Life In Death (Book 1): Surviving Death (The Struggle)

by Holmes, Ethan

  Kim nodded, feeling a little reassured. “Well, what would be the perfect scenario?”

  Frank thought for a moment. “The best that I can think of is a large ranch or farm house on a grass plain. Somewhere that we could see them coming. We could probably stay in Kansas for that.”

  “That’s not half bad,” Kim said feeling a lot better.

  “No it isn’t. That should be our plan. What do you all think?” Steve said, sounding surprised.

  Everyone seemed satisfied with the plan. Everyone except Dean.

  “That’s a horrible plan. Why should any of these people listen to you?” Dean said with a scowl.

  “Because he didn’t try to abandon us like you did. Now if you don’t shut the hell up then I’m going to shoot you,” Steve said angrily.

  “Ok. First thing we need to do is check up on the JERRV and make sure it will start. Anna, can you get started on that,” Frank requested.

  “Sure. Want to give me a hand Tommy?”

  “Why not? Least I could do is make sure you don’t get eaten,” Tommy snickered.

  A younger, bearded man stepped forward. “I’m a shop mechanic, maybe I can give you a hand.”

  “What’s your name and do you have a weapon?” Anna asked.

  “Jim and yes,” he said while trying to hold back a smile.

  “Ok, come on.” She kneeled down to Isabelle. “Mommy will be right back, ok sweetheart?”

  The little girl nodded. The group headed out the door and Frank locked it when they left.

  The group started to disperse and Karen walked up to Frank.

  “I’m glad you came back. I don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t.”

  “I’m sure that Steve would have taken care of all of you.”

  Steve overheard the conversation. “I’m too old for that shit.”

  Frank and Karen both smiled.

  “I will have to do my best then,” Frank said.

  “Well I’m too old to help with the shooting but I’m one hell of a seamstress and nurse. I also knit so when winter comes along or get yourselves hurt, I’m your gal,” Karen said with a smile.

  “That will come in handy. I’ll keep it in mind,” Frank said feeling better about the situation that he was in.

  Steve walked up to them. “Frank, can I have a word?”

  Frank nodded and shot Karen a smile as he walked away. “What’s up?”

  “What are we going to do about Dean?”

  “He’s not coming. I won’t have someone who will endanger us just to get his way. If the others don’t agree with me then they can hold his hand. We can’t trust him enough to leave him by himself,” Frank said.

  “Wow. That was easy. Ok then.”

  They walked back to the front door and they heard the JERRV’s engine turn over. It ran for a few minutes and shut back off. The group knocked on the door and Karen opened it for them. They strolled back in and went straight to Frank.

  “The battery wasn’t dead. The terminals were corroded. Should be fine now,” Jim said while rubbing the dirt from his hands.

  “Great. So, do you know that engine? Can you keep it running,” Frank asked.

  “Sure. The only problem is finding parts for it,” Jim said.

  “True. Can’t exactly find them at a regular parts store.”

  “Sooner or later we will have to find another truck. Can’t go wrong with a semi,” Jim said with a smile. “I can definitely keep that running.”

  “Ok. Well it should last until we find a place to settle down. We can find another ride then. Thanks, Jim.” Frank said.

  “Anytime,” he said as he walked away.

  Frank called everyone into the back room. “Thanks to Jim, we can leave anytime. I want everyone to gathering up anything that will be useful. Steve, can you start getting the meds in the pharmacy gathered up?”

  “Sure thing. Kim, can you give me a hand with that?” Steve said.

  She nodded.

  Frank spoke up to finish. “There is something that needs to be discussed before we leave. I’m voting Dean off the island. We can’t trust him.”

  Karen was startled. “Well, what to do want to do to him? We can’t just kill him.”

  “That is not what I’m saying. As soon as we are ready to leave I’m going to send him on his way. He can take his truck.”

  “He will be dead by the end of the day,” Kim yelled.

