Viral Misery (Book 1)

by Watson, Thomas A

  Chapter Thirty Four

  Please wear a pull-up

  May 20

  With Lucas in his arms, Shawn led the boys downstairs and found Andrea holding Pam and the other girls working in the kitchen. “I see you woke up,” Andrea grinned.

  “No. Actually, Tony did and fed Lucas the first time. He woke me the second,” Shawn told her, walking in and Kirk looked at Shelia and Vicki in horror. They were making the dough without him and Pat.

  “We have to learn how, Kirk,” Vicki moaned.

  “Okay,” Kirk said, moving to the dishwasher and started putting away the dishes.

  “Morning, guys,” Arthur said, stepping out of his room and holding Nicole. “I can watch the babies, guys.”

  “Arthur, you’re burning the candle at both ends,” Andrea groaned and Shawn nodded.

  “How can he burn a candle at both ends and why would you want to?” Vicki asked, looking up.

  Walking over, Arthur kissed Vicki on the head. “I think you are the most innocent child I have ever met,” Arthur declared.

  The rapid clacking of heels on the floor announced Robin running out of Arthur’s bedroom. Running past Arthur, Robin squealed when she saw the cats on the couch and headed for them. Seeing the toddler with boots and wearing a pull-up headed for them, the cats took off.

  Laughing as Robin gave chase, Arthur headed over to the coffee pot and poured a cup. Walking to his office, Arthur headed back out carrying his laptop. When Arthur set it at his spot and went back for his coffee, Shawn ran over and sat down beside Arthur’s chair.

  Shawn really wanted to know computers, but his family had never bought one. When Shawn had seen the towers for the servers in the basement, Arthur’s awesomeness had increased yet again in Shawn’s eyes. “What are you going to do?” Shawn asked with a grin, setting Lucas’s bottle down and started patting his back.

  “Glance over the camera cards we pulled yesterday,” Arthur said as he sat down. “I don’t know the real facts about the flu, but its mortality has to be reported around ninety percent.”

  “My dad told me it was over ninety. He was a CEO at a hospital in Little Rock,” Andrea said, moving Pam to the crook of her arm.

  “That means ninety percent of people who caught the Rudolph flu will die?” Shawn asked. “I had it and got better, and Beth never got sick.”

  “Were you very sick?” Arthur asked, tapping his keyboard.

  “No,” Shawn said, leaning over and watching Arthur’s hands and the screen. “The stomach flu I had two years ago was much worse.”

  “That’s what I mean,” Arthur said, taking a sip of coffee. “Clarksville should have around a thousand people, but I’ll kiss your ass if there are two hundred there that are walking around. There may be a thousand, but six hundred are trying to cough up their lungs.”

  Setting his mug down, “Russellville is three times bigger and should have more survivors, but I’ll wax my nipples if there are five hundred people left walking around in that town,” Arthur snorted.

  “It has the most crazies,” Shawn noted, hearing a tiny burp from Lucas.

  Unable to stop it, Arthur gave a visible shiver as it ran up his body. Being a nurse, he had seen mental disorders but very few true insane cases. The ones called crazy were truly insane and most looked like they’d never been sick with the flu. Some would just walk, others would charge anything, and then some would just stand and stare off. The one thing they all had were wide, gaping, wild-looking eyes that spoke of madness.

  Anyone who looked at one wouldn’t get close. More than once, they had seen survivors run from the crazies. One morning rolling into town, they’d passed one beating a car with a metal pipe that had a chunk of concrete on the end. When they drove out of town six hours later, he was still beating the car which was little more than scraps of metal and fiberglass by then.

  Two day later when they went back, they saw dogs eating the body with the pipe still clutched in one hand, and the only things recognizable about the car were the engine and four tires.

  Arthur had almost shot one when they’d been loading up stuff at a computer store. She had walked across the parking lot, but hadn’t headed for the store. Instead, she’d just walked into the wall of the building and stumbled back before running into the wall again. She’d continued doing that when they’d left and for all Arthur knew she was still there, running into the building’s wall.

  Remembering all that, Arthur again shivered. “Yeah, they freak me the fuck out.”

