Out Of The Fire Page 9

  Bill started rolling the Buick forward when Jason suddenly yelled, “Stop!”

  Bill slammed on the brakes and stared wide-eyed at him. “What’s wrong, kid?”

  Richard had snapped out of his stupor and turned in his seat as well. Jason sat in his chair as if something had him frightened, the color drained from his face. He stared out the front of the car and Bill slowly turned to look. Nothing was there. He turned back to Jason, “What’s wrong, kid?”

  “Army mans,” he said softly.

  Bill turned again and looked down the driveway. He couldn’t see anything. He looked to the woods and didn’t see anything there, either. He continued to stare out the windshield and muttered, “Kid, there ain’t nothing out there…” just as a Humvee drove past the end of the driveway going in the opposite direction.

  Bill turned and looked to Richard, “What now?”

  Richard shook his head. “I dunno. Make a run for it?”

  Both men shrugged. Slowly they turned and looked at Jason. He was fumbling with the box of graham crackers.

  “Hey, kid?” Bill asked softly. “Is it safe to go now?”

  Jason looked up absently and shrugged. “They’re gone now.” He went back to peeling open the box of crackers.

  Bill looked to Richard once more for confirmation. Richard shook his head. “It’s up to you.”

  Bill sighed and let the brake off slowly letting the Buick roll down the driveway. When they reached the end of the drive and the road was clear, Bill pulled out and turned the way the Humvee had come from.

  “Let’s try to put some distance between us and them.”

  Buck kept rising up onto his knees and peering through the thick brush in the direction that the three adults had went. “I’ve got a really bad feeling,” he whispered to Skeeter.

  “Please don’t do anything stupid, Buck,” Skeeter whispered back.

  She sat with her knees drawn to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, doing her best to keep her body as small as she could. The large pine tree that she leaned against hid her from the roadway on her right and Fisher’s soft snoring had almost lulled her to sleep more than once. Every time her eyelids got heavy, Buck would scurry over to the edge and peer out again.

  “You can’t leave me here alone. Not with him,” she whispered, motioning toward Dwayne.

  Buck didn’t turn back to face her as he continued to stare out toward the edge of the rise where the three officers had stopped and studied the concert area. “I just want to take a look. I need to know what’s going on.”

  “No!” Skeeter almost yelled. “You can’t. You heard what the dark-haired guy said. He wants you to stay here. You know how to use the gun…and the bow. If anybody came while you were out there, we’d be sitting ducks.”

  Buck finally turned and faced her. “I’ll only be a minute. I just want to take a look.” He pointed above the bushes. “It’s dang near light out. I won’t be able to once the sun is up,” he argued urgently. “I’ll just be a second.”

  He rose to slip out when Skeeter pulled his shirt and dragged him back. “Shh!” she whispered. “I hear something.”

  Buck glared at her, convinced she was lying. Then he turned his head a bit. There it was; a low rumbling sound coming down the hill. He heard it, too. He quickly crawled to the other side of the small clearing and spread the limbs slightly so he could see toward the dirt road with all of the cars parked along it. He could just see the lights of a vehicle coming down the hill on the woods side, between the cars and trees. Whatever it was, it was bouncing around roughly.

  “They’re going fast,” he whispered.

  Within moments, a military transport vehicle roared by, dust and debris rising in its wake. It crested the hill and disappeared down the other side. “Something is happening, Skeeter.”

  “Maybe they’re bringing back some of the zombies? Or, maybe they have a way to help them.”

  Buck shook his head. “You heard what Daniel said. They aren’t here to help anybody,” he replied dejectedly. “They may have some people who aren’t infected, or maybe they just have dead bodies, but whatever they’re carrying, it isn’t good.”

  Skeeter lowered her eyes and kicked at the ground with her shoe. “Maybe they already killed everybody and they’re just in a hurry to go home.”

