Jacob's Odyssey (The Berne Project Book 1)

by Melrose, Russ

  As they made their way toward the corner, I took a few steps but realized it would be best to wait. I knew they would start attacking the fence and that would give me the cover I needed to move well past them without them noticing me.

  Once they started their pounding, I quietly made my way across the yard. When I was two-thirds of the way to the opposite corner, I lifted myself up and over the fence. They were still in the corner banging on the fence boards. They didn't notice me at first and I didn't care if they did. They were too far away now to pose a threat. I walked quickly to the fence bordering the next yard. This had been my target yard all along. The yard belonged to the same vacant house I'd noticed when we first crossed Jupiter Drive. If I remembered right, there would be an RV driveway just past the gate. The house was abandoned and the location was perfect.

  I picked the part of the fence I thought would be closest to the gate. I couldn't tell if there were any infected in the yard. The ruckus from the fence pounding and the ubiquitous moans were too loud for me to hear much of anything.

  This was the most dangerous part of my plan and the most critical. As soon as I was over, I would remove the Glock from my waist band. If there were any infected in the backyard, I would let them get close to me and then I would lead them out the gate and into the driveway.

  I looked back and the three infected were heading toward me. I had to go now. I didn't want them to get too far across the yard before all hell broke loose. Once they heard the shots, I needed them to vacate the backyard. That would be critical to my escaping.

  I took a breath. I reminded myself that as long as I was careful and a little lucky, I had a good chance of surviving. I pulled myself up to the top of the fence and saw two infected in the backyard. One of them was headed to the fence and he spotted me immediately. He was barrel chested and bald with a thick gray face like a walrus. The other infected was an old woman who was bent over trying to peer through a basement window. She looked up when her companion's moans intensified.

  I jumped down onto the yellowing grass and pulled the gun from my back waist band. I was less than ten feet from the gate. But I made sure to keep out of sight from the infected out on the street. I didn't want them to see me till the last minute.

  The burly infected man was maybe fifteen feet away. I aimed the gun at him as he trundled toward me. He took short steps and his upper torso was tilted forward as if he were walking into a stiff wind. His feet seemed to be moving just fast enough to keep himself from falling on his face. I was surprised how fast he could move. He wasn't a runner, but he moved quickly. I mimicked his pace as I moved backwards toward the gate. I didn't want him getting too close. The old woman who had been bent over to look in the basement window had finally straightened herself. She looked at me queerly and started shuffling toward me.

  I made my way to the gate and glanced back through it as the infected man approached. I was relieved to see it was clear out to the street. The infected woman was moving at a dawdling pace and I couldn't wait for her to catch up. The infected man was starting to close the distance between us.

  I ran through the gate and kept my eyes to the front. I had to see what I was facing. My muscles were alive with adrenalin. I felt juiced and incredibly alert. I ran past the front of the garage to my left and the front edge of the neighbor's house to my right. I had to check out the front yards. There were only three infected in the yard to my left but maybe eight in the yard to my right.

  And then the vista of the local neighborhood opened up in front of me and I had trouble reconciling what I was seeing. Jupiter Drive and Lois Lane teemed with the infected; they were thick as flies. Hundreds of the infected roamed the streets and front yards within a block of me.

  A half block to my left and across the street, the infected had broken into three successive homes. The yards to the three homes were crowded with the infected. And some infected were still stepping over the window sills of the shattered picture windows to get into the homes.

  I'd already been spotted. Their truculent moans spiraled in intensity and more and more of them turned their heads to see what the commotion was about.

  I glanced back and the infected man was well past the gate now. I had a few more seconds before he'd be where I wanted him. I turned and waited. I held the Glock in my hand and was ready to fire when he came within range. I noticed my hand was trembling slightly and I was surprised by it.

  He rushed at me like a madman, his head leading the way as if he were a bull looking to gore someone. I aimed the Glock at his head, did my best to steady myself, and then I fired a single shot at him. The bullet struck him in the top of the head. He stumbled forward a few steps and crashed face first to the ground. I looked past him, but I still couldn't see the old woman.

  I thought I'd heard a brief pause in the dissonant stream of moans, but it was so short-lived, I thought maybe I'd imagined it as if it were an auditory mirage.

  The moans rose to a thunderous level.

  I was facing them again. They funneled frenziedly toward me from every direction. From north and south off Jupiter and straight down from Lois Lane. The closest infected to me were the ones in the yard to my right. I had to focus on the infected that were closest to me. It was important I get off at least five or six shots before getting the hell out of there.

  Three of them lumbered determinedly across the yard in a state of hysteria. The others in the yard followed them. I waited for them to get closer. I didn't want to waste my shots. I had the Glock aimed at them, but my hands were still trembling and I was short of breath. I wanted to get it over with and get the hell out of there. When they got within twelve to fifteen feet, I'd fire.

  I forced myself to wait another second or two.

  I fired at their heads and two of them fell, but I only creased the skull of the third. I steadied myself and fired another shot and he went down. Four more came toward me from the same yard, but I could wait for them. Peripherally, I could see several infected coming up the foot of the driveway. Behind them, a runner looked to rush past them. I turned for the ones coming up the driveway but noticed one from the yard to my left was even closer. She was no more than ten feet away. I turned and fired hurriedly and hit her but she kept on coming, lurching wildly toward me. The bullet had pierced her throat and she gasped noisily as she came at me. I fired two quick shots into her face and she fell just a few feet from me.

