3.2 As the World Dies Untold Tales Vol. 2 (19 page)

Tears in his eyes again, Ken embraced Lenore, holding her tight whether she wanted to be or not. To his surprise, she didn’t fight him off, but rested her head on his shoulder.

“
I’m sorry I wimped out last night,” he whispered.

“
You tried to save me,” Lenore answered. “That’s not being a wimp. Now you can’t shoot worth shit, but at least you tried.”

“
I’ll let you handle the gun,” Ken said with a sigh. Releasing her, Ken started to collect their things. Lenore had boiled more water and had poured it into a different container since she had ruined the other one last night. He snagged that and the campfire stove. “How long do we have before they get here?”

“
Thirty minutes I bet. Let’s not be here when they arrive.”

“
Where are we going?” He knew he sounded like a broken record, but he was at a loss as to how to handle any of this. Lenore was much stronger than he was and he knew it.

“
Away from here,” Lenore answered with a shrug. “As Grandma used to say, ‘The Lord will lead.’“

“
And if He doesn’t?”

“
We’ll make it up as we go.”

Casting a worried glance at the zombies, Ken realized that was the best answer he was going to get.

22.

Nothing Is Easy

Lenore shoved the lawn chairs into the compartment in the back of the RV and wiped her palms off on her jeans. The day was cool, but she was sweating more from nerves than exertion.

“
C’mere, Cher!” Ken wailed again from outside.

Lenore’s pocket was full of bullets and the gun was tucked into the pocket of her hoodie. She glanced out the window, checking on the progress of the zombies. They were circumventing the pond and slogging along the muddy bank. Another ten minutes and they would be upon them.

“
Cher! Stop being difficult!” Ken’s voice was starting to sound hysterical.

The cat rarely went outside, but she had suddenly sprinted out the door just as they were finishing packing the vehicle.

“
Ken!”

“
I’m trying to get her! I can’t leave her! Cher, bad cat! Bad! C’mere!”

Lenore sighed and headed out the door to help him. Ken sprawled on his stomach, trying to reach the cat under the RV. Grumbling, Lenore sank to her knees and peered under the vehicle. Cher was sitting directly out of reach, languorously cleaning one foot.

“
Really? Really? You pick this damn time to take a bath?” Lenore groused at the cat.

Cher flicked a dismissive look at Lenore.

“
Ken, we might have to leave her,” Lenore said, hating to say the words. She looked over her shoulder, checking on the zombies’ progress. They were out of her line of sight, below the crest of the hill.

“
No, I can’t!” Ken glared at Lenore, then tried to stealthily edge up a few more inches.

The cat gave him a sharp look, her muscles tensing. Lenore was certain the cat was about to bolt.

A low, hungry moan floated on the wind.

Cher lifted her head higher, staring past the humans with bright intense eyes. Ears slightly flicking forward, she lowered the foot she had been cleaning.

“
Ken,” Lenore whispered. She could barely see the top of a zombie’s head peeking over the hill’s slope.

“
Cher, come to daddy. The bad things are coming. Come here.” The tone in Ken’s voice was heartbreaking. It was desperation mixed with love.

Shoving up with her hands, Lenore scrambled to her feet. Her fingers closed over the revolver in her pocket. She stared at the zombie staggering fully into view a little more than fifty feet away. Lifting its hands, the creature let out a horrible cry.

“
Ken!”

“
Got her! I got her!” Ken exclaimed. “Help me up!”

Lenore leaned over, grabbed the waistband of his jeans, and dragged him out from under the RV. Twisting around, Ken scrambled to his feet clutching Cher in his arms. She was clinging to his shirt, claws dug in, staring at the zombie with wide, frightened eyes.

The zombie was now moving faster, spurred on by the sight of living human flesh.

“
Get in now,” Lenore ordered as she drew the firearm.

Skirting around her, Ken hopped through the entrance. Lenore followed, her eyes still on the zombie. She quickly pulled the door shut and grabbed the two by four. Shoving the wood into place, she felt her heart beating ever faster. The groan of the zombie sent shivers down her spine. The answering moans of the other undead creatures in its wake made her breath catch. Her hand was shaking as she tucked the revolver back into her hoodie.

“
Keep it together, girl,” she mumbled.

She hurried to the driver’s seat, brushing past Ken who was shoving a hissing Cher into her carrier. Lenore slid into the driver’s seat and glanced out the window to see the zombie stumbling around the campfire, growling.

“
Lenore!” Ken cried out.

“
I see it,” Lenore answered.

After fastening her seatbelt and making sure she could reach the revolver in her pocket without hindrance, Lenore meticulously followed Tito’s instructions on how to start the vehicle. She closed her eyes in prayer.

“
Dear Jesus, let this work,” she breathed.

“
You do remember how to hotwire it?”

“
Shut up, Ken.”

The engine gave a little cough, but sputtered out.

“
What’s happening?” Ken gasped.

“
Low on gas and it’s been sitting for a month,” Lenore answered tersely. “Give me a second.”

The sound of something impacting with the RV made both of them start. A quick peek at the rearview mirror made Lenore shudder. The zombie was slamming its fists against the side of the vehicle.

“
Lenore...”

“
Shhh...” Lenore tried again and lightly pumped the gas.

The engine briefly came to life, then died.

Ken shrieked as the zombie reached his window. It beat its putrid, rotting hands against the glass, hissing.

Lenore again tried to spark the engine to life.

The engine weakly roared and Lenore pushed down on the accelerator, giving it more precious gas. In her periphery the zombie assaulted the window, growling as Ken cringed away chanting her name like a prayer.

“
Got it,” Lenore said, then shoved the vehicle into gear.

