Surviving The Aftermath (Book 1): The Dead Linger (13 page)

“I didn’t mean to make her cry. I guess I didn’t realize I had that effect on her. Or the affect she has on me.” He now looked over at Jack to stress his meaning.

“Just don’t mess with her head and don’t let her leave. She’s been on her own too long I think.”

“I’ll do my best to help keep her here. Are you ok with her and me, and this thing between us?”

“Yeah, she needs someone, guess it ought to be you.” Jack finished. The road ways were dark, some street lights on, others off or burnt out. They drove under an over pass avoiding a line of abandoned cars positioned to enter the on-ramp of the freeway. As they emerged from the highway area, they drove up hill and Casey slowed to a stop as the mall with a Cabela’s came into view. The parking lot had few cars haphazardly placed around it, but otherwise all looked quiet. Casey radioed Tom in the other car.

“You ready for this?”

“Absolutely.”

Most everyone was sitting in the dollar store listening to the radio for updates of the excursion, and that’s where she found her husband.

“Tom.” She called but he didn’t hear. “Tom, I need to talk to you.” As Vikki stood right next to him she whispered.” We need to discuss Cindi.”

“We’re a bit busy sweetie. Can we talk about it tomorrow?”

“No this really can’t wait, I’m so worried.” Looking around he stood and escorted her outside for some privacy.

“Alright what’s up?”

“I don’t like that Cindi has been hanging around Tyler. He’s up to something and she’s involved” Tom scoffed.

“What are you talking about? She assured me she’s not seeing anyone.”

“Well then she lied.”

“She would never.” Now it was her turn to scoff and she added some eye roll.

“Oh honey, she’s nineteen, and a girl. She knows how to withhold the truth, believe me.” He was taken aback by this. Why would Cindi be anything other than honest with him? That was his girl.

“I think she’s just fine.”

“Patty saw them . . “

“Oh that’s horse shit. Patty was mistaken. Cindi’s a smart girl, there’s no way she’d take up with a schmuck like that.” She turned her head and looked away. Why couldn’t he see? This poor fool, who’d done nothing but love his daughter since the day she was born, was so blinded. Here she was possibly making a huge mistake, and he couldn’t admit it. He put his hands on her arms.

“Honey I’m sure she’s fine, she’s just going through a rough patch of growing pains at the moment. She’ll be fine.” He kissed her forehead. The radio squawked from inside the room, “This is Utopia, rough riders is that you? Over.” Tom went racing back inside, leaving Vikki to try and figure things out on her own. “I guess were done.”

They were only supposed to be gone an hour give or take, and that time had passed. No gun fire had been heard, no screams, the occasional zombie moan, no chatter on the CB radio, and lots of silence. Jill discovered it was often like this, people waiting for the return. Jill couldn’t help but think of the movie Memphis Belle, during WWII, the soldiers that flew the B52 airplanes on the daylight mission bomb raids. Only 25 planes went out at a time, and the others were forced to sit around and wait for their return, hoping all 25 made back. That’s what Jill and the others were doing, waiting.

Jill had walked back and forth from one roof to another, to the far store and back again. Which considering there were 4 stores all attached from the roof now it was at least a tenth of a mile one-way.  So lots of walking, lots of miles earned. Everyone was milling around as the night descended completely. Jill couldn’t help thinking how stupid it was that they did this in the dark, but yet maybe it was best. She should be with them she kept repeating over in her head. Jill was down in the dollar store where the radio was set up. She was sitting with her in knee bouncing at rapid speed. It was some nervous tick she’d had since youth, passed down from her mother and maybe her mother before her.

“You know you’re making me nervous doing that.” Carlton said without looking up at her.

“Can’t help it. I just want to hear from them.”

Suddenly, finally the radio squawked, her body gave a shudder of relief, but then panic was back when gunshots could be heard in the background.

