The Life Beyond (5 page)

“So we’re out here without any food or water?” Tyler asked. Rachel leaned against him, her skin pale, breathing deeply. She looked terrible.

“It looks that way,” I muttered. This journey was off to a bad start already and we hadn’t even reached the fence. Maybe this was a sign. A warning. I pushed the thought out of my mind. Joshua was walking back toward us; I had to stay strong.

“Look, let’s get to the store and see if we can find something there. And I want to look for some cameras or recording equipment to film the fence with. We might even be able to get some medicine for Rachel,” I said, sounding more positive than I felt. Rachel gave me a grateful smile. I looked over at Bobby but he wouldn’t meet my gaze.

“How far away from the fence are we?” Joshua asked.

Tyler pulled the map from his jeans pocket, running his finger over a road leading closer to Las Vegas. “We have to follow the interstate.” He pointed at a bend in the road. “We leave it here and keep driving straight ahead. After a few miles, we’ll see the fence. It’s maybe two more hours by car.”

Only two more hours. We could have made it there by nightfall, but with Bobby added to the mix, we could kiss that plan good-bye. “We have to take Bobby back to Santa Barbara. He can’t come with us,” I said.

“Hey, that’s unfair,” said Bobby. “I want to help! I can’t stand watching you go off, while I sit around doing nothing. You can’t tell me what to do.”

“We’ll see about that!” I shouted.

“Listen, guys,” Tyler interrupted. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

I glared at Bobby, before following Joshua and Tyler who had moved a few steps away from the car.

“I don’t think Rachel is well enough to continue,” Tyler whispered. His voice broke. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her. She said she was feeling kind of shaky while we were on guard duty, but I thought it was just nerves. I’m sorry. I think I should take her back. Bobby can come with us.”

I looked over to where Rachel was now slumped in the backseat, her eyes closed, breathing heavily. Bobby waited outside, arms folded.

“You’re right,” I said. “But how are Joshua and I going to find the fence?”

“Take the map.” Tyler handed it to Joshua. “You know how to get there now.”

“Yeah, I suppose,” Joshua said with a glare at Bobby. “But we’ll have to find a car first and some more fuel since someone thought it was a good idea to throw out our reserve canister.”

Tyler leaned into the car to check the fuel gauge. “There’s fuel for about 20 miles in the tank.”

Bobby stood listening to us awkwardly. The way he shifted his feet and kept his eyes on the ground I almost felt sorry for him.

“Get in. We don’t want to waste anymore time,” I said.

Bobby squeezed in between Tyler and Rachel on the backseat and I rode shotgun.

“You’re lucky we let you ride in the car with us and didn’t put you back into the trunk,” Joshua said as he started the engine.

Bobby jutted his chin out and crossed his arms over his chest, but he stayed quiet.

The purr of the engine filled the silence. The tension in the car was so thick, it almost made breathing difficult.

Bobby had sunk deeper into the backseat, shamefaced. His eyes darted to meet mine in the rear view mirror. He was cracking his knuckles, something he used to do as a little kid before he started crying.

I looked away and watched the desert fly by.

Chapter 4

Joshua eased the car into the shade under the gas station roof. The store was across the parking lot.

“I think we should split up,” I said. “Tyler, can you stay with Rachel and try to fill up the car with gas?” That way they could both be in the shade and Rachel wouldn’t have to walk anywhere. “Joshua and I will search inside for supplies.”

“What about me?” Bobby said.

I wanted to keep an eye on him, but who knew what might be lurking inside the store? It might be too dangerous to take him with us. I hesitated.

“He can stay with us,” Tyler said.

I smiled gratefully. “Thanks. Bobby, let’s check the gas station for water first,” I said with a nod toward him. That would give me the chance to talk to him alone.

“I’ll go look for a second car while you do that,” said Joshua. “Tyler, could you help me with this first? After all, it’ll be you driving Rachel and Bobby back.” Tyler joined Joshua and together they went to inspect the three abandoned cars lined up in front of the garage, covered in dust. Rachel leaned against the wall of the building.

