Chapter 23: The Way Back
Something moved beneath the overturned patio table.
The dog growled.
Alice tightened her grip on the back of my jacket.
I raised the crowbar and stepped closer.
An arm suddenly pushed between the table legs.
Its fingers scraped against the stone, reaching toward my boot.
I stepped back.
A corpse lay trapped beneath the furniture, its lower body pinned under the metal frame. It dragged itself forward, shifting the entire table with it.
For a moment, I considered leaving it there.
It could barely move.
Then its hand stretched toward Alice.
Right.
No unnecessary risks.
"Stay back."
Alice immediately moved away.
I drove the crowbar through the gap.
The first strike caught the corpse across the cheek.
Its head snapped sideways but continued moving.
The second slammed it against the ground.
The third finally stopped it.
The table scraped loudly across the stone with each impact.
I pulled the crowbar free and waited.
Nothing emerged from the house.
No movement behind the dark windows.
Good.
Alice remained a few steps behind me.
"Hiro-oniichan…"
"I'm fine."
Alice looked toward the body beneath the table, then back at me.
"I meant… is it dead?"
Oh.
I glanced at her.
"More dead than it was before."
Alice stared at me.
Right.
Seven years old.
Probably not the correct audience.
"Yes," I corrected. "It won't move again."
She nodded and came closer.
The dog sniffed the body before quickly deciding it had lost interest.
At least it had stopped barking.
Small miracles.
A concrete wall separated the property from the next backyard.
It was lower than the wall we had crossed earlier, but still too high for Alice to climb without help.
I looked over first.
The next yard was narrow.
A bicycle lay on its side near the house. Laundry hung from a metal frame, and several broken plates were scattered across the patio.
No visible movement.
I placed the crowbar on top of the wall, then crouched in front of Alice.
"Come here."
She approached without arguing.
I lifted her until she could sit along the top.
"Wait there."
Alice looked down into the neighboring property.
"You'll catch me again?"
"That's the plan."
She nodded.
I climbed over first and lowered myself into the yard.
The dog paced beside the wall, searching for the same convenient gap it had found earlier.
There wasn't one.
It stared at the concrete as though personally offended.
Not my problem.
I turned toward Alice and raised both arms.
"Come down."
She leaned toward me much faster this time.
I caught her and lowered her carefully.
The moment her feet touched the ground, she took hold of my jacket again.
No hesitation.
Progress.
A scratching noise came from behind us.
The dog had somehow climbed onto an outdoor unit and launched itself over the lower part of the wall.
It landed poorly, rolled once, then stood as if everything had gone exactly according to plan.
Alice looked relieved.
I decided not to comment.
The firecrackers continued exploding somewhere beyond the houses.
The pauses between each crack had become noticeably longer.
We needed to move.
I kept the crowbar ready as we crossed the yard.
The rear door of the house stood partly open.
I watched the darkness beyond it while we passed.
Nothing came out.
That did not necessarily mean the house was empty.
It only meant whatever lived—or no longer lived—inside had not noticed us yet.
At the far end of the garden stood another concrete wall.
A plastic storage box rested beside it.
I tested the lid with one foot before stepping up.
It bent slightly but held my weight.
I raised myself enough to look over.
Two corpses wandered through the next backyard.
One stood near a small storage shed.
The other drifted close to the rear entrance of the house.
Neither had noticed us.
I climbed down.
Alice looked up at me.
"Are there sick people?"
"Two."
Her hand tightened around my jacket.
"Can we go another way?"
"Not without going back."
The firecrackers cracked again.
One explosion.
Then another, weaker than the last.
Going backward would waste the time it had bought us.
"I'll go first."
Alice's eyes widened slightly.
"Alone?"
"For a few seconds."
"N- no. Please don't leave me."
The answer came quickly.
I paused.
There was no distance left in her voice now.
Only fear.
And an uncomfortable amount of trust.
"I'll still be right here."
I pointed toward the wall.
"I'll come back when it's safe, and help you over. Okay?"
Alice looked uncertain, but eventually nodded.
"Okay, Hiro-oniichan. Please be careful."
I pulled myself onto the wall and dropped into the third yard.
My boots struck the grass.
The nearest corpse turned immediately.
Of course it did.
It began moving toward me before I had fully straightened.
I raised the crowbar.
