Pack Animals [An Undead Post-Apocalypse Thriller]

by Cain, Kenneth W.

  It was Todd who brought up the rear, running after the carriage.

  Allen glanced back and stood. “Todd, get up here!”

  Todd ran, pumping his muscular legs. He kept looking back over his shoulder, as if trying to ascertain how much of a lead he had on the pack. The distance between him and the pack diminished fast, as he grew farther and farther from the carriage.

  Sydney saw it in the young man’s face; the distraught look having become so familiar to her over the years. He knew the end had come.

  Panic struck Isaac’s face, as a man he was not so much close to but clearly cared for faced an impending death. “Don’t stop! Keep on coming. You can do it.”

  Allison hung off the edge of the carriage. Sydney worried she might fall off, her grip faltering. “Run!”

  If Todd couldn’t reach the carriage, Sydney didn’t think anyone would be able to get off to save him. Doing so would be suicide. And as the carriage accelerated, it became clear to everyone that Todd would not catch up.

  Behind them, a pack of at least four-dozen creatures closed in on Todd. The pack would finish him off fast and continue their pursuit of the carriage. Their instinct only to kill, like a rabid animal. Malformed legs pumped, seemingly never expending the energy required to do so. They tasted Todd with their eyes long before they reached him. Torn flesh and tattered clothes hung from their bodies, a bleak reminder of the pain this country had suffered.

  An understanding of what was about to happen washed over Todd. He no longer looked afraid, but instead accepted his fate. As if considering what he could do to ensure the others had a fighting chance, Todd slowed to a jog. He still had a good lead on them when he gave in.

  “What’s he doing?” Allison asked. She sounded bewildered.

  Was she into him?

  Sydney didn’t know, but Allison was clearly more disturbed by this than anyone. Except for Allen. Todd surrendering to this fate affected Allen most.

  “Todd! Run, damn it!” Still standing, Allen braced himself. He made his way to the top of the carriage. “Run!”

  Allen climbed down the side and readied to jump right as they reached top speed.

  Sydney shot a look to Allen who received it with doubt-filled eyes. “No! Stay there.”

  “I can’t, Syd.”

  “You can and you will. Stay there!”

  Dillon clawed his way around to the place Allen clung to. He looked crazed and hungry. Sydney drew her sword, intending to end this creature if need be.

  Allen appeared caught in indecision. “Syd?”

  “I said, stay!”

  She hadn’t heard this tone come from her mouth in a long time. It was her wife voice. She didn’t want to lose Allen. Couldn’t. Not again. She would fight for him.

  Then, she found herself begging for him to stay. “Please, Allen.”

  Allen rested his forehead against a large backpack strapped to the top of the carriage. The others watched, their paranoia of what was transpiring showing in their faces. Allen still looked beaten, realizing even now he had lost yet another soul, and that too had come at his hands.

  “Stay, Allen,” Sydney said. “I need you.”

  After a long moment, he climbed back up. Dillon could no longer reach him. A sour expression filled the creature’s face, frustration showing in his bloodshot eyes. Dillon turned to Sydney, seeing her with wide, wild eyes. One of the eyes oozed a yellow pus.

  Dillon moved on her.

  CHAPTER 32

  A wave of frustration surged through Allen. It felt like a blistering fever that could not be alleviated. He had given in to this malaise, yet here was Sydney, pulling him right back from the edge once again. Giving into to her demands was the easiest thing to do, and he did so with reluctance. He knew what he was doing as he climbed back atop the carriage, remembering that he had withstood too many battles, been defeated, and had witnessed too much death as a result. This was accepting that past, or, at the very least, trying to.

  Something struck his knee. Allen perked up, surprised to see it was Dale reaching back to slap his knee again. “Allen, get your ass up here.”

  The determination in Dale’s eyes became clear. The guy had a plan.

  Out front, the three horses labored to stay ahead of the pack. The steeds’ legs functioned much like the creatures chasing them, long and slender, pumping with a rhythmic order.

