Her zombified husband was right. She was a bad mother. Incompetent.
Stupid.
Katie continued to stroke her hair while trying to keep her eyes on the winding road. "It's okay. It's okay. This whole day is fucked up. It's confusing.
It's okay."
Jenni felt tears rolling down her cheeks. "I just…forgot him. He just came to live with us last year. But I shouldn't have forgotten him, should I?"
Katie slowly pulled the truck over and drew Jenni tight into her arms and gave her a firm hug. "It's okay. Calm down…shhh…shhh…"
Jenni clung to her desperately and whispered, "I try so hard."
"It's okay. It's okay. Maybe he got out of the house," Katie said softly.
"He wasn't in the house! He's here! Here!" Jenni drew back and grabbed up the map and pointed at the national park. "He's here! Safe. With his science class! The zombies can't be out there! He's safe and he needs me and I forgot about him!"
"Okay, okay. Jenni, listen to me. Listen to me," Katie said firmly.
The dog whined a little and licked Jenni's face trying to soothe her.
Jenni tried to concentrate on Katie's face and voice. It was so hard. All she could hear was her husband's voice berating her for being such a stupid whore and a terrible mother.
"This day and everything about it is awful. We're both in shock. We're both scared out of our minds. We're not thinking straight and that's okay. We just need to survive right now. We just need to make it through today and be safe. If we can do that, we can get our heads together and start to figure out exactly what we are going to do. But for now, we live in this moment and make our way to the next."
Jenni sniffled and nodded. "What about Jason? I just can't leave him there."
She just couldn't. It would be her last great failure. He was all that remained. Maybe he wasn't her son by blood, but she was obligated to take care of him and love him.
Katie looked at the map for a long moment. "I think we can go get him.
Maybe even stay there if it's clear of the infestation. Honestly, we need to stay away from any area with too many people. A lot of people will not know what is going on." Katie faltered for a moment. "Hell, I don't know what is going on."
"Zombies," Jenni reminded her helpfully.
Katie ran a hand over her blond hair. "Okay, zombies, but why? How?
This shouldn't be possible, but I'm seeing it. And if your movies are right and the bite is how it spreads, then keeping away from major populated areas is our best bet. Less chance of infection. So going and finding your stepson and seeing what the situation is out at the park may be our best option for now."
Jenni threw her arms around Katie and hugged her tight. "Thank you, thank you. I have to make it up to him!"
And she did. She had to let Jason know that she loved him and that she would be a good mother to him. She would learn to do better and be better.
That was all there was to it.
Katie drew back, squeezed her hand tightly and gave her a soft smile.
"We'll be okay. It will be okay. We just need to keep it together. Okay?"
Jenni nodded, relieved. Katie was right. They had to keep it together.
And survive. And go get Jason. She wrapped her arms around the dog and he nestled against her body. And they had to take care of Jack and each other.
Satisfied that Jenni was calm now, Katie shifted gears and the white truck started down the road once more.
"Jenni, I know you're scared. I am, too, but right now, we can't fall apart, okay? When we find a safe place, we can both mourn. Where we can both…deal." Katie looked at her and smiled softly.
Jenni nodded firmly. "Okay, I can deal. I can be strong."
"Good," Katie relaxed a little and returned her gaze to the road.
Jenni shuffled the dog and the map and settled down once more. She had a job to do and she had to do it well. It was obvious to her now that Katie was sent to her. Katie was strong and she was going to get them through this.
It would be okay.
"What the hell," Katie murmured.
The truck slowed down and Jenni looked up to see a convoy of army vehicles heading their way. The first few passed them, but then a jeep pulled off the side and they were flagged down by a solider in the passenger seat.
Jenni felt a flutter of excitement. Maybe this is how they would find safety. The army would save them and take them to a place free of the zombies. The men looked strong and capable with their large weapons and thick armor.
A tall black man walked toward the truck and motioned both of them to get out.
Katie didn't look very happy and turned to Jack. "Stay down, boy. Don't bark. Be calm. Lay down on the floor."
The dog tilted his head and his gaze followed her motions to the floor of the cab. Obediently he got down.
"If they work anything like cops, they'll shoot him if they feel threatened," Katie told Jenni.
"They wouldn't!"
"Just answer them truthfully and calmly. This is a different world, Jenni.
We don't know how it works yet."
Jenni felt her first pang of fear, then nodded and got out of the truck.
Katie stood next to the truck, as relaxed as possible as the black soldier approached her. He motioned for Jenni to join Katie and they stood side by side, the former prosecutor in her suit, high heels and a hunting jacket and a housewife in flip-flops, her nightgown and bathrobe. Looking back and forth between them, his green eyes were eerily intense.
"Are you two together?"
Jenni nodded and Katie answered, "Yes."
"Did you come from the city?"
"Yes," they chorused.
"Are either one of you bit?"
"No, no," Katie answered.
Jenni whispered, "No."
Without warning, he began to run his hands gruffly over their limbs, squeezing to see if there was a response.
Jennie started to protest, but Katie gave her a look that silenced her.
Jenni became all too aware of the soldiers standing nearby, guns ready.
They'll shoot us if we are bitten, she thought.
She endured the rough, large hands on her body.
"No signs of wounds!"
Jenni knew for sure that they would have been shot if they had shown any signs of having been bitten. The soldiers visibly relaxed.
"Head to the town of Madison. There’s a FEMA rescue center there. It'll be secure." He looked into the cab to see Jack staring at him intently. With a small smile, he reached in and patted the dog's head. "Remember Madison.
Make sure you go there."
Katie made a show of looking at his name badge, then said, "Yes, Lieutenant Reynolds."
He nodded to them briefly and walked back to his vehicle.
As the jeep sped past them to rejoin the convoy, Katie shook her head.
"They're heading into the city," she murmured.
"Are we going to Madison?"
Katie shook her head. "No. I think we're better off on our own.
Something about it doesn't seem right."
Jenni nodded, her black hair whipping around her face. The wind was blowing hot and fierce.
Katie stood with her hands on her hips and shook her head. "No, definitely not going to Madison. We're heading out to get your stepson. Then we'll see what we can figure out. I don't like the idea of us being all herded into one spot with only FEMA to protect us. We need to find more ammo and another gun."
Jenni nodded. "I agree."
Once back in the truck, they started down the road again. They had a plan now and Jenni was relieved. The world seemed a little more bearable now.
A few miles down the road they saw two vehicles pulled over onto the shoulder. Bodies surrounded both of the cars. Young and old were strewn about, bullet holes torn through them. A few had obviously run for it, but hadn't made it to safety. As the white truck passed the tragic scene, Jenni recognized the girl from the convenience store still in her gas station smock.
Half her head had been blown away.
Katie didn't say a word as she turned onto an even narrower back road.
"I guess," Jenni said after a moment, "one of them was bitten."
Chapter 3
1. The Truth of Things Yet to Come
Katie was tired of the sun blazing through the windshield and the steady hum of the road. It was nearly one o'clock in the afternoon and they had been slowly winding deeper into the Texas wilds.
Some of the roads were so narrow that two cars passing would have to hug the shoulder and slow down considerably. Herds of cows, peach groves, and empty fields were all they saw for miles. Occasionally there was a house in the distance, but they didn't even consider trying to pull off the road. Out in the country, people were barricading themselves in as the cities went to hell.
"What do you think is going on?" Jenni's voice sounded raw.
To preserve their gas the best they could, they had finally turned off the air conditioner. The wind blowing through the cab was warm, not hot, but the dust caught in their noses and throats.