Outbreak (Book 2): The Mutation (21 page)

Darren was afraid the trees might hold more than a few surprises.

David, Samantha, Joe, and Darren formed a loose circle as they held off the zombies.

“Don’t forget the plan!
”
Darren yelled over the noise of the attacking creatures. “Once we kill these six fuckers, we’ll separate into pairs, and then we’ll meet up at the gas station.”

Darren was able to drop two of the creatures with head shots as they advanced, but the remaining four were too close.

Darren grabbed the machete and swung at the closest zombie. The creature’s arm fell to the ground, but didn’t slow the damn thing down.

Joe slammed the butt of the M1 against the one-armed zombie while Joe pushed the bayonet through the zombie’s skull. Joe knew this wouldn’t kill the creature, but at least it would slow it down.

David ran over to the zombie Joe had dropped and cut off the creature’s right leg under the knee.

“It won’t be getting up now,
”
David said as he winked at Joe.

They started to move as one while keeping their circular positions.

“Let’s move towards the fire pit!
”
David yelled to others.

Darren had a confused look on his face.

“The pool,
”
said Samantha to Darren. “We drained the pool and turned it into a fire pit to burn bodies.”

They moved as one. The three zombies followed them, but kept their distance.

“Why aren’t they attacking us?
”
Joe asked.

“Because we outnumber them?
”
Samantha answered with her own question.

“That’s never stopped them before,
”
David added.

The zombie closest to David was foul-smelling. Its eyes were milky white and it was surprising that it could even see. Most of the muscle in the creature’s leg was torn out. It was surprising the damn thing could even stand up, let alone walk.

The zombie also had most of the flesh on half of its skull stripped away. This gave the creature an even more horrifying look as it turned its head from side to side.

As David’s eyes remained fixed on it, the zombie took three quick steps forward and got closer to the group.

David didn’t hesitate and swung the axe at the creature. The zombie dodged back and avoided the blade, but David put his weight behind the axe and connected with the creature’s foot.

The axe removed the front half of the zombie’s foot and the creature hobbled as it tried to regain its balance.

Samantha cracked the bat against the zombie’s chest and the creature fell, but immediately crawled toward to group.

“Determined fuckers, aren’t they?
”
Joe asked.

As they turned the corner, the pool came into view, but so did four more zombies.

“Shit!
”
Darren yelled. “Four more by the pool!”

“I think I have an idea,
”
Joe said as he saw the bright red canister of gasoline by the pool.

“We’re all ears,
”
said David.

“We need to get all the zombies into the pool!
”
Joe shouted to the group. “We get them in there and then light them up!”

“How the hell do you suggest we get them in the pool?
”
asked Samantha.

As Samantha asked her question, Darren broke away from the group and ran toward the pool.

One of the zombies gave chase.

Darren, machete in hand, got to the edge of the pool and stood his ground. The zombie ran toward Darren and had no intention of stopping.

As it got closer, Darren raised the machete, but instead of swinging the blade at the zombie, Darren dove out of the way.

The others watched the creature fall into the pool, but there was nothing to celebrate.

As soon as the creature hit the bottom, it stood back up and moved toward the side of the pool. Darren wasted no time and shot the zombie in the head.

Darren ran back over to the group to see Joe pulling his bayonet out of the skull of a zombie. Samantha brought the bat down on the creature’s head several times until she heard its skull crack.

Around the far side of the pool, the group saw five more zombies emerge from the woods.

“That’s what I was afraid of,
”
Darren said as he nodded toward the new zombies. “The woods are probably full of those bastards.”

“Joe,
”
Darren said, “your plan is only going to work if we can get all these fuckers in the pool at the same time.”

“I don’t think they’re gonna cooperate,
”
added David.

“Me neither,
”
agreed Darren.

Darren looked at the gas can.

“How much gas is in that can over there?
”
Darren asked.

“It is full,
”
David answered. “It’s the last of the gas. I filled it up by draining all the other equipment in the shed.”

The group looked at the eight zombies around them.

“We need to get them into a cluster,
”
Darren said.

Before anyone asked how, Samantha ran toward the five new zombies.

“Go!
”
shouted Darren to the others. “Follow Samantha! Run towards them!”

Two of the zombies broke away and followed the group as they ran toward the other creatures. One remained behind for Darren.

Darren darted toward the zombie in front of him and buried the machete into its side. He then kicked the creature backward.

Darren took advantage and quickly ran toward the gas can.

When Joe, David, and Samantha were fifty feet from the zombies, the creatures started to run toward them.

“Run behind the shed!
”
Darren yelled. “Get behind the shed!”

The three veered to the left and headed toward the structure. The five zombies in front and the two behind them followed.

Darren ran toward the shed and waited for Joe, David, and Samantha to run into the wooden shelter.

