by Edward Crae
It was an interesting group.
“So you have guns?” Lena asked.
Dan sipped his coffee again. “Yeah. Quite a few. Do you know how to use one?”
Lena shook her head. “No,” she said. “But I can learn. I need to protect my son, and myself.”
“I hope I can change that attitude,” Dan said. “I mean, since you’re a group, you have to protect each other.”
Lena nodded. “Yeah.”
“It’s not always easy to look out for everyone else,” Travis said. “Especially when there is someone nobody trusts, and who trusts no one else.”
“Goddamnit!” Drew cursed from the Hummer.
Dan stood, going over to him. Travis followed.
“Fucking shit,” Drew said, throwing things around in the back seat.
“What’s wrong?” Dan asked.
“The fucking drugs are all gone,” Drew cursed. “I needed a speeder, but they’re all gone.”
Travis sighed, turning his head toward Melanie’s office building. “I figured this would happen.”
Dan’s anger swelled. Nobody fucking takes their shit. He balled his fists, stomping his way to her door. He banged on it as hard as he could, continuously. After a minute or so, she tore the door open, her eyes blazing, and her brow turned down like an angry hag.
“What!?” she snorted.
Dan pushed her out of the way, shoving the door and storming past her. She grabbed his arm, and the dog growled and barked. Dan kicked it out of the way, twisting his arm to break loose of Melanie’s grip. He then grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her against the door.
“Don’t fucking touch me!” she hissed.
He grabbed her throat, slamming her against the door. “Where the fuck is our medicine stash?” he asked, calmly.
She tore loose, smacking his hands out of the way. “I will keep all the medicine,” she proclaimed. “And I want all of your guns locked away in here, too. This is my group, not yours. I make the rules. If you don’t like it, then get out.”
Dan narrowed his eyes, slowly leaning in closer. “I asked you a question,” he whispered. “Where. The. Fuck. Is. Our. Shit.”
“Melanie,” Travis reasoned, “we need the medicine accessible. Just in case someone needs it. I am the doctor, not you.”
She turned to him with an insulted look. “I will dispense it,” she said. “I was a pharmacist.”
“You were a pharmacy tech,” Travis said. “You filled bottles. It doesn’t give you the knowledge or authority to control the meds. They belong to Dan and Drew, but they were nice enough to make them available when they are needed.”
Melanie scoffed. “They probably stole them, just like everything else.”
“Look, bitch,” Dan said. “Give me the fucking case back. Now.”
“Everything is stolen nowadays,” Travis reminded her. “Just give them back.”
“I don’t want people popping pills all the time,” she said.
“Nobody’s popping pills,” Travis said. “And if they did, who cares?”
She stared at him for a moment, her breathing becoming heavier and angrier, but she relented.
“Fine,” she said, turning and disappearing into the main area.
Dan shot Travis a quick look. The man folded his arms across his chest, shaking his head.
Melanie returned shortly, dangling the case from its strap. She tossed it at him angrily. “There’s your fucking drugs, asshole.”
Dan glared at her. She turned and stomped away slamming the door behind her, leaving them in the foyer. Drew snorted, walking away.
“As soon as you’re ready to go,” Melanie shouted from behind the door, “I want you both out of here.”
“Go fuck yourself,” Dan said, walking out.
“What a cunt,” Drew said, he and Travis following Dan back to the fire.
“What was that about?” Eric asked.
Travis shook his head. “The usual,” he said. “Come on, Dan. Let’s see what you got and we’ll decide what else we need.”
Toby ran over to Dan, looking up at him with hopeful eyes. “Will you stay here with us?” he asked. “We need more people to fight the monsters.”
Dan chuckled, ruffling his hair. “We’ll see,” he said.
He gave Lena a quick look. She was smiling at Toby. “We’ll see.”
“You have a lot of controlled substances,” Travis said. “But I guess nobody’s really controlling them anymore.”
