Dead Evolution

by Tim Moon

  “This is incredible,” Mark said, gaping openly at their simple defenses.

  “It’s a start,” Ben said. “Pull into the neighbor’s driveway and I’ll get the garage door.”

  “Okay,” she said. “Unloading inside?”

  “Exactly.” Ben opened his door and climbed out once she stopped. He lifted the garage door slowly to avoid making noise. He felt jumpy after the strange feeling at the pharmacy.

  His gut roiled at the thought of people out there hunting him and his group. He didn’t like the idea of fighting other survivors. The living should be united against the dead.

  The numbers weren’t in their favor either. If they were ambushed, Ben’s group lacked the strength to defend themselves. A dark thought came to mind. What about a preemptive strike? Hit the enemy before they could strike.

  The garage door clanged to a stop and rocked back on its rollers. Ben winced, and then waved for Charlotte to pull in. She backed up to the garage, so they could easily unload their haul.

  The garage felt roomy since the cars were sitting in front of his mom’s house. Unpacking would be a snap and the garage had a decent tool selection. Ben planned to use the available space as his workshop to build sections of the sniper’s nest before they moved each piece to the roof for final assembly.

  Ben left the garage to see who was on guard duty. He waved up at his mom, who returned the wave. Oliver opened the front door and rushed out to see what they brought back. Before he got all the way down the front porch steps, he ran back and closed the front door. Then he came and climbed over the vehicle wall and tore across the yard, only skidding to a stop when he saw Mark.

  “Oh, hey, kiddo,” Mark said with a grin. “What’s your name?”

  Oliver turned away and walked stiffly to stand next to Ben.

  “It’s okay. You can tell him your name if you want,” he said, patting Oliver on the back.

  “I’m Oliver.”

  His words were clipped and muffled by the finger nail he was chewing on.

  “I’m Mark. It’s nice to meet you Oli-ffer,” he said, mimicking the boy chewing on his nails.

  Oliver flashed a shy smile and then ran to Charlotte.

  Ben heard Oliver excitedly ask, “What did you get?”

  “Kids.” Mark shook his head. “So, should we unload the truck? I can help.”

  “Sure.” Ben nodded. He looked around for Anuhea, surprised that she hadn’t come over to help. “Oliver, where’s Anuhea?”

  He squinted at Ben in confusion and then shrugged his little shoulders.

  “Let’s unload the stuff in the back. We can just stack it against the wall in the garage.” Ben pointed to the area he was talking about.

  When the lumber was stacked inside the garage, they began to take the bagged supplies across the yard to their house. Mark took bags out of the truck and handed them to Ben who passed them over the cars to Charlotte who set them on the porch. Then they moved everything into the living room. It went quickly, considering how long it had taken to gather the ammo, food, weapons, and clothing. Ben and Mark were carrying the last load in when Anuhea appeared from between the houses.

  Mark looked startled. She narrowed her eyes at him but then saw Ben and her expression softened.

  “I see you made it back,” Anuhea said with a note of caution.

  Ben pointed at Mark. “With a new member of the team.”

  Mark gave a nervous smile and handed his bags off to Charlotte.

  “You’re picking up strays again, huh?”

  Ben grinned. “We found him at SportsMart. He’s a doctor and we decided it was worth the risk.”

  “I see.” Skepticism in Anuhea’s eyes betrayed the smile on her lips.

  “What are you up to?” Ben asked.

  “I went to the library and then I was scavenging through the houses behind us.”

  “Anything good?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Her face lit up with a grin.

  It took a second to register what she’d said. Ben’s eyes went wide. “Wait, you went to the library?”

  “Yeah,” Anuhea said. “And one of your neighbors was big into hunting. You’re going to love what I found.”

  “That’s the last of it,” Charlotte said, glancing at Ben and Anuhea talking. “We’re all done.”

  “We’ll meet you inside,” Ben said with a wave.

  He waited for Charlotte and Mark to leave before speaking. Ben sat on the porch steps and she stood at the bottom, leaning on the railing, with a curious expression.

