Wormwood Dawn (Episode III) (8 page)

“I like this .44,” Dan said, grabbing it and testing its weight. “Feels good.”

Jake picked up a shotgun. “I kinda like this one. Nice grip. I think I’ll name it Sally.”

A gunshot scared the shit out of them. They froze, listening for the subsequent howling and groaning of Shamblers. Instead, there was laughter, followed by a, “
Sorry, cat.”

“Dumbasses,” Dan whispered.

He lined his pockets with Magnum rounds, stuffing the pistol in his belt. The shotgun shells were plentiful, but he already had the exact same shotgun. Maybe Vincent would like one. However, there was something else near the back of the safe that caught his eye. It was a large document envelope, stuffed with what looked like photos.

“What have we here?” Dan wondered as he picked it up.

His eyes widened as he poured the photos out on the floor. They were shots of neighborhood women; naked and photographed from a distance or through windows. Many of them were with younger men or even other women.

“Well,” Dan said. “Looks like this guy was busy, too. He was taking pictures of cheating wives in the neighborhood.”

“With a film camera?”

“Nah. I think these are printouts.”

“Why would he print them out?” Jake asked. “That would be—“

“Evidence,” they said in unison, chuckling.

“Rich guy gets rich in shady ways,” Jake said, laughing. “Brilliant.”

The double doors opened again, and Drew and Vincent came through into the den. They were beaming, apparently having found something.

“Man,” Vincent said. “These mutha fuckas had a damn pharmacy upstairs. Pills out the ass.”

“Mama was a toker, too,” Drew added.

Dan shined a light on Daddy’s liquor cabinet. “Check that out, too. Vincent, here’s a nice shotgun for ya. Pistol grip and everything.”

“Aw, shit,” he said, dropping his own piece and admiring the new one. “Bang bang, asshole.”

“
Damn!”
Drew said, his hind end sticking out of the liquor cabinet. “I’ve never even heard of half this shit. What the fuck is
Loch Du
?”

“Scotch, brutha,” Vincent said. “The dark shit. Grab dat.”

A crash sounded from the ballroom, as if a table had been knocked over. The group froze, flicking off their flashlights and gripping their shotguns in terror. A moan echoed into the room, followed by the sound of feet shuffling across the floor. Then, there was a scratch at the French doors.

Dan turned, seeing the ghastly face of a Shuffler peering through the glass. It was a woman; half rotted and naked.

“Fuck,” he whispered. “We’re cornered. Stay still.”

The tension was almost unbearable as they crouched in the shadows. A Shuffler appeared outside in the ballroom, teetering and swaying as it wandered aimlessly near the door. The Shuffler at the French doors continued pressing her face against the glass, smearing it with half-dried blood and vomit.

The four men looked at each other in disgust as they watched. It was a disturbing scene; as if the two were trying to reach each other, but couldn’t quite figure out how to negotiate the obstacles that separated them. After a few minutes, the Shuffler in the ballroom managed to point himself directly at the doorway and stumble inside.

Everyone held their breath.

The Shuffler was male, wearing only a pair of Speedos and one flip flop. It staggered drunkenly toward the woman outside, glaring at her almost hungrily. Dan wondered what they would do if they found each other. He hoped it was nothing weird. Zombie porn didn’t sound very appealing.

As the male turned and headed toward the French doors, Vincent signaled to the rest of them to go around the couch and out the door. They followed him as he crept around the room, keeping low and quiet, and watching the two Shufflers in their macabre Romeo and Juliet parody.

“It’s kinda cute if you think about it,” Jake whispered.

Dan shot him a disgusted look, and Jake grinned.

“You a strange mutha fucka, Jake,” Vincent whispered back.

They paused behind the couch, waiting for the Shuffler to reach the glass. As he neared, the female outside began to scratch and lick the glass. The male reached out his arms and stumbled forward; crashing into the doors and glancing off like a stumbling drunk. He moaned in frustration, smacking the glass with his palms.

Vincent took off, creeping through the door into the ballroom. The rest of them followed close behind, glancing back at the odd display of affection. When they were all out, Dan reached out and silently closed the door.

That’s when they heard the growl.

The silhouettes of two figures stood against the moonlit wall, hunched over and sniffing the air. Dan felt his skin crawl. They all froze in place, hoping that the Shamblers had not heard or seen them.

The two monsters stepped forward, sniffing and sniveling with more intensity. Their quick and harsh breaths sounded like death rattles, almost like the last breaths of a dying dog. Dan’s heart was racing, and his own breathing became quicker. He focused on breathing deep to chase away the panic, leaving only the adrenaline. It was only mildly effective.

These were not stalking mercenaries. These were monsters. Their presence was not easily tolerated.

