Affliction Z: Abandoned Hope (Post Apocalyptic Thriller) (25 page)

The dim bulbs that lined the ceiling of the walkway between
the cells cast subtle pools of light across the floor. Addison stared at her
semi-illuminated foot. Dirt covered her toes and caked underneath her nails.
She longed for a shower or a bath. She’d settle for a bucket of water if it
meant rinsing the grime out of her hair and off her body. She scratched at the
top of her head with both hands.

The sensation left her in a slight trance.

The door at the other end of the hall thumped open. A set of
heavy footsteps approached. They grew louder by the second.

Is it time?

Addison had lost all sense of day and night down in the
hole. The only thing that helped her keep track was the random openings of the
light tube above her cell. It had been hours since her last glimpse of light.
Perhaps that meant it was later than she figured.

A man stopped in front of their cell. He shined his
flashlight on them. Addison’s hand instinctively rose to shield her eyes. The
guy coughed. The beam of light bounced around the cell like a hyper orb.

“Which of you are Emma and Barbara?” the guy asked.

Addison watched in confusion as the other two raised their
hands.

“Get up,” the guy said.

“What about me?” Addison said.

“What about you?” the guy said.

“You’re here for me too, right?”

“Are you Emma or Barbara?”

Addison shook her head.

“Then fuck off.” The guy opened the cell door and gestured
for the women to exit the small room.

Emma glanced at Addison, who nodded. The young woman looked
confused and scared. Addison’s mind filled with worried thoughts.

What if Jenny’s plan had been discovered? What if the guy
had turned on her? They were separating the women and would question them
individually. What would they do to Emma?

She’s just a girl for Christ’s sake!

Addison rose and paced the cell. She grabbed the bars and
yanked, hopeful that the man had left the door unlocked.

He hadn’t.

She yanked harder. The whole room looked to be hastily
covered in cement. Perhaps she could rip the bars free from the floor or the
ceiling. A few minutes later, she realized that was not going to happen.

Addison raised the same questions over and over. Her fear
increased every minute Emma and Barbara were out there without her. What could
they be doing to the women that took so long? The images that came to mind
rivaled that of what she saw on TV the first morning she realized the world was
going to end.

Her stomach churned to the point that she ran to the back
corner of the cell and vomited. Someone let out a disgusted groan from another
cell. She felt like telling them to go to hell. No point wasting the energy on
them.

Addison resigned herself to the thought that whatever was
going to happen would happen no matter what she did. The dark felt oppressive.
She shuffled to the front of the cell, leaned against the bars and stared
toward the door at the other end of the hall.

When would it open again?
Would
it open again?

One of the men across from her spoke. “They’re not coming
back. No one comes back here.”

“Have you ever been out there? Have you ever actually seen
what happens to someone when they are taken out of here?”

“Nah, nobody in here has. We’re all unfortunate souls who
happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Over the first couple
days, this room filled up. All but your cell. At first I thought maybe they
thought we was sick. But now, well, I realize why we’re down here.”

“Why?” Addison asked, watching the man instead of the door.

“We’re all outsiders. They see us as a threat. They torched
my neighborhood.”

“I saw that. They found me near there.”

“These two guys are brothers, my neighbors. Their parents were
shot. The men thought they were sick, I guess. After I heard the first shot, I
spotted these two out back of their house. I got them to come over. We saw men
with rifles exit their home. That’s when we took off. Mistake we made was
heading toward the main road. They had it all blocked off. Fortunately, they
didn’t shoot.” He glanced up, then back at her. “Maybe I should say
unfortunately, given our current circumstances.”

“The whole world is full of ‘unfortunately’ right now,”
Addison said.

The guy grunted.

“How many people have been taken out of here?” she asked.

“Four or five, I suppose.”

“And no idea what happened?”

“They didn’t come back and no one from out there tells us
shit. Anyway, they told us they monitor down here, and I’ve said too much
already. So, Miss, have a good night.” The guy slinked into the shadows of his
cell.

Addison watched the dark space across from her for a few
moments. Her ears hummed in the silence. The noise seemed to be present anytime
it was quiet. She first noticed it shortly after shooting her roommate Carla.

