After Everything Else (Book 1): Creeper Rise

by Brett D. Houser

  Chapter 29 – Marilyn

  She didn’t want to cry in front of Chase. It seemed to her in this new world, this world after everything else she knew had disappeared, a certain toughness was necessary, and crying played no part in that. After crying though, she realized that she did feel better. There was something about just letting it out that allowed her to let new hope in, allowed her to look at things differently. Maybe crying wasn’t such a bad thing. Still, she wished she wasn’t crying in front of Chase.

  As she gained control of herself, almost laughing at Chase’s awkward arm-pats and one-armed hug, she stepped back. “Now what?”

  “I think we have to act like they expect us to act,” Chase said, looking relieved to be back to something he understood. “We can’t look like we’re giving up on her, like we’re just ‘oh, well.’”

  “So what does that mean?” She didn’t really understand.

  “Well, one of us has to act a little crazy about the situation.”

  “Oh. You mean like I just did.” Marilyn tried to look Chase directly in the face, but Chase looked away. What was he embarrassed about?

  “Yeah. Listen, I feel the same way. I don’t show it, but I’m scared to death for Sonya. And us.”

  Marilyn nodded. “So, I act all crazy about the whole deal. Then what?”

  “Then I’m the sane, rational one that calms you down. I talk you into settling down for the night, I make promises about looking tomorrow. I’m sure they’ll be okay with that. Then, we figure out how to get out of here.” Chase gestured toward the garage. “I want to take the Suburban, if we can. I could just start it up, crash the gate. I think it would take it down. But it might not, and even if it did, it might be damaged so bad we couldn’t go anywhere. We have to figure out how to get the gate open.”

  “I’ve watched Tracey. I know how to open it from in the gatehouse. So you meet me there and we take off to go find Sonya. But what happens after that?”

  “Then they might come after us. We have to stop that from happening. We have to have a better plan. So this is what we do.” Marilyn watched Chase’s face as he continued speaking, carefully laying out a plan, evaluating each outcome of each action and offering alternatives in the event of unforeseen difficulties. She admired all the things he considered in his plan, how well it was coming together as she watched and listened. There had been times when she wasn’t sure about him, about his role as leader. Why should he be in charge? Because he was the guy? It had seemed that way at first, but now she knew the real reason. I was because he was one of those people. The people who could anticipate, and understand, and figure out. She hoped it was enough.

  “But she’s just a little girl!” Marilyn tried to tap into the feelings that had been there before, but the results were weaker. She found the tears, but not the sobs. Chase played his role much better this time, though. He gave her a firm hug, and turned her around to look into his eyes.

  Calmly, he said, “We’ll find her, Marilyn. First thing in the morning we’ll go out.”

  “She’ll be out there all night by herself!” From the corner of her eye, she watched Tracy pause in her trip from the kitchen to the dining room table. She stood there, holding something in her hands. Tracy turned slightly and Marilyn saw it was home-made rolls. Tracy moved again, put the rolls on the table, and returned to the kitchen.

  “She’s been out all night alone before, Marilyn,” Chase said. His gaze was pulled from her face, and a heartbeat later Marilyn heard the Chief’s bedroom door close and lock.

  “Marilyn,” the Chief began, “I understand you’re upset. We’re all upset about Sonya.” Marilyn hoped she didn’t sound as phony in her role as the Chief sounded in his. “We will find her, I’m sure. When we do, we’ll make sure she feels welcome and wanted. But there is nothing to be done about it tonight. In the morning, we’ll send Sparky one way; Chase and I will go another. We’ll find her.”

  Marilyn prepared herself for the next bit. She turned to face the Chief. “Thank you, sir. I feel better knowing everyone will be looking for her. But with the creepers, um, remnants out in force…it could be bad. I know we’ll do our best, but so many things could happen….”

  He stepped closer, put his hand on her shoulder. Despite what Marilyn suspected this man to have done, she forced herself to look into his face, to maintain a hopeful expression. She glanced toward the dining area as Tracy stepped back into the room from the kitchen but then locked eyes with the Chief again. “Yes, so many things could have happened. You have to be ready for that. But just one night is not much. She should be fine. We’ll find her, holed up in some wreck along the highway in the morning. And we’ll bring her back. Then what? Do you think she’ll run away again?”

