“Ok. Good job man. You want to take everybody down to the garage entrance and wait for me. Keep them safe and see if you can see any more of them but don’t let anybody see you. No talking and no lights. I need to take care of something really quick.” Randy ordered. He was thinking fast. One thing he was thinking was that they weren’t going to have room to take their prisoner along for the ride. He ushered everyone off and went back into the room. He could tell Kelly and Tony knew what he was going to do.
He walked back in the room. The prisoner was leaning against the wall. In the beam of light Randy was shining at him he looked resigned. He kept looking over at the bloody pile of comforters in the corner. He’d probably heard Tony tell what he’d concealed there. Randy squatted down in front of the man and pulled off the strip of cloth they had over his mouth to muzzle him. He put his finger to his lips to let the man know he was expected to keep his voice down.
“What’s your name?” He asked.
“Carl Whitesburg. If you let me go, I’ll keep my mouth shut. I’ll just leave and never come back.” He begged. His eyes went from resigned to desperate then terrified. He’d seen something in the way Randy was looking at him. Randy just nodded and carefully put the strip of cloth back over Carl’s mouth.
“Don’t worry man. I just need you to keep quiet while we sneak out of here. You think you can do that for me?” Randy asked in a hushed voice. He stood Carl up and started perp walking him towards the door leading out of the room. Carl nodded emphatically and focused on not tripping over anything as he shuffled towards the door.
Randy pulled Tony’s crowbar out of his pack. He’d felt like a coward not knowing Carl’s name. He’d wanted to put him at ease so he wouldn’t start screaming or anything. The man’s name was Carl. It humanized the guy. He was no longer just the prisoner they were going to interrogate and kill. He was an actual person. His name was Carl.
Randy swung the crowbar as hard as he could into the back of Carl’s head. Carl crumpled to the ground barely making any noise at all.
“I’m sorry Carl. You’re not worth risking my family over. Nothing is.” Randy whispered over the prone body of Carl as he knelt down beside him. He pulled a box cutter out of his pocket and used it to slice Carl’s neck completely open. Arterial blood splattered on the carpet forming a puddle. Telling himself it had to be done Randy stood up and moved purposefully towards the hallway. He turned his flashlight off and felt his way out the door leaving behind yet another corpse along with a big chunk of what was left of his humanity.
Chapter 19: Roll On
Kyler ground the gears together getting the truck rolling down the highway. They’d only picked up around fifty people so far and the trailer was already looking crowded. They’d had no choice but to drive past the first two-mile markers without stopping since the Zombies were basically on their bumper. It wouldn’t have been super helpful to stop to try to help people if they had a tsunami of Zombies striking as they tried to climb into the trailer.
When Miguel the driver and Kyler did stop for the next group, they barely had time to get the back doors opened up before people were running across the median and trying to climb in. The ones they rescued were thankful that someone had actually stopped to get them. None of them had been looking forward to having to hike fifty to a hundred miles trying to find the next camp. It was a dangerous world to be out wandering around in the woods. Whether it was by Zombies or other humans you really didn’t want to be found when you didn’t have any real weapons on you.
More than a few of the people boarding the truck asked if they could get a fix. A couple of them referred to the daily drug dose as their medicine. One of the ways the Brotherhood empire was expanding was by creating a peasant caste of opioid addicts to do most of the dangerous, grunt work like looting. The people were easy targets for them to hook. Most of the people still alive were already struggling with major depression. A lot of them had seen their families killed in front of them. Some of them had to kill their own family members when they got infected. Every day was a reminder of what they’d lost. Most of them saw the future as eventually being ripped apart and eaten alive. Considering the circumstances taking some drugs to dull the pain didn’t seem like such a horrible idea. In a lot of cases the drugs probably kept people from just tying a noose around their necks and taking that last little leap.
Kyler greatly doubted the drugs were being handed out to try and help people through a difficult time. The drugs were another source of control. The same way that people who did have family still alive would be separated and told to keep their children or spouse safe they needed to make sure they looted enough to cover the cost of keeping them guarded and alive. You either worked hard or your kids suffered. Your kids who were taken away to some other camp where you may never get a chance to see them again.
Taken individually the methods used to control the people could probably be justified given the times. When you started grouping all the methods together though it was hard not to see them as just plain evil. Kyler was rescuing people from being eaten alive and all he could really think about now was that he now had the symbol of that evil branded into his back. He might as well get a swastika tattooed on his forehead while he was at it. He was beginning to lean heavily towards the mission he’d been sent south on not being as much of a crock as he’d thought it was. He’d keep his ears and eyes open. If at some point it did seem like he should return up north and let them know what was going on he would. Not that he thought they’d be able to do much about it anyway. They’d also probably never trust him again up there considering the brand on his back.
