Tales of the Dead Tropics - chapter 40

We looked wordlessly at each other around the table.  The kids' faces were ashen.  I imagined I looked much the same.  My head spun. A nuclear bomb.  I just could not get my head around it.  Sighing, I rubbed my eyes.  I didn't want to deal with this, not yet.  Give me time to catch my breath, I pleaded childishly to the nameless gods. 

Looking back up, I took a deep breath.  "Okay.  Regardless of what kind of bomb they are going to use, we need to get the hell out.  Agreed?"

There was a murmur of still stunned agreement.  I looked at Mike. " So how much time do we have?"

"Troop withdrawals were to be completed by oh six hundred hours, so any action would probably take place within an hour or so of that.  However, in light of the army base being overrrun, that may have changed."

"Great.  So the best case scenario is that we have less than eight hours to get out of Dodge and reach a 'safe minimum distance'.  Worst case, it's too late."

Mike nodded, with a wry quirk of his eyebrow.  "Pretty much sums it up."

"Okay.  So let's have some ideas on how best to get out of here."

"The highways are impassable which leaves hiking out on foot or going by sea.  Considering the small tykes, hiking out isn't really feasible so the only real option is to get out by sea." Mike stated succinctly.

"Right." I said slowly, trying to process my thoughts which seemed a bit sluggish at the moment. "That means going to the marina to find a boat."

"With lots of fuel." Ken added.

"And power." Lucas quietly interjected.  "We need to get as far away as quickly as possible."  It was the first time I had heard him speak since I got home. 

"So, to recap, we just need to get across a the zombie-infested town safely, and find ourselves a big, powerful, fuelled up boat." I said, drily.  "That should be easy.  Oh, and does anyone know how to drive one?"

Mike, Ken and Lucas put up a hand.  Well, of course, I thought, just managing to control the urge to roll my eyes.  What self respecting man in Cairns doesn't know how to fish and drive a boat.

"What about Dad?" Michele asked quietly.  She was looking at me with hurt in her eyes.  She thinks I've forgotten about him. 

"Once we have a boat, we will be able to find him, Michele.  We know he's coming in from Jorge's Patch, so it shouldn't be too hard to plot a course that will intercept him on his way in." I looked at the men questioningly to confirm that I was right. 

Ken nodded.  "Sure.  We can also broadcast on the emergency channel to cover our bases.  If the boat is monitoring it, they should hear us."

See, I smiled reassuringly at Michele, it will be alright.  She smiled back.  I could see the tension in her shoulders relaxing.  I wished I was as easily reassured as that.  So many things could go wrong in the next six hours...I might not even get the chance to warn Joe away.  My mind shied away from the thought.  Focus on the here and now, I told myself firmly.

"The closest marina would be Yorkey's Knob." Ken said, thoughtfully, removing his glasses to rub them. 

"Um, I have a question." Kaye put up a manicured hand.  "How do we get to the cars?  There are a lot of zombies downstairs.  I doubt a distraction will get rid of all of them."

"Forget the cars." Mike interrupted, searching his pockets for a gum.  "There's a pile-up blocking the road over the hill. There's no getting through by car."  Damn, I'd forgotten about that.  

Mike popped the gum in his mouth with a sigh of bliss.  "We'll take the creek."

"Huh?" I think I spoke for all of us.

"We float downstream till we get past the blockage, then we check the houses till we find a car, and drive out."  He looked pretty pleased with himself.  Smug bastard.

Emma looked horrified.  "What about the zombies?  They might be in the water!"

Mike shook his head.  "The current is pretty fast. Shouldn't be a problem." 

Ken squeezed Emma's shoulder comfortingly.  "What about the kids?  We can't hold the babies afloat the whole way."

Kaye smiled.  "That's one thing we don't have to worry about.  Living in the tropics with kids means we have every water toy imaginable.  We've got an inflatable boat, air mattresses, floaties, boogie boards..."

"Okay, okay." Ken grinned. "I get the idea."

I looked at my watch, seeing the time ticking inexorably away.  "Let's make a list of essential items to take with us.  Do you think we can be ready to leave in an hour?"

"We need to be, regardless." Mike said with deadly seriousness.  The reminder of what was hanging over our heads sent a cold shiver through me. As desperately as I had fought to keep my family safe, I knew that some things were out of my control, and that knowledge made me sick with fear.  Swallowing, I put the thought at the back of my mind.  Focus on the here and now, Lori.