  Marilyn considered this. What was her next line? That she would leave with Sonya? That she would talk Sonya into staying. She decided. She broke into real tears of frustration. “I just don’t know. I haven’t thought that far. I just want her to be all right. She’s just a little….” And she let the sobs come. The Chief stepped back, as confused about what to do as Chase had been earlier. Marilyn felt Chase’s arm around her again, and she turned into him, put her face into his shoulder. He held her until she “calmed down,” and then she excused herself to the restroom to clean up. As she walked past Tracy, she felt Tracy’s cold, emotionless stare. Tracy’s face gave away nothing, but Marilyn noticed the knuckles of the hand in which she held the evening meal’s silverware were white.

  After dinner, she helped clear again. Tracy wasn’t nearly as talkative as she had been. Marilyn wondered if it had more to do with Sonya or the way Chase had “comforted” her. Either way, it made things easier. If she didn’t have to talk, she didn’t have to act or wonder what her next line was. Instead, she just tried to look worried. She didn’t have to try hard. She was worried. She was less worried about Sonya and the creepers than she was about what these people might have done with Sonya. If Sonya had gone on her own, she had Honey. But Marilyn simply did not trust these people.

  When they finished clearing, they returned to the living room. It was empty. Marilyn assumed Chase and the Chief were on the fence, watching for creepers. Tracy announced she was going to shower, so Marilyn sat alone. She stood up to search around the big room for anything that might indicate where Sonya might be, but before she could begin her search, the door opened and Sparky entered. She froze. Usually, in Main Quarters, Sparky kept a low profile. He came in, he ate, and he left, rarely saying anything. This time was different. He looked directly at Marilyn. Marilyn had read lots of books in which characters often leered, and she had always wondered how that had looked. She now knew exactly what that meant. Sparky was smiling at her, a terrible, knowing look on his face. He disappeared into the kitchen. When he came back out, she saw he had a plastic food container in one hand. In the other he was holding a fried chicken leg left over from supper.

  “So the little bird flew the coop.” He took a bite from the leg, the deep fried skin tearing and crunching. “I wonder where she is. Do you think she got far? Do you think the rotters are chewing on her somewhere? Do you think she’s walking back this way, her black tongue hanging out of her mouth?” He chewed and swallowed.

  Marilyn couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. She had never known anyone to talk like this, to be this mean. She was shocked, but she was also a little curious. How much would he say? What did he know? She allowed tears to come to her eyes. She was almost too angry to cry, but she let them come. He wanted to hurt her. She would give him a little of what he wanted in hopes that he would let something slip. “Shut up, Sparky. She’s not dead. She’s somewhere, and she’s okay.”

  He laughed cruelly. “You’re probably right. In fact, I bet you are right. At least about her not being dead. And about her being somewhere. She might even be okay. But she probably won’t stay that way for long. No, I’d say she probably won’t stay that way for very long at all. When the sun gets hot tomorrow, I bet she’s not okay at all.” Marily
n felt her anger rising above her fear and above her good sense. She was about to speak when the door opened and the Chief walked in. He glanced at Marilyn, then stopped and stared at Sparky with a look of disapproval until Sparky walked out the door. When he left, the Chief turned and went to his room at the end of the hallway. The double clunk of the door and the sound of the lock left Marilyn alone in the big front room, trying to understand the information that Sparky had given her, and wondering if she would be able to pull off the next part of the plan.

  Chapter 30 – Chase

  When Sparky returned from Main Quarters, Chase thought he looked guiltier than usual. Chase had noticed over the last few days that Sparky always had a guilty look. He seemed to slink around the edges of any scene, a bystander, a hyena to the Chief’s lion. But Chase had seen enough nature shows on Animal Planet to know that even hyenas could be dangerous. He knew that if he went after Sparky directly, the chance that he and Marilyn would get away clean without an alarm was pretty slim. He just hoped that Marilyn could handle her part in the plan.

