Fatal Reaction, Survival

by M A Hollstein

  Gnawing on her lower lip, Ellie took a few more steps in the woman’s direction. Her knees felt weak, and her palms were sweating. She opened her hands and rubbed her palms on her jeans as she continued to watch the woman’s body for signs of life. Nothing was moving. Only her hair. That’s when she saw something from the corner of her eye. Something moved in the window of the little yellow house to her right. Ellie stopped and stared at the house. She saw it again. A dark shadow passed by the window. Someone was in there, watching her. She could feel their eyes on her.

  “Arrrrrghhhh…”

  Ellie’s stomach lurched into her throat. As soon as the gurgling growl broke the silence, she felt something grip her ankle. Looking down, her eyes came in contact with the woman. She was still alive! Bright golden yellow eyes glared up at her from a distorted, puffed up, white face.

  Ellie screamed. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest.

  With unbelievable strength, the woman’s hands squeezed Ellie’s ankle as she hastily lifted her head and chomped down hard on Ellie’s calf. Ellie screamed again, yanking her leg. She could hear Max going nuts in the SUV, barking and clawing at the windows. Ellie kicked her leg, trying to free herself from the woman’s death grip. The blonde woman’s midsection had been crushed. There were dirty tire marks, probably from Ellie’s vehicle, across the middle of the tank top.

  Ellie stared at the woman in horror, unable to believe she was still alive. The woman’s top half was moving. The bottom half wasn’t. Ellie wanted to throw up.

  She continued to kick her leg until her foot came in contact with the woman’s jaw. Blood sprayed from the woman’s mouth onto the asphalt. Ellie kicked again, as hard as she could, hearing the cracking of bone as the pointed toe of her black ankle boot made contact with the woman’s temple, snapping the woman’s head to the side. Her hands slipped from Ellie’s ankle.

  Quickly, Ellie hopped backward, out of the woman’s reach, and prayed the woman’s teeth hadn’t been able to penetrate her jeans. Her calf hurt like hell from the bite. She glanced at her leg and couldn’t see anything through the denim. There was no sign of blood which was a good sign. She was thankful she hadn’t worn shorts. The woman clawed at the air like a wild beast, snarling and growling as blood oozed from her mouth. Since her lower half was paralyzed, the woman couldn’t get up off the ground to get hold of Ellie.

  Unable to hold back any longer, Ellie’s stomach lurched, and she began to throw up in the street. She could hear barking coming from the yellow house. She looked over and realized that what she saw in the window was a dog. A large German Sheppard was on its hind legs ferociously barking and pawing at the window, ready to attack. Ellie looked at the infected woman and put two and two together. The dog probably belonged to her. The woman’s head turned in Ellie’s direction. Her sightless golden eyes were still open, and then she stopped moving. The growling died out.

  Leaning over, Ellie heaved again, this time her stomach was empty. She took in a couple of deep breaths to try to calm her nerves. She gripped hold of the driver’s side door handle and just happened to glance upwards when she saw it. A flashing light in the sky. She couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from it.

  Max scraped at the window and howled, snapping Ellie out of her thoughts. She yanked open the door and hopped in. She glanced up again at the flashing light on the ship and was rethinking her decision to find that boy. It had been stupid of her to wander so far from the condo. She should’ve stayed put and waited for Mike. Restarting the SUV, Ellie had decided it was time to venture back home. Today had been a wasted trip.

  She headed in the direction of the next freeway entrance when she encountered another light. This one was orange and on her dash. “Crap,” she swore under her breath. She was almost out of gas.

  ***

  Pulling the Corvette up in front of the garage, Mike froze. For a moment, he just sat there staring at the open garage door.

  “You okay?” Sgt. Cooper asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

  “Um, yeah,” Mike said, wondering where the hell Ellie went. He hoped she just moved the SUV to a different location. But why would she need to move the SUV? She should be there packing it with supplies. Where the hell is she?

  Mike pulled the Corvette into the garage and switched off the ignition. He helped the Marine walk around to the back side of the building, up the stairs, and then over to the couch in the living room. “We’ll need to take a look at your leg.”

