AniZombie 2: The Refuge

by Ricky Sides

  Randy settled down to his guard duty in the growing darkness. Soon, he knew it would be difficult for him to see the door and the area in the backyard. The fog wasn’t helping matters any. He could still see about thirty feet in any direction around the bus, but he knew that would change when it got dark. He checked his weapons and frowned. He didn’t like the fact that they were short one rifle. Ordinarily, he would be able to count on Ed backing him up with his M4, but now Jason had Ed’s rifle because he had given his to Randy when the extractor broke. That meant Ed would have to try to back him up with his pistol, which was better than nothing, but lacked the capacity of the M4. Anyone who’d ever fought zombies would appreciate the significance of having to do battle with them with a Beretta M9 with its fifteen round magazines instead of an M4 with its standard thirty round capacity.

  Randy frowned as he thought of the many things that had gone wrong since they had first left for the mission that morning. He shook his head in disbelief. It was hard to believe that so much had happened to the team in just a day, and they still hadn’t even made it to Newport. “Things have to get better after this,” he thought.

  The door had been unlocked when Jason tried it. Inside the house, he led the way as they went about their search. They entered the home through a back door and found themselves in a utility room that contained a refrigerator, washer, and dryer, as well as a small table where the homeowner could sort and fold laundry.

  “It’s getting too dark. I need to use a flashlight,” Jason whispered to Herb.

  “Go ahead,” Herb prompted, stepping to Jason’s right with his rifle at the ready as they faced the next room.

  When Jason switched on his small flashlight, the beam illuminated a short hallway. Straight ahead of them was a kitchen, but the hall also contained another opening on the left. He tracked his light around in the kitchen revealing the fact that it opened into a small dining area straight ahead and another doorway on the left.

  A rustling sound emanated from somewhere in the kitchen. Herb moved out, motioning for Jason to follow him. He paused at the opening that turned to the left in order to ensure that no enemy was waiting in that hall, and then he returned his attention to the kitchen area. By now, the noise had stopped and quiet once more reigned in the domicile.

  Herb glanced down at the hardwood floor and pointed toward a spot near his feet. Jason obliged him by redirecting the beam of his flashlight to the spot, but he saw nothing but dust on the floor. Then it occurred to him that that was what Herb wanted to see. If people or zombies were staying in the house, the dust would have been disturbed and there would be tracks indicating their presence. Jason knew it wasn’t conclusive enough to let down their guard, but it was a good sign. He also realized that if it wasn’t people or zombies they had heard, then it could be an animal.

  Herb pointed back into the kitchen, so Jason once more redirected the light back to that area. The two men advanced step by step cautiously. They stopped a couple of feet from the entrance to the room. Herb whispered instructions to Jason, and then he stepped out into the kitchen. Jason followed and trained his lights to the right as Herb had instructed. Neither man saw anything, but they did hear a skittering sound come from the vicinity of a set of kitchen cabinets to the left of a large stainless steel refrigerator sitting in the corner next to the wall.

  Both men knew that the sound was probably mice or rats. What they didn’t know was whether the animals were normal or anizombies. If they were the former, then they were harmless, but if they were the latter, then they could have a very big problem on their hands.

  Herb kept his eyes on the cabinet as he motioned for Jason to check the dining area and the room to the left of it. “Stay close,” he whispered quietly as Jason eased past him.

  Jason nodded his agreement with Herb’s instructions and moved on toward the dining area. Behind him, the scratching noises resumed at a more frenzied pace.

  A food preparation counter with a marble countertop was blocking Jason’s view of portions of the dining room. After he stepped around the counter, it only took him a moment to determine that the area was clear. He turned to the left and directed his light into a living room, which was also devoid of any threat to them.

  A loud thumping inside the cabinet prompted Herb to take a step back in anticipation of something emerging from the cupboard.

  Jason returned to Herb’s side and whispered, “What happened?”

  “Something in there hit the far right door,” Herb explained in a low tone of voice. “I saw it bounce a bit, but it didn’t open.”

  “How do you want to handle this?” Jason asked.

  Herb activated the safety on his M4 and slung the weapon over his shoulder. He drew his pistol, approached the door, and reached for it with his left hand. He paused with his fingers on the handle and waited as Jason adjusted his aim with the flashlight so that it would be centered on the opening. “I’m going to open it and take a step back. If it’s an anizombie I’ll kill it, but I want to make certain it is first. If it’s small enough, I’ll try stomping it.”

  Jason nodded his understanding. He knew Herb wouldn’t fire a shot if it could be avoided, because the noise of a weapon discharging would attract any zombies that might be in the area.

  “On three,” Herb said, and then he proceeded to do a countdown. When he reached the number three, he pulled the door open and stepped back. Jason’s light illuminated the interior of the cabinet and both men began to backpedal furiously. Herb saw a large, brown, ball of fur surging across the floor in his direction and reacted instinctively.

