At Jimmy's nod he turned and headed out to find his sons. He spotted Scott right away; he was standing in the bed of the pickup, looking out toward the meadow with a pair of night vision binoculars.
“What's got your attention?” Mick asked as he leaned against the truck.
“Hi Dad, I'm watchin' Sean do his thing.”
“Do his thing? What do you mean?”
Scott held out the binoculars. “Hop on in and I'll let you see for yourself.”
Mick scrambled up and switching off his flashlight, took them from his son.
“You might need to adjust them a little,” Scott said. “Look over to the far left; you should be able to see him.”
Mick held them up and after a few minor adjustments he was able to see Sean. He was wearing night vision goggles and was bent over something, but was too far away for Mick to make out exactly what he was doing. Then he rose up and Mick saw he carried a metal rod with a giant spike coming out of the side.
Mick grunted. “Let me guess, he's out there killing zombies.”
“Yep, he couldn't take it any longer, those things are dangerous and he said if he didn't do something about them and someone else got hurt or killed he wouldn't be able to live with himself. He's using his newest creation; he couldn't wait to try it out.”
Mick couldn't blame him, if he didn't need to stay close to Brooke, he would be tempted to join him out there in the deadly field.
As they stood there watching, Mick asked, “What kind of monster is this guy? I can understand going to great lengths to try to keep your kids safe, but murdering hundreds of people to accomplish that goal? A sane person would never do such a thing, they'd find another way.”
“I guarantee you one thing,” Scott growled as he leaned on the cab and adjusted his glasses. “He will pay sooner or later, and I hope it's sooner.”
“I agree, the whole situation is difficult enough without having to constantly watch our backs, always wondering where Malcolm and his hired thugs are.”
Mick pointed toward Sean. “What is he doing now?”
“When he kills a few, he cuts them loose and puts them in a pile, that way he's got a clear area to work from as he moves in. We're planning on coming back here tomorrow if we can and burning the corpses.”
“Oh,” was all Mick could think of to say. The whole idea of putting zombies down and disposing of them would never sit well.
Scott picked up a flashlight next to his pack. “I need to do a little patrolling, do you want to stay here or come with?”
“I probably need to go check on Brooke, so I'll take a pass,” Mick said as he handed the glasses to Scott, who returned them to his pack. “I'll be back later; hopefully I'll have some good new to pass along.”
“I hope so, wish we could do more for Brooke, I hate this helpless feeling.”
“We all have the same feeling,” Mick said with a sigh as he gave his son a pat on the shoulder before hopping down. “Best thing we can do is keep her in our prayers.”
Scott nodded and jumped down beside Mick. “Oh we've already been doing a lot of that. Praying that Jake has some good news on that cure, too.”
Mick nodded. If there was one thing that would change everything it would be that there was now, indeed, a cure to the terrible curse they found themselves under. With a wave of his hand, he turned and using the light from inside the tent to guide him, headed back inside.
****
Fog was beginning to envelope them as they descended the mountain, but it didn't matter. They were close...so close he could almost smell them, especially since there were so many now.
He knew the area well, at one time when he had another agenda; he was an unobtrusive and covert observer. As they continued on, the fog grew ever thicker, shrouding them as they stumbled toward their goal.
Sudden movement ahead caused him to stop mid-stride, those behind him froze in place. Nothing moved in the silent fog. Patiently, he watched. His eyes were sharper now and it wasn't long before he spotted more movement. Slowly, he moved forward and almost as one, those behind him followed.
At one time he would have recognized the two men as part of Malcolm's team, but now all he knew was that they represented relief for a few of them. He stepped back and called to the ones directly behind him. Seven responded and he watched them silently descend on their prey.
The two men never saw or heard them coming until it was too late, and although they fought valiantly, it was in vain. While the seven satisfied their thirst, the rest continued on, led by the one who promised them that what they sought would soon be in their grasp.
Chapter 18
The fog was now so thick in the ditch that Cindy's flashlight was useless. Switching it off, she stopped and turned toward Casey and Judith.
“I can't see far in this fog, but I can see that right in front of us there's what looks like a small bridge going over the ditch. Why don't we rest there and wait a bit to see if the fog lets up some.”
The bridge didn't offer any type of real protection, but having a place to get under and relax for a moment was appealing and they hurried underneath. Casey sat down on a small cement block that extended from the supports and pulled a brown paper sack from his rumpled and torn backpack. He handed each of them a sandwich wrapped in wax paper before pulling one out for himself. He then tossed them a bottle of water.
“I always carry a lunch with me, I never know where I'll be or how long I'll be gone, and I always carry extra,” he said with a grin. He nodded toward them. “Eat up, we can use the energy.”
“Don't have to tell me twice,” Judith replied. She took a big bite of her sandwich and smiled. “Oh, this is good!” she said around a mouthful of homemade bread and chicken salad. She swallowed and took a big swig of water. “Didn't realize I was so hungry.”
Everyone ate in comfortable, but watchful silence, grateful for the break. As the fog grew thicker around them, it seemed to offer a sense of protection. Slowly however, Cindy began to feel a tinge of uneasiness. She threw a furtive glance at Judith and Casey. Casey was fussing with his backpack and Judith was finishing her sandwich, neither one seemed the least bit nervous or anxious.