The RV lurched into motion and rolled forward. The zombie’s bloody hands slid off the window as it struggled to keep up with the vehicle. Lenore turned onto the narrow drive that would lead to a farm road. The wheels slipped on the gravel, stalling the RV for a second, before they regained traction. Lenore clutched the wheel tightly as the RV bounced over the rutted road.

Ken leaned his forehead on the dashboard, dragging air into his lungs. “Oh, my God! Did you see its face? It was all torn up. I don’t even know if it was a man or woman.”

“
It don’t matter, Ken. It’s dead.”

Lenore flicked her gaze to the side mirror again and was relieved to see the zombies were out of view. Her stomach was doing acrobatics. Cher was meowing in her carrier and Lenore didn’t blame her. The mere sight of the walking dead was enough to make her want to scream. They had spent so much time on the hilltop safe and far away from the rest of the dying world she had forgotten how horrible they looked. It was worse than any movie and the smell was nearly unbearable.

Settling in his seat, Ken took a deep breath. “I was so scared the engine wouldn’t start.”

“
But it did start,” Lenore answered briskly. “Don’t go freaking out after we’ve gotten away.”

Ken frowned at her. “I’m not freaking out.”

“
Uh huh.”

“
No. I’m fine. I’m the epitome of fine. It was just so damn ugly! And...scary...and...the engine wasn’t behaving and...”

“
Freaking. Out.”

Ken pouted. “Fine. Maybe just a little.”

“
Get the map and guide me. Also, turn on that CB. See if we can pick something up.”

Unbuckling himself, Ken stuck his tongue before disappearing to do as she asked.

Lenore watched the sides of the road for any signs of the zombies. The junipers, cedars, and oaks lining the road could be hiding anything from zombies to deer. The last thing they needed to do was hit something on the road. Being stranded in an area where zombies were prowling around was not a situation she wanted to experience.

The trees gave way to brush, the road flattening out between two large fields. The fences were still intact, and Lenore felt a little safer as she drove.

Ken returned to his seat with the map and flipped on the CB. Static filled the air, competing with Cher’s questioning meows.

“
I highlighted the path we should take,” Lenore said to Ken. “Just tell me what to do once we hit the farm road.”

“
Okay.”

“
And start flipping channels on that thing,” Lenore ordered, briskly indicating the CB with one hand.

Ken nodded and started to dial through the various channels. There was only static and silence. Ken turned up the sound and listened intently.

“
There has to be someone out there, right?”

“
Not if everyone is dead,” Lenore answered.

“
Maybe we’re not in range yet.” Ken’s face wrinkled with worry as he continued to skip through the channels.

Cher finally ceased yowling, much to Lenore’s relief. Casting her gaze back and forth between the two sides of the road, she was relieved to see nothing stirring in the overgrown fields.

“
Where do you think those zombies came from?” Ken asked.

Lenore shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. Maybe from a farm. Or a road. A town. It’s been a month and a half. They could have just been walking, looking for someone to eat.” The engine was starting to pull uncomfortably and Lenore studied the gas gage. It was technically on empty. Did that mean they had a few more gallons or was this morning about to turn really sour?

The static hissed and whined as Ken continued to turn the dial.

“
Do you think they can smell us or something?”

Lenore snorted. “From miles away? I think they just got lucky.”

“
I guess. I’m just glad they didn’t show up when...” He faltered. “We really dropped our guard.”

“
Yeah. We ain’t doing that again.” Lenore pressed on the accelerator a little harder, feeling it starting to resist. They were going to need a miracle and fast.

A voice sizzled out of the static just before Ken flipped to another channel.

“
Go back!”

“
Did you hear it?” Ken squealed.

“
Go back!”

Fingers shaking, Ken carefully turned the dial backward, both of them listening intently.

“
...run was pretty successful. We’re heading back now,” a man’s voice said.

“
Things are clear here, so just head to the gate,” a woman’s voice answered.

“
What do I do?” Ken gasped.

“
Call them, idiot!” Lenore snatched the mouthpiece off the dash and tossed it to him. The engine was feeling even more sluggish now. She fervently whispered prayers in her mind.

Pressing down the button, Ken said, “Uh, hello?”

“
What was that, Ed?” the woman’s voice asked.

“
I didn’t say nothin’, Peggy,” Ed answered.

“
Uh, hi. I’m Ken. Who are you? Hi,” Ken said.

Lenore hit him.

“
What?”

Lenore glowered.

“
Hey, there, Ken,” the woman’s voice said pleasantly enough. “I don’t think we’ve talked before. Where you calling from?”

“
An RV.”

Lenore hit him again.

“
An RV? Y’all are out there driving around?”

“
We were camping, but Grandma died and then zombies showed up and--oww!” Ken rubbed his arm. “What?”

“
Find out where they are!” Lenore shouted at him.

“
You okay, Ken?”

“
Yeah. I just...yeah. I’m fine. So, me and my best friend are out here and there are zombies.” Ken flattened himself against the door trying to avoid Lenore’s fist.

“
My name is Peggy and I’m the city secretary here in Ashley Oaks. You looking for a place to hole up?”

“
Yeah. We’re low on gas and food and I think there are more zombies...” Ken’s voice faded out.

Lenore slowed the RV as the farm road came into view. The brake felt hard under her foot. They were running out of time. Then her heart nearly came to a stop as she saw what awaited them on the road.

“
Ken?” the woman’s voice said through the white noise of the CB.

“
Uh, there are zombies,” Ken said in a frightened voice. “A lot of them.”

A crowd of zombies shambled along the road toward them. As the RV neared the turnoff, the zombie moans swelled in anticipation.

“
Where are you?” Peggy asked, her voice calm, but urgent.