The Outbreak Series Boxed Set

by Thomas Baker

  Getting his thoughts back on track, Albright continued on.

  "We are the righteous. We are the believers. We send God all of our love, and devotion, and obedience and he spares us in his righteousness. We-"

  Charlie and Devon, bursting through the front door, interrupting his sermon. They quickly crossed the chapel. Charlie jumped up on the stage and whispered into his ear.

  Albright's stomach tightened for a moment and his breath quickened. As fast as it happened,he got it under control. They had practiced and prepared for this. Still, he afraid something would go wrong. His hold on the church couldn't waver in the slightest. It wouldn't do though to show fear in front of his people.

  "Everyone," Albright projected across the room. People were already fidgeting in their seats and hushed voices filled the air. Panic was something he could not have. He wrangled it under control with a cool and confident demeanor. "Zombies! The walking bodies of Sinners! They have been spotted approaching this way. I am told it is a small group, maybe twenty-five to thirty of them. You all know what to do. May God bless us all."

  Albright scanned the room for Hannah. She was sitting towards the back. She looked a little frightened but he could also see a tightening around her lips and eyes. He wondered what was behind that anger. He also admired her for it. He knew for sure at that moment he had to have her. Who knows, maybe he could even work it so she would become his wife.

  He watched Margaret led her down into the basement with the other women, children, and men not fit to fight. It was a small number. The rest of the men lined up along the wall leading to the front door. Charlie and Devon were there, handing out guns they had brought into the church from the storage shed in large canvas bags. Each church member took the weapon handed to them and went outside.

  Albright stepped down from the stage, crossed down the center aisle and passed through the doorway. He walked with purpose, chin held high.

  Twenty-one armed men spread out on the front lawn. They turned to look at Albright as he asked for their attention. Behind them the few corpses still hanging from the tree swayed in the breeze.The only sound were the ropes as they rubbed against the tree branches. The sound helped Albright gathered his words.

  "We have practiced this. Some of you have even had experience with this. Now we will be put to the test," Albright began. "We are God's soldiers and we will not let these sinners foul this holy ground. Remember, aim for the head, watch your brother's back, and know that the Holy Spirit surrounds you. Amen."

  Albright made the sign of the cross then checked the safety on his rifle. He pointed off to the left where the zombie group had been reported coming from. He strode off the deck and out to the front of the crowd. On his left was Charlie and his right was Devon. He projected confidence as he led the posse up to the highway.

  The highway followed the rolling hills up and down. After the third rise, they could see the shuffling mass below them about a half mile away.

  "Charlie, Devon," Albright said, with a nod of his head towards the zombies.

  Charlie and Devon laid down, bodies stretched out on the warm concrete, setting up their sniper rifles. They took shots into the horde. Bodies fell. The group never scattered or slowed its approach. The zombies continued undulating over their fallen members, in awkward jerking motions. Albright suppressed a shudder.

  Albright signaled the remaining men to fan out behind him, across the highway into two even rows. Rifles in back, handguns and shotguns in the front. They stretched from fencing to fencing running along both sides of the highway. On the right side was a field of yellow, drying cornstalks, with the corn never harvested, rotting away under the autumn sun. On the left side was open pasture, with two dead cows picked apart by scavengers lying next to a dried up waterhole.

  The undead advanced closer. The men with rifles, including Albright, knelt on one knee and fired into the zombies. Some shots went uselessly into the chest, arms or legs. Most found their way into the zombie's skulls though.

  Albright was feeling relieved everything was going as plan. He figured they would have them all the undead neutralized before they even got close enough to need the secondary line.

  Albright heard a man scream behind him. He turned to see another group of zombies, about tenor so, had come through the tall corn. Three were rolling on the ground, tangled up in the fencing. The rest had fallen on the rear line, who must have not heard them coming over the sounds of gunfire.

