Power Word: Infuse
By Michael Cornett
Copyright © 2019 Michael Cornett
All rights reserved.
Contents
By Michael Cornett
Copyright © 2019 Michael Cornett All rights reserved.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 1
Alec couldn’t believe they were out in the middle of the night. Under normal circumstances, darkness would provide the perfect cover for such an undertaking, but the night no longer belonged to humankind. The mere knowledge of what was lurking in the shadows caused the suffocating darkness to feel like a threat of its own. The cold air whipping over his prone body caused him to shiver much harder than it should have. Even the deep grey clouds seemed to be spying on them, ready to betray their location through the howling winds. He had a terribly unsettling feeling rumbling deep inside his bones. The kind of feeling that you can’t seem to shake, no matter how hard you try. The kind of feeling that sets off warning alarms in every sensory receptor in your body.
Despite the feeling, despite every bone inside his body screaming to run, to hide, Alec forced himself to remain resolute. Kable and Stephen, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be holding up as well. Their faces were contorted with the type of fear rarely seen in a grown man, save for life or death scenarios, like staring down the wrong end of a barrel. Alec couldn’t blame them. They were stuck outside at night, when the abominations came to life, like a swarm of angry hornets. It seemed he should have been feeling exactly how they are, but he didn’t. He couldn’t understand why he wasn’t more afraid, which almost concerned him even more. That’s not to say that he wasn’t on edge. The fight or flight response had kicked in as the sun had gone down, and adrenaline was heightening his senses as it pulsed through his veins.
An extra surge of unease tingled down Alec’s spine as he peered through the ATN X-Sight night vision scope mounted on the silenced Headhunters Long Range Tactical (LRT). With a slight twist of his half-numb hand, Alec slowly adjusted the parallax clicking the icy metal dial into place. Even with the tiniest sliver of starlight the magnified lens, combined with illumination of the night vision, provided a frightening look at the grotesque abomination. It had a human form, shirtless, with ratty jeans that were covered in grit and grime, shredded down the left pant leg. Based upon the abomination’s height, wide shoulders, and lack of breasts, this one was apparently male. Alec swore the foul scent of decaying skin and flaccid gore permeating it’s thin pale skin filled his nostrils, even from this distance. The abomination only had one eye, a solid crimson marble, just like all the other abominations. The single eye sunk deep into its twisted, demented face and brimmed with hate. The pale, almost translucent skin surrounding the empty socket where its other eye should have been, was deeply lacerated like it had been clawed out by the talons of a beast. Then there was the mouth, or rather the absence of a mouth. Where the mouth should have been was a thin layer of what he assumed was tightly stretched skin, but no mouth was visible. Alec had seen the repulsive things extend their jaws, stretching the thin layer of skin until it parted, exposing a mouth full of sharp, jagged teeth.
The majority of this particular abomination’s left torso was nonexistent, with entrails dangling back and forth where skin and cartilage and organs should have been. It crept and scurried about on all fours with a slight hunch, like a startled cat, hunting the pitch black street for anything it could feed on. As it hunted, it swung its bald head back and forth sniffing for a scent.
Alec had seen enough. He slowly inhaled a breath of frigid air and held it, just as he had been trained to do, lining up the fluorescent green crosshairs with the utmost precision. He waited until the abomination’s head was in the dead center of the crosshairs, and gently squeezed the trigger. He exhaled a puff of warm air as the bullet sliced through the cold darkness, straight at the unknowing abomination as it sniffed alongside the asphalt street. Just at the last moment, right before the bullet found its target, the abomination twisted its head up at an unnatural angle, like a scene from a possession movie, and glared right at him. Alec shivered at the act. Did it somehow know? Could it have heard the bullet zipping on the wind or was it just a coincidence? It didn’t matter, the abomination was too late. The three hundred caliber round tore through the abomination’s remaining eye, erupting its head like a volcano, and spewing blood and chunks of gore into the cold night air. A piece of brain matter landed on the hood of a nearby car like an overly-ripe tomato, splattering and then slowly sliding down to the ground, leaving a streak of steaming blood before resting on the street.
