The Rabid (7 page)

"Thank
you."

"don't
mention it. But now you owe me."

She
took a deep breath and pushed against the pipe in the opposite direction the
door would open. "Why do you have so much insistence on needing affirmation
that I trust you?"

I
pulled back a little. "Is that what I'm doing?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

The
pipe broke free of the door and clambered to the ground. Rex squeaked but Lisa
reassured him by saying his name softly.

"Here.
Gimme." I held out my hand for her to give me the pipe. She looked up at me. I
couldn't explain what kind of look she gave me or what she was thinking. She
looked angry, but a subdued angry. Her brows were low, but she did pick up the
pipe and hand it to me.

"Sorry
if I pried too much." I rounded the corner toward her.

"it's
fine."

"You
can tell me what happened whenever you're ready." I threw her a smile and a
wink, but there was virtually no reaction.

"I
don't need a therapist, but thank you. I can handle my own thoughts."

"you're
sexy when you're stubborn," I joked.

"Thank
you."

There
was an awkward moment where we looked at each other. "Okay."

"Okay."

I
shook off the weird thoughts in my head and rolled my shoulders. Bracing myself
with one foot securely planted on the concrete and the other against the wall,
I wedged the pipe between the door and its jamb.

"Here
goes something." I pushed hard against the pipe with as much force as I could.
The door wasn't budging, but I had to keep going. A little girl's life was at
stake and I couldn't take a risk that big.

My
head was only swimming with thoughts of a gruesome scene to come. Whose blood
was on Lisa? Was it Alex's or Sylvia's? Were they both dead? Were those idiots
torturing them?

There
was a loud clang to bring me out of my thoughts. The pipe broke and took me
down with it. I hit my bad knee and could feel the pull of ligaments. Pain shot
through my hip into my upper back.

"Fuck!"

"Are
you all right?"

There
was an emotion in Lisa's voice. It was concern. My heart almost skipped a beat,
but I decided that wouldn't be a good idea.

"Yeah."
I put one hand on my good leg and wobbled to a standing position. My knee
throbbed, but I could walk at least. Lisa's face held what looked like fear for
a split second. But it quickly returned to stoic.

"The
door"s open."

I
looked. Sure enough, there was a sliver of blackness meeting us from the
cracked open door. We were in. Taking one last look at each other in the light,
we gave a simultaneous nod of agreement and stepped into the darkness.

From the
Desk of Dr. Lisa James

October 17

It
was a terrible idea. Pushing the metal door open to the inside of the casino, I
took a quick glance at Jack while squeezing Rex's hand.

What
happened to Sylvia outside the casino was utterly incomprehensible. But I knew
I'd deal with that later. Because Jack was right; Alex might have still been
alive and if I didn't make sure then my decision would forever weigh in the
back of my mind. I couldn't have that.

So,
we made the journey through the door into the dark casino. I wasn't expecting
much, because I never gambled. Gambling was a waste of a life and became an
addiction for many people before the outbreak.

Surprisingly,
the inside was lit enough so we could see. Most of the slot machines were dark.
Some were smashed in " I'd assumed for the money. A few remaining were actually
lit and spinning through nonsensical imagery unrelated whatsoever to gambling.

A
large metal structure was in the direct center of the casino. I assumed it was
representative of the Eiffel Tower"s interior in Paris. But I'd never been to
Paris.

"Wait."
Jack's voice almost startled me. He spoke in a harsh whisper while holding an
arm in front of me. I looked sideways at him. I didn't understand why he felt
the need to protect us.

"Do
you think they can hear us?"

"They
already know we're inside." He was looking all around " at each wall, stairway
and corner.

"How
do you"

I was
cut off by a loud screech. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Jack
instinctively pushed Rex and me behind him. The, just as suddenly as it had
started, the noise stopped. I looked around for the source.

"Machines
are malfunctioning." Jack used his normal tone.

"Why
aren't you whispering anymore?"

"Because."

I
straightened out and planted my feet squarely. He was in my way. Rex was also
beginning to fidget.

"Because
why?"

My
sentence trailed into oblivion when I saw Rupert standing in the center of the
casino. he'd changed " now wearing a black trench coat with a purple shirt and
leather pants.

"Welcome,
welcome!" He raised his arms above his head. There was a full twenty seconds of
complete silence before someone spoke.

