Mostly Dead (Barely Alive #3) (4 page)

The highway stre
tched out both north and south.

I clenched my hands, the fingers stinging with an increasing burn as they cut into my palms.
At the pace we’d set, even if we never stopped for breaks or even to breathe, we might reach Sandpoint in three days. Or maybe in the next twenty-four hours, but the energy it sucked from me would require more than a bite or two of meat.

James and Brian didn’t seem as affected by the hunger as I was. It made sense, since they were much younger in zombie time than me.
If I could, I’d scoop Heather onto my back and get us the hell out of there, by flight or something. But could Dominic create a virus that would make us grow wings? Nope. He had to design a virus that ate at our bodies and left our damn brains intact. What the hell were we supposed to do with a brain when our bodies crapped out on us?

“We can’t keep this up. We need a car or something.” Good old James, speaking the obvious again.
Way to go, bro.
He glared at me, but continued. “There has to be houses around here or something. If the people aren’t alive, their vehicles will still have to work, right? We can find something. We have to.”

A sure sign I was hungry – I hadn’t thought of stealing a car
.

W
afts of Heather’s scent almost knocked me on my ass. She could’ve been a buffet separated from me by a simple dollar bill. I felt like I could eat and eat and never stop. I leaned toward her and sniffed long and slow.

I opened my eyes, unaware when I’d even closed them.
She met my gaze with her eyes wide. Even in the minimal lighting, I could see the fear etched on her face.

Damn it.
I backed up, covering my face with my hand, trying to play off the moment like I was confused. “Sorry about that. I love the smell of your… shampoo.” I turned away, mortified. I’d sniffed her, and hadn’t realized I was doing it. Like when I’d leaned over and bit her unprotected back and hadn’t realized it until I was licking the blood from her skin.

Those two slipups with human flesh
could be the end of my control. I might not be able to keep my hands to myself. At least the urge to rape her hadn’t surfaced. Although, with how fast my metabolism was running, I’d need food before I thought about ravaging anything with my body or my mind.

I pretended not to notice when she slid closer to Brian and James, but the scowl on my face had settled in for the night. I’d never get to tell her I cared if she, and I, w
ere worried I might do more than sniff her. I faced James. “I haven’t noticed any homes or anything. We’re a few miles from the next town. What do you suggest?”

Brian spoke up. “If we leave the main road and walk a bit, we’ll find something. Most northern Idahoans like their privacy. We’re bound to find a house.”

And most likely a loaded gun pointed at us. But I kept my mouth shut. The idea could work and whatever got us off the main road where Dominic – if he survived – would certainly travel as he searched for us.

We had stopped by the shoulder, separated from the woods by a large cement guardrail. Why wait? I threw my leg over and straddled the large man-made barrier. Hand out to Heather, I waited until she met my gaze.

When our eyes locked, the world fell away. She stepped forward and placed her hand in mine. She still trusted me. My skin tingled. I forced my gaze from her to the boys. “Let’s go.” I moved to the other side and helped Heather climb over the cement block. James and Brian could hold each other’s hands.

The stars and moon only illuminated so much. We tripped over exposed roots and low hanging brush. Twice I caught Heather as she stumbled over rocks and other debris we couldn’t see. The dark masses mixed and our depth perception couldn’t make sense of the myriad of blacks and darker blacks. In
another hour or two, the sun would make its way over the mountain range. Until then, I welcomed the chance to catch Heather’s warmth when she fell, or hold her arm while she walked. All of it to keep her safe. Of course.

Downhill wasn’t very stable. Steep and slippery, the hillside seemed to slope forever. And then suddenl
y it wasn’t. I actually stutter-stepped when it leveled out, thinking I would still be going down and wasn’t. Hell, how embarrassing. Heather had to catch
me
.

I coughed and brushed off my pants, anything to avoid her stare. We reached a well-worn gravel road and climbed up to claim it.

