Decay (Book 2): Humanity (11 page)

They had been heading south for some time now. Jonathan grew anxious as the bus putted along.  He really wished that the Mad Man driving it would move his ass. Fifty-Five was not an acceptable speed when his friend’s life was at stake. At one point he had pulled up alongside the bus and honked. Jonathan could just make out Mad Man Rob’s middle finger pressed against the window as he laughed that hearty laugh.

The bus made one more turn and Jonathan saw the fire station, or small town firebarn, on his left. Thoughts of Deacon, Sophia, and the twins came to mind as he turned onto the next street and watched the small building as he drove past. He missed them, and he really hoped he would make it back to them. More than anything though, he hoped he could turn this world back into a safe place for the twins to grow up in.

A half a mile down the road Jonathan saw what used to be a housing addition out of the passenger side of the BMW. Most of the homes had been burned down or torn apart, and there was debris in the yards under the patches of snow. Jonathan turned his focus back to the bus in front of him just in time to see that it had come to a stop in the middle of the road. Up close he could see that the license plate was just a stainless steel plate that read CREEPR 1. The writing was done in welds.

Jonathan was amazed at the massive wall that the bus had stopped next to. He estimated it around twenty feet high, and it was made of large sheets of tin and steel, boards, and what appeared to be body parts from cars, trucks, and busses. That is only what he could see in the dark. Jonathan was amazed by the sight of the massive wall, and after what seemed like forever, a man ran out of a small door and jumped on the bus. A minute later he climbed off and ran back to the BMW. Jonathan rolled the passenger side window down as the man approached. “Hello,” Jonathan said.

“Your friend was bitten?” the man asked. Jonathan could tell he was gripping a pistol under his heavy coat.

“No. We had an accident. He hit his head pretty hard,” Jonathan explained. “I was going too fast in the rain. Hit some ice.”

“Pull ahead of the bus. I’ll open the gate. Drive in slowly,” the man warned, dragging out the last sentence.

“Thanks.” Jonathan followed the man around the bus and saw the large opening in the gate. A soft light trickled out and spilled into the snowy field on the opposite side of the street. Jonathan had to squint as he pulled in and was stopped by the man that came out to greet him.

“Pull a head just a little,” the man said as he waved the BMW in. Jonathan pulled the car ahead onto a series of thick steel grating over what he imagined was a rather deep pit. “And . . . stop. Roll your window up please.”

“What is going on?” asked Jonathan.

“We are going to warsh your car,” the man said a little irate.

Jonathan did as he was told and watched as another man in a yellow rain slicker ran up with a bucket of soapy water and what looked like a mop. He soaked the mop and began scrubbing the front of Jonathan’s car. After he worked his way around, he grabbed a hose and rinsed the soapy water away. Signaling for Jonathan to roll down his window the man said, “Go ahead and park in that spot on the left.”

Jonathan smiled, “Thanks.” He pulled into an empty spot between two other cars and climbed out in a hurry.

“What is your friend’s name?” a woman asked as she rushed over to meet him. She was a short, older woman with black hair and a pleasant smile.

“Guillermo,” Jonathan replied.

The woman looked him over. Jonathan knew she was checking for bites, and he could understand their concern. She lifted his eyelids and flashed a light in his eyes quickly. “He is going to be alright, but we need to keep an eye on him overnight.”

“Thanks,” said Jonathan. He was unsure of how to feel about this woman. Was she really even a doctor?

“I’m a nurse,” she said as if reading his mind. “I’ve been a nurse for about twenty years. I know that look too well. I know it is hard in times like these, but just trust me, ok? We’ll take care of him. I assume you want to see your brother.” She nodded toward a garage on the other side of the gravel driveway.

Jonathan hesitated for a second. He didn’t want to leave Guillermo with strange people, but he had to find his brother. He stepped toward the gravel driveway and looked at the death bus parked on the grating as the rain-suited men ran around
warshing
it. He chuckled quietly as he thought about the way they talked around here.

CREEPR 1 was quite impressive up close and in the light. Jonathan could see the hinges along the bottom of the steel grated fence that allowed them to swing down. The cables of a pulley system brought the deathtrap back into place. The men pulled out the blade on the front and wiped it down also. Pressure washers were used to blast the chunks out of the razor wire. A man walked around it with a mirror and a pistol to make sure no unwanted guests were clinging to the bottom.

