by C. Dulaney
“Well if the damn thing wasn’t so old, I would’ve had it runnin’ by now,” he started, then immediately clamped his mouth shut when he saw me grin.
“Goddammit Kasey,” he muttered, then smiled himself. I slowly turned my head and grinned at him, forcing his smile to widen. I even got a chuckle out of him.
“Alright, alright, you win again,” he sighed and held his hands up. I laughed and stepped out into the barn lot.
“C’mon, help me get them in,” I said as I turned my back and started over towards the mares. Jake grunted an affirmative and together we led the disgruntled ladies inside.
* * *
“You’re breaking up, repeat that Cedartown,” Nancy was saying into the mic as Jake and I entered the study. She sat in my chair with Zack standing over her right shoulder. Ben was perched in the chair I kept in front of the desk looking like he’d had an accident in his drawers. Kyra was absent, so I assumed she was on duty upstairs, where she was supposed to be. I was on my last shred of patience with that girl, spending the last couple days avoiding the prom queen when I could. She was alright, friendly enough to everyone else, but damn.
Static filled the room as the person on the other end tried responding to Nancy. I could pick out a few words, but for the most part it was garbled. Nancy sighed and leaned back in the chair. I picked up the map and looked for Cedartown.
“It’s just about ninety miles away, must be why we can’t pick them up,” I said and tossed the map back on the desk. Zack rubbed his face and I saw Ben shaking his head. I saw the look on Nancy’s face, and I didn’t like it.
“What’s wrong?” I said, more a statement than a question. Jake was glancing back and forth from me to Nancy as she held my gaze for several seconds before answering.
“They’re not too far out. I’d been talking to them for about fifteen minutes before you came in. They were just attacked, and I’d say their antenna or something got knocked out,” she said wearily. I nodded and set my lips in a grim line. Dead bastards, I thought just before Zack interrupted my thoughts.
“It wasn’t zombies, Kase,” he said in that intensely smooth voice. I raised my brow and looked at Ben, then back to Nancy, and finally stared at Zack, waiting for an explanation.
“Goddammit people, just spill it already!” Jake finally erupted. The suspense had been killing him too, so it seemed.
“Apparently the survivors in Cedartown were set upon by convicts. That’s what the lady said, convicts. A bunch of men dressed in orange jumpsuits and armed to the hilt. The last thing I could make out was that the convicts had broken into the building and were killing all the men. Then nothing but static,” Nancy said, frowning and shaking her head.
Silence filled the room as the gravity of the situation hit home. I grabbed up the map again and relocated Cedartown, then slapped the paper and cursed inaudibly when I saw the source of our new enemy: Cedartown Correctional Facility.
“Jesus,” I whined and slammed the map back onto the desk. It was my turn to rub my face as I slowly realized why the escaped prisoners would be killing the men. Ben reached out, took my hand, and squeezed. Jake rubbed his chin but remained silent. Nancy got up and left the room, making a little noise in the kitchen as she put on another pot of coffee.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Zack asked. I met his eyes and nodded once.
“Yeah,” was all I had to say. Ben covered his face with his free hand and sighed deeply.
“What? What are we thinkin’?” Jake asked. Zack and I just stared at each other for a moment before he turned to Jake.
“I’d say they escaped one way or another when all this shit happened. Doesn’t matter how they did it, but now they’re going from one town to another and rounding up the women. Hell, for all we know, they’re moving though the countryside as well. That doesn’t matter either. What does is matter is that they’re loose, they’re on the move, and no survivor is safe. The men will be killed and the women taken. Like we didn’t have enough to worry about with the fucking hordes of undead prowling around,” Zack explained, trailing off at the end.
“Shit,” Jake whispered. We studied each others’ faces as dread and alarm settled deep into our bones. Nancy finally joined us with a tray of coffee cups and retook her seat behind the desk. We each took a cup and busied ourselves with the steaming brew as Nancy once again took up the mic and scrolled through the channels, this time looking to warn anyone she could of the new threat.
