by James Master
“Why wouldn’t they be happy about being rescued?” Ashley asked.
Roland grimaced, “Because the people still in that camp weren’t humans anymore. They were zombies.” He continued on with his story about how his father had discovered the walking dead.
“The squad of nineteen Allied soldiers marched towards the gates of the concentration camp. This being their second camp to be liberated, they treaded lightly on the gravel road that paved the driveway. Normally, they encountered resistance from the Nazi’s, but it was different this time.
The squad reached the gates. Seeing no one, one of the soldiers had suggested that the camp had been deserted. At the tail end of the war, many enemy facilities had been abandoned by the enemy. The gates were locked from the outside with chains and thick padlocks. None of the soldiers had bolt cutters on them so they used explosives to blast the gates open.
The noise from the explosion caused the remaining survivors of the camp to empty the buildings and pool out onto the open streets.
Well, you can imagine where this is going,” Roland finished.
“They weren’t survivors were they?”
“Nope, they were zombies. My father was the first one to study the infected and the squad was able to capture one. The government hired my father after the war in order to reverse engineer the science that the Nazi’s had used.”
“Why would he do that?” Ashley asked.
Roland shrugged, “If he was able to discover the science behind that, it could be used to uncover immortality. It could change the course of humanity.”
“So why didn’t you help him? Why change majors and become a teacher instead?”
Roland didn’t say anything for a time. Ashley could see the pain Roland experienced caused from the resurfacing of these memories. She felt empathy for him, having recently losing her own mother.
“He wanted both of us to join him in his research. I realized that our mother didn’t die like our father had told us. When I asked him about it, he didn’t deny it.”
Ashley was taken aback, “Your father killed her?”
“Not directly. She was somehow infected and instead of putting her down…” Roland paused trying to calm himself. Ashley placed a hand on Roland’s hand. He smiled, took a few reassuring breathes, and placed his other hand on top of hers. “He used her as a specimen.”
“I’m so sorry Roland, but what a bastard,” Ashley said, “Wait, I’m not really sorry.”
Roland laughed at that and that got Ashley laughing as well. If it weren’t for the fact that the zombie apocalypse was happening around them, then it would have been a rather morbid scene. As things stood, it was what amounted to as normalcy.
“So where does your brother come into this?” Ashley asked.
Sobered now, Roland’s grin retreated, replaced with a frown. “Eddie never knew our mother. He was too young to remember her. The void of a female presence caused Eddie to seek the attention, of our father more than I did. He revered him as if the man was a god. Well, we argued when I informed both of them that I was having both the family business and medical school. I tried to warn Eddie about something exactly like this happening.”
“You were right.”
Roland smiled thinly, “Yes and I hate being right. Now more than ever.”
“You know Roland, before the outbreak, if you had told me that story I would have thought you needed to be given some drugs and a strait jacket. Now I guess it doesn’t sound so crazy. You said you were in medical school. Does that mean that you’re a doctor? Can you save John?”
Roland laughed, “I would be a pretty shitty doctor is that was all I could do for John in there. I never went back to medical school to get my degree. I didn’t even learn too much about the profession, only the basics.”
“You talked about meeting your brother. What about your father?”
“I never went back home, never ate another awkward meal with them, never spoke to my father again. I didn’t see him until his funeral two years ago. Eddie and I had a pretty heated discussion when I left. Words were exchanged and at the end we came to a mutual agreement.”
“What about?”
“That we both hated each other,” Roland laughed, but Ashley could hear the sadness in his voice as he spoke. Ashley looked around for zombies instinctively.
“So what did you do then?”
“I became a teacher in Indianapolis, got married, and eventually moved to South Bend.”
A pit began to form in her stomach. “You are married?”
Roland nodded. “The love of my life. We got married. Eddie was the best man, my father was not invited. It was the last time I saw him.”
“Is that why you moved to South Bend? Because of your falling out?”
