“Oh no. Does it hurt much?” she asks worriedly.
“It’s not too bad now. Beverly found some pain killers in one of their packs. Gave me and her dad some.”
“Well, I’m just glad you’re ok.”
Lucas gives her another hug. “I’m glad you’re ok as well. We were worried about you.”
Cassie turns to the side and looks over to me. “James and Shane saved mine and his sister’s lives. If they wouldn’t have found us, there is no telling what would’ve happened.”
“We’re just glad you’re safe. That is all that matters,” Lucas retorts.
Cassie steps away and heads over to Beverly and the others. Lucas narrows his eyes at me. Wrinkles form in his brow as his lips purse. I figured he’d be pissed. It’ll be something that he’ll need to get over, though.
“Just let me say that I know you’re probably pissed-”
Lucas takes two gigantic steps and grabs me. He pulls me in and holds me tight. Not what I was expecting. He squeezes hard, which forces a grunt from my lips.
“That was an extremely reckless and stupid thing you did, James,” he bluntly says. “You could’ve got yourself or Shane killed.”
I go to respond, but Lucas continues.
“But it was also a brave and courageous act.” He finally releases me and takes a step back. He offers an approving smile, similar to what Dad used to do when he was proud of me.
A bit confused, I lift my right brow. Don’t get me wrong, I’m pleased with how this is going.
“Thanks, Lucas.” I lean forward, and gaze at his wound. “I’m surprised to see you up and about. I thought for sure you’d be dead to the world for a while.”
Lucas glances down to the wound briefly before looking back at me. “Yeah. I had a hard time getting comfortable. Beverly informed me that you, and apparently her son, had left. I couldn’t go back to sleep after that. I got maybe thirty minutes to an hour of sleep. The pain meds are really helping, though. Besides, this isn’t the worst injury I’ve ever had. I think I was more tired than anything.”
“I’m just glad to see you’re doing better.”
Beverly approaches me from behind. I step to the left, and stand next to Lucas. She offers me a warming smile, grabs my shoulders, and pulls me close to her. She hugs me tight. “Thank you, James, for bringing my daughter back to me.” She lets me go and steps back.
“I’m glad we found them. I’m sorry we couldn’t locate your other son,” I say.
She nods, her eyes glassy, probably from being happy and sad at the same time. “We’re not giving up hope. He still might be out there.”
That is true, however doubtful it may be, Donny could still be alive. “I hope you’re able to find him.”
Beverly glances back toward her father on the floor. He doesn’t look any better. His skin is overly pale and flushed. His chest barely moves as he breathes.
“I think we’re going to figure out our next move here, and search for him. I think my father is getting close to passing. I have done all I can for him. It’s just a matter of time now.” Beverly’s lips quiver from the words, but she keeps her composure. I envy her strength. I am grateful to have met these people. I just wish it could’ve been under better circumstances.
She excuses herself, and heads back over to her kids who are knelt down next to their grandfather. Both Lucas and I stand there silently, looking down upon them. Duke comes over and sits down in front of me as Cassie approaches us.
“You know, James, you are one brave kid.” Lucas pats me on the top of my left shoulder.
I simply nod. I wasn’t doing it to feel brave or whatever. I just didn’t want anything to happen to Cassie.
Like him, I consider us a family, and if Dad taught me anything, it is that you protect your own.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
We gather up what small amount of gear we had with us, which isn’t much, and head out. Beverly and her family wish us the best with our journey. We do the same with them.
We leave the building, and head for the gas station to see if using the Humvee is still an option. I’m really hoping that those people didn’t mess it up.
Cassie takes point, and I bring up the rear with Duke and Lucas sandwiched in the middle. We backtrack the way we came through earlier, and come across the crashed truck. Lucky us, the gas cans are still there. I check both, tilting them from side to side. One is mostly full while the other is less than half, maybe. Between the two, we should hopefully be good.
I hand Lucas the machete, and grab both of the bulky containers. They’re stout, but I think I can manage.
“Do you need some help with that?” Lucas offers.
I shake my head. “I’m good. Let’s just hurry up, and get over to the Humvee. I want to put as much distance between us and this town as we can.”
Cassie and Duke go ahead of us and check out the Humvee. I waddle across the street with the gas cans dangling from each hand. Their bottoms scrape along the pavement. My fingers on my right hand turn a whitish red as they fight to keep their grip on the mostly full container. My arm burns and aches, but I hold firm. I approach the driver’s side of the Humvee, and drop the cans. They hit the ground with a dense thud. The fuel contained in both sloshes about. I shake both hands, trying to relieve the burning festering in them. The right is worse.
Lucas heads toward the back and pops the rear hatch. Cassie opens the door near me, allowing Duke to poke his head out and lick me.
“Everything looks fine,” Cassie informs.
Thank goodness.
Lucas retrieves a funnel from the back, removes the cap, and slips the narrow yellow end into the fuel tank. I grab the can that isn’t as full, and pick it up. I lift the opening in the air, and tilt the end toward the large mouth of the filter.
