“We can’t run it all the time, but we can cool it off when we need to,” Alex said.
“What about our movies Mommy?” Henry asked.
“I’m going to see if I can hook up the blu ray. I’m going to try to darken the windows back here, so we can watch at night. But until then, all lights will need to be off at night ok?”
“Why?” Asked Billie,
“We don’t want to attract anyone’s attention. Especially not the infected,” Alex said. “You both saw what happens. I’m sorry you had to see that, but I’m afraid there will be more before it gets better.” If this gets better. Alex didn’t say the last part aloud. She didn’t want to think the world was ending.
The kids just looked at her solemnly.
“So, we have to follow a few rules ok. Keeping the lights off at night, until I can black out the windows is the first thing. We also need to keep the noise down. In case anyone gets close to the RV, and I don’t see them first, we don’t want any noise to bring them our way,” Alex explained. Both of the kids nodded their agreement.
“The most important thing, when Mommy says to do something, you do it right away ok? It might have something to do with your safety. And that’s Mommy’s number one priority ok?” Alex said. She sat down between them and hugged them close, kissed their heads, and closed her eyes for a moment.
“Mommy, I’m hungry,” Henry whispered. Alex looked down at him and smiled. Her little bottomless pit, no matter what was going on.
“Ok, let’s get some dinner going. What do you say, mac and cheese?” Alex said, and the kids cheered.
Chapter 9
After three days in the RV, without stepping outside even once, the children were argumentative, whiny and hyper. Alex was feeling stir crazy herself, though she had stepped out a few times to check their position and to make sure things were hidden still. She had spent time on top of the RV, watching the road, jumping each time a car drove by their little road. Currently though, spending time on top of the RV seemed like a safe refuge compared to the stale hostility happening inside the RV.
“Give it back Henry. You can’t just take my stuff!” Billie exclaimed.
“It’s not yours. This is my bag,” Henry said.
“Mommy put everything into that bag, it’s not just YOURS!” Billie yelled as she grabbed for the stuffed animal again.
Alex was feeling her blood pressure rise, but she didn’t blame the kids so much. They were young, and needed to get out of the cramped confines of the RV. She grabbed out a rucksack from the cabinet, and shoved some water, fruit snacks and granola bars into it. She then made a big show of pulling out her rifle and loading it. The clicking sound of the ammo going into the gun got the kids’ attention, and they both stood and stared at her.
“I think it’s time we took a walk, don’t you?” Alex said.
After the kids were dressed and ready, Alex checked all of the windows, making sure there was no one around. Feeling satisfied, Alex motioned for the kids to follow her. Both were bouncing with excitement. Alex slung her rifle over one shoulder, the rucksack over the other. She chose a course through the desert, further away from the road, just to explore what was there. The kids happily kicked at tumbleweeds and rocks, while chattering between themselves, seemingly friends once again.
Alex was ever vigilant as they walked around. Once or twice, she thought she heard the echoes of shots through the desert. However, when she looked around, she couldn’t see any other people on the horizon. The kids decided to take a break and sit on a large boulder that sat in the middle of the desert. Alex handed them each a water, and began to get their fruit snacks out when a flash of color caught her attention. She froze, becoming the desertscape, watching to see the color again.
The children looked up at their mother, waiting for their snacks, but when they saw her face, they both froze as well. Billie took Henry’s water, put the lids on both bottles, and slid them into Alex’s sack. Alex looked down at her daughter, and was taken aback at her eyes, full of knowledge.
“What?” Billie whispered. She grabbed Henry’s hand and made him stand with her, next to their mother.
“I’m not sure,” Alex murmured, keeping her eyes looking out at the horizon. Again, the flash of orange, brighter than the desert hills behind it, and it was moving. Alex tried to judge, maybe 300 yards from them. They had walked to the edge of a slope, that went into a small depression in the desert, but after about 100 yards went back up. The orange flash was beyond that small canyon.
