The Phoenix Trilogy (Book 1): World On Fire (6 page)

H
uman enemies. Their worrying about
people sabotaging them from within is proving to be more dangerous than the
undead. It's bad, and it goes a fair way toward explaining their "lack of
hands" for everything.

Worse, the scientists have
been having a hard time isolating the virus. Marco didn't have a lot of
details, but he said it sounds like it keeps changing, and they're having a
hard time predicting its patterns. He thinks they'll make it eventually, but
things are messy in the meantime.

Still, even with all the
problems, he insists that the outposts are safer than here. They're dug in
deep, and they have a pretty tried-and-true system for maintaining security
inside the walls. It's when you set out on your own that you start running into
the really dangerous stuff, which is why they came out here looking for people
to bring back home. Marco tries to pass it off like following their lead is the
obvious choice that any smart person would make. It's annoying, but he's
probably right.

Though it's funny, for as
harsh as he seems, it's BJ who has been the most insistent that I need to come
with them. At first I thought he was threatening to kidnap me if I refused, but
I think he's just really concerned. I don't know.

You see people like that
in the movies all the time, the badass with a heart of gold. Maybe I'm just
seeing what I want to see, but I think he genuinely wants to make sure I'm
somewhere safe. He's scary, whether he wants to be or not, and Rico has gone a
long way to help me feel comfortable. Rico actually reminds me a lot of Dad,
surprisingly patient and easygoing. I like him.

The
n
there's Marco.

Everybody knows a Marco,
that guy who's just cocky enough to be annoying, but not so bad that you want
to throw him into traffic. If this were like the stories, he'd secretly be the
sensitive and heartfelt one, but I'm pretty sure he's just a smarmy guy who
likes to feel important. To be fair, he might be saving my life in the long
run, but it’s hard to feel grateful when he's making fun of you. Whatever. If
it means surviving, I'll get over it.

To that end, we're
supposed to set out at first light, tomorrow. They haven't bothered to lie to
me about how dangerous it will be. They have a path that should be safe enough,
but "safe enough" isn't exactly reassuring when you're talking about
the things we'll be facing out there.

We'll be on foot for a
while, but they said there's a possibility we'll be able to use a car when we
get to a certain point, if they get the go-ahead that the road is clear. Given
how unstable the environment is, the only thing they're really sure of is that
the outpost will be manned and operational when we show up.

I'm going to be honest, I
doubt that. I know I compare real life to movies a lot, but I mean, it’s hard
not to when you've seen the same story a thousand times. It gets hammered into
your skull. Nobody ever makes it to the outpost, or if they do, it's totally
overrun and everyone is so shocked, and then there's the inevitable scramble to
try and figure out plan B while the horde is trying to hunt you down. Maybe
I'll be wrong this time, maybe something will finally go as planned…

I just don't have a whole
lot of reason to think that's going to be the case.

I think I'
v
e covered enough f
or the time being
.
If I want to be in any decent shape for traveling tomorrow, I'm going to need
to get all the rest I can get. I'm nervous about the journey, but these guys
seem to know what they're doing, and I know I can handle myself alright. I
should be fine. I'm sure as Hell not going to wish myself luck again, at any
rate. It didn't exactly pan out the way I wanted it to, last time. So, I guess
this is goodbye for now. I'll see you in the morning.

- Natalie

   
 Broken glass is everywhere. Blood is shining brightly
against the ragged shards still in the window pane. There is noise coming from
outside, a vague gurgling sound. Wet and bubbly, more desperate than hungry,
and that's when fear takes over. It must be a victim, another person caught by
monsters in the dark. They killed somebody and now they must be outside,
waiting. Or inside, hiding. Creaking floorboards and whining hinges push the
fear into mortal terror. Inside. Already here. Have to run, but limbs are like
lead, everything is sluggish and any second they're going to be there. Ripping,
tearing, biting, killing. Can't run, can't escape, going to die... want to die.

    Natalie
bolted upright from her spot on the couch, her hand instinctively wrapped tightly
around her crowbar. A sudden noise from the kitchen made her roll to the floor,
weapon raised and ready for anything. Instead, she locked eyes with a surprised
Rico.

    “Figured
you'd be hungry, and we've got a long day ahead.” His eyes briefly focused on
the metal tool in her hand, his tone coming out calm and measured as he studied
her. Natalie blinked heavily as her mind finally shook off the last remnants of
her sleep-induced fog. She felt another rush of embarrassment as she realized
her mistake.
He's carrying a bowl of cold oatmeal and a glass of water
.
Way
to go, Natalie.
An understanding smile
crossed his
face as he set the food aside. Fixing her with a serious look, he continued.

    “You
know, I'm not one to judge, but it might be easier to eat with a spoon instead.
Besides, I'm guessing that thing probably isn't sanitary.”

    Taking
a moment to put everything together, Natalie realized two things: the first is
that Rico was making a joke, and she should probably laugh. The second is that
she was absolutely drenched in a cold sweat from her nightmare. Disgusting, and
she doubted the shower will be running.
First world problems.

    The
thought made her giggle halfheartedly to herself. Rico smiled and gave her a
hearty pat on the back, pleased that she could still find something to laugh
about. He was much easier to get along with than his cousin.

