by L. T. Ryan
“No, but I can figure out how to change them.”
With that, Emma focused on the computer screen. She found a way into the security system and changed the codes on the doors. She only hoped that her father wasn’t trying to get back in.
“Come on, Marley,” Barbara said, waiting at the front door.
Emma spun around in the chair, stood, and went to the kitchen. They’d need some food and water. She pulled a case of water bottles out, as well as two dozen MREs. She stuffed a backpack full with the food and water. Then she went to the cabinet where her father had guns stored. She grabbed two handguns and several extra rounds of ammunition, which she placed in the backpack with the other supplies.
“Can you think of anything else?” Emma asked.
“What?” Barbara said a few seconds later.
“What do we need? Come on, I need you to get with it, Barb.”
“Oh.” Barbara jerked her head side-to-side.
“Get some hiking boots on, and grab another change of clothes. I know my Dad had some waterproof stuff in there for Mom. See if that fits. Grab a jacket, too. There should be another backpack, we’ll put our clothes in there.”
Emma didn’t wait for Barbara. She went into her room and grabbed clothes, shoes and a jacket. She returned to the living area to see Marley waiting alone by the front door. Emma inhaled deeply, closed her eyes and collected herself. She visualized the passage. The path to the barn was longer, but easier. There were no ladders or other obstacles to get in her way. At least she hoped not.
Barbara emerged from the other bedroom a moment later. She held a stuffed backpack, letting it dangle by her legs.
“Give that here,” Emma said. She rifled through the pack, reorganizing it. Then she placed most of her clothing inside. Her hiking boots wouldn’t fit, so she chucked her current shoes in favor of them. They were more practical for travel through the woods anyway.
“We’re doing this?” Barbara asked.
Emma nodded, turned and went to the door. She unlocked it. A gust blew past when she cracked it open. The air smelled musty. She wasn’t sure if that was normal or not. Once inside the passage, there was no breeze. She figured that meant that both ends were sealed. She started to walk toward the barn and caught sight of a rifle on the ground.
“Grab that gun,” she said.
“What?” Barbara asked.
“On the ground, there.” Emma pointed at it. She smiled weakly. “Just in case.”
Barbara retrieved the weapon. She held it like it had a disease.
“You ever shot before?” Emma asked.
Barbara nodded. The red glow of the emergency lights cast creepy shadows across her face.
“Then man up and act like you’ve handled a rifle before.”
Barbara straightened up and secured her grip on the weapon.
The woman and the young teen began their journey through the tunnel toward the barn with no idea what they’d find when they reached it. Would her father be there? Would a group of men greet them? Or maybe a fire?
“Barbara,” Emma said.
“Yeah.”
“Say a prayer.”
Thirty-Two
The zip ties wrapped around Addison’s wrists dug into her flesh. She sat between two large, musty men. She didn’t recognize either of them. The guy on her right stared out the window. His shaggy hair stuck together in spots where sweat had gathered. The man driving the truck looked a hundred pounds overweight. His elbow brushed against her breast every time the truck bounced, which was often along the country road.
She’d become so turned around that she wasn’t sure which direction they were headed. It didn’t seem like they were going to town. Perhaps they had another way to get back to the camp that she wasn’t aware of.
The roads they drove on were clear. This struck Addison as odd. She’d expected to see cars littering the streets, bodies in the ditches, and roving bands of marauders out. Perhaps that scenario was a product of watching too many movies. Still, she couldn’t help but think it had to be that way in some areas.
What if she were in a big city?
Surely, those areas had to be beyond repair by this point.
“Look over there,” the guy on her right said.
The truck slowed down and the man driving leaned forward. His gut enveloped the steering wheel.
“Disgusting,” the driver said.
Addison tried hard not to look. She didn’t need to see whatever it was. Eventually, after hearing the men go on about it, her curiosity won out.
Several feet away four people hovered over something. They frantically reached down and tore at a carcass. One seemed to block the others from whatever it was they were eating. The others turned on him, pulling away and casting him to the side. The guy, or thing, slithered back over and resumed feeding.
“What is that?” she asked.
“Cow,” the man to her right said.
“And those people are…?”
“They ain’t people no more, lady.” He reached behind and retrieved a rifle. “Be ready to drive.”
“All right,” the big guy said.
The guy on her right opened his door and slipped out of the truck. He placed the stock to his shoulder, took aim, squeezed off a shot. A head erupted like a watermelon. The body fell limply to the side. None of the others reacted.
“I’m gonna get another one,” the guy said.
The driver nodded, a smile on his face.
Another shot was fired. This one hit dead center. The guy who was shot sort of flinched, but then went right back to eating.
“Shit,” the guy said, before firing another shot. This one hit, tearing half the being’s skull off.
“Another one down,” the driver said. “What you figure, lady, a billion more out there?”
Addison glanced over at him, repulsed by the masturbatory satisfaction he got out of the display.
“What?” she said.
