Running To Escape: A Sam & JR Zombie Thriller

by Schobernd, Robert

  As they entered Garden City, Kansas, the last light of day had shut down. They passed several fast food restaurants with bright lights set against the darkness. Seeing a Golden Arch’s sign ahead, Breyna said she was hungry. Sam parked on the lot at the McDonalds because he feared the camper was too tall to enter the drive-thru lane. When he returned with cheeseburgers, fries, and sodas for all, JR was pale and tears dribbled down her cheeks. He wondered what upset her, closed the door, and handed the food across as JR said, “It’s official. The radio announcer just said zombies are real. They’ve taken Fort Sill and the whole area around it, and he listed several other large cities in nearby states and several smaller cities we passed through. They’re headed north at alarming speed. My God, Sam, can you believe they overwhelmed an Army base?”

  “Yeah. The same scenario played out around the world. They appear to be unstoppable in large concentrations.” Breyna sipped her soda as Sam drove to a Walmart parking lot for the night. He and JR ate as they spoke.

  “Sam, do you still believe we can survive this? Tell me we’ll be okay.”

  “If I told you I’m positive we’ll make it, I’d be lying, and you’d know it. We’ll do the best we can but there are no guarantees. It’s going to take determination, quick thinking, and hard work to exist through this. We can do that barring bad luck.” Breyna ate half a burger and some fries, then relaxed and fell asleep against JR.

  They spoke for another twenty minutes as Sam reassured JR they had a strong chance for survival “You and Breyna can have the bed in back. I’ll be alright here.”

  They stopped at Hanna’s Corner Café the next morning for an early breakfast. Fueling took another fifteen minutes, then JR drove. It was seven when she entered the highway going north.

  Sam said, “We’ll be in North Platte, Nebraska, in about five hours. Then I’ll drive, and you can play with Breyna. A lot of Highway 83 is two lanes with sections of four lanes here and there until we get to North Dakota where it’s mostly four lanes.”

  Sam held Breyna and answered several of her endless questions until there was a break. JR was solemn when she said, “Promise me you won’t let me become a zombie. Kill me first, please. The thought of infecting someone else sickens me; I’d rather die to avoid the transition. Please don’t let it happen.”

  Sam nodded. “I promise, and I expect the same from you.” He paused for a long beat. “Traffic is going to increase substantially now that the public throughout the country is officially aware of the danger. Everyone with the means to travel will be jamming the highways to escape the imminent apocalypse. Conditions are going to get nasty in a hurry as more people flee. We’re on one of the main north/south routes to the Canadian border. Get ready for the worst actions of humanity. Fear will make people who are normally docile turn pushy and aggressive; that’s a given. If we’re involved, we’ll try to back away if the situation allows it.”

  JR’s speech was barely audible, “The only positive thing the announcer said last night was the information of how to stop a zombie by destroying its brain. I suppose the military and police finally figured that out. I pray the remaining authorities and citizens can stop the surge of undead before they kill everyone all the way to the northern border.”

  “Too bad they didn’t relay the information months ago when it was put out by the websites I listened to, ”Sam said.” That may have stopped them at the ports of entry. But that’s typical of the damned partisan politicians. They won’t pull together even when the country’s total destruction is possible. Even the social networking websites were complacent by removing videos and pictures of the zombie destruction as fast as they were posted.”

  JR braked hard to let a pickup pulling a long trailer pullover in front of them. “That driver was in such a hurry he misjudged the distance to a lone, oncoming car. He almost clipped the front of our truck. You probably noticed traffic has increased in the last hour, and people are driving too aggressively for their own good. There’s going to be a lot of wrecks from here on. The way most are driving it’ll be major crashes out on the highways and serious fender benders in town.”

  Sam added, “When that happens tempers are going to flare, and people will be hurt or killed. Be extremely careful when driving to not piss off other drivers. Many already take issue with us driving below the posted speed limits while they run ten to twenty miles an hour over it. I imagine that last driver cut too close to us on purpose to show his irritation at having to change lanes to pass.”

  “You still don’t think we could run five or ten miles an hour faster to keep from making enemies?”

