Infected Chaos

by Loren Edwards

  “The girl is gone, Bruce is dead, I was sucker punched, and you two get ran off the road! Is it too much to do what I ask?”

  “They took us by surprise and they were organized,” Dane explained, trying to rationalize their failure.

  “It doesn’t matter! I told you they were a threat!” David screamed. “Do you believe me now?”

  Dane and Montgomery nodded.

  “They almost took your head off! They were trying to kill you, just like they did poor Bruce!”

  Montgomery lowered his chin and looked away. “You’re right,” he mumbled.

  David stomped off to the back porch of the old home. He looked at Bruce’s body. A tear formed in his eye. He apologized to Bruce under his breath. He knelt beside the body. Memories of their friendship ran through his mind like a motion picture. David spotted the pack of cigarettes on the ground next to him and picked it up. He withdrew a cigarette and placed it between his lips.

  He lit the cigarette and inhaled its rich smoke. David coughed a little but continued to puff as he recounted the memories aloud to Bruce, as if his spirit could hear him.

  Dane and Montgomery stood at the doorway watching David pay his respect. After he had finished the cigarette, David stood and instructed Dane and Montgomery to load the body into the truck.

  “What’s the plan, now?” Montgomery asked after loading Bruce’s body in the back of the truck.

  “Head back to the hangar, we need to regroup,” David answered.

  CHAPTER FORTY SIX

  “I told you this would happen, David!” Patricia said when she saw Bruce’s body lifted from the back of the truck.

  “I told you they were a threat to us!” David argued pointing his finger at her. “They killed him while he was on the back porch having a smoke. There’s no telling when they’ll come here!”

  “Whatever!” she spat then stormed into the hanger. She didn’t feel like arguing with someone unhinged and irrational. “You’re going to get us all killed!” she yelled back at David.

  David ignored her. He turned to Dane and Montgomery, “Bury him in behind the hanger.”

  “Will do,” Dane mumbled.

  “Jimmy, find something to make a headstone for him,” David instructed. As he walked into the hanger.

  “You sure it’s worth the sacrifice?” Joanne asked David.

  David clenched his eye and pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn’t need to be questioned. He needed to show everyone he was in charge, and that his actions were for the safety of the family. It was unfortunate that Bruce was murdered, but it showed everyone how dangerous those people were.

  “Woman, I don’t need you against me, too,” he replied as he took a seat. “They just killed Bruce in cold blood. Tell me how they’re not an issue for our survival?”

  Joanne didn’t reply. She looked away, hiding the tears in her eyes. She took her son, Thomas, in her arms, and held him tight.

  “What happened out there?” Allen asked.

  “We were hit in the middle of the night. They killed Bruce and shot at us when we chased after them. Don’t tell me they’re not a threat,” David answered. He kept the truth about kidnapping the woman quiet; he knew he would lose credibility if it got out. He needed everyone to believe they were the victims. He adjusted his arm in the sling and grimaced when he felt the leathered skin crack.

  “You find another box truck?” David asked Allen.

  “Yes, but it’s an older one.”

  “Doesn’t matter, as long as we can lure infected inside and transport em.’”

  “What do you have in mind?” Allen asked.

  “We need to take care of this threat once and for all. Revenge for killing Bruce, and since we don’t have the numbers they do, we’ll need to use the creatures to our advantage.”

  “I hate to hear about Bruce.”

  “I know, it’s a sad thing. He was killed in cold blood,” David answered looking away. “Anything while we were away?” David changed the subject.

  “Other than the truck, we found ammo and a few more guns when we stopped by Whittaker’s police department. I think we brought back about four thousand rounds of ammo and three bulletproof vests.”

  “Good … good,” David grinned. “We’ll need to load up as many infected we can find into the back of both trucks. We’ll unleash Hell on our little friends in the warehouse.”

  “What do you mean, we have to leave?” Jennifer asked Cliff. “We just got here! The kids like it here, and we have all we need! Why run?”

