The Dead in River City

by S. A. McGarey

  Alan turned to Kendra. “What’s your blood type?”

  “O Positive.”

  Alan sighed in relief. “I have O Positive too. I can give you my blood.”

  “It’s do-able.” One of the doctors affirmed. “You’d need replacement blood as well, though.”

  “I’ll take hers.” Alan said with a grave tone. “Give me the infected blood.”

  “Alan, no! I can’t let you do that!” Kendra opposed him. “I can’t let you trade your life for mine.”

  “Kendra, I’d die for you. You’ve had a tough life, and you deserve to live, to have a chance to make it better. I want you to survive, and give life one big revenge kick in the ass.”

  “Alan, you made this hellish reality bearable. I won’t live without you.” Kendra confessed. “If you do this, I’ll go through Hell to make sure you survive.”

  “Then we’ll have about a day from the time the blood exchange is done to find a way to stop the X7 from reaching my brain.” Alan confirmed. “Do the procedure. Exchange our blood.” Alan readied himself for the procedure. “Luke, go keep an eye on Malcolm. We’ll need to have a word with him after we’re finished here.” Luke did as he said, returning to the top floor to keep watch over Malcolm.

  The procedure was rough for the doctors, but in the end, they managed to pull it off. With their limited supplies, it was a crude procedure, but Alan’s blood now flowed through Kendra, and Kendra’s X7-tainted blood flowed through Alan’s veins.

  Alan immediately felt the fatigue that the X7 caused in its early stages. He tried to brush it off by remembering that he did what really mattered. He saved Kendra. Alan stood and started working his way towards the door, anxious to get back upstairs and deal with Malcolm. Kendra followed him, putting her good arm around him.

  “We’ll find a way to keep you alive. I promise.” Kendra said as she kissed Alan on the cheek.

  “Let’s hope Malcolm knows something he hasn’t given up yet.” Alan replied.

  When they reached the top floor, they saw Luke still keeping watch over Malcolm. He was still passed out, tied to the chair, and his wounds were bandaged off.

  “I made sure he didn’t bleed out. Figured you’d need him alive.” Luke explained.

  “Thanks Luke.” Alan said, stepping towards Malcolm, ready to begin another round of interrogation.

  “Alan, wait.” Kendra beckoned. “Let me do it this time. Maybe I can make some progress. Plus, you’re fatigue is setting in.”

  “You’re right, Kendra.” Alan reluctantly agreed. “See what you can do.”

  Kendra walked towards the chair where Malcolm was tied. She wasn’t sure how she would handle the interrogation, but she started by searching his pockets to see what she could find. Alan hadn’t bothered to check earlier. She guessed it couldn’t hurt. She searched his pockets but didn’t find very much. There was no wallet, no ID, and really nothing but lint. Lastly, she checked the inside pocket of Malcolm’s jacket. She instantly found something she couldn’t identify by feel. She carefully removed it and saw that it was a syringe. It was filled with an odd liquid the color of lemons. Kendra had no earthly idea what was in the syringe, but she knew it must be important to him if he carried it around. She went to lay it on the table, keeping it in her mind to use it as a kind of leverage in the interrogation.

  “What was that?” Alan asked her from across the room.

  “I don’t know.” Kendra affirmed. “Whatever it is, we’ll soon find out.”

  Kendra stepped towards Malcolm and smacked him on the cheek. He didn’t wake up like she’d hoped. “He won’t wake up.” She said, disappointed.

  “I had this prepared just in case.” Luke interjected, presenting a metal bucket filled with water. “Maybe this’ll wake him up.”

  Kendra wasted no time in taking the bucket from Luke. She carried the bucket over to Malcolm, and poured the entire contents of the bucket over his head. He jolted awake from the shock of the cold water.

  “Arrgh.” Malcolm sounded out. “I like a shower as much as the next guy, but that was a little extreme.”

  “Enough, Malcolm!” Kendra shouted. “You’re gonna answer my questions, and you’re gonna do it right now.”

  “Oh, so now the dying girl is going to interrogate me?” Malcolm quipped.