My arms tremble from the weight, but I hold position. The fuel pours out into the funnel. A little bit splashes over the edges and drips down the side of the truck’s exterior. I try not to breathe in the fumes by turning my head to the left.
I empty the container of its contents. I retrieve the heavier of the two, and lift it up. This one takes a bit more strength and concentration to pour in. Lucas aides me as best he can with his good arm. Together, we get the container fixed at an angle that allows the diesel to gush out into the funnel. After a few moments of inhaling the fumes, and fighting the urge to move away, Lucas cuts it off.
“That should be good.”
Relieved, I lower the can to the ground. I secure the lid over the spout as Lucas places the gas cap onto the Humvee and twists it tight. It clicks three times, indicating that it’s in place. He closes the hatch and turns toward the back end.
“Bring that back here, and we’ll secure it in its holder. Might come in handy later.”
I screw the cap on the other can, and haul them to the rear of the Humvee. We place them in their holders, and latch them down. Lucas heads for the driver’s side.
“Are you good to drive?” I ask.
He glances at his shoulder and nods. “Yeah. I’ll be fine. It isn’t too much farther to Yreka. Maybe a couple of hours, barring any mishaps along the way.”
“That’s a big if,” I say. There seems to have been nothing but mishaps for as long as I can remember.
Lucas half smiles from my response. He tilts his head toward the vehicle. “Come on. Get in.”
We load up into the Humvee, and secure ourselves in the seats. I place the machete on the floorboard off to my left. It is still caked with blood. Cleaning off the evidence of what I had to do has been the least of my concerns. I try not to stare at it, and remember all that has transpired since I’ve gotten it. It’s a tool. A means to an end.
Lucas fires up the engine. It grumbles at first, but quickly comes to life. We smile, low joyous mutters escaping our lips. Lucas puts the Humvee into drive and gets us on our way. We hit the highway shortly thereafter, and make for Yreka.
I settle in the seat, and allow my body to finally relax. T
he days, who am I kidding, the past few months has been nothing short of a continuous nightmare that has been near to impossible to awake from. The thought of actually finding Cindy alive, and hopefully well, seems at times like a fool’s errand.
Despite any negative thoughts that continue to fester inside my brain, I maintain the idea that she will be in Yreka and will be ok. I know Scott said that she had been infected, but hadn’t turned. I pray that is still the case.
The road to Yreka is mostly free and clear of any cars. I’m happy that the sun is still out and shining bright. My mood feels slightly better with the sun’s warm glow coming in through the window. The darkness and gloom that has shadowed us for what feels like an eternity, has kept me shackled to my sadness and despair.
Mile after mile quickly ticks down, and the realization that I might be holding my sister soon brings a glimmer of hope to my soul, and a smile to my face.
The next hour and a half fades away with no interruptions to our journey. The infected have been sparse, with only a few pockets that had the creatures ambling along the sides of the road in the tall grass. They’d reach out their hands, and try to stop us, but were too slow to do so. Plus, I don’t think they’d be a good match against a vehicle such as this. Steel trumps flesh and bone one hundred percent of the time. Unless they all got in the road, then that might be a different story.
I lift my waist up off the seat, and remove the waded-up map from my back pocket. I unfold the creased and crumpled paper, and smooth it out on my legs. I locate Yreka. I don’t see any detail that shows on the map where exactly in Yreka this research hospital is located. I bring the map closer for a better look, and scrutinize every part of the city with the hopes that I may find something of use.
Ugh.
I sigh subtly, but loud enough to snare Lucas’s attention.
“What’s wrong?” A hint of pain that lingers on every word Lucas speaks.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?” I inquire. “Sounds like those pain meds are wearing off.”
Lucas shakes his head. He tries to remain strong, but the pain residing on his face tells the story that he doesn’t want to. “I’ll be all right until we stop. I have a couple of doses left, so I’m trying to use them sparingly. It’s manageable right now. So, what’s the deal?”
I point at the red circle that is around Yreka, then glance back over to him. “I know Scott said that the military took her to a research center-”
“I believe he said hospital,” Cassie quickly corrects.
“Hospital, whatever, but I can’t locate any such thing on this map. It’s just frustrating is all. To be so close, and not know where to go is aggravating.”
Cassie leans forward from the back seat and points out through the front windshield.
“Guess we don’t have to wait any longer.”
There it is in big bold red letters.
WELCOME TO YREKA
“THE GOLDEN CITY”
A hodge podge of other signs are clustered about at the bottom.
Perfect. I’m elated to be here, but also a bit worried that we won’t be able to find this place. I’m doubtful that the military is going to have signs like they did near Portland informing civilians where they are. They may not want a bunch of people in the way of whatever it is they’re doing.
“Short of just driving around, and burning fuel that we just don’t have, with the hopes that we may get lucky, is there anything else we can possibly do to try and track down this place?” My tone is a bit snarky. I’m feeling the stress of being this close and yet so far away.
I glance back to Cassie, who’s finger taps against her pink lips. She shrugs. My eyes cut over to Duke. I’m desperate here. He leans forward and tries to lick my face. Thanks, dude.
