Emperor of a Dead World (5 page)

“Hopefully that is only hype.”

“All I know is a lot of people got real sick real fast.”

“You never heard of anyone getting better?”

“No. Some fought it better than others did but no one got better. Some were sick a few days and others a couple of weeks. They seemed to die and then suddenly they were on you. They got this crazy wild look in their eyes, you seen it, and that was all she wrote. The only way to stop um was to bash in their skulls.”

“Did everyone go crazy that got infected?”

“The lucky ones just died.” He looked closely at the faint blotches on Brad’s face. “You sure you’re alright? You still might go crazy.”

“I’ve always been crazy,” laughed Brad.

Tyrone looked at him with skepticism.

“I tell you I’m okay. It must have been something else. Sure, I was sick but I didn’t go crazy. I was not as bad as all the others.”

“Maybe you’re immune.”

“What about you? You didn’t even get sick.”

“I never get sick. Nothing can take me down.”

Brad shrugged. “I don’t have any answers. All I know is for some reason you and I are alright.”

“You call this alright?” Tyrone replied with a chuckle.

“We are doing better than most,” Brad replied. “Do you know if anyone else made it?”

“I heard talk that some were going to the capital. My family was sick so I couldn’t go.”

“My father left a note with the same story. He said he will come back with a cure if he can.”

Tyrone nodded his head but he had little hope of anyone returning. By the time they finished the six-pack, they were out of conversation.

“I got more beer if you want. Every house I go in has a few and I take um. I don’t think they will miss um. Not stealing is it?”

“No Tyrone, not in this world.”

“How do you know my name?”

“You are kind of famous.”

“Me,” he laughed, “famous for what?”

“Just for being so damn big,” Brad smiled. “And to tell you the truth I am sure glad you survived. I feel a lot better having you on my side.”

“Seriously,” Tyrone laughed, “What could kill me?”

Brad smiled, “I’m Brad from A Street.”

“Good to meet you Brad from A Street.”

“What do you say tomorrow we clear this neighborhood?”

“Sounds good to me,” Tyrone agreed.

They spent the rest of the day getting to know each other and that night Tyrone let Brad stay in his brother’s room. After Brad closed the door, he reflected for a moment then put a chair against it.

The next morning they set out and between the two of them, they had the entire neighborhood cleared and bodies burned in less than a week. While collecting the bodies from A Street, Brad found Rita lying under another creature with a slug in her head. He must have hit her the night they attacked his house. Tyrone tossed her on the pile with the others.

Chapter 5

“Life is good,” Tyrone said as he handed Brad a beer then relaxed back in his lounge chair. “The sun is shining and we are sitting by a pool that is heated by solar power and we are surrounded by an eight foot wall. As far as food is concerned, a dozen or so of our neighbors had gardens for us to eat from and there is plenty of beer in the clubhouse. I have never considered myself a vegetarian but I think I can live off barley and hops for a long time.”

“You seem happy with a simple life Tyrone but we both know what is behind those high walls.”

“Why should that concern me? We are safe in here.”

“There are probably others out there that do not have it so good.”

“That is not my problem.”

“Has your conscience turned so cold?”

“You make it sound like this is my fault.”

“I do not hold you accountable for the past, only the future.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I want us to do the same thing we did in here.”

“Clearing the world will be a considerably greater challenge than clearing this community was,” Tyrone laughed.

“Sooner or later we have to go out.”

“Why?”

Brad smiled and said, “This beer supply is not going to last forever.”

“Seriously, why do you really want to go out?”

“I want to find my parents.”

“You mean go to the capital.”

“Whatever it takes,” Brad shrugged.

Tyrone shook his head. “You said they would come back here.”

“Why should I leave it to them? They are old and we are young. They probably do not even think I survived so they may not try to come back. Besides, we can make the trip much easier than they can.”

“What is this
we
shit?” Tyrone replied as he took a drink.

“We can do it Tyrone, we can make it together.”

Tyrone did not respond. He just took another drink.

“It is not only my parents that I am concerned with. If there are others out there they may need our help.”

“Why is it up to us to save the world?”

“Because we can do it, Tyrone,” Brad insisted.

Tyrone scowled. “There is that
we
again.” He took another drink.

“Why did we survive?” Brad asked as he started to get passionate. “Why us, why are we immune? Tell me Tyrone. You asked why we should save the world. I ask why we survived if not to save the world.”

“Are you supposed to be some kind of superhero?”

“Is that a bad thing?”

Tyrone took a drink then crumpled the can and threw it into a pile with several others. “I’m not meant to be a hero,” he shrugged. “I ain’t meant to be nothing but a litterbug.”

“Tyrone you can be anything you want but if you don’t come with me,” Brad persisted, “what you are going to be is alone.”

“That’s your choice. I was alone before you came along.”

“Have it your way but I am going to take Jason’s big four-wheel drive Ram and I am going to ram it through anything that gets in my way.”

“Me included?”

“No, of course not,” Brad insisted. “Besides, I will come back. I just have to see if anyone is still out there.”

“And then what?”

“Bring them back.”

“There may be bad people out there Brad. People you do not want to meet. The world has changed and that changes people. Believe me,” Tyrone stressed. “I have seen a lot of nice young kids grow up to be really bad men because the world would not let them be good.”

