These Strangers Whose Faces I Know: Part 1
Title: These Strangers Whose Faces I Know
Author: Lex
Fandom(s): Veroncia Mars
Pairing/Characters: Veronica, Logan, Dick, Keith
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 10,500ish
Recipient:
sadiekate, for
apocalyptothon
Request: I like snark and banter. The story beyond that can be as dark or as light as it needs to be - I think snark works equally well in both scenarios.
A/N: Thanks to Mel (
lostt1) for the beta and the banner. And to like everyone for the handholding, and to
sarah_p for convincing me it wasn't utter crap, like she does with everything I write.
* * * * *
Veronica rolled over and groaned at the sound of her alarm clock. Surely being a normal teenager shouldn’t have to involve getting up at six in the morning to work a double-shift at Java the Hut. Throwing back the covers, she grabbed her towel before climbing into the shower. Thirty minutes later, she was just finishing getting dressed in her stylish uniform and pulling her hair back into a ponytail.
She looked into Keith’s room as she passed it, guess Dad is still up in LA working on that case. Veronica grabbed a muffin from the kitchen before locking up the apartment and getting into her car. As she drove to the Hut she was struck by the fact that the streets were empty, which was unusual, even for Neptune.
Veronica saw that she was the first one to arrive for the morning shift and unlocked the door. She began stocking the shelves and checking the inventory. Before she knew it, it was almost noon. Almost noon and no one has been in at all. No customers, no other staff…not even the guys from the firm down the street who swear they cannot exist without coffee.
Veronica was starting to feel as though something was extremely wrong. Pulling out her cell phone, she started trying to get through to everyone in her phonebook. Corny… no answer; the Sheriff - not going to bother; Why do I still have Felix in my phone? Weevil - is out of town; Wallace - in Chicago with his dad… I am running out of people to call. I wouldn’t call Dick if I was on fire…. almost giving up, Veronica pressed send on the one name left
Grinning slightly at the disgruntled groan on the other end, “How is it that out of everyone in the world, you are the only person who is answering their phone?”
“Funny, Veronica.” Logan mumbled before continuing, “Wait? You called everyone else before me?”
“Well, I tried to call you, but my phone just wouldn’t let me.” Veronica said with a grin, realizing that calling Logan might have been a mistake. “It’s just…well… I can’t reach anyone. I was getting worried.”
“So you called me? How sweet.” She could practically feel his smirk over the phone.
“Shut up Logan.” Veronica couldn’t help but grin, “Have you seen anyone else today?”
“Not at the moment, but if anyone else happens to walk in front of my couch, you’ll be the first to know.” With that, Logan started to hang up the phone. "Seriously, I'll call you."
Sighing, Veronica walked back towards the front of the Hut. Flipping the lock on the main doors, she turned on the TV and started looking for the local news.
* * * * *
After the call from Veronica, Logan knew he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. As he walked out of his bedroom, he noticed that Dick was passed out on his couch. Apparently Veronica didn’t try everyone before me. Course, she wouldn’t ask Dick for help if she was on fire… so no surprise here. Nonetheless, Logan checked Dick’s cell phone to see if he had a missed call.
Picking up the phone, Logan called room service and after twelve rings he decided that no one was answering. So much for twenty-four hour room service. Assuming that Duncan, ever the Boy Scout, probably had something edible in the kitchen, he went to investigate. Finding eggs, bacon and some coffee grounds, Logan started to make himself a meal.
It was only after the coffee finished brewing that Dick stirred on the couch. Stretching out on the couch, he called out to Logan. “Dude. Best thing about living in a hotel? Room Service.”
He rolled off the couch and stumbled into the kitchen with Logan. “You ordered without me? Dude, where’s my food?”
“No one answered the phone. I made this myself.” Logan held up the coffee pot, silently offering it to Dick.
“Sure man,” Dick started pouring sugar into the cup Logan gave him. “No one answered? What kind of second rate hotel is this?”
Logan picked up the remote control and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels until he found the news.
“Hey was that ‘Girls Gone Bad’?” Dick asked excitedly, “you have to flip back.”
Logan ignored Dick and turned the volume on the television up, straining to hear what the announcer was saying.
... it appears as though people have begun to leave the city in a rush, the freeways have become completely blocked… reports from the streets have been varied and no one seems sure if it is riots or an angry mob that has begun patrolling the streets… we will be updating the public when more information becomes available…
Dick turned to Logan, “Dude, that traffic’s fucking harsh. Where was that?”
“Los Angeles.” Logan said, flipping through the channels again trying to get more information about what was happening in LA. The key words on the news channels seemed to be ‘mass exodus’ and ‘outbreaks of rabies.’
* * * * *
Veronica was starting to think that nothing was more boring than working a slow double shift on a Sunday, except for maybe working said double shift with the cable out for unknown reasons. Having counted every piece of stock, washed every table about a billion times, and having taken apart and systematically cleaned the espresso machines, she was pretty sure there was actually nothing left to do. The case of the missing customers continued to elude her, as did the reason why no one else had shown up for their shifts.
Veronica decided that if she didn’t have anything else to do, she could at least lock the door and catch up on some of the sleep she didn’t get last night. Walking towards the front doors she saw someone outside… except they didn’t seem to be paying attention to what they were doing. Veronica watched curiously as the man walked, or stumbled rather, down the middle of the street… hands raised and the fingers slowly reaching out towards something unseen.
Feeling the chills run down her spine and the hair stand up on the back of her neck, Veronica locked the door with a quick flick of her wrist. Eerily enough, the man seemed to hear that miniscule noise and turned towards the Hut. Veronica’s mouth gaped open as he turned and she was able to see his lifeless eyes and slack jaw.
Frozen in place, Veronica could do little more than watch as the man slowly but surely approached her. It was only when she could hear the low moan coming from his mouth that she snapped out of it and hit the button for the metal security shutters to descend.
I’m no expert, but I would have to say that... he… it… whatever that is... is not normal. Veronica’s mind was racing; there was no logical explanation for what she had seen. If she didn’t know better, she would have said he was a zombie. Except they weren’t real and this wasn’t a Hollywood blockbuster, and well... he... he was just confused and disoriented... or on drugs or something.
Veronica backed away from the door, already feeling silly for closing the security blinds. Hearing noise from behind her, she turned and saw that the cable had returned and that the news was playing.
… more updates on the mass exodus from Los Angeles and horrendous traffic hold-ups, after the break. But first, we have apparently had a string of rabies outbreaks in the last couple of days all throughout Southern California and Mexico... so be aware of your surroundings and try to avoid being bitten by any wild animals…
Veronica grabbed her phone, and started dialling her dad’s number. pick up, pick up… Veronica glanced at her watch while waiting for him to answer. According to his planned schedule he should be getting ready to leave LA any time now.
You’ve reached Keith Mars, I can’t come to the phone right now… so leave your name, number and a short message and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
“Dad, it’s Me. I just saw on the news that it is practically impossible to get out of LA right now. You should probably just stay another night.”
It was at this point that she noticed the noise coming from the main entrance, it sounded like pounding.
* * * * *
Logan swore furiously, leaning forward and tried frantically to press the buttons in just the right combination to get out of the death grip Dick had him in.
