The Decay of Humanity Series (Book 2): Descent of Humanity

by Dawn, M. K.

  “Take all the time you need.” Axel rounded her parents' grave.

  “We won’t need much.” Britney headed for the kids, who moved amongst the headstones, taking a moment to listen to Carson as he read each one.

  “Will Daddy have one of those big stone things with his name on it?” Blake asked as Britney came up beside them.

  “One day, maybe.” As hard as she tried to keep her attention on the grave before them, her eyes kept dancing toward John’s wrapped body. “Come on now.”

  She guided them toward the two shallow openings. Each of them dragged their feet, but she didn’t push. She knew how tough it was to say goodbye to a parent.

  The bikers hung back, all except Axel and Angie.

  “Where’s the box?” Molly asked.

  Carson glared. “That’s mean.”

  Britney pulled them apart before a full-on brawl started. “I don’t think she was askin’ to be mean. Do you mean the coffin, honey?”

  Molly bobbed her head. “Yes.”

  “Yeah, he needs a box,” Blake chimed in, “or else the worms will eat him.”

  Britney’s body shook, though with humiliation, anger or amusement, she couldn’t tell. Maybe a little of them all. It wasn’t like he was trying to be funny; the sadness in his eyes was obvious.

  Angie kneeled in front of Blake and straightened his tie. “Don’t you worry about that, sugar britches. Your daddy’s body might be wrapped up in that blanket, but his soul is in heaven, smiling down on you.”

  Blake looked up and, as if on cue, a raindrop landed on his cheek.

  “See.” Angie wiped it away. “He’s letting you know he’s here.”

  Blake frowned. “By crying?”

  “Happy tears.” Angie rose to her feet, a bemused look on her face.

  Molly waved at the sky. “Hi, Daddy. I love you. Say hi to Jesus for me.”

  Blake waved along with her.

  Carson wasn’t as obvious, but Britney caught him glance upward and smile.

  “What about Ms. Susan?” Blake asked.

  Britney rubbed his little shoulder. “I’m sure she’s in heaven too.”

  “But, Mommy,” Molly said in her all-knowing tone, “you’ve said lots of times that Miss Susan can go to hell.”

  Britney’s face flushed while everyone else chuckled, except for Blake and Carson, who busted out laughing. “Molly, honey. I didn’t mean literally go to hell.”

  “What did you mean, Mommy?”

  Axel cleared his throat. “Maybe we should begin? Britney, did you want to say a few words?”

  Her eyes widened. She hadn’t even thought to prepare something. “Um….”

  “What if,” Angie cut in, “I sing ‘Amazing Grace’?”

  Her heart broke at the thought, not because of the song but because of how much John would have loved it. “That would be lovely. Thank you.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  The sound of blocks crashing on the wood floors made Britney jump. She lived in a constant state of fear, always worrying something bad was about to happen.

  She pushed away the knot in her stomach and focused on cooking the eggs, grateful John had the propane tank filled last month. Not that she’d used the stove much. They usually cooked most of their meals outside over an open flame, but it was a wet morning, and the fire refused to ignite.

  A week had passed since the funerals, and Britney and the bikers had fallen into a good routine around the farm. Everyone had offered to pitch in with whatever she needed. The only obstacle was none of them knew a damn thing about farming, but they’d proved to be fast learners and hard workers, which made her life a whole hell of a lot easier.

  She moved the eggs to the back burner and pulled out another frying pan for the bacon. The backup house generator was now being used to run the refrigerator and freezer. John had a knack for stockpiling meat from the animals he slaughtered or killed hunting. She used to give him a hard time for it, but now she couldn’t be more grateful. They had enough meat to last through the winter, if not the spring if they portioned it correctly.

  Carson strolled into the kitchen and opened the fridge. “I’m hungry. And so are the twins.” Some habits were hard to break. Her kids were snackers. And their favor snack had run out two days ago.

  “Breakfast will be ready soon.”

