Will nodded.
“We have everything here. Power, air and heat, a kitchen, plumbing… everything we need to survive.”
“Yeah,” Will whispered, “but we don’t have Gabriel’s wife and daughter, or Dylan’s parents. And who’s to say there isn’t some sort of refuge, put together by the government, there?”
“Do you think there’s really something like that for us there?” Jessica asked.
Will shrugged. “I have no idea. But I know there’s nothing left for me here—and Gabriel already tried to go out on his own once, and we all ended up back together here. And if we had all stayed together from the beginning, my mom—”
He stopped himself mid-sentence and looked to the ground.
Turning away, he said, “I’m sorry.”
Jessica thought of responding, but then the men’s bedroom door opened and Gabriel exited into the hallway.
“Morning,” Gabriel said.
“Excuse me,” Will said, and he moved past Jessica and shuffled down the stairs, turning toward the kitchen when he reached the bottom.
Gabriel looked to Jessica and narrowed his eyes. “He okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah, just a rough couple of days. For all of us, but none more than him.”
“Yeah,” Gabriel mumbled.
“Is Dylan awake?” Jessica asked, changing the subject.
“Uh, yeah. He’s up, but trying to actually wake up. The kid sleeps like a rock.”
Jessica chuckled. “Alright, well, I’ll go start waking the girls so we can try and head out soon.”
“See ya downstairs.”
Will
The sun was just starting to warm the morning when Will opened the front door and stepped out onto the patio.
Gabriel, Jessica, Holly, Dylan, and Mary Beth stood a few yards away from the bottom of the staircase, looking up at him. They’d found a couple of backpacks and duffle bags inside the house, and loaded them up with their remaining ammo, as well as some items from inside the house, including dried and canned food, and as much water as they could gather in bottles they’d found in the kitchen cabinets.
As he came down the steps, no one said anything. They each held the expressions of people who’d been through hell.
Gabriel had told him the previous night that they were just a hair under 500 miles from Alexandria, VA., where both he and Dylan lived. Will had thought about how long it had taken them to just get the 180 miles from Nashville to Knoxville, and dreaded even thinking about the journey to the East Coast.
He joined the group in the yard, though, and leaned down to give Holly a kiss. He then acknowledged Jessica and the children, sharing a nod with Gabriel lastly, who finally broke the silence.
“Hope we find a car quick,” Gabriel said. “Not looking forward to walking.”
“We’ll find something a few miles down the road at one of those gas stations,” Will said, picking up a backpack off the ground and throwing it over his shoulders.
“I hope so,” Dylan said. “My legs hurt.”
Smiling, Will reached over and rustled the boy’s hair. Then he turned around and took one last glance at the farmhouse.
“You know what’s funny?” Will said. “I always wanted to be a farmer when I grew up.”
“Well, I’m not gonna live on a farm,” Holly said. “So, let’s get the heck out of here.”
Will stuck his thumbs under the straps on his pack and took the first step toward the main road. Footsteps followed behind him.
When he reached the three mounds of dirt in the middle of the yard, Will stopped. He drew in a deep breath, then kneeled down to Marcus’ grave.
“I’ll miss you, brother,” Will mumbled. He set his hand on top of the mound, patted it once, then stood.
He took the two steps over to where they’d laid Samuel to rest, and squatted down once more. Will reached under his shirt, grabbing hold of the cross which he’d taken from around the preacher’s neck.
“Thank you,” Will whispered, rubbing the surface of the crucifix with his thumb. He rose to his feet again.
Will turned around when he heard a sniffle, and looked over to see Holly with her hand over her mouth, her eyes moist and red. He put his arm around her as Gabriel, Jessica, and Dylan said their final goodbyes; even Mary Beth took a second to say a quick prayer. Will glanced down to Holly, then continued the walk to the main road, his arm still around her.
When he and Holly reached the end of the driveway, he removed his arm from her and turned around to the rest of the group.
“Everyone ready?” Will asked.
His friends collectively acknowledged that they were.
Will nodded, then turned back around and stepped out onto the road. He hung a right toward the interstate. An Autumn morning breeze, trapped between the rows of trees on either side of the street, traveled down the path. He looked up to see the sun rearing its face over the horizon. The sky was clear, clouds of all shapes occupying its vast space. Will found himself mesmerized, no longer taking such a trivial thing as Mother Nature for granted after the recent encounter with his own death.
A hand brushed against the back of his own, then grabbed it. He looked over to see Holly smiling, her face beginning to dry and her eyes almost back to their natural color of baby blue.
He glanced back to see Jessica talking to the two children, keeping them entertained. Gabriel walked just a couple of paces behind her, scanning the area with his hands gripped firmly on the rifle.
This is my family.
Will smiled.
And then another thought came to Will.
I’ve always wanted to visit the nation’s capital.
Open Roads
Empty Bodies Series Book Four
Zach Bohannon
Zach Bohannon
www.zachbohannon.com
Copyright © 2015 by Zach Bohannon. All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events or locales is purely coincidental. Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part without express written consent is strictly prohibited.
