by Tim Moon
When Ben turned back towards the truck, he was pleased to see that the way Anuhea parked the truck was hidden from street view behind the trees. Perfect cover from infected or prying eyes.
“Time to work,” he muttered to himself.
Slinging his rifle across his back, Ben strode to the tailgate to begin the gruesome chore. It was so quiet outside that when they walked, the crunch of the gravel sounded like firecrackers. Charlotte lowered the tailgate with a dull thump and Ben climbed in with the corpses. The ground behind the truck was covered in tall grass and weeds that sloped down to dense bushes and trees. It gave them plenty of room for all the bodies, even the ones they hadn’t moved yet.
Charlotte and Anuhea began tossing the loose pieces down into the bushes while Ben shoved bodies out of the back. After he had moved the first few there was room for Anuhea to join him in the truck. They used the same system he’d used with Chadwick. Grab them by the wrists and ankles, swing and let go.
When half the bodies were dumped, Anuhea called for a break.
“Good idea,” Ben said, hopping out of the truck.
“Not a bad day, all things considered,” Charlotte said, jerking a thumb at the corpses they had left.
“Too cold for my taste,” Anuhea said with a smirk. “Does it snow here?”
“Oliver asked the same thing.” Ben nodded. “Most winters we’ll get a little that doesn’t stick around long, but some years it’s like living in Montana again. We’ve had several feet before.”
“That’s wild. I’ve never seen snow in person before.” Anuhea had a wistful look.
“Really?” Ben asked, surprised.
Anuhea’s look turned serious. Her head tilted to the side.
Charlotte beamed at her friends. “I love a white Christmas. Snow on the ground, lights on the house-”
“Shh,” Anuhea said sharply.
Charlotte sputtered and was about to retort, when Ben held up his hand. He could hear it too, the faint sound of an engine growing louder. He cursed and unslung his rifle. It was close and getting closer.
“Take cover,” he hissed before rushing toward the trees and bushes that screened the truck from view.
Even if they weren’t spotted, Ben wanted to see who drove by. This brought their interactions with survivors in Vancouver up to two since arriving. He hoped it wouldn’t turn into a shit show like the night before, or like the gang in Hilo. That was not an experience he wanted to repeat.
Crouching behind a thick row of hedges next to the juniper trees, Ben watched a black car cruise down the long stretch of road. It came from the south; the same direction they had. That made him suspicious. On the other hand, it made the driver less likely to notice their truck.
Even so, nervous energy coursed through Ben’s limbs, making his palms sweat despite the brisk winter air. He glanced back to see where Charlotte and Anuhea had gone, but he couldn’t see them. No doubt they were hidden among the bushes, watching just as he was. He trusted them not to betray their presence.
A sense of calm rushed over him and he found an unbidden smile on his face. It had been a long time since he could rely on people with as much confidence as he had in them. They would have his back and he would have theirs.
He narrowed his eyes at the car. Why were they slowing down?
The car closed to a hundred yards. Ben patiently watched. He could see hands on the steering wheel but couldn’t see a face. The driver didn’t seem to be in a rush at all. There were passengers; that much he could tell. Someone stared out from the back seat, scanning all around. His face was tanned, whether by ethnicity or the sun he couldn’t tell, and he was middle-aged. Brown stringy hair and a scraggly beard framed his face.
Ben froze in place as the sedan cruised past his position. Could the people in the car be searching for them? Had their truck been spotted driving this way?
He raised his rifle, just in case.
A swirl of emotions churned in his chest as the car cruised by, its occupants unaware of his presence. He could snatch the life out of the passenger if he wanted to. The sight of living people, other than his group, made his heart leap even though his brain viewed them as a threat. Gritting his teeth, he wondered if they might be missing out on an opportunity.
No, he had to be cautious; overly-cautious even. He had Oliver to think of.
Footsteps on the gravel dragged his attention away from the passing vehicle. He whirled around, pointing his rifle at the source of the noise.
Charlotte halted and nearly tipped over. She raised her hands and looked at him in wide-eyed shock.
“Sorry,” Ben said quickly. He lowered his rifle and added, “Stay down.”
“Can you believe it?” she asked, crouching down beside him, her enthusiasm overriding her surprise.
“Part of me wanted to wave them down for a chat,” he said with a nod. “The other part of me wanted to shoot them.”
“Shoot them?”
“They could be a threat. They could be out hunting for us. We have no idea,” Ben said.
She just shook her head at him.
They watched the car in silence until it disappeared.
Charlotte stood, and Ben followed. His knees ached from hiding. His back was sore too. No doubt he’d feel it for a few days. He stayed by the trees and stretched out before walking to the truck. They still had a lot of work to do.
“Where’s Anuhea?” he asked.
“Watching the road in case anyone or anything followed the car,” she said.
Ben grunted. He hadn’t considered that another vehicle could be coming. Or they could have been leading infected who were attracted to noise and movement.
“Let’s get this finished so we can get the hell out of here,” Ben said. “Suddenly, this place feels exposed and if they come back this way they’ll spot us for sure.”
Anuhea joined them a few minutes later.
