Dark Days (Book 1): Contagion

by Dyer, Marcy G.

  "You okay?"

  "Just go." He slammed his door shut. "I'll never be okay again."

  "We have to learn a new reality. The past doesn't work anymore. In a sense, no one will ever be okay again."

  "Mumbo jumbo."

  "Mark..." Josh shook his head. "Never mind."

  "What?"

  "You haven't been out on the road as long as I have. I've seen more than I ever wanted to, but seeing the infected bite Sierra, that's the worst. This virus has turned us into an anarchist society. Our only goal is what we can do to stay alive. It's not what I want, but I don't know any other way to function."

  "How do you get to where it doesn't bother you?"

  Josh let out a mirthless laugh. "You think it doesn't bother me? Every time I close my eyes, I see the people I've killed. When I sleep, I have nightmares of turning into one of those creatures and attacking the people I love. This is something that haunts me day and night." Not to mention the horrors he'd faced as a SEAL.

  "Then how do you deal with it?"

  "The way all of the Barker men do. I stuff it deep inside and tell myself I won't think about it." He shrugged. "It works. Until I'm alone, or it's quiet, or I'm sleeping."

  "So how does that help me?" Mark crossed his arms over his chest. "I can stuff it down, but it will still eat at me until I either develop ulcers or put a bullet in my brain."

  "No, with time, we'll learn to process what we've seen. What we've done. It's going to take time."

  "Since time is on our side." Mark scoffed. "Look around you, man. Life expectancy has dropped to almost zero. I doubt there are any handy dandy therapists at Uncle Reginald's house. You can bet he won't be any help. The man is just like dad. If we don't talk about it, we don't have to acknowledge it."

  "Aunt Mary Anne is an ER nurse. She's easy to talk to."

  "I can see myself spilling my guts to her. She'd be horrified."

  "You're forgetting one thing." Josh glanced in his direction. "They're battling the same demons we are."

  *****

  Randi motioned to Miguel and Leon who stood near the inner gate of the compound. "Come with me. Y'all need to see the vulnerable areas of the property." The men walked with her along the inner fence line. "These double fences surround the entire compound." She pointed to the two chain-link fences separated by a concrete pad wide enough to park two pick-ups side by side.

  "It resembles a prison." Miguel pointed to the razor wire creating a canopy reaching between the two fences. "Your idea or Barker's?"

  "All Barker's plan." Randi led them to the smoke house. "This is the processing area I told you about." She pointed to the room attached to the smoke house. "Adriana wasn't too thrilled at the idea of wild game."

  Leon laughed. "You've got to admit, her idea of roughing it's a three-star hotel."

  "True." Randi pointed out a plot of land beside the house. "There's a compost heap back here. The house uses composting toilets. Since the camp toilets we got at the Garling’s have chemicals, we'll need to take them to the outer area."

  "Yeah. Don't want to contaminate the compost heap." Leon put a finger to his chin. "I've never grown a garden, but for this many people, we'll need a good sized one."

  "Maybe we could convert our camp toilets to composting ones." Miguel furrowed his brows. "I'll work on it. Sooner or later we'll run out of chemicals, and if we can turn them into composters we won't have to worry about it."

  They walked to the Frio River running through the rear of the property. "Barker insisted on a fence that burrowed into the river bottom. I tried to convince him not to do it since it's illegal, but he refused to budge. We finally compromised." Randi pointed to large double gates spanning the river. "The gates latch together. There's a set on either side of the compound."

  "I know rabies causes hydrophobia, but what if this strain doesn't?" Miguel asked. "Couldn't we potentially have zombies swimming under the gates?"

  "Nope. Watch this." Randi walked to the middle of the large wooden bridge covering the river. "See this?" She pointed to a lever. "If you pull this toward the front, then up, it retracts spikes buried several feet in the bottom of the river. Only when they're retracted can the doors be opened. The other side is identical."

  Leon's mouth hung open. "This guy thought of everything.”

