Chapter 3 - Magic and Bullets

We settled into a kind of routine, wake up with the sun, drive, at noon we would stop for a break, K-mart could stretch her functional leg, and test her broken leg. I always stayed by her side when she walked, even the with the crutches we'd found, I didn't trust them, and I didn't want anything to happen that I couldn't carry her back to Monster. (K's name for the hummer.) I would make K eat and drink some water before we'd get started, and then keep moving. In preparation for the journey south, I'd started scrounging up old soda bottles, and jugs, anything big enough to hold at least a few liters, and filled them with snow. In the warmth of the car, they'd melted into nearly perfect drinking water. With the seats down to provide extra room, and K-mart's excellent advice on scavenging spots, we'd nearly filled the back of the hummer with food, water, weapons, and gasoline. Even I don't think I'd seen a stockpile so big.

By the time we made it to Utah, the days had warmed up, and K-mart was back on her feet. We hadn't exactly been going fast, as it saved on gas, so the trip took nearly three weeks. "It's so pretty." K-mart murmured, sticking her head out the window to look. "How do you think it gets so many colors?"

I raised an eyebrow and looked at the formations she was talking about, "Magic."

K rolled her eyes, "You know that can't be your answer for everything. One of these days you're going to have to admit that you don't know."

I smirked, "There are two sure answers to everything K." She rolled her eyes again and said it with me, "Magic and bullets."

"When civilization comes back, everyone is going to be asking the important questions, about things like agriculture, philosophy, infrastructure, and you're going to be sitting here in the bronze age, muttering about magic and bullets." She informed me with a teasing grin.

"Oh the kid has teeth." I shoved her shoulder, "You know I specifically remember you being the one who can't even ambush someone properly. What makes you think you're going to make it to this 'return of civilization' huh?" I joked, ignoring the truth behind both our words. I don't know if I could handle living a normal life. There are days I still wonder if I could handle living.

"Neanderthal." She replied, lifting her nose in the air as she reached over and turned on the radio. It was the only part of the routine that I didn't like. We'd avoided any major run-ins with the undead, but if we found any survivors in need of help, there's no way they were going to be trapped by just one or two.

The joking air left, and tension replaced it. I know it's my fault, my knuckles turning white from the need to control myself. What little of it I could control. "Alice what's so wrong about helping people?" K asked, her timid words ripping at what was left of my broken heart, "We have more than enough."

I shook my head. I'd never be able to explain it without telling her everything. The kid, I don't know what she'd do, but I'd seen the look in Jill's eyes. The horror when I'd fought Matt, not for me, but because of me. Matt looked the part, it wasn't as bad because they knew on sight that something was wrong. No one looks at my duster and says 'that bitch is a monster'. No it's a slow realization, their faces drain of blood, their hearts pounding faster in my ears as they realize that there is nothing human left in me.

I don't want that for K. She was just an accidental acquaintance, but that didn't mean I didn't care about the kid. She's a sweetheart, and she's just trying to get along in a world that caught her by surprise. "If we find someone, we'll help them." I replied, wondering if she even heard me. The promise hurt, but if it was something to make K-mart feel more like she's doing something, then I'll hold to it.

The first transmission we received wasn't for another week. We were traveling through the backroads near the I-15 when K turned up the volume on the white noise playing through the speakers. "Is there anyone left out there?" The voice crackled, gender indistinguishable under all the white noise, "Can anyone hear us? We're trapped in the Motel 8 just south of Cedar Springs."

K-mart grabbed the map from the glove compartment and checked it frantically, "We're about forty miles away. Take the next left." I was frozen, listening to the message repeat after a pause. A vicious cycle. "Alice? Alice we're going to help them right?" Her delicate hand on my arm woke me up.

"Of course." My movements were mechanical as I took the next left, and stepped on the gas. The next forty miles were eaten up in my haste to reach them, and K-mart's excitement put a spark of hope in my heart. Maybe we could help them. I thought of little Angie and the spark was put out. Maybe I'll be an executioner again.

We made it to the motel before dark fell, but the sight before our eyes was not a very pretty picture. Rows and Rows of infected, maybe five deep in some places were gathered around the building, beating at the windows that must have all been reinforced to allow for any resistance against a horde so large. "K… You have to stay in the car." I instructed, parking up on the ramp where she would have the advantage of height, and a quick escape if things got rough. Even looking at the mess beneath us had my heart pounding in my ears. The last time I'd been crazy enough to fight this many at once was in Raccoon city.

