by Lanza, Marie
“I’m sure we’ll find something here,” Jaxon said, and studied our surroundings.
“Do you guys see that?” I pointed ahead.
There was a white makeshift flag made from what looked like a white under-shirt hanging from a second story window of a home located at the end of the street. Dan pulled up to the curb in front of the house.
It caught me off guard when I heard Jaxon release the safety on his beretta. Dan and I looked at each other and grabbed our weapons as well. It was so strange, always being armed, always prepared for a potential battle. It was nice to have someone helping us mold into these new roles, keeping us alert and on our toes.
“Daddy, are we stopping?” Ethan was groggy from his nap.
“Maybe, bud. We’re just gonna check this out for a second.” Jaxon scratched Ethan’s head.
We must have lost the infected through town as we hadn’t seen any since we began driving in this neighborhood.
“Here’s the deal, I’m going to quickly survey the area. You two stay here with Ethan. Looters are everywhere, and we can’t afford to have the truck stolen out from under us.” Jaxon finished preparing his weapons. “Hopefully, I can easily get into the house, and get that garage open.”
“Daddy, don’t leave me again.” Ethan tugged at Jaxon’s arm.
“I’ll be super-fast. I need you to be a big boy and stay here.” Jaxon kissed Ethan on the head and patted his knee.
“Are you sure you don’t want one of us to come along?” Dan asked.
“Even Mayhem? At least he can sense them,” I said.
“No. But thanks. I’ll move faster alone.” And with that, Jaxon jumped out of the truck and disappeared into the darkness on the side of the house.
Dan and I kept watch; he looked out ahead, and I looked out behind us. It was weird sitting in this truck, thinking about what this street may have been like just a week ago. Children outside playing, people working on their lawns, walking their dogs… Now it was all just completely vacant. We sat and waited for what seemed like an eternity in a silence that felt unnatural. All we could hear was the humming of the truck engine and Mayhem panting.
The garage door of the home began to open. I couldn’t believe how loud it seemed to be. I felt as though everything in the neighborhood would be alerted to the sound of the chain pulling up the heavy door. Jaxon dipped under the door and waved us in.
“Here we go.” Dan pulled into the driveway and parked in the garage next to a small Sedan. Jaxon closed the door behind us.
We were all ready for a calm evening protected by closed doors. I knew it was only a temporary, maybe false sense of security, but somehow I found it comforting.
Jaxon helped Ethan out of the car, and Dan grabbed Mayhem. We went inside the house to find a quaint family home. It appeared untouched from the ongoing disasters outside, although I noticed pictures were missing from the walls and mantel of the fireplace. Everything else seemed in order, down to the throw pillows on the couch in the living room. The kitchen was empty of food except for some fruit and a gallon of milk in the fridge that had gone bad.
“I think we should sleep upstairs.” Jaxon pointed to the stairs.
“Yeah, we should definitely sleep in the same room too,” I suggested.
Dan nodded in agreement. “I’ll get something for us to eat out of the truck.”
Ethan and Mayhem made themselves comfortable on the living room couch while Jaxon began closing curtains. Dan returned from the truck and began pulling food out of a bag for dinner.
It was strange watching us all together under this roof. I thought about the owners and where they may be now. Did they flee and were somewhere safe? Or, maybe they too were outside, roaming around in an endless search for flesh.
I sat down on the couch with Ethan and Mayhem while we waited for Dan to prepare food. “Ethan, how old are you?” It was the first thing that came to mind and seemed a perfectly normal conversation starter with a child. “I’m eight,” he said, petting Mayhem.
“Wow, you and Mayhem are the same age!”
He gave me a small smile.
“Ethan, can you tell Harmony how old your doggie was?” Jaxon made himself comfortable on the floor next to the couch by Ethan.
“She was sixteen,” Ethan said proudly.
“Oh my! What was her name?”
“Staci.”
Dan brought out some bread, cheese, and sandwich meat. “Alright, here we go. I figured we’d eat the fresh food first, and then we’ll break the good ‘ole canned stuff out down the road.” He placed everything on the coffee table and took a seat on the floor.
