The Orphans (Book 3): Strangers

by Evans, Mike

  Chapter # The Search

  Shaun rode in the back of the truck while Greg drove slowly around the property. The two boys were getting desperate, the fact that no one had came out was making them lose serious hope. Greg said, “They aren’t here man, what do you want to do? We got plenty of gas but you know were are just killing time if they aren’t here.”

  Shaun said, “We aren’t leaving until we find them, or figure out a reason why they aren’t around. For better or worse we need to find them. I just don’t see Ellie not getting away she’s too smart. She wouldn’t just let those things sneak up on her, hell Patrick to for that matter.”

  Greg shrugged, “I don’t know man they are fast and we don’t know a hell of a lot about them yet.”

  Shaun said, “Lets quit wasting time driving the property then and lets go up to the main road maybe they are walking the highway looking for a ride.”

  They drove up the opposite way that Clary and Aslin had left and Shaun slapped on the hood of the truck when he saw a white shirt flapping in the wind. Shaun screamed with excitement and hope, “Drive over there, drive over there!”

  Greg saw what he was talking about and the two jumped out of the truck checking what the makeshift message said. When Shaun saw that it was signed Ellie at the bottom his heart beat easier for a second. Once he read the message he got the same feeling back again. “They went to Des Moines, oh my god, why the hell would they go there with strangers?”

  “It probably seemed like the smart play at the time. If there were this many of them here then maybe it was the only choice that they had.”

  “You realize what that means, we have to go there. We need to pick them up and let them know that we made it.”

  “You want to wait for Clary and Aslin? They aren’t going to know where we are or how to get there. I don’t think we’ve got any choice but t wait for them.”

  Shaun went around to the side of the truck climbing into the passenger side this time and said, “We need to just go. We can take our time going through town. If it looks bad we just go somewhere else. We can do it Greg, lets get a move on, after Tina we don’t want to have to worry about losing another one of us.”

  Greg reluctantly climbed in the truck knowing they’d be better off with four versus two. He said, :You realize we are only going to get away with so much crazy shit right? I mean you know as well as I do that we are going to where it practically all started. If Des Moines is seeing the same numbers that we are in comparison to how many people live out there its going to be horrible. I can’t imagine how many of those things are going to be there.”

  Shaun said, “Yes but at the same time remember if they are going to a shelter that means there must be some sort of camp set up with help right? There has got to be some sort of military or police there!”

  “You saw the turned at the base right? They mean two things to me. One that the turned made their way out there, or two that they were the ones sent to Des Moines to try and set up a shelter and they had to leave because there were too many of them.”

  “Well if thats the case we need to go either way.”

  “There isn’t any talking you out of it is there? You are pretty hell bent on this right?”

  Shaun nodded and said, “Yeah I don’t think there’s anything you are going to say. She’s your friend to you know that right?”

  Greg stopped the truc staring at Shaun long and hard. “Hey don’t be making me out to be the dick here. I’m trying to get us somewhere and get us back. We got left behind just now by Clary and Aslin. All i’m saying is we don’t know if she’s alive or dead and I don’t have a good feeling baout going to Des Moines. It was like the one thing your dad said not to go and do right? Like he said hey Shaun do not go to Des Moines whatever you do because that is where the outbreak happened, and now look at us we are going to fucking Des Moines. Seems like a shit idea to me.”

  “I’m not trying to call you out as a dick or anything but you are the only thing or one that can keep me from going after them. I don’t think I could do it without you, but if we have to leave her behind i’m not going to be able to forget that ever. I’m not trying to put yu on the spot but you are like the only one left with me that I can trust in. Tina’s dead, Ellie and Patrick are missing, and Clary and Aslin are still to new to really put my faith into yet. I know you might trust them but my dad always told me religiously that trust has to be earned, and i don’t think they’ve done that just yet. They wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the fact that someone didn’t drop them off in the middle of nowhere with a mission at hand.”

  “I get that they probably would have left us behind if there would have been a flight out of here, but there wasn’t and they are smart enough to realize that we hold some worth. I know you don’t trust easy Shaun and i’m not asking you to. But I think the longer that we stay with them the better all arund its going to be for us and everyone with us.”

  “So what about going to Des Moines are you down for it or not?”

  Greg shook his head no and said, “No, no I am most definitely not…”But when has that ever stopped me before from doing something stupid. If things look like they are going to hell in a handbag though we are out of there, or if we see that she has been taken out then there isn’t any reason for us to stay there and you and I get back to the base where we can at least stand a damn chance. You got a problem with that you let me know and we will skip Des Moine and just go stright back to the base. I have every intention of being one of the survivors through this thing. We need to be one of the survivors through this.”

  Shaun nodded and said, “Yes I can handle that, I don’t have much of a choice now do I?”

  Greg laughed and said, “Nope not if you want to make it there and back safely, god knows what would happen if you had to try and drive there.”

  Shaun pointed ahead drumming on the dashboard, “Let’s get moving then the longer we wait the shittier its going to be, you and I both know that.”

