The Outbreak Series (Book 1): Safe Haven

by Thomas Baker

  Three short steps led up onto the wide front porch, where there were a couple of rocking chairs. Through the front door they went, into an open living room. He had never been to a hunting lodge, but this house was decorated like Thomas always imagined one would be. Rough wooden furniture, a deer head hung over a brick fireplace.

  "I still have electricity so you will find cold drinks and fresh food in the refrigerator."

  "You do? That's amazing!" Thomas said. "You wouldn't happen to have any cold beer would you. I have been dying for one since all this happened. I found some warm ones a few days ago, but that's just not the same."

  "I do not indulge in alcohol." Harold said flatly.

  "Oh."

  There was silence for awhile as Harold fooled around in the kitchen, and went down a hallway and back out. Thomas just looked around, being nosy without trying to look like it.

  "Is there uh, anyone else here with ya?" Thomas asked.

  "No. I have ran into a few living people here and there. Some have even come back here for a day or two. Then they always decide to move on. Looking for Safe Haven." Harold told him, in a distracted sort of way. "They always ask if I know about it, but sadly I do not."

  "Oh yeah, I've seen those signs. Spray painted here or there. Didn't put too much stock in them though," Thomas said, walking around the living room.

  "Really? Why is that?" Harold sounded curious.

  "The way I figure, if there really was some safe place, it would be run by the military. They would be broadcasting it every way they could, but I haven't heard nothing the last couple of weeks."

  "I hadn't thought of that," Harold replied, in a disappointed tone.

  "Hey, no one can think of everything, right?" Thomas shrugged sheepishly.

  Harold looked at him with narrowed eyes. Thomas shivered uncontrollably. It was like he was being sized up. For what he didn't know.

  Harold relaxed his face. "You can sleep out here on the couch or on the floor. I do not care. In a few days, maybe you should move on, see if you can find Safe Haven like those before you."

  I really don't want to stay here too long either. Thomas thought, then told Harold in a nice way.

  Harold headed down the hallway without a reply. Thomas heard the closing of a door. Guess that's that. The couch it is.

  Instead of a few days, a few weeks passed. Thomas still stayed at the cabin. He learned quickly that if he kept mostly out of Harold's way and did his fair share of the work, then Harold seemed to tolerate him staying there.

  When they did talk, Thomas got an earful of more government cover ups and conspiracies than he had ever heard before. Each one more wild than the last. If a conversation wasn't about shadowy men and hidden agendas, it was about history or philosophy. Any attempt to talk about sports, women, or movies, what Thomas thought of as typical guy stuff, was met with silence or a stony look. Forget about asking anything about Harold's past or his family. The one time he did, Harold got right in his face and in an angry whisper told him that he could leave at any time. After about a week Thomas gave up asking anything. He would just listen to Harold go on whenever they were together.

  On this particular day, Harold was going on about how maybe the airplane chemtrails the government sprays on it's innocent civilians was the method of delivery for the zombie virus. They were loading up the truck for what Thomas thought of as a shopping expedition. He had gone with Harold on one of these before, and it was like going into a wild jungle. You just didn't know what to expect.

  This time they were heading back into the main town where Harold usually got all of his supplies. The first time he went with Harold, he was trying a new town. All they got for their troubles was an attack by like fifty zombies. If Harold hadn't been there, he would have been a zombie treat. He might be a little strange, okay a lot strange, but he knows how to survive.

  "Let's go." Harold said, climbing in.

  Thomas got in the truck and they took off. It was a uneventful ride. Harold didn't speak again until they entered the town proper.

  "The last time I was here, I made a sweep around town and took out the zombie pack I found. Keep your eyes open though. Who knows if another one has taken it's place. Be prepared, my father always said."

  Thomas hugged his hunting rifle a little closer to him as they rode past empty homes on the way to the business district. Grass grew knee high or more in some places, now that early summer was here.

  Lawns that won't be mowed anytime soon, if ever.