Alex glanced behind her quickly, the RV was a small spot in the distance, and she cursed herself for allowing them to go so far. She would beat herself up later, she decided. Swinging back toward where she was seeing the movement, she pulled the rifle off her shoulder. Kneeling, she used the large rock as a support and looked through the scope, and waited. She motioned for the children to get down behind her, hoping to minimize the chance of being seen if it was a person.
Suddenly through the scope she saw what the orange was, horror seeped into her veins, freezing her heart to ice. The orange vest of a construction worker came into view in her scope. Her finger itched on the trigger, but she wasn’t sure if he was alone. Waiting another beat, Alex confirmed her suspicions. The irregular gait, the limp arms, the random directional path. The man was infected, and had somehow wandered into the desert, surly searching out his next meal.
Alex backed away from the boulder, and slung her rifle back over her shoulder. She turned to the kids, who were seated next to her in the dirt. She estimated the distance to the RV. She knew they could get back there before the infected got to them, he was going to be too slow. But could they get there without drawing any attention to them. Knowing the chance had to be taken, she stood and pulled the kids with her.
“We’re going to have to move quickly,” She murmured to them. She held Billie’s hand, and had her hold onto Henry. With her free hand, she pulled out her bowie knife, keeping her eyes all around them.
Running across the desert, Alex felt the sweat roll down her neck. She wasn’t sure it was just the heat, or the stress of the situation. She was second guessing her decision to bring the kids into the desert in the first place, not to mention letting them out of the RV in the first place. What was she thinking letting them get so far from their safe haven? She was plagued with self-doubt. Feeling preoccupied she didn’t even realize the kids were lagging.
“Mommy,” Billie said out of breath. Hearing her strain, Alex slowed immediately. She looked behind them, and could not see the infected right away. She handed them each a water to drink, and pulled her rifle off her shoulder again. When she put the scope to her eye this time though, she found the construction vest very quickly, and the infected seemed to be looking through the scope right back at her. His lips peeled back from his teeth and she could swear she heard him hiss 200 yard away.
“We have to go,” Alex said urgently. She packed away the water as they got moving again. The infected saw them, she wasn’t sure how. Maybe their smell drifted with the wind. On the other hand, maybe he was able to see their movements as they ran. But he was going to follow them, and she was going to have to deal with him.
Merely 100 yards from the RV, Henry fell, landing on his elbows and knees. He cried out, and Billie tried to yank him up. When he rolled over Alex saw red patches, that were already welling blood, on his exposed elbows, and she knew they were going to hurt. She wasn’t sure of the condition of his knees, but she could wait until they were safe to check.
Alex lifted Henry into her arms, where he cried into her neck. She tried to sooth him, as she ran with him to the RV. Billie was right at her side, and she again found herself thanking the universe that her seven year old was being responsible and doing as she knew was right. Alex watched the ground, picking her steps carefully, the last thing she needed to do was go down with Henry in her arms.
Arriving at the RV, Alex let Billie get inside first, and then she followed. Closing the door behind them, s
he laid Henry on the couch. She pulled out her large first aid kit and got out hydro peroxide, antiseptic cream and bandages. Henry’s little angel face was covered in dirt and tears, breaking Alex’s heart. She knew she had to clean the wounds very carefully to avoid any infection that could set in.
She paused to lift the window covering, and saw that the infected was 100 yard away. And he was heading straight for the RV. Alex weighed her decision, mending Henry or handling the walking, rotting, bag of flesh that was determined to eat her or her children. She looked down at the children and told them to stay still and quiet as possible, and then Alex headed for the RV door. She wanted to take the construction worker on head-on.
Stepping out into the bright sun again, Alex had her bowie knife in her hand. One infected she knew she could take down with the knife. Luckily, with one, it was easy to read their movements, the bumbling way of them making it easy to see the motion coming, well before they struck. The infected stumbled over rocks, momentarily being tangled on a tumbleweed. Alex walked forward, ready to end the situation.
