by Evans, Mike
Jude looked down seeing he was indeed right and it was dead. Jude said, “I didn’t kill it I think it is finally out of gas.”
Chuck’s died seconds later and the two made it back to the alleyway where they grabbed Joanne’s gear. Chuck watched as the van was being driven like a maniac. He said, “Well we need to get some more gas. But I'm serious when I say one of us needs to be the one who drives because she is fucking insane, look at her, she’ll crash that damn thing for sure. You realize we are zero for one so far with cars.”
Jude agreed easily with the fact that she was not looking like the world’s greatest driver. They waited ready and when the van circled around the men started to run alongside the van and tossed in the saws and the medical equipment and dived into the van. Leslie slammed the door shut once they were in.
The dead were starting to follow and Joanne took the first street she could to get out of there that wasn’t filled with the dead. Jude pushed up and sat against the side of the van. Leslie said, “So are you the genius of the group? The one that was telling me not to get out of the van and get eaten?”
Jude nodded he said, “Wow you are a sassy thing aren’t you?”
She smiled and said, “My name is Leslie. I guess I should say thank you at some point.”
Jude stood there staring and realized she wouldn’t be saying it anytime soon. He smiled and said, “Real charmer huh?”
They made it to the edge of town heading up a hill where Joanne brought it to a stop. They put the van in park and stepped out to take a look behind them and look at the map and directions they had gotten from the doctor and figure out what their next move was going to be. They stared at the town realizing there weren’t any cars to be seen moving through the streets, those that could escape and figured the rest were either hiding or had become the walking dead or only a meal. Chuck looked at the directions and realized they needed to get to the other side of the town.
Jude cursed and looked at Leslie and said, “Hey is there a chance that you are from around here? What I mean is do you have any idea where we are or where we need to go?”
She shook her head no and said, “I was just passing through. I was staying at the hotel and left early to go get breakfast and well, hell was waiting for me when I got outside.”
They drove slowly taking back roads happy to see no one, or thing walking around. They hit the first cemetery not seeing anything out of the norm with the exception of fifty plus empty graves.
Chuck said, “Well that is quite disturbing now isn’t it?”
Jude said, “There’s a lot of things that are disturbing going on today. I think we need to get moving, it's going to take forever to get anywhere if the rest of the state is like this.”
Joanne said, “Well, we are going to have some serious shit to deal with if the rest is like this. I can't even begin to think of what we are going to have to do. I mean those bullets do little to them. So if you have a thousand troops trying to take those things out shooting them in the chest can you imagine how they are going to react. It’s going to be chaos, trying to take things out and not able to, that is something that is going to wreck those soldiers. Then when the dead move in it's just going to be horrible. Plus if the soldiers are taken out in their gear they are going to be hard to take out.”
Jude said, “Sounds like they need to do some mass distribution of the chainsaws here huh?”
Joanne said, “I have a feeling you don’t give America enough credit for how many people pass away daily. I mean, good God, there are so many graves being dug daily you can’t imagine. There’s going to have to be more than just the army. The citizens need to know and they need to know how to stop these things. We might be the only ones who know how to stop them at this point.”
Leslie laughed and said, "So how is it that we are able to let the nation know how to kill these things? I mean is there a news station here real close we can go hit up and let people know about this?"
The three shrugged unsure none of them natives. Jude said, "Well maybe once we get the answers we need, it might be time that we try and find the place we can tell people where we first found them, and how to kill them. There have to be more people than the dead right?"
As they drove they saw a man whose clothes didn't look like they'd been made in the last hundred years. Chuck said, "Shit would you look at that one? He's been under the ground longer than you can probably imagine. Hell longer than we've been around anyway."
They ran past another who was dressed in a gray army uniform of the confederate army and the civil war. Joanne was running through things in her head, thinking of flu and diseases that had hit America like a punch to the gut.
She said, "If there's no age cutoff on how long these things have been down and dead we are going to be seriously in trouble. It might not be as bad the further west you get but on the east coast to Central America like you know where we are, my God can you imagine what we are talking about for numbers? All the soldiers sent home from war, the numbers would probably be hundreds of thousands, hell millions I would bet you."
Jude watched the man knowing deep down Joanne was hitting it on the head perfectly and it was going to be a slaughter if they couldn’t at least warn people that the dead were getting out of their graves and the issues with the rain.. By now there had to have been the dead rising further than just Iowa. He looked out the van window taking in the dark clouds and how they looked like they stretched to heaven and back. But in another way he was thinking maybe they went all the way to hell. When they came up to a cemetery that stretched for as far as the eye could see they saw there were still many of the dead who hadn’t made it to town or were still climbing out of their holes.
They drove slowly looking around the cemetery not seeing anything to make them suspect any wrongdoing had taken place. When they made it to the rear of the cemetery grounds they could just barely see the top of a long white tanker parked down below. Jude tapped Chuck on the shoulder pointing and said, “Hey Chuck pull up over there let's go see what that is.”
Chuck said, “Uh it looks like bad news to me Jude.”
