This chapter is a little hard to read. Believe me it was a little hard to write. Please stay with it though, it was necessary to set up what was to come later.
One year later...
"Shit! Shit, shit, shit!" I cursed quietly, but vehemently. The tire was flat, and the back of the SUV was packed with supplies. To get to the spare I had to unload back of the SUV. It was going to take time to get the tire out, time to change it, and time to load everything back in. Time was not my friend, not here. It was too open, too many houses on the road. If they came, I'd be trapped. Not good. "Figures the year I buy this thing Land Rover moves the spare inside." I muttered to myself. I looked around. The forest thickened not far up the road. I broke out the map. With any luck there would be a service road not far. A nice quiet road with lots of trees. Places to run and hide. Of course I would risk bending the rim, but since I didn't know how to put a new tire on it anyway... There, maybe a mile or two up the road a long winding road with only a few turn offs. It looked perfect.
I folded up the map and got back into the car. I was greeted enthusiastically by Gertie. Her tail beat a rhythm against the passenger seat. "I know, I know. When we stop next I'll let you out for a bit." I winced as the sound of the tire going thump thump thump permeated the cabin. It was hard to go so slow, but I didn't want to damage the car. I couldn't risk breaking something. I had missed the class in high school where they taught you how to hot wire a car.
When the turnoff appeared I let out a sigh of relief. I didn't like being so exposed on the main roads. The dead were everywhere. The more populated an area, the greater the likelihood a swarm would come through. Even though the dirt road I was on was just a hop skip and a jump away from the suburban neighborhood, the trees gave me an advantage. They let me hide. The dead weren't the most observant of creatures.
After rounding a curve I stopped the car. "Come on Gert, come stretch your legs for a bit." I laughed as she bounded out of the truck, her compact body making figure eights in the road. Sighing I turned to the task at hand. Maybe it would be good to see what I could get rid off. The SUV wasn't exactly eco friendly and the extra weight of the supplies just made it worse. I started unloading, looking at each box as I removed it. The food, gas and medical supplies were definite keeps, it was the personal stuff that I could get rid off, but what good would that do? If the point was to lessen the weight and the only stuff that I could really get rid of was some clothes, and they didn't weight that much. Anything else I got rid off, I would just have to replace.
I hauled the spare tire out of the wheel well and brought it around to the flat. I smiled as I saw Gertie bound off into the woods, in pursuit of some sort of critter no doubt. It would be good if she caught something. It would mean I wouldn't have to hunt later. I could spend the rest of the day looking for a safe place to hold up for a few days, and I could make do with what I had.
As I knelt down to position the jack under the car, I froze. The sound of a car coming up the dirt path caused a tightening in my stomach. If I hid, the supplies that were lined up on the side of the road would be carted off. I couldn't afford to lose the supplies. I was going to have to stay and stand my ground.
I stood, brushing the dirt from my knees, and opened up the driver's side door. I tucked the 9mm in the back of my pant waist and grabbed the shotgun. As I shut the door the car made its way around the curve in the road, and screeched to a halt. I held the shotgun loosely at my side. No reason to be too aggressive. Might as well keep things as friendly as possible.
The driver's side door opened and a man stepped out. Quickly I sized him up. Handsome, mid thirties, dark curly hair, and a smile that was just a little too friendly. My heart picked up its pace. Although Gertie's presence would have calmed me, I was glad she was off hunting. If this went wrong, she'd be the first target. No one likes to mess with a pit bull.
"Looks like you could use a hand there," the stranger said as he shut the car door.
I could see at least one more person in the car, but the sun was reflecting off the windshield making it difficult to see. I couldn't even tell if the other person was a man or woman. My gut said it was not a woman.
"It's alright, I can handle this. Nothing but a flat and it's not the first time I've had to change one of those. Appreciate you stopping, but I'm good." I called back. My heart picked up its already accelerated pace as the passenger door opened and two more men stepped out. One man was easily six five and must have weighed 250. He was built like a linebacker.
"Well, my mama would never forgive me if she knew I just left you here with all those biters around. Would she Clive?" The driver glanced over at one of the passengers.
One of the passengers, the giant, shook his head slowly. With a thick southern drawl he slowly said, "Nope, don't re'con she would." All three of the men slowly continued to advance, spreading out as they did.
My heart beat frantically. I had run into these types of men before. But then I had been with the others, there had been strength in numbers. Now I was all alone. "Really, I called out, I'm good. My husband and the others are just off hunting, they'll be back soon. So I'm not really alone. " I lied. I was a terrible liar, always had been. I didn't fool the men for a minute.
Clive smiled, showing off a surprisingly white smile. "Well, like Luke said. Can't just leave you here like this. We'll just give you a hand with that." His drawl made the words sound like honey. They chilled me to the bone.
"Please" I pleaded, "please just go." The three men continued to advance. They were no more than ten feet away. Looking back on it now, I think the reason I let them get so close was because they had been moving so slow. I started to raise the shotgun, and that's when it happened.
