Respect for the Dead (Surviving the Dead Book 1)

by Shawn McLain

  Devin shuddered. “That is what happened when Lacy died. She attacked Norm, then he died and came right back.”

  “Just like Jeremy.” Matt interjected.

  Beth sat with her hand clutching the straps of her backpack, her mind racing. “That means…. my Dad might be attacking people right now?” She clamped her eyes shut trying to drive out the mental image of her dead father eating Wes, or her brother. “Oh god, why is this happening?” She moaned.

  Thump, thump, thump, from the side of the armored car made them all jump. Devin put the truck in gear, “We’ve stayed here too long.”

  The truck rumbled up the alley then turned up the side street getting further away from the flames. Gaining the open road Beth glanced out the window. What she saw only made her stomach squirm. She resigned not to look so she sat with her back against the wall of the truck, her mind still trying to grasp what she just heard.

  Matt spoke up breaking into her thoughts, “Well I always knew zombies wouldn’t eat brains. If they did, a lot more people I know would have been safe.”

  Martin tried to suppress a smile but nodded. A moment later he noted, “The brain does have something to do with it. The army guys contend that once the brain is destroyed the virus is also destroyed.”

  Matt pumped his fist. “Yeah I knew it! Just like the movies! No running and no brain eating! I bet no Rage virus either.” He sat smiling triumphantly. Beth wanted to, but refrained from smacking him upside the head.

  Welcome

  The bells continued to toll, urging them on. Steve ran down the street with Wes close at his heels. Darkness was falling quickly around them. Stopping they leaned against the wall of the old drug store. Steve was panting, “Ok where’s that coming from? Which church do you suppose?” He asked to no one.

  Wes looked back down the way they came. The flames for the ball field’s stands painted the sky red. “Ok so the Mall is no good, and the Ball Park is, hhmm let’s see fucked. Now we have Church bells and no idea where they are coming from. So where the hell should we go from here?” Wes pounded the brick behind him in frustration. Groping in his front pocket, he pulled out his phone. He tried Beth’s number again. Steve stared hopefully at him. Wed pulled it from his ear and snarled. “No signal.”

  “Come to the church.”

  Steve and Wes stared at each other, shocked.

  “Did you hear that?” Steve asked.

  “There is safety at the church. Saint Andrew’s Catholic Church on Pine,” proclaimed a faint voice.

  “We are just a few blocks from there, come on.” Exclaimed Steve. “This way.” He pointed. Pausing at the corner of the building, they readied their weapons. Steve swept around the corner first with Wes covering him. They kept close to the walls, one looking forward the other behind them. Coming to the end of the block, they stopped about three feet from the end of the building.

  “Just about a block and a half a to go, past the park, then left on Pine” Steve whispered. Wes nodded then proceeded around the corner. At the end of another building they paused. A chain link fence surrounded a small park. Steve started forward but froze holding up a hand to halt Wes.

  Wes heard it too, cries for help coming from inside the park. Steve glanced around the building. Turning quickly back he flattened himself against the wall his eyes wide. Looking over at Wes he shook his head. “We have to go into the park.”

  “What! Why?” Wes demanded.

  “There are a bunch of kids trapped on the play fort.”

  Even though Wes was terrified he nodded his assent. He knew they had to help. Taking a deep breath they left the relative safety of the side of the building, running along the fence to the gate. Wes paused for a second before throwing it open. He ran through it, Steve right on his heels. Ahead of them was a play fort. What caught Wes’ attention was that there was no longer anything play about it.

  The playground’s usual cries of joy were replaced with the howls and moan of undead children mixed with screams of terror from the living. Ashen faced, bloody, and torn the small ghouls were trying to reach five of their former friends and school mates. The living kids on the fort had several makes shift weapons. A boy at the top of the slide was pushing the dead back down with a broom. One girl was throwing bricks, while another was using what looked to be a sling shot. Her aim was incredible. A blonde haired boy was holding the swinging bridge. He looked like a knight with a bat for a sword and a trash can lid as a shield. They could see another boy swinging a shovel at ghouls that were clawing at the edge of platform that lead to the fireman’s pole.

