Ashley used her fingers to manipulate the map’s image on the phone. After a minute she said, “Okay, got it.”
“Great. Look ahead along our route. I think our best option would be to find a small hotel or something.”
“Kay. Let me see ...okay, have you passed Chamberlaine yet?”
“Yeah, just passed it a couple of minutes ago.”
“Okay. Next should be Auburn. After that is El Mirage. Exit there and there’s a small hotel on the right side of the highway.”
“Perfect.”
Serafina continued driving, her eyes scanning the road and areas on either side as she watched for signs of life. Off to the right, in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant, she saw what appeared to be an infected person atop someone, beating them savagely. Swallowing, she pressed on, knowing that it was too late for the victim. It also served as a reminder that they needed to keep their guard up. Danger was everywhere, in different forms, and if they didn’t remain vigilant, one or all of them could meet the same fate as the person in the parking lot.
Finally, they reached the El Mirage exit. She put her signal on, then watched in the mirror as Logan did the same. Reaching over, she nudged Daniel, waking him. “Sorry, honey, but we’re stopping for the night.”
Blinking Daniel brought his hand up and rubbed his eyes.
“Damn, I was out. How long did I sleep?”
“Not that long. Maybe an hour and a half.”
“Wow. It felt like longer.”
“You were really tired. Probably still are.” She slowed the vehicle to a stop at the stop sign out of pure reflex. There wasn’t another car in sight, and she hadn’t seen one in over an hour, but old habits were hard to break.
She pointed towards a long, single story structure ahead. “We’re stopping at the motel, there.”
Daniel looked at it and nodded. He leaned forward in an attempt to stretch out his back. Sleeping in a car wasn’t great for his back, but at least his mind felt a little clearer.
“Alright. How about we park off on one end and Logan and I will clear the place?”
Serafina nodded. “That’s what I was thinking.”
She drove the Prius into the parking lot of the motel, driving across the cracked asphalt until they were positioned at the near end of the building. The motel was old, with faded stucco and faded terracotta roof tiles. The windows had bars; something that would normally be a huge turnoff. In this situation, they were beautiful. Painted on the side of the building near the office were the words:
Desert Oasis Motel
A sign near the painted letters indicated the place offered ‘Free Cable TV’, ‘Free Continental Breakfast’ and a pool. The office was at the far end of the building. Like the other rooms, its windows were covered in bars. To the right of the office was a single vending machine, which sat inside a large metal cage.
Putting the vehicle in park, she heard Ashley waking up her sister and Isabella. Serafina grabbed her gun from the pocket on the car door and got out of the vehicle, followed by Daniel.
Logan stopped the Prius he drove next to them and got out. After a moment’s hesitation, he reached back into the car and withdrew his shotgun.
Daniel looked down at his Glock. Shrugging, he placed in his waistband behind his back, reached into their car and grabbed his shotgun as well.
“This our spot for the night?” Logan asked.
Serafina nodded, looking at the building. “Yeah. We’re far enough away from the city to expect some level of safety from the assholes that are running around shooting up the place, and we’ve got a pretty clear view in all directions.”
Daniel nodded. “It helps that this area is completely flat.”
“Yep.”
The girls and Paul gathered around them, listening in.
“What can we do?” The young man asked. Ashley, Brenna, and Isabella looked at Daniel and Serafina as well, waiting for instructions.
“Just stay here,” Serafina replied, looking at each of them in turn. “We’ll clear the place, then come back and get you.”
Paul looked away, disappointed. “I want to help.”
Daniel sighed, knowing the teenager was determined to prove his worth. He’d previously struggled to respond under pressure, but that was a thing of the past now.
“I need you three to watch after Isabella and each other. As a matter of fact,” he reached into his pocket and withdrew one of their walkie talkies. Passing it to Paul, he said, “Keep an eye on the roads and the areas around us. If you see anyone coming, let us know immediately.”
Paul took the radio and nodded. “Okay.” He seemed buoyed by the responsibility.
“Alright,” Daniel said, turning to the others. “Office first.”
“You don’t want to start here, at the closest room?” Serafina asked, pointing.
“Don’t feel like knocking. We can get the master key at the office.”
The three of them walked along the front of the building, looking towards the windows as they passed each room. The shades were drawn on almost every one, with only two exceptions. Looking through the dust-covered glass, they were able to determine those rooms were empty. It made sense. If anyone was there, they’d be hiding from the world, either from the infected or from the lawless.
When they reached the office, none of them were surprised when they found the door to be locked. Motioning for the other two to stay back, Daniel knocked softly on the door, then leaned in, listening. After about thirty seconds, he pulled back and walked a few feet away. The others joined him.
“Don’t hear anything inside. Might be empty.”
“Let me check something,” Logan said, before turning and walking back to the door. He shielded the door from the late afternoon sun, then used a flashlight to look along the edge of the door where the lock would be engaged. After a few seconds, he pocketed his flashlight and walked back over.
“Only the doorknob is locked. The deadbolt isn’t engaged.”
Daniel smiled. “Great.” He took a step forward before Serafina reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him.
