A Glimpse Of Decay (Book 2): Staring into the Abyss

by Santiago, A. J.

  “That accident…it was me. We had been watching the news this morning—my wife and I—and we were going to get out of town with my son. Jennifer’s boss has a house out at Canyon Lake and he said we could go up there and stay with him until this all blew over. We stopped at the store Randy was talking about, and when all the trouble started, I guess I tried to get out of there too fast and I rolled our S.U.V. I was thrown, but Jennifer and…and my son Diego…” Trent could no longer keep his emotions under control and he began to sob out loud.

  “Oh my God, I am so sorry,” the lady said as she walked up to Trent, touching him on his shoulder.

  “That was the crash that I saw,” Randy said. “Trent here got thrown clear of the wreck, but his family didn’t make it.”

  Trent caught his breath and wiped the tears away from his eyes. “I’m sorry. Everything is happening so fast and I haven’t even had a chance to deal with what happened to my wife and son.” He looked over at Randy and choked up again. “If it wasn’t for him, I’d probably be dead by now. After I came to, some of those things showed up and we had to get out of there. I couldn’t even see about getting my wife and son out of the car.”

  “Things?”

  “Those infected people,” Trent said.

  The woman quickly stepped back from Randy and Trent. “Uh, you were around those things?” She looked at the men with uncertainty. “The news said that exposure to those people was dangerous and that they were transmitting the disease.”

  The woman’s words caught the attention of several other people who were standing within earshot of them.

  “Don’t worry, we’re not infected,” Randy said as he raised his hands to calm her down. “What’s your name anyway?”

  “Kara.”

  “Okay, Kara, I can reassure you that we aren’t infected, but we did see some people get infected.”

  “You did?” asked a man who was holding a cat in one hand and a travel bag in the other. He had stepped closer to the group to hear what they were talking about.

  “Yeah, we did,” Trent said as he cleared his voice. “I’m not sure what we saw, but we saw some people who were already infected, we saw some people get infected…and we saw some people come back from the dead.”

  “You saw what?” Kara asked incredulously.

  “You said you saw someone come back from the dead?” asked another person.

  “We did,” Randy answered. “We were running away from some of the infected…we made our way down Sontera to the highway and we ran into a huge traffic jam. The road was totally blocked. There were car wrecks all over and the ramp was bogged down. Next thing you know, those things catch up to us and start attacking everyone. There’s another crash and some people get tossed from the car and some of them get killed. From what I could tell, people who got bit by the infected got infected themselves, and then they turned all crazy and shit. The people who died in the crash came back to life, and then they started to attack other people.”

  “Yeah,” Trent added, “we had to kill some of them.”

  “Kill?” Kara asked.

  “Yes ma’ am, kill,” Randy said. “It was them or us. Some poor cops showed up and they got attacked and killed. We literally had to fight our way out and we jumped into one of the police cars and that’s how we ended up here.” Randy pointed back to the patrol car that he had been driving.

  “We probably need to tell those policemen up at the front that some of their buddies didn’t make it,” Trent said. He turned to make his way towards the officers, and as he walked in their direction, he could see that the policeman on the hood was now engaged in a full blown argument with the burly man. Trying to keep from thinking about Jennifer and Diego, he let out a deep sigh and came to the painful conclusion that he was going to have to put their deaths behind him. He just didn’t have the time to think about it…at least not right now.

  “Look, all I can say is that we are doing the best we can do with the resources that we have,” the officer explained. A crowd had formed around the patrol car and was attentively listening to the stressed officer. The tone in his voice gave away the uncertainty and fear that was building up inside of him. “We are operating with a skeleton crew. Over half of the station staff and a large number of the officers have either gone home…or we just can’t reach them anymore. I wish I had more answers for you, but I don’t. For right now, we are going get as many of you as we can inside of the station and inside of the parking lot and wait for the buses to come.”

  “Buses?” the man with the cat asked.

  “Yes, buses. The city is sending buses out to the different police and fire stations and we are going to transport everyone we can to centralized safety zones.”

  “So where is that…for us?” the burly man asked.

  “The soccer complex off of Wurzbach Parkway.”

  “But why can’t you take us somewhere out of town…away from all of this?” the man with the cat asked. “That would be safer.”

  “Because those are our orders…that is what the mayor said.”

  “And where is the mayor?”

  “He is at the Emergency Operations Center, waiting to hear from the governor. Now, if we can just have everyone form a line and enter through the main entrance into the station. We have water fountains and restrooms inside if you need, and there is a T.V. and radio so you can keep updated on what’s going on. I promise…if we hear anything new, we will let you know right away.”

  “What about martial law?” asked a woman who was carrying a toddler. “I heard the president saying that we were going to be put under martial law? Is that true?”

  “We haven’t heard from anyone saying that San Antonio would be put under martial law,” the officer said.

  “Will there be food and water and phones or computers at these safety zones?” asked the burly man.

  “I am sure that they will have all of that for you, but for now, please, let’s start moving into the station…please.”

