CHAPTER 13
It was meeting day. All of the call center employees on Dan’s team gathered in a room for an hour halfway through the day to discuss promotions and sales tactics for the upcoming week. The meetings were usually fairly boring but it gave the employees nearly an hour off the phones and they generally appreciated that.
Today it was Dan’s task to lead the meeting as the supervisor was off and he was the next in line as a team leader. He stood in front of the whiteboard and they all stared at him blankly. “Today we are going to talk about tone.” He said then wrote it on the board. “Customers have been complaining about the way we sound and we need to remember that no matter how the customers act we are to remain professional. The company pays us to remain professional. Consider it as a part of your job description. “Dan coughed and a little blood came from his mouth dripping down onto his clean white shirt instantly staining it crimson. The rest of the employees audibly gasped.
Embarrassed, Dan reached into his pocket for a handkerchief and cleaned his mouth. He began to apologize then coughed again. This time more blood spilled from his mouth. People scattered away from him and once more he tried to apologize and clean his face but this just started him into a fit of coughing that had blood pouring from his mouth and splashing all over the room. It poured from his mouth like a fountain and it choked him…suffocated him.
“Open your eyes fucker!” screamed his coworker George. “Open your eyes!” Over and over he screamed the phrase until with a sudden burst of light he was in a different place. Where the hell was he? Water dribbled from his chin as his surroundings started to finally come into focus. His hands were bound at the wrist with para cord. It looked like the back of an old school bus. His eyelids felt like sandpaper and his throat like he had swallowed a bucket of razor blades. “Good! You’re awake, now drink you dumb asshole.” Snake said as he jammed the water bottle again into Dan’s mouth. He swallowed but it was painful and his head pounded like a bass drum at a rock concert. They sat across from one another on the vinyl seats. “Where am I?” he managed to croak out in an gravelly whisper then took in a deep and painful breath. “I ain’t the one you need to be talking to.” Snake said “Where are my friends?” Dan pleaded with him clutching a fist full of snakes worn denim vest. Snake put his boot in Dan’s chest and pushed him away. Another new pain shot from his feet. It was now that he realized his ankles were cuffed to the bar that attached the seat to the floor and his shoes and socks had been removed. “Get the fuck off me, they’ll be alright don’t worry about them.” He said then smiled an evil smile. ”You just sit here and wait for B.D.” With that snake exited the bus.
Dan began trying to get a look out the windows but they were all covered in graffiti. There were only a few points where the glass was clear enough to see through to the other side. He made out that they were still on the edge of the highway. He kept seeing men passing by. They all looked rough. Who were they? No sign of Will or Anika. They must have pulled them out of the plane too. God he hoped so, especially Anika. The thought of her dying in that plane while he got to survive brought a tear to his eye that slid down and dripped off his cheek. He had to get out of here. He had to find them. He frantically searched for anything on his person or nearby that he could use to escape but found nothing. The only thing he could think to do was try and use the dull right angle of the metal frame of the bus window to saw through the Para cord.
Dan pulled the plastic tab on one side of the window and then the other to let it fall a notch at a time until he had it all the way down. He began sawing away along the metal framing and noticed that the cord was actually staring to fray but no real progress was being made. This was a sign for him to try something different. The knot was cleverly placed on the back if his wrist and it as very hard for him to get to his mouth but he began to try and work his teeth into the knot in an attempt to unravel it. After digging for several minutes he was able to get the first knot free, then the second and the cord loosened until he could get his hands about a foot apart but they were still tethered with knots around each wrist.
