A Zombie Survival Series (Book 1): Infestation Iowa (4 page)

              Trinity Corporation was a new medical research company for the government. It helped with things like trying to cure cancer, give flu shots – if it had anything to do with health, the company Trinity was involved. David put the laminated card into his jeans pocket and ran over to the sheriff’s car.

“We should get to town.” David said standing beside the car. The car still running shined its dim lights toward Doc and Holiday. David’s home spotlight still illuminated the yard and with Holiday’s car everyone could see around them very well. Doc and Holiday both looked at David with a solemn look.

“We can’t reach anyone over the C.B.” Holiday said. “And my cell won’t work anymore.” He continued as he held up his phone. David rushed up to Holiday and grabbed his cell phone. He pressed call on a number of contacts in Holiday’s cell phone. He tried to call 911 but got nothing. He even called his own home number but for once Holiday was right about the phone. It really didn’t work.

“We should still get to town!” David hollered as he handed the phone back to Holiday and ran to the passenger side of the car. He opened the door and placed one foot inside looking towards the others. They didn’t move, instead they just stared at him.

Just then the police radio kicked on with a loud buzz that made David remove his foot and take a step back. “Seriously!” He shouted startled once again. He went to continue but Holiday raised his hand.

              “Quiet!” Holiday yelled as he walked slowly to the car listening to Vivian over the police radio.

              “To anyone out there I repeat!”  She no longer sounded monotone like earlier; she was screaming and even crying, “Please stay away from Lone Tree! It’s not safe here! People are running everywhere…there are fires, and so much blood!” she started crying and lowered her vice. She started speaking softly “so much blood…” The radio buzzed again and then there was silence.

              “Your right David,” said Holiday pushing down on the top of his sheriff hat securing it tighter onto his head, “We have to get to town!” he walked to the driver’s side door and swung it open so fast it seemed like it nearly broke off the car. He looked toward Doc and then to David. He shook his head and closed his eyes. “I don’t know what the fuck is going on and I don’t care about why it’s happening.” His eyes opened filling with tears as he continued. “But god dammit people need our help!” He jumped into the car; David nodding did the same. Holiday grabbed the police radio and raised it to his mouth. “Viv!” Holiday waited for a response but got nothing. “Babe we are on our way!” Holiday waited a moment longer and hung the radio up.

              “Come on Doc!’ David yelled. Doc grabbed his rag off the ground and placed it in his pocket, this time easily hitting the pocket the first time. He ran up to the car, opened the back door, and slid into the back seat. Holiday backed his car up away from David’s home and together they sped down the driveway and started heading toward town.

David himself did not own a car; he spent everything he had on that house his parents left him. He made what was once a rundown house into his prideful home, even if it was still a little rundown. He couldn’t bear to look back at it as they sped away. For some reason he felt as if he would never see it again.

The sheriff’s car neared town very quickly, Holiday rarely drove the speed limit. David was surprised how much quicker getting to town is with a vehicle. Normally he would just run back and forth if he needed anything. He had run to town in all kinds of weather and at all times of day. Even at night. He was the first to notice how dark it was as they approached Alpine Auto. Holiday quickly slowed the vehicle and looked around cautiously.

              “Why is it so dark?” David asked. “Usually Jerrod has his lights on,” he turned his head towards Holiday and then towards Doc, both of them looked around trying to see anything. “And we should be able to see the town easily but all I see is a faint glow over by those trees.” David pointed his hand in front of them. Just before town a bunch of trees sat between Alpine Auto and the gas station. As they got closer they saw what was making the glow. The gas station was gone, only a small area of scorched metal and wood stood where everyone in town would get gas. The glow was the result of the fire that had died down to nearly nothing. Holiday slowed his vehicle even more as they rolled by where the gas station once stood. He looked at it; the look of disbelief on his face was so noticeable David could tell this was bigger than they all originally thought. He thought some crazy people might have attacked the town, a group of vandals, or maybe even some redneck militia trying to prove a point. He had no idea it was this bad. The town ahead was pitch black. He couldn’t make anything out ahead of them. Doc even leaned into the front seat trying to see anything ahead.

