Dead Sea

    "What are we going to do?" Malik asked. He didn't sound brave anymore. He sounded like a scared little boy on the verge of tears.

    That was when the idea of making it to the harbor actually occurred to me. I was pissed off at myself for not thinking of it earlier, when we'd been fleeing in that direction anyway. Fells Point bordered the Inner Harbor area. The Inner Harbor was Baltimore's main tourist attraction. It had the National Aquarium, the big Hard Rock Cafe, the three-story Barnes and Noble store, Port Discovery, the World Trade Center, Fort McHenry, the Maryland Science Center, the Pier Six Concert Pavilion (I'd seen Erik B and Rakim along with some other old-school hip-hop acts there last year), tons of shops and restaurants and bars, and quick access to hotels, the stadium, and the convention center. But Inner Harbor was also just what its name implied-a fucking harbor. It emptied out into Chesapeake Bay. The open water-someplace where the zombies couldn't reach us, just like I'd promised the kids.

    There were ships and boats all along the waterfront. The Pride of Baltimore II, which was a reproduction of an 1812-era clipper ship. The USS Constellation, the last Civil War vessel still afloat in America, built in 1854 and still seaworthy. Both of those were out of the question. 1 didn't know the first thing about sailing one, but I knew that you needed a whole crew just to get underway. There was a coast guard vessel, the USCGC Spratling, which they let tourists tromp around on. It had permanently replaced the Cutter Taney, which had been sent out for repairs and restoration a year or so ago. Before that, both coast guard vessels had been open to the public. Again, the Spratling was out of the question, just like the other big ships. But there were smaller boats, too; ferries, water taxis, and tour boats. Hell, there were even paddleboats, and I certainly knew how to operate one of those. There were also several marinas nearby full of yachts and fishing vessels and pleasure cruisers.

    I didn't know shit about boating, but how hard could it be-especially given our alternatives? If we could reach the Inner Harbor or one of the marinas without getting killed or eaten, and manage to steal a small boat, we'd be well away from land before the entire city burned to the ground. Even if I could just cast off from the dock, we'd at least be able to drift far enough out into the bay to where the zombies couldn't touch us. Maybe even into the ocean. Drifting on the open sea was better than staying here.

    The Inner Harbor was only a few blocks away. No telling how many zombies and crazy fuckers with guns we'd encounter between here and there. It would be tough, but what choice was there? We had to try.

    I ushered the kids even farther into the shadows and then I knelt down. The smoke was really getting bad, and when I spoke, my throat felt raw and dry.

    "Listen," I croaked. "I have an idea, but you guys are going to have to stick close to me and do exactly as I say. We're going to try to get to a boat-"

    Tasha interrupted. "What boat?"

    "Any boat. There's hundreds of them at the harbor. All we have to do is get there."

    "How?"

    "Well, we're gonna have to make a run for it. That's why I'm-"

    "Run?" Tasha looked stunned. "Out there? Into that mess? Are you crazy?"

    "I know it's dangerous, but there's no other way. Everybody is fighting each other. If we're quick, the zombies might not even notice."

    "I ain't afraid," Malik said-but his eyes said different.

    "I am," Tasha admitted. "I don't want to go out there, Mr. Reed. Please don't make us."

    I squeezed her hand, hoping to calm her down. Instead, she began to cry.

    "I don't want to go. They'll get us. Just like everyone else. All our friends. Momma…"

    Sobbing, Tasha flung herself against me, her arms wrapped tightly around my neck. Malik started to sniffle, and then he began crying, too. I pulled him to us in a three-way hug. 1 held them while their tears and snot soaked into my already wet shirt. From the street came more shots and screams, followed by a volley of nearby machine gun-fire.

    "Guys," I said softly, "I don't know what else to do. The city is on fire. Don't you see? It's reaching here already. We just can't stay put, and we can't fight them all. All I know to do is run. The water is our only chance. I promise-I promise you that I won't let those things get us. I'll die first."