The Infected Series (Books 1-3)

by L. J. Cuff

  Suddenly, without warning, Dennis hit the infected in its head. It immediately stopped moving, its eyes glazed over. Its knees buckled causing it to fall to the ground. Mary showed no emotion at the knife sticking out of the back of the infected’s head.

  “Let’s go get the other ones,” Dennis remarked, pulling his knife out and turning toward the door. The other two infected were quiet and perfectly behaved. Mary took a moment outside. She noticed a strange marking on the infected’s arm. Looking up to make sure Dennis wasn’t watching, she carefully moved its arm so she could inspect it better.

  “Mary, are you coming?” Dennis called out. Mary looked up in his direction then back at the symbol. She quickly covered it back up. “Mary?” Dennis asked, coming back to the door.

  “Yes, here I am,” She answered decisively, climbing back into the van.

  Together, they removed the restraints for the second infected. The moment Mary held its leash, it sat down next to her leg. She looked down then up at the third one. “How about we just take them both out together?” She asked, motioning for Dennis.

  Dennis shook his head. “Not a good idea, one at a time works best for this,” He responded.

  Mary shrugged and stepped out to the door. She gave a quick tug to the leash again and the infected complied. She jumped out the back of the van to avoid the first infected. Dennis walked up behind it and lifted his hand. Before he had a chance to use the knife, the infected dove forward. It hit the ground on all fours and began running.

  Mary was clutching the leash so tightly that the infected pulled her a few feet behind it, away from the van. Once it was sufficiently clear of the vehicle, the infected spun itself around and growled at her. It raised its hand and swiped at her much like a wild animal. Mary stepped back, holding onto the leash.

  “If you want to get away, you’ve got to get through me,” She said, lifting both her hands up, preparing to fight.

  The infected growled and stomped the ground with its hands. Mary pulled back on the leash, causing it to move forward. It dug its hands into the dirt and looked up at her, then over to Dennis who was calmly walking up behind her. It glanced over its left shoulder then began howling. Mary heard the familiar response in the distance.

  “Oh shit…” Mary declared before wrapping the leash around her wrist. As the infected howled its response, Mary pulled as hard as she could on the lead, partially strangling it. It fell forward, its face hitting the dirt. It groggily lifted its head only to have Dennis jump on its back. He quickly used the knife on its head and stood up.

  “On to number three,” Dennis said cheerfully.

  “Mind if we finish it inside instead of…” Mary asked, taking the leash off the infected and walking to the van.

  Dennis glanced over his left shoulder in the direction of the howling then he looked back over his right at the infected’s limp body. “Well, I was hoping to not have to sleep somewhere with their smell but…” He said before stopping and nodding in agreement.

  Dennis and Mary re-entered the van. Dennis quickly stepped over to the third infected and lifted his knife. The infected struggled against its restraints as it could see its end was inevitable. Dennis was quick and efficient. He quickly inserted and retracted the blade from the infected’s skull. Mary helped him remove all the restraints, pick up the infected, and dump it out the back.

  Claire yawned as she put the van into gear. Mary stepped up beside her and put her hand on her shoulder. “Are you sure you’re able to drive? I got a nap back here while you were driving before so maybe I can carry on?” Mary asked.

  Claire looked over at her then back at the road. “You don’t know where we’re going,” She responded.

  “We’re going east or at least that’s what the compass is showing,” Mary pointed.

  Claire watched the setting sun in the rear view mirror. She knew she couldn’t last long driving at night after having been up half the previous one. “Fine,” She acknowledged. She pulled the van over to the side. “Just head east as per the compass and wake me in a couple of hours,” She said, pointing to the compass situated on the dashboard.

  “Not a problem,” Mary said, adjusting herself in the driver’s seat. Claire, Dennis, and Owen crawled into the back of the van as Mary drove along the road. She moved the mirror so she could see them better.

  After fifteen miles, Mary saw all three of her companions were asleep. She pulled over and opened the window just a crack. She could still hear the infected howling but it seemed to be coming from the south east. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw they were still sleeping. She opened the glove compartment and rifled through it. There has got to be something magnetic here, she thought before finding a small, circular object. She inspected it then placed it on the compass. The needle began spinning in response to the object. That’ll do, she thought, attaching it to the back of the compass then positioning it so that it wouldn’t show.

  Leaving the window open, Mary could smell the air changing from a fragrant scent to something much stronger, more pungent.

  * * *

  The van swerved from one side of the road to the other as Mary’s eyes began closing. She’d been up for almost the entire night driving and was determined to continue. She glanced over her shoulder, ensuring everyone else was still asleep. The sun was rising to the right, casting shadows across the road.

  A hand touched her on the shoulder, startling her. She looked over to see Dennis. “I think it’s time for you to get some rest,” He said, sitting down in the passenger seat.

  “I’m still ok, you go back to sleep,” She suggested.

  “I would but my side hurts from your last swerve…” He rubbed his arm and raised his eyebrows looking over at her. He looked forward then over to his right. “Are you sure you’re going the right direction?” He asked.

  Mary pointed at the compass and responded, “It says east and that’s where we’re going.”

