Decay (Book 2): Humanity (14 page)

“You little shit!” Bill spat. “I’ll kill you.”

“Bill, that’s the way of the truce.” Randy said, defeated. “Get up there and take your lickins like a man.”

“It’s your turn,” Michael said, pointing to Randy. “I want you this time.”

“You’ve gotta be kiddin’ me you little punk,” Randy retorted. “You aren’t coming near me.” Bill gave him a despising look.

Jonathan walked back around the corner and found the room where Randy had grabbed the supplies from. It took some digging, but he found a few boxes of the formula, as well as boxes of the NG-tubes. With his head spinning, Jonathan grabbed everything he could carry, which was two boxes of the formula and a full box of the tubes, and walked back out to the room where the men stood arguing. To his shock, Rick and Matt were holding down the old man, while Mad Man Rob stood above Bill holding the sharp blue flame from the torch above his head.

“Please!” Randy begged. “You don’t have to do this. We can forget this ever happened. Nobody was hurt, besides, we was just messing with the kid. Fooling around isn’t a breach of the truce.”

Michael looked as if he didn’t hear the man. He pulled a rusty pocket knife from the pocket inside his coat and flipped one of the small blades out. It clicked into place and Randy muffled a cry. With Rick holding Randy’s head down firm against the bed, Michael pressed the rusty, two inch blade into the man’s left cheek. He pulled it across, tearing the skin more than cutting. Randy screamed. With the line carved across the top, Michael drew a long hook hanging down from the middle.

“J” he said. “For Jonathan. Next time you want to mess with my brother you look at that in the mirror.” Michael spit into the bloody letter and drove his fist down hard into the old man’s nose. The cartilage crunched loudly as it broke, forcing shrill cries from Randy. He grabbed his face as Rick and Matt released him.

“I’m going to kill all of you!” Bill shouted as the blue flame flicked out with the turn of the brass knobs on the torch. He climbed to his feet and ran to Randy. “You’re all dead!”

“Everybody’s dead,” Mad Man Rob agreed as the group helped Jonathan grab all of the supplies and walk out through the door into the waiting room.

Jonathan looked over at Michael and hid a smile. Seeing his brother do that to the old man filled him with a morbid sense of joy. He had acted tough after what he did to Elliot, but it had been eating at his soul like a tick that had latched onto his heart. Watching his brother carve into Randy’s face had reassured him that times really have changed, and they now call for him to be as sick and twisted as anyone who stood in his way.

The cold air was a rude awakening for him as they stepped out into the world. Now he noticed that Michael was trying to hide a smile. Looking out past the BMW, Jonathan saw three men tied to the large letters that spelled out “Hospital”. Their guts had been spilled in a pile at their feet. Steam rose from the gut piles, and the men snarled and twitched as they saw Jonathan and the others exit the glass doors of the hospitals.

Before Mad Man Rob climbed into the driver’s seat of his truck, Michael called out to him from the BMW, “You know we just started a war, right?”

Mad Man Smiled and sat down on the soft bench seat of the Chevy pickup. The cold engine started after a couple seconds of rough turning. On the way out, the group drove up the other exit and came out on Mulberry Ave. Just as the hospital vanished from sight below the hill, Mad Man Rob heard the infuriated screams of Randy and Bill. A few moments later those screams were followed by three gunshots.

Chapter 19

Guillermo’s eyes opened, but he couldn’t move. His mind wandered and his throat felt as though someone had been squeezing it. The room he was in was dark and smelled of something that he couldn’t put his finger on.
A hint of cinnamon.
He tried to remain calm, but he was scared. The last thing he remembered was saying goodbye to Reese and setting out for Iowa.

A ringing in his ears was enough to confirm he was still alive, at least. After all, he hoped that death would be very peaceful. Especially after the hell he had been living in for over a year.
Thanksgiving?
He heard footsteps and panicked even more as he thought about a fiend walking right up to his paralyzed body and tearing him apart. The footsteps were light and even, though, not shuffling. It was a person, and Guillermo wasn’t sure if he should close his eyes and pretend to sleep or let whoever was there know that he was awake and ready to leave.

To his left he could see that there was a large window. He tried to turn his head to look out of it, yet his neck was stiff and wouldn’t move. Then a light blasted in his eyes from up above him. His first thought was that he had been abducted by aliens, but he quickly dismissed this as stupid. Not even God could be so cruel to give them the living dead and alien invasions. “P-p-please,” he croaked through his dry lips. He could feel something in his throat.

“It’s alright, Guillermo. You’re safe,” the kind, female voice assured him. “My name is May. Your friend brought you here after an accident. You’re recovering wonderfully.” Her warm smile was hidden in Guillermo’s blurred vision, but he could hear it on her voice. “As soon as you are ready, I’ll pull this tube out and get you out of these restraints.”

Guillermo tried to say something but May placed her hand over his mouth and shook her head. She peeled a piece of tape from his face and began to pull the tube from his nose. “This won’t hurt, but it will be slightly uncomfortable,” she stated. “Your throat may be sore for a few days, so we need to keep an eye on your eating habits.”