  They pulled into a gas station across the street from a Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart parking lot was filled with cars, some of which were nothing more than burned out husks.

  "Hell of a fire must have went through here," Thomas commented, getting out of the truck.

  He got silence as a reply.

  They walked through the maze of cars. They were close to the front doors when something pinged off the car to Thomas's left. He just about dropped his rifle as he ducked down.

  A male voice called out. "Drop your weapons and approach the front doors slowly."

  Thomas stayed down. He couldn't see Harold, didn't know where he went. He knew he wasn't going to make a move without Harold's say so.

  Then he heard the sound of gunfire. When it ceased, Harold shouted to him.

  "Thomas, it's clear. Let's get into the store and get our things."

  Thomas came up and saw three bodies lying in the doorway. A man, a woman and a boy probably about thirteen.

  "What the hell. You killed them?" Thomas was shocked. "Did you even try talking to them first?"

  Harold shrugged. "They shot at me. If you would have approached me in that manner, I would have shot you too." He was nonchalant. "Now come along. Let's do what we came here to do."

  Thomas stood there, debating if he should continue with this lunatic or just leave now on his own. Deciding to go with the devil he knew, Thomas stepped gingerly over the three bodies and into the store.

  They gathered up canned goods, some camping equipment, and a deep freezer.

  "I have been wanting one of these for awhile. Never had anyone to help me move it," Harold said.

  After four trips back and forth, Harold's truck was visibly weighted down.

  "That's good for today," Harold said, banging the tailgate closed.

  They traveled back, the truck slowed by the extra weight. Thomas was glad to get out of there. All he could think about all day was that poor family that Harold killed. Murdered.

  I might just have to take off in the middle of the night if I want out of here alive, Thomas was thinking when the truck screeched to a stop.

  "Stay here Thomas."

  Thomas watched as Harold walked out in front of the truck. He could see a man lying in the middle of the highway, flat on his back. Was it a zombie, or somebody else Harold was going to kill in cold blood?

  "Thomas, I could use a hand." Harold motioned for him to come over.

  When he got there, he looked down and saw it was a man, still alive. He looked like a scarecrow, his body had wasted away.

  "Help me pick him up and place him in the back," Harold said.

  They lifted the man into the truck and got him settled among the things they were bringing back to the cabin. Thomas thought the man felt very warm to the touch. He wiped his hand on this pants as he got back into the truck.

  Harold drove on in silence . Not even a comment about the man they just found.

  Thomas shook his head. He kills a family, but saves a guy lying in the road. I just can't understand him. This guy is one unpredictable son of a bitch.

  An hour or so later, the van broke down with a sputter and a clank. Alan managed to coax it off the road. Everyone took a share of the gear, except for Ashley. With her ankle, she was having trouble carrying herself. Tyrone offered to take one of her arms, but she refused. From there they walked on in the pre-dawn light. They passed a small sign saying they were on highway ten.

  Hannah and Ashley lagged behind the rest of th
e group. When JT declared a break for breakfast, Hannah used the opportunity to look over Ashley's injury.

  "Where's a doctor when you need one," Ashley said, wincing as Hannah touched it. "A rich doctor, who is totally hot like McDreamy. I could go for that right now."

  "It's still pretty swollen Ashley. I don't know what we're going to do about it."

  "I don't know either. Let's just try to get down the road and not get left behind." Ashley said, gritting her teeth.

  "I won't leave anyone behind," Dusty said. Hannah didn't notice he had come up beside her. "I wanted to check, see if there is anything I can do to help you two."

  "Well Dusty, unless you can call in a chopper or a fucking Humvee, I don't think so," Ashley said, bitterly. "Even better, how about making everything go back to the way it was."

  Dusty shook his head. "Well ma'am, I think that might be above my pay grade. Would you like me to stay back here with you? I hate to have our flank so exposed."

  Ashley gave Dusty the stare of death. "I would rather you not." Her voice was like ice twice chilled.

  Dusty gave a mocking salute and walked off.

