor broke out with a smile and the three of them started laughing.
“Sometimes I wonder if cutting my own leg off and going out on my own would be better,” Chloe muttered.
“You could try it,” Tank said. “I’ll keep your leg.”
“What?” James asked, laughing. “You’ll keep her severed leg?”
“Sure,” Tank said. “I’d find a use for it.”
They all started laughing at the absurdity of the comment.
“You’re a real piece of work,” James said.
“I think we all are,” Connor said.
“True,” James said.
“So,” Chloe said, after the laughter had settled down and Tank had begun to fuel up, “about that bathroom…”
“There’s some TP in the stuff we stole from the hilltop,” James said.
“We didn’t steal anything,” Connor corrected. “We just tactically acquired it.”
“Plus, they were all dead,” Tank said. “Most of them, anyway.”
“I already have some,” Chloe said. “I mean where do I go? You guys are standing right here.”
“We’ll all go to the other side of Scourge,” James said, “and you do what you need to do.”
“Okay,” Chloe said, hesitantly. “Get over there then!”
James moved to the other side to join Tank, and Connor stepped next to him. They stood facing away from the vehicle.
“If I catch any of you looking, I’ll castrate you,” Chloe said.
“Damn,” Tank muttered.
After a few seconds of silence, Chloe said, “Can you turn some music on or something?”
“But I can’t turn around,” Tank said. “I like my genitals.”
“Go ahead and turn around. I’m just standing here,” Chloe said.
“Just keep an eye out,” Connor said. “The noise may attract some zombies. We’ll watch our side.”
“I will,” Chloe said. “Now, some music.”
James glanced back to see Chloe standing on the other side, an annoyed look on her face. Tank opened the driver’s door and turned the key to auxiliary. He grabbed his iPod, and after a few seconds, This is War by Teamheadkick started playing.
“Better?” Tank asked.
“Louder,” Chloe said. “This is hard enough as it is.”
Tank cranked up the volume. Chloe gave them a thumbs-up and then motioned for them to turn back around. They obliged. James started laughing as the band started singing about bashing zombies’ heads in. Halfway through the song, the music turned off.
“What the hell music was that?” Chloe asked from the passenger’s side.
“Why’d you turn it off?” James asked. “It was just getting to the good part.”
“Please don’t tell me that was a video game thing,” Chloe said. James looked at Tank and Connor, and then shrugged. “You’re hopeless. I didn’t even know there was such a thing.”
“Oh yeah. Video game raps are kick ass,” Tank said as he topped off the tank.
Chloe rolled her eyes.
“Now that we’re fueled up,” James said, “we should probably go inside and clean our wounds.”
Connor nodded, grabbing one of the first aid kits they’d taken from the hilltop.
“What!” Chloe shouted. “I just pissed on the pavement outside and you intended to go in the whole time?”
“Yeah… Well, no,” James said. “We weren’t always going to go in. I just thought of it.”
“I really hate you guys sometimes,” Chloe said, storming into the far back seat.
“I’ll stay,” Tank said.
James hadn’t meant to do it that way, but it was becoming more apparent by the minute that he needed to clean his wounds and get fresh bandages on them. Light rain fell as they walked up to the door, speckling James’s glasses. Even with his hat on, the wind was blowing just enough to get rain underneath. If only he’d switched to contacts before all this. But what if he ran out? Or lost one in the middle of combat? He’d been blessed so far that his glasses hadn’t broken with everything going on. It would be a horrible day when they did, although he did have an extra pair in his backpack and another pair in the plastic bag of stuff from his truck. But that’d still suck.
Arriving at the front of the gas station, they banged on the door a few times and then opened it. Nothing came out. Connor took point and James followed. The inside was trashed, as they’d come to expect. Moving to the back of the station, they entered the men’s restroom. The Band-Aids were still good on Connor’s shoulder so they left them. James took off his armor and shirt, wincing.
“Does your side hurt?” Connor aske
d.
“No,” James said. “My sunburn.”
“Toughen up, you wimp,” Connor said.
James ignored him. His side had sealed and ripped open a few times over the last day, and his bandage was soaked through again. Connor spent the next few minutes doctoring James’s wounds, and James left the gas station feeling much better. His ear and side ached from the cleaning, but the fresh bandages felt better than the sticky old ones and they smelled ten times better. He climbed into the back seat of Scourge and sighed.
“You gentlemen need a ride?” Tank asked.
“Yes, sir,” James said.
“Where to?” Tank asked.
“Somewhere far away from here,” Connor said.
“On it,” Tank said, taking the ramp for the interstate.
They passed a zombie in the other lane. It stumbled after them, trying to catch up.
“Damn,” Tank said. “I should’ve run it over.”
“What were you thinking?” Connor asked.
“I was busy pickin’ our next song,” Tank said.
“You know that’s why you make a playlist,” Chloe said. “So you’re not on your iPod when you’re driving.”
“He always does it,” James said. “If he can drive in FoCo with traffic, then we’re plenty safe on the interstate with zombies.”
“Found it,” Tank said. “This is for us boys. To the good ‘ole days.”
These Are The Days by The Exies played and James was taken back to a different time—before the apocalypse and before the three of them had gone their separate ways in life, back to when they were still in high school. They looked at each other and smiled. They’d been through a lot over the years, and through thick or thin, they’d always stuck together. The apocalypse sure as hell wasn’t going to tear them apart now.
“I love you guys,” James said.
“And that just killed the moment,” Tank joked. “But really, I’m glad we’re together for this.”
“Awww,” Chloe said.
“I’ll deny I ever said that, so don’t even think about repeatin’ it,” Tank said.
“I’m glad we’re all here, too,” Connor said.
“This was how it was meant to be,” James said. “The three of us together at the end of all things.”
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