“Not anymore,” Thorn whispered.
“What is he doing here?” Nick asked.
“Hey, aren’t one of you supposed to be in the lighthouse?” Brandon asked the triplets.
“Yes, but I wanted to come see.”
“Get your ass up there, and be ready to turn on those lights,” Brandon said in a harsh whisper. “Where are Brittney and Vanessa?”
“They’re inside on hall duty.”
“Tell them to get to the main gym and keep their eyes open for trouble.”
The kid ran back to the school.
“Give me that flashlight real quick,” Devin said and took it from one of the boys. “I want a closer look.”
Thorn grabbed his arm. “Let’s be careful. Remember the bile.”
Some of the group moved forward, Thorn among them. The light didn’t seem to bother the Connor Creeper, as he just stood and glared. As they drew closer, he made a soft growling sound that grew louder with each step they took toward him.
“Connor, do you understand me?” Devin asked.
Connor responded by taking hold of the fence and shaking it. He screamed, and the group fell back a step.
“We need to fuckin’ kill that thing,” Austin said.
“I agree,” Adam said as Austin unshouldered his rifle.
“I’ll do it,” Devin said and took the gun from his brother. “He was my friend.”
Devin took a few steps closer and Connor’s agitation grew. He shook the fence harder and hissed at Devin. Devin raised the gun and prepared to shoot. The Connor thing screamed, did an awkward back flip, and then scurried into a hole in the ground.
“He knew,” Devin said in amazement. “He knew I was gonna kill him.”
“Holy shit,” someone said.
“Lighthouse, light it up out here.”
The bright arc lights came on and bathed the parking lot and grass perimeter in bluish glow. Beyond the fence were over fifty mounds.
“We’re in trouble here,” Brandon said.
“Okay, new plan, we need to get out tonight and fast,” Thorn said.
“I agree, Doc. Everyone grab a weapon, and let’s pack up. You two,” Devin said to the remaining triplets, “watch those mounds until we get back here, and call if there is any movement.”
The boys nodded, but the fear was evident on their faces.
As the group ran back to the school, Devin called out instructions.
“Webster, the bus?”
“I’ll get together what I can.”
“Nick, Ann, and Austin, get weapons, and get back out here to watch the fence. Brandon, Adam, and Brad, take two SUVs to the back entrance and work with Caroline and Susan to pack up as much as we can. Goldie, make sure nothing sneaks in the back hallways. When the bus is ready, we start loading the kids and the elderly.”
The group split into their teams and went to work.
Devin and Thorn watched Webster pour the last can of transmission fluid.
“She’s as ready as she’s gonna be.”
Devin keyed his walkie-talkie.
“Adam, how’s it going?”
“We’re good back here. Supplies for the SUVs are loaded, but we’ve got a ton more.”
“Okay, the bus is ready. Come drive it around back and load it up.”
“Roger.”
“I think we’re good,” Devin said, and then everything went to hell.
Austin, Nick, and Annie stood a few feet from the fence and watched the mounds for movement. Two of the three triplets still stood back fifteen feet. The pavement rippled beneath the boys’ feet and then pitched one of them toward the fence. The other dropped into the ground up to his chest and screamed.
The Creepers had tunneled under the fence. They dug their way through to the surface. A thirty-foot-long line of pavement collapsed into the ground. A four-foot-wide trough cut Austin, Nick, and Annie off from a quick retreat. The Creepers emerged from the ground as the three turned from the fence. The second triplet panicked and ran toward the school. He tried to jump over the trough, but a hand came up and grabbed his leg. He fell half in and half out of the hole, and then they dragged him under. Austin and Nick fired on the Creepers, and Annie unsheathed her twin blades and waded into the advancing horde.
“Webster, get the bus—,” Devin began, but before he could finish, Webster ran toward the trough with pistol in hand. He jumped the ravine and rolled onto the pavement, coming up quickly to fire at the Creepers.
“Adam, we’ve got a breach,” Devin yelled into the walkie-talkie. “Get this bus loaded.”
Devin unshouldered his shotgun and ran to help his friends.
Thorn stood, uncertain. Help the group out here, or help with the evacuation. In a few seconds, he saw that the majority of the Creepers were attacking the group pinned between the trough and the fence. The infected might have gained a new intelligence, but their drive to feed still outweighed their other functions. Thorn ran toward the trough. He wondered if he ran from his last chance for survival.
Adam and Brandon reached the bus and stared in disbelief at the scene before them. Beyond the trough, their friends stood in a broken line, fighting the Creepers. The horde came up from the ground in overwhelming numbers, and it was clear the group could not hold them back for long.
“We’ve got to help,” Adam said and took a step forward, but Brandon grabbed his arm.
“Not yet. We have to load this bus or all this is for nothing. Come on, we’ll go quick and then come back.”
“They’re gonna die out there. Those are our best friends.”
“Adam, what would you want us to do if the situation was reversed?”
“Save the kids.”
“Let’s go then.”
They climbed into the bus and drove to the back of the school.
