Karl came over the radio and said, “You didn’t back my play there, partner. You kind of made me look like a liar.”
“You really want to talk about it?” I replied. There was a long silence.
“Naw, we’re good.” he said.
When we got back to the apartment, Karl asked if everyone would meet in the living room. In front of everyone, he apologized for his behavior and said that he hoped Alison and especially Grace would forgive him. He seemed pretty sincere. Halfway through his spiel, I quietly stepped out and took Chloe out in the back garden to pee.
They can work out their issues without me. I wanted to think about my own concerns. I will need to find some extra gas cans and a map. But other than that, I’m ready to get out of here.
DAY 57
I have not left yet.
I got up before dawn and loaded up my new Land Rover. When I got back up to the apartment, I could hear someone throwing up in the front bathroom. I didn’t want to know. I wanted to just slip out the back with Chloe and be gone before anyone got up.
Something inside of me just wouldn’t let me go.
I knocked softly on the bathroom door. I waited patiently as the toilet flushed and someone ran water for several moments. I heard sniffing, and then someone fumbling to unlock the door and turn the handle. The door opened and Albert appeared. He looked like crap. His nose was red and his eyes puffy and bloodshot. He had a blanket wrapped tightly around him.
He told me he was using the front bathroom because he didn’t want to wake anyone up. I must have looked concerned because he quickly added that he wasn’t infected with anything but the stomach flu. He was sure he wasn’t going to turn into one of Them.
After looking at him, I wasn’t so sure. He waddled back down the hall to his bedroom leaving me standing in the living room in the dark. As I was contemplating what to do, Chloe started to growl at something in the room with us.
I had my Colt 1911 in my waistband. Without any conscious thought, I drew it and snapped off the safety. The lamp by the sofa clicked on, making me squint as the bright light assaulted my eyes. Karl was sitting on the couch, his big Dan Wesson revolver lying across his lap. Chloe continued to growl until I snapped my fingers, silencing her.
Karl smiled grimly at me as I lowered my weapon. He jerked his head toward the hallway.
“Don’t worry about it. I got my eyes on him. When it comes time, I’ll put him down.” he drawled. “So, taking off now?” he asked.
I looked down the hall thoughtfully, and then turned back to Karl.
“I think I’m going to stick around for a while. And if he turns, I’ll be the one to take care of it, if it’s all the same to you.” I said.
As much as I wanted to go, even I wasn’t a big enough asshole to leave under these circumstances. I was genuinely worried about Albert’s fate, as well as what would happen to Alison and Grace if Albert wasn’t around anymore.
Karl’s eyes narrowed at me for a brief moment and then he gave me a lopsided grin.
“Hell, I wouldn’t want to have to be the one to tell those girls I had to shoot old Al there. Better they hate you for it. Guess you got some unpacking to do, huh?” he said.
He got up and winked at me as he walked by. Chloe continued to growl at Karl. I had an uneasy feeling in my gut that I couldn’t identify.
The rest of the day was spent mostly indoors. It rained all day. I checked on Albert every hour. He tried to shrug off the seriousness of his illness, but couldn’t pull it off. By 4 p.m. he started looking a little better and even managed to hold down some soup and crackers.
I avoided any serious conversations with Alison. It helped that Grace was with us. She kept Albert entertained with drawings, singing, and card games, even managing to rope me into an intense game of go-fish with them.
Alison and Karl went out in the hall to talk for a while and when they came back she seemed a little more at ease. I remembered her direct talk with me about Albert. I’m sure she didn’t hold back her concerns with Karl either.
I am a little more confident that Albert really does only have the stomach flu. I am also glad I didn’t just slink off without getting closure here. I would have regretted it. When Albert is better I will tell him and Alison my plans and make sure they have solid plans of their own. I owe them that, at least.
Besides, something about Karl has been bothering me. I realize that I felt it from the beginning. I just didn’t want to. I’m not sure what it is. Maybe it’s nothing, but….
DAY 58
Whatever my concerns were about Karl seem to be unfounded.