“Coast is clear,” she said as she rushed over to help them finish dumping the bodies. “I don’t think they’re coming back.”
“Fingers crossed,” Ben said.
All three of them rushed to shove the rest of the bodies out of the truck. When they had finished, Ben and Charlotte checked the road while Anuhea started the truck.
The drive back to the neighborhood was tense. Ben led them on a long, winding route while the others constantly scanned for pursuers. They were taking no chances.
A collective sigh of relief escaped them when Anuhea pulled up next to the vehicle barrier and stopped.
Home safe, Ben thought. For now.
72
The last of the bodies were stacked in the truck ready to be moved. Ben nodded as they reached a decision. They would find a new location to dump the dead. No point risking a run-in with people they didn’t know.
“That settles it then,” Ben said. “Good thinking, Charlotte.”
“Thanks,” she said, blushing a little.
Anuhea removed her gore-stained gloves and wiped sweat from her face.
“See you soon,” Chadwick said, giving them a wave.
“Yep, stay alert,” Ben said.
Chadwick gave a little salute and turned to limp back home as they pulled away.
Anuhea drove again, while Ben gave directions and kept watch with Charlotte. Before long they were cruising through quiet neighborhoods, past empty houses and abandoned businesses.
“Make a left. This is it,” Ben said after about ten minutes.
Anuhea slowly turned into the parking lot of John V. Romero Elementary School, which was north and slightly west of their neighborhood.
“This is where you want to do it?” Anuhea asked. An arm slid free at the deceleration and bumped against the rear window. It banged again as they went over a speed bump before coming to a halt in the parking lot.
“Yeah but go over there.” Ben motioned for her to drive close to the large dumpsters that were surrounded by chain-link fence and a grassy island, at the edge of the parking lot.
�
�There’s something wrong about this,” Charlotte said.
“Uh-huh. It’s kind of messed up,” Anuhea added.
“Kids aren’t in school anymore. No one is going to see the bodies. If anyone has survived this long, they’ve seen worse,” Ben said. “Trust me.”
Anuhea sighed and gave him a stern glance.
“I know, I know, dead people and schools aren’t a good mix,” Ben said, holding up his hands. “But we can either dump them and be done with it or we can drive around, increasing our risk, to find a more politically correct place to drop off these zombies. I vote for getting it done and going home.”
“All I said was it felt wrong,” Charlotte said, staring out the window.
“It’s not like I suggested putting them at the front door. I’m not a monster,” Ben said.
Anuhea and Charlotte shot each other a look. Ben ignored it.
After Anuhea backed up next to the dumpsters, they climbed out. Ben stretched to ease some of the tension in his lower back. Anuhea scanned the area and then prepared for their gruesome work. Charlotte went over to a light post and leaned against it as she stood watch.
“Hey, Ben,” she said.
Ben let go of the zombie he was dragging out of the truck and crouched down. “What is it?” he asked in a whisper.
With a frown, Charlotte shook her head. “Nothing like that. I was just thinking that since we’re at a school, we could pick up some books for Oliver.”
Ben stood up with a sheepish look that turned annoyed when Anuhea laughed at him.
“You’re awfully jumpy,” Anuhea said.
“Cautious is the word you’re looking for,” he corrected. Turning his attention to Charlotte, he said, “That’s a great idea.”
Charlotte grinned and turned back towards the street, holding her AR-15.
“Let’s hurry, there are only a few more,” Anuhea said, looking down from where she stood in the truck bed.
Ben made a face at her. She grinned.
He grasped the next body by the wrist and pulled. Anuhea gave it a shove with her foot, which helped build up momentum. A tiny wave of blood and other body fluids raced toward him in the grooves of the bed liner. The vile sludge dripped through the seam of the tailgate and splashed on the ground. He grimaced and pivoted to the side, letting the body fall the short distance to the others piled on the ground.
Ben looked down at the pile they were making and smirked. Whoever found these remains in the future, would have a hell of a time figuring out what had happened to them. All the heads were at the first dump site. Would they find the two sites and piece together the evidence? The thought was strangely amusing. If they didn’t find the heads, how would future archeologists explain this find? Would there even be archeologists in the future? Or a future at all? He hated to think that humanity might die off.
No, he thought with a small shake of his head. There would be someone left to reflect on the devastation caused by the Necrose virus.
If not an archeologist, then a forensic scientist would examine them, right? He sighed and reached for the next body that Anuhea pushed his way. Would anyone even care about more than a dozen bodies piled up in a school parking lot among the millions of dead nationwide? If there ever was a cleanup and rebuilding of human society, would it be worth taking the time to examine the remains? Or would they simply chalk it up to an act of survival and move on? How long would it take humanity to recover?
Ben often found himself going down these mental rabbit holes, especially when thinking about the future. So much was uncertain. It unnerved him.
“Infected,” Charlotte hissed at them as she ran over to duck behind the truck.
Anuhea dropped over the edge and leaned against the rear tire. Ben crouched and then bear-crawled behind the truck. He unslung his rifle and lay down near the edge of the tire, beside Charlotte. He watched a zombie lurch into view.
