Chris stepped out and moved behind the dumpster against the exterior wall. He counted at least four figures carrying what appeared to be a makeshift cot between them. They were heading across the alley toward the perimeter. He followed their path with his eyes and found two figures waiting beyond the fence. The foursome was heading toward a crosscut section in the barrier.
Chris stepped out from behind his cover and the group came to a stop. He quickly discovered a pair of guns pointed in his direction from outside the fence line. Chris froze, but before he could warn the others, Jenn and the kids stepped out of the building and joined him. There was a hushed debate among the group headed for the fence, which ended with them continuing on their way. The foursome reached the hole in the fence and a heavily accented voice called out.
“Friend or foe?”
Chris gave the most honest answer he could think of. “I have no idea.”
The reply appeared to catch the speaker off guard. It took several tense moments before the next question came across. “Are you trying to get out?”
The question was one Chris could understand. “Yes, we want the hell out of here.”
There was an immediate heated discussion amongst the outsiders, and Chris decided not to wait for the outcome.
“Just go.”
He pushed Jake out in front and the boy grabbed his sister’s hand. He urged Jenn to follow. She gave him a concerned glance as she passed and he remained. Chris waited until they were midway across the clearing before he started a slow but purposeful walk. Whatever the debate was among those outside the parameter, they appeared willing to help Jenn and the kids through the fence. Chris was near the fence line when a booming call caused him to spin around.
“Shoot him.”
Chris pulled his shotgun up to aim and found his sights squarely on Mr. Walker. He was running toward Chris down the walkway between the buildings. At first look, Mr. Walker was leading a charge of men after the escapees, but a closer inspection told the truth of the matter. Mr. Walker reached the alleyway behind the buildings, spun around, and dropped down to a knee. He opened fire at his followers and their fast twitching limbs and haunting howls gave them away at once.
The trailing group of infected was silhouetted by the moonlight. Chris didn’t have time to think, firing into the crowd at a rapid rate. Gunfire erupted from beyond the fence and when it was over, half a dozen withering, infected bodies lay at the edge of the clearing. The sudden stillness brought an eerie silence over the alley.
Chris turned his weapon on Mr. Walker as he got to his feet. He faced Chris and tossed his gun to the ground. The silence throughout the encampment told Chris his time to escape was now or never. A voice called out from beyond the fence.
“Shoot him, shoot him now.”
Mr. Walker took a step forward and flashed Chris a wide grin. “You going to shoot me, son?”
Chris risked a look back and found the figures on the move toward the distant trees. He refocused.
“I’m not going to kill you,” he said.
Mr. Walker’s smile widened.
“But since we can’t have you following us either.” Chris pulled the shotgun back and sent the butt crashing into Mr. Walker’s jaw. He stumbled back and then fell over. Chris waited a split second, but Mr. Walker didn’t move. A few long strides brought him to the hole in the fence. He started after the others, plunging into the darkness beneath the trees.
11
There was a lot of running blindly between dense patches of forest. Chris couldn’t help but wonder what their chances were for running into a hungry group of decomposing zombies or a rabid pack of the infected. He had his newly acquired shotgun at the ready, although it occurred to him he had no idea how many rounds it had left. There were at least six people in the group, not including Chris, Jenn, and the kids. No one spoke a word, but they appeared to know precisely where they were going.
Chris was in the rear of the group. He didn’t hear the sounds of the dead, but there was distinct movement all around them. In a heightened state of constant fearful awareness, he ran. Jake and Alicen were directly in front of him. He guessed Jenn was somewhere in the darkness up ahead. Alicen slowed the farther they got from the encampment, and Chris was forced to keep one hand on her to keep her going.
No one could talk by the time the group came to a stop. They sat in a tight circle underneath the trees, gathered around a haul of stolen goods. A moonlit clearing lay beyond the foliage and a landscape of distant hills gave a hint at the challenge to come. Chris looked around at the glistening faces of their saviors. There were four men and two women, one of whom offered him a canteen. Jake was next to drink, followed by the girls. The terror on their faces was obvious and the idea of being in a group offered little comfort.
“You should have killed him when you had the chance.” The Hispanic man who spoke did not attempt to hide his anger. “We may never have an opportunity like that again.”
Chris thought he might have to defend himself before he realized the comment was not aimed in his direction. Another man, across from the first stood up and gathered his breath as he shoved a gun in his waist. His skin was as dark as the shadows, his head cleanly shaven.
“I might have hit one of them,” he said in a heavy foreign accent that Chris couldn’t place. “That wasn’t worth the risk.”
One of the women tried to intervene.
“Carlos, not now.”
He swept her out of the way. “Come on, Jafar, we talked about this. It’s the only way we’ll ever be able to get back what’s ours.”
The woman forced herself between them. Her long, black hair and brown skin matched Carlos, but if she was connected to him in some way, it didn’t show. “We can’t do this here,” she said. “Let’s keep going.”
Neither Carlos nor Jafar appeared to be finished with the conversation. However, both gave into her suggestion. A moment later, they were moving again. They pushed across the clearing with hesitant but purposeful strides and it wasn’t long before they were running at an upward angle. The terrain opened up to them and revealed a wide hilly landscape.
