Only Love Survives (Love and Zombies) (13 page)

Running on her toes, Megan made as little noise as possible. The only light that penetrated the aisles fell from skylights. Even though the sun was high, it left parts of the store shadowy. Megan’s heart pounded while she peaked down each aisle she passed.

She turned when she found the snack lane and stuffed her backpack full. Crackers, jerky and… Megan smiled as she picked up a bag of licorice bits. The thought of all those kids she just left at camp made her stuff the treat in her bag, knowing darn well it was a complete waste of space, but unable to stop herself. She moved down the aisle grabbing things she thought would be easy to eat. Spam, even a can of chili with a pop top. She kept going until her pack was stuffed and then began to second-guess the candy. How long had it been since she had a choice of anything? It occurred to her, what she needed was more space.

Megan ran back to the area she’d passed where purses and totes hung in a jumbled mess. It felt foreign thumbing through the leather clutches and rhinestone covered satchels until she found what she was looking for. As Megan slipped her arm through the strap of a messenger bag, women’s clothes still hanging neatly on the racks across the aisle caught her eye. She stopped for a second.

Why the heck not?
Flipping the messenger bag open she marched over to them.

The store smelled bad, and Megan sniffed the clothes to see if it had permeated the fabric. They seemed fine so she rolled up a pair of jeans and stuffed them in her new bag. A sweatshirt followed and even a new T-shirt. One that wasn’t white, and wouldn’t be see through every time she got wet. Then she spotted the Holy Grail of clothes, clean socks and underwear. Megan shoved a new package of each in the bag.

What she really needed was some sort of Swiss Army Knife. Where would she find tools? Hardware? Sporting goods, maybe? She read the signs hanging from the ceiling and found one boasting “camping gear.” Could she be that lucky?

Megan took off at a full run looking at her watch. She’d been “shopping” for eight minutes now.
Kick it in gear girl. The less time spent with these wackos the better.

Her tennis shoes squeaked on the linoleum floor and Megan cringed at the noise. She stopped and listened for any signs of trouble, but all she heard was the raucous laughter of her new companions somewhere on the other side of the store.

It wasn’t natural, between all the goods left sitting on the shelves and the cars lined up perfectly out front, something was definitely wrong. She needed to get out…just as soon as she looked for that knife. Megan moved forward more carefully and read the signs. Sporting goods was the next aisle. She turned the corner and came to an abrupt stop, covering her mouth to stifle a scream that surged to the tip of her tongue.

Bodies of men in different stages of decay lined both sides of the aisle. Each tied to a chair, mutilated with garden tools, kitchenware, even in one case, a golf club, the means of their torture still sticking out of their putrid bodies. Megan gasped for breath, but the sweet and sour scent she hadn’t recognized earlier, the smell of fresh death opposed to rotting zombie, washed over her. She couldn’t breathe. None of the bodies showed any signs of bite marks. They’d been healthy men when they died.
Were murdered.

A little giggle behind Megan startled her and she spun to find Lana’s little sister behind her. “First they used our bodies, then we used theirs. Fair trade don’t ya think?”

“I…I…” Megan didn’t know what to say, the horror of the entire situation struck her speechless.

A high-pitched whistle echoed through the building and the young woman laughed again. “Come on, it’s game time.”

Little Sister took off faster than Megan could have imagined possible in those shoes, dragging Megan by the strap of her backpack toward the front of the store. Megan dug in both feet and stopped. The girl stumbled and whipped around on Megan. “What?”

Megan stared at her, still unable to speak. Random words flashed through her mind.
Freak…Help…What the…

But when she glanced at the sliding glass doors to judge her distance to the most obvious way out, Sam’s Suburban pulled across their view. Megan fought the urge to throw up and started running toward him before she realized what she was doing.

“What is your problem?” The other woman complained behind her, but it barely registered. Megan’s heart raced as she came to a halt in the front of the store. How could she warn him? Lana watched intently by the door while Sam pulled in next to the cars all parked in a tidy row.
The dead men’s cars?
The other two women joined Megan and Lana to watch him.

“The newbie saw our trophy aisle.” Little Sister couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

Red slung her gun back over one shoulder and put her free hand on her hip. “That so?”

Megan swallowed bile and nodded. They all watched for her reaction. Megan said the only thing she could think of. “That one out there…” She nodded toward Sam. “He’s mine.” They all watched Sam get out of the Suburban, big gun in one hand, plastic tubing in the other. He scanned the parking lot and Megan silently pleaded for him to leave.

“It’s my turn.” Lana’s sister darn near stomped her high heeled foot.

“No, I should get a crack at him. The last guy I had to do was gross. Just look at that yummy morsel.”

“No, this is good.” Red interrupted their squabble. “It’ll help Megan get acquainted with us.” She turned on Megan. “You go get him. Bring him back here and we’ll help from there. I want to try out those hedge clippers I found.” Red turned and watched Sam like he was a piece of chocolate cake to be savored.

Megan’s stomach rolled.

Lana reached out and pulled the tie from Megan’s hair letting it fall down around her shoulders. “There, that’s better. Gimme your bags so you can work it when you walk out there. You look like a bag lady.”

“No. I need them.” The look Lana gave Red over Megan’s shoulder told her she’d better start talking, fast. “Why would he come back if I go out there empty handed?” Megan adjusted the messenger bag so it hung on one shoulder. “Look, this is better. He’ll see the supplies and I’ve got a reason for him to come back with me.” Then to drive her point home, Megan tied her T-shirt in a knot at her belly so it showcased her curves better. She even went so far as to roll her cargo pants down on her hips twice and shook out her mane for effect.

“Go get him, girl.” Lana opened the door.

“Hey.”

Megan turned at Red’s voice.

