Zombie Games (Book 4): Road Kill (16 page)

“Now Henry
,” I said, “I thought you were eighty-something?”

He scowled. “Never assume anything. Didn’t I teach you that?”
Henry reached into his pocket and pulled out his tin of chew. “Besides, eighty is the new seventy, Wild. Haven’t you heard?”

“Oh, of course.”

“So you liked the CD?” asked Nora.

He shoved a wad of chew into his mouth. “No.”

“What did you think?” she asked, turning to look back at me.

“He’s very talented,” I said, although thrash metal wasn’t really my type of music either.

She turned back around. “He’s more talented at making music than being a father,” she said, softly.

Nora had told me once that her grandfather had died when her father had been very young, and they’d been very close. His death had almost destroyed the eight-year old boy at the time.

“Maybe it had something to do with his dad dying so young. You said it messed him up pretty bad,” I said, putting my hand on her shoulder.

She stiffened up.

“Sorry,” I said, removing my hand.

“It’s okay,” she said, turning back around. “I’m just kind of tense right now.”

“I understand,” I said. We were all pretty stressed out and on the edge.

“So, Nora, where do you think we might find your father?” asked Henry, opening up his window.

“
We should check my grandmother’s house,” she said. “I left him a note a few weeks ago. Said I’d try making it back there and that he should leave me a message if he made it.”

Henry spit out his wad of chew. “Sounds like a good plan.
Wild, what about your grandparents?”

“We need to drive out to their ho
use, see if they are there.”

“You haven’t spoken to them since this mess started?” he asked.

“No. We tried calling them but they never answered their cell phone. My dad had told me they’d gotten the flu shot this year and I actually think he was afraid to search for them. If they would have been zombies…”

Henry nodded. “I know
, he wouldn’t have been able to shoot them. Sometimes it’s better to
not
know.”

“So, why are we searching for them if they had the flu shot?” asked Nora.

“Well, Allie and I both survived getting bitten by zombies. They might be immune to the virus as well.”

“What are you going to do if we find them and they’
re not who you think they are anymore?” asked Henry.

My grandparents were
kind and loving people. There was one thing I knew for certain- they’d rather die than hurt another living soul.

I sighed.
“Lay them to rest.”

***

A couple hours later, we entered Minnesota and my heart began to race.

We were so close.

“Where should we go first?” asked Henry.

“Nora’s grandmother’s house,” I said
, watching the rain drops on the windshield. Since the trip had been her idea, it was only right.

“You sure?” she asked.

“Yep. Let’s go find your dad before we lose him again.”

She nodded. “Thanks, Wild.”

“Don’t thank me. This entire road-trip was your idea and I should be thanking you, especially if we find my grandparents alive.”

“If they’re alive, we’ll find them,” said Nora. “We won’t stop looking for them, either.”

I smiled.

“You guys want to listen to
my dad’s CD again?” asked Nora.

“No!” both Henry and I answered at the same time.

She chuckled. “You guys are wimps,” she said, playing with the dials. When she pushed the FM button by accident, we heard a man’s voice being broadcast over the air-waves. We stared at each other in shock and turned up the volume.

“The time has come for the remaining survivors to form a stronghold against the zombies. We need to band together and take back what is ours,” he said. “So if you’re out there, find us, and join us.”

“Yeah but where are you?” whispered Nora. 

The man kept talking about having a generous food and water supply that they were willing to share as well if and when other survivors showed up to join their cause.

“Get on with it,” mumbled Henry. “Can’t find you if you don’t tell us where you’re at.”

Then, as if the man had heard him, he announced where their bunker was.

My jaw dropped.

“The Mall Of America,” said Nora
, turning down the radio. “How in the world could anyone secure that place? There are too many doorways. They’d have to kill all of the zombies and then board up every one of those glass-doorways.”

“Anything is possible,” said Henry. “Besides, most of the zombies were sick people before they turned. Probably weren’t
many of them hanging out at the mall with the flu.”

“Want to make a bet? My sister wouldn’t let a little vomiting or fever keep her from shopping if she had the mo
ney and the vehicle to get her there. I’ll bet there were plenty of zombies wandering the mall before these guys secured it,” I said.

“This is good news,” said Nora. “If we can’t find our
relatives at their homes, there may be a chance they’ve joined this Minnesota survivor’s group.”

 
“You might be right,” said Henry. “But it still sounds a little too good to be true.”

“I know. But at least we have another place to check if we can’t find our families,” I said.

“Damn tootin. Plus, I could use me a new change of clothes if we do make it to this mall. The ones I’m wearing are about ready to get up and walk away on their own.”

“Yeah,” said Nora. “You’re starting t
o smell as bad as the zombies.”

“
It’s part of my camouflage,” smiled Henry. “Blend in with their smell and they can’t even tell I’m alive. Hell, I’ve got one foot in the grave as it is.”

“Oh brother,” sighed Nora.

I shook his shoulder playfully. “You do not have one foot in the grave. Quit talking that way.”

“I tell you one thing,” said Henry. “Dying doesn’
t scare me anymore, Wild. Dying before I have the chance to get you girls safely back to Atlanta, now that’s what scares the tar out of me. I don’t want to let you down.”

“You could never let us down,” I said. “Now quit talking about dying.”

“Well, I just want you both to know, I’ve got your backs.”

