Respect for the Dead (Surviving the Dead Book 1)

by Shawn McLain

  “Well you know those jocks need to be taken down a peg every once in a while.” She ventured. Wes laughed, she was noticeably relieved.

  “Steve has always been more down to earth. He has always been really great to me. Either he or Beth have always stuck up for me.” Wes brushed the hair out of his eyes. “He really is a good guy.”

  Wes had continued down the hall. Kate was walking beside him. She smiled and looked at him sideways. “Are you trying to get me to like him?”

  “Hey I’m just saying, he’s a good guy. As far as I can tell you’re the first girl he has shown interest in since his girlfriend dumped him in college.” Wes grimaced.

  “Where does he go college?” She inquired.

  “Oh...well he kinda doesn’t go anymore…well even before all of this.” Wes muttered.

  “Oh? Really what happened?” Kate asked walking over to one of several chairs in the hall. Wes followed her, not sure if he should be telling this story to someone who, earlier, seemed to seriously dislike Steve.

  “You know maybe I shouldn’t say anything.”

  “No, please tell me.” Kate asked sincerely grabbing Wes by the arm and pulling him into the chair next to her. “Seriously I feel really bad about earlier and I……overacted. We had some….Trouble, ya know before. I guess I just thought…the way he was looking at me. I…I just want to talk about anything that feels kinda normal. Does that make sense? ”

  “Bear not much of a conversationalist?” Wes grimaced as he said it hoping he didn’t offend her.

  Kate laughed, “I love him, but no not really. If it doesn’t involve an engine he really couldn’t care less about it.” Her smile faded. “He is great and protective but I can’t talk to him. After what happened…” She went quiet.

  “Hey, it’s ok. We’ve all seen things we shouldn’t have. Hell none of this should be happening.” Wes tried to comfort.

  “Sorry it is just that these guys. They had me alone and they were going to…” She stopped. “Bear burst in. You have to understand he is a real gentle guy normally.” She swallowed. “It is fine to kill the ones that are already dead but…they…I don’t know.”

  “They deserved it. What good is having survivors with no souls?” The look on Wes face was one of pure hatred. “Beth dated a bastard that thought like those assholes. He would be someone I would accidentally.” Wes held up his hands making air quotes. “Mistake for a zombie.”

  They sat quietly for a few moments. “So tell me about Steve and college.”

  “I feel like I’m back in school.” Wes stated looking up and down the hall at the classroom doors, “Like I am gossiping.”

  “No you’re just telling me a little bit about my new friends. Ok, so tell me about you then.”

  Wes looked her straight in the eye and without flinching said, “I’m a loser geek, stereotypical loser geek. You know my story.”

  “Steve said you had a girlfriend. His sister in fact, is she a geek?”

  “What? No. Beth is awesome. She is strong, smart, courageous. She is not afraid to tell people what she thinks. She is the drum major, well that might be geeky, but that is because she is the only one that can take charge and get people to do what needs to be done.”

  “And she is dating you. Doesn’t sound like she would date a loser, besides there is nothing wrong with being a geek. I love Star Trek and Harry Potter.” Kate said as if this were common knowledge. It took Wes a few seconds to process this statement but after he did he knew he liked Kate. The conversation flowed easily after that. They were talking about where Kate was going to college and where Wes wanted to go after graduation, when Kate asked. “So where was Steve going to school?”

  “Oh he was going to State before all that crap happened with his girlfriend.” Wes said and immediately regretted it.

  “He left school over a girl?” She frowned at Wes.

  “No, no, Steve isn’t like that. He was there on a football scholarship and the girl he was dating cheated on him at this party.” Wes quickly explained. The look on Kate’s face told him he wasn’t doing a very good job. “He caught her and got ya know mad and left. He was hanging out with his friends and well, they started drinking. Steve didn’t want to go out but the guys drug him to this other party on campus. Thing is, she showed up with the guy.”

  Kate covered her mouth and gasped. “Oh that had to be awkward.

