End of the Line (Book 2): Stuck in the Middle (27 page)

             
“But Grace has beaten you all. It must have been good to have her.”

             
I smiled. “Wouldn’t have been able to survive.”

             
“I killed some also,” Frannie said again, but Joel wasn’t listening.

              We took separate cars. Joel, Bill, and Chris took a black SUV and we had a new van. Joel tried to get Grace to go with him but she hopped into the shotgun seat of the van. Frannie volunteered to go with Joel.

             
Our hunting party was almost all women ‘cept for Stan. I kinda thought that was funny considering Joel didn’t seem to have any female hunters.

             
We stopped at Steven’s first. His property still looked clean and swept compared to the other ones but the white panels was yellowing.

At the manor, everyone got one day a month they help clean usually an hour or two, no big deal. Jim makes up the schedule depending on people’s ability. Grace was the only exempt one ‘cause she volunteered for extra patrols. We supposed to keep our rooms clean but Jim cleans mine. Not that I got a lot of stuff: Weapons, books and clothes
but I try not to be a slob.

Steven came out the door wearing a fishing hat and vest. He must have been sweating. I was dripping wearing jeans, boots, a baseball cap, and a long sleeve shirt. Thought again that we should do this in the fall, but realized it
’s got to be done. More zombs been showing up.

             
“Hi ya, Steven,” I said, getting out of the car. Joel came out too. “This here is Joel. The one I told you about.”

             
“Hopefully all good,” Joel said, shaking Steven’s hand. If Steven was bothered by that conversation with Felicia and Joyce, he didn’t show it. He smiled and shook his hand vigorously.

             
“It’s good to meet you. Tanya said you’re a great hunter. Let’s see what you can do with this nest,” Steven pulled a hanky out of his pocket and mopped his brow, then looked at me, grinning. “Sure picked the hottest day of the year.”

             
“How many do you think are there?” Joel asked.

             
“At town center I say a good fifty but they are all over, so maybe even a hundred.”

             
“Sorry,” Joel said. “I never read any of your books. Always said I should. I liked the show and watched when I could. I guess I got some time to read it now.”

             
“I have multiple copies. When we swing back, I’ll give you a set. There are also copies in the Harbor Library.” Harbor Library was something Jim wanted to liberate. According to our map it was in the center of Harbor Heights.

             
“You ever been on a hunt before?” Joel asked. He leaned against the car. Even sweaty he looked fine.

             
Steven shook his head. “I’m good with a rifle and I take them out when I can. I’m not as spire as I used to be. It doesn’t matter. This is my town, I want it back.”

             
Joel smiled. He didn’t say anything else just opened the door to the car.

              We stopped at the outskirts of the town at a restaurant called
Revival
that had two old zombies in front, both missing legs. Chris came out and smashed them both in the heads. No reason to waste bullets. The restaurant awning was torn apart and pieces flapped in the light breeze. The sea breeze made this day bearable. Outdoor tables were scattered around.

             
I got out of the van and opened the back while Grace covered me. I didn’t see anything but lots of high grass, weeds and bushes. Some were breaking up the road. I opened the gun case in the back. It wasn’t locked and handed out the rifles. When Grace first came to Costking, she got three rifles including her own. One she loves, one got lost ‘cause Harlan had it, I got the other one. I still didn’t trust Joel enough to know about our arsenal, so I always made sure we kept the same 5 rifles rotating with Grace always using hers. I didn’t want him to know that we had six assault rifles, 29 regular rifles, a bunch of shotguns and handguns, explosive, smoke and flash grenades, a missile launcher and a lot of fucking bullets. Fucking happy Mike was on our side.

             
I figured Joel was doing the same thing. He always bought Chris and Bill, ‘cept one time he brought his electrician Gil to work with Dave. Grace told me they always had the same three rifles. She and Mike are experts on brands and sizes and stuff. I just know how to handle them safely and to shoot. Mike made sure of that. Anyone never handled a gun gotta get a safety course from him. Even people like Jim who don’t want to use guns. Mike says you never know when you gonna have to pick up one.

             
“All right,” Joel called out. “Gather round.” I decided not to fight with him if he took the lead unless I felt he was putting my people in danger. I thought about what Felicia said. He was a charmer, but I don’t think he was without emotion. I figured he looked after himself before saving anyone else. Not unlike Grace.

While I did some hunting, it was all pretty much kill the fuckers when I saw them. Joel had organized hunts just to kill zombies. I wanted to learn his techniques so I could follow
them.

