by Poe, S. B.
“Screw it, if it’s not zombies, they’ll just have to get me for hit and run.” he said, putting the car in reverse and backing away. He pulled back out into the road and watched as the man he had hit, broken legs and arms and all, desperately tried to crawl down the street after him.
He jumped up on the interstate and set off at 83 miles per hour. In his rear view mirror were the tops of tall buildings in the distance peaking from behind the trees. Bridger turned his attention forward. The sign said Birmingham 188 miles. The traffic going south was a little heavier than normal for a lunchtime rush but not much. It was just past 1:30 and he went faster. He decided the state troopers would have better things to do in the apocalypse than give him a speeding ticket. He pressed the accelerator further. He was faster than most of the traffic but again, not by much. He passed a few minivans and SUV’s that looked like they were headed camping or to the beach but when he looked at the driver, he saw confusion. He felt like he was trying to outrun something. As though all the bad stuff was behind him but gaining. He had no way of knowing that Mahmoud Ibrahim had landed in Birmingham earlier this morning after a vacation to Paris which ended on a flight yesterday to New York with a lovely French couple who were coming to America to visit their daughter.
3
Together
When JW and Josh walked through the back door, Kate for the first time since JW left yesterday, felt a little better. They had been through a lot together. It was hard to make a marriage work. They loved each other desperately and had since the first moment they met. It made the difficult parts that much harder. Sometimes love isn’t enough. They had crossed that bridge a time or two but every time they decided that whatever they had to do, they had to be together. It was that unyielding desire to be together that made them do the hard work. She hugged him tight.
“I am glad you’re home, what happened to your head?” Kate asked
“Nothing, it isn't important anymore. We have to talk. SCOTT get in here.” Yelling towards the bedroom.
Scott came in and sat down at the kitchen table. They all sat.
“I talked to Bridger again, he is headed this way.” JW said.
The look on Kate’s face told JW that she understood immediately the seriousness of what he had just said. If Bridger Preston is dropping whatever a 45-year-old single straight bachelor has to drop and coming down here to see him, it means Bridger is worried. Kate started to worry again.
“It should take Bridger about five or six hours to get here. That puts us after dark.” JW said. “Scott I need you to give me a breakdown of what you know so far.”
“Well we just saw some video out of Atlanta and it looks bad. I have seen video from New York, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Cleveland and Minneapolis. I have seen images and read stories from all over the West Coast and Canada. It’s all the same. People are attacking other people. The military and police can’t seem to stop it and it is spreading fast. It started showing up yesterday morning on some gamer YouTube channels out of Australia and Madagascar. It looked like the same thing only shot from different angles so everybody started calling bullshit. Sorry.” He continued “Yesterday when I called you into my room it had started showing up again, only this time it was on more “newsy” type channels with a LOT more footage. In a little over 24 hours it went from a few random places in Madagascar to all over the world. What are the next 24 hours going to be like?” Scott asked, not because he expected an answer but because started doing the math in his head.
JW was looking down while Scott was talking; he had started to do the math too, he just kept looking at a little scratch on the top of the kitchen table, he spoke.
“Listen guys,” hardly believing what he was about to say. “We need to make a decision and make it now. We know whatever this is it spreads fast and brings bad things with it. From what we have seen, and I am not saying it is 100% true, the ‘infected’ are not in control of their own actions. That makes them dangerous. We don’t know how this is spread but we have to make a couple of assumptions. Contact with the ‘infected’ is bad. People are going to panic. We are going to protect ourselves and we are not going to lose our heads. The next few days we’ll see what happens but I think we need to be a little more proactive.”
They were all nodding.
“Ok, Josh, you and Scott go ahead and start emptying some of those plastic totes we keep the Christmas stuff in and start putting canned goods in them, if we have to leave we need to have some things ready to go.” JW said.
“What do you want us to do with the Christmas stuff?” Josh asked.
“Just dump it out in the storage building, I don't think we are going to be decorating this year.” JW said.
Up until this very moment Josh had not contemplated what was really happening. He knew this was serious but really, how serious is some virus. Yes everybody gets all nervous, then they get their shots, and everybody moves on. He looked around the table and the faces of his parents told him, this was not going to be easy or short or over soon. For the first time he could remember, he felt unprepared. He was seventeen, invincible and had everything in front of him. He realized now that the future he always envisioned for himself may not turn out that way.
“Kate, we need to go have a conversation with Evelyn Collins.” JW said starting to get up from the table.
Kate stood joining him as they started towards the front door.
“Y’all boys get that stuff packed up, we’ll be right back. Then you and I, Josh, may have an errand to run. Maybe you too Scott.” JW said walking out the door.
Kate and JW walked out the front door and JW started down the sidewalk when Kate touched his arm. He paused, turning back to look.
“Why do we need to see Evelyn?” Kate asked
“I have an idea about making this place just a little more secure and I want to make sure she would be ok with it. And if she isn’t, to let her know that I am doing it anyway. If I can figure out how.” JW turned and started walking. Kate followed.
