by Howard, Bob
The Chief showed up as the soldiers were dispersing back to the squad rooms to file their reports, and judging by the expression on his face, Randal wasn’t done having a bad day.
They thought the Chief was going to interrogate the prisoner, but that wasn’t exactly what he had in mind. The Chief wanted to leave Randal with a lasting impression of just how mad the Mud Island survivors could get. As soon as he stepped inside the cage, Randal backed toward a corner. He was big, but the Chief dwarfed him in size.
“What time’s chow, bro?”
The soldiers doubted that Randal heard the answer. The punch to his jaw couldn’t really be called a sucker punch because he had to have seen a fist that size coming at him. Everyone who heard it connect also heard the awful cracking sound in the jaw. Loose teeth and a broken jaw were going to help Randal lose some of that weight.
The Chief walked out of the cell and stopped long enough to tell the soldiers not to let Randal die and to make him clean up his own mess when he regained consciousness.
******
The Chief felt better as he rode the elevator to the floor where the medical ward was located. He wasn’t going to get over the loss of Sam easily, but Bus said Molly was going to be fine. He said her vital signs were too good for him to suspect she had been without oxygen long enough to suffer brain damage.
He walked into the ward and heard female voices coming from the end of the room and expected nurses. He was surprised to see it was Molly and the other girl they had brought back from the cemetery. He moved fast for a big man, and Molly knew what was coming as he caught her in a big bear hug that matched his size. She couldn’t help laughing even though she was still hurting over the loss of Sam.
When the Chief let her go, the smile lingered on her face long enough for him to see she was glad to be home, but he saw the sadness there, too. The other girl was sitting up in her bed and had been talking with Molly. There was apprehension on her face because she didn’t know what kind of reception to expect.
The military people who had carried her to a helicopter and transported her to safety had been professional and kind. She didn’t know if she was a guest or prisoner yet, but no one was treating her like a prisoner.
When they had landed at Fort Sumter, she knew exactly who they were because she had seen them coming and going from the fort for years. She had always wondered if they would be the enemy as Stokes had described them, and she was finding out they just might be the good guys.
In the early years after the beginning of the infection, they had seen different groups of people take over Fort Sumter, and she remembered clearly seeing the group that dragged women from their boats. Bound and gagged and often already with tattered clothing, she was going to be wary of anyone with power. Stokes was a jerk, and he was surrounded by jerks, but for some reason his moral code kept her from becoming that kind of victim. It was odd that he could kill so easily but not cross other lines of civilization.
When Molly had woken up, Sarah Beth called for the doctor she had met, and he rushed in with a big smile on his face. He was seriously kind to her, despite the fact that she already had enough time alone with him to confess that she had been the one who knocked Molly unconscious when they first showed up. Doctor Bus had understood it was more of a reaction because Molly and Sam dropped in out of the blue. It must have scared Sarah Beth. He was glad she didn’t just leave them there despite what happened to Sam. They probably would have died when the next infected fell over on top of them.
After all Sarah Beth had been through, this one act of kindness from Bus had made her regret how cynical she had become, and all she could think of was how to repay him. She told Bus immediately that Stokes had made every effort to make her think they were going north, but she was sure it had been an act. She was convinced he was still going south toward the Gulf, and he planned to take over an oil rig.
The connection between Bus and Molly was obvious to Sarah Beth, and she enjoyed seeing their reunion. He gently lectured her about leaving in the first place, but his gratitude at having her back more than outweighed his disappointment about her doing something so dumb.
After the tearful reunion he gave her a quick exam and then introduced her to Sarah Beth. In his usual well developed bedside manner he gave Molly a moment to ask a couple of questions before he told Molly he was going to leave them to talk because Sarah Beth needed to tell her something.
Sarah Beth didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to telling Molly she was sorry, and Sam’s death was her fault. Molly was terribly hurt that Sam died, but she told Sarah Beth something had come back to her from that night. The last thing she remembered before Sarah Beth hit her was running through the woods and then having the ground disappear under her feet. She saw that she was going to land right next to someone, and she assumed it was an infected. She knew they had scared Sarah Beth, and if someone dropped in from above her at night, she would have hit first and asked for forgiveness later.
Sarah Beth was relieved to find the people from Fort Sumter were everything she had hoped they would be, and she wished she had tried to contact them sooner. Now she was looking at the Chief and wondering if it would stay that way just because he was so big.
Before she had a chance to find out, another man rushed into the room and went straight for Molly. If Bus had acted like Molly’s grandfather, then this had to be her father, and Sarah Beth asked herself just how lucky could one girl get. He was tall and muscular but not like the Chief. He looked like an athlete. Molly kept reassuring the man that she was fine and that she was sorry for leaving.
It was probably her way of taking some of the attention off of herself, but Molly said, “Dad, Chief, this is Sarah Beth. She helped take care of me and Sam after we were taken to the house.” She left off the way they met because she knew it would be too much at one time.
Tom and the Chief both crossed the short distance to Sarah Beth’s bed and gave her a hug. She had held out her hand expecting a handshake and was caught off guard again. She felt herself flush when Molly’s father hugged her and wondered if he had a girlfriend.
