Infected Chaos

by Loren Edwards

  An infected woman dressed in evening attire bolted from the group with aggression and determination, aiming for Cliff. He moved his cheek from the rifle and thrusted the bayonet into the woman’s eye. When he yanked the blade from her skull, he glanced over his shoulder, the ladder was two feet from him. He squeezed the trigger multiple times, trying to buy time. The bolt of the rifle slid to the open position; it was empty. Cliff slung the M4 and sprinted up the ladder.

  Cliff’s momentum up the ladder came to an abrupt halt when a creature grabbed his right foot. The sudden halt to his climb almost made him lose his footing. He looked down to see a creature holding onto his ankle.

  “Son of a—,” Cliff cussed holding onto a rung with the crook of his arm and tried to pull himself up.

  “Shoot em’!” Cliff screamed looking up at Doug.

  Doug looked down and swallowed hard. “Hold on, buddy!”

  He returned and held a concrete rock with both hands over the opening. He aimed and released it. The concrete rock struck the side of creature’s head with a solid thud. The elderly undead collapsed in the sea of infected.

  Cliff sped up the ladder.

  Doug greeted the wide-eyed Cliff at the hatch and pull him onto the roof. “I sure hope they can’t climb,” Doug said closing the hatch.

  “Thank you,” Cliff said, breathing hard as he fell to his knees. “I thought I was a goner. Is everyone safe?”

  “Yes, and no problem.”

  “On the contrary,” Jake stated as he walked up.

  Doug and Cliff exchanged looks then back at Jake.

  “We’re trapped up here.”

  Cliff fell on his back, exhausted.

  CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

  The sun was dropping below the horizon. Cliff knew it was going to be a cold night, and they had little with them to stay warm. The gravel tar surface of the roof was barren except for the air conditioning units. Cliff guessed there were over a hundred of the infected walking around the gas station. He couldn’t think himself out of this one, he told himself. They couldn’t shoot their way out, either; the mob proved to be too strong.

  On top of the crowd of infected below them, Cliff worried about their rations; only one MRE, three candy bars, and two bottles of water among all of them. Everyone needed their strength if they were to fight. It was a predicament Cliff hadn’t planned to be in: trapped on a roof with little to no supplies.

  “Dad, I’m cold,” Jonathan cried.

  “I know son. We’re all cold. I wish I could start a fire, but we have to do our best until we can get out of here,” Cliff comforted. “Go lay with your mother and try to get warm.”

  Jonathan pouted and hung his head low, “Okay.”

  Cliff hated himself. He hated how he put everyone in danger. They were trapped. He felt like they were on an island, with little to no chance of being rescued.

  “Don’t beat yourself up,” Jake bellowed, catching Cliff off guard. “It’s not your fault we’re here.”

  Cliff turned to look at the infected below. He leaned on the small wall bordering the roof. “Yes, it is. It’s my fault we’re here.”

  “Stop it!” Jake stated as he joined Cliff looking over the short wall. “You had no idea there were this many in the area last night. I didn’t see anything either. It’s not your fault. Fear has a way of defining itself in each man, and you’ve done a great job securing your fears.”

  “No, it’s all my fault,” Cliff sighed. “We’re all going to die up here and it’s because of me. We’re trapped up here.”

  “The hell it is,” Jake countered.

  “I led everyone here. It was my call to stay here overnight.”

  Jake let out a sigh. “Look at everyone. They’re safe. They weren’t bitten, and no one died.” Jake turned his back to the creatures below and leaned against the short wall. “Who knew the alarm would still be in working order?”

  Cliff lowered his shoulders. “I guess maybe you’re right, but we’re in one hell of a situation here, and I don’t know how to escape.”

  “It’ll come to ya’. I’ve seen it before, my friend. You always seem to pull it off. You’ve impressed the hell out of me on many occasions. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

  Cliff shifted his weight off his elbows and looked over his arm at Jake. Jake was right, he thought; everyone was safe for the time being. Chris and Cassandra were sitting together talking while Owen and Tyler were sleeping. Doug was asleep a few feet from them, and Jennifer snuggled with the children. The only sounds were the occasional grunts and growls from the creatures below holding them captive.

