The Weak Shall Die: Complete Collection (Four Volume Set)

by Taylor Michaels

  The woman twisted her hands together, back and forth, but it wasn't fear John saw in her eyes. It was either hunger or greed. He wasn't sure.

  "What about all those MRE's?"

  "We'll look into that, later."

  "I could help," the dark-eyed woman quickly said. "We could go to their place now. I could help you. You could tell them you're selling me."

  "We have only three of us here. If they were only three, we would stand an chance, but not a good one. Odds would be against us, even with Charles' amazing skills. Since we know where it is, we have other ways of traveling that would be much easier, faster and safer. We have more people we could use. And, if we wanted to send in a Trojan horse, we have our own women, who are -- uh -- tougher."

  "I was wondering how you were going to end that sentence," said Charles, smiling at her.

  "It sounds like you have a vehicle or some motorcycles. You are thinking of taking your gang in and raiding their gang."

  George had been wrestling with his conscience since Iris and he had a philosophical discussion the night before. They were both worried they were turning into people they didn't want to be. Neither were soldiers and had no military training. They felt somewhat alone in the group. They kept saying it was a war, but it really wasn't a normal war. It was a war to survive, fought against nature as well as people. People who might have been your next door neighbor or your child's teacher. It wasn't a war where they should kill everybody they saw just because they could. Both had a religious upbringing and they believed their lives were on the edge of slipping down a steep slope into Hell.

  "John, what these two guys were doin' was wrong. They kidnapped this lady and were goin' to sell her as a sex slave. Killin' 'em was justified and what we did was honorable."

  "OK, George. I buy that."

  "But, if we go kill these other guys for their food. What does that make us? We might have enough food to make it. We have a garden and a greenhouse. Our chances are pretty good. What happens to our honor then? I know those guys stole all that food and they killed for it. But, we aren't judge, jury and executioner for the whole world. We don't have a right to kill them because they broke the law. We've broken a few ourselves. We'd just become the same as them. Another batch of killers."

  "That's true, George. We don't kill just to have an extra helping of potatoes. But we've said many times that farming is a crap shoot and none of us are experts. If we have a rainy season and we have crop failure, those MRE's could come in handy."

  "If that happens, we can talk about it again. But now, let's do the right thing. On top of that, nobody has that much food without some protection. It could be too much for us. Unless we are starvin' or somebody is in great danger, I don't want to be killin' anybody unless we have to and I don't think we should put our lives in danger unless we have to. I like the people we have. I don't want to lose any of them."

  John paused, collecting his thoughts. Obviously, Iris was having an effect on George. But, in any case, he was right. "I know what you're saying and I think I agree. After dinner tonight, we'll see what everybody else thinks. I don't think you will have any arguments. We're trying to be decent, honorable people. We don't want our new society to be one where 'might makes right.' But, it's still a good idea to make a recon mission to see what's going on. We don't have anything to barter and they probably do have lots of protection and a defensible site. So, recon only. How's that?"

  "Sure. I can go along with that."

  John looked at Charles, who was grinning.

  "Hey guys. I'm still here." The woman waved her hands in the air and whistled. "You're ignoring me, John."

  "No we're not. I told you the choices. You need to make your choice and soon. What did you decide?"

  "Door number three." She smiled wryly.

  "We have only two doors. I saw two doors. I told you about two doors. That was it."

  "Door number three. We go back to my place. I give you my stockpile of drugs and medicines and food and you bring me into your group."

  "What drugs and medicines? Where did you find them? And how much food?"

  "I worked at a pharmacy."

  She walked over to Charles, put her hand on his arm and batted her long lashes. Charles was obviously startled but interested and he stopped grinning. John had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. She was seducing Charles, the rock. The tables were turned. The predator had become the prey. And he was buying it. Was Charles human after all? Hard to believe.

  "A pharmacist?"

