“Right, but how often are we really gonna be somewhere with no brick buildings around to go breaking it on?”
Clary came walking back with a definite hop in his step. You could see he was nervous and optimistic all at the same time. He was definitely excited about the possibility of what the future might hold and the end for them. When Scott saw him coming, he felt that they had an immediate issue that was about to set a bucket of barely contained gasoline which was Clary on fire.
Clary got in, and he couldn’t help himself but smile, he didn’t walk with a hop in his step but he very well might be walking on a cloud, he contemplated. The good news was coming one after another. He pulled one of his cigars out from a pocket thinking how they were thinning out for sure from his personal collection...but on a day like this, it was going to be one hundred percent worth it and there was no joking around about that. He was going to smoke the goddamn thing until there was nothing but ashes resting between his fingers. When Clary looked to the others with his enthusiasm, he realized very quickly that something was wrong...very wrong. The only one smiling besides himself, which had died instantly like someone had shot his puppy, was Earl. Clary figured if it wasn’t serious that Greg would be able to find some sort of humor in whatever situation was being played out. But he looked absolutely stone faced.
Clary said, “Spill it, what’s wrong? We have the cure to take out the dead quite literally at our fingertips. Why do you all look like shit? Someone speak up before I lose it.”
Shaun was going to say something but Scott beat him to it. He wished he’d have asked a few more questions about his zombie lung when Earl had advised it was ready for use again. Scott said, “The gun is working...but it isn’t doing what it should.”
“It’s only job is to shoot those vials, what in the hell is working on it then?”
“It’s shooting them vials just damn fine,” Earl responded.
Clary starred at Scott waiting for more information about what in the hell wasn’t working. Clary said, “Look, it wouldn’t be a big concern but if you didn’t realize what that red shit that is in those bags dripping in the air then let me just inform you that it is blood. That blood is drawing in every single one of The Turned for as far away as those things’ noses can smell it. We could be a helluva long ways from home.”
Scott advised, “Look, so it is working but it isn’t going to be able to break the vials.”
Earl, thinking he was adding common sense to the conversation added, “Like I said, how many times are we going to be somewhere without bricks?”
Greg said, “You know, Earl, it would seem to me that there isn’t any bricks around here. You know on account of the simple fact that we are in the middle of a damn field. Just exactly when was that going to strike home with you?”
Shaun was using his binoculars, combing the field with them, trying to see just how much time they had before the dead were coming their way. Shaun spoke before the useless bickering which didn’t seem a damn thing could be done about it where they were. He said, “Guys, there’s Turned coming our way. They are less than a few hundred yards away.”
“They look serious?” Clary asked.
“It’s the Turned, Clary, are they ever anything else?”
Greg said, “We can try and take away their incentive to come this way.”
“Or we could leave the blood, Greg, and we could go and just drive out of here. Those coming this way still know what direction they are going. If we just leave, the worst-case scenario would be that they follow us, right?” Shaun questioned.
“Did you look in any other direction than forward, boy wonder?” Greg asked.
Shaun didn’t want to look any other direction and apparently Clary didn’t either because he turned over the Humvee and put it in gear, not wasting any more time. He punched the gas and headed back for the road. He’d thought knowing where they were coming from with a long view of it wouldn’t hurt anything. He was thinking of taking the zombie lung and sticking it directly up Earl’s ass.
Greg checked behind them; there were a few dozen of the Turned coming up over the horizon. Clary realized that they were surrounded. He didn’t want to drive through them because he knew they weren’t going to run away in fear. The Turned would come straight for them and they’d come hard. The Turned didn’t understand giving up. When they couldn’t use their arms to do something or were too frustrated to be patient, they’d use their face, feet, knees, it didn’t matter what damage it was, it was never enough if they didn’t get that meal that they so craved and needed. If they knew that they could heal, they would be even scarier. The idea of something like this able to heal itself was terrifying.
Earl looked left and right. He knew right now Clary might not be his biggest fan but had to ask, “You got some sort of a short cut or a different direction that we are going to be taking? Cuz, I don’t mean to tell you your business, but them there things will smash the shit out of this thing if they get to us. So, what’s the plan?”
“The plan is Greg getting off his ass, opening this hatch, and using that fifty-caliber sitting up on top of the roof to get me a hole big enough that I can get through!”
Earl should have shut