  Buck nodded. “Maybe,” he sighed and settled in close to her. “Skeeter, the only way we can have even a clue is if I sneak over there and get a peek at what’s going on. If I don’t, we can sit here hiding and go crazy trying to guess.” He laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I promise, I won’t stay out there long, and I double-promise, I’ll be back. I won’t leave you.”

  She raised her face to him and he saw her red-rimmed eyes, the tears flowing freely down her cheeks. “Do what you want, Buck. I won’t stop you,” she sniffed.

  Buck felt a knot in his stomach as he saw the pain in her eyes and glanced over his shoulder at the sounds of activity from the other side of the hill. He reached behind him and pulled the gun from his waistband.

  “Here,” he said as he handed her the pistol. “Now you know I have to come back.” A crooked smile crossed his face.

  Skeeter reached out with shaky hands and took the pistol from him. It was still warm from being tucked in his pants. “I’ll keep an eye out from here.”

  Buck gave her a quick nod and slipped through the brush. He stayed low to the ground, and as soon as he could see anything manmade, he flopped on the ground and belly-crawled like he had watched the officers do. He crept to the edge and peered over, his eyes taking in the activity below. He watched as men in uniforms dragged struggling people from the back of the transport, collars around their neck, poles attached like dog catchers use with vicious animals, and lead them into the semi-trailer parked below. People in white suits and helmets were rushing around carrying metal cases and one man was directing things.

  Buck watched the activity for what seemed just a few moments until he heard a psst from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Skeeter’s small hand waving him back from inside the brush. He cursed to himself and stared back at the scene once more, trying to force his young mind to memorize the scene. He slowly began backing away and scurried back to the brush.

  Once Buck was back inside the clearing, he hunkered down low. “What? Why did you wave me back?”

  Skeeter’s eyes were wide with fear and she held a finger over her lips, motioning him to be quiet. With her other hand she handed him the pistol and pointed in the other direction. “I heard something,” she mouthed to him.

  Buck reached for his pack and pulled the crossbow from it, cocking it quickly and loading a bolt. He leaned against a tree and listened intently. Fisher’s soft snoring was the only sound he could truly discern.

  Skeeter stayed low against the tree, her heart hammering in her chest as she fought to keep her breathing from forming a scream. Although her head remained still, her eyes shot from side to side, hoping to catch a glimpse of the source of the noise before whatever it was attacked.

  Buck slowly stepped out from his position and turned his head, hoping he might hear whatever it was that had Skeeter so rattled.

  SNAP.

  There it was! A twig on the forest floor or a low branch, but easily not something that happens without being moved. Buck released the safety on the crossbow and moved the weapon to point it in the direction of the noise.

  He could hear rustling sounds now, as if feet were moving, dragging along the ground. He could feel his body tensing with anticipation as the noises grew closer. He fought to control his breathing. He knew he would likely only have one shot available. Buck strained his ears to listen, each sound of the forest suddenly alive and amplified. He could hear the source of the footsteps sniffing the air. Heavy breathing, grunting, scratching, and pawing as it grew closer.

  Buck could feel his fight-or-flight response kick into high gear, and his hands began to tremble as the sounds grew so loud, he knew that wh
atever the source must be was right on top of them. He instinctively took a step back, himself rustling the detritus on the forest floor of their little clearing. He glanced down at his betraying feet, his eyes wide as the shock of his own actions came to light in his frightened mind. In the split second it took his eyes to come back up and focus, the source of the noise was stepping into their clearing.

  Tattered clothing, broken nails, blood-covered mouth, ragged hair, gray skin—all of the indicators of the infected—did little to strike fear into the heart of the young man wielding the crossbow as much as the blood-red eyes that met his own. The creature that stepped into their clearing may have once been a woman, but now she was intent on ripping flesh from bone. She paused only long enough to consider her prey. She opened her mouth to scream the location of the morsels when Buck instinctively raised the crossbow and fired. The scream sent shivers up his spine, and Skeeter screamed in response, but the infected woman was cut short in her attempt as the bolt entered her nasal cavity and the tip exited the back of her skull.

