The Aftermath Trilogy (Book 3): The Aftermath [Ground Zero]

by Daniel Smith

  “Trouble,” he thought as the group of boys forgot about the two younger kids they were bothering to turn their attention to him. The two younger boys took the opportunity to run off, Dan smiled briefly.

  “Smart” he thought as the group of boys started across the remaining parking lot now, fanning out slightly to catch him if he ran.

  Followed by the group of girls. Dan stiffened his back flattening out against the wall giving him a good side view of the wall. Giving them no way to get behind him flattened against the wall he would see them approach from the sides long before they could get close to him.

  “Hey kid let me see your sword,” the older boy of the group said outstretching his arm commandingly as he stopped several feet from Dan, the other boys in the group snicker slightly. Dan’s eyes paused a moment on the boy speaking before moving on to the rest of the group. He was a tall boy with short black hair; Dan could not make out what color his eyes were not that it mattered he was their leader.

  “Did you hear me; let me see your sword,” the boy now was trying to command him. Dan kept silent scanning the group not out of fear but another lesson Manny had started trying to teach him came to mind.

  “The dead do not care if you talk the living do. They expect an answer when they talk to you and silence can be unnerving. Even when they mean you no-good, they will try to get you to talk, to gauge how nervous you are and bait you for a reaction so that they can justify their actions. When you stay silent, they have to guess what you will do.”

  “Are you deaf,” the tall boy said loudly for his group from which came a few nervous laughs. Dan made sure he ignored the boy as he spoke.

  “This should scare me,” he thought.

  “I think he is ignoring you Tom,” one of the girls laughed aloud.

  Several other girls laugh at her comment. She must be the girl’s leader Dan figured, but her comment enraged Tom.

  “I’m talking to you kid,” he stated as he and a couple of the boys started forward.

  Far enough Dan thought as he let his left arm fall to his side from his chest. His right arm still across his chest holding the brown hardwood grip of the forty-five now visible. He kept scanning the area and had to fight not to smile as the boys froze at seeing the gun. The group went quiet and collectively back up a few step at the sight. When they had backed a good enough distance. He raised his left arm again across his chest he felt they had received the message to leave him alone.

  Dan watched as they regrouped to talk. He did not think they would be stupid to try again but wonder slightly why one boy ran off towards the portable trailers the rest staying where they were. That could only mean trouble he figured as he tried to keep a worried look from his face over the next few minutes. Watching the group of kids milled about where they had retreated on the grassy island with a tree.

  Dan kept scanning the area and was beginning to wonder if he should go in after Manny when he saw the man from earlier. The one that had given him the dirty look he was moving quickly towards the tree line past the trailer on that side of the building. Before he spotted the boy that had ran off earlier coming back walking quickly with a small built man wearing tan slacks with a white long sleeve shirt and reddish tie. This was trouble he thought as the man stopped to talk to Tom who was speaking quickly with the man gesturing to Dan.

  “Here it comes,” he thought as the man approached

  Dan could see he had a salt and peppered color beard with matching curly hair on the top of his head. Dan stiffen again as he came nearer.

  “Young man I am Mister Sherman, You need to give me the gun you have,” he stated firmly but not threating as he put out his hand.

  Dan’s eyes scanned him as he did his best to look bored and not worried. Hoping Manny would appear soon looking over to the kids taking pleasure at what they had done. Everything happened at once Mister Sherman spoke again.

  “I said you need to give me the gun,” he said taking a step closer. Causing Dan to drop his left arm quickly while pulling the black parkerized auto loader from the shoulder holster while cocking the hammer back with his thumb. While taking in the sound of someone fast approaching to his right. He had the forty-five pointing up at a slight angle not at the man. He watched as Mr. Sherman franticly took a few steps back sputtering.

  “Easy now. Put the gun away Dan,” he heard the calm voice of Manny say.

  He risked a quick look to his side. He could see Manny standing near him his hands and arms full of bags as a startled looking woman stopped behind him. Dan remained silent as he looked back at Mr. Sherman lowering the hammer on the auto loader to push it back into his holster as Manny stepped between them. The woman was still where she stopped watching them. Mr. Sherman managed to regain his composure.

  “This young man is carrying a gun,” he stated to Manny.

  “I know,” Manny replied unconcern.

  “Children should not have firearms,” Mr. Sherman started.

  “And the dead should not be up and walking,” Manny cut him off good-naturedly as he shifted a bag in his hand.

  “And,” he started before Mr. Sherman could continue. “If you were trying to take his gun from him. You are lucky he did not give it to you bullets first.”

  Manny finished smiling. Mr. Sherman seemed a little taken aback by this. Dan scanned the area again he saw a man stagger from the alley made by the trailers before passing his eyes over the group of kids. Watching quietly fascinated at the exchange going on then back to Mr. Sherman.

  “Why is he not in school,” he started to question Manny rather sternly.

