MZS- North East Page 21

  “Umm, are we really going through a tunnel?” Tucker asks. He has dropped down from the turret to ask his surprising question.

  We banged around the streets of Manhattan to avoid going through the tunnel. It wasn’t a long conversation, because we all understood the impact of being left with only one exit if we came across a roadblock of cars or the undead. How can we throw out yesterday’s logic so easily?

  The Humvee slows to a stop and I lean forward to make sure I can hear the entire conversation.

  “Tucker, give me your vote and then get back to your perch,” Patrick says, giving simple instructions. “If you see anything sketch, shoot it and we’ll have our answer.”

  “Tunnel bad,” Tucker grunts, in what I assume is a caveman voice.

  His head and chest disappear back up to the turret and machine gun. The unwavering faith he shows in Patrick is refreshing, but I wonder if it’s warranted. This shouldn’t be a discussion; we made our tunnel decision yesterday.

  “Just fucking go through the tunnel,” Terri growls in frustration.

  “You don’t get a vote. If you want to sit there, you need to keep us on a smart, safe route. Sending us through a tunnel just because you’re pissed about going to D.C. is bullshit,” Patrick says, shutting her up.

  Cupcake wants more information. “How long would it take to go back and around?” he asks.

  “I don’t fucking care,” Todd adds.

  “The tunnel decision was made yesterday. We shouldn’t be going in somewhere if we aren’t sure of the way out,” I say to clarify the facts we’ve already addressed.

  “I’m not sure if I get a vote yet, but I say light it up and slow it down. Don’t turn the wheel down there,” Parker says. “If it stops being a straight shot, throw the truck in reverse and get the hell out the way you went in.” He doesn’t sound like he was holed up in a hotel for most of this.

  I watch Patrick look around at the world outside. We haven’t given him a very clear mandate. There are two yeses, two noes, and two non-answers. From his spot in the driver’s seat, his decision is going to break a tie that gives three people control over seven. It’s a confusing dynamic and I’m momentarily grateful for my spot back here in obscurity.

  The truck slowly starts to roll forward. I can’t believe he’s taking us into the tunnel.

  “Plot out two routes around the city,” he tells Terri, without taking his eyes off the road.

  I’m glad he’s planning to turn around. It’s the smart thing and even Parker introduced the question of whether or not his vote counted. Even if it did, Patrick said that Terri’s didn’t, so the go-through-the-tunnel camp was outvoted.

  I hear the headlights click on and notice we are not turning.

  “What the hell? I thought we agreed in New York that the tunnel was a bad idea?” I yell forward.

  “In New York we had easy options. Backtracking from here around Baltimore will burn fuel and daylight. We can do it if we have to, but Parker’s right: if we proceed with caution, this could be quick and easy.”

  Cupcake pats Tucker on the thigh and a hand appears down in the cab. Tucker gives a thumb’s up as we move forward.

  I lean forward to improve my limited view. The hole that is about to swallow us is dark and scary. There are no lights to help with visibility. Based on the look of the city I’m not surprised that there is no electricity for the main overheads, but I would have expected some type of emergency illumination.

  Looking out the side window next to Todd, I can see a car smashed into the concrete on the side of the road. It is technically not in the tunnel and we don’t have to turn to get around it, but if we were trying to back up in a hurry it could certainly get in our way.

  Inside the tunnel, I am impressed with the amount of light thrown by the headlamps. I’m also concerned with how slowly we’re moving. In general, when the Humvee is moving along at speed I feel safe, like we could go through anything. Moving slowly feels like we are expecting to be attacked or maybe we even want to be attacked.

  The field of light moving in front of us reveals nothing out of the ordinary. No cars and no zombies appear, making me think for a minute that we might be safe. Turning back to the pitch-black out the side window reminds me that feeling safe is not a long-term emotion.

  Tucker’s voice comes down from outside the rig. “Oww, what the fuck?!”

