Dead in the Valley
Surviving the Shenandoah Series Book 1
by C.M. Rutherford
Copyright Page
Dead in the Valley - Surviving the Shenandoah Book 1 by C.M. Rutherford
© 2018 C.M. Rutherford
All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means--electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise--without prior written permission of the author, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. For permissions contact:
[email protected]
Cover by Andre Vasquez Angry Chair Designs
Editing by Geesey Editorial Service
IBSN: 9781671365834
Table of Contents
Copyright Page
Acknowledgements
CHAPTER ONE
Apocalypse Now
CHAPTER TWO
Safe House
CHAPTER THREE
Convoy
CHAPTER FOUR
O Brother Where Art Thou
CHAPTER FIVE
Dazed and Confused
CHAPTER SIX
The Rescuers
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Dirty Dozen
CHAPTER EIGHT
Lock, Stock, and Smoking Barrel
CHAPTER NINE
Best Laid Plans
CHAPTER TEN
Men at Work
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Slow Burn
CHAPTER TWELVE
Fuel
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The Gauntlet
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Taken
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Full Metal Jacket
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Vengeance
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
All Things Fall Apart
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The Wall
CHAPTER TWENTY
GasLand
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Building Hope
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The Organization
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Murder in the First
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Confessions of a Shopaholic
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
True Grit
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Missing
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Bad Boys
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
The Council
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Betrayal
CHAPTER THIRTY
Hostiles
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
First Contact
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Trapped
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
The Last Stand
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
There Will Be Blood
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Aftermath
Epilogue
About the Author
Afterword
Acknowledgements
I dedicate this book to my kids. They inspire me to be the best me I can be. I hope they always follow their dreams. With time and dedication, I know they can accomplish anything. Had I been asked twenty years ago, I would not have said one day I will have short stories and a novel published. It's never too late to go after what you want.
I want to thank my beta readers Larry Phelps, Aaron Jenkins, and Alex Huffman. Thanks for taking your time to read through the story and for the great suggestions you provided. I also appreciate the moral support.
I would like to thank Andre Vasquez from Angry Chair Designs for the amazing cover art. He took his time and gave me many options for the cover. He created a lot of mockups until we hit on the one that was in my mind’s eye. Dre is a great guy to work with if you need cover art. Thanks to Patti Geesey for her editing services.
The amazing group of independent authors I have come to know over the last four or five years deserve a shout out as well. The stories they have created fueled my imagination and inspired me to finally put down some stories on paper. There are so many great ones out there, and I can't list them all, but there are a few I will mention as they answered questions and gave feedback to help this rookie out. Sean Liebling brought me on as a beta reader for several of his books. He gave me my first taste of how to go about writing. Allen Gamboa, Joe Hansen, Mike Evans, Craig McDonough,Michael Robertson, Eric Shelman and Shawn Chesser; these guys answered a lot of questions and took time to give feedback for some of my stories. I really appreciate them taking time to help out a newbie. All of these guys have some great stories out there, so if you haven't read their work be sure to check them out.
CHAPTER ONE
Apocalypse Now
People like to think they are in control. They like to believe they know how their future is going to work out. People are so confident that we can force our lives to follow a specific path. They don’t understand how little real control they have over their future. The first day of the outbreak showed many human beings just how insignificant they really are in the grand scheme of things. Each person was forced to make a decision, without time to procrastinate, that would ultimately decide if they would survive or perish when things went to hell. When faced with the type of mayhem occurring during the zombie apocalypse, they are divided into two different mindsets. Survivors act on instinct and do whatever they have to do to keep themselves and the ones they love safe. The other type of person shuts down and checks out. They can't process what is happening around them. They don't know how to react and that is ultimately what causes their demise. In my mind, it was a simple and straightforward decision. I would do whatever it took to ensure my family was safe. The moment I saw that television broadcast and saw infected eating their fellow man, I knew things would never be the same again. I did not have any doubt things were going to get precarious for anyone and everyone. The human race just got dealt a shit hand and it will be a long time coming before we are able to dig ourselves out of this mess.
Wade Marshall
◆◆◆
Wade woke and started the day like any other. After a quick shower, it was time to begin the arduous task of rousing the children from slumber. Jarred, twenty, now was self-sufficient and attending college locally. Diana and Charlie had passed the up-with-the-sun phase and entered the need-dynamite-to-wake-them-up phase. One sure way to get everyone moving was to get bacon frying. Bacon had a way of waking even the deepest sleeper. As Wade got breakfast going, Kelly came into the kitchen. Reaching around his waist, she rested her head against his back.
"Have I mentioned how much I hate Mondays?" she said.
