Surviving The Aftermath (Book 1): The Dead Linger (16 page)

“Well I think your awake now.” Casey said sleepily rubbing his hand up and down Jill’s arm.

“Just thinking.” She said.

“I noticed that’s something you do a lot. I can almost hear the wheels turning in your head. Anything in particular on your mind this morning?”

“What are you guys going to do about Jeff?” She said. Casey hadn’t expected that question.

“I’m not sure yet, but from the reports that I’ve been getting from the people, it doesn’t look good. They think he’s breaking down mentally. That he’s unsafe to be let out.” He told her trying not to hint at the fact him and the others had already decided Jeff’s fate. She turned her head to put a kiss on his chest.

“I know you’re thinking something else, why not just ask.” He said scooting down towards her so they were eye to eye.

“Because you don’t want to talk about it, so why ask and ruin a nice morning.” She said and started to rise, but he flipped her playfully over on her back, so he was now looking down at her. Jill was sorry she even said anything because she knew he wouldn’t let it go now until she asked.

“Fine.” She said, then taking another breath asked her question. “I know you were married before all this chaos and horribleness happened, but why don’t you ever talk about it to me, or tell me things about your past? Family memories, funny stories? Nothing. It’s like you didn’t live before now.” She was waiting for the usual shrug off and a subject change which was the norm, like she never asked the question in the first place. He slumped over on his side and continued to stare at her.

“What does it matter?” He replied quietly.

“Because were at the point where we share things about our lives up to this point.” He still lay on his side, with his arm crooked and hand holding his head up. He was silent and Jill was ready to get up and forget she even brought the subject up, when he spoke.

“I had a baby girl.” He said softly. She turned to look at him. “Her name was Brea, she was 15months when this all started.”

“Where is she now? Where is your wife?” She asked equally quiet.

“Both dead, I assume.” He took a breath before he went on. “I was a loan officer, exciting I know. Sarah was staying home from work, after all the reports of the riots and looting, panic was all over the place, and we decided she should stay home with the baby. At work we were listening to the radio, sitting in our cubes, when things started going really bad I just got up and left, hauled ass home. I only lived maybe 10miles away.” Casey took a breath and continued. “I raced. I couldn’t drive fast enough. Traffic was already backed up pretty bad. Zombies running around everywhere, attacking people, it was mass hysteria everywhere. The radio was insane with news about mass murders and cults and terrorists, you heard ramblings about cannibals. I’m sure you remember how it was. I ran over a couple of people on my way, I know now they were already dead, but at the time I thought, I just killed two people.” He was lying on his back now with his eyes closed, visualizing, remembering. She was propped up on her elbow now looking down at him, hoping he would finish.

“Finally I got to the house and pulled into the driveway and saw the front door open. I went running in not sure what I’d find, the front picture window was smashed, there was blood . . . so much blood all over the place.” He whispered.

“I yelled. I screamed. I ran upstairs, nothing. The place was a mess, but it didn’t look like looters. Just like maybe she hurried and packed.” Casey was still talking quietly, and Jill was listening intently as not to miss anything.

“I kept thinking that’s what she did, packed, grabbed the baby and headed to her mothers. She lives only 30mins away out in the county, so I ran outside, and there were two of them. Lumbering up to me, they were so loud and moaning, I froze. I didn’t know what to do . . . .  or what they were.” He paused. “My neighbor saved me. Whapped each one right in the head, smashing their skulls with tire iron, told me destroy the brain and then took off. So I started driving to her parents’ house, calling everyone I know, Sarah’s parents were a no answer, Sarah’s phone was a no answer. I left so many messages. I talked to my mom for a few minutes, her and my dad were in a church shelter like most. So I figured I’d head there, maybe Sarah went there.” Casey stopped talking and was very quiet.

“Did you make it there?” Jill asked

“No. My dad called me about 20mins later telling me that the police and other people in charge were letting sick people in, people with bites and cuts, he said it was too dangerous and him and mom were going to try and get out. We argued for some time and that’s when I could hear things escalating in the background. He told me they both loved me and hung up. That was the last I ever heard from them.” Casey, not sure where to look now, just continued to stare at the ceiling, or the walls, anywhere but at her.

“How did you end up here?” She asked.

“I drove for hours, day’s maybe, managed to miss the chaos around most places. I could see hordes of them in the streets so I would turn and avoid them anyway I could. I ran into Tom after another miscellaneous turn on a country road. He and his family were stranded on the side of the road, some guys had car jacked them, so I pulled over to help and we’ve been together since.” He rolled on his side and was looking at Jill. “We happened upon this place for food one day, there were a bunch of shoppers or looters left in here and we sort of just banded together. God it was so chaotic in the beginning here. No one wanted to work together, we had a bunch of people certain this was the devils work and they had to burn the sinners. They were actually burning people.” He stopped for a minute then continued. “You had to sleep with one eye open, because people were drug from their beds at night, beaten and raped, left for dead. Men and women it didn’t matter. Just a free for all.” He hated how it was then. “The other guys and I got together one day, and took down the self-imposed leaders of this guerilla faction that was running amok.”  He finished hoping she was satisfied with the answers.

“You still look for her though.” Jill stated.

“What do you mean?” He wasn’t sure who she was talking about for a moment.

“Every zombie face you see, ever live one, bodies lying on the ground, you keep hoping that someday you’ll see Sarah.” Jill told him.

“I don’t know, I guess I do.” He was propped up on his elbow looking down now again. “It’s been over a year, even if they were both still alive, she’s somewhere else surviving. Without phones and email, the chances of us finding each other are slim, for all I know that blood on living room floor was hers and she turned, got up and walked away like the rest of those zombie bastards out there.” Casey now irritated from thinking about it all again. They were both quiet for a bit. Casey was suddenly angered and irritated and he couldn’t explain why.

