Zombie Games: Road Kill Part 20

"Let's get him into the house," said Tiny.

"You're grounded, by the way," said Kristie, placing the baby on her shoulder and bouncing her gently.

Paige frowned. "You can't ground me, mother."

"The h.e.l.l I can't."

"I'm eighteen."

"Then act your age and quit adding more trouble to our situation. You put yourself as well as these guys in more danger when you snuck off like that."

"If it wasn't for me, Billie might have died and the baby as well!"

"Paige-."

"No!" hollered Paige. "Quit treating me like I'm some kind of princess! I'm a grown woman, with opinions, a temper, and a h.e.l.l of a right hook."

"Yes I know," said Kristie, "but-."

"No buts, mother. Look at me! I'm not a little girl anymore. In fact, what I am is a soldier, one who's killed more people in the last few weeks than a freaken serial killer would in a lifetime and I don't know about you, but I'm handling it pretty d.a.m.n well."

"Yes, honey, I know. I just don't want anything happening to you. I'd never forgive myself."

"Nothing will. Look, I wasn't born yesterday and I'm not going to put myself in a situation I know I can't handle. You just have to have a little more faith in me, mom. Seriously."

Kristie sighed. "Fine, but no more lying or sneaking around."

"And no more sheltering me from the world," said Paige. "Not only is it annoying, but it's degrading."

"I'll try, really I will. I just don't want to lose you."

"You won't," she said, softening her voice.

Kristie stared at her intently and then sighed. "Fine. You're growing up and there's nothing I can do to stop it. Look, I'll ease up on you and even give you a little more s.p.a.ce."

"I guess that's all I can ask," she said, walking back towards the house.

Kristie shook her head and looked at Tiny. "You know, when I was a teenager, all my mother had to worry about was me sneaking off to go to a party or getting knocked up by one of my dates. h.e.l.l, that's nothing compared to this s.h.i.t. I have to worry about my daughters sneaking off like freedom fighters in the middle of the night and whether or not they took the right weapon to bludgeon a d.a.m.n zombie to death. And now," she said looking down at the baby in her arms. "Another little princess has been delivered to my doorstep. I don't know whether to laugh or cry."

"Sounds like someone above thinks you're a pretty good mother," said Tiny, putting an arm around her.

"Or he's making me pay for all the h.e.l.l I raised when I was a kid. Is that it, honey?" she asked the baby, who was stared up at her. "Is this my penance for all the trouble I gave my own mother?"

The baby grinned.

"Let me guess," said Billie, who was lying down in the guestroom of the house, "you're my babysitter."

Bryce, sat down on the floor and leaned his head against the wall. "We just want to keep an eye on you, bro. Just in case."

"Just in case," smirked Billie. "Well, it's kind of unnerving, you know. Everyone keeps looking at me like they don't know me. Like I'm going to turn on them and rip their throat out."

He opened up a bottle of water and took a sip. "You're over-dramatizing everything. They're a little worried but they still care about you, man. Just chill out."

Billie closed his eyes. "This is a nightmare. I just can't believe one of those things got to me."

"Yeah, it was a bad scene. I'm sorry I took so long on the boat."

"It wasn't your fault," he said, opening his eyes back up. "I slipped and fell. End of story."

"But still..."

"Look, Paige was right there and she couldn't stop it from happening either. The zombie was fast, man."

Bryce took another sip of his water and noticed the sweat on Billie's forehead. "You okay? You want something to drink?"

"Actually, yeah. I'm parched. I think I need some more aspirin too. My fever must be coming back, full force."

Bryce stood up. "Okay," he said. "Don't go anywhere."

Billie closed his eyes. "I'm not planning on it."

Bryce left the room and walked to the kitchen where he found Tiny, staring out the window. "What's up?"

"I don't want to go freaking anyone out," he whispered. "But I think someone's out there. And I'm not just talking zombies."

Bryce moved to the window and looked out into the backyard. "What did you see?"

"I saw movement. By the shed."

Both men stood staring out the window, when they heard Kristie scream.