              “Sit back Doc,” Holiday said as he slowly drove forward, “We will just take it easy and get to the station.” Some fires barely lit small pockets on the road - remnants of destroyed cars and litter. The lights on the front of the car barely showed ten feet in front of them but it was enough to see roughly where they were going if they drove slow enough. Holiday went forward so slowly that if David got out of the car and walked he would probably move faster. David thought about this for a moment but realized it’s not only safer in the car but the lights they are using to see are on the car. Slowly they rolled down the street further into town.

Not a single sound could be heard in Lone Tree except for the slight idle of the car engine. The three of them missed the chaos from earlier and from what they could see of the town they were lucky they did. The car drove over some downed power lines, some assorted debris of garbage, and even a child stroller before they reached the station. Holiday parked the car in front of the station on the street. A small office with a single cell, it was like something out of an old western movie on the inside.

              Slowly, the three got out of the car squinting towards the dark station. This is where they heard Viv on the radio and if she was anywhere, and alive, then she would be here. Holiday walked slowly up the three stairs leading to the front glass double doors. He reached for his gun but the holster was empty. David still held his gun. Holiday pulled out his backup pistol from his holster on his other side. It was smaller than his preferred one but he didn’t mind using it if he had to. It may not have been bigger but it was definitely more accurate and held more shots. He placed his hand on the handle of one of the doors and looked back at David. David, holding the massive pistol firmly in front of him, nodded to Holiday that he was ready. Doc slid behind them waiting for the doors to open with so much anticipation he started biting his nails wildly. Holiday pulled the door open slowly and crept inside. The others followed with their eyes wide open but it was almost darker in the station then it was outside. Then Holiday rushed forward toward the front desk Viv always sat in. David looked around at everything quickly, his eyes slightly adjusting to the darkness, showed him more then he wanted to see. Papers littered the floor, some covered with what looked like blood. A few file cabinets were tipped over and there were bullet holes littering the walls. Somebody was definitely in trouble here. Doc peered around David trying to see anything he could as he continued to bite his nails. He then tapped David on the shoulder and pointed to the ground in front of them. A small flashlight was beside the front desk.

              “David,” Holiday whispered, “better come here.” David crouched and walked behind the desk to Holiday grabbing the flashlight as he went. Doc followed him closely. David turned on the flashlight with a loud click and shined it at Holiday who was looking at the carpet floor. David pointed the light where Holiday was staring and there on the ground was a woman’s arm. David leaned closer to it examining it as Doc shook his head and said,

              “Poor Girl,” he lowered his head still shaking it. He covered his chest with one hand and continued. “I barely knew her, doubt we talked more than twice.”

              “Wait …” David said looking closely at the arm on the ground. Then he picked it up with one hand and shined the light at the fingers. Holiday nearly had a heart attack. Holiday loved Viv and he thought nobody knew it, truth was everyone did. Even Viv.

              “What the hell are you doing!” Holiday said harshly grabbing the arm from David. “Show some fucking respect you little-” David cut him off.

              “It’s not Viv!” he said quickly.

Doc raised his head and leaned toward the arm trying to understand how David came to his conclusion. Then he shook his head again and said,

              “No way to really tell David,”

              “That’s definitely not her Doc!” David raised his voice. Holiday shushed him.

              “How do you know?” Holiday asked. David continued as he pointed towards the fingers.

              “Viv always had on rings. Even if they were taken off they would leave some kind of marks right?” David looked back and forth between Doc and Holiday waiting for a response. Finally Doc nodded his head.

              “He’s right sheriff. That ain’t Viv.” Doc and David both smiled at Holiday. After a few seconds, Holiday himself smiled looking at the arm. Then almost all at once their faces turned to sadness.

              “Then who is this?” Holiday asked ashamed for feeling joy that it wasn’t Viv. He lowered his head covering his face with the brim of his sheriff hat.

              “I don’t know,” Doc said, “could be anyone.”