“Yeah baby, rip his fucking head off!” Dick was grinning and calmly pressing the exact sequence he needed to actually rip Logan’s head off. “That’s right, who’s your daddy?”
Logan groaned, rolled his eyes and switched the console off. “Seriously. You spend way too much time on these games.”
“That’s what everyone who loses says,” Dick nodded, leaning forward to snag his drink from the coffee table.
Logan was about to respond when he noticed that there was an update on the news. Reaching forward he turned the volume up on the television.
… and we have just heard that reports of rabies cases have never been higher. People are being urged to get to the nearest hospital as soon as possible after a bite in order to be treated. We will now go to Jimmy with his traffic report…
… Thanks Karen… it seems that traffic is still at a standstill on all the major routes in and out of the city. The eye in the sky has shown us that this is not just happening in LA but also throughout the country in all major cities…
Dick and Logan both watched as they saw footage of the ‘rabies’ cases and of the traffic that had long stopped moving on the freeways.
“Now I’m no doctor,” Dick started, “but I am pretty sure that’s not rabies.”
Logan nodded silently, watching with awe as they saw how many people were waiting in the hospital ER with what was being termed animal bites. “There has to be like a hundred people waiting there.”
* * * * *
Veronica was getting used to the mind-numbing tedium of having nothing to do, she was getting used to the idea that no one else was going to show up for work, what she couldn’t get used to was the continous pounding coming from the front of the Hut.
“Oh, for crying out loud,” Veronica yelled towards the front, “don’t you have anything better to do?”
She had hoped that the noise would stop when they realized that it wasn’t funny, but instead it had just grown in both frequency and volume. Some people really needed hobbies. Veronica thought as she rolled her neck and stretched, trying to alleviate the stiffness in her muscles.
She flipped through the channels again, trying to find something of interest to watch and apart from a Smallville rerun there was nothing on. Pressing the off button, Veronica stood up and decided to call it a day. It was beyond obvious that no one was coming in today.
Throwing her apron behind the counter, Veronica pressed the button to open the shutters so that she could leave, when she noticed them. If they hadn’t kept trying to get inside, pounding against the glass as though it wasn’t there she might not have thought anything of it. They were constantly pushing towards the glass, against each other, just pushing continuously. Oh my God. Veronica backed away quickly, lowering the shutters again, hoping that it would cut out that incessant inhuman moan.
This can’t be happening, I must be asleep or something. Oh shit, what do I do now? I am trapped inside Java the Hut. I really don’t want to die in here. Veronica’s mind started to run wild with images of what might happen before she realized how stupid this was. Zombies do not exist, Veronica.
Veronica reached down for her bag, searching inside for her cell phone. Flipping it open, she realized that there was no way she would be able to dial with her fingers shaking like they were. She sat down and forced herself to take some calming breaths, to focus on something other than the noises she could hear coming from the front.
Finally able to dial the phone, she held it to her ear, praying that he would answer. She would figure out what she was going to tell him when he did.
* * * * *
Logan was starting to realize the problems with letting Dick have his run of the suite. He couldn’t find anything and Dick seemed to have this habit of picking everything up and moving it. It was due to this fun pastime of Dick’s that Logan could hear but not find his cell phone.
“Damn it, Dick!” Logan yelled out, “Where did you leave it?”
Dick was currently looking through the unused second bedroom in the suite. Logan wasn’t sure when he had gone in there, as he had slept on the couch, but he was more interested in finding his phone than having a long drawn-out story from Dick.
Finally as he checked the couch cushions one more time, his hand managed to brush up against the phone… just as it stopped ringing. Looking down at the screen, he saw that he had missed a call from Veronica.
“Dude, did you see this?” Dick’s voice came from the direction of the bedroom.
Logan walked into the suite to see Dick holding a battered copy of The Zombie Survival Guide. “I didn’t know that was in here.”
“Duncan had a thing for Zombies!” Dick laughed, as he started flipping through the pages, “and we all thought he was boring.”
Logan knew what Dick would find in the book if he was allowed to keep looking through it, detailed schematics for not only his old house, but the suite in the Grand and Veronica’s apartment. “Hey, let me see that.”
Dick handed over the book to Logan, “What’s that noise?”
Logan paused; listening intently before running out of the room, reaching the living room he grabbed his phone and answered it. “Hello?”
“Logan.” Veronica’s voice was panicked to say the least. “What are you up to?”
“Right now?” Logan asked, the worry starting to creep into his voice.
“Uh yeah… I-I kind of need your help.” He could almost hear her fiddling with her shirt hem.
“Where are you? I’ll come right over.” Logan said, already grabbing his coat and getting ready to leave the suite.
“I’m at Java the Hut.” Veronica said, “be careful Logan. Something weird is going on.”
* * * * *
Veronica knew, logically, that it wouldn’t take Logan long to get here from the Grand and yet he seemed to be taking his sweet time getting here.
Pacing back and forth, Veronica tried to calm herself down, tried to block out the sounds of the people - things - outside. Flipping through the channels, Veronica saw nothing but reports of mass hysteria, rabies outbreaks, and insane traffic jams in most of the major cities. Apparently this was no longer just on the West Coast, but was slowly spreading across the country - hell the continent.
Having decided that doing anything was better than doing nothing, she started grabbing supplies. If things in the hut and on the news were any indication of life outside these doors - she wouldn’t be able to pick up a dinner at Mama Leone’s any time soon. Grabbing her messenger bag, she started piling water bottles into it, only to quickly realize that she would not be able to fit much in.
“Hello?” Veronica answered the chirping of her phone.
“Hey V? We can’t get through the front doors… there is a mob out here.” Logan said, “Any way we can come around the back?”
“Of course. I should have thought about that.” Veronica said, mentally kicking herself, “I’ll unlock the freight entrance, you can come in that way.”
Just as Logan was getting ready to hang up, he heard Veronica say something. “What? I missed that.”
“I asked if you had a bag in your car. So we can get some supplies.” Veronica repeated.
“Yeah, I think there is something,” Logan said. “Be there in a second.”
Veronica hung up the phone and went to unlock the freight entrance to the store. Watching through the window for Logan, she tried not to think about what was happening outside. The excitement she felt upon seeing him faded when she noticed Dick was behind him. Opening the door, she ushered the two of them inside before closing and locking it after them.
“When I called and asked for your help, I wasn’t expecting you to be bringing Blinky the Wonder Chimp with you,” Veronica said dryly.
“Hey!” Dick protested. “I’m here to help, or something, Dick is here for all of your needs.”
Logan glared at Dick, while Veronica resorted to punching him in the arm. “Where’s the bag?”
“Whoa, first things first. What the hell is going on here?” Logan said, crossing the room and taking a seat in one of the booths. “There is definitely something weird going on out there. Why do you have yourself locked in here? Who are those men outside?”
Veronica sat down, rested her head on her folded arms for a minute before looking up at Logan again. “I don’t know what is going on. I’ve been here all morning, no one has come in - none of the regulars, none of the staff, no one.”
At this point Dick came and sat down, too. “Hey Ronnie… what’s the chance of us getting some coffee?”
