by Dawn, M. K.
“A bar,” Gunner said. “Might as well enjoy the last few days you have.”
Axel pulled into the library parking lot. “Should I park in the back so people don’t get suspicious or by the door so we can run inside?”
“Door,” Britney and Gunner said in unison.
“Who cares if other people know we’re here,” Gunner continued. “Maybe they can help us.”
Axel didn’t have near the faith in humanity that Gunner did but didn’t want to dampen his optimism. “Door it is.”
He killed the engine. “I don’t see anything.” They had run into quite a few infected during their drive. Not as many as he and Gunner encountered on their first supply run, but enough to make him nervous.
“I’ll go check to see if it’s unlocked.” Gunner swung his door open. “Watch my back. I hate being exposed, especially in the dark. Those fuckers come out of nowhere.”
Axel exited the truck too. No way he’d be able to keep Gunner safe from inside the vehicle. “Any luck?”
“Well I’ll be damned. The door’s open.”
Britney climbed out of the passenger seat carrying a small duffel bag. “Doesn’t mean it’s safe.”
“Only one way to find out.” Axel locked the truck door. “Let’s check the place out.”
“Here.” Britney handed them each a flashlight. “It’ll be dark.”
Axel did one final sweep of the parking lot. “We’ll take it slow. Aisle by aisle, room by room.”
Gunner locked the library door behind them and groaned. “Sounds exciting.”
“I hope it’s not,” Britney said.
“Come on.” Axel led them deeper into the dark library. “I want to get this over with.”
It took them an hour to search the small library. They found no signs of people—alive or infected—but they noticed several stacks of building materials.
“Maybe it was closed for remodeling when all this shit went down,” Gunner suggested as they dug into their rations of dried meat and dried fruit.
Axel reclined against the bookshelf. “Or maybe the place was empty.”
“That’s so sad.” Britney rested her head on Axel’s shoulder. “I like the closed-for-remodeling image better.”
Axel couldn’t remember the last time he stepped foot in a library. “You used to spend a lot of time in the local library, didn’t you?”
“Durin’ the school year, no. But in the summer, the library used to do all kinds of stuff for the kids. Stories, crafts, movies. We didn’t go to everythin’, but it was a nice, free way to get out of the house for a few hours when they were goin’ a little stir-crazy.” Tears laced her voice.
Gunner stood and stretched. “I’m going to get some shut-eye.”
“We should stay together,” Axel said.
“See those rooms over there?” Gunner gestured toward the right. “They’re listening rooms. Soundproof. Added bonus, they have a lock on the door. I suggest you snag one for yourself. Going to make sleep a whole hell of a lot easier. Good night.”
Axel wrapped his arm around Britney, who quietly cried to herself. “You okay?”
“If there was ever a time I missed havin’ cell phones, this would be it.” She sniffled. “I hate not knowin’ what’s goin’ on with Blake.”
“He’s in good hands.” Axel stood and offered his hand to help her up. “I’ve never been one to put much stock in faith, but all things considering, it might not be a bad thing.”
“You’re sayin’ trust in God? After everything we’ve been through? Everything we’ve seen?”
Axel opened the door of a listening room a couple down from Gunner and ushered her inside. “We’re alive. The farm is safe. How many people can say that?”
Britney rolled her light jacket into a ball, creating a pillow. “So you’re a ‘glass half full’ kind of guy now?”
Axel settled in next to her and held her close. The carpet didn’t have much in the way of cushioning, but he was so exhausted he could have slept anywhere. “What can I say? I have a lot to be grateful for.”
***
“Did you find the books you needed?” Axel asked as Britney climbed into the front seat.
She set the stack of books in the floorboard. “I got two medical textbooks, a first aid book and a few survival guides. Can you think of anythin’ else we might need?”
Axel started the engine. “Nope.”
“Let’s get on the road.” Gunner smacked the back of Axel’s seat. “How far did you say we have?”
