The Aftermath Trilogy (Book 2): The Aftermath [Town of the Dead]

by Smith, Daniel

  Mary had just finished removing her green poncho inside the building out of the rain. When Katrina appeared in front of her. Looking at her accusingly. Mary looked at her then glanced outside at Dan walking around the truck.

  “You were watching,” she stated more than asked.

  Katrina nodded her head slowly a stern look on her face. Mary looked around quickly. Even though Katrina was a fraction of her size she did not want any trouble with her. Not for Dan’s sake but for the mission it would be a disaster if the truckers pull out because she fought Katrina.

  “He has been a friend,” she started saying. “I just never knew how good till today,” she finished looking into Katrina’s green eyes.

  Katrina looked at her strangely for a moment her stern look not fading. As Mary looked around to make sure no one was listening.

  “Dan caught me in an embarrassing position today,” Mary said slowly as Katrina looked confused.

  “He has said nothing to me,” she stated slowly in her southern drawl. Mary nodded.

  “I asked him to tell no one,” she started.

  Katrina looked outside into the rain to see Dan moving around the truck her expression changing. Mary noticed this.

  “Tell him I said to let you know what happened,” she started as Katrina held up her hand for her to stop.

  “If you want me to know you should tell me,” Katrina said.

  Mary looked embarrassed as she watched Katrina seeing the stern look softening. Her expression dropping as she looked around again.

  “I do not want any trouble between you and Dan,” Mary started saying. “He is happy around you.”

  When Mary said this Katrina blushed slightly the red tint showing up on her pale skin.

  “The reasons he is helping me is because my parents asked him to,” Mary told her. “He met my father the first day he arrived in Hope.”

  Mary started telling Katrina.

  “My father and Mother like him he has always been a good person willing to help out his friends,” she said softly.

  Katrina nodded at this. Remembering when they first met.

  “I know that's one of his good points,” she told Mary.

  “Any way,” Mary started to say softly letting her eyes drop to the ground.

  “In a store today after he told me to think first,” Mary said pausing.

  This gave Katrina a chance to look at Dan still moving about in the rain.

  “I found some clothes I like and went to try them on in a dressing room,” Mary told Katrina as her eyes widen slightly.

  “I removed my armor and clothes,” Mary said looking about as Katrina joined her in doing so.

  “I tried on a dress I liked and it was a little small,” Mary paused.

  “I thought it would be fine to just step out of the dressing room to grab the next size off-the-rack in my underwear,” she said meeting Katrina’s eyes.

  “There was just the two of us in the store why would he be in the woman’s section,” she said as Katrina looked unsure.

  “So who did I run into,” Mary said.

  “Dan,” Katrina answered as Mary shook her head negatively.

  “Two zombies,” Mary told her as shock registered on Katrina’s face.

  “You did not have him watch your back in the dressing room,” Katrina asked.

  Mary looked shocked now as she remembered Dan’s words.

  “I missed that lecture in training,” she shot back.

  “Well at least it was not a pervert,” Katrina said causing Mary to stop and wonder.

  “I ran right into,” Mary paused.

  “Dan,” Katrina said smiling now.

  Mary nodded slowly looking embarrassed before checking to see if they were still alone.

  “Yes in my underwear,” she said looking at Katrina.

  Mary looked uneasy and excited at the appraising look Katrina gave her.

  “Well he must have gotten an eye full,” she said.

  “What,” Mary stammered.

  Katrina laughed slightly.

  “Oh come on you are definitely not hard on the eyes,” she told her causing Mary to blush.

  After an awkward moment of silence Mary finally spoke.

  “I was asking him about it and he was being polite he had said nothing to anyone,” Mary said looking studying Katrina's face.

  ‘Keeping his mouth shut is another good point of his,” Katrina said.

  Mary shook her head at the statement. As Katrina smiled looking at Mary.

  “He is the first man I have found that I like,” she started.

  “I do not want to chase off his friends,” she said looking at Mary.

  She put her hand on Katrina shoulder smiling.

  “I hope we can be friends,: she told her.

  Katrina raised her own hand to put on top of Mary’s hand on her shoulder smiling.

  “So do I,” she said making Mary slightly nervous.

  Removing her hand Katrina moved off into the building. Mary shook her head, watching her leave.

  “Dan is in over his head,” she said to herself.

  Dan had just finished taking off his poncho and shaking it out placing it near his gear on the floor. The light in the communal room was dark but not completely black. Mary had finished helping him secure the cart and trailer back on the truck and had left for the evening. When he saw Katrina looking around near the open doorway of the room motioning for him to come over, he looked around to see if anyone was watching as he went over.

  “Do you have the keys for the truck,” she asked smiling. Dan fought the puzzlement he felt at the question, but patted his front left pocket of his pants. Making sure the keys were their then nodded.

  “Good we can spent some time together without any interruptions,” she said grabbing his hand.

  He felt excitement run threw him as he saw the mischievous look come across her face under her red hair. As she started pulling him by the hand out of the room.

