Autumn's Calling (Book 1): The Outbreak

by Michelle Weese

  “Okay, please be careful. I’ll wait for you to call. I love you, buddy,” she said, sniffling into the phone.

  “I love you too. See you soon,” I told her and we hung up. I glanced up to find Mom looking at me, worry lines carving their way into her soft face. She overheard the conversation, and began shaking her head back and forth furiously.

  “No, no, no. You are not leaving here again, Autumn. I’ve almost lost you twice in one week, isn’t that enough stress to put on your old mom? We will send the guys to get Jess, but you are not leaving me again,” she started raising her voice, losing control of her nerves of steel.

  “Mom, I have to go for Jess, she’s my best friend. Also, the guys don’t know their way around that hospital like I do. I can get in and out quicker than them. I don’t want to leave you either but I can’t sit here knowing she’s in danger and starving to death. You wouldn’t leave me in that position, just like I wouldn’t leave you. I have to do this. I’ll be fine. We have plenty of guns, ammo and other weapons, and with Leland at my back, I know we will be okay. He’s saved my life before, he’s not going to let anything happen to me,” I told her with tears silently trickling down my cheeks. Wiping them away, I took a deep breath so I could get control of myself. If I started falling apart, then my mom would definitely lose it, and we would have a mess on our hands. There were more important things than my mother and I losing our wits.

  “I’ll make sure nothing happens to her, Grace. I’ll guard her with my life,” Leland declared from behind me, resting a hand on my shoulder. The look he gave me made me feel like I was the luckiest girl in the world. He gazed at me with those beautiful eyes like I was the most important, precious thing to him and he would do exactly as he says… guard me with his life. I squeezed his hand and smiled, glancing back at Mom.

  Mom shook her head and plopped down in a chair, a look of defeat on her face. “I can’t tie you down and make you stay here with me, sweetie. It terrifies me to think you will be in danger yet again. But you’re a big girl and have to make your own choices. Just please come back to me in the same shape you’re leaving. I can’t take much more,” she said softly, looking at me with nothing but a mother’s love apparent in her emerald eyes.

  “I promise. We will both be fine, and as careful as we can. You and Andrew take care of those kiddos while we’re gone,” I told her. Then spoke to Leland, “We need to check the back lift gate where we receive shipping and see if the alley is clear back there, because there’s no getting out the front doors.” He nodded and started for the back, Uncle Andrew following him. I stood up gently, so I wouldn’t startle Daisy in her drowsy state of mind, and scooted around her while she huffed and lay down on the floor to finish her nap. I went to Mom and hugged her tightly, placing a loving kiss on her cheek. “I’ll be okay, Momma. I love you.”

  She squeezed me tight and whispered, “I love you too, dear. More than you know.”

  Chapter 23

  The guys stood at the lift gate when I came in. They were talking low about something that I couldn’t quite make out then Leland saw me coming. He smiled, locking eyes with me and giving that melt-in-your-socks gaze that I better get used to or I’d die of a heart attack soon.

  “I was telling Leland here that you guys are taking my truck. It’s parked right outside the lift gate and got a full tank, ready to roll. There’s no way to get to his car out front with all of those stinking bastards crawling around out there. Plus, your mom’s car would be better for us if we need to grab the kids and run outta here in a hurry. You kids be safe and get back here in one piece,” he said, handing Leland the keys to his beloved pickup truck.

  “Thank’s, Uncle Andrew. We’ll be careful. Please keep them safe here,” I told him, with a quick hug. “I need to get geared up and make sure we have everything we need. I’ll be right back.”

  Leland stowed the duffel bag of guns and ammo under his cot next to mine. I grabbed the .380 and 9mm with their matching ammo and set them aside to leave with Mom and Andrew. The rest of it was coming with us, along with our axes. I threw in some bottles of water and energy bars to take to Jess and the others, knowing they’d be starving and very thirsty when we found them. In the bathroom, I changed into my favorite pair of faded, ripped jeans. I didn’t think yoga pants were suitable for this quest. My hair got twisted up in a messy bun then I stepped into my sneakers and headed for the back again. Mom waited for me, giving worried eyes that were a little too shiny to not be the threat of tears.