“Three hours.” Britney pulled out the map.
Gunner leaned between the seats. “I thought you knew where we’re going?”
“I do.” She shoved him back. “Now stay in your seat, or you’ll have to put your seat belt on.”
Axel laughed. “You better do what she says. She’s got her mom voice going.”
“I’ll sit right.” Gunner tapped his feet and drummed his fingers. “This is going to be the longest damn road trip.”
“How can you already be bored?” Axel asked. “It’s been like five minutes.”
“It’s so quiet,” Gunner complained. “I wish we had some music or something.”
“Here.” Britney tossed him a small CD case. “Help yourself.”
Gunner caught it midair. “Where the hell were these yesterday?”
“We were kind of busy.” Britney went back to reading the first aid book.
“Here.” Gunner tossed Garth Brooks’s The Ultimate Hits onto the front seat. “Stick this in.”
Axel loaded the CD into the player. “I didn’t know you liked country music.”
“You can’t two-step to rock. And the ladies love a man who can spin them around the dance floor.”
Britney chuckled. “Yes we do.”
“Is that so?” Axel asked. He’d never gotten the hang of slow dancing.
“Don’t worry.” Britney rubbed his arm. “I can teach you.”
“Thanks.” Axel turned his attention back to the road.
A few CDs later, they found themselves parked alongside a high wire fence that surrounded the still-standing hospital.
Axel leaned against the steering wheel and stared out the window. “Well, at least it’s still here.”
“Do you see that sign?” Gunner asked. “It says ‘danger, keep out.’ I’m not much on adhering to the rules, but we might want to take that under consideration.”
“Are there any other hospitals we could try?” Axel asked. He agreed with Gunner. A warning like that was not to be taken lightly.
Britney shook her head. “I don’t know of any others. It’s this one or we go home empty-handed.”
Axel surveyed the area. “I don’t see any movement. Several parts of the fence have been either cut or knocked down. That could be a good thing. If there were infected trapped in there, they could have gotten out.”
“Or more could have found their way in,” Gunner said.
Britney angled herself in the seat so she could look at both of them. “You don’t have to go inside if you don’t want to. But Blake is my baby, and I have to try.”
Axel couldn’t believe she’d think for even a second that he would let her go at this alone. “You know I’m going with you. There’s no question.”
“I came all this way.” Gunner rested a hand on Britney’s shoulder. “No way am I sitting in the truck. We’re going to find what we need to save your little boy or die trying.”
Britney wiped her eyes. “Thank you. I just wanted to make sure you knew I would understand if you didn’t want to risk your life for him.”
“We all love him,” Axel told her, and Gunner nodded. “No more talk of going at this alone. We’re with you. All the way.”
“Thanks.” Britney pulled her hair into a ponytail. “Do we need a plan or just go in guns blazin’?”
Good question. “A plan is always good, but we have no idea what we’re walking into. Could be empty or overrun with the infected.”
Gunner c
lapped his hands together. “I suggest we keep guns ready and stay together. Shoot first, ask questions later. Stay on the first floor if possible because that’s where the exits are. Did I miss anything?”
“Move fast and stay quiet,” Axel added.
“Sounds like one hell of a plan to me.” Gunner removed his gun from his holster. “Everyone check your weapons and make sure you have plenty of ammo.”
Fifteen minutes later, they were out of the truck and inside the fenced area. They moved slow, carefully checking to ensure nothing surprised them.
“Looks like they created a makeshift emergency room here.” Axel pointed to the tents. “I bet this is the hospital that couldn’t take Queenie because they were over capacity.”
“I wonder why they didn’t destroy this one like they did the others,” Gunner pondered.
“Maybe they ran out of time,” Britney said in a hushed tone.
“You see any medical supplies out here we can use?” Gunner asked.
“No.” Britney opened the drawers of the rolling supply carts they passed. “I bet someone was already here and took what they could find out here.”