“Thanks, sweetie,” I said.
We all dug in.
“Yes, thanks man. Ethan and I both appreciate you guys giving us a ride and a meal that’s not an MRE.” Jaxon rubbed his son’s knee. He finished putting together a sandwich for Ethan and handed it to him.
“Besides getting to Camp Glen next, what are your plans?” I asked.
“The military has one goal. Protect the population. When we get to Camp Glen, I’ll join a unit and continue that goal.”
Jaxon was the definition of a soldier, disciplined, focused, loyal and dedicated. I wanted to ask about his wife, but it didn’t feel right talking about her in front of Ethan.
“What are the plans for survivors?” Dan asked.
“I hate to say this, but I think they’re planning as they go. The military bases are able to quickly assemble refugee camps, but eventually the Government will have to begin long-term establishments.”
“Well, I guess it’s a little comforting to think we may still have a Government.”
“Closer to the Wild West days though.” Dan winked at me.
Something hit the ceiling with a thump. It wasn’t loud, just a muffled thump, but it was enough to bring us all to our feet and perk up Mayhem’s ears.
“Did you check both levels of this house?” I whispered to Jaxon.
“Yes, every room.” Jaxon pulled out his handgun.
I looked over to Dan who was staring at the ceiling, holding his gun as well. And then another bump…
Jaxon and Dan walked to the base of the stairs without taking their eyes from the second floor. I was right behind them holding Ethan’s hand. I figured that because the door to the garage was right next to the base of the stairs, I could get Ethan to safety quickly. I think the only reason Mayhem even got off the couch was because of us jumping to our feet. Otherwise, he didn’t seemed bothered a bit, showing no signs of a possible threat.
We sat and listened.
Another sound, something sliding almost, still, very muffled.
“That’s not coming from upstairs… It’s coming from the attic.” Dan kept his voice low and pointed to the ceiling of the second floor where a pull down door sat off to the side at the top of the stairs.
It cracked open, causing our bodies to naturally flinch back. Dan and Jaxon brought their guns up, aiming at the ceiling. They quickly and quietly bounded up the stairs to the landing below the door. I stayed behind on the first floor and moved Ethan behind me. Mayhem let out a bark, but I quickly hushed him, afraid the infected would hear.
“Show yourself, quickly, or I will shoot!” Jaxon ordered in a low but firm voice.
The door didn’t budge again. Whoever was up there was either scared or very well could have had guns aimed down on us. If that were the case, then we were sitting targets.
“You have three seconds. Make yourself known! One… two…”
“Please don’t shoot!” A young male voice shouted out. “We’re not sick. Just scared!”
Dan and Jaxon kept their guns raised.
“I’m Lieutenant Colonel Robert Jaxon with the US Army. There are two people with me along with my son. Come out, there’s nothing to be afraid of,” Jaxon demanded.
“Then why do you still have your gun pulled on us?” the male voice shouted back.
Dan and Jaxon gave each other a quick glance as if to say well
that was a good enough question.
“I’m protecting my people just like I’m sure you’re doing yours up there.”
There was a moment of hesitation, and then the door began to slowly fall down. We watched as a set of hands used a rope to lower the door until it stopped. Two boys who appeared to be older teenagers or possibly in their early twenties, poked their heads out.
“OK. OK, we’re coming down,” the male voice said.
The young man started down the ladder, glancing back at us with each step. I could tell he was extremely nervous, but I guess anyone would be with guns pointed to their back. He looked back briefly at the other guy in the attic, probably conferring with him about whether this was the right choice. The young man got to the bottom of the ladder and turned to face us.
“Don’t make any sudden movements, and keep your hands where I can see them,” Jaxon directed. “You in the attic, come down.”
The teen looked like he hadn’t had any food or water in days, pale and thin. He continued to do exactly what Jaxon told him. The other began to make his climb down the ladder.
“I’ll cover you.” Dan nodded as he stepped out from around Jaxon to get an unobstructed view of both kids.
