Dark Realms (65 page)

I laughed. “So you’re an expert on both
firearms and the martial arts. Kind of a deadly weapon yourself,
aren’t you?”

Bryce smiled wickedly.
“I’m an expert on other things as well. Let’s just say I’m
not
just
a
fighter, Ms. Wild.”

“Okay,
lover boy
,” said Kristie, walking
down the stairs, an unlit cigarette dangling from her mouth. “Keep
your mind on the weapons.”

He saluted her. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Pick out a gun, Kristie,” I said,
attempting to change the subject.

Kristie walked over and grabbed a Smith and
Wesson handgun. “I’ve shot one of these before at the gun range
with Dan. This will do; just load it for me and show me how to
remove the safety.”

“Wow, that was easy,” I said.

She nodded and smiled “I’m a no-nonsense
kind of gal, Cassie. I just need a gun to shoot and a target that’s
less than twelve inches away.”

I shook my head and giggled.

We loaded Kristie’s SUV with the guns and
ammunition. She yawned and stretched her arms. “I’m bushed and it’s
still pretty early. I’m going to lie down for a while if that’s
okay?”

“Go ahead. You’re driving and we need you
alert,” I said.

Kristie left and it was just me and Bryce
staring at each other.

He yawned. “I’d better get some rest, too,”
said Bryce. “So…care to join me, Wild?”

It was tempting but I knew
it probably meant trouble. “No, I’ve got to watch Megan. You
can
sleep in my room
though. There won’t be any distractions there,” I replied, thinking
of Eva.

“Thanks. How about tucking me in?” he asked
with a little smile.

I blushed. “Maybe…next time.”

“I’ll remember that,” he said, yawning
again. He then brushed my lips quickly with his own and both of us
parted, smiling.

Chapter
Twenty-One

“This is going to be tricky,” said Bryce as
we stood in the garage several hours later. There were still a
number of zombies stumbling around the driveway and we didn’t want
to let them in. “I’m going to have Kristie drive and then I’ll take
out any zombies that try to get into the house through the
garage.”

“Don’t forget to toss that rotting one out
with them too. The horrible smell is starting to get into the
basement,” I said.

Bryce sighed. “Fine, I’ll drag it out…if you
cover me.”

I nodded my head. “Sure.”

“Okay, are you feeling all right, Sara?”
asked Bryce.

Sara looked both frightened and determined
at the same time. It had been almost two days since she’d spoken to
Kevin and we all knew the chance that he was still alive was pretty
slim.

“I’m fine,” she said. “Let’s just do this
before I change my mind.” She’d been nervous about leaving Megan
but Kristie had reassured her that the zombies would never figure
out how to get inside.

“
My hair looks so dull,” complained Eva looking at herself in
a mirror she’d pulled out of her tote bag. I couldn’t believe she
was worried about her hair while we were worried about making it
out of the garage alive. Although, truthfully her red hair looked
so shiny it was grating.

“You’re hair does not look dull,” replied
Kristie.

“It’s so shiny that I’m sure you’ll draw all
types of unwanted attention,” I muttered.

Bryce chuckled. “Okay, everyone’s hair in
place? Everyone use the bathroom? Noses powdered?”

“Wait, I need my
cigarettes!” Kristie said, running back into the house. Seconds
later she returned with two packs. “Now, I’m ready for
anything.”

“Good thing you volunteered Paige to stay
behind,” I remarked.

She shrugged but I didn’t miss the gleam in
her eyes.

Everyone got back into the SUV but Bryce and
me.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

I nodded. I had the gun out and my hammer in
a utility type of belt that I’d concocted from an old leather belt
and holster.

“Wait,” he said, coming towards me. He
grabbed the back of my head and pulled me towards him, stealing a
quick kiss. He released me and looked into my eyes. “Just in case I
don’t get a chance to do that again.”

His words were like a splash of cold water
as the reality of our situation set in. We were heading right into
serious danger again and it was more than feasible that any of us
could be killed by a zombie.

“Hey, Bryce,” sighed Kristie from the truck.
“They don’t have any more like you at home, do they? Cause I got to
tell you…”

I chuckled. I knew Kristie was a hopeless
romantic and it wouldn’t be long before husband number three would
be in the mist. If there was anyone left.