  “It’s fine,” grunted Sgt. Cooper. “Just need to clean and bandage it. The antibiotics will do the rest.”

  “There’s a bathroom down the hall. Water is cold, but still running,” Mike said, wandering into the master bedroom. “I’ll get you some clean clothes.” He grabbed a pair of old denim shorts and a navy blue T-shirt from his duffle bag sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. He hadn’t unpacked since arriving. He’d kept everything ready to go in case they needed to leave in a hurry. He shook out the wrinkles from his shirt and sniffed at the material. Seemed clean enough. He figured his clothes would probably be a little big on the sergeant. Sgt. Cooper was maybe 5’9, and Mike was just over 6 feet tall. But it’d do the job for now.

  He looked around the bedroom, frowning. It was empty. He walked into the master bathroom and pushed open the door to the toilet. No Ellie. He then realized Max wasn’t there either. Max usually bounced around at his feet. Maybe Ellie took him out for a walk. That still didn’t explain why the SUV wasn’t in the garage. A knot formed in the pit of Mike’s stomach. Something was wrong. It wasn’t like Ellie to take off. She hadn’t left his side since the infection hit. It wasn’t in her nature to just decide to leave.

  Mike set the clothing and a couple of towels on the floor in the hallway next to the bathroom door. “Hey, Sgt., I put some clothes and towels outside the door. Going out for a bit. Be back in a little while.”

  “Thanks. Appreciate it.” Sgt. Cooper opened the door a crack. “You can just call me Cooper or Brad.”

  Mike could see the man’s hands red with blood.

  “Okay, Brad. That looks bad. You sure you’re okay?” Mike asked, picking up the clothing and towels to hand to him.

  “Um, yeah. Looks worse than it is.” Brad opened the door just enough to take the towels and clothing from him. He placed them on the counter. “A clean bandage and a dose of antibiotics should do the trick.”

  Mike nodded. “Okay. Going to head over to a neighbor’s. See if my girlfriend is over there.”

  “She missing?”

  Mike didn’t answer. He didn’t want to think of Ellie as missing. “She’s been taking care of an elderly neighbor.”

  “You have neighbors? People still alive ‘round here?”

  “So far, just the one. Could be others. Just haven’t found them yet.”

  There was a brief silence, and then Brad’s voice dropped, “Oh.”

  “Make yourself at home. There’s bottled water on the kitchen counter. I wouldn’t chance drinking the tap water. Not since… well, it could be contaminated.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it.” Brad closed the door, and Mike heard him turn on the tap.

  Mike bounded down the cement stairs and headed over to Mrs. Marshall’s condo across the way. He knocked on her door and waited for a bit on the front porch before knocking again. There was no answer. He tried the doorknob, and it turned. It was unlocked. Mike opened the front door and peered inside.

  “Hello? Mrs. Marshall?” he stepped into the entryway and stopped. The place was a disaster. Lamps were on the floor, and a chair was on its side, old junk mail and bills were scattered across the kitchen tiles. Mike walked into the center of the living room and noticed that the sliding glass door to the back patio was wide open. That’s when he saw Mrs. Marshall lying on the pavement outside. She was in her undergarments, flat on her stomach, head turned to the side. Her facial features were distorted with hives.

  Mike nudged her with the steel toe of his boot. He always felt insensi
tive doing that but had grown cautious with this virus. The last thing he wanted was to be attacked. He nudged her a couple more times. When the woman didn’t move, he knew she was dead. He knelt down beside her and felt for a pulse. Her skin was still warm to the touch. No pulse. The fever was what eventually caused the body to malfunction and die when infected. Since she was still warm, he surmised that she had died recently. He examined the mangled flesh on the woman’s right arm and winced. It looked painful, and the wound was fresh.

  Getting to his feet, Mike headed towards the bedroom and noticed Max’s blue leash on the wood floor. His pulse began to race, thinking the worst. Ellie and Max had been there, and Mrs. Marshall was infected. He prayed Ellie hadn’t been attacked. What would he do if he found her dead? What would he do if she were infected?