  Wes aimed and fired at a zombie child that was advancing on the boy with the bat. Steve raised his rifle and took out a girl who was almost at the top of the slide. As both men took aim a body flew past them knocking into Wes as it passed.

  “That is not fast enough!” A woman’s voice yelled.

  Another person ran past the stunned men. Wes stared as a grey haired black woman rushed at the zombie children swinging a crowbar. She was followed by a balding black man who was swinging a large metal bat.

  “Cover them!” Steve shouted.

  Wes aimed and fired, Steve’s rifle blasted. Something caught Wes’ attention and he glanced behind them. They were no longer alone on the street. A couple of adult zombies were about twenty feet away shambling down the road toward them.

  Wes ejected his empty clip and loaded a fresh one, turned and fired at the adult zombies. Steve watched the action at the fort. The children were being helped down by the older couple. Ten small corpses litter the playground.

  “Help me!” Wes shouted.

  Steve spun around and aimed at one of the advancing undead.

  The woman was beside them, “good job boys. We need to get to the church.” She ordered.

  The man was herding the children toward Steve and Wes. A couple of them had started to cry. “We’ll be ok. It’s going to be ok.” He soothed. Suddenly Steve recognized the woman.

  “Mrs. Johnson?” He gasped.

  “Hello Steven. Let’s get to the church. Clear the way if you would please.” She responded.

  Wes noted that Mr. Johnson, he assumed, had broken the bat. Wes unsheathed the sword from his back and handed it to the man.

  “Nice” He said dropping the broken weapon and taking the shining blade.

  They could see the bell tower of the church, it was less than a half a block away just diagonal to them around and short office building. Wes dropped the last zombie in the street as the group began to move. They made it to the end of the office building where Steve stopped. Their way seemed blocked. Up ahead were three school buses set up like a fence in front of the steps that led up the heavy oak doors. At the top of the steps between two flaming trash cans they could see a man. He spotted them.

  “There is an opening between the buses at the left corner!” He shouted.

  “THERE!” pointed one of the children.

  “Come one, Come on!” The man on the stairs urged.

  The group ran forward led by the Johnsons. Reaching the corner, Mrs. Johnson ushered the children through the small gap between the buses. Just as Steve was about to move ahead a zombie lurched out of nowhere grabbing his arm.

  Trying to wrench free and throw off the ghoul Steve lost his footing and fell. The zombie tumbled down top of him. Steve heard the snap of the zombies wrist and felt the pressure on his arm relinquish. The undead man’s weight was still on him, not letting him up. It growled and chopped at him. Steve struggled to push it off. Its relentless attempts to bite him suddenly stopped when music erupted from Steve’s jacket.

  “Beth I hear you calling but I can’t come home right now…” The zombie looked at the jacket confused.

  Up by the busses Wes tried to aim his rifle, but the zombie had lost interest in the noise and returned to trying to rip Steve’s face off. Steve, for his part, was able to force the barrel of his rifle sideways into the ghoul’s mouth, keeping it from biting him. Turning his face from the stench,
Steve watched Mr. and Mrs. Johnson disappear through the gap in the busses with the children.

  Wes aimed, hesitated, then started to move to aid Steve. A shout recalled him back to the bus. “Here!” Mr. Johnson yelled and slid the sword under a bus to Wes. Wes knelt down, reaching for the hilt.

  His fingers barely scraping the metal, “Aw, come on!” Wes growled stretching further under the vehicle. His fingers closed over the cold steel. Scrambling out, Wes held the sword high while running back to Steve. “Get its head up!” He cried.

  Steve grabbed the barrel and the butt of the rifle, the zombies teeth began to crack on the metal. Steve forced the head up. It felt like bench pressing a Buick, pain shot into his shoulder, the zombie was trying to claw through Steve’s jacket. Slowly Steve forced the zombie’s head up higher until Wes swung at it like a ball on tee. The ghoul’s head separated from the body and smacked with a thud against the wall. Dark, foul blood oozed over Steve’s chest, he threw the headless body off of him and scrambled to his feet, Wes helping him.

