“You got to see this,” he said as he sprinted down the hall at full speed.
Ethan followed suit.
They came to the ledge of the wall where a group of creatures stood. “What’s this about?” Michaels came at the beaconing as well.
“They’re changing, sir.” Michaels and Ethan climbed next to Reynolds who spoke as he was looking at something through binoculars. “You’d better see this.” All of them watched as they saw a single creature in the distance. It fell to its knees as it began to metamorphosis. Its torso expanded upward making it taller. Small holes appeared through the skin on the ribcage. The ribs seemed to come out of the skin threshold like body spikes. The creature howled as its jaw unhinged. The masseter muscles expanded to make the creature’s head wider to the point of the chin. “Holy God!” Michaels called out as he watched the creature change into an Alpha creature.
“Like caterpillars to butterflies,” Ethan said.
“We’re so fucked!” Runt complained.
“Easy. It doesn’t know we’re even here,” Ethan said as he watched the creature stand up and begin sniffing the air. The creature turned and faced the concrete wall making eye contact with Ethan through the binoculars. The creature let out a sound from its new body. The outcry was met by another similar noise that came from the tree line. “Two o’clock!” someone shouted. From the tree line came another. This one was mostly covered in mud. Its hair had fallen out. When it came into full view, the group saw that the skin on its fingers had been shredded and degloved exposing long bones that came to a point. “That one brought company!” someone said.
“Reynolds, can you take them out?”
“Aye, sir.” Reynolds motioned for a rifle from his wall guard. He leaned into the rifle and looked down the iron sights. “Aim for the fucked-up ones. Everyone, fire!”
The creatures saw this and began running toward the wall. “They can run?” Michaels asked from behind the binoculars. The only thing that answered was Reynolds firing four rounds followed by a round of single shots fired. Reynolds had aimed for the eyes. That didn’t stop them. The Alpha creatures came to the wall in a crashing speed. The wall guard picked off the slower ones as they came closer. Reynolds dropped the rifle and sprayed a line of fire at the creatures against the wall. The smell of kerosene and death rose to their nostrils. “Holy fuck,” Runt said. “Yeah, remind me not to piss him off.”
RAINSTORM
CHAPTER 55
WEDNESDAY 1400 CST
BROWNSVILLE
Jamison led the caravan up Highway 14 going north. Occasionally, they would have to weave around obstacles, but the roadway was usually clear. It felt like late afternoon as the sky began to darken. “Hey guys, I think it’s about to rain,” Devin said to the walkie-talkie. His sentence was followed by a thunder clap that shook the windows of the small truck.
“We copy you, Caboose; Big Truck almost needed a new pair of pants.”
“We need to store the bikes,” Tara said over the radio. There was an instant downpour of rain. The Vikings took the rain in stride. The transport truck being driven by Jamison pulled over to a gas station on the side of the road. The Vikings pulled under the cover. Jamison stopped the truck outside of the gas station. The other cars followed in tow. “Looks abandoned.” Devin heard over the radio. “Everything is abandoned these days.” He heard the voice from the Gray SUV. “Yeah, but this looks like it hasn’t been open in years.” Walker pulled out his map and flashlight as lightning lit up the sky briefly. “Doesn’t look like there’s anything around here for a couple of miles.” Devin listened as he watched the Vikings climb into the armored car with Tara behind the wheel.
“Vikings, are you safe?” he asked. Redbeard’s voice came over the radio.
“We’re fine, just a little wet.”
“All right, looks like we’re going to camp here until the rain let’s up. Kill your engines, and crack your windows. Everyone, just be cool,” Devin answered. He saw headlights turn off. “If you step out of the vehicle, call it over the radio. Otherwise, we think you’re one of them.” He was met with a stream of “Yeses” and “OKs.”
Everyone sat inside the respected vehicles watching it storm. Devin laid his head back against the seat and began to close his eyes when the radio crackled back to life. “Everyone, we have a situation.” Devin and Erica stirred as they grabbed their firearms.
“What kind of situation?” Redbeard called out.
“The lady in the Yellow Sedan is sick,” someone said.
“Well, tell her to throw up outside the window.” Devin joked.
“It’s worse than that,” someone said.
“Was she bitt—” Erica started but was interrupted by Walker. “No biters around. This is something different.” Devin had enough of the guessing game.
He walked over to the group of people forming around a woman on the ground. “What’s up?” he asked as he nudged Walker’s elbow.
“She’s sick.”
Devin looked at the unconscious woman being cradled by a man close to her age.
“She hasn’t had a treatment in a few days.” He cried with teary eyes.
“What kind of treatments?” Devin said as he took a knee and touched the woman. He felt a fast throbbing pulse against her cold pale skin.
“She’s got hemolytic anemia,” the crying man said. The rest of the group looked puzzled except for a young man who knelt down beside her.
“Her blood cells are being destroyed faster than they can be produced,” the young man said.
“Is there anything we can do?” Devin asked. The man shook his head and placed a hand on the old man’s shoulder. Devin took the young man aside. “What do you know?” The young man gave him a grim look.
