Dead Cold

by Roddy R. Cross, Jr.

  Roland and Cory had made their way through the city to the mall where Cory had been captured and they had rescued Destiny. He told them how he’d had to shoot the creature his sister had become and how he’d watched almost everyone die. He didn’t tell them how much he worried about his girlfriend or his family, he couldn’t bring himself to.

  “You guys should rest; I’ll keep watch for the other three.” Cory stood up and headed downstairs as the others made makeshift beds wherever they could.

  The garage was eerily silent as Cory moved about, the others having quickly fallen asleep. Occasionally he would peer out one of the windows into the snowy night, hoping to see the trio returning with food. They never appeared and as the sky started to lighten in the morning Cory grew worried. He knew Roland should have taken the truck but the fool would rather risk his life than put the majority of the group in danger. He could hear people stirring upstairs as he peered out into the blowing snow.

  “They’re not back yet, are they?” Angel’s voice came from behind him, her worry matching his.

  “No. Damn fool should have taken the truck.”

  “They said they weren’t going far, what do you think happened to them?”

  “If it were anyone else I would assume they had abandoned us here, but as cold as Roland is he wouldn’t be able to.”

  “Are you sure?” Angel didn’t sound as confident as Cory.

  “Roland may be many things but he isn’t heartless. He would never abandon us unless he had no other choice.”

  Angel seemed about to reply when someone started banging on the large bay door behind Cory. A scream came from upstairs and Cory drew his pistol. Creeping up to the door Cory peered out the window, his face lighting up when he saw who was on the other side. Holstering his gun Cory used the chain to pull the door open.

  Jack and Destiny ducked through the door as soon as they could, both weighed down with a backpack and duffel bag each. They looked as though they had been through hell, both were covered in dirt and dried blood. Destiny collapsed as soon as she was through the door Jack was able to hold himself up but barely as the others came running downstairs. The others rushed to help Jack and Destiny but Cory found himself still peering into the snow.

  When it became clear that no one else was coming Cory allowed the door to close, the thud as it hit the ground seemed louder than a gunshot; even with all the noise in the garage. Destiny was sitting up now and Desire was feeding her sips of water from one of the bags Destiny and Jack had brought with them. Angel was crying as she furiously hugged Jack, his arms hung limply at his side and his gaze was distant. Alma was giving Seth sips of water and small bites of granola, the child devouring them hungrily.

  “Destiny?” Cory knelt down in front of the young woman. Her eyes had the same distant gaze as Jack’s and Cory looked at Desire, the medic’s expression doing little to fill him with hope.

  “Destiny, I need you here sweety.”

  “Destiny, we need to know where Roland is.” The girl’s expression changed at the mention of Roland.

  “Roland?” Her voice was soft, distant, like someone half asleep.

  “Yes, Roland, where is he?” Cory’s questions became more urgent.

  “Roland Castle is dead.”

  Chapter 29: Saying Goodbye

  With those words it seemed as though Destiny had set off a nuclear weapon and she knew it. The look of shock on Cory’s face was like a knife to her chest, everyone had gone silent as soon as she had said words only Eve letting out a sad whimper. Roland had been a hero to each and every person in the silent garage, a few of them assuming he was invincible. To hear that he had died was too horrible for some of them to handle.

  “How did it happen?” Cory was the first to speak, the look of pain he wore hurt Destiny deeper than any wound.

  Everyone moved in close as Destiny began explaining what had happened after Roland, Jack and her had left. Telling how they encountered the swarm, become trapped, and leaving out Roland’s kiss.

  Destiny had always imagined kissing Roland; she just wished it had been under better circumstances. The glass shattered and Jack let fire with his SMG managing to score a few head shots before the weapon clicked dry. Letting Destiny go as he spun around Roland unleashed both P90s towards the open windows building a small barrier of bodies to keep the ghouls at bay for a few more seconds.