  Randy looked at Trent. “What do you think? Should we stay or try to go somewhere else?”

  “Maybe we should stay here. At least here we have some sort of protection against whatever is out there. We really don’t know how far this stuff has spread across the city.”

  “From the looks of it, it’s everywhere, but you’re probably right…but man, I sure would like to make it back to my apartment.”

  “Jesus!” Trent exclaimed. “In all this craziness, I haven’t even asked you if you have a family or anything like that.”

  “That’s okay. I know we really haven’t had much time to talk normal talk, but naw, no family here. I have an ex-wife and two kids back in Toledo, but no one here. My folks have passed and I have a sister in Las Vegas. About six months ago I came down here for a job with an insurance firm, so I really ain’t got nobody.”

  Kara, who had found the company of the men reassuring, was now following them. “I think we should just stay here,” she urged. “Hopefully it won’t take too long for the buses to come get us.”

  “We?” Randy asked with surprise.

  “Well, you guys sound like you’ve already had to deal with the drama out there, and y’all made it through alright. Also, it seems like no one around here really knows what’s going on. Maybe we can hang together through this until things get worked out. You know…safety in numbers…or whatnot.”

  “I guess that would be cool,” Trent said as he looked over at Randy.

  “Yeah, uh…yeah, that will be good,” Randy agreed.

  Trent walked over to the officers and looked up at the one on the hood. “Excuse me officer, but my friend and I came across a couple of your buddies back on Sontera and the access of Two Eight-One. They got attacked by a whole bunch of those infected people, and I’m sorry to say, but I don’t think they made it. We just barely made it out of there ourselves, and we had to get out of there in one of their cruisers. I left it parked back up the street.”

  The supervisor looked down at
Trent. “Shit, are you sure they didn’t make it? Did you get their names?”

  “I’m pretty sure they didn’t make it, and I heard them calling each other by their first names…Dave and John. I’m telling you, a whole bunch of people got killed or infected over there. I’m really sorry about your guys though.”

  The supervisor jumped down from the car and barked at one of the officers who was holding a rifle. “Get over there and get me a car number and see if we can figure out whose car that was.” The supervisor then turned to the crowd and said, “Okay folks, let’s get moving into the station…please. Form a line so we can keep this orderly.”

  As Randy, Trent and Kara fell into line, Trent asked her, “What about you? You have family here?”

  “My parents live up in Amarillo.” She dug into her right front pocket and retrieved a cell phone that was encased in a decorative carry case. “But the damn phone doesn’t work and I can’t get through to them!” She held the phone up above her head and waved it around in anger. “I can’t get a signal.”

  “I stopped getting a signal this morning,” Randy said. “I think that stuff has overloaded the cell lines…or something like that.”

  “I was thinking of trying to drive out there instead of coming here, but I really didn’t know if it was safe being on the open road like that. Now I wish I would have just tried to get up there.”

  “I’m sure they’re okay,” Trent said in an attempt to make her feel better. He looked up at the bright sun and wiped away the sweat from his forehead. “Damn, it’s so hot today. I hope they have cold water inside. I’m so thirsty.”

  Hearing that, Kara unslung her backpack and dug into it, retrieving a plastic bottle of water. “Here you go,” she said as she handed it to Trent. “I brought a couple of extra bottles of water…and some trail mix, just in case.”

  “Thank you so much!” Trent said as he took the bottle and quickly unscrewed its cap. He chugged down the water and let out a relieved sigh.

  “Let me have the bottle back. We might end up needing it somewhere down the road.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Trent said. He was surprised at Kara’s resourcefulness—he realized that he had underestimated her based on her looks—and he felt embarrassed at his goof. He gave her the bottle and the cap and smiled at her.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” she said. “A chick isn’t supposed to think of stuff like that. We’ll, I’m an avid outdoor type of person. Also, I like to watch those outdoor survival shows and go out and try the stuff myself.”

  “Wow, that’s impressive. My Jennifer…well, she didn’t like the outdoors too much. If there wasn’t running water and electricity, she wasn’t interested.” Trent chuckled to himself—sadly—as he started thinking about his wife.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t meant to bring up any memories,” Kara said.

  “No, don’t be sorry. I need to talk things out like this if I am going to be able to deal with everything.”

  Randy, sensing that it was time to change the topic, interjected himself by saying, “I just wish I could change out of these slacks and shirt. This isn’t the best type of clothes to be running around in…especially when you’re trying to run away from someone who wants to chomp on your ass.”

  Trent looked over at Randy and saw that his white business shirt was stained with sweat under the arms and down the center of his back. “Well, maybe once they take us to wherever we’re going, they’ll have some clothes or something there for you.”

  “I hope so. I can’t be running around in this all day. That’s why I wish I could make it back to the apartment…to get a few things. Plus, I have a gun there.”

  Trent leaned over to Randy and whispered, “I didn’t know of you noticed, but I kept that policeman’s pistol. It’s tucked in my back, but I don’t know how many bullets are left in it. I didn’t want to say anything out loud because I was afraid that they would try to take it from me.”

