Surviving The Aftermath (Book 1): The Dead Linger

by Roberts, Liz

  “Ok. Ok. I just… . please bring him back.” She said very softly.

  Kurt and Oscar are off by themselves saying their own goodbyes.

  “I don’t understand why you won’t let me go. Casey is going and so is Jill.”

  “I understand, but we need someone here to run things.” Oscar was trying to sooth Kurt.

  “That’s stupid, you know how many times I’ve been out there? And with you might I add.”

  “I know, just this one time stay here, please.” Kurt was not happy about this.

  “Fine, but I want to go on record that I don’t like this one bit. And if you don’t come back, so help me God … .” Kurt trailed off. Oscar kissed him and turned to see Jill grinning.

  “What?” Oscar asked her as he walked over.

  “Nothing. Just enjoying the show.” The radio had been silent since the original call, they assumed the walls of the hospital were preventing anything from going out or in. Oscar, Jill, Casey and Mike loaded up into another SUV. They had guns, some food and water and even a little bit of explosive packed up in the back. They were off. A hand drawn map and some names of the streets that the hospital was on was all they had to get them there. They drove for 45 mins with the occasional chatter, mostly just the nervous kind. Jill held her tongue when they stopped in front of the hospital, all the chaos and carnage that sat outside was daunting.

  “Look, there’s the bus and the SUV.” Casey pointed and drove in to park next to them. All occupants of both vehicles were nowhere to be found. They tried the radio again.

  “Should be go in and split up?” Mike asked

  “No, we have to be smart. Obviously there’s hostile’s in there, we have no idea where Alpha and Bravo are in the building. We have to try and stay together, otherwise we’ll end up like them.”

  “Maybe we can get their attention and let them know were here. Then they could let us know where they are.” Casey said.

  “How do the hell do we do that?” Mike asked.

  “The PA system.” Jill said. They made their way in like the teams before them, the ambulance bay. They spotted the front desk and immediately searched for a PA.

  “Found it! I get to speak.” Jill quickly snatched the microphone like apparatus.

  “Attention shoppers, the mall will be closing early tonight. Please make your way to the exits at this time, or if are lost in store please find someone at guest relations and they can assist you.” The other guys were chuckling for a second and then all was quiet.

  “FYI we’re at the emergency room entrance for anyone who cares.” She said again over the speaker, still nothing. Then faint machine gun fire had everyone turning in its direction.

  “Oscar why don’t you and Mike do a sweep around the building, maybe they are stuck on a different floor or something and we can see them from outside.” Casey asked.

  “Yeah sure.” The two men left with a hustle in there step. Jill again made another announcement.

  “If anyone wishing to leave by a window, we’ve sent people out to look for you, please feel free to bust out a window or get some sort of SOS out to us.” A loud noise of feet could be heard from the direction of the gun fire. Jill and Casey hid bracing themselves for whatever it was.

  A whispered, “Jill?” Came from across the room and she peaked up to see. “We heard you.” It was the bus team. Casey and Jill stood, exchanged handshakes good to see you.

  “Was that you guys shooting?”

  “Yeah we found a room full of those things. Best guess is our boys were in the room and crawled up through the vent. These guys could be anywhere now.”

  “This place is way too big for us to search it all. We just sent Oscar and Mike to check outside for any signs of life.”

  “Shit man, where could those guys be, you would think they would have come right here.” One of the others said. Mike and Oscar jogged back in.

  “We found nothing, we went around twice.” Again Jill made another announcement.

  “Ok guys, were seriously getting ready to leave, you have to come out or let us know your alive.” Jill was getting worried.

  “Keep moving.”

  “I am, stop pushing me.”

  “Well get your ass out of my face.”

  “Would you two shut the hell up.” Joan was clearly sick of the bickering between man #1 & 2.

  “John do you have any idea where were going?” Jack asked.

  “No, but we are bound to crawl over another room, we’ll drop down there and head for the door.” That’s when they heard Jill. “Attention shoppers, the mall will be closing early tonight. Please make your way to the exits at this time, or if are lost in store please find someone at guest relations and they can assist you.”

