The Outbreak Series Boxed Set

by Thomas Baker

"I walked out into my living room and opened the patio door still in disbelief. I was trying to make sense of it all, trying to look for some evidence it could be true. I lived on the third floor and my balcony overlooked the parking lot. It was complete panic and chaos down below. People running from the buildings to their cars. People trying to get past each other causing a traffic jam in the lot."

  "I went back in and started to throw stuff together as quick as I could and got dressed. I went back out in the living room and watched the chaos below somemore. The sirens continued to wail as I reached for the TV remote."

  "The news anchor on the local channel looked shell-shocked as she kept repeating over and over. We urge you to stay in your homes. Lock your doors and windows. Secure your home however you can. You are safer staying indoors than trying to venture out. There have been several reports of civil unrest and people attacking one another. If you shouldencounter someone seeminglyinfected by this virus, run away and get somewhere safe. We will continue to stay on the air with you until the last minute we can. It was like walking into the last part of a movie with a twist ending. I had no clue what the hell was going on."

  "Now I am the guy with all the zombie movies and quite a few books yet I found myself somewhat shocked. This really couldn't be happening. It would be as weird as if you love science fiction and you just woke up to find aliens had landed in your city."

  "I decided waiting in my apartment was the best idea for the time being. Waiting to see if this was some type oftypical American over reacting situation."

  "I grabbed my softball bag with my three bats in it out of the closet, locked the deadbolt on my front door and sat down on my couch. About an hour or solater the tornado sirens stopped, and that's when I realize how many other sounds the sirens had been drowning out. Gunshots, cops, fire trucks, ambulances, screams, helicopters and not to mention what sounded like a million horns honking. It's prettydamn sad I had to hear gunshots to remind myself to grab my 9mm from under my bed. Good thing I did too, because shit really hit the fan soon after."

  JT rubbed his temples and then the lengthening scruff on his chin before taking a deep breath and continuing on.

  "I almost shit myself when, while rinsing out and filling up a milk jug with water, something crashed against my front door. I snuck around the corner, peeked out the peephole and saw nothing. I went to leave but looked a second time. The hall still looked empty. Then just as I turned to walk away, bam, it happened again. Probably scared me more the second time than it did the first time. All I could think about at that moment was all the scary movies I'd ever seen. I crept back towards the peephole when a third loud thud came against the bottom of the door...that's when I noticed it. Blood pooling in from the bottom of the door...Fuck me is all I could think."

  "I made sure I latched the chain and slowly open the door. It was a guy named Eddie, down on the ground. He was my buddy from downstairs, who I played PS3 online with all the time."

  "Help me bro," Eddie looked up and pleaded.

  "What happened to you?" I asked, feeling very nervous about where this could be going.

  "Some dude jumped me. Man, I'm in rough shape, bro."

  "Did he bite you?"

  "Yeah man, all over. Dude was cracked out or something." Eddie coughed.

  "Hold on, buddy."

  "As I looked down, I began that debate with myself. The one I'd always told myself I wouldn't have. If someone's bit in an apocalypse, they're shark bait. What I hadn't thought of was the fact I could dopeople a favor by killing them. Before they turned into something that wanted to eat my face off."

  "Wait... Did you kill him?" Tyrone asked.

  "No. I didn't. I wish I had." JT looked down for a moment before continuing. "Now I wonder every day what happened to him. I had the chance to put him out of his misery."

  "What did you do then?" Tyrone said, sounding anxious.

  "I'm getting there, kid," JT shot Tyrone a smile. Out of the corner of his eye, JT caught Hannah giving him a slight smile. Maybe there is a chancefor something good to happenafter all. JT thought before he continued.

  "I unchained the door and opened it. Eddie came crawling in on his hands and knees like a dog worn out from playing fetch. He had bite marks all over him and his shirt was torn to pieces. He pulled himself up with the help of the wall and closet door."

