“Olly Olly Oxen Free,” Asher said to an empty room.
Lynn kicked a plate of nachos interrupting the silence as Shelly scoped out the music equipment.
Asher climbed over the bar and walked behind the bar to check out the kitchen. “Olly Olly Ox…”
Bodies.
Over a dozen bodies stacked on top of one another. One face was familiar; the black kid’s eyes looked up with his lifeless stare. This time his jaw was shifted to the side of his face. Ben’s hammer left its proverbial business card behind. Each body looked pale and every eye matched the teenager’s blackness with grey tears. Asher did not notice the charcoal tears when burying the bodies yesterday, this was a new development. The burnt rubbery smell had its source; steam rose from their blood in the light.
“Bartender, I’ll take a lukewarm stout in a broken glass with a double shot of whiskey.” Lynn said sitting at the bar. Shelly shook her head at her dad in disapproval. Asher wasn’t sure if he was serious or not but continued into the kitchen.
There were more bodies in here, but the smell had not yet cropped up due to the lack of natural light in the kitchen since there was only a small window in the back corner. There was more blood though.
“Asher.”
Ben moved under the window’s light covered in blood. He smiled bright and his teeth looked whiter than normal. The hammer hung over the ground in his right hand, while his left held waved hello.
“Wild night?” Asher asked.
“Not as much fun as you, apparently,” Ben replied, nodding in the direction of the bar and implying something with Shelly. “Two days and you already found a new girlfriend.”
“Funny. Did you find any survivors?” Asher asked. As usual, Asher avoided responding to Ben’s snide comments in order to prevent an argument. This was Ben’s normal plan of attack; rub salt in a wound until starting a fight. Lucy said it was his way to establish dominance.
“No survivors. Only ghouls and ghoulettes.”
“Did you find anything worth keeping?”
“What exactly would you like for me to find? Water for the quenched? Food for the full? I didn’t know we were going to have a couple of tag-alongs on this trip, so no, I didn’t find anything worth keeping.”
The veins in Benjamin’s forearms pulsed as his grip adjusted on the hammer. Shelly would be frightened by the man standing across from Asher. It would be best if he washed up before he went out.
“I found the woman who cried for help. It wasn’t like I could just leave her out there to die with her dad.”
“Why not?”
“Because they are alone.”
“Pretty sure there are two of them. They have each other. They’re not alone.”
“It’s an innocent woman and her blind dad, Ben. They don’t stand a chance.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. It’s not for me to decide.”
Shelly’s voice came in through the door just as it began opening, “Asher, I…”
Ben threw a steak knife into the wall beside the door. Shelly yelped in shock and stood in the doorway keeping it only slightly ajar.
“Men only meeting, sweetheart,” Ben said. “Your boyfriend will be back out when I decide what happens next.”
“Sorry,” Shelly said. Asher could hear her heartbeat wildly race all of a sudden. The wolves did not scare her, but Ben did.
“Good girl,” said Ben before taking his attention back to his brother. “What are you thinking? What are you going to do with those two lost dogs out there? You couldn’t remember to feed our hamster. How are you going to take care of those two? It’s not like an old, blind man and a hag offer anything to us. Are you planning on taking them along with you?”
Asher had already discussed this with Shelly. He explained the plan to find where the wolves were hiding and kill every one of them. He explained the danger of Shelly and her father staying with him and his brother. Shelly listened and respected his stance.
Shelly’s only reply was, “Then help us find someone.”
That was it. There was no arguing, begging, or pleading. She had accepted this arraignment and was happy for the chance of temporary help.
Asher pleaded with Ben, “We help them find other survivors. That’s all. And then we get back to our goal. At worst, it takes us an extra day. But there are more people around here. I know it and you know it.”