After allocating tasks to everyone at the table, we broke up the meeting.  I rummaged through our medical supplies, trying to decide what to bring.  I also needed to prepare Sarah for the trip.  Her limb needed to be protected from the water and any exposure to any further infection.    

Emma sat down beside me, handing me the antibiotics from the bedroom.  "So what's going on?" She asked with a meaningful nod towards Mike, who was bagging his guns to protect them from the water.  I flushed.  Trust Emma not to miss anything when it came to men and women. 

"Nothing, really."  I replied, discomforted. 

"Which means, something happened."

I could feel my cheeks flaming.  "It was just a moment of temporary insanity - on both our parts.  I love Joe, you know that.  It's just that..."  How the hell do I put into words the tangled emotions I felt?

"You feel something for Mike, too." Yeah, I thought, maybe it was easy to put into words after all.   I nodded slowly, feeling I was somehow betraying Joe just by acknowledging the fact.

Emma touched my hand understandingly.  "Intense  situations create intense feelings, Lori.  You two have fought beside each other, saved each other's asses, laughed and cried together...it doesn't get much more intimate than that.  It's not surprising you two have developed a bond."

"So I shouldn't feel guilty?" I said wryly.  "Is that your point?"

She grinned.  "My point is, give yourself a break, Lori.  If we survive the day, then you can beat yourself up for being human.  Until then, count yourself lucky that you have a man like Mike to watch your back.  And let's face it - he's hot!"

I snorted. "It's amazing how you can make being attracted to a man other than my husband sound perfectly normal."

"Who knows what's normal is in a situation like this?" Emma said drily, getting up.

The CB came to life.  "Mike, you there?"

Mike grabbed the handset. "Travis, good to hear from you."

"Relieved to hear you, too, mate.  I've lost contact with the other groups."

Mike exchanged a concerned look with me and Ken as he hurried into the room.

"What is your situation, Travis?"

"Not so good.  The security screens gave way.  We've barricaded ourselves here in the storeroom."

"Any way out?"

"Yeah, we could go through the loading dock.  We've got trucks parked out back but we'd have to fight our way through the dead people.  No one's too keen on doing that."

Kaye and Emma joined us, our hearts going out to the embattled group.  Mike rubbed his head.  "Unfortunately, I think you are going to have to, mate.  This whole city is going to be nothing more than an ugly blot on the landscape in a few hours."

Silence.  "How sure are you of that?"

Mike glanced over at us grimly.  "Sure enough that we're making a break for it ourselves."

Silence.  "Shit."

Mike snorted.  "Second that, mate."

"So what's your plan, Mike?"

"We're heading for the Yorkey's Knob marina, grabbing a boat, and getting the hell out of here."

"Well, maybe we'll see you there, mate.  Once I've persuaded this group to fight our way to the trucks, that is.  We're bound to lose a lot of good people..."

"Good luck, Travis." Mike said softly.  "Hope to see you again."

"Thanks, mate.  Good luck to you, too."

We stood in a somber circle for a few minutes.  I wondered morosely if any of us would still be alive this time tomorrow.  Mike stirred.  "We're wasting time.  Grab your backpacks, weapons and gather the kids.  It's time to go."

Ten minutes later, we stood in the kitchen.  Kaye, Emma, Lucas and Michele each had a drowsy baby strapped  to their backs. I had tried to take Sarah but Michele shooed me away.  "I can do it, mum.  I'm bigger and stronger than you."  As I knew that my ability to protect them might depend on my agility and freedom, I didn't argue with her.  Jessie had Lizzie tucked in a little backpack.  I wondered about the wisdom of bringing the dog but as Mike seemed to have more control over her than I did over my children, I said nothing.

"Mummy!" Grumbled a tossled haired Alex from Lucas' back.  "Wan' get down!"

"Ssh, Alex!" I scolded.  "Only soft voices, remember?"  I prayed that the hike would soon lull the babies back to sleep.  I knew that riding on my father's back as a child had always had that effect on me.  In addition, I had given them a dose of antihistamines as that would make them drowsy and less inclined to talk.  A loud voice outside could be catastrophic.  I shuddered at the thought and crossed my fingers, effective as I knew that would be.

