Zombie Games: Road Kill Part 12

"Oh."

She sat down on one of the recliners and sighed. "I should have known something was wrong when she gave up so easily, earlier. When I told her she couldn't go with them to Stillwater. She's usually not so compliant. I should have known she was up to something."

Tiny rubbed her back. "Don't worry about Paige, hon. I'm sure the boys will take good care of her."

She looked up at him. "They'd better because when she gets back, I swear, I'm going to tear into her harder than any freaken' zombie, dammit."

"Is that the boat?" asked Billie, thirty minutes later.

They'd parked on the Stillwater Bridge overlooking the river and there was an older model, fifty-seven-foot Jefferson anch.o.r.ed in the water.

Bryce lowered the binoculars. "Yep, that's the one. Her Escape."

"You see anyone?"

He shook his head. "No. It's too dark. They could all be sleeping. It's after ten."

"Let's hope that's all it is."

"You should park at the marina over there," said Paige, over Billie's shoulder.

"Jesus!" he gasped, turning around.

"Paige!" barked Bryce. "You scared the h.e.l.l out of us. What are you doing here?"

She smiled. "I'm here to help. Chill out."

"Did you tell your mom that you were coming?" asked Bryce.

She snorted. "h.e.l.l no."

"When did you sneak into the SUV?" asked Bryce.

"When you guys were relieving yourselves in the house."

"Figures."

"Kristie must be worried sick," said Billie. "You shouldn't have done this."

"Look, there was no way I was going to stay behind picking my b.u.t.t while you guys took off to go where the action is. No way."

"Is that what girls do when they're bored?" laughed Billie. "Pick their b.u.t.ts?"

She pushed his shoulder. "Oh, shut up you nerd."

"Paige, this is dangerous," said Bryce, motioning to a pack of zombies already moving towards them from across the bridge. "It's not an adventure or a game. Its real life and death situations. Now, not only do we have to worry about finding the others, but we have to worry about you."

Her eyes flashed angrily. "Why does everyone a.s.sume that I can't take care of myself?"

"I'm sure you can, to a point. But when you're surrounded by zombies and neither of us can get to you, what are you going to do? Swing the bat and hope for the best? I don't want to sound s.e.xist, but you're a girl and not even a very big one," said Bryce.

"I'm five-ten, so I'm not that small and definitely not stupid. For G.o.d's sake, I'm not just going to put myself in a dangerous situation."

Bryce threw up his hands. "What do you think you're doing now?!"

"Calm down," said Billie. "What's done is done and we have to move forward. Let's find a place to park at that marina. Paige can wait in the SUV while we walk to the river's edge and try to get their attention."

"I'm not waiting in the SUV," said Paige. "I'm coming with you guys."

"Oh no," said Bryce.

"I have to agree with Bryce. That's where we draw the line."

Paige sighed. "Fine."

"We're serious, Paige. Stay in the vehicle," warned Bryce.

"Heard you the first time," she yawned.

"Good," he replied, turning on the engine. "Because I'm not going to save your a.s.s if you disobey. Seriously. I don't care if Kristie kills me because of it. I have too many other people to worry about these days."

"I get it."

Knowing how unruly Paige's best friend was, Bryce wasn't so sure.

Chapter Eleven.

"s.h.i.+t," said Justice, tapping on the gas gauge, thirty minutes out of Rockford. "I think we're running out of gas, already."

Allie leaned over and looked at the gauge. "Why does it say that it's half-full, then?"

"Must be broken."

"Are we going to make it to the next town?" asked Kylie, staring into darkness, which held nothing but fields, trees, and the walking dead.

"I don't think so," he said. "I think we're screwed."

"How far is it to the next town?" asked Allie.

"Janesville is another thirty miles, but we should be able to find an abandoned vehicle along the way. A farmstead or something," he replied.

"We have to walk?" squeaked Kylie, in horror. "In the darkness, all alone?"

He shrugged. "Well, you can wait in the truck until I come back with something more suitable."

"Oh no," she said. "Been there, done that. We're coming with you."

Within minutes the truck began to coast on the fumes alone. When it finally stalled, they got out of the truck and started walking.

"Pace yourself," he said, staring forward into the darkness. "We probably have a very long walk a head of us."

