“They’re infected!” someone screamed. As if on cue the group that was standing shocked by what had just happened erupted into chaos.
Caleb could hear shelves and things being knocked over by people rushing for the door.
He was frozen in place staring at this boy whose eyes were all milky white. The boy's body began spasming and he turned over onto all fours like an animal. The boy rushed over to the trucker sinking his teeth into the man's leg.
“Dad!” Nate yelled “We gotta get out of here!”
Caleb could feel himself being pulled by Nate and Mark as he looked at the lady who had stopped screaming and the small boy sat on her chest munching away at her insides.
Outside he looked over at Bill’s orange truck and could see Josh hanging half inside the passenger side window. Mark let go of him and wandered over to the truck
“Josh! Josh!” Mark shouted to get the boy’s attention.
The boy just hung in midair lifeless with his legs hanging down as the top half of his torso was inside the truck. “Dad! You okay?” Nate asked walking him towards their Jeep. Everyone was scrambling to their vehicles. Screams could be heard from inside the gas station from the people still inside who couldn’t tear themselves away from what was unfolding. Nate got him to the Jeep, but something clicked inside him. He looked over at Mark who was shaking Josh.
Josh spun round pulling himself out of Bill’s truck window. Josh had a huge gash in his neck where someone had taken a bite. Josh jumped at Mark, snapping his jaws sending them both to the ground as they collided.
Mark tried to push Josh off, but Josh’s teeth found Mark’s forearm then Mark let out a scream. As Nate sprinted over Bill’s truck door opened and Bill slumped out onto the cement. Caleb realized Josh must have been trying to get Bill out the truck and was bitten. Bill was a gaunt white color with red rings around his nose and eyes with blood soaked around his mouth. The old man crawled towards the two struggling on the ground with jaws snapping like the others. Caleb ran over to help Nate getting Mark free. Josh turned as they approached, snapping his jaws at them. Caleb didn’t slow down at Josh looking at them. Instead he brought his foot up slamming it into Josh’s chest like he was kicking a door open. Josh flew off Mark, tumbling onto the ground. They both helped Mark up, carrying him to the Jeep. They laid him in the back as the boy breathed heavily groaning.
“Hold on, Mark! Hold on!” he exclaimed, grabbing a rag and throwing it in the backseat for Nate to use to put pressure on the wound.
He jumped into the front seat firing up the engine and the Jeep screeched as they peeled out sending dust up into the air. He looked in the rearview to see Nate sweating and putting pressure on the huge gash on Mark’s arm. Behind them out on the road was Bill crawling after them dragging his body along the road at a snail’s pace.
Jake
The fire alarm was ringing and the FEMA man in glasses was screaming into his walkie-talkie.
“Shit! Go now!” Jake shouted as the group gathered in the room rushed out the fire exit. Everyone ran into the parking lot scrambling to their vehicles. Once Jake got outside in the parking lot, he could see on the other side of the fence there were FEMA tents getting erected in the high school parking lot. There were several bigger white trucks with trailers pulling in.
They sprinted towards Benny’s truck. Several FEMA people were running over to the parking lot from what was being set up in the school grounds. The fire alarm going off was drawing a lot of attention.
FEMA and Red Cross workers were waving their arms at the people getting into cars, but it didn’t stop people from trying to leave.
The man in glasses came out the fire doors pointing at them “Stop them!” the man barked.
As Benny got to the truck Jake could see a soldier coming from the other side with a rifle pointed at him. Benny put his hands up and Jake did the same as he saw another soldier with a rifle coming from behind another car.
They were marched over to the fire doors as the alarm was turned off. “You idiots,” the man in glasses began. “Do you know what you’ve done? We were keeping people here to safeguard their families. They have already been exposed to the virus” the man's veins on his temples looked like they were about to pop out.
A scream came from inside the dining hall and a resident came out shambling towards the man in glasses. It was Patrick, a resident, and there was blood all around his mouth. Patrick lunged for the man in glasses and they both began struggling. “Get him off me! He’s infected!” the man in glasses said panicking.
