by Lee Thomas
I placed my ear to the door and didn't hear anything, so I eased the door open. I winced at the squeal of the hinges, but nothing seemed to start moving. I propped the door all the way open and headed down the stairs. I figured the top story would be all machinery and equipment rooms, so I ignored it for now. I put my ear to the door and listened for several minutes. I didn’t hear anything moving on the ground floor, so I slowly pushed the door open; ready to jump back at any minute. At least the hinges didn’t squeak on this one.
I stepped into a hallway and immediately saw all the discarded clothes and trash lining the floor. I headed towards the back first since the guards would be at that door, and I would like the help clearing the rest of the building. I passed into a kitchen that looked like it had been used recently. Through the kitchen it opened into what appeared to be a multipurpose room that had been cleared and the windows boarded. There were a few cots and sleeping bags strung around the inner walls, kept mostly out of the walkway. There was also a fireplace in the room, and it was warm. I went over to the fireplace and the ashes were still glowing slightly. That meant someone had been here very recently. I passed through another doorway into what was apparently a lobby area which had the back door I was aiming for. All the windows and the door itself were boarded up pretty good, with several places left to look out of.
I walked up to the door and peered out. The guards were there, looking around. I knocked to get their attention, then motioned I was going to open the door. I removed the boards from the frame and opened the door. Randy came in first, while John watched the outside; then he came in and we shut the door back. We moved through the first floor room by room, clearing each room as we went. Once we went through every room without a sign of life, I lead us back to a storage room off the kitchen where I had noticed something I wanted to take a closer look at.
We walked in, and I pointed out a somewhat hidden trapdoor in the floor. Randy and John got in front and back of the door, while I crouched down in the middle and grabbed the handle. I mouthed 'one, two, three' then threw the door up and over so it opened all the way and fell back against the wall. We all three pointed our lights down the stairs as we saw…nothing but an empty stairwell. Since Randy was at the end with the stairs, he went first, followed by me, then John who had to come around. At the bottom of the stairs, a short hallway widened out and led away with several doors on either side. I stopped us at the bottom of the stairs. I had Randy on one side of me and John on the other. I saved us some time by calling out instead.
"Is there anyone down here?" I yelled, sword at the ready. John and Randy each had their guns pointed. We all flinched a little when one of the doors creaked open a little. I visibly relaxed when I recognized the face peering out.
"Leni, oh my god, you guys are alright.” I said, lowering my sword as she stepped out into the hallway. John and Randy lowered their guns as well. Her husband Brian stepped out behind her with their daughter Hailey in tow. Several other faces I didn’t know followed.
"Let's all go upstairs.” I said, leading the way back up. I told Randy to go back to the RV and let them know we were ok, and we had found the people. I also wanted them to go back to the main group and bring back another RV or two to make sure we had space for everyone.
We gathered in the large room with the fireplace as I made a head count. There were about 20 people here. I didn’t, however, see my dad or brother among them.
"Leni, what happened? Where's dad?" I asked her, pulling her aside.
"We got a hold of them, and he said they would come here on the boat. He showed up the next day with Liz, Philip, Tasha and the kids. We have been holed up here ever since. The owners, there, Kevin and Virginia, they gathered up some food, tools, a few people and supplies, and we came here. We had been here about a week or so when a band of men showed up, demanding our food, ammo, and supplies. We told them no, and they attacked us. Your dad and Philip fought them off, but they ended up killing about eight of us, and your dad was hurt pretty bad.” Leni told me, pointing her friends out to me as she spoke. It did appear that several were hurt; still nursing injuries, but at least no one was bitten by an infected person. "Philip and Gary took off after them with another ten of our group, but only three of them came back. Those guys standing over there. They told us they got the group that attacked us, and brought back our stuff, but then they got attacked on the way back by those, things. What did you call them? Infected? They were the only three that managed to make it back without being bitten. They said one of the guys was, and he turned the day before they got back here, so they had no choice but to kill him. Liz and Tasha took the kids and a boat and said they were going back to the house to get some more things, but that was five days ago, and we hadn't heard from them since."
I listened to her tell the story quietly. It hurt, a lot, that I couldn’t get here in time to save my dad and brother. At least I knew they went out being heroes, but I wouldn’t have expected anything less. I couldn’t just leave without knowing what happened to Liz and Tasha either, but I also had the whole group to think about. I took the radio from one of my men and radioed the RV outside. I asked that my trusted inner circle, which included Jeff, Val, Michelle, Roger, Jenna, and now Leni to come here so we could talk. I had something I wanted to discuss with them.
I went upstairs to one of the conference rooms to think, and be by myself for a few minutes. If I was going to lead this group, they didn’t need to see me break down and cry. I looked out the window for a few minutes, then sat down on the floor and let it all out. I had already lost my mom, and there were more than a few friends I could never reach, so I had to assume they were gone also. I cried for what seemed a really long time, and eventually I felt an arm go around me. I jumped, since I never heard the footsteps, but it was only Michelle. Apparently someone saw me come up here so they must have assumed I wanted to talk to my friends up here and sent them up when they got here. I saw the rest of them standing around the door, either just in or just out of it. I sort of laughed and cried at the same time in relief, wiped my eyes, and stood up. The rest of them came in and stood around me, all of them trying to comfort me somehow. I waved them off, knowing we had all lost people already, and it would probably only get worse. I led everyone to the room I knew had a table and chairs. We set them up and sat so I could discuss my idea with them.
