The Orphans Series Vol. 1: The Orphans (36 page)

             
Tina had never touched a gun before. "Did it help you build character?"

             
Greg smiled. "Nope, I'm still a delinquent, but I'm really good at shooting."

             
"Well if those things come after us, prove it, alright?" Greg frowned and she added, "I'm sorry. If you don't think you can handle it, then don't worry. We can ... hide or something."

             
Greg shook his head. "Oh, no. If one of those things comes within a foot of us, I'm putting the bead on 'em and squeezing the trigger--no hesitation.

             
"There's something wrong with your thought process, Greg."

             
Greg poked his head up to look around. There was carnage everywhere. Then he saw what he couldn't believe--there was a fresh flood of SUVs and minivans brining unsuspecting parents who had been stuck in traffic. Not that Greg knew, but these were upwind of the accident and hadn't suffered the effects of the gases.

             
"We need to do something or those people are going to be slaughtered!" He noticed people, who were being eaten alive just a short time ago, were now up and walking amongst the others as though unharmed, but reaching down and ripping chunks out of their own arms. Greg could see they also had bleeding eyes. "Those things spread! It must be something contagious! All those people who got attacked earlier are up now!"

             
"Yeah, but maybe it wasn't so bad, and that's why they're up. I mean, can they really kill everyone?"

             
"I'm sure a few people got away, but I'm just saying that the people I'm talking about have a hole in their stomachs! Like I can see their back bones--literally!"

             
"Call for help. Watching this isn't helping anything."

             
Greg reached up and unhooked the radio mike.

****

              Frank took a look around. His neighbors were staring out their windows, looking shocked. They all had cell phones next to their ears. He walked toward their house, slowly taking in Thompson. The neighbors stayed put in their homes, scared to come out. Thompson who was kicking his feet and having convulsions. Instead of stopping to assist, he pointed the gun at his forehead, firing twice and barely stopping his approach to the house. He blamed himself--had he taken care of Lennon he would have not have had to make this choice. Ellie was beating on the window and screaming. The neighbors were staring at their unresponsive cell phones--there would be no calls for help today.

             
Shaun screamed at Frank and beat on his chest. "What's wrong with you!? You shot Greg's
dad
, for God sakes! You didn't even
try
to save him!"

             
Frank gripped his son's hands and held them. "I'll tell you what happened, but you need to settle down! There's a hell of a lot more than you know going on here! Don’t you think I would have saved him if I could?"

             
"Then enlighten me! What the hell will I tell Greg what happened!?"

             
Frank let go of Shaun's hands as they went into the house. "Just settle down! There was an outbreak--a kind of manufactured disease. I can't explain it. It hit Des Moines, but it isn't here yet. Because it spreads from blood, a bite, even a scratch maybe--I don't know all the details--but it's worse than cancer. That's why I shot Greg's dad. We need to get out of town, and we need to do it
now
!"

             
Ellie yelled, "Wait! It's in Des Moines!? We need to go back and get my mom!"

             
"I'm sorry Ellie, but there's nothing left to go back and get. She's gone. I tried to save her, but it was too late ... it spread too quick."

             
Tears began to stream down her cheeks. "So, something attacked her? Like the detective out there did? And she changed into one of them? But can't we still save her? It's my
mom
!"

             
Frank put what failed to be a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It happened. She isn't who you knew. She ... she isn't your mom anymore. If we went back, she wouldn't know it was you. She would look at you and you'd be nothing but her next meal."

             
Ellie fell to her knees, crying uncontrollably. She slapped at Shaun who tried to console her. She stopped after a few minutes sitting up against the squad car's wheel and wiped her face with a clean handkerchief that Frank had handed her. "I ... I don't understand. How does something like this
happen
? Who ... who would
make
something like that?"

             
Frank looked at them. He opened his mouth to try to explain when Sergeant Thompson's radio squawked. They heard Greg's voice coming over the radio and they looked at each other. Shaun quickly reached to grab it but Frank slapped his hand and then when he reached for it again slapped him on the side of the head. "Damn it, Shaun! Those things'll kill you without hesitation and they won't even think about it! Just leave the radio and go grab some clothes and provisions! Did you hear anything I just said?"

             
Shaun rubbed the side of his head--it was the first time his dad had ever laid a hand on him. He yelled, "Yeah, I listened, dad! You said shooting them in the head stopped them so what the hell's wrong with speaking to Greg!?"

             
Frank opened his mouth and then shut it. "You're right ... you were listening, but I don't want any more delays--there's no telling who's infected. If Greg's been out there, then he could be one of the Turned, too. If one bites you, then you're one of them, and you put everyone you know and loves you in danger!"

             
Frank reached down and picked up the radio from the table. He only clicked the button because of the guilt he was feeling about Thompson. "Greg, is that you?"

             
Greg was confused. "
Who is this?
"

             
"Greg, it's Frank. Shaun's dad. Where are you? What's wrong?"

             
Greg was quiet. "
What's wrong? We went to the school rally, but the buses came back and crashed!
"

             
Frank was feeling impatient, wanting to get away. "Greg, are you safe? Where's the officer whose car you're in?"

             
"
I don't know. The girls jumped out and started attacking ...
killing
everyone!
"

             
"Killing everyone? The girls' volleyball team?"