  Mike drew his gun. He knew what he’d have to do. But could he do it? He stepped into the bedroom and looked around. To his relief, there was no sign of Ellie. He walked around the bed to take a look on the other side. He wanted to make sure she wasn’t lying on the floor.

  Nothing. No one was there.

  He then entered the bathroom. There was blood in the sink and the tub. Water was all over the floor. The pocket door was half open. Blood ran down the inside of the door. The blood stains matched Mrs. Marshall’s wounded arm. He left the bathroom.

  No Ellie. No Max.

  Mike noticed that there was also blood on the inside of the double bedroom doors and smeared bloody handprints on the wall. It appeared Mrs. Marshall had been locked inside the room and had been trying to get out. Then there was Max’s leash on the floor near the bedroom door.

  Relief washed over him as he put everything together. Mrs. Marshall had become infected and went after Ellie and Max. Apparently, they’d escaped. His only concern was whether or not Ellie had been bitten. Was she infected? And why would she leave the condo? If she had been hurt, maybe she went in search of medical attention. Or did she leave to prevent spreading the virus to him? He wasn’t sure. Either way, he needed to find her.

  Outside, Mike glanced up at the ship overhead. Through the tree branches, he could see that the little white light was still blinking. It filled him with apprehension. He headed back to the condo to retrieve his car keys. He needed to find Ellie.

  ***

  Keeping his eye on the flashing white light, Bill crossed the street, heading back to the apartment. He’d caught himself looking both ways for cars before crossing. Funny how something like that stayed with you, even though there was no reason to look both ways. Most of the population was dead. The only vehicles he’d seen on the road were the two driven by those gangsters that called themselves, la Muerte, death. He hadn’t told Amanda that he’d seen them. He hadn’t wanted to worry her. He knew she’d heard the car with the booming base on the street late at night. She’d mentioned it more than a couple of times, and he’d told her not to worry about it. He didn’t want her to know that the gangsters were living in a house, in the neighborhood across the street from the apartment building. If she knew, it’d cause her to panic, and she’d probably want to move. The last thing they needed right now was more stress. He had felt, as long as they stayed quiet and unseen, there would be no issues. Well, he’d felt that way until today.

  Today he wondered about his decision to stay there. He’d spent the afternoon, hidden in the vacant house across the street with a pair of binoculars, watching la Muerte in their garage. They had an entire arsenal in there. Not to mention, food, water, and other supplies. There were seven men and one pregnant woman living in the house. He’d been keeping an eye on them. But after seeing the arsenal, and the two other men that’d showed up on motorcycles, he wasn’t so sure it was safe.

  The men on motorcycles were from a different gang. They wore black leather cuts with the word, Crusaders, on the back. Bill had watched as they made some sort of deal. La Muerte showed off their weapons to the motorcycle riders. He observed them for over a half an hour. There’d been heated words between the men. Eventually, the men shook hands. And the two Crusaders took off on their motorcycles. Bill wasn’t sure what he’d witnessed between the two gangs. It seemed civil enough, but for some reason, he felt sick to his stomach. Something bad was about to happen.

  When Bill returned to the apartments, he peered over his shoulder hoping that he hadn’t been followed. He didn’t want to lead anyone back to his home. As far as he could tell, he’d gone unnoticed. Bill glanced up again at the flashing light on the spaceship as he crossed one of the parking lots, and then cut through a grassy lawn area. He ran around the side of the building they’d been living in and up the stairs.

  “Hey!” he yelled, crashing through the front door in a hurry. Something major was about to happen, he could feel it deep in his bones. The flashing light signified something. They needed to be prepared. “Benji! Amanda!”

  No one answered.

  Bill raced down the hall and flung open the door to the spare bedroom that he and his son had been sharing. No one was there. The bed was unmade, and both Legos and Star Wars toys were spread out on the floor.

  “Amanda!” Bill called out, heading to her room. He pounded on her bedroom door. “Amanda!” When there was no answer, he opened the door. The room was empty. He ran over to the bathroom and peeked inside even though he knew no one was there.