“We’ve got yours
, too,” I said.

He nodded but said nothing more, which
was a relief, because this melancholy side of him made me feel guilty. Back at the hotel, he’d obviously felt secure and happy for the first time in weeks. But then he’d decided to be a hero, just to keep the two of us safe from harm.If anything happened to him, I’d never forgive myself and either would Nora.

“Thanks Henry,” I said.

“For what?” he asked, glancing at me in his rearview mirror.

“Everything.
For being there for me every time I’ve needed you. Starting from that very first time we met. When I rear-ended you.”

His eyes
sparkled. “Too bad I couldn’t have been there for you when you were learning how to drive.”

When Bryce made it back to the marina, Paige and Billie were nowhere to be found.

“Billie!” he hollered, stepping away from the SUV. “Paige!”

He heard a
faint cry on the other side of the marina, where some of the larger boats were docked and immediately took off towards the sound. When he arrived, he found Paige, Billie, and a woman covered with blood.

“Thank God,”
cried Paige, who was crouched down next to Billie.

“What happened?!” hollered Bryce, rushing over to him. “Oh my God, were you bit?”

He was lying on his side with blood seeping out of a wound on his neck. “Yeah,” he whispered, his voice hoarse.

Bryce took off his T-shirt and pressed it against Billie’
s neck. He looked at Paige. “What happened to him?”

She swallowed. “
When you were on the boat, about five zombies appeared out of nowhere, surprised the crap out of us. I think they were heading towards the river like the other ones, you know? Anyway, we ran away from them and back here. Then, when we were about to get back into the SUV, Billie thought he heard a baby crying so we both rushed over here.”

“Zombies?”

“Yeah, well, two of them were on this woman,” she said, her eyes full of tears. “It was,” she shuddered,” horrible and too late, you know?”

“
So, how did they get Billie?”

“Well, he slipped
on the wet dock and they...” she closed her eyes and began to cry, “they pounced on him before he could shoot or I could do anything to stop them.”

“What happened to the zombies?” he asked, looking around.

“I…I…killed them,” she said, opening her eyes. “And pushed them into the water.”

“It’s so hot,” whispered Billie, his face pale. “My skin feels like it’s on fire.”

“You’re going to be okay,” said Bryce, forcing a smile. “We’re going to bring you back with us and get this little wound of yours taken care of. It’s really not that bad.”

“No,” whispered Billie, grabbing Bryce’s wrist.
“Too dangerous. I can feel the virus spreading through me already.”

“Don’
t argue,” said Bryce. “You’re going to be fine. Cassie beat this thing, so will you.”

Billie’s eyes began to close. “Save the baby,” he whispered.

Bryce’s eyebrows shot up. “Baby, what baby?”

“On the boat…”

“Hold this,” he said to Paige, motioning towards the shirt.

She nodded and held it against Billie’s neck while Bryce stood up and walked towards the Carver.

“
I don’t think there’s a baby around here, guys,” said Bryce, climbing onto the deck.

And that’s when they both heard it, a faint cry from inside of the cabin.

Bryce opened up the cabin door and disappeared inside. Seconds later he re-appeared, his face full of shock. In his arms was a bundle of what was obviously more than just a pile of blankets.

“Oh my God,” gasped Paige, when the baby began to cry, its little arms flailing
, angrily.

Bryce sighed. “Yeah.
A baby.”

“Crap, what are we going to do?”

“I’m going to give you the baby. Then I’ll come back for him, before the rain picks up again.”

“Is it safe?” she asked, staring down at
Billie.

Bryce’s lips thinned. “I don’t know. But I just can’t leave him. He’s
alive right now. Plus, he’s one of us. We’re not leaving anyone behind.”

“You could t
ie him up, somehow,” said Paige standing.

“Good idea.”

She held out her arms and Bryce placed the infant into them. “Oh,” she smiled staring down at the small baby, who couldn’t have been more than a couple months old, “she’s so sweet.”

“How do you know it’s a she?” asked Bryce, kneeling down next to Billie.

Paige kissed the baby’s forehead. “Because,” she said, softening her voice, “she obviously cries when you hold her and now that I’ve got her, she’s content. You have that effect on women.”

“Thanks
,” scowled Bryce.

“See, she’s smiling at me,” said Paige. 

“What do we need for the baby?” he asked. “Don’t babies need diapers and milk or something?”

“Diapers and formula,” said Paige. “We’re going to have to pick some up somewhere.”

“I’ll search the boat after everyone is safe. Let’s get you both to the SUV first.”

They were back on the road thirty minutes later, with Billie restrained in the back
, with rope they’d found on the boat.

“They
had a first-aid kit,” said Bryce. “I put some iodine on his neck and bandaged it up. He’s got a fever though and I couldn’t find any aspirin.”

“What about things for the baby?”

“Well, there were only a handful of diapers and I couldn’t find any formula on the boat. We’re going to have to stop somewhere.”

“
We need a car-seat, too,” said Paige, staring down at the baby, who was sleeping. “It’s against the law to be traveling like this.”

Bryce snorted. “What law?”

“I know, but we still need one. It’s safer.”

They found a small grocery store on the edge
of town which appeared quiet and free of zombies.

“Stay out here with her. I’ll be back,” said Bryce, grabbing the gun.

“What if he changes into a zombie?” she whispered.