Respect for the Dead (Surviving the Dead Book 1)

by Shawn McLain

  These monitors were fed by the five traffic cameras that had been placed around town. Walking further into the room Devin glanced at the large lit up logo of the local TV station that had helped pay for the cameras. This of course was done so the station could use the cameras for “exclusive” traffic reports of the city on the news. This always made Devin laugh since they were the only TV station in town of course it was exclusive. The other two stations were in the bigger towns Twenty miles to the east.

  Focusing his attention on the main camera that showed the interchange for the connecting road to the highway Devin slumped down onto a chair. “What is the best way out of town for Cheryl and the kids?” He pondered.

  “It must have hit the news.” Devin breathed. The traffic heading out of the city seemed to have doubled in the brief time he sat there. He glanced around at the other monitors in the room. Something caught his eye and he stared at the screen.

  The downtown square was full of people. The square had been empty for the last two days as people hid themselves away to avoid getting sick. It was never this full on a Monday even when everyone was healthy. He thought.

  “What are you doing do there?” Devin asked the monitor. The crowd was acting strange. They were just milling about. No one seemed to be talking to each other just walking around, some even bumping into each other but they didn’t seem to notice. Devin thought back to what he had heard from Philly and Pittsburgh about violence and rioting. People here just seemed confused.

  Picking up the phone he pressed the three digit extension for the Mayor and waited, “What have you got Dev?”

  “I…well it is already getting bad. People are streaming out of town, we should open up the incoming lanes to outgoing traffic…Also, and this is weird, the square is full of people. It’s really strange they just seem to be wandering around, you know bumping into each other but no one is fighting. Not like we heard about in Philly.”

  “Shit” The mayor gasped. “We’ll get the SWAT down there as fast as..”

  “No!, they aren’t rioting they are, well they are just, they’re, they look drunk.” Devin tried to reassure his boss. “They are just wandering around and stumbling over each other. Do you think this is how the riots start? They just get worked up and start attacking each other?”

  “Devin! Figure out a way to get people out of town, avoiding the square! We’ll send the police to block off the area. There will be barricades set up in a one block radius. They won’t hurt each other but God help anyone who goes near them!” The phone clicked dead, Devin stared at the silent receiver and returned it to the cradle.

  “What is going on? What did he mean they won’t hurt each other but will hurt anyone who gets near? ” He asked the monitor. His attention, captivated by the people in the square, did not allow him to see the screen in the lower left. On it was a car barreling toward the camera.

  A woman was thrashing at a child who was clawing at her trying to free itself from its seatbelt. The woman’s silent scream was not observed as the child lurched forward and the screen went to snow as the car smashed into the pole.

  End of a Chapter

  Beth realized she had been staring at the first three words at the beginning of the new chapter for about ten minutes. “This is ridiculous!” She thought as she slammed the book shut. “Everything is going to be fine! This is no different from Swine Flu, West Nile, SARS and all those other Epidemics or Pandemics or whatever. This is America we don’t die from that kind of stuff.” This was the argument Beth had been having with herself as she tried not to worry. This reassurance filled many houses and many talk shows.

  She lay on her bed staring at the cover of the closed book. A smile crossed her face as the words she had just thought met her ears from the TV in the other room. “Damn right.” She breathed. Reopening the book she found her place at the beginning of the chapter and tried again. Five minutes later she had made it half a paragraph in.

  “Errgh!” She grabbed a book mark, roughly jammed it in between the pages and slammed the book shut. Frustrated she sat up. “I’ve had enough of this. I’m going over there and settle this. His Stepdad will be sick but he’ll be fine. Just like when Dad and Steve get sick. They are men; tough until they get the sniffles then they need all the help they can get. We’ll load him up and head out of town until this all settles down.”

  Getting up from the bed she crossed to her desk and opened her backpack. She slipped the book inside. “Hey Dad, I’m going to walk over to Wes’s and hang out for a little bit.” She yelled down the hall. She threw on her jacket and grabbed the backpack.

