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“Over there to the southwest.” Nova pointed to an area where only a handful of zombies were standing. “We cut through the fence, and we sneak into the property.”
“But right now the zombies are contained. You’re suggesting we set them free?” I asked.
“Not if we’re discreet,” she said, unconcerned. “It the zombies don’t notice us, they won’t notice a small gap in the fence. At least not right away, and then it’s the Loths’ problem to deal with.”
Nova and I crept through the fields with the dogs, and without all the cattle grazing, they had become overgrown and wild, giving us plenty of cover as we made our way closer to the buildings.
Already, the cacophony of sounds was overwhelming. Somehow the cows mooing had travelled the farthest, but they were definitely outnumbered by zombies. Their death groans and grumbles were coming from everywhere, piled on top of each other.
As we got closer, I realized I hadn’t been exactly correct about the ranch looking the same as it once had. It was all still standing, sure, but all the buildings had been redecorated in a very post-apocalyptic style. Rusted sheet metal covered broken windows. Barbwire ran around the roofs. Green and red blood was splattered across walls, and old bones were displayed ornamentally.
The sun had fallen quickly, and it was dark by the time we finally reached the outer fence where the zombies weren’t gathered. Two of them were standing motionless and silent, as if asleep on their feet.
Nova had brought heavy-duty wire cutters, along with her gloves, bow, and arrows. She cut through the wire fencing, and carefully pulled it back enough that Frost, Sable, and I could slip through. Once we did, she followed suit, and then bent the fence back to hide the gap as best she could.
We crept slowly near the ground as soundlessly as possible. One of the zombies twitched, but neither of them moved for us. From what I read in Sage’s journal, it seemed like zombies mostly hunted by scent and by sound. With the sheer intensity of the stench, I doubt they could even get a whiff of Nova or me, even if we were standing right in front of them.
When we reached the interior fence, Nova once again cut through it, and we slipped inside. We were officially on the ranch, but there were dozens of buildings spread out across many acres.
“Do you know where they keep the people?” I asked Nova quietly.
She shook her head. “I never went beyond the general store near the entrance. We’ll have to make our way through.”
“Should we split up so we can cover more ground?” I asked, since I wanted to get Harlow and get the hell off this creepy, wretched ranch as soon as possible.
“That sounds good, but how will I know if I’ve found her?” Nova asked.
“Um, she’s fourteen, and she’s barely over five feet tall, I think. Maybe she’s grown, though. Last time I saw her, her blonde hair was long and kinda wavy, and she’s got blue eyes and pale skin,” I explained as best I could. “But she might look different now. Maybe just set free any person you find captive, and then ask them if they’re Harlow or if they know where she is.”
“Yeah, that’ll work. If you find her first, come back here, and if I find her, I’ll come here. This –” She motioned to a wreath made out of human skulls nailed up to a fence post “– is our meeting spot.”
“Okay.” I took a deep breath. “Good luck.”
She went north, with Frost and Sable following her, and I went west alone. As I walked past buildings, I always peered inside, searching for any sign of Harlow.
The first two contained only cattle and other traditional livestock, while the next was filled to capacity with zombies. They had zombies surrounding the property, and they had a horde inside a barn. What exactly was their plan with all these zombies?
As I walked, staying close to the buildings and hiding in shadows, I started to smell smoke. It was subtle at first, but then overwhelming. In the darkness, I could see the plumes of smoke filling the sky, and then I heard someone screaming.
23
Harlow
Thirty Five Days Ago
My cheek was resting against the cold ground, and the crescent moon above was lighting the road in front of me. The taillights of the truck glowed red, casting everything in an ominous light.
Something had caused the military truck to flip over and crash, and I had been thrown from the back and landed in a grassy embankment. I was alive, but I’d twisted my ankle, so I couldn’t move very fast.
“Harlow!” Kimber and Lazlo were yelling my name, and I slowly sat up.
They found me quickly, but zombies weren’t far behind. They never were anymore.
A week ago, twelve of us had been evacuated from the Blaine County Quarantine Zone, and we’d been on the move ever since in the military truck. Lazlo and I were already family before we left, and I had grown closer with Kimber as we travelled.
Truthfully, I had been crushing on her for months. She was this beautiful, bold sixteen-year-old girl who dyed her short hair red with a beet juice concoction, did her own tattoos in intricate designs down her arm, and had her septum pierced. Even when we were on the run, she put on her handcrafted eyeliner every day, and she never, ever stopped making me happy.
Now was not the time to act on any of those feelings, and I tried to stuff them down as soon as we’d evacuated. But that didn’t mean that I wasn’t grateful that she was here with me.
