"Are you coming or what?" Ron barked as he held the door open with one hand and held his rifle in his other hand.
"Matthew, let's go," Oliver said. Matthew left the room while Oliver lingered a few extra seconds. Then he shook off the unease he felt about leaving Claire. I was no longer Claire, that he was sure of. He left the room without looking back.
"Change of plans," Ron said as they tried to keep up with him. "Like I said, the perimiter has been breached and—"
"Which perimeter? The village perimeter?"
Ron stopped and looked at Oliver. "No. The city perimeter. The undead could be here anytime. We need to get you guys out of here."
"Out of here?"
"Yes. Off the island. Gone. Away."
"Wait a second. Where's Becker?"
"In the command center, I suppose," Ron said and waved toward the OPS CENTER door.
"Ok, just hang on. Matthew, wait here, I'll be right back," Oliver said and ran over to the operations center. Inside, operators were hunched over their screens, trying in vain to get their peers on the line. Becker sat at a desk, deep in a phone conversation. Oliver tapped him on the shoulder.
"What?" Becker grunted. "Ive got a bit of a situation here."
"Is the city perimeter breached?"
"Look for yourself." Becker pushed a couple of buttons and the map of the city came up on the screen. "White dots represents the perimeter." There were no white dots on the screen.
"Where are they?" Oliver said and gestured towards the screen. "There's no-one."
"Exactly," Becker said and ran his fingers through his hair, then rubbed his eyes. "They've been overrun. They're either hiding or dead."
"What are you going to do?"
Becker shrugged. "We're regrouping at the airport. Our last stand."
"So that's it?"
"Unless you have any bright ideas?" Becker said and turned. "No? Thought so. I'd suggest you get out of here while you still can. Now, get out of here, I've got a job to do."
Oliver looked at the map one more time and noted that the road to the airport still appeared to be clear. Perhaps Becker and Ron were right. It was time to leave.
He rejoined Matthew and Ron.
"Anything else you need to do?" Ron said and glanced at his wrist watch.
"No, you're right. It's time to leave. Becker said as much."
"Ok. No time to waste. I've arranged for a private flight out of the airport," Ron said as they reached the entrance. "We just need to find a way to get there."
"We can use Claire's Jeep," Oliver said and pointed towards the vehicle that was still parked at an angle across the lanes of traffic. No-one had attempted to move it.
"Perfect. You drive, I'll provide us cover."
Without further discussion, they all piled into the Jeep. It started on the first try. Ron guided Oliver away from the station, but they only got a block down the road before traffic came to a standstill.
Ron cursed and slammed his fist into the dashboard, then open the sunroof and stood up.
"Traffic jam," he shouted. "Try to use the sidewalk."
Oliver cranked the wheel to the right and moved forward on the sidewalk, laying on his horn to get people to move out of the way. Around him, angry shouts and honks erupted as he tried to bypass the line everyone else were stuck in. They got stuck at a metal fence.
"End of the road, guys," Ron said as he sat back down. "We're on foot."
"We're walking to the airport?" Matthew said.
"Change of plans. I don't think we'll make to the airport at this point. The marina is a few blocks over."
"The marine? A boat?" Oliver said as he turned off the engine and exited the Jeep with Matthew. "Do you know how to operate a boat?"
"What do you think?" Ron said with a grin. He then reached for the bag he carried and dug out a gun for Oliver. "You'll need this."
"No, I don't do guns."
"You're a zombie hunter and you don't use guns?"
"I'm a scientist, not a hunter."
"Scientist or not, do you want to live or die?"
"Listen—"
"Dad, take the gun or I will," Matthew said.
Oliver sighed and accepted the weapon. The hold, hard metal felt like it burned in his hands and he felt sick to his stomach just thinking about the power he held in his hands. Power over life and death.
"Come on, you can admire that baby later," Ron said with a laugh.
As they left they Jeep and jogged down a side street, they heard screams behind them, in the direction of the police HQ.
"Watch yourself," Ron said over his shoulder. "They're getting close."
They ran past deserted cafe's and restaurants. Food and drinks had been left on the abandoned tables, empty chairs strewn across the street and restaurant floors. Bags and purses were scattered around the tables. Cars that couldn't move were abandoned in the middle of the street, doors wide open, some engines still running. A puppy sat by itself on the front seat of an old truck, barking continuously as it watch the trio run by.
