The Dead Are Sleeping

by Paul Westwood

  “That Carrie woman is downstairs. She wants to talk to you.” The tone of Sarah’s voice was full of accusations. She was obviously worried, wondering where she fit in my life, knowing that Allison and I were together now.

  Allison’s body stiffened next to mine. She was awake now, but perhaps feigning sleep until our visitor had left the room.

  I told Sarah, “Tell her I’ll be downstairs in a minute.”

  Sarah didn’t budge. Instead she continued to glare at me. It was only when I stared right back did she falter and slink off, slamming the door as she went.

  “Is she gone?” Allison asked with a weary tone.

  “Yes, the little brat is gone,” I replied sourly, with only a tinge of humor. I wasn’t really angry with Sarah, but she had barged in at an inopportune moment.

  I sat up and rooted around on the floor until I had gathered my clothing. Before dressing, I leaned over Allison. She was lying straight on the bed, covers pulled over her breasts. She looked sleepy, but was smiling lackadaisically.

  “How are you?” I asked in a low voice.

  “Fine.”

  “No regrets?”

  “No regrets.” There was a confidence in her voice that showed she was telling the truth.

  I kissed her on the cheek. “I have to get going. I’m going to leave the shotgun here. There is a full box of ammo in my bag. If the town comes for you, that means I’ve been killed or taken prisoner. Don’t let them do the same to you.”

  Allison sat upright with no thoughts of modesty. “Do you think it will come to that, darling?”

  I liked being called that. “No I don’t. But don’t take any chances on my account. You never know what people will do when they are pressed. Carrie and her group look okay, but we don’t know that yet.”

  She kissed me on the mouth, warm and inviting. She tasted good.

  I got up and began dressing. “Hold that thought,” I said, “I’ll be back in a little bit.”

  “Be careful.”

  I gave her a lopsided grin and then left, careful to shut the door. If we were going to stay here any longer I would want to buy a lock. I was feeling like a giddy teenager, fresh in love, when I bounded down the stairs. I didn’t care what the world threw at me now; just knowing that Allison would be there for me was more than enough compensation for all the trouble I had gone through.

  I found Carrie in the living room, sitting on the low sofa that was pushed against the bay window. Joel was nowhere to be seen. The interior decoration here was modern nightmare without any real thought to human comfort. But it certainly did look good provided you didn’t actually try to live in it. There was something about blocky armless chairs and couches that left me cold.

  Carrie looked even more tired than before; all bloodshot eyes and a pale face that wouldn’t look out of place on someone recovering from the flu. But once Carrie saw me, she marshaled some inner strength. “Have a seat, Tom.”

  I sat down in a chair. Pressing my hands together, I asked, “How are your people holding out?”

  “Not bad. Yours?”

  I thought of Allison and smiled to myself. “We’ll survive. Where are Joel and Sarah?”

  She pointed toward the front door. “Outside, checking the town out. I told them that you and I would need some time to talk.”

  “Then let’s talk.”

  “You said you had information about these Runners, and the virus. Can you tell me more?”

  I told her the whole story about Ben: how I had rescued him from that motorcycle gang, and the deathbed story that I hadn’t believed at first. And then I described the first run in with the vampires and the connection I made with the burning man coming out of the house in my neighborhood.

  After studying me for a minute, she finally said, “Even if this story is true about the research lab, what do you hope to accomplish? Revenge?”

  I shook my head. “That was my first thought. But I just want to know the truth. There is a possibility that this virus did not come from the stars. However there is a better reason to go investigate this lab in New Orleans: hope for the future.”

  “The future?”

  “Joel and Allison came from a group that was much like yours. They were survivors, but, unlike that motorcycle gang I ran into, wanted to start the world over again. There were plans to farm, to rebuild, and live a good life again. But they never got the chance because the vampires overran their town. You, on the other hand, have the fence and the good fortune that all of the dead inside the city had been burned. But how much longer can you survive if the vampires come after you night after night?”