Chris was soaked through with sweat. The constant push weighed heavily on everyone. The group stopped two more times, once to drink water, and again to keep the kids from collapsing. A long line of violet highlighted the horizon when Carlos stopped them a final time. They were far into the hills, which were now covered by a sparse forest.
Carlos and another man disappeared into the foliage for several minutes. They returned and waved everyone in. Chris pushed through the vegetation and discovered a large opening in the base of the hill. The group plunged into darkness and they stumbled around until a flashlight sprang to life at the front.
They were deep in the cave when a new source of light pulled everyone’s attention up ahead. The perfect silence was broken by conversation. The cave opened up to a larger space filled with several groups of people huddled close together throughout. Some sat around lanterns talking, while others lay on sleeping bags trying to rest.
Chris slowed his pace and counted two dozen souls before giving up. He came to a complete stop and realized he was about to collapse. An intense exhaustion hit him all at once, and he was forced to press his hand against the wall to keep from falling over. The kids sat down on the ground as soon as they entered the light, forcing the others to walk around them. Jenn’s face was pale. She had her hair pulled back behind her head, and it was dotted with bits of leaves and twigs.
“Where the hell are we?” she asked.
“Safe for now.”
The reply pulled Jenn and Chris toward the second woman in their group. She was holding out a sandwich for each of them.
“This should help.” She knelt down to the kids and gave each a sandwich and a smile. She looked at Jenn. “Yours?”
Jenn shook her head, followed quickly by Chris.
The woman stood up. “Cute kids. I’ll try to get you some water in a little bit.”
&
nbsp; Chris was finally forced to sit down. He pressed his back against the cold wall and slid down until his butt hit the floor. “Who are you?” he asked. “Who are all these people?”
The woman held a warm smile in place as she extended a hand. A closer view gave a hint at her age, but it was difficult to guess. Long streaks of gray ran the full length of her hair. The dirty fatigue pants and a man’s button-down shirt looked ridiculous on her slender frame.
“I’m Sarah and these people are my neighbors.” She thought about it. “Well, most of them anyway. We’ve picked up a few strays along the way.”
Jenn was holding her own far better than Chris was. She shook Sarah’s hand after he let it dangle out in front of him for several uncomfortable seconds.
“Did you live in that town before all this?” Jenn asked.
“Dumont, Colorado, one of the nicest communities you’ve ever seen.” Sarah laughed at herself. “Was anyway.”
“And you guys live here now?” Chris asked, his eyes running across the top of the cave. He took a bite of his sandwich and a long pause brought his gaze back to Sarah. He knew by the look on her face that his comment cut deep.
“No,” she said finally, “this is where we hide.” She started to walk away and then paused. “We hide from the dead, we hide from the infected, but mostly we hide from Walker and his damn animals.”
Sarah walked away and Jenn slid down next to Chris. Jake and Alicen pulled in closer; both continued to eat, too tired to bother with talking.
Jenn spoke at a whisper. “Can’t we make at least one friend?”
Chris nodded. “I didn’t think before I said it.”
“I’ll forgive you for now.” She bit into her sandwich. “Any idea how we’re going to get out of here?”
“Do you have any idea where here is?” he asked.
Jenn stopped mid bite. “That is a better question.”
Chris leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “Let’s get some sleep, at least until the sun comes up.” He opened one eye and peeked over at the kids. Alicen’s head was on her brother’s leg. Jake was sitting up against the wall fighting exhaustion. Both kids were still clutching a half-eaten sandwich. Chris settled in for what he hoped would be a few good hours of rest, when Carlos stepped into the light followed closely by Jafar. They were having a heated conversation and most of the surrounding people looked up as the exchange escalated.
“We’re never going to get back our town if we take your approach.” Carlos’s hands were animated as he spoke. “What am I talking about? It’s not even your town.”
Jafar was calm, but a tinge of annoyance clung to his eyes. “And what army are you going to fight with?” His voice boomed as he glanced at the surrounding people. “Look around you.” He held out his hands in frustration. “These are not soldiers. Having a gun doesn’t make you one. What you’re talking about is suicide.” His thick accent became increasingly difficult to understand as his words sped up. “You will get these people killed, nothing else.”
The dark-skinned woman from the original group stood close to Carlos, and for the first time, her concern for him was evident. She waited until she was sure the conversation was over before stepping in. She took hold of Carlos’s hand and pulled him away. She offered Jafar an apologetic glance as she turned to leave.
“What’s that all about?” Chris asked, not sure he wanted to know.
Jafar shook his head, his eyes remaining on the back of Carlos’s head until he was out of view. “It’s a lingering disagreement, my friend,” he said. “As old as this infection anyway.”
“I take it he wants to go storm the castle?” The confusion on Jafar’s face read he had no recognition of the phrase, so Chris clarified. “He wants to fight.”
Jafar nodded. “Carlos is a good man, but his temper is difficult to swallow.”
Sarah’s voice cut in as she approached. “He means well.” She walked toward them with a young man close behind her. “He used to cut their lawns before all this. Now they look to him and his wife Angie to save them.” The likeness between her and the young man was unmistakable. “This is my son Michael.”
