No Room In Hell (Book 2): 400 Miles To Graceland

by William Schlichter

  “Translation, as they lose people, the food will last. Major, I need you here.” Ethan has to pick up his left leg to place it in the second chair he uses as an ottoman. “Your train plan is key to our long-term survival.”

  “If his research has any viability—”

  “I get it. We should move quickly. The Mississippi River offers new dangers. Rumor has it some bridges have been blown up. I’ll circumvent St. Louis. I don’t want to find the river blocked by downed bridges and have to land in the city. Somewhere south of Cape Girardeau I’ll use the waterway. I’ll need to take someone with some boating experience. I’ll bring your brother back. I’ve gone after lots of family members for those in this camp—should be a cakewalk. You know where he is and we know he’s alive.”

  “You’re going to have to travel close to several major cities. You may not see a herd coming,” Wanikiya adds.

  “Just give me the supplies and I’ll go. He’s my brother,” Major Ellsberg says.

  “No. We need our doctors and engineers to stay here. This is what I do.”

  “There is little need for a full medical team here,” Dr. Sterling says.

  “We’re a gold mine. Most medically trained people are among the undead. They were bitten before anyone knew what was going on because everyone rushed loved ones to the hospitals,” Ethan says.

  “There is another reason. Vaccination,” Major Ellsberg says.

  “A cure?” Emily’s jaw drops.

  “No. There is no cure. Once you have risen from the grave you can’t return to what you were.”

  “The transmission said they had a vaccine,” Dr. Sterling says.

  “So, if you get bit you don’t wake up a walking corpse,” Ethan says.

  “Are you sure that you want to bring these scientists here? There’s only one way to test a vaccine.”

  “Are we really the group to debate the morals of killing? None of us can cast any stones in this room, except maybe the doctor,” Ethan says.

  “My hands are far from clean. Decisions had to be made to protect the military base,” Dr. Sterling says.

  No one questions the doctor further. They all know. They have all killed. Not just the undead in order to remain in this nightmare.

  “First, it’s his brother. We save family. Second, it’s a possible solution. A vaccine means real families without the same fear we have now. Third, I want to explore that direction. We’ve nearly picked over our little territory. Treks outside the fence will take longer and longer. We are self-sufficient on food if the crops don’t fail, but there are still good medications out there and bullets. We need more fence and I’d like to bring in more cattle. We have refrigeration. We can slaughter if we can’t graze what we find.”

  Major Ellsberg spreads out an unfolded highway map on the table. “If I had a flask I’d raise a glass to the man willing to take this risk.”

  “You just get me a train,” Ethan says.

  Wanikiya pours a thumb full of rum in glasses before adding Coke from a plastic bottle. “Sorry, this has to be neat. I had to remove from a hidden stash.”

  “Bacardi’s not a cooking rum.”

  “It does in a pinch.” Ethan takes a glass.

  Emily pulls several atlases from a shelf. “It’s just too dangerous for you to travel that far alone,” she protests, finally brave enough to interject.

  “It’s too dangerous to go outside the front door, but it has to be done,” Ethan says.

  “With Karen and her team gone, who’s going to scavenge for supplies?”

  “It will take you weeks round trip. Do we send someone to find you if you don’t—”

  “When have I not come back? No sending out a rescue party.”

  “I don’t want you to go alone. It’s too far and too unknown. We know you have safe places to hide between here and Rolla, but this is new.”

  “Fine,” he relents. “Who.”

  “Sanchez?”

  “She’s not popular after the Orscheln’s fiasco,” Emily’s retort remains personal.

  “From everyone’s report, no one, not even me, could have seen that herd coming,” Ethan says. “No. She’s going to run the hay cutting teams.”

  “We don’t have the acreage inside the compound,” Wanikiya says.

  “Outside,” Ethan corrects. “Dartagnan’s concerned about the animals’ winter food supply. The hay won’t last the winter. We cut grass without it being inside the fence as long as guard teams watch the fields. I’m going to put Sanchez in charge, and I still need you here to keep the military staff in line.”

