They emerged at the rear of the bowling alley. The wide open area was disorienting. None of them had ever seen a bowling alley from this perspective. A three foot wide carpeted path led alongside the lanes to the front area where the bowlers would launch their balls. In the office area beyond, a shape was seen. Its stance was more animal than human. It looked upward towards the ceiling and hobbled from place to place. Filthy torn strands of tissue hung from its throat matted now into the fabric of his shirt. Tony slumped at the sight. Though he had only competed on the same team this past weekend, he had seen Travis around the Paintball circuit for three years. Up until now, these monsters had always been unfamiliar to Tony; seeing Travis like this took the wind from his courage. Mason noticed Tony’s posture.
“Why don’t you take him?” Mason said. Tony went stiff.
“Why me?”
“Because I know I can; not so sure about you.” Mason said.
Tony turned mortified towards Mason. Behind him, Travis noticed the trio and without a roar or a growl, started to approach the back of the bowling alley.
“What are you talking about?” Tony’s voice registered an unintended octave higher than usual. Mason shrugged.
“I just don’t know that you’re ready for everything that’s going on.” Mason doubted.
Travis quickly closed the distance from the office to the player’s area, and now stepped foot onto the waxed hardwood flooring of the lanes.
“That’s Travis, our friend. Who’s up here because YOU wanted to win this tournament. You invited them and you’re trying to turn this into something about me?”
Travis’ unsteady legs began to slip on the waxed wooden floor. His momentum sent him leaning further and further to each side as his footing slipped. Despite their arguing, the men seemed to know that he was still three lanes away.
“I know why they’re here, it’s the only reason we haven’t left yet. I’m gonna make sure Gabe and Billy are okay and then we’re outta here.” Mason said while jabbing a finger at Tony.
Travis lurched with a wet grunt. A loud bang echoed off the polished wooden floors as Nikki’s pistol barked a round through Travis’ forehead. The reanimated body, now as inanimate as a discarded puppet, crashed to the floor and slid with a squeak into the gutter of the last lane. His face twisted into the curved edge of the lane and stopped with an inhuman contortion; thick dark fluid slowly dripped from its forehead, collecting in the gutter. Tony stared at the body. Mason started towards the front while speaking.
“And it doesn’t matter if they were here or at home; this shit’s happening everywhere.”
A pale man dressed in a blue jumpsuit, perhaps the uniform of an EMT or paramedic approached. He could have easily been mistaken as alive but for his jerky motion. The ghoul growled and lifted his hands. Mason met him with a heavy boot to the chest, knocking him down. He then stomped on its head three times with angry grunts until the head turned unnaturally away, beyond a human’s range of motion. Mason ignored the twitching body and continued to the front of the lobby.
Nikki put her hand on Tony’s arm but wasn’t acknowledged. Tony continued to look at Travis’ corpse. The blood pooled and ran with the consistency of pancake syrup. She waited until Mason was almost at the front of the building to speak.
“You okay?”
Tony shook off his trance and put a hand to hers.
“Yeah, thanks. I could have done it; you know.”
She nodded.
“I just figured I might as well, since I didn’t know him.” She said looking at the body.
“We’re doing them a favor by killing them, aren’t we?” She asked looking away from the body. Tony looked to her.
“Yeah, we must be.” He whispered. In the office area a door opened. Gabe, Billy, and the pink-haired woman emerged.
Mason approached the group and began talking. Nikki watched his posture and cocked her head to the side.
“Jack’s kind of a dick,” she said letting go of Tony’s arm. Tony nodded.
Gabe showed Jack, Tony, and Nikki to the attic and then to the roof hatch where they could send a better signal. Having gone without food for two days, Gabe excused himself to the cafeteria, which Jinxy apparently knew like the back of her hand. He was clearly upset over Travis, but the process of staying alive took precedence. When he left, Tony and Nikki moved to the north end of the roof where they could see the high school, Jack Mason moved to the south and pulled out his radio. The groups didn’t speak to each other, but only into their hand radios.
