Reginald stared at his son for a few seconds. David's blond hair hung below his collar. The handsome blue-eyed boy loved sports of any kind, and he excelled at most. Would his athletic prowess save him? "Walk."
"We're in the middle of nowhere." David motioned to the deserted area where they sat. "It could be forty or fifty miles before we see another car."
"Do you have any better suggestions?"
"Nope."
"We need to take water and blankets with us in case we're still out in the open after the sun goes down." Mary Anne opened her door. "It'll get even colder."
"No. We can't walk." Belle grabbed Reginald's hand. "They'll eat us."
"I'll keep you safe, baby." Reginald pulled his daughter close and kissed her on the top of the head. Her hair still smelled like apple shampoo. "We'll be okay."
"Can't we stay in the car until help comes? Won't the government send people to look for us?"
"No, we have to keep moving." How did he tell his daughter the government caused this apocalypse and now, no longer existed? Anarchy reigned? "Come on. We need to get moving. I want to find a place to stay or another vehicle before dark."
Reginald and David grabbed the water and part of the blankets. Mary Anne and Belle carried the rest of the covers. "Stay alert. Don't get complacent." Reginald walked beside Belle. "If we let our guard down for a second, we could end up in a mess."
"This bites, Dad." Belle kicked at a rock in the road. "Why did we have to leave our house? We'd be safe there."
"No. We weren't." Reginald took a deep breath. Belle's whining frayed his nerves, but how could he expect her to understand. "I'm taking you to a safe place. Please try to have patience and persevere. I know this is hard, but you aren't the only one suffering."
Belle scrunched up her nose. "What does persevere mean?"
"Hang in there. Keep on going, and shut up your whining." David put his hand on Belle's shoulder.
"You shut up." Belle stuck out her bottom lip. "You act like you're an adult all of sudden just because you're in college. Big whoop. You're still my booger eating bratty brother."
David frowned, then started laughing. "Booger eating? Where did that come from smelly bellie?"
"I'd rather be smelly than gross."
The sound of an engine carried on the wind. Maybe a car was headed their direction, but would it bring rescue or death? Some of the uninfected people scared him more than the rabids. They kept walking, but Reginald moved them to the side of the road. A silver Ferrari Lusso roared by five minutes later. "Too bad I didn't find one of those fine cars," David said. "How cool would it be to drive?"
"It's probably a stick-shift and a two-seater." Mary Anne squeezed David's shoulder. "Although, I'd enjoy taking one for a spin."
Reginald's quiet wife never ceased to amaze him. Had he known she wanted a Ferrari, he would've done everything in his power to get it for her. Yeah right. He'd treated Mary Anne less than stellar in the past. He would've ignored the desire like he ignored all of her other needs. The woman deserved the universe. She certainly deserved more than this decimated world he'd given her. Why hadn't he realized what a wonderful woman she was before...before he strayed? Guilt landed in his belly like lump of lead. How could he explain Gabriele to his wife if his lover made it to the compound?
"Maybe we can find an abandoned sports car, Mom." David grinned. "I'd love to see you behind the wheel haulin' it."
Mary Anne laughed. "Even an old Crown Vic would make me happy. As long as it ran."
Reginald chuckled. "What? You didn't love the white boat rental they gave us in LA a few years back?"
"No." Mary Anne shook her head. "We looked like the world's worst undercover cops in an unmarked car."
People stood in the road ahead. Reginald couldn't make out how many or tell if they were infected. "Hold up." He pointed ahead. "We need be cautious. See those people up there?" The others nodded. "We don't know if they're infected or opportunists." He rubbed his side. One encounter with marauding bandits was one more than he wanted. He still hurt all over from his first. "We'll continue on, but be prepared."
"We should've looked for more weapons." David furrowed his brows.
Mary Anne shook her head. "We don't have any, so trust we'll make it to safety. While killing isn't right, we can't reason with the infected, and it needs to be a last resort."
