Transformation (23 page)

“How tiny is your dick that you have to…”

The attack came sooner than Weed expected and he was a bit disappointed he wasn’t able to finish his last jibe. But he was ready for the attack and Ron was on his feet.

Ron was having trouble moving after the beating he’d received. Just a few hits from the man proved incapacitating. He saw Francis facing off with the giant man, telling him something. The man lunged at Francis. Ron had no idea what to do so he yelled.

“Hey!”

This startled Jake, causing him to turn his head slightly in reaction and that was all Weed needed. That split second where the man dropped his guard, exposed his neck, and took his eyes off the old knife wielding bastard.

Weed stabbed once, hard and fast, and punctured Jake’s neck inflicting another wound that bled but wasn’t fatal. As Jake clutched his throat in pain and surprise Weed rammed his knife into the man’s stomach to the hilt.

Jake doubled over, clutching his belly with one hand and putting his arm up to ward off the coming attack with the other. But Weed stepped around the waving arm and stabbed Jake in his exposed back several times. When the big man finally went down to his knees Weed inserted his blade into his neck and finished him.

Weed stood for a moment to catch his breath, watching the blood pool on the concrete. He looked up to see a wide-eyed Ron staring at him.

“We best be getting the fuck out of Dodge.”

As he and Ron left the building, they saw a crowd gathered around the front of the main building across the quad. Between them were the two noosed ropes tossed over a makeshift gallows.

It was then that Ron realized just why Old Francis was fighting and killing all those men. He was rescuing him.

“There they are!” someone yelled.

Ron and Weed took off in the opposite direction, behind the building they had just left and into the woods. Once in the trees the darkness was deep. The two moved as quickly as possible.

After a few moments Weed stopped and Ron bumped him from behind.

“Why’d you stop?”

“To listen,” Weed whispered. The old man stood quietly for a bit then started off to his left at a slow walk.

“Where are we headed?” Ron asked.

“This way as far as I can tell,” Weed chuckled.

“Do you know where you are going? Seriously.”

“Oh hell, no.” Weed said. “But it doesn’t sound like we are being pursued and the sun will be up soon. I hope to see the road we came in on sooner than later. We can parallel it through the woods.”

“We going back to the car?” Ron persisted.

“Eventually. Our pursuers might just go and lay low by the car so we need to approach with caution. For now a slow walk is about all I can manage.”

And just as he said it, they heard the sound of pursuit. The yells of several men grew louder and louder. Weed looked at Ron.

“Guess we are going to need to manage a bit more than a slow walk.”

One voice was louder than the rest.

“Here! They’re here!”

Ron and Weed saw the man, yards away, shouting to the rest of the group.

“Ah fuck,” Weed said as he started a fast jog with Ron close behind.

Had to open your big ole fucking mouth didn’t ya!
Weed thought as he looked back. The man was running and gaining on the two quickly.

“You go on Ronnie, I’ve got this.” Weed stopped and turned around.

“What? No. I can’t leave you. They’ll kill you.”

Weed ignored him as he raised his hands high and walked towards the running man.

Ron was too stunned to move. Between the color of his skin and Francis’ actions they were surely both going to die.

27.

Donna stood perfectly still. Someone had just taken a shot at her. Should she duck down, run, put her hands up? Before she could make a move a voice called out.

“Donna?” A female voice.

When she turned, squeals of delight erupted as Lisa and Ana ran to her. They couldn’t believe she was alive. They had a million questions and she did too. Most importantly, where was Ron. They wanted to know what had happened to her. How was it that she was still alive?

“So Ron’s gone? Where to?” Donna was confused. Lisa and Ana seemed clueless. Everyone was gone and they weren’t sure where they went. She was shaken up by Dale’s note, Mary’s death and worried sick about Ron. And where were Francis and Jeff? Where were Sal and Wendy?

Lisa and Ana were stunned at Donna’s story. The blast made sense now. Bandanna man must’ve come back, and he and Alvin took Mary, tried to build a bomb that went off killing them all.

Donna excused herself. She was still feeling horrible after her experience.

“I need to eat and shower and I might just do them both at the same time.”