  “Maybe, you’re right,” Cliff exhaled. “Everyone is safe … for now.”

  “Don’t let it get to you. You need to relax, and something will come to you. I know it will,” Jake smiled. “I have faith in you, and I know the others here have the same faith. I think I can speak for all of us: we feel lucky to be with you.”

  Cliff let out a long breath. “Let’s get some sleep. Maybe something will show itself tomorrow, and by this time tomorrow we’ll be safe at the warehouse.”

  “That’s the spirit! Now, go get some rest. I’ll take first watch,” Jake offered. He watched Cliff walk off toward Jennifer and the kids with nothing more than a wave.

  He stood with his rifle in hand, overlooking the swarm of infected flocking around the store. He agreed with Cliff; it would be difficult to escape with this many infected. But he didn’t want to be the naysayer or put doubt in Cliff’s mind. He shook the thought from his mind and read his watch. In a few hours, he would wake Doug for his turn.

  Jennifer woke from a dream where was being chased by the undead. She shook the dream from her head ands spotted Cliff standing by himself, watching the morning sunrise. She slid herself from the kids and walked to him. She wrapped her arms around her chest, trying to warm herself; the cold overnight temperature and ghoulish dreams had drained her body. She wished for heat and safety.

  The wind felt cool to her cheeks. She hoped the afternoon sun would bring warmth, making their stay on the roof somewhat more bearable. Food was second to her desire to be warm.

  “Did you sleep any?” she asked.

  Cliff smiled and held her, “Surprisingly, I did. Despite sleeping on pebbles all night.”

  “It was nice feeling your warmth,” she smiled. She laid her head on his chest.

  “What the Hell is that?” Cliff asked turning his head toward the road.

  “I don’t hear it.”

  “Listen,” Cliff replied looking into the distance. “It’s music.”

  Jake and Doug rose and walked up next to Cliff and Jennifer.

  “You hear that, too?” Cliff asked.

  “It’s something. What is it?” Jake quipped.

  Doug’s eyes narrowed. “It sounds like an ice cream truck!”

  Doug turned his ear in the direction of the music. After a few seconds, he began to laugh. “By God, you’re right: it does sound like an ice cream truck.”

  Cliff smiled.

  To their left, an ice cream truck with decals of numerous flavors drove into sight. Two large speakers on top of its roof played music. The white, open cab truck crept at a snail’s pace on the road in front of the store.

  “It is an ice cream truck!” Doug exclaimed, pointing.

  Jake blinked, “Well, that’s something you don’t see every day.”

  “It’s brilliant!” Cliff smiled.

  “Huh?” Jennifer asked.

  “Jennifer, it’s brilliant because that truck is going to draw the infected away!” Doug smiled.

  “Who the hell is driving it?” she asked.

  “Doesn’t matter, as long as we can get out of here!” Cliff answered.

  “I don’t care either. Whoever it is, I’m going to buy them an ice cream cone,” Doug blurted.

  “Hurry, gather your things and be ready to run to the trucks,” Cliff instructed.

  Cliff stood watching the white truck cross in front of the gas s
tation: There was no one driving it. The mystery of the ice cream truck grew exponentially.

  “No one is driving it!” Jake pointed.

  “It’s working!” Doug cheered.

  Cliff knees wobbled and buckled; he fell to his knees. “I don’t believe this.”

  Jake watched the ice cream truck slow to a crawl. The undead creatures howled in unison, some giving off high-pitched screams as they ran toward the white truck. When they neared, the truck started to move forward again.

  “Ever think you’d be saved by an ice cream truck?” Doug chuckled.

  “Never in my life,” Jake replied.

  CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

  “Go check the hatch, Chris. See, if those inside the store are leaving,” Doug instructed.

  Chris ran to the roof hatch.

  “Looks like they’ve almost cleared out,” Doug blurted.

  “Holy cow! I don’t believe this,” Cliff said shaking his head.

  “It’s clear!” Chris answered.

  “Give it a few minutes. Let’s be safe,” Cliff suggested. “Someone is controlling that truck. That means they can’t be too far away. I don’t know who they are, or what they want, but don’t let your guard down. They could be luring the creatures away just so they can kill us,” Cliff said.

