The First Days: As the World Dies (24 page)

1. The Terrible World

    

    Jenni walked out of the new gate cautiously, her rifle in her hands, safety off, ready to fire. Bill walked with her, also sweeping his gaze over the abandoned street. Curtis was right behind them, looking very nervous. This was his first time out of the fort and he was already sweating profusely.

    Jenni had been asked to accompany the former cops on a search and rescue expedition. Either Juan had talked up her skills and craziness to grandiose proportions or her actions in the fort had made her seem crazy, yet competent. Or maybe it was a combination of both. But it did amuse her that they wanted her to tag along, because they knew she had no issue about killing the zombies. Unfortunately, there were those who did seem to have issues with killing their former townspeople. Already on one rescue mission, someone's aversion to killing their zombified grandmother had resulted in one death.

    The construction workers attempted to shut the gate behind them, but there were a lot of teeth jarring screeches and a lot of swearing. Juan had told Jenni that there had been some issues with the gate and obviously this was true. Hopefully, they would have it fixed by the time they got back.

    Despite her efforts to not be annoyed, Jenni was having trouble dealing with Juan. It was all about Belinda and she hated it bothered her so much. It became clear that Juan's real reason for the library excursion was to hopefully save Belinda. And since she was one of the town's librarians, everyone knew her, which annoyed Jenni to no end. Since Belinda had arrived, they dynamics had changed again. Juan was constantly acting like a total idiot around Belinda, trying to act all smooth and sophisticated and if Jenni even tried to pop a joke in his direction, he'd get annoyed. Though she was utterly loath to admit it, she missed their banter.

    She strode quickly toward the mini-bus they had begun to use during the rescue missions. The fort population was slowly growing and the number of men and women was slowly evening out. There were at least a dozen children now and Peggy's son had plenty of other kids to play with. At times Jenni felt annoyed with their presence. It was hard to see other children alive and well when hers had died so quickly.

    Fate had been cruel to so many, but spared others.

    "Keep it short and sweet,” Bill said.

    "We're going to stir up the captive natives again," Curtis sighed.

    "Let them bust out. We'll shoot them and not have to deal with them later," Jenni said with a grin.

    Bill shook his head. "Such a blood-thirsty woman. You PMSing again, Jenni?"

    Pushing the door open to the mini-bus, Jenni turned to the two men.

    "Yeah. Be afraid, be very afraid."

    Curtis legitimately looked a little afraid, but Bill just laughed and lugged his girth up the stairs and into the driver's seat.

    Warily, Curtis slid past Jenni and sat in the front seat. "Juan tells stories about you."

    Jenni shut the doors and smiled back at Curtis. "Ah, really? I didn't know he still talked about me since his girlfriend showed up."

    Curtis shifted in his chair uncomfortably. "Uh…well..,he calls you Loca."

    Jenni wagged an eyebrow and held on, staying on the steps of the bus as it rolled forward.

    Bill just chuckled good-naturedly. "Well, I think Jenni is a little girl who's a killer shot and if she's loca, I can deal with that."

    Jenni smiled. "Thanks, Bill."

    Bill was always nice to her. Ever since he had arrived with Katie and Travis, he had been somewhat low-key. He had gone through the same thing as she and Katie had. Being outsiders to the townsfolk who had known each other all their lives, it had been hard to find their niche. Only now were they starting to feel as if they were actually part of the community. Bill had started volunteering to get to know people better and now a lot of the fort's population knew him by name.

    The mini-bus slowly crawled down the street toward one of the residential neighborhoods bordering the downtown area. It drove past a burned out gasoline station, abandoned restaurants, the old cinema that had closed its doors long ago, and a car lot that stood empty of cars. It turned at the first block of the neighborhood of small early 20th century homes. Most were in good repair, but a few had fallen to the elements and leaned dangerously to one side, or had collapsed altogether.

    Bill drove very slowly; giving anyone whom was alive enough time to come to a window or doorway. Of course, this meant the undead were hearing the steady hum of the engine as well. A few appeared at windows.

