by Dawn, M. K.
“I’ll feel better once we’re sure the room’s clear.” Axel inched forward, still unsure if he’d heard something on the other side or if his ears were playing tricks on him. “Do you hear that?”
“Nope.” Shifter rested his hand on the door. “When you’re ready, chief.”
Axel’s heartbeat thrashed in his ears. “After everything we’ve seen, we can’t be too careful.”
“On three?” Shifter smirked.
Axel didn’t understand how he could stand there so calm. “Just ease it open.”
Shifter pushed on the door and it creaked.
A soft growl emanated from the room.
“Shit,” Axel muttered. “Get ready.”
“Where’s the fucking light?” Shifter raised his axe.
They waited for the infected to burst through the door, but it never did.
“Why isn’t it coming?” Shifter gritted through his teeth. “What is it waiting for?”
“Dammit.” Axel moved closer. “We need some damn light. Did you see any flashlights left on the shelf?”
“Some shitty ones, maybe.”
“Get them.”
Shifter didn’t move. “And leave you alone? You sure about that? It could figure a way out.”
“Then I suggest you hurry the hell back.” They didn’t have time to argue. If they were going to get whatever was left in this storage room, they needed to make it safe.
“Fine.” Shifter jogged back into the main store.
Axel waited, gun pointed at the black open space, for what felt like hours. Each sound, no matter where it came from, sent his adrenaline into overdrive.
How long did it take to grab some damn flashlights?
Footsteps pounded the floor, and Axel chanced a quick glance. Shifter and Gunner rounded the corner, each with their weapons in hand.
“I thought for sure we’d find you in a shootout.” Shifter stopped beside Axel. “It never showed its face?”
“It didn’t.” Axel looked to Gunner. “Why aren’t you watching the front door?”
Gunner lifted his head and smiled. “We barricaded it.”
Axel didn’t know what irritated him more: that they had blocked the door—their only exit—or the pride Gunner displayed. “Why the hell would you do that?”
Gunner scrunched his brow. “So none of those things would get in while we’re dealing with the one back here.”
“What about us?” Axel snapped. “What if we need to get out in a hurry?”
“Um.” Gunner’s face fell. “We didn’t think of that.”
Axel needed to remember they weren’t soldiers, never had been. “In situations like this, always have a way out. You never want to get backed into a corner.”
“Want me to go move the blockade?” Gunner asked.
Axel shook his head. “No. We need to deal with whatever is in this room. Shifter, you find us some flashlights?”
“A few.” Shifter lifted his chin to Gunner. “He found a damn good one.”
“Behind the checkout counter.” Gunner held up the flashlight in his hand. “It’s damn bright.”
“Good.” Axel moved toward the door and gestured for them to follow. “We need to stay together and keep our eyes peeled. There’s at least one in there. Might be more. We need to be ready for an attack.”
Shifter handed him a red plastic flashlight. “Want this?”
The two men hovered close behind him but made no effort to take point.
“Give it here.” Axel turned the flashlight on. “Guess I’m going in first?”
“We’ve got your back.” Gunner flipped his on too. The damn thing nearly lit the entire front part of the storage room.
“That’s one hell of a flashlight.” Axel inched his way into the storage room. “Keep it pointed ahead of us. The infected is close.”
They entered the room at a snail's pace, checking each crevice.
“There it is.” Gunner pointed the light to the left. “Underneath a fallen shelf.”
Axel kneeled down to get a closer look. “This one’s not moving.”
“What do you mean?” Shifter took a step back. “Do you think there are more?”
Gunner flicked his light in the direction of Shifter. “Look out!”
Shifter screamed. “Get it off!”
Axel jumped to his feet and spun around to find an infected pinned under a second fallen shelf. It was still alive, stretching its free arm in their direction. “There’s the ones making all that noise.”
“Fuck!” Shifter fell face first on the floor as the infected swept his feet from under him. Flipping over to his back, he kicked his legs frantically, trying to release the claws that had hold of his pants.
“In the chest!” Axel screamed.
Shifter didn’t hesitate before swinging his axe, burying his blade deep in the infected’s chest. “Son of a bitch. Did you see that thing?”
“Is that it?” Gunner spun around. “Do you still hear something?”
“Shh.” Axel pressed a finger to his lips. “I can’t hear shit.”
Both men fell silent, and for a brief second, Axel thought that might be the end.
“I think I hear another one.” Gunner moved deeper into the room, shining his flashlight from side to side. “Do you see anything?”
Axel and Shifter both used their less powerful flashlights to fill in the gaps Gunner’s didn’t reach.
“I don’t hear anything.” Shifter paused. “Maybe we should start loading this shit up.”
“No.” Gunner pressed forward. “I heard something. We need to make sure the room is clear.”
“Agreed.” Axel had heard nothing else but, like Gunner, knew it was better to be sure than dead.
“It would be nice if we could turn on the damn lights,” Shifter said. “What kind of store doesn’t have a backup generator?”
“Maybe it needs to be switched on?” Axel thought most generators were automatic nowadays, but this town seemed to resist change.
“Good thinking.” Shifter slapped Axel on the back. “I’ll look around, see if I can find it.”
