Midnight Outbreak (8 page)

Chapter Fifteen

They pulled up in the late evening, when the sun was making its way down to the horizon. West, Makayla, and Van all seemed excited. Van was full of questions. How did the compound work; how did they do odd-jobs? Will mentioned the vampires and that frightened them. Makayla’s face turned to stone.

“My husband was killed by a dirty vampire. I don’t trust them. I never will,” she spat. Josh turned around and looked at her with sympathy.

“I understand. My wife was turned and died, too. Right when everything started. These are good ones, though. They’ve saved our asses time after time. They’re non-negotiable, okay?”

Makayla’s features softened and she nodded slightly. “Okay.” She busied herself with the ring on her left ring finger, twisting the tarnished piece of jewelry around and around.

“Are there any other kids?” West asked.

“Yes, a girl; her name is Mari, and she’s ten. She’s been with us since the beginning, too. She and her dad used to be my neighbors.”

The questions stopped as they pulled up to the gate. Brendan let them in, a question on his face as he glanced at the extra faces inside. He closed the gate and walked behind to the storage building.

They unloaded from the truck, Will and Josh happy with what they had brought back and everyone else anxious at their new surroundings. As they were unloading, Brendan warned them that Uncle John was in a piss-poor mood.

“Why? What the hell happened?”

“Some dead heads got through in the back, by the chicken coop. Nathan and Sarai got them, fixed the hole, but he’s pissed at the vamps. Pissed about everything,” Brendan answered.

“Well, hell, sometimes there’re breaches. We’re not perfect; there’s a lot of open land here.”

Brendan nodded. “Mari got upset with him while he was cussing Lexi and Miguel out. Said she hated him. Ran off to the basement.”

Josh nodded. That’s where the vampires had set their dwellings up. Where they went to sleep during the day time. Mari, when bored, would go down there and read, waiting for her vampire friends to get out of their coffins.

Will let out a low whistle and jerked his head toward the house. There was Uncle John marching towards them.

“What the hell is all this? Nobody said bring back more people dammit, just more supplies. We don’t need anybody else here!”

Josh and Will stopped what they were doing and stood still. The women slunk back to the truck, keeping West behind them.

“Now, Uncle John…” Brendan started.

“Don’t you fucking
Uncle John
me. I’m tired of everybody doing whatever the hell they want to do. We could’ve been killed today. Dead in an instant cause of those damn vamps wanting to screw every chance they get.”

Josh, tired and worn out from a long day of scavenging, let out a sarcastic snort.

“Something funny, boy?” Uncle John sneered, stepping up to him.

“Nothing, old man. Go take a chill pill, drink some of that whiskey you got stashed somewhere. We weren’t gonna just leave them there. I’m sure it’s not Lexi and Miguel’s fault about the fence breaking down after years of wear.”

“Hope you have a plan on feeding three extra mouths, ya smart ass.”

“Uncle John, I’m the one who hunts and brings in the food. So yeah, I’ll get it covered,” Brendan spoke up.

He cussed at them, glared at the newcomers, and stomped off back to the house. Over the last year, his behavior had gotten more erratic. He was more emotional and prone to angry tirades. Josh usually stood up to him. He wasn’t born a welcome mat that was only meant to be treated like shit, when he had done all he could do to keep himself and the others alive. This tirade pissed him off the most.

West looked scared out of his wits, tears running down his cheeks as he hurriedly tried to wipe them away.

“Y’all don’t listen to him. He gets like this sometimes. Nobody’s gonna be in the best of moods with the world like it is,” Josh said, trying to console them. He wasn’t good with words, or giving encouragement, but something in Makayla’s face made him want to try.

They all were quiet as they finished unloading things from the truck. Nathan and Sarai had come out to meet the newcomers, more welcoming and relaxed than Uncle John. Slowly but surely Makayla and Van warmed up to them, and everyone gushed over West.

Dinner was duck and potatoes. Makayla and Van dug in, eating more than anyone in the room. They planned to shower after dinner, both girls dead-set on cleaning up. They were embarrassed about their appearance.

Mari came in and met the new people, paying special attention to West. He was shy around her, but she put on her big sister act, trying to make him feel more comfortable.

Uncle John had come, gotten his plate, and brought it back upstairs. Brendan knew he was waiting until the vampires woke up to give them hell, too.

While everyone was cleaning up, Josh heard Uncle John at the end of the house. The door to the basement had been opened and Uncle John was down there yelling at the five vampires.