Veronica nodded and got up to make a fresh pot, hearing Dick call out after her, “and some cake, too?” She also brought cake back to the table with her.
“What else?” Logan asked, quietly. He had seen what was happening all over Neptune, but his curiousity had him wondering what would make Veroncia call him for help.
“Around noon I started wondering why no one had come in, before that I had been doing inventory, so I went to the doors to see if there was anyone around. He..." At this she motioned towards the front doors, "he was the only one there, and I admit he freaked me out… so I locked the door and that’s when he came towards them. I don’t know where the others came from.”
“Freaked you out?” Dick was starting to look around, like they might be in the room. “Freaked you out how?”
Veronica got up, and gestured for them to follow her. Leading them to the front doors, she pressed the button for the shutters to rise. Logan and Dick stared, unable to move, as the shutters rose to show the grotesque scene unfolding before them. A large group of people were slowly being pushed forward into each other, pounding on the glass and uttering that low moan. Both boys involuntarily stepped back and both were relieved when Veronica lowered the shutters once more.
“I didn’t know what to do. So I called you.” Veronica said simply, looking at Logan.
He reached forward and placed his hand on her arm. “We’ll figure something out. Where’s Keith?”
Veronica looked at Logan, feeling calmed by his presence. If there is one thing guys know, it’s Zombies. God this can’t be Zombies. “He’s in LA. Something about his book, a signing… a meeting with publishers.. something.”
“Alright. We’ll go to LA then,” Logan said, hoping this would ease Veronica’s nerves over Keith’s whereabouts.
“Dude. Road trip!” Dick started to grin, clapping his hands together with glee.
Veronica, while happy Logan was willing to help her, knew that any road trip with Dick was bound to have problems.
The three of them gathered as many supplies as they could, packing full the gym bag that Dick had apparently been carrying around in his truck. Since they couldn’t think of anything else to take, Veronica once more unlocked the freight door, checking cautiously to make sure no one was out there and they began to plan out their exit from the Hut.
Just as they opened the door, they heard the sound of breaking glass coming from the front. Quickly, they all ran to Dick’s truck, tossing their gear into the back and piling into the cab.
“We should run past my place if we can, I need to get out of this uniform.” Veronica said as Dick started the engine.
“You sure -“ Dick was cut off by Logan.
“Good plan, we should be there in a minute. You can come get your car later.” Logan said, knowing how Dick was planning to finish that sentence.
As they drove to Veronica’s apartment, they noticed that while the streets weren’t exactly teeming with people, there were more out than before. Unfortunately, they didn’t look like the type you wanted to invite home and more like the type you wished were anywhere you weren’t.
“What is wrong with these people?” Veronica asked, as they had to drive around yet another group of people blocking the street.
“Freaks. All of them. Probably have rabies like all those people in LA,” Dick said, grinning as he sped down the street narrowly missing some of the people.
Veronica was already unbuckling her seat belt when they pulled up to her apartment, she looked at Logan when he appeared to be getting ready to follow her.
“I think I can handle this on my own, Logan.” Veronica grinned, “I’ve been dressing myself for years.”
“Yeah, well… better safe than sorry. I’m coming with you.” Logan shook his head as she began to try and argue the point with him. “Dick. Stay here, keep the engine running.”
“What’s gotten into you man?” Dick asked. “You’re all Commando-y.”
Logan smirked, and saluted Dick as he and Veronica walked into the complex together. Veronica still wasn’t entirely sure why Logan felt he had to accompany her. She reached forward to unlock and open her door, and became suddenly aware that they were being watched. She was about to turn around to see who was watching her when she heard Logan’s voice next to her ear.
“Don’t turn around, just open the door.” His voice had a hint of urgency and despair to it.
I think I might actually be afraid to see what is behind Me. Veronica thought briefly, before she became very aware of the warmth of Logan’s breath on her neck. Quickly, she opened the door and stepped inside, trying to get some room between herself and Logan.
He closed the door and turned the lock. As he faced Veronica, she could practically see the change in him. Instead of being the Logan who was a slacker and wanted people to do things for him, he was someone who was about to take charge of the situation. She had never seen this Logan, or at least not for a long time, and Veronica felt the electric charge of excitement run through her.
“Okay, we have to go out your window. The courtyard is not somewhere we want to be.” Logan shuddered slightly when he thought of what he had seen in the courtyard. Seeing the crime scene tapes of Lilly was nothing compared to seeing the people in the courtyard eating somebody else.
Veronica went into her room to change from her uniform, threw some clothes in a bag and came back out to the living room.
Seeing Logan’s pointed glance at her bag she explained, “I think we should go to LA, find my dad. I’ll need some other clothes.”
Logan nodded and thought about the schematic he had memorized during his all-to-brief relationship with Veronica this past summer. If we go out her window we can sneak around the side of the building, hop the small divider fence, and be back in the parking lot. Hopefully without running into anyone.
“This way,” Logan went into her room and opened up her window. He peered out to make sure the coast was clear and motioned to Veronica to precede him out. Once she was through the window, he dropped down beside her and quietly closed the window.
Veronica opened her mouth to speak but Logan placed his finger on his lips before whispering, “We need to go around the side, hop over the fence, and meet Dick back at his truck.”
“Why are we whispering?”
“So we don’t attract attention to ourselves,” Logan said, looking as though that was the stupidest question he had ever heard.
“Attention? We just climbed out my window, Logan.” Veronica pointed to the window emphatically. “Discretion is not really an issue anymore.”
“Look. The people in the courtyard are not who they used to be.” Logan tried to think of a way to explain the situation that wouldn’t sound like ‘everyone has become zombies’.
“You mean… like the people at the Hut?” Veronica’s eyes slowly widened as she began to realize just what Logan might have been shielding her from. It must have been bad, Logan knows what I have seen… and he didn’t want me to see this.
She quickly went towards the dividing wall and with Logan’s help got over it. The two of them then ran towards Dick’s truck.
“Logan. Dude.” Dick was looking past them at the complex, “You’d better start running faster, they do not look friendly.”
Logan looked quickly over his shoulder, saw the group of people shambling towards them, and turned to Veronica. “We’ll just have to hop in the back of the truck, I don’t want to be anywhere near them.”
He let down the tailgate and Veronica hopped into the back. He then climbed in after her and knocked on the separation window to let Dick know they were in the back. Dick nodded and sped out of the lot and back onto the main streets of Neptune.
Once Veronica and Logan had managed to climb from the bed of the truck through the sliding window, Dick spoke, “Not that I don’t like driving randomly, but where are we going?”
“I have to get to LA,” Veronica said simply.
“Your dad still has his collection, right Dick?” Logan asked suddenly, motioning for Dick to pull over to the side of the road. The three of them clambered out of the cab, after making sure the coast was clear.
“This is not the time to be looking at porn guys,” Veronica said, disbelief coloring her voice.
“Like I would need my dad’s porn, Ronnie.” Dick grinned, “Logan wants to know about his arsenal.”
“No guns Logan. You know how I feel-“ Veronica started to say, before Logan cut in.
“I don’t want a gun Veronica, but there is definitely something wrong with everyone today and I am not letting us go all the way to LA without something to protect us.” Logan’s voice was like steel.
