Empty Bodies: A Post-Apocalyptic Tale of Dystopian Survival (Book 1)

by Zach Bohannon

  “Guard the fence! Incoming!”

  Then they heard the crash through the fence and the gunfire ensued outside.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Five minutes earlier…

  “We have to go back! We can’t leave them,” Dylan begged.

  Gabriel kept his eyes on the road as the truck pulled back onto the highway. Part of him knew the boy was right, but he wasn’t prepared to go vigilante and try to help some people he didn’t know. His guilt kept him from responding to the boy.

  They passed abandoned car after abandoned car and saw creatures lurking along the highway, the truck veering left and right to avoid them while Gabriel ignored the boy.

  “Please! Go back.”

  The truck came to a stop on the shoulder and Gabriel banged his head against the steering wheel. His conscious was catching up to him and he knew what the right thing to do was. He looked back to Dylan.

  “That’s what you want?” Gabriel asked Dylan.

  The boy nodded.

  Three beasts approached the truck

  Gabriel reached into the back seat and grabbed the baseball bat out of the duffle bag. He held it in his hands for a moment, feeling the comfort of the grip, before pulling his right hand off to confirm the gun was mounted to his side. Again, he looked back to Dylan.

  “Then we do it my way.”

  ***

  Drew Hilton took his hand off the end of the assault rifle for just a moment so he could pull the cigarette out of his mouth and exhale the toxins into the air. As commanded, he stood in the fenced area at the side of the building, guarding the door in case Marcus, Will, and Holly tried to make a run for it. Four Empties clawed and gripped the fence, howling at him to open it. He shook his head.

  “Ugly mother fuckers.”

  He sat on the hood of the white hatchback vehicle while facing the door to the building. The cigarette burned down to the butt and Drew flicked it onto the ground with the others.

  As he blew the last cloud of smoke from his lungs, he heard a noise in the distance getting louder. Drew stood and walked toward the fence.

  His eyes widened as the black SUV came into view around the corner. And it was coming right at him.

  Drew locked the rifle into his hip, pulled the trigger, and began to fire at the oncoming truck.

  It didn’t stop.

  His radio began to scream at his side.

  “Guard the fence! Incoming,” Jonas shouted through the walkie.

  “Shit,” Drew yelled, diving out of the way.

  Gabriel stormed toward the gate, launching two of the beasts into the chain link as he knocked it down.

  ***

  The sound of the SUV crashing through the fence blew through the warehouse, and David’s group took it as their opportunity to try and catch the three rebels off guard.

  Rich and Mike left their post and ran to the edge of the room, firing down the hallway toward Will, Marcus, and Holly.

  Marcus was exposed, but quickly took cover behind the corner just as the men began to fire at them. He leaned against the wall and caught his breath. They were at the end of a long hallway. David had three men with him, one injured, and a man outside, the two women in the group likely holed away in an office hiding.

  Holly’s hand shook on the grip of the gun. She was holding a light-weight assault rifle and the barrel waved through the air.

  “We need you, Holly,” Will said. “Just breathe.”

  She closed her eyes and held a solemn grip on the gun.

  Marcus turned his head around the corner again and Rich fired another shot, barely missing. He looked to Will.

  “Give me some cover.”

  Will let the assault rifle sit at his hip, the strap hanging over his shoulder, as he drew the pistol from his side. He reached his hand around the corner and began to fire, sending Mike and Rich behind a stack of boxes.

  Marcus let out a breath and ran down the hallway into one of the side rooms, unseen by any of the men.

  David, still sitting behind the pallet of boxes, signaled Jonas to join his two comrades. Jonas nodded, stood, and ran toward them, firing down the hall to cover himself.

  Will and Holly were on opposite sides of the hallway. In order for them to move to where they needed to go, Holly would have to get across the opening to Will’s side.

  “I’m gonna cover you,” Will said.

  Holly was shaking again. Tears came running from her eyes.

  “It’s gonna be okay. They won’t be able to shoot at you with me firing at them.”