  “It’s a risk I don’t want to take. Just ignore the ones who honk and give us the finger; don’t let them goad you into reacting back at them. Some of these fools pulling big rigs or driving motorhomes are running at eighty and ninety miles an hour to reach the border before others. We‘re in front of the undead and ahead of most people this far north who were just informed of the crisis. Getting to the Canadian border twelve or so hours later is better than crashing and being injured or killed. Traffic heading south is almost nonexistent, so most of the fast drivers can just speed around us as if this two-lane section is a four-lane highway. Even if we drove the speed limit, we’d still be slower than those idiots.”

  JR started to comment, but Sam interrupted her and spoke over Breyna’s storytelling. “Look up ahead on the right. I’m sure that motorhome out in the field flew around us earlier this morning. It had to be doing eight-five or ninety.”

  “My God. It looks like a tornado hit it the way it’s scattered out across that field. I bet everyone in it died.”

  “They either died or they’re alive but horribly mangled. People are afraid and they’re letting fear make them act foolish. Many of these people never drove that fast before for any reason. Now they want to drive like they’re A.J. Foyt in a racecar instead of a big, top-heavy rig fighting fierce winds. Another thing that worries me is people who never owned a firearm before this are now armed. They have no training or experience with firearms and are likely to miss their targets and shoot innocent bystanders in what they consider an emergency.”

  JR was silent but shook her head in agreement. “More problems to watch for. And if those new gun owners aren’t proficient at shooting, they’ll probably be shot by someone who is.”

  Sam shifted Breyna on his lap. “She’s getting bored and antsy. I’ll put this disc of The Carnival of the Animals in and read the book for it to her.”

  JR smiled and listened to the age appropriate tunes as Sam read the story.

  He knew he could adjust to having a child around easily enough. He’d always liked kids and been good with the small children he’d been with. They’d soon learn Breyna’s fate and deal with that if it was negative. He would need to deal with it; it couldn’t be shoved off to JR. She had done what her maternal instincts dictated, and he couldn’t castigate her for following what her genes dictated. Some so-called experts claim there’s no difference between males and females. He disagreed with that opinion vehemently. Each biological sex inherits strengths and weaknesses. That’s why each is necessary to complement the other in a family.

  Over the next few hours, they witnessed confrontations at rest areas, gas stations, and restaurants as tempers flared or fender benders occurred and led to fights between people fleeing the zombie invasion. Heated arguments caused by fear of zombies, frustration, and the unknown became more common.

  Some business owners drastically raised prices for their goods because of shortages caused by late or cancelled deliveries; or simply because they could. When mingling with others at meal and fuel stops, they listened to revelations of violence involving fist fights, knifings, and shootings. One couple even told of a pickup driver trying to run over them after an argument and confrontation inside a restaurant.

  They stopped a little before eleven Monday morning in Mc Cook, Nebraska, at a fuel station charging almost triple the local average price only because the lines
were shorter than at most other fuel stops.

  “I’ll park over there by the restaurant in two spaces,” JR said. “After we eat and fuel, I can drive again for another hour, if you don’t mind.”

  Inside, Sam ordered a double cheeseburger, fries, and a coke. JR ordered a chef salad and a small order of chicken tenders for Brayna. Breyna was snippy and picked at the food and only ate a few bites. No amount of coaxing or cajoling interested her in the food or a glass of chocolate milk. Her temperament had changed drastically from the curious, happy child they original dealt with. Sam paid with cash and left the server a generous tip before they left the restaurant.

  After waiting in line, JR stopped beside the fuel pumps, and Sam got out to pump the diesel. JR’s credit card had room on it, but it was rejected. Sam went inside to learn why the card was refused and then prepaid with cash. Outside, he told JR, “Well it finally happened. Visa is rejecting all charges. The clerk said it started about three hours ago. He said Mastercard is rejecting new charges too.” He set the nozzle to pump automatically and let the fuel run to fill the tank they’d been using. He wondered how long it would be until paper currency was rejected. Then the frequency of violence would escalate exponentially when people with limited bartering power were forced to give up personal items for food and fuel or be stranded where they were and left to deal with the horror of the approaching zombies.

