Insurgent Z: A Zombie Novel (22 page)

The gates to Paradis were wide open, with the 18 wheeler blocking half of the entrance. A few zombies meandered around the front and turned toward the van’s headlights.

“I think it’s too late for anyone here,” Rosella said.

Mason didn’t respond. The searchlight that had drawn his attention to Paradis earlier still pointed aimlessly into the night sky. It may have once been a call for help, but it was clear now that it was a sign of defeat.

“Let’s ditch this van and take the two Humvees. I’m itching to take one of those on the road.” Beaux had leaned forward in his seat and looked between Mason and Rosella.

Mason thought about bringing his fist up and backhanding Beaux in the face. “Sit back. We’re not splitting up.” He shifted the van into reverse, backed up, and left Paradis behind.

* * *

Headlights approached Paradis and stopped near the Humvees. Mitch’s heart swelled as hope once again presented itself. Most of the inmates had left the prison. If he had saved the last five shells he wasted trying to save the troops, chances were good that he could kill the few zombies that remained behind the door, and take a truck out of there. Coulda-woulda-shoulda. Maybe it didn’t matter now that help had arrived. He prayed there were no unseen surprises to pop-up.

Mitch leaned over the wall and waved his hands in the air. He realized there were no overhead lights for them to see him. All the lights were directed toward the front, or the compound area. He yelled to attract attention, but knew that unless the rescuers got out of the van, there was no chance for them to hear. Could it be that another chance was about to be snapped away so quickly? “Please, God. Please,” he said under his breath.

Then the van backed up.

“No . . . No! Up here! Come back.”

The van pointed in the other direction and sped away.

Mitch felt sick in his stomach, and for a moment, considered throwing himself over the wall.

* * *

Mason sighed an unusually large amount of times in a row. A hand gently touched his as it rested on the seat. It was Rosella’s. She gave it a gentle squeeze.

The whole inside of the van lit up from a light coming from the back window. Mason slammed on the brakes.

“What the hell is that? A UFO?” Beaux said.

“No!” Mason said with a smile. “It’s the searchlight. It’s a signal for help.” Without any delay, he turned the van around and barreled down the two-lane highway, past the Humvees, and came to a stop by the gated entrance. He rolled down the window and immediately heard a voice crying for help.

“Troy, let’s clear the area. There are two on the right and one on the left.”

“I got the right,” Troy said, as he was on the passenger side.

“Ready?”

“Yeah.”

“Go.” Mason hopped out the van while Troy slid the side door opened. Mason took aim at the zombie that had turned and staggered in his direction. It took two shots in the head to bring it down.

Troy rushed toward his targets and brought each one down with a single shot.

“You guys a sight for sore eyes,” the voice called from above.

Mason looked up, but lights shined down obstructing his view. “Who’s up there?”

“It’s me. Mitch Blackwell.”

“Mitch. Thank God. Anyone else with you?”

“No one that’s alive.” The sadness in Mitch’s voice said more than the declaration.

“Are there any more zombies in the area?”

“There are several at my door up here trying to break in. I’m not sure how many, but I don’t think any more than five. There is a straggler or two that I see inside walking around every now and then. You have to be careful, those things hide and can pop out at any time.”

“You armed?”

“No ammo. I hope you have enough.”

“Don’t worry. We’ve got it covered.”

“The entrance to the tower is just inside the gate and south about twenty yards. Be careful.”

“Stay away from the door. We’ll be up as soon as we can.”

Troy jogged by Mason’s side. “What’s the plan?”

“Let’s take a Humvee in and rescue him. Do you think it’d be okay to leave Sky in charge while we’re gone? If not, I’m going in alone.”

“She can handle it. They’re safe as long as they stay in the van.”

“Okay, let’s tell them.” Mason led the way and opened the slide door. “Mitch Blackwell’s alive.”

“We heard,” Rosella said, her gaze to the floor.

“Troy and I are going to take a Humvee and get him out. Sky, you’re in charge. Everyone just sit tight, and keep your eyes open. If trouble starts to brew, get the hell out of here. Hand us a couple of shotguns.”