  “Shit, they’re here lets go.”

  “Who are they?”

  “The rest of our people, here to save us, crawl faster.” The train continued on and they came to a fork in the road.

  “This has to be that hallway by the operating room areas.” Jack said.

  “I’m so turned around, how did you even guess that?”

  “It’s just a hunch, no clue though.” Another announcement came over the PA system about busting out a window if needed.

  “Come on guys we have to find a way down to let them know were still here.” John said. Everyone was crawling faster now, they hadn’t crawled over a vent in 25yds. The cramped space made it hard to really get any speed going. Another 20ft was all they made it when another announcement. A sense of urgency went through the whole group. They tried to crawl faster getting a rhythm going.

  “There’s a vent up ahead!” John called. Hustling he got to and peered down. Zeds were walking all around.

  “Shit what room is this?” The zombies had noticed them yet.

  “Were lost aren’t we.” Jack said defeated. John wrangled up to the vent pushed the cover off, attracting the attention of every zombie in the room and stuck his head out of the opening. He saw 2 doors on each side of the room. It looked like a waiting area with chairs and TV’s.

  “We’re here! We’re in here!” John started shouting in all directions because he was so turned around he didn’t know which way was front. The noise was getting louder with the zombies all riled up, he didn’t think anyone would hear them either. They just had to keep going until the hit a safe area.

  “Did you guys hear that?” Oscar asked

  “Yeah it sounded like someone shouting.” Jill answered. The direction it came from was another matter. The team decided to go down the hall from where the zombies were last seen. They wandered through the triage area, coming to a T-section hallway. They agreed to split up, reach the end of that hall way and then meet back here. Casey and Jill went right, Oscar and Mike went to the left. With light steps they continued to walk the hall, stopping once in a while to listen to the noise that was now constant.

  “That’s them, zombies. It sounds like a lot of them too.” Jill said.

  “I know it seems to be getting louder too. We should get the others and have them come with us.” They rushed back down the hall and found Oscar and Mike and hurried back to where they were. Coming across another hallway, they continued to follow the noise, it was getting much louder.

  “Were in here! Help!” They heard several shouts.

  “That’s them.” They came across a heavy double wood door that was taped shut with duct tape, they looked through and could see John’s head hanging down and hear his shouts. Now how to get his attention without getting everyone killed.

  Oscar started banging on the door, shouting at John. They made eye contact. Oscar was miming to John to keep going and in what direction.

  “Jill if we can get them to crawl another 30ft or so, they’ll be in the hallway around the corner. Take Mike and go bang on the ceiling over there to let them know where to go too. Maybe we can get them out there too.” Both ran down the hall, the zombies were now split, congregated under the hole in the ceiling and by the door. They were pushin
g on the door and the tape was holding so far.

  “Keep going forward!” Oscar and Casey were shouting at John, he nodded and was back up. They raced around to find Jill sitting on Mike’s shoulder ripping ceiling tile down to expose the ventilation system above.

  They were trying to figure out where the next outlet would be when the vent started to shake and the brackets began to give way. Jill and Mike tumbled out of the way as the whole thing collapsed, bringing down an upper section of the wall too. The weight of the people and with no ceiling as the extra support, the integrity of the vent must have given out. John and Jack slid out with another woman following.

  “So glad you guys waited.” John said rising. Jack and the stranger stood and dusted themselves off.

  “Help! Help!” More voices from inside could be heard.

  “Those are my friends! We have to help them!” The woman said with panic. The vent had not only collapsed forward but backwards, taking a section of the wall and punching a hole in the vent causing the 2 men to be exposed to the horrors back in the room. Jill tried to crawl back up into the vent using her rubber soled boots to help grip the slippery sides of the vent, Oscar ran around to the taped up doors.

  “Hurry, the one is hanging on!” Oscar shouted. Jill got to the top and could see the upper half of the man clawing at the insides of the vent.

