“Was,” he said.

“For the Greece Cardinals?” She pointed at his shirt.

“From the time I was five.”

“High school?”

“Where I went, they didn’t have a team. School was too small.”

“I’m sorry about that.”

“Was still going to try out when I went to college this fall.”

“You’re in college?”

“Monroe Community,” he said, “they don’t have football either.”

Allison just smiled. Finished her work. “This should help.”

“Thank you,” he said.

I checked my phone. One battery line remained. I couldn’t afford to let my cell die. It was the only chance of contact with my kids. Too much time had lapsed since the last call. I wanted to stay optimistic. These things out on the streets were relentless, strong, and hungry. They kept the five of us hopping. We were adults. Mostly. And fighting them off was a challenge. How were two kids. . .

I couldn’t go there. To do so would be like surrendering. They were all right. Somewhere safe. Had to be. Had to be, or all of this--my life, was for nothing. Not a thing. They were fine. Waiting for me to come rescue them. They were holed up in a vacant spot, scared, maybe wet and cold now, but safe. And waiting.

“He all set?” I said.

Allison nodded. “He is.”

“Then we’re moving. Let’s go.”

“I think we should find shelter. Wait out the rain,” Josh said.

I didn’t face him. I didn’t acknowledge his input. I didn’t say a damned thing. I just hoisted my shovel over a shoulder, and picked up a backpack and started walking back toward the Tops parking lot. I wasn’t concerned about who, if anyone at all, followed me. Either I had the four people behind coming, or I was going it alone. It was that simple.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The sky was not cooperating. It looked black. A reflection of our mood, no doubt. The wind picked up. The rain continued to fall. Hard. It came down at an angle. At us. The cold drops stung exposed flesh. My skin felt clammy, and numb. Drops dripped from my hair into my eyes. I gave up wiping it away and just pushed through it, squinting to see.

The good thing, the best thing about the weather, the zombies didn’t seem to care for it much either. We’d gone two blocks without seeing a single one. It felt a little promising. Misleading perhaps, but I was thankful for the reprieve.

Dave and Josh talked in mumbled whispers behind me. No clue what the subject might be. Had my guesses. A coup? Go their own way? Whatever. It wasn’t my concern. I felt like I’d be less of a target, and better off on my own than in a group. I didn’t need, or ask for friends. I only wanted my kids. Nothing else. Once I had them, we’d survive together. The three of us, and Allison if she wanted to stay. That was fine with me.

When thunder boomed and lightning split the sky--a skeletal hand finger-stepping across black clouds, we stopped.

“This isn’t going to let up, Chase,” Allison said. Her lips had turned blue, teeth chattered. She shivered so badly, her shoulders shook.

I couldn’t look much different, any better. I looked at the others. Out here, it smelled like worms.

I never asked to be in charge, a leader. I looked at the pooling rain on the pavement. My dress shoes were ruined, my socks soaked, my feet like ice. We were going to get sick. The lot of us. Pneumonia, or worse.

“We can’t stop. We’re getting closer.”

“I know we are. I’m not saying we stop. Just -- maybe we find another house. Throw our clothes into a dryer for a bit. Find new clothes. Maybe we find an umbrella or two, and then keep going. We don’t have to, I’m just saying,” she said.

I looked down the road. We were close to my ex’s house, but not so close. I hated that. “We are going to find another car,” I said. “Roads aren’t as cluttered around here. I think we’ll make better time then. It will get us out of the rain. Turn the heat on.”

“A car. Good idea,” she said. It was a compromise, I’ll admit. She wasn’t going to push the issue further. I wasn’t going house hunting. Not anymore. Not because of rain. Not because we were cold. A car, that was different.

“Keys are probably in them,” Dave said. Hadn’t realized he’d been listening. He pointed at the cars in the street.

Figure the people turned on their way to and from places. Climbed out of their cars, feeling sick. And then zombie-walked away. Keys in the ignition.

Problem was, the cars left running were out of gas.

I didn’t hear a single car engine.

Wouldn’t. Not with the wind and rain.

“Let’s check them,” I said. “Be careful. They might not be empty.”

The street was ours. Zombies were not digging the rain one bit. Far as I was concerned, let it keep raining. It gave us time. We would be able to get further without having to hide from monsters anxious to devour our meat.

There were plenty of cars in the street. They were everywhere. Doors open on some, closed on others. They did congest the roads. Driving was still not going to be easy. I had no issue with riding on sidewalks and through lawns. “We want a truck, SUV. Something with four-by-four if possible,” I said.

Fuck beggars can’t be choosers. I wasn’t begging. I was particular.

We walked north down Mt. Read. It should be simple. Pick a truck, look for keys, check the fuel gage, go. It wasn’t. For whatever reason, there were few SUVs. The ones we came upon had keys but no gas, or no keys. We passed a couple of nice cars. I ignored the muttering and under the breath cussing when I declined said vehicles. It was something durable, or nothing.

“Chase,” Allison said, “let’s take a car. Get out of the rain. We can stop at SUVs along the way.”

I saw what I wanted. A Navigator. It was in the parking lot diagonal from Top’s. “That’s ours,” I said. “That one.”

We were walking in that direction anyway.

“It won’t have keys.” It was Dave or Josh. Didn’t matter.

“It’ll be out of gas if it has been running all this time.” Again, Josh or Dave.

The Kid sprinted ahead. Well, jogged. Either way, he was going to reach it first. He ran with that banged up arm clutched to his chest. Looked gimpy. I wanted to tell him to quit babying it, to suck it up and man up. Now wasn’t the time. I’d give him a few hours with the splint. But tonight, if he hadn’t changed the behavior, I’d lay into him. Might not be my business. It just annoyed the shit out of me.

He reached the Lincoln, pulled open the door. He turned to us, gave us a thumbs up. Must mean the keys were inside.  Then he stuck his head in, and next his chest.

When his legs lifted off the ground, and kicked at air, I thought, Ah shit.

“Zombies,” Josh yelled.

We ran at the SUV. Our weapons drawn.

We stopped a few yards away as the Kid’s body fell out of the SUV. Splashed onto wet pavement.

Throat ripped open. Blood sprayed. Allison screamed. I almost slapped a hand over her mouth. My arms felt frozen where they were. Hands wrapped around the wood handle of my shovel. When she started to sob, and cry, I lunged forward. Long, quick, purposeful strides.

I knelt.

“Hey, Kid,” I said. I pushed the door shut. The thing was inside. It planted its face against the window. Bloody palm prints smeared the glass.

He tried to talk, but only gurgled sounds spilled from him. His eyes were open wide. Teeth covered in blood. Mouth filled with it. I smelled it. Copper.  Death.

“Hey,” I said. No other words came to mind. I hoped it sounded soothing. Not shaky, and scared, like I felt. “It’s going to be okay. We’ve got all those supplies from Tops. Okay? Allison’s going to fix you right up.”

The Kid’s eyeball’s rolled up. Nothing but whites.

His body felt limp on my lap. Seen it in movies. Always hated it. Faced with it now, I understood. I laid my hand over his eyes and lowered his eyelids.