(Book 2)What Remains (15 page)

During his pause to breathe and wipe the sweat
beading on his face I interjected, “They are more dangerous at
night. After they turn their pupils get huge. I’m guessing it makes
them better at hunting during the night.”

He took a swig of water. “Must be. I wish I had
known shit like that because the second the side door closed a
handful of the fuckers got to me quick. Even though they are slow
moving it’s crazy how fast they can corner you. Have you seen them
jump at you when they get close enough?”

I remembered climbing the fence at the Cary
Street Field with Lance. That infected lunge Ian referred to nearly
did me in back then. “I’ve seen it more than I’d like. The ones
still able to walk can definitely get a little burst of speed when
they are close to prey.”

“Prey? Hunting? I thought these were walking
corpses not some kind of predator.” He sounded very confused. It
all validated his claim that he was locked in here before things
got really bad. I would bet a couple of hours before my arrival was
the first time he had encountered the undead up close.

“From what I read before everything went down, I
think the R33PR virus uses the infected people as a carrier for the
virus once they pass. After seeing it personally, and much more
personally than I’d like, it makes sense. The person dies then the
virus takes over.
Living
people are most vulnerable at night
so that’s the time the reapers are most effective. When they are
close to their target they lunge like a snake bridging the gap
between it and food.
We
are food and the next potential
carrier for the virus to keep going.”

“It does make sense. Sounds like you’re speaking
from experience. I don’t envy you for that.”

I shrugged. “I’m here now… that’s what matters.
So what happened?”

“What do you mean?”

My voice went from willing casual conversation
back towards an element of seriousness. “In the parking lot. You
said a group of them got to you. What happened?”

Sweat dripped from his brow tracing more lines
in the grime coating. His mannerisms reminded me of a child getting
caught in a lie. He picked up his bat and my hand immediately found
the Kukri tucked at my side. “I fought them back and made it to the
door.” Then he held the bat up to show the plastering of organic
slime from his battle.

“Come on, McAllister. I can see it all over your
face. Something else went down that you’re hiding. Are we in danger
here?”

“No! We’re not, really! I blocked the door. It
would take a few hundred of them to get through it.”

“I see that. Did one of them bite you?”

He shook his head in denial. “No! I told you
when you first came in that I’m not one of them.”

“We’ve been having a conversation so I can tell
that you’re not one of them, but it doesn’t answer my question.
Were you
bitten
?” I stood up from the rolling desk chair.
The grip I had on the handle of my sheathed blade was no longer
concealed from view.

His head drooped. A mixture of tears and sweat
had cleared more stripes beneath his eyes. The bat released from
his right hand; it clanked to the floor then rolled to the wall. He
moved his hands together then pulled the work glove off the hand
that had been holding his bat. Beneath the glove was a small wound
on his wrist. I yanked the Kukri free and whipped it above my
head.

Ian screamed, “It barely got me! This doesn’t
mean I’m going to become one of those motherfuckers out there!”

I took a step back. “That’s exactly what it
means and you know it.”

Tears flowed freely then. “I was almost back to
the door. They were all around me. When I bashed a lady missing
half of her face another one jumped while my arm was still
extended. I tried to fight it off but it clamped down on my wrist.
The pressure was insane, man! It felt like my wrist was slammed in
a car door. I punched that fucker so hard with my other hand that
its skull caved in around the eye then it let go. Its teeth barely
made it through the glove and it was just in one small spot.”

“One small spot is all it takes. Don’t you get
it?!”

“I do… I do. All I wanted was to see them
again.”

“I understand. Probably more than anyone else,
believe me. I completely understand how you feel, but it’s too
late. Right now you’d be more of a danger to them than anything.
That’s not how you want them to remember you, is it?”

“No! Of course it’s not.” He put his glove back
then stood from his seat. I jumped back ready for defense.

“I don’t want to do this again, McAllister.
Don’t make me kill you when your heart is still beating.”

“What the fuck do you mean ‘
again
’?
You’ve had to do this before?”

