"Yup. More questions than answers, although we can speculate a little."
"How so?" Mike asked.
"Well, Connall was attacked and actually bitten. He turned into one of these pretty darn fast. In less than an hour. Peter lasted only slightly longer than that."
"This guy had wounds too. I wonder if he was scratched, bitten, or something else?" Mike said.
"We could ask him." Steve said.
Mike looked down at the stricken man. "I think it might be too late for that."
"But we don't know that," Steve said. "Come on. Give me a hand flipping him onto his back."
"Okay.” Mike pulled on his leather gloves. “Just be careful of his teeth and fingers."
The two Scouters grabbed the tied up man and rolled him onto his back. His eyes were open and, just like the other creatures they had seen, were mostly white with tiny pin-sized pupils. As soon as the creature saw them, it began lunging and snapping its jaws at them in a frenzied attempt to reach them.
"I don't think we are going to be getting anything out of this one," Steve said, stepping away from the thrashing creature."
Ricky came running up then, a coil of rope in his hands. He stopped short when he saw the trussed up man.
Then a strange thing happened. The tied man stopped struggling as Ricky got closer. His pupils grew slightly in size too.
Ricky backed away, his eyes wide, and the creature went back to fighting his bonds and trying to get at the Scouters.
Mike couldn’t believe what he was seeing. "Ricky!"
"Yes, Scouter Mike?" The boy said, continuing to back away.
"Ricky, stop moving," Mike said. "Don't worry. He can't get you. You guys did too good a job tying him up."
Ricky didn't look sure, but he stopped as instructed.
"Steve, give me a hand for a minute."
Steve's eyes narrowed. "What are we going to do?"
"I want to test a theory. Let's get this guy standing. Hold him tight so he can't get away."
"All...right." Steve looked anything but sure about Mike's plan, but he stepped over to the man with his fellow Scouter.
The Scouters carefully grabbed the thrashing creature and lifted him to his feet.
"Okay, Ricky. I want you to come closer to us," Mike said.
"Scouter Mike?"
"It's okay, Ricky. We've got a good hold on him," Mike said. "If it makes you feel any better, come from behind him."
The boy gulped. "I don't know, Scouter Mike. My head really hurts. I think I should just go and lie down for a while like you suggested earlier."
"Come on, Ricky. This will only take a minute and could really help us. It might even help this poor fellow."
Ricky took a hesitant step forward. "Are you sure, Scouter Mike?"
Mike nodded his head. "We've got him. If I think he is getting away from us, I will yell, okay?"
"Okay," Ricky said. He started toward them. He skirted widely around the two Scouters and their struggling captive. As he got closer to them again, the creature's struggles slowed, then stopped.
"That's far enough, Ricky," Mike said. "Just stand there until I tell you to back away, okay?"
Ricky stopped and stood still. "You got it, Scouter Mike."
They all stood silently for a minute. The creature remained still, his head hanging slightly.
Mike shook the man a little.
"What the heck!" Steve said, tightening his hold on the man. "What are you doing, Mike?"
"Testing a theory," Mike said.
"Well, could you warn me first next time? I almost lost my hold on him."
"Sure thing, Steve. But I.…"
"Could you two stop arguing and tell me what's going on?" The words were quiet, almost a hiss. And they came from Michael.
Chapter 20
"Michael, are you in there?" Mike asked, stepping in front of the held man.
Michael groaned and looked up. His eyes weren't quite normal, but they were close. "Who are you people? Why are you attacking me?"
Mike ignored the question. "Michael. Do you remember what happened to you?"
The man struggled in Steve's grip but was too weak to break free. "Remember what? All I know is you people are holding me against my will."
"Michael, you don't remember talking to us before?"
"No, I don't remember! Now, can you let me go about my business?"
This man, while sounding rational, did not sound like the man Mike had first met. That man had been afraid, but still aware. This newer version of Michael was angry, with no memory of the recent past.
