Tales of the Dead Tropics - chapter 27

Climbing over the wooden barrier at the bottom of the stairs, I kept low and moved around to the back of the house.  Keeping to the treeline, I made my way across to the elderly couple's home next door.  Nothing to it, I assured myself, get them inside and close those blasted shutters, head out the back door and be back home in five minutes.  Sliding around the side of the home, I reached the corner and took a cautious peek.  A horde of dark shapes filled the street in front of their home.  I could see the shapes of the Brands blocking the light spilling onto the lawn. 

"Oh hell." I muttered.  Before I could rethink the wisdom of my actions, I threw myself around the corner and up the three front steps, shoving the startled couple backwards.  I slammed the door shut behind me and bolted it.

"Lori!" Mrs. Brand gasped, her faded blue eyes wide with alarm.  "What..."  I didn't waste time arguing as I rushed through the hall. "Mr. Brand, where is the remote for your shutters?  You need to put them down now!"

"Oh, uh, I keep it in the lounge room." The old man looked flustered and lost but I did not have time to reassure him.  Racing through an arched opening into the lounge with its surprisingly modern plasma tv and reclining chairs, I spotted a bunch of remotes on top of a display cabinet.

"Which one, Mr. Brand?!" I yelled, feeling the precious seconds ticking by.  I felt sick in the stomach as I heard panicked shouts and screams across the street.  Another home, another family.

"The, the silver one." He stuttered.  I grabbed it and, for a moment, tried to work out what button to press.  Realising that I was wasting time, I thrust the remote in the old man's shaking hand.  "You do it, Mr. Brand. Please hurry!"

Nervously, he ran a bony hand through his thin white hair.  "Okay, let me think a moment..."

The sound of breaking glass hitting the tiled floors in the room across the way brought our heads up sharply.

"Oh my, oh my!"  The little plump woman wrung her hands anxiously. "Why is this happening? What do they want with us?"  More glass broke behind us in the direction of the kitchen and then one of the bedrooms.  We were surrounded.

Panic threatened to overwhelm me.  Running to the lounge window, I peered out, hoping against hope that the route was clear.  Just below the window sill, a sea of soulless faces stared back at me through the gloom.  As they spied me, their arms reached hungrily towards me like a field of plants bending towards the sun.

Turning back, I saw the first dead figures stumbling through the arched doorway.  "Run!" I screamed and shoved the old couple towards the other opening.  The gun! I reached into the back of my pants and pulled out the weapon.  As more zombies piled into the room, I aimed at their heads and fired.  It tore through the side of a zombie's head, causing it to fall backwards into the bodies behind it.  Glancing quickly behind me, I saw that the Brands had, for once, moved quickly and were nowhere to be seen.

I turned and headed after them towards the laundry door.  The route ran directly past the kitchen.  Before I reached it, I heard a pain-filled scream.  Holding my gun in preparation, I turned the corner and saw the old man struggling to hold his wife's arm as she was pulled through the narrow kitchen doorway.  "Let her go, please!"  From Mrs. Brand, I could hear no sounds.

Coming up beside him, a quick look told me that the old woman was already dead.  The three zombies filling the doorway were tearing into her throat and face with the enthusiasm usually reserved for free smorgasbords.  Beyond them, another twelve or so zombies moaned and pushed in their attempt to reach us.

"She's gone, Mr. Brand.  We have to go!" I yelled, knowing we only had seconds to spare. Oblivious to me and the danger, he continued to pull futilely at his wife.  Looking around, I saw the first of the zombies from the lounge stumbling towards me through the narrow hallway.

"Mr. Brand!" I tugged urgently at his sleeve.  With a snarl, he pulled his arm away.  Time had run out.  Torn, I turned and ran for the laundry door at the back of the house.  Behind me, the hall filled with the clumsy steps of hungry zombies.  On my right, I caught a glimpse of bodies filling the hallway outside the bedrooms.  A scream, quickly silenced, lent wings to my feet as I reached the laundry door.  Flinging it open, I fled into the night, straight into a group of lurching figures.

Screaming involuntarily, I skidded to a stop before the group as they turned towards me.  Heart pounding, I spun around and sprinted between the houses towards the road.  As I rounded the corner, the light from the Brands' home revealed several figures standing on the lawn like statues.  They immediately swayed towards me.  Through the rain, I could make out dark figures filling the street ahead.  What the hell do I do now!  Looking to my right, I saw a man standing in the doorway of the home next door.  As I looked at him, he raised his arm to me.  There were zombies on his lawn already moving in my direction.  I knew it was going to be a close call but I was fast running out of options.  I leaped across the flower bed separating the two homes and charged towards the open doorway and the man reaching out to help me.   

Acutely aware of the zombies fast accumulating on my heels, I bolted up the steps of the raised home, two at a time. I glanced up at the man blocking the doorway.  A large man, he filled the doorway, his head cocked as he looked down at me.  Too late I realised it was because a large chunk of his neck had been gored out.  I registered a body in the corridor behind him seconds before he lunged at me.  Crying  out, I stumbled backwards and fell hard onto the pavement, dropping the gun.

