“Get downstairs,” I spat through gnashed teeth as I forced the back door closed and bolted it. Lisa had always complained that the door needed a window, that the kitchen was too dark. I had promised her I would install a door with windows one day. I was glad I never did. The door shook, but held.
I stepped in front of Danni and Jared as they made their way to the basement door. Four husks shambled down the hallway. I aimed high, fired and watched their heads paint my walls with sickening sprays of white, red and black. More husks crawled through the windows to take their place. I fired another round into the living room and ran for the basement.
The basement door was cheap and hollow. It wouldn’t last long.
“Come on,” Jared waved from inside the bunker. There was nowhere else to go. I slammed the bunker door shut.
“We’re safe.” Danni collapsed onto her cot and pulled her mask off.
“We’re trapped,” I said. The words came out as if they were falling apart in my mouth. It was true that the husks couldn’t get into the bunker, but we couldn’t get out either. Eventually, we would run out of food and water. Our safe haven had become a tomb.
-36-
Silence filled the bunker like floodwaters. I could feel it slowly rising, weighing us down and threatening to drown the three of us. The steel doors muffled the sounds outside of the bunker, but we all knew the husks had taken over the basement and house. Moments before the bunker door closed, we heard the cheap hollow door at the top of the basement stairs splinter and break. The husks hadn’t been far behind.
“Can’t we just wait them out?” Jared asked. “I mean, won’t they get distracted by something else and wander off? We’ve got enough food to wait until that happens.”
“Maybe,” I said. I wanted to assure Jared that he was right, but didn’t see the point in fostering false hope. The husks in the basement wouldn’t be able to navigate the stairs and probably wouldn’t hear any sounds outside of the house. I envisioned countless, leathery death heads glaring at the door of the bunker, waiting for the slightest sign of a meal. The second they got that sign, the husks would surge forward and we would be dead.
“Well then what do we do?” Jared snapped. “Are we just going to sit here until we starve?”
“I don’t know,” I said. It was an honest answer and probably the last one that Jared or Danni wanted to hear. “I’m sorry. I’m out of ideas.” I slid onto my cot and stared at the ceiling of the bunker. It was concrete, oppressive and gray. I hadn’t come as far as I had believed. All I did was trade one prison cell for another. I was no closer to Kara and Lisa.
Danni and Jared shuffled around the bunk looking at the supplies and objects scattered throughout. There were no answers to be found, at least not the ones that they wanted. The gun rack loomed in the rear of the bunker. Danni pulled Jared away from the weapons.
We would run out of food and water, but we only needed three bullets. The thought was present in all of our minds, no one could deny it and our silence only confirmed it.
Danni and Jared climbed into their cots and tried to sleep. The scrape of countless leathery feet across the basement floor filled the silence that festered between us. We listened to the husks fill the basement. No one could sleep, but we had nowhere to go. We were trapped.
-37-
At some point during the night, I must have fallen asleep. I woke to an oppressive blackness and felt a flutter of panic pass through my heart and head. Jared or Danni must have turned the lights off. That was all. Nothing else had happened. I listened to them snore softly.
My right pocket vibrated.
Kara: Hi, Daddy! Mom is feeling better. See you soon? Love you!!!
I squeezed the phone. Why did my keys have to be broken? Where was the justice in that? Plastic popped. I relaxed my grip and stared at the screen. I couldn’t stand those stupid little smiley faces and pictures that Kara and Lisa always found some way to work into a text message. They tried to get me to use the things. I resisted until I found the smiling swirl of poop. After that, Kara and Lisa were okay with me not using them.
The urge to smash my phone ripped through my mind. I hated that I was stuck, locked away from my wife and daughter again. But smashing the one thing that kept me connected to them would only punish me. I took a deep breath and let the phone slip from my hand.
Across the bunker, the radio crackled and popped.