  ***

  Randy tried his best to see through the fog and growing darkness. It was so bad now that he could barely see the back door of the house. Nor could he see more than a few feet past the front and rear of the bus. Complicating matters was the fact that they were sitting still. Had the vehicle been in motion, there would be no need to guard against an approach from the rear. The fact that they weren’t moving meant that he did. The seat was designed to face forward. If he wanted to see behind them, he had to twist his upper body around so that he could observe that angle of approach. It was awkward and uncomfortable to do so, and he knew that firing from that position would be even more difficult.

  Randy sighed and gave up. Remaining topside was now untenable. At least if he were inside the bus, he and Ed could split the guard duty by one watching the front half and the other being stationed in the rear. He didn’t dare send Ed to the rear while Robert was inside the bus for fear that the boy might bolt for the door. He had been quiet throughout the afternoon, but Randy hadn’t forgotten that the young man had been taught by his father to trust no one. Those instructions could cause him to make a break for the door.

  Randy was descending in his chair when the back door opened and Herb came out, followed by Jason. Randy stopped the descent of his chair and reversed its direction. He brought his rifle to bear on the back door in order to cover the two team members who were retreating from the house. “Open the door!” he shouted down to Ed.

  “Whew! That was close!” Jason said as he sat down in the seat beside Randy’s chair.

  “What did you two find?” Ed asked.

  “A rat that must have weighed ten pounds, if not more,” Jason responded.

  “You’re kidding me,” Ed replied, thinking that Jason was making a joke at his expense.

  “Nope. It was so big Herb had to kick it away three times before he managed to get his knife free to stab it.”

  “Was it an anizombie?” Ed asked.

  “It’s hard to say for sure. It might have been, but you couldn’t tell by looking at it.”

  “It came at us like an anizombie,” Herb said with a shrug. “Of course, it could have just been starving and desperate for food. Besides, we surprised it and had it cornered in a cabinet.”

  “So are we going to move on to another location?” asked Ed.

  “No, we’re not moving tonight. It’s too late and the fog is goi
ng to kill visibility. It’s too dangerous to risk losing the bus,” Herb explained. “We can sleep in the bus, or go back inside and hope there was only one of those rats.”

  Herb was about to say more, but Ox got his attention when he walked over to the door and scratched at it. “Oh crap. Ox, you picked a hell of a time to need to take a walk.”

  “I can take the dogs,” Ed volunteered. “I could use a bathroom break myself.”

  “So could I,” Robert said quickly.

  “All right, grab the food pack. Jason, after everyone has a chance to use the bathroom, you lead them in the house. I’ll walk the dogs. I think it will be as safe in the house as it is out here anyway. The dogs can handle rats, and if anyone needs to use the bathroom tonight, they can use the toilet in the house. It won’t flush, but it beats walking around out here in the fog in the middle of the night,” Herb explained.

  “I can take a five gallon container of water inside to flush the toilet,” Randy suggested.

  “Bring the water, but we won’t waste it on the toilet,” Herb said. “We have no idea where we might be able to get more drinking water before we get back to the refuge.”

  The team ate a cold meal of canned green beans and potatoes. It was simple fare, but they didn’t dare open any of the cans of meat they’d brought along with them. Even a normal human could detect the aroma of meat dishes heating. Eating it cold would help, but even cold, it might attract zombies due to their keen sense of smell. Herb noted that Robert ate without complaint, but he ate mechanically, as if he had no appetite. “We’ll eat a lot better once we get back to the refuge,” he explained to the young man.

  “This is fine. Thank you for sharing with me,” Robert said. He added, “I know we have to watch what we eat or we’ll draw zombies. Dad worried about that a lot.”

  “He was a smart man,” Herb said.

  Robert lowered his gaze to his small, metal, plate and sniffed back a tear. He sat that way for a moment, just staring at his food, but then he began to eat again. Herb suspected that, after he’d lost his other relatives, his father had taught him to eat despite his emotions.

  Herb scheduled a rotating watch for the team. One man would remain on guard at all times while they were in the house. The man on watch would wake the others if he detected anything out of the ordinary. They would sleep in two of the bedrooms in the house. The dogs would sleep in the hallway that separated the bedrooms. The guard was to remain inside the home at all times.

  Randy reminded everyone to maintain noise and light discipline, so they wouldn’t attract the attention of anizombies, zombies, or other humans. They would use only low powered battery operated lamps that shed minimal light. They were little more than the typical nightlight. They were to keep conversations to low tones.

  After finishing their meals the group talked for a few minutes, and then split up and went to the bedrooms where they would sleep, leaving Herb to take the first watch.

  Herb moved through the hall quietly and turned left into the kitchen. He stopped to regard the cabinet he had opened earlier to reveal the rat. He listened intently, but heard none of the telltale sounds that had betrayed the presence of the rat. Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, he moved on through the house until he stood in the living room. The faint light from his lamp did little to illuminate the room. He couldn’t even distinguish the features of the people in the photographs that adorned the wall beside him.

  Herb turned to the front door and checked the lock to ensure that it was properly secured, and then he returned to the hallway. The two dogs lay resting where he had instructed them to stand guard. Sheba lifted her head at his approach, as did Ox, but when Ox recognized his friend and relaxed, Sheba followed suit.

  The doors to the bedrooms were open, and Herb looked in them to ensure that everything was as it should be with the others. He found them sleeping, so he backed out of the rooms quietly.