  “Not dying anymore.” She replied flatly. “We took out the infected blood. I’m as good as new.”

  “Clever girl. Your boyfriend isn’t looking too good though.” Malcolm spoke, slowly piecing events together in his mind. “Ah, he gives up his life so that you can have yours. How touching.”

  Kendra threw a punch at Malcolm’s stomach. “SHUT THE HELL UP!”

  Malcolm screamed in pain. That girl could throw a punch, that’s for sure. “I don’t know what you want from me. I already told you that there is no cure for the X7 virus.”

  “Think harder, Malcolm. Otherwise I start taking off limbs.”

  “What is it with the two of you? So violent!” Malcolm retorted.

  Kendra ignored him, turning to the table. She picked up the syringe that she’d found in Malcolm’s pocket, and walked back to him, holding it in front of his face. “What is this?” She asked.

  Malcolm’s eyes widened. He had hoped that they wouldn’t find that. It was his secret, and he couldn’t afford to lose it. “That’s nothing.” He bluffed.

  “That may well be the least believable lie I’ve ever heard.” Kendra said. Grabbing a machete from the table, she spoke again. “Tell me the truth, or say goodbye to your arms.”

  Malcolm was at a loss. He’d have to give in, and find a way to turn the tables later. “It’s a counteracting agent for X7. It neutralizes the virus in its host. It’s also what gives me control over the Dead Ones.”

  “How interesting.” Kendra said.

  “What now? I’ve told you what you wanted to know.” Malcolm said.

  “Not everything.” She replied. Kendra walked over to Alan, and handed him the syringe. “Take it. It will counteract the virus.”

  Alan wasted no time in injecting the concoction into his bloodstream. Almost instantly, he began to feel the effects. His ailments vanished, and he could feel a connection to the horde, like having complete control over each and every one of them.

  “Amazing.” He remarked as he observed his renewed state.

  Kendra turned back to Malcolm. “Thank you for your cooperation. Now, why don’t you tell us a little more about the serum? How did you get it?”

  “I created it of course. I’ve had a lab in this city for years. I manufacture more as needed.” He explained.

  “Ever make a cure for the zombies themselves?” Kendra inquired.

  “No. No need to. The zombie effect was unintended originally. Once I discovered it, I chose to utilize it to its maximum potential. I gave no mind to a cure.” Malcolm explained.

  Kendra was disheartened at that news. Any hope of fixing the world, and undoing Malcolm’s work, had faded. She didn’t want to believe it was true. She turned her back on Malcolm before muttering a single question. “Where is your lab?”

  “You think I’d actually tell you?” He shot back.

  Kendra retrieved a pistol from the table, whipped around, and held it up to Malcolm’s head. “Where. Is. Your. Lab?”

  “You don’t have what it takes to shoot me. That gun probably isn’t even loa-”

  Kendra aimed the gun at one of the walls and fired. The gunshot was loud, and a split-second later, there was a bullet lodged in the wall.

  “Still doubt me?” Kendra asked, ominously.

  A scowl came across Malcolm’s face. “An abandoned church in the south end of the city. That’s all you get.”

  Kendra barely acknowledged his response. She walked over to Luke. “Keep him restrained. We’ll leave tomorrow morning and be back a few days after.”

  “You got it, Kendra.” Luke said in his baritone voice.

  Kendra walked to the door with Alan. “Let’s go back to the room
and prepare. We’ll need to go find his lab tomorrow.”

  Alan followed her down the staircase, saying nothing, still pondering this feeling of connectivity with the horde. It was unsettling, but exciting in the most peculiar way. He felt like he could communicate with the horde, but it was a push to do so. He decided it best to not push his temporary ability. As they reached their room, he put the thoughts out of his mind and tried to find peace from the day’s events.

  Kendra walked into the room and sat on the bed. Alan followed her in, running a hand through his hair and exhaling heavily.

  “You ok?” Kendra asked as she removed her shoes.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” He replied. “Just been a stressful day.”

  Without a word, Kendra arose and walked over to Alan, wrapping her arms around him. “Thank you for saving me.” She said softly.