With the tube removed from his throat, Guillermo already felt like he was breathing better. The restraints came off from his arms and legs, but he still couldn’t move too much. “My head hurts, and my throat is dry,” he said, trying to work up enough saliva to swallow.

“I’ll bring you some water and help you sit up,” she said kindly. “I’m sorry about the restraints. There were some nights were you would have terrible convulsions and almost fall out of the bed.” She returned a moment later with a clear glass and helped Guillermo sit up, wedging pillows behind his back. She tipped the glass to his mouth and pulled it away after just a sip. “We need to take it slow.” She then lifted his right leg and pushed the knee toward his stomach, followed by his left leg.

“Jonathan.” Guillermo said hoarsely. “Where is he?”

“He’ll be around.” She moved his arms next. “I have a pumpkin pie going.” May lifted the glass of water to his lips again. “You get some rest, now. If you’re feeling better in the morning you can have some pie.” Guillermo watched as the woman walked out of the room toward what he assumed must be the kitchen.

Pumpkin pie for breakfast?
he thought. His stomach growled and he realized that pumpkin pie sounded as good as anything right now. Guillermo closed his eyes and hoped to see his friend soon.

Guillermo awoke to the smell of the warm pumpkin pie slice sitting next to his bed on the stand. He slowly stretched his arms out as he reached for the glass next to it. His mouth was still dry, and his throat hurt. The imprint of the tube could be felt in his esophagus each time he swallowed what little saliva he could produce. Being able to move his arms, even just a little, brought a smile to his face.

“I’ll grab that,” the young, vibrant voice called out as Jonathan ran into view. “Let me help you.” Guillermo smiled at the sight of his friend, a tear rolled down his cheek. Jonathan helped him sit up and stuffed the pillows under him as May had done just a few hours before.

“How are you?” Guillermo asked roughly before taking a drink of water.

“I’m fine. There is someone I want you to meet.” Jonathan’s face lit up.

“Ok,” Guillermo said slowly.

Jonathan smiled wider, spun around in a circle and said, “Nice to meet you, Guillermo. I’m Michael.”

Guillermo felt his neck muscles twitch, causing his head to shake subtly. He was sure Jonathan must have hit his head pretty bad, also, but then Jonathan came walking in behind his brother. Both boys looked identical. Guillermo even noticed that Jonathan, whichever one he was, had his hair cut. The shaggy short mop that had grown over the months was gone now, leaving the kind of haircut one would receive if they told the barber just a little off the top.

“I am glad you are alright, my friend,” the real Jonathan stated as he grabbed Guillermo’s rough hands and pressed his forehead down against Guillermo’s. “I am so sorry, Guillermo.”

“That is the Jonathan I know right there,” Guillermo said. “I should have heard the difference.” He smiled. “You have such a proper way of speaking.

“I’m not propah ‘nuff for ye, Gov’na?” Michael asked in a terrible English accent that caused Guillermo to crack a wide smile and chuckle painfully. “I’m just playing. It’s really nice to meet you though, Guillermo. Jonathan really cares about you.”

“I would die for this guy,” Guillermo claimed as he shook Michael’s hand. “Now, how about some of that pie?”

The twins sat with Guillermo for an hour while he ate what little he could of the pumpkin pie and drank several glasses of water. He had regained enough control of his arms to feed himself for the most part, but the full glasses were a little too heavy to lift. May had come in for a few minutes and said it would be several days, at least, before he was walking again.

“It’s a good thing you got that catheter or you’d piss the bed,” Michael exclaimed as he watched Guillermo finish off his third glass of water. Then he shook his head, “I don’t want to be here when May pulls that thing out.”

Guillermo gave a nervous look. “I don’t want to be here for that, either. So, you guys haven’t said anything about how long we’ve been here.”

It was Jonathan’s turn to give a nervous look as he glanced over to Michael. Michael shook his head. “I’ll tell him,” he said. Placing his hand on Guillermo’s shin, Michael continued. “It’s been . . . it’s been two years, Guillermo.”

Guillermo spit his water out onto his blanket and caught Jonathan’s crooked grin. “You jerk!” he said as his heart crawled down out of his throat and settled in where it belonged. The twins laughed. “You boys giggle like a couple of school girls.”

“It has been about two weeks, Guillermo,” Jonathan said as he wiped the tears from his eyes. “I am serious,” he added, catching Guillermo searing glance. “You have been sleeping for two weeks. You should not need to rest for a while.” Jonathan smiled after saying that last part.

“Did I miss much?” he asked, but didn’t wait for an answer. “Probably not, huh? Not really much that can happen.”

“Actually, Michael started a war with another group. That is something.”

“It’s true. I did,” Michael said as if fessing up to doing something wonderful.

“Another group–like the cannibal camp?”

“No. They are not cannibals, but there is a treaty in place, so to speak. They violated it, Michael retaliated. Maybe a little too retaliated. Since then there have been numerous attacks on our camp here. There is a wall that surrounds us. They have tried repeatedly to burn it down, knock it down, blast holes in it. They actually succeeded a few times, but we have been able to patch it up quickly.”