In desperation, I drew my legs in and caught the zombie in the stomach as he threw himself on me.  Using his body weight, just like I'd learned in a self-defence class, I launched him up and over my head. Jumping to my feet, I saw I was surrounded by a semicircle of zombies coming ever nearer.  The gun!  Scurrying forward, I grabbed it and backed up the stairs of the home, praying that there were no more zombies lurking behind me.  With shaky hands, I aimed at the closest zombie and shot him him through the head.  It seemed a futile exercise with so many others ready to take his place but I had to try while there was breath in my body.  I'd promised Jessie.

I aimed at another zombie and missed him entirely but the zombies were so close together, that I took out the face of a woman behind him.  She collapsed, taking a couple of other zombies down with her.  A moan erupted from behind me.  Shit!  Spinning around, I saw the dead man on his knees about to plant his teeth in my thigh.  I jammed the gun into his mouth, baring my teeth in a instinctive snarl, and blew the back of his head out.

Jumping over his fallen body, I ran through the house, searching for the back door.  Fortunately, there were no more zombies in the home and I made it to the laundry door unimpeded.  Opening it cautiously, I slipped into the welcoming darkness.

Pressed against the back wall, I froze till my eyes adjusted to the dark, straining my ears for any unnatural sounds over the steady patter of rain.  Shouts, screams, bangs and thuds could be heard all over the street, making it difficult to isolate closer, more dangerous, sounds. 

My peripheral vision caught movement to my right.  Figures were shuffling across the landscape, searching for fresh victims.  I peered at the forest edge, trying to calculate my chances.  Could I make it?  I believed I could but what if the zombies had already made it into the trees?  There would be no way for me to see a zombie lurking amidst all that shrubbery.  I would be a sitting duck.  No, I decided, I had to find another way.  I almost snorted at my own thoughts.  What other fricking way was there?!  Up the street full of zombies?  I took a deep breath and tried to steady myself.  My mind raced through various potential scenarios, none of which ended well for me.  Finally, I settled on a solution which at least had a chance of success.  I would try for the river. 

Tales of the Dead Tropics - chapter 26

The battle sounds disappeared as the skies opened.  The rain fell in a heavy sheet that made it impossible to see beyond our verandah.  It drummed upon the roof in a hypnotic beat that soothed the spirit.  It was impossible to see or hear anything so Mike and I alternated between sitting in silence and making small talk.

I had to admit to myself that I enjoyed his company.  His laidback personality, dry humour and quick reactions made him someone that I had come to depend on completely.  I knew that I could trust him with my life and that added an intimacy to our relationship that I had never experienced with any man other than my husband.  And if I was being completely honest with myself, he was very easy on the eyes.

"A penny for your thoughts." Mike interjected.  Fortunately, it was dark so I was pretty sure he couldn't see the blush on my cheeks.

"Just wondering what's going on over the hill." I lied.    I had the uncomfortable feeling that he didn't believe me but he let it go.

"I doubt a bit of rain will stop the zombies," He said dryly. "but I have to admit I feel sorry for the poor bastards trying to fight them in these conditions."

The sliding door quietly opened.  I peered around to see my oldest daughter standing behind me. 

"The rain woke me and I couldn't get back to sleep." She answered my unspoken question.  She looked across me at Mike.  "Hey Mike."  He tipped his head at her before pulling his long body out of the chair.  "If you'll excuse me, ladies."  As he disappeared inside, Michele flopped into his chair.   

"Man, it's cold out here!" She shivered dramatically.   I agreed, waiting to see what she wanted to talk about.  The nervously tapping fingers signalled something on her mind.

"Mum, do you think Dad is alright?" She blurted out.  I sighed. Of course she was worried about her father.

"I think he is fine, honey.  He is probably having the time of his life fishing."

"But what about when he comes back?  What's going to happen then?"  That was the question, wasn't it.  I reached over and place my hand over hers, holding her eyes.  "There are still too many unknown elements for me to answer that question, honey. What if the army regains control and this is all over tomorrow?  What if Daddy hears something on the boat radio and chooses to stay away until it is safe." Yeah, right.  "All I can say is that I will do everything I can to keep your daddy safe.  If I have to go pick him up myself, I will."

Michele nodded slowly, searching my eyes.  I guess she must have felt reassured because I felt the tension fade from her hand.  Attempting a smile, she pulled back her hand.

"Wait till I tell him how you kicked butt at the shops today."

I laughed.  "He'll never believe you."

She grinned, glancing at me.  "Where did you learn those moves?!"

I shrugged nonchalantly, aiming for supercool mum rather than desperate and lucky.  "You watch enough tv, you pick something up, I guess."

Michele sighed and relaxed back against the deckchair.  She closed her eyes and we sat in a companionable silence for a few minutes.

"Hey, Mum?"

"Hmm?"