  Greg pulled out to the main highway wondering how far he was going to have to push it to get Shaun to leave her behind if they didn’t find the group. He stared at him rubbing the shirt in his hand thinking of her and that she had been holding it not more than a few hours ago. They drove the speed limit on the highway between Adel and the interstate. As they drove there were stretches that looked like they were the only ones that had ever seen the interstate looking as normal as every other day. They took their time being patient when they came to stretches of cars that had crashed alongside the road. The boys were thankful that the corn that had been recently planted wasn’t shoulder height and above yet. The turned could be standing a foot inside the crops and no one would ever know until it was to late. When they made it to the interstate it to was void of cars.

  Greg said, “So-do you think this is a good thing, or a bad thing that there is like no one out here? I mean we haven’t seen even another car yet that had people who weren’t half eaten hanging out of it.”

  Shaun didn’t answer he just stared at the carnage the crashed cars eventually he said, “I think its bad. I think that if I see Ellie again its going to be a goddamned miracle honestly. If we see any of them for that matter.”

  “You want to keep going? I only say because the further we get into town the worst its looking man.”

  When Shaun didn’t answer Greg knew what his response was. They would at least go and check it out, Shaun felt he owed it to them at the very least. Greg said, “You can only put so much on your shoulders man, this entire thing isn’t your fault, no matter how much you want to blame yourself. You know as well as I do there’s a million ways they could have met, you and Ellie setting that in motion isn’t your fault. It isn’t like you knew your dad had the devil in a bottle sitting upstairs in the attic.”

  Shaun nodded feeling no better. “If they can cure thse things then I think that’ll be at least a start to the healing process, but if they can’t-”

  “If they can’t cure them
then what?”

  “Then i’m going to shoot every last one of them until there aren’t anymore left, until America is safe again.”

  “You won’t be able to do it alone, you know general.”

  Shaun laughed, “Oh yeah, are you gonna be up for probably the worst idea i’ve ever came up with?”

  Greg nodded thinking of the two of them walking through the streets and taking out as many of them as they could. “You do realize if they can’t cure them its going to be to the point where we are probably outnumbered by those things right. I can’t imagine how many there already are buts its gotta be some stupidly high number by now.”

  Greg drove under a bridge to take the off ramp towards the baseball field that Ellie had mentioned on the shirts note and when they drove under it they could see the exit and felt a little bit of optimisim. For about three seconds, three of the turned leapt off of the bridge landing on the roof, the hood, and the rear of the truck. Greg swerved the truck wildly the shock of it almost making him crash into the barrier of the interestate. His eyes grew and he looked to Shaun who was already thinking. Shaun said, “Bridges, we need to watch the bridges!”

  Greg screamed, “Yeah got it, now shoot the fuckin things will ya?”

  Shaun complied aiming down on the one in the back that was crouched and screaming towards them, pieces of whatever it had been eating flying out of its mouth mixed with blood and spit. Shaun fired his pistol twice snapping its head back and it stumbled out of the rear of the truck flailing its arms. Until it slipped of the rear tailgate landing on its face and painting the road beneath it with its flesh. The echoing in the truck from the pistol made both boys instantly and temporarily deaf. Greg’s hearing was not going to last the apocalypse if they did not get some sort of hearing protection that could be worn regularly. A hand punched through the roof of it splitting the steel and missing Shaun’s face by inchest. Both boys glued themselves to their sides of the truck and out of the reach of the hand. It had its arm all the way into to the elbow. Greg swerved the truck again this time from not being able to hold onto the wheel properly his inexperience in driving putting them in a bad place. He drove the truck into the barrier this time, sparks flew off of the side of the truck. Greg screamed swerving it back away from the wall and screamed at Shaun, “Get them off the goddamn truck! Do it, do it now!”

  Shaun didn’t answer, he pulled a knife from his belt and when the turned was searching around Shaun pinned its hand against the roof and with his other arm used every ounce of muscle he had to slam the kabar knife through its hand and into the trucks roof. It tried its best to free its hand but was unable to with the awkward angle that it was trapped at. A new pounding came from the roof and dents started to form. The turned that was on the hood was crouched and holding on between the hood and the windshield and using its head as a hammer, smashing its face hard and harder into the glass. The window began to splinter the safety glass was starting to buckle under the abuse. Shaun screamed, “Pump the brakes hard!”

  Greg did and the thudding on top of the roof ceased, the turned came over the top of the truck still pinned to the roof but slamming its body into the third one trying to smash its face through the windshield. The force from the turned on top flying off into it knocked it backwards a hand gripping the bumper was the only thing from sending it under the truck. The one with the pinned arm stared into the boys eyes for a instant. Shaun placed the barrel of his pistol up next to the windshield and fired twice in succession both drilling into the pinned turned’s face. The hate in its eyes faded away. It went limp on the windshield and Shaun pulled the knife from its place and pushed its hand back up through the hole. Greg punched the brakes again sending it off the front of the truck. The truck hit it hard bouncing into the air and Greg fought to regain control of the truck.