The inside of the wall was mostly boards. He assumed it was just the framework to hold up the slightly more armored side. Ladders and walkways ran along the inside, allowing guards to travel the length, which Jonathan noticed encircled the entire compound. He wondered how long it took to build the wall and perfect their security protocols.

Following the driveway, Jonathan could see that it made a large circle through the compound. The property was much larger than he had thought, as well. He estimated that it was at least two city blocks worth of space. Long rows of buildings, several stories high had been constructed for people to live. He marveled at the similarities between this community and that of Moorford. Jonathan could hear cows and what he believed to be goats somewhere on the other side of the main house, and he watched a large brown rooster bob its way across the driveway.

“Jonathan?” a voice from across the gravel shouted.

“It is me, Michael,” Jonathan replied, he fought back the urge to run away. He wasn’t sure what to say, but he ran toward his brother. At first, Michael smiled at him with a well-rehearsed smile. Jonathan’s had always been natural, but Michael wanted his to be perfect. He had spent many hours staring into the bathroom mirror, practicing this smile and that, toothy smiles and not. Until he found the one that he believed would provide the most pleasant impression from anyone he smiled at. Perhaps it was knowing it was rehearsed, but Jonathan could always feel its falsehood, despite its genuineness.

The two met just on the other side of the driveway from where the BMW was parked. They had been apart so long it felt as if they were running toward a mirror. Wrapping their arms around each other, the brothers laughed and felt whole once again. Then Jonathan heard Michael start to cry, and then he cried harder. Jonathan knew then that their mother didn’t make it. And when Jonathan cried, Michael knew their father hadn’t, either.

Chapter 16

“What the hell?” Deacon asked. He was confused by the emotions he felt as he looked between Roger and Sophia. The Ramcharger had no problems climbing over the fiends that were unfortunate enough to step in its path as they drove through town. Although Sophia looked a little irritated, she was still as beautiful to him as she always was. Leaning closer to the driver’s seat, the subtle green apple smell of her shampoo was carried to his nostrils by the cold air rushing from the vents in the dash.

Deacon was brought back to memories of chasing her through stores, fiends on their asses. Anywhere they went she had to find that green apple shampoo, and she had no trouble putting Deacon in danger to find it. Sophia hadn’t really cared for it before the attacks. Her mother used it because her father liked the fragrance. Now it makes her feel as if her mother is always watching over her.

Her black hair danced on her shoulders as it was blown around by that same cold air. The tanned skin on her face always looked pale behind those unbelievably black strands. Deacon reached out his dirty hand to touch her soft skin, but she reached up and brushed her hair aside as it tickled her neck. He knew she saw him reaching and meant to brush his hand away instead.

“Is that a new hat?” Deacon asked, referring to her bowler hat. She had gone through a few since they met.

“Same one I’ve had for months,” she snapped back.

Roger was looking much better than the last time Deacon had seen him. Before he left, Roger’s skin hung in wrinkles from his arms. A large man before the attacks, Roger was forced to lose over half of his body weight rapidly as food became scarce. Now he was toned, not muscular, but in great shape for someone who probably would have had a heart attack months ago if all of this hadn’t happened.

“Some people came while you were gone, Deacon. While you were off doing whatever the hell it was you were doing that was
so
important you had to leave us behind,” Sophia said in a raised voice, making no attempt to hide her frustration.

“Are the twi –“

“The twins are fine, Deacon,” Sophia snapped, her expression going from a little irritated to all out pissed off. “No thanks to you.”

“I’m sorry, Sophia. I will explain everything to you,” Deacon said.

“No need.” Sophia was now swerving to hit any fiends she could. Deacon and Mark each grabbed for the “Oh Shit” handles above their doors only to find there were none. Roger remained completely calm. Even though he felt better, he was prepared to die whenever it happened.

“Who’s your friend?” Sophia asked harshly.

“My name’s Mark Davis, ma’am.” Mark replied trying to hide his fear. “It’s nice to meet you. Deacon talks about you all the time.” Another fiend went down in front of the truck and became a rotting speed bump, causing Deacon and Mark to bounce out of their seats enough to hurt as the seatbelt dug into their waists.

“Hmm,” was Sophia’s reply. She came to a hard stop in front of the Adina Hotel on the north end of Clay Hills.

The four story building, despite being built in the 1980’s, appeared to be much older than what it really was. It was decorated with elegant Corinthian columns, and the pediment showed a man sitting in the center comfortably while those that surrounded him worked hard to keep him that way. Deacon had only been inside once, and he remembered being amazed by the faux gold trim, the marble floors, and the tall vaulted ceilings with heavenly frescos.

