Running Wild (9 page)

“You heard the man,” I said. “Leave him poop in peace.”

“Don’t have to ask me twice,” she said.

“I love old diners,” I said, looking at the display case still filled pies and cookies. Unfortunately, they were all spoiled and rotten, adding to the ripe fragrance of the diner.

Mary smiled sadly. “My son used to manage a diner, much like this one.”

“Oh?” I answered. I was afraid to ask her what happened to him.

She nodded. “Well, actually it was a nightclub and there were dancers there that used to take off their clothes,” she said. “But other than that, this reminds me a lot of that place.”

I raised my eyebrows and scanned the room. This place looked as wholesome and clean as any diner could possibly get. I had a hard time believing it could be compared to a seedy strip joint. Of course, I’d never actually been in one of those either.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” said Mary. “Ben was a good businessman. He was in the process of starting a dating service when he disappeared.”

“He disappeared? I’m sorry Mary. That must have been horrible for you.”

She nodded. “Well, he actually left the country for a bit. He told me that the cops were trying to frame him for being part of some type of prostitution ring. But I know Ben and he’d never get involved in something like that.”

“When was the last time you spoke to him?” I asked.

“Oh…about a year ago. He was in Amsterdam and needed to borrow some money to send some girls to America.”

“Wow, well I hope he survived in this zombie mess.”

She nodded. “Yes, I say a prayer for him every night.”

Just then Henry came out of the bathroom. “Jesus, it smells like something died in there.”

“You didn’t happen to find any zombies in the bathroom?” I asked.

He smiled sheepishly. “No, but I left them a present in there that will confuse the hell out of them.”

I didn’t want to ask Henry what he meant, so I ignored his comment and searched for boxes to load the food we’d found. Luckily, we found milk crates and they worked perfectly.

“I think this will do,” said Mary when we packed the third milk crate. “Let’s load them into the car.”

“Sounds good. I grabbed toilet paper too,” said Henry, holding up a couple rolls.

As we were loading everything into the Cadillac, a large greyhound bus pulled into the parking lot, shocking us all.

“Well, would you look at that?” smiled Mary.

The doors opened up and three men stepped out, all dressed in drag.

“Oh, thank God,” gushed a tall blond, wearing a stunning blue evening gown and sparkly high heels. The resemblance to Christina Aguilera was so uncanny that if it weren’t for the Adam’s apple and husky voice, I would have asked for an autograph. “Real living people! Come here so I can give you a hug!” he said as his heels clicked loudly on the asphalt. He threw his arms around me and I could smell a light fruity scent of perfume that actually reminded me of my mom.

“Hi,” I said smiling. “Wow, you smell nice.”

He put a hand on his hip and smiled. “Thanks gorgeous. I’m Billie by the way, what’s your name?”

I blushed. “I’m Cassie, and that’s Mary and Henry.”

The two other guys introduced themselves as Shane, who looked like Beyoncé, and Dale, who was the spitting image of Cher.

Henry smiled and laid on the southern charm. “My…my…my…I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful group of women in all my years. I believe I may have died and went to heaven.”

Billie sashayed over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Well, aren’t you just the sweetest ol’ cowboy I ever did see. I could just gobble you up, you’re so darn cute!”

Henry’s eyes opened wide and he licked his cracked lips.

“Excuse me for a minute,” he said pleasantly to Billie. He then pulled Mary to the side, although everyone could still hear his words, clear as day.

“Mary,” he pleaded, smiling from ear to ear. “For the love of God, woman, find me those pills that you took from me. I think an old man’s last dying wish has been granted.”

Mary sighed wearily. “You’re not dying and for heaven’s sake, old man, go sit down someplace before you actually do have a stroke.”

“Fine, I’ll do it myself,” muttered Henry under his breath as he began shuffling towards the car. He popped open the trunk and began searching for the pills she’d apparently hidden. You could tell he was getting frustrated by the colorful words he was using.

“Oh for the love of God…someone please give that poor old man a break,” said Shane. “Help him find his pills before he keels over.”

Mary shook her head and chuckled. “Believe me; the pills he’s looking for need to stay hidden.  There’s nothing more unsettling than seeing Henry walk around with a tent in his pants.”

