The Great Wreck (18 page)

           
I knew
had happened to the others. They were bitten and turned into the things that
had chased after her or had been completely devoured and now had their bones
decorating the inside of some casino lounge. I didn’t need to say anything, I
could tell by the way she looked down when she talked, that she too knew what
had happened to her traveling companions.

           
The girl
continued, “I was sitting in the room looking out the widow wondering how much
longer I could hold when I heard the sound of a car and saw you filling up. I
knew I had to take a chance and make a break for it.”

           
“How did
you eat?” Greer said when the girl wound down.

           
“I’d
sneak out and get down to the kitchen, grab as much canned stuff as I could,
then get back up to the room. There must have been water tanks up on the roof
since there was still water running in the bathroom,” she replied.

           
“Well,
welcome,” I said and held out my hand, “I’m Casey. This is Tony” I said
pointing towards Tony, “That’s Nicky there, Greer, and you are sitting on
Dreysi.”

           
She took
my hand shyly and gave it a quick pump, “Nice to meet you all. I’m Shane,” she
said. As she did I could see the huge, black stain of blood down the front of
her pants. Was it fresh? It looked like it was a deep black and dried but
against her blue jeans and covered in grim, I couldn’t be sure.

           
Everyone
shook Shane’s hand then Dreysi began telling her our story of getting out of
the city before things had completely fallen apart, about the cabin, about the
dead on the mountain. As they talked I looked at the gas gauge; quarter of a
tank; that’s all we had gotten form the gas station. Shit. I climbed out of the
truck and looked around for any possible signs of trouble. Seeing nothing but
empty highway in front and behind us, I walked to the back of the truck and
took each of the big, red gas cans and unhooked them from the tailgate. I then
opened up the gas tank, took of the cap and poured each of the canisters into
the old girl’s tank.

           
During this,
Tony had climbed out as well and stood next to me, “How much do you think we
have, Old Hoss?”

           
“Three
quarters of a tank. Tops.”

           
“Enough
to get us to Albuquerque?”

           
“Barely.
But not enough to get us up to the tram station.”

           
“Fuck.”

           
“Yeah. Double
fuck. And that means we have to get more gas somewhere.”

           
“Damn
it. I was hoping we could swing by the houses, cram our folks in, and just keep
going.”

           
“Nope.
We’ll make it to Nicky’s place tonight, probably late depending on the roads.
Maybe we can siphon gas from some of the cars there, enough to get us to the
tram station anyway.”

           
As Tony
and I talked, the girls all clambered out of the car. I opened up the tailgate
and pulled down the jump seat, “Now you guys don’t have to sit on top of each
other,” I said.

           
Shane
looked at Dreysi and replied, “I don’t mind.”

           
Dreysi
smiled back at her while Tony and I rolled our eyes at each other. Well, at
least now Dreysi had someone, I thought as I put the gas cans back on the
tailgate and said, “All right then, load up.”

           
Dreysi
and Shane climbed in the back and sat on the jump seat while Nicky and Greer
climbed in the back seat and Tony and I got into the front. I turned the truck
on and watched the gas gauge needle climb up to just below the three quarter mark,
“A little less than three quarters. It will have to do,” I said and put the
truck in gear.

           
I took
it easy keeping the truck at fifty. The road was clear of cars but I knew as we
got closer to the city we’d run into more pileups and traffic jams. The road
rolled by as first Tony, then Greer and Nicky fell asleep. In the back, I could
see Dreysi and Shane cuddled up against each other. I was thankful for the few
moments of peace and quiet as nothing but the sound of the tires on the road
and wind rushing by the truck filled the air.

*
     
*
     
*

           
In the
back, Dreysi marveled at the turn of events. Shane had curled up alongside her
on the jump seat and had pulled Dreysi’s arm around her as Casey got them
headed east again. Shane’s body was so warm up against her but Dreysi could
feel Shane shaking. Dreysi whispered calming words to her until Shane’s body
relaxed and she fell asleep, her head resting on Dreysi’s chest.

