Dead Hunger VI.5

by Eric A. Shelman

  “It’s not like the guy I know,” said Paul. “Like I told you, Pete and Rory have been running things from the start, at least outside. You know Carville’s not leaving that place. He doesn’t have to. Pete and Rory told us we were dead if we tell Carville what we’re doing out here.”

  “I’ll fucking kill them,” I said. “I should kill you.”

  I wasn’t a killer. I was blowing smoke. It still felt good to threaten him; he didn’t know me.

  “I don’t want to tell him. If he boots us, we’re screwed. He said he’d trade what we bring him for security and shelter.”

  “Yet here you are out in the trenches,” said Nick. “Real secure. Then you come for our guns when you fucking well know we need them to survive.”

  “I’m being honest with you guys. You should be real careful around the guys they’ve got patrolling the streets. Most of ‘em are jumpy,” said Paul. “They’re petty crooks, not killers. Their switches are either on full kill mode or off. Their philosophy is better you than them.”

  “Where is this house?” I asked.

  “Which house?” asked Paul.

  “The goddamned house with the people stacked in it. We can’t leave them there.”

  “It’s about half a mile from here. Over on Hillier Street.”

  I looked at Nick. “We need to go help those people. They’re probably just knocked out like I was.”

  “Help them?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “If it was us, we’d want someone to come, right?”

  Nick nodded. “When?” he asked.

  I looked at Paul. “Are the patrols organized already? This fast?”

  “Not really. It’s pretty late. They won’t be going out again tonight.”

  Occasionally, Paul grew reluctant to share more information. When he stopped talking I toyed with a combat knife. I’m not a violent man, but the stakes had changed.

  His eyes fell to the knife in my hands.

  The words kept coming.

  *****

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “Help!” The voice penetrated the twilight. “Somebody, help me!” The faint sound of running footsteps came to us.

  Over the previous hours, we had transferred as many guns and as much ammunition into Nick’s Dodge pickup truck as we could. Even the beefy suspension was showing signs of its capacity to bear weight.

  “What’s that?” asked Jason, running to the window. “Sounds like a girl’s voice.”

  We ran to join him. A woman ran down the middle of the street, jerking her head back and forth, obviously looking for help.

  “Move,” I said, nudging Jason aside. I turned the triple deadbolts and slid off the steel bar that slid into position by way of a key from the outside. Pushing through the door, I yelled, “Here! Come here!”

  The woman staggered to a stop and looked at me for a moment before turning to check the progress of her pursuers.

  She made her decision and turned toward me. I moved back inside and held the door. Once she was inside, I pulled the door shut and reset all the locks.

  “Thank you,” she huffed. “Thank you so much.”

  Jason slid over a chair and she dropped down into it. He followed up by handing her a bottle of water. “Here.”

  She looked up at him for a moment before taking the bottle and nodding her thanks. She was of Hispanic descent. Her hair was dark and long, and her large eyes were almond shaped and brown. She was tall; I’d put her around six feet, give or take a couple of inches.

  Our captive, Paul, cleared his throat. He was zip-tied to a chair by his wrists and ankles.

  The woman’s face changed. She dropped the water bottle and stood, backing up against a rack of fishing tackle.

  “Please, don’t worry,” I said. “but that guy right there tried to kill all of us. He killed my friend Erica.”

  She stared at Paul for a moment and he finally nodded and said, “It’s true. I did. But I didn’t want to. I’m trying to explain that –”

  “Shut up,” I interrupted, before turning back to the woman. “I’m Tony Mallette,” I said. “This is Nick DeSante and his kid, Jason. The asshole in the chair is named Paul, if he’s telling the truth.”

  “I am,” he mumbled. We ignored him.

  She nodded again, still catching her breath. “I’m Serena Castaneda,” she said, her accent strong but her English perfect. “I saw some others hiding away while I was out there, but nobody came out to help.”

