A Violent World

by Paul Seiple

James grabbed a backpack off the kitchen table and a rifle propped next to the refrigerator. "You kids stay here. Wendy will watch over this place while we are gone."

  "But I want to go to my house," Steven said.

  "It's safer here. Strength in numbers. It's not up for discussion," James said.

  "I'll kept them here," Wendy Sanders said.

  James feigned a smile. "I know you will."

  "And I know you'll find them," Wendy said.

  James nodded and left his house. Brent Hines and Mac Owens gathered near the door. Neither were well-suited for the mission ahead, but Melanie and Roger were family, so they volunteered to help. James walked by then without saying a word. Oli motioned for them to follow. The group moved to the north side of Winston where the breach occurred. The metal siding used to make the gate was peeled back like a can.

  "How the hell did we not see those bastards?" Brent asked.

  "Maybe we have a mole," Oli said

  James stopped at the gate. "I don't want to sound like the asshole that I usually am, but let's not talk. No speculation. We need find Melanie and Roger, and then we can figure out the breach."

  "Whoa." Mac took a giant step back to avoid the body just beyond the gate.

  "Is that Gary?" Brent asked.

  "Looks like he died trying to save Melanie and Roger," Mac said.

  "Yeah, but whoever gutted him made sure he wouldn't turn." Oli pointed to the hole in Gary's head.

  "We can mourn Gary later. Melanie and Roger are still out there," James said.

  James headed towards the woods. The group followed not too closely. James needed a little space, and they wanted to give it to him. Oli, a younger man in his early twenties, broke free and caught up to James.

  "Let me lead," Oli said.

  James eyed him but kept the fast pace.

  "I can track. Can you?" Oli asked. "You're running on emotion. Let me lead the way. If not, we will never find them."

  James stopped and motioned for Oli to lead. Oli tapped James's arm and took the lead. He passed a well-worn path on the left of the woods and ventured into the thicket.

  "Wouldn't they take the path?" James asked.

  "You'd take the path," Oli said. "So they wouldn't. This was a well-planned-out attack."

  James nodded and let out a breath. It was more of relief than out of exhaustion. He made the right decision to let Oli take lead. Control was a bone of contention between Melanie and him. Before Black Dog, James Jones was recognized as the world's leading authority on virology. He still knew more about viruses, even Judas, but this was a different world. In the scientific community, he was looked to as a leader. He knew the importance of purifying water. James could spit out every bacterium that threatened through contaminated water. But he didn't understand how to construct the filtration system. His brother, Nick, was more of the creator in the family. At the compound, James turned to Roger to build the water system. He had to relinquish control. He was working on it, and Melanie would be proud he gave the lead to Oli.

  "Watch your step." Oli hopped over a downed tree. "Something has burrowed under the log. Could be a copperhead."

  Before Judas, Oli worked at a REI and led hiking expeditions on weekends. He was saving up to move to Colorado with hopes of being a full-time guide. He was young, the youngest of the group, but he was respected for his knowledge of the woods.

  "Poison ivy to left. Poison oak to your right. Try to stay in the middle," Oli said.

  "I got poison oak so bad when I was a kid, I had to go to the doctor," Brent said. "My mom told me not to scratch it. I didn't listen."

  "Scratching doesn't make it spread. You get it from the oil on the leaves," Oli said. "Don't brush up against them, and you'll be fine."

  "I once wiped my ass with poison oak," Mac said.

  "What?" Brent asked.

  "We were camping. I had to go. So I had to wipe. I picked the wrong leaves," Mac said.

  Brent and Oli laughed.

  "Stay focused," James said.

  "Sorry," Mac said. "I'm one of those people who joke in bad situations."

  "I hate those kinds of people," James said.

  Oli laughed. "This way."

  "What kind of berry is that, Oli?" Brent asked.

  "Let me guess, you're one of those people who asks a bunch of questions when they are nervous," James said.

  "Where?" Oli asked.

  "Right there? The red one," Brent said.

  "How did you even see that?" Oli asked, bending down. He moved brush out of the way. "It's not a berry. It's an M&M."