  "No," she said, running her hand down Charles' arm and touching the back of his hand. "A check-out clerk. Someone would come to my cash register and give me their name." She was talking to John, but never took her eyes or her hand off Charles. "I went to a rack and found a little plastic bag with their name. I scanned the tag and scanned their credit card. And they left with the bag."

  John was wary that she had any such medicines, but if she did, they might be of value. "So how did you obtain a stockpile of drugs and medicines?"

  "When the panic hit, everyone in the pharmacy left. They all just took off. Locked the front door, jumped into their cars and drove away. Went home, I suppose."

  "Just like that?"

  "They left me inside. Or I was in the ladies room and they were in such a hurry they forgot about me. Take your pick. The phone rang and I heard them through the ventilation system saying people were panicking. But you know, when you're doing some things, you just can't stand up and go. You're stuck, for a little while."

  "I understand," said John, smiling. "Please continue."

  "I'd heard about the virus. That was the only thing the pharmacists had talked about for weeks. What I had to do was obvious. I grabbed the biggest trash bag I could find and threw every one of those little plastic bags into it. Then, I found another trash bag and started grabbing all those bottles of pills and put them in. I put both bags into my car's trunk and went back. I blocked the door open with a garbage can and kept filling bags until my car's trunk was full. I filled the back seat full to the roof and when that was full, I filled the passenger's seat. That's mainly how I've survived. I grabbed all the medicines and then I grabbed all the food I could."

  After hearing her story and watching her expressions while she told it, John was convinced that she was telling the truth. However, others could be waiting in ambush. Considering how they found her, kidnapped and slung over a horse, John figured that risk was small and it was a risk worth taking.

  "OK, I'll go to your house with you. George and Charles will take the horse and go back to our place. George will bring our vehicle back. If you are telling the truth, we'll bring you back with us and you can stay. What about it, guys?"

  Charles was quick to answer. "I say that's fine and dandy. A good plan. I was about to suggest that myself." He threw a sideways smile at the woman, raised his eyebrows and winked. She smiled back and also winked.

  John again had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. This apocalypse did have its moments.

  "OK with me," said George.

  "So, what's your name, lovely lady?" Charles asked.

  "Abby."

  As Abby was looking at Charles and he was looking at her, John looked at George and shook his head. George tried to hold back a laugh, but his lips curled up at the edges. He turned around and coughed a few times to disguise the laugh that he couldn't keep inside.

  The woman showed George the precise location of her house on the map. Charles then returned to camp with George and George brought the Dark Demon to the house after sunset and retrieved the woman and John. The Demon was so crammed full with people and bags that a second trip by Abby and Charles was necessary. For some reason, it took much longer than George's trip, but nobody thought they needed to send in the cavalry.

  Looking at the bags on the floor of the great room, John asked, "What do you say, Pierre? Is this worth bringing her onboard and sharing our food?"

  Pierre continued to scour through the bags and bo
ttles, looking at labels. After a few minutes, he said, "That is not for me to say, Jean. I can say that these are many useful medicines, in unusual circumstances. Many of these, we do not have. Whether we will need them or not, I do not know. But, in many cases, if you do not have the right medicine, then you will die."

  "Sounds like she fulfilled her end of the bargain. We don't know what's going to happen. We have to be prepared for whatever comes along."

  That night before dinner, John introduced Abby to the group. At dinner, she and Charles were sitting close. After Pierre's comments, everybody agreed she had paid her way. She brought three trash bags of miscellaneous food and donated them to the group.

  These were the first potato and corn chips anyone had eaten in weeks. Even the health-conscious Pierre thought that the so-called empty calories were worthwhile, under the circumstances. He even ate two bags of chips saying that he would test them to make sure they were not too unhealthy. Later, he confided that since he didn't know what would happen tomorrow, he would chance any unhealthy effects..

