Surge (101 page)

“Oh my god, it’s Patsy’s theme song,” Webby says and starts singing the lyrics.

“Fuck you Webby,” Patsy says. “My stash is gone, you asshole.”

“And you still don’t clean your bunk, you lazy bastard,” Ace says.

“Bunk?” John asks. “I thought you all got kick ass cabins.”

“Nah, that’s only a temporary incentive,” Wally says.

“The fuck?” The twins ask in unison.

“You boys ought to have read the fine print and enjoyed it while you could,” Patsy says. “Queen Cougar only rewards you with it for a week for enlisting as a guard. After that, it goes to whoever her boy toy of the minute is.”

“You mean, that’s the luxury suite she was offering?” I ask.

“Yup,” Ace replies. “So, whoever’s desperate enough for a hot shower, or hankering for a little COD action, sacrifices their body to being filleted by the viper.”

“Or they’re doing it for less selfish reasons,” Wally counters.

Wally sounded morose, so I look back and see him give a discreet look at Webby, who’s currently finding the lines on the road to be very interesting. Obviously there’s a story there, and once I have Olivia safely ensconced back in the compound, I’ll delve into that.

“How’d she wind up being in charge?” I inquire. Wally looks forward before answering.

“She was one of the head of researchers,” he says.

“Research?” John asks and Wally nods.

“One of the people who came up with Gene K,” Ace explains. “Her and three others were transported north when the volunteers first started showing symptoms. The compound was already built. It was originally a base for sea planes, but they converted it to a refuge.”

“They were supposed to come up with a vaccine,” Wally continues and points out the window at the wheezer chowing on a deer in the middle of the road. “Obviously, they were unsuccessful.”

“So, why is she in charge if she sucks at life?” John asks.

“She claims that she has superiority because she was appointed by the government,” Webby spits out. “Her and Morales have gotten into numerous arguments over the fact the government has been dead and buried for nearly two years, but somehow she’s still holding the reins.”

“She’s a bitch,” I say. “I’d of thrown her over the wall months ago.” Wally shrugs, as does Ace, Webby clenches his jaw and returns his attention to the window, while Patsy picks his fingernails. “So, you tried it already?”

“Three times,” Wally answers. “We tried a vote, somehow she came out on top, which I still believe she rigged. Then we wanted some kind of council to be appointed so that we could have some kind of a say, that was ixnayed. Finally, we called for a VP. We got that one, which is Morales, but it’s just an honorary title. He has no more pull than the rest of us.”

“Well, that sucks,” I say. “Why try the passive route? Just use force and physically remove her.”

“That creates anarchy,” Cory replies. “You show people that you can get your way by tossing someone from head chair, it makes them think that they could do the same. Instead of fixing one problem, you’ve actually created six more.”

“That’s how civilizations collapse,” Wally says. “Without a functioning system in place, or one that’s questionable at best, the whole structure collapses. It starts at the bottom, and works its way up, until there’s nothing left but a pile full of rubble.”

“I suck at Jenga, so that probably explains why I’ve never gone into politics,” John says and several people laugh.

“Can we make a pit stop? I have to tinkle,” Kelly says from the back. I think that’s the quietest she’s been in the six months that I’ve known her.

“You can hold it,” Cory replies.

“But I have to go really bad,” she whines.

“And I really don’t give a fuck,” Cory says. “You can wait, or piss in the chair if you have to. We have shit to do, and it’s past time that you’ve realized that the goddamn world doesn’t revolve around you.”

“But it revolves around Olivia, right?” Kelly retorts.

“Absolutely,” Cory agrees. “Olivia tells the sun to go up, to go down, or to fuck off, and you know what? It listens, unlike you.”

“That’s because she’s the devil’s whore,” Kelly snaps. “She’s the reason for the apocalypse. Just ask Jesus, he talks to me.”

“Gag that crazy bitch!” Cory orders.

“No!” Kelly shrieks. “You have to listen to me. Jesus told me that she has to die. Once the slut is returned to hell, the devil will call back his demons. It’s the only way.”

“Patsy!” Cory shouts.

“I’m on it already,” Patsy calls back. I hear scuffling from the back seat.

“Don’t touch me, hell spawn!” Kelly screeches.

“Bitch please, I’ve attended church more times in a month than you did in your entire miserable life,” Patsy says.

I hear more scuffling and muffled barbs being thrown before they’re drowned out in the radio noise. I don’t know what Patsy did to her since I don’t have x-ray vision and can’t see through three rows of seating, but whatever it was, it keeps Kelly quiet. With her silence, the car load is only filled with the music coming through the speakers.

We drive another three hours like this, listening to Godsmack, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Temptations, The Cranberries, Luke Bryan, Johnny Cash, Lil Jon, LMFAO, Sean Paul, and others that I don’t recognize. I’ve probably never heard a more varied mix in my life, but at least it keeps me distracted. Which I’d rather be, as opposed to focusing on the fact that Olivia’s out there alone, chasing down a serial killer with a death wish of her own. And there goes my peaceful distraction.