“The hunter wastes no time meddling with sheep,” Ben replied walking over to the sink. He turned the faucet and continued, “The hunter’s focus is the wolf.” He splashed his face and scrubbed his hands under the water. The blood was thinned and ran down his cheeks. “The hunter protects the sheep by killing the wolves, but he doesn’t take the sheep to the den with him. The hunter leaves the sheep in their pastures to bahh and eat.”
Asher said, “Maybe we’re not hunters, maybe we are shepherds.”
“Shepherds?” Ben asked. “Shepherds spend time with sheep. Shepherds use the sheep for their livelihood. Shepherds search for lost sheep. They love sheep. I will not look for more sheep when I can crush the skull of a wolf. Go be a shepherd. I’ll be back for you when the den is empty.”
“Since when did you become an expert on wolves and shepherds and sheep? You keep talking about this stuff like it is absolutely one way or the other, but you’re not seeing the bigger picture. We could help save humanity. At the very least save Salt Lake City. Why would we leave people to die alone when we can do something for them? You think I want to let you go on without me? No, we’re in this together. You don’t get to make every decision.”
“Hunter’s words in a shepherd’s voice.” Ben gripped the side of the sink. The veins in his arms pulsed through the newly added muscle. His brother bulked up overnight.
“Fine. You want to hunt, we hunt, but first, while the sun shines and the wolves are hidden, we can help these sheep. I mean, these people. These two people. After that, it’s over. I have no purpose without you, nor the strength to do this one my own.”
Ben laughed. “Alright. Alright. Alright. I relent, big brother. I suppose you’re right. Hunters can be shepherds when the time is right. I’m not going to promise to like it, but I’m with them until nightfall,” Ben said, as sincere as he could. “Besides, I know not to argue when you’re too stubborn to listen.”
“Thank you, bro,” Asher said.
“Don’t thank me yet. I agreed to protect them, not be their friend. You don’t get to bring your girlfriend over for dinner and think we’re a family all of a sudden.”
-
The sound of each step followed Harry and the boys down the stairwell. Harry led through the darkness with his hatchet held high and the other two bumping into his back every few seconds. Different levels had their own special noises: water dripping, wood creaking (especially unnerving since the stairs were concrete and carpet), and others, the worst being the sound of soft breathing. The boys kept close behind Harry; a sudden stop would have created an avalanche down the stairs, and the butt of his hatchet would accidentally end up planted in Mickey’s forehead.
They had come up to this roof to learn about the attack, and they learned more than they had hoped for. The radio proved America had turned its back on Salt Lake City and left everyone here for dead. They were quarantined, as Greg said, and weren’t allowed to walk out. Harry didn’t want to be saved by a bunch of people who didn’t want to save them anyways, so he and his group would make due in Salt Lake City. They would fight these freaks off, win the battles, and build a new society. Harry could lead this band of runts to survival. No giving up.
Harry learned one other thing while they were on this roof; Harry didn’t want to die anymore. The difference a day makes. Old Redbeard walked up to the roof of his old, shaggy apartment planning on swan diving into the concrete. Now, Harry, a new man of sorts, left the Grand American’s roof with a new outlook on life. He would do whatever it takes to survive and help others.
In a place this dark, even the faintest light made a differ
ence. A small red light came from down the stairwell; they kept walking down the rabbit hole. It wasn't like the freaks used matches and it was nice see the next step.
The darkness was cleared for several floors. It came from the very bottom, maybe three flights of stairs down. Harry listened for movement or breathing. He didn’t think it could be one of them, but he needed to be sure before walking any further.
“Flare,” Mickey said. His voice carried down the stairs in an echo. The mouse had no sense of tact. Harry didn’t want to sneak up on anyone, but it was better to know where they were before they heard Harry’s group coming down the stairs. This was simple strategy, but the mouse didn’t think like that.
Because the mouse didn’t think, at all.
“Shh,” Greg said.
A female shouted, “Who’s there? We have guns!”
Harry was happy to have found the women from yesterday. The creep from the kitchen made him think they would be long gone. Any girl who met him should have ran away. The girl yelled a false threat. She was too scared to shoot a gun, and Harry was willing to bet she didn’t even have one.