She tried to dismiss her feelings and set about finishing up her own sandwich. As she placed the wrapper and empty water bottle in her pack, she couldn't ignore what she felt anymore. She stood up.
“The fog is so thick, I think it's actually safer to travel now than earlier,” she said in a low voice, worried that the sound would carry. “We know our way around better and should be able to stay away from any of the Connor Group people. I've been thinking we should head for the other road first though, it's closer. Let's see what the patrol there has encountered and decide if we want to stay there or go on to the main road to try and find Dexter and the others. What do you say?”
Judith stood and stretched. “Sounds like a plan to me.” She turned to Casey. “Are you ready to head out?”
Casey nodded and stood slowly, grimacing slightly as his bones creaked with movement. “Give me a minute to grease the gears and I'll be good to go,” he said with a chuckle. As he hobbled up and down between the bridge supports a few times, both women shouldered their packs and checked their weapons.
There were two roads into Shady Oaks, the main road that eventually led to the highway, and a two lane blacktop into Harris. The dirt road that led up the mountain to where Mick and the others were branched off from the blacktop.
As they continued on, Cindy hoped that someone there might know something so they would know what to do next. She was nudged out of her reverie by a sharp elbow to her upper arm.
She jerked her head up to look at Judith. “What was that for?”
Judith frowned and held a finger to her lips. “I'm hearing something. Listen.”
Both women stood silently, watching Casey totter on in front of them.
“Casey!” Cindy hissed. When he stopped and slowly turned, she waved to him. “Come back!”
When he reached them, Cindy placed a hand on one skinny shoulder. “Judith heard something, we need to figure out where it's coming from.”
Casey nodded and they stood together silently for what seemed like several seconds. Then they all froze when they heard the sound, one they all hoped to never hear again. There was a group of zombies somewhere, of that they were certain. Nothing else produced the groaning, moaning, and wheezing noises that came and went in the fog.
Cindy pointed up to her right. “I think the road is right up there, let's see if we can find a good spot to climb up.”
After quickly scanning the ditch, they were unable to find an easy route and ended up climbing at an angle. The going was difficult, the grass was covered in thick dew from the fog and they kept slipping. Both women had Casey by an arm and they grunted with the effort of pulling him along. Reaching the top, they stopped and clung to each other, trying to catch their breath.
A few minutes passed and still panting lightly, Cindy straightened and looked around. As far as she could tell, nothing moved in the fog. She stepped onto the street and pointed. She could faintly see the two large oak trees that graced either side of the entrance to the blacktop road, but was unable to tell if anyone was there.
“Look, we're not too far off, let's get going.”
“Casey, are you ready?” Judith asked in a low voice. She was concerned, they were asking a lot from him.
He ran a shaky hand over his face and nodded. “I think I'll be all right if we move a little slower,” he murmured apologetically. “That climb took a lot out of me.”
Judith smiled and once again took him by the arm. “No problem, we'll take our time, the road is close. Let me help you for a bit.”
“We're not sure where those zombies are,” Cindy said once they reached her side. “So keep your eyes peeled.”
“We need to slow the pace for a bit,” Judith said as she nodded toward Casey. “Probably a good idea to approach that road slowly anyway.”
“Agreed. Why don't we cross the street and hug the trees on the other side, which will give us some cover.”
“Good idea.”
As they walked across the street Cindy hoped that whoever was on patrol knew what was going on. She frowned when they were close enough for her to see that the barbed wire gate that stretched between the two trees was down. The gate was flimsy, but it offered the patrols some control over the road, which was important if you had to contend with dangerous problems like stray zombies or hostile people like the Connor group.
Just short of the road they stopped. Cindy shook her head. “This doesn't feel right. Where are they?”
“I don't know, but I agree, it's too quiet,” Judith said with a shudder.
“And creepy,” Casey chimed in. “Maybe we should stay on the street and head on up to the main road.”
Cindy was about to reply when she spotted a subtle movement from the corner of her eye. She held up a hand.
“Something's on the road.”
Together they slowly moved forward until they stood between the two trees and faced the blacktop.
Cindy squinted as she scanned the road before her with the flashlight. The beam swept by a dark shape and she almost missed it. She quickly swung the light back and held it there.
“What is that?” she whispered. “I still can't make it out in this fog...”
“Look,” Judith said as she pointed with flashlight in hand. “There is definitely someone standing off to the left of where your light is.”
“Do you think it's the patrol? Should we chance calling out to them?” Casey asked.
“Not yet,” Cindy said. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes. “I think my eyes are playing tricks on me, the longer I look the more people I think I see.”
“Perhaps we should get off the road, it might be the Connor thugs,” Judith murmured.
At that moment a light breeze blew around them, sending the fog tumbling and whirling. For a moment what stood before them was revealed, causing all three to gasp and automatically begin to back up.
From where they were standing, the road sloped gently down and for as far as they could see, what looked like hundreds of zombies stood on the road. They made no sound and stood still as statues.
