Surviving The Aftermath (Book 1): The Dead Linger

by Roberts, Liz

  Casey went racing down the hall towards his room, to where he left Jill. He had to get to her before Jeff did. As he was heading down the hall he saw the door was open and there were no lights anywhere. Damn. That meant the power had been cut and all the backup generators had been tampered with not just the ones in Menards.

  “JILL!” Casey said loudly walking into all the rooms searching for her somewhere. Thoughts started flooding his brain, terrible thoughts, oh god he had to find her. What if Jeff already had her, what if she was dead, what if she was looking for him and ran into Jeff. Casey began getting sick with worry. He ran back out into the hall, using his walkie he got in touch with Tom and Kurt to be on the lookout for Jill. There was a safety shelter in the basement, and they had gotten most the survivors to hold up in the rooms or with others. Casey was on the main floor now, lights flickering on and off, night had set in and the moonlight was shining in through the windows that weren’t boarded up. He heard the Zeds pounding around out there, time was running out. Enough Zeds wedged into a tight space and they would be able to put force on those windows. He had to find Jill, they had to get organized and start fighting the fight. Where was Jill? Casey was seriously worried. Running his hand through his already mussed hair he continued to look around the area. They had tracked Jeff most the afternoon and then lost him. This place was so big, it could take days to find someone if they hid and moved from spot to spot. He spotted the stairs to the roof and thought what the hell, maybe he could get a good look around. He sprinted up the stairs certain he would find Jill somewhere from up here. As he got to the top he slowed down and was out of breath with a racing heart. Reaching the top he saw her. She was looking down off the building, with her back to him, a flashlight in one hand a gun in the other. It sounded like she was weeping, her body seemed to be shaking also.

  “Jill.” Casey said softly while stepping forward. Jill spun around so fast, her flashlight on him, her gun up and aimed.

  “Casey?” She said and dropped the both objects in her and ran to him. They ran into each other’s arms holding and kissing.

  “I thought you guys had left.” She managed to get out between kisses.

  “I would never have left you I swear.” He answered back kissing her face all over. “I’ve grown very attached to you. Come, we’ve got to get you to the shelter and get organized, Jeff knocked out the power and messed with the generators and Jack is really worried about you.” Casey was telling her on their descent to the main floor.

  “We still can’t locate Jeff.” He told her.

  “Bodies. I saw the burnt bodies, and zombies are inside the fence.” She was rambling on about all she’d seen.

  “We know.” Casey shushing her and whispering, holding her hands to try and calm her down.

  “Pumpkin we know.”

  “Pumpkin?!?” Jill repeated looking at him quizzically.

  “Yeah, well we are sleeping together, I assumed we were kind of an item and figured pet names would be next on the list of things we explored.” Casey explained to her while grinning.

  “So what’s the plan honey buns?” She added with sarcasm. “What’s our next move?” Jill asked Casey. “And don’t tell me to wait somewhere again, I want to help.” She inserted quickly before he could say anything.

  “Well there goes my plan. Why won’t you go downstairs to the shelter and be safe and wait? You know this guy has a grudge.” Casey said to her.

  “Because I can help you,” Casey was about to argue, “Please, let me do this with you.” Jill finished.

  “Fine, I’ll bring you up to speed.” They went back to where he’d left the others. “Ok here’s what we got.”

  “Jeff’s been systematically killing us off. He got 10 of us, including the fire team, that’s why we’ve got everyone huddled together in one spot. Before we could get organized he’d already gotten a few.” He saw the concern suddenly enter Jill’s eyes. “Don’t worry Jack’s ok, just worried. This guy, something’s broke down psychologically in his mind or something. He thinks he’s a zombie or like there leader. You can hear him talking to them when he’s close. Mumbling about taking over, calling them his children, I’m telling you he’s lost it.” Casey finished as they got to basement were everyone was sitting in chairs or on the floor, huddled around waiting.

  “Jill!” Jack said and rushed over to hug her tight. They had become very attached in the weeks and months since they’d met. Jack thought of her as a big sister, he’d already lost one sister and didn’t want to go two for two.

  “So what’s next?” Jill asked Kurt and Tom as they walked over, followed by Andy and Mike and a few others.

  “We think we have him cornered up in Menards.” Someone added.

  “Yeah the last report over the radio was he’s towards the front of the store, but we have yet to get a visual confirmation.” Andy said.

  “I’ve got an idea.” Jill said “We go up there, you guys hide and I’ll call him and get his attention then you can jump on him and kill him.” She stated plainly. Everyone looked at each other and started the nod of acceptance when both Jack and Casey gave a booming, simultaneous “NO.”

  “This is what we’re doing . .” She was suddenly cut off by the sound of breaking glass from above. The group of them high tailed it up the stairs on to the back area of Menards main floor. They were crouched low in the dark trying to figure out where the noise exactly came from. Shouting followed the next crash, and they quickly scooted over to where they could see the front doors that were still boarded up. There he was with a hammer in one hand and a gun in the other, trying to rip boards down.

