by Evans, Mike
“Hey just remember if the worse and I’m not saying its what i am thinking but if it is what happens you remember don’t lose it man. We need someone to be in charge and control and well - I think we both know it shouldn’t be me.”
Shaun said, “I’m pretty sure Clary and Aslin are the ones in charge man. No one’s going to listen to me i’m barely a teenager man.”
“If we get more people our age they are going to trust you more than a adult. They’ll confide in you its our nature. You trust any adults over other teens?”
Shaun waved his hand back and forth in a so so manner seeing what he was saying but not sure that responsibility was something that he wanted on his shoulders. “Tell you what if that becomes a possibility, what I mean is if we end up getting more people our age we can talk about this again, but if its just adults we keep picking up then it is not going to be a big deal.”
Greg noded as they drove thrugh the city. “Just remember that you said we’d revisit it at a later time. My main worry is if we lose them, that there wouldn’t be anyone left to keep us in line. God knows what could happen if everyone is just running around like a bunch of morons without a plan. We can make it through this but if we want any kind of numbers we will have to make sure and keep the infected away from us. It only takes one before the shit hits the fan and its everywhere.”
“You sound like a grown up Greg.” Shaun said laughing.
Greg said “Hey it just seems important man. I want some idea whats gonna happen when the shit hits the fan.”
Shaun stared at the turned who were watching them drive through the streets. Looking as if at any second they would run after them. He said, “Dude I think its hit the fan.”
Greg said, “People still have hope.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
Greg nodded, “It is the only thing, once we find out from the CDC if they are going to be able to cure them I think thats when its going to get bad. I mean really bad. Like people will know there won’t be a replentish on supplies. Whats left is left and when its gone we don’t have that thing anymore. People will get greedy, and messed up.”
Shaun said, “Yeah think about all those people who made it and don’t have their medicines that they need or other stuff.”
They both thought of Patrick and Greg said, “You know it’d probably be smart given we find Patrick that we make sure that kid has all the insulin that he’s going to need for a good damn long time to come. I don’t want to see that kid get that sick again, that was rough. He’s basically screwed if he gets like that to.”
Shaun said, “Well lets find him some once we find him. I think that is why Aslin was so hell bent on staying at the base. He saw all the foods and knew it’d take us a month worth of going back and forth to try and even get most of that stuff back.”
“We aren’t the only ons that know about that place, we might not get visitors who are interested in joining our group. They might have their own groups of people that they prefer to stick with.”
Shaun said, “Well if Clary and Aslin can do what they say that they can as far as training us to be able to surivie this then anyone not wanting to join up very well might just not get back to their group.”
“Could you shoot someone who isn’t infected? I mean just a regular person.”
“Are they threatening us?”
Greg nodded, and Shaun said, “Yes, if they have ill intentions towards us then they aren’t any better than the turned are they? They might be even more dangerous god knows what some of those sick ass people would do to us, or the girls. Just because they came doesn’t mean the bad died, just like Joey. I saw how Clary was looking at him, he thought he was looking at a unicorn but there’s no reason he wouldn’t surivie. Hell can you imagine how many handicapped people are probably trapped somewhere right now that cant care for themselves?”
“Yeah well in their defense I think self preservation is something that people are more concerned about. If we spent all of our time looking for suriviors I think we would get tkaen out pretty quick. We need to hold tight once we get something safe.”
Shaun said, “Maybe but maybe we need to do more, we could help so many, that place is huge. If we get people early before we know whats going to happen we could already have the numbers we need.”
Greg started to laugh and said, “Lets just focus please on getting those who we are actually looking for. But i’m glad that you don’t want to be a leader since you sound like one already making long term plans Shaun.”
Shaun thought about it and realized that maybe that was a pair of shoes that he felt that he could fill. When they pulled into downtown Des Moine, neither boy liked its set up. There was nothing but tall buildings, narrow streets, and darkened alleyways. They drove slow and Shaun said, “We need to get out of here, I don’t like this set up at all, its much more open though by the ball fields, maybe we need to speed it up and get over there.”
Greg said, “Dude its not like i’m trying to go slow, there are bodies, and cars everywhere, i’m more worried that we are going to get stuck somewhere and have to go in reverse just to get back out of here.”
Shaun nodded and said, “Yep that isn’t something that we want to have to worry about, I agree with you on that. Why don’t you head over to the parking ramps the ones that go up three stories and drive up to the roof. Maybe we will be able to see something up there.”
“What if we run into a horde of the turned somewhere then what do we do?”
“There will be that many less to worry about the cure working on.”
Greg said, “You don’t believe in a cure do you?”
Shaun said, “I can’t see how you can cure something that you can shoot in the heart and it just keeps on coming at you, hard and fast. I mean it these things rip doors off, they rip limbs off, there’s nothing that can stop them but a bullet to the head, and thank god for that. Can you imagine if we couldn’t kill them with a headshot, it’d literally be like walking through hell.”
Greg said, “it kind of already is like walking through hell when we run into one of them. They just take without care without ever being fulfilled without being satisfied they - they -”
Shaun said, “Suck, they really suck.”
