The Living Dead Series (Book 3): Dead Coast (15 page)

The dark room was cold with a stone floor. The walls were damp and they heard water trickling somewhere.

“This is the old springhouse where they would have stored perishables back in the day. It’s the coolest spot we have so we’re keeping some meds in here. Not that we have a whole lot. Let’s see what Atlanta sent us.”

He carefully peeled off the tape holding one of the little boxes closed. Bubble-wrap encased vials nestled snugly inside. The rest of the boxes contained identical contents. All the vials were labeled either
P. ovale
or
P. malariae
. The accompanying paperwork was torn and bloodstained. Barry leafed through it but pages were missing and out of sequence.

“Like we don’t have enough problems? Why would they send us malaria samples?” Barry sounded angry.

Brian said, “I know why. This is what-”

Suddenly the ground heaved, throwing them to their knees, Barry barely catching the vial knocked from his hand. The oil lamp shattered on the old floor, flame snuffed out. An enormous blast that not even the thick walls could shut out rattled the contents of the room and ancient dust drifted down from the old walls and ceiling, choking them.

M
uffled shouts came from outside as they groped their way out through the sudden darkness, leaving the sinister little vials behind. A continuous screaming grew louder and intensified.

They emerged into utter chaos. Acrid smoke drifted through the little compound, giving a surreal look to the evening twilight. A young father, charred left arm hanging uselessly, held his daughter, blood pouring from a head wound. As soon as he saw Barry he ran to him, holding out his child, pleading for help. Barry took the limp child and ran for the infirmary.

Similar scenes were all over the grounds. Scorched bodies lay about, some still, others screaming in unceasing agony, featureless, hair and skin burned away. The infirmary staff began a sort of mobile triage, sending some inside, leaving others where they lay. Scattered shots
popped
as the severely burned were put out of their misery. Moshe flinched with each shot.

The disabled helicopter had been hit and as a result, rolled down the hillside, smashing tents and refugees before it came to a stop against the fence.

A woman raged impotently, restrained by two others, as volunteers heaved her daughter’s scorched, dead body over the wall. As the body bounced and rolled down the rocky hillside, the mother broke free and climbed the fence. She groped her way down to the shoreline where she was met by the hungry dead. She didn’t scream long.

A small crowd gathered near the back of the property, looking down the cliff. A dirty column of smoke billowed up and hung in the air briefly before the evening breeze blew it into ugly, dark wisps and sent it east. A large section of the partially constructed wall was simply gone, twisted hunks of metal and blasted concrete strewn about the slope. Rocks and dirt were scorched and a bitter, burning smell filled the air.

Someone spoke. “They practically knocked it all the way to Mexico. That’s where it was intended to go originally.”

“All that work, just blasted all to hell. Makes me sick. Maybe we’ll finally enforce radio silence now.” The speaker turned away from the cliff edge and Bea recognized Ian Dare. He noticed her and walked over.

“Glad you’re here. Virginia said she talked to you. I checked on David just a little while ago but he was still asleep.”

“He’s been through a lot. The nurse said he would be better once he’s rested.”

“Except that there’s no rest for the wicked.” The voice came from behind them.

Startled, Bea turned. David, pale but with a determined look on his face, limped towards them.

“I knew you’d be alright since, so they say, only the good die young,” Ian said.

The two men clasped hands briefly then walked a few feet away. Bea overheard their conversation without even trying.

“I’ve been expecting it. They’ve been sitting silent for a while now. We tried to get out to the ship that’s drifting. We thought we could take it and use it to evacuate, after we cleared all the dead out but the other ship fired on us. Didn’t even come close to hitting us so I’m not sure it was on purpose but who knows? I’m not convinced they know our location but they might be monitoring our communications. I’ve been telling everyone that but no one would listen. I was just as relieved as anyone when the one foundered but at least one of them is still fully functional as they just proved.”

“We have to find a way to take them out. Plastic explosives come to mind but how would we get them out there?”

“That is still under discussion. Those waters are full of corpses and now sharks. We have inflatables, enough to get us out there but we would probably be dragged down by the infected. Even if that didn’t happen I doubt we would make it without being seen by someone on the active ship.”