  “That makes sense,” Jake agreed.

  Everyone turned when the sound of an approaching vehicle rumbled in the distance.

  “Everyone down!” Cliff commanded.

  He peeked over the two-foot tall wall and spotted a beige, four-door Jeep; its large, off-road tires hummed as it drove across the asphalt.

  “Who is that?” Chris asked.

  “Dunno.”

  Cliff watched the Jeep pull into the gas station and come to a stop below them. The driver’s door opened. A red-haired female wearing dark Aviator sunglasses, khaki pants, and white shirt stepped out. She looked up at the roof and removed her sunglasses. Cliff saw a set of electric blue eyes staring back at him.

  “You guys okay?” the redhead asked.

  She looked over her shoulder at the Jeep. Three men stepped from the Jeep each carrying a rifle. They waved, then returned to survey their surroundings.

  Doug gave out a jolly laugh and slapped Chris’ shoulder. “Ha! The cavalry has arrived!”

  “Ouch,” Chris cringed.

  “Who are you?” Cliff huffed. He stood up and raised his rifle to his chest. He didn’t know if they were there as a threat or acting altruistically.

  “My name is Dawn,” she yelled up.

  “How did you do it?” Jake yelled down pointing at the ice cream truck leading the infected away.

  “Remote control… like a drone.” She pointed to the brown-haired man standing on the far side of the Jeep. “Brian here was a drone pilot before all this.”

  Brian waved and smiled.

  “We’re glad to see you,” Jake smiled.

  Dawn ran her hand through her hair and looked around. The infected were still following their decoy. “It’s safe. You can come down now.”

  Cliff turned his attention to the group, “Let’s head down.”

  After descending the ladder and being cautious through the store, Cliff led the group next to the Humvee. He spotted Dawn and the three men who rode in the Jeep with her. They were dressed for combat. Cliff’s throat tighten as he approached.

  Cliff leaned closer to Jake and whispered, “Keep your finger on the trigger if they’re intentions are not very welcoming.”

  Two of the men carried themselves as a soldier would; Cliff identified them as veterans. The third guy looked more like a computer technician than a soldier. The woman stood out from the group. She was beautiful, athletic, and her eyes pierce his soul. He didn’t know how to read her. She didn’t look threatening, but he thought that might be their method of operation.

  He walked to the Jeep and extended his hand. “Name is Cliff. Cliff Daniels,” he greeted with a smile.

  “Dawn. Dawn Ponciano but, they call me Poncho,” she smiled as she shook Cliff’s hand.

  She was a beautiful woman, Cliff thought. He swallowed, feeling bashful. “Poncho?”

  “Yeah, from my last name.”

  “How did you guys know we were here?”

  “We came across you during the night. We saw the Humvee,” she pointed, “and the infected undead surrounding the gas station. We backed away and watched your heat signatures on the thermal scope until Brian readied the drone-truck.”

  “It’s very appreciated,” Jake smiled as he extended his hand.

  “So, shall we call you Dawn or Poncho?” Cliff asked.

  “Either is fine,” she replied. She turned and introduced the men with her. “This is Patrick.”

  Cliff smiled and waved at Patrick, who was standing behind Brian. His black wavy hair and round face reminded Cliff of a computer expert.

  “Jethro,” Poncho pointed to the tallest guy among them, who stood behind her.

  Jake walked around to the side of the Jeep and shook hands with Jethro.

  “That’s a hell of a grip, you got there, Jethro,” Jake smiled.

  “And you all ready know Brian. He’s the one who ran the decoy.”

  “Where did you guys come from?” Cliff asked.

  “Outside of Amarillo. We met by luck, really. I knew Patrick before the outbreak. He and I met up at his mother’s house, and when it became apparent it wasn’t safe anymore, we left,” Poncho explained. “We ran into Brian and Jethro outside the city on the way to Oklahoma. They were trapped in a car when Patrick and I showed up.”

  Brian stepped forward and shook hands with the group, followed by Jethro.

  “Where are you guys heading?” Jake asked.