Edited and Proofread by:
Jennifer Collins
Cover design by Symmetric Design
www.symmetricdesign.co
For the readers:
Thank you.
Chapter 1
Somewhere in North Carolina
Will stared down at the wounds on his arm, tracing the lower of the two with his opposite hand over and over again. For as long as he lived, these scars would stand as a constant reminder of just how fucked up the world had become. They’d also memorialize David Ellis; a man who’d done so much to paralyze Will’s soul, and had now left his permanent mark on Will’s flesh.
Eventually, the others would likely ask Will what it had felt like to die, and he wouldn’t have an answer. He’d only seen black. There were no lights, no angels strumming harps, no endless sea of white clouds. Nothing but darkness. And he’d had no sense of just how much time he’d spent in the black. One moment, he was lying on the road. Then he was gone. And when he’d woken up again, he had no recollection of what had happened in between. Perhaps, he thought, he’d been in some sort of purgatory.
After the time spent at the farm burying their friends and then regrouping, Will had remained mostly to himself, fighting an internal battle to try and come to some kind of realization and acceptance of what had happened to him. Others in the group had noticed the change in his demeanor, and silently offered him his space. This included Holly, even though each time Will looked at her he could tell that she was on the verge of emotionally breaking, obviously wanting so desperately to help him.
The group had managed to find a vehicle once they’d made it near the interstate. They’d chosen a minivan which had been left at a gas station. The key to it sat right on the passenger seat. The gas pumps at the station itself had been empty, but for whatever reason, the van had remained untouched by looters, and the fuel gauge on the dash
had sprung to three-quarters full once the engine had roared to life. Jessica had suggested that it was perhaps by faith that they’d found the perfect vehicle. Bullshit, Will thought. Because faith had been the question with no answer since he’d woken up.
Including the front cab, the van had three rows of seats. Jessica rode up front with Gabriel, who was driving. Holly sat on the middle bench, keeping the two children entertained. Dylan was almost back to his normal self, or at least the version of ‘normal’ that he’d created since The Fall, and Mary Beth seemed to be coming out of her shell a little bit. Will sat in the back, alone. Every now and then, Holly would turn around and flash him a smile, which he’d vaguely return. Part of him felt guilty for shying away from her at such a strenuous time, but he appreciated her patience while he sorted things out in his mind.
With night creeping upon them, the group found themselves becoming desperate. The three-quarters of a tank just wasn’t enough. They’d made multiple stops to try and find more fuel, but had only been able to scavenge a few gallons. If they couldn’t find more gasoline soon, they’d be forced to walk again. This wasn’t an option.
“It’ll be sundown soon,” Jessica said. “We need to start finding somewhere safe to stop for the night.”
“I just wanna drive a little longer,” Gabriel said.
“I know you want to get home, but if we run out of gas, especially when it’s dark, we won’t be able to get to Washington any quicker. We’ve got to find somewhere to stop. You know that’s the right—”
“You don’t think I know what’s ‘right’?”
“Guys,” Holly said from the middle aisle. “Stop it. There’s no point in arguing.” She drew in a deep breath. “Jessica is right, Gabriel. If we get stuck in the night with no gas, we may not be around to—”
Holly paused, looking over at the children. They were listening intently now, no longer distracted with whatever mindless games she had been able to amuse them with. She was relieved to have held her tongue, not wanting to worry them with thoughts of the group being stranded in the dark of night.
Gabriel sighed. “Be on the lookout for a good place to stop.”
“I know a good place,” Jessica said. “I’m fairly familiar with this area. It’ll be better than where we stopped last night and it’s only a few exits away.”
The previous night, the group had stopped to rest at the last gas station where they had searched for fuel. The plan had been for Gabriel, Holly, and Jessica to take shifts on watch, but Will had insisted they let him take the first shift, even though everyone in the group had felt he’d just needed to rest. He’d ended up staying awake most of the night, remaining on high alert the entire time. During his watch, Will had seen a small pack of Empties lumbering across the street, but it had been too dark for them to notice the minivan sitting in front of pump #4 on the other side of the road. He’d eventually given in and had allowed Jessica to take a shift, as he’d become tired and realized he would do more harm than good to the group if he fell asleep while on watch. They’d survived the night unscathed.
“Take this exit,” Jessica said.
“Where are we going?” Gabriel asked.
Jessica looked over to him and smiled. “You’ll see.”
Gabriel shook his head. “I hope wherever you’re taking us is safe.”
The sun was quickly making its descent when the van came to a stop. Will shifted to where he could look out the opposite window and leaned down to see the building sitting at the top of the hill.
“That’s perfect,” Holly said.
“As long as no one is up there,” Gabriel said, sounding unsure.
“Only one way to find out,” Jessica said.
The sign read: Tar Heel Storage. A wrought iron fence surrounded the entire property, and it sat on top of a hill, making it a perfect place for the group to hide from Empties. Even if the creatures could make it up the steep hill, the fence would certainly keep them out.