           
Shane
hardly moved as Dreysi watched the road slip by wondering what they would find
in Albuquerque. Where her parents and little sister OK? Maybe they had been
able to seal up the house and keep the infected, the dead, out. They’d find
them there, safe and sound, they’d somehow squeeze them into the truck, then
head up to Sandia. They’d all be safe up there on the mountain, far above the
dead below.

           
Dreysi
felt Shane shift a bit then place her hand on Dreysi’s leg. Dreysi felt her
pulse quicken as Shane’s hand ran along her inner thigh. She heard Shane moan
just a bit and Dreysi moved her free hand along Shane’s cheek which was no
longer hot but cool to the touch. She trailed her fingers down the side of
Shane’s face, along her neck, and down to the collar of her shirt.

           
Shane’s
hand had continued to move up until she reached between Dreysi’s legs. Dreysi
felt a burst of heat in her abdomen and felt herself getting wet as Shane began
to rub her, then felt Shane reach up and tug at the top of her pants, grunting
slightly as she did. Dreysi quickly reached down and undid the top button or
her pants, then quickly unzipped them. Shane ran her hand up under Dreysi’s
shirt and ran her fingers along Dreysi’s belly, scratching at her skin, lightly
pawing at the top of Dreysi’s panties.

           
Inexperienced,
Dreysi thought as she used her left arm to pull Shane over her. Shane’s hair
had come out of its ponytail and covered her face as she straddled Dreysi and
began to frantically move her hands up and down Dreysi’s body, grunting short,
little animal grunts as she did.

           
Dreysi
felt the heat pouring into her lower abdomen and felt her panties getting
wetter as her pulse increased and she began to unbutton Shane’s shirt. She
quickly worked her way down to the bottom then pushed the shirt aside revealing
Shane’s flat, white belly. Dreysi didn’t stop as Shane nipped at her neck with
tiny bites and grunts but quickly unsnapped Shane’s bra and pulled it down
reveling her small, round breasts, Dreysi hoped the others were asleep and
Casey too preoccupied with driving to know what was happening in the back seat
as she undid the button of Shane’s pants. She was about to get laid! Finally!

           
As
Dreysi pulled down Shane’s zipper, she could see the edge of her white panties
and what looked like the tip of a bandage. Looking closely at the bandage she
could see that blood had soaked though, “Are you OK, sweetie? Are you hurt?”
she said as she unzipped Shane’s pants completely and pulled down the top of
her panties.

           
Dreysi
felt her heart stop and her blood run cold as she peeled the bandage back and
revealed the wound, “Shane?” she whispered as she looked at the large chuck of
missing flesh and the clear teeth marks that surrounded the wound.
 
Dreysi could see all the way down to the top
of Shane’s startlingly white hip bone. Around the wound the flesh was a deep
necrotic blue and green with the infection radiating out across Shane’s
abdomen, “Sweetie?” she whispered as he mouth dried up and her throat closed
and looked up pushing Shane’s hair out of the young girl’s face.

           
Shane
looked down at Dreysi, seemingly confused through her now cloudy and opaque
green eyes. Dreysi sucked in a huge breath preparing to scream but Shane beat
her to it letting out a scream of such hatred and rage before plunging her
teeth deep into Dreysi’s throat

*
     
*
     
*

           
I could
see Dreysi and Shane moving around in the rear view mirror and hoped they were
quiet about whatever they were doing back there. I watched the road for
anything unexpected thinking that I’d hate to round a bend in the highway and
crash into an abandoned car or truck or run into a military checkpoint and have
them blast us into bits before we could stop.

           
Then
Shane screamed so loud and so long, a scream filled with rage and hatred that I
screamed with her. I hit the brakes sending the truck into a spin as the others
came instantly awake and began screaming too. In the rear view mirror I could
see Shane’s head jackhammering violently up and down as huge gouts and sprays
of blood splashed the windows, the roof, and the seats around her as Dreysi’s
head whipped back and forth.

