by Hunt, Jack
“People you mean?”
“Those aren’t people.”
“Well they aren’t things. They’re people. They die and they don’t get up.”
“You’ve killed one?”
“No, but my friends have.”
Jasper’s brow furrowed. “Friends?”
Nick pointed to the roof.
They could hear the sound of Chad and Emerick moving around. “It’s Devan’s father and some soldier. Look, wait here. I need to tell them about you.”
Nick turned to leave but he stopped when Jasper said, “No. There is no need. I’m fine.”
“I know that. But you want to get out of here, right?”
He nodded.
“Then they need to know. Look, it’s cool. Just wait here.”
Nick wandered back to the front of the bus looking over his shoulder every so often to make sure he didn’t bolt. There was something that unnerved him. “Hey, guys, guys!”
“What is it?” Emerick said.
“We have company.”
“Where?”
“Inside,” he replied looking back at Jasper. “It’s a kid. A student from my school.”
“Don’t go near him.”
“I’m not. I mean, I haven’t. What do you want to do?”
“Just keep your distance. Get this damn bus started. This place is giving me the heebie-jeebies.”
Nick nodded and looked back at Jasper who was glancing out the window and tapping his finger against the seat. “Look, I have something to do. While I think you’re okay, I would prefer if you kept your distance until we get this started.”
“You know how to do that?” Jasper asked.
“Somewhat.”
“Somewhat? You don’t sound very confident.”
Nick frowned. “It’s a new vehicle.”
He slid back under and continued to examine the wires. While he was doing it he heard footsteps approaching. He slid out before they got too close. “Do you not listen?”
“I just thought I might be able to help.”
“If you could, you would have started this already.”
“I don’t know how to drive.”
“Then how would you know how to hot-wire a car?”
“How do you?” Jasper asked.
“I was shown.”
Jasper shrugged. “Just thought I might be able to help but I’ll just stay here.”
“Yeah, you do that,” Nick replied, raising an eyebrow and getting back underneath. He sighed. This was nothing like what his father’s buddy showed him. What the hell were all these wires?
“How we doing?” Jasper asked.
“Fine,” Nick said trying to make out that he had this in hand.
“You sure you don’t need a hand?”
“No. I got this.” He stared blankly at the wires and shone the light on them cursing under his breath. Why did manufacturers have to make everything so damn hard? He grumbled and pulled at the wires. Did he cut this one? The last thing he wanted was to get a shock and be flopping around like a fish. He’d never live that one down with Emerick.
“You know there is an easier way.”
“Jasper. Can’t you see I’m working here?”
Jasper poked his head around and Nick backed up. “What did I say?”
“Okay, okay.” He backed up with his hand up. “I’m just saying that I think you could use my help.”
Nick groaned and even though he didn’t want to admit he couldn’t do it, he’d reached the end of his rope. “Fine. Let’s hear it.”
Expecting to hear Jasper reel off some goofy idea that he’d probably seen in a movie, he was surprised when he heard the jangle of keys and saw them come into view. “These should do it.”
Nick crawled out telling him to back up. “Hold on a minute. You’ve had the keys all this time?”
“Well yeah.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me?”
“I tried. I offered my help but you…”
“I know what I said. Geesh.” He shook his head and went to take them then stopped short. “Maybe you should put it in the ignition and turn it over.” He moved out of the way and let Jasper take a seat and try a few of the keys until he found the right one. A few seconds later the engine rumbled to life and he slid back out.
“Hey, the kid did it!” Emerick cried out.
Both of them looked up and Jasper said, “I won’t tell them.”
Nick offered back a thin smile. “I think they’ll know.”
They heard the metal above them bounce as they hopped down onto the hood and Nick opened the door so they could board. “Well, kid. Maybe you aren’t useless,” Emerick muttered as he got on board. He stared at Jasper.
“Emerick. This is Jasper. Jasper, Emerick and Chad.”
“We’re not a couple.”
“I didn’t say you were.” Nick grinned as Chad boarded the bus.
Chapter 20
Twelve minutes past one in the morning. The red numbers flashed before her eyes as Jenna blinked. Her head was throbbing, mostly her jaw. It felt like she’d been through intense dental surgery or gone three rounds with a professional fighter. Her head was resting on a pillow, and her surroundings were dark. She groaned a little and rolled to take in the sight of the room. A small flashlight was illuminating just a fraction of the cramped space. She’d been tucked under blankets and at first she thought she was alone until she glanced off to her left. Sitting in a rocking chair, with his head slumped to one side was Brody. He was asleep. A handgun was resting on his lap. She didn’t recognize where she was. Drapes were closed but a small amount of moonlight filtered through. At the far end of the bed was a dresser with a mirror, and to the right a closet.
She turned to reach for a glass of water on the bedside table, and accidentally overextended her reach and knocked it off the side. It hit the hardwood floor and smashed startling Brody awake. He grasped for his gun and stretched it out like he was about to shoot. That’s when he locked eyes with her.
“Jenna?”
“Sorry, I knocked over the glass.”