Dan smiled. “Just me, I guess.”
They sat in Travis’ shed. It was large, clean, and sported Travis’ bed on one side, and his medical instruments on the other.
“Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Tramadol, Adderall. Jesus, you got a fucking cartel stash here.”
“Something for everybody.”
“You don’t have many antibiotics, though,” Travis said. “We need some of those. You never know when someone’s gonna get an infection.”
“Speaking of infections,” Dan began, “what do you know about this shit?”
Travis shook his head. “Not much,” he said. “The last I heard was something about a virus. It did different things do different lifeforms, depending on their physiology. I’m not sure what to make of it.”
“Well, we met a preacher who mentioned that he thought the dead themselves were coming back to life.”
Travis laughed. “We both know that’s not possible,” he said. “But there is something to it. Obviously, the dead people weren’t really dead. Whatever the infection is just made them look dead—most of them anyway. It must have been lying dormant for all these months and then now came awake again.”
“We ran across a horde of rotters on the highway,” Dan mentioned. “They weren’t the usual infected. No mold, no growths, or mutations. They were just decomposed.”
“What else have you seen out there?”
“Things,” Dan said. “Monsters. Animals. Even weirder shit.”
He didn’t mention the shadow people, nor the Robert creature for that matter. It was just too bizarre of a story, all of it.
“I saw something new the other day,” Travis said. “It was standing off in the distance. It was just pale, thin, and doing nothing but standing there. I’m not sure what it was.”
Dan nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “We saw one of those last night. I’ve never seen one before, either.”
Travis produced a small pipe from his desk. He held it up as if to offer Dan a pull from it. Dan shook his head. Instead, he lit a cigarette.
“That shit’ll kill ya,” Travis said, lighting up the bowl and taking a big hit, then choked out the words, “This is the stuff.”
“Drew has plenty of that, too,” Dan said.
Travis blew out the smoke. It was pungent and pleasant, but not Dan’s style.
“It’s what the doctor ordered,” Travis joked. “Been smoking it since I was fifteen.”
“What’s Eric’s story?” Dan wondered.
Travis shrugged. “He’s always been a good kid,” Travis said. “But he’s quiet. His wife left him a few years ago, and he’s been even quieter ever since.”
“Why did she leave?”
Travis set his pipe down on the desk. “Complete lack of drama, probably. Eric’s too submissive. He’s too easily controlled by aggressive women.”
“Aren’t we all?” Dan joked… not really joking.
Travis slid Dan the bottle of Adderall. “We don’t really need this, I don’t think,” he said. “But what kind of guns do you have?”
“Just about everything,” Dan replied. “What do you like?”
“Well,” Travis began, “what we need is to go hunting. All we have are small arms, really. Nothing big enough to take down anything larger than a coon. It’s been a while since we’ve had any meat that doesn’t come out of a can.”
“There are a few good bolt-action rifles in the Hummer,” Dan said, pocketing the Adderall. “Drew and I can go hunting today. I’m pretty good with a snipe
r rifle.”
“I’d use something a little quieter around here, just so you don’t attract any unwanted attention. Take Eric. He doesn’t like guns, but don’t let him fool you. He can shoot. I haven’t seen many deer. But if you can bag one, I’ll clean it. I’ll even share the backstraps with you.” He grinned widely.
Dan liked Travis.
“So what kind of shit were you into?” Drew asked Max as the two of them sorted through the Hummer’s stash.
“Mostly the darker comic books,” Max replied. “Spawn, The Punisher, Hellraiser; basically anything featuring large amounts of violence and breasts.”
Drew chuckled. “Titties and gore,” he said. “That’s my style. Any video games?”
“Of course,” Max said, as if it were a stupid question. “Grand Theft Auto—San Andreas, Vice City, and the big number five, Silent Hill, Call of Duty, Battlefield; basically anything with violence or breasts.”
