by Maxey, Phil
She shook her head as she looked at him. “Either the virus affects different people differently or there’s something special about you. From everything I’ve seen so far, I would say it’s the latter.”
“Yeah… I’m real special.”
“If you believe in a god, you should be thanking them. You might be the only person on this continent, maybe even further, that has had this reaction to the virus. You still need blood though?” She said the last part somewhat anxiously.
“I do, but it doesn’t have to be human.”
She fell silent.
“I know what you’re thinking—”
She looked at him surprised.
He shook his head and smiled. “No, I can’t read your mind. I meant, you want to know if I’ve fed on people. The answer is yes, but… it wasn’t something I planned or wanted.”
“So, your urges become too great to resist?”
“Yeah.”
Anna nodded to herself. “Then we need to make sure you have a regular supply of blood. If you had told me sooner of your condition I could have given you some of the blood supplies we still had back at the clinic.”
“Maybe I can—” Joel cocked his head as if listening to the silence around them.
“What is it?”
He picked up the sound of shattering glass in the distance.
He looked at the doctor. “How many hours till daylight?”
She hesitated. “Umm, I think two or three?”
“Wake everyone, tell them to get ready, we may have to leave before.”
The door to the classroom opened again. Bill was standing there.
“I heard a noise,” he said.
More breaking of windows were just audible.
Joel stood and checked the magazine on his handgun, then reached under the sofa and pulled out his M4 and did the same. He then picked up his radio and clipped it on the side of his belt.
Gabe and Marina appeared behind Bill.
Joel looked at everyone, most of whom were looking at him. “This is it. Everyone knows what to do and stay alert on the radio.”
Flint was already sitting up and Joel reclaimed his jacket, then pulled the leash from his pocket and attached it to the dog’s collar. He then quickly led the animal into the classroom, past those quickly collecting their things, and up to Jessica. She moved backward, bumping into her mother.
Joel held out the leash to the little girl. “Take it, I need you to look after him.”
Marina’s eyes betrayed that she wasn’t sure keeping hold of this dog was a good idea, but before she could object, Jess took the leash.
Joel looked down at Flint. “And you look after them!”
The dog’s tail wagged.
Joel nodded to Marina then ran outside into the hallway and strained his senses to see if there was already any movement inside the school.
Over the past few months he had become pretty attuned to what his new abilities could tell him about his surroundings, and, right now, they were telling him there were at least five things inside the ground floor that shouldn’t be there.
He sprinted down the hallway, passing other abandoned rooms and into the dark stairwell. In the pale lunar light, he stopped to get another sample of the building around him.
They’re moving closer.
He looked over the bannister to the ground floor and waited. A few seconds passed and the bottom-most door flung open and a vamp staggered forward. Joel watched its head twitch from left to right in the darkness, and then upwards, looking directly at him. It sprung up the steps, its claws scratching holes in the masonry of the walls. As it arrived at the first floor, another moved into the stairwell behind it.
Joel ran down the first flight, and just as it came around the corner below it, he blasted two shots into its head with the assault rifle. Blood sprayed the walls and it fell backwards into the shadows.
He then ran down the other steps waiting for its partner to appear, but there was nothing but empty space looking back at him.
Where the hell did it go?
Running down to the first floor landing he pulled open the door and strained his eyes to see into the gloom. It wasn’t his vision that spotted where the creature went, but his nose, for he smelled the trail that it left and took off down the hall. He had only gotten ten or so yards when more of the building’s windows exploded in glass, quickly followed by the sound of the inner mesh being bent and twisted.
He clicked on his radio. “There’s at least seven in the building. One moving in your direction. Over.” He sprinted forward when gun fire came from the second staircase at the end of the corridor. As he got closer, a scream rang out mingled with more booms.
He charged open the stairwell door. A vamp lay dead on the steps in front of him, but Gabe also laid on the ground, holding his shoulder. Joel ran to him, but as he did the stench of the older man’s blood filled his lungs, and for a moment he was lost in the serenity of its sweetness.
Gabe groaned and Joel’s mind awoke from its fog. He kneeled. “Let me see.”
Gabe pulled his hand back. A large gash that was weeping blood was visible through his jacket.
“That’s going to need to be sewn. Can you still fire your gun?”
Gabe winced but nodded he could.
A noise came from above, and Marina and Kelly appeared carrying a large crate of supplies.
“Is this way clear?” said Marina.
Joel took a moment to sense around him. Just as he did, the ground floor door swung back, and vamps poured through the opening.
Marina and Kelly started to move back up the stairs.
“No. Stay there, I got this.” He looked at Gabe. “Give them cover if anything makes it past me.” Joel then turned and moved off so quick, that to those watching, they just saw a blur.
As he arrived at the first floor landing, two vamps scrambled towards him. Joel raised his rifle, then hesitated on realizing the closest creature was far smaller than the one behind. It was a boy, not much younger than his own. From its throat, sounds gurgled between its yellow white teeth, and it tore at the air as it clambered up the steps.