“Were you able to observe anything at all on the flight here?” Ian asked.

“A little. I was pretty out of it. What did the pilot say?”

“They’re coming. Fast.”

“How long do you think?”

“A week. Maybe less. They don’t have to stop to sleep. Of course they might head off in another direction if something distracts them. The herds we saw in Nevada might be here even faster. We’ve sent a request to both Midwest and Northeast Command for air or naval support but we haven’t heard back. One carrier ship could hold all of us with no problems.” Ian stared worriedly down at the twisted metal chunks scattered across the dirt and rocks. He shook his head.

“Go back to the infirmary, David. There’s nothing you can do here and I need you at full-strength. We’re sending out another foraging party tomorrow. This could be an important one. I want to talk to the Colonel first, though.”

David’s face had changed to a sickly shade of gray and he nodded and turned around, making his way back to the infirmary.

Brian broke away and caught up with David just outside the building. He said something and David laughed then stumbled, swaying dangerously on his feet. Brian took his arm to steady him and together they walked slowly the rest of the way.

The smell of cordite and rot drifted through the evening air. A three-quarter moon hung low over the hills to the north. Everyone made their way to whatever sleeping space they laid claim to and began to settle down for the evening. Bea and Moshe passed a family of five, all kneeling and saying their bedtime prayers. Others throughout the camp were similarly engaged making her think of the old “no atheists in foxholes” saying.

When they reached their tent, they came upon Virginia and three children settling down for the evening. The little girl, who looked very much like Ian, wrapped her blanket around her shoulders and demanded a story.

“Not tonight, Anna. I need to talk to Miss Beatrice tonight,” Virginia explained.

“Two stories tomorrow then.”

Virginia smiled, “Maybe. But I’m running out of ideas. Maybe we’ll find some books tomorrow. That reminds me, Daniel, you and Anna need to finish the last chapter in your phonics workbook in the morning.”

The children crawled into the tent and Virginia zipped the flap closed.

“Walk with me for a minute?” she asked Bea.

“Sure. Moshe, go ahead. Can you see if Brian is on his way back?”

Moshe nodded and left. They walked up the hillside a few feet and Virginia stopped.

“I can’t go too far. It’s not really safe here.”

“You mean inside the camp? Why not?”

“Two nights ago one of the male refugees tried to get a six-year-old girl into his tent. Fortunately, she screamed her head off right before he gagged her with a sock. Her father was nearby and came running.”

“That’s terrible. What happened to the guy? Is he locked up?”

“Um, no. He wasn’t locked up, but he
is
no longer with us.” Virginia shuddered. “The father in this case acted as judge, jury, and executioner. I know how that sounds but we don’t have the luxury of a trial process anymore. The incident changed the mood of the entire camp. Almost everyone is on guard and won’t let their children out of their sight. It’s completely understandable.”

Bea said nothing but looked out over the campfires below and thought about monsters. The dead below were nakedly malignant but who knew what monstrous thoughts lurked in the minds of perfectly normal-seeming individuals?

Virginia was speaking again and Bea tuned back in. “… just hard to watch three children and be available for the colonel. I know this is a huge favor but would you mind?”

“Sorry,Virginia. Would you say that again?”

“Tomorrow. I’m on the roster to go on a foraging mission tomorrow and I need someone to help Ian watch the children for the day. I won’t lie to you- it might be longer than that. The parties don’t always make it back on schedule.”

“Of course. Not a problem. What time do you leave?”

“Daybreak. It gives us as much time as possible. We’re trying to get to the National Guard Amory and it’s all the way over on Riverside. It’s pretty far but they don’t expect it will be too infested because it’s more of an industrial area, not residential. They haven’t told us exactly who else will be on the team but I know Ian won’t be. We’ve agreed to never go on a mission together just in case something goes wrong, but the colonel expects him to be available on demand. I think the colonel’s stated philosophy on families is, ‘If we wanted you to have a wife, we would have issued you one.’ But Ian and I know the risks we take affect more than just us. We want the children to have at least one living parent.”