  “Mom, don’t you cry on me now. If you cry, I cry, and that won’t solve a thing. I’ll be back before you know it. Stop worrying so much or you’re gonna turn gray headed before your time.” I put an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned her head on mine.

  “I’ll always worry about you, honey. It’s what mothers do. Just please… please be careful. Watch each other’s backs and don’t take any unnecessary chances. If you can, call me when you get Jess and are on your way back, I’ll be by the phone waiting to hear from you,” she whispered in a strangled voice, holding back as much emotion as she could. She squeezed me tight and looked at Leland. “Bring my baby back to me, Leland. I’m trusting you to keep her safe.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll do my very best to keep everyone safe, you have my word,” he told her with serious eyes. She nodded and let me go. I walked to the lift gate, beside Leland, and watched as Andrew pulled the chain that opens the gate up. The .22 hunting rifle was strapped across my back and my axe gripped tightly in my hands. Leland placed the .22 revolver at the small of his back and the shotgun, axe and extra ammo in the duffel bag he carried. Andrew got the gate up and we paused, listening for any sounds and watching for any movement, but there wasn’t a biter in sight in the back alley. Leland jumped down from the lift, dropped the duffel bag and wrapped his hands tightly around my waist, picking me up like I was as light as a feather. He sat me on my feet and grabbed the bag as we headed for the old pickup truck parked a few yards away.

  Uncle Andrew had his old truck for as long as I could remember. It was a coppery brown color and from the seventies or eighties, which didn’t bother me a bit since I liked old cars and trucks. It made me think of my old Camaro sitting back at the Colonial Inn, I missed it so much. Old cars were one of my weaknesses. One of these days, I’m going back for my car. I don’t care what it takes.

  Andrew’s truck remained in pristine condition for how old it was. He’s always been an antique car nut like me, guess that’s where I got it from. We hopped in and Leland quickly started the engine, which roared to life, rumbling with horse power under the hood. I smiled at the sound, it sent a thrill through me when I heard old muscle cars and trucks with that thunder. I looked over at the building to see Mom and Andrew watching us, Mom raised her hand to wave and blew me a kiss. I returned the gesture and we pulled off. I really hoped that they would be okay until we got back. God please keep them safe.

  Chapter 24

  We drove through the streets of town slowly, shocked at the horror of how this virus affected so much, so fast. Biters were roaming around everywhere. Victims of this horrible plague stumbled through the town aimlessly until they found something or someone that hit their radar as food. Most of the local businesses and homes had broken windows, busted doors, fires burning, or worse. I began to feel heated anger churning within me, making my skin run hot and my teeth grit painfully.

  “Something has to be done. The government can’t just let this happen, they have to fix this. My entire hometown is ripped to shreds and not a police officer or any kind of officials in sight? They can’t just leave us here to fend for ourselves forever,” I shrieked at Leland, my hands shaking with rage. He reached over and squeezed them until I loosened my fists and entwined my fingers through his; the tightness in my chest loosened slightly.

  “I know, Autumn. They have to come soon. Maybe it’s because this is such a small town that they haven’t quite made it this far yet. From what Benji’s Aunt Heather said, it’s a
lot worse in the larger cities. We just have to be patient, and plus, you’re much more of a badass than any police officer. I’d put my money on you in a fight with a zombie versus the police and a zombie,” he smirked at me, glancing my way for just second then looking back at the road ahead.

  I grinned at him, “You’ll make a girl blush with talk like that.”

  He chuckled at me and weaved his way through the debris in the road. We pulled up to the hospital on the right hand side and my heart sank at the shape it was in. Someone had crashed their car into the ER doors, smoke still rolling from the hood of it. Another car was flipped onto its top in the flower bed out front of the main entrance. Garbage scattered across the entire property. Dozens of the dead were spread throughout the parking lot, bumping into one another. It was going to be extremely difficult to get inside without a fight. Then I had a thought.