Roger climbed out and grabbed a wooden desk leg. Deacon recognized it as what Guillermo named Dead Breaker. The desk leg had leather wrapped around the handle and a short stainless steel spike that stuck from the thicker end. As Roger raised it, Deacon could see that he had added several more spikes to it, giving it the look of a medieval morning star. Roger held it like a baseball bat and swung at the first of the two fiends that were close enough to worry about.

“Why don’t you get your ass out and help him, Deacon,” Sophia barked. Deacon did as he was told without realizing it. Mark climbed out of the truck in fear that he would be yelled at next if he didn’t. She watched as the three of them beat the two fiends until they stopped moving. Then Roger had them help push the barbed wire fence out of the way of the entrance to the parking lot under the hotel.

The fence was made of wooded saw horses, wrapped in barbed wire, and covered in vines from some plants next to the driveway. It was heavy, but the three of them slid it easily. Sophia drove the Ramcharger through the opening and kept on going as the three men closed the entrance. The tires squealed on the smooth concrete of the parking lot with every turn she made. The lot was large, but it took the men a couple minutes to walk to the spot the Ramcharger was parked.

“I just want to warn you both that she is mad,” Roger said.

“You think?” Deacon asked sarcastically. “She is downright pissed. I guess she has the right to be.”

“I want to apologize for this,” Roger turned to Mark.

“Apologize for what?” Mark asked. Every muscle in his body tensed up. His jaw clenched tightly and he fell to the ground. The two prongs of the taser stuck in his back.

“What did you do that for?” Deacon shouted as he looked at Sophia holding the taser in her right hand.

“Can we trust him, Deacon? Do you know who the hell came and destroyed our home? While you were gone, they came in, Deacon. They came in, they beat me, and then they fed me, Nora, and the twins to the fiends!” Sophia screamed in the parking lot. Her voice echoing loudly.

“We should probably get inside, Sophia. You can finish your conversation there,” Roger suggested.

Sophia walked over, smacked Deacon across his face and began punching him in the shoulders. The tears rolled down her cheeks, and she swung as hard as she could. She wanted to destroy Deacon. He stood there and took it. It hurt him. She could definitely hit harder than he imagined, but the pain wasn’t physical. She eventually wore herself out and embraced him. She draped her arms around his neck and cried into his chest. He picked her up easily and carried her into the hotel.

“There was no warning,” Sophia began as they were sitting in a large suite on the sixth floor of the hotel. “I was making breakfast and heard the truck barreling down the road. At first I thought it was you coming back, but then I realized it was the sound of a semi. The damn thing shook the house, Deacon. Then it crashed through the gate, knocking down a chunk of the wall.

“I tried to get the twins and hide, but there were people already in the house. They had the twins and Nora. They were going to shoot them.”

“’Where is the man?’ one man asked me behind his mask.

“’I don’t know. He left a long time ago,’ I said, not telling him that a long time had only been two weeks. But for me it felt like months, Deacon. ‘Please don’t hurt the kids,’ I pleaded. I was scared. They were living people and they treated us worse than animals, worse than the fiends. I would have happily died if they would have promised to take the twins and treat them well, but they seemed to be interested only in you.

“’Do you know who he has been in contact with?’ the man asked.

“I said, ‘I don’t know what you mean. We don’t know anyone else. He left one morning without saying goodbye. Now please leave us alone.’ I began to cry so hard. I was so scared and I cried. I wanted to be strong for the twins. The man walked up to me. I was on my knees bawling on the floor, and that man kicked me in the stomach. I couldn’t breathe, Deacon.

“The twins screamed, ‘Stop hurting her. Stop hurting our mom.’ They called me mom. I knew I would die protecting them if needed. I stood up, grabbed a fork out of the sink and drove it into the throat of the man behind me. The blood sprayed everywhere. Then another man came up and hit me in the back. I tried to stay awake and fight. I know you would have, Deacon, but I wasn’t strong enough.

“When I woke up, we were all tied up in the garage. The doors were shut. It was so dark. Both of the twins were crying. ‘We are going to be fine,’ I said. ‘Let me figure out a way out of this.’ Then I saw the man standing in the corner. ‘Who are you?’ I said. ‘What do you want with us?’ He walked right up to me and knelt down. I looked into the cold eyes of President Granderson, a man sworn to protect us and our country. I knew we must be saved.