  A particularlydisgusting one, with a trail of entrails like dried out ropes hanging from its open belly, clamped on to one of his men's arms. The man struggled, trying to turn his shotgun to an angle in which he could fire. Albright fired his rifle, killing the church member. The sudden dead weight of his victim's body dropped the attacking zombie to the ground with it. Albright took two steps towards it and shot the zombie in the head.

  "Second line fall back, first lineto me," Albright called out. "The other group is done. Let's draw them apart and take them out. We will not lose anyone else today."

  Albright had to admit, they impressed him. Everyone stayed calm and in two more minutes, it was all over. He saw shock in a lot of the men's faces, but pride alongside it. This was a bonding experience he could use to further strengthen his hold over everyone. He could see that already. Now was not the time for speeches though, not with everyone's adrenaline pumping. He looked down at the man he had killed. He would make a short statement about Mark's sacrifice and then leave them all with a celebratory feeling. At least he wouldn't have to make any condolences to a family. Mark had no wife or kids.

  "Everyone let us bow our heads for a moment for our brother Mark and his loss." Albright spoke through the haze of smoke surrounding them. "He is with Jesus and God now, in the place they have prepared for him. We will never forget his sacrifice. Amen."

  He scanned the red, wet eyes of the congregation and smiled inside. They were looking at him with unquestioning adoration.

  After the moment of silence, Albright walked through the men, patting each one on the shoulder. When he was at the lead of the group again, he turned to them. "Men, you all did outstanding today. It was scary there for a minute, I will admit, but none of you lost faith. Let's go back, get cleaned up, and have a special church dinner tonight. What do you say?"

  The men cheered, and some even pumped their guns up into the air. Albright raised his hands into the air and the crowd erupted into Amen's and Hallelujahs. One man sung a hymn as they marched back and by the time they reached the church, the others had joined in singing. All except Albright, who had to stifle the wild laughter threatening to burst out of him.

  Tyrone sat on the edge of his cot. His elbows rested on his knees and his head dangled down with his hands between his legs. His face still ached from the other day.

  If he didn't think of a way out of this soon, he was sure he would end up dead.

  He couldn't rely on JT, Gus, or Hannah to get him out of this. JT had lost his shine. Tyrone used to think the guy was cool. JT really seemed to have his shit together. Too many things had happened recently, starting when JT accidentally killed the kid. Tyrone now had no confidence in him as a leader. Man still didn't seem to have any kind of plan. Plus, and Tyrone knew it was unfair but couldn't help how he felt, JT wasn't getting dragged off and beaten on. He was losing faith, Tyrone snickered, in JT's ability to get them out of this situation. When JT pushed that girl out the window to her death is when he began to notice JT's flaws. Having to bury Ashley under a boathouse man, he woke up.

  Hannah, he had no idea what was going on with her. She had never been to see them. He never heard a word if she was curious how they were doing. Nothing, it was like she had disappeared. He didn't know if it was Albright's doing or hers, but either way he wasn't going to get any help there.

  Gus, ha, he was lucky to be alive. At least he thought Gus was still alive. Like Hannah he hadn't heard anything about him since being locked up. Gus was cool, but he was an older man. He couldn't take on a
group of people by himself even if he was in his best shape.

  No one would help him except himself. He had learned that the hard way.

  Tyrone raised his head and looked around. He had to laugh at the irony. Here he was, a black kid who grew up in the bible belt who never even had a police officer talk to him. Unless you count the visit in his elementary school class. He had no minor run in with the law, let alone any kind of more serious harassment. He had to admit, being too busy with sports to get into much trouble and being the one of only two black kids in his school might have had something to do with it. Still it was funny. Now, after an apocalypse, bam, here he was, locked in a jail cell. Due process seemed deader than the zombies.

  Tyrone rubbed the side of his face and winced. He kept coming back to the only way he could think of getting out. Taking a chance on running the next time they came for him. Hit them fast as they tried to load him in the truck and run for the nearest building. He could still outrun anyone, even with his hands tied up.

