The Three of Us: A Novella

by Lee, W. Tavi

  "Thank you, but what is the cost?" Sebastian spoke.

  "Everything but the clothes on your back. We're not monsters. I know you think we are, but times are tough. We need to eat and have protection from the real monsters."

  A few of the men laughed and howled.

  They knew not to argue. Too many to try and fight or outrun. Bennett was in no shape to do that and Holly was still hidden.

  "Could we keep one gun?" Bennett foolishly asked. "You know, for the real monsters," he emphasized.

  "Heh, heh, heh. Good one old man,” the man said, aiming his overly large handgun at him. “But no, it's everything you got or we can just put you down right now.

  Though I'm feeling really generous today for some reason."

  Reluctantly they pulled off their packs and threw them at the scavengers feet. A guy with a shouldered gun and weasel demeanor picked one up and started looking through it.

  "Got some food, water and ammo. Just what a man needs. Except a woman or alcohol though," he smirked.

  "Got any of those?" the leader asked.

  "No" Sebastian answered.

  "That's a shame. If you had one, we'd let you keep your packs, maybe even a gun. This will have to do," the leader shrugged.

  "Don't cause any trouble, we'll see you boys around," the weasel said as they got back into their vehicles.

  As they left, Sebastian and Bennett could only stare as they drove away from the city. It was a good few minutes until they couldn't hear anything and Holly came from her hiding spot with a look of relief.

  "Think they'll be back?" Holly asked.

  "Probably," Sebastian said while the three of them looked back knowing there was nothing they could do.

  "We were lucky this time. If they saw you...,” Bennett trailed off.

  “We can not run into them again. We need to stick to the shadows and be more careful," Sebastian said. “We got complacent”

  Thankful that no harm came to them they now only had Holly's rifle, her two cans of beans, veggies and some crackers. Sebastian knew they had to find more food and blankets at the very least. Nights were getting too cold not to. A day and a half to the bunker. Just let us get there. Please, it's all I have left.

  15

  Mike was checking the cameras when one of his security people knocked on the glass door. Pressing the button under the desk with a loud buzz, unlocked the door.

  "Hey Joe"

  "Mike," Joe replied with a nod. It was time for the midday report.

  "It's smooth sailing. Nothing changed since yesterday," Joe said while handing him a filled out clipboard. He had to check doors, making sure they were locked and other systems were functional. Easy, boring, necessary.

  Mike was tapping a fuzzy monitor like it would fix the problem. "Just radio me for anything," he said as Joe left.

  "Got it"

  Mike knew Joe was bored out of his mind. Everyone down here was getting a little stir crazy. Though he was very serious about security, there had been no activity. Nothing going wrong except for a little power flux every once in awhile. But he paid his two security guys very well. They lived good lives before the bunker and will after the bunker, if they ever left. A bookshelf and it's accompanying books were one of the few forms of entertainment that all the residents could enjoy. A couple decks of cards, a board game with missing pieces and books. No tv to watch movies, not even a weight room. He thought about upgrading, but decided it wasn’t necessary. No devices either. They all added up in power requirements that he didn’t want to afford.

  This bunker was good for a few things. Provide housing, food, water and air to two dozen people for a year, sealed off from the outside. And a mostly full functioning lab to continue work developing viruses, vaccines and cures.

  Some were not happy with the accommodations.

  Get them here, get the bunker ready and waiting. That's all he had to do before. Now just babysit until it's clear to leave. That power he didn't fully have. The CEO was in control of that. He had final say on opening up the doors and leaving.

  Everyone knew not to ask when. They hunkered down working in the lab trying to find a solution for something that they created in the first place.

  It gave him a chill down his spine every time he thought about the drug that was supposed to save humanity. He'd seen the mad, infected people running through the city tearing open others, before moving to their next victim. Some of the flawed drug was in one section of the lab with as many protections and safeguards as possible. If one of the scientists were to become infected, the bunker wouldn’t be safe until they were moved to quarantine or disposed of.

