Born In The Apocalypse (14 page)

Chapter 32

We rode past the house, leaving the creepiness behind. The road curved to the north, and we passed two homes on the right side of the road. One of them was occupied as evidenced by the triple deep wooden fence around the yard and the three horses who came over to say hello to our mounts. We didn’t stick around, because the smell of the pelt spooked the small herd, and I didn’t want trouble with the owners for raising a ruckus.

The other house was quiet, with the door open wide. I figured there was nothing there even to salvage, so we just kept riding.

“Oh, shit. Company,” Trey said. He pointed to the house we just passed.

Stumbling out of the front door was a Tripper. He was about the same age as my dad and looked like he had seen better days. His clothes were threadbare and full of holes, and he looked like he had cut his face on something a while ago. A long gash ran from his chin to nearly his ear, punctuating the blotches on his face.

He wheezed loudly, and both horses jumped a bit, looking to run away. I led Judy away a bit, keeping her under control, and Trey followed along. The Tripper was working his way towards the road, and pretty soon he was going to be moving a lot faster.

“We gonna run, shoot, what?” Trey asked, looking over his shoulder.

“I want to try something,” I said. “If it doesn’t work, you can shoot him.”

“What do you mean, I can shoot him? I ain’t got no gun,” Trey said.

“Your dad didn’t make you pack a gun?” I asked, not really believing him.

“Not this time. He said I didn’t need it,” Trey replied.

“Man, did he miss the day,” I said, pulling my bow from its scabbard. I dismounted, quickly strung it, and then drew an arrow out. I walked away from the horses and waited for the Tripper. I figured if I missed, I would just shoot him in the head. I didn’t like the thought of using up another bullet, but if it was him or me, I’d rather it be him.

It didn’t take long; he came out of the yard and stumbled through the ditch, trailing bits of his clothing as burrs and weeds pulled at him. I waited for him to steady himself before I drew back on the bow. I wanted to make this first shot count and needed him to be mostly steady.

He came right at me, his face twisting in a mask of rage as his diseased brain saw me as a threat. His hands alternated between claws and fists, and his eyes burned red. If he were to get his hands on me, he’d do his best to tear me apart.

I never gave him the chance. When he was about fifteen yards away I loosed my arrow, sending it into his chest with a meaty thump. The Tripper took three steps towards me then stopped. He still reached out towards me, but he slowly sank to his knees. He tried to take a step, but he wound up falling forward, snapping my arrow underneath him.

I looked back at Trey who was deep in thought about what he had seen. I advanced on the Tripper, pulling my gun and keeping it trained on him. When I was close enough, I reached out with my bow and pushed him over onto his back. My arrow, splintered as it was, stuck out from the man’s chest. There wasn’t much blood, as Trippers never bled much, but I expected more than a small circle around the entry hole.

“Dead?” Trey asked.

“Looks like it,” I said. I took another small rope and looped it around the Tripper’s foot, dragging the dead man into the ditch. Eventually he’ll serve as food for the crows and coyotes as soon as they figure out he’s here. I went back to Judy, unstrung my bow, and remounted.

Trey and I rode on, being careful not to lose our pelt when we went over the rail road tracks that marked the boundary of the town of Frankfort.

As we walked in, Trey and I talked about the Tripper.

“Any thoughts?” I asked.

Trey shook his head. “None that make any sense. I’ve seen Trippers walking around with bullet holes in their chests, same as you.”

“I know,” I said. “And we can’t be the first ones to see this happen.”

“My dad says back in the day people were trying to kill these guys all kind of ways. Somebody had to put some sort of weapon besides a bullet through them,” Trey said.

“I don’t know. It’s just strange.” I said. “It’s like the bullets go through the heart, and it’s all good. But the arrow stays there, messing things up.”

Trey thought about it. “Well, I’ll say this. Until we know for sure, let’s stick with the head shots.”

“Deal.”

We rode through the outskirts of what used to be the town of Frankfort. It was a small town with a good collection of homes. Several of them were reinforced, but it looked like most of them had been abandoned, looted a long time ago. We rode down the main street into town, and as we did we could see signs of violence.

Several homes had their fences breached, and the doors and windows were broken and open. There were dead animals lying about, and we could see dark shapes still lying on the floor where they fell under the Trippers’ teeth and fists.

Trey spoke first. “Not sure I’m liking this much anymore, Josh.”

“It’s fine. We can get rid of this pelt and then head back. Just keep your bow handy,” I said with a confidence I really didn’t feel.

We moved further into town and saw more people. But they were not people who acted like they were residents of the town. These people were going into homes, pulling things out, putting things in carts and wagons, and then moving on to the next house. This was looting on a grand scale, and more than one of them looked at the two of us with more than passing interest.

I could understand that. We were essentially two boys riding very valuable animals. Pumpkin was a good walker, and anyone with an eye could see that Judy was a fine horse.

“Hey, boy! Boy! You on the horse!”

