Chatter

Chapter 15

Time was getting short. Less than a day before the United States becomes a wasteland. After the incident at the camp ground no one had spoken much. The jets flew over at an increasing rate. This group of airline passengers had endured much over the last few days; a plane crash, the undead, losing members, human attacks. Detroit loomed ahead, their escape point, their refuge.

Cade wandered over to his sister and sat. The words were slow to come out, "I don't know what is happening to me." His eyes welled up, "I think part of me enjoys this place; this anarchy."

"The last several days have been awful Cade. Everyone we knew is dead. Just hold on a little longer and we will be safe."

"But is Canada safe?" Cade looked at her, "What if we aren't welcome there?"

"You said the President told everyone to go there," said Meg.

"Yeah, we'll see."

Everyone remained still as they passed the welcome to Detroit sign on the highway. They had been waiting days to get to this point. As they came over a small hill on the highway the camper slammed to a halt. Hundreds or thousands of undead wandered around the highway and the city below. Dwayne now driving, weaved through a barrage of zombies to the exit ramp. The camper careened through the undead throwing limbs left and right. Goo splatter the windshield, but nothing the wipers couldn't handle.

The bottom of the ramp was another story. It was shoulder to shoulder undead with nowhere to drive. Running into them would stop the truck dead in its tracks and the group would be surrounded instantly.

Vick sized up the situation, "We go on foot now. Grab whatever you need but don't weigh yourselves down too much."

Everyone geared up with weapons and water, leaving behind the rest of the supplies. It was only a few miles to safety now and little was needed. 

"From our spot its seven blocks this way to the Windsor bridge and tunnel," said Vick. "If we move back to back to back and don't stop we should be ok." 

Gunshots rang through the air as the group started pressing Eastward. Blocks ahead they could see another group on foot using firearms to move forward. The packs of zombies ignored Cade and the others and they ambled toward the sounds ahead.

"I think we lucked out," said Trina.

"Yeah but those guys didn't," replied Autumn.

The group pressed on without a fight. They cut over one block to avoid the firefight. Finally the bridge and tunnel were in sight. "Let's take the tunnel, it might be less crowded," said Dwayne.

"It's sure as hell darker," replied Cade. "But we can try it."

As they approached the tunnel entrance Cade and the others saw that it was in shambles. Cars and trucks were flipped and crushed across the lanes. Chatterers walked among the cars in the hundreds.

"There's no way we can get through there, especially in the dark," said Vick. "We have to make our way over the damn bridge and it won't look any better I'd bet."

Circling up to the bridge way the found out that Vick was correct. It looked much the same as the tunnel except that they could see. Together in a tight circle they began the trek across the Ambassador Bridge to Windsor, Ontario.

As they fought through the first onslaught of chatterers Dwayne spotted the group from before just ahead. They had climbed a ladder up the side and avoided some of the undead. As Cade eyed them he saw a familiar face, the foreman.

"Son of a bitch," he said. "The guys ahead of us still."

He aimed down his rifle getting a bead on the foreman. Bam! A bullet ricocheted off the car next to the man's face. "Dammit!"

With the rival group alerted they abandoned the undead and turned to the group of airline survivors, firing all their weapons.

They dove behind cars returning fire pushing forward whenever the shooting stopped. Every now and again some undead would get in the crossfire and get cut to ribbons.

Autumn shot three men easily and returned to cover. Trina wasn't a good shot and succeeded in missing all her marks. Meg had only a pistol and shot undead as they crept behind her friends.

Cade had been moving forward quickly. He wanted the foreman's blood so bad he could taste it. Vick was right behind with Dwayne, shooting four of the foreman's men. This left only one man plus the leader in the group's way.

As Vick pooped up from behind cover to aim the last man got lucky and fired. The impact took Vick to his knees, and then fell backwards onto his back. Dwayne yelled for help and the others came as quickly as possible to see what the commotion was about.

Blood was pouring out of Vicks stomach. "God dammit we have to get across now!" yelled Cade. "Hold on man we got you."

The women pressed on his wound with Cade's removed shirt to ease the bleeding. "Dwayne you're my damn cover, we're going now."

With that he jumped into action and sprinted towards the foreman and his man. The savage had come out again. Dwayne tried to keep up but found it impossible. Cade threw his gun down and slid over the hood of a car landing on the other man. He swiveled and kneeled cutting the man's Achilles tendons, then behind the knees, finally twist stabbing his stomach.

Cade looked up in fury, blood covering his body at the foreman, "It's just you and me. NOW!"

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