Chase opened the door of the Suburban. Sparky was talking to the girl and Marilyn was walking back toward the Suburban with what Chase took to be a concerned look on her face. He checked on Sonya, and she was still sitting, making no move to open the door. When she caught him looking at her, he thought he caught a slight pleading expression on her face. Just as he was about to ask her what that was about, Marilyn spoke.
“Did you see the creeper trap?”
“Is that what it was?”
Marilyn nodded. “Sparky took a lot of pleasure in explaining it to me. I don’t think he quite understands it, but this Chief guy sets up shaped charges around the bottom of the sign going in all directions away from the sign. He has some sort of electric trigger hooked up to some wire mesh on the ground and a car battery. When enough creepers get on the wire mesh, it passes enough current to set off the charges. The charges blow scrap metal outward from the sign post, and it wipes out all the creepers in a twenty yard range.”
Chase whistled. “Smart.” Marilyn nodded again, but the concerned look didn’t leave her face.
“Don’t you think this whole thing, creeper trap and all, is a little weird? Look at these fences, Chase.”
Chase looked around. The fence was twenty feet high, heavy-duty chain link. It was attached to telephone poles, and Chase could see that the nearest pole was set in concrete. He guessed the rest were, too. The compound contained several buildings, including a 40 X 40 metal shop building with garage bay doors, a henhouse, a large Quonset building, and several other smaller storage buildings. He turned to look a little farther in the distance. There was a barn and another small storage building outside the fence up on a hillside down the valley, but they looked older than the buildings inside the compound. He suspected the other road back at the split on the driveway would lead to the barn.
“Marilyn, he was ready for this. Or something like it. I’ve seen shows about the survivalist guys. Looks like he was one of them, and he had it right. That’s cool, I guess, but a little creepy, too.”
“Not really.” Chase turned around, and the girl with the rifle was standing just behind Marilyn. He hadn’t heard her walk up. “The Chief was right. He was ready for human society to go down, and it did. He expected to be fighting off hungry hordes of survivors from the city and not walking corpses, but it worked out pretty good anyway, don’t you think?” She smiled, and Chase thought it was one of the scarier smiles he had seen. She wasn’t ugly, but the smile was hard, unforgiving. There wasn’t really any humor in it.
“Uh, yeah. It did work out pretty good. I’m Chase. This is Marilyn, and that one there still in the Suburban is Sonya.”
“I’m Tracey. Let’s get your vehicle pulled over by the garage and Sparky can look it over. Then we can eat something if you’re hungry. Eggs and bacon be okay?”
Chase’s mouth started watering. Breakfast had always been his favorite meal.
Chapter 20 – Marilyn
Marilyn pushed herself back from the table. After two weeks on slim rations, the meal seemed like the best she had ever had. Tracey made the eggs with cheese and tomatoes scrambled in, and with the fried ham and home-made biscuits, Marilyn wasn’t sure she could stop eating. She had to, though, because Chase and Sonya were putting them away, too, and soon enough, the table was clean of any remaining food. Sparky and Tracey watched them, and seemed to find their appetites amusing.
“I’m sorry,” Marilyn apologized. “I don’t usually eat like this.”
“That’s okay,” Tracey replied. “We always have plenty of eggs. The tomatoes are just coming ripe. We started them early in the greenhouse. The ham is home-cured. We have hogs, but we keep them a little ways from the compound. We have two cows for the milk and cheese and butter.”
“How do you keep things cold? Didn’t you lose power, too?” Chase asked.
“The Chief was ready. He has several ways of generating power. There are solar cells on the roofs of all the buildings. The windmill is equipped with a generator, too. If all else fails, there’s a generator that runs on diesel out back, but we don’t have to use it often. Most days the refrigerator and freezer are the only things we use power for.”
“Wow.” Marilyn could tell Chase was impressed. She wasn’t sure how she felt. Well, admiration for being prepared, sure. And how thoroughly prepared. She’d seen shows on survivalists, too. She had even known one or two, or knew of them. But she was pretty sure none of them was this ready. That was a little unnerving. She’d always thought the survivalists to be a little odd, and the more dedicated they were to survivalist philosophy, the odder. But since it turned out they’d been right, she was beginning to realize she might have to change her way of thinking.