  “He’s lucky that I didn’t kill him. After what he pulled, can any of you trust him enough to turn your back on him?” He looked around the room for an answer, he found none.

  “What am I supposed to do about a gun!?” Dean blurted.

  “You should be glad he didn’t shoot you,” Steve said while slapping the back of Dean’s head.

  Frank looked at Dean for a moment then he reached into his pocket and pulled out his folding knife. “You get this when we part ways.”

  “Look whose way too nice now,” Steve said with a smile.

  “Listen everyone, there is no guilt that any of you have to carry. This is his decision and mine. I’m just giving him what he wants,” he said sternly.

  Everyone looked down and nodded.

  Dean opened his mouth to say something until he heard the loud click of the safety on Anna’s rifle being switched off. The poisonous words died in his mouth.

  “Ok, now that this is over with, let’s get to work. Remember anything that we can use, goes,” Frank ordered.

  An hour later Tommy and Jim began to load everything in the JERRV.

  Frank came out the door, “Guys, load up the van first. I want to fit as many people as possible in the JERRV. Throw me some stuff, I’ll give you a hand.”

  With no arguments they started to throw bags of meds down to him. Everyone else came out with the last of the goods that were going. Everything barely fit in the back of the minivan.

  Frank could hear something knocking around inside the pharmacy. Frank started to approach the door but Dean crashed through it head first. Anna came out with Isabelle, breathing heavily.

  “He tried to take my gun from me,” Anna said calmly.

  Frank shook his head and walked over to Dean, who was stumbling to his feet, rubbing the crisscross pattern on his fore head from the butt of Anna’s M4. Frank grabbed him by the collar and drug him around the building to his truck.

  “You just don’t know when to stop, do you!?” Frank shoved him in the direction of his truck. “Go. I’ll kill you if we meet again.”

  Frank started to walk away when Dean yelled, “wait, what about the knife!?”

  “That stunt just lost you the knife.” He walked away.

  Frank walked up to Steve who was closing the minivan.

  “Who’s driving the van?” Steve asked.

  “I am,” he said while taking out a street map of Kansas that he picked up inside. He unfolded it and laid it out on the van’s hood. “Anna. Tommy. Come over here.”

  They both hustled over to see what was going on. Frank started pointing to places on the map. “Here is us. The nearest farm land is about twenty miles east of here. There is also some south of here. We want to be outside of the city but not too far. Gas isn’t very abundant and the supply is only getting smaller. We should take either highway 24 or the interstate.”

  Steve spoke up and pointed at the map. “There is a farm with a big two story house and a small corn field about here. I know the owner, real nice old man. If he’s still alive then he will let us stay. It’s about 12 miles.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Frank explained.

  He started to fold up his map when he realized that Dean hadn’t left yet. He walked back around to Dean’s truck. When he turned the corner, what he saw would give him nightmares for months. Dean was on the ground with a woman on top of him, his entrails being chewed in her deformed mouth. Frank side stepped back around the corner, his back flat on the wall trying to control his breathing, then he ran back to the JERRV.

  “Everyone load u
p, we got company!” No one hesitated.

  Anna jumped in the driver seat of the JERRV and started it up. Steve followed Frank to the minivan. Frank turned to protest Steve coming with him.

  Steve saw his face. “Shut up, son. I’m coming with you.”

  All the doors shut and Anna followed Frank down the street. Steve was giving Frank directions to the farm when he got quiet.

  “Dean is dead, isn’t he? When you came back, your face was pale white.”

  “…”

  “Damn…” Steve said, head hanging low.

  “I didn’t see him leave so I went to see what the holdup was. He didn’t even make it to his truck. It was chewing on his insides. I’ve seen men die before but I don’t know how to handle that,” Frank said, unsure how to go forward.

  “Well, keep it together. For the group’s sake. Don’t need you having a nervous breakdown.”

  Frank chuckled. “Do you always know what to say?”

  Steve smiled. “It’s a gift, just ask Will.”

