Territory of the Dead (Book 2): Phase Two: Evaluate Read online

  Both doors were locked. I rested against the brick exterior, breathing hard. I didn't want to break the lock on the door. If I did, there wouldn't be anyway to keep the zombies out. I checked the window next to me, moving to each one to see if any were left unlocked. The third one was.

  Shimmying inside, I quickly slammed it shut before locking it, for good measure. Inside, it was sweltering hot but neat and clean. I slumped down into an abandoned office chair, catching my breath.

  I didn't know if the zombies would track me here. None of them had seen me slip in, but it wasn't a guarantee of safety. Somehow, they just seemed to know how to find the living. I got up, carefully peeking out of each window to see if any were close by. They weren't.

  Grabbing onto the wooden rail of the staircase, I walked upstairs to make sure I was alone. Sheets covered the few remaining pieces of furniture, but it was otherwise empty. Judging by the amount of dust in the rooms, it hadn't been cleaned in awhile.

  I moved to the window facing the back of the grocery store. It was further away than I'd originally thought. More zombies had joined the original three, slowly gathering around the back. They roamed with no clear purpose in mind, but I knew that they had one. I doubted the thought of food every really left their minds. They lived for no other reason.

  This was what Kellan would return to. An empty grocery store with a mob of zombies, with no idea as to what had happened to us. I didn't see how he could get into the Suburban to leave. I couldn't call out to him, even if I did see him, not without letting the zombies know my location. If I did, it would probably clear the zombies away so Kellan could be saved, but it would leave him no way to take me with him.

  Upstairs was even hotter than downstairs, so I opened the window to let some fresh air in. I was thirsty, but it would have to wait. With a sigh, I pulled the sheet off of a rolling chair and pulled it to the window to sit and wait. After a moment, I turned the chair so the back was against the wall. Even though I knew I was alone, I was too scared to leave my back unguarded. Better safe than sorry.

  The minutes passed, the heat increasing by the second. One by one, the zombies eventually wandered away, leaving just a few behind. Some of them disappeared into the store, while others moved off in different directions. I was glad to see them thin out. It increased my chances of survival.

  Eventually, I zoned out, still awake but in a trance. The Suburban wavered in the distance, covered in a shroud-like haze to my weary eyes. I wasn't sure how much more my body could take.

  Off in the distance, a flash of black caught my attention. I turned my face, blinking when I saw movement. Immediately, I recognized the three covertly working their way back up the side of the street. Or at least two of them were. James was doing nothing more than going through the motions, a sulky expression on his face.

  They were still too far away for me to call to, but my body tensed in anticipation. Kellan looked furious. His dark eyebrows were pulled together, his mouth tightened into a grimace as he stalked from tree to tree.

  James grew lax, making no attempts to remain hidden. Kellan grabbed him by the back of his shirt with his large hand, forcing him down as two zombies passed them by. Once they did, the men moved again with James scowling at Kellan's back.

  Jayden looked worried, his head often turning in the direction of the store. I felt bad for him. He had to be worried, especially seeing how many zombies were now wandering around.

  I wasn't sure how they'd managed to find each other, but I was relieved they were all alive. I held my breath as the three started up the hill that led to the Suburban. Kellan pulled out his pistol, reattaching the silencer. Aiming carefully, he shot the remaining zombies.

  As they crested the hill, Jayden and Kellan exchanged concerned looks. I was sure they noticed the back door, and it was likely they wondered what had happened to me. I leaned forward on the windowsill, preparing to call for them, but I never got the chance. A growl from the ground drew my attention. I quickly jerked back at the sight of the two zombies in the grass by the door.

  My heart pounded. Did the zombies know I was there? Waving my arms violently, I tried to attract the attention of the men at the top of the hill. They didn't linger, though. James got into the Suburban while Kellan and Jayden stormed the store, with their guns drawn.

  Beneath me, another zombie joined the other two, reminding me of the night they had taken my house. I continued to wave my arms, hoping that James would look around and notice me. The windows of the Suburban were too dark for me to see if my efforts were successful.

  Picking up the pistol from the sheet-covered desk next to me, I carefully opened it to see how many bullets were left. There were five, more than enough to take care of the ones below me. That wasn't taking into consideration the others shuffling in, not only around the building I was in, but in between me and the men.

  Kellan and Jayden walked back out, with Kellan reloading his pistol. When he was done, he ran a frustrated hand over his head before jerking it back down and marching to the Suburban. Jayden followed behind him, his shoulders slumped in a way I'd never seen before.

  I inhaled deeply, preparing to call out. It was now or never. Instead of following through, though, I let the air rush out of my lungs in a hard rush. I couldn't do it. There were too many zombies between us, three lives at stake compared to just mine.

  In despair I waited, preparing to watch them leave the same way we had come in. Jayden and Kellan climbed in the front seat as I leaned forward with shaking arms. I had one last chance to escape. After Kellan turned the Suburban around, I was going to wave with everything I had in me.