When the hot water hit her skin she instantly felt better. The water stung her wounds and abrasions, was a little too hot, but she had a hard time pulling herself out of the little plastic lined booth. She thought of how fortunate they all were to have Jeff around.

When Donna was clean, eating some food, she felt fatigue wash over her like a warm wave. She felt a sense of blissful euphoria and wanted to sleep. But she continued to pace for a bit unable to succumb to much needed sleep. Waiting was all she could do right now and it was torturous. She drank a beer and swallowed a sleeping pill and lay down. She was free from the truck, clean, and laying in a bed on the fourth level of the structure. A cool breeze blew through the garage. Lisa and Ana remained on watch. She could finally relax. She closed her eyes and well before the pill had a chance to take effect Donna was in a deep sleep.

Donna slept for a few hours and when she awoke, she jumped to her feet. Although she was groggy and dizzy, she needed to check on things. She made her way to the sofas. No new news. She took a turn searching the area for any signs of distress calls or activity of any kind.

They sorted supplies, talked, and read and tried to keep busy. With Donna there, things were easier and more enjoyable for Ana and Lisa. They still couldn’t believe she was alive.

“I’m having trouble sitting still.” Donna stopped herself from pacing but started tapping her foot.

“The more I think about it the more concerned I get. All these people are gone, no word to anyone. And we just wait?”

“I don’t know what else to do,” Lisa said. “If we go out there alone—that just doesn’t seem right.”

“I know, but we have to do something.”

The three women discussed several ideas but nothing came of it. All they could do was wait and make good use of their time.

They talked and time passed. They sun dropped and the world was pitched into a primordial darkness. It was a deep darkness that had become almost impossible to find before civilization shut down. Even in remote areas of the world the glow from major cities lit the sky for miles and miles around.

It was in this deep darkness that hundreds of thousands of corpses shambled towards the structure, pulled by the sound of the explosion. They oozed from the far side of the airport, through the office parks, and down every street and road leading in. Once they surrounded the garage, no one would be able to get in or out.

28.

Cooper stepped in front of Rachael but before he could speak she pushed passed him. She pointed her finger at him and stabbed the air.

“You stay the fuck away from me,” she turned and went into the room.

Ben held his hands up. “Wow! What was that about?” His face seemed stuck in that smile. It was part amusement and part gloating and it all came from a place of darkness.

Cooper folded his arms and stood his ground.

“Just stay away from us and we’ll stay away from you.”

“You aren’t going to turn me in to the good captain?” Ben took a step closer.

Cooper held his hand up. “I’m not playing around. Turn around now and walk away.”

“Or what?” Ben took another step forward.

Cooper took three steps forward until the two were in the center of the room face to face.

“You want me to kick your ass again? I’ll kill you this time.”

“You got lucky,” Ben sneered.

“I was drugged and you had a gun. And you had that crazy bitch there too.”

Ben was about to fire the next verbal salvo when Rachael stepped up. She put a hand on Cooper’s chest and pushed him backwards.

“Come on. Stop pissing on each other.”

“You mean pissing contest?” Ben laughed.

“No. Someone wins a contest. You two are just pissing on each other.”

She turned and took Cooper’s hand.

“C’mon Cooper, we’re going to break that bed in there. Ben can sit out here and think about his dead cum dumpster.”

Rachael shut the door to the room and held a finger to her lips. She whispered.

“I’m just messing with Ben.”

“Ah, great prank.” Cooper smiled and winked. “And I was thinking you’d finally succumbed to my charms.”

Rachael just looked at him and smiled. It was a look Cooper couldn’t read. Was she thinking
yeah right
or
I sure have
? He dismissed the pointless speculation.

They listened in the dark as Ben apparently searched the house. They heard him banging around, open and closing doors, slamming drawers. A few times they heard a crash as if something fell or was dropped.

Soon they were brought food and locked in their rooms. Ben went silent which was actually worse than when he was making noise and they knew where he was.

§

Cooper was comfortable with their safety and tried to fall asleep but Rachael paced the room and kept him awake.

“You need to sleep.”

