A Glimpse of Decay (Book 3): Lost in Twilight (12 page)

“Seems like you have it all thought out real good,” Kara said smugly.  “Is it something you planned out during one of your little paintball games?”

“Excuse me?” Beau asked with a snubbed tone.

“You heard me?’ Kara shot back.  “You never were going to give anyone else’s ideas a chance, were you?”

“Kara, will you shut up!” Randy shouted.

“No, it’s okay,” Beau said as he shined his light at him.  “She has a right to speak her mind.  By no means is this a dictatorship.”

“Maybe she’s right,” the woman with the toddler said.  Her husband, Perry, looked at her with a confused look on his face.  He wanted to support his wife, but he didn’t want to seem like he was taking a stand against Beau.

“What do you think, Perry?” Beau asked him.

“Well,” he said in a quivering voice, “maybe she is right.”  He removed his grungy ball cap and ran his hand through his greasy hair.  “Maybe there’s more people out towards Houston.  More people would be better, right?  I mean, isn’t that what you say?  Ain’t that why we’ve been struggling to stay together in this group?  Safety in numbers and all.”

“That’s what I believe,” Beau said.  “But our safety is right here with this group, not out there on the road.”

“So what if I don’t agree with your decision?” Kara asked.  “What if I don’t want to do whatever it is that you decide?”

Stephanie could feel the fear and uncertainty that Kara was creating amongst the group and she was about to say something to Kara, but Beau spoke before she could get anything out of her mouth.

“No one here is saying that you have to do what I think is right.  It’s a free country…even if there is no more country.  I’m not going to force anyone to do anything that they don’t want to do.  In the end, my wife is my main concern.  We’ve all been friends for a long time and we’ve often talked about this time; the end time.  I don’t know why, but it seemed like all of you were content with me being a leader, but by me assuming that role, it doesn’t mean that my say-so is final.  Everyone has the freedom to do what they want, and if anyone wants to go on their own, they are free to do so.  And that includes you and your wife and child, Perry.”

Perry looked at his wife, and in turn, she looked at Kara.  “Do you really think there are others out there?” she asked Kara.

“I can’t say for certain, but I believe so.”  She turned to Beau and said, “So, you’ll just let me leave?  Just like that?”

“If that’s what you want, then yes.  I don’t know how your friends will feel about that, but you won’t get any grief from me.”

“Does that go for me and Rita too?” Perry asked.

“Of course it does.  I’m not going to stand in your way.”

“Good,” Kara butted in.  “Then if we leave, I’m going to take the car that we came in and I’m going to head east.  And if anyone wants to come along, you can.”

“Then now is a good time for all of us to decide where we want to go.  If this is where our group scatters, Stephanie and I will follow our plan to hover around in the southern part of the county.  Maybe near Elmendorf.”

“The hell with scattering,” Shawn said.  “I’m with you, Beau.  You’ve got us this far, ain’t no reason to go and change things.  Plus, I don’t even know who the hell this chick is who’s wanting to come in and break us up.  And Perry, if you and your family go with her, you’re a dumb ass.”

“Now there’s no need to go and make people feel bad for making their own decisions,” Beau said as he tried to dull Shawn’s words.  “If he thinks that going east is in the best interest for his family, you can’t give him grief for that.”  He looked around at the rest of his group and asked, “Does anyone else want to go anywhere else?”

“No, we don’t,” Jose said.  “I think I can say that I speak for the rest of us…and we’re all with you.”

“No, I want to hear it from each individual,” Beau said.  “I don’t want anyone saying that I forced them to do anything.”  He walked up to the remaining members of the group to get their say and they each told him that they wanted to follow him.  After that, he went over to Kara and said, “You’re more than free to go.  Guess you’ll need to plan with Perry and Rita.”

Not knowing if Beau was sincere or if he was plotting something, she looked at him and said, “Thanks.”

“We’ll get going in the morning,” he announced to everyone.  We’ll pack up, figure a way to get the fuel from the gas pumps, and then set off.”

“I’m going to take my truck,” Perry said.  “I know that we have been using it to transport the water barrels, but I need the truck.”

“Don’t worry.  Like I said, we’ll start up one of these brand new tractors and load up our gear on a trailer and tow everything.  We’ll make sure that all of you have enough supplies for your trip.  But what we need to do right now is get some rest…all of us.  It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.  Shawn, can you go out and tell the ones on guard duty what we’ve decided on, but also let them know that they don’t have to follow us.  They’re free to go where they want.”

“Sure thing, boss.”  He turned to walk away, but then stopped and spun back around. “I’m sure they’ll come with us.”

“Well, all things being equal, still let them know that they don’t have to go with us.”

A murmur could be heard as the group members returned to the sales offices that they had been bunking in.  As Kara, Trent and Randy returned to their office, Trent said, “I can’t believe you’re going to leave just like that.”

“Well believe it.  I’m leaving…just like that.”