  As they sat on the gatehouse, Sparky wasn’t as full of his usual chatter. They sat at opposite ends of the building, looking out into the fading light. Sparky held his walkie-talkie close. On previous nights he had even forgotten it and been chewed out by the Chief as a result. The threats the Chief had made must have had an effect, because he was not even putting it down, cradling it close.

  In the valley, darkness fell quickly as the sun set behind the western hill, but shortly afterward a fat full moon rose on the horizon. “Full moon. Make the creepers easier to see,” Chase offered. Usually all Sparky needed was an opener and he would start talking almost non-stop, passing the time. Tonight, he only grunted in answer.

  The silence wore on Chase. He had hated the way Sparky went on and on. The night before Chase had fought to just get a word or two in. He didn’t mind not being the only one talking, but he wished it was someone else talking about something else besides cars, guns, and girls. According to Sparky, he was an expert on all three. Chase didn’t know much about cars or guns, but he was pretty sure that Sparky didn’t know any more about girls than any other guy. Based on some of the things he had said, Chase would guess that he knew even less than most other guys. At least less than he did, anyway. Chase knew enough to know he didn’t know much. Sparky seemed to think that he had them all figured out.

  Tonight Sparky was silent, though. He was quiet in a way that made Chase wonder not only what had happened to Sonya, but if there was something else, too. He wondered and worried for a long time. He had told Marilyn to wait until Tracy and the Chief went to sleep. The way the night was dragging my, he speculated that everyone had decided to stay up all night. When he finally heard the door on Main Quarters open, he felt himself both relax and tense in readiness. The waiting was over. Things were going to start happening.

  Sparky didn’t react to the sound of the door. He may not have heard it. Chase had been listening for it, so it had seemed very loud. But Sparky couldn’t miss the sound of the gatehouse door, or the knock on the trapdoor. He looked at Chase, who shrugged like he had no idea what was going on. Sparky stood and pulled the door up. Chase couldn’t see down into the opening, but he knew that Marilyn was down there, gesturing Sparky to come down. Sparky looked at Chase again. Chase simply stared back. A wave of relief washed through him when Sparky began climbing down the ladder. Even better, Sparky left the walkie-talkie on the roof as he climbed down. Once Sparky was out of sight and the trap door pulled closed, Chase stood and slung his rifle across his back. He carried the two cans of ammo they had on the roof to the edge facing the compound and dropped them over as quietly as he could, which wasn’t very. He cringed as each hit the ground, but Marilyn must have had Sparky’s attention because no one came out of the gatehouse door. He scanned the moon-lit roof, spotted the walkie-talkie. He grabbed it and slung it over his shoulder by the long strap. Then he lowered himself over the side and dropped to the ground. He found the short shovel he had left beside the gatehouse earlier and wedged it under the door knob so the door couldn’t be opened from the inside. He could hear Sparky and Marilyn’s voices inside. He had to hurry.

  He ran to the shop building, carrying the ammo. He threw the cans, his rifle, and the walkie-talkie in the Suburban. Then, in a frenzy, he worked to open the hoods of first the Chief’s vehicle and then Sparky’s truck. In all the old books he read, the hero (or villain) pulled the distributor cap, but he had no idea what that was. Instead, he pulled any wire he could find and a few hoses as well. To be assured the vehicles were disabled, he grabbed a knife from Sparky’s sleeping area (he seemed to have a hundred knives and hand-weapons there) and cut more hoses and wires. He grabbed all the weapons in the shop, including Sparky’s hideout pistol from under his pillow, and all ammunition he could find. He then turned off the lights and opened the big sliding door. In the Suburban he turned the key to the accessorial position and put it into neutral. For one panicky second he was afraid he wasn’t going to be strong enough to push it out backwards, but after pushing it first forward until he was almost to the wall and then getting momentum going, he at last got it up over the lip of the entrance and onto the slight decline into the yard where he was able to jump in and let it roll, cutting the wheel so that the Suburban was parallel to the gate and a few yards back. He was uncomfortably close to Main Quarters. He could only hope that the Chief or Tracy wouldn’t feel the need to step out for air.

