Tainted Reality (The Rememdium Series Book 2)

by Ashley Fontainne

  Spotting an empty Humvee up ahead, Shaun pulled up next to the driver’s window. Making sure no one—or thing—was close enough to hurt him, Shaun rolled the window down and peered inside.

  The front seat was covered in dried blood and brain matter. A female in fatigues lay motionless in the passenger seat, half her head on the driver’s side. Her frozen fingers were still wrapped around the grip of her weapon.

  Scanning the rest of the vehicle, Shaun felt a spark of hope. Three, fully loaded assault rifles rested on the middle console, and the keys were in the ignition.

  Shaun glanced around once more, making sure he was still alone. Satisfied he had enough time to check, he crawled partially through the opening and turned the key. The Humvee rumbled to life and had a half-tank of gas remaining.

  He slinked back into the cab of his truck, grabbed his hunting rifle, and backed up about four feet. After rolling up the window, he shut the engine down, locked the door, and ran to the passenger side of his new ride.

  “Sorry about this,” Shaun mumbled to the dead soldier. Wincing at the smell and sight, he gritted his teeth and pulled. Unwilling to just leave her in the middle of the street, he dragged the stiff body to the edge of the curb.

  A grumble to his right made the hairs over Shaun’s body stand on end. He knew what it was and had no need to look. He ran back to the Humvee, climbed behind the wheel, executed a U-turn, and headed toward town.

  He made it less than two hundred feet before the quiet afternoon filled with the faint sound of a siren. He slowed down and felt around for the assault rifles, overcome with the need to have them close and ready.

  His hand touched an unfamiliar shape. Shaun slowed to a crawl, craning his neck to see what it was.

  “A rocket launcher? Why in the world did they—oh, shit! They planned on…”

  Shaun broke out into a sweat when the sound of automatic weapons drowned out the noise of the siren.

  BRACING FOR IMPACT - Saturday - December 20th – 2:10 p.m.

  “We took care of the bodies in automotive and pet care. Jesse and Turner got all those under twelve in the toy section. They’re all busy playin’ with toys. The rest of the group is waitin’ for you in beddin’. Jane did a fine job on your head. Looks much better.”

  Regina looked over at Reed then to Kyle. Both men looked as rough as she felt. Every inch of her body throbbed, including her head. Regina sensed her brother had something else on his mind while they walked toward the center of the store. He handed her a bottle of water. After taking several gulps, she asked, “What aren’t you tellin’ me, brother?”

  In mid-stride, Reed stopped and so did Kyle. Reed whispered, “We’ve got a few…problems we need to tell you about before you give your little inspirational speech to the frenzied masses.”

  Rolling her eyes, Regina replied, “We’ve got a multitude of shit to deal with, and today seems to be the day problems decided to come out of the woodwork. Spill.”

  Kyle looked over Regina’s shoulder, making sure they were still out of earshot of the others. “The first one is we’ve got three pregnant women on our hands.”

  “Oh, joy. Who? And how close to poppin’ are they?”

  “The first two I don’t know. Accordin’ to what they told Jesse, one is in the first trimester, the other in the second,” Kyle responded. He grimaced and leaned closer. “The third one is Marian Kilpatrick. She’s due in a month.”

  Puffing her cheeks, Regina let out a huff of air. “Shaun’s wife?”

  Kyle nodded.

  “Well, that gives us time to…”

  Reed cut Regina’s words off. “Actually, it doesn’t. With all the stress of this nightmare, she started havin’ contractions.”

  “Did I hear that right? We’ve got someone in active labor?”

  All three turned at the sound of Jane Richmond’s voice from behind them.

  Reed waited until Jane joined the huddle before he answered, “Yes.”

  “How far apart are they? And when is she due?” Jane queried.

  “About seven minutes, and next month. Martha Addison made her a makeshift bed from piles of memory foam at the end of aisle six. The poor woman is scared out of her wits. Keeps askin’ for us to find Shaun,” Kyle added.

