Land of the Dogs (Book 1)

by S. L. Rowland

  “I hear you. You’ve obviously had a lot more time to think about this than I have, but I’ll put some thought into it.”

  “I have had a lot of time to think,” said Claire. “If anything, this new world gives you that.”

  “You want to take a look in that house over there?” asked Simon. “It looks promising.”

  A three-story brick house stood off from the road. A long semi-circle driveway that looped near the house provided two entrances. There was a fountain inside the circle, but the water no longer flowed. At one point, it had certainly been a beautiful place. A white car was still parked in the driveway. The lower windows of the house were now boarded shut and the multitude of once beautiful flower gardens and topiaries failed to catch the eye. The white picket fence had lost its sheen as well.

  Hope had just rejoined them on the road and when they started walking down the driveway, he followed along, his feet a light patter on the pavement. A note hung from the door when they arrived at the house. It read ‘Do Not Enter! There is nothing of value inside. Beware!’

  “Well, that’s fucking spooky,” said Simon, looking to Claire.

  “Yeah. You want to turn back?” she asked.

  “We’re already here. I bet it’s just to turn people away.”

  “Yeah, but do you really want to risk it?”

  “It can’t be any worse than what we have already seen.” Simon twisted the doorknob and when it wouldn’t open, he tried to kick the door in. Nothing happened. “The deadbolt must be locked. I’m going to try a window.”

  Simon set his bags down and walked over to the boarded window to the left of the front door. With a little effort, the boards on the window came off. Simon picked up his bat and broke the glass. After moving all the glass out of the way, he climbed through, careful not to cut himself. “You coming?” he asked Claire.

  “Yeah, let me put my bag down.” She looked at Hope, who was sitting in the driveway. “You wait here.” He stayed where he was, oblivious to her command.

  Claire climbed through the window. The inside of the house was darker than she expected. The boarded windows only let in small streams of light.

  “Give it a second and your eyes will adjust,” said Simon.

  After a few minutes, though the light was sparse, it gave enough to see around. The floors were white marble. The furniture was white as well. A spiral staircase led up to the second and third floors.

  “Let’s split up and see if we can find anything on this floor. Then we can check the others,” said Simon.

  Simon went left and Claire went right. Though the house was spacious, there was very little furniture. It’s almost like they had just moved in, thought Simon. The kitchen was empty. The cupboards in the dining room had no dishes. Claire had no better luck on the other side. They met up in the dining room at the rear of the house. Together, they walked up the stairs to the second floor, where light spilled in from windows at both ends of the hallways. The upper levels had not been boarded shut. Whoever had left hadn’t been worried about people climbing the walls. Two bedrooms had mattresses and dressers but no sheets or blankets. Only one room, the master, had anything in it. A blue oxford shirt and a pair of khakis hung on one side of the closet, a woman’s red dress on the other. The bed was unmade.

  “They must have just up and left,” said Claire. “Let’s check up top and then get the hell out of here. This place is starting to give me the creeps.”

  They heard the sound of something banging on a door upstairs. “What the hell?” asked Simon.

  “Let’s just check it out and go,” said Claire.

  They slowly made their way up the stairs to the third floor. It was the only part of the house, aside from the one bedroom, that looked lived in. There was an office to one side that hosted an impressive library; they hadn’t taken their books. To the other side was a room with the door shut. A small knock came from the other side.

  “Is there anyone in there?” asked Simon. No response, but the beating increased. Not harder, but more frantic.

  Simon tried to twist the knob, but it was locked. He motioned for Claire to draw her gun, then he kicked the door. With a loud crack and splintering wood, it broke off the hinges. The force of the kick sent what stood behind the door flying against the wall. In seconds, it crawled fast towards them.

  “Oh my god,” said Claire, “It’s a baby!” As the baby crawled across the floor towards them, yellow pus dripped from its eyes and mouth, covering the bib tied around its neck. Its eyes were yellow and its skin had turned a grayish-green. It moved haphazardly, but with great speed towards the hall. Claire shot a round into its head and it fell to the floor. “Oh, God.”

  Inside the baby blue room, clouds were painted on the walls and a mobile with farm animals dangled from the ceiling. It looked peaceful. On the floor, it was a different story. The yellow liquid was smudged across the floor and up about three feet on the walls. A stuffed bear lay ripped apart near the door and other toys were demolished across the room, the crib was broken and lay splintered on the floor. It was like a small tornado had come through. The bloody remains of a family pet were piled in the corner.

  “You have got to be kidding me!” said Simon. “What in the hell?” He stood over the small corpse, unable to believe what he was seeing. Seeing something so small with the capacity to kill, it was something he had not been prepared for.

  “I know. Just calm down for a second. It’s over now. It must have died in its sleep or something and then the parents had to leave. There’s no way they could have just left a baby here.” She seemed remarkably calm considering what had just happened.

  “But I mean, shit, I just never thought…” Simon couldn’t finish the sentence.

  “I know…I know.” Claire put her arm around Simon. “It’s a messed up world we live in. Let’s just go. There’s no point in staying around and looking at this.” She ushered him down the hall.