  “Ugh,” he grumbled. “Can’t we have something now?”

  “No.” She closed the fridge door and shooed him out of the room. “I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

  She went to open the bacon when she heard the scream followed by a gunshot. The package slipped from her fingers as she bolted for the front door, grabbing the shotgun she kept loaded on a high shelf out of the kids’ reach.

  “Downstairs!” she yelled at the kids as entered the living room. “Now!”

  They didn’t argue or hesitate before running for the basement.

  Throwing open the front door, she readied her gun.

  The bikers sprinted toward the house and up the porch stairs.

  “Infected!” Axel screamed.

  Britney moved from the doorway, allowing them to enter, and then locked the door behind them. “In the basement. Follow me.”

  “Where are the kids?” Rainey asked, her voice shaking.

  “Already down there.” She held open the door for them, making sure everyone made it inside.

  Downstairs, the kids had already turned on the lanterns. They waited on the bed, the twins buried under the covers and Carson keeping watch.

  “What’s going on?” Carson sounded so much like an adult it was eerie.

  Axel’s eyes darted to Britney, and she nodded. There was no point in lying to them. This was the world they now lived in, and they all—her included—needed to accept that.

  “We spotted some infected,” Axel said.

  “Spotted?” Angie’s mouth went slack. “It attacked my tent!”

  “Jesus.” Britney gulped down a couple of breaths. “Are you okay? Was anyone bit?”

  Gus took a seat on the floor and put his head between his knees. “It was a close call, but no, I don’t think so.”

  Britney looked to each of them as they shook their heads.

  “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.” Britney ran her fingers over her eyes. “I should have never let you stay in tents outside. I should have opened my home. There’s plenty of room.” They had helped so much, taken over so many of the daily responsibilities. It was the least she could do.

  Axel rubbed her back. “I think plenty of room is a bit of an overstatement.”

  “What?” Britney gawked at him. “You want to stay outside in tents?”

  “No.” Mac crossed his bulging arms over his chest. “The tents suck, and it’s cold outside.”

  “But we can’t impose,” Gus added. “There are children who must be considered.”

  Britney thought about it for a minute. “What about the hay barn?”

  “Isn’t that full of hay?” Gunner asked.

  “Yes.” Britney held back the smartass comeback tickling her tongue. “But there’s a small room John used occasionally and a loft we can clear.”

  “That’s not a bad id—” The horrendous cries of animals in distress cut Axel off. “What was that?”

  “Shit.” Britney grabbed her gun. “They’re killin’ the animals. We have to do something.”

  “Like what?” Shifter gaped the stairs. “Like go out there? We don’t even know how many there are.”

  “We don’t have a choice.” Britney stared at the bikers. “They’re killing our food supplies.”

  Axel stepped forward. “Gunner and I are the only ones with a decent shot besides Gus, whose heart isn’t great. The others should stay back, keep the kids safe.”

  Britney turned to her trembling children.

  Molly blinked away her tears. “Mommy, please don’t go out there.”

  She moved to the bed and sat beside Carson. “I have to go. We can’t let them kill all the ani
mals.”

  “The others can do it,” Blake cried. “We don’t want you to die like Daddy.”

  As Britney was about to reassure them that she’d be back, Carson spoke up. “Mom will be fine. She has to protect the farm and the animals.”

  The twins both nodded, their faces racked with fear.

  Britney squeezed Carson’s knee. “When did you get so big?”

  Carson threw back his shoulders. “I’m the man of the house now. It’s my job to be strong.”

  Britney wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but this wasn’t the time to get into it. Another cow cried out, forcing her to her feet.

  She kissed each of her children on the tops of their heads. If she made a big scene about leaving, it would only make it harder.

  “Time to go,” Britney said with as much muster as she could gather. “You have weapons?”

  “We each have a Glock.” Axel removed the gun from his hip holster. “And a couple of bullets left.”

  “That won’t work.” Britney jogged past them. “Luckily there’s a safe down here where John kept his extra guns.”

