The wheeler in front slowed significantly, apparent by the fact that the gap between the two began to close rapidly. He made a sudden, sharp right turn and guided the wheeler in between two brick buildings. Roosevelt attempted to slow and make the same turn, his speed proving too fast and the frost covered ground too slick. As he yanked the handlebars toward the right, two of the four wheels lifted slightly off the ground, the wheeler slid several feet past his intended turning point. He pressed the throttle again correcting his path and moving between the two buildings. The roar of the engine echoed between the brick buildings, amplifying the sound several times. A few seconds later, they exited the alleyway onto a quiet looking street. The street was lined on one side with houses that all looked the same. Every house was white with black shutters. He spotted Johnny's wheeler about 80 yards away to his left, maneuvering between the abandoned cars that littered the street.
"Come here, you little tub of lard!" Roosevelt shouted as he yanked the bars left, turning onto the street.
"The name is Keith, you ugly bitch!" He screamed, guiding the wheeler expertly between a red sports car and a nice black pickup truck.
"What he say?" Roosevelt exclaimed, slowing down slightly to maneuver between the same two vehicles.
"Says you're an ugly bitch." Johnny shouted over the roar of the engine.
"Oh no he didn't!" Roosevelt roared, as he guided the bike between the last two cars on the street and smashed the throttle. The front tires lifted off the ground and the wheeler lurched forward. Keith sped through the three-way intersection at the end of the street, hitting the curb and leaving the ground momentarily, clearing the sidewalk before landing on the frozen grass. Only a few yards sat between him and a thicket of tall trees.
Johnny reached beneath Roosevelt's right arm toward the front of the wheeler. He fumbled around for a few seconds before his hand slid across the pistol, still holstered in the break line. He slid the lock button down with his index finger and pulled the pistol free. Roosevelt raced towards the end of the street as Johnny aimed the pistol toward the thief and squeezed the trigger. Roosevelt took the curb at top speed, sending the wheeler airborne. Four shots rang out. Keith ducked his head unnecessarily low as every shot missed him by quite a bit.
Bark exploded, splintering wood flew through the air from several trees as Keith all but disappeared into the woods. Roosevelt slowed down and guided them between two tall oak trees. The roar of the engines echoed throughout the forest, leaves and twigs snapped and crunched as they sped through the wooded area.
"Two o'clock!" Johnny shouted over the noise as he spotted the other wheeler through the trees. Roosevelt eased to his right attempting to line up with the bandit. Johnny raised his pistol and fired another four shots wildly into the trees.
As if out of nowhere, the trees ended, and the men entered a clearing. The clearing was almost perfectly circular, no more than fifty yards across and surrounded by trees. In the center of the clearing, a thick layer of fog hovered above a small man-made pond. A thin layer of ice floated atop the entire outer edge of the pond. A large pavilion sat to the left, four picnic tables sat placed at each corner and two square bar b q grills sat atop posts in the ground just outside.
"Over there!" Johnny shouted looking to his left as he watched Keith speed through the center of the pavilion.
"Oh shit!" Roosevelt shouted, scrambling to yank the bars to the left as the tires slid across the frozen grass, hitting a frozen patch of mud, and losing all control. The ground crunched beneath them as it turned from mud to ice. The ice cracked and crunched as the weight of the two men and their ride easily smashed through it. The water grew deeper and deeper as the men helplessly slid into the water. They watched as Keith disappeared into the woods on the opposite side of the clearing, his right arm outstretched, and his chubby middle finger displayed.
Chapter Seven
11:17 a.m. January 2, 2049
Somewhere in Georgia
“Oh shit, that’s cold!” Roosevelt shouted as they sank deeper into the water. Johnny burst through the top of the water and gasped for air, the freezing temperature making it hard to breath. Both men's teeth chattered as they helplessly watched the four-wheeler with the last of their supplies sink deeper into the dark murky water. Roosevelt swam to the edge of the busted ice and tried to climb out of the freezing water, but the ice proved to be too thin for his large frame. He sank back into the water, his body now violently shivering. The two men swam back the way the wheeler had come in until their feet touched bottom. The chest deep water splashed in their faces as they pushed to get out of the water. When they finally made it to the water’s edge they glanced back at the water deciding if they should try to swim down to get their only rifle and bag full of supplies but dismissed the thought as a large group of infected people topped the hill.
“Come on. We have to get out of these wet clothes.” Johnny stated through chattering teeth. Roosevelt didn’t answer, he just fell in behind Johnny as they jogged away from the advancing group of undead. They made
