The First Days (As the World Dies #1)(33)

"That adds approximately ten miles to our trip." He glanced at the gas gauge. "Possibly doable."

Jenni nodded. Jason was good with figures and she trusted him. "Ralph will come get us."

"We need to not be too far out when we do hit empty," Katie said. "We really don't know what the situation is out here. We're hoping for a low number of zombies but Emorton taught us a fairly bitter lesson."

Jenni could feel the heat of the sun pressing down on her and she glanced toward it. It was lower in the sky. They were running out of time. She felt it.

"What does it look like?" Katie asked.

Jason took the map and studied it. "No towns except the one Ralph talked about. At least not in the direction we're going."

Jenni barely glanced at the occasional house or trailer along the road.

Most of them looked boarded up anyway. No cars anywhere. The world was as good as dead now it seemed. At least here in rural Texas.

She was trying hard not to panic. Trying hard not to feel overwhelmed.

She reached out and gripped Jason's hand tightly in her own. Yes, they had left the relative safety of the hunting store, but they had saved Jason. She had done her duty and that gave her a strange sense of calm. But now they had to stay alive. They had to figure this all out. Otherwise, their rescue of Jason would be fruitless and they would die out here. Yesterday, on that doorstep, Jenni had almost given up. Almost given in, but not now. No, not now.

The truck roared down the narrow country road. The scenery flashed by the windows. Katie's knuckles were white as she gripped the steering wheel.

They all felt it, Jenni knew. They were running out of time.

The tearing of cellophane sounded behind her and Jason wordlessly handed her a Danish. She took it and began to eat ravenously. The day was slipping by faster than she liked and they had forgotten to eat. Jason then handed one to Katie and they all ate in eerie silence.

If they catch us and tear us open, will they enjoy the sugary goodness inside, Jenni thought grimly.

The vision of all those zombies running toward them was too horrible to think about, yet she couldn't help but think about just that. What if something inside of them let them know that the truck had pulled off the road onto the one they now traveled?

"I gotta pee," Jenni said abruptly. It had hit her suddenly. She had the urgent need to go and felt annoyed by Katie's sharp look in her direction. She was a little surprised when Jason and Katie both said, "Me, too."

"Looks clear," Katie continued.

The road was so narrow that the truck almost took up the whole width.

Katie stopped in the middle of the road, lifted the shotgun off the console and looked at Jenni. "You first. Take your gun. I'll cover."

Jenni frowned and shook her head. "This is f*cking annoying. Not being able to go without an armed guard."

Jason cleared his throat and said, "What about me?"

"I'll cover for you. Jenni can cover for me." Katie gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm a lesbian. It's okay."

"Really?" Jason's eyes somewhat lit up.

Katie just shook her head and flung her door open. She slid out muttering something about all men being alike.

Jenni found it uncomfortable going, squatting in the tall grass and summer wildflowers, while Katie hovered over her, safety off on the shotgun.

She tried hard to concentrate on the far horizon, staring across the wide valley of farmland. It was then that she realized she could see across to the country road they had been on previously. And the crowd of zombies was still racing in the direction they had last seen the truck. If one of them should look over and see the bright red truck perched high on the hill across the valley…

She yanked up her pants. "Katie," she whispered and pointed.

Katie looked, studied, and realized what the dark swarm of ant-like creatures on the far road was. "Fuck." She motioned to Jason. "Empty your bladder now. We're outta here."

Jason realized what they were looking at and hopped out and took care of business without a single complaint about the two women hovering at his sides. Jack bound out as well, looked at Jason, and decorated all four tires with a nice little stream and left a tidy little brown package behind the truck in the middle of the road. He immediately followed Jason back into the truck, giving Jenni a doggy grin that told her he had found satisfaction.

"Hoping a zombie steps in it, huh," Jenni said with a little smile.

She could have sworn Jack's smile got bigger.

Casting a wary glance at the distant running throng that was steadily working its way across the road in the far distance, she whispered a silent prayer. Katie shifted into gear and they continued down the road, a thin line of trees and the valley of farmland separating them from certain death.

"What if one of them looks this way?" Jason's voice sounded a little on the high end of the scale.

He's terrified, Jenni thought. And she had to admit she was, too.

"Pray that they don't," Katie answered.

Then, much to their relief, the road swerved around a corner and put the view of the zombie throng behind them.

She couldn't help but turn around in her seat and stare out the back window. Jack and Jason were doing the same thing. The dog looked at her and gave a light woof and Jenni wasn't sure what that meant or if it was comforting.