“Oh my fucking God,” gasped Cale.
“What kind of monsters…?” Zach trailed off.
She bore no bite marks, just a small entry wound slightly up and left from her left breast. Pierced through the heart by one of Pestilence’s arrows. Cale knelt by her head. Leaves and dirt stuck to her blonde hair. She thrashed wildly to get at Cale. He plunged his blade through her eye socket and released her from the atrocities she’d endured.
“You’ve got to get going! Get off the road and just go!” Zach said hysterically. “Just fucking go!”
He was right. These men, the Horsemen, were on an entirely different level of killing than Cale was.
Chapter 19
ALREADY DEAD
The howl of the wind blowing through the rafters woke Cale the next morning. Sunlight poured through the holes in the old barn. He’d spent the rest of the previous day walking straight north, gradually leaving the highway behind as he did. In spite of the cold air he was sweating and his arm ached. With determination he climbed to his feet and began packing. He, after all, had plenty of motivation to get going.
Cale feared that they could be following him. Many times throughout the night he woke up at the smallest sounds. Most times it was the wind, and others it was a mouse or his own imagination.
He struggled putting his backpack on. Its weight tugged at his shoulder, sending jolts down his arm. He growled in frustrated pain. Carefully, Cale eased himself down from the loft and onto the hay bales he’d used as stairs. He removed the wood plank he’d used to lock the door, and peered out of the barn. The morning’s light hurt his eyes. He blinked rapidly to adjust. It was cloudy today.
Cale stepped out slowly and looked around. Groves of naked trees surrounded the humble ranch. The house was a splintered pile beneath a large tree. There was no sense poking around, the area had been picked clean of its resources. Cale put the bright spot in the clouds to his right and began walking. He emerged onto an overgrown field. Two figures loomed ahead of him. Already Cale could tell that they were real infected and not men in masks. One had half a neck and the other displayed bullet wounds on his bare chest. Cale unsheathed his knife in preparation.
Neither creature moved. They were facing him, but stared vacantly into the sky. Cale followed their gaze but saw nothing. He utilized the distraction to eliminate both reanimated corpses. The blood he wiped off his blade was strange. It was thick, but behaved more like a solid than a liquid or gel.
“You’re freezing,” observed Cale.
They were entering into some kind of hibernation phase. It would add a slight degree of ease to his journey. He put away his knife and looked at the sky.
“What do you think?” asked Zach.
“Looks like snow,” Cale stated.
He crammed his right hand into his coat pocket. His left hand would have to endure the cold. Cale trudged across the field on his northward path. A small grove of trees separated the fields. He crossed through and stepped into the next plot where he stood alone. The land rose into a hill. Cale estimated that he’d come about ten miles to the north since departing the road the day before. The hike up to the precipice took a few minutes.
Groves of barren trees dotted the landscape. Short stretches of the road he’d abandoned were visible to the west. Another hill graced the northwestern horizon. An old water tower peeked out above the trees that surrounded it. A chilling breeze hit him in the face. Again he looked at the heavy clouds in the sky. Small flakes had begun to fall. Any that landed on him instantly melted.
“Fuck,” he said to himself.
This would slow his progress. He needed to find a vehicle.
“You could always go back to the road,” suggested Zach.
“I don’t know,” said Cale as he looked to the west nervously. “They went north. This could be another one of their towns.”
“Only one way to find out,” Zach encouraged him.
Cale weighed his options. Take the road into town and risk being seen, or walk straight for the town by cutting across the field. Then there was the potential that the town already belonged to them. Either way, if the snow got worse he’d need shelter. Cale decided to parallel the road and walk northwest. A “meet in the middle” solution.
He continued down the hill and toward the water tower. The walk took far longer than he’d thought, but maybe it was the cold. He didn’t know if it was a year becoming acclimated to the weather in Iraq or if it was genuinely colder than usual. The feeble flakes that melted instantaneously gradually became big fat ones that stuck to everything. Cale’s hair became wet within minutes. He shivered. At least being cold took his mind off of how much his arm hurt. He could feel it throb with each beat of his heart.
