by Joseph Zuko
Last year everything changed for Cane. His Mom lost her fight with cancer and left him a pile of cash, which allowed him to start his own landscaping company. New clients with new projects kept it interesting. When he got tired of planting trees he laid bark dust. His customers didn’t seem to notice or care if the job was done on time and under budget. Plus, he loved the physical activity. He was forty-five, had a six pack and didn’t pay for a gym membership.
Cane set his clipboard on the table and headed for the newcomers setting up shop in the south wing. He was a social butterfly and it had been a full ten minutes since he talked to someone. He was long past due for a conversation.
Cane wound through the maze of people and headed for the office he had offered to Brother Paul. The door was open and a woman was busy applying bandages to a man’s hand. Another gentleman sat in the corner, his nose buried in a Bible.
Cane knocked at the door frame. “How’s everyone settling in?”
The woman stayed on task and finished securing the gauze to the man’s fist. Without looking up she said, “Fine.”
The man with the Bible hopped from his chair and offered his hand to Cane. “Hello, I’m Pastor Michael Caruthers and this is Doctor Lindsey Bryant.”
“Howdy, I’m Cane. Where’s the Brother Paul guy, I thought he was going to take this office?”
Michael’s smile remained pleasant, but Cane picked up some resentment in his eye at the mention of Paul.
“I’m not sure where Brother Paul is.” Michael released his hand and asked, “Are you a member of this church?”
“Nope, I’m not locked down to any one God in particular, but with the state of things I could be looking to convert.” Cane let out a hardy laugh. “A doctor, ah? You’re a good person to have on hand in a time like this. Hey, I’ve got a couple of people with some cuts and injuries. We taped them up the best we could, but I bet they would like a second opinion. You mind if I send them your way?”
Lindsey secured a length of tape and spoke to her patient. “Keep it clean and see me in two days for a fresh bandage.”
“Thanks Doc,” said the man as he got to his feet and left the office.
Doctor Bryant snapped off her rubber gloves and extended her hand. She shook Cane’s hand and said, “We are low on medical supplies, but I’ll do the best we can. You’re in charge?”
The condescension was slight, but Cane caught it. He didn’t let it phase him. In fact, he smiled even brighter as he explained. “We didn’t cast a vote or nothing, but yeah, I’m in charge. Most of us were camping at Battle Ground Lake when things went sideways. I was the first person to put down a ‘Snapper’. I knew about this building and I suggested we ride out the insanity here. People kept coming to me with questions and wanting my help. I stepped up when no one else wanted the job, you know what I mean?” Cane chuckled hard. “I’ll have some people bring what we’ve found in the rig so far. You won’t be able to perform brain surgery with any of it, but minor first aid needs and such would be covered.”
Cane could tell his down-home charm was wasted on these two, so he wrapped it up.
“If you need anything, just let me know. Welcome to the neighborhood.” He gave them a wave and headed for the next room.
He whispered under his breath, “Those tight asses need to get laid.”
A loud ruckus came from the next room. Cane paused and peeked inside the children’s area. Little ones were having a fantastic time discovering new toys and letting off some steam. Their parents were taking the time to play and give affection. The last day had been a challenge for Cane. He couldn’t imagine having to care for a child on top of everything else.
Seeing this room full of love filled his heart with delight. It was almost like nothing crazy was happening beyond the fence. Almost.
Cane kept moving. In the next room he discovered a gentleman sitting behind a laptop, typing feverishly at the keys. His thick glasses reminded Cane of the magnifying glass he used to burn his customer’s names into planks of lumber. He finished the project with wood stain, a high gloss coat and hung them in their newly designed yards.
Cane knocked at the door frame and said, “Hey there Hoss, you trying to get your taxes in on time?”
The man behind the computer looked up from his work with a bewildered expression. “I’m recording our experience and gathering information.”
“On what, exactly?” asked Cane as he entered the room.
“I’m trying to find signs of any form of government before the network shuts down.”