“Where is this guy?” Chase asked. “I’ve got to meet him. Anybody smart enough to figure out all this stuff is probably smart enough to have figured out what happened.”
Sparky and Tracey looked at Chase strangely. “You mean you don’t know what happened?” He shook his head. Sparky and Tracey looked at Sonya and Marilyn. Sonya just toyed with her fork, but Marilyn shrugged.
“None of us were anywhere to know, I guess,” Marilyn explained. “I was camping. Sonya was sick. Chase was…in a place where he couldn’t know. We all just found out up front and personal about the dead people and the creepers.”
“Creepers? Sparky and I call them rotters. The Chief calls them remnants. He’s out clearing the highway going east. Sparky takes west, and the Chief takes east. Sparky brought you guys back, or he’d still be out there clearing.” Tracey stood and began collecting plates. Marilyn stood to help her. Sparky, Chase, and Sonya just sat and watched, Marilyn noted. “So none of you heard on the news about the corpses in all the train stations and airports and stuff? And you didn’t hear about the first rotters starting to move around, and how they were biting everyone and no one tied the two together until it was too late?”
Marilyn and Tracey had gathered all the dirty dishes, and Marilyn followed Tracey through a door and into a kitchen. Chase, who had been avidly following the conversation, trailed in after them. Tracey started a sink full of water. She pointed out that the water came from a cistern that collected rainwater, and the hot water had been heated in a solar water heater.
Marilyn washed the dishes, Chase dried, and Tracey put them away. Marilyn could tell Chase, working awkwardly, wasn’t familiar with the whole concept, but she approved that he was at least making an effort. As they worked, Tracey filled them in on the events they had missed. She told them about the “modern mummies” that had been discovered in so many train stations and airports and shopping malls and other areas where large groups of people passed through. She told them that the scientists were baffled. She told them about the seemingly random attacks that had started shortly afterward in which the victims had been bitten or chewed. She expressed her disgust at the suppression of the detail that the attackers had been dead at the time of attack, remarking that it was only to be expected from the puppet media of the puppet government. Marilyn wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but had a feeling that it had to do with the survivalist mentality. And then Tracey added some details that probably hadn’t been available to the public.
“The Chief kept his ear to the ground. He’s retired army, and he kept in touch with some of the people he’d worked with over the years. Turns out the modern mummies they were finding all had evidence of a fungal spore all through their bodies. That fungus is what is causing all this, somehow. The fungus is definitely what made everyone die. He can explain it a lot better than me. He thinks the fungus made those modern mummies crawl up in all those bus stations and stuff. They found them in high places. And then the fungus just went crazy on the corpses and dried them out, filling them with spores. And then the spores hit all the people that passed through there, infecting them.”
Marilyn could see Chase working that over in his mind. She also saw a lot of questions in his face, but he only asked one: “So, when is the Chief going to b
e back?”
Tracey put up the last plate, and turned to look at him. “Between now and nightfall. He and Sparky work on clearing traffic all day. Depending on how many rotters they find, they might come back early and set the trap. I called him on the radio, and he was in Paducah. He’s seeing more rotters out in the daytime, and Paducah’s full of them. He’s still trying to clear, but he has to keep an eye out. But he said he’d be heading back shortly. He wanted to meet our new guests.”
They finished cleaning and returned to the dining area. Sparky was trying to talk to Sonya, but Sonya had gotten up and was looking out a window. Her arms were crossed tightly across her chest, and her mouth was thin and tight. She looked relieved to see Chase and Marilyn. She also looked angry.
Marilyn wanted to talk to Sonya so she tried to think of a way to get her alone. “Hey, Sonya, let’s go check on Honey.” Sparky got up to follow and Marilyn tried to give Chase a meaningful look, tried to convey what she was trying to do. Chase looked puzzled but caught on.
“Hey, Sparky, are you any kind of mechanic?”
Sparky turned to Chase. “I’ve been taking engines apart and putting them back together since I was ten years old.”