Annie was in trouble. The horde had separated her from the group, and they were coming at her too fast for her to switch to her guns. She danced forward, back, and then side to side, slicing the closest Creepers with her blades. There were too many of them, though, and she had lost a safe place for her back. The Creepers were getting behind her.
Webster was nearest and saw that Annie was trapped. He was almost out of bullets.
“Annie,” he yelled.
She didn’t answer but gave him a quick glance to acknowledge she had heard him. He fired at two more Creepers.
“Watch over here,” he called. “When you see the opening, run your ass this way.”
She spun forward and sliced the neck of a Creeper. It clutched at its throat and fell to the ground. She nodded.
Webster emptied his clip on the Creepers that stood between him and Annie. Then he ran in her direction. She saw what he intended and tried to call him off, but it was too late. Webster dove into the Creepers and pushed forward like an offensive lineman. The Creepers and Webster stumbled and fell toward the trough. He continued to push even as they bit and slashed at him. Webster gave a final heave, and the Creepers fell into the trough. He fell in behind them. His sacrifice had created a small opening for Annie, and she sprinted through it to rejoin the group.
Webster died beneath the pile of infected. He never screamed.
Annie holstered her blades and drew her guns. She fired at Creepers as she attempted to work her way back to Webster’s torn body. Austin grabbed her shoulder.
“Don’t!” he yelled. “Or he died for nothing.”
He didn’t wait for her retort as he emptied the last of his bullets on the horde. He dropped the rifle and picked up his baseball bat.
Nick was glad he had taken a satchel of clips with him to the fence. Still, there were too many Creepers, and the bag was emptying quickly. He looked over at Thorn and Devin.
“Dev, we’re fucked.”
“Yep, I think so,” Devin said and then s
hot a galloping Creeper.
“Thorn, how are you on bullets?”
“Just about empty. Did they make it out?”
“Yeah,” Nick yelled. “I saw the bus lights. I think they drove across the football field.”
“Good,” Devin and Thorn said at the same time.
Annie was out of bullets. She had returned to her twin machetes, but now waited for the Creepers to advance rather than working toward them. Austin swung his bat in a figure eight. He swung it right to left and then left to right in a continuous motion, but his arms were getting tired and numb.
The group’s backs were at the fence.
“Sorry, guys,” Devin said. “Screwed-up plan after all.”
Music blared from inside the school.
The Creepers turned to face the school, and then some galloped toward the entrance. Headlights from an SUV came on, and the vehicle sped at them. It took out several Creepers with its bumper. The SUV spun wide around the trough, but one tire fell in and exploded before it popped out and rode the rim. The SUV almost hit them before it crashed through the fence and then reversed. It came to a stop half in and half out of the destroyed fence. The back door swung open, and Goldie came out with guns firing. They ran to the SUV and jumped inside. Goldie backed in, and the six of them crammed on the backseat as Brandon sped off.
“That looked a little close,” Brandon said from the driver’s seat.
“You think?” Austin said.
“Did everyone get out of the school?” Thorn asked.
Brandon did not answer. The SUV sped across the short lawn and then swung onto the road. The flat tire’s rim squealed loudly on the pavement.
“Brandon? Did everyone get out?”
“No,” he said, “not everyone.”
“Who didn’t?” Devin asked.
“It’s a long list. We’re going to meet at Walmart.”
“I don’t get it,” Nick said. “We kept them busy at the front. What happened?”
“The front was a distraction. A lot came in from the side of the school. It was close.”
No one pushed for any more information. For the moment, it was easier not to know.
“Joseph and John?” Brandon asked and looked over the seat.
“No,” Devin answered.
“Webster?” Brandon asked.
No one answered; it was too difficult. Annie cried silently.
Behind them came a small rumble like thunder. A larger explosion followed, and they watched flames climb into the sky above the school.
Chapter 10
A Deceptive Cadence
Everyday Low Prices
Before the outbreak, America was involved in two long-term military conflicts. The number of men and women who returned with post-traumatic stress disorder was so large that hospitals provided special training on the signs and symptoms. If asked, in theory, if the events of the past weeks could trigger such a condition, Thorn would have agreed. If the group ever reached a future that allowed a safe place to mourn, he guessed all of them would be susceptible. For now, most of what he witnessed was just the advancing emotional numbness of the disorder. There was too much to do, there was still too much danger, and their plan never included a rushed, violent escape. Their survival instincts had not allowed them to collapse in despair over their losses.
He blamed himself. He had underestimated the intelligence of the infected. He may have even downplayed the possibility out of simple denial or perhaps because he feared what intelligent Creepers meant to their chances for long-term survival. It was a mistake he would not repeat.
“I think we should keep moving,” Adam said.
“I think I agree,” Brad added.
They sat in a loose group inside the Walmart store. Brittney and Vanessa stayed by the exit doors and looked out into the parking lot. Caroline and Susan had moved the younger kids farther inside and out of earshot of the conversation. Most of the children cried or rocked silently. The narrow escape had shaken them all.
“We all agree,” said Devin, “but I need to hear what happened back there.”
