by Lowry, C. L.
“For the sake of our families, let’s just go back and get the things,” Benny suggested, thinking about what would happen to his wife and son if they were never to return.
Dale wasted no time once he heard his crew’s statements. He sped off down the street and exited through the large barrier that separated The Association from the ruins of Philadelphia. Formerly known as Cottman Avenue, the road they traveled was once the main vein through the middle-class neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia. Immediately outside the area claimed by The Association, homes and businesses were intentionally burned to the ground. There was not much infrastructure for miles, which was Adina’s idea. She had members of their organization torch buildings, some with families still inside. She wanted a clear vantage point to see anyone or anything that approached their new civilization. The buildings served no purpose to her. She would stand on the roof of their headquarters and watch as large flames devoured portions of her city. Nevertheless, Micah let his queen rule with an iron fist, even though their visions for the new world were so different from his. Micah was more interested in rebuilding for the people and finding a cure to reverse the effects of the chemical gas, while Adina was more so interested in rebuilding for herself and ruling through fear.
CHAPTER 19
“Watch your step,” Kyle said, being careful not to step on any of the beasts that were sprawled out throughout the alleyway. Now that the sun had risen, it was clear to see the carnage Dale’s group had caused. There were furry bodies and blood everywhere, and the sight of it all was churning Marcus’ stomach. He had vomited a few more times as the group navigated through the mess. “Keep your eyes open; there’s no telling who or what is out here.” Marcus and Candice moved much more tactically than they had when they first met Kyle. After being snatched up in the house, Candice knew how important awareness was no matter how safe or secure the environment seemed to be. Her steak knives sat in her backpack, and she had become very familiar with her newly acquired revolver. Luckily, they were able to reload all of their weapons with the ammunition they attained when they first entered the house. There were so many bodies; it was almost impossible for the group to walk side by side. There was only enough room for them to stack up with Kyle leading and Marcus holding up the rear. The lack of sleep and nutrition was beginning to catch up to them all. The bags they carried felt as if they weighed a hundred pounds each, which was a weight they wouldn’t last long with. The bags were filled with necessities, so ditching some items to lighten the load was not an option.
“Agh.” The group was almost to the corner when Marcus yelled out. Kyle turned and saw a paw on Marcus’ shoulder. The claws were digging deep into his skin. Kyle quickly took out his knife and stabbed the beast in the wrist, causing it to loosen its grip. Next was an elbow strike, downward onto its forearm, which immediately snapped. The crack was like stepping on a tree branch. The beast’s broken arm dangled as Marcus maneuvered away from its reach. He raised his gun and decided to take the beast’s life.
“No,” Kyle yelled, placing his hand on top of Marcus’ gun and forcing him to lower it. “Let it be.” A sense of compassion was beginning to weigh heavily on Kyle. Although they had transformed into what some may describe as monsters, Kyle knew deep down inside there had to be some existence of the human they once were. Seeing as though he had to take the life of his own child after she mutated, he knew firsthand the pain and guilt he still felt for pulling the trigger. Marcus watched as the beast continued reaching out towards him. It was injured and stuck in one of the body piles, so he wasn’t concerned with it becoming free. Its gurgling sounds were hardly intimidating, which was very different from the devilish howl the group has witnessed one of the beasts make. Marcus was still confused as to why Kyle didn’t let him take the shot.
“Let me see it,” Candice said, pulling his shirt collar to the side and revealing the fresh wounds on his shoulder. “It doesn’t look that bad; you’re lucky baby.”
“We can patch it up later; I’ll be alright.” Between the blood seepage from the wounds on his back and now the fresh wound, Marcus’ shirt looked like a butcher’s apron after a long day of work.
“Stay close,” Kyle said as they approached the corner of the alleyway. He knew they were going to be exposed as they worked their way across the street. Peeking from behind the corner, he noticed the streets were quiet. “We got to make a run for it.”
“Where are we running to?” Candice asked.
“To the alleyway across the street. We will get into the house through the back door.”
“But what if someone is at the back door?”
“Well, that’s a risk we just have to take unless you rather go ring the doorbell.”
“Alright chill out,” Marcus butted in, not appreciating the sarcasm that was being thrown at his woman.
Kyle looked at the two, as they returned annoyed stares. He took off running; his boots kicked up dust as they slammed on the hot concrete. With his rifle aimed, Kyle cleared the block as he ran by and quickly hit the corner of the alleyway. His brown eyes searched the alleyway as he located numerous dead bodies that cluttered the alley. Remaining statue-still, he hugged the wall as Marcus and Candice crept around the corner. They clearly mimicked amateur tactical moves they probably saw on the television show COPS, which amused Kyle.
“Bang, bang,” he whispered, letting his companions know they would be dead if he happened to be the enemy.
“What the fuck was that about? You just gon’ leave us back there like that?” Marcus said. He wasn’t in the mood for the little games Kyle wanted to play. A part of him wanted to back down, but he was still upset at the way Kyle had spoken to Candice.
