Her head snapped up when the sliding door slammed shut. The smell of dirty bodies filled the inside of the vehicle and Alex knew she and Leona were not alone. The engine started and Alex braced herself for movement. Using her feet, she moved around to feel what was around them. She was encouraged to find that they were surrounded by boxes.
"Leona, do you have a hood on?"
"No."
"Good. I have an idea."
Chapter Eight
The screaming seemed so close, but Marcus couldn't find it. Sweat rolled down his face and neck. He felt like he had been running for an hour, trying to outrun the dead and kill the ones that got too close. His arms were killing him, starting to feel numb from the constant contact with the infected. His legs were rubber, threatening to give out at any minute. But he wouldn't stop.
When Alex didn't come around the front of the horde for him, he had known something was strange. When he saw the Bronco driving away in the far distance, he knew things had taken a horrible turn. He and Alex had had their disagreements about things. This horde and how they handled it was one of them. Marcus had expected her to come for him after she had looked after the survivors they were helping. He had anticipated the lecture and possible yelling that would come from Alex. He was prepared for her to tell him he made stupid decisions and she was done with it.
Instead, the last hour had been him running in the direction he’d seen the Bronco last. However, once he got to where he thought it had been, there was no indication of which way she had gone. His heart pounded in his ears as he had stood as still as possible trying to hear any engine. When he thought he heard something, he would run in that direction then he would stop and listen again. He even tried to follow the infected, thinking a group of them may have been lured by the passing of the vehicle. When he realized they were just randomly wandering together, he had been angry and a little scared. He put down the small group before taking a break in a small doorway that was hidden in shadow.
He drank deeply from his canteen. That was when the screaming started. He almost dropped his water it was so sudden. The sound had echoed between buildings. He knew it was Alex. He was sure when almost immediately she began to scream his name. He had stood very still trying to let his ears do the searching, but the screams didn't last. The noise did more than call to Marcus, it also brought the dead out. As Marcus ran in the direction he believed the screams to be coming from, he was faced with infected coming out of buildings, alleys, and from yards of the neighboring houses. His aggravation with the infected was more than it ever was, as they stood between him and Alex.
When Alex first rescued him off the top of a truck, her and Easton swinging in to kill off the infected that had cornered him, he had instantly been attracted to her. She was beautiful, even though she didn't see herself that way. However, after he got to know her a little more and learned of her recently dead husband, Marcus knew there would never be anything between them. Alex still grieved and punished herself for her husband's death. And Marcus knew he was too much of a wildcard for her to find interest in. He didn't believe in changing himself to suit anyone, even Alex. Since they came to the compound, he made sure he was useful with the skills he had. He was kind with the kids, because it was impossible not to love them. He and Alex built a friendship. Something he depended on every day in the dead world.
Now, he had lost her. His recklessness had left her alone with someone they didn't know. He tried to think of the yelling they had heard near Wal-Mart. He believed he heard a man scream, but there was other higher pitched screams, so he couldn't be sure. Alex could handle herself in any situation, he'd seen it many times. If someone had overpowered her, well he didn't want to think of what that could mean. His legs moved faster as he skidded into another road, with too many options of ways to go. There was no way for him to know now where Alex was. A growl from behind him had him whirling. A small woman stalked toward him. Her scalp had been partially ripped from her skull, hair and flesh flopped around as she moved. Marcus didn't think twice before swinging his bat at her head.
He gulped in air as panic and exhaustion tried to take over. Hearing Alex scream had sent him over the edge from worry into fear. She never screamed. She only yelled when fighting with her sister. Rarely, he had heard her yell in the middle of fighting the dead. But those screams were for help, and they were for him. She needed him to find her and he had no direction to go on. For all he knew he was going the opposite direction of where the trouble was. He ran his free hand over his close-cropped hair. He could hear Alex in his mind, admonishing him for not having a plan.
The sound of an engine starting caught his attention, and without a thought he went running in that direction. In the dead world, the sound of a vehicle was far and few between. He knew it had to be Alex, or whoever had Alex. As he rounded the corner of a shopping complex, a black van flew past him on the road. He froze, realizing it was the same van they had seen driving crazy earlier. It seemed to be doing better now, but it was on its way somewhere fast. Marcus ran into the middle of the street to watch the direction it seemed to go. Too soon it was out of sight with no indication of its destination.
Marcus ran toward the alley the van had come from. He stopped short at what he found. The Bronco sat, the door open, the tailgate down. The supplies were gone, only trash remained on the ground and in the truck. He went to the driver's seat and saw the keys were still in the ignition. Without a thought, Marcus ran to close all the doors and jumped into the truck. He turned the key, shoved it into reverse and tried to follow the direction of the van. When he looked down, he realized there was blood on the center console and in the passenger seat. His heart thudded rapidly thinking the worst.
He drove for what seemed like an hour, up and down the main streets, circling the outside of town the best he could. There was no sign of the van. Finally, as he noticed how much gas he was burning, he let the truck roll to a stop. He leaned his forehead against the steering wheel and closed his eyes. He felt tears stinging, and he was moments away from losing it. Think about what Alex would do, he said to himself. This made him sit up and look around. He knew Alex was good with plans. But when those plans didn't work out, she found a way to work with what she had. So, what did he have? He had the truck. He had his weapons, though all of their ammo was gone. He didn't have any food, as his go pack had been in the truck as well and it was gone.