Getting within reach of the infected, the smell of his rotten body hit Alex in a wave, and she gagged. She slowed for a moment, not sure if she was going to throw up on the spot. The heat had quickened the pace of rot on this infected, his skin was gray and wilted on his bones. His eyes, black, shiny onyx in his face, were staring straight at her. His limp arms raised, fingers shaped as claws, reaching for Alex. She studied him for another moment, before side stepping and thrusting her bowie through his temple.
The infected fell immediately in an awkward fashion. Alex leaned down and wiped her blade off, before sheathing it. When she glanced around, she did not see anyone or anything else moving, so she quickly made her way back to the RV. When she entered, she was surprised to see Billie with Henry in the bathroom, soaping his elbows one by one. Billie glanced up at her as she entered, and Alex locked the door behind her. Then she double-checked windows and doors. The run in with the infected had her feeling jumpy.
Looking at Billie as she washed Henry’s wounds Alex asked, “Where did you learn that?”
“From you,” Billie replied not looking up. “Remember when I scraped my knee falling off my bike. You made me wash it.”
“That’s right. Good girl. I can take it from here,” Alex said, kissing the top of Billie’s head. Henry was still upset, but he was following instructions and keeping quiet. Alex carefully dried his elbows before leading him to the couch. There she sprayed both with hydro peroxide, which caused tears to spill down Henry’s cheeks again. Billie sat next to him, blowing on his elbows, trying to help the pain. Once the peroxide dried, Alex applied antiseptic cream and bandages to keep them protected.
Alex popped in a blu ray for the kids and got started on a lunch for them. It was already 3 pm, their impromptu hike taking longer than Alex had planned. She pulled out the makings for peanut butter sandwiches and peeled an orange to go with. She also allowed the kids to split a soda with lunch, figuring the caffeine would wear off once it was bedtime.
As she cut into her own sandwich, she heard a far off engine. Alex went to the front seats with her binoculars and watched. She saw a sedan barreling down the main road, moving passed their dirt road. She was about to move back into the RV, when she heard the screech of brakes. She put the binoculars back to her eyes, and watched as the sedan flipped around and came back toward their road. The brakes were hit again, and the car swung down the dirt road the RV was hidden on.
Alex’s breath hitched in her throat. They are moving fast, she thought, they may just pass us up. Her brain warred with the deep seeded need to protect her children, but she also couldn’t turn her back on every human she came into contact with. She watched the car as it got closer to the RV, and she was able to see without the binoculars at all. The sedan was deep blue, and it was bumping dangerously all over the road. They flew directly by the RV, and Alex jumped out of the front seat to watch them from the back windows.
The sedan stopped just beyond the dirt pile, and Alex realized with uneasiness, that they had spotted the RV. The sedan pulled off the dirt road 200 yards behind the RV. No one exited the vehicle, though Alex thought she counted four heads when they drove by earlier. She was careful moving the window covering in the bathroom, which looked directly out the back of the RV. She could see dramatic movement in the car, as if there was an argument going on.
Alex rechecked her weapons, loaded her shotgun, leaving it by the door. She strapped her 9 mm holster back on, her bowie was still on her thigh. She looked out the back window again, and saw a door standing open and a woman was walking toward the RV cautiously. Shit, thought Alex, was she alone? She ran to each of the windows, checking their surroundings, and she didn’t see any other people trying to approach the RV. She grabbed the shotgun, and told the kids to stay out of sight.
Throwing open the RV door, Alex pumped the shotgun once to load a round in, and pointed it at the woman. The girl could not have been more than 20. At the sound of the shotgun, she froze in place and watched Alex, with pleading in her face. Alex softened her stance a bit, pointing the gun away from the woman.
“Please,” the woman said.
“What do you need?” Alex asked.
“We haven’t eaten in a few days,” she said motioning back to the sedan.
“How many of you are there?” Alex asked.
“Four. Me, my younger sister, Whitney, and our neighbors,” The girl rambled.
“What’s your name?” Alex asked.
