“Come on, his bedroom is back this way.”
Will followed Brandon through the living room, running into the back of the sofa and nearly falling. He stopped to gather himself, gripping the top of the couch as he guided himself around it.
Brandon hadn’t waited on Will, and a door swung open in the hallway, its knob slamming into the adjacent wall.
Brandon screamed.
“Brandon!”
Will let go of the sofa and ran toward the hallway. Paying no attention to his unfamiliar surroundings, he tripped over a coffee table in the middle of the room and stumbled onto the floor. He braced himself with his hands, grimacing when all his weight fell onto the bandaged hand he’d punched the mirror with earlier. Still, adrenaline pumped through him and he jumped to his feet, running toward the direction of the scream.
When he reached the end of the hallway, Will came to an open room. Inside, he saw Brandon sitting on the carpet with his back against a dresser. One of his hands covered his mouth as his shoulders shuddered, and he stared up at something on the other side of the room. Will crept closer until he was through the doorway, and his gaze followed Brandon’s.
“Oh, shit.”
A man sat upright against a headboard on a king size bed. What remained of his head had slumped to his shoulder. A large handgun lay beside him, suggesting he’d died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Will looked back down to Brandon, who sniffled as tears ran down to his hand on his face.
“I thought he was in Florida,” Brandon mumbled. “I had no idea he’d even be here.”
The man on the bed was Jack Nix, Brandon’s father, dead of an apparent suicide.
Kneeling down, Will rubbed Brandon’s shoulder and didn’t reply. There were no words he could say. He knew that firsthand, having just lost both his parents in just a matter of days.
From outside Will heard a scream, and he turned back toward the rear of the house. It was inhuman—that much he knew. The Empties were inching closer.
“Brandon, I know this is hard, but we need to get as much out of this case as we can and get the hell out of here.”
Looking down at the ground, Brandon wept into his hand. Will didn’t waste anymore time. He slipped over to the closet and opened it. Rummaging past shoes, he found the strap to a duffle bag and pulled it out.
Near the bed stood a large cherry wood gun case, one of its doors still open. He hurried over to it and started to empty ammunition and hand guns into the bag. He also found a holster, tossing that into the duffle as well. He threw a rifle over each shoulder, and pulled out three shotguns. Placing the shotguns on the bed along with the bag, he pulled out a box of shells and loaded each weapon. He kept his focus, fighting not to let his gaze move toward Mr. Nix. The smell in the air was horrendous, but he was too set on gathering the firearms and getting out of the house to worry about it.
Once the shotguns were loaded, he went back to Brandon and kneeled down.
“Brandon, we have to go, dude.”
But Brandon didn’t budge.
Another howl came from outside, this time followed by a collection of them, and Will shook Brandon’s face.
“Now! We’ve gotta get out of here!”
Brandon finally seemed to snap out of it. Trembling, he nodded toward Will and took his hand to stand up.
“Take these, I can get the rest,” Will said, and he put two of the shotguns into Brandon’s chest. Will walked back over to the bed and threw the duffle bag over his shoulder and grabbed the last shotgun before he headed out into the hallway, making his way into the living room.
Will peeked out the window next to the front door to make sure it was clear. He could make out Jessica’s silhouette in the driver’s seat. His hand went to the deadbolt and he turned it.
“Alright, let’s get…”
When Will turned around, he saw Brandon walking to the center of the living room, facing the back door. Outside, a horde of Empties approached the house from the field.
“Oh, shit,” Will said. “We gotta go, now!”
But Brandon ignored him and started walking toward the back door. As he walked, he pumped the shotgun.
“What are you doing?” Will asked, but Brandon ignored him. Will hurried over and put his hand on Brandon’s shoulder, who reared back his elbow and caught Will in the side of the face. Will fell back onto the ground, dropping the shotgun, and reached up to feel for blood. Brandon looked down on him. They were in a part of the room where the moonlight peeked in from the kitchen, and Will could see the shadow behind Brandon’s eyes.
