A Broken World (Book 2): Shattered Paradise
Page 15
“Yeah, sorry.” I ran my hand through my hair and rubbed the back of my neck, jogging up to the end of the alley as we headed down the street.
There were several storefronts between us and the hotel, and Dave stopped outside the fourth one. He just stood with his eyes closed, smelling the cool air, so I stepped closer to him and surveyed our surroundings to make sure we wouldn’t be attacked. He took a deep breath and smiled.
“You smell that, Eric?”
“What am I supposed to be smelling?” All I was getting was cold, and a faint scent of dead flesh that told me we needed to move.
“Victoria’s Secret.” Another breath. “Tease. My wife used to wear it when we’d go out on a date or to banquets.” He opened his eyes and looked to the sky, remembering. “That’s one of those hindsight things, you know? Should’ve taken her out on more dates or taken her dancing, leave the kids at home. She always used to say, ‘David, we can’t afford a babysitter tonight. Maybe next time.’ Jesus, they say the first thing you forget is the voice, but I can still hear her say my name after all this time.” He laughed and shook his head. “She used to get this crinkle in her forehead when she…” His smile faded and he looked at me. “What good is money when you’re dead?”
“I’m sure you’ll see her again, Dave.”
“Yeah…Who knows? All I know is that my wife passed away and I wish I had spent more time with her, wishing for just one more day, and I can’t help but regret that I didn’t.” Dave glanced over at Jessica, who had stopped to wait for us with an impatient look on her face. “I know what happened, Eric, and I know how you feel, but there’s a woman there that really cares about you. She’s alive, and so are you, so what’s holding you back?”
“It’s complicated, Dave.”
“Again, bullshit. Look.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. “You’re both too old and the world is too dangerous to play games. Anyone that would risk their life to go back for you has made her feelings clear. It’s your turn, and don’t wait. Just be honest with her, and yourself. That’s my advice, take it or leave it, but I won’t say another word.”
Dave walked away and I looked at Jessica, tapping her foot and holding her arms out, like, “What are you doing?” Whether or not I was ready, I definitely needed to talk to her because Dave was right. Life was too short out here, a fact I knew better than anyone.
We made it to the hotel just as we caught our first sight of the horde I had smelled earlier, so we hurried into the lobby and out of sight. Stopping just long enough to grab keys to rooms on the second floor, we moved up the stairs quickly and did a room-by-room sweep. After making sure the floor was empty and barely peeking through a window to watch the passing horde, we decided it was safe to stop for the night.
Taking three separate rooms, we said good night and ate dinner separately. It was a strange feeling to be alone after spending so much time, good or bad, with people. The quiet was nice, but also reminded me of how empty life was without someone. Accepting the metaphor as a kick in the ass, and being unable to close my eyes without being back in the arena, I got up and knocked on Jessica’s door.
She opened it slowly and, seeing me, lowered the barrel of her weapon.
“Eric? What are you doing?” She looked into the hallway. “Did you see something?”
“No, Jessica, it’s nothing like that. I just couldn’t sleep and thought we could…talk.” She jerked back and looked me over.
“Are you sure you’re okay? This doesn’t seem like you.” I sighed and shook my head, realizing how bad of an idea this was, but she opened the door further and stepped aside. “Come on, I’m just giving you shit. Get in here.” Waving me inside and closing the door behind me, Jessica crossed to the bed and I took a seat at a small desk with a lamp.
She slid her M9 under the pillow, and I couldn’t help but notice how little she was wearing. With just a white T-shirt and shorts that ended at mid-thigh, the contrast in appearance was pretty amazing. I rubbed my hands nervously, not knowing what to say.
“Well?” She waited patiently for me to stop sitting there like an idiot, so I pushed off of my knees and paced the room. I could face down cannibals, unleash an inner monster to conquer an arena, and cheat death multiple times, but tell me to express emotions and I was shit out of luck.
