Respect for the Dead (Surviving the Dead Book 1)

by Shawn McLain

  Steve closed his eyes and shook his head. This had never occurred to him as he knew Wes always had feelings for Beth. Opening his eyes he looked at Wes, a smirk crossed his face, “might be the pretty hair…stinky hippy.”

  Wes spun around anger boiled up inside him until he saw the grin on Steve’s face. He tried to hold an angry look until they both burst out laughing. “I’ve been talking with Bear.” Wes explained trying to catch his breath. “You should cut Kate a break man. They have had it really rough. She saw her Dad get killed, she almost died like three times. If she is a little paranoid…well they have had a few problems with other survivors.”

  Steve understood what Wes meant. Kate was very pretty. “Seriously?” he thought. “With everything going on all the people dying why do the sickos get to live?” Steve looked up at the cross above the door. “Don’t we have enough to worry about?” He asked. Wes followed Steve’s gaze and agreed.

  Execution

  Morning broke with Beth was up and ready to move. She had snuck into the one bathroom before anyone else was even awake. She decided to get a quick shower since she was the first one up. Thinking this would allow her to finally get some hot water, a luxury she had not had since they had arrives. There were so many other people in the apartment it seemed she was always waiting to get clean. Hot water didn’t last even if you were the second person in. She then remembered the lack of power made any hot water impossibility. Taking a deep breath she jumped into the frigid water.

  Hurrying through the icy shower Beth quickly toweled off and frowned at her clothes. She had been wearing the same thing for days. It seemed counterproductive to put them back on after a shower. The raised voices in the other room changed her mind urging her to dress quickly. Beth was determined to head off any more delays. Today was the day she was going to find Steve and hopefully Wes.

  “You think I am leaving here to go run around out there with all those.. Those things. Oh hell no. That is not happening.” Stancy screamed.

  “It has already been established that you are to stay here with Bill and Max.” Hector replied calmly rubbing his temples.

  Beth could see by the look on Max’s face. She knew he would rather be facing an army of undead than stay behind with Stancy. Nervously Beth watched as he flipped the safety on and off his rifle.

  “You know maybe I should stay behind instead.” Trevor offered.

  Beth’s wet hair slapped across her face as her head snapped around to glare at Trevor. They had a plan, this was all agreed upon last night. Her frustration was building quickly. She was positive that Steve and Wes were waiting for her right now and these people were keeping her from finding them. She moved quickly through the room and began to collect her things.

  “No, I don’t think that is the best idea.” Devin commented. “I would like you to drive. You have shown you know how to get around town and we may need to find some alternate routes back here.”

  Beth was angrily stuffing her hand drawn maps and lists into her bag when a hand lightly touched her shoulder. She turned quickly to face whoever was about to stop her. Gillian took a step back seeing the determination and anger in the younger woman’s eyes, “We are going I promise. This is a minor delay. Hector will get it straightened out.”

  “I am tired of waiting. Steve is at the center, I know it. I need to find my brother!” Beth stated taking Gillian by the shoulders. She stared into her eyes trying to make her understand.

  Gillian calmly pulled Beth’s hand from her, taking them in hers. “We need you. Give it ten minutes, if we are not heading out the door,” Gillian took a deep breath, “then you and I will go.”

  “Hey you aren’t leaving me.” Matt piped up from beside Beth. Beth smiled her thanks at the two of them. Beth liked Gillian she felt they were becoming friends. Matt on the other hand was annoying, immature, and goofy. Qualities that endeared him to her and made her want to protect him. Something she saw Gillian doing time and again. No, she couldn’t leave her friend behind. She knew she needed them. Forcing herself to calm down Beth listened to the argument that continued behind her.

  “Oh so I get stuck with the gimp? I want a gun. I am not going to stay here undefended and that fairy can’t walk and I doubt he knows how to shoot. The only thing he knows how to do…”

  “You will have a gun, and you will watch your mouth.” Hector stated with finality that even Stancy could not argue with. “As I have told you Max will be here as well. You and Bill will be fine.”