  She made a face. “Long enough.”

  “How much ammunition do you have left?”

  This time she frowned. “We’re running low. Another week and we’ll be fighting them hand-to-hand. I’ll have to burn them out of that mineshaft before that. Only then can we survive.”

  “But that won’t be the end of it. The vampires will still come again, and will continue to come until humanity is wiped off all over the planet. We’ll be stuck living in cellars, just like them, but we’ll only be able to come out in the daylight. We will be eventually found, hunted down, and finally killed. But I want to find a way to destroy those creatures forever. That solution – no matter how slim the chance – must be found if we want to survive.”

  There was no hesitation. “I see that now. What would you have me do?”

  “Let me keep Sarah and Allison here for safekeeping. Give me two more men and enough gasoline for my truck so Joel and I can make it to New Orleans. I won’t be gone later than a week. If we’re lucky then maybe there will be a solution to this vampire problem.”

  “It’s a gamble. If you’re gone too long then we will be overrun. We may have to abandon this place.”

  “It’s a gamble you will have to take. Do you have an evacuation plan?”

  She explained, “This town is built on the Ohio River. There are two old riverboats, the type used for tourists. Neither are very nice to look at, but I had them fixed up, stocked with a little food, and filled with some diesel. If we get overrun by these vampires, the idea is to fight a retreat back to the river. From there we will take to the water and escape. It’s the last ditch plan, one that I’m hoping I will never have to use.”

  I moved to get up. “Then it’s settled. I’ll get ready and leave tonight. I have one last question. Have you ever been bothered by a military group called the Southern Army Command?”

  She sighed. “Yes, they dropped by here – when was that? – two days ago and told us that we now under their protection, provided we hand over six hostages as insurance and half of our supplies. There were only eight of them, all wearing biohazard suits, traveling in two Humvees. I told them to go to hell.”

  I nodded. “We ran into a squad of them yesterday. We had a bit of a shootout but one of them got away. They had a helicopter out looking for us.”

  She shrugged. “I never saw a helicopter. I wouldn’t worry about it. They haven’t been back here since.”

  “Okay, I just wanted to warn you.”

  “I’ll get the two men you need. You had better go and say your goodbyes to your people.”

  October 25th - Afternoon

  I was busy unpacking the truck, removing Sarah’s luggage, when she came running up. Her eyes were wide with excitement, and her cheeks were flushed from running. A few blocks away, I could see Joel ambling up, taking his own time.

  “Tom!” she exclaimed. “You have to come and see the city. They have everything – stores and even a restaurant. Everyone is so friendly here.” She eyed the baggage lying on the ground. “Are we staying here forever?”

  “You and Allison are,” I started, trying to not upset her.

  “What do you mean?” she interrupted before I could fully explain.

  I shook my head. “I still have to get down to New Orleans to see if I can find a cure, or the cause for this vampirism. “ I could see her give me look of incredulit
y. “The road is no place for a young girl like you. It will be better if you stay here with Allison, safe behind the fence.”

  Mentioning that name brought back the memory of this morning. “I’m surprised you don’t take your little girlfriend with,” she snapped back with a voice filled with venom.

  “Don’t be that way,” I said soothingly.

  Before I could go on, I heard the thump-thump of a faraway engine. It took me a second to realize it was the sound of an approaching helicopter, coming in fast. Some resident of the town started a siren that punctuated the air with a wail. All hell broke loose as the helicopter swung over the city. I could see it now, low and only a few blocks away, heading parallel to the street I was standing on. A gunner was at the door was firing a heavy machinegun into targets of opportunity below. I reflexively grabbed Sarah and pulled her behind the truck. None of the bullets came our way but there was no reason to stand around and make ourselves an open target.

  Joel came running up with his rifle strapped on. He looked as scared as I felt. “What’s going on?” he demanded to know as if I had the answer.