  “You think those gangs are going to be a problem?” Shawn asked as Arthur hit a key and a slideshow started, showing pictures from the camera cards.

  “In time, but they will have problems with each other and they won’t come this far out into the sticks for some time,” Arthur said, reaching over and taking a sip as he watched the screen. “I’m seeing kids, but not a lot of little ones,” he mumbled.

  “They can’t survive without help,” Andrea mumbled.

  “I know, but I’m seeing people and when an adult sees a kid, their first impulse is to help,” Arthur said, watching the screen.

  “They hide,” Shawn mumbled.

  “Okay, that makes sense,” Arthur said, staring at the screen.

  “What are you trying to figure out?” Andrea asked, getting up.

  “How much shit we are about to face,” Arthur answered and the chatter died down instantly. “I really expected the shock of this to last a little longer before all of the bad elements started pulling together.”

  “You said those gangs wouldn’t be a problem,” Shawn reminded him.

  “Shawn, they’re bullies. Bullies are pussies at heart and if you stand up to them, they run away. People are going to stand up to them and group together doing it. Those are the ones I’m worried about. In time, some will see that it’s easier to take than to make,” Arthur said, tapping the keyboard. “That Dean is sure trying to find us.”

  Shawn leaned over and saw the teenager that he hadn’t wanted to join them. “I see his ass again, I’m shooting his ass.”

  “Let me do it,” Arthur suggested, tapping the keyboard and the slideshow resumed. “Killing someone isn’t like TV and it affects everyone differently. I would prefer you to have a little more time to prepare for that.”

  “I’ll kill anyone that tries to hurt us,” Shawn declared.

  Reaching over, Arthur patted Shawn’s leg. “That is something else entirely. That isn’t killing, it’s protecting.”

  “Never thought about it like that,” Andrea mumbled.

  “How many more trips to town do we have?” Shawn asked.

  “None for a few weeks,” Arthur said. “It’s time to start the fence around the house and then around the animals. I’m not worried about gangs finding us yet and animals shouldn’t be a problem until winter. But crazies, I’m worried about,” Arthur admitted. “They just wander around, so one could wander their ass through the woods.”

  “I’ve never seen one eat,” Shawn said, pulling Lucas into the crook of his arm. “I’ve seen them drink water from puddles.”

  “They eat,” Arthur said with no emotion and everyone looked at him. “Don’t ask,” he almost growled.

  “Won’t they climb over the fence?” Tony asked.

  “When the fence is finished, they can try and die,” Arthur told him.

  “How big will the fence be?” Kirk asked sitting down at the table.

  “Ten-foot-tall with barbed wire at the top and will enclose twenty-five acres,” Arthur answered. “It will enclose all the greenhouses, the methane cubes, power plant and house.”

  “Methane cubes?” Shawn asked.

  Looking over at Shawn, Arthur winked. “You’ll see. We are going to build some more.”

  When breakfast was done, everyone sat down and the large table seemed really small.

  It was after ten when Arthur led the group up from Jack’s farm, driving various machines and trucks and trailers loaded with supplies. Parking them around t
he house, Arthur grabbed the baby sling and put Nicole in it. Heading to his shop, Arthur came out carrying his surveying equipment.

  “You know how to use that?” Shawn cried out in wonder.

  “Yeah, all of you will be learning today,” Arthur said, putting the stuff in his buggy. “We are marking today and tomorrow, we start to clear.”

  Everyone ran for buggies as Pat climbed in Arthur’s. “Where am I going, Poppa?” he asked.

  Pointing northwest, “That way and I’ll direct you,” Arthur chuckled and then stopped. “Hold on,” Arthur groaned, seeing Robin jumping in her pink Barbie Jeep. Climbing out, Arthur walked over and pulled Robin kicking and screaming out of the Jeep.

  “Hey!” Arthur shouted and Robin stopped. “You wear clothes, I might let you drive your damn Jeep but walk around naked in cowboy boots, and you can forget that!”

  Robin pouted as Arthur put her on his hip and walked back to his buggy. He could hear more than one kid snickering as he climbed back in the buggy. “Let’s try this again,” Arthur sighed as Robin leaned over to babble at Nicole and Nicole let out a squeal as she smiled at Robin.