  “Jane, will you join Martha and keep watch on Marian for a while, at least until we can get her to the hospital?” Regina asked. Jane nodded so Regina continued, “Reed, you mentioned we have more than one problem? What else is wrong?”

  “Ain’t no way to say it nicely, so here it is: Curt Campbell killed a soldier at the school. Slit her throat in front of the others. Things got dicey for a few minutes before we got a handle on the military.”

  “Was he defendin’ himself, or did he just snap under the stress?” Regina asked.

  She already knew the answer. It wormed around in her gut like a coiled snake. Curt Campbell was a mean, cruel man, one she’d arrested twice for abusing his dogs. He was the kind of man the rest of the world pictured when the words backwards redneck came up in conversation.

  “Cold blooded murder. Man’s always been on edge and has a huge grudge against the military. He just used the situation as an excuse to do what he’s craved for years. I’ve never been fond of the man, and after what I saw today, I don’t think we can trust him. He’s too unpredictable.”

  “I agree. After I finish talkin’ to the group, I planned on makin’ a trip back to the jail. I imagine some solitary time for those boys in green softened their hearts a bit. We’ll just take Curt with us and lock him up for a bit until he comes down a few notches from his high-horse. How many troops did you say were at the school?”

  “Thirty. Got them locked up in the garbage area on the backside of the kitchen. One’s injured because Turner Addison put a bullet through dude’s shoulder after Curt went all Rambo. It was chaotic.”

  “Can’t say I’m surprised. We really can’t expect people to act in a normal fashion under these tryin’ circumstances,” Regina said. She glanced around and took a deep breath. “Phones and internet still out?”

  “Yep. Radios seem to be on the fritz, too. I sent Bailey and Allsop up to the roof to keep an eye out for more munchers. And troops. The way I figure it, once the remainder of the troops show up to the school and find their buddies, they’ll be headin’ here with a big chip on their shoulders,” Kyle said.

  Wishing she didn’t have to ask, Regina braced herself for the answer. “What did you do with the bodies?”

  Reed put a warm hand on Regina’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, we were gentle with them. They’re out back in a refrigerated trailer. We’ll give them a proper burial once we get a better handle on things.”

  “My, but aren’t you two bundles of sunshine?” Regina joked. She smoothed out the wrinkles in the new sweater Kyle brought her to replace her bloodied shirt. “Okay, let’s get this over with. Tellin’ everyone the world is in a state of chaos should be fun. Not.”

  Jane Richmond veered left and Reed, Kyle, and Regina made their way to the bedding department. The group had quieted down somewhat after their initial chattering upon arrival. The larger areas in between the aisles were devoid of the usual displays, allowing the residents space to sit and stand. Regina stopped at the edge of the throng of people and climbed up on top of one of the shelves so they could all hear her speech.

  Clearing her throat to get their attention, Regina waited until the noise from private conversations ended. The enormity of addressing so many people—something she never liked to do—coupled with the gravity of the situation, weighed heavy on her heart. Staring out at the pale, frightened faces of men, women, and young adults, all looking at her to say something to calm their fears, made Regina feel sick to her stomach. She forced the wave of dizziness threatening to overtake her vision back, refusing to let her own fears control her words.

  “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Regina Parker, Chief of Police in Rockport. I have quite a bit to go over with you, so I’m askin’ you in
advance to hold all questions or comments you have until I finish.”

  Pausing to ensure their full cooperation, Regina stared out into too many sets of eyes to count. She took a deep breath, forcing her voice to sound authoritative. “There’s no easy way to say this, and I’m afraid we don’t have the luxury of extra time for me to dance lightly around the subject, so forgive me for bein' blunt. We’re in trouble. Not just as a community, a state, or even the country. This scourge has hit the entire globe, accordin’ to the email I received early this mornin’ from Governor Strickland. At the time of the last communication, no one knew the cause of what’s been killin’ our friends, neighbors, and family members.

