The Dead Years Series Box Set Read online

  Turning away from the shot and narrowly avoiding the bullet as it exited the back of the Feeders’ skull, Randy was now covered in flesh, blood and what could only be described a brain matter. He brushed off what he could and tried to push his anger down. They still had work to do, although he wasn’t going to let this kid get them both killed.

  “What part of DON’T SHOOT ME was hard to understand?”

  “I’m sorry Randy, I didn’t see you there. It won’t happen again.”

  “We don’t have time for this, you ready to run?”

  Randy looked back and could see that the others had closed the doors to the store. He and Adam needed to move, as the next wave of Feeders was almost upon them.

  “We’re going straight to the RV, no stopping and no shooting unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

  “Ok, you’ll see it after we turn the corner. It’s about fifty yards straight out from the store. My boss was anal about door dings.”

  Randy didn’t say another word; he looked down and shook his head as the last few pieces of flesh fell from his clothes. He sprinted for the outer edge of the lot with Adam on his heels.

  . . .

  Before William closed the doors, Karen looked out over the lot. “Did you see how many of those things were out there? Is there anything we can do to help them make it back?”

  Mason knew his neighbor better than most people including his own family and from what he could remember of the last twenty-four hours, there wouldn’t be any problems. “They’ll make it back. Randy is the best person we could have sent out there. The only problem could be the new kid, Adam. He looked pretty frazzled. If he doesn’t slow Randy down, they’ll be fine.”

  William helped Mason to his feet, and finally conceding, told him to start slow and to sit if he felt light-headed. “Take it easy bud, we are all glad you’re back and want it to stay that way.”

  Almost interrupting William and his father, Justin now stood in the middle of the group flanked by Joe. “Dad, can we go to the front of the store? We can watch and tell you guys when Randy and Adam start coming back so we can be ready for them.”

  Mason didn’t want him going anywhere, although he figured if something were to go wrong, they would have some sort of warning. “William, is that side of the building any more secure than it was earlier? Do you trust it?”

  “Not really. How about you both just look from over there? If those things get in again, at least you’ll be close by.”

  “OK.”

  The group could see out the front of the store from the doors leading into the stockroom and watched as Randy and Adam ran out from the side of the building, headed for the RV. From the interior of the store, it almost looked like a game of tag they were playing with the growing number of Feeders. Running in and out, back and forth, they could tell the two men were beginning to tire. It was one of the most tension-filled moments they had faced together given there was nothing they could do but watch.

  They watched as Adam climbed onto the RV, trying to unlock the door and Randy fired endlessly into the crowd, knocking down Feeder after Feeder. April grabbed Justin and hugged him, turning away from the carnage as Randy, in one motion, expelled an empty magazine from the pistol and reloaded without missing a beat.

  The deadly silence that engulfed the inside of the store was instantly shattered as the vending machine and the massive shelving holding it against the exit came crashing to the floor.

  The groups’ attention shifted to their own safety as William hurried everyone into the stockroom, securing the giant metal panic doors behind them. “Did anyone see if they made it into the RV?” William asked.

  “I think they did,” Mason said.

  Within seconds the pounding and crashing noises that came from the side of the store were now only inches away.

  “We better pray they did, because we only have a few minutes before those things get in here.”

  49

  The sound caused by the side entrance failing for a second time made its way to the parking lot, and as Randy loaded his last magazine, he knew exactly what had taken place. Adam hadn’t fired his gun since almost taking out one of his own only minutes before, although this time, as he opened the passenger door and turned, he had no choice. Randy, while trying to reload, was about to be ambushed from behind.

  Adam took a deep breath tracking the Feeder and as it reached out and leaned forward, he slowly pulled the trigger, tagging his intended target in the left temple. Recoiling from the sound of the bullet leaving the chamber, Randy turned just in time to see the creature leave its feet and land hard on the asphalt. He shoved the last magazine from his pocket into the weapon and hurried around to the driver’s side of the RV.

  He had already unlocked the door for Randy and handed him the keys as they both slammed and locked their doors to avoid any unwanted visitors.

  Randy started the RV, put it into gear and mashed the gas petal to the floor. He made a long U-turn, avoiding the largest crowd heading in their direction.

  “Check the rest of the doors and make sure they’re locked,” Randy said.

  “Alright.” Adam jumped from the passenger seat and headed for the rear, locking all the doors and making sure all the windows were closed tight.

  “Hey Adam, brace yourself. It’s gonna be a rough ride on the way back. I think those things busted through the wall again; we need to get back over there now.”

  “Ok, what are we doing?”

  “Hopefully they locked themselves in the stockroom. I’m going to pull up next to the cars by the back doors and we are going to have to get back in using as little ammo as possible. We may need it to get back into the RV. What do you have left?”

  Adam returned to the front of the RV and pulled the two unused clips from his pocket. “Here, I haven’t reloaded yet.”

