Midnight Outbreak (9 page)

Chapter Eighteen

Life continued on as normally as possible in the zombie world. The newcomers found their own place at the compound, working hard to help out wherever they could. Mari took West underneath her wing, like an older sister.

A few weeks passed, and Uncle John continued to worsen. He often stayed in his room with Sarai by his side. He lost weight, and looked every bit of his sixty years, and then some.

Summer was coming to an end. The seasons didn’t recognize that the world had come to a halt, and their regularity was a nice reminder that life went on.

One night, Miguel and Lukas were on watch towards the back half of the compound. Lexi and Sienna were guarding the house. The dead heads were getting regular now and everyone was on guard, worried they would have to move. Uncle John assured them they wouldn’t, not even if they became surrounded. They had worked too hard to make sure the place was locked down tight.

They were deep in conversation about baseball when they heard a loud thump at the chicken coop. Several chickens squeaked before their cries were abruptly silenced.

They bolted to the small house. Several chickens had run out of the house into the caged yard area in front. Both men jumped high over them and landed inside the door.

Blood and crushed eggs littered the floor. Standing before them were four vampires, one still feeding off a chicken that had gone limp in his hands.

Lukas and Miguel exchanged a quick look. These vampires were sick, transformed. Their skin had a greenish tint to it, their eyes bulging out. Usually vampires were attractive, their bodies strong and their appearance beautiful in any light. This was a trait that made humans trust them, admire them.

Not these vampires. There were three guys and a woman. Their hair all greasy and limp, patches missing from their heads.

“What are you doing?”

“Hi there, mate,” one vampire said in a British accent. “Pardon us; we didn’t know this was spoken for. We were just on a hunt for some food.”

“So you’re feeding off chickens?” Lukas asked, trying to contain his sarcasm.

The one holding the chicken sneered as he dropped the lifeless body to the ground. “Well yeah, haven’t had much luck with any humans.”

Miguel’s eyebrows furrowed. These were sinister vampires; the evil radiated from their gross bodies.

“Well this is our chicken coop and it’s needed, so maybe you and your group should just move on.”

“Aw mate, there’s no reason you vamps need a chicken coop. No harm, no foul.”

Lukas’s body went rigid.

“Where are your humans?” The woman sneered. “These are their coops, so where are they?” Her voice was harsh, rough, and sounded as if she had been a chain smoker as a human.

Miguel straightened his back. “That’s none of your concern. You need to move on.”

It all happened so fast. There was a loud, audible crunch of grass outside—the sound of a human walking. Instantly all four sick vampires perked their ears up. They flew out of the chicken coop, fangs bared, and growled.

Miguel and Lukas followed in pursuit. Will and Van were several yards away.

Miguel grabbed one of the vampires and threw him backwards. He kept running. Lukas had knocked the woman down on her back. The other two reached Will and Van, throwing them both down to the ground.

“Stop!” Miguel shouted. Lukas was growling beside him.

Will was struggling hard, his face red with sweat covering his forehead. “Motherfucker!”

The British vamp smiled ruthlessly inches from his face.

“My female companion was right. You do have your own humans. It’s not nice to not share,” he teased, throwing a glance at Miguel and Lukas. Miguel charged at him, and Lukas ran at the other one. They managed to get them off Will and Van, but were immediately thrown into a scuffle. Miguel and the British leader traded jabs, and at one point Miguel’s throat was enclosed within the sick vampire’s large hands. From that close Miguel could smell a strong ammonia scent, ripe, and suffocating his senses.

Lukas had the other vampire face-down in the dirt, his knees pressed into his spine. Lukas let out a roar while gripping the head, and twisted viciously. A sickening pop sounded and the vampire’s head came off. Then he disappeared into a pile of ash. That made the British guy angry and he roared, bent down, and charged at Miguel.

“Where’s your fucking katana, Will?” Lukas yelled as the woman vampire charged at him.

Will stood still for a second before jumping into action. He unsheathed his sword and came at the girl. Lukas ducked at the exact moment Will brought the sword down, slicing through her body vertically. A look of pain crossed her mutated face before she disappeared into a pile of ashes.

Lukas concentrated on the British guy along with Miguel. Will came to their side, a chain of silver in his hands and wrapped it around the British guy’s neck.

“Get it off me! Get it off!” His strained cry filled the air. His flesh was sizzling and smoking.

“Shut the fuck up!”