“Wait!” Axel called out, but it was too late. Shifter was already gone.
Gunner shone the light toward the door. “I’m not sure he understands how dangerous the situation is.”
“Or he doesn’t care.” Axel rubbed his temples. “Should we wait in the hall until he gets back?”
“Yeah.” Gunner started that way. “Then if he screams, we’re that much closer.”
Axel hoped it didn’t come to that. “What about the sounds you heard in here?”
“If there are any more, maybe they’re trapped like the others. Judging by how they attacked last night, if they haven’t made a move yet, we’re good.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” Axel peered over his shoulder. “Maybe we should—”
The lights flickered and came on, cut him off.
“Holy shit.” Gunner shut off the flashlight. “He did it.”
Axel couldn’t believe it either. “I guess we can load things up now.” He did a quick inventory. “There’s not a whole hell of a lot in here either, but it’s better than there was out front.”
Gunner stuck his head out the door. “Should we go check on Shifter? I thought he’d be back by now.”
“If he was in trouble, we’d have heard something.” Axel stopped next to the infected Shifter had killed with his ax. “It's crazy how you can still see the human side underneath all the changes.”
“Scary’s more like it.” Gunner came up beside him. “How do teeth change like that? Ours are flat, but theirs look like a shark or alligator or something.”
The last thing Axel wanted to do was stand around speculating. “Let's get to work.”
“Wait.” Gunner cocked his head. “I heard the sound again. This way.”
Axel stayed far enough behind to keep an eye out on the rest of the stockroom as Gunner took a hard left down the last aisle.
“Oh my fu
cking God!”
The horror in Gunner’s voice sent Axel sprinting after him
before skidding to a stop. “Jesus Christ. Is that…?” His brain couldn’t comprehend the state of the infected trapped in the corner.
“Is that a dog kennel?” Gunner sputtered.
“Yeah.” Bile burned Axel’s throat.
“And the infected….” Gunner turned his back to cage. “Was that a ch-child?”
Axel’s hands trembled. “I… I think so.”
“What the fuck!” Shifter had come out of nowhere. “What the fuck! Jesus. Why? Why?”
“I can’t see this.” Gunner started down the aisle. “I’ll grab some boxes on my way out. I just can’t… a damn kid locked in a fucking dog kennel.”
“Why would someone do this to a child?” Shifter’s voice cracked.
Axel had been so caught up in his horror that he hadn’t notice the racket it was making.
“Can you believe this shit?” Shifter asked when Axel didn’t answer.
“No. Those two… the two infected trapped under the fallen shelves. If I had to guess, they were the child’s parents.” Axel pointed to the kennel. “They either put her in there for her protection or theirs.”
“Her?”
Tears clogged Axel’s throat. “There’s a doll in there with her. And pink bows.”
Shifter rubbed at his mouth. “Fuck. What do we do now?”
“Load the SUV with the stuff we talked about. Batteries, camping supplies, flashlights, matches.”
“What about…?” Shifter jerked his chin toward the cage.
“I’ll take care of it.” Axel swallowed hard.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
Shifter lowered his eyes and walked away.
Every fiber in his soul screamed at him to get the hell out of there, but he couldn’t leave her—it—this way.
Kneeling next to the cage, he didn’t hesitate, didn’t think, just aimed for the chest and pulled the trigger.
***
The taste of bile still lingered in Axel’s mouth as they closed the back of the SUV.
Shifter inspected their haul through the busted-out window. “We got a lot of crap. More than I thought we’d bring back.”
They had packed the trunk of the SUV with as much as they could, though it didn’t hold near as much as Axel had hoped. There were still things they could have used that they had to leave behind.
Gunner pulled the store doors closed. “I found a set of keys behind the counter. Maybe we can lock the place up? Come back to get the rest of the stuff another time?”
Axel didn’t think a locked door would keep people out for long but kept his opinion to himself. “Might as well. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
Snifter grunted and headed for the driver side. “Let’s get out of here.”
Axel pulled the back door closed, careful not to slam it.
Gunner glanced over his shoulder at Axel. “Sure you don’t want the front seat?”
Axel yawned. “Nah. If Shifter thinks he can find his way back, I’m going to close my eyes for a while. I didn’t sleep at all last night.”
Shifter hot-wired the SUV. “We just keep on this road until we hit her gate.”
“A small-town perk.” Axel laid his head on the sleeping bags stacked beside him and closed his eyes. A short nap would do him wonders.
“Son of a bitch!” Shifter slammed on the brakes, jolting Axel awake.
Axel sat up and scanned the area. “What happened?” They hadn’t even made it out of town yet.
“A woman just ran in front of us.” Gunner stuck his head out of the SUV.
“Where?” Axel rolled down his window to get a better look. “I don’t see anything. Did you hit her?”
“No.” Shifter put the SUV in Park. “I think she might have ducked in front of us.”
“Dammit.” Axel scanned the area. He really didn’t want to get out. Even though he didn’t see any infected, they could be on top of their little group faster than they could react. “Back up. Maybe she took off.”
Shifter eased the SUV backward a few feet until the woman came into view.
“What the hell is she doing?” Gunner asked.
