Contamination Box Set [Books 0-7]

by Piperbrook, T. W.

  He stared at her for a minute, letting the news sink in. Her eyes, formerly downcast, lit up with hope.

  “Do you think it’s real?”

  “It sounded real. I mean, there are no guarantees, but I think it’s the best shot we have at getting out of here.”

  Caddy glanced back at her mother, who was rocking in the recliner. She walked over to the kitchen counter and slowly placed her palms on the surface. Noah watched as she surveyed the room, studying each of the kitchen cabinets in turn.

  “All my life I’ve wanted to get out of here, but I never really thought it would happen. And now that everything has fallen apart…”

  She turned, still whispering so her mother couldn’t hear.

  “Where are we going to go, Noah?”

  “Well, it sounds like the evacuation point is—”

  “No, I mean, where are we going to go afterward? What if this thing keeps spreading and spreading?” Caddy looked at him, tears in her eyes. “It’s been hard enough keeping my mother calm in her own home. How can I take her on the road, away from the place she’s lived for twelve years?”

  Noah sighed. The girl had a point. Taking Theresa on the road would be difficult at best. Even if he didn’t take into account the infected, the road was filled with lunatics, people who seemed to have lost all sense of right and wrong.

  How would they keep her safe?

  At the same time, there was no way they could stay. Things weren’t going to get any better; he knew that much.

  “I understand how hard this is, Caddy. I really do. But there’s nothing left for you here. There really isn’t. All it will take is one of the infected getting in here and that’d be the end of it. And God forbid those looters come back.”

  Caddy covered her face with her hands.

  “I know you’re right,” she whispered. “But I can’t imagine taking her out there. It’s been so hard, you know?”

  “Maybe once the military gets things under control, you can come back. Maybe once things settle down…”

  Caddy let out a heavy breath, wiping her eyes. She gazed around the house. Her eyes settled on her mother.

  “I know this is the right thing to do. I just need a few minutes before I tell my mother.”

  Without another word, she walked from the room, eyes averted.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To pack.”

  16

  Noah stayed downstairs with Theresa while Caddy packed. For the most part, the upstairs remained quiet, but every once in a while he heard the dull thud of a closet door or the thump of a bureau.

  He knew enough to give her space.

  He couldn’t imagine the girl’s thought process. For the duration of Noah’s journey, his only consideration had been getting home. He couldn’t imagine having to leave home behind.

  His thoughts drifted to his apartment in Las Vegas. Had the infection spread there as well? With Kendall gone, he couldn’t picture ever returning. At the same time, all his belongings were there—his clothes, his music, his photographs. He wondered if anyone had happened on his apartment while he’d been gone.

  Right now, it was possible someone was hiding out there.

  If so, he decided he wouldn’t mind. He wasn’t using it, after all. If it could give someone else shelter, then so be it.

  He walked into the living room, where he found Theresa thumbing through one of her magazines.

  “Anything good in there?” he asked.

  She looked up at him. Her face seemed to have relaxed since the scare a few minutes earlier.

  “Not really,” she said, her lips creasing into a smile. “Just the same old garbage.”

  She placed the magazine on the floor and looked at him.

  “Are we leaving, Noah?”

  Noah stared at her for a second, then nodded. He wondered if the woman had heard them or if she’d put the pieces together herself. In any case, the last thing he wanted to do was lie. “Yes. Very soon.”

  “I’m going to miss this place,” she lamented. “Did you know that Caddy and I have lived here since she was six?”

  He shook his head, studying the woman. In the short time he’d known her, this was the most lucid he’d seen her. It was as if a switch had flipped inside her, prepping her for the journey.

  “That’s a long time,” he said. “It sounds like you’ve enjoyed it here.”

  “Caddy always loved the woods. We used to take walks all the time. But not so much anymore…at least I don’t think we have…”

  “Things have a way of getting hectic.”

  Theresa dabbed at her eyes. “I really appreciate all Caddy’s done for me. She’s been a big help.”

  “It certainly seems like it.”

  “Are you from around here, Noah?”

  “No, I’m from Portland. I’m hoping to get back there soon.”

  “That’s a long ways away. I’ll bet your parents miss you.”

  “I’ll bet they do.”

  Noah swallowed. In the days he’d been on the road, this was the closest his plans had come to fruition. He’d already traveled hundreds of miles. If he could survive a few more days, if he could get to the checkpoint, there was a possibility he’d make it home.

  His dreams were more tangible than ever. He walked over to the front windows, intent on peering outside.

  Quiet footfalls on the stairs interrupted him. He turned his attention to the staircase. Caddy had emerged from the second floor, a duffel bag slung over each shoulder.

  “I packed some things, Mom. We’re going to leave for a while.”

  Her mother turned to face her. “Thank you, honey. Noah and I were just talking about that.”

  “Is there anything special you want to take?”

  Theresa looked around the room. Her gaze stopped on a pile of framed pictures.

  “How about those?”

