The Dead Years (Volumes 4-6)

by Jeff Olah

  Not more than thirty feet from the RV, Savannah appeared to be cornered by a small group of Feeders and continued to back away, struggling with something in her hands. Off in the distance she saw what she imagined were Randy and Mason flanking opposite sides of the crowd. They appeared to be making progress and slowly pushed forward through the last remaining members of the horde and more importantly toward Savannah.

  . . .

  She’d given up, at least that was the impression he sensed as he pushed to stand, his eyes glued to her from the time he hit the ground. Randy promised himself he’d get this group to safety and so far he’d failed. The three of them were stuck outside battling these incessant monsters, while April was left to figure things out for herself back in the RV. Their little family was on the brink of extinction. Now more than ever they needed help—help that was long overdue and despite the immutable law of averages, was more than likely not coming.

  Two quick glints from the metallic safety pull ring Savannah held in her left hand caught his eye. She must have brought with her one of the handheld explosives and had no idea what to do with it. He could only assume what she had planned as she left the RV. Randy imagined her pulling the pin and because of her current situation, dropping it too close and taking fragments from the blast or something worse. As he ran to her, he began shouting, “NO… NO… SAVANNAH!” She pulled the pin and stepped back away from the closing crowd.

  Almost as quickly as Randy realized the gravity of what was happening, Mason, directly across the lot also saw the need for urgency. Weaving his way through the remaining Feeders and the dimly lit parking lot, he yelled to Savannah. “PULL THE PIN… DROP IT… AND RUN!”

  Looking down at the tattered green metal oval in her hand and frozen stiff, she hadn’t a clue how long she had to vacate the immediate area once she pulled the pin. As the crowd grew closer, she took another step back toward the RV and only half heard the instructions shouted from either side of the lot. The voices from the men hurrying in her direction mostly cancelled one another out. From watching the old black and white military dramas with her usually drunk cousins, she remembered a few of the basics. The stiff characters and horrendous special effects aside, discharging the weapon she held should be simple.

  Not knowing what was left in the pistol and with no time to reload, Randy took out only the Feeders that posed an immediate threat of him getting to Savannah. They finally made eye contact and with only one small group between them, she pulled the pin. Shaking and confused she looked at Randy with cowed eyes, lowered her head and began to weep.

  She didn’t want to die, although being torn apart by these animals that lived to devour anything in their path wasn’t within her to accept. Savannah also wanted a say in whether or not she walked the earth as something other than a human. This was going to be her decision, it was the only thing she had control over in the last two weeks.

  Emptying what remained in the clip into the few Feeders between himself and Savannah, Randy could only watch as she slowly unclasped her hand and let the lone grenade drop to the asphalt. He knew from experience that they most likely had only a few seconds before detonation. Not wasting any time, he grabbed her by the shirt collar and dove behind the metal dumpster just to the left of the RV. Looking back just as the grenade lit the entire area like a spotlight, Randy saw Mason turn, cover his head and run in the opposite direction.

  The concussion slammed the dumpster into the pair as they were blasted backward, ears ringing with pain. Their attackers, who only moments before numbered eight, were now simply fragmented torsos, arms, legs and badly decomposed heads that littered the rain-soaked parking lot.

  Thrown six feet in the opposite direction while being battered with parts unknown, Mason’s eardrums didn’t fare any better. The loud buzz that caused him to rub the side of his head began to fade as Savannah’s screams pulled him back to reality. Getting to his feet, Mason turned and through the smoke noticed not one Feeder within thirty feet was still standing and as an added bonus, the explosion had confused the others, sending them back toward the shops.

  Joining Randy, they pulled Savannah to her feet, placed her arms on their shoulders and quickly vacated the area.

  Helping her step up into the RV, Mason turned to Randy, not quite fully believing they survived the last few minutes, and said, “Complete waste.”

  Randy, for the first time in days managed a tiny grin. “Not exactly,” he said.

  22

  More than ten seconds had passed since his last breath and Justin was still motionless on the master bed at the rear of the RV. The door quickly opened startling her, even though she witnessed everything that had happened outside and watched as they strode back to the RV. This was their home, for now anyways, whether they liked it or not. April moved to the door and stood by in silence as the three entered and sat at the table. Mason pulled his wife in close and whispered into her ear. “I love you. I’m sorry for leaving you.”

  She said nothing.

  They were painted head to toe in blood and still dripping wet from the rain that had hammered the area for the last few hours. Looking around April and into the room where his son had been since they left the stadium, Mason asked, “How is he?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m very worried.”

  “We all are. We don’t know what…” Mason said.

  April interrupted, already knowing where he was headed. “He’s shutting down.”

  “Whadda ya mean?”

  “His breathing is slowing down. He’s only taking a few breaths every minute. Like five or six, that’s not normal. If it slows down any more, I’m afraid he’ll just stop.”