  “Help, please help me!” He said each word as he reached out for her frantically.

  “Grab my hand!” Jill stretched out as he slid farther down into the hole. His jerky body movements to keep his legs out of reach from the zombies were pulling him farther down until Jill was hovering over the hole.

  “Stop! Stop!” She screamed, trying to brace her feet to hold her. She stretched her left arm across the vent opening bracing herself that way. Her right arm was being pulled by all 200 plus lbs. of the man’s weight, he was now desperate and trying to reach up to her shoulders to pull himself back up. Jill wanted to scream for help, but she was holding her breath so much she could only manage a whimper. Her stomach and upper half of her body was starting to sag down in the hole, she had to get the guy off her, or she’d be taken down with him.

  She could feel tears forming in her eyes from the pain in her shoulder, she heard the pop and knew right away it had dislocated. Still a scream was not able to pass her lips, but she was in excruciating pain.

  Strong arms wrapped around her waist and a hand and gun emerged from behind her. The gun shot resonated in the vents causing her ears to ring. Suddenly she was free and the pain was mostly gone. Managing to open her eyes, she saw the man’s broken body being feast upon by the ravenous zombies below.

  “Come on. I got’cha.” Casey carefully tucked Jill’s right arm against her body and released her death grip from her other hand, laying her on her back and helped slide her back down and out of the vent. She was crying, softly, and Casey was trying to soothe her has they reappeared back in the main hallway.

  “They didn’t make it.” Joan said and Casey just shook his head.

  “Oh my god, Jill you’re ok.” Jack went to hug her as she stood and she cried out from the pain of her arm being squeezed in on itself. “I’m sorry, sorry.”

  Casey pushed Jack away a bit. “Go find a sling, or something we can use to support her arm in.” Looking very much dejected Jack nodded. “Sure.”

  Jack came back as everyone was making their way outside to the parking lot. He wasn’t looking forward to going out there, he knew a tongue lashing was going to happen.

  They radioed the base that they had Jack and John and a survivor. They got the sling on Jill and comfortable in the SUV with Joan.

  Casey pulled Jack aside, he was fuming.

  “What the hell were you guys doing in there?” He had him by the shirt, looking him dead in the eye.

  “I thought we might need supplies.” Jack shrugged his shoulders unsure of what to do. He knew he messed up, people died and Jill was hurt. The one person who seemed to love him unconditionally, he’d gotten her hurt. And killed this other girl’s two friends. He felt like shit.

  “You know we have to plan for things like this, two guys were killed.” Jack pushed Casey’s hands off his shirt.

  “Don’t you think I know that?” Jack fumed. “Jill’s hurt, because of me.” He tapped his chest. “Those guys are dead, and that’s on me. I’m not an idiot. I realized it the second John went missing that we shouldn’t have been in that place, but by then it was too late. I just wanted to help.”

  “But you risked others to do it.” Casey was calmer now, Jack was defensive and angry, and he could see the boy fighting with his emotions. Maybe he came down on him too hard. He was just so scared about losing Jill.

  “Just promise me you’ll use better judgment. You can’t just decide to stop and check out places anymore, there’s risks involved. And if I lose you or Jill I don’t know what I’d do.” Hanging his head down a bit Jack said turned and walked away. Casey just watched unsure where he was going but he didn’t go far. Jack stood still and let out man like scream of frustration that last a good 15 seconds. He then walked with purpose to his and John’s car and got in. After a few quick introductions with the newest member were made, everyone loaded back into the vehicles and it was decided to head home. In the car John looked over at Jack, how had his arm up on the window, with his hand up cupping his forehead.

  “So are you happy now?” John asked. Jack so badly wanted to tell him to suck it and go to hell. He already felt bad and let down everyone. “Shut up.” Was all he muttered.