  “Great left behind with a gimp and a crazy man.” Stancy grumbled as she took the gun from Hector. He held onto the butt of the gun for a second, she pulled the barrel then stopped to look at him with a confused, yet defiant glare.

  “You are not well liked. You may want to check some of that attitude.” He responded to her gaze.

  A brief second of fear crossed Stancy’s face but was quickly replaced by her normal arrogance. “A lot of people resent their superiors.”

  Hector just shook his head and walked toward the door. “I would much rather come with you guys than stay here.” Bill’s voice called from the bedroom.

  “Sorry Bill, we need you rest that leg.” Turning to the others Hector called. “Ok people. We are leaving in ten minutes. Stancy, Max, you will stay here with Bill. Everyone else will have a weapon assigned to them, a gun and a club type weapon. I want to thank Beth for finding several suitable options.” Hector gave a nod to Beth.

  Suddenly the apartment was alive with movement as everyone got ready to leave. Matt and Gillian had a disagreement about the types and size of the weapons he would be using. Trevor made several more attempts to stay behind and Max remained silent. Hector stepped closer to the policeman. “I’m sorry trooper. I would rather have you on this mission, but you are our best hope to hold this place if trouble breaks out.” Max nodded his understanding.

  Beth stood next to Hector getting more anxious to leave by the second. She checked in on Bill, double checked her weapons and pack, and then bounced on the balls of her feet near the door. Fifteen minutes later those who were going piled into the armored car. Beth had never been so excited to be going to a grocery store in her life. She couldn’t help but smile as they headed down the alley. Trevor was behind the wheel and Devin was navigating. She knew she was going to see her brother soon.

  Finding several roads blocked by debris and abandoned vehicles some of her excitement began to wear off. It took about a half hour to go the four blocks to the store. The roads were eerily devoid of the undead. Her anxiety grew by the minute. Where were the dead? They saw no sign of them or any activity at all as they continued on their journey.

  Trevor slowed the truck as they approached the parking lot. The lack of any undead seemed to be unnerving him more than an encounter might have, a fact he pointed out to the rest of the group. “I know they are all in there waiting for us. Oh man let’s just go back to the apartment.” He whined.

  “Let’s be thankful we haven’t found any. We’ll worry about where they went when we are safely done with our errands.” Devin tried to reassure.

  Easing the armored car into the lot Trevor continued to whimper under his breath. Beth poked her head between the seats to survey the area. Several cars scattered the lot. The windows of a minivan were smeared with blood. Another car had smashed through the front of the building shattering the huge windows that ran the length of it.

  “That looks like a good place to enter.” Hector pointed over Beth’s shoulder.

  “Yeah that will make it easy to get in and out. The hole is huge.” Matt remarked, trying to feel as if he added to the conversation.

  Trevor continued to slow as they approached. Suddenly he cried out. “Whoa! What do we do about him?” A zombie had appeared from behind an overturned car. It was pushing a couple of shopping carts in no particular direction. “No good man. We should get out of here.”

  “There is only one. We can avoid him easy. If we have to we can put him down.” Hector reassured.
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br />   “It’s like it remembers.” Beth gasped pointing to the store logo on the vest of the undead.

  Trevor gave the shambler a wide berth. Matt peered out the back window as they passed. “I remember that guy. I think he was…um challenged in life, deaf too.”

  The zombie never looked up from its carts as the truck rumbled past. “So we do nothing as long as he stays away.” Devin replied to Trevor’s original question. Frowning Trevor angled the truck so the back was close to the gaping opening in the front of the store. The power was out here too but the morning sun shone deep into the building. Hector moved Beth so he could be centered between the two seats to address everyone at once.

  “Trevor you stay in the truck with the engine running, Devin you’ll be look out.” Hector turned his head to explain to the front. Devin and Trevor nodded. Turning back to the rest of the group, “Matt, you and I are a team. We’ll start at the left side of the store. We grab whatever won’t spoil, one person loads the cart the other covers them right?” Matt nodded his affirmation. “Gillian and Beth, start at the right side. Head toward the pharmacy first, I think it is on that side of the store.” Hector finished by checking the chamber of his rifle.

