Down the Road: The Fall of Austin (35 page)

His story might be told, spoken by those
south Austinites who were now crossing into the remnants of Koehl
just off of IH-35. The exiles who never saw the man’s face, or knew
the kind of person he was.

But two people knew his story. Two people
knew the man behind the disembodied voice from a Hummer that told
them to run, run far away. He was their leader. His story would
someday be told by them, his charges, now driving an
eighteen-wheeler filled with human beings whose lives he saved.
People he gave hope to in a hopeless world.

Specialists Elizabeth Noble and Hageshiro
Knight never thought they would be leaders of an exodus. But they
had just saved the lives of a large group of men and women.

Nick Lopez never thought the common criminal
named Tiny would find it in his heart to ever assist his wife and
daughter to liberation. But life brings many choices. Tiny made
his.

And two total strangers never thought they’d
be destined to take on the world together. Keri Lawrence was the
face Mike Runyard would find strength in while hiding in a world of
the living dead. And Mike was the heart and soul Keri would find
solace in during this time of need.

Sgt. Martin Arnold’s selfless, impromptu
decision to unite a group of south Austinites with a grave urgency
would remain forever in their memory as the paragon of human
potential.

The convoy moved onward through the fog,
resigned to face their fate in the zombie apocalypse somewhere down
the road.

Monday, September 1st 2008, 10:26 PM

In a booth at a Whataburger

Kyle, in the republic of Texas

—Bowie V. Ibarra