Bellies full of red meat, mashed potatoes, and biscuits, we returned to our barrack, walking sluggishly. We all fell asleep quickly, still fully dressed, on top of our blankets.
I woke up sometime around midnight, needing to go to the bathroom. Something about the stalls made me uneasy. I finished as quickly as I could and flipped off the lights when I heard someone walk quickly up behind me, covering my mouth with one hand, the other holding what felt like a knife to my back.
“Don’t make a sound, or I will kill you.” A male voice whispered, pressing the knife a little harder into my back.
He sounded familiar.
Boyle.
He guided me quickly into the depths of the bathroom, forcing me to my knees in a clear area. t was far too dark to see him, but I suddenly realized his intentions when I heard him unzip his pants.
Chapter 26
Slowly, I reached up, trying to get close enough to his arm to knock the knife away while he was distracted.
“Put your arm back down.” He growled.
I did as I was told. He had to be wearing night vision goggles or something. I was screwed. Through the beating of my heart, and Boyle’s labored breathing, I didn’t hear the footsteps coming toward us.
The light flicked on, making me hiss and cover my eyes, Boyle yelping and struggling to yank off the night vision goggles, dropping his knife with a reverberating clatter.
I grabbed the knife and rolled sideways, scrambling to my feet.
“What the fuck?” Sully said, standing next to the door, his hand on the light switch.
“Fuck. Uhh…” Boyle stammered, looking from me to Sully and back.
“What the hell is going on?” Sully asked.
“The bastard just tried to rape me.” I said.
“What?!” Sully exclaimed.
Something moved in one of the stalls. We looked to Boyle, questioning him with our eyes. Sully crept forward, pushing open the stall doors as he passed them. Three doors in, he gasped.
“Billie!” He said.
“Is she ok?” I asked, straining to see around Sully.
“That bastard,” Billie said, crying.
Sully bent down, his arms moving swiftly. He moved back, pulling our friend out with him. Strips of tape lay on the ground where she had been, and a cloth gag hung loose around her neck.
Boyle latched on to me, pinning my arms behind my back with one hand, the other quickly working the knife from my grasp, holding it to my throat.
“What the hell is going on in here?” Dean asked, rubbing his eyes as he walked in through the door.
He saw Sully and Billie on the floor together, and Boyle pressing the length of the blade against me, freezing as he drank it all in.
“That bastard…He…” Billie said, still sobbing.
“Did he…touch you?” Sully asked.
Billie nodded.
“Oh my god,” Dean said. “Did you violate my sister?”
He looked at Boyle, eyes wide.
Dean and Sully moved closer and Boyle pressed the knife tighter against my throat, a thin trail of blood oozing out under it.
“Move again and I will kill her.” He said.
My anger was boiling under my skin, threating to come out and rip this asshole a new one. I didn’t want to stop it.
I stomped hard on his foot, twisting away from him, kicking him hard between his legs. Dean and Sully rushed to me, tackling Boyle to the ground and punching him over and over.
Angered, Boyle swiped at them with the knife and I reached down, twisting his wrist until I heard it snap, snatching the blade away. I had to resist the urge to drive it into his face.
Dean made it mostly unnecessary anyways when he slammed his fist into Boyle’s nose, breaking it.
“Back away from him! Drop the knife and stand apart, hands in the air.” Someone shouted. Three men stood in the doorway, guns pointed at us.
I dropped the knife and pulled Dean up, trying to keep him from inflicting more damage. He struggled and I let go, stumbling as one of the men yanked him back and subdued him on the floor.
Sully punched Boyle once more in the ribs before rising slowly, hands above his head.
“Boyle, what the hell is going on?” One of the other men asked.
Boyle just gurgled, blood rushing over his face.
“He attacked us.” I whispered.
“Excuse me?” The man holding Dean down asked.
“That fucker attacked my sister!” Dean shouted.
“I saw him trying to attack Jo.” Sully said. His voice was strangely calm.
The men looked over at Billie cowering by the stalls as if seeing her for the first time.
“We’re going to need a couple medics in here.” One of the men said into his radio, glowering at Boyle. “Unknown injuries to Boyle, and possible rape on a female,”
“What did you guys do to him?” The man holding down Dean asked, moving off him.
“We beat the shit out of him.” Dean said.
“He didn’t…He didn’t.” Billie said, shaking.
“Who didn’t what?” The soldier nearest her asked.
She glanced quickly at Boyle. “He didn’t rape me. He tried. Jo came in and he tied me up.” Her voice quivered.
“Well, we still need to get you checked out.” The soldier said. “Did he hurt you?” He asked, looking to me.
“Just this cut.” I said, touching the thin line of blood on my throat.
Medics came in, two of them guiding a stretcher. They went of Boyle, checking his injuries. A third knelt down to talk to Billie, coaxing her into standing, wrapping a blanket around her. She looked to me, seeing my cut.
“Do you need assistance with that?” She asked.
“No, just some disinfectant and I should be fine.” I said. “Take care of Billie first.”
I stood there, watching the paramedics gingerly lift Boyle onto the stretcher, the other guiding Billie out to the beds. I crossed my arms in front of my chest, moving a little further away from everyone.