"I think I have heard you mention it a time or two," Wade replied, grinning.
Finishing the bacon and plating the eggs and toast, Wade noticed Diana making her way to the table.
"Morning, sunshine," Wade said cheerfully.
"Morning, Daddy," Diana said, giving him a hug.
Wade wrapped his free arm around his little girl and said, "Breakfast will be done in a few minutes." Diana just turning fourteen years old, Wade didn't know how much longer he would be getting the frequent hugs before his middle child grew too old to worry about such things.
Hearing the telltale sound of feet running full out down the stairs announced the arrival of Wade and Kelly's youngest, Charlie, an eleven-year-old bundle of energy, who was always at full throttle other than when he was sleeping. Managing to dodge Charlie as he ran by, Wade sidestepped to miss the backswing of the fridge door. He set two plates on the table. Kelly, avoiding the commotion, brought two more plates and placed them in front of the kids. J
arred walked through, grabbing a slice of bacon and announced he was late for school.
With breakfast devoured, Wade sent the kids off to brush their teeth, and he finished getting ready for work. Finally, after a minor skirmish between Diana and Charlie, everyone was ready to leave. Determining who was picking up whom hashed out, the Marshall family stepped into a sunny September morning, and the whirlwind that was the everyday routine at the Marshall residence was over. Kelly turned left out of the driveway, heading towards Quarles Elementary School where she taught fifth grade, and Wade turned right, on his way to M&A IT Consulting downtown.
Pulling into the parking lot, Wade noticed there were a lot of vehicles missing. On a normal day, he had to make a couple of circuits around the lot to find the best parking spot available. Today, however, the lot looked like a ghost town. Wade clambered out of the car and did a masterful job of juggling his coffee cup, briefcase, sunglasses, and keys as he hit the button to lock the car.
He entered the building and the lack of sound immediately hit him. The usual hustle and bustle, keyboards clicking, and chatter that normally greeted him upon arrival were gone. He saw maybe ten coworkers spread out throughout the huge cube farm that was usually like a living organism in the morning. He unlocked the door to his office and had just sat down when Larry Butts burst into the room.
"Good morning, Larry. Is there a holiday today I don't know about?" Wade joked.
"You mean you haven't seen the news?" Larry replied.
"No. Why, what’s going on?"
"I think you better turn on the tube, Wade. There is some really bad stuff happening," Larry said, shaking his head.
Wade grabbed the remote and powered on the TV. The first thing he saw was a crowded street with people panicking and running in every direction. People were being pulled down by other people, who then fell on their victims, biting huge chunks of flesh from them.
"What the fuck?" Wade murmured.
Just as Wade was about to ask where this was taking place, the feed switched to a reporter. He was standing on a rooftop looking down at the mayhem in the street. The reporter had a pasty look, as if he were ready to lose his breakfast at any minute. He slowly turned towards the camera and took a deep breath.
"This is James Chandler reporting from the roof of the old post office on 12th Street in D.C. My film crew and I were here to report on progress of the new water main installation when people began assaulting bystanders in the street. I must warn our viewers that the scene below is both graphic and disturbing. People are being pulled down and their attackers are eating their flesh. I witnessed several of the victims get back up and begin charging at others. We were being chased by a group of crazed aggressors and only just made it to the safety of this building. I don't know what has caused these people to turn into cannibals, but their numbers are growing exponentially as we look on."
The reporter turned suddenly, and the camera panned in the same direction. Just as a door came into focus, it burst open and people spilled out onto the roof. They no longer resembled people, though. They all had vacant expressions on their faces; their eyes looked as if there were a gray film over them. Most had blood dripping from their mouths, and their clothes were drenched with gore. The microphone the reporter had been holding hit the ground as the mob shambled towards him. Suddenly, the camera dropped as well and all that could be seen were legs filing by on the screen, then came the screams as the mob pulled down the reporter and cameraman. The live feed quickly switched back to the anchorman in the studio. The anchor sat there with his mouth hanging open for several seconds before he spoke.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have just witnessed a tragedy unfolding in Washington D.C. For those of you just joining us, people in D.C. are being assaulted by what can only be described as zombies. I realize how that sounds, but people are being eaten alive, and those bitten are rising to attack others. We are getting reports now from New York, Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, and New Jersey of the same type of incidents. We recommend staying indoors in any of these locations until authorities can get a handle on the situation. We will continue to bring you updates as we get them here at Eyewitness News Channel Nine."
Wade shook himself and grabbed his cell phone, hitting the hot key to dial Kelly. The phone rang once, twice, three times. Finally, Kelly picked up.
"Hi, honey. Miss me already?" Kelly said.
"Are you at school?" Wade asked.
