Respect for the Dead (Surviving the Dead Book 1) (19 page)

Wes was running ahead of her.  Beth called out to him but he merely turned his head and laughed at her.  He turned a corner and disappeared.  She hurried after him calling out as she spun around the corner.  He was just up ahead crouched down.  She slowed her pace.  Something was wrong, very wrong.  The closer she got she noticed that Wes was leaning over someone lying on the ground.  Holding her breath she didn’t want to see who it was but couldn’t stop.  Suddenly she was right behind Wes.  The person on the ground was her brother, Steve. 

Wes turned to look up at her.  His face was covered in blood, torn flesh filled his mouth.  In his hands he held intestines and other gore.  Steve’s body was ripped open.  Beth staggered back as Wes returned to his hellish feast.  Steve’s eyes flew open and locked onto Beth’s, “You should have helped Dad.”  He said.  Beth’s eyes flew open.  Slowing her breathing she realized she was still in the truck. 

Devin swerved to miss a group of three undead as he headed deeper into town.   “We have to find a place to stop for the night.”  Max called from the back as he pushed himself off of Trevor for the fourth time in the last fifteen minutes. 

“I think I know a place.”  Devin nodded.  It took several more minutes and a very uncomfortable incident with Matt’s hands and Gillian’s body, something Matt was still apologizing for, when Devin finally found was what he was looking for. 

“There it is.”  He sighed looking ahead at the tall parking structure.  Devin pulled the truck into the parking garage driving all the way to the top.  From there they could see out over part of the city.  The flames from the ball park had died down but were replaced by those of several of the surrounding buildings.  The street lights had come on, but many parts of the city were dark except for the reddish glow of fires.   

Devin pulled to the middle of the lot, not wanting to be seen from below.  They were alone at the top.  There was one other car up there, but it looked abandon with its door hanging open.  Putting the truck in park Devin slowly released the wheel.  Beth watched him, it looked like it hurt to let go.  Flexing his fingers Devin looked over at her, “I guess I was holding on a little tight.” 

“Do you think we are alone?”  Matt asked pointing out the front window to the lot’s other occupant. 

“Better check it out.”  Beth said reaching for the door release.

“Hold on, we’ll go togehter.”  Hector said as he stoop walked to the back doors.  He looked over at Max who was suddenly preoccupied with something is his bag.  Hector shook his head in disgust. 

“I’ve got the door.”  Gillian reassured frowning at Max who only ignored the three of them.  Matt got up to help, manning the other door.   

Hector nodded his thanks, “Ready Major?” 

“What? Oh, Drum Major, Right.” Beth smiled, took a deep breath, and a return nod to Hector.  The doors opened.  Hector sprang out sweeping his weapon from side to side Beth at his heels.  The lot seemed empty.  As quietly as possible they approached the car.  Beth headed to the passenger side, Hector to the open driver’s door. 

Beth looked through the window.  Nothing.  Hector dropped down and checked under the car. 

“Clear.”  He whispered.

“Oh right, clear.” Beth returned.  Hector smiled and winked his approval. The car was empty.  Nothing in the front seat or back.  Hector reached in and motioned for Beth to get ready at the trunk.  He pulled the lever and the trunk clicked open.  Joining Beth at the back he nodded to her to open the trunk.  It was also empty except for some tool for the jack and a blanket.  Hector grabbed the lug wrench and the blanket.  Beth made a face at the filthy cloth. 

Hector smiled.  “You may change your mind if it gets cold.” 

“Doubt it.  That is nasty.” 

As soon as the others saw Beth and Hector relax they all piled out of the truck.  Having been bounced around in the back of the armored vehicle for the last four or five hours had made everyone want a little space to themselves.   Still embarrassed by the earlier incident, Matt moved far from Gillian.  Beth noticed this and caught Gillian’s eye, they both laughed.  Bill and Martin met Beth and Hector halfway back across the lot. 

“Anything useful in the car?”  Martin asked frowning at the stained cloth in Hectors hand.

“Just a tire tool and a dirty blanket.”  Hector reported.

Martin gave a silent nod and headed to edge of the structure to have a look around.  The other three followed.  Martin rested his hands on the thick concrete wall and looked over at the building across the street.  It was one of the three hospitals in town.

“That dipshit captain sent some of our guys here to try to secure it.”  Hector whispered as they watched a steady stream of zombies stumble out of the front doors to the hospital. “Don’t think they faired very well.”  He finished pointing to the Humvee parked behind a news truck. 

“Oh my.”  Bill gasped. 

The lights were still on in the hospital.  They could see many undead dressed in normal clothes, as doctors and as patients in the windows.  Some seemed trapped in their rooms others stared out the windows at them.  Devin wandered up behind to the railing.  He looked at the hospital windows.  “I think we should stay here for the night.” He said without looking at the others.

