Chapter 15
They continued on until they were well outside the town. The trip was an uneventful, if extremely nerve-wracking drive, after that one attack, for which everyone was very grateful. Mike didn't see a single living creature the entire time.
When they had driven for a few minutes without seeing any more shuffling corpses, Mike slowed the truck to a stop.
"You guys take a minute to stretch your legs and have something to eat. If you need a bathroom break, now is the time. Just don't go alone and holler if you see anything, okay?"
"You got it, Scouter Mike," Martin said.
Mike walked over to Shaun's van. The man was just digging the spare tire and a tire jack out of the back.
"Sorry I snapped at you, Shaun," Mike said, as he walked up. He looked at the van's tire. It was completely shredded.
Shaun looked at him and smiled. "No, you were right to do it. I should have known better. I put everyone at risk."
"Well, no sense dwelling on it now," Mike said. "We're through and everyone is safe." He thought about that for a moment. "Your guys ARE all safe, right?"
Shaun slipped the jack under van and started to lift the vehicle. "Yeah, they're fine. A little rattled, but good otherwise."
"Good. Let's get that tire off and changed."
Steve joined the two men and they had the tire changed very quickly. Martin, Todd and Kyle took watch around the vehicles to ensure nothing caught them unaware."
Shaun was just tightening the last wheel lug when Todd called out a warning. "There is one of the undead coming down the highway toward us."
"How far, Todd?" Mike called back.
"A hundred feet, maybe," Todd said. "It just showed up over a hill or I would have seen it sooner. It's moving pretty fast."
"I think that's our cue," Mike said to his fellow Scouters. "Just leave the old wheel behind."
"That's weird," Todd said.
"What's going on, Todd?" Mike asked.
"The creature. It was coming closer and suddenly changed direction and went into the ditch. It had to have seen us. And the ditch is full of deep water. I can only see its head right now."
"That I've got to see," Mike said. He walked around Shaun's van over to the boy. Sure enough, the undead creature, once a man, was slowly moving through the deep water, only it's head showing.
Martin and Kyle stood watching from their spots looking as baffled as Mike felt.
"That is really odd," Mike said. "These things have been so consistent in the way they behave right up until we hit Citroen. That is, they see us and they attack. Now they are avoiding us. I don't understand. What has changed?"
"I don't know, Scouter Mike," Todd said. "What should we do about this one?"
"If it were a bear or a cougar or a fox, I would say leave it alone. Let it be. But it isn't anything natural. I think we should destroy it so it can't hurt any other unsuspecting person."
Mike looked around. "That reminds me. Where is Ricky?"
"He stayed in the truck. Said his head hurt."
Mike nodded. "I'm sure it does." He looked over at the truck. Ricky was watching through the rear passenger window. Mike waved at the boy.
Ricky opened the truck door. "Yes, Scouter Mike?"
"Ricky, could you bring me the axe, please?"
"Sure thing, Scouter Mike." The boy hopped out of the truck, wincing a little at the impact, and ran around to the back. He opened the canopy and grabbed the axe.
He ran the axe over to Mike. "Here you go Scouter...Hey! What is that thing doing now?"
The undead had changed directions once again. As Ricky took the axe to Mike, it turned away from them and moved toward the field that was separated from the road by the ditch. It climbed up the slimy slope and encountered the barb wire fence pushing at the wire as if unaware of it.
Mike watched, his mouth hanging open a little. He held the axe, forgotten in his right hand.
The creature continued to struggle against the wire, showing no emotion on its ravaged face. It got snagged on some of the barbs and fought harder.
Mike remembered that Ricky was standing beside him. "Ricky, why don't you go back into the truck? I can take care of this."
"Sure thing Scouter Mike. My head still hurts. I think I'll go cover my head for a while so the light doesn't hurt my eyes so much."
Ricky trudged back to the truck. As he did so, the undead creature stopped fighting with the fence and turned back toward the ditch. The fence creaked as it pulled away, leaving large gobbets of rotting flesh behind.
The creature re-entered the water and continued its walk toward town. As it left the Scouts behind, it angled until it was back on the road.
Mike looked down at the axe. Should he follow the thing and dispatch it or get while the getting was good.
He looked over to Steve and Shaun. "You're all done with that wheel, right?"
"Just tightening the lugs. Give me another minute," Shaun said without looking.
That was enough time to rid the world of another monster. Mike followed the creature, the axe held ready.
For the first few steps, the creature paid no attention to Mike whatsoever. Then it stopped and raised its head moving it back and forth for a moment.
Mike gripped his axe and raised it to strike the creature. When it spun around to face him, he was caught flat-footed. He took a step back in surprise and tripped, falling heavily to the ground.
The creature reached down to grab Mike almost before he had hit the ground. Mike desperately scrabbled back, crablike from the monster. It kept coming for him.
Mike tried to twist and get up, but the loose gravel skittered under his feet and he fell again. The creature kept inexorably coming for him.
Mike tried crawling on his hands and knees, the sharp pieces of rock cutting into his hands and knees. He looked wildly around but no one seemed to be paying attention. “Guys, help!”
“Coming, Scouter Mike,” a voice called. It sounded like Ricky, but Mike couldn’t be sure. He kept scrambling for safety, his hands and knees now bleeding.
Sweat was starting to blind Mike and his muscles were cramping. He didn’t stop though. The idea of the shambling horror behind him kept him going.
“You can stop, Scouter Mike,” Ricky said, his voice coming from right beside Mike.
Mike looked up, blinking at the boy. “Huh? What?”
“The creature has turned around again. It’s going back toward town.”
That didn’t make any sense. Mike sat down and wiped the sweat from his eyes. Sure enough, the monster had turned around and was once again walking away from the vehicles and down the road.
“When did it start doing that?” Mike asked.
Ricky shrugged. “I was running toward you to help and it just stopped. If I didn’t know better, I would say it was confused. It turned around and moved away.”
“How closed was it to me?” Mike asked.
“It was actually reaching for you. I think it could have caught you. Then it stopped,” Ricky said.
That made even less sense. Mike wished he could ask someone what the heck was going on.
“Mike, what happened to you?” Shaun asked, running from around a vehicle.
“Bloody creature almost got me!” Mike said.
“Did it sneak up?”
“No. I went to take care of it.” Mike shook his head. “Those things can really move fast. Caught me by surprise.”
“Who was backing you up?”
“I didn’t think I needed anyone,” Mike said. He looked down at his lacerated hands. “I guess I should know better. Maybe practise what I preach.”
Shaun slapped him on the back. “Someone was watching over you. That thing doesn’t seem too interested now.”
“Yeah. And I can’t help but wonder why,” Mike said.