It was unlocked.
Slowly, Jim turned it. Calling his son's name, he went inside the house.
They waited in the darkness.
Martin hadn't realized he was holding his breath until Jim vanished through the front door.
Frankie checked the street for movement again. 'What now?'
'We wait,' he told her. 'We wait and we watch for them to come out.'
The night air turned chilly, and it whistled through the hole in the ruined windshield. Frankie shivered. Jim had been right. There was something foul on the breeze.
'So how old is Danny, anyway?'
'Six,' Martin answered. 'He was-I mean is-a cute kid. Looks like Jim.'
'You saw a picture?'
He nodded.
'How long you two been traveling together?'
'Since West Virginia. Jim got attacked outside my church. I saved him and then promised to help him find his son.'
Frankie was quiet for a moment. Then she spoke again.
'Tell me something, preacher-man. Do you really think his son is alive in there?'
Martin watched the house. 'I hope so, Frankie. I hope.'
'Me too. I think that...' Her voice trailed off and she checked the street and surrounding yards again. Carefully, she hefted the rifle.
The stench was getting stronger.
'What is it?' Martin asked.
'Can't you smell them? They're coming.'
Martin cracked his window and sniffed the air, his nose wrinkling in disgust.
'I reckon they know we're here, somewhere. They're hunting for us.'
'What should we do?'
'Like I said, we wait. Not much else we can do. Just be ready.'
They grew quiet again and watched the silent houses around them. Martin turned back to Danny's house. His jittery legs bounced up and down and he cracked his leathery knuckles in the dark. His arthritis was acting up and he doubted he'd find any medicine lying around for it soon.
'Stop fidgeting.'
'Sorry.'
Random Bible verses ran through his head and Martin focused on them so that he would not have to wonder what was going on inside the house.
Blessed are the peacemakers ... Jesus saves ... For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have eternal life ... And on the third day, he arose from the dead ...
Martin glanced back at the house again, fighting the urge to get out of the Humvee and run toward it. He thought of the father and son who had saved them from cannibals in Virginia. The father had been mortally wounded and before he could turn into a zombie, the son shot him and then turned the gun on himself.
He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have eternal life ... And on the third day, he arose from the dead ...
... His only begotten son ... he arose from the dead ...
. . . His only son ... arose from the dead ...
Martin froze.
'Frankie, I-'
A gunshot suddenly rang out, shattering the stillness. It was followed by a scream. Silence returned and then a second gunshot followed.
Both had come from inside the house.
'Frankie, that was Jim screaming!'
'Are you sure? It didn't sound human to me.'
'It was him! I'm sure of it.'
'What do we do now?'
'I don't know. I don't know!'
Martin's mind whirled.
He shot Danny and then himself! He got in there, and Danny was a zombie.
His only begotten son arose from the dead!
