Respect for the Dead (Surviving the Dead Book 1) (31 page)

Morning broke with Beth was up and ready to move.  She had snuck into the one bathroom before anyone else was even awake.  She decided to get a quick shower since she was the first one up.  Thinking this would allow her to finally get some hot water, a luxury she had not had since they had arrives.  There were so many other people in the apartment it seemed she was always waiting to get clean.  Hot water didn’t last even if you were the second person in.  She then remembered the lack of power made any hot water impossibility.  Taking a deep breath she jumped into the frigid water.   

Hurrying through the icy shower Beth quickly toweled off and frowned at her clothes.  She had been wearing the same thing for days.  It seemed counterproductive to put them back on after a shower.  The raised voices in the other room changed her mind urging her to dress quickly.  Beth was determined to head off any more delays.  Today was the day she was going to find Steve and hopefully Wes. 

              “You think I am leaving here to go run around out there with all those.. Those things.  Oh hell no.  That is not happening.”  Stancy screamed.

              “It has already been established that you are to stay here with Bill and Max.”  Hector replied calmly rubbing his temples.

              Beth could see by the look on Max’s face.  She knew he would rather be facing an army of undead than stay behind with Stancy.  Nervously Beth watched as he flipped the safety on and off his rifle. 

              “You know maybe I should stay behind instead.”  Trevor offered.

              Beth’s wet hair slapped across her face as her head snapped around to glare at Trevor.  They had a plan, this was all agreed upon last night.  Her frustration was building quickly.  She was positive that Steve and Wes were waiting for her right now and these people were keeping her from finding them.  She moved quickly through the room and began to collect her things.

“No, I don’t think that is the best idea.”  Devin commented.  “I would like you to drive.  You have shown you know how to get around town and we may need to find some alternate routes back here.” 

Beth was angrily stuffing her hand drawn maps and lists into her bag when a hand lightly touched her shoulder.  She turned quickly to face whoever was about to stop her.  Gillian took a step back seeing the determination and anger in the younger woman’s eyes, “We are going I promise.  This is a minor delay.  Hector will get it straightened out.”

“I am tired of waiting.  Steve is at the center, I know it.  I need to find my brother!”  Beth stated taking Gillian by the shoulders.  She stared into her eyes trying to make her understand. 

Gillian calmly pulled Beth’s hand from her, taking them in hers.  “We need you.  Give it ten minutes, if we are not heading out the door,” Gillian took a deep breath, “then you and I will go.” 

“Hey you aren’t leaving me.”  Matt piped up from beside Beth.   Beth smiled her thanks at the two of them.  Beth liked Gillian she felt they were becoming friends.  Matt on the other hand was annoying, immature, and goofy.  Qualities that endeared him to her and made her want to protect him.  Something she saw Gillian doing time and again.  No, she couldn’t leave her friend behind.  She knew she needed them.   Forcing herself to calm down Beth listened to the argument that continued behind her.  

“Oh so I get stuck with the gimp?  I want a gun.  I am not going to stay here undefended and that fairy can’t walk and I doubt he knows how to shoot.  The only thing he knows how to do…”

              “You will have a gun, and you will watch your mouth.”  Hector stated with finality that even Stancy could not argue with.  “As I have told you Max will be here as well.  You and Bill will be fine.”

              “Great left behind with a gimp and a crazy man.”  Stancy grumbled as she took the gun from Hector.  He held onto the butt of the gun for a second, she pulled the barrel then stopped to look at him with a confused, yet defiant glare. 

“You are not well liked. You may want to check some of that attitude.”  He responded to her gaze. 

              A brief second of fear crossed Stancy’s face but was quickly replaced by her normal arrogance.  “A lot of people resent their
superiors
.”

              Hector just shook his head and walked toward the door.   “I would much rather come with you guys than stay here.”  Bill’s voice called from the bedroom. 