  “We’re being attacked,” I said. “Sarah, get inside the house and find Allison. I want both of you to wait, lying on the floor, in the living room. We’ll be back soon.”

  With those words, I took off on foot, heading toward the front gate of the town. Joel followed as best he could. It was then that I realized I was practically unarmed. Allison was inside the house and still had the shotgun. I cursed myself for being so rushed. At least I still had the pistol but that was worthless is a real firefight. It was only a few blocks later when we ran into a large group – maybe a dozen - of armed townspeople, heading in the same direction that we were. The siren was obviously a call to arms. The people, each carrying a rifle or a shotgun , looked determined and ready for a fight. These were survivors who had already fought to stay alive.

  I saw Carrie near the front gate. She was standing on top of a school bus, looking through a pair of binoculars. Coming down the road I could see a convoy of vehicles coming our way. They were maybe half a mile distant. In the lead was a battle tank – an Abrahams - if my memory served me correctly – with six Hummers spread out behind in a rough arrow shape. Each one of these lesser vehicles had a top-mounted machinegun. Behind us, the helicopter was buzzing about, the machinegun still firing into the town below.

  Using a ladder, Carrie stepped down from the top of the bus. With a loud, commanding voice, she shouted, “This time the enemy is human. We can let them in and they will steal everything we own. They may kill, but they may also demand hostages. They are heavily armed and we only have hunting rifles. Do we fight or do we surrender?”

  There was a small group of men and woman who had gathered around to listen. It was only seconds before someone responded, an old man with unruly white hair and a black t-shirt. He said, “I’m going nowhere. I am staying here. I say we fight to protect our friends and family.”

  “We need to fight!” someone else shouted.

  That seemed to end the debate.

  “Then find a place with some cover,” Carrie commanded. “And when they get close give them everything we have. Don’t try to save your ammunition, but shoot to kill.”

  The people scurried off, some taking positions on top of buses and trailers, while others hid down low, or inside of nearby buildings.

  Carrie saw me. She beckoned Joel and me over.

  “Where do you want me?” I asked.

  “Off to the side of the gate,” she suggested. “Most of their firepower is going to be concentrated there so we have to try and keep out of their way.”

  “We don’t have much chance, do we?”

  “Probably not,” she admitted. “But we’ve all suffered too long to give in so easily.”

  I nodded at her. She gave me a salute and then took off, running over to the left side of the gate. There she crouched underneath a trailer. I didn’t spend any more time looking after her. Instead I went a few yards to the right with Joel, and joined a small knot of men who were sheltered behind an old church bus. No one spoke. Instead they busily checked their weapons while having a thousand yard stare that silently spoke of the fear we each felt.

  A second later there was a tremendous explosion. I felt the flash of heat striking the side of my head. I turned and saw the front gate, along with a trailer, had been torn apart. It had to be the work of the tank which must had fired an explosive shell. The chatter of enemy machine guns opened up, sending streams of hot lead into our positions. Carrie and her people were going to take a terrible beating. I could only hope that it was worth the number of dead that we were about to have on our hands.

  With the gate gone, the faster Humvees rushed past the tank and into the town. The manned turrets swung to the left and right, spitting out death. It was there that we opened up into their flanks. I fruitlessly fired my pistol, hoping to strike something other than sheet metal. Several of the machine guns fell silent, the gunners struck by our rifle fire. But that didn’t stop the soldiers inside the Humvees from firing through the open windows. We were more exposed but further spread out; the mounting wounded and dead on our side turned this battle into a bloody slugfest. Whoever broke and ran first would lose.

  I was prone on the ground now, trying to make myself as small as a target as I could. I was out of bullets for my gun. Joel was next to me, sighting down the scope of his rifle. He was shooting fast and wild. Most of the men near me were dead. Things weren’t looking good for us until one of the Hummers careened off to the left, the driver obviously out of control. We let out a ragged cheer and continued to pump fire into the enemy, who had slowed to engage us. I really thought we could have won until the clattering of the approaching tank treads stopped. There was another explosion. This one was a powerful burst of orange and red that made my ears ring. In that moment the left flank of the gate was obliterated, leaving fragments of a trailer and bloodied ragdoll corpses. In that second our resolve broke. People left their positions and began to run. In the confusion I didn’t see what happened to Carrie.