Then Dan heard a booming voice from outside. “Wakey wakey!” The door to the bus was ripped open and a formidable man stepped aboard. “You must be B.D.” Dan said. “Well what did old Snakey tell you about me? Was it something good?” He walked down the aisle smiling and his gold tooth gleaming in the light. “Looks like you have been a busy little beaver haven’t you?” B.D. Said as removed his fixed blade bowie knife from its sheath on his hip. He ran it across the back of his hand shaving off little hairs with ease. Dan started at him blankly. “You don’t rattle easy do you?” he said as he cut the tether that bound Dan’s wrists together. “Snake never could tie knots for shit.” Dan stared at him blankly for a moment before asking “Where are my friends? We were in a plane crash” B.D. Laughed. “I know you were in a plane crash! I was the one that gave the order to go pull your asses out. Your friends are fine, but they are not playing nice. They won’t tell me where you got that plane. Now since they are not willing I thought I would give you one last chance to tell me seeing as how you owe me for saving your life and all. I know you don’t want anything bad to happen to that sexy little bitch or the jarhead so, I figure you may as well spill your guts.” Dan stared at him blankly. “How do I know they are alive? How do I know you are telling me the truth” He asked. “Smart man!” B.D. exclaimed. “How do you know didn’t just let the boys have their way with the slut and lay a knife across Jarhead’s neck?” Dan seethed in anger at those comments. “I guess you will just have to take my word for it. After all what good is a man past his word?” B.D. asked with a smile. Dan scoffed. “I an not telling you shit. I don’t trust your word. A man you can trust doesn’t cuff you to a bus seat!” B.D. quickly grabbed a pair of handcuffs from his behind his back, and before Dan knew it he had cuffed one of his wrists to the bus seat as well. “Fine.” B.D. Said with another evil grin. “I guess we’ll just have to beat it out of you.” He then quickly exited the bus and slammed its door shut.
CHAPTER 14
Something pungent in the air brought Will to consciousness. His eyes were stinging and his throat was sandpaper. WHAP! He was slapped across the face. "What the hell?!" he exclaimed as things began to come into focus. He could now see he was bound to a slender tree by his wrists and behind his back. His legs were free though and he sat at the base leaning against it. Two surly looking characters wearing prison uniforms reading Sullivan County stood in from of him. "You want it in the face or in the chest?" one of them asked him. It was Snake. He held Will's knife. "Aren't you going to at least do me the courtesy of shooting me?" Will asked. Snake chuckled a bit before he replied. "Believe me it would be a lot easier, but Ricky here insisted we do it with the knife." Ricky spoke up saying. "Shooting draws too many of them in...so? What will it be?" Will stared at the man. His head was killing him. "How do you know I am not worth anything to you?" "Alright the head it is!" Said Snake as he raised the knife readying to plunge it down into Will's temple. "Hold on!" said Ricky and stopped the motion of Snake's arm. "How could you be worth anything to us?" Will force a smile saying. "Well do you remember that Tractor Trailer you were chasing the other day?" "How did you know about that?!" Ricky asked angrily. "I know about it because I was in it." Will answered. "and the whole damn back end is full of food." Ricky and Snake both were interested. This would put the both of them in B.D.'s good graces for a long time. "Where is it?!" Snake screamed. "I will take you there, but only if you promise to let me live." Ricky studied him for a moment before saying. “Alright take us to it and we’ll see about letting you live.”
Ricky took the knife from Snake’s hand and sliced through the plastic zip tie that bound Will’s wrist. Will rubbed at the indented red lines they left from being so tight. Snake pulled him to his feet by the collar of his shirt and pushed him forward now holding a pistol, it’s muzzle buried in his back. “Get to stepping” He said and Will obeyed.
The three
of them walked down to the area where the vehicles were parked. Will’s ankle was still throbbing in pain and he thought the swelling may have worsened. His boot was feeling very tight. At the instruction of Ricky, Will got in the passenger’s seat of the green Jeep Wrangler while snake crawled in the back. Just then a familiar voice got Ricky’s attention. It was B.D. “Where the hell do you boys think you’re going?” He asked authoritatively. “This one says he knows where we can find some food. We’re about see if he is bullshitting or not. If he ain’t it could be good if he is we can shoot him away from camp and not risk drawing those things in.” B.D. nodded as if it made sense to him but yelled back. “Alright, but keep a close eye on him. I don’t trust any of these fuckers no farther than I can throw them.” Will nearly audibly scoffed at that but stopped himself. Then the Jeep was cranked and they were rolling.
Will navigated them to the Smithfield Airport where they had left the truck. The fence was still down and several of the dead things had now wandered onto the airfield. There were lots of them but it was a big airfield. He wondered if it had been the noise they had made when they were there. Ricky put the Jeep in high four wheel drive and the vehicles meaty tires rolled over the downed fence as if it were not even there. A few ghouls were gathered just on the other side and he mowed over them stoically.