Jake could tell both soldiers looked scared, the one in front of him lowered his weapon and rushed over to the two struggling. The soldier beside Benny was starting to slowly lower his rifle also as he was staring at what was happening. Jake knew this was his chance and went for it.
He tried to grab the rifle from the soldier’s hands, but the soldier was too quick and instead they both began struggling for the rifle falling to the ground.
Jake was on the bottom as they wrestled with the rifle between them. Benny hit the soldier on the back of the head with his elbow. The soldier let out a groan as he slumped to the ground releasing his grip on the rifle.
Shots rang out and both of them looked over to see the man with glasses lying on the ground clutching his neck with blood oozing between his fingers. The other soldier was standing, aiming his rifle at Patrick who was rolling on the ground groaning. The soldier let off two more shots which thumped into Patrick’s body but still the man groaned and began getting up.
Looking at the fire exit, Jake saw two more residents come stumbling out. They too had blood around their mouths and fresh wounds on their bodies. The soldier fired at them, but they just kept coming forward. Jake watched as the soldier rushed toward the man in glasses and grabbed his coat and dragged him away from the residents.
“We need to get the fuck out of here!” Benny said.
Jake nodded and both headed towards the truck. Jake turned and looked back when he heard a man let out a cry. It was the soldier dragging the man with glasses. The soldier was now struggling with the man in glasses who was biting down on the soldier’s wrist. Benny jumped into the truck and turned the key. Jake wanted to go help the soldier but there was now four of the infected. More soldiers were coming through the gates from the high school so they would help Jake told himself. He raced round the other side to climb in. He opened the door then looked across the other side of the truck’s cab. The soldier Benny had hit on the back of the head was at Benny’s door.
The soldier pulled open Benny’s driver side door then started to pull Benny out. Benny kicked at the soldier, but he grabbed his foot and pulled him out. As they hit the ground, Benny punched the man then tried to stand up. One of the infected residents came up to the two men struggling. Jake dropped the rifle in the truck as he scrambled across the seats to help Benny. He reached out to grab Benny to pull him back into the truck away from the soldier. The soldier head butted Benny then took off as the infected tried to grab him. The resident clumsily fell onto Benny who was halfway back inside the truck.
Benny put his arms out to hold the former resident at arm's length. Jake froze as he saw even more residents coming stumbling out of the fire exit with faces covered in blood and the milky white eyes.
Benny fell back out onto the ground with the resident snapping his teeth. Jake jumped out and grabbed the back of the resident’s shirt. He pulled who he remembered to be a frail old man off Benny. Something wasn’t right as Jake threw the man onto the ground. The man’s face was all white with the same milky white eyes as the other infected. The man's name was Brad; Brad was seventy-nine and weighed one hundred and twenty pounds. As Jake pulled him, though, the man felt like way more. Jake looked at Brad who was on the ground looking up at him with those empty eyes. There was blood all around his mouth and coming from his nose. Whatever this was it definitely wasn’t Brad anymore.
Jake was mesmerized staring at Brad then at the other former r
esidents all shambling towards them. All with the same gaunt look and milky white eyes. Patrick, who had been shot multiple times, walking like he was half asleep, Brad who had just pulled Benny from the truck. This virus is impossible to believe, he thought to himself.
“Hey, Brad!” Benny shouted from behind him. The thing that used to be Brad turned its head in Benny’s direction. Benny was holding and was aiming straight at Brad. All Jake could think was holy shit at the situation. Benny squeezed the trigger and the rifle stuttered in Benny’s arms.
Benny fired a three-round burst into Brad. Jake looked at Benny then nodded towards the truck. The other residents were all shuffling faster now towards them. The soldiers from the high school all stayed on the other side of the fence.
Benny jumped into the truck throwing the rifle on the seat then started the truck up.
