The Good, the Dead, and the Lawless: The Undoing

by Archer, Angelique

  Her shoulders sagged with the realization that she had to keep everyone she loved safe.

  Putting the photo aside, she curled up in bed under the warm comforter. In a matter of minutes, she had fallen into a deep sleep.

  It proved to be the last peaceful night Haven would have for a long time.

  Chapter 9:

  “NO!”

  Haven’s eyes flew open, and she sat up abruptly in her bed. She gasped for air, her face pale, her eyes frantic. Her heart was pounding so fiercely in her chest that for a moment, she thought it would burst.

  Immediately she looked beside her to where her sister slept. Her heart slowed ever so slightly when she could make out golden hair strewn about on the pillow. She drew her knees to her body and willed her breathing to steady.

  “It was just a dream. It was just a dream. They’re okay. They’re okay,” she repeated in a whisper.

  Her dream had been brutal. Those things... Her family...

  She rested her forehead against her knees and wiped the tears from her eyes.

  She hadn’t been able to save them.

  Suddenly, the hair on the back of her neck stood up. Her heart was racing again. Her back stiffened as she twisted around.

  A dark silhouette stood in the window. It wavered ever so slightly in the howling wind.

  Haven leapt out of bed and reached for her grandfather’s gun. She turned swiftly and aimed it at the window.

  But the figure was gone.

  Haven rubbed her eyes, certain she wasn’t imagining things. She ran to the window and yanked the blinds aside.

  Nothing.

  She tip-toed past her sister, careful not to awaken her. Stepping into the hallway, past her grandmother’s bedroom, she used the flashlight app on her cell phone to guide her as she hurried to the front door. She pulled the curtains back and scanned the yard.

  The neighborhood was dark and quiet. No movement.

  Haven’s skin prickled, and a nagging in the back of her mind wouldn’t let her relax. Something was off.

  She stepped back slowly when she noticed.

  Two houses down, the neighbor’s motion-sensor lights came on.

  She hadn’t been imagining it. The figure in her window had been real.

  Knowing it would be foolish to run out in the dead of night all alone, she stayed by the window on the look-out for any threats. If the lurker came back into her yard, she wouldn’t hesitate for a second to put that gun to good use.

  ***

  Haven was sleeping soundly when she was suddenly awakened by the persistent shaking of her grandmother.

  “Haven, Faith, wake up!”

  The urgency in Rosemary’s voice had startled her, and for the briefest of seconds, she wondered if their house had been breached by those terrible, flesh-eating monsters.

  It had taken her a couple of hours to finally go back to bed after last night’s scare. She had checked every door, window, and lock in her home at least twice, waiting anxiously in the darkness for any threat to wander into their yard.

  “There’s work to be done. It’s already seven in the morning. I let you sleep in. Count your blessings,” her grandmother continued.

  Haven mumbled a complaint and pulled the sheets over her face. “Seven in the morning is not letting someone sleep in, Grandma.”

  “Come on, Haven, I want you to go with me to the grocery store,” Rosemary persisted.

  Haven sighed and sluggishly sat up. From the bed next to hers, a figure moved beneath the sheets, groaning softly. Honey blonde hair peeked out from the quilt.

  “I’ve got to get ready for school. I have my exam today,” Faith said hoarsely.

  Rosemary shook her head. “No, you don’t. School was canceled. I saw it this morning on the news. Apparently, parents are too afraid to send their children to classes, and a lot of teachers have been absent.”

  Haven stumbled out of bed and pulled on a pair of light blue torn jeans. Rosemary wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Not your holey jeans. They make you look poor.” She shook her head disapprovingly. “I don’t understand you young people these days. When I was growing up, we’d throw away clothes that had holes, or Mother would patch them up. Now, you crazy youngsters pay over fifty dollars to buy them that way.”

  Haven tried to hide her smile. “Grandma, I’m twenty-five years-old. I don’t tell you what to wear. Now, do you want me to get ready or not?”