The corpse reached out.
I stepped forward and swung.
The bar struck the side of its head, knocking it into the concrete wall.
It remained standing.
Naturally.
I hit it again.
The second strike dropped it onto the grass.
The other corpse had already left the rear entrance and was crossing the yard.
I shifted my grip.
It came closer.
Closer.
Then lunged.
I knocked one arm away with the crowbar and stepped to the side.
The corpse stumbled past me.
I swung into the back of its head.
It fell forward.
Its fingers continued clawing at the grass.
I struck it again.
Then waited.
Neither body moved.
"Hiro-oniichan?"
Alice's voice came from the other side of the wall.
"I'm okay."
I checked the storage shed.
Closed.
Then the narrow space beside the house.
Empty.
At least from what I could see.
"Come over."
I approached the wall as Alice climbed onto it from the other side.
She struggled near the top.
I reached up, caught her beneath the arms, and lowered her into the yard.
The moment I placed her down, she looked over my clothes.
"Did they hurt you?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"I still have all my important parts."
Alice continued inspecting me anyway.
Apparently, my opinion was not considered reliable.
Once she was satisfied, she took my hand.
The dog appeared on top of the wall behind her.
I had no idea how it had gotten there.
It jumped down, landed beside one of the corpses, and immediately hurried away from it.
Smartest decision it had made so far.
We crossed the third yard carefully.
The firecrackers popped again in the distance.
Only once.
The sound was already dying.
At the far end of the property, another concrete wall blocked our route.
This one was slightly taller.
Several plastic containers had been stacked beside it, likely by whoever had lived here.
I pressed down on the top one.
It shifted.
I rearranged two of them before climbing.
Alice remained directly below me.
"Is it safe?"
"I haven't looked yet."
I raised myself above the wall.
Then stopped.
The next backyard was filled with Them.
Not three.
Not five.
At least a dozen wandered between the house and the rear wall.
Several stood around an overturned grill in the center of the garden. Plastic chairs and tables had been scattered across the grass.
More shapes moved near the back entrance.
For a moment, I only stared.
Why were there so many?
Had they been holding a party when the outbreak started?
I looked at the grill again.
The tables.
The chairs.
Actually…
That might have been exactly what happened.
Wonderful.
I had found the apocalypse's worst barbecue.
One of the corpses bumped into another and nearly fell.
Several more wandered aimlessly around it.
Going through that yard would be suicide.
I slowly climbed down.
Alice watched my face.
"There are more?"
"A lot more."
"How many?"
"Enough."
The dog began sniffing near the bottom of the wall.
I caught its collar before it could do anything stupid.
It looked up at me.
"No."
It stared.
"Whatever you're thinking, no."
That was enough discussion.
A final firecracker popped somewhere beyond the houses.
Then silence returned.
The distraction was over.
I looked toward the side of the property.
A narrow passage ran between the house and the concrete wall. At the far end stood a metal gate leading onto the street.
I had avoided the roads because of the number of corpses wandering through them.
But the firecrackers should have pulled most of those corpses toward the next intersection.
Should.
I disliked plans that depended on that word.
Still, the crowded yard had removed our other option.
"Change of plan."
Alice tightened her hand around mine.
"What are we doing?"
"Running."
I led her through the passage.
The metal gate at the end was closed but unlocked.
Before opening it, I crouched in front of Alice.
"The mansion isn't far."
She nodded.
"When I say run, stay next to me. Don't stop unless I stop. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Good."
Alice looked toward the dog.
"What about him?"
The animal stared back at us.
"He's survived this long without taking instructions."
The dog wagged its tail.
"He'll manage."
I opened the gate slightly and looked onto the road.
The street was nearly empty.
Farther away, dozens of corpses shuffled toward the intersection where the firecrackers had been exploding.
Most had their backs turned to us.
Only a few stragglers remained among the parked cars and nearby driveways.
The plan had worked.
For now.
With the noise gone, the larger crowd would eventually stop gathering and spread through the neighborhood again.
This was our chance.
I opened the gate.
"Now."
Alice and I ran.
The dog followed close behind.
My boots struck the pavement harder than I wanted.
It no longer mattered.
Stealth had expired.
The mansion stood at the end of the street, partially hidden behind neighboring walls.
Closer than it had looked from the backyards.
