The Rotting Souls Series (Book 1): Charon's Blight [Day One]

by Ray, Timothy A.

  She floated forward momentarily, then she began to drop, her legs and arms flailing. Her grip on her rifle tightened as she brought it towards her chest so she wouldn’t lose it. She tried to brace herself for impact but the sudden rush of water, the cold fluid smacking her body, drove the breath out of her and water flooded in to replace it. Her lungs burned, her limbs flared, and she fought her way back to the surface.

  Her vision was gone.

  She was disoriented and had no sense of direction. Her feet kicked and her hand broke the surface. With another burst of her legs, she surged upward and breached the water pressing down upon her. She only got a brief gasp of air as her feet were swept forward by the current. She was dragged back under and into the blackness beyond.

  Chapter 29

  Best laid plans

  He had been planning for this moment for more than a decade. It wasn’t what he had originally imagined, but it would have to do. He had strategized and maneuvered, doing everything within his power to carry out God’s commandment. He had heard God’s voice since he was a little boy and had been utterly devoted to it ever since. This mission had been given to him by the Lord and was a reward for his unwavering faith. A new Babylon had sprung up in the Nevada desert and the City of Sin need to be cleansed from the Earth.

  It was God’s will.

  He had formed his congregation gradually, never telling them the truth behind the purpose for which they would one day serve. Viewed as a cult by misinformed heathens, he had strived to keep his ultimate goals a secret from all but a select few. Secrecy was paramount in a world of cyber invasion and infiltration from outside forces. Satan had agents in every part of government and would do whatever it took to keep him from carrying out God’s will.

  How could he doubt that it truly was? When the man came to him with knowledge of where to get a nuclear device, he had known that God had sent him. How else could the instrument that would allow him to carry out His will so readily fall into his hands? He didn’t know where the man got it and didn’t care. God wanted him to have it; that was enough.

  It was his duty to serve not to question.

  Days ago, the Archangel Michael had come to him in a dream and told him that his time had come. That it was God’s commandment that he destroy the new Babylon in His name.

  He had woken from that dream in a sweat, his memory clear, and his heart decided. Calling his followers to him, he finally revealed God’s plan for them and together they had said a prayer praising His name.

  They were on their way there when Armageddon had begun. They hadn’t left in time; he had failed. Maybe if they’d left sooner he could have saved the billions that were dying tonight. The apocalypse was upon them and all that was left was to join the rest of the faithful in heaven. He was not able to take Babylon with him, but he could cut off its water supply; kill it through attrition.

  One of his followers approached him and nodded, handing him the device that would send them to their brothers and sisters awaiting in the afterlife. He took the bullhorn in hand and began his sermon, the trigger in hand. His followers prepared for the last leap of faith that would spirit them out of the mortal life and into the rewards waiting for them in heaven.

  Chapter 30

  Oh shit

  Todd

  Compound 2

  “Holy shit! Get out of there!” he heard Ben yell, his voice echoing down the long hallway. The terror in those words chilled him to the bone.

  He rushed into the communications room and came to halt in front of the bank of monitors. He wasn’t sure which one to look at first. “What is it?” he asked. Ben motioned to one on the left and his heart skipped a beat. It was a security cam overlooking the roads through the Hoover Dam. He groaned and felt bile fighting its way up his throat. “Fuck me,” he said, each word coming out soft but severe.

  There was a single man left on top of the Hoover Dam. They had watched in awe as the rest of his group leapt to their deaths while the man remained where he was. He had a bullhorn in hand and continued on for a couple of minutes, not missing a beat in his sermon. Then he lowered it and tossed it after his comrades dying below. Crossing himself, the man began to yell once more, raising both arms into the air. Whatever he had said was causing a panic below and the chaos that unfolded was too gruesome to watch.

  “Can you zoom in?” he asked. Doing so would obscure the mass confusion taking place on the right of the screen; it was too gruesome to watch. He looked at the map on the right and saw that Ros and Matt’s GPS signals were emanating from right there at the dam. The signals were moving south, but it wasn’t fast enough. “Text her and tell her to get the fuck out of there.”

  “I’m trying!” Ben responded, frantically punching keys, the mouse pointer flying across the screens.

  The leader of the group was holding something in his right hand and he was fiddling with it as he finished his sermon. He was glad that there was no audio, but he wished the pixels would tighten up on what the man was doing. His eyes were drawn to whatever the guy was holding and he felt his gut wrench in horror. The man screamed a final time, then the screen went blank.

  “What the fuck? Get the picture back!” he yelled, wanting to shove Ben out of the way and do it himself. That helpless feeling had returned and he fought against it with everything he had. The problem was, there really was nothing he could do. He couldn’t do shit from here.

  Ben sat back in his chair and shook his head, a tear sliding down his young face. “I can’t, there’s nothing to go back to.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, still not getting it, or not wanting too.

  The youth had tears streaming down his face as brought up camera footage playing on the lower left screen to the center monitor. It had been blocked by the boy’s body and hadn’t caught his eye until Ben shifted it over and enlarged it. You couldn’t miss the mushroom cloud rising from the desert floor.

