Rise & Walk (Book 2): Pathogen

by Gregory Solis

  “Sanchez’s parents didn’t want him.” Jack looked towards the back with a weary glance before continuing.

  “They never outright said it. But I don’t think they meant to have a kid. They were weird; super religious so they had to keep him. It was a pretty messed up childhood. It’s probably why he spent so much time over at my place.” Jack whispered. He moved closer to Nikki to keep his voice low.

  “And this is the worst part.” He bent down to speak while keeping his eyes on the rear door. “Right after high school; I’d say three months before he turned eighteen, his parents told him they were selling the house and that he’d have to find a place to live.” Jack backed away nodding. “That was some cold shit right there!”

  “Why would they do that?” Nikki gasped, looking over her shoulder.

  “He never fell for their religious crap. They bought a big motor-home and are traveling the country preaching the gospel, delivering Bibles to El Salvador, or some shit like that.” Jack said and moved into an open area of the showroom.

  Tony reentered the room. Nikki hid her face and quickly tried to pretend that they weren’t talking about him. She felt awful hearing about his parents. How did he turn out so normal? She wondered. Her parents were tough on her at times but she couldn’t imagine how lonely she’d feel without them. She faked a look of normalcy and gave him a quick smile. Tony motioned to Mason’s new toys.

  “Climbing axes?” Tony asked.

  “Ice climbing; I like ‘em!” Mason said and swung his right arm at an imaginary target with deft control while holding his left in a defensive manner. Nikki saw him practice moves against an imaginary opponent. She recognized the use the climbing tools could be as weapons and how practice could make her better in a fight. She looked at Tony, at the various pouches and gear he had strapped to his chest. The world had just gone completely insane and part of the reason she was still alive was because of these men; because of the way they think. She shouldn’t have been looking for tennis shoes. She should be looking for things to help her survive and ultimately, help her parents.

  “Tony?” she said. He turned from Mason and as always, gave her his attention with an earnest smile.

  “I saw some pads and safety stuff in the back. Do you think you can help me pick out some things, equipment, and stuff, you know… like you guys have?”

  Even Jack smiled at her request. Tony was next to her in an instant. He helped her pick a pair of boots, gloves, kneepads, elbow and forearm protection, and a thick black long-sleeved shirt. There was no military equipment to be had but Tony found a kids hunting vest with many pockets that allowed her to carry her ammunition. He attached a survival knife with a six inch blade that looked huge on her to a belt he added along with the holster for the .380. He packed a smaller utility knife, two flashlights, glow sticks, waterproof matches and a small first aid kit in the pouches of her gear. Tony also showed her how to use sponge-like earplugs to prevent hearing loss and packed a few extra pairs in her gear. He quickly described each item’s function and why she might want it as she paid very close attention.

  Nikki twisted around with her gear as if modeling a dress. Tony nodded.

  “Okay now, swing your arms around. Can you move them freely?” he asked. She moved her arms over her head in a circle.

  “Yeah,”

  “Okay, draw your pistol, drop to a knee, and aim like there’s a bad guy over there.”

  “Wait a sec.” she said and pulled her gloves from her belt. She placed the right glove on a shelf and removed her knife. Tony leaned over to see Nikki cut off the top half of the glove’s index finger just as he had done to his glove the day before. She carefully re-sheathed her knife, snapped it secure, and put on the gloves. Nikki turned to Tony and held up her hand, waving hello with her bare index finger.

  “So I can shoot with them on.” She smiled.

  “You’re learning.” He said with a broad smile.

  She nodded and turned away from Tony. She dropped to her right knee, drew her pistol and aimed.

  “Okay, but try drawing while you drop; all in one motion, its faster that way.”

  She nodded and stood while holstering her pistol. Nikki stood for a moment concentrating.

  “Take a deep breath and clear your mind. Lots of bad things might be going on, just try to stay focused.”

  Nikki drew the pistol with her right hand while dropping to a knee. Her hands met, steadying the gun while she pulled the hammer back and pointed at an imaginary target.

  “That’s my little Rambo.” Tony couldn’t hide his smile.

