Beyond the Barriers (Novella): Ghouls (10 page)

P
eace and quiet for a change
.

After our escape from the enemy’s compound, our new friends Joel and Jackson got to their ATVs. We crowded onto the vehicles with Katherine being the third passenger behind me, and Joel Kelly. Being so overloaded, the little engine was pushed to the limit as it carried us away.

We ran into trouble almost immediately but with Joel leading the way we were able to put down a small horde of zombies without much effort. He and Jackson Creed worked together like pros. It didn’t hurt that they had a lot of weapons and a supply of ammo. I was glad that they didn’t require us to help because I wasn’t about to let Katherine out of my sight again.

Then, after half an hour of zig-zagging around, we finally came to a break in the road that was covered with brush. Jackson hopped down and moved it aside. Once he started pushing branches out of the way, it was easy to see that the barrier was handmade. It provided cover for the little driveway but wouldn’t stand up to a close inspection.

They took us to a house they referred to as Fortress. We met a teenage girl named Christy who was happy to help us get settled. There was a blonde-bobbed woman named Anna who kept a dour look on her face the entire time we were doing introductions. Jackson slipped his hand in hers and she relaxed a little bit.

Then a white Labrador named Frosty bounded into the house and raised its hackles at us. Katherine dropped to her knees and talked to him in a baby voice while rubbing her neck. She decided Katherine was the dog’s new best friend.

Joel kept to himself. I felt like he was irritated by our presence and I understood that. Three more mouths to feed hadn’t on his to-do list today.

They had an impressive setup at the house. Rain water was collected in barrels and they sterilized it with tiny amounts of bleach. They had managed to build up a lot of canned goods. In one corner of the kitchen, they had a basket filled with fresh-picked berries.

Joel was very guarded and kept an eye on us.

“I don’t know you. I don’t know if I can trust you. You fuck us and I’ll make sure you regret it,” he told me.

“I understand, and I’d feel the same way. I swear to you, I’m one of the good guys,” I said.

“I’m really grateful you helped us escape,” Scott said.

“Ain’t no good guys in the zombie fucking apocalypse,” Jackson Creed interjected.

“What my boy said,” Joel nodded and went back to stripping and cleaning his weapons.

Scott found a corner and laid out a sleeping bag. He zipped himself up and, within seconds, was snoring like a saw.

It was an hour later before Katherine and I had some time together. I asked for some water and carried a few pails upstairs to what had been a kid’s bedroom. We stopped in the bathroom and I took Katherine’s clothes off and put her in the tub. Even with the cold water she let me take care of her. She cried and told me about her ordeal.

“We didn’t see it coming. A tree was dropped in our path and the convoy slammed to a halt. Before we knew it we were swamped by an army led by ghouls. We fought but a lot of people were captured. They destroyed our vehicles and took a lot of us to that camp,” Katherine said as I cleaned blood off her forehead.

“What happened when they got you back to the compound?”

“It was horrible, Erik. They kept us like slaves in pens. I was one of the lucky ones. I was kept inside that building but I was always chained. They would take us out, one at a time, and do experiments on us. They made some of the men eat rancid meat, and then they judged how quickly it worked. How fast they turned into ghouls. They tried different things. Some of them were terrible because I heard the screams. I waited for my turn but you suddenly showed up and the people in the compound went crazy. How did you even find me?”

“I saw you downstairs through the window. At least I thought it was you.”

“That’s when they were rounding us up to put in the locked room upstairs. I wasn’t kidding about how smart they are, Erik. They can not only strategize but they communicate with the human servants.”

“Why in the hell would anyone want to work with those monsters?” I said in disbelief.

“Food, water, and shelter. They’ve setup a number of enclaves and the ghouls provide security,” she said. “But that’s not all of it. Some people seem to now be susceptible to the strange telepathic commands the ghouls use on the dead.”

“Christ,” I muttered. I had suspected this was the case. Having it confirmed made me feel extreme unease. How were we supposed to fight a world filled with the dead when humans were helping them?

“I’m glad you found me,” she smiled.

“I never gave up, Katherine. I met up with Lisa and we went in search of the convoy. Then we managed to get captured,” I gave her an abbreviated version of the events since I’d last seen her and explained how we’d ended up in pens ourselves. I spoke of Haley and how Lee had killed her. I talked about freeing the prisoners and erasing the ghoul camp. We talked for as I used the water to help bathe and tend to her wounds.

When she was clean, I took my clothes off and sat with her, shivering in the tub while she tended to my cuts and scrapes. We dried ourselves and retired to our room. I dug out the radio from the backpack and fired it up. The battery was low but I managed to reach Lisa’s group.

“Erik. You’re a cat. Nine fucking lives,” she said over the crackling radio.

“I guess so,” I said. “Scott and I got Katherine out. Glad you all survived.”

“Yeah. Thomas and Sloane are here. We had to make a run for it. I’m sorry, Erik, once the flames started to appear on the first floor I was sure you were all gone.”