“Look, I’m not even sure going to LA is even a good idea,” Veronica looked down. “We’ve all seen the news, it won’t be easy to get there and I am sure my dad’s okay.”
Logan looked at Veronica, then at Dick, then back to Veronica. “I think we should decide what to do as a group.”
“We should…” Veronica began, just as Dick was saying, “Dude, we need…”
Logan held his hands up. “Hold on, one at a time.”
Dick nodded to Veronica that she should go first. “We should go back to the Grand. Everything we would need is there, in large supply.”
Dick grinned, “That’s exactly what I was going to say. Think about it, booze, food, booze, porn… it’s all there.”
Logan stepped between the two of them before Veronica could punch Dick. “First, we go get some protection. Then we’ll go back to the Grand.”
* * * * *
Veronica was glad to get out of the Casablancas house, especially after having to watch Logan and Dick discuss the merits of automatic weapons. Apparently when fighting off a hoard of the undead, one should really have an AK-47, because its metal stock is much more effect for beating in the skull; Especially if you compare it to the American made M16a, which was plastic. Veronica groaned just thinking about all the unnecessary information she now had crammed into her mind.
“Hey Dude. What’d you do with that crowbar?” Dick called out from the garage.
Veronica winced, remembering the long conversation about how everything would just be much easier if they had some trench spikes, which unfortunately aren’t very common since they haven’t been used since World War One. I will never doubt Logan’s knowledge of weapons ever again.
Walking towards Dick’s truck, she felt the newly developing bruise on her thigh and cursed at herself again for allowing Logan to teach her some basic martial arts moves. When did Logan become a one-man army?
* * * * *
Logan walked through the Casablancas home, taking the stairs up to Big Dick’s private study. Hoping he was recalling what Kendall had told him correctly, he pulled out the third book on the shelf. Hearing a click, he released the book and part of the shelf slid away, revealing a safe.
Logan entered the code he had found under the drawer in the desk, and opened it to see the really interesting items in Big Dick’s collection. Things he hadn’t exactly waited the required time to purchase, a crossbow, a lightweight Katana and what appeared to be several magazines of ammunition for an AK-47.
“Holy shit. What the hell was Big Dick up to?” Logan said aloud, the sound of his voice shocked him and remembering his mission, he grabbed the crossbow and katana before leaving the room.
Logan looked out the window onto the main driveway, chuckling slightly when he saw Veronica rubbing her leg. Well at least she knows I was serious when I said I knew kung fu, I wasn’t just quoting some actor. Hearing Dick calling him from the garage, Logan stepped away from the window and went downstairs.
* * * * *
Dick sat in the garage, looking around the room for something he could claim was a weapon. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was completely out of his league with anything even vaguely zombie related. Beaver had always been better at Resident Evil, whereas Dick had excelled at any game that included hot chicks stripping. Unfortunately as it didn’t seem likely that they were about to be challenged to a game of strip volleyball… Dick felt completely out of his element.
Getting up, Dick walked toward the tool box in the far corner, opening it and digging through the assorted screwdrivers he had an epiphany.
“Hey Dude. What’d you do with that crow bar?” He called out in what he thought might be Logan’s general direction.
* * * * *
Veronica looked up as she heard the two guys coming out of the house. Both seemed to be carrying an awful lot for the short journey back to the Grand. She watched them dump everything into the back of Dick's truck before clearing her throat.
"We seriously need all of that?"
"Sure." Logan said easily. "We need the crowbars in case we need to bash some heads, the small calibre guns so that we can shoot them from a distance, the machete... in case... we run into some jungle terrain."
"Are you holding a crossbow?" Veronica sounded incredulous as she took in what Logan was holding in his hands.
"It's for you," he was unable to stop the grin that was expanding across his face. "I know how much you hate guns, so I thought this might work better for you."
"And there's, like, no recoil." Dick was nodding along with Logan's description. "So you don't need to worry about the kick."
Veronica wanted to laugh, she wanted to say how insane it sounded that they were discussing the best way to kill people, no not people she corrected herself... zombies.
It wasn't until she felt Logan's hand on her shoulder that Veronica realized that she was doing exactly what she had been trying to avoid. She was becoming hysterical. "You guys do realize you are telling me the best way to kill Zombies. Capital Z, zombies. Romero's finest, Night of the Living Dead, you think we are surrounded by zombies!?"
Veronica sank to the ground, pulling Logan down with her. Merely clinging to his arm when he began to speak, "Look, I know it sounds crazy. But given what we have seen today? It's the only answer I have.”
Veronica nodded slowly, getting back up to her feet, she smiled at Logan, “Who would have thought you would be the one comforting me?”
“Hate to break up the love fest, but I think we might have company.” Dick pointed towards the end of his driveway. Turning, they could all see the slow, shambling gait, of the things moving up Dick’s driveway to the house.
Veronica, Dick and Logan all looked at each other and began frantically throwing supplies into the back of Dick’s truck, piling into the cab and preparing to force their way down the driveway. As they sped past what used to be the gates at the end of the driveway, Veronica realized that even if these people used to be human, they weren’t anymore.
As they drove through Neptune, they began to see signs of unrest. Packs of zombies were beginning to roam the streets and Veronica was slightly worried about what they would do when night fell. The idea of staying out on the streets was not a fun one.
Having arrived back at the Grand, Dick parked his truck in the main area figuring that the underground parking garage was probably the worst place to park - he’d learnt something from Dawn of the Dead. The three of them walked into the lobby and instead of the desertion they were expecting, it appeared as though it was business as usual at the Grand.
Crossing the lobby, hoping that their more unusual items were hidden, they pressed the up button on the elevator, walking in and relaxing when they were no longer the focus point for about ten employees. For once in her life, Veronica was grateful that Logan still lived in the Presidential Suite because it meant that there wouldn’t be anyone else up there.
Dick stomach started to growl once they entered the suite and it was only then that they became aware of it being seven o’clock. Logan tried to reach room service, but no one answered. Fear pooling deep in his belly, he called the Front Desk.
“This is Mr. Echolls in the Presidential Suite. I was just trying to order room service and wondered why there was no answer.”
“Ah, well…” Logan could hear muffled sounds coming from the receiver, “Sir, you are not allowed…” and then silence, just the clattering of the handset, however the silence was short-lived and soon all he could hear were screams.
Hanging up the phone, Logan turned to the others. “The lobby might not be safe anymore.”
“What happened?” Veronica asked, taking a seat on the couch.
“Yeah, where’s the food?” Dick came walking out of the kitchen, eating cereal from the box.
“I think that zombies might be in the lobby. I was asking about the room service when the phone was dropped and people started screaming.” Logan started looking around the room, for something - anything - that could be used to barricade the door.
“We can’t stay here then.” Veronica said, “We have to get to somewhere safe.”
“We can’t leave here.” Dick said urgently, “the elevator would make us canned food.”
Logan thought about it, wondering when he had become the zombie expert, and finally made a decision. “We should stay here tonight, tomorrow we can decide what we want to do. Let’s barricade the door.”
Veronica grabbed her messenger bag, still filled with food she had grabbed from the Hut. “It’s not much, but it should get us through the night.”
