Dead at Night – Chapter Four
Coach felt like he was in heaven. The rich smell of frying burger patties wafted through the air, and even though Jenny let out a few shrieks as she fried the patties he didn't mind.
"Mmmmhmmm, I can't wait to sink my teeth in this Sara Lee blueberry cheesecake," he said, opening the flaps of the box.
Nick leaned against the counter, watching as Jenny hopped around. "Still haven't gotten used to the oil splatter?"
"I never will," Jenny replied, as she gingerly used the spatula to turn the patties over.
"You shouldn't have put the patties in without defrosting them first," Louis said as he took plates out. "It's the water that's making it splatter so much."
"I'll keep that in mind, Louis." Jenny backed away from the oven, her eyes never leaving the patties.
"Hey Nick, why don't you get us some drinks?" Coach looked at the conman sternly. "You're the only one not doing anything right now."
Nick held his hands up in surrender and went over to the stainless steel refrigerator. He took out a can of Coke and three bottles of beer.
"Now this is a feast!" Coach declared as they sat down. It certainly looked like it: they had blueberry cheesecake, hamburgers, fried bacon, cold drinks (Nick had gone and filled glasses with ice cubes), and Louis had even deep fried some fish fingers.
They all dug in, with Coach demolishing most of the cheesecake in minutes. Nick downed most of his beer before he helped himself to some bacon and a hamburger, while Jenny dipped fish fingers in mayonnaise.
For a moment, the four Survivors allowed themselves a moment of peace. They all knew that they were probably facing an epic fight for their survival, and they wanted to rest before going out into the battlefield.
After lunch Coach and Jenny cleared the dishes, while Louis found a few books in the study that he found interesting. Nick took a tour of the mansion by himself, taking some time to sample the various wines Lucas Ray had stocked in his bar.
Jenny joined him after helping Coach pack bottled water and food for the trip. They had checked the map and noted that there were a few gas stations along the interstate.
"We don't know if there's gas left in those tanks, so we'd better make sure we bring some with us," Louis had said, as he and Coach planned the route.
They found Jenny and Nick inside the garage, admiring a sports car. When they explained the plan to the two, they both agreed and started looking for a vehicle that they could use. Louis had checked the gas gauge on the truck and noted that it didn't have a lot of gas left.
Jenny spotted a larger truck that they could use, and considering the amount of supplies they had filched from Lucas Ray, it was a better choice than the truck they were using. Louis and Nick helped Coach bring the items to the back of the truck, while the coolers were placed on the backseat. Jenny sniped a few Infected that had taken to shuffling around the mansion, including a Hunter that had leaped over the gate and a Charger that had slammed against a vehicle in the road.
She then went down to the garage and helped siphon gasoline from the other vehicles, while Coach and Nick hunted down some empty gas cans. These went in the back of the truck, along with extra sleeping bags and other supplies.
"You think Lucas Ray has an ammo pile somewhere?" Jenny wondered out loud.
"I don't think so, sweetheart," Nick replied, as he tossed the gas can to the floor.
"Figured as much. Oh well, we've taken a lot of his stuff already." Jenny checked the supplies one last time. There were four cans of gas, two sleeping bags, some extra clothes – Nick had sworn he'd rather go naked than wear anything belonging to Lucas Ray – and a repair kit.
Jenny had switched her pistols to two katanas, which she had found in a display case in the celebrity's study. Louis decided to take the books with him, while Coach was busy devouring another pint of ice cream.
That night the four set up camp on one of the guest bedrooms on the second floor. Nick and Jenny sat on chairs just outside the balcony that faced the street. Louis slept on the couch, while Coach slept on the bed. The two men had decided not to share the bed after Nick said: "Keep your hands to yourselves!"
Jenny had done a nice job clearing the area of Infected, and now she slapped a full clip into the rifle. "I just hope we get there in time."
Nick had his doubts, but he didn't want to worry her any more than necessary. Personally he thought Jenny's dad was an ass for making her go out again, not after all that she – they – had been through. She was damn lucky to still be alive, and he just came along to make sure that she stayed alive.
Nick had had a moment of panic when he learned that Jenny was going out into Infected territory, but he shoved it away. Hell, all he wanted to do was to stay in Utopia with her and wait until the zombie bastards died or the military stopped being such fuckups and reclaimed the country.
The silence stretched between them, and Jenny reached over and slid her fingers over his. "We'll make it. All of us."
Nick knew that she had said it in an attempt to assure him and herself as well, and he tightened his hold on her hand.
Since there was nothing else to do but wait, Jenny stood up and walked to the back of the house. There was another bedroom that overlooked an Olympic sized swimming pool. As she made her way out onto the balcony, she looked down at the backyard…
…and froze.
Inside the swimming pool were about fifty Infected that were submerged in water. Jenny didn't know how the hell they got there, but what she did know was that they had to get out of there. She edged backwards, hoping that she wouldn't make a sound.
Just as her foot hit the plush carpeting of the room, she turned around and sprinted back towards the bedroom. Nick had heard her approach and he met her at the door.