Oh, hell
, Josh sighed. He made his way down to the basement and walked into it. Lexi, Miguel, Lukas, Luna, and Sienna were standing there as Uncle John yelled at them, stubby finger pointed in the air, spittle flying out of his mouth. If he wasn’t careful, the old man was going to die of a heart attack from his rage.

The vampires were calm. The humans were lucky to have a group that had perfected their emotions. Brendan came down as well, going to stand with Luna.

“All you wanna do is screw on
my
property while you’re supposed to be keeping watch. Why do I even let you stay here? Huh? When you ignore holes and let the dead heads come in.”

“Now, Uncle John. We don’t do that when we’re on watch. We protect you, and have protected you at night for years. Why would we just screw off now?” Lexi said, the corners of her blue eyes turning down slightly.

He stopped for a moment, not sure of what to say. His forehead was covered in sweat, his hands shaking at his sides. Josh had many rifts with him, but never had seen him like this.

Sienna had gone still, a frown on her face. “Uncle John, what’s wrong with you?” She asked point-blank.

“I’m pissed, that’s what!”

“No, what is
wrong
with you? I can smell it. Something’s not right.” Sienna stepped up to him. “Let me taste your blood.”

Uncle John stepped back. “No. You can’t just change the subject like that.”

Sienna’s eyes grew wide and she whispered, “Let me taste your blood, Uncle John.” She was glamouring him.

Without a word he lifted his wrist staring blankly ahead. Sienna’s fangs popped out and swiftly she bit into his flesh.

Immediately, she spit out the blood. “Uncle John! You’re sick! You’re dying!”

Chapter Sixteen

Now everyone was seated, except Mari, who was helping the new people on the top floor. Uncle John was in his favorite recliner. “My kidneys are failing me. They’re shutting down, and I’m not sure how long I have.”

The vampires sat around his feet, Sienna on the arm of his chair. No matter how he had acted just minutes before, they all loved him and appreciated him. Everyone at the compound did.

Josh felt like all the air had been squeezed out of him. “How long have you known?”

“I had Sarai check my blood and stuff not long ago. Kidney disease runs in my family. It’s what killed my mom and grandfather.” He looked up to Brendan. “You’re gonna have to watch it when you get my age, son.”

Brendan didn’t say anything. His face was hardened, but tears flowed freely. He had grown close to his Uncle in the years since the plague hit.

Sienna looked sad. “Why wasn’t I able to tell before now? I should’ve tasted it.”

Uncle John patted her leg. “I’m not sure. But it’s not like you feed every day.”

After the newcomers had taken their showers and gotten their room ready, they came down. Uncle John apologized to them and welcomed them properly to the compound. “We’ll give you a rightful tour tomorrow, I promise. What’s your story?”

Van and Makayla were sisters who had grown up near Chicago. Makayla had lost her husband to a vampire when West was a baby. She didn’t know it was a vampire at first, and it was chalked up to an accident since he was an overnight patrol officer. She had moved in with Vanessa after he died, and when the zombie plague moved north, they headed west and then south.

They’d had it tough, way tougher than the compound crew. They had lost people from their original crew, and had been caught plenty of times in scary situations. Van was tougher than her sister, though; Josh could tell. He could also tell that she had caught Will’s eye. He wondered how that would turn out.

Meanwhile, it was the soft-spoken sister Makayla that held his attention. She was cordial to the vampires. Josh could tell she feared and hated them. He hoped it wouldn’t escalate; he was tired enough from the Uncle John drama. He didn’t need it from the pretty new girl.

The vampires excused themselves and took their posts. Luna and Lukas were making their own trip tonight so it left just Sienna, Lexi, and Miguel to patrol. Their night time trips consisted of finding out information instead of supplies. They could travel faster than humans, flying into the night at speeds of over a hundred miles per hour. They brought back good intel. That’s how the compound humans kept up-to-date. 

Lexi and Miguel split up. Even though Uncle John had apologized, they didn’t want to tick him off, so they decided to take different posts. Sienna joined Lexi and they talked about the newcomers.

“Makayla hates us,” Sienna said.

“Yeah, well so did Will, until he got to know us.”

“Vamps really give each other a bad name.”

“So do humans, if you think about it,” Lexi said, grinning.

Sienna shrugged. “It’s almost Mari’s birthday, isn’t it?”