  Chapter 42 - Different Strokes

  It was evening and almost everyone had gone back to their cabins after dinner. Harry, Cho and John were sitting in the great room and Harry was reading a medical book, Cho was dozing on the sofa and John was looking at a list of future projects when Fred walked in.

  "Hey, John, I'm thinking about going hunting tomorrow. You want to join me?"

  "I suppose our last hunting trip was cut short, but it was productive. So, sure."

  "Can I go?" said Harry. "I like wandering in the woods. Always have."

  "Fred, give him the lecture. Harry, wear comfortable shoes. I'm going to bed. Come on, Cho. Bed time," John said, shaking Cho and pulling her up.

  "John, you waking me up. Why you do this? Still dark."

  "Goodnight John, Cho. Harry, you're not going out to shoot a yak and provide meat for a month. If we find a single turkey, it will be a good day …"

  At dawn the next morning, they met in the barn and collected their equipment. Marceau had made cinnamon rolls for breakfast and packed lunches the previous night. Three hours later, they passed through the area where they had found Sarah.

  "Where to now," said Fred.

  "North. Sarah seemed nervous about us going that way. I'm curious."

  "About what?"

  "I don't know, Fred. Maybe intuition," he said, rubbing his shoulder.

  Ten minutes of hiking later, Fred said, "Look ahead. Thirty yards. The remains of a campfire in that clearing. We may have company. Keep your eyes and ears open."

  Harry walked over and kicked at the remains of a fire. "Not more than a few days old. It rained two nights ago. It looks odd."

  "Why's that," said John.

  "Several pieces of wood are not burned, just blackened." Harry picked up two pieces and shook them off."

  "Not wood, Harry. A leg bone," said John.

  Harry jumped and immediately dropped the bone.

  "Human leg bone," said Fred. "Small one. We'd better scout around. See what we can find. Watch out for whoever made the fire."

  Five minutes later, Harry shouted. "Over here. The dirt has been disturbed. Could be a grave. Anybody bring a shovel?"

  "I have mine," Fred said, taking off his backpack, and pulling out his little military folding shovel.

  Since Fred had the shovel, it was decided that he should dig. He was willing to share, but no one took him up on it. After ten minutes of digging and at about two feet deep, Fred uncovered the body of a young boy, missing a leg. "That's a bit creepy. Smelly too," he said, checking the body. After a few minutes, he looked up and noticed John twenty feet away and couldn't resist a jab. "What are you doing, John? Weak stomach?"

  "I found a cave," John said, bending down and pulling away some branches. "Someone has tried to camouflage it. These branches still have green leaves and they're just barely wilted. They were put here recently, yesterday or the day before. Keep your guns handy. Be quiet. Watch and listen for anybody around," he said, standing up and turning around and around. He carefully put his pack on the ground and took out a flashlight. Pulling his pistol, he bent over and crept into the cave shining his light all around. Harry followed, also shining his flashlight around. The cave opened up about ten feet inside and was the size of a small bedroom.

  "Someone has been living here," said Harry, going to the entrance and waving to Fred. "You probably should see this. I'll keep watch outside."

  John picked up a piece of clothing. "A shirt. Could be for a young boy."

  "You're slipping, John. It's for a woman or a girl. See how it buttons the wrong way?"

  John picked up a few more pieces. "Maybe so, Fred."

  Fred started moving some firewood. "John, check this out. A rifle. It has a name scratched into the stock. Hard to make out," he said pointing his flashlight at the writing. "Looks like -- oh my God." His heart skipped a beat and his voice was shaky as he uttered the name. "It - uh -- It says 'Sarah'. Maybe the boy found it where she threw it away, John."

  "Yeah, then when he was hungry, he cut off his leg and after cooking it and eating it, shot himself and buried himself."

  "When you put it that way, it does sound a bit farfetched."

  John flipped a lever near the trigger guard and removed the magazine from the rifle. "It has bullets. He must have been lucky enough to find some bullets to put in her rifle that he found, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to shoot himself. George would say that was just plain unlucky."

