Plague of the Dead | Book 3 | Plague of the Island

by Rayfield, Alli

  “How would that even be possible?” Daniel asked. “I mean I’m ecstatic my best friend is still herself but everything we’ve seen so far has suggested that once bitten you’re toast.”

  “Everything we’ve seen but there are variables we don’t know yet.”

  “Like what exactly?” I asked.

  “Well all the data released before the world went to shit is that the virus ran its course and went away last time.”

  “You’re telling me it’s just going away?” Daniel asked doubtfully.

  “No, I’m saying that was the data. A possible variable on an endless number of possibilities. Without scientists or even proper equipment, I can’t run the necessary tests to figure out why Phoebe didn’t turn.”

  “What would you need to run them?” Daniel asked.

  “A lab. Time. Someone with a bigger brain than mine. Two out of three probably won’t cut it.”

  We were all silent as the words Luther said died between us. Everyone seemed to be deep in thought.

  “Everyone knows I was bit,” Phoebe began, “Are they going to let me come back?”

  “You’re going to need to be put in quarantine,” Luther said. “At the very least until your fever runs its course.”

  Phoebe nodded as Luther helped her up and walked with her back to camp.

  Daniel and I stayed behind. I closed and locked up the Jeep.

  “Do you think there’s something to that?” I asked him.

  “To what?”

  “Her not turning?”

  “Hard to say,” he said and began to walk back to camp. He stopped when he realized I wasn’t behind him.

  He turned to me, “What is it Shelly?”

  “It could mean something,” I stated.

  “Yeah, it could be, but we have no way of knowing what it could possibly be presently.”

  “We could. We could go back to the Air Force Base and…”

  “And what? Shelly, the base is gone. Communication is gone. We’re safe here. We can’t risk losing that.”

  “Even if we have a chance to save the world?” I asked.

  “The chance is too slim to roll the dice on.”

  I was disappointed by his response. He seemed to read it on my face.

  “Shelly, I know you want to get out of this. See your sister. But you have to think of the group.”

  “We could do a small team,” I said knowing he wouldn’t agree to it.

  “No, Shell. And don’t go running off on a rogue mission again. You’re pregnant and it’s too dangerous.”

  “I’m not going to,” I stated pretending the thought hadn’t danced in my mind however briefly. I knew the risk was way too high for me to go on such an exploit. “But what if she is the key to the cure?”

  “You’re telling me the key to the cure is sitting in our camp right now? Has been this whole time? On an Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? I just can’t believe that.”

  “Why didn’t she turn then?” I asked.

  He shrugged clearly exasperated by this conversation.

  “Look,” He said, “If things change here for us, we’ll go to the base, but we can’t risk it otherwise.”

  I sighed in annoyance, but I knew he was right.

  “Okay,” I agreed meekly.

  Another thought occurred to me. One I had almost forgotten about in the chaos.

  “Hey, did Laura ever mention low food counts to you?” I asked him.

  He looked at me confused and shook his head, “No, why?”

  I shrugged, “The counts just seem a little low. Maybe it’s nothing, I’ll count them again.”

  “You sure? I can ask her about it,” he stated.

  I shook my head and waved my hands as if to wave the thought away, “No, I don’t want it to seem like I’m accusing her of anything. Plus, we used to have the eggs from the chickens, fish and coconuts so maybe she didn’t think it was that low.”

  “We can’t rely on those things though. We need the nonperishables just in case.”

  “I know that, maybe she got complacent,” I suggested.

  I had a nagging feeling there was something seriously wrong though. The concern left my mind presently as Daniel took my hand and we walked back to the camp together.

  Chapter 9

  Lasa ran up to me and gave me a big hug as we entered the beach past the car wall.

  “I missed you. I didn’t think you’d be gone all night,” she said.

  I knelt down as best I could to her, “I’m sorry sweetie. Auntie Phoebe still needed my help.”

  “So, she is going to be okay?” Lasa asked.