Part Two
Author: Lex
Fandom(s): Veroncia Mars
Pairing/Characters: Veronica, Logan, Dick, Keith
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 10,500ish
Recipient:
sadiekate, for
apocalyptothon
Request: I like snark and banter. The story beyond that can be as dark or as light as it needs to be - I think snark works equally well in both scenarios.
A/N: Thanks to Mel (
lostt1) for the beta and the banner. And to like everyone for the handholding, and to
sarah_p for convincing me it wasn't utter crap, like she does with everything I write.
* * * * *
Veronica rolled over and groaned at the sound of her alarm clock. Surely being a normal teenager shouldn’t have to involve getting up at six in the morning to work a double-shift at Java the Hut. Throwing back the covers, she grabbed her towel before climbing into the shower. Thirty minutes later, she was just finishing getting dressed in her stylish uniform and pulling her hair back into a ponytail.
She looked into Keith’s room as she passed it, guess Dad is still up in LA working on that case. Veronica grabbed a muffin from the kitchen before locking up the apartment and getting into her car. As she drove to the Hut she was struck by the fact that the streets were empty, which was unusual, even for Neptune.
Veronica saw that she was the first one to arrive for the morning shift and unlocked the door. She began stocking the shelves and checking the inventory. Before she knew it, it was almost noon. Almost noon and no one has been in at all. No customers, no other staff…not even the guys from the firm down the street who swear they cannot exist without coffee.
Veronica was starting to feel as though something was extremely wrong. Pulling out her cell phone, she started trying to get through to everyone in her phonebook. Corny… no answer; the Sheriff - not going to bother; Why do I still have Felix in my phone? Weevil - is out of town; Wallace - in Chicago with his dad… I am running out of people to call. I wouldn’t call Dick if I was on fire…. almost giving up, Veronica pressed send on the one name left
Grinning slightly at the disgruntled groan on the other end, “How is it that out of everyone in the world, you are the only person who is answering their phone?”
“Funny, Veronica.” Logan mumbled before continuing, “Wait? You called everyone else before me?”
“Well, I tried to call you, but my phone just wouldn’t let me.” Veronica said with a grin, realizing that calling Logan might have been a mistake. “It’s just…well… I can’t reach anyone. I was getting worried.”
“So you called me? How sweet.” She could practically feel his smirk over the phone.
“Shut up Logan.” Veronica couldn’t help but grin, “Have you seen anyone else today?”
“Not at the moment, but if anyone else happens to walk in front of my couch, you’ll be the first to know.” With that, Logan started to hang up the phone. "Seriously, I'll call you."
Sighing, Veronica walked back towards the front of the Hut. Flipping the lock on the main doors, she turned on the TV and started looking for the local news.
* * * * *
After the call from Veronica, Logan knew he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. As he walked out of his bedroom, he noticed that Dick was passed out on his couch. Apparently Veronica didn’t try everyone before me. Course, she wouldn’t ask Dick for help if she was on fire… so no surprise here. Nonetheless, Logan checked Dick’s cell phone to see if he had a missed call.
Picking up the phone, Logan called room service and after twelve rings he decided that no one was answering. So much for twenty-four hour room service. Assuming that Duncan, ever the Boy Scout, probably had something edible in the kitchen, he went to investigate. Finding eggs, bacon and some coffee grounds, Logan started to make himself a meal.
It was only after the coffee finished brewing that Dick stirred on the couch. Stretching out on the couch, he called out to Logan. “Dude. Best thing about living in a hotel? Room Service.”
He rolled off the couch and stumbled into the kitchen with Logan. “You ordered without me? Dude, where’s my food?”
“No one answered the phone. I made this myself.” Logan held up the coffee pot, silently offering it to Dick.
“Sure man,” Dick started pouring sugar into the cup Logan gave him. “No one answered? What kind of second rate hotel is this?”
Logan picked up the remote control and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels until he found the news.
“Hey was that ‘Girls Gone Bad’?” Dick asked excitedly, “you have to flip back.”
Logan ignored Dick and turned the volume on the television up, straining to hear what the announcer was saying.
... it appears as though people have begun to leave the city in a rush, the freeways have become completely blocked… reports from the streets have been varied and no one seems sure if it is riots or an angry mob that has begun patrolling the streets… we will be updating the public when more information becomes available…
Dick turned to Logan, “Dude, that traffic’s fucking harsh. Where was that?”
“Los Angeles.” Logan said, flipping through the channels again trying to get more information about what was happening in LA. The key words on the news channels seemed to be ‘mass exodus’ and ‘outbreaks of rabies.’
* * * * *
Veronica was starting to think that nothing was more boring than working a slow double shift on a Sunday, except for maybe working said double shift with the cable out for unknown reasons. Having counted every piece of stock, washed every table about a billion times, and having taken apart and systematically cleaned the espresso machines, she was pretty sure there was actually nothing left to do. The case of the missing customers continued to elude her, as did the reason why no one else had shown up for their shifts.
Veronica decided that if she didn’t have anything else to do, she could at least lock the door and catch up on some of the sleep she didn’t get last night. Walking towards the front doors she saw someone outside… except they didn’t seem to be paying attention to what they were doing. Veronica watched curiously as the man walked, or stumbled rather, down the middle of the street… hands raised and the fingers slowly reaching out towards something unseen.
Feeling the chills run down her spine and the hair stand up on the back of her neck, Veronica locked the door with a quick flick of her wrist. Eerily enough, the man seemed to hear that miniscule noise and turned towards the Hut. Veronica’s mouth gaped open as he turned and she was able to see his lifeless eyes and slack jaw.
Frozen in place, Veronica could do little more than watch as the man slowly but surely approached her. It was only when she could hear the low moan coming from his mouth that she snapped out of it and hit the button for the metal security shutters to descend.
I’m no expert, but I would have to say that... he… it… whatever that is... is not normal. Veronica’s mind was racing; there was no logical explanation for what she had seen. If she didn’t know better, she would have said he was a zombie. Except they weren’t real and this wasn’t a Hollywood blockbuster, and well... he... he was just confused and disoriented... or on drugs or something.
Veronica backed away from the door, already feeling silly for closing the security blinds. Hearing noise from behind her, she turned and saw that the cable had returned and that the news was playing.
… more updates on the mass exodus from Los Angeles and horrendous traffic hold-ups, after the break. But first, we have apparently had a string of rabies outbreaks in the last couple of days all throughout Southern California and Mexico... so be aware of your surroundings and try to avoid being bitten by any wild animals…
Veronica grabbed her phone, and started dialling her dad’s number. pick up, pick up… Veronica glanced at her watch while waiting for him to answer. According to his planned schedule he should be getting ready to leave LA any time now.
You’ve reached Keith Mars, I can’t come to the phone right now… so leave your name, number and a short message and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
“Dad, it’s Me. I just saw on the news that it is practically impossible to get out of LA right now. You should probably just stay another night.”
It was at this point that she noticed the noise coming from the main entrance, it sounded like pounding.
* * * * *
Logan swore furiously, leaning forward and tried frantically to press the buttons in just the right combination to get out of the death grip Dick had him in.