I reined in Judy and looked down at the man who was yelling at me. He was a short man, barely taller than I would have been had I been on the ground, and was wearing dirty clothing. A small cap held back his greasy hair from his face, and his left eyelid twitched when he spoke.

“What do you want?” I asked. Under my breath I whispered to Trey. “Keep an eye on our backs.”

“Your horse looks like a fine animal. Would you sell him?” the man asked, stepping closer. I could see one of his hands, but not the other, and I didn’t like it.

“No, she’s not for sale. The pelt is, if you’re interested in buying that,” I said, keeping my eye on the man. I slid my right hand up to the top of my thigh, keeping it close to my gun.

The man looked at the pelt. “Hmm. No thanks. But I like your horse. If you’re interested in selling or trading, you just let me know first, you hear?”

“I won’t; thank you though. Come on, girl.” I gave Judy a little nudge and she walked smartly away. When we reached the next block, I spoke in low voice to Trey.

“Think he’ll leave us alone?” I asked.

“No, we’ll probably see more of them before we leave. Man, I sure thought this was a good idea when I first came up with it,” Trey said, more to himself than me.

“Well, you’re more wrong than right anyway, so this ain’t so bad,” I said. I chuckled as an acorn whistled past my ear.

We reached the center of town and there were several shops and places of business. I went looking for a tanner while Trey stayed with the horses. On the edge of the central square there was a small building. I could see several pelts hanging on frames, stretching as they dried. I recognized several rabbits, a few deer, and there was even a large cow hide.

Inside the shop was a large assortment of hides, and I was grateful to see there weren’t any wolf pelts. Perhaps we could get more in trade.

“Help you, son?” the man behind the table of pelts asked. He was working with some leather on a belt, adding some decoration with a hammer and some punches.

“I have a pelt to sell or trade,” I said, picking up a length of stiff leather. It was tanned black, which really looked nice.

“What kind of pelt?” the man asked with a sigh. “I already have plenty, as you can see. But, since I know your dad, I’ll make you a fair offer, no matter what it is.”

“You know me?” I asked, perplexed.

“Everyone around here does. You’re Josh Andrews, and your old man is the law around here. He’s a good man; helped me out several times.”  The man smiled, and stood up. “Where’s your dad?” he asked. “Hope he’s out there taking care of those drifters.”

I shook my head. “My father’s dead. Tripper bit him a while back,” I said quietly as the memories came back all of a sudden.

The tanner sighed deeply. “That would explain a lot. You any good with that gun under your coat?” he asked suddenly.

I started slightly. “I killed the wolf with it,” I said defensively.

The man nodded. “You’re too young to be the law yourself, but maybe in a few years? We’ll see. Let’s take a look at that pelt.”

We walked outside and over to where Trey was waiting. There was a small group of men who seemed to be deep in conversation across the green where we had the horses, but they didn’t seem to be interested in us at the moment.

In the end, we managed to trade the pelt for a new gun belt and holster for myself, and a new knife for Trey. I traded the old pistol for a couple of boxes of 45 Colt ammunition. Apparently I was the only one around who had a gun for it. I was thinking about being able to shoot the rifle chambered for that caliber as well.

Chapter 33

We rode out of town, following the same way we came in. The drifters were still at work, only this time we knew more about who they were. The tanner told us that the drifters were nomads who followed the Trippers, looting homes after the diseased walkers had moved on. They didn’t do anything but take what other people had gathered, going in when it was safe. They were little better than Trippers themselves. Sometimes they finished what the Trippers had started. It was rumored that the drifters killed the survivors if they were weak enough.

We passed the man who wanted to buy Judy earlier, and this time he just looked at me. I held his stare until I had passed, keeping a hand near my gun. If my father had been here, he’d probably have forced that crowd to move on. I felt a wave of sadness sweep over me, and I struggled to keep it together. I knew if any of this crowd saw weakness, they’d follow me home. Deep down, I almost wished they would.

I didn’t know what was coming over me. After losing my parents I was spiraling into a blackness I wasn’t sure I wanted to get out of. Part of me wanted to crawl into a warm bed and cry myself to sleep every night, and the other part, the scarier part, wanted to just hunt down bad people and kill them.

I told Trey what I was thinking, since he was my only friend, and he gave it to me straight.

“Man, don’t be stupid. You got every right to hate the Trippers for what they did. And you been using that anger to focus yourself on fighting them. It gave you something to do and probably will save your life someday. Hell, it already has,” Trey said. He pulled out his new knife. “That wolf you killed would have torn us both apart. If you hadn’t been working with that gun, he’d have been still eating us before killing our horses. You just need some more time to figure things out. It’s going to be a long winter, and we’re both going to be busy trying to survive it.”

I had to admit, Trey was right. I was looking for some purpose, but maybe what I was supposed to do was just survive right now.