  I kept pivoting left to right to keep an eye on all of them. The shooting seemed to have steadied my hands. I wasn't sure how many shots I had fired, but I was sure it was enough.

  They were converging from every direction. I backed up a few steps, ready to turn and run. But I was still waiting for a sign of the red headed woman or the man in the tattered suit and tie. It was critical they show up before I left. I was nervous and couldn't understand why they hadn't shown up yet.

  I wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of there. And in a few more seconds, I wouldn't have a choice. I'd have to leave. The runner bullied his way past the group coming up the driveway. He wore a crimson University of Utah football t-shirt and baggy shorts and thundered toward me like a crazed lunatic. I aimed at his head and fired three shots to make sure I didn't miss. He staggered and fell heavily onto the pavement.

  The infected in the driveway careened determinedly up the cement slope. A couple of them stumbled over the body of the runner in their eagerness to get to me. He was trampled by those that followed. They were only a few seconds away now. I took another step back.

  I had to go. The infected from the yards were closing fast too. I glanced one last time to my right and was surprised to see the infected man in the tattered suit and knotted tie stumble around the corner of the house. I had my cue.

  I turned to run but ran right into the old woman. I'd forgotten all about her. She held her arms outward as if she were expecting me to give her a hug. Her deep inset eyes glistened with excitement and her gaping mouth was full of rotting gums. She had no teeth. I raised
my hands up and tried to shrink away from her at the same time, but my momentum carried me right into her. She weighed next to nothing and I knocked her down without trying, but our legs got tangled up and I stumbled and began to fall.

  I reached my hands out to break my fall and instinctually let go of the gun. It skidded across the driveway toward the house where it nestled against the foundation. I leaned to my right as I fell and landed on my side and I let myself roll with the impetus of the fall. I rolled onto my hands and knees and sprung quickly to my feet.

  I didn't hesitate. I could hear their shuffling feet scratch the cement surface behind me and I could sense them reaching for me. I lunged away from them, arching my back as I sprinted for the gate. I left the Glock behind, not giving it a second thought. Their raucous moans chased me up the driveway. I grabbed the gate door and pulled it shut after me and made sure the latch was secure.

  I bent over, hands on my thighs, breathing heavily. I could feel my heart thumping wildly in my chest. I needed to collect myself, but I knew I had to get going.

  The first of the infected slammed into the gate behind me and the gate shuddered in its frame.

  I checked my watch and it was 5:38. The gunshots were the signal for the countdown. Twenty minutes from now, Raj would let himself down from the attic. He'd go to the girl's bedroom with the street view and he'd check the street to see if it was clear. If the street were clear, he'd help Sarah and Becky get down and they'd grab their things and leave in the Tundra. I was counting on the infected from Fortuna Way following the sound of the gunshots and heading toward Jupiter Drive. The only question was how long it would take before Fortuna Way was clear of the infected.

  I needed to be back in twenty minutes.

  I checked out the yard as I headed to the side fence. I knew there weren't any infected in the backyard, but I checked it anyway. I didn't need any more close calls or surprises. I'd had my fill. I knew my luck would run out at some point. Then it hit me I no longer had the Glock, nor a weapon of any kind, and I felt as vulnerable as I ever had.

  The infected pressed heavily against the gate and each other. And more of them were coming, pressing against the ones in front of them. The gate would soon succumb to the crush of bodies.

  I listened at the backyard fence for a moment to see if I could hear anything in the next yard, but the noise from the infected was too loud for me to hear anything. I believed since the infected man in the suit had made it into the front yard, there was a decent chance the other two had followed him there. The infected loved to follow one another.

  I expected they would act the same way the infected had over on Fortuna Way. The infected on Fortuna had left the backyards there, reacting to the commotion I'd caused when I was out in the front yards.

  I was leery about the catty-corner yard. While it had been empty a few minutes ago, I was afraid the infected on Apollo might have come into the backyards when they heard the shots. I was betting the next yard over would be my safest bet.

  The gate and adjacent fence were beginning to buckle under the weight of the infected. It was time to go. I jumped and grabbed the top of the fence and pulled myself up. The yard was empty. I dropped down and ran to the opposite corner.

  I climbed over the fence and into the old man's yard. I knew there wouldn't be any infected there since I'd closed the gate. I crossed the yard and steered clear of the dead bodies.

  Once I'd made it to the opposite corner, I went up and over and into the yard where the docile infected woman had been. She was back at the window, still mesmerized by whatever it was she saw. I walked quickly across the backyard. I stopped at the fence and listened, not sure if the two infected men were still in the backyard of the house on Apollo.

  I decided I would have to sneak a look into the two yards that bordered East Apollo Drive. I lifted myself up for a quick look. Both backyards were empty.

  I climbed into the backyard of the second house down from Jupiter. I would only have to cross Apollo now and go through two backyards and I'd be back. The thought of returning buoyed my spirits. I checked my watch and there were still twelve minutes before Raj would be dropping down from the attic.