Drew burst out laughing. Max seemed like a pretty cool guy. He could see himself hanging out with him in the real world, despite the fact that he was a little less social and a lot more awkward than most of his friends.
“Well,” Drew said. “We can supply the violence you crave. But as far as the breasts, you’re on your own there.”
Max smiled, somewhat. “I’ve seen a few,” he said. “Not any spectacularly large and bouncy ones, mind you, but breasts nonetheless.”
“I prefer the small, perky ones.”
Max nodded, sticking out his bottom lip. “I think I would prefer those as well. All the ones I’ve seen were akin to an elephant’s scotum. Not my proverbial cup of tea.”
Drew found what he was looking for; an MP5, a nice and medium-sized 9mm shit spewer that Max would probably enjoy using. He pulled it out of the pile, holding it up for Max to see.
“Ah,” Max said, wide-eyed. “Heckler and Koch MP5 9mm with retractable stock and early handguard. That’s some fine German engineering right there. I see it has a nice suppressor on it, too.”
Drew almost shit his pants, then realized anyone who frequently killed his online friends in military deathmatches was likely to recognize just about anything you put in front of him. He handed the gun to Max, searching in the pack for a magazine. There were four, all of them full. He gave one to Max.
“I’ve never actually fired a real weapon like this,” Max said. “But I’m sure I could get used to it.”
Max took the magazine, slapping it into the gun and pulling back the charging handle. It made a satisfying metallic clank. Max smiled crookedly.
“I am highly anxious to fire this bad boy,” he said.
“Save it for the baddies,” Drew said. “We’ll probably have to go on a run soon, so you can go with us. Maybe you can get some practice.”
“Oh,” Max said, stammering. “I’m afraid I’m no good in a fight. I am not the gung-ho personality type in real life, much to the contrary of my online persona.”
“You’ll be alright,” Drew said.
“I do have a small list of items that I need to get a few things working around here,” Max said.
“What are you working on?”
“That cell tower in the distance only requires a small power source to broadcast; about 5000 watts at the most. With a few high-powered generators, I should be able to get it up and working. Then perhaps we could try and use a cell phone or a laptop to communicate with the outside world.”
“We should be able to get a few out there,” Drew said. “There was a Rural King in Columbus, from what I remember. Other places to along the main drag before you get into town.”
Max nodded. “That’s assuming you go north to 46 and then east into town.”
“Right,” Drew said. “That’s probably the best idea anyway.”
“What was the primary purpose for going out?”
“Travis wants some antibiotics,” Drew said. “Cold season and all. Plus, you never know when you’ll need them.”
Max nodded. “Alright then,” he said. “I suppose I could muster the courage to tag along. Just don’t expect any Rambo shit.”
Chapter Ten
Dan and Eric crept through the underbrush in the nearby forest. Having hunted before, Eric led the way, watching the forest floor for signs of passing deer. They had found nothing so far, but Dan was confident that the big man could lead them to dinner.
The cold was biting, just enough to make Dan’s teeth chatter and sting his fingers. Eric seemed to shrug off the cold like a polar bear, which wasn’t surprising considering he was just about the same size. Dan watched him intently. Despite the big man’s silence, his focus while out here on the trail was impressive.
“You don’t like violence, but you’ve hunted before?” he asked.
Eric nodded. “Killing for food is a little different,” he replied. “I just dislike killing people. I don’t know if I could do it, even if my life depended on it.”
“How many infected have you killed?” Dan asked.
“A few. Not many.”
Dan looked down at the M4A1 he carried. It was not quite ideal for deer hunting as it was only 5.56, but it was the only thing they had with enough range and a suppressor. The sniper rifles were way too loud, and there was no telling what was wandering out here in the scrub. Eric carried the other M4A1, and was apparently familiar with its workings. But then, semi-autos were semi-autos.
Pretty much, anyway.
“Have you ever hunted with one of these?” Dan asked.
Eric smiled, holding up his rifle. “No,” he said. “I wouldn’t hunt anything bigger than a badger with an AR. But I guess it’s all we got.”