“I can’t.” Rachael was distracted. She seemed to have made the comment unconsciously as if she were deep in thought.

“We know they took his weapons. They locked him in his room. I won’t fall asleep. I won’t even sit down if that makes you comfortable.”

“Or we can leave right now.”

“Nah” Cooper said. “I would love to but we don’t know where we are. It’s too dangerous to go out there in the dark. I think we’ll be OK.”

“I know Ben. There’s no way I can relax with him around. I want to be far away right now.”

“Let me know if you need anything,” Cooper laid down and was soon asleep.

Rachael intended to stay awake, but once the room fell silent, Cooper started to softly snore, she felt the weariness in her bones. She tried the lock then clicked off the lights for Cooper’s benefit. She lay in the dark with her eyes closed wishing that she could fall asleep. She had been on the go all day and was exhausted but felt wide awake knowing who was under the same roof with her. But she was out within minutes.

The next thing she knew it was morning and Rachael was being pulled out of her bed and to her feet. Cooper was already standing, being held in place by two big men. They were taken back to the main house. It looked as if everyone was there in the large room.

“What’s this about?” Cooper was still half asleep and confused. He heard Rachael swear and looked over at her. She was eyeing Ben. He was sitting at the big table with Cap and a few others. He knew things weren’t going to be OK.

“
Now
you are our prisoner.” Cap was harsh and didn’t look Cooper in the eye. “I have no idea what to do with you.” She looked like she’d been awake all night, possibly crying.

“What did he tell you?” Cooper looked at Ben who was talking to a woman with a straight expression and a slight smile.

“What did he tell you?” Cooper demanded. “What’s going on?”

Cap ignored him.

“Let me tell you a few things.” Now she locked eyes with Cooper and she was angry. She walked around the table and stood in front of him. She uncovered a bloody knife.

“We found the murder weapon in some bushes by the pool. We found drops of blood in the pool house and a small smear of blood on the door sill to your room.”

“Murder weapon? What are you talking about?” Cooper’s eyes had gone wide.

“You slit Shaw’s throat in his sleep.”

“Shaw?” It took a second for Cooper to place the name. “The guy who punched me yesterday?”

Cooper felt his knees go weak. He knew Ben was behind whatever happened.

“I did not kill him. I was in my room all night,” his voiced wavered.

“Then why was your door unlocked this morning? We locked you in, both of you. Ben’s door was locked this morning—locked from the outside—and yours was unlocked.”

Cooper was silent. He didn’t know what to say.

“For now, we are locking you back in your rooms. Sheila’s a lawyer and will take statements from all of you.” She slammed her hand on the table.

“This is bullshit.”

Cooper was too scared to speak. But Rachael wasn’t.

“So how does this work? Will we have a trial of some sort or are you just going to kill us?” Rachael demanded, confident, angry even.

“You will do as we say,” Cap barked back.

“Bullshit,” Rachael shot back.

Cap’s eyes widened at the offense. “Now you listen to me …”

“No. You listen to me. If you are going to look into this you will find that we are innocent and you will apologize. If you are going to kill us then do it here in front of all of your people.”

Cap took a step back and a breath. She held her hand up as if to bring a stop the everything.

“Alright. You will be held as we look into this. You will each be interviewed by Sheila. She was a prosecutor and the closest thing we have to a detective.”

Rachael nodded.

“OK.
Maybe
one of you is innocent and if that is the case I apologize in advance. But you have to understand that you are strangers to us and one of our own was murdered. All the evidence points to you. What would you have us do?”

She had been addressing Rachael and to her it felt like the assumption was that Cooper was guilty.

“This is just the sort of thing we have fought hard to keep out of our community.”

Cap turned her back and waved her hand.

They led the three back to the pool house. Ben was smiling, Cooper was concerned, but when they led Rachael to a separate room from Cooper she panicked.

Rachael pushed back from the door, her guards grabbed her arm and pushed her forward but she put her feet on both sides of the door.

“No!” She yelled. She screamed and fought, her guards fought back.

Cooper was led willingly into his room but turned and addressed his guard.

“Let me talk to her.”

