The panicked Mrs. McGraw gave Alice and Shoes only the briefest of glances before hurrying out of the room. Kara followed her through the house to the stairs. They went up to the third floor where the McGraws and Walter lived. They both had their own suite of rooms on either side of the house. Mrs. McGraw led Kara to her bedroom where Phillip was lying on their bed. The man was only a few years older than Kara but he currently looked like he could pass for 90. His face was pale and sunken. He and the sheets were soaked through with sweat.
“His temperature is much too high.” Mrs. McGraw hurried to his side. When she took his hand, he feebly tried to hold onto it. “I tried to call an ambulance but there was only a busy signal.”
Kara picked up the digital thermometer and put it in Phillip’s ear. When she checked his temperature, it read 109. “This thing must be broken.” Kara put it aside with a frown. Sometimes she hated technology; it always seemed to break.
“I thought so too,” Mrs. McGraw explained. “So I found an old mercury thermometer we had and tried that. It gave the same results.”
Kara frowned. He should be dead with a temperature like that.
Mrs. McGraw leaned over and kissed her husband’s forehead. “You’ll be all right, dear,” she whispered in his ear. “You can fight through this. You’ve survived worse.”
Kara wasn’t sure what Mrs. McGraw was talking about, but stood silently over them. After a moment, she went over to the window and looked out upon the world. In the house across the street, a red stain ruined a nice pair of thin white curtains. A block over, a car sat abandoned in the middle of the street. Somewhere in the distance, something large was on fire and sending up a massive black cloud. She turned away from the window and went back to standing over the McGraws.
Phillip looked at his wife through fever-stricken eyes. Kara could see the love in them. She had never known love like that, but still she knew it when she saw it. His breathing was ragged and every breath sounded like a struggle. Kara picked up the bedside phone and tried calling 911 again but it was the same as before. All she could do was stand over the McGraws and watch. Phillip took several more wheezing breaths, looking into his wife’s eyes. Suddenly, he took one deep breath that sounded clear and healthy. He turned his head to look at the ceiling and let it out in a long sigh. His chest didn’t rise again.
“Phillip?” Mrs. McGraw stroked her husband’s head. “Phillip? Dear?” She shook him lightly. “Phillip, no. No, now is not the time. It’s too soon dear. I’m not ready. I’m not strong enough for this. Phillip? You can’t leave me here alone.”
Kara stepped forward and placed a hand on Mrs. McGraw’s shoulder. It was the only thing she could think to do.
Mrs. McGraw ran her hand over her husband’s hair again, paying no attention to Kara. She kissed him on his forehead, then on the cheek. “Oh, Phillip.” With tears spilling out of her eyes, she closed his and lay her head down on his chest.
It shocked them both when Phillip began to shake and convulse.
“Phillip!” Mrs. McGraw cried out. “Phillip! Are you still with me, dear? Phillip?”
Phillip stopped shaking and lay there. His eyes had popped open again, and his face was slack-jawed.
“Phillip?” Mrs. McGraw leaned over her husband’s face, looking into his eyes.
From where Kara stood, she saw the sudden quickness in Phillip’s eyes as they locked onto his wife. His arms rose with a startling speed and wrapped around Mrs. McGraw. He pulled her to him, but not in a loving embrace. An eerie sound escaped his mouth just before his teeth sank into his wife’s flesh.
Mrs. McGraw screamed, “Phillip! Phillip stop! You’re hurting me, Phillip!”
Kara stepped forward and tried to pull Mrs. McGraw away from her husband. He had latched on tight though. Mrs. McGraw, a rather robust woman, managed to pull upright; Phillip, thin as a twig, clung to her, rising as well. Her screams no longer had words.
Kara grabbed the homey bedside lamp. She raised it over her head, ripping the cord out of the wall, and smashed it on Phillip’s skull. His jaws unlocked and he turned toward Kara, releasing his wife of nearly fifty years. He reached for her, but Kara raised her leg and kicked him hard in the forehead. Those Tai Kwon Do classes paid off. She grabbed Mrs. McGraw and dragged her toward the door. Phillip tried to pursue, but he got tangled up in the bed sheets and fell to the floor. He managed to get up and run at them, but Kara slammed the door in his face. He turned the knob though and Kara had to grip the outer handle with both hands to keep him in.
