Life Among The Dead (46 page)

The leader is searching the darkness for whoever fired the shot, but can’t see past the pool of light the house casts onto the white ground. He fires a pistol blindly into the night. His breath is a visible cloud that tells Dan just how scared he is
. Good,
Dan thinks
. You should be scared.

The leader looks to his remaining buddy for help, another shot rings out and he falls just like the other. The collapsing body lands on top of the girl. She scrambles out from under the behemoth and runs back into her home. The last one standing holds his gun out trying desperately to see a target.

“
And, the cheese stands alone.” He can hear the night air tell him. It also gives him a direction to point his large weapon. It is too late. A flash and he is on the ground, screaming in pain. His shoulder burns, he has no idea where his gun has gone. The pistol is lost in the snow. He brushes his good arm around in the cold, white fluff trying to find it. Headlights blind him and his arm is needed to shield his eyes.

A figure appears, eclipsing the white glow of the vehicle. He walks towards the fallen man. The friendless thug’s ankle is taken into the shadow man’s dark hands. He is dragged away from any hope of finding his precious hand gun, closer to the unseen car.

Dan wants the man to see him when he does whatever he is going to do. He isn’t even sure what it is just yet. The headlights illuminate something that really makes Dan mad.

From behind the truck, amid the shadow it casts, he sees them. Dan recognizes two faces that will never recognize him again. Chains are wrapped around the necks of the middle-aged couple from the Winnebago. Their clothes are in tatters, the flesh below looks like it had a run in with a belt sander
. These fuckers dragged my friends,
Dan realizes.
What he doesn’t know is if it had occurred before, or after they had died.

“
I’m sorry,” Dan tells the couple who reach for him. The tether that binds them to the rear bumper keeps them just passed an arm’s length. “You didn’t deserve this.”

Dan fires a round into their heads from his .38 then walks around the back of the truck to release the chains. He wishes he had waited to put them down. He pictures himself holding their chains and using them like attack dogs. He would love to have let them tear that bastard apart.

From the truck Dan finds something even better for him. His uncle had told him once that hunters of large game like to butcher their kill in the field. They use vegetable oil to lubricate brand new chain saws, instead of the usual non-edible variety. He pulls the string as he walks back to the would-be rapist.

The wounded man cradles his injured arm, still searching the area for his weapon. The sound of the chainsaw roaring to life gives him a terrified pause. Without a word from his assailant the whirling blade is approaching him now. His hands go to his face as if they can protect him.

Dan lets the saw idle as he places his foot to the man’s chest and forces him to the ground.

“
Every thanksgiving my wife and I roast a turkey together.” Dan tells him over the loud power tool. “We always love doing that thing with the wishbone. You know, when you and someone else make a wish and snap it… She always wins. I’ve often wondered if humans have wishbones. Perhaps, all animals possess these magical bones… Do you have one?”

The man can’t speak. He is so afraid the white snow around him turns yellow. The yellow tinge spreads to meet the splatters of red that dot the once pure and undisturbed plane.

The rapist curls into a fetal position as the blade comes closer and closer. He braces for the pain. He has seen what that thing can do to flesh; it vaporizes muscle and bone in a line about a half an inch wide. He used it to dismember elk, deer, and bear. The saw cuts like a laser.

His eyes are squeezed shut, but he can feel the air being disturbed close to his face. The whirling blade makes the air hot and the motor is deafening. The roaring saw stops suddenly. The silence that falls upon them is palpable. He opens one eye and watches as the man standing before him casts the saw aside.

“
The answer is no.” The camouflaged figure tells him. “Humans don’t have wishbones… That I know of. I think it might just be a bird thing. I do have one more question for you.”

Dan waits for some sign that he is being heard, none is forthcoming.

“
What the fuck is wrong with you?” The soldier asks through tightly clenched teeth, while kicking the man in his face. “It’s not just you, but all people like you. Don’t we have enough to worry about, such as…I don’t know…Zombies? We shouldn’t have to worry about each other.”

Dan allows himself to calm down. He allows what he has just said to sink into the thick skull this man possesses.

“
I just wanted you to feel the fear that young lady must have felt. I’m not going to cut you,”

Relief washes through the raider. His body relaxes into the snow. He opens his eyes to look at the man who taught him the lesson.

“
But, I can’t let you live.” The words sound ominous as he looks into the barrel of a large caliber gun. Before he can protest, or even flinch, he is gone.

Dan can’t look at the mess he just made of the guy’s head. His world just feels better not having a man like that in it. He tucks Ryan’s large revolver back into his pants. Dan recovers the gun the thug had lost in the snow. It’s a nice nickel plated Beretta
. Mr. Winnebago’s I believe.
He gathers the saw and the pump shotgun and takes the items to his car. Jack is fussing inside, awoken by the gunfire.

“
I’ll just be a minute, Jack-in-the-box.” He tells the boy. Dan wants to do this quick before the girl comes out of her house to talk to him. It isn’t that he doesn’t want acknowledgement for his good deed. He just doesn’t want to exchange names. Everyone Dan has met these past couple, agonizing days has either died or gone away except for Jack.

He is in the cab of the truck. Inside he locates a tackle box full of ammo. He pockets what he needs and leaves all of the AK-47 rounds

“
My lucky day.” He says when he finds a pack of cigarettes. He hasn’t had a smoke in a while. He can’t bring himself to light up with Jack around, judging him. He smokes happily as he opens the glove compartment. There is a map of the area
. Perfect,
he thinks to himself.

Behind the wheel Dan scribbles on the folded packet of paper with a pen he found in the ashtray. He removes the keys from the ignition and heads to the front door with the AK-47 over his shoulder. He makes fresh tracks through the bloody snow and notices more is starting to fall around him.