Skylar hung on his every word and nodded. She slid to the end of her seat with the weapons. “I’ll get behind the wheel if I have to.”

Mason reached in, put his hand on her knee, and took the guns. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to Troy.”

She smiled.

“I love you,” Troy said.

“I love you, too.”

The van door slammed shut. Skylar pushed the lock down and watched the two jump into a Humvee. The massive machine rumbled and headed through the gates of Paradis.

“Looks clear. Why don’t I feel good about this?” Troy said.

“Because of all the other surprises we’ve had so far, I guess. That’s probably the entrance over there.”

The Humvee slowed to a halt not far from the stairs. Mason and Troy got out and scanned the area.

“So far, so good, but there’s one thing I don’t like,” Troy said.

“What’s that?”

“Zombies and stairs. It’s no fun when you’re going up and they’re coming down. Been there, done that.”

“Suggestions?”

“I got an idea. Wait here, and I’ll get them to follow me down.”

“Got it.”

Troy disappeared up the stairs whooping and hollering. A good half minute went by when his feet came into view, and he ran out to Mason’s side. “Get ready,” he said, slightly out of breath.

It took longer than Mason thought before the first zombie arrived at the bottom. This zombie reminded him of the host from that Crypt show he watched when he was younger. He waited for two more to join before he gave the signal.

Three quick shots had them all on the ground. The fourth zombie was about to take his last step when Troy blew its head completely off.

“Is that all?” Mason asked.

“I think so. It was hard to tell. I’ll check. You wait here.”

Troy ran up the stairs and found they had eliminated the immediate zombie threat. He went to the door, and called, “It’s us, Mitch. Open up.”

The lock clicked, and the door flew open.

“Thank you. I was at the end of my rope.”

“It’s okay now, buddy. Let’s get you out of here.”

Fast steps coming down the stairs told Mason the mission, thus far, had been a success. He watched for more zombies to appear, but none did.

“Thanks, Sheriff.” Mitch laid a hand on Mason’s shoulder as he arrived.

“Are you hurt?” Mason asked.

“No. I had water, but no food. I’ve got enough belly fat to last me for a couple of more days, I guess.”

“No one else alive? What about Burl? Anybody?”

Mitch dropped his gaze to the ground. “The warden didn’t make it. Let’s leave it at that for now.” He turned his head slowly toward the 18 wheeler cab. “As for others, I don’t think so. I’ve seen some of the guards return as one of these monsters. Some may not have enough left of them to keep moving.”

“Do you think this might be a good place to hole up? We can move that 18 wheeler and work together to secure the prison.”

“That’s a gamble I don’t think we should take. I had a thought that if I was able to escape, I would go to the marina, and take a boat away from here. There’re too many unknowns lurking about Paradis. In fact, I’m worried we’re wasting time right now.”

“Hey, taking a boat is a great idea. My patrol boat is down there, and it’s large enough to get all of us out.”

“How many are with you?”

“Seven total. Mitch, one of them is Rosella.”

Mitch looked stunned, and his eyes watered. He grabbed Mason on both arms. “Really? She’s alive? She’s okay?”

“Yeah. She’s a little shook up, but who isn’t? Let’s get out of here.”

The three got into the Humvee and drove out. When they came to the 18 wheeler, Mitch pointed to the cab, and said, “Burl is in there.”

The blood on the windshield told Mason everything he needed to know about what happened to the warden of Paradis. He parked the Humvee alongside the van.

The van door opened, and the three got out of the truck. Mitch walked slowly up to Rosella, who remained seated, but did have her window rolled down.

“Hello, Rosella,” Mitch said.

“Hello, Mitch.” Rosella glanced at him, briefly, but moved her gaze to somewhere on the dash.

There was no time for any complicated family reunions. “I like the idea to take the Hummers. They’re a lot more reliable than the van and can go almost anywhere. Plus, we’d be up shit creek without a paddle if the van broke down and that was the only vehicle we had.”

“All right! I’m driving,” Beaux said.