  But they never did. The Suburban shot straight forward, disappearing from sight as it turned the corner in front of the store. I slumped over the windowsill in disbelief.

  As strong as I wanted to be, I couldn't help the tears that filled my eyes. They were gone, and so was my one chance to go with them. I pulled the upper half of my body back in the window. Thankfully, none of the zombies looked up. They shuffled around below me, as if they could sense I was inside, but weren't quite sure, yet.

  I imagined how my parents would feel when the men returned without me. It would devastate them. Our family was close, never having experienced the drama that many of my friends had with their parents.

  Their departure also made my situation hopeless. Kellan's home wasn't within the town limits of Pleasant. He wouldn't be back, and neither would anyone else. They would believe I was dead, now a member of the flesh-eating zombies. Kellan was practical. He wouldn't waste time and effort on a hopeless cause. It was horrible, knowing the ones closest to you believed that you were dead, when you weren't dead yet.

  If I had a car, could I drive to his place? Possibly. I'd only been out to it once, and I hadn't paid much attention to the roads when we left that morning. It would be risky, though. A million things could happen between here and there, and that was if I could even find a car with keys.

  The sheer amount of zombies I'd seen in Pleasant since the apocalypse was staggering. Then again, I wasn't sure why I was so surprised by the numbers. Most, if not all, of the residents were dead and walking the streets. A thousand people might be considered a small town, but in a circumstance like this, the numbers were overwhelming.

  I sank back down into the chair, wiping my shirt sleeve over my face. Tears were still running down my face, but they were silent ones. I couldn't risk the full-on crying spell I really wanted to have. All it would take was one solid noise to confirm the zombies' suspicions.

  I couldn't blame the men for leaving. They really had no choice. It wasn't like they could have driven around, screaming my name. Even in a small town like this, finding one person would be impossible, and in their minds, they likely believed I was already dead.

  Leaning my head against the wall, I considered my options. The hot Louisiana heat was oppressive, the air humid and hard to breath. My clothing was soaked with sweat. It was like being trapped in a large oven, and I w
as being baked alive.

  * * * * *

  Fingers bit into my shoulders, the pressure painful against my skin. Insistently, someone shook me. “Wake up, damn you,” an icy voice hissed above me. “I didn't spend all afternoon driving around just to lose you now.”

  I couldn't ever recall feeling so sick. My stomach rolled, nausea bubbling up my esophagus. My clothing felt wet against me, my eyelids too heavy to lift up. The floor was hard underneath me, my body stiff and sore. I had been in and out of consciousness for awhile.

  At that moment, I was too weak to care if I lived or died. I felt dead already, or at least working my way toward it. I wasn't able to muster up more than a low groan. It must have been enough because he stops shaking me.

  Blackness.

  I feel movement, but it's all around me. It makes the nausea inside of me worse, but my body doesn't have the strength to expel it from my body. I feel chilled from the cool air all around me.

  A man is talking to me from somewhere close by. I recognize the soft tones, but his voice is different than what I'm used to. He sounds worried. “I'm going to make this all better, Tabitha. Just hang on a little bit longer. I haven't waited for you this long, just to lose you now.”

  My muddled mind is addled. It couldn't be Kellan. The illness was messing with me, making me hear things that weren't real. He continued to talk, his words fading away. I desperately fought to hold on to my consciousness, but my body wouldn't cooperate.

  Blackness again.

  I'm floating. My body is light as air, my hair hanging away from my head as it trails to the ground. The blessed coolness is gone, replaced with the dreaded heat again. Deep inside I whimper, but I wasn't sure if the sound ever made it past my frozen lips.

  Maybe I'm descending into Hell. Darkness is all around me, combined with an intense, unrelenting heat. But wait. I'm pressed against a hard body with two arms wrapped underneath me. They are strong like steel. Despite the heat, I feel safe and sheltered. These arms would never hurt me, they would never let me slip into the fiery pit. Death won't win this time.

  “Oh, God,” a woman wails out. I feel her cool hands press against my face. They ground me. The floating sensation stops. “Has she been bitten?”

  “I don't believe so, but I won't know until I get her inside.”

  “Tabitha,” my mom continues, her voice trailing off into a sob. I desperately want to open my eyes and reassure her, but I can't. My mouth is swollen and dry, the nausea stronger than it was before.

  “What's wrong with her?” My dad asks, his voice worried. “Why won't she wake up?”

  “Unless you want to watch your daughter die in my arms, I need everyone to get the hell out of my way,” Kellan barks out, his tone rough and gravelly. The soft-spoken, tender man from my dream world was gone. The real Kellan was back, and it broke my heart.

  Before I could examine the thought any further, darkness returns. I'm swept away to a black void where I know no more.

  Chapter 4

  They say that consciousness comes back slowly, but that wasn't the case for me. One moment I was out, the next moment I was awake. The illness I experienced before was gone but my mouth was dry and parched. It was late afternoon, the sunlight weak as it poured through the sheer curtains of the room I'd picked for my own.