  I was on my feet. “Come on!” I yelled at Joel as I pulled him up by the arm.

  He didn’t argue. Instead we ran down the street, heading back the way we had come. We weren’t the only ones. There was a ragged pack of us trying to get away from the enemy. The remaining Hummers were really moving now. I could hear their diesel engines coming up from behind. Joel grabbed my shoulder and pushed me toward a stretch of lawn between two houses. We ran between the buildings, clambering over fences, and keeping under cover as much as possible. Gunfire was going on all around us, from the sharp crack of assault rifles to the staccato bursts of heavy machine gun fire. The soldiers appeared to be hunting the defenders down.

  I felt a sense of relief when I saw that the truck was still where I had left it. The helicopter was still flying above, but no longer firing. Perhaps the gunner was conserving his remaining ammo for a good target. I told Joel to get inside the truck while I went into the house. I found Allison and Sarah inside, wisely hugging the floor. They looked scared. I was feeling scared too, moving more by instinct than logic. The adrenaline was flowing freely now, making everything unreal.

  “Move it!” I barked out with more venom than I expected.

  Sarah sprinted by. Allison handed me the shotgun before following her. I took a quick look at this house, wondering if I would ever see it again. Even though we had only spent a few hours here, it had already become a special place, thanks to Allison. With a frown, I turned and went outside.

  Sarah was busy throwing her personal items from the yard into the back of the truck. Allison was lending a hand while Joel was busy scanning the sky, his rifle held tightly in his hands. I couldn’t see the helicopter now but I could certainly hear it.

  I opened the driver side door. “Forget that stuff,” I told Sarah. “Just get in the truck. There isn’t any time to do anything else.”

  Sarah grabbed one more plastic bag –
I could see candy – and jumped inside the cab. Joel and Allison followed suit. I started the engine and backed out onto the street. With the windows down I could hear the raging battles all around us. For now we were lucky to be clear. I put the transmission into drive and headed away from the sound. A few houses had people – usually old or painfully young – who were milling around. They stared at us with fear, perhaps thinking we were part of the invading force. I drove down a few streets until I found a close grouping of trees standing on a small empty lot. An abandoned house, all weeds, was on the right and fence surrounding an electric substation was on the right. The rear was closed in by a long bricked wall of a building, probably a warehouse. I slowly pulled the truck up over the curb and got as close as I could to the trees. I hoped they would provide some cover from the wandering helicopter.

  We sat there, each of us breathing deeply and trying to make sense of the sonic carnage in the distance. It was at least a minute before someone broke the silence.

  “What’s going on, Tom?” Allison asked. Her voice was unsteady.

  “The town is under attack by soldiers,” Joel answered before I could. “Things don’t look good for our team.”

  I said “I bet it’s that army we ran into yesterday. They have a tank and some Humvees. I don’t think Carrie and the people here stood a chance against that kind of firepower. The enemy has already taken down the gate. We couldn’t defend it any further.”

  “Why aren’t we helping?” Sarah chimed in.

  “It’s too late,” I said, feeling like a coward. My first concern was saving Sarah and Allison, not to go on some suicide run. “We have to wait here and try to find a way out. There is only one way in and out of this town, and that’s the gate where most of the fighting took place.”

  My words were punctuated by a rising and falling crescendo of rifles and automatic fire. And then there was another gigantic explosion that I could feel through the tires of the truck. The near silence afterward was eerie. Only the blades of the helicopter above could be heard now. I had a bad feeling that the fight was over. I put the transmission back into gear and eased the car out of the lot. We had to make it through that gate.