Tainted Grace (20 page)

Gus veered onto the northbound on-ramp, driving around an old abandoned pickup truck that was nose-end over the guardrail, aimed toward a water collection pond below.
The water in the pool looked stagnant and was void of the usual mallard ducks or Canada geese that would usually float about. I wondered if they had flown south for the winter, or become victims of the dead. The SUV picked up speed as it progressed north on Interstate 5. We had been through this stretch once before, and I took note that there were more abandoned cars now. Likely other survivors who had attempted to escape, find their way home, or who had been unaware that the dead had risen.

I turned around in the seat to face the rear.
“Kelsey?”

She looked up at me questioningly.

“Things are looking pretty messy ahead. Maybe keep Jane on the floorboard so she doesn’t have to look around? Or have her keep her eyes closed?”

“Sure,” she answered.

Gus had to slow the vehicle to maneuver around the abandoned vehicles, making me nervous. I could sense the dead not far, and knew they could sense us as well. Their stench was thick around us. Some of the abandoned cars were splattered with blood inside and out. The occasional human form, stripped of clothes and meat, dotted the shoulder. I felt sick to my stomach when one of the smaller forms, obviously a child, was being eaten upon by a raven that was fighting off a seagull.

After about a mile of the gory scenery repeating itself, one of the walking dead was shambling toward us.
I focused and knew it was alone. We had left a medium sized horde behind us, to the west. They had been too slow to reach our moving vehicle. The mega-horde to the south was well behind us. For now.

“I don’t sense others near, just that lone one,” I said to both Boggs and Gus.
“Still, I don’t think we should stop the car.”

“I can run it over,” suggested Gus.

“If you hit it going too fast, it might damage the vehicle, Gus,” mentioned Nathan from the seat behind us. “Like hitting a deer.”

The zombie in question was tall and fat.
It didn’t look bloated so much as simply having been obese in its human life. Rolls of skin sagged from its sides and belly, oozing a greasy substance. Gus had slowed to a crawl as we approached. The Roamer seemed oblivious as to what was about to happen. It was foul, rotting and oozing. It was difficult to look away, as nasty as it was. It was almost hypnotizing in its gruesomeness. It had breasts, but one was torn away and hanging in a bloody strip of flesh and fat, lying near its belly button…or where its belly button should be, that is. Male or female breasts, it was impossible to tell. Its hair and scalp had been torn off, eaten off, or fallen off. I tried to not guess which. It was naked aside from a pair of really large gym shorts.

“Make sure you’re all buckled,” said Boggs.

After several moments and a couple of seatbelt clicks Gus increased the vehicle speed just slightly.

“Jane, cover your eyes honey,” said Kelsey from the far back row.

I felt Gus reach over and check my lap belt, and right afterward we were face to face with the rotund king or queen of rottenness. As the front grill of the SUV came into contact, it made a thump that caused the car to lurch. The greasy discharge from the creature’s pores and folds splattered the hood and windshield. I flinched as one of its arms came into contact with the edge of the windshield, right in front of Boggs. The back of the vehicle bounced when one of the tires ran over the corpse. Jane squeaked from the roughness of the ride, obviously scared. Kelsey and Abbey were both busy soothing her.

“That was so disgusting,” said Susan. “Holy shit.”

Gus had turned on the windshield wipers, which smeared the gore. A long spray of wiper fluid helped.

I looked back at Emilie, who seemed pale.
Susan looked on the verge of losing her lunch. Nathan had wrapped an arm around her, and she seemed to welcome him at her side.

“Next big city is Bellingham,” said Gus.
“I think it’d be prudent to not go that far.”

“I’m not sensing any large groups of them,” I interrupted.
“Just sporadic roamers.”

Gus looked over at me.
After a couple of seconds, he winked. “Still, it’s likely once we get close there’d be more than we’re comfortable with.”

I nodded.
“Ok.”

“With all you sensed earlier, we’re damned lucky we didn’t run into them,” said Nathan.
“Good call on heading north. We should start heading west now. Dagmar’s Marina is well south of us, so we need to look for a boat. It’d be best if we could get off the mainland soon,” suggested Nathan.