  He slowed down getting complete control of the truck his knuckles white on the steering wheel. Shaun sat back in his seat for a second both boys chests were heaving. Just as they thought they were good a bloody hand came into view followed by the other, and the turned began to crawl up hood of the truck its eyes focused on Greg and Shaun. Greg screamed, “What are ya waitin for get it the hell off!”

  Shaun didn’t respond he stuck his rifle through the istol holes and fired into its chest missing its head but hitting it in the spine. Its legs went out from under it and it disappeared beneath the truck. The truck bounced once then twice and a mangled turned rolled to a stop behind them on the road leaving a long line of guts and blood. Greg was speeding up and slammed on the brakes the truck fishtailed wildly and Shaun who had, had to remove his seatbelt to take care of the turned was smashed into the dash slamming his forehead into it and splitting the side of it open. Blood gushed down the right side of his face and they had nothing in the truck but the shirt on his own back to clean it with. Shaun pushed at Greg wo was touching his shoulder trying to see if he was ok. “What the hell are you doing Greg? Son of a bitch look at me damn it.”

  Greg ripped his sleeve from his own shirt and balled it up giving it to s/haun as a makeshift bandage. When Shaun could see again Greg pointed to the road ahead. Shaun not seeing it blinded by anger temporarily yelled, “What, what the hell is it?”

  Greg said, “Look at the bridge head, they are eveywhere. They are just sitting there waiting to jump off of it and there has to be at least twenty of the damn things there. They are everywhere.”

  Shaun looked seeing what he was talking about and knew that there’d be no hope of curing these turned because they were just one of many more obstacles to come most likely from keeping him from getting back to Ellie and the others. Shaun and Greg exited the truck not getting any closer than they dared and began firing the assault rifles until it was cleared and there was nothing left of them to feel threatened by. They headed down the highway taking their time before passing under any bridges. They could see the city as they did there were cars everywhere littering the roadways. Bodies lying in the street as well as turned walking aimlessly looking for more meals to try and quench the thirst that would never be satisfied.

  Shaun barely spoke it aloud. “There’s no one, I mean no one trying to flee, trying to get away its just the turned walking the streets.”

  Greg looked around to seeing no signs that aimed towards anything positive about the situation. “That doesn’t mean that everyone is dead, there has to have been someone who didn’t get taken or who wasn’t turned, right?”

  Shaun shrugged not seeing any signs to prove otherwise. “If this is what its like this far from where we are going I can only imagine what its going to be like as we get closer. I mean think about it didn’t my dad say it was at the hosptial? Thats less then a mile from where this so called camp is going to be set up at.”

  Greg said, “We’ve came this far we might as well keep going right?”

  Shaun said, “Oh I wasn’t talking about turning back Greg, but i’m thinking there aren’t going to be very many people left to cure these things if we got hit this bad. I can’t imagine what the rest of the state, hell what the rest of the country might be looking like about right now.”

  “You know as long as we can get them and get back to the base i’m not going to be to worried about anywhere else. We need to rely on each other and just ride this thing out. They have to figure something out. I mean science started this and it is going to have to be the thing that ends it right? Because if not-” Greg trailed off.

  Shaun picked up the words that Greg couldn’t bring himself to say. “If we aren’t able to cure them then there won’t be anything left to do but kill them. I know that is what Aslin and Clary are thinking. I bet thats the only reason they are letting us stay with them now that Andy’s place is gone is that they need boots on the ground to help.”

  Greg said, “Hey i’m sure its more than that but i don’t disagree that if they had not lost their team they’d probably gone off on their own or at the least they’d be takig out everyone of those things that they see. I am in agreement th
ough, if they can’t be save then they can’t stay, at least around here. I can’t iagine having to stare over my shoulder everywhere I go and having to worried about these bastards jumping off roofs, off bridges, coming out of stores.”

  Shaun said, “You know what worries me the most about them, besides that it seems we have to shoot them in the head to kill them?”

  “What is that?”

  “That they dont’ seem stupid Greg. I mean they don’t seem like they are just deadhead zombies, they think. I don’t know about what but when we were at the school Ellie even pointed out to me that they heard the gunshots. They were looking for us and when they found us they had some looks on their faces like they knew that they had bad intentins and like theyknew what they wanted to do something about it.”

  “Wow Shaun that actually didn’t do anything at all, like anything to make me feel better about these circumstances going on.”

  Shaun laughed, “I’m sorry i wasn’t aware there was a upbeat to the zombie apocalypse going on in our hometown and across the entire country.”

  Greg said, “Lets just remember that you and I are in this together right? We need to stick together. Every time we split up something horrible happens, something changes that we can’t go back to, that we can’t alter. Your dad, Kristy, Jordan, Tina, its day three man and we have lost to many people already. To many lives are already gone and I don’t want to have to worry about losing anyone else. I’m running out of people that I care about seeing make it through this thing.”

  “You and me both man. We haven’t been doing anything stupid that is what scares me, I mean minus Tina that feels like its on my running half cocked down towards the barn. I just don’t think that I can handle losing Ellie either and when it came down to me thinking about her beign gone, and about those damn things getting her, about them tearing at her skin and her body it was just too much for me to handle.”