“At this state, she might last a few more hours,” he said looking back at the old couple.
“How do you know all of this?” Redbeard asked.
“Today would have been my third day of medical school,” the man said with a shrug of the shoulders. Devin looked at him.
“Anything we can do?” The med student shook his head in a gloomy manner.
“Unless we can find some medicine.”
Devin turned and watched the rain fall heavily. He had flashbacks of what he heard from the video of the man who called himself Darwin. He turned to the group and looked back at them. “This is what he wanted!” Devin’s eyes widened. Razor looked at him with a puzzled face.
“To kill off the old people?” he asked.
“Not exactly. He said ‘only the strong survive,’ right? Well, what’s someone who requires medical treatment over a long period of time?” The same idea was spread around those who had heard Devin. “That fuck wants everyone to die. Think about it. The sick…,” he pointed at the old lady on the ground. “The handicapped, people with AIDS, people who can’t run, people who are afraid of clowns and shit!” He had everyone’s attention, including a creature that came out of the woods from behind them.
Devin didn’t hesitate. He found a plank of wood in the pile of rubble next to the gas station. He picked up the plank and walked into the rain to meet the creature halfway. Devin felt the cold rain against his burning skin. He raised the plank above his head and came down with a crushing blow. The creature fell to the ground. Devin followed suit with the plank. He stood over the body and screamed as he brought the piece of wood down on the face and neck until the plank hit the concrete beneath the pulp where the head once was. He threw the plank away as he turned and walked back to the group with a dour look upon his face. Redbeard placed a hand on his shoulder. “Feel better?” Devin was still shaking, but he did feel better.
He nodded slowly as he looked at the big man’s beard. “You handled that like a true warrior,” Redbeard commented looking at his somewhat fresh kill.
“What do we do about her?” Devin knelt beside the man who was still cradling the woman.
“Look, she’s going to die. I’m assuming you are her husband. You get to choose.
Do you want nature to take its course, or would you like us to end her misery quickly?”
“You can’t do that!” the man said with sad eyes.
“There are no other options,” Redbeard said to the man.
“There is a hospital not too far from here,” said the medical student looking at his electronic device. “It’s a small county hospital, but they should have an emergency room.”
“Why don’t we just order a pizza while we’re at it?” Devin said rhetorically.
“We went to the hospital back in town. It was full of those things,” Ferret said from behind Redbeard.
“We might have a chance if they wander like the others,” the medical student said.
“And we might be walking into a deathtrap if any of them have turned into Alphas. One sucks enough. What happens when there are more?” Devin added.
“We don’t know anything.” The skinny medical student did have a point.
“We can’t risk it just for one lady.” Devin fought back. “What would happen if it was you?”
“I’d have the decency to tell someone about my problem, and hopefully someone would be as so kind to point me in the direction of the nearest blood-sucker-free hospital.” Erica came and placed her hands around Devin’s stomach.
“Easy. There’s no point to argue. How long do you think she has?”
“An hour or two, maybe more with medication.”
“Does anyone volunteer?” Erica was met with an ensemble of blank stares.
The medical student raised his hand. “I’ll go.”
“So will I,” said Ferret. Devin looked at them and touched Erica’s hand with his. “Fine, I’ll go…but we’re taking that,” he said as he pointed at the machine gun in the back of the truck.
CASUAL BUSINESS
CHAPTER 56
WEDNESDAY 1900 CST
FORT KNOX
Night had fallen at the fort. Jenna was lying on a cot next to Ashley, and Paul had finally fallen asleep. The sound of gunfire echoed against the brick walls of the administration building of the fort. Josh walked to the table where Phil, Harrison, and Junior were seated, silently staring into a candle on the table. Ethan was sitting there as well, fumbling the disposable cell phone, waiting on something to happen. Harrison broke the silence. “What did you mean, you know a place?” Ethan and Josh both looked up.
“Well, it’s a long story.” Ethan waved the phone in his hand. “We heard from someone that they have an underground bunker somewhere pretty close. That’s where we were headed until we came here,” Ethan said.
“We were aiming for the mountains. We stole a snowplow and made our way out of Philly,” Phil told them.
“Memphis,” Josh said.
“I heard you guys have good barbeque,” Phil said as his mouth began to water.
“The best in the world. If we ever survive this, I’ll give you a taste of southern cuisine,” Junior answered.
“What’s up with the cowboy outfit?” Phil asked. “Are you a Dallas fan?” hinting at his sports fanaticism.
“I was a cowboy. Cows, sheep, chickens, and I even had a dog named Lassie.” Junior chuckled at his stereotypical lifestyle.
“Is that your dad?” Josh asked Junior as he pointed to the airfield. There was the old man pointing a gun at a man in a flight suit and getting into the helicopter.