Darren stopped twenty feet from the zombies, who were now gathered around the flimsy shed, clawing to get inside. He removed his Beretta M9 side arm and cocked the hammer. With all his strength, Darren threw the gas can at the shed. He then aimed his pistol at the gas can and fired three bullets in rapid succession.

The gas can exploded in the air, igniting the flammable liquid. Fire rained down on the zombies as it engulfed them in flames.

Darren walked briskly toward the shed and shot three of the burning zombies by the door in the head.

The door was kicked off its hinges as Darren saw David emerge from the burning shed. Samantha and Joe were right behind him.

“That was your plan?
”
asked David. “Igniting everything on fire?”

“Why do you think I didn’t tell you what I had planned?
”
Darren asked as he smiled.

The four used their weapons and pushed the zombies that were on fire into the pool. They looked over and saw that the shed was engulfed in flames.

“Okay,
”
Darren said as he looked around. “I don’t see any more zombies coming out the woods.”

The others helped him scan the property.

“Joe, you and David head over that way,
”
Darren said as he pointed to the left. “Head into the woods and start making your way to the gas station. Samantha and I will head over that way,
”
Darren said pointing to the right.

“Do you think it’s still a good idea to separate?
”
asked Samantha. “There’s only four of us left.”

“Two people travel faster and are more quiet than four,
”
Darren answered.

“Should we go back and see if Walt and Cheryl need our help?
”
Joe asked.

“No,
”
said Darren bluntly. “We need to stick to the plan.”

They all agreed.

“I better see you two at that goddamn gas station,
”
Samantha said to Joe and David.

“You know I love gas station food,
”
David said as he hugged Samantha. “You guys be careful.”

The two pairs of survivors headed off in their directions, hoping they’d all see each other again.

*****

Walt and Cheryl walked to the entrance of the kitchen and listened for any signs that the infected were around. Heavy steps, guttural noises, the stench of decaying flesh.

“I hear something,
”
Cheryl whispered, “but I can’t tell how many there are or where they are.”

“We need to assume they are everywhere,
”
Walt replied.

Walt motioned to Cheryl to go back into the kitchen, and he walked to the overturned kitchen table.

Walt quietly flipped the table over and took some debris from the floor. He placed a broken coffee mug and an empty juice box atop it.

“We’re here,
”
whispered Walt as he pointed to the coffee mug. Then Walt pointed to the juice box. “We need to get there.
”
He traced his finger along the table to show Cheryl the general distance to the pharmacy.

“There’s only two rooms between the kitchen and the pharmacy,
”
Walt said as he placed two spoons on the table.

“This room is the janitor’s closet,
”
Walt explained as he pointed to one of the spoons. “It’s a small room that’s always locked. I’m not really concerned about it.”

“What’s the other room?
”
asked Cheryl.

“It was being converted into a massage and physical therapy room,
”
answered Walt. “There’s nothing in it other than a few tables and towels, and the door isn’t locked.”

Walt and Cheryl looked at each other. Each knew what had to be done.

“We need to check that room out,
”
they both said at the same time.

Walt picked up Stevie while Cheryl quietly unscrewed two heavy wooden legs from the kitchen table.

Walt looked at her.

“I can do more damage with these things than I can with a broomstick,
”
said Cheryl as she swung the wooden legs in the air.

“All right,
”
Walt whispered. “Let’s do this.”

6

Spicewood, Texas

Fi didn’t understand why this particular town had such a pull on her. Since leaving Austin, she’d always felt like she was headed to a specific location. A half-mile ago, she’d passed a sign with the words, “Welcome to Spicewood, Texas.
”
The words were meaningless to her, but in her bones, she’d known she had arrived someplace special.

Arrived at what and for what purpose was something she didn’t know.

Fi’s memory continued to get better, and now thought back to when her transformation had first taken place. She remembered that man biting her, eating her.

Then there was blackness.

The blackness, though, hadn't lasted long. She remembered seeing a tiny pinpoint of light that had slowly widened.

Then, when her eyes had opened, she’d felt the anger grow inside her. Fi hadn’t completely understood the anger, but she’d known what it would lead to.

The anger always led to playtime, and she loved playtime.

For two years she’d wandered among the various houses and found playmates. Humans made bad playmates. They broke too easily. She enjoyed other people like her. She liked to play with others who experienced the darkness and then woke up again.

They didn’t break so easily.

As she walked on the outskirts of the town of Spicewood, Texas, she knew she was in the right place. Over the last few weeks she’d felt her body changing. All the bite marks and torn flesh had healed. She could almost pass for human again.

Except her eyes.

Her eyes had become a feral yellow and gave away what she was. Fi believed it was her eyes that made the other reawakened ones avoid her.

Having arrived in Spicewood didn’t end the pull she felt. Whatever it was that guided her felt more focused. There was someplace in Spicewood she needed to go. Something she needed to find.

Or discover.

Ahead of her she saw a group of reawakened ones as they walked. She wasn’t angry, but still had the urge to play.