The Living Dead Boy (Book 2): Lost in Texas Page 4

  “Not me. I wasn’t allowed into the club until yesterday,” Sam said, pouting.

  “You saved Yessica, so you’re a full member,” Troy said with a nod.

  “You’re a very brave boy,” Savannah agreed.

  Sam puffed up under the compliments. “My dad’s a sheriff. I take after him.”

  “Josh helped us survive,” Corina said. “He helped us know what to do.”

  Blushing, Josh ducked his head.

  Jamie gently patted Josh’s arm. “You’re good at thinking on the spot, so you got an advantage over a lot of people.”

  “I learned it from you, Dad.”

  “Why aren’t you shooting the zombies?” Sam asked, pointing to Jamie’s gun.

  “I have it on good authority that those zombies will run into a world a hurt when we reach the highway. I’d rather save my ammo. Just in case.”

  The words were heavy in the air. They all understood what “just in case” meant.

  Josh shivered.

  “I hope we never get to ‘just in case,’ because that would suck,” Troy said.

  Everyone remained quiet, and Josh suspected that they, too, like him, were imagining the worst scenarios.

  Chapter 7

  An hour or so later, white light blazed across the front of the bus.

  Wincing, Corina finally lifted her head from Josh’s shoulder. He was disappointed, though his arm had been slowly going numb. He joined her in sitting up straighter in an attempt to see the source of the brightness. Huge lights illuminated the upcoming highway intersection. The construction light towers were arranged inside a perimeter of Army vehicles and construction equipment. The highway heading toward San Antonio was completely cut off with barricades and a guarded checkpoint. Cars were jammed into two lanes on the other side. The headlights were blinding when combined with the light towers. Horns honked over and over again, but the Army personnel kept the multiple lanes of traffic stopped behind a temporary barricade to let the convoy through.

  “Are all those people escaping from San Antonio?” Corina asked.

  Savannah nodded. “I would guess so.”

  “But what about the zombi–” Sam started to say.

  A steamroller motored past the bus and flattened the zombie stragglers that had followed the convoy.

  “Oh.” Sam sat back in his seat, blinking rapidly. “Gross.”

  “World of hurt, huh, Dad?” Josh rolled his eyes, recalling what his father had said earlier.

  “Even with zombies in the world, I’m not giving up my lame dad jokes,” Jamie answered with a wink. “One of the soldiers told me earlier they were using the steamroller to clear the zombies. Pretty effective.”

  “Effective and definitely gross. Don’t look, kids,” Savannah said, clearly worried about what Josh’s mom had called ‘kids’ impressionable minds.’

  “They’ve seen worse,” Jamie said, his smile disappearing. “Much worse.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Savannah gave Josh a sheepish apologetic look. “Sorry, hon. I forgot.”

  “It’s okay,” Josh answered.

  “We’re Zombie Hunters,” Troy said soberly. “We’ve seen it all.”

  “But that was really gross.” Sam shook his head. “Really, really gross.”

  Several men in Army uniforms with orange vests over their armor waved the caravan from Austin onto the highway with flashlights.

  “Finally,” Derrick sighed, since the bus was next in line.

  “Follow the vehicle in front of you. Do not attempt to pass. Do not block the shoulder. Stay in the two designated lanes. Do not attempt to turn around or exit. Keep one car length between vehicles...” a voice droned over a loudspeaker. “If you spot the undead, keep moving. Do not attempt to strike the undead with your vehicle. Your escort will deal with all threats.”

  Josh craned his head to get a good view of the blocked-off highway as the bus turned. There were lots of crushed vehicles shoved off onto the sides of the road. Even more chilling: a massive stack of bodies was burning in the median under the watchful eye of people in uniform. The San Antonio-bound lane was blocked off completely and filled with military vehicles, police cars, fire trucks, and highway patrol SUVs. The traffic coming from the city, which was over an hour away, was bumper to bumper for as far as Josh could see.

  “They’re trying to get the evacuation under control. They’re letting us through, then they’ll let the other cars advance in groups,” Jamie explained. “It’s to keep everyone moving, and to prevent car accidents.”

