Phase One: Identify (Territory of the Dead) (8 page)

Dad must have seen the horror in my face, because he immediately turned and looked as well. “Move, Beth,” he ordered, lifting her over the window frame. I was too horrified to really let that sink in. I loved my dad, but he wasn't exactly athletic. For him to pick up anybody and lift them over was nothing short of amazing.

“Get in,” the man at the hood ordered, opening the driver's door and sliding in. He slid his shotgun down into the floorboard beside him, within easy reach. Jayden yanked the back door open. Amanda slid in first, followed by the rest of us. James climbed up in the front seat and strapped himself in.

The rest of us were packed into the backseat, so much so I had to sit in Jayden's lap. With five of us, it was a very tight fit, not that any of us complained. We were just thankful to be alive. Jayden slammed the door, and the man immediately took off, hitting zombies on his way back out of the yard. 

Chapter 8

“
What is your name, son?” Dad asked the man in the driver's seat. He was taking us into the main part of town. The streets looked completely different than how they'd always looked in the past. Cars were crashed into trees and even houses, their doors left wide open. Trash, clothing, and even blood was spread across the sidewalks and streets. It looked like a wasteland, no longer the tidy suburbia area I'd grown up in.

The zombies were everywhere you looked. They weren't grouped together, but you'd see one walking across a yard or next to a house. Some of them were bent over bodies, eating flesh from corpses to destroyed to ever come back again.

There wasn't a one of them that didn't start to follow us, though, after we went by.

“The name is Kellan,” he said coolly. His voice was smooth, like liquid silk. The slight bite in his tone didn't invite any further conversation.

“Nice to meet you,” Dad replied hesitantly, still remembering his manners. He quickly introduced the rest of us, then asked awkwardly, “Where are you taking us?”

“My home,” Kellan stated. He didn't add anything else to it.

“Well, er, we were actually hoping you could just drop us off wherever the other survivors are at.” It was obvious Dad didn't feel very comfortable with him.

Kellan laughed, without humor. “What other survivors? I hate to tell you this, but as far as I'm aware, we're it. It's how I located you, actually. I just followed the trail of zombies leading to your house. They only do that when they sense a meal.”

“We appreciate that, son. I shudder to think of what would have happened if you wouldn't have got there.” Dad's face was sad. “I just can't believe everyone is gone.”

Kellan shrugged. “Maybe, or maybe not. Hopefully there are some survivors that are staying well-hidden. I won't give up on looking for them. His eyes met mine in the mirror. I was sitting directly behind him. “I've just got a full load tonight.”

He had a point about that. The only free space would be in the trunk area. Here and now, I felt safe. I'm not sure how safe I would have felt though with a vehicle packed to the brim with people. What if a tire popped?

We passed by a cemetery. It was completely empty, as if the zombies had no interest in wandering through its gates. I did a double take. “Look at that,” I said, my voice puzzled as I pointed at the cemetery. “Shouldn't it be packed full with zombies, rising from the graves? I mean, probably the older graves would be harder to dig out of, due to the ground hardening. But the newer graves would be easy for someone as strong as a zombie to dig out of.”

Everyone but Kellan looked puzzled. His eyes met mine again. “Makes you wonder what really is infecting the population, huh?”

I nodded, my thoughts focused on exactly that. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to affect anyone dead prior to the epidemic. I'd seen with my own eyes what happened if someone died now, though. They came back. Then again, it could be possible they couldn't dig their way out. It was enough to make my head spin. I filed it away in my mind to ponder on later.

My parents were quiet and visibly distraught. I felt bad for them. They'd walked away with nothing but the shirts on their backs. Their home, belongings, and even car had to be left behind. We were completely destitute, relying solely upon the kindness of the man driving. 

Jayden leaned close to my ear, his breath tickling my neck. “Did you get a look at the firepower this guy has? I wonder if he's military or a police officer. His shotgun is
the Model 887 Nitro Mag, and they are tough. Seriously bad ass, and they never rust. I'm willing to bet that he's using buckshot, based on the way their heads exploded when he hit them. Not to mention, did you see that pistol in his belt holster?”

He waited for me to nod before continuing, “That's a suppressed Ruger 22/45 pistol. The triggers on those are excellent.”

I couldn't think of anything to say back to him. My knowledge of guns was extremely limited, although I now had a new appreciation of them. Thinking quickly, I asked quietly, “Why is it so long?”

Jayden shot me an amused look. “That's the silencer. You couldn't ask for a better pistol to take out one of these zombies, without bringing every other one in the area down on your head.”

I was clueless, but tried to act like I understood. Right now, my concern didn't extend beyond whether or not the gun worked, and making sure we had enough ammo. I was determined to change that, though. At the first opportunity, I was going to learn how to shoot and load any gun I could get my hands on.

It was the only way to survive. Sure we'd used knives on them tonight. That had only worked because the space for them to enter was limited. Out in the open, we'd be overpowered before we knew it. Nobody had a chance unless they had a gun and knew how to use it.

We passed through Main Street, but didn't stop anywhere. I looked everywhere, but didn't see anything indicating any survivors. Kellan took the highway leading out toward the lake. Dad finally spoke up again. “So you have a place out here?”

“I do,” Kellan replied, picking up speed. “And it's a safe one too. Tonight you can shower and rest, without worrying every second about zombies breaking in. Tomorrow we'll talk, and you can decide what you want to do next.”

“Do you live with anybody else?” I think Dad was wondering if he still lived at home. It was kind of an odd question to ask. I really couldn't pinpoint Kellan's age, but I guessed him to be somewhere between the 25 to 35 age range. He was definitely old enough to live on his own. Besides, something about him screamed independence. I couldn't imagine him living at home. 

