Her body was stiff, she lay against him straight, as if her joints had locked. Yet, she shook, with a tremor that grew and grew.
Dwayne sat with his back tight against the side wall of the factory roof and stared at the others, who were still hidden amongst the pipes.
Below them, Kate’s cries were replaced by a wet, gagging sound that none of them needed to see to understand.
“Sweet Jesus, she’s a natural. That’s right, take it all, you little fuck on legs.” Ed’s words turned to hooted brays of delight.
On the roof, Abby’s hands clenched against Dwayne, squeezing him with a strength harder than he realized a human could muster. Burying her face into his chest, Abby cried and bit down on her anguish so hard her teeth broke the skin of her bottom lip.
She thrashed and kicked against Dwayne’s strong embrace as he fought to offer some comfort when she needed it the most.
Without warning, the group on the ground started laughing then yelling as Kate’s mouth was finally freed up. The moment of silence that preceded her fresh wave of agonized screams was all the group needed to hear to fully understand what was happening below.
As Kate screamed and cried out, first in pain, and then, against all her self-control, in pure, albeit forced bliss, the others stood and crouched in frozen silence, forever haunted by the echo of abuse that would linger in their heads every time they closed their eyes from then through into eternity.
All the while Dwayne held Abby, his eyes were locked on Samantha, whose own eyes were stained bright red with tears. Her gaze screamed to him, telling him everything he needed to know about her past and the thing that had happened to her. Back in the world before it officially went to hell, back when they lived in a world filled with denial. A world that was dying long before the dead came to reclaim it as their own.
The assault seemed to last an age, and when the cries finally fell still, Dwayne found himself hoping Kate was dead.
Rage built up inside him as he fought the urge to run down and launch himself at the men. Unarmed and just a boy compared to them, he knew it was a fool’s errand, but it was a consuming notion, nonetheless.
He saw the same look on Jared’s face. He did not know what to make of the man he had spent so much time cooped up with since the change. But he did know that he would not turn him away. The attack hardened him and forced him to understand that the world was not the same place it had been, the survivors no longer had to play by the same rules as before, and that knowledge changed everything. Jared could well be a killer, or maybe even a complete psychopath, but if that was what it took to make their group strong and stop anybody else from being taken, then he was willing to pay the price.
“Get her in the truck,” Ed’s voice finally spoke. Out of breath, and proud as a fucking rooster, he gave the orders and walked away.
Dwayne chanced a look over his shoulder as one of the group hauled a limp Kate from the ground and hurled her into the back of the left-hand four-by-four. He saw Ed get into the passenger side of the same car. His eyes narrowed, memorizing the license plate, the same way he memorized the cold, sharp-pointed features of the man called Ed. The black hair, thinning on the top, and the ratty goatee that clung to his face without any real conviction.
It was not much to go on, but Dwayne made himself a promise, a silent one to the group, that he would find that man and kill him. He would track him down, and regardless of what hands fate dealt the man, be it the leader of the new world, or a bum on the street with his last breaths already filling his infected lungs, Dwayne would cut his heart out and grind it beneath his boot.
The assault could not have lasted more than a few minutes. It felt like an age to the group trapped on the roof, but with all of the zeds arounds, any fun and games on the ground would have to have been enjoyed quickly. A burst of gunfire told the tale of the route they took, and a while later the heavy metallic clangs of a trolley rolled up to the vans.
Chancing another glance, Dwayne watched as the two larger members of the unit began to load the pallets of supplies into the back of their van. With the job done, the others got into their cars, and the group drove away.
They gave no sound as to their destination or future intentions.
Only once the echo of their engines had finally faded into nothing, did people feel strong enough to move. Coming together as a unit, they gathered around Dwayne, who held the now sleeping Abby in his arms like a parent cradling a sick child.
One by one, everybody huddled around the stricken girl.
“She’s going into shock,” Leah said, crouching down.
“I can’t believe what’s happening,” Julie said, sliding down to sit beside Dwayne.
“We have to get her back.” Ronnie stood, defiant, but his pale, sweat-drenched face said that he was just as shaken as the rest of them.
“Where do we go?” Samantha asked, crouching down to check Abby for a pulse.
“I don’t know … I don’t fucking know,” Dwayne said, banging his head back against the wall.
Sitting there, he closed his eyes and tried to let his mind escape the swirling storm of torment that hung directly over their heads. It crept among them like a rolling fog, with tendrils reaching out to curl around their bodies, slowly overtaking them; choking and cloying, almost as if it were a physical thing.
“We will figure it out,” Sam spoke softly, sitting beside Dwayne on his free side, she placed a hand on his shoulder.
He didn’t give an answer. He didn’t think he even had one.
“Do you really think this is what the world is like now?” Leah asked as she leaned against Ronnie.
Everybody was sitting on the roof, still adrift in the churning sea of emotions.
“I think they made it pretty clear,” Jack said, his voice broken and despondent.
“Yeah, those assholes, but I mean the rest of it. The state, the US, fuck, I don’t know, the rest of the world. Are the dead everywhere, and are the living really so dangerous?” Leah asked, desperate for some reassurance.
