“Fuck!” The driver swore, breaking her out of her dark thoughts. The driver of their enormous truck pulled hard on the heavy steering wheel, tossing them to the side in the big cab. Katie looked up to see the truck in front of them swerving wildly. Reaching out with her hand, she tried to brace herself as their truck shimmied, then caught the road. It began to pass the truck in distress.
The tarp covering the back of the truck opened and a young boy appeared. His face covered in blood, his mouth open in a scream, he reached toward them. Then someone inside pulled him back inside.
“They’re infected,” Katie gasped. She wasn’t sure if the boy was already turned or a victim, but her pulse was beating rapidly.
“We didn’t have a chance to check everyone before we left,” Travis said bitterly. The road was winding around a hill and a sharp incline led down into the tree line. As they watched in horror, the truck swerved off the road into the trees, shattering branches and slender trees before hitting the thick trunk of an enormous oak. People began to pour out of the back, bloodied and screaming. Horribly, it was hard to tell if they were turned or infected.
The truck Katie and Travis was in kept moving. The sound of gunfire erupted. Katie looked into the side mirror to see the soldiers in a Ford Truck riding behind them opening fire on the people rushing up toward the road.
“They’re taking care of it,” the truck driver assured her.
Katie looked at his grim expression then returned her gaze to the tiny mirror reflecting the horror behind them. She saw two of the soldiers hurtling something into the back of the crashed truck, then there were two loud bangs.
“Grenades,” the driver said softly.
Travis sighed and pulled Katie back into his arms. Kissing her brow, he whispered, “We’ll get home soon and put this day far behind us.” Katie nodded mutely. She still wasn’t sure her father or Bill was alive. She knew Jenni was dead and now so were all the people in that truck. All those poor people who thought they were saved were now dead.
Travis gently stroked her stomach and her hand intertwined with his. They stared into each others eyes, then kissed, holding each other close.
*
Kevin slid out of the truck and landed hard on his feet. He felt bone weary and numb. Motioning to a Dodge Ram full of soldiers, he stood in the road watching the convoy come to a slow stop. The road was straddled between two wide fields, so it would be easy to see if any of the zombies came their way.
Bette was the first one to him, her face pinched and tired. “What’s up?”
“We lost a truck back there. We need to search the rest of the vehicles for infected. We need to go vehicle to vehicle,” Kevin instructed.
“And if they’re infected?” Arnold asked. Kevin sighed, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. He looked over the faces of the eight soldiers gathered around him. “We have no choice. Bette, check our people out first.”
For several tense minutes, there was silence as each man and woman was thoroughly searched for any bites by Bette. Cleared, they moved out. Kevin hesitated, swore, then followed. If he expected his people to do the shit job, then he better damn well be willing to do it himself.
The first truck was his own. People were helped down and it was laid out simply to them. One woman hesitated then held out her arm, showing a clear bite. Those around her immediately drew back and the woman began to cry.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.” Startled that someone in his own truck was infected, Kevin took a deep breath. “It’s okay, ma’am. Just step over there.”
“I’m really sorry,” she said again. “I wanted to say something, but it doesn’t really hurt. Maybe…” She stopped then broke into sobs.
Bette carefully led her over to the side of the road and the woman sat down on the ground crying.
“Anyone else?” Kevin asked.
No one volunteered, so the soldiers slowly began their inspections. To everyone’s relief, no one else was infected.
Moving on to the next truck, it was the same story. People were allowed to volunteer information then were searched. No one protested. Everyone gave in with sad smiles and hollow eyes. They were all tired and hungry and terrified. To everyone’s relief, no one was infected.
Several trucks and buses were empty of infected and Kevin began to hope. They had already lost so many people he just didn’t feel he could deal with too much more death. He was so tired and weary he just wanted to sleep for a very long time. Well, after a hot shower and a good meal that was.
Behind him, he could hear the infected woman still crying. One of his men walked over to stand behind her. It was a hard sight to look at, so he avoided it.
The people from a bus were given the all clear and piled back in. Many looked at him with desperate eyes, looking for some sort of reassurance. He forced a smile he did not feel and several looked relieved.
Moving on to the next truck, he saw Travis drop to the ground then reach up to help his wife down out of the cab. Bette and two other soldiers quickly examined them and the driver and gave the clear sign to Kevin. They moved to the back of the truck to unload the passengers. Kevin strode up to the couple and sighed.
“Good to see you’re safe and sound,” Kevin said in a low voice. Travis looked over at the crying infected woman, then back at Kevin. “I wish everyone was.”
“Yeah. But she probably won’t be the only one,” Kevin answered with a sad sigh.
Travis agreed silently with a grim look on his face.
“We have to do this. We can’t risk the fort.”
“Doesn’t make it any easier, does it?” Travis reached out and patted Kevin’s shoulder. “I’m sorry about your friends back in the mall. They were brave.”
“So was your friend,” Kevin said with a slight smile. “One helluva a feisty one, wasn’t she?”
“You have no idea,” Travis answered with a bittersweet laugh. “No idea.”
Katie was holding onto Travis tightly and she even smiled at this comment. She looked exhausted. On impulse, Kevin reached out and tucked her hair back from her face.
“You did the right thing,” he said, slightly embarrassed.
“That doesn’t make it any easier.”
“I understand,” Kevin assured her.
“Katie!”
Kevin looked up to see Bruce Kiel heading toward them. His wrist was heavily bandaged. Kevin felt his heart sink.
“Dad! No! Dad!” Katie was instantly on the edge of hysterics and rushed toward her father.
“Katie!” Travis dove after her, catching her about the waist. “Katie, no!”
“It’s okay, baby,” Bruce called out to her, his expression agonized. “It’s okay. Please don’t cry.”
“Oh, Dad, no. Please, God, no.”