“Well… fuck.” Steve said, his expression grim as a zombie spotted them and released a bone chilling scream that was quickly joined by a dozen or so others before they started running towards the Bronco. “Hold on, this is going to be rough.”
Steve quickly shifted into reverse and floored it. The Bronco spun and Destiny was pushed over with the momentum as he sped backwards and turned them around to face away from the zombies. The road before them was clear.
“Fuck off, shit heads!” Adamson hollered towards the back window as Steve put the Bronco into gear and sped off, quickly putting distance between them and the zombies.
“Was that necessary?” Butler asked quietly.
“Sure was! Felt good, too.” Adamson replied as he turned back to face forwards in his seat.
“Do you have somewhere you want us to take you, Destiny?” Steve asked as he maneuvered through the neighborhood streets.
“Yeah, if it’s not out of the way… Peyton Industries on Highway 74 in the Ortegas.”
“Ohh, I’ve always wanted to check that place out.” Butler said, his tone almost giddy.
“Sure, it’s on our way.” Steve replied, rolling his eyes out Butler’s comment. “Not too far from Highway 74 either.”
Destiny relaxed in her seat with a grateful smile, expecting to be back with her loved ones soon. It took them only an hour to get out of town and onto the highway. After the blocked roads and detours of the town, the group had expected similar poor road conditions, but surprisingly the road was mostly clear. Only a few vehicles blocking one side of the road or the other. They reached the road up to the front gate of Peyton Industries in what felt like record time, and with probably an hour or two of daylight to spare. Excitement zinged through Destiny’s veins, but when the gate came into view it was quickly replaced by horror.
The gate stood silent and open, the guard shack windows shattered and the barrier arm broken into pieces about the ground. The area around the entrance and along the walls was singed black, evidence of a recent fire. Bodies littered the road before them, and through the gate at least a hundred zombies ambling aimlessly near the building. Even from this distance they could see the damage to the building was extreme – the zombies had made it inside.
Destiny felt her heart start to race. Her son, Jacob, had been in there with her sister, brother-in-law, and niece and nephew. Were they safe still below grounds? Did they escape? Were they… dead? That last thought sent a spike of grief through her and tears pooled in her eyes as a soft sob escaped her lips.
“No, oh my god, NO!” Destiny’s wail filled the Bronco before she covered her eyes and leaned forward, rocking herself as the tears flowed and dripped onto her lap.
After a few moments of silence Steve reached over and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, so very sorry. We don’t know if everyone is… gone. They could have made it. Do you know where they would go from here?”
Maybe… maybe they made it. A small kernel of hope nestled into Destiny’s chest. Where would they go? With cell networks down or spotty, Andrea would have realized she’d need to leave a message for Destiny somewhere. Maybe at Andrea’s house? Yes! She’d have tried to get there; it was away from town enough that it might not have been over run. Their nearest neighbor was a few minutes’ drive away. They could be there still…
“I think I know where they might go.” Destiny said, her voice growing stronger as the tears began to dry.
“Tell me where to go.”
Alice I. Lunsford 