  Poncho shook her head, “We really don’t know. We’re just trying to survive day by day. I was thinking some hard-to-reach farmhouse, but Jethro swears we should find a nuclear silo.”

  Brian and Patrick laughed.

  “Not funny, guys,” Jethro countered, his deep voice matching his large build. “It would be nice, wouldn’t it?”

  “It’s nice to meet you guys,” Galvin greeted. “We’re heading to a distribution center for Buy-Mart. We hear it’s a large building, few windows, fenced, and has almost anything you need inside.”

  Cliff shot Galvin a look, wondering why he felt compelled to share that information. They might slit their throats in their sleep?

  “That’s sounds like a good idea. I don’t know why we didn’t think of that. How much further is it?”

  Cliff hesitated and fought the urge to lie. He didn’t want to tell her, but there was something about Poncho that comforted him. She could be a decoy? Could they be part of a larger group? Could she be the pretty face of a looming threat in the distance? As soon as they drive away, they might be ambushed by her big, ugly boyfriend.

  “About twenty miles from here,” Chris blurted.

  Cliff cringed looking at Chris.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Dawn,” Jennifer chimed in, squeezing between Cliff and Jake. She shook Dawn’s hand and thanked her for saving them. “You’re more than welcome to come with us.”

  “What are you doing?” Cliff whispered to Jennifer.

  Jennifer turned and smiled at him. She raised her eyebrows at him.

  “That would be awesome. We appreciate it. And, it’d be good to talk to another woman,” Poncho smiled.

  “Which way is it?” Patrick asked.

  Doug pointed.

  “What did you guys do before the outbreak?” Jake asked the group.

  Poncho looked around, and when no one answered, “Me and Patrick worked for an ambulance company. I worked in admin, and he was a paramedic. We were lucky to have the day off when the outbreak happened. We lost many good friends,” Poncho explained, her voice trailing off with thoughts of her friends.

  “I was a warehouse forklift driver after I left the Marines,” Jethro answered.

  “And, you?” Jake asked Brian.

  “Police offic
er, but I was in the sandbox for two years.”

  “I knew there was something about you,” Cliff grinned.

  “Yes. I served two tours. You?”

  “Yeah, I spent time in Iraq as a platoon sergeant. Infantry.”

  “Infantry here, too. Big Red One,” Brian smiled. “Glad to meet you.”

  “Ah, Cliff,” Galvin chimed in. “We need fuel, remember?”

  “Oh, crap. That’s right.” He couldn’t believe he forgot about it. In all the excitement, the memory of why they were at the gas station had eluded him.

  “We have ten gallons on the back bumper of the Jeep. We ran into a fueling truck yesterday and filled up. Take it all. We’re good on fuel right now,” Poncho offered.

  “That’s highly appreciated. You’re truly a hero that saved the day,” Galvin grinned.

  “I’ll help you,” Brian offered, then led Galvin to the gas cans mounted on the back of the Jeep.

  “I’ll help, too,” Jake offered.

  “With you being our savior today,” Cliff smiled, “got any 223 ammo and lots of it?”

  “We have four ammo cans of it. We found them in some redneck’s truck on the side of the road, along with these two AR rifles. Take a can until we get where we’re going.”

  “That would be very helpful. I can’t thank you enough.”

  “I see you’re carrying an M4. Where did you get it?” Poncho pointed.

  Cliff could see how the rifle mad Poncho’s eyes light up. “National Guard armory.”

  “That was smart. Wish we had a few, other than these cheap sport models,” she said, holding up the rifle in her hand.

  “We have a whole rack of them in the Humvee, and a few M24’s,” Cliff offered.

  “Oh, you’re making my day,” she grinned.

  Cliff led her, Patrick, and Jethro to the rear of the Humvee and lifted the hatch. Poncho whistled when she saw the M4 rifles and a box of bayonets. Cliff passed out three of the rifles and four bayonets.

  “I haven’t held one since I got out,” Poncho explained.

  “You served?”

  Poncho sighed. “Yeah. Three tours over there. One in Afghanistan and two in Iraq. I just got divorced from a dirt bag and just wanted to get away. It was a good thing I didn’t have a kid with him.”