What he did have was the town. Those from the compound hadn't met many survivors in town, but they knew they were around. Places they had scouted would be empty upon return, or they would see vehicles in the distance. Their rule had always been to not approach unless someone came to them or they needed help. Bunch of good that has done, Marcus thought to himself sarcastically. In town he could find people. Maybe someone saw what happened or knew where the van was from. He could find food easily, even if he went back to the truck they had hidden on the side of the forested road. What he couldn't do was go back to the compound with nothing. He didn't know if Max would let him live if he had lost her sister and given up on the search.
With an idea in mind, he started to drive slowly toward the residential area nearby. As he drove, he looked at each house, watching for a twitch of curtains or a face staring back at him. A small child ran from one house to another and Marcus stomped on the brakes. The child wasn't infected, Marcus realized. He sat in front of the house the child had run into and waited. Deciding that taking the chance was worth it, he parked the Bronco at the curb and stepped out. He left his 9mm in its holster but left his bat in the truck. He wasn't there to intimidate anyone, he just had questions. His hands were out at his sides, palms out to show he wasn't trying to hide anything as he walked slowly toward the door.
"Stop right there," a man's voice boomed. Marcus froze, afraid to look around for the source of the voice.
"What do you want? We don't have anything to spare," the man continued.
"I don't want supplies. I just have some questions," Marcus called back.
"Do you have anything to trade for answers?"
Marcus thought. He had nothing in the Bronco but one case of water that was left behind for some reason. He wasn't willing to part with his weapons because those were the only things that would keep him alive away from the compound.
"Case of water is all I have left."
A man with a hunting rifle came from the far side of the house. A window above him opened, and another man leaned out, flashing a large handgun. Marcus left his hands where they were, realizing he was outnumbered and in a precarious position. When the man spoke again, Marcus realized it was the man from the window doing the talking.
"What's the questions?"
"Have you seen a black van around here?"
The men exchanged a look. They rattled off a quick conversation in Spanish, leaving Marcus wishing he had paid better attention in Spanish class.
"What do you know of the black van?" The man on the ground asked.
"Nothing. That's why I'm here to ask," Marcus replied.
"You've seen the van?" The man from the window said.
"I think the people in it took my friend. I saw it driving away," Marcus said.
A clicking noise from the front door caught Marcus's attention. It was open now, and a woman stood in the doorway. She motioned to Marcus to come inside. He looked at the men holding him at gunpoint in time to see them share an exasperated look. Then the man in the window looked back to Marcus and nodded to him, giving the approval for Marcus to enter the house. Keeping his hands visible, Marcus walked toward the door where the woman stood aside to allow him entry.
The interior was dimly lit, no sun shining through the bottom windows. After a look around, Marcus realized all the bottom windows were boarded up. A decent job by his standards and a smart choice since they seemed to be living in the house. The door clicked closed, and the lock was turned as soon as he was clear of it. Then a thick wooden beam was placed into a slot of metal that had been attached to the walls on either side of the door. This family was clearly concerned about an attack. Marcus wanted to mention that the infected couldn't unlock doors, but he was beginning to believe they had more to fear than the dead.
A young woman approached Marcus. Her face was open and welcoming, with a smile as she spoke.
"I'm Vera. I'm sorry about my brother and uncle, they are very protective."
"My name is Marcus. And it's ok. I don't blame them. But you have nothing to fear from me," he said.
"We know. My mother wouldn't have opened the door if we were worried," Vera said with a light laugh.
When she turned to look at her mother, Marcus noticed a puckered scar on the side of her face. In the small time he saw it, he believed it hadn't happened long ago, but it appeared to be healing well. Her mother was the older woman that had opened the door, much to the disapproval of the men trying to question Marcus. When the two men joined them on the first floor, names were given around, because Vera's mother, whose name was Claudia, wouldn't have rude behavior in the house. Mateo was Vera's brother, the one that held the rifle on him on the ground. The uncle's name was Albert. He was a burly man, one that Marcus wouldn't trifle with plague or no plague. And the last inhabitant who was now playing upstairs was Alonso Jr, fondly called AJ. The boy was named after their father, Alonso, who had died in the early days of the plague. The men had little to say, but both had a few biting words for Claudia. Though Marcus didn't understand the language, he looked away as the argument happened.
"It's ok," Vera said, as she stepped to Marcus's side. "My brother and uncle watch out for us and the house. Especially after what happened to Sylvia."
Her face was sad at that, but before Marcus could ask who Sylvia was, Claudia called him to join her in the kitchen. He had expected everyone to follow, but when he entered a swinging door shut behind him and no one else entered. Claudia busied herself with instant coffee, using candlelight to see her hands. Marcus offered to help, feeling that though society had fallen apart, inside this house manners still ruled. Claudia smiled a sweet smile at him and declined his offer, asking him to sit. He did, but he couldn't stop fidgeting at her nice, white cloth-covered table.