Kyle looked Marcus up and down, not threatened by his towering height and larger frame. Make one fuckin’ move and I’m going to gut you like a fish, Kyle thought. His hand slowly gripped the knife on his waistband. He waited for Marcus to raise his gun or throw a punch. It would be a quick, yet painful death for the battered man.
Candice said nothing. Instead, she stood between the two men, which made it impossible for either of them to strike without hitting her. Marcus looked down at Candice’s displeased face and immediately rolled his eyes. Clutching all of his anger into his right fist, Marcus took several deep breaths to calm himself down. He knew her all too well, and the look she was giving him was her way of telling him that he was wrong. Although she appreciated her man sticking up for her, she couldn’t ignore the fact that the only reason they both were alive was because of Kyle. “Listen, we all need to stick together. Stop this nonsense,” she told both men.
“It ain't me; it’s him. He’s the one that just tried to leave us back there,” Marcus replied.
Kyle laughed at the response. “Listen tough guy, since you’re so big and bad, you can lead the way from now on.”
“That shit don’t phase me. You think I’m scared or something?”
Kyle didn’t say another word. He simply stepped behind them both and began guarding the rear. Since he assumed Marcus’ responsibility, Marcus had no choice but to work his way to the house. During their little spat, Marcus never noticed the bodies in the alleyway. It was one thing walking through piles of the creatures, but it was another stepping over human corpses. What the fuck, he thought as his eyes wandered around the entire alley. The group was walking past vacant homes that could have contained surprises, their heads needed to be on a constant rotation. The beating sun slowly drained their energy, causing them to crave a cool beverage. The dryness in the back of their throats needed to be moistened.
Stepping forward, it was obvious the number of dead bodies began to increase as they advanced further into the alley. The summer heat was blasting on each corpse, which allowed for the particular scent of decomposition to float in the air. Marcus’ stomach flipped with each breath he inhaled. He wanted to put on his gas mask, but his pride would not allow him to display any form of weakness in Kyle’s presence.
“Right here.�
� Kyle noticed the abundance of shell casings surrounding a pile of bodies and figured it was worth a shot to check the house. He stood on the corner of the wall and looked at Marcus, waiting for him to continue the lead.
“What if it’s a trap?” Marcus asked. The sudden change in his demeanor and tone told Kyle everything he wanted to know. Fear was written all over his face, but he had already made his bed. Once he saw the smirk on Kyle’s face, he moved toward the rear door and checked the knob. A part of him wanted the door to be locked, and the other part of him wished Kyle was still in front. Leading a group of people into the unknown is not for the weak and Marcus was finding that out the hard way. He twisted the knob, and he felt a knot drop into his stomach. The door began slowly creeping open.
CHAPTER 20
The playing card flipped through his fingers before Micah flicked it onto the table. The card landed face up on a stack of papers, revealing the Ace of Spades. “Where are we at with a cure for this disease?” he asked the group of five that sat across from him at the table.
“Well sir, we were able to successfully duplicate the chemical gas which has been tested and proven to cause the same effects as the gas used by the military. Unfortunately, every antidote we have engineered seems not to be effective in reversing the negative effects of the gas.”
“Well, when can I expect it to be effective?” Micah asked, leaning forward on the table and looking at each of them directly.
“We— Well, we can’t say for sure at this very moment. We need more time.”
Micah removed the chrome pistol from his waistband and placed it on the table, with the barrel facing the five researchers. They all began squirming in their seats, trying their best not to be Micah’s targets. He slammed his fists on the table and then swiped at the stack of papers, sending them flying across the room. This was not the first time Micah’s temper reared its ugly head. Although he had intentions to find a cure that could turn the beasts back into humans, he did not plan to just dispense it out of good will. He had plans to sell it to the highest bidder. After seeing the effects the chemical gas had on American citizens, Micah believed there would be countries lined up to get their hands on the duplicate of the chemical weapon as well as the antidote. That could mean billions for him along with the resources to rebuild the country under his reign.
“I told yall I wanted a cure by this week and yall have not met the deadline. You need to tell me what the holdup is.”
“We just need more time and samples to test. We haven’t had a new creature brought to the facility in weeks. The ones that are currently in the pit are under observation.”
“Listen, the only reason you five are still alive is because of the work you do for me. If you cannot deliver the work I have requested, I guarantee you that I will personally rip each of your hearts out myself and feed them to the creatures in the pit.”
“That won’t be necessary. We will deliver results,” one of the researchers claimed. “Once we get new specimens, we can begin. We also need to conduct field studies, so we can observe the creatures interact with each other in their own environment.”
“How about I send some of my people to Area X. What would you need them to do?”
“We need them to perform tests. Since your last group saw the large amount of creatures in that area, I think it’s safe to say that those things made that area their home. We need to know why so many of them are flocking together and what is attracting them to that specific location. We want to know how the creatures react to the gas and how they are surviving. So if a team can go out and secure a building for us to operate out of, that would be very helpful.”
