Grace Lost (The Grace Series) (30 page)

We set to work stripping the guest
room beds of blankets and searching for any other winter items that may come in
handy.  I found a small box of emergency supplies in the foyer closet:
flashlights, candles, solar blankets, and a small bottle of bleach.  I
carried it to the front door where the blankets had been piled.  We had
decided to set everything aside and carry it all out once we were ready to
leave.  Pillaging the kitchen took the longest.  We found flats of
canned goods in the pantry and set them all out on the large dining
table.  One of the kitchen drawers had several large, sharp knives which
were set alongside the canned food.  Boggs found bags of dried goods on a
top pantry shelf, all unopened.  We now had several bags of rice, beans,
and pasta to take home to the cabin.  Gus took the large container of salt
that was in the back of a cabinet, along with the salt and pepper shakers
located near the stove.  He explained that salt would be key in
preservation of food later on.  While I knew it was a luxury, I helped
myself to a handful of books from the library in the foyer.  Among them
was a guide to native vegetation, a dictionary, a newer cookbook with old
fashioned recipes, and several works of fiction. 

Our pile of goods by the front
door had grown, so we decided to pack it into the SUV before the sky darkened
further.  We were all anxious to get home to the rest of our little
family.   We reviewed the plan for carrying things out to the
car.  I would go out without carrying anything and open the hatch on the
back of the vehicle, and Boggs and Gus would be directly behind me with their
arms full of items to pack into the SUV.  We would leave the rear open and
return for another load, this time all of us carrying what we could.  Once
the rig was full, we’d shut the hatch and return to the inn to study the map we
now kept in the glove box, looking for an alternate route back to the cabin.

The work went by quickly, and
without untoward events.  The Explorer was full, leaving only room for the
three of us to sit.  The day was coming to a close and outside the rain
continued to fall steadily.  The three of us went inside, shutting the
door behind us.  The weather was intruding through the hole in the front
door that had resulted from our breaking in.  I used a small toss pillow
from the plush sofa in the foyer, and shoved it into the hole.  It wasn’t
a perfect fix but would help.   We decided to sit in the entry room
with Victorian style furniture to study the map.  It would also allow us
to keep an eye out front. 

Gus spread the map on the floor
and we all sat around it.  I watched while the two men mapped out the best
route, knowing map reading was not my specialty by any stretch of the
imagination.  They discovered a series of turn-offs that led back to Lake
Arrow, and a winding stretch of road that hugged the lake on the side opposite
the cabin.  The only catch would be a half mile hike to the cabin, but it
was unavoidable.  The only alternative was to drive back through the group
of dead who were ambushing the living on the roadway.  Since the ambush
clearly stretched both sides of the highway that reached the cabin, as
evidenced from the minivan and the crash site closer to the general store, we
were all in agreement that we’d need to return home partly on foot. 
Remaining at the cabin long term would be a subject we’d discuss later. 
The hope was that the zombies would move on in search of food once travelers on
the highway became more and more infrequent.  From the images and thoughts
I had glimpsed so far, I didn’t think they were aware of our presence at the
cabin.

Gus impressively folded the map
back into a rectangle.  He looked up at both of us.  “I hate to say
it, but I think we need to hunker down here tonight.  It’s getting late
and I don’t want to be on the road after dark.  Especially when it comes
to walking to the cabin once we run out of road.”

Boggs sighed.  “I was
thinking the same thing.  Should we drive the explorer around back?”

I nodded.  “I think so. 
They watch for changes.  If they see the SUV and it wasn’t here before I
think they’ll attack.”

Gus looked deep in thought. 
“Zoe, do you know how else they find people?”

“Sound.
 
Smell.
  They can smell
blood.  It’s just fleeting feelings I pick up on, though.  They watch
for movement, too. 
Changes.”

Gus nodded.  “Ok.  Let’s
move the Explorer around back and stay put for tonight.”

“We should camp out in one of the
upstairs rooms,” suggested Boggs.  “Zoe, I’ll go out with Gus and move the
car.  We’ll bring a couple candles back with us.  Go ahead upstairs.”