“Shut up,” Mason said, and then took a breath. “Troy will drive one. I’ll take the other. Rosella, Beaux, and Mindi will ride with me. The rest of you pile in with Troy. Let’s get our stuff and go.”

The group gathered the guns, ammo, soft drinks, water, and snacks and loaded the Hummers.

Joyce ‘accidently’ rubbed her breasts against Mason’s arm as he waited to close the truck door. The sudden touch of two firm tits made him freeze and left him to wonder for a moment if it was intentional.

Both engines fired to life and put the glow of Paradis’ lights behind them.

Chapter 18

If Not By Land, Then By Sea 

Mason was sure to keep the Hummer three vehicle lengths away from the leader. The unexpected had become so frequent that it was now commonplace. He flashed his lights a second time, signaling Troy to slow down. “I know he’s in a hurry, but I want to make sure we arrive in one piece,” Mason spoke quietly.

Rosella had withdrawn. She shook her head from time to time as if she were playing out an internal conflict. She mindlessly picked at a chipped nail as the Hummer rolled along.

“What kind of boat is it?” Beaux asked.

Mason cleared his throat. “It’s a modified version of response boat used by the Coast Guard. It’s big. Bigger than anything the police force in Botte will ever need. When Bush started the Homeland Security Department after 9/11, money had been no object. I think HS bought this for us so they could appropriate it during an emergency. They forced us to take it. The problem is that we’re responsible for the upkeep. A boat that size is not cheap to maintain. It has two 825 hp turbo diesel engines.”

“Wow. That thing must eat a lot of fuel.”

“Yes it does. In fact, if you run the engines while filling it up, the pump never kicks off.”

“Really?”

“No, son. Not really, but that thing will suck down some fuel. It holds 500 gallons of diesel. You do the math for what that cost. We only take it out a few times a month to keep it tuned up.”

“I hope you have the keys. I bet you didn’t plan on taking the boat out today.”

“Not a problem. The keys are in a box on the console. No one is stupid enough to steal the sheriff’s patrol boat.”

“I guess not.” Beaux drifted.

The sheriff caught a glimpse of the young man in the rearview mirror. He had lost some of his selfish arrogance, which made him appear even more childlike. “Hey, Beaux. You’ve been through a lot. You can talk about it if you want to. Might make you feel better.”

Rosella finally broke from her trance and turned her head toward the back. “Yes, honey, it was a terrible thing that happened. You don’t have to hold it all inside.”

“Well, I . . . I know. We weren’t that close. Not anymore. Not like when I was a kid and my mom lived with us.”

“You’ve got me now. I’ll always be here for you.” Mindi moved her hand over on his, as the moonlight through the window illuminated the greenish bruise where the door had hit her in the face.

The woods were thick, and the night was black. Driving down the two lane highway on the twisting road gave Mason the feeling he was cruising through a tunnel. The road had been undead-free thus far. Occasionally, he would spot a pair of glowing, yellow-green eyes in the brush near the ground.

“They only come out at night,” Mason said to himself. “I wish that were true with these motherfuckers.”

* * *

Mitch munched on a bag of chips and chased the salty corn flavor with a warm soda. There wasn’t a whole lot of food with nutritional value to choose from, but he didn’t care. He had eaten a small packet of peanuts and six cheese crackers thus far. “I think I’ll have a MoonPie for dessert to finish my four course meal. Anybody else want something?”

“I’m good,” Troy said.

“Me too,” followed Skylar.

“Is there a roll of mints? I would love to suck on something right now.” Joyce put her hand on Mitch’s leg and batted her eyes.

“I don’t know,” he scrounged around in the bag and came up with a roll of Lifesavers. “Here you go.”

Joyce took the candy and removed a mint from the roll. “You want one?”

“Maybe later.” Mitch tore open the MoonPie and took a bite. His mouth pulled away and stretched the marshmallow center. A strand of marshmallow hung down on his lip as the rest broke free.

“You’re not going to let anything happen to me, are you, Mitch?” Joyce asked.

“Hmmm?”

“I just lost my husband. I need someone to protect me.”

Troy and Skylar looked at each other.

