Human Extinction Level Loss (Book 1): Nicole's Odyssey (23 page)

Mullney spun around.  “None of that matters!  All that matters is… in the cage with ya, I’m tired of explaining things to you,” Mullney said as he rushed upon Billy and grabbed his arm. 

He pressed him against the cage as he fumbled for the key.  Opening the cage door, he flung Billy in and slammed the door shut behind him.  Billy jumped at the door as Mullney locked it. 

“It will do you no good.  They know where the house is, and they’re coming!” 

Mullney laughed as he stuffed the keys in his pocket. 

“Not to worry about that my precious love, Soon as those monsters outside clear out, we’re leaving.  Before morning, before your precious friends get here,” Mullney said, grasping the cage.  “What you want to go with them for, anyway, Billy Nilly.  They can’t love you like I can,” he said. 

Billy hugged Jordan as Mullney stared at the floor, letting his hands drop to his sides as he turned away. 

“We’re going far from here, where it’ll just be us, just be us, till the time comes,” Mullney said as he turned and started up the stairs. 

He flipped the switch and light fled the room.  In the dark, Billy held Jordan and rocked her gently.

Thirty-Three

Billy listened as Mullney tromped around upstairs.  He heard Mullney muttering to himself, clearly agitated and upset, but could not make out what he was saying.  It was a pattern that repeated.  Mullney traipsed across the floor, his heavy footsteps causing dust to fall to the basement floor.  Billy realized that Mullney must have seen what was outside and didn’t like it.  Billy had seen them on his way up to the house.  The neighborhood was not exactly overrun, but there was enough to be concerned about and Dermot Mullney was concerned.  Billy began thinking that what concerned Mullney might just be the key to their escape.  He held a near comatose Jordan in his arms and waited.  Either Dermot was not going to like his chances taking them along, or he was going to realize he had to do something soon.  The longer he waited, the closer it got to dawn, and Nicole and the others coming back. 

After what Billy estimated was another hour of Mullney pacing and fretting, he heard footsteps cross the floor and the basement door creak open.  Mullney tromped down the steps and approached the cage. 

“Oh, you and your friends brought a heap of trouble down on ol’ Derm, sure enough.  All their meddling about in things that don’t concern them has brought a whole peck of them dead sons’a’bitches around here,” Mullney said as he paced nervously around in front of the cage. 

Billy carefully removed his arms from around Jordan.  She whimpered and tried to cling to him.  Billy kissed her on the head. 

“Shh, Jordan.  We’re going to be okay,” he whispered in her ear. 

Jordan wrapped her arms around herself and began to rock.  Billy moved to the door. 

“Killing us now won’t increase your chances of getting out of here.  But if you let us out, we’ll help you with the Dead outside, to get away,” Billy said. 

Mullney froze and looked at Billy, his face revealing the indecision running through his mind.  He smiled and began to laugh. 

“Oh, now you’re just trying to trick Derm the worm.  You don’t want to help me,” Mullney said. 

Billy pressed his face to the cage door. 

“Sure we do, Mr. Mullney.  We don’t want to die anymore than you do.  There’s strength in numbers.  I almost got eaten on the way over here, but together, we can make a break for it.  Then it will just be us… free and clear,” Billy said. 

Derm’s face took on a look of longing at Billy’s words. 

“You, you wouldn’t lie to ol’ Derm, now would you?” Mullney said. 

Billy looked at Mullney.  “No, Mr. Mullney.  I wouldn’t lie to you,” Billy said. 

Mullney rubbed his hands and looked at the ceiling. 

“Think about it, Mr. Mullney.  Even if we wanted to, it wouldn’t be smart to do anything to hurt you, we’re trapped here, same as you.  We need each other,” Billy said. 

Mullney gave him a sharp look and thought for a second.  He went over to his workbench and picked up a hammer.  He turned and approached the cage. 

“Please, Mr. Mullney.  Let us help you get out of here,” Billy said. 

Mullney twirled the hammer in his hands a second, then reached into his pocket and retrieved his keys.  He went over and unlocked the cage door and swung it open.  Billy turned and took Jordan by the hand. 