  “Yes, I think she will be,” I replied.

  “You just lied to her,” I heard someone screech behind me, “Phoebe was bit,” Laura added venomously.

  I glared at her. She scolded me for what she thought was lying to a child but then added that so tactlessly. I saw Lasa’s eyes widen in terror. She knew all too well what that normally meant.

  I wanted to slap Laura. She was even grinning at the result her little outburst caused.

  “I was going to call an emergency meeting,” Daniel began, “to explain the situation but Phoebe is in quarantine right now.”

  “What?” Laura asked looking at him. The color draining from her face.

  “She didn’t turn. She shows no signs of turning either. We’re keeping her in lock down until we’re sure.”

  “But…” Laura began.

  “But what?” I asked having difficultly standing up, “You terrified a child needlessly without learning any of the facts?” I asked, my anger boiling to the surface.

  Laura was in shock and made no reply.

  I turned away from her back to Lasa, “You okay?” I asked.

  “Aunt Phoebe is okay? Really?” was all she asked.

  “She’s doing alright, yes,” I told her, “Come on, let’s go rest a bit.”

  “See you at the meeting,” Daniel said and kissed me lightly.

  I walked back to the shack with Lasa. I laid down on my cot as Lasa told me all about fishing with Diana and Brian.

  I tried to listen intently, but Laura’s outburst played on my mind. With what had already concerned me, I didn’t know what to think. Was she and Holland trying to sabotage us? I knew they wanted to be in charge, but it seemed silly. Even cartoonish to think adults would be this ridiculous when life hung in the balance.

  “I caught a big fish,” Lasa said bringing my attention away from my thoughts, “But opted to eat some canned sausages. Brian caught one that looked like a zombie fish,” Lasa said and laughed.

  “A zombie fish?” I asked.

  Lasa nodded enthusiastically.

  “That sounds disturbing. What happened to the fish you caught?”

  “Diana fried it up and ate it.”

  I nodded again.

  Lasa continued to tell me more stories and demonstrated some of her shooting skills. I watched her attentively but was suddenly exhausted.

  “Sweetie, I’m proud of you. It’s been a long night though; I think I need a nap.”

  “Is the baby sleepy?” She asked sweetly as she rubbed my belly.

  I smiled, “I think so.”

  She kissed my belly and then my head, “Then you must sleep.”

  She laid in her cot next to me and colored.

  I drifted off to sleep. I don’t think it was very long before Lasa shook me awake. Before either of us spoke, I heard the shouting coming from outside.

  “Stay here,” I told Lasa as I grabbed my gun and went outside.

  The meeting area is where I saw Holland up in Daniel’s face. I couldn’t make out what he was shouting. It was incoherent noise.

  Laura stood back smirking and I was beginning to put together what was happening.

  I saw Gerald, Kent and Luther sitting off to the side watching. Luther looked like he had been punched.

  Molly sat next to Diana, rubbing her back. Diana looked almost green. She had to be extremely sick
.

  “She can’t stay here,” Holland demanded of Daniel.

  “I told you she is quarantined. We will not let her near anyone until we know for sure…”

  Holland interrupted, “For sure she won’t eat our insides? She was bit. She should be taken out.”

  Holland caught sight of me as I approached, his eyes narrowing at me.

  “I heard all about this one not wanting to take care of it when it happened from Kent.”

  Kent gulped and looked at me apologetically. “Good thing she didn’t though,” he said meekly.

  Holland turned to glare at him since Kent didn’t back him up. Kent said nothing more.

  “Phoebe didn’t turn,” Daniel reasoned.

  “Bull-shit. You’ve been blinded by this one from day one,” he said pointing to me. “And ever since you found out you knocked her up you’ve been catering to her every whim.”

  That was hardly true, but that was hardly neither here nor there in Holland’s rage. I was pissed off he was using me to justify his hot headedness.

  “Even though you’re clearly doing Laura’s bidding right now by staging this ridiculous fight in front of everyone?” I asked.