  “You know how we left the bodies outside of the pharmacy?” he asked.

  Her expression soured, and she crossed her arms over her chest.

  “On the way back, we passed the pharmacy. And…” Ben hesitated. “The bodies were gone.

  Anuhea raised an eyebrow.

  “I also had the feeling that we were being watched.”

  She shrugged.

  Ben’s chin dropped. “That doesn’t concern you?”

  “Why should it? The guy did say they were part of a big group. Eventually someone was bound to go looking for them when they didn’t return.”

  “They lost three guys. Don’t you think they want revenge? We would.” Ben lowered his voice. “Right?”

  “I don’t know, I guess so.” Anuhea chewed the inside of her lip.

  “We’ll have to be extra careful on raids. We can’t have anyone follow us back to the neighborhood.”

  “There’s plenty to do around here. I want that sniper’s nest and I’m sure Charlotte has a whole list of Honey Do items.” She winked.

  Ben groaned. “Please, no.”

  It was quiet for a minute, until Chadwick came out of the house, reading a gardening book.

  “Hey, guys,” Chadwick said as he sat down on the stairs and gave them a quick wave.

  “So, tell me about your trip to the library,” Ben said, reminded by the gardening book.

  Anuhea chuckled. “Get comfortable.”

  24

  Great Falls, VA

  Vanessa parked outside an unremarkable medium sized office building. Stark white paint made its silver window frames and dark-tinted windows stand out against the thick blanket of snow on the ground.

  The sun’s position behind the thick clouds suggested it was early afternoon. Somehow keeping track of time helped Vanessa feel grounded in an otherwise chaotic world. After driving all day and getting through a few close calls with large herds of infected, she felt a tiny sense of accomplishment and a sense of relief. Infected had pursued her but they were no match. After all, that was what the fast lane was for, and these days every lane was the fast lane.

  Drumming her fingers on the leather-bound steering wheel, Vanessa stared up at the place where Steve had worked. To her surprise, it didn’t look or feel sinister. In fact, the plain façade made sense. It was the kind of building no one would look twice at, perfect for hiding a secret lab.

  She opened the door of the Mercedes C-class she had taken from April’s house and stood, to relieve the dull ache that had been building in her legs and lower back from sitting too long. Looking around, Vanessa watched and listened for any sign of infected. She had ditched a large horde about ten miles back. Even if they had followed her, she had an hour or more before they would be a threat.

  A cold breeze tousled her hair. It felt nice but reminded Vanessa that her hair would quickly become a liability if she had to fight with the dead while investigating the building. Pulling it into a ponytail, she slid a hair tie from her wrist to fasten it. Satisfied with the result, she eyed her surroundings one more time.

  Snow blanketed the road and the sidewalk. She had blazed a trail in the road leaving tracks that were painfully obvious. A chill tickled her neck. The tire tracks were like a giant arrow pointing in her direction. Infected were unlikely to notice such signs, but it could draw unwanted attention from survivors.

  Opening the rear passenger door, she brought out her backpack of supplies and one of the
shotguns from April’s house. Her backpack had essentials, while the rest of her supplies would stay in the car. Her pistol was in her right coat pocket, so she stuffed the other one with extra shotgun shells, just in case. Looking at the hefty weapon, Vanessa felt a rush of emotion scrape across her nerves like a guitar pick.

  April had taught her how to use the 12-gauge shotgun. Vanessa had even used it a few times. The kick made her shoulder ache, but it was temporary and a hell of a lot better than dying. Her mind flipped through images of April on that fateful night. Biting her lip, Vanessa zipped her pocket closed. She shut the car door, careful not to slam it. The weight of the shotgun shells tugged at her jacket and made soft, plastic clicking sounds as she walked through the ankle-deep snow towards the building.

  Several cars sat in the parking lot. They were covered with undisturbed snow just like the trees. In fact, Vanessa realized the snow all around the building was pristine. That didn’t mean the building was empty, but it did mean that no one had been there recently, and no infected had trudged by either.