"Uh..."
It was Jack.

Rupert
lowered his arms. For the first time, I could see movement. There were men all
over. They were hiding in dark corners and behind the slot machines. Some were
on their hands and knees.

"we're
here for the little girl." Jack didn't shift at all. He was still.

Rupert
laughed. "Rosalie? Rosalie is just a stuffed doll on the fifth floor the men
use to...pleasure themselves."

I
made a face.

"Good
to know... What about the woman and her daughter?"

"Do
you really believe we'd let her go without...compensation?" Rupert's smile made
my stomach churn.

"Look,
Rupert," Jack began with a sigh. "These ladies didn't do anything to you. They
belong with us and if you just give them back, we'll mosey on out of here
without a peep."

Rupert
laughed again. It was a throaty almost satanic sound. "I don't think so. You
see, we are a community here. We have rules to abide by. Sometimes when we
catch someone, we recruit them."

There
was a rustle from the hidden men " a sort of murmur of agreement.

"And
sometimes we eat them."

It
was the final statement that set me on edge once again. My stomach began to
roil while my palms were beginning to moisten.

"Any
questions?"

"Yeah,
one." Jack raised his hand as if we were in school. Rupert paused, his face
stoic. "Where do babies come from?"

You
could have heard a pin drop, I swear.

He
looked at me and shrugged. "What? My dad was never around and my mom was too
embarrassed to start the conversation." He turned back to Rupert. "All right, I
get it. We all have to live somehow. You...guys chose this way. But women gotta
be stringy, man. Just let them go."

Rupert
reached behind his back. "Or what?" He brought out what looked like a
high-powered pistol plated with gold and pointed it at us.

Jack
did the same, positioning the sawed-off shotgun right at Rupert's head. "Or
I'll kill you."

"I'd
like to see you try. My men here will tear you apart if your trigger finger so
much as twitches."

"Yeah,
well right now it's plenty itchy."

They
played a game of stand and stare for a solid two minutes. It was almost as if
no one else were there. As if it were just the two of them aiming at each
other. Both wanting the same thing and willing to fight for it. My
understanding and appreciation of Jack tilted upward a bit. He was willing to
risk his life for two people he barely knew.

It
was Jack who finally broke the staring contest. "What do you want?"

A
smile spread across Rupert's face. "I'm so glad you decided to comply." With a
single nod of his head I felt Rex's hand slip out of mine. I spun around to see
a sunken looking man pulling him away. The sunglasses fell off his nose and
dropped on the carper with a soft plop.

"Hey!"
I ran after the man only to be grabbed by another one. I struggled. I kicked
him hard. I tried to remember some defense training, but my mind wasn't working
properly. The only thing on it was getting Rex back safely. The other man was
able to subdue me as he carried me into the darkness. I stretched a hand out.

"Jack!"

October 17

"Son
of a bitch!" I watched helplessly as two of Rupert's henchmen took Rex and
Lisa away from me. When I turned back toward him, he had lowered his gun. "Give
them back!"

"Tis
a fair trade."

"Since
when?"

Two
other men came out of the shadows. Alex was between them, but there was no sign
of Sylvia. She was kicking and screaming. She was a fighter. Luckily, she
seemed unharmed." When she saw me, she struggled free.

"Jack!"
She ran to me, throwing both arms around my waist. "Mom"s dead!"

"Jesus
Christ..." I knelt down and let my gun fall to my side, but I kept a firm grip on
it. "Are you okay, honey?"

Her
face was streaked with dirt and tears. In her eyes was fear, sorrow and a
little anger. I could see it all in the way she looked at me. It just about
broke my heart.

"They
said they were gonna eat me."

I
took a deep breath. "Everything"s okay, now, honey. I've got you." I stood back
up while keeping a protective arm around Alex. "Bring them back and you can
have me."

Rupert
laughed. The sound was beginning to hurt. "I'm afraid not. Woman on the menu
tonight, boys!"

There
was a collective rush of what sounded like rejoiced whispers.

"Bring...them...
back
."
I pulled the hammer back on Silas's gun. Rupert's smile faded fast. The room
erupted in clicks from hammers. It was almost deafening. I could only see about
twenty men, but it sounded like hundreds.

"it's
time for you and the girl to leave."

"Jack?"
Alex sniffed and looked up at me. It was hard to see the hurt in her eyes. I
had to think quick.