  “You two have to go, I’ll keep them here and give you time to escape.” Roland’s face seemed to be carved from stone as he loaded his last few shells into the long black shotgun.

  “No, I’m not leaving without you.” Destiny fought back tears, afraid of what was coming.

  “Why don’t you two go and I’ll hold them off?” Jack didn’t look or sound nearly as brave as he wanted to.

  “You’d be dead before we could get ten feet; at least if I stay you two have a chance to make it.” Roland’s face was grim. “Now get going, there is a hatch in the corner.”

  “I’m not losing you again!” Tears began to flow as Destiny screamed at Roland wishing his face would show something.

  “You two have to go now!” Roland’s voice boomed as the dead began to push through the pile of corpses. “Go Destiny, I’ll follow as soon as I can.”

  “You better not die.” Destiny kissed Roland’s cheek before running after Jack who had already began to ascend the ladder up to the roof.

  “You know me.” Roland faked a smile and a wink as he unloaded the shotgun into the face of the ghoul that had gotten too close.

  Once they were on the roof Destiny and Jack shut the hatch and slid the bolt in place, insuring nothing would follow them. The hatch secure the pair took off running; looking for a ladder or someway to climb down as far away from the dead as possible. Tears continued to stream down Destiny’s cheeks as the wind froze them and bit into her flesh. At the far end of the roof they found a ladder leading to the ground; it was covered at the halfway point but close enough to the ground that the drop wouldn’t hurt.

  “Wait, I. Need to. Catch my. Breath.” Destiny was panting, the cold air burning her lungs.

  “No problem.” Jack sat down with his legs hanging over the edge of the roof.

  The sound of shooting from the other end of the Rec Center had long since died away, but given Roland’s limited ammo supply that wasn’t surprising. They were too far away to hear what Destiny imagined were Roland’s cries of rage and the hungry moaning of the undead as they began feasting on his flesh. Destiny knew the situation had been hopeless, and that she would never see Roland again.

  Wiping away a tear Destiny stood up and looked around in an attempt to figure out where they were. She could see the Sobey’s was only blocks away and there didn’t appear to be too many ghouls between them and the store. It would be a waste to go back empty handed considering the sacrifice that had been made. Her mind made up Destiny moved towards the ladder.

  “Come on, Sobey’s is only a few blocks away and if we hurry we can make it before those things find us.”

  “Are you serious? After what just happened you still want to head to the Sobey’s?” Jack stood up, his expression incredulous.

  “Roland died so we could live, doesn’t make any sense to die of starvation. So let’s get to the store, grab some food and head back before something else happens.”

  Unable to argue, Jack stood up and began to descend the ladder with Destiny following close behind. Once on the ground the pair began running in the direction of the Sobey’s; their ammo almost gone they could not afford anymore encounters with the undead. Thankfully it seemed most of the creatures in the area had ended up at the Rec Center since they encountered none en route to the store.

  Arriving at the supermarket Destiny and Jack hid behind a car in the parking lot and did their best to make sure the incident at the Wal-Mart was not repeated. Fortunately the store was empty and dark, they could see nothing living or dead moving inside. Once they were certain it was safe the pair made their way quickly across th
e parking lot towards the front doors, pausing only briefly when the sound of a lonely moan came with the wind before being suddenly silenced.

  They were surprised to find the front doors destroyed and a newer Camaro smashed against a stack of pallets. Aiming their MP5s at the open driver’s side door, the pair did their best not to get too close, just in case the driver never made it out. They found the car empty with a trail of blood leading away and into the store. Clicking on the tactical flashlights mounted on their SMGs the pair let their curiosity get the better of them and followed the trail into the dark.

  With the exception of the Camaro and the blood the store had been largely untouched; that coupled with subzero temperatures made the store a veritable oasis. As a place to survive it fell short, having too many exits and entrances, being far too big, and the fact that the hole in the front of the store was far too large to fix or barricade. Jack and Destiny moved as silently as possible through the store listening for anything that sounded hungry.