Joel fired, putting it down instantly, but the other used the limp body as a ramp and leaped upwards. Joel fired again but the bullet missed, and the creature crashed into him pushing him up against the wall. Looking into the bottomless pits that were its eyes, he felt stirrings deep within him, a rage that wanted to be set free. The thing swiped across him with its razor-like nails, but he blocked it with the rifle, pushed it off, and fired two more shots. These hit their mark, and the creature fell backwards against the steps.
Joel took a breath, then looked up at Marina, Gabe, and Evan looking down at him. He waved them down. “Come on, I’ll lead you to the basement.”
He could feel the other hungry things elsewhere in the building, but most were far enough away, confused by the locked rooms and corridors. They carried the supplies down the stairwell to the ground floor, and then deeper to the entrance to the schools now-defunct generator and cooling systems.
Joel pushed the door open to the basement, sensing into the large machinery-infused space for any hint of danger. Confirming there wasn’t any, he gestured to the others. “It’s safe, bring everything down, now!”
He helped the others, and it wasn’t long before five or six large crates, filled with what they felt they needed to survive, were piled near the door to the world outside.
Joel closed the door to the stairwell and locked it with a latch. “That’s not going to hold for long once they know we’re down here.”
He quickly moved past Marina, Jess, the eight others, and the dog to the exit and stood in the stairwell, trying to listen through the secure exterior door. There were definite noises of vamps outside, but he couldn’t pinpoint how far away they were. He looked back at the nervous-looking group, their faces lit by a few flashlights.
Evan looked at his grandfather who handed him the keys to their pickup. “Don’t worry, I can do this,�
�� said the young man.
Joel looked at the others. “I’m going to need one other to bring Claire’s pickup, while I drive Jim’s.”
Gabe went to talk, but his wife nudged him, and he stifled his words. Kelly stepped forward.
“Kelly?” said Claire.
She looked back at her grandmother and held her arm. “I got this.”
Claire’s eyes fixed on Joel. “You bring her back safe.”
He nodded. “I will.” He then looked at her granddaughter and Evan. “I’m going to move outside of here first, when I think it’s clear to go, come out and stay close to me.” He looked at the shotgun in Evan’s hand that was shaking. “How good are you with that?”
“I always get to level thirty on Super Clay Pigeon.”
Joel tried to hide his sigh. “Good.”
He looked back at the others. “Those of you with rifles, cover us from the top of the steps outside, but do not move from here. If you get lost out there, there might not be any coming back.”
They all nodded.
Joel pulled the bolts back from the door, slid the large key into the single keyhole and pushed the door open. A cool breeze washed over everyone. He moved out into the small open stairwell, walked up the five concrete steps to the top, looked at the road which ran along the side of the school, and out to the parking lot at the front. He looked back, then beckoned Kelly and Evan to him. They then ran as quietly as they could and were soon crouched at the far corner of the building.
Joel peered around the red brickwork. Four vehicles sat parked near each other, including the three they wanted. The rest of the parking lot seemed empty. Crashing noises came from the broken windows just above their heads. It was obvious where most of the vamps were. He leaned in closer to the young people next to him. “You ready?”
They nodded.
They then sprinted across the concrete, Joel running to the police pickup, Kelly to her grandmother’s, and Evan to his.
Joel slid his key into the ignition.
Here we go.
The pickup’s engine purred, as did the one behind, and the one to his side. Kelly’s vehicle turned sharply in a circle and she accelerated away, quickly moving around the corner of the building. Evan followed.
Glass fell from the upstairs windows and Joel looked up to see vamps emerging like beetles from a nest, clambering along the walls, their claws digging into the masonry, keeping them from falling.
Joel pushed down on the gas pedal and screeched away towards the road that led to the basement. As he did, vamps started appearing from the shadows behind the parking lot.
He pulled into the narrow road. The others were already carrying the crates up the stairs and loading them into both pickups. As he pulled up, gunfire started. He jumped out just as a vamp fell from the sky, landing on the hood of his pickup. A well-placed bullet from Claire’s rifle dropped it and it slid to the ground.
Joel looked up and started firing immediately at the creatures that were scurrying across the red bricks of the large building, moving in his direction.
Marina opened the rear door to Joel’s pickup, and bundled Jess with Flint inside. As she turned, looking along the narrow road, she momentarily froze. Countless squirming misshapen bodies, some crawling over others, were coming around the far corner of the building.
Marina, Claire, Gabe, and Mary ran forward, joining Joel, and started firing at the horde that were scampering towards them.
Evan and Hardin pushed the last of the crates into the back of Claire’s pickup. Hardin jumped in, while the younger man jumped into the driver’s seat of his own vehicle. Bill and Anna were already inside.
“Let’s go!” shouted Evan to those outside.
Claire, Mary, and Gabe turned and jumped inside any available open door, while Joel and Marina continued to shoot their weapons.
A rustling came from the bushes to their left, and two vamps emerged and immediately sprung forward.
Marina swung her arm around and went to fire her handgun, but her finger just produced a dull clicking from the trigger. She staggered backwards as Flint barked and Jess screamed. Joel fired off one shot, which hit the first vamp, slowing it, but it still flung itself forward. As it pulled its arm back to swing its claws across Marina, Joel threw himself across the hood slamming his boot into the chest of the creature, pushing it back against the other. “Get in!” he shouted to Marina who pulled the driver’s door open and jumped in.
