Respect for the Dead (Surviving the Dead Book 1)

by Shawn McLain

  Several people were struggling to their feet or clumsily easing off cots and gurneys. People were fighting each other, many were bleeding. Between the screams came shouted orders, soldiers pushed past the news crew knocking Tamera over. Mike began to protest, she waved him off to keep shooting what was happening.

  Doctors, nurses and civilians ran toward the soldiers who raised their guns and fired. Tamera screamed from the ground. Several of the fleeing people dropped, shot dead, others turned and ran from the soldiers back toward the fighting. The soldiers fired into the crowd. “I don’t understand what I am seeing,” Tamera reported, crouched beside the live truck. “The army has opened fire on the sick and the hospital staff. It appears the…um… the sick and..oh my god some of the people who were shot are storming the soldiers.”

  Mike had taken his camera off the tripod and was moving toward the soldiers who had formed a line of two rows. It reminded Mike of a movie about the civil war with one line firing while the second reloaded except instead of one shot the soldiers were empting magazine after magazine.

  An explosion sent several bodies into the air and across the pavement; a soldier had lobbed in a grenade. Mike kept filming, watching through the eyepiece. It was impossible, he watched as a man, whose legs had been blown to pieces by the grenade, clawed his way toward the line of men. He zoomed out to catch bullets slam into oncoming people who did not stop, or fall. Arms blew off, chests opened into a sea of red, only when a head burst did a body fall and stop moving.

  A mass of people still moved forward, calls of “I’m out,” began to erupt from the line of soldiers. Hand guns were drawn and fired until the line began to collapse. The first of the crowd reached the Army, the second line began to run, the first line disintegrated. Several soldiers were on the ground being torn apart by the angry mob. Mike saw through his lens that they were not only being torn apart, they were being eaten.

  The camera fell, Mike tried to run but came crashing down next to his camera. Tamera screamed from the door of the van she was trying to close, a man had a hand full of her hair, blood sprayed across the white paint and station call letters. Tamera’s scalp began to part with her head, a woman bit the back of the reporters hand that still held the microphone. Pain shot through one of Mike’s legs he spun to see a soldier chewing on his calve. Mike Kicked at the man’s face, even through the screams he heard the nose break. The soldier lay still. Mike crawled under the news van, dragging his camera with him the cord still tangled around his leg.

  Cut Off

  Beth looked up startled. She had been so wrapped up in trying to call Steve and Wes that she was surprised at how close to the Ballpark they were. She had given up trying to keep track of where they were. It seemed every street Devin drove down was blocked at some point either with crashed cars, burning debris, or just so many zombies that if something happened to the truck they would never survive. The half hour trek through downtown, that should have taken no more than ten minutes, looked to be nearing the end. A feeling of relief filled the truck as the Point Ball Park came into view.

  “We are as good as out of here.” Trevor sighed as they watch a military helicopter clear the top of the stands and head to the east.

  Devin swerved the truck and locked up the breaks. Out of nowhere a pickup truck flew into their path skidded, bounced off a parked car. The driver barely slowed as he regained control fo the vehicle and headed toward the ball park. Accelerating to follow Devin watched the truck stop at the crowded parking lot. Six people pile out of the pick up and start running toward the field. Devin was so preoccupied with what they were doing he never saw the abandon car. Letting out a yell he hit the brakes. Tires squealed and metal screamed. Everyone in the back was thrown forward.

  “Sorry, sorry!” Devin called over the muffled swears and exclamations. He put the truck in reverse and tried to pull off the crumpled trunk of what had once been a very shiny BMW.

  “We aren’t that far, maybe we should…” Gillian started, but she was silenced as the all watched in horror out the front window.

  A helicopter had come into view, rising from the stands. It pitched forward then lurched sideways. Beth’s hands covered her mouth. Martin was gripping the back of the passenger seat. Gillian gasped as the Helicopter smashed into the bleachers. The sky lit up as the fuel ignited throwing a fireball twenty feet into the air.

  “No! Oh No! Please NO!” Trevor cried as another helicopter began to struggling to get above the flames.

  The group in the armored car watched as this aircraft also began to pitch violently. Beth cried out and pointed when the bottom of the helicopter became visible. Several people were visible hanging onto the runners. Two fell into the flames as the helicopter flew higher. The stands were now totally engulfed, the flames lit the scene. They could see the people in the helicopter trying to help the ones on the runners.

  “Oh my god what are they doing?” Gillian screamed as they realized the people weren’t trying to help. They were trying to knock them off. Beth swore as one of the people on the runner pulled a woman out of the helicopter as he tried to climb over her to get in. He was immediately pushed back out and off. Beth could imagine he scream as the man fell. She nodded at his fate then cursed herself for thinking it.

  “Oh my god don’t you do it don’t fucking do it, NO!” Beth yelled. A man uniform had come to the door. He was firing at the people on the runners. Three bodies fell before he was thrown from the helicopter taking another person with him.

  “Let’s get out of here.” Matt whispered. Muttered affirmations followed.