“Only issue will be if dark falls. I don’t want to hit the island after dark, since we need to clear it,” replied Gus.
He took his free hand and used it to rub at his chin. I noticed his beard stubble was getting long. I found myself longing to stroke his face. I shook the thought from my head, and turned to look at Boggs. He was studying the landscape as we drove.

“We’ll need gas soon,” said Gus bleakly.
“Looks fairly clear here. I’m gonna stop. Try siphoning from that car up there.”

“We should all get out and stretch, and keep on guard,” mumbled Boggs.

“Ayup,” said Gus. He was good at communicating in grunts and mumbles and things that weren’t quite words. I blushed, recalling the noises he made as he climaxed with me, and how they had excited me.

The SUV came to a slow stop next to an abandoned car, a blue Mini Cooper that appeared un-wrecked.
Gus shut the engine off. I told the group that the nearest Roamer felt about ten minutes away, and so that became our tentative time limit.

I was glad to get out of the car and used the opportunity to stretch.
As Gus and Nathan set about siphoning gas using makeshift gear, I walked to the back of the rig to check on Jane. I knew she’d been in good hands so far this trip, but needed to see her for myself. I felt responsible for her. She was standing near Kelsey, still sucking her thumb.

“How’s the little sweetheart doing?” I asked no one in particular.

“She’s been pretty quiet,” said Abbey. “And pretty sleepy.”

I knelt down next to Jane, at her level, and spoke directly to her.
“It’s good you’re sleeping, because once we get to the island you’ll be able to run and play without worrying about the bad people anymore.” The little redhead finally took her thumb out of her mouth, and wrapped both arms around me. I gave her a tight hug and knew I was comforting her as much as she was me.

“Can we pick flowers there?” she asked quietly.

I kissed her cheek and held her away from me so she could see me. “Of course we can, in the spring when they bloom.”

“Ok,” interrupted Boggs.
You should all go to the bathroom real quick. We need to get back on the road.”

I nodded, confirming Boggs’ fear that our time here was growing unsafe.
Gus and Nathan had run a hose that they salvaged from under the hood of the deserted car and ran it straight from one gas tank to the other. Nathan was busy spitting profusely on the side of the road, and by the sound of it he vomited as well. I guessed he was the one who had used mouth suction to start the siphon. I felt sorry for him.

Before long I urged everyone to get back into the SUV.
The dead were very near, and approaching from both the south and the east. It was hard to say how many there were. Their rudimentary desires were jumbled together in my head. Some signatures, as I liked to think of them, were weak and others much stronger. I lifted Jane into the middle row just as I saw the first of them come into sight. It looked haggard. For a split second I felt sorry for it. I laughed, rather inappropriately, realizing it was like we were dangling a big juicy cheeseburger in front of someone who hasn’t eaten for days, then taking it away before they could taste it. How cruel. How absurd for me to even for a moment think like that.

“In you go, Jane.
Climb to the back and sit where you don’t have to watch, ok?” I said.

The little girl nodded at me, and returned her thumb to her mouth before climbing over the seat back.
Abbey was already in the third row waiting for Jane and Kelsey was finishing doing her business behind the car.

“Kelsey, you need to hurry,” I called out.

She didn’t answer. Everyone else was back in the SUV, except for me and Nathan.

“Kelsey,” I said a bit louder.

Immediately following, I saw the backside of Kelsey crouched behind the car. I figured she was relieving herself. It wasn't my eyes I was looking through. I knew suddenly that one of the Runners was looking at her, from right behind her.

“Oh God no, Kelsey!” I screamed.
“Gus!”

Nathan had already reached the back of the vehicle, his shotgun raised.
Through eyes that were not my own, vision cloudy, I saw Kelsey stand and turn. The look on her face was that of shock. She didn’t have a chance to run, let alone fight. A hunger that I felt deep down to my core was being satisfied as the Runner latched on to her mouth and cheek with its horrid, rotting teeth. The blood that flowed from her into its mouth was like life itself. I clenched my eyes shut, willing this horrific thing to not be real. Kelsey’s screams brought me out of the dark hole I was attempting to climb into. I opened my eyes as her screams continued, and jumped when I heard a gun fire. Boggs had wrapped his arms around me while Nathan and Gus had joined together to shoot the creature feasting on our friend. Another shot rang out and I knew that a Roamer in the distance had also fallen, buying us a few more minutes.

Kelsey’s screams continued, now sounding full of pain instead of fright.