“We have bigger things,” Dan said. “Maybe Drew and Max can find some suppressors for the bigger rifles.”
“I don’t know of anywhere they could find any,” Eric said, squatting down near a fallen tree. “But I bet Max could figure something out.”
“He’s a smart guy, huh?”
Eric grinned. “Yeah.”
He ran his fingers across a small divot in the trunk in front of him. “Looks like something stepped on this recently,” he said. “We may have something soon.”
A snap caught their attention. Dan crouched, readying his rifle. Eric was poised, looking off in the distance. The snapping became louder, and Eric raised his rifle. Dan did the same, sweeping back and forth to find a target.
“I don’t see anything,” he whispered.
Eric shook his head. “Me neither.”
A moan sounded, and Eric looked back at him with a disappointed look. “Just a rotter,” he said.
Dan stood, looking down the ravine ahead. Below, a single infected was stumbling around, having a difficult time negotiating a maze of falling trees. He aimed for its head, putting a round through it without a second thought.
“That was disappointing,” he said.
Eric nodded. “If there were any deer,” he said, “that stupid thing probably scared them off.”
“I wanna check it out,” Dan said.
“Why?”
Dan began walking toward it. “I just wanna see if it’s a shuffler or something different.”
He heard Eric fall in step behind him as he went down into the gully. The thing had been trapped between a bunch of fallen trees, and wasn’t smart enough to go out the same way it came in—or step over one of them, for that matter. Dan found it somewhat amusing.
As he reached the body, he realized that his fears were true. This was not a shuffler. There were no tell-tale signs of fungus, just standard rot. The thing’s skin was brownish, leathery, and shiny in places. Its left cheek was missing, exposing the teeth on that side, and the thing’s eyes were without lids for the most part. The key thing, however, was the smell.
No fungal smell, just rotting flesh.
“Looks like it’s been dead for a while,” Dan said. “Probably since the beginning.”
Eric was quiet. Dan could sense his fear, and even a little bit of his revulsion. The big guy was not the perso
n one would think he was upon first inspection. Though large, tough, and seemingly impervious to emotions, Eric was just a big softie. Without his dad, Dan guessed, Eric would not have survived. He would likely be unable to kill if need be. Maybe a rotter, or a shuffler, but not another man.
And from Dan and Drew’s experience, other men were often more dangerous than the creatures.
“There’s another one,” Eric said, looking off to Dan’s left.
Dan eyed the creature. It was female, with a filthy pair of jeans and a blue shirt that was bloodied and torn. Her dirty blond hair flapped against her face as she stumbled along toward them. Dan stood, raising his rifle to finish her off, but then paused.
“Your turn,” he said.
Eric gave him a pleading look, but Dan stepped back. “Go on,” he said.
Hesitantly, Eric raised his rifle. He sighted the creature in, his bottom lip quivering. Dan silently encouraged him. After what seemed like minutes, the man fired, dropping the rotter with a splattering headshot. Eric lowered the rifle, looking down at the ground with a guilty expression.
“Nice shot,” Dan said.
“Jesus,” Eric whispered. “That woman…”
“That wasn’t a woman,” Dan said. “Not anymore.”
Cliff scanned the surrounding hills through the scope of his new rifle. He had picked an M4A1 with a thermal scope. It was much like the one he had used in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and for that reason it gave him a little comfort.
From atop the makeshift observation tower—which was nothing more than some scaffolding—he diligently watched for any stragglers, hoping that none of the massive horde had torn away and come in this direction. However, being a crack shot, anything wandering in his vision would be doomed.
He could see Dan and Eric in the distance, their heat signatures visible through the scope even in daylight. They were heading in a southern direction, slowly stalking among the trees for deer or whatever else they could find. They stopped once, he noticed, and stayed in one place for a minute. He guessed that they had run across something interesting—or something rotting.