My face was like a statue. The cold expression I
showed him hid mountains of regret. I killed Phil as a man, not a
monster. There didn’t need to be another face to haunt my dreams.
In response to his astute question I answered, “There are no limits
to what I will do for my family.”

“I won’t fight you, Nathan.” The crying stopped.
In lieu of the death sentence he had just accepted, peace overcame
him. “Let me help you. Infected or not, my heart
is
still
beating. I can help you. No one knows those trucks out there better
than me because I kept them going for the last few years. Let me do
something worthwhile. Let me get a truck together so you can do for
your family what I couldn’t for mine. Who knows, maybe you will
even meet them someday then you can tell them their dad wasn’t the
coward who walked out of their lives. Please, let me help you.”

I sheathed the Kukri. “Ian, you’re not a coward.
I’m also not in a position to refuse the offer. Just know that
if—”

“If I act like I’m about to change then end it.
Like I said, I won’t fight you.”

“I believe you,” I said, sighing heavily. “We
don’t have much time so let’s get this done.”

McAllister pulled a bottle of Jack Daniels from
the file cabinet he had used as a seat. He took a long swig then
offered me a taste. I waved my hand. “No thanks. As much as I would
enjoy a drink right now it’s probably best I keep a clear
head.”

“Your loss, brother.” After another drag on the
bottle he put it back in the drawer. His hand emerged holding a
half-inch three ring binder. “This is the log for the trucks. I had
to change it out every couple of months. I already have one in mind
for you but I want to double-check a few things.

“Will I be able to fit all four of us with
supplies?”

He used his sleeve to wipe the beading sweat off
his brow. The infection must have been raising his body temperature
by this point.

“We’ll make it work. I’ve always wanted to mod
the shit out of one of those buses but administration would never
let me get away with it.” A smile grew over his goofy face. “Is it
weird that I’m excited about this? You know, the whole
Frankensteined mail truck thing? The turning into a zombie thing
fucking blows.”

I let out a quick chuckle in response to his
morbid sense of humor. “I grew up on science fiction and LEGOs, so
I’m not one to judge you. You’re right, though, this whole thing
blows. I wish we had known each other before this all
happened.”

For a moment he looked distant. I was shocked at
how well he had kept himself together. The few times I thought I
felt my living seconds tick away I was far less composed than he
was. He answered my comment with an acknowledging grunt then the
conversation turned back to the pressing matter at hand. “I was
right! Number 522 is the one. The driver that had it was a piece of
shit. She lied on her vehicle logs all the time so the truck was
nearly totaled because of the amount of routine maintenance that
had been put off.”

I wasn’t following his logic. “Why would I want
a truck that was almost totaled?”

“Because the thing was in such
bad
shape,
when they found out what the bitch was doing to it, they had to
take it to the central shop on a flatbed. Central is like a fucking
spa for mail trucks, brother. They replaced everything! 522 has new
tires, brakes, shocks, battery, you name it! When they brought it
back on the flatbed all I had to do was change the oil then double
check all of the replacements. Now she purrs like a kitten. I
finished with her three weeks before the shit hit the fan and it
never got put back in service. You might as well be getting a new
truck, trust me.” He spoke with such pride, I nodded excitedly
because it’s what Ian needed to see. Inside I was devastated
knowing that I would have to kill him before the sun went down.

Cans and bottles rattled across the floor when
he turned a plastic recycling bin over. I cringed from the noise.
The bin was quickly filled with tools from his pegboard wall. He
snapped a battery into the underside of a construction-yellow power
drill then pulled the trigger bringing it to life. “Good thing I
kept the battery pack on the charger before the power went out,
eh?” he chuckled.

“Are you going to need help taking anything to
the truck?”

“Nah.” He lifted the green bin trying to hide
the pain that must have surged from his infected wound. “This
should be all I need for now. I’ll scavenge most of the materials
from shit I have in the lot. We can always run back in to get
hardware but I think we’ll be good.”