One of them stopped, turning its grotesque head in their direction and sniffing with more intensity. It began to growl, almost in recognition. The other Shambler stopped, squeaking in question, and cocking its head to the side. The first Shambler began stepping forward, as if stalking toward them with purpose. It wasn’t a shuffle, but a burdened creeping motion. It knew something was there.

“Fuck,” Drew whispered. “Get ready.”

Vincent shot up, suddenly blasting the closest Shambler. It was blown back as the buckshot laid open its chest, but quickly recovered. The other Shambler roared, shooting forward.

“
Run!”
Vincent howled.

Jake blasted the charging Shambler as they raced toward the door. It, too, recovered and gave chase. The men rushed toward the front door, ignoring the growls behind them. Dan slammed the door, hoping that would keep them at bay, and the group dashed across the lawn toward the Hummer.

A collective hissing and groaning erupted from across the street, and a horde of Shamblers appeared from the shadows. Dan pulled out the Magnum, aiming as he ran, and blasted the nearest ones. The high caliber rounds took them out quickly, but others took their place. He looked behind him, seeing Jake struggling to keep up.

“
Come on, man!”
he called, seeing Vincent and Drew gaining the lead ahead of them.

Jake fired and cocked repeatedly as he ran; his breath heavy and hoarse. His repeater blazed again and again, and Dan slowed to give him cover while he caught up. The Shamblers had split into two groups, and at least half a dozen were headed straight for them.

Jake shouldered his rifle, pulling out his machete. As a Shambler leaped in his direction, Jake ducked and swung back, chopping off the creature’s head. He reversed his swing and split the head of another. Dan finished it off with a shotgun blast, splattering its brains into a cloud of goo.

Dan raised the Magnum again, firing the last two rounds at a Shambler that charged him. The first round jolted his attacker as it slammed into its chest; the second round shredded its throat. It fell to the ground and began crawling forward; still hissing and howling. Jake finished it off with a boot to the head.

Vincent and Drew jumped on top of the Hummer, holding off the horde as Dan and Jake neared. Dan pushed Jake forward, turning to give him cover as the big guy opened the door and slid inside. Then, he ran around the front, slamming open the driver’s door and starting up the beast. Vincent and Drew continued firing from above, dropping their legs through the sunroof.

“
Go!”
Drew shouted.

Dan slammed the gas pedal to the floor, shooting back like a comet. Shamblers bounced off the rear bumper with a sickening crunch. He slammed it into drive just as another group of Shamblers appeared in the street in front of him. The headlights lit them up in an eerie fashion, and Dan could see their red eyes burning in the bright lights. He punched it, plowing through them effortlessly.

“
Where the fuck did these fuckers come from!?”
he shouted.

He swerved from side to side as he raced down the road, slamming into Shamblers that got too close. Some of them bounced up onto the hood, clinging on to anything they could grab. Drew fired at them from above, knocking them away with shotgun blasts. Dan grinned as he saw them roll away in the rear-view mirror.

Then, he saw something else as he turned back to the street ahead.

There was a dark figure standing near a tree in one front yard. It was not a tall, creepy shadow, but a man-sized figure in a long, dark jacket, standing fearlessly and unmolested by the charging horde. It was as if they didn’t even see him.

Dan blinked in disbelief. When he opened his eyes, the man was gone. He shook his head and floored the Hummer again, passing the last house.

It was just my imagination,
he thought.

“That was fuckin’ intense,” Drew said, crawling into the passenger seat.

“No shit,” Vincent said.

Dan looked through the rear-view mirror at Jake, who was still catching his breath. “You alright, buddy?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Jake said. “I’m really fuckin’ thirsty, though.”

Vincent opened his pack and pulled out a bottle of water. “Here, man,” he said. “We found these in the kitchen. Can’t have too much water.”

“Thanks,” Jake said, cracking open the bottle and chugging it.

Dan swerved around a fallen tree that wasn’t there before, nearly sliding off the road. He looked back at it they drove away; his thoughts going back to the strange vision. Did the mysterious figure knock the tree down?

“Watch the road, man,” Drew said.

Dan turned his eyes back to the road just as another tree came into view in the headlights. He slowed, going over the bank to go around. The Hummer chewed dirt as it climbed back up onto the road, kicking rocks out behind them. Dan kept his speed steady as they turned the last curve that led to crazy dude’s neighborhood.

Lightning crashed overhead, illuminating the decrepit houses in a pale, flickering light. The rain came quickly, going from a sprinkle to a deluge in a matter of seconds. Dan sped up, eager to get back home and lock himself in. He was already freaked out big time, and now the rain was making it worse.

“Where did all the fallen trees come from?” Drew wondered. “They weren’t here before.”

