Morbid Hearts (Dead Hearts Book 1)

by Susanne L. Lambdin

  “You hear anything from Cadence? I haven’t seen her since yesterday.”

  “I saw her this morning in Manitou Springs. I was on patrol last night and things got messy.” Rafe failed to elaborate. “She’s probably still there cleaning things up. I would have stayed, but I feel horrible. Don’t worry, she’ll report in soon enough. You care about her, don’t you?”

  Highbrow pushed Rafe’s arm away. “Yes. Sometimes I think I care for her more than you do. I wouldn’t have left her to clean up my mess.” He studied Rafe and looked troubled. “Your face is pale. Maybe you’re coming down with the flu.” He reached for Rafe’s forehead and was batted away. “Hey! I’m only trying to help.”

  “I feel fine,” barked Rafe. “You’re not my mother.”

  Rafe walked ahead of Highbrow. In the distance he heard the large generator turning its gears, providing an ambient soundtrack for their walk. He glanced back and saw Highbrow trudging along. An image of Cadence entered his mind and for a moment Rafe felt love for her, and then it was gone. His care for her was replaced by hunger. He wanted her. All of her. Cadence belonged to him: heart, body, and soul.

  ***

  Highbrow watched as Rafe wrapped his arms around his stomach, turned away from the hospital door, and ran. Highbrow paused at the nurse’s station to report Rafe’s strange behavior before walking into the clean, white room. Nearby a child was immobilized with a broken leg and arm. He spotted Savannah and Nomad sitting on beds at the far end of the room. Two kids were seated next to Nomad talking about baseball. Nomad was patient and taking time to help the kids figure out which baseball cards to trade.

  “Highbrow!”

  Savannah waved at him. Highbrow smiled.

  “We’ve been waiting all night for the doctor. Apparently there is an outbreak of the flu.” Savannah gave a nod toward Nomad. “And we got to eat! Guess they served everyone at the hospital last. Did you sleep well?”

  “Not much. People snore too much in the barracks.”

  “Well, well, well,” said a familiar voice. “It’s Highbrow.” Doc, a fit man in his fifties, walked into the room from a side door.

  The sound of clicking nails followed as a German Shepherd pup trotted behind him.

  A nurse approached Doc and whispered in his ear. He looked at the two newcomers, gave a nod, and walked to where Highbrow was standing. “You seem to have made quite an impression on these folks.”

  Highbrow grinned. “Do they check out, Doc? Are you going to give them a good report?

  I would hate it if they were turned away.”

  Doc picked up a clipboard hanging at the end of Savannah’s bed and reviewed it. “Seems we have Little Bo Peep and Mr. Motorcycle. Ouch! Those are horrible names. Nightshadow must have been in a bad mood, but no matter.” He smiled at Savannah. “Not all of us have lost our sense of humor, young lady. If you don’t mind a piece of advice, watch out for the ones wearing blue berets. Bunch of Neanderthals, if you ask me.”

  “I agree with you there,” said Nomad with a chuckle.

  “Truth is, Doc, this is Nomad.” Highbrow held his hand out toward the girl. “And this is Savannah. I don’t like their nicknames either, and I don’t intend on using them. It’s a stupid tradition anyway.” Glancing at the girl, he said softly, “I think my name sucks.”

  “It’s okay,” said Savannah, offering a timid smile.

  “You’re a good guy, Highbrow. You care about everyone, even strays,” said Doc, with a nod of approval. “I have you to thank for Ursula.”

  Highbrow grinned at the pup and gave him a pat on the head. “Dogs deserve a chance too, Doc.”

  Not long ago, he brought Ursula to the doctor after finding it alone and hungry. Now a few months older and trained, Ursula sat on the floor chewing a rawhide.

  “It was love at first sight. You fell hard, I’d say.” Highbrow laughed.

  “Ursula is a fine dog and she is, indeed, my true love.” Doc smiled wide and held his hand out to Nomad.

  The biker raised an eyebrow at his rubber gloves.

  “It’s a habit from the old days,” explained Doc. “It’s not like it will protect you from the disease since it’s now transferred from bites, but old habits are hard to break.”

  The two men shook hands.

  “Heard it was airborne when it first arrived,” said Nomad. “I was on the road when I caught the news. Damn shame no one found a cure before the dead got up and started fighting back.”

