Age of Decay (Book 1): Contagion

by Brian Lamacraft

  The dead on top of the man had shielded him from being eaten by the remainder of the ghouls that wandered around after the battle, but it didn’t matter, he was already dead. He would slowly turn and then, take his place among them.

  Trevor found it difficult to hold back the tears for the officer. He had battled hard, but in the end lost like so many on this horrific day. The dead would just keep coming and along with it, consume those that remained. “Hey what’s your name?” Trevor asked. He raised his Glock towards the man who coughed again in a fit, his skin turning gray as sweat poured down his cheeks.

  He coughed, chocking on his words. “Paul… It’s… Paul…”

  “Thanks for your service, Paul,” said Trevor as he pulled the trigger. The round slammed into his skull and sprayed the side of the vehicle in blood, ending the misery the officer was going through.

  Ian ran around to the side as he heard the shot. He put his hand on Trevor’s arm as the two of them stared at the officer slumped against the vehicle.

  “She’s right, you know,” said Trevor. He took off his hockey helmet wiping away the grime, sweat, and tears there. “Dammit, I’m sick of all this killing, too.”

  Chapter 15

  They found several decent weapons that they took from the dead ERT team members including a C8 carbine, two Heckler & Koch MP5A3s, as well as a couple of sidearms. Trevor and Jason replaced their hockey gear with ERT vests and helmets, which would offer more protection from bites. Inside the vehicle, Trevor picked up extra magazines of ammunition for the group. They were now fairly well-armed, but Trevor knew it just wouldn’t be enough. They needed to get to the other side of the city and make it through the towns there before they reached Hope, if they even made it that far, as society crumbled around them.

  They moved down the last leg of United Boulevard towards the Trans-Canada Highway, which would get them onto the bridge and across to the other side. The Boulevard was crammed with cars, all trying to flee the city just like Trevor and his family. They made their way onto the highway and could see the bridge in the distance. In the air, they noticed several helicopters, as well as columns of thick black smoke near the bridge from burning vehicles. They passed several of the dead as they made their way down the highway, but these weren’t a problem for them. They either ran ahead and ignored them or quickly dispatched the slow-moving ghouls. The road ahead was tightly packed with vehicles, so they had to stay near the side to get by.

  Trevor adjusted the strap on his helmet. “The bridge is just up ahead about a couple of miles or so. Everyone stay close. Looks like everyone is trying to do the same thing we are, so keep your eyes open.”

  Ahead, they saw movement—up about 200 yards. Trevor raised his MP5A3, then he heard the scream of a female. They moved closer until Trevor motioned for them to hold their position. They saw two men holding down the woman. One of them held her head down with a well-muscled arm, while the other one stood behind her, his pants down as he pounded hard into her.

  “Yeah, give it to her!” said the main holding the woman down. “Hurry up, when is it my turn?” He slapped the woman in the head. “Shut up, bitch, you’ll bring those things over here!”

  Trevor moved behind a car near them. The men were preoccupied and didn’t see him sneaking up towards them. He raised the rifle and took aim. “That’s enough. Let her go!”

  “Hey, mister.” The man kneeling down got up in a hurry. “We were just having a little fun, it’s the end of the world!”

  “Not on my watch,” said Trevor. “You behind her, best zip it up, or I’ll blow the fucking thing off.”

  The other man had raised his hands about halfway, but Trevor noticed the black handle he had tucked into his waistband. The man made a move for the pistol, but it was the wrong one. He barely got his hand over it when Trevor hit him with three rounds from his rifle. They slammed into the man’s chest, and he tumbled backwards.

  “Get ‘em up, or you’ll end up like your buddy there.” Trevor pulled the half-naked man backwards as Lauren ran up to the woman who was slowly getting up off the ground.

  The woman wore a ripped hospital nurse’s uniform. She wiped blood away from her mouth and rubbed a red mark around her chin where one of the men had hit her. She made no effort to conceal her body as she moved over to the man beside Trevor. She slammed her foot into his balls twice. The man cried out in pain and doubled over.