“I’m sorry to hear about your husband.” Mitch had stopped chewing. Something about this woman didn’t sit well with him.

“I don’t have anybody to look out for me. Skylar has Troy. Rosella has Mason. Mindi has Beaux. Will you protect me?”

“We protect each other, Joyce,” Troy said as far from friendly as possible. “Don’t try and divide the group. If it becomes every man for himself, then we’ll die one by one.”

“You expect me to believe that you’ll fight for me the same way you would for Skylar?” Joyce asked.

“That’s not what I meant. I—”

“I know what you meant, and you can save it. I know when the shit hits the fan you’ll run to Skylar’s side and won’t even think about the rest of us. I’m not faulting you. It’s human nature. I know a lot about human nature, and I need someone to feel obligated for my safety.”

“Don’t you worry, little lady. If it makes you feel better to have someone be your champion, I’ll step up and take that role,” Mitch said

Joyce smiled and moved her hand up his thigh before pulling it back to her lap.  

* * *

“I’m glad to see the power’s still on at the marina,” Mason said. “I’d hate to think we’d have to maneuver in the dark with all this madness going on.” The yellow glow from the marina’s lights reflected off low hanging clouds.

Mason’s Hummer passed the sign for ‘Picou Canal Landing and Marina.’

“How close can we get to the boat? I don’t want to have to run for my life,” Mindi said.

“Not far, but we have to be ready for anything. This is a popular place. I have a feeling it’s going to be a little crowded. If we keep our heads on straight, we’ll make it.” Mason slapped his palm on the steering wheel. “Dammit, Troy. Slow down.”

The road opened with the boat landing coming up on the left, and Picou Bait and Tackle in front of the marina, on the right. They were too far away for Mason to see if any zombies were lurking about. At least it looked calm for the moment.

“What’s that up there?” Rosella asked.

“Looks like trailer reflectors. It’s in the other lane. Our lane’s clear, but there are a few dead vehicles on the other side. They were probably trying to head out and didn’t make it.”

“Not a good sign.” Rosella leaned forward with her hands on the dash.

Troy’s Hummer was almost to the first abandoned vehicle, when a woman sprang from a truck down the way a bit, and waved her arms frantically in the air.

The Hummer swerved abruptly, but struck the woman, and then careened into the deep ditch next to the road.

Rosella shouted, “Oh, my God!”

Mason watched, aghast, as the truck momentarily disappeared. He slowed, and his lights caught glimpses of mud and grass flying into the air. The Hummer skidded on its side for a good distance before it rolled over.

The woman lay in a crumpled mess in the middle of the road.

Mason passed her without any regard and slammed on the brakes when they reached Troy’s Hummer. He slapped the transmission in park and tore out the door. “Troy! Troy!” Rosella followed on his heels.  

Lights popped on, and there was movement from inside. The passengers hung upside down awkwardly struggling with their seatbelts. Mason opened the passenger door. “Everybody okay?”

A chorus of affirmations shouted out. Mason helped Skylar free herself and lowered her to the ground. A trickle of blood dripped from the side of her head. Rosella came to her aid and attended to the wound. Mitch crawled out and scurried over to the other side to help Joyce. Troy stumbled from the door and walked gingerly over to Skylar’s embrace.

“Are you hurt?” she asked.

“Chest could feel better. Too bad there aren’t any air bags in Hummers.”

“Can you walk?” Mason asked.

“I’m going to try like hell not to slow the group down. Y’all go ahead. I’ll keep up.”

“Let’s go.” Mason jerked his head around and scanned the area. He had been so concerned for the welfare of his friends that he had let his guard down. He cursed himself for being so sloppy, but was relieved not to have any of the undead in sight.

The Humvee, with Beaux and Mindi waiting, lurched, and began to move forward, much to Mason’s surprise. “What the—”

The vehicle picked up speed and fled down the road, heading for the boat slips.

“That little shit! What’s he doing?” Mason said.

“Look over there!” Mitch yelled as he pointed.

Zombies poured from around the vehicles, coming straight for them.

