Refuge From The Dead | Book 2 | Dead Summer

by Masters, A. L.

  He looked over at Peg’s still face, turned up to the ceiling. She breathed softly but gave no sign that she had heard what he said or cared. He refused to give up on her though and finished his thought.

  “Shortly after that she developed her first cancer. They did the treatments, and it pretty much destroyed any chances of her ever having a child. She lived for another twenty years. We were happy. I had always wondered if dealing with her death would have been easier if I had a son or daughter to share the grief.”

  He decided to get his last thought off his chest before going down to dinner with the others.

  “You want to know something terrible? This last week, I’ve been thinking a lot about that lost baby. I was thinking how fortunate it was never to have been born into this terrible situation. I can’t imagine losing a child to one of those things out there.”

  He got up and looked out the window.

  Peg’s room had a view of the far side of the lake, and parts of the woods behind the lodge. He watched the setting sun glimmer on the water, and realized he was at peace, or a version of it, for the first time in over a week.

  He wiped away a tear that had made its way out and turned back to Peg.

  He leaned down to Peg and kissed her gently on the forehead and squeezed her hand one last time. As he was letting go, he felt the very slightest caress of her finger against his. Perhaps he imagined it, perhaps not.

  He knew she was still here though.

  ◆◆◆

  Ed heard a knock on his door.

  “Ed? You in there?” he heard Cam call out.

  He finished tucking in his shirt and quickly buttoned his pants before calling for him to enter.

  Cam opened the door. “Supper in ten minutes, then we’re going to have a meeting afterward. I need everyone there that can be there. Angie, Peg, and Nick excluded of course.”

  Ed nodded. “I’ll be right down.”

  Ed left his room and went to Nick’s. He knocked quietly and opened the door.

  Bradley sat up from his bed and left his book lying face down on the blanket.

  “Is it time to eat?” he asked Ed.

  “Just about. I wanted to check on Nick before we head down.”

  Ed moved to Nick’s side. He was all tucked into his bed. His pale, gaunt face the only thing showing. Ed moved his hand to Nick’s forehead. Warm, but not hot.

  “You feeling any better, Nick?” he asked gently.

  Nicks eyes fluttered open, and Ed studied them.

  Was that a glimmer of color beginning to show through the cloudy film?

  He wasn’t sure. It could be a trick of the light. He didn’t want to say anything yet, not when he didn’t know what he was seeing.

  “How’s Peggy?” Nick rasped.

  “She’s about the same. I think it will just take her some time to heal, same as you. You rest now and we’ll come up and check on you again soon.”

  Ed patted Nick’s chest and motioned Bradley to the door. They walked out into the hall, leaving the door wide open, same as Peg’s. They met Jim and Monica on the stairs.

  Ed felt a tension there, between those two, but withheld his judgment on the matter. It wasn’t his business.

  “How are they, Ed?” Jim asked him, as Monica stepped to the side so they could pass.

  “Nick seems a bit better. Peg’s the same. How’s Angie?”

  He saw a brief shadow cross Jim’s face.

  “She’s healing. It’s only been a couple of days. We won’t know how much her injuries will affect her until she starts staying awake longer and moving around more.”

  He crossed his arms before continuing.

  “Cam and I will be staying with her in the suite. They’ve got a sofa bed in there. I’m guessing we’ll take alternating watches for a while. Cam’s probably going to bring it up tonight.”

  Ed saw a flash of something on Monica’s face at the mention of Cam…or was it Angie?

  Yet another mystery to be solved.

  “Well, I don’t know about you all, but I’m hungry. I haven’t had a proper meal in days, and I think Jessica’s been cooking up a feast in there.”

  Ed and Bradley moved down to the dining room.

  “Sure smells good,” Bradley said.

  Ed was surprised to find out a few days ago that Bradley was, in fact, a meat-eater. Just goes to show you can’t judge a book by its cover.