“Lucas? Lucas? Are you there? Is everything okay?” Senator Heathway’s voice rattled through the radio. I thought about ignoring it. I wanted to blame him for our current situation. I wanted to blame anyone other than myself.
“Lucas, are you going to answer Senator Heathway?” Danni asked. Her voice was rough and heavy with sleep. Jared stirred on his cot. I wish I had turned the radio off.
“Screw Heathway,” I grunted. “I’m going to sit here until the husks rot and fall apart and then I’m getting the hell out of here.”
“But who knows how long that could take,” Danni protested. “Shouldn’t we at least see what Senator Heathway wants?”
I let my feet hang over the edge of my cot before dropping to the floor. There was no point in talking to Senator Heathway. Whatever he wanted was sure to involve us not being trapped in a bunker in my basement.
“Lucas, are you there? There have been some developments with the monsters. Lucas, are you there?” Senator Heathway asked again. Through the radio, his voice sounded like a hysterical robot. “Lucas, please answer me. I promise you that I had nothing to do with those men who attacked you. I need your help. We all need your help. Please.”
I dropped into the chair in front of the radio. A heavy sigh slipped between my lips as I picked up the receiver.
“I’m here, Heathway. What do you want?” I grumbled.
After hearing his response, I wished that I had stayed asleep and never answered.
-38-
“He said that the rest of those people were heading for them, right?” Danni asked after I tossed the radio receiver aside. Senator Heathway had given that group coordinates and the rest of them were heading towards them. He was an idiot.
“Yeah, he did,” I groaned. I rubbed the bridge of my nose, suddenly exhausted and my eyes burning. “And he’s a moron. What the hell does he expect us to do about it? He’s got half an army there, I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
“But Senator Heathway said that most of the soldiers left. He said there was some kind of disagreement or something. It’s mostly woman and children there now. They won’t be able to fight off that many people. We can stop them,” Jared said. The kid was an optimist, I had to give him that. “We stopped them two times before. I’m sure we could do it again.”
“Kid, there are three to four times as many people in the main group,” I said. “They are probably all armed and I’m sure won’t be too happy about us trying to stop them. Besides, how the hell would we even get out of here to stop them? I’m sorry, Jared, but this is Heathway’s problem. He made this mess and he’ll have to clean it up.”
“But if they get there and take over, it’ll be gone,” Jared argued.
“What will be gone?” I asked.
“Our chance,” Danni cut in. “Lucas, if they take over or destroy Heathway’s settlement, we’ll have nowhere else to go. We’ll be stuck.”
“We are stuck,” I snapped. “We’re stuck in here with a shit ton of husks on the other side of the door – all waiting to make us dinner. And you heard what Heathway said – the husks aren’t rotting. The radioactivity or something has preserved them like beef jerky. I thought we could wait them out, but we can’t. All we can wait for now is to run out of food. I’m sorry, but it’s over. Heathway is screwed and so are we.”
“What about your wife and daughter?” Jared asked. His question blindsided me like a sucker punch. I shook my head, but Jared’s question refused to stop echoing in my mind.
“What about them?” I asked with more intensity than I intended. Jared stumbled back a few
steps and held his hands up.
“I was just saying,” Jared continued, “that if we’re stuck in here, how are you going to see them again? That’s what you wanted, right? Ever since you got out of jail, all you’ve been talking about is seeing them again. And now you’re suddenly going to give up on that? How are you going to do that locked in here?”
“Jared, stop it,” Danni admonished him. “Don’t talk about Lucas’ family. It’s not our business.”
“I’m not saying it to be a jerk,” Jared protested. “It’s the truth, though.”
“Jared, that’s enough,” Danni’s voice seemed shrill and pointed as it echoed in the small bunker. “Lucas, I’m sorry. Jared doesn’t know what he’s saying. You’ve done nothing but help us ever since this started.”
“It’s okay,” I muttered. “He’s right.”
