Dead, But Not For Long (Book 2): Pestilence and Promise

by Kinney, Matthew

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Lindsey said. She noticed that Helga had stopped working to watch them. “I’d better go before Helga kills me.”

  “She does have that look on her face right now,” Snake noted.

  Lindsey laughed and walked away, feeling Helga’s eyes on her back. When she approached Wombat, she gave him a long hug and said, “Damage control.”

  “Glad I could be of service,” he said, smiling. He finally let her go once Helga looked away.

  As they worked on the wall, Lindsey noticed Wombat looking at her with curiosity several times, but he didn’t ask her how things had gone with Lee, and she was glad for that.

  The three hours in quarantine passed fairly quickly that night since dinner was brought up to them, and a new TV had been installed. After they ate, they watched a movie and by the time it ended, they were free to go.

  Snake stood up and stretched, saying, “Now if we just had some comfortable seating in here, I wouldn’t mind quarantine at all.”

  “That furniture store was packed full of stuff, Boss,” one of the bikers said. “We can get some more chairs and sofas.”

  “Might as well,” Snake said. “We’ll put it on our list.”

  “Once we get the new gate installed, can we drop quarantine for the park area?” Wombat asked.

  “I’ll have to run it by Jack, but I don’t see why we’d need it. As long as the dead can’t get over, we should be able to come and go without having to do quarantine.”

  “The teachers want to start taking the kids out when the weather’s nice,” Lindsey added. “I can’t imagine having to put thirty kids through quarantine every time they go outside.”

  “No, that wouldn’t work,” Snake agreed.

  “I can hardly wait,” Lindsey said. “I miss being able to run. I can do laps around the park once the wall is done.”

  “Probably wouldn’t hurt me to do some laps,” Snake said. “Maybe between that and training with Keith, I'll finally lose my baby fat.”

  Lindsey laughed, parting ways with the others so she could check on Autumn.

  She found the girl talking to Doune, and she seemed to be doing well. The bandage was the only sign that anything had happened to her.

  “Is her blood still showing negative?” she asked Doune.

  “Yes, it is,” Doune said. “There is no sign of the parasite.”

  Starting that night, Autumn was allowed to sleep in her own room, but Lindsey had to lock the door and keep the key. Jack had stipulated that the routine would continue for a full week, and Doune would continue testing the girl’s blood at regular intervals.

  New doorknobs had been put on all of the bedrooms so that doors could be locked from the inside or outside. Jack kept a spare set of all the keys, but he kept them safely locked up so that he was the only one with access to them. Nobody was really concerned about anything being stolen, especially since they had little to call their own, but with new people coming in all the time, privacy would become more of a concern. Jack had pointed out that he’d rather take precautions immediately than to wait until they became necessary.

  ~*~

  Malibu, California

  Hixson stepped out of the house into the dark, feeling the cool, damp air against his face. There was not even a hint of a breeze, and when he turned his head to listen for any unusual sounds in the thick air, he was met with only silence. When he deemed it safe, he began to make his way down the driveway with Rayburn right behind, but they had only taken a few steps before Hixson sighed and stopped.

  “George, what shoes are you wearing?”

  “Well, see, the guy that lived here had a really nice pair of Italian shoes that fit me perfectly so I . . .”

  “Let’s go back inside,” Dan said.

  “Why? You said yourself that these people aren’t returning. It’s not like I’m stealing them if the guy is dead or isn’t coming back, right?”

  “That’s not the point, George. The shoes are loud.”

  For a moment there was silence then footsteps could be heard as George tried the shoes out on the pavement. Every step echoed loudly throughout the neighborhood.

  “George!” Dan hissed. “Seriously?”

  “Okay, okay, I guess they’re kind of loud. But can I bring them along to wear later?”

  “No! Your backpack is full, remember? You can pick up a new pair if we find a place to stay for a while.”

  “If?”

  “When.”

  “Okay.”

  The next step that George took was followed by a wet squishing sound.

  “What was that?” Dan asked.

  “I think I just stepped in one of those piles the dead leave,” Rayburn said, disgust embedded in his voice.

  “Why do they do that?” Dan asked.

  “You’ve never seen one of them have a bowel movement, have you? I guess that’s how they expel their waste. I’m just happy it’s too dark to see it very well.”

  “Still want to wear those shoes?” Dan asked.

  “I’ll change.”

  A few minutes later, they were moving again. The neighborhood they were traveling through was not well lit, though the streets down the hill glowed with lights that barely made it through the early morning mist. As they passed a pair of antique-looking street lamps that bracketed a long driveway, Hixson could see trails of vapor moving through the light. He knew that it was likely that the highway would be thick with fog as was often the case near the ocean. It would help to hide them from searchers, but it would also cloak the dead.

  “Quit doing that,” he said quietly.

  “Doing what?”

  “Shuffling your feet. You sound like a damn zombie.”

  “Maybe it’ll throw them off if they hear me,” Rayburn said.

  “Because they’re smart enough to hear the shuffling and think it’s another zombie?”