  7 A Day out on the Town

  Dan started rolling up his new sleeping bag with a slight smile. He was glad he decided to upgrade to it. He had slept warm and well he thought. He paused puzzled not sure why he had come back to the sleeping bag. His mind flashing back to last night as he and Katrina went over to the Mack truck climbing into the sleeper unit. Katrina still had the mischievous look on her face even in the darkness of the cab.

  “Your shirt is wet,” he heard her say in a husky southern draw with a slight hint of excitement in it.

  His heart raced has he felt her hands find him in the darkness to start pulling his shirt up and over his head. He heard her toss it aside landing somewhere in the cab.

  “I think mine is wet too,” she said shyly. Dan took her hint reaching out to Katrina. He swore his hands were shaking as he gripped the bottom of her shirt and started to lift. The skin of her stomach felt hot as his fingers brushed up against it as the shirt went higher. His fingertips and her shirt reached the round mounds of the bottom of her breasts. Her hands suddenly closed on his. Dan panicked had he done something wrong as she used her hands to remove her shirt from his hands. However, before he could say anything she released her shirt using her now free hands to take his hands placing them onto the mounds of her breasts. His heart seemingly stopped as his fingers started exploring. Feeling the warmth of her breasts as his fingers found her hard erect nipples. His touching them caused her to moan as she finished removing her shirt. Tossing it away in the darkness as she leaned into him kissing him passionately on the mouth. Dan fell back with her in his arms onto the cushions of the cab. As her hands reached out for his belt.

  He looked around quickly as he realized he had stopped rolling up the sleeping bag as he was remembering last night. He finished and had a quick breakfast. Before donning his gear to go and look for Katrina finding her by the rear exit of the building. She smiled shyly at his approached.

  “Good morning,” he said returning the smile.

  “I would prefer good nigh
t,” she replied in the husky southern drawl.

  “So would,” he started cutting himself off as he spotted Mable walking up.

  “Morning,” he called out with a smile that slid away as he saw the look on her face.

  She responded no differently from any other greeting but something in her eyes said differently to him.

  “Morning,” she responded politely as she turned to Katrina.

  “It is time to leave,” her slow southern draw sounded friendly enough Dan thought.

  Nevertheless, after what Mary had said about her being his girlfriend he was wondering whom else thought it.

  “Yes mother,” Katrina said cheerfully as she hugged him.

  Katrina’s hug took on a new meaning this morning.

  “See you tonight,” she whispered to him. Dan paused feeling a chill run down his spine as he looked at Mable, the look in her eye shook him.

  “Yes tonight,” he stammered.

  Katrina did not notice his hesitation as she turned to leave with her mother. Dan watched them go he was not sure if it was good or bad that Mable did not look back at him.

  Mary had just found him as the big rigs pulled out.

  “Are we walking today,” she asked with a disappointed tone. Dan was about to answer when T-bone pulled up driving the flatbed truck he used.

  “You walking today,” he asked Dan.

  “Yes, we want to check out a few places done better on foot,” he replied through the open driver’s window.

  “We are going to hit the mall first,” he told Dan.

  “Can you give us a lift down the street, we are heading that way to,” he asked.

  “Sure, hop on and don’t forget our deal from yesterday, it's still good. If you find something and need it hauled.”

  “You will do it for a cut,” he finished for him as T-bone laugh at this smiling.

  Mary and Dan climbed into the bed of the truck holding on tight as T-bone tore through the open gate racing down the street in a squeal of tires and smoke. It was a wild ride down West Avenue before Dan pounded on the cab of the truck to let T-bone know they wanted off. He let them off in front of a hardware store a few streets from the mall. Dan and Mary had just got out of the truck when T-bone stuck his head out of the driver’s window and said.

  “You’re up to something,” he told Dan amusingly.

  “Always,” Dan said. Bringing laughter from the truck.

  “Just remember I am on channel fifteen,” he said as he made the tires smoke again as he took off towards the mall. Dan and Mary both coughed waving the tire smoke away.

  “You are up to something,” Mary told him smirking.

  “Let’s see what’s left in the hardware store,” Dan said smiling he was not going to say what he was up to just yet.

  Dan walked through the broken open door of the hardware store and pulled an orange plastic wheel basket from the line of them by the register. he managed to push it only a few feet before a squealing wheel on the car made it pull to the left hard.

  “Figures,” Dan mumbled as Mary watched him discard the basket to grab another pushing making sure it rolled smoothly he nodded his head satisfied. They started making their way down the littered aisles Mary silent as she followed.

  “This store had been gone through all ready,” Mary said looking at mostly empty shelves this surprised him slightly.

  “Can you get that,” he said sounding bored to Mary as a low moaning sound started.

  “Sure,” Mary replied as she pulled the machete from her belt as she moved to the next isle. When she returned Dan was putting a large metal breaker bar in the basket he had. The four foot long thick pole with a point on one side and a wedge shaped tip on the other.

  Dan just smiled at Mary as she looked at him puzzled at what he was doing.

  “It was a woman,” she started saying as she started opening a bag she was carrying.

  “Anything,” Dan asked as Mary looked into the bag.

  “Nothing but diapers and bottles,” she said as she dropped the bag to the floor. Moving into another isle. Both of them stopping in the dim light as they watched a plastic blue box about two feet long on the ground move jerkily then stop. Looking quietly at the box then exchanging puzzled looks between them.

