Surviving Day By Day (Book 1): So it Begins (16 page)

Ok, people
can
talk
,
not the monsters so he had to call out, but that would take his element of surprise away. Colt glanced around, did he risk it? If they living people were here he had to find out
,
so he didn’t accidentally shoot them, but what if they shot him?

All the
ifs and
buts were running through his mind over and over, he had to choose and get moving. He took a couple of steps toward the kitchen and heard a noise behind him. “FUCK ME!!!”

The monsters were coming in the front door and the first one grabbed his shoulder before he had time to react. Colt jerked to get away and watched as his gun went flying across the living room and slide by the fireplace.

That made the panic
rise
more than a few notches. Knocking the feet out from under the monster that had hold of him but the thing didn’t let go of him so they were
both
on the floor and the man’s teeth were going for Colt’s arm.

Colt
did the only thing he could think of; he
crammed his thumb into the man’s eyes as deep as he could. The eye popped like a bubble making Colt gag but he kept driving his thumb deeper and finally the man stopped moving and released him.

Colt scrambled to his feet to get away
but now
two
more were
coming after him. Running to the fireplace he tripped over the coffee table and crawled for the gun and turned to fire but the kid monster had his leg, Colt aimed for him and fired. His suddenly had a hole right between his is eyes and was limp on the floor. The woman
was
on him
in seconds
, she bit down as Colt pulled the trigger. She flew back landing on the coffee table that had just tripped him up.

Colt ripped his shirt off looking for bite makes; he paid extra close attention to his arm. The woman hadn’t broken the skin. He picked his gun back up and stood looking around at the chaos; he could just leave them here after all they weren’t staying in this cabin.
Eventually t
he smell would become bad so he
knew
would have to remove them or burn them
at some point; but not today
.

Colt took a deep breath and once more headed to the kitchen to make sure there were no more monsters. He was sure it was empty or they would have come out with all the noise. The rest of the cabin was empty he even checked the closets and the shower in the bathroom, he felt silly
;
like a kid worried about the boogeyman
,
but isn’t that just what was going on? They were no
w in a world full of boogeymen.

Colt made his way back to the living room and kicked the woman off the coffee table onto the floor, “Fucking bitch!”

He fell onto the couch looking at the
mess;
tears filled his eyes as he looked to the ceiling, “Just how many kids do I have to kill before you cut me some slack? What did I do to make you hate me so much?”

Leaning forward on the couch, elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, “Maybe you don’t exist; maybe you are just another fairytale. If you left us then you couldn’t have loved us much anyway.”

Colt walked back out on the porch to make sure the area was clear too, that is where the monsters had come from so
he knew
there could be others.

Around the side of the cabin sat more wood and a
n
axe
wedged
in a stump, going to the stump he went to slide his gun in the back on his pants, until he hit the metal of the other gun, “Oh great, forget you have an extra weapon Colt, real smart!”

He slid the gun in the front of his jeans and pulled the axe free and kept walking. Around back the tree line was very close so he was glad they had picked the middle cabin to stay in, animals were sure to co
me around if they smelled food.

Colt had to smile; he was already planning on cooked meals when they
didn’t have a pot to piss in but they now had the window to throw it out of
.

He made his way back to the front and headed over to the cabin he knew Beth went to clear hoping she had better luck than he did.

Watching Colt enter the cabin gave Beth the saddest feeling. She herself knew what it was like to kill loved ones. When she did what she had to do to her family it ripped at her soul and for one
,
at that time
she
didn’t think that anyone would have to do the exact same thing that she did.

It didn’t matter if it
were
parents, siblings or in Colt’s case his beloved. The death of someone who was their world just left a gaping hole. It became clear that Colt’s love was his world. He watched her suffer for so long and what was worse he kept taking care of her even after she was dead.
Beth knew t
hat had to be horrific.

Beth knew that ramifications of the situation but Colt more than likely did not have a clue as to what was taking place
on the outside world
before, during
,
or
sadly after he had finally ended her torment. For the first time
,
Beth thought about the global possibilities of this mass infection.

The government, HER employers had made grave mistakes and she somehow felt responsible for this. Guilt was now draping her like a long black shroud and she would carry this forever. Beth knew right then and there that no matter what happened she would be looked at as the enemy if they found out whom she worked for.

How would she deal with that when and if it happened? There were so many questions plaguing her now and she knew that this was not the time
;
nor the place to be psychoanalyzing herself.

