DEAD FACTIONS - the Zombie War Narratives - a Novella (13 page)

Corey reaches to Tonya and holds her, grateful she is there, “There is nothing to forgive.” Tonya clings to him and sobs. His embrace is more real than ever before. She knows he feels something for her.  In typical Corey style, the embrace lasts only a moment, “Come on, let’s get out of here.” She hesitates, not wanting to let go. Corey understands, “Tonya, there’s things inside me that are broken.” He stands and pulls her to her feet. “They aren’t going to be fixed here or today.”

He goes to Patrick and slaps him on the arm, “Way to step up to the plate, soldier. Just remember, as long as I have this thing on my arm, I call the shots!”

Patrick replies, “Had to be done…I can’t fly that ship!”

Tonya asks, “Where are we off to?”

With a determined look on his face and sensing that an enemy is still alive, Corey replies, “Find Anders.” Corey and Tonya head towards the ship.

Patrick, still standing in place puts one hand in the air to gain the attention of the two walking away, “Uh…Hello? Heroes first? Are you guys really going to leave me here?”

There was no answer. Corey’s mind was on finding Anders and righting a bad decision…sometimes lessons are learned the hard way.

“Crap!” Young Patrick hurries after his friends.

Some distance away...Thomas' body lies motionless. Sand passing over his body from the thrust of the ship’s lift off is the only noticeable movement. Thomas’ hand slowly closes into a fist then extends rapidly. In slow motion, his hand and claw begin to spread across the flat ground. Pushing down, he tries to support the weight of his body and slowly tries to stand, struggling. Barely on his feet, Thomas with a large portion of his head gone, staggers in a circular motion desperately grasping for a bit of his undead existence. Nevertheless, it is slipping...slipping. His awkward motion slows, then stops. Still standing but slightly humped over he takes one last look at a despondent world, one he desperately wanted to control. Unsuccessful in any way to overcome his trauma, he falls back to the ground and his hope for resurgence expires.

As for Corey, a new journey has unfolded. Though the future is still uncertain, he knows he is now with family…two people who have proven their concern for him. Their devotion has renewed some of Corey’s faith in humanity and he realizes he must return and extend what he has learned to one he left behind.  Corey puts the ship on a path to a familiar area. As the ship nears its destination, Tonya moves in front of one of the ship’s control panels that projects images of the earth’s surface. “What’s going on down there? It looks like a city on fire?”

“It is the place I first went after the infection began,” Corey looks at the decayed hand moving it in order to get the landing right.

Patrick leaves his seat and moves closer to watch Corey. Patrick grabs a bar overhead to support himself during the shifty landing. “Are you seriously going to go in there? It looks like all Hell has broken loose.”

As the ship lands, Corey looks over the weapons in the ship and decides which he is going to take.

“It is important that you two stay here while I go and retrieve someone.” Corey hits a sensor with the mutant’s hand to open the hatch of the ship. Tonya unbuckles her restraint and moves close to Corey.

With concern she speaks softly, “Who is worth risking anything else for? Why do this?”

He looks back and smiles, “Relax, all should go well…shouldn’t be more than
a minor skirmish
.”