  When Herb’s shift at guard duty ended, he woke Randy to take the next rotation.

  “I take it there were no incidents,” Randy said as he joined Herb in the hall.

  “It has been quiet,” Herb confirmed. He then instructed Randy to stay in the hall and not to venture out into other areas of the house. “You could be in the living room while something breaks in back here,” he cautioned. “I already double checked the lock on the front door, so there’s no need for any of the others to have to do that. Let’s keep the guards close to the sleepers for the rest of the night.”

  “I’ll pass that along to Ed when I wake him,” Randy promised. “Get some sleep. You did all the driving today, so you’ve got to be worn out.”

  Herb nodded his agreement. He was too tired to reply. Instead, he headed for the bedroom and stretched out on his bedding that he had set up earlier. He didn’t think he’d be able to go to sleep on the hard floor for a while, but he was asleep in less than five minutes.

  Chapter 13

  Danger.

  Dana stretched and groaned as her stiff back muscles sent a dart of pain as a reminder that sleeping on the floor was never a good option for her. She heard voices coming from the next room and tried to listen in to see what they were saying, but the talking receded in the distance.

  Dana got to her feet as she heard someone unlocking the door from outside her room. When the door swung open, she saw Doctor Fielding standing in the threshold. “You’re free to go now,” he said without preamble, and then he turned to depart.

  “Just like that?” Dana asked. “No apology for throwing me in here last night? You’re not going to tell me what I need to do now?” she demanded as she headed toward the door.

  Raman Chandler stepped into view and said, “The doctor has to go release all my people who are still here. A couple of women are in the waiting room. They will show us to our trailers and brief us on how things work here.”

  “Well, good morning, handsome,” Dana said.

  “Good morning to you,” Raman said as he smiled at Dana. “So, will you be staying with me, or have you changed your mind overnight?”

  Dana stuck her head out into the hall to see who else might be near them. When she saw that they were alone, she took Raman by the hand and pulled him into the room with her. “That depends on you, lover boy,” she said coyly. “Do you still want me?”

  “Oh, I want you all right,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to his body.

  “I see you do at that,” Dana responded with a lascivious smile of anticipation as she felt his body reacting to her presence. “But I’m afraid there are a few conditions,” she added.

  “What conditions?” Raman asked with an annoyed expression on his face. “You didn’t say anything about conditions last night.”

  “Your men were with you. What I have to say is just between the two of us. At least for now.”

  “Okay. Say what you want to say,” he prompted her.

  “I think we should take over the leadership of this place.”

  Raman nodded in agreement. “You said that last night, and I told you I thought that was a good idea.”

  “Do you have enough men with you to pull it off?” Dana asked in a quiet voice.

  “You mean by force?” Raman asked.

  “Of course. Don’t be dense. Do you think they’d agree to just turn the place over to us?” Dana said impatiently.

  “No, I don’t have enough men for that, and the men I do have wouldn’t last more than a minute in a fight with these people. They are armed to the hilt with military grade weapons. Trying to take this place by force would just get us all killed,” Raman explained.

  “Okay, I trust your judgment on this. So in that case, are you willing to work toward undermining the leader here so we can get the people to call on us to lead them?”

  “Yeah, I’m up for that, assuming you can do most of what you talked about last night,” he replied pointedly as he pulled her body tighter against his to emphasize his point.

  “Oh, honey,” Dana sai
d with a wicked grin, “I can do it all.” She kissed Raman then, thrusting her tongue into the man’s mouth when he opened it slightly in surprise at her aggressive assault on his lips.

  “Then that being the case, I’m your man,” Raman pledged when she broke the kiss.

  “Not yet, but you will be soon,” Dana said with confidence.

  “Hey, Raman, you down there?” they heard Bernie shout down the hall.

  “We’d better go,” Dana said. “The sooner we get to the trailer, the sooner we can pick up where we left off just now,” she added.

  “That’s good, because I’m not accustomed to being teased.”

  “Don’t worry about that. I’m not accustomed to teasing men. When I go after one, it’s because I’ve decided to make him mine, and when I decide I want to get a man, he’s as good as mine,” Dana said, and then she stepped past him and entered the hall.

  Raman followed Dana out into the hallway and on toward the waiting room. They found the other residents of Hunter waiting for them, along with Erma Bennett and Amy Lions.

  “My name is Erma Bennett and this is Amy Lions,” Erma explained. “Our respective husbands lead the team that located you and escorted you back to the refuge. Now that we’re all here, we can proceed with decontamination, and then we’ll take you over to the trailers. Well, everyone except Dana Rainey,” Erma corrected.

  “Why can’t I go with them?!” Dana asked in a demanding tone of voice.

  “You’re scheduled for a follow up blood test,” Erma said after consulting her clipboard for the information.

  “Oh that,” Dana replied. “I’d forgotten all about that useless test.”

  Erma frowned in consternation. “I’d hardly call it useless. If there are traces of the parasite still in your bloodstream, then that means something went wrong with the injection of nanobots, which in turn means you are still at risk of being killed by the Akins’ parasites.”