  Trevor made no effort to help him, but he did smile. “Nice kick.”

  “Thanks.” She nodded over at Lauren. “I don’t suppose you have any spare clothes in that pack of yours, there?”

  “Yeah, I think I have something that just may fit.”

  “Tough lass,” Ian said to Trevor in a whisper.

  Lauren brought out a pair of jeans along with a sweatshirt and a pair of underwear. The woman was smaller than Lauren, but the clothes would at least fit for the time being. She pulled the sweatshirt on and flung her light, long brown hair back. She went back over to the man who was bent over holding his balls with his hand.

  “Fucking bitch!” he moaned.

  “Oh, your troubles are just beginning, buddy,” she said. She looked over at Trevor. “You got a knife or something I can cut with?”

  “Yeah, sure.” He handed her his hunting knife.

  Jason stood near the man laughing at him, his shotgun pointed at the man’s chest. “I think you’re in for a bad day.”

  “Pull off the jeans,” she told him.

  “What?”

  Jason pointed the shotgun. “Do as she says.”

  The man took his shoes off and removed his jeans. The woman cut off strips of fabric from her uniform as well as the man’s jeans. She picked up the pistol the other man had been carrying and pointed it at his head. “Get your naked ass and that sad little dick of yours over to that car over there.”

  Trevor stood back and let the woman do whatever she was going to do. It was clear she meant business and knew how to use the pistol. She opened the door of the car and gestured for him to get inside. The man hobbled over to the car and sat down in the seat. The woman put the pistol up against his chin then yanked his hair back. Trevor simply watched as she took the pistol and slammed the handle into his nose, sending blood streaming down his face.

  “What the fuck!” he screamed.

  “Way I figure,” she said. “Your buddy there is going to get up real soon. When he does, he’s going to be hungry.” She took the strips of cloth and wrapped them around his hands, trying him to the steering wheel. She made sure everything was nice and tight. “The blood will attract him.”

  “Shit!” He tried to work his hands free, but it was no use. She had tied him tightly to the steering wheel. “Can’t leave me here!”

  She stood back and raised the pistol. “Maybe you should have thought about that before you raped me.” She fired the gun into his knee which sprayed blood over the front seat. Now you can’t hurt anyone, ever again.

  He howled in pain. “Fucking Christ!”

  She pointed towards his friend lying in the grass, the friend that would rise. “God won’t judge you,” she said. “He will.”

  “Best we move away from here,” said Trevor. “You’re welcome to come with us. We are trying to get across the Port Mann.”

  “Sure. The traffic got thick a couple of miles back. I ran for my life until I ran into these two. Things are going to shit fast, was following the crowds headed for the bridge.”

  “Glad we could help,” said Trevor.

  They walked further away from the two men. “Not sure I would’ve handled it the way you did,” said Lauren.

  “Just how would you handle it?” said the woman. “Not every day you get raped when the world is coming apart now, is it? Might be my own brand of justice, but its justice for me.”

  “Yeah,” said Trevor. “Gone to hell is right.”

  “He’s still human,” said Lauren.

  “No,” said the woman. “That’s where you are wrong. He was n
ever human. Guys like that are just waiting for Armageddon. The breakdown of society so they could do every sick thing imaginable. It’s only going to get worse.”

  “There are those that want to go on living and those that want to take advantage of the situation. Between that situation, the dead,” said Trevor.

  “Yeah, the hard part will be figuring out who to trust,” said the woman. She looked at the group of them and laughed. “What are you guys supposed to be anyways, the keystone cops and the hockey rejects?”

  Trevor tapped his vest. “Protection from the bites. I’m Trevor, that’s my wife Lauren.” He pointed his son. “That’s my son Jason.”

  Ian came up to her. “Ian, lass. The little girl is Samantha.”

  The woman nodded. ‘Well, nice to meet you all, my name is Erica. I suppose I’m with you now. I want to get out of the city as much as you do. The day hasn’t turned out well for any of us.”

