The Death: The Complete Trilogy Read online

  “Oh no.”

  “Now I think I know why they left this piece of shit.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  Travis started the minivan, put it into gear, and sped off. He looked at her and replied, “Keep driving till we find another vehicle or run out of gas.”

  North Topsail Beach, North Carolina

  Devin paced the driveway, not saying a word. The conflict Tess and Brianna had just fought frightened him. By the sounds of it, this group sounded eerily similar to Mayor Rivers’ gang back in Reed; he just hoped they weren’t cannibals too. The thought of having to deal with another group of barbarians didn’t thrill him, especially considering it was only the three of them and a bunch of kids.

  Tess also told him what Alex had done.

  He wasn’t shocked; he’d seen the lethal potential Alex had the minute they met him.

  “I know what you’re thinking. I know that walk,” Tess said to Devin.

  He looked at her but didn’t answer.

  “We can’t leave just yet. They’ll discover their bodies, but there’s nothing that ties them to us. It’s impossible. I’m sure they’ll chalk it up as some random gang violence,” Tess explained.

  Devin stopped and asked, “Are you saying that to reassure me or you?”

  “You.”

  “You’re confident they won’t track you here?”

  “They’re not going to know it’s us.”

  Devin pointed at the truck and asked, “But you’re not confident they won’t stop by here randomly and see that?”

  “Stop panicking. We’ll park it in a garage.”

  “Stop panicking? I’m not, I’m just worried!” Devin snapped.

  “Get a hold of yourself. We didn’t have a choice!” Tess fired back.

  “Both of you, enough! All you ever do is argue with each other. I’m tired of hearing it. Just stop!” Brianna yelled.

  Tess and Devin were shocked by her loud and vocal response.

  “We don’t argue,” Devin said.

  “Yes, you do, all the time! Just kiss her and be done with it,” Brianna fired back.

  “What?” Tess asked, her mouth wide open at Brianna’s comment.

  “That’s right; I’ve seen the tension between you both since we left Reed. I also see how you two look at one another.”

  Tess was flabbergasted, and Devin remained speechless. He looked at Brianna, who was now standing, both feet solidly on the ground, firm in her conviction.

  “Now that makes things very awkward,” Devin commented.

  “I’ll be right back; I’m going to park the truck. When I get back, let’s begin our discussion on just what we’re going to do,” Tess said and stormed off.

  Devin watched her go; he then turned his attention on Brianna, who was staring at him.

  He began to think about everything, and Brianna was correct about one thing, at least one thing he was willing to admit to. That being he had become someone who complained all the time. He also had to admit that he and Tess found themselves in constant debate and disagreements. He admitted to himself that it was not only him but her as well. There were countless incidents where she would just start in on him, just for making a reasonable comment. For some reason they had a hard time not having a conversation that didn’t devolve into a fight. He found Tess attractive and had thought of her sexually, but what man didn’t think about sex all the time?

  He stepped up to Brianna and said, “I apologize. You’re right about the fact we fight a lot. I’ll do my part to not do it anymore.”

  Brianna held her stern look for a brief moment but finally relented and said, “Fine, but trust me on this, she likes you. When the timing is right, give her a kiss.”

  Devin’s face turned red as he blushed. He said, “I don’t think I’m going to do that.”

  Brianna put her hand on his shoulder and said, “I might only be seventeen, but I know when girls like boys. Believe me, she likes you.” She patted his shoulder and walked up the stairs and into the condo.

  Tess walked up just then and asked, “What’s going on?”

  Startled and embarrassed, he said, “Nothing.”

  “Hey, she’s right. We need to stop bickering and work together. So for my part, I want to say I’m sorry,” Tess said.

  “Me too.”

  “I had a chance to look through those medical books. I believe my amateur diagnosis might be right.”

  “That’s good, so what do we do?”

  “Bad news is nothing but provide comfort. I think we should continue to give her antibiotics just in case, but we have to let the tetanus just run its course.”

  “We can’t find the vaccine and give it to her?” Devin asked.

  “Too late for that. We’ll give her fluids, IV if we have to, and monitor and make her comfortable.”

  “Can she travel?”

  “I think we’ll be fine here till she gets a bit better. I don’t know if she’ll travel well. She needs rest.”

  Devin wasn’t happy with staying, especially after the confrontation earlier today, but there wasn’t any security on the road. In fact, the road was more dangerous. He nodded and said, “Let’s bunker in, then.”

  “I want to move the other kids out of that shit hole they’re in.”

  “There’s not enough space.”

  “Yes, there is; some of us will sleep in the garage. I’ll take Alex with me, and we’ll grab every blanket, pillow, and sleeping bag we can find. I need you to dig two more latrines in the front yard, put up some poles, and hang tarps for privacy.”

  Devin took mental notes of his responsibilities.

  Alex came down and said, “What can I do?”

  “You’re coming with me,” Tess said.