What if we don’t find her? Or, what if we find her, but it’s already too late? That she’s already followed through with her reckless mission, and is lying dead in a ditch right now? Or there’s the possibility that she’s even more emotionally damaged than she already was, and we have to put her on suicide watch for life. There’s also the fact that she’s just recovered from life threatening conditions, and might be pushing herself beyond her limits before she’s physically capable of performing to the best of her abilities.

It’s past dusk when Cory slows the van down and pulls into the outlet stores’ parking lot. It’s the same district that we shopped in two weeks ago. The same one that we fled for our lives with dozens of wheezers on our tail. And the same one that looks like it was deserted after a sold out Christmas; which the world pretty much did, so I guess that it tells the story truthfully.

“Now what?” John asks.

“We hunt,” Cory answers.

<~~~<~~~
~~~>~~~>

“We’re going to split off into teams of three,” Wally announces. “Since the four of us have walkies, I’m pairing each group with one of members from the compound. Carlos and Oscar, you’re with Patsy. Tommy and John are with Ace. Cory and Jared will be with me and Webby. As for the blonde, who wants her?” Everyone looks away.

“Couldn’t we just leave her in the van?” Patsy proposes.

“No, she could escape,” I say and rub a hand down my face. Why didn’t I think of this
before
I decided to bring her? “I guess that she’ll have to come with us.” Webby groans, I feel his pain, but there’s no other option.

“Fine, let’s just get moving,” Cory says. He then looks at Kelly with a hard look. “But if she interferes with me finding Livi, I will personally feed her to the pack of ravenous wheezers.” Kelly gulps and moves to step behind me.

“Don’t be trying to hide behind me,” I say and step to the right. “You dug your grave, now lie in it.” Kelly tries giving me her plastic pout. “Yeah, that doesn’t work, so don’t even try.” With that, she glares.

“Asshole,” she hisses.

“Bitch,” I retort.

“Faggot.”

“Skank.”

“Bastard.”

“Cunt.”

“Shut the fuck up!” Cory shouts. His voice echoes in the parking lot, making me look around wildly, but he isn’t done there. He walks over and gets right in my face. “Remember what the fuck we came here to do, or get your ass back in the van. And take the bitch with you to have your little name tossing contest on your own damn time.”

“I’m done,” I say and he steps back. I grab hold of Kelly’s rope and tie it to the loops in my waist band. “I got the dog, now let’s move.”

“Make sure your walkie is turned to channel three,” Wally says to Patsy and Ace. They each grab the handheld devices off of their belt holsters before nodding to say they’ve got it set right. “We got this quadrant, so Patsy take your group up to the Tanger Outlet, and work your way down to the restaurants.” Patsy nods before Wally turns to Ace. “You’re in Kittery Outlets 1, 2 and center. You’ll meet up with Patsy in the middle at the seafood joint.”

“Sounds good,” Ace says. “So, you guys are covering left?”

“Yeah, we got more, so we can more ground,” Wally replies. “Keep your walkies close, and on. If you find anything, call it in, same goes if you get held up.”

“Time?” Patsy asks as he checks his watch.

“Two hours,” Wally says and checks his own watch. “22:00 hours we’ll meet back here at the van.”

“Alright, see you boys in a few,” Patsy says and he collects the twins.

They all start jogging off to the right side of the street before disappearing in the dark. Ace heads off to the right with John and Tommy, but they head south, while Patsy went north. This leaves Cory, Webby, Wally, and me chained to the bitch, to take the outlets that we shopped in last time.

Wally takes point, having Wally at his left, Cory his right, with me in center with Kelly trailing behind. So long as she doesn’t drag her feet, or start yapping, I think we’ll be just fine.

<~~~<~~~
~~~>~~~><~~~<~~~
~~~>~~~>

It takes about fifteen minutes, but we finally reach Wilsons Leather. We decided to start of here and search for clues, since it was the restroom around the corner from here, that Olivia had her run in with the
‘hillbilly assholes.’
If I had been here that day, instead of cooped up in the fucking van, I would have been there to see these assholes. That way I might have been able to pick up clues in person, but I can’t hit rewind as much as I might want to.

Hell, if I could just rewind a few hours, I would have chained myself to her ankle so that I would be wherever the fuck she disappeared to. Why couldn’t those douche bag scientists focus on come up with something useful like a time machine, instead of the goddamn mutation? Then we wouldn’t be here right now. Actually, I wouldn’t wish for that because I’m a selfish prick, who would rather the world be in shambles, just so that I could have gotten to meet Olivia. And if that makes me immature, then so be it.

Following Wally’s lead, we approach the doors to the bathroom stalls. Stepping forward, Wally knocks on the door. What the fuck is he knocking for? Seeing if someone nonexistent person is in there taking a dump? I’m about to ask, when I hear something knock back. Yes, I said knock back.

“We got company,” Wally announces unnecessarily.

“Well, open the fucking door so that we can beat some answers out of them,” I say. Webby shakes his head at me. “What, they already know we’re here, so let’s just go in and kick some ass.”

“They aren’t human,” Webby says. I look at him like he’s fucking lost it. “They’re infected.”