  Wes nodded. “Oh yeah she was all drunk and belligerent. She started yelling at Steve. He tried to walk out but she grabbed him and tried to hit him. The guy she was with stepped in and tried to pull her off of Steve.”

  Kate sat shocked. “He didn’t hit the guy did he? What was she all pissed about?”

  “No! The dude was cool about it apologizing. Steve was just like whatever and that is why she was pissed. She wanted him to fight for her or something stupid. That is what Beth said anyway.” Kate thought Beth had a point. “Anyway girl was screaming and kicking and just losing her mind. The cops showed up and she claimed Steve hit her and the guy. Since the guy had a bloody lip, from the girl, the cops believed it”

  “That is total crap!” Kate stammered indignantly.

  “Yeah the guy backed Steve up saying he didn’t do anything wrong. He said he didn’t even know the girl had a boyfriend. I mean Steve and him were pretty cool by that point. She was still all crazy with the cops. People at the party even said Steve and this guy didn’t do anything but they both got arrested.”

  “No way!" What for?”

  “Underage drinking, but then the local paper got a hold of it and it made the school look bad, ya know football player accused of hitting a girl and getting into a fight so the school booted him.”

  Kate looked furious, “that sucks, why didn’t he fight it?”

  Before Wes could answer they heard several shots from the bell tower. “I guess it doesn’t matter now.” He got up and wandered over to one of the windows.

  “You know for just a second, it felt like normal life.” Kate mumbled, Wes nodded and they walked back into the church Kate by his side. She stopped as they approached where Steve was cleaning his rifle. He hadn’t noticed Wes or Kate yet.

  “I’ll talk to you later.” Kate mumbled to Wes as she started to edge away from Steve

  Wes looked over at her and smirked, caught hold of her arm and pulled her over to Steve. “Hey dude, have you met my friend Kate?” He asked.

  Steve looked up at Kate and she gave a shy smile. “Hey.” Steve gave a non- committal nod. “Wes tells me you were a football player.” Kate ventured.

  “Does he?” Steve gave Wes a look, Wes just shrugged and became interested in one of the pews.

  “Listen, I’m really sorry about yesterday. I don’t know why I acted that way.” Steve looked up at Kate her eyes told him of her sincerity.

  “Couldn’t have anything to do with zombies could it?” Steve asked smiling at her.

  She relaxed and replied, “No that isn’t stressful at all.”

  “Oh hey I got that thing…in that other place, I gotta go.” Wes said looking at his arm where a watch should have been, pointed over his shoulder and left them.

  “Subtle isn’t he.” Kate laughed.

  “Yeah except when it came to my sister, took him forever to say anything.” Steve shrugged.

  Kate looked around and tentatively asked, “where is, Beth, is it?”

  Steve paused, “not here, but I know she is safe. We both do.” Kate didn’t ask anymore about Beth. She stared at him for a few moments. It became his turn to get nervous.

  “What?” He asked, looking around. Then he looked back into her eyes. He realized he knew them.

  “Mustang!” She pointed at him.

  “Bike!” He pointed back.

  “And football.” She smiled shaking her head. “McDaniel, right?”

  Steve, shocked nodded. “You screwed up our season. We had the championship in our sights and threw for like a thousand yards or something.”

  “City high.
You were the statistician.” Steve laughed.

  “Wait what? How did you know that?” Now it was Kate’s turn to be shocked.

  “Um…well remember that fumble in the third quarter? I kinda noticed you.” He shrugged.

  Death

  Reaching the landing another shot rang out. “That’s three.” Hector hissed to his companions.

  “Too many to be an accident.” Max commented over Beth’s shoulder.

  Hector pushed the door to the hall open. Beth moved quickly into the passage, Hector covering her. The door to the apartment at the end of the hall stood open slightly. Hector motioned for Max to head to the end of the corridor, Beth to go low at the door and he’d stay high. Matt made a move to join them, Gillian held him back.

  Reaching the door Beth crouched low, Hector stayed against the way. They readied themselves, Max nodded that he was set. Hector pushed the door open, Beth cried out and flattened herself against the floor when a bullet smashed into the frame next to her head. Wood shattered and splintered off the molding, scratching her face and sticking into the back of her hand.

