by Jack Hunt
* * *
An hour later we filled up the dining area as Julius went about weaving his magic. The reason the generator was still working was because he’d continued to fill it up with gas siphoned from vehicles in the area. Though none of us felt safe, we relaxed that evening if only to take a break from the horrors that lay beyond the walls. Julius served up fresh pizza. The smell of the bread cooking, and the taste of melted cheese brought a smile to all of our faces. We ate well that night, probably a little too well. Jamal got drunk as did Tobias. The only one that didn’t drink that night was Daniels. He stayed vigilant, always looking around while the rest of us settled in for what we imagined would be a night of relaxation. Call it experience, age or common sense but he knew not to let his guard down and after that night, so would we.
“So you’ve been living here all this time?” Nick said, leaning back, his hand caressing the back of Brooke’s neck. He sipped on red wine and turned towards Julius at the head of the table. I glanced down at everyone leaning back in their seats, satisfied and at ease.
“No, it was my day off when it all happened. This is not a big town, so it spread fast and within twenty-four hours people were either dead or gone. Many got out using the train, I guess expecting to find help down in Sagamore or one of the nearest towns. I got a call from my boss to say that the other chef hadn’t shown up, so he wanted me to fill in.” He emptied his glass and filled it back up again. “All hell broke loose in the middle of rush hour.” He cast his eyes to the floor where large patches of the carpet had been saturated with blood. “I tried to clean it up as best as I could but there’s only so much you can do.”
“Have you seen anyone else? I mean, besides us?”
“A few people brave enough to step inside. Yeah. I kept my distance. The ones you killed today in those rooms, those were Zs I lured in. You know, just in case anyone considered staying here longer than they should.”
“And no one checked your room?”
“Nope. I’ll show you why after. I basically tore down some drywall from one of the rooms and blocked off an area of the corridor. Stacked a few empty boxes and placed a few dead ones nearby and made it look like it was the end of the corridor.”
“Except it’s not,” Daniels added.
He nodded and gripped his wife’s hand, giving it a squeeze. I could tell he loved them. His boy Samuel looked a lot like him. He was no older than seven, and his daughter Mia was around nine. His wife’s name was Esther; she had ginger hair, freckles and was attractive.
“But it’s fooled enough people so far.”
“So far. You know eventually others will come.”
“I know.”
“Are you armed?” Nick asked. “I don’t mean, just with a baseball bat.”
“We have knives but that’s it.”
It was to be expected. Not everyone would seek out guns. Most would but there would always be those on the fringe of society who wouldn’t even consider it.
“Is everyone dead?” Ryland asked pulling out a pack of cigarettes that he’d stolen from one of the dead skinheads. Just seeing him spark up brought back the memory of what had gone down earlier that morning.
Julius shrugged. “I don’t know. Like I said, I’ve been doing what I can here to take care of my family. It’s the only place that is stocked up on food. The freezers are loaded and being as the generator kicked in when the power went out in the town, I haven’t had to worry about meat going off.”
“But what about noise?” Jamal asked. “People must hear the generator. If not them, the dead would.”
“Did you?”
“Not until I stepped inside.”
“And that’s why I set it up to make it look like the hotel had already been looted. I smashed a few of the windows, tossed out some food and streaked blood throughout the place. Well, I mean in some areas I didn’t need to but…” he trailed off and looked over at his kids. I couldn’t imagine what was going through their minds. It was one thing to have to deal with the end, another to have to tell your kids that monsters were real. Whether it was a modified pandemic or not, seeing the dead rise and tear someone’s neck apart wasn’t something that was easily forgotten. I was still waking up in a cold sweat recalling that night at the camp. Julius continued. “Anyway, I made a few modifications in the kitchen so that the smell of food doesn’t get pumped out the vents but then again I haven’t cooked a real meal like this since it started.”
“So you’ve just been eating out of cans?”
He nodded. “Safer that way. I mean I don’t know how many people are still alive out there. Did you see any as you came through town?”
“No one.”
He breathed in deeply and gave a reassuring smile to his wife. “Well I guess we should get the kids to bed.” He turned back to Daniels. “Look, take whatever you need. Will you be leaving in the morning for Boston?”
“Yeah. Are you sure you don’t want to go with us?”
Jamal nudged me and leaned over. “Here we go again.”
I knew what he was referring to. I didn’t like the idea of having more people with us but on the other hand everyone was entitled to safety. Even if this place had enough food in storage to last them three months, they would eventually work their way through it, then what? That was part of the reason why we left Long Lake. That and of course Diane telling us that it was the only chance we had of surviving.
“Let me discuss it with my family.”
He went to get up and Daniels continued, “Julius. I appreciate you feeding us tonight.” He looked down the table to the rest of us as if trying to indicate that we should say thanks. When the penny dropped we all nodded and thanked him. I watched Julius walk off out of the dining area, leaving us to discuss what the plan was for the night.
“I think it’s best we don’t spread out too much. Share rooms.”