* * *
It was lunchtime before we finally prepared to leave. From my bedroom window I could see Jake and Ben huddled together in front of the garage, no doubt discussing the trip and what we had learned regarding Cedartown. Zack stood in the doorway and watched as I turned back to the task at hand: loading my rifle and stuffing all the extra shells I could carry into my ammo belt.
“I’d like for you to stay here with the girls…hold down the fort until we get back. The horses are in the barn, and keep the garage door shut. Also, double check the front and back doors, make sure they’re bolted and locked. Keep the noise down to a minimum. If someone comes sniffing around while we’re gone, kill them. If there’s more than one, stay quiet and see what they do. If they try breaking into the house, do what you can. I trust your judgment, or I wouldn’t be leaving you in charge,” I instructed.
I worked the bolt, sliding a shell into the chamber, and flipped the safety on before slinging the rifle on my shoulder. Zack nodded, his face set in grim, calm determination. I stepped out of my room and went across the hall to where Kyra was keeping watch in Zack’s bedroom. She turned and looked at us as we strode over to the window.
“You leaving?” she asked. I nodded and motioned towards Zack.
“He’s in charge while we’re gone. Make sure you keep the gun loaded, and don’t leave this window unless Zack tells you to. Oh, and don’t shoot unless he tells you to either,” I said, pointing my finger at her to emphasize. She nodded a little reluctantly. I could tell she resented me, or was jealous of my friendship with Ben, with whom she was obviously taken. I wasn’t sure which, and frankly, I didn’t give a shit.
Zack followed me downstairs, where I left last minute instructions with Nancy. She patted my arm and told me not worry, that they would all be just fine. She also reminded me to pick up some coffee while I was in town, then reassured me she would monitor the radio in case one of us tried calling for her.
“Good luck,” Zack said as I stepped outside. We shared a nod just before he shut the door. I waited until I heard him bolting the bars, then joined the boys at the Jeep.
“Let’s go ladies, burnin’ daylight here,” I said and hopped into the back seat. Jake smirked and took his place behind the wheel, with Ben sliding into the passenger seat. I glanced at the house one more time before the trees obscured it. Stay safe, I thought, then turned my attention forward.
As we traveled down the twisty, graveled driveway, (which, once upon a time, had been an old logging road), I couldn’t help but smile and relax. The leaves, which had begun their seasonal change a week or so before, were beginning to fall from the trees, covering the ground and blanketing the road. On the ridge to my right I saw a few deer watching us, their ears perked and tails flicking. You’re lucky I have other business to attend today; we were running low on meat.
Jake slowed to a stop at the gate and I jumped out to open it. I watched and listened all around me, and, as usual, saw no sign of anything out of the ordinary. In the back of my mind I started thinking about how I could even begin to keep us safe from human enemies. The house was zombie-proofed, the gate would most likely do well in keeping them out, (they could go around, but the rocky, uneven terrain would slow or stop them), but nothing I had done in the past week would stop the living.
“Hey,” Jake called out from his window. I jerked, rousted from my thoughts, and closed the gate.
“Everything good?” Ben asked once I was back inside. I smiled and nodded, hoping he couldn’t see the panic risi
ng beneath the surface.
Buzzards were flocked all around the dead bodies in front of the store and paid us no mind as we pulled up twenty minutes later. A stray dog darted across the road and I tried very hard not to notice what was hanging from its mouth. Jake drove around the bodies and parked by the front door. The birds had made rapid progress cleaning up the mess; the only thing remaining of most of the bodies was shredded clothing and bones. We exited the Jeep cautiously, mostly because the big nasty buzzards creeped us out. The store windows looked the same, cracked and smudged, which I thought boded well for us. I scanned the area as Jake opened the door; Ben was engrossed with watching the birds.
“C’mon,” I whispered to him and followed Jake inside. Ben turned hesitantly, took a few steps, then stopped to watch the buzzards again.
“Ben, come on,” I said a little more firmly after halting inside the doorway and holding it open for him. Finally he turned and walked inside, his head still facing the birds and their gluttonous feasting.
