Frontier Justice - 01 (25 page)

They both stiffened as they heard the unmistakable sound of feet trudging across the carpeted floor. Samantha grabbed Tanner’s arm. He could see the light from the store’s entrance about forty yards away, but further into the store, there were only indistinguishable shadows.

He leaned down to Samantha and whispered, “Make yourself as small as possible.”

She sank down, curled into a ball, and leaned back into a rack of clothing.

Tanner took three large steps away from her and clicked on his penlight.

Something lunged at him. Perhaps it had been a man at one time, but not anymore. It was hunched over, arms dangling in front, its hands twisted like a gargoyle’s claws. The face was disfigured with pus-filled blisters, and its eyes leaked black slime.

Tanner froze for a moment as if caught in the gaze of a basilisk. The creature latched onto him, its claws digging into the flesh of his neck, its mouth closing in toward his face. He instinctively struck forward with both hands, the shotgun and flashlight falling from his grip. The creature stumbled back, howling with uncontrolled fury.

The shotgun had fallen at Tanner’s feet, but he dared not try to pick it up. Instead, he stepped forward and stood over it. The monster jumped at him again, spitting and screaming as it lurched forward. This time Tanner was better prepared. He sidestepped and hit the creature with a hammer strike to the back of its neck. It stumbled to the ground, but before it could fall, Tanner grabbed it by the ear and lifted it back up. Latching onto its windpipe with his other hand, he ripped its throat out.

He dropped the corpse and quickly retrieved his shotgun and flashlight. Holding the two together at waist level, he spun in a circle. Several other creatures were approaching, each as hideous as the first. He fired at the closest, and it folded backward like a cardboard cutout. Others rushed toward him, screaming and hissing as they came.

Tanner shucked the spent shell and racked and fired another. The pellets tore a softball-sized hole through the hip of the closest creature. Tanner racked another shell, but before he could get it off, they were on him.

Disfigured hands beat and clawed, bruising and tearing his flesh over and over again. He wrestled the shotgun free and fired, sending another one of them stumbling back. Unable to work the shotgun’s action, he whipped it up, striking a fourth one under the jaw. The stock split its face open as bone splintered through flesh.

Hands pulled at him from behind. Tanner planted his feet and spun around hard with the shotgun. It caught another creature on the side of its head, knocking it to the ground. It struggled to get back up, but he racked a shell and put an end to it. It was only then that he realized he was no longer being attacked. His adrenalin was pumping so hard that he couldn’t tell whether he had killed all of the creatures or if some had retreated back into the darkness.

His ears were ringing from the thunderous shotgun blasts, and his body stung from a dozen different wounds. He racked a fourth shell and searched the darkness around him. His penlight lit only a few feet in front of him, but there was nothing still alive in the beam.

Tanner stumbled back to the rack in which Samantha had hidden. Before he could say anything, she peeked out from between the clothes.

“Can we go now?”

Tanner sat on the tailgate of a large four-wheel drive pickup parked in front of a liquor store. Samantha used a rag soaked in vodka to clean the bites and scratches covering his arms and neck.

“Do they hurt?” she asked, dabbing one of the wounds. “Not really.”

“They sure look like they hurt.”

He took a swig of lukewarm beer.

“I suppose you’re waiting for me to say you were right.”

“About?”

“About not going into the store.”

“Well, I was right.” “Yes, I suppose you were.” “Were they zombies?”

He sighed. “Of course not. They were just people.”

“They didn’t look like people. They looked like zombies.”

“If they were zombies, then we have a big problem.”

“What?” she asked, setting the rag aside and looking at her nursing handiwork.

“They bit me. You know what that means.”

Her eyes grew wide.

“Do you feel… hungry?”

He rubbed his stomach.

“Now that you mention it, I’m starving. I have a strange craving for red meat. The rarer the better.”

She furrowed her eyebrows.

“Seriously? Don’t mess with me.”

“I’m seriously hungry. Aren’t you?”

“Well, yeah.”

“There’s a supermarket just up the street. I bet we can find something to eat there.”

“You’re going into another store?”

“What have I got to lose? I’ve already joined the walking dead.”

“Good point.”

“How about we get food and then find a safe place to sleep?”

“Okay, but if you start to change …”

He took another swig of beer.

“Don’t worry. My ex-wife would tell you I’m incapable of change.”

Tanner and Samantha knelt behind an overturned ambulance. The gurney had fallen out the back door, but thankfully, it was empty. They stared at a Safeway supermarket directly across the street. In front of the store was a lone child riding on a tricycle, whizzing up and down the sidewalk as if warming up for a jump with Evil Knievel. He couldn’t have been older than four, and yet, an adult was nowhere in sight.

“That’s strange, right?” she said.

“I’d say.”

“You think his parents are inside?”

“I hope so.”

“He couldn’t have survived all alone.” She paused. “Could he?”

Tanner shrugged. “Let’s go check it out. But keep your eyes open.”

