by C M Hoffmann
“Suit yourself. T, left or right?”
Trey, “I’ll take left, you go right.”
“Works for me.” The two brothers fire at the incoming figures as Wade watches in disbelief. When the figures go down, Cane and Trey approach them guns at a low ready. They examine the bodies and Cane asks, “Dead check?”
Trey confirms, “Dead check.” They both fire again successfully removing the brain from the skull.
Wade, “Ok… you have my attention.”
Cane, “Figures. After all the hard work is done. Now, come see.”
Wade approaches cautiously and kicks one of the bodies, “What makes you say zombies?”
“I said ‘steves’ not ‘zombies,’ and what other thing in the world you know that can take four shots center mass and keep coming?”
Wade smirks, “Weeelll...”
“I swear if you say you I’m going to shoot you in the foot.”
“Well you know I’m bulletproof.”
“Pay attention, Mr. Bulletproof Moron. Something’s up, these are numbers seven and eight just for me and Trey. Pops got at least two so far. And Gavin said he saw some idiot wandering his food plot. That makes ten steves dead and probably at least one more walking around just out here in the middle of nowhere. We need to get packed and head home.”
The sound of an approaching four wheeler brings the conversation to an end as they look towards the incoming sounds. Mom and Pops fly around the corner kicking up dust with Mom driving and Pops sitting on the back facing their rear.
Pops hops from the four wheeler, “Any ideas boys?”
Cane, “Well, Mom drives better than you. As for the weirdos, I named them steves instead of zombies, seems like their synonymous though.”
Wade, “Why do you always use big words? We get it, you’re smart.”
“Do not mock my enhanced vocabulary in lieu of your sham of a speech pattern.”
“I hate you.”
Cane, Trey, and Wade break into a fit of laughter.
Pops, “Enough, get your shit together... Where’s Gavin?”
Cane, “I called him, he saw one and I warned him to stay away. Assuming as always that he didn’t listen, I suppose we should go see if he’s still in one piece.”
Mom, “Trey, go with your dad and get your oldest brother. We’ll get everything packed up here.”
Pops, “Trey, ride with me in case we need to bring Gavin’s bike back.”
Trey, “Whatever you say, Pops.”
Hearing the tone and insinuation, Mom starts to tear up, “Be careful; this isn’t home; this isn’t the street; we’re the only backup you have. Three quick shots if you need us.”
Pops, “Yes, dear.”
Trey, “Don’t worry, Mom, Pops has me for back up.”
Mom smiles, “I know.”
Cane slaps Pops on the back, “Go head, we got this.”
They watch Pops and Trey ride off together and Cane hugs his mother, “They’ll be ok, Momma. I’m sure Gavin will be fine too.”
Mom, “I know there’s just so much we don’t know. But, sadness is for later. Let’s get packed.”
“You’re right, it’s just another day in paradise. You heard mom, Wade, quit gawking at the dead people and let’s get started.”
Wade, “Shut up, I heard her.”
“Actually one of us should take watch, just in case.”
“Let me guess, you want to do it because we both know you can’t lift a fanny pack without hurting yourself. Right, tiny?”
“Actually I was gonna say you take watch because you could use the practice. Ya know since you bitched out on those two over there and we both know I’m a better shot. And don’t be jealous I look good in a fanny pack.”
“Oh please...”
Mom interrupts the banter, “Girls, cut it out. Wade stand watch; Cane get packing. We need to get home.”
Cane snaps into a salute, “Yes ma’am.”
“Sassy ass.”
“One more thing, Wade, another crack like that and I’ll make sure mom and dad officially un-adopt your unofficially adopted, useless ass.”
Wade gives Cane the finger. He gets out a folding camouflage chair, sets his Beretta in his lap, and pulls out a can of Skoal peach.
Cane, “Just stay focused and perform your duties well, sir.”
Wade, “Ha! Doody!”
