Lamar stood, unwilling to look at the four, worried faces staring at him for answers. He couldn’t lie unless he turned away. “Just thinkin’ about Bertha, that’s all. I miss her, yet I hate myself for thinkin’ I’m glad she died before all this happened. Bertha was like you, Jesse.”
“You mean claustrophobic?”
“Yes. She wouldn’t have lasted but maybe five minutes in here. So, I feel like an ass for bein’ glad she’s gone.”
Lamar choked up, biting his lip to keep from crying. He heard someone stand and walk toward him. A warm hand touched his shoulder.
“Don’t beat yourself up for thinkin’ that way, Lamar,” Martha whispered. “It doesn’t mean you don’t miss your wife. It means you loved her dearly and realize she couldn’t have handled this situation. Come on now, eat. We all need to stay strong and healthy if we’re gonna get through this together.”
Lamar’s heart broke and the words tumbled out. “We ain’t gonna get through this, Ms. Martha.”
“Of course we will, Lamar!”
Pulling away from Martha, Lamar turned and faced the group. “Not here we won’t.”
“What? Why? We’re safe as kittens inside this big cave, Lamar!” Turner replied.
Lamar shook his head, tears streaming down his face. “God, I swear, I don’t know how to say this, but we aren’t.”
Jesse stood and strode across the floor. She grabbed Lamar’s shoulders and forced him to look at her. “Lamar? If you know somethin’ we need to know, just spit it out. We’ve made it this far after losin’ everythin’, and most everyone, we know. Whatever it is, we’ll face it together. Say what’s on your mind.”
Taking in a huge breath, Lamar forced the tears away. “Arkansas Nuclear One.”
Jane and Martha both gasped, but Jesse and Turner looked confused.
“Oh, dear Jesus. I forgot all about that place!” Martha whispered.
“So did I, for a few days. Yesterday, on my way back from seein’ the boys off, I was slapped back into reality.”
“How?” Turner asked.
“I heard a noise and followed it. Snuck up on two of those men we ran into the other day. You know, the one’s in the underground lab?”
“Where? And what were they doin’?” Jane asked.
“They were down by the graves, burnin’ bodies. They were grousin’ about leavin’. One of them was on a tear, complainin’ about their doc, and how he should have thought about the meltdown and radiation exposure before they decided to come this way.”
“Radiation? Meltdown? I don’t understand,” Jesse said.
“Arkansas Nuclear One is a reactor, and without power to keep it cool, it will go into meltdown. Radiation will be released and head right this way.”
Martha and Jane looked like they were close to passing out. Jesse backed away from Lamar and headed to Turner’s side.
“What else did you hear, Lamar?” Jane asked.
“They’re plannin’ on leavin’ tomorrow mornin’ and flyin’ somewhere safe. Didn’t hear where, just that they’re goin’. Apparently, their doc realized the dangers, too, and they ain’t stayin’.”
“Leavin’? Tomorrow? What about the cure he’s supposed to be workin’ on?” Jesse asked.
“I don’t know. Guess they’re givin’ up on that, at least, for now.”
“Great! Zombies and now radiation poisonin’? This is insane!” Jesse yelled.
“Lamar, in your research, did you study up on—?”
Nodding, Lamar interrupted Martha’s question. “Yes. Radiation was another one of my fears.”
“How long before meltdown?”
“I ain’t no expert, Ms. Martha, but from what I remember readin’, a few weeks. Month, tops.”
“Okay, let’s not panic here,” Turner said. “We’re in a cave, which will protect us, right?”
“For a while, yes. But, eventually, we’ll have to venture out to find more food, and then we’ll get contaminated. Or, whatever’s left to scavenge, will be.”
Lamar looked over at Jesse, who appeared to be on the verge of a crying jag. Instead of sobbing, she squared her shoulders, bent down and kissed Turner’s forehead, and then turned her gaze toward Lamar. The steely look on her face wiped all traces of the young woman’s features away. Though her hair color was different, the resemblance to Regina was downright eerie.
“We’ve been through too much to give up now. If those men are leavin’, and have access to a plane, then they’ll just take us with them.”
“That’s crazy, Jesse!” Jane interjected. “We don’t know them, or where they’re goin’, and the guys aren’t back yet! We can’t leave without them!”
