“Of course we do, Walt. That’s how we all ended up here,” Reed offered.
“For the trust to deepen, and continue, things need to be laid bare. If you see somethin’, have an idea, a worry, comment, whatever, speak up. Don’t keep things bottled up, thinkin’ you can handle them on your own. There is no ‘you’ any longer. It’s all about ‘we.’”
A low rumble of whispers spread through the small group. Jesse’s hair stood erect. A heavy sense of foreboding made her chest pound.
“So, I’ll go first with what I’ve been hidin’. As I mentioned earlier, we ain’t alone. Kyle and I ran into four government men today while they was buryin’ a corpse in the woods. We counted twenty-seven other graves, which means they’ve been here a while.”
“How do you know for sure they were military? And, did they see you, too?” Shaun asked.
“Because of the clothin’ they wore and the weapons carried. And no, I’m confident they didn’t know we were there.”
“That don’t mean shit! Look at us! Some of us are carryin’ military weapons and we all rode up here drivin’ their vehicles! Hell, a few of us even wore their clothes, and we ain’t government grunts,” Lamar said.
“True. However, the man I followed in the woods yesterday mornin’, certainly is. His name is Kevin Warton, and I heard him mention he was ex-military. He’s also one of the foursome Kyle and I witnessed wearin’ full bio suits and buryin’ someone today.”
Jesse’s mouth dropped open. She cast a sideways glance over at Shaun, wondering if he’d mentioned their conversation with Kevin in the woods to Walt. Shaun looked just as shocked as Jesse felt, and responded by shrugging his shoulders.
Walt noticed and stared directly at Jesse. “I believe you have somethin’ you need to, um, come clean about as well, Jesse?”
Shocked by the revelation, Jesse's mind gridlocked.
“The only way you could know about that man is because you were followin’ us, Walter. The question is, why?” Shaun asked.
“Actually, the real question should be why didn’t you tell us the entire story upon your arrival, Shaun? That’s what I’m talkin’ about here. We cannot, under any circumstances, keep secrets anymore! See how they turn on us in mere seconds?”
Jesse found her voice. Anger bubbled up from her chest and spewed from her mouth. “You want the truth? Okay! Here goes. Hi, I’m Jesse Parker, former meth addict. I’m also claustrophobic, and recently witnessed some really fucked-up shit. My mother blew her brains out to save the lives of others, and I’m havin’ a difficult time with all the shit I’ve seen in the last forty-eight hours. In the middle of a panic attack yesterday mornin’, I freaked and went outside to clear my head. Startin’ thinkin’ about all I’ve lost. Tried to convince my brain none of this was actually happenin’, because dead people walkin’ around eatin' others ain’t real! So, I ran. Found the pack we’d passed before on the way here. I opened it, and low and behold, my personal demon stared back at me.”
“Oh, Jesse, you didn’t?” Reed whispered.
“No, I didn’t, but only because Shaun stopped me before I had the chance. Yes, I would have given in to the temptation. I’m an addict. Tryin’ to handle this mess sober is just too much. Too fuckin’ much. But again, I didn’t,” Jesse stopped, wiping away the tears from her face. “Shaun and I—we both suffered major losses in Malvern, so we decided to have a private service for Mom and Marian. That’s when Kevin Warton appeared from out of nowhere.”
Walter interrupted. “And mentioned somethin’ durin’ the course of the conversation you should’ve shared with us before, right?”
Jesse’s anger ignited into an inferno. She let go of Turner’s hand and stood, facing Walter. “Really? You’re givin’ me shit about that? Since you know his name, that means you were close enough on your little stalkin’ mission to hear all of our conversation. You’ve been keepin’ it to yourself, too. Hello, pot. I’m kettle.”
“Enough!” Martha yelled. “That’s enough. Secrets are out in the open now, so move on to the core issues! Stop goin’ for the jugulars like those dead bodies roamin’ the planet!”
“Kevin’s demeanor changed the minute he thought Jesse took some of the drugs! I remember now,” Shaun whispered.
“Why in the world does that matter at this point, Walt?” Jane asked.
“Every bit of information we learn from here on out, matters. Every bit.”