             
“We’re going to clean out this place first and use it as a base of operations. Then I’m going to pair people up.”

             
“Won’t that be dangerous splitting up?” I asked.

             
“We’re only going to split into two groups. We’re going make a circle around town. I want everyone to have a buddy. Someone they don’t lose sight of. Since we’re uneven, one group will be three.”

             
“I don’t need a buddy,” Grace said.

             
“Everyone needs a buddy—“

             
“I don’t.”

             
Joel didn’t look annoyed but amused.

             
“Let’s go inside and plan.”

             
I went in after Joel. The sun was the only light in the restaurant which smelled atrocious. So strong that Rose made a gagging noise and ran out. Grace never came in.

             
“I think we need to meet outside,” I said.

             
The smell wasn’t the decay of bodies but spoiled foods. Rotten milk, rotten meat. No refrigeration, no one to toss the rotting foods. When I stepped through the doorway I saw rodents running away. No zombies at least.

             
I left without seeing if Joel followed. He did.

             
“Should burn this place down,” he said.

             
“Hundreds of places like this—Rather just let it rot.” Unlike the supermarket, if this place burned it might take the town.

             
Joel didn’t respond. 

             
I went to an overturned outdoor table and righted it. “Let’s use this.”

             
Joel had a satchel with him. He opened it up and pulled out a folder and opened it. Inside was a map of Harbor Heights. It looked like it was from some vacation guide. It showed stuff to do and area restaurants. It had two major streets running like a cross. One street was called Sunshine Avenue, the other called Ocean Street.

             
“Steven, where do you see the zombies?” Steven looked over the map. He put his finger down on the shiny paper.

             
“I went to get coffee beans here,” he said pointing at café called
Common Cup
. “I saw them down the street around here,” he put his finger on a store that said
Forever Beautiful
. “That store is owned by Marilyn McKenna. It sells plus size clothes.”

             
“Clothing store not a great place for a strong hold,” I said, wondering if I should grab some clothes for Annemarie ‘cause she always bitching about not finding something in her size.

             
“What makes you think there’s a strong hold?” Joel asked. He looked at me with a twinkle in his eye, like I finally said something smart.

             
“Zombies like us. Must be people around.”

             
“There could be people hold up inside,” Steven said. “Her store is right next to the fire department. I didn’t stick around to see. Just grabbed three bags of coffee and ran. Never went back. Been stealing coffee from the neighbors ever since. Tanya’s right. The zombies have found something that kept them interested.”

             
“We gotta check it out before sweeping the town.”              

             
“Agreed,” Joel said. His bad mood from the stinky restaurant was gone and he was back to his cheerful smiling self. “Grace and I will lead the way.”

             
I took the rear with Bill, keeping one eye out for zombies and the other on the novices. It didn’t take us long to find them. Grace’s gun went off a moment later and a zombie, an old one fell in the street.

             
“Good shot,” Joel said. Grace rolled her eyes.

             
The coffee shop was three blocks down Sunshine Avenue. The town had a mix of smells: the ocean, burning, decay and nature. The decay was the strongest.

             
Grace took out another zombie but I didn’t see groups, just a single one straggling.

             
“You’re a natural,” Joel said. Grace seemed annoyed by his compliments. I heard Frannie who was in front of me snort. This time I didn’t blame her.

             
We walked in the street like a swarm of bees. Joel yelled when he saw one. Grace or Joel shooting them while occasionally helping one of the others to get a head shot.

             
When we got to the coffee house, I saw what Steven talked about.

             
A block away there was lot of them, I didn’t count, less than the time we was ambushed but enough to be trouble. They surrounded a handful of stores but mostly the firehouse where they were scraping against the doors like mad men. People must be inside. I was thinking these zombies couldn’t get off the island during the great pull.

Chapter 18

             
“Looks pretty straight forward,” Joel said. He looked relaxed and laid back like we about to go dancing or something. “Let’s make a barricade of some cars,” He pointed to a few littering the street. “Grace and I will be in the front to take the majority of them out. The rest of you handle the stragglers.”

             
“And the people inside?”

             
Joel smiled. “We’ll get them out.” I didn’t like Joel’s smile. I knew the people trapped wouldn’t be his first priority, so they had to be mine.

             
Rose and I helped the men move three cars into the middle of the street. It wouldn’t have been so hard if it wasn’t so fucking hot. At least all of them still had tires making them easier to move.

             
When we were done, we huddled together behind the barricade.