"You know how I always said I was never going to bring a guy around because you would embarrass me?"

I smiled to myself.  At least one good thing appeared to have come out of this disaster of a day.  I appeared to have developed just a little bit of credit with my daughter at last.  "Yes?"

"That goes double now."

D'oh.

Around midnight, as our watch was coming to an end, the deluge faded to a steady drizzle.  Michele had gone back to bed.  I stood at the balcony, straining to see if I could hear or see anything unusual.  Mike came up to stand beside me, little Lizzie sticking close to his heels.

"I can't hear any gunfire."  Mike murmured.

"Thank heavens." My response was heartfelt.  If it was over, we would be safe tonight.

"Hmm.  The question I keep asking myself is  - was the battle won or lost."  A chill ran through my body as I realised the implications of what he was saying.  Was it possible? Could a battalion or two of soldiers have been overrun?  Could the zombies be on our doorstep this very minute? 

The heavy mist from the mountains lay heavy at the bottom of our street, ever so slowly rolling towards us.  Lizzie started to growl.  Mike clicked his fingers and she stopped, but I could see her body quivering anxiously.  Across the street, Jodie's collie, Molly, started barking.  A light came on in the house and I saw the door open.  Jodie's oldest daughter, Jasmine, poked her head out cautiously and, not seeing anything, let the dog out.  The black and white collie raced out and down the street towards the mist, barking frantically.  My heart started to pound.  I had a really bad feeling about this.

Jasmine walked down her front steps.  "Mollie! Mollie!  Come here, girl!"  The dog disregarded her and disappeared into the mist, barking.  The barking became a panicked squeal and then - silence.  My disquiet turned into full-blown alarm.

"Jasmine!" I called urgently into the night.  "Get back in the house!"  She looked towards us, hesitated for a second, and then hurried back inside, closing the door behind her.

"Stay out of sight," Mike murmured, pressing himself against the thick verandah beam.  I followed his lead and tried to merge myself against the building as I peered into the street.  Between the darkness, drizzle and fog, I could see little more than dark shapes.  Across the street, however, the house light illuminated the area around it.

"Switch off your light, Jasmine." I whispered.  If the zombies were here, I knew that they would be attracted by the only lit house in the street.

"They didn't finish boarding up the windows, like I told them to." Mike noted grimly.  Although there were a couple of pieces of wood reinforcing the side french doors, I could still see into the room through the sheer curtains.  If there was anyone moving around in the house, the zombies were bound to see it.

Something moved on the edge of the lit area.  I strained my eyes to see what it was.  I caught a glimpse of a leg passing through a beam of light.  Gasping, I started to tremble.  And then a figure stepped into the light.  A man.  What was left of him.  Half of his body had been torn away, leaving half a torso and one arm. 

He stared at the lit house for a second before stumbling forward towards the stairs.  Another figure followed him.  And then another.  I watched, aghast, as a crowd of zombies quickly grew around the house.  They gathered at the windows and the french doors, anywhere they could see inside.

Moaning, they banged on the glass  More and more figures pressed heavily against the panes.  Then, the sound I had dreaded.  The sound of breaking glass.  Within seconds, the zombies started pouring into the house through the french windows.

Then the screaming started.  Above the rain and the moaning of the creatures, the cries of the women could be heard.  Desperate, petrified, they pleaded for help, for mercy, for god.  I clenched my hands uselessly, desperate to help and helpless to do so.  Through the glass panes, I caught a brief glimpse of a woman disappearing under a wall of zombies.  It was impossible to say who it was.  The desperate cries for help pierced my heart like arrows. I wanted to clap my hands over my ears like a child as the screams went on and on. 

Yet, when there was finally silence, it was so much worse.  I turned away, unable to speak.  In the midst of that heartbreaking silence, I watched in horror as lights came on in house after house down the street.  Next door, I saw the Brands standing in the doorway, framed by the light of their home as they peered into the darkness.

"What are they doing?" I hissed, dismayed.  "They'll draw the zombies straight to them!"

"They don't really understand what they are up against, Lori."

"But we do.  We've got to do something, Mike."

He met my eyes with a look of compassion.  "Our first priority has to be our own group, Lori.  You know that."

I did know that.  I also knew that there was still time to save these people, too.  In my heart, I believed I could do both.  It is, however, quite possible that I am just the world's biggest idiot.

As I saw zombies stumbling out of Jodie's home, drawn by the lights, I made a decision.  I grabbed the loaded pistol off the table before Mike could react and bolted down the stairs.

"Lori!" I heard Mike hiss.

Tales of the Dead Tropics - chapter 25

"No!" I screamed.  Not as long as there was breath in my body.  I would do whatever it took to save her and suddenly, I knew what I had to do.  I saw Kaye staring wide-eyed at Roy as he rose to his feet, a trace of my daughter's blood on his lips.  I felt a momentary anguish at leaving my inexperienced sister to deal with the monster that had once been Roy, but my child had to come first.  "Stop him, Kaye!  I have to help Sarah." 