  The trail led to a set of swinging doors marked “EMPLOYEES ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT” and they could hear someone, definitely living, moving on the other side. They could hear the person calling out to god to take them and crying about being left behind as they moved about in the darkness. Nodding to each other the pair pushed open the doors and stepped into the cavernous warehouse, unaware that what waited on the other side would haunt their dreams for a lifetime.

  The man was naked except for a pair of white briefs and his orange hair was wild and spotted with blood; this was nothing compared to his body. His skin was a very pale white and appeared to have been mutilated by a food processor; he was covered in cuts and blood from head to toe. Destiny was surprised he hadn’t yet died or passed out from blood loss.

  “My father said god, would protect us.” The man fell to his knees, his hands clasped towards the ceiling.

  Destiny suddenly realized she had seen this man before, not too long ago. He had his father’s red hair and religious fervor; a closer inspection revealed each injury to be a cross cut into his skin. Realizing that she was looking at the Reverend’s son Destiny began backing away, she was about to warn Jack when the man attacked.

  “The devil shall not take me!” Lunging as he screamed the Reverend’s son was able to knock Jack’s MP5 out of his surprised hands as both men fell to the floor.

  Taking aim with her MP5 Destiny found herself frozen as she watched the crazed zealot pummel her friend with bloody fists while Jack did his best to cover his face from the assault. She knew she wasn’t afraid of hitting Jack nor was she afraid to kill a human being; though it had been difficult to pull the trigger when she had shot the Reverend.

  “Destiny, shoot him!” Jack screamed.

  Destiny squeezed the trigger only to hear the SMG click dry on an empty chamber; she must have run out of ammo in the Rec Center. Thinking fast she dropped the useless weapon and pulled a folding knife out of her pocket, clicking the three inch blade into place as she did. The man was at least a foot and a half taller than Destiny and outweighed her by well over one hundred pounds but she considered none of that as she tackled him and drove the knife into his chest as she did.

  A scream of rage erupted from the pale man’s lips as both he and Destiny rolled along the floor and came to stop against the back wall. Destiny had the wind knocked out of her and had lost her grip on the knife. The Reverend’s son was straddling her and had his hands raised; ready to bring a crushing blow down on the girl’s head. Covering her face with both arms Destiny braced herself for a blow she knew her arms couldn’t stop. The deafening bangs of two quick gunshots echoed throughout the warehouse and Destiny took a deep breath as the weight on her chest disappeared.

  Opening her eyes she saw the Reverend’s son’s eyes gazing blankly at her as blood from two large head wounds poured over them. “Boom, headshot.”

  She looked over to see Jack on his stomach; his MP5 still pointing to where the now dead man had been. Sliding out from under the dead man’s leg Destiny got slowly back to her feet; her entire body ached from the roll across the floor.

  Looking over she saw that Jack was also standing up, his left arm held close to his chest as he did so. They were both covered in the dead man’s blood; a situation that thoroughly disgusted Destiny. Wishing for a shower Destiny picked up her MP5 as her and Jack exited the warehouse and went back into the store, leaving the dead man alone with his demons.

  Chapter 30: Apologies

  They found two duffle bags and backpacks in the sporting goods section and began filling them with non-perishable food and assorted drinks. The low temperature had kept most of the fresh stuff from filling the store with the odor of rotting food but most of it was still inedible. Once they both had as much as they could carry the pair exited the empty store, a silent tomb for a man who lost his mind.

  She knew it could be dangerous but Destiny began making her way back to the Rec Center where they had left Roland. She had already accepted that he had died quickly as the ghouls overpowered him, but she had to be sure. It might be a world gone mad and she may not have seen him in a long time, but Destiny wasn’t going to let Roland go so easy.

  “Uh, why are we heading this way?” Jack looked uneasy, his eyes moving quickly back and forth. “You know those things most likely killed him quickly and are now looking for us right?”

