Outbreak: Brave New World

by Van Dusen, Robert

  She squirmed against him, shuddering against his chest. They were quiet for what seemed like a long time as Adam tried to comfort his friend. He felt horrible for her: she sometimes seemed to doze then wake up and just lay there trembling. Amy quietly cried sometimes too, her cheeks becoming stiff with dried tears. Adam glanced at his watch. “Do you want something to eat?” Lacey asked as he smiled weakly and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear with his free hand. The expression faltered then slowly faded when the woman did not respond. “I’ll bring you something anyway.”

  Lacey paused outside the door, trying to collect himself. Rodriguez was in the kitchen with Carl, the two of them making something for lunch. “I don’t know what’s wrong with Amy.” he said quietly and scratched his nose. “She’s not hurt or anything.”

  “I know, buddy.” Frannie said as she leaned into the living room to check on the kids. Becca and Freddie were doing their best to keep Paulie comfortable and happy. “I think if there was anybody else out there they’ve pulled back.”

  Carl looked sad and confused. His sister had probably killed someone a couple hours ago, but he could not bring himself to feel bad for the guy. The rat bastard had shot Paulie’s fingers off and only missed hurting his big sister because the pig fucking son of a whore could not shoot strait. “So what are we waiting for?” he grumbled as he poured water from one of the cans into a pot and put it on the stove to boil.

  “We’ll wait for a little more.” Frannie said, eyeing the children in the other room. She leaned in close to Lacey and Carl so that the kids could not hear her. “Give the piece of shit a little more time to bleed out.”

  Lacey nodded and moved into the kitchen. “What’s for lunch?” he asked. There was a couple cans open on the counter and water boiling on the stove. “You guys making something?” He then went into living room and sat down on the couch next to his children. He could not help but want Frays to come out and join them. Becca climbed up into her daddy’s lap and snuggled up against his chest.

  Amy was sick or hurt or something. Paulie had an owwie on his hand. The little girl frowned into her father’s plate carrier. She wanted her mommy back and she wanted Daddy and Amy and Carl and Frannie to not look so sad all the time. She started to cry. “Why did the bad man shoot at us?” she asked quietly, squeezing her dad.

  “I don’t know, honey.” Lacey whispered and kissed his daughter’s cheek. “I don’t know, but Amy made him stop. It’s okay now, baby.” He rubbed Becca’s back and jostled the little girl trying to comfort her. For the first time he actually started to get a little angry with Laura for leaving him to take care of the kids on his own. Well, not exactly on his own. Frays, Rodriguez and Carl were big helps but they were no replacement for the children’s mother.

  “Amy’s pretty awesome huh, Dad?” the little girl whispered quietly. Becca nuzzled up against her father’s neck, her damp cheek a little clammy on his skin. He grinned and brushed her hair, an unconscious imitation of what he had just done with Amy in the other room. Adam had kind of suspected that his daughter looked up to Frays, judging by how the little girl followed her around all the time.

  “Yeah.” Lacey said, smiling a little bit as he continued running his fingers through the little girl’s hair. He rubbed her back and held her tightly to his chest. “Yeah, she is.”

  “I like Frannie but if Amy wants to be our new mommy that would be okay.” Becca whispered conspiratorially. She looked at her brother sleeping on the couch a few inches away. “Paulie likes Frannie better though.”

  “Hey, guys” Carl called from the dining room “Lunchtime. C’mon and get it while it’s hot.” He and Frannie brought pots of something steaming into the room and put it on the table. It felt weird to him as Lacey, Becca and the others gathered around the table without Frays to say the blessing. He was not particularly religious or anything but it was just strange. In fact the only time he had ever attended church with any regularity was when he was in Basic Training, as going to Sunday services kept him out of more unpleasant duties and there the chaplain let them have cookies and punch afterward.

  Carl and Frannie had made some kind of lumpy stew which Adam ladled into bowls for everyone. The food was brownish with what looked like corn, peas and a couple different kinds of beans. He went to the cabinet and took down another bowl. “I’ll take some in to Frays.” Lacey said quietly as he took another portion from the pot. “Back in a minute.” The bowl was hot enough to be uncomfortable in his hand as he took it into the bedroom. He smiled at the semi catatonic woman curled up on the bed as he entered.