“Yeah baby, rip his fucking head off!” Dick was grinning and calmly pressing the exact sequence he needed to actually rip Logan’s head off. “That’s right, who’s your daddy?”
Logan groaned, rolled his eyes and switched the console off. “Seriously. You spend way too much time on these games.”
“That’s what everyone who loses says,” Dick nodded, leaning forward to snag his drink from the coffee table.
Logan was about to respond when he noticed that there was an update on the news. Reaching forward he turned the volume up on the television.
… and we have just heard that reports of rabies cases have never been higher. People are being urged to get to the nearest hospital as soon as possible after a bite in order to be treated. We will now go to Jimmy with his traffic report…
… Thanks Karen… it seems that traffic is still at a standstill on all the major routes in and out of the city. The eye in the sky has shown us that this is not just happening in LA but also throughout the country in all major cities…
Dick and Logan both watched as they saw footage of the ‘rabies’ cases and of the traffic that had long stopped moving on the freeways.
“Now I’m no doctor,” Dick started, “but I am pretty sure that’s not rabies.”
Logan nodded silently, watching with awe as they saw how many people were waiting in the hospital ER with what was being termed animal bites. “There has to be like a hundred people waiting there.”
* * * * *
Veronica was getting used to the mind-numbing tedium of having nothing to do, she was getting used to the idea that no one else was going to show up for work, what she couldn’t get used to was the continous pounding coming from the front of the Hut.
“Oh, for crying out loud,” Veronica yelled towards the front, “don’t you have anything better to do?”
She had hoped that the noise would stop when they realized that it wasn’t funny, but instead it had just grown in both frequency and volume. Some people really needed hobbies. Veronica thought as she rolled her neck and stretched, trying to alleviate the stiffness in her muscles.
She flipped through the channels again, trying to find something of interest to watch and apart from a Smallville rerun there was nothing on. Pressing the off button, Veronica stood up and decided to call it a day. It was beyond obvious that no one was coming in today.
Throwing her apron behind the counter, Veronica pressed the button to open the shutters so that she could leave, when she noticed them. If they hadn’t kept trying to get inside, pounding against the glass as though it wasn’t there she might not have thought anything of it. They were constantly pushing towards the glass, against each other, just pushing continuously. Oh my God. Veronica backed away quickly, lowering the shutters again, hoping that it would cut out that incessant inhuman moan.
This can’t be happening, I must be asleep or something. Oh shit, what do I do now? I am trapped inside Java the Hut. I really don’t want to die in here. Veronica’s mind started to run wild with images of what might happen before she realized how stupid this was. Zombies do not exist, Veronica.
Veronica reached down for her bag, searching inside for her cell phone. Flipping it open, she realized that there was no way she would be able to dial with her fingers shaking like they were. She sat down and forced herself to take some calming breaths, to focus on something other than the noises she could hear coming from the front.
Finally able to dial the phone, she held it to her ear, praying that he would answer. She would figure out what she was going to tell him when he did.
* * * * *
Logan was starting to realize the problems with letting Dick have his run of the suite. He couldn’t find anything and Dick seemed to have this habit of picking everything up and moving it. It was due to this fun pastime of Dick’s that Logan could hear but not find his cell phone.
“Damn it, Dick!” Logan yelled out, “Where did you leave it?”
Dick was currently looking through the unused second bedroom in the suite. Logan wasn’t sure when he had gone in there, as he had slept on the couch, but he was more interested in finding his phone than having a long drawn-out story from Dick.
Finally as he checked the couch cushions one more time, his hand managed to brush up against the phone… just as it stopped ringing. Looking down at the screen, he saw that he had missed a call from Veronica.
“Dude, did you see this?” Dick’s voice came from the direction of the bedroom.
Logan walked into the suite to see Dick holding a battered copy of The Zombie Survival Guide. “I didn’t know that was in here.”
“Duncan had a thing for Zombies!” Dick laughed, as he started flipping through the pages, “and we all thought he was boring.”
Logan knew what Dick would find in the book if he was allowed to keep looking through it, detailed schematics for not only his old house, but the suite in the Grand and Veronica’s apartment. “Hey, let me see that.”
Dick handed over the book to Logan, “What’s that noise?”
Logan paused; listening intently before running out of the room, reaching the living room he grabbed his phone and answered it. “Hello?”
“Logan.” Veronica’s voice was panicked to say the least. “What are you up to?”
“Right now?” Logan asked, the worry starting to creep into his voice.
“Uh yeah… I-I kind of need your help.” He could almost hear her fiddling with her shirt hem.
“Where are you? I’ll come right over.” Logan said, already grabbing his coat and getting ready to leave the suite.
“I’m at Java the Hut.” Veronica said, “be careful Logan. Something weird is going on.”
* * * * *
Veronica knew, logically, that it wouldn’t take Logan long to get here from the Grand and yet he seemed to be taking his sweet time getting here.
Pacing back and forth, Veronica tried to calm herself down, tried to block out the sounds of the people - things - outside. Flipping through the channels, Veronica saw nothing but reports of mass hysteria, rabies outbreaks, and insane traffic jams in most of the major cities. Apparently this was no longer just on the West Coast, but was slowly spreading across the country - hell the continent.
Having decided that doing anything was better than doing nothing, she started grabbing supplies. If things in the hut and on the news were any indication of life outside these doors - she wouldn’t be able to pick up a dinner at Mama Leone’s any time soon. Grabbing her messenger bag, she started piling water bottles into it, only to quickly realize that she would not be able to fit much in.
“Hello?” Veronica answered the chirping of her phone.
“Hey V? We can’t get through the front doors… there is a mob out here.” Logan said, “Any way we can come around the back?”
“Of course. I should have thought about that.” Veronica said, mentally kicking herself, “I’ll unlock the freight entrance, you can come in that way.”
Just as Logan was getting ready to hang up, he heard Veronica say something. “What? I missed that.”
“I asked if you had a bag in your car. So we can get some supplies.” Veronica repeated.
“Yeah, I think there is something,” Logan said. “Be there in a second.”
Veronica hung up the phone and went to unlock the freight entrance to the store. Watching through the window for Logan, she tried not to think about what was happening outside. The excitement she felt upon seeing him faded when she noticed Dick was behind him. Opening the door, she ushered the two of them inside before closing and locking it after them.
“When I called and asked for your help, I wasn’t expecting you to be bringing Blinky the Wonder Chimp with you,” Veronica said dryly.
“Hey!” Dick protested. “I’m here to help, or something, Dick is here for all of your needs.”
Logan glared at Dick, while Veronica resorted to punching him in the arm. “Where’s the bag?”
“Whoa, first things first. What the hell is going on here?” Logan said, crossing the room and taking a seat in one of the booths. “There is definitely something weird going on out there. Why do you have yourself locked in here? Who are those men outside?”
Veronica sat down, rested her head on her folded arms for a minute before looking up at Logan again. “I don’t know what is going on. I’ve been here all morning, no one has come in - none of the regulars, none of the staff, no one.”
At this point Dick came and sat down, too. “Hey Ronnie… what’s the chance of us getting some coffee?”