  “What hospital were you working at?” asked Trevor.

  “VGH, before it all went to hell this morning. Damn flu patients just got up then attacked everyone. Two cops helped us escape, but they died in the hospital. Made it to my car, but a group of those things killed my friend. It’s crazy where I came from. Damn lucky just to make it this far. I saw a lot of others that didn’t.”

  “I’m sorry,” said Lauren. “We lost our next door neighbors. Samantha there lost both her parents.”

  “Yeah,” said Erica. “These things, or whatever they are, don’t discriminate. Saw a nurse get a bite and shortly later she turned into one of these things. That means if anyone of us gets bitten, it’s all over for us.”

  “We need to make a pact that if anyone in this group gets bitten, we have to do the right thing,” Trevor indicated.

  “No!” said Lauren. “I won’t have you killing my son or that little girl! Dammit, there has to be some sort of cure for this.”

  “Hon, it would be no use. Do you want to watch our son turn into one of those things?”

  “I… just want this to end.” Lauren walked off and went over to her son who was walking with Samantha.

  “Sorry, she’s taking this rough,” said Trevor. “I worry about her, that maybe she isn’t strong enough. Damn, I don’t know if I am!”

  “We all just have to carry on, do the best we can,” said Erica as she adjusted her sweater.

  Trevor took the C-8 carbine off his shoulder. “You seem to be good with a pistol, maybe you could use this.” He handed her the weapon along with a couple of spare magazines.

  “Thanks.”

  “Hopefully we can pick up some more ammunition along the way. I have a feeling we’re going to be needing it in the near future.”

  “Yeah,” said Erica. “I want to thank you for what you did back there. Those guys would’ve killed me if you hadn’t passed by.”

  “It’s okay, any other guy would’ve done the same thing.”

  Erica slung the weapon over her shoulder. “Don’t be too sure of that.”

  Trevor could see the bridge in the distance now. There was plenty of activity near it as another helicopter flew overhead. The smell of smoke was thick in the air as vehicles burned. “Looks like there’s something going on at the bridge. I better check on my wife.”

  “Sure.”

  Trevor reached his wife up ahead who walked with Ian and the two kids. Lauren seemed distant, and she didn’t turn to him when he arrived. She walked faster ahead of them, leaving Trevor with the others.

  “What’s with her?” Trevor asked Ian.

  “See’s you talking with that other woman, lad.”

  “Just trying to get to know her, is all.”

  “Jealousy, lad.”

  “Well, there’s nothing to be jealous about.”

  “Hey, I like her,” said Jason. “She’s tough, not like Mom.”

  Trevor stopped in his tracks. “Don’t you talk about your mother like that! I don’t want to hear that type of talk from you, understood?”

  “Yeah, whatever. I’ll be at the back with Erica.” All hail our fearless leader, my dad!

  Trevor turned to Ian. “What’s going on here?”

  “Sorry, lad, you’ll have to work this all out between yourselves. I won’t interfere, it’s not my place. But if ya want my opinion, go to your wife. She needs ya now more than ever.”

  “Maybe you’re right, thanks.” Trevor went into a jog to catch up with his wife who was about a hundred yards ahead of them.

  “Hey, hon, slow down it’s not safe.”

  Lauren turned to him as he approached. “What do you want? I thought you were talking with Erica back there. I wouldn’t want you to miss anything important.” She pretty, isn’t she Trevor?

  Trevor put his hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. “Hon, I love you, I always have. Nothing can take that away, not anyone. Do you understand?”

  Lauren removed her helmet and wiped her eyes. “I… needed to hear that. There’s so much that has gone on. All of this, what is the future for us?”

  “Don’t know that yet. I’m just focused on getting out of this city.” Trevor put his arm around her. “It’s going to be fine, we’ll all get through this.”

  He looked towards the bridge in the distance and watched the helicopter buzz overhead. The bridge seemed like where all the action was, and that is where he intended to go. He didn’t know what he would find there, but it was all he had to go on. Get out of the city, and save his family from the chaos and the death. They weaved their way through the masses of cars, debris, and garbage littering the highway. In the near distance, they began to see groups of people moving towards the bridge like they were. Some carried a bag over their shoulders or cradled an infant.

