Forsaken World (Book 1): Innocence Lost (30 page)

“What the hell are you talking about?” Jennifer asked as they got out of the buggy.

They ignored her as Ian plugged the buggy up. “She didn’t look like a whore to me.”

“Are you kidding? That flowery dress screamed, ‘I’m a whore,’” Lance said, walking over and pulling the battery packs off the cordless drills. “I bet she’s gone down on everyone. She looked like she could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch from ten feet away; that’s what those two were standing around for.”

Jennifer just stopped as her mouth fell open. Ian shook his head. “I’m not buying it.”

“Fuck if I know,” Lance said, shrugging. “It’s as good a theory as anything else.”

“Hold on,” Jennifer said, stepping between them. When the camera was hooked up in the valley, she had seen the bodies and figured out what the banter was about. “You think those stinkers were there to have sex?”

“What else could explain why they were just standing with a woman in a field over dead stinkers?” Lance asked, walking out of the ATV shed.

“That’s the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard come out of your mouth,” she snapped, walking past him.

Ian walked out as Lance closed the shed doors. “I agree with Jennifer; that is one of your stupidest theories.”

“How the hell would anyone know why they were just standing where we parked the Hummer?” Lance said, locking the shed. They headed to the back door and saw Dino waiting to be let in.

Allie’s small voice came over their earbuds. “We see someone walking down the road where you put the last camera. On the computer screen with the map, it says, ‘Valley cam one.’”

“Flower dress must have been a good piece of ass,” Lance huffed.

Pulling out her key, Jennifer stomped her foot. “Enough of the porn talk.”

“Well, they stink…” Lance’s voice trailed off as he stopped and looked over at the Hummer still hooked to the covered trailer.

Ian turned, following Lance’s gaze to the gore-covered trailer and Hummer. “They smelled the ones you hit. There were blood stains on the ground where you parked, not to mention the ones we pulled off the trailer.”

Lance spun on him. “Oh come on, I didn’t hit that damn many.”

“Lance, you chased some down into the ditch.”

Sheepishly, Lance gave a nod. “Well okay, and that’s what I was thinking, but the Hummer is still here covered in gore; why aren’t they here?”

“Maybe it’s too far? They have to be close to smell others like them,” Ian said.

Opening the door, Jennifer turned around. “Guys, when we got here, I used pots with water and put bleach in it. Then, I poured it over the trailer and Hummer. I guess I did that like twenty times.”

“Huh,” they both said, looking at her.

“We had those that fell off the bridge covering even the top of the Hummer and trailer with gore. I really didn’t think we needed to get it on us. Mom said bleach will kill anything,” Jennifer said, walking in.

They followed her in and locked the door. Ian started taking off his gear, but Lance headed downstairs to master control. Giving a sigh, Ian followed with Jennifer behind him. When Lance got to master control, he stopped, looking at the screen.

A lone male stinker was standing over the bodies. “That’s it; they smell each other. Like ants, they follow each other’s scent to food,” Lance mumbled.

Ian stared at the screen and could see four more stinkers walking down the road toward the lone stinker. “I was secretly hoping you were right and flower girl was a whore.”

Chapter 20

March 19

Lance woke up early and sat staring at the laptop. The parents didn’t contact them last night, and that worried them. Having a thought, Lance grabbed the mouse and opened his e-mail. He had downloaded all the messages but was shocked to see a message from his dad sent yesterday.

Clicking it open and seeing an attachment, Lance saw it was a video. He saved then opened it and pressed play. His mom and dad were sitting in the spot he had last seen them.

“Son,” his dad said with a grim face. “Don’t open a live video conference anymore. We had a military helicopter fly over us yesterday after we got off with you. They are demanding that all people report to the closest military base for protection. You aren’t allowed to bring anything, and you can’t be armed.”

Sandy leaned toward the screen. “Baby, they were calling over a loudspeaker, saying they knew someone here was using satellite internet. The man we got fuel from said that’s how the government is tracking people who are in hiding. Baby, you can’t go to them.”

“Sandy,” Johnathan said, patting her hand, then looked at the screen. “Son, if they are doing it here, then they are doing it there. If they were letting people stay armed, I would tell you to run for the nearest base, but if you do, you and the others will die there. I hope you get this message fast so you don’t download anymore. Turn off the internet as soon as you get this. Let Ian download his message from Mary and Bill, then turn it off. I’m sorry we couldn’t call you yesterday, but we had to move fast after the chopper left. By the time you listen to this, we will be on our journey home. We will make it, but you must stay safe,” his dad said and smiled. “You are the best thing to ever happen to us. I swear we will make it to you, but we will always be with you.”

Wiping her eyes, Sandy leaned forward and kissed the webcam. “Momma will get home to her baby boy; don’t you worry about us. You stay safe, and remember; we love you more than anything.”

The video cut off, and Lance was staring wide-eyed at the screen, panting in a panic. “No,” he mumbled, slowly standing up. “No,” he said louder, grabbing the mouse and clicking the video link, trying to call his mom and dad.

