Dead Endz Page 9

  Nora, who I have learned to never underestimate, played along. She stood up and hiked her dress up a little further. “Oh, I know we have something else of value that is pretty rare these days. And I just showered, baby.”

  “Sounds good to me!” said Bones as he grabbed Nora’s arm and started leading her into the house. “I’ll take this one.”

  “We don’t have time for this,” snarled the leader, rubbing his chin. “I told Belinda we’d be back before dark and it’s getting late.”

  “Belinda, is she your girlfriend?” I asked, sticking my chest and my butt out, like Eva used to.

  His eyes raked over my body and he licked his lips. “Um, not really,” he said. “Fact is, I never said we were exclusive.”

  That was all I needed. I swung my hips and walked towards him, trying not to trip on my heels. When I stood directly in front of him, I fluttered my eyelashes. “You know, I so love a man with a goatee.”

  “If you don’t take this one, Charlie, I will,” said Scar Face, coming up behind me.

  Charlie swore under his breath. “Okay, watch pretty boy here while I see what she has under that little piece of cloth.”

  “Fine,” he said. “But I’m next, though.”

  I tried not to show my revulsion. He was happy with sloppy seconds?

  Charlie grabbed my arm and pulled me into the house, where it seemed deathly quiet. “Upstairs,” he said. “You go first, sweetheart.”

  I went ahead of him and I could feel the heat of his eyes burning my rear. I led him to one of the smaller bedrooms and he closed the door behind us, locking it.

  “Okay, show me what you got,” he said with a lustful gleam in his eyes.

  “I’d feel better if you weren’t pointing the gun at me,” I said softly.

  “Okay. But no funny business,” he replied, putting the gun in the back of his pants.

  “Um, it’s hard without music,” I said.

  “I’ve got a flute you can play,” he said with a creepy smile.

  Gross.

  “Why don’t you sit down on the bed?”

  “Good idea,” he said, walking over and sitting down on the small twin bed.

  My heart was beating rapidly and I wasn’t sure what to do next.

  “Well, what are you waiting for?” he said. “Take it off.”

  I curled my finger. “Actually, why don’t you come and help me,” I said.

  “Jesus, make up your mind,” he muttered.

  “I like to watch you move,” I answered. “You’re so big and burly,” I swallowed back my bile. “It...turns me on.”

  He grinned proudly and stood up. Just as I was about to deliver a round house kick to his face, there was a soft knock at the door.

  “What in the hell?” growled Charlie as he turned away from me and stormed towards the door. When he opened it, Nora stood on the other side, holding a gun.

  “I need to borrow some sugar,” she murmured and then pulled the trigger.

  The gun exploded and Charlie fell backwards as the bullet penetrated his left eye. His blood sprayed everywhere and I shuddered.

  “Let’s go,” she said as I stared at her in shock.

  I stepped over big chunks of brain matter, trying not to get any on my heels. “I can’t believe you shot him, just like that.”

  “Had to. You know he would have killed all of us if given the chance,” she answered. “Now quite being such a pansy, Wild, and grab his gun.”

  The sound of the gun going off had been loud and I only hoped that Scar Face hadn’t noticed it. “Yeah, but I could have taken him out, quietly,” I said. “Now the third gunman knows someone was shot. He’s probably ready for us.”

  Just then Billie walked through the bedroom door with a gun and a horrified expression. “Jesus, I guess you took care of Charlie.”

  “What about the guy with the scar?” I asked.

  “Oh, don’t worry about him,” he said. “He got so worked up thinking about you girls putting out that I had his gun before he knew what hit him.”

  “Let’s get the hell out of here,” said Nora. “Before any zombies smell the fresh scent of blood and head over.”

  We followed Billie back downstairs and got into the SUV.

  “They’re already on it,” pointed Nora.

  “How in the hell do they do that?” I asked, looking passed the other houses where a stampede of zombies and all of their wonderful smells were now heading in our direction. We rolled up our windows.

  “It’s like they have super senses or something,” said Nora.

  “Okay ladies, where to?” asked Billie, backing out of the driveway.

  I locked my door and sighed. “The only place I can think of, back to the C.D.C.”

  “I tell you it’s a dead end,” said Billie.

  “I don’t care, it’s all I have right now.”

  Chapter Twenty

  A couple of military trucks were parked outside of the C.D.C. when we returned. I was so excited that I would have exploded out of the SUV if Nora wouldn’t have knocked me back to reality.

  “Hey…hey…hey…what are you doing?!” she hollered as I was opening the door. “They were the ones who locked you up. Jesus, they’re probably looking for you right now, Wild.”

  I removed my hand from the door handle. “Dammit. What are we supposed to do, then?”

  “Let me go in and see what I can find,” said Billie. “I’ll try talking to them, I’m sure they know where they moved your sister.”

  I touched his arm. “Would you? Thank you Billie.”

  He looked at my hand on his forearm and nodded. “You saved my life a few days ago and I’d do anything for you and your family.”

  I hugged him. “Thanks Billie.”

  When I released him he stared into my eyes. “Give me until darkness falls and if I don’t make it back, leave.”

