Parish (11 page)

              “I’m going to go tell Dad what’s going on.” Wade said as he stood up. 

              “Mom?” Wren asked as she scooted closer to her mother’s body.

              “What is it baby?” Emily asked, a bit shocked as Wren reached out and put her arms around her.

              “I’m scared.”  Wren suddenly sounded six years old again, and it caused Emily’s heart to wrench.  She wrapped her arms around her daughter and kissed the top of her head.

              “I am too.” Emily closed her eyes and said a silent prayer that she wasn’t the one responsible for this.  She couldn’t ask her children to live with her mistakes, especially if it ever got out to the survivors.  They would want the whole family punished.

              Artemis climbed back atop the overturned crate and slowly lifted himself until his eyes barely crossed over the shelf that was blocking the view outside.  His eyes scanned the parking lot.

              “I think they’re gone.” Artemis smiled.  Emily and Wren both took a deep breath.  A shotgun blast deafened them.  He jumped down into a crouch.  Emily put her body over Wren’s to protect her.  Another blast echoed from outside, followed by three more.  Silence fell, but no one moved.  Afraid that at any moment there would be another.  Artemis was the first one to move a muscle.  Slowly he once again climbed the crate and looked out of the window.

              “What was that?” Emily asked.

              “Those survivors.  One dude shot the rest, he’s sitting in the middle of the road by our vehicle.  The zombies are coming for him.  Oh god!” Artemis cringed and looked away.  A few moments passed before Artemis rallied his nerves and decided to look back out at the carnage. 

              “Is it over?” Wren asked, her voice full of hope.  His eyes narrowed as he scanned the scene.

              “Everyone, start packing up whatever you can carry.  Doc, go tell Jack to do the same and secure the boy.  We’re gonna have to make a run for it.” Artemis replied slowly.  His voice was strangely calm despite what he was saying.

              “What’s going on?  Why do we have to pack up?” Emily asked as she grabbed one of the bags and began shoving items into it.

              “We’ve been spotted, those things out there are coming towards us.  I don’t know how long the glass on this place will hold out, but the shelves won’t keep ‘em out indefinitely.  We’re gonna have to run for it.” Artemis jumped down and grabbed another bag.  In two strides he was at the shelves where they had stacked the supplies they had found.

              “Wren, go tell your Dad what’s going on.  Tell Wade to help get everything together.” Her face was serious as she packed up.  No sooner had Wren left the room than banging on the glass began.  The throaty noises from the undead began to grow louder as more and more decided to join the few who had begun to pound.  Emily froze, the sounds cutting to her core.  She felt a hand on her shoulder.

              “Doc?” Emily pulled her gaze back to Artemis who was standing over her.

              “We have to go.  There could be more of survivors around here.  Them zombies are letting everything, dead or alive, know they found something.  It would be better if we weren’t here in either case.” He straightened his back as he hoisted the over packed bag onto his shoulder. Emily closed the bag she had been packing and stood up, following him back to the office where the others were.

              “Won’t the glass hold?” Jack asked as he cast a worried glance down at Jamie. 

              “It won’t hold forever.” Emily replied, defended Artemis’ judgment call. 

              “Exactly.” Artemis affirmed her statement.  “If it were only two or three of ‘em I’d say we’d be okay.  There are at least twenty of them out there now.  The more noise they make the more of ‘em that come and that spells bad news for that glass.  How long would you say it would hold when it’s a hundred of them banging on it and throwing themselves against it?”

              Jack stood silently staring at Artemis for a few moments before he joined Wade who was packing up the few things in the office worth taking with them.  They had their weapons in hand when Jack pulled on the backpack.

              “Jamie can’t run.” Jack said matter-of-factly.

              “We know.” Wren interjected.

              “I’ll carry him.  I’m the only one in here with any type of military training.  I can carry more than you think and run at the same time.” Artemis searched Jack’s worried face before continuing.  “We need to go over the plan before he take off.  Everyone here needs to know exactly what we’re gonna do once we get out there so no one gets lost or left or God forbid bit.”

              “What’s the plan?” Wade looked to him.  A flash of jealousy was apparent in Jack’s eyes.  It was obvious that he felt he should be the one leading and protecting his family, not this stranger.

              “We’re gonna make a break for it out the back door.  There should be an ally back there.  We need to keep quiet and see if we can’t find some wheels.  I’d feel a lot better about everything if we had some metal between us and them, not to mention the ability to get away quickly.” Artemis shrugged his bag up higher onto his person.

              “Who takes the lead?” Emily asked.

              “Well I’ll have the boy so I need Jack with me.” Artemis looked to Jack.  “You got this?”

              “Yeah.” Jack’s tone made him sound like he was offended at the implication he could not lead.

              “Wade and Emily you bring up the rear.” Artemis turned and looked at them.  They both nodded their understanding.

              “Wait. What about me?” Wren asked.  “I’m not some fragile flower.  I can help.”

              “Ain’t no one said that.” Artemis smiled.  “You gonna be on my left your Dad on my right.  I need you to help keep an eye on the lookout and help protect your little brother.”

              “Oh.” Her anger faded. “I can do that.”

              “Good.” Artemis nodded.  “Now everyone understand what we’re doing?”

              “Yes.” They replied in unison.

              “Okay.” He turned and looked down at Jamie.  “Hey, doc, is he ok?” Emily pushed forward and looked down at her son.  His skin had changed to a grayish green tone on his neck and appeared to be traveling up his jaw line onto his face.

              “Jamie?” Emily called his name.  His eyes fluttered open revealing pigment that was slowly fading.  “Oh god!” Her hands flew to her mouth.