He waved but didn’t speak. His sunken cheeks told a story about their lack of food. Chris suddenly felt guilty for having caused them to give up four sandwiches. He picked up his offering from his lap and continued to eat.
“How did all this happen?” Jenn asked.
Sarah sat down in front of them with her legs crossed, and Michael got down on his knees. She pushed her bangs behind her ears and looked over the crowd. Jafar plopped down with a deep heave where he was standing.
“It was a small town like any other, I guess,” Sarah explained. “I’m from Denver originally, but I followed my first husband out here some twenty years ago.” She giggled. “I’ll spare you that story. When the infection started in the big city, no one knew if it would reach us. The news said to avoid densely populated areas, so we just thought—”
“I remember that,” Jenn interjected, her eyes in a different place. “They were so damn sure.”
Sarah nodded but didn’t continue. The conversation was briefly interrupted by a snore. Jake had lost his fight and was out cold with Alicen balled up next to him, her head still on his leg.
“It happened quickly,” Michael said in a dull voice. “I remember Mr. Jackson got it first. At least that was the story at the time.”
“I was just passing through,” Jafar said. “My wife and I were on our way to Denver. I had work lined up and she was…” He stopped and tried to gather himself. The look on his face spoke volumes. “She was going to have a baby.” He smiled as his eyes swelled up. “Our first, it was a boy.” He fell deathly silent.
Jenn shifted uncomfortably before speaking up. “How long have you been here?”
“Carlos led the group into the hills several months back,” Sarah said. “There were more of us then, but the infection spread. The undead doubled every week. Even after we put someone down.” She looked back at the others lining the walls. “Most of us still hoped we’d be able to find some middle ground with Walker and his group. We hoped we’d be able to go home.”
“Who is he?” Chris asked.
“They had a camp several miles outside of town. You know, survival nuts.” She shook her head. “I guess they don’t seem like nuts anymore. When all this happened and the infection spread, they came in one day ordering people around.”
Jafar cut in. “Carlos told me they attacked a National Guard base west of here. That’s where they got all the guns and supplies.”
“We never had a choice,” Sarah continued. “A lot of us decided to make a run for it, once they started putting up that fence. We left everything. The ones that stayed behind either joined up with Walker’s homemade army or they were…” She trailed off.
Chris thought about his and Jake’s escape and a lingering vision popped into his head. “I saw something when we were trying to get out.” He wasn’t sure how to explain what he saw. “One of the infected, she looked like…I don’t know, like she was giving orders.”
Jafar’s eyes widened, and he slowly turned his stare on Sarah. “I told you,” he said.
Sarah shushed him and then lowered her voice. “You saw this?”
Chris thought about it, confirming it to himself first, and then nodded. “I’m sure of it.”
“Some of us have seen it too,” Sarah said.
Jafar leaned in closer. “They’re learning.” He pointed at his temple. “There’s still something up here. They’re evolving.”
Jenn shivered despite herself. “What do you mean?” Her gaze slid from Sarah to Jafar. “Evolving into what?”
Jafar shrugged. “A more efficient killer? Whatever it is that infects the brain, it must still allow the victim access to their former selves. It must be a survival instinct.”
“How so?” Chris asked.
“Think about it. There’s fewer livestock now.” Jafar pointed at himself and then at each of t
he others. “The more desperate they get, the more they’ll have to adapt.”
Chris never considered such a thing. He’d spent his time focused on one thing and one thing only, self-preservation. He never had time to ponder if the infection would bring about the extinction of the human race. “Maybe I just saw something—”
“You saw what you saw,” Jafar cut him off. “You’re not the only one.”
Chris tried to rub the exhaustion from his face. He wasn’t sure what he’d seen anymore, and the more he thought about it, the crazier it sounded.
“How can we get back to the highway?” Jenn asked. “Look, I realize you people have your own problems and we’re grateful for your help, but….” She checked the kids to make sure they were still asleep. “We just want to get the hell out of here.
“Where do you have to get to in such a hurry?” Jafar asked.
Jenn sat quiet for a moment, and Chris knew she was deciding how much of their plan she was willing to share. Her face relaxed and she started to spell it out from beginning to the end. Chris was struggling to keep his eyes open by the time she was finished.
“How do you know it’s there?” Sarah asked.
“Catalina?” Jenn asked. “The island?”
“Well, I know it’s still there, but how do you know it’s safe?”
Chris coughed and tried to act as if it wasn’t on purpose.
“We don’t,” Jenn said over him.
“I can help you get there,” Jafar said out of nowhere. Sarah and Michael looked at him surprised. “There’s nothing for me here, and I don’t want to die in one of these caves like an animal.” He pulled a pistol from the small of his back and checked the clip. “I’ll get you to the highway.” He paused. “If you’ll have me.”
Chris wasn’t sure how to take the offer. He could tell by Sarah’s reaction that Jafar meant something to the group. In the end, he settled on his own company’s protection.
“There’s strength in numbers,” he said. “If you can help us get back to the highway, you’re welcome to come along.”
The Decaying World Saga Box Set [Prequel #1-#2 & Books #1-#2] Page 30