“I like you, Jessica.” I kept my eyes averted, knowing that if I saw her reaction I would stall. “I mean, I don’t know what to call things when we’re our age, but you’ve saved me both literally and metaphorically, and I just…I don’t know, I guess I needed be honest with you. I was really hesitant, though, because I died and I’ve been blaming myself for losing my family in Chicago and, talk about baggage, I’ve been hallucinating for a while and—”
Jessica stood up and put her hands on both sides of my face, kissing me to shut me up. When she released me, I was dumbfounded, but her hands stayed in place and she was smiling.
“I know, Eric. I caught you staring at my ass earlier, remember?” She exhaled softly. “But we both know what happens if you’re too attached to someone out here. Say what you will, but I’m still not the kind of person to jump straight into bed with a guy, which probably sounds crazy.”
“It’s not crazy at all.” I put my hands on hers and brought them down between us. “Jessica, one of my favorite things about you is how human you are. You still have your morality, your personality, despite being trapped in hell. It’s really attractive, how strong you are.” She laughed and pulled her hands away, the smile fading from her lips as memories flashed across her eyes.
“I don’t know how moral I am anymore, Eric. It’s been a long few weeks…I’ve made decisions I never thought I would.” She was referring to the arena, but I still didn’t push. Still, I couldn’t let her go down that road of doubt and guilt. Not alone, anyway.
“You want to question your morality?” I choked out a laugh. “Maybe before everything there was an argument to be had, but now? Since the outbreak, I’ve tortured, I’ve murdered, hell, I rolled Dawes up in a carpet and set him on fire and called it justice. I saw a side of me in that arena that I didn’t recognize…a darkness I didn’t know I possessed and something I don’t know how to come back from.” She stepped closer and touched my fingers, squeezing gently. “The point is, we’ve all done things we aren’t proud of, Mills, especially me. When it comes to survival…I understand.” I let her hand fall and headed for the door. “I just needed to tell you.”
“Where are you going?” I stopped and turned to receive the look.
“What you said about being too attached…”
“Yeah, it could get us both killed, but you’ve already died and come back once. I’d say we’re ahead, so I’m willing to take that risk if you are.”
“But what about…” I stammered, which was uncharacteristic of me.
“Please, Eric, just…hold me tonight, okay? Whatever happens next is going to happen, but I know I don’t want to be alone right now. Every time I close my eyes, I’m back in that prison, and I just need to feel…something, anything.” She sat down and pulled the sheet over her body.
“Are you sure about this, Jessica?” I joined her on the mattress, staring at my hands, and she closed her eyes.
“Before the world fell apart, we both had families, lives…happiness.” Her eyes opened and found mine, those beautiful green eyes shimmering in the light. “Now, we’re both broken people, Eric, lost, and neither of us knows who we are anymore.” She reached up and drew my arm over her. “Maybe we don’t have to stay that way, though. Maybe we can find our way back together.” I laid my head against the pillow and listened to her breathing, a soft, soothing rhythm as she drifted to sleep, letting her body finally relax.
Hope. The word felt so distant, like I had forgotten what it sounded like. Hearing Jessica say it caused my heart to rise, like I was taking my first breath for the first time in a long time. Maybe things wouldn’t end well, and maybe they would, but I was done questioning what would happen. A
t that point in time, holding Mills, feeling her against me, and letting the effects of the medication finally hit me, I let myself be content in the moment.
Chapter 84
Day 234
The sun’s rays welcomed us to the day and, after making sure the hotel was still empty, we all sat down for a quick breakfast before hitting the road. It was another day on foot before we reached the Mississippi border, but we made good time while preserving our energy. Compared to the wrecks and abandoned cars that had littered the streets up north, the streets of Louisiana were barren. I mean, the actual roads were damaged and needed a lot of work to fix, but I didn’t see any sign of a vehicle for as far as I could see.