  "I told him we needed to get him into the bathroom and clean him up so we headed that way. I was very wary about touching him. That's when I decided what I would do. As soon as he got into the bathroom he sat down on the toilet in clear agony. He kept yelling about how it burned. I handed him some peroxide and told him to start wiping himself down, knowing it wouldn't matter. Apparently all those hours of killing zombies on Call of Duty did nothing to help Eddie realize what was happening. I went to the kitchen, grabbed the mostly full bottle of Honey Whiskey I had, and went back to the bathroom."

  "In that short period oftime Eddie seemed to have fallen into some state of shock. He sat staring down at the bloody towel he was clenching in his hand...or maybe he had finally realized what was happening. He looked up at me with an almost depressed stare. Like the light was fading from his eyes."

  "I remember asking him if he was good, he barely nodded his head yes. I twisted the cap off the bottle and sat it on the sink beside him. He just kept nodding his head yes without saying a word. I backed out of the bathroom and closed the door. As I did, I saw him grab the bottle, but he never said a word."

  "I locked the door as I was leaving, hoping that when he turned, he wouldn't be able to figure his way out. I knew my apartment was no longer safe. I went back in the living room, grabbed my bags, tucked my gun in my waist, and then grabbed my car keys, water, and for some reasonmy wallet from the kitchen counter. Habit I guess."

  "As I headed out the front door I kicked something. I looked down and saw Eddie's keys. I figured well, Eddie wouldn't want his four-month-old Navigator going to waste, it was much nicer than my Malibu. So I grabbed his keys and headed for the stairs. As I reached the landing of Eddie's floor it caught me off guard. Standing right outside the open door to Eddie's apartment was this gigantic naked zombie dude. I mean this guy was a good six foot six and a solid three hundred pounds. My guess was he must not have had too many complaints in the bedroom department either..."

  The whole group chuckled at JT

  Gus was laughing the loudest of them all. "Speaking of units. There was this guy I used to work on an oil rig with, last name was Droste. And that guy could use his schlong as a nine iron! I remember one night we were all out on the town drinking and trying to get some tail when all of a sudden some little gal came a runnin and a screaming from the bathroom. I guess ole Drostes python was more than she was bargaining for cuz that fella came running out behind her and begging her to come back in...hahaha I wonder what ever happened to good ole Droste and his pink submarine."

  The whole group kept laughing. Tears were coming out of JT's eyes. Whew it hurts, but it feels good too. He willed himself to get back under control.

  "Anyway," Gus continued, "didn't mean to interrupt. What happened between you and your new boyfriend there JT?"

  JT seized his opportunity to chug back some water before he went on.

  "Well, I froze for a few seconds wondering if he could even see me. It's like he was staring right through me. I sat the jug of water down I was carrying and reached for a bat. The second I did he charged me, and he charged me a hell of a lot faster than I was expecting him to. Before I knew it, we were falling down the stairs together. We rolled as we reached the bottom. He started snapping at me. It was like being attacked by an angry bear. Luckily I was able to use his size to my advantage and roll him over and off of me."

  "I was trying to get to my feet when I saw him coming again. I grabbed my bags and ducked as his weight carried him over me but hegot ahold of my shirt. I quickly spun around a light pole and brokehis grasp. I made a run for Eddie's Navigator. I fumbled with the keys in my pocket, tr
ying to find his but I kept pulling out mine. Doing this I somehow set off the panic button on my piece of shit car. As luck would have, the sudden noise drew his attention towards the parking lot. I hauled ass down the sidewalk a few more feet to the car ports where Eddie rented a spot for his ride."

  "I decided I would take him out. Partially just to see what it would take, partially to make sure he attacked no one else. I threw my bags in the back of the Navigator. I unzipped my softball bag, pulled out one of my bats, and got into a ready position. I crossed back to where my car was still honking away. I came up on him as he was wandering around my car, seeminglyconfused by the noise. With one smooth swing I connected perfectly with his jawline, sending teeth flyingthrough the air. The broken bits fell to the ground like little hail stones. The hit knocked him back but didn't seem to really faze him. As he looked back in my direction I swung again, this time bringing the bat down right on top of his head with a wet thud. I felt his skull give way as he sunk to his knees. And then it was time for the final swing."