“We’re going to have to take you two boys in for questioning.” One of the soldiers said.
“But,” Sully started.
“It’s protocol.” The soldier said, holding up his hands.
Dean and Sully were taken outside, the door closed firmly behind them. The paramedic checking Billie stayed behind, deeming her physically unharmed but mentally distraught.
Two gunshots rang out loud and clear in the night.
Chapter 27
I froze, my heart seizing up. Billie gasped loudly.
The radio of the paramedic buzzed. “Shots fired! Shots fired! What the hell is going on?”
The men that had just led the boys away shouted. I could hear them through the door. “It’s the infected! Oh God! Some of them are wearing uniforms!”
More gunshots.
I rushed to the door, trying to see out the window. Billie flew in behind me, standing on tiptoe to see over my head.
“Where are they? Are they ok?” She said.
“I can’t see them!” I said, pulling on the door handle. It wouldn’t budge.
Billie shoved me aside, pulling hard on the door.
“Unlock this!” I yelled at the medic.
“It’s not safe!” She said.
“Screw safe, my friends are out there!” I screamed.
“And so are mine!” She shot back.
I rushed her, slipping behind her back and putting her in a choke hold. She struggled, but soon passed out.
“What did you just do?” Billie asked, staring at the unconscious woman on the floor.
“I just knocked her out.” I said, searching her pockets for keys.
I found a key ring in her pants pocket, and rushed to the door, trying each one fruitlessly.
“What are we going to do now?” Billie asked.
“I don’t know!” I snapped.
I pounded against the door, hurting my hand in the process. I would have claw
ed my way through if I hadn’t thought I’d completely wreak my fingers doing so. I wouldn’t be much use if my fingertips were worn down to the bone. Not that I was much use then.
“Wait!” Billie shouted.
“What?”
“Why don’t we just break a window?”
I paused. “You’re right.” I said, and cast around for something to use.
Aside from lifting an entire bed, there wasn’t much.
Billie flipped over the nearest mattress, revealing the wooden slats holding it up. She yanked, wrenching it away from the frame and pummeled the window to no avail.
“Shit, the glass is reinforced.” I said.
“What else can we do?” She yelled, hitting the window again.
I looked over to the medic, still out like a light, and saw it.
“Stand back,” I said, grabbing the woman’s gun and taking aim.
I fired off a few shots, sending spider web cracks through the glass. “Try it now,”
Billie hit the window again, even harder this time. The glass crackled beneath the wood and shattered, shards of glass flying everywhere.
I used the butt of the gun to make the hole bigger, and climbed through, Billie hot on my heels. The glass cut into my bare feet and I bit back a yelp.
Outside, a wall of zombies shuffled toward us. A small group of soldiers fought them off, firing rapidly. Ignoring the pain in my feet, I ran to the boys, pulling them back with me.
“Come on,” I urged.
“But what about them?” Dean asked.
“Forget it. We’re outta here.” I said.
“They need help! They’re already overrun!” Sully said.
“Not our problem.” I growled.
“How could you be so cruel? He asked.
“I’m protecting you and I say we’re leaving now.”
We ran. The south gate came into view, sitting open. A few zombies entered, blocking our exit. I shot them, still running and jumped over the bodies, sending new shocks of pain through my bleeding feet.
The trees whipped by as we flew through the woods, searching for my truck; praying it was still there and in one piece.
A few zombies lingered near it, bumping the doors and tailgate. I shot each in the head, emptying the clip.
“Get in.” I spat.
I hopped into the driver’s seat, scraping the glass and foliage off my feet before slamming the door and cranking the engine.
“We just left them to die.” Sully said.
“They’ll survive.” I said.
“But we left them in the middle of an attack!” Dean said.
“I’m not losing you!” I all but screamed. “I have lost everything and everyone else I have ever loved. I am not going to let you die.”
“Where are going to go now?” Billie asked softly.
“I don’t know. I don’t care. Anywhere that’s not near a herd of zombies or freaks in uniform with guns.” I said, tears streaking silently down my cheeks.
They remained silent, sneaking looks at one another, thinking I couldn’t see them. My feet bled over the floorboards, still stinging.
“I won’t lose you.” I mumbled quietly. “I won’t.”
Chapter 28
We strayed closer to a town, far closer than I would have liked, but the boarded up house just a mile off the main road was too inviting to resist. I pulled to a stop next to the porch, looking for an easy entrance.
“Why don’t you stay in here? I’ll check the house.” Sully said softly, putting his hand on my knee when I unbuckled my seatbelt. He turned to Dean and said “Are you going to come with me?”
Dean looked to his twin, who was nursing the cuts on her feet. “Yeah, sure.”
The boys checked the door and windows, guns ready. The boards seemed secure, and the door locked tightly. They made their way around back and disappeared. They were gone for so long I was about ready to look for them myself when the door swung open.
They skipped down the steps and to our doors.
“Come on,” Sully said, grabbing me. Dean did the same to Billie.
“What are you doing?” She asked.
“We’ll be carrying you girls inside. It’s really nice in there.” Sully said to both of us.
