he didn’t believe it. He took the rifles to Brett and Josh, who were overjoyed with their new toys, and went back into the living room.
There wasn’t anything in the apartment they couldn’t find back in the Tesco market, but he understood Tana needed a few moments alone. Their lives had all been turned upside down, and she was coping as best she could. He flopped down on the sofa, let his head drop back, and closed his eyes. Despite the cold, he began to drift off to sleep.
The wondrous images that accompanied falling slumber began to swirl behind his eyelids. For a moment, he was in his kitchen back in Wilmington, the sun pouring through the big window over the sink, those little specks of dust floating in the rays. At the table, Maddy dumped Froot Loops into a bowl, and he was about to tell her, “Not too much,” when Tana called, startling him awake.
“Stu! Come in here! Quick!”
He stood up, blinking in the darkness. No sunshine. No warmth. No Maddy. He’d dropped his flashlight and accidentally kicked it, so he stumbled after it. “Are you all right?” he asked, hurrying back to her bedroom.
Her cheeks were wet with tears, but she beamed, as did his two young students.
“You’re not gonna believe this, Mr. McCarthy,” Brett said.
Tana held up a small transistor radio. “Listen.”
Most of what he heard was static, but soon he was able to make out voices. Stu took a long, shaky breath and hoped his galloping heart would calm before he had a coronary.
Tana adjusted the dial, and the voices dissolved into static, followed by dead air. “Shit!”
“Let me.” Stu took the radio and moved the dial up slowly, straining to hear any hint of a signal.
Suddenly, a male voice came in loud and clear. “This is Zombie Radio X, if anyone’s left out there. Looking for sanctuary? Survivors’ Sanctuary sets sail on February fourteenth. February fourteenth, Saint Valentine’s Day. How’s that for easy to remember?”
A woman’s voice chimed in. “Just like one of those stupid horror flicks? Ragers everywhere. Never imagined we’d be living it for real. But in the bleedin’ dark? Southampton Cruise Terminal. Be there or be dead. We’re setting sail for the U.S. of A. to see how our Yankee friends are faring.”
The male voice broke in, “If there’s anyone listening, hang in there. It’s only a few more weeks. We cannot tell you our current location. The marauders are always listening. But you’ll know us when you see us at Sanctuary. We’ll be the ones with a bloody pulse. Stay tuned and stay alive. We’ll be on again in a few hours. In the meantime, this one goes out to our not-quite-alive friends.”
The station faded into the thumping opening of Joy Division’s Dead Souls .
“Great sense of humor,” Tana said caustically.
“Ragers. That sounds cool,” Brett said.
“You would say that, you knob,” Josh said, shoving his friend.
“Dork,” Brett answered, to which Josh replied, “Pussy.”
“Fag.” Both boys burst in to laughter.
“Shut the hell up. Please .” Stu tried unsuccessfully to keep a straight face. He could barely contain his excitement. He turned to Tana. “Does this mean we have a way home?”
“That’s exactly what it means,” Josh interrupted.
Tana shook her head. “Wait. It sounds a bit far-fetched.”
“It does,” Stu agreed. “But this may be my only chance to get back to my daughter.”
“Stu, the Southhampton Terminal is over one hundred kilometers from here, at least. What about the crazies? And the stalled cars on the roads? What makes you think you can make it there in one piece?”
“I have to try.”
Tana frowned. “But what happens if you do make it back to the States, and things there are worse there?”
Stu shook his head. “Worse? Worse than what, Tana? I’m willing to take my chances.”
Tana pushed past him and stormed down the hallway.
Stu snatched up the messenger bag full of ammo, threw it over his shoulder, and
There wasn’t anything in the apartment they couldn’t find back in the Tesco market, but he understood Tana needed a few moments alone. Their lives had all been turned upside down, and she was coping as best she could. He flopped down on the sofa, let his head drop back, and closed his eyes. Despite the cold, he began to drift off to sleep.
The wondrous images that accompanied falling slumber began to swirl behind his eyelids. For a moment, he was in his kitchen back in Wilmington, the sun pouring through the big window over the sink, those little specks of dust floating in the rays. At the table, Maddy dumped Froot Loops into a bowl, and he was about to tell her, “Not too much,” when Tana called, startling him awake.
“Stu! Come in here! Quick!”
He stood up, blinking in the darkness. No sunshine. No warmth. No Maddy. He’d dropped his flashlight and accidentally kicked it, so he stumbled after it. “Are you all right?” he asked, hurrying back to her bedroom.
Her cheeks were wet with tears, but she beamed, as did his two young students.
“You’re not gonna believe this, Mr. McCarthy,” Brett said.
Tana held up a small transistor radio. “Listen.”
Most of what he heard was static, but soon he was able to make out voices. Stu took a long, shaky breath and hoped his galloping heart would calm before he had a coronary.
Tana adjusted the dial, and the voices dissolved into static, followed by dead air. “Shit!”
“Let me.” Stu took the radio and moved the dial up slowly, straining to hear any hint of a signal.
Suddenly, a male voice came in loud and clear. “This is Zombie Radio X, if anyone’s left out there. Looking for sanctuary? Survivors’ Sanctuary sets sail on February fourteenth. February fourteenth, Saint Valentine’s Day. How’s that for easy to remember?”
A woman’s voice chimed in. “Just like one of those stupid horror flicks? Ragers everywhere. Never imagined we’d be living it for real. But in the bleedin’ dark? Southampton Cruise Terminal. Be there or be dead. We’re setting sail for the U.S. of A. to see how our Yankee friends are faring.”
The male voice broke in, “If there’s anyone listening, hang in there. It’s only a few more weeks. We cannot tell you our current location. The marauders are always listening. But you’ll know us when you see us at Sanctuary. We’ll be the ones with a bloody pulse. Stay tuned and stay alive. We’ll be on again in a few hours. In the meantime, this one goes out to our not-quite-alive friends.”
The station faded into the thumping opening of Joy Division’s Dead Souls .
“Great sense of humor,” Tana said caustically.
“Ragers. That sounds cool,” Brett said.
“You would say that, you knob,” Josh said, shoving his friend.
“Dork,” Brett answered, to which Josh replied, “Pussy.”
“Fag.” Both boys burst in to laughter.
“Shut the hell up. Please .” Stu tried unsuccessfully to keep a straight face. He could barely contain his excitement. He turned to Tana. “Does this mean we have a way home?”
“That’s exactly what it means,” Josh interrupted.
Tana shook her head. “Wait. It sounds a bit far-fetched.”
“It does,” Stu agreed. “But this may be my only chance to get back to my daughter.”
“Stu, the Southhampton Terminal is over one hundred kilometers from here, at least. What about the crazies? And the stalled cars on the roads? What makes you think you can make it there in one piece?”
“I have to try.”
Tana frowned. “But what happens if you do make it back to the States, and things there are worse there?”
Stu shook his head. “Worse? Worse than what, Tana? I’m willing to take my chances.”
Tana pushed past him and stormed down the hallway.
Stu snatched up the messenger bag full of ammo, threw it over his shoulder, and
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