  "He wanted a permanent solution, but when I convinced him of the legal implications, he agreed to this. We left both gates open to provide clear access." Randi climbed down from the bridge. "When I heard of the first case of rabies, I closed them." She crossed her arms. "I thought I was being paranoid."

  "Glad you had the forethought." Leon joined Miguel on the banks. "Is the entire outer section fenced?"

  "Yes." Randi headed toward a shed a couple of yards from the river. She opened the door. "Come on inside." She pointed out the four wheelers and a couple of off-road four-seater carts. "All of these are gas powered, and there are several fuel tanks like farmers use in the perimeter so we can refill as needed." She opened a garage door leading into the paved area between the fences. "There's a drawbridge here like the one in the front and a sliding gate so we can ride through and check the perimeter. Let's take a four-seater cart so we can ride together."

  "Sounds good." Miguel looked at Leon. "Do you have a weapon?"

  "Yeah, a SIG .9 What about you?"

  "I have a small Ruger .357." Miguel raised his eyebrows. "Okay, Annie, what are you carrying?"

  Randi stuck her tongue out at Miguel. "I have a Kimber .45." She raised her shirt enough to show the pistol. "I also have a SIG .380 in an ankle holster."

  "Let me guess, these aren't weapons you got at the gun store in Kerrville, are they?" Leon asked.

  "Nope. These are mine." Randi climbed into one of the carts. "We'll ride inside the outer fence line to make sure it's intact."

  Miguel opened the outer gate, lowered the bridge, and Randi drove through. He closed the gates behind them.

  She drove to the outer part of the fence, and crossed the bridge over the river. They made a huge loop around the compound by the time they completed the perimeter check. "Since we have razor wire covering the outer fence except the gate, it'll help, but we should ride the fence line at least every other day."

  "I agree." Leon leaned against the shed door after they secured the vehicles. "We also need to set up watch. Are all eight guard towers connected by bridges?"

  "Yes, but each one has fire doors we can lock out." Randi pointed at the nearest tower. "They're stocked with water and MREs to last for a few days. Each one also has a disaster stove to heat the water."

  "MREs?" Miguel asked.

  "Meals ready to eat." Randi shrugged. "You know, those packaged, long shelf-life thingys."

  "So if those creatures overrun the camp, we can hole up and wait for a while." Leon again tapped his chin with his forefinger. "Good thinking."

  "We need to include the others in a guard schedule." He strode toward the rest of the family who were sitting around the fire. "It can't fall to just the three of us."

  "You're right." Randi followed and took a seat on the grass. "We need to have a talk."

  Her father frowned. "Is everything okay?"

  "For now." Leon sat next to Adriana and rubbed her back. "It could change at any minute. We need to set up a rotation for guard duty."

  "Oh, that's not necessary." Randi's mother shook her head. "We're inside three fences with razor wire everywhere. In a few days, when the government gets this thing under control, we can go home."

  Adriana rolled her eyes. "You and your drama queen routine are getting old. I know things look scary right now, but don't you think we just have an unusual concentration of the virus here? I'm sure the CDC will have a cure in no time."

  "Of course they will." Her mother patted her arm. "You'll see, Miranda. This won't last any time."

  "You don't get it, Mom." Randi ran her hand through her hair. "Things will never be normal again. We have to work together to survive." She stood. "Howeve
r, if none of y'all give a rat's butt about this family, then Miguel, Leon, and I will make sure you live through this apocalypse. I'll take first watch."

  She grabbed an AR-10 and stomped to the first tower. Why did her family insist on fighting her at every turn? They'd never trusted her to have enough brains to make even the simplest decisions. Except Dad. He'd trusted her with the family business. Eventually.

  The thud of her boot on each stair punctuated the hammering of her heart. She slammed the door to the tower open and paced from one side to the next staring out at the land surrounding them. How could she make them understand what they needed to do to survive?

  Chapter Eight

  Reginald woke at first light and roused his family. He appreciated the people at the Crucible giving them shelter for the night, but it was time to leave. They headed downstairs and found several other families milling around in the lobby. "We need to get on the road." Reginald took Mary Anne's hand. "There's still a long way to go, and we don't know what we'll encounter."