  “Yeah asshole! Not so tough without a head are you?” Steve swore as he walked over to the severed head that lay on its side by a stoop. The eyes in the head watched as Steve approached it, its mouth moved furiously. “Oh you still want some huh?” Steve ran up and kicked it as hard as he could. It flew down the street bouncing off a trash can. “Damn it!” Steve yelped. “That bastard’s head was like a fricken rock.”

  Limping, he found Wes laughing at him. “Feel better? Come on Beckham.” Wes continued to laugh while watching the head roll lopsidedly to a stop. Steve punched Wes in the back of the shoulder as they headed to the gap in the buses. The man at the top of the stairs was waving them forward into the church. They squeezed between the busses and hurried up the stairs. When they gained the top Steve noted the man was a priest.

  “Thank you, Father.” He said as he passed him and proceeded to the front doors.

  “I’m glad you made it, my son” was his reply.

  New Friends

  Beth glared at Matt for moment, “How can you be so happy about being right about zombies?” She demanded. Matt merely shrugged, shaking her head she turned to look out the small back window. There were two zombies approaching, she watched them running after the truck. “Wait didn’t you just say that zombies don’t run?” She asked grabbing Matt by the shoulders.

  Matt’s eyes were huge as she shook him, “yes that’s right they don’t” he squeaked.

  Jumping up to her knees Beth gripped the rubber gasket around the window. She watched the two figures flaying and running after them. A zombie stumbled out of a doorway close to them. Beth saw a muzzle flash from the hand of the taller of the running figures and the zombie crumple.

  “Stop! Stop the truck!” She yelled.

  The two figures were waving frantically at the back windows.

  “What’s wrong?” Devin asked as he applied the brakes.

  “There are a couple of guys running after the truck. Stop!” Beth yelled as she threw the back door open.

  “Wait! What if they are like those guys who tried to kill us at the ball park? This could be more like them!” Trevor protested.

  The smell of burning wood and burnt meat assaulted Beth’s nose. She was waving the two men on ignoring the admonishments from the other passengers. Beth gave a small scream and ducked. One of the men raised his gun and fired. The bullet whizzed past the truck. Beth opened her eyes and saw a zombie with a bullet hole through its head lying just at the back bumper.

  “Move!” One of the men shouted gesturing for Beth to move to the side. She did not need telling twice. Flattening herself against the wall of the truck, the two men jumped in. One was in a police uniform the other in military fatigues. The police officer spun around and slammed the doors.

  “Go Go Go!” He exclaimed. Devin did as he was told.

  The man in fatigues hit the wall next to Beth slipping down next her, across from her the police officer slid down the other wall. Both men sat in silence except for taking deep breaths. The police officer had his head in his hands while the military man was staring straight ahead clutching at stitch in his side. Martin looked over at the cop and asked, “What is your name officer?”

  The officer looked up, recognizing the Mayor he tried to compose himself. “Sorry sir, Officer Kline, Max Kline.”

  Martin nodded, “Welcome aboard glad you made it this far, Officer Kline, and you are?” Martin gestured to the military man.

  “Corporal Hector Rodriguez, sir.” Was the man’s reply between breaths.

  “Corporal, are you with the national guard post in Somerset?”

  “Yes sir, we were order to town to evacuate the civilians.” Hector shuddered. “It didn’t go so well sir.”

  Devin turned sharply down another alley and stopped. It was late afternoon and it was starting to get dark. He put the truck in park and turn to address the two additions to their crowded vehicle. He opened his mouth, stopped, took a breath, opened his mouth again, shook his head then, “What the hell happened?” He blurted out.

  Hector looked over Max. Max stared back, Hector sighed, “We lost control, we lost control of the situation.”

  Max spoke up. “I was sent to the ball park to secure the area for the evacuation. The first couple of helicopters that came in were just dropping off soldiers. There was this Captain that kinda took control as soon as he landed.”

