Torn Apart (Book 1): Terror In Texas

by Hoaks, C. A.

  Jake stepped on the offending appendage and used the machete on the infected man’s head. “That bastard is really in bad shape.”

  Matt leaned over the counter. “Fuck. They did a real number on the counter guy.” Matt swung the gate open and stepped around the body. “Let’s get busy.”

  Jenkins jumped to his feet and shivered. “That was nasty. Fuck!” He snorted nervously.

  Jake slapped Jenkins on the back. “You move pretty fast for a white guy.”

  “Fuck you.” Jenkins snorted. “You move pretty slow for a black guy.”

  Jake chuckled and punched him lightly on the arm. “I’ll try to do better next time.”

  Suddenly Ramirez stuck his head in the door. “I don’t want to interrupt this bonding moment, but we got company stumbling this way.”

  Matt grabbed a key on a long stick with a tag identifying it as the gate key. He tossed it to Ramirez. “Get the gate open then be ready to drive the Humvee. Jake, cover him.”

  Jenkins looked out the window. “There’s a fifteen foot moving van near the gate. Only one out there.”

  Matt opened a metal wall cabinet and studied the array of labeled keys. Each one bore a unit identification number.

  “What’s the unit number?” Jenkins called out.

  Jake called back the number. Matt picked up the keys and sorted through the tags one by one. Finally, he jerked up a key and headed for the door. He tossed the key to Jake and raced toward the Humvee.

  Jenkins stood between the Humvee and the truck looking from one to the other. Finally, Matt pointed at the van. “Ride shotgun.”

  Jake cranked the engine and it roared to life. Jenkins jumped in and Jake slammed the vehicle into gear. When Jake gave Matt a thumbs-up, the Humvee took off.

  In the panel van, Jenkins shifted through the glove box and found a map and a couple random pieces of paper. He looked behind the seat into the back of the vehicle. It was dark and empty. “We can carry a lot of supplies in here.”

  Jake laughed. “It’s got a full tank of gas, too. You gotta love an efficient business model.”

  Matt directed the Humvee to the large box store with the truck following close behind. They parked at the edge of the parking lot and Matt rolled down his window just as Jake pulled up next to the Humvee.

  “Single entrance. Could be good. Could be bad.” Matt commented.

  Jake shrugged. “Your call.”

  “Jake and I go inside. Jenkins, you and Ramirez stay at the front door when we get it open. Jake and I’ll bring supplies in carts, one of you cover the other while supplies are loaded into the vehicles.”

  Jenkins made a curt nod and grinned at Ramirez. “If you see any beef jerky, can you grab it? Oh, and some clean underwear.” He laughed.

  “As opposed to dirty underwear?” Matt remarked. “Okay, let’s do this.”

  With a nod from Matt, Ramirez released the break and made a wide circle across the parking lot to stop with the back of the truck and Humvee facing the front of the store.

  All four men opened doors and the men walked to the front of the store. Jenkins and Ramirez opened the back of the vehicles then stepped to the outside to protect Matt and Jake.

  Matt turned to Jake. “When we get inside you’re on clothing and bedding detail. Pick up shoes, underclothes and whatever else you think we need. Get a variety of sizes for the kids but don’t get too picky. Clear a shelf or two then get bedding, sleeping bags preferably but blankets will do. I’ll get as much food as I can. We’ll fill baskets then drop what we find at the front door for Jenkins and Ramirez to load in the vehicles. I’ll hit the drug department, pick up shampoo and soap and shit like that last.”

  “With the cots in the attic of the rec center, I know exactly what we need.” Jake answered.

  Matt nodded at Jake. “Let’s clear the place then get busy. I don’t want to be here more than twenty minutes.”

  Matt and Jake peered into the gloom.

  “I see someone in there,” Jake whispered. “Maybe more.”

  “Half a dozen vehicles. Two were parked at the side of the parking lot. Probably employees. The rest are right up front. That blue Fiesta has the door open and no one around.”

  Jake nodded. “I can see blood on the door and if they let an infected person inside.” His voice trailed off.