“What about the radio?” Lucas suggests.
“I broke it back at the warehouse that we were holed up in. I don’t think it’ll do us much good.”
Lucas shakes his head. “Not that one. The one in front of you and off to the left on the dash. We may be able to thumb through the channels, and find one that the military might be using. It’s worth a shot at least.”
Might as well.
I retrieve the handset from the dash, and place it against my ear. Staring at the array of buttons, I’m lost as to what to switch on and adjust. After a few seconds of mulling it over, I start to tweak buttons until I find something that sounds like I’m making some headway. The panel lights up with a multitude of lights.
Knob after knob I twist and adjust until I get the hint of a voice breaking in over the garbled hiss of static.
I go to speak into the receiver, and freeze. “What do I say?”
Cassie offers a thought. “If they’re a research hospital, I’d imagine they might be treating some wounded in conjunction with any infected. We could put out a distress call since Lucas is injured. He probably needs to be properly looked at anyway.”
I press on the handset, and speak to whoever will listen. “If anyone is listening, we are in need of medical attention. We have an injured person in our party that has been shot. He is in pain, and we need assistance. Please, if anyone is out there, let us know, over.”
My finger releases the button. The crackle of static fills the silent cab of the Humvee. The longest minute of my life ticks by like molasses. Are they going to respond to an unfamiliar voice considering the state of things? More so, is anyone even there to receive our distress call? I decide to give it another try regardless. I lift the radio to my lips.
“This is a secured military channel that is not to be used by civilians. Cease any further use of this line immediately,” a stern and deep voice barks.
The line goes silent.
Bastards.
I haven’t come this far and trudged through so much death to be turned away by some stern sounding military grunt.
With the receiver still clutched in my hand, I open my mouth. Lucas shushes me.
“Why did you just shush me?” I ask bewildered.
“Listen.”
Through the humming of the tires grinding over the pavement, I hear the subtle thumping of something close by. What is that? I continue listening as it grows louder and louder. It becomes more defined with each moment that goes by.
“Is that a helicopter or something?” I inquire puzzled.
Lucas nods. “I think it is.”
The helicopter’s blades whir tirelessly close by. A few seconds later, the airborne chopper buzzes overhead. Its blades beat the air above us as I look out my window. It seems to be flying low.
Lucas hunches down while trying to keep his eyes on the road. The nimble aircraft maneuvers toward a large building. “That’s a military chopper. I’d bet my bottom dollar that’s where they’re located.”
“Does that mean you think they’re there?” I ask.
“Yes,” Lucas says. “It’s an old saying. Means I’m pretty certain.”
Up ahead a wide paved road looks to lead toward the building that the chopper just landed on.
I point out the road with my hand. “There.”
Lucas hangs a right and heads down the road. We dodge a handful of abandoned cars that are riddled with bullet holes and missing windows. Countless bodies lay motionless in the dirt and grass to either side of us.
We slow down and drive around the cars with care. As we push closer toward the massive structure, I notice a large roadblock up ahead. Concrete barriers and vehicles have been positioned in a circle that encompasses the outermost perimeter of the hospital’s grounds. A handful of military guards train their weapons in our direction from the safety of the dense blockade.
Lucas approaches with caution.
The radio clicks back on and the voice from earlier breaks in over the static. “Discontinue your current heading and turn around, or we will be forced to open fire.”
Lucas comes to a halt. We’re close enough now that I can see the armed military men taking cover behind the barricade.
&
nbsp; “Listen, my sister was supposedly brought to this facility from the safe zone in Portland that got overrun with chasers. Her name is Cindy, and I’m desperately trying to find her. She’s all the family I have left. If she is in there, I beg of you to please let us through. We have been through hell and back to make it this far, and I’m not turning around now.”
The radio falls silent once more. I fear I have either pissed them off royally, and they’re giving the order to riddle us with hot lead, or their digesting my plea for their help.
A few more moments pass by in silence. Then a different voice comes through over the radio. It’s much older and gruff, but the stern undertone remains. “Head to the lower level parking garage. Section C. Jacobson will be waiting for you, and will take you to your sister.”
The radio goes silent. I sit there, almost in a daze as I’m overcome with a sense of joy that Cindy is actually here. A smile breaks across my face, and I shed a tear of joy from the good news.
The guards in front of us start to move one of the vehicles out of the way, and wave at us to proceed.
In that moment, all of the pain that I have endured over the past couple of months seems to release from my shoulders. The blackness that consumes my heart lessens. Perhaps this is the turning point for me. To rid myself of the guilt, and to finally feel something more than rage and anger.
Although I am afraid for Cindy, and the affliction of the virus that has taken hold of her, I am still relieved to finally be with her, and to tell her how much I have missed her.
Don’t worry, sis, big brother is almost here.
DEAD STATE: IMMUNE
BOOK 4
BY
CHAPTER ONE
Panic.
Terror.
The soldier’s faces fall thick with the unsettling expression within a blink. They take cover behind the wall of battle-hardened vehicles and concrete barriers that are smirched with dried blood, and riddled with bullet holes. That can’t be good.
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