The guard nodded and stepped aside.

“Hey Rachael,” Cooper got her attention. “It will be OK. Just go.”

“No Cooper, it won’t be. I refuse to be a prisoner.” She had a foot on each side of the door, supported by her guards. “How can you go so willingly?”

“We have no choice, and I think these people are OK.”

Rachael looked him in the eyes, relaxed and entered her room calmly.

Cooper entered his room. The guard poked his head in before closing the door.

“Thanks for the help. We really don’t like doing this.” The guard was a big guy, one that looked as if he could take out four Coopers at once, but he looked sincerely apologetic.

Cooper felt good about the exchange, but it occurred to him that it was odd that the guard didn’t act like he wanted to kill him.

“No problem, but you better not hurt her.”

The guard nodded and left. Cooper didn’t get any sense from these people that they’d do them any harm.

He lay on the bed wondering what he was going to do. Could he prove Ben did it? How did Ben get in and out of the room?

He stood and started looking around. Maybe the way Ben escaped didn’t exist in this room. The windows were locked and shuttered. He looked around for something that could be used as a weapon. He found nothing. He paced for what felt like hours. He worried about Rachael.

Hours later the door unlatched and was jerked open. Two armed men grabbed Cooper and dragged him outside without a word. They met up with a third man and they all walked to the back of the pool house.

He thought he was being brought to see the woman Shelia, or Cap, but as the men dragged him away from the pool house and towards the woods. He fought them.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Shut up!” A big burly man ordered.

“I didn’t kill Shaw, I swear.”

Cooper received a punch to the gut in response. Once he recovered, he kept talking.

“Look this guy Ben is evil, a real asshole.”

The burly man leading the two armed men stopped and spun around.

“I said shut up. Next time you talk, I cut out your tongue.”

Cooper was led to a clearing. Rachael was already there, standing and sobbing. An armed man and a woman stood watch over her.

The woman spoke. “You sure Cap is out on patrol?”

“Yes,” the big burly man snapped.

The woman pressed him. “What do we do when she returns and her prisoners are gone?”

“You let me deal with Cap. She needs to know you don’t deal with murders by locking them in a mansion.”

Cooper was looking around, trying to get a feel for the people involved. He saw a lot of doubt and fear on most of the faces. He spoke up.

“I can see that most of you know this isn’t right.”

Burly rushed him and grabbed him by the throat and took him to the ground. “I said shut up!” He screamed, spittle hitting Cooper in the face. The man had pulled a pulled a large knife from a sheath on his leg and had it to Cooper’s throat.

Two men pulled him off Cooper and helped them both stand. One of the older men spoke up.

“He’s right. What we are doing here isn’t right. We need to give Shelia time to sort things out.”

“Sort things out?” Burly scoffed. “How much more obvious can it be?”

One of the armed women stepped up. “Anyone who doesn’t agree with us should leave.”

Burly backed up and gave everyone who left a glare. Cooper did too.

“You know what they are about to do and you are walking away? You are worse than he is you cowards. Look me in the eye I dare you. One of you look me in the eye.”

One older man split from the group and walked up to Cooper. “I’m saving myself, son. You would do the same and you are a liar if you say otherwise.”

“You don’t know me you fucking coward,” Cooper spat in his face.

The man looked shocked and backed off. Burly spoke up.

“He’s right Don you are a fucking coward. Now get the hell out of here before I spit in your face too.” He turned to Cooper. “Just because I agree with you doesn’t mean I hate you any less. You will die here today, soon.”

Cooper looked at his feet, fighting the urge to vomit. He was scared and his blood felt like ice water. He wanted to look at Rachael to assure her, but couldn’t bring himself to. It was his fault she was here.

Three of the five guards walked off.

Burly addressed the remaining two. “OK.” The woman held her rifle on Rachael. Burly and the other man grabbed Cooper and he fought them. The woman pulled a knife and placed it against Rachael’s throat. He submitted.

They bound his wrists and tied him between two trees, his arms stretched out.

“You are going to pay for what you did to Pedro and Shaw. I’m going to beat you until I get tired, and I don’t get tired.”