"We have to get out," she breathed, her eyes wide. "There's about fifty of those shitheads in the swimming pool!"
"Ah tits!" Nick swore, and he shook Coach and Louis awake. The two men forcibly shook sleep from their eyes and followed Jenny and Nick to the first floor, and then into the garage. Jenny jogged over to the control panel and pressed the button. To their surprise, the gears ground noisily.
"This is going to get bad!" Louis cried from the backseat as the Infected's cries rose up as one. Nick was behind the wheel, while Coach heaved himself inside the backseat, his shotgun at the ready. Jenny turned and ran back to the truck, pulling the passenger door open and practically diving inside.
Loud bangs came from the side door to the garage, which led to the backyard and swimming pool. A few seconds later, just as the garage door cranked open, the side door gave way and the sopping wet Infected flowed inside the garage.
"Hit it!" Coach cried, and Nick stomped on the accelerator. The truck shot out of the garage, followed by the Infected horde. Louis and Coach stuck their guns outside the rear window and fired into the horde, taking off a few limbs and legs, and in some cases, heads.
But the moving vehicle prevented them from making any more killing shots, so they slid their guns back in and watched as Nick barreled down the driveway. A few feet from the gate Nick slammed on the brakes.
The gates were still barred.
"God fucking damn it!" Nick swore, slamming his palm against the steering wheel. Jenny jumped out of the truck, unsheathing a katana, and ran towards the gate. Louis jumped out as well, providing her cover fire. His assault rifle rattled, and once Jenny slid the bar and kicked the gates open, the two ran back to the truck.
A few Infected had reached the truck by the time Jenny reached the passenger door; she was forced to slice off a few heads and leave bloody gashes across some of the Infected's chests before she was able to get in.
Once the door closed, Nick accelerated the vehicle. The truck skidded slightly as he turned it sharply to the right. He drove out of town, finally getting back on the interstate.
"So this puts a damper on our plans, huh?" Jenny shifted the radio that lay by her feet.
Louis nodded. "Well we got food and gas, so I'm sure we can make it to Sacramento in a few hours."
"Not if there's another goddamn pileup," Nick muttered darkly.
"You just got to be positive Nick," Coach said, shaking his head. "Every single time you make a negative comment, it comes true."
Nick opened his mouth to reply and then clamped it shut. Coach was right, but Nick was realistic. Or so it seemed to him.
Well they can't blame me if there actually is a pileup somewhere along the road, Nick thought.
The next town was a few minutes away, and the group decided to hole up there. They managed to find a safe room that was inside a small police station, where they found various weapons and a huge ammo dump. Nick and Jenny resumed what was left of their shift, switching with Louis and Coach two hours later.
Their rude awakening left the four wondering if the time for fun and games was over. Now that they were hours away from Sacramento, the real battle was about to begin.
California National Stadium
Tracy stared at the stick she held in her hand. The line showed her that she wasn't pregnant, even after that blissful night she had spent with her husband, Toby.
She sighed. Perhaps it was for the best. She hated the thought of running around a zombie infested city with a baby on the way.
Still, she couldn't help but feel disappointed. She and Toby had been married for nearly a year, but they didn't have any children yet. Tracy exited the bathroom and made her way to the small living area.
Logan, the leader of their four-member Survivor group, was pacing the floor impatiently. It had been weeks since they had heard any word from his contacts in another encampment, and Logan was obviously worried. They had been promised an evacuation, but so far no military aircraft had landed inside the stadium. Tracy wondered if she would ever get out of the city.
Weeks of spending time within the stadium and fighting the Infected was taking a toll on her. She was visibly slimmer, but she had dark circles under her eyes that told of the many sleepless nights she had experienced since the Green Flu outbreak.
"Still no word," Logan told her as he passed by on the way to the snack bar. "I'm getting sick of waiting. They said that she was still alive, but now…"
"She" meant Logan's half-sister, Jenny Greene, who also happened to be Tracy's best friend. At first she didn't believe that Jenny was still alive, but then she remembered the fact that Jenny's dad had military connections. To learn that Jenny was on her way to rescue them had given Tracy fresh hope, and she had even resumed taking up the defenses of their little hideout.
The radio suddenly crackled to life, and Tracy wrenched the mouthpiece from its hook. "Hello?"
"Is this Logan's Survivor group?"
"Yeah, yes it is!"
"We have received word that the military aircraft crashed somewhere near Sacramento. Airman First Class Philips was able to radio us about the situation before he was killed. He says that Patient Zero and three of her other companions were able to escape an attack of the Infected and are most likely on their way to the city. Do you copy?"
Tracy gripped the mouthpiece. "Yeah, I do."
"Stay where you are. Rescue is coming soon."
Some fucking rescue, Tracy thought. Why don't you assholes just send another plane?
Tracy heard the dispatcher sign off, and she replaced the mouthpiece back on the radio. Jenny was still alive and was on her way here. Tracy wondered if her best friend knew that she was part of Logan's little group.
Well even if she didn't, Tracy hoped that they would make it here in time.
The crowd outside the stadium wasn't getting any thinner…
