In the Lone and Level Sands (45 page)

They soon passed below a sign that read
“Airport” next to a big white arrow pointing upward. Katie was
wrinkling the map in her hands.

“It’s not too far from here,” she said.

Every now and then a zombie jumped for the
car, but it always either missed, or bounced off and ended up lying
in the street. Dex and Lacie were taking turns facing backwards to
watch for Garrett, so Layne could focus on driving. He still
checked the rearview every now and then.

“Oh my God,” Kyle said. “Look at that shit.”
He pointed to the airport to their right. There were pillars of
smoke everywhere, and much of the building had collapsed. The
remains of planes were everywhere.

It reminded Layne too much of everything.
The plane, Alex, the night they crashed and the days that followed.
For the first time, he thought about life before the crash, before
the zombies. He felt distracted by these memories, and decided to
store them away.

“All right,” he said. “Get us there,
Katie.”

****

The cars idled on a small bridge. A few
zombies noticed, and were shambling toward the cars. Layne ignored
them.

“It’s that one?” he asked, pointing to a
small house.

“Yeah. The little white one.”

Layne watched for signs of life, but all he
saw was the occasional zombie in the street and a bunch of parked
cars.

“There are a lot of zombies,” Kyle said. One
got to the car and pressed its face against the window.

“We have no way of telling Garrett what’s
going on, either,” Lacie said.

“We don’t even know what’s going on, yet,”
Dex replied.

“Well, someone’s going to have to get
inside,” Layne said.

Katie didn’t hesitate. “I’ll go.”

“You’re not going alone.”

“But if we’re waiting in the cars, we’re
basically sitting ducks,” Dex said.

“I think I have an idea,” Ralph said.

Kyle rolled his eyes. “Oh, great. We’re
saved.”

“Do you guys know what a Roman Tortoise
is?”

“I don’t want to hear anything about
Romans,” Kyle said.

“It’s not a Bible thing,” Dex replied. “I
saw that in that movie about the Spartans. They would make like a
big shell with their shields, and stick their spears out through
the sides. So they could attack, but nothing could get in.”

“We can do that with the car as our shell,”
Ralph said. “Everyone can take a gun, and sit at a window. If
anything gets too close, you roll the window down, kill it, then
roll it back up.”

“This may actually work,” Layne said.

“What about the front and back windshields?”
Lacie asked. “Those don’t move.”

“Chances are, we can hit anything that comes
for the front from the sides,” Ralph said. “Garrett can rest at our
bumper, so we’ll cover their front, and they’ve got our back.”

“How are we going to tell them this?” Dex
asked.

Katie reached into the glove box and got
some paper. She took a pen, and made a sign in big, thick
letters.

PULL UP CLOSER

“Just press this against the back window.
Garrett will see it and get closer. That way, Layne and I don’t
have to go out there and risk our lives explaining the plan.”

Ralph pressed the paper against the back
windshield. Garrett’s car got closer, but not close enough. Ralph
waved them forward until the bumpers were almost touching.

“Now we just write them a novel, paper by
paper,” Kyle said.

“Can I see the pen?” Ralph said. Katie
handed it to Kyle, who passed it back to him. Ralph started
scribbling on the other side of the sign.

“What are you doing?” Dex asked.

“I’m drawing a diagram. A picture is worth a
thousand words.”

“Is that from the Bible?” Kyle said. Ralph
looked up at him. He looked offended. “Okay, sorry.”

Ralph finished his drawing and pressed it
against the glass. Garrett looked on from the other car,
confused.

“I don’t think he’s getting it,” Dex
said.

Warren said something to Garrett, and Ralph
could tell it finally clicked. Garrett gave him the thumbs-up.

“Yes!” Lacie said.

“Houston, we are go for launch,” Dex
said.

“Okay,” Layne said. “Stay safe, guys. We’ll
be back soon.”

“And make room,” Katie said. “We’re bringing
someone back with us.”

The two of them left the car, each carrying
a shotgun.

****

“Okay, let’s get this done quickly,” Layne
said. He and Katie walked briskly down the bridge. A zombie at the
bottom shambled toward them, somewhat slower than usual.

“The hill is going to slow them down,” Katie
said. “This may work better than we thought.”