  He and his two security men, Steve and Joe were armed with pistols. If the time came to use them, they’d be ready. He hoped it would never come to that.

  16

  Sebastian woke by the sound of an inhuman scream followed by another in reply. Infected.

  They'd not had any encounters with them since the gas station, which seemed so long ago. Bennett was already aiming the only gun the group had in the direction of the sounds. Holly was just waking up.

  Gripping one of the sharp poles they had fashioned after losing their guns, Sebastian planted his feet next to Bennett. His eyes adjusting far too slowly in the darkness. No flashlights. Just the sliver of moon was tucked behind clouds. The screams and movement came closer. Two or Three, Sebastian guessed. They knew we were here by our smell.

  "Holly go to Bennett's other side," Sebastian whispered. "Form a line."

  The Three stood, ready for the attack, their back protected by a building. Once the infected got a better scent of them, they'd start running towards them. The first one broke through the bushes. A large silhouette of an infected man spotted them and began running. Thankful that his run was just above a quick walk, they braced for contact.

  Bennett took aim, right at the head. CRACK. He fired once and the big man dropped to the ground instantly. The ground seemed to shake slightly as he crashed and rolled, stopping a foot away from them.

  Sebastian looked at the dead man briefly when the other two infected came at them. Flanked on both sides of them. The fat man was a distraction he thought while turning to a new threat, Holly doing the same on her side.

  This infected one was much quicker. Sebastian only had time to jab it backwards with the pole. Screaming, it started flailing its arms, advancing again. This time, Sebastian aimed the sharpened point diagonally up. He gave a thrust, connecting with its throat. The pole went up and into the brain of this creature that was once human. It stopped screaming and moving, turning into dead weight on the pole.

  Sebastian flipped it, not wanting anything to touch him. Quickly he turned to his right where he saw the other one with the pole sticking out from its head. Holly was just finishing twisting it downwards before yanking it out.

  They were silent, holding their breath, straining to hear if more infected were close by. Everything had only taken moments.

  "We need to move," Sebastian finally whispered between breaths. "If there are more around, they're probably heading this way."

  They packed hastily. With their eyes having had the chance to adjust, walking would be easier and they needed to get as far away from the bodies as possible.

  Nobody said anything for awhile. Adrenaline kept their pace high. This was a fairly common encounter, as each of them had dealt with infected multiple times. It was much worse in the beginning, having to deal with them many times a day. Often in larger groups.

  Morning came and went, turning into late afternoon. They were tired, hungry from the scuffle and moving closer to the heart of the city. Cars were abandoned everywhere. It was almost difficult for them to navigate. The buildings looked like they belonged in a war zone one saw on the news. They searched some of the cars while picking their way through the rubble. Some had decomposing bodies, others just blood stains.

  One search yielded a package of cheese crackers in a bloody back seat. Like those a mother would pack for the
ir child's school lunch. They were so hungry they divided it right then and there. A few crackers each never tasted so good.

  Sebastian for the last couple hours could only think about the attack during the night and the rumbling of his stomach. He knew the bunker had ample supplies with a possibility of an emergency pack near the back entrance.

  Similar to computer programmers with their easter eggs or backdoors, Sebastian had always designed bunkers with a backup plan. A couple different ways he could get in if he got locked out or the client got locked out. As long as someone hadn’t changed it after the fact.

  He hoped that the quarantine area wasn't being used to actually quarantine. That would make getting inside a problem. He assumed they would only check it every once in awhile when not occupied.

  Continuing to briefly search cars as they walked, Bennett and Holly were silent. I wonder if they knew what they were really getting into? They all had nothing and no-one to go back to. Die there or die here. Not much difference except here they have a chance for revenge.

  The buildings started getting taller, but the devastation didn't care. The only people who were partially immune were holed up in a bunker, unknowingly about to pay for their miracle drug. Sebastian didn't think they'd take it too well. But that's the point. No more sheltering from the apocalypse they started.