  In the next aisle over, a tricked out black Chevy 4 X 4 pickup with loud exhaust cut off a full size SUV pulling a small camping trailer to get to a fuel pump first. The SUV driver honked loud and long. Each driver stared at the other until the truck driver stuck his arm out the window and flipped the other man the bird. The older man in the sedan was red faced and waving his arms and yelling at his wife.

  Three rough looking fit men in their late twenties or early thirties exited the black pickup laughing loudly and acting like arrogant, obnoxious asses. The blond driver was tall and muscular. The SUV driver got out yelling and gesturing as he approached the blond. He was past middle-aged, about five feet ten, and stocky. Other people fueling watched the building confrontation. From fifteen feet away, the older man yelled, “Hey jackoff, you cut me off from that pump I was waiting in line for! Who the hell do you think you are, asshole?”

  Sam watched intently. He was positive severe trouble was brewing and people were going to be hurt.

  “Get back in your car before you get hurt old man.” The other two rough characters slipped around to stand behind the older man.

  The SUV driver got in the younger man’s face, then threw a hard left fist into the younger man’s stomach and followed with a fast right cross to his jaw. Both punches appeared to be solid hits. He crouched forward in a boxer’s stance. The younger man staggered backward to his truck’s grille and rubbed his jaw before one of his friends threw a hard punch to the older man’s kidneys. Then both friends grabbed his arms and pinned them behind him as he struggled violently.

  The blond rubbed his jaw while pushing away from his truck. “You’re going to pay for doing that you old fart.” The blond rained punches to the older man’s abdomen and head as his buddies held the victim tightly. The sounds of fists hitting flesh and bones were grotesque to the crowd of observers. The older man’s legs went limp, and his body sagged.

  The older man’s wife ran at the men shouting, “Stop it. Stop it damnit, you’ll kill him, he has a heart condition.” She pushed the two men holding the older man and they let him fall hard to the pavement. One kicked the downed man in the stomach before he turned and strutted away like a blemished conquering hero.

  The older man bled from his chin and his crooked nose bled freely; it was likely broken. One eye was already swelling and partly closed.

  The woman helped her mate to his knee, then to his feet and ushered him to the passenger seat in their car while chastising him soundly.

  When the confrontation was over, JR said, “That man was badly outnumbered, so why didn’t you help him?”

  Sam was somber as he confronted her do-gooder streak. He leaned on the window ledge with his head inside the cab. “Because he did something stupid. First, he was slow pulling forward to the pump he was waiting for. That allowed the butthead in the truck to cut in. Second, he should have swallowed his pride and stayed in his car and kept his mouth shut. Third, if he couldn’t handle all three, he shouldn’t have thrown the first punches that started the fight. Get used to seeing that. I warned you about what people will do to each other. I also know I couldn’t whip all three of them. And if you noticed, no one else stepped forward either, although I’m sure most of them are armed. To intervene I’d have to kill one or more. Law enforcement is still halfway functional, so I would then be sitting in jail for murder over who got to use a damned gas pump first; the issue didn’t warrant murder or even a fight. When the zombies get here, I’d likely starve to death locked in a jail cell after all the cops died and turned. I’ll not intervene in the numerous altercations we’re going to witness where we have no involvement. We’ll lay low unless we’re directly involved and forced to fight; but if that happens go all out. Shoot to kill if it comes to that.” He focused on her intently. “There’ll be no middle ground so get ready for it; I guarantee it’s coming, and it will be harsh and ugly.”

  JR stared at him in alarm as she thought it through. Breyna sat quietly staring ahead.

  Sam leaned inside and clinched JR’s shoulder. “This isn’t the same world we grew up with. In the last month, society has changed drastically, and we have to change with it to survive. Get used to it because, like it or not, that’s the way it is. This change started on all three coasts, and now it’s not only survival of the fittest but survival of the smartest.”

  The pump dinged before Sam put the fuel nozzle back. He had four dollars and fifty cents coming from his prepayment but chose to not go back inside to claim it. In the days ahead it would be worthless.

