Winter's Salvation (35 page)

It laid trying to get up rocking back and forth on its back. 
Jay chopped through the front of its neck severing its spine. Eric laughed and tossed the catcher back in the Explorer.  “Are you going to tell anyone?” 

“Really?  No.  You’re going to need me anyway.”  He pulled himself into the passenger side of the Ford.

“You want to come?”

“Hell no!
  There’s this new Miss in town and I just haven’t had a chance to hit that yet.  I got too much of a good thing here.  We’re going to park outside the gate about a hundred yards from the fence and walk back.  This way no one will dare go looking for it and secondly if they see us walking back from it, none of those other slugs are going to know how to fix it.” 

Eric put the truck in gear.  “Thanks.” 

“I do hope you find your family.” 

“I know you do.”         

**********

The weather in the village had turned
from cool to wet, cold and extremely windy.  The sound of a stiff breeze smashed against the high house on the staging and caused the scaffolding to rock, but with the exception of Eric, the rocking caused everyone inside to drift into a deep sleep.  The rocking of the staging encouraged him more and more that this was their time to go.  The reasons of why not to stay were weighing on his mind and one reason was, how is this place going to look after a major storm came through.  The scaffolding they slept on was secure just as long as a strong storm doesn’t come through and collapse it or tip it over while they were in it.  A piece of clear plastic taped to the sides of the window came loose in one of the corners and began to flap causing Sam to stir a little. 

From the clear plastic Eric watched the guards at the back exit next to the motor pool that separated him from t
he Explorer.  From this window he was able to face the guards, and also the main dirt road that lead directly to the back gate.  There were people walking around the village, but most of the villagers were fast asleep in their tents or wishing they could fall asleep with the heavy wind.     

  The rounds the guards made consisted of walking to the two corners of the village on their side and glancing down the long fence of the village.  After looking down the long fence ensuring nothing was clinging to it they would turn and walk back to the back gate.      

  “Naomi, it’s time to go.”  He shook her shoulder gently and whispered to her. 

Already being packed she gave a quick stretch and woke the children.  She pressed her index finger against her lips and
shushed into it signifying they had to be quiet.  Eric had watched the guards and was anticipating they were getting ready to make their round, so he began to pack their pillows as they lifted their heads.   

“Did you see the atlas?”   Eric gave up looking for it a long time ago, but in desperation started searching the small room again.  

Naomi shocked by the noise he was making, “You said you didn’t need it once we got to Baltimore.  We can just head north and run into Maryland, it’s not a big deal.  We’ll make do without it.” 

             
Without saying a word his body language gave into her logic.  “It would just be nice if we had it, that’s all.” 

             
Eric put the pistol in the front of his jeans and rapped Drew and Samantha up in the blanket they shared.  He ensured they had all the best coats and blankets he came across even though it violated the village rules.  Naomi wrapped herself in one and then handed one to Eric.  If they were planning on staying at the village he may have followed the rules, but his intention was not to stay very much longer, after it had gotten cold. 

They climbed down the staging and moved closer to the exit.  Just as he had planned it, the two guards left the gate to patrol the s
ides of the fence.  Eric removed the chain carefully from the two swinging doors that made the exit, but in the cool air the clanging of links rubbing across metal fence sent echoes down the vacant dirt street. 

             
With the swinging gate left open they ran from the village.  They did not take the time to close it and ran as fast as they could.  Their bags beating against their backs, they breathed heavy plums of breath into the air.  Just a few steps away from the village a voice rang out.  “Eric don’t make me run afta yahs.”  Dan’s voice and horrible use of the English language was very distinct. 

             
“Keep goin I won’t be far behind.”  Eric stopped and the three traveled on just a couple steps beyond him.  He kept his blanket tight over his body hiding his body features.  With the moon behind him the light shined bright on the guard, but the moon hid his own features in mystery. 

             
The fat guard walked up slowly shuffling his feet.  He pointed the machine gun at Eric at his hip level.  “Yall jus thought yall were gonna get up an leave without saying good bye?”  If his horrible red and black flannel jacket didn’t give him away his even worse ability to talk sure did.  “I believe you an my buddy have a liddle disagreement, an he wants to show you his side of the story.” 

             
“Look Dan we’re leaving.  We thought it would be best if we did it this way.” 

             
Jeremy was the other guard on watch this night and he came running behind Dan with a baseball bat in hand.  A bandage covered his nose making his voice nasally. “We’re not just going to allow you to leave.  You are going to have to ask us nicely and maybe even give us a little something before we allow you to leave.”  As he ran up Dan lowered the tip of his weapon. 

             
“Yah know, I could give two shits about where it is you are going, but I could really use a bit of nigger lovin.”  Dan said as he waved the gun in Naomi’s direction.  “What do you think Jeremy?  She gives it up we let them go.”

             
“That’s what I was thinkin.”  Jeremy smiled showing two missing front teeth.  Eric couldn’t help, but think he did that.   

             
Naomi and the children were standing less than fifteen feet behind Eric.  She pulled the children in close and then forced them behind her using her body as a shield. 

             
Standing between them, but up the road to the village another figure walked toward them.  Eric immediately recognized Jay from his long hair and also saw the machete swinging from his side.  Something he had never noticed before from him was the shape of a pistol in his right hand.  “Hey.”   He said just loud enough to get Dan and Jeremy’s attention.    