  “Oh, my God,” he whispered in terror. He couldn’t tell how large it was, there was no context to allow that, but the sight still horrified him.

  They sat there and suddenly embraced, the mushroom cloud slowly lifting into the air. The tears flowed, sobs ripping from their chest. So many lives had just winked out of existence; including that of two of their comrades.

  It was too much after the day they were having.

  The radio on the right wall began to sputter static and they paused, pulling back from each other. He wiped the tears from his cheek. “What the hell?” A familiar tone began to repeat over the airwaves and in the moment of grief, he thought he was imagining it. There were three whirs and then a long tone. Ben’s face confirmed for him the reality of what he was hearing.

  “This is the emergency alert system. This is not a test. The United States Government has declared martial law in the following states,” the voice told them, the quality of the sound crackling in their ears. He listened in horror as the list of states were rattled off in that droning voice. He had seen it on the updating maps Ben kept, but now they were getting outside confirmation; this was really happening. “All residents are advised to stay indoors. Anyone caught on the street after nightfall will be dealt with in the harshest manner possible. There is nowhere to go that is safer than your own house. We repeat, stay indoors and await further instructions on evacuation procedures and triage sites. This has been a broadcast of the emergency alert system.” Then there was another long beep, and it began to repeat. When it finished, there were three more alert tones and then the radio went back to static.

  “A little late, don’t you think?” he asked before considering what he had heard. His voice was cracking from the grief he felt.

  Ben either didn’t hear him or didn’t have an answer. He looked stunned, completely broken, and the tears were still flowing down his face. Exhausted, stressed, and seeing the things he did throughout the day, it was a wonder this hadn’t happened sooner. Ben needed a break.

  He rose to his feet and helped the young boy to his feet.
He led him towards the door. “But—,” the young boy stammered, trying to resist.

  “I’ll take care of it. You’ve done enough for now,” he soothed. He wanted some time to think things over and solitude was always the best way to do that. Besides, Ben needed rest if he was going to be any good to them tomorrow.

  He had a feeling that it was going to be an even longer day than this one had been.

  Ben simply nodded his thanks, the resistance already gone. He shrugged free and began to walk down the hall, the sobs echoing in his wake. He stood there and watched him go, then turned and walked back to the computer station.

  Well, what was he going to do now?

  Chapter 31

  Resurrection

  Mark

  Bardstown, KY

  He didn’t know how long he was out, but it was long enough for the sun to have set. The fact that he had survived was only the first surprise waiting for him. His chest still hurt from the deployed airbag, his face swollen and tender to the touch. He had been stunned by the fact that nothing had gotten to him while he was unconscious.

  Someone had been looking out for him after all.

  Though, after the events of the day, he hoped it was good rather than evil. The thought that he was being saved for some nefarious and ugly death was too horrible to consider.

  While taking gear from his truck, he had noticed that his phone was smashed to hell; another casualty of the car accident. The first had been the fucking asshole that had chosen to end his life by falling onto his truck. He saw a couple of legs underneath the front end; the rest had leaked out of the corners of the front of the wrecked vehicle; providing the glue that kept it lodged to the concrete overpass.

  He had lost part of his lunch at that point.

  After he had collected himself, he had stood there, stunned that he was walking away from such a horrid accident alive and intact. There had been a flash of light; a cargo van was slowing as it approached the accident site. An older couple were on their way to Lexington and offered to take him with them.

  Having no other alternative other than walking, he had accepted. They had made space for him to sit amongst the supplies they’d brought with them. It was cramped but still preferable to making his way on foot. On guard, he had kept his eyes glued to their surroundings every moment of the trip; prepared to warn them off should he see anything that looked threatening.

  There had been a roadblock at the state line and a couple of assholes rode around in trucks, shooting randomly into the forest. Otherwise it had been a quiet journey west.

  He was surprised by the lack of traffic on the interstate, sure that the roads would be packed no matter how late it was. Without his phone, he wasn’t receiving updates from Ben and the couple’s phones weren’t in service. His wife and daughter were out there somewhere, possibly in trouble, and he could do nothing to find them. It bothered him every moment of their journey, causing him to be restless and short tempered. The older couple had been understanding and kept the conversation steered towards mundane stuff; trying to stay distracted from what was going on in the world around them.

  Then they had gotten to Lexington.

  Coming down the 75 they noticed vehicles pulled off on the side of the road and sleeping forms hidden within. Curious, but overly cautious; they crept around them and kept moving. As they progressed further, he began to see a glow of light in the distance.

  They passed through the abandoned city of Georgetown and the landscape opened up, revealing the source of light at last. A makeshift runway had been created and the constant moving lights overhead told him how busy the temporary base had become. Planes large enough to carry military vehicles had opened up their cargo bays and unleashed the military war machine into the plains around them. A pair of Humvees were parked on the side of the highway and they were flagged down by a uniformed man waving a large flashlight.