“Hell, maybe it wasn’t even drugs Jesse found. Maybe it was whatever covert, secret shit the government concocted that started all this!” Lamar offered. “You’re damn lucky you didn’t try any, girl. Damn lucky.”
“Good point, Lamar,” Walt added. “We know we ain’t alone up here, and whatever the substance was Jesse found in the bag sent this Kevin Warton into a tizzy.”
“It was coke. No doubt,” Jesse whispered.
“You said you didn’t—”
“I didn’t, Uncle Reed. But, it was close enough. Trust me, I know,” Jesse answered.
“I just remembered his last comment,” Shaun interrupted. “When he was walkin’ away, he said, ‘don’t do drugs.’”
Jesse rolled her eyes, angry with the entire conversation. She bit her lip to keep quiet.
“So, there’s another little morsel of information we can use. As we collect intel, we must share it, even if it seems trivial. Today, after three of the men, includin’ Warton, buried the body, another came burstin’ through the woods. He was yellin’ at them not to bury it. Mentioned fungus,” Walt said.
“Fungus?” Jane asked. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Kyle answered. “Actually, his exact words were ‘You can’t bury him because of the fungi!’”
Jane stood, pacing. Jesse saw the same worried look on her face like at Walmart. “This isn’t good. Not that it was before, but this is worse.”
“Why?” Walt asked.
“If this mess is from some sort of mutated fungal infection, there’s no way to stop it. A lot of fungal infections are airborne, too. If the men you saw were wearin’ bio suits around a dead corpse—”
“Then all of us are at risk to get infected? If it’s in the air? Dear Jesus!” Shaun muttered. “Boy, howdy, I wish I had a bottle of whiskey—oh, sorry, Jesse. Whisky’s my personal demon.”
“I’m a junkie, not an alcoholic,” Jesse shot back.
“Former, sweetie. Former junkie,” Turner added.
“Keep on topic, people!” Walt urged. Turning his focus back to Jane, Walt continued. “We ain’t tryin’ to stop it, Ms. Jane. We’re just gonna try to survive around it. However, I’d like your professional opinion and expect an honest answer. Okay?”
Jane nodded and continued pacing.
“We’ve all been around others who were contaminated. Hell, I believe at least half of us had blood spatter on our clothes. If this mess is airborne, why haven’t we, uh, turned sick yet?”
“I’m not a doctor, Walter. I don’t know. Maybe we’re immune. Maybe this particular fungal infection isn’t airborne. Some aren’t. All I know for sure is, I’ve never seen—or heard tell of—any fungal spore that could turn people into the things we’ve seen. Ever. However, if that man you heard earlier—”
“Kevin Warton,” Walt interjected.
“Warton, right. Don’t really know what to make of his strange reaction toward Jesse and the powder. At the moment, I don’t believe that should be our biggest concern. If he was worried about buryin’ a body, that ain’t good, and we should be worried, too. Whatever this is, fungal, bacterial, viral, it doesn’t matter. What matters is simple: can it cross species, and does it have the ability to live without a host in the ground?”
“There’s only one way to find out those answers, Ms. Jane.”
Jane’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at Walter. “You want to find those men, don’t you?”
Walt nodded. “Yes. They’ll be able to answer our questions. Give us an understandin’ of what’s goin’ on, what to look for, and how
to stay free from exposure.”
“Walt? You sure you ain’t the one who fell and bumped his head today?” Lamar joked. “Because if those men truly are from the government, they ain’t gonna offer up shit. They’ll just do like the others wanted: shoot us dead.”
“I agree, one-hundred percent, Lamar. So, this time, we turn the tables. We’ll stalk them, ambush ’em when they ain’t payin’ any attention. Force them to answer our questions. Tomorrow night will be a perfect time to start a recon mission. The snow will give us great cover, help keep our steps quiet.”
“You certainly have been thinkin’ about a lot of things durin’ the last twenty-four hours, Walt. That mind of yours tired yet?” Lamar said, chuckling at his own joke.