  Dennis groggily lifted it and turned it from side to side. He noticed the needle wasn’t moving. He held it up to the light, still inspecting it.

  “What’s that?” Mary asked.

  “What’s what?” Dennis responded, looking over to her with half glazed eyes.

  “That,” Mary pointed to something on the back of the compass.

  Dennis turned it over and pulled the magnet off. He flipped the compass back and saw the needle was now moving properly. “I wonder how long this has been happening…” He muttered before heading into the back. He rifled through one of the bags and came back to the passenger seat with a map.

  “What’s going on?” Claire asked in between yawns.

  “A stupid magnet was attached to the back of the compass… I’m not sure where we are…” Dennis answered. He noticed a road sign by the side of the road. “Mary, please pull over,” He said.

  Mary pulled the van over and watched as Dennis got out and began scanning his map for the names he saw on the road sign. She bit her bottom lip in anticipation, hoping he wouldn’t notice the smell or grunting.

  “Hey, how about you get some rest,” Claire suggested, motioning for Mary to get out of the driver’s seat.

  Mary slowly nodded and moved into the back. She climbed into a drawer underneath one of the beds that was acting as her makeshift bed. Her eyes had just begun closing when she heard shouting from outside. She lifted her head slightly but then rethought her actions. Whatever it is, they can handle it, she thought before pulling herself underneath the bed above and drifting off to sleep.

  * * *

  Mary awoke with a start. She pushed the drawer out from under the bed to find the van van was completely dark. She held up her arm and pushed a button on her wrist watch.

  It’s only five o’clock, it shouldn’t be this dark, she thought, standing up. She glanced over her shoulders but the windows there were completely blocked from the previous owner. She stepped towards the front and noticed a black tarp covering the windows. Leaning in for a closer look, she could see it
was tightly tied on.

  Well, I was hoping to find Eric, she thought, moving herself towards the back. Gently holding and rotating the latch, it gave way with a small click. The door opened with a barely audible creak as she cautiously stepped out.

  She stayed low to the ground and closed the door. Taking a step back, she immediately bumped into something. She spun around and saw a car. Standing up, there were cars all around her surrounded by a fence on three sides and a red brick building on the other. She walked over to the building.

  Looking into one of the windows, Mary saw an old classroom. I guess class isn’t in session, she thought, smiling at her joke. She noticed movement from the corner of the room and quickly crouched down.

  “For fuck’s sake,” A man’s voice could be heard, “I thought you tied them all properly!” The man shouted as his footsteps approached Mary.

  Oh shit, she thought, crawling under one of the nearby cars. She watched the shadow on the ground as the man’s head peaked out. He moved from one side to the other.

  “Where did it go?” The man commented.

  Mary could see the outline of a gun next to his head. She moved herself backwards under the car, as far as she could without being visible.

  Another shadow appeared from inside. “Ben?” The man asked in a hushed voice.

  Ben made no comment. Mary watched as the other shadow grew momentarily larger then she saw a pair of shoes drop from the window directly in front of her. Her eyes grew wide. She looked around for cover but couldn’t see any. The feet walked over to the car next to her followed by a man’s head as he bent down.

  While he looked the other way, Mary growled then grabbed his hair and hit him hard against the car. He fell unconscious to the ground. She quickly turned herself around and peaked out from the back of the car. She realized the small gap between it and the other car couldn’t be seen from the window. She swiftly moved herself along the ground.

  She was making her way towards the back when she heard footsteps coming up from behind. She stopped and listened. The footsteps got louder as they approached accompanied by barely audible whimpering. Suddenly, they stopped a few feet behind her.

  A dog crawled under the car and began licking her hand. Its tail wagged and it looked so excited to meet her. Mary smiled and reached out to pet it when suddenly it growled and bit her. She put her other hand in her mouth to stop from screaming.

  “Found anything under there, Killer?” Ben asked, tugging on the dog’s leash. It moved itself backwards, gripping Mary’s hand in its mouth. She tried to pull back but the pain was too great. Ben saw what Killer was holding and he reached down to stop him. The dog released but just as Mary was about to pull back her hand, Ben stepped on her.

  “Come out now and we won’t kill you on sight,” Ben stated authoritatively, lifting up his foot.

  Mary took in a deep breath and crawled out from under the car.

  “Hmm… You have some strong arms there… Or you did before…” Ben said with a smile, watching Mary cradle her hand.

  Mary looked up at him then down at her hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed him nod at someone. She spun around just in time to see a baseball bat come down on her. She fell to the ground, unconscious.

  Chapter Two

  “You’re new here?” A stoutly woman asked, handing over a small washcloth.

  “Oh… My head…” Dennis proclaimed, pushing past the woman.

  “It’ll pass… it always does…” She explained, still holding the washcloth for him.

  He looked at her with momentarily glazed eyes before blinking twice. He reached out for the cloth and nodded in appreciation. Looking around, he could see many different people all being held in a similar cell to him. “What is this place?” He asked, looking up at the woman.

  “A living hell…” She responded, sadly glancing over her shoulder. She returned her attention to Dennis and opened her mouth to speak when suddenly, she heard the clang of a metal door. She immediately grabbed the washcloth and spun around, pretending not to speak. Dennis watched as a man wearing a bullet proof vest came in.