Layne raised his gun, and the two of them
heard a shot. Katie turned to see a zombie fall down next to
Garrett’s car, and the barrel of a gun retreated into the vehicle
as the window went up. Layne waited for his own zombie to get
closer, and then fired. It dropped to the ground.

“Come on, let’s move.”

Three more zombies waited at the bottom of
the bridge. The gunshots seemed to be attracting more of them.
Layne and Katie took care of the zombies at hand, and made for the
small white house.

“Cover me,” Layne said. He rushed up the
stairs and tried the doorknob as Katie turned and shot an
approaching zombie. “It’s locked. Do you have a key?”

“Aw, fuck! It was in my bag, on the plane!”
Katie said. “Ring the bell!”

Layne pressed the button to the side of the
door. He couldn’t hear a bell. He turned to help Katie keep the
zombies back.

“She’s not answering.”

“Cover me,” Katie said. She turned to the
door as Layne shot an approaching zombie. Katie pointed her shotgun
at the doorknob and pulled the trigger. The knob blasted off and
the door swung open, then back to its frame, and then bounced off
and rested, open a crack. “Come on!”

Layne shot a zombie, then retreated into the
house.

“Let’s move this in front of the door to
keep them out,” Layne said, pointing to a nearby dresser. “It’s
small, but it’ll hold.”

Katie held the door shut as Layne pushed the
dresser. They rested it in front of the door. A zombie outside
shoved itself against the door, and the dresser wiggled, but didn’t
move.

“Let’s make this quick,” Katie said.
“Keely!”

“Keely, are you here?” Layne called. They
searched the bottom floor and didn’t find anything but some opened
drawers and papers and things in disarray. “What’s upstairs?”

“It’s just one little attic room. She
might’ve holed herself in up there.”

The two went up the stairs and to the door.
Katie knocked.

“Keely, are you in there? Keely?” She opened
the door. It was dark inside. They waited for a reply. Katie could
hardly stand the anticipation, but she didn’t want to make any
brash moves.

Layne entered the attic. It was mostly full
of boxes, but it had a few open areas.

“Look at that,” Layne said. He pointed
ahead. At the back of the room was a bundled mass of blankets and
pillows. There was a used bowl and spoon next to a dark spot on the
hard wood that Layne couldn’t make out.

“Keely?” Katie said. She took a few steps
toward the back of the attic, trying to be cautious, but wanting to
rush over as quickly as possible. Layne followed her. “Keely, is
that you?”

Layne was beginning to fear the worst. Then,
he got closer to the dark spot on the floor. “Katie, I think
it’s…”

“Blood. Dried blood.” Tears were already
welling in her eyes.

“Keely,” Layne said. He took a few steps
toward the thick bundle. He tapped it with his foot. Katie was
beginning to breathe deeply. Layne bent down.

“Oh my God,” Layne said.

****

Garrett rolled the window up and reloaded
his gun. “They’re sure taking their sweet-ass time.”

Warren rolled his window down and shot a
zombie that was getting closer. “I’m sure it’ll work out okay.”

“Look!” Jessi said from the back seat. Up
ahead, Layne and Katie emerged from the house.

“Oh, God,” Warren said. “They don’t have
anyone with them.”

Zombies rushed toward them.

“This is bad,” Jessi said. “Can’t we help
them?”

“Yeah,” Garrett said. “We can.” He picked up
a bottle from the floor. There was a rag in it. Garrett lit the rag
on fire, then opened his door and stepped outside.

“Are you crazy?” Warren said. But the
zombies were all focused on Layne and Katie.

“Hey!” Garrett said. Layne and Katie looked
toward him, raising their guns at the oncoming zombies. Garrett
threw the bottle as hard as he could. It landed a good thirty feet
to Layne’s right, and a fire quickly spread. Most of the zombies
shifted direction and ran toward the fire, and then directly into
it. Layne and Katie shot the few that weren’t distracted, then
headed for their car.

The flaming zombies started screaming, and
Garrett cringed.

“I hate that sound,” Warren said. “It chills
me to the bone.”

“Yeah, me too,” Garrett said. He got back
into the car and closed the door.

“I feel bad for Katie,” Jessi said. They
watched as Layne and Katie got into the minivan. They could see
people moving around inside.

