The Ark of Asylum (The Ark Series Book 1) (14 page)

Peter lies on the couch, frantically changing channels, looking for any channel that is broadcasting the news but having no luck. All of the channels are broadcasting the emergency alert system information and nothing else. The broadcast is the same as it’s been for days, telling everyone to evacuate to the designated safe zones listed on the screen.

Simon grabs his rifle off the rack and steps in front of the TV. “We need to go back out there.”

Peter sits up and looks at his dad. “Are you crazy? Uh, sorry, Dad . . . But why would we go back out there?”

Jason, Dave, and Kelly simultaneously put down their cards and look over at Simon. Jason asks, “What for?”

Simon sets the butt of his rifle on the ground and lowers his head. “Because I need to get samples from the infected. I need to begin testing so I can determine what kind of bacterium or virus this is. I didn’t have a substantial chance to study it the first time in Afghanistan since
—
Well, you guys know why. So I need to get as much information on this as possible. We haven’t heard anything from the CDC, and so I have to go out there and see what I can find.”

Peter’s mouth is agape. He swallows then says, “Dad, what
—
?”

Dave stands up and throws his cards on the table. “Okay.”

Simon looks at him, surprised. “Ah, okay. Well, alright then, we’ll head out in the morning.”

Jason looks at Simon and then at Dave. “Shouldn’t we discuss this first? I mean last time we barely made it back safe.”

Kelly grabs her husband’s hand and looks over at Simon. “He’s right, we need to discuss this.”

Dave walks over to the gun rack and pulls a rifle down. “No, Simon’s right. We need to know what we’re dealing with, so if we can gain some kind of intel by getting some samples from these things, then I’m all for it.”

Simon puts his hands in the air and then glances down at his son. “Great! Alright then, we’ll leave first thing tomorrow.” It does still take a little more convincing, but they all eventually agree to go.

Next morning they follow the same prep and load out routine as they did the first time. But after not having any luck finding any samples nearby, they end up driving back to the grocery store. The identical spot in the woods was easy to find with its headless, decomposing corpse serving as an easy reminder. Dave scans the area from the bed of the truck and gives a thumbs up and says “all clear” into the radio. Simon gets out of the truck, grabbing his bag on the way, and walks up to the rotting carcass on the ground. He puts his mask and rubber gloves on and then attempts to take some blood and skin samples.

“These samples aren’t good enough. I need samples from a recently deceased infected and one with its head intact.”

Jason walks around the side of the truck and joins Simon. “Okay, what do you suggest we do?”

“We need to go hunting for the infected and not just for the initially infected and fast ones or, as I like to call them, an incipient, but I also need samples from the other ones, the slow, half-dead ones like the one in the parking lot.”

Kelly walks over to where they are and says, “Okay, I have to interject here. Are you suggesting we go out in search of these creatures? Are you insane?”

              “I’m not suggesting it. That’s exactly what I’m saying we must do. We need a fresh body, and it’s the only way. The samples we obtain won’t just be to determine a cause, but I also need to see how it affects the cells, how it works within the body. They need to be fairly fresh because of accelerated body decomposition.”

Dave takes one last look around and jumps out of the back of the truck. “Then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll look for them.”

Simon puts his exam gear away and then checks his rifle. “Lock and load.”

Everyone proceeds to check their weaponry while Dave asks, “So what do you plan on doing with these samples once you’ve found them? Maybe come up with a cure?”

“Well, once I determine what we’re dealing with, I will then hopefully start working on some kind of possible cure or immunization, but that would
—

Suddenly, from within the copse of trees erupts what sounds like screams of terror, reminiscent of those found in horror movies. They all freeze. Dave turns his head and cocks his rifle.

“Everyone move. On me.”

They move through the trees as fast and as quiet as possible, trying not to draw attention to their position. The screams get louder. They come upon a house from where the screams are definitely coming; they’re so loud. At the edge of the tree line, Dave crouches down, followed by the rest of the group.

Nothing can be seen from the back of the house, so Dave whispers, “Alright, here’s the plan: Peter, I want you and Kelly to stay within the tree line and work your way around the house until you get to a good vantage point from where you can see the front of the house. Seems like they are coming from there. As soon as you’re in position, you radio us the sit rep and we’ll go from there. Copy?”

              Peter and Kelly both look at each other and nod yes. They get up and start moving through the trees as quickly as possible. They come upon a fallen tree at the edge of the tree line, and it’s just enough to see the front of the house, so they crouch down behind it. Peter takes his rifle off his shoulder and places it on the tree and looks through the scope. After he finally realizes what he’s looking at, he quickly pulls back from the scope in shock of what he sees. He has to gasp for air.

Kelly looks at Peter. “Pete, are you alright? What is it, Pete? Are you alright?”

Peter is shaking but again slowly looks through his scope. “Oh my God! We need to hurry. They’re tearing them apart,” he says into the radio.

Simon looks at Dave and Jason, confused. “Okay, son, just try to calm down
—
”

Dave cuts Simon off with urgency. “Pete, just relax, and describe the situation.”

Wiping tears from his eyes, Peter lowers his head and speaks in a strained voice. “They’re killing him. Hurry! Hurry!”

“Pete, listen to me, Take a deep breath, and calm yourself down. You are our eyes, and we can’t go in there blind. And if we move up too fast, it could compromise our position. Now, take a second and tell me what you see.” Dave then moves into the backyard and up to the swing set, followed by Simon and Jason.

With tears running down his face, he wipes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and looks through his scope. “There
—
there’s at least five total infected. Three of them are tearing a guy apart on the ground. There’s another person on the roof of the car with some kind of boat paddle or something, trying to fight two more of them off, and there are two girls in the car screaming! They, oh God, they just got the guy on the roof, and they are pounding on the window. Hurry! Go now!”

