DEAD FACTIONS - the Zombie War Narratives - a Novella by Michael Carr Page B

lowers herself and takes cover behind a newspaper stand. Left of the zombies, Corey ducts behind a tree that has some remnants of landscaped shrubbery around it. He looks to determine which of his enemies have the better weapon. Those are the ones to be taken out first. His eye catches movement across the way where Tonya is. He cannot totally see what is happening; the stand she is behind obscures the view. He initially wants to fire a nail at the jeep to get Patrick's attention since he is closer to Tonya, but Patrick is also just out of sight. Besides, even if he could be seen...the jeep is way out of range of the nail gun. So Corey decides to detour the attention away from him so he can get over to her. As he stays low, dodging friendly fire, he shoots at the zombies closest to him.  The zombies respond and move left, away from Tonya's position. Corey stops halfway just behind a food truck. He looks toward Tonya’s direction and while he cannot see her, he hears her cry out. He panics and cannot wait any longer. He runs, fearing he will find a zombie fighting Tonya. Once there, he finds a body crouched over a wiggling Tonya, trying to break free. Corey aims and pulls the trigger on his altered drill assuming it will fire one of the nails from the strip dangling in front, but it doesn't…the battery is dead. Tonya's attacker notices Corey and quickly delivers a blow to the side of his head. Corey drops to the ground stunned and tries to crawl away, but is picked up and tossed in the air, landing on his back. He tries to focus to see his attacker but his vision is temporarily blurred. Now Corey wishes Patrick was not such a follower, but the kid is just doing what he is told.
    "Hey! Asshole! What?  Don't remember me?” The bleared figure is unrecognizable.
    Corey desperately feels around for something he can use as a weapon.
    “Yeah, I'm kinda surprised you came to help your girlfriend out...when you left ME behind! How did you so eloquently put it? Oh, that's right. He's done, we gotta keep moving.”
    Corey does not have to see him now...he knows, “Aaron, look man there was nothing we could do. You were covered with them. Shit, if you would have just kept running and not stopped to fight them, we wouldn't be having this discussion.”
    Aaron kicks Corey in his side. “Shut up! I'M talking, you arrogant asshole. Karma’s a bitch! THIS time I do the infecting and you can’t run away!” Aaron walks toward Tonya.
    The firing continues between humans and zombies.  Corey thinks quickly, “Andrew’s group is going to have to do the work.”
    He gathers himself and staggers over to Aaron to push him away from a battered Tonya lying on the ground.  Corey catapults Aaron into the open, away from the protection of the large newspaper stand. Aaron is shocked by Corey’s power.  He moves to retaliate and his head jerks abruptly to the right...following the blood trail that explodes from the side of his head. Andrew and his gang did their job!
    Corey rushes over to check on Tonya. He looks her over to see if she has been bitten...Tonya is somewhat cognizant and gathers what Corey is doing, “I’m not bitten, just beaten.” She begins to laugh hysterically, “It sounds like a country song doesn't it? (singing) I'm not bitten…I’m just beaten .” she begins to laugh.
    “You have got to stay quiet, we are so close...”
    Tonya searches Corey’s face, “Close? Close to…what?
    Corey looks down at her still lying on the ground, “Close to the Zombies...but the firing has stopped. Let’s get back to the jeep.”
    Tonya’s heart sinks. She was afraid that was what he meant.
    Patrick sits up and is concerned when he sees Corey helping Tonya back to the jeep. Corey makes sure she gets in on the passenger side.
    “What happened?” Patrick checks Tonya out from the backseat.
    “The same shit that happens everyday...we take risks hoping to better our situation. It's not better but it's definitely not our time to