“Share rooms?” Jamal looked over to Eli. “Yeah about that. Look, Daniels, there is more than enough room in this place and now we have the truck blocking the door and everywhere else is sealed off, I’m thinking of having a room to myself.”
“And if someone makes their way in tonight?”
“I sleep with one eye open,” he said before chuckling.
“That’s the liquid courage talking. We stick to two rooms.”
“Oh, you’re in charge now, are you?” Jamal shot back while rocking in his chair. “I’m pretty sure we invited you along.”
“That was back in Long Lake. This is a different journey. There is more at stake,” he said casting a glance to Diane.
Jamal got up and let his chair drop to the ground. “Yeah, well it might be a different journey but you’re still the same asshole.” He looked over at Diane. “But I guess Diane here doesn’t know about what you did, does she?”
Daniels rose from his chair and glared at him. “You’re out of line.”
“Am I? Because I’m pretty sure you’re the one who was placed on suspension for being out of line.”
I looked over at Nick who could tell where this was heading. “Jamal, give it a rest.”
He laughed. “Oh, you taking his side?” he said slurring his words and reaching for another bottle of beer. Daniels walked around the table and several of us got up anticipating this turning into a brawl.
Jamal was quick to jump all over that. “You going to assault me again?”
Daniels tossed his hands up. “I’m not going to do anything.”
Daniels gritted his teeth then flashed Diane a glance before turning and walking out. Lola screeched back her chair and headed after him.
“Jamal. Really? Is there ever a time you aren’t a dick?” I said.
Gripping his beer he waved it around while he spoke. “Oh I speak the truth and I’m the dick? Please. You people might have bought into this but I’m telling you, it’s all smoke and mirrors.” He walked off towards the exit continuing his rant. “You mark my words. When it gets hot, he’s going to leave us high and dry. And when that h
appens, don’t you come telling me I was right, because I already told you. We should have left his ass back in Long Lake.” He turned and bowed. “Now I bid you all a good night.”
He took another swig and then tossed the bottle causing it to smash against the wall. Glass fragments scattered leaving a large puddle of liquid on the ground.
The Last Supper
I’m not a religious person, but I’ve always believed in some kind of higher power, something that brought together everything that we are. My parents? I think they were at one time. I have vague memories of them arguing over what they believed. My mother enjoyed the company of others on a Sunday and my father; well, I think he just wanted to spend more time in bed. The only clear memory I have as a child was sitting in Sunday school and reading from a colorful book that showed images of Christ at the Last Supper. It stood out in my mind because here was this guy, God or whatever you want to call him, chilling with all these guys around a table, knocking back wine and swallowing down on a few chicken wings, knowing that one of them was about to betray him. Imagine that? It would have pissed me off but not him. Nope, he didn’t chew the guy out or tell the others to beat the crap out of him, instead he told him to go and do whatever he was about to do, quickly. Anyway, I’m not sure why I’m telling you this but I guess that evening around the table, it kind of felt like that. It probably doesn’t help that there were twelve of us, and we were breaking bread — pizza bread, but bread nonetheless.
As the group thinned out and people retreated to the two rooms that Daniels had selected for the night, I found myself unable to sleep. I was exhausted, and the wine had done a real number on my head but I felt this heaviness in my chest, a sense that something wasn’t right.
“You not turning in?” Alexa asked, strolling up behind me as I stood by the truck looking out at the empty road. Occasionally a Z would stagger by, but they were far and few between in this town. I imagined they had wandered off as a crowd making their way into the wild to find food.
“Can’t sleep,” I said, covering my mouth to yawn.
“Me neither,” she muttered before hopping up onto the back of the truck which was partially jammed through the doors. The only way to get in or out was to climb into the truck bed.
“You think your parents are still alive?”
I cast a sideways glance at her. “If they made it onto the boat, maybe, but I don’t hold out hope for them. Not now. Not after all we’ve seen.”
She nodded. There was a few minutes of silence.
“What were you hoping to do after finishing school?” she asked.
“It’s going to sound stupid but pursue a career in MMA. Maybe go on later and start a gym.”
She laughed.
“I told you it would sound stupid.”
“No, I’m not saying it is, but haven’t you thought about how dangerous that is?”
“Alexa, you can cross the road and be hit by a car.”
“Yeah, but you can choose to cross the road, just as you can choose whether to get your head pounded in.”
I shrugged. “Only thing I’ve ever enjoyed.”
“The only?”
I nodded. “Look, there isn’t much else I enjoy.”
“So why do you like it?”
“The fluidity. How people move. It feels like a chess game. Your opponent moves and you are always trying to think one step ahead. Duck, dive, getting in the clinch.” I chuckled. “Probably doesn’t sound interesting but to me. I love it.”
“So that’s the camp you were at before this one?”
“Yep. They closed down. The town was just not big enough. They couldn’t get enough students. Mikey, the owner, decided to head out to California where his brother is to help him with a gym. There are lot more folks in the big city.”
She nodded. She knew about small towns and how quickly businesses would appear then go bust. It was a tough gig trying to establish yourself.