  “Hey, Frays.” he said as he put the bowl down on the bedside table. “Here’s some food, buddy.” Adam choked a little, pained by the woman’s blank and pale face in the gloomy room. Her haunted brown eyes seemed to stare right through him. He reached out and put the palm of his hand on Frays’ cheek, wiping the crust of dried tears off of her soft skin. The scar from the bullet wound a couple inches beneath her left eye was rough under his thumb. “It’s right here on the table if you want it. Or come on out and eat with us.”

  They ate glumly. Becca looked at her dad, determined to eat the food Frannie and Carl made for her even though she did not like it very much. It was kind of bland and had a kind of chunky texture that reminded her of the time she ate a bite of a glue stick at daycare. She was scared for Amy and she could tell that Daddy was too. “Is Amy gonna be okay?” the little girl asked as she looked at the grownups, her little face twisted up in a very concerned scowl.

  “Don’t worry, kiddo.” Frannie said quietly as she spooned a little of the goop in her bowl into her mouth. “Amy’s gonna be alright. She’s…just taking a nap.” The little girl looked at her as if she did not quite believe her. Frannie had said that Mommy was going to be okay too, after all.

  “Is Amy sick like Mommy?” Becca asked. The idea had just occurred to her and she started to get really scared. “She’s not sick like Mommy, right?” Daddy had cuddled with Mommy a few times when she was sick like he had with Amy. The little girl looked quickly at the others around the table.

  Adam hugged his daughter. “No, no baby.” he said reassuringly as he rubbed her shoulder. “Amy’s not sick like Mommy. Amy’s gonna be alright but she just needs some rest, okay?” The little girl frowned and went back to eating her soup.

  Frannie and Carl looked at each other. “Did anybody see what happened, anyway?” Carl asked. He helped himself to a second bowl and immediately set about wolfing it down. “She didn’t get shot or anything, right?”

  “I dunno, man.” Adam said as he released his daughter and finished his portion of the food. “She didn’t get hurt, but I think she just had some kind of a breakdown.” He scraped the bottom of his bowl and licked the spoon off. “Did she say anything to any of you?”

  Frannie and Carl both shook their heads. “Well, let’s go.” Rodriguez said to Lacey as she stood up and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. “Let’s see if that guy is still there.” Carl stood up as well and started towards his Mosin-Nagant. “No, Carl. You stay here. Take care of the kids and your sister. She needs you right now.”

  Lacey and Rodriguez checked their weapons and gear in the foyer. Frannie told Carl the new signal: three knocks followed by two jiggles of the door handle followed by two knocks before they left. They cut around the side of the house, working towards the area where Frays had said she had picked off the sniper. Lacey was nervous and barely containing his fury at the guy they were looking for. He had fucking mutilated his little boy…

  “Lacey, pull your head out of your ass.” Rodriguez said quietly as they moved through the trees. She could tell what was going on in her friend’s head and she needed him here. That guy might not have been alone. “C’mon.”

  The forest was still and quiet around them, making Rodriguez tighten her grip on her carbine as they picked their way carefully down the hill. The ground was covered with a carpet of dead pine needles making the hill kind of difficult for her to keep her f
ooting as she worked her way down the slope. She could not help but wonder if any of the dead things had heard the shots that the fucking moron had fired at them. Hopefully not…

  They worked their way around the bay, keeping up on the hill from the position where Frays said the guy had fired from. There was a body lying on the bloody rocks perhaps seventy five meters below them. Rodriguez watched the body for a few moments, trying to see if the guy was really dead or just faking. She picked up a rock the size of her fist and threw it at the body hitting it squarely between the shoulder blades. The stone thumped off the body which did not move. She held her breath for a long few seconds while she tried to see if the guy was moving.