“Blackjack to base, come in” the radio squawked, startling Veronica off the steps of the porch. She stood and answered urgently.
“Jack?”
“Yeah, what’s going on?”
“Oh God, where have you been?”
“Busy, we ran into the rest of our team holed up in a bowling alley. We had to see that they were okay.”
“I need your help.” Veronica urged.
“What’s up; are you okay?” He asked.
“It’s not me.” She said.
“Hello, is anyone there?” Nikki almost begged into the radio.
Tony held his recently ‘liberated’ binoculars to his eyes, sweeping over the small area of the high school’s yard that was visible from his position.
“Tell me they got the bag.” He said. The radio hissed to life.
“Hello? Who is this?” it crackled.
“Nicole Howe? Are my parents there? Leon and Clara Howe?” Nikki was almost to tears. Tony set down the binoculars and put his hand to her shoulder. They were both staring intently at the radio when it received another transmission.
“Nicole? It’s your mother. Your father and I are okay. Where are you?”
Nikki leapt into the air on hearing her mother’s voice. She was in no danger of going over the edge of the roof but Tony caught her anyway to push her away from the edge. She threw her arms around him and squeezed. He set her down carefully and she continued.
“I’m at the bowling alley; we’re safe; hiding out on the roof’”
“Oh Lord, Nicole; we thought…” The radio went silent. Nikki was in full blown tears but still managed to talk.
“I’m okay mom; I met some really good people.” She looked at Tony and smiled.
“Your father wants to talk to you.”
“Dad.” Nikki turned and walked away. Tony watched her go figuring that she wanted to be alone. He breathed deep, feeling a sense of accomplishment that everything had worked out. His plan had been solid and executed well. It was time for a cigarette, if he only had one. Nikki remained well away from him on the radio so he decided to leave her be. The thought occurred to him that he should go check out the television in the bar and see what the news had to say. Didn’t bars sometimes have cigarettes for sale? He was about ready to take a hit from a discarded butt if he could find one.
He moved to the roof hatch with renewed purpose.
Mason stopped him before he could exit the roof.
“We have a problem.” He said and handed Tony the radio.
Nikki stopped when she had made it to the far corner of the roof. The men were quite far away but she still spoke in a hushed manner.
“Dad?”
“Nicole, Where are you? Are you all right?”
“Yes Daddy, We’re on the roof of the bowling alley. We’re safe.”
“We? Who are you with?”
“Some friends from the Lake; they helped me get down the mountain.”
“What friends? Who are they?” He urged to Nikki’s disbelief.
“People I met at the lake, they had the idea to throw you the radio.”
“That was very dangerous Nicole. You shouldn’t have done that.”
“What was I supposed to do?” She bowed her head to the radio. She wanted to yell but modulated her voice lower despite her frustration. There was a moment’s pause.
“I’m sorry Nicole. We feel better knowing that you are okay.” Her father said quietly.
“Are you safe for the time being?”
Nikki looked at Tony. She saw Jack hand him a radio. Tony took it and spoke into the radio, something that she couldn’t hear.
“Yeah, I’m with really good people. We’re very safe but I have to conserve the batteries. I’ll call you again on this channel in a while.”
Jack Mason cursed over and over again in his head with a profane mantra. He started the moment Veronica told him about the nice lady’s condition. All he wanted to do was get the fuck outta Dodge. He was a hair’s width from turning his back on the heroic ideas of his youth and just leaving. Bushido: the way of the warrior; his form of chivalry adopted from the Japanese seemed more of a nuisance now. It all seemed like the daydreams of a child when measured against their current situation. But there was a dear old woman out there who needed help. Perhaps he could have ignored her and been on his way if he hadn’t met her, but having saved her life once already, he felt an obligation to continue his assistance. He knew that the idea of becoming responsible for a life saved came from an episode of the television show Kung-Fu, but he took that show as gospel as a kid. You never out grow Kung-Fu. The hero of the show always helped the helpless. Mason despised helplessness in those who allowed themselves to be so, because of weakness or cowardice; but the truly helpless, the old, the sick, and defenseless, that was another story. He couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t try to do something. As he realized that there was no way he was not going to help, the cursing subsided. Mason figured the faster he took care of business, the faster they could leave. Looks like I gotta pick up a prescription.