Leslie said, “You guys really like pointing out the obvious don't you? Do you really think there's a chemical out there that brings back the dead? Do you realize how stupid that sounds?”
Chuck said, “Oh I'm sorry we aren’t educated enough for the likes of you, but given today is the first day I have ever seen someone walking around who probably only hours before was sitting in the ground, I guess that kind of opened my mind up to think maybe it is possible for some weird shit like that to happen. Do you have a better explanation for why the dead are up and walking already because we would love to know if we are wasting our time.”
“When you’re dead, do you think you’ll have friends come to your service, I mean civilization as we know it isn’t completely over? I mean someone out there has to like you right? Not counting your mother?”
Chuck dramatically fanned himself looking at the group and said, "Love me. I'm alikable guy, I get along. I know how to get shit done. People think I'm a good guy to have around."
Jude patted him on the shoulder and said, “You probably want to just give this one up. I say if saving her life wasn't enough to make her like you, it might be a lost cause.”
Chuck said, “Oh don't worry, you know how persistent I am, I don't give up on nothing.”
When they made it to the back of the cemetery, the bold letters faded as they were, but still easily read said Evans Chemical made absolutely no one feel any bit better. Jude looked out the back window seeing the dead were already deciding this was the way to come and knew the longer they were here the better the chance was that these things were making up the distance with every step. Jude was looking down at the ground when there was a squishy sound.
Jude said, "Oh shit."
Chuck yelled, “What is it, what is it?”
Jude leaned back in the doorway and said, "The ground is soaked and wet. I know it rained, but
I don't think it rained that much. It kind of smells like that shit too, you remember how the rain stank when we were out walking in it?"
Joanne said, “Well that gives me some horrible thoughts. Given the fact that there is a gigantic tanker there and probably holds thousands and thousands of gallons of God knows what.”
Jude said, "Yeah I have nothing that's going to make you feel any better about this. I hate the fact the same stupid ass would have come out here and dumped that shit. They probably just figured it was okay to dump it because the people here were already dead."
Joanne said, "Is it wet enough for me to get a sample?"
Jared said, “I think you can get whatever you need. I don't think it would be a bad idea once we are done here, that maybe we run over to the factory and find out what the hell is going on here.”
Chapter Eleven
Worries
Phelps sat at his office chair he had ran his hands through his hair enough times that it was sticking eight different directions up in the air. Phelps pushed up from the desk and looked out the window at the parking lot below. He was baffled that not one employee had shown up for work yet. He knew the Saturday shift would be sluggish after a busy night of drinking, but at the same time this was completely not normal and the parking lot looked like a ghost town.
The only reason he had been there at this time on a Saturday was because he had been waiting impatiently all night for the two men to come back, and unfortunately it had not happened yet. The entire night he had been thinking he should have gotten somebody else to do the dirty deed. He thought if he had more notice of having to get rid of the waste that he could have found someone better for this, or at least smarter.
He paced back and forth starting to debate that maybe he should run out and try and find them. But unfortunately, he had absolutely no idea where to start looking because he was trying to keep some deniability available for himself.
He looked at the clear bottle on his desk, wishing, but it was still filled to the brim with the beautiful amber color and the sweet scent of whiskey. He'd put some effort into devouring it Friday night and on top of that put extra effort into not passing out on his desk. He went to his backup drawer and grabbed a small emergency flask he kept there and put a healthy shot of whiskey into his coffee cup. He slammed it wincing at the bitterness of the cold coffee but was thankful for the caffeine in it that was helping him to still stay awake.
Phelps already knew the answer but couldn't think of anything else to do to keep himself busy. He knew if the two men had not pulled off the chemical dump there would be a little work for him to worry about. If they got caught, word would get out about the chemical dump and the government would be coming to the factory before he could try and cover up anything else. There would be inspectors and investigations he didn’t even want to begin to worry about.
Phelps spun the dial so he could connect downstairs to the security guard. Phelps said, “Hey Steven have you heard back from those two men tonight? Did you have any traffic on the CB radio?”
Steven said, “Nope there wasn't anyone all night talking on one of the truck radios. I’ve been listening all night and never heard another thing from them. I don't have any idea where they are, or why it is taking them so damn long to get done. I should have been gone hours ago.”
Phelps cut him off and said, “If you want to keep that giant raise I gave you or better yet call it a bonus, then I do suggest maybe you don't go home until the job is actually done. I might need to send your ass out looking for those two dumb shits if we don't get any answer or sign this thing went as planned. If the government comes and we're sitting there pulling back in a giant tanker shit is gonna go bad and it could go bad quick. I'd much rather go stash that truck somewhere, who knows if there is anyone out there already watching.”
Steven said, “Yeah I can stay here that's fine. Sorry about that. You know I was just kidding right? What do you want me to do if somebody tries to come through the gates?”
Phelps said, "If they come here don't let them in, they got shit for a reason to be here."
"And if they don't take no for an answer?" Steven said.
Phelps said, “You know that thing on your hip, use it. I'll give you the best attorney in the damn state if it means we can get any time for us that we need. But you need to be playing ball with me or I'll leave your ass on your own. Do we have a clear understanding of the circumstances at hand Steven?”
