Zombie Games (Book 4): Road Kill (24 page)

I nodded.

Henry smiled. “Bryce, what were
you
doing when she was whipping out those headlights of hers?”

“I was cornered by a couple of zombies,” answered Bryce. “What in the hell are you talking about? What headlights?”

“Nothing,” I said, shooting Henry a dirty look. “Look, we need to find Allie and Kylie. Justice!”

“Right here,” he said, walking towards us with Paige.

“Where are they?” I asked.

He looked up towards the top floor. “If they’re still here, that’s where they’d be.”

“What do you mean, still here?” I asked.

“He’s using the girls to find the baby,” said Justice.

“What baby?” asked Paige.

“He called him ‘The Chosen One’.”

“Whatever,” said Bryce. “This Travis sounds like a real fruit-loop. Let’s go look for the girls.”

“One thing,” said Justice,
halting him. “This guy has powers- some kind of supernatural ones. Don’t underestimate him and don’t let him touch you.”

“I don’t intend to,” said Bryce, moving around him towards the escalators.

“Neither did I,” replied Justice, rushing after him.

“He
ain’t touchin’ me neither,” said Henry. “No siree…I don’t go for any of that flim-flam stuff.”

“
Flim-flam?” asked Paige.

He adjusted his hat.
“Yeah, you know…the freaky-deaky kind that usually happens in the ‘john’ at one of those rainbow bars. Hell, you go in to take a dump and the noise in the next stall isn’t from someone pushing one out, it’s from someone pushing one in.”

I groaned.

“You’re a sick man, Henry,” mumbled Paige.

“Why, cause I tell it like it is?” He lifted the shotgun and waved it towards the escalators. “Come on, now, let’s go take care of business.”

***

Cassie

Travis ushered the girls across the mall and down one of the emergency stairwells when the gunfire began.

“You try anything,” he’d warned, before they’d left the club, “I’ll burn your flesh from the bone while you’re still breathing.” Then he raised his hand and a small ball of fire appeared above his fingertips. As they stared at the flames, an image of both girls screaming in agony appeared inside of the fire. He smiled. “I advise you not to test me.”

When they stepped outside of Macy’s, a dark S
UV was waiting for them. The driver, an older man with jet-black hair and glasses, stepped out of the vehicle and held the door open for the girls.

“Get in,”
demanded Travis, when they hesitated.

Both
girls glanced back towards the mall entrance and then their eyes met.

Help was so close.

“Don’t even think about trying to escape,” warned Travis, forming another ball of fire. He rolled it in his hands until it grew larger and then flung it at a small group of zombies shuffling towards them. The flames consumed them although they kept moving. It wasn’t until Travis whispered something that the zombies halted and continued to burn until they were just piles of ash. “You see girls, the fires of Hell are hotter than anything up here,” he said with a nod of approval. He turned back to the girls. “Now, get in before you find out just how hot.”

The girls quickly got into the backseat and Travis slipped in front with the driver.

“Where to?” asked the short little man.

Travis smiled darkly. “Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we go.”

***

“They’
ve already left,” said Justice, staring at the empty beer bottles left on the bar. “This is the last place that I saw him with your sisters.”

“Where do you think they went?” asked Bryce.

“I have no idea,” said Justice.

“Isn’t it obvious?” I said. “He’s looking for a baby.”

“Adria,” mumbled Paige.

“He’s looking for a baby boy,” said Justice.

“Maybe he’s changed his mind,” said Henry.

Bryce sighed. “
Guys, how would he even know about Adria?”

“In a simple world, he wouldn’t,” I
said. “But things are happening, crazy, totally unpredictable things that we obviously can’t explain.”

Henry cleared his throat. “I agree. You know me- I’m older than dirt, stubborn
as a mule, and very much set in my ways. But, even I have to admit, there’s some strange stuff happening and we can’t always go with what’s rational.” 

“Let’s head back to my grandparent’s house,” I said. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and find them there.”

***

Nora sat on the porch, rocking, as she sta
red blindly towards the street. Memories, both good and bad, of her childhood flitted through her mind, mostly of the times she’d spent with her grandmother, when she was little and her father was on the road.

As a child she’d never noticed that Grams had been different or her father, for that matter. To her, she’d always been the smiling, robust woman, with the bright blue eyes and silvery black hair
always tied back in a loose bun. The kind and loving woman whom she used to dance and sing with, the person who had always encouraged her to speak her mind and not let anyone push her around. She’d tried teaching her the importance of being independent and brave, and to live life without regret. Unfortunately, Grams had preached but had never been able to follow her own advice. She’d kept that from Nora and it wasn’t until she’d started school she’d first glimpsed her grandmother’s phobia of the world outside. Sadly, now, everyone had to fear the world outside and the nightmares walking the streets, both during the day and night. It was as if Grams had known these days would come.

Thunder rumbled above and
Nora leaned forward, wiping away stray tears. Being a pansy wasn’t going to help her bring her family back, and it certainly wasn’t going to do anything for Billie either.

Sighing, she stood up and turned towards the door when the sound of an engine caught her attention.

A Suburban.

It slowed and then came to a complete stop in front of the house
, just as the rain started.