  “I did it because I… because I love you. You have no need to thank me.” Alan told her.

  Kendra kissed him as he finished the sentence. “I love you too. And I will never stop trying to thank you.”

  “I should thank you too.” Alan went on. “You saved me too.”

  “Come here.” Kendra said, leading him by the hand to the bed.

  “What’s going on?” Alan asked, slightly confused.

  “We’ve both had a rough day.” Kendra explained. “Let’s make up for it with a good night.”

  “What did you have in mind, exactly?” He asked.

  “Just shut up and kiss me, moron.” Kendra said, pulling him onto the bed with her.

  After the stress-filled day they’d both had, Alan and Kendra shared a night of passion together. It was one of those rare times in this hellish world that everything seemed right.

  20

  Alan woke first. As his mind came out of sleep, the memories of the night before came back into his mind, and he smiled. He had his arms still wrapped around Kendra from the night before. Alan had never seen her more peaceful than this. He was careful not to move, as he didn’t want to wake her prematurely.

  As he lay there, he brainstormed about the day ahead of them. He knew they would be going to find Malcolm’s lab. He wasn’t sure what he was going to find when they got there. More than anything, he wanted a way to fix the world. After they finished at the lab, they would have to come back to Refuge to help the city recover from the attack, and to deal with Malcolm once and for all.

  Alan had no clue what time it was. He rarely did these days. He knew it was morning, but other than that, he had no idea. This morning was like so many others he remembered as a child. He thought of the mornings where he would be at a friend’s house, anxiously waiting for them to wake up. That’s what this morning was like. Only difference now was that he was waiting for his love to get up.

  It wasn’t long before she finally woke up. Alan thought she made the cutest noises as she woke up. It made him smile. Kendra opened her eyes to see his smile that she loved so much. She smiled in return and kissed him.

  “Good morning, love.” She softly spoke

  “Good morning, baby.” Alan replied just as quietly.

  “I love it when you call me that.” Kendra confessed, resting her head on him.

  “Was I… was I ok last night?” Alan asked sheepishly.

  “Wonderful.” She replied “Simply wonderful.”

  “As were you.” He replied, wrapping his arms around her.

  “You were my first.” She said, nervously.

  “You were mine too.” He confessed. They shared a tight hug that seemingly lasted an eternity.

  They simultaneously got out of the old bed and started to get dressed. As they got ready to leave for their destination, a thought struck Alan.

  “What are we going to do when we find this lab of his?” He asked Kendra, hoping she had a better idea of their plan.

  “Honestly, I can’t be too sure.” She responded. “I guess we’ll need to search the place and see if there’s anything else we can find. Malcolm lies, but his research won’t.”

  “So why are we keeping him alive?” Alan asked bluntly.

  “In case we have questions about anything we find.” She explained. “Vengeance can wait that long. We search first, question him if we need to, and then we kill him. He’s too dangerous to be left alive.”

  Alan nodded and continued getting ready. Kendra did the same, and within 10 minutes, they were both ready to go. They both knew they would need some kind of transportation, and they would also need to check on Malcolm. They had to make sure he’d not gotten free during the night.

  “Let’s split up.” Kendra suggested. “You go upstairs to check on Malcolm. I’ll go find us a ride.”

  “You got it. Meet you at the entrance.” Alan affirmed.

  They arrived at the stairwell door. Alan ascended the stairs to the top floor, while Kendra quickly made her way down to the first floor, hoping her mission to find transportation would bear fruit.

  Reaching the top floor of Refuge, Alan saw Luke Jones still on watch, keeping an eye on Malcolm. Amazingly, Luke didn’t look tired. Malcolm was still tied up, currently passed out and looked as if he’d stay that way.

  “You been on watch all night, Luke?” Alan asked, unsure of how Luke could look so rested.

  “No, I had a few other guys in Refuge take turns watching him through the night. We’re keeping a tight lid on things.” Luke assured him.

  “Good. Keep it that way.” Alan replied. “Kendra and I are going to look for Malcolm’s lab. When we finish there, we’ll come back to finish dealing with Malcolm.”