  Matt pushed on the door and it opened easily. “Not locked. Not a good sign.”

  They peered into the dark for a moment and heard the first moan of an infected.

  “Shit.” Jake cursed. “Can’t any of this shit be easy?”

  Matt shrugged and answered. “You two watch the door. We’re going inside. We’ll take out the infected before we start bringing up supplies. Just in case, don’t get sloppy. Watch the fucking door too.”

  Jenkins nodded then helped slid the door back. “Got it.”

  Matt strode toward the sound of shuffling feet with Jake at his side. They faced two infected customers. Both had been working men in life, one with a thick body in blue coveralls while the other dressed like a construction worker. Coverall man had a bandaged arm while the construction worker had limbs horribly damaged with gaping holes and open wounds. They each began shambling and reaching toward their intended prey.

  Jake and Matt unsheathed machetes and stepped several feet away from each other. It seemed to confuse the infected men. They froze, undecided which man to attack first. Finally, both seemed to forget about Matt and faced Jake.

  “I know dark meat is sweeter than white, but boys this doesn’t work for me.” He swung the machete and took the head from the closest monster. The body of the construction worker fell with a hollow thud.

  At the same time, Matt stepped up and brought his machete down at the second infected man’s head. The blade glanced off the skull and drove into the collar bone of the man. The infected man remained focused on Jake and took a step closer pulling the blade from Matt’s hand.

  “Ah, shit!” Jake stabbed out and drove his blade into the right eye socket and the monster fell with Matt’s blade still wedged in the head.

  Reaching for the weapon, Matt suddenly felt a brush of a hand on his sleeve. He jerked his arm free, spun around and kicked out with his left boot. An infected teen went down in a heap.

  Jake pulled his machete from the man’s head and made a wide arc with the blade. It connected with the teen’s neck. Her head flew from her shoulders, hit a register and rolled away.

  The head stopped with the face looking at them. The clouded eyes blinked and the mouth snapped and gnashed teeth at them.

  “That’s just nasty,” Jake commented with a grimace.

  Matt stepped over and slammed his booted foot down on the head just as a nasally voice called out from the store speaker system. “They’re coming from the back!” A voice warned through the store’s public address system. “You have to block the warehouse door on the right side of the back wall or they’ll just keep coming!”

  Both men were retrieving their weapons as Jake asked. “Who in the hell was that? And why ain’t he blocking the door if he knows about it?”

  They headed toward the back of the store when Matt answered. “Don’t know. Come on. Let’s do it.”

  As they jogged toward the back of the building, they heard a tortured moan. It began low and anguished, slowly rising in volume. It was answered by an angry keening of another infected. The pair of infected women saw the men and each changed directions to head straight for them.

  Matt watched as a monster that had once been a small woman with delicate of features snarl as she limp toward them. The second monster was nearly as tall as Jake. She was massively overweight and her face was masked by a thatch of orange-red hair, a color that could only come out of a bottle. Her throat hung in shreds around her ample chest. Blood covered her house dress while the wound at her neck still leaked thick drops of blackened sludge with each step. Both women looked ravenous as they stumbled toward Matt and Jake.

  “I think the big one likes
you, Jake,” Matt called out.

  Jake chuckled. “Thanks, asshole.”

  They rounded a display case and saw the double doors to the warehouse entrance being held open by a jack with a loaded pallet left half way through the swinging doors. Any time an infected leaned against either panel, they fell into the store. As if to verify the evaluation, one of the panels opened and a monster in a blue uniform fell into the store. It slowly got to its feet and zeroed in on Jake and Matt.

  Matt ordered. “Let’s take out Big Bertha and Twiggy then you can dispose of the blue man.”

  Matt headed toward the mammoth woman, but she seemed to only have eyes for Jake. He laughed and called out. “See, I told you, she likes you better than me.”

  When the massive woman reached for Jake, Matt used his machete to removed her hands. She ignored the loss while she still focused on Jake. Matt kicked out and drove his boot into her kneecap. She fell to her knees giving Matt time to glance at Jake.