“You should stop and look at it when you get the chance,” Zach offered.
“I know,” replied Cale.
He’d have to use a portion of his precious water supply to clean it if he wanted to avoid an infection. He didn’t have the luxury of antibiotics. Cale gently massaged the pain in his left arm, but quickly returned his hand to his pocket. The first business was coming into view. “Duane Jones New and Used Autos.” The lot, however, was empty.
“Fucking Horsemen,” he cursed under his breath.
Another mural was painted on the building’s exterior. This one depicted four undead, each riding one of the four horses of the apocalypse.
“Looks like this town is their base of operations,” speculated Zach.
Cale agreed.
“Go or stay?” inquired Zach.
“It’s not like I have a choice,” replied Cale as he caught the large snowflakes with his right hand. “The cold will kill me before the Horsemen do.”
He pulled his handgun from its harness and approached the car dealership.
“Not going for stealth?” Zach asked.
“No need if the infected are freezing and the Horsemen are armed,” explained Cale.
He preformed a crouch run up to the glass door. The windows were clear, but reflected his own image back. Cale pulled the door’s handle and the door opened.
“Probably safe to assume there are decoy infected in here,” he said to himself as he stepped in.
The large front windows allowed ample light to see. He was on a large display floor. Offices occupied each corner. A banner hung on the opposite wall that read “CHRISTMAS BLOW OUT SALE!!! EVERYTHING MUST GO!!!” Red and green tinsel looped down from the ceiling. And a large Christmas tree with variously sized presents beneath it, occupied the center of the display floor. Towards the back was a two-door sports car. The familiar Nissan logo was etched into the car’s grill. In the upper left portion of its windshield was “2007.” And across to the right it had “New: $68K.” Excitement flooded over him.
“You’ve never struck me as a ‘fast cars’ kind of guy,” joked Zach.
“It’s not the speed,” replied Cale.
He was just excited to have transportation. Cale approached the vehicle throwing aside tactics. The driver door opened and the interior light came on.
“Yes,” Cale whispered.
His joy was short lived. An anti-theft device was attached to the steering wheel. He’d need the keys to the car to remove it. He looked around at the offices. The blinds for each were drawn closed. Only one had an open door. Cale swapped his gun for his knife and pulled out a flashlight. These offices were darker than the display room. It was also ten degrees warmer in the building than it was outside. Animate infected were a possibility. The narrow beam lit the doorway. Inside was a disheveled desk. The large table calendar that sat on it was torn, crumpled, and covered in gore stains. There was a body sitting in the chair behind the desk. The name plaque identified the office’s owner as “Vincent Savini, Assistant Floor Manager,” but there was no telling who the man in the chair really was.
The creature lunged at Cale from his seat. Cale stumbled back out of the office dropping the flashlight. The creature called to him, but didn’t pursue. He ignored his
injured arm and retrieved his flashlight before climbing to his feet. The man snarled. Cautiously Cale approached the door. He peeked in slowly. The man flailed at him feebly. He was chained in place.
“Just another decoy,” Cale stated.
Froth spewed from the man’s mouth as he thrashed. Cale timed his blow between the swinging of the man’s arms. He collapsed onto the desk. Cale yanked his blade out of the man’s head. Once the threat was dealt with, he took a quick look around the room. He searched the walls, the drawers, everywhere. He couldn’t find keys anywhere. Frustrated, he left the office to pick another one. His skirmish with the undead man hadn’t gone unnoticed. More infected moaned from behind each of the office doors.
“Just great,” he muttered.
Within the next two offices infected men were chained to their work desks. Cale dealt with each of them in the same manner then ransacked their offices. Yielding no results.
“Damn it,” he cursed.
He exited the third office and approached the fourth. “Duane Jones, Owner” was visible on the door plaque. Inside, the man moaned and rattled his chance.
