“I have stage-three pancreatic cancer.”
Kong’s world spun sideways, he had heard about people having vertigo, but never experienced it himself until just that moment. Had he not been sitting on the edge of the bed, he knew that he would have toppled over. As it was he had to place both hands on the mattress to keep from tipping over onto his wife.
She started to talk rapidly as she was apt to do when she was nervous; something he usually found endearing, but he kept hearing words, like cancer, and chemotherapy, life-expectancy, treatment options. It was too much for him. He could not even begin to process what she was saying.
She had barely finished her first round of chemotherapy when she died. Small sparse flakes of snow lazily drifted to the ground as he laid his beloved to rest. The day he had found out about her disease and the culminating final few weeks had been the darkest period of his life. It had taken him years to once again find any joy, slim as it may be, in the world. And he decided that he would go back to that very moment she told him what she had rather than stand in front of the Shade Queen for one more moment.
“Kong, I suggest that when you stand before me that you do not let your mind drift elsewhere,” Eliza said.
“Just remembering a happier time,” he said sarcastically. “Is this one man worth it? Even now?”
“Especially now,” she replied.
“Surely you have enough zombies here to take out one household.”
“One would think,” Eliza answered him.
“There’s another problem.”
“Do tell.”
“They found a way to stop the zombies. They reach a point in the yard and will not go any further.”
“Impossible!” she shouted. “Tomas, is this possible, does he possess the power to do such a thing?” she asked her brother.
“I do not know why you would doubt what he can and cannot do Eliza. I have begged you to stop the insanity of this quest.”
“Kong you need to get me close to the house so that I can find out for myself,” Eliza told the big man as she started to stride towards Ron’s as if she were going on a power walk during a short lunch break.
“I don’t think that’s the best idea,” he said catching up to her. He saw that he was not going to be able to dissuade her. “You two.” Kong pointed to two men that were shuttling ammo and had the unfortunate stroke of luck to be crossing their path at that very moment, “you’re both with me, put the cans down and let’s go.” He pushed both of the men in front of him, Eliza, and Tomas.
The zombies moved out of the way of the team as if they were repelled. Eliza was psychically pushing them away with her mind. The path she cut ahead of them closed neatly as they passed by, they were but a schooner in a sea of death.
CHAPTER FORTY
Mike Journal Entry 17
It took about an hour to make the basement somewhat presentable, although it would take a strong imagination to NOT see what had happened there.
“Need any help?” Gary asked, opening the basement door, I was three steps from the top.
“I think we’re good,” I told him.
BT was coming up the stairs slowly, his previous injury making his leg stiff from the awkward position he had been in while helping me clean.
“Sucks getting old,” I told him from the top of the stairs.
“I hope I have the opportunity to find out, at least I have you to live vicariously through.” He grabbed the handrail to help pull himself up.
“Great, I was going to help you the rest of the way up,” I told him as I walked away, letting the basement door shut in his face.
“Anything?” I asked Travis going to the back of the house and talking through the window.
He was behind the protective metal barrier. He shook his head so that he wouldn’t give his position away.
I walked across the house. “Anything, Dad?”
“Nothing. I’d be surprised if they tried that again.”
“Probably right,” I told him.
Mad Jack’s box was still keeping the zombies at bay and I had to think Eliza was rethinking her strategy. We could possibly have a small lull.
The household was somewhat subdued. We were in the midst of a siege, and when nothing was happening, generally boredom became the biggest problem. Fear was too strong of an emotion to sustain for long periods of time. Everybody more or less was doing what I expected them to be doing: either busy work or lying about. I tracked back across the room. There was one notable exception to my previous statement. Justin looked like he was alternating between seeking comfort and finding some deep dark place to hide.
“Justin?” I asked, approaching him. He immediately shied away. I felt her the moment I pulled my hat off and placed it on his head. A genuine look of confusion, then elation spread across his features.
“This really works?” he asked incredulously.
I would have answered him but I ran out to the deck. Eliza might as well have had a stage light on her the way she stuck out from the crowd of zombies. She looked up immediately as she saw me. I had left my rifle in the living room; the only weapon I had was a 9 mm, and at fifty yards I’d have a better chance of throwing rocks at her. I did the next best thing—I flipped her the finger. I could hear and see Tomas laughing from here.
It was all fun and games until the two men leading the crusade started to open fire, then it got serious real quick.
At first I was outgunned two to none, within thirty seconds, I had Travis, Justin and my dad. I had run back in to snag my rifle. We got a few shots off, but Eliza and company had not advanced any further and the zombies had closed in around them like a protective barrier. I may have winged one of the men she was with…or he could have been dusting a fly off of himself. I ran to the kitchen and hastily fashioned my own hat, it wasn’t done with the same level of expertise as Trip’s but it did the job.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Eliza
“That’s him.” Kong told Eliza as Michael came out onto the deck.
She nodded imperceptibly, her lips tightening at the sight of her adversary.
“Didn’t seem like much when he said his name was Buker and doesn’t seem like much now,” he said a moment before Mike flipped Eliza off. Kong was both amused at the gesture and awed that someone had enough balls to do something like that to her.
Tomas burst out laughing, Kong had wanted to join him, but he didn’t have a familiar relationship to fall back on like the boy did. He was certain she would cut his throat and let him bleed out where they were.
“Kill him,” Eliza told her escort.
They hastily left the area as their firepower gave way to that of the defenders.
“Should we try a different approach?” Kong asked Eliza once they were in a safer area.
“No, I have found out what I need to know,” she replied. “It is not Michael that keeps my zombies at bay.”
“The trench then?” Kong asked, seeking clarification.
