The Demon Dead (Book 2): Troubled Waters

by Arthur M Wyatt

  The demon zombie reared back to slam its fist into the glass. Before it could make contact the top of its head exploded and splattered the window. The zombies nearby were sprayed with blood and brains. The body of the dead demon crumpled to the ground.

  “What the hell,” Derek said looking over at John.

  John nodded toward Derek’s door window. “Look...”

  Standing three feet from the glass stood a zombie sailor with a bright green long sleeve shirt. In his hand was a large, two foot long, heavy steel torque wrench used to make adjustments on arresting gear wires. The end was covered in blood and gray matter.

  “It’s a gomer...” John said. “A green shirt gomer.”

  “What the hell is a green shirt?” Derek said.

  “They take care of the ships catapults and arresting gear on the flight deck,” John said.

  Another gomer high stepped up to the other and nodded. This one wore a yellow shirt.

  “And yellow?” Derek asked.

  “Aircraft handlers.”

  “No shit...”

  “Yep, no shit...”

  The yellow shirt gomer smacked the zombie standing in front of the windshield hard in the face, shoved it out of the way and turned to the zombies close by and growled. They backed away.

  The gomer stepped up to the windshield and looked back and forth between John and Derek. Finally his gaze fell on John and stayed there.

  “What’s he doing,” Derek asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  The gomer looked over at Derek again and back to John. He held up his hand, rotated it and gave John a thumbs up.

  “Whoa,” John said.

  “What?”

  “He’s telling me to start the engines.”

  “Well, start the damn engines dude,” Derek said excitedly.

  “Right...”

  John started flipping switches and checking gauges again.

  “We’re still tied down,” Derek said.

  “I know.” John said.

  When the engine started whining to life the green shirt gomer waited a minute and turned to the yellow shirt.

  With arms bent at the elbow he swung his arms apart with his thumbs extending outward.

  “What does that mean?” Derek said.

  John turned his attention away from the gauges and grinned. “Amazing...”

  “What?”

  “He’s signaling the other gomer to remove our tie downs.”

  “Yes!” Derek shouted pumping his fist. “Hell yeah! Gomers come through again!”

  John energized the aircrafts lights. Amy and the Rector, watching from the church tower, saw the lights come on.

  “They made it!” Amy said excitedly. “They’re in the helicopter.”

  “They’re not airborne yet,” the Rector cautioned.

  The two gomers set to work removing the remaining tie downs while John increased power to the engines. After a few more minutes he engaged the rotors.

  When the rotors started spinning the zombies surrounding the helicopter backed away.

  After what seemed like forever the yellow shirt appeared in front of the windshield again and gave John a thumbs up.

  “We’re good,” John said.

  “Are you sure?” Derek said.

  “We’re about to find out.”

  He gave the yellow shirt a thumbs up and a stiff salute. The gomer returned the gesture with a sloppy salute of his own. John nodded and lifted the collective causing the helicopter to rise free of the deck.

  “Hell yeah!” Derek shouted.

  John looked over at the ship’s island. The Buck Stops Here was painted in white letters on the side. Just as the aircraft cleared the superstructure the ship’s lights flickered and went out.

  “How’s that for timing?” John said.

  John maneuvered into a hover two hundred feet above the deck. Amy and the Rector watched closely from the church tower.

  “They did it,” Amy said pointing to the aircraft lights rising from the large dark shadow of the ship. “They really did it...”

  “We need to get to the street,” the Rector said. “Now!”

  They raced down the stairs to the balcony, collected Jimmy and climbed out onto the ledge. They made their way down the rope ladder and to the front gate where they had placed their belongings. They could hear the helicopter approaching. The rector unlocked the gate and opened it.

  “Here we go,” he said.

  Amy held Jimmy close as the three walked to the corner of the church. She removed four flares from the pack and readied them for use.

  “Don’t light them until they’re close,” the Rector said. “As soon as you do this area is going to be swarming with the dead.”

