The Demented Z (Book 3): Contagion (12 page)

Tom ignored her.  
“Echo One is what he called the R and D facility.
  Matches where the officer
was going to send those guys.”

“Perfect, let’s roll.”  
Hank said.

Hannah nodded her head.  
“I’m in.”

“Seattle…Doc wrote that it’s in Seattle.
  We don’t even know where in Seattle.”
  Tom answered.

“Quitter.”
  Hank jabbed.

“Ahhh …come on, we’ve hit the end
of the road. We came here to see if we
could find anything. Seattle?
  No way.”

  Hannah leaned in
toward Tom. “We can’t stop…we’re on the
trail. You’re right we came here to find
something and we did. We have to keep
going.”

“You know we will die.  
Kelly and Sam can survive on their own, but
that doesn’t mean they don’t need me.”

Hank walked over next to them.
  “What if I told you where we can find the
location of this Echo One?”

Tom laughed out loud.  
“And how would you know this?”

“I know stuff.”

They could smell the smoke before they could see it.
  The unnatural stench was clearly more than
just burning wood. It had an acrid, chemical
smell that only came from burning man made products.
  As they drove on, thick black smoke appeared
along the tree line.

“That’s the compound.”  
Hannah said.

Nobody said anything.

Hannah gasped as they broke through the tree line into the
clearing. Huge plumes of smoke spiraled
into the sky ahead of them. It was a
terrifying sight. Flames reached high
above the wooden walls, chasing after the dark smoke.
  It looked like half the compound was engulfed.

Tom eased off the accelerator.
  “Should we just head for the cabin…skip this
mess?”

“No! Isaac’s still in
there.” Hannah said.

“Do you think he – “Tom started to say.

“Don’t.” Hannah said
before he could finish.

“Okay then, let’s check it out.”

They raced up to the front gate, skidding to a stop a few feet
away. The usual tower and gate guards
were nowhere to be seen. There was
movement beyond the gate but the smoke obscured the view too much to make it
out. They sat in silence for quite a
while.

Hank was the first to speak.  
“I don’t think it’s going to get any less burned the longer we sit
here.”

Before they left the military compound they all stocked up
on ammo and M4 carbines. They each
grabbed their rifles and piled out of the SUV.  
The acrid stench of smoke was overwhelming this close, stinging their
eyes and nostrils. Shouts, screams, and
gunfire filled the air.

Tom led the way to the man sized door that stood wide open
next to the entrance gate. They slipped
through the wall and were hit full force with a scene of pure chaos.
  Buildings were on fire everywhere.
  People were racing between camp trailers.

Tom turned back to Hannah.  
“You have to lead us to where Isaac was kept.”

She didn’t’ say anything, instead moving past him with her rifle
held out and ready. Using the giant
outer wall as a guide, they moved along the edge of the compound.
  The three of them moved quickly, staying
crouched low in hopes of getting to the trailer unnoticed.
 

It was as they were nearing the corner of the wall that a
man wearing only underwear raced out from between a pair of large tents.
  The three of them froze with their rifles
pointed directly at the man. Underwear
stopped, staring at the three of them.  
Recognition crossed his face when he spotted Hannah.

She said, “What happened here Roger?”

The man breathed a sigh of relief and then sprinted past
them without answering.

Hannah didn’t waste any time with him and instead moved
further along the outer wall. After
about twenty yards she came to a stop and turned to Tom and Hank.
  She pointed between a set of camp
trailers. “We go between those and then
angle to the left…should be right in front of us.”

Tom started to nod his head when a screaming woman raced
into view right where Hannah had just pointed.  
The woman continued to sprint out of sight.
  Before anyone could say anything a small
group of people raced into view and then disappeared after her.

“The contagion has spread here.”
  Tom said.  
Alarm bells were going off in his head and he knew they had to get out
of this place as soon as possible.  
“Let’s hurry.”

Hannah raced between the buildings.
  Hank and Tom were right on her heels.
  Not even slowing down, she angled around the
corner in the opposite direction that the woman had disappeared in.

Tom made the corner behind her and risked a quick glance in the
other direction. The woman was being
pulled to the ground by the group of demented.  
Her screams tore at Tom. Anguish
and fear drowning out everything else.  
He turned back toward Hannah and pushed his legs to move faster.

