Plague Town

by Dana Fredsti

  It looked like they never made it.

  The sobs continued, rising from the other side of the queen-sized bed. The words continued as well, only now I could hear what they were.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

  The same six words repeated over and over, interspersed with the choking sobs and... some other sound I couldn’t quite place. Blood and other things were thick on the white crocheted bedspread. My heart froze in my chest and the hair rose on the back of my neck.

  Something was seriously wrong here.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

  “Hello?” I slowly walked over to the bed, conscious of the blood making sticky sounds beneath my feet, and peered cautiously around the corner.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

  Two partially devoured bodies lay there on the floor, of a woman and young boy, still a toddler, clothing in shreds. A man in blood-soaked jeans and a blue flannel shirt now dark with gore crouched over them, sobbing and muttering. He showed no yellowing of the skin, or decay—no symptoms at all of having turned.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

  Then, as I watched in disbelieving horror, he lowered his face to the woman’s abdomen and took a bite of flesh, wrenching the meat away from her body with a feral snap of his jaws.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  * * *

  His sobs didn’t stop as he chewed and swallowed.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it,” he repeated as soon as he could.

  I made a choked sound in my throat and stumbled backward, yelling as I backed straight into Mack, who’d come up behind me. He braced me with his hands on my shoulders. Looking past me, he made a gurgling sound in his throat.

  The sound of my yell was enough to distract the man. He looked up at us, eyes red and swollen with tears, mouth and teeth dripping with blood and pieces of flesh.

  “I didn’t mean to do it,” he whimpered. “I didn’t want to do it. But I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t help myself. I was so hungry, and I could feel myself rotting... the inside, everything decaying.

  “Oh, god, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I’m so sorry...”

  He curled back up over the bodies of what must have been his wife and son, rocking and crying and muttering and eating.

  “He’s bat-shit crazy,” I whispered, willing myself not to throw up.

  “You’re not kidding,” Mack agreed, sounding as sick as I felt. “Question is, what do we do with him?”

  I swallowed hard.

  “We’ll have to get him back to Big Red, I guess.” My gaze was drawn almost against my will back to the weeping man. “Where are Kai and Kaitlyn?”

  The sound of gunshots answered my question before Mack did.

  “Cleaning up incoming.”

  “Let’s get this guy outside and find Gabriel.”

  “You sure that’s a good idea?” Mack asked doubtfully. “He’s dangerous, no doubt about it.”

  “I’m a good husband,” the man said suddenly, as if in response to Mack’s words. “A good father. I love my family. I tried to save them when those... those things attacked us. But they... they smelled so good and it burned inside.” He started rocking again, but the tears seemed to have stopped for the moment.

  I took a deep breath, and immediately regretted it.

  “What’s your name?” I asked.

  “Jake,” he said slowly. “Jake Konig.”

  “Mr. Konig... Jake, how long have you been trapped in this cabin?”

  He thought about the question for a moment.

  “I’m not sure—maybe a week?”

  Oh, god. The combination of hunger and the sheer horror of seeing the dead walk must have taken his mind right over the edge.

  “You really need to come with us now,” I said, struggling to maintain a calm, neutral tone.

  “Oh, no, I couldn’t do that.” He shook his head. Drops of blood flew off his lips. I did my best to suppress a shudder.

  “Jake, you’re ill,” I pressed. “You need medical attention.” I spoke as soothingly as possible, as if trying to calm a spooked animal. Mack stood stock still behind me, but I could feel the tension thrumming through him as he waited, poised for trouble.

  “I can’t leave Shanna and Tyce.” He shook his head again. “They need me.” He tenderly stroked his son’s forehead, then leaned over to kiss his wife’s lips... before taking a bite out of them.

  I nearly lost the battle with my rising gorge, but somehow managed to keep everything down.

  “They’ll—” my voice cracked. I pulled myself together. “We’ll bring them with us, too. You can all go together and get some help, okay?”

  “All of us?” Jake looked up at me, pale blue eyes sincere in the bloody mask of what had once been a pleasantly handsome face under a shock of curly brown hair, now matted and tangled.