We crossed the tracks and started back towards the valley. The creepy house was still there, but the sun had shifted and lit up the back half of the house. The tree that had grown over the roof was grasping at the rear windows, and more than one branch looked like it was going to break the glass any week now.

I pulled Judy into the yard, and Trey followed.

“What are you doing? The sun is setting; we don’t need to be out after dark. If you’re going to prove you’re as nervy as me, you’re too late, man,” Trey chided.

“I want to see if there’s anything to read. I’m running out of material, and I’m not desperate enough for textbooks,” I said, dismounting from Judy. I hit the ground and adjusted my gun belt. It hung lower than the one I had made, with the bottom of the holster nearly touching my knee. I took her lead rope and brought her close to the front door. If I had to get out in a hurry, I wanted her near.

“Man, I heard that,” Trey said, getting off of Pumpkin. He led her over to the other side of the door. He shifted the knife on his belt, getting used to its heft and length. It was a camp knife, about seven inches worth of blade with a simple handle. It was longer and larger than anything Trey had before, and he was very pleased to have it.

I opened the front door and pushed it slowly aside. I stepped in slowly, trying not to make too much noise. The dust on the furniture and the floor told me this house had been abandoned for years, and I didn’t see any footprints that would give away the presence of any Trippers.

“Quick sweep, see what we can find,” I said.

“We looking for anything other than books?” Trey asked, stepping in beside me.

“I’m not, but you’re welcome to whatever you find,” I said. I took a look into the living room, but not seeing any books, I went into the first room I could find. It was a small bedroom with a made bed and two nightstands. There was a bookcase across from the bed, and I immediately went over to it.

“Jackpot,” I said. I grabbed a dusty pillow off the bed and took the pillowcase off to use as a sack. I did that once before at my own house, and my mother gave me three kinds of hell for it. I checked the titles and nearly danced when I saw the first two rows were Louis L’Amour paperbacks. I transferred them to the sack and checked the rest of the titles. There were a few more westerns by Zane Grey and a bunch of things that looked like fantasy or science fiction. I grabbed them anyway, figuring a book was a book. On the bottom shelf there was a thick book, and I grabbed it. It was heavy, and I glanced at the title before I put it in the sack. The cover said The Lord of the Rings, whatever that meant.

Trey came walking out of the back bedroom with a sack of his own. “Found a bunch of romance novels. My mom will love me for this.”

The sunlight was turning from gold to orange, and we needed to get out of the night or we were spending it here. We were about a half mile from the homesteads, and it was going to be a quick run. If the drifters were any indication, Trippers had been through this area recently and there might be stragglers.

We left the house closed up, and mounted our horses. They were not happy about the extra weight hanging from the saddle horn, but it shouldn’t be long in getting home.

The setting sun was casting long shadows across the hilltops, and the valley we needed to go through was shrouded in grey. The shadows of the trees were dark on the ground, spotted with lighter shades of black and brown. The low area by the bridge was just one big dark shadow.

“Well, this is not how I was expecting the ride home to be,” Trey said. “We
had
to look for books, didn’t we?”

“What’s the big deal? Ride through and we’re done. Hell, the other entrance is right around that tree line,” I said.

“Howdy boys!”

Judy started at the voice, and I had a time calming her down. I was grateful for the chance to hide my own shaken nerves. I never even looked down our back trail, and I cursed myself inwardly for not doing so.

“Jesus! What the hell is wrong with you?” Trey demanded, struggling to get Pumpkin under control.

The drifter from Frankfort had followed us out of town, and we had allowed him to get close—too close. He was leading two other men who were both armed with long sticks and what looked like ropes at their belts.

“Well, I decided I really liked the look of your horses, and figured I didn’t really need to buy them after all. Both of you git down now afore you all git hurt.” The man wasn’t playing at nice now; he was all business.

Trey looked at me, and I looked at his horse and nodded.

“Hang on! They’ll run if we try to get off now!” I said. I kept pulling the reins and giving Judy a kick on the side the men couldn’t see. Trey was still having a hard time, and I could see him pulling on the reins as well. The horses whinnied and danced away from the men, who gave them a wide berth to calm down.

As soon as both horses were facing the road, I gave Judy her head and kicked her in the ribs. She shot out of that driveway like she was launched from a cannon, with Pumpkin right behind her. Trey and I rode low on our horses’ necks, holding tight as we raced away.

All we heard from the men behind us was a startled “Hey!” I threw a quick glance behind me and saw the men were running after us. The men with ropes were running with them in hand, and I was worried if they got close enough they might get lucky and catch one of us in a loop.

We raced down the hill and reached the bottom of the valley where it leveled off before rising again. The bridge was the connection between the sides, and once we started up the other side, we’d leave the men far behind. The setting sun cast a deep shadow here, and it would be pitch black before long, and would stay that way until the moon came out and showed its face.

Suddenly Judy pulled up short, and I had a time settling here again. Pumpkin slid into us, and both Trey and I were hard put to settle the horses for real this time. I looked over at the bridge, and swore softly.