  Allen regarded Dale, praying his plan would work.

  Dale’s hand hovered out in front of him, pointing at the horses. “Help them get up here on them horses.”

  Allen turned and waved the others forward. “Get on the horses.” He was still trying to regain his composure when a thought occurred to him. Only those on the horses will live.

  Still, he repeated the order. “Get on the horses.”

  It didn’t take Chris long to maneuver on top of one. For someone who complained so much, especially about getting banged up in the car wreck, Chris was always first in line when it came to getting to safety.

  Whatever happened to chivalry?

  Allison saddled up with Chris, while Gavin and Craig took up the other two horses. Sydney and Isaac made their way over the top of the carriage, over the hump of backpacks and luggage strapped across the top. Allen had no idea what weapons and alcohol were left that Dale hadn’t dumped, but whatever was under the packing blankets, there was plenty of it. Sydney saddled up with Craig and Isaac with Gavin. That left only him and Dale, but no free horse, which got Allen wondering what the brother had planned.

  Dale handed the reigns to Allen. Unsure of what he should do, Allen did as Dale instructed. As it turned out, with everyone riding the horses, Allen didn’t need to manage the carriage much anyway. The others steered it for him.

  Dale went to the top of the cart and pulled back the canvas. “Make sure we’re headin’ right for that dusty area out there. We gotta kick up a hell of a lot of dirt to make this work.”

  Allen scanned the horizon behind them. He tried not to focus on what was going to happen to Todd, who was now about to be overrun by the horde, but it was difficult to avoid. The entire horde was on Todd’s heels. The rest of the group hadn’t put as much distance between them and the pack as Allen hoped, a little more than a football field ahead of the pack. Todd seemed to realize this and slowed to a walk as the creatures sprung into the air, leaping for the him, anxious to satisfy their hunger.

  Allen turned away hearing Todd’s screams. Unable to divert his eyes for long, Allen turned back and watched as dozens of the creatures piled on Todd. They tore off limbs, an arm visibly being fought over as it made its way across a sea of feasting creatures. The pack rolled in a wave, struggling over the fresh kill, offering Allen only a glimpse of Todd’s marred body. Much of the flesh had been torn from the bones. Todd was still screaming to the very end, the pack attacking him like a school of piranha. When they finished, Todd was but a pile of unrecognizable viscera.

  By the time Allen reached the dirt road, it was already plenty dusty with the wind licking at the ground. “There! We need to go over there.”

  Those on horses helped angle the carriage in that direction.

  Allen glanced back to Dale. The brother worked feverishly beneath the canvas cover. Allen caught a glimpse of the horde, many of them already moving on from Todd’s corpse. They didn’t have enough of a lead to get away. Still, Dale’s music blared.

  Allen turned his attention back to the brother. “Dale?”

  “One second!”

  “They’re coming. What do you have for me?”

  Dale mumbled, grunted, and cursed. His hands moved at a frenzied pace. “You gotta swerve back and forth and stir up as much of that dirt as you can. Stop there.”

  “What?” Allen couldn’t believe what he heard. “Did you say stop?”

  Dale glanced to him, and Allen saw the toothy smile. Something had breathed life back into Dale. “You heard me. They gotta stop.” He went back to work.

  When they reached the dirt pasture, A
llen yanked back hard on the reigns. Panicked stares greeted him as they slowed.

  “What the fuck?” Issac asked.

  Allen shrugged.

  “One horse.” Dale didn’t take his eyes off what he was working on. “Take one horse and leave the others. Everyone but Allen, get the fuck off now.”

  With reluctance, they hopped down from the mounts and moved aside while Allen made sure they followed Dale’s orders. Isaac released the middle horse. When Isaac finished, he nodded up to Allen. His troubled expression appeared unsure of this decision.

  Allen nodded back. He had no idea why, but he trusted Dale.

  He looked back at Dale, feeling the disquiet overwhelming him. His legs were shaking out of control. “They’re all off.”