  “Why should that be your concern,” Manny replied calmly. Dan often wondered how Manny kept up such a good-natured front when dealing with people. The look on Mr. Sherman’s face suggested outrage at Manny’s statement but his voice sounded restrained.

  “I am with Child protective services,” he started.

  “You’re a social worker,” Manny said smiling.

  “Yes,” Mr. Sherman started cut off by the woman who had been standing on the sidewalk started screaming at the top of her lungs.

  “Zombie,” as she took off running towards the door of the store.

  Both Dan and Manny calmly looked around as the man Dan had seen staggering from the alleyway started approaching them still staggering slightly. Several of the girls and boys watching them ran screaming in terror as the others stood their almost frozen as they watched the man approach. Mr. Sherman looked around franticly.

  “Stay calm, we have to get help,” he stated as he moved slightly towards the kids. Manny let his brown eyes move from the zombie to the worried face of Mr. Sherman then to Dan as he calmly said.

  “Dan, will you take care of that one please my hands are full.”

  Dan nodded his head as he stepped out towards the man.

  “What are you doing,” Mr. Sherman stated slightly frantic.

  “You said you needed help,” Manny replied.

  Dan looked at him to see a panicked look on the man’s face as his eyes went to the kids now huddling together fear and worry on their faces. His eyes met the brown eyes of the leader of the girls for a brief second. She appeared excited by what was happening moving to the face of Tom who was trembling with wide-eyed fear. Dan returned his gaze to the staggering man with his milky white eyes while his right hand raised up to grasp the black leather hilt of his sword. He withdrew it with a slight metal on metal hiss as he lowered the black blade pointing down at an angle from his body. The man coming at him looked sickly thin dressed in blue jeans and a white tee shirt that had a large red stain of blood on the chest. The wood handle of a knife visible in the center of the bloody stain.

  The solid milky white eyes stared out from the shrunken face as a low moan escaped them man’s lips. From behind him, he could hear Mr. Sherman pleading with Manny.

  “Get him back here, he can’t face that he is a boy.”

  “He has faced the dead before,” Manny calmly replied.

  D
an tuned out the rest of the conversation as he moved his left hand across his body and grip the hilt of the sword. Maneuvering himself towards the moaning figure with arms outstretched towards him. As the creature staggered forward Dan, step in swinging the sword up at an angle in a fierce two-handed swing. He could feel the tug on the blade as it cut the flesh, severing muscle and bones of the neck of the man allowing the head to fall free. The now headless body collapsing to the roadway with yellowish red ooze leaking from the jagged neck stump the head following a second later with a dull thump.

  “Fresh,” Dan thought as he watched the blood not fully formed into the yellowish sap that passed for blood in the undead.

  Looking down at the body the pockets of the blue jeans pulled inside out showing he had nothing on him. Dan sighed as he turned to the severed head it had landed face up with solid milky white eyes staring at him as the mouth moved looking like he was silently cursing him. He put the angle point of the sword into one of the solid milky white eye rupturing it before he leaned forward. Forcing the blade threw the eye socket into the brain with a slight crunch as the mouth stopped it silent movement. Dan looked over to the group of kids he saw Tom had his hand at his mouth as if he was going to be sick before he did all over himself.

  Manny was smiling as he spoke with Mr. Sherman who kept nervously looking towards him. Sighing again as he put his sneaker clad foot onto the severed head pinning it to the ground. Allowing him to pull the black blade free then wiped the blade clean on the dead man’s pants before putting it back into the sheath returning to the group he had left.

  Dan let his gaze wonder around the group of kids then to Manny and Mr. Sherman and to the growing number of spectators coming out of the store. The uneasy feeling was coming back stronger now as more people started showing up. He noted the slightly frantic look on Mr. Sherman’s face as he stopped by Manny’s side.

  “Here this one is yours,” Manny told him handing him a gray daypack.

  Dan took the offered backpack and put it on in silence, the bag felt excessively big and heavy to him.

  “How could you let him do that,” Mr. Sherman charged as he turned to face Manny.

  “That infected could have killed him.”

  Manny shifted the remaining bags in his hands now that he had given Dan the daypack. Manny ignoring the man turned to Dan.

  “Anything,” he asked calmly.

  “Just a cheap kitchen knife in the chest, pockets had already been empty,” Dan replied in a subdued voice. As he watched the number of people growing to look at the now dead zombie. The remaining group of kids had moved closer to them and he could still see the slightly sick look on Tom’s face.

  “You did not answer my question,” Mr. Sherman started again on Manny with a semblance of control in his voice. Manny turning to the man sighing.

  “Someone should have warned us arriving about the bureaucracy to deal with. I think we will bypass the next safe area,” Manny said turning to wink slightly at Dan who just nodded.

  A troubling look crossed Mr. Sherman’s face for a moment as a look of understanding now started to spread across his face.

  “You two came out of the ruins,” he said slightly disbelievingly.

  “Ruins,” Manny, said turning is full attention to the man.