  As she entered each house along her old street, a surreal feeling came over her. She tried to explain away the feeling, but it was hard to process. For the first time since the outbreak she felt like she was breaking into houses. She had known the people who owned these houses; they were her neighbors, her friends. Before now it seemed like she was living in a nightmare. Everything she had encountered was outside her past experiences and knowledge. Now she was immersed in a world she was intimately familiar with, but it was destroyed, it was dead. She had first experienced this feeling when they had driven across the bridge to the island; then it struck her when she first saw her street and then at her house. Now going in and out of her neighbors’ houses brought it out of her again.

  “You’re quiet,” Alex said.

  “Oh, sorry, lot on my mind,” Tess responded.

  They were walking towards a large house at the far end of the street. One she was familiar with, especially during Halloween.

  “These people had the best decorated house during Halloween,” Tess remarked.

  “I know, they gave away full-sized candy bars, not the snack size,” Alex said, a slight grin on his face.

  “I loved houses that did that, always the best.”

  “The man would dress up too. Last Halloween he was dressed like a vampire. He’d have a large plate with all the candy bars lined up.”

  “What’s your favorite candy?” Tess asked.

  “Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, hands down!” Alex answered, his grin expanding.

  “Mine too, love them. In fact, last Halloween my fiancé and I ate all the Reese’s out of the candy we were giving away. God, we were so bad. I think I gained ten pounds.”

  “Your house had cool decorations too. I loved the boiling pot with smoke, oh, and the large spider, that huge one, bigger than me.”

  “I love Halloween,” Tess said and put her arm around Alex’s shoulders.

  They were now standing at the front door of the house. Alex looked at her and said, “I loved it too, but it’s gone now. It’s all gone.”

  Tess rubbed his shoulders, put her attention to the task at hand and said, “Well, kid, ready to go to work?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Outside Pine Bluffs, Wy
oming

  The minivan sputtered and jolted until it came to rest on the side of the road. The hopes of finding another vehicle never materialized, but the sign for the small town of Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, provided hope, literally, or that’s what the sign had painted on it. The town’s name, Pine Bluffs, was crossed out and the word HOPE was stenciled below it in bright yellow paint.

  Unable to carry most of their things, Travis buried them near a small dry creek bed a hundred feet off the road.

  “What do you think?” Travis asked, pointing to the sign. He cinched down a strap on his large backpack and adjusted it so it hung evenly.

  “We don’t have a lot of options,” Lori answered. She too donned a small pack.

  “Let’s go see what Hope is all about,” Travis said and began to walk farther away from the road.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Not safe to walk the road. We’ll walk parallel to it but a thousand feet or so off it. I don’t want some marauder coming along.”

  “Makes sense,” Lori replied and jogged up to him.

  Gone were the rolling hills, replaced by a long flat and dry plain. The sun was quickly receding; soon the warm rays would disappear, but the protection of the darkness would be welcome.

  Both remained silent during the slow march towards Pine Bluffs. Their attention focused on each step over the uneven ground.

  Travis dug through his memory to recall the name Pine Bluffs. He hadn’t traveled north but knew some commanders who had. Nothing popped into his mind, and why would it, really? he thought. There were tens of thousands of towns across the old United States. Unless something happened here that was important, it would be just another small town out of the many.

  After two hours of drudging along, dim lights came into view. This told them two things. The town was just ahead, and people were there.

  Travis pulled a set of binoculars out of his pack and surveyed the dark silhouettes of the town buildings.

  “You see anything?” Lori asked above a whisper.

  “Yeah, there are definitely people there. Nothing like the glow of a cigarette to give one away,” he replied.

  “What should we do?”

  “Go find us some wheels.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. Do you want to walk the rest of the way?”

  Lori was nervous; her imagination ran wild with visions of being captured, tortured and a myriad of other horrible acts that could befall them.

  “C’mon, it’ll be easier in the dark,” he said, standing and putting his pack back on.

  “Maybe I’ll stay here,” she said.

  “No, you have to come; I’m not going to drive over here.”

  She stood begrudgingly and said, “Fine.”

  “Wait, how do you feel?”

  “Tired, my feet hurt, my back hurts, and I…well, I just feel like shit,” she answered.

  “I guess we can take a short break. We have all night. Might be best to go for a vehicle in the wee hours.”

  Lori dropped her pack and sat back down. She began to dig through the pack and pulled out a thin blanket.

  “Well, you didn’t need to be told twice,” he joked.

  “I’m tired. You can’t forget, I’m pregnant.”

  “I haven’t forgotten.” He took off his pack and placed it next to hers. He then took a seat on the ground and leaned back.

  Lori looked into the star-filled sky and struggled to remember the constellations she’d learned as a child. “Is that Orion, the three bright stars in a line?”

  “Yep, that’s it.”

  “How do you get a hunter from three stars?” she asked.

  “Oh, that’s just his belt. Go down and you see two stars, there and there, and over to the right is an arc of stars. That’s his bow.” He had taken her hand and lifted it, using it to pinpoint the stars.

  “I see.”