***

I
paced outside by the SUV. Alex followed my movements every time I turned
around. I didn't know what I was going to do. Could I have snuck in and somehow
found the room Lisa and Rex were in and rescued them without anyone seeing?
Doubtful.

Man
that sentence had a lot of and"s.

"I
wonder how long Lisa can fend for herself."

"If
Rex is involved...she'll handle it." Alex's response to my question meant for no
one startle me.

I
stopped for a moment to look at her. All the fear from before seemed to have
drained from her face. she was even kicking her feet aimlessly.

"Could
she... Could she, like...kill someone?"

"Aunt
Lisa? I wouldn't be surprised."

I was
impressed. "Damn. that's hot."

"You're
weird." Alex's words were laced with humor. She didn't really mean it.

Hmm...
I was getting off track. What could I do to save them?

Could
I have just gone in straight massacre style with guns blazing? No, that
wouldn't work because I only had...

"I
only have one gun." I finished my thought out loud as I stopped pacing.

"What
is it?" Alex's brow was furrowed. I shot her a grin and approached the
passenger side of the vehicle.

"I've
got a plan."

***

I
watched Alex from a distance. She was a brave one. Willing to stand alone
outside with those men all around. A trooper is what I would have called it.
She wanted to help so badly that I had to give her the opportunity.

I
snuck around to a window under the tower of the building. They were all boarded
up, but I used it to my advantage. After taking a deep breath, I pounded my
fist against the raw boards for three seconds. That was Alex's cue.

I
rounded a pillar and pressed my back against it. When I heard the casino door
open, I peeked out enough to be able to see their feet. There were four of
them.

Alex
began crying. It was a horrible sound. She wailed like a cat. In between the
tears, she sputtered, "He left me! He just left me!"

She
was a pro.

"it's
just the little brown girl." One of the men shuffled his feet. "I'll get her.
Tell the boss." The other three pairs of feet walked off. Perfect.

I
followed the guy"s movements as he stepped out into the open air. He was in my
territory now. He wasn't wearing much, either. Just a cross belt of ammo and
some ripped shorts. I could see his ribs. His feet were bare. Each footstep
kicked up a bit of dirt.

Alex
was faced away from him, but she knew he was there. I told her how I predicted
the plan would go. The man inched forward until his shadow fell over her.

"you're
ours now, little brown girl." He snarled at her.

Alex
immediately stopped crying and spun around. "I think not." I'd given her a
rusty screwdriver that was in the glove box. She did exactly as I told her " blindly
aimed it toward his face. She caught his cheek, ripping a nice sized hole and
leaving some of the orange rust behind on his skin.

"You
little brat!" The man held one hand to his cheek while drawing a pistol out of
his cutoff jeans. But before he could even pull back the hammer, I slammed the
butt of my shotgun into the side of his head. There was a massive crack and he
fell over into the dirt. Blood began to pool, turning the sand orange.

"That's
not... You just got... Damn it. I was hoping to say something really cool right
now." I picked up his gun and checked the chamber as Alex giggled. I tucked the
gun into the back of my jeans, then gave her a thumbs up. "You kick ass,
Seabass."

She
gave a little nod of her head with a knowing smile. "My gramma taught me good."

***

Alex
told me she'd seen the location of Rupert's "throne room" when she was trapped
inside. I thought I could use that information to my advantage. I just had to
find a way to be quiet about entering the building.

"How
many of those guys are there?" I asked her. I'd put her into the SUV and told
her to stay put with the doors locked.

"I
don't know. I didn't see very many, but they were mostly in the front of the
casino. They like the dark."

That was
all I needed to know. As long as I stuck to the shadows, I could quickly
eliminate anyone I came into contact with without alerting attention. Before
shutting her in, I loaded up on supplies. I took a hunting knife and about two
feet of nylon rope. I left the screwdriver with Alex.

"Okay."
I turned to her. Her face held an expression of anxiety. "Your mom ever let you
drive?"

She
shook her head. "But my daddy did."

"So
you know which pedal is gas and which is brake?"

She
nodded. "And I know you have to put it in drive and take off the...emergency
brake?"

"You
got it. If I'm not back in thirty minutes, you take off. Drive as far as you
can. Find someone or something that looks safe."

"Okay."
She nodded.

