by W J Hegarty
Danny willed himself to escape. A surge of adrenaline shot him to his feet, and he stumbled toward one of the rifles. Still clenching his gushing neck wound, Danny managed to run a few feet before collapsing back to the ground. He’d lost too much blood. The wounded man rolled onto his back, still clenching his neck. With his free hand, he reached up toward the full moon. In the clearing, its light accentuated the sticky crimson covering Danny’s body. His arm felt like bricks and came down hard, back to the earth, slapping against a decayed, partially skinless foot.
The third carrier wasted no time chewing into the soft flesh of Danny’s wounded neck. Danny struggled but to no avail; he was far too weak to fight. The infected bit off a mouthful of Danny’s fingers in its quest for the man’s warm crimson throat. Bloody nubs that moments ago were full digits scratched desperately at the attacker’s face with no effect other than removing a few chunks of rotting flesh and the monster’s ear. No longer strong enough to struggle, Danny fixed his eyes on the starry sky. The life drained from his body with a final spurt of blood onto his attacker’s face. A pair of shooting stars caught Danny’s attention as the world went black.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Conviction
Town Hall was filled beyond capacity; the majority of the residents of Pepperbush had gathered there in response to Danny’s and Steven’s deaths. An emergency meeting was called to debate town security and attempt to alleviate fears that the ever-looming regional crisis had finally reached their doorstep. Philadelphia, the closest hot spot and less than one hundred miles away, dominated most of their minds. By this point the populace had become desperate for anyone to calm their frayed nerves.
Mayor Donald Lancaster stood behind the podium at the front of a small stage, flanked by close associates on either side of him. Before him, packed in shoulder to shoulder stood a room full of nervous residents. He looked pompously down at the helpless masses, as he’d been known to refer to them, both figuratively and literally. He surveyed the crowd with contempt in his eyes, masked by an almost jovial demeanor. Behind a thick white mustache, the man wore a smug grin the likes of which could make the hardiest man in the room question his convictions. Mayor Lancaster portrayed himself as a sophisticated southern gentleman; the fact that he resided north of the Mason Dixon Line did nothing to dull the man’s swagger. For twenty-four years Lancaster had been mayor of Pepperbush with very few instances of a challenger come election time, much less one that stood any chance of winning. A perfectly pressed white suit and matching bowler had become synonymous with any appearance from the man, no matter how trivial.
In such a laid-back town, it was easy for a silver-tongued former used-car salesman to gain a foothold in local politics. Upon the results of his first election, he never looked back, and through the years, the man acquired quite a few close associates. Lapdogs or cronies, as some more outspoken townsfolk referred to them. Joshua and Phillip had each been at Lancaster’s side for more than two decades. Phillip was Pepperbush’s only judge while Joshua owned the town’s sole bank. And then there was Jim, the mayor’s muscle. With an animal like that and two corrupt politicians on his payroll, it was no wonder half the town thought all but the first election was rigged.
Mayor Lancaster leaned into Joshua as the crowd settled. “Just a moment is all it should take to quell these savages.” He smirked, his mustache hiding his disdain.
The crowd would have mostly been unable to read the men from across the room, though Joshua covering his mouth with his hand could have revealed the apathy Lancaster held toward the town’s issues.
Lancaster tapped on the microphone as his cocksure grin receded. The microphone’s feedback brought the majority of the room to attention. “Good people, let me begin by assuring you there is absolutely nothing to fear. We are in no more danger than we were last week or the weeks before that. An unfortunate incident befell our proud community this evening past, and as troubling as it may be for all of us. We must continue ever forward. Believe me when I say that I feel the loss of one of our own as deeply as the rest of you.” Mayor Lancaster carried himself with a faux mournful tone most in attendance didn’t read. Or they were simply too shaken up for it to register. “As far as those abominations are concerned, well, the occasional straggler does not herald the end of our community.”
A few random claps and a “here-here” by Phillip helped drive the point home. As far as Mayor Lancaster was concerned, the entirety of the audience was with him.