  A light came on over the gate, and it started opening. A moment later, the trap door on the roof opened. In the moonlight he could see Marilyn’s blond hair. She reached down, and a rifle was handed up to her. She pointed the rifle back down into the hole and kicked the trap door closed and knelt. Chase knew she was securing the exterior sliding-bolt lock. Chase started the Suburban and, pulling forward, cut the wheel hard to make the opening. As he pulled up next to the gatehouse, there was a thud and a clatter on the roof of the Suburban. He was afraid it might cave in, but it held. Marilyn had dropped on the roof. He turned on his lights and pushed the accelerator to the floor. The Suburban jumped forward, out the gate, into the surrounding night. The plan had been for Marilyn to ride the roof until they reached the cover of the trees, but there, ahead of them in the field, was the first problem in the plan.

  He slammed on the brakes as he spotted a wall of creepers descending the rutted driveway toward the creek. There was no way he could cross the creek and take on all those bodies in the Suburban. He rolled down his window. “Marilyn, get in now. Things have changed. Time to go to plan B,” He shouted.

  “What’s plan B?” Marilyn shouted back as she slipped down onto the hood and dropped to the ground. She sprinted to the passenger door and climbed in.

  He looked at her and shrugged. “I don’t know. But going up that driveway is out of the question.”

  Gunfire erupted behind them. Chase stomped the accelerator and cut the wheel to the right. He was sure he heard a bullet hit the Suburban, but he had no idea where. His sweeping headlights caught the twin ruts of the path that led to the barn. There were no creepers in that direction, so he went that way. He had never crossed the creek on this trail, but there was no way he was slowing down. There was a considerable drop when they hit the water, but the Suburban shook off the impact and crawled up the other bank. Another series of shots rang out, but Chase couldn’t tell if they were still being shot at or if the shooter behind them had turned the weapon on the advancing creepers. He slowed down a little as the Suburban bounced in the ruts going up the hill to the barn and he felt himself on the edge of losing control of the vehicle. At last the ground leveled off and they approached the barn. The ground was open and clear around it, so he pulled to the side opposite the compound, out of view and into the shadow. He killed the lights and turned off the engine. He turned to Marilyn in the darkness. He could barely pick her shape. “Plan B worked so far. Now what?”

  “Find Sonya.”

  Chase sat. Of course.
But as the adrenaline wore off, he felt so tired. If this had been a football game, he would have been allowed to rest when the field goal kicker came on and then special teams, and then the defense. He had just finished an exhausting drive, goal line to goal line. When would he be allowed to rest? And then he thought of Sonya.

  He thought of her, somehow both tough and vulnerable at the same time. He had known from looking at her the first time that she would be able to stand up to anything life threw at her. She’s been through it. But there was still vulnerability there. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel any more. Things hurt her. She was just tough enough to deal with them and keep going. And that made him want to protect her all the more. She had been hurt enough.

  “Okay,” he said. “Plan B, part two. Get to the road. We drive south. I want to be at least an hour south of here, heading toward Florida, when the Chief and his funky fun bunch start looking for us. It’s going to be a long night, though. We drive slow. If Sonya did leave on her own, she might still be on foot. She’ll hear us. If we don’t find her tonight, in the morning we work on a fresh plan to double back and look around the compound. We’ll watch, and see what they do.” In the darkness, he could sense Marilyn looking at him, but he didn’t turn toward her. His plan wasn’t perfect. In fact, he wasn’t sure he liked it at all. But it was what he had.

  “Okay,” Marilyn said. “But I still wonder if they have her. I don’t think she was in the compound. We looked all over that place. But we didn’t look in the barn here. When I suggested it, Tracey changed the subject. She said there was nothing up here at all. But I didn’t believe her when she said it. She’s not a good liar.Let’s check out the barn first.”

  Chase was torn. If the barn turned out to be a bust, they would have wasted time, given the Chief more time to fix the sabotaged vehicles and catch up with them. Then again, he thought, that was a lot of creepers coming down the drive. That should keep them busy for a bit. Marilyn was right. Sonya could be in the barn. And he had wondered what was in here the whole time they had been at the compound. No one had ever mentioned it. They seemed to avoid the subject. “Grab a flashlight and one of the rifles,” he told Marilyn. “We’re going to check it out.”