“And you?” I asked.
She smiled. “Depends who you ask. If you were to ask me a few years ago, I would have said I wanted to become a dancer but if you’d asked my father he would have told you that I was going to help him with the camps. He wanted me to work in the office and do all the paperwork.” She cringed. “I couldn’t handle being stuck behind a desk all day doing something that didn’t bring me alive.”
“Then maybe you understand why I wanted to do MMA.”
She leaned forward and squinted into the darkness. “I miss them. My folks, I mean. I used to butt heads with my father all the time but I would give anything to have them back.”
I didn’t say anything to that but simply nodded. There were some things that didn’t need words. All of us had lost someone and in some ways maybe that was another reason we all chose to head to Boston. Those around us now were family even if Jamal didn’t want to admit it.
“What’s your take on the whole Jamal and Daniels thing?” I asked.
“I think they need to work it out before it drives a wedge through our group,” she said before hopping off the truck and back into the hotel. “Look, I’m going to turn in. I’ll catch you in the morning. Do you know who’s taking the first shift?”
“Might as well be me,” I said. She smiled then headed off towards the room. After she left, I remained there for another half an hour keeping an eye on a cluster of Zs that were lingering in a parking lot across the street. I hopped down from the truck and went to locate the bag full of weapons. If I was going to be keeping watch for a couple of hours, I wanted a rifle with a tac light. Strolling down to the room where Daniels was staying I overheard him and his daughter talking. Their voices were raised enough that I caught a part of the conversation before entering.
“We should go tonight,” Daniels said.
“You don’t get to decide that,” Lola replied.
I knocked on the door and heard shuffling inside. Daniels answered.
“Hey, I need to get a different weapon.”
He beckoned me in and I went over to duffel bags on the ground. I rooted around inside the bags while flashing them a glance. It felt like I had walked in at the wrong time. I could feel the tension.
“You taking the first shift?” Daniels asked.
“Yeah.”
“I’ll stay up with you.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
He glanced at his daughter and she scowled.
“Yeah, I do.” He scooped up his rifle and instructed Lola to get some rest before heading out. Outside the dark billowing clouds rolled across the sky. Unlike Long Lake the night wasn’t filled with screams. I assumed in time that would become the norm as there were even fewer humans to feast upon. We climbed up onto the top of the truck and vaulted ourselves onto the roof of the hotel so we could get a better scope of the town and circle the perimeter. The roof was sloped and covered in brown tiles. It would have been easy to slip off. We took a seat and Daniels leaned back and reached into his pocket for a cigarette.
“I didn’t know you smoked?”
“I don’t. I mean, I didn’t. Two years without smoking but with all the stress I’ve been under lately.” He slipped it between his lips and used a Zippo lighter to spark it up. He blew out a plume of smoke and rolled the cigarette around in his hand, blowing on the end to cause the embers to glow a hot orange.
“I know you probably don’t want to talk about it but I have to ask you. What is the deal with you and Jamal? What happened?”
He opened his mouth as if he was about to tell me to drop it but instead he frowned and exhaled hard. “It was back in February of this year. I was called out to an incident involving two teens destroying public property. I turn up and both of them had been drinking and started acting belligerent. Things spiraled out of control real fast. I told them I was going to take them home and speak to their parents. You know, put the scare tactics on them. Both would have been cautioned but Jamal’s buddy wouldn’t listen. I asked if he had any weapons on him and he admitted to having a kn
ife but wouldn’t hand it over. So I was in the process of cuffing him and he went ballistic. I took him down, but he got injured in the process. Jamal didn’t fully see what was going on as he was behind us so he thought I hurt the kid, and so he stepped in to help and in my attempt to hold the one kid at bay, which I might add was like trying to wrestle a lion, I lashed out. I was trying to push him back and my fist connected with his face and well…” He shook his head and took another puff of his cigarette. “The two of them came up with a story that I had punched him in the face on purpose and with Jamal’s father having a lot of money, and some crazy attorneys on his side, it didn’t take long for the department to suspend me.”
“So it was an accident.”
He nodded. “But when you have a father with a lot of money and you are used to being the center of his world, it all goes to your head. Jamal is a good kid, but he needs to realize that his father isn’t going to bail him out every time he gets himself into a problem. He also needs to understand there are consequences for his actions. Perhaps this apocalypse is just what he needs,” he said. He scraped something off the bottom of his boot and then looked at me. “You don’t believe me?”
“I didn’t say that. I imagine it’s hard to be a cop in today’s world with all the cameras and all.”
“That’s the funny thing. We were a month away from getting body cameras. We were meant to get them last year but due to budget cuts and all, it didn’t happen. Now if I had that, Jamal’s lie wouldn’t have held up.”
“Well—”
I was just about to respond when Daniels tossed up a hand. “Shhh. You hear that?”
I turned my head trying to make out what he’d heard. “What?”
A few more seconds and he got up and started making his way across the roof.
“Daniels. What’s going on?”
“Vehicles.”