The Last Days (18 page)

“I’m sorry.” Mike said.

The soldier looked up at Mike. “Where are you heading?”

Mike thought for a second. “I’m trying to get my family home. I live near New Stanton, Pennsylvania. Look, I don’t have much room, but you and your Mom are welcome to come with us.”

The soldier looked sad. “No, but thanks for the offer. This is my home. I’m going to stay and help my Mom and her friends for as long as I can.”

The man looked at Mike. “It’s everywhere. If it hasn’t happened yet, it will in the next few days. The whole country will be gone. Shit, the whole world is gone. If you want to live, I would take your family and get further up in the mountains and away from everyone. I honestly don’t think there is anything for you to go back to.” The soldier looked around. “But more of this!”

Mike looked at the blood and destruction around the town. “I have some family left I want to try and get back to.”

“You will be like a lamb trying to cross a field of starving lions.” The soldier said seriously. “I don’t think it can be done right now. There are just too many of them out there.”

Mike looked distressed. “I think I have to try. It’s my home and my brother is back there.”

The soldier smiled sadly. “If you’re determined to try, just stay the hell away from the cities and towns and I’d also recommend you stay the hell away from people too.”

Mike looked puzzled. “People too? Why people?”

“The worse it gets and it will get worse, you can believe that. People will get desperate. Society, laws and civilization as you know it is gone. It no longer exists. The people you might run into, any that have managed to survive, will kill you to get anything they think you have. Hell, people are killing their best friends right now over something to eat.” The soldier sighed.

“I appreciate the advice and the information. I’ll keep in mind what you said, but I have to try.” Mike said. “If it gets too bad, I just might try to find an isolated place up in the mountains somewhere and ride this out. Any idea how long this will last before these things die out?”

“I heard some chatter on the subject before all our communications with the west coast went out. From what I heard no one has any idea how long the virus will remain active. No one had any idea how to kill it. Some felt even after the bodies it controlled fell apart the virus itself could survive for a hundred years. So I wouldn’t expect things to change in our life time.” The soldier said. “By the way, I’m Dave.”

“I’m Mike.” Mike said. “Did you hear anything else from the units out west before you lost contact?”

“As the lines were going dead we heard about men deserting and going home.” Dave replied. “My first thought was those cowardly bastards, but I feel different now. If I knew then what I know now, I would have left long before I did. I honestly don’t think there are any organized units left in the country. Like my unit, we saw the futility of trying to hold our positions. We had superior firepower, but those things didn’t give a shit about how much firepower we had. They just kept coming and their numbers were growing by the hour as others became infected. They had superior numbers and couldn’t be stopped. They just keep spreading the infection and won’t stop until there isn’t anyone left to infect.”

Mike thought, trying to digest all he had learned. He felt bad for Dave. Hell, he felt back for humanity. “Dave, would you like some help to bury your Dad?”

“I would appreciate it, Mike.” Dave said. “Why don’t you have your family come inside while you help me? Maybe they would like something to eat or drink and use the bathroom.”

“I think they would like that, Thank You.” Mike said. “Let me go talk to them.”

Mike turned and went over to the car. Kelly sat in her seat looking out wide eyed. She opened the door to let him in. ”What the hell was all that?” She asked, still shaking from the sight of seeing the soldier blowing the older man’s brains out.

Mike got in and explained what had happened. He didn’t tell her about what he had learned about the virus and the country, but he would discuss that before they left Graham. It was something he felt she should know about before they tried to go home. Right now he thought it would do her good to go inside and relax and use the bathroom. She had passed on her chance back down the road.

Maybe talking with the others inside would help her understand what they would be facing on the trip home.

Mike led Kelly and Kimmy out of the car and introduced them to Dave. Dave led them all inside the town hall. Three elderly people sat huddled together in the far corner of the large room that was their town hall.

After Dave introduced them, his Mother seemed to relish the idea getting Kelly and Kimmy something to drink. It must have made her feel useful and took her mind off of what had just happened and what all she had just lost.

Mike left Kelly and Kimmy at the town hall. Kimmy was in her glory entertaining the three elderly people who were enjoying having Kimmy entertain them.

Mike helped Dave carry his Dad down the street. His parent’s house was two doors down from the town hall. They buried him in his back yard; the property where he had lived with his wife and raised Dave. Where he was enjoying his retirement and now where he would spend eternity.

Dave looked at his Dad’s grave. He hoped to be able to come back and spent some time talking to his Dad. There were many things he wished he could have told him. Maybe coming and sitting by his grave, he could still tell him and hope he would somehow hear him.

But as Dave looked out at the town, he didn’t know if he would even live long enough to do that. Life was now going to be measured in minutes and hours instead of years.

For now, he would focus on helping his Mom and trying to keep them alive for as long as he could.

As they walked back to the town hall building, Mike asked. “Dave, do you know where there might be a gas station where I could find a map?”

Dave thought. “I haven’t been around here much the last three years. I know there was a station about ten miles down the road, but I doubt they ever had any maps. But if you are looking to find a way out of Kentucky, I can show you some routes on the map the town hall has mounted on their wall.”

“Anything would help. “ Mike said. “Once I get off Interstate 64 I’m lost.”

“Well you want to stay off of 64, as you already know.” Dave said. “Those things seem to wander aimlessly along the path of least resistance, like the interstates, until something gets their attention. Once something gets their attention, they will go anywhere to get at whatever grabbed their attention. I saw one walk into a river trying to get at the people on a boat. They just walked in the water until the water was over their heads.”

