Viral Misery (Book 1)

by Watson, Thomas A

  The group turned and saw the Tahoe just as they were even with the store. Only fifty yards away for a split second, Wendy could tell all were armed. None raised their weapons as Wendy drove past, never speeding up. Lowering the pistol, Wendy set it in her lap and rolled the window up. “You can get back up,” she told the twins.

  “At least they didn’t shoot,” Jo Ann said in a quivering voice.

  Feeling the adrenaline leaving her system, Wendy held up her right hand and saw a slight tremble. “Yes, that is good news,” Wendy admitted. “Jo Ann, open the center console and give me one of those small bottles.”

  The young cop couple hadn’t had food, but they’d had flats of small energy drinks. “Can I have one?” Jo Ann asked, taking the top off the small bottle.

  Taking the bottle, “One,” Wendy said and then drained the bottle. Cringing at the aftertaste, “Sally, you can have one if you want,” Wendy coughed and tossed the empty bottle in Jo Ann’s floorboard.

  “It’s not that bad,” Jo Ann noted after draining her bottle.

  When the GPS announced left turn ahead, Wendy noticed the houses along the road had been replaced with businesses. Guiding the Tahoe into the opposing lane, Wendy passed a bus that had hit a delivery truck. “Shit,” Wendy mumbled, seeing abandoned cars in the road ahead.

  Taking her foot off the accelerator, Wendy left the pistol in her lap as she gripped the steering wheel with both hands. Slowing to fifteen, Wendy weaved through the stalled cars and then tapped the brakes, seeing the packed intersection ahead where they had to turn.

  With a quick glance at the intersection, Wendy was sure she could get through but would have to slow to a crawl. “Screw it,” she growled and tapped the accelerator, jerking the steering wheel to the left. Bouncing over the curb, Wendy drove across the sidewalk and bounced down over the curb into a large parking lot.

  As the GPS told her she needed to turn around and get back on the road, Wendy drove across the parking lot, weaving around the few parked cars. “Turn left, Sheridan Street,” the GPS called out as Wendy reached the entrance of the parking lot.

  “I was,” Wendy snapped at the GPS, speeding up and pulling out onto the four-lane road.

  “People in those trees,” Jo Ann called out.

  As she turned onto Sheridan, Wendy glanced over and saw a dozen figures at a park. All were standing around several cars. One of the group, pointed at the blacked-out Tahoe and before Wendy turned her eyes back to the road, she saw the group running for vehicles.

  “Fuck!” Wendy snapped as she pounded the steering wheel and pressed the accelerator.

  “I see lights coming on,” Sally announced from the backseat.

  “Girls, if something happens to me, get Ryan and Noah and run,” Wendy said as she picked up speed and weaved around a car. Speeding over an overpass, Wendy glanced in the mirror and saw the two cars pulling out.

  “Go faster,” Sally cried out, seeing the cars following.

  “Baby, one person shooting out of a car only works in the movies,” Wendy said, seeing an intersection ahead. “Pick your own battlefield,” she mumbled, stomping on the brakes. Sally reached down to stop Noah and Ryan from sliding into the pillows on the floorboard.

  When the Tahoe came to a stop, Wendy grabbed the AR off the dash and jumped out. Pulling the stock to her shoulder, Wendy aimed behind her as the cars topped the overpass. Flipping the selector to auto, Wendy took a breath and let half out, centering the red crosshairs between the lights of the first car.

  Brushing her finger against the trigger, the M4 roared as Wendy squeezed off a six-round burst. She saw the car jerk to the right as she squeezed another burst off and saw several sparks as the bullets impacted the front of the car.

  This time, the car jerked to the side of the road and hit the curb as Wendy turned to the other car and saw it was slowing. Wendy brushed the trigger two more times to send out short bursts and felt the bolt lock back. Ejecting and replacing the magazine, Wendy sent two more bursts into the second car and then moved back to the first and shot short bursts until she felt her bolt lock back again.

  Jumping in the Tahoe, Wendy slammed the shifter into drive while tossing the M4 on the dash. Her door slammed shut as the Tahoe took off down the road. Glancing in the mirror, Wendy saw the lights of both cars not moving, but saw several gun flashes.

  Jerking the steering wheel back and forth and making for a harder target to hit, Wendy weaved around an abandoned truck. When she glanced back to the mirror, Wendy couldn’t see the car lights anymore.