"Yes, we just pulled into the lot. It looks like a lot of the staff are running late today. I haven't had a primo parking spot like this in ages," Kelly prattled away.
"Kelly, listen to me. Get back to the house right now!" Wade spat out.
"What? Wade, what are you talking about? Did you forget something?" Kelly asked.
"No, listen. There is some real bad shit going down. You need to get back to the house now," Wade said, his voice raising as he said each word.
"What is happening? What's going on?" Kelly said with a tremor in her voice.
"Just go home, stay inside, lock the doors, and stay there until I make it back. I will be there in twenty minutes. I am going to text Jarred as soon as I hang up."
"Okay, Wade. I am pulling out now.”
"I'll be there soon.” Wade ended the call.
Next, he sent a text to Jarred and gave him the same instructions. "Go home now. Emergency. I don't care if you get in trouble, just leave right away!" Wade hit the send button. He had completely forgotten Larry was there.
"Larry, tell everyone to go home. I suggest they find a safe place to hole up until we know more about what is happening. Tell them I will call later about the rest of the week," Wade said.
"Okay, Boss. I will let them know right away," Larry said as he turned to leave the office.
Cell and keys in hand, Wade left everything else in his office as he ran for the front door. He jumped into his Range Rover and tore out of the lot, headed for home. As soon as he made it to the highway, he hit another speed-dial number on his phone. He quickly filled his older brother Jerry in on what was happening. Jerry had been watching the news when he called.
"Get your family and drive to Uncle Ben's," Wade said to his brother.
"All right. We will meet you there as soon as we are loaded. Have you talked to Jessie yet?" Jerry asked.
"I’m calling him as soon as I hang up with you. See you at Ben's," Wade said before stabbing the hang-up key.
Once again, he hit the trusty speed dial. The phone rang three times then Wade heard Jessie's voice.
"I am most likely having way too much fun to talk to anyone right now, so spill it at the beep," the voicemail played.
He left a message telling Jessie to meet up with Jerry and him at their Uncle Ben's house. Ben was a prepper. He had supplies laid away in an underground bunker and one hell of an arsenal. He always said if the world went to shit, he was ready. Wade hoped he was right because from the way things looked, the world was going to hell in a handbasket at an alarming rate. The radio kept confirming that as more and more reports of attacks rolled in from cities all across the country. Wade was only a couple of miles from home when his phone rang.
"Hello," Wade said.
"Wade, it's Derek. Have you seen?"
"Yeah, I wish I hadn't, though. I’m on my way to pick up Kelly and the kids. We’re going to head to Ben's place as soon as I can get some supplies together."
"Good. This is bad, Wade. This thing, whatever it is, has gone global. These attacks are vicious and spreading by the hour. My team is gearing up now. We’re coming your way if we can get out of the city. D.C. is a shit storm right now. Thank God we were on furlough, otherwise we would be in the middle of this mess.”
"That’s great news, Derek. I know I’ll feel a lot better having you and your team here with us. Watch your backside out there, man."
"Will do. We should be there in four or five hours if all goes well. I'll talk to you then. Oh, and one more thing. If those things come near, shoot them in the head.
Anywhere else they will keep coming. Keep your ass wired tight, Wade. We'll be there as soon as we can." The line went dead as Derek disconnected.
Wade’s oldest brother William, an Army Special Forces operator, had been in Derek's ODA (Operational Detachment – Alpha). When William Marshall died in Iraq in 2003, Derek had remained close to the brothers of his best friend. There was a great sense of relief knowing Derek and his twelve-man A-Team were in route to Ben's. They knew their business. The chances of his family surviving this disaster increased greatly with their arrival.
Wade stopped at the intersection of Valley Avenue and Jubal Early Drive when someone dashed into the road in front of him. The man had a ragged wound on his neck that was dripping crimson blood and soaked the left side of the white shirt he wore. He slapped his hands against the window on the driver’s side of Wade’s car, leaving smears of blood across the glass.
“Please! Help me, he’s insane,” the man pleaded.
Wade was about to open the door to try to help the young man but a second figure launched himself at the man.
Wade had a front-row seat as the infected wrapped his arms around his victim and sank his teeth into the man’s shoulder. The ripping sounds were horrible to listen to as the attacker pulled his head away with a chunk of clothing and flesh hanging from his mouth.
“No!” Wade shouted.
The crazed man looked up at Wade and sprung towards the Rover. He watched in horror as the lunatic slammed his face into the glass, oblivious of the damage he was sustaining. Jolted into action, he mashed the pedal down to get away from the horrid scene. He drove for five minutes before his heart rate returned to something close to normal.
Dead in the Valley Page 1