Still uncomfortably far while wearing body armor and carrying everything in my sling bag.
Alice struggled to keep pace.
I slowed slightly.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes."
Her breathing was quick.
"Hiro-oniichan, I can keep running."
"Good."
A corpse stepped from between two parked cars ahead.
It turned toward us.
"Behind me."
Alice immediately released my hand and moved back.
I continued forward.
The corpse raised its arms.
I swung the crowbar into the side of its head.
The impact sent it into the car.
It bounced off the door and remained upright.
I hit it again.
The second strike dropped it.
"Come on!"
Alice ran past me.
I followed.
Another corpse wandered from a driveway.
A second stood near the opposite sidewalk, too far away to matter yet.
The first turned toward Alice.
She stopped.
"Hiro-oniichan!"
I moved between them and struck its arm aside with the crowbar.
The corpse stumbled.
I stepped forward and drove the hooked end into the side of its head.
It fell.
The second corpse had begun crossing the road.
No time to make sure the first was completely finished.
"Keep moving."
Alice hesitated.
"I'll be behind you."
She nodded and ran.
I intercepted the next corpse before it reached her.
It caught the front of my vest.
I drove my shoulder into its chest.
The armor absorbed most of the impact.
The corpse fell backward onto the street.
I brought the crowbar down.
The first strike hit its cheek.
The second landed closer to the temple.
The body stopped reaching.
Good enough.
I turned and ran after Alice.
The mansion was much closer now.
I could see Kohta on the upper balcony, rifle still aimed toward the street.
He tracked our movement through the scope but did not fire.
Apparently, the X gesture had been understood.
Several corpses remained near the road outside the mansion.
Not enough to call a horde.
Enough to make reaching the gate difficult.
Alice had slowed again.
She reached for my jacket.
"Hiro-oniichan…"
"I see them."
My lungs burned.
My arms felt heavy.
The tactical vest that had looked excellent in the bedroom had become less impressive with every wall we climbed.
Movement appeared near the mansion's side entrance.
The gate opened.
Saeko stepped outside first, wooden sword raised.
Komuro followed behind her, gripping his weapon with both hands.
One of Them turned toward them.
Saeko closed the distance before it could fully react.
Her sword struck the side of its head.
The corpse dropped.
Komuro moved toward another and swung, knocking it away from the path.
"Hiro!" he shouted.
"Komuro!"
I pointed toward the corpses between us.
"Clear the left!"
He looked briefly surprised.
Then he moved.
A corpse emerged beside a parked car.
Komuro struck it across the face, forcing it away from the center of the road.
Saeko stepped past him and brought her wooden sword down on another.
They did not try to kill every corpse nearby.
They only needed to open enough space for us to pass.
"This way!" Komuro shouted.
Alice stayed close as we ran toward them.
A corpse reached from the side.
Saeko intercepted it.
One strike stopped it.
A second put it down.
We passed her.
The dog sprinted ahead of us and disappeared through the gate first.
Naturally.
Komuro backed toward the entrance, keeping another corpse away with hurried swings.
"Go!"
Alice crossed through the gate.
I followed directly behind her.
Saeko entered next.
Komuro came last and pulled the gate shut.
The nearby corpses pressed toward the barrier.
It held.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
I bent forward and planted both hands on my knees.
My lungs refused to cooperate.
Air went in.
Air came out.
None of it appeared useful.
My arms trembled.
My shoulder ached.
My legs were considering early retirement.
Alice stood beside me, still holding the edge of my jacket.
The dog remained near her, tail wagging as though it had contributed equally to the entire operation.
I lacked enough oxygen to argue.
Komuro stared at me.
Then at Alice.
Then back at me.
"You went outside without telling us."
I raised one finger.
"Technically…"
Breathing interrupted the sentence.
"I told Saeko."
Komuro looked toward her.
Saeko rested the wooden sword against her shoulder.
"He did."
"That doesn't make it better."
"I came back."
I slowly straightened.
"Mostly intact."
Komuro opened his mouth.
Whatever he had planned to say disappeared when Alice moved closer to me.
Her hand tightened around my jacket.
Saeko looked down at her.
Then at the dog.
Finally, her gaze returned to me.
A faint smile appeared.
"Welcome back."
I tried to answer.
All that escaped was another exhausted breath.
End of Chapter 23