Bobby and I walked up to the gas station. The door was locked shut, and all of the windows were intact.

“Watch your back!” Bobby called. I turned and saw he was holding up a huge rock, so heavy that he had to carry it with both hands. He swung his arms, sending the rock flying – right through the window of the gas station store. The glass shattered, flying to the ground and smashing loudly. It felt weirdly good to watch something get destroyed.

I gave Bobby a thumbs up. “Good work.”

Bobby and I stepped over the shards of broken glass and into the store. The shelves were still in place and partly stocked, but most of the food looked like it would poison us if we ate a bite, especially what was left of the sandwiches. They had turned into green dust.

Bottles of water, cola and all kinds of other drinks were still lined up in the refrigerator. The heat had evaporated most of the water and left only a brown syrupy residue in the coke bottles. That wouldn’t help with the rough feeling in my throat. I took two water bottles, which were still half full, and handed one to Bobby and brought the other to my lips. The liquid was warm and tasted of plastic but it felt like liquid heaven as it slid down my throat. I couldn’t stop myself from drinking more.

“Disgusting,” Bobby spluttered and wiped his hands over his mouth.

“Maybe we can find some more water in the mall,” I said, already feeling better.

I checked the chocolate bars for their edibility but they’d dissolved into unidentifiable brownish lumps covered with a white film. A sniff at them made me put them back onto the shelf.

I looked over at Bobby. He had torn open a bag of potato chips and was busy stuffing them into his mouth. I watched him take another gulp of lukewarm water before he left the bag where he’d found it. Now was my chance.

“Bobby,” I said eventually. “Why did you hide in the trunk?”

His eyes darted to mine. “I just want to help. It’s my turn to do something for our family. You don’t know how guilty I feel that you and Dad risked your lives when you left the bunker. I felt so useless, watching TV with Mia and listening to Mom and Grandma arguing while you were out there trying to find food.”

“Bobby —”

“I’m not doing that again,” he cut in. “I can’t stand the thought of letting you do this by yourself. I have to do something.”

“You
are
doing something. Mom and Mia need someone to take care of them.”

“But that’s not enough. You’ve risked too much already. Please, Sherry, let me go with Joshua to the other side. You can go back and look after Mia and Mom.”

He looked so desperate but he was asking for the impossible. I put my hand on his shoulder. “Bobby, I have to go with Joshua. We know what we’re doing. I don’t think you realize what you’d be getting yourself into. And besides, Joshua would never agree.”

“But —” he began, his voice pleading.

“No,” I said finally. “Promise me you’ll be strong for Mom and Mia. They need you more than I do.”

He shook off my hand. “Okay,” he muttered. Keeping his head down, he loaded his arms with water bottles and walked out.

A twinge of pity went through me. Taking the last water bottle I went outside to Rachel. “Here, drink some water,” I said, holding it out to her. She took the bottle but didn’t drink any of it.

Joshua and Tyler were bent over the engine of a baby blue Ford Mustang, covered in dust and rust. I walked over to them.

“It’s not working, is it?” I whispered.

Joshua straightened with a sigh. “It needs oil.”

I nodded toward the oil bottles scattering the ground. “What about them?”

“Useless. They’ve been in the sun for years.”

“Let’s look inside. We need to look for cameras and food anyway,” I said.

“Don’t worry,” Tyler said. “I’ve got this covered. I’ll search the gas station for tools. I think I can fix it.”

Joshua slung a backback over his shoulder and took my hand. “We’ll be back soon,” I said, my eyes on Bobby, who sat beside Rachel. He didn’t look up.

Joshua didn’t speak as we walked toward the entrance to the large Walmart. Our steps rang out over the empty parking lot. Eventually I couldn’t take the silence anymore. “Are you angry with me?”

“Not at you. But your brother —” He shook his head.

“I know. It was stupid of him,” I said. “But I do understand.”

“You do?”

“Yes. Put yourself in his situation. What would you have done?”