Jesse pointed to the rifle at the end of Turner’s cot. “We aren’t goin’ to, Jane. We won’t give those men a choice. Our loved ones are out there, riskin’ their lives for us. It’s time we do the same. I’ve got a plan.”
“And that is?” Lamar asked, shocked by Jesse’s determination.
“We’ve got a man in need of medical assistance, and they’ve got a doctor. You know where their lab is, Lamar. Take me there, and I’ll convince them we need help right away, or my fiancé won’t make it. Then, will take the doc hostage. Use him as leverage to not only wait until Uncle Reed and the rest of them return, but take us all on that flight.”
“There’s no way that’ll work, Jesse!” Lamar said. “They aren’t stupid. Those soldiers are former Special Forces. I saw their tats. They won’t let the doc go alone, if they let him go at all. That means we’ll have at least one, if not more, highly trained killers inside here. We can’t take down that many.”
Jesse smiled. “They’ll let him come, I guarantee it. And you’re right, he won’t come alone.”
“Then why in the world are you smilin’, Jesse?” Lamar asked.
Jesse walked over and picked up the rifle. “Because they have no idea how many of us are here, and where they’re hidin.’ Right, Jane? Martha? Besides, they’ll be busy carryin’ me, after I completely freak out, overcome with worry about my fiancé.”
Lamar chuckled. “You know, that just might work!”
“We don’t have the luxury of ‘just might’, Lamar. It’ll be guaranteed if the terrified fiancé and the distraught mother arrive, beggin’ for help.”
“No, no way, Martha. Walt would never forgive me if I let you do that,” Lamar said.
“Ain’t open for any more discussion, Lamar. Now, tell us how to get to that lab in detail while you eat. You’re gonna need your strength against those goons.”
“Son-of-a-bitch! I can’t believe it,” Kyle whispered.
Reed, Walt, and Kyle stared at what used to be the warehouse. When they saw smoke wafting in the air from the road, they knew this would be what they found. They’d stopped at the edge of the parking area, exhausted and angry. Chunks of debris littered the parking lot, along with countless bodies—and body parts—burned beyond recognition. The building wasn’t just destroyed, it was obliterated. Smoke drifted from small fires still burning inside the rubble.
Reed’s chest tightened. He couldn’t believe they’d made it to Bentonville, through all the hordes of the dead and dying along the way, only to come up empty-handed. “Think there’s anythin’ left inside to salvage? Should we even try, or just turn around and go back?” Reed asked to no one in particular.
Walt rubbed his temples. Reed could see the devastation all over his face. They were all running on fumes.
“The warehouse is toast, and ain’t none of those trucks in shape to drive. I say we check out some of the trailers, see if anythin’ left inside is worth takin’. If we come up with a goose egg, we’ll head back. Finish clearin’ out that Dollar General we stopped at on the way here in Harrison. We already took out the dead wanderin’ around inside the place, so it will be a piece of cake.”
“Won’t they be locked? The trailers, I mean?” Kyle asked.
“Got bolt cutters in the back, so no worries.”
“You see an
y munchers? All I’m seein’ are dead bodies that ain’t movin’,” Kyle whispered.
“None yet,” Reed answered, tired eyes scanning the parking lot.
“Jesus, this confirms what we’ve all feared: the government took out everythin’. Shit! Kyle yelled, slamming his fist into the console. “I can’t believe it. I sorta held on to a string of hope we we’re just overreactin’, and that this didn’t happen everywhere.”
Walt reached behind the back seat, grabbing the bolt cutters. “I did too, Kyle. I surely did. Like I’ve always said, the government can’t be trusted to watch a kitten, much less take care of its citizens. There’s your proof. Not that we really needed more, but this kind of ices the cake.”
Reed finished scanning the parking lot, a heavy sense of unease rumbling in his gut. Movement about twenty feet ahead near the tree line, caught his attention. He squinted, a sense of relief hit him when he realized it was only a few stray dogs sniffing around the corpses.
“Dinner’s cooked and ready, so where are all the munchers? Guess they like their meat raw,” Kyle remarked.