“I’m not trying to get political or nothing, but if this mess is everywhere, I’m guessing the government is toast. They generally fumble the handling of natural disasters. How the hell are they going to fight a war like this? I’m Cane by the way.” He extended his hand.
“Scott,” he said as he gave Cane’s hand a firm shake.
“Hey Scott, you say you’re recording your experience. Like you’re writing a novel?”
Scott took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Not really. More of a record.”
“That’s too bad, because this would make one hell of a horror novel. Hey, do you know where that feller, Brother Paul is hiding? I wanted to get his opinion on how we can beef up our defenses.”
“He gathered a team to find one of our missing members,” said Scott as he set his glasses on the bridge of his nose.
“He went back out there? Shoot he’s either brave or foolish.” Cane took a seat on the table next to Scott.
“We sent some people out this morning. They were supposed to search the homes in the area. See if they could find an abandoned one and bring us back any food they might find. It’s been hours and they haven’t come back. I’m thinking they may have been gobbled up by some Snappers.”
“Snappers?” asked Scott.
“That’s what we call them. What do ya‘ll call these things?” Cane dug some dirt from under his fingernail.
“They’re infected people.”
“But they snap their teeth. Have you seen one up close yet?
“Unfortunately, I have.” Scott resumed his work.
Cane sensed he was pestering the man and jumped from the desk. “When Brother Paul shows up, ask him to find me, okay?”
“Sure.”
Cane left the office, headed for the great hall and moved toward the main exit. People were bringing in boxes and stacking them at the rear of the room.
Cane paused and said to a group, “Anything medical you find, take to the Doc in the office at the south wing.”
They gave him a thumbs up and kept working.
Cane left the building and stepped into the late afternoon sun. His skin soaked in rays of sunshine as he looked to the bright blue sky.
Screeching tires grabbed his attention. On the highway, heading for the gate, was the rig that left this morning to find food. It turned into the driveway and waited for the gate to open.
Cane got his legs moving and jogged that direction.
It was a white SUV and the front end was covered in gore. The bumper and grille were smashed in and steam spewed from under the hood.
The guards opened the gate and let the vehicle enter.
The SUV pulled to the center of the lot. The side of the rig was also covered in blood and a window was blown out. Cane picked up the pace when the door opened and a woman fell to the black top. Her clothes were torn and stained dark red. Her blonde hair was streaked with crimson.
Cane shouted, “Everyone, stay back!” as he raced to her side.
A crowd of people gathered around her and someone handed Cane his axe. He took it and motioned to everyone. “Give me some room, people!”
Cane took a knee a few feet from the woman. He clutched the axe, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. Calmly he said, “Amanda?”
She looked at him. Cane jumped out of his skin when he saw her one pitch black eyeball.
“Son-of-a-bitch, what the hell happened to you?” uttered Cane.
&nb
sp; She coughed a mouthful of blood. “We were attacked.”
“Snappers?” asked Cane.
Amanda shook her head. “This was different.”
“Were you bit?”
She nodded.
Everyone gasped and took a step farther away.
Cane stood, raised the axe, and asked, “How long?”
Amanda reached for the SUV’s door and pulled herself to her feet. She looked at the sun in the sky. “Hours ago, I think. I passed out after it happened.”
Murmurs rumbled through the crowd.
Cane was shocked by her answer. Normally, everyone bit changed within a few minutes. “Okay, we have a doctor here. I’m going to take you to see her. You’re gonna be fine.” Cane lowered his axe and reached for Amanda’s arm.
“What happened to Dave?” asked Cane as he hooked his hand under her armpit.
“Dead,” answered Amanda as she put all her weight on him.
People made a path as he dragged her across the lot.
Folks gasped when they caught a glimpse of her.
“Everything’s fine! Keep working!” said Cane as he brought Amanda into the main hall.
Amanda scanned the room, “Where did all these people come from?”
“We had a convoy arrive.”
Cane carried her into the hallway and made a beeline for Doctor Bryant.