  Seconds later the sight of the helicopter with its blinking lights came into view several blocks away. John circled the church looking for the best approach. The sound of the helicopter reverberated off the buildings and shook windows.

  “Now,” the Rector said. “Light them.”

  Amy lit two flares while the Rector lit the other two. They placed one at each corner. As soon as the flares were lit, screams echoed through the streets. They looked at each other nervously. Amy checked her rifle and made sure the safety was off.

  John came in hot and brought the helicopter into a hover above the intersection.

  “Look,” Derek said pointing to the street a block away. “They’re coming.”

  Leading a mob of dead were two demons. The demons broke from the others and sprinted forward.

  “Get me into position to fire,” Derek said.

  John maneuvered the Seahawk so Derek’s side was facing the oncoming zombies. Derek opened the door and fired as John descended slowly. The two demons dropped instantly.

  It seemed to Amy to take forever for the wheels to touch down. As soon as they were on the ground Shanna opened the door. Amy ran for the helicopter pulling Jimmy behind her. The Rector stood staring at the church. He had mixed emotions about leaving.

  Shanna helped Jimmy in, directed him to a seat and reached for Amy. Amy crawled in and looked back to the Rector. The Rector was on the ground. He had fallen down and was struggling to regain his feet with the heavy bag still over his shoulder. Shanna jumped out of the aircraft and ran the twenty yards to him.

  She helped him up and headed for the helicopter again. Just as they reached the door the Rector screamed out for help. They turned to see him face down , clawing at the pavement and being dragged off into the darkness. Shanna ran after him.

  “Shanna no!” Amy shouted.

  Shanna followed the scream shining her flashlight in the direction the Rector had been dragged. There was only blood. Another demon’s scream pierced the air. She hurried to get back to the helicopter and reached for Amy when she neared the open door. Amy grabbed her hand and pulled.

  Before Amy could get her inside Shanna was jerked out of her grasp and pulled backwards into the darkness, screaming as she went.

  As she disappeared into the dark the scream became a gurgle and faded into the distance. The last Amy saw of Shanna was her eyes wide with fright and pleading for help.

  Amy collapsed to the deck. “No!” she screamed.

  Derek, who had gotten out of his seat to help, leaned down and grabbed her by the arm. “She’s gone,” he said. “There’s nothing we can do.”

  Amy didn’t move. She continued to stare out the open cabin door.

  “Amy!” Derek shouted again.

  Derek could see the terror in her eyes.

  He shook her again. “Amy get up!” he said.

  When he received no response Derek picked her up and placed her in the seat beside Jimmy. He grabbed a flashlight and directed the beam in the direction Shanna had been pulled. Derek looked for any sign of her. There was only a trail of blood.

  Out of the darkness loomed the angry face of a demon. It’s red eyes filled with rage and reflecting the flashlight’s beam, bore into his own then disappeared again into the b
lack night.

  As Derek reached for the door a body flew into the cabin, hit him in the chest and knocked him back against the bulkhead. He fell hard to the deck. When he opened his eyes, Shanna’s lifeless body lay beside him. Her dead eyes staring back, the flesh ripped away from her throat. Her head caved in on one side. Amy screamed in horror.

  Derek scrambled to kick the body out the open cargo door. The corpse tumbled out leaving a trail of blood on the floor.

  Derek stood and slapped John on the shoulder. “Go!” he shouted reaching for the door handle.

  John raised the collective lifting the helicopter into the air. When the aircraft was six feet off the ground it lurched to the right and dipped to one side. John fought for control. He could feel extra weight on the right side. Derek was thrown off balance and fell to the deck again.

  Bloody hands gripped the doorframe. A demon was trying to pull itself up and into the helicopter. Derek stomped at its fingers with his boot.

  John looked back to see what was happening and continued to lift the helicopter into the air. He pointed the nose forward and headed down Broad Street. Derek’s efforts to dislodge the demon were having no effect. He reached for his pistol.

