Dead Man Walking

by Gary M. Chesla

  Cooper fired a shot into the neck of Robert.

  Robert’s entire body stopped moving.

  “I think that killed it,” Cooper shouted, but stopped suddenly as Robert’s head turned, glared up at him and began snapping its jaw again.

  “Its head is still alive?” Cooper exclaimed sounding grossed out.

  “Did that answer your question?” Davis asked.

  “I believe so,” Eric replied. “When all the vital signs flatlined, I would occasionally observe a slight electrical surge in the brain waves. I felt it was insignificant at the time, but I now believe I know what it was. The cells were communicating with each other by a low energy pulse through the nervous system. By severing the spinal cord, all the cells below the neck can no longer communicate, so the lower body can no longer synchronize their actions to move the body. You can see the lower body is still slightly moving, but not in any coordinated way. It is more like the lower body is vibrating.”

  “The brain is the control center of the body’s nervous system,” Davis said.

  “Yes,” Eric said, “Cooper, please put a bullet into the subject’s brain.”

  Cooper shot Robert in the top of the head.

  Robert’s jaw stopped snapping and the sound of teeth against teeth clacking, mercifully ended.

  “I think this gives us both some answers,” Eric said looking at Davis, who nodded as he stared at the bloody lump of flesh on the pavement in front of them.

  “To stop an infected body from actively attacking your men, they must shoot the creature in the brain,” Eric said. “But please note I did say to stop them from ‘actively’ trying to infect your men. If any of your men get any of the creature’s blood or fragments of flesh on them, those infected cells can still infect your men. The body will stop moving but the cells are still alive and active. Until I can find a way to neutralize the individual cells, the unmoving bodies of the infected must be secured away from the living to stop the biological agent from continuing to spread throughout the general population.”

  “Again, unbelievable,” Davis said as he shook his head. “We may have found a way to stop the infected, but they are really still alive, waiting to attack us, only in a different way.”

  Davis pulled the hood over his head and dropped it on the pavement.

  “Thank you for your time and assistance,” Davis said. “I have what I need. I guess it’s not what I was hoping for, but it is at least something I can use for now. Good luck to you Doctor. May God have mercy on us all.”

  Chapter 14

  Logan stood inside the ready room, just outside the small amphitheater where he would soon be married.

  He could feel the butterflies in his stomach as he looked out through the partially open door at the people being seated throughout the tree branch canopy covered small arena.

  Logan turned when he heard a commotion behind him.

  George came running out of the bathroom with one of Logan’s new shoes in his mouth.

  George was happily snorting and growling as drool ran down over the shiny new leather shoe.

  “George,” Logan groaned as he snatched the shoe away from the little black dog.

  “Don’t eat my shoes!” Logan said.

  George scampered around, circling Logan, finally coming to a stop and sitting down at Logan’s feet.

  George looked up at Logan, his stubby little tail thumping against the floor as George let out two excited yips.

  Normally Logan thought George’s crazy antics were funny and he would toss whatever object George had latched onto for the little dog to chase.

  But today he wanted everything to be perfect.

  Obviously today everything was not going to be perfect, as Logan stared at the little teeth marks that ran across the top of his new shoe.

  Logan wiped the slobber off the shiny leather and tried to put the shoe on his foot as George tried his best to take the shoe back off of Logan’s foot.

  As far as George was concerned, the shoe belonged to him and he was going to take back what was his.

  Logan picked up George and held him up to his face.

  “No,” Logan said. “Bad dog!”

  George seemed to like this and started wagging his stubby tail rapidly and gave Logan a big slobbering kiss on the chin.

  “Some days I don’t think you understand a word I say,” Logan smiled.

  George seemed to like this too, and tried to give Logan another lick on the face.

  Logan sat George down on the floor, “Behave yourself for a change.”

  George once again latched onto Logan’s shoe.

  Logan grabbed George, turned him around and pushed his butt towards the other side of the room.

  George stopped, turned and looked at Logan.

  “No!” Logan said.

  George snorted and ran back into the bathroom.

  Logan started to let out a sigh of relief, until George came running back out of the bathroom with Logan’s other new shoe clenched firmly between his teeth.

  Logan ran over and grabbed George.

  He pulled the shoe out of George’s mouth and noticed a long scratch that ran across the front of the shoe.

  “What am I going to do with you, George?” Logan sighed.

  Logan looked around the room, finally walking over to the couch where he picked up one of the Nike’s he had taken off and left near the couch earlier.

  Logan pushed the tennis shoe into George’s mouth and dropped George on the couch.

  George turned his full attention to the Nike, and began happily pulling the shoe laces out of the shoe.

  Logan knew he had just condemned his tennis shoe to certain destruction, but he had more important things on his mind.

  Logan wiped at the front of his new shoe, but it did little to remove the scratch.

  “The wedding starts in ten minutes,” Logan thought, “I’ll just have to remember to tell the photographer not to take any close-up pictures of my shoes.”

  Logan finished getting dressed.

  He tightly secured the new belt he bought through the belt loops on his pants.