  James snatched the candy from Oli. "Look for more. Melanie dropped this. She left a trail."

  "Your woman is smart," Mac said.

  "That's why she is our leader," James said.

  Another red M&M was about five feet ahead. A yellow candy was a few feet ahead of that. The trail of M&Ms stopped at an opening in the woods near a stream.

  "What now?" Mac said.

  "I doubt they crossed the stream," Oli said. "The rocks are slick. It would be too dangerous."

  "She ran out of M&Ms," James said. "She ate half the bag before she left the house this morning."

  Oli looked to his left at a clear path parallel to the stream. The same view was to his right.

  "Flip a coin?" Mac asked.

  "We go left. Look up there." Oli pointed to his right. "If we go that way, we will end back at Winston."

  The snapping sound of branches caused the group to hunker. Someone, or something, was near, and it didn't care if they heard it.

  "What was that?" Brent asked.

  Oli motioned for Brent to stay quiet. A man staggered out of the woods about thirty feet away from them. Another man broke through the brush.

  "Oh shit, the dead," Mac said. The rifle trembled in his clenched hands.

  A third man followed behind the other two. The dead walked the stream line toward the group.

  "Are they in suits?" Brent asked.

  Oli was a little less concerned with the volume of Brent's voice. The dead were much easier to survive than an attack from the living.

  "Yeah," Oli said, standing up.

  James grabbed his arm and pulled him back behind a tree.

  "What? We can take them out with ease," Oli said.

  A woman stumbled out of the woods. She was wearing a blazer with a skirt and high heels that dug into the soft terrain with each step. Another man followed her.

  "Look at how they’re dressed," James said. "They're not native to this area."

  "He's right. We are in bumfuck," Mac said.

  "I don't get it. Who cares how they got here? Let's do away with them and move on," Brent said.

  Two more women dressed in business suits appeared from the woods.

  "It's a trap," Oli said. "Watch out."

  Two men emerged beside Mac. One grabbed his arm. Mac screamed, drawing the attention of the dead downstream.

  "Get it off me," Mac said.

  Brent pulled a hunting knife from its sheath. "Hold still."

  James didn't wait for Mac to obey. He released a small axe from its holster on his belt and struck the infected man on the side of the head, freeing Mac. The other man pawed at Mac. Brent saw the opening and jammed the knife under the man's chin, ending the threat. Oli freed a machete from his backpack.

  "No guns. We don't know how many more are out there," Oli said, moving toward the horde. He swung the blade, slicing the top of a woman’s head.

  James landed the axe into the skull of a man. He pulled it free and aimed for another before a scream froze him mid-swing. Mac had been attacked again. A middle-aged man was draped over his back, trying to bite Mac's neck. Mac jerked his body. The infected man's legs hit Brent, knocking him forward into Oli.

  "Fuck," Oli said, reaching for his right side.

  "Oh shit, I'm sorry." Brent looked in horror at the hunting knife buried into Oli.

  "Don't pull it out," James said.

  Oli winced and swung the
machete at a man who grew close. Again, he took the head off.

  "Fall back, we got this," James said.

  Mac screamed again. He couldn't get free. The man sank his teeth into Mac's shoulder. They tumbled to the ground and fell into the stream. The man kept biting at Mac as they drifted away.

  "Do something, Brent," James said.

  Brent took his eyes away from the knife in Oli's side. He scrambled to find something to fight off the dead. He picked up a rock and bashed it against a woman's head. She crumpled in front of Brent. He pushed her to the side and moved into the group of infected.

  "What the hell are you doing?" James asked.

  Brent didn't answer. He hit a man on the forehead, then turned to his left and hit another on the center of his face. Brent didn't see the woman inches from his right arm. James lunged at her, knocking her into the stream. Something snapped when James landed.

  "My ankle," James said, clutching his lower leg.

  The pain was too much for Oli. He blinked, saw black, and fell back into a patch of thicket. Brent lowered himself over James as a shield.

  "I'm sorry," Brent said as a woman tore at his neck.

  James closed his eyes and braced for death as warm droplets of Brent's blood splattered against his face.