“Why do you want to know all this anyway? Maybe I don’t want to remember her anymore?” He raised his voice a bit.

“I just wanted…..” He cut her off quick.

“Maybe I just want to focus on the now, enjoy what’s now, maybe I like what we …..” he was indicating between him and her when a series of loud rapid knocks descended upon the door.

“Casey! Casey! We’ve got problem open up.” Tom was outside the door.

“Stay.” Casey stomped over to the door and yanked it open. Jill scrambled off the bed and quickly got dressed. Yes she had been practically living here for weeks, but no one had ever come over and seen the two of them literally in bed. She could hear them talking in the other room, it was rapid and loud.

“Jill, come out here please.” Casey summoned her.

“Hi Tom.” She said shyly walking out of the bedroom adjusting her shirt. “What’s up?”

“Jeff escaped, and his friend Tyler is dead.” Tom told her.

“Oh my god how did this happen?” She asked concerned for everyone’s safety now.

“Were not sure yet, I was just on my way down there to watch the video feed, I thought I would grab Casey. Andy told me they are searching the entire area for Jeff. We gotta find him fast before he lets the Zeds in here.” Tom was trying to hurry them on their way. Casey grabbed some shoes and a shirt and they were off ready head to the cell area downstairs.

“Jill, stay here. Lock the door and don’t leave this room.” Casey practically ordered her.

“Wait.” Jill started but was interrupted quickly by Casey putting his hands on each side of her face.

“I know you want to help, I know you can help. But this guy as already set you in his sights before and I don’t want to give him a chance to do that again.” There was a moment of silence between them. Tom was tapping his foot anxiously behind Casey.

“Please.” Casey was just about begging. Jill was definitely becoming too attached to life here with him. It had been years since anyone told her what to do, but he asked and said please. She was going to cave in and say yes without an argument, she was easy and Casey had her wrapped around his finger, and he knew it. Sly grin started to spread across Casey’s mouth while he stood staring and her.

“Fine. I’ll stay here, but don’t be long.” Jill tried to pout, with Casey still holding her face he kissed her, and then turned to head out.

“Stay safe”. Jill said to both men as they walked away.

“I’ll be back later.” Casey turned back around and they hustled down the hallway to meet up with the others. Jill closed and locked the door, she was scared, not so much about herself but about everyone else and all the stuff they had built. They had created a home almost where people could feel safe again. She didn’t want that ruined. She was finally enjoying life again, after almost 2yrs. of destitute and loneliness, of knowing hunger and thirst, pain and suffering, she was starting to relax. Being alone, and over paranoid she’d lose days of sleep on end out there. Never knowing where danger lurked or an ounce of safety until she found Jack and then that lead them here. NO! Jill would die fighting for this safety and happiness that she had newly found. But right now she had time to kill, she had promised Casey she would stay here and wait for him. She just had to take her mind off the waiting. Reading, she would read, Casey had a bunch of books in here, some she’d never read before. She grabbed herself some coffee and sit down to read, didn’t even care what the book was, just something to take her mind off what was happening out there.

Folding her arms over her chest, she felt a slight chill in the air, or maybe it was just her, she had to find her husband. She hadn’t seen her daughter all day and dusk was beginning to descend. And after receiving disturbing news from Patty about her daughter, she was not happy. She finally spotted him, with a few others, they were huddled talking.

“Tom! Tom I need to talk to you right away!” She jogged over before he could take off again.

“Not now, Jeff has broken out and Tyler’s dead.” She covered her mouth with her hand and gasped.

“Oh my god. Where’s Cindi?”

“I don’t know. Why?”

“Because she’s been missing since this morning, and now I’m worried and even more so with Tyler dead.” Tom narrowed his eyes at her.

“You’ve been talking to Patty again.” Tom was thoroughly irritated with that woman. It was like lately all she did was cause trouble and try to stir the pot.

“Yes she came and told me what she saw.”

“That woman is just a busy body, who needs to mind her own business.”

“They were having sex.” Vikki said is loud hushed whisper.

“I don’t believe it.”

“You just don’t want to believe it. She’s not your little girl anymore, she’s an adult and does adult things. Why can’t you see that?” Tom put both his hands on her upper arms and brought her close.

“Listen I don’t have time for this right now. Can we discuss it later?” He kissed her cheek and took off after Casey and the others. 

Chapter 5

Tyler made up his mind, he was busting Jeff out. A few weeks had gone by since he’d seen his friend. Everything was in place, the supplies, the girls, Cindi, with all the guns and ammo she had found, they had plenty of gas and food. Andy had offered him a chance to stay, as long as he gave up Jeff, he’d be welcome. But Cindi straightened him back out. What was he thinking, actually stay here, be under some sort of constant watch. Cindi had described it several times as being grounded, he wanted no part of that. He wanted to be free. He finally found out where they were keeping Jeff and was now on a mission to break him out. He had a hunting knife that he hoped was big enough to scare whoever was guarding him. He’d been creeping around all night, after a brief meet up with Cindi, she was so wild, he could bang her all night and never get enough. It must be love. It was finally the right moment. Quietly and slowly, he finally made it down the stairs to the bottom door, no one else was in the room with Jeff, which made him happy.

“Jeff! Oh my god dude I’m so glad you’re alive. They wouldn’t tell me where you were or anything.” Tyler was looking in his pockets for the lock pick, which were really just some tools from the store. Jeff stood ram rod still with both hands up against the back wall while Tyler squatted and began to work on the lock. Tyler started filling Jeff in on all the details, he had the whole thing set up, the girls, the car waiting for them, the supplies, everyone was either sleeping or not paying attention, it was just before dawn. It was almost too perfect Tyler thought to himself. He so hoped Jeff would be proud of him.