Her gaze shifted back to the other end of the hall. She
counted the seconds as they passed. Either the door would open, or she’d fall
asleep. She cared less which it was with every second that passed. Finally, her
heavy eyelids fell and sleep won out.

Sometime later, she awoke to someone whispering her name.
Addison’s eyes fluttered open. She saw the dark outline of a person on the
other side of the bars.

“Are you Addison?” he whispered.

“Yes,” she whispered back.

“Jenny sent me. Are you ready to go?”

“Who are you? Why’s it so dark in here?”

“Never mind that. Are you prepared to do this? You
understand the risks, right?”

“If I die out there, so be it. I’m already a dead woman in
this filthy hole.”

The guy slid a key into the cell door and pulled it open.
She saw the outline of his hand in front of her.

“Take it,” he said.

She did. He pulled her out of the cell and down the hallway.
Her bare feet slid along the floor. The guy whispered a count of his steps.
They stopped while he opened the door that led outside. He pulled it toward him
and shoved her through the opening. A cool breeze blew past her. The air felt
damp. She caught the scent of seared animal flesh. Her mouth watered and her
stomach ached.

They climbed the stairs to ground level. She stopped at the
top and looked up. The moon hid behind a veil of silvery clouds. They raced by
in a hurry. A large halo extended around the orb. Though muted, it provided
enough light that she could see the ground a couple feet in any direction.
Beyond that, trees stood out like dark immobile figures.

It’s a good night to escape. Or to die.

“Quickly,” the guy said. “We only have a few minutes to get
out of camp.”

She took his hand. They walked away from the cell. Away from
the camp. Toward freedom.

Emma hadn’t left Sean’s side since the moment she entered
the house. She ran straight to him, almost knocking him to the floor. They had
held onto each other for dear life for close to two minutes. Sean had kept his
eyes on Phil and Ralph and Derrick the entire time. None of the men made a move
to take him down. Marley went from person to person, excited and looking for a
friendly scratch. Sean had let go of Emma and reached for Barbara. The woman
had thrown her arms around him and let go of herself, crying hard against his
shoulder. Her tears seeped through his shirt and felt cold against his skin.
She settled down and went with Emma to the other side of the room.

Ralph left to secure an ATV for them. During that time, Phil
reviewed a detailed topographical map of the area with Sean. The man also
provided him with a GPS unit. Sean was leery of the device, unsure whether or
not Phil would have a way to track him through it. It might be useful in a
pinch, so he accepted it, figuring he’d wait until morning to assess his
location. Then he could determine his heading to Charleston.

A light washed over the front of the house and penetrated
the single window above the table. Sean leaned back. A moment later, he heard
the ATV pull up.

“That’s your ride,” Phil said. “Again, Sean, you are welcome
to stay here. We could use a man like you.”

“Then why not force me to stay?”

“You survived that hell hole in Nigeria. Who am I to force
another upon you?”

Sean looked toward the window. “One man’s hell hole is
another’s paradise. Right?”

Phil nodded. They both rose and went to the door.

“I’m sorry,” Derrick said.

“For what?” Sean said.

“Selling you out back there, outside of camp.”

Sean shook his head. “We all do what we think we need to
do.”

Derrick nodded, turned, and went to the back of the house.

A tingle ran up Sean’s spine. It had been a long time since
he’d felt that sensation. Something was off. “Phil, you go out in front of me.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Em, wait there until I signal for you. You too,
Barb.”

“We’re not setting you up, Sean,” Phil said.

Sean pointed his MP7 in the man’s direction. “Go first.”

Phil pushed the door open. Cool air blew past the man and
coated Sean. His sweat-soaked clothing chilled. He nudged Phil through the
doorway, and followed him out. The dog ran past both of them.

“Stop,” Sean said. “Ralph, present yourself.”

“I’m right here,” Ralph said, stepping in front of the ATV.

“Anyone else out there?” Sean called out.

His words were met with silence.

“Sean,” Phil said. “There’s no one out here.”

“It’s your life on the line.” Sean took a step back, stuck
his free hand inside and gestured for Emma and Barbara to come out. The floor
vibrated under his feet as they approached.