"What would you do if we let you go?" Mike asked.
Michael snarled. "What kind of stupid question is that? I would go back to work. I'm not being paid to stand around."
"Oh. What kind of work do you do, Michael?"
"I...I don't know, exactly." The man's expression changed then to hopelessness. "Why don't I know what I do for work? What's wrong with me?"
"You have been sick, Michael, that's all," Mike said. "We are taking care of you."
"Oh!" The man slumped and Steve struggled to keep hold of him. "What's going to happen to me?"
"Nothing, Michael. We are going to keep looking after you until you are better."
"Will you untie me?"
"When we are sure it's safe to do so," Mike said.
Michael nodded. ”Would it be all right if I had a nap? I'm suddenly very tired."
"You go right ahead," Mike said. "Sleep might do you a lot of good."
Steve gently laid the man down on the ground. Ricky looked like he was about to step away but was stopped by a look from Mike.
"Ricky, I need you to stay near this man. I believe he is only aware because you are near him."
"I don't understand, Scouter Mike," Ricky said, looking a little afraid.
"Neither do I, Ricky." Mike looked at Todd. "Todd, would you mind sitting with Ricky for a while to make sure nothing happens, please? And Ricky, under no circumstances are you to leave or go any further from Michael. Do you understand?"
Both boys nodded and Mike stepped back from the apparently sleeping man.
Steve followed him. "What do you make of all this?"
"I really don't know," Mike replied. "But you saw what happened. When Ricky got close to him, he changed back from that mindless, shambling thing to a man."
"You're sure it was Ricky who caused the change?"
Mike sighed. "No, I'm not. But, I've been thinking back over the past several hours. Ever since we were at that farm, these things have been acting strange."
"You mean, like how they moved around you instead of attacking you?" Steve said.
"Exactly!" Mike replied. "I know we don't have much to go on, but how did they seem to act when we first found them?"
"Like something from a Terminator movie," Steve said. "They kept coming for us."
"You do see what I mean about them acting strangely, then?" Mike asked.
"Oh, certainly I do. But why do you think Ricky is making them behave differently?"
Mike shrugged. "A hunch, I suppose. When I think about the creatures’ strange behaviour I always seem to see Ricky being somewhere near."
"We could test that theory. We could wake that Michael guy up and have Ricky move closer and further away until we are sure."
"Yes, we could do that," Mike agreed. "But you saw how confused he was this last time, didn't you? He acted like he had never seen any of us before."
"So?" Steve said. "He probably hadn't"
Mike stared at Steve for a moment, wondering if he had lost his mind. Then he remembered. "Oh, that's right! You weren't here when we first found Michael holed up in the office. He came outside because of us talking to him and promising food. He absolutely knew us from minutes earlier."
"Okay. So he knew you. When you're sick, or crazed, the mind doesn't work so well."
“I suppose,” Mike said.
"So, just for the sake of argument, let’s say your theory about
Ricky is correct. If we use him as a guinea pig like you suggest, we might lose him completely to whatever is affecting all of these people."
Mike nodded. "I understand. We're supposed to help people in need, not put them at risk. And this fellow is the first we have found who we might actually be able to help."
"That's my thinking exactly," Steve said. “So, is that what you really want to do?"
Mike had to think about that question for several moments. It was usually Steve directing the troop. Whatever had prompted Steve to hand over the leadership seemed to include everything.
"We can leave Michael to rest for now. As for being here, we came to this park for several reasons." Mike ticked those reasons off on his fingers as he spoke. "First, the park has a fence around it. That should help keep these things out. Second, the park has a supply of water for drinking and several buildings we can repurpose for shelter. Third, there are several recreational vehicle dealerships across the road from here. They will be able to provide us with supplies like camping fuel and likely more shelter."
"It sounds to me like we are staying here for a while," Steve said.
Mike shrugged. "If you have a better idea, I'm open to it."
