“Fuck is wrong with you!” he shouted to the three men.
Three men stood there staring at him as the soldier began to get to his feet.
“Where’s my rifle?” the soldier asked the men.
The men didn’t say anything, but Rob could see the weapon lying on the ground behind the three men. The shooting at the fence had stopped, “You hear that?” Rob asked.
“That’s the sound of his buddies about to come through that gate and round up idiots like you,” Rob said dryly.
“We’re trying to help you people!” The soldier said as the three men turned walking away.
“Save it, kid” Rob told the young man as he walked over to pick up the soldier’s rifle.
One of the men stopped then turned around, “Help us? Are you kidding me? You’re fuckin Nazis and this is just an internment camp,” the man spat.
Rob glared at the man to walk away but inside knew there were similarities in the two. Something like that would never happen in this day and age. Let alone on American soil could it? This was something that would linger with Rob for a long time.
Caleb
The yellow puzzle piece teeth that Mark’s mom had snapped with ferocity as the lady shambled across the room. Caleb backed away from the old lady as Nate ran into the room.
“Dad!” Nate shouted running in then pushing Mark’s mom away. As Nate pushed, the lady tried frailly to grab onto his son. “Mrs. Buell can you hear us?” Caleb asked.
He knew it was probably futile by the twisted animalistic expression on her face, but it was worth a try. As what had been Mark’s mom started to get up again, Caleb stepped forward kicking the lady in the chest sending her back into the recliner they’d found her in. As she landed in the chair again Caleb saw Nate rush over to an old fireplace in the corner. Grabbing a poker Nate threw it to him. Caleb caught it then gritted his teeth as he swung the poker as hard as he could at Mrs. Buell. There was a loud wet crack as the poker smashed into Mrs. Buell’s temple as she was again lurching out the chair towards him. This time instead of teeth snapping at Caleb, Mrs. Buell’s whole body fell to the floor in front of his feet. He looked down and wanted to cry, he could feel his eyes welling up, but he needed to snap out of it. “Dad!” Nate shouted.
Caleb looked over at his son, “Thank You,” he said, mumbling.
“Dad, it’s okay, we should go,” Nate said but he was having a hard time concentrating, he wanted to throw up. Letting go of the poker he hadn’t realized how hard of a grip he had on it as his hand was throbbing. It seemed like a dream, he wanted it to be a dream, but he could smell the rot and decay in the room. Looking down he could see thick chunks of blood on the poker he’d dropped. This wasn’t a dream; this was a nightmare and it was one he didn’t want to be a part of or his family. “You know where there are tools?” Caleb asked.
Nate nodded and Caleb could see the confusion on his son’s face.
“We gotta bury them, son,” he said.
“Is that a good idea? What if we get sick? Shouldn’t we burn them?” Nate asked.
Caleb knew burning them would be the best but if things went back to normal, he needed proof they’d done what they did as self-defense.
It took them a little over an hour to bury mother and son in the small back garden of the house Mark and his Mom had lived in. He hammered a wooden cross in the ground to mark the grave in case they needed to come back here with authorities. He’d sent Nate into the kitchen to gather supplies for the farm. As they were loading them into the Jeep, the dog returned and began barking again. “Go! Shoo!” Caleb shouted, waving his hand.
The dog kept barking, but this time wasn’t sitting wanting petted, it seemed to be agitated, pacing.
“Dad! You hear that?” Nate asked.
Caleb looked at Nate shrugging his shoulders. “All I can hear is that blasted barking,” He told Nate.
“No,” Nate said looking into the air listening, “It’s a baby crying!” Nate said looking toward two houses on the other side of the street. Caleb froze listening intently then he heard it faintly, it was a baby crying. As they both started to walk towards the houses on the other side of the street, he realized they weren’t the only ones who’d heard the crying. Three people were slowly hobbling from the rear of one of the houses. Looking at them, Caleb could tell they were definitely infected so opened the rear door of the Jeep and pulled out the shotgun he’d stashed on the floor.
Something turned on inside of Caleb and all sense of self-preservation went out the window as he cross the road shotgun in hand. He knew he had to check on that baby!