  “Because it’s not safe here.”

  “We can’t just keep running, Cliff. We need to take a stand!”

  “And what?” Cliff asked, raising his voice. “You’ve seen how demented those people are. You saw how they put you … us, in danger. They will do it again.”

  “No! We’re not leaving!”

  Cliff lowered his chin. “Please,” he begged. “It’s unsafe here. I know we feel comfortable here, but they could crash the fence and let loose undead creatures. What then? Shoot our way out? What if there are too many? What about the kids? What if a horde gets inside the building?”

  ]She sat on the bed, looking at the floor.

  “I do like it here and I do feel safer than the farm house,” she said watching Jonathan play with a toy truck.

  “It’s the smart thing to do, honey.”

  Jennifer gasped, “This is not the Cliff I know. Who are you? My old Cliff would fight for what he believed in. He would stand and fight.”

  Cliff locked eyes with Jennifer, “It’s more than just standing your ground. It’s putting you and the kids in danger. We can find another place just as nice or better than this one.”

  “We will fight them here or somewhere else. Eventually, you won’t be able to run away. What then?” she asked.

  Cliff sighed. “Because I fear those murderers will come crashing in here any moment, and we’ll be trapped. Sure, this is a secured place but it’s also a trap with limited number of exits. There won’t be another place to go if we can’t escape. Heck, we barely escaped the farmhouse. Why can’t you understand that?”

  “Why can’t you understand there are some things worth fighting for?” Jennifer asked.

  “I can’t talk to you.” He walked over to Jennifer and leaned down to where he was inches from her face. He looked into her eyes and paused before speaking.

  “We’re leaving! We’re not going to stay here like sitting ducks. My decision is final. Everyone else is in agreement. Stay here by yourself, if you want,” he stated, his voice cold.

  Jennifer swallowed.

  “Cliff, we have a problem,” Jake announced from outside the canvas door.

  Cliff turned from Jennifer and paused. Great! More crap to deal with! He let out a deep breath and walked through the canvas door. He met Jake standing with Doug.

  “What is it, guys?”

  “We don’t have the fuel for the Humvee, if you recall?” Jake replied.

  “Crap, I forgot.”

  “We don’t have enough seats to get everyone out without the it,” Doug added.

  “See if you two and Poncho can go find some diesel. Find some trucks and syphon the gas. The rest of us can start loading the other vehicles,” Cliff offered.

  “There’s no guarantee we’ll be back before sunset,” Jake said.

  Cliff nodded. “Okay. I understand. Do your best. If we can’t leave until tomorrow, then so be it. I’ll talk with Brian and Jethro about trying to defend this place until then. We have to be ready for anything.”

  Cliff found Brian and Jethro in their quarters between a pair of shelving units on the opposite end of the warehouse. They were looking over a map laid on a table, pointing and debating where they should go next.

  “There’s a National Guard armory not too far from here,” Cliff offered.

  Brian and Jethro looked at each other, then at Cliff. “Why not the one where we found the ammo and grenades? It’s closer.”

  �
�Cuz, we were being watched and we’re trying to escape and hide from those killers,” Cliff explained.

  “Gotcha,” Brian said.

  “Okay, where is the one you found?” Jethro asked.

  Cliff looked at the map for a few seconds and pointed. “That’s where we found the M4’s and the Humvee. The place is secured,” he smiled.

  “Any infected?” Brian asked.

  “There were four when we were there. We didn’t see any others.”

  “That’s a good drive from here,” Jethro added. “Do we have the fuel to get there?”

  “That’s what Poncho, Doug, and Jake went after.”

  “Sounds good to us,” Brian replied. “It’s better than other places we holed up in before we ran into you guys.”

  Cliff smiled.

  “I need to discuss a few things with you guys about securing this place until we leave. You still have those claymores?”

  Jethro nodded.

  “Good. We’re going to use them.”