  “It was never airborne. If it had been, everyone would have caught it. It was spread initially by mucous from sneezing and coughing. The smart ones wore rubber gloves and a mask. I was one of the smart ones who didn’t contract the disease, even when exposed to it. I guess God had a purpose for me.”

  “I’m not a church going man myself, but I have said quite a few prayers since it happened.”

  “Me too. I have treated a lot of infected people, and I’m sorry to say I never considered whether zombies have souls. I leave the killing to the soldiers and let God sort it out. Not my place.” Doc whistled at the pup. She lifted her head, wagged her tail, and went back to chewing on her bone. “I’ll take care of you two the best I can with our limited supplies.”

  Nomad shrugged. “We’re fine, Doc. I hope we don’t have to stay in here a week. You’ll find we are accommodating in every way. Poke me. Take my blood. Do whatever you medical guys do, but just get it over with.”

  “Sorry. We don’t have lollipops for big boys.”

  The biker belted hearty laugh. He knelt, lifted his pant leg, and reached into his boot retrieving a silver flask. “This is real Kentucky bourbon, Doc. I always keep a little on hand.

  Why don’t we get this examination behind us and finish this conversation over a game of chess? A smart guy like you plays chess, right?”

  “I’m considered one of the best on this mountain. Be warned.”

  The two men walked toward the door to a side room. Highbrow put his hand on Savannah’s shoulder and sat beside her. He relaxed when he noticed her smiling. It pleased him to see she had been given jeans, a sweater, and a pair of boots. They suited her.

  “I’ll hang out here if you want.” said Highbrow. “I need to get back to the Tigers, but I know it can be boring waiting to get cleared.”

  “I would like that. I don’t play chess, but I can play cards.”

  Joining the Tigers became the last thing on his mind. Savannah was the nicest girl he had met in a long time. Being with her was precisely where he wanted to be. He smiled at her, and she blushed. He felt like a superhuman.

  ***

  Base Camp was crowded with more vehicles than Cadence had seen at one time. Scouting patrols were not being allowed up the mountain road or to the main camp at the Peak. Only the youngest teams, with kids twelve and under, were taken to Top Camp. The Fighting Tigers and Vikings arrived at camp together, fueled up, and went back out to check the northern fence line. They ran into the Green Hornets and helped them block another gap in the fence with a large boulder. When the Tigers returned to camp in late afternoon, campfires were burning and people sat around chatting, goofing off, and acting like everything was normal. There were sixteen teams in total, but not all had yet returned.

  “I heard a kid got bit by a zombie yesterday,” said Dodger, sitting down with Cadence outside their tent. He brought a supply of chips, drinks, and hot dogs. “We’re lucky we found Rafe and patched up that hole in the fence. How many zombies do you think got through?”

  “No telling,” Cadence said.

  “The Vikings aren’t so bad. I had fun today.”

  She nodded. “I did too. I don’t think any zombies got through the second hole we found, but scavengers may have cut through. I heard Sarge was up there. It’s no surprise he didn’t walk the entire fence.”

  Cadence watched Dodger distribute food around the campfire. She heard plenty of rumors since reporting to the officer on duty. There was an ambush by zombies in Cascade against many elderly and youn
g children. Kids were saying Sarge killed the stray zombies, with no injuries to their own forces. She took a cold drink from Dodger.

  “Hey, that’s contraband,” said Cadence, as he gave her a hotdog. “Only soldiers get the good food.” She devoured half of it in one bite. It was a welcome treat. With a mouthful, she asked, “Did we get regular rations as well?”

  “Yep. In my backpack.” Dodger shuffled next to Blaze and Whisper and dropped his backpack to the ground. Kneeling, he unzipped the bag and dug inside. “While the soldiers were stuffing themselves, I walked into the office and helped myself to extra rations. Nobody even noticed.” He lifted a pack of frozen dry beef. “Got eleven of these little babies. Not much of a selection though. I’ll do better next time.”

  Cadence let out a sigh. “You are the artful Dodger and the best horse thief in the land.” “I do my best, chief.”

  “I am so hungry,” said Blaze.

  Dodger grinned at Cadence. “If you’re wondering where Highbrow is, I think he’s up at Top Camp. I heard he came in last night with a couple of prisoners. Stop worrying. I’m sure he’s fine.”