I
stood and shut the passenger door, leaving my hand pressed against the window
for a second more than I should have. Seeing her watch me about to do something
stupid was difficult. I had to choke back some emotion. There was a chance I
wouldn't be back. Leaving her by herself was better than leaving her with those
men.

As I
walked backward, I made the motion to lock the door. She nodded. I gave her a
thumbs up and she returned the gesture.

The
metal door at the side of the casino was still open, so I slipped through
without widening the opening and quietly shut the door. Surprisingly, the
casino wasn't dead quiet as I thought it would be. There were sounds of
shuffling, yelling and...chewing. I looked up to the second floor stairwell and
saw Rupert pointing to something. He looked flustered. There was a moment"s
pause, then he threw up his hands and walked into a room in the middle of the
hall. I counted. Third door on the right. that's the one.

She'd
also given me the general direction of where she'd been held so I could check
there for Rex and Lisa first. I pressed against the wall and began making my
way to the staircase. The sounds seemed to become louder once Rupert was gone.

I was
almost to the stairs when I noticed one of his men hunched over facing away
from me. He was eating something " hoarding it like his life depended on it. I
unsheathed my hunting knife and crept toward him. In a swift movement, I slid
the blade across his throat while holding a hand over his mouth until he was
limp. Killing someone so brutally on purpose was difficult, but I knew it was
necessary. I glanced at the wad of meat the man was chewing on and hoped it
wasn't Lisa.

The
staircase was right in front of me. There was no movement the entire way up,
but I could see two people in the shadows at the top. They seemed to be arguing
quietly over something. I turned and picked up the stringy pile of meat my late
friend had been chewing and tossed it up where it landed between the feet of
the two.

They
immediately stopped arguing and stared at it. Then, they looked up at each
other. that's when the fighting began. They clawed and screamed at each other,
ripping off hair and chunks of flesh. One of them let out a low groan and fell
to the floor while the other grabbed the meat and ran off.

I
shook my head before ascending the stairs. The entire casino was covered in
dust. It smelled like blood. There were brown stains all over the carpets. Chunks
of meat hung from railings, slot machines and chandeliers. The hotel room doors
were mostly broken off their hinges or completely gone.

At
the top of the stairs, I came to the loser of the earlier argument. It was
female. Her hair curled into greasy strings. Clothes hung from her bones. Her
eyes were sunken. She was still breathing. Her gaze focused on me and her eyes
widened. She lifted her hand, beginning to close her first to point at me. I
showed her the knife, making sure it glinted off the dull light, and shook my
head. Her hand fell back to her side as her head lolled the opposite way.

I
stepped over her. The whole air of the place made me feel as though I had to
wash my hands. Ugh.

I
peeked into one of the hotel rooms without a door. The carpets and beds were
completely splashed red with blood. Chains with shackles on the ends of them
hung from the walls. Lisa and Rex were in a room like this. If they were even
still living.

"Go
and don't come back until you've retrieved what I want!"

My
head turned toward the sound of Rupert's voice. There was a frightened looking
skinny man cowering at the open door to his chambers. The man nodded and shook,
hobbling off toward the opposite end of the hotel.

Using
the shadows to conceal myself, I crept toward his open door. There was a faint
sound of classical music coming from inside. I positioned myself in a way where
I could see how the room was setup. The bed was opulent to say the least. Gold
sheets and a canopy. Everything looked like it was made of silk. A stereo was
propped up on one night stand and what looked like an executive chair was
facing the window " away from me.

As I
silently approached the chair, I could see him waving his arms about, trying to
conduct the music. I wanted to roll my eyes, but I had more important things to
do.

The
closer I got to the chair, the more I straightened myself until I was right on
top of him. He looked up at me, but it was too late to scream. I threw the
nylon rope around his throat and pulled as tightly as I could.

He
struggled hard, clawing at the rope but only tearing skin from his neck. He
tried to stand and nearly knocked over the chair. I caught it with my foot,
letting it slip to the ground quietly. When I was focused again, I tightened
the rope more and pressed my knee into his back for leverage.

"This
is for
her
."

After
what felt like hours, he finally quieted down and stopped struggling. I slowly
dropped him to the floor and, with one last tug to tighten the rope and make
sure the deed was done, took a moment to make the sign of the cross over my
chest.

"Now
to find them."