Jaxon kept his gun locked on the first young man until he was close enough, then he placed his gun on his hip, expertly turned the boy to the wall, and patted him down.
“Stay here,” Jaxon ordered.
Dan kept his gun trained on the second teenager. He looked just as frail as the first. When Jaxon turned his attention to the second at the bottom of the ladder, Dan turned to the male on the landing, keeping his distance and focusing his gun on him.
“You’re next,” Jaxon said to the other young man standing at the top of the stairs.
Mayhem was becoming increasingly agitated as I kept a tight grip on him. I’m sure he didn’t understand why I wouldn’t let him meet a new friend.
The second young man turned himself to the wall with his hands up, surrendering completely to Jaxon. Jaxon patted him down, checking for weapons. When he was satisfied both the kids were unarmed, Jaxon motioned them downstairs to the living room.
“Sorry guys, hope you understand we can never be too careful,” Jaxon said.
“Yes, sir. Thanks for not shootin’ us,” the first teenager said.
“What are your names?”
“I’m Jesse, this is Carl.” He pointed to the other young man. “We’re brothers.” Now that they were side by side, Jesse definitely looked older than Carl but maybe only by a year or two.
“Well, I’m Jaxon. This is Dan, Harmony, and my son Ethan.”
“And this is Mayhem.” I rubbed Mayhem’s head and let go of his collar. He ran right for his new friends, wagging his tail the whole time.
Dan and Jaxon finally put their guns away.
“You guys hungry?” Dan asked.
“Yeah, starving,” Carl said.
“Please,” Dan directed them to the coffee table with food laid out behind them.
The tension didn’t take long to settle down. We all returned to our dinner with our new company. Dan assembled two more sandwiches and handed them to the young men. I pulled out two water bottles for them.
“Is this your house?” I hadn’t recognized them from the pictures that were left on the walls.
“Our Aunt and Uncle.” Carl took a bite of his sandwich.
“After our parents died, we came here. But they were dead when we got here,” Jesse said. “We hadn’t seen anyone since the outbreak got real bad. Holed ourselves up in the attic not knowing where else to go.”
“There are camps for survivors. We’re headed to one,” Jaxon said.
The boy’s eyes lit up. “Where? We have a car, we can drive there!” Carl talked with food in his mouth.
“The closest one is up north. You can follow us when we leave tomorrow.” Jaxon looked at Dan as he spoke, scanning his face for a sign of permission.
Dan nodded as Jaxon spoke, giving the OK.
When the outbreak first happened, I was so sure about my feelings on not being heroes. I only wanted to worry about our families, and the rest of the world would be on their own. I didn’t want us risking our lives for strangers. Then we met Jaxon and his son, Ethan. Jaxon would risk his life for us. Now we’re sitting here with two brothers who have lost their entire family and have no clue how to survive in this new world.
These last few days I’ve come to realize we all had to be heroes. It wasn’t about ‘we’ as individuals anymore but the human race as one. We were together in this, whatever this was, and our only chance of survival was to stick together and help one another.
“Is your car the one in the garage?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Carl said.
“I say we pack your stuff tonight so we can leave first thing in the morning.”
“That’s a great idea,” Jaxon said. “You got enough to eat, bud?” Jaxon asked Ethan.
Ethan nodded.
Dan gathered the food left over from dinner and put it away in a paper bag.
“We just have some sleeping stuff in the attic. The rest is already in the car.” Carl looked to Jesse.
“We didn’t know when we’d have to run again,” Jesse continued for him.
I let out a big yawn and stretched as I stood up. “Well I don’t know about you guys, but I’m exhausted.”
Dan picked up the bag and got to his feet. “I hear you on that.” He walked to the garage to put the food away.
Jaxon took Ethan in his arms.
“The rooms upstairs haven’t been touched,” Jesse said as he and Carl got to their feet.
“But really, the attic is safer. And it’s big enough for all of us,” Carl suggested.