  “Whoa Whoa! It’s us!” Max yelled.

  Beth looked up as Hector moved into the room and took a gun from Stancy. Shaking with anger Beth slowly got to her feet. She pulled a long piece of wood from her hand. Blood poured from the wound running over her hand. “What in the hell are you doing!? Be sure you know what you are shooting at before you pull the trigger you idiot!” Beth shouted.

  “Oh you’re fine, those scratched won’t hurt your pretty little face.” Stancy shot back hysterically.

  Beth wiped the blood from her face and fought to keep herself from hitting Stancy. The wound on her hand was bleeding quite badly. Gillian was at her side inspecting the damage. She grabbed a towel from the kitchen to wrap Beth’s hand.

  “What were you shooting at?” Hector demanded.

  “Zombies!” Stancy was shaking and wide eyed.

  “There aren’t any in the building. I checked.” Max jumped in.

  “In there in there!” Stancy pointed.

  Beth followed the end of Stancy finger to where it pointed, the bedroom where they had left Bill. It felt as if someone had poured ice directly into her chest. How did a zombie get in? “Is Bill ok.”

  “Ok OK? HE’S THE ZOMBIE!” Stancy shouted. Trevor moved her to the couch where she collapsed staring at the bedroom door.

  Beth started toward the closed door. Hector held out a hand to stop her. Gillian held her lightly by her shoulders. “Don’t.” She whispered in Beth’s ear. Beth hesitated while the door was pushed open by Hector. Max hung back still holding his weapon at the ready. Beth could see Bill’s feet and legs sticking out from beside the bed. He was lying on the far side between the bed and the wall. Red glistened vibrant over the plain white paint. The bed was soaked in blood. A pillow laying on the floor was covered in it.

  Hector walked around the bed, Bill lay face down on the floor. He carefully turned him over. The front of Bill’s shirt was drenched from a chest wound that troubled Hector. He then inspected the wound to the man’s head. Beth broke free from Gillian’s grip, she rushed to look over Hector’s shoulder. He stood up quickly not realizing Beth was there. He slammed into her. She hardly noticed, all she saw the gaping wound in the front of Bill’s head. “What happened?” Hector shouted at Stancy as he grabbed Beth by the upper arms forcing her out of the room.

  Max slipped past Beth who was handed off to Gillian and Devin. Both looked confused but understood the look that Hector gave them. Then knew they had to keep Beth under control. “What happened?” Hector repeated more loudly.

  “He died and tried to kill me.” Stancy replied shakily.

  “Really?” Max asked. “So what side of the bed where you on when he attacked you with the club?”

  “What?” Stancy asked. “No. No! He died and came back just like all the others.” She shouted panicked. “I heard him moaning so I grabbed the gun to check.”

  “You said he had a club?” Gillian asked Max.

  Max looked over into the bedroom. “Yeah here it is.” He ducked into the room and retuned with a long pole that Beth and fashioned with duck tape over the ends.

  “He had that and he was coming after me.” Stancy shouted pointing.

  “You idiot!" Beth made that as a cane for him. Could he simply have been trying to get up to use the bathroom or something? Maybe he was moaning from the pain?” Gillian asked.

  “You murdered him!” Beth cried. Gillian was not prepared but Devin had a tight grip on Beth’s waist, “Didn’t you? You hated him! You thought he was holding us up so you murdered him.” Beth screamed trying to fight free from Devin.

  “No he was already dead I know it.” Stancy looked terrified.

  “She murdered him and she tried to shoot me!” Beth fought out.

  “No he was moaning and shuffling.”

  “He had and injured leg.” Matt screamed joining the fray.

  Beth forced herself free from Devin. Stancy jumped back in fear. Beth turned not knowing where to go. She returned to the bedroom door, too many thoughts crashing through her head to pick one to hold onto. All she could do was stare at the lifeless corpse of the man who had been her teacher and her savior. She was stuck with the woman who had, in all likelihood, killed him needlessly.