  “I’ll give you money, Robin, if you keep your clothes on,” Arthur tried bribing her.

  “No,” Robin snapped, lifting her chin and then turned and kissed Arthur’s cheek. “Poppa,” Robin said clearly and smiled.

  Hugging her tight, Arthur grinned as Pat weaved around the trees. “Okay, you’re a little cute, but would be much cuter with clothes. A pullup at the very least, please,” Arthur tried and Robin just giggled. “Yeah, you’re going to be my trying child,” Arthur mumbled and Robin kissed his cheek again.

  Chapter Thirty Five

  Not everyone is evil or indifferent

  “Wendy,” Sally whispered, tapping Wendy’s shoulder. Registering the voice and tapping as not a dream, Wendy opened her eyes to see Sally wasn’t looking at her but at something else.

  Sitting up, Wendy saw relief on Sally’s face that she was awake now. “What?” Wendy asked in a low voice.

  “I heard engines stop near us,” Sally whispered.

  Blinking her eyes, Wendy turned to the door of the large woodshed they were sleeping in. Then, she heard the unmistakable sound of a car door slamming. “Wake the others and try to keep the boys quiet,” Wendy said, grabbing her M4 and moving to the side of the door.

  They were outside of the small town of Meadville, Mississippi. Getting off the highway this morning, this was the first place Wendy had found that she could hide the Tahoe. It was parked under an awning on the right side of the shed. It wasn’t completely hidden, but it was blocked from view from the road.

  Glancing back, she saw the twins with the boys. “Move behind that tractor and be ready to run,” Wendy whispered and the twins carried Noah and Ryan behind the ancient tractor. Hearing another motor coming, Wendy turned north where the noise was coming from.

  The town of Meadville was half a mile away and she had thought the shed was far enough away, but now regretted her decision as a truck drove past. It was heading north toward the town, but slowed on the small road that ran past the house the shed sat behind. Hearing it stop, Wendy knew it was close and then she heard faint voices before doors closing.

  “Crap,” Wendy mumbled and glanced over at the Tahoe, thinking about just leaving. She knew it was more than one vehicle from hearing doors closing and from the voices, it was several people. Looking down at her rifle, Wendy checked it over as she took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

  “Not everyone is an asshole,” she reminded herself.

  Leaving the doorway, Wendy moved over to a window beside the door with more cover. Keeping low, Wendy peered outside and heard the voices spreading out. Thinking that meant they were walking away from their vehicles, Wendy turned to the Tahoe again, thinking about getting the kids and just hauling ass.

  “I saw a trailer with gas cans!” Wendy heard someone yell out and felt a pang in her chest. Rising up so only her eyes were above the window seal, Wendy looked out over the backyard to the house and road.

  Two men carrying rifles were casually walking down the road toward them.

  Letting the scenarios play out in her head, Wendy pulled the stock of the M4 to her shoulder. Watching the men walk off the road passing the house and heading for the shed, Wendy made her choice and then prayed that she could live with the results.

  When the men were halfway to the shed, Wendy moved to the edge of the door, raising the M4 up and flipping the safety off. Aiming at the man carrying his rifle in his hands, Wendy shouted out. “You need to leave, that’s our truck and gas!”

  Both men stopped and saw her at the edge of the shed door fifty yards away, aiming at them. The man that had his rifle slung over his shoulder raised his hands. “We are just looking around,” he called out as the other man let his rifle aim toward the ground.

  “I’m here right now, so just back off. We will be leaving soon and only used the shed to sleep in, so you can have what’s here when we leave,” Wendy told him, keeping the crosshairs on the man holding his rifle low.

  Wendy saw the one holding his gun low mumble something to the other and shifted his weight to move. “You move and I’ll kill you,” Wendy warned and the man stayed put. “Now back off.”

  “Lady, there are a lot more of us than you, so you need to relax,” the man holding the rifle shouted out. Wendy realized the man was shouting to alert the others and moved her finger off the trigger housing to the trigger.

  “We are heading home, so back off and let us leave and nobody gets hurt,” Wendy told them.

  “Lady, now you’re just being a bitch,” the man holding the rifle shouted. “Tell you what, why don’t you just walk away now or we can work out something to let you keep your truck,” the man sneered and the other chuckled.