Axel figured. “It’s what we would have done if we’d gotten here first.”
They reached the entrance of the emergency room, and Axel tried the doors. “Locked.”
Britney cupped her hands around her eyes and peeked inside. “I don’t see any movement, but it’s a mess in there.”
“What sort of mess are we talking about?” Gunner kept his eye out behind them.
Axel grimaced. “Blood and bodies.”
“Dead bodies?” Gunner jerked his head. “Like really dead, not lying in wait for their next victim dead?”
“It’s hard to tell if these people were infected.” Britney pressed her forehead to the glass. “Their skin doesn’t look gray. And most of them have hair. They aren’t movin’. I’ve never seen an infected not movin’.”
“We’re here.” Axel blew out a breath. “I say we go in.”
“What about the door?” Gunner yanked on the handle. “Any suggestions?”
“Break it,” Britney said. “The sound of the glass shatterin’ will draw the inside infected to us. I’d rather know they’re coming than be surprised.”
Her logic made sense, but Axel didn’t know what they would do if they got overrun. “Gunner? What do you think?”
He glanced down at Britney, then back to Axel. “Her kid, her decision.”
“Don’t put this all on me.” Britney crossed her arms over her chest. “All of our lives are at risk. Breakin’ the glass was a suggestion. Do you have a better idea?”
Gunner took a few steps back. “I don’t think breaking the glass is a bad idea, but maybe do it to a window of a room with the doors closed. That way we know there’s nothing in there.”
Axel looked to Britney. “It’s up to you.”
“We should hurry.” She peeked over her shoulders. “Bein’ out here is makin’ me nervous.”
“Lead the way, Gunner.” Axel gestured him onward.
They ran along the building, Gunner checking in each window as he was the only who could see inside.
“Why are these windows so high off the ground?” Britney asked.
Axel chuckled, feeling her frustration. “To keep people from breaking in.”
“Here!” Gunner waved them over. “Find a rock or something so we can break the glass.”
Axel ran over to a nearby medical tent and grabbed a metal IV stand. “Try this.” He tossed it to Gunner.
Gunner slammed it into the glass until it shattered. “That was easier than I thought it would be.”
A ferocious growl ripped through the air.
“Inside! Now!” Axel couldn’t tell which way the sound had come from, but it was close.
Gunner climbed through the broken window and reached back for Britney. “Give me your hand. I’ll pull you up.”
The window was higher than Axel thought. Britney could barely reach the sill.
At another howl, Axel rushed to the struggling Britney. “I’m going to lift you up.” It was more like a shove through the window, but it did the trick.
Axel’s fingertips scraped against the brick exterior as he jumped for the window. Gunner had made it look so easy. The three inches of height Gunner had over Axel made a world of a difference.
“Man, you need to hurry the fuck up.” Gunner extended his hand. “Jump and I’ll pull you.”
Axel didn’t dare look back; he could tell by the panic in Gunner’s voice something was coming. “Do I want to know how bad it is?”
“We’ve seen worse.” Gunner seized Axel’s forearm and helped him up the wall and inside. “Get down.”
Axel dropped next to Britney as they kept themselves pressed against the wall. The shuffling of footsteps just below them twisted his stomach. His fight-or-flight instinct begged him to run, but he kept still. The infected couldn’t see the broken window. As long as they couldn’t smell or hear the trio, they’d move on.
Gunner tapped Axel on the leg and held up three fingers.
That was how many he saw, but Axel knew there could be more.
Nails scraped against the brick, and Axel dropped his head back to get a better look. If the infected were coming in, they needed to be ready.
Axel readied his gun, as did the others.
They had the upper hand. All that was left to do now was wait.
Wait for them to pass. Or wait for them to enter.
***
“I don’t hear them anymore,” Axel whispered. After an hour of sitting silently in that office, he was ready to move. “We should get going.”