“I miss my mom,” Julie whimpered as she drew her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them.
Silence fell over them, and as if to further dampen their mood, the clouds that had formed above their heads continued to darken, growing pregnant not only with rain but rather with a storm.
“I know people don’t want to hear it, but those guys did do one thing for us,” Jared said as he moved back toward the group from the other side of the factory roof.
“What is it?” Dwayne asked, looking up at the man that split his viewpoint so completely.
“They took down all of the zeds in the courtyard. I don’t know about the factory, but we can get down to the ground from up here.” Jared pointed to the other two fire escapes, which ran right down to the ground, and into the far courtyard.
“What are you getting at?” Sam asked, pushing the conversation along.
“Cars, trucks, vans, you name it, fuck, a frigging semi, if anybody could drive it. I’m talking about getting some wheels under our asses so that we can high-tail it out of here pronto.” Jared smiled, proud of himself.
Before, back in the room above the non-stop student kegger, that smile had spoken a lot. It had comforted Julie and served as the icebreaker they all needed back when things first started going to hell.
Now, it had a strange quality, the earlier altercation between Jared and Ronnie, while seen coming from a mile away, had somehow tainted Jared’s smile. Leaving behind more a smear of what had once been than anything else.
“Where would we go?” Leah asked without even raising her head. “It’s all hopeless, right?”
“We could get away from here. We could get ourselves some weapons and go after those fuckers that took her girl.” Jared pointed at Abby, who was stirring in Dwayne’s arms.
“Really, you think we can just drive in and ask for her back?” Ronnie said, his voice stripped of the confrontational tone that had been there since the moment th
ey met.
“Why not?” Jared answered, holding Ronnie’s fractured gaze with his own cold, cool stare. “We plan it out, strike at night and free her.”
“They’ll kill us before we even get close,” Ian said. “Those guys knew what they were doing. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never fired a gun, and I’m pretty sure nobody else here has either.”
Everyone looked at each other. Only Dwayne and Samantha did not lower their heads.
“I fired a handgun at a range before,” Dwayne said reluctantly. He was painfully aware of how pitiful that level of experience sounded, especially in light of their current situation.
“My old man is a cop,” Samantha said. “I’ve fired a few guns, as he taught me to protect myself, but I don’t own one, and, well, like Dwayne here, I’ve never fired outside of a range.”
The first few drops of rain fell on the group. Fat beads of water fell so slowly, their path through the air could almost be traced.
One by one, they looked up as the heavens opened––as if the world itself was crying at their predicament.
Rain pelted down on them, soaking them to the skin in an instant.
The water shocked Abby back to life. Dwayne had the misfortune of seeing the confused haze lift from behind her eyes. He was forced to watch realization dawn on her, and to see her heart break again as she realized everything really did happen. It was not some dream.
“We can’t stay out here,” Leah called.
“Jared’s right, we need to get mobile,” Julie added, shouting to be heard above the pounding rain. Behind them, the main working section of the property was covered by metal roofing, which echoed the raindrops like rolling thunder.
“Let’s get down and into something. Once we are out of the rain, we can decide,” Samantha said, looking over at Dwayne for support.
He nodded, and Samantha held out her hand to help Abby to her feet.
“Come with me. There are a few choices over here.” Jared led them back to the part of the roof he had been exploring.
One by one, they all followed him as the sky continued to darken, ushering in a false darkness over the world.
Chapter Six
The damage to the perimeter fencing was not too severe, and after first removing the zed’s leg, and then the razor wire from around it, they were able to carry out a suitable repair, which would hold up until they had the chance to finish their fortification plans.
“We should head back,” Henry said, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Hector stood farther along the fence, checking for any secondary damage caused by the troublesome zed the day before.
“You go. I just want to finish checking this stretch. We are lucky that herd came in from the other side. Otherwise, they would have torn this thing apart, not to mention wandering right into the camp.” Hector twisted the razor wire into place against a thick tree branch.
“Nope, nobody goes off alone. You know the rules, man,” Henry said, insistent.
“This is hardly off camp. I can practically see the shelter from here,” Hector argued, but Henry would not budge.
Looking around the woods, Henry took in the silence. Something felt different. He didn’t know if it was because of the events of the day before, and getting caught in the middle of a herd, or what. The only thing he knew for certain was that something felt off. Something in his gut, telling him to be extra vigilant.
“We’re heading back. My watch is about to start, it’s almost chow time, and I want you and Taron to head out to the rear this afternoon and do some scouting.”
“You mean fucking fruit picking,” Hector shot back, clearly annoyed at the task he had been given. “I’d rather do a double shift in the lookout shelter.”
“We’re not doing doubles, not after last time,” Henry answered fast, walking down along the fence toward Hector. “I want Taron to look for the fruit bushes. You can hunt whatever you want, so long as you stay together. You know the rules, man. Nobody goes out alone.”
