CONTAMINATE

22. The Key

The drive back where Gareth and the girls left the Jeep was done in silence. Each of them to his/her own thoughts on recent events. When they reach the side road where the Jeep was parked, David and Gareth proceeded towards Gareth's vehicle with the gasoline container, while Jamie stayed in David's pick up with Missy, whose ankle is now swollen and turning into the color of a ripe eggplant.

"It's really painful! The pain doubled from when we were here before. I think my ankle's broken. I'm thinking of going to Dr. Thomson on the way to the terminal. Maybe he has painkillers or something."

"We could do that, yeah. Let's ask Gareth. But we need to hurry up or those monsters might catch up with us." Jamie responded. She glanced over to where Gareth and David were finishing up in pouring the gasoline in the Jeep's gas tank, when out of the corner of her right eye, moving shadows filled her peripheral vision.  She was about to turn her gaze towards it when Missy gasp.

"Oh no! Not again! They are already here!"

The horde came stumbling towards the Jeep, Gareth and David both unaware of the lurking danger. Missy was already shouting at the two men: "Hey guys! They're here! Look out!"

The first undead lunged at David and Gareth, who were able to dodge the attack. Gareth managed to get a hold of the steel pipe he kept under the driver seat of his Jeep and swung it full force, hitting the undead who lunged at him first in the head. Jamie and Missy saw that it was Francis, who fell backwards with the force of Gareth's steel pipe. Gareth quickly striked again, this time hitting the face of the fallen Francis with the edge of the pipe. It went through his skull, with blood and brain matter squirting all over the pavement.

The rest of the horde came stumbling towards them so Gareth and David got inside the Jeep. Gareth shouted at the two women while starting the engine:

"Drive to the terminal! We'll meet you there!" And the two men drove away from the lunging horde of the undead.

Jamie quickly moved to the driver's seat to follow Gareth and David. When she was about to start the pick up, her hand found no key inserted in the ignition.

"Sh_t! The key isn't here"

Missy wasted no time and opened the glove compartment to search for the key while Jamie looked for it in the sun visor in front of her, at the same time looking at the rear view mirror at the horde fast approaching the pick up.

"Close your windows Missy. Those at the back too! Lock your doors!"

The two women managed to lock themselves inside the pick up as the group of undead surrounded the vehicle.

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Gareth glanced back through the rearview mirror and cursed under his breath.

"They're not following us! Something must have gone wrong!"

David looked back at where Gareth was glancing and muttered something.

"What did you say?" Gareth asked David.

"I said we need to go get the girls back there. They can't follow us coz the key is in my pocket. I must have put it there when we got off." David paled as he was saying this. "I'm really sorry man."

Anger filled Gareth's handsome face and he looked at David sharply.
"You stupid fool! Why didn't you say so right away! Those few minutes could cost those poor girls their lives!"

"Hey man, I said I'm sorry..." David looked as if he was about to cry.

"Oh forget it! Just grab onto something you can use as weapon against those monsters. We're going back!"

And Gareth turned the Jeep around to get Jamie and Missy where they left them.