by Greg Dragon
Off to his right, Connor called out the door to the pair. “Go around the back way. Don’t go by the saloon. There’s a crowd there and they know something ain’t right. You don’t want to be caught out there.” His voice didn’t carry a threat. He was warning the brothers, giving them a chance to get away before the inevitable happened.
Jed didn’t respond in any way, but he steered their horses toward the far end of town. As Jasper watched them leave, he felt someone come up beside him. Hannah placed her hands on the windowsill and gave him a small smile. He felt his lips twitch in return. It was the most he could muster.
“I know what it’s like,” she whispered. “To lose someone, I mean.”
Jasper’s eyes burned and he blinked rapidly. He forced a bigger smile and gripped her fingers gently. “Your pain is worse than mine. At least they’re still alive.”
Hannah turned back toward the window. “Yeah,” she said after a moment. The unspoken “not for long” hung in the air between them like a rain cloud.
As Jed and Jeremiah disappeared from sight, Connor looked at Amos. “Follow them.”
Amos nodded once and left. He would take a route through the town on foot to make sure the men really did leave. And if they didn’t... Jasper didn’t want to think that far ahead.
Connor placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “You can stay with me at the jail. I have a spare room. You’re welcome to it.”
“Thanks.” Jasper chewed on his lip for a moment before bobbing his head toward the door. “Can I talk to you outside, sheriff?”
Connor glanced at Hannah briefly. “Sure thing.”
Jasper gave the girl another quick smile before leaving the kitchen.
The porches in the middle of town were all connected into a walkway, so Jasper followed it down a bit before leaning his elbows against the railing. The barber shop behind him was dark and quiet. Connor propped himself beside the young man and waited.
Jasper watched the lights in the torches flicker for a bit before he spoke. “This is all so surreal. I feel like I’m in a dream.”
The sheriff pursed his lips. “Yep. I’ve been pinching myself for a couple days now. I don’t seem to be waking up.”
“Ya know, I wouldn’t have believed you about Wyatt if I hadn’t seen the woman myself. We shot her half a dozen times between the three of us, and she was still on her feet. Hell, I shot her in the back. At least twice. She should have been crawling at the very least. I didn’t even see any blood.” Jasper barked a laugh that had not a trace of humor in it.
Connor pressed his lips together as the young man stared out into the dark. He wasn’t looking for a response, just a friendly ear. The sheriff waited for Jasper to continue, but he didn’t. Connor cleared is throat.
Finally Jasper spoke again. “What’s going to happen to Jeremiah? You said Wyatt died and woke up again, as... as something else. But what?”
“Well,” Connor said as he readjusted his posture so he mimicked Jasper’s. “Abby said Wyatt was bitten back at their ranch, around dinner. It took a few hours for them to get into town, so that timing would be about right. The bite was deep, a lot worse than Jeremiah’s. He was missing a chunk of his leg. By the time they got here, he was weak and feverish. He could barely stay on the horse. The wound was rotting, just like Jeremiah’s is. He died a short while after they arrived.”
“So he could be dead already. My brother could be one of those things.” Jasper coughed to cover a sob that tried to force its way out. He blinked fiercely to clear the tears that threatened to overwhelm him.
“Maybe. But you gotta remember that Jeremiah is a lot bigger than Wyatt was. If it’s poison, which is my guess, it could take longer. Your brother’s a big boy. He could last a day or two, maybe.” Connor bit his tongue. “Shit. Sorry Jasper. I know that’s not helping. I wish I could tell you that they’ll be fine, but I can’t. This thing... I don’t know what it is. I don’t know how to stop it.”
The two men were quiet for awhile until Amos joined them. “They’re gone,” he said and propped his arms on the railing beside Connor.
Jasper draped his head over the railing between his arms and placed his hands on the back of his head. Amos walked to the other side of him, and the three of them stood in silence until Doc Whitman came out a little later. The night was deep around the town and all the respectable folks had retired to their homes. The only activity was visible farther down the street at the saloon.