  Nikki carefully released the hammer of the pistol and engaged the safety. Holstering the weapon she turned to Tony.

  “I don’t like the arm pads.” She said adjusting the fit on her forearm. “They’re kinda bulky.”

  “Take ‘em off then. Your mobility is the most important thing.”

  Nikki discarded the pads and patted her hands over her gear. Everything was secure and felt good. Mason entered the store room with a duffle bag. He looked at her with a vague sort of approval. Nikki nodded once and then motioned towards Tony who was oblivious to the exchange. She mouthed the words, ‘Thank you’ to Mason who squinted with a reluctant acknowledgement.

  “Come on, we’re wasting daylight.” Mason said.

  Twenty-Seven

  The shotgun blast, though some distance away, startled Margaret. She rose from the bed and moved quickly to the balcony. The speed of her standing left her lightheaded and she had to steady herself with a hand on the railing. She looked down the driveway and saw Veronica alone, her head down, holding her gun. The monster that she had seen earlier was no longer there. The young lady must have killed it. Margaret’s legs went weak at the thought that this sweet young girl had just shot someone. She understood that the man outside the gate wanted to do them murderous harm but it was all too much to process. She felt a flutter in her chest; another spasm to frighten her. Her legs felt rubbery. She looked to the bed; it seemed very far away. Be strong old girl, she thought before stepping away from the rail. She had to immediately brace herself on the doorjamb. She took two quick breaths and looked at the bed with determination. It’s only a few more feet. Her legs were sore from last nights trek into the unknown but they shouldn’t be this wobbly. She just needed some rest. A frightening palpitation rocked her heart, causing her left arm to fall from the doorjamb. She slipped forward but stayed on her feet. Four quick steps and she flopped to the bed. Breathing heavily, she crawled up onto the large mattress. As she struggled to pull her whole body up, she collected an armful of bedding until she was almost hugging the clump of fabric. She lay there; her heart pacing wildly, trying to breathe and force the spell to leave her.

  She didn’t move for what seemed like hours. Her heart had never gone on for this long before. She broke out in a cold sweat, her left arm ached, and the blasted fluttering stayed with her. She thought that her time might be at hand. The world had become something very frightening overnight. Why would she want to stay any longer? There was no one left here. If she just let go, she could see her family again. Buy why did it have to hurt so damn much? She didn’t want to be found like this; helpless clutching a stranger’s sheets, not even fully on the mattress. She didn’t want that sweet girl to see her in this state. She struggled to find the strength to at least climb the rest of the way into bed but hardly moved at all.

  “Mrs. McCormack?” Veronica said from the door. Without even waiting for an answer, the young lady dropped her shotgun and rushed to her side to roll her on her back. Deliberate hands speedily checked Margaret’s pulse, titled her head back to open her airway, and then scanned her pockets. Veronica found her last pill in her sandwich bag. Before Margaret could even speak or motion a protest that she was ready to leave this world, Veronica had opened her mouth and placed the pill underneath the old woman’s tongue. The pill dissolved quickly as it was designed to do, and deposited its medicine into her bloodstream, opening up vessels, restori
ng blood flow to her heart. Veronica held her head and gently spoke kind reassurances.

  The pain subsided but Margaret still felt awful. She had almost given in. She knew she had the pill, her very last one, but somehow she had blocked it out of her mind. Did she just lie to herself to speed her ending? No, she honestly forgot. But she was almost there…

  “Are you okay ma’am?”

  “Yes, I think so… Thank you.”

  “What exactly are those pills? Are they Nitroglycerine, or a beta-blocker?” Veronica asked shaking her head.

  “I took Nitroglycerine for a time but it gave me terrible fainting spells. My doctor switched me to something else last year. I’m afraid I don’t recall.”

  “Do you have some more at your home?”

  “No, they have my prescription at the pharmacy but then all this happened. People from my church were going to take me to pick it up today.”

  “I see. Well, just try to stay calm. I’ll be back in a moment.”

  “Okay dear, thank you.” Margaret failed to notice the look of concern on Veronica’s face as she hurried from the room.

