Run: A Post Apocalyptic Thriller by Rich Restucci Page A

cars.
    The occasional undead staggered into the path of the Hummer only to be knocked back or go down underneath, but otherwise the streets were deserted.
    Rick lowered the walkie-talkie and looked at Sam. She looked scared and was rubbing the head of her little stuffed tiger. He thought she was being very brave during an event that had probably crippled the minds of many. They crested another hill and the sight before them was one straight out of Hell. A city bus was jutting out from a building, the front of it three feet in. It must have crashed going fairly slowly. There was a crowd of seventy or so undead banging on the sides, with others milling about. Many of the crowd were kneeling over unmoving forms, ripping pieces away and stuffing the gory prizes into their faces. 
    “How do we help them?” asked Paul. 
    “We can’t, Dad, look in the windows.” There were numerous staggering forms in the bus, blood splashed across a few of the windows, and the bus was smoking from under the hood. “They’re gone,” added Rick.  
    The mob had apparently heard the Hummer’s engine because some of them turned around and began staggering toward the survivors. The creatures who noticed began their shrill cries and moans, alerting the whole group. In seconds, a huge mob of infected was shuffling their way to a late breakfast. 
    “Time to go,” Anna said. 
    Rick did a three point turn, and went back the way they had come. Several turns later, and they were again heading north. After less than two minutes of travel, they came upon a hastily assembled roadblock of police cars. There was no one in sight, dead or alive, but the place was a mess, with blood and bullet cartridges everywhere.  
    “Dammit,” Rick whispered. He took another left and handed the radio to Anna. “See if you can raise Dallas,” he asked her. She tried for several minutes to no avail. They rounded a corner and yet another crowd of undead surged in their direction. “This isn’t working,” admitted Rick. “The damn marina is a mile from here, but every direction is blocked.”
    “We’re gonna have to hole up someplace,” Paul said. 
    “I don’t want to get trapped, Dad.” 
    “We’re already trapped,” Paul said, “We can’t get to where we got to go, so let’s find someplace and hide for a spell.” 
    Rick turned the car around yet again and floored it. He went about four blocks and stopped in front of an old movie theater. There were no dead in sight. The marquee read Double Creature Feature: The Blob, Creature From the Black Lagoon. “Let’s try this,” he said and got out. “Anna, slide over and get behind the wheel.” She did as she was told and Rick ran to the front doors. They were locked tight. There were no windows on the ground level. The left side of the theater butted against another building, and the right had a twelve foot wide alley between it and the next wall. The alley had a six foot chain link fence blocking access. It too was secured with a chain and padlock. The small area held some dumpsters and trash cans. There was a fire escape in the center of the building, which ran by some windows and all the way to the roof. Rick ran back to the car. 
    “I’m going to look for a way in. Take off if it gets crowded, and try to get back unnoticed.”
    “I’m coming with you,” Chris said getting out of the Hummer. The pair ran to the fence and scaled it quickly, dropping soundlessly to the other side. Rick made a mental note that this kid might just be good to have around. They moved cautiously toward the dumpsters. Rick checked behind them both, discovering nothing. There was another chain link gate at the other end of the alley. “Give me a hand,” Rick asked Chris. Rick shouldered his AR-15, and Chris put the Taurus in the front pocket of his jeans. They pushed a blue dumpster a few feet until it was under the fire escape’s ladder. This type of dumpster had two plastic side panels, and two plastic covers