“You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” Randy said.  “These people helped us out.  All they have been is kind to us.  And now you go and break up their group.  What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing is wrong with me,” she said angrily.  “Can’t you see that he has all of these people under his control?  For some reason they fear him and listen to everything he says.  And from what I’ve seen, it looks like the two of you are also under his spell.”

“We’re not under anyone’s spell, and I resent you for saying that,” Trent said.

“Go ahead, resent me all you want, but I call it as I see it.  Anyway, by this time tomorrow I’ll be long gone from here.”

“Well, that’s your choice, but I think it’s a bad one.”  Trent looked into the darkness in the direction of Randy and his bedroll.  “What do you think?” he asked Randy.

“I mean, if she wants to go, let her go.  But I’m with Trent in thinking it’s a bad idea to go.  When all of this shit first started, we were like a team.  We made it out of the police station and we’ve been surviving ever since.  I don’t see any need for us to split up now.”

“Then come with me and Perry,” Kara pleaded.  She had momentarily let down her tough exterior and was now exposing her vulnerability as she tried to appeal to the senses of her friends.  Her words were soft and the sharpness was now dull.  “We can make it, I know we can.  It’s sure to end badly for us if we stick with these people.”

“I just don’t see the sense in going out there onto the open road,” Trent said back.  “It’s so dangerous, and there’s no guarantee that we’re going to find anyone.  At least here we have a fighting chance.

Believing that she had come off as some little helpless girl who was begging, Kara assumed her grim facade again and said in a flat tone, “Fine, it’s your funeral.”  She rolled over on her side and covered her head with her sleeping bag.

Not knowing what to say, Trent struggled to come up something, but in the end, he decided that it was simply best to remain silent.  Kara had made up her mind and it was obvious that there was no changing it.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Trent asked Kara as she packed the last of her gear into her car.  “I really think that you should reconsider.”

Not wanting to take the time to stop and respond to him, Kara continued to load her supplies.  She looked over at Perry as he too finished loading his truck.  “You ready?” she asked him.

“Yep, we’re ready.”  Rita and their child were already sitting inside of the cab; she was a bundle of nerves and was having second thoughts about leaving the safety of the group.  The rest of the crowd stood in silence and looked on in disbelief as Perry finished with his task.  He turned and looked at Beau and slowly walked in his direction.  He extended his hand towards him, not knowing if Beau would return the gesture.

“So, I guess this is it,” Beau said as he accepted Perry’s hand.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Perry replied, unconvincingly.

“And you think this is the best thing for you and your family?”  Beau tightened his grip and peered into Perry’s eyes.  “You know, once you get out there, basically you’re on your own.  They’re won’t be anyone to help you.”

Perry turned and looked at Rita.  He had an expression of confusion and uncertainty on his face.  He was trying to find reassurance from his wife, but all he received was her own look of fear.  Rita was fighting the urge to jump from the seat and start unloading the truck, but for reasons that she couldn’t explain, she found herself sitting in silence.  Maybe it was the possibility of finding other people, or maybe it was the fact that she just wanted to get away from all of the terror and horror they had experienced.  Whatever it was, she found herself not being able to say anything.

“Yeah Beau, I think this is the right thing.  I just want to say thanks for everything you and the others have done for us.”

“”Okay.  Vaya con Dios, amigo,” Beau said.  He turned and briefly looked at Kara before walking away.

Kara jumped into her car and cranked the engine.  She pulled out of the lot and made her way onto the access road of Interstate 10.  Perry followed in his pick-up and as they began to drive away, Rita turned to look back at the group.  She waved.  Tears were running down her face.  The group members, still standing in silence, waved back.

“I can’t believe she actually left,” Trent said to Randy as they watched the two vehicles enter onto the highway.

“I guess she thinks that going on her own was the right thing for her.”  Randy shook his head and kicked at the ground.  “We just have to wish her the best.”

“What I can’t figure out is why she got so damn hard and cold over these past few days,” Trent said.  “Ever since we came across Beau and his group, she changed.”

“I can’t figure that one out either.  I’m sure that everything that’s been going on has changed a lot of people.  I guess in a lot of ways, we’ve been changed by all of this shit too.”

“Okay people,” Beau announced and as he tried to get his group’s mind off of Kara and Perry. “We have a lot to do ourselves.  Let’s get this trailer loaded up and hooked to the big rig.  We need to get out of here before it gets any later.  Shawn, you, Jose and Noel make sure we get as much fuel as we can carry.  Both diesel and gas.  Stephanie, make sure that we get all the water packed away.  I’ve got Joanna and Donna back in the break room tearing through the soda and snack machines.”

“Beau, what do you want me and Randy to do?” Trent asked.

“Do the two of you know how to shoot a rifle?”

“Yeah, kind of,” Trent said as he looked over at Randy.

“Yeah, I know how to shoot a rifle,” Randy said.

“Okay, then the two of you grab a rifle and post up by the entrance to the lot.  Keep a sharp eye out while we finish loading up.  We can’t afford to let any of those things in, so you make damn sure you don’t let that happen, okay?”

“Okay,” Randy said.  Trent simply nodded his head in acknowledgment. 