“If that is the case then I will deal with them when I find them.”

Tyrone shrugged. “You may find the world has changed you as well.”

“I haven’t changed. I have just adapted to a new climate. I do what I must do to survive. If that means killing monsters then I will kill monsters but I will still help anyone I can along the way. You see Ty,” Brad shrugged. “I do not blame the world for my actions. No matter how bad things are on the outside, I will always be good on the inside.”

“I believe you Brad. I believe you truly are a good person.”

“What about you? Aren’t you a good person?”

“I’m alright I suppose,” he shrugged. “No one ever accused me of being bad.  At least not to my face anyway,” he smiled

“Then come with me,” Brad pleaded. “I still believe the majority of the people out there are good and I intend on helping them.”

“There is nothing for me out there. Besides, we just cleaned this place and someone has to hold down the fort while you are gone.”

“I guess it is me against the world.”

“Take that shield with the cross on it. If you take over the world, you can proclaim yourself emperor. Brad the Great or something like that.”

“Maybe I will.”

“Before you go let’s take the pickup over to old man Doug’s garage on D Street,” Tyrone advised. “He has a machine shop there and we can set you up with plow on the front. That way nothing will stop you.”

“That sounds like a good plan.”

“I have my moments.”

It took almost as long for them to make the plow as it did to clear the community. When they finished, it looked like hell. For the plow, they cut the tops off two cars, a red Buick and a green Chevy then attached them to the front of the truck with a wrought iron railing they had cut up. Just like a sailboat, the green was on the right and the red was on the left. They then used the spare rails to make bars for the windows. For gas, they siphoned fuel out of cars in the neighborhood. Feeling secure in his monster-mobile, Brad loaded up his weapons along with some food and water. He also brought his trench coat as an added precaution.

Tyrone rode with him as far as the front gate. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I’m sure,” Brad returned with a weak smile.

“It’s not too late. A beer and the pool are waiting.”

“I wish you would come.”

“Someone has to man the gate. If you have trouble getting in, just blow the horn three times and I will clear you a path.”

“Fair enough,” Brad shrugged then added, “If you sit there any longer you are coming with me.”

Tyrone laughed and opened the door then stepped out. “You are one crazy-ass white-boy.”

“I am sorry about your family Tyrone but mine may still be out there.”

“I understand and I hope to see you soon.”

“Last chance,” Brad shrugged.

Tyrone closed the door and tapped on the roof. “Good luck.”

Brad inched forward and the gate opened. As soon as it was wide enough, he sped through. Only a few creatures were around but they were more interested in the truck than the gate so none attempted to enter the community. Brad waved to Tyrone through the rear window then took off being careful not to hit any of the infected pedestrians.

Heading down the street, he encountered several abandoned cars in the road. He got around them by driving either on the median or the sidewalk. There were also many creatures wondering aimlessly. They watched him pass then forgot about him. As he drove, he scanned the area for survivors. Every time something moved, he slowed for a closer look but all he found were the unlucky infected ones. After about two miles, he headed down a side street then stopped in front of his ex-girlfriend’s house. The door was hanging wide open so it did not look encouraging. He stared at the house for a moment then rolled down his window and yelled, “Hey Jenny.” He got no answer so he honked and yelled again, “Jenny, you in there?” Still nothing so he inched forward, honked his horn and yelled again, “Anybody here - Anybody at all?”

The only response he got was from the infected. They did not like the noise and they came out in force to complain. It was impossible to tell where they came from as they quickly filled the street and headed for the truck. When they got close, he rolled up the window but they still tried to get him through the glass. The only thing that kept the window from breaking was the bars that deflected their blows.

Before long, there were so many that he had to leave. He inched forward but they blocked his way making it almost impossible to move. He hesitated to run them over because all these things had once been somebody and running them down just seemed so cold. While he considered his options, they were pounding on the truck and causing it to rock back and forth. Finally, he realized if he did not leave now he may never escape. Given no choice, he hit the gas and plowed through them. In order to get to the end of the street, he had to put the truck into four-wheel-drive to get over the bodies. Fortunately, he had oversized tires that crushed anything that fell in front of them.

Depressed that he had not found Jenny and disgusted by the massacre, he headed back to the estate. When he got there, the entrance was clear so he punched in his code and the solar operated gate opened. Once inside, he waited until the gate closed before heading over to see Tyrone to tell him he had returned.

As soon as he pulled into the driveway, Tyrone came out. “Man, that truck sure is a mess, what happened?” Blood, puss and body parts covered the front of the truck.

“I had some trouble getting down the street.”

“I think that may be an understatement. Any luck finding survivors?”

“No.”

“Any beer,” Tyrone smiled.

“You should have come with me if you wanted groceries.”

“For a beer I just might do that,” Tyrone said as he headed over to get his garden hose.

“Seriously,” Brad persisted, “To get out of the truck I need backup.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I should have gone with you but I was tired of killing those disgusting things and I needed a break. Besides, I didn’t really think you would go through with it. I thought you would turn around and come right back. I was ready to have a good laugh.” He pointed his high-pressure nozzle at the truck and turned on the water.

“Hey watch it,” Brad cried as he jumped back, splattered by repulsive overspray.