  The van came to a stop at the top of a hill overlooking a traffic jam of dead cars that stretched for miles down the highway. The fire in Frank was about to fizzle out.

  “Is there any way around this?” Frank asked hesitantly.

  “No…” Steve said.

  Frank got out of the car and motioned for Anna to do the same. She rushed over to them to see what the plan was. He pulled out his map to look for an alternate route. There wasn’t one that didn’t take them sixty miles out of the way.

  “You think the JERRV will tip over if we take it on the shoulder or in the grass?” Frank asked Anna who had more experience driving the beast than he did.

  “I think we should be fine,” Anna said while surveying the road as far as she could see.

  “I need you to be sure. If that thing tips over then we are screwed.”

  “It can do it, Frank,” she yelled in frustration.

  “Ok. You go first in case we need to push any cars out of the way,” Frank ordered.

  Frank jumped back in the car and a few moments later the JERRV drove past.

  “You sure this is a good idea?” Steve asked.

  “What other choice do we have?”

  “Good point,” Steve uttered

  The JERRV eased onto the shoulder then quickly moved to the more level part of the depression. Frank and Steve both let out a sigh of relief. Frank hoped that this was the worst part of it. As he drove past a few cars he noticed out of the side mirror that people stumbled out of their cars. He then realized that they weren’t people anymore. That would have to be a problem that they would face later.

  “How far is this going to last!?” Steve wondered aloud.

  “Well it’s already lasted two miles,” Frank said checking his odometer.

  Then the JERRV began to slow down. Frank thought to himself ‘what now’. Then the JERRV jetted right toward the hill and flew past a few cars that blocked the way and settled back into the center. Frank tried his best to do the same but the minivan was not built for the off-road abuse he was putting it through. The front tires began to spin out as he got half way up the hill. He let off the gas and the van sunk back into the depression. Frank looked at the cars in his way. There were too many for the JERRV to push out of the way. They also didn’t have time to tow them out since Biters were already approaching them from the traffic. Frank stuck his arm out the window and motioned for the JERRV to move forward more. Anna understood and gassed the truck twenty more feet forward. Frank backed the van up about fifty feet. Anna knew what he was about to attempt so she pushed the JERRV about another thirty feet.

  “I hope you have your seat belt on,” Frank said, straight-faced.

  “Wha!?”

  The word never left Steve’s lips as Frank gunned the minivan. As they approached the barricade of cars, Frank angled the car up the steep hill barely clearing them. Frank let off the gas and eased on the brake making sure not to apply too much force. The van nestled itself right behind the JERRV. Frank could see Anna shaking her head with a smile in the side mirror of the JERRV.

  They kept going for another mile when the dead traffic started to clear. The JERRV banked left and managed to get back on the highway in one piece although the left tires left the ground by a couple of inches. As soon as it was clear enough Frank zoomed back into the leader position. They continued for another seven miles when Steve motioned for him to turn right. The road they were on was an old dirt road. Another mile down and they finally reached their destination.

  Chapter 4

  Robby

  The farm had a quaint two-story house, a large barn, and a small corn field about a quarter mile away with about a mile long view all around. It was perfect, except for the over-all clad farmer pointing a shotgun in Frank’s general direction.

  “Hey, easy there Robby. They’re friends,” Steve said walking up to the old man trying to reason with him.

  “You trust ‘em, Steven?” Robby said staring over the shotgun barrels.

  “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. We’re just looking for a place to settle down and try to stay alive,” Steve pleaded.

  “Well, as long as you’ll make yourselves useful, I guess you can stay for a while,” Robby said, lowering his weapon.

  Frank walked up to the man. “We appreciate it, sir.”

  “Shit, boy. I ain’t been a sir since Vietnam. Call me Robby.”

  “Alright Robby, let us get situated and we will talk about what you need us to do around here.”

  Frank smacked Steve on the back. “Let’s hurry and unpack the van. I know everyone must be tired.”