A stab jolted through Reginald's heart as he recalled each person he'd killed since this disaster started. Mary Anne's pacifist views had drawn him in when they were dating. She’d joined the anti-gun protests and lobbied for stronger laws. They'd tried to teach their children to never resort to violence, but the world had changed. Kill or be killed. Or had it?
His older friend, Jerry, had argued the naïveté of pacifists wouldn't make the world safe. When Reginald had blasted the war, the old man had often said in an evil world, violence was sometimes the only option. Either fight or allow the terrorists to win.
The thought of a terrorist harming his children had drawn him into the bio-weapons field. He thought he could prevent war and decrease the chance of violence by having the capacity to cause destruction. Now, the product of his hands threatened to end their lives.
One of the people in the road stumbled and shuffled toward them. Neurological changes. They had a few yards before they walked into the midst of the infected horde, and Reginald had only a knife. No way could he protect them. "Go into the median." Reginald pointed to the side of the road. "We'll try to get past the infecteds in the road without engaging them. If we can't, run as fast as you can as far as you can. I'll catch up. Do. Not. Wait. Just run."
Reginald put his finger to his lips as they drew alongside the group of infected people. If they could keep from attracting their attention, maybe they could get past. He watched the rabids as his family crept forward. When they reached the other side of the throng, one of them looked his direction and ran toward him. Reginald retrieved his knife and held it ready.
"Dad!"
Belle. Why did she have to yell? "Run, baby. Run!" Reginald screamed as he plunged his knife into the nearest infected person's throat, and took off toward his family.
"Dad! A car," David yelled. "On the right."
"Run for it." Mary Anne lagged behind the children. "Get your sister to safety."
Another man lunged toward Mary Anne, and Reginald tackled him and flung him to the ground. "Run, Mary Anne."
They reached the car. Reginald jumped in the driver's seat and tried to start it. The engine didn't turn over. Nothing. Not even a clicking sound. He'd trapped his family in a non-functioning car, and they'd dropped their supplies. So they didn't even have water. Or a knife. He'd left it in one of the infecteds. They had nothing. He pounded his head against the steering wheel. He wanted to keep his family safe, but instead he'd doomed them.
"What do we do now?" David leaned forward. "I could make it to where I dropped the water and get back here with it."
"No."
"Come on, Dad. We can't—"
"I said, no. You're not going out there as long as those beasts are wandering around."
Mary Anne buried her face in her hands. "Why don't we rest for a few minutes before we make any decisions?"
Something slammed into the car and Belle screamed. A rabid pounded his face against the rear passenger window. Several more joined him at the car. One climbed onto the hood and pressed his face against the windshield. He moved his jaw up and down trying to bite them.
Could things get any worse?
Chapter Seven
The rabid at the rear window slid down the side of the car leaving a trail of drool. "When we get out, don't touch the saliva." Reginald turned toward his children. "If you do, and it gets in an open wound, you might become infected."
"Like we're ever going to get out of here." Belle crossed her arms over her chest. "We should've stayed home and let them eat us."
"Belle Marie Barker, none of us are happy about this, but we are doing everything i
n our power to keep us safe." Mary Anne glared at her daughter. "You need to straighten up and quit being a brat. The only way we'll get out of this alive is to work together. If you haven't noticed, your dad had to kill several people. How do you think that makes him feel? Now, if I hear another whine out of you—"
"She gets it, Mom." David nudged his sister. "Don'tcha kiddo?"
Belle nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks.
He slipped his arm around her shoulders. "I know it's hard, but we're going to get out of here alive."
If his family had faith in him, then Reginald would prove he was worth it. He checked the center console for a weapon. Nothing. Under the seat, he found a large aluminum flashlight like the police carry.
"Stay here." He jumped out of the car slamming the door behind him. The rabid at the rear of the car struggled, but couldn't stand. No problem there. He turned to the one on the windshield and cracked the flashlight across the guy's temple several times. Nausea rose up, but before he had time to dwell on what he'd done, a gunshot sounded. He turned as a woman dropped to the blacktop. Reginald stared for a second, then searched for the source of the gunfire.