I leaned forward and rested my head on the table, hoping that a change of angle might loosen some idea in my mind. I pictured my thoughts moving through my head like one of those blue wave machines that shrinks always seemed to have on their desks.
Something rattled loose and bounced through my mind like a pinball. It was a bad idea, probably one of the worst ones I had ever had, but it was also the only one I could think of. I would do whatever it took to see Lisa and Kara again, even if I might die doing it.
-39-
I threw together three backpacks with supplies. I know some people had their Bug-Out Bags on standby, but I never really gave much thought to abandoning the bunker. It was probably poor planning on my part, but the truth was that I never planned on leaving the bunker because I never planned on leaving Kara and Lisa. I stocked it with everything we could ever need. The bunker was ready for every disaster and emergency – except of course an undead horde of radioactive monsters.
But Lisa and Kara weren’t with me. Danni and Jared were and that was different. I felt responsible for them and cared about their safety, but it wasn’t the same as what I felt towards my own family. How could it be? With Kara and Lisa outside of the bunker, there really was no reason for me to stay any longer. We could try and wait out the husks and probably had enough supplies that we could make it with a little rationing, but if what Senator Heathway had told us was right, there was no waiting them out.
A few CDC scientists had drifted into Senator Heathway’s camp a little before the soldiers left. With little else to do, they spent their time studying husks and trying to figure out some sort of cure or vaccination. So far there wasn’t one. What they had discovered was that the husks weren’t rotting. They figured that bugs would take care of the rest, but after awhile even the insects burrowing through the husks’ died out. The flesh was dead, but it wouldn’t rot. The only explanation was that the radioactivity had somehow preserved them and rendered them basically bug-proof. There was no waiting the husks out.
“So we’re just going to open the door and let the husks in?” Danni asked. I could see the worry and doubt plainly written on her face. Jared had been silent ever since I unveiled my plan. I think he was trying to prove his bravery. I hoped he wasn’t going into shock.
“That’s the plan unless you’ve got a better one.” I handed Danni her backpack and then passed a second to Jared. “We needed to be ready to run in case my plan goes to shit.” It was probably more appropriate to say when it went to shit because I really didn’t see any other way something like this could go, but Danni and Jared were frightened enough already.
“Okay. We’re not going to let them all in, right?” Danni asked. She took a deep breath and picked up her gun. Something was changing in Danni. I’m not sure if she was hardening or if she was just getting used to the insanity of our world, but she suddenly looked less afraid. I was going to ask, but saw her cast a quick glance at Jared. I had my answer. She was getting ready to protect her child. It was the most basic and primitive instinct a parent could feel. It was exactly what she would need to get through this.
“We’re going to do this controlled,” I said. “We let in one or two at a time and use our knives to kill them. Aim for the temple and push until the husk stops moving. Then we move the body to the back and do it again. We’ll try and thin the numbers a bit before we venture out into the basement or use any ammo. No guns, unless you have no other choice. Thanks to Heathway, I get the feeling that we’re going to need every bullet we’ve got.”
The three of us shared a series of worried looks. There was probably something Danni or I needed to say to reassure Jared, some thin white lie about how we were going to get through this, but he had seen enough to know what we were facing.
“Here.” Jared passed my NBC mask to me and then handed one to Danni. He slipped his over his face. “Let’s get this over with.”
There was nothing else to say.
-40-
The bunker door opened with a muffled whoosh. The sound always reminded me of opening a can of Pringles. Eating was one of the last things on my mind. Not being eaten on the other hand, well that was pretty much the only thing.
The dull moans rattling from the dried throats of the husks filled my basement. I did a quick count. It looked like there were about twenty husks. That was twenty more than I would have liked to see waiting for us, but it was still less than I had anticipated. Some of the husks must have crawled back upstairs, which would mean they’d be waiting for us. I pushed that thought out of my head as the nearest husk lunged for me. I grabbed its thin neck and yanked it into the bunker.