Laying out a game plan, Dave shared that his grandson had been on vacation in Baton Rouge and that he needed to know one way or the other if he was alive. Since we were en route to Texas, that wasn’t out of our way, so that’s where we were headed. Despite being on foot, we made good progress the first day, avoiding zombies when possible, killing them quietly when it wasn’t. I’d always heard about the humidity down south, but being this close to the swamps and bayous, if it weren’t for the chill in the air, we would have been miserable.
Luckily, we covered a lot of ground and found some sturdy trees to sleep in overnight. It wasn’t the most comfortable position ever, especially when I remembered the last time I slept in a tree, but it kept us out of reach from clawing hands. Between the three of us, we each got around six hours of sleep before the sun rose again and we departed.
The waters were murky, but as we ventured closer to the swamps of Baton Rouge, we could see the bodies just beneath the surface. Many of the corpses were bloated and waterlogged, the skin purple and expanded to disturbing proportions. While they seemed to all be long dead, we still kept silent and moved on. I had never been a fan of jump-scares in movies, so I sure as hell didn’t want one of those things popping up out of the water.
Aside from the mugginess and the bodies, Baton Rouge was an entirely different atmosphere than I was used to for the last several months. It was a bitter-sweet beauty, with moss-covered trees and a slight fog swirling in pockets. The bitter part came from the incredible amount of visible destruction as we entered the city.
Much of what we could see had been ransacked, raided, burned, or blown up, whether as a result of the infection spreading or the panicked chaos of inhabitants. The saddest part of the apocalypse was how people were responsible for so much destruction before the actual disaster came to their city. Shaking my head, we followed Dave further into the city, staying on a wooden bridge over the river below. Looking between the planks, I briefly wondered if crocodiles were affected by the virus, but I chose to ignore that curiosity.
“The last call I got from him, he said they could see the boats from their hotel. Since the entire city seems to be near the water, I don’t know how the hell we’re gonna find him.”
“I’m sure he’ll be okay, Dave.” No father wanted to lose a son, so I tried to reassure him as best I could. I knew better than anyone how that pain stayed with you. He hesitated before nodding in response, looking to the ground and walking away.
After walking for almost an hour through Baton Rouge, taking our time to make sure we didn’t accidentally miss the building, Dave saw a hotel ahead and stopped.
“I don’t remember much, but that name sounds familiar for some reason. He might have mentioned it when we talked.” From our position, we could see movement on the first floor of the hotel. Dave must have, too, because he turned to us. “Look, it could be dangerous in there so I won’t ask either of you to help. I’d understand if you want to wait here.”
“We’re a team,” Mills interjected, reading my mind. “If your grandson is in there, we’re getting him out together.” Dave looked to me, but I just shrugged.
“Alright, then. Let’s go.”
Covering the distance to the hotel quickly, we took positions near the front door and glanced inside. Whispering our observations, we counted a total of at least six visible threats inside. I drew my Ka-bar and prepared for Dave to pull open the door. Across from me, Mills holstered her sidearm and pulled out her own spring-assisted knife.
As soon as we gave Dave a thumbs-up, he eased the door open and we moved inside. The zombies must have been trapped inside, not knowing that they could have exited through the door by falling against it, because the decomposition was evident. The smell that welcomed us through the door was almost overwhelming, but the decaying flesh on their faces, especially near the eye sockets, was disgusting and I forced my gag reflex to take a nap.
Moving as one across the lobby, Mills and I stayed close and kept the zombies in front of us. I slashed and stabbed my way through the first two zombies in my path, keeping Jessica in my peripheral vision, before stepping toward a third. It had been a younger man, well-dressed, and I kicked out with my foot, only to find my shoe sink into its chest with a sickening suction.
“Fuck!” I fell forward, overextending my right hamstring, and the zombie landed on its back, clawing at my right calf. With my right foot stuck in the zombie’s ribcage, I toppled onto my side and tried to pull myself out of its innards. I could feel its fingers pulling at my jeans, yanking the material and trying to get at the tender skin underneath, but neither of us could do anything until I removed my foot.