“Stay right behind us,” he said. “Phil, down the stairs and
head to the vehicle.”

Phil let out a heavy sigh and moved toward the stairs. He
led them to the sage green ATV. “That’s one of our best, Sean. It’s a Ranger.
Two bench seats, roll bars, nice suspension, cargo bed in the back. There’s three
twenty-gallon steel containers with diesel in them. This vehicle has been
modified so you’ll get over twenty miles to the gallon. That’s a good bit of
distance so long as you don’t get her stolen.”

“Emma, go sit up front,” Sean said. “Barb, you take the
wheel for now.”

“What?” Barbara said. “Sean, I don’t want to drive this
thing.”

“Just do it, Barb. It’s only for a few minutes.”

Emma and Barbara sat down in front. Marley climbed over Emma
and took a seat in between them.

“I’m guessing you’ll want me in the back with you?” Phil
said.

Sean nodded. “Only for—”

“A few minutes. I got it.” Phil pointed toward the ATV’s
cargo area. “You’ve got a tent in there, first aid kit, a good one by the way,
some MREs, water, so forth. It’s all back there. Now I want you to look at
those roll bars. We’ve got mounts on there. You can line four rifles up and
have north, south, east and west coverage. Secured to the bottom of that cargo
bed, you’ll find four M4s. Some of the so forth I mentioned in the cargo bed is
ammunition. This thing’s a beast, Sean. It’ll get you through most anything.
But it’s wide, so keep that in mind while you’re driving. Would be a shame to
get it stuck.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Now slide in.”

Phil sat down on the rear seat and slid to the other side.

“Start it up, Barb.” Sean turned to Ralph. “Back it up,
man.” He sat down next to Phil. He held his MP7 up high enough to be visible to
anyone who might follow them.

Barb pulled away from camp, weaving through the trees. Sean
reached forward and grabbed her shoulder. She slowed the ATV down, and cut the
engine.

“Sorry to have dragged you all the way out here, Phil,” Sean
said.

“I’d have done the same,” Phil said.

“You won’t have any trouble getting back, will you?”

“I know these woods like the back of my hand. I’ll be fine.”

Sean stepped out of the ATV. “Get going then.”

Phil slid across. He stopped in front of Sean and extended
his hand. Sean took it.

“Thank you for that information about my brother. That
answers a lot of questions.”

Sean nodded. He watched the man disappear into the darkness.
After a few minutes, he turned to Barbara. “Go ahead and slide over. I’ll drive
now.”

“Thank God,” she said.

Sean sat behind the wheel and reached for the ignition.

“What’s that?” Emma asked.

“What?” Sean said.

“You hear that crying?”

Sean leaned forward. He turned his head to the left and then
the right. He picked up the faint sound of a woman weeping and pleading.

Addison cradled Jenny in her arms. Blood covered the
unconscious woman’s face. She looked up at the man hovering over her. The pale,
filtered moonlight cast shadows over his face. His teeth shone as if under a
black light as his lips curled back.

“You ready?” he said.

“No,” she pleaded. “Let us go. Why are you doing this?”

He took a step back and kicked dirt and leaves at her and
Jenny. “No one gets out of here. On top of that, she’s grown into a pest. Won’t
leave me alone. Her daddy hates her. He ain’t gonna miss her being gone from
here. Ain’t no one gonna.”

“She trusted you,” Addison said through her tears.

“And you trusted her.” He spat over her head. “Guess you’re
both dumb bitches.”

Anger scratched its way through Addison’s core. Her muscles
tightened. She clenched her fist. She glared at the guy.

He laughed at her, then said, “Stomach or face?”

She let Jenny slowly slide off her thighs, freeing her arms.

“Come on now,” the guy said. “You gotta pick or it’ll be
hitter’s choice.”

Addison exploded upward, driving her fist into the flesh
under his chin, and her knee into his groin. Both struck at the same time. The
guy let out a loud exhale and bowed forward. She struck again with her knee,
this time hitting him in the face. He stumbled to the ground. She turned around
and attempted to pull Jenny to her feet. The woman moaned.

