Pack Animals [An Undead Post-Apocalypse Thriller]

by Cain, Kenneth W.

  The soldier righted himself and went in for the kill. Before he got there, the creature stood and caught the soldier midair, holding it there. The creature let out a roar of displeasure.

  “Move in, Craig,” Sydney shouted.

  Isaac echoed her command, and the dragon shuddered and jolted as it moved closer and closer to the large creature. At first, the other vehicles didn’t follow their lead. They seemed content to stay back and observe, even with another one of their comrades about to bite the dust. Then, they too moved in on the mammoth creature, ignoring what smaller ones were left, all of them focused on the big one.

  Chris wore a desperate expression. “What are we doing?”

  More than anyone she knew, Chris avoided fights like this. He’d likely made a mistake, trying to impress Allison and only wanted out now.

  “I don’t know,” she said, “but we have to do something.”

  “Why? Why do we have to do anything?” He was panicking now. “Let’s just go. Get out of here while we still can.”

  “No!”

  “I’m going—”

  Sydney shoved him back down into the seat. “You’re going to sit your ass down right there and keep doing what you’ve been doing.” A snarl formed on her lips, partly because this man had abandoned her son’s friendship. “Now sit! And fire!”

  Chris stared up at her, then took control of the cannon again. He repositioned himself to fire, though she could tell he was still uneasy about what she required of him. No way she could count on him. He would run off first chance he got. That was his way. He’d proven that much to her. But she would keep him there, doing his job, for as long as she could.

  CHAPTER 71

  After a couple quick refuels at abandoned airfields, Dale and Allen were able to set down somewhere around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Their destination was pretty much a straight shot down from their current position. The travel would be difficult, but Allen couldn’t risk them being found out before they arrived. Hopefully, they could secure a couple horses rather than travel by foot.

  Surely, they would encounter farms. Already, he spotted a few in the distance. Whether or not they could secure transportation there was another story.

  “Looks like we’re going to have to hoof it by foot, huh?”

  Allen nodded.

  “Whelp, I’m onboard with that.” Dale laughed. “I could use the exercise.”

  Allen thought he saw a little bit of the old Dale in that toothy grin. Perhaps it was the missing incisor or the way he raised his upper lip more on one side more. Whatever the case, Allen was thankful the man was becoming himself again. He looked thinner, likely due to his grief and lack of alcohol consumption. Dale was becoming a force to reckon with, and that would serve them well on this excursion. But Dale looked awkward in the uniform, wearing the deep blues. Likely, one from the other party would better suit the man, but all that mattered was he passed for one of them.

  In truth, Allen hoped his friend would be able to conjure up the old Dale when the time came. He needed that crazy man, the kind of man who would do anything to achieve their goal and thought of all the wrong ways to do it. That unpredictability was just what the doctor ordered. For that reason, he made the first move to reclaim the man. Allen dug in his pack and produced a small metallic flask. He shook it menacingly at Dale. Then Allen unscrewed the lid and took a hefty tug, finishing with a satisfied whistle of air.

  “What you got there?” Dale asked.

  Allen grinned and offered the flask to Dale. “Something that will trim back your whiskers.”

  Dale shook it off.

  “Come on, you won’t even share a drink with a brother?”

  Dale looked away. Allen worried he had crossed a line. Their friendship had been on the mend, but they weren’t as close as they were before Dale lost Clyde. Saying this, he might have driven a wedge between them further straining matters.

  When Dale turned back to him, he was grinning. It was like something just clicked. Allen could see it in his smile. This spoke fathoms of what they’d endured together, what they were walking into now.

  Dale took the flask and drank. When he finished, he shook his head. “Woo!”

  Allen didn’t think Dale would drink as much as he used to, but maybe he would lighten up a little. That was all Allen desired.

  “That’s good whiskey,” Dale said.