“What the hell is the problem?” I asked impatiently. He stared at me with disgust; we could still hear the sounds on the other side of the closed door: entrails popping and flesh being ripped by sharp beaks and talons.
“Do you think they can spread the virus?” Ben asked after a few moments. I was surprised by his question, and even more surprised I hadn’t thought of it before. All I could think to say was Dear God I hope not. Instead, I shook my head and pulled on his arm.
“Let’s go. We need to hurry. Grab a basket and fill it with as much as you can. You know what we need.” I pulled him after me and walked down the main aisle to catch up with Jake.
We made several trips back and forth carrying our loot to the Jeep. I didn’t see any point in leaving anything behind; take it all, save us another trip. The folks here wouldn’t be needing it. After the back was full we made another trip through the store, checking for anything we may have missed.
“Let’s check the stockroom,” Jake called out. I was standing by the cash register and Ben was once again watching the buzzards. I turned my back to the gruesome display outside and looked around for Jake. My eyes caught him a second before he opened the stockroom door. Fear flashed through me, and my hand shot out.
“No, wait!” I yelled. The sudden shout startled him and he snapped his head around.
“What?!” he yelled back. Before my feet could react I saw a hand bolt out of the open crack and grab Jake by the wrist.
“Fuck!” he screamed and tried to yank free. He shoved on the door with his other hand, pinning the ghost arm against the doorjamb. Ben and I raced down the main aisle and reached Jake just as another hand came through the crack and tried grabbing his shirt collar.
“Well don’t just stand there ya dumbshits! Help me!” Jake shouted again. Ben wrapped his arms around Jake’s middle and pulled back, using his body as leverage to keep Jake’s arm from being pulled through the opening. I stepped up and looked through, trying to see what was on the other side. My gaze fell and remained on the fingers around Jake’s wrist; the skin wasn’t decomposing, wasn’t gray and peeling. As a matter of fact, they looked like healthy human fingers, with dirt or maybe grease caked under the nails. I also noticed a distinct lack of rotten stench, although the air coming from the door opening did have the aroma of poor hygiene.
“Shit,” Jake mumbled as he pushed on the door and continued trying to pull away from the hand.
“Would you stop squirming already! Goddammit Jake, I can’t keep hold of you if you don’t hold still,” Ben complained back.
“Oh, well pardon me all to hell! There’s only a dead fuck’s hand clamped around my wrist!” Jake screamed as he began struggling harder.
“Christ, you’re such a pussy, you know that?” Ben replied as he tightened his grip around his panicked friend.
“Shh, both of you,” I said loudly and held my hand up, halting both of them in the middle of their amusing scuffle. The darkness on the other side made it impossible to see the owner, but the hand didn’t look dead. I could hear harsh breathing from inside, like someone was trying to catch their breath. I pulled my handgun and raised it, aiming where I thought a head should be.
“Jake, let go of the door and step back,” I said very calmly. They both looked at me like I was crazy.
“Have you gone batshit?!” Jake asked, his eyes wide and incredulous. Ben simply held tight around Jake’s waist and stared at me with his mouth open.
“Do it,” I hissed without taking my eyes from the opening. Jake muttered some inaudible curse, squeezed his eyes shut, and let go. The door flung back with such force it knocked both Ben and Jake to the floor, the former underneath the latter. The owner of the hand was jerked into view, and immediately let go of Jake’s wrist. I stumbled back a couple of steps, but kept my gun raised. The room was utterly silent as the three of us stared with mixed relief and shock.
“Who the hell is this?” Jake asked, his trademark abrasiveness shadowed this time by what surprisingly sounded like pity. Ben, having gotten over his initial shock, was shoving against Jake’s back and muttering. I approached slowly, lowering my weapon and re-holstering it while raising my free hand in cautious greeting. Watching the girl carefully, I lay my hand on her shoulder and smiled.
She looked up at me with a blank stare; the corner of her mouth was drooped slightly and her skin was pale. Her eyes were glassy and bloodshot, and her hair was a rat’s nest. Her clothes were stained with excrement and God knows what else, and her feet were bare. We had found little Shannon Hoskins.
