Underland(12)

There it was again. Another popping sound.

Closer.

Kira gathered the chain to her body, pushed off with her hands, and rolled quickly underneath the bus, trying to plan her next move. The popping sounds were getting faster and louder. Rhythmic. Creeper had to be running across the hoods of the cars in a direct course towards her. Had he heard the chain rattle?

She spotted an emergency access panel, but she would need time and a distraction. She looked around for a weapon—and found a large rock. That wouldn’t help her. Or could it?

Rolling to the other side of the bus, Kira crouched by the tire and threw the rock as far as she could in the opposite direction. It wasn’t a good throw, and it thudded softly against the side of a Chevy. Holding her breath, she waited as the sounds of pursuit stopped. She could see Creeper standing on top of a blue Volkswagen beetle, his head cocked in confusion as he stared where the rock had hit.

She froze and held her breath; she was too scared to move. Mentally, she urged him on. Follow the rock. I’m over there. He must have gotten her mental message, because he turned and flew in the direction of the sound. Kira didn’t have much time. She’d only lobbed the rock a hundred feet. Silently, she scrambled under the bus and pulled the knob, twisting it to release the access panel.

It wouldn’t budge. Biting her lip, she kneeled and tried to push it open. Something was blocking it from inside.

This couldn’t be happening.

It moved.

Foregoing all efforts at being quiet, she shoved, grunting as the door inched forward. Kira peeked into the empty tour bus and saw the broken bench seat that had fallen over and obstructed the panel. As quietly as possible, she slipped inside, closed the panel, and moved the seat back over the door.

The bus was huge—the type with a bathroom and TVs made for traveling cross-country—except without the TV and most of the seats. Kira didn’t delude herself into thinking she could hide here forever. She’d made quite a commotion getting in the bus. Creeper would probably be here any second.

Keeping low to the floor, she moved to the front of the bus and searched for keys. In the ignition, the cup holder—nothing. She only had one option—something she’d learned on the street. Kira pulled off the panel under the steering column and eyed the three wires running into the cylinder. Quickly, she disconnected them and grabbed a piece of metal from one of the broken seats. She began to strip the protective covering over the wires. Sweat poured down her forehead, and her fingers fumbled with the exposed wires.

Now she just had to guess which wires she needed. She touched the black wire to the red one, and the bus lights flicked on. The radio blared country music, and she switched off the radio. Her cover was blown.

A quick peek over the dashboard showed her Creeper on the hood of a car fifty feet in front of her. He grinned in triumph and jumped off.

And charged toward the bus.

Kira ducked and grabbed the other two wires and flicked them together. Pain raced up her arms as they sparked, and she heard the engine rumble to life—then die. Blood pooled in her mouth. Must’ve bitten her lip with the shock. Her hands trembled as she flicked them together again and held them when the bus roared to life. Biting back the pain, she twisted the black wire and the red starter wire together and slid into the driver’s seat.

“Come on, you piece of garbage!” Kira shouted as she shifted the bus into first gear and floored it. The bus roared and barreled forward, taking off the rear bumper of a Buick. Creeper stalled in his tracks when he noticed the bus racing towards him. There was nowhere to go; he was trapped between two towering stacks of metal cars.

Kira screamed and closed her eyes as she hit the zombie full force. She didn’t want to look, not even when she continued to push the pedal to the floor, trying to slam him into the cars and walls in front of her. Only one of them would come out of this alive, and that was going to be her, because he had to be already dead.

The bus plowed through two more cars before crashing into the wall, pinning Creeper between the grill and two tons of cement. The impact threw Kira forward into the steering wheel. Shards of glass, metal, and chunks of plastic rained down on her, and blood streamed from her forehead into her eyes, obscuring her vision. Pain radiated from her stomach and legs.

Where is it?

She had hit Creeper and then driven the bus straight into the wall. She tried to look up, but…there was smoke? Why was there smoke?

Spots swam in front of her, an acrid electrical smell burning her nostrils. She tried to move but was pinned between the steering wheel and seat. Kira coughed and covered her mouth with her dirty t-shirt as more noxious smoke began to choke her.

She twisted again and cried out in pain when a three inch glass shard imbedded itself deeper into her side. She had to get out before she burned alive or, more likely, died from smoke inhalation. Kira reached forward and found the lever to adjust the steering wheel. It moved an inch, just enough for her to slide to the floor. She pulled on the door lever, and it swung partway open.

She squeezed through. Grabbing the wound in her side, Kira turned and ran—but not before she confirmed Creeper was dead. His legs stuck out from under the bus. Definitely not moving.

Kira plodded slowly towards a dark hole in the wall, hoping it was a tunnel that led to freedom or escape. An explosion rocked the cavern as the bus erupted in flames. The force from the blast knocked Kira face first into the dirt and she lay there stunned and disoriented, ears ringing.