The Outbreak Series (Book 1): Safe Haven

by Thomas Baker

  "So this is what the expression like a stuck pig must feel like," he said. "If I make it through this, I might have to give up bacon. Might."

  "Nonsense Gus," Hannah said, brushing his scraggly cheek. Her voice was hoarse now. "You'll get better. Then I'll find a way to make you a whole plate of bacon."

  "Sounds like something worth living for darlin," said Gus. A violent cough then shook his body.

  "Come on Tyrone," JT said, standing up. "We have some work to do. Then we better start taking care of Mr. Gus."

  Hannah knew what that 'work' was. JT was going to recover Ashley's body, along with the other women, bury them and burn the boat house as well. She appreciated him for that she would ever know.

  "I'll stay here."

  What she left out that seemed to hang in the air was just in case he dies.

  JT and Tyrone went off, skirting the inferno.

  Hannah laid down in the grass beside Gus, still holding one of his hands. She looked up at the countless stars. She wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon. Her body felt tight, worse than any day after any cheerleading practice. She was sure she would have nightmares of Harold if she closed her eyes.

  Gus is going to survive. He has to. I can't take any more loss. Not now.

  She didn't know how long she was out. It must have been a while. When she sat up, she saw the fire had begun to burn low. She wasn't sure if she had fallen asleep or passed out. If she slept, it had blessedly been Haroldless.

  Hannah looked over at Gus. In the dimming light, she could see his chest was still rising and falling in fits.

  JT and Tyrone emerged from the woods. Both looked grim and pale in the fire light.

  "Hannah, we're going."

  JT and Tyrone picked Gus up gently, like he was a precious statue made of glass. They dropped the tailgate and gently set him in the bed of the beat up truck. It felt filthy to use something that belonged to Harold. JT was right though without using it they wouldn't get very far. Without a word Hannah jumped in the back with Gus.

  Slowly JT eased it down the dirt road. Surprisingly, Hannah did have more tears left after all. She watched the blurry sparks of falling embers as they pulled away.

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  Thomas lives in a small rural town in Kansas with his wife and new baby son. He probably thinks about how to survive a zombie apocalypse way too much.

  Robert lives in the Kansas City area, is a husband, and a father of twin boys. He likes post apocalyptic stories, probably a little too much. Somehow he also fits in the time to write.

  The story of JT and his friends continues in The Outbreak Series Book 2 : PURGATORY.

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  Enjoy a short excerpt below:

  JT and Hannah drove off, back to the gravel road. They continued following it until they came to a black top, two lane road. This gave them a choice to make.

  "Should we do a coin toss?" JT asked Hannah.

  "I got a good feeling about left," Hannah said.

  "Left it is."

  They drove on through gently rolling hills. Wild, unkempt farmland passed them on either side. Lots of the crops had turned brown now that it was fall. Once they saw a pasture, where some cows continued grazing, blissfully unaware that their owners were probably dead or turned into zombies.

  They came over a steep rise and saw the land flatten out before them. On either side once green corn stalks going brown marched off into the distance. Ahead was like a valley of sorts, before the hills began to rise again. JT could make out a building off the side of the road, with a beautiful, giant tree standing between it and the road, like a sentinel. It's blazing orange leaves made everything around it look dull in comparison. Back beyond the small building, a few larger ones stood. Farther in the distance, there was a smattering of buildings. It looked like another town.

  "It's the first building we have seen all day. Let's stop, check it out," Hannah said.

  "I doubt it's a pharmacy out here in the middle of nowhere. It looks to small to be a hospital," JT said, disheartened. "What the hell, I need a lunch break anyway. Let's be a little cautious though. Go in quietly."

  When they got about a mile away, JT pulled the truck over on the side of the road. He grabbed the shotgun and the bag of food out of the back. Hannah joined him and the two walked along the road towards the building.

  "I think it might be a church," Hannah said, when they got a little closer. "Yeah, I can see a cross on the top of it."

  "I don't know if we will find anything useful in there," JT said.

  "I will," Hannah said. "Gus could use all of the prayers we can offer."

  They got closer still. The two passed the entrance to the parking lot that set to the left of the church. It had a two lane road that opened at the far end of it that went off to the some more buildings, down a small incline. A sidewalk ran alongside the road starting somewhere out of sight in the back of the church.

  JT pulled the truck alongside the sidewalk and he and Hannah got out. Keeping his eyes peeled, his mind alert, they approached the church. JT did wonder why they were stopping when time was of the essence.

  All that immediately left JT's mind when he noticed something hanging from the massive tree in front of the church. Are those what I think they are?

  Various ropes were hanging down from the thick tree branches. He counted seven bodies, swaying from the ropes in the cool breeze. They had all been hanged. Then he saw one of those sign boards in front of the church, the ones where you can change the letters. The church was called The Holy Covenant of Saints. On the board was written, "And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God on their foreheads." KJV 9:4-6

  Hannah took a sharp breath then froze, hands in front of her mouth.