“Son-of-a-bitch! We’re going to have to run for it! Go! Go! Go!”

Joyce had already taken off and was several paces ahead. Mitch chased after her, and Troy followed at the pull of Skylar’s hand. Mason maintained the rear, praying to a God that he didn’t know if he could believe in anymore to save his friends.

* * *

“How could you do that?” Mindi yelled from the backseat.

“I had no choice. You saw the zombies coming. They were going to get us before the others had a chance to reach the truck. We now have a chance.” Beaux pressed the gas pedal to the floor. He was tired of Mason barking out orders and treating him like a kid. It was time for him to become a man. His dad was gone, and all Joyce did was remind him of the pain of losing his mother. He was an only child. Without that gold-digging bitch around, he wouldn’t have to worry about sharing any of his dad’s wealth.

“There’re only two of us. We might not make it if we have to fight our way to the boat.”

“Your negativity is pissing me off. I’m trying to think. It looks okay so far. Grab some guns and extra clips. Get ready. I’m going to park between the landing and the marina. I bet that big boat on the end is the patrol boat.”

The Humvee came to a stop 50 yards away from the west side of the dock. Beaux stepped out as the back door opened. Mindi handed him a pistol and three spare magazines. She slid off the seat, pulled her shorts out of the crack of her ass with one hand, and pointed a pistol aimlessly with the other.

“Be careful with that thing.” Beaux shoved the clips in his pocket and jogged across the parking area. Mindi followed a few steps behind.

Their feet clomped on the wooden dock with the sound of water splashing against the pylons as background music. The only other sound was the hum from the sodium vapor lights overhead and their labored breathing.

“I’m scared. We’re not going to make it. I just know we’re not,” Mindi said with a whimper.

Beaux had a sudden urge to slap her, but restrained himself, and turned down the dock. “We’re almost there. Just keep it together a little while longer and it’ll all be over.”

The patrol boat was bigger than he had imagined. He felt a wave of regret for leaving the others behind. There was plenty of space on the boat, and having others around did bring a sense of security. The decision had been made, though. He just had to suck it up. “Climb aboard, and I’ll untie the rope.” Beaux went to work and pulled the knot free. He followed her onto the deck and found Mindi standing by the cockpit.

“It’s locked,” she said.

“Locked? It can’t be!”

Mindi stepped away to reveal a padlock securing the door.

“Fuck! Stand back.” He raised the pistol.

Mindi darted away and put her hands to her ears.

Beaux fired two shots. After the third, he grabbed his left shoulder and cursed.

“What happened?” Mindi said.

“A bullet fragment hit me in the shoulder.”

“Is the lock off?”

“Hell, no. It’s too hard for the bullets to penetrate.”

“Why don’t we just push away from the dock? We can float safely in the water until we figure out a way to get it?”

“I’ve already untied us. The tide is keeping the boat pushed against the dock. There’s no way I can push us away from here.”

A fire extinguisher caught Mindi’s eye. She pulled it off its base and brought it to the door. “I’ll see if I can beat it off.”

Beaux moved his hand away and examined his wound, while Mindi pounded away. The injury wasn’t as severe as it felt. The fragment had sliced through the skin about a quarter inch deep and passed through. Light shining on the boat dimmed. “We’ve got trouble.”

“What?”

“I guess the gunshots woke a few up. They’re coming. Move, and let me try.”

Mindi handed him the fire extinguisher and went to the side of the boat. “There’re three. Hurry.”

The extinguisher was heavy. It was difficult to aim the bottom and strike the padlock’s body near the shank. He had seen locks open this way in the movies at least half a dozen times. Unfortunately, he had seen a fair share of zombie movies too. He didn’t know if he’d be able to pop it open in time.

“Hurry! They’re almost here!”

“Shoot ’em! Hold ‘em off long enough for me to get this open.”

Mindi pulled the pistol from her waistband and pointed it at the first zombie. Her hands shook. She closed one eye and pulled the trigger. The bullet missed. The gun rang off three more times before the zombie’s head jerked to the side. It hesitated for a moment, and then plodded forward again. The next shot brought it down.