The sudden gunfire in his direction caused him to stop moving, which allowed me to drop the dead weight, grab my Ka-bar, and dive for the nearest tree.
“It doesn’t have to be this way, guys. We don’t have to do this and you don’t have to die today!”
“Oh, shut up, you fucking hippie!” the man crying out in pain responded before going back to heavy breathing. Hippie? Now I was glad I shot him in the leg.
Snow crunched to my right and I removed my shotgun from its holster, waiting. Counting off five pulse-pounding seconds, I came around the tree and found myself two feet away from an attacker. He was maybe eighteen, the stubble of a beard barely there, and the look of panic on his face was evident.
Please don’t do it, I pleaded in my head, hoping this one wouldn’t end up on my conscience. But even as I thought it, the barrel of his gun started to raise and I pulled the trigger. My shotgun jerked and his lifeless body flew back into the snow, sending a flurry of white up around him.
“Dammit,” I muttered. There was little time for regret, though, as his friend shot the tree mere inches from my head. Diving to the ground, I landed with my left side up and palmed the M4 again. Taking a second to aim, we fired at the same time. His shot went low, kicking snow up into my face, but mine went exactly where I intended and he fell to the ground as well.
Pushing myself up, I took a moment to holster my shotgun and check the rifle’s magazine before stepping over to the man clutching his leg. He was writhing in pain, cursing me for shooting the boy, but I wordlessly put him out of his misery. Hearing more gunshots, I headed away from the gruesome scene and toward the other side of the cabin.
Pivoting around the corner with my M4 at the ready, I saw the lone remaining attacker down my sights. She was an older woman, in her fifties, and I hated having to pull the trigger. Another cry from the child hardened my heart, though, and I watched the back of her head explode in a burst of blood. There was confusion inside the cabin, but the outgoing gunfire ceased.
Hoping they would hear me out, tired of being alone, I moved around to the front porch and held my hands up before calling out to them.
Chapter 71
The door eased open and I stared down the barrel of a rifle, held by a grizzled, older man with a buzz cut. He wore a simple white T-shirt, dirtied from wear, but I could see the raw muscle in his arms.
“What the hell do you want?” His voice was like sandpaper, but I appreciated the direct approach.
“I was hoping you could point me in the direction of a car I could use, or maybe you had a map I could take? I’m not too familiar with the area, and I don’t plan to stick around long.”
“Where are you headed?” Again, simple, but the rifle didn’t waver so I felt obligated to answer.
“Honestly, I have no idea. As vague as it sounds, I’m going south to find my former group and, hopefully, a military front.”
“Did they abandon you out here?” He craned his neck up and lowered the rifle a few inches, as slight as that was.
“That’s a funny story, actually, but the short version is, no.” I could have told him the details, but something told me this man was straight to the point, or not at all. His eyelids lowered and he seemed to think for a minute, or pass judgement on me, before he spoke.
“What’s your name?”
“Eric.”
“Well, Eric, get your ass in here so we can talk.” He stepped back inside and held the door open with his off-hand, scanning the woods with his eyes. I didn’t hesitate to get inside, knowing he would have killed me where I stood if he had wanted to.
Inside the cabin, three sets of eyes stared at me. A younger man stood at the window, still holding his rifle, looking me over and deciding if I was a threat. On the other side of the room, in front of a brown leather couch, sat a woman and child, the ones I had heard from outside.
The door shut behind me and the older man walked across the cabin, his boots sending small vibrations through the floor. I briefly wondered what his shoe size was, but I figured introductions were in order first.
“The name’s David, but you can call me Dave. That over there,” he gestured toward the window, “is my grandson, Michael. That’s his wife and daughter on the floor, there, and if I see you move an inch in the wrong direction toward them, I will drop you in two seconds.” He shifted and leaned against a small table. “So, tell me about yourself, Eric.”