"Alright, here it is. I know we have all lost people; I just lost dad and Philip. I need to know what happened to Liz, Tasha, and the kids. If this is a secure enough place for the night, we can camp out here, and I can take a boat straight to dad's house as it's on the same lake here. It would take about three to four hours to get there, the same back, plus however long it takes me to search the area for them. I want your feedback on it, because as much as I want to do this, I now have this whole group to think about. I can't afford to just do what I want anymore. It also means we will be on the road a little longer." I asked of them. I really wanted to answer my question about the girls, but like I said, it wasn't about just me. They all looked at each other, I could see understanding in their eyes, and I was sure they were thinking about what they would do in this situation if it was them in this position.
"They're my family too, so I say we stay the night here and go look for them.” Jenna said. Leni nodded and agreed as well. Michelle also agreed, and I knew she really liked Liz and Tasha, and this involved kids. I knew Jeff, Val and Roger would be my conscience on this one as they weren't related at all.
"Man, we're behind you on this one no matter what. I'll go search with you, let's do it." Roger said. He would be an excellent backup, as he could be quiet, he was as good with a sword as I was, and I trusted him.
"To hell with it, I'm sure most of the others could use some time out of the RV's anyways. We won't be going through our gas this way, and it’s a very good reason. I say go.” Jeff said. I knew he would probably want to go with me too, but I needed someone I trusted here to keep the group safe and not panicky.
&nb
sp; "I'm with everyone else on this too. Its family, I'm sure everyone will understand. They would want this opportunity themselves." Val said. I actually expected some resistance on my idea, and was prepared to 'pull rank' and say I was doing it anyways.
"Good. Let's get the RV's here, take the two here back and reattach the trailers. Bring them all here; there is plenty of space even for the rig. I will work on preparing the boat. Once everyone is here and settled, Roger, myself, and two others will go and search dad's house. Philips’ is only about a ten minute walk from dads, so we can hit both very quickly. Neither house is large, so it will be obvious if they are there or not. It's almost dark now, so let's get moving.” I said, standing up. I started feeling like a leader then for the first time.
The rest went to get the RV's, while Leni stayed to talk to her group and explain what was going on. I went with Randy and John to the boat docks and searched the boats. Several had gas in them, so we found a couple of gas cans and siphoned as much as we could and put them all in one boat. It was a pontoon, and had a canopy on it as well as solid walls around the rails, so if need be we could kill the engine and crouch down to avoid being seen. By the time we finished that, and had sufficient gas to get back as well, the rest of my group was back with the vehicles. We went back up to the building and the guards with me went to get ammo for their guns. Roger came out of the building with his sword and his armor on, which was handmade leather and plate metal. Cheesy looking, but it would stop a bite. We walked back into the building so I could address everyone before leaving.
"Alright everyone, listen up. We are staying here for the night for several reasons. One, I know not all of you like being cooped up in the RV's for long periods of time. This gives us a chance to combine groups, and everyone get to know each other before being crammed into vehicles for a long road trip. And mostly, I have a need to search for the rest of my family, who was here, but left. If anyone has a problem with this, let me know now. I know you all agreed to listen to me and follow me. I just want you to know I'm not following my heart here without thinking of the group also. I have discussed this with my friends, thought about the ramifications for the group, and decided this was the right course of action. Does anyone have a problem with this decision?" I asked the group as a whole. I wanted them to know they could trust me, that I wasn’t going to just do whatever I wanted to do without thinking of the group. I waited and watched the group to see if anyone objected. Several looked around at each other, but no one raised their hands or objected, "Good. Let's have a relaxing night, and I will see you all in the morning."
I left them then and walked out to the boat with Roger, Randy and John. We packed some food and extra ammo, and then climbed aboard. Since I was the one who knew where dad lived, I took the wheel. I had a map of the lake so I could navigate close to where we were going. It was dark by the time we started so I switched on the lights as we cruised out of the dock area. I throttled up as we cleared into open water, and turned us southwest for the middle of the lake. Once I cleared the arm of the lake the resort was in I turned almost directly west. There were several loose, abandoned boats just floating about that I had to avoid. We idled over to a few that were close to us to see if there was anything we could use. We siphoned gas out of them, but didn't find anything of value. It took us until a little after nine to reach close to dad's house. I slowed when we got close, watching the bank for movement. I killed the lights and idled closer to the bank. I couldn’t see the house itself with no lights on, but I knew vaguely where it was at. I killed the engine and used the trolling motor to ease us up to the bank. We bumped the sand under the water so I turned off the trolling motor and waited. We heard nothing and saw no movement, so I jumped down off the deck into the water and pulled the boat further up on shore so it wouldn't drift away from us. Once the boat was secure we moved as a group up the hill towards dad's house. I knew it was steep, but with the trees and our boots we made it up the hill with no issues.