"Looks like you were in quite a pickle, thar." A large man dwarfed by an even bigger cowboy hat sauntered up to him. His pendulous belly overlapped his belted jeans. "That thar zombie 'bout took a bite outa your arm."
"Thanks for taking care of her."
"No problem." The man pointed at the car. "Did she die on ya?"
"Yep." No need to explain their plight to this man.
"Come on. I'll give y’all a ride into Taos. Y’all can find another car thar."
Reginald opened the door, helped Mary Anne out, and they followed the stranger to his Hummer. "Wonder how it is in Taos?" Reginald asked.
"From what I heard on the CB, it's snowin'. Purty clear as far as these undead creatures are concerned."
"They're not undead. Just infected."
"Don't make me no never mind. Infected. Undead. All’s the same. It's 'em or me, and I don't intend to let 'em take me out without a fight." The man glanced at Reginald. "Name's Dallas Kimbell."
"Nice to meet you, Dallas. I'm Reginald Barker." He motioned to his family. "Mary Anne, David, and Belle."
"'Belle' at's a right purty name for a purty little gal." Dallas grinned. "Where're y'all headed?"
Reginald helped Belle into the backseat of Dallas's vehicle as everyone else climbed into the plush truck. Their rescuer made Reginald uneasy. The guy had a fake, over the top, Texas accent. Like he was a mediocre actor in a bad sitcom. "California." Reginald's voice cracked on the lie, but he refused to tell this stranger the truth about where they were going.
"Hmmm. 'Ats a long ways from here. I ain't right sure if you'll ever make it."
Reginald lifted a shoulder. "We have to try. My wife's sister is there."
"I've never seen the ocean." Belle leaned forward. "If this truly is the apoc...app...end of the world, then I want to go to the beach."
"I heard tale them things done overrun LA." Dallas furrowed his brows. "Y'all ain't headed thataway, are you?"
"No. We're going to San Diego."
"Yeah, buddy. You don't want to go thar. Mexico's nuthin' but zombies, and they's a prolly spillin' over the borders at a high rate." Dallas guffawed. "And we thought we had an illegal immigration problem before."
Reginald laughed. "Nothing like now, huh?"
As they pulled into Taos, Dallas stopped to allow the Barkers to get out of his vehicle. Before Reginald could open his door, Dallas grabbed his arm. "Things is bad out thar. If y'all make it to Texas, and find you cain't go no farther, I have an underground bunker in Longview." The man handed him a piece of paper. "I don't cotton to too many people, but seein' as how you got younguns, I'd hate to see you get eaten. Here's the address. If you make it that fur and need a rest, look me up."
Reginald said his thanks and joined his family on the sidewalk. Cars lined the streets of the stark downtown area. "Let's find the best vehicle with the most gas, but we need keys for it, since I don't know how to hot-wire a car."
They ran down the first street tugging on car doors. Reginald reached for a Lexus 350. The door opened and keys laid in console tray. Reginald held his breath and hit the start button. The engine turned over, but the gas tank registered only half-full. "I found one." They piled inside, and Reginald pulled out and headed toward Las Vegas, New Mexico.
"Nice ride." David snuggled down into the tan leather of the front passenger seat. "I could get used to traveling in this."
"Let's hope we get to keep it for a while." Mary Anne shifted in her seat.
"Does everyone in Texas talk like that Dallas guy?" Belle asked.
"No, honey. Not quite." Reginald grinned. "He was a little much. In fact, I'm not sure he's a Texan at all."
"Good." She put her head on her mother's shoulder. "I didn't want to have to learn a new language."
Reginald's passengers fell asleep after a few uneventful miles. He'd allow them to rest as long as possible. How had they made so many detours? The hours ahead taunted him as his eyes grew heavy.
They rolled into Las Vegas, New Mexico a couple of hours later. He pulled up in front of the Crucible Hotel and raised his eyebrows. The town was larger than he thought. Several cars were parked in front, and a man stood guard outside the door. The guard lowered his weapon and trained it on Reginald. "Anyone infected in your group?"
"No."
"Bites? Scratches?"