The streetlights that lined the old country road was dark, with no electricity to illuminate the road as it wound down the hills, zigging and zagging, eventually leading to the metropolis miles in the distance. The once splendidly lit high rises, miles away from them, were now merely empty blocks of steel and mortar, serving as a reminder of the city Alec once called home. Who knew what had truly become of those stuck in the city. The city that was now shrouded in the vast darkness that swallowed it up like a dying star in a black hole. Like much of the world, it had gone dark, save for the small slivers of light bouncing off the moon, desperately fighting their way through a blanket of deep grey clouds in the sky. Alec assumed that most of the abominations were content in the city for now. Maybe there were still enough poor souls trapped in the abyss to quench their thirst to feed. For now.
“I think that was the last one,” Alec whispered as he lay flat on his stomach. He had been laying prone in this position for over an hour now, grateful for the padding of his black fleece pullover and fallen pine needles that covered the hilltop. “All clear from what I can see,” Stephen added, preferring his naked eyes over a set of the infrared optics. Alec didn’t quite understand why his friend refused to use the optics, but he was tired of arguing with the man. Kable was still peering through the 3rd Gen Armasight night vision binoculars, silently nodded in agreement, his long black dreads swaying slightly with the movement.
Kable wasn’t one to say much. He never had been. Somehow the two had been friends since the first day of kindergarten, despite the mostly one-sided conversations. Perhaps it had to do with Alec always being told he talked too much. In his mind, becoming best buds with someone who didn’t have a whole lot to say made good sense.
No one daring to move just yet, the three childhood friends lay still under the tall swaying pine trees on the hilltop. They waited and watched the parking lot at the bottom of the hill for any further signs of movement. Best they could tell, this rural area wasn’t overrun with abominations, neither had it been completely looted by the survivors like some of the chain grocery stores seen on previous scavenging trips.
The old rural pharmacy looked worn, like it hadn’t been maintained well for a decade or better, which wouldn’t be uncommon for a small town like this. The mildew stained glass doors and windows at the front of the building were still intact, and from their vantage point it pharmacy looked undisturbed. The gas pumps from the connecting service station looked ancient, made of unpainted steel, with the old white and black plastic numbers that clicked as they turned instead of the digital LED screens most people were now accustomed to. Flakes of blue paint were chipped off the large logo that ran half the length of the roofline and long deep cracks splintered across the concrete parking lot.
> There were a few abandoned cars scattered down the street and two more in the parking lot that surrounded the old building. A tan four-by-four truck with a lift kit sat crashed into the embankment past the building in the s-curve of the road. In the far back right of the parking lot Alec noticed one of the vehicles appeared to be a white delivery van with the pharmacy’s name across the back panels. He made a mental note to search the van for anything useful once they cleared the pharmacy.
In spite of the danger of being out in the night, the threat of venturing closer to the city, his best friend’s wife, Sara, was sick and was in desperate need of antibiotics. What would have been a simple cut a few weeks ago was now a festering infection, most likely a staph infection. This was the furthest they had dared to venture towards the city since initially fleeing it, but this was the nearest pharmacy to the cabin, at least that Alec could recall. He would have still preferred to hold up in the cabin or somewhere else, anywhere safe until daylight, but they knew she was running out of time. Sara’s fever was dangerously high, and they were afraid she was becoming septic. Earlier in the day she had either been sleeping or murmuring things that didn’t make any sense. Maybe if she was lucid she could tell them what to do, she was a nurse after all, the only one at the cabin with any kind of medical background. Instead she murmured things about her dead aunt and a dog Kable said she had as a kid.