“Ebenezer! Ebenezer!” joked Zach. “I am the ghost of Jacob Marley!”
“Shut up,” chuckled Cale.
He began to push the door open. A decomposing hand seized it and yanked it open. Cale retreated back as the beast slammed the door back and followed. He’d been a tall black man, about six foot two inches. Portions of his skin were peeled back by his shackles exposing the rotting muscle below it. His blackened teeth snapped wildly. The chains that restrained him dragged on the floor behind him. He’d somehow broken his bindings.
Cale readied for the man’s attack. His attempt to impale the man’s brain was foiled. Bone, blood, and metal erupted out the back of the man’s hand. He groped Cale’s injured arm, pain shot through his entire body. The man fought desperately to bite him. Cale relinquished his grip on his knife to hold the man off. He pried himself free and ducked under the creature’s arm. Not wanting to give him time to react, Cale snatched one of the loose chains and brought it around his attacker’s head quickly. He kicked the back of the reanimated corpse’s knees and dropped it to the floor. He looped the chain once more. The man’s hand was brought to his face forcibly. Cale made him stab himself in the face, but he still struggled to fight. Cale pushed the undead forward onto the floor and pulled back sharply. The chain collapsed the decaying skull, ejecting his infected brain like the contents of a crushed grape.
Cale relaxed his grip and fell back, out of breath. He balanced himself, with difficulty, on one arm. Cale looked at the plaques and frames on the walls as he huffed. Certificates, achievements, and awards that meant nothing to no one now.
“Unless they staged a bathroom zombie, I’d say this place is clear now,” Zach offered.
Cale slumped to his back and stared at the hanging decorations.
“I certainly hope so,” he sighed.
Cale closed his eyes. He just needed to rest. Somehow he nodded off. For how long he couldn’t be sure, but he awoke to the sound of people shouting outside. He sat up clumsily and hurried to the window. He crouched below the window and peered out. Snow was beginning to collect on the ground like a white carpet. Beyond the car lot and in the street he could see a man running. Behind him two men rode together on a four wheeler. One drove while the other stood on the back aiming a bow. The archer loosed the arrow and the man fell to the pavement.
The driver laughed. Three more people came into view as they ran from them.
“Over there!” shouted the archer as he gave his driver a pat on the shoulder before pointing to them.
They were running toward Cale. No doubt hoping to find refuge in the car dealership. But the men were already on them. The archer put an arrow in one of them before the driver ran down the other two. They laughed heartily. The four wheeled vehicle came to a halt and both men dismounted. It was the last two Horsemen. Damian, who looked to be two hundred and fifty pounds of muscle, stood a foot over “Pestilence.”
“That shit never gets old,” he laughed.
“Pestilence” didn’t acknowledge his friend’s praises, but instead walked to the two men that had been run down. Both were mutilated and unable to walk.
“P-please!” one of the pled.
“Pestilence” pulled another arrow from his quiver and took careful aim.
“No! Please!” the man shouted before the arrow hit his chest and punctured his heart.
It’d been the same shot he’d tried to land on Cale. The other man tried to crawl away. His broken body was uncooperative. The archer walked up on him and fired an arrow through his back and into his heart. Putting him out of his misery.
“Horsemen, bitches!” shouted Damian in a grandiose manner at the sky.
He pounded his chest in excitement. Killing obviously granted him a euphoria unlike any other. “Pestilence,” however, remained calm and low key.
“They had a woman with them,” Damian stated. “Where do you think she is?”
“Pestilence” shrugged.
“You’re starting to be a real downer,” accused Damian.
“You seem to adjust to death really well,” snapped the archer. “But I’m not like you. Okay?”
With that said he turned to walk away.
“Connor!” called Damian. “Connor!”
“What?” he retorted.
“Relax man,” he said in a calm tone. “We’ll find that fucker.”