  A large drop of water splashes on the front window and makes me tense up.

  “Sorry. Just some water dripping from the roof,” Tucker says, dropping back into the rig. “Scared the shit out of me but didn’t hurt.” He turns to look at me and smiles.

  “Glad you’re okay,” Patrick says. “Maybe you could go back though? I think we’re getting to the low point of the tunnel which is probably half-way.” His tone conveys the point-of-no-return sentiment I have in the back of my mind.

  We’re technically underwater, but I’m holding my breath only out of fear and anticipation; there is plenty of oxygen. The sound of the engine is the only thing I can hear and my eyes are focused in front of us. Every second that passes increases my hope for the natural glow of daylight signaling the end of the tunnel.

  My heart beats louder and faster with each revolution of the tires that does not bring us within sight of the exit. A new worst fear comes into my head. What if they sealed the tunnel on one end? To combat that fear I start trying to judge if we could make a turn in this small and conceptually shrinking space.

  The wall on the right is too close. Are we in the right lane or the left?

  I scramble from Todd’s side to Cupcake’s side and look out his window. We’re almost touching the wall on the left! The tunnel is squeezing in and we’re going to be trapped!

  Back to the right side and Todd’s window. There are sparks coming off the mirror. Holy shit he’s speeding up. We’re going to be wedged in here and trapped. What the hell kind of tunnel is this that gets narrower?

  “Patrick!” I scream out, pleading for him to notice what’s happening.

  “I see it, Laney. Looks like we’re going to make it.”

  I look out the front window and see a rectangle of daylight growing larger. The walls of the tunnel are back to their original size. Patrick has the Humvee positioned in the center of the road and there is ample space on both sides of the rig. My mind was playing tricks on me and I nearly lost it.

  When we finally emerge from the tunnel, I want to pull over and get out and dance. Being in the back of the Humvee does not make me feel claustrophobic but that tunnel definitely did.

  Now that we are clear I expect the speed to increase, but surprisingly we do the opposite. Patrick is pulling to a stop; maybe he wants to get out and dance, too?

  “Cupcake, how do you feel about scavenging that? I think I can see his sidearm,” Patrick says.

  “Yeah, Philly made it pretty clear that knives and hockey sticks might not be enough. There’s probably even a shotgun in the car,” Cupcake says, agreeing with Patrick.

  Todd pops open his door and leans forward. It’s a tight fit, but Cupcake climbs out.

  “Todd, do you have his back?” Patrick asks back into the rig.

  I don’t wait for Todd to answer, he’s still mostly catatonic. My arms and head lead the way over Todd’s seat and I tumble out the open door and onto the pavement. It’s not a graceful exit, but I’m glad to be out in the open.

  The quiet is eerie. I’m standing in the middle of a highway that I expect was quite busy at one point not too long ago. Instinctively I look back from where we came and check for traffic. Thankfully it’s just the dark hole of the tunnel.

  “You alright?” Cupcake asks me with a smirk.

  “Fine. I just figured that Todd was probably not ready to be out and about so I’ll watch your back,” I answer, trying to sound confident.

  Pulling my butcher’s knife out of its spot in my leg armor helps my false confidence become more real. I grip the handle tightly and then relax my fingers. There are no vis
ible threats, but that’s no reason to be unprepared.

  “Thanks. It looks pretty quiet. Why don’t you check around the front and I’ll deal with Baltimore’s finest?” He sounds more comfortable than I think he should.

  “Sounds fair,” I reply, trying to match his casual tone.

  I appreciate that Cupcake is not making me retrieve the weapon. It is still tightly gripped in the hand of the officer lying on the ground. As my angle changes I can see that the back of his skull is missing. Remnants of a brain cling to the inside of the cavity and deep red pool of congealed blood spreads out on the ground underneath.

  My eyes are fixed on the scene and it is a repeat of my past experiences with death and gore. I need to toughen up and learn to look and then look away, but how? How can I get used to seeing people dead? It’s not a skill I’m interested in mastering.