Tony returned from his conversation with Veronica over the radio.
“She tell you what they need?” Mason asked.
“Sort of. She doesn’t know the exact prescription, so we gotta look for the name McCormack.”
“I’ll go talk to the others. See what your little friend knows about the hospital and where the pharmacy is.” Mason said.
*****
Veronica turned off the radio and returned to the bedroom. She brought a glass of watered down cranberry juice from the kitchen.
“Here Mrs. McCormack, try some of this.”
Margaret sat up in the bed. She smiled warmly and accepted the glass. She drank more than half its contents in four long gulps.
“Thank you dear, I didn’t know I was so thirsty.”
“You need to stay hydrated. There’s plenty, just let me know when you are ready for more.” Veronica said.
“Oh I’m all right dear. You don’t have to worry about me.”
Veronica nodded and smiled feeling quite the opposite. Margaret was in grave danger without her medication. Veronica intended to keep the woman occupied and try to keep her calm.
“Well, if you don’t mind, maybe you can keep me company.” Veronica said.
“Of course dear.” Margaret answered. She waited a beat and added, “Dear, I have to apologize, but what was your name again? I’m sorry but I forgot it.”
“That’s okay; it was very busy when we met last night. My name’s Veronica.” She said understanding.
“Veronica; that’s a pretty name, it suits you.” Margaret smiled, “Are you named after anyone in your family?”
Veronica shook her head. “Not that I know of.”
The woman hesitated again.
“Did you learn anything down at the gate Veronica?”
“I don’t know. I just took some notes about that… infected subject.” Veronica stumbled over her choice of words in an attempt to be delicate.
“Why?”
“To see if I can better understand what’s gong on; why this is happening.” Veronica said lowering her self to sit on the edge of the bed.
“You’re not one for sitting still, are you?”
“I just have to try to do something.” Veronica lowered her head and rubbed her eyes, “All I ended up with is more questions.” Margaret patted her hand.
“I wonder if we’ll ever know why this is happening.”
“Eventually,” Veronica said nodding, “If we’re persistent and study the problem.”
Veronica saw that Margaret’s eyes were closed. She thought it best to just sit quietly and let the lady rest.
Someone will find an answer, she thought. She had an image in her head of a room full of scientists, surrounded by expensive equipment, working diligently to find a cure. But she knew that sometimes there were no answers. Veronica thought of her father’s illness and of the many doctors brought in to consult on his case. It soon became evident that the doctors didn’t have a clue. They just studied his response to guesswork treatments and mumbled amongst themselves while their assistants took notes. Their studies pushed her father past all endurance.
She bowed her head and forced the painful memories away, into the dark dungeons of her mind. She pictured a box, the box that held her problems; its sides distorted and stuffed. She imagined forcing the top closed and locked. Veronica had to stay positive. A cure would be found; it just had to be.
*****
Six figures stood on the North-East corner roof of the bowling alley sharing three pairs of Binoculars back and forth. They observed the tallest building in town; Whisper General Hospital.
“Pharmacy’s in the basement.” Nikki said remembering having to pick up antibiotics a couple of years ago for an embarrassing case of Mononucleosis. “Well, kind of in a half basement. It’s the first floor but down a ramp.”
“Looks like the fire was on the top floor.” Mason said.
Billy and Gabe whispered to each other until Mason handed his binoculars to Gabe saying, “I don’t see any dead around.”
Gabe accepted the binoculars and began to look. Tony looked to Billy. “What do ya say?” Tony said.
Billy shrugged. Gabe spoke.
“How many have you…killed?”
“Many” assured Mason. “You just have to shoot them in the head, while keeping yours.”
“I ain’t gonna lie man,” said Tony, “it’s freaky and it’s terrifying, but a nice old lady needs her meds. I wouldn’t blame ya if you didn’t come.”