When JW and Kate returned, Josh noticed his mother had this odd look of shock and humor on her face. When his father started explaining his plan, Josh had the same look.
“We are going to steal two school buses from your mother’s school” JW said.
Scott was the only one to laugh out loud. Josh wanted to at first but when he looked at his father, he knew it was not a joke. Not even close.
“I can get into the school and get the keys out of the office.” Kate volunteered because she had heard the whole plan across the street at Evelyn Collins house.
“Ok, I think we should plan on going as soon as possible. I also think would all should go to the school together. Well, not Evelyn, but all four of us. I am going to drive one of the buses and your mother will drive the other. But first let’s head out into my room.” JW said.
JW had a small four by four room in the garage that was mainly for the hot water heater but he had wedged his gun safe into it when they first moved in. He wasn’t a gun nut or a prepper so he didn’t have an arsenal. The gun safe did hold several handguns, 9mm mostly, which is what he really enjoyed shooting. He had his new rifle and three pump shotguns. He also had his deer rifle and a couple of old 30/30 lever action rifles from his grandfather. He grabbed the lever actions. He also grabbed a box of shells and one of his 9MM pistols. He turned and handed the rifles to Josh.
“Load some rounds into these two.” JW passed that ammunition.
“Kate, I want you to carry this.” He handed Kate the 9MM, it was in a holster with a clip on it so she could just slide the clip inside her waistband. She knew how to use the gun too.
“Scott, you and Josh will carry these rifles but they will stay in your mother’s vehicle. As will you. When we get there your mother and I will get two buses started and I will lead us back in one bus, you (nodding to Josh) and your brother will follow in your mother’s car. You’re mother brings up the rear in the other bus.”
They all load
ed up into Kate’s SUV and started to pull out. JW hit the button on the garage door. As they headed out the long road through their neighborhood, JW continued the plan.
“Once we are moving, I really don’t want to stop. There are three stop signs and one traffic light between the school and here. They are all suggestions at this point. If I don’t stop, you don’t stop. Stay tucked in tight. As long as we stay tight we should be fine.” He continued. “Once we get back to the neighborhood we are going to park them at the entrance to the cul-de-sac. If we pull both of them back into the wood off the curb on either side they should cover the entrance. It won’t keep anyone out on foot that really wants to get in, but it may discourage folks who aren’t looking to put in any effort. And it will definitely keep other vehicles from getting all the way back here before realizing there is only one way out of the neighborhood.”
The way the cul-de-sac was positioned was an afterthought. The original plan had houses rounding each corner coming out of the cul-de-sac but they never got built. The main road ends and the cul-de-sac is simply a street that goes slightly down hill off to the right at a 45-degree angle from the dead end. Trees line the entrance two lots deep on both sides. The pseudo isolation is what drove JW’s interest in the first place.
When they arrived at Kate’s school they pulled around behind the buses.
Kate and JW got out quickly entered the school to retrieve the keys. They chose two buses from the rear line. JW got into the first bus and started it. He went back out. Kate had started the other bus and joined him. They all four stood together at the back of the two running school buses and realized they were about to commit grand theft auto of government property. If it wasn’t the zombie apocalypse they were going to have some very serious explaining to do.
“Stay tight. I will back out, then Josh you get behind me. I will wait until your mother flashes her headlights and then we go. Stay tight.” JW said. “If something happens and we get separated. Get back home.”
They froze. The approaching sound of sirens made them think their heist was over before it got started. But four police cars, a fire truck and two more ambulances raced by headed towards the highway. They looked at each other again. It was time to go. JW backed his bus out and Josh fell in behind him as he pulled towards the exit of the parking lot. He waited for Kate to fall in behind Josh. She flashed her headlights. Off they went. As he went through the first stop sign without stopping he saw a few folks gathered in their yards talking to each other. At the next non-stop sign, he saw another group of folks standing outside the church on the corner. Nobody seemed to notice the two school buses rolling down the street. Why would they? The light was green and they went right through. The next intersection was the four-way where they would turn right into their neighborhood. As JW turned in his heart leapt into his throat. There was a sheriff’s car parked at the intersection. The driver’s door was open but JW didn’t see anyone. He didn’t hang around and look. He headed towards the back of the neighborhood. The rest of the caravan followed.
Bridger was about 30 miles north of Birmingham and traffic had definitely picked up. The northbound lane out of Birmingham was packed with cars leaving town and Bridger began to think he might need to bypass the city. He took the next exit and pulled into a gas station to check the map on his phone. No service. He looked up at the service station and wondered if they still sold maps. They did. He got back in his car and opened up the map. He found the road he was currently on and traced it to where it intersected another county road that headed south. He pulled away. Twelve miles down the road he came to County Rd 6. He turned south. He knew he could stay on 6 until he crossed County Rd 81. He could stay on 6 to Northview and get back on the main highway to South Springs or he could turn onto 81 for a few miles and hit 44 and head straight to JW’s house. He would take 44. He turned on the radio and was surprised the XM station he usually tuned to, Rock Plaza Central, was broadcasting news.