“Get the fuck out of here,” Brandon told him. His voice was calm and collected. He placed one of the shotguns on a table beside him and turned his back toward Will again. He started for the back door.
Will jumped to his feet. “Brandon, wait!”
Brandon turned around and fired a round into the sofa beside Will. The sound was deafening, and Will fell back onto the ground, covering his ears.
“Get the fuck out of here!” Brandon yelled. “I won’t fucking miss next time!”
Will’s eyes widened as he came to the realization of what was going on. Brandon had snapped, and there was no turning back. Will could either try to save him and die in the process, or he could abandon him, as he was being asked to do.
The front door opened and Sam came rushing inside.
“What’s going on? I heard a shot,” Sam said.
“Get out of here, Sam,” Brandon said.
Will leaned over to Sam and whispered. “His father is dead in the other room. He’s lost it.”
Brandon reached the back door, the Empties now just twenty yards away from the patio. He looked back to Will, and he had tears in his eyes now.
“Go,” Brandon mumbled.
Will turned to leave, but Sam took a step toward Brandon.
Will narrowed his eyes. “Come on, Sam. We can’t save him.”
“I’m not leaving him,” Sam said. He brought his hand to his chest and pulled away the collar of his shirt. The moon let in just enough light at this angle to illuminate the cut on Sam’s shoulder blade. “It’s small, but that son of a bitch at the hospital got me.”
Will’s eyes widened.
Brandon went to the other side of the room and grabbed the extra shotgun off of the nearby table. He confirmed it was loaded, then threw it to Sam.
“You guys can’t do this!” Will pleaded.
Brandon kicked down the back door, and the howls of the Empties rang into the house. Will grabbed the shotgun and jumped to his feet again, then raced for the front door. He heard the pump of the shotgun and looked back to see Brandon take the first shot, smoke filling the air around the barrel as he connected with one of the beasts outside.
“Go, Will,” Sam said. “Just go.” He then turned toward the back door, pumping the shotgun.
Hands shaking, Will opened the front door and ran outside.
Jessica
“Get out here,” Jessica mumbled.
The gunshot had drawn Sam inside, taking away her eyes outside of the vehicle. Moments earlier, she’d heard the creatures approaching from behind the house, and she now found herself looking around to see if any Empties had gathered in the front yard. She’d even slumped in the seat to try and hide in case any showed up.
A bang came from the back yard and Jessica’s tired eyes widened. Almost simultaneously, the front door swung open and Jessica sat up straight in the seat. Carrying a rifle on each shoulder, a large bag, and a shotgun in his hands, Will ran to the vehicle. He opened the passenger-side back door and tossed the weapons on the seat, slammed the door, and then jumped into the seat next to Jessica.
“Go!” Will yelled.
Jessica narrowed her eyes. “No, wait. Where’s Brandon and Sam?”
A gut-wrenching scream came from the backyard, and it caught both Will and Jessica’s gaze. Jaw dropped, Jessica looked over to Will.
“It’s too late,” Will said. “Get us out of here. I’ll explain on th
e way.”
Her hands trembling, Jessica grabbed the shift, put the car into reverse, and backed out of the driveway. She pulled into the street unscathed, and started to creep down the road.
“Turn on the lights,” Will said. “No reason to try and hide anymore. Just get us the hell out of this place.”
Jessica turned the lever to shine the headlights, and her eyes widened again. There was a narrow path in front of them down the middle of the road, but it was quickly filling with Empties.
“Shit! Go!” Will yelled.
But Jessica’s foot was already on the gas.
Around them, the beasts growled and lunged toward them. Nails scratched at the sides of the SUV, but Jessica managed to move past the small horde to an open road. A house with lights on on the inside caught Jessica’s gaze and she looked to see a young girl standing in a window upstairs. The child held a stuffed animal close to her chest and waved at Jessica as they passed.