  "Whelp, that cancels this stop. Back on board everybody," JT said.

  They turned around and standing there were a man and a woman, both with dull expressions. Also both were pointing rifles at them.

  Damn how did I not hear them, JT thought.

  The man, whose long hair fell down across his face, spoke. "Easy does it you two. You, drop that shotgun." He made a stabbing gesture with his rifle.

  JT thought about just pulling the trigger and seeing if he could take them both out. He might have too, if Hannah wasn't with him. Instead he gently sat it on the ground.

  "Alright you two," the man continued. His small eyes squinted in anger. He spoke slowly, like to a child. "You are trespassing on church property. I'm not taking any chances that you are more thieves. Or worse. We're going to take you in to see the Reverend. He will listen to your story and decide what to do with you."

  "We can decide what to do with ourselves," JT countered back. "We are grown ass adults. We don't mean any harm. We didn't know anyone was even here. Let me just gather up my shotgun and we will be on our way."

  "Make one move towards that shotgun and I will blow your hand off," The man said in a gruff voice. "Watch your mouth too. None of that filthy language inside the church."

  The woman, her dark hair clinging to her head in dirty clumps, spoke up for the first time.

  "Now that you know we're here, we can't just let you go. The Reverend will decide if you can be trusted or not. He will ask almighty God and pass judgment upon you. To me, yo
u look like a couple of sinners. You best just go on now."

  JT couldn't see how they could protest. The man and women both looked angry enough that they would fire without much provocation.

  "Alright," JT said, clearly not happy. "Lead on. You be cool, we'll be cool."

  He looked over to Hannah. Hannah's face looked terrified.

  They went in a single file, the woman in front, then Hannah, JT and the man covering them at the back. The church was big, considering it sat out in the middle of nowhere. It had a solid brick bottom, and the rest of it was wooden slats, painted white. It was two stories tall. Windows in front were set at level with the brick bottom.

  There was a cross on the top of a little dome above a wide front porch. They went around the church, on its right side. JT saw it had two big stained glass windows dominating that side, both still intact. They turned another corner to the back of the church. There was an open grassy area behind the building, where a small shed set. There was also what JT assumed was a garden with a couple of people working in it. A sidewalk ran from the shed, along the garden, where it formed a T and branched. One path went straight ahead off towards the parking lot. The other went to the back stairs of the church. On the other side of the parking lots, obscured partially by trees, JT could make out a large brick building.

  Unbelievable. I hope this Reverend guy isn't some Harold all over again. Or as crazy as these two seem to be. By the bodies hanging in the tree out front, that's probably a slim hope.

  A few steps lead up to a modest porch. A small door was at the top. The man directed them to go up the stairs with a wave of his gun. They went inside and the first thing that hit him was the smell. It was the smell of too many people crammed into too small a space. JT imagined this is what the shelters after Hurricane Katrina were like. Hannah started coughing.

  How do these people here stand it?

  They were in a dim hallway. It didn't look like they had electricity. Candles were lit in holders on the walls. The holders were all mismatched. The light flickered as they passed. They passed mostly closed doors. JT thought he heard people shuffling around behind them.

  Then the hallway took a right. Down it they went, then passed through an archway. They came out into the main worship room. Two rows of pews marched back to the front doors. Light streamed in through the stain glass windows, creating a technicolor shimmer. Directly in front of them was the stage. It was dominated by a huge white cross. A figure of Jesus hung on it, weeping and looking in pain. Staggered tables held countless candles that lit the stage area. In front of the cross was a wooden podium. There a man was standing. He was looking down at a book, hands on either side of it. He was dressed all in black, except of the white around his neck.

  That must be him. The Reverend. Here we go. Time to stay calm and do some fast talking.

  The Reverend looked up at the sound of their approach. JT was surprised to see he was a young looking guy. Closer to Hannah's age than his. He was not a bad looking guy either, with a clean shaven baby face. If he wasn't wearing those church clothes, JT would have thought he was a member of some boy band.

  "Charlie, Patricia. I see you have brought us some guests. Charlie, come up here," The Reverend commanded more than asked.

  Charlie ascended the stage while Patricia covered JT and Hannah. Charlie and the Reverend talked in hushed voices, heads close together. The Reverend popped his head up twice while they talked, looking over at them. It seemed to JT that he was looking more specifically at Hannah. The Reverend's eyes seemed to linger on her, measuring her up and down.

  When they finished talking, the Reverend waved Charlie off.

  "Both of you may go," he said.

  Charlie clearly looked unhappy about this, but he and Patricia both left the room without a word. This left JT, Hannah and this Reverend alone in the chapel. JT thought about rushing him and bursting out the front door. If only he knew what he would find on the other side.