  He wanted to ask JT what he thought but didn't. He knew he would get the same answer he always got. Just wait, he will think of something, don't go off on your own. He had an ominous feeling he didn't have the time to wait. He was ready to leave them all behind, go back home, and try to find his real family.

  Tyrone also thought about asking Jelly for some ideas on escape, but he couldn't decide if the man was genuinely smart or super dumb. Some things he spouted off, it could go either way. Also, he wasn't sure if Jelly could keep his mouth shut about Tyrone's plan if he asked his opinion on the subject.

  Tyrone racked his brain until his thoughts flew in all directions and he gave up. Simple was better anyway. He decided he would do it. Yeah, the next time they come for him he would run.

  His mind made up but not able to act, he felt like a ball of bundled energy, wanting to pounce. He got up and paced his cell, bouncing on his heels as he went back and forth, back and forth.

  "What's going on over there?" Jelly called over. "Pink elephants on parade?"

  "Sorry, man. I'm tired of being cooped up. They need to let us out, for some exercise or something. You know what I mean?" Tyrone said.

  "Nah man, it's okay. I wasn't sleeping, anyway. I was just laying here thinking," Jelly said. "Can't say I agree with you brother, exercise is overrated."

  "Ha, not the athletic type?" Tyrone laughed. "I know what you mean. I had some lazy gamer friends. Not everyone can be me. What were you thinking about?"

  "Oh, about how I have never been in here this long," Jelly sighed. "Then that got me thinking about Habeas Corpus, which I now thought you would have to call Habeas Uncorpus."

  Tyrone shook his head. Jelly laughed hard and transitioned into moaning.

  "Oh man, the going dry part sucks every time," he said in a low voice. "I need out of here."

  "You and me both," Tyrone agreed.

  "Don't worry little man, we will," Jelly tried to reassure him. "Sheriff will see to it, eventually. He's not a bad guy, for a copper. I'll put in a good word for you and down the yellow brick road you guys will go. You're little dog too."

  Tyrone looked over at JT's cell. He was still sleeping.

  "Sheriff might. Albright won't," Tyrone hissed. "Look what the guy has done to meJelly. I don't think the guy is crazy, but I doknow he doesn't want me around. Maybe he's a racist I don't know. He seems like enough of a control freak he wouldn't just let me go."

  "You got that right. Dude can't control me though. Sounds like you want a jailbreak."

  Tyrone stopped pacing and clamped his hand over his mouth.

  "Don't worry dude. They know you've already thought about it. Even Charlie. He was never even a C student, but he ain't that dumb," Jelly said.

  "You know him?" Tyrone asked.

  "Oh yeah man, we went to school together. He was a grade above me. He was one of the main bullies at school. Made my life hell for a year. It truly is no surprise he is like Albright's enforcer. Dude is a menace."

  "He certainlyenjoys beating on me," Tyrone said.

  Jelly went quiet and Tyrone thought the guy had gone back to sleep. Tyrone went back to counting the steps around his cell, at a little slower pace this time. His momma taught him he should be considerate of others. Thinking about her made his heart ache. Without any prompting Jelly spoke up again.

  "Man, you ever wonder, what it must be like to be a zombie?"

  Tyrone considered it for a moment. "No, I haven't. It is probably like dying I would guess. Everything happened so fast, I don't think anyone got a chance to study it. That's what I've heard, anyway. I was trapped in a school bus when the shit went down. It's brain science. That stuff is above my head. Biology was never my best subject."

  "I'm no brain surgeon either but I have thought about it more than once. Especially when I'm high. It could be like you have no awareness of what's going on. It could be like whatever happens to us when you die. It could be even worse than that. Imagine if it was like a hijacker. You were still in there, knew what was going on, but you were powerless to stop any of it."

  Tyrone shivered. "I don't believe in Hell but if there was one, that sounds like a good one. Jelly, why even put such a thought in my head? The zombies were terrifying enough."

