“They have dogs on us! We have to find somewhere to hide where they can't get to us.” Johnny said, looking around the immediate area in hopes of finding a solution to their current problem.
“Peggy can you run?” Roosevelt asked, staring directly into her eyes. She stared back with a scowl on her face and then gave him a curt nod. Roosevelt sucked down another lungful of air and then turned to look at Johnny.
“Come on. We have to go!” Roosevelt said before crashing through another thicket of limbs. Peggy was right behind him and Roosevelt behind her as the three darted through the unknown forest. The barks were growing louder and louder the farther they ran and soon they could hear the animals crashing through the underbrush.
“There!” Johnny said, spotting an old ranger’s station about seventy-five yards ahead of them.
“Peggy you need to give it everything you got! Those dogs are right on our asses!” Roosevelt said as he jogged toward the building. Johnny picked up his own pace and soon they were in a mad dash to preserve their lives. Roosevelt turned his head to look back and check on Peggy, but he and Johnny had picked up the pace too hard for her old body to keep up.
“Shit!” Roosevelt said, stopping to go back and get her.
“Peggy, move your ass!” Johnny screamed as he spotted patches of black and brown fur smashing through the forest right behind them. Before he could scold the woman again three massive German Shepherds plowed through the remaining thicket of bushes. The ground opened and the three dogs raced toward Peggy’s tired frame.
“Peggy, run!” Roosevelt screamed as loud as he could manage but it was too late. There was absolutely no way in hell she would ever make it to them before the dogs caught her. Peggy waved a hand at Johnny and Roosevelt.
“Go on! Save yourselves!” She shouted back after turning to see what had Johnny so excited. Resigned to her fate Peggy slowed to a stop and just stood there waiting for death to come. The dogs closed the distance to Peggy in seconds. She turned to face the snarling animals just as the middle one launched himself into the air. The dog slammed into Peggy's chest, clamping its jaws around her throat, and shaking it violently. The poor woman didn’t even have a chance to scream before all three dogs were on her ripping her body apart.
“Sonsabitches!” Johnny screamed as he ripped his pistol from his waistband. Roosevelt did the same and together they sent more than thirty rounds into the mass of fur and blood.
Chapter Three
4:57 p.m. New Year’s Day 2049
Somewhere in the Georgia forest
“Keep going! We’re losing them!” Roosevelt said as he gasped for breath. The mad dash had turned into a half ass mountain climb as the grade of the forest rose higher and higher with each passing step. After what seemed like a lifetime, they crested the top of the massive hill and stopped to take a breath. Both stared down at the scene before them. A small city lay at the bottom of the hill, fires and smoke licked the sky from burning apartment buildings and multi-car pile ups. They could see hundreds of people or infected walking around in the streets in no real hurry to go anywhere. Johnny turned back to the other side of the hill and watched for the advancing military men. He spotted them still about halfway down the hill just casually walking up to the top. They did not look happy at all. Probably pissed ‘cause we just killed all three of those piece of shit dogs. Johnny muttered.
“We’ve got plenty of time.” Johnny said from his spot on the opposite side of the hill. Just then a shot rang out, tree bark exploded next to Johnny’s head. He dropped down and duck walked over to Roosevelt before standing up straight again.
“Plenty of time huh?” Roosevelt teased as they each spun around and took off down the hill. They could hear the group of soldiers shouting behind them as they picked up their pace. Johnny and Roosevelt reached the bottom of the massive hill in record time, but they didn’t stop until they were across the street and weaved in between buildings. The dead spotted them immediately and let out vicious growls of frustration as Johnny and Roosevelt took off around the corner before the infected could reach them. Steam rose from both of their heads as the sprinted down a long street and veered right. Johnny’s shoulder scraped against the brick building as he raised his arm to point ahead of them. At the end of the street sat a Polaris dealership. The parking lot was full of new and used four wheelers and side by sides.
“Come on! Those things will run every bit of one hundred miles per hour! We can go cross country the rest of the way to my dad’s on a set of those wheels!” Johnny explained, making a bee line for the building. Johnny and Roosevelt raced past intersections full of the infected as they headed for the dealership. Johnny chanced a quick peek behind them and gritted his teeth when he saw how many of the zeds were chasing them now.
“We got company!” Johnny said, aiming a thumb behind them. Roosevelt quickly glanced back and then sped up a little more. They were almost to the dealership and the growing number of zeds were still quite a ways back when they finally pushed through the front door.
“Find the keys to these two.” Johnny said as he walked around the two silver and red Can-Ams. Roosevelt raced back over to Johnny with a box full of keys and dumped them all out onto a small table sitting next to a set of soft looking chairs.
“Only grab the ones labeled Can-Am.” Johnny instructed. Roosevelt shook his head.
“I’m not a damn fool, Johnny. I know what we’re