  “Good.” Dale grunted. “Fuck yeah, you son-of-a-bitch!” He turned, smiling at Allen, a keen look in his eyes. The crazed man knew exactly what he was doing. “Steer right at them, Allen. Drive this fucker right down their goddamned throats.”

  Disbelief of what Dale was asking him to do froze Allen for a second. Then, a resolve to finish this boiled up inside of Allen. He slapped the reigns, intent on steering the carriage right into the heart of the pack. Behind them, the others watched, frightful expressions pressed on their faces, confused about what was happening, as if unsure of what to do or how to stop it. All of them seemed to have forgotten how to run, standing there in a cloud of dirt.

  CHAPTER 33

  Dale climbed to the back of the carriage and leaned over the edge, where he got a good look at his family. An empty hole burned in his chest when those two undead faces stared back at him. Dale lifted his head and hugged the cold framing of the cart.

  This is it, but how can I?

  He couldn’t bring himself to do it. But if he didn’t, that would ensure the entire group’s demise. One way or another, they likely wouldn’t survive this, at his hands, or the packs. That group would make short work of them. But there was more to this. Dale wanted freedom from this burden, from what his family had suffered, for which he had avoided grieving for so long now.

  He bent back over the side, surprised by how fast Dillon made his way over to him. The look in his nephew’s eyes was no longer one of someone who was only partially infected. Dillon was gone for good. His yellowing orbs, splattered with bloodshot specs, revealed an animalistic hunger. Pus leaked from those orbs, bloody drool foaming at his torn lips.

  I can’t stand it.

  “Am I doin’ right by you, bro?”

  The not yet fully infected Clyde stared back at him, seeming to have no opinion on the matter.

  “Clyde? You in there at all?”

  Clyde didn’t move.

  Dale shifted his weight, twisting on his ass. He found the lever at the top of the barred door and kicked it loose. Once it was loose, he kicked until the door swung wide open.

  Dillon sprung out, landing without a single misstep.

  A quick glance back to the others revealed their surprise to this decision.

  Sydney made the first move, brandishing her sword. She ran for Dillon. Dale knew she would give Dillon a quick death. He tried to look away, but it was too late. His eyes trained on her sword, coming around in one swift motion and slicing through Dillon’s neck. Dillon’s head tumbled to the ground, but his body ran past her, collapsing twenty feet beyond where she stood.

  Dale had expected for his brother to follow Dillon’s lead, but Clyde hadn’t. Peering down over the edge, Dale was cautious not to end up a surprise meal. He was dismayed to find Clyde still in the back of the cage, clinging to bars, as far away from the door as he could manage.

  “Out!” Dale yelled.

  Clyde stayed.

  “I said, get the fuck out!”

  Still, Clyde remained, looking frightened by Dale. Did he understand what he had become? Was this his way of getting through it all? Did a half- infected person like Clyde have the ability to reason in this manner?

  Dale wasn’t sure.

  “Dale, what are we doing here?” Allen asked.

  Dale looked up and saw the pack closing in on the carriage as expected. “Tie off them horses. Leave them running full at that pack and get your ass back here.”

  Allen did as instructed, left the reigns, and made his way toward the back.

  Dale tried to discern his brother’s thoughts. “You fucking stubborn ass.” Dale smiled at Clyde and winked. “Fuck yeah!”

  When he lifted himself back up, Allen was there waiting for him. AC-DC blared in the open air, the soundtrack to a most fitting end. The music pumped Dale up. It felt right. Good.

  Dale scrambled across the roof to the bomb he and his brother had rigged for just this sort of occasion. “I’m gonna put five seconds on this beast. We gotta get off quick or we’ll be dust.”

  Allen nodded.

  Dale flipped the switch and scurried up to Allen’s side. “Ready, brother?”

  Again, Allen nodded.

  They jumped together, their feet catching on the ground, forcing them into a rough tumble. Dale was quick to his feet, watching the carriage veer toward the pack. Allen rolled over, flat on the ground, staring up.

  “Get down.” Allen yelled.

