The Demented Z (Book 3): Contagion

by Derek J. Thomas

  Hank climbed into the back seat across from Tom. “How we doin’ bud?”

  Tom continued to stare out the side window. “I killed them. Knew Sam was sick.”

  “Don’t say that. A dirtbag murderer killed them. You did what was and still is best for all of humanity. If there is any real hope for anyone, this is it.”

  “I wanted a better life for them.”

  “We all did. Now we can get a better life for others. There are other kids out there.”

  Tom nodded his head.

  “This is going to sound like a line from a sappy girlie movie, but don’t let their deaths be for nothing.” Hank said while resting a hand on Tom’s shoulder.

  Tom turned from the window. He slowly nodded his head, wiped tears from his eyes and said, “I’m in…wherever we’re going, I’m in.”

  “You sure – “Hank thought for a moment. “You sure we can count on you?”

  Tom nodded his head. “If we live, I’ll grieve then.”

  Hank gave Tom a couple pats on the shoulder, looked over at Isaac and Hannah locked in a hug, and then said, “I’ll go get the others.”

  ******

  Tom was shocked to see how much had changed in less than a year. They were nearing the outskirts of Spokane and the landscape was nearing total devastation. Sections of forest were completely gone, only black husks remaining, marking the graveyards left by fires. The city’s outlying homes looked like they had been ravaged by a hurricane. Windows were blown out and siding hung at awkward angles, barely clinging to the buildings.

  “We better take a side road about a quarter mile.” Tom said. When nobody said anything he added, “Avoid the city.”

  “Good plan. Take a right up here.” Isaac said while pointing at a large intersection just ahead.

  “Yeah, it’ll skirt us out and around.”

  At the intersection stood an old automotive shop. Cars and trucks sat in piles all the way around, forming a metal wall. From the look of the building it didn’t seem to work. The front door was busted in, leaving a gaping dark hole that piled bodies could be seen through. Nobody said anything.

  The back roads were more of the same; destroyed buildings, wrecked cars, and ruined landscapes. Animals were almost non-existent, other than the occasional bird. Infected dotted the roadside, some slowly staggered after them, some sprinted after them, and some seemed to not even notice them drive past.

  “No people…where are all the people?” Hannah asked.

  Hank eyed a small group of infected that turned at the car’s approach. “I think you’re looking at them.”

  “Those that were able to build a zone of safety for themselves likely ran into serious trouble once it became contagious.” Tom said.

  “Winter didn’t help anything. Brought survivors together.” Isaac added.

  Just as they were cresting a small hill, Hannah gasped and said, “Stop.”

  They were all looking out the windows, not fully paying attention to the road, but her urgency caused them all to snap forward. Isaac was hitting the brakes before he even got his head turned back to the road. He sensed her worry and knew it would be the real deal. They all found out that he was right. In front of them, at the base of the gully between two small hills, was a massive horde of infected. They filled the road and the forest beyond. Their slow plodding was taking them north, but as one they turned at the car’s noise.

  Smoke rolled off the tires as Isaac applied pressure to the brake pedal. “Hold tight.” He said as they came to stop.

  “Thousands.” Hannah said.

  Some of them began a mad sprint directly up the road. The remaining mass turned and began plodding after the demented. There were so many that the individuals were lost in the crowd, making it look like a swirling current in an ocean of color.

  Isaac jammed it in reverse, threw his arm over Hannah’s headrest, and turned, looking over his shoulder. Gunning the gas, they accelerated backwards.

  Tom looked over his rifle, making sure it was ready for action. Hank and Hannah quickly followed suit, even though all of them knew their weapons were ready. They all quickly rolled their windows down.

  A loud thud sounded as they plowed over an infected that had been following them. Their tires thumped over the body, sending the car squirreling into the ditch. A cloud of dirt and debris flew into the air. The car slid sideways and came to a stop with its rear bumper up against a large pine tree.

  Isaac jammed the car back into drive and hit the gas. The rear tires spun, shooting gravel back into the woods.

  “Throw it in four.” Hank shouted.