  Beth peered out the back window, “Well at least we won’t have trouble getting a cart.” She joked.

  Hector moved next her and put his hand on the door handle, everyone readied their weapons. “Remember one fills the car the other covers them.” Hector stated again before throwing the doors open and jumping out. Sweeping the area with his weapon he motioned to the others. Devin took up his post behind the truck as Trevor stared nervously out the front.

  “Cover or Cart?” Beth asked Gillian.

  Gillian looked at the younger woman and stated. “You know your way around the gun. I know my way around the pharmacy.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Beth replied readying her weapon. She watched as Hector and Matt headed to the far end of the store Matt pushing the cart and Hector aiming the rifle all over. Beth’s heart beat faster the longer they were in the store. The deeper in, the darker it was. The air was thick with the sickly smell of spoiled meat and vegetables. She was surprised at the amount of stuff on the shelves. “It’s as if nobody even tried to stock up.” She spoke.

  “Most people were home sick or taking care of the sick. We didn’t think we needed to.” Gillian whispered. Beth nodded and threw a few more items in the cart. After several minutes they took one full cart to the truck where Beth moved to the lookout spot as Devin ran to the registers to get bags and unload the cart. When he returned Hector and Matt had their first cart dropped off.

  Beth and Gillian returned to the store filling another cart. Each step Beth took in the store the more tense she became. Nothing was happening. They had already been here for about forty five minutes. So far not one zombie had appeared. Beth screamed as they turned a corner at the end of an aisle. She had run right into Matt’s cart. Laughing nervously, she and Hector lowered their guns.

  “Ok, that should be it. Let’s get the hell out of here. It is too damn quiet for my tastes.” Hector stated. Beth was only too happy to follow him out. The quiet was starting to play on her senses. Loading the last of the bags into the truck she watched the zombie at the end of the parking lot still pushing his carts around. He seemed completely unaware of the living. This seemed to bother Hector as well. “Why doesn’t he come after us?” He asked.

  Beth looked across the lot and just shook her head. “I guess we should be thankful.”

  “Yeah maybe.” He replied as he got into the truck. Hector kept watching the zombies as he slowly closed the door.

  Trevor headed toward the exit. As they passed the cart pusher Beth watched him, his gaze never left his carts. The truck lumbered by but instead of going after the vehicle he seemed confused. She felt sorry for the creature, his head was moving back and forth as if trying to figure out which way to go.

  Trevor began to retrace the route they had taken to get to the store. Beth took immediate notice, “Wait Wait I thought we were going to the distribution center after the store.”

  “Listen I hope you find your brother but I want to get back. We’ll unload then you and whoever else can go wherever but I want to..WHOA!” Trevor shouted slamming on the brakes. The road ahead was completely choked with zombies. A few of the undead near the back turned their attention to the truck. Slowly they began to approach. The rest seemed to have not noticed anything yet. They moved together as if they had an agreed upon destination.

  “God it’s like fricken herd.” Matt pointed to the mass.

  Trevor threw the truck in reverse, Beth was thrown off balance. She was really beginning to hate the back of this truck. “We so need to find an additional vehicle!” She grumbled rubbing her arm. Matt readily agreed.

  Suddenly they were both slammed against the side of the truck, Gillian cried out, being hit by several heavy bags of canned goods. “Careful what you’re doing up there!” Hector called from the midst of the bags.

  Devin was trying to calm Trevor, “Ok let’s try another one. Relax, they can’t get us.”

  “I know. I know but everywhere I go is blocked. How am I supposed to get through this?” Trevor demanded hysterically. The panic Trevor had was being felt by everyone in the armored car as road after road was blocked with either zombies or debris.

  “We need to get through this. I want to get to the distribution center!” Beth called pulling herself up for the fourth time.