“Come on Jordan, we’re getting out of here,” he said. 

Jordan looked up at Billy as he pulled her to her feet and led her out.  Mullney stepped back and held the hammer. 

“You try double crossing Derm the worm, I’ll give both of ya a good crack with my hammer,” Mullney said. 

Billy led Jordan up the stairs and Mullney followed them. 

When they got upstairs, Mullney went to a window and stared out frantically. 

“You keep a look out over there, let me know if those Deadites clear out,” Mullney said. 

Billy took Jordan’s hand and led her over by the door and whispered in her ear.  Jordan did not reply but just stood motionless staring at the floor.  Billy watched Mullney move from window to window, staring out.  Billy went to the back of the house and looked out the kitchen window into the back yard. He saw three shufflers milling about, two in the yard and one on the back porch.  Billy turned and looked into the front room.  Jordan stood by the door where he had left her and Mullney paced from window to window. 

“Is it clear back there, Billy Nilly!” he called without looking back. 

Billy turned the knob on the back door as quietly as he could and eased the door open ever so slightly.  He turned and went back into the front room. Mullney did not look at him, but continued to stare out the front windows.  Billy stood in the entranceway to the kitchen and stared at Mullney’s back. 

“It’s clear out back, Mr. Mullney.  I think we can make it,” Billy said. 

Mullney turned and looked at Billy with hopeful eyes, before shoving Billy out of the way and going to the back door.  Billy looked at Jordan a second before turning and following Mullney.  Mullney open the door and stuck his head out.  He caught sight of the Shuffler on the porch a split second before Billy came upon him from behind. 

“You little-”

Mullney’s words were cut off as Billy hollered and ran the last few steps. Billy threw his weight against Mullney, shoving him partially out the door.  He tried to close the door behind Mullney, but Mullney’s body blocked the door.  Mullney hauled himself back in and backhanded Billy across the mouth, sending him to the floor. 

“You tried to kill ol’ Derm!” he screamed, as he advanced on Billy with the hammer held high. 

Billy shoved himself across the floor on his back as he tried to get away from Mullney.  Mullney was about to bring the hammer down on Billy, when the shuffler from the porch pushed through the door and seized Mullney from behind.  Billy jumped up just as Mullney came crashing to the floor with the shuffler on his back.  Billy stood transfixed in horror as he watched the shuffler sink its teeth into Mullney’s shoulder and rip out a huge chunk of flesh and muscle.  Mullney screamed as a fountain of blood erupted from his shoulder. 

Billy turned and ran to Jordan, who was hyperventilating as she witnessed the attack.  Tears streamed down her face as air pumped in and out of her lungs.  Billy flung the door open, then grabbed Jordan’s hand and tried to pull her through it.  Jordan’s fear anchored her to the floor as she watched Mullney struggle with the shuffler on top of him.  Billy turned back just in time to see Mullney crush the shuffler’s skull with his hammer and shove it off him. 

Billy turned to Jordan and grabbed her legs, heaving her up onto his back piggyback style.  Billy ran through the front door, past the group of walkers that were on the far end of the front porch.  He raced down the steps as Mullney came charging out the front door, screaming after him. 

Billy hit the street and ran as fast as he could.  Behind him, Mullney’s screams took on a fever pitch.  Billy cast a final look back to see Mullney go down under four walkers.  Within seconds their bony fingers and teeth had ripped him open.  Mullney’s screams were quickly lost to the wet sound of evisceration.

Thirty-Four

Billy stumbled through the black that had long since swallowed the moon.  Barely able to see, his only guide was the feel of the asphalt under his feet.   The darkness was near total, but it didn’t blind the Dead. 

He clung to Jordan on his back, even as she clung to him.  He had made it to the highway, but so had they.  He didn’t know how many there were pursuing him, anymore than he knew how many more miles he had left in front of him. 

His determination to save Jordan made him fight for every breath.  The air filtered through his lungs in harsh rasps as behind him the Dead followed.  They had no such battles to fight.  Their pursuit would be relentless, and Billy knew it.  He had gotten Jordan away from Mullney, but he was leading the Runners right to their camp.  He prayed the others would be ready.

