Death's Little Angels (27 page)

He opened the truck door and snatched his
backpack along with his bat. Drew ran to the back door grabbing
Grace and pulled her with him. The wooden bat swung freely in his
right hand. He met Mater and Jessie, who were already waiting, in
front of the truck. They all brought their attention back to Tarynn
as she slithered her way down the pile and hit the ground.

“
We must go to her!” Drew
said as he began to walk briskly.

“
Slow, down!” Jessie
hissed, “We must be careful. This could be a trap…”

Drew stopped walking and faced his
mother.

“
I know I haven’t been a
part of you and your sister’s lives but when I tell you that an
adult has an intuition then that means something.”

Drew stared blankly at Jessie without saying
a word.

“
I am not
drunk
if that is what
you think,” Jessie spat, “I have been through a lot too today,
okay?”

“
I did not say you were
drunk, Jessie. All I am asking from you is that we help my friends
and then we leave. Please….”

Jessie shook her head and then stared down
at the pavement for a moment. She threw her hands up into the air
before walking back to the truck.

“
Where is Jessie going?”
Grace whispered to Drew. Drew became slightly amused at the sight
of Grace’s dolls stuffed inside her denim overalls.

“
Leaving us again, Grace,”
Drew quietly said, “But we will make it. We always do.” He squeezed
his sister’s hand and bent down to kiss her.

Drew dropped his head downward and then
stared at Mater. Mater read his mind and knew they had to do what
was best. Find out what had happened to their friends. Mater went
on the other side of Drew and grabbed Grace’s hand and they
proceeded to walk towards Tarynn until they heard the loud cock of
a shotgun.

“
We can’t leave without
my
sweet mama
,”
Jessie said as she positioned the gun to fire at any
moment.

Drew winked his eye at Grace and smiled
widely at Mater. Maybe his mother was changing. He disliked the
fact that it took the end of the world for her to do so but at
whatever costs there was some ray of sunshine in the midst of all
the madness. Jessie caught up with the trio as they walked on
further into the Fairgrounds Center. Drew was determined to find
out why Tarynn was crawling out of a dump pile and where was the
love of his life, Sue Ellen.

**********

Nothing moved. No sounds. It was as if
nothing had ever lived. The Fairgrounds Center was unusually quiet.
As they neared Tarynn and the mass that she climbed out of, Drew
realized that the rubber looking pile was not trash.

“
Oh my God….” Mater said
as she brought her elbow to her nose. “The smell is horrible! What
have they done here?”

“
Grace close your eyes and
stay back honey,” Jessie demanded as Grace obeyed and stayed put.
Jessie made gagging sounds as she tried to keep from
vomiting.

“
Those bodies don’t look
like
Eaters
or
mummified grown people,” Mater mumbled as they came up on Tarynn.
She spoke through her hand, which shielded her nose, to block out
the overwhelming smell.

Tarynn turned rapidly and put her head down
between her legs. “Please, don’t shoot me! Please don’t! I am a
messenger from The Savior!”

Tarynn assumed fetal position near the pile
and covered her head. She trembled so bad that her body convulsed
like it was having seizures. Mater went to Tarynn but Drew gently
stopped her.

“
Tarynn…It is me,
Drew
, from school,” he
looked at Mater then back to Tarynn, “Mater and I came back for
you.”

Tarynn slowly raised her head and nervously
looked around. She opened her mouth to say something, but a low cry
escaped instead. Mater went to Tarynn to pull her away from the
decaying pile. She quickly wiped away Tarynn’s tears and pushed her
long red strands from her face. Once Tarynn ceased her crying
spell, she realized that Drew was there and immediately rushed up
to him with a big embrace.

Tarynn pulled Drew by the hand towards a
small concession stand that was hidden partially by two big trees.
Jessie grabbed Grace’s hand and secured the back of the group by
slowly walking backwards with the shotgun ready to fire at any
moment. Once they were safely concealed behind the concession stand
Tarynn spoke hurriedly.

