by Dawn, M. K.
All eyes drifted to Sloan, who only shook her head. As a doctor, they always looked to her for answers when it came to the infested. “I can’t know for sure but when we were in The Bunker and I examined patient zero, I discovered that the core of this thing, what kept it alive, lived in the chest cavity of the human it acquired. Therefore, a chest shot killed the invader. Over the years, this has not seemed to change.”
“Until now.” Axel ran a hand through his oily hair. “Why?”
Sloan shrugged. “The logical explanation is this infested has some sort of abnormality. Are there others out there like it? We won’t know for sure without further experimentation.”
“Experimentation?” Sam dropped his head. “What do you mean by that?”
“Just that we won’t know unless we encounter more infested and those too are not killed by a chest wound.”
“Fucking fabulous.” Sam threw back the last of his water. “Well, I’ve had about enough good news for one night. I’m going to bed. Anyone care if I take the other top bunk? No? Cool. Wake me when it’s my turn to keep watch.”
“I second that.” Angie rolled her neck. “I call the bottom bunk.”
“Night,” Maria yawned. “I think I’ll go to bed as well. I can sleep on the floor if others want the bed.”
Britney pointed to the bottom bunk under the kids. “No need. Take the bed.”
“Are you sure?”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“Okay. Thanks. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” everyone muttered.
Britney waited for Maria to get settled before resuming their conversation. “What about the way the infested just stood there? It was like it was lookin’ at us.”
Axel patted her on the knee, hoping to help calm her nerves. “Maybe it had a partial scent but couldn’t quite figure out where we were between the snow and wind and trees?”
“That’s never stopped it from attackin’ before.” Britney dragged her teeth along her bottom lip. “Sloan, you’ve said you think the infested are evolvin’, right? Could they be becoming more intelligent?”
God, Axel wished Sloan wouldn’t answer that. He long feared the answer to that question was yes.
Sloan took a little time before answering. “I hate to come to any certain conclusion without evidence.”
“You’ve seen the evidence with your own two eyes!” Britney’s voice, though still low, had a bark to it.
Archer bent his knees and wrapped his arms around his legs. “What does it matter at this point? They’re never going to stop trying to kill us. Nothing is going to change that.”
“But it does matter,” Sloan conceded. “If they develop intelligence, that makes them more dangerous. Last thing we need is for the infested to start plotting ways to kill us.”
The thought sent a wave of chills across Axel’s exposed skin. “How is that even possible?”
“When I first examined the brain of someone infested, I noticed that while the majority of the being lived in the chest cavity, it had tentacles outstretched into the brain. Which makes sense because the brain controls the body. But it only manipulated parts of the brain such as motor function and sense of smell. If it were to evolve and figure out how to use more of the human brain then, well, that could mean a wide variety of things. They could develop eyesight. Or be able to manipulate the host’s intelligence, memory...the possibilities are endless.”
“Fuck,” Archer mumbled as he stood and stretched. “On that note, I’ll take the first watch. Not sure how anyone can sleep after that little bedtime story.”
Sloan frowned. “Of course, this is all circumstantial. I’m sure we’ll encounter more infested on our journey to Hollywood and learn more by observing any new behaviors.”
Archer leaned over and kissed Sloan on the top of the head. “That makes me feel a whole lot better, Slash.”
Crease lines formed between Sloan’s eyebrows. “Sarcasm?”
Britney shook her head. “Just a little, sis. I’m gonna try to sleep some. Wake me for the second shift.” Then, she added under her breath, “if the nightmares don’t wake me first.”
“I’ll stay up with Archer if you want to sleep, Sloan.” Exhaustion had hit Axel hard in the last few minutes, but he wanted to give Sloan the option of sleep first.
Sloan waved him off. “I’m not quite ready for sleep yet. Go to bed. Britney needs you.”
Not one to argue with the prospect of sleep, he joined Britney on the floor pallet made of blankets and wrapped his arms around her waist.
She snuggled into him, and the last thing he remembered was the sound of Angie snoring.
Chapter four
Sloan
After breakfast, Sloan went from person to person applying topical antibiotics and bandages to any wounds sustained the previous night. They all had been so exhausted that it hadn’t even crossed her mind to check if anyone was in need of medical attention.
“Damn, nearly two feet of snow fell last night.” Archer peered through a small crack in the boards nailed across the windows.
“Fresh snow is a good thing. We can collect some and boil it for water. I’m sure we’re running low.” Sloan patted Tyler on the leg. “All done. Nothing to concern yourself about. Just a couple of cuts and bruises.”
Tyler threw back his shoulders. “Doesn’t even hurt.”
“Good.” Sloan made her way to the bathroom and washed her hands in the sink of water they’d filled up. It wasn’t the most sanitary, but it was better than nothing.
“About this snow collection?” Sam asked when Sloan returned. “Are we sure it’s safe to go outside? I, for one, am still a little shaken up by last night. Doesn’t make me feel any better that we didn’t kill a single one of them.”
Axel tended to the fire. “Guess it depends on how much water we have.”
“Plus, we’re going to have to leave this cabin eventually.” Britney sat on the bed with the kids playing cards. Black circles hung heavy under her eyes. More than once, Sloan had heard her big sister cry while she slept.