He looked at the other pickups. “Go!”
Both vehicles screeched away.
Three more vamps appeared from the shadow-infected trees and descended upon Joel, he went to fire his M4, but it too was out of ammo, and instead he used it as a club to put down the closest of the bloodthirsty attackers. As another grabbed at him, he turned to Marina. “Get to the main road, I’ll catch up!”
She hesitated, then slammed down on the gas.
As one after another of the vamps swiped at him, he swayed and smashed them with the rifle, but as the lacerations on his body increased, his energy started to wane.
Then he heard grunts and screeches, and the sound of necks breaking. As he slammed another thing with sharklike teeth to the ground, he looked at a tall figure clearing a path to him.
When it was just a few feet away, it collapsed to the ground. Joel realized he had been given precious space to escape as the next horde of vamps were still some way off.
He looked down at the non-human thing, its body blackened and fragmented. Its part face looked downwards, showing sinew and skull.
“Who are you?” said Joel.
“He’s… looking for you, Joel…”
What?
“Jim?”
“I had to… you had to know… you are spec—”
The thing that was the former sheriff fell face forward into the concrete. Joel heard the thing’s heart stop and not restart, but he kneeled next to the body anyway.
“What do you mean, looking for me? Who’s looking for me?” He turned over what used to be his friend and looked into his black eyes, which were lifeless.
“Jim, how… I don’t understand…”
The night air filled with the sound of more guttural high-pitched roars, and he looked up at the swarm that was almost upon him. He quickly slid his fingers into his back pocket and pulled out the sheriff badge Hardin had given him and laid it on Jim’s chest. He then got to his feet, turned and fled.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Most around Joel were asleep as the sun started to rise behind the distant mountains. Luckily, they managed to leave most of the vamps behind at the school, but they had forgotten about the barricade across the road to Wyton. It took a further twenty minutes of dragging and heaving to create a route past the abandoned vehicles and farm equipment before they were free and clear of the town of Bellweather.
Beyond, was just desert with the occasional forgotten shack, and those that weren’t driving took the opportunity to get some rest.
To Joel’s right was Marina with Jess, and Flint in the rear seats. Behind was Claire’s pickup, with herself driving, Kelly, Gabe, Dawn, and Mary, and further back, Evan, Bill, Anna, and Hardin. Each vehicle had at least one person with a radio.
He played the final moments at the school over and over in his mind, trying to make sense of the words that came from the creature that was once the sheriff.
He’s looking for me? Who is ‘he?’ How did Jim know any of that?
The only conclusion that worked was whatever happened to Jim made him crazy and, somehow, he survived the explosion in the mine, and instinctively made his way to the school.
Yeah, that must be it.
It wasn’t an idea he liked, Jim deserved better. For now, he knew he needed to focus on one thing. Keeping the occupants of the three vehicles alive. But he had no idea if the world they were moving into would be any safer than the one they just escaped from.
He shook his head.
One day at a time.
A sign app
eared ahead. ‘You are now entering the town of Wyatt. Population 3581.’
He slowed as he moved around a truck that was abandoned across both lanes. Its doors were open, but the cabin was empty. They kept going, and soon motels, plazas, and restaurants appeared at the side of the four-lane road.
Static came from his radio, followed by Claire’s voice. “Maybe we should stop at one of these stores, get some more stuff? Over.”
Joel looked at the shadows that existed beyond the darkened glass of the stores, and even though he couldn’t directly sense anything, he still felt uneasy. He clicked on his radio. “I say we keep moving on for—” He noticed in his rear mirror that Claire’s pickup had turned off into a parking lot.
Swearing under his breath, he slowed then turned the pickup around in the next turning and drove onto the same lot. Evan did the same, pulling up behind.
Marina lifted her head. “What’s happening?” she said sleepily.
“Just looking for some supplies. Keep an eye on the vehicle, I’m going to check things out.”
She nodded, sitting more upright in her chair, and he got out. About a hundred yards to his left sat a large monolithic white building, with ‘Greens Pharmacy’ scrawled across the wall.
Joel ran to catch up with Claire and her granddaughter that were walking quickly, guns leading the way, towards the large glass doors of the store. “You need to let me go first.”
Claire frowned. “I don’t need you to do anything, other than stay out of our way.”
Kelly looked down as Joel looked at her, trying to keep up with her grandmother.
They all arrived at the entrance with clear doors that were twice their height. One of them was devoid of glass, which instead lay in thousands of tiny pieces across the floor.
Despite the sun now providing enough light to dispel most shadows, the interior of the pharmacy was hidden in gloom, and even Joel could only see to the start of the aisles beyond the checkout counters. Claire went to move forward, but Joel was quicker and slipped inside. The floor was a sea of plastic hair product bottles, and small cardboard boxes, most of which appeared to be different types of vitamins and baby food. Joel stepped over them, and cautiously walked into the store.