  “Extra guns?” Shifter asked.

  Britney entered the code, tossed them both a cartridge and grabbed one for herself. “I think these are fifteen-round magazines. Don’t waste them.” Before closing the safe, she turned to Gus. “I have another handgun in here if you need it.”

  Gus shook his head. “Last thing we need to do is waste your bullets.”

  Britney’s heart raced at the thought of leaving her kids down here without at least one of them carrying, but then more animals cried out. Guess I don’t have much of a choice. “Please keep them safe.”

  Rainey had moved to the bed with the kids. “We’ll protect them with our lives.”

  “Britney.” Axel seized her elbow. “We have to go before it’s too late.”

  She knew they needed to hurry, that they had wasted too much time already, but her motherly instincts kept her feet planted in place. Leaving them felt like the worst form of torture imaginable.

  “I love you.” She blew a kiss to each of her children and then headed up the stairs.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “What’s the plan?” Axel asked as he checked to make sure Gus locked the basement door.

  “Kill the fuckers.” Britney didn’t bother slowing down as she raced for the front door.

  Axel sprinted for her, wrapping his arms around her waist before she bolted out the door. “Hold on there. We can’t just run outside shooting everything we see.”

  Britney pushed out of his arms. “The hell we can’t.”

  “We have no idea what’s out there or how many there are.”

  “He’s right.” Gunner peeked out the living room window. “We need to be smart about this.”

  She clenched her jaw but didn’t argue. “What do you suggest?”

  Axel opened the door, stuck his head out and listened. “Stay together. Take it slow. Do you know what animals they might have been attacking?”

  “Probably the pen closest to the house,” Britney said, “or we wouldn’t have heard them.”

  “That’s the one to left?” Made sense, as it was on the same side as the basement. “How many cows are in there?”

  “Six,” Gunner replied and then shrugged when both Axel and Britney openly stared at him. “What? I’ve been feeding them.”

  He didn’t hear any more animals crying out, but that didn’t mean much. “I suggest we check that area first. Everyone agree?”

  Neither answered but didn’t disagree, so he took that as they were all on the same page.

  “Who’s the better shot?” Gunner asked. “I’m decent.”

  “Does it matter?” Britney pulled her hair up into a ponytail.

  Gunner rolled his neck. “Just thought the better shot might go first.”

  “I’ll go first.” Axel stepped outside and scanned the area.

  Britney pushed past him and headed down the stairs. “Keep up.”

  “That girl is a firecracker,” Gunner whispered as he and Axel followed Britney down the stairs.

  Axel readied his gun. “Let’s focus on the task at hand. Keep your eyes open. We all know how fast these fuckers can come out of know where.”

  Gunner rotated around and kept his eyes on their back.

  “You see anything?” Axel asked as they approached the pen. There were several trees and bushes surrounding it, making it hard to get a good look inside.

  Britney slowly approached the gate and crouched down. “Shit. There are two. They killed a cow.”

  “Are the others hurt?” Gunner asked.

  Axel settled in next to Britney. “I don’t think so.”

  “They’re in the far corner.” Britney leaned closer. “What now?”

  “Draw them to us.” Axel searched the ground for something he could use. “They’re attracted to sound. If we bang on the railings, maybe they’ll come check it out. When they get closer, we fire.”

  Britney picked up a rock that lay by her feet and handed one to Axel. “I hope this works.”

  “Gunner,” Axel said, “keep an eye on our backs. Just in case there are others we haven’t seen.”

  “Got it.”

  “Ready?” Axel asked Britney.

  She nodded.

  “Okay.” Axel held his breath and slammed the rock into the metal post. The infected jerked their heads in the direction of the sound. “We got their attention. Now let’s get them to come over.”

  Britney and Axel beat their rocks against the metal fencing, each hit drawing the infected closer. It didn’t take but a minute for them to move close enough that Axel felt comfortable taking a shot.

