A storm was brewing. Thick clouds rolled in from the west, and the wind tossed trash around the interstate like it was the empty fairgrounds of a departed carnival. Tanner and Samantha had made their way to a community called Perimeter Center in the northeast corner of Atlanta. It had been a long, hard day, and both were physically exhausted. A loud boom of thunder sounded, and they instinctively reached for one another.
“We need to get indoors,” she said, looking up at the dark sky.
He pointed ahead to a large shopping mall that was a good quarter mile away.
“Let’s see if we can make it there.”
“Okay,” she said over the wind. “But we’d better hurry.”
Within minutes, the bottom dropped out. Rain blew over them in huge sheets, forcing Samantha to hold on to one of Tanner’s belt loops to keep from losing him in the deluge. After nearly half an hour of walking through the soaking rain, they arrived at the mall. The doors to a JC Penney were already broken in, and the two stumbled in wetter than survivors of a shipwreck.
“You okay?” he asked, water spraying from his lips.
She coughed. “I think so.”
He sat down on a small bench and poured water out of his boots. Looking over at her, he couldn’t help but smile.
“You look like a drowned cat.”
She flopped down next to him.
“Well, you look like the monster from the black galloon.”
“Black galloon?”
“Yeah, it’s from a scary movie.”
He smiled. “Now I remember.”
“This place looks creepy,” she said, looking around at what was left of the clothing store. Daylight extended into the small entryway, but beyond that, it was dark and cold. Body parts from mannequins were scattered on the floor, like the whole place had been staged for a slasher film involving teenagers and chainsaws. Piles of clothes, many with tags still attached, were sitting on counters and draped over racks, the wishful thinking of an optimistic retailer. The air smelled of decomposing bodies, but thankfully the store was large enough to diffuse much of the stench.
“It’s better than being out there,” Tanner said, gesturing outside. Rain continued to pour, and cracks of lightning lit the sky like flashes from the cameras of overzealous tourists.
“I don’t know. I’ve got a bad feeling about this place.”
“Come on,” he said, standing up. “Let’s see if we can find something dry to wear.”
A few minutes later, they stood in the dark trying on clothes. They each had a small penlight they had found in a store outside the prison, but neither of the lights worked very well.
“What do you think?” Samantha asked, clicking on her penlight. She was wearing orange bellbottom pants and a white shirt with beaded buttons and puffy sleeves.
“Not bad for a hippie.”
“What’s that?”
“A hippie is someone from my generation. They sort of lived for the moment.”
“So, is that good or bad?”
“Given that it’s the end of the world, I’d say it’s perfect.”
She looked down at her clothes one more time and then smiled, apparently satisfied with her selection.
A loud noise sounded as something fell from within the store.
Samantha’s eyes grew wide, but she didn’t say a word.
Tanner brought up the shotgun.
“Kill the light and move close to me.”
They stood in the dark for more than two minutes just listening. Nothing moved.
“I don’t hear anything,” she whispered. “Maybe something just fell—”
They both stiffened as they heard the unmistakable sound of feet trudging across the carpeted floor. Samantha grabbed Tanner’s arm. He could see the light from the store’s entrance about forty yards away, but further into the store, there were only indistinguishable shadows.
He leaned down to Samantha and whispered, “Make yourself as small as possible.”
She sank down, curled into a ball, and leaned back into a rack of clothing.
Tanner took three large steps away from her and clicked on his penlight.
Something lunged at him. Perhaps it had been a man at one time, but not anymore. It was hunched over, arms dangling in front, its hands twisted like a gargoyle’s claws. The face was disfigured with pus-filled blisters, and its eyes leaked black slime.
Tanner froze for a moment as if caught in the gaze of a basilisk. The creature latched onto him, its claws digging into the flesh of his neck, its mouth closing in toward his face. He instinctively struck forward with both hands, the shotgun and flashlight falling from his grip. The creature stumbled back, howling with uncontrolled fury.
The shotgun had fallen at Tanner’s feet, but he dared not try to pick it up. Instead, he stepped forward and stood over it. The monster jumped at him again, spitting and screaming as it lurched forward. This time Tanner was better prepared. He sidestepped and hit the creature with a hammer strike to the back of its neck. It stumbled to the ground, but before it could fall, Tanner grabbed it by the ear and lifted it back up. Latching onto its windpipe with his other hand, he ripped its throat out.