Mike slowly opened the back door.  From beneath the house rose the moans and thuds of the dead people lying in wait for us.  In the dim moonlight, he pulled himself up the steep bank and into the forest.  As Kaye and Emma followed with difficulty, Mike reached down and offered them a hand.  The kids and I were next while Ken brought up the rear.

As quiet as we tried to be, the moans suddenly intensified.  They know we're up here, I thought, my pulse quickening.

We pushed our way upwards, through the moist, dense rainforest.  Tree branches and vines whipped our faces and roots tripped our feet as we struggled to find our way in the dark.  Within minutes, I was dripping sweat and feeling the strain.  I heard a baby whine in protest as something snagged it, quickly hushed.  Finally, Mike decided we had put enough distance between us and the corpses, and turned towards the road and the creek that ran beside it.

Beside the fast flowing creek, we unpacked the pool toys and the hand pump.  Ken and Lucas stood guard while we quickly inflated the small boat, air mattress and arm floaties.  Wading into the creek with the boat, Mike held it steady against the bank while we placed the suddenly wide awake babies in it.  Jessie held onto the air mattress nervously.  While she was a good swimmer, she had never been in a fast current before.

"Ready?" I smiled at her encouragingly.  "Remember, don't panic.  Just go with the current and when we are ready to get out, just swim sideways until you reach the bank ."  Jessie nodded, her brown eyes fixed on me, but her grip remained tight on the air mattress.

Kaye and I grabbed the boat and waded into the middle of the creek, water gushing around our thighs.  The babies watched us, wide eyed and uncertain as to whether to be scared or excited.

"Remember, only whispers." I murmured to them with a smile.  "We don't want to wake the neighbours." Or let anything else know we're coming.  I nodded at Kaye, and with a deep breath, lowered myself into the water and let the current take us.  Immediately, we surged forward down the creek.  In the moonlight, I could see Jessie just ahead, hanging onto the air mattress with Lizzie's head poking out of her backpack, buttressed by Michele and Lucas.  I felt so proud of the way the teens had stepped up.  I knew Jessie was in safe hands. Glancing to my left,  I saw Emma, Ken and Mike swimming nearby, at ease with the fast flowing current. 

Mike edged closer to me.  "At this rate, it should only take half an hour to reach the suburbs."

I nodded, focused on keeping the wayward boat in the middle of the creek. "There are some hairy spots on the creek, though.  Rapids and submerged logs.  We'll all have to keep a sharp eye out."

A little face appeared over the edge of the boat.  "Hi mummy!"  His loud whisper echoed across the silent creek.

I grinned back even as I cringed inside.  "Hi Alex, soft voice, remember?"  Sarah's head peered over his as she spoke sotto voce.  "I'm getting wet, mummy."

Mike grinned at her.  "Not as wet as us."  She giggled and their heads disappeared again.

I rolled my eyes conspiratorially at Mike.  We rode down the dark bubbling creek in silence for several minutes.  I tensed as I saw the old bridge coming up.   We would be floating right behind the homes on our street.  I knew silence would be critical.  In the quiet night, the slightest noise would be heard as clearly as a bell.   "No noise until I say so, kids." I whispered sternly.  "Or there will be no tv or biscuits."  The silence that greeted me reassured me somewhat that they had received the message.

The bridge loomed closer.  The water became shallower and bumpier as we hit the rapids.  Glancing around, I saw that everyone was riding high in the water, like me.  After being banged by rocks a few times as kids, you  quickly learn the best way to navigate rapids.  And then the wooden bridge was behind us and we were cascading through the rapids.  Up and down the waves, pushing off big rocks with our feet, keeping the boat at the right angle, Kaye and I struggled silently to keep the small boat from spinning off or ripping itself open on sharp rocks.

Suddenly we were back into smoother waters.  I breathed a sigh of relief.  "Babies, are you okay?" I whispered, trying to keep the shakiness from my voice.  A wide-eyed face popped over the fat edge of the boat. "Yes, mummy." He whispered harshly, making me wince.  From the other side of the boat, Kaye muttered weakly, "Well, that was fun. Not."  I murmured a heartfelt sound of agreement.

Tales of the Dead Tropics - chapter 39

The boat lurched as many hands pulled at it. 