After a few more seconds observing the pharmacy, Alec felt confident they were the only living or unliving beings in the vicinity. He placed a hand on Kable’s muscular back and let out a low whistle to Stephen, letting him know it was time to move. Kable didn’t reply but gave a thumbs up before pushing himself to his feet. His black dreads had grown long, reaching just below his broad shoulders. Alec wasn’t used to seeing him with a beard, but keeping razors on hand or taking the time to worry about staying neatly groomed wasn’t exactly a priority for them. Although he hadn’t played football in years, Kable still looked like he could be first string at any division one school in the country. At six foot four and two hundred thirty pounds Kable had been a punishing running back in his prime. It had always amazed Alec how the big man could be so viscous on the football field yet so calm and gentle off the field.
Following Kable’s lead, Alec stood up from his perched position hill, slung his silenced LRT over his shoulder and began to move. “Let’s make this quick,” Alec said in a barely-audible voice, trying to keep chatter to a minimum. The three friends descended the hill, crossing over patches of dirt and through tall wild grass towards the parking lot. Alec glanced once more at the shadowy rectangular features of the high rises in the distance as they slowly disappeared. Seeing the city that was once a busy hub of the south fading away, Alec wondered how many people, if any, were still alive. He imagined they would be trapped, feeling deserted and hopeless in the godforsaken city. He hoped and even sometimes prayed for their safety, for sanctuary. It was a foolish thought, hoping people could survive this long in a city so overrun with abominations. Nevertheless, he said a quick silent prayer to whoever would listen as he ran, “Please watch over them. Keep them safe and give them hope.” He cleared the thoughts from his clouded head, refocusing on the task at hand: get in, scavenge whatever antibiotics, food, and water they could find, and stay the hell alive.
Stephen’s giraffe like legs took long lanky strides as he ran point for the trio of men. The tall man barreled forward in a reckless manner, much the same way he lived life. Alec assumed it was his way of trying to hide his fear or maybe overcome it. Growing up, Alec could remember countless times he envied that boldness. He remembered the hesitation before going on his first roller coaster, the frantic thumping of his heart, but Stephen was there to drag him on. He remembered time when they decided to go rock diving and how he stood frozen at the edge of the cliff, peeking over the edge at the crashing waves only to see Stephen race by, turning a flip as he leapt off the edge.
Following a few steps behind Stephen and Alec, Kable was meticulously scanning the area from east to west with his black AR-15, observing their surroundings, scrutinizing every moving shadow and flying leaf. He seemed to be squeezing the life out of his rifle, which wasn’t a surprise, as he never had cared much for firearms. Alec recalled a conversation with the hulking dark skinned man. Of how there was a time that thought of using a weapon to injure a living creature, even to eat, was appalling to him, but that had all changed in the past few weeks. He remained stubborn for the first few days, refusing a gun when Alec had first insisted he carry one, “You know I don’t like guns Alec. That hasn’t changed.” After a few days and Sara’s feisty persistence, he reluctantly approached Alec, “Guess I’ll take one of those guns if you’re still offering.” Alec wished he would have had more time to train his friends to use the weapons, but they had been busy. He hoped they would not have to use them this night, but if they did, he would have to trust he had done enough.
Stephen slowed his run to a trot as the three men passed from grass to concrete, attempting to dodge the dry leaves that covered the asphalt. They moved cautiously through the cracked parking lot, past the four antique gas pumps, and stopped just short of the glass door. Stephen pressed his cupped hands to the cool glass of the door and surveyed the inside of the pharmacy. A few seconds later he withdrew his hands from the glass and pointed down to the metal lock of the door. It was unlocked.
Alec reached up over his right shoulder and felt the comfortable leather handle of his Katana. It felt soft in his hand, comfortable, familiar. He drew the long triple folded steel blade from its sheath, razor sharp edge glistening ever-so-slightly. Stephen had joked with him about looking like a Samurai from one of the old movies they used to watch as kids. Maybe a part of him even wanted to be a Samurai, some kind of hero for this fallen world. Alec had to admit that he understood why the others laughed when Stephen cracked the joke. Alec’s great great grandfather had been Asian, and he did have light-colored skin, a long scruffy beard, and light brown man-bun, or top-knot as Stephen referred to it.