Cane sighs out loud, “You’re an imbecile.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Trey and Pops are almost to Gavin’s stand when they hear a shot ring out. Pops guns the engine sending dirt and dust into the air. They crest the hill to see Gavin leaning on the back of the four wheeler with a Ziploc of goldfish in one hand and his M&P resting on the back of the bike.
Trey, “If that doesn’t describe you perfectly, I don’t know what does.” Gavin stands up straight and wobbles a bit on his twisted ankle. “Need a hand there, darling?”
Gavin, “Blow me, but grab my bag first.”
“Bag yes, blow no.”
Pops, “Enough, you two. What were you shooting at?”
Gavin, “What you mean ‘at’? You think I’d miss? Well I didn’t miss. Just ask the asshole who tried to bite me, and is now missing half of his face.”
Trey, “I guess that means the smart kid was right twice.”
“What you mean?”
“One he told you to stay away, figuring this was another friend, so keep your gun handy and get back to camp.”
“And the second thing?”
“He knew you wouldn’t listen.”
“Shit. Little bastard is smart.”
Trey starts to giggle.
Pops, “Let’s get back to camp. Gavin, can you ride?”
Gavin, “Yep, just need to get my fat ass on the bike first. What we doing with Mr. Bites-a-lot over there?”
“Nothing for now. Our main priority is getting back to camp and getting home.”
Gavin and Trey respond simultaneously, “Roger.”
Trey climbs on Pops’ bike and Gavin gets on his and they head back to camp without seeing anymore unwelcome visitors. They pull up with a refreshing sound of two separate four wheelers as Mom and Cane are loading up the gear. Wade is still sitting, staring at the corpses, a pinch of peach Skoal in his lip, and a large puddle of spit between his feet.
Gavin, “Here I’d thought you’d be doing something other than sitting on your ass.”
Trey, “Really? I didn’t think anything like that.”
Wade, “I’m keeping watch.”
“Looks like you’re watching things that aren’t gonna move again courtesy of some forty-five hollow points.”
Cane places another bag in the trucks and wipes sweat from his face, “Nah, he’s keeping watch for spiders.” The brother’s laugh mischievously as they recall the story of Wade getting drunk around the campfire on a previous hunting trip and trying to fist fight a small spider resulting in a painful knuckle injury.
Wade, “Shut your face.”
Gavin, “So what’s the deal?” He nods towards the two bodies, “I see y’all have made some friends.”
Cane, “‘Steves’.”
“Who the hell is Steve?”
Trey, “It’s what the genius has decided to call the zombies.”
Gavin sarcastically, “Zombies? Really? Wow! Is that really what you think these things are?”
Cane, “‘Steves’ and yes, for the time being anyway. You know anything else that could take a few rounds to the chest and keep coming?”
Pops, “Alright, what do we know?”
“Well there were the two at Trey’s stand, four on the road for us, the two Pops got, and the two here at camp. Assuming Gavin didn’t listen, the resulting single gunshot afterwards, and the twisted ankle, I’d say there was only one more by him. That makes what? Eleven? At least one of them took seven or eight shots to put down. One Trey took down with a single twenty-two shot to the eye. I hit one in the face with the forty-five and it dropped. I don’t think size of t
he bullet is the case, I think it’s the placement. Headshots for sure, but center mass seems to slow them down. Classic movie style apparently.”
Wade mumbles, “Smart ass.”
Gavin, “Mine was a temple shot.”
Pops, “Ok eleven down. Any ideas of what’s going on? How many there might be? Where else is affected by these things...”
Cane, “‘Steves’.”
Pops gives Cane a look that could burn worse than thermite. He quickly averts his gaze and starts fiddling with the bag he had stopped loading into the trucks.
Mom, “Sassy pants.”
Trey, “Well there’s only one way to find out.”
Cane, “Actually there’s two, call Lynn...shit! I gotta call Scarlett.”
Mom, “I’ll call Jeff, Brian, and Jimmy.”
Gavin, “I’ll call Grannie and Papa.”
