Dead by Dawn

by Wellman, Bret

  “I noticed the power’s gone out in most of the places we stopped. I assume you’re running these lights off a generator. How do you plan on stopping the vampires if they go for that?” asked Joe.

  “The generator is located inside the school. No vampire is getting to it,” said the lady.

  “What’re you going to do when you run out of gas?” asked Keith.

  “We have a steady supply of gas coming in.”

  Keith nodded his approval. “Maybe we can stay here after all.”

  The lady stopped them in front of a classroom and held out her hand. “Right inside gentlemen. Step in and meet your new roommates.”

  Joe entered the room, shielding his eyes with one hand to block the lights. There was a fan in the far corner of the room, creating circulation. It helped with the heat a little.

  There were six people in the room. The closest was a married couple who sat holding each other with ashen faces. Behind them sat a couple of teenagers on the opposite side of a cot, playing a game of speed with a deck of cards. The boy was animated, laughing and calling the girl out, while the girl held her head low and forced a smile when needed.

  Beyond them was a businessman who looked like his business had just been stripped away.

  In the back corner was a druggy, as Joe liked to call them. Her hair was greasy and her arms showed tracks.

  “Welcome to the cool kid’s room,” said the kid playing cards.

  The lady cleared her throat. “We’ve provided every room with a bottle of sunscreen. Make sure you apply it to any exposed skin or you will get burned. On that same note we suggest you sleep under your blanket. The less you expose yourselves to the lights the better.”

  “Is that it?” asked Keith.

  “Do try to get along with the others. We won’t assign you another room.” With those parting words she turned on her heel and left.

  “Pretty much all of the cots are open,” said the boy. “Feel free to take anyone you want.”

  Keith went in first, dropping his drag bag on the nearest cot.

  “How long have you been here?” he asked.

  “Sarah and I got in this afternoon. I guess everyone else showed up just before that.”

  “And you are?” asked Keith.

  The boy held out his hand. “Adam.”

  Keith walked over and shook his hand. “I’m Keith, and that big guy over there’s Joe.”

  “Not Tucker?” asked Joe.

  Keith shrugged. “The kid seems harmless enough. He’s not some government lady with a stick up her ass, trying to get all my information.”

  “She didn’t seem that bad to me,” said Adam.

  Joe smirked. “Me either.”

  Keith took a step back as he realized the businessman was walking up to him. He had his hand out in greeting. In turn Keith’s hand was hovering over his silver tipped knife. He couldn’t help the knee jerk reaction. Considering everything that was happening, he was a little on edge and a stranger coming at him didn’t help.

  “Matt Walker, head of the Walker Firm.”

  Keith took his hand and shook it, though he didn’t look like he wanted to.

  Matt turned towards Joe after that. “Matt Walker,” he repeated, his hand out.

  Joe nodded his head, but didn’t offer his hand. After a moment Matt drew his own back.

  “Well,” said Matt, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I figured if we’re stuck together we might as well get to know everyone.”

  “And it never hurts to have a lawyer as a friend,” said Adam.

  Matt turned to him and gave a quick and small bow. “Yes well, we have our uses. Anyway, the couple in front of you is Sherry and Chip. They’re both grieving over the loss of their twelve-year-old son. Sarah over there is in a similar state over her family. In the back corner is Lindsay. She seems nice, though she’s suffering from withdrawals. It’s been two days since her last hit and, as you can guess, drugs aren’t so easy to come by anymore.”

  “And you?” said Joe.

  “Me?”

  “Why are you here?”

  “Uh, I thought it was obvious. The vampires ran me out of business and out of town.”

  Joe pushed passed him and sat down on one of the cots. He placed the milk jug at his feet and tested the spring of the cot with his hand. It was a little rough, but he wouldn’t complain.

  “You guys lasted a while out there,” said Matt. “I’m going to go out on a ledge here and say you’re military types aren't you?”