  “No way my pants will fall off now,” he smiled to himself.

  Next, he put on his tie, which was lying on the table next to the blue bowtie that George would wear for the wedding.

  The chewed up red bowtie, was on the table in a soggy heap next to the blue tie.

  Logan had just finished putting on his jacket and using some masking tape to remove the short black hairs from his suit, when there was a knock on the door.

  Logan opened the door.

  Two of the groomsmen were waiting at the door.

  “We’re here for George,” Connor said looking serious.

  “Just the two of you?” Logan smiled.

  “No one else would come with us,” Jason replied. “Jared and Shane have taken up positions with their rifles up among the tables in case George gets loose, but they wouldn’t come any closer.”

  Logan laughed, “Come on, George isn’t that bad.”

  “Tell that to the dead mutilated tennis shoe on your couch,” Connor grinned.

  Logan laughed, walked over to the couch and picked up George. He picked up the blue bowtie on his way back to the door.

  Logan pushed George into Connor’s hands, “Here hold him still for a second.”

  “You need help holding him?” Jason asked.

  “Not yet,” Connor grinned, “just be ready in case he gets violent.”

  Logan rolled his eyes as he tied the blue bowtie around George’s neck.

  “OK, George is ready,” Logan said, “Just don’t let him eat his tie for the next fifteen minutes.”

  “I have some rope,” Jason said, “we could tie him up. With any luck, it would take him that long to get loose.”

  “Get out of here,” Logan laughed. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

  “Could I give you one word of advice before we go?” Jason smiled.

  “Sure, what is it?” Log
an asked.

  “RUN!” Jason said, “run as fast and as far as you can while you have the chance. I promised Jamie I would keep quiet, but I have a conscience. You’re a nice guy, get out of here while you can, Run! My sister is a serial killer. It’s not too late. Run! I’ll cover for you. I’ll tell everyone you were kidnapped. Two big guys, they took you and we couldn’t stop them.”

  “No, Alien’s took him,” Connor joked.

  Logan laughed, “I already know about Jamie and I don’t have a problem with it. That skill could come in handy someday.”

  Logan, Jason and Connor all started to crack up.

  “Just don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Jason smiled.

  Jason and Connor disappeared with George.

  Logan took one last look at himself in the mirror, tugged on his belt and glanced down at his shoes.

  He smiled, took a deep breath and walked out of the room.

  The big moment had finally arrived.

  Logan was standing next to the minister on the elevated platform at the front of the amphitheater.

  To his left, Connor, Jason, Shane and Jarod stood in their matching suits.

  Jason and Connor didn’t seem to have suffered any serious injuries from wrangling George.

  Logan wasn’t sure and he didn’t want to stare, but the end of Connor’s tie did look to be a little soggy.

  His parents, Levi and Jamie, were sitting a few feet away in the front row, smiling up at Logan.

  To his right, on the other side of the minister were the bridesmaid’s. Candice, Andrea, Kylie, Danielle and Lottie all stood smiling as they faced the crowd with their hair all parted on the left side of their heads.

  Jamie’s mother, Jean, was sitting in the front row, smiling as she waited for Jamie to appear and begin her walk down the aisle.

  So far, Logan felt relaxed. It helped that in his nightmares over the last few days, the bridesmaids had never made it to the alter in any of his dreams.

  So far, so good.

  A big grin spread across Logan’s face as he saw the ring bearer and flower girl walking up the aisle.

  When they were in front of Logan, he heard a soft chuckle spread through the crowd.

  Two young boys were escorting George up the aisle.

  One boy was sitting in a little red wagon with his arms tightly wrapped around George. The other boy was slowly pulling the wagon up the aisle.

  The wagon was almost to the front when George escaped from the boy’s arms, jumped out of the wagon and ran into the crowd.

  The two boys abandoned the wagon and disappeared between the chairs in their attempt to catch George.

  “He almost made it,” Connor whispered to Logan. “I told you we should have had armed guards escort George.”

  The crowd grew silent as Jamie appeared and began her walk down the aisle.

  Except for George, the ceremony went better than planned.

  Logan and Jamie both said their “I Do’s”, there weren’t any “maybes” this time around.

  When the minister said, “You may now kiss the bride,” Jamie leaned up and gave Logan a kiss first.

  “In case you weren’t sure what to do,” Jamie smiled, “I thought I would help you out.”

  The minister introduced the crowd to the new Mr. and Mrs. Logan Frick and the procession again started.

  The minister made one final announcement as Logan and Jamie began their exit.

  “I want to ask everyone to please walk up to the tables and find your seats. Drinks and appetizers will be served shortly. The wedding party will gather back here in a moment for a few pictures.

  After that, Logan and Jamie will be making a short trip over to Lake Arrowhead for a few sunset pictures.

  When they return, dinner will be served and then the party will begin,” the minister finished and began to mingle with the wedding party as they returned for the photo shoot.

  When the photo shoot was done, Logan, Jamie and the photographer got into the limo for the short trip to the lake.