  “What we do know isn’t pretty. Cell phones, land lines, and the internet are no longer functionin’. Before contact with those in higher authority was lost, it was related to us the Pentagon, D.C., and the White House are all down. President Thompson declared Martial Law, and travelin' across state lines is barred. Y’all already know the National Guard was sent in to test each of you for signs of contamination. What you don’t know, and God almighty I wish I didn’t have to tell you, is that the disease has spread at a phenomenal rate. Once infected, the transition rate happens within an hour.”

  The collective gasps from the crowd made Regina’s own hairs stand on end. I know how each of you feel. Twilight Zone shit.

  “From observation, we have discovered those who’ve turned are attracted to noise, bright lights, the smell of blood, and flesh. They also will…” Regina paused, swallowing the disgust rising from her chest, recalling the conversation she had earlier with Walt Addison, “attack and eat each other if one is killed near them. They are fast and strong, and the only way we’ve seen to stop one is to destroy the brain, whether by bullet or blunt force trauma.

  “At this time, we still don’t know all the particulars about what’s killin’ people. It could be some sort of mutated virus, bacteria, or even fungal. Not enough information has been gathered to give you a list of all the symptoms of infection to look for, other than profuse sweating, a fever, and agitation. The military destroyed the remainin' test kits at the school, so we will need to rely upon our own observations. We have three nurses on hand, so if you feel sick, please notify me immediately.

  “We didn’t bring y’all here for any other reason except to protect you from bein' terminated by the government. Until we can get a better handle on things and fully understand the depth and breadth of this situation, y’all are welcome to remain here under our protection. However, if you desire to return home, or leave the county completely, y’all are free to do so. Remember, though, if you do leave and attempt to cross state lines, the chances of you being stopped and interrogated, possibly taken into custody and even killed, are high.

  “While we hunker down and gather ourselves back together, please remember a few things. One: we may be in the middle of a store stocked with water, food, toiletries, and medicine, but it won’t last long if we don’t ration carefully. There is no way to judge how long it will be before regular shipments start arrivin' again to restock.

  “Two: the same goes for ammunition. There is only so much here and it must be used sparingly. Three: please be mindful we are usin' items that ain’t ours, nor that we’ve paid for. Treat your stay here as though at a relative’s house. Clean up after yourselves, and be mindful of the person next to you. We are all in this together. Most of you have seen what this sickness does—and how fast it happens when someone is infected. We can’t let our guard down. We must remain vigilant while keepin' our fears in check.

  “I know all of you are scared. Include me in that group because I am as well. What we are experiencin’ is unchartered territory. If we succumb to the fear this nightmare has brought, then we’ve already lost the battle. Now isn’t the time to be divided. Now is the time to pull together as a community, present ourselves as a unified group. Help our friends, neighbors, and family members get through this and survive until the situation is contained. It’s time to put aside our differences, old prejudices, ancient grudges, and work toward a common goal, which is to continue livin’ in a world turned upside down.”

  A rumble of questions rose from the crowd. Regina struggled to catch a full sentence from any particular person, since all of them were yelling. The frenzy was interrupted by Bailey and Allsop running down the aisle, arms waving wildly, faces pale and full of terror.

  “We’ve got a lot of trouble comin’ this way from the freeway!” Bailey yelled after stopping directly below Regina’s perch on the shelf. “I’m talkin’ hundreds of the dead.”

  Several people gasped and a few women started to cry. Jesus, when will this end?

  Allsop added, “That ain’t our only problem. Troops are headin’ this way from the school. They ain’t shootin’ at the dead, so I’m guessin’ they’re only interested in us.”

  Regina yelled over the noise, her own heart pounding with terror. “Those of you able to use a weapon, get to sportin’ goods right now. The rest of you form a protective circle around the children in the toy section. It’s time to defend ourselves from the dead, and those who want us that way. Remember—the dead are to take shots only to the brain. Do your best to avoid the livin'. Do not fire at the troops—and I mean it—unless I give the order.”

  DANGEROUS ROADS - Saturday - December 20th – 1:10 p.m. - Mountain Standard Time

  Roberto Sanchez ran his shaking fingers through the pile of damp hair on his head. The power had been out for over six hours, and even though he was in the basement of his house, the heat was oppressive. The fact that he was so drunk he could barely stand up didn’t help matters, either.

