‘Okay,’ he thought, catching his breath, ‘one down and —’
Two bodies flew into him suddenly as the rabid infected people threw themselves from the balcony above with abandon, uncaring of their own well-being, focused only on inflicting pain.
Spinelli’s back, biceps, forearms, and hands were strong; thick, corded muscles that had been developed from thousands of hours in the rock climbing gym and from free climbing the toughest sheer rock faces.
They weren’t strong enough to maintain his grip through the impact of two grown men.
In shock he watched as his fingers slipped from the pipe, grasping the air as he was pulled out and away from the balcony.
Then he was falling.
The combined weight of the three men brought their speed of descent to over fifty six miles an hour as they traveled one hundred and ten feet in less than three seconds.
Petty Officer Second Class Anthony Spinelli died on impact at age twenty three, four months shy of his birthday.
Serrano and Reed watched in disbelief as the infected threw themselves off the balcony at Spider, colliding with him and knocking him from his perch.
“No!!!” Reed cried out in despair as the man fell underneath the others, crashing into the pavement with a sickening thud.
The infected on the balcony turned toward the sound of Reed’s voice and screamed. Within seconds, infected began throwing themselves out of windows and balconies as they tried to get to Reed and Serrano. Most crashed to the earth in a heap and remained there, some crashed but managed to rise partially on broken bones. Soon they began emerging from lower balconies and windows, landing with minimal impact.
“Skee, J.J., we’re moving out, let’s go!!” Serrano shouted into his mic.
The men returned in seconds, huffing slightly from their all out sprint. Turning to flee, they heard bodies crashing into the gate, rattling it on its hinges. More and more flew into the iron, pushing against it with every bit of inhuman strength they had.
Orlosky, Jefferson, Reed, and Serrano turned and ran, going all out, the threat of death at their backs.
CHAPTER FIFTY SIX
Serafina drove the Jeep slowly along the pine needle-covered roads that led away from the cabin, finding a fleeting sense of serenity as she listened to the wind blowing through the high branches of the trees. As peaceful as it seemed, though, the quiet was at the same time unnerving. Even in the small mountain city, there should be the sound of cars and motorcycles, driving along nearby roads. There should be the sounds of everyday domesticated life: lawn mowers, power tools, blenders, TVs, radios, or even simply people talking amongst themselves.
Instead there was only silence, a silence that became both oppressive and intimidating. The fact was, aside from the sounds of wildlife, anything they did hear would likely be a threat.
Looking out of the corner of her eye as she drove, she saw the tension on Ashley’s face and assumed Brenna was feeling the same stress. Realizing she needed to calm them at least a bit, she decided to make small talk, sticking to subjects that were relevant. She explained the process for identifying edible berries, mushrooms, and grubs, though each of them hoped it would never come to that. They talked about how and where they could plant a small garden during the next spring, should they still be at the cabin. It seemed at the same time both crazily impossible and highly likely.
Turning down one of the long straightaways that ran parallel to Big Bear Boulevard, she began quizzing the girls on basic first aid procedures, periodically reminding them that the discussion was to be had with their mouths, not their eyes - they needed to stay focused and remain vigilant in their lookout assignments.
Turning onto Big Bear Boulevard, still over a mile from the lodge Daniel had pointed out on the map, she traveled a short distance before turning into the parking lot of a year-round slide park, which allowed adults and kids to slide on mats and discs in the winter snow or wheeled sleds in the summer.
Cutting across the parking lot, she drove the Jeep over a small embankment and onto the hillside next to the park. Shifting into four-wheel drive, she drove the vehicle over an open field, climbing a steep hill as she headed toward the backside of a construction site. The three of them bounced back and forth in their seats as the Jeep climbed the hill while rolling over the uneven terrain, occasionally rolling over bushes, ruts, and rocks.
When they reached the top, Serafina drove around the back of the construction site, remaining behind the large yellow backhoe that stood there, abandoned and covered in dirt, pine needles, and cobwebs. She paused near the edge of the partially built structure, looking for indications that they’d been heard during their climb, or signs of movement that would indicate the presence of a threat. Seeing none, she slowly crept forward with the Jeep, pausing to let the front tires drop down from the curb onto the street as quietly as possible. She inched the vehicle forward and allowed the rear tires to drop down as well, then pressed down on the gas, driving down the street at a walker’s pace. She really wanted to accelerate, to just get to the drugstore quickly, grab what they needed, and get back to the relative safety of the cabin, but she knew speeding through town, even on backstreets and dirt roads, would attract unwanted attention.
At the end of the road, she turned right, following the road high up onto the hill before heading east, maintaining as much distance as possible between them and the men at the lodge.
Along the way they passed a number of dead bodies lying in the middle of the road, all riddled with bullet wounds, apparently gunned down wherever they were spotted. Some even had tire marks over the bodies, accompanied by long stretches of blood colored tread marks on the gravel covered asphalt.
Driving on a downslope, she had both Ashley and Brenna focused on the right side of the road, looking for a turnoff to a dirt road labeled 2N08, one of the many off-roading trails that covered the area around the lake.