“Kyle? Your sense of humor is gettin’ on my nerves. Have some respect, will you?” Reed snapped back. “Stop actin’ like this is some joke. We’re about to step out into Hell, which means we need to be focused!”
Holding up his hands in surrender, Kyle said, “Easy, Reed. Easy. I’m freaked out, too. I just handle it differently.”
“Yeah, I recall you sayin’ humor is insanity’s next of kin. I’d say you crossed over.”
“If you two are done jawin’, we need to lock and load. Daylight’s wastin’, and we’ve got a long day ahead of us,” Walt grumbled. “We ain’t got many rounds left after the nightmare in Harrison, so make your shots count. Got it?”
Reed looked at both men’s clothes and then down at his own. They all looked like they’d taken a bath in blood. Reed lost count of how many hungry corpses they’d shot. Killing them from a distance wasn’t too bad, but when they found themselves in close proximity, and the speed of the monsters overtook them, they’d all taken out their knives. At the time, Reed didn’t register anything, he just stabbed and sliced his way through. Thinking about it now made his stomach twist. The sound—the sensation—of shoving metal through a skull, would haunt him the rest of his life.
“Got it,” Kyle answered. “Should we head for those three trailers right there?”
“Yep. Keep your steps quiet, eyes peeled, and use hand signals. Kyle, pull up as close as you can to that trailer there,” Walt pointed to the right, “and we’ll start with that one. If we find useful items, work double-time to get this Humvee loaded. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find enough salvageable items to fill this baby up, then get the fuck outta here.”
Kyle eased forward, not even trying to dodge the crisp bodies strewn across the ground. Reed looked around, taking in everything. He noticed another three dogs, bringing the total to eight. Big, ugly looking mutts with matted fur and streaks of blood all over their coats. When he realized they weren’t just sniffing around, but actually eating the burnt remains, he shook his head in disgust. “We’ve got four-legged company over there. My guess, judgin’ by the way they look, is they’re wild. Keep an eye on them.”
Walt followed Reed’s gaze. “Dogs—they’ll eat anythin’ when hungry, even their poop. That’s why I’ve always had a no pet policy at my house. Animals are just that—animals. Give them a reason, they’ll revert back to predator in a heartbeat.”
“That surprises the hell outta me, Walt,” Kyle said, chuckling. “I always pictured you as the kinda guy with a passel of huntin’ dogs around. Learn somethin’ new every day.”
Stopping within feet of the nearest trailer, Kyle reached to shut the engine off, but Walt stopped him. “No, leave it runnin’. We might need to leave in a big hurry. Open the back and let’s do this. Count of three. Ready?”
Reed swallowed hard, his gaze taking in another full sweep of the lot. “Ready.”
“One; two; three!” Walt whispered.
The men fanned out of the Humvee, Walt in the lead with the bolt cutters, Kyle in the middle, and Reed at the back. Weapons high and nerves on full alert, the men jogged to the back of the trailer. The smell of burnt flesh made Reed’s nose burn and eyes water.
Walt cut through the deadbolt on the back of the trailer doors, motioning for Reed and Kyle to stand guard while he opened them. The creak of the metal sounded loud in the still afternoon air. Reed’s heart thundered in his chest.
All three men breathed a sigh of relief at what was inside the trailer. Boxes and boxes of canned goods, toiletries, bottled water, and dry goods sat inside, mostly undamaged.
Best Christmas presents ever!
Backing up, Reed kept watch on the area with gun at the ready, while Walt climbed inside and started handing boxes to Kyle. The two worked in tandem to load the Humvee. The only sounds were their footfalls, light breathing, and the annoying chewing noises from the dogs chomping away on the bodies.
Hurry up, boys! Hurry up. Something ain’t right here. I can feel it. We’ve got enough for now—we can always hit Dollar General on the way back. We need to go, right now! I want to get back to Jane and Jesse. I want—
Reed’s internal worries were cut short by the most terrifying growl he’d ever heard. The second it reached his ears, his gaze darted right.
The dogs were gone.
“Oh, shit—!”
Spinning around, Reed’s heart skipped several beats. All eight of the dogs were less than ten feet away, a red, foamy looking saliva dripping from their muzzles. They’d formed a half-circle around him, blocking his path to run. Some had broken legs while others had holes the sizes of golf balls through their torsos. A few snarled, exposing blood-covered mouths.