Chase clapped Sparky on the shoulder. “I was hoping you’d say that. Let’s go look at the Suburban. It’s almost brand new, but it just doesn’t seem to have much get up and go.”
Sparky lost all interest in following the girls. He said, “It’s a Chevy. That’s the first problem.” He and Chase walked out ahead of Sonya and Marilyn, crossing the compound to get to the shop. Marilyn overheard Sparky say something about Chase picking a Chevy when he should have picked a Dodge and then they were gone. Tracey followed them out, too, and Marilyn was afraid she wouldn’t get to be alone with Sonya, but then Tracey said something about doing a radio check on the Chief and crossed to the gatehouse. Marilyn noted the large antenna mounted on the roof. When Marilyn was sure Tracey and Sparky were both out of earshot, she turned to Sonya, who was tentatively patting Honey on the head.
“So, Sonya.” Sonya looked at her. “Is it just me, or does this whole set-up seem too good to be true?” Marilyn crouched down, and Honey walked away from Sonya and put her paw on Marilyn’s knee.
Marilyn could see that Sonya was having some sort of internal debate, and then seemed to make up her mind. “I’m thinking about taking off. This is a good place for you and Chase to stay. Safety, food, other people. But it’s not what I want to be doing. I’m still thinking I need to go find my father. And you and Chase seem to be getting along so well. I’m feeling like an extra part.”
Marilyn gave Honey a good scratch behind the ears, and Honey rolled onto her back to have her belly rubbed. Marilyn obliged. “Sonya…I don’t know what to say. You are the reason we’re here. This may or may not be a good place for Chase and me. But one thing is for sure: I won’t feel good about you leaving alone if that’s what you choose to do.”
Sonya nodded. “I get that. But you and Chase don’t seem to need me as much as I need you guys. I’m not sure I can make it on my own. Well, I guess I’m not even sure the three of us can make it. But you and Chase both seem to be a little more capable in some ways.” Over by the shop, Chase laughed at something, and Sonya paused and looked that way. “I wasn’t sure I wanted you with us, Marilyn. Especially when you were doing the whole catatonic thing. But then you started kicking butt. And I can see how you and Chase go together. He’s smart and can figure a lot out, and you know a lot of stuff and can do a lot of things. And I’m just the girl that needs help to find her daddy.”
Marilyn heard the catch in Sonya’s voice. She stood from petting the dog and looked at Sonya to see if she was crying, but her back was turned. Honey sensed that Marilyn was done petting her. The dog rolled to her feet and walked back over to Sonya. Marilyn was surprised when Sonya dropped and hugged the golden retriever.
“Sonya…” Marilyn began, but wasn’t sure how to continue. She tried to express what she was feeling. “Sonya, you are the reason we’re here. If you and Chase hadn’t come along, I’d probably still be sitting by that tree, or dead. Chase would be wandering around somewhere, or dead. We all take care of each other.”
Sonya turned around and stood up, gazing at Marilyn, eyes full of tears but angry. “Yeah, we do. But why? I think I did okay by myself from Omaha to St. Louis. Chase came along after that, and he drove and helped out a lot of ways. I didn’t care about him one way or another until I started seeing that he could help me get where I wanted to go. Then we got you, and I wasn’t sure. But you go into this trance or something, and you come out of it, and you’re, like, super-woman or something. And I’m just this kid who’s tagging along. And now we’re here, and I’m afraid somebody is going to start making decisions and expecting me to stick by their decisions, and there will be problems.”
Marilyn carefully chose her words and tried to explain to Sonya. “I don’t think you are seeing this whole thing clearly. Chase looks at me when he’s not sure how to do something. But when he’s trying to figure out what to do, he looks at you. Did you notice he never asks me which way to go? He always asks you. And I’m with him on that. Me and him, we’re lost. Him especially, I think. He may not know why he’s helping you, but I do. I believe two things. Whatever reason Chase finds for this happening, it didn’t happen without God. The second thing is that I’m still alive for a reason. I think I’m supposed to help you. I’m almost sure of it. I don’t know why, and I don’t need to know why. It just is.