  Someone had moved chairs into the small room. My parents sat beside me, worry creasing their faces. “Mom,” I croaked out, my voice unrecognizable to even my own ears. “Can you get me something to drink?”

  She stood up and moved to the small table next to the window. Within seconds she was back, a glass of my favorite pop fizzing in her hand. Her face was relieved.

  I reached for it, surprised to see the IV in my arm. At my questioning look, Dad informed me, “You were extremely dehydrated when Kellan brought you in last night. Do you remember that? You've been pretty sick.”

  I pushed myself up in the bed, resting my back against the headboard. Mom held the straw up to my lips, and I drank deeply before taking the glass from her. It did the trick. I sent her a small small of gratitude as I finished it off.

  My body felt sticky from the heat and sweat. Someone had undressed me, leaving me in my panties and bra. I tucked the sheet underneath my armpits before pushing my tangled hair away from my face. I was alive, and that was all that mattered. “I don't think I've ever been that sick before.”

  Mom sat back down, both of them watching me talk. “James left to go to the gun store, and that's when it all fell apart. A few minutes later, someone screamed. We thought it was James, so Jayden left to try to help. I nearly got bitten, but I was able to hide in the old insurance office behind the store. It was so hot in there, but I couldn't yell to the men when I saw them. There were too many zombies in between us, and I couldn't have put them at risk like that.”

  I left a lot out, but it really didn't matter. I was sure James, Jayden, and Kellan had already filled them in.

  Dad grimaced. “It's going to be a long time before I forgive James for putting my daughter at risk. In fact, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to. James might be my age, but he is an idiot. Not only did he almost get himself killed, but the rest of you, as well. Right now, the only person talking to James is his daughter. He's already caught hell from Kellan, but I doubt it will do any good.”

  I couldn't disagree with anything he said. James was out-of-control. If Kellan were smart, he wouldn't be taking him back to Pleasant any time soon. I nodded at my arm. “Who put the IV in? Kellan?”

  Mom nodded, beaming. “He's got a lot of medical experience. Kellan carried you in, checked you for bites, and immediately diagnosed you with severe dehydration. If it wasn't for him, we might have lost you.”

  I choked on the drink. “Kellan undressed me?” I squeaked out as I coughed, completely mortified at the thought.

  Dad shrugged, his voice stern when he answered me. “When it comes to your life, I don't care if the president has to undress you. Kellan was the only one with the medical experience needed to save you. Plus, we all know how adamant he is about ensuring nobody is bitten. It was completely impersonal, but necessary, to save your life.”

  A brisk knock sounded at my bedroom door. The caller didn't wait, though. The door immediately swung open, revealing Kellan on the other side. Speak of the devil, I thought crossly to myself.

  I wasn't quite prepared to see him. My mind needed time to sort through my broken memories. I wasn't a spur-of-the-moment type of girl. Instead, I preferred to mull things over. I wasn't sure if I should be embarrassed to see him or grateful.

  Kellan's eyes were indeed impersonal as they swept over me. To my relief, they didn't linger. He stepped in, nodding to my parents in greeting before announcing, “I need to examine Tabitha.”

  It was a rather abrupt statement, but Kellan was an abrupt man. Straight and to the point, I wondered if he'd ever done anything as trivial as exchanging pleasantries or talking about the weather. Impossible.

  Here in Louisiana, life just seemed to move at a slower pace. It was one of the many reasons why I loved living in the south. In Pleasant, good manners mattered. Whether it was sincere or not was debatable, but here, people actually took the time to ask you how you were doing. Working as a cashier, it was a question I'd grown used to hearing at least a hundred times a day.

  I sighed, my thoughts turning bleak. All of that was gone. Things would never be the same again, not in my lifetime. Everything about my small-town life was over. No longer would people stroll about the sidewalks, walking their dogs and enjoying the beauty of a warm spring day. And things like family reunions, sleepovers, or going out to the drive-in were nothing more than a part of history.

  And what about shopping? No longer could we run out to the nearest shopping center when we needed something. In the past, I'd never truly appreciated the convenience they represented. I could only imagine all of the people that were inside the largest stores when the apocalypse happened. Now they were zombies like everyone else, destined
by fate to perpetually shop... But I was willing to bet the stores were out-of-stock for the live flesh the zombies were looking for.

  Humans were no longer the top of the food chain. We were at the bottom, and the odds were stacked against us. How could a small group of survivors survive, when the whole world wanted to eat you?

  We were okay, for now, but how long would that last? What would happen to us when we ran out of gasoline, and the fuel sources went bad? The same could be said for canned goods, medicines, personal hygiene products, and even toilet paper. And God forbid one of us should get something life-threatening like cancer. I never realized how much I relied on technology, but I did now. And this was only the beginning. What would the quality of our lives be like, five years down the road?

  But I was being optimistic. In all likelihood, we wouldn't be alive for that long. None of us had what it took to survive in this new world we'd found ourselves trapped in. At least none of us but Kellan, and possibly Jayden.