Kristie turned towards the back of the SUV
and snapped, “Oh, Eva, would you just chill the hell out.” I knew
then that Eva must not have enjoyed the kiss as much as I did.

“Okay,” Bryce said, raising his gun and
walking towards the garage door opener. “Get ready, everyone.”

Kristie started the engine and rolled up her
window.

Bryce pressed the garage door opener,
grabbed the dead zombie by its clothing, and started dragging him
towards the opening. When the garage door was all the way up,
Kristie pressed firmly on the gas and backed out, crushing two
zombies who were staring stupidly at the SUV. I ignored the
now-familiar bone crunching and moaning of the zombies and began
firing my gun at the new ones coming toward us.

“Behind you, Bryce!” I yelled as dead and
rotted Mr. Hendrickson appeared behind Bryce.

Bryce snapped his head back, hitting the
zombie in the forehead. He turned around, kicked it in the stomach,
then blew off Mr. Hendrickson’s slackened zombie face. Bryce
scowled and brushed off the back of his head, trying to remove
zombie brain particles.

I shuddered. “That was…so nasty.”

“To your left!” hollered Bryce.

The crazy old lady from up
the street was snarling and coming right at me. She’d always been a
cruel and hateful woman, screaming at anyone who’d ever gotten too
close to her yard, and
God forbid
if you should accidently kick a ball onto her
lawn. She wouldn’t just keep it; she’d destroy it while you
watched, smiling smugly and daring you to say anything. Needless to
say, my mom had weathered many heated arguments with the old broad
and I still couldn’t stand her, dead or alive.

“Sorry, Hazel,” I said,
raising my gun, “but your days of being a
bitter old bitch
are now
over.”

Hazel growled angrily and then fell
backwards as the bullet entered her rotting skull.

We killed the last two zombies trying to get
into the garage, then closed it and jumped into the SUV.

“Those things smell awful! God, I could
smell them from inside the truck,” complained Eva.

