He huffed, but forced a smile. “Yeah. They’re helping us for now. Not sure exactly how long they’ll stick around, but it is nice to have the extra weapons available.”
“Are you familiar with any weapons, Mike?” I asked. “Almost all of us have gotten fairly decent with a couple different sorts.”
He shook his head. “Not so much. My strategy with the guards was always just to run and hide. Never carried weapons, because that would have made me more of a target for them.”
Fair enough. I suppose I could see his point. In an uninfected zone, perhaps most people didn’t feel the need to walk around armed. A strange thought after spending the past year with a weapon either in my hand or strapped to my body somewhere. If this ever ended, I wasn’t sure I would ever get used to not carrying a weapon.
Not a concern for now. For now, I needed to make sure our newest member would become capable of defending himself. And the rest of the group. All of us had to be able to pull our weight.
“Once we find a safe place, I’ll get someone to teach you,” I told Mike. “Like I said, we have several kinds of weapons, so we can find one that you’re most comfortable with.”
“Like you with your sword?” he asked. “I’ve noticed the way you feel for it when you get uncomfortable. Like having it makes you feel more secure.”
Heat rose in my cheeks. He’d been paying attention. I’d thought others hadn’t noticed my moments of weakness when I needed the assurance I could still protect myself.
Rex frowned as he looked at me, and turned his gaze back to Mike. “Z is pretty good with most of our weapons. She’s had quite a bit of training with a few of them.”
Mike nodded. “Would you teach me?”
I wanted to say yes. I wanted to be able to say that I was staying with them long enough to take on the weapons training of our new friend.
“Unfortunately, she doesn’t have that kind of time.” To his credit, Rex at least sounded appropriately sorry.
But I knew him. That was not the way he would normally talk to a new person in our group. I cast a confused look his direction and turned back to Mike. “He’s right,” I said. “We’re… well, some of us are going out on our own for a while.”
“You’re leaving?” Mike sounded almost angry.
“Keep it down, please?” I asked. “Some of the others don’t know yet.” I glared toward Rex for cornering me into telling Mike why I couldn’t help.
“Sorry, Z. Just thought it might be about time to spill the beans on this. It’s going to be coming soon,” Rex explained.
I fingered the hilt of my sword again, and sighed. “You’re right. I’ll tell everyone once we find a safe place for the night.”
“Good.” Rex sounded pleased, but I didn’t like being pushed. He seemed to sense my growing ire, and he touched my shoulder. “Sorry, Z. I just think they need time to think about security issues. Like what might happen if Scout and his people decide they don’t want to stay and ‘babysit’ a bunch of kids. We’d be putting a lot of trust in them if we leave the others with them.”
Mike was listening intently. “So, you’re saying it might just be teenagers like me who are left behind?”
“Not all teenagers,” Rex corrected. “Prati’s only nine.”
“And Scout’s people will stay.” I’d forgotten Rex was unaware of the plan. “He and Kate are coming with us. They want to help.”
He huffed, but didn’t argue. For his part, Mike seemed gratified. Happy that he wouldn’t be one of the oldest people left behind. Still unhappy though.
“Don’t worry, Mike,” I tried to assure him. He didn’t seem overly receptive to the reassurances, but I pushed forward. “We will be back. There are just some things we need to do.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
It took most of the day to reach the first exit that led to some of the bigger buildings. “We’ll need to stop for the night,” I said.
Yet another delay. At this rate, it would take forever for the quest to begin.
As we kept an eye out for a promising place to stay, my neck tingled like I was being watched. It wasn’t the creatures. The enemy was definitely nearby, but they were more diffused. Spread throughout the large buildings. Not the larger, cohesive hordes we’d faced up until now.
No, these eyes belonged to people. Those who had been able to barricade themselves away from the creatures. Those who had the weapons to protect themselves. Just as in the previous infected zone, the people here would be unlikely to help us. Though, with the infection getting here only recently, they may not be as hardened as other zones yet.
Still, I was not eager to meet anyone. Our group was large enough to prevent too much trouble. Only the most desperate, or strongest gangs of people would consider attacking us.
Desperation was the name of the game. These people would be scared and could easily lash out at perceived threats. No. We couldn’t count on remaining safe around other people. Ideally, we’d move on from this area right away. The sun was already low in the sky, and we needed to find a place to stay. Preferably before dark. It would be too easy to get turned around, or snuck up on in the darkness.
The shadows were growing long, and I shivered at the cool night air. “There.” Rex pointed.
It was a small building, but looked completely deserted. It appeared to be some sort of office building. “Rex; you, me, and Jake will go scout it out. We need to make sure it’s empty. Everyone else, wait here.”
I held my sword low, but ready if needed. Rex and Jake each held one of the handguns. “Try not to use those,” I motioned toward the guns. “We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves.”
They nodded, and drew their own blades. A dagger for Jake, and a military style knife for Rex. We crept through the building, which had—oddly—been left unlocked. Desks were left with open drawers, and papers were scattered all over the floor in the first room. It had been the reception area. Beyond were four closed doors along a narrow hallway. One was a bathroom, which we checked first. It was empty. On a whim I turned the knob on the sink.