“Okay everyone, we all have things to do, so let’s get to it,” Beau said as he clapped his hands together.  With that, the members of the group dispersed and went off in different directions.  As Beau made his way back to the entrance of the dealership office, he stopped and looked back in the direction that Kara and Perry had driven off in.  “Big mistake,” he mumbled to himself.  “Big fucking mistake.”  As he turned and reached for the door of the showroom, the sudden sound of rumbling explosions grabbed his attention.  He turned to see if he could see anything, but based on the intensity of the reports, he guessed that it was a good ways off.

“Did you hear that?” Stephanie asked as she jogged up to her husband.  She had also heard the muffled explosions.  Shielding her eyes from the bright sun, she scanned the horizon.  “I wonder what that was from.”

“I don’t know,” he said as he looked back towards the west.  “It kind of sounded like…maybe bombs or something.”

***

Kara was pleasantly surprised to find that the interstate was fairly free from any wrecks or debris.  As she and Perry sped down the highway, she began to feel relief and she actually found herself smiling.  She turned on the radio and scanned the stations, but all she found was static.  After turning off the radio, she looked into the distance.  She saw several plumes of smoke billowing to her left.  Although she couldn’t see the fires themselves, she figured that they were several miles away from the interstate.  As they came over a small hill, they rolled up on an 18-wheeler that was turned on its side.

She slowed to see if any survivors were around, but after finding nothing, she increased her speed again.  Keeping an eye on Perry in her rearview mirror, her eyes kept jumping back and forth from the mirror to the road in front of her.  As they crested another hill, they came across a second wreck; two charred vehicles were scattered across the east bound lanes.  This time though, there was something else along with the wreck.

Two ragged and bloodied figures lumbered onto the asphalt in front of her.  One of the zombies was missing his face, with only a skeletal grin to mark where his mouth had been.  With barely enough time to react, she swerved to avoid hitting them.  Overcome with fear, she accelerated and tried to put some distance between themselves and the grotesque scene they had just encountered.

She passed a mileage sign indicating that they were only a few miles away from Seguin.  Wanting some fresh air, she lowered her windows, but instead of getting some relief, she immediately picked up on an overpowering stench of rot and decomposition.  The smell frightened her even more, and before she knew it, she was racing along at nearly 80 miles per hour.

She took a curve in the road and climbed a small hill.  What she saw next made her slam on her brakes with such a force that she thought she had broken her right ankle. At the bottom of the hill was an enormous horde of reanimated.  The festering mass filled both the west and east bound lanes of the highway and the writhing and hulking swarm seemed to stretch off into the horizon.

Trying to keep up with Kara, Perry had little time to react to her sudden stop.  He slammed on his brakes and veered to the right, but he over compensated for the skid and when he tried to straighten his truck, the vehicle careened and went into a violent and uncontrollable roll.  As the truck tumbled and flipped down the highway, all of the gear and supplies were scattered across the road and out onto the shoulder.  Perry’s small daughter was also thrown through the rear window and she was hurled a hundred feet skyward, falling back down to earth with a thud and a splatter.

Kara was finally able to bring her car to a stop and she screamed in horror as she looked at the smoldering bits and pieces of Perry’s truck.  Within a matter of seconds, the wreckage was engulfed by the wave of reanimated.  She sat for a moment as she watched one of the graceless corpses pick up the body of Perry’s child.  The lifeless form hung limply in the clutches of the bloated and darkened carcass.  After realizing that the child was dead and was no longer a food source, the reanimated man tossed the little girl to the side and started walking towards Kara.

The sound of a woman screaming brought Kara back to her senses.  It was Rita.  She must have survived the crash.  Kara could see that some of the zombies were pulling and yanking at something inside of the truck cabin.  She turned her car and she floored the accelerator as she sped away from the carnage.  As she raced back up the hill that she had just descended, she found the roadway clogged with thousands of reanimated corpses.  She tried to make her way onto the grassy shoulder and over onto the access road, but more zombies were emerging from the woods that lined the road.

Peeling out in the grass, she brought her car back onto the asphalt.  She saw a small opening through the mass of undead on the other side of the highway, but the median was lined with heavy duty cables that were designed to keep vehicles from drifting over into the oncoming lanes.  She was trapped.  She backed up her vehicle but was quickly stopped by the sheer mass of the bodies that were encircling her.  Not knowing what else to do, she stopped her car and threw her door open, jumping out of her seat.

As a host of rotting and decaying hands reached and clawed for her, she jumped up onto the roof of her car.  She looked up at the bright blue sky and saw a bird riding a thermal wave, gliding over the devastation below.  She wept and found herself wishing that she could flutter her arms and fly to safety.  A de-fleshed hand, tendons and muscle exposed, grabbed onto her ankle and yanked her leg out from under her.  She slammed down onto the roof and rolled to one side, falling down onto the hard asphalt.

Surrounded by a gallery of rot and stench, she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.  As the first set of teeth sank into her calf, she cried out, “Daddy!”