The First Days: As the World Dies (14 page)

1. Rush of the Dead

    

    Katie stood next to the ladder leading over the wall, hugging Jason before leaning over to give Jack a kiss. Jenni stood nearby, her dark hair tied up in a high ponytail, a backpack slung over her shoulders. The sun was higher now and Jenni looked pale, but confident.

    After hugging Katie, Jason moved back to Jenni and hugged her again.

    "We'll take good care of each other. I promise," Katie assured him.

    Jack whined at her, lifting a paw to scrabble at her knee.

    "Jack, stay here and take care of Jason, okay?"

    The dog looked from Katie to Jason, then walked sullenly to the boy's side.

    It felt strange to leave the dog behind after he had been such a constant part of their life the last two days, but Katie and Jenni both agreed it was time to let him stay behind and let Jason have the comfort of his company.

    A car alarm was going off over and over again on the other side of the complex. Standing on the roof of city hall were two men, one with binoculars, watching the zombies in the street below. It was agreed they would not give the all clear signal until the road leading to the truck was devoid of the undead.

    Katie stood quietly, hands on her hips, sunglasses covering her eyes to keep the sun's morning glare from blinding her. She wore the same old tank top and pants (and made a mental note to pick up more clothes at Ralph's) and Travis wore a T-shirt, jeans, and heavy boots.

    Juan shifted his spear. "I cannot wait to have a decent gun."

    Travis grinned. "You'll have one soon enough. Let's get moving."

    Travis climbed the ladder first. Katie followed, gripping the rungs tightly with sweaty palms before slipping over the top of the wall and scooting down the ladder on the other side. The hurricane fence was their next obstacle.

    Once Jenni and Juan joined them, they moved the ladder over to the chain-link fence, climbed it, and dropped down on the other side of the fence.

    Katie took a deep breath as she looked back over the fence and new wall.

    It seemed so much safer on the other side. Knowing how close they were now to the undead, she felt her heartbeat speed up.

    Jenni dropped down as Juan waited on the other side. Noticing her expression, Jenni gave Katie's hand a reassuring squeeze.

    "We'll kick their asses," Jenni said firmly.

    "Of course." Katie forced a smile and looked toward Travis.

    Their companion lifted a ladder that laying on the ground nearby and leaned it against the truck barrier. He took a few moments to make sure it was steady. He looked back and gave them the thumbs up.

    Juan handed the gasoline canisters over the fence to Travis and followed them over the fence.

    "Remember, as soon as we pull up, drop down and get in the truck.

    Nothing fancy. Just get in. We'll cover you," Travis said firmly.

    Jenni nodded. "I got it."

    "No worries," Juan assured him.

    Travis wiped his brow with his hand and looked toward Katie. "You ready?"

    "Oh, yeah. A little scared, but ready."

    The men on top of city hall gave the all clear signal.

    "Time to go," Travis muttered.

    "Good luck," Juan said and shook their hands.

    Jenni gave them both hard hugs. "Run like the wind."

    "Trust me. I'll set a new world's record today," Katie said with a wry grin.

    "Let's hurry." Travis turned and headed up the ladder.

    Katie followed, trying hard not to panic. She felt a little dizzy and sweat was trickling down between her shoulder blades. Maybe it was the sun, or the stress, or even both, but she felt lightheaded and slightly unreal.

    Reaching the top, she heaved herself onto the packed earth in the bed of the construction truck and looked around. The road looked clear. Juan passed the gasoline up to them and Travis set them near the edge.

    No one spoke for the tension lining their faces said it all. Travis motioned to Katie what he was going to do, then dropped over the side. Katie handed down the gasoline canisters to him. He secured them over his shoulders with long straps, wearing them like a pack on his back. When he was ready, she handed down his spear.

    Looking around one more time, she took a deep breath and swung herself over the side. As she dropped, she caught her forearm on the edge of the truck and ended up with a nasty scrape. Wincing, she took a brief look at it, but there was really no time to worry about it. Travis uttered one word "Run" and they ran.