He dropped the corpse and quickly retrieved his shotgun and flashlight. Holding the two together at waist level, he spun in a circle. Several other creatures were approaching, each as hideous as the first. He fired at the closest, and it folded backward like a cardboard cutout. Others rushed toward him, screaming and hissing as they came.
Tanner shucked the spent shell and racked and fired another. The pellets tore a softball-sized hole through the hip of the closest creature. Tanner racked another shell, but before he could get it off, they were on him.
Disfigured hands beat and clawed, bruising and tearing his flesh over and over again. He wrestled the shotgun free and fired, sending another one of them stumbling back. Unable to work the shotgun’s action, he whipped it up, striking a fourth one under the jaw. The stock split its face open as bone splintered through flesh.
Hands pulled at him from behind. Tanner planted his feet and spun around hard with the shotgun. It caught another creature on the side of its head, knocking it to the ground. It struggled to get back up, but he racked a shell and put an end to it. It was only then that he realized he was no longer being attacked. His adrenalin was pumping so hard that he couldn’t tell whether he had killed all of the creatures or if some had retreated back into the darkness.
His ears were ringing from the thunderous shotgun blasts, and his body stung from a dozen different wounds. He racked a fourth shell and searched the darkness around him. His penlight lit only a few feet in front of him, but there was nothing still alive in the beam.
Tanner stumbled back to the rack in which Samantha had hidden. Before he could say anything, she peeked out from between the clothes.
“Can we go now?”
Tanner sat on the tailgate of a large four-wheel drive pickup parked in front of a liquor store. Samantha used a rag soaked in vodka to clean the bites and scratches covering his arms and neck.
“Do they hurt?” she asked, dabbing one of the wounds. “Not really.”
“They sure look like they hurt.”
He took a swig of lukewarm beer.
“I suppose you’re waiting for me to say you were right.”
“About?”
“About not going into the store.”
“Well, I was right.” “Yes, I suppose you were.” “Were they zombies?”
He sighed. “Of course not. They were just people.”
“They didn’t look like people. They looked like zombies.”
“If they were zombies, then we have a big problem.”
“What?” she asked, setting the rag aside and looking at her nursing handiwork.
“They bit me. You know what that means.”
Her eyes grew wide.
“Do you feel… hungry?”
He rubbed his stomach.
“Now that you mention it, I’m star
ving. I have a strange craving for red meat. The rarer the better.”
She furrowed her eyebrows.
“Seriously? Don’t mess with me.”
“I’m seriously hungry. Aren’t you?”
“Well, yeah.”
“There’s a supermarket just up the street. I bet we can find something to eat there.”
“You’re going into another store?”
“What have I got to lose? I’ve already joined the walking dead.”
“Good point.”
“How about we get food and then find a safe place to sleep?”
“Okay, but if you start to change …”
He took another swig of beer.
“Don’t worry. My ex-wife would tell you I’m incapable of change.”
Tanner and Samantha knelt behind an overturned ambulance. The gurney had fallen out the back door, but thankfully, it was empty. They stared at a Safeway supermarket directly across the street. In front of the store was a lone child riding on a tricycle, whizzing up and down the sidewalk as if warming up for a jump with Evil Knievel. He couldn’t have been older than four, and yet, an adult was nowhere in sight.
“That’s strange, right?” she said.
“I’d say.”
“You think his parents are inside?”
“I hope so.”
“He couldn’t have survived all alone.” She paused. “Could he?”
Tanner shrugged. “Let’s go check it out. But keep your eyes open.”
“I’m going to walk behind you just in case someone shoots at us.”
“Great. Thanks for thinking of me.”
As soon as they stood up and stepped clear of the ambulance, the little boy spotted them. He whipped his tricycle around and raced into the entrance to the grocery store. They approached slowly, studying the windows and doors to see if anyone might be watching. Tanner carried his shotgun in one hand by his side so as not to appear any more threatening than he already did. When they were a few steps from the store’s entrance, a teenage boy stepped out. He had a deer rifle pointed at them.
“Stop right there,” he said, holding up the rifle.
They stopped.
“What do you want?” he demanded.
“We’re just looking for some food.”
The young man looked over his shoulder and said something to someone inside the store. After a moment, he turned back to face them.