Kaye nodded fearfully and stepped forward as Roy started towards us.  I ran past her as I headed for the ironing basket in the corner.  Sarah was screaming loudly now, having registered the bloody stumps on her hand.  Falling to my knees, I grabbed a sock and wrapped it around her arm.  Twisting, I proceeded to make a tourniquet.  As I twisted it tighter and tighter, Sarah's screams turned to howls. "Hurts, mummy, hurts."

Tears dripped down my cheeks.  "I know, baby.  I'm so sorry."

Glancing up, I saw Kaye spin and land a roundhouse kick on Roy's chest that sent him flying back into the sofa.  I blinked in surprise.  While I had known that my sister was a black belt in theory, this was the first time I had ever seen her in action. 

Satisfied that no blood - or virus- could get through the tourniquet, I jumped to my feet and grabbed the long handed shovel near the door.  As Roy rose to his feet and turned towards me, I ran at him, holding the shovel like a spear.  With a violent thrust, I speared him through the throat and propelled him backwards.  The shovel tip buried itself into the wall, leaving Roy dangling like some grotesque marionnette.

Max, Ken and Emma leapt over the baby gate at the top of the verandah stairs and charged into the room.  They came to a stop as they took in the scene before them. 

"Oh, my God."  The aghast whisper came from Michele as she ran into the room followed by Lucas.  "You killed Roy."

I looked at her, adrenaline still coursing through my body. "He was one of them.  And he...he bit Sarah."

Her hands flew to her mouth in horror.  "Oh mummy, no, that means..."

Grimly, I turned away from the body hanging limply against the wall.  "Not if I can help it."

Running past Max and the others, I bolted down the stairs for the ambulance.  I flung its doors open and started rummaging through the supplies.  Within minutes, I had located the scalpel in the trach set, the morphine and the other bits and pieces.  I sat back for a moment, trying to center myself.  My hands were shaking so badly that I knew I would  not be of any use to Sarah if I didn't calm down.  I took a deep breath and then another.  It would all work out, I told myself, Sarah was going to be just fine.  I can do this.

Upstairs, Max and Ken had removed Roy's body.  I didn't know where they had put it and I didn't care.  Picking up my crying daughter, I laid her gently on the dining table.  I grabbed the vial of morphine and drew the quantity I would need for anaesthesia into the syringe.  Emma came up quietly beside me.  "Lori..."

I sent her a hard look.   "If you're here to help, great.  If you're going to try to talk me out of it, then get the hell out of the way."

She touched my arm, her eyes searching mine.  "I'm not exactly sure what you're planning, Lori."

Searching for a vein, I placed the needle carefully against my daughter's skin.  I smiled gently at her.  "This needle will make all the pain go away, baby."  She hiccupped tearfully.  "Hurts, mummy."

I injected the morphine and then stroked Sarah's curly hair.  "There.  It will be all better soon.  You'll see."  As her sobs faded and her eyes slowly closed, I turned to Emma.  The others stood around us, their faces reflecting their concern and compassion.  My oldest daughter looked sick with fear.  I felt sick, too.  I could hardly believe I was going to do this.

"I am going to amputate her arm."  I heard someone start to cry.  Looking up, I saw my sister's tearful face as she shook her head in disbelief. Closing my eyes for a moment, I looked back at Emma.  "Will you help me?"

"You know I will, if you think it will work." She said softly. 

I shrugged, struggling to keep the despair I felt from my face. "I applied a tourniquet within minutes.  If I amputate now, at least she'll have a chance."

"Well, then." Coming to a decision, Emma nodded.  "Let's do it."   She turned and briskly issued instructions to the group.  Michele and Lucas kept the other kids away while the remaining adults organised boiling water, lights and sheets.

Looking at my daughter's peaceful face, I wondered for a moment how I was ever going to explain this to her.  Hey baby, mummy decided to remove your arm. You won't miss it, will you?  Emma touched my arm.  "Ready?" She asked gently.  I nodded, taking a deep breath.

Carefully, I made an incision.  I worked methodically and clinically, separating flesh and muscle, until finally, the limb was off and I could focus on suturing the wound.  Then I wrapped the stump and, finally,  placed a sock over it to keep the bandage in place.

Sighing, I stood back.  My baby lay so still, a stump where her soft, plump arm had been.  Please let this be worth it, I prayed to each and any god that might be listening.  Let her be okay. 

"You did good, Lori."  Emma smiled at me.  "She's going to be fine."

I tried to smile back at her but I just couldn't manage it.  The emotions I had been holding at bay for the last hour finally overwhelmed me and I started shaking like a leaf.  Kaye hurried over and wrapped her arms around me, holding me tight as I started to sob uncontrollably. 

****

In the kids' room, I sat beside Sarah, stroking her hair, as she drifted off to sleep.  Her brother was already fast asleep at the other end of the bed while the cousins were tucked in the top bunk above. 

