Alaskan Undead Apocalypse (Book 4): Resolution by Sean Schubert Page B

didn’t expect word anytime
soon.
    He was careful to not let his eyes linger
for too long in their numerous trips to the rearview mirror above
his head. He didn’t want to betray the doubt and concern behind
them.
    After several minutes of worried waiting, a
few more brazen passengers decided they’d had enough. The volume
and frequency of the tortured and terrified shrieks were
increasing. They also were getting closer and closer to the bus;
the last one reaching out from just a few car lengths away. A pair
of men finally stood and started to walk themselves to the front of
the bus. Each paused a short moment when he had gotten to the
driver, who initially refused to budge. If he allowed his
passengers off the bus, he would have failed. Keeping his
passengers together and on the bus was the best method for him to
maintain some sense of control and that, in his mind, was the only
way for him to ensure their safety. With all that running through
his mind as he eyed the adamant faces of the two obvious fishermen,
the three men shared looks but no words before the driver finally
consented to open the doors.
    Once the door had been opened, others
followed the lead set by the two men. One by one and group by
group, everyone aboard the large tour bus exited. The bus driver
was the last to leave his seat, much like the captain of a sinking
ship.
    The group of more than sixty people was
waiting impatiently next to the bus. The driver took out his keys
and opened the bus’ two side compartments holding the passengers’
luggage and personal effects.
    At once, like the worst rushes on luggage
carousels at busy airport baggage claim areas, the entire group
pressed forward in the mad dash to lay hands on luggage. Kameron, a
solidly built and determined young man, waded into the crowd in
search of his and his friend’s backpacks.
    Having trained and competed as a college
wrestler in the not too distant past, he didn’t like to use his
strength away from the mat, but he found it necessary under the
present circumstances. Forcing his way steadily into the melee, he
finally got close enough to spy his friend Danielle’s bright green
backpack as it toppled from the compartment and was kicked under
the bus. He wanted to find his red bag too, but Danielle’s was
clearly more important than his. It wasn’t strictly a matter of
chivalry or his desire to impress his beautiful traveling
companion. Her needs were real and not rooted in materialism, which
didn’t seem to be much of a concern for her at all.
    He’d met her through an online chat room. He
wasn’t necessarily looking for romance when he entered; at least
that was what he tried to tell himself. He was bored and lonely and
happened to see the commercial on the television at a particularly
moment. He signed in and, after several unsuccessful openings for
dialogue with others, he found Danielle through the chaos.
    They chatted for hours and then connected on
Facebook for more private conversations. That was several months
ago. They’d exchanged pictures online and had begun to text not
long after, but still they hadn’t met. If her pictures were real
and not one of those online scams, he was very eager to meet her.
He’d dated pretty girls in his life, but he had never been with an
honest to goodness beauty like her. Her skin was a color that
reminded him of warm, sunny beaches but appeared as soft as flower
petals. Her eyes shone like emeralds and her hair was as dark and
full as a summer night.
    Finally working up the courage, he invited
her to attend a concert with him in Vancouver. She had shared her
fondness for Tom Petty and, as luck would have it, he was scheduled
to play in Kameron’s hometown.
    He shot her a friendly text asking if she
would like to go. He acknowledged that he realized she lived in
Anchorage and he lived in Washington, and he also owned the fact
that they had never formally met one another face to face. He also
offered compromises on both issues. He