  The Reverend walked confidently over to them, a beaming smile on his face. His straight white, perfectly normal teeth, clean face and clothes were a sharp contrast to the two who had brought JT here.

  "Welcome, both of you," he said in a slight drawl. His voice had a warm shucks aren't we all long time friends tone. He shook their hands. Hannah lit up as the Reverend shook hands with her. JT immediately felt a stab of jealousy. He also was confused. Did she already forget about the dead bodies hanging from the tree out front?

  "Sorry we had to meet this way. Under the threat of violence,"the Reverend continued on. "As you are probably well aware of though, you have to be careful in these times. Besides the undead, we have had other...unscrupulous people come around from time to time. It is my responsibility to protect this church and it's people. I am God's right hand man in this little corner of the world. You can call me Reverend Albright."

  "From what I've seen outside, your methods seem a little hardcore," JT said, probably a little more confrontational than he should have.

  Calm, stay calm.

  "Yes, well, a few examples will save more lives overall. That is my goal. God does punish the wicked, so the Bible says," Reverend Albright didn't miss a beat and kept on smiling. "What is your name big man?"

  JT stood silently, trying to decide how he was going to approach this. He learned his lesson with Harold about jumping into bed with someone quickly. Before he could reply, Hannah spoke up.

  "I'm Hannah, this is JT," she said, gesturing over. She looked up at the Reverend with a weird smile on her face. "We're looking for medical supplies. Reverend, you wouldn't happen to know if there is some place nearby we could get some? A hospital, a care center, maybe even a government camp?"

  JT shot Hannah a harsh glare, but she refused to meet his eyes.

  "Are one of you hurt?" Albright asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

  "No, we need them for, well, for just in case. For emergencies," Hannah backpedaled.

  "Well," Albright began, then stopped for a long pause. "I'll have to think on that. I may be able to help you. Why don't you two stay and be my guest tonight. We can have dinner together, exchange some information. I can determine if either of you are a threat to my flock."

  The Reverend smiled widely again. It was charming, that smile.

  "I must confess that I have been too busy to concern myself much with the outside world. I would be greatly interested in some current affairs. What interesting news you must have to share."

  "Thanks but no thanks," JT said, backing up slowly as he talked. "It sounds like you don't know any information that can help us, so we will just be on our way. You can even keep the shotgun, as a show of good faith that we mean you no harm."

  "I'm sorry. I didn't speak clearly enough. It wasn't an invitation," Albright's tone became more serious and a little hard edged as he continued. "I need to make sure that you both can be trusted. There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers."

  "That sounds reasonable," Hannah said. "That's proverbs isn't it?"

  JT was floored. What was she thinking? He was several steps behind her now. He stopped, not sure what to do next.

  "You are of the faith Hannah?" Albright smiled and winked at her. "Let me warn you in advance, I will give you a sales pitch about joining our church. JT, you may be surprised at what information I do hold that can help you."

  He didn't even give JT a chance to answer before he called for Charlie and Patricia. They came back into the room, the rifles slung over their shoulders.

  This isn't at all going like I want it to.

  "Will you two please escort our guests to the guest rooms?" Albright asked his two church members.

  The two approached JT and Hannah and stood on either side of them. Albright continued on.

  "You no doubt
saw the large building behind us, coming in. It was our university. We are still working on converting it for our growing congregation. For now, guests and new converts to the church stay there. In what use to be the dorms. One side is for men, the other is for women. You will be safe in them. Plus you will not be tempted into sin. Isn't that right JT?" Albright gave JT a half smile. "May you both be blessed."

  "Wait, I'm not going anywhere," JT said, raising his voice. "I didn't agree that we would stay and I sure as hell didn't agree to fucking splitting us up."

  Reverend Albright had been heading back to his podium. He turned back, an ugly sneer now marring his otherwise handsome face.

  "Please don't use such language in the house of the Lord," Albright snarled. He then made a show of calming down, and continued on in a more pleasant tone. "Don't be rude as well, rejecting our gracious offering. I don't want us to get off on the wrong foot, having to use force against you. If you have nothing to fear then why would you fight us? We will speak again at dinnertime. If you answer my questions satisfactorily, then you both will be free to go."

  Hannah looked at JT. She was shaking her head yes, and looked at him with pleading eyes. JT decided to go along with this for now. Maybe a better opportunity to escape will come up in these rooms he was talking about.

  "Good. I will see you later," Albright said, leaving the room through a door to the left of the stage.

  Table of Contents

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  THE OUTBREAK

  REVEILLE

  RA RA SIS BOOM BAH

  THE OLD MAN ON A DUSTY ROAD

  ON THE ROAD AGAIN

  #ZOMBIE

  THE WHEELS ON THE BUS

  HIGHWAY TO HELL

  DECISIONS

  MEETINGS

  CHANCE ENCOUNTERS

  UNLIKELY OASIS

  WAKE UP CALL

  WATCHER IN THE WOODS