Fountain of the Dead (11 page)

“You kids want some food?” Meredith looked at Micah who was shaking his head, his mop of hair going everywhere. “I’ll take that as a no. I’ll see if I can scrounge up some fruit. Someone had a basket of apples at the fire last night.” Beverly left the house, easing the door shut behind her.

“I don’t get it. You turn this thing on and it’s an instant broadcast. I’ve been doing this forever and nothing,” Grace said.

“I’m magic? Catherine would say it’s a moody beast. You have to catch it right. There’s not a lot of functioning radio towers anymore, so getting a signal is mostly luck, you need to be in range,” Meredith answered.

“And someone needs to be broadcasting,” Micah wrote on his board.

“I’m done for the night, I hate this radio.” Grace switched it off and plopped on the couch next to Micah. “Looks like we have a Micah sandwich.” The girls reached out and grabbed each others’ arms squeezing Micah between them he smiled and blushed and squirmed his way out. He took his shoulder bag from the floor next to the door, blew them both a kiss and went outside. He sat in the stairs and pulled out a journal and fresh pencil.

It looks like they
’
re going, really really going. Down to Florida to look for the cure with the psycho Pierce who crazied himself into our camp. There
’
s maps and plans and a bunch of us are being left behind. There’s no way we’re going to have enough food and ammo once they take what they need. They haven’t said who
’
s going yet. I have a sick feeling that Catherine will be going with them. I think she believes that since she
’
s the leader of the village that she
’
s responsable. I don
’
t want her to go. I know my mom will keep her safe

Meredith found an old, I think it’s old, repeating message on the radio today. A warning for everyone to stay away from the coast. From what I’ve heard, I know our team isn’t going that way. But she said something about zombies coming out of the ocean. They don’t breathe so I guess it’s possible, and really scary.

* * * * *

The gunshots wrecked the calm of the early morning. Micah shifted on the porch where he’d fallen asleep. Another shot rang out. He rubbed his eyes until fireworks erupted beyond the lids and sat up with his back against the railing, stretched and listened to his elbows pop. The morning was cold; Micah rubbed his arms and legs to get some warmth flowing. Sharon would be upset if she knew he fell asleep outside, again. Another shot and he was on his feet almost falling down the steps. He checked around the porch until he found the journal he’d fallen asleep working on and the pencil marking the page he stopped writing on. Micah rushed to the gate and with fingers through the links looked outside.

“Watch yourself, kid.” Danny said. He found another target through his scope; with a squeeze of the trigger another shot fired out and brain mist mixed with the early morning fog. Micah smiled and gave him the thumbs up. Sharon walked up behind him.

“You ok? Didn’t hear you come in.”

Micah dug through his bag and took out the whiteboard. “I fell asleep on the porch.” He wrote in purple marker.

“You need to stop falling asleep outside. We do have a house, small I know, but we have room.” Micah smiled and pointed outside the fence at the fallen bodies. “They must be working overtime. I can’t believe I slept through all that. Later when I’m off shift, I want you and me to have a chat.” He looked at her confused and pointed at his mouth and throat. “You can use your white board. I want to make sure you’re ok when I’m on the road.” Micah sighed and watched another trudging beast fall in a fountain of black blood and brain matter. Micah wiped the words off his white board.

“You don’t have to go,” he wrote.

“You see that one, Micah? Fucker was a gusher, he must have been fresh.” Danny blushed and stepped closer to the rail of the tower. “Sorry, Sharon didn’t see you down there. You want to come up?”

“Do I want to? No. Do I have a choice? No.” Danny took the strap of the rifle off his shoulder and pushed the safety on. He stood it on the stock against the railing and started down the ladder. Sharon stroked Micah’s cheek and hair, and then started up the ladder when it was clear.

“Do you want to come up Micah? Keep me company while I’m on shift?” Sharon called down from over the tower’s railing. A grin spread across his face and he flew up the ladder rungs. The tower was adequate for one person, but for two cramped. Micah pressed himself close to the railing with one hand grasped tight around it.  He was torn, hold on and not plummet to the pavement or sketch. Sharon took aim and dropped her first target.

“There’s so many of them out there. It’s like they know we’re going to leave. If we weren’t going it’d be easier on the ammo.” She looked back through the scope looking for the next kill when something caught her eye. She moved the rifle to a new spot and changed the magnification. A man sat in a car on the median strip a good distance away. He was awake, not smoking or eating, just sitting. She watched Crowe for a moment watching the encampment with mini binoculars.

“There’s a man out there in a car all by himself. He looks oblivious to the zombies. Should I put a warning shot through the windshield?” Micah shook his head, he took out the whiteboard and scribbled on it.

“No more strangers.” He stuffed it back in his bag.

“I suppose you’re right. I’ll let Catherine know when she wakes up.” Sharon looked through the scope again, but the car was gone as mysteriously as it appeared.

* * * * *

Frank grunted as he pushed the car down the road and Micah steered it. Frank gave it one more good push and Micah steered it off onto the shoulder and it rolled to a stop. Having grown bored in the tower Micah thought he could help Frank out on the road.

“Why am I pushing and you driving?” Micah shrugged and smiled. He pointed back down the road at the two figures toting bodies across the road. “Ok, we got the better deal.” They walked back to the next car; Micah checked the door and it was unlocked. The black Mercedes at one time had been expensive, now it was weather worn and rusted. The windshield shattered, glass and debris spread across on the seats. Micah went to get in and he stopped. He pointed at the seat and moved around to the back to push.

The front seat was stained; it could have been old flesh. Or burnt skin melted to the fabric, it looked tacky to touch. Frank walked over to Micah.