“And a fine community it is, I might add,” he continued. “Our walls are strong, our people resolute. We don’t share the decadence and sin which brought this hell upon our fine nation’s cities.” Mayor Lancaster’s tirade was cut short.
A faceless woman yelled from the crowd. “His name was Danny, and why don’t you tell that to his sister, or did you even know his name?” Her outburst caused many who were silent to voice similar concerns.
“Have you seen the news lately? Baltimore’s a mess.”
“Philly doesn’t look much better.”
“I haven’t seen my dog in a week.”
“We’re not safe here.”
“You can’t protect us.”
Uninterrupted voices continued to express their concerns. Lancaster remained silent throughout the tirade, allowing Joshua to attempt damage control.
“This outburst is quite unnecessary. The lot of you, show your mayor the respect he has earned,” Joshua fired back at the crowd. “We will have order.”
Ever the statesman, Lancaster took the opportunity to mediate, even if it meant casually throwing Joshua under the bus.
“Oh, that’s quite alright, Joshua. I understand the good people’s concerns all too well.” Lancaster returned his attention to the crowd, in particular the woman who initiated the outburst. “My dear, last evening’s tragedy was an isolated incident to be sure. We all know the risks associated with hunting in the forest, especially at night.”
Tobias interjected with a poor imitation of the mayor’s dialect. “And that’s why some of us don’t hunt at all, sir. It is far too dangerous, right?” His imitation of the mayor’s condescending tone and southern drawl resulted in a few nervous laughs from the crowd.
Standing at the back of the room, Sam smiled, slightly shaking his head back and forth in quiet approval. He was joined by Isaac, one of Pepperbush’s scant few police officers.
Lancaster straightened himself immediately. His smug grin receded as he unfastened and rebuttoned his vest. “I beg your pardon, sir,” the mayor fired back, practically condemning Tobias’s ridicule.
Tobias stood. “With all due respect, Mr. Mayor, you haven’t left Pepperbush town limits since the berm was put up. The truth of the matter is, we are seeing more and more of those things every week.” Tobias held his hand up as if to gesture, Now what?
Someone else in the crowd stood, followed by another, and more still.
“Tobias is right, sir. My boy and I have put down six of them bastards in the last ten days.” Glen’s only son looked up as his uneasy father joined the slowly increasing number of citizens voicing their concerns.
“It wasn’t very long ago when we might only see one of those things a week,” another anonymous woman added, causing the crowd to once more erupt in protest.
Joshua stepped forward again. “People, people, calm down, please. Would you listen to yourselves?” He attempted to quell the crowd for a second time.
Lancaster patted his lackey on the back of his shoulder and again took the microphone. “Okay, okay, let’s not cause a panic here today, Joshua.” He pointed Joshua back to his seat. “These trying times are a burden for us all,” Mayor Lancaster said. “We cannot let one isolated incident crumble our resolve as we have ample defenses in the berm and—”
The mayor was cut short as the seeming ringleader of the protest spoke again.
Tobias waved his arms at the crowd. His slow, deliberate gestures quieted the room. Finally, it seemed as though he had the attention
of his peers. It was clear to him that these people only needed a slight nudge in the right direction. They could see through the mayor’s deception; they only needed someone to speak for them. “Defenses which have never been properly tested, sir. I don’t want my family to find out the hard way when hundreds of those things come pouring over the top of the berm in my sleep.” Tobias looked around the room.
Curious, worried faces had given way to nods of approval. Slouched shoulders that betrayed a lack of confidence became stern, almost daring the mayor to continue his lies.
Mayor Lancaster’s snide grin had given away completely to contempt at Tobias and all he was insinuating. “Let’s not overreact now, sir. I am well aware that Mr. Danny was your close friend, and for that, I deeply apologize, but that is no reason to get these good people all riled up. Now, you must admit, hunting at night is a very foolish thing to do, especially in these cautious times we have found ourselves faced with. Can we at least agree upon that, Mr. Burke?” Lancaster stood his ground. This upstart had succeeded in dividing the room. The mayor knew damage control was his only remaining play.