  Tonight Sebastian was going to share his plan. They knew he worked on the bunker, but didn't ask how they'd get in. Every detail he had been thinking about for the last couple weeks was going to be shared. He wanted fresh ears to hear his plan and find holes, have objections or suggestions. This was going to work. One way or another.

  Camp tonight consisted of a half collapsed building. Sheltered from the wind, passing eyes and minimal bodies nearby. A common site now. Bodies of people infected, not infected, decapitated, smashed, crushed, chopped or just laid down to rest, never to get up again. Thankful that many hordes of infected left the city the first week, meant that they were not a big deal. Even thankful for the gangs still roaming. Rumors of hunting parties and traps to lure infected to their more permanent death. One good thing about the gangs.

  After they'd settled in, Sebastian laid out his plan and the backdoor he was going to use to get in. Bennett and Holly listened intently, soaking in the information.

  Sebastian’s plan was solid. Bennett knew he'd spent a lot of time running different scenarios through his mind before settling on this one. If they hadn't modified anything at the bunker, they thought it had a good chance of working. Morning came with an overcast chill. Doesn't bode well for the rest of the day, Sebastian thought. All that was needed was a little fog, some infected and they’d be in your typical zombie flick.

  Packed for the second to last time. Hopefully reaching the bunker entrance and entering the next day.

  Holly had a knot of butterflies in her stomach thinking about what they were doing. It was like a bad dream. She hadn't really thought about after. If she survived this, what would she do, where would she go? Going back to live and work at George's camp would be nice. If they were still there. She pushed that from her mind. One crazy thing at a time.

  They set out on their slow walk towards the bunker. The city had definitely been hit hard. Imagining what it was like for his wife, panic of not knowing what was going on, Sebastian went back to that dark time. With millions of people in very close quarters, it was impossible not to spread quickly. He closed his eyes trying to remove the image of his wife and her turned state all caught on a news update. It only made it clearer.

  Blinking, fighting back tears, Sebastian set his jaw and picked his head up a little higher. They still only had one rifle and the spiked poles. He knew they’re probably packing in the bunker. Just inside the wall of the alley entrance into quarantine, there was a secret wall cubby that had a pistol and a backpack with a couple days of food and water. That was the first thing he'd go to if they can get inside. He hoped it would be there.

  All three were on their last crumbs of food and sips of water. By early afternoon it would be gone. Finding anything now, was close to zero. Spending more time hunting for hidden food treasures consumed valuable time. Getting to the bunker as fast as possible was their only goal today.

  Humanetics was in the middle of the city, and they had just gotten a couple blocks in. Dozens of blocks to go with untold dangers on every corner. They stayed silent as they weaved through cars, rubble and bodies. Listening for anything or anyone that could cause trouble. So far just a cold wind and occasional piece of plastic flapping violently trying to leave the city. Paper too, tumbling down the street without a care in the world. Dark ominous skies were above them. The rumbling of a motorcycle could be heard. With noise bouncing everywhere, Sebastian couldn't pinpoint which way it was coming from. Holly took cover behind one of the cars someone abandoned onto the sidewalk to their left. Bennett followed her. There was room for two, but not for a third.

  Sebastian frantically looked around for another spot. The engine sounds grew louder and some light was starting to bounce from the left a couple blocks up. He turned back around and spotted a hole in the rubble from one of the nearby buildings. Running he slid down into the opening tearing his pants on some rebar that stuck out, right in his path.

  Two motorcycles turned on the street they were hiding on. Going slow, like they were looking for something.

  Patrols. Sebastian could only see the wheels. Holly and Bennett's good hiding spot might be turning into a not so good one if they turned the street. Bennett was carrying the gun if he needed to use it. The engines were really loud now, crumbling buildings amplifying the sound. They just crossed the intersection and stopped, almost parallel with Holly and Bennett. Engines quieted to an idle. Sebastian realized he was holding his breath. Gently he let it out.