  “I’m at a loss April, I’m not sure what to do. What else can we do but wait?”

  Stepping in from behind, Randy motioned toward the front of the RV. “How quick do you think we can get to the house from here?”

  April wiped away a few errant tears before speaking. “Probably five minutes or so, it’s only a few miles past the airport. This shopping center wasn’t here the last time we came through. It kind of threw me off.”

  “OK, we need to go.”

  “Wait,” Mason said. “What’s your plan? What are you thinking?”

  “When we get there... I’ll fill you in when we get there.”

  Turning, Randy didn’t wait for Mason to respond. Still dripping, he dragged his wet body through the dimly lit interior of the RV and moved back in to the cab. Sliding into the driver’s seat, his clothes stuck to the seat as he took a drawn out moment to gather his thoughts. Still neatly pre-packed in their plastic home just waiting for use, he pulled three syringes from his pocket. One was crushed beyond repair and would be of no use. The other two appeared fine and remarkably had survived the trip from the drug store.

  Thus far, the stench that clung to every inch of his body hadn’t necessarily bothered him, although now it was the only thing that occupied his thoughts. An uneasy turn in the pit of his stomach shifted into a nauseous stream of bile. It began to creep up the back of his throat as he hastily swung the door open and hopped out.

  Hands firmly placed on his knees, he braced himself as the contents of his stomach exited his body violently. After the first few wicked heaves he was drained, not an ounce of anything remained inside. Lifting his head and quickly scanning the area for Feeders, he gave in once again as his body thrashed about, forcing him to dry heave until he finally dropped to the ground exhausted. Looking up once again, this time from his back sprawled out on the asphalt, he saw Mason craning his neck through the driver’s door. “You gonna make it bud?”

  “Yeah, just somethin’ needed to get out, I guess.”

  Mason looked around the lot, noticing the absence of any new threat before hopping out and giving his friend a hand, careful not to step in the mess Randy left behind as a memento of their visit. “Let’s go, we gotta get to the house.”

  “Alright,” Randy said.

  Stepping back in first, Mason turned to
watch as Randy’s hammered body boarded the RV once again. Randy kicked free the last few scraps of red sludge that held tight to his right shoe, not quite sure if it came from his earlier battle or his more recent internal struggle. Either way, this was the last of his concerns. He knew the plan rolling around in his mind was a longshot and dreaded trying to explain it to Mason. Hell, he didn’t much think it would work, although they needed to do something for the poor boy. He wasn’t getting any worse… he also wasn’t getting any better.

  The uneasiness they had for what Justin was currently going through only exacerbated the tension of what was to come. No one spoke for fear the conversation would turn to the possibilities of what they’d do if he woke up. They all knew; they just didn’t speak it. As a group, the things they’d seen in the last two weeks made normal conversation nearly impossible. The uncertainty of their next move left the group in silence as Randy fired up the engine and turned back to the highway.

  Climbing the on-ramp, he flipped on the headlights. The lack of stalled vehicles and decaying corpses in the area indicated that this stretch of road must have been fairly deserted when the infection rolled through. Randy pushed the RV to a comfortable cruising speed, only losing focus temporarily to listen for his next direction.

  Passing the airstrip to the left, their trip was nearing an end as Randy cut the lights and quietly pulled the RV to the shoulder. Looking toward the sky, he cut the engine and held his right hand up asking for silence.

  Mason hurried through the interior cabin, leaving April in the rear and passing Savannah as she sat at the main table. “What’s going on?”

  “Shhhhhh… Listen.”

  Mason, mimicking his friend, also lowered his voice. “Listen to what, the rain?”

  “That’s not rain.”

  “What is it…” he stopped mid-sentence. He hadn’t heard this sound in quite some time and certainly not since the world turned. “Is that…” he moved from the cab back to the main door. Opening it just enough to peer out into the dark sky, Mason watched as the lights flickered back and forth and it grew closer. “Can they see us? Will they know we’re here?”

  Randy leapt into the passenger’s seat to get a better view “I’m not sure, but I think I know where they’re headed and I’m sure they could care less about us,” he said pointing to the airfield.

  As it passed overhead Randy paid special attention to its detail and where it landed. “They’re looking for a place to refuel. If this place hasn’t been picked dry already, they may have a chance.”

  Vanishing behind one of the outbuildings nearest the main runway, the ominous dark green helicopter came to rest.

  23

  “Get off up here and turn right at the first street, it will take us all the way to the ocean.” The calm surrounding the area was overwhelming. Mason checked the windows in every direction as Randy pushed toward the coast. The further into the area they moved, the more extravagant the homes became. Shaking his head, Mason chuckled slightly at the thought of these places that were once worth millions now held no value. “What a shame.”