“Not much to tell, really. I was in Chicago when it fell, got out, survived alone until I found someone, but then she was kidnapped twice and I ended up dying to save her. A military medic must have patched me up, because I woke up in a warehouse in Indiana. The last thing I remember is my friend telling me to go south, which makes sense since we received a message about a defensive front in Texas, so that’s what I’m trying to do. Unfortunately, some assholes,” I glanced to the little girl, “pardon my French, ran my first car off the road and my second ended up wrapped around a tree.” This caused Dave to crack a smile.
“And they wanted to take my license.” He laughed. “Sounds like you have some shitty luck, but I’m beginning to get the picture. I don’t have a map, though. I’ve lived in this area since I got back from the war and know it pretty well, but I do have a truck. Of course, with your driving record, I wouldn’t trust you with her.” I can’t say I blamed him, but this was a definite wrench in my plans, on top of the other pile of tools that were currently between me and Kat.
“However,” he cut in, withdrawing a cigar from a small box on the table, “I may have a proposition for you. Step outside with me for a minute.” He walked past me and onto the porch, so I followed and shut the door behind us. Once outside, he struck a match on the door and lit his cigar. A massive puff of smoke blew out before he took the cigar between his fingers and stared at it.
“That was one hell of a situation back there, Eric. While my pride wants to say I’d always win a fight, and I probably would, my great-granddaughter was in that cabin with me. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what I’d do for that little girl.” He cocked his head and eyed me. “So, I find myself owing you a debt.”
“All-due respect, but I’m pretty sure there are no debts out here, sir. Not anymore.”
“Bullshit.” He waved his cigar before taking another puff. “Without honor, what are we? No, I owe you a debt for saving my family. See, I lost my wife a few years ago to cancer. I promised her I’d take care of our family, and I intend to keep that promise no matter what. One of my grandsons was stationed nearby, but I haven’t heard from him, and the third was on vacation with his wife down in Louisiana, so I don’t know if they’re okay or not. For all I know, inside that cabin is all I’ve got left, so I absolutely plan to keep them safe.
“Now, you say you need wheels and I can’t let you just take my only means of transportation, so here’s my offer. My cabin is compromised, since those bastards back there made so much noise, so I’ve got to get my family somewhere. The nearest military outpost is in Mississippi. I’ll take them there, and then we can go wherever you need to find your friends.”
“I can’t ask you to leave this all behind.”
“This cabin? After my wife passed away, I bought this cabin and dropped off the radar. I loved it because I was away from people, away from a reality I didn’t want to face…couldn’t face.” He looked down and sighed. “There are no more people to be away from, so all of this is just a pile of wood surrounded by more wood. To be honest, maybe it’s time I get back to the world and try to find some measure of peace until I’m with her again, you know? Besides, I owe you, so I’m going to help you until I get a chance to return the favor.” Without waiting for a response, he snuffed out his cigar on the wall and went back inside.
Five minutes later, he stepped outside with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder, followed by his family. He went down the steps and led everyone toward the woods, locating a marked trail that was hidden to anyone else. I moved next to him at the front, hoping to find o
ut more about my apparent friend.
“If I may, Dave, what’s your side in all this? I mean, aside from the guys shooting at you, I didn’t see many zombies around and you’ve clearly got some supplies.”
“Well, that’s because we didn’t have any zombies. At least, not for a while. We saw it on the news, all of the outbreaks, but the first zombie didn’t drag its foot into town for almost a week. Of course, that wasn’t the problem.” He took a deep breath, remembering, and shook his head.
“As soon as word spread, the second someone muttered the word ‘apocalypse,’ the entire city seemed to spiral into chaos. Stores were raided, cars were stolen…Hell, a small group of bastards even broke into the police station and stole guns and riot gear. Those guys took off in trucks, so I have no idea what happened with them.” I thought back to the group I’d been dealing with and wondered if they were the same people, but I left it alone. Chances were slim that the people stitching zombies’ mouths shut were the same guys from Dave’s story.