  Wendy’s finger brushed the trigger twice and jerked her aim to the other as he started to dive to the ground. Moving her aim with the man, Wendy squeezed the trigger as she heard a gunshot and a bullet whiz past her. Seeing the man hit the ground grabbing his gut, Wendy squeezed the trigger two more times and felt a bullet slam into the door frame beside her.

  Moving her aim, Wendy saw the first one she’d shot was on his side and aiming at the door as his rifle flashed. Squeezing the trigger four times, Wendy watched the man jerk with each hit, dropping his rifle. Moving back to the other man, Wendy saw him rolling around and shot him in the side of the head.

  Glancing up the road, Wendy felt her blood turn cold, seeing nine figures coming.

  “Girls, be ready to move,” Wendy shouted out, ejecting the magazine and slamming in a fresh one. “If I say run and hide, you run and hide. I’ll drive around to find you!” Wendy shouted, moving to the window.

  She could hear Ryan crying over the ringing in her ears as she rested her M4 on the window. Letting out half her breath, Wendy aimed at a woman on the far right of the group. Not wanting the group to move around the house and get near the truck, Wendy held the crosshairs on the woman’s chest and squeezed the trigger twice and watched the woman drop in mid-stride.

  The woman hit the road with her face and her rifle clattered on the roadway. Moving her aim, Wendy centered on a man as he knelt down, aiming at her with a huge scope on a hunting rifle. Brushing the trigger twice, Wendy watched him twitch and the end of the rifle flashed.

  Wendy felt the impact on the woodshed and splinters hit her arm, but ignored them as she moved her aim. Seeing a figure running hard across the back of the house and trying to get to the right side where large trees were, Wendy gave him a lead and pulled the trigger rapidly until she saw him crash down.

  When she moved her aim back to the runner, Wendy heard bullets impacting all over the face of the shed. Ducking down, Wendy now heard the torrent of gunfire outside and bullets impacting over her head. Wondering why she wasn’t hit, Wendy looked below the window and saw railroad ties stacked up along the front of the shed.

  “Thank you for that,” Wendy said and t
hen tried to get up, but too many bullets were hitting the shed. When the gunfire slackened, Wendy popped up and pulled the trigger twice before she had a target. Resting her check on the stock, Wendy saw a man moving behind a lawnmower and pulled the trigger rapidly, watching the man fall short of the mower.

  Moving her aim back to the right, Wendy saw the man she had hit in the leg had made it to the road and was leaving. Letting him go, Wendy moved back to the left when those outside had reloaded and another torrent of gunfire erupted, driving Wendy back down.

  Ejecting the magazine, Wendy slammed in another while knowing some of the group would be closing in now. Waiting for a lull, Wendy braced herself to pop back up and then realized, the gunfire outside was still raging but no bullets were hitting the shed.

  Popping up, Wendy saw four bodies down that she hadn’t shot and watched a woman jerk and realized she’d been shot from the right side. Not questioning her luck, Wendy moved her aim to find the man she’d shot near the mower trying to aim to the right and squeezed the trigger, watching the man’s head jerk and collapse to the ground.

  Caught in a crossfire, the ones left outside tried to pull back but the unseen gunman was very good at shooting. Wendy watched the last one fall from behind a tree to the ground. Then, she watched as the unseen gunman started shooting those that were down.

  Moving her aim, Wendy knew what they were doing and started shooting those on the ground, ensuring they were dead. Shifting to another body that was rolling around, Wendy heard a vehicle speed off, but continued shooting until there was no movement.

  Ejecting her magazine, Wendy slapped in a new one. “Girls, get in the truck and lay down,” Wendy said, but felt her voice more than heard it from the ringing in her ears.

  With Ryan and Noah crying, Sally and Jo Ann carried them to the Tahoe and jumped in. Gathering her empty and partial magazines, Wendy shoved them in her mag holsters and moved over to the awning where the Tahoe was parked.

  She stopped to see a man calmly walking out while supporting an AR in his hands. Knowing this was her savior, Wendy looked at the suppressor at the end of the man’s AR with a little envy. “Thank you,” Wendy called out when the man was twenty yards away.