Part 27 (1/2)

Sarah was shaken, but managed to avoid going into shock.

Jerry stepped up to the body of the former con man, the gun still aimed at the bleeding corpse. Logan was splayed across a giant white X in the middle of the street. Jerry lowered the gun.

”What ... what does that X mean?” Sarah could not pull herself away from the sight of her former lover.

Jerry looked around Dealey Plaza. He looked at the vines covering the city and back at the man who had led so many to their death.

The world had changed when it came to an end. There was a lot more than fear to be afraid of. Life was worth celebrating. Death wasn't.

”It doesn't mean anything. Not anymore.”

THIRTY-SEVEN.

He put his arm around Sarah, ”Let's get you back to town.”

They walked back to the wall of vines and found a way through. He helped her into the Viper and got behind the wheel.

His leg was tender, but not immovable. Working the clutch was going to be painful, but he was confident that he could make it back to New Hope.

He turned the engine over and moved back up Main.

”Thank you,” Sarah stared up at the buildings as they pa.s.sed. ”Thank you for saving me.”

Jerry was quiet. The pain in his leg was worse than he first thought.

”Why did you do it? Why did you come back to the town? Why stop the truck? You don't owe us anything.”

”Well, I ...” Jerry slammed on the brakes. The Viper screeched to a stop, the wide tires grabbing the pavement.

They had moved out in front of the car and blocked the street. There were hundreds of them. The featureless plants stood in the middle of the road and swayed as if blown by the wind.

He jammed the car in reverse and looked over his shoulder. They were there too. Quietly, they had surrounded the couple.

The silence suddenly broke. The creatures began to shriek. The horrible chorus sounded like a thousand people blowing on reeds of gra.s.s. The volume grew as more creatures filed in behind those that blocked the road.

Jerry looked around for a path. He looked for an alley, a parking garage, a lobby window to crash through. Anything. But there was no escape. There was no way out.

Unlike the Silver Lining, the Viper was stock. There were no defenses: no flames, no guns, nothing.

The creatures began to advance slowly, never really stepping forward, but leapfrogging one another. The wall of plant life came closer and closer with every shriek.

Their wailing reached a fevered pitch, the tone changing only slightly. He couldn't tell if they were getting closer, or if it was in the way they swayed, but their horrendous voices seemed to develop a rhythm. A beat formed. The pattern grew more dominant and he thought he recognized the rhythm.

The advance stopped. The creatures' shrieks changed. It seemed to go from frenzy to panic. Still, the beat continued.

He saw it first in the group in front of him. The creatures began to scatter-a few at first, followed by hundreds. They moved in waves from the back of the group to those closest to the car.

The beat grew louder, the rhythm evident and Jerry began to sing along to the chorus of Ring of Fire.

The blue, white, and charred pickup rolled slowly through the fleeing throng of monsters. Erica and the three boys rode in the bed. Carl sat behind the wheel. The mayor rode shotgun holding a loudspeaker out the window. Johnny Cash sang to the simple-minded creatures.

By the time the pickup reached the couple in the Viper, the horde was gone, their shrieking faded into the windows of the office buildings.

Sarah shot from her seat and ran to embrace her father.

Jerry stood from his seat and limped toward the truck. Erica rushed to him and held him tight.

”How many women do you intend to save in a week?”

”I think I'm done for a while.” He pointed to the wound.

She put his arm over her shoulder and helped support his weight. ”It looks like I get to save you now.”

Jerry smiled and pointed to the truck. She helped him to it.

”Hey, Carl.” Jerry rapped on the hood of the car.

”Boy, you fellas weren't easy to keep up with. If it wasn't for those pillars of smoke we may never have caught you.”

”I'm glad you did. I owe you one.”

”Seeing how you saved my town and everyone I hold dear, we'll call it even.”

”Still, I have a favor to ask you.”

”Anything.”

Jerry held up the keys to the Viper, ”Can you drive a stick?”