  He had taken out the petite woman with a blow to the side of her head and without looking back, stepped around the body and headed toward the blue man.

  Big Bertha was still struggling to get to her feet when Matt’s next swing connected with the gargantuan woman’s head. Her scalp peeled off with a pin-wheeling flight of crimson tresses. The impact sent her to her knees, but she still didn’t stay down. She pulled her feet under her and stumbled back to her feet. She turned to face Matt with teeth gnashing.

  “Fuck!” He cursed as he jabbed at her face. He missed her eye. She swiped it away with the remains of her arm. He took another swing at her head, but her flailing arm knocked the blade aside again. Matt backed away from the woman in frustration.

  Meanwhile, Jake took out the blue man.

  Bertha focused on Matt while he swung the machete again and took her left arm off at the shoulder. Still the woman came after him. Matt swung the machete at her face but she turned and he hit her meaty shoulder slicing off a slab of flesh. She moaned and reached out with her stump. All the while, her mouth opened and closed, her teeth clicking against each other.

  Matt took two steps back and glanced over to see Jake move the pallet jack against the warehouse door. With the breaks locked, no matter how much weight pushed against the doors from the warehouse, the doors wouldn’t open.

  As he walked back toward Matt, Jake called out. “I know it’s been a long dry spell man, but I don’t think she’s your type. Kill her already.”

  “Fuck you!” Matt cursed. “I can’t get close enough to take her out.”

  With a grunt, Jake raised his machete and cleaved the back of the woman’s head open. The top of her skull shattered and black goo and gray matter spilled from the opening. She fell to the floor, the flimsy housedress riding up to expose a bare butt cheek and dimpled thigh jiggling with fat and the hint of a thong at her butt crack.

  “Damn. That’s just wrong.” Jake scrunched up his face and muttered.

  Matt and Jake both turned with raised weapons and peered into the dark as hurried footsteps approached.

  “I told you, the military would come for us. All we had to do was wait.” The nasal voice announced as a thin disheveled man approached.”

  He rushed to Jake and Matt with his hand held out. “Boy, are we glad to see the Army.” When he saw the blood and gore still covering both Jake and Matt hands and weapons, he quickly dropped his hand to his side.

  “My name’s Jasper Kovak. I’m the store manager.” He stepped aside to introduce the three others with him. He introduced a fiftyish woman as Joan, a girl in her teens as Lisa and the third person, a young man who was obviously Down’s Syndrome he called Carl.

  Matt stepped to a shelf and grabbed a beach towel. He wiped at the gore on his hands and pants. Finally, he cleaned his blade and answered. “We were in the military, but the Army is out of commission right now. At least, as far as we know. We have a group of survivors at a campsite about several miles from here. We came for supplies.”

  “You can’t just take merchandise without paying for it.” Kovak protested.

  Matt sighed. “We can and we will. Your corporate bosses are either hiding or dead and part of the problem.” He threw the towel to Jake and turned back to Kovak. “Here’s where ya’ll have to decide. You can come with us or go out and fend for yourselves.”

  Matt picked up stacks of terry cloth towels and threw them in a cart. He collected a stack of wash clothes and tossed them in as well. He pushed the cart toward Jake and headed toward the front of the store. “Let’s finish filling it up.”

  Kovak and Joan huddled together for a moment then called after Matt. “I think we’ll come with you, gentlemen.”

  Matt stopped and turned back around. “Good. See if you can find the keys to that big extended cab in the parking lot.”

  “No problem,” Kovak grinned as he pulled keys from his pocket.

  “Get carts and fill them with canned food. One of you women find Jake, we got a couple dozen kids. We need shoes, socks, underclothes, and shit like that.”

  The teen grabbed a cart and headed across the store. “I’ll pick up health and beauty.” When Matt looked back and scowled, she added as if he were a child. “We’re going to need OTC and pharmacy items since there won’t be doctors then I’ll pick up soap, shampoo, tampons….”