K stared at me in horror, "There's no way in hell!" Her voice cracked, shooting up an octave. "You can't take them all on by yourself." She protested, seeing no give in my expression. "Th-they might already be dead. We can turn around and go back." Just minutes ago she'd been eager to help. My chest ached, not from the rapid tattoo beat against it, but for this sweet girl.

"I'll be fine. Stay in the car." I didn't wait for her to question me. I grabbed my shotgun and slid it into the holster on my back and exited the vehicle, the only thing left behind were the keys in the ignition. The motel was fairly small, but secure. Even if I could just get to the building and climb from there I could take pot-shots at them from above. I chewed my cheek, considering the possibility of shooting them from the overpass, but with K up here, I didn't want to damage her chances of escape.

Movement in the corner of my eye. I whipped around, pistols drawn before I could even think. K-mart squeaked, hugging her BB rifle. My heart only pounded harder, informing me of what I'd almost done. "Damn it K-mart, get back in the car." I hissed.

She shook her head, "You need back up, and if you keep fighting over it, the whole Horde will be here."

"And what are you going to do with that thing?" I asked, growing testier than I should have.

K-mart glared at me, turned around and set the rifle, if it can even be called that, to her shoulder and shot three times in quick succession, taking out each zombie with a headshot. The only noise she made was the winch as she cranked the pump. "That's what I'm doing. I have five hundred pellets in this thing." She informed me. I watched her and saw the hurt in her eyes over my lack of trust.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm an idiot, but can you please stay up here? Cover my back. It'll be safer for both of us if I'm not worrying about you." I opened my eyes to see her and K-mart looked mollified.

"I can do that." She murmured. "Just promise to come back." I nodded and kissed her cheek before heading down to the horde.

K-mart kept at it, taking down fifteen or twenty of them before I made it to the bottom of the ramp. The zombies were in bad shape, they'd been down a long time, most of them were already rotting so much, it explained how K's tiny pellets were so effective. They were half gone already. She'd cleared a small path for me to make it through, but my heart was thrumming and I didn't think I could handle being surrounded, so I stayed back a little, letting them come to me.

I thought about my ammo, and decided I could spare a few clips. I pulled out my submachines and held them at head height, not bothering to aim as I mowed them down, the bullets sometimes chewing through two or three zombies before stopping, but it wasn't helping. Every one that went down was replaced by three more. My heart started pounding in my ears as I stumbled backwards, fumbling for my knives. They were swarming on me, drawn by the noise. My vision blurred as the panic set in. I finally got the snaps undone and yanked my kukris out, swinging them wildly.

I felt them bite into flesh, but I couldn't tell if it was head, neck or torso. My only prayer was to keep chipping away. My heart rose up in my throat, and I realized I was going to die. Nothing but rotting flesh surrounded me, boxing me in. I kicked, and punched, cutting down what felt like hundreds. In the distance I heard someone screaming. One of the survivors maybe. Blood dripped down my cheek, my own or theirs. Did it matter? Pain raked down my back. Something sharp dug into my arm.

"ALICE!" The high pitched shriek of panic cut through it all, bringing clarity. K-mart is in trouble.

Pain rippled through my head and everything within ten feet of me was blown to hell. Over half the horde was gone, though I couldn't remember when they'd all gone down. I spun, searching for K-mart. "K-MART!" I was answered with darkness.

I woke feeling light. Like all my cares were gone. My dreams faded pleasantly, though I can't remember what they were about. I sat up looking around and the pleasantness fell away. Blood streaked walls definitely did not belong to the hummer. Iron bars surrounding my, above and below too. I'm in some kind of hole. "K-mart?" I asked, searching for any sign of her.

"Who's there?" A man called out, pressing his face to the bars. He was handsome, I'll give him that, but the scar along his mouth, and smaller ones on his eyebrows and the bridge of his nose indicated that either he was an overconfident fool, or he knew how to take care of himself.

I ignored his question, "Did you see a little girl? Sixteen, scrawny, talks your ear off?" I looked around while I spoke. The place was eerie, and my neck itched badly. I couldn't help but hope that wherever K-mart was, she wasn't with whatever was sending my instincts crazy. My heart pounded in my chest but it felt different, less like panic, more like preparation.

"Woman I can't even see you." He snapped. "And you sti-" Someone down the hall started talking and he hushed himself immediately. It wasn't anything ominous, just a few discussions about the rations, but whatever it was, it scared him. He backed away from the edge of his cell. Coward.