Tiny bolted out of the kitchen and down the hallway to the living room.

"Tiny, oh my G.o.d, he took the baby!" cried Kristie, who was alone by the front door.

"Who?" asked Bryce.

"Billie! I was rocking her in the chair when he rushed out of the bedroom, s.n.a.t.c.hed her out of my arms, and then took off running outside."

Bryce ran out the door and towards the dark street. Hearing the baby's cries, he turned towards the sound and in the distance he could see Billie's silhouette.

"Billie!" he hollered, racing towards him.

Billie ignored him and kept running.

"What the h.e.l.l, Billie?!" he yelled again, the distance between them getting shorter. "Stop!"

Just then, a vehicle turned the corner and headlights lit up the road. Billie stopped running and turned back to face Bryce.

"What are you doing, man?" asked Bryce, stopping a few feet away.

Billie's eyes were bloodshot and his skin was almost a grayish color. "Have to bring him the baby. Have to bring him the baby. Have to..."

"Whoa," said Bryce, holding up his hands. "Just calm down."

The vehicle, a Honda Odyssey, stopped and the doors flew open.

"Bryce!" yelled Ca.s.sie, rushing towards him.

"Thank G.o.d," sighed Bryce, as she threw herself in his arms. He closed his eyes and released a deep sigh.

"Billie?" smiled Nora.

"Wait! Don't go near him!" yelled Bryce, opening his eyes. He turned to her and held out a hand. "Nora, please, don't get near him, he's been bitten and is starting to act crazy."

Nora's face fell. "What?"

Henry slammed the door of the truck and slowly walked towards them. "What's that?"

Nora took a step forward. "Billie?"

"What are you doing with that baby, Billie?" asked Henry, spitting out a wad of chew.

Billie stared at them, his eyes wild and his face covered in perspiration. "I'm...I have to take her to him...all the babies have to be found and taken to him."

"Who's him?" asked Henry.

Billie opened his mouth, but instead of answering, began running with the baby again.

"s.h.i.t, Billie!" hollered Nora, taking off after him.

Bryce and Ca.s.sie quickly followed suit.

Billie ran, clutching the baby tighter. He didn't exactly understand why he felt such an overwhelming urge take her south, or who "he" was, but the desperation seemed to consume him.

"Stop Billie!" yelled Nora.

Nora.

His muddled mind cleared slightly and his heart began to swell. He stopped and then turned to find himself looking down into her eyes.

G.o.d, he'd missed her.

"Give me the baby," she demanded, holding out her arms.

"No, I can't. I have to do this."

Swearing under her breath, she reached out and tried to grab the baby herself.

"No!" he growled, backhanding her.

She fell to the ground and then quickly got back up. "You a.s.shole," she snarled, "n.o.body hits me! I don't care how many times we've made out!"

"I...I'm sorry," he said, horrified of what he'd just done.

Bring the child, demanded the voice in his head.

He turned to run, again, when someone grabbed his arm, yanking him backwards.

"Thank you," said Ca.s.sie, s.n.a.t.c.hing the baby from his arms while Bryce subdued him with a strangle-hold.

"Let me go," he pleaded, his voice hoa.r.s.e. "I have to bring the baby to him."

"Bulls.h.i.t," snarled Nora, storming towards him. "Let him go, Bryce."

Bryce released him and the last thing he remembered before the darkness came, was Nora's foot slamming into his chin.

Chapter Twenty-Three.

Ca.s.sie "Don't you ever leave me again," he whispered into my hair.

"Bryce," I said, "I can't breathe."

He loosened his arms around my waist and sighed. "What were you thinking? Seriously, what were you thinking?"

I stepped back, avoiding his eyes. "Don't start with me."

"They're in Atlanta, you know. Your grandparents. If you wouldn't have taken off the way you did, you'd probably be reunited as we speak."

"Atlanta is a big city, Bryce. Chances are we wouldn't have pa.s.sed each other on the streets."

"Your sister is still out there."

My heart stopped.

My sister?