  She gently nodded her head.

  Will counted down from five.

  “Now!”

  Will pointed his pistol down the hall and fired. Holly waited and ran across the hall. Jonas pointed a gun up over the boxes and shot, the bullet arriving just behind Holly and going into the wall. She fell to the ground.

  “Come on,” Will said, leaning over to pick her up. They hurried down the hall.

  David stood and the men were silent. They could hear the footsteps hurrying down the hall. He pointed that way.

  “After them!”

  ***

  Gabriel opened the door to the SUV and saw the man he had nearly run over lying face down on the concrete. He walked over and nudged Drew with his foot; he didn’t move. Looking to his left, Gabriel saw two more beasts appear ten yards away from the gate.

  When he turned to point the gun at them, a boot hit him in the side of the knee, sending him to the ground. The gun flew out of his hand as he grimaced, writhing on the ground.

  Drew pounced on Gabriel, landing two initial punches to his face while he had him off guard. Gabriel got his hands up, grabbing Drew’s shirt, and was able to block further punches.

  When Drew reached for the pistol, Gabriel brought his right hand off of Drew’s shoulder and landed a punch right below his left eye. The shot sent Drew rolling off of him and he landed directly on top of the gun.

  Gabriel rolled over onto his knees and lunged at Drew just as he pulled out the pistol. Gabriel hit his arm, forcing the bullet wide, under him instead of through him.

  He shifted his weight onto Drew, pinning the arm with the gun down to the ground as they fought each other with their other arms.

  Gabriel lost his balance and leaned too far into Drew, who took the chance to deliver a head butt to Gabriel, the crack of his nose ringing in Drew’s ear.

  Drew stumbled to his feet, his back to the fence, and looked down at Gabriel. He wiped blood away from his mouth, smiling as he looked down at the thick, iron substance on the back of his hand.

  Gabriel just stared through Drew, supporting himself on his right elbow and holding his left arm up, surrendering.

  Drew smiled. He brought the handgun up and pointed it down between Gabriel’s eyes. “You lose,” Drew said.

  Gabriel tensed his body and closed his eyes.

  Two creatures pulled Drew down from behind, just as he was about to pull the trigger. He got the shot off, but it sang through the air, flying over the building. They followed him to the ground, pouncing on his face.

  Gabriel watched the scene in horror as Drew drowned under the bodies, waving his arms in the air and pleading for help. Listened to the terror in the man’s final screams.

  The gun was pinned under the undead; there would be no getting it. Gabriel had mistakingly placed the shotgun he had obtained at the sporting goods store in the very back part of the SUV, and with the beasts lurking, had no time to grab it. Gabriel saw the baseball bat lying in the front seat. He reached through the door and grabbed it, the cannibal distracted with the fresh meal of living flesh.

  Gabriel opened the door to the warehouse as the screaming stopped, confirming the beasts had done their job with no need for him to look back.

  ***

  The warehouse became eerily quiet as the three men ran down the hall after the rebels. David could hear the echo of the click of his boots as he got to his feet. He walked to the center of the room just as Marc
us came around the corner pointing a pistol at him.

  David returned the favor, bringing his gun up to eye level with Marcus.

  The two men stared at each other, each moving to their right.

  Marcus spoke first.

  “We don’t have to do this, David.”

  David smiled. He cocked his head to the side, the joints in his neck cracking, which he followed with a shoulder shrug.

  “It’s too late. It’s done.” David continued to shuffle to the side. “What do you think is going to happen when they find that kid and that trader bitch?”

  Sweat dripped down Marcus’ cheek. He didn’t want to shoot David. The two had been friends for years and when times had been tough for him, David had given him an opportunity to start over. In this tense stare down, looking down the barrel of a gun, Marcus remembered this, and guilt came over him.

  Slowly, Marcus let his arm fall to the side. He knelt down, never letting his eyes leave David’s, and set the gun on the concrete floor of the warehouse. Straightening his knees, he lifted his hands to the air.