  They looked to the buffets and saw a variety of dishes placed on top, along with plates, cups, and utensils.

  Cam stood at the head of the table, clutching the back of the chair.

  “Something smells great,” Jack said, entering the doorway. Jonah tagged along behind.

  Thankfully, the cat was not invited.

  Jessica entered through the doorway carrying two pies in dishes. “That is your supper. I hope you like it.”

  Ed was certain that he was going to be gaining some extra weight, as long as Jessica was in the kitchen.

  “Let’s eat,” Cam said, voice brooking no argument, not that there would have been any.

  Jessica

  Jessica watched the others filling their plates and felt a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.

  She had managed a wonderful meal, thanks to the abundance of supplies and her mother’s teaching. One by one, they went to the table and sat to eat.

  “Ladies first,” she heard Jack say as he approached her with a plate in hand.

  She smiled a little at him and took a plate. She wasn’t very hungry but would get a little something.

  “You look nice this evening,” he said, filling his plate with Salisbury steaks, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and a wedge of cornbread.

  The green beans were from the freezer, but she managed quite well with them. Everything else was made from scratch. She loved cooking, and her mother’s recipes had been passed down the family for generations. Mostly Southern food, but some European and Scandinavian dishes of her heritage.

  “Thanks. I enjoy sitting down to nice dinners. I haven’t gotten to cook for a while, because of the outbreak thing. Even before that I didn’t really have anyone to cook for…just friends occasionally.”

  She ended her side of the conversation before she embarrassed herself further.

  He told her she looked nice, and she went and told him she basically had nobody in her life to care for.

  Great.

  “Sweet or unsweet?” she asked him, gesturing to the pitchers of iced tea.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Sweet, please.”

  She flushed and poured them each a glass of tea and carried them to the table.

  She was reading too much into it. It was only tea, for goodness’ sake!

  Everyone else had begun to eat, the room filled with the quiet clinking of cutlery and the sounds of birds chirping in the trees outside. It was like another world than they one they’d been thrown into one week ago.

  It was pleasant.

  She looked around the table. Cam sat at the head of the table, which seemed appropriate for his position in the group. Jim sat at the foot of the table, with Monica to his right.

  She happened to glimpse a small smile on Monica’s lips. Jim seemed tense, and he was very obviously avoiding her glance.

  The others filled in various places around the table. Jack sat to her left, next to Cam. She was all too aware of where he was.

  “Jessica, dear, this food is perfect. You got the seasonings just right, and I would know, I’m an excellent cook,” Jean said.

  Everyone chuckled.

  “Thanks, Ms. Jean,” Jessica said, sure her ears were bright red with embarrassment.

  “Just Jean, hon,” she insisted.

  Jessica nodded and snuck a glance at Jim who flashed her a knowing grin.

  She was glad they seemed to be enjoying it. The others were finishing up and getting their pie and coffee. She rose and went to the buffet again, this time filling plates for Angie, Peggy, and Nick.

  She made sure Angi
e had softer food. She hadn’t been able to manage anything but liquids, and Jess hoped she would try some potatoes.

  She turned to Ed, whom she liked very much. “Do you think Peggy will eat this?” She gestured to the plate of food.

  “I can probably get her to eat the potatoes and beans, maybe a bit of the chocolate pie. Thanks for doing this, Jess. Jean’s right, the food was wonderful. Just like my Brenda used to make.”

  She took the three plates and placed them on covered trays to be carried up later.

  Cam stood and drew everyone’s attention.

  “Everyone! Let’s get on with the meeting. I don’t want the others staying alone up there too long.”

  The others took their seats and he remained standing.

  “First, the rules. I think there should be guidelines in place. Just general things, so that everyone knows what is acceptable and unacceptable.”

  He looked around the table, most of them nodding.