They were fast, really fast. Before I could get the gun up, they were on me. The shotgun was ripped from my grasp and the air exploded out of my lungs as Clive's huge bulk slammed into me. I felt my legs fly out from under me and as I landed with Clive's body on top of mine, I felt my ribs break. I would have screamed if there had been any breath left in me. Tears welled in my eyes and a strangled sound escaped from between my lips.
"Get off of her you oaf!" I heard someone shout. As relief began to fill me, that there was someone there that would help, the voice continued. "You'll kill her and while that may do it for you, I like my women living."
As the joy drained back out of me I felt Clive's weight roll off me. Air rushed back into my lungs, sending pain through my chest as my broken ribs expanded. I gasped at the pain, I knew from theory how painful broken ribs were, but I hadn't expected anything like this. It was hard to concentrate through the pain. I rolled to my side trying to get my feet under me, but hands grabbed my wrists, yanking my arms above my head, twisting me sharply onto my back. I looked up into the face of the driver, the one Clive had called Luke.
Shifting my gaze to the man at my feet, I felt surprise. It was the third man from the car standing there. I hadn't given him much notice before. He hadn't said anything and next to Clive he looked so insignificant. As he removed his shirt I could see that while he was slender, he was wiry. There wasn't an ounce of extra fat on him and his muscles rippled with every move.
"Well, you certainly weren't what we were looking for when we headed out today, but can't say I'm disappointed." He all but crooned to me. His words sent fury through me, and I knew that while I would most likely lose, I wasn't going to give up without a fight.
As he stepped closer I took a swipe at him with my leg. I missed but I sent him jumping back. The movement sent pain shooting through my ribs but I pushed it down, knowing I couldn't give in to it. If I gave into the pain, I'd give into the fear, and I'd give up. That was NOT going to happen.
"Still got some fight left in you, huh bitch? Go ahead and fight. I like that." He leered down at me. As I kicked at him again he caught my ankle and before I knew it his weight was on me. The increase in weight made me aware of a pressure in my lower back. It was something... something important. The gun! I had tucked it into my pants, it must have miraculously stayed put during the blitz attack. I had to find a way to get my hands free, a way to get to it. Until then, I had to keep it under me, keep it hidden.
The attacker knelt between my legs and then reached down and ripped my shirt open, buttons flying everywhere. "Fuck you!" I spat the words at him. "Fucking asshole! I'm gonna kill you!"
As he smiled back at me I tried to loop my legs around his chest to push him back. If only I could use the momentum to twist one of my arms free, I could get the gun. It didn't happen like that of course. He was stronger than I ever thought. He rocked back a little when one of my feet made contact with his jaw, but then grabbed my legs and painfully twisted them off of him. He glared down at me and I felt my blood run cold.
His fist slammed into the side of my face, more than once but I couldn't say how many times. I felt blood spurt from my nose, I was choking on it.
"Ah come on Seth, don't mess her up too much. I like 'em pretty" I heard Luke say. His voice sounded like it was coming from far away.
"Just needed to show her who's boss that's all. Right sweetheart? You know now who's in charge?" Seth chortled. I could feel his breath on my face.
I heard him draw a knife, and felt the cold blade on the bare skin of my torso. I couldn't even focus on it, the world was spinning as if I'd had too many martinis. I felt the tip of the blade between my breasts and then heard the snap as it cut through my bra. I turned my head to the side, to try to regain my bearings as well as to let the blood drain from my nose and mouth. As I opened my eyes I saw a blur of white.
"No!" the thought screamed in my head. She'll be killed trying to save me. She was the last thing I had on this planet that I loved.
As I turned my head back, I saw her compact body slam into the man on top of me.
"Jesus Christ!" "Shit!" yelled the other two men. Screams were coming from Seth as Gertie bit him over and over, looking for a way to get to his throat. "Shoot it! Shoot it!" he yelled.
I had to get to the gun, it was the only way to save us both now. As I struggled to get my hands free, there were explosions of pain from all over my body. I kept waiting to hear the sound of gunfire, but no sound came.
"Clive! Clive! Where are you?" Luke yelled out. But there was no answer. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a man barreling towards us. He held a crossbow in one hand and a knife in the other. As the impact of the swinging crossbow hit Luke in the face I yanked my hands free. I reached behind me and pulled out the 9mm, swinging around to aim at my would be rapist.
There were sounds coming from him, sounds eerily similar to what I had made after Clyde had first knocked me off my feet. Gertie had him by the throat and was holding on tight. His fists beat against her body. If it hurt, she didn't show it.
I walked over, leaned over him, put the gun to his head and I pulled the trigger.
"Come on Gertie, let him go. It's all done" I choked out. Running my hand over her I turned to look at the man who had helped me.
He was kneeling over Clive's body, pulling an arrow out of his eye socket. At least that explained why Clive didn't shoot. As he stood, he turned his head towards me. I had just enough time to notice his blue eyes before the ground rushed up to meet me and the world turned black.