“Amber. Can you help us?” She pleaded.
Alex looked at her for a moment. She did look to be in bad shape. Her blonde hair was matted and dirty. She definitely had not had a shower since the outbreak. From what Alex could see, Amber didn’t have any bites or blood on her. She studies her exposed skin, just to be sure. Though she hadn’t seen an infected yet with just a bite, she thought. Then she realized that was wrong. Blake had just one bite, and he got sick and turned. Amber didn’t look sick in the same way.
“I might be able to. But you need to stay with your vehicle. I will see what supplies I can spare, and I will bring them to you. That’s the deal,” Alex said. She wasn’t sure there was any reason to not trust the people, but they were all alone in the middle of the desert. All Billie and Henry had was Alex to protect them. In addition, she was not going to fail at that because she trusted the wrong people.
“Ok, yes I’ll do that, thank you,” Amber said, nodding emphatically. She turned back to the car, no problems turning her back on Alex and her shotgun.
Amber returned to the car and got in through the open door, closing it behind her. Alex stepped back into the RV, closed the door and locked it. She left the shotgun by the locked door, just in case. She turned to Billie, who was under the table watching her.
“I need you to watch them from the back window ok? Do not let them see you though, just lift the covering very little so you can peek. If anyone gets out of the car, you warn me ok?” Alex said.
“Are we going to help them?” Billie asked.
“Yes, as much as we can,” Alex answered.
Alex pulled out a reusable grocery bag, and put in four bottles of water, four sodas, four granola bars and four MREs. She didn’t have any food cooked at the moment, or she would have given them a meal. She figured the MREs were substantial enough for now. Tying the bag off the top, she grabbed the shotgun again, and checked in with Billie, who gave her the all clear.
Stepping back out into the sun, Alex had the bag looped around her arm, and the shotgun poised, ready to fire. Keeping an eye on her surroundings, Alex was prepared for anything that may come along. She walked directly at the front of the car, thinking if someone were going to fire on her, they would not do it through the windshield. When she got close enough to the car, she swung the bag off her arm, and let it land on the hood. She then backed away quickly, keeping an eye on the car.
As promised, no one opened a car door while she was outside of the RV. Once
she closed the door and was back inside, Billie confirmed that a man jumped out of the car and grabbed the bag. Alex joined Billie at the window and watched, but with the sun reflecting off the windshield it was hard to see inside of the car. The unease in Alex shifted slightly, but she decided keeping the lights off and the doors locked was the best option for now.
Dinnertime came, and Alex decided to make enough of a meal for the newcomers. Billie had continued her random vigil of the window and said at times people got out of the car and got back in. Alex assumed they were relieving themselves, but she didn’t enlighten Billie on that. As she stirred the pasta, she prepared a large Tupperware bowl for part of the noodles and meat sauce. Packing four more waters, four sodas and four candy bars along with the pasta, she slowly opened the RV door.
“I’m bringing dinner,” Alex called. No one moved to leave the vehicle. She checked back with Billie quickly, and she confirmed that all four people were inside. Repeating her previous walk, she kept the shotgun ready to fire in case, and walked toward the front of the car. As she was about to put the bag on the hood, one door cracked open, and she froze.
“I’m sorry, I know you said to not open the door. But I had to say thank you again,” Amber voice lifted from the crack in the door. She slammed it shut again as she knew what rules Alex had put into place. Alex looked into the car, seeing the four people and she nodded her head at them with a slight smile. She left the bag on the hood, and quickly went back to the RV. The same red headed man got out to grab the bag. In the lowered sunlight, Alex could see the four of them eating and talking in the car.
Alex served the meal to the kids, and sat to eat when there was a knock on the RV door. She froze with a fork halfway to her mouth, looking at the door, trying to decide if she should answer. There was no second knock, so she went to the back window and watched as Amber got back in the car. On the step of the RV, there was the Tupperware she had given them, and both reusable bags folded nicely.
Sundown Series (Book 1): Prepared Page 8