Dead Hunger: The Flex Sheridan Chronicle

by Eric A. Shelman

  *****

  We returned to my house, showed Charlie how to access the gate and lock it again, and drove in. Hemp sat in a glider-rocker on the front porch with Trina looking more miniature than usual in the large Adirondack chair beside him. She was drinking a juice box of lemonade, and he was drinking a beer.

  When we drove up he stood and made his way to the Suburban, Trina following close behind.

  “Hood’s a mess,” said Hemp. “Close call?”

  “Yeah, I have to talk to you about the no-kill spot. We might need a roof mount on this one, too,” Gem said, dropping out of the cab followed by Charlie, who got out of the passenger side rear door.

  “Hey,” she said, extending her right hand, but without releasing her crossbow, which was still gripped in her left.

  “So you’re the girl named Charlie,” said Hemp, taking her hand. He then pulled her in for a hug and she didn’t resist.

  He spoke into her ear, but loud enough for me and Gem to hear, “I’m Hemp. And I’ve gotten just a bit more touchy-feely since I met these two. I appreciate living, breathing humans all the more, so please, excuse my invasion of your personal space, but I am truly happy to meet you.”

  After Hemp pulled back and let her go, Charlie said, “It’s nice to meet you too, Hemp. Gem and Flex say you’re a good guy, and from first impressions, I get that, too. Now who’s this?” she asked, smiling at Trina.

  “That little one is my niece Trina,” I said.

  “What’s that?” Trina asked, pointing to the muck on the hood.

  “It’s paint,” said Charlie. Then she knelt down and put the crossbow down in the dirt. She dusted her hands off and put them on Trina’s shoulders. “You are such a little beauty,” she said, smiling.

  “Mommy says I’m a princess,” Trina beamed. “My doggie just had puppies!”

  “You’re kidding me!” Charlie said, her eyes wide. “How many?”

  “Like a hundred,” Trina said. “Wanna come see? They’re inside.”

  “A hundred puppies!” said Charlie, smiling up at the rest of us. She raised her eyebrows as if to ask if she could go with Trina.

  We all nodded.

  She stood and Trina put her hand in Charlie’s without hesitation and led her toward the house.

  Hemp picked up the crossbow. “Nice one,” he said. “Can she use it?”

  “Shit yes, she can use it,” answered Gem. “I’m looking forward to having her show me how to use it.”

  Hemp spread his hands apart. “Well, let’s take a look at that EEG! I appreciate that you brought a pretty girl home with you, but that is, after all, why you left in the first place.”

  “You’re right, pal. But one thing – she’s twenty-six, so you might want to treat her more like a woman than a girl. I think she’d appreciate it.”

  I noticed a slight smile touch Hemp’s lips at that moment. It seems that came as good news.

  We helped Hemp carry the equipment to the mobile lab. He put on a gas mask, checked on Jamie, and came back in the front area of the motor home.

  “She’s okay, but decomposition is continuing. I don’t know if it’s different when they’re getting regular food, but it’s not pretty, Flex.”

  “Should we feed her something?” I asked. “Hemp, she’s basically been without anything at all to eat since I put her in that plastic. No matter what she is, she must be starving.”

  Gem took my hand in hers as we waited for an answer.

  Hemp thought a long time before answering. “Flex, I don’t know what she feels or doesn’t feel. I know she is not alive in the typical sense. She has no heartbeat. With the EEG I intend to learn more about her brainwave activity, but for now, under restraint, she’s not exhibiting any signs of pain or suffering.”

  I nodded slowly. “Okay. But as for my question of food. Would trying to feed her something alter any of your planned tests? Would it hurt anything?”

  “I don’t really know,” Hemp answered. “The eye vapor or mist we discovered seems to be minimal. Her eyes are not very obscured, which means this vapor, whatever it is, is quite low. If feeding her increases this, that actually might be a good thing; I need to gather some sort of sample to analyze.”

  It all made good sense to me. His professional way of explaining the scientific side to me did help me set aside my emotions somewhat.

  “So I hate to keep going back to this, but if we do feed her, what do we feed her?”

  Hemp put up a finger and nodded. “I set a few small snares in the woods today after I worked on the antenna, so I might be able to come up with the brains or flesh of a rabbit or squirrel by morning. I can do an analysis of her condition before and after. You know, see if there’s any change at all.”

  “Wear protection around her,” Gem said. “We don’t need you passing out again.”

  “I have been, and I will,” Hemp said. “Been there, done that, as they say. Gem, about the physical touch aspect of it. You had to actually touch me before I awakened, correct?”

  Gem nodded quickly. “Yes, but as I told you earlier, even that didn’t work right away. But yes, it was the same as with the other people we found. Once we touched them, they awoke fairly easily; but it’s as though they were content to sleep indefinitely until awakened. I’m only glad it was us who woke them instead of them.”

  I paced away from him and stared at the first aid supplies I’d dropped on the counter as I awaited Hemp’s thoughts.

  “So perhaps it’s more of a light coma rather than a sleep,” he said. “I might have to purposely expose myself to it with the EEG connected to me to see exactly what it does to my brain.”

  “Bullshit,” Gem and I said in unison.

  “I’m afraid it is very important, especially if this is one of the methods they use to subdue their victims.”

  “You’ve already been exposed once,” I said. “We know it doesn’t kill you, but we don’t know if the effect is the same the second time. So it’ll be my turn if we try it.”

  “Flex,” Gem said, grabbing my arm. “Let’s just assume this is how it works and figure out how to deal with it. I don’t want you to do that!”

  “Sorry, babe. I don’t have a choice. I’ll be fine. Hemp was, and he is.”

  Gem shook her head. “I don’t know how it’ll help anything.”

  “Kind of like sulking,” I said. “I don’t know how it’ll help anything either, especially when I’ve made my decision.”

  Gem said nothing, but went to the door and left the motor home. I waited for her to look back, but she didn’t.

  And I knew it was only because she loved and cared for me, but I still felt empty standing there without her and her worried face.

  “It’s a plan. See if you catch anything tomorrow. If you do, we’ll feed her and see if the vapor returns. If it does, I’m your man.”

  Hemp nodded. “Speaking of food, I’m hungry. Why don’t we have an early dinner today.”

  I agreed. I was famished.

  And I needed some Gem time. I couldn’t stand it when that woman was upset with me. Just like old times. I loved the shit out of her, and I think I’d do almost anything to make her happy. Almost. But this was so important that she’d have to just come around.

  We went in the house and brainstormed over the menu for those of us who had broader tastes than flesh and brains.