“Phillip,” Mrs. McGraw gargled. Blood flowed freely from a wound at the base of her neck and up out of her mouth. “I need you Phillip.” She got to her knees and pawed at the door. This made it harder for Kara to hold it closed against him.
“Mrs. McGraw!” Kara shouted at her. “Beatrice! You must stop this! Phillip is out of his mind, he’s trying to hurt us!”
“Phillip!” Mrs. McGraw let out a gargled cry and pressed on the door harder.
Kara couldn’t fight both of them. She let go and got back as fast as she could. The door flew open and Phillip leapt upon his wife. She screamed again but this one was cut short. Kara ran for the stairs and flew down them.
* * *
Kara ran into Alice and Walter at the bottom of the staircase.
“What’s going on? We heard screams.” Walter was worried.
“It’s Mr. McGraw. He’s attacking Mrs. McGraw,” was all Kara would offer as an explanation.
“What?” Walter had to hurry to keep up with Kara as she ran back to the kitchen.
She knew exactly what she wanted when she got there. A knife block, with the sharpest knives in the house, sat on a counter. She picked out the largest chef’s knife from the block. She then ran back out into the main hall, a confused Alice and Walter tailing behind her. The table she had put her purse on had a small drawer, which she ripped open. Inside was a miscellaneous collection of useful things like pens, notepads, string, batteries, and tape. She grabbed a large roll of duct tape, not bothering to close the drawer again. A loud banging sounded from higher up in the house and all three stopped to look up. Shoes suddenly appeared; Kara hadn’t noticed he was absent. He lay down next to Alice and woofed at the stairs. This confirmed Kara’s suspicion that whatever had happened to Phillip was what happened to the other people.
“Go hide under the stairs,” Kara urgently whispered.
Alice quickly obeyed, bringing Shoes with her.
Walter stood his ground. “What are you doing?”
“I’m taking him out.” Kara pulled her cane out of the umbrella stand. She held the chef’s knife tightly to the end of it and started using a hefty amount of duct tape to attach the two.
“You’re going to kill him?” Walter frowned. “This is Phillip we’re talking about. He’s been in your service longer than I have.”
“He’s already gone.” Kara shoved him toward the stairs. “And you’re right; he has worked for me for a very long time, just as his father worked for mine. He will understand what I have to do.”
Walter continued to frown at Kara.
“Don’t make me use this on you,” Kara mocked a threat.
“Let me do it.” Walter held out his hand.
“No. It has to be me.” Kara didn’t think Walter would be able to do it. “Besides, the girl likes you more. She’ll want you with her.”
Walter looked behind him and saw Alice peering out at them from around the stairs. He turned and frowned at Kara one last time before running off to hide with Alice.
Kara looked up at the ceiling once more. The banging of running feet descended the stairs. She placed herself in the doorway to the living room. She could navigate the room in the dark so if she was forced to back up, she’d know where she could and couldn’t step. She braced herself, with her makeshift spear pointed forward. It would have been better if it was longer but she didn’t have time to rip down a curtain rod.
As the frantic feet neared the final landing wh
ere Kara would be able to see him, she was reminded of her time in Africa. She had found a band of natives that lived off the land who were willing to teach her their ways. She had spear hunted with them several times. This though, was more like the night when the lions came and they had to protect the small village.
Phillip appeared on the landing. He stopped and stared down at Kara. Maybe he saw the weapon and was hesitating. As suddenly as he appeared, he charged down the stairs. Kara was ready. She sidestepped quickly, swinging her cane out and catching Phillip in the side of the face. He stumbled past her, a large gash tearing across his cheek. He turned quickly, unaffected by the pain, and came at her again. This time, she stuck the knife into his chest. Holding the end of the cane kept her just out of his reach, but the fact that he was still trying scared her. She knew she had just punctured his lung, but he was completely unaffected. During their struggle, the knife would shift locations, slicing his insides, but that didn’t seem to stop him at all. Kara didn’t know what to do. She managed to push him back until his legs tangled up over a footrest. He fell over backwards, the knife sliding out. With a tribal yell, Kara leaped upon him and drove the knife into his face. It slid across his skull but managed to find his soft eye to pierce through. Once it punctured through the back of the socket, Phillip stopped moving.