Soon the Jeep was in from of the hangar in which the truck was stowed. They all got out of the Jeep and Will limped over to the massive sliding door to begin trying to pull I open. He fitfully pulled on it for a moment and banged on it near the latch in an attempt to loosen it. ”Quit making so much damn noise” Ricky yelled. Will bore down then grimaced in pain as the door stuck and his ankle bowed with his weight. He fell on his ass with a thud moaning and pawing at the injury. “For Christ’s Sake! What’s the matter” Ricky asked. “It’s my ankle” Will replied. “One of you will have to do it.” Snake stepped forward forcefully grabbing the door and saying “Such a pussy!” He yanked it hard and Will Scooted out of the way. It truly was stuck. Snake pridefully struggled with it, straining until the veins in his neck began to bulge before it finally broke free. When it did it only opened a few inches and let out a shrill metallic squeak that was nearly deafening. All of the creatures in the airfield were now alerted to and heading toward them. Ricky joined snake in helping him pull as they were now under the time constraint of the encroaching zombies.
The two men got the door two feet open when Will heard Snake yell out in pain. The ghoul that inhabited the hanger had heard the commotion around the door as Will had hopes. Blood was gushing from Snakes neck as the creature dug in. Ricky pulled at it in an attempted to release its grasp. A gunshot went off and Ricky fell. Snake was holding the pistol and his muscles must have tensed due to the pain.
Will staggered to his feet and got in the driver’s seat of the Jeep. Thank goodness Ricky left the keys inside. Then again who was going to steal it from him? It was a stick shift and it would be a bitch to drive without the proper use of his ankle but he managed to get it started and into first gear. It was slow but it was moving. More creatures were nearing now and he was beginning to be surrounded. He forced through the pain and shifted gears again gaining more speed, the engine whining at higher than normal RPMs. When he hit the first wave of them he was surprised how easily they went down. The vehicle was like a tank but the soft top would be little protection if he were to get bogged down. Another painful gear shift and now he was in third and doing nearly forty miles per hour. He hit a second wave of them and pointed the nose of the jeep toward the hole in the fence. The wheels spun and caught in a jerky sliding motion as he rolled over them. His speed was decreasing and he was forced to gear down to second, then first and he slammed the manual selector into 4 wheel drive Low. The vehicle was now crawling through them and tears were starting to form in the vehicles canvas top. The creatures had collected beneath the vehicle now like a wave beneath a surfer when Will reached the fence line and broke through to clean highway. He put the vehicle back into high gear and could see the fence collapse with them as he drove away in the rear view mirror.
Will navigated back to within a mile of the camp and pulled the Jeep over. He looked through it for anything he may be able to use. His ankle was killing him now. He found a roll of black electrical tape and a section of interlocking metal rod in the jeep meant to be used to operate the screw jack. He slid the section of rod down in his boot and taped it at the top to his calf. It certainly wasn’t perfect but he could limp again without extreme pain. He also found a small survival kit in the back. Nothing in it was of much use but there were a few things. Will took a wire saw, to small road flares and Swiss Army knife. He took this and started for the camp on foot.
He could hear the men talking and smell the wood smoke of as he grew nearer. It was dusk now and the sky was a firey orange hue. He was able to find a bit of a hill to the rear of the camp which overlooked it. He scanned with his eyes trying to determine where Dan and Anika may be held. He noticed the men were gathered mostly near a large RV, There were a few tents, but one old school bus with the back end converted to make a giant truck bed sat away from the rest. Will reckoned he could get to it unseen if he went in through the back. Maybe that’s where the others were being held. He wondered why they had separated them.
He crept down to the bus. The fact that they had left him wearing his camouflage fatigues helped to conceal him in the dimming evening light. Using mostly his good foot he quietly crawled into the bed of the bus/truck. There was a door on the back with a rotating handle.
Inside the bus Dan heard someone coming. He readied himself for beating he was promised. He found it odd that they were choosing to come in through the back though. He heard the handle to the door slowly turning and steeled himself as the door popped open, then he heard a familiar voice. ”You guys in here?” Will whispered inside the door. “Just me!” Dan replied in an excited whisper. Will climbed inside and shut the door gently behind him without latching it. “How did you get loose?” Dan asked. “I’m wiley.” Will replied with a smile. He could see that Dan was cuffed to the bus seat. Removing the small Swiss army knife from his pocket he began to try to pick it using different blades. It seemed the corkscrew did the best job and after a few minutes of fiddling, Dan’s feet and hands were free.
