by Lanza, Marie
The inside was as small as Jaxon had described. There was one narrow street with five buildings on each side, ending in the emergency exit in the back of the compound. The exit was wide open.
“It looks like they made a getaway out the back gate,” Jaxon said with an air of relief.
“Do you think there’s anyone here?” I asked.
“We’ll find out. If we’re lucky, the infected followed them out and are chasing their dust.” Jaxon motioned us to follow him.
We were standing in what was the parking lot for the base. The guard tower above us appeared empty. We moved along the wall slowly and made our way to the back of the first building where there was an alley separating the buildings from the security wall. Jaxon crept to a low window and used the blade of his bayonet to try and pry it open. Locked. He looked through the window’s frosted pane for movement, and sufficiently sure that nothing was moving, quickly broke the window with the butt of his weapon. He carefully climbed into the window and disappeared. After what felt like an eternity, his hand shot out of the darkness, and I heard him mutter, “Give me your hand, let’s go.”
The broken shards of glass crunched beneath our feet as we entered. Dull red emergency lights lit the room. From the looks of it, we were in the supply room of the Medical Ward. The next room was larger with animal cages lining the walls and aquariums set up on an island in the center. Everything was empty. The room was untouched and still held its sterile smell.
We walked farther into the building, passing offices and smaller labs. Jaxon stopped at a door with a narrow glass window at his eye level. He leaned against the door, and the narrow beam of light from the thin window shone across his face.
“Something happened in there.” Jaxon’s tone was somber, the relief I had sensed before was gone.
“What’s on the other side?” I whispered.
“The main part of this facility. Quarantine rooms, testing rooms, offices. My wife’s office is at the end of the hall.” He turned to us. “Stay close.”
Jaxon barely made a sound when he opened the door. We followed him down the hallway, pausing at each room. The doors were glass with large viewing windows, allowing Jaxon to peer in before passing them. These rooms looked like a tornado had dropped in; everything was smashed and scattered on the counters and floors. It smelled horrible. It was a smell we were beginning to know all too well. Death.
There were two doors left at the end of the hallway; the quarantine area, and at the end of the hall, the office for Jaxon’s wife.
Jaxon poked his head into the quarantine area, retreated, and looked again.
“Bodies.” Jaxon looked back at us. He clicked his bayonet back into place on the muzzle of his M-4, then aimed his weapon and disappeared again around the corner.
Before Dan and I followed him, I looked back to make sure we were still alone. I knew Mayhem would most likely warn us, but he seemed completely focused on everything in front of him.
As I turned the corner behind Dan, I could see the bodies lying in the hallway and more bodies through the partial view afforded by the doorways. No one looked alive.
It was a long corridor of quarantine rooms which were large glass hospital style rooms. Multiple beds lined the wall with monitors and equipment staged along each bed. As we walked closer to the bodies, Jaxon would check each individual for any signs of life by carefully nudging the bodies with his boot, weapon always aimed carefully at the body. I assumed they were dead or potentially infected when Jaxon took his bayonet and deftly slid the blade into their brains. The bodies were civilians, scientists, and a few soldiers. Dan and I studied everybody, making sure none were my family. I was relieved and disappointed at the same time. They were all covered in blood, some missing limbs, some gutted. It was a massacre. We continued through the bay and approached the next door. Then we heard shaky groans coming from just ahead of us.
The broken glass cracked with each step it took. Slow steps, almost dragging its feet across the floor. Dan, Jaxon, and I pressed our backs against the wall, listening, waiting for it to show its ugly face. Mayhem let out his low growl, and the footsteps stopped. It was just a second until it continued again.
The infected paused in the doorway just a few feet away from us. It just stood there like it was waiting for another sound to follow. When it finally stepped out of the doorframe and into the hallway, we got a much better look at it. It was a man, one of the scientists, still wearing his lab coat. He looked as though he hadn’t been infected very long. A portion of his jaw was missing allowing his tongue to hang loosely from his mouth. Blood dripped down his white coat.