He glanced down and then his face relaxed. He rocked forward in his chair and reached for her hand, gripping it tightly. “How are you feeling?”
“Rough. Where are we?”
“Ray Gottman’s house.”
“Officer Gottman?”
He nodded.
A flood of memories hit her. The hospital. The lockdown. The gunfire. Then being attacked. That was her last memory. She reached up and touched her face. It felt swollen.
“You’re missing a tooth but besides that you were damn lucky he didn’t kill you. Gottman shot the guy before he turned your head into pulp.”
Her mouth went slack. Gratitude. Embarrassment. A whole range of emotions welled up in her. She lay back and gazed up at the ceiling. There was a fan but it wasn’t on. “Electricity?”
“Appears to be down. Think it has something to do with what’s happening in the town.” Brody got up and headed for the door. “I’ll get you another drink and see if he has a broom to sweep up the glass. Be careful and just stay put.”
“Brody.”
He stopped with his hand on the doorknob. “Yeah?”
“Thank you for coming.”
She caught a smile on his face before he headed out without saying anything. A few minutes later he returned with another glass of water, some ice for her face and a pan and brush. She took a sip and watched him as he swept up the shards. “What’s the situation like out there?”
“Bad. The whole damn town has gone to shits. Sorenson says it’s out of control and the best we can do is to try and get out of town before the military acts.”
“Acts?”
He looked up at her from a crouched position. “They are killing people, Jenna. They are shooting first and not asking questions. There is no Internet. No TV. No electricity right now in town. They are going to wipe out anyone who they think is a threat and the problem is, until a person’s sk
in and eyes change, there is no way to determine if they are infected. They aren’t asking. They’ve been told to kill on sight. At least that was the last thing Sorenson heard before he lost contact with those in charge.”
Jenna set her glass down.
“Have you heard from Nick?”
He shook his head. “Gottman and I are planning to head to Marfa and see if we can locate him.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“Jenna, you’re not up to going. You’ve been out for several hours. You took a hard blow to the head. You should probably rest up.”
“Our son is out there.”
“Yeah, and I will find him but it’s not safe. You’ll be fine here. All of you.”
“The others are here?”
“Sorenson, and the group you were with when we found you.”
She stared back at him. “Why did you risk your life for me?”
Brody stopped sweeping and took a seat on the edge of the bed. He gazed down at the ground. “Look, Jenna, I know I haven’t been the ideal husband. I know that losing Will crushed both of our spirits but I never gave up on us.”
“So you’re saying it’s my fault that I left?”
“I didn’t say that. Look, can we just for once not argue?”
Her eyes narrowed for a second then she nodded. Brody continued.
“Losing Will was the hardest thing I have ever been through. I didn’t think I was going to make it, to be honest. There were days when I just wanted to slip out of this world as the pain was too much but I had you, and Nick to think about.”
“You never spoke to me about it, Brody. I wanted to talk about it.”
“I know you did.”
“Then why wouldn’t you?”
“Because it hurt too damn much,” he shot back. “And would it really have changed anything? Will would still be dead. We would still have to get up every day and go on with our lives. I thought the best way forward was for me to bury myself in work. To just avoid thinking about it.”
“But look what that’s done.”
He looked at her. He knew she was trying to say it was his fault. That he had somehow driven her to leave him by becoming cold and emotionally unattached but that wasn’t the truth. Okay, maybe it was to some extent but the responsibility for Will’s death wasn’t only his burden to carry. All three of them had to deal with it and they all dealt with it in different ways.
“Jenna. I don’t think we are ever going to see eye to eye on it. How you handle things is different from how I do.”
She looked away and stared off towards the window. “Did you sign the papers?”
Her words lingered in the air for a minute or two. Just dead space. Nothing said between them until Brody uttered, “No.”
“Why not?”
He took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. “Because every time I hold that pen I keep thinking about all the good times with you. Twenty-four years is a long time to be with someone, Jenna. It wasn’t all bad, was it?”
She shook her head.
“I could have signed it. Put it behind me and moved on but I know I would have regretted not trying.”
“We can’t go back to the way it was, Brody. Having you distant and cold hurts too much.”
He frowned. “And what about you?”
He was quick to turn it around on her. She closed her eyes and counted to ten in her head to prevent herself from arguing. He had a point but it didn’t help the situation. She knew she had her own baggage. “I know I haven’t made it easy for you.” She shook her head and a tear welled up in her eye and rolled down her cheek, landing in her mouth and leaving a salty taste. “I just didn’t think you wanted me around anymore.”
He turned towards her and placed his hand on hers and gave it a squeeze. She pulled it out from under his. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to feel his touch but it was painful to open up and be vulnerable. They’d spent so much time apart that she’d become accustomed to what it felt like. There was a sense of safety. She didn’t have to argue. She didn’t have to justify her reasons. She only had to think about Nick and herself. The thought of it being anything but that again scared her.
Jenna heard Brody sigh heavily before he rose from the bed.
“Look, I don’t know what the future holds for us, Jenna. All I know right now is our kid is out there and I’m going to find him. If we make it out of this alive and you still want me to sign those papers I will.” He walked over to the door and placed a hand on the knob. “But know this. I won’t do it because I want it to be over. I’ll do it because you do.”