  *****

  Nikki stayed within two car-lengths of the Chevy; just like Tony had told her; close but not too close. Her hands gripped tightly on a steering wheel that was almost comically too large for her. The Chevy before her accelerated as it made its approach parallel to the mass of corpses surrounding the entrance to the school. Nikki let the distance between them grow. Her knuckles went white when she saw the corpses as she began to recognize the faces of the dead. On the corner edge of the perimeter stood Mr. Snyder; her Phys. Ed. teacher from high school. He was unmistakable with his penchant for wearing athletic shorts, tube socks, and tennis shoes, no matter the temperature outside. He must have been in his late sixties but still ran in front of each class during laps. Five laps a day, for God knows how long, had kept the man fit. Now he turned to look at the Chevy and dumbly swipe at it as it passed. Nikki was sickened when she saw his silver hair stained with dried blood and the dark rip where his ear should have been. She might have become fixated on the old ghoul if it were not for Tony’s honking of the Chevy’s horn to catch the attention of the living inside the high school.

  “Don’t look at them” she said to herself. But it was too late. In the daylight, she recognized many faces, some horribly disfigured, others just a bit pale and slack of expression. The non-damaged ones gave her greater chills. She saw people from all over her small town, cashiers from stores, people she went to high school with, and parents of friends. She swept her Bronco over into the oncoming lane to stay clear of the dead. She focused on Jack Mason in the back to the Chevy. He had secured a line from two sides of the truck bed to his belt, giving him some support. She almost cried out when she saw how close Tony swerved the truck into the group of undead. Hands reached out and scraped against the truck’s side. She saw Jack swing a duffle bag over his head twice and let it go. The bag flew fifty feet, deep into the confines of the fence. She saw Mason bang on the top of the cab and Tony ceased honking. Nikki smiled as she made the turn off Patton Avenue. In her rear view mirror, she saw someone on the roof running. The occupants of the school had seen the bag.

  *****

  Veronica left the bedroom as fast as she could without letting her urgency show. She didn’t want to alarm the old woman and start her on another attack. She dashed down the carpeted stairs, unclipped the radio from her jeans and went out the front door.

  “Homebase to whoever is out there, please respond.” She said and started pacing intently. The old woman is dependant on vasodilators; she can’t just go without and hope that it will be okay.

  “Homebase, Hello!”

  “Hey Homebase, what’s up?” Tony responded.

  “I need to talk to Jack; it’s important.”

  “Uh, okay. We’re kind of in the middle of something. I’ll have him call as soon as possible.”

  “It’s very important, okay?”

  “Sure, right away.”

  Damn it! She thought. Just another thing to worry about; something more to add to the list of insurmountable issues to deal with. She asked herself if she had anything at hand that could help the woman. Aspirin thins the blood making it flow easier, but it could also make her bleed internally; not a good idea. No, what she needed was something to open up the blood vessels. Stimulants such as coffee would achieve that goal for a short time but also strain her heart. She was pacing again without realizing it. Her side was beginning to hurt once more. She reached into her pocket and retrieved Wanda’s Vicodin. Would one of these help Margaret? She rolled the bottle around her fingers. It would relieve any pain but it could risk slowing her heart; also not good. She opened the bottle and plopped one in her mouth. What are those boys up to?

  Twenty-Eight

  Tony estimated that there were around fifteen ghouls scraping around the front entrance to the bowling alley. He stepped on the gas in the hopes that they wouldn’t follow. He pulled over near the rear of the building. Nikki followed and pulled forward until both vehicles’ windows were even. Tony put the truck in PARK and leaned out the window. Gabe and Billy poked their heads over the roof’s ledge.

  “Man its good to see you guys!” Gabe shouted down.

  “You too!” Tony returned.

  “What are you doing up there?” asked Mason while untying himself from the truck-bed.

  “Travis got bitten by one of those things and… changed. There’s a girl here who knew about the attic, so we booked it up here. He’s roaming around down there.”

  “Travis? God I’m sorry man.” Tony sympathized.