             
“When we shoot the first one, all of them gonna be heading this way.”

             
That didn’t seem to bother Joel. “Which is why need to work fast once the first shot goes off. I need everyone focused on the nest but I need Bill and umm—Frannie to keep a look out for zombies not with the others. Grace and I will be taking care of most of it, but I really need the rest of you take care of what we missed. Is everyone ready?” Zombies maybe slow and stupid but once the moaning starts, you won’t be able to hear the ones behind you until they bite.

             
No one said anything. Joel nodded to Grace. Grace leaned against a hood of a car. She didn’t even take the time to level her gun. She fired at a random zombie who flew back from the head shot. She didn’t wait before she moved to the next one.

             
Grace got five of them before the others realized there were delicious humans behind them. They all turned at once which was fucking creepy.

             
The moaning began and with fifty or more doing it at the same time was almost unnerving. I remembered that same moaning during the Great Pull. I looked around to make sure my people still held it together. They looked nervous but not scared. Bill and Chris didn’t looked scared or nothing. Bill had a shit eating grin.

             
“Don’t panic,” Joel said. “If they get close to the cars, take a step back for every foot they cross.”

             
If Grace had the assault rifle this would have been done sooner but I didn’t want Joel to know we had them.

             
Grace and Joel took the zombies in the center while I worked on the outside ones. Not that I was getting headshots like Grace but I took down a few.

             
It was nice to watch them fall, especially when they didn’t get up. They weren’t angry as their numbers thinned. All they wanted was us.

             
Even without the assault rifle, Grace mowed them down pretty quickly. I felt safe around her but I always worried she’d get cocky and fuck up.

             
Grace got them down to where I could count them. Looked like twenty or so were left milling in the street. One thing about zombs was they don’t got weapons to fire back but without a head shot, they kept coming.

             
Bad news was they all lost interest in the people inside the firehouse and wanted us. They moved forward almost in a pack.

             
“Take five steps back,” Joel said. I followed his order until I heard a moan behind me.

             
I swung around to find five zombies behind us. Bill, who I think I may start calling silent Bill cause he never talked, aimed his rifle and got a headshot on the first and a throat shot on the second.  I aimed, fired at a female zombie, and got her chest. She didn’t even go down so I shot her again. Second time did it. I didn’t wait until I started shooting another one. I hit the torso, then Bill got the head.

             
“Thanks.”

             
He said nothing. Fuck him.

             
I heard more moaning.

             
Others were comin’ out of houses and fancy stores. None of them looked new. That meant it be easier to take them down.             

“Everyone form a circle,” Joel shouted but no panic entered his voice. “And shoot until they are all down.”

              I didn’t feel scared, ‘cause even though I didn’t trust Joel, I was glad to be with a group of people with guns.

             
Rose was on my right, Steven on my left. I got five out of ten headshots. Bill got seven out of ten. I didn’t see Grace, my back was to her, but I was pretty sure she got 10 out of 10. Without her, some of us would be dead. I never put the rifle down once, kept shooting until I saw nothing and ran out of ammo. I reloaded from my pack but didn’t have too. That circle thing worked pretty well.

             
We stood with a pile of zombies at our feet. A few more shots and Grace got the stragglers. Probably more were around. I looked and didn’t see anything. We were good for now.

             
“Nice work,” Joel said. “Grace, Chris, keep an eye out for any more. Steven, if you can knock on the door. They might want to see a friendly face.”

             
The firehouse got big red garage doors, letters that read Harbor Heights Volunteer Fire Department and smaller door to the side. It was directly next to the Harbor Heights Public Library on the left side. On the right as Steven said was the clothing store. Pretty plus size dresses hung on fat mannequins.

Steven went to the firehouse door. The gates were shuttered. Joel and Chris tried to lift the gates but they wouldn’t move.

              Steven knocked on the door loudly. He waited a moment before knocking again.

             
“Maybe they can’t hear us,” he said.

             
Joel went to the door. He rapped on it hard.

             
“Do you think there’s a way to get in?”

             
He hunched his shoulders.

             
“Bill, get the door open.”

             
Bill pulled a crowbar out of his pack and took it to the door. It broke open easily.

             
I thought that was weird. With people here maybe as long as two years, why make the door so easy to break?

             
“Careful everyone,” I said. “I don’t like this.”

             
Joel didn’t say anything. He walked through the door, then he took a step back. “Chris, we’re going to need lights. Take Bill with you.”