              “What? What is it?” Jack asked pushing his way through and kneeling down before Jamie.

              “Jack! No, don’t get too close to him!” Emily reached down and took hold of his shoulder and attempted to pull him back.  Jack violently pulled free of her grasp.  Emily backed up, one hand each landing on the arm of a twin as she pulled them away alongside her.

              “Jamie?  Hey buddy, are you alright?  How are you feeling?” Jack asked, reaching up to press his hand to his forehead.  Artemis turned and looked to Emily for an answer.  She slowly shook her head causing Artemis to begin his retreat from the boys’ bedside.

Chapter Ten
 

Emily pulled Wade and Wren out into the hallway.  Artemis was paused at the doorframe, watching as Jack tried to reach Jamie.  Her mouth had grown dry, her heart pounding so hard it hurt her ears.  She had pushed the twins behind her and had them pressed against the opposing walls stopping them from running back in to the office.

              “Jamie, son, buddy, you have to answer me now? Okay?” Jack’s voice quaked as he begged the child to respond to him.

              “Jack…”Artemis began.

              “No! NO!  He’s my boy, this is my little boy!  No one is going to touch him, do you understand me?” Jack screamed.  Emily moved a step to the left, peering past Artemis’ broad shoulders and into the room.  Jack was spun around glaring at Artemis.  His eyes were wild with panic and fear.  Every fiber of her being demanded that she run in there and try to help Jamie, try to talk sense into Jack, but she knew she had to protect the twins as well.  The inner turmoil she felt caused her stomach to flip as it pushed her to vomit.

              “Jack…” Artemis attempted once more.

              “I said NO!” Jack bellowed as he turned back to his son.  “Jamie, son, it’s your Dad.  I need for you to say something okay?  Let me know you’re okay, please?  Please, please answer me buddy.  Come on now, please, Jamie.”

              “Wade?” Wren’s voice whispered from behind Emily.  She felt Wade move.

              “Close your eyes, just close your eyes.  I’m here, I got you.” Wade whispered in reply.  Tears stung the back of Emily’s eyes.  Artemis made a move to step towards Jack when they heard the familiar throaty growl.

              Jamie reached up and took hold of his father, pulling him down to him.  His teeth tore into Jack’s neck, causing a spray of arterial blood to smatter the wall.  Jack screamed out for help.

              “Oh god! Jack!” Emily screamed as she made to push past Artemis and gain entrance into the office to help her husband.

              “No, doc, no! It’s too late!” Artemis pushed her back out into the hallway.  He raised his gun and took aim.

              “No!  Please! Don’t, he’s my baby!” Emily clutched onto his arm.

              “Doc, he’s not that boy no more.” Artemis replied as kindly as he could.  Emily began to sob as she looked into the office once more.  Jamie was bent over his father eating his way through his neck.  He looked up, his eyes white, his skin gray and mottled green.  He opened his blood stained mouth and growled at her, Jack’s blood pouring from his mouth.

              “Mom!” Wade grabbed hold of his mother, turning her to face him he put his arm around her.  Wren had her face buried into his other shoulder as he urged her to join them.  She did.  Artemis pulled his weapon up once more and took aim.  Pulling the trigger he sent a bullet through the child’s skull splattering brain and blood on the couch and wall behind him.  He took aim again and repeated the action for Jack.

              “I’m sorry, doc.” Artemis whispered as he closed the office door.  “It would have been too cruel to leave them like that.”  Emily spun out of her son’s grasp and flew at Artemis, beating his chest with her fists.  He stood there, and allowed her to continue before reaching down and pulling her into an embrace.  She struggled against him for a moment before slowly stopping and allowing herself to cry into his chest.  “I’m sorry, doc, I’m sorry.”

              “My baby, oh my baby.” Emily shook with the weight of her grief.

              “You have two babies right behind you who are still alive and they need you, doc.” He looked at Wade and Wren.  Wren was wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands.  Wade stood strangely resolute for just having lost his brother and father in one fell swoop.

              “Mom, we have to go.” Wade stepped forward and put his hand on her shoulder.  “Dad would want us to keep going, he would want us to survive.”

              “I can’t…” Emily shook her head.

              “We don’t have a choice.” Wren interjected softly. 

              “They’re right.  Come on, doc.  There’ll be a time for mourning, but it ain’t right now.” Artemis cast a worried look back to the front of the store.  The banging was still going on as was the growling.

              “We can’t just leave them like that.” Emily sniffled, finding it hard to catch her breath.

              “We don’t have a choice right now.  We have got to run.” Artemis looked her directly in the eyes, trying to keep her tethered not only in reality but to the world of the living.

              “We’ll come back right?  When it’s over?  We’ll come back for them?” She asked.

              “Yeah, doc, we’ll come back for them.  I promise.” Artemis nodded as he reached out and gently squeezed her shoulder.

              “Okay.” Emily nodded numbly as she turned to her remaining children.

              “Let’s go, out the back door and to the nearest vehicle.” Artemis motioned for them to follow him to the back of the store.  Emily brought up the rear of the group, and before passing into the back she cast one last glance to the office door.

              “Here’s the door!” Wade called out.

              “Doc, you coming?” Artemis asked.  Emily took a deep breath.

              “I love you both.” She whispered to the door, before turning back to the rest.  “Yeah, let’s go.”

              “Okay, one…two…three!” Artemis opened the door and they all spilled out into the sunlight.  They squinted and shielded their eyes as the searched the ally for danger.  One little old zombie shuffled towards them, her gray wig was matted with blood and falling from her bald head.  Wade ran up and planted his crowbar into her brain, pulling out once she hit the ground.