“Kelsey!” screamed Abbey from inside the car. “Kelsey!” The preteen had climbed into the far back of the vehicle and was pounding on the windows in the back doors, right above her injured sister. Her voice cracked with terror and she was choking back tears.

“Boggs, let me go to Kelsey.
Oh God, Emilie, Susan stay with the girls! Don’t let Abbey out!”

Kelsey continued to scream in agony.
Boggs released me and I rounded the car till I was within sight of her. I knew to keep enough distance. I knew she would turn. She was only a year younger than me. She was all Abbey had left of her own family. Kelsey stood, blood from the massive bite on her face pooling at her feet. She was chalk white, blood staining her deathly pale skin. I could tell she was shaking, and finally she dropped to her knees. Her screams stopped but her body continued to convulse from sobbing. “Abbbbbey…” she moaned, long and pitiful. “Ohhhh…ohhhh…God no…ohhhhh…it hurts…”

Those were the last words she said.
Her head hung forward as her body stilled and her breathing ceased. I looked back to the car and saw that Emilie was holding Abbey’s head against her chest. The movement of Nathan raising his gun in my peripheral vision caused me to look back just as Kelsey raised her head once more. Her beautiful green-blue eyes had lost their sparkle, replaced by a dull haze. What was left of her upper lip lifted into a trembling snarl. I already knew she had turned by the spark that fired within my head. Facing Nathan, she wanted to sink her teeth into him. She didn’t get a chance, as a bullet from his gun sank into her forehead, piercing the reanimated brain beneath.

The mood in the SUV was grave as we drove on, leaving what had been Kelsey behind. Abbey sobbed for hours over the loss of her sister. Nathan sat in the rearmost seat with her and held her close. They’d been together for as long the rest of us, and were the last two of their group now. It seemed right for them to hold each other close, almost as a father and daughter. She’d drift to sleep from sheer exhaustion, only to wake screaming for Kelsey. We had turned off the main interstate shortly after the incident. I kept playing it over and over in my mind. How had I missed the imminent danger to Kelsey? Boggs was sitting beside me, holding me, and kept whispering to me that it wasn't my fault. I allowed him to comfort me, his outburst toward me earlier in the day seemingly now very insignificant. What if he had been the one killed? How would I have managed to go on?

I knew he was right when he told me that we don’t fully understand my ability, and how I’m not responsible to foresee every attack.
Still, I felt so horrible that I hadn’t been able to save Kelsey. I knew the guilt would live inside of me until the day I die.

“I’m gonna head south on the back roads,” said Gus.
“Try to get over to either Anacortes or La Conner. Both are on the water so chances of finding a boat will be good. It’s farther from the Interstate too.” No one answered him. Abbey’s sobbing had calmed for now, her eyes open and seemingly focused on nothing in particular. Jane was asleep with her head on Susan’s lap, both of them sitting beside me and Boggs. Her thumb was still in her mouth and she occasionally sucked on it reflexively. I noticed Susan was petting the girls red hair affectionately, which was rather uncharacteristic for her. Even cold Susan had a warm side, it seemed. Emilie and Gus both sat up front, with her in the middle seat very close to him. His arm was around her shoulders as he drove.

“There’s a major boat launch in Anacortes,” said Nathan.
“Right into the Sound. No mooring, though. La Conner has the slough, with boats usually dockside. We could get from the slough to the Sound fairly easily, assuming these fuckers can’t swim.”

“T
hat’s what I was thinking too,” mumbled Gus. I saw him peek at me in the rear view mirror. I thought I caught a glimpse of something -either jealousy or disgust- in his eyes. At the moment I didn’t care, I continued to let Boggs hold me close.

The scenery had changed from forest to farmland.
We passed fields, many of them flooded. There was a lone Roamer who appeared to be stuck in the mud. It stood upright, shoulders slumped, and a single arm dangling. As it sensed us, it was as if it came to life. It reared its head, face half eaten away, and reached its arm toward us. The other arm was on the ground, most of the meat stripped off of the bones. It ended up falling forward, that rotten face planted into the mud. Its legs were now bent unnaturally, feet still stuck in the wet earth. I forced myself to look away.

“Trouble ahead,” said Nathan.
I was already aware of the pack of zombies ahead of us.

