Page 50 of Night of the Living Manny
“Keep going!” Liam barked, and he glanced over in a panic. Liam pushed his leg down, and he mowed the man over, thumping across the body.
“Oh God. God, I just—”
“It’s too late for them. Their brains are diseased. Can you hear me?”
“I can’t…. There’s no helping them?” Even as he asked, he was burning down Main Street, hoping they had enough of everything, because they weren’t stopping again.
“Not now. There’s a good chance, when I get the antidote done, but once you’re that far gone….”
“What did they think this was gonna do?” His voice rose, and Brenden looked into the rearview, seeing the kids’ white faces. “Sorry. So back to the cabin?” He was here for the kids. He had to keep all his shits to help them.
“Back to the cabin. The cabin will be safe. You’ll park the Hummer in the garage and I’ll clean it, like before.”
“What was that nasty thing, Daddy?” Britt sounded like she couldn’t quite breathe.
“A sick thing, baby. I’m sorry you had to see that, but it’s like a sick animal now.”
“Like rabies?” she asked.
“Very much,” Liam said seriously.
“Ew. I want to go home.”
“We’re going to the cabin and snuggle.” Brenden said it firmly, knowing his surety would help Britt feel like they had a plan. “We have books to read and games and stuff.” They would have to ration the generator, but that was okay.
“And there’s a whole bunch of wood for the oven too.” Liam reached back and squeezed Britt’s hand.
“Can we make pizzas?”
“Maybe.” Brenden laughed. “We’ll have to see what we got at the store.”
“Candy,” Susanna deadpanned. “Lots of candy.”
“Candy, soup, all the summer sausage.” Liam grinned back at the kids.
“Cheese?” Britt looked better. Less pale.
“I got a bunch of those cheese sticks you like, hon.” Susanna was still pretty stressed.
“At least they’re not fast zombies, Dad.”
Britt started crying again, and Susanna laughed.
“Peter.” Liam tried to give Peter a stern look, but from what Brenden could see, it failed. “Don’t scare your sister.”
“She’ll be okay. She just needs to suck it up.” Susanna’s voice was cold as ice.
“Hey.” Liam snapped it out. “Everyone just stop it. That was awful, and I’m sorry. I’ll explain a little when we get to the cabin, but let’s not be mean to each other.”
Britt was really crying again, the sound muffled in Moose’s fur.
God. Brenden just gunned it out of town, wanting to get away from all the…. Peter was right. They were very zombie.
They were very zombie, and he was very fucking wigged out.
Brenden wanted to scream at Liam a little. He also wanted to hug the man. Liam reached out, touched his leg. Right, like that helped.
Well, okay. It helped a little. He put one hand over Liam’s for a moment before he had to use both hands to steer again. Contact to show he wasn’t alone.