“Just let me know. I’m far from a mechanic but I
know how to handle a power drill. I’ll do whatever you need.” He
smiled then headed towards the door. When his back was to me I
grabbed the rifle, tucked it under my arm and followed. “I gotta
check in with my wife. We got so caught up talking I forgot to
radio in. They are probably worried sick.”

“Shit, man.” McAllister laughed. “I’d be more
afraid of pissing her off than fighting a zombie.” The laughter
continued until the door closed behind him.

Then I was alone again, wondering whether or not
letting Ian out of my sight was a good idea. Somehow, I knew my
fears were misplaced. This stranger was genuine in the face of
certain death. I trusted him. There weren’t many people left out
there with enough humanity remaining to do what he did. I honestly
didn’t know if I could give so much to someone that I knew pressed
slowly on the proverbial trigger.

I removed the walkie tucked in the middle pocket
of my pack. The positioning of the tiny notch confirmed the radio
was still on channel three. Gradually I rotated the volume nob
until that beautiful red light illuminated for a moment then went
dark again.
Press, pause, talk
. The voice of my instructor
in dispatch school was etched in the back of my mind whenever the
using a handheld radio.

Softly, while not quite a whisper I said,
“Guys?” I paused to see if there would be a response. “It’s me.
It’s Daddy. Are you there?”

Calise sweetly answered, “Daddy!”

Tears instantly weighed on the corners of my
eyes. It had only been a couple of hours since we were together. I
was a five-minute pre-apocalypse car ride away from home, yet upon
hearing her voice, it felt magnified to months and miles. “Hi,
Princess. Is everything okay there? I was expecting Mommy or Maddox
to answer.”

“We’re okay but I miss you, Daddy. Are you done
fighting the monsters so you can come home? Mommy said we were
going to see Grandma and Grandpa soon. That makes me really
happy.”

I sniffled. “I’m fine, baby girl. I’ll be back
tonight. Where is everyone else?”

“Downstairs. Mommy told me to stay in the attic
with the radio. I didn’t like it very much.” Her pouting tone
painted a vivid picture of her uncanny and manipulative fat lip.
“But I’m happy now because you called.”

“Good. I’m glad you were there to answer!
Calise, I need you to answer my questions because I don’t have
long.”

The excitement cooled a bit. This girl would
talk through every second of the radio batteries if I gave her the
chance. “Sorry, Daddy. We’ve been packing since you left. Mommy and
Monkey are moving the bags we stuffed by the shed. Are we leaving
our house forever?”

Sarah and Maddox were following the plan. It was
relieving to know that at least part of the day was going as we
planned. “Maybe, baby girl, maybe. I hope we can come back some
day. Right now we need to get some away from the monsters. Make
sure you bring your kitties, some books, and things to do because
we will be in the car for a while.”

“I will. Do you want me to go get Mommy?”

I hesitated. Although I would be back by sundown
as planned, I would also have to do some terrible things before
then. I went through a mock conversation of talking to my wife:
I’ll be home soon. I just have to murder the man helping us
survive first.

“No, that’s okay. Calise, I need you to tell
Mommy that everything is fine. I’ll call again before heading back.
It probably won’t be until later this afternoon. So don’t get
worried if it feels like a long time. I do have the radio on,
though, and I’m in a pretty safe place so if you guys get into
trouble you can call me this time. Can you tell Mommy that for
me?”

“Don’t worry, Daddy. You can count on me!”

She was just like her big brother. I couldn’t
have felt more proud in that moment. “Good girl. I love you,
princess. Better start practicing that gigantic hug you’re going to
give me tonight when I get home.”

The giggle brought more tears to my eyes. “Watch
out! I’m going to hug you so hard you’ll think I’m a monster!”

My laugh echoed off the office walls. “Get back
to work, goof ball. I’ll see you soon.”

It was a gamble but I decided to leave my pack
inside. In the event something happened, and we needed to seek
shelter inside, I didn’t want to take the chance of forgetting it
where it could be inaccessible. Not to mention, my back hurt like
hell. The physical relief almost made me feel naked without the
counterweight. The Kukri remained sheathed while the rifle was
slung over my shoulder and the crow bar was tucked through my
belt.