Mike and Eduardo continue to gain ground under the sun. They are about 50 meters from the shore when Iñaki sees a flock of birds emerge from the trees that surround the river.
"Stop!"
"We have seen them too."
Iñaki squeezes the binoculars and investigates the area.
The last of the birds leave the foliage, the branches sway for a few seconds, and calm returns. Like an eagle, Iñaki bares the trees with his gaze.
He can see the river running under the bridge, but a few more meters to the left and a few more to the right, the trees hide the river. A cloud of dust rises from the dirt road and crosses the grove like a wraith. Trunks, branches, and leaves are a shield that hides the small forest from him.
"So?" the walkie-talkie revives with Eduardo's voice.
"I can't see what's between the trees," says Iñaki with the walkie-talkie in his right hand and the binoculars in his left, "do you see anything from there?"
"I see..."
Iñaki hears a meow through the device and immediately sees a black cat jumping from the top of a tree.
"It's a cat," says Eduardo.
"I see it."
The feline falls to the ground, runs in the opposite direction, and disappears between the trees to the left of Mike and Eduardo. The wind blows the leaves again. Iñaki tightens his binoculars and scrutinizes the trees where the animal has come from. Iñaki contracts his jaw.
"Iñaki?"
Then Iñaki sees one shoe...and another and another and another...
"Zombies," she roars at the walkie-talkie, "dozens of them!
In a flash he sees Eduardo pointing to the river and the two figures start running toward it.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
The revived eyes search for the cat and find two more succulent prizes. They extend their hands toward the survivors and drag their feet. "Slow ones," Iñaki thinks, "at least." The moans reach the roof. Rambo growls at his feet.
"We are going to complete the mission!" Eduardo's canned answer arrives.
"You're crazy!" yells Iñaki scornfully.
There's no answer this time. Iñaki watches the men sinking bottle after bottle on the banks of the river as they look over their shoulders. The infected are closing the gap.
At that moment the river is born as if it were Loch Ness, a monster that grabs Mike by his jacket and takes him to the water. The Infected continue to cut the distance.
Eduardo grabs the creature by the neck and prevents it from sinking its teeth into Mike's arm. Even so, the zombie clings to the Yankee's jacket and chatters his teeth. The first infected who came out of the forest is only 3 steps away from Eduardo.
"Turn around and shoot!"
Iñaki's voice explodes in the walkie talkie and in less than a second he hears the shot. The zombie falls to the ground. The rest keep moving forward. Eduardo turns his back on them again and targets the temples of the zombie that still clings to Mike.
The infected woman's brains explode and Mike gets rid of her hug. Rambo barks with every shot. Standing on the shore, both men contemplate the situation with exorbitant eyes.
A movement to the left of Iñaki catches his attention. He follows the stimulus with the binoculars and finds the bus. Dozens of infected join those who were on the asphalt and begin to follow the roars coming from the river.
"Where do we go from here?" Eduardo's voice vibrates in Iñaki's hands.
"Hurry, follow the cat! Run to the trees!"
Eduardo and Mike turn, gaze at the plane trees to their left, and head into the grove. The dead chase after them and those who have left the bus follow the moans.
Iñaki tries to see what happens but the vegetation hides it from him.
-…
"Eduardo?"
-…
"Mike?"
"Silence..." the answer comes at last.
Iñaki squeezes the walkie-talkie and listens; they're still alive.