Foamers

by Justin Kassab

  Kade still had no idea why his brother had left her, but shortly after he was recruited by the company developing the vaccine, he had called off his engagement over the phone. The last time Kade had seen Victoria was when she had come to the house looking for answers. When he had none for her, she became wild and violent. A situation he’d rather not remember. She was a medical researcher like his brother, but unlike him she was emotionally driven, making her both powerful and dangerous.

  “Make it quick,” Victoria said over the phone.

  “Did you get a flu shot?” Kade replied.

  “Like I’d accept anything from that asshole.”

  “That’s good. That’s great. Look, I don’t know how to say this in a way that will make you believe me, but I got a letter from Damian that basically says the world as we know it is over. I want you to come with my group.”

  “You’ll have to forgive me for not jumping for joy at an invitation to join your survival team, but—”

  Kade could hear her moving around. One of the sounds was a noise every man knows; the sound of a remote dropping on a coffee table. “Victoria?”

  “There is no news.”

  “What?”

  “None of the news channels are broadcasting. There’s nothing.”

  “I’m going to send you the address. If you do plan to come, pack a bag with food, water, and any medical stuff you have.”

  “… okay.”

  “And drive straight there. Victoria, this is important. Whatever you do, do not stop for anyone or anything. Understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “Hope to see you soon.”

  Kade hung up the phone and rounded up the few things he still needed. He continued to call numbers while he moved his belongings to the bed. The only person who answered was Lucas, who was already prepping his supplies.

  On the bed Kade set his go-bag, a shoe box, a book, two rifles, and his katana. He owned no pistols because he was a terrible shot with them. Logically, if a threat was ever too close for a rifle, then it was time for his katana. The amount of time he spent training every week on the skills he was trying to perfect, he didn’t have time for pistol training.

  One of his rifles was a .30-06 bolt action hunting rifle, while the other was a .22. The small caliber rifle was what his father had used to teach Kade and his siblings how to shoot. For that reason it always held sentimental value. Though he was a great shot with the .22, he had to give Ashton credit for being able to outshoot him with it, though he would never admit that to her. He still had the first target she bested him on folded in his shoe box.

  The old shoe box stored his life’s letters and memorabilia. At some point he knew he would lose his memory and wanted something to remind him of those he had loved. This box had become his personal backup memory device. He took the book and placed it inside of the shoe box.

  The book was a guide to surviving the Primal Age and rebuilding civilization, called The Doomsday Doctrine. This was the book that had hooked him on prepping. It was a hobby that gave his otherwise empty life some form of meaning. He had even gone so far as to make all of his friends read it in preparation for the hypothetical Primal Age. His hope was that it would help them all find their primal selves more quickly in the event of a cataclysm; Getting Primed, or Priming, as the book liked to call the metamorphosis.

  Kade stuffed the box into his go-bag and then took his gear to the living room. Having with him the items that were like longtime friends, he felt much more comfortable stepping into the unknown of the Primal Age.

  He sat in the living room with the dog for a few minutes, looking around the house. He was suddenly hit by the realization that he would never walk through this home again. The memories held within these walls would now have to be carried with him. Not just this house, but everything about his life until this moment would be left in the past. The thought made him feel both naked and liberated at the same time.

  The rest of the group trickled in to the living room. Kade gave the .22 to Ashton and the hunting rifle to Tiny, keeping the katana for himself.

  “We’ll make our way to Mick’s cruiser, drive to Old Yeller, and then caravan to Lucas’s. Mick, lead the way,” Kade said.

  The four of them emerged from the house, moving in a diamond formation like migrating geese, with Argos trotting beside Kade. Normally, traffic from the highway a few miles away could be heard from Kade’s house, but on this morning the roadway was silent. As they marched through the row of townhouses, Kade kept his eyes on the windows. He wasn’t sure if he hoped or feared he would see movement. When they reached Mick’s cruiser in visitor parking, they appeared to be alone.

  Mick and Tiny took the front seats, leaving the back for Kade, Ashton and Argos. Mick drove out of the parking lot, while Ashton leaned her head against the barrel of her rifle. Her breathing became short, like hiccups.

  “Ash, breathe deep,” Tiny said, glancing at them in the mirror.

  Kade rubbed his sister’s back. His eyes never left her as she fought to regain control of her breathing. He had faith in Tiny, who was former military, and Mick, who was a police officer, to be able to handle the transition into the Primal Age, but he wasn’t sure about Ashton.

  She was one of the best athletes he had ever known, so he wasn’t worried about her physically, but yesterday she was rehabbing to prepare for her freshmen year. He would be there to help her transition through the change, but the apocalypse had set on the old world like a closing curtain. And now the Primal Age had begun.

