Contamination Box Set [Books 0-7]

by Piperbrook, T. W.

  The thought that John had been taken away didn’t seem real. It was as if he’d magically appear next to her, ready to continue to Abbotsville.

  She stared out the window, her brain barely able to process the surroundings.

  A few times, she spotted creatures roaming in the grass in the setting sun, like animals that had been freed from captivity, grazing in the wild. In just a week, the world had passed from the governance of man to the oversight of the infected. Somehow she’d accepted that.

  But how could she accept this?

  Quinn had stopped crying, and she lay silently in Meredith’s lap, as if she’d expended the last of her strength. Meredith thought back to the chopper she’d seen, to the expression of hope on John’s face. They’d shared that hope together.

  She couldn’t let it die with him. She needed to press on.

  She gritted her teeth and drove. They’d already backtracked several miles. But Abbotsville wasn’t far. When they got there, they’d find help. She repeated that mantra in her head, pushing the pickup truck harder. She needed a goal. Something to take her mind off what had happened.

  Soon she’d reached a cut-through road, and she veered down it, slowing just enough to make the turn. The tires keened as she changed direction. A few more houses flitted past.

  Quinn sat up.

  “Something’s wrong, Aunt Meredith,” she said, pointing at the console.

  Meredith glanced at the dash. The truck was lit with the glow of emergency lights. Although Meredith didn’t understand all of them, one of them stuck out to her: “Check Engine.” Quinn was right.

  “Crap. Not now,” she whispered.

  The vehicle slowed. Meredith pumped the gas pedal, but nothing happened—the engine had ceased. She wrenched the steering wheel, barely muscling the vehicle onto the shoulder as it coasted to a stop.

  All at once, the area was consumed by quiet. Without the hum of the motor, the landscape seemed deathly still. The truck’s lone headlight burned into the darkness. Meredith glanced at the side of the road, certain the shadows would reveal the dripping mouths of the creatures, but the landscape was dark and impossible to discern. The wind kicked up from behind them.

  Meredith tried restarting the engine, but the key clicked uselessly in the ignition.

  “Dammit,” she whispered.

  “What are we going to do, Aunt Meredith?” Quinn stared at her with frightened eyes.

  Meredith glanced at her companions in the truck bed, who were already aiming their guns at the dark fields.

  “I don’t know, honey,” she said. “I just don’t know.”

  24

  Dan stood with his hand on the lip of the opened hood, Tim next to him. They’d located a flashlight in the vehicle’s glove box, and they shined it over the engine. Quinn stood nearby, clutching Meredith. Meredith was silent and somber.

  They tried starting the vehicle several more times, but it wouldn’t turn over. When they looked underneath the car, they discovered fluid leaking in several places. The vehicle must’ve been damaged in their run-in with the creatures.

  “I wish one of us was a mechanic,” Tim murmured.

  “I know enough to get by, but this is beyond me,” Dan said. “Even if I knew how to fix it, I’m sure we’d need parts, and I doubt I’d be able to do anything in the dark.”

  Dan took a step back, canvassing the area. The road was deserted. Grassy, unkempt fields surrounded them in all directions. Despite the quietude around them, he couldn’t help but picture the horde they’d just escaped. He looked over at Quinn, remembering her asthma attack the night before.

  She’d been fine since, but her medicine was gone. It’d been stolen with the SUV.

  What if something triggered another attack?

  “As much as I’d like to make it to Abbotsville, I think we need to find a place to stay. It’s too dangerous to walk out here at night,” Dan said.

  His companions nodded in agreement.

  “I spotted a house not too long ago,” Meredith offered, her eyes distant. “It looked empty.”

  Dan sighed. “Okay. Let’s grab what we can and get moving. Hopefully it won’t take long to get there.”

  They searched the pickup in silence, looking for anything they might be able to take, but aside from the flashlight, the pickup contained only trash. Dan closed the door and locked the vehicle, just in case. Then he shut off the flashlight, letting his eyes adjust to the dark.

  “I’m going to keep the light off so we don’t attract any attention,” he said. “Let’s keep the noise to a minimum.”

  They trekked down the road, shoulder to shoulder, maintaining a buffer zone from the surrounding fields. Dan kept his pistol drawn; Tim held their remaining rifle. Ernie padded beside them. The aura of fear was worsened by the loss of their companion, and Dan couldn’t help but feel guilt at what had happened.

  There must’ve been something he could do. Some way he could’ve prevented it…

  Dan ran the details in his mind several times, as if to change the situation, but there was no way to reverse it. John was gone. He’d only known the man a few days, but the man had already become a good friend.

  After walking for a while, Ernie slowed his gait, and Meredith scooped him up. Dan felt for the animal. It’d been a long day, especially for a dog with short legs. Hopefully, their trek would be brief.

  The moon was bright and full, casting a glare over the road. Shimmers of light danced off the fields around them, illuminating the tips of grass and the lines painted on the road. The air filled with the hum of insects. Dan no longer trusted their surroundings, especially when he could hardly see them.

  Something shifted in the grass to their right.

  Dan swung his pistol toward the noise. Meredith and Quinn drew closer together, sandwiching themselves in the middle of the group. Tim walked a step ahead, training his rifle on the sound.