  Someone was laughing. One of the bikers got off his bike and kicked the stand. Leaving it running, the man walked toward Sebastian's spot.

  Did he see him? Sebastian froze, holding his breath again and waited. The guy stopped two feet away, feet pointed right at him. The only sound he heard were the engines. A few seconds later a trickle started to flow towards him. He's taking a piss. Fearing they'd see him move, he had no choice but to let it take its course.

  Which was going right at him. When he was done relieving himself, the guy turned around went back to his bike, revving it up. The headlights of the bikes spewed weird shadows over the area. The riders took a right and opened up, rattling away from the group.

  Sebastian sat there for a good minute until he couldn't hear them anymore. With his pants ripped and wet he started crawling out. Standing up he looked at the piss and the tear. He had a good 8 inch scratch from the rebar. A little bit of blood but only on the surface. He was thankful it hadn't punctured. That's just what they'd need, Sebastian to get seriously injured. That would have probably stopped this little adventure dead.

  Holly asked what happened as they came from behind the car. "The guy pissed on me and some rebar tried to rip my leg off when I slid into the hole," pointing to his pants.

  "I didn't know what they were doing. I was sure they were going to spot us," Bennett sighed.

  "Yeah, I'm glad they didn't," Holly patted his back.

  "Let's go. We have 2 hours before it gets too dark. I say we get a block away from the entrance and set camp. There shouldn't be problems"

  "You don't think they'll have guards or something?" Holly questioned.

  "No, because it's supposed to be secret. Very few people knew about it and guards would just draw unwanted attention," Sebastian said. “Though there might be a few armed inside.”

  "I'm ready," Bennett replied, shouldering the rifle. Holly nodded, slinging her backpack on. The three continued to the heart. Just hours away from destiny.

  17

  Mike oversaw the preparation of lunch. Rehydrated rice, chicken and orange drink. Oriental flavoring was added to the pot with the unseasoned freeze dried food.

  They had cases of #10 cans wit
h beans, meat and TVP. Also 5 gallon buckets of dried goods. All the stuff that could be stored for years and only needed some water to make it somewhat palatable.

  The "chef" was a rotation of Mike and his security guys. It was the only way they could guarantee the food to last. Like clockwork, the scientists would stop work executives would stop discussing their next steps and the few family members entered the only room where everyone could fit. Each grabbed a bowl and were served a spoonful of the chicken & rice mixture. One glass of water and a spoonful of orange powder if they wanted. It tasted like tang and cough syrup, but had useful vitamins. Most drank it.

  It definitely wasn't the life of luxury they were used to. Mike noticed that in the first few days. But when you're hungry enough, no matter who you were, you'd eat anything. Some of them that had chefs in their previous life complained, asking why they didn't have real food. Or a freezer full of frozen meat and vegetables. Surely he could have figured out a way to do that, money wasn't an issue they said.

  Mike had explained to them many times. That amount of power needed to store a year’s worth of food in a freezer would draw attention. You'd need a huge array of solar panels or generators and enough fuel to keep them running. Doable, sure he told them, but impractical. He was tasked to keep them alive and fed, not to wait on them in white gloves and serve roasted duck by candlelight. The CEO never complained. He knew what it would be like. Once the serving was done, the large pot was empty. They would make exactly enough for each person to have 3/4 serving. No more no less. The pantry rooms were locked and Mike had the only key. Nobody could sneak a midnight snack.

  They'd already fell behind because he didn't ration the first week. That put a dent in the stores. He scolded himself for making that mistake, but they were less than the maximum capacity and had a little more wiggle room for food.

  The food and water supply were not the only things locked up. A couple pistols for defense, a radio and some antidotes for various things. Though not for the latest one that forced them into the bunker in the first place. That’s what they were working on everyday, he assumed.