There was a stunned silence and then we all burst out laughing.

“Oh, man,” said Billie, fanning himself. “I haven’t laughed that hard since before this nightmare began. I really needed that.”

“Where are you from?” asked Mary, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Well, we are originally from Vegas but have been traveling the country, performing our drag show,” said Billie. “We were just leaving one in Minneapolis when the zombies cut the tour short.”

Mary sighed. “They sure made a mess of everything, that’s for sure.

“Where are you from?” asked Billie.

“Henry and I are from Wisconsin. We picked up Cassie earlier today and now we’re all going to Nashville to meet up with family.”

“Well, we’re heading to Florida to check on our folks,” said Billie. “Well, I am. Shane and Dale had nothing else better to do.”

“Tell you the truth, we were just getting ready to leave,” said Mary. “And just so you know, there’s more food inside the diner if you need any. We didn’t take everything.”

Shane pointed to the Cadillac. “You’re leaving in that little car? It can’t be very safe with those
things
running around.”

“It’s all we have,” said Mary.

“Listen, we’ll be passing right through Nashville and you’re welcome to ride with us,” said Billie. “The bus is fairly comfortable and there’s plenty of room for everyone. Even has a decent bathroom.”

I smiled at that. “Hey, I’m game.” I’d always wanted a ride in one of those greyhound buses anyway.

“That settles it then, we’re with you guys,” replied Mary. She then touched Billie’s arm and lowered her voice. “Tell you the truth hon, old Henry makes me nervous when he drives. And boy does he throw a fit when I volunteer to take the wheel.”

We all glanced at Henry who was walking back towards us looking frustrated. “Well, you may as well be happy Mary, still can’t find those darn pills.”

She cleared her throat. “Say Henry? These lovely people have offered to share their cushy bus with us. They’re heading our way and can drop us off in Nashville,” said Mary.

“Yeah,” I said. “The bus is much more protective  against zombie attacks and there’s even a toilet.”

A thoughtful look spread across Henry’s face and he scratched his whiskers. “Well, tell you the truth…I don’t believe in chance, never have and never will. There’s a reason we’ve all been thrown together and I reckon it has something to do with God’s plan in these dark times. Either that,” he cackled, “Or I’m just one lucky son-of-a-bitch. Tell me, any of you ever watch that show “Sisterwives?”

Chapter Fifteen

After we loaded our supplies onto the bus, we settled in and began eating some of the food we’d taken from the diner.

“This is comfy,” agreed Mary as she plopped down next to me. The leather seats were indeed cushy and there was plenty of room to relax.

“Yes, this is very nice,” I agreed, stuffing a dill pickle potato chip in my mouth.

“Well, we have enough gas to get us to the next couple of towns,” said Billie from the front of the bus. He’d taken off his high heels and was now studying a road map while rubbing his feet. “So, keep your eyes open for a service station.”

“You sure you know how to drive this rig, purdy little lady?” asked Henry, who was sitting in the seat directly in front of me.

Billie smiled and lifted his blond wig, “Yes, Henry,” he replied in a much voice deeper then he’d used before. “And, I’m probably almost as good at driving a stick as you are.”

The look on Henry’s face was a mixture of disbelief, anger, and humiliation. “What…? Are you…a man?”

Billie nodded.

Henry pointed. “And, uh, those aren’t real hooters?”

Billie’s face turned crimson and he shook his head. He then tossed out the padding he’d stuffed in his bra.

“Are you…gay?” Henry asked, incredulously.

“Now that’s really none of your business,” replied Dale from the back of the bus. “Don’t answer that Billie.”

Mary got up quickly to try and calm Henry, whose face was turning beet red.  She sat down next to him and took his hand in hers. “Henry, they
are
all entertainers. Now, come on,” she said with a teasing smile, “I
know
you already figured it out and are just messing with us.”

Henry sat silently for a minute, collecting his thoughts and regaining his composure.

“Henry? You okay?” asked Billie, who looked very uncomfortable himself.

Thankful that he had a chance to save face, Henry slowly raised his tired old bones, smiled, and took a deep bow. “You’re dang tootin’ that I already knew it. You boys aren’t the only ones who can act. Shucks,” he said, smiling at Mary. “I know a real woman when I see one. Mary, you had to have known I was only trying to make you jealous.”

