The Death Doll (15 page)

MONSTERS IN THE DARK

For the last two hours, Isaac drove himself nuts staring out the window at all the face-munchers stumbling around the neighborhood.  He froze his ass off in some dead stranger’s house because Didi and Cody didn’t want some slow-ass R.V. following them back to Sibley, even if the big dude already knew where they lived.  And who claimed to be watching his ass up front while he could go ahead and get some rest?  A dead fucking porn star who could indulge in a little midnight Isaac snack whenever she wanted.  It was like an addict guarding a crack house. 

On the other hand, his options were pretty limited.  The trip that stranded him in this nowhere region taught him that driving at night was dangerous.  He couldn’t see anything, but everything could see his headlights.  It was like screaming,
come eat me
.

Cody was out like a light.  The guy had to have seen some heavy combat in his Army days to have nerves like that.  He had no problem with Didi watching the place for them since she never slept.  Of course, he spent the last two years buddying up to her—after waking her up in the first place.  People like him and Craig—the dude who stuffed her—had nothing to worry about.

Isaac, however, was new to them.  Why would she miss him?  Because she said she cared?  Because she believed in God?  Whatever the case, it was definitely going to take some time to get used to shacking up with the Death Doll.

*****

Rachelle shivered fiercely, even under three blankets.  It wasn’t just the cold, the strange house, guys like Pat and Kenny somewhere out there, or all the rotters roaming about; it was being guarded by the Bogeywoman.  She wanted to believe the rescue from starvation and the years of training meant something, but, well, Didi was still dead.  She hated thinking of her mentor—and, to face it, her best friend—this way, but she was brought up to be cautious.  By Didi, of course.  Talk about confusing!

After a few more tosses and turns, she was out of bed and wandering with one of her blankets wrapped around her.  She peeked into the other bedroom and found Isaac pacing in front of the window while Cody snoozed away.  She snuck toward the front, grateful to have carpet under her nippy feet the whole way.  She couldn’t imagine what drew the last tenants out of this well-secured place, but their relative comforts were now one of her few fortunes for the moment.

Didi stared out the living room window seams, like she promised, reminding Rachelle of one of those gargoyle statues she saw in a horror movie on cable once.  Dim blades of light revealed the dolled-up corpse’s eyes and mouth, and neither moved an inch.  It was somewhere between awesome and creepy.

“You couldn’t have had a nightmare already,” Didi said, which startled her.  Then Didi smiled in her direction, though not quite looking at her.  “You never stopped tossing and turning the whole time.”

The woman’s hearing was definitely creepy.  “I don’t have to sleep to have nightmares.”

Didi nodded and face the window again. “I’m here if you need some company.  You can help me keep a lookout while you’re up.”

Rachelle shivered more, wondering if she was being set up to be eaten after all.  While that made no sense, she couldn’t shake it.  She also didn’t want to piss off a zombie, so she at least needed a good excuse.  “I’m not sure I want to look out there.”

Didi shrugged.  “Suit yourself, but my night vision sucks, so I’m mostly listening for the door.”

Rachelle recoiled from the front door and quickly joined Didi by the window.  She leaned on the wall next to the window and peeked outside, where a bunch of rotters roamed in odd directions like they were searching for something and forgot what it was.  She wondered if that Kenny guy had something to do with the masses flooding the neighborhood.  Too bad, too.  He was quite— 

She cursed her taste in bad boys, envying Didi for finding a decent guy.

Well, that wasn’t really the case, either.  Didi was dead.  She’d infect him if they ever—
ew
—did anything.  Looking out for so many people without reward was admirable, but to exist without being able to enjoy love had to drive any girl insane.  How did she do it?

“Do you ever get lonely?” Rachelle whispered.

Didi grinned sideways.  “Constantly.  I don’t sleep, so I spent a lot of time by myself.”

“No, I mean ... lonely.”

Didi’s eyes and smile both fell.  “Constantly.”

Rachelle started to reach for Didi but quickly stopped herself.  “That must suck.”