“Sounds like you dug us a nice little hole,” Guillermo said with a nervous smile as he patted Michael on the back. “As soon as I’m back on my feet, I’ll fill that hole in. Don’t you guys worry,” he insisted with a cocky attitude.

“We should probably let you rest. Get well soon,” Jonathan said.

They said their farewells and left May to do her thing. She would work with Guillermo on moving his arms and legs. Help him roll over onto his side, and help him eat, drink and clean up. It would only take Guillermo two days before he could walk on his own again. He was slow at first, but he knew Jonathan was serious about a war coming. There wouldn’t be enough time for him to take it easy. He had to help keep his friends, new and old, safe.

The dead, frozen grass crunched under Guillermo’s boots as he walked stiffly out into the yard for the first time. The air was cold, and he instantly wanted to return to his warm bed. Perhaps he would slip back into a coma until spring. He stepped out further, listening to the sounds of the small town he had found himself in. The cows and chickens, even a turkey, could be heard somewhere in the back. The large yard appeared to house hundreds of people.

Some of these people were up on top of the massive wall. Guillermo was impressed by its height. He didn’t have an estimate, but he doubted it would be easy for someone to climb over. The wall did block most of the wind. He could hear it whip by overhead. It ruffled the thick coats of the guards up top, and he was glad to see they were wearing thick layers over their bodies and faces. On the gentle breeze that did reach into the yard, Guillermo could smell the attempts to burn the wall down.

Guillermo walked about, stretching his legs as he went. The last three days went by pretty quick. He was walking inside yesterday, and now regretted saying he wanted to go out. His nose hairs were already frozen, and he wiped snot away from his upper lip with a tissue. May had stuffed a wad of them in his coat pocket before he set out, and now he knew why. Looking back up at the guards, he now wished he had one of those masks to keep his face from freezing.

The light snow and dead grass crunched under his feet as he walked slowly across the yard toward the driveway. The only familiar thing he could see was the BMW, and that seemed like the best place to go for now. He ran his gloved hand across the smooth hood and he could see the accident. Jonathan had told him everything, but the memories flooded back now. He felt the centrifugal force pull and push his body as the car spun. The glass of the window cracked as his head rushed to meet it.

“Guillermo!” Jonathan (
or was it Michael?
) hollered from the other side of the gravel driveway. Guillermo raised his stiff arm slowly and waved. Stepping around the BMW, Guillermo caught his first glimpse of CREEPR 1 parked in front of the large garage. The black bus looked ready to destroy anything that stood in its way.

“CREEPR 1,” Jonathan (
Michael?
) said when he caught Guillermo’s amazed looks. It was Jonathan, Guillermo was positive. He could just sense it as he moved closer.

“Very nice,” Guillermo said through chattering teeth.

“It is much warmer in here,” Jonathan stated and put his arm around Guillermo to help him walk. The warm air felt almost too hot on his cold face as he stepped through the wooden door. The torpedo heaters blasted the heat produced by their diesel fed flames. The loud fans roared. A group of men, including Michael, sat around on bench seats from different cars.

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Guillermo said as he pointed at the heaters. “I think I’ve used a heater one time in my life, and that was in my truck. Iowa winters must be terrible if you need heat canons like those.”

“They get worse than this. I’m Mad Man Rob. My friends call me Mad Man Rob.” He reached out and shook Guillermo’s hand gently. “I’ll introduce you to these other assholes later. For right now, have a seat. You know, Jonathan is a great friend to you. The first time we met, he thought I was out to hurt you. Little bastard was gonna shoot me to death in the streets.” He gave a friendly smile.

“We’re going over some plans for the semi,” Michael said as he pointed to the black beast in the back of the garage. The chrome grille almost sneered menacingly at him, sending a shiver down Guillermo’s spine.

“What do you plan on doing with that?” asked Guillermo. He stared at it hard, knowing that as soon as he took his eyes off it it would pounce.

“Protect ourselves and the people of the camp,” Mad Man Rob declared. “Jonathan says they told you, but in case you forgot, we are at war with another camp. We’ve lived alongside them since the beginning, but
I
wasn’t here in the beginning. That’s what I’ve been told. Many of them came from our camp. Differences in opinions, I guess, forced some of them to find another home.

“We’ve had a fairly peaceful existence with them for a long time. A truce has kept things pretty civil. No one can take more than they need from the neutral zone. If we run into each other in neutral territory there will be no conflicts. Hell, for a long time we helped each other out when we met out there.” Mad Man Rob nodded to the north toward the city of Muscatine.

“Then one day that ass-hat Bill showed up. Killed a few of our guys because they got to the supplies he was after first. He honored the truce though, and took his punishment.” Mad Man Rob smiled at Michael who scratched at his left cheek. “He has been a little . . . on edge ever since. Then Michael here carved the face of Randy, one of the camps leaders. Randy is a twisted man, but I have to hand it to him, he can be damn honorable. He may be fucked, but he’s tried hard to keep the peace, until the peace isn’t in his favor, of course.”