  "Dude, I'm deep, what can I say," Jelly said, with no hint of modesty. "The problem with most of the rest of the world was they weren't. Think on that while you think on getting out of here."

  Tyrone was silent for a minute, trying to decide if this guy was full of bullshit or not.

  "What are you spouting on about anyway man? I thought you said you never left this town. How many zombies have you seen," Tyrone challenged him. "I've been out there. One day it was the normal world, the next a destroyed one. They hear you, they attack you, they try to eat you. Those things aren't people anymore. They can't be reasoned with. You can't get them to feel pity on you. They are more like a tiger or a shark now. They are not like you and me. Know what I mean?"

  "So they can be and should be hunted and killed, like big game?" Jelly snorted.

  "They should be wiped off the earth. Unlike an animal they don't even serve a purpose. They should be taken out, like a virus."

  "What if they have a purpose though, like wolves," Jelly said, excited to get into the debate. "To cull and thin the population of the earth. If it is a natural virus turning people to zombies, maybe it is supposed to get rid of all the weak people. Only the strong survive."

  "Then why are you still alive?" Tyrone snapped, irritated with what to him was Jelly's pseudointellectual mumbo jumbo.

  "Hey man, no need to get personal," Jelly said, sounding seriously hurt. "It was just a fun discussion."

  "Again, have you even been out there? I've had to kill zombies. I've almost died several times. I've lost my whole family. I bet they're zombies now. I don't even know for sure, because I'm stuck here, with a guy spouting off crap about zombie feelings."

  "Man." Jelly sounded like he honestly got Tyrone's feelings. That made Tyrone even more irritated. He didn't want the man's pity. "It sounds like you are really hurting bro. I guess I don't know what that's like. Nobody cared about me before. No sure don't after. So I've survived by a thin thread for a long time. Sorry if I haven't made that clear."

  Tyrone didn't know what to say for a long while. He had a sickening feeling in his stomach when he thought about not knowing his family's fate. At least he had it prettygood before the Outbreak, all thing considered. It must be equally crappy to have no one at all in your life, as Jelly made it sound like he did. Tyrone had known guys back on his football team like that. They always tried to act tough, like it didn't bother them. Who knows, maybe the football team became enough of a family to them it didn't.

  Enough dwelling on the past. It wasn't like him to think about what had happened before. He liked to concentrate on where he was going. Where he planned on going next was far away from here.

  Alice and Hannah sat at a card table, eating a lunch of sliced carrots and f
ruit cocktail from a can. It was a quiet day. Lots of people were outside enjoying the perfect fall weather. As Hannah spooned some cocktail to her mouth, it made her realize how much she missed fresh fruit.

  Why didn't we stop and find some apple trees or a strawberry patch when we were doing all that traveling?

  It was one of many good ideas no one thought of as they ran terrified from one threat to another.

  Alice sat across from her, quietly humming to herself as she scooped the cocktail into her mouth. Hannah had been hoping to get a chance for her and Alice to be alone. She seemed to be an open and honest person. She was not threatening in the least. Hannah couldn't even imagine her trying to be threatening. She was so cute it would be laughable. Hannah thought she would be the perfect person to give her a real sense of the church. She was eager to join, but every time she was away from Albright for long, she questioned if it was the right thing to do. She guessed her encounter with Harold had shaken her trust of others to its core. The whole thing with JT and Tyrone being locked up bothered her. Albright had promised her one more day and they would move her in. JT and Tyrone though, he said he still had reservations. She had asked to see them but he pleaded patience from her.

  "Alice, um, would you mind a personal question?Are you from around here?" Hannah asked.

  "I've lived down in Gateway City my whole life. My folks are from Gateway City and my Grandma is too. I planned on going to the college here, marrying someone, and raising my family here. That may take longer than I originally thought now, but I have faith it will still happen."

  Hannah didn't know if she should be impressed by the woman's faith or feel sorry for her naivety. She'd been out there with the zombies. She didn't think college would open back up anytimesoon.