  Keith shot Joe a glance. “We’re construction workers.”

  “Sure you are. It’s all right, if you don’t want to tell me that’s fine. I’ll go over here and sit in silence.”

  “You do that,” said Keith.

  “I bet you’re old high school chums.”

  Keith showed no signs of amusement. “We’re brothers.”

  Matt let out a single belt of laughter that filled the room. “You two are closer to being David and Goliath than brothers.”

  When neither Joe nor Keith showed any signs of softening Matt held up his hands. “Okay okay I’ll let you two settle in.”

  Matt went to his cot in the back of the room, mumbling under his breath the whole way. He shook his head as he sat back down.

  “Don’t worry about Matt,” said Adam. “He’s alright.”

  Joe lay back on the cot. The lights glared down on him. He could still see them with his eyes closed. Sleep was not going to come easy. He pulled the blanket over his head, thankful for the fan.

  It had been an early morning after a night of fighting vampires. He didn’t know how much sleep he was running on because he didn’t have any energy.

  “You guys have a card game I can play too?” asked Keith.

  “Sure,” said Adam. “Pull up a cot.”

  They were talking quieter. Joe presumed it was because he was trying to sleep.

  Joe could have stayed up a few more hours to get to know everyone a bit better, but he was in no mood. The only thing he wanted was to make it to morning. He could figure out everything else he needed to do from there.

  Chapter 30

  Adam’s eyes felt crusty in the morning. Marietta Middle School turned out to be an unforgiving place to sleep. The lights alone had been horrible. How could anyone sleep under the glaring rays of an imitation sun.

  It was still dark in the room, which meant the real sun must have come up. Adam sat on the edge of his cot rubbing his eyes. He was thinking he might need a short nap sometime later in the day. Lucky for him there wouldn’t be much else to do.

  Keith was still asleep on his cot in the front row, but the bigger guy, Joe was nowhere to be seen. He glanced at Sarah on the next cot over. She was still sound asleep, her mouth partly open.

  Matt and Lindsay were still sleeping as well, same as the married couple Chip and Sherry.

  Chip was a computer engineer with tan skin (Adam assumed he was of Spanish descent, or possibly Native American, though he had no accent.) and was never seen without his glasses on. His wife Sherry had dirty blond hair and stood two or three inches taller. She had acne scars on her cheeks, but was still a pretty good-looking lady for her age.

  By contrast, the girl named Lindsay in the back corner of the room looked pale and sickly. She too had acne scars, and also thick red acne, which she probably should have grown out of already. Her hair was flattened against her head with grease and dyed a pumpkin orange color. White lines crisscrossed her arms, intercepting newer red ones.

  Matt had dark brown hair that he liked to part and wear slicked back. In the short time Adam knew him, he noticed the guy was always brushing his hair back with his hands. He had a crooked grin and was always laughing during conversations: the laugh was not real.

  Adam yawned and got up. He stumbled his way out into the hall and turned towards the cafeteria.

  There were a few other people awake here and there, but not many. A man in blue pinstriped nighties waved as they passed each other.


  Adam continued on, stopping to relieve himself in a bathroom he passed along the way. By the time he reached the cafeteria, he was a little more awake. He still wanted coffee though.

  They were serving scrambled eggs in the breakfast line. Adam meant to grab a plate for both him and Sarah, but was stopped the moment he grabbed the second plate.

  “You need to sign in,” said the lady making food. She gestured towards a clipboard hung up near the beginning of the line.

  “We didn’t have to sign in last night,” he complained as he went back and filled out his name.

  She stopped him again when he reached for the two plates a second time.

  “Only one per person!”

  “It’s for a friend,” said Adam.

  “Well they can come and get their own, after they sign in.”

  “Whatever,” said Adam, relenting and grabbing only one plate.

  The coffee pot was unguarded near the end of the line. He didn’t wait for permission and filled two foam cups to the brim. If the food Nazi saw, he was walking away before she could say anything.