  Whatever I’m looking for around the front is not obvious. Hopefully it will catch my eye and I can stop looking at the fallen officer.

  “Looks like he did this to himself,” Cupcake says.

  I watch in silence as he kneels down and stretches out the officer’s arm. His right hand cautiously grips the gun as his left peels back the fingers. He is careful but strong in his movements.

  Cupcake stands and surveys the body. A puzzled look comes over his face. He stoops over and rolls the officer onto his stomach and performs another visual search. He shakes his head.

  “I can’t see any bite marks. Do you think he ended it without even being infected?” Cupcake moves to the officer’s feet and a new look washes over his face.

  “Was he bit on the legs?” I ask, almost hopeful.

  “Yeah. Fuckin’ ankle biter got him. That sucks man,” Cupcake says, confirming my suspicion.

  Before his last syllable is done vibrating my eardrum, a vice closes on my left calf. I try and pull my leg away but it only moves an inch.

  Looking down, I see a bony hand wrapped tightly around my lower leg. A face, covered in blood and baring brilliant white teeth is pulling closer. The teeth begin to snap closed and slowly open again before repeating the process.

  “Cupcake!” I call out.

  Hearing my cry, Cupcake leaves his investigation and hurries around the car. His hands go under my arms and he pulls me back from the hood.

  While I’m being dragged backwards, the teeth at my feet sink into the duct tape and cardboard protecting my lower leg. Patrick’s stupid armor is actually temporarily saving me.

  Several paces away from the car Cupcake stops pulling on me. We both look down in shock. The thing that is so hungry for my flesh is not even half a person. It’s hard to describe exactly where the body ends, but it’s somewhere in the middle of a human stomach. It has no waist, no ass, and no lower body—but still it’s hungry.

  Cupcake raises his crowbar to stop the assault.

  “Wait.” I put up my hand. “I need to do this.”

  The big burly guy gives me the sad puppy dog eyes of a toddler. We both know I’m right, but he doesn’t want me to be. In response he gives me a slow nod before stepping away.

  I take a deep breath and flex my grip on the butcher’s knife in my hand. As the pressure on my leg intensifies, I realize that I don’t have all kinds of time to be contemplative.

  Slowly squatting, I aim my knife carefully. When the tip punctures the milky whiteness of its eye the creature feels nothing, and neither do I. As the blade slides deeper and finally disturbs the brain matter, I begin to feel something:

  Relief.

  Patrick

  Chapter 36

  McLean is part of the club now. It’s a shitty club and I didn’t want her to become a member, but I guess it had to happen eventually.

  I’ve read about people who get a kind of high from killing. Mostly it was articles about soldiers coming back from war having difficulties acclimating back to society. They missed the rush of shooting at people and, probably, having them shoot back.

  After my experiences with the undead, I didn’t believe them. But now that I see Laney reacting to her first kill, I know the stories were true. She is completely energized to the point that Parker may need to strap her down in the back.

  “Hey, do you think I should give Tucker a break in the turret?” she asks optimistically.

  “Not really. I think he’s doing fine up there.” No one else wanted to respond so I calmly reject her idea.

  “Then maybe I can drive? You probably could use a rest,” she says. Her words come out fast.

  “Nope. We’re getting close to D.C. and I could go for another five or six hours,” I say, trying to keep an even tone.

  I wish she would shut the hell up. I suppose it needs to run its course and we should just let her talk. At some point she’ll have to come down from the high, and I‘m a little worried about what that experience will be like.

  More stopped cars are on the road now and for some reason that makes me feel better. I try not to inspect any of them too closely, which has the opposite of the desired effect.

  In more than one car there is faint movement behind red-washed windows. Several other cars have their gas flap opened, signaling that they ran out and have not totally abandoned their car.