  “And over there is Taurus. Orion is shooting his bow at it. See the V shape?”

  “Travis, what will happen to the world?”

  He sat for a bit, not knowing how to answer her question. It was commonplace for him to be motivated and inspirational, but deep down he felt the world was doomed.

  “Is this trip worth it? Are we just putting off the inevitable?” she then asked.

  “God no, we have to try.”

  “Do we? Why not be like some people and just take the easy way.”

  “You mean kill yourself?”

  “Why do I want to bring a baby into this world? We’re too afraid to even walk into a town renamed Hope for fear we’ll be attacked. Who wants to live like this?”

  “Why don’t you get some rest? I’ll stay up,” he said, deliberately avoiding the conversation.

  “Here, take some of this. You must be chilled,” she said, offering him part of her blanket.

  He was chilled, and as the evening wore on, the temperature would continue to drop. He already felt a bit chilly from the cool breeze that was coming in from the northwest.

  “Thanks,” he said.

  She squirmed towards him. “Don’t get any ideas,” she joked.

  “Wouldn’t think of it.”

  Laying her head against his shoulder, she closed her eyes.

  He wasn’t sure how much time had gone by, but by the sound of her deep breathing he could tell she had fallen asleep in a matter of minutes.

  As he looked above at the dazzling tapestry of stars, the brilliant streak of a falling star caught his attention. He closed his eyes and, much like a child, made a wish. Pressing his eyes tighter, he wished he, Lori and her baby would survive to see a world reborn, a world where they weren’t afraid but one that held promise and peace.

  Day 211

  April 30, 2021

  Pine Bluffs, Wyoming

  The early morning air had a chill that hit Travis. He was beginning to feel the early stages of fatigue overcoming him, so getting up and moving around both helped him stay awake and stay warm.

  Lori was still asleep. He wanted to go find a vehicle, but that would require him to wake her, something he didn’t want to do. However, the sun would be rising in a few hours, and he wanted to find a vehicle and get back on the road.

  The continued observations of the town proved that it was occupied, but with who and how many was the ultimate question. He needed to get closer to get better intelligence on what they could be dealing with.

  After one last scan, he looked over his shoulder at the now snoring Lori. He hated to have to do it, but he couldn’t risk just leaving her there. He strode over to her and tapped her foot.

  She stopped snoring but continued to breathe heavily.

  He tapped her foot harder.

  This made her roll onto her side, but she was still asleep.

  “Damn, woman, you sleep like a rock.” He laughed and kicked her a bit harder.

  She opened her eyes and said, “Everything okay?”

  “Good morning, sleepyhead, sorry to wake you, but you’ve gotten a good six hours. I’m getting tired and soon the sun will be up. Time to go snoop around town for a vehicle to take.”

  She sat up, stretched and yawned.

  He started packing up what little gear he had out while she stood and began the same process.

  After some small talk and a quick summary of exactly what their plan was, they set off. Based upon his observations they were a little less than a mile away, so within twenty minutes he’d know if the town held promise.

  After fifteen minutes they reached a three-foot-high wooden fence. It resembled something more decorative than functional. They scaled it and continued till they reached a small grove of trees. He pulled out his binoculars and looked north towards a light.

  “Ha, just what I expected. It’s a roadblock.”

  “What do we do?” she asked.

  “We keep going, but now we know they have manned roadblocks, something we can’t forget once we snag a car.”

  He stuffed the binoculars in his ja
cket and got up to stand when she grabbed his arm. “Hold up.”

  “What is it?”

  “I don’t want to take someone’s car that needs it.”

  “Exactly how will we know that?”

  “If it’s parked in front of a house, I’d say no, but sitting on the side of the road, well, then it’s fair game.”

  “Now you’ve made what was already difficult practically impossible,” he griped.

  “Not impossible, more challenging. Just don’t want to leave a family without a car.”

  “I can’t make guarantees.”

  “I trust you’ll do the right thing.”

  He grunted and stood up. “Enough happy talk, let’s go.”

  She followed behind him as they ran from the cover of the grove to a series of small metal buildings. The darkness was providing great cover, but within a few hours that protection would be gone.

  “What I’d give for a set of NVGs.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Night vision.”

  “It’s so dark out, there could be a truck not thirty feet away and I swear we’d walk right by it.”

  What should have taken them mere minutes was taking them three times as long. Once on the other side of the metal buildings, they found themselves next to a large field.

  “Not too much farther now, I think,” Travis said.

  Hiking across the field improved their time, and soon they were at the edge of town.

  Other than the two men he had seen at the roadblock, not another person could be seen, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there. While the darkness shielded them, it also provided the same cover for anyone and anything.

  “I can’t see a damn thing,” Travis groaned, the binoculars still pressed against his eyes.

  He pondered what they should do. His training told him to be cautious, as he didn’t know a thing about the town. Not wanting to walk them into an ambush, he turned to her and said, “Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to go by myself. I know exactly where you are. When I find a—”

  “No way, you’re not going alone.”