The Last Infection: A Post Apocalyptic Thriller (8 page)

“I got them.”

Chris rolled his eyes.

“So open the door.”

The jingle of keys followed and the door swung open. Only a thin slit of light shined through the bottom of the door leading out into the storefront. Gunfire told Chris that they still had time. “There’s no guarantee that the room outside this door is empty.” Jake nodded. “But we got to go now or we might not get another chance.” The declaration was as much for Chris’ nerve as it was for Jake.

Chris didn’t wait for acknowledgment. He crouched as low to the ground as he could get and grabbed the doorknob. He
felt Jake close behind him. The knob turned and an effortless push produced an inch opening. There was no initial reaction.

Chris held his breath and allowed his eyes to adjust to the light. He pushed the door and poked his head out. His eyes told him the storefront was clear
, but it was his ears that urged him to move. The gunfire had stopped and the silence heightened his fear.

They moved together down the center aisle of the makeshift general store. Along the
way, Chris grabbed a hand axe off one of the tables for himself and commandeered a hunting knife for Jake. They reached the front door and Chris motioned for the boy to stay down. He slid his head up to the edge of the front window and peered out. The view of the street did not reveal what he’d hoped. Several armed men walked shoulder to shoulder along the main road. The formidable row was headed in their direction.

“It’s time to go.”

They were moving before Jake could object. Chris never bothered to look back to see if they were spotted. He was expecting the noise and commotion to let him know. They moved in a straight line, crouched close to the front of the store’s exterior, heading toward the edge of the building. They reached a dark narrow way between the general store and the adjacent structure.

Chris dove in
to the darkness and pressed his back against the wall. He motioned for Jake to move to the opposite end of the alleyway, and then glanced out at the street. The main group of men had splintered, but there were still enough of them headed in Chris’ direction to cause trouble. He pulled back and checked on Jake’s progress. The boy had reached the backside of the building and was presently waving at him. Chris closed the distance in several long strides and found the cause for Jake’s frantic gestures.

There was a clear zone between the rear
of the buildings and the chain link fence. The perimeter appeared to extend around the compound. The limited light from the street lamps revealed the start of hilly terrain beyond the chain link. The landscape was dotted with dense patches of bristlecone pine trees and bush.

Chris’ attention was drawn to a lumbering figure beyond the light. His eyes adjusted to the low
illumination, then widened as he took in the true scene before him. A sea of countless walking corpses littered the landscape within the darkness. The sound of nearby generators drowned out their moans and flesh lusting calls. Most of the undead were moving in groups of a few dozen.

“My God,” he whispered
, “they’re everywhere.” He realized at once that his plan of escape was in jeopardy.

“Look.
”

Chris followed Jake’s finger to a shifting figure breaking into the light. It was moving fast toward the fence and as it did, its features came into full view. Its skin was the color of cigarette ash, its eyes brimming with the feral stare of the infected. His limbs twitched and in the full light
, it showed it was a man. He rushed the boundary with his mouth open wide, drool and spit streaming from the orifice.

A sudden explosion of gunfire sent Chris to the ground to seek cover. A burst hit the advancing infected male as he reached the fence. His chest opened up like a rotten melon and he fell to his knees, his arms cl
inging to the chain link. A man stepped away from the other side of the general store, his focus on reloading. He crossed the clear zone when his task was complete and slid the barrel of a shotgun through the fence. The gun went off a few inches from the infected man’s head producing a shower of blood and brains. The mass of undead turned from their aimless walk and headed toward the gruesome display.

Chris motioned for Jake to stay in the shadows as they crept along the backside of the adjoining building
, when something else caught his eye. There were two figures at first, both moving between the undead. Their twitching limbs gave them away as they approached the fence. It was the hesitation of one that caused Chris to pause. One of the infected, a woman draped in the bloody remains of a nightshirt, came to a stop under a tree. Chris swore she motioned at the fence then growled their terrible call as if to order the other to advance.

“Did you see that?”

Chris heard himself ask the question, but a quick look revealed Jake was too far away to hear him. The gunman at the fence shot as he stumbled away. An echo of gunfire reverberated from the alley on the opposite side of the general store. A mass of the infected rushed the boundary from the shadows of the trees and smashed into the fence line. The impact bent in the closest support poles as they crawled over one another to reach the top. The sea of death poured over the razor wire oblivious to the cuts and gouges as it tore at their skin.

A large section of the perimeter went down
under the combined weight of the attackers. A dozen or so gunmen held their ground at the edge of the buildings firing at the infected as they advanced toward the flesh buffet. A herd of undead followed them in, trailing now by only a few feet. A desperate call for help rang out.

“Breach
, breach!”

Chris
couldn’t pull his eyes from the war scene, but a call from Jake snapped him back into the moment.

“
Run, Chris, run.”

He turned and didn’t look back,
sprinting wildly as the infected closed in.

9.

Jenn was sure the man intentionally had his hand on her butt. She’d kicked and screamed as much as she could when they pulled her out of the chair, but a swift pop on the back of the head made her rethink her approach. She wasn’t sure if she would ever see Chris or the kids again. She thought there was a good chance she was going to be killed and figured she’d be lucky if that was the extent of it.