Wade, “I’ll call my dad.”
Pops, “I’ll call the department. Make the calls and see what we can find out about the roads home, then we’re outta here.”
The family splits off to make their respective phone calls.
_
Cane on the phone with his wife, Scarlett, “Baby, you ok?”
Scarlett has a shake in her voice, “Yes are you? When are you coming home? People are starting to go crazy. They’re eating each other. Is everyone ok? Did anything happen up there?”
“Slow down, dearest. We’re fine, we’ll be on the road in a minute. We had some incidents up here but we’re good. What’s the situation at home?”
“I don’t know. The news says people are just scared of that new flu going around and that everyone should remain calm, but it’s bullshit. I saw one of our neighbors literally tear flesh from bone with his fucking mouth. The department is calling everyone who can to come in, but I don’t wanna leave the house.”
“Stay home. Go in the man room; get all the guns you know how to load loaded. Keep the dogs nearby but in either the closet or the bathroom, since I don’t know how they’ll be affected. Do not answer the door for anyone even if they beg. Keep everything locked up and barricade what you can. We’ll be home soon. Do you know how the roads look?”
“Causeway should be clear, but I-Ten from the west bank to Laplace is a parking lot and there’s people getting attacked out there.”
“Ok just do what I said and we’ll be home as soon as we can. I gotta call Wyatt he should be at my parent’s house watching Goose. I love you, stay safe.”
“I love you too, stay safe and get home soon.”
“Roger that, headquarters.”
Scarlett chuckles only slightly at the joke and hangs up.
Cane calls his lifelong friend, Wyatt.
Wyatt, “Dude, where the fuck are y’all?”
Cane, “We’re still at the lease getting ready to leave. You good?”
“Hell no, I’m not good! There’s a crowd of people roaming the streets by your parent’s house attacking anything that moves. I can’t even get to my truck to get my Glock.”
“Go in my parent’s room and look, you should find something. If not go to Gavin’s room. How’s your family?”
“Good, I guess. Can’t get them on the line, but we never did get good service out on the boat.”
“Yea, I forgot everyone else left for the Bahamas yesterday. Look we’ll be home soon, get a weapon and stay quiet, if they come aim for the head, center mass only slows them down.”
“How do you know that?”
“Had some issues up here, just trust me. If you can’t get a far headshot, aim for the hips or legs, it’ll buy you some time.”
“Roger, be careful.”
“You too, Big.”
_
Trey calls Lynn, “Hey, how are you? Is the baby ok?”
Lynn, “She’s fine, but what in the world is goin’ on?”
“We’re not sure, get some guns and the dogs and stay inside. We’re getting ready to head home.”
“We got this, be careful.”
“You too.”
_
Gavin calls their grandparents.
The phone rings continuously with no answer.
Gavin calls again... the line is dead.
_
Wade calls his dad.
No answer.
_
Mom calls her brothers with varying responses.
Uncle Jeff will be en route to their mother’s house to check on her when he can.
Uncle Brian is on lock down.
Uncle Jimmy is holed up in his house trying to secure it, will check on their sister when he can.
_
Pops calls the department, “It’s Hollann, what’s the situation.”
Call Taker, “It’s difficult to say, hold on Chief is up here he wants to speak with you.”
Chief, “Hollann?”
Pops, “Go head, Chief, what do you need?”
“It’s bad, worse than we thought, where are you now?”
“North shore, getting ready to head back.”
“Causeway should be clear but stay off I-Ten when you get back. Get home and secure your residences and families. That’s for anyone you talk to. Get home settled first, if we can convene here afterwards we will. For right now the building is secure, but these things and the citizens alike are trying to get in.”
“We’ll do what we can. Good luck.”
“You too.”
_
The family gathers and discusses options.
Cane, “Doesn’t really matter how, we just need to get home.”
Trey, “We need a plan, little brother. Can’t just go bum rushing into unknown territory.”
Wade, “Why not? We’ve got more guns and ammo than most.”