“Ok,” I said.  “Hurry
though?  I get the impression they like to hunt at night.”

“Great,” mumbled Gus.

I watched Boggs and Gus walk out
through the front door.  I watched while they started the car and drove it
around to the back of the building.  I wasn’t sure if the paved drive
extended all the way around but figured they’d do what it took to conceal the
vehicle.  My breath caught in my chest when I noticed a figure walking up
the highway.  I knew it was human by the way it walked and the lack of
intruding thoughts or images in my mind.  It was an old man.  He was
hunched over and looked like he was in pain.  He held his hip as he
walked, as an arthritic man might. He was soaked from the rain and as he came
closer I could see that his hands were bloodied.  His pants were tattered
and his shirt was torn in several places.  My heart ached for him and
while I wanted to open the door and call out to him, instinct told me to stay
out of sight and remain quiet.  I was sure that this man was sent out as
bait and that close behind would be creatures that belonged in Hell.  I
hoped beyond all hope that Gus and Boggs had seen the man and were thinking as
I was, and hiding until danger passed.  The old man turned and looked at
the door to the Inn when he passed.  His eyes met mine through the glass
panes of the door, but he continued walking.  The look upon his face was
pleading, and warning at the same time.  I could tell he was tired and
weary.  As he turned away from me, a second figure flitted in and out of
the tree line in the distance.  My mind was filled with unearthly desires
to kill and consume.  I knew I was linked to only one of the
creatures.  I knew its job was to follow the old man and let the others
know if anything took the bait.  The lone zombie was so incredibly
hungry.  Memories filled my head in snippets, images of biting the old man
to keep him compliant and to stave off the unending hunger.  He was not
only their bait, but also their living snack.  The creature following him
was also responsible for keeping the
dumb
zombies from killing the old
man.  It was at that moment that I realized there were two very different
kinds of creatures out there, explaining why the ambush at the cabin had
involved the slow zombie out front and the faster ones that had planned the
attack.  I knew the old man and his undead keeper would soon be joined by
the others.  I quietly removed the toss pillow from the opening in the
front door and raised my revolver. I pulled the hammer back and steadied myself,
now knowing how much power would be in the kick of the gun.  I aimed at
the single walking dead, and shot it in the head.  As it fell, I watched
the old man.  He turned toward me, and looked at me with pleading
eyes.  He fell to his knees, raised his gnawed-on hands to a praying
position, and closed his eyes.  He hung his head.  I raised the
revolver again, pulled the hammer, and squeezed the trigger.  I fell to my
knees in the entry way, not caring to see the old man lying dead in the
street. 

I heard glass shatter in the rear
of the inn.  There were no more foreign thoughts in my head, so I knew it
must be Boggs and Gus entering from the back door that was off the kitchen.

“Zoe!” yelled Boggs.  “Zoe!”

I had eventually sat on my butt
and was hugging my knees, my eyes clenched shut.  I felt Boggs lift me to
my feet.  He held me to him.

“What happened?” he asked, alarm
prevalent in his voice.

“We have to get upstairs. 
There’s more on their way,” I moaned.

“
Boggs,
go ahead and take her up.  I’ll grab the supplies I set down and be right
behind you.”  Gus had rushed in with Boggs in response to the gunfire.

“Zoe, come on.  Let’s go
upstairs,” said Boggs.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,”
I whispered. 
“Gus, hurry.”

“I’ll be right behind you
guys.  I just set things in the kitchen.  I don’t need to go back
outside.”

Boggs and I hustled up the stairs
while Gus risked going back to the kitchen for the supplies that he had brought
in from the car.  We reached the landing at the top of the steps when I sensed
more of the creatures. 

“Oh God, Boggs, they’re close,” I
whispered as quietly as I could.  “Gus…”

“I’m here, darlin’,” he
said.  “Get into the far room. Quick.”

I did as instructed, treading
lightly but quickly.  The desire for human flesh grew within my mind as
Boggs and Gus entered the bedroom behind me, closing the door softly. 
Without speaking, I watched them work as a team.  They lifted a large
solid wood dresser and carried it to the bedroom door, where they set it down
as quietly as possible.  The room was carpeted, which helped buffer the
noise. 