Didi nodded toward the window.  “Those boneheads out there can’t even remember what hurts so much; just an unending want.  I feel every single need I ever had—times ten—pounding nonstop in my head: hunger, thirst, cold, fear, loneliness, and even lust.”

Rachelle’s gut turned somewhere between revulsion and sympathy. “Omigod.”

“Yeah, that’s what you want to hear about, right?  A horny zombie.”  Didi was smiling, but her voice was full of pain.  She shrugged and looked through the window seams again.  “There’s nothing I can do about it, though.  I can’t feel anything anyway.” 

“Nothing?” Rachelle asked a little louder than she meant to, which made her check outside.  Nothing out there seemed to notice.

Didi shook her head.  “Not even a warm hand on my cold cheek.”

Rachelle cautiously reached for Didi’s cheek, which wasn’t cold at all; it just wasn’t warm. It was like touching powdered leather, and its owner didn’t even flinch.  She chided herself for not noticing after two years of sparring with this woman.  Then she remembered how little they actually made contact.  Most of the time, it was Cody positioning her. 

She also realized how little Didi and Cody ever touched each other; mostly quick pats on the back and an occasional hug.  What did that mean to someone who felt nothing at all?  What did a kiss mean? 

That last thought grossed her out, but she had to ask.  “So, you and Cody never—”

Didi didn’t say anything, but the faint dip of her head was a sad and definite
no
.

Even if they weren’t physical, there was definitely something between Didi and Cody.  Such intense emotions all pent up for a man she cared so much about had to bring about some serious suffering.  Rachelle pitied her mentor and hoped a joke might help.  “At least you don’t have to worry about your period anymore, right?”

“You have no idea how much I wish I did,” Didi said sadly.

Defeated, Rachelle just stared at the window.

*****

Midnight rounds were never difficult for Bob.  He was always a wanderer, which was why he left the Santee Sioux Reservation in the first place.  He just had to see what was out there to find.  It was a shame everything he found died around him, but he refused to let it bring him down.  He lived a full enough life.  He often wondered what became of his people, and doing so this night made him concerned for the scavenging party.  Their trips sometimes took more than a day, so he chose not worry too much, even if they were lugging a newbie. 

He checked all the obvious weak spots for signs of wear or break-in, joked with some of the night shift, and made sure everyone lying down for whatever reason was still breathing.  When he stepped into the theater gardens, he saw Jake Vaughn staring out into the night.

“Something on your mind, Jake?” he asked, which startled the boy. 

The boy said nothing; he just stared ahead. 

Bob slowly approached.  “Worried about the supply run?”

Jake shrugged.  “Maybe a little.  What happens if they don't come back?”

Bob never liked where those thoughts took him, so he deflected for his and the boy’s sakes.  “We do our best with what we have, which is, fortunately, a lot.  They’ll be okay.  I know it.”

Jake nodded but didn't face him. 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Jake smiled at him.  “No, thank you.”

Bob placed a reassuring hand on the boy’s shoulder.  “You should get some sleep.  You don’t want to scare Craig into looking for you.”

Jake nodded.  “I'll just be a few more minutes.”

Bob smiled and walked away, feeling he'd done all he could do.  After watching how often the kid snapped at people, he enjoyed seeing a gentler side.  Best leave well enough alone.

*****

When Chief Nosey Butt finally left him alone, Jake smiled at the thought of never seeing the scavenging party again.  He wouldn’t miss that corpse-loving sicko Cody, that big black jerk-off Isaac, or that stuck-up little bitch Rachelle.  He hoped they ran into a big mob of meatheads that even Didi couldn’t stand up to.  Or what if that self-righteous cadaver malfunctioned and ate the other three?  That was a happy thought.

On the other hand, losing Didi would’ve been a waste.  She was a useful tool for getting what they wanted through all the meatheads out there, as long as she was kept in line.  Maybe a little adjustment to her microchips or whatever could put an end to her pious bullshit.  If the camp saw it that way, she would keep them—keep
him
—living like royalty.