             
Neither men said anything. They walked to each other then headed back to the SUVs.

             
“What’s going on?” I asked.             

             
“Nothing, pitch black in there.”

             
“We can at least call out.”

             
Joel had a blank look on his face as he thought about my suggestion.

             
“I’ll do it,” I said, moving forward.

             
Instead Joel turned back to the darkness. “Hello! Anyone there!”

             
Silence.

             
“We’ve killed all the zombies, you can come on out.”

             
Then we heard shots, but they weren’t coming from inside the firehouse but from the place where we parked.

             
“Your men,” Steven said. He looked in the direction that Bill and Chris went. “We should help them.”

             
Joel shook his head. “They’ll be fine, they’re professionals.”

             
A few more shots, then silence. No sounds came from the firehouse.

             
I walked to the door. I listened but I didn’t hear anything. The zombies wanted to get in but I saw no signs of life.

             
Steven moved closer to me.

             
“Nothin’ here—“

             
“Shhh,” he said. “Listen.”

             
I expected to hear people but instead I heard a low hum.

             
“What’s that?”

             
“I don’t know. Maybe a generator.”

             
I moved slightly into the firehouse. Despite the hot day the air inside was cool.

             
“Tanya, you should wait for Bill and Chris,” Joel said from the door.

             
I didn’t listen. Instead I felt the wall until my hand hit a switch.

             
Lights came on. A lot of the bulbs were out, but enough worked I could see. I turned to Joel. “Call your men back.”

             
“Too late.” He looked over to the street. I saw Bill and Chris carrying two large torchlights. Not a big deal. The lights might come in handy.

             
Bill handed one of the lights to Joel. Chris put the other on the ground and I nabbed it.

             
I took two steps into the firehouse. Making sure the others could still see me but I could take a look around. The air smelled musty but cool. No smell of the dead. Two fire engines were parked and didn’t look like they’d been used for a while. In my neighborhood we saw them a lot ‘cause fools made false alarms. I looked at the garage doors and tried to open them, but they seemed stuck or locked.

             
“Tanya, don’t go too far,” Joel said.

             
“I ain’t,” but to spite him, I walked four steps forward. I didn’t think anything was in here, not zombies, not people, and not the dead.

             
“Listen up,” I heard Joel’s voice outside. “There’s something humming in the basement. I’m going to check it out along with Tanya, Grace and um—Steven. Bill, Chris, keep an eye out for zombies. The rest of you stay outside.” Neither man said anything. Maybe Joel cut out their tongues.

             
A moment later Joel walked in, followed by Grace. Steven came behind her. I walked a couple more steps listening. The hum got louder. I walked to the first fire truck but didn’t find anything weird.

             
“Don’t go too far,” Joel repeated. He came up behind me. His voice low.

             
I didn’t respond to his order. “Can you figure out where that humming’s coming from?”

             
He moved ahead of me, his gun out. Grace moved slowly behind me.             

Joel put one of the torchlights on the floor between the two firetrucks.

I followed him passing the fire engines until we reached a door. Joel opened it. I saw nothing but the hum was louder.

             
“Tanya, stay close,” Joel said as I walked inside. I was going to smack him if he gave me that order again. “I’ll lead with Grace either beside me or behind me, Steven since you’re the weakest shooter, you stay in the center. We certainly want more of your books in the future.”

             
Steven looked amused but he didn’t say anything. Instead he stayed behind Grace who said nothing. She looked bored and annoyed. She didn’t move besides Joel instead stayed behind him. Joel pulled out a flashlight.

             
Joel shined the light on the steps and found the switch and a dim light came on. He began to walk down. It didn’t look like anything special, just a musty basement probably meant for storage.

             
At the bottom I saw piles of hoses, oxygen tanks, and firefighter gear.

             
The hum got louder. It wasn’t in this room but close.

             
Joel flashed the light around and located three closed doors.

             
I didn’t hear the sound of zombies or smell the dead. The only sound was the hum.

             
Joel put his ear to one door. He opened it to reveal a bathroom. No zombies, no source of the hum.

             
“Door number two?” he said, nervously. I wasn’t scared. Zombies don’t make electrical humming sounds.

             
Joel opened the door to reveal an office and the source of the hum.

             
A generator about the size of a chair was on the floor in the corner. Various bottles of cooking oils were next it. It was biodiesel. 

             
Everything about this seemed weird. Zombies wanted in this place bad, but nothing was here for them to attack.

             
“Maybe someone left it on,” Steven suggested.