  I nodded, wanting nothing more than to get out of this claustrophobic cabin with its smell of death.

  “All of you, I promise.”

  Mack and I backed up a few feet as, ever so slowly, Jake got to his feet. I hoped he didn’t need a helping hand because I didn’t know if I could touch him without throwing up. Besides, I didn’t trust him not to attack me, too.

  He managed it on his own, though, swaying slightly as he stood up all the way. He put a steadying hand on the bedpost, his shirtsleeve pulling up to reveal his forearm. A circle of teeth marks stood out against the pale skin, crusted with dried blood.

  I inhaled sharply.

  “When did you get that bite, Jake?”

  “This?” he rubbed his arm, a vague look on his face. “Those things... first day here. I got Shanna and Tyce back into the cabin, but one of those things bit me. I got really sick. Shanna, she took care of me, nursed me until I felt better. But then I started rotting inside.”

  Great. What we have here is a totally loony wild card. Super strong, super senses, and super psycho.

  I gestured toward the door, trying not to be too obvious that I had my gun aimed in his direction. Just in case.

  “Come on,” I said. “We’ll send someone in to get your family. Okay?”

  He nodded hesitantly.

  “Yeah... yeah, that’d be really good. I think Tyce needs a doctor.”

  Mack and I backed away slowly to give him space to exit the cabin before us. I didn’t trust him at our backs.

  He neared the door, then paused, glancing toward the bed and what lay on the other side.

  “You’ll bring Shanna and Tyce?” he asked.

  I nodded.

  “Yeah, we will.” I held my breath when he took a step back toward his dead wife and child. “Jake? You just need to come outside now.” My eyes flickered back to the bite on his forearm.

  He heaved a huge sigh, and all the tension seemed to run out of his body.

  “Yeah, okay. That’s probably a good idea. It smells funny in here.” He again moved toward the cabin door, his gait stiff and unsteady as if he hadn’t moved a lot in the last few days.

  Kai chose that moment to poke his head in the cabin.

  “Hey, everything okay in here?

  Jake’s head snapped up and reared back on his neck, looking freakily like a human cobra as he bared his bloody teeth and hissed at Kai.

  Kai took one look at Jake’s gory face, hands, and clothes and immediately raised his M-4, pressing the trigger.

  “No!”

  I lunged forward and knocked the barrel to one side. The shot missed Jake by inches. He yelped and cowered down against the bed, hands and arms over his head.

  “Damn it, girl,” Kai snarled, “Are you fucking crazy?”

  “No,” I snapped. “But he is.” I jerked my head toward Jake. “He’s human, Kai. He’s not a zombie.”

  “But his mouth...”

  I shook my head.

  “Look, we have to get him back to campus. He was bitten and he’s still alive. He’s a wild card.”

  “Mother fu—” Kai st
opped and got himself under control. “Okay, got it.” He shook his head. “I gotta rethink my membership in this particular club.”

  “Go get Gabriel, okay?” I said. “Just ask Kaitlyn to help us cover him. But tell her to stay outside!” Kai ran out of the cabin and I hunkered down next to Jake, still not willing to touch him. “Jake, we’re sorry about that. Kai thought you were a zombie. But he knows better now.”

  “One of those things?” Jake’s eyes narrowed, his expression switching from terrified to dangerous in the space of a few seconds. “I’m not one of those things. Don’t you call me that!” A drop of blood trickled down his face to his upper lip. He flicked it off with his tongue, eyes closing briefly as he savored the taste. Then his eyes went wide with horror and he wiped the back of his sleeve across his mouth.

  “I’m not one of them,” he whimpered.

  “No, you’re just sick. We have to get you to a doctor. Let’s go outside.” I felt like a broken record as I repeated this several more times, but Jake responded to my words or my tone, and finally left the damned cabin.

  Mack and I were right behind him. Kaitlyn waited for us outside.