“Not the point, gotta be smart, so put on your thinking caps, girls.”
Pops, “You’re all right. Let’s just try and make it home in one piece. Your mother and I will be in my truck, Gavin and Wade in Gavin’s, and Trey and Cane in Cane’s.”
Cane, “Armed escort in the beds?”
“No, if things are somewhat normal we want to stay under the radar. No rifles, pistols only.”
Trey, “Unless the shit hits the fan right?”
“Exactly, then we’ll do what we have to. No stopping for anyone on the road.”
Gavin scoffs, “Like we would anyway.”
“Let’s get to it then, stay tight, and stay loaded. Anyone gets bogged down, lay on the horn for a second then two short honks.”
Trey, “Or just listen for rapid fire, that’s usually a good indication shit’s gone to hell.”
Cane, “Only difference is we may already be in hell and just don’t know it.”
Gavin, “If y’all are done, let’s rock this shit.”
Everyone gets into their assigned vehicles, double checks their weapons, and the trucks’ engines rumble to life.
Cane has a thought and goes to the driver’s side of his Pops’ truck. “Pops, what if it’s too rough out there?”
Pops, “Just keep going.”
“Don’t leave us behind at the ass end.”
Pops smiles, “Keep up then, slowpoke.”
Cane returns to his truck and puts it in drive. The family convoy begins its way out along the winding dirt roads dodging potholes, tree stumps, and the occasional low hanging tree branch. They all keep a wary eye on the surrounding vegetation. Some areas being completely overgrown and others with open walkways. They offer a long list of places to hide and scream ‘ambush.’ They press on for the short ride and breathe a sigh of relative relief as they approach the final turn before the gate.
HOME RUN
At the front gate to the property, they are met by a gruesome scene. The family that lives outside their lease, which has infamously been nothing more than a thorn in the side, is in utter chaos. Most of the family appears to have turned on the others. Only two of the men are left standing and they apparently have refused to use lethal force against their own family.
As t
he family’s convoy lines up outside the gate, the patriarch yells at the trucks, “You! What have you done to my family?!?”
Receiving no response from convoy the man goes into hysterics as he watches his son wrestle with the other members of their family. The convoy observes the unfolding drama as the family overpowers the son and sink their teeth into his flesh. The son howls in pain and agony as his throat is ripped apart and the skin on his face is peeled away by flashes of grotesque hands. The son eventually stops howling as blood loss takes its toll. The rest of their family turns to face the patriarch. He stops sobbing and stares in horror as his son’s body begins to seize and contort before sitting bolt upright. The son’s head slowly turns to focus on the old man. The family slowly closes in on him and he falls to his knees with his arms outstretched.
Patriarch, “Demons take me. I have nothing left. You have stolen my family, you may as well take my life.” The family descends on the man and begins to feed. Blood and gore litter the area creating an ever growing mass of red. The patriarch’s entrails open and the stench floods the air until it reaches the convoy.
Pops steps out of the lead truck, “Boys! It’s time to end this.”
Gavin, Trey, Cane and Wade get out of their vehicles and approach the front gate. They take up a line across the road and cautiously step to the fence. As they get closer, the steves take notice and some rise to their feet. The men stand seven yards from the gate and the turned members of the family walk up to the opposite side. Lacking the motor skills and the key to the gate they simply run into it. There isn’t enough weight behind the nine turned members to knock the gate down.
Cane, “Pops, you think we should have helped him?”
Pops, “Like he said, whatever this is took everything from him. He probably didn’t have the courage to do it himself, so he just gave up. If this thing is bigger than just this city or even this state, there’s going to be a lot of people just giving up. Nothing to live for. Do you see anything we need to know?”
“Well honestly we’d have to get closer. We don’t know how this started. Kinda fascinating how they damn near eviscerated the son and yet his spine still had enough integrity to support his body weight. But he did only turn after he was bitten. That’s something. Damn near jumped out of what was left of his skin to get up though.”