The house was dark, which was no surprise with no power. I saw dad's cars there, and some trash lying around, but no sign of life. We crept up to the back porch so I could look in. The back door was not boarded up, and since it was a glass door I could see most of the downstairs area of the house. It appeared lived in, but I didn’t see anyone in there. I tried the door, and it slid open. I glanced at Roger, who just nodded. I motioned for Randy and John to stay out here and watch, while Roger and I slipped inside. There was no one in the kitchen, just to our right, and the only door there led outside, so I went forward towards the living room. It was all open, so I simply walked around to where I could see the front door and bathroom that was around the corner. The bathroom door was open, and it was empty. We silently went to the bottom of the stairs, and Roger checked inside the bathroom, just to be sure no one was hiding in the shower. Once he nodded it was clear, we headed up the stairs.
They were narrow, and steep, so it would be a good ambush spot if anyone wanted to. I went first, and slowly went step by step. As my head cleared the floor, I could see through the railing. The bathroom came into view first, and it looked empty. The bedroom closest to the top of the stairs had the door open, and it looked empty as well. The other bedroom door was closed, so we cleared the open one first. Other than clothes strung out, and blankets and sheets on the floor, there was nothing in there. We checked the bathroom just in case, and it too was empty. I put my hand on the knob with my shoulder to the door, placed my ear on it and listened. When I didn’t hear anything, I shook my head at Roger, who nodded back. I leaned my body back to the side, turned the knob, and threw the door open. Roger rushed in as I followed right behind. The room was empty. There were clothes in the drawers still, blankets left, but little in the way of food or ammo.
We went back downstairs and pulled Randy and John in. They reported no movement or sounds. I pulled the drapes on the back door so we wouldn't be visible from outside, and we relaxed on the couch for a few. Roger tried giving me a few words of encouragement, which I appreciated, but I waved him off. I knew when we started what we were likely to find, but I had to come anyways. It was almost ten when I decided to head us out to Philip's house. It was only about a ten minute walk through the woods, but we took twenty, making sure we didn't make too much noise, while listening to hear if someone or something started walking up on us.
We came out of the woods onto the track that lead past the house. It was slightly brighter with the moonlight, and not being under the trees. The house came into view as the trees thinned out on either side. The house was on the right, back from the road just a little. We walked up the driveway slowly as I watched the house for movement. I knew Randy and John were watching our backs, and Roger was watching the woods. The windows here were boarded up on the ground floor at least, so that was a hopeful sign.
Philip had a wraparound porch with a rail around it, so I walked around towards the front door to walk up on it. I winced as the boards creaked some, but it wasn't too loud so I kept going. I walked up to the door and tried the knob. It was locked. Randy and John watched the woods, while Roger and I walked around the porch checking windows, trying to find a way in. The front and immediate sides didn’t offer anything promising, so we all moved around back. As we came around the corner, I saw the back door wide open. My heart dropped as we got close and I noticed what appeared to be blood stains on the door frame. Roger saw me drop the point of my sword, so he waved me back and took point. He entered, I followed, then Randy, while John stayed at the door to watch our back. We cleared the first floor rapidly, as it was a fairly open design. With no sign of anyone there, but a few more blood stains, I grew more certain of what we would find. The place was trashed, like a fight took place. Things were thrown around, some furniture overturned. We went upstairs single file, clearing each room one by one. I went to the bedroom on the right, closest to the top of the stairs. I cleared that room while the rest went down the hallway to the rest of the rooms.
I came back out and hea
ded down the hallway. Randy came out of the room farthest from the stairs, shut the door, and looked at John and Roger, who had gathered in the hallway, blocking me from going the rest of the way down there. I saw Roger's face, and then the smell hit me. I knew the smell of a large amount of blood when I smelled it. I put my sword up, dropped my head, and went back downstairs and sat on the couch. The other three came down the stairs slowly, without talking. Randy and John went to the back door, and Roger came over and sat near me. He reached over and put his hand on my shoulder as I sat there. I went numb as I tried to process what happened.
When I finally looked up, it was almost midnight. I looked at Roger, who just gave me a look, and then nodded. I turned my head towards the back door and the other two were pointedly watching outside. I nodded back at Roger, stood up, and motioned we should leave. It would be nice to get a few hours’ sleep before heading out in the morning.
I tapped John on the back as we approached him, and he turned and nodded at me. He and Randy then stepped outside and fanned out so Roger and I could exit. I pulled the door shut behind me, locking it so they could have some kind of privacy.
We walked back down towards dads house the same way we came. We made it back to the boat without seeing or hearing anything or anyone. John and Randy jumped back onboard while Roger and I pushed the boat back off the sand until it floated on its own again. He jumped up first, then reached down and helped me up. I went to the wheel and fired up the trolling motor to get us into deeper water before turning on the main engine. Once deep enough, I fired up the main motor and turned us around to head back out to deep water. I turned on the lights, not caring who saw us now. I throttled the engine all the way up and headed back as fast as we could go.