  “Whatever,” Rayburn said, trying to pick up his feet as he walked. With a little effort on George’s part, the two men were soon able to move almost silently through the winding roads. They made their way westward through the quiet neighborhoods, pausing whenever they heard a moan or noticed any movement in the shadows. Hixson had to stop several times to dispatch a zombie or two and hide the bodies before they could continue on, but the encounters were sporadic. The mist drifted low to the ground as they walked, and by the time they reached the edge of the city, it had become a thick fog. The sound of the ocean waves crashing on the beach let Dan know that they were close to the section of the Pacific Highway that turned to hug the shoreline. He decided to stop and take a short break, knowing they’d need to be alert and rested before taking on whatever horrors the highway might hold.

  “I’ll bet you’re glad my office was near Malibu and not in downtown LA,” Rayburn stated.

  “Very glad,” Hixson said. “I kind of doubt we would have made it out of LA.”

  He took a swig from his water bottle, and gave George a few more minutes to rest before they moved on.

  As they approached the highway, Hixson began to have second thoughts about his plan. The thick fog was starting to worry him.

  “I’m not sure this is going to be a good idea,” he whispered. “I can barely see my hand in front of me, and I’m betting the highway is filled with the dead.”

  “Do you have a backup plan?”

  “Not really.”

  “Let’s try the highway, and if it gets bad we can just veer right and go off-road. If we can’t see them, they should have a hard time finding us, too.”

  “I guess we don’t have much choice, but I have a bad feeling about this,” Dan said. “We’ll need to be absolutely silent. I know the waves are making noise and that’ll help, but no talking. If you need my attention, tap my shoulder or something.”

  “You won’t shoot me?”

  “I’ll try not to. We also have to be looking around all the time. Don’t let anything sneak up on you.”

  Hixson took a dozen steps into t
he mist before his sleeve was grabbed. He jerked his arm away, his hand moving toward his weapon, but he relaxed when he saw that it was Rayburn.

  “You disappeared,” George whispered. “Don’t walk so fast.”

  Hixson stepped toward the highway again, seeing nothing but fog in front of him. The only noise he could hear was the crashing of the waves off to his left. Staying to the shoulder of the road, he continued on, constantly checking his surroundings. He came to a stop when he saw a figure in front of him. Rayburn slammed into his back, but Hixson was expecting it. He turned and grabbed Rayburn’s arm, leading him carefully around the infected woman. Within another ten feet, Hixson stopped again, moving sharply to the right once more. Again he pulled Rayburn away, though this time it was to avoid a dead hand reaching from an open window. The next time he had to dodge a figure in the road, he turned to the right just in time to see a face emerging through the fog.

  ~*^*~

  ~31~

  St. Mary’s Hospital, Lansing

  Snake and Wolf approached Jack, who was sipping a cup of coffee at the table.

  “You wanted to see us?” Snake said.

  “Yes,” Jack replied, “thanks for coming. Coffee?”

  There were cups and a carafe sitting in the center of the table.

  “I never turn down caffeine in the morning,” Snake said, smiling.

  While the two men took their seats, Jack poured them both a cup and pushed a container of creamer and sugar their way.

  “No, thanks,” Snake said. “I never liked that foo-foo stuff.”

  Wolf grabbed the container. “French vanilla. Awesome.”

  “Dude, you’re embarrassing me,” Snake said as Wolf poured a good portion of creamer into his cup and stirred.

  “There’s some hazelnut in the refrigerator if you’re interested,” Jack said.

  Wolf stood up, and Snake pulled him back down.

  “I’d love to sit here and watch you guys ruin a perfectly good cup of coffee, but my laundry’s soaking in the wash basin.”

  “I’ll get to the point,” Jack said. “I’ve been talking to Eric about what he experienced while he was away. I think you may be interested.”

  Snake raised an eyebrow. “I don’t mean to rain on your parade, Jack, but from what I know about Eric, you can’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth.”

  “Normally that’s the case,” Jack said, “but I think he may have learned a bit of a lesson. He seems to have gained some humility during his leave of absence. You might want to hear him out.”

  “I guess you know him better than we do,” Snake admitted. “Won’t hurt to listen. What time does he wake up?”

  “We lucked out there,” Jack said. “He’s been up playing video games all night. He’s supposed to meet us as soon as he slays the dragon. Of course, that was supposed to be about ten minutes ago, or so he promised me.”

  A couple of minutes later, Eric arrived.

  “Late again,” Jack sighed. “I thought you were turning over a new leaf?”

  “I would have been here on time, but I threw my socks in the laundry basin, and someone already had their stuff in there. Now I don’t know which socks are mine.”

  “They’re all yours now,” Snake sighed.

  “Eric, tell these men what you saw this last week,” Jack said, quickly changing the subject, “and please resist the urge to embellish.”

  “Right,” Eric said, nodding his head, “just the facts. Hey, is that French vanilla?”

  Wolf poured him a cup of coffee and handed him the creamer.

  “Well,” Eric started, “you are all well aware that the military drafted me because of my superior piloting abilities.”

  “Your alleged piloting abilities,” Jack interjected.

  “I did get the high score in . . .” Eric started.

  “Eric, get to the point! Nobody cares about your video games.”