  It would be dark in the next two hours. “If you don’t make it back to the SUV, we’re coming to look for you,” I said.

  He shook his head. “No, just get the hell out of here. If they get their hands on you and lock you up, that’s not going to help you find your sister or family.”

  I sighed. “Fine. Just be careful.”

  He smiled and then kissed my cheek. “I’ll be back.”

  When he left I could hear Nora chuckling in the back seat. “That boy has the fricken hots for you, Wild.”

  I turned around and looked at her. “No, we’ve just been through a lot together. We’re good friends.”

  Her lips twisted back into a smile. “Right, I saw the way he looked at you.”

  I sighed. “He’s lonely and doesn’t have anyone left in the world. We’re more like… brother and sister. Besides, he knows of my feelings for Bryce.”

  “I hate to say this but you don’t even know if Bryce is still alive.”

  “If there’s one person who could continue to survive in this crap, its Bryce,” I said softly.

  “Well, for your sake, I hope so,” she said.

  “I never did ask you about Scott.”

  Her lips tightened. “What about him?”

  “Do you know if he’s alive?”

  She sighed. “I… don’t know. After the shit went down, we were separated and I have no idea what happened to him.”

  “You really liked him, didn’t you?” I asked.

  She laid her head back against the seat and stared outside. “Look, Wild. I didn’t really know him that well.”

  “No, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t have feelings for him.”

  “He was a nice guy. I mean, I hope he survived this shit, but I’m not going to hold my breath thinking that I’ll see him again. I’m not even certain I’ll get a chance to look my old man in the face again.”

  I sighed. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

  We sat in silence, staring at the building Billie had disappeared into. Once in a while a zombie would stagger by, but none of them seemed to notice our existence.

  “I
t’s already getting dark,” I murmured after about an hour. “I wonder what’s happening inside.”

  Her face darkened. “I have this bad feeling, Wild,” she answered. “I don’t trust the soldiers, not after what I’ve seen.”

  I sighed. “I wonder if we should go and see if he’s okay?”

  “You heard Billie; he said to leave if he doesn’t make it back by dark. We go and look for him; that might place us all in more danger.”

  “Maybe.”

  “The soldiers aren’t after him for any reason. He might even get some answers.”

  I sighed. “I suppose.”

  “We’ll wait another half hour and then take off.”

  The thought of abandoning Billie sounded horrible and went against everything I believed in. I turned back towards the building and watched nervously as a few zombies wandered around through the courtyard. Ten minutes later Billie scrambled through the door and raced towards us. I sighed in relief.

  “What happened?” I asked as he jumped in.

  He started the engine and began driving. “The soldiers said they relocated everyone to Emory Hospital.”

  I smiled. “Seriously? Thank God! Do you know how to get there?”

  He nodded. “They told me roughly where it is. The problem is that’s where the zombies are heading. The smell of life and blood is obviously drawing them.”

  I bit the side of my lip. “Did you find out anything else? Like if my sister was sent there?”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t exactly ask. I was afraid they’d detain me if I asked questions specifically about you or your family. I heard them talking about your escape when I first approached them.”

  “What were they saying?” I asked.

  “That they were searching for you. The fact that you beat the virus means there’s a possible cure.”

  I looked away. “I’d be happy to help them out but not as a prisoner.”

  “No shit,” said Nora.

  “Well, they want you and bad,” he said.

  “That really worries me,” I said, trying not to cry. “If they need me so much…then Allie must not have beaten the virus.”

  “Hey,” he said.

  I turned towards him and could feel a stray tear slide down my cheek. I brushed it away.

  He lifted my chin with his finger and then looked me in the eye. “Don’t ever give up hope. You’re a survivor and I have faith that your sister is, too. Don’t ever give up hope, Cassie. That’s what you’ve told me.”

  “Hope? I tell you what, it’s a lot easier to preach it then it is to believe in it these days,” I said.

  “That might be so but it’s still very good advice,” he said. “You know, thinking of you gave me hope when I found myself alone in Florida. I lost two of my best friends, my parents were missing and everything they had was destroyed and I just kept thinking about you and your incredible will to survive. I mean, you’re so young and yet you escaped from a psychotic dickhead, made it across the country to find your family, escaped after being caged up here. You also kicked plenty of zombie ass, helped everyone more than once to stay alive, and never complained about anything. Someone is watching over you and I have faith that everything is going to work out for the best. Just don’t lose that hope, kid. Promise?”

  I smiled sadly. “I’ll try.”

  “Wow Billie,” said Nora. “That was inspiring. Let me guess, you were a youth counselor before the shit hit the fan?”

  He turned back to her and smiled. “No, not at all; I was a drag queen.”

  Nora’s jaw dropped. “No shit?”

  “Shit,” he replied.

  “So you like boys?” she blurted out.

  I gave her a horrified look. “Wow, that was… smooth.”

  She had the sense to look embarrassed and started rambling. “I mean there’s nothing wrong with that. I like boys. Shit, I mean I love boys and men so I can understand if you do, too.”

  Billie sighed. “I like boys but not romantically. I’m not gay, Nora.”

  “Really?” she said.