  “Sounds like a plan, boss man.” Luke chuckled. “We’ll keep things under control ‘til you come back.”

  “Good to hear.” Alan said, turning back to the stairs, descending the tower to meet Kendra.

  Luke’s eyes returned to Malcolm, watching him vigilantly, just waiting for an excuse to put a bullet in his brain.

  Alan quickly descended the long staircase, eager to meet up with Kendra and head out to find Malcolm’s makeshift lab. The pile of rubble where the doors to Refuge once existed had been removed, once again opening the way outside. The rest of the horde had dispersed since they had captured Malcolm. No one could be sure where they had gone, but Alan had a suspicion that this was all far from over.

  Alan stepped out into the open air. It was foul with the scent of rotten flesh, and carrion birds circled overhead, waiting to feast on their buffet of corpses. As Alan noticed the birds, he thought to himself. He was thankful that the X7 wasn’t a threat once the zombie had died. Otherwise they’d likely be dealing with zombified vultures. Alan shivered at that thought, and moved on to find Kendra.

  Kendra pulled up to the front of the tower in a slightly beat up 2-door the color of leaves on the trees of a dark forest. She exited the car and tossed the keys to Alan. “You drive, it’s too hard to do with one hand.”

  “Where’d you find the ride?” Alan asked, taking the driver’s seat.

  “That girl you talked to about Malcolm.” Kendra replied, climbing in the passenger side.

  “Helena?”

  “Yeah, her.” She said. “She said I could use it. Even threw me a few weapons for the trip.”

  “Hmm. Generous.” Alan remarked. “What kind of weapons?”

  “A couple pistols, a shotgun, even a katana to replace the one I lost. Plus we got our revolvers.”

  “Wow. That’s extremely generous of her.” Alan reacted.

  “Yeah. She said she wanted to give us everything possible to take down Malcolm. She wants his head on a spike.” Kendra explained Helena’s generosity.

  “Then let’s be sure to make that happen once we get back.” Alan affirmed, eager to take vengeance on Malcolm Graves.

  Most of the drive was quiet. Alan and Kendra both sat in near silence, pondering the possibilities of their excursion. Kendra only spoke to give directions. As they neared their goal, Alan broke the silence.

  “Do we know anything about this place?” He asked


  “Not much. I had actually been there years before, so I remember its location. I don’t remember much of the building itself though.” She explained.

  “You’d been there before?” Alan inquired.

  “When I was young. They had something called Vacation Bible School. There were lots of kids there. I was the outsider though. I mainly went because there was food, and because for a few hours a night, I wasn’t alone.” She elaborated.

  Alan squeezed her hand tight. “I’m so sorry, baby.”

  “For what?”

  “For your childhood.”

  “You have nothing to apologize for.” Kendra reassured him. “You’ve made life worth living… even life in a world like this.”

  Alan smiled. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” She replied.

  It wasn’t long before they reached the old church that Malcolm had mentioned. It was an old brick building sitting on a short slope. There were doors on all sides, most of which looked worn down from years of disrepair and termite damage. Alan pulled into the parking lot and around to the entrance that faced away from the street. Exiting the car, they looked around, surveying the area. They saw a steeple on the church and, the remains of a rundown playground up the hill, but no Dead Ones. Seeing no immediate danger, Alan and Kendra walked through the double doors and into the decrepit church building.

  The shadowy interior of the building smelled damp and slightly moldy. The sanctuary looked as though it hadn’t changed in decades. The wooden pews that once held many faithful churchgoers were now rotted and close to collapsing. Alan and Kendra’s eyes adjusted to the dark as they ventured into the old building. Kendra pulled out a flashlight, and threw a second one over to Alan, who fumbled for the switch and turned it on.

  Shining their lights around the room, the sanctuary looked much more dim than they had originally perceived. The cross that once hung on the wall above the baptistery pool had fallen and split into multiple pieces. The grand piano had fallen into disrepair, with its black lacquer coating damaged beyond repair, the ivory keys discolored, and the piano wires all snapped. The building itself was quiet. There was no sign of any creatures that would’ve made this place their home. It was mere silence, and such a maddening silence it was.