“I wish it were that reason. I moved up here in order to be closer to my wife.”
“Roland,” Ashley said trying to be as delicate as she could be, “What happened to your wife?”
“It started about a month after we were married. I thought it was nothing at first, but then the symptoms got worse. The doctors thought that my wife was suffering from schizophrenia or dementia.”
“What did you think it was?”
Roland shrugged, looking off into the distance. “I’m not a real religious person. I was always taught by my father to think critically and analyze the situation, but what my wife suffered was like nothing that could be cured by science.” Roland wiped away a few rogue tears that had managed to escape. “She thought she was being possessed by a demon. In the end, I had to send her to a mental facility where she couldn’t hurt herself. The best one that was closest was in South Bend.”
A few moments dragged on in silence between the two of them before Ashley started to laugh, provoking a surprised glance from Roland. Ashley stopped laughing. “Sorry, I just don’t see you teaching kids. Just a little hard to picture, that’s all. So did your brother become a doctor then?” Roland nodded.
“He sure did. He was dad’s favorite. When my father died, Eddie tried to get me to come back to the family business. That was what we had fought about. Right in front of our father’s dead body no less.”
Ashley was confused about something, “Wait a minute, if you didn’t graduate med school, why would he still want your help?”
“The family business was split into two departments. One was the scientific aspect of the infection and the other was the supernatural aspect. My brother thought that since my wife was ‘possessed’ he might be able to garner some support from me. I’m still pissed as hell with him for it.”
“What kind of business did your family do?” Ashley said. She was more confused than ever. It seemed like with each question, two more needed to be asked.
Ashley listened to Roland's story. “You know Roland, before the outbreak, if you told me that story I would have thought you gone the way of Brittany Spears. Now, though, I guess it could happen. So you said that it was a family business, does that meant that you are a doctor?”
Roland laughed, “I would be a pretty shitty doctor if that was all I could do for John in there. No, when my father wanted Eddie and me to go to college where he had gone to become a doctor, Eddie went and I stayed. Well, I didn't stay. I actually ran away from home. I never went back, never spoke to my father again. I didn't see him until his funeral two years ago. Eddie and I had a pretty heated discussion when I left. Words were exchanged and at the end we came to a mutual agreement.”
“What was that?”
“That we both hated the other.” Roland laughed, but Ashley could hear the sadness in his voice as he spoke. Ashley looked around for zombies reflexively. “So what did you do then?”
“I became a sixth-grade teacher at a school in South Bend.” Ashley laughed provoking a glance up at her from Roland. Ashley stopped laughing. “Sorry, I just don't see you teaching kids. Just a little hard to picture. That's all. So did your brother become a doctor then?” Roland nodded, “Yep. He was dad's favorite. When the old
man passed, Eddie tried to get me to come back to the family business. That was what we fought about. Right in front of the old man no less.”
Ashley was confused about the discussion at this point. “Wait a minute, if he wanted you to be a part of the family business, wouldn't you need to go to medical school or something?” Roland nodded, “Normally yes, but we had two parts of the business. One was the scientific aspect and the other was the paranormal aspect.” Now Ashley was really confused. “What kind of business did your family do?”
Roland met Ashley's eyes and said, “The medical and paranormal research involving the living deceased. That was the technical title the government used to explain the business.” Ashley shook her head. “Whoa, whoa, hold up. The government, as in The United States of America? What did they have to do with your family?”
Roland stood suddenly. He heard moaning approaching from the south. Ashley slid off the car and reached into the rolled down window for her pistol, given to her by John. Roland didn't reach for his M1, instead, grabbing his binoculars. Ashley opened the chamber to her pistol and made sure it was loaded. Roland looked to the south and spotted a virtual horde of undead that was slowly shambling on the road north. Roland lowered the binoculars.
“We can't keep going south on 23, there are too many of them. We have to go around them. I know of a small town that shouldn't be too hard to navigate around.” He hopped into the front seat and waited for Ashley to get in before firing the engine. Ashley looked at John. “Roland, I think he died.”