“This is Utopia, rough riders is that you? Over.” Carlton, the designated radio operated, who had been dubbed as such for the quantity of video games he had consumed since childhood too young adulthood, and his ability to take apart a cell phone and use it power a TV, was using the goofy call signs he made for the encampment, for whoever left. That name usually differed, depending on the group that went out. He lived for this kind of shit.

“Yeah it’s us. We are pinned down. Repeat pinned down!” It was Casey, Jill breathed a bit easier.

“What’s going on, can you elaborate on the situation some?” Carlton asked straining to hear over the firing, and static on the radio.

“Bandits  . . . *static*  . . . . mall, . . . *static*  . . . . . . long, they jumped . . . *static*  . . . . we entered the store. . . . *static*  . . . .  is down. . . *static*  . . . . a shot to the abdomen, . . . *static*  . . . .  blood everywhere. We are inside, . . . *static*  . . . . between us and the exit. . . . *static*  . . . . flanked our 6.” Casey was trying to rapid fire information now in between rapid firing his weapon and it was making hard as hell to hear him.

Suddenly people were gathered and jumbled around the area, wanting to know what store they were in, who was shot, how many bandits were there. Jill silently chanted for it not to be Jack.

“Shhhhhhhhhh! I can’t hear what they are saying. Everyone calm down.” Carlton was saying in a clearly agitated state. “Please Rough Rider, say again. Who is injured? Do you require evac? Over.” Carlton was obviously getting into the whole situation involving radio jargon.

“Ben. Ben is down. Yes *static*  . . back up or Evac, whatever *static*  . . hell you want *static*  . . right away *static*  . .  running out of ammo.” Casey slowly trying to enunciate each word clearly.

Those were the last words Jill heard as she sprinted, adrenaline pumping, down to her room to grab her gear. It wasn’t much, but it was tested true, and had saved her ass more times then she could count. She slide on her leather motorcycle riding jacket, the kind you see guys on crotch rockets, it has the padding on the back and the arms to prevent road rash. It keeps zombies from biting through to the skin on your arms. She had a couple nice sets of biker riding gloves and some Harley boots she liberated from a store, they were great for stomping the crawler’s heads in. She had an aluminum softball bat, 26oz 40in, good for hitting zombies head for homeruns. She was now also packing heat thanks the gracious people here, she had 2 auto 9mm’s strapped to the sides of each of her legs like an old west gunslinger, they made her feel like a straight up bad ass. She loaded up and was out the doors, as Tom was pulling up another shiny new beamer, SUV style.

“Where are you going?” Tom turned around as Jill walked up to the car.

“Obviously I’m going with you.” Jill said opening the back driver’s side door to get in.

“No, wait. Casey said you were to stay here.” Tom said putting his hand on the door to shut it.

“Oh really, just now on the radio it sounded like he was busy getting his ass kicked.” Jill said.

“Come on Jill, don’t make me be mean, just stay here we will be back.” Tom was trying to put her off as another car rolled up behind this one. Five other members were starting to pile in.

“Please Tom.” That was all Jill said, looked him in the eye and pleaded silently. She already knew he would give in, but it never hurt to use the eyes.

“Alright. But only because you know how to handle yourself out there.” He was saying as he finally gave in.

The 2 new SUV’s came up the darkened hill on the 2 lane highway that went in front of the mall. They stopped there, next to each other. The passenger side window in Jill’s SVU went down and the driver’s side window in the other car went down. They had spotted Casey’s car and the other car down in the parking lot, next to the hunting store Cabela’s. All was quiet. A few zombies were milling around, but no gunfire or shouts, which they had been expecting, but it was silent and completely dark outside. All the store and lights around the block and are of the mall were out. Which was odd considering the power was still on and running in so many areas of the city.

“I think they cut the power.” Jill leaned forward from the back seat and said.

“Who and Why?” Tom asked.

“Those bandits, I think maybe to get the drop on our guys. Why else would this one block be dark.”

