Wildfire - A Fanfiction

Chapter Four

Around noon as they reached the outskirts of a small town, the car started sputtering and rolled to a stop. Alex pressed on the gas and tried to turn over the engine, but nothing happened. "No, no, no!" He slammed his fist on the wheel.

"What's wrong?" Georgia looked around the dash helplessly.

Alex kept pressing the pedal and turning the key. "I don't know!"

Kami frantically tapped shoulder. "Up ahead!"

They stared through the windshield, where a small horde of zombies were sluggishly running down the street straight for them.

Alex kept trying to start the car, but Georgia grabbed her bag and shoved as much into it as she could: a few half-empty water bottles, her extra jacket, and the first-aid kit from the glovebox. "We have to leave it!"

Alex gave up on the engine and Georgia could hear shuffling from the backseat where Kami was gathering her things as well. Georgia kicked open the door, ready to make a run for it when four loud cracks echoed through the air. As many zombies in the coming horde collapsed. She looked around in a panic and saw an older man standing in the window of a two-story house, a heavy rifle in his hand.

"Move it!" he shouted at them. "Come on 'round back, and lock the door behind you!" He brought his eye down to the sights to aim again.

Georgia took off, leaping out of the car to the tall gate of the property. She pushed it open and slipped inside, shutting it only after she was sure that Kami and Alex were right beside her. More cracks reverberated as the stranger fired more rounds into the horde. They ran around the other side of the house and burst through the back door. There was a bolt and a metal bar that Georgia was able to lay across the doorframe once they were safely inside.

She leaned against the wall, catching her breath. "I hope this little stunt doesn't end up killing us," she muttered shakily. After a minute she vaguely noticed her foot was throbbing angrily.

She glanced at a wall and saw a picture frame hung on the wall. Inside was a photo of the bearded stranger smiling with a young woman, probably his daughter.

Kami had already started boldly making her way to the front of the house. Georgia followed her. In the front room, the door was heavily barricaded and the windows were boarded up. Several packs of food were stacked up on the table, left in the middle of what seemed to be an attempt at organizing or taking inventory. She collapsed on a couch and put up her leg.

Alex regarded the large stacks of bottled water and Made Ready to Eat packets. "This isn't a normal food store," he said softly.

Georgia's nod turned into a faint grimace. She rolled up the leg of her jeans to find a large purple and red bruise wrapped around her ankle.

Kami rubbed her arms nervously. "Gnarly bruise," she said.

They kept silent.

They remained crowded together, taking in their new surroundings, highly aware of the loud gathering just outside on the street.

Soon the popping sounds from upstairs stopped and heavy footsteps made their way down the hall to the stairs.

The stranger entered the room empty-handed. He had a neatly trimmed beard and salt and pepper hair to match. His padded camo clothing was similar to something one would go hunting in.

"Are any of you infected?" he asked sternly. He glanced pointedly at Georgia's bruised leg.

Georgia shook her head.

Alex spoke, "We don't think so, sir. George just has a bad bruise from an accident this morning."

The man nodded stiffly. He made no move to extend a hand or come closer. "Welcome to my home. You are free to use any of these supplies, within reason. There should be enough for a few months at least."

Kami carefully spoke up. "Thank you, sir, but we can't give you anything in return. We don't have anything to pay you."

The man shook his head. "Not to worry."

Georgia blinked. "Thank you," she said.

"I'm Jon," the man responded. "I have some medical supplies over there if you need them."

"Thanks," she said again, watching Jon as he exited the room without another word.

Alex settled down beside her. "Great. We're stranded."

"And I'm basically a sitting duck. I might have torn something."

Kami crossed her legs and sat on a nearby loveseat. "I haven't thanked you. You pretty much saved our lives back at that stupid convenience store."

"But you still had to fish me out."

Kami held up a hand. "Still. If you hadn't acted we could all be dead right now."

Alex nodded in agreement.

"Well, that's a pleasant thought." Georgia rubbed the sleeve of her jacket. "I'm going to try and rest. I really need a nap."

Alex kept his voice low. But what about this guy? We don't know who he is or what he's doing, and it's kind of weird to just pull some random people off the street in this kind of crisis."

Kami ducked her head. "I don't know. But it looks like he's standing at the edge of the deep end, ready to jump. That gun is probably attracting more zombies than he's killing."

"Can I borrow your phone? I need to try to contact Gran," Alex said suddenly.

Kami held it out for him. He took it, tapping the screen as he tried to remember the number. He held it up to his ear and hissed. "Still no signal."

"Let me see," Kami reached for her phone.

Georgia limbs suddenly felt heavier than she expected. She leaned back into the cushion and closed her eyes.