  “Are you INSANE? That is the direction they are all going!” Trevor screamed.

  “We are going back to the apartment first. We’ll hide out there to let this group go by. THEN we’ll go to the center.” Hector called to Beth.

  Beth began to argue but was drowned out by a frantic Trevor. “I can’t go anywhere, no where! It’s all blocked nowhere to go… I can’t… they… too many!”

  “Go through them.” Hector called from under several bags that had fallen over him for what felt like the hundredth time. Trevor stared wide eyed at the road in front of them. There were several zombies in it but less than on the other roads. He was muttering and looking in all directions.

  “GO!” Devin screamed and began to get up to take over driving. He was slammed back into his seat. Beth flew into Matt who bounced off Gillian who grunted in pain. Trevor had floored the massive vehicle. Walking corpses bounced off the front and crunched horribly under the wheels. Beth shut her eyes tight and tried not to hear the sounds. The thuds died away and the road became smooth. Beth opened her eyes to the familiar street leading to the apartment. Devin tried to get Trevor to slow down.

  “The road is clear. They are not heading this way yet. Slow down so they don’t hear the engine and follow.” Beth gave Hector a look that he immediately understood. The silently agreed never to let Trevor drive again.

  Trevor pulled up to the apartment building. Beth and Hector jumped out with Matt and Gillian at their heels. Beth shook her head as Trevor hurried from the cab to the door. Hector whistled to call him back giving him several bags to carry. Everyone loaded up on supplies and hurried inside. Reaching the second floor they were met by Max coming out of the dance studio?

  “What are you doing down here?” Hector asked.

  “Stancy thought she heard something down here and..Well it was nice to get away from her bitching.” He looked over the bags. “Looks like it went well.”

  A loud thump from above them made everyone look up. Then a shot rang out. Everyone looked at each other, bags hit the ground and feet flew up the stairs.

  Understanding

  Wes shook his head as he watched Steve and Kate do their absolute best not to talk to or interact with each other. “I thought that stopped after third grade.” He asked Steve.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh nothing. Why don’t you put gum in her hair already?”

  “Seriously Wes, what the hell are you talking about?”

  “Dude you like her.”


  “You are out of your mind, and besides she thinks we’re a couple remember?” Steve motioned between him and Wes. “Besides I think she really wants nothing to do with us.”

  “Um you yelled at her. She might also be a bit embarrassed about the assumption.” Wes explained.

  “I think it is best if her and I just ignore each other for the moment.” Steve stated as if this was an obvious plan of attack.

  “Yes that ought to work. There are so many places to go where the two of you will not run into each other.”

  “The sarcasm does not help your chances of continuing to date my sister.”

  “First we have to find her again for me to date her. Speaking of which when are we planning on doing that?” Wes asked politely putting his finger tips together in front of his lips. Steve turned his back on Wes not wanting to see the disappointment and annoyance there. “Steve I’m serious I do not want to stay here. Beth is out there and I, we, need to find her.” Wes was suddenly hit with a thought. “I think we should talk to Kate. See if she saw anything that might give us an idea.”

  “No!” Steve replied in a panic. “We will find Beth, I swear but we don’t need Kate’s help.”

  “Fine! Ask that bear guy. Just do something. I am leaving here tomorrow with or without you!” Wes added angrily. Steve turned to face Wes. They stared at each other for a moment before Wes shook his head in disgust and stormed out of the church. In the hall he ran into Kate, literally, as she was leaving the bathroom.

  “Oh, Hi...Um I’m sorry are you ok.” She asked.

  “As Steve said I’m tougher than I look.” He muttered to her.

  “Look I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions and I’m really not judgmental and well...” She rambled.

  “Listen, its fine.” Wes said distractedly. He noticed the look on her face and began to explain, “You’re not the first, well maybe to think Steve is. He was a big time jock in high school. That was probably a huge blow to his ego, you know, to have an attractive girl think he is gay.” Kate blushed but smiled.