I had never seen any signs of emotion in the dull milky eyes of the husks and their leathery faces were permanently fixed with a revolting smile, but I could have sworn a moment of surprise flashed across that creature’s face as I slammed it to the concrete floor and Jared plunged a blade into its skull. Danni grabbed the husk by its boney ankles and dragged it to the back of the bunker.
“One down, millions to go,” I joked. No one laughed. I shrugged. Humor had evidently died as well.
I pressed my shoulder against the door and pushed as Jared grabbed the nearest husk and pulled it inside the bunker. The cracked yellowed teeth gnashed together as the monster tried to tear meat from Jared’s arms. Danni stepped forward and plunged her knife into the side of the husk’s skull. It went limp on the floor.
Fingers wrapped in cracked, yellowed skin clawed at the air between the heavy bunker door and the jamb. I pushed harder, but felt my boots slipping. I was losing ground to the countless husks that battered against the other side of the door.
“Little help,” I growled and pushed harder. Danni rushed behind me and pushed.
“Jared, clear the way so the door can close,” Danni said.
Jared took a step towards the door before stumbling and howling in pain. He lay on the floor, his gloved hands rubbing his ankle. The husk on the floor crawled towards him.
“Jared!” Danni cried and let go of the door.
“Help me get the damn door closed!” I yelled. Danni hesitated, caught between the danger outside of the bunker and the one inside that threatened her son.
“Mom, close the damn door!” Jared shouted. Danni turned and helped me push it closed. I felt the light crunch of finger bones caught between the door and frame as I spun the handle to seal the door.
By the time I had turned around, Jared had killed the husk. It lay motionless on the floor.
“Jared, are you okay?” Danni asked. Large, glassy tears glistened in her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I thought it was dead.”
“It was dead,” Jared snorted. “That’s why they’re zombies, Mom.”
“Jared, this isn’t the time for jokes or bravado,” Danni said. Her voice was stern, but still trembled with bottled emotion. “You were bit.”
“My suit was bit,” Jared argued. “I’m fine. It hurt, surprised me, but it didn’t break through. I’m fine.”
Danni tried to say something, but her words came out choked and short. She grabbed Jared and hugged him.
A thin trail of blood ran down the side of Jared’s boot. I
saw it. Danni didn’t. Maybe it was just a scratch. Maybe it was a bite.
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s keep going.”
There really was no other choice.
-41-
The husks were thin and withered. Nothing more than leathery skin wrapped around bone and desiccated organs. The stack of bodies in the rear of the bunker reached the edge of the first bunk.
Danni grabbed the next husk Jared passed her. It slipped off the pile and bumped into the back her legs. A startled yip echoed inside Danni’s mask. She spun to face the husk, her knife raised. It remained motionless.
“Just throw it on the bunk,” I shouted. The seconds I spent turning to yell were enough for the husks to force the bunker door open a little more.
“But,” Danni hesitated. “On the bed?”
“Mom,” Jared snapped. “We’re not staying here after this. No one is sleeping on that bed.”
Danni grabbed the husk and heaved it onto the bunk.
“Little help,” I growled and pushed the door. Jared rushed forward and threw his weight against the door. Small puddles of blood trailed behind him. The kid was hurt.
“Jared,” I said. He saw where I was looking along the floor.
“Later,” Jared snapped. He shoved the door.
An arm, like the branch of a diseased winter tree, slipped through the opening and grabbed for Jared. The skeletal fingers slipped through the straps on the side of Jared’s mask and yanked towards the door.
Jared swatted and pulled at the fingers. I reached out to grab Jared’s shoulder, but the bunker door pulsed inward. I was on the floor. The ceiling rippled and pulsed as my head bounced off the concrete floor.
Somewhere in the distance, I could hear Jared struggling and cursing. I could hear Danni screaming as she rushed past me. I pushed myself up from the floor and watched her disappear into the seething mass of undead monsters that swarmed over her son.
Dry Rot: A Zombie Novel Page 10