“Maybe we should check outside first,” Britney suggested. “Just to be sure.”
Gunner uncrossed his ankles and stretched his torso to take a peek. “I don’t see anything.”
Britney scrunched her nose. “That wasn’t very long.”
“Long enough.” Gunner stood. “We need to go.”
Axel helped Britney off the floor and checked outside for himself.
“I told you.” Gunner cracked the door open and peered out. “The hallway is clear too. Let’s move.”
“Are you ready for this?” Axel asked Britney.
She fidgeted with her clothing. “Not really, but I’m ready to get it over with. Where should we go?”
“The pharmacy.” Gunner was already out in the hall waiting for them, pointing at a diagram on the wall. “According to this map, if we take a left from here, we’ll hit the stairs. Up a flight and it shouldn’t be too far down the hall.”
“Lead the way.” Axel waved him on.
Britney pinched her nose as they made their way down the hall. “The smell is horrendous.”
“These people.” Gunner dropped his head. “So many dead. And none of them look like they’ve been infected.”
“They were all executed like they were.” Axel noticed the chest wounds in each of the bodies they passed.
Britney kept her chin up. “I just can’t imagine what happened in here. Do you think the military did this?”
“Afraid so,” Gunner said as they reached the enclosed stairwell. “All the bodies down here have military regimentals on.”
“These look more like the infected.” Axel tried his best not to step on any of them.
Britney held the stairwell door for him. “How can you tell? They’re all decaying.”
“Teeth and nails are no longer human.” Axel closed the door behind him. The sound echoed off the bare walls.
“Maybe try to close the doors a little quieter going forward.” Gunner took the stairs two at a time. “We’ve been lucky so far. No need to call unwanted attention to ourselves.”
Axel held his tongue. This wasn’t the time or place to argue about such things. “Do you see anything on the second floor?”
“The hall’s empty,” Gunner called back. “Like empty empty. Not a body in sight.”
“I’m not sure that’s a goo
d thing,” Britney mumbled.
Neither did Axel, but he focused on the positive. “Maybe it is. Maybe the military cleared the second floor first, drew the fighting downstairs.”
Britney’s forehead creased. “When did you become Mr. Optimistic?”
“Shh.” Gunner pressed his finger against his lips as he opened the door to the second floor.
They kept quiet as they crept down the hall. Even though Axel couldn’t hear anything, something felt off.
Gunner paused at a door in the middle, which Axel could only assume was the pharmacy, and turned the handle. “Don’t hear anything.”
Axel jerked his head. Gunner might not have heard anything inside the pharmacy, but he’d heard something out here. “Get inside. Now.”
“What is it?” Britney switched on her flashlight. The windows from the patient rooms allowed for some light in the halls. The pharmacy didn’t have the same luxury.
“I’m pretty sure I heard something,” Axel whispered. “Grab the stuff we need and let’s get out of here.”
Gunner pulled a small lantern from his duffel bag. “I’ll be your light if you want to focus on getting the stuff.”
“Go.” Axel stayed close to the door. “I need to make sure whatever it is I heard isn’t heading this way. Watch your backs.” They should have taken a few minutes to secure the room, but Axel feared they were running out of time.
With his ear pressed against the door, he listened and waited. He could hear something on the other side—scraping, clawing, dragging—but couldn’t be sure what caused the noise.
“How’s it going?” Axel called out into the darkness. Several minutes had passed since he’d heard their voices.
“Almost done!” Britney answered.
The noise in the hall picked up at the sound.
“Shit,” he mumbled under his breath.
A few minutes later, Gunner and Britney emerged from the darkness, her backpack loaded down.
“I’ll carry that.” Axel slung the heavy bag on his back and tightened the straps. “Got everything we needed?”
“And more.” Her whole face lit up. “Let’s go.”
Axel stepped in front of the door. “We have a problem. There’s something out there.”
Britney’s smile faded, and she turned away. “God.”