There wasn’t much he could do about any of that tonight. A few more stops and this rig would be too full to take on any more of the people waiting to be picked up. They could put a couple of people in the cab with them, but Kyler was loath to do that. He had to keep in mind that Miguel could close his eyes one second and then start trying to eat whoever was closest to him when he reopened them. Now that he’d mostly figured out how to drive the truck, he wondered if he should just go ahead and take care of Miguel. It wasn’t like the poor guy was going to get any better.
“How are you feeling?” He asked Miguel.
“So hot. I’m burning up. My whole leg feels like it’s on fire. If you’re good on driving this truck now I think I’m going to take some pills and take a nap. I think that may be the best thing for both of us.” Miguel looked over at Kyler and shook a bottle of pills he’d taken out of the dash. There was no telling what they were but considering the source they were probably pretty potent. Kyler didn’t really know what to say so he went with being honest.
“I’m sorry man. If I hadn’t jumped in here, you’d be fine. If the pills are the way you want to go, I’m ok watching over you until you turn then taking care of it. I think it may be easier on you that way too. Anything else you want or need or anything?” Kyler asked awkwardly.
“No. Gracias. I think that’s for the best. Don’t feel bad for me. I’ll be with my daughters again soon. You’ll still be stuck in this hell. I know you’re Brotherhood and I wouldn’t say this if I wasn’t dying but maybe you could try and make a difference? If you know what I mean?” Miguel was popping pills already and washing them down with the contents of a silver flask he’d pulled out of his back pants pocket.
Kyler nodded. He knew what Miguel was getting at and he’d already promised himself he’d try and do something about it. It showed the grip the Brotherhood had over these people that even knowing he’d be dead soon Miguel was still scared to say some things out loud. He’d insinuate but not attack directly. The things Miguel wasn’t saying echoed loudly in the enclosed cab. Kyler felt a flush of shame across his face as he thought again about the brand on his back. The pride he’d felt at being a part of something.
Miguel shook Kyler’s hand then put his head against the window and drifted off. Kyler had no desire to drive around waiting for Miguel to suddenly spring at him teeth first. That scene
from every Zombie movie ever kept popping in his mind. What person hasn’t watched those movies and wondered why the hell the people in the movie didn’t just pop the guy in the head as soon as he got bit. What they were waiting for exactly? Kyler drove to the next mile marker and pulled into the breakdown lane.
He opened his door and climbed down out of the cab of the big rig. He walked around to the passenger side door instead of to the back of the trailer this time. He could hear people coming out of the woods. He assumed they were people at least since they weren’t screeching and running at a breakneck pace straight at the truck. He figured they’d be able to work out how to open the back of the trailer up for themselves. He climbed up and opened the passenger side door.
Standing on the running rail around the truck he reached in and took off Miguel’s seatbelt. Now he had an issue. He didn’t want to just splatter Miguel’s brains all over the cab. It didn’t seem like the right thing to do plus then he’d have to marinate in the smell of freshly splattered brains the rest of the trip. He’d experienced worse smells since this had all started, but he saw no reason to do it to himself if he didn’t have to.
He didn’t really want to just fling Miguel out of the truck either. It’d get really awkward if he happened to wake up halfway down or when he hit the ground. He wanted to kill Miguel as clean as he could. He owed him so much more than that, but it seemed like that was all he’d be able to do for the man. He started to turn and pick him up and carry him down then thought twice about that approach. It wouldn’t be fun to be cradling the guy if he happened to pick that moment to turn. He’d rather die himself than get infected.
“Excuse me.”
Kyler turned and pulled his pistol. His mind registered something had snuck up on him. It took him a second to realize it was an older Chinese man standing on the road staring up at him. There was another couple of people standing behind him in the shadows. It was probably the people he was here to pick up. He lowered the pistol but didn’t holster it.
“You guys can jump in the back. I need to take care of something then we’ll be rolling to the next stop.” Kyler said. His heart was still beating a mile a minute from the adrenaline that’d pumped through his body when he’d heard the man talk behind him. If he hadn’t been so focused on Miguel, he’d have probably been spending more time checking behind him. Losing your situational awareness was a fast pass to being Zombie chow these days.
“Sorry sir. Didn’t mean to sneak up on you. Do you need any help?” The man asked. Even in the dim light provided by the moon Kyler could tell the man was a shade of white he normally wasn’t. He probably hadn’t expected to have a gun shoved in his face. He was lucky Kyler hadn’t just turned around and started blasting away. Kyler started to tell him to just go get in the trailer when it dawned on him these guys could help him get Miguel out of the truck.
“Yeah, actually if you guys could help me get the driver out. He got bit and he’s going to turn soon so be careful. I want to lay him out over here on the curb and make sure he doesn’t turn into one of them. I’d actually love it if we could cover him up once he’s dead. We don’t have much time though. There’s a metric ton of Zombies hauling ass down the road for us right now.”