Kara backed away, panting and fearful. She was afraid he would suddenly get back up. The cane and knife stuck straight up from his face, unmoving. There was a surprising lack of blood. Just as Kara decided she should step forward and take her weapon back, a low gargle came from the entranceway. Kara spun on her heel, hands up, ready to defend herself. Mrs. McGraw stood there, her formerly crisp clean shirt soaked with blood.
* * *
“Mrs. McGraw.” Kara got out of her defensive position. She suddenly felt badly for what she had done to Phillip, not that she wouldn’t do it again if necessary. “I’m glad to see you’re all right.” Although she didn’t know how that was possible. “I’m so sorry.”
Kara took a step toward Mrs. McGraw. Mrs. McGraw, on the other hand, charged at her with the same look in her eyes that Phillip had. Kara hurried backwards but Mrs. McGraw caught up to her. Kara’s back was slammed into the glass covering the gas fireplace. The woman’s teeth snapped at her face but Kara managed to hold her off by grabbing her forehead with both hands. Mrs. McGraw was clawing at Kara’s shoulders, hard enough to tear her blouse. Kara was thinking this might be the end for her when something cracked off the back of Mrs. McGraw’s head, releasing a pungent but familiar odour. As she turned, Kara had an opportunity to duck away and she took it.
Walter stood at the entrance to the living room holding a decorative oil lamp. Kara looked and saw that he had already thrown its twin at Mrs. McGraw and that that was what had cracked over her head. The smell was the oil now covering her and the throw rug.
Mrs. McGraw screeched through her torn throat, preparing to charge. Walter wound up like a baseball player and hurled the other lamp. Although his aim would have been perfect, Mrs. McGraw ducked out of the way. The lamp struck the glass in front of the fireplace. It must have been weakened from when Kara had been slammed into it because it shattered. There was an audible whoosh as the oil from the lamp met the pilot light inside the fireplace. Mrs. McGraw was instantly on fire. She charged at Walter anyway.
Kara, who had managed to cross the room once more, grabbed Walter out of the way. The flaming Mrs. McGraw ran past, blinded by flames. She crossed the hall into the dining room and slammed into the table. Fire was spreading everywhere.
“Where’s Alice?” Kara had to shout over the roar as the flames licked their way up the drapes.
“She should be just outside with Shoes!” Walter grabbed Kara’s hand and led her toward the front door. The place was already filling with smoke and heat.
Kara glanced into the dining room just before it was out of sight. Inside, Mrs. McGraw was still running around, bumping into things and spreading the fire even faster.
The air outside was refreshing. Although Kara had registered the heat of the fire, she didn’t realize just how hot it was. The sun now seemed cool in comparison. Alice had moved away from the house, and Kara spotted her round little face peeking up over the hood of the BMW. Walter hurried over to her. Kara went slower, the gravel driveway hurting her feet through her socks; not to mention she was tired from her struggles. Walter didn’t have shoes on either, but he seemed fine with it. When Alice came out from behind the car, Kara saw that her little shoes were back on her feet. Walter took her hand and they headed for the gate again, the dog at their heels. Walter had made a makeshift leash by tying the string from the drawer to his collar. With the rest of the string still wound around the roll in Alice’s hand, Shoes came across as a too-heavy-to-fly kite. Walter must have taken it right before he went to hide with Alice.
Kara decided to walk on the grass; it was easier on her feet. She turned and looked at her home. The whole first floor was already aglow with firelight, but the upper floors were still untouched. Alarms were sounding but no one would answer them. She could picture the fireproof shutters, around her more expensive artifacts, closing, trying to protect them. They were supposed to last long enough for the fire department to put out the blaze, but without them, the artifacts might not survive. So much more than her home was being lost to her right now. Treasures that would be dear to the world, as well as treasures dear only to her, like her father’s glasses and microscope, her mother’s quilts and wedding dress, photos of her sister and her.