  It did calm Josh’s anxious mind to see the military out in force.

  “And we’re going to a FEMA camp? Where?” Corina asked.

  “They’re not sure yet. Right now they’re just trying to get us away from the cities. Lots of people who would be coordinating the evacuations are missing, or dead,” Jamie replied.

  “They should have planned better. They should have known,” Ron said in a tight, angry voice.

  Josh hadn’t even realized the man had been listening in.

  “They obviously didn’t,” Savannah replied. “We barely made it out of Austin, remember?”

  “They knew about the riots. They knew something was wrong in Houston. They should have planned better. And now we’re trusting the same people who failed us to get us somewhere safe?” Ron looked away, his jaw set in a furious line.

  “They have guns. They’re the Army,” Sam piped up. “They’ll get us somewhere safe.”

  “Yeah,” Troy agreed.

  The man ignored them, which was fine with Josh. He was tired of people being jerks when things were so scary.

  The speed of the convoy picked up on the cleared highway. Army jeeps, police cars, and highway patrol vehicles were part of the escort. In the air above, helicopters circled, spotlights illuminating the trees, pastures, and highway.

  “Will they go back and check on our hometown?” Corina asked Jamie, her voice quivering. “To see about other survivors?”

  “When they get the outbreak under control, I’m sure there will be a search for survivors,” Jamie reassured her.

  “You think they’ll get it under control?” Ron scoffed. “Right. Sure.”

  “Would you mind not scaring the children?” Savannah said, her eyes narrowing.

  “Or the adults,” Rachel added, combing her fingers through her dog’s thick fur.

  Bonnie looked pleased with the attention, but was definitely keeping an eye on Ron.

  “Do you see this firepower?” Derrick called out. “They’ll get it under control.”

  “When?” a voice shouted from the back. “When? In a few days? Weeks? Months? Years?” It was Beaux, the guy in the janitor uniform.

  “I don’t know, but it’ll happen,” Derrick answered. “It has to.”

  The bus rumbled along between another bus and an RV. Josh leaned forward so he could see the reflection in the side mirrors. The barricade was still in sight with its big lights, honking horns, and bonfire of zombie bodies. He’d hate to be stuck back there waiting. He wasn’t too sure it was even possible to bring order to all the people attempting to flee the zombie outbreak, but he was glad that the Army, police, and other first responders were trying to help.

  Settling back in his seat, Josh stared out at the darkened countryside. The bus was moving faster now, and the gentle rocking slowly relaxed his tense shoulders. Drake let out a little snort in his sleep.

  “He’s got the right idea.” Savannah lightly brushed her hand over Drake’s back. “You should all try to sleep now that we’re moving again.”

  “Sav is right,” Jamie agreed. “Get some shut eye.”

  “I’ll get Derrick another energy drink,” Savannah decided. “He’ll be driving until morning. Joe says he’ll take over then.”

  Joe was the other bus driver. Older with lots of wrinkles around his pale blue eyes, he’d driven while Derrick slept in the afternoon.

  “Is it safe to sleep?” Sam asked worriedly.

  “We got t
he Army,” Troy reminded him. “We’re safe.”

  “Safer than those people back there,” Corina said soberly.

  “You think they’re in danger?” Josh tried to see her face in the dark, but could only make out the faint lines of her features.

  “Stuck behind the barricade waiting? Yeah. What if the zombies in the towns between here and San Antonio are drawn to the sound of all those horns honking and the gun shots?”

  Josh nodded. “Maybe they’re moving by now.”

  “I’d hate for us to be stuck behind a barricade waiting for rescue.”

  “We rescued each other,” Josh reminded her. “Now we’re going to a safe place.”

  Corina’s fingers nudged his, and it took Josh a second to realize she wanted him to hold her hand. Embarrassed that his palm was sweaty, Josh wrapped his fingers around hers.

  “We’ll be okay,” Josh said.

  “Promise?”

  “I promise.”

  Josh could see Corina’s faint smile in the gloom and it made him happy.

  “Is she your girlfriend now?” Sam asked loudly.

  “Shh!” Troy waved his hands at Sam to shut him up.