Cindy felt as though ice was running through her veins and she could hear her heart thumping in her ears. She thought she had experienced true fear before, but knew she hadn't until now. Her mind was having problems processing what she was seeing and she reached out toward Judith, never taking her eyes off the horrors standing there staring at them.
Clutching her friend by the front of her jacket, she gave Judith a little shake. “Grab hold of Casey and run – head to the church and ring that bell to warn everyone. I'll go on to get help,” she managed to gasp out in a weak and trembling voice. Her whole body began to shake and she took a step back. As one, the whole mass of zombies took a step forward.
Her eyes widened and adrenaline coursed through her body, replacing the ice with a fiery heat. She turned and grabbed Judith by the arm, spinning her around. Judith already had a grip on Casey. She gave them both a shove and looked back. The zombies were on the move.
“They're coming!” she cried out. “Run!” She grabbed Casey's other arm. Fueled by fear, they ran blindly down the street. Cindy couldn't think clearly and after a quick glance at Judith, she knew they were close to panicking. The first intersection they came to, she took a quick glance back and jerked to a stop.
“Okay, this is a good place for us to split up. You two go on down that way to the church,” she spoke rapidly. The zombies were moving slowly, but there still wasn't much time to stand around and talk. “Be careful, but try to get there as fast as you can. I'll try to find Dexter and his group.”
Judith and Casey nodded, both were panting and their eyes were large with fright.
“If you can, try to make it back to the church, we'll be waiting for you there,” Judith said breathlessly. She began to move off with Casey still in tow. He gave Cindy a small smile and wave as they left.
She watched them pick up the pace before she took another quick glance behind her. “Damn,” she said under her breath.
There were so many zombies they filled the street and spilled over onto both sides of the shoulder. The fog seemed to be hemorrhaging zombies, they just kept coming. Other than the sound of shuffling feet, not a sound emanated from them. She spun on her heel and ran down the road as fast as she could, the sound of her frantic breathing loud in her ears.
****
When Mick returned to the tent, he went straight to Brooke's side. She seemed to be asleep and now had an IV inserted into her hand. He glanced at Jimmy who was holding her other hand.
“Jake put that in and took a blood sample,” Jimmy said in a low voice. “He said the IV would deliver the vaccine right into a vein to get it into her system faster.”
“Makes sense,” Mick murmured. “I think I'm going to head back there and see if he's figured out anything yet.” He glanced around again. “Where's Jenny and Charlie?”
“Jake sent them to the other white tent, there's some info he needs off a flash drive. Guess he found some notes on a computer telling him it might be plugged into another computer over there.”
“Ah, I see,” Mick said. “I'll be back in a bit.”
As he turned, Jenny dashed through the entrance with Charlie right behind her. When she saw Mick she skidded to a stop in front of him and grabbed him by the hand.
“Take him over there, I'll be right there with Jake,” Charlie yelled as he rushed by them and disappeared behind the plastic curtain.
Puzzled, Mick started to ask what was going on, but Jenny didn't give him a chance. “C'mon!” she squawked, jerking him by the hand.
“Okay!” he managed to say as she pulled him behind her. He stopped for a second; lunging for the flashlight he placed on a nearby desk earlier. Jenny frowned and gave him another hard jerk.
“Hurry!”
�
��Coming!” he shouted back at her. He switched on the flashlight as they scurried outside. He couldn't imagine what had both Jenny and Charlie acting so frantic, but he was certain that the way things were going, it wouldn't be anything good.
Emerging from the tent, he took a quick glance around. Sean was still at his gruesome task and Scott was no longer by the truck. Fog was creeping up toward the meadow from below, giving the whole area an eerie, spooky look and feeling.
Jenny gave his hand another tug and he turned to follow her. Charlie and Jake emerged and Mick was certain the puzzled expression on Jake's face mirrored his own.
Once inside the other tent, he swept the flashlight's beam around. This was obviously where the real work was done on the vaccine. A divider ran down the entire length of the tent, with openings between them about every ten feet. One side housed a row of computers and lab stations, the other a row of metal exam tables with a few hospital beds partially obscured with curtains at the end. His beam faintly penetrated the darkness in the very back; he could barely make out what looked like a couple of large dog crates.
Jenny pointed her flashlight toward one of the hospital beds. “We need to go down there.”
Silently they followed her down the aisle and when they reached the last hospital bed, she threw back the curtain. Mick gasped. A pale, heavily freckled young woman with fiery red hair lay there, either dead or unconscious. She looked a little older than Brooke, her left arm was covered in thick bandages and an empty IV was still inserted into her right hand.
“She's alive, we checked before coming to get you,” Jenny whispered. She walked over to stand by the girl's head and brushed back a strand of her hair. “She's been sedated, just like Brooke.”
“I wasn't allowed in here,” Jake said in a low voice. He moved to Jenny's side. “I bet she was just one of many that they were using as a guinea pig.”
Mick walked past the bed toward the crates. He was curious. Why were they here? As he approached, he saw faint movement coming from the cage on the right. He stopped for a moment, focusing his flashlight on the spot. He stepped closer, still trying to figure out what he was looking at.
Zombified (Book 2): Shady Oaks Page 12