Heather panted beside me. For a little thing, she held up pretty well, kept up with the boys.

To give her a minute of rest, I pointed north and south down the road which ran parallel to the highway. “Where there’s a road there’s people. Should we keep rolling north?”

We had to find a house or a business. I could hot wire a car, no problem. But if there were no cars, it made the acquired skill, well, stupid to have.

Heather pushed up from her bent over position and waved her hand. “Don’t stop for me. L
et’s go. I can handle it.” Even though I recognized her bravado, I believed her. She could do it. She started past me.

But I reached out a hand and stopped her. “Listen.” I held up my hand to James and Brian. My whisper should have been loud in the silence, had there been silence. But the decided lack of quiet covered me in chills. “We’re not alone, guys.” Shuffling and
grunts underscored by an insatiable groaning landed like background noise. Thankfully, coming from the south. I think.

Without looking back, we took off up the road, watching for anything that might be a driveway or parking lot in the middle of nowhere.

Heather stumbled and fell to her knees. She cried out.

I stooped down and checked on her. “Heather, are you okay?” The noises grew louder, more defined.

“I’m fine. I just twisted my ankle. It’s no big deal.” I stood and offered her my hand again. Pulling her up, I waited for her to take a step. But she couldn’t.

She looked at me, tears sparkling on her lashes like the damn stars. “I think I sprained my ankle.”

Brian pressed closer to me. His words, hushed but urgent, carried to Heather even though they were meant for my ears. “They’re getting closer, man. We gotta go.”

I ignored him. Nothing had any worth, if Heather wasn’t with me. Plain and simple. “I can carry you.”

She shook her head, but squeezed my forearm. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to put you out.” She looked down and then glanced behind us as the frenzied cacophony grew. “Leave me here. I’m only holding you up. It’s my flesh they want. Not yours. You can still get home. Be safe.”

My jaw fell. To Brian and James, I muttered, “Keep going. Find something we can hide in. I’ll call you, if I need help with her.”

They didn’t question the urgency in my tone. Without another word they sprinted up the road, leaving Heather and I alone. With the sounds.

I tightened my lips when all I wanted to do was lean in and dominate he
r with a gentle softening of my mouth. But if I wanted to do that, I had to get her out of there – intact. I debated asking her again, getting her permission, but at that exact moment, shit… I swooped her into my arms and cradle carried her. “It’s a good thing you’re so petite.” I wasn’t hungry enough to make her weight was a burden. I could still pull off looking masculine and non-gray – in the dark.

Rather than argue with me, she wrapped her arms around my neck and tucked her face into my shoulder.
If we weren’t being chased like a menu item, I might stop and see how far she’d let me go, but we were being chased. They caught Heather’s scent and their shuffling turned into dragging.

Her fear rode the night air, spurring on my own bloodlust and hunger. I couldn’t imagine what her emotions did for the less controlled beings downwind of us. I didn’t see James or Brian so I kept my
stride wide and brisk. Heather wasn’t heavy, but I hadn’t eaten in a few hours.

Heather whimpered. I
looked behind us. Holy hell, four lurching creatures closed in, each coming from a different section of the road in varying distances from us – one as close as ten yards.

I swung Heather from side to side as I sped up my pace. I c
ouldn’t run. Not full out. I ran like a football player. We were lumbering runners minus the smooth stride, designed to power through and over things. I’d never make it much farther.

Brian’s thoughts broke through, echoed by James. “We found a place. Turn left just after the break in
the trees.”

Break in trees, break in trees. Bam. There.
I turned mid-step and rushed down the barely visible drive. Our pursuers followed and didn’t try to hide what they wanted. Heather screamed into my skin and tucked her face tighter to me.

Something grazed the back of my arm. I pushed harder.

James broke through the panic in my mind. “Run, just run. You’re almost here.”