  “Just sit here,” I said, pointing to one of the gliders. He sat, limbs folding up underneath him as if someone had cut his strings. He rocked slowly back and forth in the chair, pushing off with his feet. It creaked in protest, hinges in dire need of oiling.

  “I’m hungry.” Creak. Creak. Creak.

  I ignored him, scanning the fog-shrouded parking lot, then the buildings, looking for Gabriel and the rest of the team.

  “I’m hungry!” Feeling the urgency in his voice, I looked back at Jake.

  “We’ll get you food when we get you to a doctor.” It took an effort to keep my voice calm. I’d seen his last meal.

  “I’ve got a protein bar,” Kaitlyn offered, reaching into one of her pockets and pulling out a Think Thin bar.

  She held it out in front of her.

  Jake’s eyes flickered toward the bar. He reached for it.

  “Kaitlyn, no!”

  I lunged forward as Jake grabbed Kaitlyn’s arm, jerking her off balance into his arms as he sank his teeth into her neck. She shrieked with surprise and pain, dropping her M-4 as she clawed frantically at his head and hands, trying to throw him off.

  I heard footsteps running toward us from across the parking lot as Jake clamped onto her like a leech, biting deep, chewing and worrying at her flesh, ignoring whatever pain he must have felt as her hands clenched in his hair, pulling with all her strength.

  I managed to wedge my arm in-between his neck and her body, getting him in a chokehold and cutting off his oxygen supply. Kaitlyn jabbed a finger into one of his eyes. He screamed involuntarily, teeth losing their hold.

  She immediately jerked away from his mouth, neck pouring out blood through the ragged wound he’d inflicted.

  He still had hold of her arm, however, and yanked her back toward him, growling in his throat even as I pressed my forearm harder into his neck.

  The stock of Mack’s gun smashed down against Jake’s wrist, shattering bone and forcing him to let go of Kaitlyn. She staggered back, hands clasped against her bleeding neck as blood spurted out between her fingers.

  Deprived of his prey, Jake twisted like an eel in my grip and went for my neck. I managed to shove my arm against his Adam’s apple before his teeth sunk into my flesh. He snapped at me like a rabid animal, his breath wafting over me like a week’s worth of spoiled meat.

  I heard yelling, and out of the corner of my eye saw Mack raise his weapon and smash the butt end down on Jake’s head with a sickening crack. Jake went limp and crumpled to the ground, blood oozing from an indentation in his scalp.

  I scrambled out from under the dead weight as Kai and Gabriel sprinted up, Lil, Tony and Gentry hard on their heels. I scanned for Kaitlyn, who swayed on her feet, hand still clasped over the wound on her neck, blood seeping between her fingers.

  Her face was chalky white from shock and blood loss. Mack and I grabbed her before she collapsed on the dirt next to her attacker, leading her to the glider as her hand slipped off the wound and fresh blood spurted out.

  “Shit!” Slapping my hand over the wound, I looked frantically up at Gabriel. “She’s bleeding to death!”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  * * *

  Things happened really quickly after that.

  Mack dashed into one of the cabins, emerging almost immediately with a red flannel pillowcase. As he knelt by Kaitlyn’s side and pressed the cloth against the wound in her neck, Gabriel’s gaze flicked from Jake’s body to Kaitlyn, then to me and my blood-splattered hands and clothing.

  “Ashley, are you okay?”

  I registered the concern in his voice, but didn’t have time to think about it.

  “I’m fine, but Kaitlyn... her neck. He bit her.”

  Gabriel started to reply, then tensed.

  “What—” I began.

  He shushed me with a slashing hand gesture, his posture one of intense concentration. Then we all heard it—rising moans coming from all directions, the sound muffled, yet echoing all around us as if rebounding off the thick fog. Nothing was visible yet, but they had to be close.

  Gabriel didn’t waste any time.

  “Get to the truck.”

  “You’re not leaving me here.” Jake pushed himself up on his hands, blood streaming from the wound on his head. I thought I could see brains through the blood.

  How is he even alive?

  He raised his head slowly and saw me.