The three infected were heading to the front door of one of the houses which seemed to be the one the crying was coming from. Pushing a rickety, wooden, waist high gate open he leveled his shotgun with the shoulders of the closest infected to him. All three of them seemed oblivious of Caleb and his son until he squeezed the trigger. He must have been ten feet from the infected when the slugs slammed into the one he’d been aiming at. The infected tumbled forward into the two in front like a bowling ball. The two that had been in front began getting up fully aware of Nate and him behind them now.
The one Caleb had shot lay on the ground with its upper shoulder, neck, and head wide open on the path leading to the front door. Nate rushed past him swinging a baseball bat at one of the other two cracking it on the head. It fell to the ground, but Nate didn’t stop swinging. Caleb watched as his son reigned down a barrage of blows to the infected man’s head. The last was a young woman whose shirt on her shoulder was torn open showing white, bloody muscles and tendons.
This last one had milky glassy eyes fixed on Nate. Nate was too close for him to shoot so he flipped his shotgun round making sure he had a tight grip on the barrel. Stepping forward he swung the shotgun with as much force as he had the poker. The lady’s neck snapped as the butt of the gun connected with her jaw with a loud crack. As the head turned at an unnatural angle, the infected still seemed obsessed with getting his son. The shotgun stock obviously hadn’t been as effective as the poker he thought as he swung a second time. This time he swung higher catching the front of the infected’s face just before it reached Nate. This time it after he made contact with his make do baseball bat it fell and didn’t get up. Nate was standing above the one that’s head he’d turned to pulp. “Uhh, feel so much better now!” Nate said.
Caleb wasn’t sure what his son meant by this, but he felt sick, he’d let out something he knew needed let out but felt sick as the sight and smell of what was in front of him.
Both were quickly reminded why they were there as the baby’s cries grew louder. Without thinking, Caleb kicked open the front door then quickly surveyed the inside of the house. All the rooms seemed clean with no bad smells like Mrs. Buell’s house had. He found the baby upstairs lying in a crib furiously crying. Caleb was dumbfounded at the fact someone had left this baby here alone. “Nate! Check the rooms!” He said but his son came walking in shaking his head at no sign of anyone else.
“Dad there’s a lot of blood out back” Nate said standing by the window in the baby’s room.
Caleb swaddled the baby in its soft baby blue blanket, it had been years since he’d done this. Holding the baby in his arms he began swaying and humming. The little guy seemed to like it as the crying stopped but he continued humming to soothe the child.
“The baby whisperer,” Nate said with a snigger.
Caleb smiled knowing he still had it, he hadn’t swaddled or calmed a baby since his girls. He could feel his cheeks stretch as his smiled widened. This was a sign he thought, a sign that things would definitely get better. That they would survive this, if this helpless little baby could survive then he knew everyone else could, too. Looking over, he could tell Nate thought the same thing as his son was smiling just as big as he was. Then Caleb froze as his heart sank at what he saw on the wall next to the baby’s crib. There was a picture on the wall of the baby and its mother. It was the lady who was infected outside tha
t he’d killed with his shotgun.
“I am so, so sorry little guy,” he whispered to the baby boy he cradled in his arms.
Nick
Nick looked out the window trying to gauge by the tree line and smoke plumes just where they were on the train route from Seattle to Portland. The train hadn’t moved in over an hour. The train car was getting hot and the people inside not just the carriage, but others were getting agitated, he could hear them. The conductor hadn’t been back to give them any more information on the situation or what was going to happen next. The little boy, Michael, hadn’t stopped looking at the body in the tarp between the carriages.
“It’s okay, he’s not getting back up,” Nick said to reassure the boy.
Michael just nodded still not looking away from the tarp wrapped body.
Heidi, like her brother, hadn’t moved from beside him since the conductor left, either. Only unlike her little brother Heidi's attention was fixed on the bathroom door.
Agnes had taken the old lady to the cafe car to get away from the scene of what had happened. It had been the old lady's husband for who knows how many years. Nick couldn’t imagine how hard it was or what the poor lady was going through. A few people who had been in their carriage had left into other cars, too. Nick had heard the whispering, saw the funny looks he was getting.