“They’re feeding,” I said quietly.

“Ayup,” mumbled Gus. “By the looks of it I’d say a cow.”

Off on the left shoulder and partly in a field was a large mass, likely a cow as Gus had said, that was dead and bloated.
About a dozen zombies were beside and on top of it, ripping the flesh of the beast to shreds and gorging.

“At least half of them are the smarter ones,” I said.
“The Runners. They know we’re here now, and they know we taste better than what they’re feeding on.”

“So maybe half a dozen are the tricky kind,” said Nathan.
“Think we can get by if we just speed up?”

“Maybe,” I said.
“The dumber ones are too involved in their meal to take much notice. The smarter ones though, they might try to swarm the car.”

“We can get out and shoot,” suggested Boggs.

“No. There’s more of them in the woods across the valley,” I added.

“Ok then.
Let’s get it done.”

Gus increased our speed fivefold.
As we neared, half of the pack stood and looked at us. It was eerie as they moved in unison. Unnatural. Somehow they judged our speed and stood still at the edge of the highway while the others continued to eat on the cow carcass.

“They know swarming the car will end badly for them,” I said.
“Gus, keep the speed up.”

As we passed, those gorging paused in their feeding, the Roamers and Runners alike now aware of us.
I watched the Roamers walking toward us as we sped away. The smarter zombies went back to feeding on the dead cow, ignoring the other dead who were walking away.

Uneventful miles passed.
We came across two abandoned vehicles that we had to push out of the way, but thankfully none of the living dead were close. Nathan and Gus siphoned enough gas to fill our tank once again. We saw no signs of other living humans.

“There’s a grocery store up on the right,” said Gus.
“We should plan that as one of our first scavenging trips. Right now, though, I just want to get us off the mainland.”

Gus turned off the highway and headed west again.
The sun was past its high point in the sky. I figured it must be early afternoon.

“Ok, listen up.
We’re close to La Conner. I’ll get as close to the slough as I can, and hope we find a boat. Nathan, I want you to head straight to the wheel and hot wire if needed. Boggs, you and I’ll carry the younger girls if they need help. Susan, Nate, start waking them up now. It’ll be critical to keep them quiet. If the way looks clear, it’ll be me and Nathan first. Nathan how long do you think you’ll need?”

“Five or ten minutes,” was all he said.
“I’d suggest we all get on board and shove out away from the dock while I work. Then pray like hell it runs.”

“Ok.
We’ll need to take the gas cans with us and at least half the weapons. I want to leave at least two or three guns under the seats of the Suburban. We need to bring a box of food, and the sleeping bags. Susan and Emilie, if you can help carry things that’d be great. Zoe, I want you to keep hold of Jane’s hand, and Abbey’s. Keep your mind focused, ok?” Gus seemed nervous.

I met his eyes in the rear view mirror and nodded.
“There’s a lot of them stuck in buildings close by.”

“Ok,” said Nate.

The street we were now on was lined with small touristy buildings. A book store, a wood art store, restaurants, trinkets, a candy shop. Gus pulled the Suburban off the road and parked alongside a building marked “bait.” The SUV now faced the small body of water than connected to the Sound. It was peppered with small wooden docks. Some were weathered and half sunken.

“Looks like low tide,” muttered Gus.
I could tell he wasn’t happy at the discovery. “Less room between land and the middle of the water,” he explained.

“See down there, just to the right?” asked Nathan as he pointed.
“It looks like an option. Old but sturdy, a covered cabin, and enough room for all of us.”

He was talking about a clunky green motor boat, by the looks of it a fishing boat.

“If we’re lucky it’s got fishing gear on board,” said Boggs.

“We’ll need to clear the cabin first,” I said.
“I’m not sensing anything but just in case any are hiding from me.”

“Nate and I can do that.
Let’s move dockside as a group. Let the two of us on board first,” said Gus.

The buzzing in my head was tolerable at best.
The living dead trapped in nearby buildings were overwhelming. They knew we were close and were so desperate to get to us, but were unable. Across the street was a community center. I could hear them pounding on the front doors. I was anxious to get away from them. Far away.