Veronica nodded and got up to make a fresh pot, hearing Dick call out after her, “and some cake, too?” She also brought cake back to the table with her.
“What else?” Logan asked, quietly. He had seen what was happening all over Neptune, but his curiousity had him wondering what would make Veroncia call him for help.
“Around noon I started wondering why no one had come in, before that I had been doing inventory, so I went to the doors to see if there was anyone around. He..." At this she motioned towards the front doors, "he was the only one there, and I admit he freaked me out… so I locked the door and that’s when he came towards them. I don’t know where the others came from.”
“Freaked you out?” Dick was starting to look around, like they might be in the room. “Freaked you out how?”
Veronica got up, and gestured for them to follow her. Leading them to the front doors, she pressed the button for the shutters to rise. Logan and Dick stared, unable to move, as the shutters rose to show the grotesque scene unfolding before them. A large group of people were slowly being pushed forward into each other, pounding on the glass and uttering that low moan. Both boys involuntarily stepped back and both were relieved when Veronica lowered the shutters once more.
“I didn’t know what to do. So I called you.” Veronica said simply, looking at Logan.
He reached forward and placed his hand on her arm. “We’ll figure something out. Where’s Keith?”
Veronica looked at Logan, feeling calmed by his presence. If there is one thing guys know, it’s Zombies. God this can’t be Zombies. “He’s in LA. Something about his book, a signing… a meeting with publishers.. something.”
“Alright. We’ll go to LA then,” Logan said, hoping this would ease Veronica’s nerves over Keith’s whereabouts.
“Dude. Road trip!” Dick started to grin, clapping his hands together with glee.
Veronica, while happy Logan was willing to help her, knew that any road trip with Dick was bound to have problems.
The three of them gathered as many supplies as they could, packing full the gym bag that Dick had apparently been carrying around in his truck. Since they couldn’t think of anything else to take, Veronica once more unlocked the freight door, checking cautiously to make sure no one was out there and they began to plan out their exit from the Hut.
Just as they opened the door, they heard the sound of breaking glass coming from the front. Quickly, they all ran to Dick’s truck, tossing their gear into the back and piling into the cab.
“We should run past my place if we can, I need to get out of this uniform.” Veronica said as Dick started the engine.
“You sure -“ Dick was cut off by Logan.
“Good plan, we should be there in a minute. You can come get your car later.” Logan said, knowing how Dick was planning to finish that sentence.
As they drove to Veronica’s apartment, they noticed that while the streets weren’t exactly teeming with people, there were more out than before. Unfortunately, they didn’t look like the type you wanted to invite home and more like the type you wished were anywhere you weren’t.
“What is wrong with these people?” Veronica asked, as they had to drive around yet another group of people blocking the street.
“Freaks. All of them. Probably have rabies like all those people in LA,” Dick said, grinning as he sped down the street narrowly missing some of the people.
Veronica was already unbuckling her seat belt when they pulled up to her apartment, she looked at Logan when he appeared to be getting ready to follow her.
“I think I can handle this on my own, Logan.” Veronica grinned, “I’ve been dressing myself for years.”
“Yeah, well… better safe than sorry. I’m coming with you.” Logan shook his head as she began to try and argue the point with him. “Dick. Stay here, keep the engine running.”
“What’s gotten into you man?” Dick asked. “You’re all Commando-y.”
Logan smirked, and saluted Dick as he and Veronica walked into the complex together. Veronica still wasn’t entirely sure why Logan felt he had to accompany her. She reached forward to unlock and open her door, and became suddenly aware that they were being watched. She was about to turn around to see who was watching her when she heard Logan’s voice next to her ear.
“Don’t turn around, just open the door.” His voice had a hint of urgency and despair to it.
I think I might actually be afraid to see what is behind Me. Veronica thought briefly, before she became very aware of the warmth of Logan’s breath on her neck. Quickly, she opened the door and stepped inside, trying to get some room between herself and Logan.
He closed the door and turned the lock. As he faced Veronica, she could practically see the change in him. Instead of being the Logan who was a slacker and wanted people to do things for him, he was someone who was about to take charge of the situation. She had never seen this Logan, or at least not for a long time, and Veronica felt the electric charge of excitement run through her.
“Okay, we have to go out your window. The courtyard is not somewhere we want to be.” Logan shuddered slightly when he thought of what he had seen in the courtyard. Seeing the crime scene tapes of Lilly was nothing compared to seeing the people in the courtyard eating somebody else.
Veronica went into her room to change from her uniform, threw some clothes in a bag and came back out to the living room.
Seeing Logan’s pointed glance at her bag she explained, “I think we should go to LA, find my dad. I’ll need some other clothes.”
Logan nodded and thought about the schematic he had memorized during his all-to-brief relationship with Veronica this past summer. If we go out her window we can sneak around the side of the building, hop the small divider fence, and be back in the parking lot. Hopefully without running into anyone.
“This way,” Logan went into her room and opened up her window. He peered out to make sure the coast was clear and motioned to Veronica to precede him out. Once she was through the window, he dropped down beside her and quietly closed the window.
Veronica opened her mouth to speak but Logan placed his finger on his lips before whispering, “We need to go around the side, hop over the fence, and meet Dick back at his truck.”
“Why are we whispering?”
“So we don’t attract attention to ourselves,” Logan said, looking as though that was the stupidest question he had ever heard.
“Attention? We just climbed out my window, Logan.” Veronica pointed to the window emphatically. “Discretion is not really an issue anymore.”
“Look. The people in the courtyard are not who they used to be.” Logan tried to think of a way to explain the situation that wouldn’t sound like ‘everyone has become zombies’.
“You mean… like the people at the Hut?” Veronica’s eyes slowly widened as she began to realize just what Logan might have been shielding her from. It must have been bad, Logan knows what I have seen… and he didn’t want me to see this.
She quickly went towards the dividing wall and with Logan’s help got over it. The two of them then ran towards Dick’s truck.
“Logan. Dude.” Dick was looking past them at the complex, “You’d better start running faster, they do not look friendly.”
Logan looked quickly over his shoulder, saw the group of people shambling towards them, and turned to Veronica. “We’ll just have to hop in the back of the truck, I don’t want to be anywhere near them.”
He let down the tailgate and Veronica hopped into the back. He then climbed in after her and knocked on the separation window to let Dick know they were in the back. Dick nodded and sped out of the lot and back onto the main streets of Neptune.
Once Veronica and Logan had managed to climb from the bed of the truck through the sliding window, Dick spoke, “Not that I don’t like driving randomly, but where are we going?”
“I have to get to LA,” Veronica said simply.
“Your dad still has his collection, right Dick?” Logan asked suddenly, motioning for Dick to pull over to the side of the road. The three of them clambered out of the cab, after making sure the coast was clear.
“This is not the time to be looking at porn guys,” Veronica said, disbelief coloring her voice.
“Like I would need my dad’s porn, Ronnie.” Dick grinned, “Logan wants to know about his arsenal.”
“No guns Logan. You know how I feel-“ Veronica started to say, before Logan cut in.
“I don’t want a gun Veronica, but there is definitely something wrong with everyone today and I am not letting us go all the way to LA without something to protect us.” Logan’s voice was like steel.