“Yes to both. Brain’s in overdrive and exhausted. That’s why I wanted us to all come clean about things. I’ve been fightin’ my own personal demons the last few days. The man I used to be tried to take over, and part of him does need to come out, if we want to live. But the other, darker side, needed to go away. Because that part of me wants me to do whatever necessary to live, even if it’s wrong.”
“Yep, you fell and bumped your head. No doubts now,” Lamar muttered.
Jesse was still standing, heart pounding inside her chest. Walter turned his attention back to her and walked over. She stiffened, ready for round two of the fight.
Instead of another dressing down, Walt put an arm around her shoulder and smiled. “I’m sorry I put you through that, but you needed to let it out. You aren’t the only one in our little group here with issues. We all have them. The trick is to lean on each other for support. Can’t have the woman my son loves anywhere but right by his side. Can’t risk any of us fallin’ by the wayside, either. We’re all one big, messed up family now.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Martha muttered from across the room. “I’ll be damned.”
From the corner of her eye, Jesse noticed Kyle bend over and whisper in Turner’s ear, then pass him something. Turner smiled as tears glistened in his eyes. She was so stunned by Walt’s words, never, ever dreaming she’d hear him say such things, all she could do was smile and hug him.
“Since we’re comin’ clean about things, I’ve got somethin’ to add,” Mike Bailey piped up.
“And that is?” Walt answered, pulling away from Jesse’s embrace.
Mike stood. Jesse could tell he was close to breaking down. “Things went downhill so fast on Saturday it was all kind of a blur. I didn’t really have much time to think ahead. I mean, tryin’ to grasp all the chaos was overwhelmin’. But, since I’ve had a chance to ponder things, I’ve decided to leave.”
“Are you insane?” Lamar asked.
“No, he’s not. Neither am I,” Deputy Allsop added. “Like Bailey said, things were so intense Saturday, all we could think about was savin’ our asses, and puttin’ as much distance between us and those hungry creatures from Hell. Now that we’ve had time to come down from the insane high, we’ve decided to head out.”
“Why? Where?” Martha asked.
“I’ve got family in Bentonville, Ms. Martha. The last contact I had was the day before all this shit happened. I can’t stay here without knowin’ what happened to them. It’ll eat me alive.”
“Bailey’s right, Ms. Martha,” Allsop added. “Same thing with me, though my parents are in Branson. We planned on headin’ out together tomorrow. Walt? I know all about your trackin’ skills. If you want to go out tomorrow night, see if we can locate them, then I’m up to waitin’ another day before we go. I owe you my life. You with me, Bailey?”
Shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other, Bailey finally muttered, “Yeah, but only one day. Then, I’m goin’. No matter what.”
“Bailey, did you say Bentonville is where your kin is?” Lamar asked. Bailey nodded. Lamar shifted his gaze over to Walter and smiled. “Bentonville. You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?”
Walt returned the grin. “See there? Things sometimes work out perfect when thoughts ain’t no longer hidin’ in the shadows of our minds. Yep, I sure am, Lamar. Couldn’t have asked for a better segue into the next topic of discussion.”
“Speakin’ of secrets, want to let the rest of us non-preppers in on this conversation?” Reed said.
“I mentioned earlier we needed more supplies. I planned on askin’ for volunteers to make a trip to Bentonville, and now, it seems I have some.”
Mike Bailey laughed. “Well, I’ll be. You planned on raidin’ one of them temperature-controlled warehouses up there, didn’t ya?”
“Yes. So how about this as the plan? Me, Reed, and Kyle will accompany you both. We’ll help you find out what happened to your families. If we find them, they can come back with us. If we don’t, will you both come back with us? Hole up here? You know, after we grab us some grub and fill up some trucks?”
Bailey and Allsop exchanged glances. Both nodded in agreement.
“Good! Either of you know how to drive a semi?”
The room exploded with a million questions. Jesse stepped away from Walt and walked back over to Turner. Bending down, she placed a warm, gentle kiss on his forehead. “Sorry you had to hear all that, babe. Forgive me?”
Raising his uninjured arm, Turner reached out and stroked Jesse’s cheek. “Nothin’ to forgive. We’ve all got things we struggle with. You’re the addict, I’m the klutz. What a pair, huh?”