It had been a few minutes and Beth proceeded to go inside the cabin with extreme caution. Once she had made it across the threshold she reached behind her and grabbed her Beretta. The smell in the cabin was stale and stagnant. It became apparent that this one had not been aired out in a while. Off to her left she saw a room which was wide open. Walking inside she glanced over to the bed and noticed that it was made. Something told her that this cabin had not been occupied but she had to make sure that all of the rooms were empty as well before jumping to any conclusions.

Slowly she made her way out of the room and around an adjacent wall where there seemed to be a little eating area. On the table Beth saw a couple of candle holders with the candles in them. She thought that would come in handy when night fell. Now she began thinking of survival
here and that made her smile
.

Making her way over to the sink she noticed a few plates
lying
in the sink and this caused her to become a little more cautious then she was before. Dirty plates meant that there may be a chance of someone inhabiting the place
,
she suddenly heard a gun go off. “Damn’t!” she exclaimed.

Quickly she made sure the safety on her Beretta was off. When she had finally cleared the three major rooms the only one left that she had to clear was the bathroom which had to be towards the back of the cabin. Slowly she made her way down the hallway when suddenly she heard a sound directly behind her.

Without thinking she quickly spun around
,
coming up behind her
was
one of the infected. The subject appeared to be a middle aged man whom
, by the looks of him,
had been dead quite a while. His skin was all grey and the dried blood was covering his entire body with a huge hole in his side where apparently he had suffered several bites.

Beth really had no time to ask questions and she pulled her fire arm up and fired quickly. The bullet went right between his eyes. When his body hit the floor of the cabin Beth immediately walked backwards and looked into the bathroom. She did not want to have her back turned from the front of the cabin but she had to check that bathroom before exiting the cabin.

S
he made sure that there were no more infected she began heading straight forwar
d to the door of the cabin stepping
over the corpse and ran out the door.

Once she was outside she looked towards the other cabin and saw Colt go around towards the back of his cabin. Beth looked back to his Rover to make sure that there were no infected there or anywhere in or around there area. Seeing no one Beth picked up her steps and started catching up to Colt.

When she had got close enough to see that he was now carrying and ax Beth replied, “Now that is a great weapon you got there
,
Colt. One
that
doesn’t have to reload and another thing it is a hell of a lot quieter so it will draw less attention.”

Beth thought that hopefully talking to Colt like she was his friend would make him feel better and what was more
,
she liked having someone alive around to talk to.

Tonto’s head rose up and he looked past Alden off into the woods. “What is it boy?” Alden whispered, still straddling and holding the woman down.

Tonto’s hair raised up all the way down his back as his growl became low and fierce. Alden leaned back down into the woman’s ear, “Rambo was a pussy
…
Now listen here cupcake. We got company, now if you want to live you will do exactly as I say no questions. If you don’t
,
I will leave you here as bait.”

The young woman simply nodded. “Now here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to slide off you and you will get up on your knees slowly when I give the signal I want you to run that way, pointing back towards the camp, as fast and as quiet as
you can, no fucking screaming.”

The woman turned to him as he moved off her and whispered, “Signal…what fucking signal?”

Alden had already moved off her and was turning back towards where Tonto was facing, and was pulling something out of his camo pants side pocket.
The blaring sound of the air horn caused the woman to scream, “HOLY FUCK!” as she took off like a rabbit towards the camp.

Alden turned to Tonto, “Let’s go boy.”

He took off running in the direction Tonto had faced still blowing the air horn. Tonto ran alongside then suddenly stopped and turned around twice indicating an enemy presence. Alden grabbed a stick and wedged it into the trigger of the air horn then threw it in an opposite direction. He ducked down as he saw a mob of about twenty deadheads turn their focus to the sound of the horn.

Alden looked to Tonto and snapped his fingers once and the two backed away and were soon heading back to camp. “Hopefully that will keep them occupied till we can get back and set up a defense” he said to Tonto as they moved through the woods.

Tonto barked quietly, “Yeah yeah I know, you and me and three little cupcakes against a platoon of deadheads, if it wasn’t for you being here boy I’d be a bit worried.” Tonto barked
once more as they continued on.

Ceara quietly made her way back to camp hoping that she wasn’t bringing attention from the deaders. Maximus was right by her till a loud noise scared both of them. Ceara screamed and Maximus barked. “OK fuck stealth, RUN!” She burst through the trees “C
HARLIE what the hell was that?”