Joshua laughed. “I’d have ignored all warnings and gone on my own rescue mission.”

“Exactly.”

The entrance loomed a few steps in front of us. I pulled my gun, and Joshua and I slowed. The ragged remains of the broken glass front glittered in the sunlight like fangs. We stepped inside.

Most of the shop was dark. I couldn’t make out more than dim, shadowy outlines. Joshua turned on his flashlight as we walked further in. Everything looked eerily neat and tidy, with only a few items littering the floor. Apparently there hadn’t been enough survivors in this area to raid the store.

“Where should we head first?” I whispered.

“Pharmacy. I think it’s over there.” He pointed the beam of the flashlight toward a sign a little way down that said “Prescriptions”. I stayed close to Joshua. Except for the glow from the flashlight everything was black. Joshua shone the beam on the row of small packages and pill bottles. I didn’t recognize most of the drugs.

“What will help Rachel?” I asked, anxiously.

“I’m not sure,” Joshua said.

My fingers froze on a pack of Tamiflu. I grabbed all the remaining packs and stuffed them into Joshua’s backpack. I picked up bottles of pills I’d never heard of and thrust them at Joshua, desperately. Without a word he stuffed them in our bag, before taking my hands in his. In the dim light, his face looked grim and hopeless. “That’s enough, Sherry.”

I nodded, suddenly aware that my hands were shaking.

“Come on, we need to look for cameras and food,” said Joshua, putting his arm around me for a moment.

We were silent as we crept through dark rows of cleaning supplies and toilet paper. A promotional display was stacked with chocolate bars as high as my shoulder. Maybe they were better than the one in the gas station store. At least, these had been in the shade all the time. I unwrapped one. The chocolate had lost its shape in the heat and tasted stale and bitter. Not really tasty, but definitely better than nothing, in case we didn’t find anything else on our journey to the fence. Joshua grabbed one for himself and I stuffed a few more into my backback before we continued our search. The noise of our teeth working on the chewy mass accompanied us through the gloomy, silent halls.

Soon we reached the electronics department. I felt my pulse race with excitement as I saw the shelves, stocked with cell phones, home security equipment and camcorders. Everything was still locked behind glass. Using the handle of my gun I shattered it and picked up the nearest camcorder. I tested it, but it didn’t work.

“Check the batteries,” Joshua whispered.

“I know.” I opened the latch at the back. “They’ve leaked.”

“Here, try these,” he said, handing me a fresh pack from a nearby stand.

After I’d fumbled the new batteries into the camcorder, I pressed the “on” button again. A red light flashed.

“It works!”

I swung out the display screen and it showed the blurry shape of Joshua. “It’s too dark to film.”

“Maybe there’s a night vision mode,” Joshua said. He took another camera out of the glass case and tested it.

I pressed several buttons and the picture on the screen lost its blurriness. I swiveled the camera around, my eyes focused on the display. The words “recording” flashed in its right upper corner. I turned around and filmed the dark aisle until Joshua came back into focus. He grinned as he pointed his own camera at me and filmed me in return. But there was something in the shelf behind his left shoulder. The white of someone’s eyes. It blinked and shifted. A Weeper.

My hands began to shake. “Joshua,” I whispered.

He lowered the camera. His smile disappeared.

“There’s a Weeper behind you. It’s very close.”

One clawed hand curled around the edge of the shelf. Joshua reached for his gun but it would take too long for him to turn.

I edged my fingers toward my halter. The Weeper tensed. I ripped my gun out and at the same time the Weeper propelled itself out of the shelf. Cell phones crashed to the floor. I shot but the beast collided with Joshua’s side. A sickening crunch sounded at the impact of their bodies on the ground. I screamed and stumbled forward. I gripped the unmoving Weeper by the gruff of its stained shirt and pulled it off. The bullet hole oozed blood between its brows.

I knelt beside Joshua who blinked at me, dazed.

“Are you okay?” I said, as I helped him sit up.