  Chapter 8

  Days, weeks pass, who knows how long. Tom just knew he was fed up. Shortly after their discussion in the bed room, they took him and Jeff out in vehicles and begin trolling the area. Jeff was desperately trying to give directions to where he thought he’d come from. Every day was a different direction. Finally one day Luke got pissed at Tom and his silence, so Tom lead them in the complete opposite direction of there the hideaway they built up, to an old piggly wiggly they had once raided. The small town was still deserted. There were zombie bodies still in place from when they had rolled through almost a year ago.

  “There’s the store.” Tom pointed. “See I busted in the window there, and Jeff must have seen and came through after me, snuck up behind me and clocked me over the head.”

  “You’re a goddamn liar!” Jeff lunged at Tom. All the men in the car struggled for a bit to separate the two men. They stopped the car getting everyone out, some of the men searched around for whatever, and found nothing of consequence. Luke and the others pow wowed briefly and came walking back towards the men. Quick and smoothly Luke pulled his 9mm from his belt and pointed directly at Jeff’s head. To which Jeff’s immediate reaction was to whimper and pee pants. Tom took a step to the side not wanting to get brains on his one shirt in the world.

  “Oh god please no!” Jeff cried out. He fell to his knees begging incoherently not to be shot. All the men but Tom chuckled at this. Luke cocked the gun “Any final words?’

  “I swear to you he’s lying.” Shaking and pointing at Tom who continued to look off into the distance.

  “You’ve taken us all over kingdom come with no results, then bam he drives us right to a location that sure looks like someone has been here before.” He moved his hands in the weighing balance motion, such as lady justice. “Looks like you lose.” He points the gun back down at him, finger on the trigger.

  “Ask him about his daughter.” Jeff sputters. Tom manages to contain his flinch at the mention of his daughter.

  “Ask him about Cindi. Go on. Do it.” Tom is frantic now, what will he say? What lie will work? His wife and daughter are still at that place, he can’t let them find it no matter what. He shuts his eyes, and wonders why he left at all. Damn him he thinks.

  “Well?” Luke asks, still pointing the gun at Jeff. “Tell us about this daughter.” Crickets. Tom reveals nothing.

  “Come on Tom.” Jeff gaining confidence urges him on. “Tell them all abo
ut Cindi and Tyler, and how he fucked her and got her killed. Don’t hold back let it out.” He continued to bait Tom. “Don’t you want people to know about her, maybe these guys will get justice for her and kill that bitch Jill who killed your little princess. Or maybe I’ll just tell them what a hot piece of ass she was.”

  Tom squeezed his eyes shut, knowing everyone was looking at him now, his cover was blown, and he couldn’t say anything to get out of this mess. He was beginning to shake with fury, he slowly swung his gaze over to where Jeff continued to kneel and now was sneering at him. All the men looked on and were anxious for some answers to these new revelations. Tom looked around briefly and chuckled to himself.

  Slowly he walked over towards Jeff, trying to get close enough to strike. Crack Tom managed to get one hard kick in Jeff’s face before he was tackled and subdued by everyone else. He didn’t even struggle. Jeff was out for the count, knocked cold, Tom hoped to have somehow snapped his neck with that kick, but unconscious was a close second. The men pummeled Tom for a bit, he took the hits, didn’t fight back. He’d gotten what he wanted already.

  “Fuck this guy, let’s just leave him here, leave them both.” One man said as he spit on Tom’s bloody body as he lay on the ground.

  “No. Were gonna wake that bitch up.” He pointed to Jeff. “Get all the info out of him about this place, kill him and then torture this fuck, until he tells us where we can find the good stuff.”

  “I ain’t saying shit.” Tom says as he rolls to his side spitting blood out of his mouth.

  “Oh you will, because we’ll cut you a deal, if we have to find this place on our own, we’ll make sure we kill you and your family, nice and slow while you watch. But if you help us, you get the keys to a truck with a brand new start at life and your family with you.” The men grabbed guys, throwing Jeff in the truck and hauling Tom in to the back seat they drove back to their camp. Luke had a plan, a grand scheme forming in his brain and couldn’t wait to get started on it.

  “Ok here’s the scoop.” Casey started.

  “Mmmmmmm ice cream.”