“Do you know where they are keeping Anika?” Dan asked. “I was hoping she was in here with you” Will replied. ”I guess they kept us all separated to make us easier to manipulate.” They quietly sneaked out of the back as Will had entered. From the rear of the bus they could see the camp. The men were sat around a fire eating. They couldn’t hear what they were saying but every so often they would break into laughter. “We need to get closer.” Will said. Dan nodded in agreement and the two of them managed to climb down from the back of the bus without drawing any attention. They crept in the weeds around the side of the RV opposite the fire. The shades inside were drawn but a dim flickering light burned inside one of the rear windows. A shadow passed in front of the light alerting them to someone inside. As they neared that end of the RV They could hear Anika’s voice. It was muffled but she was crying. That much was obvious. Will could see the anger on Dan’s face rising. “Lets be smart about this.” Will said.
On the back of the camper was an attached ladder which was thankfully barely out of view. Will pointed to it. My foot won’t let me but you can climb that without them seeing you. Maybe there is a hatch on the roof. Lots of RVs have them for air flow over the bathroom. Once you are up there though they may be able to see you so stay as low as you can. Here you may need this.” Will handed Dan the Swiss army knife. “What are you going to do?” Dan asked. “Well if shit goes south for you I will provide a distraction.” Said Will, showing him the road flares. “Try to climb back out the way you come in and if all goes south I will meet you by the cars” Dan gave him an appreciative look and patted him on the should before beginning to climb.
Will got to work immediately. He removed the sock on h
is good foot and put his boot back on. Then, using the wire saw, he cut open the road flares and extracted powder into the sock. He tied a knot in the sock and waited.
Dan slithered on his belly across the dew soaked roof of the RV. The way it was sloped if he stayed on one said he would be mostly out of view. None of the men around the fire appeared to be noticing him. Luckily there was a hatch over the bathroom just has Will had guessed. It was translucent and Dan could make out shapes. He opened the knife blade and wedged it under the hatch and it lifted free. Perhaps it had been unlocked. Dan could see inside the bathroom down. Anika zip tied by her wrists to slip bar in the shower. She was naked and wet. A burly man with a thick brown beard was trying to wash her but she kicked at him and fought. “Be still bitch!” the man yelled. Dan was furious However there was another problem the hatch was secured to a small hydraulic arm preventing it from opening wide enough for a person to climb through. The arm was attached with a phillips head screw and Dan set about to removing it using the knife. Anika was causing the man so much grief there was likely no chance he would hear Dan above him removing the screw. “You’re a squirmy one!” then man said “I can’t wait to get my turn with you. Maybe I will take it now.” Anika spit in his face yelling “Fuck you.” Just as the man’s had was raised to come down with a slap Dan got the screw removed and barreled down on top of him. As if he had done it a thousand times and without one ounce of remorse he ran the blade over the man’s throat. The man clutched at it for a moment then went still, his blood draining down the shower.
Dan cut the zip ties around Anika’s hands and she clung to him sobbing but also smiling. “Are you hurt?” he asked pulling away from her embrace. Anika shook her head indicating they hadn’t. “So they didn’t ra…” She covered his mouth. “No.” she said. The RV had a pretty open floor plan and they were now alone. There was a door at the front and another leading out of the bedroom in the back. Anika’s clothes were lying on the bed and appeared to have been cleaned. She put them on hurriedly. “How are we going to get out of here.” she asked. Then they heard the front door of the RV open. B.D. stepped inside and immediately realized what had happened. “Shit!” was all he said as he pulled out his pistol and began firing. Dan pulled Anika by the wrist dragging her out of the RV’s back door. They rolled when they hit the ground and made a loud thud piling into one another. The rest of the men, alerted by the commotion, sprang to their feet. “Will” Dan screamed as they scrambled around the back of the camper. Will appeared around the front tossing the sock onto the fire and a thick cloud of dark grey smoke filled the air around them and plumed into the sky. It was impossible to see more than a few feet in front of them but at least now Dan and Anika would be harder to spot. They made for the area they believed the smaller vehicles were kept.
Life After Page 8