“Something the matter, kid?”

He nearly jumped out of his skin from the voice.  He searched the night for the source.  He found something large across the street—large and rude.  “I'm not a kid.”

“I’m sorry,” the dark figure said with a deep Southern accent. “I meant no offense.”  That felt better.  “What's your name, sir?”

“Jake,” he said, still failing to get a better look at the stranger.  “Who are you?”

“You can call me Kenny.”

TRAPS

Hack.  Slash.  Chop.  Lop.  Haircut?  Oh, we've got a bleeder! 
Sure, it was callous, but Didi did what she could to amuse herself while cutting down the dead masses that followed her back from her sunrise reconnaissance.  Worse yet, she had an old Queen song stuck in her head the whole time.  Tacky?  Of course.  Insensitive?  Fuck it.  These boneheads weren’t really her peers or anything.  They were empty shells with no potential for growth, courage, or love.  All they wanted was to munch on her friends—her
family
.  Over her dead—well, deader—body!

Footsteps behind her.  The number, color, and speed of the blobs rushing out of the house erased any thoughts of a sneak attack.  While her friends tossed their loot into the truck bed, she did a quick blob-count ahead of her.  Eight to go, all spaced apart and coming straight at her.

“Morning, dear,” she said to Cody while beheading the first.
Another one bites the dust.

“Morning, headlights,” Cody said, his ironic joke making her smirk.  She took it out on another bonehead. 
Another one bites the dust.
  “Have a nice stroll?”

“A walk in the park.” 
And another one gone.
  “Our friend’s still in the neighborhood.  Want to pay him a visit?” 
And another one gone.
 

“Pass.” 
Another one bites the dust.
  “Coming?”

If only
, she thought
.
  “Be just a minute.”
Hey, I’m gonna get you
two
, she misquoted, feeling entitled to change the lyric for the two boneheads she was going to take out with one strike. 

“She’s a machine,” Isaac said as the tailgate closed.

“I’ll be that good someday,” Rachelle said, which made Didi smile. 

“I believe it,” Cody told her as a door opened.

When Didi cut the last one down—
another one bites the dust, yeah!
—she sheathed her sword, smiled, and sauntered back to the truck.  She would’ve skipped if she could feel the ground.  Or her feet.

*****

Pepe hoped to find Dawn in the Lounge before she went to work in the kitchen, but struck out there.  He had a lot of studying to do, but the thought of her kept pulling him back.  He headed for the kitchen to catch a peek—maybe a quick hello—when he heard Jake's voice in the Laundry Room; something about a guy he talked to last night. The jerk sounded pretty excited about it.  Whatever. He had better things to do.

“He said he had a lot of friends who could help us,” Jake said, which kept Pepe’s attention.

“Help us what?” Dandy asked.  “We're already in a fortress here.”

“And how long before the Freaky Dead turns this place into her personal lunchbox?”

Pepe may not have been sure about Didi yet, but he didn’t like where this conversation was going. He peeked into the Laundry Room and found Jake huddled with his little clique behind the stacked washer-dryer machines.

“Jerri says she respects human life,” Belinda said.

“Didn’t you see her aim her gun at me like I was nothing?  Is that respect for life?”

“But you said—” Lydia tried to say until Jake cut her off.

“This is our house, and I say it's only for the living.  If this guy can get rid of Didi, we should help him.”

Having heard enough, Pepe snuck away.

*****

Craig grabbed Pepe’s shoulders and backed him into the corner of the projection room.  “You’re sure he said that?  You couldn’t have heard him wrong?”

“I know what I heard,” the young man replied contritely.

Bob touched Craig’s shoulder.  “I saw him last night in the theater garden.  I just thought he was concerned for the raiding party.”

His hopes dashed, Craig released Pepe and backed away.  He didn’t want to believe this was happening.

“I had such high hopes for him,” Gilda said.  “He was working so hard.”

Craig crossed the room and took a breath.  “I was going to ask Cody to let him intern along with Pepe.  I tried to tell him, but he wouldn’t let me.”

