“Got to get out,” muttered John.
Lawrence Hekels walked alongside John.
The countless dead bodies had numbed John intensely. Maybe it was just too horrible for his brain to really comprehend. So it had started to shut down. But here was another human, alive. He was named Lawrence and he was speaking to John. This seemed to start waking John up a little.
John picked up his pace, walking faster, and Lawrence increased his own to keep up with him.
“I see you’ve got a knife there, but trust me, that’s not going to be enough. We’ve got to get inside before the sun goes down.”
“Why?” said John. “I’m getting out of the city. I don’t want to starve to death.”
“Trust me,” said Lawrence. “I should be dead. I’ve spent too much time out on these streets. I’ve seen stuff you wouldn’t imagine. Or maybe you can. I don’t know what you’ve been through. The military has fallen. The police have fallen. It’s just vicious gangs now. Really more of just a huge mob. And they mostly come out at night…”
John shrugged. “I don’t really care,” he said. “If I can get out first before I die… then that’s fine with me…”
Lawrence spoke like a trained therapist. He spoke in easy-to-understand phrases. He kept his tone calm and level despite the situation.
“You say you don’t want to starve,” he said. “But trust me when I tell you it could be worse… Much worse…”
“What is this?” said John. “You’re like an out-of-work therapist now or something? How are you going to help people at all with just mere words? I don’t need words. I need weapons, or food, or water. Hell, I shouldn’t even be talking to you. I should have just stabbed you when you came up to me. Now you don’t seem like much of a threat. I can’t believe you’ve lasted this long.”
“I can’t either,” said Lawrence. “The truth is, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I’m going to die soon anyway. I figured… Well, I might as well do as much good as I can now. And I don’t have anything to offer except my words and advice. My whole life, I’ve tried to help people. I’ve taken the worst jobs in the worst areas… I’ve… Wait, did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” said John, stopping in his tracks. Despite what he said, he’d heard it too.
It was a deep rumbling off in the distance. It sounded like chanting, deep and ritualistic and terrifying.
“They’re coming,” said Lawrence. “Come on, we’ve got to get inside.”
“What?” said John. “They don’t go inside or something?”
“Oh,” said Lawrence. “Of course they do, but if we’re inside, at least we’ve got a chance of surviving. I’ve been lucky so far.”
It was remarkable that Lawrence somehow spoke in his calm, professional tone, despite the situation.
John didn’t know why, but something had changed within him. He didn’t want to admit it to himself, but he knew that he wanted to survive. He knew that it was an impossible goal.
But maybe it’d be better to at least try for it…
He’d already decided to leave his apartment. He’d known that it’d be better to die trying to get out of the city, than waiting to starve to death.
But now he really wanted to try.
Despite his intense hunger, despite his thirst, despite his weakness, he was going to do everything he could.
“Come on,” he said, jumping into action. He grabbed Lawrence’s hand. “I know a place we can go.”
“We’ve got to get into a building,” said Lawrence.
“I know of one,” said John. “Come with me.”
The chanting was louder now. It sounded like a hundred voices mixed together. It almost didn’t sound human. But as John was learning, humans could be more animalistic and intensely cruel than he’d ever imagined. Especially when driven to extreme ends, in extreme circumstances.
9
“Why don’t we just shoot out the tires?” said James. “Or just one. That way, they wouldn’t be able to use the van.”
“You can drive on a flat tire,” said Max. “Plus, I don’t want to damage the van in any way. If what I think is happening is happening, we might need that van. And we might need to travel long distances in it.”
“What do you think is happening?”
“I think my fears were right,” said Max. “We made it out before most. Now the rest are following. More and more are going to be reaching this area. People are going to want to head in this direction, thinking they’re escaping the worst of the worst in the cities and suburbs. They’re bound to stumble on the farmhouse.”
“So you think we’re going to have to leave?” said James. “Where would we go?”
“No idea,” said Max. “Let’s focus on the plan right now.”
“You think Chad is going to be OK up there?” said James. “What if they shoot up through the roof?”
“I hope they don’t,” said Max. “I don’t know what we can do about it, though.”
Max and James settled into silently watching the house. Max imagined that James was worried about his mother and his sister, but he didn’t have any words of comfort for the kid. After all, the whole world was dangerous now, and it wasn’t going to get any better.
“Hey,” said James suddenly. “Look, it’s Mandy.”
Max turned his head.
Sure enough, it was Mandy, walking towards the house. She seemed to be walking strangely. In her right hand, she held a knife.
“Shit,” muttered Max. “What the hell is she doing?”
“She doesn’t know…” said James, apparently starting to state the obvious, and then realizing the futility of it.
“We’ve got to stop her,” said Max.
Max was wondering if he should risk firing a shot in the air. But he didn’t want the guys in the house to know that they were still out here.
“I’m going to go get her,” said Max.
“No,” said James. “I’ll go.”
“You’re just a kid,” said Max. “And you’re likely to get killed.”
“You’ll never make it with that leg,” said James.
Before Max could stop him, James was gone, leaving his rifle behind for Max.
Max took the rifle, putting his Glock back in its holster.
“Shit,” muttered Max.
He didn’t want to call out to James. That would give away their presence and position. Plus, he knew it wouldn’t change James’s mind.
James had impressed Max on more than a few occasions since moving into the farmhouse. He was growing up fast, maybe faster than he should have. But he was quickly becoming not only a man of his word, but a man who wanted to do the right thing, even when it was difficult.
But that didn’t mean Max wanted James to risk his life right now.
Max watched as James moved swiftly, crouching low to the ground. He was headed right towards Mandy, who didn’t seem to see him.
As Mandy got closer, Max realized she was in some kind of daze. Something had happened to her, and he felt a pang of regret in his stomach. He didn’t know exactly where the regret was coming from, and he decided not to think about it, pushing it out of his mind.
Max couldn’t keep watching, knowing that he had to keep his attention focused on the front door of the farmhouse. He wondered how Georgia and Sadie were doing, and he wondered about Chad, stuck up on that roof.
There was still no sign of movement inside the house.
The night was coming swiftly now, and Max wondered if this plan was really the best one, and whether it actually made any sense at all. It was hard to think clearly with the pain in his leg. And it was hard to think while so hungry. He just hoped they were doing the right thing.