“How much did you tell them?” The doctor broke the silence.
“The townsfolk? Not much. Just that there are some bandits out there who are infected with something and that they need to be wary of people they don’t know. That they need to remain in town until I give further word.”
“What did you tell them about Eva? About why you shot her?”
Connor shrugged. “I just said she was infected. Then Abby showed up. I offered to pay for everyone’s drinks for the night and left.” He gave the doc a halfhearted grin. “It’ll take me years to pay off that tab.”
Amos snorted a laugh. “Yeah, but it was a good distraction. The only one who noticed the Gaines boys was Cora.” He tilted his head down the street and they all looked that way.
Sashaying her way down the walk was the lovable Cora Monroe in a dark green bustle. She walked up to the men and propped one hip against a post as she crossed her arms. “You boys have had a mighty interesting couple of days. First the Crawfords, then the Gaines brothers come into town. Jeremiah and Jasper disappear with Jeremiah looking mighty ill, then Abby comes to get my darling brother and they take off, followed by a very angry looking Jed. And now I find you fellas out here, all chatty-like, with little Jasper himself, and no older brothers to be seen.”
She gave Connor a meaningful look, but he purposefully ignored her as he found the darkened house across the street to be infinitely more interesting. Amos shuffled his feet uncomfortably and coughed. Jasper and Doc Whitman darted glances between the three of them, unsure of what they should and shouldn’t share.
“You might as well spill, boys,” Cora said as her eyebrows crawled up her forehead and her lips puckered. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m not some scared little girl you can pat on the head and shoo away.”
Doc Whitman was the first to crack. “We might as well tell her, Connor. Someone will figure something out sooner or later and it’s better that the real story be out there.”
Connor quirked an eyebrow at him. “Is it?”
The doctor shrugged. “If more of those things come, we need to be ready.”
Connor chewed his lip for several seconds. “I know. Son of a bitch.” He pounded a fist against the railing and straightened. “all right. Inside.”
The group followed him back into the doctor’s house. Abby and Hannah were in the kitchen. “Tea’s ready,” Hannah said as they walked in.
Connor gave her a smile. “Thanks, Hannah. We need another cup, please.”
“Oh my Lord!”
He turned in the doorway. Cora was standing in the examination room with her hands clasped to her mouth. Her eyes were wide and wet. He walked over and slipped his hand into her elbow to lead her away from the mess that had yet to be cleaned. Amos came in just as they entered the hall and Connor tried to pass Cora off to him. Instead, she pulled her arm away from them both and cleared her throat. She swiped at the tears in her eyes and straightened her skirts.
“So it’s true then,” she said. Her shoulders were straight and her head was high, but her fear made her voice crack. “Wyatt really did attack Eva? And you killed them both?”
“Where’d you hear that?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “You don’t think they believed that cockamamie story you gave them, do you? We have ears, Connor. And eyes.” She glanced back at the destroyed room.
“Fair enough. Yes, it’s all true. There’s something going around that causes...” He waved his hand toward the mess. “That. Dunno what it is, or what to do about it.”
“And there are others infected with whatever he was infected with roaming around?”
“We know there are at least four others. We’d be stupid to assume that was it.”
She pressed her lips together and thought for a minute. Then her shoulders straightened and she looked around the room, meeting everyone’s eyes straight on. “Then we had better come up with a plan. And it better be good.”
Chapter 23
Summer Rain knelt inside the barber shop in the dark, tucked into the corner underneath the window. The twitching body of the old barber lay beside her. Blood bubbled from his lips and the hole in his throat. His eyes were huge and they stared at her with wonder. She reached down and pushed them closed. He didn’t have the strength to open them again.
A snarl escaped her lips as she listened to the sound of retreating footsteps. Her English wasn’t the best, but she understood some of the conversation. They were aware of what she was. At least, they understood the idea. This was the end of it, the end of her little game. She would have to be more careful from now on. But what she was planning would have led to the same thing anyway.