“’Kill me and let them go if you must!’ Nora shouted.

“I was confused, Deacon. I didn’t know why she was shouting at the president like that. I thought he was there to help.

“The man’s name is Deacon. Where is he?” He completely ignored the old woman.

“’I don’t know where Deacon went. Please untie us so we can get out of here,’ I pleaded with him. He didn’t believe me about you.

“’He has been terrorizing the peace and quiet of this great nation. If you don’t tell me where he is–‘ He stood up and walked over to the door in the back. When he opened it a man came in with a fiend all tied up. The fiend still had the fork sticking out of his neck. I think they left it there so I knew who he was. ‘I’ll make sure your deaths hurt.”

“I cried again, Deacon. He told me you were a terrorist working with a terrorist organization that wanted to destroy the world. You want to stop the research he is working on, the research that will put a stop to this.

“I don’t know anything, I swear.”

“’That’s really too bad,’ he said. He walked out of the door while the other man untied the fiend and followed. I did everything I could to keep the fiend away from the twins. I kicked him. He looked so gross and sad. Blood spurted out of his neck around the fork. I knew he didn’t remember, but I just felt like his body did, you know? His body remembered that I put that fork in his neck.

“The twins were strong though, Deacon. They worked together, and they climbed the ladder while I kicked and tripped the fiend as he came after Nora and me. Then the garage began to rumble. The semi started up and was backing out of the driveway. I rolled over and climbed to my feet. I followed the twins up the ladder, but the fiend grabbed my leg. Nora saved me.

“Nora slammed into him. I can’t believe I left her behind, Deacon. I am a terrible person. I was so concerned about saving the twins that I left her behind. She lost her balance after knocking him down and fell on top of him. Her screams were awful as he chewed through the flesh on her face. I didn’t look, though. I couldn’t. I just climbed and cried. Then I realized that he was climbing the ladder.

“He
climbed
up after us. It would have taken him a while, but he was doing it, Deacon. He was climbing the ladder. I kicked and kicked until the bolts holding the ladder came loose. The weight of the fiend did the rest. The ladder fell; the twins and I got ourselves untied, and we waited to die up there on the roof.

“Then I could see the reflection in the distance. Soon the Ramcharger pulled up the drive and Roger climbed out. He killed the fiend in the garage–both of them–and brought us here. We went back later to see what we could salvage, but they had taken all of our supplies. Everything Jonathan had worked on was gone, the files from the lab, his notes and formulas, that acid paste. They found where we put it and took it all. They must have been pissed that we survived because someone must have driven through the garage door. Roger even helped me bury Nora. We buried her by Emalynn, on the other side of her tree.”

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to protect you, Sophia,” Deacon said after hearing her story. “You have to believe me. What I was doing was protecting you. None of them were supposed to know who I was. I can’t even imagine how they fou–“ Deacon paused for a moment before bolting from the room.

“Is everything alright, Deacon?” Sophia asked as she ran after him out into the hallway.

Deacon charged into the suite down the hall where Roger had been keeping Mark tied up in a chair. Roger was sitting on a couch eating a bowl of beef stew. Deacon could smell it down the hall, and it reminded him of how hungry he was. That would have to wait, though. Mark looked up at the Australian as the man rushed toward him.

“Hey Deacon. Tell them to untie me, man,” Mark said not expecting the fist that collided with his left cheek. The punch knocked Mark and the chair to the ground.

“How did they know about me?” Deacon screamed. “They attacked
my
family, you bastard!”

“I don’t know anything about that, Deacon,” Mark replied through a mouthful of blood. “I think you knocked out a tooth.”

“I’m gonna knock the rest of them out, you piece of shit!” Deacon brought his arm back and prepared to smash it down into Mark’s face once more. Roger grabbed his arm before he could.

“That’s enough, Deacon,” Roger said.

“This man is responsible for this!”

“I don’t think so,” stated Roger. “Sit down.” He bent down to tip Mark and the chair back up to their feet. “I left because I had some things to take care of. I was responsible for Bradley’s death, as Guillermo probably told you.”

“No. He never said anything about that,” Deacon replied, stunned to hear this.

Hearing that Guillermo hadn’t told anyone made Roger smile. He didn’t think he could trust Guillermo, but he really hadn’t cared. Now he felt like Guillermo could have been a true friend. “Anyway, I left to find my wife and kids. I watched as you met up with another group inside of a gas station. I watched over you as you followed them to the library.