Alden watched in front as Tabitha broke thr
ough the trees startling Charlie
. “CHARL
IE
….. THIS IS CUPCAKE THREE. POP THAT GREEN LONG BOX BY MY TRUCK
,
WE GOT COMPANY.”

Tonto stopped a few yards into the lot and spun around crouching down, snarling and watching the tree line. Alden made for the old foot locker as Charl
ie
stood dumbfounded. Reaching in he began to pull out an array of rifles laying them quickly on the ground. He stood and turned and saw the German Sheppard running in from the woods followed closely by his master. Ceara joined the new girl as Charl
ie
looked first to the woods then back to Alden.

Alden laid
three
shotguns and another 45 desert eagle on the ground then pulled out an army ammo box, and opened it. The speed to which he loaded the shot guns amazed the three young people. Turning around he saw that the two girls were standing side by side with Charl
ie
off to the left. The one girl
’
s dog had joined Tonto at the edge and both were growling lowly. “Alright everyone listen up.
I was hoping to have time to teach you all how to do this but that ain’t gonna happen. You’re all getting a crash course of tactics and defense.”

Handing each one a shotgun he went on, “Rule one I’m in charge.
Y
ou do as I say no questions and
no fucking independent ideas.”

Ceara looked to the new girl as
the girt
pumped the shotgun and looked down the site, Ceara looked at her own shotgun and
pumped it just like
the girl did and then to not look like she didn’t know what she was doing
,
she raised it up to look down the barrel too.

She wasn’t sure why she was looking down the barrel but the girl did it
,
so it must be right. Charlie was holding a gun and looking nervous. Ceara lowered the shotgun, “Maximus come here!”

Maximus stood by the man’s dog and didn’t do more than look back in Ceara’s direction. “Damn dog!”

The girl looked mean so Ceara slid over by Charlie, “Sorry, I just feel better by you.”

Charlie looked to Ceara then to the new girl and then to his own shot gun, “I’m not sure about this” he said as he worked the action of the rifle.

Charlie looked at the dark haired girl. To him, she was fierce looking with her leather jacket and pants, her eyes were soft but cold, but her general demeanor was one who was not to be messed with.

Charlie turned and smiled weakly at the new girl, “Hi I’m cupcake number one, names Charlie. This here is cupcake number two her name is Ceara.” Ceara started to say something but the old man didn’t let her.

Alden stepped up to the group his face was stern and his eyes were cold. “I don’t have time to evaluate what you may or may not know about these deadheads, or how well you can shoot, or what you may know about weapons
…
so here is the crash course.
”

Alden walked in front of all of them,
“
I have given
all have shotguns,
they are good for
close range and easy to hit your target
,
which by the way
,
is the head. If you hit the bastards in the stomach or the shoulder they’ll just keep coming. If you hit them in the leg and blow their fucking knees out, they’ll keep coming
,
crawling yes
,
but still coming. The only way to kill them is with a head shot.
”

Alden stopped pacing,
“
I am not interested in whether it’s against your religion to kill, the religion that concerns me right here and now is mine and my 1st commandment is, I SHALL NOT DIE OR BE BIT.”

His voiced bellowed to get his point across. “IF YOU GET BIT
,
I WILL SHOOT YOU IN THE HEAD, Nothing personal
,
it’s just the way things are. Now are we
all on the same fucking page.”

Not waiting for an
answer he went on “GOOD! The
2ND commandment is if I get bit you will SHOOT ME IN THE FUCKING HEAD GOT IT?”

Taking his knife out he dr
ew
a semicircle in the dirt, drawing a large box at the top, “This is the Latrine, the potty house for those who have never been off the block.”

To the left he drew a smaller box, “This here is my truck, we will form a semi-circle field of fire the two on the ends, Charlie you and cupcake three will be here and here,” as he put an x in the d
irt signifying their positions.

Ceara raised her hand “ummmm Sir..”

Alden glared at her, “I said this was not open for debate… shut up and listen up number two.”

She put a hand on her hip, “Fine, be all in control
,
I don’t give a shit
,
but I thought you might want to know there were more deaders about a mile over that way.”

She pointed her shotgun in the direction her and Maximus had just came. Alden looked back to where she pointed, “That’s fine missy, you say a mile huh, well figuring the average normal human walks at about 2 miles an hour their not really an imminent threat like the ones that are only about a thousand yards that way and are headin
g our way right now, are they?”