  Mercedes, BMW, Range Rover, Ferrari, Austin Martin all left to die in the garages and driveways of the exclusive neighborhood Mason once hated. Closer to the shore, the homes sat on larger lots with expansive yards that were once immaculately maintained. Every blade of grass just so, not a shrub unkempt, but now after a few weeks of neglect it was just like any other area. As they rolled to a stop, Mason pointed to the left. A two story colonial, that looked strangely out of place for the neighborhood, stood in the distance with little else around.

  “Cut the lights and pull in the driveway. You and I can do a quick check and bring the others in,” Mason said.

  “Sounds good… What’s that?”

  “What?”

  “I saw some lights down at the end of the street, just beyond that last house” Randy said.

  “I don’t see anything.”

  “Never mind, it was just for a second. My eyes are probably playing tricks on me. Up here good?”

  “Sure.” Mason walked back to let April know what they had planned and told her they’d be back in less than a minute. He told her to honk if she needed him. He gave her a gun from the bag and readied it for action. Back at the door, he watched as Randy whispered something into Savannah’s ear. She looked back in confusion and asked “You sure?”

  Shaking his head, he followed Mason as they reloaded their weapons and stepped out onto the pavement. “How we gonna get in? Randy said.

  Holding up a single key, Mason smiled. “Side door, we can go through the garage and come in through the kitchen.”

  “Let’s go.”

  They both stayed low, dodging in and out of the shoulder high shrubs. The grass was still damp and the sidewalks were covered in sand, the smell of burnt oak slid through the opening as they pulled open the door. The three car garage housed a lone Chevy Tahoe with blacked out windows, stock rims and a stainless steel roof rack that reflected slivers of moonlight coming through the window at the side of the garage. Mason twisted the handle leading into the kitchen and sure enough it was unlocked. He figured his former in-laws left in a hurry and wouldn’t have taken the time to bolt every door.

  Black marble countertops, stainless steel Sub-Zero appliances, polished concrete floors and a three hundred sixty degree view of the Pacific Ocean off the rear balcony paired an odd contrast to the upheaval that had taken place inside the home. Tables were overturned, drawers were emptied and vulgarities spray painted along most walls. Not a single Feeder in sight and with the lack of any body parts, the culprits were little less than obvious. “Looters?” Randy said.

  “Yeah… probably. I’ll check the third floor, you wanna hit the second?”

  “On it.”

  Taking two steps at a time, both men quickly and quietly made their way through the debris left behind by whatever tore through this area. They surveyed the individual floors for anything that may do them harm, be that Feeder or scavenger. Mason moved through the darkness, his hands out in front and along the walls as his eyes adjusted to the interior. Making his way back to the staircase and down to the first floor, he arrived at the landing just after Randy. “What’s that?” Mason asked.

  He knew he should have explained it earlier or at least tried, although the words hadn’t come. Randy had a good idea that his plan wouldn’t work and he didn’t want that to show through as he explained his plan to Mason. Justin probably wouldn’t live to see morning regardless of what they did, although on the slight chance he could finally help one person today, he needed to at least try.

  “Mason, I hope you know by now that I’m trying to help, even though my actions have caused quite a bit of pain. That was not my intention.”

  “I know, and…”

  “Let me get through this, I feel absolutely terrible about everything that took place at the stadium. I take full responsibility. I consider you my family now and just want you all safe. As soon as I try to help Justin, I’m going to leave… on my own.”

  “What, why…”

  Interrupting once again, Randy continued. “Let me help Justin and then we’ll talk. I have an idea; it’s a long shot, although since things haven’t changed much since he was bitten, it couldn’t hurt.”

  “Couldn’t hurt? Are you kidding? That’s still my son.”

  “Yes, I know,” Randy said.

  “I know you’re trying to help and I’m so lost with all of this that I don’t know which way is up. Listen, I noticed the syringes you brought back, let’s get on with it. What’s your plan?”

  “You know why I left the military. You also know I somehow survived the attack. They must have given me something to combat the virus. I was in a coma for nearly ten days. I know not everyone bitten survived. I was lucky. Maybe if we give Justin some of my blood, he’ll pull through. I think it’s worth a shot.”

  “Randy, without you I’d be dead right about now. You have saved this group numerous times an
d I am grateful, although this sounds crazy. We have no medical training and have no idea how to do something like this. If you two are different blood types it will kill him and I’m embarrassed to say I don’t know Justin’s type.”

  “It doesn’t matter what type he is. I’m O negative which can be used by anyone. Let’s do this Mason. It can work. We don’t have time to talk this through, if nothing else, it doesn’t work and nothing changes, but we need to at least try.”

  “OK… but April has to think it was my plan. She’d never go for it otherwise. Let me tell her and then let’s just do it. I’ll take responsibility. Let’s go!”

  The two men turned back to the kitchen, heading for the RV as Randy stopped, grabbing Mason by the shoulder. “You hear that?”

  “Yeah, what was it?” Mason asked.

  “Sounds like crying. It’s coming from the pantry.”