  “Go to sleep, Sam,” Jamie ordered, closing his own eyes.

  “I just asked,” Sam grumbled, but he settled back on his seat. “Sheesh.”

  Corina rested her head against Josh’s shoulder again, and he timidly leaned his against hers. Closing his eyes, he willed sleep to come as helicopters zoomed overhead and in the distance shots rang out.

  Chapter 8

  Josh woke gradually from a very deep sleep. His mouth felt super dry, like a desert, and his stomach hurt with hunger. Groggy, he raised his head and felt drool on his chin. He hastily wiped it away, embarrassed. To his relief, Corina was still sleeping, her head nestled against his numb shoulder.

  The light inside the moving Metro bus was gray and outside the windows a thick mist clung to the terrain. The world looked unreal like a video game where monsters lurked in the fog. He wasn’t certain why he’d awakened, but then noticed the convoy was slowing. Brakes whining, the bus shuddered as Derrick downshifted.

  Most of the people on the bus were still asleep, but a few sat up with scared looks on their faces. Across the aisle his dad was already awake and watching the terrain with a scowl on his face. Next to Jamie, Savannah was slumped against the window with Drake on her lap. Both were still asleep.

  The sight pinched Josh’s insides and a flash of anger heated his face.

  It should be his mom sitting there, not Savannah.

  Josh’s hands clenched on his lap.

  It wasn’t fair that his mom wasn’t alive and holding Drake while he slept.

  For a second he wanted to yell at Savannah and tell her to stop taking his mom’s place, then the anger flickered out and died in his chest. He couldn’t be angry at the young woman who had done her best to keep the kids on the bus fed with chocolate and protein bars from her gym bag while not taking one for herself. She’d also made sure to keep them hydrated with sips of water from her thermos, and gave her energy drinks to Derrick and Joe to keep the drivers alert.

  It wasn’t her fault his mother was dead.

  In the end it was no one’s fault.

  “Why are we stopping?” Troy asked in a muddled voice. He sat up, rubbing his hair with one hand. The end result was that his afro was lopsided.

  “Not sure,” Jamie answered in a lowered voice. “I’ll check it out.”

  Watching his dad walk to the front, Josh noticed that his dad’s socks were sagging around his ankles. His shoe with the zombie guts on it had smelled up the bus until Derrick made Jamie throw it out the window. How was his dad supposed to fight zombies without shoes?

  Josh suppressed a yawn behind his hand.

  Troy leaned his elbow on the seat and peered over it at Josh. “I’m so hungry I could eat a super-burrito at Beto’s all by myself.”

  Josh’s stomach rumbled at the thought of the food at the only Mexican restaurant in their small town. “Me too. With a large side of guacamole and chips.”

  “Even worse, I gotta pee like a horse.” Troy winced.

  “Tell me about it.” Josh’s bladder felt like it would burst soon.

  “Are we there yet?” Yessica asked from under her seat.

  “I don’t think so,” Josh answered, tilting his head to see her small grimy face peering up at him.

  “I need to poop.”

  “It already smells like fart in here. You could poop and no one would notice,” Troy said.

  Yessica scrunched up her face. “Yuck.”

  The bus did smell bad from all the sweaty, dirty people.

  Up front, Jamie and Derrick were talking in lowered voices. Bonnie sat next to Rachel, who was still asleep, watching the two men with curiosity. The dog was really well behaved. Josh was certain she was hungry and needed a bathroom break, too. They hadn’t had one since last evening.

  The bus finally stopped, and the jolt woke more passengers.

  Corina stirred at Josh’s side and raised her head. Lifting her glasses from her lap to her face, she looked around in confusion. Josh spotted the moment when she remembered where she was by the drooping of her chin. With a sigh, she adjusted her glasses on her nose.

  “Where are we?” she asked.

  “Stopped, and not driving in circles,” Troy answered. “Which we did most of last night.”

  “Seriously?” Josh tried to peer through the mist, but could only make out a few trees and a barbed-wire fence.

  “Yeah. I saw the same town like four times last night before I fell asleep. They don’t know where they are going.”