“We’re coming down. Don’t shoot us!” Mickey shouted in Harry’s ear. The genius thought this was a good way to keep the women calm and trusting. All they got out of Mickey’s demand was a man’s voice telling them to “sit, stay and obey.”
No response.
“Sheesh,” Mickey said.
“Shut up, Mick,” Harry shot back.
“Are you one of them?” the woman asked.
Before Mickey could say something stupid, Harry spoke. He had enough of this, and knew it was best to clear the air and build a bridge with these girls. He would keep it simple but make sure he said the right thing to start building trust. That was all they needed. “No, ma’am. We’re good people. We don’t mean any harm. If you promise to let us out of here and talk, you can keep the gun pointed, and we’ll keep our hands in the air. No danger, no threats. Three guys who want to get out of here.”
No response again.
Had he said the wrong thing? What could he say now?
“Fine. But keep your hands up and walk into the lobby backwards. Don’t look at us, and we won’t shoot you.”
-
They were both very handsome, but they didn’t look like brothers. Ben had a dark brown buzz cut and big, pretty, brown eyes. He wasn’t very tall or muscular, but his intensity made him overwhelming. He was intimidating and cute; he looked angry, but those eyes had some goodness behind them too.
Asher was plain gorgeous. Everything about him was beautiful and smooth. His dirty blonde hair and light blue eyes belonged on a cologne advertisement in magazines. His body was lean and toned. Shelly couldn’t see anywhere to pinch an inch. She had trouble making eye contact with him; he was too pretty. It made her uncomfortable.
They were brothers in one obvious way: their body language was the exact same. They spoke to each other with part contempt, part adoration, and a lot of history. It was cute to see their bond and how harmonious they were. Shelly and her twin sister used to have the same dynamic before years of bad choices and a worse marriage got the best of their relationship. Watching the brothers made her miss Sherry. Hopefully she was okay.
Shelly and her Dad had a choice: go north or go south. One direction would lead closer to the wolves (as Asher called them) but kept the protection of Asher and Ben. The other direction meant she would have less protection but less threats. Ben told her the safest route would be the south since he and Asher didn’t plan on living at the end of this.
“We’re going here to end this. Once it’s over, I can’t promise we’re coming home.”
As Ben talked, Asher stood quietly with the wind blowing through his trendy haircut. The temperature was rising fast this early, not the Vegas heat she was used to, but today was going to be a warm one.
Ben said, “Let’s walk them down a couple of blocks and see if we can get these two a bite to eat.”
It was nice of him to be considerate. Shelly’s stomach was growling all morning.
“We can stop at the gas station down the road and still make it to a residential area before noon.”
Stopping at a gas station would mean potato chips, lukewarm soda, and maybe a pack of cigarettes. Shelly stopped smoking last week to save on money, but now they were free. She would have to hide them from daddy though.
“We don’t need to travel that far,” Asher said, with those dream boat eyes looking south.
“Huh?” Ben grunted.
“Someone is coming.”
-
They’re dangerous. They wear smiling faces, but they’re a few steps away from being Toppy.
Dangerous? No. More like a group of dumb men with no idea what they were doing. The one guy, Mickey was kind of cute, in a grown teenager kind of way. He looked like he should have been singing with a boy band. This wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, by any measure.
He asked Jenna, “How did you hurt your leg? During all of the mess two nights ago?”
Then Dr. Edie put the cast on this morning.
Jenna responded, “No, not at all. I’m clumsy and fell a few weeks ago. Shattered it.” She would hold on to the full story even if the guys proved to be trustworthy.
Which they will, until they decide to get rid of the crippled girl with the bite on her leg.
Do you think you’ll get an infection? Will you turn into a monster?
