“We haven’t seen anyone yet, alive or otherwise. Do you think the town was abandoned?”
Charles chose his words carefully when he replied. “Virginia, this town wasn’t abandoned. Like I said, there are a lot of bodies burning here. Someone had to organize a collection process. We should run into them soon and then we’ll-”
Virginia stomped the brakes as something hit the side of Explorer and they heard “Everyone out of the vehicle now!”
Chapter 19
And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Job 1:7
They complied but only after tucking handguns into the back of their waistbands, out of sight. Once out on the road, they still couldn’t see who had stopped them. Bandanas over their mouths and noses obscured their features. Charles raised his hands in response to the rifles trained on them but Virginia balanced Daniel on her hip and glared defiantly.
“State your business here.”
“We’re here to find my children. That’s all I want and as soon as we find them we’ll be out of your way.” Daniel began to cough.
“What’s wrong with him? Have you been in close contact with any infected persons?”
“Who hasn’t been in contact with the infected? The smoke is choking him. Other than that, he’s fine.”
One of their interrogators offered a cloth from fingers tipped with chipped blue nail polish. Virginia took it and tied it over Daniel’s mouth and nose.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. You should get him and yourselves out of here as soon as you can.”
“We plan to. Can you tell me what happened here?” Charles held up his badge.
The rifles went down. “The wind is changing again. Come this way but watch your step.” Tendrils of smoke swirled around them.
“This way” took them into an elementary school office. Their hosts removed their jackets and bandanas. They introduced themselves as Riley and Shannon Dailey, father and daughter.
“We were finishing up some checks outside the pit and we heard your engine. Where did you come from?”
“Tunbridge Wells. I’m Virginia, this is Daniel.”
“Charles McDonough.” Charles extended his hand. “I’m the town constable in Wells. The virus hit us hard and it’s taken us a week to get over the mountain. How bad is it here?”
Riley sat down in a swivel office chair. He turned toward a map on the wall above the desk. “How bad? That bad.” He pointed to areas on the map marked “X” in thick black marker. “Someone started marking off areas that had cases of the virus when this first started. Do you see any clear areas? No? Right, because there aren’t any.”
“What’s burning?”
Shannon said something unintelligible and left the room. They heard sobs from down a hallway. Riley stood up then sat back down.
“Just her mother and sister and most of the people she‘s known her entire life. We were hard hit too. Until the day before yesterday we were still hiding out and the dead filled the streets. When the Guardsmen showed up we thought for some reason everything would get back to normal. Looking back I don‘t know why we thought that but it was just so good to hear news from outside, to know that other people were still alive. Can‘t keep the old USA down right? Can‘t beat the Weekend Warriors.”
“The national guard? Not the regular Army?”
“No, most of these people came from the capitol. A few had been in other states and had come in to help our people finish up.”
“Finish what up?”
“Sterilization and decontamination. It’s probably colder up in Wells and you guys haven’t seen the rapid decay that we have. The infected are still mobile but with the warm up they’re rotting at an accelerated pace. It’s worse in other parts of the country, according to the guard. The millions of rotting dead are contaminating the environment. They’re releasing a bacterium that’s getting into the ground water. The majority of cities have no potable water supply anymore. The guard tested our tap water and it’s full of bacteria but we already knew something was wrong. Bottled water from before is worth more than gold right now.”
“You said you already knew something was wrong with the water? How? We didn’t notice anything in the mountains.”
A door opened and closed somewhere down the hallway. Shannon, eyes a little red, accompanied by a stocky young man in a Cubs sweatshirt, returned.
“We’ve got two more Riley.”
“Ok. See if Carolyn can get them trussed and we’ll load them. I don’t want the fire to die down if we can avoid it. Give me two minutes.” The man nodded and left. Shannon perched on the edge of the desk next to her dad and put an arm around his shoulder. He patted her hand.