           
The
trucks finally skidded to a halt and Tony burst out of the passenger’s side
almost as soon as it had stopped. I jumped out of my side and we ran to the
back of the truck. I jerked open the tailgate as Tony stepped around the side
and pointed his gun inside.

           
I wish I
hadn’t see what was happening in there. I wish we had just smashed into some
burnt out truck killing us all then and there instead of having to witness the
atrocity taking place. I could see Shane straddling Dreysi on the jump seat,
her head still pistoning up and down as sheets of blood ran down the sides of
the seat. I could see Shane’s arms tearing at Dreysi, frantically digging into
her chest.
 
I could hear that endless
scream of rage as Greer and Nicky jumped from the car and ran to the back.

           
“Casey!”
Tony screamed and broke the paralysis. I reached in and grabbed what had been
Shane by her left foot and dragged her off of Dreysi and onto the road. Shane
twisted around at me and screamed again launching and bending up at me, trying
to get her hands on me but I kept moving back denying her leverage, dragging
her away from the truck. I looked back and could see Dreysi’s body. Her throat
had been completely tore out and her chest cavity split open.

           
God
these things must be strong, I thought as Tony stepped up behind Shane and put
two bullets in her head. I quickly dropped the dead girls foot and ran back
towards the truck where, Nicky, having run around the side, was standing
looking at the remains of her sister.

           
Nicky
let out such a terrible scream of agony and grief that went on and on, slowly
rising in pitch until it filled the whole world. I wrapped my arms around her
waist, hauled her off of her feet, and carried her away from the scene of
carnage, “Greer! Help me!” I called back as Tony walked to the back of the
truck.

           
Greer
ran to me and wrapped her arms around Nicky as Nicky cried out and tried to
claw her way back to her dead sister’s body, “No! No! Dreysi, no! Come back!
Come baaaaaaaaack!” she screamed as I tried to hold her, but she was so strong,
so driven by grief and rage that she was breaking free from my grip. Out of the
corner of my eye I saw Greer move, heard a thump, then felt Nicky go limp in my
arms.

           
Greer
stood behind Nicky, holding a flashlight in her hand, “You hit her?”

           
“I had
to, she was freaking out and I didn’t think she’d want to see what is going to
happen next,” Greer said in a strange, toneless and hollow voice.

           
“What do
you mean?” I said as I turned and looked at the wreckage of Dreysi’s body in
the back of the truck, saw Tony standing near the open tailgate, and understood
what was about to happen.

           
Tony
stood looking at Dreysi’s face, watching, waiting. Yeah, she’d been a crazy
fucking bitch, she’d been nothing but grief the since they had left the city,
but she had been human and had a family that loved her and no one, no living
being deserved to die like that. He saw her hand twitch and knew the time was
close. Then I saw her head snap back and forth, watched her now opaque eyes
snap open as she reared up and looked around, newly animated. She spotted Tony
and screamed, then lunged out the back of the truck with great clumps of flesh
and gore dropping from her chest as she scrambled out of the back. Tony waited
until she had cleared the back of the truck and stood up on the highway, then
put two bullets into her head dropping her to the ground.

           
“I
didn’t think Nicky could handle that,” Greer said laying Nicky on the ground at
her feet, “We need to bury them,” she said as she walked to the rack on top of
the truck and pulled one of the army surplus spades down that I kept there. I
followed her and took the other. We dug two shallow graves off the side of the
highway and Tony helped us pull the bodies of the two girls into them. Tony and
I quickly covered them back up while Greer tried to muck out the back of the
truck as best she could, careful not to get any of the blood or viscera in her
eyes, mouth, or open wounds. There wasn’t much she could do and as we lay Nicky
out on the back seat, the copper smell of blood nearly choked us.