"What happened to everyone?" Matthew asked. "Everything's empty."
"They got out of here, son," Ron said and continued towards the docks. He paused at the next intersection and checked the intersections in both directions. "See anyone?" he whispered.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Oliver shook his head. It was eerie to see the empty streets.
"Ok, let's keep going," Ron said and jogged across the street. Oliver and Matthew followed close behind. They had barely crossed to the other side when they heard a screech somewhere behind them.
"Quick, in here." Ron stepped into an empty restaurant and led them towards the back of the store. They went into the kitchen and closed the double doors behind them.
"Why the kitchen?" Oliver said and looked over Ron's shoulder through the window in the door.
"It's a disguise. The smell of the food and the grease will disguise us. It's less likely that they'll notice us."
"Is that a fact?" Oliver said, eyebrows raised. "I've never encountered that."
"Have you ever hid in a restaurant kitchen during the zombie apocalypse?"
"No," Oliver said and shook his head. "Sorry, sounds like you have."
"You betcha. Now, keep it down and hang tight. No moves, no sounds. But, be ready. When I say move, you move."
Matthew settled onto a chair in the restaurant office immediately next to the kitchen while Oliver remained standing. The sound of car horns and screams drifted into the otherwise quiet restaurant as they watched and waited.
A few minutes later, a shadow darted by the door of the restaurant, only to stop and slowly backtrack to the door of the restaurant. Ron put a finger to his lips and pointed to Oliver to take a step back. He raised his rifle and took a slow, quivering breath as the shadow entered the restaurant.
The zombie entered they foyer and waited. It looked around, its limbs twitching occasionally as it wandered further into the restaurant. It would only be a matter of time before it sensed their presence.
Ron motioned for Matthew and Oliver to get ready. Matthew took his bag and stood as quietly as he could. Just as he was out of the chair, the old wood creaked loudly. It felt like a thunderclap in the otherwise quiet kitchen.
The zombie noticed at once. It bared its teeth and growled as it approached, partially hunched over, as if sneaking on a prey. Ron nodded at Oliver and Matthew, then kicked the door open. The moment the door hit the wall, he fired at the zombie. It staggered backwards, splatters of blood appearing on its torso as it fell to the floor.
"Move, move, move," Ron shouted and waved them through the door. He followed immediately behind them and put a bullet in the head of the squirming zombie that was trying to get off the floor.
They rushed out the front door. "Run, just run to the boats," Ron said as they continued down the street towards the marina. On the opposite side of the street, other zombies turned towards them. Behind them, the roar of half a dozen rose. As Oliver crossed the next side street with Matthew gun in hand, Ron turned and fired at the group, hitting some while also shattering some storefront glass.
They rounded the last corner and entered a narrow plaza that ran the length of the marina. Stone pillars were spaced evenly around the perimeter at waist height. Cast iron chains hung between them. Oliver ran towards one walkway that led down to the water while gunfire continued to erupt behind him.
"Almost there, Matthew, almost there," he said over his shoulder as they hit they ran down the ramp to the docks. He had to stop at the bottom of the ramp as zombie stepped out from behind a pole ten yards down the dock. It hissed at Oliver as it walked towards them, opening and closing its fists as it approached.
"Dad?" Matthew whispered as he grabbed Oliver's arm.
"It's ok, I got this." Oliver raised the gun in his hand and aimed it at the chest of the approaching monster. His finger reached for the trigger as his hand began to shake violently, the muzzle of the gun moving all over the place. Oliver grunted and grabbed the gun with both hands to steady it just as the zombie launched towards them. He closed his eyes and squeezed the trigger twice in rapid succession.
The zombie screamed and staggered backward. He caught its foot on one of the dock pilings and fell backwards into the water. It struggled for a moment, then sunk. An outstretched hand was the last thing to disappear under the calm water surface.
"Dad, come on, we've got to find a boat," Matthew urged as Oliver continued to stare at the spot where the zombie had gone down. He hated killing, even monsters, and he resisted the urge to get on his knees and throw up. "Dad!"
"What are you two doing?" Ron shouted as he ran down the ramp. "Admiring the scenery? Let's find ourselves a boat. Come on already." He ran down the dock towards a group of cabin cruisers as Oliver collected himself and ran after him with Matthew.
"What are you looking for?" he asked Ron when he caught up.