  “Anyway, they took me to this place that was completely untouched by the plague. It was amazing. It was like an island paradise surrounded by a world of chaos. These people weren’t lacking for anything.”

  “So this was one of the shelters the military was taking people to?” Snake asked.

  “No, this place was run by civilians. This old man, Henry, was the big cheese. Everybody did exactly what he said. Honest to God, he was like an emperor or something.”

  “This isn’t making sense,” Snake said. “You left with the military, and a military chopper dropped you back off, but you said they aren’t involved.”

  “Well,” Eric explained, “the military chopper took me to the shelter in Iowa, I think, but from there a couple scouts saw my potential and brought me to the colony.”

  “Colony — that’s an interesting choice of wording,” Snake said. “Your term or theirs?”

  “Theirs,” Eric shrugged.

  “Any idea why they called it that?”

  “Nope.”

  Snake ran a hand over his beard. “This must be the place that Reynolds was telling Lindsey about. Is it near the base?”

  “I think so.”

  “Why’d they bring you back?” Snake asked.

  “Lee began to see me as a threat, so he and his buddies kidnapped me and shipped me back here.”

  “Why would Reynolds see you as a threat?” Wolf laughed.

  Eric leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. “The old man saw that I had exceptional DNA, and wanted me to start a harem so I could help to create a superior race of people to help replenish the Earth. I was like second in command in the entire city and . . .”

  “I think I’ve heard enough,” Snake said, standing up.

  “Glad I wore my boots,” Wolf added, shaking his head.

  “Damn it, Eric,” Jack said, pushing away from the table. “This is serious. When the hell are you ever going to grow up?”

  Eric protested, “I’m telling the truth this time, really.”

  When he saw that no one was buying his story, he stomped off.

  “I’m sorry to have wasted your time,” Jack said to the bikers. “I should have listened to his whole story before calling you down here. Eric’s always been into conspiracy theories. He swears that the Amish were responsible for sinking the Titanic, so I’m guessing he has a hard time distinguishing reality from the crap he creates in his head. I guess we won’t know what really happened until we talk to Lt. Reynolds.”

  “No biggie,” Snake said. “Thanks for the cup of java. I think I’ll go burn my clothes now.”

  Wolf quickly poured himself another cup and addressed Jack. “Which fridge is the hazelnut in?”

  ~*~

  California Coast

  Dan moved fast, ramming his knife through the eye of the creature that was reaching for him. He’d barely pulled the blade free when he heard Rayburn yelling a warning. Disembodied arms reached through the fog before two more bodies became fully visible. Not having time to take care of both of them before they reached him, Dan shot his foot out, destroying the knee of the closest one. When it crumpled to the ground, he lunged for the second ghoul.

  “Careful, George, there’s one on the ground!”

  As Dan dealt with the second zombie, he heard several thuds behind him and hoped it meant that Rayburn was putting his bat to use. Trading his knife for the crowbar, Dan began to search for the crawler. It found him first and grasped his leg tightly. He tried to kick it away, but he finally had to use the crowbar to pulverize the skull until the corpse released its grip. By this time, moans could be heard all around them, and Hixson knew they were in trouble.

  “George, we need to head uphill, right now!”

  “Where are you?” Rayburn asked, from a few feet away.

  “Right here but watch out. . .” Before Hixson could finish the warning, Rayburn stumbled over the prone body. Dan helped the other man to his feet and urged him to follow. There were several shapes stirring in the murky fog, and Hixson didn’t even want to know how many others were m
oving their way.

  “Dan!” George yelled.

  Hixson turned to find the doctor struggling with one of the dead, and more were becoming visible through the fog. Swinging the crowbar, Hixson snapped the woman’s neck and watched her head flop uselessly against her shoulder. One more swing finished her off.

  “Go for the hill!” he yelled. “I’ll catch up with you. Just keep going west!”

  After he heard George scurry off, he called, “Over here! Fresh Meat!”

  More of the eerie moans could be heard through the early morning mist. When Hixson thought that he’d given George enough time to get away, he turned to follow but found his way blocked by a wall of the dead. A curse escaped his lips as he turned back toward the highway. He jumped up onto the hood of a car, having no other alternative. Dozens of arms grasped for him as he made his way to the trunk of the next vehicle, almost slipping on the slick, dewy surface before he caught his balance. As he carefully worked his way to the next car, he had to wonder if he’d made a terrible mistake.

  After almost twenty minutes of being on his own, Hixson was beginning to realize that he might not see George again. They had no phones and no other way to contact one another. He hoped that the bat would be enough to keep Rayburn alive, though Dan knew that the doctor’s odds weren’t good on his own. He wasn’t a trained soldier, and while he was in decent shape for someone his age, the dead had the advantage of never needing to rest, and they were relentless. George could never out-walk them, and he probably didn’t have the skills to lose them.

  Hixson paused when he saw a light through the fog ahead of him. Moving from car to car as quietly as possible, he watched as a brightly-lit convenience store emerged from the fog ahead. Quietly jumping down onto the pavement, Dan made his way into the parking lot, pausing each time he thought he saw the shadows shift. There were no dead within sight, unless he counted those that were trapped in their vehicles. He took two steps toward the building then froze when he heard a human voice.