  Like a switch had been thrown in her mind, all of a sudden, Wendy heard Ryan screaming at the top of his lungs. Glancing to the backseat, Wendy saw Sally lying flat, holding Ryan and trying to calm him. Next to Sally, Noah was curled up in a ball, clutching Sally’s leg and crying. He just wasn’t crying as loud as Ryan.

  “I’m sorry Ryan,” Wendy said, turning back and saw Jo Ann climbing out of the floorboard. “Is everyone okay?”

  “My ears hurt,” Jo Ann shouted, opening and closing her mouth.

  “Sally, do we have enough water to make Ryan a bottle?” Wendy asked and then noticed she was doing eighty. She slowed down as Sally sat up, digging in her backpack.

  “Jo Ann, see if you have a bottle of water,” Sally said, not finding one.

  “I got two,” Jo Ann said, holding one up. Sally passed a bottle and the can of formula up. As Jo Ann made up a bottle, Wendy slowed back to forty. Wendy never called out the few people she saw coming out of houses, looking in the direction they had come.

  “I miss my suppressor,” Wendy mumbled and then opened and closed her mouth, trying to pop her ears and reduce the ringing.

  Holding Ryan to her chest, Sally put an arm around Noah and rocked back and forth, trying to calm both. “Are the bad guys still coming?” Sally asked and Noah’s cry turned into a whimper as he looked up at Sally.

  “No, I stopped them,” Wendy reported with her voice quivering.

  “You never said you had a machine gun,” Sally snapped.

  “Baby, a gun is a gun. The reason I used full-auto was to scare the bad guys. I could’ve hit the cars more if I had shot single-shot,” Wendy explained, weaving around cars. Seeing a congested spot ahead on her side of the road, Wendy jerked the wheel into the opposing lanes.

  “Don’t make me spill the milk!” Jo Ann panted, looking at the powder in the scoop like it was gold.

  “Sorry, but our side was clogged and I saw two people in a yard,” Wendy said.

  Carefully, Jo Ann dumped the scoop into the bottle. “I just didn’t want to spill it,” Jo Ann said, refilling the scoop. “You think you shot any of the bad guys?”

  “Oh, I know I hit two,” Wendy admitted.

  Closing the can of formula, Jo Ann poured in the water. “What if they weren’t bad?” Jo Ann asked timidly.

  “Then why chase us?” Wendy asked back. “Baby, we are doing the best we can, but you don’t chase people for any reason. They had cars, so they didn’t need ours. I don’t care if they wanted to sell us flowers. If I think someone is a threat to us, I’m shooting.”

  Passing the bottle back, Jo Ann looked up at Wendy. “I just don’t want to hurt nice people,” Jo Ann mumbled as Sally put the bottle in Ryan’s mouth.

  Taking a deep breath, Wendy exhaled to calm her nerves as Ryan stopped crying. “Jo Ann, have we chased anyone?” Wendy asked. “We didn’t stop when we saw them so they should’ve known, we didn’t want to be around people. But that didn’t matter to them, they chased us.”

  Getting comfortable in her seat, Jo Ann thought about what Wendy had said. “Person in the other road,” Jo Ann said, still keeping watch.

  When they were half a mile away, the figure turned and ran over into their lane. Jo Ann tensed up to see the figure running right at them, waving its arms. “Do you think we should stop?” Wendy asked, not slowing down.

  “No,” Jo Ann answered as Wendy guided the Tahoe into the other lane. They could see the figure was
a woman now as she moved with them. A hundred yards from the woman, Wendy jerked the steering wheel and crossed through an intersection to the westbound lanes.

  The woman continued running and just barely missed running into the trailer. “There are cars everywhere. If she needed one, she could get one,” Jo Ann said with a sigh.

  Reaching over, Wendy patted Jo Ann’s leg. “Baby, I know it’s hard, but you and Sally have to know these rules for this new world. Just because that was a woman doesn’t mean she wasn’t bad. You have to be careful, even around other kids unless I say they are all right. When you get older, you and Sally will be making that call for Ryan and Noah.”

  “I understand,” Jo Ann said.

  “Right turn, US Highway 27,” the GPS announced.

  After Wendy turned, everyone relaxed as the houses fell away and fields surrounded them. “Where did you learn to shoot a machine gun?” Jo Ann asked.

  “My husband,” Wendy smiled. “He made several because he thinks we shouldn’t let the government decide who has what.”