  “Stay out of this,” Holland barked at me.

  “You’re the one who dragged me into it asshole.”

  “Shut up Shelly,” Laura snapped, “if it wasn’t for you…”

  She had gotten up into my face, so I cut her off.

  “If it wasn’t for me what? Phoebe wouldn’t have gotten bit? Or no one would have noticed the low food counts you neglected to mention?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said backing up a bit.

  “Low food counts?” Kent asked, “The counts have been low? You should have mentioned that.”

  “They’re not low,” Laura said defensively. “She’s making it up.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. The whole thing was ridiculous.

  “Next thing she’s going to say is we put that zombie there under the car to bite Phoebe.”

  Everyone fell silent as eyes fell to Laura. The air somehow felt cold despite the muggy humidity surrounding us like a blanket.

  “What?” She asked noticing the shift in the atmosphere.

  “No one said the zombie was under the car Laura,” Daniel stated.

  “Yeah, Kent told me,” she invented wildly.

  “No, I never said that. I didn’t even know that’s where the zombie was,” Kent stated.

  Holland looked at Laura, his eyes seeming to be on fire.

  “Don’t look at me like that! I slipped. You said it would be her that got bit after you freaked her out in the rec area,” she said indicating she meant me.

  “What?” I asked.

  There were murmurs from everyone else. We all wanted answers.

  “Holland said if we could get you out of the picture, Daniel would step aside without a fight.”

  “Laura?!” Holland snapped.

  “I’m sorry,” she told him.

  “You’re sorry to him? You were going to help him turn me or kill me and you apologize to him?” I asked in disbelief.

  I was flabbergasted at the whole thing. It made me sick to my stomach and I wanted to throw up.

  Laura’s eyes became like razors and I saw her pull back her hand in a fist. Despite feeling a new wave of sickness unrelated to the baby, I was prepared to dodge what I’m sure would be a sloppy punch, but Gerald grabbed her wrist.

  “Enough,” He said his normally smooth voice almost menacing.

  “Don’t you touch her,” Holland snapped at Gerald.

  Gerald let go and stepped up to Holland, “Seriously? After all you’ve two done and she was about to punch Shelly!”

  “I don’t care,” Holland said.

  “You wouldn’t, would you, you selfish bastard?” Gerald said. His outburst silencing everyone as he was always so calm. “You have wanted to be the leader since you got here but you don’t have what it takes. You’re inconsiderate and blinded by power. You would’ve made a good politician but not a leader.”

  Holland opened his mouth to say something, but Gerald cut him off.

  “If Luther and Daniel believe Phoebe is okay, as crazy as it sounds, I’m going to believe them. Daniel always uses his best judgment. I trust him. You I don’t trust. Especially given you were trying to kill a pregnant woman and sabotage our food.”

  Laura began to protest, and Holland yelled at Gerald.

  His voice boomed louder than either of them, “Don’t get mad for being called out for what you are,” he said coldly.

  Laura lunged at him, red in the face. He walked away from her.

  “Stop it, both of you,” Kent said clearly talking to Holland and Laura. “You’re power hungry idiots and I’m sick of it.”

  “Is this for real?” Holland asked. “You’re going to side with him?” He said pointing to Daniel. “I was just trying to set order to this place. My actions were wrong I admit but what kind of leader is he? He didn’t punish her for doing an unauthorized run.”

  “He also didn’t punish you for the one you did after you first got here,” I said.

  Holland looked at me surprised I knew.

  “That was different,” He said, “the rules weren’t set up yet.”

  “But you were only doing it to try and get power and ended up almost getting killed,” Gerald stated flatly. “You seem to forget who had to bail your ass out. Lucky someone found you at all.”

  Holland opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He was silenced before he began.

  The fight had caused all of us to be distracted so it was easy enough for Diana to strike. She moved amazingly fast for having turned into a zombie.