Dan calmly lowered his hand to Mayhem’s face and covered his eyes and mouth, pulling the dog into his leg. With our breathing light, we stood and waited.
Jaxon readied his bayonet.
The infected twisted its head in our direction and stared at us. Mayhem let out a roaring bark that jolted all of us, even the diseased scientist. With a drag in its steps, it charged towards us. Our natural instinct kicked in, and Dan and I retreated a few paces, leaving several more feet for Jaxon who stood his ground.
When the infected was in range, Jaxon lifted his leg and gave the thing a harsh kick to the chest. The infected stumbled backwards falling to the ground. Jaxon wasn’t far behind it, placing his boot over its neck and bringing his blade down right through its eye. It stopped moving almost instantly. Jaxon pulled his bayonet out and walked into the next room.
Dan and I followed.
This room was the same as the last; a long, desolate corridor with beds on either side, something you would expect to see in a Civil War documentary, not a 21st century medical facility. The beds were empty, but unlike the first room, many of these beds had restraints tied to the rails, and many of the sheets were soiled and discolored.
Jaxon opened a door leading to what looked like a communal bathroom. There were showers and toilets lining the walls with no privacy. A body was visible in the corner. Next thing we knew, Jaxon was running and falling to his knees.
We followed him in.
“Close the door in case there’s more out there,” Jaxon directed.
I did as he said. Dan and Mayhem were already next to Jaxon. They were standing over a woman slumped in the corner. She was passed out from what I figured must have been blood loss due to the amount of it flooding the floor around her. We couldn’t see her face with her hair, once in a bun, now tossed around and falling down her face. She was wearing a white coat and holding a scalpel in her hand.
“She’s alive,” Jaxon said.
“Jaxon?” I was afraid of what he was about to say next.
“She’s my wife.” He looked up at us then back to his wife. “Karen. Karen, can you hear me?” Jaxon mildly shook her, holding her by the shoulders.
Karen let out a soft moan and winced in pain.
“Karen, sweetie, open your eyes for me.” Jaxon brushed her hair away from her face, trying to wake her.
Mayhem sat, a little confused, giving us a small whimper. Dan and I kneeled next to him.
Karen began to crack open her eyes and rolled her head in our direction. She stared at Jaxon for a moment before recognizing him, giving him a weak smile.
“Stay with me Karen.” Jaxon gently brushed her cheek.
“You’re alive.” Karen’s voice was so sluggish.
“Yes. Yes, I’m alive,” Jaxon assured her.
“They don’t give us much in the way of protection.” Karen weakly lifted her hand holding the scalpel, but doing so revealed much more. There was a large bite mark in her arm.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you.” Jaxon was holding back his emotional pain.
Dan reached out and gave Jaxon’s shoulder a squeeze for some hopeful comfort.
“Karen, where’s Ethan?”
Karen opened her eyes wider at the sound of the name. I assumed it was their son. Karen’s mouth formed a frown and quivered.
“Karen, do you remember where Ethan
is?” Jaxon asked again.
“He was locked in my office.” Karen didn’t have much left for tears. Her body was dying. “I’m so sorry, Jax.”
“Don’t do that, Karen. This was all outside your control.” Jaxon tried reassuring her.
“Promise me you won’t let me change into one of these things,” Karen begged as her eyes closed again. As she faded away, she whispered, “It’s in the bite, Jax.”
“OK.” Jaxon nodded and brushed her pale skin. “OK. I promise.”
Karen let out a long, last breath, and died in her husband’s arms.
Jaxon embraced his wife’s dead body and wept for her. He blinked back the tears and pulled out the beretta from his holster. Jaxon tenderly stroked Karen’s sweat drenched hair away from her face and placed the gun’s barrel against her temple. With a quavering voice he quietly whispered in her ear, “I am so, so sorry. I love you,” and pulled the trigger.