  “Man he’s going to let those things in here.” Tom whispered to Casey.

  “Shit we gotta stop him.” Andy added. Jeff was talking to himself, trying to rip the boards down with his bloody bare hands which he used to punch through the glass that was exposed. Cuts were all over his face and arms, he was bare foot now, his clothes shredded. If he wasn’t speaking English they would have sworn he was a zombie already.

  “Have your weapons ready, this will be over quick.” Jill said and started to stand up and go out into the open. Casey tried to reach over the others to grab her but, she was quick. She ran down the aisle directly behind Jeff and halted maybe 20yds away.

  “Hey dickhead remember me!?!” Jill shouted at Jeff. He froze, hands still on the board he had, his shoulder hunched a little. He turned his head only and over his shoulder, looked back at her, she could see that he was seething. His breathing became rapid as he slowly turned around completely to look at her.

  “You can be the last to die, I want you to watch everyone else be ripped apart first.” Jeff said, spiting with vengeance. That’s when Jill could see behind him, he had already ripped the last board of the door, it would only take a good push and zombies would be pouring through the entrance. Crap.

  “Casey he’s got the door open! Shoot now!” Jill shouted not caring if it blew the surprise, the others had to get there to keep the door shut. Jack stood up, shocked and confused, not sure if he should sprint for the door or help Jill somehow. Well, Jack’s choice was made for him. Jeff lifted his arm brandishing the pistol and pulled the trigger. Jack was about to take the bullet square in the chest when Andy knocked Jack’s legs out from under him, the bullet sailed above him and embedded it’s self into a paint can behind them, spraying a mauve color over everyone. Casey quickly radioed to the others.

  “Those zombies are coming in and Jeff’s got a gun. Get a crew up here quick.” 10-4 was all Tom replied. Casey grabbed Jack and drug him back to hiding, and went to reach for Jill, but again she was quick and off sprinting after Jeff.

  “Damn it. When did she get so quick!” Casey said trying to keep his mind on track. Bullets started whizzing by each other.

  “Jill! Jill!” Casey shouted towards the direction she ran off too. He had to get her a weapon, she was defenseless out there. He turned back around to see the zombies starting to wander in.

  �
�Andy we have to seal that door, get some more people.” He issued the order. The mass of zombies was growing, soon they would knock down the rest of the boards and windows. He had to kill Jeff.

  Jill slid along the floor on her hands in knees through the aisles, looking for a spot so she could sit and pull out her gun. She heard Casey calling her but she couldn’t answer and risk giving away her position. She could hear the commotion and the men shouting, the zombies were getting in. Controlled shooting, as Jack called it, commenced. Gunfire slowly and rhythmically began to punctuate the air. Andy and the others had discovered the best way to take on the horde of zombies was to control your breathing and fire only one shoot per zombie. This new theory had yet to be tested, but they would see now. The moaning got louder and the screams began to fill the air. Jill had to find Jeff. Still crawling on all fours she weaved in between all the aisles, staying silent and patient. She could hear Casey issuing orders for people to get closer so they could shut the doors again. Laughter started emanating not far from her position, it was Jeff, she just knew it.

  “Jiiillllll … . ” said almost in a sing song way “… I smell you, your blood. I bet my friends can too. They will be here soon, they can’t be stopped.” Jill was letting him talk, letting the sound of his voice guide her closer, as she kept crouched and moving, peering down empty aisles to where he might be hiding. “You can join us, be one of us and live forever.” He was still talking in a lazy crazy manor, trying to somehow entice her. Jill was now army crawling, she retrieved her gun and continued to make progress towards the voice, when from around the corner a zombie stumbles forward. She had to think quickly, shoot it and make noise or what. She had nothing to club it with. Still on the ground, suddenly back peddling in a crab walk manner she was looking for anything to help better her situation. That’s when she saw it, swifter mop with a nice long handle. She reached for it as the creature reached down for her. Trying to jiggle the mop head from out of its product box, she had little time as the zombie grabbed her t-shirt by her shoulder and brought its mouth down towards her fleshly arm. Wham! She slammed the handle end of the mop into the creatures brain pinning it to the opposite side wall. Dead, again, it was. Pulling the handle from the skull, Jill tucked the gun into the back of her pants Lethal Weapon style and was back to her original task. Gun shots still rang out, what she assumed was hammering was going on, no more screaming, but you could smell the metallic sent of blood and she knew they hadn’t escaped unscathed. Where’s that bastard Jeff? She said in her head. Jill made it to the front of the store, and could see they had the entrance had been sealed off, the lights flashed on shockingly bright flooding the entire store. She ran to the people working

  “Have you guys seen Jeff? He was on this side trapped down one of these aisles.” Everyone shook their head no. Crap on stick, where did that fucker go. Running back to where she had left Casey and the others originally only a few people were there now and none of them the ones she was looking for.