“We might have another one for the pile,” he whispered.
Charlotte frowned and held a finger to her lips.
Those lips, Ben thought. Despite the stench clinging to him from his gore-stained gloves, he had no problem imagining himself kissing her.
The zombie shuffled down the street, oblivious to their presence. Its head turned in their direction, but it never showed a hint of changing course. Three stragglers followed behind it. One was dragging a useless leg behind it; white bone gleamed against its black shirt and torn jeans.
Taking out the small group of infected would have been easy. It was tempting too, but experience had shown them that even a few zombies could draw the attention of others. Somehow there were always more lurking nearby. So, Ben and the others remained hidden until the last of them wandered out of sight.
“Okay, let’s finish this, check the school and get the hell out of here,” Ben said in a low voice.
To speed things along, Charlotte gave up being a lookout to help move the last few bodies. The truck bed looked gruesome. All manner of bodily fluids glistened against the bed-liner, with various bits of flesh and organs. A few teeth too, he noticed.
Swallowing hard to avoid gagging, Ben carefully lifted the tailgate and pulled the handle up, to close it quietly. Gore dripped down and splattered on the ground again. His nose scrunched even though he barely noticed the stench anymore.
With a little shake to make sure the tailgate was securely closed, Ben took off his gloves and threw them onto the grass beside the bodies. No amount of washing could save them. He jogged across the parking lot to catch up with his friends. Together they crept towards the building with their rifles up.
Anuhea motioned that she and Charlotte would check the front doors, which consisted of three sets of double doors. Meanwhile, Ben went to the side of the building to peer inside through the windows. A thin layer of grime coated the glass. He wiped it away with his coat sleeve and examined the interior of the school.
The main entrance opened into a large open room, like a massive foyer, with a tall ceiling. Student art work hung on the wall opposite the front desk and administration offices. It reminded Ben of his school. He could imagine hearing children’s voices echoing in the halls.
Letting out a heavy sigh, he examined the window for a way to open it but quickly concluded that it was a solid pane without a latch. Charlotte popped around the corner of the building, startling Ben, who quickly lowered his rifle.
“Stop it,” she snapped. “That’s twice today.”
Ben glared at her. “Don’t jump out at me, that’s how accidents happen.”
“The front doors are locked,” she said with an equally harsh scowl.
“I’ll go around this way and meet you two on the other side.” He adjusted the sling of his rifle. “If you find a way inside, get me before you go in, okay?”
Charlotte nodded and disappeared.
Ben continued along the perimeter, alternating between scanning the parking lot and road for infected and glancing in the occasional window. The classrooms were deceptively neat and tidy with no sign of either living or infected. There was no sign of destruction or death, other than what they’d left in the parking lot. If he didn’t know any better, Ben could almost believe that the students were home for winter vacation.
He came upon a side door, probably a fire exit. It lacked a handle and the door held firm when tried to pry it open. Hopefully, Anuhea and Charlotte would have better luck. He liked the idea of having actual school books for Oliver. Some drawing paper too.
One of Ben’s girlfriends in university had been an art therapy major and talked extensively about how such a simple thing could help kids cope with stress and trauma. Oliver had witnessed more trauma at his young age than anyone should in a lifetime. Ben would do everything he could to make sure Oliver grew up as well-adjusted as he could, given the circumstances.
After glancing at the street and their truck one last time, Ben walked around the corner to the back of the building. Off to his right were large fields and a track for sports. They even had a
small set of bleachers behind the baseball field.
Shit, he thought, staring at the empty fields.
Ben was going to have to teach Oliver how to catch and throw a ball. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to; Ben just wasn’t sure he was the best person to do it. He didn’t have a football or basketball, much less a baseball glove.
PE class, yes. If we get inside, I’ll go to the gym and see what they have.
A form suddenly bounded around the corner, making his heart race again. He brought up his rifle while stifling a yelp of surprise.
“Fucking shit,” Ben said when he saw it was Charlotte. “Stop doing that.”
“My bad,” she said, beaming at him. “We’ve found an open door.”
“I thought you were one of the runners,” he said.
“Sorry.” She briefly flashed a pouty face at him and then waved him over. “Come on.”
Ben scowled but nodded his acceptance and followed her around the building. They jogged over to where Anuhea was standing, holding a door open with one foot. To the side of the building was a large sand pit, a playground with two slides and almost a dozen swings.
“Nice playground,” Ben said, thinking back. “We never had that many swings.”
“Don’t be jealous,” Charlotte said with a smirk.
“I’ll do my best,” Ben said. “I’m almost surprised schools still have swings. Kids get hurt, parents sue, big lawsuits…”
“Hey, sunshine. Focus,” Anuhea said, holding her rifle at the ready. “Same tactics as clearing the houses, okay?”
Ben nodded and then pointed at Charlotte. “Close the door quietly behind us and then you watch our backs inside. When we go in a room, you stay in the hall. Don’t shoot unless you absolutely need to.”
“I know, I practiced with you guys. Remember?” she asked.
“Yeah. You were great,” Ben said.
Anuhea rolled her eyes. “Okay, no talking until we clear the place.”