She
ignored the drops and walked towards the vehicle with her hand on the ax. When the back door opened up and she saw the familiar face, she sighed in relief.

“Allie!
Oh my God, we’ve been looking all over for you. Is Kylie with you?”

Allie nodded and then both girls slid out of the back.

“Who’s with you?” asked Nora, trying to catch a glimpse of the two people in front. The windows were so dark she could barely see their silhouettes.

Neither girl said anything, just stared at her with fear in their eyes.

Not good.

“Um, w
hy don’t you girls run into the house and I’ll just thank your ride, personally.”

Just then the
front passenger door opened up and the dirt-bag, Travis, stepped out of the SUV.

“Well, well, well…we meet again,”
he laughed. “How delightful. Well, I’ll bet you didn’t expect this happy reunion when you woke up this morning.”

“Get into the house, girls
,” said Nora, raising her voice. “Now!”

“
Tisk, tisk,” said Travis, walking up to her as the girls started running towards the porch. “I don’t know about you but I don’t think that’s the right way to greet someone who has just returned your friends.”

“You asshole,” she growled, raising her ax. “Get the hell out of here or I’ll
chop off one of your hands and make sure you never start another fire as long as you live.”

“Oh, scary,” he giggled
, mocking her with his hands waving in the air.

Just when she was about to take a swing and relieve some of her anger, t
he sound of groans and snarls caught their attention and they both turned towards the street.

“Oh my God,” she gasped
, staring in horror.

Hundreds of zombies had turned the corner
of the street and were moving towards them through the pouring rain.

Travis
smiled and clapped his hands. “Ah…some of my lovely minions have arrived to assist me. Oh, this is going to be fun to watch.”

Nora turned and ran to
the front door when Tiny opened it from the inside.

“What’s happening?” he asked. “Who’s our new friend?”

“He’s not a friend and look,” she pointed towards the zombies. “We’ve got some major problems.”

He swore
and then turned around. “Kristie! Get my gun!”

“Oh, you’re going to need more than that,” chuckled Travis, stepping o
nto the porch.

Furious,
Nora turned around and launched herself at Travis.

“Foolish mortal,” he growled, catching her by the throat. “You just don’t learn, do you?”

Nora’s face turned red as he lifted her into the air and flung her down the steps and onto the grass. 

Tiny, after sh
aking off his initial shock, rushed Travis, but found himself slammed back into the door with such force that he slid down to his butt.

“What in the hell is going on out here?!” hollered Kristie, now standing
over him by the door. “Oh my God, Nora, are you okay?” She looked down at Tiny. “What the hell are you doing, Tiny? Your pants are getting wet and dirty.”

Nora stood up and grabbed her ax. “I will be
great when I kill this freak.” 

“You can’t kill me, girl,”
scoffed Travis. “Look, people, just give me the infant and this will all go away.”

Tiny
stood up and grabbed the gun out of Kristie’s hands. “That’s it, brother, get the hell off of this property or I’ll shoot your ass to the curb.”

Travis smiled. “Tell you what- I will leave and even take my army with me if you give up the child.”

Kristie and Tiny stared at each other and then at the large crowd of zombies that were nearing the edge of the grass.

Kristie looked at Travis.
“Your
army
?”

He turned towards the zombies.
“Yeah, I know, they aren’t exactly the most pristine of soldiers but they’re all I have at the moment.”

Tiny raised the gun. “Listen, I don’t know what the hell is going on here, but you’
d better turn it around and get back into that SUV.”

Travis sighed.
“Very well. I guess we’re going to have to do things the hard way. No worries, though. I always enjoy watching other people’s blood being spilled.”

“
From where I’m standing, it looks like yours is the only one that’s going to be spilled,” said Tiny, cocking the gun. “Now, move it.”

“Tiny,
with your determination and biceps, I’m quite certain that you’d make an impressive assistant, since the position appears to be open again. Tell me,” he wrinkled his nose, “Are you a noble man?” 

“
Damn straight.”

“So I take it you’re a Christian?
A believer?”

“Of God?
Certainly, just like I believe you’re going to be meeting him very soon if you don’t get your ass off of this porch.”

“Pity.
Well,” he said turning around and lifting his hand in the air. “Let the bloodshed commence!”

The zombies, who’d been eerily waiting on the street, lurched forward towards the house.

***

“
Lord Almighty, would you look at that?!” gasped Henry as we turned the corner to my grandparent’s street. Hundreds of zombies were gathered around the house, trying to get in and there was a black SUV parked in front of the house.

“That guy is definitely after
Adria,” I said, holding on to the seat as Bryce whipped around the block to the back alley.

“We have to get them out of that house before they find a way in.
There’s too many zombies.”

We pulled up to the garage and all of us jumped out of the van with our weapons.

“Here,” said Bryce, tossing Justice a wrench. “You’re going to need it.”

I threw open the gate by the garage, ran down the concrete steps and rushed to the back door just as the zombies broke through the side-gate.

“Wild!” hollered Bryce. “Get into the house!”

The backdoor was l
ocked and I began pounding on it. “Kristie! Tiny!”

“Get back you
creeps!” yelled Paige, swinging her bat at the zombies barreling towards us. As the metal hit pay-dirt, I could hear Bryce and Henry emptying their shotguns into the crowd of dead.