"One, two, three..." Mike counted quietly.  I propelled myself forward as hard as I could, over those pale eyes in the water, and hit the water a good six feet away.  Immediately, I kicked my feet and surged away as fast as I could.  Desperation leant strength to my arms and legs and within seconds I had reached the cooler dark channel in the middle.  Mike  passed me and, with a glance at me, headed downstream.  Even knowing that the river was probably too deep for the zombies, I expected to feel a hand or teeth on my legs at any moment.

We stayed in the river for several more minutes until we reached a dense stretch of mangroves unlikely to be accessible to humans - and, therefore, zombies.  We swum to the side of the bank and heaved our wet bedraggled bodies out of the water.  I collapsed on the bank, panting.  Just when it seems I could not be more frightened, life seemed to be determined to prove otherwise.

"Come on." Mike said, readjusting his wet pack.  "We haven't got far to go."  Yeah, right.

For the next half hour, we struggled through the mangroves until we reached the creek which in turn led us past the shopping centre where our bike was parked. We stayed low as we made our way along the river bank.  The highway bridge stood empty and silent.    As we drew parallel to the centre, we crawled to the top of the bank and peered across the road.  The park still crawled with corpses.  They staggered and bumped against each other as they wandered aimlessly across the park and along the road.  I gazed yearningly at the spot I knew our bike was waiting for us but I knew that it would be ridiculously dangerous to try to navigate the corpse-infested streets at night by bike.  We had already discussed it and decided to follow the river home, even though it would take another hour. Another hour that Sarah was without treatment.

Sighing, I turned to Mike. "Can we at least try to contact the house from here? See how everyone is? Surely the walkie talkie will be in range?"

"Yes.  Unfortunately, walkie talkies don't take well to a dunking."

"Oh." I replied in a small voice. "Forgot about that."

Mike's voice softened as if he could read my thoughts.  "I know it feels like we've been away all night, Lori, but it's been less than four hours since we got the call from Emma.  Sarah will be fine."

He was right, I realised, feeling my spirits rise a little.  I smiled tentatively at him.  "The sooner we get going, the sooner we'll get there, I guess."

We followed the freshwater creek, staying below the top of the bank.  As the creek wound its way closer to the road, we could hear the sounds of the dead dragging their feet nearby.  It was unnerving, knowing there were so many corpses within touching distance.  If they chose to look over the bank's edge...It was a relief to enter the cover of the trees which lined the river as it passed through the suburbs, even though it meant we had to move more cautiously.  While the thickets along the river hid us well, it meant they could hide other things also.   

The silence struck me all over again.  No cars driving by, no planes overhead, no radios and tvs blaring, no babies crying - just total stillness marred only by the moans of zombies.  Even the birds and crickets seemed to have fallen silent.  I shivered and edged closer to Mike's solid presence.  As the river meandered its way closer to the road, I peered through the trees.   The hint of moonlight shining through the overcast night revealed a few corpses standing on the lawns of darkened homes or wandering down the road, endlessly searching for something.  Us, a voice whispered insidiously.

A sudden crashing through the trees ahead froze us in our tracks.  Something blundered through the shrubbery with all the finesse of a mad bull.  My heart stopped for a moment as I realised it was headed straight for us.  Mike pushed me against a thick tree, covering my body with his.  We stood perfectly still, trying to blend in with the shadows as a dark shadow floundered nearby, seeming to trip over something.  I heard a plethora of panicked curses as the man struggled to pick himself up.

All around us, the bushes erupted as corpses bludgeoned their way towards the poor man.  Everywhere I looked, I saw dark shapes.  Mike instinctively pressed harder against me, making it difficult for me to breath.  The man screamed in panic and thrashed through the shrubs towards the creek.  Hurry, I urged him silently, get to the creek.  Unfortunately, the sounds he was making were moving diagonal to the creek.  Was he disoriented or reluctant to get in the fast flowing water, I wondered as I strained to follow his progress.

Mike tensed, and with the pressure of his body, forced me to slide slowly around the side of the tree.  I realised that one or more corpses were approaching our tree.  My heart started pounding in my chest as the awareness that we were surrounded hit home.  The shape of a dead man pushed through bushes to stand beside our tree.  From the corner of my eye, I could see the hook shape of his nose and the white gleam of his eyes as he stared into the darkness.  He was so close that if he turned even two inches, he would see us.  For the longest horrifying minute, we stood in a frozen tableau, just waiting... and then the corpse lurched forward after the man who was still frantically crashing through the trees and shrubs.