With that said he walked out leaving her in the wake of his words.
She felt another shot of pain go through her, though this time it wasn’t physical, it was deep in the heart. Like an old wound being torn back open. A wound she had convinced herself had healed. It hadn’t. It was still as fresh as the day she walked out the door. Jenna would eventually decide on what she wanted to do but not right now. All that mattered was finding Nick. Besides, she was exhausted and in too much pain. She reached across and took another sip of her drink before closing her eyes.
Loud cries echoed in the room as Lars hobbled in.
Sergio swept the table clean of tools before helping Lars onto it. The closest medical place they could find was Alpine Veterinary Clinic on the west side of town. He would have taken him to the hospital but the roads were blocked by military, and fires raged, and violence seemed to be occurring in the northern area of the town more than elsewhere. Besides, it was the only place he knew.
“Why the hell did you bring me here?” Lars said.
“Oh shut your griping. It’s better than letting you bleed out.”
“I’m not an animal.”
“That’s debatable,” Sergio retorted.
He’d known him a long time and he wasn’t going to let him bleed out in the middle of the streets. They had to have something at the clinic for pain. He’d had two animals. Dogs. They were the only animals he really cared about. They were loyal, unlike that piece of trash Violet. The last one had passed away a year earlier from cancer. Just arriving at the vet’s reminded him of the pain of losing that dog.
“Keep your hand on the wound while I try to find something.”
The place was empty but the cupboards were full of meds, syringes, bandages and all kinds of equipment that might have worked in an animal. Sergio searched for a scalpel. He planned to remove the bullet and sew the wound up. He had never done it before and had no idea if it would work but desperate situations called for extreme measures and it couldn’t get much worse. Blood was covering the steel table Lars was lying on. He’d tied off the leg to slow the bleeding but it would only last so long. Lars’ skin had already drained of color. If he didn’t get the bullet out and stitch it up he might not make it through the night.
“Sergio, I’m sure you’re not supposed to remove the bullet.”
“You want to bleed out?”
“If we remove it I stand a greater chance of bleeding out. That bullet might be the only thing standing between me and death.”
“Listen to you. You’ve already given up.”
“I have not given up. I’m just saying, I think I read somewhere you are supposed to leave it in and get to a doctor.”
Sergio waved his arms in a theatrical manner. “Well look around you, Einstein, do you see a doctor? It’s either this, or we leave it in. You decide,” he said taking out a scalpel and then pulling out his cigarette lighter and heating the end.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“Making sure it’s sterile.”
“Dear God. Why don’t you just put a bullet in me?”
“Stop whining.”
Sergio had no idea what the hell he was doing. He was no medic. He didn’t sit around watching videos on bullet removal. But he had watched Rambo, and seen him stitch up a wound. It couldn’t be that far from reality, could it? “Right now this is going to hurt bad.” He reached across
and grabbed a towel on the counter and stuck it in Lars’ mouth. “Bite down on that and just know when you wake up, it will all be over.”
Lars spat it out. “That’s what I’m afraid of. Come on, Sergio. There has to be some kind of general anesthetic for dogs here. Find some.”
“All right. Shut up.” He put the scalpel down and continued searching. It took him a while but he soon found what appeared to be glue that was used for wounds. He returned with a bowl of warm water and a cloth and used some scissors to open up his jeans to expose the wound. “Shit, that is gnarly,” Sergio said as he began to dab at it with the cloth and clean it up. Each time he touched it more blood came out. “I’ve got to get in there.”
“Can’t we just leave it in? I’ve heard of army guys with bullets still in them.”
“You want lead poisoning?”
“I want to stay alive.”
“And you will. Relax.”
He raised the scalpel and Lars shook his head. “No. No. I’ll leave it in. Just glue the damn thing shut and I’ll take care of it later.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. Just leave it,” Lars replied.
“It’s your funeral.”
Lars’ brow furrowed.
“A figure of speech,” Sergio said, correcting himself and then smiling. He released a few drops of glue around the outside of the wound and squeezed it gently together. Within a matter of seconds it had dried. He checked to see if the wound would pull apart as easily as it had before and it wouldn’t. He’d just finished sealing it up and wiping clean his leg when he heard a noise, like a plastic crate being knocked over. Sergio spun around and looked towards the rear of the building. They’d come in through the front after smashing a window. The only thing that was providing light was their cell phones, which were on the counter with the flashlight portion on. Sergio scooped his up and grabbed his handgun off the counter. “Stay here.”
“Sergio,” Lars said gripping him.
“You’ll be fine. Just wait here.”
Moving through the darkness, Sergio’s chest rose and fell fast as his pulse sped up. He walked down a short hallway and reached a door. He swallowed hard and held the gun out as he used the tip of his boot to push it open. It took him into another room that smelled like damp dog. That’s when he saw a German shepherd inside a crate. Its big brown eyes looked up at him. It let out a whine and he walked over and crouched down beside it. “Hey, you scared the shit out of me. For a second, I thought…”