  “I know, but this is Roland we’re talking about and if there is even the slightest chance he survived I’m not giving up on him.” Destiny’s eyes burned as she held back the tears that threatened to fall at the thought of Roland being killed.

  When they reached the Rec Center they found only the silent aftermath of bloody carnage. The corpses of ghouls lay everywhere, many in several pieces, almost all with their head removed. It looked like Roland had managed to make it outside the Rec Center, his sword lay broken just outside of the piles of bodies and two sets of blood footprints led away from the Rec Center and into a greenbelt between two rows of houses.

  They found the body of a ghoul about fifteen meters into the greenbelt, a combat knife buried in its eye. Fresh bright red blood poured from the creature’s mouth, and it had what looked like a jacket sleeve gripped in both hands. Destiny knew what had happened, she knew what she would find if she followed the bloody footsteps leading away from the body, but she had to know, had to see it.

  They found Roland twenty meters from his attacker, lying on his back in the snow. His jeans were frayed and completely soaked in blood; Destiny could only imagine what his legs looked like underneath the now dark red denim. The left arm of his jacket had been torn off and the arm underneath had been destroyed; bone showed in several places where bite size chunks of flesh and been torn away. When Destiny’s eye finally managed to reach his face they found his left eye to be a white, pulpy mess with blood covering the side of his face and pooling in his ear.

  Roland’s right eye was open and his mouth was moving but the wind coming through the greenbelt covered any sound he might have been making. Collapsing to her knees beside the ruined body Destiny could no longer hold back her tears as she leaned her head close to Roland’s.

  “I’m sorry, Destiny, looks like I’ll be leaving you again.” His voice was faint, barely even a whisper and his breathing was very shallow.

  “Don’t be sorry lover; I’m the one who should be sorry. I’m the reason your like this.”

  “Don’t be silly.” The corners of Roland’s mouth lifted in a pained smile. “I always wanted to die being a hero.”

  The wind carried the sound of moaning along the greenbelt, a warning that more creatures were coming.

  “We need to go Destiny; we have no way to fight.” Panic filled Jack’s voice as he peered through the snow towards the sound.

  “We can’t leave Roland, not like this!” Destiny screamed at the thought of losing him forever.

  “You have to go beautiful, don’t worry about me, I’ll be alright.” Roland’s good eye looked directly into hers as he u
sed his hand to caress her face. “I wish I could have spent forever with you Destiny, I always loved you. Now go quick…”

  The light faded from Roland’s eye as it closed and his arm fell softly into the snow. Jack reached under Destiny’s arms and began pulling her away from Roland’s lifeless body. He could see at least three of the monsters closing in through the snow.

  “I love you too.” Destiny whispered as she turned her back on his still form, the snow already beginning to cover him a soft white blanket.

  Destiny and Jack began running as hard as they could, making their way through the streets towards the garage. Destiny tripped on something frozen under the snow and ended up on her hands and knees in deep snow. Seeing what had happened Jack helped her back to her feet and the two continued on. As the snow began to fall more heavily, Jack and Destiny found they had to hold on to one another to keep from getting separated as visibility dropped to zero.

  When it became impossible to move, the pair took shelter in an abandoned truck. It was roomy enough inside for Destiny to lay on the back seat while Jack reclined in the driver’s seat. They were both breathing heavy from the weight of their bags and the exertion of walking through deep snow. Destiny closed her eyes and did her best not to think; the image of Roland’s broken body had burned itself into her mind and nothing could get it out.

  For a long time neither person said anything, they rested in complete silence save for the snow hitting the window and the sound of breathing. Destiny let silent tears flow down her face; after so many years without him she had found him again only to lose him after a few days. She had known it was a mistake to let him go when she did, but she had to do some things first before settling down. Those things all seem pointless now the world was coming to an end at the hands of the undead.