Bea nodded and said good night. Back at the tent she found Brian and Moshe lying on the ground, looking up at the stars.

“The stars are brighter out here. I never knew you could see so many,” Brian said.

“It’s because the lights are out. Light pollution kept you from seeing much of them,” responded Moshe.

“I like it here. We had more trees at home, though. Do you think we’ll ever go back, Bea?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. I heard they might not have nuked D.C. so it’s a possibility.”

She joined them. The stars hung low in the sky, a brightly glowing tapestry that few in this country would have ever seen before now. Shivering, she found her blanket and wrapped up. The night was surprisingly cool after such a warm day. The moon set behind the hills and the stars seemed even brighter.

“Would you guys be interested in helping me watch the Dare’s children tomorrow? Their mom has to go out on a mission.”

“We’re going out on that one!” Moshe exclaimed.

“Oh. Are you sure? How old are you, Moshe?”

“I’ll be thirteen this summer.”

She said nothing else but determined that tomorrow she would talk to whoever was making these decisions. She had no say in what Moshe was allowed to do but she wasn’t at all sure she would let Brian go. Both boys seemed way too young to go out and scavenge a post-apocalyptic city.

The dead down the hillside kept up their guttural moaning and the sound blended with the calls of night birds to create a baleful lullaby in the night air.

~

Virginia woke to darkness and whispers. Ian crouched beside her, brushing her hair from her face.

“It’s almost time. Are you sure you don’t want me to go on this one for you?”

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. The children were still asleep, snug inside the little tent.

“Positive. I told you Bea agreed to help with them. You know Greg is going to attach himself to you, especially once he realizes I’m gone. So she’ll mostly be dealing with Anna and Daniel.”

He pulled her to her feet and held her close for a moment then slid his hands up her back, cradling her head before kissing her. His lips traveled down her neck then back up to her temple. She shivered with pleasure.

“Be careful out there. We want you back, safe and sound,” he whispered into her hair.

Fifteen minutes later she stood at the gate, near a small campfire, with the rest of the team. Two men and Mei stood ready to go. To her surprise, David stood beside Cam, checking the clip in a pistol and stowing another in the pocket of some newly-acquired camo fatigues. The bandage on his head was gone but he still looked ill, with dark circles under his eyes.

“Are you ready for this? Another day in bed wouldn’t hurt,” said Virginia.

“I’m fine. I know exactly what we’re looking for and have a pretty good idea where they would store it. We want to do this quickly, right?”

Bea stepped out of the darkness, blanket still wrapped around her shoulders. Brian and Moshe stood beside her, rifles slung across their backs, looking sleepy but excited.

“Are you sure the boys need to go?” she asked, voice still slightly raspy with sleep.

“Absolutely. I don’t think we shall find large numbers of infected on this trip.” It was Cam who spoke. “We’re not going to a heavily populated area though the lads need field experience dealing with these dead bastards. They’re a fact of life now, yeah? This is just as important as learning to drive, or swim, or look both ways before crossing the street.” The big Celt continued to load shells into a shotgun as he spoke. Snapping the gun back into position and slinging the strap over his shoulder he looked down at Bea and said confidently. “We’ll bring them back, not to worry.” He picked up a large meat cleaver and held it loosely.

Virginia tucked a pistol into her belt and a large knife into her boot. She pulled her hair back into a long, sleek ponytail. “This will be a piece of cake compared to watching my three for a day. You have the rougher job. I’ll watch the boys as if they were my own. Cam is right, don’t worry.” She turned to the boys, clear blue eyes sparkling, “What’s the first rule of Zombie Fight Club?”

Brian and Moshe laughed, “First rule, avoid. Second rule, avoid. Third rule, headshots are best.”

“Fine, I get it,” Bea said.

David didn’t speak but caught Bea’s eye and nodded reassuringly while Brian looked at her pleadingly, not wanting her to embarrass him. She gave up and caught him in a fierce hug which he endured for a few seconds before breaking away.

The sun was barely above the hills to the east as they slipped quietly out the gate, stepping out onto a meandering series of urban bike trails that would lead them north.