  Minutes later they were on the road again. JR drove and was silent while she fought to accept the new world order Sam described. She knew he was right; it was common sense. They had just witnessed it; but it was still hard to accept such a drastic departure from her sense of right and wrong. She couldn’t forcefully disagree with what Sam laid out but putting the actions into practice was going to be a new experience; it was an experience she dreaded and hoped they could avoid.

  Chapter II

  Running to Live

  As JR drove with the cruise control set on fifty-five, Sam held Breyna on his lap. Breyna curled against him in the crook of his right arm. Not asleep, she was content to stare at the dash as the radio played adult country western music.

  JR glanced at him. “Why are you so quiet? Is something wrong?”

  Sam shook his head. “Thinkin’.” A few minutes later, he shared his thoughts. “I planned to get a basic college degree in business and management. Being single and alone without close family ties, I would have been able to get a job with a company anywhere in the country and relocate wherever necessary. Except I never had a desire to leave the USA. I don’t speak any foreign language well, only a smattering of Spanish I picked up on my own through Mexican friends at school. What I learned in three and a half years of study is now useless, and I’m dependent on what minimal labor skills I’ve picked up in twenty-one years. Just like you, my life was turned upside down in one horrible day. One thing I am glad of is both my parents didn’t have to go through what yours did, or what lay ahead for us.”

  He glanced at JR. She was listening but stealing glances at Breyna. JR appeared calm but pensive. Looked serious but attractive; in fact, she looked damned attractive. Her facial features were enticing, and the thrust of her breast behind the plaid shirt was arousing. He glanced out the side window. “So now, I’m trying to figure what options I have and how I’ll channel what I know and feel into a future life.

  “Using what I know happened to the rest of the world as fact, and I firmly believe it is fact, I don’t see how the people here wi
ll fare much better. Too much time has been wasted and the zombies are already too entrenched. The only difference between us and Europe and Asia is our ownership of firearms and ammunition. But confronting the undead late gave them a serious foothold that, so far, has been unstoppable even by the military, National Guard, local police, and average gun owners. Even if the zombies were eliminated today, so much of our manufacturing infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed and the personnel trained to operate it decimated that it would take years to recover even portions of it, possibly even a decade or more. In another month machinery will be setting idle and starting to deteriorate. In five years, roofs will leak on equipment and it will begin to rust and eventually freeze in place from lack of use and maintenance.

  “I don’t even know if crushing the undead flat with a tank stops them. I guess it would if the brain was crushed and destroyed or the body was absolutely dismembered. They don’t need to eat, drink, rest, or sleep. I don’t know if heat or cold impacts them, and they surely don’t get the flu or a common cold or develop cancer or have heart attacks.

  “If we can travel through Canada and reach the far north, it’s going to be damned crowded if millions of us invade the Yukon and Alaska. That alone could be an ecological disaster. Then there’s the rogue human element we just saw. I feel strongly there will be some who will take advantage of others just as some business owners are using a world calamity to enrich themselves by raising prices on depleting goods. And for what? The fools haven’t figured out that the paper money or credit card payments they’re hoarding will shortly be worthless. The county’s entire financial system is collapsing by the hour.” Sam quieted and sat with a dejected pout.

  JR glared at him harshly and spoke loudly. “Get your ass out of this funky mood you’re in, Ilesh. I need your positive attitude to boost my normally negative personality. I’m depending on you to make sane decisions and get us someplace safe where we at least have an even chance of living. I admit I can’t do it alone, so you have to lead. Damn it, don’t you wimp out on me now. I won’t let you. And don’t go thinking you’re the only one who had goals and ambitions ahead of you. I planned on a normal life too damn it. I get pissed whenever these damned zombies invade my thoughts and my personal space. I didn’t want to chase after a fabulous career. I’d settle for a decent guy I could love and have some kids with. I didn’t aspire to be a millionaire, but I did look forward to a life as good as or better than the way my parents raised me and my sisters. Now that’s all shot to shit and I’m totally lost in this screwed up world I’ve been dumped into. I don’t like it, but like you keep saying, it’s what we’ve got.”