The Creeping Dead: A Zombie Novel (39 page)

She rubbed her eyes, weary with exhaustion. “It’s true. I had a couple of drinks with him. I never should’ve. He did make a pass at me, but I rejected him.”

“Did you murder Billy Blake?”

“No, I didn’t. I might’ve felt like it, but I didn’t, and now my only alibi is dead.”

“Can the kids attest to the fact that you were home that night?”

“They knew I was home. They didn’t watch me all night. By the way, how are they?”

Holbrook smiled. “They’re with Mike. He’s showing them a good time.”

“Were they at Circus Faire yesterday?”

Holbrook looked down at the floor. “Yes, but they’re all right.”

“So, what now?”

“Truthfully, I believe your account of what happened in your house. Lenny Krueger reported being attacked by Sophia Russo. He said she tried to bite him.”

“Is he okay?”

“Yeah,
he’s
okay. We found his mother at the bottom of the Ocean’s Gate swimming pool.”

“Oh, my God.”

“Yeah, apparently, she was eating one of her employees who jumped in to save her.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“I don’t have any evidence putting you with Billy the night he was murdered.” Holbrook grabbed his key ring and opened her cell. “You’re free to go.”

Marie looked at him in disbelief.

“You can go collect your things from Joann upstairs. I’m sure your kids are anxious to see you.”

She stood and stepped out of the cell. “Do they know?”

“Not yet. Not unless Mike told them.”

Marie sighed. Holbrook put his hand on her shoulder. “For what it’s worth, Marie, I’m sorry. I’m sorry about your husband and mother-in-law, and I’m sorry for detaining you. Just doing my job. I had to look into it.”

“I understand, Chief.”

Holbrook walked her upstairs and pointed her in Joann’s direction. When Joann saw her, her expression was sympathetic. She took her to get her things.

Holbrook dashed out the front door and headed to his squad car. He was making a quick stop home.

Chapter 20

“Okay, let’s line up all of the sandbags along the bottom of the roll down gates to stop water from coming in,” said Mike.

Salvatore and Alessandra filled bags with sand. Randy and Mike grabbed the bags and lugged them over to the gates, laying them side-by-side.

Mike had already taken the children around the amusement park, shutting down all of the rides and locking the gates. Salvatore had particularly found it ‘cool’ to see the place dark and dormant. Alessandra had said it gave her the creeps.

Nancy popped outside for a moment. “This damned storm is costing me money.”

“What do you mean?” asked Randy. “The sandbags were free.”

“I mean that if I’m closed, I’m not making money. On top of that, I’m paying you two on a day when I’m not bringing any money in.” She looked at the children and smiled. “It was a good idea bringing the kids, Michael. I was able to send the other employees home. They’re working harder than Randall.”

“Bite me,” said Randy under his breath.

“Only you would be excited about child labor, Nancy,” said Mike.

“Child labor. You make me out to be some kind of monster.”

“If the shoe fits,” said Randall a little too loudly.

Nancy shot him a look. “Hey, kids, as a token of my appreciation, when you’re done, you can pick something out from the concession stand.”

Mike looked shocked at her gesture. His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Nancy saw his look. “Oh, come off it. I was a kid once, too. A million years ago, but I was a kid once.” She popped back inside the arcade.

The wind howled, and the waves on the beach thrashed, the surf encroaching farther up toward the boardwalk.

“Let’s get this done so we can get out of here,” said Mike. He looked over his shoulder and saw Vinnie and Dharma walking toward the arcade.

“We thought you could use some help,” said Vinnie.

“Your timing is impeccable,” said Mike. “Grab some bags.”

Vinnie and Dharma threw their backs into it, and they all lined the edges of the arcade twice as quickly.

* * *

Holbrook pulled up to his house and parked his squad car in front. The light drizzle turned into a downpour. He got out and darted up his front path, letting himself inside his house.

“Lena! Lena!”

She looked concerned as she ran down the stairs. “I was upstairs packing. What is it, honey?”

Robbie bounded down the stairs. “Daddy!”

“Good. I want the two of you out of town, ASAP.”

“Is everything all right?” asked Lena, worried.

“It’s not safe. There’ve been more attacks, and soon we’re probably going to have to evacuate. There looks to be massive flooding. The ocean’s already halfway up the beach.”

“More attacks?”