As Jake raced around to the other side of the truck to get in his arm was grabbed. He turned to see a soldier who was clearly infected. The man had a hole in his cheek with teeth exposed. The man’s milky white eyes seemed to look above Jake. Jake tried to shrug the man off, but his grip was unbelievable. As they struggled, he looked over to see Brad, who was groaning, getting pretty close. The soldier seemed to have a death grip on Jake’s scrubs as he couldn’t push the man loose. The man was pulling Jake close with his mouth wide open and ready to bite into Jake’s neck.
Jake put his hands on the soldier's chest which was freshly soaked in blood from a gaping wound on the man's neck. Blood was pouring all over his hands as he gave an almighty shove. The soldier staggered back then froze as the front of his head exploded with blood, “Hurry up and get in!” Benny yelled.
Jake wasn’t sure who fired the shot or if it was meant for him, he didn’t care right now, his only thought was getting the fuck out of there.
Jake ran to his side of the truck another resident pounced as he got to his door. He grabbed the man and slammed him against the truck bed. He was holding the man against it with his right forearm while he groped inside the bed of the truck with his left. The man was thrashing and reaching for Jake's face. Shots echoed as Benny was firing at the oncoming group of former residents. Jake grabbed a hold of a handle and lifted it up, it was a tomahawk. He brought it down on the residents head. The skull made a wet cracking noise as it caved then the resident went limp. The man crumpled to the ground in a heap. He looked down feeling sick.
“I’m so sorry...Mr. Parsons” he said quietly, shaking as he stepped away from the body getting into the truck.
He was still shaking as he closed the door and Benny put his foot down on the gas. The truck roared as they screeched out of the parking lot.
As they turned onto the main road more gun shots could be heard behind them. Jake looked behind them and saw the group of residents heading for the FEMA/Red Cross set up. He saw two more infected stumbling towards the gunfire, too. He realized they must be attracted by the noise.
The truck roared more as Benny shifted gears trying to get them away from there as fast as possible.
Jake fumbled in his pocket for his cell phone. Pulling it out he frantically dialed his wife.
“Baby!” he exclaimed out of breath still as Emily picked up “I love you! Are you and the boys okay?”
“Yeah, they’re here playing video games,” Emily told him “Honey, are you okay? You sound out of breath?”
He wanted to throw up and blurt out what had happened. He looked over at Benny who was staring at him shaking his head. He got control of himself
“Yeah, I’m okay, honey, we’re on our way home…listen, don’t let the kids out and don’t answer the door,” he told her.
“Okay” she said hesitantly.
“I’ll be home soon, honey” he told her. He was relieved that she and the kids were okay.
“Gotta go, honey” he said as he looked out ahead of them.
“Fuck” Benny muttered. Benny was staring ahead of them at the entrance to the freeway. It was blocked with police cars and military trucks.
“Backroads” he said to Benny, both of them not taking their eyes off the group of officers who were standing by the cars as Benny put the truck into reverse. The officer's attention, however, was focused on the freeway. There was a line of cars all stopped. They turned off the main street onto the back roads which would get them home a little bit longer but with definitely less people. Benny put his foot down with no intention of stopping for anyone. They both wanted home to their loved ones.
Jake sat back in the chair, his hands in front of him dripping blood from Mr. Preston. He blinked his eyes as they started to water and sting. He started to zone out as tears welled up behind his eyelids. The road changed from city concrete to a bumpy back roads riddled with potholes. He noticed every bump and jolt as he sat there sinking into his seat zoning out.
Caleb
Nate was looking at him in the rear-view mirror from the back seat. He could see Mark writhing about uncomfortable sweating profusely.
“He doing okay?” Caleb asked his son.
He could see Nate biting his lip looking at the blood-soaked rag on Marcus’s arm. “Yeah, he’ll be good after a few good bong rips” Nate said, and Mark let out a chuckle.
This made Caleb smile, Mark was one of Nate’s oldest friends since they were in kindergarten together. He would hate for him to turn into one of those things.
As if reading his mind Mark piped up, “I don’t wanna be a zombie” Mark said, strained.
“Don’t worry, buddy, zombies ain’t real, we’ll get you better” Nate reassured his childhood friend.
Caleb wanted to agree with his son but knew better. From what he’d seen zombies were exactly what this infection turned you into.