  She took a swift bite out of Holland’s neck. The blood from his neck sprayed everywhere. It landed on Laura’s face and she let out a scream.

  Diana growled at Laura and lounged at her before any of us had a chance to react. Diana took a big bite out of her arm and then the side of her neck.

  Daniel grabbed his knife and put it through Diana’s skull.

  Gerald took care of Holland and Laura.

  I looked and saw Molly. She was covered in her own blood, standing in shock from the bite in her chest.

  Tears in her eyes, she looked at us and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

  Chapter 10

  We were all in shock from what had taken place. It had happened so fast. My head was spinning from the thought of it. Daniel, Kent, and Gerald stated they would clean up the bodies. Luther went to check on Phoebe and Brian.

  I lost the contents of my stomach on the beach. I sat and cried for what felt like hours. My eyes stung and my chest hurt from the force in which the tears left my body. After I got myself together a bit, I headed back to my shack to be with Lasa. I was shaking as I walked the few feet of beach to the front door.

  Lasa asked about the screaming and the look on my face. I’m sure my face had to be red from the crying and having thrown up. I told her the truth of what happened. She began to cry, and I fought the urge to cry again with her. Instead, I sang to her until she fell asleep.

  Daniel came in and told me Luther had inspected Diana’s body. No bites were found on her. Not so much as a scratch. He didn’t understand what had happened.

  I was thinking about what he said when Lasa suddenly asked, “was it the fish?” She must have woken up because of our talking.

  “What?” Daniel asked confused.

  “They went fishing,” I told him remembering what Lasa had told me. “One of the fish they caught looked like a zombie. The one Diana ate looked fine though right?” I asked Lasa.

  Lasa nodded, “I think so.”

  “How would a fish turn into a zombie?” Daniel asked.

  I shrugged as I had no idea. But I also had no idea how eating a fish could’ve caused Diana to turn in the first place. Especially if it was healthy.

  After Lasa went to sleep, Daniel and I walked over to the rec building to
visit Luther. We wanted to talk to him about what Lasa had said regarding the fish.

  He was as baffled as we were. He asked Brian about it since he was still awake.

  “Oh, the zombie fish?” He asked, “Yeah, it looked just like a zombie. Its scales were all dead looking and its eyes looked unfocused and crazy. It was biting at the air. It also had pus coming out of it.”

  Chunks were rising in my throat at the thought of such a sight. I must have turned green or something because Brian quickly looked at the ground.

  “Sorry” he muttered under his breath.

  “It’s okay,” I told him.

  Luther walked him to the other room to put Brian to bed.

  “Maybe the ocean is contaminated,” he suggested when he came back. “But that doesn’t make sense. I’m guessing Diana didn’t get it cooked all the way through. No more eating fish though, we can’t take the risk.”

  We nodded in agreement though it would put a strain on our already tight food resources.

  We had another strain and that was the number of eyes and ears we now had. We had lost four of our camp and we needed them to help keep us safe.

  Phoebe was let out of quarantine earlier than she probably otherwise would’ve been. She was feeling fine though, and we needed all the help we could get. All adults were put on rotating watch shifts, except me. Luther was still worried about mine and the baby’s health.

  I was put in charge of taking care of Brian and Lasa as well as the food duty.

  The next few days were very rough. I tried to teach and entertain the kids in the rec room as best I could. This was also as I continued to do surveys of our supplies. I’d finally figured out Laura’s system, but I was right about us being seriously low of food. Even with having four less mouths to feed, we were dangerously low. Without being able to fish, it caused the situation to be even more dire.

  We used to have access to fresh eggs but the chickens we used to have we had cooked as they were getting old. We thought we could replace them with some of the wild chickens that were all over the island, but we didn’t see chickens anymore. I guess they had become zombie food.

  We needed someone to go on an emergency run. Daniel had postponed runs due to the loss of half our camp. Plus, the runs needed to be further and further from camp since we had gathered all the supplies that could be found nearby.