“Eventually, being the operative word.” Sam chewed on his beef jerky. “I hate to press our luck.”
Angie walked by Sam and gave him a light tap on the back of the head. “Stop being such a pus—baby. You got a gun.”
Maria chuckled but said nothing.
Archer took a seat next to Sloan by the fire. He hadn’t slept much last night, either. “Maybe we wait to venture out until tomorrow?”
“As long as we have enough water.” Since the beginning of their trip, Sloan had been adamant about hydration. They could survive weeks without food but not without water.
“Everyone check their canteens,” Archer ordered. “Don’t want to go stressing out the doc.”
All did as they were asked; none looked too pleased.
Sloan let loose a heavy sigh. “Can I assume most of you are nearly out?”
“I have almost half,” Molly said with a grin. “And I’m not even that thirsty.”
That worried Sloan even more. Almost half meant she had not drunk enough the day before. “Be that as it may, we still need water. Not only to drink but for the toilet and sink as well.” They had figured out the plumbing was tied to a septic system. As long as they fed it water, they were able to flush away their waste. “And water to cook the rice and beans.”
“Rice and beans again?” Blake whined then instantly snapped his mouth shut when Britney shot him a pointed look.
Sloan didn’t care much for complaining, considering the times they lived in, but even she tired of the same meal three times a day. “Maybe we’ll find something new in the next town we come across.”
A hopeful smile spread across Blake’s face. “Can I go to the store with you? Please, Auntie Sloan. I know how to kill the infested.”
“No,” Britney snapped, silencing the small room. Her cheeks grew red, and she cleared her throat in a poor attempt to cover up her embarrassment. “Sorry, I just...you’re too yo
ung to go on a supply run just yet. Maybe in a couple of…” She swallowed hard. “Another time. Who’s going out to collect the snow? And what are we collecting it in?”
Sloan hadn’t missed the pain in her sister’s voice. Like most people, imagining a future proved difficult. “We don’t all need to venture out.”
“Me and Axel can keep watch,” Archer volunteered, “if you’re okay with that, brother?”
Axel grabbed his gun. “Absolutely. There are some old pots and pans underneath the stove. We can collect snow in those and the one we used to cook the food last night.”
The first thing they had done—the first thing they always did when arriving at a new place—was to conduct an inventory of all the items that could come in handy. The hunting cabin didn’t have much, but what it did contain proved useful.
“The pots would work nicely.” Sloan crossed the room to the corner kitchen. “Then we can boil the snow and divide it out between the canteens. Who volunteers to collect the snow?”
Molly raised her hand. “Can I build a snowman, too?”
Britney shook her head. “You’re not goin’ outside. We have no idea what happened to the infested that chased us last night. For all we know, they’re still out there.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” Sam grumbled. “Makes us all want to jump up and head outside.”
“No one has to go far.” Archer peered outside through a small crack in the window. “There’s snow all the way up to the door.”
Angie dug her gloves from her jacket pocket. “I’ll do it as long as you boys have your guns ready in case something decides to jump out from the bushes.”
“Thanks, Ang.” Axel gave her a weak smile.
Maria stood and glared at Sam. “I’ll help, too. The faster we collect the snow, the less of a chance of being attacked.”
The need to argue her point tickled Sloan’s tongue, but she remained quiet on the matter.
“Perfect.” Archer reached for the hammer and began ripping away boards. One by one, he tossed them to the ground before pausing.
The room remained quiet while he worked. Even the children sat still. No doubt, Angie’s words, though joking, stuck with everyone. The infested could smell their prey from a great distance. And after their encounter last night, Sloan feared, as she bet everyone else did, that they could still be in the area.
Archer pressed his ear against the door and listened for a moment.
Everyone else silently questioned his intent.
Axel took it upon himself to approach Archer but kept his voice hushed so no one else could hear. They conversed for a moment, and Axel’s eyes grew wide. He, along with Archer, both pressed their ears against the door.
Sloan bit back the words sitting on her tongue. She wouldn’t allow anxiety to get the best of her, but the others in the room didn’t handle the situation as well.
“What’s goin’ on?” Britney huddled in the center of the room with all three children wrapped in her arms.
Axel moved from the door and knelt down in front of the group. “There’s a noise outside. Some sort of scraping sound. A low growl.”
Sloan swallowed the lump in her throat. “What sort of scraping? Could it just be a wild animal scrounging for food?”
The shift in his eyes told Sloan his lack of description was meant to keep everyone calm. But she failed to understand the problem. The infested didn’t merely test their surroundings, they attacked without regard.
“We can’t be sure without opening the door.” Axel glanced over his shoulder. “Me and Archer both agree we should wait and see if the noises stop.”
Whether the noise stopped or not, it wouldn’t be long before they ran out of water. “And what if the noises don’t stop? Most of us will need water by the end of the day, if not sooner. Not to mention water to prepare the rice and beans.”
Archer’s eyes drifted back to the door. “I think we should give it a few hours and see where—”
A loud aggressive scratch at the back of the cabin cut him off.