Lexi paused; it was summer again, and Mari’s birthday was in the beginning of fall.

“Close; we’ve still got a couple more months. Can’t believe that kid’s going to be 11.”

“And it looks like we have another little one to look after.”

The female vampires had fallen into their motherly roles with Mari seamlessly. They adored her and she instantly grew attached to both of them.

“Yeah, but he has a mom. He’s probably scared to death of us, I’d imagine. With a vamp killing his dad, and all.”

“Who knows? I think it’s good to have another child around, though. Sometimes the adults get on my damn nerves.”

Lexi laughed at her longtime friend.

“Did Luna tell you about her and Brendan?” Sienna asked.

“No, what happened?”

“She finally bit him while they were doing it, and it tripped him out.”

Lexi gapes at her. “She hadn’t done that before?”

“No, not while they were doing the deed, only before or after. It’s nice someone’s getting laid around here.”

Lexi shook her head. Sienna and Lukas were having their own drama. Sienna had been jealous of Luna when she first got to the compound, but that had disappeared after Brendan laid claim to her.

“He just used to want to screw all the time. Now it’s like we’re an old couple,” Sienna complained.

“Well, you technically are. You’ve been together longer than most married people.”

Sienna waved her hand, dismissing her. “Yeah, well I still have needs, and he better shape up. Or I’ll go find another hot survivor vamp or human and make him mine.”

Lexi knew her friend wasn’t serious. She was head over heels in love with Lukas, but times were strange. Lukas had taken an interest in survivalist gear like Brendan. They would spend the night going over books and magazines, building their own weapons. All relationships took a backseat when the dead heads took over.

A rustling nearby put them both on high alert and they instantly hushed. Their vision was terrific, hundreds of times better than any human eyes, and they both saw the leaves in the shrubbery moving slightly a few yards away. Lexi motioned for Sienna to go around. Both girls closed in, but it was only a bunny. Sienna grabbed its tail, hauling it up in the air.

“You’d make a fine meal for our human friends, little bunny.” She smiled.

Lexi’s body started to relax, thankful it wasn’t a dead head. They seemed to come around a lot more, moving into the country because there was nothing left in the city.

“Girl, just let it go. Brendan will probably catch it tomorrow.”

The bunny was moving furiously and Sienna set it down. “Go on, little thumper. Until next time.”

The rest of the night passed without incident. Before sunrise, Lukas and Luna came back, and Mari came out to train with Lexi and Sienna. West was with her, and he stood off a ways, watching them with wary eyes. He looked like a sad little boy, and Lexi hoped he would warm up to them. This world was no place for a child, but if she lost Mari, she would be lost.

Chapter Seventeen

The next day, after the sun rose and the vampires retired to their basement, everyone had breakfast together. This didn’t happen often, as the group had routine checks they made and weren’t always together. Uncle John made an exception that morning and gave everyone time off of their chores so they come and have breakfast with the new people.

Van and Will sat next to each other. He had cleaned up, which rarely happened, and Josh gave him hell about it.

“Boy’s looking for some tail; it’s been awhile,” Josh whispered to Brendan, who laughed out loud. Will scowled at him and flipped him off. They had bacon, eggs, and homemade biscuits. It was one of the better meals they’d had, in Josh’s memory.

Josh looked around at the giant rectangle table. Uncle John sat at the head of the table, and down his right side were Nathan, Peter, Joan and Sarai.

On Uncle John’s left sat Will, Van, Josh and Brendan, Mari, Makayla and West. The compound was at its fullest with sixteen, including the vampires. They would make do with what they had. They would survive, just like they always did.

Breakfast lasted for two hours. Will and Van were deep in conversation, their heads leaned in toward each other for privacy. Uncle John laughed and carried on with everyone.

Right before they all dismissed, Uncle John made a speech. “I want to apologize to everyone again. I’m proud of Will and Josh for bringing the newcomers along and saving them, ‘cause this is what our little compound is about, survival. It’s a messed up world, but we are gonna do alright. Y’all are a great group of people.” His eyes glistened and he coughed.

Mari stood and walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He wiped his eyes and grabbed her in his arms.

Deep down Josh wanted to feel alright; he wanted to be in the happy moment, but that wasn’t allowed in the time they lived in.

***

Mari, dressed in shorts and a tank top with her hair braided, took over the responsibility of giving a tour to the new guests. West walked beside her while Makayla and Van stood behind. Mari took them to the garden first, the sun already beating down on them, the air thick with humidity.