  “Coming right.” Tom said while looking out his window. He pulled his rifle up and fired two rapid shots. The shots boomed in the small space. Shell casings rattled off the rear window. More infected followed behind the two he shot.

  Isaac pulled a lever back into the slot marked “4-H” and hit the gas again.

  Hank looked out his window at the massive horde of demented sprinting up the hill, closing in on the SUV. “Go, go, go.” He shouted.

  The engine roared as Isaac gave it everything he had. The front tires gripped, pulling them onto the pavement. Isaac cranked the wheel away from the horde. Hannah fired a couple rapid shots before they got spun all the way.

  Tom watched two more demented drop to the pavement. There were still others that had been chasing after their car, but there were few enough left that they should be able to quickly dodge between them. “We’re looking clear. Not too fast.” Tom warned, not wanting Isaac to lose control again.

  As they approached the nearest demented, they all rolled up their windows. A couple of the hideous creatures were close enough to swipe at the car as they blew past.

  After the car cleared the small group, Hank said, “That was a little more excitement than I needed.”

  “Solid work Isaac.” Tom said.

  Hannah patted him on the leg. “That’s right, you did great.”

  “We’re going to have to find a different way.”

  “Where do you think they were going?” Hannah asked.

  Tom said, “Leaving the city, probably out of people…food.”

  Isaac glanced at the rearview mirror and said, “What’s our best route for getting back on track?”

  Tom hadn’t been out in this area very often, and never really left the main road. He tried to dig back in his mind, but everything was coming up blank. “Not sure, we’re going to have to take one of these turns and see if we can circle around.”

  “Recalculating.” Hank said in his best female voice.

  “You sound about as feminine as James Earl Jones.” Tom said.

  “Right up there.” Hannah said, pointing to a road just ahead. “See the road?”

  Isaac began tapping on the brakes. As they neared, they saw the road was made of gravel, but appeared to be in decent shape. “Good as anything.” Isaac said.

  They hit the corner a little fast and the tires slid across the loose gravel. Isaac expertly feathered the accelerator, using the four wheel drive to drift and pull the SUV around the corner. Rocks clattered against the metal undercarriage.

  Once they got around the corner and back on a straightaway Isaac said, “We’re going to have to siphon a car soon.”

  “I could use some food.” Hannah said.

  “I might have a bit left in my pack.“ Tom said pointing to the rear of the SUV. “If you see a good spot and potential vehicle let’s pull over for a stop.”

  “Picnic in zombieland.” Hank said.

  ******

  “Looks promising.” Hank said.

  Isaac eased to a stop a few feet away from the bumper of a minivan that sat just off the road, t-boned into a jeep. The driver window of the van was smeared with blood from long ago. The van looked hopeful with both gas flaps closed. People rarely took the time to put gas caps back on or close the metal flaps that hid them. In this world, the dangers were too great to waste time on meaningless tasks. Closed flaps were a nearly su
re sign of fuel.

  Tom popped his door open and said, “Clear the area first.” He grabbed his rifle and moved toward the van, keeping his rifle trained at the rear hatch.

  The others piled out of the car and swept wide around the vehicles. Isaac and Hannah kept their weapons pointed at the windows, while Hank trained his rifle on the woods beyond. In a matter of seconds they moved all the way around the crash and verified there were no immediate threats.

  Hannah started back toward the SUV. “I’ll grab the gear.”

  “Let me help you.” Isaac said while rushing after her.

  Tom lowered his rifle and moved up to the side of the minivan. He peered through the glass, checking on the interior. A pair of baby car seats sat across from each other. Tom was relieved beyond belief to find them empty, their cargo whisked away long ago. Toys, books and clothes lay everywhere. His eyes traced their way to the front seat where black blood covered the steering wheel and window.

  Through the side windows he watched as Isaac and Hannah made their way toward the van. Hannah was smiling and giggling. It must have been something Isaac had said, because she turned and punched him in the shoulder. Tom turned to the woods, eyeing their surroundings. Hank remained at the front of the jeep with his back turned to the wreckage. The woods stood still and silent.