  Dan took this time to scan the crowd with his eyes once again. People where standing at the zombie poking it with their feet, others taking an interest in the conversation between Manny and the social worker, which was beginning to worry him. Of the kids that started this mess as far as he was concerns their attention seemed torn between the zombie and Mr. Sherman’s conversation with Manny. Disbelieve was replacing the sick look Tom had earlier, while the girl that had been encouraging him earlier was staring at him.

  “The ruins of civilization, non-safe areas,” Mr. Sherman started to say. Manny just nodded his head.

  “If you call it that,” Manny started but Mr. Sherman continued.

  “How long have you two traveled out there,” he asked.

  “We just got here yesterday,” Manny, said smiling.

  Dan looked around again he felt as if everyone was watching him. Noticing that Tom was trying to talk to the girl as she stared at him. His eyes met her brown eyes for a moment and she broke into a warm friendly smile. Dan looked back at her with a deadpan face before turning his eyes towards a new sound. Coming down the road a wailing of a siren mixed with flashing red lights.

  “Manny,” his voice was calm but had a sense of urgency in it as he interrupted Mr. Sherman.

  “He should be in school,” he told Manny pointing at Dan. Manny looked to Dan who motioned with his head towards the flashing red lights. Manny nodded in understanding.

  “Well it was interesting meeting you,” Manny said to a stunned Mr. Sherman. “But we have to go, I will discuss the matter of school with him as soon as possible, Good-bye,” Manny finished turning from a stunned Mr. Sherman and started to walk off.

  Dan took one last look around the crowd his blue eyes passing over the girl once more the smile had faded and replaced by.

  “What,” he thought was it a look of disappointment he saw now as he turned to follow Manny.

  They walked quickly and in silence as they cut across the parking lot towards the small bridge that would take them over the drainage ditch back to the road that circled the mall. Dan did look back often as they walked he had seen five police cars and a fire truck speed down the road lights and siren blazing as they headed for the body of the zombie. The crowd growing in size. Dan shook his head to clear his thoughts.

  “Unreal, it was one zombie,” he thought.

  “What happen back there,” Manny asked calmly walking next to Dan.

  “Those kids learn the S factor in school today,” he replied.

  Manny chuckled as a light breeze had picked up as they neared the center of the bridge in the late afternoon sun before Manny spoke.

  “He could be right.”

  “Who,” Dan asked not sure what he had meant.

  Manny stopped and turned to Dan with a slightly tired look on his face,.

  “The social worker, it would be safer for you here and you could go back to school,” Manny said quietly. Dan stood stunned at this and took a full minute before he could reply. A hurt look was on his face as he spoke.

  “You don’t want me around anymore; you don’t want to go to my uncles farm anymore.”

  Manny cut Dan off before he could go on.

  “We are partners, I am not leaving you, but we do have choices now that we did not have early and we need to consider them,” Manny said firmly to him.

  Dan could only nod his head at this a look of relief washing over his face.

  “Just think about it,” Manny said offering him reassurance as they started walking again. Following the curving road with the mall parking lot to their left and the open grassy area to their right they had almost made it back to the hotel when Dan spoke.

  “I feel uneasy here to many people, I just want to get to my uncles farm and see my family,” Dan said subdued. Manny turned to him smiling.

  “I understand we will leave tomorrow,” he said turning back to look at the hotel. Unfortunately, that turned into a slight delay for them.

  Dan stood looking at himself in the mirror the look on his face. Showed he did not care for the dark blue pants, pale blue collared shirt or the cheap looking canvas drawstring backpack holding the notebook and pencils they gave him for school.

  “Why do I have to go to school,” he said rather unhappily to Manny. Manny for his part just smiled and calmly told him.

  “Because the social worker Mr. Sherman thinks it will do you good. Plus he was quick to get a court order saying you had to or be placed into protective custody.”

  Dan snorted at his statement.

  “Plus I will not get a travel pass until you start school. You need to go for a couple of days. Once they make my appointment with the skills adviser down at the military base,
” Manny said calmly moving for the door to the room. Dan took one last look in the mirror steeling himself to the unavoidable as he made his way to the door. Manny fell into step next to him as they left the room and made their way down the hall and out of the hotel.

  “Look at the bright side we get two meals a day here and you get one at school. We should only stay a couple of days at most,” Manny said.

  “A couple too many,” Dan said unhappily as they walked down the roadway.

  “It is not bad,” Manny started stopping at the look from him.

  “We been here a week I have had five people think I am their kid and wanted me to go with them. And that last one,” Dan started to see Manny wince at those words. He took a deep breath and let it out.

  “And now they are forcing me to go to school,” He finished lapsing into silence as they crossed the small bridge that led to the converted shopping center and school area. He could see the fenced off area behind the store with several portable trailers. More portable trailers sat set up in rows off to one side of the area they approached one Manny pointed it out to him.

  “After school meet me at that one,” Dan looked at the one he pointed to two double wide trailers pushed together a wood signpost out-front proclaiming it.