  “Of course,” Caddy said. She scooped them from the floor and placed them in one of the bags.

  Noah could see that Caddy had packed light. If there was one thing they’d both learned, it was that there was little room for sentimentality in their new world. In the heat of the chase, there were only two things that could be counted on: legs to run with and weapons to hold.

  There was no telling what they’d encounter on the way to the checkpoint.

  “I packed a few shirts for you, as well,” Caddy said to Noah.

  “Thanks. Hopefully, they’ll fit a little better than this one.”

  He pointed to the T-shirt he’d borrowed from her earlier, which clung to his arms and stomach. It was a size too small, and he’d barely squeezed into it. Regardless, he was grateful to have changed out of his beat-up purple polo.

  He pointed at the kitchen counter in the next room, indicating the pile of makeshift weapons.

  “Do you have anything we can carry them in?”

  “I have another bag we can keep them in. We can put it in the front seat.”

  Noah led the way into the kitchen, the two women behind him. The air was filled with silent apprehension. He could only imagine what must be going through Theresa and Caddy’s heads. Once they left the house, they’d be leaving the safety of four walls behind.

  He reached for the dried fruits on the counter. He was starving, and he assumed his companions were as well.

  “How about a farewell meal?” he asked, giving a thin smile.

  His companions nodded. He broke open the box and dumped the contents into their hands, then took a scoop of his own.

  “To new beginnings,” he said.

  Caddy and Theresa smiled, their eyes brimming with tears.

  “To new beginnings,” Caddy whispered.

  After a careful sweep of the ar
ea, Noah slung the bags over his shoulder and took them to the car, holding the rifle in one hand.

  Aside from the creature Caddy had mentioned earlier, Noah hadn’t seen any activity in the neighborhood. He just hoped they could depart without incident.

  As he walked to the car, the air felt calm and serene. If it weren’t for the wreckage and the bodies, he could’ve mistaken the neighborhood for a movie set, with cameramen filming from the shadows.

  The sun shone strong above him. Since he’d returned to the house, it had moved toward the west. Noah knew it would be wise to get on the road before nightfall. In the dark, they’d have to use the headlights, which would make them too easily seen. They’d be better off traveling in the daytime, when they’d have a clear view of the threats around them.

  His hope was to reach the checkpoint before dusk.

  As he threw the bags in the car, Noah glanced at the radio. When they got on the road, he’d check for the broadcast again. Even if it was no longer transmitting, he was positive of what he’d heard. The man’s words had been unmistakable.

  Nothing was going to stop Noah from leaving.

  Having loaded up the vehicle, he returned to the back door, ready to escort his companions across the lawn. Caddy and Theresa waited for him, their eyes filled with apprehension.

  “Come on, Ms. Stevens,” he said, holding out his hand.

  The woman took it while Caddy shut the door. Noah led her across the small walkway and into the yard. When she reached the grass, the woman glanced into the sky, soaking in the rays of the sun. Noah figured it’d been days since she’d been outdoors. With the constant threat of the infected, he assumed Caddy had kept her in the house.

  The three of them headed for the vehicle. Noah kept watch over the yard, expecting a swarm of infected to overtake them, but the property was quiet.

  When they reached the car, the three of them took one last look at the property. The rear wall was daubed with blood and gore, the grass stained crimson. Despite its present ugliness, Noah was certain the building contained a host of fond memories for its two occupants, and he was sorry to see it go.

  “Are you ready?” he asked the two of them.

  The women nodded.

  He opened the rear passenger door and ushered Theresa inside. She glanced through the front windshield at the house’s detached garage.

  “We should really repaint this thing someday,” she said, pointing to the weathered walls.

  “That’d be nice,” Noah said.

  He swallowed the lump in his throat and opened the driver’s side door. Caddy had already taken the front passenger seat. He slipped inside and closed the door, then started the engine. The doors locked automatically.

  Before switching the car into reverse, he flipped on the radio.

  He was greeted by static.

  There was nothing resembling a voice. Had the broadcast been turned off? Had it moved to another station?

  Noah fiddled with the knobs. With each rotation of the dial, he encountered only more of the same noise. He flicked the radio from AM to FM and back again, but there was nothing to find. He could feel Caddy’s eyes on him.

  He knew he hadn’t been hearing things. The broadcast had been there.

  “I know what I heard,” he muttered. “It was here…”

  He continued maneuvering the dial, shaking his head. Although neither of his companions had questioned him, he felt the need to justify his plan, to assure them their efforts wouldn’t be in vain. Either way, the decision had been made to leave.

  Caddy patted his leg.

  “We should probably get going,” she said. “Sooner or later those things are going to show up. I didn’t come this far to be somebody’s lunch.”

  He looked over at her and smiled. In the backseat, Theresa was still watching the sky, her eyes glued to the roving clouds and the sun.

  Noah removed his hand from the radio and put his hand on the shifter. The car hummed as it switched into reverse. He put his arm over the seat, backing down the driveway.