  “Come on, David. Let’s just talk.”

  Keeping his hands up, Marcus began to move toward David.

  “Put the gun down, David. We can end this.”

  David laughed. He waved the gun in the air like he was leading an orchestra through Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.

  “End this?” David snickered. “End this? The end is here, Marcus.” He pointed to the open loading dock door. “Look outside!”

  His reaction was to follow David’s movements and look outside, and when he did, David fired.

  Marcus stepped back, shocked by the sudden impact, and clutched the right side of his chest right below his collarbone. He looked at David and fell to the ground, landing on his rear and holding himself up with his left palm while his right continued to try and stop the bleeding from the black hole in his chest.

  David took his time approaching Marcus. He let his eyes leave him to look outside and watch the Empties move aimlessly around the parking lot. The vastness of how much the world had changed hit him in this moment. Outside, people roamed, void of any soul or thought. And though he could still put together coherent thoughts, he felt that perhaps his own soul had passed. He’d come to a place where one of his best friends was bleeding from a gunshot wound that he’d inflicted himself. The moment saddened him, but only briefly, before his cold desire for power crept back in.

  He stared down at Marcus, whose eyes were glazing over.

  “Who the hell are you?” Marcus asked.

  From the back of the building, there was an explosion that shook the floor, making David almost lose his balance, but not quite enough of a shock for him to fall. He smiled, sure that his soldiers had carried out their duty and ended the rebellion in a swift manner.

  He looked at Marcus and gave him a grim, cold smile.

  David cocked the pistol.

  “I am the devil.”

  Footsteps were followed by a scream behind him, and right as David turned, a wooden baseball bat connected with the side of his neck, sending him down to the ground. He was out cold.

  Marcus looked up and stared into Gabriel’s eyes.

  David lay between them in the fetal position, not moving.

  Gabriel gripped the bat with both hands, staring down at the black man bleeding from his chest.

  Marcus reached for the pistol, his eyes wide, and aimed it past Gabriel.

  “Duck,” Marcus yelled.

  Gabriel abided, falling to the ground just as a bullet went over him.

  Marcus aimed the gun into David’s office, fired, and watched the glass shatter as Diane Baldwin, one of David’s other loyal’s, fell back, the bullet having hit her in the chest near her heart. She fell out of sight.

  Gabriel uncovered his head and looked up at Marcus from his belly.

  “Thanks,” he said.

  Marcus nodded. The adrenaline died and the realization of his wound returned as he rolled down on his side, grimacing.

  Gabriel crouched over Marcus, assessing the wound.

  “You need a doctor. Bad.”

  Marcus let out a chirping laugh.

  “No shit,” he responded with a smile.

  Footsteps echoed down the hall and Gabriel took the gun from Marcus, pointing it that way.

  Will came around the corner, his weapon ready, and the two men pointed at each other.

  Marcus looked back and forth between Will and Gabriel.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Marcus looked at Will. “It’s okay, he’s with us,” he said, looking at Gabriel.

  Will lowered his weapon and, moments later, Gabriel did the same.

  Holly joined them, walking from behind Will as they entered the room. She saw Marcus lying on the ground and rushed to his side.

  “Oh, God. What happened?” She asked.

  A towel sat on top of a box on the other end of the room, and Holly rushed over and grabbed it. She ran back to Marcus, knelt down, and pressed the towel over the wound as he yelled from the initial pressure.

  Will looked down and saw David out cold next to them. He tipped his head at him.

  “Is he dead?” Will asked.

  Gabriel reached down and grabbed David’s wrist, checking his pulse.

  He shook his head. “It’s faint, but he’s there.” Then Gabriel looked at Marcus again before bringing his eyes back to Will. “He needs a doctor. He’s losing a lot of blood.”

  “I can help.”

  The voice came from behind them and Will turned, pointing his gun at the woman across the room.

  She raised her hands.

  It was Miranda, the other woman in David’s group.