“There was no trace of him,” Connor replied angrily. “We went back and he wasn’t there!”
“You hit him with an arrow, right?” asked Damian
Connor nodded.
“Then he’s already dead,” Damian assured him. “He just doesn’t know it yet.”
Connor didn’t reply. He slung his bow across his back and waited for Damian at the four wheeler.
“Let’s go find that bitch!” said Damian excitedly.
“Really? Don’t you have enough playthings?” Connor objected.
“What’s one more?” Damian replied as he jumped onto the vehicle.
Connor climbed on behind him.
“Whatever man. I’m fucking cold though,” he confessed.
The vehicle rumbled and the two men took off. Snow flitted down as they disappeared from view.
“I think they were talking about you,” explained Zach.
“Maybe,” whispered Cale.
“Maybe nothing!” argued Zach. “How many people do you think they shoot and let get away?”
Cale ignored Zach. The task at hand was to find keys for that car. He returned to Duane’s office, that smelt like a rotted corpse, and searched with the aid of his flashlight. It didn’t take long to find the safe mounted within the wall. The metal was badly marred. Scorch marks from a cutting torch and bullet holes were present. Obvious signs that someone had already attempted to open it and failed.
“Shit,” he swore angrily.
Cale hit the wall with his fist.
“I don’t think that’s going to help,” chimed Zach from the doorway.
“Shut up and just let me think!” Cale shouted.
Zach opened his mouth to argue.
“Just please! Let me think!” demanded Cale.
He attempted to clear his thoughts, but the room’s stench had his head swimming. He walked out, pushing past Zach as he did.
“What are you doing?” Zach inquired.
“I don’t know! I don’t fucking know!”
He paced the floor trying to devise a plan. Outside the snow accumulated. Finally, he grounded all of his gear against the wall below the window. With one arm he laboriously moved Duane back into his office and closed the door. He moved what he could from the reception desk to block the door. A couple of filing cabinets, some chairs, a coffee table, and two houseplants served as his first line of defense. It wasn’t perfect but it would have to do.
“So—” Zach trailed.
“I’m stuck Zach,” he confe
ssed as he slumped to the floor next to his things. “It’s snowing, I don’t have a car, I’m tired and hungry,” continued Cale. “I’m being fucking hunted. There’s enough food for maybe a few days and only enough water for three or four at best if I go to extremes to ration it. Just thought I’d be a lot further. Figured a week getting home, dodging large cities and shit. But no. I’ve maybe come fifty miles at best!”
Zach sat next to him. The pair sat in silence. Frost began to cover the window. Cale pulled out his sleeping bag and bedded down for the night. He looked up at the tinsel.
“What do you think he meant by ‘he’s already dead’?” asked Cale.
“Hmm?” replied Zach vacantly.
Cale recalled Damian’s words. “You hit him with an arrow right? Then he’s already dead. He just doesn’t know it yet.”
“If they were talking about me,” proposed Cale, “then, what did he mean by ‘he’s already dead’?”
Zach appeared to contemplate his inquiry before answering. “I don’t know.”
Cale’s arm throbbed. He hadn’t looked at it. Not even before fabricating a bandage for it. He sat up and began to unfasten the belt he’d used to hold it in place. The shirt he’d used had moderate amounts of blood on it, but for the most part had stymied his blood loss. Carful not to move his arm too much he removed his coat and his shirt.
“No. Oh no,” he whispered as he brought the shirt down his arm.
Black veins extended from the wound like a spider’s web. He recognized the pattern. It was the same as Zach’s bite. The skin around it was hot and swollen. Cale thought about the woman who’d been tied down. She’d had an arrow pierce her heart, but no bites from the undead.
“He tips them,” said Cale. “He fucking tips them with the infection.”
“Cale—” Zach began.
“He was fucking right,” Cale couldn’t believe his own words. “I’m already dead.”
Chapter 20
A REASON TO CELEBRATE
Z Plan (Book 3): Homecoming Page 20
