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The baby drew nearer. Frankie shut her eyes. Her baby's voice changed
again. "Mommy?" It sounded like Danny. From behind her, Martin said,
"Frankie, wake up."
Pain. Then-darkness and more pain.
"Daddy?"
A voice. Small and afraid. Disembodied.
"D-Daddy? Dad?"
Urgent. Louder.
"Dad. The monster people are coming! Get up!"
Panic. The voice was Danny's.
"Daddy! Please, Daddy, you've got to wake up. Please?"
It all came rushing back to him-the rescue, the pursuit, the motorcycle
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crashing in front of them on purpose, and then-nothing.
Jim opened his eyes and saw red. There was no sign of Danny, or any of
their companions. In fact, there was no sign of anything. He couldn't
see. It was as if a scarlet curtain had been drawn over the world.
"Daddy, what's wrong?"
"I-I'm blind ..."
A guard shack-the kind used at parking garages. He remembered that.
"They're here. Come on!"
He felt Danny tugging at his arm, heard the trembling in his voice. From
somewhere to his left came a groan. Martin? De Santos? Frankie?
He smelled gas.
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Then he smelled them.
Zombies.
"Danny? It's okay. I'm awake. I just can't see."
"You're hurt, Daddy. You've got blood in your eyes."
The pain stabbed again. Red. The world was red. Hesitantly, Jim touched
his face and forehead. They were sticky. He probed at his scalp and
winced at the sudden flash of agony.
"Danny, where are the others?"
There was no response.
"Danny?"
Jim heard harsh, ragged breathing and realized that it was coming from
his son. Danny's voice was barely a whisper.
"Daddy, they're here ..."
"Hey kid, want a nice piece of candy?" a zombie growled.
Jim heard the door wrenched open and then Danny shrieked.
"DADDY!"
"Come here, you little fuck!"
Jim's paralysis snapped. He wiped the blood from his eyes-seeing
again-and screamed with rage as a pair of mottled arms dragged Danny
from the backseat. His son struggled, kicking his legs and beating at
the zombie with his fists. Another pair of leathery hands grappled with
Danny's seatbelt release.
Jim grabbed the cold hand clutching his son's arm. The zombie's grip was
like a vice. Jim pried at the fingers, tugging hard as adrenalin coursed
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through his veins. The finger tore loose and the creature laughed. Jim
tossed the severed digit aside.
Desperate, he looked for the hatchet. The SUV's interior was a mess.
Maps and soda cans, Styrofoam coffee
115 cups and empty bullet casings, cigarette butts and shattered
glass-all of it knocked loose and scattered on impact. Behind him,
Frankie lay unmoving, buried beneath a pile of blankets, tennis rackets,
and a cooler. In the front seat, Don sat slumped over the wheel, a white
airbag enveloping him. A thin trickle of blood leaked from his gaping
mouth. His eyes were shut. And Martin-
Martin was gone. The airbag had deployed, but there was no sign of the
old man. Instead, there was a hole in the windshield; the edges matted
with blood, hair, and pieces of pink, glistening flesh.
"Daddy, help me!"
Jim punched uselessly at the creature's face.
"Get off him! Get your god-damned hands off my son!"
He beat at the zombies, but could gain no leverage in the cramped
backseat. His pulse throbbed as Danny's seatbelt came undone. The
zombies dragged Danny out.
"No!"
"Yes!"
They jerked Danny into the darkness. The little boy's screams became one
long, drawn out wail as the larger zombie's rotten mouth descended upon
him. Frantically, Jim grabbed Danny's legs and pulled him backward. The
zombies tugged harder.
"What's your fucking problem, pal? Let the kid go. He's just an
appetizer. You can be the main course."
Jim was beyond words, beyond thought. The pain in his head and shoulder
were forgotten. Martin was forgotten. Frankie and De Santos were
forgotten. His entire world consisted of his son and the two undead
attackers. Growling, he braced his feet against the console and pulled
harder. The smaller zombie, the one who had
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undone the seatbelt, lost its grip, and Danny slid another inch toward Jim.
"Fuck this," it grunted. "Just kill the little shit so we can get to the
adult. More meat on him anyway."
Nodding in agreement, the other creature's mouth fell upon Danny again.
"DAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"
"Leave him alone, you son of a bitch!"
The zombie's teeth ripped through Danny's shirt, right between his neck
and shoulder. The powerful jaws clenched, preparing to bite through the
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skin, and then-
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