She stopped fighting and pressed the full weight of her body over the shoulder of the man carrying her.
Maybe I can give him some back pain
, she thought. She laid her cheek against his jacket and tried to push the gag out of her mouth with her tongue. They crossed through two rooms, and then another man opened a door, letting them outside into the cold.

J
enn tried to take in the upside down view to understand where they were. There was a street running away from them in both directions. The road appeared to be lined with small stores and old houses. The doors and windows of most of the buildings were boarded over, some lined with metal bars. A few of the windows were filled with light while the others remained dark as a cemetery. There was a great deal of commotion at one end of the street, but it was difficult for Jenn to make out any details. She thought she saw the outline of a fence, but she lost the view when her carrier made a sharp turn and headed in the opposite direction. The man out in front spoke first.

“Is Earl back yet?”

“Doubt it,” her carrier said. Jenn noted a strong distain in the man’s reply. “That boy’s more trouble than he’s worth.”

“He’s made the dedication and deserves his due. You got just the same.”

Her carrier shrugged then grumbled to himself. Jenn shifted her weight trying to get his shoulder out of her gut. He’d yet to remove his hand from her butt. He gave her right cheek a firm squeeze, and then responded to his partner in a less than convincing tone.

“
…if you say so.”

The row of buildings across the street was nondescript
, although a few showed signs of life. A group of men passed close by, heading in the opposite direction. They were all dressed in similar hunter’s gear, each carrying at least one gun. Jenn’s escorts made no attempt to announce themselves, but her carrier managed to remove his hand from her butt long enough to offer a wave.

The trip lasted another few minutes, ending when they turned toward a two story building on the nearside of the street. The long storefront window was boarded over. A jingle of keys produced an open doorway. A second
later, the trio was cloaked in darkness. A strong rush of fear took a hold of Jenn. There was a flurry of movement followed by a forceful pull at her legs. Her head hit the floor with devastating effect. The world spun out of control, but she managed to kick her legs trying to hold off an anticipated attack. Jenn’s heels made contact several times, but it wasn’t until the lights sprang on that she realized she was beating the hell out of a desk.

“Calm down
, woman, before I slap you.”

“John, drag her ass over here.”

The man who’d carried her was near a doorway at the rear of what was once a furniture store. Most of the tables were turned over and in bad shape. Broken wood and empty drawers littered the cramped space. A thick, musty smell clung to everything. Jenn tried to sit up, but her hands, still bound behind her back, made the task difficult. She tried to calm herself. Experience told her that keeping her composure might be the only thing to keep her alive.

They could do what they wanted to her. At the right
moment, she would to be ready to act. There were four men in Topeka, each one taking their turn putting their filthy hands on her. She made herself remember, although it hurt worse than a gunshot. She had to remember because she survived it. John grabbed the collar of her shirt and dragged her across the floor, tossing her the last few feet.

He was an older man
, defined primarily by the hair on his face. His mane of disheveled locks ran down his shirt and ended at frayed tips near his beltline. His flannel top and worn leather jacket did little to hide the strength in his chest and shoulders. John looked down at Jenn with a piercing stare.

“Now
, sit still and keep your mouth shut.”

He rested
a shotgun against the wall and removed a buck knife from his boot. He held it where she could see it, then smiled. Jenn started to squirm and let out a muffled scream despite his warning. The reaction was instant. John hit her across the face with the back of his hand.

“Damn it, I told you to hush
.”

Jenn felt the heat on her cheek as she tried to shake off the attack. The taste of blood trickled down the back of her throat. John leaned in close and cut the material covering her mouth. He
held a finger up for a point of emphasis.

“Don’t forget what I said.”
He showed her the long blade again for good measure, then grabbed his shotgun and turned his back on her. She was considering a kick high enough to cause some real damage, when his words froze her mid thought. “Dave, go get the little one.”

Terror took hold of Jenn a
s she locked in place. Dave headed down the rear hall and didn’t return for several agonizing minutes. He finally reappeared, dragging Alicen by the arm. The little girl was fighting against his grip, but the blood running from her nose told of a lesson she’d already learned. Alicen’s eyes locked on Jenn and she screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Jenn.
”

Alicen
kicked Dave in the shin and pulled herself free. She leapt through the mess in the room and landed in Jenn’s lap. Alicen threw her arms around Jenn’s neck and cried. Jenn felt her bury her face in her chest. Dave swore under his breath and raised his gun.

“Girl
, I told you to behave.”

He stormed acr
oss the room with a boiling fury in his eyes. He was spitting mad, throwing out every curse word known to man as he went. John made a poor attempt at stopping him with a devilish grin under his mustache. Dave grabbed hold of Alicen’s hair and yanked her to her feet. The little girl’s cries brought a surge of ferocity to Jenn’s chest.

Jenn pulled at
the ties on her wrists with all her might and felt the rope give way. She was up on her feet before either of the men knew what was happening. John pushed Alicen to the ground, but before he could bring his gun to bear, Jenn was on him. She drove her palm into his nose and felt it crush beneath her strength.

