The Darkening (A Zombie Awakening) (11 page)

             
What if one of them was bitten? Hanna or Mychal? Could she shoot them?
She honestly didn’t know. She did know that should she be bitten she would want someone to shoot her. The thought of feeding on humans grossed her out.

             
She thought about Colton’s theory of zombies dying over time. What if they cut off the arms and took out the teeth of a zombie? Then they could find any type of enclosure and not have to worry if it broke free. She’d keep her eyes open.

             
“You’re the toughest girl I know,” Colton told her, cutting her a sideways glance. “Most girls wouldn’t grab a gun and face down one zombie much less several. I’m glad to have you by my side.”

             
Chalice’s face heated. The words of admiration from Colton meant a lot. Not once since they’d met had he ever seemed to falter
in what needed doing, except for the little girl yesterday
. Knowing that he thought her as tough and capable as himself left her speechless. She gave him a nod and stared out her window
,
feeling every bit the geek she’d always been.

             
What would it feel like for someone to think her pretty rather than tough?

             
Someone ran
through the trees. They ran with much more coordination than any zombie she’d ever seen. The person stopped and grabbed another person from the forest floor. “Stop. There’s someone out there.” She looked back in the direction the two ran. “And there’re a lot of zombies chasing them.”

             
“We shouldn’t stop.”

             
“We have to. We can’t not help anyone who needs us. If we make it quick, they’ll be inside before the zombies catch up.” She grabbed her weapons and stood by the door. “Close the door and don’t open it until I’m ready to step inside.”

             
“I’ll go with you.” He reached out to stop her.

             
“No. Take care of the others.
Lock the door. Have Mychal stand watch for when I’m ready to come in.
” She took a deep breath and stepped out. “Here!” She waved her arms.

             
A man and teenage girl raced toward them
. T
he girl glanc
ed
repeatedly over her shoulder
, slowing them down
. The zombies were quickly gaining ground.

             
“Hurry.” Chalice’s heart beat faster. What if they didn’t make it? What if she had to watch a person ripped apart
and devoured
?
Just the thought made her sick.

             
The truck with Bill and the others stopped up the road
and
slowly back
ed
up. Bill sat on the frame of the open window, rifle aimed at the mob chasing the man and girl.

             
They reached the motor home, and Chalice pounded on the door for someone to open up. “Hurry, hurry, hurry.” The zombie’s groans and growls increased in intensity.

             
“No, Mark is out there.” The girl tugged against the man’s hold.

             
“Get in.” He shoved her inside and followed.

             
Chalice turned. A young man sprinted for them, mere feet from the herd chasing him.

             
“Get in.” Mychal grabbed her arm and yanked her inside before slamming the door and locking it. “We can’t help him. It’s too late.”

             
“No.” Their new passenger plastered herself to the window.

             
Colton started the motor home moving forward. The boy outside raced alongside, pounding his hands against the fiberglass sides. Then, he fell, and the zombies were upon him.

             
Chalice wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. The girl screamed, the dogs barked, and tears streamed down her cheeks as an undead ripped into the boy’s throat. Blood
gushed
from his jugular, splashing the window. Why was Colton driving so slow? They needed to get away. Nobody should watch such a display of violence.

             
Despite the gruesomeness of the sight, Chalice walked along the windows, crying as the
zombies ripped the boy’s
stomach
ap
art and grabbed handfuls of his intestines while he was still alive.
Steam rose from his entrails. The boy’s screams pierced her ears
, shrill and not like anything she’d heard before
.

             
She had to do something.
Anything to halt his suffering.
She cracked her window and aimed.

             
One shot through the eyes
,
and the boy stopped screaming. Chalice fell back on the bed as the truck in front of them sped up,
and
Colton
followed
.

             
Sobs shook Chalice.
They’d left someone behind. Maybe they could have gotten him inside
, m
aybe not. Now, they’d never know. Chalice rolled over, hiding her face in a pillow and let the tears flow.

10

             
Chalice didn’t get out of bed until the motor home stopped again.
She couldn’t. Not if every waking moment meant fighting for her life.

             
Through the window, she spotted an empty gas station.
A plastic bag blew across the cracked pavement. The place appeared as if it had been deserted for a very long time.
There probably wasn’t any gas left in the tanks, but a few vehicles sat in the bay awaiting repairs that would never happen.

             
Their new passengers sat at the motor home’s dinette table, the girl wrapped in the man’s arms. Chalice sighed and introduced everyone.

             
“I’m Bruce Whitetower,” the man said. “And this is my daughter, Sadie. Thank you for stopping.
A few more minutes and…
”

             
“The boy?” Chalice’s stomach lurched.

             
“My boyfriend.” Sadie swiped long raven hair from her face. “We met him three months ago while hiking through some Podunk town
in the middle of nowhere
. A zombie tried to bite me, and Max stuck a rebar through its head. Now, he’s dead
, too
.” Her crying started again.