Trembling all over, I released my breath slowly.  There were still other corpses nearby.  We remained motionless as we waited for the dead to stagger away in the wake of the unseen man.  Only after we had heard no further sounds of movement around us for several minutes, did we relax.  I drew deep, gasping breaths in.  Mike was still pressed against me as he looked over my head at our surroundings.  As the terror receded, I started to feel uncomfortably aware of his body along the length of mine, the feel of his thigh, his muscled arms on either side of me, his breath in my hair... glancing up, I caught the gleam of his eyes as he looked down at me quizzically.  My cheeks flamed as I realised he could probably feel my heart racing. 

"Lori?" He breathed my name questioningly, and the way he said it made my loins melt.  There was so much yearning in his voice, so much left unsaid.  He cared for me, I suddenly realised with wonder.  Not just as a friend and comrade in arms, but as a woman.  It was a feeling he would never act on, and yet I suddenly wanted him to act on it.  Desperately.   For the first time in my life, I didn't want to plan out tomorrow, I didn't want to be in control.  I just wanted to lose myself, to feel alive and whole again in the arms of a man I desired. 

I reached up tentatively and stroked Mike's cheek.  His eyes widened and he sucked in his breath, standing motionless, as I ran my finger lightly over his eyes, down his nose and along his lips.  My fingers curled around his neck and pulled his head towards mine.  His lips hovered hesitantly above mine for an unendurable moment.  I arched yearningly against him, my eyes pleading with him in the dark. Just let us have tonight, Mike. There may not even be a tomorrow.  As always, he seemed to hear my thoughts.  His uncertainty disappeared as his arms closed around me.  He brushed his lips teasingly against mine.  I could feel the hint of a smile on his mouth.  The touch of his firm lips set my nerves alight throughout my body.

"Mike..." I groaned breathily, achingly.  I quivered like an excited puppy when his hands tangled in my hair and drew my head back, exposing the long line of my neck.

"So soft," He breathed as his mouth painted a delicate path down my neck. "Your skin feels like silk..."

"Mike..." I pleaded, feeling giddy with the scent and feel of him as his lips made their way back up my neck, over my cheekbones and down...  The tip of his tongue traced the outline of my mouth, sending a shiver of desire through me.

Oh.  The utter delight of his lips over mine.  The kiss went on and on, filling my senses till all I could feel was the gentle firmness of his mouth, the slightly rough brush of his cheek, the sweetness of his breath.  I moaned softly as he deepened the kiss, drawing me in with his need, his hunger for me.  I had forgotten it was possible to feel this way...so delirious, lost, intoxicated with the feel of holding your beloved close.

A distant scream broke the hypnotic spell we had woven around us.  It came from the direction the man had taken.  Sadness flooded me.  He had been so panicked and confused...he had never really stood a chance.  I looked back up at Mike who had pulled away a little.  The moon had risen overhead, dimly lighting the grove around us. 

He cleared his throat.  "We should get going."

I nodded, still feeling his kiss burning on my lips.  He hesitated for a moment and then leaned forward to look intently into my eyes. "You're everything I ever wanted in a woman, Lori.  Courageous, passionate, funny...I've spend my whole life looking for you and when I find you, you belong to someone else.  How's that for ironic?"  His eyes searched mine and I guess he found the answer he was looking for.  He nodded and smiled wryly.  " 'Such is life.' "

I swallowed, my heart and mind in turmoil, as he moved off through the dense trees.  I wanted to reach out to him but I couldn't even begin to talk to him about what had happened when I felt so confused.  Silently, I followed him.

Relief flooded me as we crossed the bridge and saw the house still intact.  However, the number of zombies surrounding the house had swelled fourfold.  The ground beneath and around the house was thick with dark swaying bodies.  I kept my fingers crossed that the steep tangled rainforest on the hillside would continue to deter them from blocking the back entry. 

We crossed the road further up the street and made our way quietly up the mountain till we were directly above the house.  It was hard going feeling our way through the thick rainforest in the dark and I was sweating profusely by the time the house came into view.  Cautiously, silently, we moved down the mountain towards the back door.  Pausing frequently, we listened for sounds that didn't belong in the rainforest.  Like dead people.

