***
I found myself unable to move, Claire standing beside me, experiencing the same turmoil. Several minutes before, we had watched Henry, Nick, and Thomas pull out of the driveway. Our feet felt like they were in hardened concrete. We missed them already. Unexpectedly, I felt a warm arm wrap around me.
“He’s gone,” I whispered.
“He is, but they will be back.” Addie’s voice was comforting, soothing my frightened soul. “Come. Let’s get you girls inside.” She took both of us by the hands and made us go into the house. I collapsed on the couch and curled up into a ball. I had zero intention of moving, or talking, or even breathing until I knew that Henry was safe and back in my arms.
Chapter 35
I
t was a quiet ride. When Henry, Nick, and Thomas got about a mile-and-a-half down the road from Addie’s house, they still hadn’t seen a single car. However, there were plenty of rotting bodies roaming around, looking for their next meal. Henry skillfully weaved around them.
He came to a four-way stop sign. Across the way was the school where Addie’s daughter was presumed to be. The building was large and surprisingly modern. He stayed at the stop sign for a minute, scanning the area, contemplating his first move.
“What do you think?” Henry asked his small crew. “Should we pull right up front?”
“Might as well. Can’t be any worse there than anywhere else,” Nick sighed.
“Alright then.” Henry drove the truck forward, pulling into the bus lane in the school parking lot. “Let’s use our guns sparingly.” Henry shut off the truck and got out, Nick and Thomas following.
All of them put on packs with minimal supplies. They each put a Sig in the waistband of their pants. Henry and Nick grabbed the double-sided axes, Thomas grabbed a machete.
“Sparingly,” Henry reminded them with a quirked brow. He looked around for the best entrance point into the school. “I guess the front door is just as good as the others.” Henry and Nick began walking forward.
They realized that Thomas wasn’t tagging along. Henry turned around. “You alright, mate?”
Thomas stood still, then he spoke quieter than normal, “Kids. We’ll be killin’ kids my age.”
Henry walked up to the scrawny, gaunt boy. “Thomas, you know they are no longer themselves. It’s just their body being run by a virus. We are helping them.”
“I know. I killed my sister.”
Henry put his hand on Thomas’ shoulder. “Thomas, I need you. Can you swallow it for now and move forward? When we get back into the truck, you can let it all out.” Thomas nodded. Henry rolled his neck. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah.” Henry and Thomas joined Nick, who was standing at the front entrance scanning what he could.
“Anything?” Henry approached with little sound. Then Nick looked at him and looked back. Henry looked into the window when he saw Nick’s frightened look. “Holy shit…”
“I think we may be outnumbered,” Nick whispered. “This must be why Addie didn’t want us to come.” For a short moment, Nick regretted coming on the mission. There were hundreds of undeads tripping over one another in the front entrance alone.
“Alright then, new plan. Let’s find another entrance point.”
Henry began walking toward the left side of the building. The cafeteria was located there. They looked through the windows.
“Holy shit.”
Nick came up behind him. “Christ, there must be twice as many of them in here.”
“Uh, Henry? We have company.” Thomas was just shy of rounding the corner when he saw about a dozen undeads. They were sniffing the air, then began staggering toward them.
Henry ran forward and began swinging the axe. Nick followed close behind. One by one, the undeads’ heads were hacked off their bodies with one vicious swing after another. Thomas was stabbing the machete through their heads to ensure a true death. Henry looked down at the carnage around him and shook his head. Without another thought, he wiped the axe off on the pant leg of the true dead at his feet.
As they travelled further around the school, they saw another door. Henry ran up to it and peered through the window. The hall seemed to be empty, but he knew better.
“I’ll take the lead. Nick, bring up the rear.”
“Alright.” Thomas stood behind Henry, who grabbed the handle. Henry took a long deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He pulled the door open.
The smell of death hit him hard, almost knocking him over. Both Nick and Thomas gagged behind him. Henry closed the door in haste. He bent over, trying to rid his nasal passages of the aggressive odor.