Jessica leapt into my vision, landing with her knife embedded through the forehead of my foot massager. She stepped on the neck and groin of the zombie and jerked on my calf, pulling my foot free on the second try with a slurping sound that made me nauseous.
“Thanks, I think.” I rubbed my hamstring and pushed off the floor with my arms, putting most of my weight on my left leg for the time being.
“Try to be more careful next time, Eric. Showing off and getting yourself killed won’t help us.”
“I wasn’t—” Her look cut any argument I had off, so I shut my mouth. “I’ll try.”
Finding another zombie behind the lobby desk and dispatching it with a stab to the temple, we checked to make sure the room was clear. Dave surveyed the floor, stepping close to my foot zombie and leaning over it.
“That is some nasty shit.” He glanced at the gore on my shoe and his whole face seemed to squeeze together. “We’ve got to get you some boots.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” I scraped my foot against the wall and looked for keys, only to find cards. Without electricity, we wouldn’t be able to scan the rooms into them, so I had to hope the master card still worked. Checking the bodies in the lobby, one of them had been a member of the cleaning service, so I took her card and we went up the stairs to the left.
Since Dave had no idea which room his grandson and his wife had stayed in, we had to search each of the twenty-something rooms until we found something David recognized. Luckily, the cleaning key still worked, so none of the doors needed to be kicked in. Unluckily, there were a lot of rooms and some would undoubtedly be occupied.
With my stomach clenching in anticipation every time I opened a door, half-expecting to find a zombie on the other side to take a bite out of my arm, we worked our way through a dozen rooms and didn’t find any sign of Dave’s son. We did find infected residents, including a naked couple who must have been doing the dirty before turning. I can’t imagine how that went down, and I really didn’t want to. Dave was visibly losing hope, though, with his shoulders slumped and a distant look in his eyes.
“We’ve still got a lot of doors to open, man. He’s in one of them.” I put my hand on his shoulder.
“That’s what I’m afraid of at this point.” He gestured toward the zombies that lay dead, again, in the hallway. Hurrying to the next door, I cautiously eased it open to find our answer.
“Dave…you’ll want to see this.” He looked up and stepped next to me, staring at the wall before us.
In large, capitalized marker, someone had written, “SAN ANTONIO BLOCKADE.” It was signed with the name Mark, and Dave’s eyes welled up.
Dave finished fighting against tears of relief and wiped his nose on the back of his sleeve.
“You guys up for a trip to San Antonio?”
“We’ve come too far to turn back now.” We could find Katherine and Dave’s grandson, find a home at the military blockade, and then…what? I had no idea what I was expecting, like everything would suddenly be okay again, but I knew things were looking up.
Chapter 85
Day 236
The renewed sense of hope was visible on the faces of my companions, the slight glimmer in their eyes, the half-smile pulling at the corners of their mouths. Seeing Jessica in such a good place, I couldn’t help but smile at her like I was twelve again, looking away quickly. We trudged down to a small dock on the outskirts of the streets of Baton Rouge, admiring the scenery despite the horrors of the apocalypse.
I wasn’t the best with boats, as I hated the water ever since seeing Jaws at a young age, but I knew how to operate an engine, so I sat at the back of a jet boat and offered a hand to Mills. After helping Dave onto the boat as well, he untied us from the dock and I revved the engine, hoping it had fuel. It took a few tries, but eventually the motor started up and I steered us away from the platform.
The bodies in the water parted ways as I eased us through the swamp, noting a sign toward the muddy shallows for St. Martin. I also noted the movement beneath the surface, disgustingly decomposed corpses rising from the infected waters. Mud and flesh fell from their bones like the barbeque chicken I used to love when I found myself in the south. I didn’t expect to have an appetite for that anymore, so I tried to focus my attention elsewhere.