"No. I think you are right. We need somewhere safe for the boys, at least until we have a better idea of what's going on in the world." Steve turned back toward the parking lot. "I'll get the troop unloading the gear so we can set up camp inside the park."
"Thanks, Steve. I'll stay here and look at how we're going to get into the park." Mike looked at the chained gates. "Unless you've got some bolt cutters in your truck, that is?"
"No, I don't think I've got bolt cutters, but I will check. Be right back."
Chapter 21
Mike didn't have long to wait before one of the Scouts came running to him from the trucks. "Scouter Mike! Scouter Steve asked me to give you this." He proudly held up a hacksaw.
"Thank you, Chris," Mike replied. "That should do nicely."
Mike took the tool and looked closely at it. The hacksaw was old, but had a brand new blade. Like everything of Steve's, it was well used, but also well maintained.
"Please thank Scouter Steve for this when you go back, Chris," Mike said.
"You got it, Scouter Mike," Chris said. He ran back toward the parking lot, turning as he went. “Did you know that we're going to camp here tonight? That is so cool."
Mike was glad the boy was able to see things in a positive light. He looked over at Ricky and Todd. "Everything all right?"
Todd looked bored, but smiled. "Perfect, Scouter Mike. This guy hasn't moved a muscle."
"That's good news," Mike said. "Hopefully, he will be okay, then." Mike held up the hacksaw. "Right now, I've got to try and get us into the park so we can set up camp."
"I'll help," Ricky said, jumping to his feet.
Todd grabbed him and pulled him back down. "Scouter Mike told you to stay close to this guy. Don't you remember?"
Ricky looked sheepish. "Oh yeah, I forgot. Sorry, Scouter Mike."
Mike looked at the boy. "Ricky, staying close to Michael may be the most important thing any of us can do right now. I really need you to concentrate and do that for me. If you forget again and Todd doesn't stop you like he just did, we could all be in trouble."
Ricky's face flamed red. "I won't forget again, Scouter Mike." His voice was low.
"Just remember, Ricky - you are the only one who can do this job and it could mean the survival of the troop. That makes you the most important person here."
Ricky smiled and Mike knew the boy would be all right. He turned toward the gate to consider his next move.
Mike felt wrong breaking into the park, just like he hadn't liked going into the farmhouse hours earlier. But the safety and continued survival of the boys was at stake. That made getting into the park essential.
There were three chain link gates. Each one had a length of chain wrapped through the gate itself and the adjoining fence and secured by a lock.
Should he cut the chain and save the lock or cut the lock and save the chain? There was a chance that they might find the key to the locks somewhere in the park. But they needed to get in now and Mike knew the troop had other locks in one of the Scout boxes.
The chain, on the other hand, could not be fixed with the tools they had available if he cut that. A length of chain could be handy later.
That decided it for him. He chose the most corroded lock and began to saw at the hasp. Old as the lock was, it was still hardened steel and the work was slow.
Mike could hear Scouts dropping off gear behind him as he worked.
"How are you doing?" Steve asked a few minutes later.
Mike jumped and twisted the saw on a cutting stroke. The blade snapped.
Mike could only look dumbly at the broken tool. He looked up at Steve.
"Geez, did I do that?" Steve asked, looking shocked.
Mike shook his head. "No, that's my fault. I didn't hear you coming and your voice surprised me. I broke the blade."
"How far along we're you?"
"A little better than halfway. You wouldn't happen to have another blade with you, do you?"
Steve shook his head. "Sorry, no. That was my last one. I was going to pick more up tomorrow."
Mike sighed and grasped the larger piece of the broken blade. "Then I will have to make do." He wrangled the piece out of the tool and started to saw with it, holding the blade between his fingers.
"If you want, I could check the office for keys," Steve offered.
"No. We know that someone or something is still in there. I would rather not risk anyone right now. I'll finish cutting through this gate and then we can set up camp. Once the guys are safe, we can consider our next moves."