“Yeah. The CDC thinks it’s the beginning of an epidemic, one that makes people violent and dangerous.”

“What’s an epidemic?” asked Robbie.

“It’s a bad sickness that spreads,” explained Holbrook.

“I’m almost all packed,” said Lena.

“Good. I’ll wait, so I can see you off.”

This frightened Lena. Was it that bad that they needed a police escort? “Okay, Robbie, get your bags and bring them down,” she said.

Robbie ran up the steps and returned with a duffel bag. He ran back up and brought down a backpack stuffed to the brim.

Holbrook grabbed both bags, shouldering them both. “Keys,” he said to Lena.

She fished them out of her purse and handed them to her husband.

Holbrook ran outside, popped the trunk to Lena’s car, and tossed in his son’s bags. He left the trunk open and came back inside as Lena dragged luggage down the steps. He grabbed the luggage from her and half-dragged, half-carried the bags to her car, where he threw them into the trunk.

Holbrook slammed the trunk shut when he heard a loud banshee wail from the next block over the sound of fat raindrops pelting the car. The shrill cry sent a chill down his spine, and his hand unconsciously rested on his gun.

He ran back into the house. “You have to go. Now.”

Lena grabbed a jacket for her and Robbie. She grabbed his hand as Holbrook rushed them out the front door.

He locked it behind them and escorted them to the car in the driving rain.

Lena noticed his hand on his gun. “Jim, what’s going on?”

“Tell your sister I said hello.”

“What about you?”

“I have to be here and see things through. I’ll be okay, I promise. You two have to go now. Later, the bridge is going to be mobbed with traffic.”

Robbie hugged him. Holbrook bent down and kissed his son on the cheek. “You be good at your aunt’s house. When I get there we’ll play some games, have some fun. We’ll all be together, like Christmas, but in August.”

Lena kissed Holbrook deeply. “Be careful,” she whispered.

“I’m always careful,” he said. “Now go, and drive safely.”

Lena stood there a moment in the rain, drinking in the sight of her husband as if it might be her last. The gesture gave Holbrook the willies because somewhere, deep down, he knew that was a distinct possibility.

She and Robbie got into the car, and she pulled away as Holbrook heard more shrieks and gunfire a block away.

It was time to begin the evacuation of Smuggler’s Bay.

* * *

Randy, Salvatore, and Alessandra feasted on candy bars. Mike helped Nancy lock up the office and storerooms in the back when they heard gunfire. It was a popping sound that resembled that of firecrackers.

“What was that?” asked Alessandra.

“Probably just a bunch of teenagers setting off firecrackers.

Mike and Nancy emerged from the back.

“Were those gunshots?” asked Mike.

“Don’t be stupid,” said Nancy. “Why would there be gunshots?”

Then there were more pops, louder this time.

“Those are definitely gunshots,” said Dharma.

They all turned to the glass door, as all of the metal security gates were down, and saw a man in the rain ambling over toward them.

“Is that Johnny Wong?” asked Randy.

Johnny Wong saw the light coming from the door and made a beeline for it. He collided with the glass, as if he didn’t know it was there, smearing blood on it where his face pressed against it.

“What is he, drunk?” asked Nancy.

Randy made to go open the door to let him in, but Mike grabbed his arm. “Wait a minute.”

“What? It’s raining out there,” said Randy.

Johnny pressed his hands up against the glass and shrieked.

“What the fuck?” gasped Randy.

Vinnie’s eyes went wide with realization. “He sounds like…”

“One of those
things
from yesterday,” said Mike. “Look how he isn’t opening the door.”

Vinnie walked over to the door.

“What are you doing?” said Nancy. “Don’t let him in.”

Vinnie locked the door from the inside.

Johnny snapped his jaws against the glass, desperately trying to get at Vinnie.

“He’s scaring me,” whimpered Alessandra, on the verge of tears.

“Dharma, why don’t you take the kids to the back and show them the Halloween decorations?” said Mike.

Dharma nodded, looking terrified herself, but she took Salvatore and Alessandra back to the Classics Room. Alessandra was happy to go, but Sal looked over his shoulder at Johnny as he threw himself against the glass like a lion at the zoo.

“What’s wrong with him?” asked Vinnie.

Johnny made some odd throaty sounds and projectile vomited green and black liquid on the glass.

“Get away from there,” said Mike.

Vinnie backed away from the door. “It should hold him.”

