Mad World (Book 3): Desperation (15 page)

Twenty One

I should have known not to let down my guard. Speeding south on I-93, we had just passed I-495 and gone about five miles down the freeway when we entered an area that had been overrun by zombies. In the pre-dawn hour not even the stars shown in the overcast sky. We began to see shapes flitting in and out of the headlight beams and along the side of the road. Zombies could move fast if they had the space and really wanted to. About a minute after we caught sight of them, the first one threw itself across the hood of the cruiser in front of us. Sgt. Wolford was traveling with another officer in that car, and it swerved sharply across and into the oncoming lane. Wolford seemed to regain control of the cruiser and got back into his lane a few seconds later, only to have two more zombies jump out at his car from the right.

“Shit, I knew this was too good to be true,” said DeAndre.

“Oh, man. Where did this guy learn to drive?” Dad said.

More zombies had jumped onto Wolford’s cruiser, and he veered sharply back over to the left, then overcorrected and swerved right and went into the ditch.

“Should we stop?” asked DeAndre.

“No, keep going,” Dad said firmly, looking out the window as we passed the cruiser. “If two Massachusetts state police can’t shoot their way out of that, then…” but his voice trailed off as he saw one of the police cruisers from behind us peel off and park behind its companion in the ditch. Through the window we could see four officers with shotguns preparing to get out. Dad nodded. “Keep going.” He gave one final look behind us. “And don’t stop for anything.”

DeAndre nodded and gunned the engine, and we flew down the I-93 freeway at about 80 mph. The Hummer was now one car behind us, with the cruiser in between us. The two other cruisers were behind the Hummer, and lights were still flashing everywhere. It was like a police motorcade set on “hurry” as we raced towards Boston.

We were okay for another few minutes, and I truly thought we’d make it. I didn’t think anything could stop us now, so close to our goal. Little did I know …

We’d just come into the developed area surrounding Boston and were just passing Medford when the first real attack came.

“Whoa, are we going over a river?” Zach looked out the window into the darkness. A few lights could be seen glinting off some water below us, just visible over a low wall on our side.

“That would be the Mystic River, It means we’re about 10 minutes away from the city,” DeAndre answered from the front. We cleared the water and began to veer slightly to the left. We were now skirting the water’s edge. More lights twinkled and reflected off the river. In fact, the water looked positively frothy in the night air. Waitaminute.

“Dad…”

WHUMP!!!

We’d hit something. DeAndre gripped the wheel as the SUV went up on its side on two wheels. We all tilted to the right as D fought for control of the vehicle. Then …

SLAM!!!  THUMPLETA-THUMPLETA-THUMPLETA-THUMPLETA…

We were back on four wheels, only we were dragging something, and it was slowing us down.

“What is that?”

“I don’t know!”

“Christ! They’re coming at us from the water!”

“Oh, god! D, floor it!”

“I’m trying! We’re caught on something!”

DeAndre was standing on the gas, and we were still steadily slowing down. Zombies were crawling from the shoreline by the dozens, dripping wet in the little light there was. Moss and muck hung from them as they ran up the embankment and toward us.

I looked behind us through the rear window and saw that the police cars and Hummer were still right behind us, waiting to see what we did.

We were now slowed to less than 40 mph.

“Goddammit, I am sick to death of this crap!” DeAndre suddenly pulled over to the right side of the road and stopped. Zombies were running to us and surrounding our vehicle.

“Jake, let’s do Plan B,” DeAndre looked at Jake with fierce anger. “I am done with these monsters. First my Caitlin, and now this.” Unshed tears swam in D’s angry eyes.

Dad looked back at him, then out the window at the zombies. We were nearly surrounded. “It’s like they know we are trying to get to Carroway for a cure,” he said. “The police knew, and the zombies probably know.” He looked back at DeAndre. “Okay. I’m fed up too. Let’s do it. Plan B.”

“What’s Plan B?” Zach asked.

“You don’t want to know,” Risa mumbled from the back stretcher. Jonathan had given her pain meds, and now she was drugged up. “Just hold on.”

I looked at Zach. “She’s right. Hold on. This may get crazy.” I looked back at Dad and D and nodded.

“ ‘Crazy?’ Compared to what?” Zach’s voice rose in surprise as D and Dad unbuckled their seatbelts and swiftly rose in their seats, reaching back to the rear where Risa and Jonathan were already handing them heavy jugs. I helped lift them to the front and took one for myself.

“I’ll do the right side; I’ve been trained on this,” Jonathan said, then climbed to sit beside Zach. As Jonathan moved forward, without being told Leia moved to the rear with Risa, sat in the jump seat and buckled herself in. She fixed me with a determined look. This girl caught on quick.

“Okay, I’m going out to the front to lead,” Dad said.

“You think that’s wise?”

“It has to be done. I’ll have my harness on.”

“Still…”

“Be careful, Dad.”