"That works for me," Steve said. "Do you need a break? I can take over for a while."
"Thanks, Steve. I'm good for now. I can't let a little thing like a lock beat me."
"Fair enough. If you change your mind, let me know." Steve walked back to the boys.
Mike turned his attention back to cutting the lock. It was just bad luck the blade had snapped. But it could have been worse. They might not have had anything to cut with at all.
It took him the better part of half an hour and his fingers were raw when he finished, but Mike finally managed to cut through the lock.
He slipped the chain off the gate, then turned to face the Scouts. The entire troop, including Scouters Steve and Shaun, were sitting and waiting, some talking quietly, some with their eyes closed, napping.
All were giving the man, Michael, a wide berth. Michael, for his part, seemed to still be fast asleep.
"Okay, guys. Before you start hauling equipment into the park, you need to do a quick sweep. See if any of those things are wandering around."
They all got up.
"Hold on, everyone!" Mike said, stopping them. "I'm glad to see you are eager to get going, but I'm not quite done yet."
"Okay, Scouter Mike," Ricky piped up from his spot near the sleeping Michael. "What else do you need us to do?"
Mike smiled. "Well, first off, and I know this will disappoint you, Ricky, you and Todd need to stay here and watch both Michael and the gear."
Ricky's expression dropped a little at that, but he nodded.
"The rest of you get into teams of two pairs of two. That's four of you per team in case I'm not being clear. When you have your teams, get ropes for every pair. If you see something, take no chances. Capture it and tie it up if it is safe to do so. If it isn't safe, get back here as fast as you can. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Scouter Mike," a few of the boys droned. Others simply nodded their heads while still others just looked at him blankly.
"Okay, everybody have a seat. Right now!" Mike said. He could almost feel a vein begin throbbing in his temple.
The boys looked at one another.
"I said, SIT DOWN!" Mike almost shouted.
This time, the boys all sat down. Most looked confused.
<
br /> "Listen guys, I've been trying to take it easy with you because we've all been through a lot today." Mike waited until every eye was focused on him. "This time yesterday, we were having fun, building shelters. But that has all changed. Now, we are fighting for our survival."
"You have all seen what we have been through. We've lost both Scouts and Scouters. Towns have been overrun by these creatures that only seem to want to kill us." Mike heard a sob when he said that. He didn't bother to single out the boy by looking directly at him.
"If we want to live through this, I need every last one of you to be one hundred percent committed to fight for our lives." Mike looked each boy in the eyes. "This is the real deal, fellas. If we don't take it seriously, we won't ever see our families again."
"Scouter Mike, do you actually believe our families are okay?" one of the second-year Scouts, Carl, asked.
Mike could see every Scout waiting intently for his answer. "I've got to believe that, Carl. I know my wife and daughter are pretty tough and VERY smart. I can only pray and hope that they are all right."
"What if they aren't?" another boy asked.
Mike rubbed his eyes then looked at him. "We keep going. That's what our families would want, isn't it? They all want what is best for us. But until I know that there isn't any hope, I'm going to believe that everyone we love is healthy and waiting for us. I think you should do the same, okay?"
More heads nodded this time.
"Can I count on all of you to take this seriously and do your best at all times? If even one of you tries to take shortcuts or doesn't pay attention, one or all of us could die."
"You can count on us, Scouter Mike," Martin said, standing up. Kyle followed him.
The two senior Scouts quickly formed teams of four out of the rest of the Scouts, ensuring each team had ropes.
"Thanks, guys," Mike said. “Todd, I'm going to need you to stay here with Ricky and Michael. This will be our command post and first aid station. Martin, you, Kyle, and I will find us a good spot to set up camp."
Mike turned to Steve and Shaun. "Can I ask that you check out the admin building and give Todd and Ricky any help they might need? We need keys for the buildings and park if you can find them."
Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie Plague Page 12