  “Yes, it’s very good.” Allen slapped the brother on the back and took the flask back. He replaced the lid and tucked it back into his pack. “Hey, I wanted to let you know, it’s good to have you here with me.”

  Dale wrapped his arm around Allen and pulled him in close for a second. “Anything for a brother.”

  They laughed, and their journey south began.

  CHAPTER 72

  Sydney knew they were in trouble when the giant creature tipped over one of the other fire cannons. A couple of the smaller creatures were on those inside the vehicle fast and if no one did anything, those soldiers were goners.

  Craig pulled them in close, perhaps too close when the gunfire from a suited soldier ricocheted off the front of the dragon. Sydney had to duck. When she checked on Chris, the bullets had missed his large frame but not by much, judging by the look on his face. He waved his hand absently at his ear, as if to make sure it was still there. Sydney tapped his shoulder, focusing him back to the cannon. After a few seconds, he regained his composure and was back at it.

  The oversized creature turned its full attention on the dragon. Its particular focus was on top of the vehicle, Sydney specifically. Those dark eyes found her, and she could see its thirst as the beast advanced on them. Chris pulled the trigger and lit the sky, but mostly missed the behemoth. What fire did hit the creature did little damage. As it got closer, Chris stood and released the trigger. Sydney could see the moment when the fear seized control of Chris. He backed away from the cannon, ignoring Sydney as she tried to force him back down. Then, he did something Sydney couldn’t have expected.

  Chris jumped. She thought he would run for the entrance to the dragon, but he didn’t. Instead, he ran out into the open field, trying to escape. When he was about twenty yards out, Sydney heard a scream from below. That was likely Allison, seeing Chris fall to the ground. Two stray creatures leaped on him right away and began shredding his back. They were close enough to see the creature’s tear away large strips of flesh in their bloodied mouth, one after another. Chris was lost to them.

  Surely Allison would be at the doors, trying to go after Chris. She would be a hassle for Isaac. Would he even bother stopping her? Yes, of course. Isaac would do anything to protect any of them. Already the struggle began with Allison screaming at Isaac to move, threatening him, quickly shifting from sounding like panic to sorrow.

  When Sydney turned back, she was surprised to see how close the large creature had gotten. Taking a seat in the cannon, she aimed and fired. A stream of hot flames blasted the creature in the face. It howled and groaned, but did not lose its footing. The flesh melted away from its face, the bone charring a deep black. Its eyes dissolved in their sockets, one even bursting. The other eye was a deformed remnant of what it once was but seemed functional at least in part, as the creature adjusted its path for Sydney.

  Behind the creature, an onslaught of armored soldiers attacked. Their guns and blades found its body, slowing the creature enough for Sydney to take advantage of the moment. She rose out of the cannon seat and stood on the edge of the platform. Keeping patient, she waited for the creature to come within range.

  Hope I’m still limber enough to pull this off.

  As the creature came closer, Sydney hurried to the other side of the platform and ran back full speed. She leaped, and it flailed its hands in the air, trying to thwart her attack. Her sword fended off each assault and she quickly found herself close to its throat. Without hesitation, she twisted her body and sliced hard.

  Sydney plowed into one of the suited soldiers, knocking the woman off balance. A shower of
coagulated, black blood splattered all around her. The two of them fell back on a pile of corpses, Sydney on top. Contact propelled Sydney forward, sending her chin against the hard ground, scuffing it. When she lifted her head, a creature’s face stared back at her, its eyes sunken deep into its skull. She leaped back, her sword ready, unsure if it was dead or not. Relief fell over when she realized it was, as was the giant on the ground behind her.

  They had won this battle, but that meant something else needed to happen now. They would have to talk to these soldiers before they could get back on their way. She hoped they could go on alone, wanting to avoid these soldiers as Allen had advised. But she worried they might get pulled into another battle, as these forces tried to regain control of the eastern states.

  CHAPTER 73

  “You’re drivin’ a pretty rustic model, there,” the redheaded man said.