  “I’m here. Don’t worry, Ash. I’m here. We’re going to be okay,” Kade said.

  Ashton’s breathing slowed and she looked at him. “I’m okay. I just had to get that out of my system.”

  “We’re going to be okay,” Kade repeated.

  “Damn right we will,” Ashton said as she scratched Argos’s muzzle.

  During the remainder of the drive to Tiny’s house, Mick scanned the channels on his radio, searching for any other brothers in blue that might still be alive. Each channel that responded with static added another rock to Mick’s burden.

  They came around the last turn to Tiny’s house, in a neighborhood of small ranch homes. Standing guard in front was Old Yeller. After Tiny had been medically discharged for her leg injury, she had used a connection to get herself a job driving a school bus until she could find better work. Part of the deal of driving a bus was that she was allowed to keep it at her house. They all had come to affectionately call the eyesore Old Yeller.

  Mick parked the car, while the rest of them disembarked.

  “Keep it running. I’ll be two minutes,” Tiny said.

  “Ash, take shotgun. I’ll ride the rest of the way with Tiny,” Kade said.

  Ashton slid into the front seat. “Try not to trip, fall, and have sex while you’re in there.”

  Kade and Tiny ignored her jest and took Argos with them into the house.

  Mick hung up the radio. “They’d be doing us all a favor if they would get that tension out of the way now.”

  “I just wish they’d hurry up so we can leave. I hate this waiting around in the open. Who knows when more of
those things will come after us?”

  “I wish we could check these houses for other survivors,” Mick said.

  Ashton shook her head. “Think about how dangerous that would be for us. Risking our lives for people we don’t even know doesn’t make sense.”

  “I’m a police officer. That’s what I do every day.”

  “Protect us, then,” Ashton said, as Kade came out of the house carrying a large duffel bag.

  “She has him so whipped,” Mick said.

  Ashton imitated the crack of a whip.

  * * *

  “No one ever wanted to believe us, but we were right! Goddamn government,” Lucas said, as he and Kade walked around his garage.

  Lucas could easily pass for Jesus in appearance—but only in appearance. His long hair and scraggly beard disguised the fact that that he was a shrewd businessman. He’d adopted the persona when he started a solar company because it increased sales.

  “I’m just glad someone believed me right away,” Kade said. Argos came after them, his eyes never leaving Lucas.

  “Isn’t that Jem’s mutt?” Lucas asked as they strolled toward his SUV that had a trailer loaded with two ATVs.

  “I haven’t been able to get a hold of Jem,” Kade replied as he eyed the red gas cans aligned in a neat row on the trailer.

  “Who did we find for this adventure?” Lucas asked with the excitement of a little kid getting to go on his first camping trip. Kade’s other friends had indulged his Primal Age prepping, but Lucas was the only one to take it seriously. There was a fine line between prepping and crazy; Lucas toed that line.

  “You, me, Ashton, Tiny, Mick, and Victoria.”

  “Who’s Victoria, and what about X?” Lucas opened the back door. All the seats were folded down and narrow, rectangular boxes were piled from floor to ceiling.

  “She’s Damian’s ex-fiancé. She’ll be a wonderful ball of excitement and positivity, but she is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. I called X, but he’s gone dark.”

  Lucas clapped him on the shoulder. “When doesn’t X go dark? This will make you feel better: these boxes are solar panels.”

  Kade’s friendship with Lucas had been formed through Tiny in high school. They had tolerated each other. Lucas wanted to be with Tiny. Tiny only wanted to be with Kade. Kade didn’t want anyone to hurt Tiny. They were often like two wolves circling one another, waiting for the other to reveal a weakness. Then, one day, Lucas came along with Tiny to the weekly video game session she had with Kade. After they bonded slaying virtual zombies, Lucas and Kade never circled each other again.

  “Electricity. The difference between surviving and living. What else do we have to get done around here before dark?” Kade asked as they walked into the house.

  The living room in Lucas’s house was filled with second-hand furniture and smelled like old people. The walls were lined with exotic trophies from Lucas’s hunting excursions, all of which had been killed with his bow. His belief was that bow hunting was the only true way to hunt.

  Mick and Ashton sat on the couches making phone calls that weren’t getting answered.

  “Where’s Tiny?” Kade asked.

  “She’s collecting seeds in the green house,” Ashton replied.

  “I’ll go lend her a hand,” Lucas said.

  “What can I do?” Kade asked.

  “The cabinet above the sink is filled with water bottles. We should store up on as much safe water as we can,” Lucas said, as the two of them left the living room.