  He nodded. “Really. I like girls and everything about them. Just because I rock as a Christina Aguilera impersonator and look sexy in a Versace gown, doesn’t make me gay. It just makes me a shit load of money. Or, rather, it used too.”

  She bit the side of her lip. “Well, you have to admit, it’s not the kind of job most straight guys choose.”

  “I know but I’m not an average straight guy.”

  She nodded. “That’s cool because I don’t consider myself an average straight girl, either, so I respect that.”

  He smiled. “Somehow I figured you might.”

  She smiled back at him.

  Billie started the engine and then frowned. “You know what? We need gas and pronto. We’re almost empty.”

  “There’s one up the street,” said Nora. “I need some smokes, too.”

  “Let’s hope the gas station hasn’t been ransacked yet,” said Billie.

  “They probably still have gas, though,” I said.

  “You’d think,” said Billie.

  We drove to the station that Nora had pointed out and everyone got out.

  “Keep your eyes peeled for zombies or other… enemies,” said Billie.

  “I’m going inside,” said Nora, raising her gun. “It looks pretty empty from out here.”

  “We should go in together,” said Billie.

  “Someone might steal the SUV though,” said Nora. “After you fill it, let’s go inside and see what’s available.”

  Fortunately, Billie was able to fill the truck up with gas while Nora and I kept watch.

  “Here they come,” snapped Nora.

  Two zombies staggered towards us, panting like dogs.

  “You take the left, I’ll take the right,” said Nora.

  The one on the left was so rotted that I could no longer tell if it was a female or male. It wore baggy jeans and a gore covered sweatshirt that said, “Zombies Hate Fast Food.”

  “You’re kidding me,” I giggled, approaching it with the windshield cleaner from the gas station. I slammed it into the zombie’s eye and then kicked it in the stomach.

  “Told you those shoes would work pretty well,” smiled Billie as he closed the gas tank cover.

  I curled my lip in disgust. “Yeah, but now my shoe has something on it.”

  He handed me a wet wipe.

  “We’ll need ammunition again and soon,” I said, watching as Nora pummeled her zombie in the face with a metal flower pot she’d found and emptied.

  Billie nodded. “Yeah but try and save your bullets for marauders if at all possible. Zombies can’t kill you from a distance, but humans certainly can.”

  “I’ll do that,” I said as Nora smashed the zombies face against the pavement.

  “Wow, she’s a pretty good fighter too,” said Billie.

  “Yeah, Nora’s always been a brute. Don’t let her small frame fool you.”

  Nora walked over and dunked her hands in the windshield wiper water, which was disgusting enough. Billie handed her a wet wipe.

  “Thanks. So, let’s check inside the station for something to use against the zombies,” said Nora. “Maybe there’s a baseball bat or something else we can use to hit ‘em.”

  “You did pretty well with the flower pot,” said Billie.

  “Not practical to carry around, obviously,” she said.

  Billie nodded and then held up the truck keys. “Cassie, you wait inside of the SUV and I’ll go with Nora into the station.”

  “Okay. Be careful,” I said as he threw me the keys.

  I hopped into the truck and watched as they jogged inside. It was now dark and there were no lights anywhere in the station. I couldn’t see any movement from Billie or Nora and it was making me tense.

  I yawned.

  I should have asked them to find me an energy drink, I thought.

  With my focus on the station I didn’t notice that someone was opening my door until i
t was too late. As I turned a pair of large hands pulled me into the darkness and slammed me to the ground. As soon as my head hit the pavement, I screamed.

  “Shut the fuck up,” growled one of the men, covering my mouth with his hands. I tried biting him but he hit me in the head with his other one and I saw stars.

  “She’s a fighter, better tie her up,” said a deep voice.

  Before I knew, my hands were behind my back and my mouth was taped shut. Then I was tossed into the back of Billie’s SUV and the door was slammed shut.

  “Meet you back at the hotel!” hollered one of the men and the truck started moving. I could hear gunfire in the distance, probably from Nora and Billie, but it was too late. We were flying through the night and I was scared to death.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  It didn’t seem like we drove very far when we screeched to a halt. The back door opened up and three men stood there, staring at me with guns.

  “She’s a little skinny,” said one of them, rubbing his chin.

  “And a little young,” said one of the other ones.

  “Doesn’t matter. She’ll do,” said the third with a merciless grin.

  The men were all tall, dark and very dangerous looking. They were dressed in expensive clothing and one of them, a big brute of a man, had rings adorning almost every finger. They kind of reminded me of mafia, if there still really was such a thing.

  “Tony says we’ll draw more audience if we use women. This is just a slip of a girl, though. The last one we used was stacked and they seem to like that better. I’m not sure about this one.”

  “She’s a looker, though; you know what I’m saying? Better than nothing and we have to keep the audience interested,” said one of the others.

  I didn’t know what they were talking about but it sounded like really bad news for me.

  “Let’s get her with the other bitches,” replied the man with the rings, grabbing me. He tossed me over his shoulder and we were soon entering the Ritz Carlton. Obviously, whoever they were had expensive tastes.

  A half a dozen armed men were talking amongst each other in the lobby of the hotel, which was lit up. When they noticed us coming they all stopped and stared.