None of them were breathing.
Jane—here’s your answer. It crosses species.
The dogs all lunged at the same time. Reed screamed, “Humvee! Now!”
The sounds of Kyle and Walt yelling, faded. In that split second of time, Reed knew what was about to happen. He opened fire, shooting the ones closest to Walt and Kyle. He’d give them a short window of opportunity to get to safety.
I promised Jane no heroics. Sorry, babe.
The dead dogs howled, descending on him so fast, he couldn’t shoot them all. Two launched themselves into his chest, knocking him to the ground. His head smashed into the pavement with a sickening thud. Reed dropped the rifle, clutching his hands around the strong neck of the one biting and snarling inches from his face.
“Walter! Shoot those mongrels! Oh, shit! Munchers to the right!” Kyle screamed.
Gunfire erupted, drowning out the hellish growls of the dogs. Reed held onto the neck of one, kicking at the others with his legs. Burning pain exploded in his leg as one tore into his thigh muscle. Reed screamed in agony.
In a desperate, last ditch attempt, Reed let go with one hand, scrambling to remove the hunting knife from his waist. Just as his fingers latched onto the handle, another dog sunk its teeth into his hand. The sound of bones breaking as it ripped away from his wrist made Reed scream again. “No!” Hysteria overtook his mind. “Not like this!”
Reed’s terror-filled screams stopped when one of the dogs latched onto his throat. The sounds of the shots seemed distant, along with the growls from the dogs. The bright afternoon light disappeared, and to his surprise, Reed felt no more pain.
Jane. Jesse. I’m sorry.
“Fuck! They’re on him!” Walt screamed.
Jumping out from the inside of the trailer, Walt ran toward Reed while firing. He shot several rounds at the one on top of Reed, hitting his target each time, yet the dog never flinched. Sliding to a stop, Walt took aim at the head.
“Walter! Shoot those mongrels! Oh, shit! Munchers to the right!” Kyle screamed.
Burst of rounds from Kyle’s weapon sent Walt’s nerves into overdrive. His senses were bombarded with too much sensory input. “Get them! Gotta save Reed!”
&n
bsp; More gunshots exploded behind him, and Walt faintly registered the fact there were too many fired in quick succession to be from Kyle’s weapon. Pushing away the thought others were around and helping, he honed in on the dogs.
One ripped Reed’s hand off while another tore a chunk of thigh muscle away. Walt steadied his aim, blowing the head off the mutt with Reed’s hand still in its mouth. Firing again, he shot the one near Reed’s leg and it crumpled to the ground.
Reed tried to get to his knife, and the second he let go, the one on his chest went for the jugular. Hands shaking from the rush of adrenaline and terror, Walt’s bullet only clipped the dog’s ear.
Blood exploded from Reed’s neck, covering the ground with a red stain of crimson, as the dog’s mouth tore into Reed’s neck. For a split second, a wave of dizziness made Walt’s vision blur as the horror seeped into his mind.
No. Not Reed. Dear God, not Reed.
“Left side, Walt! Left side!”
The mind-altering sorrow from watching Reed Newberry get torn to shreds by dogs, and take his last breath, disappeared at Kyle’s words. Senses back, Walt jerked left, gun at his shoulder.
He was too late.
Three corpses descended on him before he could get off even one round.
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Kyle screamed.
Walt heard bullets fly all around him as his body flew backward several feet. The impact of the fall, and the weight of the creatures on top of him, knocked the breath from his lungs. The stench of their foul breath and bodies shut everything else from Walt’s mind. His sole focus was on survival.
Ignoring the pain as they tore flesh from his body, Walt screamed like a banshee while snatching the Bowie knife from his side. Grabbing the rotten neck of the one chomping on his shoulder, he buried the blade in its temple. He tossed the corpse to the side and went for the one on munching on his leg.
“Die, bastard! Die again!”
In a frenzy of blood and screams, mind beyond the point of sanity as intense pain wracked his body, Walt continued to slash and stab at the last corpse. Pulling from reserves deep inside his mind, he latched on to its arm with one hand, intending to shove the blade up through its jaw.
Tainted Future (The Rememdium Series Book 3) Page 16