“Look, I’m not even sure going to LA is even a good idea,” Veronica looked down. “We’ve all seen the news, it won’t be easy to get there and I am sure my dad’s okay.”
Logan looked at Veronica, then at Dick, then back to Veronica. “I think we should decide what to do as a group.”
“We should…” Veronica began, just as Dick was saying, “Dude, we need…”
Logan held his hands up. “Hold on, one at a time.”
Dick nodded to Veronica that she should go first. “We should go back to the Grand. Everything we would need is there, in large supply.”
Dick grinned, “That’s exactly what I was going to say. Think about it, booze, food, booze, porn… it’s all there.”
Logan stepped between the two of them before Veronica could punch Dick. “First, we go get some protection. Then we’ll go back to the Grand.”
* * * * *
Veronica was glad to get out of the Casablancas house, especially after having to watch Logan and Dick discuss the merits of automatic weapons. Apparently when fighting off a hoard of the undead, one should really have an AK-47, because its metal stock is much more effect for beating in the skull; Especially if you compare it to the American made M16a, which was plastic. Veronica groaned just thinking about all the unnecessary information she now had crammed into her mind.
“Hey Dude. What’d you do with that crowbar?” Dick called out from the garage.
Veronica winced, remembering the long conversation about how everything would just be much easier if they had some trench spikes, which unfortunately aren’t very common since they haven’t been used since World War One. I will never doubt Logan’s knowledge of weapons ever again.
Walking towards Dick’s truck, she felt the newly developing bruise on her thigh and cursed at herself again for allowing Logan to teach her some basic martial arts moves. When did Logan become a one-man army?
* * * * *
Logan walked through the Casablancas home, taking the stairs up to Big Dick’s private study. Hoping he was recalling what Kendall had told him correctly, he pulled out the third book on the shelf. Hearing a click, he released the book and part of the shelf slid away, revealing a safe.
Logan entered the code he had found under the drawer in the desk, and opened it to see the really interesting items in Big Dick’s collection. Things he hadn’t exactly waited the required time to purchase, a crossbow, a lightweight Katana and what appeared to be several magazines of ammunition for an AK-47.
“Holy shit. What the hell was Big Dick up to?” Logan said aloud, the sound of his voice shocked him and remembering his mission, he grabbed the crossbow and katana before leaving the room.
Logan looked out the window onto the main driveway, chuckling slightly when he saw Veronica rubbing her leg. Well at least she knows I was serious when I said I knew kung fu, I wasn’t just quoting some actor. Hearing Dick calling him from the garage, Logan stepped away from the window and went downstairs.
* * * * *
Dick sat in the garage, looking around the room for something he could claim was a weapon. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was completely out of his league with anything even vaguely zombie related. Beaver had always been better at Resident Evil, whereas Dick had excelled at any game that included hot chicks stripping. Unfortunately as it didn’t seem likely that they were about to be challenged to a game of strip volleyball… Dick felt completely out of his element.
Getting up, Dick walked toward the tool box in the far corner, opening it and digging through the assorted screwdrivers he had an epiphany.
“Hey Dude. What’d you do with that crow bar?” He called out in what he thought might be Logan’s general direction.
* * * * *
Veronica looked up as she heard the two guys coming out of the house. Both seemed to be carrying an awful lot for the short journey back to the Grand. She watched them dump everything into the back of Dick's truck before clearing her throat.
"We seriously need all of that?"
"Sure." Logan said easily. "We need the crowbars in case we need to bash some heads, the small calibre guns so that we can shoot them from a distance, the machete... in case... we run into some jungle terrain."
"Are you holding a crossbow?" Veronica sounded incredulous as she took in what Logan was holding in his hands.
"It's for you," he was unable to stop the grin that was expanding across his face. "I know how much you hate guns, so I thought this might work better for you."
"And there's, like, no recoil." Dick was nodding along with Logan's description. "So you don't need to worry about the kick."
Veronica wanted to laugh, she wanted to say how insane it sounded that they were discussing the best way to kill people, no not people she corrected herself... zombies.
It wasn't until she felt Logan's hand on her shoulder that Veronica realized that she was doing exactly what she had been trying to avoid. She was becoming hysterical. "You guys do realize you are telling me the best way to kill Zombies. Capital Z, zombies. Romero's finest, Night of the Living Dead, you think we are surrounded by zombies!?"
Veronica sank to the ground, pulling Logan down with her. Merely clinging to his arm when he began to speak, "Look, I know it sounds crazy. But given what we have seen today? It's the only answer I have.”
Veronica nodded slowly, getting back up to her feet, she smiled at Logan, “Who would have thought you would be the one comforting me?”
“Hate to break up the love fest, but I think we might have company.” Dick pointed towards the end of his driveway. Turning, they could all see the slow, shambling gait, of the things moving up Dick’s driveway to the house.
Veronica, Dick and Logan all looked at each other and began frantically throwing supplies into the back of Dick’s truck, piling into the cab and preparing to force their way down the driveway. As they sped past what used to be the gates at the end of the driveway, Veronica realized that even if these people used to be human, they weren’t anymore.
As they drove through Neptune, they began to see signs of unrest. Packs of zombies were beginning to roam the streets and Veronica was slightly worried about what they would do when night fell. The idea of staying out on the streets was not a fun one.
Having arrived back at the Grand, Dick parked his truck in the main area figuring that the underground parking garage was probably the worst place to park - he’d learnt something from Dawn of the Dead. The three of them walked into the lobby and instead of the desertion they were expecting, it appeared as though it was business as usual at the Grand.
Crossing the lobby, hoping that their more unusual items were hidden, they pressed the up button on the elevator, walking in and relaxing when they were no longer the focus point for about ten employees. For once in her life, Veronica was grateful that Logan still lived in the Presidential Suite because it meant that there wouldn’t be anyone else up there.
Dick stomach started to growl once they entered the suite and it was only then that they became aware of it being seven o’clock. Logan tried to reach room service, but no one answered. Fear pooling deep in his belly, he called the Front Desk.
“This is Mr. Echolls in the Presidential Suite. I was just trying to order room service and wondered why there was no answer.”
“Ah, well…” Logan could hear muffled sounds coming from the receiver, “Sir, you are not allowed…” and then silence, just the clattering of the handset, however the silence was short-lived and soon all he could hear were screams.
Hanging up the phone, Logan turned to the others. “The lobby might not be safe anymore.”
“What happened?” Veronica asked, taking a seat on the couch.
“Yeah, where’s the food?” Dick came walking out of the kitchen, eating cereal from the box.
“I think that zombies might be in the lobby. I was asking about the room service when the phone was dropped and people started screaming.” Logan started looking around the room, for something - anything - that could be used to barricade the door.
“We can’t stay here then.” Veronica said, “We have to get to somewhere safe.”
“We can’t leave here.” Dick said urgently, “the elevator would make us canned food.”
Logan thought about it, wondering when he had become the zombie expert, and finally made a decision. “We should stay here tonight, tomorrow we can decide what we want to do. Let’s barricade the door.”
Veronica grabbed her messenger bag, still filled with food she had grabbed from the Hut. “It’s not much, but it should get us through the night.”
Part Two