Part 10 (1/2)

Dejah stepped out of the Cadillac. The wind of the morning and the warmth of the sun on her cheeks was just a cruel reminder that things would never be the same again. A hint of death on the wind was the smell of spoiled meat, of distant fires, of vanquished dreams. She took a deep breath and approached the Hummer. Shaun stepped out beside her, the duffel bag of water over his shoulder.

”Pull open the door,” she said. She posed with the gun aimed at the front driver's seat.

Shaun reached up, intending to open the door and scramble clear. He pulled the handle. The car alarm went off. The grating sound was loud as an air raid siren. It shrieked in their ears and just about made Dejah p.i.s.s her pants. Her heart raced like crazy, and she ran around to her side of the Cadillac. The alarm would alert the infected. Those infected would bring more and that was more than she could take right now. She couldn't take a fight, a battle; she was at her wit's end, and- -before she got into the car, the Hummer's alarm gave two quick beeps and went off. Silence reigned, seemingly louder than the alarm had been. She caught her breath and looked around. Her eyes wide, her finger gripped the trigger of the revolver.

”Get in the car.” Shaun hissed.

But she froze, because she saw the shape of a man in the window of Bocadomart. She couldn't make out his features. He was a black silhouette beyond the bars. But he stood there, looking out at them. In his arms was a rifle. Pointed right at her.

”Stop right there,” she heard the man say. She trembled, the open air at her back, potential zombie attack coming any moment. She started to speak.

”Don't move a G.o.dd.a.m.n inch,” he barked again.

This time, he obviously meant it.

CHAPTER 16.

Dejah felt her pulse pounding in her throat. She didn't dare look at Shaun, but she could see him in the periphery of her vision, frozen, like her, hands half in the air.

”L-look, mister...” Shaun stammered.

”Y'all don't look like the d.a.m.n Sickies,” the old man said. He'd opened the front door and they could see he was white-haired, weathered, skinny, and armed with a big rifle. ”What the h.e.l.l are you two doing out wandering around these parts? Don't you know those Sickies are out there?”

Dejah started to say something, but the man cut her off.

”Get yer dumb a.s.ses in the store. Now!” The old guy turned around and grasped the door handle. The expression on his face stated quite clearly he was giving them about five seconds to comply and then the door would be slammed shut whether they made it inside or not.

Dejah looked at Shaun, and they ducked inside the sanctuary of the Bocadomart.

After some awkward introductions and his new visitors took in their surroundings, Frank listened to Dejah's story, and Shaun followed with his tragic tale. Frank grunted and nodded, adding some profanity to the discussion about the new kind of h.e.l.l life had devolved into. But, for now, there was plenty to eat and drink here, and Shaun welcomed running water and plumbing again. They spent most of the day recovering.

Shaun washed as well as he could using the sink and a beach towel. Frank found him a Corona t-s.h.i.+rt and a pair of sweatpants to put on, while Dejah insisted on was.h.i.+ng his socks and letting them drip dry over the towel bar. He wore some cheap, yellow rubber flip-flops, also blazoned with the Corona brand, while his socks dried.

Frank wasn't overly forthcoming sharing his own story, but after Dejah and Shaun had been there for a few hours, Dejah began to pry it out of him and d.a.m.ned if she hadn't charmed him soft. He told bits and pieces of the events leading up to their chance meeting. He didn't say it, but the fact was, Dejah reminded Frank of his daughter, Holly. He grew quiet as thoughts of his daughter made him wonder if the infection had spread to the west coast. Holly was in Oregon. If it were Holly out there trying to get away from the insanity of the infection, he hoped someone would show her some kindness. Helping Dejah and Shaun was his way of paying forward, hoping Karma would provide for his girl.

”Do you have children?” Dejah asked him. Frank came out of his reverie.

”What's that?”

”Do you have children?”

Frank nodded, smiling. ”I was just thinking of my daughter. She's quite a bit older than you. I've got three grandchildren too. All teenagers. Lord, help their mother.”

”She live close?”

Frank shook his head. ”Nope. Up in Oregon. Hopefully, they've contained this infection business to Texas. I don't know what's going on. Haven't heard any news for a few days now. Can't get any radio or television.”

”Us either,” Dejah said. ”You think the infection has spread nationwide?”

”No way to say, really.” Frank took a swig of his beer. ”Let's hope not.”

Shaun thumbed through a crossword puzzle magazine. He looked up from his spot on the floor. ”You got a pen around here?”

”Ah, you found one in English. Good for you. Let me see....” Frank looked around the cash register. He grasped the blue plastic pen hooked to a silver ball chain glued to the counter and gave it a hard yank. The pen and chain broke free. Frank tossed it to Shaun.

Shaun laughed. ”Thanks.”

”Sure.” Frank grinned.

They turned in early. Dejah and Shaun slept because they were exhausted. Frank stayed up a bit longer, drinking another beer, relis.h.i.+ng the taste of it on his tongue. He regarded the weapon on the floor next to him, thought back to his days in Korea, but shut down those memories, because they couldn't be trusted anymore, and even if they could, he didn't want to go there.

Some things never go away, he thought. They just rattle around like pebbles in a plastic tire till the wheel stops turning and you're all done. Well, maybe I don't have much longer to go, but I sure as h.e.l.l ain't gonna take it lying down.

Leaning back on the blow-up Corona chair, he took the last swallow of beer and closed his eyes.

When they woke up Sunday, Dejah started formulating a plan like some kind of G.o.dd.a.m.n new-age Rommel.

”Why would you want to go and leave the Bocadomart, girl? We're safe in here. There's food, water, plumbing, electricity. Way I figure, we might even be able to ride out the sickness in here until the government sends some sort of help for the uninfected,” Frank said from his vinyl chair in the corner.

”What makes you think the government will send help?” Shaun asked, genuinely curious.

Dejah looked at Frank. ”That's a good question. Especially to Bocadomart.”

”Well, why wouldn't they? If we're immune to the illness, we're not going to spread it to anyone. I'd imagine some sort of special team would be sent to round up all the Sickies and corral them somewhere for scientific purposes.”

”That's optimistic,” Dejah said. ”But, I don't have time to sit around and hope the federal government comes up with a plan. You saw how the plan went during Hurricane Katrina. Thanks, but no thanks.”

Frank shrugged. ”Well, I think it's foolish to leave the store before we need to. But, I can't stop you or the boy from going if that's what you want to do.”

Shaun stopped working his puzzle. ”She has to get to her daughter, Mr. Baum.”

”I understand that. I'm just not sure it's the best idea to leave right now. You've said yourself that your little girl is safe with her father and grandparents. Seems to make more sense for you to stay safe, too, until the time comes when y'all can be reunited without such risk.”

”I don't know if she's safe,” Dejah said. ”The last time I spoke with my husband was last Monday morning. He and Selah were turned away by the military at a roadblock. Last I heard they were headed back to his parents' house.”

”Greenville's not that big of a town,” Frank said. ”I'm sure they made it safely back.”

”I don't know that for certain.”

”Okay, well, say you and Shaun go on and start for Greenville. Are you going to just continue to car-hop the way you did to get here?” Frank asked.

”I don't see any other options, so, yeah, that's the plan. We need a big vehicle capable of moving smaller cars out of the way and durable enough to survive driving over medians and through ditches. We thought about a Semi, but I can't handle that much vehicle and it would be too big. Not to mention the gas situation.” Dejah munched on a microwave burrito as she spoke.