“There are two people across the way. I can’t make out any features. One may even be trying to attack the other. I can’t even be sure they are normal. There are bloody handprints all over the window. Please! Please, I need help!”
“Sir, you need to try and stay calm.”
“Calm? Calm? Are you serious? Have you any clue what I am facing here?”
“Yes, I do. But it’s best for all of us that you stay calm.” I looked at Claire. Did he mean what I thought he meant? “Tell me, where do you see the people, sir?”
“Uh, umm, they are across the way. Next to Heritage, behind the lot gates.”
“One more question. Are you bit?”
“Bit?”
“Yes! Bit! Did an undead bite you?”
“Undead?”
“Yes! Undead. The people eating people.”
“No! Please hurry.”
“I’m not that far from you. I will be driving a black Tahoe. Whatever you do, do not leave the shop. I’ll come in to get you.”
“Okay, I will wait here. Please hurry!”
Henry ended the call, then turned to me. “Elaina. I need you to wait --.”
“The hell I am! I’m going with you.”
“No. Absolutely not!”
“Henry, that could be someone from my family who is trapped!” I was practically stomping my foot like a child.
“No. I will not let you go.”
Oh, really? “Ha! Try and fucking stop me. Let’s go, Claire.”
I turned toward the door and picked up the double-sided axe as Claire opened the door. Henry’s arm reached out and over-powered Claire, slamming the door shut. “Don’t be a prat!” I think I saw a vein pulsing in his forehead.
“A prat? What the fuck is a prat?”
“A fool. An ass...” He pushed his hand through his hair, and then put both hands on his hips, staring me down.
“Wow. Look who is the prat. Liar.” I wanted to add “liar, pants on fire”, but I decided that it may piss him off even more.
“Bloody hell.” Henry rolled his eyes. “Elaina, it’s far too dangerous for you two. You don’t know how to take care of the undeads.”
At that moment, a whole new Claire showed up. “Listen up, asshole!” We both whipped around and saw her holding Henry’s shotgun pointed directly at him. “My Marc was there; Elaina’s family could still be alive. We are going with you, and you are going to like it or I will turn you into Swiss cheese. We clear?” Henry swallowed hard. We all stood in silence for a few moments. We were taken aback by the new Claire.
Henry barked out a few obscenities. “Fine. But before we go, let’s see if I can get you two into different clothes.” Henry looked us up and down, focusing on my bare feet. “And both of you need some sort of shoes.” He stopped talking. I looked over at Claire, and I couldn’t help but smirk at her.
I was proud. Like a momma bird watching her fledgling fly for the very first time. I mouthed Thank you to her and she nodded at me. Her eyes looked dark and saddened, but I could tell she felt empowered.
Henry walked quickly back toward his room. “Come on, the both of you.”
Claire put the shotgun down and we followed behind. He started going through his drawers, pulling out t-shirts and workout pants. “Here, these will be a little big, but they will be better than those dresses.” Then he headed to his closet and found a couple pairs of boots. “These, too. Both of you.” I grabbed one pair of boots and Claire, deciding she probably should change out of her heels, grabbed the other.
Then he headed back to the living room. I could hear him going through his cache of weapons in the trunk while we changed in silence.
Chapter 2
W
e crept down the back stairs to the garage, guns ready. We all had backpacks with weapons in them. I wasn’t a fan of guns. I had never even picked one up until that day.
Henry gave us both a quick lesson before we left his apartment. I was still hung up on that. The lesson was pretty much here are the bullets, here is where you put the bullets, this is the trigger, point and shoot. Henry was like a regular Boy Scout. He liked to be well prepared.
We didn’t see anyone: true dead, undead, or human. I couldn’t help but wonder where everyone was on a beautiful fall Saturday afternoon. It felt a bit eerie. Henry stopped in front of the exit door to the garage.
Without turning around, he said, just shy of a whisper, “I’m going to cover both of you. Here are my truck keys. I need you to run to it and drive over to me. I’m going to pick off any I see.” He was pointing over to the left. My stomach was doing flip flops.