“Water?” Rex watched with wonder as the water flowed.
It started kind of yellow, but rapidly became clearer. I turned it off. “This city just fell. Apparently, some of the amenities are still working.”
We couldn’t stop smiling at the idea of having a working bathroom. At least for one night. I would leave it to the others to determine whether they wanted to remain here after, or find a better place further into the zone.
“We need to check the other rooms,” Jake reminded us.
We moved quietly from the bathroom to the next door. Another empty desk met our eyes. This office also had a small sofa, and a comfortable looking desk chair. We looked under the desk, in case someone might have been hiding, but nothing. The next office was the same.
The final room was the jackpot. It was the breakroom. There was a refrigerator, and cupboards that still held packages of food! There was also a large case of bottled water, and a few unopened bottles of juice. And another sink with running water.
“There are cookies, Z!” Rex exclaimed.
Several packages, apparently. I smiled. Sugar. One of Rex’s weaknesses. The other kids would enjoy them too. “We need to share with the others, Rex, so don’t go too crazy.”
He smiled sheepishly around a mouthful of cookies he’d already eaten. “Sorry,” he said after swallowing.
I giggled at the crumbs around his mouth. “No problem. But might want to wipe your face to hide the evidence.”
Rex ran an arm across his mouth guiltily. “Got it. Let’s let the others know we’re good here.”
“You two get something started for a meal. The rest of us will be in shortly.” I started moving toward the door, when a thought occurred. “Real food, please. Not just the sugary junk. Okay?”
“Got it, Z,” Rex said. “There are some cans of soup here, and a few other things we can mix with water, but there’s no way to heat them.”
“Isn’t there?” I glanced out one of the windows. “There are lights on in some of the other buildings. We might have some electricity.”
I flicked a switch, and the light came on. “Use the microwave. We may not have this for long, but we can use it as long as it’s available.”
Jake moved around, closing the blinds on all the windows. “No need to advertise that we’re here,” he explained. “We’ll put a couple blankets over them too, in order to cover any lights we decide to turn on.”
I nodded, approving of his plan. The windows were locked already; the front door would be locked once we all got inside. The blinds over the larger window at the front of the office were already closed.
“This place will work,” I told the rest of the group. “Let’s get inside, and we’ll set sleeping arrangements. The floors are even carpeted, so it should be somewhat comfortable.”
Scout shrugged. “Comfortable isn’t as important as safe. This place is small. We should be able to keep it safe for the night.”
Everyone filed in while Scout and I kept watch for anyone who might be taking an interest in our group. “The city is so… quiet,” I muttered. “I would have thought there would be more.”
“More what?” Scout wondered, still watching.
I shrugged. “People. Monsters. Noise. I dunno. Something. Every other place we’ve been there have been monsters attacking. This new zone is… different.”
My companion nudged my shoulder gently. “Get inside. I think we’re good for now.”
“You should too,” I said. “We have actual running water. And electricity. We’re going to have warm food tonight.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
For once, our night passed uneventfully. I was able to enjoy a warm cup of macaroni and cheese, washed down with some apple juice. I even managed to snag a couple cookies before the others finished them.
For simplicity’s sake, I allowed the others to fight over the couches, and took a spot on the floor near the front door, but behind the reception desk. A small desk light provided me the option of reading for a little while when I found a novel someone had left on top of one of the desks. It seemed interesting, so when I was done for the night, I stuck it in my bag.
Reading had always been one of my favorite activities before my life had gone so far downhill. I hadn’t found the time to escape into fiction since the outbreak, but it was a nice way to relax into falling asleep.
At one point during the night I heard a disturbance outside, but nothing got too close to our temporary safe haven. It was the best sleep I’d managed since we’d left our prison sanctuary.
“Are we staying here?” Prati asked the next morning. “It’s kinda small.”
I shook my head. “No, kiddo. We just needed a place to stay last night. We’ll be moving around and trying to find something better for a more permanent base.”
“If we want anything like the old prison, we might need to find a city map,” Jake suggested. “A convenience store or gas station might still have maps available.”
“Old prison?” Kate came up behind Jake, one hand resting on her hip. “If you’re looking for an old prison, there’s one on the other side of the city.”
I shook my head. “While it would be nice to have another prison to call our own,” I said wryly, “I doubt it would be emptied. This zone is new. The other one we were in has been infected all year. The inmates all turned or escaped, and we took advantage.”
“We could still check it out,” Rex said. “It would be worth a look.”
Could be. I wasn’t sure it would be anything but a waste of time, but the other kids were looking at me so hopefully. “Alright. We’ll go there first. If it’s deserted, we’ll set it up like we did the other one. If not, then we’ll try to find something else.”
Everyone seemed okay with that, so we packed up our belongings and got ready to move. We took what was left of the food and drink supplies, dividing them among anyone with space in their bags. Then we started walking.