  She slipped her hand out of his. "Let me ask if we can have a couple of jugs to fill with water. I don't want to get stranded without a way to keep us hydrated."

  "Fine." The hotel gave Reginald the heebie jeebies. Maybe he just wanted to get to their new home in the Hill Country. Of course, if they died from dehydration, the compound was useless to them.

  "Come eat." Mary Anne motioned for him to join her. "They've offered to feed us before we head out." He followed her into the restaurant where his kids waited at a table.

  "Welcome." A chubby blond with a gracious smile pointed to the chairs next to David and Belle. "We don't have a gourmet meal, but at least it will keep hunger at bay for a while."

  "Thank you." Reginald held Mary Anne's chair out for her and took his seat next to a tall man.

  They had peanut butter, bread, eggs, and water. At least his family could fill their stomachs before they left since they might not eat again for a while. "Where'd you get the food?"

  The man sitting next to him stuck out his hand. "I'm Vlad Strovsky. I was the manager here before the world fell apart." Vlad had a thick Russian accent. "The people who were staying here left, along with most of our employees. We had recently stocked the kitchen with staples, so we had food on hand, but must ration it so we don’t run out."

  "Thank you for your generosity." Reginald motioned to the food. "We appreciate it." He ate while he listened to his wife and the chubby blond talk. His wife could make friends with anyone.

  Reginald wiped his mouth. "Thank you for your hospitality, but we must be on our way."

  Vlad stood. "Certainly. Please allow me a moment before you leave." He scurried through the swinging doors into the kitchen.

  Great. Another delay. He should've gone with the man to make sure he wasn't going for a weapon.

  A couple of minutes later, Vlad reappeared with a box, carried it to their car, and put it in the trunk. "We couldn't spare much, but I refuse to send you into the unknown without something." He gave a small smile. "You may get sick of peanut butter, but at least it will keep your family alive." He clasped Reginald's hand. "I'll pray for you and your family."

  They filled several empty milk jugs with water, secured them in the trunk, said their thanks, and headed out. Reginald slid behind the wheel and started the Lexus. "We're on our way. Let's hope we don't encounter too many issues."

  Dry, brown grass lined the roadway. At least there was no snow. Although the gray skies could change that at any time. Reginald checked the gas gauge. Almost empty. How much further to the next town? Or a station outside of town?

  A few miles outside of town a small convenience store sat on the right side of the road. Reginald pulled in and tried to fill the car, but the pumps weren't working. The station had a garden hose hooked to an outside faucet, so he unscrewed it, cut the ends off, and pulled the Lexus alongside an abandoned Honda Civic parked near the door.

  "What are you doing?" David asked.

  "The pumps aren't working, so I'm siphoning gas."

  "Need help?"

  "Sure. Hold this end in the Honda's tank."

  "Got it." David gripped the hose and Reginald sucked up gasoline. He stuck it into the Lexus when it came out the other end. How much gas did the Honda have?

  Once they'd drained the Honda, he balled up the hose and handed it to David. "Stick it in the trunk. We may need it again." Reginald pointed to the store. "Let me go in and check to see if it's clear, I'll let you know. Looters have probably emptied it, but if there is any food left, we need to grab it."

  He walked into the small store, but no infected or living people were inside, so he motioned his family. "Looks fine, but keep alert." They filed in. Reginald grabbed a box and stuffed the few non-perishables he could find in it. "Gather sodas, water, anything to keep us hydrated." Most of the food had been picked over, but the candy aisle was full. Reginald dumped as much of it as he could into the box. His children deserved a treat after what they'd been through.

  Belle's scream split the air. Reginald's hands went clammy, and his voice caught in his throat. He dropped his box and ran in the direction of the sound. He found his daughter running backwards away from a rabid. She fell to the ground in slow-motion, and the infected person lunged for her as David cracked a large bottle of beer over the guy's head. The blow stopped him long enough for Reginald to grab a metal coffee urn. He pounded the man in the face until he dropped. Blood spurted out of the man's nose adding to the dried muck on Reginald's clothes. Blood and bits of bone covered the man's face.