She looked peaceful.  Thankfully, there was enough medication in the ambulance should keep her comfortable for several days.  A hand touched my shoulder.  Kaye sat down beside me.  "Are you okay?"

I snorted.  "As okay as I can be, having just chopped my own daughter's arm off."  The thought still made me sick in the stomach.

"You did what you had to do, Lori, to save her life.  Do you have any idea how much I admire you?"

Startled, I met her eyes.  "Huh?"

Kaye leaned forward and covered my hand.  "That's what makes you special, Lori.  You see what has to happen and you act, no doubts, no hesitation.  If it had been my child..." She stopped and swallowed, eyes suddenly dark. "I don't think I could have done it."

"Maybe I shouldn't have." I burst out.  "I keep wondering - was I wrong?  Maybe she wouldn't have turned!  It's not like I knew for sure...What if I cut off her arm for nothing?  What if it doesn't even work and I put her through that pain for nothing.  What if..."

Kaye covered my mouth with her hand, cutting me off.  "Lori, you need to stop torturing yourself right now.  You knew that a bite probably lead to death and you took steps to prevent that happening to Sarah.  That's as much as anyone could ask of you, including yourself.  So I don't want to hear you talking like that anymore. "Got it?"

I smiled tentatively.  "Got it, boss." Her belief in me almost managed to reassure me that I had done the right thing.

"Besides, we need your undivided attention here and now.  You don't expect me to make all the decisions that need making tonight, do you?"

"God, no!" I grinned, forcing myself to respond to her attempt at levity.  "I remember what happened the last time I let you make the decisions.  We ended up with a hot pink bedroom!"

"Hey!" She pushed me, dark eyes flaring in mock outrage.  "That colour was all the rage at the time!"

After she left, I sat beside my babies a while longer before reluctantly leaving to check on the other kids. Michele and Lucas were sharing an earphone as they listened to an iPod.  As I passed the spare room, I saw Jessie lying tucked in the large bed, lit by a soft nightlight.  Her eyes were wide and vulnerable.

"Hey." I smiled as I walked towards her.  "What are you still doing awake?  I thought you'd be out like a light by now." 

"It's too quiet." She mumbled into the sheets, big brown eyes locked on me.  I sat on the edge of the bed and brushed away the hair from her eyes.  "I know but that's a good thing!  Quiet means nothing exciting is happening and nothing exciting means no trouble.  So you can sleep without worrying."  Jessie nodded but her eyes remained locked on me.

"Go on, move over." I jostled her gently.  "I'll lie here with you until you go to sleep, okay?"  She wiggled back a little to make room for me.  As soon as I lay down, a wave of tiredness swept over me.  I had not realised how exhausted I was until this moment.  We lay together quietly for a moment, heads touching.  Just as I started to wonder if she had fallen asleep, I heard her soft voice.

"My mummy used to do this."  

"I bet she was a lovely person." I whispered back, my heart going out to her.  "Do you want to tell me about her?"  There was silence for a moment.

"She laughed a lot."  Jessie spoke in a low sad voice.  "And she liked to sing a lot.  She was pretty bad at it."  My throat tightened.

"Yeah well, good for her if she didn't let that stop her.  You should hear my kids complain about my singing!"  I saw a hint of a smile warm her solemn face.

"I think mummy would have liked you, Lori.  Daddy, too."  Oh Lord, I think I'm going to cry.

"Lori?"

"Yes, Jessie?"

"Promise you won't die too?"  I closed my eyes in a vain attempt to block her loss and pain.  Turning to face her, I stroked her face gently.

"I promise you that I will do everything within my powers to keep us all alive."  Trying to lighten the atmosphere, I smiled cheekily at her.  "If I am forced to, I will pull out my secret weapon."

"What's that?"

"My amazing voice. The kids swear that my singing makes anyone listening want to kill themselves."

Not surprisingly, I fell asleep beside Jessie.  A couple of hours later, after checking on the babies, I walked quietly into the living room.   The whole house was dark, lit by a few discreet candles behind drawn curtains.   We had decided that the less attention we drew to ourselves tonight, the better.  Soft murmurs in the corner drew my eye.  Emma and Ken sat on the love chair, heads close together as they  talked softly.  A pleased smile crossed my face at the sight.  This was a first.  Emma usually went for the loud and enthusiastic adrenaline-seeking types.  It was nice seeing her with someone who might not be as flashy but had more depth and character than any boyfriend I had seen her with before.

Sliding the doors open, I quietly walked onto the wooden verandah.  I could see Max's dark frame sitting in a chair as he kept watch over the street.  "Nothing exciting to report, I assume?" I murmured as I pulled up a chair beside him.  I saw the gleam of his eyes as he glanced at me.  "Nope."

We sat in companionable silence for a few minutes as my eyes adjusted to the dark.  The moon was hidden behind clouds heavy with rain and the air had a cool chill to it. I kept my fingers crossed that the rain would hold off. At this time of the year, when it rained, it dropped like a heavy curtain.  There were times I'd had to pull the car to the side of the road because visibility had dropped to zero.