“Come on, Jenny,” Addison said. “We need to go.”

“I’m gonna kill you,” the guy said.

By the time Addison turned around, he had a hold of her
ankle. With a yank, he dropped her to her knees. He shoved her in the back,
sending her face first to the forest floor. Twigs poked at her face and neck.
She felt blood stream down her cheek. The guy crawled up her back, punching as
he went. She kept her muscles tight, but found it difficult to maintain. Each
blow felt harder than the last.

The guy jerked at her shirt and turned her over. Her hips
stopped halfway. He sat down on top of them, pinning her to the ground. He
lifted his right arm and brought it down into her stomach. Every drop of air
rushed out of her body. She struggled to stay focused on him. Fireworks
exploded in front of her eyes. He lifted his arm again. She swung wildly and
caught him on his shoulder and his chest. It had little effect.

“I’m gonna hit you until you die.” He twisted his body back
to the right, jerked forward and swung his hand over in a high arc.

Addison heard three quick pops. They came from behind. The
man straddling her froze and then fell to the side. Blood leaked out of three
holes in his forehead. She pushed his leg off hers and rolled away from the
body.

Jenny rolled over on her side. Her eyes rolled back in her
head. She smacked her lips together a couple times, groaning as she did so.
“What the hell just happened?”

“I’m not sure,” Addison said, trying to hide the fear that
though they’d gotten rid of one menace, another one lurked.

And this one had a gun.

***

Sean moved forward, using the trees for cover. Close enough
to see that the women were now alone, he called out, “Everyone okay?”

“Yes,” one of them said, followed by the other chastising
the first for speaking.

Sean stepped out from the shadows. “It’s okay, I’m not here
to hurt you. My name’s Sean Ryder.”

“Are you Emma’s dad?” one of them asked.

“I am,” Sean said.

“Oh, thank God. I’m Addison and this is Jenny. Can you help
us get out of here?”

Sean started to answer. Something caught his attention. He
glanced to his right. Something shuffled in the distance.

“Shit,” he said. “We need to get going. Addison, come on.
Help her up.”

“Wait,” Addison said. “Are you going to take us with you?”

“Yes. Now hurry before they get to us.”

“What? Those things?”

“The gunshots alerted them we were here. But the blood is
drawing them in. And both of you are bleeding. We need to create some distance
between those things and us. Now.”

“How? They’ll keep coming, won’t they?” Addison asked.

“Follow me. Stay close. If you fall, yell out.”

Sean led them through the woods to the ATV. He instructed
the women to get in the back seat. They followed his orders. He called for Emma
and Barbara, who had hid nearby. The pair emerged from the darkness and ran to
him.

“Addison,” Emma said, releasing herself from her father’s
grasp and moving toward the woman. “What happened to you? Are you okay?”

Addison nodded.

“She’s fine, Em,” Sean said. “Everyone get in. We’ve got to
get out of here now.”

He waited until everyone was seated. Emma sat in back with
the two women, and Barbara sat in front with Sean. Marley took the middle seat
again. Sean fired up the ATV. He figured he’d stay as true to south as he could
throughout the night, taking it slow and only stopping if everyone needed him
to.

Sean felt guilt over not returning to the camp and warning
them of the impending horde of afflicted nearby. They should be able to take
care of themselves, he thought. After all, why else were they out there in the
open, exposed like that? The further he drove, the less guilty he felt.

Hours passed. Somehow he managed to remain awake. He came to
a familiar road and took a path through the woods that paralleled it. When the
sun came up, he stopped and fired up the GPS. He was surprised to see that they
were close to Danville, Virginia. He calculated that they’d completed around
ten percent of the trip already.

Sean glanced at the four sleeping women. He was responsible
for them now. All of them.

He returned to his map and the GPS. There was no more danger
of the men following them, so he decided to leave it on.

“Good morning, Dad.”

He looked at his daughter and smiled.

“Got any coffee?” she asked.

“When did you start drinking that stuff?”

She smiled. “I’m kidding.”

“I know.”

“Where are we going?”

“Charleston, South Carolina.”

“What’s there?”

“Our one shot at freedom.”