Kyler directed the men getting Miguel peacefully out of the truck. They carried him over to the side of the road and then down into the trees. One of the men produced a sleeping bag they zipped Miguel into. They lay him out in a small clearing then they all stood around as Kyler stood over Miguel pointing his pistol at the man’s head. Tears slipped out of his eyes and his hand was shaking. Before he could lose his nerve, he pulled the trigger twice. The large caliber handgun demolishing Miguel’s head from this short distance.
Screeches immediately erupted all around them following the sound of the handgun firing. They were off in the distance but all of them knew from experience that it would only be a few minutes before the first Zombies would be danger close. There could be others much closer running for their position right now who may not be screeching. Those were the ones they really needed to watch out for. Each of the men still took the time to show Kyler some type of support. Pats on the back and kind words were tossed at him like beads from a Mardi Gras float as they all hustled back to the truck.
Kyler appreciated the gestures but wished they weren’t necessary. He’d just blown a man’s head apart like a watermelon at a Gallagher show. A man who’d risked his life to save Kyler was going to spend eternity zipped up in a cheap sleeping bag with most of his head missing. Kyler had just killed the guy who stood on the brakes in the middle of a herd of killers to let a stranger into the cab of his truck. The man who’d paid the ultimate price to save Kyler’s life.
Thrusting the guilt away Kyler focused on getting in the truck and getting it moving back down the road. They needed to move before any of the Zombies they heard coming for them actually caught up. He crawled into the driver’s seat and put the big rig in gear. They started rolling down the highway again. He sped up to make up for lost time. The Zombies would be coming for them three times as fast now that he’d motivated them with the noise from the gunshots. He slowed to a stop at the next mile marker and jumped out to greet the people who should be waiting there for them.
Two men and a woman came running out of the woods as screeches started closing in on them. Kyler helped the three into the crowded trailer. The Chinese looking man who’d helped him lay Miguel to rest helping to get the people settled in the back. Kyler reached up to close the doors. One of the men in the back calmly told him he saw Zombies coming. Forgetting the doors for a second Kyler spun around and stared down the road. A flicker of movement caught his eye as one of the jumping Zombies flew into the back of the trailer through the open doors.
Instant pandemonium broke out in the trailer. People were trying to smash the Zombie to pieces in the dark, overcrowded trailer. They were swinging bats and bars and any other weapons they could find. Another Zombie hurtled over Kyler into the packed trailer. This one landed on a man’s back and started ripping into his shoulders. The Zombie’s teeth tearing out a long strip of skin with muscle and fat hanging off of it. Blood covered the Zombies face as it screeched in triumph before catching a solid blow to the head from a man wielding a huge axe. That Zombie fell to the ground. The man the Zombie had bitten got shakily to his feet. He turned around to thank the man who’d knocked the Zombie off him.
The man who’d just dispatched the Zombie swung the axe a second time. The bitten man’s head was crushed by the massive impact of the large axe head. Another Zombie jumped in before the man with the axe could react. This Zombie took out yet another of the men in the overcrowded trailer. Kyler spun back around to try and stem the tide of Zombies getting past him and attacking the people. He spun just in time to see a huge Zombie reaching for him.
The Zombie looked like an NBA all-star guard. He was freakishly tall and powerfully built. In the dark with a face covered in pus drenched blisters it was pretty hard to distinguish if the Zombie may actually have been a famous basketball player. Kyler chose to believe it was. It’d be the ultimate social injustice if income turned out to be the deciding factor on whether you ended up infected or not. So, seeing a rich infected guy should be considered a positive thing in Kyler’s point of view. He just really wished the dude wasn’t so big and capable of moving so freakishly fast.
His finger was tightening on the trigger when the giant Zombie’s fist caught him in the left temple. Kyler went flying over the side of the road. He had no idea where his pistol had flown off to. He hit the ground and tried to roll quickly to his feet but tripped over a discarded box and fell farther down the side of the road. He fought his way to his feet just in time to see the big Zombie disappear into the back of the trailer. People were jumping out of the trailer now as Zombies poured in. The screeches of the Zombies mixed with the screams of the terrified people in the back of the trailer.
Kyler took a step towards the trailer and winced. He must’ve twisted
his ankle at some point in the brawl. His head pounded from the massive strike he’d taken from the oversized Zombie. He vented his fear, frustration and pain by cursing as he walked. He screamed and yelled right along with the rest of the trailer. He waded right back into the charnel house the trailer was rapidly becoming.
No longer concerned about noise he started firing shots into Zombies at point blank range. More were showing up constantly. The people in the trailer were screaming and brandishing whatever weapons they had on them. The truck suddenly shuddered as it was put into gear. Feeling the truck getting ready to move Kyler and two of the other guys standing near the back leapt for the trailer and started pulling themselves up. Hands grabbed at them. Kyler kicked out behind himself and felt his foot connect with something. Energized by the fear of being left behind Kyler pulled himself up and into the trailer. Beside him the other guy who’d jumped in with him nodded at Kyler and started pushing himself up.
Zombies! (Book 4): Nowhere To Hide Page 17