Trevor looked over at them terrified.  “We are right next to the hospital and close to downtown.  There could be hundreds of them down there.” 

“Right they are down there and they don’t know we are up here.  They don’t climb so good so the steep ramps will make it hard for them to get to us.”  Hector explained.

Devin nodded.  “Exactly, we need a rest and this seems like the safest place at the moment.” 

  “I don’t know,” Bill cut in, “they move pretty good when they see us.”

“This will be ok for one night, right sergeant?” Martin stated giving support the military man.  Hector saw the look the mayor gave him and agreed.  It might not be the right decision but they had made it and were going to stick to it.  Hector hoped it was as safe as they thought.  

Beth also saw the look and knew this wasn’t the best place to be but they needed the rest.  She also silently agreed they needed to set up a kind of chain of command. She looked down at her phone and hit the speed dial for her brother. Frustrated she pocketed it.  There was no service here. 

“Power must be out to the cell tower.”  Hector noted as he passed her.

Pulling her phone back out she Looked down at it.  She felt betrayed by the technology.  Stuffing the useless phone back in her pocket she watched Matt who was peaking over the edge of the parking garage at the hospital. She missed Wes and Steve.  She said a silent pray that they were ok.  Matt rose up a little and spit over the edge. 

“Got ya!”  He yelped.

Beth
really
missed Wes, “he would never do anything that immature.”  She thought disgusted. 

“Shhh…Don’t give away our position.”  Max hissed at Matt.

“Whatever dude, they can’t get up here.”  Matt shrugged.

Max glared as Matt wandered over to the truck.  Beth followed and took a bottle of water from the back and walked over to Hector, Devin, and Gillian.  “So what is the plan?”  She asked.  

“We need to get out of town but I’ll be damned if I can figure a way, other than trying to hike out.”  Hector responded. 

“I’m not real keen on that plan.”  Devin sighed. 

Gillian had noticed Beth trying the phone.  “Were you able get a hold of anyone?”  She asked.  Beth just shook her head.   “Could I...could I borrow your phone?”  Gillian asked.

Beth shrugged and handed it over to the older woman.  Gillian dialed a number, hung up, tried another, then another.  After several attempts she returned the phone to Beth as tears ran down her face.  Beth looked at the phone then looked at the others in her group.  “I still have a pretty good charge, anyone else want to try?”  She asked. “Maybe on the other side of the garage or something.”

“No thanks,” Matt said not looking at her, “Everyone I know is dead.”  He shrugged and wandered back over to the edge and sat down.  Gillian followed and sat next to him.

  Hector took the phone and made a few attempts at different sections of the lot.  Devin just sat on the back of the truck.  Hector gave up and handed the phone to Martin who took out his own and handed Beth’s to Trevor.  After several minutes Beth had her phone back and no one had spoken to anyone.

“I guess we are alone.”   Beth said staring at the phone in her hand. 

Martin looked at his, “Damn it!”  He shouted as he threw the phone as hard as he could.  It flew over the edge toward the hospital.  “Why! Why?” He mumbled as he sunk to his knees crying.  “Why couldn’t we get more out?  What more could we have done?” 

“We did everything we could.”  Trevor said trying to comfort his boss. 

“Hey, Martin, right?  We came here because of you.  You convinced the Colonial to help out.  You tried man.”  Hector said sympathetically.

“Yeah and that worked out well.”  Max grumbled from behind Beth. 

She spared him a second for a dirty look.  “You saved us.”  She said to the Mayor gesturing to Bill, Hector, and Max.

  Martin slumped against the side of the truck and put his head in his hands.  Everyone was quiet for a while.

“Let’s get in the truck and try to get some sleep.”  Devin suggested several minutes later.

“Should we have someone stand guard?”  Hector asked.

“I don’t want to leave the truck open.”  Trevor quickly spoke up.  “The truck is armored and it has places we can shoot from, besides they don’t know we are here.”

Hector shrugged but did not argue.  It was cramped arrangements but eventually they all found a place as comfortable as they could.   

  Steve woke with a start.  Looking down at his watch in the candle light he noted head been able to sleep for three hours.  Prior to that he recalled that only two other people had joined their ranks.  He hoped others had come while he slept.  Looking around, he mentally counted the people.  It didn’t seem there had been any additions.  He fought the disappointment.      