“I always am.”  He crouched on the seat and turned to give D a nod. DeAndre pulled a lever under the dash and floodlights popped up on the top of the SUV. Suddenly lights blazed all around us, and night was turned into day. The zombies backed up about ten feet and waited cautiously for what was coming. They knew something was up. D rolled the bullet-proof window next to Dad down and Dad crawled out and onto the hood of the big black SUV, lifting the huge jug after him. He crouched on the hood and snapped on the harness he pulled out of the front grill compartment. Nobody would ever know how very tripped-out our vehicles were. I swear, sometimes, they seemed like the Batmobile.

He finished clipping the straps onto the metal rings mounted on the side of the hood and at the base of the windshield, as well as the top of the grill, and turned to give DeAndre a thumbs-up signal. Nodding, D turned to us and said, “Hold on.” Turning back to the front, he nodded to Dad and began pulling forward.

Slowly at first, then picking up speed, D accelerated to about 25 miles per hour. Dad unscrewed the jug’s top and then rose from a crouch to a standing position, and we could see the harness strapped to his waist and chest. He pulled a central strap tight and was then bound to the hood. Lifting the jug high, he leaned forward, and we could see how the harness kept him strapped tight to the hood, while still allowing him some freedom of movement. The jug was lifted up and tilted, and liquid poured from it, spraying across the road in front of our vehicle. DeAndre pressed another button, and there was a huge FOOM! as the liquid ignited. Jonathan and I leaned out our side windows and began pouring out the contents of our jugs. Then the whole thing ignited. The flames spread out quickly, and the zombies were engulfed.

In the past, when we’d fought zombies, they’d made no sound when we killed them. These were different. A low, loud sound emanated from the dozens of zombies that were now fully immolated. I watched as they turned and stumbled, then fell.

DeAndre accelerated to about 40 mph, and Dad emptied the last of his jug. Swerving back and forth, D drove in a controlled swirl that had the gasoline-laced oil spreading across the entire highway. Zombies fell away like weeds as we drove on. The police cruisers pulled off to the side, but behind them the Hummer roared through the flames. Tim was determined not to lose us. We were their only hope now.

As we emptied the last of our jugs, we dropped them out the windows and pulled inside and Zach caught me around the waist. I realized he’d been holding on to my belt loops the whole time.

I turned to him. “Did you think I’d fall out?” I said, chuckling.

“I wasn’t going to take any chances.”

“Luke, give me specs on Tim, I can’t see him,” DeAndre said.

I turned and looked. “He’s still with us. The cops have pulled off, though.”

D drove out of the flames and left a couple hundred Cajun roasted zombies behind. Driving clear of them, he kept going several miles, with Dad crouched on the hood again.

“Coast looks clear, I’m going to pull over up here. Have your guns ready, everyone.”

We all held our shotguns poised. Glancing back, I saw Leia was brandishing a bowie knife, just in case. She saw me looking, and a small smile broke through her scowl. I smiled back.

“We’re ready.”

DeAndre quickly pulled over and Dad unhooked himself and was inside in under a minute. D roared back onto the freeway, the Hummer still following. The oil had flamed up a bit on them, but it soon went out as they drove.

“Hello, Superman,” DeAndre patted Dad’s arm. “Good to have you back inside.” He smiled.

“Thanks,” Dad grinned.

“That was awesome!” Zach exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.

“Epic,” piped Leia from the back. She and Jonathan soon changed places again.

“Glad to have you back,” Risa said weakly from the back as Jonathan laid a hand on her arm.

“I don’t know what’s coming next, so be ready, everyone.” Dad grimaced and looked out at the road. Zombies occasionally still flitted in and out of the headlights, crossing the road and running alongside us as we drove on. We’d left most of them behind. A few ran up and grabbed hold of the SUV’s mirrors and hung on, dragging, until they fell off.

I looked out the window at more dark space and water below us. We were going over another bridge. Dad consulted his map then looked around. The zombies were still jumping at us, but since there weren’t nearly as many as there had been before, our heavy SUV had no problem plowing through them. “The turnoff to M.I.T. is just ahead,” Dad indicated. DeAndre pulled off and followed the ramp as it curved around to a stop sign. He turned left and pulled forward again, but then slowed a bit as he approached another stop sign.

“Turn right here,” Dad said, glancing up then down again at the map. “Holocaust Park is right ahead; drive down by it and then we go left.”

“Yeah …” DeAndre was distracted by something to our right. I stretched forward to see what he’d spotted.

“Um… What’s that?” I said.

Dad looked up and gasped.

“What’s up?” Jonathan said in the back. Risa sat up beside him and craned her head to see out the front windshield.

“Oh god!” I exclaimed. I couldn’t help it. The road was gone. Just … gone.