  "I stepped into it like I was swinging for the fences. CRACK! There was an almost sickening thud as the bat connected for the third time directly into his face. He just kind of knelt on the pavement, not moving at all, and then slowly fell forward."

  "What's sad, if I am going to be honest, is I stood there for a moment almost enjoying it too much." JT shook his head at himself. "Anyway, I dropped the gore-covered bat to the ground. It had a crack running down the side of it now. I made my way back to Eddie's Navigator. Climbing in I realized I'd left my water jug behind when porn star zombie tried to audition me. But I opted not to go back for it. My noisy car was attracting more unwanted attention."

  "I clicked the safety off my gun and sat it in the passenger seat. As I looked forward out the windshield, I saw a female zombie in a bikini and laughed at myself. I realized in all the zombie movies I had watched, I had never seen a naked zombie or a bikini-clad one. I laughed even louder as I started the car and from the iPod hooked up to Eddie's stereo I heard...and this is the best part and it's one hundred percent truthful. What's in your head? What's in your head? Zombie. Zombie. Zombie eheheh."

  The ones who knew the song laughed hard.

  "Yeah right. You're just messing with us now," Tyrone said.

  "I swear on whatever you would like me to and a stack of Bibles. That's what happened, for reals," JT concluded.

  "That must have been some reallyintense shit," Thomas said.

  "Shucks, if you knew my ex-wife, that sounded less intense than every day since I married her," Gus chuckled. "What about you Thomas, how did you get here? That's a story this old man is curious to hear. Especially if it involves our kooky camp leader Harold."

  "Shoot, it wasn't much different from what you guys have been talkin about. I am or was a truck driver, however the hell you're supposed to put it now. I happened to be home, off the road, in my little crackerjack apartment when it all went down."

  "I woke up that morning with a two alarm hangover. The night before I had went to the honky-tonk hoping to go home with some tail. The only thing I went home with was a pounding headache."

  "I was rooting through my bathroom cabinets for something to help, when an explosion rocked my building. I looked through the tiny bathroom window and saw smoke just billowing down the road. I thought thatit might have been one of the old grain elevators in town that went up."

  "Then I looked to the right, towards the parking lot. That's when I saw someone with a pistol shooting at several other people. One of them a kid, he couldn't have been no older than nine."

  "I grabbed my cell and called 911. It was busy. At first I didn't even think about how that isn't supposed to happen. I just hung up and tried again. I quit after about the fifth try."

  "I just sat down on my couch, as the sounds of gunfire and explosions continued outside. I wasn't home enough to have a TV, so I switched my radio on. The Emergency Alert System was playing on every channel on the dial. Once in a while a newscaster would get on. They talked about all the things you brought up. The Outbreak. Staying away from anyone who looks infected. Then people attacking and biting other people. Those who had been dead were getting back up and attacking others. In a weird way it reminded me of the old radio program that people believed was real. You know, the one you have heard about where the people listening thought it was a real alien invasion."

  "Anyway, I just kept sitting there, listening. I guess I had become numb or something. I finally got up to get something to eat and noticed it was getting dark outside. It seemed to have gotten quieter too. I grabbed my keys to my semi, my hat, and decided I would go out. Stupidest decision of my life, and I have made some doozies."

  "I drove my semi down the most congested streets I have ever seen. If I would have had a trailer attached, I probably wouldn't be here, tellin you my story. I had gone only about ten miles in thirty minutes. People were running around like headless chickens. It was pandemonium, with wrecks everywhere. The entrance ramp to the highway was jammed. I sat, stuck in the middle of the road, wondering why I had left my apartment. Then I looked in my mirrors and started to panic. An army of those zombies were coming up behind me. Of course at the time I didn't know what the hell they were. They looked like ants, taking over a picnic, the way they covered everything, and everyone. As soon as I saw how they were tearing the living people apart, chowing on their guts like a fat kid diving into his birthday cake, I was getting out of thereone way or another. I floored it, ramming cars and running over anyone who got in my way. I was beyond caring at that point. It was pure luck I made it out of the city. I...I don't think I want to talk about it any more. Man, I wish I had a beer or three right about now."

