Ike and Leo were still mesmerized by the images on TV; they couldn’t turn it off. It was like being in a car going by a fatal wreck and seeing the telltale yellow tarp, you are compelled to steal a look. Such was the draw here. They aired the Pioneer Square footage yet again, the attack at the hospital and a reporter getting ambushed by a mob of undead at an outdoor triage center. The international footage was few and far between. What they did show mirrored the horrors they faced here in the United States. As time wore on governments worldwide began to hide the extent of the outbreak. Even FEMA started a looping video message on all of the channels warning of the contagion and imploring people to shelter in place.
Leo and Ike watched the news for an hour and tried to piece together what had happened to their parents.
Their mom had been a janitor in a high-rise office building downtown, working the swing shift. She must have gotten infected downtown or at her job, turned undead sometime after she arrived home and attacked their dad when he came downstairs all dressed up for church. Unfortunately they would never really know what happened. They were very fortunate Leo had gotten them out of their house alive, and truly blessed that Cade came along when he did.
Cade had talked Leo and Ike out of going home to bury their parents. It was a noble thing to do but with all of the undead walking the streets, it wouldn’t be safe.
Leo told Cade that most of their extended family lived in Georgia and Louisiana. Cade suggested they go with him and they could look for their family members together. The brothers had no other family in Portland so there was little hesitation. Leo made the executive decision for himself and his brother. “We will go, but can you teach us to shoot a gun so we can defend ourselves?”
After giving it some thought, Cade answered, “I’ll teach you guys the safety part first. If you can grasp that... then, yes.”
The silver Toyota Sequoia should serve them well on their cross country trek. With the third row seat folded out of the way, there was plenty of room for the supplies they intended on taking.