The mountain man
crumbled to the ground as blood gushed down his face. Jenn spun around, but Dave slammed the butt of his gun into her side before she could lock in on him. She felt the impact, but her rage kept her on her feet. Her elbow caught Dave on the chin. Jenn snatched Alicen by the hand as he stumbled back.

“Come on.”

They took off toward the rear of the building, and then plunged down the short hallway. The escape came to a sudden stop at a locked door. A shout from Dave forced her to take the stairs leading up. Alicen was still screaming as they went, but Jenn couldn’t process what she was saying. The sounds of the men coming after them intensified the terror.

Jenn p
ulled Alicen up the rest of the stairs and stopped at the second floor landing. The narrow hall offered a single door at both ends and a dark bathroom directly across from them. Jenn sprinted towards the rear of the building, pushed open the door, and dashed inside. A flick of the light switch brought a room stuffed full with boxes into view.

“Push these.”

Jenn slammed the door closed, then pressed her shoulder into the closest stack of boxes. Alicen stood frozen in the center of the room, still crying. The stomping echo of boots coming up the stairs was clear. The first impact hit the door as Jenn pushed the boxes in front of it. Dave was laughing an awful screech, but John was explaining what he was planning to do.

“I’m going to
rip you a new ass, girly, then I’m going to gut you like a pig.”

The boxes shook as the door took the brunt of their anger. Jenn ran for the lone window in the back. She felt the last bit of hope ripped from her heart as the bars came into view.
Alicen continued to wail as Jenn fell to her knees in front of the window. She couldn’t even manage to get the nailed windowpane open.

“Please
, Jenn, save us.”

The next sound Jenn heard vibrated throughout her body. The
thud of the shotgun blast sent Alicen to the floor. The little girl pressed her face against the cold wood and wrapped her arms over her head. The second shot blew the boxes halfway across the room. Jenn came to her feet with a ringing in her ears.

Dave stormed in first. He was yelling at the top of his lungs
, but Jenn couldn’t make any of it out. He crossed the room in two long strides, stepping over Alicen as he went. The first punch hit Jenn in the mouth and the second in the side of the head. She fell to the ground nearly unconscious. She tried to hold herself up on her knees and fling herself towards Alicen when John picked the little girl off the ground.

“You’re mine now.”

Jenn heard Dave’s declaration, then felt his grip as he took a firm hold of the back of her head. Her neck snapped back as he pulled at her hair. John was already out in the hall when she heard him again.

“Let’s hurry this up. We’re going to have to clean up the mess and come up with a good story.”

Jenn swung her arms wildly, but didn’t make contact. Dave heaved her out of the room and down the hall. The door at the opposite end flung open to a bedroom in disarray. Lamp light revealed a disheveled bed and a set of chest of drawers. A thick layer of dust covered everything save for a well-trodden path between the door and a pair of windows overlooking the front street.

Jenn
heard Alicen, but she couldn’t see her. Jenn was forced into the room and her head slammed into the side of the bed. She spun around and tried to stand up, but Dave was on top of her. John was at the foot of the bed holding his gun in one hand and keeping Alicen down with the other.

“Let her go
, you son of a bitch.”

Dave pressed himself down on top of her, slamming Jenn’s face into the mattress. John laughed
, showing his rotting teeth as Alicen fought to get away from him. Dave finished crawling up on Jenn’s back and her face ended up a foot away from Alicen’s face. He forced Jenn’s hands behind her back and she felt the pain in her wrists as he bound them.

“It
’s going to be okay,” Jenn said looking directly at Alicen’s tear stained face. “Close your eyes, sweetheart.”

John mocked her with a snicker.

“Yeah, sweetheart, you’d better close your eyes real hard.”

He and Dave roared out in laughter. John pulled the little girl
to the far side of the bed. Jenn tried to follow her with her eyes, but a firm hand on the back of her neck held her head in place. Dave shifted his weight and leaned down close to her ear.

“You’re going to wish you never hit me.”

Jenn refused to give into the terror. He could do what he wanted, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction he was looking for. She had to put her mind somewhere else. She had to be ready if the chance came, for Alicen’s sake. Dave laid his gun down on the bed. He slid his hand underneath Jenn’s waist, and then something caused him to stop.

“What was that?”

John’s question froze everything in the room. Dave brought himself up to his knees, and then got down on the floor. Jenn took the opportunity to roll over and quickly sit up. Dave’s eyes were on the windows facing the street, but he pointed a finger back at her.

“Don’t even think about it.”

He approached the window and looked out at the street. A volley of gunfire erupted from somewhere outside, drawing him toward the buildings on the opposite side of the road. Jenn’s eyes found Alicen in the corner of the room between the bed and the far wall. John was a few feet in front of her waiting on Dave’s response. Dave came around the bed in a hurry and picked up his gun. The fear on his face was plain to see. He motioned toward the window and checked his rounds.

“Get over
there and watch the fence. The infected are coming through.”