“This is where we grow all the veggies and fruits. Sarai has an herb garden, too,” Mari instructed as they walked through a fenced-in area. Vegetables of every kind surrounded them; it was small, but it flourished.

“We have peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, and the nasty stuff that I hate like turnips and radishes, blech!”

Van laughed at her, and sighed in amazement. “This is wonderful! I haven’t seen a garden like this in a long time.”

“Probably since middle school, huh? When we went on that field trip,” Makayla replied.

“I think so.”

They continued on to the fruit section where strawberries were clustered on vines. Small lemon and lime trees were grouped together in their own pots.

“We also have apple and orange trees too. Uncle John had those planted long before the plague happened,” Mari informed them.

Makayla and Van were impressed. Everything made West hungry. Mari grabbed a handful of strawberries and handed them over to him. The look on his face was priceless as he bit into one.

Makayla looked like she was about to cry, “He hasn’t had one of those in so long,” she said, her voice wobbly. Van patted her back.

The tour continued to the chicken coop. “Those are the only animals we have here. My daddy goes and hunts for all the meat. One time he, Will, and Josh went on a month-long trip down south to hunt game. Uncle John keeps all the meat in a big freezer downstairs.”

“So Mari, how is it living with the vampires? Will told me about the arrangement you made. It seems to be working, huh?”

Mari nodded. “Lexi and Sienna are my best friends. They’re good people. Miguel and Lukas are really smart, too. They give me all my history lessons since they’re so old.”

Van nodded. Makayla’s face was unreadable. Mari looked up at her with a sympathetic smile. “Vampires killed my mom. Well, actually, Uncle Will did, but that’s because she was a vampire. So I know it hurts. I miss my mama; I wish she could’ve come here. Our vamps aren’t bad people, and they won’t ever hurt any of us living here. They’ve saved my daddy’s life, my uncles’ lives. They’ve saved my life.”

Makayla gave a tight nod, and Mari changed the subject. She was very intuitive for a little girl.

West asked, “What do you do for fun?”

“Oh, I do lots of things; climb trees, go swimming… There are bikes here, too. But Uncle John makes me do school work, too, so I won’t grow up to be dumb.”

“How have y’all survived this long in one place?” Van wondered out loud.

Mari shrugged. “It takes a lot of work. At first the dead heads just wanted to be in the cities, where there were a lot of people. Now they’ve scattered out, but with everyone here, we usually catch the herds before they get too close.”

Mari led the newcomers to the house. Sarai was on the porch, sitting in the rocker shelling peas. Her short hair was tied in two mini pigtails that stuck up from her head. Mari stopped and gave her a hug before entering the house.

“You guys already know where the bathrooms and bedrooms are. Everyone bunks up. I share a room with my daddy. Josh and Will have their own rooms. Nathan and Peter room in one. Sarai and Joan in the other, and Uncle John gets his own room.”

“How big is this house?”

“Really big. Uncle John’s grandfather built it. They had big families back then, and the guy was really rich because he owned a ranch and sold horses.”

Mari showed them the schedules. She guessed that they would assign Makayla and Van jobs by the end of the week.

Mari left them at their room and took West with her to her room for schooling. She worked out of old textbooks, with Joan being her primary teacher. West had never been in any type of school setting, so he was nervous at first, but eager.

***

The sisters called out a goodbye to the kids and sat opposite of each other.

“So, this is home,” Van huffed, giving her sister a small smile.

“It could be worse.” Makayla shrugged in response.

“Oh, I know. I’m not complaining. It’s nice; a lot nicer than what we’re used to.”

“Yeah.” Makayla smiled slyly. “It doesn’t hurt that Will’s been all over you.”

Van’s face turned crimson. “Shut up! I don’t have time for all that. Once you get all lovesick, that’s when mistakes are made.” 

“Well he’s cute, so it’s whatever,” Makayla said.

Van stood and shuffled next to her sister. She leaned her head on her shoulder and sighed. “Is it sad that I feel so safe right now?”

“No, but just don’t let it fog up your rear view,” Makayla remarked, using their mom’s favorite phrase.

Van nodded. “Nope. We deserve this.” 

The sisters embraced, for once not repulsed by how the other one smelled. They were clean, with full bellies, and secured indoors. They felt safe and sound. It was a foreign feeling.