****

“What happened?” Dex asked. “Is everything
okay?”

“We found a letter,” Layne said.

“She evacuated,” Katie said. “She left just
a few hours after it all went down. She left directions and
everything. And she said she’s okay… She says she’s fine.”

“That’s good, so we still have a chance!”
Lacie said. Katie’s relief was spreading to the others like an
infection. Layne smiled.

“Here,” Katie said, handing the letter and a
blank sheet of paper to Ralph. “Make a sign so Garrett knows where
we’re going.

****

“I wonder what’s going on,” Garrett
said.

Warren pointed. “Look!”

Ralph was pressing another sheet of paper
against the window.

HOUSE EVACUATED, HEADING ON TO

Ralph held the paper there for a moment,
then took it down and started writing on the other side.

“Maybe Katie’s girlfriend got away after
all,” Jessi said.

“We’ve got a destination now, anyway,”
Warren said.

“And just a little bit more hope to hold on
to,” Garrett replied. “Especially for Katie.”

“There he goes,” Warren said. Ralph pressed
the paper to the window.

LYNNWOOD STADIUM

“Sounds good,” Garrett said. He started the
car. Layne’s minivan came to life and pulled forward. Garrett
followed.

45

In Art’s Office, With New Friends

It was getting later on the sixth day in the
Cardigan, and another day of doing absolutely nothing had worn
heavily on the survivors, making them all on edge.

Mal lay curled up in a ball on the couch
against the wall. She snored lightly, with Cynthia sitting beside
her. She was debating whether to say something. She figured some
conversation was better than none at all, so she decided to break
the silence.

“It’s been days, and nothing’s happened.
That blanket out there was a waste.”

“The blanket was not a waste,” Evan said.
“If it can get someone’s attention, we’ll be fine.”

“
If
it can get someone’s attention.
But we’ve been here for almost a week, and—”

“I know how long we’ve been here, Cynthia.
I’ve been here just as long as you have.” Evan gestured to
Stephanie and then Daisy. “Stephanie has, Daisy, all of us. We know
how you feel, so please stop acting like it’s just been you up
here.”

“It’s just that I don’t think it’s a good
idea, keeping Mal here this long. What if one of those things finds
us before someone out there does?”

“They’re not going to find us. We’re too
high up. Where we are is just about the safest spot we can be right
now. It we did leave, we’d be at risk of running into some of them
on our way out.”

“Well, we’ll have to leave at some point,”
Cynthia said. “I mean, when our food is gone, what other choice
will we have?”

“She’s got you there, Evan,” Jason said.
Evan shot him a look of vexation.

Evan and Cynthia continued to argue. Most of
the others pretended to ignore it, though it wasn’t easy. Daisy
noticed Vanessa sitting with her legs pulled up to her chest,
stroking her bloodied dress, and decided she might try some
conversation.

“Hon?” Daisy said. “I can’t express how
sorry I am for you. It’s terrible, I know what you’re going
through.”

Vanessa stopped stroking the dirty fabric
and looked up. “Don’t pretend to understand how I feel. Please
don’t!”

Daisy was surprised, but that quickly turned
to frustration. “But I
do
know what you’re going through.
This is my fiancé’s office. Where is he, you might be
wondering?”

“Daisy, she didn’t know,” Cynthia said.
Vanessa’s expression soured, and she looked down.

“There’s no need for fighting,” Evan said.
“Nothing good can come from it.”

“Are you serious?” Daisy said. “What were
you two just doing?” Evan and Cynthia exchanged an embarrassed
glance.

“Still, you didn’t need to be rude,” Cynthia
said. “We’re all friends here.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed
anything,” Vanessa said.

“Forget it, we’re all friends here,
right
?” Daisy said. She walked away.

Vanessa retreated into herself again. She
had thought joining the others would be a good idea, but everyone
was unhappy and everyone was fighting. And Cynthia was right, the
food wouldn’t last forever. It was only a matter of time.

Daisy decided to take a shower. She stormed
off, and slammed the door, but when she was alone in the bathroom
she began to cry. She was sad, even jealous; at least Vanessa was
able to marry her love. Daisy and Art didn’t even make it to the
altar.