“I was naïve to think that was the worst of it, and it wasn’t until I found my grandson that I thought there was any hope.” His face was grim and I knew the all-too-familiar look in his eyes. It was the same one I saw in the mirror after Chicago.
“What was it, David?” He turned to me and held up his hand, bringing the trek to a halt.
“We’re here.” He walked toward the trees nearby and shuffled his hands into the snow. I had never seen anyone use camouflage to this extent, but Dave was an expert as he pulled a huge sheet of snow and debris to the side, revealing an older-model Ford.
“Holy…shit.” It was like the world’s largest ghillie suit, and it was awesome.
After hauling the various food and weapons into the bed and locking it shut, Dave’s family got in the back seat, the daughter sitting between her parents, and I sat shotgun. With a glance into the rearview to make sure everyone was buckled up, Dave started the engine and I trusted that he knew where he was going.
With his eyes ahead, navigating his way between trees and through snow, Dave broke the silence.
“Eric, I hope you’re ready to hear the answer because it may become useful where we’re headed.”
Chapter 72
Dave had me reach into the glovebox to hand back a pair of earmuffs for his great-granddaughter, making sure she didn’t hear whatever nightmarish story he was about to tell me.
“Now, I haven’t gone too far south, but if you’ve only made it here from Chicago, I need to give you an idea of what we might be heading into. My grandson and his family were on their way to visit from New York when everything happened, so they weren’t here for it, thankfully. By the time they got here, it was over with and I was back at the cabin. But you asked me what happened, and you seem to be able to handle yourself, so I guess I can share.
“It’s the hunger, something we have in common with them. Only ours is a different kind…a drive, a hunger to survive. Let me ask you this, Eric. If you’ve made it this far, I assume you’ve done some heavy shit, things you never imagined doing to survive?” He glanced to me and I nodded, knowing damn well how true that was.
“I figured as much. You might think of yourself as a monster, then, some kind of animal no better than the zombies you have to kill. But let me tell you, I’ve seen animals, Eric, and they look like us. A few weeks in, after the riots were done, word came down that the military was setting up in the south, so what was left of the town banded together with hopes of heading there and finding somewhere to settle.
“We decided to take a break in our travels and occupied a town for a while, which was our first mistake. We should’ve kept moving, should’ve…should’ve done a lot of things.” His eyes looked glassy for a moment, but he blinked several times and continued. “Supplies were getting low, so I took two men with me on a scavenging mission. I can’t help but think if I had just taken the group…but there were women and children that needed the rest.”
“You couldn’t have known, David.” I tried to console him, justify his choice, knowing I would’ve done the same thing, but he shook his head.
“Yeah, but I should have. It took us a while, at one point we had to take shelter and wait out a passing horde, but when we got back…man, it was like nothing I’ve ever seen. When supplies run out, I’ve seen people turn on each other, even eat one another to survive. I just…when food runs out, people resort to cannibalism. When that food source runs out, though…” He trailed off and I could see where this was headed.
“No…” I breathed, and David looked me dead in the eyes.
“They’ve got the hunger of the zombies, no emotions, but they still move and think like us. At one point, they were human, but I like to think of them as ferals. While we were gone, they must have attacked, slaughtering everyone. I swear, I’ve never seen anything like what I saw that day. They didn’t just kill them, Eric. They took their time and savored it, enjoyed it, chopping them up. They had body parts roasting on spits, playing with their food, holding them up by the bones like a fucking Thanksgiving turkey. When they noticed us, that’s when the fear hit me.
“I was barely a man in the war, Eric, and I’ve seen my share of death, dealt some of it myself. I’ve seen hatred in a man’s eyes, watched it burn out as he dies. Up until they saw us, it was anger, sadness, disgust, but that feeling…that cold rush down your spine that paralyzes you. Their eyes, Eric…no remorse, soulless. Pure, ravenous hunger. They turned their attention to us and for the next few minutes, I just remember seeing red, but not from anger. When it was over, I was standing in a pool of blood, bodies and parts everywhere around me. My friends, neighbors, their families…they were all dead. I was covered in blood, and my gun was empty…My hand was burnt raw from how hot the barrel was. You know how many bullets you have to fire for the gun to get that hot? I was clutching my machete for dear life and couldn’t remember why…I packed up what little supplies were left and headed home, and I’ve been at that cabin ever since for fear of what I might find outside.