Mary smiled and patted his hand. “And I appreciate that, old timer.”

The rest of us smiled in relief as Henry laid his head back and after a short time later, began to snore.

~~~

We’d been driving for a few hours and eventually I got sick of feeling sorry for myself. I’d been thinking about Bryce and Eva, stuffing my face with chips, and plotting my revenge on the red-haired skank. I needed an attitude adjustment before I completely cracked. So, I moved to the front of the bus to talk to Billie.

“See any more zombies, lately?” I asked, sitting behind him.

He smiled and shook his head. “No, strangely enough. I’m sure that they’ve been migrating to areas where there’s more food. Like the larger cities.”

We’d passed through several towns on our route to Nashville and the giant bus had done a great job of protecting us from the swarms of dead zombies we’d encountered along the way. Billie had stayed calm and had maneuvered through several abandoned cars with ease. The, later, when we’d found ourselves surrounded by some volatile zombie crowds I was impressed how he ran over them without even flinching.

“We have to get our hands on more guns,” I said. “I still can’t believe you made it this far with just the bus and no weapons.”

“Who said I didn’t have a weapon?” smiled Billie. He then pointed behind his seat and I saw a couple of golf clubs. “Started out with an entire set when we left Minneapolis; just didn’t have the stomach to clean the ones I’d already used.”

I picked up one of the clubs, a putter, and admired the purple grip. “Nice. I still think you should have a gun as backup though. Have you had any experience using one?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No. Honestly, never even thought about guns before this mess. But, I did take fencing lessons growing up.”

“The next time I happen upon a sabre, I’ll save it for you,” I smiled.

He chuckled. “What’s going on with you and the old couple?”

I sighed. “I literally ran into them after escaping this guy who’d kidnapped me.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You’re kidding?”

“I wished I was,” I said softly.

“How old are you?”

“I’m almost eighteen.”

“Did you lose your parents?” he asked hesitantly.

I shook my head and told him my story, starting with how we’d found Austin.

“So that’s why you’re traveling towards Atlanta, to be with your mom and sister?”

“Yes.”

“What happened to that Austin creep? You don’t think he’ll follow you to Atlanta?”

I hadn’t even thought of that. He knew exactly where I was headed. A tight knot formed in my stomach. “I hope not.”

“Well beautiful, if that boy shows up when I’m around, he’ll meet my putter, head on.”

I smiled. “Thanks.”

He looked at his dashboard and frowned. “We are going to really need some gas soon,” he said pointing to the gauge. “It’s a shame we couldn’t fill up back in the last town. The crowd of zombies made it impossible to even get out of the bus.”

I bit the side of my lip. “We aren’t going to run out are we?”

“There’s a town coming up soon called Westhaven Lake. There should be a few gas stations there to refuel.”

I looked out into the moonlit distance to see nothing but trees and farmland, the view almost identical to the last few hours of town hopping. Although it looked so peaceful and serene, I knew without a doubt the evil that lurked beyond the horizon. I laid my head back against the seat and stared into the darkness. Soon my eyes closed and I started to drift off.

Chapter Sixteen

“Cassie,” said Billie in a strained voice, waking me up just as I was about to punch Eva in the face.

I opened my eyes and cleared my throat. “Yes?”

He pointed towards the road. “Make sure your gun’s loaded.”

We’d just entered into the next town he’d mentioned and I stared in fascinated horror at the scene in front of us. Apparently, the town had been preparing for some kind of festival and there were more zombies mixed together then I could have ever dreamed possible. Some dead carcasses lie mangled and broken on the street but most of dead were walking around in a stupor, obviously searching for food.

“Shit,” mumbled Billie. “Now I know why this town sounded so familiar. Every year, Westhaven holds a huge motorcycle rally and it brings in thousands of riders,” he slapped his hand on the steering wheel. “This isn’t good, not at all. I learned about this event on cable and these bikers were crazy enough when they were alive.”

“Well, at least they’re calm at the moment and not tearing each other’s throats out,” I pointed out. Usually that meant they were in such a frenzy to feed that their adrenaline was on overdrive, making them even more dangerous.