The bite was just a bite. She didn’t feel any different and wouldn’t. There was too much going on to worry about a bite or when these guys would do something bad. She needed to focus on the present. That meant no more sulking about leaving Robert, because she needed to move on. No more scratching the bite, because it was just a bite.
And no more thinking about your dream.
The other two men were polar opposites. The old guy had shaggy, greying-red hair with a face that looked like a tabby cat, and the younger guy, Greg, looked like half of his face was missing while the other half was swollen. Harry wore overalls, Greg wore a cheap dress shirt and slacks.
Harry tried to embarrass Mickey, “This here is Mickey Mouse. He is the scared one of the group. Don’t let those muscles fool you, ladies. He’s as soft as toilet paper.”
After making introductions, everyone agreed to continue on with the men’s plan to explore and find a safe place to set up camp. Jenna fought the urge to tell them about her dream. She never told Edie because Edie was too weird and wouldn’t believe her, but these guys seemed really hopeful about the future.
They’ll laugh at your ridiculous dream.
It would be better to keep it to herself for now. Give the guys time to prove themselves.
“Why don’t you gals stick with Greg and I?” Harry said. “We could use some help.”
He’s already trying to get you alone. Why would he want to do that?
“No, I’m sorry. We stick together. We could help search a different place. What about a grocery store? Or diner?” Jenna replied and grabbed Edie’s hand holding it tight. She had, after all, been the one to promise to protect her. Harry approved. He scratched the side of his beard with both hands. He really looked like a tabby cat.
“What’s the rendezvous point, Captain?” Edie asked.
She’s a weird one.
Harry smiled at the silly title, “Let’s meet back here, Miss Edie. If we cannot find a proper safe house, the roof will be backup our option again, I don’t trust the rooms in this hotel. Their doors don’t stand a chance if one of those freaks comes knocking. What do you think, Greg?”
“Now hold on, mister man,” Edie interrupted, “The Grand American Hotel proudly offers our guests only the finest quality. This includes our Grade-A NASA level enforced locking system with doors hand-carved out of California Redwoods specially for us. We take great pride in bringing the best for the best.”
Greg spoke up before Edie could continue, “We need to keep all options on the table. I do not want to ret
urn to the roof, but unless you know how to reset the power, I do not see how we can open the doors.”
“Basement. The power source is in the basement, there is a reserve power down there as well. How about that?”
“Why don’t you search for it and have a report ready upon our return? Otherwise, I believe our safest option is on the roof again tonight. Mickey, please search for mattresses and cots while you’re at the pawnshop.” Greg said.
She’s seriously not expecting you to go down in the basement, is she?
“Guys,” Mickey said. Harry and Greg kept talking, ignoring him. They made it clear they didn’t respect him. Whatever he did wrong didn’t deserve this treatment, they were childish and acted more like high school bullies.
“Guys…” Mickey said louder as he walked off. He stopped ten feet away and pointed up the street. “Guys… more people,” he said, and turned back to wave four slightly blurry people walking through the thick fog.
-
It was a foolish decision, but the threat was too great; Harry pulled out his gun from the back of his pants and pointed it at the people in the distance. Up until now, this idea never crossed his mind, but he reacted this way for the right reason. The two younger men were carrying weapons and walking in Harry’s direction fast. It didn’t matter if they were people or not; they were dangerous. That big hammer and the spear were weapons. These men had weapons bigger than Harry’s group.
At first, the plan worked. The blonde guy raised his hands and dropped his weapons. Harry could see the fear in his eyes and thought this might actually have been smart. Then Harry pointed over to the guy with the hammer, but it didn’t stop him. He kept moving closer. This guy wasn’t afraid.
“Mickey, behind me!” he shouted.
The mouse turned back and walked to where Greg was standing.
“Friendly?” Harry asked. The two strangers in back were not a threat, but the guy carrying a sledge hammer in front kept coming. “Are. You. Friendly?” He waved the gun for dramatic effect.
Dark Genesis (Shadow and Shine Book 1) Page 14