Mike slipped up to the back window and flicked his Maglite torch on and off.  A minute later, we were inside the house surrounded by familiar, smiling faces, softly lit by candlelight.  Michele and Jessie wrapped their arms around me tightly as other hands patted me on my back and shoulders.  I gripped the kids tightly and grinned widely at the people surrounding me.  It was the best possible homecoming ever. 

"Last time I'm sending you to the shops." Emma declared cheekily. 

"Ah, come on, Em." I responded.  "We just got a little sidetracked, is all."

Mike snorted, busy trying to fend off the delighted licks of Lizzie who had jumped in his arms. "That's an understatement."

Kaye shooed us into the living room.  "Eat first and then you can tell us all about it."

I pulled off my backpack.  "Food would be great but first I need to get these antibiotics into Sarah." I looked questioningly at Emma.

"I've been treating her with fluids but the fever is still present.  The sooner we get the antibiotics into her, the better." She agreed.  I followed her into the kids' bedroom where the four toddlers were sleeping.  Sarah was flushed and restless even in her sleep.  A pang went through me anew at the sight of her shortened arm, but, I reminded myself, she was still alive and that's all that mattered, ultimately.  Emma set up the intravenous line for the antibiotics while I sat down beside my baby.  Sarah stirred and opened her eyes. 

"Mummy!" She smiled.  "Miss' you." 

Tears blurred my eyes as a wave of fierce, possessive love gripped me.  "I missed you too, baby."  Bending forward, I kissed her hot forehead. 

"Allie 'nock me over." She pouted, making me laugh.  Dobbing is an art mastered young.

"Bad Allie."  I shook my finger scoldingly at the bunk above us.  Sarah giggled, and wriggled in her bed.  I grinned and tucked the sheet in around her.  "Now go to sleep, rugrat.  You'll feel a lot better when you wake up."

Emma was watching me as I rose.  "One day this will make a great bed time story."

"What's that?"

"How mummy braved zombies to get the medicine she needed."

I shook my head.  "You have no idea."

In the living room, MIke was hoeing into a simple meal of baked beans and scrambled eggs while holding his audience captive with the tale of our adventures. It smelt so good that my mouth instantly watered.  Kaye saw my face and rose from the table.  "Coming right up, old girl."  Mike looked over at me with a warmth in his eyes which instantly brought a blush to my cheeks.  Of course his sharp eyes noted it and his lips quirked in amusement, which I decided to ignore.  I didn't even know how to begin with dealing with my rash, impulsive behaviour, so I was just...avoiding it entirely.  Pulling up a chair, I promptly devoured the meal Kaye placed before me in record time.

I was content to let Mike finish filling the others in on the events of the day.  Pushing back the plate, I sat back contentedly and looked around at the group.  On my left, Ken stood behind Emma's chair with his hand touching her shoulder; across from me, Michele, Lucas and Jessie sat wide-eyed around Mike, with Lizzie the chihuahua jumping from lap to lap, while Kaye brewed some strong coffee in the nearby kitchen.  They all appeared spell bound by Mike's dry rendition of our 'adventures'.  Zombies, crocodiles, soldiers - maybe one day it would sound exciting to me, too, instead of a bloodcurdingly terrifying memory.

"There were zombies in the water?"  Emma shivered.  "God, I would have died from pure fright."

"Not high on my list of activities to repeat.  Ever."  I agreed, with a blandness to equal Mr. Cool across the table. 

"So the army is bugging out?" Ken questioned, a frown on his face.  "What does that mean for us? Are we supposed to just sit tight while they let this virus burn itself out?"

Emma's eyes widened.  "Of course not!" She glanced around the table.  "It doesn't mean that, does it?  They wouldn't just leave us.  There are still people alive in this town!"

Mike looked around the table, his face growing unusually serious.  "It's worse than that, I'm afraid."

"Worse than that?!" Emma squeaked.  "What's worse than that?!"  Somehow, I didn't want to know the answer to that question.

Mike sighed and rubbed his closely shaven head, a sign I had learned meant he was stressed.  "Anders confirmed to me that something big is going down in the morning. Something that is causing a ruckus amongst the big boys."