  They left the house with nothing but heavy hearts. Hope waited outside when they unlocked the door. He gave them a playful bark that lifted their spirits.

  “I think we should just take our chances with the coffee and tea,” said Simon. “I don’t want to risk something like that again.”

  “Okay, little brother. Whatever you want to do.”

  Simon was grateful for Claire’s sympathy. He knew she had experienced it often. She knew the feeling of being punched in the gut by something so horrific. That seeing an undead baby was on a different level than the other stuff he had seen.

  They walked until it was almost sundown. Covered in sweat and with achy feet, they made camp. As they sat around eating what little food they had left, Simon pulled out the map the Mayor had given him. They were only a few miles away. Tomorrow would be the day they faced Justice.

  Tension filled the air once Simon and Claire climbed down from their hammocks. They paced quietly, knowing that today they would arrive at the High School. This was the next step in finding their mom and brother, but it was full of uncertainty. They knew they would finally meet Justice, and that they would either find out information about their family or reach a dead end.

  Hope was up and walking around when they woke. He had waited by the tree all night, sensing the unrest between them.

  Simon and Claire ate their breakfast in silence. Simon tossed Hope the last hardboiled egg. They had eaten all of the food they’d left with, except for a couple of apples. The fog had crept in overnight and blanketed everything for miles.

  “At least they won’t see us coming,” said Simon.

  “I’m not so sure that’s a good thing,” said Claire. “If we come upon them unawares, it could be bad.”

  Walking down the road was a difficult task. They couldn’t see farther than five feet. Hope would wander off for long periods of time and neither Simon nor Claire had any clue where he’d go to, but he always returned.

  After about an hour, the fog began to dissipate. As it did, they could finally make out the High S
chool in the distance.

  “I remember this place,” said Simon, “from baseball. We would usually play them twice a year. They weren’t very good. Except their shortstop, Gregory, or something like that, I remember he was fast. One time, I hit a ball so hard that no one thought he would be able to get to it, but he did. And when he caught it, the ball took his glove clean off his hand. But the ball didn’t fall out. It just flew through the air and fell to the ground, like it was sewn in there. One of the strangest plays I ever saw.” Simon tried to remember the name of the bat he was using when it happened. Teddy, I think. After Teddy Roosevelt.

  It was a big school, capable of holding eight hundred students back when they still had classes. A chain-link fence went around the perimeter. The fence had been covered with barbed wire and outposts were set up on each corner. It looked more like a prison than a school. They could clearly spot a man in the closest tower as he paced back and forth. There were no gardens or vegetation of any kind set up in the massive field between the fence and the school. What a waste of space, thought Simon. A parking lot to the right led to a turnstile that gave entrance past the fence. A small kiosk stood to the side of it.

  “I guess that’s where we enter,” said Claire.

  “Looks like it. You see the guard in the tower?” asked Simon. The guards were more alert than the ones at Town Hall.

  “Yeah, this place takes its security very highly,” she said.

  Hope ran ahead of them as they walked towards the entrance. When they finally arrived, a man with an assault rifle slung around his waist greeted them. He pointed the gun at them as they approached. “Who are you and what do you want?” he asked.

  “My name is Simon, and this is Claire. We need to speak to Justice, if you please.”

  “I don’t damn well please,” said the man, still pointing the gun at them. “Wait here.” A young boy who had been hiding behind the man stepped into their vision. The man whispered something in his ear and the boy took off running towards the school. The man was short, but stout and burly. His muscles bulged through the black sweater he wore. He also wore black cargo pants. His face was cleanly shaved and had the appearance of a military man or someone in law enforcement.

  “You must be hot,” said Simon. When he didn’t respond, Simon turned to Claire, “Well, this is it.”

  Claire leaned in close so the man couldn’t hear them. “Yeah, and I have a bad feeling about all of this. Like we should turn back now.”

  “We came this far. We’ll trade him for information and if Mom and Dan aren’t here, we’ll leave.” Simon had the same feelings as Claire, but this was the only lead they had. It would be foolish to abandon it.

  Minutes passed before the little boy returned. He wore a black shirt and black pants as well. He spoke something into the man’s ear. “You may enter,” said the man. “If you have any weapons, you best leave them with me. There will be a pat-down once you reach the school, and if you have hidden anything, you will be forced to leave or pay the price.”

  “What’s the price?” asked Simon. The man didn’t answer. They handed him Slugger, the spear, the shotgun, and the handgun. Hope was sticking very close to Claire’s legs. Like he sensed danger.

  “Take them to the gym,” said the man.

  “Follow me,” said the boy, his beady eyes untrusting.

  They followed him around to the back of the school. Claire tried to ask the boy what his name was, but he wouldn’t tell. A large gymnasium with darkened windows welcomed them on the other side. All of the outside windows to the school had been tinted so no one could see inside. When they made it to the gym, a man was already waiting for them. He wore the same black shirt and black cargo pants as the man at the entrance.

  “I’m going to pat you down so don’t move,” he said. The boy turned and went back towards the entrance. The man quickly patted down Simon, checking for hidden weapons. He took a little more time with Claire. Simon saw the anger on her face as the man moved his hands over her body. “You may enter.”