  "Belle, are you okay?"

  "Y...yeah."

  Reginald sucked in a deep breath. Where did he come from? The door to the storeroom stood open. His heart thudded, and his breath burst in and out. He needed to find a firearm and fast. "Get to the car. Now!" He turned to Belle. "You and David get out of here."

  "Why?" David turned his hands palm up. "You took care of the sick person. Don't you think we're safer in here with you?"

  "We don't know if more are hiding."

  "Do they have the brain capacity to hide?" Mary Anne asked.

  "I don't know." Reginald suppressed an exasperated sigh. "But I don't want one of them to get you."

  "Fine." Mary Anne led the kids to the door. "Don't do anything dumb."

  As his family left, Reginald forced himself to take a step. Then another. And another toward the storeroom.

  *****

  Josh pulled into the small town of Floresville. A church with a pristine white steeple sat on the right side of the road. He slumped in his seat, and his muscles turned to mush. Their journey wasn't over, but they'd not encountered any trouble after they left the gas station where Sierra died.

  He looked at Mark. His kid brother still stared out the window with a blank look on his face. How could he make Mark understand he had to work through his emotions? If Josh had allowed himself to fall apart when Sierra was attacked, then neither of them would stay alive.

  "Stop!" Mark pointed at a young man on the side of the road. "That kid's alone. We have to help him."

  Everything in Josh screamed to keep going. The young man stood with his head down and his arms crossed, but the thought of Mark telling him he was insensitive again was more than he could bear, so he eased to the side of the road. The boy didn't come near them, so he and Mark both climbed out of the car. "Are you okay?" Josh called to the boy but got no response. Maybe he was ill. "Don't get too close."

  "He's just a kid."

  "A kid who may be infected. Look at his face." Josh pointed. "He's staring at the ground and not answering us." Two large men shoved them to the ground. Something hard and round rammed against Josh's head. "Don't move, or I'll kill you both."

  The man backed off. "Stay where you are."

  "What do you wa—"

  A boot slammed into his side.

  "Shut up and don't move."

  The Charger's engine revved. Josh looked behind him as the men and boy roared off in his car.
He let out an expletive.

  "What happened?"

  "They stole our transportation. That's what happened."

  Mark sat up. "What are we going to do now?"

  "Walk." Why had he listened to his brother? Instinct told him something was wrong, but he'd gone against his better judgement. He wanted to beat his head against the pavement. When would he learn he needed to listen to his gut? It didn't matter if his brother thought he'd left his heart in the Middle East.

  He dusted off his jeans and took off at a brisk walk. He doubted they'd find a car in this nothing town. If not, how far to the next one? He refused to look back at his brother. Mark needed to grow up and figure out life wasn't rosy and sunny. It never had been. Mark had been sheltered from the mess Josh saw on a daily basis as a homicide detective in Austin. Not to mention when he was in the service.

  Why was he mad at his brother? He fisted his right hand and punched it into his left palm. Why didn't he ignore Mark's pleas to stop? He had no one to blame but himself.

  "Wait a minute!" Mark yelled.

  "What?" Josh spun around and glared at his kid brother. "Wait for someone else to mug us? Or maybe you want me to wait until the zombies come running after us. Should I go ask them if I can help them?"

  "Don't be such a horse's backside." Mark raised an eyebrow and glared. "How was I to know the kid didn't need help?"

  "Because that's the world we live in." Josh gestured to the street him. "Have you not figured out a reasonable society no longer exists? We live in total chaos. Anarchy. And you expect me to stop for every person who appears to need help. Guess what? Now, we're the ones who need help. Do you see anyone stopping to help us?"

  "If you knew things were hinky, why did you stop?"

  He gave a short laugh. "Do you really want to know? I didn't want my kid brother calling me callous and insensitive again."

  He spun on his heel and stomped off leaving Mark standing in the road. When he found shelter or transportation, he would come back for him, but for now, he needed a few seconds of peace.