"Your bomb theory again." I said flatly.  I had been afraid that was what he and Anders had been discussing...

"Bombs?" Kaye looked from me to Mike incredulously.  "You think they are going to drop bombs on us?"

"'Fraid so.  And, folks, we really don't want to be here when that happens."

"This Anders friend of yours," Ken asked quietly.  "Did he hear about the bombs firsthand or is this just army gossip?"

Mike looked at Ken appraisingly.  "Anders has many contacts in key positions and, put together, their information paints a pretty clear picture. It would be foolish of us to dismiss his information as just gossip."

Ken's brow furrowed.  "Fair enough.  What kind of bombs are we talking here, Mike?"

Mike looked a little grey. "There are a few options - fuel to air, maybe - but the word is that they are planning an attack that will...annihilate... this problem, permanently."

Ken was the first to understand what he was alluding to.  "You're actually suggesting our government is going to nuke us."

I gasped.  Surely that wasn't what he meant!  But the silence that greeted Ken's statement was deafening. 

"The government would never allow it." I argued.  "The backlash..."

"They can't let this virus get out, Lori.  It has destroyed this town and an army in less than two days! Imagine what a virus like this could do to the country - or even the world.  In the face of a threat like that, we are acceptable losses."

Tales of the Dead Tropics - chapter 38

"How much further do you think it is?" I hissed, trying to resist the urge to break into a faster stroke and get the hell out of here.

"We should be about half way across by now."

God.  Please let us be faster swimmers than they were walkers.  I tried to remember how deep the river was.  I was pretty sure that it went as deep as fifteen meters in part but I had a sinking feeling that the area around the airport was considerably shallower, as only dinghies travelled along it.

About thirty feet behind us, the water erupted into a flurry of splashes.  Fear gripped me like a vice as I realised that a croc must have taken one of the zombies.  Oh God,  oh God.

"Keep it together, Lori."  Mike's soothing voice floated back over the light breeze.  "If the corpses are keeping the crocs preoccupied, all the better for us.  Just keep going."

Slowly, I took a stroke and then another.  I couldn't think, my mind was frozen with fear.  I just kept moving, focusing on keeping my strokes smooth and quiet.

An interminable time later, my hands touched the mudbank on the other side of the river.  I felt Mike's hand reach out and grab me.  With a sob of relief, I allowed him to pull me out of the water and into his arms. 

He held me tightly as I shivered uncontrollably.  I felt him stroke my hair tentatively.  His touch felt so comforting and calming that I felt my heart slow down straight away. Feeling almost myself again, I stepped back, out of the circle of his arms.

"Please tell me we won't have to do that again.  Because frankly, I would rather cut my way through a horde of walking corpses."

Mike laughed softly in response, and the awkwardness of the moment disappeared.   

"Let's head down the river.  I believe there is a shanty village not far from here.  We should be able to pick up a dinghy there."  His eyes gleamed in the darkness as he looked at me. 

Once again, we trudged through the mangroves, keeping to the mudbank.  At least on this side of the river, there was little chance of running into zombies.  The area here was protected and therefore free from urban development.  There were some beach houses which backed onto the river but they were much further down the river so I didn't expect to run into any zombies in the near future.  Thank God.

I wondered about the shanties.  Of course, I'd heard rumors about the makeshift homes in the mangroves which provided shelter to the dispossessed.  That was pretty much the extent of my knowledge.  I couldn't imagine anyone choosing to make a home in a mosquito-plagued, muddy, humid environment like this.  Hell, if I never set foot in this place again, it would be too soon.

The moon decided to make an appearance.  I felt like shouting 'hallelujah' as its light illuminated the banks along which we were proceeding.  Suddenly we could see where we were placing our feet, instead of having to feel our way through roots and mud.  For another fifteen minutes, we fought our way through the mangrove edge.  A gleam ahead caught my eye.  I was looking at a piece of corrugated iron which formed a rough roof over a sleeping figure.  Behind it, I spotted a blue tarp strung up between trees and some figures snuggled together beneath it.  Scanning the area, I counted another four rough shelters.