  She convulsed slightly before she fell back, her head making a sickening crack against a rock at the base of a small pine. Buck quickly scanned the area , then scampered to Skeeter, wrapping an arm around her. She was curled into a ball and screaming as Buck tried to console her. She jerked away from him and screamed louder as he tried to get her to stop.

  “Shh! Skeeter! Stop!” Buck tried to pull at her arms. “Skeeter!” he yelled. “We’re safe!”

  She shook and continued to push away from him, convinced he was a zombie until she actually opened her eyes and stared around the clearing. “Safe?” she choked.

  “If you’ll stop screaming, yeah,” he whispered. Fisher snorted and moved a bit, rolling slightly onto his good arm, then resumed his sleep. “If your screaming didn’t call the Army or any more of the zombies, then yeah. We’re safe,” Buck whispered.

  Skeeter was still shaking, but she nodded, choking back the bile that had risen in her throat. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I thought we were dead.”

  Buck shook his head. “You’re tougher than that,” he said. “I’ve seen you—”

  “I can’t,” she whispered. “I’m too tired, Buck.” She met his eyes, and she suddenly looked much older than the ripe old age of fourteen. “This night has just taken too much from me.”

  Buck stroked her hair and pulled her close for a hug. “I understand. But it’s over,” he said, glancing back at the body. “For now.”

  She nodded, and he heard her sniffling as she turned her head. “I don’t know how much more I can take.”

  “Hopefully, Daniel and the others will get this over with quickly.”

  He heard the buzz of activity through the dense thicket of trees slowly die down in pitch and replayed in his mind what he had witnessed before he had been called back. The soldiers leading the people out of the transport. The people in white suits scurrying about so hurriedly. The semi-trailer seemed to be the center of attention, and Buck couldn’t grasp what could possibly be going on that there should be so much hurried activity surrounding what he’d seen. Whatever it was, it must have been important.

  Captain Andrews directed personnel as they prepared for the incoming delivery of breathing specimens. Apparently Major Chappell made good on his request to bring in viable subjects. Captain Andrews was nearly giddy with anticipation as he had his people prepare the trailer. The air conditioning units had been turned as low as they could go in hopes of slowing the progression of the virus as it ravaged the test subjects he had waiting.

  Captain Andrews stepped into the trailer and walked to the back. He opened the thin door and entered the holding cell area. A young woman and a sheriff’s deputy both sat in cells on opposite sides of the short hallway. Both wore zip tie cuffs behind their backs, securing them to the stainless-steel bar mounted securely to the bench that was bolted to the floor.

  “Well, it seems that your wait won’t be much longer,” Captain Andrews addressed them both without looking at either of them. “Very soon, we’ll have fresh carriers here so that we can extract the samples I need and then we can observe nature first hand.” He turned to leave, but paused, his back to them both as they struggled against the gags in their mouths to scream for help. “Your service to your country is appreciated,” his voice dripped with sarcasm.

  Andrews stepped with purpose to the end of the trailer and exited the steel door, leaving both the man and woman to stare at each other. The deputy continued to struggle with his bindings, but simply could not free his hands. Eventually his shoulders went slack and his head dropped.

  The woman continued to struggle with hers. She could feel the sharp edge of the flex cuffs biting into her soft flesh, but still she struggled. Somehow, she knew if she didn’t, this would be the end for them both. She pulled at the plastic restraints until she felt the warm blood running down her hands and she bit at the gag in her mouth to keep from screaming. She refused to go out like this.

  Both of them looked up when they heard the big diesel motor pull up alongside the trailer and the deputy stiffened. He had no idea if the military had brought more of his brothers in blue to incarcerate here with him, or if there were civilians to be held against their will, but the idea had him livid. He began struggling against the cuffs again with renewed vigor. The smooth steel tube the cuffs were wrapped around had no sharp edges to catch on and simply slid either way as he tugged and pulled. There was nothing for the plastic to catch on and possibly chip away with, yet he continued.