  “Okay, wait here.” Frannie said after waiting a few more minutes. “Keep an eye out.” She slid carefully down the hill on her butt, trying to keep her M4 pointed at the sniper in case he moved. The man had been a chubby bearded guy dressed in what looked to be civilian cammies and hunting boots. She noticed that Frays’ shot had struck the man high center mass, just below where his scruffy jowls met his shoulders. There was little doubt in her mind that he was dead. The M855 round had obviously yawed inside him leaving an exit wound almost the size of her hand that looked like raw hamburger between his shoulder blades.

  Frannie swallowed hard and poked the man’s wound with the muzzle of her weapon. The woman patted down the body, searching it for weapons or possible booby traps then steeled herself. She grabbed the corpse’s shoulder and rolled it onto its back, flinching involuntarily. Rodriguez relaxed a little a half second after she realized the corpse did not explode in her face.

  She patted the corpse down again and rifled through its pockets, searching for anything that might tell them a little more about why the guy had attacked them. Rodriguez found a fistful of loose cartridges that she guessed went with the rifle, a wallet (she helped herself to the fifty some odd dollars in small bills inside, reasoning that the man would not need them any more), some hard candy and a plastic baggie of what she hoped was beef jerky or something which she tossed into the lake (she had seen enough bad horror movies to not trust meat found in a crazy bastard’s pockets)…and something that made her eyes light up. There was about three quarters of a pack of cheap cigarettes and a Bic lighter in the dead man’s jacket pocket.

  Lacey hissed at Rodriguez, trying to get her attention. “Rodriguez, let me down there.” he said quietly when she looked up at him. She nodded and collected their loot and picked up the rifle then climbed back up the hill. Adam scooted past her and broke out his demo kit once he reached the body. “Got somethin’ for ya you son of a bitch.” the Marine muttered with a savage grin, pulling out the quarter brick of plastic explosive and some other things out of his kit.

  Rodriguez looked quizzically at the man as he climbed back up the hill towards her. Lacey looked entirely too happy about something. “What did you do?” she asked. Frannie glanced from Adam’s face down the hill to the body and back again “Did you find anything else?”

  “Nope.” Lacey said, still grinning. “C’mon, let’s get away from here. Far, far away.” There was something about the way he spoke that made Frannie really think it was a good idea to do as the man said. They made their way back to the house and gave the signal then kept their backs to the door, waiting for Carl to open the door.

  “Okay, Lacey.” Rodriguez said as she looked around, wondering if there was going to be anyone or anything following after them. “What did you do down there? I saw you doing stuff with your kit.”

  “I gave the bastard a George Carlin funeral.” he said as he watched his area. He could sense Frannie looking at him. Adam rolled his eyes wishing that Frannie was a little bit better read. “George Carlin said he wanted to be blown up after he died. I figure if any of his buddies come looking or if he draws any of those things, they’ll get blasted to bits.”

  Rodriguez shuddered. “Well, thanks for the warning anyway.” she said quietly. There was something about body bombs that had always struck her as particularly horrible like it was somehow in the same ballpark as necrophilia or something. “How much C4 and stuff do you have left? We should set up a couple booby traps or something around here.”

  “Well, I think I’ve got about eight or ten ounces of C4.” Adam said as he poked around in his kit. He frowned and continued searching. “I’d really suggest that we use a couple more of your flashbangs or something. We’ve got kids here.”

  Carl opened the door and let them in, his eyes growing wide at the sight of the rifle slung over Frannie’s shoulder. “What’s that?” he asked as he took the weapon off of the woman’s shoulder and worked the action. A spent case flung out of the rifle’s chamber and landed somewhere on the floor. “Nice!” It looked to be a Winchester Model 70 chambered in .30-06 and in pretty good shape. The bluing was a little scuffed in places and there was a gouge in the wooden stock, but that was about it.

  “How’s Paulie and Frays?” Adam asked as he replaced the bars on the door and locked the deadbolts. “Everybody okay?” The man pushed past the two of them and walked quickly down the hall, scooping up his daughter without breaking stride. He saw that his boy was still zonked out on the couch so he turned quickly and poked his head into the bedroom. Frays was still pretty much where he had left her curled up on the bed and staring at the wall. He frowned and sat down at the dining room table holding his daughter.