A heavy mist lay on top of the hills surrounding us, creating an illusion of being cut off from the rest of the world.  Below us, the street lay still and quiet.  Nothing stirred.  It was unnerving and reassuring at the same time.

"Would it be too much to hope it stays like this forever? " I sighed

"Yeap."

I narrowed my eyes at Max.  "I bet you were a real party pooper in your past life." 

Grinning at me, Max propped his rifle on his lap.  "Yeap."

I laughed softly in appreciation.  "So what is the plan tonight?"

He pulled out a pistol and held it out to me.  I hesitated briefly before taking it.  "First, some practice time so that you know what you're doing if you're ever need to use it. " He stood up and seemed to choose his words carefully.  "You can keep watch with me - if you're up to it. We'll be rotating the watches between the adults every four hours."

Standing up, I smiled at him.  "I'd be honoured."  Feeling a little flustered for some reason, I turned and pointed the gun at a palm tree. "Now show me how to use this thing."

Max came and stood beside me.  For the next half an hour, we practised sighting, loading and shooting, although without bullets.  Gunshots were bound to attract attention.  As we looked out over the street, I heard noise in the distance.  Frowning, I strained to discern what it was.

"Gunfire." Max stated, his voice surprisingly grim.  "Not far away."

My heart dropped.  "Maybe the army will keep the zombies at bay. They might never get here."  In the moonlight, I could see the scepticism in Max's face.   I couldn't blame him; I didn't even believe what I said.

A rumble told me that a vehicle was crossing the rickety little bridge at the bottom of the street.  We listened keenly as it turned up our street.  An army truck trundled slowly past as a soldier spoke through a loudspeaker.  I shivered as I remembered the ruthlessness they had displayed this afternoon towards civilians just trying to survive.

"A curfew is now in place.  All residents must remain inside their homes until further notice.  Anyone found outside may be shot on sight."

I gasped.  "How can they do that?!"  Who the hell was the enemy here? 

Max shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time the army has followed a 'shoot first and ask questions later' policy."

Emma and Ken joined us on the verandah, outrage on their faces as they listened to the message.  "It feels like we're fighting our own army as well as zombies."  Ken muttered, rubbing his glasses furiously.

Max sighed, popping a fresh stick of gum in his mouth.   "At night, it will be difficult for soldiers to distinguish living from dead, folks.  This way, they know everyone they see is the enemy and can take 'em down before they get too close for comfort."

I scowled at him.  "Yeah well, goodie for them.  Too bad for anyone trying to escape zombies!"

He inclined his close-shaven head in acknowledgement.

As the noise of the truck faded, we listened to the sounds of battle in the distance.  It was continuous and clear now. I noticed Emma slip her hand into Ken's.  He squeezed it reassuringly.  It made my heart ache with a sudden yearning for my  Joe.  He had  been my rock for the last twenty years, ever since we met as carefree students.  I wondered if he was okay, if he was still at sea - literally and figuratively.  Was he happily fishing with his friends, completely unaware of the struggle his family was enduring?  And Charlie.  Here I was, completely focused on my own dramas, without sparing a thought for my sister and what she must be going through.

We stood in silence for a few minutes with our own thoughts.  Sighing, Emma turned away.  "I'm going to try and get some sleep while I can.  I have a feeling it is going to be a long night."

Tales of the Dead Tropics - chapter 24

The remainder of the trip home was spent in sombre silence.  The reminder that the zombies were nearly on our doorsteps, if they weren't here already, made it suddenly frighteningly real.  The illusion of safety and peace I had felt in the midst of the rainforest was shattered.  It was inevitable that the zombie horde would reach our doorstep; it was just a matter of when, not if.

As we pulled into the driveway, I spied a battered panel van parked at the top and two familiar figures standing beside it. "Jim!"

"Ken!"   Emma exclaimed joyfully.  As Kaye drew her car up beside them, we clambered out and hugged the men with squeals of delight.  After everything we had been through together, they felt like part of the family and my heart swelled with happiness to see them looking so well.  The two men grinned and accepted our attentions graciously.  Roy lifted Ellie and Beth out of the car before clapping his hand around Jim's arm and then Ken's.

Interrupting the reunion, I  started to shoo everyone upstairs.  Ken took off his glasses and started vigorously rubbing them.  "You going to introduce them to Lizzie, Jim?"

Jim looked at him with hooded eyes.  "Reckon so."  Curious, I watched him walk around the back of the van.  My mouth dropped open as he returned with a quivering, short-haired brown chihuahua under his arm.  I don't know why the sight of a big, burly man holding a tiny dog should be so startling but it was like finding myself suddenly in an alternate reality. "This is Lizzie.  She was my parents' dog and I sorta inherited her when they died."  He looked around the group placidly.  "Don't be fooled. For a small dog, she's got a lot of verve." 

I cocked my brow teasingly.  "Verve?"

"Gumption." He corrected himself.

"Gumption?" I raised my eyebrow higher.