  “Okay. Most important is this: Don’t put others in unnecessary danger. Think before you act. If you are given a task, do it well. Especially when it comes to security or patrols. Don’t cut corners. Don’t fall asleep on watch. I don’t think I need to tell anyone here the consequences of slacking off on security.”

  “That’s right. It is important,” Jim added. “When we get the watch schedule set up, it must be followed. You may not like doing it, but it is our number one priority right now.”

  “I agree,” Ed said, raising his finger in the air. “I’d like to volunteer for watches.”

  “Thanks, Ed. I knew we could count on you.” Cam said.

  “I figured I would have been voluntold anyway. Might as well go ahead and toss my hat in the ring,” Ed quipped.

  “You figured right,” Jim said, and everyone laughed.

  “Jack, we’ll need you to help out as well. You know the more people we have, the shorter the rotations are. It makes it easier for everyone,” Cam said, hands clasped in front of him on the table.

  “I’d be glad to help. I appreciate you all for coming to get us and giving us a safe place to stay here. I know you didn’t have to,” he replied, looking at them all.

  He caught the eyes of Jessica, Monica, and Jonah. “We’ll all do our part here.”

  Jessica nodded with the others. She was glad to do what she could, though she didn’t think Monica felt the same.

  Jessica had a feeling that Monica had expected Jim to come for her, and her alone. She crossed her fingers— figuratively speaking— that Monica would give up her pursuit of Jim and get along.

  “Next, I don’t want anyone going over to the mainland without permission from Jim or me. It’s not safe. Not only could you endanger yourself, but you could lead people back here to us. If you happened to get infected, you could infect others. If you got hurt out there, you could get people hurt trying to rescue you. Is that clear enough?”

  “Cam?” Jean raised her hand.

  “Yes?” Cam answered, waiting for her to speak.

  “When are you making another trip over? I want to go along. I think we need to go to the clinic nearby. Maybe hit that sporting goods store over near there?”

  “That brings me to another issue I wanted to bring up,” Cam paused for a moment.

  Jessica and everyone else waited for his next words.

  “The parking lot on the mainland has been overrun by the dead. We’re stuck here for the time being.”

  Chapter Four

  Wading Through Corpses

  Cam

  Cam opened his eyes and stared at the polished wood ceiling.

  After the uproar over his announcement died down, he had assigned watches to the men. Monica needed training and time before she could be trusted to carry out her duties faithfully.

  His watch ended three short hours ago.

  The sun would be rising soon, and he wanted to get an early start to the day. He had gruesome work ahead, and he didn’t want to put it off.

  He glanced over at Jim sleeping peacefully on the other side of the room. His feet hung over the edge of the pull-out sofa, and Cam grinned a little.

  Jim had taken his turn at watch before Cam and was able to get a solid five hours of sleep this morning. Cam was jealous of his ability to sleep peacefully.

  Cam hadn’t been able to since the first supply run, when the store was taken.

  He jumped up, jostling Angie as little as possible, and grabbed two civilian-style assault rifles from his new stash and took an ammo can. The can contained about a thousand rounds and was fairly heavy.

  He expected it to lighten up considerably by the afternoon.

  He was concerned that the noise would draw more in, but there was nothing to be done about it. They needed medical supplies, and they needed to make a run to the sporting goods store, which hopefully hadn’t been looted yet.

  He made his way downstairs in the dark, surprised to smell coffee brewing and bacon frying. He wandered into the kitchen and found Jessica cutting out biscuits and placing them on a pan.

  “Good morning,” he said.

  It came out deeper and harsher than he intended.

  Jessica jumped and her elbow knocked a steel bowl of flour to the floor, causing a loud ringing noise to echo through the kitchen.

  “You startled me!” she said, placing a hand on her chest.

  She bent down to clean up the mess. Cam hurried over to help.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to. It smells good,” he said nodding with his chin to the frying bacon.

  “Thanks. I can have your breakfast ready in a few minutes. How do you like your eggs?” she asked, turning back to put the biscuits in the oven.