             
With Dan waving the tip of the machine gun at Naomi and his children and now with his head turned, in one motion Eric grabbed the barrel letting the blanket drop from his shoulders, and pressed his pistol against Dan’s forehead.  “We just want to leave.”  Eric barked quickly forcing the redneck to arch his back backward from the pressure of the gun.

             
“Hell you probably don’t even have any bullets in that gun, you fucking pussy.”  Dan’s partner said confidently as he started to step closer, wrapping his hands tighter on the bat.  “And this don’t concern you Jay.”

             
“He’s got bullets!” Dan hollered out. 

             
With his first step closer to Eric, “Do you really want to find out?”  After a short pause, “We are leaving.” 

             
Jeremy took another step. 

             
Eric took a side step to widen his stance and looked Jeremy in the eyes.  “Jeremy you will die today.”

             
“I think you should listen to him Jeremy.”  Jay said trying to be the voice of reason.   

             
Jeremy took a half step.  Before his foot touched the ground he pulled the trigger and fired the shot into Dan’s head, the entire time never taking his eyes off Jeremy.  As Dan’s body fell lifeless to the ground, he turned the gun on Jeremy and pulled the trigger.  A single shot went into his chest and another quickly followed.  The three bullets rang loud throughout the dirt streets of the village. 

“We cool?”  He asked Jay

“You my boy.”  He nodded his head and walked over to the two bodies.  “Take it easy out there.  I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Eric nodded in appreciation and then t
hey ran the short one hundred yards to the Explorer.  The SUV started quickly and they began to travel to Maryland.    

Chapter 17

Don’t Wait Up Too Long

             
Maryland always had a smell and feel about it that felt like home to Eric and as soon as he stepped from Virginia into his home state a feeling of elation washed over him and a smile spread across his face.  Taking one step closer to being home made him smile, but that step was greeted by a bitter cold sting over his face, as a strong breeze filled his hood like a balloon.  The wind in Maryland was constant and strong.  It felt to them as if there was an invisible wall that stopped the wind from entering Virginia.     

             
They spent two nights travel in Maryland before making it to Eric’s home.  They arrived at the single family house in the suburban development, just before sunset and Eric debated with himself about going in when the sun was beginning to go down, but after traveling months to get here the thought of not walking in when the opportunity was right in front of him was over powering.  The thought of his parents meeting him at the door with open arms passed through his mind a couple times while they were traveling through Maryland, but then again the idea of finding them dead, eaten alive also continuously ran through his thoughts.   

The streets were quiet, but a still silhouette of a figure at the end of the street stood statuesque from the setting sun and a passing shadow moved between a few houses putting them at full attention.  They traveled in trained silence and were able to make it with no unwanted encounters, but night was falling and Eric could feel Naomi beginning to b
ecome uncomfortable with the falling sun. 

             
His house had been broken into and was no different from any of the other hundred or so different houses they had slept in, except he noticed that his father’s cream colored Nissan was parked in the driveway.  The open red front door had a large crack through the middle of it and was broken off its top hinge; the screen was ripped off and most of the windows on the first floor were broken from undead trying to crawl in or out.  There is a small porch with green outdoor carpeting that was slippery from the wet and cold weather, and the dirty white lawn furniture managed to stay on the porch, but was now thrown haphazardly.  Walking up the steps leading to the front door revealed something to Eric that instantly broke his heart, but gave him a strange form of relief. 

             
A body lay on the living room floor, but not in one piece.  It was so badly mauled, it could not complete the change to a zombie.  Torn and ripped jeans were close to the front door and what looked like the chewed remains of a torso was hidden under a knocked over end table.  This body Eric immediately recognized as being his fathers.  He was able to put together the ripped and paint stained blue jeans and the shamrock belt buckle as being the same one his dad had always worn.  If it was not for that he would not have been able to identify the body. 

             
He stood looking down at the corpse for a few moments trying to convince himself that it was not him, but there was no denying it.  Eric began to truly accept the feeling of relief, knowing his father died quickly and did not wind up as one of the undead.  He turned to the three that waited just outside the door.  “Come in.”  He said as he stepped over the pants and deeper into the living room.  Just then something moved up stairs as if it responded to his voice. 

             
Naomi, Sam and Drew stepped lightly into the living room and carefully over his father’s remains.  He did not have to tell them this was his father, because they all looked to him with sympathy, knowing from his melancholy facial expression, this person on the ground was a family member. 

Eric began to walk deeper into the house.  “I’m going up stairs.”  Naomi began to follow, but he held out his hand stopping her.  “I want to go alone.” 

  After he walked to the kitchen and turned a corner, the sound of creaking footsteps followed every soft step he tried to make.  Naomi walked quietly to the back and turned the corner looking up stairs to see Eric standing very still and looking through a railing at the level above.  His hands hung by his side in defeat and not moving a muscle, he stared at something on the second floor.  Eric peered down at Naomi and a clean line over dirty cheeks escaped his welling eyes.  The tear rolled down his right cheek and then got caught in his unshaven face.  It continued to shine on his cheek until the last glimpses of light remained in the house.