  Mick looked up from his phone and watched them leave.

  “I hope Lucas doesn’t try anything with Tiny,” Mick said. “It wouldn’t be fair to your brother.”

  Ashton rolled her eyes at Mick. “You keep this up; I’ll start thinking you’ve got a crush on Kade.”

  Mick kept his eyes on his phone and acted like he was searching for a number to dial.

  Argos ran across the room and sat at the door. The doorbell rang a moment later.

  Kade spoke over the faucet in the kitchen. “Mick, will you get that? It’s best Victoria doesn’t see Damian’s face first.”

  Mick set his phone on the table, happy to have an excuse to stop calling people who wouldn’t answer. He couldn’t handle knowing every family member, friend, acquaintance, coworker, accountant, insurance agent, everyone he called, was dead. After checking his pistol he crossed the room and opened the door.

  Victoria stood in the doorway. As soon as she saw his uniform she covered her mouth. “I’m sorry, officer. If Kade is under arrest, I swear he lied to me.”

  “Victoria, it’s me, Mick. We’ve met like a dozen times.”

  “Oh, Mick, of course. Think a strong officer like yourself could help a girl out? My suitcase is still in the car and I think I over packed some.” Victoria placed her hand on Mick’s chest.

  “Kade!” Mick shouted. “Victoria’s here.”

  He pushed past her and made his way to the car while she entered the house.

  Kade stood at the far end of the room. Ashton had been more than eager to take over his job of filling water bottles.

  “Victoria,” Kade said.

  As much as he hated the woman inside that shell, he couldn’t help but appreciate that she was beautiful. She had used modeling to pay for medical school, and she hadn’t lost any of her looks over the years. Argos took up post behind Kade with his tail between his legs.

  “What’s the plan, Captain Dipshit?” she said.

  “You’re welcome for saving your life.”

  “Damian contacted you, correct?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’ll thank him when I see him. Now, what’s the plan?”

  Kade shook his head. He supposed someone who got so lucky on looks and brains couldn’t get a good roll on personality as well.

  “Prep and pack here until dark, then break into two groups. Group A will go with Ashton to the sporting goods store and load up on supplies. Group One will go to the police station and get weapons. Then north to Houghton College where we will settle in and wait for Damian to arrive,” Kade said.

  “That’s your goal. Stay alive until Damian can save the day?”

  “Have a better plan?”

  “Nope. I would like to request to be on whatever team you are not on,” Victoria replied.

  Mick came back through the door and banged the suitcase off of the frame.

  “Be careful with those,” she snapped.

  “Don’t worry, that’s already been arranged,” Kade said.

  CHAPTER III

  SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

  ___________

  Kade stood in the cool air outside of Lucas’s dilapidated colonial home. He blocked out the sounds of the night and his fear that foamers could be around, and took a moment to enjoy the night. Rarely did he consider himself lucky, but he was thankful. He was thankful Tiny was afraid of needles, Victoria was pissed at his brother, Lucas was paranoid, Mick was overworked, and Ashton had a bad reaction to a flu shot when she was a kid. He wished he would have been able to get i
n touch with X, but he doubted X believed him.

  The garage door clanked open, signaling it was time to leave.

  Kade approached the driver’s side of the cop car, and Mick rolled down his window. Victoria sat in the passenger seat looking apathetic. Even in her disinterested state, she was still gorgeous.

  “Two a.m.” Kade said.

  “X never showed?” Mick asked.

  Kade shook his head.

  “Figures,” Mick replied and drove off.

  The treaty Kade had negotiated between Mick and X had always been shaky. With Mick as the cop, and X as the robber, it took every favor Kade could call upon to make them play nice. X was never much for hanging out in groups, which made Kade’s task of balancing these two friendships less difficult. Like most of Kade’s friends, Mick came along after Kade was diagnosed with Huntington’s.

  Mick had been the sweeper for the high school soccer team, the last line of defense before Kade, who was the goalie. They formed a symbiotic bond that flourished into a friendship. Both of their performances were greatly affected by one another, which led to watching each other’s backs, both on and off the turf.

  He could tell Mick felt like a failure. In high school he had acted the same way when he felt responsible for a goal. Each person who had died overnight in his jurisdiction was a personal failure. Kade knew in time Mick could work past that, but hoped he could forgive himself sooner rather than later.

  * * *

  Mick and Victoria packed duffel bags with boxes of ammo in the supply room of the police station. They had already loaded most of the weapons and gear that they wanted into the cruiser, but now they were focused on emptying as much ammo as they could pack out.