“Were starting to attract attention, we need to go.” Lauren, a younger girl, 20ish, who made it to safety with her brother shortly after everything started. Quickly noticed the zombies out on the street started moving closer. Bam! A hand slammed on to the back window, smearing brown goo on the back window, a few others were joining him and banging on the other car too. Without hesitation the cars sped off and headed down into the parking lot alongside of the other two cars. There was no one out by the cars. They parked, scanned the outside area and quickly made their way to the doors that had been busted open, with broken glass everywhere.

“Ok how are we going in?” Someone asked.

“I say we split up, half here, the others around to the other side door.” Tom said

“Ok we’ll go around.” Jill said and headed to the other side with a few people in tow. They had radio communication with each other but not with the first group.

“Were all set here.” The call came over the radio.

“Ok let’s head in, everyone keep your eyes open.” They held up a thickly folded fleece blanket they had brought with them, one of the others held it up to the window, Oscar used the butt of his M4 rifle until the glass broke. He was one of three people who were military that had found safety, they were located at a downtown hospital trying to seal it off when everything around them went to shit. Not only were they trying to trap zombies in a massive hospital, but the general public didn’t like not being let in to seek medical attention and a mob formed outside killing or injuring most medical workers. Most soldiers that weren’t killed fled. Two guys and a girl managed to hoof it about 40miles to find safety. That was Oscar and his friends.  Jill radioed over “We’re in.” Everything was just as quiet and even darker inside if that was possible. Without the extra ambient street lights and security lights in the store, it was pitch black. A couple people in each group switched on the flash lights strapped to their weapons, Jill wasn’t sure how good of an idea that was, she could clearly see about where the position of other group across the store and that meant the enemy could also, but yet they had to see in the dark. They crept along the racks of women’s hunting clothes, there was a giant rock formation in the middle of the store where a waterfall now sat doormat.

“Still nothing, you?” Tom said quietly over the radio.

“Nothing here either. Let’s make our way to the mall entrance. If they were here we’d know, nothing is disturbed, no blood or bullets. The fire fight they were having was not in this room.” Jill said. Both parties walked fast and quiet and met at the entrance. They shined the lights out into the mall, a large sky window above was illuminating a good portion of the area in front of them because of the moon light, but the light only went so far before darkness crept back. For a few seconds they sat as a bullet came whizzing by Oscar. Automatically everyone in the group returned fire. “Stop stop stop! We can’t see what we’re shooting at.” Tom calling a seize fire. Everyone was straining to hear any sound.

“Do you hear that, it sounds like a bass drum? Oscar whispered. A thumping sound, so far away it was almost inaudible. 

“Turn off the flash lights and let’s go out there.” Oscar suggested switching his off. With all lights off and soft and quiet steps, they slowly made their way into the mall. Most of the stores had the emergency gates pulled down over them. The few that were open looked ransacked and picked through. As they walked farther into the mall their shoes crunched over spent bullet casings, only a few here and there. They got to the first intersection, with a turn left and right that would lead them to a food court on one end and more stores on the other and darker hallway with the thumping ahead.

“If we have to bail out of here quick, I say we go down that way.” Oscar suggested pointing down the end with the stores and the glass doors that lead to the outside and Jill, Tom and the others just nodded. They continued their journey shocked that they had made it this far and still hadn’t found there people or hostiles. Where had that bullet come from? Jill thought. Suddenly Chloe slipped and crashed to the floor, “Sorry guys, it’s like wet there.” She said as they others helped her up. Oscar flipped his flashlight on revealing a trail of blood glistening on the floor.

“Shit, is that Ben’s?” Tom whispered

“Ok Tom why don’t you guys continue forward, call us if you need us and we’ll follow the blood.” Jill suggested. Now each group slowly going its own way, Jill’s group carefully followed the blood with dim lights, tracking it down another T-section of the mall. Oscar flashed the light down the hall hoping to spot anyone or anything down there quickly. Seeing nothing they continued down, again noticing stores gates down, except for the one store where the blood lead too.