  Outside, the activity commenced as soldiers ran to meet the transport, long steel poles in hand. Men in white HAZMAT suits stepped out of the white tent and began directing them as they came to the rear of the transport and another soldier connected two poles to the leather collars at the necks of the infected individuals, then unchained them from the rear side panel of the truck. As the soldier stepped back, the two soldiers with the poles pulled and directed the infected toward the trailer.

  A white-suited man entered and walked ahead of the infected individual. He strode to the far side where the cells were and opened the rear cell. He made sure to hold the door open with the bars in front of him, even though the infected individual was bound, hand and foot. As the soldiers escorted the individual in, the infected still lunged for the white-suited man and snapped his teeth at him, causing him to jump farther back. The soldiers pushed him deeper into the cell and chained the collar to the rear wall, effectively limiting the infected’s movements to about six inches from the rear wall of the cell.

  Both the deputy and the young woman stared in horrified fascination as the soldiers led two more infected in and chained them to the rear walls of the adjoining cells, then departed. Captain Andrews stepped in afterward and studied the situation. Nodding his head and smiling, he patted the bars of the cells.

  “Very soon, you’ll be joining your new friends here,” he said. “And I’ll expect your cooperation as the virus takes hold.”

  The deputy tried to shout an epithet through the gag that was quite obvious, despite the t-shirt twisted and tied through his teeth. Captain Andrews paused and shot him an evil stare.

  “Oh, you’ll cooperate, officer. Or I’ll let their friends eat you for lunch.” He chuckled at his threat. “Trust me. There are worse things than simply suffering a fever for a short time,” he said with a raised brow. “I imagine being eaten alive would be one of them.”

  He turned and walked out of the trailer, slamming the door behind him. The creature next to the woman sniffed the air and began to scream at the top of its lungs, followed by the creature next to it. The creature next to the deputy simply stared at him, its red eyes studying him. It tilted its head and sniffed the air in his direction, lip curling as if something disagreeable met its nostrils.

  In the low light of the holding cells, the deputy watched the red-eyed demon on his left as it held his gaze, its two partners continuing to scream, the woman across from him crying into her gag. The ma
n and the monster continued to stare at each other, neither able to say a word as time continued to tick by.

  Chapter 6

  Hatcher had to remind himself to breathe as the soldiers stepped out of the Mobile Unit and walked back to the transport. If any of them had turned and even glanced under the trailer, they all would be caught. He had no doubt in his mind they’d be shot or worse. A lot of the conversation above their heads carried through the thin floor of the trailer, and while Hatcher couldn’t speak for Mitch or Candy, he knew his guts were twisted at the moment with pure anger.

  Mitch tapped him lightly and pulled him from his own thoughts as the transport started and pulled away. The trio watched the white-suited man step down from the trailer’s steps and walk back to the white tent with purpose. The tent appeared to be under some kind of suction as the tent flap fought him when he pulled it open and sealed tight behind him after he entered.

  “We have to do something,” Candy swore softly. “I heard a woman up there crying.”

  Mitch shook his head. “First things first. We snag the full bird and get him to order them to stand down.”

  Hatcher fought with his own inner demons, but he had to agree. Three against a small army of armed men was suicide, but if they could get that skinny bastard in charge, they stood a half chance of pulling off a takeover. Something told him that the colonel’s sense of self-preservation would overcome his sense of duty, no matter how twisted it may be.

  “Richardson is right. We stick to the plan,” he told her softly, but his eyes betrayed him. His heart went out to those trapped in the trailer as well.

  Candy ground her teeth. “Fine, but can we at least be quick about it?”

  Mitch kept his eyes glued to the parking area and nodded. “I think now is our best chance. If we cut back behind the trailer, we might be able to sneak past that white tent. I can hear something running near it that will help mask any sound we make.”