"Something big enough for the ocean and something with a bit of fuel. Hang on, let me check this one." Ron hopped across to a small yacht.
"That's a little big, don't you think?" Oliver shouted after him, then shook his head as he kept an eye on the ramp leading down to the dock. He knew that it was only a matter of time before another set of zombies would appear, drawn by the gunshots and the screams.
As Ron appeared on deck, he waved to them. "This is a good one," he shouted just as a dozen zombies came rushing down the ramp. They stopped when they saw Oliver and Matthew. Ron cursed and jumped back onto the dock.
"Either of you know how to drive a boat?" he said as he dangled he keys in his hand.
Oliver was about to shake his head when Matthew snatched the keys. "I do," he said. "Everyone around here knows how to do that. Dad, come on." Matthew ran up the steps leading to the deck of the yacht and disappeared inside.
"Go," Ron said with a determined look on his face. "I'll hold them back and jump on as you pull out."
Oliver nodded and dashed up the stairs and into the cabin. He followed another set of stairs upstairs to the controls. Matthew's hands were already flying over the buttons and levers at the helm.
"You know what you're doing?" Oliver said as he put a hand on Matthew's shoulder.
"Cooper taught me," Matthew said and looked at Oliver. Tears were streaming down his face. "We'd all go fishing together."
Cooper. Oliver then realized he had completely missed it. Cooper and Claire. He felt a chill run down his spine and a tinge of envy. She had really moved on, hadn't she? Now, Matthew was the only thing that remained.
Moments later, the engine roared to life on the first try as a dull rumble spread throughout the hull. "Undo the lines, Dad. I'll take the front, you take the back."
Together they rushed back down to the dock and undid the moorings. Ron had gone done on one knee, his rifle raised towards the slowly approaching zombies. "Hurry," he said, "they'll be on top of as at any moment."
With the yacht liberated, they jumped back onboard. Matthew engaged the reverse thrust and the yacht came to live as it moved away from the dock. At that moment, the zombies rushed towards Ron in total silence. No screaming, no grunts, not flailing. Just a head on rush. Ron fired. Some zombies went down and fell into the water, but several of them avoided his bullets. When his gun jammed, he motioned for Matthew to move out.
"Go, go," he shouted as he pulled out a hand gun, aimed and fire.
Matthew hesitated momentarily, but when two zombies reached Ron and tackled him, he increased the throttle and turned the bow out. A single zombie saw their movement and rush the boat, jumping at the very last second. It grabbed hold of the railing, its legs dangling down to the water as it struggled to get up.
Oliver wasted little time and ran down the stairs. He approached the lone zombie that was now pulling itself up over the railing. As soon as it stood up, he raised the gun and fired. The bullet hit center mass, and the zombie staggered backwards. Oliver fired again, sending the zombie over the railing and into the water. As soon as it had disappeared into the water, Matthew increased the speed and exited the rows of boats in the dock. Behind them, Ron disappeared into the water with two zombies clawing all over him. Oliver took a deep breath, then returned upstairs to rejoin Matthew.
"Should we wait?" Matthew asked as he slowed the boat to a crawl.
"For what? Ron? I don't think he will make it."
"I was thinking..."
Oliver pulled Matthew in for a hug. "Mom?"
Matthew nodded and sobbed as they floated inside the pier of the marina. Behind them, screams filled the air, and fires had broken out. Black smoke rose above the city skyline. Out to sea, the morning sun colored the horizon orange and pink as it teased of a new morning, new beginnings.
"I'm afraid there's little we can do for her, Matthew. She's gone."
He nodded and stepped back to the helm, his hand on the throttle. "I know. I just can't believe it."
"Let's get out of here, all right?"
Matthew increased the speed and they exited the marina. As they headed towards the rising sun, Oliver looked back at the island he had only just arrived at.
"Do you think it's over, Dad?"
Oliver shook his head. "No, son. It's only just beginning."
~ ~ ~
A tattered figure appeared at the end of the dock. Her red eyes looked out at the boat disappearing beyond the pier, her fingers twitching. Blood covered her face and torso. She let out a scream in the boat's direction, then turned and walked back into the city.
She let out a scream in the boat's direction, then turned and walked back into the city [https://img.wattpad.com/de95c98d81ac152abfb2228d7eeada1a7208a141/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f3451395176514e36692d767053673d3d2d3837393535323838382e313630633261346132623632613732643430303533333937313631382e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]