“The point is, Eric, there are worse things out there. Just pray you never find them, and, if you do, be prepared to do whatever it takes to survive. They’re savages, way past any humanity left in their souls, so if you come up against one, don’t hesitate to kill it.”
We sat there in silence for a while, with only the drone of the engine and the howl of the sweeping winds to keep us company. Dave’s family tried their best to smile at each other, but the haunting tale of their grandfather brought tense, and sometimes worried, glances to the front. I had no such feeling, as I knew better than anyone the fear he mentioned, as well as the savagery that this new world brought.
“Any idea how far south you guys were when you were attacked?” I needed to know, but I tried to phrase it to ease the tension.
“Honestly, I couldn’t tell you if I tried. I just know we were going in the right direction.”
“Well, if anything looks familiar, let me know. I’d rather avoid any surprises.” I checked my weapons out of habit, making sure they were all loaded and ready to party. I don’t rattle easily, but I definitely had chills from Dave’s story. He was one tough son of a bitch, I’ll give him that, so if it got to him…I dreaded the thought.
We drove for another hour, maybe two, and the conversation topics became more lighthearted. At one point, after going around Lexington, Dave pulled off to the side of the road and used a gas can from his cabin to refuel. Dave’s family talked about their outbreak story, and I learned that their daughter’s name was Anne. Trying to add to the conversation, I told them all about Kat and Jessica, and how Matthew went from being a bitch to a man. Dave got a good laugh out of that part.
Eventually, we passed into Tennessee and the scenery changed from mountains to rivers. Anne was pressed up to the window, excited at all the water and trees. It was nice to see, but I also kept a grip on my M4 as my eyes scanned the environment. There was no telling where Dave’s group had been attacked, and I didn’t like the idea
that there was a new enemy out there that I hadn’t encountered.
There was a bridge ahead that would take us over the Kentucky Lake, which I honestly don’t know how something that big could be a lake, but geography was seriously not my strong suit. Vehicles lined the sides, as if someone had created a path. With any luck, it was the military on a path to take back the states, but I wasn’t betting on it.
Dave started across, cautiously inching forward as we both kept our eyes out for a trap. Of course, with the overgrown foliage, it was impossible to see anything that might be coming. Several men seemed to swarm from behind the vehicles ahead, guns raised and ready to fire. Dave turned around in his seat to reverse, but two trucks drove up the embankment of the lake and blocked our exit.
“Dammit!” Dave yelled, slamming his hand on the steering wheel. I could practically see the thoughts streaming through his mind, trying to figure a way out of this without endangering his family, and coming up empty. I looked at the backseat, at Dave’s grandson, his wife, their child, and then down at the floorboard, knowing I was about to do the right thing but hating it.
“How far is it to that outpost, Dave?” I calmly asked, focusing on my plan.
“What? Umm…a few more miles, at least. Why?”
“If I don’t meet you there, I’d appreciate it if you sent someone to look for me.” I looked over at him and he could see the level of seriousness in my expression. Understanding, Dave nodded and held out his hand. I shook it and he squeezed.
“I hate owing people, Eric, and this makes two, so you’d better make it to that outpost.” I could tell that was his way of saying thank you, so I grunted a laugh. “Make sure you give them hell.”
I pushed the door open, holding the M4 over my head in surrender as I walked forward.
“I assume that you guys won’t let us pass through here willingly, right?”
“Pull the truck up and let us take what we want! Then you can go on your merry way.” Something in my gut told me that was a lie, as several of the dozen men grinned, exposing their gnarled teeth. They weren’t the best odds, but I had to create a distraction for Dave to get through.
A Broken World (Book 2): Shattered Paradise Page 9
