Free Jessica Meigs - The Becoming by Brothers in Arms

his car came into view. The moment he saw the vehicle, he knew that trying to gain access to his car would be physically impossible; there were simply too many of the crazy people— zombies, his brain suggested again—gathered around and near it. A couple of them were even leaning over the side of the car, pushing and shoving each other as they fought to lap at the red fluid staining the window and driver’s door. April’s blood. Gray swallowed the bite of nausea threatening the back of his throat and inhaled shallowly through his nose so he wouldn’t vomit at the sight.
    Gray slunk back into the darkness of the side street, trembling. He leaned against the building and breathed in, slowly and deeply, trying to calm himself. He was going to have to run; there was no question about that. He wasn’t going to be able to get into his own car, and the chances of him getting a ride from a stranger without getting shot were slim to none—he knew he wouldn’t have given a random person a lift in the midst of the chaos flooding over Plantersville. He’d told Theo to come get him at Smitty’s. He was going to have to call him back to tell him to meet him elsewhere instead.
    Gray heard an odd shuffling, scraping sound, like someone dragging his heels across gritty pavement. He took a deep, almost panicked breath and, before he even focused on the oncoming threat, ran for the end of the street. He cut left and headed as fast as he could for his apartment building.
    As he ran, Gray felt in his pocket for his cell phone, ripping it free and flipping it open. His fingers glided blindly over the keypad, finding the bump on the five before shifting up to the two. As he dodged a man coming at him from a storefront, he held the button down, directing the phone to speed-dial Theo’s number.
    It took six rings for Theo to answer, six agonizing rings that sent Gray’s heart falling into his stomach in the horrible fear that Theo wouldn’t answer. But then he did, his voice coming over the earpiece muffled and breathless, but blessedly alive. “Gray?”
    “Oh thank God,” Gray said. His voice was strained as he sucked in another frantic breath and jumped over a trash can lying abandoned in the middle of the sidewalk.
    “Where are you? Are you okay?” Theo asked before Gray could say anything further. “You sound awful.”
    “Running,” Gray explained. He glanced at a corner street sign as he passed it, noting where he was and that he had entirely too far left to run. “My place. Heading there. Meet me, okay?”
    “You shouldn’t be running—”
    “Had to,” Gray managed. His breathing was already coming shorter in his lungs as he passed the half-mile point. He felt at his pockets again with his free hand, hoping he’d have his inhaler handy. He didn’t. It was probably in his jacket. Which was, of course, in his car. “They got in.”
    “Fuck,” Theo said simply.
    “My thoughts too.” Gray checked one more time for his inhaler, as if it would miraculously turn up in a pocket he’d already checked. His lungs hurt like hell; he would be surprised if he made it all the way to his apartment. “Just get to my place. Please,” he added, fighting to get more air into his lungs. “I’m going to need your help.” He didn’t wait for his brother’s response. He simply hung up, shoved the phone back into his pocket, and tried to speed up his mad dash.
    It took far longer than Gray wanted to get to his apartment building. By then, a deep, tight ache had settled into his chest. In the lobby, he jabbed the elevator call button repeatedly, slamming his fist against the button. He took bare seconds to scan the building’s lobby and note that there wasn’t a single person anywhere in sight. He was, in a way, relieved; it meant he was less likely to run into some crazy bastard intent on killing him, but at the same time, if he passed out in the lobby from lack of oxygen, he’d be pretty well up the creek without help.
    The