“I see it!” Ashley called out in a quiet, urgent voice.
Looking ahead, Serafina saw a pair of metal poles on either side of the entrance to the dirt road. Spanning the gap between them was a metal chain with a faded sign hanging from it that read:
ROAD CLOSED
Serafina looked over at Ashley. “Good job.” Smiling slightly, she inched forward until the thick metal bars of the Jeep’s bumper were resting against the end of the chain where it met the metal pole on the right. Slowly giving the Jeep’s powerful engine more and more gas, it forced the chain inward, straining it. Within seconds the chain snapped free, falling to the ground as the Jeep drove over it. Serafina stopped on the dirt trail and hopped out, leaving the Jeep running. She went back to where the chain lay on the ground and picked it up. The metal loop that had been part of the pole fell to the ground. She returned to the Jeep and withdrew a small bungee cord from the back compartment. Looping it around the pole, she hooked the two ends onto the last link of the chain, securing it across the gap once again. She backed away, examining her work. Anyone looking closely would discover the ruse quickly, but from the street it probably wouldn’t attract attention.
Returning to the Jeep, she hopped in and put it in drive, cruising slowly down the dirt road that ran behind a row of houses before ascending the side of the mountain again.
After twenty-five minutes of churning up dust as they drove down the dirt trail, they arrived at the parking lot of the ski resort that sat in the middle of town. The lot had a sprinkling of cars parked in it, but none appeared to have been driven in less than a week. Serafina drove through the lot, headed briefly down the main road that led to the resort, then crossed over an embankment and down into the long, paved storm runoff that would lead them to a point close to the drugstore.
They drove down the concrete path, the tires of the Jeep splashing as they ran through small puddles of water that had managed to survive the afternoon heat, twice driving back up to the main road to bypass the metal tubes that connected the two sides of the waterway. They crossed the road slowly, then
drove back down and onto the dry paved waterway again, using it as a shortcut to where they needed to get to.
Finally, two and a half hours after leaving the cabin, they reached the edge of Moonridge road, where they paused, looking in both directions, the Jeep’s big engine idling In the afternoon sun.
“Right side clear.” Ashley announced softly.
“Left side looks good, too,” Serafina said, pausing for a second before adding, “I wish I could see further in either direction, but this dang curve is working against me.”
“Want to wait a bit longer?” Ashley asked quietly.
“No. It’s a risk, but so was this drive. Let’s do this. If I remember right, the far side of the building has parking spots that are close to the entrance and would at least be hidden from view from three sides.”
“Okay, Auntie.”
The Jeep slid slowly forward, entering the road, crossing it before climbing the curb on the other side. Serafina didn’t even attempt to angle towards one of the driveways near the far edge of the parking lot, closer to the intersection. Instead, she slowly drove up over the curb, across the sidewalk, then over the bushes that lined the parking lot before dropping down onto the lot’s asphalt surface. She drove around the back of the building, then turned left and drove along the side of it, approaching a series of empty parking spots near the front edge of the building. She swung the Jeep around and backed in, leaving the vehicle pointed outwards in case they needed to leave in a hurry.
Turning off the engine, Serafina sat back in the driver’s seat, feeling a tremendous sense of relief that they’d made it there without issue. The relief was short-lived, however, as she remembered that they weren’t even halfway through their trip. They still needed to go inside, find the disinfectants, clean Ashley’s wound and bandage it properly, grab what supplies they could, and make it back to the cabin.
Sighing, she nodded to herself before grabbing her Glock from the pocket on the door. Out of habit, she ejected the clip, examined it, then slapped it back in place. “Ready, girls?”
Ashley nodded, looking determined, while Brenna did the same, adding, “Let’s go.”
The three of them got out of the vehicle quietly, closing the doors softly until they rested against the frame, then leaned hard against them, closing them without the loud slam they’d normally make when closed.
Serafina led the way to the front of the building, staying close to the wall as they worked their way there. At the corner, she motioned for the girls to remain in place while she looked around the corner, trying to see into the dim interior through the smoked glass.
Unable to see anything, she crouched and worked her way along the front of the building, remaining below the windows that lined the storefront. Several of the windows were broken, their glass strewn about the sidewalk, crunching under her feet as she moved toward the door. She used one of the broken windows to look into the store, her eyes scanning for movement inside the dark interior. She waited patiently, expecting someone or something to pop out at any second, but after several minutes of seeing nothing, she finally felt confident that the store was empty.
Luckily, though it appeared that the store had seen a number of visitors since the outbreak of the virus, a good amount of dried food and drinks remained on the shelves. Cookies, crackers, nuts, and bottles of generic soda were nothing to celebrate, but they would help break the monotony that characterized their daily meals of canned beans, dried soy protein, and canned fruits or vegetables.
Looking back toward the corner, she saw Ashley watching her. She nodded to the girl, motioning for her and her sister to join her. Together, the three of them walked to the entrance, Serafina’s eyes darting towards the parking lot multiple times, looking for signs of danger. The glass of the door had been broken as well, its shards coating the floor of the entryway, sliding under their feet as they stepped past the dormant security sensors, into the dimly lit store.