  “What the…?” Bill stormed down the hall and out of frustration slugged the wall. Where the hell are they?

  Of all the times for Amanda to venture out of the apartment, she chose now. Bill stepped into the kitchen and noticed paper and crayons on the table. His heart sunk into the depth of his stomach as he read the note that had been left for him. Dread filled every fiber of his being as he read it. It wasn’t safe for them to be out there. Not with the gangs. He’d been watching them store food in their garage from the grocery store on the corner. He prayed Amanda didn’t try to go into that store with Benjamin.

  Why hadn’t I been straightforward and honest with her? If he’d warned Amanda about the dangers, she would have at least known to be more cautious. Now he felt both Amanda and his son’s lives were in danger because of him. What if they’re seen? What will happen to them?

  Bill looked out the sliding glass doors. The blinking light caught his attention again. He needed to find Amanda and his son, and fast.

  Just then, there was a knock at the front door. Bill turned his head and stared at the door. He waited a moment and listened, wondering if he was hearing things. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him.

  Knock! Knock! Bill practically leaped out of his skin at the sound. He rushed to the door and peered through the peephole. A sandy-haired man with gray eyes was staring at him. It took him a second to register the familiar face on the other side of the door.

  Against his better judgment, he opened the door. “How’d you know where to find us?”

  The sandy-haired man that’d helped him, Benjamin, and Amanda escape a couple of military types that’d been holding them hostage at the hospital in San Diego just after the outbreak, stepped inside without being asked. A short, stalky woman with mousy brown hair, who’d also aided in their escape, was behind him.

  “Where’s the boy?” the man asked, ignoring Bill’s question.

  “How’d you know where to find us?” Bill asked again, stepping in front of the man, blocking his view of the apartment. Bill didn’t trust either of them. At the time, they’d fed them some corny explanation saying they were scientists from another planet. And that they were on our planet to observe the human race and had accidentally spread a virus that was common to their kind. At the time, Bill hadn’t believed a word they were saying. He believed they were trying to cover up for the government until the ship arrived. Now he wondered what the truth was. Who were they? And how did they know where he and Benjamin were staying? Even if the story they’d told him was true, he still didn’t trust them. What the hell did they want?

  The dark-haired woman pushed in between the two men. “Liam,�
�� she barked at the man. “We don’t have time for this!” She turned and looked up at Bill. Her eyes were hard and cold. “Where’s your son? This is of the utmost importance.”

  “You still didn’t answer my question,” Bill said stubbornly. “How’d you find us?”

  “I implanted the boy with a microchip,” she said, holding up a small, black cube that fit in the palm of her hand. There was a little blue light glowing from within. “This led us to him.”

  “You’ve been tracking my son?” Bill was furious. “You have no right!” He balled his hands up into fists. He’d been trying to forget about Benjamin having been ill. It was as if he’d blocked the memory from his mind. It was too painful. Benjamin, his eyes glowing yellow, his body burning up with fever, and then the change. He’d changed into some kind of rabid monster. He’d viciously attacked his mother. Joanna’s blood had been everywhere.

  Bill felt his pale blue eyes fill with tears as he remembered his wife. Remembered her death. He clenched his eyes closed against the tears. He hadn’t gone back to the house since that night. He couldn’t get himself to do it. He prayed that Benjamin would never remember what he’d done. As far as he could tell, his son only remembered becoming ill and then later waking up in the hospital. The only thing he’d told his son was that Joanna didn’t make it. That she’d died.

  “He survived the virus,” Susan said. “He’s important. Where is he?”

  Bill furrowed his brow. “He’s not here.”

  “Not here?” she asked. “That can’t be right.”

  Liam snatched the little black cube from Susan’s hand. He studied it for a moment. “That’s impossible,” he said. “The boy is here.” He pushed past both Susan and Bill and headed to the hallway. He flung open the door to the guest bathroom. Bill and Susan followed. Liam flipped on the light switch and yanked open the shower curtain. He bent over and picked up a little silver cylinder off the shelf next to a bar of soap. There was blood in the tub. “He removed it.”