End of the Line (20 page)

             
“What are you talking about?”

             
“You don’t like her, because she voted against letting you in.”

             
“I didn’t hold that against her or even that cracker Eli.”

             
Dave looked at me. “Rachel put you in charge, not her.”

             
“Or you.”

             
That seemed to shut him up for the moment.

             
The truth was I don’t think I could have handled this trip without Tanya. She had no faith in her abilities as a leader but she easily took charge and made hard decisions. It’s amazing what an apocalypse could do for people. Make them more than they are.

             
I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d go to the garage to see the selection of cars. I ran into Dot as I headed to the basement. Or should I say I smelled the cigarettes before I ran into her. She wore a silk robe at least three sizes too big. “Like it?” she asked showing it off. “Found it in the bathroom.”

             
“So you’re going to stay here?”

             
“Shit yes. This house has food and it’s huge.”

             
“Be cold in the winter.”

             
“I’ll use the fireplace or better yet, I’ll head down south when that happens. Gotta be some cars here.”

             
“I thought you couldn’t drive.”
             

             
“I can, just don’t like doing it or can’t afford to.”

             
“We’re taking one.”

             
“You don’t like the truck, anymore? Don’t blame you. Hot as fucking Satan’s balls in there.”

             
“Ashley is driving to California. The car is for her.”

             
“She is? Well righteous bitch is right on the money. Heard the west coast wasn’t hit that hard.”

             
“Bet the west coast is saying the same thing about us.”

             
“Hey, you know, California don’t sound so bad. SoCal is warm year round.

Maybe not a lot of zombs. Maybe they got heatstroke.”

             
I laughed. Then I thought of an idea that might help Ashley.

             
“Maybe you can both go?”
             
             

             
“Maybe you’re right.”

             
Dot had survival skills, which was something that Ashley would need and she could drive.

             
“When she leaving?”

             
“I’m not sure. I planned to teach her to drive tomorrow.”

             
“Yeah, maybe, let me think about it.  Let’s go see what kind of cars these rich fucks have.”

             
“I’m checking now,” I said. The door to the basement was at the edge of the kitchen. I had a lantern and so did Dot.

             
The pitch black of the basement and the dead silence gave it an eerie presence. In a zombie movie, it would be infested, but the basement smelled of must and mildew, not of decaying bodies. My lantern showed it to be a large sized rec room complete with a bar and an air hockey table.
             

             
“Maybe we should do this in the morning,” I said.

             
“What’s the matter, fag, chicken?” she said and made some clucking sounds.

             
“Stop calling me fag. After a while it’s not funny.”
             

             
“Sorry, miss, didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. Gay men are more sensitive I guess. Thought you still had balls?”

             
That didn’t even dignify a response. Instead, I walked down the stairs, careful to keep the light on and listening but all I could hear was Dot’s wheezing breath. Was this the woman I wanted to send with Ashley? She’s probably trade her for a pack of smokes.

             
“What’s the hold up?” she said.

             
“I don’t want to break my neck.”

             
“You should take some fucking, risks, let me go first.” I let her slide past me. Let her break her neck, I didn’t care.

             
Of course she didn’t. She trumped down the stairs loudly. I followed her flashlight with my own until I reached the bottom. I tried three doors before I found one that was locked from the inside. I listened at the door and heard nothing. I unlocked it, and then turned the knob. The door led to more darkness. I flashed my light.

             
Even the garage was bigger than my apartment. I thought Cam and I had it good but we had nothing like this.

             
“Nice,” Dot said, flashing her light around the room. I located three cars: A convertible, an SUV and thank god, a Prius. Now we needed keys and hope that the SUV or Prius would start.

             
“I’m thinking convertible on my trip to the coast.”

             
“I’m thinking impractical. I would like Ashley to have a chance.”

             
“And what about me?”

             
“You can do what you want.”

             
“Oh, I get it. You want me to leave. That’s why you’re pushing me to California.” Christ, she was an idiot.

             
“No, Dot, actually I’m secretly in love with you, and I have to push you away as it might affect my gayity.”

             
She laughed. “You’re weird.”

             
“Go to California if you want to, but if you do, keep an eye on Ashley. You’re a survivor, I’m not sure she is as much.”

             
“Why didn’t you say so in the first place? If I go out to Cal, I will totally look after your girl. We would look nice with the top down.”

             
“If you like zombies in the back seat.”

             
Dot laughed.

             
“We have to see about keys and if these cars can start.”

             
“Why don’t you get your girlfriend to hot wire it?”