             
"
Yeah! They came out of the bus and they all had bloody eyes, pale skin and rips in their arms! I don't know what happened to them, but it was horrible! The deputy that tried helping them is dead! They made their way through the parking lot in minutes, and killed almost everyone! But they're all getting back up! But dead!
"

             
"Answer me honestly, Greg. Have you been bitten ... or attacked by one of those things?"

             
Greg quickly responded, "
No! No, we haven't been touched. We just want to get the hell out of here! Tina's with me, too!
"

             
Frank sat there, thinking it through, knowing Thompson would go back to save them even knowing the situation. He knew Greg's dad wouldn't be able to because he was dead from Frank's designer disease as well as Frank's bullets. There was nothing he could do to save Greg now, but he knew Shaun would never forgive him if he didn't try. "I'm on my way son," he decided. "Stay in that squad car and don't move! Give me ten minutes and I'll be there."

             
"
We'll try. Um, but Dr. Fox ... where is my dad?
"

             
Frank pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't answer that right now, son. Just stay where you are, and keep away from the ones that ... that have Turned!"

             
"
Okay, but if they come for us, then look for us in the gym. We're not staying here--there's no protection, and they're all crazy!
"

             
Frank looked at Shaun and Ellie, thinking of them and knowing he was solely responsible for Ellie now. He'd do anything to keep these two alive. He knew he needed to at least save their friends, or he'd never be able to live with himself, and Shaun would certainly make sure he couldn't. "I'm going to take Thompson's car. I want you two to stay in the house, and don't come out for anything until I get back. I don't want to have to worry about you."

             
Shaun stood up quickly challenging his dad. "What are you talking about!? So just you, the great Frank Fox, is going to take on everything in that parking lot by yourself? Get two people to safety and come back for us? Have you lost your effing mind!? You're never going to do that on your own!"

             
Frank knew they were losing precious time. "Shaun, go get my gun out of my cabinet. Actually, get
all
the guns and bows loaded up by the door and any food we have. I don't care what it is ... it's going to be as good as gold in a very short time. I want you two ready to go by the time I get back. Get clothes, flashlights ... everything you can think of, and then go through and look again!"

             
Ellie yelled, "You're not leaving us! You need help, Frank! Shaun can shoot, right!?"

             
He lifted up a finger to indicate he'd already made up his mind. "What I
need
is for the two of you to
listen
! Get your asses in gear! Ellie, you're
my
responsibility now, and being responsible doesn't mean I need to take either of you into the pit of death. Every minute I waste fighting with you is one more Greg might not have!"

             
Ellie looked at Shaun. "Say something, will you!? He has to listen to one of us! We won't make it on our own!"

             
Frank stood up, pulling keys from his pocket, and threw them at Shaun. "Get everything ready, Shaun. I need to know you're going to follow orders. You need to be a man--there's no time for being insubordinate. Keep Ellie safe. If anything comes in the door, you put two right
here
." He tapped a finger twice on Shaun's forehead. "If you shoot them anywhere but the head, they're going to smile and just keep on coming. Understand?"

             
Shaun stood and turning, looked over his shoulder. "You need to come back, dad. We're going to need help."

             
Frank nodded solemnly. "Shaun, if I'm not back in a hour, then I want you two to load everything you can and go to the woods. I want you to use your bow for all the hunting if you can, Shaun. You don't need to draw attention to yourself, and save bullets for when you need them. You two live off of the land for as long as you can before you use any supplies. I want you to take Lennon's car and fill the gas tank to the brim. Gas might be impossible to find after today. You stop for no one. Can you do that for me, son?"

             
Shaun pulled Ellie with him, shaking his head as he walked. As Frank left, they bolted the door and did as instructed.

             
Frank felt the sides of Lennon's belt for his extra clips and did the same routine on Thompson. He took every bullet they had between the two cars. He had twelve magazines between the two men, took the shotgun and shells out of Lennon's trunk, and threw everything in the front seat locked and cocked, ready to fire. He put the car in reverse and pulled into the street, being respectful to not run over Thompson or Lennon's corpses.

             
Shaun watched as he backed out then headed for the gun vault. He put Frank's gun holster on which was about three sizes too big for him to wear. He snapped it off again and used the holster that clipped to a belt instead.

             
"So, we're just going to wait for him to come back? Are you crazy!?"

             
Shaun opened the gun safe. "No, he is. If he thinks I'm going to let him go get himself killed, then
he's
crazy." Shaun looked through the collection of firearms. He thought it out and took out a pistol and a rifle for Ellie as well. He found two matching heavy barreled hi-powered rifles. They were one of the longest straightest shooting varmint rifles money could buy. He grabbed all the extra ammo and stuffed it into a backpack. He put the extra magazines to his dad's pistol in his coat pockets and looked at Ellie. "Do you know how to shoot one of these?"

             
Ellie smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, you know me and mom just go out and shoot the crap out of stuff on the weekends...!"

             
Shaun showed her the long wood rifle. "You see this? It's called a bolt action--you open this up and pull it back. It shoots an empty bullet casing out of it. You put it back in and it loads the bullet again for you. You do this five times and you're out of bullets. You think you can handle it if I show you how to do it? There is a scope on top ... you just need to breathe steady and not shake the gun, if you put the cross hairs on the target the bullet will get there."