“I’ve got you covered.” She lowered the gun in Sam’s direction.

“Thanks.” Megan prayed they didn’t hear the quiver in her voice. She sauntered out and put her hands in her back pockets to keep from waving her arms in a panic at him while she crossed the parking lot to the first row of stalls.

Don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up…

Sam looked up and stopped jiggling the tool. The wave of relief that crashed over him overloaded his senses for a milla-second. Then the fear on Megan’s face registered and waylaid any relief he felt. He tipped his head and looked her up and down. “That’s a new look for you.”

“Shut up, Sam, we’re being watched. Pretend you don’t know me.”

“Where?” He managed to keep his eyes trained on her and avoided looking around, which would have given away her warning.

“Inside the store.” She flipped her hair pretending to flirt. “I’m supposed to lure you back. They have a gun on us.”

“Come closer.”

Megan complied. “We have to get out of here.”

The tremor in her voice was the only thing that gave her away. Terror rolled off her in waves that he could feel.

He opened the Suburban door and lifted the gas can in. “Point at the store like you are trying to get me to go back there.”

Megan did so.

At least she was following directions today
.

Sam casually leaned back against the seat, and motioned for her to come closer. When she did he took the bag from her shoulder and tossed it behind him in the passenger seat.

“Point again, so they don’t get suspicious.” Megan did, and he nodded, but reached out and drew her into his arms. Sam nuzzled her neck. Megan relaxed in his arms despite their situation, and he couldn’t help thinking that’s where she belonged all along.

“Are you hurt?” Lifting her face in his hands, he voiced his biggest fear.

“No, but they intend to torture and kill you. What are we going to do?”

“Well, for one, you could stop wandering off by yourself.”

He leaned in and kissed her thoroughly before she could respond. When he drew away from her, the mixture of shock and longing that played across her face was satisfying. He suppressed a smile but she must have recognized it, because the next emotion to cross her face was plain old pissed off. He warned her before she could blow their cover. “Play along love, you are supposed to be seducing me.”

“Of all the arrogant…you were going to leave me.”

“You
did
leave.” He couldn’t resist stating the obvious. “Focus. When I say so, you’re going to climb into the passenger seat. How many are there?”

“Three women, with a big gun pointed right at us.” She wound her arms up around his neck, molded her body against him, hotwiring his body for a response. Oh, and it responded all right. Then she leaned in for another kiss. Her lips hovered just over his and he breathed her in, filling his lungs with her sweet scent. But instead of closing the distance, she grabbed his lip with her teeth.

“Ouch.” Although he protested, his traitorous body cheered and welcomed her soft curves home.

“Play along
love
, you wouldn’t want to get us shot,” she hissed back at him.

Megan’s head swam with anger, fear, relief, too many emotions to sort out. But anger seemed to be the forerunner. She might have bit him too hard. She tasted the metallic sting of blood.

Sam huffed and raised his eyebrows at her before capturing her lips in an assault that left her knees buttery. But now was not the time to collapse in his arms, no matter how tempting the thought. He spun around with her still entwined and bent her backwards over the seat, which made her useless legs irrelevant. His strong hands splayed at the small of her back and between her shoulder blades held her in place while his lips demanded all she had. Then, just as suddenly, he pulled away leaving her panting, wanting more.

“Now, move.” He shoved her up into the seat.

Megan scrambled over the center console as he climbed in behind her and started the engine. Sam swung the door shut and hit the gas in one smooth motion. The Suburban fishtailed and the wheels smoked as he raced out of the parking lot. All three women poured out the glass doors screaming and swearing. By the time they climbed into their truck, Sam had torn out of the parking lot. The tires squealed under them as he took the turn too fast.

“I told you to stay put at Allan’s camp.” Sam drove like a crazy man while he shouted at her.

Megan wedged herself into the seat by putting her feet up on the dash. “Can we fight about this some other time?” She held on to the handle above her head with one hand and the seat next to her with the other.

“Now’s good for me.”

“Fine. What makes you think…” Megan paused long enough to concentrate on staying in her seat as he spun onto the freeway then continued, “…you have any right to tell me what to do?”

“After all we’ve been through, you would ask me that?”

Megan dared a peek over her shoulder in time to see a cloud of dirt shoot up as the truck behind them swerved across the median while careening onto the freeway. “Sam, they’re coming.”

“Hold on.” He floored it.

“Uh hum.” She wished she’d put her seatbelt on but didn’t dare let go long enough to try now. Her thighs burned from holding herself in place.

Gunfire boomed behind them. Megan ducked and waited for a window to shatter like on TV, but it didn’t.
They missed.
Another shot rang out and a green freeway sign exploded as they passed it. Megan swallowed a scream.

“Damn it. We aren’t going to lose them this way.” Sam swerved for the next turnoff without slowing down. Megan squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the Suburban to roll. The tires screamed, but the car stayed upright.

Sam raced onto a city street and turned on the first block. Megan watched in horror as meandering dead took notice and stumbled in their direction.

“Sam?” She didn’t even try to hide the fear in her voice.

“I see them.” He cranked the wheel to the left at the next main intersection and plowed down two zombies standing in the middle of the street. One made a wet smacking sound as it hit the side panel of the Suburban. The other blew apart in a cloud of dust.

“Is the truck still back there?” Sam examined his mirrors. “I can’t tell.”

Megan twisted in the seat, but all she saw were deserted cars and the wave of corpses gathering behind them in a slow moving wake. “I don’t think they pulled off the freeway, but we have a new problem.”

“Yeah, but them we can out maneuver.” Sam cranked the wheel again. This time the street they pulled onto was deserted, and having come full circle, they were headed back toward the highway until he turned again down a side street lined with antique shops.