              “Sorry Bill, we need you rest that leg.”  Turning to the others Hector called.  “Ok people.  We are leaving in ten minutes.  Stancy, Max, you will stay here with Bill.  Everyone else will have a weapon assigned to them, a gun and a club type weapon.  I want to thank Beth for finding several suitable options.”  Hector gave a nod to Beth. 

              Suddenly the apartment was alive with movement as everyone got ready to leave.  Matt and Gillian had a disagreement about the types and size of the weapons he would be using.  Trevor made several more attempts to stay behind and Max remained silent.  Hector stepped closer to the policeman.  “I’m sorry trooper.  I would rather have you on this mission, but you are our best hope to hold this place if trouble breaks out.”  Max nodded his understanding. 

              Beth stood next to Hector getting more anxious to leave by the second.  She checked in on Bill, double checked her weapons and pack, and then bounced on the balls of her feet near the door.  Fifteen minutes later those who were going piled into the armored car.  Beth had never been so excited to be going to a grocery store in her life.  She couldn’t help but smile as they headed down the alley.  Trevor was behind the wheel and Devin was navigating.  She knew she was going to see her brother soon.   

Finding several roads blocked by debris and abandoned vehicles some of her excitement began to wear off.  It took about a half hour to go the four blocks to the store. The roads were eerily devoid of the undead.  Her anxiety grew by the minute.  Where were the dead?  They saw no sign of them or any activity at all as they continued on their journey. 

Trevor slowed the truck as they approached the parking lot. The lack of any undead seemed to be unnerving him more than an encounter might have, a fact he pointed out to the rest of the group.  “I know they are all in there waiting for us.  Oh man let’s just go back to the apartment.” He whined.   

“Let’s be thankful we haven’t found any.  We’ll worry about where they went when we are safely done with our errands.”  Devin tried to reassure. 

Easing the armored car into the lot Trevor continued to whimper under his breath.  Beth poked her head between the seats to survey the area. Several cars scattered the lot.  The windows of a minivan were smeared with blood.  Another car had smashed through the front of the building shattering the huge windows that ran the length of it.

“That looks like a good place to enter.”  Hector pointed over Beth’s shoulder.

“Yeah that will make it easy to get in and out.  The hole is huge.”  Matt remarked, trying to feel as if he added to the conversation. 

Trevor continued to slow as they approached.  Suddenly he cried out.  “Whoa! What do we do about him?”  A zombie had appeared from behind an overturned car.  It was pushing a couple of shopping carts in no particular direction.  “No good man.  We should get out of here.”

“There is only one.  We can avoid him easy.  If we have to we can put him down.”  Hector reassured.  

“It’s like it remembers.” Beth gasped pointing to the store logo on the vest of the undead. 

Trevor gave the shambler a wide berth.  Matt peered out the back window as they passed.  “I remember that guy.  I think he was…um challenged in life, deaf too.” 

The zombie never looked up from its carts as the truck rumbled past.  “So we do nothing as long as he stays away.”  Devin replied to Trevor’s original question.  Frowning Trevor angled the truck so the back was close to the gaping opening in the front of the store.  The power was out here too but the morning sun shone deep into the building.  Hector moved Beth so he could be centered between the two seats to address everyone at once.   

“Trevor you stay in the truck with the engine running, Devin you’ll be look out.”  Hector turned his head to explain to the front.  Devin and Trevor nodded.  Turning back to the rest of the group, “Matt, you and I are a team.  We’ll start at the left side of the store.  We grab whatever won’t spoil, one person loads the cart the other covers them right?” Matt  nodded his affirmation.  “Gillian and Beth, start at the right side.  Head toward the pharmacy first, I think it is on that side of the store.”  Hector finished by checking the chamber of his rifle. 

Beth peered out the back window, “Well at least we won’t have trouble getting a cart.”  She joked. 

Hector moved next her and put his hand on the door handle, everyone readied their weapons.  “Remember one fills the car the other covers them.”  Hector stated again before throwing the doors open and jumping out.  Sweeping the area with his weapon he motioned to the others.  Devin took up his post behind the truck as Trevor stared nervously out the front.   