“Wait.”
“What is it?”
“Let’s think about why that is. If they were bugging out, they’d lock the deadbolt, right?”
“True,” Daniel said, nodding.
“But if they were inside, hiding, they’d lock the deadbolt, too.” Logan offered.
“Something seems off.” Serafina said, looking towards the office.
“You know,” Daniel started, turning his head to follow his wife’s gaze, “if the clerk was only leaving for a second - or what they thought would only be a second - they probably wouldn’t bother locking the deadbolt.”
“Which would mean the clerk is somewhere in one of these rooms.” Logan said, looking around warily.
“But that should also mean the office is empty.” Serafina finished.
Daniel looked back towards the office, then past where they stood, looking down towards the other end of the building, where the kids waited.
“Alright, someone has to be watching the other rooms at all times. We can’t have some of the infected come rushing out of the rooms and going after the kids.”
“I’ll do it.” Logan offered.
“K. How about you position yourself in front, near the center of the building, so you can respond quickly?”
Logan gave him a mock salute. “Yes, sir.”
Daniel sighed. “Really?”
Logan grinned before turning away. “Just fucking with you.”
As the Combat Medic walked away, Daniel walked over to the office door and squared himself in front of it. Lowering his voice, he looked at his wife. “Okay, on three. One...two...three!” He lunged forward, driving his right foot at the section of the door closest to the door knob. It was a move he’d seen on TV many times but had never tried. It worked perfectly, breaking the door enough to force the doorknob’s locking mechanism out of its position. The door flew open, slamming
against the wall. Daniel was inside immediately, his shotgun aimed in front of him as he entered the small, dark space.
A counter was directly in front of him. Behind that was an empty chair. On the counter was a ledger, a bell, a small TV, a dead houseplant in a chipped yellow vase. To the left of the counter was a calendar, with days crossed out on it. The last day crossed out was five days ago.
Pausing where he was, Daniel glanced towards the window. Locating the string to the blinds, he pulled the cord, raising the blinds to the top, letting light into the space. Stepping forward, he moved to the counter and pointed the shotgun over the top of it, aiming towards the area behind it. It was empty, save the faux leather chair with the duct tape over its cracked surface, and a small mini fridge on the floor in the corner. On the desk below the counter, a half-filled cup of coffee was growing mold.
Lowering his gun, he looked back outside and nodded at his wife. She relaxed visibly, exhaling before stepping into the room.
Daniel walked around the counter and opened each of the drawers on the desk until he found a series of keys on a ring. There were at least fifteen in total, and since he counted thirteen guest rooms, he felt confident the ring held a key for each one. Looking closer, he noticed numbers had been manually scratched into the face of each key. He was turning away from the desk when he paused and looked back at the fridge. Reaching down, he opened the door.
The smell of rotting food assaulted his senses, making him blink. Reaching past the decomposing sandwiches, he grabbed the sole can of soda inside and quickly closed the door.
“Jesus,” he muttered, looking back at his wife.
Serafina’s nose crinkled. “That was nasty.”
“No kidding.” He held up the keys. “Let’s do this.”
Exiting the office, he pulled Serafina aside. “Okay, when we open the rooms, I want you to stay against the wall to the left, reach around and use the key to unlock the door. I’ll keep the shotgun on the door at all times. Anything happens, dive forward and to my left. Once the door’s unlocked, turn the knob and push it open, then move aside. I’ll clear the room.”
“Okay.” She took the keys from him, then looked towards the first room. It didn’t have a number. “You know, this might be the room the manager uses.”
Daniel nodded. “I didn’t even think of that. I’ll bet you’re right.”
Serafina walked to the door, then positioned herself against the wall as Daniel had prescribed. Reaching around, she inserted the key into the doorknob and unlocked it. Changing her grip, she turned the knob and threw the door open as Daniel stepped forward with the shotgun.
The smell of death flowed out of the room, making Daniel wince as he forced himself forward into the space. Inside the dark, dingy room, the bedding was thrown on the floor in a heap. The television’s old tube screen was broken, caved inward and covered with blood. Drawers had been removed from the dresser and thrown, most of them broken and lying at the base of the wall. The lamp in the corner was on the ground, its shade crumpled and torn.
At the back of the room, a pair of feet protruded from the entrance to the bathroom.
Keeping the shotgun at the ready, Daniel glanced at the window and spotted the cord to pull back the drapes. He grabbed it and pulled on it, dragging the heavy cloth to either side of the window, allowing more light to enter the space.
Reaching down, he pulled the collar of his shirt up over his mouth and nose in a feeble attempt to block out the rotting smell of decomposition before entering the room. Carefully stepping over the bedding, he made his way back to the bathroom.
When he reached where the body was, he didn’t need to get any closer to determine the man was dead. Just beyond where the man’s bloodied head lay, a chunk of the porcelain toilet had been broken away. Dried blood covered the floor around the man’s head. The smell of urine and feces accompanied the smell of flesh rotting in the summer heat of the desert.
Backing away, Daniel looked around the room.
What had happened here?