  “Lad,” said Ian. “Look ahead. Seems others have the same idea we do.”

  Trevor checked his weapon. “All I know is we came this far. Time to get the hell out of this city.” He stopped and looked at the group. “Everyone, let’s stick together here. I don’t know what we are going to find up ahead. We need to be ready for anything.” They approached the bridge together and like many others on this grim day, searched for answers as to what had happened to the world in such a short time. They were together, but ahead, dark clouds of uncertainty awaited them.

  Erica turned and smiled as she heard the scream. Justice had been served.

  Chapter 16

  As they got closer to the bridge, the scene became quite apparent. People were struggling to make it to the front of the line, but they were all bunched together. The voices around them buzzed in Trevor’s ears. He could see the terror in their eyes. Some sobbed uncontrollably, while others had a glazed look on their faces. Others clung to cellphones and nervously tried to dial numbers as they pushed through the crowds. A man sat on the side by a car, his head bleeding from an open wound, his eyes emotionless. Another body lay face up, a huge bullet hole in the top of the woman’s head. They moved through the crowds the best they could, but it was slow going.

  “Steve!” screamed a woman. “Where are you?”

  A man grabbed a hold of Trevor’s arm. His eyes were bloodshot, and his breath reeked of rum. “It’s the end, you know. Those things are everywhere. Saw one rip out the throat of my neighbor. It almost got me, too.” He babbled on for a few more minutes before wandering off behind Trevor. The crowd looked up as a helicopter went overhead towards the other side of the bridge. In the distance, they heard the low thump of an explosion.

  “There,” said Erica. “Flashing police lights. Looks like they are blocking the bridge.”

  “Yeah,” replied Trevor. “Look, we have to get to the front of this group.”

  A high pitched scream broke through their conversation. Trevor turned around and several feet behind him saw a man stagger around, flailing his arms at another woman. He lunged for her then bit into her neck sending blood fountaining out of the wound. The crowd around him dispersed and ran in all directions.

  Trevor pushed someone out of his way and leveled
his rifle towards the man. “Get out of the way!” He fired three rounds into the man’s chest and head. He pitched backwards as the bullets hit him and toppled over. The remains of his head splattered against the side of a car. At the front, people surged forward away from stricken woman. One man tried to help her by putting his jacket over the wound. Jason pushed him out of the way and fired point blank into her head which erupted in gore.

  “Why the hell did you do that?” cursed the man. “I was trying to save her!”

  “She would’ve change into one of those.” He pointed to the corpse on the ground. “Bites infect you, there’s no cure.”

  Another woman collapsed to her knees and began coughing up blood. “Please," she moaned. “Help me… so sick...”

  Trevor put his hand on his son’s shoulder. “Come on, we have to get to the front.” He pulled out his revolver and pointed it to the woman’s head before squeezing the trigger, ending her misery.

  A pistol shot rang out behind them, and a man screamed. Some of the crowd around them took off in the opposite direction trying to flee, while others, including Trevor’s group, surged forward towards the beginning of the bridge. Lauren clung to Trevor’s arm while Jason held onto Samantha. Many officers, as well as riot police, were there with a barricade across the entire road, blocking access to the bridge. The men brandished batons and rifles.

  “Looks like they aren’t letting people cross,” said Erica.

  They worked their way through the frenzied crowd, which thickened as they reached the barricades up closer to the main bridge entrance. Overhead, choppers droned steadily. People were pushing and shoving on the fence as officers stood behind the barricades, their rifles at the ready. Another line of riot police stood behind them with shields and batons, but even these troops looked uneasy. This wasn’t a riot, it was a flight for one’s very survival.

  “Get back,” blared the blow horn from the chopper.

  “Let us through,” screamed a man. He shoved on the fence like a madman, then coughed violently before spitting out blood.