The First Days (As the World Dies #1)(4)

"Hey, missy!"

An old man had stood outside his white truck, waving at her, a shotgun clutched in his hand. "Get in my truck! We'll off road it! Hurry!"

She hadn't needed to look behind her to know she was pursued. She had heard the slap of their feet against the pavement.

Katie had almost been to the truck when suddenly the old man was grabbed from behind. A woman bit into his throat and viciously dragged him down to the ground. Katie had almost stopped, but the old man had waved to her.

"Get in the truck! Take the gun! Get out of here! Go! Go!" He had continued to fight with the woman that had assaulted him, but he had faded fast. His blood had been a fountain against the pavement.

Pausing for the barest of moments, she had grabbed the shotgun from his quivering hand and had dove into the open driver's door. Slamming it shut, her hand had reached for the ignition only to realize the truck was already on.

The old man's gurgling voice had shouted, "Go! Go! Go!"

She had obeyed: shifted gears and went. In the rear view mirror, she had seen the small pack of mutilated humans reach the old man and dive onto him. As she had driven down the shoulder and past the stopped cars that honked at her, she had seen the old man one more time. His mutilated form had been running with the rest of the pack.

"Don't turn here!"

Kate shook herself out of her memories and slammed on the brakes.

"Shit!" It was a cul-de-sac. She quickly started to turn around when she saw a nightmarish vision. Around fifteen of those things erupted out into the street and began to race toward the truck cutting off their escape route.

Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as she quickly pulled the truck around.

"Just do it," Jenni said softly beside her. "They're not real anymore."

Katie aimed right for the center of the throng, floored the truck and braced herself. The deer guard caught the first few and flung them away from the vehicle. One skinny teenager bounced onto the hood and he clung to hood, beating at the windshield with one hand.

Katie slammed on the brake and the momentum carried him off the hood and his hand, already barely fastened to his arm by strands of tendon and skin, snapped off.

"Oh, God," she whispered.

"It's okay," Jenni said softly. "Really."

Katie hit the accelerator and they both were jostled when they drove over the youth's body. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she could have sworn she heard a mushy popping sound.

"What is happening? What the hell is this?" Katie shook her head, her blond hair falling softly across her brow.

"The end," Jenni sighed. "The end."





3. As The City Falls




The white truck hurtled down the streets of suburbia that were quickly falling into bloody bedlam. It was obvious that whatever was happening was spreading at an accelerated pace. Gunshots rang through the morning air.

People's screams rose in a cacophony. Cars careened crazily through the streets. At times it was only Katie's quick reflexes that saved them from an accident.

Beside her Jenni hit the Redial button once more. Katie couldn't bear to look at the phone and see Lydia's beautiful face smiling out at her.

If this wasn't the end, it sure did look like it. It had to be terrorists. Some sort of weapon that made people crazed. PCP, something. Katie rubbed her mouth with her fingers. That had to be it.

Since Jenni's proclamation of the end, they had both been silent. It was too much to absorb.

Too much to comprehend.

They just had to keep moving.

They had to keep going.

But where?

If only her Dad would answer his cell phone. Of course, he was probably going nuts trying to reach her. She could see him now in the center of the hub being the strong police chief of legend. Big Bruce was certainly doing his best to get this insanity under control. Tears threatened to fall as she thought of his strong craggy face under his military buzz cut. It was a soothing thought in this moment.

And then his voice filled the truck cab.

"Hello? Katie?"

And Katie started to cry as Jenni said, "No, but she's here with me."

Katie grabbed the phone away from Jenni. "Daddy!"

"Katie, are you and Lydia okay?"

Katie shook her head and whispered, "No, no. I'm fine, but Lydia, she didn't make it. She…Daddy…she…"

"I'm sorry, Katie-baby. I'm sorry."

She could tell by his voice that he truly was. Despite his misgivings with her lifestyle, he had come to accept and be quite close to Lydia. Though her mother had remained blissfully in denial until her death, her father had tried hard to understand. His painful, sometimes embarrassing questions had only showed her how much he was trying. And when he had shown up at her wedding, dressed in his military uniform, beaming and near tears, to walk her down the aisle, she knew that he loved her even if he didn't understand her completely.

Now they shared a moment of silence over the woman Katie had loved so much.

"I'm sorry, honey," he said again. "But you can't let it affect you right now, understand?"

"Yes, I know. I'm trying to keep a cool head."

"Good girl." A tinge of pride crept into his tone, though it remained dominated by fear. "Listen, Katie, whatever the hell this is, it's all over the city. You need to get down to the police department. We're barricaded in and you'll be safe here. We got the National Guard on its way."