Skeeter went forward and sat in the passenger seat, staring out the front while Buck tried to steer the house on wheels down the narrow road. “Watch for that station wagon.” Her finger pointed to a rusted hulk parked half in the road.
“I’m doing my best here,” Buck said, his knuckles nearly white from gripping the wheel. “Are we losing them yet?” he asked, afraid to peel his eyes from the front.
Skeeter leaned forward and stole a glance out the side mirror. She could see a few dark figures still chasing them, but the dust from the road made it impossible to tell just how close they were. “I can’t really tell.”
“Go to the back bedroom. There’s a big window there you might see out of better.”
Skeeter got up and started back then paused at the door. The crazy sister was back in the bedroom. She knew this. She also knew that she was supposed to be tied up, but she felt the cold fingers of dread wrap around her guts and twist.
With a deep breath, she cracked open the door and peeked inside. A large lump in the floor with a blanket over it that must be the sister lay prone, barely moving as the RV bounced and rocked over the rough road and scraped along the parked cars. Skeeter stepped wide around the lump and hopped onto the mattress behind it. She scooted to the window and opened the blinds. The sight out the window caused a lump to form in her throat that she couldn’t force down.
Skeeter pulled the blinds all the way open and propped the door open. Better to glance back than have to come back into the same room as the zombie sister. Moving back to the front, she took her seat next to Buck and trained her eyes straight ahead.
“Well? Are they still following us?” Skeeter’s mouth formed a tight line and she simply nodded. Buck chanced a glance at her and shook his head. “What?”
“There’s a lot more than I woulda thought,” she said quietly.
“How many?”
Skeeter turned and stared at him. Buck slowed slightly so he could turn and see her. For the first time, he noticed the streams of tears running down her cheeks. “Lots,” she said as she sucked in air. “Lots.”
Buck could feel the color drain from his face. He turned back to the road with renewed purpose and pressed the accelerator a little harder. Although he was having enough trouble trying to force this monstrosity through the gauntlet of parked cars, he knew that he had to put some distance between the zombies and themselves, or this trip would end up being a short one.
“Not too fast, Buck!” Skeeter cried as she reached out to brace herself. “We’re not going to make it.”
Buck saw what she was referring to as the lights lit up the two large SUVs that were parked half on the road and half off. Of course, the two vehicles that could have parked completely OFF the road, had to be cautious and park nearly IN the road. Buck didn’t need a tape measure to know that they’d never fit through the two giant gas guzzlers. He also knew that, even if he slammed on the brakes, they’d never stop in time.
“If you can’t stop, go faster!” He mashed the accelerator to the floor and pointed the flat nose of the RV for dead center between the two rear bumpers. “Hang on!”
They felt the giant coach scrape along the side of a smaller car just before the collision and the two SUVs jumped into the air, their rear bumpers disintegrating in the night. Plastic and steel erupted into an explosive show as the giant coach pushed through, but Buck felt the driver’s side steering jerk to the left and he fought the steering wheel with all of his might to keep the beast on the road and between the parked cars.
“Oh, shit!” he yelled as the coach continued scraping the cars along the left side of the road, completely ignoring his turning of the wheel.
Skeeter shrieked as the metal and fiberglass from the coach scraped away along the parked cars, showering the side of the coach in an orange show of sparks. Buck held the accelerator to the floor, trying to put as much distance between their pursuers and the coach before the RV couldn’t go any farther. He could feel the monster slowing as it continued to scrape the parked cars, and he knew that it was only a matter of moments before the beast would roll to a shrieking stop. He turned to look out of the side mirror, but it was gone.
“Are they still back there?” he yelled above the noise, but Skeeter was too busy having a full-on panic attack to look. “Skeeter!” He stole a glance her way to find her nearly in a fetal position in the passenger seat.
As the RV rolled to its final resting position, Buck shut off the engine and stepped out from behind the wheel. “We have to get going,” he said as he pulled Skeeter’s arm. She continued to rock back and forth in the chair, her arms covering her face. “Skeeter!” He jerked her from the chair. “It’s run or be eaten!”
He stepped back to the bed and patted his dad’s leg. “Up and at ’em, big boy,” he barked as he picked up his bag. “We gotta go.”
Bob shook his head. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Oh, yes you are.” Buck reached for his hand.
Bob pushed him away listlessly. “Buck, I’ve lost too much blood. I can barely keep my eyes open,” he whispered. “I can’t run. I can’t even stand.” Bob forced open his eyes and stared at his son. “You have to go,” he said, a weak smile crossing his lips. “Live for me.”
Buck shook his head and backed up a step. “No, not like this.”
“Yes,” Bob replied, his voice barely above a