Jessica faced her head back to the road and turned onto the main throughway without stopping as she reached the end of the street.
Chapter 9
Will
When they had almost arrived back at the hospital, Will was sure to remind Jessica to pull into the garage from the opposite direction they’d left. His hope was that the Empties they’d led out of the garage had continued to aimlessly follow them down the street and had now disappeared far off into the city and the night.
“Cut the lights,” Will said. The working street lamps along the sidewalk could guide them, and Will hoped turning the headlights off would help keep them from attracting Empties.
As they arrived at the side of the hospital, just around the corner from the entrance to the parking garage, Will was honestly surprised to not see any Empties yet. Normally, at least a few of the things hung around each side of the building. When they turned the corner, it was much the same. There was a large spot of light on the road that shined from the parking garage, and there still didn’t seem to be any creatures around.
“You really think they all left?” Jessica asked.
“Hopefully. Just gotta be on the lookout in the garage.”
Will didn’t say it, but he hoped to God that the creatures hadn’t turned around and headed back to the top of the parking garage. His worst fear was that they’d reach the door leading back to the group, but that it would have been busted down, and the place overrun with Empties.
Jessica pulled the Ford Escape into the entrance of the garage, and Will cracked his window. If any Empties were in here, their snarls would echo through the open concrete space.
But he didn’t hear anything.
With each level they moved up in the garage, a feeling of relief passed over Will. There wasn’t a single Empty in sight, and he was still unable to hear any.
As they inched closer to the top level, he finally began to hear snarls. But when they came around the last corner and headed up the small incline, just two beasts stood at the top, near the door.
“They must’ve not felt like following their friends out of here,” Jessica said. “You gonna shoot ‘em?”
Will shook his head. “We don’t know how far those others made it. A gun shot in the garage will sound off a long way. Plus, I really don’t want to scare anyone inside.”
“Alright, so what do you wanna do?”
Will pushed the button to lower the window the rest of the way and he hung his head out the door. Putting his fingers to his lips, he whistled. The two creatures turned to face the vehicle, and they snarled louder.
“What are you doing?” Jessica asked.
The Empties walked toward the small SUV, standing almost shoulder to shoulder with each other.
“Hit the gas,” Will said.
She looked at him and narrowed her eyes. “And mess up a car we have keys to? No!”
He ignored her. “Wait just a second. Let them get past where the fence used to be.”
“I’m not going to hit them.”
“Yes you are. We don’t need this car. There’s plenty others here if this one gets wrecked.”
The two Empties walked past where the gate had once stood, and Will pointed toward them.
“Now!”
Jessica hit the gas, and the front end plowed into the two creatures, sending one over the top of the vehicle and cracking the windshield in the process. The other creature went under one of the tires.
Will opened the glove box and grabbed the large kitchen knife he’d stored in there; then, he stepped out of the car.
He went to the beast closest to the vehicle. It lay on its back, and one of its legs had been almost severed. This one had gone under the vehicle. It didn’t even put up a fight as Will leaned down and stabbed the knife into the side of its head.
The other Empty sat up, and Will kicked it in the shoulder as he approached it, driving the knife down into its forehead. He hurried back to the vehicle and got inside.
“Pull up close to the door,” Will said. He looked over to Jessica, who was staring at him, a look of concern over her face. “What?”
“Do you feel any remorse when you kill them?” she asked.
Will shook his head. “They aren’t human. Not anymore.”
“But you still have to look into those eyes when you kill them.”
“Their eyes are empty, and I have to stay convinced of that. If I start trying to tell myself there’s a person back there, I’ll hesitate. If I hesitate, I’ll die.”
He used a towel that he found in the glove box to wipe down the blade of the knife.
Jessica bowed her head.
“What?” Will asked.
“I’m just worried we’re going to lose all our humanity,” Jessica said. “That we’re all gonna become dark and cold.”
