by Marie Lanza
They drove east, heading away from the coast. The group stayed on back roads to avoid the more populated areas. The speed limit signs were 50mph, an old habit they would have liked to keep, only they were slowing frequently when something was in the roadway that needed to maneuver around; luckily, it was mostly cars that had wrecked, or run out of gas.
Aubrey began to give Melody a mild complaint.
“She’s hungry.”
Jason turned around in his seat, reached behind to the back where he had thrown the duffle bag and pulled out some type of breakfast bar. “I stashed a few of these away from the house.”
Melody was relieved. From the look of his find, it was a few handfuls. Something fast and simple that she could give Aubrey to hold her over for a few hours at a time. Melody unwrapped the bar and broke it, giving Aubrey half. She wrapped the other half and pocketed it, knowing Aubrey wouldn’t eat it all at once. Melody wanted to feel some sort of guilt, even if it was only a small amount for taking food away from the house where they left the others – but she felt only comfort – comfort that Aubrey was fed and happy.
“With the speed we’re going, we probably won’t even pass Fort Mesa until tomorrow. We can assess then if anyone thinks it’s valuable to stop for supplies. We’ll head up the 59 to Camp Glen from there,” Beck spoke without removing his eyes from the road.
Jason pulled out the map they had been using, biting his lip as he thought to himself. “I’ve only been out of the military about seven years, and I’m honestly not sure I’ve heard of this Camp Glen.”
“No one did until the outbreak,” Beck explained. “The locals in the area had their conspiracy theories that it existed of course, but it was always meant for training purposes and disaster relief. A lot of supplies are housed there. The thinking was, troops could pick up and drop off easily in the area. No one really pictured survivors being there full time. But I guess no one expected people would be eating each other either.”
“Do you think, if my sister was by some chance picked up, do you think she was taken to this Camp Glen?” Melody asked.
“I’m almost confident.”
Almost was good enough for Melody. Anything was better than being on one of those ships, although she still hoped that Harmony and Dan weren’t picked up and that they made it safely to Summer Springs. Melody didn’t want to get her hopes up, but the idea of them there, with Jason’s parents, brought some contentment – a sort of light at the end of their very dark tunnel.
The highway eventually transitioned into a road, then into city streets, where a sign read, CITY OF SANTA PAUL, POPULATION 16,813. They hit their first intersection clustered with a few businesses including a gas station with mini-mart, restaurants, and a couple of odd shops. Everyone sat up in their seats, alert, watching their surroundings closely. The density of the buildings increased as they drove deeper into the area. The remains of collisions jammed the roadways, but still sporadic enough they could drive easily around them.
Infected roamed, but not in the numbers they had previously seen. Piles of charred bodies, stacked and burned by the military, were scattered throughout the streets. Cement barriers blocked roads, slowing the movement of the infected behind them.
Jason’s eyes swept back and forth over the area. It appeared as though the living took an unsuccessful stand in this area before they fled, or slipped away and turned into the monsters now roaming the streets.
Melody remembered the times they had driven through this area. It was a place where that’s really all you did – just drive through, unless you needed to stop for gas, or have a bite to eat at the local diner. It didn’t have much else. It was one of those shortcuts you used if you wanted to avoid the freeways as you made your way either to the ocean or up to the central coast to visit wine country.
Staying on the main road brought them out of the small town as quickly as they arrived. The speed limit signs picked back up to 50mph. The group was thankful for the uneventful drive through the town.
The land around them widened, as the buildings dwindled in numbers until they were looking at open fields again.
With a sudden BOOM, the Humvee veered left, with Beck struggling to maintain control. It weaved right until he was able to come to a stop. As they gained their composure, Melody realized they had turned completely around and were facing Mike and Nic, both already running towards them from the truck.
“You alright?” Jason was reaching for Melody and Aubrey.
“Yeah, we’re fine.”
“What the fuck did we hit? Did you see anything in the road?” Beck was jumping out of the truck.
“Are you guys alright?” Mike asked.
“Yeah everybody’s fine.”
They walked around the Humvee to find the front right tire had exploded.
Jason hopped out. The smell of burnt rubber filled the cab, driving Melody to jump out with Aubrey for some fresh air. She didn’t think much about danger in the open area as they were able to see quite a ways in all directions.
“Looks like there’s a farmhouse, one o’clock,” Nic said pointing out in the distance. “Drive slow, we can get off this road in some cover and see about repairing this thing.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Beck walked back around to the driver’s seat, and everyone else loaded up.
Even going only a few miles per hour, not wanting to bend the rim, the drive felt as though they were riding over big rocks.
“You see that out there?” Jason asked pointing out in the fields.
Animal carcasses, horses and cows, were scattered all over the area. There were no signs of infected, but it looked like the infected had roamed through, eating at the flesh of the animals.
The farmhouse lay at the end of a quarter-mile gravel driveway that looped around at the house, bringing you back off the property. Beck turned right. The Humvee dipped down with the ground and headed towards the house.
It was a two-story, red brick farmhouse with a barn just off to the side.