“
My dad and mom…. They
found me! Can you believe it? Found me! My dad had come in with a
group of kids that he saved from First Savior’s Daycare, our church
child care service,” Tarynn spoke so fast that her words flowed
like water. “Everything changed so fast. They came in and just
started shooting us…” Tarynn said trying to catch her breath. Mater
helped Tarynn wipe away sediments of bodily fluid and other human
remains from her face and clothing.

“
They? Who are
they
honey?” Jessie
asked.

Tarynn looked at Jessie with curiosity. She
then flashed a look at Drew for reassurance.

“
It’s okay. She is my
mother,” Drew faintly said.

“
The soldiers. One minute
they were nice to us, ushering everyone to buses and giving us
bottled water… Then the next thing I knew they were shooting us.
They killed my dad because they thought he brought infected
children to the center. How could they shoot a messenger from God?
My dad was a preacher and they gunned him down like he was the
soulless devil. My mother told me to hide under there,” Tarynn
pointed to the disintegrating pile of bodies, “she led me to the
makeshift dump and help me hide. Before she could join me…I heard
her scream then gunshots and silence.” Tarynn’s eyes flickered
towards the center and then back to Drew. “I survived because my
mom hid me. The same group of people that we stood with in the line
to board the bus, including the kids, were shot dead. I survived it
all by hiding under their bodies.”

“
Oh!” Jessie gasped
bringing her hand to her mouth.

“
Where is Sue Ellen?” Drew
frantically asked.

“
Nobody survived Drew,”
Tarynn sniffled, “I overhead the soldiers talking when I was
hiding, to kill all of the evacuees because we were possibly
infected and not to take any chances.”

“
I knew this would happen.
I
knew
it!”
Jessie hissed. “You can never trust anyone during a time of panic.
That is what momma always said.” Jessie looked at Drew referring to
Mee-maw.

“
Where is Sue Ellen?” Drew
aggressively asked Tarynn. Tarynn looked down at the ground and
then back up at Drew with tear filled eyes.

“
She is over there near
the edge of the woods,” Tarynn pointed towards the other side of
the Fairgrounds Center, “I suggest you hurry for they burn her with
the others.”

“
Oh God!” Drew shrieked as
he dropped his backpack and dashed towards where Sue Ellen might
be. Jessie reached for Drew and missed.

“
Drew wait!” Jessie
shouted. She glanced at the ground and pointed at Mater. “Honey,
get his things. You girls get in the truck; the keys are in the
ignition. I will go after Drew.”

“
Please, don’t leave me
Jessie!” Grace cried, “Maryann is gone… Mee-maw, now Drew. Not you
too!”

Jessie kissed Grace on the cheek. “These
girls will look after you until Drew and I get back, okay? Be a big
girl for mommy.”

“
It’s okay, Grace. You can
help me make a holder for my hatchets with the belts I have in my
duffle bag. After we finish, I can play with you and your dolls,”
Mater said with ease. Grace stomped her feet and followed Mater and
Tarynn back to
Big Thunder.

Jessie sprinted off towards the direction
Drew ran in. The Fairgrounds Center was strangely quiet. Bodies
were strewn in several small heaps across the center’s property.
Two soldiers, along with a police officer, were standing near one
of the heaps with their back to the woods conversing. Jessie
tiptoed near the heap where Drew had finally settled. He was on his
knees with his head bent. Drew’s shoulders rose up and down like he
was hysterically laughing. Jessie touched Drew’s back and he turned
around with a nose and eyes as red as a tomato.

As Jessie walked around to Drew’s side she
saw the girl that had taken her son’s heart. Drew slowly caressed
Sue Ellen’s face with one hand as she weakly blinked up at him. Sue
Ellen was near her little brother with their hands stilled
intertwined. Sue Ellen’s father was a foot away with his face
buried in the ground. There were twelve other bodies that were
scattered nearby. Drew’s hand was placed over Sue Ellen’s stomach
as he tried to stop the bleeding.

“
It doesn’t hurt anymore…”
Sue Ellen feebly said as she closed her eyes.