“I thought so, too.” I said. I didn’t mention our new friends because they were already antsy about us. “We’re safe for now and plan to rest for at least a few days.”

“Good to hear. We’re making the final push toward Portland tomorrow. We’ve made contact with a man named Stevens. He’s guiding us in. If you can make it, I think you can help us make a difference.”

“I plan to, Lisa,” I said.

“Stay safe,” Lisa said, then she rattled off a frequency I could use to find the people in Portland.

“You too, Lisa. Batteries low so I’m signing off.”

“Stay frosty, pal.”

Katherine and I folded ourselves into bed and warmed each other. I asked her to tell me what all had happened at the compound but she said she wasn’t ready yet. Instead, we spoke of other things like life back at the cabin. I inspected the wound where she’s been shot but it had healed and left a scar.

For that hour, I mainly listened to her voice and stroked her hair. The bruises on her face and body would fade and I hoped the ones on her soul would as well.

After Katherine drifted off, I lay awake for a long time and listened as our new friends spoke and moved around downstairs. I’d go down later and ask if they wanted me to take a watch. Then I managed to fall asleep and didn’t wake until the morning light blazed through the window.

I leaned over and kissed Katherine awake but we didn’t get out of bed for another hour.

* * *

I
t’s been
a few days since we hooked up with Jackson Creed and Joel Kelly’s little crew. I’ve spent time with them and they are good people. I think we have gained their trust. I’ve been out on a few patrols with Jackson and we hit it off pretty well. Joel is cold toward me but Jackson assured me he was like that with everyone.

Scott has been chipper as usual. He has been doing a lot of the cooking because he likes it. Said it keeps his mind off the horrors outside. None of us have the heart to tell him he’s a terrible cook.

It was early morning, a few days later, and we were sitting around the dining area, eating powdered eggs cooked on a propane stove. Christy had dug up some tubers and fried them in Crisco. Joel had placed a map of the surrounding area on the table.

“It’s getting worse out there. A few weeks ago we had the run of this area. Now we’re finding Zs everywhere, and it’s just a matter of time before they locate us here,” Jackson said.

He drew an outline of the surrounding area and placed little Xs to indicate where we’d seen the dead.

“We could find some fuel and fly out of here,” Anna suggested.

“Have to be an airport for that,” Joel said. “Then getting the fuel back here and hope it hasn’t gone bad, sounds like a nightmare. Besides, where would we go?”

“Away from here,” Anna suggested.

“You all have a plane?” I asked.

“Yeah, and it’s a beaut. Anna knows how to fly,” Joel said.

“Not a bad idea. But where to go?”

“Like Anna said, away from here.”

So I took a breath and explained to them about the situation in Portland. Joel considered my words carefully. Jackson looked skeptical and Anna shook her head and went to dig some more eggs out of the pan.

“Don’t know what it’s like in the city. Might be we can help. If we can even get there,” Jackson said as he stroked the growth of hair over his lip.

“So we got two ideas. Forage for fuel, hope it’s good, haul it back here, and then hop in the plane and go fuck knows where,” Jackson said. “Or we abandon Fortress and make for the big city where there’s a bunch of militants with guns waiting to take back this area.”

“About sums it up,” I said.

“I don’t like either idea,” Anna said. “Why don’t we just move out and find a safe haven a few miles from here? We can stay on the move. That old truck in the barn can take most of the food and supplies.”

“Tired of running,” Joel said.

I nodded.

“I’ll go with you to Portland,” Joel said after we’d all grown quiet for a few minutes.

Jackson and Anna exchanged looks but I couldn’t read them.

“I’ll let you know in the morning if we’re going with you,” Anna said.

Jackson looked surprised but he nodded after a minute.

We’re going to rest up for the day, and tomorrow we’ll make our move. I hope we can all go as a team but Joel doesn’t seem like he’s going to stop Jackson and Anna if they want to take a different path. Christy stuck to Anna’s side most of the time so I guessed where her loyalty lay.

It’s going to be a tense day but I plan to stay out of everyone’s way. Katherine and I are going to find the stream they pull water from and spend some time together. It’s going to be a long time before she recovers from her ordeal. I’ll be there for her and when she’s ready to talk about what happened, I’ll listen. Maybe it will bring her peace of mind.

I’ve kept this journal for almost a year and I think it’s time to take a break. Maybe I’ll pick it up again at some point and continue my recollection of the events I’ve experienced as humanity faced its greatest threat. The funny thing is, Jackson has also been keeping a log of his life since the apocalypse began. We agreed to share our writing with each other later today.

For now, we’re safe. I have my friend Scott and my love Katherine by my side. We’ve fought, escaped horrors no one should have to live through, seen friends die, and we’re still here. Now I’m ready to take the fight to the dead and Heaven help anyone or anything that gets in my way.

T
he adventures of Erik Tragger
, Jackson Creed, and Joel Kelly will continue in Z-RISEN: BARRIERS

P
lease enjoy
a free copy of Z-RISEN: OUTBREAK.