Nick knew enough of what was going on to understand that the man was infected. Infected with whatever virus this was and needed to be put down. The fact that the conductor was calm about it made Nick a little wary. The conductor obviously knew more about the situation than he was telling them. Nick got up, reassuring Heidi he’d be right back, then walked over to the bathroom.
The man’s girlfriend was still sitting back against the bathroom door. The lady hadn’t looked in Nick’s direction the whole time while sat there. Nick could tell the girl was scared but didn’t know if it was because of what could happen to the boyfriend or of him. If the boyfriend was infected, then turning into one of those things was the next step. He knew he’d probably have to be the one to deal with the guy in the bathroom like he did the old man. This was probably another reason why the girl hadn’t looked in his direction.
Nick calmly walked over beside her with the intent to try start a conversation, but the girl spoke first. “He hasn’t talked for a bit… please…” the girl began but couldn’t finish as tears flowed.
“It’s okay, I’m just going to check on him, that’s it,” Nick said with his hands out.
The girl nodded as he leaned over to knock on the door. There was no reply from inside, so he put his ear against the door.
He didn’t hear anything at first then there was a loud thump against the door that made him jump. The girl let out a scream at the thump from the other side of the door. Then a low dull groaning came from the other side, “ugghhh I...I’m…okay,” the man said, sounding strained.
The girlfriend smiled, wiping away some of the tears. Nick knew from the guy’s labored heavy breathing and strained voice that it wasn’t a good sign. The guy definitely shouldn’t be hurting this bad just from a bite. Nick gave the girl a forced smile then headed back to his seat trying not to think about what would happen next. As he turned, he saw Heidi peering down the aisle at him. Michael was looking over the headrest at him as if hiding to see what was happening.
“He’s fine,” he told them as he sat back down to set their minds at ease. Michael let out a sigh of relief then looked out the window.
“He’s fine?” Heidi asked not as easily convinced.
Nick nodded trying not to give away his concern while trying to think of something else to say.
Just then the intercom crackled, “Attention please, we would ask that you all safely and slowly gather your belongings and exit the train using your nearest available exit, a crew member will meet you on the tracks outside,” a voice said.
Everyone was looking at each other as they all started to get up. Michael was staring at him,
“Isn’t it a bad idea to get off the train? Isn’t it dangerous?” the boy asked.
Nick knew the boy was right, but they also had to do as instructed. Then Nick realized it may be safer to get everyone off the train. If anyone was infected then ended up like the old guy, being in an enclosed space wasn’t too smart. It was only a matter of time before the guy in the bathroom turned and Nick wasn’t sure the timeline of the virus.
As everyone headed to the door, Nick walked back over to the girl sitting outside the bathroom “Hey, do you want to come with us?” he asked her.
The girl shook her head and he nodded in understanding. The conductor hadn’t been back through with the key. Nick bent down beside her, “I’ll find the conductor or if I can’t, I’ll get a key so we can get him out,” he told her.
“Thank you,” the girl said looking up at him with eyes swollen from crying.
Nick knew he shouldn’t be so concerned for some strangers, but he also felt he owed these two. If it hadn’t been for this guy being a hero who knows what would have happened. How many people in the train car would have been attacked or infected with whatever this was? Now he had these two kids looking at him like they were his responsibility now. He knew Agnes was busy in the cafe car so hopefully he could hand them back to her care outside.
“Let's go,” he told them as he grabbed his bags from the overhead. They began gathering up their stuff that was strewn over the table. Nick looked at both ends of the carriage, there was a line at one end to get out. The other was the end with the body between carriages and had no line.
He started heading towards that door but stopped as Michael grabbed his shirt. Looking down, he could tell Michael didn’t want to go that way.
Nick smiled nodding then turned to walk towards the other end with the line of people.
“You're such a pussy,” Heidi said teasing. Michael didn’t seem to care, and Nick couldn’t blame the boy. There was a dead guy laying on the ground at the other door, how many kids Michael’s age had seen a dead guy, Nick thought.
