The man with the rifle stepped forward. “We’ll get you out.” He walked by her to the back of the tavern. “Beret,” he called to the other guy, “keep an eye out, it won’t be long before more come.”
“Myron, where are you going?” Beret asked.
He disappeared into the back and returned quickly. “Clear. I’ve been at this bar lots of times. Fire escape is out back. I’ll take them up there to get them safe.”
“Bring the truck around?” Beret asked.
“That’s our best bet.” Myron reached out his hand. “Come on, let’s go. We don’t have much time.”
Candice whimpered, “Max. Mommy, Max and Eugene!”
“We have friends out there,” Grace said.
“Beret will look for them when he goes for the truck. Right now, we have to get you safe. They’ll be coming.” He reached out and grabbed Grace’s arm. “Beret, hurry.”
Beret ran out holding his bat.
Myron rushed Grace and Candice to the back of the tavern and down a hall. For the sake of her daughter, she followed him freely, what choice did she have?
Max was pretty certain his body couldn’t take any more. The airbag hit him in his already wounded chest, knocking the wind out of him. Of course, he was nowhere near as bad as Eugene; he was unconscious.
With Grace and Candice physically fine in the back seat, and a clear getaway behind him, Max concentrated on Eugene, although he did believe it was going to be in vain.
After wrestling himself from the deflated bag, Max jumped from the car to get to Eugene. He glanced only once at Grace and saw they were almost at a building at the corner of the street and then he focused on Eugene. He had to get him out of the car.
The infected were coming, mobbing their way toward them. It was going to be difficult –if even possible— to get Eugene free when he wasn’t moving. Max contemplated fighting them off the car and leaving Eugene inside.
Then two things happened. When he reached for the door handle, Candice screamed. The mob of infected moved down the street, blocking his view of Grace and Candice.
If anything happened to Grace or Candice he had only himself to blame for sending them away, believing they’d be better off running when they would have been safer in the car. The infected seemed to be ignoring Eugene. Another scream, and Max apologized to Eugene, but he had to go. He had to try to help. He made it halfway to the road when he saw two men running through the mob, obviously not infected. A few seconds later he heard shots and Max hoped they had made it in time.
He moved through the swarm of infected, trying to push his way to the building, and one of the men emerged. He moved, rushing against the grain of the horde.
“Hey!” Max called out. “Hey! Are they okay? Are they hurt?”
The man stopped looked around, jumped up a little, then spotted Max. “They’re fine. Heading to the fire escape out back. Come on, you can ride with me to get them.”
“I can’t. I have an unconscious friend in the car. We were in an accident. He’s not immune.”
“Stay there. I’ll be back and swing by with the truck. You can climb up. Just be ready.”
Max returned to the car to get Eugene, who was groaning and coming to.
“Dude,” Max said when he opened the door, “you are gonna have to make a run for it when I say. Okay?”
“Grace. Candice?”
“They’re fine. We need to get you out of here.” Max pushed back the airbag, and then moved the seat back as far as he could. “Inch your way to my door. Can you do that? We have a truck.”
Eugene climbed over the console, wincing in pain.
Max shut the driver’s door and raced to the passenger side. He was ready to swing it open and pull Eugene to the truck. He hoped that the truck would be safe enough for them all. He heard the deep honk of the horn and looked down the street to see a humongous red fire truck plowing his way. When he spotted the truck, Max felt a whole lot better and at ease about their chances.
ELEVEN – CHICKEN SOUP
It wasn’t going to work. There was no way they would be able to drive directly to the school with the fire truck. The masses of recently risen infected followed them.
They led them until a point they could safely get to the school. Even then, to get close enough to extend the ladder meant having to run down the infected that gathered. In theory, Myron’s plan was good, it only needed a last minute tweak.
Max had an idea.
“Oh, yeah,” Eugene said sarcastically. “This isn’t dangerous at all.”
“You’re fine.” Max secured a belt around Eugene’s waist. He had him in the back of the school bus. Grace, Candice, and Beret waited with the fire truck.
Max ran to the bus, turned it around, and backed up as close as he could to the fire truck, like Myron wanted.
There were still too many infected to not only get near the school but also close the gap between back ends of the vehicles.
Eugene had to make a run for it, catching the attention of the infected, which confirmed to Max his plan could work.
“They are right outside this door,” Eugene said.
Max peered out the emergency back door exit. Mob of infected hit against the door, snapped their teeth at the bus. “Oh man they want you.”
“Thanks.”
“Look, this is our only choice right now.” He then yelled to Myron. “Are you sure you can drive this thing?”
“Not really, but can you?”
Max exhaled. “Who do you want holding you?” he asked Eugene.
“He’s probably stronger, but I kind of trust you.”
“Kind of?” Max asked, then shook his head. “Okay. Once Myron puts it in gear and pulls off, I’m opening this door. Remember I have you and will pull you back.”
“What if they jump up?”
“They don’t climb.”
“They jump.”
“I’ll give you that. We’re good though.”
The engine revved and Myron hollered back, “I’m ready. How fast should I go?”
“Slow enough to have them follow us and keep up. I’ll guide you.”
“Got it.” Myron gave a thumbs up. “On my call.” Max reached for the emergency door. “Ready?” he said to Eugene.
Eugene gripped the edges of the doorway. “Oh God. Whatever you do, don’t drop me.”
“I’m right here. Myron, keep it straight and steady and let us know if you have to turn. I don’t need him flying out. It’ll be like I’m casting a line if he does.”
“Got it.”
“Go.” Max ordered, and the second the bus moved, he pushed open the door.
It flung open nailing an infected man and sending him bouncing off to the side. Eugene shrieked when the dozen or so that were there all reached in.
“Hey!” Max yelled out the door, trying to grab the attention of the infected. He banged the baseball bat against the side of the door. “Look!” He inched Eugene forward.
“I’m killing you,” Eugene grumbled, dancing back and forth to avoid the hands that grabbed for him.
The bus moved slowly down the road. It wasn’t a smooth ride, Myron hit things, cars or infected, causing the bus to jolt and Max had to grasp Eugene to keep him from flying out.
The infected no longer made that snoring sound. They squealed like possessed pigs, hungrily reaching for Eugene, leaping on top of each other in an attempt to get to the bus.
It reminded Max of ants, the way the insects would all lump together. They created a trail of infected, holding on, grouped together, and dragging behind the bus.
Once one of the infected pursued something, the others followed. That was what Max had hoped for and that was what happened. Not all, but enough tailed the bus that all he needed was for enough of them to leave the school so Candice could get inside. Max wasn’t convinced that the school shelter was the best place. It was encompassed by infected. However, for Candice’s sake, anywhere was better than being in the open.