“You guys are welcome to leave anytime but I’d recommend waiting ‘til the smoke clears again. There are still infected out there. The guard helped us take out a lot but they’re still showing up. If you can spare a few more minutes I could use some help back here and I‘ll explain about the water.”
A chilling scene greeted them in the small school gym. Cots and makeshift pallets littered the wooden floor. Some of the bodies that occupied them were grotesquely altered. A little girl, maybe five years old, had a concavity on her face that caused her eye to droop down almost to the side of her mouth. She broke into a heartbreakingly sweet smile when she saw Daniel and the motion caused her eye socket to flop to one side as the skin of her cheek closed around it. The smell of decay and unwashed bodies hung in the air along with the lingering tang of smoke.
“We weren’t sure at first but the testing confirmed there are bacteria in the water. We think it’s causing the infections. It starts with chills and then we’re seeing infected boils. The victims don’t always survive but do better if the boil bursts and drains. We’re experimenting with lancing but you have to do it at the right time. The bacteria is actually eating into cartilage and bone structure and the bio guy with the Guard said it‘s the same bacteria they cultured from the rotted tissue of the dead.”
Similar facial deformities marked several others. One man’s arm hung uselessly at his side but he used his good hand to wipe the brow of an elderly woman who groaned in pain and clawed at her chest. Near a set of fire doors, two bodies lay trussed in twine.
Virginia took the feet of the first body and Shannon grabbed the shoulders. Charles held the door open and they loaded it onto a four wheel ATV waiting outside. The second body was heavier and they had to drag it. Some of the twine fell away, an arm swung free and Virginia saw a black, rotted cavity revealing part of a lung and heart underneath blackened ribs. They heaved it onto the ATV.
“When the boils form too near vital organs, we tend to lose them.” Charles shuddered and his arm twitched in its sling. “The Guard helped us get a designated burn area started. This is biological warfare on a massive scale.” Riley called across the room “Thanks Carolyn, we’ll be on our way now” before driving away into the smoke.
Virginia looked to see if this Carolyn might be her mother-in-law but saw a tired looking black haired woman in blue scrubs who gave her a little wave. She smiled and waved back then walked over. Dread and fear made it hard to speak but she swallowed hard and asked, “Do you know the Dares? Dan and Carolyn?”
“The names sound familiar but if you’re asking me if I’ve seen them, I can’t say.”
“They’re in their sixties, gray hair and would’ve had two children with them. A two year old boy and five year old girl. Have you seen anyone like that?”
The look Carolyn gave her was full of compassion. “Yes, but not living. We’ve disposed of so many dead, some in such bad shape, determining identity would be practically impossible without a forensics team. I’m sorry I can’t help you.”
A man nearby began to sob, cradling a small, limp body close to his chest. The little girl’s silvery hair hung down like a bright banner. Virginia turned away
. Across the room, the young man in the Cubs shirt spoke to Charles animatedly. Charles caught her eye and motioned her over.
“…everywhere. They’ve limited the scope of their mission to clean up/decontamination for now. We’re better off here than in the big cities. They‘re going to the rail depot in Salinas to pick up supplies, including antibiotics. They'll be back through in a few days. We’re hoping the meds will kick this bacterium.” He gestured at the sick surrounding them then continued. “Atlanta is on fire. The whole city, I kid you not, and they don’t have any plans to put it out. The commander said they’ve been to five towns in three days and bulldozed out burn pits in everyone of ‘em. This smoke is going to be with us awhile.”
“Did they know anything about the rest of the country? Is the federal government still functioning?”