He rested his forehead against mine. “Thanks.” I leant against him, feeling the beat of his heart against my chest.

“Come on, we should get going. They’ll be more where that came from,” whispered Joshua, his breath warm against my cheek. He kissed me softly, before struggling to his feet, gripping a shelf for balance. His camcorder lay shattered on the ground.

I was still clutching mine in the hand that wasn’t holding the gun. Quickly, Joshua snatched two more cameras from the glass case, stuffed them into the bag and slung it over his shoulder.

“Don’t forget your gun,” I said.

A wry smile played across his lips. “Those are my words,” he said as he picked his weapon up from the ground.

“You were a good teacher,” I said teasingly. “Give me the flashlight. I’ll lead the way.”

He handed it to me without protest and with another look at the dead Weeper, we made our way quickly toward the entrance.

I pointed my gun ahead and directed the beam of the flashlight at the ground as I listened for noises. As we neared the door, light streamed through the broken glass front. Something rushed past it. “Weepers!” I hissed.

Staying low, Joshua and I hurried outside. Two creatures, their hair a matted mass atop their heads, staggered away from the mall and toward —

“The gas station!” Joshua hissed.

Together we ran. I brought up my gun, aimed it at the back of one of the Weepers and pulled the trigger. The creature jerked but didn’t slow. Gunshots rang out beside me as Joshua shot too. The first Weeper went down. Up ahead I could see Tyler, his eyes wide, hands fumbling for his gun, as the second Weeper barrelled toward him. I couldn’t see Bobby or Rachel.

I raised my gun and aimed at the Weeper. A second later, it fell to the ground, dust clouds floating up.

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Joshua shouted, running toward the car.

Tyler was staring at the dead Weepers. He looked like he was going to be sick. “We have to go now,” I panted. “Where are Bobby and Rachel?”

Tyler glanced between Joshua and me, his face flooded with guilt.

“What’s wrong?” I said. “What’s happened?”

“Rachel’s resting in the shade,” Tyler said, his voice hoarse. He took a deep breath. “Bobby’s gone. He … he stole our car and drove off.”

“What?” Joshua said. “How’s that possible?”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. I was trying to fix the car and when I heard the Lincoln, it was too late. Your brother was already gone.”

I couldn’t believe it. Panic clutched at my insides. “He’s trying to get to the fence.”

My knees wobbled as I leaned against a gas pump. He’d get himself killed, all because of his stubbornness. Even though he’d said he’d felt useless and guilty for letting me risk my life alone, I never would have thought that he’d go this far. Oh, Bobby.

“Are you sure he’s on his way to the fence? Could he have decided to drive himself back to Santa Barbara?” Joshua said.

I shook my head. I knew Bobby. He loved Dad; he would do anything to save him. Why couldn’t he understand that I just wanted to protect him, too?

Joshua wrapped his arms around me. “Don’t worry, we’ll find him before he reaches the fence. Do you think I’d let him get away without a thorough ass-kicking?”

But I couldn’t smile. “We have to find him.”

Joshua squeezed my hand. “We will.” He turned to Tyler. “Is this car good to go? We need to leave now. There are Weepers inside, and I don’t know how long it’ll be before more of them come out to play.”

“Yes, I’d just got it started,” Tyler replied.

I hurried over to Rachel, who was resting in the shade of an abandoned car. Joshua and I helped her up, and she leaned her head against his chest as he led her toward the Mustang and guided her into the backseat.

“Here, try these,” I said, handing her the pack of tamiflu and a bottle of water. Despite my resolution to stay calm, my hands were shaking. Rachel swallowed the pills greedily and Tyler sat down beside her.

Joshua and I sat in the front. “Bobby is clever,” he said, turning to me. “He’ll realize that he’s got to be careful.”

Then Joshua pressed down on the accelerator and we shot forward. My hands trembled as I slumped against the seat. If Bobby got killed, it would be my fault. I should have kept watch over him … Mom would never forgive me. First Dad, now Bobby. I couldn’t contemplate being too late to save him.