“I’m calling 9-1-1,” announced Nancy, pulling out her cell phone. “Hello? Yes, this is Nancy Longo at Blackbeard’s Pier. We need help. There’s an emotionally disturbed person banging on our door, throwing up everywhere, and we want to get the hell out of here…That’s right…Blackbeard’s Pier, on the boardwalk…Yes, please hurry.” She hung up the phone. “They’re sending someone.”

There were more pops outside. Johnny turned his head in the direction of the gunfire. He turned heel and walked off to track the source of the sound.

“See,” said Nancy. “He saw me calling the police and decided to get smart.”

“Yeah, right,” said Randy.

Vinnie and Mike walked up to the door and peered out through the blood and bile. “Oh shit.”

“What?” asked Nancy.

“There’re more of them,” said Mike. “They’re staggering around the boardwalk.”

“There’s gotta be over a dozen of them,” said Vinnie.

“What do you mean?” snapped Nancy. She stomped over to the front door and looked out. She saw for herself. “Oh, for Pete’s sake!”

“Back away from the door,” said Mike, gently nudging her away. “We don’t want to draw their attention.”

“Don’t you touch me, Michael.”

Mike rolled his eyes at Vinnie, who rolled his back and looked out the door.

“While you’re at it, go turn off the lights,” he told Nancy.

She put her hands on her hips. “Don’t you think you can order me around, buster.”

“I’d lower your voice, too, before you become a human chew toy,” said Mike.

She huffed, but she knew he was right. She stormed off to turn off the lights as Mike winked irreverently at Vinnie.

When Nancy flicked the switch and the lights went out, they heard Alessandra scream from the back of the arcade.

“Go find them,” Mike told Vinnie, “explain to them what’s happening, and for God’s sake, tell them to be quiet.”

Vinnie ran to the Classics Room to find Dharma and the children, while Mike stood on the side of the door peering out through the vomit. It didn’t seem like those things outside heard Alessandra’s scream over the howling winds.

“Guys, you’ve gotta be quiet. There’re more sick people out there. We can’t draw attention,” said Vinnie.

“More sick people?” asked Alessandra. “Like yesterday?” She grabbed her brother’s arm.

Salvatore, traumatized by the attacks the day before, just looked traumatized.

“We’re safe,” said Dharma. “They’re not getting in here. Right, Vinnie?”

Vinnie managed his best reassuring smile. “Right, but you guys have to be very quiet.”

Vinnie and Dharma looked into each other’s eyes for a moment.

“I have to go back,” said Vinnie.

“We’ll be fine,” said Dharma. “I’ve got some games on my phone we can play with the volume off.”

Vinnie left the Classics Room to rejoin the others when Randy intercepted him.

“I gotta talk to you, man,” said Randy.

They stepped behind the carousel. Chills went down Randy’s spine as he saw the looming silhouette of the zombie statue.

“What is it?” whispered Vinnie.

“Vinnie, do you know what’s going on here?”

“No, what’s going on here?”

“Think about it—sick people biting other people. The bitten become sick themselves and start biting others.”

Vinnie stepped back and put his hands up. “Don’t say it, bro. Just don’t. I know what you’re going to say.”

Randy leaned it and whispered, “It’s fuckin’ zombies, man.”

“No. There’s a reasonable explanation for it. Mike thinks they’re sick.”

“Exactly,” said Randy. “It’s some kinda virus manufactured by the government or from aliens.”

“You’ve been smoking too many trees, my friend.”

“Think about it, Vinnie. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“There’s no such thing as zombies, Randy.”

“Oh yeah? Tell that to the flesh-eating, shambling monsters outside this arcade.”

“They’re just sick or jacked up on bath salts or something.”

“Where’re the Goddamned coppers that my tax dollars pay for?” Nancy whispered.

“I don’t know, Nancy,” whispered Mike, “but when they do show up, please don’t remind them that you pay their taxes.”

“Why, are you afraid of them? I’m not. Their job is to protect and serve
me
.”

“You know, that’s your problem. You think everyone exists on this planet to serve you.”

Nancy pursed her lips. “Do you know what your problem is, Michael? You don’t know your damned place.”

“My place? Just what’s that supposed to mean? Just because you make more money than me and happen to employ me, you think that you’re better than me?”

“I never said I was better than you, but now that you mention it…”

“Yeah, well you sure act like you’re better than everyone.”