  With a big grin, Jo Ann turned to Wendy. “He sounds cool.”

  “Oh, he is,” Wendy said.

  Still rocking Ryan with Noah’s head in her lap, Sally asked. “Will Arthur like us?”

  “Girls, Arthur is going to spoil you,” Wendy chuckled.

  “What if he got sick?” Sally asked.

  The burst of happiness left Wendy as she slumped in the seat. “We live way out in the country and he didn’t have to go into town, so I’m betting he never came into contact with anyone that was sick. But if he did, Arthur is a nurse like I am, he knows how to take care of himself,” Wendy said.

  For several minutes, the Tahoe was quiet and then Wendy spoke again. “Even if he is gone, we have to wait for Joseph at our home. We can live there,” Wendy told them in a low voice.

  Nobody spoke for over an hour until Jo Ann spoke up, seeing a sign ahead. “Lake Placid, is that where that big alligator is from in the movie?” she asked.

  “I hope not,” Wendy said as the houses started getting closer together. Seeing a dark billboard ahead, Wendy slowed down so she could read it. “If we can, we are stopping there,” Wendy said, pointing at the sign telling them a truck stop was ahead.

  “What if people are there?” Jo Ann asked.

  Speeding back up, “Then we don’t stop,” Wendy told her.

  Ten minutes later, they saw a group of buildings near an intersection ahead and Wendy slowed to a stop. They all looked at the dark truck stop ahead. “Anyone see anything?” Wendy asked in a low voice.

  “A cow,” Sally said and Wendy glanced back and saw Sally pointing out the driver’s side. Turning around, Wendy saw a cow standing in the ditch.

  “I missed him,” Wendy admitted, turning back to the truck stop. “I’m pulling up. Everyone, keep your eyes open.”

  On pins and needles, the twins scanned around as Wendy pulled up to the truck stop, only going five miles an hour. When she reached the building, Wendy stopped to see the glass door was busted open. “It’s been robbed,” Jo Ann said.

  Not wanting to inform Jo Ann that what they had done would be seen as robbing, Wendy stared into the dark store and then around the area. Pulling up sideways to the store, Wendy stopped when the back of the Tahoe was in front of the door.

  “Okay, Jo Ann, roll down your window and if either of you see anything, call out and let me know.”

  Jo Ann shook her head, “How about I stand at the door, so I can yell in the store and you can hear.”

  Looking around again, “Okay, but I want in and out,” Wendy said, getting out.

  “What about your machine gun?” Jo Ann asked.

  “I have my pistol. I need arms to carry stuff,” Wendy answered, pulling her pistol out.

  Walking around the Tahoe as it idled, Wendy met up with Jo Ann as they headed for the door. They both jumped when they heard Sally roll down the back window.

  Peeking in the store, Wendy didn’t see anything moving and opened one of the glassless doors. Walking in with the glass crunching under her diving boots, Wendy made a mental note to see if those boots she’d found fit.

  Holstering her pistol, Wendy pulled the flashlight off the duty belt and walked over to a clothes rack selling t-shirts. Grabbing a white one, Wendy wrapped the shirt over the flashlight and turned it on. Even that dimmed light made her blink. Walking around and making a mental inventory, Wendy saw all the beer, cigarettes, chips, and most of the candy was gone.

  Seeing cases of bottled water stacked by the register, Wendy gave a sigh of relief. Setting the flashlight down, Wendy grabbed one case and carried it out. Seeing Wendy coming, Jo Ann opened the door to let Wendy out and then ran over and grabbed the cargo door and stepped back as the cargo door lifted up.

  Putting the water inside, Wendy headed back to the store and saw cases of bottled sports drinks and grabbed one. Going back in, Wendy grabbed the boxes of trail bars someone tossed on the floor as they’d grabbed the candy. Putting the bars in bags, Wendy passed the bags to Jo Ann and then grabbed cans of soup and crackers.

  Handing them off, Wendy stopped at seeing loaves of bread. Waving her flashlight around, Wendy saw peanut butter and jelly. Grabbing them, Wendy passed them off and started filling more bags, even grabbing a portable coffee maker.

  Coming back inside, Wendy headed over to a display of audio books and grabbed several that they could all listen to. Walking by a busted display, she saw a portable DVD player. Grabbing the player, Wendy headed over and grabbed several movies and then filled bags with all the batteries she could.