She sat on the ground, her arms wrapped around her knees as she rocked back and forth.
“She’s in shock.” Axel reached for the door handle but paused. Even though his instincts were to help the woman, he knew it wasn’t safe. “What should we do?”
“I don’t know,” Gunner said. “She’s the only person we’ve seen. What if she’s not sick? I don’t know if I can handle leaving her here knowing we could have helped.”
“What if she’s infected?” Shifter snapped. “We can’t risk it.”
A quick movement drew Axel’s attention away from the impending argument. “Did you see that?”
“What?” Shifter and Gunner jerked their heads in unison, both in the opposite direction.
“I don’t—” Shifter started to roll up his window. “Fuck! They’re coming. We have to go.”
Gunner leaned away from his busted-out window. “Now I remember why you didn’t want to sit up front.”
“That’s not why….” Axel’s eyes fell on the woman still huddled on the ground. “I’ll be right back.”
He busted through the door and rushed around the car. “Lady, grab my hand. We need to get into the SUV and get out of here.”
Her entire body shook. “I… I—”
“Come on!” He scooped her in his arms. They didn’t have time to discuss their options. The infected had caught on to their location and were running for them.
Axel tossed her into the back seat and climbed in. “Go, go, go!”
Shifter hit the gas, and they sped out of town.
Once in the clear, Shifter slowed, and Axel turned his attention back to the borderline hysterical woman. He wiped her matted hair away from her face. “Susan?”
“Who?” Shifter looked back at them in the rearview mirror.
“From the church. She was in charge of the festival.”
Gunner rotated around in his seat. “And how do you know all that? I thought you were just friends with the rancher chick?”
“Susan.” Axel ignored Gunner, instead focusing on the poor woman trembling beside him. He cupped her chin and forced her to face him. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“I-I,” she stuttered. “I….”
“You’re safe now,” Axel reassured her. “We’re taking you somewhere safe.”
She raised a trembling hand to her lips, and he caught a glimpse of a bite on the side.
“Shit,” Axel mumbled. “She’s been bitten.”
Shifter skidded off the road and threw the SUV in Park. “Get her out.”
“What?” Gunner scrunched his face. “You want to leave her out here? Alone? To die?”
Axel kept his eyes trained on Susan. The rational part of his brain knew exactly how dangerous this woman was, but the other side—the human side—couldn’t fathom kicking her out of the SUV to die alone.
“She’s already dead,” Shifter said with a coldness Axel had never heard before.
“No.” Gunner hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “That woman is still alive.”
“Not for long,” Shifter barked.
“Axel?” Gunner glared. “Want to weigh in on this?”
He knew taking her back to the ranch was stupid, but he couldn’t bring himself to open the door. “I don’t think I can do it.”
“Do what?” Shifter gritted through his teeth. “She’s dangerous. We can’t bring her back. You want that rancher chick—”
“Britney,” Axel corrected.
“You want to earn Britney’s trust? Convince her to let us stay? Bringing back an infected ain’t the way to do that.”
“I know.” He thought back to the infected child he had to put down just a while ago. “It’s just—”
“Please don’t leave me!” Susan grabbed Axel’
s sleeve. “Please.”
“Fuck,” Shifter grumbled. “Should have kicked her out before she spoke.”
“Jesus,” Gunner spat. “What the hell is wrong with you? She’s sitting right there.”
“Susan?” Axel kept a close eye on her mouth, watching for any signs of aggression. “How long ago were you bitten?”
Tears burst from her eyes. “Thank you. Those… those… things. They were after me.”
“Answer the damn question, lady,” Shifter snapped.
Susan jumped.
“Take it down a notch, man.” Gunner leaned back and patted Susan on the leg. “You’re safe now.”
Her lips trembled as she went to speak.
“Take your time.” Axel grasped her hand.
Shifter snorted.
“And ignore him,” Axel added.
Her head bobbed and voice cracked as she spoke. “What was your question?”
“When were you bitten?” Axel asked again.
“This morning,” she sobbed. “I went to check on my youngest son—my husband took the other two to his parents’. My son’s been sick, and… and… I don’t know what changed overnight.”
Axel’s heart ached for the woman. He didn’t think he could hear any more. “He bit you?”
“Yes. Got my finger as I pushed him away. And then I ran. I left my boy sick and alone,” she wailed.
“No.” Axel wanted to pull her into a hug but thought better of it, instead squeezing her hands in his. “The thing that bit you wasn’t your son. Your son is at peace.”
Gunner swallowed hard. “Shifter, let's get going.”
“With her? Hell no.”
Susan gasped for air. “Please don’t leave me here alone. Please. I won’t survive.”
“You’re already dead,” Shifter said through clenched teeth.
“What?” Susan’s eyes widened.
“Enough!” Axel snapped. “Britney knows this woman. We will not leave her alone to die. We’ll deal with what comes next back at the farm.”
“Britney Campbell?” Susan inspected Axel’s face then. “I know you. You’re that biker.”
“Yeah.” Axel patted the back of Shifter’s seat. “Let’s go. I’ll deal with Britney.”
Shifter threw the SUV into Drive. “Don’t unpack.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