The Chief stepped back and studied her a little longer than Tom. She saw the questions behind his eyes, and braced herself for the worst.
“Sarah Beth, did you notice there were more infected than usual? We’ve had a steady decline over the years, and suddenly there were as many as there were at the start. Well, not that many, but there were definitely more than there have been.”
Sarah Beth looked off into the distance as if she was seeing something from her memory.
“We patrolled the area around the college campus at least once every other day, and once a week we would go inland as far as the cemetery.”
Everyone seemed to fidget or recoil at the mention of the cemetery. No one kept eye contact for a few seconds.
“I’m sorry. That’s a bad memory,” she said. Before it could get more uncomfortable she went on.
“When we ran low on supplies, we followed Harborview all the way to Folly Road. There’s a grocery store at that intersection, and the place became dangerous so fast on the first day, that it’s been a good source for us. It’s like no one could ever go there and stay alive after the infection spread.”
“So, you’ve been surviving in this area since it started,” said Tom. “That’s a miracle if you didn’t know it, especially since the number of infected seems to be increasing.”
That was the second time she heard them called infected, and she had answered out of reflex the first time because the Chief’s size was so intimidating.
“You mean ripe meat?”
She saw a reaction when she asked the question. She didn’t know if it was good or bad.
“That’s what Stokes called them, so it kind of stuck with the rest of us.”
She knew the term was less than sensitive, but she could see they weren’t overreacting. They were only trying to hang onto their humanity by using a term that recognized the infected used
to be people.
“There were a lot of infected at the start, and they used the backhoe to make the creek surrounding the house safer by making it wider. They gave it steeper sides and put spikes at some spots so the infected couldn’t climb the banks. Then there were less infected for a long time. We thought it was finally over.”
“You’ve been on the ground around here. Any idea where they’re coming from?” asked the Chief.
“Judging by how well you’re doing, Chief, I’d guess you guys have seen some action yourselves. Maybe even been to other cities.”
“You wouldn’t believe it,” said Molly.
“Well,” added Sarah Beth, “then you know there are more infected out there. I think they’ve started getting out of places that were sealed tight before.”
A female voice from the door said, “No, that’s too simple of an explanation. Plus, they would be better preserved, and why would they all be getting out at the same time.”
Kathy walked into the room and walked over to Molly’s bed first. Molly was all smiles as Kathy gave her a big hug and kiss.
“We’ll talk later, young lady.”
Sarah Beth couldn’t help noticing that Kathy acted like Molly’s mother even though her hair was a brilliant blond and Molly’s was jet black. Her observation made sense when Kathy walked over and stood at Tom’s side. She comfortably leaned into him with an arm sliding around his waist.
“I’m Kathy, welcome to the Mud Island family.”
Kathy gave Sarah Beth a genuine smile, but there was something about her intelligent eyes that gave away her curiosity about Sarah Beth. It was as if Kathy knew there was more to Sarah Beth than what the others could see.
Sarah Beth didn’t hesitate.
“I know what you’re thinking, Kathy, and you’re right. I didn’t survive out there for years on my own. I was part of Stokes’ bunch, but I never did the things his men did. I don’t know why, but as long as I pulled my weight with chores and easy stuff, he treated me okay. It was just at the end that he turned on me.”
Kathy couldn’t help but soften her expression just a touch. Her instincts as a police officer must have shown, and Sarah Beth was perceptive enough to see it. She stepped over to Sarah Beth’s bed and held out her hand.
“Sorry I wasn’t more sincere. Seriously, welcome to our family. I’m glad you’re okay. Getting buried out there must’ve been horrifying.”
“It was awful,” she said as she shook Kathy’s hand.
She was touched by the tenderness she felt from her gesture. At the same time there was strength and cool intelligence in her eyes.
“Don’t mention it. If I were you, I would be skeptical of me.”
Tom and the Chief were both a million miles away and had missed the entire exchange. All they knew was that the ladies were talking and being nice to each other. They had both heard what Kathy said when she came in.
The Chief snapped his fingers.
“I have a theory. Did anyone notice how different the infected were when we were on the road trying to find Molly?”
Tom and Kathy turned to see if the other had an answer.
“I didn’t really think about it,” said Tom. “I just wanted to find Molly.”
“Same here,” said Kathy.
The rest of the group chose that moment to walk into the hospital ward. Hampton and Colleen were in the lead followed by Olivia and Chase, Cassandra and Sim, and the room was suddenly filled with activity as everyone got in their hugs and introductions. Captain Miller and a few of his soldiers were among the new arrivals. They felt personally responsible for Molly being able to leave Fort Sumter, and they all wanted a look at the local girl who had survived for years on land.
The room got loud, so the Chief waited for things to settle down before going on.
“Okay, everyone. I’m glad you’re all here so I can get your opinions on something. Would everyone agree that the infected appear to be of all kinds? Some are old, some are recent, some are waterlogged, some can walk, some can’t, so forth and so on.”
“Now that you mention it,” said Cassandra, “but isn’t that normal?”