  Matt held up his hand palm toward her. “I don’t want to know. Just be careful.”

  Chapter 25

  What Needed Done

  Liz tapped Harry on the shoulder. She spoke into the mic of the helmet. “There. A pawn shop, maybe they’ll have guns.”

  They rolled past shattered bodies and remnants of a typical small town in Texas. A flower shop, a bakery, and the remains of a boutique baby store. At the end of the block was a sign in fading colors advertising cash for jewelry, guns, and electronics.

  There were several bodies in the street around the shop, but none of them were moving. Some wore biker colors while others looked like some of the townspeople. The front window was shattered and remains of a mutilated body spilled over the glass shards sticking up from the opening. Harry and John eased to a stop. Liz jumped from the bike and hooked the helmet over a handle at the side of the seat.

  “Let me do this,” Liz asked. “It’s time I carried my own weight.”

  She picked up a tire iron lying at the feet of the body in the window. She ignored the glob of gray matter and hair on the rounded end. Ready to strike, she looked at the door and sighed. The chances of finding weapons were decreasing by the minute.

  “Door’s open.” She called over her shoulder as Harry walked up behind her.

  Liz pushed the remains of the door out of the way and peered into the store. Finally, she called out. “Hello? Anyone here?”

  “Get the fuck out of here! Let me die in peace.” A gravelly male voice called out.

  Liz looked at Harry then stepped into the gloom and responded. “We can help you.”

  The voice forced a harsh chuckled and whispered. “I’m gut shot. Can’t help this, little girl.” He moaned softly.

  “Harry, John. I need help!” Liz called out as she pulled a rag from a shelf and pressed it to the hemorrhaging wound in the middle of an old man’s stomach.

  Harry squatted down and moved the hand clutching the rag. “Sorry man.” He told the old man.

  “Who did this?” John whispered.

  “Fucking bikers.” The man whispered. “Yesterday morning. About two dozen or so mean looking assholes. Leader was ugly, mean bastard with big hair and a do-rag.”

  “Ryder and his bunch,” John whispered. “We ran into them ourselves. They cleaned us out. Took all our food and weapons.”

  “Bastards!” The old man responded. “You’re lucky to be alive.”

  Harry patted the old man’s leg. “We got some payback.” He chuckled. “Led ‘em right into a herd of dead-heads. Last we saw, they were getting chewed up pretty good.”

  The old man sighed and pulled a key from his pocket and hel
d it out to Liz. “Behind the register. Under the mat. The bag.”

  Liz got to her feet and walked to the counter, raised the mat and inserted the key in the metal door in the floor. “Harry?”

  Harry stepped to her side and picked up the handle of the heavy door. There was a gun safe embedded in the floor. Among the guns and ammunition was a white canvas bag with a red cross on the side.

  Liz picked up the bag and hurried over to the old man. “What can I do?” She unzipped the top.

  “There’s morphine in the bag.” He chortled. “It was for the cancer, but I need it now.”

  Liz scratched through the bag and found several small bottles labeled morphine. She pulled a syringe from the collection of trauma supplies. She raised the bottle and inserted the needle.

  “All of it.” The old man whispered.

  She did as he asked, then turned to the man with the syringe in hand. At her look of confusion the man whispered.

  “In the vein.”

  Liz tied off his arm, inserted the needle then released the tourniquet. The man’s eyes fluttered then his face relaxed.

  “My name’s Ed. Ed O’Hara.” His voice slurred, but he continued. “You ran into that bastard Willie Ryder?”

  “He took all our supplies and was gonna kill us.” Liz responded.

  Ed nodded. “They’re bad as they come. I took out a couple, but couldn’t stop them from cleaning out my place.”

  Harry patted the man on the leg. “Rest easy, we put some hurt on ‘em.”

  John walked to the window and looked out. When he came back, he whispered. “Infected are headed this way.”

  “Get what you can use from the safe.” Ed whispered. “You have to get moving.”

  Harry grabbed Liz’s arm and pulled her to her feet. “We gotta go.”