…
I took a deep breath and pulled my jacket closer around me. I was sheltered from the worst of the wind and rain but not completely. With every strong gust of wind would bring fresh pelts of rain on my head and face. With every gust I would shiver uncontrollably. The temperature had to be somewhere in the thirties, at least. If the rain would let off it wouldn’t nearly be as cold as it was out here. If I had a better coat then maybe I wouldn’t be shivering. Maybe if I just shut up, I could get this done.
Across from me was a short, squat, plain looking building. Every single opening was boarded up. From this angle I couldn’t see a way in. At least not without prying boards off of the windows. There had to be a door or something, because every five minutes on the dot a guard would come walking around the building. It wasn’t always the same one either.
I looked at my watch. I’d only been here for half an hour but nothing had come to me about how I was going to get in. If it was only the one guard then it’d be a piece of cake. But just in the short time I’d been here, I’d seen four different guards. Back in the car Rick had taken the walky-talky from me and instructed me to wait till they all went running and then I’d go in. So, this plan didn’t depend on me having to sneak in around them, otherwise we’d be waiting awhile till I figured it out. When I’d asked him why would they all go running, all he’d said was “trust me.”
“Trust me.” I snorted. I don’t know if I should be trusting you or not. Another gust of wind blew through the alley, throwing my hood off my head. I yanked it back up and tied it around my face. It was hard to believe that we were about two or three days away from home and we were already having this much issues. I shifted uneasily behind the car I’d chosen to stand behind as a guard stopped in the middle of his round to stare suspiciously around him. He slowly took in his surroundings before setting his sight on the alley. With deliberate care he started walking towards where I was hiding.
“Damn.” I murmured. “Anytime now Rick. Anytime.”
He was at the mouth of the alley. I had pulled my knife from its sheath and I was waiting for him to pass the car. Somewhere close by something exploded. The ground rocked beneath my feet. I had to use the car to steady myself. The buildings next to me shook ominously causing a torrent of water to drop on my head. I gasped and spluttered. It was freezing.
I looked up through the window, just in time to see at least a dozen men or so were running towards the source. As soon as they were out of sight I sprinted towards the doors. I yanked the doors open and slipped inside. As soon as I cleared the door, I shoved them shut and all light vanished. I held my light up in front of my face but I couldn’t even see it. I turned my chest flashlight on. I liked having my hands free, especially in situations like this but I needed to be able to see.
The floor was covered in dirt which left all of their footprints visible. That was the only sign of clutter. Other than the dirt there was nothing else in the hallway, no trash or furniture. It was a short hallway. There was a total of six rooms, two on one side and four on the other. The two on the right must be conference rooms or something while these four must have been offices. Rick had explicitly told me what to look for. I shifted the empty duffle bag on my back. The two rooms are probably where they all sleep so I shouldn’t waste my time there.
I opened the first room on the left. There were two camping beds set up with sleeping bags. Nothing else. The second room had two beds as well but along with some boxes. I couldn’t pass them up, I dug through them. It was mostly clothing: shirts, socks, pants, etc. Some of the shirts were nice and thick so I shoved them into the empty bag, along with the socks. Can’t say no to them. All the pants looked like they would be too big for me, but not for the guys. They could always use them. If not then insulation. We’re in for some cold nights. The third room had three beds set up but nothing else. In the fourth room there was one bed set up but there was a crate across from it. I glanced back at the front door before stepping into the room. I pushed the lid off of the crate and there were three green containers with a white cross on them. I picked on up and opened it. White packages with “STERILE” written on them. I shut it. I pulled the duffel bag in front of me and I shoved the three packages into it with the clothes. They fit, just barely. I swung it onto my back and peered out the front door.
