They Walk

Chapter Sixty Four

Gabe pulls us across the bridge with all the broken down cars, and he has to swerve here and there to just keep us moving. We pass the side rail and my head actually starts to throb when I see that it’s all bent from where we hit it a couple weeks ago. The difference this time though, is that I notice that the woods on our right are silent now. There aren’t any hidden shadows running within and waiting to rush us. That should make me feel a little better, but it doesn’t.

It doesn’t help either.

I lean over Gabe to pear over the side of the bridge and look down to the expanse of land where the apartments are. There isn’t even as many of the dead here like when we were here the last time. I know we killed most of them when we left, but surly more would come. If only to try to find the living that are inside.

My attention gets brought back to the present when Gabe is driving us to the end of the bridge where a turn off is, that leads to the apartments below. It’s darker out now and the first thing I notice, is that there aren’t any lights on in any of the windows. That could mean anything though, right?

Like the generator they had might be out of gas. But, he closer we get to the building the better my view of it is, and I thank all and any who watch out for us, that it’s still standing in the same condition. Having been inside it once, I find the whole place kind of an illusion with its size, since it looks smaller than it is. It’s a three story building and is more tall than wide, and would seem almost intimidating like a big city sky scraper, but I know it’s not.

As Gabe drives us off the side road and onto the wide expanse of land down here, I’m not the only one to notice that there aren’t that many of the dead here. Gabe is gripping the steering wheel again, and I really should talk to him about that. He could hurt his gun firing hand, and then I’d have to be the one to protect him.

I bet he’d get a kick out of that though.

“Wow, this is where all the people you mentioned are hiding out?” My mother whispers as she leans over my father to get a better look out the window.

Before I can tell her yes and that it’s sturdier than it looks, Gabe steers us around and into the back parking lot. What I see makes me gasp in surprise, right after Gabe does. And that’s because most of the cars are now gone from it. When we left before, there were at least ten or more cars, and now there is like two. Gabe pulls the car to a stop a couple feet from the door, the closest he could get without driving up on those ridiculous speed bump cement blocks. And as we idle in silence, I can see the dead from the front of the building already rushing around to the back, and to us.

I know we can’t sit here forever, but I’m not alone with the feeling like we just made a wasted trip. No cars might mean that there are no people. What will we do if they aren’t here, where will we look next?

Feeling my stomach churn at the thought, I turn to look at a white faced Gabe, and he turns to me the same moment I do. We share the same haunted look and I can see the hesitation in his eyes as to whether should we get out of the car. Then there are my parents, who have no idea about the inner turmoil Gabe and I are feeling. They wait in patient silence, and are content for me and Gabe to take point in this matter.

I sure don’t want to have to tell them the possibility that Dan may or may not be here.

Clearly though, Gabe and I don’t hide our trepidation very well, because my father pushes up between the seats and fixes us with a stern look.

“Is there something wrong that you’re not saying? To be honest you both look like someone stepped on your cat.”

I turn to him with a smirk, who says things like that? Really, he is such an old man sometimes.

“Dad, it’s just, um…” I start to say, but not sure how to continue and instead turn to Gabe for help.

He returns my look and stares at me intently for a few heartbeats, before he turns to my father and waves his hands in the direction of the trunk.

“No problem, just I need you to open the hatch for the trunk. There are some guns and ammo in there for you, we might need them.”

As he turns around he flicks on the overhead light. As the car is floods with light that blinds me, my mother shifts closest to the car door, so that my dad can open the back and reach inside. When he pulls out a heavy pack and begins digging through it, I return my attention back outside. There are about ten of the dead shuffling out around the car now, but no more are coming around the front of the building. So it seems this is all we’ll have to fight through to get inside, thank goodness. My dad is handing my mom a handgun and a box of ammo now, and I can’t help to notice how she takes it from him with shaking hands.

I glance away again, when he gets a gun and ammo for himself and I try to tune out the sound of the both of them loading the cartridge. This is definitely not something a daughter like to see her parents do, it might be worse than knowing they do the nasty some times. Or maybe not, it might be the same type of thing I really don’t want to know about.

Picking up the ax off the floor and ignoring the way the hilt is still sticky with wet blood, that didn’t have time to dry, I look over as Gabe reloads his handguns, yes plural. He peaks at me as he works, and I notice the way his hands clench the gun, as his eyes drift to my bloody ax. He sighs to himself when he looks away, and I force myself not to remind him that he doesn’t have to worry about me.

But I know that isn’t true, I can’t exactly prove that I can today.

“Mark, pass me the other pack that is in the trunk, if you could please.” Gabe says softly, as he clicks the cartridge together in the gun causing me to jump from the sound.

I watch as my dad nods, and reaches back into the trunk for another pack. He doesn’t stop to investigate it or anything and he just hands it over to Gabe. Who takes it without looking up and quickly straps it over his shoulder, before taking both his guns in each hand. He looks fully at me now, and his eyes get dark with intensity, but then he turns and gives the same look to my parents.

“Here’s the deal, we only have one chance to get to the door in one peace. We’re lucky that there isn’t that many of the dead here now, so we should make it if we stick together and are precise.”

Gabe flicks a glance to me, before fixing a look with my father, who turns serious all of a sudden.

“You and I Mark are going to take point. After Bates, I know you’re a good shot. Maggie and Karen, I want you both to stick close to us and be careful.”

Both of my parents nod in agreement to him, but I’m too much in awe of him to really do anything of the sort. When did he become the de facto leader? This makes me remember the boy who saved me that first time at Austin’s and it makes me so proud of who he becoming. He turns back in his seat and after rolling his shoulders a bit, he turns off the car and starts to reach for the door handle, but I stop him before he can.

I snag his arm and force him to look at me, and he does so with wide eyes.

“You be careful to Gabriel. I mean it.” I whisper to him and ignore the fact that my parents are listening in.

Gabe’s face softens then, and he gives me a slight smile.

“This cowboy has experience remember? You don’t have to worry.”

Knowing he’s right doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want to lose him any less. But I let go of his arm, and quickly grip my ax in both of my hands again. When he turns back to open his door, I now reach for mine and can hear my parents shifting in the backseat as they do the same.

Here’s hoping we’re not going to fight our way inside for nothing.

I push open the car door and get out.