“Cover or Cart?”  Beth asked Gillian. 

Gillian looked at the younger woman and stated. “You know your way around the gun.  I know my way around the pharmacy.” 

“Sounds like a plan.”  Beth replied readying her weapon.  She watched as Hector and Matt headed to the far end of the store Matt pushing the cart and Hector aiming the rifle all over.  Beth’s heart beat faster the longer they were in the store.  The deeper in, the darker it was.  The air was thick with the sickly smell of spoiled meat and vegetables.  She was surprised at the amount of stuff on the shelves.  “It’s as if nobody even tried to stock up.”  She spoke.

“Most people were home sick or taking care of the sick.  We didn’t think we needed to.”  Gillian whispered.  Beth nodded and threw a few more items in the cart.  After several minutes they took one full cart to the truck where Beth moved to the lookout spot as Devin ran to the registers to get bags and unload the cart.  When he returned Hector and Matt had their first cart dropped off.

Beth and Gillian returned to the store filling another cart.  Each step Beth took in the store the more tense she became.  Nothing was happening.  They had already been here for about forty five minutes.  So far not one zombie had appeared.  Beth screamed as they turned a corner at the end of an aisle.  She had run right into Matt’s cart.  Laughing nervously, she and Hector lowered their guns. 

“Ok, that should be it.  Let’s get the hell out of here.  It is too damn quiet for my tastes.”  Hector stated.  Beth was only too happy to follow him out.  The quiet was starting to play on her senses. Loading the last of the bags into the truck she watched the zombie at the end of the parking lot still pushing his carts around.  He seemed completely unaware of the living.  This seemed to bother Hector as well.  “Why doesn’t he come after us?”  He asked.

Beth looked across the lot and just shook her head.  “I guess we should be thankful.” 

“Yeah maybe.”  He replied as he got into the truck.  Hector kept watching the zombies as he slowly closed the door. 

Trevor headed toward the exit.  As they passed the cart pusher Beth watched him, his gaze never left his carts.  The truck lumbered by but instead of going after the vehicle he seemed confused. She felt sorry for the creature, his head was moving back and forth as if trying to figure out which way to go. 

Trevor began to retrace the route they had taken to get to the store.  Beth took immediate notice, “Wait Wait I thought we were going to the distribution center after the store.” 

“Listen I hope you find your brother but I want to get back.  We’ll unload then you and whoever else can go wherever but I want to..WHOA!”  Trevor shouted slamming on the brakes.  The road ahead was completely choked with zombies.  A few of the undead near the back turned their attention to the truck.  Slowly they began to approach.  The rest seemed to have not noticed anything yet.  They moved together as if they had an agreed upon destination. 

“God it’s like fricken herd.”  Matt pointed to the mass. 

Trevor threw the truck in reverse, Beth was thrown off balance.  She was really beginning to hate the back of this truck.  “We so need to find an additional vehicle!” She grumbled rubbing her arm.  Matt readily agreed. 

Suddenly they were both slammed against the side of the truck, Gillian cried out, being hit by several heavy bags of canned goods.  “Careful what you’re doing up there!”  Hector called from the midst of the bags. 

Devin was trying to calm Trevor, “Ok let’s try another one.  Relax, they can’t get us.”

“I know.  I know but everywhere I go is blocked.  How am I supposed to get through this?”  Trevor demanded hysterically.  The panic Trevor had was being felt by everyone in the armored car as road after road was blocked with either zombies or debris. 

“We need to get through this.  I want to get to the distribution center!”  Beth called pulling herself up for the fourth time.   

“Are you INSANE?  That is the direction they are all going!”  Trevor screamed. 

“We are going back to the apartment first.  We’ll hide out there to let this group go by.  THEN we’ll go to the center.”  Hector called to Beth. 

Beth began to argue but was drowned out by a frantic Trevor.  “I can’t go anywhere, no where!  It’s all blocked nowhere to go… I can’t… they… too many!”