Cassie dashes out of another building to our left, running hard with Duke galloping by her side. We put aside our squabble for the time being, and turn our attention to her.
“What’s wrong?” Lucas inquires.
She comes to a grinding halt, and points back to the building that she just left.
“I found a survivor.”
CHAPTER THREE
I crane my neck and peer past Cassie at the building she just left. Her hopeful words battle the angst and emotional turmoil I’m struggling with.
“A survivor?” I ask. “Who?”
“Some guy. He was hiding out in one of the closets. Duke found him.” Cassie turns and points back in the direction of the elongated structure.
Lucas shifts his gaze to me and I to him for a split second before he turns back to her. “Is he military?”
Cassie shakes her head. “I don’t think so. He isn’t wearing any sort of fatigues or military get up. He looks to be pretty shaken up, though. When I opened the door, he was cowering in the corner with his hands held up in the air and rambling on about the chasers and other stuff that I couldn’t make out.”
Lucas takes a step toward Cassie, and places his hand on her shoulder. “Has he been bitten?”
Cassie shrugs. “Not that I can see. I didn’t exactly examine him that closely though.”
“If he’s talking, regardless of how muttered it is, then that’s a good sign, right?” I say.
Lucas sighs and subtly shakes his head. His right hand reaches over and rubs the back of his neck. “That still doesn’t mean that he isn’t infected. There are more of those chasers around here. He could’ve been bitten somewhere not easily noticeable and hasn’t turned yet. We need to be cautious until we know for sure.”
I start in the direction of the building.
“Where are you going?” Lucas says.
“To see what he knows. My sister is still missing.” The machete stays taut in my grasp as I head for the lengthy portable building that is cast in darkness. Cassie and the others follow behind. The utter silence that befalls us allows the whispers among the duo to trickle into my ears. It’s faint and low, but still audible enough for me to notice that they’re speaking quietly, so I can’t hear, more than likely about me. I can honestly say I don’t care at the moment. Their opinion is of little concern to me right now.
The muttered words trail off as I step into the entrance of the portable structure. Laid out similarly to the one that I found my mother in, there are paths that lead off in either direction of me through the swinging, thick plastic doors. I pause inside the main entryway. I crane my neck to the left, then the right in search of this survivor.
“He’s this way.” Cassie drifts to the right and passes through a set of thick, black, plastic doors. The hinges squeak as she pushes them open. Duke stays hot on her trail. I follow up behind with Lucas bringing up the rear.
Bodies of soldiers and civilians lay spread out over the gun metal grates of the portable building. Their motionless, ravaged forms lay contorted in various positions. Their clothes are doused in blood. Portions of their flesh are ripped and torn free like a wild animal attacked them all.
To a certain degree, one did.
We pass by a few desks, and enter into another space that is just beyond the plastic curtains—not a medical ward like the one we were in, but more of a place that people may have slept in.
Jumbled cots line both sides of the walls, and span the entire length of the structure to the back end. The frames of the beds are tossed over in a complete scene of disharmony. I spy no more deceased soldiers or civilians as I skim over the periphery of the space, only a lone man with his head hanging toward the ground.
He rests on the edge of one of the cots with his forearms on the soft parts just above his knees. His feet rapidly tap the steel grates. The ends of his fingers on his right hand feed into his trembling mouth as he gnaws at the nails. A distant look swells in his eyes as beads of sweat race down from the stubble covering his pear-shaped head. He looks to be lost in another world. I can relate.
Cassie slowly approaches the shaken man from the side. She carefully reaches out and places her hand on his shoulder. “Scott.”
He jumps, and a gasp of fright escapes his shuddering lips as he falls back onto the palms of his hands. It’s almost as if he is so adrift in his nightmare, that the world around him is invisible.
With his eyes agape, his bloodshot gaze shoots to each of us. He mutters something that I can’t make out cleanly. A grown man so overwhelmed with terror is something I haven’t seen on this scale. Then again, I’m a kid, and to me most grownups don’t show such horrid emotion. Given what obviously transpired here, I can say that his reaction is warranted.
Cassie’s hand remains on his quaking shoulder. Lucas shifts his body to my left. He keeps his hands clutched firmly on the shotgun. His fingers wrap around the stock and barrel, ready to intervene if need be.
“So much blood. The creatures are coming. They are here,” he says with manic eyes shifting wildly about. He points toward the set of double doors that we passed through. His arm trembles as if he is unable to control its movements. “There. The demons came from there and killed everyone.”
Cassie leans in closer and places her free hand on his fidgeting leg, trying to calm him down.
Short bursts of his escalating breathing spews from his mouth.
“Be careful there,” Lucas advises. “This guy is giving me a bad vibe.”
Cassie tilts her head to Lucas, then me, and nods. Duke stays wedged between us. The muscles in his body are rigid as he stares at the distraught man. I can feel his tension on my legs as he nudges against me.
“We have taken care of any chasers out there. You are safe,” Cassie calmly says.
Scott shakes his head in disagreement. He wraps his arms around his chest. “That is what the military told us—that it was safe here and that they had everything under control. That is why me and my family came here. It was my idea to trust them. It is why they are all dead now.”