"It's so dark," said Kyle, biting her lower lip. "And there are so... many trees. Anything could be lurking in there, waiting for the right time to attack us."

"True, so keep your eyes open," he replied, "and your voices down."

"At least it's not raining anymore," whispered Allie.

"True, but it left us with the smell of dead fish," he said, wrinkling his nose. "h.e.l.l, the smells on this planet just keep getting better and better every day."

"And copper," said Kylie. "It smells like copper, too."

Justice sighed. "You're not going to start with that b.l.o.o.d.y water thing again, are you?"

"Why can't you open your mind along with your eyes?" she said. "This is only the beginning of what's going to happen. A beginning to an end."

"Dun, dun, dun..." chuckled Justice.

"You really think this is the end of the world?" whispered Allie, a knot forming in her stomach. She was exhausted and Kylie's fanatical predictions were starting to really get to her.

Kylie's eyes glittered in the darkness. "Well, I believe that it's the end of something and that the zombies are just the prequel. Soon we're going to be in the middle of something so profound, that it's going to change the rest of humanity, forever. For some, it's going to be exhilarating and beautiful, for others, it's going to be devastating."

Allie stopped in her tracks. "Okay, you're beginning to really freak me out. I've never heard you talk like that. You sound so...prophetic. Is that even a word?"

She smiled. "Yes."

"So, this is all of the stuff you watched on the History channel?" asked Justice.

"Um, well... a little. But, I know you're both going to think I'm crazy..."

"What?" asked Allie.

"I've been having these dreams," she said. "Crazy wild dreams, about war and death."

"War and death?" frowned Allie. "Seriously? That sounds so morbid."

She nodded. "I know, right? I've had several these last couple of weeks. I've dreamt about, now don't laugh, but angels fighting demons. Demons that are being led by Satan."

Justice's eyebrows shot up. "Satan? Oh boy. Look, I'm going to be honest with you- I'm an atheist. A firm atheist. So, obviously, I'm going to tell you that your mind is playing tricks on you. That there is no such thing as the Devil, demons, or even G.o.d."

"Seriously?" asked Allie, turning to him. "You really believe that?"

"Of course. If there was a G.o.d, why would he have allowed so many people to die? Innocent people. And don't tell me that only the really wicked ones were killed, because my little sister was as sweet and virtuous as they come," he said, his eyes moistening up. "She didn't deserve to die the way she did, with her throat and insides ripped out."

"I'm sorry," said Kylie, touching his arm. "You know that we've all lost people we loved. But you have to believe that it was part of a plan. One bigger than all of us."

"No," he said, his voice thick. "I'm sorry, I can't. We're all alone... and when we die, we die. Everything about us dies and those are the facts."

Kylie frowned. "But-."

"No more talk, please," he said, moving ahead of them. He looked back. "Just, please, respect my beliefs by keeping yours to yourself."

Allie and Kylie stared at each other silently and then began walking again.

"I'm not saying that I don't believe you had those dreams," whispered Allie. "But you have to admit, all this talk about the end of the world and a fight between good and evil, it's just too much."

She nodded. "I know, but Allie, I swear to you, these dreams are so vivid, so real. I'm not psychic, but I believe that someone is sending me a real message. One that's very relevant to what's been happening."

"A message, from who?" asked Allie.

She looked up at the stars. "Someone up there, who's looking out for us."

Chapter Twelve.

Ca.s.sie "Is that the last of the kids?" asked Henry, bending over as he tried to catch his breath.

I stared into the darkness at all of the children, many of them peering back at me with tear-stained faced. "Yes. Everyone's accounted for. Nora said in a few minutes, we should be able to bring everyone back inside."

Fortunately, we'd gotten the flames out with hoses and wet blankets before the fire had caused any real damage to the church.

He stood up straight and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "What in the h.e.l.l happened back there, Wild?"

I shook my head. "I don't really know, Henry. I've already pinched myself several times, to make sure I'm not dreaming. Right now, I almost wish I was."

"That feller, Travis? He must be some kind of magician or illusionist to pull that off."

"Something. He certainly was a wack-job."

"Both of them were," he said.

"At least they're gone now," I said.