  They were advised of the curfew and were commanded to turn around; to find a place to hold up for the night. Lexington was under quarantine.

  The couple had tried to negotiate a detour, but the weapons trained on them swiftly ended the discussion. They had retreated; eyes glued to the tanks that were starting to roll down the interstate; they were heading south. The sight of those Abrams brought hope where there hadn’t been any before; the military was reacting to the outbreak with everything they could muster.

  Backtracking towards Georgetown, they had stopped at an empty gas station to refuel and resupply. They had discussed their options and after a lengthy debate, it was decided that they would travel with him to Arizona. Up until that point, he had held onto the belief that he would find his family somewhere along one of these roads held up for the night, waiting for him to catch up. But the chances of that happening without his cell were too astronomical. There were just too many places they could be hiding.

  After a series of highways and numerous exits, they were now on the 9002; heading west once more. Hours had passed and now they were parked at a rest stop; taking turns using the bathroom while the others stood watch. A payphone caught his eye and he took a chance and picked up the receiver.

  There was a dial tone.

  Holy shit, the phones were back on. Hope swelled within and he began frantically to dial an eight-hundred number they had set up in case the cells didn’t work. Things were beginning to look up. The military was on the move, he hadn’t seen a zombie since Columbus, and now the phone networks had been restored. Was there a chance he could find his wife and daughter after all? The phone began to ring and his heart tripled in speed.

  Chapter 32

  Needs of the many

  Saint

  Tucson, AZ

  “What are you talking about?” she asked Robert, ignoring the oh crap look Jesus was giving her. Yeah, he had just fucked up, royally. He just couldn’t keep his damn mouth shut; she should have never told him. When they were stuck in that store, waiting on David to review the camera footage, he had talked endlessly about going after his wife and what to do once he found her. He was friends with Todd, so she had thought he could be trusted; now she was regretting that decision.

  Robert took a step towards her. The rest of the group was busy heading into the fire station but a couple had hung back when noticing their leader’s halt. Jeff stood off to the right, committed to neither side. Erik and Andy flanked her; Jesus was trying to back away from them both.

  She glanced at the wounded man on her right and knew that if things went south, he wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight; he was too vulnerable at the moment. She had to try and calm this down before it spiraled out of control. Randall had turned and was hovering at Robert’s side; his choice obvious by his stance.

  At least she had the foresight not to tell him anything; he had a bigger mouth than Jesus did.

  “What compound is he talking about?” Robert asked and she knew that denials were wasted; he had heard their entire conversation. When she didn’t answer right away, she saw his eyes lose focus, no longer seeing her, withdrawing to some inner recollection. Then understanding dawned and his gaze narrowed. “Are you so stupid to think that Todd and his doomsday prepping bullshit was actually real? He’s probably hiding in some house somewhere, not some ultra-secret bunker that a rich author swooped down and built for him. It has to be bullshit,” he said, his voice losing steam at the end. He was starting to think it through and blood rushed to his face. She kept silent, refusing to give him the confirmation he was searching for. “There’s no fucking way it was true.”

  The two men at her sides stood their ground and she suddenly wished that one of them had a weapon, not a bum hand and a guitar case. “I don’t know where he is, nor care,” she bluffed.

  “You’re lying,” Robert said, taking another step forward.

  “Fuck you. I haven’t been talking to Todd.” Not since this morning anyways, her mind interjected. It was partially true, she hadn’t spoken to him in quite some time. “The phones are out,” she reminded him,
waving hers in the air for effect. “I work nights, remember? We haven’t talked in weeks.”

  The black man standing before her kept his face passive; thinking it through. “Why are you guys out here? Why didn’t you hole up somewhere? Where were you going when we found you?” He directed his questions to Jeff; knowing that as her boyfriend she would have confided in him anything. The neutrality of the expression on his face stung her. Things were definitely over between them.

  “She wouldn’t tell me anything,” Jeff finally said.

  Fortunately, she hadn’t gotten the chance. Things had been so chaotic during the day that she hadn’t had a moment alone with him since things went to shit, but she would have told him had he given her the chance.

  Thank God that moment never came.

  “But she knew about this shit before it went down,” he continued. “She came to the store to pick me up so we could get out of town before everything went to hell. And I saw Todd earlier this morning, he got a text, totally freaked out, and took off like a bat out of hell.”

  Robert’s face grew tighter, his blood rising, his anger starting to show. “Is that right? Did you know about this shit before it began? Did Todd?”

  She couldn’t guess at the source of this newfound rage and stepped back from the force of the new onslaught. She was trying to remain quiet, but the force of the man’s gaze was starting to shatter her resolve. Her heart sped up as the bat began to rise. “I don’t know how he knew. Maybe something happened that tipped him off. I got a text telling me to get out of town and I knew that he wouldn’t lie about something like this. I believed him,” she offered, giving him a slice of truth in hopes it would be enough to end this conflict before it escalated.

  “Did you see him at work today?” he asked Jesus, who yelped at being the new target of Robert’s rage. “You work in his department, you’d know better than anyone what is going on.”