  David instructed Dane and Jimmy to drive into town and collect as many infected into the back of the trucks as possible. Bruce’s funeral was sobering; the request to venture into town and collect creatures brought the men back to reality. Dane wanted to protest the request, but he knew that in a few more days, this would be over. They could get on with living their lives in the hangar and be free from this threat hanging over their heads. They could just focus on surviving day by day.

  “Try to cram them in. I need a lot more than we used last time,” David instructed. “If you can get fifty or more in each truck, that will be great.”

  David walked with Montgomery back to the front of the hangar after Dane and Jimmy departed. “Grab as much ammo and guns you can and load them in the truck,” he instructed. “We’ll head out tomorrow morning if those bozos round up enough creatures tonight.”

  “So, who’s coming?”

  “Patricia—if she doesn’t fight me—you, Dane, Jimmy, me, and Allen. We’ll leave a few guns and ammo here for the girls, in case they run into any trouble. I doubt they’ll need them, but let’s be safe.”

  “What’s the plan this time?”

  “We’ll have the upper hand this time. There will be no escaping. We unload the creatures and set back and watch. They’re in a fenced-in warehouse. There’s really no place for them to go except back toward us. We will wait and ambush them if they try to escape,” David grinned.

  They entered the hangar to see Joanne and Bridgette preparing food.

  David turned to Montgomery and pointed at the women. “This is why we have to do this. They are a threat to our family. With those crazies gone, we can focus on surviving and just living,” David rationalized.

  Montgomery nodded in agreement.

  “Who else is around here but them and us? It’s a desolate world we live in now. It’s kill or be killed. It’s live or die out there. The infected keep us in here like prisoners, but those living out there are worse than the infected. They can think. They can connive and plan to slit our throats while we’re in our beds. It’s the living we have to worry about.”

  Montgomery swallowed. “You’re right.”

  “Plus, once they’re out of the picture, there’s more for us to enjoy. They’re holed up in a warehouse full of food and supplies. It would be nice for our family to have access to those supplies. Wouldn’t it?” David smiled, waiting on Montgomery to answer.

  “Yes, it would,” Montgomery answered.

  “Good. We leave tomorrow. Get things loaded and then rest up; it’s going to be a long day.”

  CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN

  “What did you guys find yesterday?” Cliff asked Jake when he spotted him in the general area.

  Jake smiled and threw a thumbs-up at him. Cliff grinned.

  “How’s Jennifer and the kids?” Jake asked when Cliff sat his plate at the table.

  “Ugh,” Cliff responded holding his hand to his cheek.

  “That bad? She still not wanting to leave?”

  “No, she doesn’t. I’ve begged and begged, but she argues with me. She’s as stubborn as they come.”

  “She’ll come around,” Jake smiled.

  “I hope so. If not, it’ll be like pulling a stubborn mule that’s dug its hind legs in the dirt.”

  Cliff was on his fourth bite when Poncho and Brian sat down at a table with their breakfast.

  “I hear you guys set up some defensive charges yesterday,” Poncho quipped.

  Cliff nodded and smiled. “You mean the claymore mines? Yep, can’t be too safe with them running loose out there,” Cliff replied as he wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin.

  “That was smart,” Poncho returned.

  “You can’t put anything past these guys. They’re relentless and dangerous,” Cliff said.

  “That’s a hazardous combination,” Poncho added.

  “You guys going to come with us?” Jake asked.

  “I think we are,” Brian answered.

  “We’ve taken a liking to you,” Poncho replied looking at Cliff.

  “How’s that ice cream truck of yours?” Cliff asked Brian.

  “It’s loaded and ready in case we need it. I put fuel in it this morning and checked the oil.”

  “I have a feeling it’s going to come in handy again.”

  “Of all the vehicles you could have chosen, you went with an ice cream truck, it’s ingenious,” Jake laughed.

  The laughter at the table fell silent when Jennifer approached. Cliff saw her displeasure.

  “Can I talk to you?” Jennifer asked Cliff, ignoring everyone else.