             
“We’re looking for gas, then headed to Colorado. Someone said there was a safe zone there.” Chalice moved to the door.

             
“Maybe.” Mr. Whitetower untangled himself from his daughter’s arm and stood by Chalice’s side. “Let me go. I owe you that much for saving us.”

             
Chalice smirked. “A wasted effort if you get yourself killed, isn’t it?”

             
He grabbed an axe from the counter. “My ancestors are Apache. I taught myself a long time ago how to use one of these. I’ve won competitions. Let me come.”

             
“Okay.” She shrugged. “Colton?”

             
“Right here.” He grabbed his rifle. “Mychal, keep watch from the window. Call out
a warning
if you see anything.”

             
They joined Bill and his small group outside the gas station
, allowing the dogs to join them
. Chalice prayed they’d find gas with no incident. Her hands still shook from M
ark
’s death, and she feared she wouldn’t be able to hit her target.

             
“I’ll stay back and keep watch from the top of the motor home,” Sarah said. “I don’t like the boy having to take watch by himself.”

             
Bill nodded. “Good idea. You’ll be able to see up and down the freeway from there.”

             
Chalice stepped in front of the dark garage and listened. Nothing sounded. She glanced at Lady who sat next to her, searching for signs of alarm. Lady glanced up, tail wagging. “I think it’s clear
or at least the immediate area is
.”

             
“We’ll check out the inside for anything of value while you two fill up the tanks.” Fred joined her and sent Colton back with Bill
and Hightower
. “I figured it’s always good to mix things up, don’t you? That way, there’s always someone looking out for their friends.”

             
The man made her skin crawl. She hadn’t forgotten him watching her dress. “I’d rather search with Colton.” She turned to leave.

             
Fred grabbed her arm. “I don’t think so. That’s a right pretty little sister you’ve got
, if you get my meaning
.”

             
Chalice got his meaning just fine. If she had an axe in her hand, she’d show him what her meaning was. Instead, she lifted her chin, snapped her fingers for Lady to scout ahead, and stepped into the garage.

             
If the man meant to rape her, well, then he was in for one hell of a surprise. Chalice wouldn’t go down easy. She’d leave plenty of marks behind.

             
Once they entered into what would have once been someone’s office, she glanced around for something in which to defend herself. She’d never get her gun pulled in time. Not with Fred as heavily armed as she was.

             
Although she expected his attack, it still stunned her. Fred whipped her
around
to face him and pressed her against an office desk.
He bent her backward, his mouth searching for hers.
His breath smelled foul. Even after
a month
how hard was it to find a toothbrush?

             
She tried to knee him in the crotch. He anticipated her move and slapped her. Her head whipped back.
Grabbing a handful of her hair, he pulled her closer.

             
Lady barked from the doorway, giving Chalice the opportunity she needed. While her dog latched onto Fred’s arm and shook like a shark at a feeding frenzy, Chalice raced to the next room.

             
Very little light came through the dirty window of a storage room. In the far corner sat a large dog crate
:
o
ne big enough for a Great Dane or a human
with thick wire woven together to form the sides
.

Growls alerted Chalice to the fact
that
she wasn’t alone. She raced for the crate and dove inside, getting the latch hooked just as two zombies staggered into the room.

             
They moved amazingly fast for dead people. Chalice cowered.

             
The zombies rocked the crate, sliming her with saliva. Their groans ripped at her soul. Tears poured down her face. She would die in a cage
like an animal
.
She wanted to scream for help, but by doing so woul
d put everyone else in jeopardy. Mr. Whitetower might even think he owed her something for saving his and Sadie’s life, and put himself in unnecessary danger.

Instead, she put her arms over her head, curled into a ball, and prayed the zombies would go away.
They tore at her clothing, trying to latch their fingers onto anything that would pull her close enough for them to bite. Thank goodness, the wires were too close for their mouths.

             
Fred screamed from the other room. The two undead terrorizing Chalice turned and shuffled away. Soon, gunshots rang out. Yet, Chalice remained where she was, safe in her cage, away from the carnage.

             
Lady appeared at one side of the cage and
licked
her through the wire.

             
“You’re okay.” Chalice noticed an open wound on her dog’s hip. “Dogs are immune to the virus, right, old girl?” She hoped so. She couldn’t bear to lose a single member of her family.

             
Shots were fired in more rapid succession until finally quieting. The quiet seemed louder than the echo of guns in a steel garage.

             
“Chalice!” Colton’s voice rang out.

             
“I’m here.” She fumbled for the latch on her cage.

             
Colton thundered toward her. “Are you okay?” He helped her with the latch and pulled her out and against his chest. “I thought we’d lost you. My heart stopped.” He cupped her face, resting his forehead against hers. “Don’t scare me like that again.
I don’t want to go on without you.
”