The Dead Years - ORIGINS - Book Zero (A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller) (3 page)
The line of cars leading into his neighborhood, reminiscent of rush hour traffic he used to fight daily, became eerily still from the time he last peered through the front window of his home. The horde that came through in the last few minutes left their mark on those who choose to remain in their vehicles and wait it out. Half-eaten torsos hung from car windows as others who tried to make a last minute run for the open field to the south were run down and paid the ultimate price for their decision. The small handheld axe he decided to bring for protection now seemed obnoxiously irrelevant.
William quickly examined the area as he weaved his way through the congested mess, pausing where the last few cars had been pushed up onto the sidewalk by an entity much larger. It appeared that something had come through the area like a giant snowplow and pushed all non-essential vehicles out of its way as it left the area. The mauled tire tread from the overturned blue pick-up shifted under his feet as he broke out into the open and began to run along the recently cleared street.
What appeared to be a fresh kill and its attacker lay between him and the entrance to his in-law’s apartment building. Simply sidestepping it wasn’t in his nature and although the world changed, he had yet to. William backed ten paces into the street and quickly covered the distance with only a few steps, jumping onto the retaining wall and avoiding the Feeder who had turned its attention to him.
His guess was that the long hallways of the apartment building had either been overrun by the last wave of infected or they hadn’t yet arrived. With the interior lighting in this area of the building inoperable, he was leaning toward the former. The only space he was concerned with today lay at the end of the deadly quiet hallway. With the tension rising in his chest, William moved through the dark hallway, running his right hand along the wall and counting the doors until his weight pushed in the entrance to his destination, the last of the day’s light pouring into the hallway.
The front room only fifteen feet ahead, William knew the legs lying sprawled on the thick shag carpet belonged to his wife’s father. The monster hunched over him didn’t bother to look up or even acknowledge his presence as he lunged forward with every ounce of bodyweight he owned, driving the axe deep into the back of its skull. The Feeder fell forward as William also crashed to the ground. Struggling to his feet, the stench that blanketed the apartment told him all he needed to know about his father-in-law’s condition.
Buried too deep, his weapon was irretrievable and of no further use. He searched the rest of the apartment for what he assumed would be another devastating loss, although she was nowhere to be found. How on earth did his mother-in-law escape this? Where’d she go? And how was he going to explain this to his wife?
Sliding down along the blood-splattered wall between the kitchen and the living room, he slumped to the floor and ran through what needed to happen next. He had responsibilities and not only to his wife. She needed him to get back home in one piece and with what he’d seen in the last few minutes this wasn’t going to happen by accident.
Assuming he was hallucinating due to what was officially the darkest day this planet had ever seen, he rose to his feet ahead of his father-in-law who’d begun to re-animate. His father-in-law’s milky white eyes fluttered open as he sat forward and appeared to growl at Williams’s mere existence.
William backed up to the open door and watched as this man he’d gone golfing with not twenty-four hours earlier, pushed away from the mess of rotting flesh and blood-soaked flooring to a standing position. Fragmented swatches of rose colored skin hung from his neck and midsection, swaying with each step he took. Tiny rivers of blood ran along his pant legs, racing to the floor as he moved more quickly toward William.
Backing into the hall with his father-in-law only steps behind, he had no other choice but to run. This thing he had become was no longer the man William knew and he didn’t think he had the nerve to do what was needed to stop him.
Now in a footrace to the end of the hall and the upcoming stairwell, William glanced backward to see his pursuer not five paces behind. “
How was this possible
?” This man, twenty-five years his senior, had trouble simply walking across the courtyard three days ago.
Making his way down the final flight of stairs and onto the paved walk that led to the parking lot, William spotted a vehicle slowly making its way toward him. Neither looking like it was slowing or in a rush to exit the area, the driver must have been looking for something else as it turned the final corner coming toward the end of the yard. William lowered his head and sprinted directly for the car with his father-in-law chewing at his heels.
Surprised he’d only spent four rounds along his trek home; Randy arrived at the entrance to his building with little trouble. Before entering, he turned and stood in the shadows, taking in the chaotic scene and contemplating his next move. “
This won’t end, it can’t. I shouldn’t have let her leave. I was her best chance for survival
.”
From where he stood, parts of the city had already begun to shut down as the need for reserve power taxed the already overworked grid. He needed more information on the infected zones and with the unpredictability of the day’s events, his area could lose power at any time. Shaking his head, Randy turned back to the building and hurried through the lobby to the stairwell.
Each footfall more deliberate than the next, the stairwell to his apartment never seemed so damaged. His routine of using the stairs from the lobby to his floor in place of the elevator favored his personality. There were no awkward silences, no one to avoid him and no hushed conversations he pretended not to hear. He preferred the solitude of one step after another, although never quite this irritating. Each shift of weight from one foot to another reminded him why the rent for this building was well below that of neighboring areas.
Reaching his floor and without hesitation, Randy used his left hand to pull the door open and with the other he removed the weapon from his waistband and instinctively fired one round into the monster already closing the space between the two. One shot was all it took to take down the middle-aged, overweight former grocery store employee. Impressed with the accuracy in which he drew down on this particular sub-human, Randy studied the entry wound just above its left eye and was baffled by the lack of an exit wound. “
Must be in there somewhere
.”
Not recognizing this man from the building, Randy assumed he’d followed someone here from the market down at the corner and was simply searching for his next victim. His nametag read ‘Peter’ and dragging him to the far end of the hall was no easy task. Peter must have outweighed him by fifty pounds and the rotting flesh made the task all that much more trying.