              Suddenly, something slammed into the glass doors from outside. Glass flew at the desk as a loud smash echoed all around them. David stood up and pointed the flashlight at the door. Nothing was there. Holiday handed the arm to Doc and stood up beside David, both pointing their guns toward the now smashed open doorway. Doc looked at the arm and dropped it, standing up behind them. A long silence followed as they slowly started to walk toward the doorway. They moved to the front of the desk when they heard a loud clang from beside them. David shined the light toward the sound as their heads snapped toward the direction of the sound. A girl about seven or eight years old perched in the middle of the floor on her hands and knees. A tin can slowly rolled away from her. Her long blonde hair covering her face as her head moved around slowly. She wore a long flower dress and had a small bow on top of her head. Doc grabbed the flashlight and stepped in front of the others.

              “Little girl? You O.K.?” he asked inching closer to her. As her head slowly looked up towards them her hair parted showing her face. Doc moved even closer. They could now see she was perched over a woman with a missing arm. Her hair had hidden the sight of the body at first. The girl’s mouth was covered in blood and flesh, she growled softly. Her eyes checked each of them and she looked back to the body. She was deciding if she would attack them or continue eating. She bowed her head and ripped a part of flesh off the badly mangled remains. David and Holiday stood with their guns pointed at the girl. Holiday’s hand shook slightly from the stress he was feeling, David’s entire arm was wavering as he tried to keep holding the awkward massive pistol aimed at the little girl. After a few crunching sounds the girl looked back up towards the three of them, skin dangled from her mouth. She ripped more flesh off the body with her hand while chewing wildly. Doc dropped to his knees, “Oh my God,” he said dropping the flashlight on the ground with a loud snap.  The light still shone on the little girl as she raised her head. Her eyes grew wide open, and she started crawling towards Doc slowly. After a few inches she stopped and backed up to where she was before, over the body.

              “Doc,” David spoke softly, “Get back,” but Doc just stayed on his knees, a slight whimper came out of his mouth as the girl pulled out some muscle from the body with her hand and rubbed it into her mouth chewing. David leaned down placing one hand on Docs arm, the other hand in intense pain from trying to steady the gun on the girl. “Doc, get the fuck up.” David said with a rumble in his voice yet trying to stay quiet. Doc looked back at David sadly, and started to get to his feet. David stared at the child as Doc started to get up, he thought about how it was a little girl, how she was sick and it wasn’t her fault. He didn’t know what to do, or what was going to happen. As David thought about this the Doc’s foot gave out from under him and tapped the flashlight as he stood up. The flashlight slid across the floor towards the girl, she let out a horrific scream that none of them had ever heard before. Doc rolled onto his stomach and covered his ears lying face down. Holiday backed up towards the door his gun shaking uncontrollably. David steadied his hand and mustered all his strength to hold the gun towards the girl. She jumped from the mangled body and onto Doc; her hands seemed to slash at his back so quickly that by the time David blinked it was over. David aimed as best he could and pulled the trigger, this time the gun didn’t nearly jump out of his hand. A bullet hit the little girl in the shoulder; she ignored it completely, as if she didn’t even notice it. She sank her teeth into the Doc’s back as he let out a sorrowful scream. David pulled the trigger again making sure not to hit Doc; the next bullet hit her in the head. She fell limp on top of Doc’s back. Doc rolled onto his side pushing her off of him. He breathed heavily in excitement and in pain for a few seconds and then seemed calm. David looked back at Holiday and motioned with his hands, seeking an answer for why. Holiday just stood there, his gun not shaking, his eyes staring blankly. David couldn’t believe that the tough small town sheriff that once arrested him was so lost in this moment.

              “I know David,” the sheriff said in a whisper lowering his gun, “don’t you think I do.” He dropped his gun and turned away ashamed. Once again he brought out his lighter and flipped the top open and closed. Just then, Doc stood straight up facing David. His eyes pale white, with his mouth open wide he reached forward for David. David turned around and faced Doc, his face turning to surprise. Doc slowly pushed towards him, nearly pushing him over. David grabbed the side of Doc’s head with both hands. One hand dug into the little hair Doc still had on one side; the other hand, still gripping the pistol, pushed it firmly into the other side of his head. He tried to push him away as Doc snapped his jaw while turning his head towards Holiday.