  “If you find hay bales we should bring them in too. Save on our own resources.”

  “Danziger has proven himself, and his arms are healing,” Dr. Sterling says.

  “Get Danziger and give him a team. We’ll head south until he splits off wanting to find this Tom and others from the caravan. We need a clear path to I-44. We raid those cars for guns and food, gas as well. I’ll move on to scout below Cape Girardeau; use a boat if it’s safe.”

  “Becky has proven herself,” Wanikiya suggests.

  “She’s a teenager.”

  “And a soccer player. She can run, shoot, and follows orders,” Emily says.

  “When I get back we are going to have to establish the age we have adults among us,” Ethan says.

  “Being a teenager no longer applies,” Emily snaps. She hates that Ethan still sees her as a child. “We have a nine-year-old packing heat. And I believe she’s twenty,” she adds.

  “As well as how we plan to continue with keeping the children educated and not lose the engineers,” Major Ellsberg says.

  “We’re chasing a rabbit—you need one more in your party.”

  “Anyone from that direction? Someone who might know a bit of the territory?” Ethan asks. “Make a male and make sure he can shoot or knows something about boats.”

  “Why boats?”

  “As good a swimmer as I am. I can’t swim the Mississippi. I said rumors. It was Danziger who said that he encountered a military tactical team whose job it was to destroy the bridges over the Mississippi.”

  “Why would they do that?”

  “Military strategy to cut off the enemy. The vectors can’t ford the river,” Major Ellsberg says.

  “Means there will be even more undead leaving St. Louis in our direction.” And living who may not want to conform to our rules.

  “Everyone remain calm. It’s part of their military’s plan to take back the country. We just need to survive until they get here,” Major Ellsberg says.

  “If they do it like we do, then we’ll all be old men before they even get to the Mississippi.”

  “And a vaccine will help us to live to be old people.”

  Karen flings open the door to the library. It smashes against the inside wall; books crash from a shelf.

  Everyone jumps. Ethan’s M&P is halfway out of its holster before he realizes she didn’t intend to burst into the room in a stampede.

  “Someone needs to fix the door hinge thing,” Emily says.

  The Major marches over and reaches up to adjust the automatic door closing mechanism. After a minute of fiddling with it, he says, “Yep, it’s busted.”

  “Somewhere there’s a joke in all this about how you have an engineering degree to determine that,” Ethan says.

  “I don’t care about the door.” Karen tosses some of the displaced books on a shelf. “What the fuck.”

  Fading green-gray stale color bruises still outline Ethan’s face and exposed arms, halting her thoughts of punching him. “Your wounds should have killed you.”

  “Greatly overexaggerated,” Ethan waves off her lack of concern.

  “What about this killer? Four dead. I just brought back two more people. Maybe we should stop searching for people,” Karen says.

  “Slow down. We had a tragedy, but we must still build our home. I’m glad you’re back, Karen. We need your team. But you are home a few days early.”

  “
It just a quick run. Had to do something after they found you. Maybe even make up for the Orscheln’s debacle.”

  “Shit happens.”

  “You’re telling me.” She flips the chair around in order to sit backward. “Poor Sam. She was a messed-up girl, but she didn’t deserve this. Acheron is safe.”

  “We’ll screen the entry candidates from now on,” Ethan half jokes.

  “You better. We encountered another group searching for this holy land where biters only attack the unworthy. They think Springfield is a safe haven of God. They’re being called there.”

  “A calling? You mean God sent them to Springfield, Missouri. Home of cashew chicken and a church on every corner. The fourth largest Bible reading city in the nation. Springfield?” Ethan asks.

  “I’ve never been there,” she says.

  “Last I was there it was a 160,000 population. That makes for a lot of fucking biters.”

  “These people claim the city is well defended and clear of undead—”

  “And?”

  “Protected by God,” she spits.

  “It’s entirely possible,” Ellsberg says.

  “God? Really, Major?” Ethan’s quizzical gaze scorns Ellsberg. “I don’t begrudge anyone and their faith. In fact, ‘And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.’ If I recall my King James correctly.”