“No,” he said, his deep voice filled with purpose. “But I hope to change that. I have plenty of room, and I'll be out daily looking for survivors.”

James jumped in. “Have you heard any word about the rest of the country? What about the military?”

Kellan shook his head, his eyes never leaving the dark road. We were on the outskirts of town now, so there weren't any streetlights to help light our way. It was a silent, extremely dark night outside of the vehicle. I felt like we were the only ones left on earth, and from the looks of it, I wasn't wrong.

“I haven't been successful in finding out anything about how bad it is across the country. The cellphones are out, by the way. If you have one, don't count on being able to use it.”

“What about the military?” James pressed, his gaze never leaving his face. “Surely they will be here soon, even if it's a unit from out-of-state.”

Kellan exhaled slowly. “One can always hope. Don't count on it, though. All it would take is one hungry zombie getting on post to wipe out a whole base.”

He glanced at James before continuing. “If you're going to survive this, the first rule you need to learn is never count on anyone but yourself. Never. People make mistakes, and the zombies are fast. They don't need to sleep or eat anything but us. Don't leave your protection in the hands of someone else.”

James nodded, but he didn't appear convinced.

Kellan shrugged, unconcerned. “To be honest with you, I don't know anything else. I have no idea what caused the dead to walk, and I have no idea what will happen next. I do know a lot of people are dead now because they relied on others to keep them safe. The police station was packed because people figured the police would protect them. Now the police are dead, and the people that were there are either dead or in hiding.”

Jayden had a question of his own. His face looked grim. “How do we know that your place is any safer?”

“You don't,” Kellan replied harshly. “You just have to take my word for it. I could always stop here and let you out if you'd rather take your chances on your own.”

Jayden glared at the back of his head but didn't respond.

We were all completely silent, not sure what to say to each other or the man driving us. Finally, he broke the silence. “I think once you see my home, you'll agree that it's one of the safest places you can be right now. It's surrounded on 3 sides with water, and a shoreline that is nearly impossible to walk across. Even if someone were to make it past that, my home has a heavy-duty, state of the art fence that is nearly impenetrable.”

Dad's interest was peaked. He must have thought only the rich and famous had homes like that. “Not to be rude or anything, but I don't recognize your face from anywhere. Are you someone important?”

Kellan shook his head. “Nope.”

Dad frowned. “They why would you have a home like this?” He was still trying to connect the pieces of the puzzle, but the truth was a few pieces were missing. Until Kellan decided to tell all, there was no way we were going to figure him out.

Kellan's shoulders tightened almost imperceptibly. Had I not been staring so closely, I likely wouldn't have even noticed. Something about that question bothered him.

“Let's just say that I figured one day something like this would happen. Let's face it. There have been to many rumors of secret research facilities and government studies on humans to disregard. It was bound to happen.”

Dad nodded. “Makes sense, I suppose.” Dad was floundering, trying to find his footing in a world that blew his to smithereens.

I shifted on Jayden's lap, trying to get more comfortable. His arm was wrapped around me, securing me close to his body. I felt comfortable, but then again slightly embarrassed. It felt right but wrong. Inside, my thoughts were in turmoil, completely contradicting each other.

The headlights revealed someone or something standing in the middle of the road. “What in the hell is this now?” James muttered, his tone irritated.

I leaned forward for a closer look. At first I thought it was a zombie, until I realized she was jumping up and down and waving her arms.

I was worried he planned on driving right by. “Aren't you going to stop?” He hadn't slowed down a bit since spotting her.

His mouth tightened, his face harsh in the lights from the dashboard. Finally, he nodded. “I'll stop, but if she's bit at all, she gets left.”

Dad gasped, horrified. “How could you leave anyone out here? You know she'll be killed by zombies.” He'd forgotten about asking James that very question when he'd arrived with Amanda. I wondered what Dad would have really done if one of them had been bitten.

Kellan's expression didn't soften. “If she's been bit, she's dead already.” His voice was harsh. “Make sure you remember that, and don't let pity and compassion get in the way of common sense. Any bite injury from a zombie, no matter how small, will turn a living person into one like them. Don't be a fool.  It might take longer to travel through the bloodstream, but they will turn.”

He looked back at Dad in the rear view mirror, his eyes hard. “If she's been bit and you want to stay with her to protect her, be my guest. I promise you one thing, though. Nobody bitten will be going home with me.” He started to slow down as he got close to her.

Dad sat back in the seat, properly admonished. “Well! You don't have to be so rude about it.”

We were only feet away from her now. Up close, I could see she was covered in blood, her eyes panicked. Kellan was determined to make his position clear, before we stopped. “Call it what you will. My vehicle, my life, my rules. I won't let anyone's mistaken sense of duty put me, or anyone under my protection at risk.”

He pulled up next to her, as she ran to the window. He rolled it down about a fourth of the way. Not giving her a chance to speak, he growled out, “Have you been bit?”

She gave him a puzzled look. “No,” she denied vehemently. Despite the blood and dirt, I could see how beautiful she was. Every male in the vehicle noticed it as well, even Jayden. My heart felt heavy, my mood deflated. It hurt to see how intently he was staring at her, like a deer caught in headlights.

She was everything I wasn't. Tall and willowy, her hair was long and an extremely light shade of blonde. She had pale, perfectly arched eyebrows, and really large, innocent, blue eyes. Her body was slender, but amply curved in the chest area. I guessed her to be somewhere around her late-teens or early twenties. Cleaned up, she would be a bombshell.