“Kind of sad to see our definition of normal sink so low,” said Colleen.
“That’s why we didn’t notice,” said the Chief, “there was a perfect mixture, almost like they were brought here.”
“And almost like it was easier for them to get around,” added Sarah Beth.
“What do you mean?” asked the Chief.
Sarah Beth closed her eyes part way, and her expression was like she was seeing something both far away and in the past at the same time. She was remembering the nights when they had patrolled the roads on James Island and Gervais had asked her if it seemed like some of the cars had been moved.
The memory of Gervais hurt, but she pictured him as he gestured toward a group of cars in particular and then toward the road.
“Those cars had been blocking the road before. Now, they’re out of the way, so the dead meat can just walk right down to Fort Johnson,” he had said.
“Why would someone move the cars out of the road?” asked Colleen.
“I can think of two reasons,” said the Chief.
“The infected can walk to Fort Johnson in larger numbers, and Fort Johnson is practically the back door to Fort Sumter.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Roads
Year Six of the Decline
The trip from Charleston to New Orleans was anything but easy. Even avoiding places that had been heavily populated before the infection was useless, and Stokes was traveling alone by the time he reached the border of South Carolina and Georgia. The way he figured it, he was alive because he was smarter than his companions. If he chose to be a little more honest with himself, he was alive because he was luckier than them.
Stokes told his handful of misfits to expect to run into ripe meat, especially in the places where the land was flat and there were less predators. He lectured them about the difference between the living people they would sometimes encounter and the ripe meat they would very likely see every day. Survivors would be more dangerous because they would be thinking about staying alive. The dead would stumble toward them with no regard for themselves, and they certainly weren’t thinking about staying alive.
The biggest concern was getting shot. The first to die of his remaining crew from Fort Johnson was shot by a survivalist who obviously believed in shooting first and asking questions later. It never occurred to Stokes that the guy had picked his target at random, and it could just as easily have been him. He just thought his companion had been stupid for letting himself get shot.
The survivalist had proven to be worth killing to gain access to his supplies. He had every different kind of gadget Stokes could imagine for staying alive. If he had been smarter, he would have hidden until Stokes and his noisy bunch had gone by, but apparently the temptation to shoot someone was greater than his common sense.
After they had circled around behind him, it was just a matter of time before he poked his head up for a look, and Stokes shot him in the back. Stokes didn’t even have enough humanity left in him to shoot the survivalist in the head. They left him to turn into ripe meat as punishment for shooting one of his people.
They went through the man’s supplies and found all kinds of books about survival. Much of it was just second nature to Stokes, and he thought it was funny that the man needed reference books about what was safe to eat, how to butcher game, or how to dress a wound.
“I guess he just looked it up when he saw zombies strolling toward him.”
Stokes laughed at his own joke.
“Someone write that down,” he said. “That was too funny.”
His men knew better than not to laugh, but it was more likely that they didn’t get the joke. It wasn’t a stretch to say they had gotten pretty far on dumb luck.
The next in their group to die had forgotten that any body of water in the Lowcountry of South Carolina was possibly inha
bited by an alligator or two. Since the beginning of the infection the explosion in the alligator population had been aided by the terrain of the Lowcountry. You didn’t have to drive far to cross a tidal creek, a river, a lake, or a swamp. The swamps were the worst places because there was water on both sides of the road for miles.
When the reptile burst from the shallow water where it had laid perfectly still as they approached, Stokes had stepped neatly behind one of his men. The alligator pulled the screaming man off of his feet and dragged him back to the water. Stokes put his hands on the barrels of the raised rifles to his left and right and told the men if they saved the man they had to carry him. The alligator had already made a mess of the man’s legs. There was no resistance from them.
That left him with Franco and Turk, and Stokes didn’t give either of them much chance of surviving. As a matter of fact, he was a bit surprised they were still with him. The only reason he remembered their names was because he was always calling them stupid.
They dumped the backpack out on the road that belonged to the guy that had become alligator food. As if to prove his earlier thought, he tried to remember the man’s name, and all that would come to mind was Gator Bait.
Franco and Turk died together, and none of them would have expected it to be started by ants. In a world where the biggest threat to life was being bitten by ripe meat, it was ant bites that brought them down.
Another feature of South Carolina that is seldom given any thought by tourists is the rich insect population. If the mosquitoes don’t drive you crazy, the gnats will. Especially the sand gnats that could pass right through a mosquito net. Then there were the Black Widow and Brown Recluse spiders. The Black Widow could kill you, but most people survived their bites. It wasn’t the same with a Brown Recluse. One bite would leave you with a terrible scar of necrotic flesh, or it could kill you in minutes.
If those weren’t bad enough, fire ants were everywhere, and their victims suffered terrible deaths. Most people find out they are allergic to ant bites when they get bitten the first time. Swelling, difficulty breathing, puffy eyes, and pain on the place where one ant left its bite were the symptoms, but when hundreds or thousands bite you at the same time, it feels like your body is on fire. It’s also not going to be difficult to breathe. It’s going to be an inability to breathe.