Lindsey’s face went white. She froze after spotting the woman by Cane’s side. She was about to scream ‘Get her out of here!’ when she noticed her two differently colored eyes. Her natural curiosity got the better of her.
She cleared a space on the desk and said, “Put her here.”
Michael jumped to his feet once the blood-soaked woman entered the room. “Good Lord, what happened?” He tucked the Bible to his chest and went to the farthest corner away from the chaos.
Cane grunted as he lifted Amanda onto the desk. “Amanda claims she was attacked by something different. She said she was bit hours ago.”
Doctor Bryant put on a set of gloves and grabbed her pen light. “That’s impossible. All reports say people turn in less than a few minutes.”
Amanda coughed some blood onto the desk. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not in the room, Doc.”
Her attitude surprised Lindsey. The one case she’d dealt with earlier, the subject begged for help and lost his mind when she said he was infected.
She’s acting like she has a hangover. Doctor Bryant stepped to Amanda’s side, held open an eye, investigated it with her light, then she moved to the next.
One pupil responded normally. The other had no details, like an eight ball, minus the number.
“Where were you bitten?” asked Lindsey as she felt Amanda’s wrist for a pulse.
“Here.” Amanda pulled her arm out of her jacket and showed her the festering wound.
Michael covered his mouth to keep the bile on the inside.
Cane turned away from the mangled limb. “Damn, Amanda, why aren’t you going apeshit?”
Amanda lowered her arm to the desk and shrugged, “I don’t feel anything. Maybe I’m in shock.”
Lindsey released Amanda’s wrist and said, “Her pulse is so weak I can barely find it. Her skin is cold to the touch, but you seem completely aware of your surroundings. You’re not in shock.”
Cane’s knuckles blanched as he squeezed the handle of his axe. “What the hell is wrong with her, Doc?”
“I’m not sure. If you are infected, this is unlike anything we’ve seen. Tell me how you feel?” asked Doctor Bryant as she inspected the wound on Amanda’s arm.
Amanda appeared to drift as she gathered her thoughts. “There’s no pain. My mind is like it’s scrambled, but not drunk. More like I can’t control my thoughts. Ideas bounce from one place to another and I can’t stop myself.” She reached for her stomach and gave it a rub. “I’m so damn hungry.”
Cane chimed in, “Well, that makes sense. You haven’t eaten since yesterday. I’ll go get you some food.”
Amanda shook her head. “It’s different than that. I’ve dieted before where you do a fast for a few days and drink nothing but spicy tea. I know what starving feels like and this isn’t that.” She looked at the Doctor. “I’m hungry deep inside. Even if I eat a plateful, I’m still going to be hungry.”
Doctor Bryant touched the infected tissue around the wound. She expected Amanda to scream in pain and beg for mercy, but she didn’t care at all. “Tell us about the things that attacked you.”
“At first, we thought it was just a regular, snapper. We found a house full of food and we needed time to load the car, so Dave tried to hit it with his machete, but the thing ducked.”
Michael averted his gaze and said, “Maybe it fell and just looked like it ducked?”
Amanda shook her head, “Nope, he swung a couple of times, but it dodged everything. It was like the thing was still alive. We ran inside and locked the door. It followed us, pulled out a set of keys and opened the damn house.”
Doctor Bryant checked Amanda’s ears and mouth as she said, “Maybe he wasn’t infected at all.”
“He chewed out Dave’s neck and bit me. It sure seemed like he was infected.”
Michael lowered his head and asked, “Did he say anything.”
“Not a single word.”
Doctor Bryant checked her black eye again. “You seem… very calm for having gone through such a traumatic experience.”
“I was just thinking that. You know the part of my brain I said feels scrambled, it’s like its telling me nothing matters except eating. I know I should be scared, but it’s like… I just don’t care.”
Cane rubbed the stubble on his chin, “How did you escape?”
Amanda turned her head toward him and said, “He took a bite and he let me go.”