  “Won’t work, we have different weapons. Trade with me…”

  Randy took a hard right as he plowed over a group of four Feeders. The massive recreation vehicle he was driving maneuvered pretty well for its size, although each time he ran down one of those things, it felt as though they were hitting another car. He just hoped they’d be able to make it around the store without too much trouble. Randy wasn’t about to come to a complete stop, although every time they collided with one of them, their speed was drastically reduced.

  “You want me to trade guns with you?”

  “Yes, here’s mine. Make sure they’re both loaded and ready to go. When we stop, you need to follow me out the main door and shut it behind you. Get everyone out of the store and into the RV. I’m going to stay outside and keep the area clear.”

  Continuing to weave a path through the groups of Feeders that made the parking lot look like a battlefield, they rounded the side of the building and confirmed the side entrance had been demolished. Randy cursed, punching the steering wheel as he plowed through one of the hordes turning to the rear of the building.

  “One last thing…”

  “Yeah,” Adam said.

  “Remember to bring all the weapons. The three bags in the middle of the room and have the others bring as many of the first aid kits as possible. Leave everything else.”

  “Will do.”

  . . .

  The battering sounds coming from the other side of the door became increasingly violent. William moved everyone to the center of the room and explained that if those things got through the door, they would be forced to head outside and make a run for the RV.

  Mason noticed one of rear doors had a small peephole. He was surprised no one had seen it before and decided to take a look.

  “How’s it look?” William asked.

  “Not too bad, I think those things must have followed them around the side. The area in front of the door is fairly clear.”

  Everyone’s heart raced at the thought of being trapped in this room when the doors were finally beat down, although they also didn’t see much hope in going out the back until Randy and Adam returned wit
h the RV. With any luck, it would be sooner rather than later.

  Mason turned away from the door and asked that everyone gather the items they planned on taking. “As soon as they get back, we need to be ready to make a run for the RV.”

  “How are you and Savannah going to run anywhere?” April asked.

  William took control of the group as he slipped one of the bags of weapons over his shoulder and handed another to Mason, each withdrawing a pistol. “We are going to stay together… all of us. We’re not leaving anyone. As soon as the RV gets close, I’m going to open the door and need everyone to follow me.”

  “I guess you’ve decided to assume the hero role?” Karen said.

  “Just doing what needs to be done.”

  “That’s fine; just keep your head about you.”

  “You’re the boss.”

  As the RV came to a stop just outside the back doors, the first thing they heard was rapid gunfire. William looked through the hole and could see Adam running toward the building as Randy stayed near the RV and shot down one Feeder after the next.

  “Let’s go, the door is about to give,” Mason said.

  William opened the doors to the rear lot just as Adam ran up. Out of breath, he said, “We need the weapons and the first aid kits.”

  As the group gathered what they could and headed for the exit, Randy met them halfway. He and William stood next to one another, taking turns slaughtering any Feeder that came within ten feet of the group. “Everyone inside,” Randy said.

  One by one they all piled into the RV and made room for each other. In the confusion, Randy hadn’t noticed that Savannah and Adam had fallen a few steps behind the rest of the group. The Feeders inside had also broken through the stockroom doors and were close behind.

  Savannah must have fallen, because Adam appeared to be pulling her from the ground. He slid his free arm around her back, yelling at Randy as he started back toward them. “NO! Get everyone in and start it up!”

  Adam raised the gun not knowing how many rounds he had left. Helping Savannah along, he turned and kicked over the first creature to reach them and put three bullets into the next one, throwing it backwards into the rest of the closing horde. He reached the door as Randy fired up the engine and pushed Savannah into the RV. Savannah reached out to pull him in and missed his hand by less than an inch. He was pulled to the ground by the horde, kicking and punching.

  “Someone help him, they have him. Please help,” Savannah said.

  Randy left the engine running and leapt from the driver’s seat and out the main door. Exiting the RV, he took four quick shots, laying out all but one of the remaining Feeders. He couldn’t get a clear shot at the last one that had Adam face down on the ground, clawing at his back. He came from behind and pulled it off as it ripped Adam’s shirt from his body.

  William stepped out of the RV and finished off the Feeder Randy was now struggling with and pulled a shirtless and somewhat frantic Adam from the ground. Randy brushed himself off and the three hurried to get inside.

  Savannah, still reeling from the events of the last few minutes, had become hysterical. “What the hell is going on? What are those things? Why are they not dying? This is HELL! We can’t keep doing this.”

  William slammed the door shut as another crowd was starting to form. He sat back into one of the bench seats next to Karen and hung his head.

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  50

  Turning the RV around in the smaller rear lot proved to be a challenge. The continual increase in the number of Feeders coming to the area made it nearly impossible to maneuver without running over a few of them. It almost seemed like they could smell human flesh and came from every direction seeking their next meal.