Twenty Two

In front of us was the park, it stretched away from us, the end of it shrouded in darkness. Congress Street was a big boulevard that ran along the length of Holocaust Park on the left, and then continued on down and curved to the left. Along the length of Congress Street, and continuing to the far left, the road was blocked, it disappeared under a mountain of debris. Piled high with everything from telephone poles that had been knocked down, to parked cars that had been lifted and strewn across the road, the way was impassable.

DeAndre rolled to a stop about 25 feet from the edge of this massive obstruction. The Hummer pulled up behind us. There was no sight of the police cars. D turned off the ignition and folded his arms across the top of the steering wheel.

“Huh.” DeAndre and Dad looked out over this new impediment to our journey.

“Who do you suppose did that? The police?” Zach wondered beside me.

“I don’t think so,” Dad said. He looked down at the map. “We could go around, except I’m betting there will be another roadblock.”

“You mean …” I said.

“Yes, I think so.” He looked back at me. “The reports did say they were getting smarter and smarter.”

“Oh, no.”

“I can’t believe it.”

DeAndre looked out and all around us. “It looks deserted, utterly deserted.” He turned to Dad. “I’m going to go check it out.”

“Take Luke with you.”

Being the strongest and immune to the plague, I was a pitch in to most fights. Bodyguard-ap-shoo-in for any altercation.

“Wait.” Dad looked around. Opening the window, he stuck his head out and breathed in the night air. The stars were hidden, veiled behind the mist of the night. It was quiet. As quiet as the grave. Not even crickets sounded. “I’m going, too.”

“Well, hell, why don’t we all go?” Jonathan piped up from the back.

As DeAndre grabbed his shotgun and knife, opened the door and slung his Bowie behind him into the back holster, nearly everyone followed him. Risa, still too weak to be of any help in a skirmish, called after us, “Be careful. I’m with you in spirit.”

Smiling, I turned to Dad. “She doesn’t sound too happy.”

“She’s not,” said Jonathan, coming up behind us. “Being out of commission is probably the most frustrating thing in the world for her. You know how she is.”

I did know. I’d fought alongside her too many times to count.

“Hey, squirt. Where do you think you’re going?” DeAndre said to Leia as she jumped down and out of the SUV.

“You may need me,” she scowled.

Chuckling, D walked up to the pile of trees, telephone poles and cars. Coming up behind him, I saw all kinds of stuff had been piled up there. It looked like a hurricane had whipped through a swap meet and picked up household goods, tossing them in with the big stuff. And there were some body parts stuck in with the trash: legs and arms. A foot stuck out of under a junked car.

“A couch?” Zach sounded incredulous.

“Heck, there’s everything here but the kitchen sink,” I joked.

“Well, here’s a washing machine,” Jonathan said from half a dozen feet away.

The pileup stretched off into the distance on both sides. There were severed heads, not turned, human heads, stuck on branches all along the length of the thing, as far as the eye could see.

“My god,” Dad said with disgust and wonder.

You had to admire their work. Thorough and effective. They’d dammed up the entire area, effectively stopping our vehicles cold.

As we studied the gruesome, chaotic roadblock, Tim and the others walked up to us from the Hummer. We all just stood there gaping at this pile of crud. It reached up 12 feet high in some places.

“Well, shit.” Dad began looking at the map he’d brought with him, trying to shine his flashlight on it. “Here, hold this, will you, Leia?” She took the flashlight from him and stood there shining it steadily onto the map as he studied it.

“We could drive across the lot sideways, the SUV can get over some obstacles,” DeAndre said, still looking over the piled barricade.

“Maybe,” Dad mumbled, sitting on the grassy curb. Leia followed him closely and shone the light onto the map. She’d quickly surmised the chain of command in our little team and seemed determined to make a good impression.

Zach and I walked to the side a dozen feet, and I hopped up onto the pile, landing on a thick tree trunk. I bounced up and down a few times on it. It held steady, barely moving. This barricade was woven tight; we wouldn’t be able to move it at all. Climbing further up, I was able to get a good look at the other side

“Oh, man. This thing is twenty feet thick.” I turned and jumped down to the ground and shook my head. Whoever or whatever had built it had done an excellent job.

“I didn’t think zombies could think that far ahead,” Zach wondered.

“Or build something this tight that would take an engineer a month to design.” I grimaced and looked up at the towering pile.

“Leia, hold it up. Leia?” Dad looked up at her and went silent. Her face was white with fear in the flashlight’s glow.

“What?”

All of a sudden-

“AAAAUUUUUUUAUAAAHHHHHHHHHH…”

A low howl, almost a moaning, filled the early morning, carrying on the predawn misty air. It was haunting, and sent a chill up my spine.

“Where is that coming from?”

It seemed to be coming from everywhere. The fog was playing tricks on our ears, and the sound seemed to echo back at us.

“AAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRAAAUUUUHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”

Leia opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Standing there, transfixed by something … I followed her gaze and looked back at the curb and our vehicles. I squinted, not sure what I was seeing. WHAT?