“Can we still?” Hashim asked.  “Maybe it’s not too late.”

Craig’s eyes fell.  “No.  I’ve tried to reach him.  I’d hoped that episode with Isaac might’ve straightened him out. I don’t know if anyone can get through to him at this point.  He's just so angry and full of himself.”

Jerri touched his shoulder.  “I wish I knew how to help.” 

He patted her hand.  “Me, too.”

“So, what do we do?” Gilda asked, then glanced around at the rest of the Panel.

Everyone exchanged uncomfortable glances, but as Jake’s guardian, Craig knew he was the one who should answer.  He just didn’t know what to say.  Knowing how he would’ve handled it before he started anger management didn’t help. 

“Whatever we do, we need to tread carefully,” Hashim said.  “The camp’s already anxious about Didi.  They may not let her throw a kid out, especially not with only one witness.”

Pepe frowned.  “Throw out?”

“We don’t execute people here,” Bob said.  “The worst we can do is banish someone with a few days rations.”

“At least you don't feed them to Didi,” Pepe muttered absently, then apologized.

“Didi gave very specific guidance about handling children,” Jerri said.  “Firm hand, direct language, close monitoring.  Jake’s not eighteen yet so that still applies to him.”

“That shouldn’t matter if he’s trying to start a mutiny,” Hashim said.

“It didn’t matter when she aimed at him in Assembly,” Craig said.

“What about the other teenagers?” Gilda asked.  “We could ask them what he said.”

“They looked too tight with him to testify or whatever,” Pepe said. “I’d ask Dawn, but she wasn’t there.”

“If all the other teens are in on this, this could become very dangerous
very
quickly,” Jerri said.  “If we banish even one of them, everyone else will worry their kids might be next.”

“It would be just the excuse the camp needs to gang up on her,” Hashim said.  “God knows how many of them would die trying to kill her.”

Craig took another deep breath and held his head as if the mild pressure to his brain would squeeze out an answer.  Sadly, only one came.  “We have to banish him ourselves.  We can’t let anyone turn this camp over to hostile hands, no matter how young they are.”

Everyone nodded in succession, which sealed Jake’s fate and broke Craig’s heart.

*****

Only a few more miles stood between the Ford and the compound.  Isaac wished Cody would floor the gas pedal already, wary of whatever that dude Kenny might be waiting out here with.  Cody looked around like he agreed, but didn’t do anything about it.  Didi didn’t look like she cared at all, probably because she couldn’t see shit anyway. 

The kid looked at Isaac like she shared his concerns, but she didn’t say anything.

“Arm yourselves,” Cody said as the truck slowed down. 

Isaac saw some chick in green waving madly in the road ahead.  He was no stranger to a carjacking trap and wanted to tell Cody to run the bitch over, but the truck still slowed.  So, he grabbed his bat and waited for an excuse to use it. 

They stopped next to a skinny young redhead in green denim.  She looked like an asparagus dipped in ketchup.  Her big green eyes widened when everybody aimed at her.  She threw her hands up and spoke with a high voice like a cartoon character.  “I don't want any trouble.”

Cody smiled over his pistol.  “Neither do we.  How can we help you?”

The freckle-faced girl pointed at the two-story house down a long dirt driveway behind her.  “It's my mother.  She's sick.  She needs help.”

“What kind of sick?” Didi asked.

“I don't know, but she's in really bad shape.  Please, help us.  I’ll do anything.”

Isaac smiled at that, but he knew his high moral hostess wouldn’t go for it—porn star or not. 

Her Deadness traded whispers with Cody, then waved the skinny girl aboard. 

Isaac wasn’t happy about this, but he cautiously played along by getting out to let the skinny thing sit between him and Rachelle.  The girl climbed in and tucked herself into a ball. He got back in and closed the door so Cody could get moving already.  He spotted Rachelle cradling her shiny little .38 in plain sight. 

As the truck turned into the driveway, Isaac placed his bat on his lap with the pointy end aimed at their teen hitchhiker.  “What’s your name, kid?”

