Dying To Live & Fighting To Live-Book One and Book Two (Zombie Overload Series) (10 page)

We send the boys
down with our stuff, then Will and I sit on the floor next to the
baby.

"Will, was that
zombie Mom beat to death one of the new people that came with us?"
I ask him

"I think so. I
never got his name. I actually don't know any of their names. He must
have been bit before he hooked up with us." He answers.

"Will? Do you
remember last night when Peg was trying to beg a ride?" His eyes
widen.

Will
says, "She must have gone down early this morning, or hell, even
spent the night with him for all I know, gotten bit and went and hid
with her own family, putting them in danger,
knowing
what was going to happen to her. How
could any mother be like her? Not care about your own kids? Hell, how
could
any
parent
for that matter!"

I hold him, feeling
his body shake with anger. After awhile, the shaking slows and he
raises his head. Pulling away from me, he says we need to go. He
picks up the baby carrier and I swing the diaper bag onto my shoulder
and follow him out of the room.

Downstairs, people
are moving around everywhere getting things organized and ready to
go. At the bottom of the stairs, Will stops and looks around. I stop
two stairs up and ask him what's wrong. He sits the carrier on the
cement floor next to the steps, and turns to me.

"Have you seen
Jake?"

I look around and
shake my head, "No, I haven't."

Will walks around
the large room and then comes back to me. Shaking his head no, he
lifts the carrier and walks toward our new vehicle, placing the baby
inside and buckling her in. I open all the doors to let the air in
for the baby and watch as Will goes back upstairs in search of Jake.

I see our boys
running around the building with their new friends, laughing and
having a good time.

After about ten
minutes, Will comes back down and with relief, I see Jake following
him. As they walk past me, I give Will a questioning look. He gives
me a brief shake of his head and continues to follow Jake. Jake leads
him to his own vehicle and they stop. After words are exchanged, Will
heads back to us.

"What's going
on? Jake ok?" I ask him as steps next to me.

"Yeah. He was
going over the blueprints of the hospital he somehow got hold of,
maybe military just has that stuff? I don't know. Anyway, he was
planning how we're going to rescue his brother from the hospital."
Will pauses and looks at me. Lowering his voice he asks me, "Do
you
think his brother will still be alive?"

I desperately want
to give a firm, yes! But, really, what are the odds? He was in a
hospital where the sick, bit, dead, and dying were, as well. With the
incredible speed it took over Stephan and then along the route we
took to get here, I can't even imagine how devastatingly fast a large
hospital would become infected.

"I don't see
how he could. I'm praying he's still alive for Jake's sake, but, I
just don't see how he could be."

We look over and
watch as Jake walks toward a group of people standing beside one of
the Hummers. I look to our right and notice what was supposed to be
Kim's family's vehicle. Remembering all the supplies she had stocked,
I ask Will if we should take it. He says it would probably be smart
if we did so we go over and start transporting all of it to ours.
Almost done, I look up and see Jake heading for me. He stops in front
of me and grabs my arm, gently moving me out of sight from everyone
else. I look up at him in confusion.

"I have a plan
but I can't take everyone in the armory. I need as many as possible
to stay with the others in case those damn things get through the
fence. So...."

"What's going
on?" Will sounds like he's really saying, 'what the hell are you
doing alone with my wife'.

Jake
turns with his side to me and addresses Will, "I was telling her
we need to get into the armory, but I need all the men to stay here
in case the things outside the fence see us go in the building and
break down that fence. The women and kids need to be protected and
they need men who have the strength to handle the swords in a fight.
I'll be shutting the door on this building but it's not a guarantee
it will hold. I need one person to go with me to watch my back and
help bring the guns out. It has to be her." He points at me.
Wait.
He's pointing at ME??
What the HELL?
Didn't he say there were zombies in there?
Isn't that what
he said?
I'm pretty sure that's what he said.
Yep.
He said that.
Shit.

Will's face and neck
starts turning a startling shade of red and his breathing is fast and
heavy. He blows up at Jake, "Are you out of your damn MIND? Hell
no my wife isn't going in there with you! You dumb son-of-a-bitch!"
My eyes flash from Will to Jake. Jake doesn’t seem surprised,
upset, or even mad. He looks like he expected Will to act like that.
Ya think?

Jake puts his arm
around Will's shoulders and leads him where they can talk alone. I
was certain my going wasn't going to happen. I should have remembered
that this new world holds no such certainties.

I watch as Will and
Jake come back. Will doesn’t look happy. Jake looks, well, like
normal. They stop in front of me and I look at them one at a time.

Will
looks at Jake, then back at me. "I am
not
happy
about this damn plan. But he's right. You
are
the
only one who can do this. We have to protect these kids for the sake
of our future. So the men will stay here and get everyone upstairs.
If any of those things can actually climb, we will need to take them
out. Jake
promised
me
you
will be safe." He gives Jake a hard look and Jake nods.

I just stare at my
husband. Then I move my eyes to Jake and stare at him. They're
joking,
right
?

I gulp. My mind is
racing as I look at the others for better options. But all I see are
a couple of women who look as if they would be too terrified of
breaking a nail (although, that really does hurt!), a few elderly
women, a few who seem to be on the edge of hysteria even now, a
couple teen girls, and a handful of female kids. But why does it have
to be a female going, anyway? I look up at Jake to ask that very
question. Both men are silently staring at me. Just after I open my
mouth, Jake speaks before I can get a word out.