“Wolves!” Sam paced the room. “A pack of hungry wolves could make that noise. Not the infested. This is not how they act. Wolves, on the other hand...” his words died off as he sunk back to the ground.
Sloan agreed the infested were more likely to attack first, but they’d seen a change in their behavior over the past few weeks. Last night, one stood there almost as if it were studying them and formulating a plan. “Speculating will get us nowhere. We need to figure out a way to confirm what’s outside so we can calculate the danger.”
“No way in hell am I opening this door.” Archer knelt in front of it and pressed his forehead against the wood near a crack. “Not until we know for sure.”
“What about a window?” Axel suggested as he, too, tried to peek through an open slot.
Archer kept his attention outside. “I don’t think—son of a bitch!” He jumped back clearly startled, his chest heaving with each breath. “It’s the infested. Fuck. It...it...it was looking at me.”
Sloan rose to her feet and joined Archer at the door. “What do you mean? They have no eyesight.”
Archer struggled to regain his breath as he pointed to the door. “That one...it’s eye...it was like it was trying to look in here.”
“Shit.” Axel grabbed the discarded boards Archer had tossed aside. “We need to board up the door again. This old wood, it wouldn’t take much for a single infested to knock the door down. And if there are more...”
Sloan didn’t disagree but also knew they couldn’t survive long without water. “If we’re unable to fetch snow, we need to persevere what little water we have left. As for food—”
Archer cut her off. “Slash, we’ll get to all of that in due time. But first, we need to keep the infested out or it won’t matter how much food and water we have left.”
“So, we’re just going to sit here?” Sam asked. “Like sitting ducks? If they break in, we’re screwed.”
Molly shrunk into Britney’s side. “Can they do that, Mommy? Can they get in?”
Britney glared at Sam. “Uncle Archer and Dad won’t let that happen, right?”
“Of course, we won’t.” Fear laced Axel’s voice, but Molly didn’t seem to notice. “We just need to stay in here awhile longer and keep quiet. The infested will forget we’re here and move on. Then, we can leave.”
Molly bobbled her head but didn’t respond.
Sloan feared they had bigger issues to worry about but kept that to herself. If Archer believed they should wait it out, then that’s what they would do.
Chapter five
Axel
For two days, they stayed locked in that small cabin. The lack of food and water had taken a toll on everyone. Exhausted, starved, and dehydrated, they wouldn’t last much longer without supplies. But the infested had proven relentless.
Each time the outside noises had quieted down, hope that they might be able to leave bubbled back to the surface. Then someone would peek outside and spot an infested lingering along the tree line, crushing the prospect.
In the three-plus years since the apocalypse started, Axel had never seen an infested act with such intent. He could wrap his head around mindless creatures, but a savage killing species that could plot its attack…that scared the shit out of him.
Weak, Axel struggled to stand, but he forced himself to his feet anyway. He was sick of waiting around to die. It had become clear that the infested weren’t giving up anytime soon. And neither should they. “We need a plan.”
Britney’s eyes fluttered open. “What are you talkin’ about? The infested are still out there. We don't have much of a choice but to wait ‘em out.”
“Wait them out?” Axel tried to keep calm, but his irritation got the best of him. “We’re going to be dead if we don’t get some damn water soon!”
Archer, who kept watch at the door, perked up. “Hey, we can’t think like that.”
How could they all still be so calm about this? Couldn’t
they see how bad their situation was? Maybe one person in their group could talk some sense into them. “Sloan? Tell them.”
Sloan pressed her dry, cracked lips together. “Axel’s right. Food, we can go a couple of weeks without, but not water. Considering most of us were probably dehydrated to begin with, I’d estimate we have no more than a day left.”
Okay, Axel hadn’t meant for her to be quite so brutal, but it seemed she got the point across. Everyone perked up, except the kids who were still asleep.
“What do you expect us to do?” Angie asked. “We don't know how many infested are out there.”
Sam rolled his neck. “Pretty sure I’d rather die from dehydration than be bitten and turned into one of those things.”
Axel, tired of Sam’s constant negative attitude, snapped. “Don’t worry. If you get bit, I’d gladly put a bullet in your chest.”
“Enough.” Archer moved beside Axel. “Arguing among ourselves will get us nowhere. I, for one, am not going to sit here wasting away. If we’re going to die, might as well go out fighting.”
“Agreed.” Axel patted Archer on the shoulder. “We know there are infested out there but not how many. Now, we’ve never seen more than a couple, maybe that’s all there are, maybe not. But there are seven of us, and we have the advantage. While they’re stuck in the open, we will use this house as a cover. That way, they won’t be able to sneak up on us from behind.”
“You want us to go outside?” Britney’s eyes fell on her children. “What about them? I’m not leavin’ them alone.”
Archer leaned against the wall and crossed his legs at the ankle. “Maria will stay inside with them.”
“No.” Britney’s face hardened. “They’re my kids, I’ll stay and protect them.”
Axel figured this would cause some tension. “Brit, we need you outside with a gun. You’re a better shot than Maria.”
“All the more reason for me to stay inside protectin’ my children!”
Maria lowered her head. “It’s true I’m not a great shot from far away, but I’ve killed my fair share of infested.”