  “You can’t leave him like that.” Mason said. Billy disappeared from the ledge and returned to the roof.

  “Is he the only one inside?” Mason asked jumping down from the bed. He looked up and down the street, satisfied that the coast was clear.

  “Travis and another one; the son-of-a-bitch that bit him.” Said Gabe.

  Mason walked to the rear of the building and checked the back door. It was locked. He ran back to the truck.

  “You think you can open another lock?” Mason asked Tony.

  Tony turned off the Chevy and tossed Mason the keys.

  “Keep a look out for us.” Tony shouted to Gabe above. He dashed in the Bronco’s passenger door and directed Nikki to pull around the rear of the building. She had her Walkie-Talkie on her lap; its static sounded as she waited to hear any transmission from the school.

  Tony worked fast, all the while listening for word on the radio. He drilled the lock out, filled the empty area with a large flat-head screwdriver, and forced the lock open.

  “Someone’s coming; a black jeep” Gabe said down to Jack. Alarms went off in Tony’s head. He pulled the Colt and raced to the end of the alley where the Chevy was parked. Mason stood in the open with his over-under shotgun in hand, like a big-game hunter while looking up the street.

  “Where’s Billy?” Asked Mason, his gaze affixed towards the approaching vehicle.

  “Here” Billy answered joining Gabe on the roof.

  Up the street a black Jeep stopped with its engine revving low. Mason walked out into the middle of the street and stared at the Jeep, observing its image distorted by distance and heat rising from the road. It was an older model but the paint looked recent. Something about the body shape was familiar but he couldn’t place it. Tony leaned against the bumper of the Chevy with his pistol in hand.

  “Let them see you guys,” Mason said with his eyes trained on the vehicle, “Billy, reach behind your back like you have a gun.”

  The Jeep revved its engine twice then lurched forward and squealed as it took an immediate left turn. They heard it shift gears and speed off into the distance.

  “Why do I feel like a rival gang just visited out turf?” Tony quipped. Mason turned and started down the back alley, Tony followed.

  “Keep an eye out for them and the creeps.” Mason said upwards.

  “Veronica wants you
to call her, said it was important. Channel One.” Tony said handing him a radio.

  “Okay, lets get inside first.”

  Nikki stood at the rear door holding the .380 at the ready. She was clad in her new makeshift combat gear; her twenty-two strapped over her back. When Tony met the Bronco, he reached inside and produced both the pump shotgun and his twenty-two. Looking up, he saw that Billy had followed them from above and was watching from the roof. Tony nudged Mason and made a motion to offer him the shotgun, then pointed up to Billy. Mason didn’t understand.

  “What?” Mason snapped.

  “You throw better than me” admitted Tony. Mason took the shotgun and handed Tony the over-under. Mason checked the safety and tossed the shotgun straight up in the air. Tony wrapped his arms around Nikki and scrambled to move her to the other side of the Bronco.

  “It’s loaded!” Tony shouted.

  The shotgun sailed upwards, and then seemed to stop for a moment, arrested by physics at just the right height. Billy caught it easily. It was the sort of maneuver that Tony would never have the confidence to pull off. Tony relaxed and nodded an unspoken apology to Nikki. He looked back up and saw a young woman with bright pink hair look down at him from the roof.

  “Whoa!” Tony said, “Somebody had trouble in tinting class.”

  The pink-haired girl spoke.

  “Picky?” She said towards Nikki.

  “Hey Jinxy,” Nikki frowned slightly. Tony looked to Nikki.

  “Picky?” he inquired.

  “It’s stupid, don’t ask.” Nikki dismissed.

  Mason ignored the exchange and pulled the rear door open. He spoke to Nikki.

  “You’re gonna need to turn that radio off for a while.” He said.

  They entered a narrow work area that spanned the back end of the bowling alley. One wall was made up entirely of gears and pistons used in the pin setting machinery for each lane. Tony clicked his flashlight on and shined it to the far end of the hall then to the closest corner; nothing was seen. They were alone. Mason moved to the nearest corner where a work bench area was built into the wall. Opposite the bench was a small door. He turned the knob and pulled.