“I’m going to walk behind you just in case someone shoots at us.”

“Great. Thanks for thinking of me.”

As soon as they stood up and stepped clear of the ambulance, the little boy spotted them. He whipped his tricycle around and raced into the entrance to the grocery store. They approached slowly, studying the windows and doors to see if anyone might be watching. Tanner carried his shotgun in one hand by his side so as not to appear any more threatening than he already did. When they were a few steps from the store’s entrance, a teenage boy stepped out. He had a deer rifle pointed at them.

“Stop right there,” he said, holding up the rifle.

They stopped.

“What do you want?” he demanded.

“We’re just looking for some food.”

The young man looked over his shoulder and said something to someone inside the store. After a moment, he turned back to face them.

“My mom wants to know where you’re coming from.”

“We drove over from Alabama.” Tanner walked slowly toward him as he spoke. “We’re traveling all the way to Virginia. What about you folks?”

The teenager started to back up but quickly found himself with his back pressed against the wall of the store. He seemed uncertain about what to do next.

“We’re from here.” He looked over his shoulder again, and by the time he looked back, Tanner was standing close enough to brush his teeth.

Tanner glanced into the store and saw an attractive woman holding the toddler who had been riding out front. He nodded to her, and she returned a nervous smile. He turned back to the young man and extended his hand.

“I’m Tanner.” He motioned behind him. “And this is Samantha.”

The boy lowered his rifle and reluctantly shook Tanner’s hand.

“I’m Lucas. Mom?” He looked back at her again for her approval.

She came out of the store, carrying the young boy.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “We’re afraid. That’s all.”

“He won’t hurt you,” said Samantha. “Tanner only kills bad guys and zombies.”

The woman looked confused. Tanner indicated that Samantha had a screw loose by rotating his finger beside his head. The woman smiled and nodded.

“What are you folks doing here?” he asked.

“Like you, we came to get food,” she said. “That was nearly a week ago. We just ended up staying here. There’s plenty of food and drink, and we really didn’t have anywhere else to go. I’m Janice, by the way.” She reached out and lightly shook his hand. When she pulled her hand away, he felt the gentle swipe of her fingers across his palm.

“We’re waiting for my dad to come back,” added Lucas.

“I suppose a grocery store is as good a place as any to hole up. How long has your dad been gone?”

“Three days,” he said. “So he’ll be back anytime now.”

“My husband went out to gather supplies,” she added. “He was going to the mall and a gas station.”

“The mall,” Samantha whispered, tapping Tanner on the side of his leg.

“I see,” he said, ignoring her. “And have you seen other survivors?”

“A few cars here and there. No one has bothered to stop.”

“You’re lucky,” said Samantha. “We’ve seen all kinds of bad things.”

“She’s right. You have been lucky. I wouldn’t advise letting your boy ride out in plain sight like that.”

“That was an accident,” she said. “We’re normally more careful. Come on, let’s get inside.”

As they stepped into the store, Tanner and Samantha were immediately struck by the smell of rotting food. She covered her nose and started to gag.

“Wow, that’s bad.”

“You get used to it,” said Lucas.

Janice and Lucas led them around the Safeway as if giving a tour of their family’s new vacation home. To Tanner’s surprise, the store was still fairly well stocked. Long shelves were stacked with canned and boxed foods, as well as soda and bottled water. The right side of the store was filled with piles of rotting fruits and vegetables, with huge clouds of sour flies swarming around the produce.

“Now I know what stinks,” said Samantha.

“That’s only half of it,” said Lucas. “The refrigerated foods at the back of the store are worse. We try to stay clear of that area because of the flies and maggots.”

Janice cut her eyes at her son.

“Sorry about the smell,” she said, touching Tanner’s arm. “But there’s still plenty of good food left.”

“And you’re sure you wouldn’t mind us having a little?”

“Of course not,” she said, smiling. “Lucas, go find something for Tanner and his daughter to eat.”

Samantha started to say something, but Tanner reached out and put his arm around her.

“Thanks, we’d love a good meal. We’ve been eating junk food for two days. My baby girl needs her protein if she’s going to grow up big and strong.”

Samantha pinched his palm, hard.

Janice set her little boy down. “Tommy, stay closer this time.”

He nodded and raced toward his tricycle. Within seconds, he was pedaling off down one of the aisles.

“Boys,” she said.

Tanner smiled. “He’s young enough that he’ll adapt to this mess. Probably better than the rest of us.”

She reached out and took his arm in hers.

“Come on, let’s sit and have a little grown-up talk. Your daughter can go with Lucas if she wants.”

Tanner looked over at Samantha.

She squinted at him.

“Yeah, Dad, that’s fine.” She turned and followed Lucas deeper into the store.

Janice took Tanner to a small area on the far wall where she had set up makeshift sleeping quarters for her family. Blankets were piled on the floor, paper plates were lying everywhere, and several plastic lawn chairs were set out in a small circle. She led him to one of the chairs, and then slid another up next to his.