Keeping her eyes forward, Serafina drew the girls closer with a gesture of her hand. “First we clear the space, then we do what we came here for: fix up Ashley’s hand, then load up on medical supplies. If we have time, we’ll grab any snacks and drinks we can. Okay?”
The girls nodded, their eyes wide and filled with nervous energy.
“Okay, Ashley, stay close behind me. Brenna, you watch behind us”
The girls fell in behind Serafina as she worked her way up and down the aisles slowly and carefully, wary and on the lookout for danger. As they walked, they moved items out of the walkway, pushing them towards the edge of the aisle with their feet, clearing the path in the event that they had to get out in a hurry.
When they’d walked down every aisle, they returned to the pharmacy area, where the roller doors that covered the service windows had been broken through, revealing a messy interior space. Bringing her handgun up in front of her, Serafina climbed up onto the counter, leaning to look into the pharmacy.
The smell of a rotting corpse hit her immediately, making her eyes water. Boxes and bottles littered the floor, their contents spilled out around them in a multicolored mess. In the center of it all was the dead body of a large man, laying on his back, staring at the ceiling with dead eyes. The hook-ended pole that was used to lower the roller doors protruded from his stomach, the material of his shirt stiff with dried blood.
In the corner, a woman was crumpled against the wall, her neck bent at an awkward angle. Leaning further into the space, Serafina saw dried blood and matted hair in a cluster on the wall directly above where the woman’s body was.
Seeing no one else in the small space, Serafina wondered if it were worth entering the area to look for antibiotics, but quickly tossed the thought from her mind. Antibiotics required refrigeration, and the power had been out for several days.
Turning away from the mess beyond the counter area, she hopped down and shook her head as she looked at the girls. She led them to the first aid area, grabbing a reusable bag from one of the end caps as she walked by. Finding the peroxide, gauze, and medical tape, she motioned for Ashley to sit down.
“Brenna, keep an eye on the front, okay? This won’t take long.”
“Okay,” the girl replied, turning and heading towards the door.
“Alright, Ash, let’s get that hand fixed up right.”
Walking to the front of the store, Brenna paused to grab a bottle of water from one of the shelves. She carried it with her as she made her way to the area to the right of the store entrance, where she’d be able to remain out of sight while being able to look out one of the broken windows.
Keeping her eyes focused on the parking lot and the surrounding streets, she opened the bottle and brought it to her lips, drinking slowly as she savored the cool liquid. She took a long drink, thinking that she’d grab another when she finished the first, then went to cap the bottle. The cap slipped from her hand, falling from her hand to the floor, rolling away from her on its edge until it came to a stop under the edge of one of the shelves. ‘Shoot,’ she thought, lowering herself to her knees and reaching for the cap.
Behind her glass tinkled softly, making her turn suddenly, her heart pounding in her chest as she readied herself to be face to face with one of the infected.
Instead, a terribly thin Mexican girl rushed into the store, looking behind her. The girl’s shirt snagged on the edge of the door, tearing a long piece from it as she passed through the opening.
“Hello.” Brenna said, staring at the girl in shock.
The girl turned towards Brenna, her face filled with fear. She looked ready to run if Brenna breathed too hard, so the teenager put her hands out, palms open and facing the skinny young girl.
“It’s okay. I won’t hurt you.”
The girl’s mouth moved slightly, as if she was trying to form words. Her eyes settled on the bottle of water in Brenna’s hands. Realizing this, Brenna passed the bottle to her, suddenly becoming aware of the rancid odor coming from the girl.
The girl accepted the
bottle cautiously, her eyes never leaving Brenna. She backed away a step, uncapping the bottle and bringing it to her lips. She drained the bottle in seconds, pulling it away from her mouth and setting it on the nearby counter.
Her dark eyes, filled with fear and sadness, met Brenna’s.
“More?”
“Sure. Over here.”
Serafina’s voice called out from the back of the store. “Brenna, who are you talking to?”
When Serafina first heard mumbling coming from the front of the store, she dismissed it, assuming the girl was either humming or talking to herself. When a second, distinctly different voice said something, she immediately responded. Looking at Ashley, she whispered, “Stay here,” before rising to her feet. “Brenna, who are you talking to?”
“There’s a girl here.” Brenna responded.
Serafina, thinking that a girl could be being used as a trap, motioned for Ashley to remain where she was then began walking towards the front of the store, where she could hear Brenna talking to someone.
“Here you go.” Brenna said, handing the girl another bottle of water, then taking one for herself.
The girl accepted it graciously, saying “Thank you,” softly. She drank from the bottle slowly this time, her eyes darting around the store.
Brenna couldn’t help it. She brought the collar of her shirt up and over her nose and mouth, trying to block out the stink associated with the girl. The girl looked at her, then looked at the floor, embarrassed.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Brenna responded through the fabric of her shirt. “What happened?”
“I had to do this to hide from those crazy people.”
Surviving Rage | Book 1 Page 56