“They think so but it’s probably not based in DC anymore. That’s on fire too, or was. States and sometimes just cities are handling their own problems now. It seems to be working better. They said they’ll be back by in a few days and might have more information for us then. You know what else? They had plenty of guns and ammo as far as we could tell but they‘re not using ‘em much. They‘re using axes, picks, baseball bats, and I swear a couple were using swords to take down the walkers. They said it just worked better when the numbers weren‘t overwhelming”
Virginia looked up at the high windows at the top of the wall where a grimy charcoal coating didn’t completely block the view of black smoke billowing in the sky. Her gaze drifted to the gym floor and its occupants. So this was the aftermath: children permanently maimed and crippled, a contaminated world lacking drinkable water and basic medical care and supplies. Everyone looked tired and hungry and disheveled. One woman wore gumboots with a bathrobe. She felt a desperate urge to get out of here and wished the smoke would clear.
“It’s a low tech solution and it’ll be slow going but what choice do we have? You can’t bomb ‘em; there’s no guarantee the heads would be destroyed. Flamethrowers are impractical and not readily available anyway. Headshots are difficult for most people unless they’re pretty close up already. This mess is long term.” Charles looked grim.
“The walkers and this disease aren’t the only threat anymore. Gangs are on the move, especially in Texas and California and the rest of the southwest. They took advantage of the situation early in the outbreak and now control entire towns.” The young man shook his head. “We’re going to have to reclaim our own country from the gangs and the dead.”
Virginia asked, “Do you know the Dares? Dan and Carolyn?”
“No, sorry. Do they live in town?”
“Just outside. They have about ten acres to the east. Did the National Guard head that way after they left?”
“Yeah but they aren‘t stopping at individual houses. The Dares, are they your family?”
“They’re my in-laws and my children are with them.”
“I hope you find them safe and well.”
“Thanks, me too.”
At a sudden scream, they all grabbed their guns. Across the gym, the father who had been sobbing and holding his daughter earlier now held a hand to his bleeding neck as he backed away from his growling little girl. She hissed, teeth, lips and chin red with blood as she bit the hands and arms he held up to ward her off.
“Please baby, it’s Daddy! Stop it.” He tried to take her in his arms and she sank her teeth into the fleshy web of flesh between his thumb and index finger, tearing free and swallowing the dripping mouthful greedily before going in for another bite. With bloodied hands, he tried to hold her silvery head still and she tore into his wrist, blood raining onto her cherubic face. Her father slumped on the floor, still weakly fending her off.
Carolyn, grabbing a shovel, walked over and knocked the child four feet into the wall. The father grabbed her leg but she shook him off and smashed the girl’s face, causing a sickening crunch as her skull cracked and she slid, inert, to the floor. Carolyn walked back to the father.
“You lying sack of garbage! You told us she wasn’t bit. You endangered everyone in here.” She hit him on the head with the bloody shovel while he scrambled on all fours, trying to get away. She smacked him a couple of more times before the stocky young man went to her assistance, shooting the man in the head twice. Several people in the gym protested. Carolyn took the body by the legs and dragged him to the doors. She threw the little girl’s body on top then turned to address the crowd.
“Shut up. He was already dead and you know it. It takes one person, one, to infect all of us. If anyone here has brought in a bite victim, you will be shot, no excuses accepted.” Taking a bundle of twine, she trussed the limbs to the bodies. “Shannon, when your dad gets back, tell him we have two more.”
Virginia went back into the school office and looked out the window. Daniel followed and reached for her to pick him up. She rested her chin on top of his head. The smoke had retreated and now blew in little curling tendrils across the lake. She could see the road and the Explorer again.
“Ready to go sweetie?” He nodded. “Ok. Let’s go see if Charles wants to come with us.” She didn’t know when she and Charles would part company on this journey and didn’t assume he would want to go with her to the Dare’s. He would be an obvious asset to this group here who were intent on reclaiming and restoring their little community. Back in the gym, they saw that Riley had returned and the two bodies were loaded onto the ATV. Charles closed the doors and she caught his eye.
“The wind has shifted enough to see the road again so I’m leaving. I’m not asking you to go with us but you know I’d welcome your help.”