The discharge was deafening in the small tiled room. I watched as he dropped the gun, knowing that his choice of weapon had placed us in jeopardy. The bayonet would have been quieter but… deep down I understood his choice. I wondered whether or not I would be able to do the same thing if I were in his position.
“We’re so sorry, Jaxon.” I never knew what to say, and even in situations that are far easier to comprehend than this, words came with much difficulty.
“We need to find my son.” Jaxon laid Karen’s head back against the wall and stood up.
“Maybe take another minute, Jaxon.”
“We need to find my son,” Jaxon repeated.
The hallway outside the bathroom was clear. We moved fast, backtracking through the quarantine corridor and to the hallway that led to Karen’s office. The door was at the end of the hall.
Jaxon charged the door as if he would break it down, but suddenly hesitated. He pressed his face against the door and called out, “Ethan.”
There was no response.
My muscles felt tense in this matter of seconds. I wasn’t sure I was prepared to see a child’s body destroyed by the infected – or worse yet, the infection. My gut hurt from being twisted up with anxiety. I concentrated on what was behind us while Dan and Jaxon focused on the door.
“Ethan, it’s Daddy,” Jaxon called out again.
“Daddy?” a tiny voice whispered through the door.
CHAPTER 6
The door handle clicked and slowly turned. Jaxon kneeled down, and Ethan wrapped his arms around his father’s neck. Ethan didn’t look over seven years old.
“Where’s Mommy?’ Ethan looked at us a little disappointed that we weren’t his mother.
“Mommy…” Jaxon was lost for words.
“She’s dead, isn’t she?” Ethan didn’t need an explanation. “Mommy told me to stay here when the alarms went off.”
“You did good, really good.” Jaxon gave his son another tight squeeze. He didn’t need to acknowledge Ethan was correct on her death.
The reunion was cut short by the sound of a shattering window from another room.
“Ethan, this is Harmony, Dan, and that’s Mayhem, their dog. Stay right here with them while Daddy checks on this.” Jaxon moved swiftly past us into another room but quickly reappeared.
“Is it bad?” I asked.
“They broke the windows in the front lobby. It’s a big group. We’ll retreat out the back the way we came in and make a run for the truck.” Jaxon kneeled down to Ethan. “Ethan, I want you to hold Harmony’s hand. Daddy needs to lead us out of here. OK?”
Ethan reached up for my hand, and I pulled him in close. I wasn’t sure how I felt about taking on this responsibility as I took his tiny hand into mine. But as I reflected on the situation, I knew that I’d hope someone would protect my niece if she needed it.
We moved fast. As we passed the door that led off to the front area we could see the infected banging the doors and breaking windows. It was obvious they heard the gunshot, and they were eager to get it. As we ran through the building, I think we were all thankful the infected didn’t seem to remember how to open doors.
We made it back to the storage room that would take us to the back alley. Jaxon took a quick look outside before diving through the window. We filed down the alley until we reached the parking lot. Jaxon paused at the building on the edge of the lot and looked around the corner, scanning the area.
“Clear.” Jaxon looked back at us.
We ran for wreckage of the main gate and headed for the truck. Running through the parking lot caught the attention of some of the infected on the outside of the medical ward. The infected began moving in our direction.
“They’re coming!” I shouted out.
“Keep moving!” Jaxon yelled over his shoulder.
Mayhem pulled towards the infected with a vicious growl.
“Leave it!” Dan yanked at his leash.
One by one, we wedged past the wrecked pickup and high tailed it to our own truck still parked against the security wall.
Dan opened the door for Mayhem, letting him hop in while Jaxon helped Ethan into the back. Dan fired up the engine and put the truck in drive.
“Wait!” I held my hands out like it would magically prevent the truck from moving. “What about the other building we were supposed to look in? What if my family’s in there?”
“I think we can agree that even if they were here, they aren’t anymore.” Dan brought my hand down and held it.
“Ethan, can you tell me if you saw any new groups of survivors come in the last few days?” Jaxon asked his son.
