Free Fire Birds by Shane Gregory

“Up there by that sign.”
    There was a deer crossing sign ahead. I checked my mirror to see how many pursued us. There were a few, but they were struggling. I skidded to a stop next to the sign.
    “Everybody stay put,” I said. “I’m going to check it out. Grant you take the wheel.”
    “Bro, I–“
    “Shut up!” I said. “Just do it!”
    I hopped out and pulled my sidearm. I entered the woods by the sign. I didn’t see anything. I wasn’t sure how deeply into the woods I needed to go before I found him. I heard a moan. Ahead and to my left was a zombie with its back to me. It was facing a tree. I approached it as quietly as I could.
    “We have to leave!” Grant yelled from the van.
    The zombie perked up a little as if trying to listen, but it didn’t move from that spot. I took another step, and Grant honked the horn.
    “Dude, they’re close!”
    “Dumbass,” I said under my breath. Then I yelled, “Dammit, just drive down the road and come back!”
    The creature turned and stared at me.
    “Yo, man,” said a faint voice.
    “Julio?” I said.
    “I’m in the tree,” he said.
    I looked up over the zombie’s head, and behind a clump of leaves, I could just make out one of Julio’s legs hanging down.
    “Are you hurt?” I asked as I holstered my weapon and looked around for a big enough stick to club the creature.
    “They got me good,” he said.
    I picked up a fallen tree limb. It was about twelve feet long, forked, and still had the finger-like branches and dried leaves on the end. I held it up to keep the zombie from getting closer.
    “Can you climb down?” I said.
    He didn’t answer me.
    The zombie walked into the limb, breaking off many of the smaller branches and wedging into the fork.
    “We have a van out on the road,” I said. “You need to climb down if you can.”
    Then I heard rustling in the leaves in the tree, then small branches snapping, and then Julio spilled out. He hit the ground with a loud thump! He had fallen at least ten feet.
    “Julio?” I said. “Julio, are you okay?”
    He didn’t move.
    I steered the zombie around and pushed it against a large tree. Then I jammed the end of the limb into the ground, pinning it there. It leaned against the limb trying to reach me, but it was stuck there for the time being. I ran over and got on my knees next to Julio. I rolled him over. He was unconscious. His yellow t-shirt was torn and blood-soaked at the bottom, and he had bites all over his face, arms, and stomach. The corners of his mouth were foamy. I checked his pulse, and it felt weak. I heard the van returning. Grant was on the horn again.
    “Come on, Julio,” I said. “Wake up.”
    I tried to lift him, but I just wasn’t strong enough. I was about to go get the others to help me, when Grant came running into the woods.
    “Over here!” I yelled, waving my arm.
    Grant rushed over, “Please tell me he’s not dead.”
    “He’s not,” I said. “But he’s really chewed up. Help me pick him up.”
    “Maybe I can lift him,” Grant said. “I was a volunteer firefighter. We train for stuff like that.”
    “I don’t think you can,” I said. “He’s heavy and–“
    “Move over,” he said.
    To my surprise, Grant hefted Julio up on his shoulders.
    “He’s definitely heavy,” he said with a grunt.
    I led the way back to the road, which wasn’t far. The minivan wasn’t there; I saw it farther down the road.
    “Shoot your pistol,” Grant said. “I told Christine to drive back when she heard the gun.”
    I pulled my pistol, and not wanting to waste a bullet, I stepped just inside the tree line and fired it off at the zombie pinned to the tree. I missed. The van pulled onto a side road, turned around, and headed back.
    When it pulled up to us, Grant set Julio in through the side door then we climbed in. Then we lifted him up into the second row seat, and Grant crawled over to get one of the bags from the back.
    “Is he still alive?” Christine said from