I’d been here for too long. What if they’re coming back? That’s the only entrance and exit. If I got through there and they’re coming in then I’m screwed. I pushed myself out of the room and forced myself to move quickly towards the door. I could either wait for them to come back or just get out without being a pansy. At the door I placed my ear against it and listened. It was quiet but that really didn’t mean much. I pushed it open just enough to look out with one eye. I didn’t see anyone so I pushed it further until I was able to look all around. Still there was no one. Rick must be keeping them busy. I pushed myself through the door and sprinted back towards the alley.
I was only ten paces away when there were several gunshots. I didn’t think. I just reacted. I dived. I landed heavily onto my chest and stomach, knocking the wind out of me. Gasping for air, I pushed myself to my feet and ran. At the end of the alley I took a sharp left and barreled down the street. I sprinted down several blocks, turning down streets and alleys, trying to keep out of sight of anyone who might be following me. I finally had to stop. I couldn’t breathe. My lungs were on fire, they felt like they were trying to rip themselves out of my chest. I pressed a hand onto my side, where a stitch had formed about two blocks back. I strained to hear anything over my gasps of air. My wheezing and raindrops hitting the ground were the only things I could hear. I still didn’t move, even after my breathing had gotten under control. There was nothing to hear but that didn’t mean anything. I peered out from behind the stairs I was crouched behind. There was nothing moving. I pressed my face against the side of the stairs. The cold metal was like a shock to my system. I needed to get back. Dean was waiting.
Rick had parked his blazer near a parking garage. He didn’t pull into it simply because it would make too much noise, not to mention anything could be hiding in it. Too many hiding spots. Rick and I had left the two dogs with Dean and Richard. I didn’t bother cutting through the garage that would just be a stupid move. Instead I jogged around it. As I turned the corner, I half expected them to be gone or surrounded by gun-toting maniacs. But no, the blazer was sitting there exactly as we had left it. I put on a last burst of speed. This was the last of my energy for now. I was sitting near empty. My stomach was empty and my legs were trembling.
Richard stepped out of the blazer looking grim. As I drew level with him I pulled one of the kits from the duffel bag. Richard held his hand out for it. Before I even let go of it, he’d ripped it open and was rummaging through the contents. A frown deepening on his face. He climbed back into the blazer. I looked over his shoulder, Dean was still breathing. Still alive. My eyes scanned the rest of the car. “Rick’s not back yet?” I asked.
Richard looked at me briefly before shaking his head.
It felt like I was plunged into cold water. What if those gun shots weren’t aimed at me but at Rick? Come to think of it they didn’t sound as close as they should have been. It would also explain why no one was following me.
Even as I made up my mind to go back to look for him, Rick rounded the corner. He came to a stop in front of me, bent over with his hands on his knees. He was chuckling in between gasps.
“You go them, right?” He gasped, looking up at me.
“Yeah, I got all three. Plus, some clothes.” I murmured. “Did they see you? Is that why there was shooting? And why didn’t you warn me about the explosion?”
Rick grinned, it was bone chilling. There was no warmth in that smile. “They never saw me, but I saw them.” He stood up to his fullest height and in reflex I stepped back with my hand on my gun. The smile faded from his face. There was something terrifying about the way he was towering over me. I squared my shoulders
, ready to attack. But smiled and slouched just slightly. “Keep a lookout until we get moving.” He passed by me towards the blazer.
On stiff legs I walked away from their hushed voices, back towards the main street that both Rick and I had come from. But before I reached it, I hopped over the wall and landed with an echo inside the parking garage. There was enough reflected light here that I didn’t need a flashlight to see where I was going. At the side closest to the street I hid myself behind the wall and watched. From the way Rick made it sound, he killed them. It didn’t bother me that he’d killed them. They would have killed us just as easily. He was just so cold about it. I have no room to judge because wasn’t I the same? I just shut myself off to it. Killing when necessary, it’s not about me just surviving. I have other people who depend on my survival. He seemed to enjoy it. At least he seemed to enjoy telling me about it. I furrowed my brow while mentally chiding myself. No, he’s changed. He’s had to evolve, it’s probably just a pride thing, a survival instinct.