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes and the stubble on his chin he began to wondered why he had woken up.   Listening for anything to explain it, the only sound was the gentle hiss of whispered conversation and the rhythmic breathing of someone asleep nearby.  Steve looked over the side of the pew he was lying on.  Wes was on the floor, snoring softly.  Steve watched the young man sleep and smiled.  He had known Wes for years.  Ever since Wes and Beth had met in first grade, they had been fast friends.  Steve chuckled seeing, Wes still had Beth’s stuffed bunny with him.  It was lying next to him, his arm over it.  Then Steve saw Wes’ hand was on a gun.  He frowned at this, Beth should have her bunny and Wes should never have had to do the things he had done that day. 

Candle light danced across the ceiling, and the distant fires dimly illuminated the tall windows of the church.  Steve rose to a sitting position still trying to figure out what had woken him.  Perplexed and somewhat disturbed, he got up, careful not to wake Wes, and stretched. 

Steve looked to the front of the church and saw the priest kneeling over the man who was burned.  A woman was next the priest clutching her hands tight up to her mouth.  Steve could tell she was sobbing.  Next to her was a man patting her on the shoulder.  Steve looked away.  It felt like he was intruding on them. 

Suddenly his attention was again brought back to them as the woman wailed in despair.  Steve leaned over the pew slowly retrieving his rifle.  When Steve stood back up he saw the priest covering the burn victim with a blanket.  The woman was being held and consoled by the man who had been patting her shoulder.   

Steve checked his rifle, chambered a round.  He got up quietly and began to head up the aisle.  The priest saw him coming and stood up to intercept him.  Steve’s attention was on the clergyman.

“Wait my son, wait just a moment.” 

Behind the Father the woman fell backward in fright, arm and legs flailing.  The priest spun on the spot.  All sound and movement stopped for Steve.  The blanket slid slowly from the burned man’s face.  Blackened skin cracked and peeled as the face contorted, the lips peeled back over bloody teeth. 

The zombie turned to the man who had been a shoulder to cry on for the woman.  His shoulder now turned crimson as teeth ripped into it.  The man howled in pain.  The burnt man chewed happily until the left side of his head exploded into red and grey across the alter. 

The gun shot finally broke Steve from his trance.  Turning to look, he already knew what he would see.  It still pulled at his heart.  It was Wes.  Steve shut his eyes, poor Wes had t do it again.

Wes stood still his gun still aimed at the zombie.  Steve saw Wes adjust to the bitten man.  “Wait, wait!”  Steve called to Wes.  Adjusting his own rifle to his shoulder, Steve headed up the wounded man.  “GET BACK!”  Steve ordered taking aim.  The man was holding one hand up in surrender the other clutched at the free flowing wound on his neck and shoulder. 

  “NO WAIT!  NO I’M NOT DEAD!”  The man was screaming at Steve, the wound on his neck was spewing blood.  His shirt was now almost completely red.  The woman moved to block Steve’s shot.    

  “No no….” the man paled and lost consciousness.

“GET BACK!”  Steve yelled again, shooing the woman away with his rifle.  She stood her ground, anger and hatred etched in her features.  Steve could see the man starting to stir behind her.  The Priest moved quickly to pull the woman away.  He grabbed her around the waist pulling her out of Steve’s line of fire.  She fought hard to keep her place. 

She was screaming for “Dave” to get up and be ok.  She demanded he show them he was ok.  In the end Dave did get up, but he was far from fine. Steve aimed.  Blood splattered over the woman adding more gore to the altar.   Silence filled the church for several seconds.  The woman slid from the Priests arms to the floor sobbing.  The Priest followed holding her by the shoulders whispering reassurances in her ear.   Steve realized he hadn’t fired.  He looked over to see Wes lower his weapon and sink into the Pew. 

The woman pried herself from the priest and slowly got to her feet.  She ran her hands over her face and looked down at them.  They too were red with blood, like the floor and the two corpses.  Suddenly she was screaming.  She turned and pointed from Wes to Steve and back again.  “Murders, MURDERS!!”

“We just saved your…”  Steve felt a tug on his shirt.  Wes was there pulling him back toward the rear of the church.  The woman’s venom followed them as they went. Several other people in the church stared at them Steve as they walked back to their pew.

“You did what you had to.”  Mrs. Johnson said as they passed.  She was comforting the children, a couple of whom drew back in fear as Wes walked by.  The woman at the front of the church was still wailing as Steve slumped down into a pew.

“Are we heroes or cold blooded killers?” Wes asked with a mirthless laugh. He curled up under his jacket but Steve knew that he did not go back to sleep.  They watched the doors until the stain glass began to lighten as the sun rose. Only one more person came to the church that day.  Steve counted fourteen people including himself and Wes.    

“Well, like Gandalf says, lucky 14.”  Wes tried to joke.  Steve looked confused; Wes just shook his head and did not try to explain.