"I
need all the men here. There aren't that many men but there are lots
of kids. I need someone with me who has their head on right,"
(
A
nd I’d
like to keep it there, thank you! Plus, I'm pretty sure I
don't!
Ask my shrink.
She'll tell ya!)
"Someone
who can fight, who can stay calm and who can shoot. (
Me? I
can't fight! I'm not at all calm! And shoot? When the hell have I
ever shot a gun? Maybe I should volunteer Mom. But no. I'm not
throwing my mom to the wolves......I mean zombies. Damn it all to
hell! I guess I'm going.
)

"Fine. I'll
freaking go. But if anything happens to me, I'm going to kill you
both when I turn into an undead bitch."

Jake
grins at me.
Apparently, the dumbass thinks I'm kidding!
Will steps closer to me and holds me
tight. He kisses me and runs his hand through my hair, snagging on
tangles. I wince in pain and give him a dirty look.
Why
didn't we bring a brush!
Seriously? THAT'S
what I'm
going to worry about right now?
I
shake my head in disgust at myself. Looking back at both men, I tell
them if we are going on this stupid suicide mission, then let's hurry
the hell up and get it done. Jake nods his head and walks off toward
the other people. Will holds me and I watch over his shoulder as the
kids and women head upstairs. Jake gathers the men around him and
calls out for Will to join them. After a kiss to the top of my head,
Will walks over.

I
just stand there, watching them. Resigning myself to the fact I'm
doing this. Finally, they all come to our Hummer and each one is
handed a sword or knife. A few look over at me and I swear they think
they are seeing me alive for the last time.
Jackasses!

They position
themselves where Jake tells them to. Jake and Will walk back to me
and Will gives me another tight hug and deep kiss. I absorb as much
of him as I can, then shove him away.

"Don't act like
you're never seeing me again. I
will
be back and I'll be back
alive."
That was good, wasn't it? Canada, the badass chick.
That woman on Resident Evil ain't got nothin' on me! Yeah right
.

Jake hands me some
kind of handgun. As he gives last minute instructions to Will, I look
it over trying to find the safety. Jake walks back to me and Will
takes the baby up to my mom and then goes back halfway down the
stairs, getting into his position, I guess.

"No safety on
that one." Jake tells me.

"Oh." I
pray I don't shoot myself, or Jake, and follow him to his Hummer. I
look up at my boys, my parents, and Will. Hard as it is, I give them
a big smile and a wave. Jake starts the vehicle and drives us to the
large door. He looks at me and tells me to get in the driver's seat
while he opens the door.
Why didn't I just get in the driver's
seat to begin with? MEN!

He gets out and I
scoot over behind the wheel. He walks over and listens at the door.
Apparently hearing nothing, he slowly opens the door far enough to
stick his head out. He pulls his head back in and opens the door wide
enough for me to get the Hummer out. Jake shuts the door and hops
into the passenger seat. He shows me which door we need to get to and
has me back the Hummer in. And yes, I'm a pretty good driver,
for
a woman
. He tells me the same thing and I give him the finger. I
don't see any zombies, but I can hear them on the other side of the
building. I hope like hell they are still behind the fence. Surely
so, or wouldn't they be back here, too?

I follow Jake to the
door, waiting to the side as he presses his ear against it, listening
once again. I guess he's satisfied because he unlocks the door,
slowly opening it while watching for any movement from inside. He
eases his way through the door and I follow.

The hallway goes
both ways and he tells me it's actually one long hallway that goes
around the entire first floor. That's why he needed someone to watch
his back. Doors line the hallway in both directions and most appear
to be shut. I've not seen a zombie open a door, but then, I've been
in a vehicle throughout the majority of this crap.

It's dark, it's
gloomy, it sucks.

I walk behind Jake
for a few feet until he stops and turns to me.

"I'm going to
show you how I train my men in situations like this," He tells
me.
Situations like
this
? I hardly think so!

He tells me to walk
backwards and to lean into him. So, I do what he says. We walk a few
feet down the hall like this and come to a right turn. He leans
against the wall and takes a quick peek around the corner. Pulling
his head back he flattens against the wall and looks at me with a
pissed off expression.

"Ok. When I
tell you to lean against me, I meant your ass to mine. Both of us
bend forward slightly and watch in the direction we are facing. Just
barely put weight against me so that if I stop, you're not ramming
into me. You got that?"
Whoa.
Hold up there, Hoss!

"Listen here,
Captain
!"

"I'm a Sergeant
Major," He interrupts.

I continue, "If
you haven’t noticed, I'm
not
in the damn military. I'm
not
one of your men. And I
can't
put my ass against
yours cause I can't reach your ass.....
Captain
!"

I raise my gun and
aim it toward his head. His eyes widen in surprise and fear. I pull
the trigger.

Jake slams into the
wall behind him. He pats his head, I guess to make sure it's still
there and in one piece. He looks at me like I'm crazy then looks
behind him. Lying in the hall half-in, half-out the next corridor, is
a zombie. With a bullet smack-dab in the center of his forehead.
Hell
yeah!
Give Mama a gun and Mama kicks ass!

Jake looks back and
forth with shock in his eyes. God, that just made my day. Scaring the
shit out of Mr. Sergeant Major.
HA!