“That’s good to know. Anything other advice you could give me?” Mike asked. “I could use all the advice I can get.”

“Yes, if you get in a jam, get up high.” Dave said. “They have a hard time climbing, I guess they are too uncoordinated or something but they don’t seem to be able to do hills or steps. And as I already said, you have to kill the brain to stop them, you hit them or shoot them anywhere else you are just wasting your energy.”

Mike nodded.

Dave’s eyes teared up. “Most importantly, don’t get bit. If you get bit, at most you have an hour before you die and become one of them.”

“How long did it take you to learn all of this?” Mike asked.

Dave replied. “Less than an hour. We had a crash course in Lexington. We learned fast the hard way. There were twenty-five hundred men in my company and knowing all of this didn’t mean shit.”

They walked quietly into the town hall. They passed one elderly man that was standing guard at the front door.

They could hear Kimmy talking.

Dave led Mike over to the wall where the large map of Kentucky was mounted.

“You’re here.” Dave pointed to a spot on the map.

“Follow Route 182, the road out in front of the building, go south until you come to Route 23.” Dave traced the route on the map. “Continue south until you can get on Route 460. You’re now in Virginia. When you see a little road that will be marked Route 16, follow it until you come to Route 19 near Beckley.”

“Route 19 near Beckley, I know where that is. I can find my way home from there.” Mike said, feeling more confident.

“Those roads will let you avoid all the major cities and towns in Kentucky and West Virginia. Those routes are out in the middle of nowhere. If you can’t get through those routes, you wouldn’t be getting through anywhere else either.” Dave said. “Now if you find yourself in trouble down near Route 460, go here.” Dave circled a spot on the map. “This is Breaks Interstate Park. It’s in the steep mountains.  The dead probably can't follow you up there.”

Mike studied the map.

“And if you get down the road a piece and decide to turn around, you are welcome to come here.” Dave said and circled a spot on the map close to Graham.

“What’s there?” Mike asked.

“A family hunting cabin in the hills south of here.” Dave said. “I’m going to take these folks up there. You and your family are welcome to join us. We could all try to wait this out together. It might make it easier to survive if we all work together.”

“That’s a lot to remember.” Mike said looking at all the routes Dave traced on the map.

Dave pulled out his pocket knife and traced the edges of the map on the wall. After tracing the map twice, it started to peel down off the wall.

Dave grabbed the corner and pulled it off the wall. He folded it twice and handed it to Mike.

“Here, take it with you.” Dave smiled. “No one around here knows how to read a map anyhow.” Dave’s expression saddened. “Besides there isn’t anyone left.”

Mike took the map. “Thanks. Could I ask you another favor?”

“If I can.” Dave answered.

“Would you mind helping me explain all of this to my wife?” Mike said. “I think she should know about all of this before we leave. We’re both in this together and I only think it fair that she knows as much as I do.”

Dave nodded.

Mike walked over to where the girls were talking with Dave’s Mom.

“Mind if I borrow Kelly for a minute?” Mike smiled.

Dave’s Mom smiled back. “Your little girl is so precious.”

“You must have Kimmy confused with someone else’s little girl.” Mike smiled.

Kimmy put her hands on her hips and stuck out her tongue.

Mike smiled as he took Kelly’s arm to lead her over to Dave.

“What were all of you laughing about?” Mike asked.

“Your daughter.” Kelly started.

“Your daughter.” Mike thought to himself. “What did she do now?”

“Your daughter.” Kelly said. “Was telling them about your damn language.”

Mike smiled. He had been expecting a lot worse.

When they reached Dave, Mike said. “Kelly, Dave told me about what has been happening around the country. He was stationed in Lexington. The dead over ran his unit. The dead have overrun just about everything else in the country. I thought you should know what he told me before we leave. It’s not going to be easy to get home, if we can get home at all. We are going to have to make some hard decisions and I think we need to make them as a family.”

Mike, Dave and Kelly talked quietly for almost an hour. David told his story again, explaining everything he had gone through the last week, up to and including the death of his Dad out front, which Kelly had witnessed, horrified.

When they were done, Kelly stood in silence.

“That’s a lot to take in.” Kelly said.

“It’s not every day you hear the world has come to an end.” Mike said softly.

Kelly looked at Mike, then slowly turned to watch Kimmy being Kimmy.

“Do you think we should go home or stay here?” Kelly asked.

Mike thought before answering. “I would like to try to go home. If we see we can’t make it, then we decide if we want to stay down here for a while. It won’t be easy, but I think we should try anyhow. We have our place and John and his family is back there. If you don’t want to go, I’ll understand. If we go, it has to be both of us that want to do it.”

Kelly smiled. “I want to go home too. If we can’t get through then we can’t. I agree with you. I think we should at least try. I’d hate to find out later that we could have gone home but we didn’t because we didn’t even try.”

Mike smiled then turned and looked at Dave.

“I appreciate all you’ve done and your offer to stay here with you, but we are going to try to go home.”

“Would you like to spend the night here before you leave? It’s going to be dark in a few hours.” Dave said.

“No, I think we want to get started. We have been trying to get out of Kentucky now for two days. If we can get a few miles under our belt it will make us feel like we are at least making some progress.” Mike replied.