“
I can help you Sue Ellen.
Jessie has a truck. We can get you to the hospital,
please!”

Jessie turned her head as Sue Ellen began to
drown in her own blood.

“
Leave me… or they will…
get you too….” Sue Ellen said in between coughs. The vital fluid of
life began to bubble around the corners of her mouth.

“
I will make them pay, Sue
Ellen. I promise. All of them!” Drew darkly said between gritted
teeth.

Two quick gunshots erupted prompting Jessie
to sneak to the clearing of the wood. She observed in the same spot
where the two soldiers and police officer were, that only two were
left standing. An officer and a tall lean, lanky solider, with
spiky hair continued to talk over the fallen soldier’s body. Money
was exchanged from the police officer to the soldier. When the
officer turned to leave, the soldier fired a round into his body.
The officer fell like a sack of potatoes. Jessie quickly ran back
to Drew and Sue Ellen.

“
I just saw a murder
happen!” Jessie said out of desperation. “Let’s go
right
now!”

Drew shook his head and squeezed Sue Ellen’s
hand tighter. He could not let another person that he cared about
go.

Sue Ellen closed her eyes once more in an
attempt to savor the last of her energy. A small squeaky voice
startled Drew and Jessie from behind.

“
I am hungry and scared,”
the little voice whimpered.

Drew whipped around to see Grace standing
there scratching at her bandage. Her eyes were swollen from
exhaustion.

“
Grace, I told you to stay
in the truck. You can get hurt out here,” Jessie scolded as she
pulled Grace closer to her.

“
What is wrong with that
lady?” Grace pointed at Sue Ellen who was as still as a
board.

“
She is sleepy,” Jessie
quietly said as she turned back towards Drew and Sue Ellen. “We
need to really go now before someone finds us.”

“
I can’t,” Drew said,
“just leave me.”

“
I can’t just
leave
you Drew…. You
are
my
son. I am
responsible for you. There is nothing more that can be done for
that girl. It’s not like I can take her to the hospital. It’s
probably a death trap too,” Jessie pleaded.

“
I am your son, now?” Drew
angrily asked as he glared up at his mother. He quickly turned away
and kept watch over Sue Ellen.

“
We are not going to do
this, Drew Anthony Jacks! Not here. Not now. But I do love all of
my kids and will give my life for you!” Jessie proudly
said.

A rustle through the leaves startled Drew
and Jessie as they quickly turned around to find a soldier standing
behind them with a 9 Millimeter directly pointed at Grace’s head.
Drew recognized the soldier as Sergeant Brinkley, the lean spiky
haired guy, who was very nice to him earlier when processing in the
first time. The appearance of Sergeant Brinkley had changed
drastically. His once wholesome demeanor had converted into
something more diabolic.

“
Drop that gun, sweet
cakes! Or that tree over there will be wearing that little girl
like a party dress!” Sergeant Brinkley evilly said as he made a
clicking sound with the gun. He winked his eye at Jessie as he
waited for her to drop the rifle.

“
Slowly!” Sergeant
Brinkley demanded. Jessie did as instructed. She held up her hands
instinctively.

“
Sergeant Brinkley!” Drew
said as he calmly backed away from Sue Ellen. He slowly held up
both hands in the air, one hand still dripped with Sue Ellen’s life
force.

“
She is infected!”
Sergeant Brinkley barked. “If she is infected then that means all
of you are!”

“
She is not infected,
Sergeant Brinkley,” Drew sweetly said with a shaky smile, “look,
she is just like you and I. This is my little sister that I brought
back with me.”

The Sergeant slid near Grace like a cat and
forcefully ripped the bandage off of her tiny arm. Sergeant
Brinkley pointed the gun again with anger at Grace. Grace began to
cry out of fear as she pulled both of her dolls out of her denim
overalls and held them close to her chest.

“
You little liar!
She
was
bitten!”

“
Sir, she is not infected!
Please don’t shoot my little sister. Please!”

“
That is what they all say
before they die. I have orders… Kill or be killed!”