It didn’t take long for them to get to the road leading past Victor’s place to theirs. Mark had passed out and he wasn’t sure if this was due to pain or the virus. The bite looked gnarly and even Nate winced every time he looked at it. As they passed Victor’s place it still looked pretty lively and the same guy was on the roof of the RV. They pulled up to the garage doors and Janice came out onto the balcony. He looked up and wasn’t looking forward to her reaction. He got out and opened the garage door so Nate could just take Mark to the couch there. As the Jeep doors closed and Nate was helping Mark out, he heard what he had been waiting for.
“Oh my god! What happened?” Janice screamed from the balcony.
Caleb took a breath trying to figure out what to say without scaring his wife.
“It’s bad darlin’, town’s real bad. We have to try to get the news on TV to see how bad it is.”
Janice stormed back in the house, his wife got mad at things she couldn’t control, and this was definitely out of their control.
He entered the garage and saw Mark lying on the couch with Nate beside him. Nate looked over at him “Dad he’s getting worse, his fever is crazy!” Nate said, worried.
Caleb went over and looked down at the boy. Mark’s small beard was glistening in sweat as was his forehead. “I’ll have your mom bring him down some Tylenol,” he said reassuringly to Nate.
Nate nodded and began packing his bong. He didn’t say anything as he knew his son had just seen a lot. He had too and he needed to figure out what to do next.
Upstairs Janice was in the kitchen messing with an old radio when he walked in. “Hey,” he said to get her attention. “How’s the girls?” he asked.
“How are the girls?” his wife replied, surprised “How is Mark? What happened?” she asked walking towards him. He opened the fridge and pulled out a beer.
“Darlin’” he began then took a swig from his cold one “I think we’ll need the ammo Victor gave us and then some.” he told her. Janice’s face dropped.
“What do you mean? Is it that crazy? We still haven’t got the cable back on, so I was going to try the old radio we used to have here after I saw the smoke from towards town.” she told him.
He gulped down more of his beer, “It’s pretty crazy, old Bill Cha
lmers…he’s dead,” he said.
“Dead? Oh my gosh!” she said, shocked “He was friends with my father when he was alive, they were like best friends” His wife had tears in her eyes as she said this. She would always talk to Bill and his wife for what seemed like forever when they bumped into each other in town.
“What happened?” she asked, trying to hold back the tears.
“He turned into some kind of crazy person, a few people did and started attacking and biting people. That’s how Mark got bit,” he said realizing saying it out loud how ridiculous it sounded.
“Bill bit Mark?” she asked.
“No, Bill bit that Josh kid who’s Nate’s friend,” he took another long drink of beer, “Bill bit him, he went crazy then when Mark tried to help him, then Josh went crazy and bit him” He finished and downed the rest of his beer. The look on his wife’s face was how he felt at the gas station when the bathroom door had opened. Janice staggered back then sat on a kitchen stool with her hands on her head.
He walked over and put his arms around her “I’m not sure what’s going on, honey, but we’ll get through it us, the girls and Nate,” he reassured her.
After what he’d seen, though, he knew he needed some reassurance himself. Looking out the window there were plumes of smoke in the distance. “And why didn’t you take him to the hospital? That’s probably where he needs to go,” Janice asked.
Caleb rolled his eyes slightly “Honey, I think going to a hospital right now would be a very bad idea,” he said. He’d thought about it when they’d put Mark in the back seat but knew a lot of people would probably be headed there and if what Victor had said was true then he knew he had to get back to his farm and the girls.
“C’mon, honey, let's go put the radio on in the Jeep” he told her as walked with his arm around her towards the stairs leading down to the front door.
Once outside, the plumes of thick black smoke dotted the horizon. Whatever was happening was getting worse and not just in one area. The radio crackled as he turned it on and twisted the knob trying to find a clear station. Reception was spotty at best up here, but he hoped he would get something. He looked at the scared look on his wife’s face. He could tell she was terrified.
When The Dead Rise (Book 1): The Outbreak Page 7