  “What is that,” Mary asked sounding slightly awed.

  “Not sure,” Dan said as he pulled the black blade of the Katana from his back and moved carefully forward followed by Mary.

  Dan neared the blue box and lowered the black blade so the slightly angled tip slipped under the lip of the plastic box.

  “Ready,” Dan said slightly tensing; he did not see Mary nod as he tensed the muscles in his arm as the plastic box flipped up.

  Mary gasped in horror and stepped backwards as Dan tensed and looked blank faced at what he saw. He had expected to see a small animal not the abomination before him. Sitting on the floor in front of him was a chubby baby. It was sitting up in a dirty stained white one-piece outfit with fading yellow ducks on it. Once chubby the flesh sat shrunken and gaunt on the baby’s face fine black hair lay matted and dull against the shrunken face. It slowly turned its head with milky white eyes appearing ghoulish with only four teeth showing. Appearing as a sick parity of a smile. The baby started making slight jerking movement seemingly happy of being discovery. The baby fell forward onto its hands as it moved forward crawling towards them it milky white eyes fixed on them. Mary fled the aisle with a sob as Dan backed up. Raising his sword as if to frighten the baby. As a mix of sickness and pity played across his face as he made a halfhearted and incomplete swing at the baby approaching him.

  The baby did not notice the lethal blade waving in front of it smiling and making a cooing moaning sound as it moved another foot towards him. Dan stopped abruptly backing into the shelves on the wall nearly falling down his blue eyes locked onto the approaching creature. He stood frozen as the creature stopped moving. Using one small withered hand to reach out grabbing at his brown hiking boot. At the touch Dan moved into action without thinking with a startled jerk. He lifted his right leg bringing his hiking boot up over the creepy baby. Bringing his boot down savagely without looking; he did not need to see the boot come down. He felt as his boot crushed the head into a sickly pulp as it oozed from the gray head with dirty black hair onto the floor. He had felt it as the bones splintered, it took several moments and as many deep breaths to control the emotions on his face. Everything from anger, pity, horror and an overwhelming urge to vomit crossed his troubled face before he step away from the mess in the aisle. He did not look back at the baby or the messy yellowish stains of his boot print that followed him down the aisle.

  He left the store to find Mary leaning against the wall trying to control a soft sob. Dan walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder as she jerked around to look at him startled.

  “I know how you feel,” he started quietly. Mary jerked her shoulder away from his hand as she turned to glare at him. Dan let his hand fall to his side as he spoke.

  “It still bothers me seeing children zombies.”

  Mary tried to speak whatever she was going to say caught in her throat.

  “The adults and teens you stop thinking are people, they just become something that is a threat and needs eliminating. Hell I even think some have become something to joke about,” Dan said looking at her as he remembered the one yesterday.

  “But that baby,” Mary blurted out.

  “No, that zombie,” Dan interrupted her. “And to look at it any other way will drive you mad,” he finished.

  Mary stared at him for what seemed like several minutes.

  “Now what,” she softly asked.

  “We decide continue or go back,” Dan stated.

  “What do you think,” Mary asked unsure of what they should do.

  “I say continue, the first time I ran into something like this I wanted to run away and hide,” he said trying to sound reassuring as he studied Mary’s face.

  “Manny to
ld me with the world the way it is now, how far could I run or where could I hide that I would not find this,” he finished waiting for Mary’s reply.

  “I guess you’re right,” she said reluctantly. Dan reached out and touched her arm.

  “Wait here I will go get the cart,” he told her.

  Dan may have calmly walked back into the hardware store while Mary watched, but out of her view, he nearly ran down the aisle to grab the shopping basket with the large bar in it. He did not turn his head or look at anything else as he rushed the basket out of the store. They started walking down the street the way they had come in the early morning sun. Shining now between the clouds still looking like it would rain later. Once they might have been out of place dressed the way they were, Dan with his bow and sword and Mary in her black SWAT body armor with machete and assault rifle.

  Now they dressed in high fashion. They ignored the zombie that was wandering down the street towards them as they crossed the intersection from the large white building they had seen yesterday. They walked through a small parking lot on the corner towards a one-store brick building with a large wood trim on a flat roof holding a sign for a jewelry store.

  The military Humvees sat stopped on the Sixty five outside the town of Transylvania. The road blocked by two police cars. Four people in tan police uniforms with wide brim hats and mirrored sunglasses sat and stood next to the police cars. Making no effort to approach the Humvee. Captain Jones looked frustrated by this as she turned to the driver.

  “Well, go find out if the convoy came this way,” she said angrily as the driver looked at her.

  “Yes ma'am,” the driver said reaching for the handle to open the Humvees door. Walking over to them the uniform soldier talked with the police officers for a few minutes before returning to the Humvee. Before he could finish climbing in.

  “Well,” Captain Jones started impatiently. The driver turned to look at her.

  “Yes Captain the convoy came through here and pass through town, but they do not know what direction they're going,” the driver started as Captain Jones looked between him and the uniformed officers.

  “Well are they going to move those cars to let us through,” she said angrily. The driver winced at her statement.