  “I really don’t want….” Her father was interrupted by the sound of shattering glass. “Who the hell are you?” Her father yelled. “Get the hell out of my house!”

  Beth ran into the living room, skidded to a halt at the entry to the living room and stood frozen. The scene before her eyes was impossible. Two men, covered in blood, were wrestling with her father. A woman stumbled through the shattered sliding glass door into the room. Her bare feet crunched and cracked the broken glass. It was their neighbor Mrs. McGee, but there was something very wrong. Her face was torn and bloody, her arm had a piece missing and blood oozed from her cut feet with each step. She walked slowly, seemingly unaware of any of her injuries. The commotion of the struggle caught her attention. She turned and shuffled quickly towards Beth’s father and joined the others in the attack.

  “Beth! Run! Get out! Get out!” Her father screamed as one of his attackers bit him in the face. Mr. McDaniel threw the man off of him. The body crashed onto the coffee table sending broken wood splintering across the room. Beth screamed and took a step toward her father. “BETH RUN!”

  Mrs. McGee turned her grey eyes on Beth and lunged at her. The woman who had once been her baby sitter, the woman who never missed Beth’s birthday, waved at her as she left each morning, was now coming at her with teeth bared and a look of anger and hunger.

  Mrs. McGee raised her arms reaching out for Beth. As the limbs came up her left arm cracked at the elbow and her forearm fell free of her shirt to the floor. Falling back against the wall Beth screamed, she saw past the approaching woman to her father. It looked the two men were ripping him apart even as he fought them.

  “Beth…Gooooo ARRRGG.” The man who had been thrown on the coffee table had a large chunk of wood sticking out of his shoulder. He leaned in and sunk his teeth into Mr. McDaniel’s throat; blood sprayed the white living room wall.

  Mrs. McGee’s fingers pulled at Beth’s hair. Heart pounding in terror Beth ran for the front door. She heard more glass breaking and saw a girl from down the block trying to getting through a bedroom window, the girl was also covered in blood. Beth clicked the dead bolt and threw open the door. The sight that met her eyes again rooted her to the spot.

  Cars screamed down the street, people were running from their homes. Some people stumbled about bleeding. Across the street there were three people crouched over a fourth who was still clawing to get away. It looked as though they were trying to eat him. Their hands, covered in blood seemed to be pulling bits of him to their mouths.

  Beth was pulled off balance as the shoulder strap of her back pack tightened; she stumbled into the door frame. She spun around to see Mrs. McGee lose her grip on the strap. Beth let out a short scream and ran from the door the backpack now swinging from her arm.

  A car tore around the corner and sped toward her. It was coming fast as it jumped the curb and went into a skid sliding on the grass the tires threw mud and grass into the air. Beth slid on the lawn, her feet slipping as she stumbled backward, terrified of being hit yet not want to back to close to the house. The well manicured lawn was shredded as the station wagon skidded to a halt right in front of her. The passenger side door flew open.

  “Get in! Beth McDaniel! Get! In! The! Car!”

  Beth took a step forward cautiously. A howl from behind her snapped Beth out of her shock, she jumped in slamming the door. Immediately she was throw
n back against the seat as the car accelerated for a moment. She was thrown forward as the vehicle suddenly stopped. More dirt and grass flew in the air as the tires clawed at the lawn trying to get traction. Beth urging the car forward as Mrs. McGee slowly approached.

  The woman’s face smacked against the window, Beth yelped jumping away knocking into the driver who barely noticed. The front tires bit into the concert of the driveway Beth was again thrown back in her seat. The car lurched forward and squealed back onto the street, leaving a muddy blood streak on the window from Mrs. McGee’s hand.

  Beth watched her former neighbor grow smaller in the side view mirror as they sped away. Turning from the mirror to the window she watched the road as cars and people flew by. She looked down at her lap and played with the clasp of backpack. Realizing she was in a speeding car she looked over at the driver.

  “Mr. Reager?” She stuttered in shock.

  “Are you hurt? Did they bite you?” He asked frantically.