  Both types of cars remind me that I still have no idea how this whole thing started. The guy on TV said that if you came in contact with infected people’s fluids you would become infected. Does that mean that the cars containing what I assume to be zombies all got together after they were infected? Or does it mean that someone unknowingly got in a car with an infected person and when he or she turned a blood bath ensued? The latter is the only thing that makes sense.

  The cars that ran out of gas had no infected people inside of them so they were able to operate the doors, get out, and leave. Leaving exposed them to zombie hordes, so maybe some could have made it while others perished.

  A car with two shapes moving inside throws a twist into my mental puzzle. Apparently zombies don’t eat other zombies. How can they tell who is infected and who is not? Smell and hearing are their only obvious senses; do the infected impart a special odor?

  Can you imagine being trapped in a car with a zombie? A shudder runs down my spine. Instinctively I look in the rearview mirror at my traveling companions. If any of them are infected, they could tear through this vehicle in a matter of seconds.

  Is there any warning? We still haven’t seen anyone turn, so I have no idea of the progression. There was one report that said it happened in seconds, but that can’t be accurate. Who would get into a car with someone who was infected? No one!

  I’m sure it could have happened a few times where someone was just getting into the car when they were attacked and infected. Being scared shitless, you might not feel the bite or scratch that infected you, so everyone reports that they are “okay.” Then you turn and eat your friends. But that couldn’t have happened as many times as I am seeing on this road.

  A more likely scenario is that people agree to get in the car and escape. They battle zombies getting out of their building or hide out or whatever. That’s when someone gets infected. By the time they get to their car a few minutes later, everyone is sweating and breathing hard. Noticing an infection would be tough in that situation.

  I guess these cars are all left from early on when people had no idea what was happening. There is probably more than one car that was taking an infected person to the hospital, hoping to get them help.

  Ahead in the right lane is a school bus. It’s parked at a funny angle and is funneling me to the left side of the road. Some of the windows have tiny red handprints on them. I have to slow down to navigate past the bus and that gives Todd too much time to soak in the scene.

  “Fucking animals,” he mumbles.

  Less than a mile further down the road is a big rig, parked at a similar angle across the road but this time on the left-hand side. I’m funneled to the right and I have to slow down again.

  I’m not sure the others are sensing a pattern like I
am, but my nerves are increasingly worse. If there is another traffic funnel, I’m going to be downright scared.

  …

  It’s official: I’m scared.

  This time the funnel is not a single large vehicle but two parked cars. They are off in the right lane and parked next to each other in such a way that the only path around is to the left. Slowly.

  “Terri?” I want to know if she sees the pattern, too.

  She’s nodded off. I can see the glint of the flask in her right hand.

  “Terri!” I yell. I need another set of eyes.

  My drunken copilot startles to attention.

  “Don’t yell at me. It’s hard enough already,” she slurs.

  I don’t know what she’s individually dealing with that is “hard enough,” but I don’t care right now.

  “I think skipping D.C. is going to be a better idea. What road do I take to head around it and go south?” I ask.

  “Of course it is. I told you,” Terri snarls back.

  “Yeah, but do I need to get off the highway before D.C. or afterwards?” I insist. I am quite frustrated.

  I’ve been to Washington D.C. once in my life. It was on a school field trip in the eighth grade. Needless to say, I didn’t drive and I was not paying attention to directions.

  I wish my dad were here. He can navigate through or around almost any city in North America. There was one time he gave directions to a place he had never even been. Told the guy who was going that he always wanted to go there and had planned out the trip several times.

  Not me. I struggled getting from my apartment to the same local bar every day.

  “Stay on two-ninety-five until it ends. Then go right on ninety-five. We’ll be around D.C. in no time,” Terri says. She acts like it’s obvious.

  Another set of parked cars sends me back into the right lane. These ones are closer and I actually hit my mirror on one as we drive past. Someone is definitely trying to control how people pass through this area.

  The sign for Pennsylvania Avenue says it’s half a mile ahead. That’s where we were planning to go, but not now.