  When he got back to the room, Sarah was still asleep. He shook her shoulder gently to wake her up.

  “What time is it?” she moaned.

  “I think it’s some time around eight. I don’t really know, my phone died and I don’t have a watch.”

  She sat up and stretched. “Morning.”

  “I got you some eggs,” he said, handing her the plate along with a cup of coffee.

  “Where’s yours?”

  “I already ate,” he lied.

  Sarah took a sip of coffee and then began working on the eggs. Adam sat down next to her and sipped his own cup of coffee. It was crap, but he did his best to enjoy it anyway.

  Keith got up soon after. The first thing he did was unzip his long backpack and inspect the contents inside. He zipped it back up before anyone could see.

  Adam was pretty sure the guy had been up for a while, possibly before him, and was just choosing to lie there. Adam couldn’t be sure though, it was just a hunch. He didn’t seem like the type that would sleep in.

  “When’d Joe get up?” Keith asked.

  “He beat me,” said Adam.

  Keith stood up pretty quick and began moving for the door. “I wonder what he’s up to now.” He turned the corner and disappeared out of sight.

  Adam thought the guy’s quick movements looked something like separation anxiety. He looked uneasy to be separated from the behemoth that was Joe. It was probably a good survival tactic on his part.

  “How’d you sleep?” Sarah asked.

  Adam smiled and rubbed his sore eyes. “Like hell.”

  “Yea, you kept rolling around a lot.”

  “You were watching me?”

  “I think everyone heard your cot squeak every time you moved.”

  “Over all the snoring in here?”

  “It was louder than all the snoring. That reminds me, we should search for ear plugs today.”

  When Sarah was done with her breakfast she folded up the paper plate and tossed it in the trash in the corner of the room. When the plate was gone she came back and sat next to Adam.

  “Now what do we do?” she asked.

  Adam shrugged. “I guess we relax, hide out here until everything blows over.”

  “Sounds lame.”

  “I mean, I guess we could go vampire hunting if that’s what you want.”

  Sarah winced, but otherwise kept a straight face. “Something like that.”

  A few minutes later the lady from the day before came in. She was still wearing her red dress clothes and sporting the bun. She woke everyone who was still sleeping, walking from cot to cot and giving everyone a gentle shake.

  “Let me sleep Valery,” Matt groaned.

  Valery gave him another shake before moving on to Lindsay. Lindsay ignored her all together. When it was apparent Lindsay wasn’t going to budge and everyone else was awake, Valery addressed the room.

  “Everyone needs to be in the gymnasium in twenty minutes. We have a special announcement. It’s quite important and you won’t want to miss it.”

  “We’ll be there,” Adam said.

  Valery gave a polite nod. “Thank you.” She left soon after to rouse the next room.

  “What do you think that’s about?” Sarah asked.

  “Probably letting us know that Mondays are now free cupcake days.”

  “Oh, that sounds wonderful.”

  The gym was packed when they got there. Everyone was gathered, including the soldiers that guarded the place. Adam was able to see how many people were actually staying at the school. It was maybe six or seven hundred; it was enough that some people had to stand outside and listen from the hall.

  Barry was sitting on the bleachers, saving a spot for Sarah and Adam. They had to shimmy sideways to get to him.

  “You guys take your sweet time getting here or what?” Barry asked. “I’m here saving seats while you stay back and play kissy face?”

  Adam turned away, shaking his head. “Shut the hell up man.”

  “Just saying, I passed up a chance to sit with a couple hotties because that’s what bros do. No offense to the lady,” he said, bowing to Sarah.

  “None taken.”

  A podium was set up in the center of the gym. It was the only place not crowded with people. A few minutes after they sat down, a man walked up to it.

  He was hard to make out from where Adam was sitting, but he looked old. He was in an army uniform and had a ring of hair that was pure white; the top of his head was nothing, but shiny pink skin.