Jim narrowed his eyes at me. "Something wrong with your vocabulary all of a sudden, Lori?"

"No, not at all.  I'm sure she's a very plucky little dog.  You must feel very secure in your home at night."  As the others laughed, I grinned and held my hands up in a gesture of peace.  A smile tugged at his lips as he acknowledged the point.

I ushered the group upstairs for some coffee and a pow-wow.  Little Lizzie was promptly whisked out of Jim's arms by the children.  I had no doubt she would be thoroughly spoilt.  Even Lucas and Michele sat nearby with big grins on their faces, trying to tempt the dog over with pieces of cheese.

Jessie giggled as the chihuahua placed her paws on her chest and licked her face enthusiastically.  I felt a twinge of guilt as I watched the thin little girl hugging the dog.  I had barely exchanged two words with her since she'd woken up.  Looking up, she caught me looking at her and grinned happily.  I beamed back at her and promised myself that I would make some time to sit down with her - as soon as our complicated life permitted.

The toddlers were immediately vociferous in their hunger so Kaye and I plonked a packet of biscuits and some chips on the table.  Yeah, sue me; I'm a bad mom. 

Turning back to the adults around the table, I waited for Jim and Ken to bring us up to speed.  He popped a gum in his mouth, and in a few words, summed up the last few hours.  The trip to his home had been uneventful, bar a handful of zombies spotted on the road.  He'd picked up Lizzie and they had moved on to Ken's house.  Eyes cast down, Ken quietly told of finding bloodstains on the kitchen floor but no sign of his parents.  Emma reached out and grabbed his hand tightly.  Looking from her to Ken, I realised sadly that they had both been orphaned today.

"Did you have any trouble getting here?" I asked, thinking of the traffic jam we had battled through.  The two of them snorted at the same time.

"You could say that." Jim said wryly. 

Ken started the story.  "After we picked up some equipment, we decided to take the old back road via Freshwater.  We figured there'd be less traffic. Which there was." Jim inclined his head in agreement. "There's a short cut through the cane fields my family used to take.  Unfortunately, we found the Kuranda tourist train parked across it."

"It looked to be abandoned but we decided it wasn't worth investigating." Jim took a deep slug of the coffee Kaye placed before him. "We decided to cross the train line a little further up and backtrack across the edge of the field to the dirt track.  Figured no one was going to sue us for any damage to the cane."

"Unfortunately," Ken continued. "as soon as we crossed the line into the field,  we discovered where all the passengers had disappeared to."

Emma gasped, her hand going to her mouth.  "They were in the sugar cane?"

Eyes bright with remembered excitement, Ken nodded.  "They just started pouring out of the sugar cane. "

"What did you do?" I had to admit the story had me as sucked in as Emma.  At least I knew this one had a happy ending, as they were both sitting in front of me.

Ken looked at Jim who sat with one arm slung over the back of the chair, clmly chewing his gum.  He shrugged.  "Pulled out one of those pieces of equipment I mentioned earlier.   It's amazing how quickly a chainsaw can separate a head from a body."

"Eww." Kaye made a face across the table to me.  Ken grinned.  "Jim leaned out of the window and cleared a path like he was trimming a hedge!  Didn't get rid of all of them but it gave us enough wiggle room to get the old van across the field to the dirt track.  After that, it was clear sailing."

Jim pushed his chair back.  "Reminds me, we need to get our stuff in." He glanced outside.  "Have to shore up the place before it gets dark, too."

Roy grimaced, as he stood and stretched.  "Yeah well, I need to take a ten minute cat nap before we get started on that stuff.  My head's bloody killing me."

Emma rolled her eyes at me but I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.  We had all been through a lot today.  "I'll get you some panadol."

He looked a little surprised.  "Thanks."

As Roy lay down on the sofa with a groan, I hurried downstairs, knowing that the toddlers were in safe hands with the teens.  As long as they weren't busy making goo-goo eyes at each other, I thought.  Beside the van was a growing pile of stuff.  I spotted the chainsaw, rope, a couple of bags of tinned food, a rifle and extra ammunition, and something that looked like a radio. "It's a CB radio." Jim clarified for me.  "If communication remains down, it may be the only way for us to communicate with the outside world."

He grinned down at me. " And I still have some contacts from my days in the forces who might be able to tell me something useful."

"You're full of surprises, aren't you, Jim?" I smiled at him, feeling sudden affection for a man I had only known by sight for years.  He kinda reminded me of that British action hero, Jason Statham, with his clean shaven head and muscular build.  Not that I was about going to tell him that.  He was cocky enough as it was. 

I left him and Ken to it while Emma, Kaye and I unloaded the four wheel drive again.  I placed anything that could be used as a weapon, like the axe and long handled shovel, next to the sliding doors upstairs where we could reach them quickly.