  “Stop it.” Hannah said with a laugh.

  Tom looked back and saw the two of them gathered on the other side of the van. Isaac was unscrewing the cap on a gas can while making comments about Hannah’s physique. Hannah pulled a backpack from her shoulder and set it on the ground next to her. Tom shouldered his rifle and walked around beside the two of them. “How we doin’ here?”

  Isaac was pulling a siphon tube out of a pouch. “Can you pop the tank?”

  “Sure thing.” Tom said moving to the driver door. He eased the door open, cringing at the bloody mess left behind. Despite the fact that it was long dry, it still evoked a visceral sense of disgust. He reached in and gingerly pulled the gas tank lever until it made an audible click.

  “Thanks.” Isaac said while twisting off the cap. He took the metal end of the hose and slowly shoved it down into the tank. With a gentle up and down motion he worked the fluid beyond the ball bearing and up into the hose. It took less than a minute for the sweet sound of liquid splashing on plastic. Isaac straightened back up. “We’ve got a winner.”

  Tom wondered how much longer gas would last before it turned into unusable junk. It already had less punch than it used to and it wouldn’t be much longer before it wouldn’t run an engine. His thoughts turned to wood gasification. He remembered reading an article about a guy installing a wood stove setup in the back of his truck. The guy converted it to run on the gases given off by burning chunks of wood. Seemed like science fiction at the time. It was not only becoming reality, but possibly a necessity real soon.

  “Who’s hungry?” Hannah said while kneeling beside the backpack and some items she had laid out. “Take your pick. I’ve got a granola bar, a package of oatmeal cookies, some of these pepperoni-cheese packets, and some trail mix.”

  “Now that’s a Vegas style buffet.” Hank said as he stomped over to the group.

  “You guys go ahead; I’ll take what’s left.” Tom said while turning toward the woods. He scanned the forest, expecting a rushing demented to race out from between the trees at any moment. The rumble of their engine had surely been heard. It would draw them from far away…it always did. They would have to move on soon.

  “Looks like you get a bit of trail mix and a granola bar.” Hank said while walking up next to Tom. “Enjoy.”

  Both of them slowly turned to the west, squinting toward the sun hanging above the horizon.

  “Hear that?” Tom said.

  “Yip.”

  They stood still for a moment before Tom whisper shouted to the others, “Car.”

  Everyone acted quickly. Hannah and Isaac dropped their food and grabbed their weapons. They stayed low behind the minivan, each of them at opposite ends. Hank and Tom ducked down behind the jeep.

  “Keep an eye on the woods.” Tom said while spying over the hood.

  Hank said nothing in reply, instead shifting around at the rear of the jeep to get both a view of the woods and an angle to see the road just off the bumper.

  The engine grew louder and the sound of gravel crunching under the weight of a vehicle echoed off the trees. The first movement was a long antenna that stuck high in the air. It grew taller and taller above the slight rise in the road until the motorhome it was attached to rose beneath it. Dust billowed as the tan behemoth raced toward them. Several large antennas were mounted on the roof. The driver spotted the trio of cars and let off the gas, allowing the vehicle to slow.

  Tom tightened his grip on the rifle. His muscles tensed and his heart hammered as his body prepared for what might be coming. He stole a quick glance over to Hannah. She peered through the minivan’s windows. He swore there was a grin on her face.

  The motorhome slowed to a crawl as it neared the cars. The front bumper eased into view around the rear of the minivan. It eased to a stop. The driver cut the rumbling engine, blanketing the area in an eerie silence. After what seemed like an hour a voice said, “Seriously? I saw all of your peeking heads way back. I couldn’t hurt nobody if I needed to, so let’s chat.” A brief hesitation. “I don’t see people often…mostly just talk on the radios.”

  Tom was intrigued by the word “radios.” He poked his head up high enough to see over the back of the minivan. Standing in the open side door was a plump man wearing a lime green t-shirt with a great big mushroom on it. His large beard was unable to hide a friendly grin. “How many are you?” Tom asked.