    Jenni had gone through this before. Sometimes the zombies broke out, sometimes they didn't. If they did break out, a bullet to the head settled the situation. So far the bus had never been swarmed.

    "No one alive on this street, it looks like, "Curtis said softly.

    "Yeah." Bill answered sadly. He turned a corner and they started down another street.

    Jenni watched the shrubbery and the houses with equal interest. Once she had seen half a man stuck in a hedge. She had wondered if he had tried to hide and had been pulled out and eaten. So far, she didn't see any zombies outside of the houses, which was a relief. There was a great fear in the fort that more swarms of zombies would converge on them. Jenni listened to all the arguments, but had no opinion. Maybe zombies would just start moving in one direction and happen upon the town. Maybe there was a real danger of them migrating toward areas of the living. Did it really matter? In the end, they just had to be prepared.

    "That looks like a situation," Curtis said suddenly. He pointed to a house up ahead. Two zombies were rushing across the street toward a house where four others were banging on windows. The front door was in shambles and it looked like a piece of furniture had been shoved up against it. The second floor window was open and a teenage girl was waving her arms.

    Bill slowed to a stop and the bus idled as they all stared at the situation.

    So far the zombies had not noticed them. They continued to assault the house, screeching up at the girl who was so desperate to signal the bus.

    "Kill em all," Jenni said after a beat.

    "No choice if we are going to rescue her," Bill agreed.

    "Take the ones on the left," Jenni told Curtis. "I'll get the ones on the right."

    "I'll cover you both," Bill added.

    Curtis took a deep breath. "Okay." He nervously fingered his service revolver. He nodded grimly to himself and stood up. "Okay."

    Jenni opened the door and stepped out cautiously. All the undead activity seemed to be centered at the house. Curtis walked beside her and they took up positions near the bus so they could retreat quickly. She looked out at Bill, who had the driver's side window open and his gun ready.

    "Ready?"

    "Sure," Curtis said softly.

    Jenni lifted the rifle and sighted the most dangerous looking zombie. It was a fully intact male. She fired and made him headless. Immediately she swung toward the next one as she heard Curtis firing as well. A faceless woman was turning to head off the porch. The bullet Jenni fired slammed through the woman's forehead and sheered off the top of her head. Curtis was firing next to her, his shots a little too wild as his nerves got the best of him.

    One of the zombies he shot, went down on a useless leg, but continued to crawl toward them.

    "Shoot em in da head!" Jenni's finger closed on the trigger again and another zombie fell, its brain flopping out of its head onto the sidewalk.

    Curtis took a deep breath, steadied his hands, and fired quickly. This time his aim was more sure and Jenni was relieved as his shots found their proper targets and the zombies fell.

    "Watch out! Behind you!"

    Jenni whirled around to see an old woman, shambling toward her. To her amusement and horror, the woman had a strangle hold on a living cat.

    The cat had been systematically eating the woman's arm probably since she had died. It looked skinny and bedraggled. She almost burst out laughing, but instead took aim and took out the dead cat lady. It dropped to the street, still twitching, the cat squealing and trying to get free. Jenni walked over and leaned down. As she pried the old woman's dead and decaying fingers off the cat, the cat gave her a few swats with its claws, but managed only to get her jacket. The fingers finally released the angry feline and it rushed off with an angry little house cat roar.

    "Now that was fucked up," Jenni said to Curtis with a grin. Her expression grew grim as she saw what emerged from the house.

    The teenage girl was first, followed by a man that was apparently her father. He was carrying a little girl in his arms, heavily wrapped up in a blanket. A young boy followed his mother. The mother was pale, gray and sickly looking.

    "Thank God! Thank God," the man exclaimed. "We were hoping someone would find us! We ran out of food two days ago!"

    The mother stumbled a little and her little boy helped her stand up straight.

    "My wife and daughter need immediate medical attention," the man continued.

    Curtis looked at Jenni and they both sighed.

    "When were they bitten?" Jenni asked.