  “There’s a service entrance around back and down a ramp, maybe they haven’t figured it out yet,” I told Leland. So he carefully winded through the biters and wrecked cars until we reached the service entrance. The evening drew near. Gray clouds above us looked ominous with the promise of rain. The backside of the hospital fell in shadows. He pulled the truck down into the darkened hidden driveway, flipping on the headlights. We were surprised to see there were no zombies waiting for us down there. Leland put the truck in park and turned off the ignition. We sat there for a moment, staring at the entry door into the bowels of the hospital, making sure nothing was coming out of it before we exited the truck.

  “Is that door usually locked?” Leland asked me.

  “Oh crap. Yes, and I left my keycard back at the store in my totebag,” I answered him, smacking my forehead and exasperated with myself for not thinking of that.

  “No problem. We will get in there. We have axes, remember?” he said with an evil grin.

  “Oh, yeah. Well I hope it won’t take too long because making that kind of noise will draw those stinking hungry bastards to us.” I grabbed my axe and he grabbed a flashlight and his own axe from the duffel bag, and we both stepped out into the cool evening breeze. It smelled like rain on the wind, which is not surprising for Washington. If it doesn’t rain at least five times a week then something is seriously wrong. I felt the first drop hit my face and roll down my cheek. “We better hurry, it’s about to rain.”

  He tossed the duffel bag over one shoulder and flipped the flashlight on to light up the door. I walked over to the dull gray metal door and tried the handle, just in case, but found it locked as usual. I lifted my axe and swung down hard on the handle. It squealed a metallic shriek and loosened just a little bit. So I hit it again with as much strength as I could gather in my sore muscles and still couldn’t break it off. Leland came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder.

  “I know you have to be sore. I’m not saying you can’t get it, but can I give it a try?” he asked me with that killer smile.

  I nodded and stepped back to hold the flashlight for him, my breathing a little heavy from just those two swings. A bright lightning bolt lit up the sky in the distance and a rumbling crack of thunder vibrated the ground beneath us. The rain started to trickle down, and before the next rumble of thunder hit, the sky opened up and it was drizzling. I looked at Leland as he continued hitting the door handle with all his might, growling with each strike as the metal protested. Then heard groaning behind me and swung around to find three biters coming down the driveway. Right on time, I grabbed my rifle around from my backside and aimed at the closest one. The rain made it hard to focus and my first shot grazed his shoulder, he stumbled but still kept coming, the others closing in behind him. I took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled while squeezing the trigger, the gun cracked loudly again making my ears ring but I managed to get him in the head this time, dropping him like a sack of potatoes. I zoned in the next one and took her out with one shot. The last one, a security guard from the hospital, tripped over the female biter and hit the pavement head first. I ran over to him, before he could get back up, and put a bullet in the back of his head. Through my dripping eyelashes, I could see an entire group of them slowly turning the corner of the driveway, the gun shots surely gave away our location. “We better get a move on, or else we’re going to have a big fight on our hands, Leland.”

  After a couple minutes of him beating the crap out of the door, it popped open. I ran through it and he followed behind, slamming it shut. We found an old metal rod and wedged it tightly between the door and door frame. It may not hold for long but it’s all we had. Within seconds, there were thumps coming from the other side from the decaying bodies bumping against it. My hair was soaked and making rain drops roll down my face and neck. I wiped my eyes and looked at Leland, his pitch black hair plastered to his face. He looked like a Greek god standing there in his dripping wet clothes, water rolling down his golden tan skin in runnels. I started to shiver from the cold of the rain sinking into my skin, the air in the basement was cool and I forgot to bring a jacket in my haste to rescue Jess. Leland stepped close and wrapped his big arms around me, trying to warm me with his body heat. It felt wonderful.