  John headed for the old exchange building which sat right on the water. On top was a cupola rising fifteen feet above the roof line with a spire on top. John pointed the nose of the aircraft for the building. The demon, still clinging to the door frame, hung below the aircraft desperately trying to pull itself up.

  The helicopter tore down the street at rooftop level. The trip taking only seconds although it seemed like a lifetime to John.

  When they neared the old exchange building, he pulled back sharply to gain altitude. The aircraft rose then dove for the cupola. Amy screamed feeling herself become weightless. John winced. He knew he only had inches to play with.

  The demon’s body slammed into the spire where it was left impaled. The helicopter’s tail rotor cleared it by only a few inches. The downward trajectory taking the helicopter perilously close to the water. John pulled back leveling off only a few feet above the harbor.

  Derek cautiously approached the open door and looked down. The demon was gone. He slammed the door shut and sat down hard on the deck. Shaking his head he looked up at John. John gave him a thumbs up and turned his attention back to flying.

  They gained altitude and circled the harbor. John flew by the Truman again and headed out over the water. He turned North East and followed the coast line staying a couple of miles out to the sea.

  Shocked at what had just happened Amy sat beside Jimmy and hugged him tight. She was disappointed at herself. She froze and she didn’t know why.

  “I’m sorry,” Amy said as Derek knelt down beside her. “I froze. I was terrified.”

  “It’s ok,” Derek said.

  He made sure Jimmy and Amy were strapped in and climbed over the center control panel, not an easy prospect considering the pilot and copilot are supposed to enter the aircraft from the side doors of the cockpit, and took his position in the copilot’s seat.

  The moon, hanging low over the horizon to east, glistened on the water below casting an eerie purple glow.

  Derek stared at the shimmering waves. The face of the demon flashing through his mind.

  “Derek?” John said bringing him back from his stupor.

  Derek looked over at him. “They’re gone,” he said. “There was nothing we could have done.”

  “I know...” John said sadly.

  He looked back. Jimmy who was leaning against Amy. A tear glistened as it ran down Amy’s cheek. She stared into John’s eyes. The heartbreak evident on her face.

  John was surprised at the turn of events. Shanna and the Rector were there just a minute ago. He was also a little surprised that he wasn’t more emotional about it.

  Too much death... he thought.

  “That sucks,” Derek said. “I was beginning to like her?”

  John looked over at him and nodded.

  “Me too...” he said.

  They flew in silence for another ten minutes.

  Derek looked back in the cabin. “There are some supplies on board,” he said. “Enough food and water for three or four days.”

  “Good,” John said.

  “So what’s the plan?” Derek asked.

  “I don’t know. What do you think?”

  “I think we should go inland,” Derek said looking down at the ocean below. “I’m sick of these waters...”

  “Troubled waters...” John said banking the aircraft to the North West.

  John thought for a moment. “I have an idea.”

  “What’s that?” Derek said.

  “We should head for the foothills. Find some high ground. But, we need food and weapons. There’s a Army National Guard Armory in Laurens beside the small airport there. It’s on the way,” John said. “Amy and I passed it on our way down here. We can stop there and stock up on MREs, ammo and other supplies.”

  “Cool?” Derek said.

  “It has a security fence. Should be a safe place to land,” John said.

  “Then what?” Derek said.

  “Then we go find a place to live, away from everything, and settle in for a while.”

  Where?”

  “Somewhere that’s easily defended,” John said. “We’ll just have to search until we find it.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Derek said.

  They flew on in the dark. John could see Interstate 26 clearly below them and followed it toward Columbia.

  They flew over the capitol city which was cloaked in darkness. Amy tapped on John’s shoulder. Derek motioned for her to put on one of the wireless headsets hanging on the bulkhead. Amy put one on and leaned into the cockpit.

  “Can we fly over my Mom and Dad’s house please?” Amy asked.