  “What a creep,” Claire whispered to Simon as they walked through the door.

  Inside the gym, bleachers were pulled out on both sides. There was some kind of arena set up in the middle. Blood had stained through the wooden floors. Cages rattled in the back of the gym. Dozens of undead were moaning and throwing themselves against the metal bars. A man approached from the shadows.

  “I’m Justice. What can I do you for?” he asked. The man was tall, over six foot. He rivaled David with the size of his muscles. His shaved head glistened with sweat. He had a black mustache that went precisely to the edge of his lips. He wore a black t-shirt and blue jeans. His black boots had specks of blood and something yellow on them.

  “We need information,” said Simon. It was best to get straight to the point.

  “Ooh, this is exciting! What kind of information?” Justice asked, a malevolent grin on his face. Looking from Simon to Claire, never blinking.

  “We are looking for someone and were told they might have passed this way,” said Simon.

  “It’s certainly possible. We have seen quite a few faces during our time here,” said Justice. “I’m assuming you have heard about our policy for the dealings of information though, correct?”

  “Yes. We brought something to trade,” said Simon.

  “Cute dog, by the way. He’ll fit in nicely around here. So, what did you bring me?” he asked.

  Claire set her bag on the floor and unzipped it. She pulled out the smaller bag filled with all the coffee and tea and handed it to him.

  He opened the bag and looked inside. A stone look upon his face. “Well, I’ll be goddamned! All the people who have passed through these parts and you’re the first fucking ones who have brought coffee.” He was smiling now, showing one gleaming gold tooth in the corner of his mouth. “And I fucking love coffee! This is good shit, too. I’ve been drinking the shittiest stuff that these motherfuckers found in the teacher’s lounge. There was a lot of it, I’ll grant you that, but it tastes like fucking pisswater. You just made my fucking day. I’ll tell you anything you want to know. Consider this your Golden Ticket.”

  Simon and Claire exchanged looks. Could it really be that easy?

  “Well,” Justice asked. “What’s it gonna be?”

  “We’re looking for our mother and brother. Her name is Julia and his is Dan. They were out in search of my sister, but I found her first. We are hoping they might have come through,” Simon said.

  “Hmm. Sounds familiar. What say you guys hang out for the night? We have something special planned in here. And after that, I’ll tell you what you want to know,” Justice said. He left the impression that there was no alternative. “Until then, I’ll get my boy Jealous Mike to show you around the place. I’m sure it’s like nothing you have ever seen. Everyone has a job. From the age of four until they die, everyone pulls their weight around my place.

  “Hey, Mike!” Justice shouted. “Get your ass over here. I want you to show these guys around. They brought fucking coffee. Can you believe that?”

  A man approached from the back of the gym, where he had been doing something to the cages. He was tall, dark-skinned, and lean, built like a swimmer. “Name’s Mike. Some people call me Jealous Mike.” His voice was deep and full of authority.

  “Mike is my right-hand man. He’ll take good care of you,” said Justice. “I’ve got business to attend and coffee to brew.”

  “What are you waiting for?” Mike looked at Simon and Claire. “Let’s go.” They started walking, exiting the gym and entering a hallway. The hall was a bare canvas; off-white walls with off-white floors with off-white lockers, though none of them clean. Natural light panels in the ceiling provided light from the sun, giving them no need to use candles by day, even though there were no windows in the hall. The first few classrooms they passed were empty. “Everyone has a job here. That is the first thing you should know. Young or old, we all pull our weight. Essentially, we have four classes for
people. It’s pretty much up to the individual to decide, but Justice makes sure you make the best of your abilities. We have warriors; they train all day and are the ones who protect our little setup we have here and the surrounding areas that have enlisted our protection. They are the muscle that makes this place work. Next we have scouts; they go out for days at a time searching for provisions. They are also the ones who take watch outside. Third are the general laborers; this includes everything from cleaners to cooks to teachers to nurses. They handle the day to day operations of the inside.”

  “I thought you said there were four classes?” asked Claire.

  Mike looked her over before answering. Simon watched his gaze linger as he did so. He wanted to punch him in the mouth. “You’re a sharp girl. We also have escorts. If you wanted to stay around, I’m sure you’d be one of the best. They provide various favors for the warriors and scouts upon their return. It is all voluntary, of course, no one is being forced to do this against their will. But I will grant you, there are perks to being an escort that are hard to turn down. Everyone you will meet that is over the age of four will fall into one of these categories.”

  They walked past a classroom where half a dozen young kids were being taught a lesson. “All children are required to go to school when they are not working. We don’t want to be raising a bunch of fucking idiots that can’t read.” Simon looked through the door’s window and saw a young man pointing at a map on the wall. He was saying something about the geography of the southeast.

  “What kind of jobs do the kids have?” asked Claire.

  “It depends. Some are personal assistants, some work in the kitchen peeling vegetables, some sort through the items the scouts bring back. It’s pretty open to the child and their parents. As long as it is of use to the group in some way, Justice usually approves. There aren’t that many of them, maybe twenty or so, but the buggers are pretty useful. The main thing is that everyone pulls their weight. No freeloading around here,” said Mike.