  “Two, fried, over easy?” he requested.

  “You got it,” she said. She had actually smiled a little and looked him in the eyes.

  It was a definite improvement.

  “I’ll get my coffee and wait out here then. Thanks.”

  Cam made his coffee and walked out to the front porch. The sky was just starting to lighten. He still couldn’t see across the water yet. He hoped they had cleared out some before he went over.

  Fifteen minutes later, Jessica found him and set his plate and utensils on a patio table.

  “Thanks again, this looks great.”

  She began to walk away, but his words stopped her.

  “Jessica, you don’t have to slave over the stove all day to earn your keep. You can if you want, if you enjoy it, but some of the others can pitch in and help. Don’t think it’s all on your shoulders.”

  “Thanks, but I enjoy it. I’ll be sure not to overdo it though, Mr….? I don’t know what to call you, I’m sorry.” She looked at him.

  He took a bite and sipped his coffee. “Call me Cam,” he said simply. “Like everyone else does.”

  “That just doesn’t seem right,” she said.

  That puzzled him. Why wouldn’t it be right? That was his name.

  He needed to clear this up right now. He didn’t want her being scared of him, or nervous around him. It would get old real fast, especially if he needed to depend on her in an emergency.

  “Why not?” he questioned.

  “Because you’re in charge, and you are older. I don’t know…”

  She was embarrassed again.

  He never met someone who was so easily embarrassed, and who blushed so quickly.

  He chuckled. “Just call me Cam, please.”

  She seemed surprised at this change in his attitude. He supposed he deserved it, for the way he had been the last couple of days.

  “Well, I’d better go. Can you check on Nick again today? Tell Jim to radio if he needs me. I’ll be across the water.”

  He turned to go, but not before he saw her worried expression.

  He knew she was terrified of the dead.

  ◆◆◆

  Cam loaded one of the smaller, faster boats with his rifles and ammo. He added a case of water and a few MRE’s, and his axe. He found a sharpening stone in the camping
supplies they had brought from the store.

  It was cheap, but it would do until he could get a better one.

  He got his protective gear— in this case, a pair of fishing waders, gloves, a paint mask, and a pair of shooting glasses. It wasn’t a bio suit, but it was all he had.

  He jumped on the boat and fired it up, liking the feel of the engine.

  He pulled away from the dock at the side of the island and reached open water. The sun was rising, and the water was as smooth as glass. He could almost pretend to be enjoying a day on the lake for recreation.

  Almost.

  He smelled the wave of rotten flesh before he even got close to the shore.

  Some of the dead had wandered into the water and were splashing around up to their hips. He really hoped there weren’t masses of zombies hidden under the dark depths of the lake.

  That would really ruin his day.

  He cut the engine close to the nearest waterborne zombie and dropped anchor. He definitely didn’t want to drift in.

  He scanned the entire waterfront before deciding how to start. He supposed the water was already contaminated, at least over here, and hefted his axe over his head.

  He used the weight of the blade, and his momentum, to split open the head of the nearest unfortunate deader. His skull burst, momentarily exposing brain matter and viscous black fluid, before sinking slowly down into the water.

  Groans filled the air then, as if they had only just noticed their morning meal had arrived. They surged forward into the water, knees kicking up splashes and wetting their clothing.

  The surge caused a small wake to push toward the boat.

  “Damn!” Cam said as he grasped the side to steady himself. Going overboard would be a bad idea.

  He found his footing and lined up his next target. The axe fell, and another corpse fell with it. He continued, adjusting to the slight waves generated by the frantic dead. Every so often they would surge forward, he would dispatch them, and more would come.

  After two hours in the hot sun, he stopped and peeled off his gloves. He tossed them over the side, feeling a momentary pang of guilt for littering, and wiped his hands with some antiseptic wipes. He sat for a few moments of rest and chugged down some water. He had long since burned off his breakfast and ate a pouch from an MRE.