“Sorry. That was a bit more than I wanted to see, too.”
Quinn turned on the wipers to get rid of some of the ichor. His side was clean, but mine streaked where the zombie flesh clung to the arm. I gagged.
“Just like old times, huh?” He pushed against my knee.
“Yeah. Woo hoo.”
“Oh, don’t act like you don’t like it. I know you’re having fun.”
He was right. I did enjoy slamming through a horde of zombies. There was nothing more satisfying than watching undead bodies explode around you while you were safe inside. It was definitely better than confronting them face to face. Although there was something wonderful about shooting a creature or whacking its head off. Call me sick and twisted, but it was nice to destroy the things that destroyed the world. Vengeance was a beautiful thing. Still, you never got used to the stench of rotten flesh.
We approached North Platte in early afternoon. A new fence with guard posts had been constructed. Safety was our number one priority. Mobile homes and RVs housed the workers until more permanent structures were finished. Construction equipment ran from sunrise until sunset to complete the town. Weapons and vehicles were strewn about in the open fields.
We stopped at the gate. Abby was in the tower. She frowned as Quinn rolled down his window.
“You just couldn’t help yourself, could ya? Like we don’t have enough going on, we have to wash your vehicle, too?”
He shrugged, looking slightly sheepish. “It’s a small price to pay for me taking out a few of our enemy.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Bill and Kyle are expecting you by the river.”
Quinn put the Hummer in gear. “Thanks.”
He pulled through and found a place to park the vehicle near the cleaning station. We climbed out, and several people approached with hoses and shovels. I smiled inwardly as I watched them get to work.
The three of us headed toward the river. Bill lounged by the bank, and Kyle had his arms wrapped around someone, showing them how to line the gun sights up. It looked cozy, and I almost felt bad for interrupting. Quinn called out to the brothers. When they turned, I noticed it was Pearl Kyle instructed. I ran to her and embraced her tightly.
“You made it! I’m so glad you’re here.”
She pulled away. “Thanks. But I’m not so sure I’m comfortable out here.” She wrapped her arms around her chest. “We’re so close to zombie country.”
I waved my hand nonchalantly through the air. “You have nothing to worry about. We’ll all make sure you’re safe.”
She glanced at the crowd. “I appreciate that.” She forced a smile.
“So.” Bill stood and brushed dirt off his butt. “How did it go? Did you get them?”
Quinn nodded enthusiastically. “Sure did. Five crates. You wanna go test them out?”
“Yeah,” Kyle chimed in. “Can we?”
“Test what out?” Pearl wondered.
“The guns we just acquired,” I told her.
“How do you plan on doing that?”
I grabbed her arm. “Oh, it’s gonna be fun. C’mon.”
We headed back to town, where the courthouse used to be. In its place were four helicopters.
“Quinn, you guys go get some guns, I’ll find the pilots.” I barely got the words out before running off.
Pearl and Pam were left standing in front of the birds. A look of horror crossed Pearl’s face.
We all returned a while later with the things we needed to collect. Bill and Pam climbed into one helicopter, and Kyle, Pearl, Quinn, and I climbed into the other. Pearl was pale.
“I don’t think this is such a good idea.” Her voice was drowned out by the engine as the blades spun to life.
“Don’t worry, it’s fine.” I patted her head before taking my place near the open door. The barrel of my gun pointed outward.
The copters gained momentum, and we zoomed over the fence and guard towers, heading straight for zombie territory. I glanced at the horizon and thought about my parents.
“You thought I was crazy,” my dad’s voice said in my head, “but maybe my advice wasn’t so far-fetched after all. Maybe your mother and I have some idea what we’re talking about.”
He usually made it a point to say that after things worked out. But he was right; they did know what was going on. Back in the day, I would have rolled my eyes and walked away. At that moment, I smiled to myself. All along, they were giving me the skills I needed to survive. While they probably never dreamed I’d use them against zombies, the lessons for survival were all the same. And in the end, all that mattered was my parents could send me out into the world and I would be able to survive on my own. They had taught me well.
Life After The Undead Omnibus [Books 1-2] Page 45