  "Lame."

  "Oh come on Ashley. He can be a jerk sometimes, but he has done right by us this far. Did he really deserve the frozen treatment?" Hannah said, watching Dusty go.

  "I need to take it out on someone. Dusty seemed like a good choice. He shouldn't have come back here. It just made him an easy target. Hannah I am so sick of this shit. You really have no idea."

  "I don't huh? You think I want this? Instead of classes and cheerleading practice, why don't I walk for miles everyday? In the same clothes, covered in dirt and mud. On top of that, let's add horrifying zombies that want to eat me alive. Is that what you think, Ashley?"

  "Geesh, Hannah. I was just blowing off steam." Ashley's lip curled down, like she was on the verge of a breakdown.

  "You complain so much, I feel like it's all you do. Sometimes I don't understand why we are still friends." Hannah realized she had gone too far, but had been unable to stop herself.

  "Wow, just wow. Okay, you know what? Why don't you just walk as far ahead of me as possible. With your better than me attitude, I don't know why I am friends with you. Go up and walk hand in hand with your precious JT. Leave me behind if I am so much of a burden." Ashley said, arms crossed over her chest as she plopped to the ground.

  Hannah stood and looked down at her. Was she really going to sit here and act like a five year old? Ashley's poor me act was getting on her last nerve. She thought about apologizing just to get her going again when Dusty ran back.

  "There is a town up ahead. Tyrone scouted it out. Let's all gather up and stay together." He went over to Ashley and stuck out his hand. She looked at it like a sullen child. Just when Hannah thought Ashley was going to just stare at him all day, she took his hand and let herself be pulled up. He put one of her arms around his shoulder to help bear the weight as they walked up the road. She shot Hannah laser beams of anger over her shoulder.

  "Great. Wonderful." She said to no one in particular. She followed along behind.

  Everyone else had stopped and were gathered around, chattering about something . As she caught up to them she could see they were standing around a sign that read 'Welcome to Greensville'. 'Home of the 2008 AAA Softball Champions'. Over that in neon orange was spray painted SAFE HAVEN.

  "I wonder if we are getting any closer, if there even is such a place?" Hannah said.

  JT turned to her. "Only one way to find out. Lets keep walking."

  The road leading into Greensville was clearer than any Hannah had seen since this nightmare started. There wasn't even an abandoned car left on the shoulder. Dead bodies weren't left lying everywhere either. She wondered, did everyone just stay inside? Could they find a large group of survivors? Maybe even a doctor or nurse?

  They walked on, homes now lined the street. The houses were all dark and silent, but also seemingly undisturbed. Hannah could see in the distance tall brick buildings lining both sides of the street. They were approaching the downtown business area. When they got closer, the houses were now in various states of falling down. Warped and charred wood, blackened paint. Fire swept through here, with no firemen to put it out. She heard Tyrone singing.

  "Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea. All we do crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see."

  The words to Tyrone's song sent shivers through Hannah's body.

  She was broken out of her quiet reflection by JT's booming voice. "Stop."

  Ahead someone had haphazardly strung barbed wire fence across the entire street, blocking the way. It sagged in spots. Behind the makeshift fencing, several barrels sat in the street and on the sidewalks. Smoke drifted up lazily from inside them. Here and there men were walking between the buildings. They all had rifles slung over their shoulders.

  "I don't like the look of this," Hannah said. "I think we should go around."

  "I'm getting hot and sweaty. We need to stop soon," Ashley whined.

  "I think it looks like bad news," Dusty said. "I agree with Hannah, I think we should skirt around this."

  "What doesn't look like bad news to you, dusty trails?" Gus added.

  "Shit, let's go back the,." JT started.

  "Hey, hey you all stop right there," a man in a red and white checkered shirt hollered at them.

  "Too late." Hannah slid a little closer to JT.

  "Let's hope this goes down better than a seventy year old hooker," Gus said, squinting at the man.