Mike caught my eye and gestured to the bank ahead of us.  I saw a metal dinghy loosely tied up.  Stealthily, we skulked past the sleeping figures and knelt beside the boat.  Mike untied it and gestured for me to get it.  As quietly as I could, I stepped into the small boat and sat down carefully.  Mike pushed the boat quietly away from the bank as he stepped in.  We let the boat just drift down the river for several minutes, ears pricked for any noise from the camp.  Finally, Mike picked up the oars and started rowing smoothly.  I felt a little bad for taking the camp's little fishing boat but, frankly, they had bigger problems to deal with than catching fish.  We all did.

From within the safety of a boat, the river looked beautiful in the glow of the moonlight.  Occasionally, a fish jumped out of the water and splashed back in.  A bird cried hauntingly from a nearby branch.  Then as we rounded a bend, the airport came into view.  Brightly lit, the grounds were full of moving figures.  Not living people, I realised with a sinking feeling as I noted the staccato jerkiness of their movements.  Nothing appeared to be moving on the fields except dead people.  The vehicles were stationary, the helicopters were gone and I could not hear the sound of any gunfire.  Mike pulled out his binoculars and scanned the airport for several minutes before silently putting the binoculars away again.

"Anything?" I asked, afraid of his answer.  He shook his head mutely.  We sat in silence for several minutes as we passed the remains of the airport camp.  I wondered sadly how many had made it out.

Mike pulled the oars through the water with practised ease.  "We should reach Redlynch in thirty minutes or so.  Let's hope we don't have a welcoming party waiting for us."

"God, I hope not.  Right now I would be hard pressed to give anyone a good talking to, let alone fight."

He grinned.  "So you don't want a go at rowing, then?"

I smiled weakly at him.  Just the thought of rowing or even having to walk filled me with dread.  Watching Mike, I marvelled at his composure and strength.  Pull back his skin, I thought drily, and there was probably a hyperalloy combat chassis underneath. 

"You're doing a great job, Mike, pal, mate." I wheedled.  He mimed retching in response.

***

We sat quietly for a long time, lost in our own thoughts.  I was desperate to hear my family's voices, see their faces, know for sure that they were all okay.  The memory of the look on Michele's face, the way she had begged me to stay home...remorse filled me at my selfish need to be in control - even at my family's expense.

As we rounded a bend, a houseboat moored by the bank of the river appeared.  We were close to the beaches here so it wasn't a big surprise.  I could see some lights in the distance, indicating the presence of homes on the beaches - and people.  And where there were people, there were zombies, I thought nervously.  The lights in the houseboat were on but I couldn't see any movement.  Mike angled the dinghy to give us a safe margin past the houseboat. As we drifted slowly by,  I scanned the houseboat for signs of life.  The decks were bare and the large open windows revealed a table set for dinner but no people.  My unease increased.

I glanced at Mike.  He was carefully examining the river and surrounding mangrove.  At this time of night, the tide was going out so it wouldn't have been hard for any zombies to reach the houseboat, moored as it was at the shallow end of the river.  Putting the oars back in the water, Mike started to pull strongly through the water towards the middle of the river.  I felt the sudden urgency in him. 

The dinghy suddenly dipped on one side.  I gasped and clutched the sides of the little boat.  It dipped again like a fishing rod with a large fish on the end.

"Grab your knife, Lori."  Mike spoke coolly, eyes alert.  I pulled the parang out, feeling adrenaline pumping through my veins.

A grey hand appeared over the edge of the dinghy, making the boat tip to the side.  Stepping forward, I swung the parang down and severed the hand at the wrist.  More hands reached up.  I could see the pale gleam of eyes just beneath the surface of the water.  Faint with horror, I chopped off the fingers  creeping over the side.

A sudden vicious lurch.  "If the boat tips over, dive for the middle of the river, Lori.  It should be too deep for the corpses." Mike spoke grimly.  I nodded, trembling.  Mike heaved with the oars but it was like trying to move through jelly.  The boat swung sluggishly to the side.  Mike stood up slowly and moved to the middle of the boat, oar in hand.  A wet, pale dead corpse suddenly dragged itself over the side of the dinghy.  Mike shoved the oar viciously into the creature's face and pushed him off.  All around the boat, I could see the gleam of pale eyes.

"We're going to have to go for it, Lori." Mike said quietly.  "Dive right over their heads and then swim like hell for the middle of the river."

"Oh, dear God." I groaned, my whole body shaking with fear.  "This night really sucks."