    They were halfway down the block, sprinting for the truck,] when Katie started to hear footsteps pounding on the brick road behind her.

    Jenni-oh so sweet but not always thinking straight Jenni-screamed,

    "Katie, there is one behind you!"

    Travis uttered, "Shit!"

    Katie ran with the gun tucked into her holster and her arms pumping.

    Travis ran a few feet in front of her. She was panicking as the stench of decay and death grew stronger and the footsteps got closer. The keening was louder, more hungry, more crazed.

    "Duck," Travis exclaimed, stopping and whirling about.

    Katie ducked down, slipping around him as he lifted the spear up. She heard a meaty THWUANK and turned to see the spear jammed into the zombie’s mouth. It fell back, twisting on the ground, trying to get up. Katie drew her gun as Travis reached for the spear.

    "No time," she said, grabbing his arm. "More might come."

    Travis nodded and they both ran.

    The truck loomed large and red before them. Katie noted the gore and blood now dried to its heavy deer guard. Despite her frantic thoughts, she noted that there was nothing undead lurking under the heavy truck. Scanning the street beyond their destination, she saw nothing stirring. The zombies were behind them.

    She reached the truck first. She turned, her gun drawn, and aimed back down the street to cover Travis. She could see Juan and Jenni on the back of a truck, watching them.

    Katie heard a metallic pop as Travis opened the gas tank. She dropped one hand and her fingers closed over the keys in her pocket. Her eyes scanned the far corner as her hand reached out and opened the driver's side door. Even in their haste, both Jenni and Katie had shut the truck doors when they had fled the evening before.

    "More are coming," Jenni suddenly shouted.

    Both Juan and Jenni began to motion frantically to hurry.

    "Travis," Katie said in a strained voice.

    "I heard them," Travis answered tersely.

    The glug glug glug of the gas being poured into the tank was a welcome sound, but the howls and screeches of the approaching zombies were not.

    They rounded the corner, a torrent of battered, bloodied, ripe dead bodies. Katie lifted her gun a little higher as she edged into the cab and put the keys in the ignition.

    "Travis," she said softly.

    "On the second one," he responded.

    The zombies were closing fast. There were at least a dozen. They were running so fast their limbs were popping, arms suddenly going limp, legs suddenly dragging. But there were enough of them that a good portion kept a steady sprint.

    "Travis," she said again.

    "Fuck it!" He threw away the second gas container, an arc of clear fluid splashing the brick road. He shoved the gas cap in place and darted around to the passenger side.

    Katie yanked her door shut and gunned the engine. It didn't start.

    Travis slammed the passenger door. "Go! Go! Go!"

    "It won't!"

    "Keep trying! It was bone dry. It will take a few tries!"

    Katie kept turning it on, pumping the gas, her eyes on the zombies just a few yards from the truck. The engine caught suddenly and roared to life. She shifted gears and floored it, the truck barreling through the zombies and toward the truck barrier where Jenni and Juan were jumping up and down on top of a dirt truck.

    "Drive fast so the zombies won't have a chance to catch up, then we get Juan and Jenni, and go," Travis said breathlessly.

    Katie nodded.

    The truck was now a block away from the fort.

    It seemed impossible for there to be that many zombies at once, but the road ahead of them was filling like water fills a basin. All sizes, all ages, all rushing toward the truck, all howling. The battered, torn bodies of men, women, and children stumbled, staggered, ran and even sprinted toward them.

    Katie slammed on the brakes. "Oh, God."

    Travis sat silently, watching the flood. "They're out."

    Katie licked her lips and glanced toward him. "Yeah."

    At least a hundred zombies were flooding the street between the truck and Jenni. Katie could see Juan pulling Jenni back off the top of the dirt truck.

    "Turn and go," Travis said softly.