  “What was that?” he hissed.

  Another noise rustled to the left. The group swiveled, and Quinn let out a startled cry. Ernie adjusted in Meredith’s arms. Dan scrutinized the shadows on both sides of the road, his heart stammering. He glanced behind them, but the truck was out of view. There was nothing ahead of them, nowhere to run. No sign of the house Meredith had spoken of.

  A creature burst from the grass. It clambered forward on hands and knees, headed for Dan. He kicked it in the head, feeling its face cave beneath his boot. The thing continued groping for him. He stomped it again, grinding its face into the pavement. Movement grabbed his attention.

  Another two creatures had emerged from the other side of the road, crawling in similar fashion. The grass was alive with movement.

  “Save your bullets!” Dan screamed.

  Tim charged at the creatures, knocking them back with the butt end of the rifle. Another creature emerged near Dan, but unlike the first few, this one was on its feet. It clambered on unsteady legs, a shadow in the dark. He kicked it in the knees, sending it toppling over, avoiding its outstretched hands.

  Another creature appeared behind them. Quinn screamed. It had gotten hold of her leg. Dan lunged to save her, but before he could get there, Meredith bashed it with her foot, Ernie still in her arms. The thing crumpled to the pavement. She grunted as she delivered another kick to its face. Several of the things were still moving, slithering like snakes on the pavement. There was more activity in the grass.

  They’d never be able to fight them all. They had to flee.

  “Run!” he shouted.

  The group flew down the road, shoes clomping the asphalt. They heaved thick, heavy breaths as they dashed down the street. All concern for noise had been cast aside, outweighed by the need to get to safety. Dan scoured the landscape, but saw no sign of the house. He glanced over his shoulder, making out a band of jag
ged silhouettes, a legion of creatures that looked like they’d crawled from hell to take them. He could still hear the scrape of their limbs as they pulled themselves along the asphalt. As frightening as the creatures were, they were slow, incapacitated, and after the group had run for several minutes, the ululations faded.

  Dan and his group slowed, exhausted and gasping for breath. They approached a turn in the road, and finally, staring into the night, Dan saw a looming shadow.

  “That’s it!” Meredith hissed, pointing at the landscape ahead. “That’s the house!”

  The building was little more than a dark mass on the horizon. As expected, there were no lights. They kept a brisk pace until they reached the property, still wary of the fields around them.

  When they reached the house, Dan decided to go in first while the others waited outside. There was no sign of the creatures they’d left behind. It seemed as if they’d lost them in the night. He walked onto the porch and tried the door. It was unlocked.

  He nudged it open.

  “Wait here,” he instructed.

  Although he’d brought the flashlight, he didn’t turn it on until he’d gotten inside. To Dan’s surprise, the house was in decent shape. The doors and windows were intact; the interior was clean and uncluttered. Dan searched each room, envisioning danger at every turn, but the house was empty. On the kitchen table, he found two place settings—plates, knives, and forks that would never be used. A pot of water sat on the stove, filled with half-cooked pasta. The water was yellow with starch. Perhaps the occupants had been surprised during dinner. Either that, or they’d decided they were no longer hungry.

  Upstairs, Dan found a Bible lying on a bed and an impression of someone’s body on the blankets. What had happened to the house’s occupants? Were they dead? Infected? He contrived a slew of scenarios, but drew no conclusions. It was as if the owners had vanished, leaving only traces of their existence behind.

  For a brief moment, he thought of his own home in St. Matthews. When he closed his eyes, Dan could still picture the layout of the rooms—the position of the furniture, the color of the carpets, the keepsakes they’d hung on walls. His wife’s dead body on the dining room floor. He forced the thought from his head and finished his inspection.

  When he’d completed his walk-through, he returned to the front door and peered through the threshold. Meredith, Quinn, and Tim were waiting expectantly.

  “All clear,” he whispered. “Come on in.”

  He beckoned for the others to follow. The group immediately started looking for objects to protect the windows and doors, as if they’d been running the drill for years. Without a word, tables and chairs were turned into barricades, household items were stacked, and shades were drawn. Dan assisted Tim in pushing the refrigerator in front of the rear door. When they were finished, the group paused for breath.

  Despite the ghostly aura of the home, Dan was happy there were no bodies to contend with, at least.

  “Did you find any weapons?” Meredith asked.

  “No. But we should double-check the closets and drawers.”

  The group worked systematically from room to room, rummaging quietly through the occupants’ belongings. They found no guns, but they located several flashlights and candles, as well as a few kitchen knives. When they’d finished, they regrouped in the living room.

  “Don’t use the flashlights unless you have to,” he warned.

  “Where do you want to sleep?” Tim asked.

  “There are a few bedrooms upstairs,” Dan said.

  “I doubt I’ll be able to sleep. Maybe I’ll keep watch,” Meredith replied.

  The group stood in somber silence. Although no one spoke, it was evident John was on each of their minds. Meredith broke the quiet with a sniffle.

  “I’m sorry, Meredith,” Dan said. He found her in the darkness and embraced her. Quinn made her way to the group and wrapped her arms around them both. He could hear the little girl crying softly.