The front gate was shut, which Will knew could be either good or bad. Good, because nothing would be able to get to them once they were on the other side. Bad, because it was possible that another group of survivors had already claimed the storage facility.
Gabriel cut the wheel and headed up the driveway. He stopped the van in front of the fence and rolled down the window, examining the security keypad.
“No power,” Gabriel said.
“No surprise there,” Holly said.
“Let’s see if we can open the fence manually, Gabriel,” Jessica said.
Gabriel nodded, and both he and Jessica stepped out of the van.
Holly turned back to Will. “How’re you doing?”
Will forced a smile and nodded. “Fine.”
He could sense that she was disappointed with his short answer, but the children were both happy now, and the way this conversation would likely turn wouldn’t do anything but hinder the mood of the kids. They’d been through enough already.
A few moments later, Gabriel and Jessica arrived back at the van. They each opened one of the sliding panel doors on either side of the van.
“We’ll have to jump the fence,” Gabriel said. “The power’s off and that gate isn’t budging. It’s not going to open without power.”
“Well, at least we should be safe once we get inside,” Holly said.
“Grab some bags, guys,” Gabriel said to Dylan and twelve-year-old Mary Beth. “Get what you can, and we’ll toss it over the fence.”
“I can’t climb good,” Mary Beth said.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” Holly said. She ran her hand through the girl’s hair. “We’ll help you get over.”
Everyone helped in transporting supplies as they stepped out of the van. The kids grabbed the pillows and blankets they’d taken from the old farmhouse, and Will was sure to get the small gas can from the back. It had about a gallon left, but every ounce of fuel mattered, and they couldn’t afford anyone breaking into the van overnight and stealing it.
Two of the bags were small enough to fit between the fence’s spaces, and Jessica transferred those to the other side, squeezing them between two of the rods. Gabriel tossed the others over the eight-foot fence, only having to throw one of the bags more than once; it took him three tries to get the duffle full of canned food over the top.
“You go first,” Gabriel said to Jessica. “That way, you can help the kids from the other side. I’ll give you a boost.”
Gabriel kneeled down and cupped both his hands together, creating a base. Jessica stepped into his hand and he boosted her up as she caught hold of the top of the fence. Gabriel held her balance as she swung her leg over and jumped down onto the concrete, inside the fence.
“Alright, bud,” Gabriel said, looking at Dylan. “Your turn.”
Gabriel helped Dylan boost himself over the fence, followed by Mary Beth and Holly.
Will approached the fence and handed Gabriel the plastic red gas can. He secured the bag on his shoulder, then looked up to the top of the fence. Will grabbed onto the rods, and pulled himself to the top. Once there, he sat with a leg on either side, and handed the bag down to Holly.
“Give me the can,” Will said down to Gabriel.
Gabriel handed Will the gas can, which he in turn gave to Holly. Then Will hopped down from his perch at the top of the fence.
Gabriel pulled himself up, and joined the group on the other side.
Reaching into the bag of weapons, Will pulled out two handguns, handing one each to both Jessica and Holly. He threw one of the rifles to Gabriel, and grabbed a shotgun for himself.
“Let’s look around,” Will said. The sun had hidden behind the horizon, so he kneeled down to one of the other bags and pulled out the three flashlights they’d found in the farmhouse. Will kept one for himself, then handed one to each of the women.
“Do I get a gun?” Dylan asked.
“You don’t need a gun, buddy,” Gabriel said. “We’ll watch after you.”
“But I can watch
after myself.”
Will half-smiled, a gesture which the group hadn’t seen in what seemed like a millennia. “I know you can, buddy.” He signaled Dylan to follow him and they stepped away from the group. He leaned down to the boy and whispered, “You need to look after Mary Beth. She’s scared, and you having a gun would just scare her more. We are all strangers to her except for you. So, you need to help her stay calm. Can you do that?”
Dylan nodded.
“Good,” Will said, rubbing the boy’s shoulder.
They re-joined the group, and Will looked to Gabriel and said, “Alright, let’s do this.”
Chapter 2
Tar Heel Storage was made up of three buildings. Two of them had blue metal doors every few feet, for the entire length of the structures. These were the outdoor units. The third building had a single glass door, and a sign on the outside read: Climate Controlled.
Gabriel slipped the rifle’s strap over his shoulder and headed toward the two buildings of outdoor units. He stood in the middle of the lot, rows of doors on either side of him. Pointing the flashlight at the doors to his right, he noticed that all of them were closed. Each unit he focused the flashlight on still had a padlock in tact. The others in the group approached him from behind.
“Isn’t it a little bit strange that all these doors are closed?” Holly asked. “Wouldn’t you think that some of these people would have, at least, come by here?”
“It’s kinda out in the middle of nowhere,” Jessica said. “Maybe none of the tenants could make it here.”
“Or maybe they just didn’t need anything from here,” Will added.
“It sounds like no one is here, but let’s look around to make sure,” Gabriel said. He looked over to Jessica. “Stay back with the kids; Will and I will take the lead. We’ll head straight down here, and check behind the back.”
Empty Bodies Box Set | Books 1-6 Page 47