  The group went quiet and most everyone sat motionless as the reality of their future began to sink in. Randy muttered an angry comment every few minutes as Justin sat in the passenger seat, transfixed on the movement outside the RV. It brought him back to the encounter he had with the Feeder when he first noticed the side entrance of the building and how obsessed this thing was with getting to him.

  Justin didn’t feel bad about enticing the attack and didn’t know why. He felt numb to the situation, almost as if someone else had done it. He was curious about these creatures and how they could endure such painful experiences when going after their prey. Justin had been attacked multiple times in the last day and somehow managed to escape each time. The feeling coursing through him as he stared out the windshield was no longer fear. He craved the next encounter.

  William told Mason of their plan to head to the coast. He explained the benefits and saved the best for last. “April said her father has a house on the coast we could go to for a few days to regroup. I know you were hoping we might get out to a more isolated area, although at this point we’re running out of options.”

  Mason thought for a moment and asked, “Is everyone in agreement?”

  They all looked up one at a time and confirmed. Mason tapped Randy on the shoulder. “You too?”

  “I just want everyone safe. I don’t care where.”

  Mason smiled as he looked around the RV. “Good enough for me. Let’s go.”

  As the sun started to move out of view in the western sky, they slowly drove up the freeway on-ramp, surprised that it was completely empty, but soon discovered why. Reaching the peak and seeing thousands of cars in a tangled mess, obviously stranded with no signs of life anywhere, Randy simply put the RV in reverse and started back down the ramp. “Not gonna happen,” was all he said.

  Darkness continued to fall as they came to a stop under the freeway overpass, which was apparently the only place in the city not completely overrun by Feeders.

  “Now where to?” Randy asked.

  “Can’t we just keep heading south and drive up the coast. It will take a little longer, but the back roads might be less crowded,” April said.

  “Let’s give it a try.”

  “Wait,” William said. “Before we head out and come across those things again, shouldn’t we have some sort of a plan for dealing with them, you know…so we’re all on the same page?”

  Adam raised his hand like he was answering a question in grade school. “I for one agree that we need a plan.”

  Mason sat forward, still in a great deal of pain. “Yes, we need to stay together and figure out the best way to avoid running into those things. They seem to be everywhere and nothing short of taking their heads off is slowing them down.”

  William looked frustrated and wiped the sweat from his forward. “Mason, what do we know about what happened yesterday other than these things seem to be infected with some sort of illness that eliminates everything human about them?”

  “I jumped on the internet the first few hours after this all happened and couldn’t find much of anything that made sense or seemed accurate. Before the power went out, I came across a site that was run by someone claiming to be a Biochemist who worked directly on the project that caused the outbreak. He said that we were all in deep trouble if this thing ever got out. I don’t remember all of what I read, although he mentioned the military and appeared really crazy.”

  “Did he say what it was and how it started?” Adam asked.

  “No, he checked out just after the news started reporting all this. His last comments were sort of a told ya so.”

  William folded his arms and stretched his neck in frustration. “So we have no idea, other than to take their heads off?”

  As the others continued to watch out the windows for the next possible attack, Mason continued. “All we can really do is stay together and make damn sure we take things slow. This world is much different than it was yesterday morning and…”

  Randy interrupted, “Mason… wait. When you were out of it earlier today, you told me all this and I think I know what it is. If I’m right, this is gonna be really bad and most likely worldwide. There is not going to be anyone coming to help and civilization will need to reset
itself.”

  “Reset?” Karen said.

  “If this is the Project Lockwood virus that has mutated, we may have a chance. There is a treatment, although we will need to find it in its stable form. If the virus got out, it will have started at military bases and government facilities. Civilization will need to start over.”

  The group was frightened, although they all wanted to hear more. William asked the obvious question everyone else was thinking. “Randy, what is Project Lockwood and how the hell did you find out about it?”

  Moving from the front of the RV to the main cabin, Randy sat at the makeshift table in the middle of the group. “When I returned from my third tour, I was commissioned to a Northern California no-name military base guarding what I thought were just a bunch of lab geeks. This went on for three months, just gazing at monitors from an abandoned warehouse with three others. Two shifts of four men watching the front gate and perimeter cameras for twelve hours at a clip. We were told to make sure no one came or left. Once every week for three hours, all eight of us were taken off base for very specific types of combat training. Come to find out that we were all highly decorated soldiers prior to this assignment. None of us understood why our talents were going to waste watching monitors all day and night.”

  Running his hands through his hair, Mason sensed what came next wasn’t going to be good. “I have a funny feeling you weren’t there to watch over anyone, were you?”

  “No,” Randy said. “One day, early into the fourth month, we watched as two black SUV’s pulled up to the front gates. I immediately called the commander on duty who said he was aware and for us to turn off the monitors and meet in the mess hall. When we arrived, the other four night shift soldiers were being interrogated at the far end of the room.”

  Still brushing the debris from his arms and chest, obviously upset, Adam raised his hand once again. “Sorry, but what the hell does any of this have to do with what happened yesterday?”