  Isaac could see a hint of suspicion in the soldier’s face. He hoped he wouldn’t have to go into any sort of spiel because he wasn’t so good at being very convincing in those types of situations. In a way, telling lies had been a big part of his past though, so he could if he had to. But he was better suited to finding ways around such shams. This was the approach he would start with.

  “Did you see the size of that thing?” His tone went up high. “Biggest damn thing we’ve seen in our cleanup detail.”

  The soldier looked surprised by this response. “Yes, goddamned biggest bitch I seen too.”

  They both laughed, a hint of nervousness behind their jocularity. Isaac approached Sydney, and the soldier followed.

  “Damn heroic of you Miss,” the soldier said.

  Sydney thanked him with a nod but said nothing. She dusted herself off. Isaac saw the mess on her back and was sure she would be anxious for a change of clothes.

  “What the hell was that?” Craig asked.

  Isaac wished Craig had stayed on the bus. Thinking of the others, he hoped Gavin would be able to keep Allison and Orson inside. He didn’t want any of the soldiers seeing those two because that would raise too many questions. Any resistance on their part or the slightest mistrust between them, and there would be a standoff.

  The soldier nodded at Craig, who was not wearing a uniform. Isaac hoped he wouldn’t read too much into it, but even as the thought popped into his head, other soldiers surrounded them and took note of Craig’s civilian clothing. As they didn’t question Craig’s appearance, Isaac supposed it was commonplace to secure help where needed during the heat of battle.

  “Sometimes the infection mutates.” The soldier nodded at the monstrous corpse. “Like that bastard. Ever see any other mutations?”

  “One,” Isaac confirmed.

  The soldier seemed to relax a bit. “One? That’s all? Heck, we seen almost two-dozen or so during our detail. The most difficult of them were those with somewhat of an intelligence. Most of the muties we come across, aren’t fully changed, so they know how to do things the others don’t, like open doors. But this son of a bitch puts them all to shame. Biggest baddie we’ve come across yet.”

  Isaac considered Dale’s nephew. “We had one that wasn’t fully changed, I guess. But yeah, that’s the biggest one we’ve seen, too.”

  “Uh huh. Yep. We heard there are even more muties out west, which is why we’re being told to give up on that territory for now.”

  Sydney engaged the conversation. “Give up?”

  “We’re hoping the mess kind of sorts itself out over time. Those I know who crossed over came back to confirm an abnormal number of muties over there.” Again, he thumbed at the overly large corpse. “No mention of any lugs like this, but I suppose they’re out there. It’s far worse over there.”

  Craig’s voice wavered. “Worse?”

  “Yeah huh. Some of the water sources might still be contaminated. That’s why they gave us all test kits.”

  Isaac nodded, having no idea what the soldier was referring to but wanting one. Thinking of that, he hoped they didn’t ask to see any of their equipment or request any supplies.

  Several soldiers left to tend to the overturned cannon. Only a few stayed behind, all of them intrigued by the nostalgic appearance of the dragon as well as the fine-looking woman who had killed the mutie. That left the other cannon completely unguarded and suddenly Isaac’s street sense took over, and he started scheming as to how he might get ahold of some of those water test kits. It was a thought that apparently was shared with at least one other.

  With the vehicle being behind the soldier in front of Isaac, he had a perfect view of Orson creeping around the end of the abandoned vehicle, unseen thus far. Isaac felt his throat dry up in anticipation of Orson being caught. If Sydney knew anything about this, she would have yelled at Orson and Isaac both. Perhaps she would have done something irrational in an effort to protect her boy, cause a commotion and maybe blow their cover. Thankfully, so far, she hadn’t noticed Orson missing, which in itself was a small miracle given how protective she’d been of the boy since parting ways with Allen.

  “Anything else you can tell us about up North?” Sydney asked a soldier.