             
She meant Tanya. “What are you going to do if she does, never turn it off? A key is better.”

             
“She could teach me, I never learned how—“

             
“Hold up,” I said, and was glad she was silent. I thought I heard something.

             
“What?”

             
“Quiet.” Then I heard it. A whumping sound followed by a dragging one. Someone walking and dragging their foot.

             
“Oh shit, it’s a zomb,” she said then coughed.

             
My heart started racing. “I need to get upstairs. If we’re quiet, it might pass.”

             
“No way am I going upstairs. No windows down here. Let that sucker get through steel.”

             
I thought that the garage was made of concrete, but I wasn’t going to argue. I left and headed up the stairs, Dot didn’t follow.

             
When I got to the top, I heard it moan. I tiptoed up the stairs and went straight to the master bedroom. I opened it without knocking. Aisha was sleeping in the bed with Chinakitty snuggled next to her. Tanya laid on the floor by the slightly ajar balcony door. I shone my light on her. She was wearing t-shirt and shorts.

             
“Tanya,” I whispered. “Zombie outside.”

             
She was up immediately with no noise. She turned her light on.

             
“Where?”

             
“In front, I think, near the garage.”

             
“Just one?”

             
“As far as I could hear.”

             
Tanya went into her bag and grabbed her handgun. The balcony faced the front. She opened the door all the way. The cool air hit me and I followed her out on the balcony, hoping that it was in good shape and wouldn’t collapse.

             
Tanya used her flashlight to illuminate the outside. All I could see was trees.

             
“Don’t see it, where’d it go?”

             
“Near the garage.”

             
She pointed the light that way but nothing was there. Was I going crazy?

             
“You sure you saw it?”

             
“I didn’t see it,” I said. “I heard the sound of something with one leg walking.”

             
“I don’t see nothing.”

             
“Dot heard it too.”

             
“Well I trust you, but her—“

             
The dragging sound interrupted her. I heard thunk, then a drag. We listened to the sound for few seconds.

             
“Can you see anything?”

             
She shone her light around and finally it came into focus. It was a zombie and lame. It walked with his right foot and dragged what remained of his left foot. This one wore a tattered Armani suit. He did not look like the father of the family.

             
“Looks like the neighbor’s come to visit.”

             
I didn’t share in the joke, my heart raced too much to laugh. “Any more?”

             
“Not that I can see.”

             
“Should we risk it?”

             
“Your call, Jim.”

             
Fucking great. If we killed it, others might come but if we had to stay here for a day or two, we didn’t want it around. I looked at it. It began moving to the door and moaning. This one was more animated than the one near Aisha’s house and his jaw was intact.

             
“Take it out,” I said. Tanya shined the flashlight right at it. I swear it looked up and stared straight at us. A gunshot and the top of the man’s head disappeared.

             
He kept coming. The top of his skull was gone and I could see greyish brain matter on his forehead but he still moved.

             
“Fuck,” Tanya said. “That was a good shot!” She shot at him again. This one hit the mangled left leg in the knee. He fell but began to drag himself to the house.

             
“Shit—shit—“ He headed to the door and out of sight. She took another shot and missed. I wished Princess was here. This wouldn’t be a problem. Tanya had wasted too many bullets. I knew she didn’t have a lot.

             
“We have to get him at the door.”

             
That meant opening it up and leaving us vulnerable.

             
“Go warn the others!” Tanya said. “Tell them to stay in their rooms. You too, Jim.” She went to her bag and pulled out her crowbar.

             
I heard it banging on the outside door. Tanya ran down the stairs. I ran down the hall hit doors and yelled. “Zombie outside! Stay in your room!”

             
I ran back to Tanya’s room where Aisha was waking up. “Aisha, stay here, don’t open the door.” Aisha didn’t respond, instead she held Chinakitty closer.

             
I ran to the balcony. I couldn’t see Tanya because the balcony was over the door.

             
“Fuck,” I said. “Tanya!”

             
“Mother fucker,” said a voice from below but I couldn’t see her

             
“Tanya!” concerned filled my voice.
             
             

             
“I’m good,” she yelled back. “Used a crowbar to take out super zombie.” I heard the door slam shut. I left the room, locking the balcony and headed down the stairs. Dave didn’t heed my advice and he was leaving the room with a crowbar.

             
“What the fuck is going on?”

             
“Tanya got it.” I decided not to chastise him for not listening to me.

             
“Jesus,” he said. He rushed down the stairs. We found Tanya in the hallway. She looked sweaty but not scared. The crowbar was covered in blood and brain matter. She tossed it to the floor.