  “No…… Oh god noo, Dad!” She turned in her seat to look out the back window down the street but couldn’t see her house. All she saw was a chaotic street and an empty backseat.

  “Where is Denny?” She asked turning back to the front. Mr. Reager didn’t say anything as he hurled the car down the road missing an oncoming truck by inches.

  “Dead” he finally replied. He turned the car toward downtown and the road to the highway.

  Animals

  Doctor Gillian Olsen sat in her office at the Noah’s Ark animal hospital. She looked at the note pad with the office logo on it and sighed. She had always meant to change the name when she took over the practice, but by then the clients all knew it and it had a good reputation so what could she do?

  “The only places with Noah’s ark are daycares and Veterinarians.” She grumbled.

  Putting the last of the files away she was disturbed by noise in the kennel. The room was always active but tonight it was louder and more…anxious than usual. The animals had been skittish all day, whining, barking, meowing, howling and pacing in their cages.

  “What is with you guys? It isn’t even a full moon.” Gillian stood up, heading into the kennel to check on her patients, she was distracted by the front doorbell ringing.

  “I didn’t think anyone was picking up late tonight.” She told the poodle in first cage. The dog whined at her as she turned to the schedule on the wall to check. Running her finger down the blocks she confirmed there were no pickups scheduled. The familiar tightening of her stomach at the thought of an injured animal sprang up.

  “Must be an emergency!” She grimaced, the poodle barked in response.

  Rushing out of the kennel to her office she grabbed her stethoscope and hurried toward the front of the building. Reaching the door that separated the examination rooms from the lobby the sound of shattering glass and the bang of the front door made her skid to a halt.

  “Oh shit! I’m being robbed.” She yelped, immediately covering her mouth with her hand. She always talked to herself and to the animals and she always knew it would get her into trouble. Reaching into her lab coat pocket she pulled out her new cell phone. Dialing 911 with shaking fingers, she edged quickly and as quietly as possible into one of the examination rooms. Cautiously closing the door to the slightest crack she listened through the space as two voices began to argue.

  “Dude! Why did you break the window now they can get in!” Exclaimed a voice of a young man.

  “What the fuck man, you rang the bell? Like anyone was gonna answer or even be here this late!” replied and angrier male voice.

  “All circuits are currently busy please try your call again later” was all the help Gillian received from her phone.

  “Let’s get into the back then maybe we can barricade the door.”

  “Oh no! Not back here don’t come back here.” Gillian panicked, “They’re going to find me, they’re gonna find me.” She scanned the room for anything she could use as a weapon. Her eyes fell on the plastic cut out of a dog’s skull. It was a heavy model, solid. Grabbing it and holding it over her head like a club, “Break into my office and mess with me? You’re gonna wish you hadn’t!” She breathed.

  Nice Night for a Ride

  Kate was curled up in a the large chaise lounge in the living room reading a heavy leather bound copy of “The Lord of The Rings” her father had given her.

  “You’ve got to be kidding.” She said to the man standing in front of her holding out her jacket. She let the book fall into her lap.

  ‘What? Why not?” Martin asked his daughter.

  “I don’t know…It just feels inappropriate.” She shrugged but had already put in the book mark and slipped on the thick black leather jacket. “Was this your idea?”

  The rumble from outside answered her question and made her shake her head, smiling all the while. “Bear’s idea then? Are we going to be making any stops along the way?”

  “Maybe, why?”

  “Because if we are traipsing all over the war memorial, these,” she pointed to the purple Converse high top canvas sneakers, “Are coming with us.”

  Martin crossed the room heading back to the closet. The front door opened. A huge hairy man entered the room, “Bear” grunted a greeting; Kate barely straightened up from untying her shoes to give him a wave in return. He passed Martin and headed straight into the kitchen. Martin dropped a pair of boots by Kate’s feet and followed Bear. Pulling on the boots Kate threw her shoes into her pack and joined the two men in the kitchen.

  “Totally empty out there.” Bear was explaining, “Should be a great ride up the mountain to the memorial.”