  “They may not have been what you thought,” I said. “I lost my wife and her best friend to those things, plus a couple of others. I guess your story isn’t much better.”

  “My husband and son changed,” said Serena. “And my… my mother. I’ve lost everyone.”

  Her tears flowed then. I guessed she hadn’t had much time to really grieve. It’s tough when things are trying to kill you.

  “Take all the time you need,” I said. “We’re trying to devise a plan. Some guys are rolling around town shooting everyone – even the ones who aren’t sick, like us. This dick was with them.” I motioned to Paul.

  He nodded.

  “Why do you keep him alive?” she asked.

  I liked her more already.

  “Because he said he was at a house earlier where a bunch of people are trapped by these things, and I think I know how. Have you noticed the pink mist stuff that pours from their eyes?”

  Serena’s face brightened. “Yes! They start pushing it out when they get close to you. What is it?”

  “Near as I can figure, some sort of chloroform stuff. Knocks you out, but lasts way longer. Not that I’m an expert on chloroform or anything, I mean, I’ve only seen it used in the movies.”

  “So they use it to subdue people?”

  “Long enough to eat them,” said Jason. He smiled slightly before working to wipe it away.

  Everyone deals with the impossible in their own way. It’s like laughing at a funeral. People are devastated. It’s inappropriate. It’s a method of dealing and it’s not usually in your control.

  “We’re going to try to save them. With those loons out there, we need safety in numbers. You know of any other survivors?” asked Nick.

  Serena shook her head. “No. I had enough on my plate just trying to stay ahead of them. They’re everywhere. It’s almost everyone, right?”

  “I have no idea,” said Nick. “We went out for a bit, but we attracted the things like burlap sacks stuffed with salmon in a world populated by Grizzly bears. We figured out pretty quick it was safer here.”

  “So what changed your mind?” asked Serena.

  “Paul here, and his buddies – what, Rory and Pete? Killing Erica and shooting up her SUV. They’ll be back. They probably came because they know we sell guns.”

  “I don’t know how to shoot a gun,” said Serena.

  “You’ll need to learn,” said Nick. “I’m a trainer. We’ve got a selection of silencers, too. Once we get where we’re going I can work with you safely.”

  “It’s dark,” said Jason.

  “Yeah, we need to go,” I said. “I lost my Sig at the house. You got something that’ll handle one of your silencers?”

  Nick nodded. “I got a few Walther P99s all set up. Let’s travel light, but we’ll need to take my box van and swing back by here to get the pickup. I’ll pull it into my garage while we’re gone.”

  “Your box van didn’t get shot up?” I asked.

  “Nah,” said Nick. “I had it parked on the other side of the building. It’s got a big dual cab, room for everyone.”

  I held up a hand and got everyone’s attention. “Look, guys. I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer anymore, but I’ve figured out a few things. One’s the mist. Stay out of it. I mean out. If you get in it, one breath and you’re done. Out like a light.”

  I waited, and everyone nodded. “Okay,” I said. “Next, don’t get bitten. Monica, a friend of Erica’s, showed up at her house yesterday. She had a bite, but we didn’t think anything other th
an she needed medical attention. She turned that night. We just got lucky enough to avoid being attacked. That’s about all I know.”

  “Can I stay with you?” asked Serena, her eyes filled with hope.

  “I thought we’d already determined we need numbers,” I said. “You’re in.”

  Nick and Jason didn’t object. Neither did Paul. If he had, I’d have just shot him right there.

  *****

  With the headlights out, we drove along the dirt backroads of South Burlington. Every couple of streets we spotted clusters of the stumbling stiff creatures, and every single one of them turned to watch the truck roll by. I counted four of them that we hit at slow speed. It broke their bodies as they were crushed beneath our wheels, but none of them cried out in pain.

  It was eerie.

  Nobody spoke until Jason broke the silence. “Where do we go when we’re done?” he asked. “You said we can’t go back to the store, right?”