Charles looked surprised. “Of course I’m going with you. We’re the Three Amigos, right Daniel?” He gave Virginia a look that made her slightly uncomfortable. “We’re together for the long haul. Now let’s go get Anna and Greg. Daniel needs someone to play with.”
Hearing him say their names aloud almost made her cry. She was still so desperately afraid of what she might find. She swallowed her fear, jingled the keys and smiled.
“Off we go then.”
The SUV started with a roar. Derelict cars, some with moving, decaying, bodies still inside partially blocked the road east. Black and gray rotted skulls turned and withered arms reached for them as they slowly wove their way through. The wind continued to keep the smoke away and they soon picked up speed. The gas hand registered a quarter of a tank and Virginia estimated they were about five miles away so they should be fine.
They noted dead and mostly devoured cattle in the fields surrounding them. The placid creatures wouldn’t have stood a chance against the ravenous dead. Some of them wandering at a distance heard the Explorer and began to slowly stumble toward the road.
Charles watched them come. “I’d hoped to travel without a ghoul entourage. We don’t want to lead them to your in-laws. I wish we had a distraction, something to draw them away.”
“What is that?” Just ahead on the road a vehicle lay on its side. Beyond that was a transport truck. Both vehicles were painted with camouflage and looked like military issue. They couldn’t get around them and stopped, drawing their guns and getting out to look around.
Dark fluid stained the road. Empty shell casings were everywhere but no bodies.
“Oh no.” Charles scanned the roadside.
“What?”
“Get back in the vehicle. Hurry!” Charles picked up Daniel with his good arm. Virginia opened the door and they scrambled inside.
The dead in the field grew closer. They all looked oddly similar and she realized why. All were dressed in green and camouflage with high and tight haircuts; this was what was left of the National Guard company. They were freshly dead and staggered jerkily but steadily forward. Dark blood stained their chins and jackets and they gibbered excitedly, teeth gnashing hungrily. One took bites from a red, dripping cow liver as he stumbled their way.
“The whole platoon, dead. They must have had an infected with them and didn’t kn
ow. Those supplies won’t be coming now. We’re going to have to drive around this. Can you get this through that ditch?”
“I seriously doubt it. The bank is too high. I’m backing up. Hold on.”
Virginia reversed, hitting a dead soldier behind them. Another grabbed the side view mirror and held on, clawing at the window with what was left of his hand, shredded face covered with dirt and small gravel. Virginia hit the brakes hard and he slipped under the wheels. She took a left, jolting up the bank, their heads hitting the roof hard. Daniel screamed.
“I’m sorry baby. Hold tight.”
She could have gone back to the town but they were close, so close to Anna and Greg. She couldn‘t stop now. The front wheels bit into the bank but the rusty barbed wire fence at the top was sturdier than it looked. They couldn’t break through it and they lost their forward momentum. They slid backwards, down into the ditch. She gave it more gas but could not gain traction. The wheels spun futilely as more camouflage clad dead moved in. She gunned the engine and one wheel caught but the SUV tipped to the side.
“Stop! We can’t get up.” Charles found the shotgun and handed it to Virginia. “I want you to take Daniel and run. I’ll cover you with the pistol.”
“You’ll follow?”
“Of course. Now go!”
She climbed into the backseat and unbuckled Daniel, watching the infected close in. How many were there? Too many.
“It’s too late. I can’t get past them.”
Charles slammed his fist into the dash. A pallid bloodstained face, teeth bared in a grimace of hunger, pressed against the passenger window. Dead GIs fell from the bank onto the hood, rocking the Explorer and groping their way to the windshield where they began a relentless, pounding assault on the glass. The bodies were not that damaged and still strong. Several had rifles slung over their shoulders but were no longer capable of knowing what they were used for. There were so many on them now the vehicle interior grew dim and the noise drowned out speech. Charles put his good arm around Virginia and Daniel and the three of them huddled, waiting for the glass to fracture. The dead never gave up until they got their meal.
The Living Dead (Book 1): Contagion Page 16