She fought the urge to follow the group, to attack. There were too many of them, even for her. So instead she waited, huddled in the dark like a fugitive, until she heard a door close down the street. Then she stood up and looked out the window. The street was empty, but lights were on in several houses. She gave the barber a nudge. He wasn’t quite dead yet. Good, she thought. The longer it took for him to die, the longer it would take for him to turn. She wanted to be out of town before he caused too much of a stir.
Summer Rain caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror over the barber’s chair as she walked toward the door. She had avoided mirrors when she was with Little Bear. She did not want to see herself. She did not want to admit what she had become. It was easier to accept her awful deeds if she didn’t have to look herself in the face.
But now she stopped and stared. The face glaring back at her was almost unrecognizable. It was pale, no longer the honey brown color she so loved. Her hair hung loose and matted. It wasn’t sleek and soft the way it had been when she was alive. Her hide dress was stained and ripped, barely a rag drooping off her emaciated body.
She looked like death. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips when she realized that what she was seeing was what all her victims saw before she set upon them. A young woman who was once beautiful, who was once alive, now the very thing they feared. Sometimes, she let them scream. Their fear made her feel human once more.
Her eyes caught a glimpse of the hole in her shoulder where Little Bear had attacked her that fateful night so long ago. The smile turned into a bitter sneer. Little Bear, the man she trusted and loved, he had done this to her. He had turned her into this despised thing. He had stolen any chance she had in life and made her a harbinger of death and despair. When she left him, she had wanted to kill him. She still cursed herself for not taking the chance, but she was weak back then. Now, she was stronger, she was faster, she was a cold-blooded killer. If they ever met up again, she would tear him to shreds. She would make him pay for what he did to her.
She tore her gaze away from the mirror and stalked out into the street. Little Bear would get what he was owed, but in the meantime, she would find her fun elsewhere.
Keeping to the shadows, Summer Rain crept in the direction opposite the doctor’s house. She found a lighted window and looked in. A man sat in a chair near an empty fireplace with a book in his hands. His wife was on a stool opposite him with her sewing.
Summer Rain’s bare feet made no sound as she walked to the door. She tested it. It was unlocked. Pushing it open slowly and quietly, she eased herself inside. The door led to a small entryway. Stairs ran up and out of sight and two doors opened on the right side of the short hall. She crept forward and peered into the sitting room where she had seen the man and woman. They were still there, both absorbed by their distractions of choice.
The husband shifted in his chair and Summer Rain ducked back into the hall. She pressed herself flat against the wall and held perfectly still. She closed her eyes and let her hearing take over.
“Mama!” The call came from directly above her. Summer Rain fought back a growl. Children always complicated things.
“Mamaaaa!” The cry came again, more frantic this time with a high-pitched squeal at the end.
The woman in the sitting room sighed. “I’ll go see what she wants.”
Summer Rain crept further down the hall and tucked herself into the shadows underneath the stairs. She waited for the woman to come out of the room. Just as she reached the stairs, Summer Rain scratched the wall behind her very lightly. The woman paused and glanced around. Summer Rain was hidden well enough that she could not be seen. She stared into the dark for another moment before putting a foot on the bottom step. Summer Rain scratched again, louder this time. Uncertain fear played across the woman’s face, but she took a step in Summer Rain’s direction. The younger woman pressed her lips together to hide the predator’s grin that was trying to grow on her face.
The other woman kept walking toward her, slowly, examining the area around her, trying to see into the dark. Summer Rain waited until she was out of direct sight of the doorway, far enough that she wouldn’t be seen if she fell that way, before she pounced. She snapped the woman’s neck with a quick turn and lowered her slowly to the ground without a sound. The woman didn’t even know she was going to die. She never had time to even gasp. A pity, Summer Rain thought. A broken neck meant the woman wouldn’t turn, but there were at least two others in the house who could be used.