Dan was glad someone else noticed, but didn’t say anything. It was probably best not to throw any theories out there. They would just think he was nuts.

“Trees fall,” Jake said. “It happens.”

Dan followed the road around another curve. The rain was making the road slick and muddy, and even the tough, all-terrain tires of the Hummer had a hard time getting through smoothly. He gripped the wheel nervously, squinting to see through the storm as it became stronger and more violent. The lightning flashed continuously, and the huge claps of thunder were deafening. It was that type of storm that made you just want to curl up under your bed and sulk until it passed.

They passed Shirley’s house again, and everyone glared at its dark windows. Dan felt a twinge of pity again, and he gritted his teeth as he played out the murder in his head.

“Watch out,” Drew said.

Another tree blocked their way. Dan had to go into the grass on the right side to go around it. The Hummer complied, kicking up mud and spinning out a little before regaining its grip on the road.

“Almost there,” Dan whispered. “Almost there.”

Gary and Linda’s house passed by before the final bend, leading them to the rough creek crossing that was always a bitch to get over. Dan didn’t bother slowing, knowing the Hummer could take it. The water was rising fast, and was beginning to rush over the rocks with more ferocity, but they bounced over it without any trouble.

Dan sighed with relief when they climbed back onto the bank. He sped up then, taking the last stretch of road with more confidence. Then, the headlights revealed another tree—a huge one—blocking the smaller crossing near the state forest entrance. He stopped the Hummer with a slurpy, grinding halt.

“Fuck,” he said.

The road was completely blocked. The only way around was to the right, into a secluded area that was once a resident’s recreational property. Even there, the trees on this side of the creek were too thick to get the Hummer through. The only way through was to go down into the creek itself and follow it the fifty or so yards to the house.

Cursing, Dan pulled straight into the creek, going over the bank slowly. The Hummer dipped and bounced as they went over the rocks, and Dan silently pleaded with it not to get stuck.

“We can’t make over the other bank behind the house,” Dan said. “We’ll have to find a shallow area and leave the Hummer here.”

“That’s fine,” Drew said. “The house is right there. Park behind the propane truck or something.”

Dan pulled ahead until he saw the tail reflectors of their stolen truck. He gunned it to get over the rocks, nearly slamming into the truck’s bumper.

“This should do it,” he said, shutting off the engine.

They got out, grabbing all their gear and locking up the Hummer. The rain came down in sheets, and they were all soaked in seconds. The chill was almost hellish, and Dan’s teeth began to chatter.

They climbed the bank with no problem; only a few muddy slips before making it up to the wet grass. They ran across the lawn, eager to get inside at last, and out of the cold. Dan fumbled for the keys, his hands shaking as he stuck the key in the lock.

Home sweet home.

Pauli greeted them with his odd little face. Dan bent down to scratch his head, dropping his pack on the floor and tossing his guns on the couch. Everyone was relieved, and they all plopped down to strip off their boots. Dan went to the kitchen to light the fireplace, Pauli following him eagerly.

“Jesus, that was shitty,” Drew said.

“Man,” Vincent added. “My feet are fuckin’ soaked.”

Everyone gathered around the fireplace, sitting on the kitchen floor as Dan got it going. Drew and Vincent both cracked open a bottle of liquor, and Jake sat happily with his bottle of water and some Cheetos.

“Can we tell ghost stories and toast marshmallows, Daddy?” he said.

“Not tonight, son,” Dan said. “Daddy’s gotta get shitfaced.”

Once the fire was on its way, Dan sat down. Drew passed him his bottle, and he took a big swig of the comforting fluid. It didn’t take long for that warm feeling to settle over him, and it was accentuated by the crackling heat of the fire.

Still, he couldn’t keep his mind off of the strange new sighting.

“Do you think there’s anything else out here that we haven’t categorized yet?” he asked.

“Probably,” Jake said. “This thing is mutating all the time. It wouldn’t surprise me if new things pop up.”

“Did you see something new?” Drew asked.

“Not really,” Dan said. “Just wondering.”

“Those lovebirds at the house freaked me out a little,” Vincent said. “They was all tryin’ to get to each other, like they knew they was married or somethin’.”

Dan grunted. Good point. “Maybe even the infected have some kind of memories or something,” he said. “They remember the big things like that.”

“Yeah,” Jake said, laughing. “Too bad they can’t remember not to eat other people.”

“Or bathe,” Drew added.

Lightning flashed, followed by the deafening sound of thunder. Dan had always liked storms, and he began to feel a little calmer as he took in the sound of rain pelting the roof. Drew and Vincent passed a one-hitter between the two of them, creating their own calming little atmosphere. Jake sat back, quietly staring off into space as his eyes grew heavy.