Ceara started pouting, “I was just saying damn.” She looked to C
harlie, “Can we shoot him now?”

Charlie shook his head, “No, the dog would kill us all if we even thought about it,” he whispered. Ceara winked at Charlie, “Not if Maximus can block him, but odds of that
ain’t real high,” just saying.

Alden groaned and looked to cupcake number three, “Thank God you got some brains to you. You and I might be the only ones to come out of this alive.”

Tabitha glared at him, “If I wanted to kill you
,
I would just do it, can we PLEASE fo
cus on the damn things coming?”

Alden roared, “Y’ALL SHUT THE FUCK UP. JESUS H CHRIST! We make a semi-circle Charlie you and number three take the corners make sure you are not facing each other, Cupcake two yo
u’re with me in the center here.
Y
ou’ll be on my left shooting right towards front, do not shoot cupcake number three
;
that would upset me and her if she lived.
”

Alden points to the left, “
I’ll shoot to the left, Charlie and Cupcake three give ground if you have to
,
but do not turn and run. If they flank us were all dead. Now everyone knows what to expect and what you should do. One more thing
,
the plugs have been removed from the shot guns so you have five shots not three
;
shoot 4 and keep count reload then shoot four again never ever empty your weapon.”

Ceara looked to Charlie but walked over with the man, “Could you at least call me by my name,
its
Ceara remember? And running the risk of pissing you off more, do I have to do that pump thing every shot?”

Alden sighed, and then remembered what he said to Tonto, “Missy that’s why
you’re
with me, and yes you have to pump it every time, later, if you live through this I have a better one in the truck. One more thing, you all see that big red dog, he’s my brother, my partner and my best fucking friend. He has killed many of those things
, probably more than all of you combined
. You shoot him, I shoot you, even if he gets bit. I don’t have time to explain
,
but that’s just the
way it is.”

Tabitha moved to her position scanning the woods, “How far you think they are?”

She glanced back to the area Ceara had said that others would be coming
from
, she knew Rambo was right, they had plenty of time before the others got there but that was depending on the girl knowing
how to gauge
distance and the girl didn’t look to intelligent to her. Tabitha looked over to the girl, “Do your job and do it good or else I will take you out myself.”

Ceara looked from Tabitha to Alden, wondering what she had gotten herself into and if she lived she thought she should get away from these psychotic people. Charlie seemed to be the only sane one but he worshipped the old man, with a heavy sigh she looked to Tabitha, “I got this, and
even
if I don’t you will be dead
,
so stop the threats
, ok?
”

Tabitha was really getting antsy and the only thing that she wanted to do was blow the fuckers away. Tabitha looked off
to her right of the perimeter, t
he leaves on the ground were rustling and memories of when she was younger played in the
foreground of her mind briefly.

Quietly Tabitha slowing sidestepped a couple of feet to her right and stopped suddenly. Her eyes then became slits as she peered off through the trees trying to pin point the sound. Closing her eyes for a brief
moment
so that her hearing became more acute, she honed in back to the left where her head snapped and her eyes became wide.

The sound was a thud then a dragging sound along the leaves. Whispering back to Alden then giving a nod with her head in that direction, “Hey Rambo! 12 o’clock.”

She didn’t really feel
too
comfortable with little red riding hood back there and well, the boy over to her left looked like a virgin on prom night with his weapon. Just then she realized where her position was and with Alden being behind her Tabitha didn’t take time to think… she just reacted. Seeing the figure make its way out of the tree line she wasted no time. With her eye looking down the sight she followed the movements until she was able to see that the asshole was
one of the
dead. The dragging noise that she heard was the zombie’s right leg dragging behind him while he stomped down with his left foot.

Both dogs now could be seen out of the corner of her eye bolting off in his direction and just as she figured out that the mutts were going after this fucktard Tabitha quickly saw another zombie coming out of the woods about twenty yards to her right. This one however was moaning very loudly and that was when Tabitha finally had had enough. “AWWW FUCK THIS SHIT!!” she yelled before pulling the trigger on her rifle.

Tabitha hadn’t fired a weapon in a while but it was like riding a bike. The recoil was kick ass and
every survival instinct
about Tabitha
came
out. When the shell made contact with her target there was nothing left of the
guys
head and his body dropped to the ground. Down deep inside she felt a twinge of excitement and chuckled loudly, “That’s what I’m talking about!!!!”