  “That can’t be good,” Corina muttered.

  “Remember what my dad said. All the people who’d be planning the evacuations are dead or missing, so it’s going to be harder to organize.” Josh regarded the rest of the passengers. “I just hope people stay calm.”

  “Fat chance of that,” Troy grumbled glaring at Ron.

  Ron was blearily staring out the window with his lips pressed into a flat line. Standing abruptly, his angry gaze swept over the other passengers before he spun about and said in a loud booming voice, “What’s going on?”

  “See,” Troy said, shaking his head with disgust.

  Across the aisle, Drake woke with a start, looked around, and burst out crying.

  “Not again,” a man’s voice said in despair.

  Savannah tried to shush Drake, but he slipped out of her arms. Darting across the aisle, he crawled over Josh to Corina. With a sigh, Corina snuggled him onto her lap and gave Josh a tired look. Drake kicked at Josh, clearly wanting to stretch out his small body. Surrendering to his little brother’s wishes, Josh joined Troy.

  “Please make him stop crying,” Clare, the woman with the slowly deflating blonde hairdo, whined. “Please! I can’t take it.”

  Jamie shot a glare at Clare. “My son is scared just like the rest of you. Wanting his mother to comfort him isn’t some sort of crime. She’s... gone. Is it too much to ask for you to have some understanding?”

  Beaux, the janitor, said, “Sorry, Jamie. It just gets on our nerves when he won’t stop crying.”

  “He’s just a little boy,” Savannah retorted. “He lost his mother. Have a heart.”

  “Enough about the kid,” Ron bellowed. “Shut up about him! He’s gonna keep crying. The more important question is why have we stopped?”

  “We’re about to find out,” Derrick answered. “Jamie, we’ve got company.”

  Three soldiers in full battle gear were walking toward the bus. The one in the middle signaled for Derrick to open the door.

  “Finally! Some answers!” Clare exclaimed.

  The passengers quieted, eyes glued to the entrance.

  Derrick opened the door and Jamie peered down at the soldiers on the roadside.

  The soldier didn’t step into the bus, but instead said from outside, “Sergeant Rondell, could you please come with us?”
<
br />   Jamie’s eyes darted toward his sons.

  Josh wasn’t certain, but he thought he saw panic in his father’s eyes.

  “Sir?” The soldier seemed surprised by Jamie’s hesitation.

  “Yes, of course, I’ll come with you. Give me a second, please.”

  “What about the rest of us?” Ron asked the soldier.

  “Please stay on the bus,” was the answer.

  More voices chimed in:

  “But what is going on?”

  “What’s happening?”

  “Why’d we stop?”

  “We’re hungry!”

  “Just remain in your seats,” the soldier ordered.

  Jamie hurried over to Josh and Troy. He started to hug Josh, but then slung his arm around Troy, too. “Boys, I need you to watch out for each other and Drake. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Dad, why are they calling you away?” Josh asked.

  “I’m reactivated, Josh. I’m about to get a new assignment. Yours is to stay here with your brother... brothers.” Jamie gave Troy’s shoulder a gentle squeeze.

  Troy looked close to crying at being included.

  “Okay, Dad,” Josh replied, again feeling helpless.

  Jamie took the time to move to Corina’s seat and kiss Drake. “I’ll be back, little man.”

  “I’m the baby.”

  “Okay. I’ll be back, little baby.” Jamie lightly patted Corina’s cheek. “Thank you for taking care of him.”

  “It’s okay, Mr. Rondell. I don’t mind helping,” she replied.

  “Sir?” the soldier called out.

  “I’m coming.”

  Jamie briskly descended the steps, and Derrick shut the door behind him.

  Josh and Troy flattened their faces against the window to see what was happening. Jamie walked into the mist with the soldiers and vanished.

  Chapter 9

  For about fifteen minutes after Jamie Rondell departed, the passengers debated among themselves about what might be happening with Jamie and the soldiers before they finally lapsed into nervous silence. It was a relief when the heated discussion stopped. Josh was tired of all the complaining. Every time one of the adults got upset, it only made him feel more helpless and scared.