Billy’s legs burned and his arms were numb.  His pace slowed, and he heard the low, hungry groans of the Dead behind him get nearer.  His feet exploded in pain as he picked up one foot and then the other, slamming them down against the unforgiving highway.  As the groans behind him increased, Jordan clung to him tighter, threatening to cut off his air.  He could not stop to shift her weight, nor waste the breath to tell her to loosen her grip.  There was only the night, and the running, and the hope.

Billy felt the road rise under his feet and the incline drained him.  He plodded up the road, barely able to hang on to Jordan.  With the night so deep, he had closed his eyes and tried to send his mind elsewhere, somewhere it didn’t scream from the pain that wracked his body.  As he staggered up the incline, the effort brought tears to his eyes.  He opened them, not believing what he saw.  The sky did not seem as dark anymore, as the faintest hint of pink pre-dawn light began to cast its glow across the sky.

Billy risked a look behind him and immediately regretted it.  His pace slowed and his feet nearly tangled.  In righting himself he almost dropped Jordan.  The look back almost fell his spirit as well, for now he knew how close the Dead were.  He imagined they could not be more than forty yards behind him.  Billy turned and pressed his body harder against the road.  As he looked ahead, his mind told him of darker shadows against the skyline. 

Walt’s bus sat on the crest, beside it the outline of the GTO.  Billy let out a yell that was nothing more than another rasp of air.  He ran, his heart beat out of his chest, his lungs on fire.

On top of Walt’s bus, Nicole stood watch.  On the wind came the faintest of sounds.  She stopped moving and put her ear to the wind.  For what seemed like seconds, she heard nothing, then it repeated.  Nicole climbed down from the bus and went to the road and stood in the middle. 

“Help!” reached her ears and Nicole readied her rifle.  As she peered into the pre-dawn darkness, at first she saw nothing.  As she stared unblinking, her face revealed the shock that seized her.  A figure in the road, and behind him, The Dead. 

“Up!  Everybody up!” Nicole shouted. 

There was movement behind her as Walt and Sam awoke with a start.  Almost on instinct and certainly without thinking, they jumped from their sleeping bags, their rifles in hand. 

They ran to where Nicole was in the road and pressed their rifles tight against their shoulders. 

Behind them, Paul lay on his side.  He knew that the call to action could only mean the Dead were on their way.  He felt neither fear nor sense of urgency.  He would let them take him, he would go, and be with his Jordan. 

As Walt, Sam, and Nicole stared into the darkness, Billy’s cry reached them.  Paul heard it and he turned over and looked to the road.  His embrace of the inevitable gave way to a white hot rage, as he cursed Billy, not for leading the Dead back to their camp, but for trying to live after he had led his Jordan to her death. 

As Billy appeared out of the darkness, the groans of the Dead reached Nicole’s ears.  Nicole flipped on her laser sights and a red beam cut through the gloom.  She started firing.  Beside her, Walt, and Sam joined in. 

Billy heard a Walker drop behind him.  He cried out in joy and relief as he saw the red lasers and muzzle flashes of his friends shooting over him. 

Nicole, Sam, and Walt, picked their targets and dropped the Dead as they charged.  Behind them, Paul stood and looked.  His face fell and all the air left him as he watched Billy emerge from the night.  Clinging to his back was his Jordan.  He seized his rifle and ran to the road.  Paul got there just as Billy came running through the line and passed him.  Paul stared at Billy as he passed, but Billy did not see him, focused as he was on simply getting one foot in front of another.  

Paul heard Nicole shout, “We’ve got more Runners!” as the three of them continued firing into the night.  Paul ran to the road and shouldered his rifle. 

“I’m out!” shouted Walt. 

“Me too!” screamed Nicole. 

Sam dropped the second to last Runner, before his gun fell silent.  Paul strode to the center of the road and waited.  The growls of the Runner grew louder and Paul took his aim.  He fired twice as an emaciated and decomposed monstrosity loomed out of the shadows at him.  The Runner plowed into the concrete and skidded to a stop at Paul’s feet.