  Taken aback, Karen asks, “You know the Bible?”

  “All educated people should know the Bible. You can’t condemn or condone anything unless you’ve read it. War pestilence, famine, and my personal favorite Revelations 6:8 ‘And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.’ I can’t quite figure out why they are not war, famine, pestilence, then Death. That order would make more sense, but I’m not here for a theology lesson.”

  “I don’t doubt God’s love. Being under fire in a fox hole and returning without a scratch is a testament to anyone’s faith. The city could have fortified itself,” Major Ellsberg says.

  “St. Louis lasted for seven months before it went nova. If they lacked a major undead outbreak they may have had time to secure an area and hold out. Plenty of guns in the area. Bible thumpers do love their guns.”

  “Granted. Then again, educated people should have a gun. But we’ve gotten off track. Are these two people true believers?”

  “No, but traveling has its advantage with numbers, and at this point in the world any port in the storm. The more fanatical of the group went on while these two chose my team—less bible study. Both twenty-somethings who have survived outside for months. No longer amateur campers; she was a real estate agent and he played music.”

  “We’ll find a new career for both. You find anything else?” Ethan asks.

  “No. Runs are going to get longer. We’ve picked over the immediate area.”

  “I want to go to Springfield,” Karen says.

  “To find your true calling?”

  Her no has bite.

  “If you think some family made it there, I understand. We’ve figured out a better way to scavenge.”

  “People are heading to Springfield and the promise of safety. I think we should check it out,” Karen says.

  “Karen, it was a two-hour drive before. How long do you think it will take to hike?”

  “I’ll be gone three weeks.”

  “What do you mean ‘you’?”

  “I won’t take Kalvin or Frank unless they want to go.”

  “The risk’s too great alone.”

  “You go everywhere alone,” Emily bellows like a spoiled teenage brat.

  “We saw what that got me,” Ethan snaps.

  “Springfield could be a source of relevant trade. A city that size is bound to have resources we don’t.” Karen won’t relent.

  “They have a coal power plant,” Wanikiya says.

  “Two of them,” he corrects Wanikiya. “And access to the gas pipeline. If they cut power to most of the city except where they need it they could stretch their coal reserves.”

  “Do people think to cut power to things like stop lights?” Ethan says.

  “We did, not that the places we’ve annexed had many,” Wanikiya adds.

  “We need to know what’s going on. If they are rebuilding civilization,” Karen says.

  “The idea of trade appeals to our growth,” Wanikiya says.

  “What we have of value to trade we need,” Major Ellsberg says.

  “We annex more fields, grow larger crops, and trade food—beef. Even if they are only a few thousand, they will be struggling to keep that many fed,” Wanikiya says.

  “Karen, if I agree to this, you are not an envoy on this trip, just a scout,” Ethan says.

  “I understand.”

  “Once you’ve checked it out, we have other plans. On your way back, we’ll need you to explore the rail lines.”

  “Train tracks?” Karen wonders.

  “The Major suggests we could load grain cars with food and return with what we need.”

  “That will take time to build,” Karen says.

  “We’re expanding toward the tracks now. By the time we reach them, we’ll know how feasible it will be. But the idea of a mobile armored base and the ability to scavenge hundreds of miles will sustain us indefinitely,” Major Ellsberg says.

  “I’ll bring back all the information possible,” Karen says.

  “And a train engineer,” Major Ellsberg adds.

  “If I find one,” Karen says.

  “Keep our plans to yourself, but promise the moon if you have to to get a locomotive expert to return,” Ethan says.

  A FLY DANCES across the exposed muscle tissue. Worse, it tickles. The damn fly tickles. Mike jerks his body which scares the fly only to have it return. War—he has been in two firefights. Two live ammo exchanges with insurgents attempting to kill him. Twice he had to fire back. Twice he placed himself in a position to kill other humans. He was trained to shoot those beheading sons-of-bitches. Nothing in all those experiences in the sand prepared him to deal with this. A constant faucet of tears runs from his right eye.