  Will lowered his gun.

  She walked over to them, keeping her hands raised to show her innocence. That she was unarmed.

  “I was a nurse before I started working for this prick,” Miranda said, nodding her head at the unconscious David on the floor.

  Will looked to Gabriel and Marcus.

  “Whatever we are gonna do, we need to do it fast. We blew the back of this building with a grenade during a shoot-out. It took down a wall to the outside and it wouldn’t surprise me if it attracted some of the Empties.”

  Gabriel squinted his face. “Empties?”

  Will shook his head. “I’ll explain later. You got a way for us to get out of here?”

  Gabriel pointed to the side of the building. “There’s a door that leads out to the side. I’ve got a SUV that we should all be able to squeeze into. Some of those things. Empties, you said? They’re probably out there. I’ll have to jumpstart the truck.” He looked around to the guns. “But I think we can take em out and get him to the truck,” he said, nodding at Marcus.

  “Who are you?” Will asked.

  Gabriel stood. He tilted his head down slightly and extended his hand to Will.

  “Gabriel. Gabriel Alexander.”

  Will took his hand. “Will Kessler.”

  “Well, Will,” Gabriel said. “Whatever we are gonna do, we need to do it.”

  “Did you say you have to jumpstart your truck?” Marcus asked.

  Gabriel nodded.

  Marcus reached into his pocket, pulled out his keys, and then threw them to Will. “Let’s take mine. It’s the white Escalade parked all the way to the back of that fenced-in area.”

  Simultaneously, Will and Gabriel nodded.

  “What about him?” Holly asked, looking down at David.

  Before Will could respond, Marcus did.

  “Leave him.”

  They looked at Marcus, and Will nodded, a sign of respect because he knew he had been close to David at one time. The words could not have come easily out of the injured man’s mouth.

  Will looked over to Gabriel and smiled.

  “You’re gonna need more than a bat.”

  Gabriel returned the grin. “Nah, it’s more fun this way.”

  ***

  There were Empties outside—six of them, to be exact. Gabrie
l and Will opened the door and cleared the path to the SUV, taking the Empties out one by one, while Miranda and Holly tended to Marcus just inside the building

  Will looked to Gabriel.

  “I’m going to pull the truck up here. Run inside and see if you can help them get Marcus out here.”

  Gabriel nodded, heading back into the warehouse while Will jogged the ten yards to Marcus’ truck.

  A few moments later, the three able-bodies appeared at the door, carrying Marcus. They loaded him onto the back seat of the SUV. Miranda joined him in the back, while Holly sat in the trunk area behind the back seat.

  Gabriel looked at Will.

  “Mind if I drive?”

  Will shook his head.

  The engine turned over as more Empties were beginning to make their way past the fallen gate.

  Gabriel threw the truck into reverse and backed over two of the Empties. Marcus grimaced from the bumpy ride of passing over the bodies.

  “Sorry,” Gabriel said, watching behind him through the rearview mirror.

  “Where are we headed?” Will asked Gabriel.

  “I gotta make a pit stop. I left something in a stranded vehicle on the highway.”

  “Then where?”

  Gabriel didn’t respond.

  When the truck pulled through the fence and into the parking lot, he cut the wheel and whipped it around.

  As Gabriel put it in drive, Will took one last look to the end of the road at Element. He saw Empties walking off the edge of the loading dock and falling face-first to the concrete, having gone in through the front door, scavenging for life that wasn’t there.

  For a moment, the truck sat in front of David Ellis’ building—which had smoke rising into the air behind it, from the fire at the back of it. Through the back window Holly could see David still lying on the floor in the center of the warehouse.

  She didn’t smile for him. She only watched him lay still as the truck pulled away.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  After they picked up Dylan from the abandoned car Gabriel had left him in on the highway, they pulled off one of the exits a couple of miles down the road and found an empty quick lube shop at the top of a small hill, a space with no Empties around. Gabriel pulled the SUV inside and they shut the garage doors.