* * *
“She’s probably bit,” Jake was saying as he and Ben walked to the front of the store. I had Shannon in the employee’s bathroom and was trying to clean her up a bit before loading her into the Jeep. She had followed along with no protest, allowing me to take her hand and lead her, then holding very still as I wiped her face and arms with wet paper towels. There was nothing I could do about her clothes; it would have to wait until we got home. I found a couple old towels behind the bathroom door and took those with me as I led the girl up the main aisle.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You’re puttin’ her in the Jeep? Like that?” Jake asked, holding up both hands and standing in front of the door. Ben smacked his shoulder.
“Don’t be an idiot, we can’t leave her,” he said.
“Yeah but,” Jake said, screwing his face up and pouting. That boy sure loved his Jeep. I cocked an eyebrow and waited for him to move, my hand grasped firmly around Shannon’s bony fingers. Jake sighed and ran a hand over his face, then stepped out of my way. I nodded once and stepped outside, Shannon following close behind me. She still had that vacant stare, and I was worried she might be sick or in shock. I couldn’t see any signs of injury, but her filthy clothes covered up most of her body.
I opened the door for her and laid the towels down on the seat. There was just enough room to squeeze her small frame in beside the supplies. After helping her inside and fastening her seatbelt, I turned to Ben and Jake.
“Do you think we should take a look around, maybe try to find her brother?” I asked. Jake sighed and looked around as Ben, once again, stared at the buzzards. They had seemingly grown tired of our interruptions and had started to wander away, some flying off and others perching themselves on nearby rooftops. No doubt waiting for us to leave so they could carry on.
“Where would we even begin?” Jake asked. I shook my head, having no idea where Tommy could be. I had tried talking to Shannon in the bathroom, but she wouldn’t respond.
“I have no idea. They lived that way,” I said and pointed down the street, opposite the way we came. “But if she ended up here, then I’m guessing Tommy wouldn’t be at home.” We had all deduced that Shannon had come to the store after the gang and I had left the first time. No way had she been here and they didn’t see her as they left. The store just wasn’t that big.
“We’ve got time, if you want to check it out. You did say you wanted to recon, didn’t ya?” Jake a
sked and smirked. I thought about it for a few seconds and finally nodded.
“Yeah we can run down there. Couldn’t hurt, right?” I slid into the front seat, scooting over as far as I could to make room for Ben. Jake jumped in and started her up, shifting and moving off slowly down the street. All the houses looked the same now; open or busted doors, broken or cracked windows, torn shrubbery, etc. There were no cars in the road, which was a great help. The street was narrow and we would’ve had to hoof it if we’d found ourselves in a traffic jam. I looked back once at Shannon. She sat with her head turned, watching outside, with her hands folded limply in her lap. Her face was still expressionless. She looked more like five than sixteen at the moment. The only reason I knew her age was because I had run into her mother a couple weeks earlier at the store. She was buying last minute groceries for her daughter’s sixteenth birthday party.
“Is that it?” Jake asked as we neared the last house on the left. I nodded and Jake slowed to a stop. We studied the house and the surrounding yard, and immediately saw the difference. The door was in one piece, the windows hadn’t been broken, and the yard was clear of debris. I shared a look with Jake, then elbowed Ben.
“Let me out, I’m going to have a look,” I said.
“I don’t know about that, Kase. We don’t know if it’s safe,” he said, shaking his head but grabbing the door handle just the same.
“Let her out, dude,” Jake said. Ben frowned and sighed, but gave in and opened the door.
“Keep the engine running,” I said to Jake just as I hopped out. Ben got back in but left his door open.
“Just stay here, watch her, I’ll be right back,” I said as I drew my .45.
“Don’t go out of sight,” Ben warned. I nodded and started slowly around the front of the Jeep. I kept my eyes trained on the second floor windows. If it was me, that’s where I would be. The wind was starting to pick up, and looming dark clouds were rolling in from the west. The whipping air camouflaged the sound of a window being raised, but I definitely heard the gunshot.