“Ms. Taggart.” Walter had come back and placed a hand on her shoulder. “We should be going. The alarm may draw more of them like they did at that other house.”
Kara nodded once and turned on her heel. It must have also been hard on Walter, because everything he owned was in that house as well. At least now, she understood how the fire in the distance was started.
Walter walked up to the gate and punched in the code. He stepped through but immediately stopped. Kara spotted the gun pointed at his head. It was coming from an oddly low angle as if held by a child. Walter put his hands up in the universal sign of surrender.
“Is there anyone else?” Kara heard a man’s voice ask.
“Yes,” Walter answered without moving, “a woman and a child.”
“Can you all come out here, please?” the man called loudly, but the gun was removed. Walter put his hands down. He turned to face the man, then looked at Kara and Alice. He nodded. Alice took Kara’s hand and walked through the gate with her.
Kara was surprised to find a gruff-looking man in a wheelchair and a young boy wearing a military helmet. It explained the low angle of the gun.
“Can one of you drive?” the boy asked with eyes full of hope.
“Of course we can,” Kara frowned.
“Then we have a proposition for you.” The man in the wheelchair offered his hand to shake. “My name is Alec McGregor, this is Danny Cole.”
“Kara Taggart.” Kara shook the offered hand. “This is Walter Dodds, and Alice Carter.”
“And this is Shoes,” Alice piped up, gesturing to her floppy dog.
“I’m going to make this quick,” McGregor spoke fast. “We think it’s best to get out of the city. We have a place to go to, but we need a ride. It’s far away, and you don’t have to come the whole way if you don’t want to, but we’d greatly appreciate any distance you could take us.”
“What’s in it for us?” Kara never gave anything free.
“Well, I assume that’s your house.” McGregor gestured with his head. “Which means you don’t have anywhere to go, and no supplies.”
“He’s right,” Walter admitted.
Kara scowled at him. He had no skill for negotiations.
“I’m also a former military sniper with weapons,” McGregor added.
“He’s got a hell of a shot,” the boy chimed in.
“Make your decision quick because that fire is going to bring them in a flock.” McGregor quickly
checked the area around them.
“We don’t have a car,” Kara pointed out. “The keys to mine were left in the house.”
“That’s fine, I can hotwire one. Just point me to it.” McGregor rolled himself to the gate and looked through. “The Jeep would be perfect.”
“Please, Ms. Kara?” Alice swung her arm and looked at her with doe eyes.
Kara took a quick look around the group. Another child and now a cripple. All of them looked like they wanted to agree though, and she could be left behind if Walter said he’d drive. “Fine.” She stepped back through the gate.
They all hurried back up the drive to the vehicles. Danny helped push the wheelchaired man over the gravel.
“What happened to your shoulder?” McGregor asked Walter.
“We got attacked trying to get here,” Walter explained. “Some guy bit my shoulder.”
McGregor got an unreadable look on his face, but Danny suddenly looked worried. The boy whispered something in the man’s ear, but McGregor shook his head no. Kara wondered what it was about.
“Do you know what’s happening?” she asked.
“No,” was all McGregor answered, his face as unreadable as granite.
They reached the Jeep, which was locked. McGregor used the butt of his pistol to break open the driver’s window and unlock all the doors. Thankfully Kara never turned on the alarm in her own driveway. She had enough of alarms for one day.
“Put the stuff in the trunk,” McGregor told the boy.
Danny nodded and went to the trunk of the Jeep and opened it. Kara went around the front and got into the passenger seat. She’d let Walter drive. She tried to watch the man hot wire her car, but it was too hard for her to see exactly what he was doing. It was too bad, because that would’ve been a skill she’d like to know.
The boy came back and took McGregor’s sack. It was clearly heavy by the way the kid dragged it. Alice offered to help, although Kara couldn’t see her help being very useful. Somehow, they managed to get it up into the trunk.The engine roared to life and McGregor backed away.
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