The men piled items into Susan and Emilie’s arms while I took hold of Abbey and Jane’s hands.
Abbey was sullen, but said she was able to carry one of the two sleeping bags. My heart was aching for her. Jane took charge of her teddy bear, and I told her she was being a big help. We had a backpack in the back of the rig, which I had filled with the cans from our midnight rest break as well as some of the food. It was strapped to my back now. Boggs carried the box of ammo and firearms, and I could see the muscles in his arms straining beneath his t-shirt. Gus carried a lighter weight box of food in one arm, and had his gun ready in the other. I’d watched him cock and fire one-handed before and it was pretty impressive. Nathan had tucked weapons under the Suburban seats. He had explained that a stash may save us one day, assuming we came back here. He led the way, both hands focused on the shotgun he held.

An eerie mist was forming over the water.
It smelled bad here, of rot and the sea. We walked quietly to the water’s edge, as a group. We had to go single-file down a steep metal ramp to reach the dock. On the rocks below our feet were the remains of a body, crumpled into a heap with its head floating in the water. It was already being claimed by the sea, barnacles growing on exposed bone. Dungeness crab were busy eating away flesh that remained on its backside. Blackened claw marks marred its bare back. It looked as if birds had had their fair share as well.

I had let go of Abbey’s hand when we began descending the walkway, and she was sandwiched between me and Boggs. “Don’t look, Jane,” I whispered.
I looked over at her, and saw her eyes clenched shut. I picked her up and held her on my hip. She was scrawny for her age and easy to carry. I hoped we’d be able to get her good nutrition soon. I hoped she’d have a chance to grow into a woman. I could hear Abbey whimpering behind me. “Abbey, just keep your eyes focused on my backpack, honey,” I said, my voice just above a whisper. “We’ll be to the boat soon.”

I looked ahead to Nathan, who was already climbing on board the vessel.
Gus was right behind him, had set his box on one of the seats in the back, and had his weapon raised and at the ready. I carried little Jane onto the dock, and set her down on her feet. “Keep hold of my hand, Sweetie,” I whispered. “Abbey, you too.” Abbey put her hand in mine. I squeezed hers in reassurance. I knelt down and whispered to both girls, “as soon as Nathan and Gus give us the a-ok, I want you to both climb on board and go below into the cabin. Ok?”

They both nodded.
Time was ticking by slowly. Tension was palpable as we waited for a signal from Gus or Nathan. Boggs, Em, and Susan waited nearby. The sound of waves slapping the dock was about the only noise there was. It was too quiet.

At long last, Gus signaled us forward.
Nathan emerged from below deck, and they both walked back to help us on board. Boggs picked Jane up and handed her to Nathan, who pulled the child into the boat. Abbey was older and larger, so Boggs took her hand in his and held onto her while she climbed from the dock into the boat. Next the boxes and sleeping bags were handed to Gus and Nathan, who stowed them. While they were arranging things, Boggs helped the rest of us on board and then began untying mooring lines from the metal cleats of the wayward dock. A lone seagull flew overhead, looking at us curiously. It circled, and then swooped down to feed on the body lying on the rocks. Now on board, my body swayed lightly with the current. The girls had listened to me and climbed down into the belly of the boat.

“Nate?” I whispered while he was bent underneath the steering column.

“Yo?”

“You sure it was clear below?”

“Positive. The girls are ok,” he reassured me.

I looked back to Boggs, who remained on the dock.
He had shoved the boat off, and was now holding onto Gus’ outstretched hand while he jumped aboard. The boat was drifting toward the middle of the slough. The current was lazy, and I only hoped we wouldn’t run aground on either side.

As Nathan worked, he continued to talk to me.
“It’s a lot nicer below deck. There’s some bunks and a galley. Looks like someone had started to refurbish it from the inside out.”

The engine suddenly purred to life.
As soon as it did, the buzzing in my head quadrupled. There were dead surrounding us who had been unaware of our presence until they heard the noise of the boat.

“Nate,” I said, my voice strained.
He had just stood up. “They’re all around us. We have to get out of here. Now.”

Without question, Nate took the wheel and threw the boat into gear.
He started slow to allow everyone to find their sea legs, and then increased speed. The dead were now beginning to line the slough on both sides. They grew rapidly in numbers and walked to the edge of the water. It was perhaps the largest horde I had seen as of yet. The ones in front were pushed into the slough, where they appeared to promptly sink. At that moment I felt a small spark of hope.