    "What?" The man didn't register her words. "What?"

    "When were they bitten," Curtis asked. "They aren't doing too well. We can tell they were bitten."

    "Yesterday. The front door was broke into and two got into the house.

    Daddy killed them, but they got Mom and Angie before we stop them. But it's just small bites. It was a little kid who jumped on both of them. Nothing major. Just little teeth marks," the oldest daughter said.

    Curtis sighed softly and Jenni looked down at her boots for a moment.

    "Well, that was enough," she said finally. "And they are both as good as dead. We can't take them with us."

    "What do you mean? You can't leave them here!" The man's face flushed red and fierce. "They need a doctor!"

    "There are no doctors alive in this town," Curtis said softly. "And there is no cure for the bite. They're as good as dead and we can't take them with us.

    It's dangerous for all of us."

    The little boy began to cry and cling to his mother. She looked down at him sadly. Her eyes were sunken and her cheeks hollow. Her color was very bad and Jenni was sure she didn't have much time left. The father backed away from them, clutching his ailing youngster in his arms.

    "We just can't leave them behind," he protested.

    "You have to if you want to come with us. We have a safe place were many survivors are staying. If you want to come and be with us you will have to leave them behind," Curtis said in his best police officer "everyone stay calm" voice.

    Jenni considered just killing the mother outright, but it seemed too cruel. But they couldn't just stand here and argue.

    "Let's go," she said simply.

    Curtis hesitated, then nodded. "Okay."

    The teenager looked at her father desperately. "Daddy? We can't stay here."

    The Father was holding tightly to his youngest and backing toward his wife. "We're not leaving."

    "Yes, you are," his wife said firmly. "I can feel it burning inside of me.

    Cold and hot. I'm going to die here and I will be one of those things. Give me our daughter, Douglas."

    Douglas turned and looked at his wife with a desperate expression on his face. "Catherine, I'm not leaving you here."

    "Give me Angie and take our kids to a safe place."

    He shook his head and looked down at his daughter. Her breathing was ragged and she looked worse than the mother did.

    "Give me Angie, Douglas!" The wife held out her arms to him.

    The teenage girl grabbed hold of her brother and pulled him back away from their parents.

    "Mom…Mom…"

    "Ricky, go with your sister," she answered firmly. "Douglas, give me Angie."

    The man began to weep as he neared his wife. She looked as good as dead, looking worse by the moment. Reluctantly, he held out the small, precious bundle to her.

    "Now, go with our other kids to safety. Go!" Catherine held her daughter tightly to her, cradling her head against her shoulder. "Go!"

    Jenni motioned to the kids to get on the bus and they obeyed. They looked shell-shocked and terrified, but they obeyed. Curtis took hold of Douglas' arm and guided him to the bus. The man could not take his eyes off his wife and child.

    "If we can get them to a doctor…" he mumbled.

    Curtis shoved him up into the bus and climbed in after him.

    Catherine stared at Jenni sadly and her grip tightened on her daughter as the small form began to thrash and growl. Blood splattered across her cheek and lips as she gripped the child close.

    Jenni raised the rifle and the woman looked down at her undead child that was tearing away at her breast. She nodded tears on her cheeks.

    "Catherine! Catherine!"

    Jenni could hear the woman's husband and children screaming.

    She fired.

    The first shot stilled the child and tore a hole through Catherine's chest.

    The woman was falling when the second bullet caught her and ripped the top of her head off.

    Jenni turned and got onto the bus in silence. She looked at the father who was clutching his children to him and weeping. She gazed at the two kids who were near hysterics as they clung to their father.

    Curtis was pale and had tears in his eyes. Bill looked calm and resigned to it all.

    Jenni slammed the door shut and leaned against it. Tears slid down her own cheeks as she thought of her dead children and once more felt the sting of their deaths. She hated the world in that moment. Hated everything about it. How it stole children from parents and parents from children. She never wanted to experience this again. Never wanted to see a family torn apart by this plague of living death. But she knew that she would and it made her angry.