Albert is feeling much better. Karl took an interest in his recovery and made him some homegrown remedy involving cayenne pepper and something that smells suspiciously like old socks. He told Albert that MMA fighters use it to get over illnesses so they can get back in the ring quicker.
Alison tried to corner me today while I was outside in the garden with Chloe. She apologized for whatever she has done to drive me away from her. I felt like a jackass not opening up to Alison and letting her know that it’s me, not her. I don’t know how to say that I never asked to be saddled with her, a tubby sidekick, and a whiny, little jabbering brat. There’s really no diplomatic way to say that.
The funny thing is that, if it had been any one of them alone, I probably would have been OK with that (especially Alison), but I just never wanted to start my own tribe. And, I realize now that finding my father is not just an excuse to get away from my companions. It is something I should have done weeks ago.
But of course, I didn’t say any of this. Instead, I took advantage of Grace coming out to play with Chloe and slipped away during the commotion. My Rover is still packed up with all my gear. It’s only a matter of time until someone notices and figures out what I’m up to.
DAY 59
I will absolutely be leaving tomorrow (for real this time).
Albert is not 100% but he is going to be fine. He and Alison and I discussed finding a boat over in Oakland. I strategically avoided giving my input as to a destination.
Alison asked if it would be possible to sail to Hawaii. Albert thought about it and then got pretty excited about the possibilities. He calculated that the Hawaiian Islands are roughly 2,100 nautical miles across the Pacific. It seems overwhelming to me as well as insanely dangerous. I realize now that the only reason we came north was because of me.
I discovered a world Atlas under the seat in the Land Rover last night. It has proven to be incredibly useful and noted over thirty-four marinas within a twenty-two-mile radius of us. I will help them find something seaworthy today. Karl listened in for a while as we went over the maps, but doesn’t seem interested in going anywhere. He did offer to help us find whatever we need for the trip. He didn’t let on that he knows I am not going with them.
As soon as we secure an adequate sailing vessel, I will sit everyone down and tell them I am leaving. I am packing this journal away in my gear, so the next time I make an entry it will be from the road somewhere far north of here (I hope). Good luck to us all.
DAY(S) 60, 61
Life is a funny thing.
Sometimes it goes in directions you can’t even imagine or foresee. Two days ago, I was sure I would be on the open road with my dog and no cares in the world (other than not getting eaten by rabid, infected hordes of undead, of course). Years from now I think I will look back and know that these past two days changed me forever.
When I last made an entry I was going to help Albert and Alison find a boat. Karl suggested we take both vehicles out and split up so we could cover more ground in less time. Albert decided to go with Karl in his Humvee. Grace wanted to go with Albert. As Alison and I loaded up in the Rover, Grace changed her mind and decided she wanted to be with Chloe instead.
I carefully watched Karl’s reaction when he heard Grace change her mind. Although his eyes darkened for a moment when she first said it, he remained neutral about the matter. He looked at me, held up his radio in one hand, and held up four fingers with his other. I tuned to channel 4 and he did a radio check by telling me a joke over the walkie that began with, “Two zombie lawyers walk into a bar…”
Under overcast skies we all drove over the Bay Bridge and into Oakland, then split up. Karl and Albert went north and we drove south along the Oakland inner harbor checking out various docks and inlet marinas. We scanned across the water with our binoculars, trying to find a suitable craft in the slips and yacht clubs over in Alameda.
There were numerous powerboats and several small sailboats, but nothing that would be sufficient to cross the ocean in. After spending several hours wandering through all the marinas south, we crossed the San Mateo Bridge into San Mateo and then headed north back into San Francisco.
The undead were everywhere. They bounced off the Rover trying to get to us as we passed, even though I tried my best to avoid them. My vehicle was starting to look like it belonged in a demolition derby. Karl’s Hummer looked even worse. He actually tried to hit them every chance he got.
Alison and I didn’t talk much. Grace jabbered away to Chloe, making it hard to have any kind of private conversation. The only time she stopped was to tell me she had to go pee…again. It was just as well, as I wasn’t looking forward to the talk with Alison that was sure to come.