Lucas speaks up. “How exactly did all of this happen? What changed?”
Scott sucks in a big gulp of air and releases it out through pursed lips. “To be honest, I don’t know. It happened so fast.” Scott unfolds his arms and stands up from the edge of the cot. He paces back and forth for a moment as he mutters more incoherent nonsense to himself. “My family and I came from Portland. The containment that the military had setup around Gresham was starting to fail from the number of infected. They were pushing toward Portland. When we got here, there was no activity from any infected. That changed after a week or more. Can’t remember exactly.”
“What happened?” I inquire.
“The chasers started to show up. At first, it was only a few here and there. But then more started to arrive in larger numbers. The military was able to hold them off for a bit, but was soon overwhelmed. Then, a few people who were let in had been bitten, and turned, which really sent things into a whirlwind of chaos. But the strangest thing of all was this little girl. Some military types were really interested in her. They escorted her away in a helicopter before the crap really hit the fan. The girl’s mother wasn’t too happy about it either. She kept pleading with them not to take her. She also spoke of her husband and son, saying that they were heading this way and they couldn’t leave till they arrived?”
A surge of hope fills my body as my eyes widen from the semi vague response. The sadness and rage filling me is washed over with a sense of temporary relief as I take a step forward.
“Why did the military take her? Was it a woman with long dark hair in the other building just to the left of this one who was asking the men to wait?” I ask excitedly.
The man’s face contorts in confusion. His eyes narrow at me before drifting toward the floor. The heel of his palm smacks against his temple as he continues muttering gibberish.
Agitated by his lack of response, I take a few steps more toward him
. My hand sternly grabs his forearm and whips him about so he can face me. “What happened to them? I need to know.”
Scott yanks his arm free of my grasp and takes a step back. “Christ, I’m thinking, all right?”
Lucas places a restrictive hand on my shoulder. “James, give him a second.”
I brush his hand free of my shoulder, cock my head back toward him, and point in the direction of Scott. “I need to know more about this. I think he’s talking about my mom and sister.”
Scott pauses. Frozen in place. His eyes cut back over to me as if a lightbulb suddenly flickered to life. “Is your name James?”
I nod emphatically. “It is.”
Scott runs his hand up and down his long, tired face for a second before continuing. “I don’t know exactly where they took your sister. I just overheard them saying it was to some research hospital in California. Another one of the refugees told me it was located off Interstate 5. Take that as you will.”
“Why her?” I demand.
He gnaws on the ends of his fingernails. Something my mom would do as well when she was stressed or had to tell Dad some less than stellar news. “It was discovered that she was bitten a week or so prior and for some reason, hadn’t turned. About the time they were taking her, more chasers flooded into the compound. Your mom got bit while they were fleeing to a helicopter. They left her behind and took off.”
I grow silent. A cumulation of mixed emotions melds in with the turmoil. Cindy’s alive, but also infected. But more so, she hasn’t turned.
For now, the hopelessness of having my family ripped away from me has been given a new lease on life. For now, I still have something to fight for.
CHAPTER FOUR
Reeling from the sudden revelation, I take a step back, and place my arms over my head. All sorts of questions flood my worn mind. I try to piece together a puzzle that is lost on me as I pace back and forth. My only surviving family has been taken to another state, and she is infected, but not changed into the horrific monsters that now plague the world.
Cassie cautiously approaches. I imagine she is hesitant to inquire how I’m doing, considering I’ve been the biggest ass in the world to both her and Lucas—a byproduct of a teenager dealing with the weight of his family’s death in the best way he knows how. Horribly bad.
She goes to reach for me, but stops. Her arms stay by her side as she tilts her head slightly to the left and leans toward me. “James, how you doing?”
The machete is still clutched in my palm, fingers tightly curled over the tattered leather-bound handle that rubs against my moist flesh as I try to digest the latest news in my so-called life. I’m still stressed and pissed, but just knowing that Cindy is out there soothes the savage beast inside me. For now, anyway.
“I’m doing.” I lower my arms and release a sigh through my dry lips. “I’m glad to hear my sister is alive, but can’t believe she’s infected.”
Cassie stays close, but also keeps at arm’s length from me. She’s still pissed for me acting like I have, but none the less, she is there for me. “It’s unbelievable for sure.”
I stop, then turn toward Scott who has his arms guarding his chest. The whole thing doesn’t sit right with me. I haven’t seen or heard of anybody being immune. Don’t get me wrong, that is what I want it to be. It’s just that my heart has been broken so much that I’m almost afraid to feel anything positive right now.
“And you saw the bite mark on my sister, and you’re sure it was a week or so old?”
Scott gnaws at the end of his fingernails. “My daughter saw the bite mark. That is how the military found out about it. I didn’t see the bite personally, though.” Scott continues nibbling at his dingy nails as he trails off toward the rear of the building.
Lucas and Cassie approach me from either side as I take a seat on one of the cots. The springs creak and stretch, adjusting to my weight.