Roland had his revolver out in a flash with its barrel pointed at his friend's frontal lobe. “John, are you dead yet.” John laughed suddenly. “I wish I was, I truly do. You have any water on you?” Roland lowered the barrel and passed a bottle to him. Ashley noticed that Roland’s hand was shaking when he sat the revolver down on his knee.
After draining the bottle dry, John looked through the binoculars at the zombie horde advancing north along the road. “Talk about the highway to Hell, there are too many of them. I don't think we have enough bullets and we’re running out of road.”
Roland nodded and slid the car around in a one-eighty. Ashley met the door with a suddenness that knocked the breath out of her. Ashley, not thinking to strap a seat belt on before, wished she could have now. He turned right at the next road without warning causing Ashley to collide with the backpacks on the seat next to her. The road was a dirt road and probably less traveled on. Roland knew it would be less populated with zombies, one of the reasons why he drove down it. Kicking the air on, Roland rolled up his window and drew in a sigh of relief. The dirt road was kicking up a lot of dirt into the car. If the air conditioner was broken or there hadn't been one, then they would have to roll down the windows. Ashley didn't ask about any secret government projects or about zombies. She knew that would come at a better time, but she did ask, “Where are we going? You said something about a small town.”
Roland nodded. “I know a place that's relatively small, smaller then Walkerton or North Liberty. Plus, I know some people there. I mean that I know of someone that lives there. Our destination is Oxford, Indiana.”
Chapter Nine
*** 1 ***
Starke was a day ahead on Roland and his gang, but he knew where his tracker was going. That was why Starke made sure to stay a day ahead and out of sight. He had the odd notion that Roland would be able to sense if Starke was nearby. He arrived in town earlier that morning, noticing a large gathering of undead at a gate that guarded a mansion or maybe a fortress. Starke stopped the motorcycle he was riding and looked over the zombies, into the grounds beyond the gate. There was a gigantic mansion consisting of two to three stories at least. Starke had an interesting thought. If there were zombies outside the gates it meant that there were people inside them. “If people are inside, then I might just try and get in. Roland thinks that I am going to be in Indianapolis. I have done my duty so there shouldn't be a problem about having some fun time.”
*** 2 ***
Ben lay in his bed with a fever and headache. He had vomited twice the night before and since then he hadn't eaten anything. The last time he managed to just dry heave. Ben thought getting bit by a deer was painful, but dry heaving was even more painful. Ben tried to get up out of bed to do rounds, but when he stood he was hit with nausea and dizziness. Jessica had been in twice to give him some hot chicken noodle soup and crackers, but he left them sitting on the small fold out table that Jessica had also brought him. Ben was proud of his daughter. She was getting to learn how to do some basic things, even if there was reluctance in everything she did.
Jessica was still unwilling to do the rounds and wash the dishes. The only thing she would do was make pizza and heat canned soup in the microwave. Leaps and bounds for his daughter, soon she will do the rounds. Perhaps maybe wash a dish in the near future. Dishes could wait, but the rounds needed to be done he decided. If she wasn't going to do it, then he would. Swinging his legs over the bed to the edge, Ben stood. His legs did not respond, however, causing him to crash to the floor. As he fell, he hit the fold-out table sending it to the ground spilling the soup on the ground. Ben tried to stand, but his legs still wouldn't move. The chicken noodle started creeping on the hardwood towards Ben. When the soup came close to his mouth, he slurped a little, surprised at how good it tasted.
Jessica walked in just then, with another tray. This time it was tomato soup, crackers, and Seven-Up. She was starting to feel adventurous in the kitchen. As she entered the bedroom, she saw her father lying face down on the floor, the fold-out table; it had folded in on itself lying halfway in the bathroom half in the bedroom. The soup she had previously served was everywhere. She carefully set the tomato soup on the floor and went over to her father.
