markson721

Chapter 6:

Pit Stop

Sanchez turned left on Grand Boulevard and drove one block before turning into the gas station. Eric looked out the right side window past Baxter at two zombies pounding in frustration against the doors of the gas stations offices where he could see two men dressed in mechanics jumpsuits. Eric had taken his car here once to get an oil change and knew there was a single roll up garage door with a lift for doing basic car maintenance. It was a good thing that the zombies werent attacking that door, Eric was pretty confident that it was the weaker of the two doors.
Eric looked through the partition of the patrol car and caught Sanchezs eye. His eyes looked worried but the almost imperceptible nod he shot Erics way was approval enough for Eric to push his door open and start towards the gas stations office. Eric slipped between the two pumps sitting in front of the gas station moving around the back bumper of a black pick-up truck and hunched down while he assessed the situation.
Eric wasnt surprised to find himself alone in his misadventure. He was pretty sure that the two cops would leave him if things got hairy. Eric wouldnt blame them either; his mental state was precarious at the moment. His fanatical desire to save as many people as he could as they made their escape from the dying city made him a liability. But if his plans worked then the small band of men and women who joined Sanchez, Kirk, and himself would help them rebuild the desolate world they were going to find themselves in tomorrow.
From Where Eric crouched against the bump of the pick-up truck he could see the two zombies banging on the door more clearly and see the spider webbing cracks in the glass of the offices large window stretch towards the edge of the window frame. The two men he could see inside didnt look like they had much time left. Eric caught the eye of one of the men and waved him to the right away from the path of the bullets that Eric intended to fire. The eye nodded once and then grabbed the shoulder of his buddy and jerked him to Erics right. The second man looked like he had slipped into some kind of a catatonic state and was causing the man pulling him by the shoulder a lot of trouble.
Eric looked back through the gap between the two pumps and saw Kirk sweeping his gun left and right in long deliberate arcs scanning for more zombies. Eric showed him two fingers telling him that he needed two minutes and hed be back in the car. As Eric moved from cover he hoped the Kirk didnt take his signal to mean that there were only two zombies and relax. True he could only see two of them but that didnt mean more werent around. Eric raised the gun and to his eyes and fired a shot that took the first zombie in the back of the head. The bullet pulled brains and blood through the creatures forehead and plastered the glass with it before a definitive snap signaled the collapse of the office windows final resistance.
The second zombie, a fiftyish man in khaki shorts and a yellow polo short with bleeding wounds in his right forearm and his left calve torn off turned towards Eric. He fired a second shot that caught the zombie in the shoulder and pushed him back two steps but failed to take him down. Eric could feel the laser like focus of the adrenaline fading as he sighted up again and fire. The second shot hit the zombies left eye and creature fell forward face planting into the cement. Eric scanned left and right making sure his shots didnt bring an immediate attack and when he felt confident that at least for the next few seconds they were going to be okay he waved the two mechanics towards him.
The two men looked at the two bodies lying in front of the office. The first body, a woman dressed like the male zombie except in a pink polo was draped against the office door. The first man, the one still in control of his body climbed onto a small vinyl couch and hopped out through the broken window frame. He reached his hand back through the empty window frame said a few encouraging things to his buddy who cautiously took the offered hand and climb onto the couch and then out through the broken window.
The two men tiptoed past the two bodies like they were moving through a minefield. It took them only a dozen strides to reach Eric but it took them twice as long as it should have. They were scared as hell and Eric could sympathize.
Thanks guy, the first man said. The patch on his chest said his name was Fred. He had about two days worth of stubble on his cheeks and at least two weeks worth of oil and grease covering his hands. He as thin and wire and stood roughly six feet tall. The second man who didnt offer his hand or speak had the name Tommy stitched on the patch on his chest. He was about Erics height, five eight, with a beer belly that entered a room about two steps before the rest of him. His head kept spinning like a top looking around him like the world he found outside the office of the gas station was just a crazy dream that he might shake himself from.
You guys got a car? Guns? Anything here that might be useful? Eric looked behind him and saw Kirk calling him and the new arrivals over to the squad car. Eric held up his finger begging for another minute.
The guy with Fred on his patch answered, No guns or nothing. We got a car but that truck there, he jerked his thumb to the right pointing at the black pick-up Eric had hidden behind, that would be the ride to take. Gas mileage is crap but itll be useful if we get ourselves in a real mess.
Eric had to agree. Alright grab the keys and lets get going. Eric started back towards the squad car. He took three steps before he realized that the two mechanics werent following him and werent moving to climb into the car. Whats the holdup guys? Eric looked at the two men whose eyes fell simultaneously to the ground. Eric stood for a minute looking at them waiting for an answer and when one didnt come he put a healthy dose of force behind his worlds, what is it?
Fred was the one to answer though he didnt take his eyes off the ground as he words drifted towards Eric, the truck isnt ours, its that guys. Fred pointed with a long finger towards the zombie in the yellow polo.
Youve got to be shitting me, Eric wanted to throw his hands up in frustration but didnt. These guys had already seen some crazy stuff and twenty minutes ago Eric had been in their shoes. The fact that Fred was at least cognizant enough to keep track of truck keys despite seeing people die and get back up was impressive. Eric pushed past the two mechanics making every effort to keep from bumping them in the shoulder as he slid past them. He didnt want to send any kind of signal that they was tough than these men. He wasnt, hed just had longer to come to grips with the rules of the new world.
Eric kept his gun out as he moved closer to the zombie in the yellow polo. He was sure the thing was dead it was unnerving just the same to approach the body. Eric side stepped to the right as he neared the zombie skirting a growing pool of blood that was seeping from the zombies head wound. As Eric approached the zombies torso he knelt down near the creatures waist. Eric shifted the gun from his right to his left hand and snaked his right hand into the zombies pocket. It was awkward and took a few minutes for Eric to fish out the keys from the zombies pocket but his irritated fingers eventually hooked the loop of the key ring. The left side of the zombie flopped like a dying fish with the sudden violent jerk of Erics hand as he pulled the keys out of the zombies pocket.
Eric tossed the keys towards Fred as he started back towards the two mechanics and the patrol car. Fred snatched the keys out of the air like a shortstop snatching a line drive. He tossed the keys once in his hands before heading towards the drivers seat. We got to check the gas first, fill it up if we have to and then shes ready to go.
Alright, me and Officer Kirk over there will keep an eye out for zombies and warn you if we see any. Eric motioned towards Kirk with his chin. As soon as the trucks ready to go were out. Follow the cop car. If we see anyone else we can rescue were going to stop. If you have any problems honk twice.
Eric was turning to climb back into the car. Baxters head his head poking through the gap in the window where Kirk or Sanchez had rolled down the window. His tongue lolled out to the side and his smiled like today was just another road trip.
What are we going to do about the others?
Eric turned from the dog and looked back towards the black pick-up truck. Fred was manning the gas pump and Tommy was standing at the edge of the back bumper staring vacantly at Eric. What are you talking about man?
Tommy pointed towards the edge of the gas station towards at yellowish orange building across a slim alley. What are we going to do about the others? The ones in the gym over there?