"No."
"Are you looking for rest?" The man lowered his weapon. "You can join us if you want."
"We need water and food. If you can help us, we'll be on our way."
"Come on in. We'll take care of you and your family."
*****
Josh pointed the Charger toward Yoakum. This tedious trip couldn't end soon enough. He drummed a beat against the steering wheel as he glanced at his brother. Mark had stretched out his legs and closed his eyes. Maybe he could rest.
Thoughts turned to Josh's parents. Their accident had been a hard blow. Josh had his life planned out. He was going to make a career in the military, find a beautiful wife, and have a passel of kids that his parents could spoil. Not that he resented Mark even though he'd left the Navy to finish raising him. No, that responsibility was never a burden. The familiar ache in the pit of his gut when he thought of his parents reappeared. Stronger than usual. Soft snores emanated from the back seat distracting him from his thoughts. Sierra. Poor kid. She had to be exhausted surviving on her own for a while.
They were going way out of their way, but with the overrun roads, it was the safest and maybe the fastest route. They drove into Yoakum an hour later. The gas gauge read less than half a tank. Too low for his comfort. The thought of being caught on a long stretch of deserted road without a car terrified him.
A deserted Gas 'N Go came into view. It wasn't much more than a shack. Run down and tucked into a copse of mountain cedars, but if he could get gas, he didn't care about the place's appearance. He climbed out of the car, stuck the nozzle in the tank, and turned on the gas pump, but nothing happened.
Sierra climbed out of the car and stretched her arms over her head. "Can't believe I slept until the noise of your door closing woke me." She watched him for a second and headed toward the store. "It has to be set from inside. Let me see if I can turn it on." She returned a few minutes later. "Is it working?"
Josh nodded. "I can't believe this station still has gas. Another plus for taking back roads, I guess. Not as many people have raided the stores."
"Watch it!" Mark screamed as a zombie grabbed Sierra from behind and bit into her neck.
"No!" Josh lifted his weapon and fired. The infected collapsed, but not soon enough to save Sierra. He'd bitten into her carotid artery, and her blood pumped out in gushes. Mark knelt and reached for her, but Josh grabbed him. "Her blood is contaminated. Don't risk infecting yourself."
"She didn't deserve this." Mark rubbed his arm across his
nose. "She survived for days when she was alone, but the minute she takes up with us, one of those godforsaken creatures gets her."
"Come on." Josh pushed Mark toward the car. "We need to get out of here. That shot might draw more of them."
"You callous brute." Mark glared at him. "How can you be so uncaring? She just died. Have you killed so many people that human life means nothing to you?"
"Get. In. The. Car." Mark climbed into the passenger seat, and Josh jammed the pedal to the floor.
Josh looked at Mark after zooming down the highway for several miles. "So you know, I value human life, but this world has changed. It's about survival, now."
"How can you stare at someone who was our friend and act like she's ...she's trash?"
"I couldn't help her." Josh rubbed his hand over his face. "I despise what happened to Sierra, but waiting around to become infected changes nothing. We have to face the world logically. If we allow our emotions to overtake us, then we die. Period."
Mark crossed his arms. "I can't be callous like you."
Callous. Mark kept using that word. Was he callous and insensitive because it was more important to keep his kid brother alive than to mourn over Sierra's body? No. He wouldn't change a thing. Mark was his responsibility and had been for many years. If it meant his brother hated him and thought he was a brute, then so be it.
"For the record, what we witnessed back there was enough to make me want to throw up. You were right. Sierra didn't deserve that. No one does." Josh tapped his fingers on the top of the steering wheel. "But, I will do whatever it takes to keep you alive. Whether you like it or not, you are my primary goal."
"I get we had to get out of there, but it seemed as though you didn't even care that you witnessed Sierra being eaten. Eaten."
"What did you want me to do?"
"I don't know. Pull over."
"No."
"Pull over. Now!"
Josh swerved to the side of the road, and before he came to a complete stop, Mark opened the door and vomited.
Dark Days (Book 1): Contagion Page 6