  Wendy froze when she saw canned formula behind the counter. Breaking into a run, Wendy rounded the counter and took all three cans of Ryan’s brand of formula. Struggling to hold all the bags, Wendy came back out and looked around for diapers and saw two packages of pull-ups and one pack of diapers that would fit Ryan.

  Putting them under her arms, Wendy headed for the door.

  “We’re running out of room,” Jo Ann whispered from the door.

  Walking out with her hands full, “We are done,” Wendy said, grunting to get the last load in. As Wendy yanked the cargo door to make it close, she heard Jo Ann climb back in the Tahoe. Running around and jumping in, Wendy dropped the Tahoe into drive and rounded the store, pulling back on the highway.

  As they were driving away, Jo Ann let out a gasp. “We just robbed that place!”

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  Growing up fast isn’t always a choice

  May 18

  Hearing an alarm, Shawn sat up rubbing his eyes. Reaching over, he swatted at the alarm until it shut up, then turned to the bassinette and didn’t see Lucas. “Shit,” he grumbled, throwing his legs out of the bed. Getting up, he walked around the room to wake up the other boys. Kirk, Pat, and Tony all sat up and Shawn looked at Jim’s empty bunk bed.

  “Jim went to sleep with Arthur,” Pat yawned out.

  Jumping off the top bunk, “Yeah, he followed Arthur when Arthur got Lucas because he was crying,” Kirk told him.

  “Why didn’t you wake me up?” Shawn moaned.

  “Because Arthur had already got Lucas,” Kirk snapped. “I was getting out of bed to feed him, but Arthur walked in.”

  “Oh,” Shawn said, pulling on his pants. “We have to help more with the babies. They are wearing Arthur out.”

  “I told Arthur I was getting up to feed Lucas, but he told me to go back to sleep,” Kirk said, pulling on his clothes.

  “Are we working out today?” Tony asked, struggling to stand as he dressed.

  Heading for the door while putting on his shirt, “We’ll find out at breakfast,” Shawn said, grabbing his AR. Stepping out into the hallway, he saw Andrea pulling on her shirt. “Where’s Pam?” Shawn asked.

  “Arthur got her last night,” Andrea groaned and then looked at Shawn.

  “Yeah, he got Lucas,” Shawn said as they headed for the stairs. “I swear, I never heard Lucas wake up.”

  A
s both trotted down the stairs, Andrea looked over at Shawn. “Lucas doesn’t cry loud, so you have an excuse. Pam screams bloody murder and I can’t believe I slept through that,” Andrea huffed.

  Feeling somewhat better after hearing that, Shawn headed for the kitchen and stopped, not seeing Arthur already up. Andrea bumped into him and looked around not seeing Arthur. “I feel like shit now,” Andrea moaned. “How can he function going that hard and that long?”

  Waving a hand at the kitchen, “Undoubtedly, he can’t,” Shawn pointed out. “There has to be a way to wake up when a baby cries.”

  Pushing Shawn out of the way, Andrea walked through the kitchen and stopped at the master bedroom door. Arthur was sitting up in bed with pillows behind him. Sound asleep, Arthur’s head was tilted back and his mouth was hanging open. Nicole and Lucas were cradled in his arms and Arthur’s legs were bent forming a box, with Pam sleeping in the box formed by his legs.

  Curled up next to Arthur were Robin, Beth, and Jim. “How the hell does he get Robin to wear pull-ups?” Andrea asked as Shawn eased past her.

  “He puts them on her after she goes to sleep,” Shawn answered in a low voice, moving to the bed. Carefully, he picked up Lucas and Arthur’s eyes cracked open. “I’m changing him,” Shawn whispered and Arthur’s eyes closed back.

  Andrea moved in and tried to get Pam and Nicole, but Shawn stopped her from picking up Nicole. When Andrea picked up Pam, they left the room. “I found out that if you take Nicole, he always wakes up,” Shawn told her, walking through the kitchen.

  They put the sleeping babies in bouncy chairs as the rest came downstairs. Shelia came in, putting her long red hair up in a ponytail and looked over at Andrea. “I swear, I never heard Pam wake up,” Shelia said, holding up her hands.

  Andrea just nodded and looked around the kitchen. Fourteen kids were here, plus her, and they couldn’t even wake up when the babies cried. Being the oldest of the group, Andrea felt she should be the most responsible, but she didn’t know how to take care of babies. She was the baby of the family and the youngest kid she had ever babysat had been eight.