"Hey!" I shouted. I could feel the man's panicked gaze on me. "Hey assholes! Where the fuck is my friend?"

From the shadows, a pair of men approached. The flashed a light at me, blinding me. I couldn't see their faces, but they both chuckled, and the man across from me muttered an expletive. "I think you'll do nicely." The taller of the two decided, "Fancy a walk pretty lady?" He teased, jerking his head at his companion. I coiled to spring, but his friend stabbed me with a taser on a stick, like a cattle prod or something.

Lightning shot through my arms and legs, and I fell to my knees, arms trembling. "There we go." The lackey cooed, reaching through to run his greasy fingers through my hair, "It's a shame we can't play with you first." I shuddered, jerking away from his touch weakly. My arms and legs felt like jelly, but I knew the feeling wouldn't last long. Already I was gaining more strength. I just needed to play possum until they took me to K-mart.

"Wh-where's my friend?" I let my voice tremble, doing my best to sound scared. An hour, day, however long I'd been asleep, I would have been terrified, but it felt like someone had shot ice into my veins.

The bigger man ripped open my cage and reached in, grabbing me by the collar of my shirt. What the hell happened to my duster? Stolen or not, I liked that fucking coat. I pretended to be limp, letting them drag me across the rough concrete. The more helpless they thought I was, the better. "Oh that little tart is being saved for something special." The way he said special made my stomach churn, and my vision go red, but I kept it under wraps.

We passed by probably twenty cells, most of them empty, their inhabitants looked defeated, like that man from before. He didn't have the balls to even keep talking after he knew these guys were near. Speaking of those guys, they yanked me to my feet, and shoved me through a doorway, slamming an iron barred gate shut behind me. Trapping me.

A raucous din filled my ears. Perhaps a dozen men stood above me around the edge of the pit I was in. Probably a re-purposed basement. The ceiling above me was probably fifteen feet, a hard jump, but the hanging rebar was promising. I spun slowly scanning the area. My heart pounded in my ears, drowning out the sound of the jeering men, and two things stuck out with clarity. Five undead dobermans were in cages that opened into the pit, And K-mart was a few feet back from the edge, grimacing as the two men who put me in the pit groped her. "We found your pretty friend. I promise we'll keep her nice and warm while you're gone." They called down to me.

I registered the sound on a separate level. My only focus was on escaping, and killing every last animal in this building. Starting with the ones touching K. I closed my eyes and through my pounding heartbeat, I heard the rattle of the cages opening, and hush from the crowd above. I took a deep breath, embracing the smell of death and rot. The dogs circled, looking for my weak-spot, but one of them grew impatient, leaping at me. I heard him jump off the concrete so clearly, I could visualize his nails chipping on the concrete.

I put my hand up, and caught him by the lower jaw, the muscle between my hand and his bones melted out of the way as I twisted sharply and the neck snapped. The next jumped at me, and I slammed my boot into it's chest, sending it launching into the wall. Pain seared my left shoulder, and I vaguely heard myself screaming. Another sharp pain ripped through my calf, but I didn't have time to deal with it. A third one jumped me, and who knows where the hell the fourth one was, my hands were full keeping those sharp teeth from ripping into my neck.

I felt it actively when the one on my shoulder, ripped away a huge chunk of muscle. I slammed my arm back, muscles screaming in protest as I shattered the skull of the bastard that bit my shoulder. One more on my calf. I rolled, kicking it across the room. Grey matter splattered across the wall, and I stumbled to my feet. I looked up at the silent men above me, staring at me with the horror I'd always feared. Their hearts beat so loud, it seemed to echo in the silence. The only sound I cared about was K-mart's sobs.

"That's right bitches!" I shouted, wanting more, something else to throw myself at. "Let's end this!" I crouched to jump and felt something launch itself into my back. I spun, throwing the last dog off of me, not caring that he took yet another hunk of flesh with him. What's one more piece? He crouched in front of me and snarled, the skin melting off his face, and my own skin hanging from his teeth.

I didn't both fighting the thing. I straightened, and stalked over to it, the beast hesitated in confusion before rushing me. I spun into a roundhouse and kicked him, spraying another wall with rotten flesh. The creature slid to the floor and laid there, finally dead. I looked up at the ashen faces, frozen in shock above me, all of them ripe for the killing. The room stood on the edge of a knife, everyone waiting for something to happen.

K-mart whimpered, "Alice." The man next to her slapped her across the face. "Agh!" She cried out.

The room exploded.