  I situated myself near the back corner of the house where I could glimpse the street through the opened gate. From what I could see, there were more of them now than when I'd crossed earlier. They lumbered past in a state of excited agitation as they headed up Apollo toward Jupiter. They followed each other mindlessly with an intuitive herd mentality. They were likely still zeroed in on the sound of the shots. That's what seemed to drive them. And I wondered just how big the group of infected was and how long it would be before they were gone. I knew I had time. From here, it would only take me three to four minutes to get back to the house. I could wait till they passed by.

  As I stood there watching, I suddenly realized how important it was for me to make it back before they left, even though I'd told them to leave without me if I weren't back in time.

  The sun hadn't crested the Wasatch Mountains yet, but the sky and the morning air grew lighter by the minute. I couldn't see much of the valley from the backyard view I had, but I could see the Oquirrh Mountains to the west, their peaks bathed in sunshine. Over the next half hour, the sunlight would steadily fill the valley floor west to east till the whole valley would be drenched in light.

  I entertained the thought about going over a few more fences to get directly lined up with the house on Fortuna Way. But it would be easy enough to cut diagonally across the street from here to the fourth house down as soon as the street had cleared. Besides, I'd had my fill of climbing fences.

  I felt utterly fatigued and the pain in my shoulder persisted. I didn't know how much damage my shoulder had suffered. And then there was some residual tightness in my thighs.

  My mind wandered to thoughts of Sarah and Raj and Becky sitting in the attic. It gave me some comfort. I knew they were relatively safe there. And I would be seeing them again in just a few minutes.

  I checked my watch again. Only three minutes till Raj would check to see if the streets were clear. The group on Apollo had thinned, but there were still too many of them for me to try to run through them. And for the first time, I was afraid I might not make it back in time.

  I decided if I ran as hard as I could, I could make it to the house in two minutes. I got myself mentally prepared to run the moment there was any kind of break in the infected trudging down Apollo. But they just kept coming. And then I knew I'd have to leave now if I wanted to make it back in time.

  The infected on Apollo slowed to a stop and turned in the general direction of the house where Sarah and Becky and Raj were located. The moans from the infected fell into silence and they craned their heads as if they were listening attentively. I listened too, and then I heard it. A faint grunting sound—Raj.

  I didn't hesitate. I sprinted through the gate and into the front yard. Their heads were all turned away from me as they focused on Raj's emphatic grunts. I ran out into the street and ran right past them. They stood like scarecrows wavering in the wind. A few of them heard me and turned their heads, but I was past them before they could move. I headed for the fourth house down and they did the same. But I was moving too fast for them. I ran through the gate at the fourth house and into the backyard. It was empty like the others. I was to the back fence in no time. I climbed over it, and as soon as I hit the ground, I reached into my pocket for the lock pick set.

  I was at the back door working with the rake pick when I heard Raj scream, a terrified howl that in a few seconds faded into a groan. And then there was silence. I had the pins in place. I turned the tension wrench and opened the door as quietly as I could.

  I looked around the kitchen. I needed a weapon. I found a butcher knife in the wooden knife block on the counter. It wasn't ideal but it would have to do. The house was dead silent. I walked cautiously into the dining room. I was hyperaware of the slight squeaking my hiking shoes made on the wood floor. When I was halfway
through the dining room, I could see that the front door was open. A tall figure walked away from the house with a decided limp. He held a hand on the outer side of his thigh as if to help carry his leg along with him as he walked. His left leg was stiff as he limped along and he walked with a half skip. It seemed to help him walk faster. He limped into the street, and then he must have heard me or sensed me because he stopped in his tracks and turned. The Swimmer eyed me passively, his face flat and expressionless. Fresh blood lingered on his chin. Then he let out the same high-pitched quavering sound he'd made the first time I'd seen him—an atavistic cry, ancient and primal. When he finished, he glared at me with a challenge in his eyes before he turned and limped across the street.

  A skinny infected man lay in the entryway with noticeable trauma to his head and face. He wasn't much more than a collection of bones inside baggy clothes. His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling and his mouth was wide open. I walked slowly into the living room area and that's where I found Raj. He wasn't alone. Two more infected, a short stocky man and a woman in a badly soiled sundress, lay on the living room floor, their skulls bashed in.

  Raj lay flat on his back on the living room floor, his legs spread comfortably apart as if he were sound asleep. He didn't move. His head was propped up against the bottom of the recliner at a sharp angle as if he'd fallen against it. Bright arterial blood pulsed rhythmically from a bite wound in Raj's neck, adding to a red pool of blood on the floor next to him. I thought about trying to stop the bleeding, but I knew it was too late.

  Raj's eyes drifted to me without his moving his head and his lips trembled as if he wanted to say something. The smooth brown skin of his face had paled and was remarkably still. I leaned down to see if I could hear him. He raised his head and tried to speak, a look of anguish in his eyes. A small eruption of blood sprayed from his mouth when he tried to talk. He looked at me desperately as if he wanted me to understand something.

  And I thought I did. "I'll take care of them, Raj," I told him.