A low buzzing interrupted my thoughts. I scanned the sky and area around me. It sounded like a drone. Like the one that was following me days ago. But it couldn’t be the same one, right? I scuttled to the other side, avoiding cars and trying to be quiet. As long as I stayed out of sight, they wouldn’t see me. I drew level with the side of the structure and peered out, scanning around me. There it was. From here it looked the same except it was flying crooked, like one side wasn’t working properly to keep it level. I watched it fly out of sight before going back.
Chapter fourteen… We picked the wrong time of year to go camping
I was leaning heavily against the door; the rain was splashing harmlessly against the window. We’d left the city hours ago. Rick was driving through back roads, avoiding all the main ones. Infected loved to prowl through the abandoned cars, same with raiders. It was easy to spot prey from a ways off out there.
In here we were surrounded by trees on a two-lane highway. With only the occasional car on the road we were making good time. I kept looking in the mirror just to make sure that there were no drones or cars following us. With the dense trees around us I was hoping that it had stayed back in the city. Although I had made a mental note to shoot it the next time, I saw it.
“Mrmph.” It was Dean.
I whipped around in my seat to look at him. Richard had shoved one of the dogs, Coke, down onto the floor. “Dean? Dean does it hurt?” Richard asked anxiously, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.
Dean had some color back in his face, he wasn’t pure white anymore. When he opened his eyes, they looked too large for his face. He pulled in a shuddering breath while his gaze passed over myself and Richard, finally landing on Rick. In a hoarse voice her asked, “What happened?”
Richard glanced at me before launching into his story. He told it all as quickly as possible, only pausing to answer Dean’s questions, which there were only a few. Dean didn’t move his gaze from the back of Rick’s head the whole time. When Richard finished Dean sat in silence for a few minutes. “If I was in that bad of shape why don’t I feel as bad now?”
“In those med kits, they were very advanced.” Richard began slowly, “They had stuff that sealed your wounds instantaneously and injections that boosted iron and basically acted as a replacement for a blood transfusion. Very advanced. I’ve never seen this stuff before.” Richard shook his head slowly. “I want to know how they developed it. This is a good sign. If they have access to stuff like that then they might have the cure!”
The car jerked, nearly knocking me over. I gasped before grasping the back of the seat to steady myself.
“So that’s why you’re out here.” Rick yelled. “To find a lie!” He hit the brakes and the blazer came to a skidding stop. I wrapped my arms around the back of the seat, holding on for dear life. “Why? Why are you out here risking your necks for a light?” He roared. Rick’s face had changed to an alarming shade of red.
My own temper rose to match his. “Well it’s hard to say no when there’s a gun to each of your family’s heads.” I roared back.
Some of the anger faded from his face. “But it’s a lie. There’s nothing. Nothing that stops it.”
I flipped back around in my seat and sunk down as far as I could go while crossing my arms across my chest. I stared straight ahead. Yeah, it’s probably a lie but what choice did I have? If there was any other way out of this, I would have jumped on it. I would have gladly chosen a different path.
Richard spoke up from behind me. “You only think it’s a lie. You don’t have the information that I have.”
Rick rounded on Richard. “Really? Do you have any actual proof to go with it? He almost died!” He jabbed a finger towards Dean. “He almost died because you are out here chasing ghosts. You don’t think anyone else hasn’t thought of this? You don’t think that you’re the only ones who are desperately looking for a cure?”
Richard sat stony faced back into his seat. Rick turned back around to face the front. He sat a moment before pushing the blazer into gear, getting us moving again. The blazer bumped along the road while we sat in silence. The tension was thick enough it could be sliced with a knife. I wasn’t going to be the one to break it though. I wanted to know this ‘proof’ that Richard had. I wanted to see this ‘proof’ so that maybe I wasn’t wasting my life. Because there had to be some kind of evidence. Otherwise there’d be no point in sending out here. None at all. I pulled my jacket tightly around me and just ignored all of them. I chewed on my cheek like it was piece of bubble gum. Rick’s reaction though, that seemed a little over the top. I mean honestly, the way he lost his temper almost like he knows something. I glanced sideways at him. He was staring straight ahead, hands clasped tightly around the steering wheel. His face was still red but was slowly fading back to his normal tanned color. But I was willing to bet both my shoes that he was still livid.