Micah remained silent. He thought about the request made by his researchers and the resources needed to complete such a mission. Sending a small team out wouldn’t be the hardest part of the mission, but the researchers only saw one side of the equation. Micah knew he would need to staff the building with security and send them with supplies. He didn’t want to risk his team being compromised and someone getting a hold of his plans. The tapping of his fingers on the table produced a steady rhythm. The researchers looked on as the gears in Micah’s head began churning. The tapping increased and was now accompanied by the tapping of his foot on the worn, wooden floor panels. Each of the researchers flinched when the tapping turned into a closed fist slamming on the table.
“I’m going to send an initial team out to survey the area. If it has the potential for occupancy, we will send a larger group out with one of you and the field studies can be completed.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.”
“Now get the fuck back to work.”
CHAPTER 21
Cautiously stepping inside the home, pieces of shattered glass cracked beneath their feet. It seemed the more they attempted to tiptoe into the basement, the louder the cracks became. The natural sunlight assisted them as they maneuvered through the dark, eerie home. Candice jumped back once something emerged from the shadows, which hugged the corners of the basement. Placing her hand over her chest, she somehow tried to slow down her rapid heartbeat after realizing it was just a stray cat venturing through the door the group opened as they entered. The layout of the basement was very similar to that of the house across the street, reminding the group of the sick individuals they had gone up against. Taking a huge gulp, Marcus began to ascend the stairs. If the layout served them right, they would end up in the kitchen of this home as well. Once again, he was faced with a closed door. He slowly reached out, but his sweaty palm slid off the knob. Kyle was disgusted in the way Marcus carried himself. Such a large man had so much fear in his heart. Sooner or later, that fear is going to cost him his life.
As soon as the door opened, Marcus stared at the dirty red mark on the kitchen floor. The horrible stain was the sign the group needed, confirming they had entered the right home. Using his pathetic television tactics, Marcus cut the tight corner and cleared a path into the living room. Kyle passed through the kitchen, immediately noticing it had been ransacked. The hunger pangs were getting worse, and their food supply was low. They had enough food to last two weeks at best, and that is only if they stretched it.
“Look at this,” Candice said as her fingers spread apart two window blinds, giving her a clear view of the street.
Kyle worked his way over to the same window. He saw the holes that decorated the U-Haul trucks and noticed the bodies that were on the ground, near the trucks.
THUMP! THUMP!
The noise coming from the second floor of the home grabbed everyone’s attention. Kyle wasted no time working his way up the stairs, looking to eliminate any threats that came his way. He cleared the hallway and moved straight to the front bedroom, while Candice searched the middle room and Marcus headed to the back. Kyle’s eyes lit up when he entered the front bedroom. A pile of canned goods and bags of potato chips sat on a table near the window. Safety was not a concern to the soldier that was usually vigilant whenever he entered an unknown area; he never searched the room and focused only on the food. Walking over a cluster of spent AK rounds, Kyle grabbed a bag of the chips and ripped it open. The stale chips made his mouth water and satisfied him as if it were a steak dinner from Morton’s Steakhouse.
Marcus pushed open the bedroom door and was immediately overwhelmed by a familiar stench. He heard a small growl and knew exactly what was in the room. Seeing no need to investigate further, he closed the door and turned to see Candice eyeing him up in the hallway.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
Candice caught a whiff of the rancid odor that arose when Marcus opened the bedroom door. “What the hell is that smell?”
“One of those creatures is in there.”
“Yo come here,” Kyle yelled, looking at the two conversing in the hallway.
He threw them two bags of chips, once they stepped foot into the room. The group looked like a pack of hyenas devouring their prey. It had been so long since they tasted the salty snack
and enjoyed each bite, despite the extra effort required to chew through the stale chips. The room was silent for about ten minutes as they finished the chips and treated themselves to packets of instant oatmeal that accompanied the snacks they shared.
“That was so good,” Candice said, licking the salt off her fingertips.
“It’s about time we lucked up. I was going crazy without eating,” Marcus mumbled with a mouth full of oatmeal.
“Kyle, pass me another —“
Door slam.
They all jumped up with weapons in hand. “Get in the corner,” Kyle suggested as he took up a crouching position in the deep left corner of the room. His rifle was pointed at the doorway, ready to take out anybody that stepped foot into his target zone. Candice stood in the closet, and Marcus was hunched down behind an armoire. Footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs and into the hallway.
“Oh, what the fuck. Who ate our shit?”
Noticing the empty potato chips bags on the floor, the man walked into the room and picked one of the bags off the floor. He also noticed the open packets of oatmeal that were left on the ground. He kneeled down and picked up one of the oatmeal packets. There was fresh blood on the packet and more on the tan carpet that covered the floor. Cutting his eye, he spotted a trail of the blood on the carpet. The trail led to the armoire and that is exactly where the guy aimed, standing to his feet and presenting his weapon.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Kyle said softly, causing the male to look back in his direction. Staring at Kyle was enough of a distraction to allow Marcus to emerge from behind the armoire and place his gun on the man’s cheek. Candice also revealed herself, with her revolver pointed at the stranger’s chest. Without being asked to do so, he dropped his weapon and raised his hands.