  He cleared his throat into the microphone and it came through the speakers hanging over the bleachers. “As many of you…” There was a loud, sharp squeak and the man drew back from the microphone. He had to adjust its placement on the podium. He was cautious and paused before speaking again. “As many of you know, I am Colonel Anderson and I’m in charge of this facility. My men and I have been stationed here to keep you safe. So far we feel we have done an adequate job, and you all have been kind and accepting. I was hoping that when I finally got a chance to address you all, it would be because I had good news. I’m sorry, but that is not the case. I’m not sure how else to say this, so I’m just going to jump right into it.”

  His face was set in a hard scowl as he spoke.

  “The evacuation zone has been pushed back even farther. It’s now at the other end of Indiana. As of this morning, we will no longer be receiving supplies from outside forces.”

  Adam could feel the crowd shifting around him. There was a low murmur of people whispering to each other.

  The man continued on, raising his voice to overpower the crowd. “Our orders are to keep this place up and running so you might have a place to stay at night. There isn’t enough room beyond the new evacuation line, therefore we must make due here. I know it isn’t pleasant, but at this moment there simply isn’t a better option. I’m sure things will improve in a few days, we just need you to hang in there.”

  Barry nudged Adam in the side. “I bet that’s why they’re making us eat in rations. I was still hungry after eating my eggs earlier and they wouldn’t let me have seconds.”

  “Rations?” asked Sarah. “Who’s food did I eat this morning?”

  Adam kept his eyes on the army man as he spoke, “Mine.”

  “You starved yourself?”

  “I wasn’t all that hungry and besides you haven’t eaten hardly anything since we met. You needed it.”

  “Yea, but if I got my own we both could've eaten.”

  “Oh, crap. Yea, I didn’t think about it that way.”

  Sarah scowled. “Well when we get out of here you’re eating my ration then.”

  “I’ll take it if he doesn’t want it,” said Barry.

  Adam’s stomach growled, giving him away. “I guess I could use a bite.”

  “You bastard,” said Barry.

  The man at the podium was going on, saying
how they needed to hunt for their own supplies during the day. He was going to send people off in groups, making them scavenge for a few hours every day. He surmised that they could live off the surrounding community for months that way. Judging by the angry man two rows behind Adam, the locals weren’t happy with that idea.

  When the speech was over the entire congregation stood up and moved for the exit. Adam was stuck halfway down the bleachers, watching the crowd bottleneck at the door. It took a full three minutes for them to make it out of the gym. They had to shuffle their feet and go slow to keep from bumping the people in front of them.

  Sarah made them go directly to the cafeteria from there, where she got Adam a plate full of eggs.

  Adam scarfed them down, realizing how hungry he actually was. The salt resonated with his taste buds and he enjoyed every bite.

  Near the front doors of the cafeteria, they were handing out grocery bags. People were taking them as they headed out for the day.

  When Adam was finished with the eggs, they took a few grocery bags and headed out.

  Adam’s motorcycle was parked around the corner of the building. They had to walk through the playground to get there.

  Most of the structures were made of wood and tires. A handful of kids were lined up to go down a large slide. They hung together in a group, possibly because they all knew each other.

  At the other end of the playground Barry insisted they take his car. It was a reasonable request because only two would fit on the bike.

  Adam chose to sit in the back so Sarah could have the front seat. When Barry started the car it rattled to life, sounding like the muffler had fallen off.

  Adam noted how the car’s blue paint was faded and rusting in spots. Barry had never taken good care of the thing and he wondered how long it’d been since the last oil change. He could have changed it anytime while they were working at the shop, but he never did.

  They drove four miles to the other side of town where they stopped at a gas station. Adam got out and walked up to the front doors. They were meant to slide open automatically, but didn’t budge. He tried slipping his fingers into the crack, but it was no use.

  A red truck pulled into the parking lot as he was trying. Keith hopped out of the passenger side holding a crowbar.