Ethan pursed his lips as he thought about it. “No. Mommy said no new people were allowed in.”
“That’s our answer. We need to get moving.” Dan cocked his head to the direction of the entrance.
Infected were piling out of the gate with their sights set on us. Dan didn’t think about it another second. He began to drive down the dirt road away from Fort Mesa.
“We’ll head towards Camp Glen. Turn right back onto 59,” Jaxon directed.
I watched the infected behind us following the truck and become smaller by the second as we sped down the dusty road. A part of me was feeling I didn’t get the closure I needed. I couldn’t fully be satisfied that my family wasn’t in that place. I had to focus on getting to the next base and hope we would have better luck.
“How far to Camp Glen?” Dan brought his eyes up to the rear view mirror.
“About two hours northeast of here,” Jaxon said.
“I don’t see Camp Glen on this map. I see Lynn further east, and the only base north is Fort Coulee.” I held up the map to show Jaxon our highlighted route of the bases we planned on hitting.
“Camp Glen won’t be on any maps. And Lynn has been shut down for years,” Jaxon explained.
“I’m hungry Daddy.” Ethan’s little voice sounded exhausted.
“I’m sure you are, bud. It’s probably been awhile. Here…,” Jaxon reached in his pack and pulled out one of his MREs.
“Ethan, are you thirsty? There’s some bottled water just under your feet,” I pointed out.
“Can you say thank you?” Jaxon asked.
“Thank you.” Ethan reached for a bottle.
“You’re so welcome.” I found it heartening that Jaxon reminded his son to use manners in the middle of the end of the world.
“We should stop before dark and camp out for the night,” Jaxon suggested.
“That’s not a bad idea. I don’t remember the last time we even ate something.” Dan looked to me for my thoughts.
“Yeah. That sounds like a plan to me. What do you suggest?” I turned around in my seat to face Jaxon.
“We find a neighborhood and break into a home.” He looked to Ethan who was handing him the water bottle. “You done with that, buddy?”
Ethan nodded and leaned against his dad’s arm.
“We could all use some rest.” I smiled at Ethan.
As we drove north, the sun moved across the sky, darkening as it began
to settle in the west. I thought I might fall asleep, but my body just wasn’t allowing me to rest. Even in the security of Dan and Jaxon’s company, my nerves were on edge.
I watched the desert and mountainous scenery pass us by while thinking about the peace of mind these areas had always brought me. Before the outbreak, I loved getting away from civilization for a weekend with Dan. We’d call it our runaway weekends, packing up and getting out of town for even just one night. It was strange to think there was nothing left of the civilization we once knew.
Ethan slept quite comfortably in Jaxon’s arms. He would jerk and occasionally moan, and I was afraid to think of what nightmares must hide away in his dreams. Who knows what he experienced during the breakdown of the base? I hoped for his sake that he didn’t see much, but was instead locked in that office for the entirety of the massacre.
I was a little surprised by how empty the road was. The larger highways were littered with cars, but if you didn’t know what had happened over the last few days, you could safely assume that this was just a desolate highway in the middle of the desert. I guess in a panic most people took the direct routes they knew when they fled the cities. But the traffic jams must have become death traps. Every once in a while we would pass by an infected; they looked more emaciated out here in the middle of nowhere, juxtaposed to the infected in the city.
We finally reached the outskirts of what was probably once a quaint, small town now just a far reminiscence. This community had a Western style feel to it, but now resembled a real ghost town. Its residents either fled or still roamed the streets in their new, ghostly decayed form. Almost like a kind of purgatory, these monsters were stuck where they became infected. Stuck to wander forever without a destination until they were reeled in by the lure of living flesh. Then, powerless to resist following the flesh, they mindlessly chased until it was lost or captured. A few infected roamed the streets. Some were drawn out of buildings by the sound of our truck and followed in our direction.
“This looks promising.” Dan turned into a neighborhood.