In all the excitement, nobody paid attention to the first guy that had been thrown off. Now he had Van, her hands pulled behind her back, him standing behind her.

“Get it off him or she dies!” The vampire threatened. Miguel and Lukas bared their fangs, their snarls loud and menacing.

“Let go of her!” Miguel shouted. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“We’re not the ones who have humans as
pets
. Let Topher go or I’ll drain her dry.”

Will’s face turned completely red. His chest heaved and for a second Miguel worried he might have a heart attack.

“Let her go, you
sick vamp fuck!
Now!” he screamed, spittle flying out of his mouth.

“Will,” warned Lukas, but it was too late. Will charged him. The vampire on the ground laughed, his cackle menacing and cold.

Lukas took off toward the right, in front of Will. He jumped high and came straight down on top of the vampire’s head. He jerked back, taking an arm off, freeing Van. She ran to Miguel as Will headed straight for the vampire, his eyes blinded to anything but the bloodsucker that would have killed her.

With his one arm, the vampire grabbed the front of Lukas’s shirt, fangs bared, and bit his shoulder. Lukas screamed. Will, with the katana pointed straight, rammed it into the vampire’s side, going all the way through. He let go of Lukas, who fell to the ground, the wound on his shoulder immediately turning black and sizzling.

Everyone watched on as Will, screaming incoherently, withdrew the sword, and hacked off the other vampire’s arm. Black, tar-like blood gushed out, and Will raised the katana one last time to sever the head.

Van’s body visibly shook as she clung to Miguel. Miguel murmured against her ear while he patted her back. Will stood still, his back to them while his chest continued heaving.

“What the fuck just happened?” he asked in disbelief.

All eyes turn on the British leader, now alone, his whole pack reduced to simple ashes. “Please just let me go. I’ll leave. Just let me go. We were just hungry. That’s all.”

“I don’t give a fuck if you were hungry. Bitch,” Lukas spat out.

Will walked over and took hold of Van. Miguel took a few steps and crouched down eye level to the Brit. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why do you look like that? Why were y’all feeding off chickens?”

“Well some of us aren’t so
lucky
to have our own personal feed bags, you Mexican prick.”

Miguel swiftly jabbed the guy in the face, the sound of popping bones resonating in the air.

“We’ve been feeding off each other for months now. All the dead have killed off our life source. What were we supposed to do? Huh? What the hell were we supposed to do? Just
die
?” The vamp was hysterical, spit foaming at his mouth. Being this close to him, Miguel saw that his skin was rotting in places, completely off the bone in others.

“Yeah, you were. I asked you to move on and you should have. Not my fault you were feeding off each other, you sick bastard.” He stood up, staring down at the vampire. “And I’m not Mexican, I’m fucking
Brazilian
, bitch.” Then his foot lifted and came down with a sickening thud on the vampire’s face. Van winced and buried her head in Will’s shoulder while Lukas laughed out loud. The former head was squished to the ground, and one last gargled breath escaped before he disintegrated into ashes.

By now the other humans and Lexi and Sienna were making their way across the field, terror in all their eyes. Miguel, Lukas, Will, and Van stood still, staring at each other.

Finally Van spoke. “I need a damn beer.”

Miguel and Lukas smiled. “Amen to that.”

Chapter Nineteen

After the sick vampires had attacked, the noise had drawn dead heads to the area. The group spent the next several days and nights killing them. Brendan and Josh took the four-wheeler out to the fields and killed the ones that were advancing. Finally, they got rid of them.

If it’s not one thing, it’s another.

Uncle John took a turn for the worse. During the day, everyone came, one by one, to his room. His body was nearly completely wasted away. Each person said their goodbyes, leaving Brendan for last. When he came out, tears ran down his face.

Everyone looked to him, and he just nodded then slouched to the floor. Lots of tears were shed that day. Will and Josh went out to dig a grave. Mari ran down to the basement, crying. Makayla and Van busied themselves with trying to find flowers for the grave. They weren’t close to Uncle John, but had loved him all the same for rescuing them and giving them shelter.

After the grave was dug, Will and Josh returned to find Brendan in a heated discussion with Nathan and Peter.

“I don’t want the damn job. It’s still my family’s house, but I don’t want to do it.”

“Whoa what’s going on?” Josh asked.

“Uncle John’s body is still fucking warm and they’re trying to get me to step up. Has nobody heard of grieving? Huh? You’re a bunch of shit heads!” Brendan exclaimed.