He lifted her chin so she’d look at him and then said, “Everything we’re doing is to save whatever humanity we have left. That’s why we’re here. Guys like David Ellis, I’m sure there’s a lot of them out there. People who’ve already let go of any dignity they had. But that’s not gonna be us.”
Without saying another word, Jessica eased off the brake and pulled the car toward the door.
Gabriel
“They’re back!”
The shout in the hall came from Holly, and Gabriel rose out of bed and rubbed his eyes. After he and Marcus had gathered the bodies of Melissa, Kristen, and Trevor, he’d tried to lay down for a little while. It had been useless, as he’d had far too much on his mind to grab any sleep.
Gabriel stepped out of his room to see Will coming through the door at the end of the hall. Marcus took a bag from Will as Will set a shotgun and a rifle on a nearby table. Will’s hands were red and his clothes were soaked in blood. Holly ran to him and he held her tight. She was crying, and Will gave her long strokes up and down her back, assuring her he was fine.
When Jessica walked in just after Will, she shut the door behind her, then set down a rifle she’d had in her hands. Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. Sarah came from her room and walked past Gabriel, and she was able to get the question out before he could.
“Where’s Brandon and Sam?” Sarah asked.
Will pulled back from Holly and looked at Sarah. It was a familiar look, and Gabriel knew right away—just from Will’s eyes—that the news wouldn’t be good. Will glanced over to Marcus with tired eyes, then looked back to Sarah and shook his head.
“I’m sorry,” Will said.
“Sorry for what?” Sarah asked quizzically.
Will lowered his head, placing his hands on his hips.
Sarah covered her mouth and started to cry, and Holly left Will’s side to go to her. Holly wrapped her arm around the nurse, then led her down the hallway to her room.
Gabriel made his way over to Will, Marcus, and Jessica, and he reached out to shake Will’s bloody hand, pulling him in for an embrace.
“Glad you made it back,” Gabriel said as they patted each other’s backs. He pulled away.
“What happened to them?”
Marcus asked.
“I really need to sit down,” Will told them, collapsing down at a nearby table.
Gabriel listened as Will first explained to them the good news about how his strategy to lead the Empties out of the garage had worked, making it a breeze to get back into the hospital when they’d returned. Will then told them everything that had happened at the house, and how Brandon had eroded once he’d found his father lying in his bed, dead of an apparent suicide.
“I tried to get him out of there, but he fired a shotgun at me. Told me if I didn’t leave him, he wouldn’t miss the next time. Sam ran inside once he heard the gunshot. He decided to stay with Brandon. We ran into some resistance on our way out to the parking garage, and he got bit.”
“Shit,” Marcus said.
Will bowed his head. “There was a large horde that had made it to the back patio, but I still shouldn’t have left them.”
Gabriel started to say something, but before he could, Jessica spoke.
“I would have done the same thing after I found my parents if your mom hadn’t been there to talk some sense into me. But I wanted to live. Brandon made his choice.”
“And you can’t blame Sam for what he did,” Marcus added.
Will looked up and nodded, and then his eyes met Gabriel’s. “How’d everything go here?”
“We’ve got everything ready to go,” Gabriel said. “Just take your time getting cleaned up and we can start whenever you’re ready.”
Will squeezed Gabriel’s shoulder. “Thanks, brother.” Will stood up, then leaned down to kiss Jessica on the forehead and mumbled, “Thank you.”
He left for his room.
Will
The rest of the group were awaiting Will when he came back out of his room about a half hour later. Holly stood at the front and, without a word, took Will’s hand as he approached her. She turned and walked with him down the long hallway toward the elevators as the rest of the group followed. Everyone was silent.
As they reached the elevators, they turned to the double doors which were now decorated with flowers. Holly would later mention that she’d collected them from the various vases that sat around the hospital. Gabriel moved in front of them and finally broke the silence.
Empty Bodies Box Set | Books 1-6 Page 37