The big guy laughed. “If you ain’t figured it out, there’s no surviving this. We can only fight to last a little bit longer. That’s why you need to get with the program. Your only chance of making it more than a few weeks is with us. Trust me, from now on—”
Another shot rang out. Addison looked over in time to see a third head explode. A pink cloud settled down on the cow, corpses, and remaining being, who rose and turned. Entrails hung from its hands and mouth.
“—Hang on.” The driver leaned his head forward a bit. “You better make this last shot count.”
Addison watched as the thing stumbled toward them. Its face was twisted in a permanent scream, like the famous painting. She wanted to shout out for the man to shoot, but didn’t out of fear of disturbing his concentration.
Finally, he took his shot. It hit the thing in its forehead and tore off the top of its head. She watched it dropped to its knees, then fall forward.
As the man got back inside the truck, the driver continued. “As I was saying, you can become an integral part of our budding community, or you can become bait.”
“Bait?” she repeated, stretching her jaw in an attempt to rid her ears of the ringing.
“Yeah, you know, we bring you along with us when hunting or whatever.” He took a deep, loud breath. “If something goes wrong, meaning we run into a bunch of them, we put the bait out so we can get away.”
The man to her right snorted. She glanced at him, then back at the driver.
“So, you’ve done this already?”
He smiled. “Yup.”
She swallowed hard, even though her mouth felt dry. “Where do you keep the bait?”
“You’re gonna find out when we get back. Then you’ll have the opportunity to decide what you want to do.” He shifted into second and drove off. “I guess you will. I really shouldn’t speak out of turn. Phil might have other ideas, seeing as how you took off on us.”
Addison lowered her head. Her hair fell across the side of her face and onto her chest. “I didn’t hurt anyb
ody.”
“Nobody except for Ralph,” the driver said. “I don’t mind that, and I doubt Phil does. We all think the guy’s a creepy asshole. But, here’s where it gets tricky, you wasted our time. You put us at risk. None of us knows where you was heading, or who you was gonna go see. Hell, you mighta tried to turn back and lead a damn horde of those freaking things right to us. You see, we can’t allow those that come into our community to leave. The danger is too great. I’m sure you can understand that.”
“Unless they’re bait,” she fired back.
Both men laughed.
“Yeah,” the driver said. “Unless they’re bait.”
Addison closed her eyes for the rest of the drive. She bounced between the two men, sliding off their sweat-coated arms. They spoke to one another, but left her alone. Their conversation offered no clues as to what was to come next.
The truck came to a stop and the engine went silent. Addison opened her eyes. She recognized where they were. She slid across the seat and exited the truck to her right. The guy waited for her. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. She knew the way, so she tried to walk past him.
“Where you think you’re going?” He grabbed hold of her shoulder.
She nearly tumbled backward.
“You gotta wear this,” he said, brandishing a black hood.
“You’re serious?”
He nodded. “Can’t have you seeing where we keep those we plan on discarding.”
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. What choice did she have?
The man placed the hood over her head while the other held her from behind. One of them smelled like corn chips. Maybe both of them did. She couldn’t wait to get away from the odor.
She felt hands touch her elbows, guiding her forward. She took quick, short steps.
“Don’t worry,” the driver said. “We won’t let you fall.”
“Forgive me for finding it hard to trust you right now,” she said.
“We’re not the ones that beat a man up, stole an ATV and ran away.”
Addison said nothing. She continued walking, allowing them to guide her.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but it felt like this trek took longer than her original walk to the camp. Her fear level rose with each step. She resisted the urge to ask where they were going. Her mind wandered, though, sorting through numerous possibilities.
What if they’re going to execute me? Bury me alive? Drown me? Rape me? Tie me to a tree, naked?
With every frightening scenario she thought of, her anxiety levels increased. It became increasingly difficult to breathe. The sensation was further compounded by the hood over her face. She felt the fabric pull tight across her nostrils with every deep, intense breath.
“All right,” the driver said. “We’re here. You’re gonna need to duck your head, then we’re gonna walk a few more feet. After that, I’ll remove your hood.”
Addison nodded and said nothing. She allowed the men to push her head forward. At once, she was greeted with the smell of feces. She didn’t think it possible, but she longed for the corn chip body odor that had surrounded her since she got in the truck.
A few feet later, they took her hood off. She prepared herself for pain in her eyes as they adjusted to light. The room was dark.
“Forward.”
She walked. The passage twisted and seemed to angle downward. The concrete walls were wet, as if they were sweating. They came to a door. The heavier man leaned forward, inserted a key that he pulled from around his neck, and pushed the door open. Another wave of foul odor passed, causing Addison to gag. She bowed forward, unsure of whether she would vomit.
“You’ll get used to it,” the other man said. “Now move.”
Her eyes adjusted as she passed through the doorway. They were in a wide hall. On either side, there were cells. Each cell contained two to four men and women. There were no beds or toilets or sinks or windows.
Tears welled in Addison’s eyes. She bit her lip to keep from crying. This was where they stored the bait.
They kept walking until they reached the end of the hall. On her left, three men filled a cell. They turned her to the right, where a cell stood empty.
“This is yours,” the big guy said. “Remember, you did this to yourself. You keep that in mind if you’re offered a chance to rejoin us.”