“MOMMA!” Lance screamed, slamming the mouse down as he clicked the button. “NO, MOM, DAD, ANSWER!”

A hand grabbed Lance’s wrist, stopping the repeated slamming of the mouse. “Lance!” Ian shouted and spun him around. “What’s wrong?”

Tears ran down his face, but the shock didn’t let him cry. “Mom and Dad,” Lance mumbled in wide-eyed fear.

Ian took the mouse and clicked the video Lance just watched. Breathing hard, Lance just stood there as Jennifer wrapped her arms around Allie and Carrie, staring at Lance. Seeing the video playing, they moved over and listened with Ian.

When it was over, Ian went to his e-mail and downloaded his message. He turned to see Lance still in shock. “Lance, we have satellite and cell internet here; how do we make sure they are off?”

With tears streaming down his face, Lance turned and looked at Ian like he was speaking a foreign language. “Huh?”

“The internet. We have to shut it down before someone finds us,” Ian said, grabbing Lance’s shoulders and shaking him.

“Yeah,” Lance said dumbly and walked over to the computer in the back corner. He pulled wires and unplugged some boxes and dropped them to the floor. Lance then just stood there, looking down at the internet receivers.

A beeping started in the living area, and the others moved over, looking at the monitors beside the screen. One showed the map of the area with a blinking triangle for the sensor in the valley. Another screen showed eleven stinkers standing over the dead ones and two more walking up the road to join them.

“More showed up,” Jennifer said then turned to see Lance still staring at the receivers on the floor. “Is Lance going to be okay?”

“Yes,” Ian said, wiping his eyes.

“Bubba, is Momma and Daddy coming home?” Allie asked, crying.

“Yes, Allie. It’s going to take them a long time, but they are coming,” Ian said, walking over to the monitor and turning the beeping off. Jennifer and Carrie wrapped their arms around Allie as she cried.

“MOTHERFUCKERS!” Lance roared, and everyone turned to see him standing behind them, looking at the monitor showing the stinkers. “It’s their fucking fault!”

“Dude, chill,” Ian said, moving over to Lance, but Lance spun around and stormed off to his room. Ian looked at Jennifer. “You and the girls start breakfast,” he said and followed Lance to their room.

Opening the door, Ian saw Lance was tying his boots. “Lance, what are you doing?” Ian asked, moving over next to him.

“Going to kill some motherfuckers,” he growled.

“Come on, brother; don’t do this to me,” Ian said, sitting down beside him. “They will make it here.”

Lance stood up and grabbed his tactical harness, buckling it on. He checked his magazines then looked up at Ian. “If the military would’ve left them alone, I know I could’ve changed their mind, but they had to fuck it up,” Lance spat out. “Infected are killing by the millions, and people are running around raping and killing any they miss. I’m going to kill them all.”

Ian stepped back as Lance picked up his AR, racking the charging handle and walking out. “Hey, Lance, wait till I get ready,” Ian yelled, running after him.

Lance stopped by the back door, grabbing the bow and quiver of arrows. Throwing the back door open, Lance stormed out. Ian skidded to a stop and looked at Jennifer. “Go close the gate after he goes through, and wait till I can follow him down, then get to master control.”

Jennifer took off to the front door as Ian ran to his room. When Jennifer stepped outside, Lance was rounding the corner of the cabin in the buggy that didn’t have the trailer. Dino bounded out the front door as it closed and ran to the gate as Lance jumped out.

“Lance, wait for Ian!” Jennifer yelled, running for him. Lance threw open the gate and jumped in the buggy, stomping the accelerator and shooting out with Dino running behind him. Jennifer grabbed the gate and closed it. For what seemed like forever, she waited on Ian.

Seething with anger, Lance barreled down the dirt road as fast as the electric buggy would let him go. “Lance, there are sixteen down there now!” Jennifer shouted over his earbud.

Reaching up, Lance took his earbud out as he reached the valley, pulling out of the cedar thicket. He stomped on the brake and jumped out, pulling the bow and quiver out. Calmly clipping the quiver to his belt, Lance looked up to see the group moving toward him, moaning and growling.

“Suck my dick,” he growled, pulling out an arrow. In one smooth motion, Lance let it fly, catching one in the mouth as it moaned. As it fell, Lance was pulling another arrow back. When his aim settled on a stinker no older than Allie, Lance let it go. The arrow hit the kid stinker hard in the forehead; her head yanked back, making her crash hard.

The group was only thirty yards away and closing fast as Lance pulled another arrow and let it fly. Not even watching the stinker fall, he nocked another arrow. Pulling back, he released, catching a young man stinker that was trotting faster than the others.

Pulling back again, Lance felt calm as he released another arrow, hitting an old man missing an arm. Dropping the bow, Lance pulled out his Ruger, aimed at the closest, and squeezed the trigger. The Ruger coughed, and a stinker’s head snapped back.

Moving his aim, Lance squeezed again, and then he moved to another target as the group closed to ten yards. “I’m Lance Carver, and I’m going to kill you today,” he said, calmly moving his aim after killing another stinker.