“Obviously the Creepers are smarter than we thought.”
“Yes, but we’ll get to that. I want to hear what happened with the escape. Why were all the seniors left behind?”
“What? Do you think we just bailed on them or something?” Brad stood up in a challenge.
Austin, a foot shorter than the former high school running back, rose up to defend his brother. But it was Annie who got Brad to sit when she said in a flat, even tone, “Sit the fuck down, Brad.” He wavered for a moment, but the fresh and intense grief on her face softened him, and he sat.
“No, I don’t think you bailed on them, but I want to know what the hell happened.”
“We had all the supplies loaded, but when we brought the bus around, Mrs. Wilkes insisted we load the kids first,” Adam said. “That went fine, and then the Creepers charged us from the side entrance. Still not a deal breaker, though, was it, Brandon?”
“No, we had the guns and the ammunition and we were holding them back.”
“Then, I don’t know which triplet it was—,” Adam continued.
“Josh,” Vanessa called from the door. “It was Josh.”
“So Josh just goes nuts and charges the Creepers. We stopped shooting so we wouldn’t hit him, and that gave the Creepers more room to advance.”
“He saw his brothers die from up in the lighthouse,” Brittney said.
The group was silent for a minute. It was the only memorial they could afford.
“Mrs. Wilkes refused to let us take the sick out,” Susan said as she joined them and sat next to Thorn.
“What do you mean refused?” Devin asked.
“She insisted we had to go, and—well, she had a gun to make her point,” Susan finished.
“Damn,” Nick said.
“There just wasn’t time to argue with the crazy woman. We would have died trying, so we got out of there,” Adam finished.
“Golden was havin’ none of the leaving-you-guys-behind, so I followed her to the front to grab the SUV,” Brandon added. “Mrs. Wilkes just told us to hurry, and then she flipped on the stereo.”
“We heard the music,” Annie said.
“I guess she just lost it.”
“No, I don’t think she did.” Thorn finally spoke.
“Why?”
“I had a conversation with her the other night. She felt very strongly that the elderly were an unnecessary burden and threatened the safety of the kids. I think she just made her own final stand to save our lives.”
The group contemplated in silence.
“I know she saved ours,” Nick said. “If not for the music distraction, I’m pretty confident that we were out of time.”
“Yes,” said Thorn, “I think you’re right.”
“Doc, the Creepers’ intelligence is way beyond what we thought,” Devin said. “That was Connor at the fence. He came back, and they burrowed under the fence to get to us.”
Thorn nodded as he put his arm around Susan.
“Yes, they did. We have a real problem now, and I think we need to get away from here as quickly as possible.”
“The bus is not going very far,” Brad said. “The ride out really screwed up the tranny and now without … well, without a mechanic, none of us can fix it.”
“And now we’re down another SUV,” Brandon added.
The group was quiet, the loss of Webster and the triplets settled in, and it seemed unfair that they had no time to mourn or honor their dead. Perhaps Annie sensed that it was her place to break the silence since Webster had saved her life.
“Dr. Thorn, do you think they will follow us here?” she asked.
“I underestimated them once, Annie. I’m gonna say they will definitely come. The only thi
ng we can hope is that explosion at the school killed most of them.”
“Yeah, what the hell was that?” Brandon asked.
“No idea, but let’s hope it bought us a little time.”
“I say screw the bus. Let’s go down to that dealership and hijack a couple of vans and a new SUV. We get what we can in them and get the hell out of here,” Austin said as he stood.
“Excellent idea,” Devin agreed. “I need three volunteers to go with Austin.”
Adam, Brad, and Annie volunteered.
“Look for cargo vans that can carry nine passengers,” Devin added as the four headed outside.
“The rest of us need to unpack that bus and decide on just the most essential supplies,” Thorn said. “But I think we are going to need to chance staying here one more day. We can’t pull this together before morning, and we can’t get out on the road in broad daylight.”
They agreed, but no one liked the idea of staying another day.
Blood for justice
Thorn didn’t like being outside unprotected and still so close to the school, but they had to unload the bus. With Golden’s silent guard, he felt a little better, but his mind kept returning to an image of the Creepers burrowing their way beneath the parking lot. It unnerved him.
The sound of the vehicle’s approach didn’t spark any special interest. They continued to work and assumed it was Austin and the team returning. As the loud rumble entered the parking lot’s north end, they looked up to watch the approach. The high beams blinded them. It wasn’t until the military vehicle pulled up and stopped that they realized it was not their friends.
Five soldiers exited the large Cougar H transport with guns at the ready.
“Well,” Nick said, “the calvary has finally arrived.”
“Good evening, gentlemen. Are we glad to see you,” Thorn said as he approached the men.
One of the soldiers pointed his rifle at Golden.
“Drop the weapon, miss,” he called.
She stood stone still and stared at him.
“Drop it,” a kinder voice called. “He will shoot you, little miss, and that is unnecessary.” The man smiled at her.
You and Me against the World: The Creepers Saga Book 1 Page 13