  Taking a deep breath and praying that she wouldn’t have to use the shotgun, Vanessa stopped at the front door and peered inside. Darkness filled the back hallways. Nothing moved, and she couldn’t hear anything suspicious, so she tentatively reached for the front door and gave it a push. It swung open easily.

  After a quick glance behind her, Vanessa stepped inside. There was another set of doors before the lobby. She pushed her way through and listened for any movement. The lobby was open and sparsely furnished with one large desk and a tenant listing on the wall. She found a pair of elevators around the corner from the desk. A darkened hallway lay on the far side of the desk.

  First, she had to figure out where to focus her efforts. There was no way Vanessa wanted to search the whole building. Her footsteps squeaked against the white tile floor as she made her way over to the tenant list on the wall. She purposely walked across a carpeted section that appeared to be a waiting area to clear snow from her shoes. A sprained ankle from slipping on the floor could be a fatal injury if infected caught up to her. Not to mention squeaky shoes were a dead giveaway.

  Scanning the list on the wall, Vanessa read five different names and none of them were Black Tide. That was odd. She was certain this was the place.

  Would they use a pseudonym? she wondered. Looking back over the list of names, not even one stood out as an obvious choice for a cover name. Her lips pressed together in a tight frown. It turned out she would have to check every floor.

  Vanessa looked for the stairwell and found it at the end of the hall beyond the elevators. The door opened with a slight creak that echoed up into the shadowy stairwell. She took a deep breath, pausing for a moment before stepping inside and easing the door shut behind her. Her breath came quickly, even before she started climbing the stairs. Pulse racing like a techno beat, Vanessa cursed the darkness.

  I should have brought a flashlight, she thought.

  The stairwell smelled musty and every step Vanessa took seemed louder than it should. When she made it to the second-floor landing, she peered through a narrow vertical window in the door. She couldn’t see anything that suggested what kind of company it was. Her jaw clenched.

  Vanessa reached out for the door handle and winced at the sting of cold. She pulled the door open and held it with her foot, so she could raise the shotgun. A window by the elevator doors let in light. After several moments of silence, she stepped in and eased the door shut behind her.

  Other than the elevator and stairwell, the only door was for the office. There was no hallway, just a small alcove that led to the main door. Large square windows with blinds flanked the door. She tested the door handle, which was locked. It was to be expected, but it annoyed her, and she rattled the handle hard in frustration. If the other offices didn’t pan out, Vanessa vowed to return and blast a window out.

  Sighing, Vanessa turned to leave when a squeak and dull thump somewhere inside the office made her breath catch in her throat. Her heart kicked back into overdrive. She stepped back, feeling dread well up inside. Part of her hoped someone was there. Maybe they could help her?

  “Hello?” Her voice was a hoarse whisper as she backed away, raising the shotgun to her hip like a cowboy.

  Plodding footsteps and then the blinds smashed against the window in a flurry that startled Vanessa half to death. She yelped, nearly dropping the gun. The blinds were torn away in one savage swipe revealing a grizzly looking Hispanic man. His pressed against the glass. A gaping hole was all that remained of his stomach. The hollowed cavity pressed against lower half of the window, smearing gore and ragged bits of flesh on the glass. Deep scratches marred his neck and chest underneath his dangling tie.

  Vanessa turned and burst into the stairwell. Without hesitation she raced to the third floor taking the steps two at a time. She was panting for air by the time she reached the landing and wondering what the fuck she was doing. Collapsing against the wall as she sucked in air, fear and revulsion clouded her mind.

  Was she really going to hunt down Black Tide alone? What the hell was her plan? What could she even do?

  Black Tide, the multi-billion-dollar military contractor that developed and deployed the virus worldwide. The company that had murdered Steve even as the infected swarmed the nation. Vanessa swallowed hard as she leaned against the wall, fighting back tears, and slid to the floor in the corner of the dark stairwell.

  Grief clenched her chest and the futility of the situation hit her. She was alone. Well and truly alone.