  Faith giggled from where she laid, her eyes dancing with amusement.

  Rosemary shook her head and headed towards the door. “I’ve already made breakfast.” Haven could hear her grumbling something about “kids these days” as she walked away.

  She pulled on a soft gray fitted t-shirt and quickly brushed her hair into a ponytail and looked outside. The day seemed chilly and overcast. Normally quiet streets bustled with cars. Haven glanced at a few houses down and noticed that the O’Briens were packing up their minivan. She could make out Susan and Christian’s blatant expressions of panic while their two young children, Jake and Amy, chased each other around, completely unaware of what was going on throughout the country. Haven watched them for a moment more. She had been baby-sitting for them while completing the FBI testing process, and they were some of the sweetest, most well-behaved children she knew. Susan and Christian had done a great job raising them, and she inwardly hoped that someday her children would be like Jake and Amy. She briefly wondered where they were headed and walked over to her sister’s bed, yanking off the quilt and playfully tickling her.

  “Come on, sleepyhead!”

  Faith protested in vain and swatted back at her sister. Haven stood and pushed her long ponytail over her shoulder. “Congratulations on not having an exam! Guess you can take the day easy now!”

  Faith finally sat up and threw her hands up in feigned exasperation. “I know. All that studying for nothing!”

  Haven tousled her hair playfully, subsequently dodging Faith’s attempts to tickle her and made her way into the kitchen. The news was blaring loudly from the living room.

  “Any updates?”

  Noticing Rosemary had a worried expression on her face, she kissed her on the head. “I’m afraid it’s a lot worse. Almost every major city in the country is experiencing the same attacks we saw yesterday in Raleigh. And what’s most disconcerting is that it’s spreading outside the cities, too.”

  Faith’s fingers tapped nervously on the counter. “I think we should get Brett today.”

  Rosemary nodded. “We’re doing that tonight. Right now, we need to stock up. There is no point in staying here to hide out if we starve to death. I have some canned goods, but I’ve only got a few gallons of water that won’t last us at all. The lake’s in the back, but we still have to purify that water. We need matches, firewood.”

  “Well,” Haven chimed in after taking a hearty bite of bacon, “we had better move fast. People are already getting things together and packing up.” She gestured towards the windows. “Look for yourselves. If we don’t get to the grocery store soon, there won’t be anything left. It’ll be picked clean.”

  She licked her bacon grease-covered fingers and pulled on a pair of boots by the door. “Besides, Brett is most likely safest at the school. That town wouldn’t be able to survive if it wasn’t for his university. There are probably five people total in the entire town.” She continued, “Brett is smart. He knows how to survive and how to defend himself. Plus, he’s the most resourceful person I know. We will get him tonight, but right now, Grandma’s right. We’ll all starve in a week if we don’t get to the store immediately.”

  Rosemary nodded and grabbed her purse. “Alright, let’s go.”

  Haven reached for her keys. “Bring your gun. Who knows what we’ll find out there.”

  She sighed when she reached for her Mace and pocket knife. They looked so puny and useless compared to the gun she’d had at her bedside last night. If she had her concealed weapons license, she would definitely be packing heat. Her grandfath
er’s weapons stash was loudly calling her name, in particular his Ruger LCP which fit perfectly in the back of her jeans. She bit her lip and suppressed the temptation to grab it, not willing to do anything that might compromise a career with the FBI.

  Yet even without the Ruger, Haven was prepared for unwanted confrontation. Having lived in decidedly unsafe areas during her teenage years, as well as surviving in several foreign countries for months at a time, Haven was more street-wise than most realized. She left a metal baseball bat in the back seat of her car, an emergency roadside kit in her trunk, a decent Taser in the car door, and a canister of pepper spray in her purse. In short, she didn’t believe in being caught unaware and unprepared.

  As they exited the house and made their way to Haven’s beloved silver 2004 Chevy Cavalier, her grandmother nodded in the direction of their neighbors.