  "Hey, assholes, over here."

  James turned his head. Sarah was ten feet away waving her arms above her head. Ben stood to her right with a bat. Annie, to her left, with a shovel. The woman feasting on Brent struggled to her feet and followed four infected toward Sarah.

  "That's right, come on, you dumb bastards," Sarah said.

  Steven sprang out from behind an oak. He hit the woman with a shovel, nearly decapitating her. It didn't faze the others who zeroed in on Sarah. Ben rushed them, hitting a man with the bat. Annie followed, smashing the shovel into a man's face. Steven took out another man's legs before slicing his head with the shovel.

  Sarah walked to the remaining infected man. She was almost face-to-face with him when she pierced his temple with a knife. "Go to Hell," she said as she pushed him to the ground.

  "I thought I told you to stay in Winston," James said before lowering his head in exhaustion.

  "You did, but we're kids. You're a smart guy. When have you have ever known a kid to listen to an old fart?" Steven said, bending next to James. "Did you get bitten?"

  "No. I think I broke my ankle," James said.

  Steven looked at what was left of Brent. He started to make a joke about being bitten but caught himself.

  "Mac? Oli?" Steven said.

  "Mac's gone," James said.

  "Over here," Annie said. "Help me." She leaned over the brush and took Oli's hand. "Oli's alive."

  Sarah moved by Annie and crawled over the weeds. Ben pressed down the brush with the shovel.

  "Are you bitten?" Sarah asked.

  Oli faded in and out of consciousness. He didn't answer.

  "Brent stabbed him," James said.

  "What?" Steven asked.

  "Accident," James said. "Leave the knife inside of him or he may bleed out."

  "Oli, can you stand?" Sarah asked, shaking his shoulders.

  Oli groaned, then mumbled something incoherently. His head rolled back into the palm of Sarah's hand.

  "Oli, I need you to wake up," Sarah said.

  Oli opened his eyes. Sarah was a hazy shape to his cloudy sight. Is this what it's like to be infected, he thought. Oli blinked slowly a few times. His vision cleared. Sarah's face was shielded by locks of brown hair, but he could make her out.

  "Sarah?"

  "Can you sit up?" Sarah asked.

  Oli braced his palms on the ground, let out a scream, and sat up. Sarah braced his back. She rubbed his shoulders. "We're going to get you out of here."

  "James?" Oli said.

  "Down, but not out," James said.

  Annie picked up two flat pieces of wood. They were different sizes, but they would have to do until she could get back to Winston.

  "OK, James, I going to stabilize your ankle with these." Annie held up the wood.

  "You know how to do that?" James asked.

  "I pay attention in first-aid class. Unlike some people." Annie shot a glare at Steven.

  "These JVs aren't from around here," Steven said, ignoring the dig. "They aren't too ripe either. How is that possible?"

  "Why do you call them JVs?" James asked.

  "You know, like junior varsity. Not quite good enough to be varsity. The dead aren't quite good enough to be the living," Ben said.

  "And JV also stands for Judas Virus," Anne said.

  James shook his head and said, "Kids." He grimaced as Annie placed the splint around his ankle.

  "Sorry," she said.

  James nodded. "Someone put them here as a trap." He squealed as Annie tightened the wooden brace around his ankle.

  "Sorry again," Annie said.

  "Do you think the people who took Melanie did this?" Steven asked.

  "If I had any money, I'd bet on it," James said.

  Sarah stuck her head underneath Oli's armpit. "We go on three. Got it, Ben?"

  Ben nodded and draped Oli's other arm over his neck.

  "OK, Oli, one, two, three."

  Sarah lifted. Ben followed. Oli mustered the little strength he had left not to be dead weight. Steven reached over the brush and held Oli until Sarah and Ben could lift him out of the thicket. They eased him against a tree next to James.

  "It'll be dark soon. We have to get you back to Winston," Sarah said, dropping to one knee to catch her breath.

  "Get James back. I'll spend the night here," Oli said.

  "Like hell you will. I didn't just waste all my energy getting you out of those weeds to leave you here," Sarah said.