  “Where did Casey go with the others?” She asked getting slightly frantic. They pointed off in the general direction where the guys had gone, towards the back of the store.

  “Get as many people as you can with weapons in here, that Jeff guy is in here somewhere and he’s the cause of this. We need to hunt him down and kill him before he kills us.” She instructed to the woman whose name she didn’t know. Having over a 100 survivors and only being here a few months wasn’t long enough for her to meet everyone.

  Finally emerging out in the back lot, she stood for a moment looking around. Jill sprinted over towards the lumber yard where she thought she caught a glimpse of movement. She heard a car start in the distance and thought nothing of it. Some more distant gun shots from inside the buildings and the roof, she can hear people trying to get organized and maintain the barriers that were still in place and getting new ones situated. She started slowing down as she reached the main entrance, no one was around. What the hell, why couldn’t she find anyone out here? Then there were headlights encompassing her, she turned to see the lights barreling toward, she heard the engine rev as the SUV went in gear and accelerated at her. Jeff. With the headlights so bright she had mere seconds to decide before the car would be on her, she realized she could jump out of the way possibly getting clipped and let the car possibly crash through the gate behind her spilling more zombies into this place or she could stand and shoot. Jill pulled her gun out walking quickly in the cars’ direction and started firing one shot at a time in rapid succession at the driver’s side windshield until the slid clicked empty. The last bullet must have hit home as the car swerved, tipping on its side with a horrific crunching sound as the glass and metal shattered and buckled on its self. The vehicle rolled over 3 or 4 times before coming to rest on its roof only few feet from Jill. Armed only with her swifter broomstick that she picked back off the floor, she went over to the driver’s side door, it was the only part of the vehicle that wasn’t completely flattened and smashed. An arm emerged, covered in cuts and blood, the other arm followed and they drug the body they were attached to out. Long blonde hair was attached to the head when it appeared.

  “Oh god no!” Jill shouted and reached down to help drag the woman clear. She carefully rolled her over already knowing it was Cindi, Tom’s eldest daughter of a whopping 19 yrs. old.

  “Cindi no! What were you doing, why didn’t you stop when you saw me raise the gun? Why?” Jill had started to cry when she noticed the blood seeping through the girl’s shirt, a bullet caught her mid chest right side and another caught her upper left shoulder. Jill was trying to put pressure on both wounds. “Somebody help me!” She screamed and cried. “Help!” It was like the 2 of them were all alone. But people had seen, and were rushing over as fast as they could. Chocking on her own blood, Cindi coughed, which Jill knew was a bad sign, Cindi was trying to speak. She managed utter “why?” Jill was shaking her head, crying, now, watching this girl slowly die, not believing what she had just done. She had never killed another human before, not like this. She didn’t like the feeling at all. Footfalls could be heard, instantly there were half a dozen people upon her, including Tom.

  “Oh no! Noo!” He shrieked falling to his knees beside his daughter. Stroking her blood and tear stained face, he started whispering the empty promises of miraculous recovery that everyone knew would not happen.

  “Who did this?” He demanded in a harsh whisper.

  “I did.” Jill said without even thinking. It took Tom a couple seconds, but he looked up at Jill with watery eyes and finally said “What did you just say?” He clenched his teeth.

  “I shot her.” Jill whispered still putting pressure on the wounds. Tom shoved her hard away from his daughter, she fell back crying harder now, but trying to keep it in.

  “Get away from her you Bitch! I hate you, I swear to fucking god I hate you!” Tom’s voice dripping with damning words, as Jill just kept sitting where she landed but looking down now. Several people were around trying to help stop the bleeding and get Cindi into a more comfortable position.

  “Holy shit what’s going on?!?” Casey and Jack came around the back end of the car trying to assess the situation. Beth and some others with basic medical knowledge were all there now trying to do whatever they could, though it was hopeless as Cindi coughed more blood up.

  “She shot my daughter!” Tom said pointing an accusatory finger at Jill’s still form.

  “What? Don’t be ridiculous.” Casey said.

  “Tell him he’s crazy.” Jack said coming down by Jill and putting his arm around her. Very quickly in a monotone voice Jill quietly and quickly relayed the events in what lead up to the now dying girl lying in her own pool of blood. Tom sick from the details of hearing how his baby girl was shot grabbed Jill up by the shoulders and shook her, screaming she was the one that should die. Suddenly his hands were wrapped around her neck as he tried squeezing the life out of her, Jill gasping for breath struggled but not much, maybe more out of reflex than anyth
ing her hands went up to his, the guys around them managed to pry Tom off Jill quickly. She fell back to the ground in a heap of tears, bruises and self-loathing. Seething, Tom stood above her glaring down as Casey put his arm on his shoulder. “Calm down. Think of Cindi.” He whipped his head around at Casey and said nothing, just glared at him now.