  Haven turned to see the O’Briens securing various camping equipment to the top of their vehicle.

  She cleared her throat. “Going on a camping trip?” she inquired with a wave, trying to lighten the mood.

  Christian O’Brien looked up, deep creases that weren’t there a few weeks before lining his features. “Huh. Don’t I wish. It’s a zoo out there. We’re getting out of here while the going is still good.”

  Rosemary spoke up. “Do you need anything from the store? We’re headed in that direction.”

  Christian shook his head. “You girls don’t want to go there. It’s pure madness. I tried to go last night around eleven-thirty. You’d think it’d be dead, right? Well, the store was just swamped. It almost seems more dangerous there than in the big cities.”

  Haven smiled reassuringly. “We’ve got a little insurance.” She patted her grandmother’s purse where she kept her gun.

  Christian looked at them skeptically and ran his hand over his tired, unshaven face. “I’d go with you, but… I can’t leave my wife and kids. Not during all this… Be careful. It’s going to get crazy real soon.”

  “You, too,” Haven answered, concern in her voice.

  Jake and Amy ran out, calling her name.

  “Hey, kiddos,” she said, kneeling down to their level.

  “Are you coming with us?” Jake asked shyly.

  “Please come!” Amy chimed in eagerly. “Look at what Daddy got me! A ‘Sketchy!’”

  Haven couldn’t help but smile as the little girl proudly displayed her Etch-A-Sketch. She hugged both of them and kissed the tops of their heads then leaned back and looked at them gravely. “You two listen to your mommy and daddy, okay? Whatever they say, you do it. We’ll see each other again soon.”

  The children nodded obediently, not understanding the urgency in her voice. Haven stood and waved good-bye to Christian. Then she unlocked the doors to her car.

  She buckled her seat belt as she started the engine. “Do you think it’s going to be okay out there?”

  Rosemary shrugged while Haven shifted gears. “There’s only one way to find out.”

  ***

  Bright early morning sun streamed into the loft of the barn where Colin restlessly slept. He stretched and yawned, wincing as his body ached from the car accident a couple of days before and all of the walking he had been doing. The uncomfortable sleeping quarters hadn’t done much to help with that either.

  Colin had wisely decided to stay off the main roads the last two days, although he had been tempted a few times to find help to bring back to his father. Something had kept him from doing so, telling him his father was beyond that now. He didn’t know if it was the gunshots he had heard in the distance throughout much of his journey or the smoke he had seen billowing from neighborhoods, but he knew that this supernatural phenomenon was not only developing; it was spreading everywhere.

  Groggily sitting up, he scratched his head and stared out the window. He could see the city high-rises miles away from his hill-top vantage point.

  A noise from below made him jump. Colin peered over the edge of the loft, but saw nothing and shrugged absentmindedly. His stomach rumbled noisily, and he realized he would have to find something substantial to eat soon.

  Colin was industrious, to say the least. He had camped his first night in the woods without food and water. The next day, he had found a nearby river. After a couple of hours of frustration, he’d caught two fish by grabbing them as they swam past while he waded in the water. He had cooked them and boiled water over an improvised fire later that afternoon. The idea of roughing it for a few days didn’t bother him. Now that the adrenaline and fear from the last few days had lessened considerably, he needed to find more food, water, and some explanations.

  He ran a hand over his hair and picked bits of hay from his clothes. He took a whiff under his armpits, grimaced, and scratched his legs. His skin was crawling, probably from sleeping in old hay that was teeming with tiny insects. Colin decided that he didn’t care to spend another day in the same pair of clothes that he had worn when he traveled from Scotland, stabbed his father, narrowly avoided being eaten by his undead fling, survived a car accident, trudged through countless miles of countryside, and slept in a barn. With all of that action, they were incredibly smelly and stiff with dirt and sweat, and now they were full of bugs. He dug around for a new change of clothes.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered to himself when he pulled out a worn green kilt. “These are the only pair of bottoms you remembered to pack, you big oaf?” He shook his head and sighed, undoing his jeans. Shuffling around in only his socks, Colin managed to find a black cotton long-sleeved shirt. Although he found the idea of himself wandering the American landscape in a kilt unfavorable, he still ensured that the kilt was properly in place: pleats in back, flat aprons overlapping in the front, leather strap fastened to the buckle, the garment sitting high on his waist. He yanked off the belt from his jeans and added it to the kilt so that the sword fit securely within it.