"Cream or sugar?" Claudia asked.
"Black is fine, ma'am," Marcus replied.
"Oh please, just call me Claudia. There's no need for formality here."
The older woman sat next to him. She was wearing what Marcus assumed would be called a house dress. It was colorful with flowers covering every inch. She wore house slippers, which struck Marcus as quite funny. There was no way she could safely leave the house in those if she had to. Marcus wondered if she ever did leave, or if she just stayed safely tucked away in their house. He imagined that as long as they were silent and careful when they came and went, the infected wouldn't show interest in their home. The kitchen seemed well stocked, with additional supplies stacked in corners, organized and carefully put out of the way. Some of it looked like canned goods the Duncans had hoped to grab from a nearby warehouse. When they went to retrieve the cans, most were gone. It was then they were glad to realize they weren't alone in town with all the dead.
"Sylvia, is my oldest daughter. She's a few years older than Vera. She has been missing for two weeks," Claudia said. Her sudden change of subject caught Marcus off guard and he had to put his coffee down again. He didn't want to risk spilling a drop on the pristine white covering.
"Missing? How do you know she's not, well...you know," Marcus hedged. He wasn't sure how to just say she was probably dead.
"Because she was taken by the black van. They took Vera too. But Vera came back."
"With the injury to her face?" Marcus asked. Claudia didn't say anything, just nodded her head with a far off look in her eyes.
"Who drives the van, Claudia?"
"The men that work for the Noble Lord. A man that has tried to take control of the supplies we have here in town. He wants to rule, as if we have that type of leadership in the United States," Claudia said.
"The Noble Lord? There is actually someone out there that calls himself that? So how has he tried to take control? Why do people follow him?"
"The rumor is, from what my brother and son have heard in town, he was a high-level drug dealer before the fall. Once things went to the dead, he still had a good size supply of drugs. Those were the men that followed him first. Then with their help, he started gathering supplies and keeping them locked up. To get a share of supplies, you have to contribute to his cause in some way," Claudia explained.
Marcus sat back in his chair for a moment. He knew he shouldn't feel surprised, but he did. Drugs should be the last concern of the living population, they had plenty to deal with otherwise. However, he realized that addiction was a strong thing. And the fear and panic of people could push them over the edge when looking for a way to escape. If the man then controlled food and water that those people needed, they would probably do anything as long as they were still fed.
"Why would he take your daughters? Why did his men take my friend?" Marcus asked.
"She's a woman, yes?" Marcus nodded his head and Claudia continued. "It's the Dead Brothel. He uses the women they kidnap to work at the brothel." Her voice was quiet and sad.
Marcus stood up in anger and shock, almost toppling his chair in the process. He began to pace the kitchen. A brothel? Now? How had they not heard about such a thing already? Marcus admitted those at the compound had been careful to not cross people unless completely necessary. Behind their walls, they were safe from the threats of someone such as this Noble Lord. Marcus scoffed in his mind, hating to even refer to him that way. Self-proclaimed ruler was what he was trying to be. And his men just took a Duncan. They had now bit off more than they could chew.
"How did Vera escape?" Marcus asked, turning back to look at Claudia. Her eyes were red rimmed, as she fought the tears. Marcus felt sympathy well in him and he calmed himself to sit back next to her.
"She fought with them in the van. Sylvia tried to cal
m her, believing they would be let go if they just played along. But Vera didn't believe that. She fought and her face was badly cut. The men decided she wasn't worth taking to the Noble Lord, so they threw her from the van on the side of the road."
"Dear god. How did she make it home?" Marcus asked.
"Mateo and Albert were following the van as best they could. They knew the general direction it had gone and were lucky to be on the same road. They found Vera, holding her shirt to her face, stumbling down the road. I was able to sew her up. I'm no doctor but I can do a small stitch," Claudia said.
"Which way did the van go then? What road was it? I need to find it."
"It's a fortress. You won't get your friend out of there, not alive at least," Claudia replied.
"I won't be alone," Marcus said. He thought about how angry Rafe and Max were going to be when he got home without Alex. When he told them this story, Max's head would explode, if that was a physical possibility.
"I thought so. You're from behind the walls, aren't you?" Claudia asked. Her question caught Marcus off guard, and he felt like he knew much less about this woman than she knew of him.
"What walls?" He replied, hedging and keeping his cards close.
"The ones in the middle of the forest. There is a house behind the walls. You live there."
"I'm not sure...." Marcus started, but Claudia cut him off.
"I only know this because Mateo and Albert have searched the area almost daily since the fall. They avoid the dead as much as possible. They saw your vehicle once, and they carefully followed into the forest. They didn't go near the walls though, after they saw the barbed wire and cameras."
Marcus was impressed. It wasn't easy to sneak up on a Duncan. The rest of them though, didn't have the same skills. He thought back to the times he and Cliff traveled out on their own. Was it one of those times? Claudia had mentioned the barbed wire, which was a newer addition to the walls. They hadn't found them long ago. And Marcus knew there hadn't been any sightings on the cameras. The alarms had only gone off when the infected were nearby. There was always someone on watch, waiting for the government to attack once again.
Sundown Series (Book 4): Torment Page 10