  “You can’t leave me,” he said. “Please, help me!” I hesitated as zombies appeared in the woods behind the cabins. We had to take him with us.

  Didn’t we?

  “Please...” He tried to stand, but fell back.

  I took a step toward him, one of those stupid yeah, I know better moves we all do on occasion. Kai grabbed my arm and yanked me away, hard.

  “Leave him.”

  “But—”

  Kai shook his head.

  “I don’t care if he’s a wild card. He nearly killed Kaitlyn. He can stay here and get ripped to pieces. You got me?” He stared me down until I nodded. He was right, but I didn’t have to like it.

  Kai let go of me, then helped Mack get Kaitlyn. They half carried, half dragged her between them to the truck. The rest of us fell into a loose formation around them as rotting figures began shambling toward us out of the fog.

  “Please!” Jake wailed from behind us. “Don’t leave me! You have to help Shanna and Tyce.” I risked a look back and saw zombies converging on him.

  And then they lurched right past as if he didn’t exist. Jake continued to screech, even though he remained untouched.

  And suddenly it hit me. There hadn’t been any zombies trying to get into Jake’s cabin. They would have known there was prey in there, and would have been pounding on the door and walls to get at it. Jake wasn’t just crazy, and I didn’t think he was a wild card.

  Zombies continued to pour out of the forest. Gabriel took out three of them in rapid succession with precise headshots. Time to get the hell out of Bigfoot’s Revenge.

  “Don’t try to take them all out!” he shouted. “Just get to the truck!”

  “Someone open the door!” Mack yelled, stumbling under Kaitlyn’s dead weight as she started to lose consciousness. Kai helped prop her up, but that put three of them out of the fight.

  Slinging his M-4 over one shoulder, Tony retrieved his sledgehammer from the ground and swung it in a vicious arc as zombies closed in from either side. He knocked two of them backward, roaring like a wrathful god with each swing—a teenage punk version of Thor.

  Lil ran up next to him, ducking the sledgehammer with almost choreographed grace. She reached the passenger side of the truck and pulled open the doors. Tony beat the zombies away as Mack and Kai got Kaitlyn into the backseat.

  Gabriel and Lil covered the rest of us, Lil using her M-4 with good effect, if not with Gabriel’s
lethal accuracy. Gentry and I clambered into the rear of the Suburban.

  Tony’s sledgehammer was spinning in rapid figures of eight, so fast it looked like some sort of massive eggbeater. Gabriel tossed his rifle into the truck and slid across to the driver’s seat, starting the engine. Lil jumped in next to him as Tony continued to bludgeon the approaching zombies, his face a mask of bloody rage.

  “Tony!” Gabriel roared, “Get your ass in here now!”

  Swinging his sledgehammer one more time and cracking the heads of several zoms, Tony dove into the back seat, slamming the door behind him as Gabriel hit the accelerator and peeled out of the parking lot.

  This was one of those times I wished I didn’t have enhanced senses. Mingling with the unnatural moans and growl of the engine, I could still hear Jake’s wails, even as we drove into a roadblock of more zombies.

  Undead hands grasped at the vehicle. The sound of fingers squelching on the windows mixed with the thud of metal hitting flesh as we lurched forward. The Suburban shuddered with each impact, but held the road.

  The perfect family vehicle. Seats a family of eight and holds the road while skidding through a bloody horde.

  I had to get a grip.

  Peering out the back window, all I could see were ghouls staggering through the fog, lurching after us down the road. And out the side windows I saw more flesh-eaters among the mist-shrouded trees.

  Where the hell were they all coming from?

  Gabriel drove like the proverbial bat out of hell, toward the highway that would take us back to Big Red, without even slowing for turns or potholes. Gentry and I didn’t have seatbelts and were forced to brace ourselves against any handhold we could find. After about five minutes the zombies receded into the foggy distance and Gabriel slowed down minimally.

  He looked into the rear-view mirror.

  “How’s Kaitlyn?”

  Mack glanced up at him, still holding the pillowcase firmly against Kaitlyn’s neck.