Ben looked up, smiling at his daughter. “You know dear, that was pretty good soup. I only had a taste, but I found it delicious. Nice body with a woody after taste. That might have been from the hardwood floor, though. Anyway, be a dear now and help your old man up. It seems that my legs don't want to work presently.” She tried to lift her father off the ground but failed.
She looked around the room trying to find something to use to help her father up off the ground. She decided the chair poking out from his desk was the better choice. She pulled it over to him and he lifted himself onto the chair and rolled onto the bed from there. Jessica positioned her father's legs so that they weren’t at a weird angle. She sat next to him and took a thermometer from the bedside table and stuck it into his mouth. This was one of the new things she had learned how to do. After a minute she read it.
“Daddy this thing says its 102 or 103. Isn't that a bit high?” Her father blinked a couple of times and nodded. “Yes it is Maria, but why are you calling me daddy? Your father died in 1969.” Jessica looked at her father like he was crazy. “Daddy, I am not mom. She died when I was little.”
She took a hand towel that had accompanied the thermometer. Wiping away her father's sweat, she looked at him again. “Look, just get some rest. There is soup on the floor, but I'll fold the table back up and place it on it. After that, I'm going to get a tan. It's October and me rarely ever get to tan with the weather being so cold usually. I'll be back after that to check up on you. Don't try getting up again okay? I love you, daddy.” She stood up and started to leave. Her father started to get up but couldn't. He pushed his upper body up as far as it could go. “Maria, come back, I've missed you.” Jessica turned around and said rather coldly. “I am not Maria, dammit; I am your daughter, Jessica.” She started to leave again, not amused by his joke, not bothering to turn around when she heard. “Maria, MARIA! COME BACK!”
*** 3 ***
Starke drove into town stopping when he found a hardware store. There was only one and it looked familiar to Starke as if he had been here before. He looked around and saw a collapsible ladder mounted on the wall on the far side of the little store. He grabbed the ladder; it was about three feet long when collapsed. He mounted his bike and carefu
lly set it on his lap. He laughed; it looked like he might try to fly off. Slowly, he drove back to the wall guarding the mansion and whoever was in there.
It was a stupid decision to try and ride with the ladder across his lap. It hit a car once and he nearly avoided crashing only by a fraction of a second. He saw a few zombies in town, but still they continued to ignore him as he made his way into and out of the town. He didn't think his master would take that particular gift back yet, but if he failed him again, it just might happen. Of course, Starke thought, if he failed him again, the undead would be the least of his concerns.
When he got back to the wall, he drove past the crowd of undead and around the left side of the wall until he reached a spot that didn't have any undead and parked his bike. He extended the ladder and leaned it up against the wall. After he collected all of his belongings, they fit into his knapsack and began to ascend the ladder. Finally getting to the top of the ladder, he peered over the top of the wall. He was surprised to see a pretty little thing wearing a bikini and thong. She was lying on her back atop a long beach towel.
He smirked when he saw that she was doing this in front of the gate where all the undead had gathered. “Sunbathing in front of the damned is almost as bad as throwing a cheeseburger in the middle of a horde of hungry children.”
Starke carefully took off his jacket and slung it over the barbed wire. He looked over the edge and actually realized how far he would fall. He tossed his backpack and heard it hit the ground a second later.
“Oh well,” Starke said as he watched the girl sunbathing “looks like I’m having a cheeseburger tonight. I just can’t wait till I get my hands on those buns.” Laughing, Starke vaulted over the jacket and onto the grounds of the mansion.
*** 4 ***
It was well into the afternoon when Jessica was finally showing a good tan. She would've heard Starke hitting the ground along with some choice words he said as he landed, but she was listening to her Black Eyed Peas album her father had given to her on her last birthday. She also would have noticed his shadow slowly creep over her body, but her eyes were shut. The first thing she noticed was the smell.
