My Zombie Girlfriend

Chapter 15

"If we see a tank, we should flag it down," Ethan said. "I bet Nate and everyone else is already at the school, with blankets and hot cocoa."

They were limping along the sidewalk. Ethan and Zane were carrying Ricky across their shoulders, since Wilson was too short.

"No way," Zane said. "The soldiers zip-tied those guys. Who knows what kind of decontamination they were going to go through? We need to get out of sight if we hear a tank coming."

"Agreed," Wilson said. The two friends shared a look and nod.

"WHAT?" Jose said.

No one responded.

"Once we get to the school, they'll probably do the same to us," Ethan countered. "I mean, look at us. We're a mess. We're covered in blood, obviously we've seen some zombie action... they're going to think we're infected. I mean, Nate and them didn't have a scratch on them, and they took them in like prisoners."

"All the more reason to avoid the tanks," Zane said. "They'll probably shoot us on sight."

"This is a fucking mess," Ricky muttered.

It had taken them twenty minutes to reach the end of Ricky's street. "Only two more miles to go," said Wilson in a chipper voice.

The sky on the horizon burned the sickly orange of destruction. The air stank of it too, a chemical tang that made breathing taste sour. Sirens wailed and gunshots interrupted the night, but these sounds were far off and the ten students pushed on toward school: that last safe haven now that the idea of home had been destroyed.

"What happened to Ross?" Wilson asked conversationally.

"That punk," Ricky spat. He spat some blood too.

Zane tried to remember all the faces left behind. "I didn't see him in the living room... and he wasn't in the front hall..."

"He bolted the first chance he got," Ricky said with effort. "Little bitch... Fucking dog..."

Ricky went limp in Zane and Ethan's arms, as if those words had taken the rest of his energy.

They turned onto Palm Avenue. Ahead, a long line of traffic lights blinked a yellow warning.

"Did you hear that?" Hunter said.

It was definitely the sound of a vehicle approaching. Though it didn't sound like a tank, no one wanted to take any chances. Everyone looked around and darted to a hiding place. Ethan and Zane dragged Ricky behind some azalea bushes and crouched down. Wilson shimmied up a tree. Mike Snow and Joey ducked behind a Lincoln Navigator parked in the next driveway, while Dylan or Tyler and Rebecka crawled into the bushes on the other side of the lawn. Josh hid around the side of the house. Jose looked around for a moment, then lay down on the grass and played dead.

The buzz of the motor drew closer and closer. Zane peered through the leaves. He didn't see any headlights, but the sound of the motor was unmistakable.

"We're like sitting ducks here," Ethan whispered, glancing overhead. "If any of those choppers fly by, they'll spot us no problem."

"We just have to wait for this stupid car to pass," Zane whispered. "Any day now."

The thing was loud now. "I'm not sure that's a car," Ethan said, needing to speak louder over the noise. "Sounds like a –" He saw the source of the sound. "Holy shit."