"Gawddammit!"
Katie slammed on the brakes.
Running full speed was the enormous crowd of zombies from Emorton flowing down the next hill, rushing toward them. It had to be the same crowd that had pursued them just hours before. Children, old people, young people, adults, all bloodied, all chewed up, all screaming, moaning, screeching as they raced down in an enormous crowd that filled the narrow farm road and spilled out into the trees.
Jenni began to sob. "No, no, no. "
Katie pounded her fist on the steering wheel. "They fucking followed us.
They fucking followed us!"
"What are we going to do?" Jason asked, his voice edged with panic.
Jack began to bark.
Katie grabbed the CB. "Ralph, Nerit…we have a situation. "
"What's wrong?" Nerit's voice said calmly, but tinged with worry.
"There was a shitload of zombies in Emorton. They pursued us when we went through the town. Evidently, they kept running after us in the direction we had gone. Right now, they are about a mile away and closing fast. They are filling the fucking road all the way into the trees. "
"Can you gun it and get through them?" Ralph's voice asked.
Katie looked at Jenni and Jason. They both looked afraid, they both looked desperate, but they all knew the truth.
"No. We can't. Too many. They might flip us. " Katie rubbed the back of her hand over her mouth and tried to swallow. Her mouth was so dry. "We have to…we have to turn around. "
"Katie…" Ralph's voice was soft.
"Sorry, Ralph," her voice caught, "we wanted to make it back. "
"Turn around. Go to FM 1226. Keep out of their sight. They'll keep going straight on hopefully. Take FM 1226 to CR 1113. That'll bring you back here," another voice said.
Probably the cop.
There was some discussion over on the other end.
"…not enough gas…"
"…drive out to them…"
"…risky in Ashley Oaks…"
"We're doing it," Katie finally said, then handed off the mouthpiece to Jenni.
The zombies were closing fast. She could see they were desperate to get to the truck, roll it, break it apart, and eat what was within. A few in the front stumbled, fell, and were crushed beneath the onslaught of those behind.
Katie reversed, swung the truck around, and aimed back in the direction they had come, and floored it.
"Pray for us," Jenni said into the mouthpiece.
"Just keep moving…until you can't no more. We'll come get you," Ralph said.
Katie's eyes flicked to the rear view mirror and the enormous wave of zombies cresting the hill behind them. She pushed the gas pedal to the floor.
They had to keep calm. They had to keep strong. They had to survive.
It was as easy as that.