After transferring our stores to the house, we set to work shoring up the house's defences.  Finding wood wasn't a problem as the shed was full of bits and pieces.  Charlie was quite the handyman and had, in fact, just finished building a treehouse in the forest for the kids.  Jim and Ken put together a rough barrier at the bottom of the stairs to deter any zombies while Emma and I covered the rear windows of the house.  Being on a slope, the back of the house was accessible to any zombie who decided to make the long trek up the driveway and through the rainforest.  Kaye left to prepare dinner and organise baths for the kids.  I grinned as I heard her muttering something about getting the short end of the stick as she went upstairs.

All the hammering and noise soon brought out our neighbours.  The retired couple on the left, Mr and Mrs Brand, stood in their back yard peering at the goings-on over here.  Across the road, I saw Jodie and her teenage daughters, Jasmine and Skye, heading towards us.   Further down the road, I could see a man and his little boy watching us.  I didn't know much about that family, though, apart from the fact that they had a teenage son who annoyed everyone with riding his quad bike on Saturday mornings.

"Hey Jodie." I called out between blows of the hammer as she walked around the house.  "Hey girls."  They waved at me as they wandered over to watch the men at work.  I guessed all those muscles on display were a lot more interesting than our red, sweaty faces.

"Hi Lori."  Jodie looked anxious. "You look like you're preparing for a cyclone." 

"I wish I were."  I put down the hammer and nails and wiped my face. "Do you need help getting your place ready, Jodie?"  I knew her husband had left a few months back and she didn't strike me as being very self-sufficient.

She hugged herself nervously. "Do you really think it's necessary?  It seems a bit like overkill for a bunch of rioters."

I sighed.  Here we go again.  What to tell and what to keep to myself?  "It's more than people rioting, Jodie.  These people have been infected by a virus.  They are extremely violent and irrational.  You need to take every precaution to protect your family."

Jim walked over, his damp shirt clinging to his chest.  "Ma'am, if you need help making your place secure, I could come over after I'm finished here." Jodie looked at him with interest.  I felt a moment of vague irritation.  Time and place, lady, time and place. 

She smiled at him.  "Thank you.  I would really appreciate that."  Beckoning her girls, she waved a coy goodbye and walked back down the driveway.

Jim looked down at me and cocked a brow.  I rolled my eyes and picked up my hammer.  As he walked away, Emma snickered. "Looks like Jim's got himself an admirer."

I snorted derisively.  I couldn't believe that there were women who had time to flirt even in the midst of a crisis.

After finishing the windows, we discussed the back door which looked onto the rainforest.  We decided to leave it unboarded in the event we had to make a sneaky getaway through the forest.

It was getting dark as I went upstairs to arrange the supplies into some sort of order.  Ken and Jim had headed over to Jodie's.  Roy was still asleep on the sofa.  Poor guy, he must have been very tired, I thought, if he could sleep through all the hammering and the kids playing around him.  His ten minute nap had turned into, I checked my watch quickly, over two hours!  Sarah came running out of the bathroom, naked as the day she was born.  Smiling, I opened my arms and she threw herself into them.  I loved the way the babies smelt and the softness of their skin.  Years of tropical sun had left my arms bronzed and freckly, and they didn't look very attractive against the pale, smooth baby arms of my daughter.

"Ooh, where are your clothes, munchkin?" I teased as I tickled her.  She squealed and wiggled.  "Don' haf any!"

"Well, I'm sure your aunty has laid some out for you in your cousins' room.  Go have a look."  I watched with a cheesy grin as she paddled out of the room.  What can I say? I'm a sucker for babies.

Turning back, I gathered all the bags of food and carried them into the kitchen.  If we were lucky, they would stretch out our food to five days, although by the end, everyone would be complaining, I had no doubt.  The tins of food that remain uneaten in people's cupboard tend to be the stuff no one wants to eat, like my impulse purchase of tinned artichokes.  Jim and Ken's contributions included tins of kippers, red cabbage, bamboo shoots and spam, which, in my eyes, just proved my theory.  Heck, I didn't even know spam was still being produced!

A giggle alerted me to the return of my daughter.  As I gathered some bottles of juice and soda in my arms, I heard Roy groan.  Glancing over the pile in my arms, I saw Sarah poking Roy in the cheek.  Grinning inside, I headed for the kitchen.  About time he woke up, I thought, quelling the little voice that said a good mother would teach her daughter that it was rude to poke sleeping people.

And then my world fell apart.  My daughter screamed in pain and fear.   I dropped everything as I spun around, a cold sweat breaking out all over my body. Roy clutched my daughter in his outstretched hands, pulling her towards him.  The cold eyes, the pallid skin...oh god, how could I have missed this?!

I flew into the room and, as he brought his mouth to her neck, I grabbed Sarah around the waist and wrenched her away.  Kaye came running into the room.  "What's happened?"  She cried. 

Ignoring her, I examined my daughter feverishly.  There was blood all over my daughter's hand.  The room spun as I saw she was missing her three middle fingers.  No, no, no.  For a moment, I wanted to die.  I knew what the future held and I didn't want to face it.  She had been bitten and I knew, without a shred of doubt, what that meant for her.