Steven said, “I totally get it. Don't worry about it I'm going to take care of things and just like you said, if anybody tries to come through that gate I'll get all six shots in the son of a bitch. What do you want me to do if there's more than six people?”
The fact that he had to ask made him nervous as hell. Sean snapped back screaming, “You reload! You reload you stupid shit. That's why I give you more than six bullets do you have any other questions?”
Steven had many more, but he smiled knowing when to be quiet. He said, "No sir boss," and hung up the phone. He checked his belt seeing that he did have three more speed loaders attached to it and started to laugh.
Phelps went back to the window waiting impatiently and could just barely see the van approaching the factory. He hit the intercom screaming, “Close the gates! Close the gates now until you know who it is!”
Steven loved trying to decipher who was coming and if they were an employee but was unable to tell as such a great distance. He ran to the gates pulling them shut and securing the padlock. Once it was secured he ran to his guard tower pulling his pistol and waiting with trembling hands as the van sped toward them.
Chapter Twelve
Hells Gate
Chuck said, "So do you guys actually have a plan for going up and talking to this chemical factory? Do you realize he's probably as crooked as a damn politician right? You really think he's going to admit to starting the goddamn zombie apocalypse single-handedly? Well single-handedly with the help of a few people that probably work for him."
Jude said, “Well since we lost Pete and Roger I think I have a fair right to go ask him questions. If he doesn’t like it, well I don’t give two shits.”
Joanne said, "Given my job and my credentials I have every right to ask that son of a bitch what the hell he thought he was doing dumping that shit out in the cemetery. And after I get done with that, I'm going to use his phone to call the CDC and tell them about the storm he unleashed on everyone. By the time I'm done, you'll never see him make another chemical again."
Leslie said, “It is blatantly obvious this guy is trying to cover something up right? Don't you think we are just going to be one more thing he needs to get rid of in order to keep everything looking on the up and up? I don't think going up there is all that great of an idea.”
Chuck laughed and he said, “Are you kidding me there is almost nothing we've done today that was a good idea. We should be half way back to Iowa, but no we're driving our dumb asses around with two strangers and looking everywhere for chemicals on purpose, that turn people back living who’ve been dead for God knows how long and longer. Like I said, there ain't nothing we've done today that's been a good idea. It's been a bunch of dumb shit things one after another, we're lucky we're still alive. Hell were only fifty-fifty at this point and two men down and we’re still going.”
Joanne said, "Well what do you think we are?"
Chuck spoke honestly, "You're strangers, that's what you are. It's only because of our good nature and lack of good damn common sense that we're even helping you. Like I said we should be back to Iowa where we could at least get the things we need to survive. We're in a land we don't know, we don't have anything going for us and now the damn chainsaws are out of fucking gas!"
Jude cut him off and said, "We're going to stick this out. One day someone might even think we are heroes, man."
Chuck said, “You know what that means right?”
Jude could already see the dream in Chuck’s eyes, he said, “Yes, I have a very good idea what t
hat means. You're going to be too busy trying to get laid the rest your life and probably walking around with a news clipping or a story at every watering hole there is, hoping to impress some lucky girl.”
Chuck said, "It brings a goddamn tear to my eye, Jude, it's such a beautiful thought."
Leslie said, “You're a pig, you know that right?”
Chuck shook his head no and said, "I just got things I like to do and being horizontal well yeah, that just might be one of them. It's not going to be an issue for you since you and I don't have a chance."
Leslie said, "Oh no, you and I most definitely don't have a chance. Actually, you and I don't have a chance in hell. You can be the last man standing who isn't dead, and you still wouldn't have a chance with me. I'm surprised you're not a virgin!"
Chuck said, “Now that just hurts. That just damn right hurts.”
Jude said, “You know as much fun as we are having down here Chuck, the quicker we get done with this the quicker you get to try and be a hero Chuck. Let’s get this shit done and let's get home.”
Chuck just responded by slamming his foot on the gas pedal and rolling Jude to the back end of the van where he, of course, yelled and cursed at Chuck. Chuck being the good friend he was laughed and drove the van like a bat out of hell toward the fence. When they got closer Steven pulled out his pistol holding up a hand for them to stop.
Chuck saw the gun and said, "You know I think he's going to shoot at us."
Joanne said, “We haven't done anything wrong there isn't any reason for him to shoot at us.”
Leslie said, “We might not have done anything wrong. But it sure as hell looks like he's going to shoot us if we don't stop. What do you think we should do?”
Jude said, “Well if it was me pointing that gun at someone I'd just be able to aim better if they stopped.”
That was all that Chuck needed to hear, he hit his pedal as far as he could and sent the van fishtailing. When he got closer he’d already made up his mind to drive straight through the chain link fence. It tore off its hinges and was dragging it along with the guard booth it was connected to behind him. Steven held on for dear life inside praying to God the van was going to stop soon. Forgetting about the fact that he had a good solid quarter mile or better across the property before they would make it to the to the factory.