“We’ll do it this way, kid.” He reached in and shifted the car into neutral. Frank pushed against the door with one hand and steered with the other. Micah put both hands on the trunk and pushed, going harder with each step until he was almost at a jog. When the time was right they both broke away from the car and watched it roll off the road and crash into a jersey barrier.

“We should have been doing it that way all the time, kid.” Micah nodded. “Someday you’re going to talk again. And I hope I’m around to hear it.” He patted Micah on the back and they moved on to the next car. “Let’s rest a second.” Micah waved to Sharon up in the tower; she replied by shooting the closest undead. “Your mum keeps up like that and those two moving corpses will never finish. We only have a few cars left, kid. We might have a little time to relax before tomorrow. I expect you and your mom will be spending some quiet time tonight.” They walked to the next car. Frank dropped to the pavement and pulled Micah down with him. Something bumped in the car they leaned against.

“There’s one inside the car, Micah. I want you to do what I say. When I give you the signal go around the side and knock on the glass, then count to three and drop down to the street. Do you understand?” Micah nodded and stepped quietly to the other side of the car. Frank took out his gun; he felt it moving around the front of the car. The creature bumped against the door and the dash, scratching against the glass. Its misshapen head rubbed against the window smearing the glass with bile and puss.

Micah stood and knocked on the passenger’s side glass; it was a woman or had been, with bite marks on her arms and legs. Holes in her thighs showed tissue and bones. It turned eyes towards Micah and he tried to scream but no sound came out. Her eyes were grey lined with purple veins. Its mouth opened, the lips gone, ripped or chewed off. Black mucous drooled down her chin.

A gunshot rang out, the window shattered, showering Micah with glass. A ragged arm reached out through the window and went limp, the fingertips and jagged nails touching the top of Micah’s head. The world turned for Micah and went dark.

* * * * *

“The road is clear, how’s the kid doing?” Frank asked, his face still flushed in embarrassment. Hands clenched into fists until fingernails dug into his palms.

“He’s asleep,” Beverly answered. “Why did you do that?” Beverly was swelling with anger and doing her best to keep it controlled. Even though Micah’s real parents were dead, she felt very protective for him. She was the one he ran to for skinned knees and elbows when Micah and Sharon arrived in camp.

“I thought it was a better plan than his mum putting a round through the car.”

“So instead you shot it and covered him in glass.”

“Like I said, I thought it was a good plan.” Micah rolled over on the couch, face still pale. “He’ll be fine, with everything that kid’s seen, I’m surprised he’s not up in the towers sniping.”

“Yeah well, he’s still a kid.” A frown curled the corners of her mouth.

“You ready for this trip, Beverly?” Frank asked.

“No, I’m not ready to leave my daughter and the camp alone.” Frank could see the tears threatening in her eyes. Even though Frank tried to change the subject right now her concern was Micah.

“They won’t be alone here,” Frank said turning away from her gaze.

“They won’t be with us either.” Beverly said and wiped a tear from her cheek.

“Give me a shout when the kid’s awake.” Frank stalked away from the house, noticing for the first time, his palms were sticky with blood. He shook his head at the fingernail gouges in the meat of his palm.

* * * * *

“Damn it, Crowe.” Williams paced along the edge of the fence. He knew he was being watched by the snipers, at least one, maybe all of them. The guns had been silent for a few moments. Williams stopped to look through the fence again. A group of the dead were stopped at the outer fence. Williams flipped them off and lowered his face to the concealed radio in his jacket.

“Are you there?” He picked up a rock and tossed it over the fence. It bounced off the neck of the dead. It turned and stared at him. “Oh you’d love some of me wouldn’t you?” He picked up another rock and threw it hard; it made it through the fence links and hit one square in the head. It staggered back and came for the fence. It growled and stepped closer; the dead opened its mouth and started chewing on the fence. A gunshot ran out and separated its head from the rest of the body.

The head lay on the ground and stared at Williams. Its foul tongue lolled from between rotting teeth to find purchase on the ground. Another shot and the head exploded. Williams watched the laser dot from Danny’s rifle, travel up his leg and stop on his chest. He turned away towards the fence aware that the dot was on his back.

“Answer me, bitch.” The radio crackled.

“I’ve been seen,” Crowe growled.

“What about me?”

“Do what they say, I’ll be close.” With that the radio went silent. Williams turned off the power to conserve the battery.

“Do what they say?”

“What are you doing over here?” Meredith asked. Sam’s dog strained against the leash she had wrapped around her hand.

“Nothing.” Williams rubbed his bald head.

“You should be in the shed.”

“Have you ever been in there?” Meredith stared him down. “Look, there’s something not right with that Pierce guy. And he has a smell.”

“Smell or not, crazy or not. Get back to the shed.” She motioned to Danny and another red laser dot appeared on Williams’ chest. “What’s your choice? Stay here, keep attracting attention from the outside? Or go to the shed and deal?” He wiped at the red dot moving up his chest. “Mock us all you want, when the dot hits your face, you’re dead.”

“Guess I’ll go back to the shed.” She looked back to the tower and the dot disappeared. Williams turned and headed back to the shed. Meredith followed keeping her distance. “And maybe little girl, I’ll give you a surprise,” he muttered and licked his lips. He opened the door to the shed and walked in. Meredith locked the door from the outside and covered the doors with the green cloth. She walked the dog to the closest tree.

* * * * *

“What’s your name?”

“You know my name, crazy man.” There was no light in the shed. Williams could hear Pierce breathing from the corner, in the dark.

“How did you get out before?” Pierce asked.

“The door wasn’t locked, ass bag. You’ve been sitting here in the dark for nothing,” Williams answered. Williams felt the weight of the radio in his pocket. Williams knew Crowe couldn’t take on the town alone. But a few words into the radio and Crenshaw’s lackeys would show up guns blazing.