  “We’re going to make it,” Dan said. “We just have to keep going. That’s what he would’ve wanted us to do.”

  After a few minutes, the group disbanded. Meredith and Quinn wiped their faces.

  “I’m going to head out at first light and try to find a vehicle,” Dan said.

  “Alone?” Tim asked.

  “That might be safest.”

  “With all those things out there…?”

  “I’ll be fine. I’ll head in the opposite direction. If anything goes wrong, I’ll hightail it back here,” Dan said. “I don’t want Quinn out there any more than necessary. Not with her asthma.”

  “I’m feeling fine, Daddy,” she said.

  “I don’t want to risk it.”

  “Understood,” Tim said, but Dan could sense his uneasiness. “I’ll come with you, if you’d like.”

  Dan glanced at Meredith, who was little more than a shadow in the flashlight’s glow. “Are comfortable staying here with Quinn?”

  “That’s fine. As long as I have a weapon.”

  “I’ll leave you my rifle,” Tim suggested.

  “Sounds like a plan. Hopefully we’ll find a vehicle nearby,” Dan said. “Then we’ll drive back and head to Abbotsville.”

  Meredith was still composing herself.

  “There was nothing any of us could do,” Dan reiterated, pushing aside his own doubts. “Now let’s try to get some sleep.”

  Dan undid the sheets and helped Quinn into bed. She’d chosen the upstairs bedroom, the one with the Bible on the bed. He’d already checked the pillows to ensure they weren’t made of feathers.

  The bed was only a single, but he found some spare sheets and another pillow in the hall closet. Under protest, Tim took the master bedroom. Quinn had chosen this one, and Dan hadn’t wanted to argue. Her day had been tough enough already. As strange as it felt using someone else’s belongings, Dan gotten used to it at the Sanders’. If the occupants of this house were still out there, he hoped they wouldn’t mind.

  As soon as Quinn was settled, he shut off the flashlight.

  Dan lay on the floor and closed his eyes. Visions of the day’s events swirled in his head. He saw the family at the barn: the father’s face filled with anger and fear, the woman and the boy watching them as they got into the SUV. Then he saw Jed and Marvin hacking away at the bodies of the infected. Lastly, he saw John’s body, mangled and buried in a scrum of the infected.

  Quinn’s voice jarred him from thought.

  “Daddy?”

  “Yes?”

  “Can we read for a few minutes?”

  “You want to read?”

  “Yes, for a few minutes before bed. The way we used to.”

  Dan was quiet for a minute. He recalled what he’d told the group downstairs. Don’t use the flashlights unless you have to.

  “We have to keep the lights off, honey. I’m sorry. We might attract the creatures.”

  “We can put the flashlight under the covers, and no one will see it. I’m having trouble sleeping.”

  Dan sighed. He recalled the visions that’d plagued him a minute earlier. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to sleep, either. Not after the day they’d had.

  “Okay,” he conceded.

  Though he couldn’t see Quinn’s face, he envisioned her smiling. He crept from the floor to the bed and took a seat next to her. Then he pulled the covers over their heads and flicked on the flashlight.

  “What do you want to read?” he whispered.

  He noticed Quinn already had the Bible in her hands and was thumbing through it. The pages were filled with highlighted passages and handwritten notes. The writing was in neat cursive, reminding him of his grandmother’s. He’d always been close to Nana Lowery. Quinn had never met the woman; she’d died before the little girl was b
orn.

  “Nana used to write notes like that.”

  “She did?”

  “Yep. I probably never told you, but she used to take notes in almost every book she read. You could always tell when you received a book from Nana.” Dan smiled at the memory.

  “What’d she write about?”

  “Usually her thoughts about what she was reading, or passages she’d like to come back to. When she was finished, she’d lend the books to us. I used to think her notes were better than the books.”

  “Did Nana read the Bible?”

  “All the time. She’d read passages to us before bedtime, when we’d sleep over.”

  “I never met Nana, did I?”

  “Nope. She passed away a few years before you were born. She was a great woman, Quinn. I’ll tell you more about her sometime.”

  “That’d be great.”

  Quinn picked out a passage, and Dan started reading. After a few minutes, he saw her eyes closing. He took the book and placed it on the bed. Quinn’s eyes fluttered back open.

  “Daddy?”

  “Yes, honey?”

  “I didn’t really want to read. I was just scared,” she admitted. “It’s dark in here.”

  He held the flashlight under the covers for a moment and kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll be right on the floor next to you.”

  “Will you be gone when I wake up?”

  “Yes, but not for long,” he said. “I’ll be back as soon as I find a car.”

  “Promise me you’ll be careful, Daddy.”

  “I will. Stay close to Aunt Meredith. Tim and I will be back before you know it.”

  Dan kissed her again, then shut off the flashlight and snuck back to his blankets.

  25

  Keller lay in bed, listening to Dan and Quinn’s conversation through the wall. His stomach churned. With the lights off, the bed could’ve been his own childhood bedroom, the voices those of his mother and her friends. Only those voices were never soft and soothing—they were loud and boisterous, and they’d always been accompanied by the clink of bottles, the sharing of substances.