  “Good deal. Just don’t say anything about it. You never know…we might need it.”

  “What are you guys whispering about?” Kara asked. “If we’re going to be a team, I don’t think that there should be any secrets between—”

  A flurry of gun shots interrupted Kara’s sentence. They were coming from the direction where Randy and Trent had left the police car. As everyone turned to see what was going on, several police officers pushed their way through the crowd and headed towards the sound of the gunfire.

  Loud shouts and screams started drifting down from the end of the traffic jam and then more gunfire sounded. With panic setting in, the line of people broke into a mad dash for the entrance to the police station.

  “Shit, they’re here!” Trent yelled. Let’s go!”

  “Who is here?” Kara asked.

  “The infected!” Randy shouted. He grabbed her by her arm and the three began to run towards the glass doors of the cop substation. They quickly saw that they weren’t going to be able to get into the building. The entrance was completely bogged down with terrified people as they climbed over each other and fought to get into the perceived safety of the building. Several unfortunate souls were trampled underfoot and the entire entrance was jammed with one big ball of writhing legs and arms.

  Trent turned to look back at the commotion behind them and he saw a wave of people running towards the station. Several of the police officers were also running away from whatever was taking place behind them. He was horrified when he saw several small children being separated from their parents; their terrified screams being drowned out by the wailing of the crowd. And then he saw it. A wall of ranting and raging individuals pulling down helpless and bewildered people, pouncing upon them and tearing them to pieces. He also saw numerous wounded people outrunning their attackers, simply to fall down and start flailing in painful spasms as they transformed into the infected themselves.

  “Fuck, go!” Trent screamed. “There’s hundreds of them!”

  The three broke out into a panicked run as they made their way down the sidewalk and towards a small strip center. They quickly saw that the center was empty; the windows to a sandwich shop had been shattered and debris was spread out over the parking lot. Across the street from the shop and to their right was a small neighborhood. Trent pointed to the houses and yelled, “Let’s get into there!”

  The three darted across the asphalt and ran up a street that took them amongst the modest homes. Randy turned to see if they had been followed and he saw that other people were also trying to seek safety in the residential area. He then saw that the runners had seen the fleeing people attempting to run into the neighborhood, and within a matter of minutes, the small residential area was flooded with hunters and prey alike.

  The trio ducked in between two homes and hid behind some bushes as they tried to catch their breath. Trent, pistol now in hand, said, “We got to get into one of these homes and hide.”

  “We need to get a damn car and get the hell out of this whole area,” Randy countered. “Do you know how to hot wire a car?”

  “Hell no, what do I look like?” Trent said in offended tone. “You mean you don’t know how to do it?”

  “Oh, ‘cuz I’m the black guy, I should know how to steal a car?” Randy responded angrily.

  “Will both of you shut the fuck up!” Kara said. “We’re running for our lives and you guys want to have a social commentary on race relations. Let’s just figure out what we’re gonna do.”

  Both men were surprised by Kara’s sharp words. They then looked at each other and smiled, embarrassed at themselves.

  “Shit, let’s get into this back yard and see if we can get into the house from the back…so none of those infected things sees us and what we’re doing,” Randy said. “See, there’s no lock on the fence.” He pointed at the wooden gate.

  Kara began to make her way towards the fence. She made sure that she crouched low, and as she was about to reach for the gate handle, a pained scream brought her to a shuddering stop.
She looked back at Randy and Trent and they looked at her. Another scream rang out, and this time, the three were able to determine that it was coming from the front of the home.

  Trent quietly crept along the side of the house and peered around the corner. He drew back in terror as Randy came up beside him.

  “What is it?” Randy whispered.

  Trent simply motioned with his pistol towards the front of the home and shook his head as he looked down.

  Randy looked at his speechless friend for a moment, and after building up his courage, he drew himself as close to the wall as he could and he inched up to the end of the home. Cautiously, he took a quick peek around the corner. What he saw made him turn away and gag.

  A man was kneeling over an elderly woman who was lying in the driveway. Randy recognized him as the cat owner—the guy who had been questioning the police supervisor back at the station. His glasses, although now shattered, still sat on his nose, and a very large chunk of his scalp was missing. Blood was streaming down his face and over his lenses. He was moving slowly but deliberately as he held the woman’s right arm up to his mouth, gnawing on it.

  The woman, probably in her seventies, was too feeble to resist and all she could do was scream each time the man bit into her arm. Randy peeked around the corner again and saw that the man was not only biting the woman, but he was also eating her.

  The sound of shattering glass from across the street caught Randy’s attention and he saw several runners breaking through the front windows of another home. He ducked back down by Trent and the two looked at each other in disbelief.

  “He’s fucking eating her,” Randy whispered in disbelief.

  Kara, now having made her way back over to the men, asked, “What did you say?”

  “Uh, that fucking guy back at the cop station…the one with the cat…he’s up there eating an old lady…eating her alive.” The disgust in Randy’s voice was obvious. The woman screamed again.

  “Well, go up there and stop him…or do something!” Kara demanded.