  Sitting beside the Tigers at the fireside, Cadence looked around at the other tents. “Actually, I was looking for Star. I haven’t seen China Six return to camp. I saw Luna and got the skinny from her. No one knows about the battle, and Raven and Thor aren’t talking about what happened. No one has heard a thing about Rafe, either. I wonder if he made it back,” she studied the ground, the toe of her shoe circling the dirt.

  “Who cares? He’s a coward.” Dodger popped a drink open. He took a quick sip and continued. “Anyway, I heard the Freedom Army brought in a bunch more scavengers this morning. They were just brought to HQ and a medic is coming down from the Peak to check them out. Garble swears they’re infected, but I didn’t stick around to find out.”

  Cadence took off her beret, and shook out her hair. It was chilly as the sun set behind the mountains. She zipped up her coat and asked for another hotdog.

  “What about the kid that got bit?” asked Blaze. “Did they kill him?”

  “Yes,” Dodger answered with his mouth full. “Kid was a Little Leaguer. They got ambushed in Cascade picking berries. Heard lots more got killed, too. They won’t say who or how many. That’s why all the little kids are being sent up to the top. Guess they’ll be in their own beds tonight.”

  “I guess.” Cadence didn’t share the rumors. They would only upset her team. She crossed her legs, sucking the salt off a chip before eating it. “Sarge said we got lucky yesterday, but what’s luck anyway? The odds are against us every time we go on patrol. Sure, picking berries beats picking dog tags off a corpse, but we’re always in danger. Little kids shouldn’t leave Top Camp. I don’t care how many adults escort them.”

  “Bet the Captain is pissed,” Blaze said.

  A sudden, thunderous roar filled the air. The China Six patrol barreled into camp on ATVs with their petite leader, China Star, riding point. Their vehicles were painted bright yellow with a red 6 on both sides of the gas tank. Cadence jumped and ran toward the self-proclaimed ninja team.

  China Six was named by Star. Chinese by heritage, she was a high school champion in gymnastics and fencing. Dragon was her second-in-command, who was responsible for the intensive training that gave them their reputation as modern-day ninja. He also trained Cadence, the Amazons, and the Head Hunters in the art of sword fighting and other bladed weapons. Four other girls of mixed Asian descent rounded out the team. They were smart and athletic, with a theatrical mystique about them.

  The patrols all worked well together. The Amazons and Head Hunters were the only two all-girl teams at camp. They were tough and loved fighting with swords. The Vikings were the rough types with sketchy histories, intimidating to their peers. Cadence’s Fighting Tigers were a band of misfits, an unlikely group that became more like family each day.

  Star pulled up outside their yellow tent with the rest of her team. Dressed head-to-toe in leather, she carried two crossed katana on her back and sheathed a long dagger in her boot.

  “Hey, Star!” Cadence hurried toward her friend. China 6 silently moved into formation surrounding their small leader, wearing serious expressions. It never got old watching them perform. Star laughed and broke rank.

  “Where have you been?” Cadence threw her arms around Star. Her best friend smelled like gasoline and a flowery perfume. “I am so glad to see you.”

  “Me too, girlfriend,” said Star, in a merry voice.

  They hugged a little longer before walking back toward the Tiger’s campsite. China Six trailed behind their leader, never breaking formation.

  “I hoped I’d find you at Base Camp,” said Star. “When I heard there was a Code 4, I knew you’d be in the middle of the action. We’ve been riding mountain trails all day and spent last night in a cave. Didn’t see a thing. The Head Hunters and Amazons joined us. Can you imagine Dragon’s delight getting to spend the night with all those girls?” She giggled. “It was great fun. We roasted marshmallows and told ghost stories around the campfire. What about you? What have you been doing?”

  “Spent the night in the Garden. We actually spent the majority of the day with the Vikings.” Cadence knew Star was seeing Dragon, but she still had a crush on Thor. Her friend looked envious. “We had a picnic in Manitou Springs and that’s pretty much it.”

  Star sighed. “Lucky girl. I wish I’d been there. One day I might get enough courage to tell Thor how I feel. It’s not serious with Dragon, and I actually think he’s a little sweet on Freeborn but won’t admit it. You know how guarded he is.”