  Cliff led her away from the tables. “What now?”

  “I don’t think we should go. We have everything we need here,” she pleaded.

  “We’ve had this discussion, Jennifer. Everyone is on board with this decision except you.”

  “I don’t care. I don’t make decisions for them,” Jennifer argued, her voice elevated.

  “Keep it down,” Cliff instructed. “You’re the only one who’s going to be here. Everyone else is going. Is this what you want? To separate from the group?”

  “No. I want everyone to stay here.”

  “And what if we’re attacked? My God, woman! We had this conversation before; why are we having it again?” Cliff asked. His patience with her was wearing thin. A part of him wanted to tie her up and carry her to the Humvee, but he thought better of it. He stomped his foot and looked away with his hands on his hips.

  Jennifer stood her ground and stared at the back of his head until he said something.

  “What do you want me to do? You’re the only one saying this is not a good idea,” he began. “Go with us. We’re going to the armory we visited and will try to make it a safe place.”

  “And if the marauders go there? Are you going to run again?” she asked giving him a stern, cold stare.

  Cliff didn’t know what to say. She had a point. He didn’t have anything to say against her argument. He looked at her. She raised her left eyebrow. Her arms crossed in front of her as she tapped her foot.

  “My gosh! You are the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met!”

  “Looks like the lovebirds are at it,” Jake muttered from the table as everyone watched Cliff and Jennifer argue.

  “They’re divorced, you know,” Galvin added.

  Poncho spun around and looked at Galvin, “Divorced? I thought they were married?”

  “Nope, they were divorced almost ten months ago. The outbreak brought them back together,” Jake answered. “They still argue like they’re married, though.”

  Jake pressed his lips together when Cliff stormed away, leaving Jennifer standing by herself. She turned and walked away in the opposite direction.

  “Maybe we’re not ready after all,” Galvin joked.

  Jake stood. “I’ll go talk to them. Maybe we can compromise on something? We still have to worry about the marauders here or wherever we go.”

  David returned to the hang
ar. He kissed Joanne on her forehead and hugged his children. He told them he would return that evening, and their lives would be much safer after today. Bridgette didn’t share his enthusiasm; she asked him to drop the issue. He ignored her. He grabbed the sacks of dry food for the trip and walked to the truck. He handed Montgomery and Patricia a bullet proof vest, and he kept one for himself.

  David, Allen, Montgomery, and Patricia climbed in the pickup truck while Dane and Jimmy drove the two large box trucks. He handed Montgomery and Patricia a bullet proof vest, and he kept one for himself.

  “What?” Montgomery asked when David stared at him.

  David’s lips slowly turned into a smile, “They netted 87 undead creatures yesterday. This is going to be easy. I hate to be them.”

  “Is all this worth the risk?” Patricia asked.

  David turned around to see her sitting with her arms crossed. “Patricia, we’ve talked about this before. You’re my favorite sister-in-law, but you’re wearing out my patience. Yes, it is worth the risk. Yes, I will sleep better at night knowing we don’t have to worry about them ever again,” he argued.

  “They are gone, David. They left town …”

  David snapped Patricia a cold stare, “They are not gone. When I see their lifeless bodies, then they will be gone. Now, you can help, or you can stay here.”

  Patricia looked away, contemplating David’s offer. She didn’t want either option. “I’ll go. But, only to keep you guys safe. I want to go on record as saying this is nuts.”

  “Good,” David smiled. “You won’t regret it. We have the upper hand. They won’t be able to escape this time. There’s no place for them to run.”

  David started the engine. He stuck his arm out the window and motioned for Dane and Jimmy to follow him.

  CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT

  Dane yawned. It was a long, four-hour drive from the hangar. He checked the fuel gauge; it was a little more than half full. He spotted the warehouse in the distance and slowed the F750 truck to a complete stop. He stepped from the truck’s cab. The growls and hisses from inside the box bed was almost deafening; he held his hand up to his left ear as he walked to the rear of the truck.