The girl with the pink hair turned away. Tony saw her and looked at Nikki. He pulled her to the side.
“Would you consider sitting this one out? Stay here and I’ll get you after.” Nikki looked up at him with the expression of a woman considering a problem. Her face relaxed and she shook her head with a tiny smile. He nodded knowingly.
“Alright, but you stick with me.” He whispered. Jinxy heard this exchange and spoke.
“I’m not going.” She said. Every one turned to look at her. She straitened her posture as if to reinforce her statement. Mason nodded.
“No problem, we could use a sort of rendezvous point in case any of use get separated.” Mason said, “It’d help us if we could meet here later.
“Could you do me a favor and get those bodies off my lanes before you leave.” She asked; her voice cracking just a touch. Billy deflated a bit. His dark eyes squinted as he looked away from the group.
“How about you guys?” Mason asked. Gabe turned to Billy.
“What do you think?” Gabe asked. Billy looked to the group and nodded, reluctantly at first but then faster and with more certainty.
“I think Travis would’ve wanted us to help.” Billy said.
Twenty-Nine
Once the others had left, Jinxy sat alone in the empty bowling alley staring into a bubbling cauldron of Nacho Cheese. Two-day-old Hillbilly Fondue; she thought. Or was it longer than two days? She couldn’t remember exactly. She had a few nachos while waiting for the grill to warm as she made her self a hamburger and two for Gabe and Billy. The boys ate fast and departed to help their friends even faster but she was thankful that they removed the dead bodies before leaving. She wouldn’t have been able to be alone in the building if the corpses were still there. They got up once before, who’s to say they
couldn’t get up again and get her? Jinxy left the kitchen and walked very slowly into the lobby. There she was able to see and hear the small group of dead outside, pounding on the glass. Jinxy walked very fast across the open area of the lobby and into the bar. She turned off the television and sat on the soft overstuffed cushion of a worn barstool. She needed something to steady her nerves. She wanted to go back to her room and sleep but she couldn’t with those things outside. She considered going back up to the roof and sleeping in her file box cubby-hole but that wouldn’t be very comfortable at all. She wanted to feel secure in her room. The bowling alley was her home and she didn’t like the idea of those things so close with only glass doors holding them back. She had to do something. What did Duane always say? “Ya gotta have balls.”
Jinxy shook her head. Duane was a drunk and never worried about anything other than running out of liquor. She lifted her head and looked at the massive collection of bottles that made up the bar. She considered the sheer amount of booze. There must be almost one hundred bottles on the shelves. She stood up hesitantly and looked out the saloon style doors into the lobby area. Lining the lobby on both sides were four late model arcade games; the big stand up kinds from the nineties in sturdy wooden cabinets. There were enough arcade games to completely block the glass doors twice over. All she needed was the nerve to move them into place. With the doors blocked off, she’d feel secure enough to get some sleep in her own bed. She turned back and went behind the bar.
Drinking always made her mom feel better. Drinking always helped Duane feel better. She had alcohol on a few occasions, but after watching her mother, seeing up close what it did to her, made the practice something Jinxy didn’t enjoy. She poured a glass of Scotch; the thirteen-year-old kind that Duane enjoyed so much, the kind that smelled like band-aids soaked in medicinal mouthwash. She remembered Duane celebrating her first major tournament win by drinking ten shots of scotch; one to toast each frame of the game. She looked at the glass; saw the almost oily sheen reflecting on the surface of the liquid. This could help her get the job done. The pounding on the windows was louder now. They must have seen her cross the lobby. She lifted the glass and thought that having Duane’s brand of scotch might be a way to toast the man who she found herself missing at this moment. “Ya gotta have balls!” She thought, and then tossed the contents of the glass into the sink. It would take balls to do what she had to do without drinking. The bowling alley was hers. She didn’t need anything to give her courage, especially not booze, to protect her home.
Rise & Walk (Book 2): Pathogen Page 19