  Dale ignored Allen’s warning, watching Clyde cling to the inside of the enclosure. He thought he saw the bastard smile.

  As the horde met the horses, then the carriage, a bright yellow burst ignited the skyline. Hues of red and orange flames engulfed the carriage, the horses, and Clyde. The flames condensed inward, then outward with such a force that the pack was consumed by the blast. The devastation became evident when a shower of torn and ripped flesh rained down on the ground surrounding them.

  “Love you, Clyde.” Dale whispered.

  He wanted to cry, but choked back his tears, unable to let his emotion show. But then the floodgates did open.

  CHAPTER 34

  Sydney knew what it meant when she decided to behead Dale’s nephew, Dillon. Like it or not, Dale would forevermore hold a special place in his heart for Sydney, one where he would curse her for an eternity. But, other than the expected resentment, deep inside, if he could express himself, she also thought he might thank her. Though she doubted she would ever hear the words. Knowing this, she made sure Allen was okay. Then she moved in beside Dale and allowed him to use her as his crutch because she suspected he would have trouble standing on his own. He appeared to do just fine however, until her offer came that is. Once his weight was upon her, she waved Isaac over to help, which he did without question. Together, they kept Dale afoot, until he was ready to move. Hopefully that wouldn’t take long.

  They all knew what an explosion of this amplitude would lead to. Even if there weren’t any other packs nearby, they would have heard the blast. At least one pack, maybe more, would be here soon enough. But even after a few minutes Dale still wasn’t going it alone, so Sydney encouraged Isaac to follow her lead. They walked Dale in a wide arc around the scene, so he wouldn’t have to see a decapitated Dillon.

  Craig went to help Allen to his feet. When they returned, they gathered at the horse and hefted Dale to its back. Once onboard, the sorrowful Dale slumped forward, appearing to fall asleep. Sydney knew Dale wasn’t asleep, though. He was caught up in the emotions of what he had sacrificed. In one single swoop, he had wiped out all that was left of his family. Something like that would leave anyone in shock.

  “We need to get out of here.” Sydney said.

  Allen nodded, agreeing with her. “We’ll have to hurry. I’d guess we’re going to have company sooner than we’d like. And even more important, we’re mostly on foot from here on out.”

  After gathering what they could, they led the horse, walking as a pack of their own. They moved with purpose, wanting to get out of town as quick as they could manage without drawing any attention. Occasionally, they stopped to check on a car when it looked like it might be in good enough shape to start, but each vehicle they encountered proved to be run down or out of gas. And though it was
a long journey, little was said. Much was conveyed through expressions of dismay and sorrow. Things remained that way until they reached the outer rim of the city where they would brave the wild, hoping to make it back to the school without any further losses.

  Wish we had a truck. Or even a Prius.

  Anything would make the trek easier. Covering such a great distance on foot only made the odds of avoiding misfortune slim.

  So be it.

  Her thoughts denied the worry. She had been through far too much to allow herself to fear what might happen. If another pack came for them, she would fight to the bitter end. The time for backing down was gone. If anyone had proven that, it had been Dale. They would fight, and perhaps they would lose, but above all else they would fight.

  CHAPTER 35

  They camped along the highway that led back to the school. Allen wasn’t sure it was the right choice, but it was one he wasn’t asked to make. So, he accepted it.

  Sydney approached, a cup in her hand. He still loved her very much. The way her hair almost seemed to glow in the moonlight. That coy look always showing in her gaze. Her soft lips and the way her dimples appeared whenever she smiled. The sweet smell that emanated from her whenever she came within reach. Yes, he missed her.

  It amazed him how strong she had become over their time apart. She always had been in good shape, having taken so many fitness and martial arts classes. But he felt somewhat guilty for the callused manner in which she carried herself these days.

  She knelt, lifted his hands to hers, and passed him the cup. “Here. Drink.”

  He did, humming to indicate the broth tasted good.

  She gazed off in the distance. “We’ll need to find more bottled water.”