    Katie spun the wheel around as she pushed down on the accelerator and the truck plowed through the zombies that had originally been giving them chase.

    They were jostled around in the cab as the huge wheels churned over the dead. The truck broke free and raced up the long stretch of road out of town.

    Katie's gaze flicked to the rear view mirror. She saw some zombies still in pursuit, but most of the others were now beating their fists against the truck barricade.

    Travis was very quiet behind her, breathing hard, reeking of gasoline.

    Her shower was a moot point and she felt hot and sweaty. She glanced toward him to see he was running a hand slowly through his hair. Lifting his head, he said, "We just do what we planned."

    Katie licked her very dry lips and nodded. "Yeah. Okay." Her throat felt tight and scratchy and she forced herself to take a calming breath.

    How they were going to get back into the fort would be dealt with later.

    For now they had a job to do and they were determined to do it.

    

    

2. Left Behind

    

    Jenni was dimly aware of Juan pulling her back as she strained forward, reaching her hand toward the red truck. She screamed loud and hard as it spun around and retreated as the throng of the dead filled the street between her perch on top of the enormous truck and Ralph's red truck that Katie was driving. Juan stumbled back with her in his arms as the dead began to bang on the side of the construction truck, moaning and screeching. The heavy sandbags held the truck sturdy and it was too high for the undead to scramble over.

    "They're not climbers as far as we know, but let’s not give them the idea to try it," Juan said in her ear and half carried, half dragged her down the ladder.

    She struggled in his arms. "Katie, no! She can't leave without me!" Jenni felt like her head was going to explode as she thrashed about. Juan dropped her and they both fell behind the barricade. Safe but bruised, they were hidden from the zombies.

    Katie couldn't leave her. Katie was safety. Katie was her friend. Her war buddy. Her comrade.

    Jenni scrambled to her feet, drawing her gun, grabbing ahold of the ladder.

    Juan gripped her wrist tightly. "No. They are gone already! They're safe.

    Let them go!"

    Jason was at the wall, waving at her from over the top. "Mom, come back!"

    She felt the world spinning around her and she covered her face for a moment. Mom…? Was she still a Mom?

    Those tiny fingers…

    "Mom! Come back in!"

    Benji…gone…Mikey…gone…Jason…Jason calling to her.

    She stumbled forward and Juan helped her up onto the next ladder to scale the hurricane fence. She shoved her gun into her waistband and dropped to the other side.

    She turned back, the morning sun blinding her for a moment.

    Katie…

    Juan pushed her up onto the next ladder. "Come on, Loca. Get up there."

    Jason reached down to her and she crawled up to him. His arms went around her for a moment in a tight hug, then he was pulling her down the steps someone had made and pushed up to the wall for easy access. Jack was at her feet whining.

    "Katie left…"

    "She'll be fine, Mom. She'll be fine." Jason held her tightly to him and helped her walk.

    "But we're a team. If I'm not with her, they'll get her. That's how it works. That's how it works."

    "Travis is with her, Mom. She'll be okay. C'mon, Mom." Jason pulled her along and she went with him.

    Jenni felt numb, disoriented, and overwhelmed. Katie needed to be here or she needed to be with Katie. That was how it worked. They had to be together, as a team, or else the zombies would get them.

    The world started spinning again…

    She fainted.

    

    

3. And Further Still

    

    Katie looked at the gas gauge and frowned. As the truck tore over the bumpy country road, she was jostled about. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly to steady herself and her nerves. She let out a slow sigh.

    "It's up ahead. Soon," Travis assured her. He was peering at a map, much like Jenni used to.

    Jenni…

    Katie wondered how she was doing. She had a feeling Jenni was not taking their separation well. Actually, she wasn't either. They had bonded so quickly, so tightly, to be separated felt odd and disorienting. Travis’ presence was different than Jenni's. It had her a little off balance. She wanted to reach out and take Jenni's hand and feel that it was all going to be okay. Instead, she gripped the steering wheel tighter.