I was still only getting occasional twinges, telling me creatures were around. Breaking our silence, I commented. “This city is huge. We need to find a quicker way to travel. These roads aren’t quite as blocked as the interstate. Maybe we’d be able to use a vehicle of some sort.”
Scout and Jake both nodded. “We could probably try to find something.”
We walked for a ways before Jake pointed. “There.” About two blocks away, he’d noticed a car dealership. Lots of vehicles to choose from.
“Nice catch,” Scout pounded Jake on the back. “We can break in and get the keys.”
“Alright,” I agreed. “But we should hurry.”
The itch at the back of my mind was growing. More of the creatures were nearby. I glanced around anxiously. Rex met my eyes, silently asking if I was okay. At the moment I didn’t feel an overwhelming bloodlust, so I gave a slight nod.
“The enemy closing in?” Jake asked as we picked up the pace toward the dealership. It was still in the direction we wanted to go, so I had no problem with our stop.
“While we search for keys some of you are going to check the other businesses to see if there are any supplies we could use. Bring whatever you find back to us. But stay in your groups,” I said.
Jake shook his head slightly. “Z, if there are creatures around, we maybe shouldn’t—”
“Separate. You’re right.” I frowned, trying to think of a better plan. “You and Scout figure out the vehicles. Test out seating with the others. Rex and I will try for supplies. I’ll have one of the walkie talkies. We won’t go too far, and we’ll get back to you shortly. Sound better?”
“Sure, but take a couple of the others too. More hands for supplies, and at least one lookout,” Jake suggested.
I considered his suggestion. He was correct. “Shanti and Aly, come with us.”
The two girls nodded and moved to walk beside me and Rex. By the time we had everything settled, we’d reached the dealership. “Everyone else, keep an eye out,” I ordered. “The enemy is nearby. It doesn’t seem like we’ve been noticed yet, but that could change at any moment.
“You guys ready to go?” I asked my companions.
The other three nodded and started toward the nearest business, a grocery store. Most likely we wouldn’t find much. Usually grocery stores and other food related places were the first to be looted, but we might get lucky. Maybe we’d find some more batteries we could use for the walkie talkies.
“Stay in earshot of each other,” I warned. “Let’s see what’s left here.”
We searched quietly. Only a few cans of vegetables, and a couple loaves of not quite hard bread were left. There were some batteries, and a couple lightweight blankets too. We grabbed what we could carry, eventually spreading out one of the blankets to use as a sack.
“Is the bread even still usable?” Shanti asked. She looked at it before we tossed it into the pile, obviously disgusted at the thought of eating rotten food.
I opened it and sniffed. “Seems alright. We’ll use it quickly.”
“We should keep moving,” Aly said. She was looking around nervously. Something near the back of the store clattered.
I nodded, backing toward the door. “You’re right,” I whispered. “Let’s get outta here.”
As we retreated, more noise came from the store aisles. We left before we saw anything. Most likely it was another person. Although it could easily have been a lone monster. Hard to say with the constant exposure to the creatures. Either way, I was unwilling to risk being seen. There were some carts in the parking lot, so we grabbed one and put our blanket of supplies in it.
The next few places were also picked pretty clean, but we were able to find a couple gallons of water, some coffee—which I was sure at least Jake would appreciate—and several varieties of canned foods. We’d also found more first aid supplies and some toilet paper. Aly even grabbed the last couple twelve packs of soda she found on a shelf. We stuck everything in a cart
we’d taken from the grocery store and wheeled it back to the dealership.
“Any trouble?” I asked Kristy as we walked up.
She shook her head. “Not really. Scout and Jake had a bit of trouble finding keys, but they finally found the office where they were locked.”
I nodded. “Good. We got more supplies, so we should be okay on food for a bit.”
It was getting old having to rely on scavenging and canned foods to survive. We’d been lucky so far, but it would be nice to find a place where we could grow some of our own food. A prison yard would work. Some even had gardens. If the prison wasn’t as abandoned as the others hoped, we might be better off finding a property at the edge of town, or in the country. We could potentially fence off a large area to secure it, and grow our own crops. Maybe even hunt down some of the animals that probably escaped their pens in order to survive once the outbreak hit.
Animals seemed immune to the disease, so they would be safe to deal with. If we could find them.
A thought for another time. Some lights flashed on a couple of pickup trucks near us, and we started loading supplies into the back. Another vehicle flashed, and I looked at it in surprise. It was an old conversion van, but it looked to be in decent shape.
“Honestly, I’d rather have fewer of you riding in the back of the trucks,” Jake said as he came out of the building. “The van will hold eight with seats and belts. More if we squish and sit on the floor.”
“Good,” I nodded.
“The trucks are extended cabs too,” Scout added. “We’ll fit a couple of the smaller kids in there.”
Scout’s people split to sit along the sides of the truck beds. Scout, Jake, and Kate took the drivers seats. “Once we start the engines, we’re probably going to attract all sorts of attention,” Jake said. “You sure we want to use these?”
“Yes,” I snapped. “And we need to move!”
Creatures were approaching, and escape would be faster if we kept going.
Ground Zero (Patient Zero Book 1) Page 14