“My mom wants to know where you’re coming from.”
“We drove over from Alabama.” Tanner walked slowly toward him as he spoke. “We’re traveling all the way to Virginia. What about you folks?”
The teenager started to back up but quickly found himself with his back pressed against the wall of the store. He seemed uncertain about what to do next.
“We’re from here.” He looked over his shoulder again, and by the time he looked back, Tanner was standing close enough to brush his teeth.
Tanner glanced into the store and saw an attractive woman holding the toddler who had been riding out front. He nodded to her, and she returned a nervous smile. He turned back to the young man and extended his hand.
“I’m Tanner.” He motioned behind him. “And this is Samantha.”
The boy lowered his rifle and reluctantly shook Tanner’s hand.
“I’m Lucas. Mom?” He looked back at her again for her approval.
She came out of the store, carrying the young boy.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “We’re afraid. That’s all.”
“He won’t hurt you,” said Samantha. “Tanner only kills bad guys and zombies.”
The woman looked confused. Tanner indicated that Samantha had a screw loose by rotating his finger beside his head. The woman smiled and nodded.
“What are you folks doing here?” he asked.
“Like you, we came to get food,” she said. “That was nearly a week ago. We just ended up staying here. There’s plenty of food and drink, and we really didn’t have anywhere else to go. I’m Janice, by the way.” She reached out and lightly shook his hand. When she pulled her hand away, he felt the gentle swipe of her fingers across his palm.
“We’re waiting for my dad to come back,” added Lucas.
“I suppose a grocery store is as good a place as any to hole up. How long has your dad been gone?”
“Three days,” he said. “So he’ll be back anytime now.”
“My husband went out to gather supplies,” she added. “He was going to the mall and a gas station.”
“The mall,” Samantha whispered, tapping Tanner on the side of his leg.
“I see,” he said, ignoring her. “And have you seen other survivors?”
“A few cars here and there. No one has bothered to stop.”
“You’re lucky,” said Samantha. “We’ve seen all kinds of bad things.”
“She’s right. You have been lucky. I wouldn’t advise letting your boy ride out in plain sight like that.”
“That was an accident,” she said. “We’re normally more careful. Come on, let’s get inside.”
As they stepped into the store, Tanner and Samantha were immediately struck by the smell of rotting food. She covered her nose and started to gag.
“Wow, that’s bad.”
“You get used to it,” said Lucas.
Janice and Lucas led them around the Safeway as if giving a tour of their family’s new vacation home. To Tanner’s surprise, the store was still fairly well stocked. Long shelves were stacked with canned and boxed foods, as well as soda and bottled water. The right side of the store was filled with piles of rotting fruits and vegetables, with huge clouds of sour flies swarming around the produce.
“Now I know what stinks,” said Samantha.
“That’s only half of it,” said Lucas. “The refrigerated foods at the back of the store are worse. We try to stay clear of that area because of the flies and maggots.”
Janice cut her eyes at her son.
“Sorry about the smell,” she said, touching Tanner’s arm. “But there’s still plenty of good food left.”
“And you’re sure you wouldn’t mind us having a little?”
“Of course not,” she said, smiling. “Lucas, go find something for Tanner and his daughter to eat.”
Samantha started to say something, but Tanner reached out and put his arm around her.
“Thanks, we’d love a good meal. We’ve been eating junk food for two days. My baby girl needs her protein if she’s going to grow up big and strong.”
Samantha pinched his palm, hard.
Janice set her little boy down. “Tommy, stay closer this time.”
He nodded and raced toward his tricycle. Within seconds, he was pedaling off down one of the aisles.
“Boys,” she said.
Tanner smiled. “He’s young enough that he’ll adapt to this mess. Probably better than the rest of us.”
She reached out and took his arm in hers.
“Come on, let’s sit and have a little grown-up talk. Your daughter can go with Lucas if she wants.”
Tanner looked over at Samantha.
She squinted at him.
“Yeah, Dad, that’s fine.” She turned and followed Lucas deeper into the store.
Janice took Tanner to a small area on the far wall where she had set up makeshift sleeping quarters for her family. Blankets were piled on the floor, paper plates were lying everywhere, and several plastic lawn chairs were set out in a small circle. She led him to one of the chairs, and then slid another up next to his.
“So, you’re headed to Virginia?” she asked, pulling her hair back and tying it in a small bun.