Greg laughed turning into a parking ramp pulling a ticket making the arm go up. Greg pulled in trying to think it over. “Well I was trying to think of something a bit more articulate to say but yeah I’d say that suck is a good enough explanation.”
They drove slowly through the parking ramp Shaun shone a light in anywhere he could think one of them could be. When he saw no reflections coming his way he breathed just a little easier. When they pulled to the ramp the two climbed out looking down in the street seeing it was clear for the moment. Once Shaun got his bearings he looked in the direction of the baseball field stadium. Greg handed him his rifle and Shaun laid down on the pavement sighting in the property and with in a second was up and dragging Greg behind him. Greg screamed, “What did you see? What is it?”
Shaun said, “We need to move, come on, get in the truck. We need to get to the baseball field. I saw Ellie and the others.”
Greg wanted to smile but realized that there was something wrong. There was excitement in his face but it was more nervousness than anything. When they climbed in Greg slammed on the truck turning the spinning wheel around and fishtailing the truck. He raced back down the ramp and crashed through the wood gate that was blocking their path. Shaun Covered his faces out of natural reaction and they hit the speedbump thanking the for coming and the truck bucked up and down slamming both boys off the dash and the steering wheel. Shaun screamed I saw her, they were ok, but I don’t think it looked like it was going to be for long.”
Greg said, “What the hell are you talking about. What was over there.”
Shaun said, “They were surrounded by the turned.”
Greg screamed frantically, “Did you see the army? Or were there guards or security?”
S
haun said, “Yeah I saw the army there.”
Greg said, “Greg great we need the army right?”
Shaun looked over seriousness couldn’t be more evident on his face. “Greg the army were the turned, they were all one of them. They were punching holes in the bus, that cheap metal isn’t going to last long, and once they get in there well we both know what is going to happen to everyone on the inside of the bus. Ellie isn’t going to have a chance and there won’t be anything that we will be able to do.”
Greg rubbed at his face trying to take all of the information in and despising the news at the exact same time. He didn’t say anything back he just put his foot into the gas harder swerving dangerously through the cars that had either been abandoned or pieces of the driver were hanging out of the car, nothing being left to turn. Turned came out of nowhere jumping and trying to cling to the side of the truck. They punched through the glass and were rewarded with a rifle but to the skull. Those that wouldn’t let go of the side of the truck after a rifle hit got a pistol shot to the skull. Greg watched in awe out of the side of his vision amazed at the precision he was executing taking them out. He had never seen his friend so focused in his life.They fell behind the truck skidding to a stop skin, blood, and brains from the new hole courtesy of Shaun painting their path.
When the last of them fell off the truck they hit a straightaway. Those that were jumping at them were not quick enough to clutch onto the truck. Shaun checked and made sure that his rifle and Greg’s were both ready and full of ammunition. He went around the edge of the window with his rifle until the edges were clean of glass and he would be able to climb out of it if he needed to do so. Greg said, “I’m in this for the long haul brother, just don’t do anything stupid. you and I both know that there are only so many second chances that we are going to get here.”
Chapter #
Ellie and the rest of the teens were glued to the windows. Patrick whispered, “Would you look at this place. Christ I thought that Adel looked bad. This place looks like hell.”
Ellie thought about it and just nodded. She yelled up to Philip who was gripping the steering wheel for dear life. “Hey how’s it looking p there.”
Philip didn’t answer he felt instantly better for a brief second when they pulled up to the parking lot. Eric gripped his shoulder and said, “Hey man take it easy, look at all of the army trucks. We made it, we did it.”
“Yeah but where are they? Do you think they are inside of there?”
Eric said, “Hell if I know, just take it slow and go up by the gates maybe they are inside and have it locked down, its been a couple days. Maybe they think people already would be here, hell maybe they evacuated already?”
Kya yelled, “Wait you think that they already left? What are we going to do then?”
Ellie said, “If this place isn’t safe, feel more than free to take us to the base where the others are. Shaun’s probably lost his mind if he came back and saw that.”
Patrick said, “You think they came back already?”
Ellie shrugged, “I don’t know maybe, maybe not, but can you imagine pulling up and seeing the house on fire, and the bodies everywhere of the turned.”
Joey said, “I think they all are gonna be scared. Jordan isn’t going to be happy.”
They thought of his sister Jenn and of the horor of Jordan going up and seeing his sister on the ground eaten and ripped apart. Ellie said, “maybe we should go back we could make it there on our own right?”
Shelman said, “What you think yu can just take this bus all the way on your own?”
Ellie said, “Once you get in there you aren’t going to need it? I don’t see you going out for drives do you?”
Eric said, “So you don’t want to even check it out before you leave?”
Patrick gripped her shoulder and said, “Ellie we left them a message, we gotta give them a little bit of hope that they are able to see it. If we aren’t in one place then how the hell are they ever going to find us? We only have so many chances to get somewhere safe. Our luck so far has sucked.”