Josh gave Peter and Nathan a pointed look. “Back off, you guys. No decisions need to be made right now. How about we worry about giving Uncle John the proper funeral he deserves, huh?”

Peter and Nathan mumbled their agreement and left together.

The day was a sad one. Mari eventually came out, only to go off crying again. Uncle John was the second closest person she had lost. Sadly in this new life of theirs, loss was a constant worry.

Brendan helped Will and Josh fasten together a cross from old timber.

“It’s just stupid, man. To bring that up as soon as he dies.”

Will grunted in agreement. Josh looked up and remarked, “Brendan, some people are just assholes. I’m sorry, man. Nobody is gonna force you to do it. You have Mari; I understand that. Your focus has to be on her.”

Brendan pursed his lips together. “Thanks, man. I just want to worry about getting Uncle John buried the right way. This is the first death on the compound we’ve had.”

The realization sunk in for each of the men. They had been lucky. Death was all around them from the very start of this thing. Right off the bat, Josh and Brendan had lost their wives. Family members were presumed missing and dead. This world was a harsh kick in the ass.

***

Later on that evening, after the sun went down, they told the vampires what happened. Lexi and Sienna held each other and wept. Uncle John had been their lifesaver. They lit tiki-torches outside and stuck them around the grave. Sarai and Joan had covered Uncle John’s body with bed sheets, wrapping him carefully and exposing his face. Peter, Brendan, Miguel, and Lukas helped carry him out. Before lowering him down with the ropes they had, Mari stuck the flowers on him that Van and Makayla had picked. She also stuck a small coin inside the sheet, near his chest.

Brendan looked down at his daughter with a question on his face.

“It was his lucky coin. He said he found it in Vietnam, on the ground and it kept him safe.”

Brendan nodded wordlessly. Peter wiped a tear away.

Everyone was somber as they watched his body lower into the ground, foot by foot. Peter pulled out a Bible from his pocket. They removed the ropes and pulled them up. It was weird to have Uncle John at the bottom of the five foot hole, covered in white, flowers all over. Josh felt a small tug and his chest tightened.

Peter cleared his throat and began. “I’ll be reading out of Ecclesiastes, chapter three.” He paused with his eyes closed and exhaled before he continued, “‘To everything there is a season, a time for every matter under heaven; a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to keep, and a time to cast away.’

“Our brother John is now and forever will be in our hearts as a mindful leader, protector, and confidant. He was a gentle soul housed in a rough exterior, but those who knew him loved him. As we all did. When this change first started, he always said that he was going to go the natural way, there’d be no way in Hades that he would die being bitten. He did just that.

“Now Mari would like to sing one of Uncle John’s favorite hymns.”

Mari sniffled, then straightened her shoulders. She began to sing Amazing Grace. In the past, pre-zombie world, Josh would have felt uneasy with the religious aspects of the funeral, even though a lot were that way. He himself had never been a religious man, and was instead raised on Sunday comics rather than Sunday school. But Uncle John had held steadfast to his belief in God, and what they were going through. In the last five years, Josh found himself believing more and more in the big guy in the sky; because if you didn’t have hope for something greater to come, where did that leave you?

Mari finished her song, and her dad wrapped his arms around her as she silently cried.

They finished by dropping a handful of dirt onto Uncle John’s body. The group stood by as Josh and Will shoveled the remaining dirt on top. The cross was already staked into the ground. The vampires looked somber as they said their goodbyes and hugged Mari, Brendan, and Nathan.

Everyone was family here, whether they wanted to be or not. And they had all just lost a father figure in Uncle John.

***

Being from Louisiana, Will and Josh got out the alcohol as soon as the grave had been filled. Joan, Peter, Nathan, and Sarai were drowning themselves in whiskey. Josh had decided on rum as his poison of choice.

Van and Makayla held back but, Will, in a drunken stupor, said that it was only right to partake in their Cajun ways.

Mari, West, Lexi, and Sienna went to the backroom to read stories and color. Vampires couldn’t drink, but Lukas and Miguel stayed anyway.

That night the group honored Uncle John. For Brendan, Nathan, Peter, and Joan, the ones who knew him the longest, stories were shared of his younger days. The stories were mostly funny; Uncle John had been quite the character.

The world was still a scary shithole of a place. Their world was dimmer with the loss of Uncle John, but each one made a silent vow to continue on fighting. That’s what Uncle John would have done and did do until his last breath.