  The soldier studied her, likely more appreciating her beauty than anything. “That your responsibility?” the soldier asked Isaac.

  Isaac considered the soldier’s words, mindful of Orson’s progress. He wasn’t fully aware of the conversation but worried how Sydney would respond. Hopefully she was better at this than Isaac. When Orson entered the empty cannon—at least Isaac hoped it was empty—this demanded all of Isaac’s attention. Without knowing he’d done so, he had his hand on the gun in his waistband, and patted it just to make sure it was still there. If anything did come of Orson’s intrusion, he would be ready.

  Craig, perhaps sensing Isaac’s preoccupation, relieved him of the need to say anything. “Yes.”

  “Well, gets real cold up there. Hope you have the gear for it. If not, I’m sure you can find plenty of supplies along the way.” He seemed to think on the matter more. “Be sure to use your water test kits. None of us have been in those parts, but one squad came by our way not too long ago, after being up North for a week. They didn’t seem to favor those parts much.”

  “Why do you think that is?” Isaac heard himself asking.

  “They called it a dead state. I’m not really sure what they meant by that, but they all looked like they’d been through hell and back.” He laughed. “Bunch of young boys, though. I suspect they got a little spooked more than anything.”

  Isaac laughed with him, but his attention remained on the empty cannon and the boy inside. As Orson hit the stairs, the soldier began to turn away from Isaac. Thinking fast, Isaac stepped forward and extended his hand to the soldier, hoping to delay him long enough for Orson to get back to the dragon.

  “Hey, thanks,” Isaac said.

  The soldier stared at him for a second before extending his hand. He shook hands, perhaps wondering why Isaac hadn’t saluted. “You had us worried for a bit there. You didn’t respond on your radio.”

  “Our com has been a bit flaky lately.”

  The soldier nodded at Craig, seeming at ease with this presumption. “We’d best be on our way.” The soldier looked at the empty cannon, but Orson was long gone. “We have this entire border to secure. Wish you were coming with, but I understand. We all got our orders.”

  The soldier let go of Isaac’s hand and saluted Craig. “Good luck to you.”

  With that, they were on their way, leaving Isaac’s group on their own once again. They made their way back to the dragon. Isaac was the last to board. He sat up front, watching as Orson handed a clean uniform to his mother. Seeing it made Isaac smile.

  “Where’d you get this?” she asked.

  Orson shrugged.

  Sydney’s untrusting eyes searched him. After a hesitant smirk, she retreated to the back of the dragon to clean up and get changed. Meanwhile, Orson made his way up to Isaac.

  “I don’t suppose you got anything else while you were over there, did yo
u?” Isaac asked.

  “Uh huh. One of them water kits.”

  Isaac felt proud of the boy for his bravery but most of all for securing the one thing they needed above all else.

  “Also got this.”

  Orson yanked the small box out from under the seat and lifted the lid for Isaac to see. Inside the box was a radio, one that was much different than the one attached to the dragon.

  Isaac patted the boy’s shoulder. “You done good, kid. Real good.”

  CHAPTER 74

  After three days of walking, they had finished off the flask three times already out of pure boredom. Now it was filled with some sort of sour brandy they found in a random house. That was better than nothing, and it took the edge off as well as made the large backpacks they lugged around seem a little lighter.

  The chatter was kept to a minimum out of fear of being spotted or captured. They hadn’t come across a single soul, let alone any packs, although they were sure some still existed in these parts. No way the soldiers had cleared all the creatures already. If nothing else, there would be strays. The creatures were likely a permanent part of their culture now.

  Dale lifted a finger, then lowered it. He looked both tired and tipsy. “What you suspect that is up yonder?”

  Allen scanned the horizon until he found the out of place object. He squinted, trying to bring it into focus. Then it became clear as he saw the two horses out front of the wagon, a large cage secured to it with chains. He looked at Dale, seeing a broad smile form on the man’s face. They were in business for the first time in a long time.