“Spin it any way you like, Donald. Until you personally have to deal with one of these things, you quite frankly don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.” Tobias kept his eyes on Lancaster and his cronies, even as Jim rose from his whiskey stupor and took a few determined strides toward the edge of the stage.
Portions of the crowd applauded while others gasped. Most were silent as the mayor looked on in disgust, blushing from embarrassment.
Jim eyed the stairs at the far end of the stage that led down to the crowd. “If you don’t like the way we do things here, boy, you know the way out of town.”
Mayor Lancaster motioned for Phillip to halt the brute’s progress. “Now, now, let’s not get carried away here, Jim.” He chuckled. “Mr. Burke is just scared and a little confused. Aren’t you, son? Nobody’s going to do anything foolish, now are we?” Mayor Lancaster responded carefully while absorbing the crowd’s reaction.
Tobias scanned the room, surveying the crowd. Eager eyes fell upon him, desperate for a fresh strategy or at least reassurance that everything would be okay. It was obvious to Tobias that many in town shared his misgivings of the berm and the false sense of security it afforded.
The mayor’s lies were transparent and angered or frightened more than a few of those in attendance. They might not have spoken up very loudly, but it was written all over their faces. They were afraid and desperate for a new leader they could turn to, one they could rely on. Tobias realized he would never have as good of a chance again to gain the town’s attention and, more importantly, its trust. Unless Tobias was willing to risk his family’s safety all alone while on the road, he had to convince at least some of these people that he was right.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying, sir. Your precious berm is pathetic, and I realize that people are trying as best they can, but our defenses are a joke. Pepperbush is a death trap waiting to happen. I’m taking my family as far away from here as possible.” Tobias turned his attention from the mayor and back to his fellow citizens. “You’ve all seen the news. There haven’t been any updates for a week now. Those stories on CNN, Fox, local—pick any one of them and they’re playing on a loop for Christ’s sake. Admit it or not, you know it’s true. I’m willing to bet the TV and radio stations have been abandoned for days now. Hell, for all we know, the big cities are completely gone. No matter what Donald Lancaster or his cronies say or how much dirt they pile up, we are not safe here.” Tobias turned and faced Mayor Lancaster. “My family and I are leaving Pepperbush. Anyone who wants to come with us is more than welcome.”
Glen and his son stood. Glen was the salt of the Earth type. He was the guy who was always thinking about the next job and how to better use his time to get the most work squeezed out of every day that he could. He was a strong family man with strong values and unshakable ethics. Glen was asked by Tobias early on if he would be interested in picking up a shift or two on berm-perimeter duty. Surprisingly for Tobias, Glen declined. “Absolutely not” was Glen’s response. Every minute he was away from his home, his wife and son could be in harm’s way. The thought of leaving them alone even for a minute in this new world never crossed his mind, not for a second. His family came first, period. For the man to even be here now while half of his family was left at home without him there for protection revealed his concern over current affairs. “Where would we go, Tobias?” he asked with heavy eyes.
“Well, Glen, there are plenty of islands down south. If we can make it to the ocean and find a boat, I think we’d have a real shot at finding a safe place without any of the infected roaming around.”
“What about a boat, Tobias. Where would we find one?” Vanessa’s eyes went wide at the prospect of leaving Pepperbush for good and not on her own.
“Cape May Harbor, Vanessa. Hundreds of boats dock there at any given time, and it’s only about a two-hour drive from here.”
Jim snickered and returned to his seat. “Long as the roads are clear.”
“If the roads aren’t clear, we’ll just have to take care of that ourselves, now won’t we, Jim?” Tobias fired back. “The more people we have with us, the easier situations like that will be to handle if it even comes to that.” Tobias returned his attention to the room. “For anyone who is interested, please do not hold back. Come talk to me. Most of you know where I live, and I’m on berm patrol every night for those of you that don’t.”