“That reminds me,” I said, pulling out the
small jar from my pocket. “Vicks, anyone?”

~~~

Zombies must have been waking up all over
the city because even the rural areas were plagued with them.

“I had no idea,” whispered Sara, staring out
the window in horror.

The streets were like obstacle courses and
it was difficult to navigate the SUV around both the abandoned cars
and zombies. Fortunately, most of the zombies ignored us,
staggering aimlessly with no real apparent destination.

“Watch out!” said Bryce as a zombie stepped
in front of our moving vehicle.

Kristie cringed in revulsion as the zombie
bounced off the front grill and over the hood. “That
was…unpleasant,” she muttered, grasping the steering wheel a little
tighter.

We drove past the karate studio and noticed
the large plate-glass window in the front was smashed. Zombies
wandered around the entire mini-mall, shuffling through broken
glass…paper debris…and other dead zombies.

“I hope Master Jordan survived,” I said.

“Well, I know he didn’t get the vaccine,”
replied Bryce. “Neither did Mae; both of them are into natural
herbal remedies. I’d bet anything that he’s alive somewhere. He’s
definitely one guy who’s not going down easily.”

“He’s a great guy. I hope you’re right,” I
said.

Sara’s place is located in a newer
development where many of the homes are still under construction
and thankfully, we didn’t run into any zombies.

“Listen, Kristie and Eva; honk if you see
any zombies approaching.”

“Okay,” replied Kristie. She picked up the
Smith and Wesson and placed it on her lap.

“Can’t I come with?” asked Eva.

“No, it’s too dangerous. You’re much safer
in here,” he replied.

It wasn’t the answer she was looking for.
“Fine,” she sniffed.

“Let’s go, I can’t wait anymore,” said Sara.
She opened the door and jumped out of the SUV. Bryce and I got out
and followed her to the front door.

Sara pulled out her keys, but the door was
unlocked. “Kevin?” she called, opening it. “Kevin, it’s me,
Sara!”

The house was eerily quiet when we entered.
Like my house, it was a split-level, but much larger and newer.

Sara tossed her keys onto a new granite
counter and turned to us. “The bedroom is upstairs. He’s probably
sleeping,” she said.

We followed Sara upstairs where there were
three bedrooms and a bathroom. One of the doors was shut and that’s
where she headed.

Bryce grabbed my arm. “Be ready,” he said
into my ear.

I nodded as we followed her into the master
bedroom. The room was huge with a built-in fireplace and cozy
chenille chaise off to one side of the room, a private bathroom
with a built-in whirlpool bath on the other. It was the nicest
bedroom I’d ever been in considering its current state. Discarded
clothing, used tissues, and empty food containers lay scattered all
over plush carpeting.

“Oh, God,” moaned Sara, staring at the
bed.

Chapter
Twenty-Two

We followed Sara to the large maple sleigh
bed where Kevin lay. As we gathered around the bed, she let out a
sigh of relief.

“He’s just sleeping,” she said quietly,
brushing the sandy brown hair from his eyes.

I turned to look at Bryce, who was frowning.
He pulled me aside.

“Do you smell that?” he whispered.

I nodded; it was a smell I was getting all
too familiar with.

Sara sat on the bed. “Kevin? Sweetheart,
wake up. It’s me, Sara,” she said softly. She grabbed his hand and
squeezed it.

I took a step closer to the bed and noticed
that Kevin’s face was gaunt, his lips pale and dry. There was
movement under his eyelids, as if he was dreaming.

“You’re so cold,” Sara mumbled, touching his
forehead. She stood up and lifted a goose down comforter from the
floor that must have fallen. She spread it around him on the bed
and tucked the edges under the mattress.

My heart was hammering in my chest. To me,
he didn’t look like he was sleeping; he looked stiff and white,
like a corpse. I cleared my throat. “Sara, maybe you should step
back.”

She shook her head vehemently. “No, I know
what you’re thinking. He’s just sleeping, Cassie. He…he’s…fine.”
She glanced at me and I could see that her eyes were brimming with
tears.

“What’s that?” I asked,
grabbing a piece of paper from the nightstand. At the top of the
page were the words
Vaccination Side
Effects.
It listed the typical side
effects of a regular flu shot. I showed it to Sara, who turned very
pale.

“No…he didn’t get the vaccination. I don’t
understand,” she said, scanning the flyer. She looked up and shook
her head. “This just doesn’t make sense.”

Bryce took it from her and examined it.
“Didn’t you mention the military was sending someone from their
medical staff to check on him? They could have given it to him
then.”

A deep moan escaped Kevin’s lips and his
eyes slowly opened.

“Oh, God,” I whispered, putting my hand over
my mouth. Kevin’s eyes were blood-rimmed and cold as death. They
stared emotionlessly at Sara, who appeared oblivious to the
truth.

“Hi,” she whispered, smiling down at him.
She stroked his hand.

“Sara, don’t touch him,” demanded Bryce,
pulling her away.

Kevin sat up and began making deep guttural
noises. He started flailing his arms around and greenish-red foam
bubbled from his mouth.

“No, Kevin,” she moaned, trying to reach out
for him. “I’m here for you, honey.”

Bryce grabbed Sara and pulled her away just
as Kevin lurched towards her, making hideous smacking noises with
his mouth. When he noticed that he’d missed her, he let out an
alarming screech that made the hair stand up on the back of my
neck.

“Leave me be, Bryce!” Sara screamed as he
tried to push her out of the bedroom. She eventually broke free and
then rushed back towards Kevin, who was beginning to growl at her
like rabid animal. She took a step back and stared at him in
horror.

“He’s a zombie now, not Kevin,” I said.

Tears streamed down her face as Sara stood
staring at the man she’d fallen in love with. He was now just an
animated corpse, devoid of any human emotion. Shaking her head in
sorrow, she raised her gun and pointed it at his face. “Oh, God,”
she cried, her hands trembling. “I…I…can’t do it.” I watched in
horror as she dropped the gun, leaving herself vulnerable to the
zombie, who was prepared to leap at her.

“Watch out, Sara!” I yelled, raising my
gun.

Kevin lunged towards her, his mouth open and
arms outstretched. Before he reached Sara, there was a loud
explosion and he was blown backwards by the impact of Bryce’s
bullet.