“They know,” I said.  The men
looked at me quizzically.

“They we’re here?” whispered
Boggs.

I shook my head no.  “That I
killed them.”  I could see the fallen zombie and the old man laying dead
on the road, through the eyes of the creatures that now searched for us.

Gus held his finger to his lips,
urging me to be quiet.  We could hear the moans of the dead out
front.  One of them screamed, sounding enraged.  I knew it was indeed
just that, furious to find one of its own killed, and furious that its human
pet was lost.  I could sense confusion amongst the group.  The three
of us stood huddled together.  I was afraid to even breathe too
loudly.  The creatures were looking around now.  I could see through
their eyes still, a blur of too many images. 
Pictures
of the Inn, the grounds, the woods, the highway, and flashes of their recent
kills.
  I wanted to scream in anger.  I felt the arms of my
companions encircle me, and realized I was trembling.  I could tell by his
smell that I was facing Gus, who was pressing the side of my face gently into
his chest.  I could hear Boggs ‘shushing’ into my ear very softly. 

The next sense in my head was of
one of the creatures sniffing at the air.  It wasn’t an image so much as
the smell of the air outside, which included the foul stench of death. 
Thunder sounded again as a new storm rolled in.  They were fearful of
it.  How beasts capable of killing and ripping apart living creatures with
their bare hands could be afraid of thunder was beyond me.  Their
thoughts, memories, and horrifying desires began to fade from my mind. 
All but one fled into the surrounding woods, and from its thoughts I knew it
would be nearby, waiting.  The creature climbed in elevation, its signature
inside my head fading to a dim ember.  If I tried, I could tell myself it
was gone.  I knew, though, that it was left behind to watch the
area. 
To watch for us.

I slowed my breathing, and
challenged my body to relax.  I was exhausted, and needed to get off my
feet.  The room had darkened both from the storm brewing and from the
passing of time.  I lifted my head from Gus’ chest and looked up at
him.  “They’ve all gone, except for one,” I whispered.

He nodded in acknowledgement.

I twisted around to look at
Boggs.  “We have to be quiet.  It’s waiting for us to come out, to
slip up somehow.”

Boggs looked at Gus.  “No
lights.”

Gus nodded once.

“Should I close the curtain?”
asked Boggs quietly.

“No,” I said quickly.  “Stay
away from the window.  It’s watching.”

“Let’s settle in,” whispered Gus.

The three of us walked together to
the bed, careful to stay well away from the window. 

“You’re shivering, Zo,” whispered
Boggs. 

“There were extra blankets in the
bottom dresser drawer when I looked earlier,” I said, careful to keep my voice
down.  “We should lie down and try to get warm.”

“You guys lay down.  I’ll
grab a blanket,” offered Gus.

Boggs sat on the bed and scooted
over toward the far side.  I climbed in and we lay down together.  Gus
had opened the dresser drawer quietly.  He removed a thin blanket that was
kept inside, likely as a spare for guests on chilly nights.  I noticed he
left the drawer open, not wanting to risk any extra noise.  The cowboy
walked to the bed and started to cover us with the blanket.  I scooted
over farther.  “Gus, lay down with us.  We need to stay warm.”

He nodded, but looked
uncomfortable.  After pondering it, he sat on the bed and lay on his
back.  “Cover up,” I whispered.  “It’s getting cold.”

Boggs turned onto his side to face
me, and then spoke just loudly enough for me and Gus to both hear.  “Zoe,
what happened?  We heard two shots.”

“I’m not sure I can talk about it
yet, Boggs,” I said with a sigh.  Reluctantly, I tried to explain. 
“There was an old man.  He was being shadowed by one of the
monsters.  I knew there was only one of the creatures, but more were
coming soon.  I shot the zombie, and then the old man looked at me. 
He pleaded.”  I could feel a tear running down my cheek.  “They were
eating on him while he was alive, forcing him to be a living snack, and using
him to coax other people out of hiding.  He was in so much pain.  I
could see it in his eyes.”