Just beyond Hannah sat a blue mobile home, sandwiched
between two fully engulfed travel trailers.  
The intense heat was beginning to melt the blue siding.
  It wouldn’t be long before everything was
gone.

“In here.” Hannah shouted
as she raced up the wooden steps leading to the home.

Tom rushed in behind her and found she was up next to the
far interior wall, digging through a metal locker.
  A few feet away stood Isaac, still alive and
a huge look of relief on his face.  
Hannah found what she was looking for and raced over to Isaac, dropped
to a knee and began working on the lock at his ankle.

“I’m so glad you made it back.
  I’ve been worried ever since you left.”
  Isaac said.

She got the lock off and stood up, wrapping her arms around
him and burying her face in his chest.  
With a small laugh she said, “You were the one worried?
  I thought…Miles…I didn’t know what –
“She started choking
up and couldn’t finish.

Isaac suddenly snapped his head over toward Tom.
  “Miles…Your wife and kid are with Miles.

Tom stood with a confused look on his face.
  “What?”

“They showed up earlier.  
The boy was real sick and she came looking for medicine.”
  He let go of Hannah and pointed to the
north. “They’ve been with Miles.
  He’s scum.”

Tom stood motionless, unable to process the possibility that
Kelly and Sam would be in this deathtrap.  
He didn’t want to believe it.  
When he left, Sam was doing okay and they had plenty of supplies to last
a long time.
Isaac has to be mistaken.

Hank grabbed Tom by the arm.  
“Let’s go get them. We have to
move.”

“He’s wrong…it wasn’t them.”

“I promise you it was them.  
I talked to them.”

“We’re wasting time.  
Come on.” Hannah said.

Hank pulled his pistol and handed it to Isaac.
  “Lead the way.”

Smoke was beginning to fill the narrow trailer and flames could
be seen just outside the far windows.  
The trailer was going to be gone in a matter of minutes and they had to
get out. Isaac and Hannah were the first
to react, rushing past Tom and Hank.

“Move it. This whole
compound is going to be ashes.” Hannah
shouted.

They all followed Isaac out of the door and back into the
chaos. Flames shot into the sky,
towering above them. Screams were barely
audible above the crackling and popping of fiery consumption.
  Choking smoke rolled between buildings,
driven by the fire’s drafts.
The four of them piled into one another, frozen at the base of the
steps, staring at the pandemonium.

After a brief hesitation, Isaac took off in a low
crouch. He was moving toward the center
of the compound. As much as Tom’s mind
told him to get out of here, he raced after him.
  Hank and Hannah were right behind the two of
them. They had only taken a dozen steps
when two men raced around the corner of a burning building just ahead.
  Their eyes were red with rage and their
mouths opened in angry growls as soon as they saw Isaac.
  Both men sprinted directly toward them, their
mad rush carrying them right through the flames of the nearest building.
  The intense heat caused their clothes to
burst into flames. Oblivious to the fire
they continued forward. Isaac pulled up
his pistol. Two quick
booms
and they both fell to the ground.
  Their burning flesh sizzled, issuing a
sickening stench.

Isaac led them further along, staying far from the bodies
and flames. It only took a few zigzags
through the structures before they came to a wide opening with the large farm
house sitting out in the open. Three men
stood on the large wrap around porch.  
They each had rifles up to their shoulders and were firing at unseen
foes.

“In there.” Isaac
said while dropping to a knee.

Tom crouched down next to him.
  “They’ll shoot us if we run out there.”

Hannah caught up to the two of them and stood watching the
scene. “Why are they still there?”
  Her eyes went to the burning buildings next
to the farm house. “That place is going
up.”

“You guys get out of here.  
I’ll go get them.” Tom said.

“Don’t be stupid.  
Someone’s got to watch out for you.”  
Hank said.

Tom knew better than to waste time arguing with him.
  He looked over at Isaac.
  “Thanks.  
Now you two get out of here and we’ll meet you near the tree line.”
  He pulled keys from his pocket and slapped
them into Isaac’s palm.

The kid looked him in the eyes and then gave a nod, seeing
that this was what Tom wanted. He
slapped Hannah on the shoulder and the two of them disappeared into the
swirling smoke.

“What’s the plan boss?”  
Hank grumbled.

“We step out there we’re dead.”

“Yip.”

“Try to sneak to the back it’ll take too long and we’re
dead.”

“Yip.”

“Guns blazing?”

“Yip.”

“They could be good people.”