    “You
know, with all of the commotion yesterday, we never actually asked you for your
name.” He stopped to pick up the food and offer it to Natalie, a gentle but
persistent gesture that reminded her of her dad. She knew she needed to eat,
even if her stomach might rebel. Besides, if she was going to die today, it'd
probably be better to go out on a full stomach.

    “Natalie.”
She paused to take a bite of her food. “My name is Natalie.”

    Rico
extended his hand in a show of exaggerated formality. “Well then, Miss Natalie.
I am Rico. Consider us officially introduced.” He smiled again, doing his best
to keep her spirits raised.

    Natalie
laughed, feeling the slightest release of tension in her chest, and took his
hand. “Good to meet you, Mister Rico. And thank you for the food.”

    It
felt good to have a normal conversation. It didn't hurt that Rico seemed to
have
practice at making people feel at home. She appreciated the
effort, and for the first time in a while, it didn't feel like the world was in
such bad shape. As satisfying as the moment was, however, it was inevitable
that something would shatter the illusion.

    In
this case, it was Marco.
Stepping into the room casually, his eyes lit up with mischief as he took in
the scene.
“Hey heeey! Look
at the lovebirds!” He smirked and elbowed his cousin. “Not bad, cuz. Not bad at
all.”

    Rico
and Natalie both immediately dropped their handshake, stuttering responses in
unison without managing to successfully say anything. Rico was the first to
recover. “I just brought her food and introduced myself. As much as I like
letting you be the group sponsor, I
'd rather try to
make a decent first impression. Like asking for her
na
me, as an example.” He gave his cousin a pointed look,
effectively turning the tables on his previous embarrassment.

    For
his part, Marco did look regretful. Or at least, as regretful as a man
who is infinitely
sure of himself can be. “That's my bad,
yeah. Sorry.” Shifting his tone to one of feigned formality, Natalie could see
the relation between the two men. Though Rico's exaggeration had been funny,
she had to admit that Marco only came off as pompous. She tried not to laugh at
him as he extended his hand. “I am Mister Marco. May I inquire as to your
name?”

    At
that, Rico leaned in. “I don't think you said that right, cuz.” Marco snorted
and waved him off, forgetting his attempt at a handshake.
A few short words later and the cousins
were bickering quietly with each other.

    Natalie
rolled her eyes. Apocalypse or no, some things never change. She leaned into
their
argument just long enough to introduce
herself. “I'm Natalie, by the way.”

    Marco
blinked for a moment, clearly having forgotten what he had asked her. Then his
face broke out into a grin. “Natalie! I like it. Little wordy, though.” Before
Natalie could ask him what he meant by that, he slapped his cousin on the back.
“BJ needs us; we're getting ready to head out. That means you too, Nat.”

    Now
it was Natalie's turn to pause. She would have protested his new nickname for
her, but Marco had already walked back into the kitchen to meet with BJ. Rico
just shook his head and shrugged at her. “I'd apologize for him, but years of
experience have taught me that it doesn't really mean much.”

    Natalie
sighed, and Rico patted her on the shoulder. “Eat up. I'll go see what BJ has
in store for us today.”  
Giving
her one final reassuring squeeze,
he turned and followed after Marco. Alone again, Natalie
glanced down at her oatmeal.

    Her
stomach was in knots, and the food was looking less and less appealing. Forcing
the thought out of her mind, she kept eating. All day caught between Marco and
the zombies. She was going to need all the energy she could muster.

    By
the time she had finished with her meal, BJ and the others had already packed
up their gear. Natalie walked in as they were debating on what route to take
back, but BJ stopped the conversation as he saw her. “Natalie. Did you sleep
well? Have you eaten?”

    The
questions came as a surprise. She kept expecting him to be more callous, but he
consistently showed a more genuine concern for her well-being than most. It
made her feel guilty for judging him, but she let the thought pass. “I slept
alright, and yeah, I ate. Thank you for asking.”

    BJ
grunted his approval and nodded before waving her over. “It isn't all out of
being polite. I know you've put down at least two undead, and that's either
impressive or a fluke.” At this, he hefted a large duffel bag onto the table,
all the while maintaining eye contact with Natalie.

    “Where
we're going, there will probably be more. What I need to know is if you can
handle yourself,
should
the need arise.” A moment later, he
produced a handful of weapons from the bag, laying them out for display. A
handgun, a shotgun, a few melee weapons, and several pieces of equipment that
Natalie had never seen before.

    Natalie
looked up from the table and saw all three men watching her. Marco with a look
of amused curiosity, Rico with concern, and BJ silent and intense as ever. She
cleared her throat awkwardly,
letting her gaze drop to her lap
.

    “The
two you've seen are the only ones I've had to deal with. The one in the window
was stuck, so I
'm guessing it
doesn't count
.” She fiddled
with her hands nervously
and
forced a chuckle
, not
wanting to admit how close she'd come to dying.

    “The
other
one was a lot
worse
. I climbed out the
window and it broke its leg chasing me. I fought it, but if it wasn't hurt, I
wouldn't
be here
.” Her face was starting to redden
talking about it. She knew this was just going to make Marco even worse. BJ and
Rico would probably think she was a liability. The alternative was lying, but
trying to pull one over on BJ seemed like a bad idea, so here she was.