  “We have to get the pickup with all our stuff, and Paul said Carville’s guys wouldn’t likely be going out again tonight,” said Nick. “After that, I have an idea we can work on in Shelburne. We’ll just find a house or two there to hole up in until it comes together.”

  Nick looked like a little kid behind the wheel of the big truck, his 5’ tall frame barely allowing him to see over the steering wheel, even with the pillow underneath him.

  “This is the street,” I said. “Hillier. Where’s the house?”

  “You should turn on the street behind it,” said Paul. “The front of the house was crawling with those things.”

  “Where is it on Hillier?” I asked.

  “At the end on the right,” said Paul. “Would you guys consider letting me help?”

  “Wanna do it without a weapon?” I asked.

  Paul shook his head.

  “Then no. But feel free to change your mind.”

  *****

  We parked the truck, reversing it to stop between two houses that backed up to Hillier Street. There was no room to get around either side of the truck, so we ducked underneath just in front of the rear tires and crawled, emerging from the back. Paul was strapped to the handle above the door and wasn’t going anywhere. We zip-tied his ankle to the base of the driver’s seat.

  “Everyone loaded and silenced,” said Nick, ever the tactician. “Just shoot them as they notice you, but don’t shoot the people.”

  “How will we know who they are?” asked Jason.

  “You’ll know,” I said. “They’ll be asleep. If they’re not, their eyes aren’t pink and their skin isn’t gray or mucked up like those things.”

  I had longer legs than Nick, so I ran to the front. I had my shotgun and the Walther. The shotgun was just in case. It would work well to bash heads in if I needed to. Otherwise, it was just strapped on my back.

  I felt the knob turn underneath my grip as I glanced up at the moon, which shone pretty bright. It would be enough light without flashlights.

  “Ready?” I whispered. Everyone answered in the affirmative but Serena, who said nothing. I realized she wasn’t even looking at me. She was nervously scanning the yard behind us.

  “Hold on,” I said, turning to her. “Serena, you can go back to the truck if you want, if you’re not ready for this.”

  “I’m not,” she said. “But I have to be. If you don’t mind, I’ll stay in the back.”

  “Don’t shoot us,” I said, smiling.

  “I’ll try not to.”

  “Ready, guys?” I asked.

  “Go,” said Nick, his gun held in two hands, pointed at the floor and ready to fire. Jason and I were in similar positions, only Nick’s kid had two P99s in his hands. Nick had given Serena a high-capacity .22 caliber pistol and told her to aim for the head at close range.

  We went in. Quietly.

  *****

  As we moved into the rear hall, there was a laundry room on the left. It was empty. Next, a bathroom on the right.

  A figure emerged into the hallway ahead of us. I raised my P99 and fired.

  The thing’s head flew backward and it dropped like a stone.

  The dull thump the gun made when it fired was so vague it was almost impossible to tell the origin of the shot. The house was cool. I noticed it. It was downright cold compared to outside.

  I eased sideways, having not yet reached the body of the thing I’d put down. Reaching another door, I turned to look inside.

  I jerked back and caught my breath. The room was filled with crouched, feeding things. Bodies lay torn open beneath them. I choked down vomit.

  “Oh, God,” whispered Jason, turning away from the open door.

  I stepped out of view of the doorway and looked at my friend. “The… things. They’re eating,” I said.

  “Yeah, it seems that’s all they do,” said Nick, leaning inside to look.

  “Oh, my God,” he said. “Too late. Way too late for them.” Without another word, he walked into the room.

  “Nick!” I whisper-shouted, but it was too late. Nick fired away, blasting the creatures one by one. I moved in and assisted, taking out the last three.

  Nothing could be done for the people they were feasting upon.

  Noise came from the front of the house.

  “You gotta shoot them in the head,’ I said. “Otherwise they don’t die.” I didn’t remember if I’d said anything, or if they’d already figured it out.

  “It’s instinct for me,” said Nick. “I’ve never been a center mass kinda guy. The ones in the back room won’t be getting up anymore.”