  The DJ put on some soft music and the small twinkle lights that was intertwined in the branches overhead were turned on, creating the romantic mood for the reception.

  Levi and Jamie found their table where Lottie and Matt were sitting on the second level, in front of the bride and groom’s table.

  “Can I get anyone something to drink?” Matt asked as Levi and Jamie sat down.

  “I’ll have a Diet Coke, Jamie replied.

  “Nothing for me Matt, Thanks,” Levi answered.

  A server walked by and sat a plate of snacks on the table as Matt headed towards the bar.

  “Lottie, I thought you looked very nice up there during the wedding,” Levi said.

  “I see your hair is parted on the right side again,” Jamie smiled.

  “I changed it as soon as the photographer was done taking pictures,” Lottie replied. “I was going to change it before the pictures were taken, but I didn’t want Logan to have to photo shop all the wedding pictures.”

  Levi laughed, “Someone is going to have their hands full photoshopping George into the ceremony. Did anyone see where George went?”

  “Hopefully he ran away,” Jamie chuckled.

  “Mom, he is just a puppy,” Lottie said then started to laugh, “it’s not his fault he is an idiot. Maybe they will send him to obedience school someday.”

  “I thought they did send him to obedience school,” Levi grinned.

  “Yeah, but he was expelled,” Jamie laughed. “The school threatened to sue Logan if he ever brought George within two hundred feet of the school, ever again.”

  Lottie rolled her eyes.

  Their attention was drawn to the far end of the tables, near the area where the wedding cake table was set up.

  “It looks like some of those people are chasing something,” Lottie said.

  The people sitting around the first table all began to lean over and look under their table.

  Then the people at table two all began to look under their table.

  Then a little black ball of fur shot out from under the second table and ran under Levi and Jamie’s table.

  “Guess who?” Lottie said.

  “Why are they chasing George and why did he have to run under my table?” Jamie complained. “It’s like he is intent on driving me crazy.”

  Jamie looked under the table, “George, go bother Jamie’s mother and leave me alone.”

  Lottie leaned over next to her mother and looked under the table at George.

  “I can’t see very well down there,” Lottie said, “but I think he stole someone’s shoe again. I’ve never seen a dog with a shoe fetish like George.”

  “Shoes and toilet paper,” Jamie added.

  Lottie looked under the table again and reached for George.

  Finally, her hand felt something and she grabbed at it.

  “Got it,” Lottie smiled. “Give me that shoe, you little bugger. Oh, gross, George smells like he fell in a big pile of cow manure.”

  George growled and snorted. He wasn’t giving up his new shoe without a fight.

  George held on to the shoe with all his might and began jerking the shoe back and forth. He was having fun playing tug of war, his favorite game.

  Lottie’s fingers slipped off the shoe and smacked against one of the table legs.

  “Ouch damn it,” Lottie yelped. “George slobbered all over the shoe and it slipped out of my fingers.”

  Lottie pulled her hand out from under the table and instinctively brought up it to her mouth.

  “Lottie, you’re bleeding.” Jamie shrieked when she saw Lottie’s hand. “Did George bite you?”

  Lottie looked at her blood covered hand. She grabbed a napkin and began to wipe the blood off her fingers.

  “This isn’t my blood,” Lottie said as she continued to wipe her hand clean.

  “Maybe something happened to George,” Levi said sounding concerned. George was a pain in the ass, but Levi couldn’t help but like t
he little devil.

  Levi quickly got down on his hands and knees. When he spotted George, he extended his long arms and grabbed George by his stubby tail. He pulled on George’s tail long enough to get him over where he could scoop him up with his other hand.

  Levi pulled George out from under the table and sat back down in his chair.

  George looked up at Levi, still hanging onto the shoe he had found and commandeered. George’s flat nose was covered with blood, but Levi couldn’t see any cuts or injuries on the little dog.

  Levi grabbed the shoe out of George’s mouth and looked at his teeth.

  Before Levi could determine if George’s mouth had been injured, Jamie began to scream.

  Levi quickly looked at Jamie.

  Jamie was looking at the shoe Levi was holding, as blood poured out of the shoe, covering the plate of snacks on the table in a dark red liquid.

  Levi turned the shoe in his now blood covered hand, “Someone’s foot is still inside the shoe!”

  Levi dropped the shoe on the ground and began to wipe the blood off his hand onto the table cloth.

  Jamie threw up, splattering the table and George.

  Lottie jumped away from the table, covering her nose with her clean hand, fighting the urge to throw up along with her mother.

  “I knew it,” Jamie gagged, “that little beast killed someone for their shoes. It was only a matter of time before something like that was going to happen with him.”

  “George isn’t big enough to kill anyone,” Levi said as he reached down and picked up the shoe again using a napkin to protect his hand.

  Jamie started to throw up again as Levi brought the shoe closer to his face for a better look.

  Lottie turned away, refusing to look at it.

  “This smells like a dead animal,” Levi said as he looked at the severed foot inside the shoe.

  Jamie got up and stumbled towards Lottie.