A large portion of the crowd seemed receptive to Tobias’s plan.
“I’m in.”
“When are we leaving?”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Gonna need to check with the wife.”
Mayor Lancaster was near shaking. His face flushed, his eyes wide, he turned to Joshua, who casually shrugged. Uncertainty had overtaken the man. He waved Joshua off as he returned his attention to the crowd and more specifically to Tobias. “Mr. Burke, I must protest. I simply cannot allow you in good conscience to up and leave Pepperbush under the guise of some hairbrained scheme. This entire endeavor is foolish and downright childish if you ask me.” The mayor responded with a nod to his lapdogs, who stood and clapped. A desperate move by desperate men trying in vain to regain the room’s trust. “Supplies and manpower is what has and what will continue to keep these people safe. Anything and anyone you would take with you on some grand journey to the sea would only serve to weaken this town’s resolve.”
“I didn’t ask for and I don’t need your permission, Donald. I’m leaving. My offer applies to everyone, including yourself, Mr. Mayor.” Tobias turned back to the crowd. He held his opened palm high for all to see. “Five days.” He looked around the room while flashing his hand high above his head for the benefit of anyone who didn’t hear so well. “We are leaving in five days!” Satisfied that his point was made, but more importantly not wanting to overdo it, Tobias squeezed through the crowded room and exited Town Hall. Many sets of eyes followed him out the door as whispered conversations became a roar. The room was divided seemingly right down the middle as the people in attendance argued for or against Tobias’s plan.
Mayor Lancaster’s contempt for Tobias was unmistakable as he slammed his fist onto the podium and stormed off stage. He had lost control of the room. For the first time in a very long time, his smug grin was nowhere to be found. Joshua and Phillip scurried off as well, close on the heels of their master, while Jim remained on stage, his eyes affixed to a particular spot in the crowd.
During Tobias’s tirade, when Vanessa spoke up, it caught Jim’s attention. He stood there like a man possessed, staring at the woman. Had anyone been close enough they would have noticed spittle forming at the sides of his mouth or the slight bulge in his jeans as he watched her exit the small building. Preoccupied with the day’s events, no one noticed Jim adjusting himself in full view of the audience. Most of the townsfolk were too busy filing out of the building and carrying on conversations o
f their own.
As the citizens emerged onto the streets, they continued talking among themselves. A new light was shone on their situation and most knew a tough decision lay ahead: stay in the relative safety of Pepperbush, hiding behind an untested defense, or join Tobias for an uncertain future on the road. At any rate, there wouldn’t be much sleep tonight.
11:30 pm - Police Station
Marisol was losing the struggle as she dragged a heavyset man into a holding cell in the back of the police station. She was the opposite of frail. Her biceps were proof of that. Deadweight was difficult to move, no matter how strong you were. The unconscious man reeked of far too many days of heavy drinking and not nearly enough showers. Marisol didn’t have a clue where his clothes were. His dead weight made it nearly impossible for the woman to hoist him onto the cold metal slab. Just as well, those things weren’t exactly the height of comfort in the bed department. She sat a bucket and a bottle of water beside him and covered him with a coarse blanket better suited to moving furniture than a peaceful night’s rest. It was better than sleeping it off in the streets. Floyd was getting fall-down drunk on an almost nightly basis since the Berm went up. The implied cutting-off of the outside world hit the man harder than most. Marisol quickly turned her head and held her breath as he mumbled. So close to her face, his breath nearly made her vomit.
“I can’t understand a word you’re saying, Floyd.” Marisol tucked a small pillow beneath his head.
“I’m sorry, Sheriff,” he slurred, barely intelligible.
“Yeah, yeah, I know you are, Floyd. Just sleep it off. We’ll talk about it in the morning.” Marisol closed the cell door behind her. She didn’t bother locking it.
“Ma’am, don’t you want to be shutting that door proper?” Corey pointed to the cell door.