  25

  Vancouver, WA

  Ben sat at the guard desk, watching the neighborhood. Without even shifting he could watch five of the seven houses on their block. He couldn’t see the vehicle barriers unless he angled to the side and put his face against the window, but it was still the best vantage point they had until he finished building the sniper’s nest.

  The last few days had been spent working on defenses. Anuhea had insisted on setting up the ladder on the roof so they could post a guard on the roof during the day. It was too dangerous at night or when it was raining, so they stayed inside.

  Ben and Charlotte had finished digging holes in all the yards. Oliver got bored and found other things to occupy his time. They produced enough improvised sandbags to line the front porch and the wall under the window in front of the guard desk. It gave them nearly a foot of dirt to slow or stop bullets. It wasn’t perfect, but it beat doing nothing. He found that he didn’t mind the earthy scent. In a strange way, it was comforting.

  Ben leaned back and squeezed his eyes shut as he fought to stifle a yawn. He guessed it was around four in the morning. Possibly the toughest shift since it was prime sleeping time and still a long way from dawn. Darkness enveloped Vancouver and the only noise he heard was soft drone of snoring from Charlotte’s bedroom.

  Not that I’d ever tell her that, he thought with a grin. Ben stretched his arms and then reached down for the night vision binoculars Anuhea had found at the hunter’s house the day they brought Mark back from SportsMart.

  The soft click of a door being closed behind Ben gave him a start. He hadn’t heard it open. Soft footsteps moved across the floor towards him. There was some rustling and a grunt that made him sit up and listen.

  “Just going outside to the bathroom,” Mark said in a loud whisper.

  “Sure,” Ben said, turning his attention back to the window and the binoculars in his hands.

  With a click, the binoculars turned on and transformed the darkness into varying shades of green with surprising clarity. Ben could see all the way down the block. A real game-changer. For a civilian product it was impressive, he could only imagine what military night vision was like.

  Ben planned to bring the binoculars on a scouting trip to find the other group of survivors. Ever since they had returned with Mark, he’d been planning to locate them and perhaps even launch an attack, depending on their strength. It was risky, but not as much as being on the rece
iving end of an ambush.

  Seeing the neighborhood this way was like watching the Night of the Living Dead through a green filter. Except that it wasn’t just a movie. It was real life.

  After Ben scanned the street, he turned them off. The binoculars ran on AA batteries, which they had plenty of, but it was best to use them sparingly. Batteries were a finite resource now. Even the rechargeable ones, for which they had a portable solar panel, wouldn’t last forever.

  He wanted to go back to the outdoors store right away to see if they had night vision optics. A scope or head-mounted goggles would be ideal. The binoculars were great and all, but it wouldn’t help them shoot.

  A shadow flitting between two houses across the street interrupted Ben’s thoughts. Sucking in a breath, he brought the binoculars back up, leaned forward and stared in the direction of the movement. Had he really seen something?

  Long seconds passed as he conducted a thorough scan of the entire neighborhood, returning every few seconds to the gap where he’d seen the shadow. He began to wonder if it was his imagination getting away from him. Then he saw something move again, in the same place.

  “Shit,” Ben said.

  Through the bright green glow of the binoculars, the silhouette of a person holding a rifle was crystal clear. Ben couldn’t believe it. His heart pounded as a hundred questions flew through his mind. Had it been one person or two? Could it be a pair of survivors looking for safety? Were these friends of the group that attacked Anuhea at the pharmacy? If they were, how did they find them?

  Ben hoped for the best, that it was two survivors seeking refuge, but the men’s movement was suspicious. They prowled like hungry tigers, making their way towards the house. His gut churned at the impending fight.

  He gulped and then turned to alert the others when he was interrupted by a piercing scream that ended the night’s silence. Ben snapped his attention back to the window. It was too dark to see what caused had the noise, so he turned on the binoculars again. One man was rolling on the ground, his shrill cries of pain more effective than an alarm. Everyone in the house seemed to leap out of bed.