  "That's not funny, John. You have to be serious." Fred hit John's arm, partially to shut him up and partially because he couldn't believe the facts.

  "Turkey wasn't the only game around, then."

  "John, would you cut that out. This is serious." Fred let out a few deep heavy breaths.

  "So, Sarah has been leaving the camp and finding other sources of protein."

  "Damn, John. Other sources of protein. You know what you're saying?"

  "Yeah, we haven't seen any other people on our hunting trips, except for Abby and those two guys. Sarah must have run across some in her travels. Maybe even herded them here."

  "That's really creepy. Especially since we've been feeding her."

  "Not much meat though. Mostly beans. Tasty, I'll admit."

  "John, are you finally cracking up? I couldn't blame you. But, it's a bad time. We have a cannibal in our midst and you're making jokes and excuses."

  "OK, Fred. I give in. It is creepy, to say the least."

  "Creepy is not half of it. Seems a bit unsafe as well."

  "Yes. Well, you know, back in the good old days …"

  "Two or three months ago?"

  "Yeah, those good old days, cannibalism was not actually illegal in the US or in England. Killing people was, of course, frowned upon, but eating the dead was not."

  "Taught you that in summer camp, did they?"

  "No. I don't know where I picked up that little gem."

  "The question is not that little gem, but why you aren't addressing the problem."

  John threw the clothing on the cave floor in frustration. "What do you want me to do? Take her out in the woods and let her go, like a dog you don't want any more? But just like that dog, she'd still know where we were and she could still find us. Whenever she wanted. Or we could take her out and tie her to a tree and hope a bear eats her. Maybe the bear won't find her and she works herself loose. She's still a threat. Lots of people could kill us and several have tried. What bothers you about her is that she would kill you and eat you. If you were dead, would it really matter if you added a little protein to her diet?"

  "It's possible to do the second without doing the first. Did you notice that young boy in the grave was also missing both arms." Fred shook his head in disbelief.

  "So, you're not planning to ask her out on a date and be alone with her in a dark alley or in your bedroom. Is it really that big a problem?"

  "John, as Masako often says, you're beginning to piss me off.
You need to take this seriously. What do we do?"

  "What do you think Harry will say?"

  "Screw Harry." Fred glanced at the entrance to the cave

  "He likes her. We kill her and he'll be pissed at us, forever."

  "If we don't do something, I'll be pissed at you forever. And if I have to choose between having a cannibal running around loose and pissing off Harry, I'll take Harry. But, since you care so much, I'll find out what he'll say," Fred said, stooping down and walking out of the cave.

  "Hey, Harry. You left too soon. Go check out what we found. I'll keep watch. John has something to show you."

  Harry bent over and crept back into the cave, shining his light around until he spotted John.

  "What's up, John? What did you find?"

  "Here, check out these clothes and this rifle."

  Harry shone his light closely at the clothes and the gun. "It can't be. Is this Sarah's gun? You found it for her. She'll be glad to see it."

  "It has her name on it. Check the mag."

  He pushed the lever and the small magazine popped out. "Bullets."

  "Let's go outside and take a good look at it in the light."

  As they walked out of the cave, Fred was poking around the grave with the toe of his shoe. He looked over at John with fear in his eyes. "Remember what George always said? 'When you find a rattler, you stomp it. Without being bitten, obviously."

  "Is that what you say, Fred?"

  "It's the only thing I've heard so far that doesn't scare the hell out of me. Times have changed. Maybe a year ago she was a nice sweet girl. Now she's a dangerous predator. She could find any of us alone. Maybe she could use the pretense of sex and then when we were defenseless, she would kill us, John."

  "Oh my God," said Harry.

  "I could understand," Fred said, "that she became a cannibal to survive. It's happened many times before. Usually, the people eat one of the group who has died rather than killing one and then eating him. A bit at a time. But she can survive on roots, berries, nuts and plants."