  “You keep hitting the fence and I’ll shoot,” he whispered to Britney as he kept his eyes on the infected. When she didn’t reply, he took a second to look in direction. The rock slipped from her hand, and her entire body trembled. “Britney? What’s wrong?”

  Tears streamed down her face. “They’re my in-laws.”

  Axel studied the two infected, who had their noses in the air, trying to figure out where the noise came from. Besides the clothes they still wore and the shape of their bodies, neither resembled a human anymore with their bald heads and gray skin. “How can you tell?”

  “Her necklace.” Britney fell to her backside and brought her knees to her chest. “I can’t do this.”

  “Um, Axel?” Gunner said, raising his gun. “They’re getting closer.”

  “Britney, do not freak out on me now.” Axel aimed his gun and fired, missing. Damn things were so fast. “We need you.”

  She continued to shake beside him. “She was like a mother.”

  Axel and Gunner both fired, Gunner hitting the farther one in the pelvis, slowing it down.

  “Britney,” Axel said in a sharp tone. “Your in-laws are dead. These things killed them. Now get off your ass and help us take them down. Do you want your kids to lose their mother too?”

  Her eyes narrowed. It had pissed her off, but she got up off the ground and fired. Her first shot hit the injured one in the leg, the second square in the chest, killing it. She was a damn good shot. Better than he’d expected.

  “How the hell do they move so fast?” Gunner fired another round at the one still standing.

  “Move.” Britney shoved both men out of the way. “I need to get a better angle.”

  Axel fired off a couple more rounds, finally hitting the thing in the shoulder. It paused for a second, long enough for Britney to shoot it in the chest.

  “Jesus.” She collapsed to the ground, her back against the fence. “That was close.”

  Close was an understatement. The second infected had fallen not twenty feet away.

  “Are you okay?” Gunner kneeled beside Britney.

  She squeezed her eyes closed and nodded. “Sorry for freezin’. I don’t know what came over me.”

  Axel sat down beside her and patted her thigh, dirt flying in all directions. “You’ve lost a
lot these last few days.”

  Britney stood and dusted off her jeans. “I could have gotten us all killed.”

  “You’re being too hard on yourself.” Gunner’s eyes went to Axel as if asking what they should do next.

  Axel didn’t like self-pity. But she had screwed up, and he felt like maybe tough love might work better with Britney than coddling. “You’re right. You screwed up, and you could have gotten not only us but everyone inside killed.”

  Her eyes bugged out and her nostrils flared. “What?”

  “Axel. Man.” Gunner shuffled back. “That’s a little harsh.”

  “This is a harsh world.” Axel moved closer to Britney. “Emotional attachment to the infected will get you killed. Freezing up when under attack will get you killed.”

  Tears welled in her eyes, but she said nothing.

  “You screwed up today.” Axel placed a hand on each of her shoulders. “But you also snapped out of it and saved us. We have to remember that once they turn, they are no longer the people we knew. Whatever is causing this takes over. I, for one, would want to know someone would shoot me instead of allowing me to become a killer.”

  Britney dropped her chin to her chest. “I should have gone over there.”

  “Over where?” Axel asked

  “To my in-laws’ house.” Her voice cracked. “After John died—after I killed him—I tried to call them, but they never answered. I should have gone over there to tell them what happened to their son. If I did, this would have never happened.”

  Axel cupped her chin and lifted her head. “Or you might have been killed. Your kids might have been killed.”

  “Or they could still be alive. I could have warned them.”

  “You can’t think like that.” Axel pulled her into a hug. He hoped she didn’t mind, but she looked like she needed some comforting. “All we can do is keep moving forward.”

  “I hate to break this up,” Gunner said, “but shouldn’t we check out the rest of the place and make sure there aren’t any more?”

  Britney wiggled out of Axel’s arms and wiped her face with the back of her hand. “Agreed. They were the only two who lived on their ranch, but we have other neighbors. No one close, but I’m not sure that matters.”