  “It’s work time!” He shouted jubilantly before opening all the cell doors.

  Dennis stood just the same as everyone else. He kept his head low, blending in with the crowd while looking around. As he walked down the hallway, he could make out some details of the old police station. Even with all the desks gone from the front, there still remained wanted posters hanging from the bulletin board.

  “Eyes down!” Another man in a vest shouted at someone directly in front of Dennis before he picked up his gun and brought it down on them. Dennis stepped to the side and continued walking. He looked ahead and noticed the woman was standing in a crowd of others, picking up a small bucket from a tray.

  Dennis kept quiet as he made his way to the same area. He held multiple buckets in his hand and followed the woman, careful not to let anyone else notice. As they walked, they made their way past rows of strawberry bushes, apple trees, and finally apricot trees. He glanced over his shoulder and saw there were no guards close by. Standing up and looking around, he could see a large fence surrounding the area. He was about to step forward when he noticed someone standing against it. He turned back to his tree and began picking.

  “Hello again,” The woman whispered.

  “Careful, there’s someone standing over there,” Dennis responded.

  She glanced over her shoulder and paused. She watched the person’s movements carefully then returned her attention to Dennis. “That’s not one the living,” She said.

  He raised his eyebrow and looked at her. “What is this place?” He asked again, looking around at the others.

  “Labor camp for Ben and his friends,” She responded, pulling an apricot from the tree. “While I was treating your head injury, I noticed your tattoo…” She began.

  Dennis looked down at his arm and noticed the bandage. He pulled it up a little to get a better look but she put her hand on him to stop him. “Please, don’t show that around here…” She said, “Every person that does either joins him or ends up dead…” She stopped immediately and spun around to work on the other tree. Dennis noticed a guard walking in their direction holding a rifle. He looked down at his arm then back at the guard.

  He watched the man walk away then turned back to the woman. “What is your name?” He asked her.

  “Emma,” She responded, sullenly, before leaving.

  A horn blew in the background and everyone lined up with their gathered fruit. Dennis removed his bandages and threw them into an adjacent tree. He made his way with all the others for the long trek back.

  “Where did you get those?” A tall man standing a few feet away asked.

  Dennis glanced back at him then continued walking.

  A guard stepped right in front of Dennis and yelled, “When Ben asks you a question, he expects an answer.”

  Dennis glanced over his shoulder at Ben. “I’m former special forces,” he responded before stepping to the side to continue walking.

  The guard raised his weapon in the air as Dennis glared at him. “That’s enough, Kevin,” Ben shouted. He came up behind Dennis and put his hand on his shoulder. “Let’s find this man some better accommodations and see if we help him see the value in working with us,” He continued with a wink.

  Dennis followed Ben across the fields to a stately looking house as Emma watched from the door to the jailhouse.

  “What’s wrong, Emma, you worried we’ve found another one for you,” Kevin said into her ear as he grabbed her ass. She winced at his touch and continued walking towards her cell.

  * * *

  “Hello there,” A voice whispered into her ear while patting her shoulder.

  Emma’s eyes opened but then quickly closed. She squeezed her shoulder tightly and pulled away. Within moments, she was snoring again. The dark figure persisted. It came in close, put its hand over her mouth and pinched hard into her lower back. Emma’s eyes shot
open at the sudden pain. She tried to turn around but two hands held her down while a third was over her mouth. Her breathing quickened as her eyes darted around looking for help but not finding any.

  The figure moved close to her ear. She could hear it lick its lips, getting ready to speak. She tilted her head up, hitting the figure in the jaw, stunning it. She then bit the hand covering her mouth – a shout of pain, and her mouth was free. However, when she opened her mouth to scream, she was stifled by something shoved inside.

  Not again, please, no, she thought, struggling against the hands.

  “Please, calm down,” A woman’s voice whispered in the darkness. Emma stopped struggling for only a moment but it was long enough for her attackers to gain the upper hand. “Please,” The woman whispered closer to her ear. “I just need to talk to you.”

  Emma could feel the hands relaxing their grip. She lay still and brought her head close to the woman. The hand over her mouth was removed so she could speak.

  “Who are you?” She asked, unable to see in the darkness.

  “My name is Claire and he is Owen,” Claire spoke very slowly and softly, carefully listening for any odd noises near them. “What is your name?” Claire paused, tapping gently on the ground so Owen would clear his hands. Emma sat herself up and looked at the vague outline of the two people in front of her.

  “Emma,” She responded, patting down the front of her shirt.

  “Nice to meet you Emma,” Claire said, touching Emma’s hand.

  A cold silence filled the air before Emma finally spoke. “Are you new here?” Emma inquired.

  “What gave it away?”

  “Waking me up in the middle of the night for starters… And your accent sounds different from ours…”

  “Yeah, we arrived yesterday… They didn’t really explain anything, just shoved us in here and whipped us if we didn’t follow everyone else…” Claire said sadly. “I noticed you yesterday with that one guard and thought…” Claire paused. “Well, I thought maybe you could help us?” Her voice peaking at a near squeak.