“What the hell is he doing?” Junior asked as he ran toward the airfield waving his hands. Richard took the helicopter and flew off into the distance. Ethan walked a few paces out of earshot of the group. He held a walkie-talkie. “Richard said he had something to do.” Josh looked at him with a blank stare. Ethan just shrugged his shoulders. Jenna came to the table after she heard the voices. She came with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. “Cute kid,” she said to Phil, trying to change the subject.
“He’s my little slugger. I always hoped he would’ve become a sports star,” Phil said looking sad.
“The world hasn’t ended yet, my friend,” Ethan said as he grabbed Jenna’s waist and pulled her close.
“Easy for you to say,” Harrison said as he felt the bottle of pills from outside his pants.
He tried to force a smile, but something was wrong. “It’s OK, Mike,” Phil said. Harrison nodded puzzled at his neighbor. “I found your note.” Phil remarked. The blood drained from Mike Harrison’s face.
“What?” he said almost offended.
“When you were inside looking for the keys to the snowplow, you left it in my car. It wasn’t sealed.” Phil remarked.
“You went through my stuff?” Harrison said as he leaned forward.
“It’s OK, Harrison. I understood. If you want—”
“Stay the fuck out of my business!” Harrison said as he stormed from the table.
“What the hell was that about?” Josh asked.
“Before the world changed, Mike Harrison had other plans.”
The group dispersed. Harrison paced back and forth around the campsite. Later, Ethan and Jenna were side by side on two cots pushed together. Paul was next to them followed by Ashley and Josh. Phil stayed up and began searching for Harrison. He walked along the wall. Gunfire had died off, trying to conserve ammunition. The soldiers on the wall had difficulty picking targets since Michaels decided to turn off the spotlights at night. There were random barrel fires and tube lights set up to shed light onto the campground. Tents had been set up. Parents held their children. Men and women walked around the camp armed with weapons that seemed alien to them. Phil made it into one of the buildings. He quietly searched for his neighbor. He felt bad for spilling the beans, but he felt he had to reassure his friend that he understood everything from his letter. He found Michaels talking to Junior.
They were speaking quietly until Junior lost his cool and shouted “I don’t know!” Michaels motioned his hands up, and the mood smoothed out. Junior gave him a crinkled sheet of paper. It was a note from Richard to Junior.
“Son,
I love you very much. I didn’t want to leave you, but I knew it was a dangerous road I have to travel. I think I know how to beat these things. I don’t know if I’ll make it back, but God has everything planned already.
I love you, boy,
Richard Sherman.”
Michaels handed the paper back to Junior and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I hope he knows what he’s doing.”
Phil found Harrison leaned against the wall of a small office building. He sat against the wall watching a young woman sleep. Phil walked into the room and took a seat next to Harrison. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
After a few seconds of silence, Harrison spoke. “I got fired, my wife died, and my kids moved away. I felt like I didn’t have anything to live for anymore. I don’t even know if these pills work. They’re from a surgery I had a long time ago. They probably don’t even work,” he said as he began to sob. Phil placed a hand around Harrison’s neck and gave him a good shake. The young woman rose from her bedding.
“Mike, if you hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be here now. There’s no telling what would have happened to me,” Mia said as she crawled toward the two men. “You saved me, and I owe you for that.” She came to wrap his sobbing face into her bosom.
THE HOSPITAL
CHAPTER 57
WEDNESDAY 1530
BROWNSVILLE
Devin, Ferret, and the medical student named Isaac made their way down the highway. Isaac held the GPS on his phone up as Ferret drove. They left Redbeard and Jamison in charge. “What’s the worst that could happen between them?” Devin thought as he was in the back of the truck ready to jump on the machine gun. He fumbled the revolver in his hands. “Frank, what the hell did I get myself into?” He kept asking himself. Isaac pounded a rhythm on the side of the truck. Devin readjusted the armor Redbeard had loaned him.
The gauntlets felt heavy on his wrists. The centurion helmet covered everything except his eyes and mouth. Devin didn’t mind the armor; he knew it would be useful. It made him
feel better. Devin positioned himself behind the turret he squatted against the side of the pickup. Ferret drove the truck into the entrance of the hospital. It was a small three-story hospital. Ambulances lined the Emergency Room entrance. Vehicles had been turned over. Next to a SWAT van, there was the tail of a helicopter sticking out of some ruins that continued to burn. There were man-made obstacles that fortified the doors. Bodies lay decomposing on the ground in various directions. “I don’t see any of them,” Isaac said through the window.
“Pull the truck up to the entrance, passenger side,” Devin shouted through the helmet.
Ferret did so. Devin held the machine gun facing the door. Paper blew in the wind, and the engine echoed under the awning. “Looks clear,” Isaac said.
“Honk the horn,” Devin commanded. Ferret was good at following commands. The overcast shed a small amount of light about ten feet through the doorway. As Ferret held down the horn, a body came and slammed against the closed glass door. “How does it look now?” Devin asked Isaac who seemed nervous. Another body slammed into the door. “Get ready. I’ll stay here; you two get whatever you can find. Meet back here.” Before either one said anything, Devin opened fire from the back of the truck.
The Week of the Dead Page 20