Mark Clodi - Discovery

“Oh yeah? I don't think that even you could have arranged that.” Max said to his dead wife.

“Don't rule out my determination buster. Father O'Maly said you would find something that would bring you around someday.”

“You spoke to Father O'Maly about my faith?”

“You didn't think we just talked about our brownie recipes at all those bake sales did you?” Sarah snorted in amusement, “It was always the women, and that one guy Bob, lamenting about how their spouses didn't seem to 'get' it. That their partners needed to do more than pay lip service to the Lord. Look at you now. You are about to swear to follow his laws if he will just get you out of this mess alive. Maybe if you had been more faithful to begin with this wouldn't have happened.”

“Geez. And this is coming from a dead woman who was killed by Satan's zombies?”

“I died faithful. I am in heaven awaiting you, don't knock the Lord's ways.”

“We can talk about it when I get there I guess.”

“If you get here.”

“Touché. Why can't I even win a fight with you now. I mean you are dead and all. This whole conversation is in my mind…”

“Am I? You better thank God for seeing you through this. And don't forget your promise.”

Max thought about the promise he had made his dying wife, that he would raise the kids in religion, sighing he said, “Yeah about that…”

“You promised!”

“I will follow through as best I can. I am just really sorry we left you there.”

“You left me there? Well I guess you couldn't take me with you…”

“Well….you sort of turned into a zombie and tried to kill me.”

“Did you…did you finish me off? I wouldn't want to be running around eating people.”

“Sorry…I didn't get the chance, you kind of pushed me out of the attic. We barely got the access closed before you got down.”

“I hope the kids didn't see.”

“No, they were all…you know I am having problems breathing..Not feeling so good.”

“Max! Max!” Sarah's voice called after him as he faded into blackness.

“Max! Max! Are you watching them? Stay focused buddy!” came Bill's voice.

“Sorry.” Max mumbled. Looking towards Bill's pointing arm. A couple of zombies were wandering down the pier where he now stood, they were not yet close to the car the group had pulled across the dock as a barricade.

Once the bombardment had finally ended the remaining members of the group Max, Bill, Stewart, Javier, Ruben and Chen had managed to get to the marina, where they were hoping to sail a boat out of the harbor and into Lake Michigan. Their retreat was still hazy in Max's mind, he knew they had taken the train tracks behind the Art Institute up a few blocks to get away from the artillery shells that never seemed to end. The tracks were set lower than the surrounding streets and through luck or fate none of the shells had fallen on them. The ones that burst to the sides sprayed them with dust and debris and in one memorable instance had shaken all of them from their feet as well. After taking a set of concrete stairs back to street level they had found a white SUV with most of its windows shot out, just waiting for them with the keys in the ignition. A pack of zombies had gathered around the vehicle and getting through that with their two wounded, Chen and Stewart, had been harrowing. Stewart had finally seemed to snap out of her constant dazed state when one of the zombies had grabbed her legs and started to pull her under the waiting car. As soon as everyone was loaded up Bill had outdistanced the pack of mostly slow zombies and brought them to the marina. Now Max and a barely coherent Stewart were watching the car they had parked across the pier with Chen's assistance while Bill, Javier and Ruben went from boat to boat trying to find one with a motor they could start.

The city was engulfed in a huge dust cloud that was barely breaking up in the constant wind from the lake, the sound of a helicopter could be heard, but none of them could see it.

“Hey, I brought a first aid kit I found on the boat, let's get you guys cleaned up.” said Bill, “Everyone keep an eye peeled on the car, if anything gets around it we'll go deal with it. Try not to shoot, I don't want to draw more of them.”

Chen and Stewart were standing near a guardrail at the beginning of one of the docks, both were leaning heavily against it and there was blood splattered at their feet.

Pointing at the blood, Max said, “Chen I think you are bleeding.”

“Shit.”

Max pulled open the man's trousers where Ruben had ripped them open and looked at his wound. The bandage was bright red and dripping. “Shit. We need more bandages. I don't know if the first aid has any big enough for a gunshot wound.”

Stewart shook her head, “I left my first aid kit In my pack. I haven't seen my pack since before we went into the building.” She hesitated a moment, then called out, “Hey Ruben!”

“No luck yet, keep your britches on!” the old man yelled back.

“No, is there another first aid kit, I don't think the one Bill brought will be enough.”

“Oh, yeah, hold on a second.” Ruben disappeared into the boat and came back up with a larger bundle than Bill had, the orange duffel bag had a bright red cross circled in white printed on it

“Yeah that should help keep me and Chen from bleeding to death.”

“You too?” Max asked, he hadn't noticed any bleeding wounds on her when they approached. Stewart's head had long since stopped bleeding, it did need to be cleaned, like Max the woman looked like she was made of dirt instead of flesh and blood.

“Yeah, my legs are cut up.”

Fear seized Max's heart in an icy grip, “Stewart…did they bite you?”

Stewart looked away, “Hell if I know. I haven't had a chance to look yet.”

“Here. Catch!” Ruben said from the boat. Then threw the duffel bag to Bill, who caught it and opened it up.

“Calm down Max. Just stay steady here. We can't do anything yet, but look the cuts over and see.” said Bill, “At least there is plenty of stuff in this kit.”

“Hey Max, catch this.” Ruben said, then tossed Max a bright orange case about the size of a bundle of copier paper. Max almost fumbled it into the water, but managed to knock it to the dock with his last grab. The box spilled open to reveal a flare gun with six flares. “Good catch.” Ruben said with some sarcasm, “When you see the helicopter fire off a flare, maybe they will notice and come pick us up.”

“Oh, uh, sure Ruben. Stewart get your pants off.”

“I'll handle it Max. You watch for zombies sneaking around the SUV and the helicopter.” said Bill, pulling out his knife to cut down the legs of Stewart's pants.

“Geez Bill, you are a total cock blocker, I think Max had other plans.”

Bill laughed, “Boots too.”

Max turned away and scanned the sky for the helicopter, which they could still hear, but not yet see in the dust cloud. He kept stealing covert glances Stewart's way as Bill inspected her wounds.

“Looks like cuts to me, except this one. That could be a bite. I am no expert. It looks like you grazed your foot there too.”

“Yeah I felt that one too, but I thought I just got my boot. I was more worried about shooting the zombies and not shooting out our tires at the time.”

“It was a close call.”

“Does it look like a bite? I can't tell.” Stewart said.

“I just don't know. I think you will be okay, even if it were a bite it had to come through your fatigues and I doubt it got infected. I think you will be okay. Let's get you bandaged up.”

“And me. Don't forget about me bleeding to death here.” said Chen from one side.