The flakes are enormous, the kind you can hear hitting the ground if you stay very quiet. They are too heavy to float down weightlessly, these flakes drop like bricks.

As he approaches the door he sees a curtain fall into place.
She’s been watching.
Dan figures he has scared the hell out of her. He drops the map, keys and rifle off at the front stoop and simply walks away. He flicks his cigarette into the darkness before entering the SUV. Dan pulls back onto the main road.

“
And, the wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round.”

19

Carla watches as the Black vehicle drives away
. He saved me,
she thinks and wonders where the stranger might be heading.

“
Carla? Are you all right?” A timid young voice calls out to her. She ignores the concerned inquiry as she cautiously opens the front door. The falling snow is quickly covering the blood and bodies. She sees the remains of Marko’s head, and has to look away.

She used to date the black haired psychopath. She can’t believe he just barged in and took her like that. Her brother, Sid, had tried to help her
. That bastard punched him in his little nose.

“
Carla, are you OK?” The voice calls again from under the kitchen table. He had hidden after Marko hit him.

“
Shut up.” Is her response to her brother’s concern, she feels bad to be mean at a time like this. “Please.”

On the stoop she finds the big rifle. A set of keys is on top of a map that is slowly disappearing under the accumulation. Carla takes the items inside.

The map has been refolded wrong and bulges oddly; the longer flaps have been tucked in where the shorter ones belong. It looks to her as if the man had done it on purpose to highlight a specific region. He had circled New Castle several times. Indicated within the circle is a small oval near the top right. She can tell the man is trying to pinpoint where she should go. A line radiates from the interior circle and leads to hand written words
: Ranch. Safe. Good people. Come when you’re ready.

Sid is now behind his sister as she examines the map. He dabs his nose with a napkin, trying to look over her shoulder.

“
What is it?” He asks.

“
Pack your shit.” She tells him. “We’re leaving in the morning.”

“
Where?” He wants to know as she ushers him to his bedroom.

“
New Castle.”

“
What’s in New Castle?” He stops in his tracks.

“
Why aren’t you packing yet?” She insists.

Carla re-familiarizes herself with the assault rifle. Marko had taken her to the range on several occasions. He taught her the anatomy of the weapon; safety, bolt, magazine. She looks down the sights and remembers what a horrible shot she was. But, it is a semiautomatic and she knows there will be plenty of ammunition in the truck.
I can practice.

“
Will they come back?” Sid asks from his door.

“
No.” she looks at him in his doorway holding a small television. On top of the set is his video game system and collection of games. “Just clothes and your toothbrush.”

“
But, I need this.” He states adamantly.

“
Please, just do what I say.”

“
Fine.” He puts his electronics down and stalks to the bathroom.

“
Grab mine while you’re in there.” She yells to her little brother on her way to her bedroom. She used to share with Sid, but since her mom ran off over a year ago she took hers over. All of her mother’s clothes are in a pile in the corner of the cramped room; a queen-sized bed takes up most of the floor space. Carla grabs handfuls of clothes out of dresser drawers that she can barely open due to the confined accommodations.

Carla easily took on the role of mother to Sid. She was practically raising the boy even when their mom was around. To make ends meet and feed her brother she waitressed at a little diner during the day, she stripped at night
. I’m not going to miss this.
She has no idea what this ranch will be like, but it has to be better.
It just has to be.

20

Dan can barely see the road, and it’s just getting worse. He is moving at a crawl, trying to keep his car going straight. It’s hard with no center line to go by; he has to rely on things along the side of the road. He tries everything to improve his visibility; high beams, low beams, he even attempts no beams. He doesn’t want to stop when he is so close.

He pushes the odds as far as he dares, even trying to open his door to look down at the ground, but it all looks the same. He can be on the road, or in a field, or on a lake for all he knows.

The soldier looks at the boy in the back and figures it is for the best to stop. He would hate to crash and risk Jack’s life just for being stubborn. He pulls over to what he thinks should be the shoulder of the road. It doesn’t really matter since traffic is in scarce supply. The headlights are turned off and he sets his hazards to be safe.

“
We have to stop for a while Jack-o-lantern.” Dan tells the boy as he digs through the canvas bags the kid’s mom had packed. The soldier leans into the backseat from between the front backrests to fish out several blankets to cover the child.

“
It’s going to get pretty cold.” Dan plans to stay awake so he can warm the car up every so often. He opts not to go out in this for a smoke.
It just isn’t worth it.

Jack is fed some goopy vegetables before bed. Dan is extra careful not to make a mess. He tells the boy they have to be presentable when they arrive in New Castle tomorrow. Judging from the looks of the storm they aren’t going anywhere until morning, it’s a complete white out.

Dan reclines his seat and drinks the last two beers, having no qualms about doing so since he isn’t driving anymore. He shivers under a baby blanket that shrouds him from his knees to belly.
At least Jack is well bundled,
he thinks to himself.

Outside, the wind is picking up. Every gale rocks the heavy vehicle as if it weighs nothing. He regrets not grabbing a shovel from Ryan’s shed in case he has to dig out in the morning. He sleeps a restless sleep.

21

The sun shines brightly through the window as Dan and Jack cruise into New Castle. The town is empty. There isn’t any movement, living or dead. Memories of his youth rush back to the man behind the wheel. He spots a large plaster cow outside of the ice cream place. He always thought that was cool. It’s white with black spots and stands two stories tall.

The SUV turns onto a road that looks like it should lead them out of town. It actually winds up a series of hills taking any who ride on it to the more expensive homes and properties. Dan’s dad had said the higher you get, the richer the person is. Uncle Bruce lives on the very top of the hill.