Jesse chuckled softly. “Match made in Heaven, baby.”
“Since everyone else ain’t payin’ us no attention, I’ve got somethin’ to ask you. Been on my mind for quite some time, so please don’t think it’s a spur of the moment, end-of-the-world kinda thing. I had it all planned out—a big surprise at Christmas. The plans and the location changed, but the feelin’s haven’t.”
Jesse gasped when Turner held up a ring.
“I’ve loved you from the moment we met, even when we were apart. Will you please do me the honor of sayin’ yes?”
“Oh, Turner, it’s beautiful,” Jesse whispered through tears. “Yes, yes, of course I will.”
After sliding the ring on, Turner said, “I know things are different now, and a weddin’ and such ain’t in the cards, but it don’t matter to me. Knowin’ we’re together, even in this mess, is everythin’.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t lose it, especially after that wicked fall. Talk about lucky!”
“That ring is more than lucky. It’s special.”
Jesse turned around at the sound of Kyle Pender’s voice. To her surprise, she noticed tears filled his eyes.
“I loved your mother, Jesse. So much. Planned on askin’ her the same question this past Sunday, but the world crapped out before I had the chance.”
“Oh, my God,” Jesse whispered. On instinct, she moved closer to Kyle and hugged him. Loud enough for only Kyle to hear, she said, “I knew it! I knew you two were an item. Jesus, Kyle, I’m so sorry.”
“Me, too, Jesse. I miss her so much, but at least the love we shared will carry on…”
Kyle pulled away after choking up. Jesse watched him walk toward the alcove where the bathroom was, tears of her own running down her face. Once Kyle disappeared, Jesse stared at the ring. It was lovely, and fit her finger to perfection. Even if it had been a piece of string, the emotional impact it represented wouldn’t have changed.
I love you, Mom.
Returning to Turner’s side, Jesse whispered, “Your dad was right about secrets. Mom hid her own from me, and look what happened? I knew she was seein’ Kyle, yet she never said a word. Maybe he’da asked her sooner if…”
“Don’t, Jesse. The past can’t be changed. We’ll just learn from it and move forward. Together.”
“I love you, Turner Addison. I promise I’ll make you happy,” Jesse smiled through her tears. “I promise. Thank you for bein’ my sunshine in this dark world.”
Turner started to quietly hum My Girl. Soon, the entire group of freaked out family and friends joined in, gathering around Turner’s cot. The
humming switched to singing, and they all belted out the words.
Martha, Jane, and Jesse cried while in the middle of a group hug. When Uncle Reed leaned down and hugged Turner, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. For a few, blessed minutes, they forgot all about why they were trapped inside a cave.
THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH BLOOD AND PAIN - Tuesday, December 23rd – 6:15 p.m. – Mountain Standard Time
Teresa Alvarado was physically and emotionally spent. She’d hadn’t eaten in two days, and finished off the last dribbles of water four hours prior. Though she’d tried numerous times, there was no way for her to extract herself from the rubble to search for more.
Trapped inside the demolished building, Teresa’s body was surrounded by chunks of debris. She’d lost feeling in her lower left leg. A heavy piece of ceiling landed on top of it, and Teresa lacked the strength to move it.
Tired, alone, and frightened beyond words, she could only listen for any odd noise outside. Other than an occasional gunshot or faint scream, everything was quiet.
The silence was scary, yet not near as terrifying as the explosions. The only good thing she could find in the situation was the dead had yet to discover her location.
The roof was gone, leaving Teresa exposed to the elements. She prayed for rain, but so far, nothing. Looking into the sky, she noticed the thick, grayish smoke still hung heavy in the air. The orange and red rays from the setting sun were barely visible through the haze.
Teresa wanted to cry, yet she was so dehydrated, no tears came. She couldn’t believe Phoenix was gone, or the fact she’d survived the blasts. The place she’d hidden inside when the bombs rained from the sky had allowed her body to survive, but what she found before the missiles destroyed the city, killed her soul.
The stillness opened Teresa’s thoughts to the horrific trip she’d endured, alone, during the last three days.
Tainted Future (The Rememdium Series Book 3) Page 8