When the woman was down, she pulled the body back underneath the stairs. She folded it up so it couldn’t be spotted unless someone was directly beside it. Then she walked toward the door to the sitting room. She hesitated for a moment at the stairs, deciding between victims. She chose to take out the father first. He was the biggest threat.
She walked into the room without stealth. Men rarely screamed. They would fight to near death before they would scream. This man was no different. He rose from his chair spitting curses at her.
“Get out of my house.” He hissed at her instead of shouting and his eyes darted upward toward the toddler. He clearly still thought his wife was safe upstairs.
Summer Rain grinned as she advanced on him. When she was halfway across the room, she leapt. The distance between them evaporated and she clamped her left hand over his mouth as she shoved him to the ground with her right. Once she had him pinned down, she gripped his throat with her right hand. Her left hand remained on his mouth to keep him from crying out loud enough to alert the neighbors. Her lips twitched with anticipation as she leaned over and trailed her tongue in a long line up his neck. She savored the taste of his skin until his body went slack beneath her.
A pout puckered her lips as she sat back. The man’s breathing had stopped. She was a cat playing with its mouse, and the mouse had given up too quickly. She leaned over and ripped his shirt open. She had to act fast or he wouldn’t turn. She sank her teeth into his chest, just over his heart, and tore a chunk free. She didn’t need to, a simple bite would work, but why waste the opportunity for a snack? She savored the meat for a minute before pushing herself back to her feet.
Her mouth started watering in anticipation as she walked to the stairs. The flesh of a child was the sweetest of all those she had tried. It had been months since she had run across one so young, and she longed to taste it on her tongue. Summer Rain padded up the stairs slowly. Two doors greeted her at the top.
“Mama?”
It came from the second room, a small doddering thing with messy blond hair and a sleepy expression on her face. The girl rubbed at her eyes and squinted in Summer Rain’s direction.
“Ma...” Her voice trailed off when she really looked at the woman in front of her. Her little mouth curved into a wide O and her blue eyes grew huge on her tiny face. She stared at Summer Rain, but didn’t move.
>
Summer Rain smiled as she advanced on the child. She meant it to be a calming thing, but all the child saw was the snarling face of a beast. The little girl whimpered and cowered against the door frame, but she didn’t run. She had nowhere to go.
“Mama,” she whispered when Summer Rain reached her.
The dead woman just shook her head. She leaned down and picked the little girl up. The child shook in her arms as tears formed in her eyes. Summer Rain reached up with one hand and pushed up the sleeve on the nightshirt the little girl was wearing, exposing the tender flesh on the pudgy little arm. Then she moved that hand to the girl’s mouth, gripping it like she had her father’s. The muffled screams vibrated against her palm as she sank her teeth into the delicate meat. It was divine. She had not tasted such tender sweetness in a long time.
When the child sagged into her arms, she laid her on the floor. Her breathing was ragged, but she was alive, temporarily. Summer Rain allowed herself another taste, this time from the fatty muscle of the leg. She sat back on her heels and sighed as the blood dripped down her chin. When she swallowed her last bite, she licked her lips and stood.
Inside the room, she found a small bed and a crib. A baby lay sleeping inside the crib, a boy. She reached toward him, intending to simply snap his neck and end it, but as her fingers caressed his face, she changed her mind. She picked him up gently and wrapped him in a blanket.
Summer Rain walked back down the stairs and out of the house. Further down the street, she found another unlocked door. She laid the baby just inside and found all the inhabitants of the house asleep—a mother, a father, three teenage daughters, and one younger son. She dispatched them all quietly and carefully, making sure they would return.
Satisfied, she picked up the child and worked her way back up to the barber shop. She peeked in the window. The barber was not yet awake, but he would be soon. She smiled as she stroked the baby’s cheek. The sheriff would not be prepared for an attack from inside his precious town. Nine undead would walk the streets soon, with a terrible aching hunger in their bellies. They would attack anyone who came near them. She hoped they would be able to turn some others before they were taken down by the sheriff, if he could take them down at all. The chaos would be wonderful.