Laying the fallen beast against the wall and out of sight, the gentle buzz that rattled the floor beneath, indicated that the elevator was being summoned. Turning to head back, three more infected had rounded the corner, although apparently not focused on him. The gentle movement from below seemed to disorient them and Randy used this to his advantage, quickly reaching his apartment before the group ahead.
Once inside, Randy secured the three entry points and headed for the bedroom. He used three black duffle bags to begin gathering the mini arsenal he’d collected over the years. Heading for the kitchen, he tossed a frozen burrito into the microwave and grabbed the phone while it cooked. Surprised it was still operational; he dialed an old friend who’d made the transition to civilian life much more seamlessly than he, even if he’d joined a big city police department.
“Hey it’s me, what’s the status?”
Pacing the floor while monitoring the city from the oversized window at the rear of his apartment, Randy continued. “Every car with only one patrolman, what’s the point in even leaving the station?”
“Where’s it headed?”
“How’s the grid?”
“Yeah, I know my man. Just get out of the city as quickly as you can. It’s gonna get real nasty tonight and for the next few weeks.”
“Trust me, there’s no one left for you to protect and serve.”
“Be safe bud… take care”
Knowing his friend wouldn’t take the advice; Randy tossed the phone onto the counter. Grabbing the burrito and his laptop, he dropped to the couch, intent on gleaning what he could from the web as the sun fell beneath the horizon, ushering in the first night in hell.
As the hours escaped, so did his hope. He listened with his head back and eyes closed, as the sounds of the night rose and dissipated with the horrific medleys of tortured souls losing their battle with the infected.
Never closer than a few miles, Randy shot from the couch as two quick gunshots sounded from the alley below his building. He hadn’t checked the time since closing his laptop, and knew the concept of time stopped mattering hours ago. Hurrying to the window, he struggled for a moment with what he was witnessing as the third shot rang out. What was Mason doing? That alley at this time of night was a death sentence, even before the events of the past day. Tonight it was all but assured.
Reaching for the nearest pistol, Randy bolted for the door. Racing through the hall and down the many flights of stairs, he needed to reach his friend in time. This situation just turned personal as Mason was like a brother to him. He couldn’t let this happen. Avoiding a growing horde as he breeched the entrance to his building and made his way into the alley, Randy caught a quick glimpse of Mason unmoving with one of those things clawing its way on top.
Cursing those who permitted the virus to escape into the public and not shutting it down years ago, Randy sprinted the length of the darkened concrete path to his friend. This was never supposed to happen, although he always figured it would… at some point.
. . .
As they moved from one area to the next, the hours passed. Sitting in the back seat, watching the complete annihilation of every city they moved through had her heart racing. At times, she felt as though she’d wake from this nightmare in a sweaty, panicked mess. The images at times too graphic to comprehend, Savannah shielded her eyes as the two animals in the front seat appeared to bond over the hell that had fallen to earth that day.
“We’re here,” Jason said as Savannah slid down into the fetal position, along the rear floorboard once again. “Savannah, you staying here?”
She didn’t answer; she covered her ears and didn’t look up. Jason snatched the rear door open and knelt to her level. “I probably deserve whatever it is your thinking, although I’m the only one protecting you from those things at this point. You may want to show a little gratitude.”
The outdoor mall appeared to have escaped the early hours of the infection without too much damage. As night fell, the parking lot wasn’t much different than what would be found in the weeks leading up to a major holiday. Crowds rushing from store to store, grabbing what they could pack into their carts before heading back to their vehicles. Scanning the area, it appeared the infected had already come through the area or they’d be here soon and things were about to get much worse. Either way, the brothers knew what supplies they needed and time was working against them.
“I’m staying here; I can’t stand to see any more of this… or you,” Savannah said.
“Your choice,” Jason said. “We’ll be back as soon as we can. Try to stay out of sight.” He slammed the door and the pair headed off toward the stores.
Rising once again from her position on the floor, she waited until they disappeared into the night and jumped into the front seat. The keys were nowhere to be found, although she wasn’t surprised. While driving off without them would have been nice, she had mentally prepared herself for what she needed to do on the ride over.
With the hood release pulled, Savannah moved to the front of the car. Popping the hood, she grabbed a handful of spark plug wire and in one motion ripped it from the vehicle. Craning her neck to the left, she checked for any sign of Jason or Lance and slammed the hood back down. Making a beeline for the trees at the far side of the parking lot, she avoided a gathering horde near the street and randomly tossed the wires into the dumpster near the exit.
Less than a block from Randy’s apartment, the sound of gunfire nearly knocked her from her feet. She slowed to a light jog and scanned the area, searching for its origination. The streets leading to his building were free of the infected as well as any sign of stranded survivors. She was alone and couldn’t have been more relieved. Figuring she had no more than a fifteen minute buffer, Savanah again picked up the pace and headed across the greenbelt leading to the building.
A third shot rang out as she ducked into the building and made her way to the elevator. Hitting the call button and waiting for it to make its descent, Savannah chewed her nails. “
What’s taking so long
?”
Behind, the familiar slow paced footfalls signaled the first time in hours she’d have to face the infected. Not wasting time to confirm her assumption, Savannah turned and ran for the stairwell at the rear of the building. With each passing floor, her heart paced faster. Not only due to the strain of climbing two steps at a time, but also the anticipation of what waited outside the landing to her cousin’s floor.
Bursting through the stairwell door, she tumbled to the carpet and slid into the wall. Her imagination was beginning to control her every move. Three infected souls occupied the hall twenty feet beyond the entrance to Randy’s apartment. Savannah reacted only seconds before they did and won the footrace to his apartment. With only seconds to spare she was relived his door was unlocked as she twisted sideways into the foyer and slammed it shut behind her.
Catching her breath and looking around, she only half expected him to still be here. “Randy.”
Her cousin was already gone.
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