I jostled into a sprint of sorts. Ten steps and
mere inches distanced me from whatever reached for Heather. James and Brian grabbed me and pulled us through a solid metal door. They slammed the panel on the closest one to me. Fingers crunched in the jamb. A howl erupted which disintegrated into a whimper and then a moan.

Heather
moved as if to extract herself from my embrace. I tightened my hold.
Are you kidding me?
Putting her down was an impossibility. For me and for her. I’d just gotten her and almost lost her. I couldn’t let her go. Not right then. I pushed against a solid wall and leaned my forehead down to hers.

My whisper had a
will of its own. “I need to hold you, right now, okay? Just… let me hold you.”

She
stared into my eyes. The dark of the house wasn’t half as intrusive as the blackness outside. She relaxed in my arms. The melting resistance in her muscles warmed me. I ignored the banging on the door, the clawing and scratching, the wiggling of the doorknob.

Our eye contact dissolved. She turned her face and laid her cheek against my collarbone.

I looked over her head. Brian and James watched the movements of the hungry zombies from a window. When the undead moved to the glass, I hoped we’d be far away.

“Is anyone here, guys?”
I kept my voice low.

They turned from the scene playing out in front of them.
Brian’s shoulder movement was visible in the obscure darkness. He eyed Heather in my arms and moved further into the building.

The front had been plain
– what little I could make out in my rush and the lightless morning. Walls had a strong presence and many shapes and shadows filled the front room, but nothing that resembled furniture. In fact, there were no chairs that I could see. Many items stood between waist and shoulder level, speckling the room.

“Where are we?” I reached for a light switch but pulled back. Even if there were electricity, I wouldn’t want more attention brought to us. Four zombies
were bad enough, any more and I couldn’t foresee any of us living past the end of that day, let alone me making it to my own expiration date.

James whispered from his position at the window. “I think it’s some kind of shop or garage. It’s huge. Maybe even a storage unit or something. I didn’t see a house anywhere.”

Reluctantly, I allowed Heather to slide from my arms. Various parts of her body connected with mine, just as my nerves were electrified with budding hunger.
Sweet torture.
I’d take it. Her hand sought mine. At least I wasn’t the only one who wanted the connection. “Let’s look for another way out.”

Pounding on the front door made Heather jump. I squeezed her hand. They wouldn’t make it through the door, but if they moved to the glass, we would have to be ready.
She limped beside me. I steadied her. “Are you okay? Do you need me to carry you?”

She shook her head. “No
. I have to try and take it easy, is all.” She leaned on me and I willingly held her weight.

“Yeah, it’s a garage.” Brian didn’t bother maintaining a low volume. And why should he? The damn zombies already knew we were inside. The hollow clang of metal striking cement carried to us enhanced with Brian’s curse. “Watch out, there’s crap all over the place.”

I led Heather deeper into the cave-like garage. “Come on, James.” Louder, I called to Brian. “Do you see any other doors or windows?”

“No
normal sized ones. There’s a garage door back here.” His muffled voice came as if from far away.

We found the doorway and walked through.
Light flooded the room.

I gasped. Damn it, I couldn’t help myself. There she was. Sitting no more than twenty feet from me. Her curves and lines distinguishable from all other
objects. She sat at an angle. Her shiny chrome wheels twinkled and flashed.

The 1969 Mach I Mustang stared at me. I pinched my arm for a reality check.

James laughed. “We don’t have time, Paul.”

Heather’s worry grated an edge to her words. “What’s wrong with him?”

I couldn’t answer. Slowly, I approached the maroon car. With only a day or so left in my short life, I faced the ultimate vehicle. The car that all other vehicles should be compared to. Inches from the machine, I reached out my hand and ran my fingers over the smooth, shiny metallic paint. I closed my eyes and pictured me and Heather, side by side, as the high RPMs of the car rumbled around us. We zoomed down the freeway. Heather’s restored hair whipped about her face. She gripped my hand, in between shifting of course, and squealed as we reached speeds above ninety miles per hour. My skin had no hint of gray.