As they got off, he couldn’t believe how much better it felt outside of the train. The stale musty air inside and muggy heat was getting to be unbearable. He could see the train staff all standing on the other side of the tracks talking amongst themselves. Nick looked both directions seeing no sign of civilization except a plume of smoke in the distance rising above the trees to the north. Before the train had stopped, he remembered there was a road crossing a little way back. So, he knew they weren’t too far out from people.
“Stay close” he said helping the two kids down from the train doors. Without a platform the doors were a few feet above the ground. Nick looked around for Agnes then heard a woman scream. This wasn’t a scared scream but a scream of someone in pain. Looking a few carriages up he could see people gathered around a door. The crowd parted as two men were helping Agnes stand up. Agnes’s arms were wrapped around both men’s shoulders as they walked slowly down the tracks.
“Are you okay?” Michael shouted, running towards Agnes.
Agnes nodded but Nick could see Agnes was clearly wincing in pain. He looked down at her ankle, it was already starting to swell.
“Here take a seat,” Nick told Agnes putting his bag down. He motioned for Agnes to rest on it while he looked around for some water.
A guy who had been in their car handed him a bottle which Nick gave to her. Kneeling down beside her, he rolled Agnes’ pant leg up. “Think she landed wrong and twisted it,” one of the men who’d helped carry Agnes said, Nick nodded when he saw a big ball starting to form on the side of her foot.
“You need to elevate it and rest,” he told Agnes, who nodded. Nick looked at the two men who helped her, “We need ice,” he said. One of the men nodded then headed in the direction of the food car. Heidi and Michael both had looks of concern so Nick backed away a little so they could get closer. He looked over at the train staff talking in the huddle apart from everyone. A lot of train commuters were looking over at them, too.
Once the guy came back with the ice, Nick told Michael to keep it on Agnes ankle. Nick hoped that would keep the boy busy as he didn’t want Michael worrying too much. Nick knew anything the train staff was going to say wasn’t going to be good if they’d made them all vacate the train.
One of the train staff stepped forward waving people closer then started shouting trying to get everyone’s attention.
“I’ll be right back” Nick said to Michael patting the boy on the shoulder as he walked, Nick could hear Heidi following right behind him.
“Please! Please!” The conductor began.
“If you could keep your questions for a few minutes we want to tell you what we know first,” another train worker said, stepping forward. Nick looked at the man’s Amtrak name badge. It read Stephen with title of driver underneath it.
“We were told not to leave Seattle station, but we did, we panicked when we heard gunfire over the radio and since then we have had no communication with Seattle,” Stephen said.
“The last message we got from Portland was to not go there and not go back to Seattle either as people are getting infected with this virus. It’s running rampant and the military has been called in to try get it under control. FEMA has been setting up shelters for displaced people which is where we’ve been told to head. We sent out calls asking for FEMA or the army to send help with our location,” The driver said.
Nick knew this was bad as he could feel the tension growing in the crowd. The train staff then came under fire from a barrage of questions from the passengers. Suddenly something caught Nick’s eye from the tracks behind the train. Nick began walking towards the rear of the train not wanting to cause any alarm or panic.
There was lady crawling along the tracks behind the train towards them. The lady was wearing a tattered blood splattered white dress with chunks of flesh missing revealing red stained bones. Jaws snapped as the lady slowly crawled towards the train dragging two mangled legs behind. Nick was about to check if Heidi had noticed the lady when screams erupted from the crowd of train passengers. Nick looked around for something to use as a weapon but there was nothing in sight. He didn’t want to waste too much time so started towards the crawling corpse unclipping his knife. He kept it clipped reverse in his pocket, so it wasn’t noticeable but also easy to access. Nick really didn’t want to get infected or contaminated blood on his knife that he used every day. He used this knife for lots of things on a daily basis but right now he had no other option. Nick stood over the mangled body lying on the tracks, gasping and clawing at the air. He knew there was no time for over thinking decisions in situations like this. There was only spontaneous action for preservation in survival situations he reminded himself. Nick flicked the blade out while looking into the soulless white eyes of this poor girl. He felt pity for who this lady had been and whatever horrific accident had left her like this.
When The Dead Rise (Book 1): The Outbreak Page 21