Squeezing the trigger then quickly moving his aim, Lance never took a step back and kept the stinkers ten yards away from him. Feeling the bolt lock open with his last shot, Lance calmly ejected the magazine as the last two came at him.

Standing his ground, Lance saw one was an old woman missing half her face, and the other was a young woman missing her throat. “I’m not moving, whores,” Lance said, shoving the magazine in as a large mass flew past his head.

Dino crashed into the young woman, and they rolled into the old woman, sending both to the ground. Springing to his feet, Dino bit down on the young woman’s neck and started shaking her like a rag doll.

Lance aimed at the older woman as she stood up, but instead of moving toward Lance, she charged at Dino, shaking the young stinker. “That’s my dog, you old whore,” Lance said, squeezing the trigger.

The old woman dropped, and Lance holstered the Ruger and picked the bow up. “Dino, come.”

Dino opened his mouth, and the woman dropped. As Dino trotted over, Lance looked at the woman’s head. It was turned to her back. Her body wasn’t moving, but her jaws were. “Told you I would kill you today,” Lance said, walking over and pulling out his switchblade.

Kneeling, he drove it in her forehead. He put his foot on her face and pulled the blade out then wiped it off on her shirt. Hearing Dino give a soft growl, Lance put the knife up and looked down the road to see a small stinker growling as it trotted toward him. “I don’t care how old you are,” he said, pulling an arrow out and grabbing the bow.

“Dino, sit,” he said, drawing the arrow. Dino sat and watched the small stinker coming at them. When it was ten yards away, Lance let the arrow fly. It hit the toddler in the eye and passed out the back of his head. Lance didn’t see any more stinkers coming. Dropping the bow, Lance fell to his knees, gazing ahead.

With his foot pressing the accelerator through the floorboard, Ian busted out into the valley. Racing over to the other buggy, Ian saw Lance on his knees with Dino sitting beside him. Relief flooded Ian as he took his foot off the accelerator, and the buggy slowed. Spread out like a fan in front of Lance were bodies of stinkers.

Pulling up beside the other buggy, Ian got out and walked over to Lance. Trying not to gag, Ian stepped in front of him. “You could’ve waited.”

“You didn’t have to come.”

“My brother doesn’t fight without me,” Ian said, putting his hand on Lance’s shoulder. Not replying, Lance kept his blank stare. “Lance, they can make it. Shit, look at the shit our dads did here, and we didn’t even know it.”

Lance blinked and looked up at Ian with a glimmer of hope. “Yeah, they did,” he mumbled with a hint of a smile.

“Remember, they did rent a boat three years ago in South Carolina and piloted it all the way to Bermuda and back. They know boats, so they can make it.”

Turning away, Lance gave a nod as he let out a sigh. “They can make it.”

Feeling better, Ian turned around and looked at the bodies. “Don’t run off like that again on me, dude. You want to kill shit, that’s cool, but we do it together.”

Wrapping an arm around Dino, Lance hugged him as he stood up. “My bad,” Lance grunted. “We need the hybrid buggy to get these bodies out of here.”

Ian looked at the bodies, and a shiver ran up his spine at the thought of touching them. “For real.”

“One went after Dino when he attacked it. They protect their kind.”

“Bro, you came down here and went ‘Die Hard’ on their asses, and they came at you.”

Lance shook his head. “No, they wanted to tear me apart for food. They didn’t see me as attacking them, but when Dino grabbed one by the neck and used it as a chew toy, that pissed the last one off.”

“How do you want to do this then?”

After talking, they drove back to the cabin and put the trailer on the hybrid buggy. Grabbing plastic bags and rubber gloves, they loaded the rest of the motion detectors and cameras. When they were getting ready to leave, Jennifer brought out food for them.

They rode back in silence and stacked as many bodies as they could in the trailer. It took several trips, but they moved the bodies two miles back down the road, dumping them in a small field. On the last trip, they watched Dino take down a stinker wearing a leather jacket.

With the bodies gone and the UTV burnt stinky drove pulled back to the cabin, they went back to work on the detectors and cameras. The furthest was on the road almost one mile from the cabin. They barely talked as they worked, and Ian noticed Lance was keeping his head on a swivel, looking for a fight.

After lunch, they drove back to the valley with a garden sprayer and buckets of bleach water. With Lance on the back, Ian drove over the spot where they parked and around the area where the others were killed. Soaking the area down, they headed back to the cabin.

“You okay?” Ian asked as he locked the ATV shed door.

“I will be, brother,” Lance said with a half shrug. “I’m sorry about this morning.”

“It’s cool.” Ian grinned, patting Lance on the back. “You will tell Jen, right?”

“Yeah.”

“She was really worried,” Ian said as he pulled out his key for the door.

Walking in, they found the three girls standing beside the table, waiting on them. Lance walked over and stopped in front of them. “I’m sorry I did that; it won’t happen again.”

They rushed him, wrapping their arms around him. “We were really worried about you,” Jennifer mumbled.

Returning the hugs, Lance grinned. “I’m okay, and I’m sorry.”

After a quick bite to eat, the three started on the task of putting the stuff Jennifer had spread around the cabin where it was designated to go.