  “It’s f...f...f...freezing down here,” I stuttered out, my teeth chattering uncontrollably. He squeezed me tight and ran his hands up and down my back, trying to cause friction. The closeness of him made those butterflies come fluttering back into my belly. My heart started beating faster and my fingertips felt tingly. I rolled my eyes up to meet his and he stared into me like he saw something wondrous. He lowered his head and gently pressed his lips to mine. The soft, supple pout against my own made me moan with anticipation. He took that as a welcome mat and started to kiss me like he would never get another chance to again. His arms were still wrapped around my body, pinning my arms down, so all I could reach was his lower back. I started kneading his skin through the wet t-shirt and stood up on tiptoe so he didn’t have to crane his neck down so far. The kiss grew into a desperate need to touch one another. He broke loose from my mouth and started kissing his way down my neck to my collarbone. I sighed deeply and enjoyed the feel of his lips on such tender areas. His arms loosened around me, and I pressed my fingers into his smooth, damp skin. I reveled in the warmth coming from his back and snuggled closer, pressing all that warm goodness against the front of me.

  He came up for air and chuckled, “Are you warming up yet?”

  “I’m getting there,” I told him in a breathless voice. My blood pumped so rapidly through my body that my skin was jumping with each heartbeat. I stopped shivering and my face flushed with heat. I knew my cheeks were blushing pink from the excitement.

  “Let me see if I can speed things up,” he said, untucking my shirt from my jeans and raising it up slowly. I grabbed his hand and stopped him.

  “I don’t think so, mister. We’re supposed to be here on a rescue mission, not to get frisky in the hospital basement,” I told him, crooking an eyebrow.

  “I wasn’t going to get frisky. If we press our bodies together, skin to skin, you’ll warm up faster. The quicker you get warm, the quicker we can save your friends and get back to the store,” he claimed, with an innocent look in his eyes, but a slight smile trying to peek out. I knew better though. Once he got me out of my clothes that would be it.

  “I’m not sure I can say no to you if it turns into something more, so maybe I’ll just keep my clothes on for now.” I pulled my shirt back down and gave him a chaste kiss on his swollen lips. God, I’d like to bite that bottom lip so bad. Instead, I bit my own and grabbed my axe, rifle strapped across my back again, and started for the elevator.

  Chapter 25

  Before we could get the elevator to come down, the power went out and we stood in total darkness for a moment. A jolt of fear ran through me and I thought I might panic, then the back-up generator kicked in and the florescent lights above us started flickering like strobe lights. The elevator never did make it to the basement level, assuming the generator wasn’t strong enough to make everything work again, so we
took the stairs. The stairwell was all stark white walls and gray metal stairs, the flickering lights made me see shadows that weren’t there. It felt like being in a haunted house. Where your eyes played tricks on you, making you see things to one side, then the actors would jump out from the other side to scare the living crap out of you. I was on high alert as I slowly made my way up the steps, towards the third floor where the pharmacy was, Leland just a step or two behind me. I pulled my phone out and dialed Jess. She answered on the first ring again.

  “Autumn? Are you here yet? I thought I heard gunshots earlier, and the power went out but I guess the generator has kicked in but the lights are flickering,” she started rambling on and I had to interrupt her.

  “Yes, Jess, I’m here in the stairwell. We are almost on your floor now. Do you know if there are any biters in the hallway?” I asked her.

  “Um… hold on,” she whispered and there was silence for a moment from her end, then she came back, “Yeah, I hear their feet shuffling around outside the door. I don’t know how many though.”

  “Okay, you guys just sit tight and stay quiet. You may hear gunshots again so don’t scream and draw them all to you. We’re going to take care of them and then I’ll come for you, don’t open the door until you hear me say so.”

  “Okay. Please be careful, Autumn,” she said in a shaky voice, and hung up.

  We were at the third floor now and I stopped to look through the little square window in the door before we opened it. “From what I can see, there are two zombies just to our right, but none to the immediate left. We need to go left to get to the pharmacy but these guys will be right on top of us. So I’m going to open the door and you shove them back far enough that we can get a swing with the axes. Otherwise, we won’t make it to the pharmacy before they come looking for us if we use guns,” I told Leland. He nodded and stepped around me to the other side of the door, readying his axe. I gripped mine in one hand and pulled open the door with the other, staying right at his back as he went through it.