Hector remained silent, and it was clear something was bothering him, but he kept his mouth shut and followed orders. They had all elected Henry to lead the group, and deep down, Hector knew it was the right choice.
They made their way back to the camp just as the first jet plane roared overhead. The growl of its engines shook the ground they stood on, and tore through the trees, the rumbling echo destroying the silence of the area for miles around.
Three more jets appeared, flying in a loose formation that only saw two pass within their line of sight.
“What the hell was that?” Vanessa cried, running out of the lookout. Behind her, Taron and James appeared from the rear building, their eyes raised to the heavens.
Henry opened his mouth to speak, but explosions tore through the woods and had them all running for the shelter.
“Get in the shelter.” Taron pushed James ahead of him as they sprinted for the safety of their bunker.
Henry was the first there as the second round of detonations added to the destructive din. Wrenching open the door, he stood outside, ushering his wife, son, and friends inside first before following them and closing the door.
“We rehearsed for this too,” Hector called, taking over the role as leader as they had agreed. “We are under attack. We don’t know what has happened, or if it is related to the zeds, so we treat this as the top-level threat. Everybody underground.”
Working together, Hector and Taron lifted the double bed unit that Henry and Vanessa slept in. The hinges were stiff but they worked, exposing the hidden second level of the bunker. Designed as both a storage reserve and a shelter in case of extreme emergencies, it had enough supplies to keep the group alive for a month or two, if they were strict with their rations.
“Mommy, I don’t want to,” James whimpered, clinging to his mother’s legs.
“I know, honey, but it is going to be fine. This is just a precaution. Come on, just like we practiced.” Gently, Vanessa coaxed her son down into the bunker. Henry followed, with Hector and Taron close behind, lowering the bed back into place.
The bunker was cramped and with the canned goods stored there, the available space was further reduced.
“What do we do now?” Vanessa asked her husband, as she stroked James’ hair.
The boy was hugging her leg as if his life depended on it, his eyes closed, sweat gleaming on his forehead.
“We lay low,” Henry answered. “We have enough supplies down here to survive. We give it time to settle, and then Taron and I will head through the tunnel to see what damage has been caused.”
“Did you see those jets?” Hector asked, whispering.
“No, it was too quick,” Henry answered. “I was not really expecting it.”
“Well, I did. Didn’t think it was possible at first, but the second one confirmed it.” He looked from Taron back to Henry again.
“Then spit it out,” Taron pushed.
“They were American.”
“They were ours?” Vanessa said, overhearing the conversation.
She had managed to distract James with some coloring pencils and a book of superheroes.
“Yep, I’m sure of it,” Hector answered, his rotating gaze now also including a stop at Vanessa. “You know what that means, right?”
“Yeah,” Henry answered, catching on to the point Hector was trying to make. “We are fighting back.”
The tunnel was cramped and had only been built as a rudimentary fall back in case they needed to make a quick escape. There was, probably, just as much chance of it collapsing under any locational threat than of it letting them through alive, but life or death scenarios validated its creation.
Taron had the lead, with Henry right behind him. Taron held a flashlight in one hand, and a machete in the other, while Henry had a rifle over his shoulder, ready for any high-powered assault that may be required.
The tunnel opened up on the other side of the trees, through a self-constructed gateway. They had acquired
the old sewer grating from a scrapyard several years before. Covered with crawling vines, it was well hidden by nature. The hinges groaned as they were forced to open. The initial cry caused Taron to jump back, fearful of drawing any additional attention.
“Just do it,” Henry said, reassuring his friend.
They climbed out, instantly alert for any danger that may lurk. Once they were sure there were no wandering post-humans in the near vicinity, they allowed their attention to be turned to the devastation that lay on the horizon.
The city lay in ruins, broken and battered. Flames licked upward into the sky as if the ground had opened and the fires of hell had seeped out. The ground rumbled from the explosions, and even as they stood on the edge of the trees, the rush of wind from the initial detonations rolled over them.
Several taller buildings on what remained of the skyline collapsed, disappearing inward upon themselves, as if being claimed by the escaping damned.
“What is going on?” Vanessa asked as the jet planes turned back over the city, heading toward them.
One final round of explosions hit the city before the four jets turned and sped away, disappearing behind the glare of the sun.
“I think we are fighting back,” Hector said, his voice sounding happy at the sight of such destruction.
“But I don’t understand.” Vanessa took hold of Henry’s arm, using him as her anchor, to keep herself from falling.
“It makes sense,” Taron said, his voice weak as if he did not want to speak the words.
“What does? Blowing innocent people up?” Vanessa held her hands over James’ ears, pressing him close against her, hoping to drown out the sights and sounds of the new world from his child’s mind.
“Think about it, V. The highest concentrations of post-humans are going to be in the cities. We came to that conclusion ourselves.” Taron looked at her while the fires began to settle, dropping down to the ground level.
To those watching, it looked as if the fires sank back down into the ground, called back down to where they belonged.
“We also said that is because there will be a lot of survivors there too,” Vanessa snapped.
ZPOC: The Beginning Page 12