“And another thing: I’m as nervous about this place as you are. Something just doesn’t seem right. If you want to leave right now, I’m in. Chase will probably disagree and I understand that. I think we can learn some things here to help us. I also think I’d like to spend a night not in the Suburban and not worrying about creepers every time I have to get out to go pee. Let’s stick around for a little while longer. I at least want to meet this Chief. And if Chase wants to stay here, I’ll still go with you. I think I’m supposed to.”
Sonya nodded, and Marilyn watched her relax a little. She thought about stepping forward and hugging her, but there was still a hard edge to Sonya’s expression so she didn’t. Instead, she knelt again and snapped her fingers. Honey came to her. She was about to say something about getting Honey something to eat when the sound of a distant motor crept into her consciousness. Tracey stuck her head out of the gatehouse and yelled, “Chief’s back!” Marilyn and Sonya both turned to see.
Chapter 21 – Sonya
The Chief was not exactly what Sonya expected. Sonya guessed him to be somewhere in his forties, maybe early fifties, which was about right. He was obviously in good shape, and that was okay. His head was shaved completely bald, and Sonya didn’t really have any trouble with that. But when Tracey walked up next to the Hummer the Chief had driven in and the Chief got out, Sonya was surprised that Tracey and the Chief were about the same height. When Marilyn walked over to them, she stood almost a full head taller than both. Sonya guessed the Chief stood about 5’5”, and when Chase came from the shop, he towered over him. But there was something in the way Sparky stood when around the Chief. He seemed to be in a constant cringe, and somehow seemed to be smaller than both Chase and the Chief, even though Sparky and Chase were really about the same height. Sonya, who would still have had to look up a little at the Chief, hung back where she and Marilyn had been talking. Honey sat quietly by her side. Sonya was in no big hurry to meet the Chief. This was the guy she was afraid would tear her world apart.
She watched as first Chase then Marilyn shook the Chief’s hand. Chase gestured in her direction, and Marilyn turned and waved her over. With a feeling of dread, she walked to where they all stood. The Chief was turned slightly away from her as she approached, but when she arrived, he turned to her with a very intense, evaluative gaze. She felt like she was being judged, and when he spoke, she wasn’t sure she had measured up.
“Welcome, Sonya. My name is Michael Fetter, but I was a chief
warrant officer in the army, and everyone calls me Chief. I’d prefer that, because it’s what I’m used to. Chief, or Mr. Fetter. I don’t know if I would even answer to Michael.” She shook his extended hand. She’d had a class in high school in which the teacher had insisted they learn how to shake hands. His handshake was exactly what the teacher had said it should be. Firm grip, but not overbearing. Two quick pumps while maintaining eye contact, and a quick release. She imagined she was shaking hands with a handshake machine.
She mumbled a reply. She wasn’t even sure what she was trying to say, something about thank you and nice place, but it didn’t matter. The Chief had turned and was speaking to Chase again. He only included Marilyn occasionally, and even though Tracey stood immediately to his right, he ignored her. Sparky stood to the rear, which seemed natural. No one noticed when Sonya faded back away except Honey and Sparky. Honey hadn’t approached the group with Sonya. She had stayed back as well. Sonya imagined it was the ichor on the front of the Hummer the Chief had driven in. The Chief may have tried to miss a creeper or two, but no more than that. Sonya knew the smell well. The Hummer had a huge brush guard attachment on the front. Embedded in the nooks and crannies she could see clumps of hair, and the whole thing was covered in the black slime which passed for blood in the creepers.
When Sonya wandered toward the chicken house to get a better look at the chickens, Honey followed. Sonya was glad of the company. Sparky also followed, and Sonya wasn’t nearly as glad. She stood at the fence surrounding the chicken house door. The fence extended into the compound, giving the chickens access to a few square yards of the ground. In this pen, three hens were walking around, pausing to scratch at the ground now and again. One hen sat in a dusty hole in a corner. First Sonya watched the chickens, then she watched Honey watch the chickens. Honey stood alert, watching first one and then another, shifting from paw to paw. Sonya tried to remember when Honey had last been fed.
After Everything Else (Book 1): Creeper Rise Page 12