  John looked back at her. “Yeah we can do that,” he said.

  They followed the Interstate until they came to Columbiana Mall. John banked over the charred remains of the once bustling retail center. Smoke no longer rose from the rubble.

  John turned on the search light mounted under the front of the aircraft. The roadway below was lit brightly as they made their way. As they neared the neighborhood Amy put her hand on John’s should and squeezed.

  The subdivision below was dead and dark. Bodies littered the street. John was glad to be in the air and not on the ground like they were the last time he laid eyes on the streets below.

  They saw a small group of dead a block ahead.

  “Look,” he said.

  “What’s wrong with them,” Derek said.

  Of the eight, six were on the ground trying to drag themselves forward. Several were missing limbs. The two still standing stumbled about. As they watched one fell to the ground. Its legs useless. All seemed oblivious to the aircraft hovering overhead.

  Finally reaching the house John brought the search light to bare on the front porch.

  Amy took a deep breath. “Oh my God!” she shouted. “John land now!

  Standing on the front porch of the house, head raised and barking furiously at the aircraft, was a little salt and pepper Schnauzer. John didn’t see the dog at first.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “It’s Spanky!” she shouted. “My Dad’s dog.”

  “Amy I don’t know if landing here is a good idea,” John said.

  “John,” she said sternly. “Land the damn helicopter. That dog is family. The only family I have left. Land...”

  Derek looked over at John. “Do it,” he said. “I got this.”

  Derek looked back at Amy. “I’ll get out and get the dog,” he said. “You wait here.”

  “He won’t come to you,” Amy said. “I have to do it.”

  “Derek you cover her,” John said. “Lets make it quick. I’m going to keep it light on the wheels.”

  John descended until the wheels touched down. The little dog continued to bark from the porch.

  Derek exited the c
ockpit door, rifle in hand, and slid open the cargo cabin door. Amy exited and hurried toward the house. Reaching the porch she knelt down and called the dog who ran to her and jumped in her arms.

  She was turning to leave when movement from the open front door caught her eye. She flinched expecting an attack but was surprised to see her Mother and Father emerge from the darkness of the house and into the brightness of the helicopters search light.

  She hugged the dog close and walked up to them. They stared back at her with gray hazy eyes. Her mother grunted once. Tears streamed down Amy’s face.

  Mom,” she said weakly. “I’m so sorry...”

  Amy’s words were met with a blank stare. She knew they were in there somewhere. Somehow she could sense it. She stepped closer and put her hand on her Mother’s arm.

  Amy smiled. “I know you’re in there Mom,” she said.

  Derek walked up behind her. “Amy we need to go,” he said. “We can’t help them.”

  Amy looked at Derek for a minute. “You’re wrong,” she said. “We can. We can help them.”

  “Take the dog and give me your pistol,” she said.

  Derek put the rifle over his shoulder, took the dog under one arm and handed Amy his pistol.

  “Take Spanky and give him to Jimmy,” she said. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  Derek headed back to the helicopter, climbed in and handed the little dog to Jimmy. Jimmy perked up immediately and grinned from ear to ear.

  “We told you we would get you another dog didn’t we?” Derek said.

  Jimmy beamed. Derek walked back to the front of the aircraft and waited for Amy.

  Amy stood face to face with her dead parent’s. They stared at each other for a moment.

  Amy told them she loved them. She choked hard to hold back the tears. She stepped back and flipped the pistol’s safety off.

  “Please if you’re in there give me some kind of sign,” Amy pleaded. “Let me know it’s ok.”

  She was amazed to see her Mother’s zombie reach over and take her Father’s hand.

  Tears streamed down Amy’s face as she looked into their eyes. She had the signal she needed.

  “I’m sorry Mom.”

  She raised the pistol and fired one shot into the forehead of each. The bodies crumpled to the concrete surface of the porch. Amy stood over them for a moment. She felt at peace.