  “I’m sure if you told Dragon how you felt he’d understand. He’s a deep thinker.” Cadence looked over her shoulder at Dragon standing in the middle of the four ninja girls. “I like Dragon. Most of us wouldn’t be alive if he hadn’t trained us how to fight. He may be too young to be a soldier, but he’s a better fighter than anyone in camp. If the Captain had any brains, he’d make Dragon an officer.”

  Star waved at Blaze, Dodger, and Whisper as they neared the campfire. The Tigers liked China Six and motioned at their team to join them. Cadence picked out a good sized log for a seat and pulled Star down beside her. Dodger sprung up and tossed a bag of chips to Dragon. He caught the chips and passed them on to Star. The rest of the girls plopped down around Dodger’s backpack, pulling out and devouring the newly acquired rations.

  Dragon declined food, but downed a bottle of water. His long, black hair hung in his face as he sat across the fire from Cadence and Star. He removed a cloth and polished his katana, while the others traded stories about their day. Dragon was young, but he was a fierce warrior and held a deep respect for tradition.

  Dragon leaned forward. “A little birdie told me the Tigers saw action today?”

  “Is that true?” Star asked Cadence, eyes growing wide. “I thought you said you had a picnic with the Vikings?” China Six muttered whispers among themselves.

  “Well, sort of,” Cadence said with a smirk.

  Star glared at her friend. “You can’t keep a story like that quiet for long. I want to hear it. And Dodger, please, let Cadence do the talking.”

  “Fine. If you can’t handle the details, I’ll shut up,” replied Dodger.

  Cadence picked up a stick and tossed it into the fire. “I’ll give you the short version. Zombies got through the east fence and we had to take care of things. The Vikings turned up later. Of course they didn’t help, but Thor did suggest we take a break in town. We needed to change clothes anyway. Too much zombie goo. It was pretty disgusting.”

  “But you’re all okay?” asked Star. “No one was hurt?”

  “We’re all fine. But an entire Freedom Army patrol was slaughtered last night. We heard the fighting from the Garden. The Tigers wanted to help, but I made them wait until morning. When we arrived, we found a large group of zombies waiting. Everyone fought great. You should have seen them. That reminds me . . . ” She reached into her pocket and handed
Star a small gift bag.

  Star opened the bag and her eyes lit up. “Eyeliner! Foundation! This is incredible. Thanks!” She grinned at Blaze. “I’m sure you picked this out for me. Cadence doesn’t know a thing about makeup.”

  “I might have,” said Blaze. “Who’s been talking about the fight?”

  “Some of the Green Hornets,” said Dragon. “I don’t think they’re telling anyone else, but you know it won’t take long for news to spread. They were pretty shaken up by the zombies inside the fence.”

  “We’ve got more to worry about than zombies.” Cadence reached out to warm her hands. “There’s a large group of scavengers coming this way. Their scouts are already here. We heard it on the radio yesterday. If they made it out of Denver, they should be rolling in tonight. That’s why there’s a Code 4 and all of the patrols are camping here. This is pretty serious, Star.”

  “Sounds like it. But I’m sure the Captain has a plan. He always does, so I’m not that worried about scavengers,” said Star. “You guys are lucky you made it back. I heard Rafe was with that patrol, but he was riding in this morning as we were leaving. Guess he didn’t stick around to help. That was pretty crappy of him.”

  “Tell her the truth.” Blaze said as Cadence avoided Whisper’s stern look. “Go on. Tell Star where we found Rafe. Oh, I will. He was hiding in the back of the truck. I don’t even think he fought last night. He was too scared. Then, to make it worse, he ran out on us.”

  “Rafe did what he could, which sadly didn’t amount to much,” Cadence explained, keeping her voice low. “I don’t know what to think. Rafe was acting really strange. I can’t say I blame him for bugging out on us. All of his buddies were slaughtered, including Boomer. I said some really mean things to him. I regret it now, but at the time I wanted to hurt him. I felt like he let us all down.”

  “Rafe is a coward,” said Blaze. “A yellow-bellied-coward.”

  “The guy is a loser,” Dodger said. “Cadence dumped him, too.”

  Star waved everyone quiet. “Okay. I get the picture. Rafe was the only survivor. You got there, found him hiding and lost your temper. I understand. The question is just how many zombies were on our side of the fence?”