“I’m going to go get you some food. Maybe you need to eat, and you’ll feel better.” Cane darted from the room.
Amanda looked to Michael. “You’re reading the Bible? Are you a Holy Man?”
Michael stepped from his corner and raised his chin. “Yes, I am. Would you like to pray with me?”
She nodded. “Can you close the door? I hate all those eyes watching me.” She motioned to the crowd gathered in the hallway. “For a minute, while we pray, I want some privacy.” Amanda smiled at him.
His lips made a thin line as he attempted to grin, “Okay.”
“Do you guys hear that sound?” asked Amanda.
“What sound?”
“It’s like a little voice, talking to me.” Amanda dug her finger into her ear.
“I don’t hear anything,” said Doctor Bryant as she found a roll of gauze and wrapped it around Amanda’s wound.
“It’s just me? That’s weird.” Amanda pulled her finger from her ear.
“You are very lucky to be alive,” said Michael as he closed the door. He turned to her and opened his Bible.
“I know, right!” Amanda reached for Michael, grabbed him by the tie and pulled his face to her opened mouth. She tore a large chunk from his cheek and spit it at his face. She headbutted him in the nose and knocked him unconscious.
Amanda sat forward. Blood oozed from her mouth.
Doctor Bryant screamed as she leapt back, but Amanda was too fast. She rolled off the table and pulled Lindsey to the floor with her. Amanda covered the Doctor’s mouth with her hand as she chomped at Lindsey’s shoulder and slurped down the meat.
Between bites Amanda said, “The voice told me to do this.” She took another bite.
“Now, you’ll hear it too.”
Chapter 17
Ryder whimpered, “Please help, they took my wife. I know where they are heading. If we hurry, we can catch up with them.”
The woman he was lying to was in her twenties. She was decked out with top of the line hiking gear. Everything Gore-tex or wool. The sophisticated pack strapped to her torso held a tent, sleeping bag and other supplies. Hanging from her belt was a holstered pistol and large hunting knife. What really intr
igued Ryder was her clothes. They were spotless. Not a single drop of blood anywhere.
She set a crossbow on the sink and dug a pocket knife from her jacket. “Who took your wife?” The woman crouched next to the sink, used her thumbnail to pull out the scissors on the knife and slid it between Ryder’s ankles and the zip ties.
“A sick group of scavengers. They tortured me, took all our supplies and kidnapped Jennifer.” Ryder whipped up a batch of fresh believable tears. “God knows what they are doing to my wife right now. Look what they did to me!”
“I’m just warning you, your feet are going to hurt really bad when blood returns to them.” She cut the plastic and his legs dropped to the floor.
She was right. The returning blood was like getting stabbed by a hundred thousand needles. Ryder howled. The woman covered his mouth to muffle the noise.
She grimaced. “I’m sorry. As soon as it subsides I’ll help pull up your pants. The name’s Amber. What’s yours? I’m sorry. It’s like I waited for you to take a bite of food, then ask a question.” She inspected his wrists. “Handcuffs? That’s going to be a challenge. You wouldn’t happen to have the key would you? Sorry again. I know you can’t answer.”
Ryder studied her soft features. She had perfect blue eyes that held all the kindness in the world.
The agony dissipated. She released his mouth and reached for his pants and underwear.
He huffed, “I’m Ryder. It’s very nice to meet you Amber, but I don’t have the keys.”
“Lift your hips.”
Ryder arched his body off the floor as Amber slid his pants to his waist.
“I’ll check the garage and see if I can find a hacksaw.” Amber grabbed her crossbow from the counter and ducked out of the bathroom.
Red has a twenty-minute head start on me. Ryder plotted his revenge. If she made it to her people, they would be long gone by the time he got there.
I’ll find her!
I owe her one hell of a beating! The first thing he thought of doing was cutting off the circulation to her hands and feet. Then let the blood return so she could experience the anguish. The part he loved the most was he could do it repeatedly without worrying about her croaking on him. It amazed Ryder how something so simple could hurt so badly.