The door had been intact when Serafina unlocked it, so no one had forced their way in. If the man had let someone in, not knowing they were infected, it seemed completely unlikely that they would lock the door on the way out. Looking back down at the man, he wondered if the man had done it to himself.
What a terrible way to die.
But what if the man was infected himself? Was it possible that the man had gone crazy, destroying everything in sight? Yes. Was it possible that the man had been unable to get out of the room?
He walked to the door and looked at the inside surface. There were scratches, lined with blood, along the length of the door.
Another strong possibility.
Looking towards the window, he wondered if the closed drapes had made the surface appear like part of the wall to the infected. At this point, it didn’t seem that far-fetched. Obviously, something was affecting their cognitive skills. To assume that it made simple tasks challenging to such primal beings wasn’t a stretch.
Shaking his head, he walked back out of the room, closing the door behind him. Outside, he pulled down his collar, enjoying the unspoiled air as he told Serafina what he’d found and deduced.
“Damn,” she said, shaking her head.
“I know.” He looked back at the room, shook his head and took a deep breath. “Alright, let’s move on.”
The next two rooms were empty of people, but had evidence that they’d been occupied recently in the form of clothes, luggage, and used towels. Daniel vowed to come back and check to see if there was anything of use in the luggage left behind.
Reaching the next room, Serafina was moving towards the door when something slammed into the door from the inside, rattling it in its frame and startling her. She stepped back, dropping the keys as she lifted her gun. Daniel stepped forward, shotgun at the ready as the door shook again and again from the force of repeated battering. As they watched, a crack appeared in the door, surprising them both.
Keeping the gun trained on the door, Daniel felt sweat running down his back as he watched the crack splinter outward, growing in size until a small opening appeared. They could growls and screams of rage as the pounding continued, sending bits of wood flying away from the door, out onto the small sidewalk in front of the room. A hand burst through the door, straining to reach them from ten feet away.
Another scream.
More pounding.
The hole grew in size, allowing more of the arm to reach outwards. The fingers on the hand were caked in blood, reaching and clawing towards them.
Daniel stepped forward, closing the gap to five feet.
“Daniel, don’t…”
The screaming intensified before more of the door flew outward, creating a two foot hole in the center of it. The enraged face of a man appeared in the hole.
Daniel stepped forward again, bringing the shotgun with two feet of the hole and pulled the trigger.
The gun boomed.
The face disappeared.
The pounding stopped.
They cleared the remaining rooms without encountering any other infected, but did find more bodies. There was a woman in one room who had died in a manner similar to the motel manager, having fatally injured herself by shattering the mirror in her bathroom with her head. In another room, a couple had died of apparent joint suicide, laying on the bed with an empty prescription drug bottle between them. The final discovery of the day rocked the both of them to their core, making them question whether or not a God actually existed.
The terrible simplicity of it only made it worse.
Entering the room, Daniel saw a travel crib in the corner. Moving past it, he made his way to the bathroom, where he found what he assumed was the child’s mother, slumped over on the toilet, the back of her head splattered against the tiled wall behind her. A gun lay at her feet.
On the mirror, the woman had used her own blood to write:
I DON’T WANT TO HURT MY BABY
&nbs
p; Glancing back at the woman, he saw a massive bite mark on the woman’s upper shoulder. Backing away, Daniel made his way to the crib on wooden legs, knowing what he’d find, simultaneously afraid to find it.
The small form of the maybe six-month-old baby was there, withered and desiccated, it’s face still caught in the scream it had released as it cried out in hunger, calling for its mother.
Stumbling outside, Daniel collapsed to the ground and wept.
When Daniel had recovered from his discovery, he, Logan and Serafina walked to the backside of the motel and found a small table and chairs near the green and algae filled pool.
Returning to the cars, Daniel and Logan drove them closer to the pool area while the others walked there. Together, Serafina and the kids prepped dinner while Daniel and Logan cleared the rooms they’d use and checked the belongings that had been left behind for anything of value. They found little other than clothes and toiletries, but it was something.
Walking back towards the office, Daniel had a thought.
“Wait,” he said, pulling out the ring of keys from his pocket. Looking at them closely, he found two that read, “SM”.
He tried the first one on the lock to the cage. When it didn’t work, he tried the second. The lock clicked open. The door groaned as he pulled it open all the way. Bringing up the other key, he unlocked the front of the machine and swung it open as well, revealing dozens of cans of soda.
“This will be a treat,” he said, grabbing handfuls of them and holding them against his chest. Logan followed suit, grabbing different ones than Daniel had. Together, they returned to where the others were, smiling proudly at their discovery. Their pride had not been misplaced. Everyone reacted in excitement at their bounty, reaching for the cans.
A hot (okay, warm) meal and a soda (warm as well) was a decent end to a long day of traveling.
After dinner, they picked three rooms, putting the girls in the middle, Logan and Paul on one side, and Daniel and Serafina on the other. Daniel handed out watch assignments, taking the early morning shift since he knew he’d be up early anyway. Tired and road-weary, they headed to their respective rooms, eager to get a good night’s sleep.
Surviving Rage | Book 3 Page 12