  He’d tried for hours to reach Benito on his cell phone after the first call, yet hadn’t been able to connect with him again. Teresa had finally collapsed from the stressors of the missing Maria, coupled with the unbelievable events happening in Arizona. Though he loved Teresa—as much as he was capable of the emotion—he was glad she was out cold. Too many hours of listening to her cry and whine about the whereabouts of her sister grated on Roberto’s last nerve. He tried to act concerned and hide the fact he knew exactly what happened to Maria before he left for his bachelor party. Though he didn’t agree with Benito using the girl as a sacrificial mule, he feared the man enough to keep his opinions to himself.

  When the dead started walking around, Teresa’s terror went into high gear—and so did Roberto’s. Even though she didn’t know the intimate details of Benito’s involvement, Teresa had completely flipped out. She ran around the house like a crazy woman, actually going in circles several times. When the news reported what was happening and Teresa saw the disturbing images, her connection with sanity—which was already strained from the disappearance of Maria—severed. Between heavy bouts of crying, she grumbled about Maria and how she’d worked so hard planning the wedding for nothing.

  Stupid, stupid woman. Those trivial things no longer matter. Just take one look outside.

  Glancing over at Teresa’s sleeping frame less than twenty feet away, Roberto grimaced. He wished he could sleep. Then again, if he did manage to shut his eyes and rest, would the dreams be worse than reality?

  “No way. Nothing can be worse than this. I’m living in a nightmare— while wide awake.”

  Even though he’d mumbled them, Teresa stirred at the words. Roberto held his breath and didn’t move, praying she wouldn’t wake up. He, too, was stressed beyond belief, and if she woke and started whining again, Roberto feared what his reaction would be.

  Oh, I know what I’d do. Shut her up for good.

  Satisfied she was still out, Roberto paced back and forth in a wobbly circle. He wanted to punch something—or someone—to get rid of the seething fury burning inside his mind. The fifth of tequila he’d already downed hadn’t helped wash away the insanity of what was going on outside of his house. Nor did it help erase the images of the two bodies upstairs he’d killed.

  Again.

  He didn’t know how or w
hy, but Benito and his stupid schemes were at fault for what was happening around the world. For the first time in years, Roberto wished the distance between Arizona and El Salvador wasn’t so far. If the distance was closer, he’d leave, find Benito, and then beat the fool to death.

  How could Benito have unleashed such a plague on the world? Didn’t he pay attention to what his scientists concocted? Hadn’t the formula undergone testing to ensure it worked before being distributed? The stuff was supposed to be addictive, not deadly.

  A disturbing thought hit him, right in the gut as though punched by an invisible hand.

  What if Benito did this on purpose?

  The thought made Roberto’s stomach sour and head spin. Benito was a damaged, vicious man. Roberto knew about the horrible things he’d endured for years from Mario. Everyone except Teresa and Maria knew the late Mario Alvarado was nothing more than a lowlife pedophile. Though he had no evidence to support his belief, Roberto also felt Benito had been the one to kill the old bastard and frame another. Roberto kept quiet, thinking Mario reaped what dirty seeds he’d sown, and Benito was justified in seeking revenge against the sick fucker.

  Roberto assumed after Benito took over the reins, he would eventually get past the years of abuse. Move on and enjoy the treasures he stole from the old geezer. In some ways, he did—like boning the man’s daughter. However, when Benito discovered Mario’s secret hidden in the safe, the San Salvadorian street trash turned into an obsessed man. A crazy fool driven by his own insecurities and insatiable desire to have his name whispered in awed, hushed tones by other drug dealers around the world.

  Unwilling to think about the disturbed man any longer, Roberto shifted mental gears. He thought back to when Carlos, Santos, and Gregory didn’t answer his calls or return to the bachelor party.

  Roberto realized there was a problem and naively assumed something went awry with the plans set out for Maria. Since the partygoers were drunk and high, they never noticed Roberto sneak out the back door of the strip club.