  He absolutely refused to put on the hose and garters though, as he felt that was over the top in this kind of situation. Pushing his sleeves up to his forearms, he then pulled on new socks and boots, shouldered his belongings, and began to descend the ladder.

  Colin was just about to turn the corner when he heard a strange sound behind one of the stalls. He had checked the barn the night before to make sure that nothing was in there save for the animals. Still, there hadn’t been a door to secure the barn, so the likelihood that an unwelcome guest had joined them was unfortunately a possibility.

  Curious by nature, Colin crept towards the noise, his hand resting on the sword tucked into his belt.

  He came to a halt just before one of the stalls at the back of the barn. At first, he had presumed it was empty, but once he was sure he’d heard something behind the walls, he ventured further. A muffled gurgle confirmed his suspicions.

  Colin moved to the front of the stall and stopped.

  In front of him, a large chestnut-colored horse lay on the ground, weakly moving its hooves in the hay beneath it. Beside the horse, a figure was hunched over the stomach of the animal, back and shoulders moving slowly. The man wore dark blue overalls and an old, holey white shirt. His gray hair was thin and wildly unkempt.

  Colin took a step to the left to get a better look before introducing himself. At first he thought the man was operating on the horse. He quickly realized that such a notion was the furthest thing from the truth.

  Fighting the urge to vomit, he watched the monster pull bloody innards into its mouth, feasting on the poor animal while it suffered and struggled to breathe. Colin didn’t have any animals of his own and couldn’t ride a horse to save his life, but he hated the thought of anyone harming such a beautiful creature.

  “Hey!” he said in a booming voice.

  Colin froze as the figure snapped around at lightning speed.

  The same inhuman, lifeless eyes both his father and Carissa had had in their final moments…

  It leaned back at an unnatural angle, its face tilted to the ceiling. It curled its upper lip into a
snarl and eagerly sniffed the air. Its ruined hands remained strained and claw-like, one still clutching a massive rope of intestines.

  Colin didn’t want to find out if it was fast or slow. He took the sword out of his belt and stepped forward a few feet. The creature had already risen to its feet and sensing a new food source nearby, moved forward clumsily as it sniffed its surroundings. Was it blind? If this thing was tracking him by scent, Colin thanked God that he had changed his clothes, remembering the putrid stench of his last set. He easily avoided the zombie as it passed him and swung the sword into its face, feeling a rush of satisfaction as he felt bone and cartilage shatter under the impact. Its body soundlessly fell to the floor. With a grunt, he wrenched the weapon free and brought it down again until what was left looked like the remains of a smashed, rotted pumpkin.

  Colin edged away from it and moved to the horse. He was grateful to discover that it was already dead. He hadn’t looked forward to the idea of putting it down.

  He briefly studied the man’s clothing and surmised that he was most likely the owner of the farm.

  After exiting the barn, he walked towards the main house, an old white structure that had become dilapidated with time. He hoped he could find food and some some supplies within that could be put to good use.

  He crossed the yard at a swift pace. As he reached the house, a large flock of birds exploded from the trees in the distance, cawing and squawking angrily at whatever had disturbed them.

  Colin decided that this supply run was going to be a quick one.

  Chapter 10:

  Despite Wal-Mart being only twenty minutes away, Haven and Rosemary had been stuck in traffic for nearly an hour. Cars sat bumper to bumper, something very unusual for the small town. The drivers were honking their horns like madmen.