“We think it’s a good idea if we all sleep in the same room,” I said.
Dan walked back in with two sleeping bags in his hands. The sleeping bags were two person sleeping bags with simple stuff sacks, easy to set up and easy to put away. I wondered if I kept thinking we were just camping, if it would make it any easier.
“Alright, shall we?” Dan asked.
We were losing sunlight, and what we had was filtering through the covered windows and growing dimmer as it fell later into the evening.
We made our way up the stairs and climbed the ladder to the attic. It was a large space full of boxes and small pieces of furniture. The ceiling was just high enough for me to stand but Dan and Jaxon, being taller, had to duck their heads slightly. Jesse and Carl had two sleeping bags lying on the floor with flashlights, candles, and a matchbox. I didn’t see any signs of food or water. I wondered again how long these brothers had gone without something to eat. I was glad we were able to feed them.
Jesse lit the candles using the box of matches. Carl lifted the ladder and closed the door when we were all in.
Dan gave a sleeping bag to Jaxon for him and Ethan. Dan and I would take the other. There was a nice sense of security up here. A security we all needed and I hoped would help us rest.
Tonight we wouldn’t have to worry about the infected getting us in our sleep.
CHAPTER 7
The morning came too quickly.
When I opened my eyes I was facing Jesse and Carl who were still sound asleep. I could feel Dan against my back. I rolled over to meet his face, and his eyes were slowly opening. Mayhem was in his favorite place, cuddled between our legs.
“Hi,” I whispered.
“Hi.” Dan gave me a tired grin.
“Did you sleep OK?”
“Yeah, you?”
“I did.” I stretched my body out, giving my bones and muscles a good pull. Sleeping on the wood surface left them feeling a little numb.
Dan and I scooted out of our sleeping bag to sit up. I hadn’t noticed how chilly it had gotten in the attic overnight until we uncovered.
Jaxon was already awake but was still lying down, curled around Ethan. He silently acknowledged us. It wasn’t long until Carl and Jesse were both awake as well, and w
e were finally comfortable talking at a normal tone.
“Everyone sleep OK?” Jaxon asked.
“Yeah, it wasn’t bad,” Dan said.
“It’s been a while up here for us so we’re used to it.” Carl rubbed his eyes and yawned.
Mayhem moaned and nudged me with his nose. I was sure he had to pee given I hadn’t let him out before we climbed in this attic.
“I’m gonna have to get this guy outside before there’s an accident.” I rubbed Mayhem’s head.
“The backyard is completely fenced in,” Jesse said.
“I should have thought about asking last night. Poor guy, I can’t believe he held it for so long.”
“What do you say we get this show on the road?” Jaxon suggested and began climbing out of his sleeping bag.
“You mean leave? Now?” Jesse had worry in his voice.
I guess none of us had thought about just how long they had been in this attic and out of harm’s way from the outside world. Although we sort of got an idea over dinner last night, they didn’t go into much more detail, and I came to realize that is was longer than I had previously thought. They may have never even seen an infected or at least come in close contact with one.
“Are you guys OK with that?” I asked.
“We just uhh….” Carl lost his words.
“Look guys, we’ll be with you the entire way. But we have to get to Camp Glen,” Jaxon explained. “Harmony is hoping to find her family, and I need to join up with another unit.”
Every time Jaxon mentioned that he needed to get to a base to join another unit, I thought about Ethan.
What would happen to him if something happened to Jaxon? Who would take care of him with his mom dead? Was this what Jaxon’s loyalty was about? Serving others, and putting others before his own family?
“We’re fine with leaving now,” Jesse insisted.
“Good. Let’s pack up then,” Jaxon said.
“Babe, I’ll get everything here ready to go if you wanna let Mayhem out,” I suggested to Dan.
“Ready to go out buddy?” Dan scratched Mayhem’s ears, and they both stood up. Mayhem was very enthusiastic about getting outside and showed it by running around Dan in circles. Dan lowered the attic door and carefully climbed down a few steps before taking Mayhem in his arms to assist him down the ladder.