Duke lays his head in my lap. His tongue shoots out and licks my hand. I rub the crown of his head as I stare off into space.
“That’s pretty heavy what he said,” Lucas whispers. “Can’t say that I have heard anything like it before.”
“True, but no one has ever heard of people going crazy and wanting to eat each other either. It could be possible, all things considered,” Cassie chimes in.
Lucas peers over his shoulder at Scott, who is still pacing about and talking to himself. “Don’t get me wrong, I want it to be true for you, James, but I’m not sure about this. I mean, he is definitely suffering from PTSD. I can only imagine what he went through and witnessed. Seeing that kind of stuff messes one up.”
I shift my gaze up to Lucas, then to Cassie who gives me a stare as if to signal that not only is he referring to Scott, but to me as well. I don’t respond with some snide comment or get irate and start demolishing the place. I contemplate it, telling them where they can stick it, but decide to keep my lips sealed. Instead, I peer over to Scott and mull over Lucas’s statement.
“I agree. I think he’s not all there at the moment, but what if what he is saying is true? I know if it were my family, I’d want to check it out,” Cassie says.
I can feel their eyes beating down on me. I’m torn as to what I know I should do, head for safety, wherever the hell that is, and what the inner me is whispering. Go and find your sister, you fool. Finding Cindy, regardless of how that may end up, is what I need to do. But still, what if this guy is a nut bag, too far gone to be able to discern facts from the jumbled mess his mind conjures up. As much as I need for this to be true, I’m just so scared of what I might find.
Damn it.
Cindy is all that I have left in this world, and I am going to find her.
I push up off the edge of the cot. The negative side of my brain that tries to lace my resolve with doubt is stifled with decisive action.
“I can’t ask either of you to come any farther with me. You have both risked so much, and I have not been the easiest person to be around the past little bit.”
Lucas places his hand back on my shoulder, but this time I don’t brush off the gesture. “It’s understandable, James. Having to do the dreadful things you have would be terribly hard on anyone. Like I stated earlier. We are on your side. What you are dealing with and what you’ve endured would press anyone to the brink of losing it. Believe me, I’ve been there. It’ll take some time for you to work through it, but you’ll get there.”
Cassie nudges my arm, and offers me a half smile. “You’re forgiven for now, butthead. But the next time you talk to me in such a manner, I’ll put you flat on your ass. You got me?”
Given how I’ve seen Cassie handle herself with the chasers, I don’t doubt her words.
I nod. “How are we going to find this research facility in California? That’s a lot of ground and chasers to contend with.”
Silence befalls us as we each think about the best way to approach the matter. It’s difficult to concentrate at the moment. Dealing with the trauma of my mother’s death has not been conducive to critical thinking.
Cassie’s head pivots from side to side as she scans over the building. What is she looking for? “Maybe they have some sort of map or something in one of these offices showing other installations that are relatively nearby? A city or something.”
Lucas shrugs. “It’s possible. Better than what we’ve got to go on right now.” Lucas trains his gaze over to Scott who is still in his own little world, pacing about the cluttered mess of jumbled up cots. I see a lot of his turmoil in me. I am struggling to keep the demons at bay. I am way past the point of returning to the childish things that I once treasured above all else such as playing video games or lying in my bed watching movies as I drown myself in Mountain Dew and gorge through a mound of junk food. This traumatic experience has forced me into adulthood, whether I was prepared for it or not. Fortunately for me, I’ve been lucky enough to come across individuals who have helped me keep hold of what humanity lingers inside my soul.
“Should w
e ask him if he might know?” Cassie inquires.
“I’ll go ask him real quick. We shouldn’t hang around any longer than we have to,” Lucas turns and nods toward the front entrance. “Who knows how many more chasers are in the area.”
Cassie nudges my arm once more. “James and I will start going through the offices to help speed things up.”
“Good idea. Keep your eyes and ears open.” Lucas shifts his gaze to me. “And James.”
“Yeah.”
He tilts his head to the right slightly and gives me that parental stare that I’ve seen more than once before on my mom and dad’s face.
“No more lone wolf stunts, all right?”
I dismiss his words of caution with an idle shrug. “I make no promises.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Lucas heads toward the back of the building where Scott is. I pat my leg twice, which snaps Duke to attention. We turn about and head toward the double plastic doors that lead out of the overly large space.
Cassie follows close behind as we exit through the office and out into the darkness of night. We pause briefly as I stare out into space. The stillness of the compound invades my already rattled and frayed nerves.
Faint moans and something shuffling its feet through the grass plays in my ears as if the creatures are lurking within the ether of shadows that swarm the recessed places around us. I can’t tell if it’s real or not, considering Cassie doesn’t seem to be on edge.
Cassie’s blonde ponytail bounces with each step she makes, subtly swinging from side and side. She pauses. Then looks to her left, then right. She nods toward the facility that we discovered my mother in. “I’ll check that one out, and see what I can find.” She then points to the structure to our left that has a multitude of what appears to be antennae or something jetting up through the roof. “Do you want to check that out? That could be a communication building or something like that.”
Dead State (Book 3): Executioner Page 2