  The large man rubbed his belly and laughed. “Maybe one and half. My mom always said I was cuddly.” He stood there, awkwardly scratching at the sides of his belly. “Come on guys…I can barely hurt myself. I’ve been driving since this morning. Nice to stop and rest, but…people, you’re real people, not just over the radios. I could use a real talk.”

  It was clear this guy wasn’t going to stop talking. “Can I get you to step a ways out of the motorhome?”

  “Yeah, no problem.” The man said while stepping down to the gravel and walking to the other side of the vehicles. “People…man I wish Jim was still around. Jim…oh man, I never introduced myself. My mom and dad named me Stewart. People used to call me Stew, but I never really liked it. I wish I could –“

  Tom spoke up, interrupting the man in mid-sentence. “Mind if we check your motorhome Stewart?” He asked.

  “Oh yeah. Check it out. It’s a bit of a mess, but go –“

  Hannah stood and said, “Help me clear the motorhome.”

  Isaac stood and started around the rear of the minivan. He had his pistol up and ready, but never pointed it directly at Stewart.

  Hannah followed behind him with her rifle at low ready. She looked over at Stewart and said, “Stay put.”

  “You got no worries cuz of me.” He said. Even as Isaac and Hannah were disappearing into the motorhome he continued on, “Most of the mess was from some of the corners. I haven’t had people around for a while…I would have done something…anyway.” He turned back toward Tom and Hank, both of which were now standing. “You guys seem to be doing alright. Boy have I seen some messed up sh —stuff. Bet you guys have too. What’s the worst thing you have seen?”

  “Not right now.” Hank said while stealing a glance at Tom.

  “Oh sorry, you’re right. I always start getting ahead of myself. Where you headed to? Bet it’s not here.” He finished with a laugh while looking around.

  Isaac stepped into the open doorway. “All clear, just him.”

  Tom and Hank made their way around the wreckage and stood just in front of Stewart. “Sorry, had to make sure.” Tom said.

  “I totally understand. We wouldn’t all be alive if we weren’t careful. Deer…we’re like deer.” Nobody said anything and when Steward decided nobody was goi
ng to, he added, “Did you know that when they study the brain size of deer hit by cars and those that die at a ripe old age, there is a significant difference. Smaller for the ones that get ran over…obviously.” He laughed a bit and snorted, having cracked himself up. When nobody else laughed he said, “Anyway, takes brains to survive.”

  “Radios…tell us more about your radios.“ Tom said while looking up at the huge antennas mounted on the top of the motorhome.

  His face lit up. “I’ve got MURS, CB, and ham. I can receive on almost any frequency and have a host of de-scram equip, but don’t pick up much of that type anymore. Drive around listening and chatting when I get a ping.”

  “Have you –“

  “We got movement boss.” Hank said.

  Tom turned and looked out into the forest where Hank was pointing. He didn’t see anything immediately, but after squinting into the crisscrossing branches he picked up on it. After several seconds an older woman wearing a shredded sun dress came staggering out into the open. Her left leg was bloody and torn into meaty shreds, only allowing her to shuffle awkwardly.

  “I got this.” Hank said while pulling his Kabar free of its sheath and starting toward the undead.

  Tom turned back to the motorhome and found both Isaac and Hannah leaning against its side. “You two want to cover the other side of this beast…keep anything from sneaking up?”

  “Yip.” Hannah said.

  “Couple crossbows in the back of the SUV. Let’s keep it quiet.” Tom said to their backs. He turned back to Stewart. “What have you learned?”

  He stared back with a confused look on his face.

  “The radios…chatter…learn anything?”

  Stewart laughed. “Oh yeah. I was thinking…I thought…” He laughed and snorted. “Anyway, I’ve learned lots. The tough part is sifting through all the junk to get the truth. Definitely less and less chatter over time and recently it has been more than rare. Or less that rare. Dang, how do you say it? Anyway, there has been less radio talk.” He finished with a grin.

  Tom glanced over to the forest and saw Hank was plunging his knife into Sun Dress’s eye socket, killing her for good with a swift blow.