  “What are we going to do about Frays?” he asked nobody in particular. Adam had to wonder what the others thought. The water was off and they needed a new pump. She probably knew how to replace it but it could not be that hard, could it? And well, it did not look like the woman was in any shape to feed or care for herself very well… He did not look forward to trying to wipe Amy’s ass for her.

  They sat around the table, looking at each other. “I dunno, man.” Frannie said quietly. She shook her head and kind of wanted to choke the ever loving shit out of whoever had made her friend work at the guardhouse at Hanscomb Air Force Base. They did not know each other before she and the others had filled out her squad’s numbers but Frannie had a feeling that whatever was currently fucking Frays’ mind up had something to do with what went on there.

  Amy lay on the bed, her arms wrapped around her chest and gently rocking herself. She could kind of hear the others talking in the dining room but she could not quite follow the conversation. Discordant thoughts and images kept flashing around in her head… She kept seeing Paulie standing there screaming, his eyes wide as he gawped at his ruined hand but he…turned into another little boy she did not know. The stifling heat of a gas mask sweating in her MOPP gear… Frays was barely aware of the tears running down her cheeks again. There was something wrong but she did not know what it was and there was no way to fix it and there was this grinding throbbing pain behind her eyes and would not stop…

  Somebody came in the room but Frays could not bring herself to turn her head to see who it was. Freddie jumped up on the bed and scowled at the woman. He liked the new people, especially the little ones that played with him. The one on the bed in front of him was okay but she seemed to be scared all the time for some reason. The dog’s little brain tried to figure out why she did not seem to be scared now or trying to get away like she always had before. She also smelled kind of off, like she was sick or something. Freddie looked at the woman with raised eyebrows, his head cocked curiously to one side as he stood there wagging his tail.

  The dog carefully picked his way over to get a closer look at the woman’s face. He licked her cheek and tasted salt, like the water that people made from their eyes sometimes. Freddie wagged his tail and stuck his tongue out a little hoping that maybe she would want to play or maybe pet him. He liked being petted with playtime coming in a close second followed by food time. Of course, these were all interchangeable depending on which time it was exactly: petting, playtime or food. He wondered absently when it was going to be food time again. There was people food on the thing next to the place where people slept but he
ignored it. Only bad dogs ate people food and Freddie always tried to not be a bad dog. After all, bad dogs made people say mean things and did not get petting or playtime. Besides Freddie liked the new people and he did not want to make them mad at him.

  The little people gave petting all the time and so did the nice lady with the funny face. The nice men saved him from being hungry and gave him food time. The nice man in the funny clothes gave him a bath time too. He did not like bath time that much but he did smell better so it was okay. Plus the little people made those funny noises and played with him. They were all nice and he liked them even though he missed his old people. They were nice too. Freddie wondered absently if People Daddy and People Mommy were going to come get him soon.

  People Daddy had taken him for a car ride after People Mommy and Little Boy and Little Girl had made scratching noises and fighting sounds. People Daddy had blood on him and smelled scary. People Daddy had a big ‘owwie’ on his arm and was bleeding. Freddie vaguely remembered being surprised when People Daddy said they were going bye-bye after he had been a bad dog and peed on the carpet.

  After a few moments, when playtime or ear scratches did not appear imminent, the dog curled up on the bed next to the nice lady and pressed up against her torso. He was surprised and happy when she put an arm around his neck and gently started gently rubbing his furry belly, his tail slapping against the mattress a few times. He settled in for a nice nap with the nice lady person, a little doggy smile on his face.

  He liked the nice lady person even if she did not give petting or playtime or food time. The dog somehow got the feeling that she was like People Mommy who took care of his other people. Freddie remembered when People Mommy would take him to the big building where the little ones would pet him and talk to him from the things with the paper in them. Sometimes they would throw the ball too. The dog wondered if the nice lady person was going to talk to him from anything or not. Maybe she would throw a ball with him? It did not seem like it because she was quiet and looked like she was having naptime. The dog sighed heavily and was just starting to get to sleep when the door opened.