  Casey plops down next to him. She dribbles oil on a knife blade before drawing over a wet stone. “He’s not my daddy, you know. He just likes me calling him daddy. It keeps him hard longer. Being with your real father is sick.”

  Begging for freedom won’t get him anywhere, nor much else from this girl. Maybe the threat to her food supply will shake her. “The fly on me will ruin the meat.”

  “Flies aren’t too bad yet. Wait. Of course, I’ll cut out your liver before you die. I love liver.”

  I’m going to die.

  She slaps his side, killing the fly.

  Mike jumps. I have to get a free hand. I might be able to snap her neck if I get my fingers around her throat. Tiny as she is, one hand should be enough.

  “Why don’t you just take my liver? End it now. Not much left in life. I don’t want to suffer my last few hours.”

  “We don’t have a refrigerator. I’m going to need a few more meals out of you. People are getting difficult to capture. I’m going to need steady food when the baby comes.” She pats her belly.

  Do I kill a pregnant girl to escape? Do I let her eat my flesh? “When are you due?” Make her speak about the baby—build a confidence.

  “I’m not pregnant yet. Daddy hasn’t given me a baby, yet.”

  “He’s not going to. He pulls out. Don’t you realize?” Dumb fuck. Make her feel stupid.

  “You’re just trying to get me to cut you. Daddy loves me. He said he’d give me a baby.” She pushes out her stomach, creating a baby bump.

  “Not the way he makes love.”

  “You lie.” She jabs the knife at his eye. “I’ll cut out your eyes.”

  “Doesn’t change what I’ve already seen. I saw him lose it on your back. You don’t get pregnant unless he blows
inside you,” Mike huffs.

  “Say it again. I’ll carve out your eye.” She pokes the honed edge at the pupil.

  “Do it. You’re going to kill me. So, I live a day without an eye. Keeps me from witnessing him not give you a baby.” What the fuck? You can’t escape blind. Dumbass.

  She jerks down his underwear.

  Fuck. Kill me. Don’t take my balls.

  She tugs and twists at his member. “Give me a baby and maybe I won’t kill you.”

  Don’t be afraid. Can’t be afraid if I want to stiffen. Mike shifts his thoughts to his wanting to escape plan. Not a bad last request, he thinks as she clamps her hips around him.

  She bounces three humps. “Roll over more. I’m not comfortable.”

  “I can’t lay like that in cuffs. Cuff me in the front.”

  She fishes a necklace from down her shirt. She uses the tiny brass key to unlock one cuff. Mike’s hand clenches her throat. He closes her trachea before she reaches her knife.

  Casey has a foot flat on the ground and uses it to push up. Mike tightens his grip. She falls back on him, twisting his member, and smashes his balls. Mike fights his instinct to let go in the rush of pain. He holds on.

  She melts into unconsciousness. He turns her neck to snap it.

  A rifle barrel fills his face.

  “I think you should release her,” Dusty says.

  “DON’T THINK I’M unaware of what you are plotting,” Kale slides back the door to the horse stall.

  “I don’t know what you mean.” Mary drops her eyes in a coy maneuver.

  “This is Lindsey. She was a FEMA agent left here to secure this location for the end of days.”

  Haggard, the woman appears to have been freshly washed, but many of her wounds are ripe with infection.

  “What did you do to her?” Mary asks.

  “Our eldest brother, Kade, was a sadist. This woman may have been his masterpiece,” Kale says. “I don’t want to hurt her. I don’t want anyone to hurt her. I don’t know what she told Kade, but I do need to know all she does about this farm.”

  “What do you expect of me?” Mary asks.

  “You want to help run our group. Tell me you don’t want to know all about this place. It’s not just Ma and Pa Kettles place, it was a FEMA safe house. The barn was converted into a loading bay for semi-trucks. Other buildings have brand new tractors to give an illusion it was still a working farm. Stupid government types should have bought some twenty-year-old John Deere if they wanted to sell the deception.”