Ellie said, “Yeah we need somewhere thats flame retardant I think.” She stared at the building in front of them and trying to make up her mind. “Fine we stay if it looks cool once we get there, but if we need to leave wego to the base and we try and find them. Or we can go back to the farm and look for them. I don’t know but if we need to leave we have to find the others. We need to really find them anyways.”
Philip pulled the bus up alongside the entrance and pulled to a stop. They squinted trying to see inside the dark tunnel but it was to hard to see. Eric looked around in the front of the bus and found a maglight. He hit the power and shone it down the tunnel. He breathed easy when he saw fatigues. It did not last long as they turned around seeing the light and Eric saw the blood on the men as well as limbs and tears of skin missing. He said, “Oh fuck get us out of here, they, they -”
Ellie pushed up looking and cut him off, “They are turned, damn it. Unless they locked down the place then everything here is a loss.”
Eric said, “How do we get in there and check if the others are in there?”
Philip said, “Oh that is simple.”
Eric said, “Ok i’m up for suggestions.”
Philip said, “We don’t, we get the hell out of there before those things come out here and rip this bus to shit.”
Eric couldn’t get past the idea that there was potental for safety if they could only get past them, or go in a different way. You buy me some time and drop me off somewhere else then you drive by those things closer and see if you can draw them out. If you can then they chase you until I can find out if there is refuge in there.”
Philips said, “Right but what makes you think if someone is in there, which for the record i’m saying you are a fucking dead man if you go in there but there is a great chance they aren’t trying to do anything about those turned soldiers if there is no one shooting right now. They either have things locked down tight, or.” Philip trailed off and Ellie punched him, and she punched him hard in the shoulder. He yelled, “Christ I dont’ need this kid, you realize that right Ellie?”
Ellie punched him again putting more into this one than the last. “Tell him what he needs to hear! It’s obvious there’s n sense in us yelling at you and telling you what do do. There apparently in your minds no way that we could possibly be smart enough to tell you to intellects something that you wouldn’t already know ahead of time.”
Eric said, “I don’t think I like you very much!”
Ellie screamed punching him in the chest, “I don’t care, but you are the only one who thinks going into that place is a good idea, and your bff is to stupid to tell you that if you go in there you are dead. Somehow everyone on this bus knows that you are screwed if you go in there but you. You have some sort of false prophet hope that there is something in there that is just going to magically save you.”
Patrick said, “What makes you think someone is in there?”
Eric opened his mouth to say something and closed it not wanting to tell anyone and then swallowed nodding his head bac and forth. “If there isn’t anyone in there we got nowhere left to go. What the hell are we going to do if we need help we are oing to be fuked like super fucked. We don’t have supplies, we don’t have guns, we don’t even have a place to rest our heads down at and call home.”
Ellie said, “Andy comes up with everything we’ve needed so far and I don’t think that a few more mouths to feed is going to kill anyone. What we do need is you to stay alive, I don’t see that happening if you go into that tunnel filled with zombies.”
Philip said, “There’s a good chance that she has got a point. You think you can handle all those things coming at you?”
Eric said, “No, probably not. Everytime we have a run in with them we’ve lost someone.”
Philip said. “I was kind of hoping that there as going to be some hope that there’d be somewhere to go, christ can you imagine in a week w
hat its going to be like or a month. There might not be anyone left.”
Ellie said, “I’m not getting eaten by those things and if you guys stay smart and calm well i’m sure those kids back there would appreciate having someone to look out after them. We thought we were on our own to in town and then we ran into Kya, and Joey, and now you. It’s going to take time but i’m sure that there are others but its going to take time to be able to find them all.”
Eric stared at the building one last time shaking his head. “I hope leaving isn’t the biggest mistake we have ever made.”
Philip said, “Well at least we are going somewhere with supplies, somewhere where these kids can have a chance.
Eric looked back at the group. “Philip you really up for taking care of all of them?”
Philip stared in the rearview but had already made up his mind from the minute they’d picked them up. “We don’t have a choice but to give them a chance. You and I both know we take them back or leave them here, we might as well save them the time and shoot them now and keep them from having to go through the pain and fear.”
Ellie said, “You do realize that they are teens right? They are more resourceful than you are giving them credit for. We’ve made it on our own and we found the papers to try and cure this walking death.”
Philip said, “Ok sounds like we are headed to the base right? Everyone seems to be on board with it.”
Joey raised his hand waiting patiently to be answered looking a little more nervous with each passing second. Eric said, “You need to go to the bathroom or something?”
Joey said, “Well yeah I do need to take a leak. But look.” He pointed towards the dark tunnel, “They are coming now!”
Everyone twisted around in their seats peering out of the bus but Philip who was already gunning the engine. He slammed the gas down as he took in the sight of the soldiers leaping in the air sprinting at impossible speeds fighting at each other to be the first. They spread out as they raced forward each of them ready to tear the bus apart to get the warm meal on the inside of the old bus. The bus shook violently and died, the strain on it from the days travels was more than it could handle. Eric screamed, “What did you do?”