  Devin resumed his attempt to free the truck. Back and forth he rocked until finally they were free. Beth watched the helicopter now free of its extra weight fly off into the distance. Flames from the ball park grew higher into the sky.

  Backing up and turning the truck around Devin turned to look at the passengers in the back. “Where should we try next? He asked. He was shaking as he spoke.

  Trevor stared out the window at the bright red flame billowing from ball park stands in his mirror. “Great, just great. Now even the military can’t help us, and they actually had a clue this time.” He exclaimed while slamming his fist on the dash.

  Devin turned to stare at Trevor, “The Army knew what was going on?”

  Two small spider webs burst on the passenger window. A man had emerged from between several parked cars. He held a rifle up and fired again. The bullet bounced off the armor above the bullet proof glass. “Get outta that truck!” The man screamed.

  “Time to go!” Devin noted as three more people emerged. They were running toward the truck all firing their weapons.

  Not in the Plan

  Steve followed Wes a few steps down the road. Suddenly he turned around, running backward for a moment he looked at his once prized possession. He had to stop, the fenders and doors were dented, the paint scraped and scratched. Sadness filled Steve for a moment not just at the loss of his car but for everything. He allowed himself one shuddering sigh before turning to run after Wes who had just disappeared from view.

  Wes turned a corner and waited against the wall for Steve to catch up. Panting Steve was at his side in seconds. “Sorry, I’m sorry.” Steve gasped. “I shouldn’t have swerved.”

  Wes grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. “Don’t be. You saved a life. No matter how small it was still a life.”

  Steve held onto Wes’ shoulders, gripping tightly. “I just hope I didn’t kill us in the process.” Letting go Steve started down the alley. Wes gave him a moment and followed.

  Two block down and no problems, Wes and Steve headed toward the Point and the sound of Helicopters. Looking up they could see one of them pass overhead.

  “Almost there.” Steve smiled at Wes. Up ahead was the parking lot. It was just visible between the buildings. Wes’ heart was pounding; they were going to get out of this mess. They were going to find Beth and get out of the city. Picking up the pace they cover the last
block at a jog. The street opened up before them.

  “There it is, there it is look Helicopters and cops and the Army! We are going to get out of here!” Wes shouted and punched Steve on the arm.

  The Parking lot was full of cars all parked at odd angles and smashed into each other. Steve and Wes emerged from the darkness of an alley across the street from the lot. A cop saw them, raised his gun, then lowered it and waved them on. Steve stuttered to a stop when the gun came up but Wes never slowed. The cop gave a hurried wave to an entrance that wasn’t completely covered up with vehicles. Steve had to hurry to keep up with Wes.

  “Run boys they might be right behind you. I don’t think the Army is going to wait around much longer.” The officer shouted as they ran by.

  Steve nodded his thanks as they passed. The officer didn’t seem to notice as he was distracted by his radio. Steve heard the crackling static distorted voice through the speaker. “Evacuate all areas repeat evacuate all areas.”

  They are giving up on the city. Steve thought as he continued winding his way through the labyrinth of haphazardly parked cars. Wes was still several feet in front of him. Steve kept a watch to the left and to the right. He marveled at the dexterity that Wes showed navigating the parking lot. He wondered why Wes never went out for football or track. This thought left him as he spied a barricade up ahead.

  The blockade was manned by a couple of police and three Military men. As Wes approached the men turned and hurried off toward the Ballpark. One of the soldiers turned and urged Steve and Wes to follow. Wes hesitated to wait for Steve to catch up. “What’s up with them?” Wes shouted as Steve neared.

  Steve stopped short of Wes and started to laugh. Hands on his knees Steve tried to catch his breath. The heavy pack on his back shifted forcing him to stand up straight. The look on Wes’ face mixed with the stuffed bunny ears caused Steve to break out laughing even harder.

  “What the hell is so funny?” Wes asked perplexed. “Come on we need to go find Beth.”

  The soldier shouted at them then gave up and ran into the stadium. Wes turned to continue his trek to the follow but Steve’s hand shot out to catch him. Both men halted listening. Gun fire had erupted off to their left. They could see a crowd advancing on the gate in the fading light the flashes from the gun barrels looked like flash bulbs going off.

  “Let’s move!” Steve shouted as he pushed Wes forward. They returned to picking their way through the tight bunching of cars when they heard the gun fire intensify, now from their right. Wes climbed up on the roof of a car and stopped. Steve had run past and it took a moment to realize Wes was no longer with him. He looked back at Wes who was staring at the top of the stands. Steve turned just in time to see flames shoot high into the air and fire and metal starting to rain down around them.

  “This way, this way, toward those tents.” Wes was screaming and pointing to a group of military tents set up close to the river at the far end of the parking lot. Steve followed Wes again marveling at his speed. As Wes and Steve approached they saw men running from the tents, all of them were armed. One of the tents burst into flames as parts of the stadium fell on it.

  “Shit the other way the other way!” Steve yelled, and they turned back toward the car.

  Wes stopped dead in front of Steve causing him to slam into the younger man. “No good! Zombies.” Wes pointed at the shuffling crowd coming toward them.

  Steve grabbed Wes’s arm, “The river!”