“Yip.”

Tom looked over at Hank.  
“Stop it.”

“Okay…I think they’re dirt bags.
  Why they still here?
  They’re shooting everything that moves.
  Probably started this
mess.”

“Good enough for me.”  
Tom said while pulling his rifle up to his shoulder and sighting through
the scope. “I’ll take the one on the
left.”

“I got the one on the right…meet in the middle.”

“Three…Two…One…”

Both rifles
thundered
at the same moment, dropping two of the men.  
The third man never even noticed the shots or the fact that his team
members now lay dead. Hank’s rifle
roared again, taking out the final man.

“Too slow Joe.” Hank
said with a grin of pride.

Tom and Hank raced out across the open space.
   Before they reached the steps of the farm
house a small group came rushing out from behind the house.
  Tom raised his rifle to gun them down.
  One of them, an older bearded man, threw his
hands up in the air. Those around him
slowed to a stop and held their hands out, showing they were weaponless.

Tom was relieved to find them not infected.
  He lowered his rifle and shouted, “Get out of
here… go !”  
Rather than watch them go, he sprinted up the porch steps and made for
the front door. Hank followed right
behind.

“We go in fast.” Tom
said while hesitating at the front door.  
When Hank nodded in agreement, he turned the knob and shoved the door
open.

Rifle up and ready, Tom rushed through the opening and swept
to the left. Hank followed right behind,
moving to the right. They both shouted “clear”
and moved to an open doorway.

From somewhere upstairs they heard a voice shout, “Is that
you Blake?”

Tom and Hank froze, looking up at the ceiling.

“I’m almost finished here.  
Watch the front.”

Hank looked over at Tom.  
“Sweep this floor first.” He
whispered.

Tom nodded his head and moved through the doorway with his
gun up. The kitchen was empty.
  Both men swept around each side of the thick
dining table and then made their way out into a back hall that led to a rear
door. Hank pointed to a narrow side
hall. Both of them quickly moved down
the hall sweeping through rooms, finding nothing.

At the base of the stairs Tom whispered, “He’ll expect one
of his men…don’t say anything and we move in quick.”

Hank nodded his head in agreement.

“If Isaac’s right, Kelly and Sam are up there
somewhere. Watch your lines.”
  Tom added while beginning up the stairs.
  They creaked and groaned with each step,
whining with age.

They were both halfway up when a voice shouted, “Get
outside. Almost done.”

Tom glanced back at Hank and then continued up the stairs,
trying to place his feet close to the wall to stay as quiet as possible.
  As he reached the top of the stairs he caught
a whiff of smoke, reminding him that the fire would be raging outside, time was
limited. The hallway formed a ‘T’ splitting
in both directions. They looked the
same.

Tom was caught in momentary hesitation when a door at the
far end of the hall flew open and Miles stepped out.
  He was looking down at his pants, brushing at
unseen filth with his hands. His face
and shirt were dotted with tiny red specks.  
A look of surprise and confusion crossed his face when he spotted
Tom. “Whaaa.” Was
all he could say initially.
  He quickly displayed his bright white teeth
in a huge grin. “Am I glad to see you?”
  His feet started slowly sliding back toward
the room he had walked out of. He stole
a quick glance back into the room.

Rifle raised, Tom said, “Don’t move.”

Miles ducked back into the room and out of sight.
  Tom had pressure on the trigger, but knew it
would be too slow, so he eased off and raced down the hall after him.
  Hank’s boots pounding on the wooden floor
sounded behind him. At the end of the
hall he whipped around the corner with his rifle at the ready.

******

The screaming was incredibly loud; filled with anguish,
hatred, and sadness. It tore at the pit
of a person’s stomach. Choking sobs mixed
with crying and screams. Tom was on his
knees. In a distant fog, he wondered who
was so torn up to be making such horrible noises.
 
Couldn’t
someone help them, comfort them?
Suddenly
it hit him; he was the one screaming.

His vision cleared and the world came back into focus.
  Hank was across from him, pulling Miles back
through an open window, foiling his escape.  
Across from them sat a large bed with heavy wooden posts.
  Tom could hear the dripping.
  One drop after another plopped into a puddle
that kept growing across the wooden floor.  
Bile rose in the back of Tom’s throat.

Hank threw Miles to the floor right next to Tom and then
used his boot to step on the man’s neck.  
“I’ll do him right now, just give me the word.”