  They quickly unpacked the van when Robby walked over. “I got a couple a beds and couches that the women and kids can sleep on. Just don’t know what everybody else will do.”

  “Well, I was going to have people on watch every day and night so whoever isn’t using the bed that night then someone else can take it. The others will have to sleep on the floor. You got some blankets to make a pallet on the floor with?” Frank inquired.

  “I think I may have a few in the basement. So are you like these people’s leader or something?”

  “I do what I can for them, when I can.”

  Steve stuck his head out the back of the minivan. “You’re so full of shit, Frank.” he looked over at Robby. “We wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for him.”

  Frank felt a little embarrassed and may have blushed a little but then had a thought, ‘Why do they all have to depend on me? Who put me in charge? Can I really handle this?’ As he looked at all their faces. Everyone including Anna and Tommy looked at Frank, smiling and nodding in agreement. The thoughts started to diminish. The only thought that now ran through his mind was ‘I have to.’ He turned back to Robby.

  “I guess that is you’re answer, Robby. Someone has to look after them. It might as well be me.”

  “Humph…Let’s hope you the man for the job. Now hurry and get that shit unpacked. I’ll go and fix us up some supper,” Robby said as he turned back toward the house. He hesitated. “By the way, how many of you total? I got to bring the blankets up from the basement.”

  “There are ten adults and a kid. The kid will most likely be sleeping with her mom. Tommy and Natalie will most likely share a bunk too.”

  “Good. I didn’t know if I had enough blankets for everybody. Send someone in to help with this, would you?” Robby said as he walked away.

  Frank turned and looked at Kim. “Kim! Go help Robby, please. He needs help getting stuff out of the basement for us.”

  “Sure. Be right there.” she yelled back with a large box of toilet paper in her arms.

  She handed off the box to Steve and ran toward the house. Steve walked up to Frank. “Why did we bring so much toilet paper?”

  “Good for starting camp fires. We will probably have night watches and it’s going to get cold.…” Frank said uneasily.

  “Hey, are you two done? We still have a lot to do. Talking can c
ome later,” Anna said with a smile on her face.

  “Yeah sure,” he giggled as he slung a weapons bag over his shoulder.

  Frank, Steve and Anna walked into the house with little Isabelle shuffling behind barely able to carry the heavy bag she grabbed out of the van. Frank dropped his bag in the corner and knelt down to her.

  “Well, aren’t you sweet? Are you helping us bring stuff in, sweetheart?” Frank said with honey in his voice.

  “Uh huh,” she said sweetly as she handed him the bag and sat on the couch waiting for Anna to come back.

  He smiled at her and took the bag into the kitchen. Steve walked in behind him. Robby was at the counter cutting up vegetables.

  “Robby, I brought you some of your medication. We didn’t have much left but it should do for a few months,” Steve told him.

  “Thank goodness. I was almost out. I had no idea what the hell I was going to do,” Robby said with a smile.

  “Got a question for you, Robby. Do you know of any old style wood stoves around here?” Frank asked.

  “I got an old one out in the barn but it needs to be cleaned before you use it.”

  “Really? Is there anything you don’t have?” Frank asked.

  “Not really. My wife didn’t like getting rid of important stuff. Guess her quirks saved our asses. God rest her soul,” Robby said, unable to stop smiling.

  It took another hour for them to get settled in and everyone was at the dining room table.

  “It’s been a long time since I had guests for dinner. Unfortunately, this is the last of the meat,” Robby said as he sat fried pork chops in the middle of the table.

  “Being vegetarians is better than eating nothing at all. Do you know if there is anything good to hunt around here?” Frank asked.

  “Deer get into my corn field all the time. Shoot them if you want. They kill a lot of my crops every year,” Robby said with anger in his voice.

  “Deer does taste pretty good. We’ll have to be careful though. They could be infected too. Although, I think we should be able to spot that,” Frank said while cutting up a pork chop.

  “So who is going to be on watch tonight?” Kim asked.

  “I am. Any other volunteers?” Frank requested.