“I don’t need you to carry me inside. I can walk you know.” I said.
“You’re bleeding all over the mat.” He pointed out.
“You’re both hurt.” Dean said.
“Fine,” Billie said with a sigh.
“Whatever.” I said. “How’d you get in anyways?”
“Basement door was unlocked.” Dean said.
“Don’t go down there, though.” Sully said.
“Why not?”Billie asked.
“The family here didn’t make it. I think they starved.” Sully said.
“So there are dead bodies in the basement?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Sully said.
“Ok,” I said, shrugging.
Billie and I were carried inside and the boys dashed back out to grab some food before sealing the door again. They pounded nails into the thick bored on the inside of the doorframe, piling chairs and boxes I could only assume the family had placed there before locking themselves into the basement.
“Wait, how are we going to get out of here with all that stuff in front of the door?” Billie asked.
“We’ll climb through the window. It will be a piece of cake to push those boards out from the inside.” Sully said.
The inside of the house was plush: overstuffed furniture surrounded a large fireplace. A bookcase filled one wall, stuffed completely with all manner of books. A gramophone sat on an antique table close to a window and an easel. An old spinning wheel and bags of fleece took up another corner.
“Wait here.” Dean said, and vanished up the stairs.
“What is that thing?” Sully asked, pointing to the gramophone.
“That would be a gramophone.” I said.
“A what?”
“It’s like a record player.”
“Umm…”
“It’s like a really old CDs player but it plays big vinyl disks instead of CDs.”
“Right.”
I shook my head, half smiling.
Dean came traipsing back down the stairs, carrying two dresses, a bottle, and what looked like a roll of tape.
“What are you doing with those dresses?” Billie asked, raising an eyebrow.
“You two need a change of clothes. Your pants are covered in blood and dirt.” He said.
“So? That’s no reason to threaten us with dresses.” I said.
Sully hid a snicker as he caught site of the frilly clothes slung over Dean’s arm.
“You have to get Jo to wear the pink one, man.” He said.
“I’ve killed for less.” I said.
Everyone stopped smiling, leaving an uncomfortable air to linger in the room.
“Let’s just get your feet cleaned up.” Dean said.
He held a towel under my feet and poured some of the bottle over them. It stung.
“Ugh, what is that?” I said, gritting my teeth.
“Peroxide,” He said. “Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll take the pain over an infection.” I said.
He rubbed my feet gently, pulling out the bits of foliage and glass, pouring more peroxide to clean the now empty wound tracks.
I gasped, digging my fingers into the arms of my chair. He pulled over a foot rest and set my feet on them to rest while the liquid bubbled away, dissolving the dirt. Sully gave the same treatment to Billie, whose eyes streamed, holding in a scream while the peroxide did its magic on her.
Our stinging, sore feet resting inches away from each other on the foot rest. Hers looked red as hell, covered in cuts and gashes, so I knew mine must as well.
When the bubbling and pain subdued, the boys wrapped our feet in medical tape and pads of gauze. It felt wonderfully squishy.
“Think you can stand?” Billie asked
me.
I set my feet gingerly on the ground. “I think so.”
“Then let’s get changed.”
“I’m not-” I started.
“Just put on the damned dress. Just this once. We need to clean these pants, and I’m sure you don’t want to run around in your underwear.” She said.
I glowered at her. She glowered back.
“Don’t make me force you.” She said, a smile creeping back into her lips.
“And how do you propose to do that?” I asked.
“I’ll cut your clothes off, and you’ll have no choice.”
“As if,” I said, laughing.
Her hand shot to a table and picked up a pair of scissors, bringing them to my leg; snipping along the seam of my pant leg.
I jerked away from her.
“Ok, ok! I give. There is no need to ruin perfectly good pants.” I exclaimed.
The soft sheer fabric of the pink dress felt strange against my skin, like a cobweb I couldn’t brush off.
“Look at this thing!” I said, staring into the bathroom mirror.
“You look good.” Billie said, smoothing out her deep blue chiffon swathing her.
“This is so wrong.” I said, wrapping my arms around my chest. “It’s practically see-through.”
Billie dragged me back into the sitting room, where the boys had started a warm fire. They gaped at us. I hugged myself tighter.
Dean stood and peeled my arms away from me, examining the flimsy, asymmetrical cut material hanging from thin straps, barely touching my knees.
“Damn,” He said, whistling.
Sully’s mouth still hung open, staring at me and Billie. She spun slowly, laughing.
“You like?” She asked.
Sully nodded.
Chapter 29
The fire quickly warmed me, pulling me out of my shell and into a more relaxed position in the armchair. It was quiet there, peaceful compared to the base. It was almost like being home again.
“I could use some new music. We’ve been listening to the same bands since we left the cabin.” Billie said.
“I could see if the gramophone is working.” I offered.
“Yeah, but wouldn’t it just be old people stuff?” She asked.
“Big Band music is timeless.” I said.
“Riiiiight.” She said, laughing.
“Oh, come on. You didn’t complain at all when we had to listen to it for those dance lessons our parents put us through.” I said.