***
‘The Federal Emergency Management under the Direction of the Surgeon General has issued a shelter-in-place warning for all citizens East of the Mississippi River to include the entire Ohio River Valley. A state of emergency now exists in all major metropolitan areas and the President has activated ALL National Guard personnel to respond to the crises. The governors of the individual states are now entrusted with plenary powers from the federal government to oversee coordinated efforts related directed to their states. FEMA stands by to offer any assistance to the governors’
***
Bridger thought that had been a long-winded way of saying you’re on your own. And he finally decided that whatever this was, it was going to get worse before it gets better. He picked up the pace.
He had just turned south onto 44 when he saw the wreck. A log-truck had spilled its load right on top of a car. The cab of the truck had detached from the hauler and was off the road slammed into a tree. He stopped the car and got out. The vehicle under the logs was crushed. He looked in through what he thought was the drivers window. He heard shuffling in the dark opening. Suddenly a young woman appeared in the window.
“Help me, my husband and I are trapped and he is knocked out or something.”
“Ok, ok, let me see what I can do.” He said.
He surveyed the situation and figured he could use his car to push the log blocking the window off and maybe get a space big enough for them to crawl out. He pulled his car up and started nudging the end of the log and finally got it to move the right way. He pushed it off and got out of his car. By the time he got back over to her car the woman was already crawling out. She put her feet on the ground and reached back in.
“Here let me help”, Bridger said arriving by her side.
The young man was now awake but very disoriented. They coaxed him through the window. Bridger helped them over to the side of the road as another car pulled up. The old man got out and walked up to Bridger.
“Damn, what happened here?” he asked
“Don’t know, just got here myself and helped these two out of the car.” Bridger replied.
“Anybody check on the driver yet?” the man asked. It was the first time Bridger had thought about it.
“Not yet.”
“Well y’all stay here and let me go check on him and we’ll see if we can’t get some help coming. My phone isn’t working, can’t get a signal but we’ll figure it out.” The old man started up the slope towards the cab of the truck. Bridger looked at his phone. It had been doing the tail chase emblem most of the way down. He was…
“Aahhhhhhhhahhhhhh” came a scream from the direction of the cab.
Bridger and the young woman ran up the little slope and stepped over to the driver’s side. They were not prepared for what they saw.
The old man was on the ground, his face frozen in a scream that was no longer making any sound because the driver was currently ripping his throat out with his teeth. Blood was spraying everywhere and the driver was making guttural animal sounds as he slurped and chewed. The girl screamed. The driver raised his head slowly and turned to face them. His left arm had been deboned. All the skin and muscle was in a ball around his wrist and his arm was a collection of bone and sinew hanging down by his side since there was no muscle to move it any more. His face had been smashed against the steering wheel and one of his eyes was hanging out of its socket. One side of his mouth had been ripped open and his lower jaw was exposed. It was full of blood and flesh from old man. He slowly tried to stand, as if trying to detect which way gravity was pulling him down and counteracting it. He was having difficulty getting up because he couldn’t use his left arm.
“Stop dude” Bridger said. The young lady was in shock and froze. The driver stood.
“Stop now” Bridger summoned his most don’t screw with me voice.
The driver started walking towards the girl. Bridger saw the same gait he had witnessed at the TV station on the bank of TVs. It was here. Now. He slid his pistol out of his hip holster and thum
bed the safety. He raised it at the driver.
“Stop now or I WILL shoot you.”
The driver never stopped. He was just a few feet from the girl. She had finally snapped too and was backpedaling away.
“Stop” He didn’t stop.
Bridger fired one round into the man’s right shoulder. He flinched from the impact but his gait never broke. Bridger fired again. Left shoulder. Same result.
He fired a third round. Center mass. He knew he had just blown this mans heart to pieces and yet the gait never changed. He was still moving when Bridger fired the fourth shot. Just over the right eye. The man went down.
“Shit” Bridger stood with his gun pointed at the heap on the ground, fully expecting it to get back up again.
When he was sure it wasn’t moving he holstered his weapon and turned to look at the girl. She had gone to her knees. She had her hands over her ears and her mouth was agape. Her eyes met Bridger’s.
“Holy fucking shit mister what the fuck was that” Bridger liked her instantly.
“I don’t know. I think he had Marionette. I think that was what that was”, motioning towards the lump on ground.
“Oh, shit, oh shit oh shit, what the fuck I mean what the literal fuck”
Bridger knew she was still in shock and she was starting to meltdown.
“Hey, hey we’re ok. It’s ok” He tried.
“OK? YOU JUST FUCKING SHOT A FUCKING MAN WHO WOULDN’T QUIT FUCKING TRYING TO FUCKING ATTACK, EAT, RAPE, I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK HE WAS DOING BUT YOU KEPT FUCKING SHOOTING HIM AND HE KEPT FUCKING MOVING EVEN AFTER YOU FUCKING SHOT HIM, AND YOU THINK IT’S OK?”
“Well when you put it like that.” Bridger said.