  The memorial was the huge monument to the fallen soldiers from the area killed in war. Bear’s father’s and Kate’s grandfather’s names were on that monument, as were several of Martin and Bear’s friends.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” She asked even as she zipped up the jacket and pulled the straps of the pack over her shoulders.

  Bear downed his glass of water, his smile barely visible through his thick beard. Patting Kate on the head, “Kit, when isn’t a good idea to ride?” He was past her and out the door before she could answer.

  Kate laughed shaking her head at his back. She knew Bear owned a car but in all the time she knew him he never drove it. “I swear he would ride in the snow if he could.”

  “I think he has.” Her father laughed. Martin held the door to the garage open for his daughter. Kate thanked him with a laugh, he gave her a short bow. She hit the button to open the garage and passed the expensive German luxury car. Martin stopped at the shining Harley Electra Glide. Kate hurried around her older Honda Accord to grab her helmet. Pulling her hair back in a pony tail with several bands on it in a faux braid she watched her father get the bike ready. The huge cycle roared to life then purred loudly. Kate allowed herself a second to listen the rhythm of the pistons.

  Martin pulled out of the garage and was waiting for Kate. Adjusting her hair and she slipped the helmet over her head. Martin clicked the remote to close the garage door as Kate hoped on the bike behind him.

  “Ready?” He shouted over the rumbling engine.

  She bonked her helmet against his in affirmation.

  Martin pulled in the clutch, clicked the bike into first and eased down the driveway. A smile broke out over Kate’s face as the bike accelerated. “Swing by the Harley shop.” She yelled. “I want to see my girl.”

  Martin nodded. Bear pulled up next to them. The two bikes rumbled down the empty street of the neighborhood. At the end the road they stopped at a stop sign. Martin told Bear of the side trip downtown. “Getting anxious to get your own?” Bear laughed.

  Kate just smiled at him, “I don’t want to hang onto my dad forever.”

  “I’ll miss having my girl with me.” Martin smiled over at Bear.

  “Don’t worry; I’ll still ride with you, just on my own bike.”

  “They gotta grow up sometime Marty.” Bear gruffed. “But Kit, don�
�t be so quick to let your Dad Go.”

  “Seriously, I’m twenty and it might be time I…”

  “You’ll always be a itty bitty princess to me, and a daddy’s girl.” Bear laughed. Kate’s reply was drown out by the roar of engines when the light turned green. Bear pulled quickly away. Slapping down her visor Kate chuckled at him.

  “Coward, knew you were going to get an earful,” she thought. The smile on Kate’s face faltered as they continued toward town. Empty street after empty street flew by. They had not seen another vehicle on the road since they left the house.

  “This is just eerie”. She thought. A small laugh escaped as she continued to think, “this is the safest I’ve felt riding through town though.” She looked at all the empty cross streets, nobody on a cell phone, looking in the wrong direction, or not stopping at a stop sign. Tonight it was just two bikes rumbling through a ghost town.

  The light ahead turned red. Martin slowed to a stop; Bear pulled up next to them in the same lane. A beautiful red Mustang eased to a stop next to them. Kate glanced over at the car. “Not bad,” she thought about both the car and the driver.

  “So when we pick up your bike, do you think they’ll have training wheels for you?” Bear laughed, grabbing Kate’s attention.

  “I just figured I borrow the ones you took off your bike last week.” Kate shot back with a laugh. She glanced over at the Mustang driver. He was looking at her. “He is cute.” She thought as her eyes caught his.

  Bear’s barking laugh was covered by the roar of the bike’s engines as the light turned green. Martin followed. Kate noticed the Mustang didn’t move. “I wonder if he is thinking about following us.” The thought quickly left her mind as she noticed they were only a couple of blocks from the Harley shop.

  A few more minutes on the empty streets then they were pulling into the completely empty lot. The store’s sign was off, the inside was dimly lit, it appeared to be closed. This was not a surprise as most businesses had closed early; some had been closed for a couple of days due to the illness.