  He’d only gotten halfway down the driveway when he heard the gunshot.

  The crack echoed through the neighborhood, shattering the silence. Almost instantaneously, the rear windshield spiderwebbed, sending shards of glass into the vehicle.

  Theresa’s head bobbed forward, blood spraying from an exit wound in her forehead.

  Caddy screamed.

  Noah’s hand raced for the shifter.

  He couldn’t help himself, even though he knew the woman in the backseat was dead.

  17

  “Good shot, William,” Charles said, nodding at the boy next to him.

  The boy’s hands were shaking; his eyes were wide and glazed. He squinted as he peered over the sight of the rifle. The tan vehicle roared back up the driveway, tires screeching. Another gunshot rocked the room from Charles’ left. He looked over at the adjacent window to find Gary grinning.

  “Got the tires! They’re not going anywhere!”

  Gary gripped his rifle and continued to fire.

  The three of them—Charles, Gary, and William—were holed up in a two-story house across the street. After following the young man’s car back to the neighborhood, they’d parked the F150 in the woods and entered through a back window. For the past few minutes, they’d been keeping an eye on the house, waiting for its occupants to emerge.

  Charles had been right in his assumption. The kid in the vehicle hadn’t been alone. There were others with him.

  From now on, Charles would listen to his gut. And right now it was telling him these people needed to be smoked out and killed. The town was already overrun; the last thing they needed were more survivors to contend with.

  Besides, they had a score to settle with the young man. They needed to pay him back for what he’d done to Ronnie and Jose.

  Chester was theirs. If the son of a bitch thought he could hide out here, he was sorely mistaken.

  The young man fled the car; with him was a young woman of about the same age. Charles wasn’t sure if they’d just met or if they were related, but he made a mental note to find out before he killed them.

  A rifle shot cracked again from across the room. The bullet pinged off the vehicle. Charles looked over at his companion.

  “Hold your fire, Gary. Let’s take them alive. William wants the young man for himself.” He patted the boy on the shoulder. “Right, William?”

  The boy nodded.

  Charles had had his doubts about William, but he was already starting to prove himself. With the boy’s father gone, Charles knew he’d have to take him under his wing. He’d never had a son of his own. All his relatives had died or disowned him.

  The only person he’d ever been able to count on was himself. But now that the world was dead, he needed a few good men on his side.

  “Keep watching the exits,” Charles told his companions.

  The man and woman had disappeared into the backyard. By the looks of it, they’d escaped back into the house. But that didn’t matter. Charles was a patient man. The world had already ended, after all. He had plenty of time to spare.

  Gary and William leaned back from the windows and hunkered down against the wall. He smiled at them.

  They’d wait until nightfall, and then they’d take the survivors down together.

  18

  Noah slammed the kitchen door and replaced the wooden table that had barricaded it. His heart beat like a trip-hammer. His rifle lay on the floor. He’d barely managed to grab it before exiting the vehicle.

  Caddy furled and unfurled her fists, her face red and tear-stricken. In order to escape, Noah had pulled her from the car, wrenching her from the vehicle that had quickly become a death trap. She hadn’t spoken since the first gunshot.

  It seemed l
ike she was in shock.

  There was no way to reverse time. Theresa was dead and there was nothing either of them could do about it.

  After a few seconds of silence, Caddy erupted.

  “My mother!” she shrieked. “We have to go back outside!”

  Noah placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to keep her calm.

  “We can’t. They’ll shoot us.”

  “We can’t leave her behind!”

  “She’s gone, Caddy. I’m sorry.”

  Caddy’s eyes blazed and she held her hands out like claws.

  “This is your fault!” she screamed. “You convinced us to leave the house! We were safe here!”

  Caddy tried to push past Noah, reaching for the door, but he held up his hands to stop her. Her body collided with his. She pounded him with her fists, but Noah held his ground.

  “You son of a bitch! You killed her!”

  Before Noah could speak, Caddy raced away from him and up the stairs. He heard the thump of footsteps as she ascended, then the sound of a door slamming. Outside, the neighborhood had returned to silence.

  He strained his ears, but there was no evidence of their attackers. If the shooters were coming in after them, they were keeping quiet.

  Rather than chase after Caddy, Noah grabbed the rifle and stalked to the front of the house. He needed to assess the situation immediately. Somewhere out there, the shooters were waiting.

  He reviewed the chaos of the last few minutes, trying to gain a clue as to where the shooters might be. It had sounded like the gunshots had come from across the street.

  Was it the same men he’d encountered before? Had they followed him back from the truck? If so, he’d led them straight back to Caddy and Theresa. He knew he should have waited.

  He was to blame for Theresa’s death.

  He’d killed the woman, all for a box of dried fruit.

  Noah fought the urge to vomit. He staggered to the front window, choking down his bile, and peered between the slats in the wood. The street was lifeless and empty. He saw no extraneous vehicles, no men crouching between the properties.