Stephen readied his AR-15 and nodded, letting Alec know the pharmacy looked empty. Alec glanced at Kable, who nodded his ready. Using his fingers, Alec counted down from three before quickly pulling open the door, leading the way with his familiar blade in his right hand and small flashlight in his left. Stephen slid in right behind him with Kable bringing up the rear, and the team moved step by step as Alec had instructed. Alec’s heart was racing as he panned the light left then right, praying they could get in and out without any hiccups.
Judging by the untouched rows of cleaning supplies, toiletries, and paper products this placed hadn’t been touched since things fell apart. Alec spun around the end cap, noticing the expensive organic foods people once cared so much about, and entered the second aisle. He felt like a member of a S.W.A.T. team, sneaking around in the dark with his flashlight. Before rounding the corner to the third aisle, he turned back to be sure Kable and Stephen were still following behind him, and to his dismay, found Stephen still standing mid-way down the aisle. Alec wondered what in the hell he could be doing. A closer look revealed Stephen was right in front of the shelves full of candy. He held in the scream his friend deserved for his idiotic lack of discipline. He flashed his L.E.D. beams directly into Stephen’s eyes. The tall man looked up like a deer in headlights and quickened his pace to catch up.
Alec started around the next aisle but came to an abrupt halt at the sound of a low whistle. He pivoted towards Stephen, who still hadn’t caught up to him. If they made it out of here, he was going to have a serious talk with his friend. Alec’s frustration turned to fear as he saw Stephen holding his left hand flat in the air, palm up. With his right hand positioned above his other hand, he alternated his index and middle fingers making some kind of signal...movement. Stephen pointed behind the checkout counter. Alec nodded and held up a balled fist, indicating for his friend to hold his position. He turned to Kable motioning for him to follow and tip-toed towards the movement. They stopped ab
out six feet shy of the checkout counter, and Kable lifted the night vision scope mounted on his AR-15. His left arm was trembling as he guided the assault rifle in the direction of the movement. Alec kept watch as Kable carefully searched the area in front of the checkout counter. Alec’s heart pounded as he waited, hoping it was nothing more than a rodent. Eventually Kable nodded that it was clear in front of him, and held his position as he waited for Alec to clear the other side.
Alec took in an icy breath and approached the backside of the counter, sword at the ready. An image flashed in his mind. One of the grotesque abominations sat crouched behind the counter, red eyes glaring at him with its muscles tensed in a ball, ready to leap at him slashing and biting, ripping into his flesh. He tried to tell himself it was nothing, just a shadow. The sweat on his palms said otherwise. At the edge of the counter he mustered all the courage he could and in one fluid motion pivoted around the counter, ready to slice into foul flesh, but only an empty stool stood in the darkness. Alec exhaled a deep breath and lowered his sword, wiping his sweaty hands onto his pant legs. He turned to see Kable pointing to a tall tree swaying in the wind, about twenty feet in the distance. It cast a shadow onto the cash register that moved to and fro with the wind. Alec praised the heavens, as he tried to slow his heart rate. “Just a shadow,” Kable whispered. “Thankfully,” Alec replied in a low voice. Alec gestured towards the un-cleared aisles and said “let’s finish clearing this place, grab what we can, and get out of here. I don’t like being out in the night with those things around.” “Couldn’t agree more brother,” Kable said, falling back in line to clear the remaining isles of the pharmacy.
A few minutes later they were satisfied the pharmacy was clear and returned to the section at the back of the store that read “Pharmacy Staff Only” and began looking for the antibiotics. “Three’s a crowd. I’m going to scoop up some of that water and canned food,” Stephen said in a semi-mischievous manner. Alec didn’t quite know what his friend was getting at. The primary objective was finding the antibiotics for Sara, but they could certainly use any other vital medicines and food or drinks they could find.
Infuse Page 1