Jason took note of the solar panels lining the barn’s roof. He also made note that everything seemed mostly untouched, yet abandoned. Mounted on a flagpole attached to the front porch, an American flag still hung silently still. A symbol of hope in lighter times.
Beck pulled around the loop of the driveway and parked. Mike and Nic pulled up right behind them. Everyone unloaded again, and they began to assess the damage to the wheel. Jason scanned the property, searching for immediate dangers. Melody and Aubrey stayed close to the Humvee just in case they were greeted by any unwanted guests.
“Something seems off about this place,” Jason said as he walked around the driveway, looking at the house. His eyes found the fields again full of the dead animals. “We should check the house for supplies, or hell, maybe someone’s still living here.”
“Hold it right there! Put your hands up where I can see ‘em!”
Jason slowly turned around, facing down the barrel of a rifle.
CHAPTER 7
Everyone stood very still, and stayed very calm.
Jason didn’t move and complied, holding his hands up to show he wasn’t armed.
“Stop!” a woman shouted. “Roger, put your damn gun down!”
Jason had only focused on the gun; everything beyond that was a fuzzy blur. His eyes looked up at the old man on the other end of that rifle, staring dead at him. The old man had a ridged face, with wrinkles deep as canyons in his weathered skin, and no fear in his eyes. Jason then brought his attention to the woman screaming at this man named, Roger. She seemed to have aged a bit better, with softer skin, yet, still somehow holding a hardness to her appearance.
“We’re not here to hurt anybody, we just need to change a tire.” Jason’s words were calm.
“That’s what every asshole who comes around says,” Roger snarled.
The older woman finally made her way to Roger. She was also holding a rifle, but had it pointed to the ground. “Roger, put your damn gun down. Don’t you see that b
aby over there? You idiot! They’re not here to cause any problems carrying around a baby!”
Melody’s lungs emptied with a sigh of relief. She carefully walked around the Humvee with Aubrey.
Roger immediately lowered his weapon. “Oh Jesus, what have we become?”
“It’s fine, I don’t blame you one bit.” Jason slowly lowered his hands and pointed to Melody and Aubrey over his shoulder. “That’s my wife, Melody, and my daughter, Aubrey. I’m Jason. Then there’s Beck, Mike, and Nic,” Jason said, pointing in the other direction.
“Call me Genie,” she held her hand out to shake Jason’s, “and this, as you know, is Roger.”
“I apologize, but I’m sure you can imagine we can’t ever be too careful.”
Jason studied this older couple who both physically appeared tough as nails. “Like I said, we don’t blame you for being careful.”
Beck walked around the Humvee to greet the couple, “We won’t be in your hair long.”
“It’s no problem really. Can we get you something to drink? Eat?” Genie asked.
“We’re good for right now, thanks.”
“What about the baby, sweetheart?”
“Maybe some water.” Melody didn’t want to be rude.
“I can do better than that. Does she like juice?” Genie asked.
Melody smiled at the kind gesture. A politeness so refreshing, in the past it would have gone unnoticed.
“Juice would be great.”
“Roger, go be useful and help with the tire.” Genie looked to Melody. “Follow me, Melody.”
Jason gave Melody a nod of confidence, and Melody followed Genie, naturally heading turned towards the house.
“In the barn,” Genie said, pointing. “We don’t use the house anymore.”
Melody was a bit confused and immediately curious, but figured she could ask questions later.
As they made their way into the barn, Melody couldn’t see anything that indicated they stored their food and water inside, much less lived there. It was a large barn, bigger than anything she had seen. These were the real deal farmers. People who lived off the land and made a business off it. The entrance was an open area with a high ceiling, full of stacked bales of hay, and farming tools. Melody thought this room alone was larger than her own home. At the back wall there was a large-scale sliding door that was already open, leading to animal stalls. There were eight stalls, all with half doors, allowing the horses to look over. Five stalls were empty, three had horses inside.
“Horse, mama horse.” Aubrey pointed to the animals.
“That’s right, honey, beautiful horses,” Melody praised.
“That’s Anarchy, Chaos, and this is Havoc,” Genie said, introducing her horses.
Melody let out a chuckle. “You’d get along with my sister. Her dog’s name is Mayhem.”
“I’m sure we’d get along just fine.”
Melody felt the frown cast over her face, an uncontrollable action she wasn’t quite prepared for.
It was hard not to notice. “I’m sorry about her, did she…?” Genie asked.
“No, well, I’m believing no. I’m believing she’s just fine.”
Genie turned and continued walking. She reached the last stall where the door was full instead of half. Genie opened it, and directed Melody to enter. “My husband built this about thirty years ago. He had always been certain there would be some type of war hitting our country. Most people thought he was crazy, but so far, those same people aren’t saying much these days.”
Inside looked like a regular stall, with feeding buckets hanging on the wall, and hay lining the ground. There was a set of stairs in the back corner that led down.
When Melody made her way down the stairs, she was able to see the massive size of what was their underground bunker, set up like a normal home. It seemed to cover the entire area of the barn.