  We moved toward the front of the house and startled one creature who was busily dragging a body inside the house through the open front door. I immediately scanned the living room and saw bodies everywhere. Motionless. It was too dark to determine if they were breathing or not.

  I fired at the one in the doorway and the female went down in a pile of nasty flesh covered in the gore of its own brains. I saw the pink light in its eyes go dark.

  Several more of the creatures emerged from dark corners, and our efficient murder team took them out one by one.

  I felt like I was in a video game that I never would have played in the real world.

  “Watch the door,” said Nick, speaking to his son.

  “Let’s see if we can wake these guys,” I said. “It only depends on how long it’s been since they were doused with the mist.”

  We moved around the room. Eyes fluttered open. Groans broke the silence. We told each of them to file into the hallway. We had closed the doors on both sides to set their minds at ease.

  Jason, still at the front door, fired outside. The shot was followed by a thump on the porch. Seconds later there was another low, muffled shot, followed by a louder thump.

  “Hurry up guys,” said Jason. “It’s getting busy out here.”

  I was leaning over a woman whose eyes opened to reveal pink. She opened her mouth and a black tongue covered in horrid sores wagged at me. I put the Walther against her head and blew her brains out.

  A man behind her screamed. His cry triggered similar screams from the others we’d awakened.

  “Shut up!” said Nick. “Please, you’ve got to be quiet or those things will come! We’ll get you out!”

  After we got them quieted, one young woman pointed again to the creature I’d just shot and said, “She got scratched. I was right beside her. The thing went to grab her and it just missed and scratched her. Then it blew out this gas stuff and I don’t remember anything else until I saw you.”

  “But she was scratched?” I asked.

  “On her left arm.”

  I knelt down and lifted her arm. The scratch wasn’t more than an inch long. I searched for other marks and didn’t see anything.

  It was the first time I figured out just how little it took to change. Erica’s friend had been bitten.

  I looked at the young, blonde woman. “She got scratched, then she was put to sleep?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So
she changed in her sleep?”

  “I guess,” the woman nodded. “Get us out of here, please?”

  I wiped the sweat from my forehead. “We will. I think we’re done here. C’mon.”

  She took my hand and I pulled her up.

  We pushed our way through the crowd. Some of the men and women were in nightgowns and pajamas, a few wore only blue jeans. Others still, were entirely naked. Obviously, they were the ones that slept in the buff.

  We stood at the front of the compacted group of survivors, ready to turn the doorknob. “Jason, bring up the rear, son!” shouted Nick now, with the house clear of zombies.

  “Go!” said Jason.

  We hadn’t turned back toward the door for a split second when a rumble came from the front of the house. We turned to see a new horde of monsters filling the front porch and pushing in the door.

  Jason spun around and unloaded with both Walthers, firing one, then the next, with amazing accuracy. I guess it pays off to teach your kid to shoot when he’s four.

  Jason backed down the hall as he fired. “Go, go!” he shouted.

  Once Nick saw his son would be okay, he opened the door. In the back yard were at least six of the world’s newest killing machines, all putting out guttural sounds that chilled my soul. Their moans sounded like demons embedded in my brain.

  With several more accurate shots from our Walthers, we took them down in short order. Waving everyone forward, we rushed across the yards to the box van.

  The ramp was down. “Inside, and hurry.”

  One man stopped. “How do we know you’re not going to take us somewhere and sell us or something?”

  “Buddy,” I said. “Take a chance. We just saved you from the worst death I can think of. That was because we need people, not cash.”

  It was enough. “Thank you,” he said as he mounted the ramp.

  When they were in, we closed the door almost all the way and pushed in the aluminum ramp.

  Back in the cab, Nick drove again. “Let’s go back to Davillo’s and get the pickup with our supplies,” he said. “Then we’ll take back roads to Shelburne. I got some good buddies there. If they’re alive, they’ll help us figure out how to keep all these other folks breathing.”