We had no radio contact with the others. The distance was too far. I hoped Albert and Karl were having better luck than us.
We were headed north on the 101 looking for marina signs when Grace informed us that her going “number 2” was imminent. We pulled off the Sierra Point Parkway exit and headed east. There were plenty of open fields and no signs of the Infected. We pulled into an overgrown grassy area near an abandoned parking lot. I tried not to smile as Grace and Chloe squatted next to each other doing their business. As I looked around, I saw numerous masts sticking up several hundred yards away.
We drove into the Sierra Point Yacht Club and along the walkway on the shore. There were four small sailing vessels and one larger one that looked promising. After fifteen minutes of searching for danger I stepped out, armed with my carbine and standard gear. Alison got behind the wheel and kept the engine running.
I walked out onto the rickety dock and approached the potential craft slowly, looking around suspiciously at the other vessels in nearby slips. I stopped in front of it. The line of bullet holes above (and presumably below) the water line sank my optimism. I heard the horn honk and turned quickly around.
A dozen Infected were surrounding the Land Rover. Where they all came from was anyone’s guess. A half-dozen more had spotted me and charged across the dock toward where I was. I fired twice but didn’t manage to do anything but piss off my attackers. I got lucky when one of them fell off the narrow boardwalk all by himself.
I ran down the docks away from them and came to a dead end. I glanced up and saw that Alison had driven over several creatures and was following me on a parallel path along the shore. I dove off the pier and into the freezing cold ocean. As soon as I surfaced I swam for the shore forty yards away.
My pursuers jumped in after me but sank like stones. I reached the shore and staggered up to the Rover, jumping in to the passenger side just as several undead threw themselves at my door. As we sped away, I cranked up the heater in an attempt to warm myself. Grace complained that I smelled like fish.
We got back to the apartment at around 4:15 p.m. Albert and Karl had not returned yet. I couldn’t figure out why my stomach was churning.
At around 5 p.m. Albert’s voice came over the radio. I can’t even describe the relief I felt. They walked through the front door twenty minutes later. Albert was pretty excited. When I asked if that meant they had found a boat, Albert told me they hadn’t, but that they did get attacked by over a hundred Infected. The way he described it, it was like the OK corral. Karl just grinned the whole time.
Albert told me that Karl had taught him the secret to marksmanship and that his hit ratio had increased dramatically. When I looked to Karl for confirmation his eyes twinkled as he subtly shook his head no.
I was a little irritated that Albert had burned through every round he had for the M-1 carbine, and over fifty rounds of .40 caliber through his Glock. I was even more irritated that they had only managed to search through four marinas as opposed to the eighteen we had covered. He and Karl had a great time together though, and told their war stories to us complete with animated gestures and embellishments.
Later, while we were cleaning weapons, Karl told me that while Albert had actually only shot down four or five creatures, he did manage to butt stroke a dozen more to death (or un-death) with the other end of his weapon.
“He’s a tough little f---er. I was sure he was going to buy the farm a couple of times there.” Karl finished.
The next morning I walked into the kitchen to find Albert, Alison, and Karl sitting around the table discussing their future plans.
I don’t know why it bothered me that they all shut up as soon as they saw me. Grace ran in and gave me a picture she had drawn depicting Chloe biting the ass of an undead person (you could tell they were Infected because they had x’s for eyes).
Everyone laughed, breaking the tension of the moment.
Alison got up to make breakfast and Karl told her he’d help. As they got out ingredients and pans, Karl said that before the world “took a big shit off the cliff” he was going to have a show on the cooking channel entitled “Karl the Cajun’s down-home recipes.” I’m sure it would have been a big hit with all the housewives.
Albert told me that Karl was going to take them out to find another SUV and that they could take their time searching for a boat. I nodded appropriately and excused myself.
After breakfast, Alison found me outside with Chloe. She told me that she didn’t mean to stop talking when I walked in earlier. Karl had just told them that I was having some emotional issues and that he was worried about my ability to “hold it together”.