I was still chewing on my cheek when the trees suddenly opened up around us. It was a small clearing with a small house placed right in the middle of it. The road ended at the garage. All the windows were broken but had wood covering them from the inside. The front yard had grass that went up to my waist easily and there were other plants that had grown wild that snaked through it. Just passing by it I could see black berry bushes mixed into the grass. On one half of the yard it was entirely made up of the black berry bushes. They snaked up and over the house. The house itself was a painted a flat brown, single story with two bay windows on either side of the door. The windows were boarded up with plywood with pieces of wood crisscrossed over it. There was a fence surrounding the whole lot, razor wire ran along the top and the bottom of it. In order to get inside it the gate had to be opened. Other than the fence there was nothing unique about the house.
Rick pulled the blazer to a stop in front of the fence. He fiddled with the key ring before pulling a small silver key off it. “Here. Open the gate.” He dropped the key into my hand.
I dragged myself out of the seat and slammed the door behind me. The wind tore right through my clothes. My hair, at least the strands that weren’t pulled back, blew around my head cutting across my face. The lock was freezing in my hands, stealing my warmth. I shoved the key in the lock it but it didn’t want to turn. I tried pulling it out and shoving it back in but it wasn’t wanting to turn.
Behind me Rick called out, “C’mon. We don’t have all day.”
I flipped him the bird before going back to the lock. I pulled it out slightly and tried to turn it. It still wasn’t turning, I slammed the key into the lock and twisted. It unlocked with a click. I pulled the lock off and pulled the gate open. Rick drove through it. I stepped through the gate pulling it shut. I breathed deeply through my nose. The cold air burned but it had a sweet crisp smell to it. It was the only wholesome scent left in this world. The smell of rain. I turned my head up to the sky and watched the clouds. They were rushing by. But even as they rushed by darker clouds filled in their spaces, overtaking them.
At least I won’t have to sleep in the car tonight. We’ll have some space to spread out. I snapped the lock back in place as soon as Rick pulled the blazer through the gate. As he stepped out the dogs were immediately pushing him out of the way. They ran straight into the yard, sniffing and wagging their tails. I couldn’t help but smile at them. There was just something calming about watching them. They acted like everything was normal, hell if the crap hadn’t hit the fan, they’d probably be doing the exact same thing except in a different yard. Rum ran forward, nipping Coke on his side. Coke jumped and twisted around to chase Rum down. They nipped playfully at each other while running in circles. Rum cornered Coke, bowing his front legs he stared at Coke with his tail wagging high in the air. Coke lunged at Rum, Rum jumped up to meet him. The chase ensued.
Yup, I’m definitely going to back up my earlier statement. I need these two around more often. I looked up and saw that while I’d been watching the dogs Dean had actually made it to the door of the house with almost no help from Richard, who was hovering. He disappeared through the door first followed by Richard. Rick whistled and nearly instantaneously both dogs stopped midstride to look at him. He whistled again and they both raced to the door. I followed them much more slowly. I stepped carefully up the two wooden steps, they both groaned under my weight. As I cleared the last step Rick’s arm shot out and gripped me by the upper arm.
Startled I pulled back, nearly losing my balance in the process. “Let go! Let me go!” I stepped down a step and he let go of my arm. I pulled it into my body and massaged where his nails had dug in. “What the hell was that for?”
“This is stupid. There’s no cure, no immunes. Everyone who gets bitten by one of them dies. There’s only death out here.” He hissed.
I scowled at him. If I could kill with looks alone, he’d be dead. He would have dropped to the ground without so much as a breath of air left in him.
Dead Paper Birds Page 18