Thirty-Three
Emma thought it took longer to traverse the tunnel than she remembered. The last time she had walked the full length of it was a year ago. She had snuck into it after hearing her father tell her mother the new pass codes. She recalled the feeling of panic and apprehension that ran through her body as she climbed down the ladder. She’d been down it before, but never alone. If her father had caught her, he would have lit into her for going down without him.
Would she see her father again? Was he in that pile of bodies, or had he managed to escape?
“Pick up the pace, Barbara,” she said.
“What’s gotten into you?” Barbara said.
Emma shrugged. She wasn’t sure. It felt natural, though. She’d always been the type to take charge in a group or during an argument among friends. It felt natural for her to lead. She’d figured that trait had come from her father.
They neared the exit. Emma stopped and turned around. “Are you ready for this?”
Barbara said nothing. She aimed her hollow stare in Emma’s direction. Marley sat down and glanced up at Barbara. He whimpered a few times.
“Barbara, please, I need you. I can’t do this without you. If you’re not ready, tell me and we’ll rest for a few minutes.”
Barbara looked past Emma. “I’m ready, Em. Let’s do this.”
Emma took a deep breath. She’d avoided preparing for the moment during their walk. Now it had to be done. There was no avoiding it.
“Have you ever been through here?” Emma asked.
“No.”
“Okay, when we go through, we’ll end up in a small room. It might be dark. There’s a hatch that’s hidden in the barn. We’ll have to go through that. Got it?”
“Dark room. Hatch. Got it.”
Emma searched the wall until she found the panel, removed it, and entered the code. The door unlocked with a hiss and a click. She opened it. At once, she felt that something was wrong. It seemed lighter in there than it had in the past. She had no idea if her father had been through, though. Perhaps he had left a light down there.
“Come on,” Emma said, reaching behind her and gesturing Barbara forward. She cleared the doorway and looked back. Barbara passed through right after. Marley followed. Glancing upward, she saw that the hatch wasn’t closed all the way. A small crack let in a sliver of light.
“How do we get up?” Barbara asked.
Emma pointed. “Ladder attached to the wall there. Hard to see, but it’s there. Follow me.”
She lowered her bag, took out a bottle of water and took two gulps. She slung the bag over one shoulder, and then crossed the narrow room. Halfway up the ladder, her backpack slid off her shoulder. She bent her arm ninety degrees and stopped it before it went past her elbow. It made climbing more difficult, but the weight of the bag prevented her from slinging it back into place.
Emma reached the top of the ladder. A cool draft pushed through the cracked hatch and past her face. Dust filled her nose. She scrunched her face to prevent a sneeze. The sensation passed. Emma tucked her chin to her chest and pushed the back of her head and upper back into the hatch. Straining, she managed to lift it a few inches. She raised her gaze and scanned the dust-covered floor. It looked as expected.
“Everything okay?” Barbara asked.
“Fine, just checking,” Emma whispered. She took a deep breath, brushing aside her annoyance at Barbara for speaking.
She slid her left hand through, then her right. The floor felt gritty. She took three more steps up the ladder, pushing the hatch further open. The breeze faded. Must have been some kind of draft, she figured. Now it felt
stale and warm. Emma pushed hard with her left hand and threw the hatch all the way open.
And came face to face with two men she had never seen before.
“Well, what do we have here?” the taller of the two said. He had a thick beard. No hair stuck out from the edges of his camouflaged hat.
Emma said nothing.
Neither did the second man. He stepped closer, though, aiming his rifle at Emma’s head. He gestured to the side with it.
Emma continued to climb the ladder. Her bag got caught on something. She looked down, but couldn’t see what. The bag had food, clothing, and her weapon. She jerked on it in an attempt to free it.
“Leave it,” the second man said, taking another step and placing the barrel of his rifle inches from her head. “Keep moving.”
She clenched her teeth and let her arm go limp. The bag slid free. It dangled from a spike, inches from the floorboards.
“You, below, drop the fucking gun and wait for her to get up here,” the guy shouted at Barbara.
Emma heard a thump from below. Barbara began to cry. Marley started to bark. Emma felt bad for bringing them along. She should have come alone to scout the area. Emma could have dropped and retreated into the passage had the woman not been there.
The man directed Emma to the rear wall.
“Come on up,” the guy said to Barbara.
“What about my dog?” she asked.
“You first,” the guy replied.
She climbed up. He sent Barbara to the side wall, taking her bag. He dug through it. Her clothes were tossed on the floor and left there. He dropped the bag and took a few steps back.
The bearded man stepped forward. “We good?”
The other man nodded.
“All right,” the bearded man said. “Let’s get moving. The lady first, then the girl. Any stupid moves, the girl gets shot. Got it?”
Barbara’s face twisted. She let out a loud, choking sob. “What about my dog?”
“Oh, right.” The guy stepped forward, pulled a pistol out of his bag and fired a shot.
Marley whimpered and then went silent.
“Come on now,” the guy said. “As long as you don’t do nothing stupid, that won’t happen to you. We’re taking you somewhere safe.”