Resurrection: A Zombie Novel, - [ereader manga .TXT] 📗

Parker could hardly move after Hughes cut his ropes. And he could hardly believe it when Hughes told him he wasn’t going to be shot, stabbed, or hurled over the cliff. Parker deserved any and even all those fates, but by the grace of God, fate, and Annie Starling, he was given another life.

He should have died in that room. He had survived the worst pathogen ever to strike his species. It obliterated everything but the body. As far as Parker knew, he and Annie were the only ones who had ever come back.

He owed her his life. They all did. Not just because of her blood, but because of her decency. She had saved him not only from the disease, but from the cliff.

Hughes told him the plan. He’d agree to any plan at this point—not that Hughes had asked his opinion.

They were going to Georgia. By land. To find doctors.

It made sense, but Jesus. The odds of survival didn’t look good. His odds of surviving if he did not go, however, were worse. The biggest reason he’d go with them, however, aside from the fact that Hughes didn’t give him a choice, was because he wouldn’t leave Annie.

They had a faint flickering chance of making it, that the Center for Disease Control was still there, that doctors could take blood from Annie Starling and make a vaccine. And didn’t Annie say she was from next door in South Carolina? The girl was practically going home.

“You sorry?” Hughes said.

“More than you’ll ever know,” Parker said.

“You need to demonstrate that to the others.”

“I know.”

“They’re waiting for you outside.”

“I have no idea what to say. What could I possibly say?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got it all scripted out.”

Parker blinked at him.

“Think of it,” Hughes said, “as a reinitiation.”

Parker tried to stand, but his back gave out. So did his legs. He was broken. “I need some help.”

Hughes set down the butcher knife, bent over, and all but pulled Parker up on his feet. Damn, that man was strong. He was the last person Parker ever wanted to cross.

He leaned on Hughes as they made their way down the stairs and through the wretched living room.

Annie and Kyle were waiting for him outside, as Hughes had said. For a moment Parker expected to see Frank. For the briefest of instants he had forgotten, and he felt lacerated when he remembered. He could still faintly taste Frank’s blood in his mouth. It would take Parker a long time indeed to ever feel healthy and clean. He wasn’t sure he ever would.

Annie looked nervous. Kyle just stood there, molten with hatred. Parker could not meet his eyes.

The front lawn was an expanding graveyard. The original two corpses still lay there, plus a third corpse, the body of the thing that had bitten him.

Hughes told Parker to stand next to the corpses, close enough that he could smell them. The others kept their distance.

“Hi,” Parker said.

Annie said hi and looked embarrassed, though Parker had no idea why. Kyle said nothing.

“I don’t know what to say,” Parker said lamely. What could a person say after all that?

“My man,” Hughes said. “I told you I’ve got this all scripted.”

“You could start with Kyle, I’m sorry,” Kyle said.

“Okay,” Parker said. “I’m sorry. Honest to God, Kyle, I’m sorry. I’m even more sorry about Frank.”

“We all are,” Annie said. “It’s our fault, not yours.”

“Annie,” Kyle said.

“Later,” Hughes said. “Right now, you,” he said to Parker, “are going to take a vow. I’ve already prepared it. You get no say in what’s in it.”

Parker swallowed. “Okay.”

Hughes didn’t say you will accept this or die because he didn’t have to. Parker was in no position to argue. The others had the right to dictate terms. Besides, he was standing next to three corpses. Hughes no doubt chose that location on purpose. It made an impression. It would have made even more of an impression if Frank’s body were there too. They were going to bury him, right? They couldn’t just leave him at the bottom of the cliff where Parker deserved to be.

“Raise your right hand,” Hughes said.

Parker raised his right hand.

“I’d make you put your hand on a Bible,” Hughes said, “but we don’t have one. Repeat after me.”

Parker straightened up. This was serious.

“I, Jonathan Anthony Parker,” Hughes said.

“I, Jonathan Anthony Parker,” Parker said.

“Do hereby swear to serve and protect Annie Starling for the rest of my life,” Hughes said.

“Do hereby swear to serve and protect Annie Starling for the rest of my life,” Parker said.

“She is the most precious person alive.”

“She is the most precious person alive.”

Annie choked up.

“I will guard her with my life.”

“I will guard her with my life.”

“I will keep her from harm and follow her to the ends of the earth.”

“I will keep her from harm and follow her to the ends of the earth.”

“If I ever again commit violence against anyone in this group, I shall be, and deserve to be, summarily executed.”

Parker swallowed hard. He knew that was justified, but it was difficult for him to say. He said it anyway. “If I ever again commit violence against anyone in this group … I shall be, and deserve to be, summarily executed.”

Kyle stared at him, and stared at him hard. Kyle wanted to execute him that instant and add another corpse to the lawn. That was clear.

“You have no other role,” Hughes said, “none whatsoever, from now until the end of the world.”

“I have no other role,” Parker said, “none whatsoever, from now until the end of the world.”

“You didn’t have to repeat that part,” Hughes said.

Parker understood that, but he wanted to say it anyway.

Hughes shook his hand.

Kyle just stared.

Annie looked uncomfortable. Parker wanted to hug her, but he doubted she’d be all right with that. He was pretty sure Kyle would deck him. Or stab him.

Annie stayed behind as Hughes and Kyle headed toward the house. On his way up the stairs, Hughes turned back, silently beckoning Parker to come with him.

But Parker wanted to walk in with Annie, and she wasn’t moving. Was she waiting for him, or did she intend to stay outside by herself? He couldn’t blame her if she wanted some space—especially from him—but there was no one else in the world he’d rather be near. She might be the only person on earth who could forgive him in her bones for what he did to Frank.

“Well,” Parker said to Annie. “I guess I’ll go in then.” He didn’t know what else to do or to say. It would be a long time before any of them ever trusted him, and it would take almost as long before he trusted himself.

His back felt like someone had beaten him half to death with a hammer. The side of his head felt exactly as it should after someone smashed in the side of it with the butt of a shotgun. He walked slowly and a little lopsidedly. Annie walked beside him as he struggled.

“I won’t let you down,” he said and winced from the pain.

“You’d better not,” she said.

“I understand if you don’t believe me.”

“We’ll see.”

They walked in silence for a couple of moments. Parker did his best to keep the pain to himself, but there was only so much he could hide it.

“How was it up there?” she said. “Do you … remember much?”

He blew out his breath. “I remember. It was bad.” He wished he could