“That’s right,” he answered, not quite able to take his eyes off of an open button on her shirt.
“Family there?”
“The little girl’s mother.”
“Your wife?”
“No, we’re not together.”
“I understand,” she said. “Relationships come and go, but our children are forever.?
??
“I am having a hard time getting rid of her,” he said with a chuckle.
“Poor thing. You’re hurt.” She leaned over and touched one of the cuts on his face.
“Believe me. They got the worst of it.”
“I bet they did. You look like a man who can take care of himself. But even a big, strong man needs a woman’s touch from time to time. Am I right?”
Having spent more than four years in prison, Tanner was certainly not immune to Janice’s charm.
“Where I came from, women were in short supply.”
“And you missed them?”
“Oh yes.”
She stood up and moved over to sit on his lap. For a moment, he thought that the flimsy chair might collapse, leaving him with a sore backside and her a red face. Fortunately, it held. And while Janice’s clothes and face were dirty, her body was warm and inviting. He felt a powerful desire that had been bottled up longer than the fizz in Vernor’s ginger ale.
“I’m a practical woman, Tanner,” she said in a soft voice. “I know that if my sons and I are to have any chance of surviving, we’re going to need a man around here. A big, strong man.”
“What about your husband?” he asked, his eyes directly in line with her breasts.
“If he was still alive, he’d already be back.” She leaned in and kissed one of the cuts on his forehead.
Not only did Tanner know that she was probably right about her husband, he also didn’t feel the need to argue the point when she was riding sidesaddle on him. The best he could muster was to restate the obvious.
“We’re going to Virginia.”
She lowered her kisses to his cheekbones.
“I know you are. But there’s nothing saying you have to go right away.”
He closed his eyes and enjoyed the soft touch of her lips on his skin.
“I gave my word.”
She put her lips to his ear.
“We all have to break promises sometimes,” she whispered. “Lean back and let me see if I can’t change your mind.”
Lucas pushed a shopping cart up one of the aisles while Samantha followed a few paces behind him.
“So what grade are you in?” he asked.
“Sixth.”
“That’s cool. I was in eleventh. I guess I won’t graduate now. No college either.”
She shrugged. “It’s just school.”
“Yeah, but I really wanted to go to college. It’s the only way to be someone important. Now, I’m stuck living in a grocery store. That’s not fair, you know?” He pulled down some cans of potted meat from one of the shelves and dropped them in the buggy.
“If you don’t mind, get some of that tuna for me,” she said. “I like tuna.” He grabbed several cans and stuffed them into her backpack.
“I had plans, dreams. I was going to get my degree, drink beer, meet a girl. The whole college experience. You’re young, so you don’t really get it. But believe me, this whole thing blows.”
“Tanner says you have to accept things the way they are. Deal with hardships without getting caught up in the unfairness of it all.”
“No offense, but that’s just stupid grownup talk. Parents don’t want to admit how bad things really are because they figure we’ll freak out or something.” He knocked a box of crackers into the cart. “Why do you call your dad by his first name, anyway?”
“Oh, that. Well, we didn’t live together for a while. I had another dad, you know?”
“Ah, I get it. The whole stepdad thing.”
“Right,” she said, nodding.
“Well, when my dad gets back, we’re going to get out of here. That’s for sure.”
“Where are you going?”
“To live on the beach in Florida. I figure we can move into one of those big mansions on the water. Everyone’s dead, right? No one would care anymore. Besides, teenagers like warm weather where they can skateboard and stuff. Any young people who are still alive will probably go there.”
“That sounds nice. But what if your dad doesn’t come back? Three days is a long time to be gone.”
He whipped around and stared at her like she’d just kicked him in the shin wearing a pair of steel-toe boots.
“I told you,” he said. “My dad’s getting supplies. What the hell do you know anyway?”
There was a dark hatred in his eyes that scared Samantha. She looked around, but they were completely alone. She wasn’t even sure that Tanner would hear her if she screamed.
“Sorry,” she said. “I’m just a dumb kid.”
He stared at her, clearly deciding her fate. Then, as if he had taken a swig of Dr. Jekyll’s potion, the darkness vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
“That’s okay,” he said, turning back to his shopping. “Anyway, you’ll like my dad. He’s real smart and takes good care of us. My mom and I both love him to death.”