“Copy, Pete. We’re almost in position, and keep telling us what you see.”

Dave, Jason, and Simon all move in formation across the back yard and get up against the back of the house. As they hug the house, they move around the corner and to the side of the house. The screams become louder and more terrifying of a sound than before. Yet, they all hear it when the glass breaks, and the screams erupt into new heights of volume and pitch so desperate and scary that everyone in the group feels it resound within them as if it were amplified well above the ‘threshold of pain.’

“Hurry! Hurry! They just broke the car window! They’re going to kill the two girls!”

“Tell me exactly where the targets are, Pete, fast!”

“Two trying to get into the car window. Three on the ground eating the two guys. Please hurry!”

              “Okay, Pete, do you have a shot?”

              “Yes, I have a shot. Copy!”

“Alright, I need you to take out the one that is of the most threat to us, anyone that is facing our direction, and we’ll take out the rest. We go on your shot. Do you copy?”

              “Yes, I copy, but I don’t think I can do it!”

Simon puts his hand on Dave’s back before he quickly says, “You can do this, son. You’re the best shot I’ve ever seen. They are not human, and if you don’t do this, the two girls are going to die. I know you can do this, son.”

Peter tries to stop crying and does his best to stop from shaking. The screams get more intense and more desperate. Kelly places her hand on his arm and looks into his eyes as he looks up at her. “You can do this, Peter. You have to do this, or those girls are going to die. Now, take the shot.”

Peter, breathing heavily, lets out a soft scream when he looks through his scope just as one of the infected begins to climb into the car. Peter yells, “Fuck!” and then pulls the trigger, sending a perfect shot into the back of the infected’s head. It shatters its skull onto the back windshield, sending the two girls into hysteria.

As soon as the shot is heard, Dave turns the corner, pulling the trigger twice and connecting both times to the infected that is facing their direction. The shots quickly send it to the ground, head exploding on the way down.

Jason and Simon both fan out on his flank, and each fire shots into the other two infected feasting on the flesh of the fallen man.

The last shot comes from Dave’s gun, which removes the face of the last infected that turns in the direction of the gunfire. It falls to the ground. Dave gets up and moves toward the carnage. When he gets to the back of the car, he looks inside at the two girls cowering in the back seat, screaming their lungs out. He quickly lowers his weapon and says “clear” into the radio.

The two girls continue hugging each other but slowly stop screaming after they look up and see Dave put his finger to his lips. “You guys need to be quiet, or you’ll draw more of them to our position. You guys are safe now. Are you bit or hurt in anyway?”

The two girls may not be screaming anymore, but they are now crying hysterically and are unable to answer.

“Pete, you did a good job. Now scan the area and look for any sign of a threat, and hold your position.”

Just as Peter goes to say “copy” into the radio, a pickup truck comes hauling ass down the road toward the house. Peter yells into the radio, “Contact! Contact! It looks like that same pickup truck from before heading straight for you!”

Dave moves to the back of the car followed by Jason and Simon. “Shit! Pete, Kelly, whatever happens, do not let us lose our weapons. We are dead if that happens. Do you understand? If we are forced to lower our weapons, make sure they don’t hit the ground. You just start shooting, okay?”

Peter and Kelly both look at each other and say “copy” into the radio just as the pickup truck screeches to a halt on the end of the driveway. As the doors fly open, two men jump from the truck bed with one man left getting into position on the roof. The two men now flanking either side of the truck are pointing their weapons at Dave, Jason, and Simon, who are already pointing their weapons at them.

A man smoking a cigar steps out of the passenger door. He is wearing camouflage and is strapped with a pistol around his waist. The man casually takes the cigar from his mouth and says with a southern draw, “Well, well, look what we have here. Are you the fuckers that stole our food from the market recently?”

Dave, still aiming his rifle responds, “We don’t know what you’re talking about, asshole, and we aren’t looking for any trouble. Besides if it’s from a grocery store, I don’t think it’s
your
food, so why don’t you just be on your way now?”

“Well, now that’s where you’re wrong. It is my food because this is my town; me and my men own this whole fucking area. And I know it was y’all from the other day. We found your truck in the woods over yonder, same truck we chased down the street. We heard the shooting over here, and we just knew it was y’all. So, why don’t you lower your weapons and hand them over? Or else we’ll be forced to fire upon you, and you’re outnumbered, so it won’t end well for you boys if you know what I mean.”

Without even blinking an eye, Dave aims down his sight with an unshakable demeanor. “Afraid we can’t do that, asshole, but you can lower your weapons and get the hell out of here. That way my snipers won’t have to take your heads off.”

“Bull shit! You ain’t got no snipers. It’s just the three of you out here. Now all we want is your weapons and the two girls in the back seat. After that we’ll be on our way. No one has to get hurt.”

“Yeah right! We’d be dead before our guns even hit the ground. That’s not going to happen, so just turn around and get the fuck out of here!”

“I’ll give you guys to the count of ten to hand over your weapons, or my men are going to open fire on you, okay? So, ten, nine
—
”

Dave glances at Simon and gives him a look. He then looks at Jason, drawing the asshole’s eyes and those of his companions in Jason’s direction, who seems to be nervously contemplating whether he should set his gun down.

Meanwhile, Simon, who is standing further back nearer to the house, whispers into the radio, “Pete, Kelly, get ready to unleash hell on these assholes. Start shooting in five seconds. Take out the guy in the truck bed and the driver.”

“Five, four, three . . . Alright . . . if that’s how you want it . . . Boys, take ‘em
—
”