  They jumped over the hoods of cars, and ran over roofs to get to the edge of the concrete flood prevention banks along the river. Skidding to a halt at the edge both men stood in shock at what met their eyes. In the river below just behind where the tents were set up was a pile of bodies.

  “Dear GOD!” Steve shouted, “they were killing people?!”

  “Come on!” Wes cried pulling Steve down the bank to a small ridge halfway down. Wes pointed to a ladder several hundred feet away in the opposite direction of the bodies and the now flaming stadium. “That should come up behind that group we saw.”

  “What if it comes up right in the middle of them?” Steve asked.

  Wes didn’t have time to answer as several splashes from the river caught their attention. People were jumping over the side of the bank into the water. Several of them were on fire.

  Steve and Wes watched for a moment until a couple of zombies fell over the bank. Their arms outstretched still trying to reach the fleeing people. “Yep time to move again.” Steve said pushing Wes forward.

  Edging along the bank they cautiously approached the ladder. Behind them they could hear the screams of those in the water. The quick current and the undead making fast work of them. Finally reaching the bottom rung Steve looked over at Wes. “I hope you’re right.”

  “Yeah me to.” Wes replied as they began to climb.

  Steve reached the top and motioned for Wes to stop. Peeking over the edge he spied several zombies about fifty feet from them. “Come on, Hurry!” He whispered. Scrambling over the bank the two raced for the cover of an alley.

  “Now what?” Wes questioned breathing heavy with his hands on his knees. As if to answer his question somewhere to their right they heard a Church bell tolling.

  Story to Be Told

  The four men were all screaming and running after the armored car. Devin accelerated over a small median. His passengers were thrown back and forth around the back of the truck again. Bullets pinged off the sides of the armored vehicle as curses flew around the inside.

  Slamming through an old VW bus and taking a hard turn, Devin watched the group slow their run and fire once more before one was grabbed by a zombie and bitten. He lost sight of them as he turned the corner. Finding the road smoother, the passengers began to right themselves.

  “What were you saying about the military knowing what was going on?” Beth demanded throwing a heavy money bag against the wall to make a seat, then angrily pushing the bag back off of her when the truck bounced off a motorcycle lying across the road down a side street. Trevor did not speak up right away. The others in the back of the truck pressed him for information as they tried to disentangle themselves from each other.

  “I was in the meeting, when did we talk to the military?” Devin asked taking another sharp turn scraping against a burning police car. Several people protested the driving. Devin pulled down an alley that was clear of any movement. Parking the truck he turned to Trevor, waiting for him to explain.

  Matt pulled Martin back up into a seated position. Martin looked around at the others in the truck and sighed as Trevor remained silent. “Well Devin after you left, I contacted Colonial Miller. You know the guy in charge of the National Guard post. He said the military had found out a few things about the infected people. Basically he said that they were dead.” This statement was met with a silence so loud from the others it was almost painful.

  Beth spoke up startling Matt who looked over at her as if she had jumped out from under a rock. “What do you mean? Dead? Are you talking like zombie dead?” She demanded.

  Martin rubbed his hand over his face and continued, “From what the military doctors could tell, the virus kills the host. But then it takes over the brain and nervous system.”

  Gillian shook her head and asked, “Is it really brain death and not just an infection?”

  Martin shrugged, “I didn’t ask, they said that the victims were dead but the virus causes a reanimation of sorts. The Colonial did say the victims came back with only the most basic brain functions actually working.”

  Again Gillian interrupted, “So they are brain dead but the heart is still going and they are walking around?”

  The Mayor looked frustrated but not angry. “No, both the brain and heart have stopped working. He told me this allows the virus to control the reanimated corpse without the need for oxygen or blood flow to the muscles. But they are still able to move around.”

  Gillian shook her head again like she was trying to clear it, “Without heart and lungs w
orking the muscle tissue is starved of oxygen and nutrients so they tend to not function.” She argued.

  “Well that might explain why the zombies don’t seem to run, but why are they attacking and well… eating people?” Beth asked as if this was simply something in a text book that she couldn’t quite get. Matt felt like he was back in class for a moment, just as confused as he was in algebra.

  Martin thought for a moment, scratching his chin he seemed to struggle with his answer. Taking a deep breath he spoke again. “Well according to Colonial Miller the zombies, for lack of a better term, only seem to be driven by hunger for living flesh,”

  “So they stop eating as soon as you’re dead.” Matt perked up happily, “That is just like the movies.” The smile fell from his face as he saw the looks of the others.

  Martin frowned at him with raised eyebrows then continued, “as soon as the blood of their victims stops pumping they lose interest. When the heart stops, yes the attack stops.”

  Beth spoke up at once, “that is why there are so many of them that only have a few bite marks or damage.”

  Martine nodded, “The infection spreads fast once someone has been bitten, so if they get away they still die within an hour or so.” Gillian looked over at Matt she could see he was thinking the same as her. Martin continued, “As people are attacked and still alive the zombies will keep eating them but once their heart stops, like I said the attack stops but then the dead one...the one they just killed…well, they reanimate within seconds.”