“Cynthia,” she replied, glancing between him and Rachelle like a scared little mouse.

He pasted a no-shit grin on his face.  “Hi, Cynthia.  I’m Isaac.  That’s Rachelle.  With her is Mister Thirty-Eight and with me is my Louisville Stabber.  You try anything, you’ll be lucky if my friend here just shoots you.  You dig?”

The kid quickly nodded with her mouth hanging open.

Isaac never took his eyes off the skinny redhead, but past her he could see Rachelle grinning sideways at him.

*****

Jake walked into the kitchen for yet another round of dishwashing.  He found Craig and Hashim waiting for him.  Before he could ask what was up, Jerri and Bob came up behind him, then Gilda.  His chest tightened. Did Chief Nosey Butt hear him with Kenny last night?

Craig pointed to a stool near the stainless steel sink island.  “Sit down.”

Jake tried to keep his breathing normal as he sat down.  The Panel closed in around him. 

Craig grabbed his shoulders like the father he always tried to be and spoke with restraint.  “You were talking to someone last night.” 

His heartbeat doubled, but he played it off by pointing at Bob. “Yeah, him.”

“After me,” Bob said. “Pepe heard you talking to the other kids about it.  Who was it?”

“You believe him?” Jake yelled as he stood, only to be forced back down by Faux-Dad.  “He's crazy.  He keeps getting in my business like he's the boss of me or something.”

“I suppose your friends will tell me the same thing, right?” Craig challenged him.

“Go ask them,” Jake replied, then rose and pushed past Craig.

Hashim stopped him from leaving, and the old bastard was stronger than he looked. 

Jake grunted and pouted near the stove.  Some of them whispered, but he couldn't hear what they were saying.  He eyed a nearby frying pan and considered fighting his way out.

Craig approached and tried to get him to look into his eyes.  “Jake, please.  Who was it and what did they promise you?  Tell us or we'll—”

“You’ll what?” Jake dared his so-called father figure.  “What'll you do if I don't have the answer you want to hear?  Ground me?  Spank me?  It's always something with you. I can't ever do enough, be patient enough, be nice enough.  I'm tired of you pushing your lame-ass ideals on me like you have all the answers in the world.”

Craig tried to hold Jake’s shoulders.  “I never said I—”

Jake shoved the big, blond joke away.  “If you have the answers, then tell me how we do better than this rat trap.  Tell me why this all happened to the world.  Tell me why God or whatever felt we deserved it.”

Craig’s eyes filled with failure.  The guy used to run a lumber shop; what could he know about anything?  Still, he held his ground.  “Jake, you have to tell us.  Lives depend on it.”

Jake rolled his eyes and turned away.  “I don't know what you're talking about.”

Craig moved away, and Jake knew he'd won.  So Pepe overheard him earlier.  Big deal!  He knew the others wouldn't talk.  That meddling wetback wasn't going to get the best of him.  He stole a peek back at the big schlub leaning against the wall with a blank look in his eyes, with Bob and Jerri trying to comfort him.  The guy was just out of it.  Beaten. 
Ha!

Then Craig faced him again with a tear in his eye. “Take him to Isolation.”

Jake's eyes widened as Hashim and Bob took his arms and pulled him out of the kitchen.  He protested, yanked and thrashed against them, and called for help the whole way.  He tried grabbing doorways and hanging like dead weight, but they dragged him away all the same. 

*****

Cody surveyed the old house through which the jittery Cynthia led them.  Old spider webs laced what few decorations lay about the modest décor.  No real signs of damage.  It looked like no one had either lived or died in it for a good long while. 

They entered the medium-sized kitchen, where a balding man in his late forties tended a woman of relatively equal age on a table.  Her breathing was shallow, and her ratty red locks matted to her head and pale shoulders, but she was lucid.  No bites or scratches were yet visible.  Possible causes included fever, flu, dehydration, or low blood sugar. 

“Cynthia, honey, did you find any—” the man asked as he looked up, then froze at the newcomers.  “Who are you?”