Tanner was zipping up his blue jeans when he heard Samantha and Lucas approaching. Janice was a few feet away, scrambling to get her blouse buttoned.
“That was amazing,” she said, winking.
“No complaints here either.”
Lucas rolled up, pushing a shopping cart full of food.
“I brought a little of everything. Meats, potato chips, peanut butter … take whatever you want.”
Tanner picked up a box of granola cereal, tore open the top, and started munching on a handful.
“Thank you. We appreciate the generosity.” He looked over at Janice. “We really do.”
“You know what they say about southern hospitality,” she said, grinning.
He opened his pack and loaded up several cans of food.
Looking over at Samantha, he said, “Did you get what you wanted?”
She patted her backpack. “I’m good, but it’ll be dark soon. We should really be going.”
“I suppose you’re right,” he said, looking out the window.
“What? I thought you were going to stay with us. The food … the hospitality.” Janice seemed beside herself.
“While we appreciate your kindness, we can’t stay. We have to get to Virginia.”
“But you said …”
“No, darlin’, I didn’t.”
Her face turned red with anger.
“This isn’t right.”
He slung his pack over his shoulder.
“I agree. That’s one reason we’re moving on. Give your husband a few more days. If he doesn’t show, I suggest you try to team up with other survivors. You’ll fare better that way.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Lucas said through clenched teeth. “My dad is coming back.”
“I hope you’re right.” Tanner motioned for Samantha to head out of the store. She seemed eager to lead the way.
As he turned to follow her, Janice blurted, “Take us with you.”
Lucas spun around. “Mom, we can’t leave. Dad won’t know where to find us.”
“Take us with you,” she pleaded. “I’ll take good care of you. And Lucas will be a great big brother to your daughter.”
Lucas crossed his arms and pressed his lips together, refusing to say another word.
It took Tanner longer than it should have to decide.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”
“Why? We won’t be any trouble.”
“I know you won’t,” he said, not entirely convinced of his words.
“Then why?”
“The truth is there are people out looking for us who wouldn’t hesitate to kill you and your sons. Believe me. You’re safer here.”
“But…” She searched for the right words that would change his mind. Not finding them, she sighed and said, “Okay, I get it.” She stepped forward and gave him a small hug. “No regrets,” she whispered in his ear.
He smiled and kissed her cheek.
“You take care of your boys.”
She stepped back and put her arm around Lucas. As if on cue, Tommy reappeared on his tricycle from around on
e of the aisles.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep my family safe,” she said.
Tanner turned and followed Samantha out of the store. Of all the things Janice had said to him, her last few words were surely the most telling.
The Super Star motel was nothing special. The beds were lumpy and the carpets stained. Following a meal consisting of canned fruit, tuna fish, and peanut butter, Tanner and Samantha had retreated to the abandoned motel in hopes of getting a decent night’s rest.
Most of the rooms were free of bodies, which Tanner attributed to people avoiding bedbugs, even when the end of the world was at hand. Samantha had already fallen asleep on one of the beds. The room was dark but safe.
He stepped out onto the porch and sat in a folding lawn chair. Cigarette butts were scattered on the ground like pages of a lost diary. He opened the last remaining beer and took a drink. It had been a hell of a day. As he sat listening to the quiet of the night, the deep rumble of diesel engines sounded in the distance. A few minutes later, a long caravan of lights traveled along the bypass around Atlanta.
Were they the ground forces that Agent Sparks had mentioned? Were they looking for Samantha? He had no way to know for sure.
He leaned around and looked in through the doorway at the sleeping girl. She hadn’t moved. He rubbed his eyes, weighing his actions of the past two days. What was he doing? Taking Samantha halfway across the country was about like trying to get Dorothy back to Kansas. He couldn’t begin to answer why he had agreed to do it. She wasn’t family. Not only that, she brought with her some very serious baggage, the type that might land him back in prison.
He turned around and leaned back in the chair, watching the convoy of military vehicles slowly pass in the distance. It would have been easy to draw the soldiers’ attention. Perhaps firing a shot into the air or flashing a car’s headlights. But he did neither. Instead, he sat quietly in the dark until the convoy passed, the string of tail lights shining through the night like landing beacons on a runway. He took another long swig of warm beer. It tasted awful, but hell, it was still beer.
Chapter 22