  Five other guys joined the man in red walking over. They were all middle aged, with full beards and bellies hanging over their workmen jeans.

  The men stopped on their side of the fencing. The one in red checked them out with hard eyes. Hannah noticed Ashley flinch from his stare. Not her though, she was use to creepy men like this guy giving her the twice over. She met his stare back with her own stare of contempt.

  "What we got here? Two pretty young thangs travelin with a bunch of men. Where are y'all headed?" asked red shirt.

  JT took a step forward. "Just passing through. We are looking for Safe Haven. You ever heard of it? Know where it is?"

  The men laughed gruffly, like this was the best joke they had heard in days.

  "It's safe enough here. We have fencing, barricades and patrols. You ladies would sure be a lot safer here with us than out walking the roads with them." Red shirt said licked his lips.

  Hannah stepped up next to JT. "We'll be moving on."

  "Now now sugar, don't be hasty. We haven't even had a chance to introduce ourselves yet. I'm Chet."

  "This here is Bob, Jim, Duane, Berry, and Dicky." Chet pointed at each in turn.

  "At least come in. Check thangs out. We have food we could share. We got an underground storm shelter, away from the dead. Ain't nothing going to hear us down there."

  There was an almost too eager tone to Chet's voice. It made Hannah tremble.

  "JT let's stop. I'm kinda done for the day," Ashley said. She started to move forward but was blocked by Alan, who stuck his arm out in front of her.

  "We don't have any ladies here yet," Duane added. "You both would be treated like queens."

  His comment elicited some cat calls from the rest of the men.

  "We just want to be on our way. We don't want any trouble. " Alan said, bringing his tire iron up to rest on his shoulder.

  "What, the lady can't make up her own mind? Is she your prisoner? Any of you who want to stay are more than welcome," Chet said. His eyes said darted to where the rest of his men were standing. They all unslung their rifles.

  "No is our final answer. We will be leaving now and going around your town. I wouldn't try attacking us if I were you. By walking to us, you won't be able to use your rifles effectively in close quarters." Dusty pulled his Bowie knife.

  "You little shits," muttered Chet, dropping his warm tone for one of rage. "Get em boys!"

  Dusty threw his knife, hitting Duane in th
e chest. Duane went down face first, the impact drove the knife in deep.

  Bob jumped the sagging barbed wire and rushed Hannah. She kicked out hard, connecting with his stomach. Momentarily dazed, she used it to her advantage and kicked low. There was a satisfying crack as Bob's kneecap gave way and he fell backwards into the barb wire. Howls of pain erupted from Bob as he tried to free himself.

  Someone grabbed Hannah from behind in a bear hug, pinning her arms to her side. She whipped back her body, connecting her head with her attackers. He went backwards, pulling Hannah with him. She landed on top, knocking the wind out of him. She flipped up onto her feet and turned.

  She saw Chet struggle to his feet, blood gushing from his nose. He let out a yell, it sounded like he was screaming yearkkkk as he ran at her.

  Hannah kicked high this time, hitting him in the chest. Chet double over, wheezing and wobbling on his feet. Hannah grabbed his hair, pulling his face down while driving her knee up hard. Chet went down on the pavement with a sickening thud.

  Hannah took a moment to catch her breath and looked around. Gus, Tyrone and Ashley were far out of the way, kneeling under a tree. Gus and Tyrone must have helped move her out of the way Hannah thought. Ashley was crying and holding her foot.

  Alan and JT were standing over Jim and Dicky, who looked out of the fight as well. Dusty was retrieving his knife.

  "Bad enough we have to fight the undead. Now we are fighting and killing the living," Alan said. His mouth was twisted in disgust.

  "It's the apocalypse son," Gus said in a heavy tone. "Can't expect only the decent folks like us survived. Hell I bet there are murderers and child molesters still alive."

  "Thanks for that cheerful thought Gus," Alan replied.

  They all regrouped under the tree. Shouting drew their attention. More men poured out of the buildings, all armed.