The Rule of Three

— 17 —

Dee made it across town without incident, weaving in and out of the vehicles that clogged the road. Everywhere they looked there was evidence of violent confrontations. Blood and broken glass. She saw one car with the doors peeled off like a tin of sardines.

What the hell did that?

Dee drove them to a hunting shop she knew, but they could see it had been looted. Giving up on finding any new guns, they drove on, heading for one of the bridges crossing the river. As they drew near, she could see it was blocked. Vehicles were strewn everywhere, tangled in a bottleneck. Some were burnt out.

“We’ll have to try the next bridge down,” Dee said.

“They’ll all be the same,” Mike said sullenly.

Dee shook her head in annoyance. “We have to try though.”

“What about Narrows Bridge, out by the airport?” asked Boss.

“Yeah, all right. Less traffic. Could be a winner,” agreed Dee.

Reversing the car, Dee looked in the rearview mirror, and mouthed Thank you to Boss.

The going was slow, as all the roads were nearly impassable. She had to backtrack several times and try different routes, but finally they made it out of Hamilton. Speeding up as much as she dared, Dee couldn’t help thinking that the Variants would be out on the hunt in another couple of hours.

If the roads carry on like this, we’re going to have to find somewhere to hole up for the night.

The Narrows Golf Course shimmered into view as Dee swerved around another abandoned vehicle. She slowed, knowing the bridge was just around the corner, and crossed her fingers for some luck. Her heart sank. Just like the others, the bridge was clogged.

Damn it!

Several cars were pressed against each other, like a police roadblock. Looking into the jumbled mess, she could see a small gap, perhaps just wide enough to squeeze the car through.

“What do you think, guys?”

“We could shunt them over a bit,” Mike said. “Do you want me to drive?”

“I got it.”

“Are you sure?”

Dee glared at Matt. “Yes. Just keep an eye on your side.”

“Fine. I was only offering.”

Dee let out a breath to calm her anger and inched the car forwards, scraping both fenders. The metallic sound echoed around the car. She clenched her jaw and pressed the accelerator down, giving the car more gas.

Easy, easy does it.

Dee checked the wing mirrors in turn, checking her progress. She heard the thump a fraction before Vicki and Mike screamed. Looking up, she saw a Variant perched on the roof of a nearby car. It stared at them with its reptilian yellow eyes. Globs of saliva drooled from its mouth.

Dee felt her heart drop like she was on a rollercoaster. She grabbed the gear stick, jammed the car into reverse and slammed the accelerator down, spinning the tyres.

The Variant shrieked and leapt onto the hood of her car. Several screeches answered its call. Dee swung the steering wheel hard from side to side, trying to remove the Variant, but it dug its claw-like digits into the hood.

One arm drew back and smashed through the windscreen, spearing a stunned Mike right through the skull. Vicki’s screams jumped several octaves.

Boss pounded Dee’s shoulder. “Down there! Go right, through the golf course!”

She didn’t have time to answer. Swinging the steering wheel hard right, the car whipped back and went down the embankment. They rolled once before righting and, wheels spinning in the soft earth, Dee put it into drive and tore away from the screeching Variants.

The roll had crushed the Variant that had speared Mike, whose lifeless body flopped around and leaned onto Dee.

“Boss, get him off me!” she shouted.

Boss pushed Mike against the passenger door with his feet.

Dee kept the accelerator pressed against the floor, the car fish-tailing over the grass like they were competing in a rally. She dodged trees and shrubs and even one overturned golf cart with clubs scattered next to it.

Tearing over the pristine greens, she looked around frantically for an escape route.

“Over there!” Boss shouted, pointing to a large motorboat moored at a pier. “Let’s see if these bastards can swim.”

Dee turned her head in the direction he was pointing and nodded. She spun the wheel and swung the car towards the boat. As she checked in the rearview mirror, she spotted dozens more Variants joining the hunt. Some ran on all fours while others ran upright, more human-like. Others still bounced along, shrieking. The car left the ground and Dee gasped as it smashed into a sand trap. Her chest slammed into the steering wheel, the air whooshing out of her lungs. Grunting with pain, she looked back at the Variants. She was stunned at their speed and agility.

“Run,” Dee gasped. Boss tossed her pack, the katana strapped to the webbing. She caught it and they sprinted for the boat.

“Hurry.”

The Variants screeched in unison as they ran. Dee stole a glance back to check if Boss and Vicki were following.

Over the crest of the hill, several Variants were moving towards them, fast. She slowed, letting Boss pass her.

Reaching the boat, Boss scrambled to start the engine. “Get in,” he shouted. His eyes went wide. “Vicki! No!”

Dee spun and searched out the other woman. Vicki stood at the end of the jetty, arms outstretched like Christ the Redeemer. She turned her head back towards Dee and looked into her eyes. And in that moment, Dee saw Vicki’s anguish over Mike’s death. She had given up. This was her sacrifice. Her heaven-entering deed. For them to survive. To live on.

Dee looked in horror as the leading Variants slammed into Vicki, tearing and fighting over her flesh.

“Dee! Come on!” Boss screamed.

Scrambling and slipping on the jetty, she covered the last few metres and with a swish of her katana, cut the bowline and jumped in.

Boss gunned the engine and the boat surged out into the river.

A lone Variant bolted from the pack. With an awe-inspiring leap, it sailed through the air towards the fleeing survivors.

Dee pivoted and, with all the anger and frustration that had eaten away at her for the past fifteen days being cooped up in that stinking basement, she let out a screaming war cry, bringing her katana up in a slashing arc.

The Variant twisted in mid-air in an attempt to avoid the swinging steel, but Dee’s blow cut deep into its torso, nearly severing it in two. With a sickening thud, it landed quivering in a heap on the boat deck.

Disgusted, Dee kicked it into the river.

Boss stared at her. “You’re getting good with that.”

Dee shrugged her shoulders and looked back to the river bank where the other Variants had gathered in a pack, screeching. They were jumping up and down but did not enter the water. She could see more of them on the bridge.

“Looks like we can only go that way, upriver towards Cambridge,” Dee said pointing to the town south of Hamilton.

Boss nodded in agreement. “Okay.”

Dee sat down in the seat next to him as he moved the boat into the current and away from the beasts. Taking a moment to calm herself, she looked around the largish boat and saw that it was kitted out for pleasure cruising. Huh? What people spend their money on. She shook her head.

Boss looked over at her, a frown creasing his forehead. “You know what, Dee?”

“What Boss?”

“You’re not what I was expecting.”

“Well, as they say, you have to expect the unexpected.”

“Who’s they?”

Even amongst all the horror they had witnessed over the past couple of weeks, Dee found herself smiling at Boss, shaking her head in amusement.

Where are you, Jack?