  “He died!” Stancy shouted trying to convince the others in the room as much as herself. Max took her gun.

  “Bill was in bad shape, but it sure looks suspicious.” Max muttered to Hector. “Maybe Beth’s right. What if she killed him on purpose? She’s nothing but dead weight, why are we putting up with her?”

  “Because she is alive, and until we have proof we aren’t going to leave her to die.” Hector stated.

  Beth just shook her head. “You know she killed him.”

  Hector was in front of her in a second holding Beth back. “No I don’t. Neither do you. She is a raging bitch but a murderer I just don’t know. She could have just panicked, so until we have a better idea..” He whispered.

  “Well let’s hope she doesn’t think one of us is dead next.” Gillian muttered.

  Beth needed space, she had to get away from Stancy. Checking the chamber of her gun, she made several people in the apartment nervous. Beth just shook her head disgusted then left the room. She walked to window that lead to the fire escape and leaned her head against the glass. Anger coursed through her. She threw open the window. Her feet clanged too loudly on the metal platform. She walked to the end that looked out into the alley where she sat down and cried hot angry tears.

  Overstayed

  Kate and Steve had spent the last few hours getting to know one another better. The more time Steve spent with her the more he liked her. He found that he had many things in common with her but also that she shared many interest with Beth and Wes. They talked movies, TV, music, even video games. A conversation that Wes had joined in and spoke of with a distinct longing.

  “Seriously, what I wouldn’t give to lose myself in a movie or a video game.” He sighed.

  “Looks like you’ll have to go back to playing D & D with graph paper and a dungeon manual.” Steve laughed.

  “Great, I’ll be the DM,” Kate laughed, “oh and by the way, knowing how to play with the graph paper just makes you a geek like us.” She finished by putting an arm around a smiling Wes.

  “You want to know one of Steve’s secrets?” Wes asked. Kate nodded enthusiastically.

  “Wesley!” Steve warned.

  “Steve used to make the dungeon maps for me and Beth.”

  “Only because the ones you guys came up with were incredibly lame.” Their conversation was interrupted by Father Michael.

  “Can you join us in the church? We need to meet.” Father Michael called to them from the door leading back to the church.

  Wes looked over at Steve a distinct look of concern on his face. Steve tried to reassure him.

  “What is it?” Kate whispered as the three of them hung cl
ose to the back of the small group. Bear joined them rubbing a paper towel over his wet hair and beard.

  “Sorry, trying to wash up a bit, what’ve I missed?”

  “Nothing yet my son,” The priest responded. “We have been safe so far. We have plenty of food and water, I have heard some of you want to leave the safety of the sanctuary to search for family and friends. I don’t believe this is a wise course of action.”

  Steve and Wes exchange glances, “try to stop me.” Wes muttered so that only Steve and Kate heard him.

  “That being said I want to make it clear that this church will be open to anyone to come and go as they please. If someone from our group decides to leave us, which is of course their decision. If they decide to return we will welcome them but leaving and coming back multiple times could lead the dead following them back to us. I simply have to forbid it.”

  “That seems a reasonable request.” Kate spoke.

  “I don’t disagree in principal, but I also don’t like the feeling I just got of being a prisoner.” Steve noted.

  “I will look for Beth not matter how many trips I have to make. If that means he won’t let me back in then he can explain it to god, or the devil when he meets him.” Wes stated with vigor, “And if you want to stay here while your sister is out there hiding then I’ll tell her you say hi when I find her.”

  “Wes shhh, listen. That is not what I am saying, come here.” Steve pulled an angry Wes further back into the church. Kate followed checking over her shoulder as they went. Bear trailing a look of confusion on his face. “What I am saying is we need to look like we agree and we need to plan this out.”

  Wes looked rebellious. Kate blocked him from view of the front of the church. “Wes relax, Steve has told me about your plans to find Beth. I’m in. I also agree with you that something feels off here.”

  “Katie what are we talking about?” Bear looked from face to face.

  “Nothing big guy." Wes and I are planning a trip to find my sister. You and Kate will stay here and make sure that guy lets us back in.”