  Thomas fiddled with his trucker cap and then rubbed his hands together in front of the fire. He kept thinking about continuing on, maybe even warning how Harold might have a few screws loose. He didn't though, in fear of what Harold might do if he heard. He had a good thing going here. Besides, if Harold was a nutter, one of them would figure it out. Then they all could deal with it together. He was only one man.

  Once Thomas finished speaking, silence fell over the group. Hannah could hear the sounds of the living forest all around them. Something howled off in the distance. It made her think about how many things had changed in the last few weeks. She was about to say how maybe they should call it a night when Gus spoke up.

  "We haven't heard from the ladies yet. How about you Ashley? We're out here mostly because of you. What do you want to share darlin'?"

  "You know what. I guess this was a bad ideaafter all. This isn't what I had in mind. I thought...it would be more fun. Maybe Dusty was right," Ashley said. She pulled her good leg up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her knee.

  "I usually am cheerleader." Dusty's smile was smug.

  "Hot damn, we can go back to my original idea then. Who wants to start singing row, row..." Gus kidded.

  "I don't want to talk about what happened," Ashley interrupted. She was almost in tears. "None of this was supposed to happen. I had my life planned out. I had just started college. I was on a great cheerleading squad. I was going to-."

  "Ashley you don't have to..." Hannah started. Her eyes got watery with the pain her friend was going through.

  Ashley glared at Hannah, then at the rest, before going on.

  "No, I'm tired of all of this. I'm so angry, and when I'm not angry, I'm frightened. I was going to have the things I never had growing up. I was going to live in a nice house, drive a nice car, and have nice things. Anyone who'd mocked and ridiculed me before, were going to envy me and my life."

  As Ashley talked, she went faster and faster. She was almost breathless by the time everything spilled out.

  "Now look at me. This fucking life I'm living now. When that time of the month comes I have to hunt through trashed stores, hoping that no one else has stolen all the fucking tampons yet. I get hurt, do I get to go to a doctor? No, I have to have hillbilly JimBob trying to fix m
e up. I sure as hell didn't plan on dealing with the fact I could die just about any day. Eaten by something as ridiculous as zombies. Or thatI'd be stuck with a group of assholes like all of you."

  At this point Ashley was so upset they could hardly understand her. Her breath was catching and hitching at this point. Hannah knew this little rant was out of fear. She'd let Ashley get it out of her system, then go to her later. Once the terror and frustration were worked out, Hannah knew Ashley would sob in her arms. It would be a long night.

  "I'm just done with it!" Ashley got up and half stomped, half stumbled off, back into the cabin.

  "Civilians," Dusty sighed as he leapt up. "Thank God this little bonfire is over with. I'm ready to hit the sack."

  Hannah could feel how awkward it had gotten when just about everyone got up and left without a word. Only herself, JT, and Gus remained.

  "Gus, what do you think is wrong with Dusty?" JT asked. "Do you think he has to work hard at being such an asshat, or is it his natural talent?"

  "Maybe his mommy didn't give him enough titty when he was a baby," Gus joked, and then he got serious.

  "You know I was stuck fighting for my life with Sergeant Pepper for a while before meeting up with you. Since you are asking, I have a theory I pieced together from things he's let slip. I think he went AWOL when the world went to hell. Maybe he feels guilty about it. There's such a thing as survivor's guilt ya know? He may talk like Mr. Tough Guy, but look at the way he acts. He's saved my old behind more than once. Everyone stayinghere he's protectedat one time or another. I think when it comes down to it, he'd put his life on the line for any of us. Even you JT."

  Hannah nodded, thinking about her first meeting with Dusty. Sticking a gun in her face was the surely getting off on the wrong foot. His attitude and the way he talked sometimes pissed her off but Gus had a point.

  JT poked the fire with a stick. "Yeah, but does he have to be such a whiny bitch? I try holding my temper, but that guy just rubs me raw."