  “Captain Rhodes,” Hector interrupted. “Complete asshole, didn’t have a clue how to run an op.”

  Max looked at Hector and when he didn’t continue Max resumed his story. “I couldn’t believe what was happening or what that Captain had just told us. The guy told us the people with the flu; the sick people were going crazy. It was like rabies or something, it made them attack and kill other people. He told us to shoot them on sight, but not just shoot them, but to shoot them in the head, only.”

  Hector interrupted again, “That is because he didn’t tell you everything. They weren’t sick anymore, they were already dead.”

  Max stared at him. “What do you mean they were already dead? You mean like zombies and shit?” At this Martin spoke up and filled in the shocked officer. “Holy shit.” Max muttered at the end of the explanation.

  “Well at least we know that zombies don’t eat brains, I mean that would defeat the whole purpose of infecting the brain.” Matt added. Everyone stared at him, “what?” He asked. “It is all about the brain. That is where the infection is and why you can only take them down by shooting them in the head. Destroy the brain destroy the zombie.”

  “Yeah and we had order to take out anyone sick. None of them were to make it out of the city. So we had to break up families and tell people they couldn’t leave. A buddy of mine in another unit told me they were going to the hospital to sterilize the infected. ” Hector stated. “Sterilize, nice way to say kill. We lost contact with them right before it all went to hell at our post.” Hector sighed rubbing his eyes.

  Martin persisted, “So what happened though? How did we lose control?”

  Max took a moment to gather his thoughts, “Well I took up my position behind my cruisers just in front of the concrete barricades that were set up at the entrance of the Ball Park… I still don’t believe it, really zombies?” Max stared around the truck waiting for someone to say it was a joke. Beth nodded at him. “Shit…Well like I said I was at the Point, there were two other places that were set up as evacuation sites. The park up on Eisenhower, and at the Richland Mall Movie Theater on top of the hill. We had just lost contact with the guys at the park and the guys at the theater were having a bad time of it, there was a lot of shooting going on up there with people overrunning the barricades, panicking, trying to get to the helicopters.”

  Max shook his head Hector decided to give him a break. “I was briefed at the camp and told all about the virus and to avoid anyone that was sick. If you got bit you were pretty much screwed.” He paused, thinking back on the briefing. “I understand this sta
rted yesterday in New York. The Army guys there got overrun pretty damn quick. They blew up all the bridges and tunnels out of the city the last time we had contact with them.” Hector sat for a moment.

  “We lost New York?” Beth sat stunned.

  “New York, Philly, Pittsburgh, we haven’t been able to reach any of the big cities for hours. We got orders to come here and evacuate from Colonel Miller. No one is sure where he got orders from but he’s in charge so we loaded up and came here.”

  Martin gave a sad smile, “Well at least he tried to help out the city.”

  Hector grunted at this. “By the time we got here the city was already lost we just didn’t know it.” Martin raised his eyebrows at the corporal. Hector stared back. “My chopper landed and we fanned out to help the local police guys with their barricades and to set up an orderly evac.”

  Max nodded “They were armed to the fucking teeth, oh sorry.” He said noticing Beth and Matt.

  “Please I’m in high school; like that is the worst I’ve heard.” Beth gave a laugh at the embarrassment on the officer’s face. Hector gave an impatient snort.

  “Go on,” Martin encouraged.

  “Well like I said we landed and deployed around the ball park. The police had things set up for like a concert or that kind of crowd control. We started closing the holes in their set up while moving the civilians through.” Hector closed his eyes for a moment. “We had a special area set up for the sick to go to be…”

  Max interrupted. “The tents along the river?...You." What did you do?”

  Hector looked down at the stock of his gun. “Those guys were to shoot the sick and dump them into the river.”

  Gillian gave a strangled cry. Matt grabbed her arm.

  “Dear god.” Devin exclaimed.

  “We couldn’t take the chance of one of them dying in the helicopter and attacking the others. We had already decontaminated our camp. We couldn’t let any infected in.”