”We stopped worrying so much about the infected when we figured out a way to easily catch and kill them. Now we’re figuring out how to deal with the criminals running loose, pillaging whatever they can get their hands on. The living are the worse part about this outbreak.”
“That’s what Jason keeps reminding me. Don’t trust the living.”
“Let me get you that juice.”
Melody put Aubrey down so she could walk around a bit, but the little girl held tight to her mother’s legs, shy of the new faces around her.
Genie made her way over to Melody and Aubrey carrying a small juice box with the straw already plugged in ready to drink and handed it over to the little girl.
Aubrey was hesitant.
“That’s for you, honey. Get your juice,” Melody encouraged her.
Aubrey reached up and took the box, immediately putting the straw to her mouth and drinking.
“Is it just the two of you then?” Melody asked.
“Yes. We never had children, except for all the animals on the farm of course. Neither of us had much family. And the loss we’ve seen is through others. What about you? You said you have a sister?”
“Harmony. We have Jason’s parents as well. We’re on our way there. I’m hoping my sister is making her way as well, or maybe she’s already made it.”
“Is she alone?”
“No, luckily. She’s with her boyfriend and their dog. If anyone can get through this, it’s her boyfriend, Dan. Very resourceful, that one.”
“Well, let’s hope for the best.” Genie smiled, not sure of what else to say.
Melody judged her an odd woman, someone who didn’t get a lot of interaction with people except for her husband. Melody imagined most her conversations were with the animals on the farm that didn’t answer back. Regardless, she was thankful for her kindness and small talk.
Outside, the group wrapped up changing the tire on the Humvee. Roger had pulled out a lifting jack changing kit, making it quick and easy to get the job done.
“Looks like we’re getting company.” Nic gestured to the fields where a small handful of infected stumbled through the field.
“Well, looks like it’s time to go to work.” Roger picked up his rifle that was leaning against the Humvee.
“They’re not even headed this way. Why waste the energy?” Beck asked.
“Why not? I’m not gonna leave those ugly bastards for another poor soul that may not be equipped.” Roger made his way towards the fields.
Jason looked back at Beck, Nic, and Mike. “Might as well…” Jason said, following Roger.
Everyone else followed.
As the group trekked through the field, they began to make out what Roger had done to lure infected where he wanted them. At first look, it appeared as though the animals in the field died where they stood and were left to rot, bloat, and get eaten by the infected who wandered through the area. But, at closer look, next to each carcass was a pit, a trap for the infected to fall into, where Roger would greet them with a spear.
It was very thoroughly calculated by Roger. He seemed comfortable in every movement he made approaching the infected.
Jason paused by a pit to find bodies turned to mostly ash, except for a few bones that didn’t burn. He wondered how long the animals had been dead, as they seemed to no longer hold the smell of death, or maybe Jason was just getting used to the smell of rot.
Everyone’s attention was captured by Roger as he let out a high-pitched whistle.
“This is one crazy son of a bitch,” Mike muttered under his breath.
The infected turned to Roger, jerking their necks as they snapped their teeth. Roger stood on one side of the pit and waited patiently as they limped with every step. There were three infected.
Jason took notice of the three infected and watched every movement they made. They focused on nothing but the living with no worry about anything else in front of them. They only knew one direction and it was to the food source. There were two males and a female, but the infection was so severe it was almost too hard to tell. As they got closer, the male leading the pack
seemed to struggle as it attempted to pick up its pace, only to soon be the first to fall in the pit. It had no reaction as it fell; it only continued to fight from the bottom looking up. The other two took no notice of the first’s fall. Neither moved their eyes from Roger as they approached. Jason thought to himself that anything, with any mind left, would have changed direction, given a pause, or if nothing else, slightly flinched. But these infected stayed on course, their eyes locked on Roger, their gritty teeth showing, and their growls growing louder. They were almost side by side when they too walked over the edge and fell into the pit.
“Works every time.” Roger reached for a spear that was leaning against the dead animal and plunged it down three times. “What’s really fun is coming out here to find my catch of the day waiting for me. Most of the time these things are attracted to the animals. They feed off them, and usually easy kills while they’re distracted getting their bellies full.”
No one really knew what to say. They hadn’t met anyone so nonchalant about the infection. Roger stood before them with seemingly no fear. He was well prepared for whatever came on his property.
“Now, I don’t know about you all, but I could use some water. Shall we? Jason, I’m sure you want to see that pretty wife of yours anyway.”
As they walked back towards the house and barn, Roger checked every pit he had in the field. He didn’t make any more kills along the way.
Melody and Aubrey had made themselves comfortable on the living room floor. It was the first time since they were taken from their home that she felt safe.
When the group entered, Melody felt a sense of relief seeing all of them.
Nic sat down next to Melody. “Full bowl of fruit loops over there.” She made a silly face at Aubrey until she let out a small giggle.
“Guy’s nuttier than squirrel shit. Been digging holes for years out there,” Mike whispered as he plopped himself on the floor.
Melody laughed. “I’m sorry I missed it.” Melody watched Jason and Beck follow Roger to the kitchen where Genie was making what looked like plates of snack food. “What’s the plan?”