  "Annie and I can help James," Steven said. "You and Ben bring Oli."

  "All right," Sarah said. She turned to Oli. "You ready?"

  "I have a knife sticking out of my side. Probably got my kidney. Of course I'm ready," Oli said.

  Seventeen

  "How's our patient?" Maestro said, bending over to fit into the orange tent.

  "He took a pretty good ass whipping. He'll live, though."

  "That's a promising diagnosis. Leave us alone now," Maestro said.

  He watched the woman leave and then dragged a metal chair across the dirt surface. A clang ricocheted throughout the tent when a leg caught a root. The noise pierced Roger's ears like nails down a chalkboard. Maestro placed the chair beside the cot and sat next to Roger.

  "I would like to extend my deepest apologies for what happened to you earlier. That is not the way we treat our guests."

  Maestro poured water into a paper cup from a pitcher, decorated with cartoon suns, and sat it next to Roger.

  Roger took it from the table, dumped the water onto the floor, and spit blood into the cup. "Cut the bullshit. I'm not a guest. Neither is Melanie. Where is she?"

  "Melanie is fine. And I am truly sorry. That was not supposed to happen to you. Miles will be punished accordingly."

  "I don't give a shit about your lackey or your house rules. Why did you kidnap us?"

  Maestro poured another cup of water and sat it next to the blood-filled cup. "Melanie Carpenter is special to me. Honestly, I don't really have a use for you, but I'll think of one."

  "Well, I have a use for you. I know a few wild boars I need to fatten up," Roger said.

  "You have every right to exude a violent behavior. You feel like a captive in my house, and one of my colleagues violated you."

  "Are we on the same planet? Am I not a captive? Am I free to go?" Roger asked.

  "You're a guest. I would like for you to stay the evening. It will be dark soon. Bad things happen in the night," Maestro said.

  "So I'm a captive," Roger said, pouring the fresh water onto the ground and spitting blood into the cup.

  Maestro stood up and moved the chair back to its original location. He paced with his back to Roger for a few moments before facing him. "Seneca
once said, 'Fate leads the willing and drags along the reluctant'."

  "What does that even mean?" Roger asked.

  Maestro walked to the table and poured another cup of water. He placed it next to Roger. "Fate brought us together, my new friend. It will be more pleasant if you're a willing guest."

  Roger laughed. Pain shot through his right side and down his legs. His cheeks throbbed. A dull ache set deep inside his nose. His eyes watered again. "Pleasant. I've got broken ribs that say you're full of shit."

  Maestro smiled and backed away while facing Roger. "You have a decent sense of humor for someone who is having a bad day."

  Melanie gazed in the darkened room until her eyes began to deceive her. First, it was small white dots bouncing around the concrete walls. After what seemed like hours in the cell, the dots were cloudy eyes of the dead staring at Melanie. Her eyelids were heavy. She knew the stares weren't real, but she still refused to sleep. Whatever lurked beyond the door was much worse than the hallucinations of the dead stalking her.

  Melanie sprang up as something pressed against the door. A stabbing ache pierced her back, just below her left shoulder blade. The two-inch piece of foam she lay on provided little support from the hard floor. Fear took hold as the knob turned.

  "I'm warning you. Don't mess with me."

  A male's laugher resonated underneath the door at Melanie's threat.

  "Gonna shank me?"

  The door opened. Light led the way, causing Melanie to squint. A dark shape cut through the brightness. Melanie curved her hand over her eyes to see. It was a man, about six feet tall. He was carrying something folded in his arms. Melanie pressed her back as tight as she could into a corner.

  "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm Abe."

  "Forgive me if I don't believe you're being honest, Abe," Melanie said.

  Abe laughed. "Wasn't expecting that. Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

  "I'm tired of being trapped in the goddamn dark," Melanie said.

  "I apologize for that. I would have been here sooner, but I couldn't find the iron. And then, the generator was out. It's just been one of those days," Abe said.

  "Tell me about it," Melanie said.

  Abe laughed again. "Here." He extended what looked to be a white gown to Melanie. "It's been requested that you wear this."