Step by Step/Issue 19

This is Issue #19 of Step by Step. This is the first issue of Volume Three.

'''Note: I guess this can be called an uncalled for preview, but I needed to post what I wrote already so I can make room for the other half of this issue. '''

The Hole
“My dad's been in every damn war there ever was, yeah? Grandpa too, rest his soul. Two great guys, I tell you. But then we got the rest of my bloodline in wars; both world wars, was kicking it back in the Civil one, and some wars I can't remember their names cause they're so damn old.”

Eugene looked at Alexander, the scrawny brown haired soldier who was peering out of one of the school's windows. Eugene liked the guy and all, but Alexander was quite the blabber mouth. Alex had gone yapped on to about the sixteen president's time before it had gone quiet.

The two were in the outer reaches of the school. Eugene felt better near Alex, talking away the woes of life. He'd still feel better if he leave the school. Be in the fresh air. Out in the sun. That would never come. The skies outside were graying like the hairs on Caroline's father's head.

“Basically, it was all cool as cheddar.” Alexander finished, cracking his neck. Popped it. He heard a rumbling noise behind them, turned around—started to spin at a 180 degree angle—and dropped his jaw. What he saw was Joseph carrying a great yellow flashlight.

The flashlight gave off a white ball of fire, glaring at the two. Alexander grinned, his white teeth stabbing through the darkness of the highway. “Wassup, home dog?”

“Oh, hey, Alex.” Joseph dropped near the two. He shined the light at their faces, dragging it past them. Alexander was in his usual camouflage uniform—light green, but looked dark in the hallway—without his over shirt. Replacing it was a white T-shirt, something he plucked from some of the clothing in his 'personal' bag.

Eugene was drowning in gear. The vest he wore was about four sizes too big, only being held up by a few nylon strings. And oh my Lord if rest of the officers weren't covering up the school and waiting for those two thugs, the boy would have never been picked for this.

Joseph gave him a brief look, noticing the pistol attached to the boy's belt. Fucking Brock. It was his fault they were risking their lives. If Joseph had the choice he would have been in a sewer or something. Both sewers and this basement they were going in stunk like shit, but at least sewers didn't have the living dead sleeping in them.

He had never been a violent guy, even though he was in the Guards, Joseph wondered what Brock would do if Joseph served him a punch to the face. Whacked all the hair off his face. Joseph grinned, making Alexander drop his.

“Thinking it's time for a little hide and seek?”

“They aren't hiding,” Joseph said. “And we aren't seeking.”

Eugene folded his arms. “Do you even know where this holy basement is?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Where's your blueprint then, your map, oh great Ptolemy?”

Joseph ignored the boy. If this was the worst thing he had to suffer, then so be it. He wouldn't let some snotty kid with his panties in a knot mess him up. Joseph shined the light down the hallway, “That way.”

There was a gloomy sense to it. The highways, lockers abroad, had once been filled with students. But now there was no gossiping, no jocks, no nerds left. Joseph bent the light to the floor, something skittered on the floor. It was a rat. A damned fat, brown one.

Eugene snickered to himself.

“Holy smokes,” Alexander said, “who invited that thing?”

Joseph, back now to the two, eyed the beast. It had thick fur, and from where he stood he could see the finest details of leftover food clinging to its whiskers. “Don't move,” he said. “None of you.”

“What are you gonna do with it?” Alexander looked intently at the rat. One quick snap of its neck and it'd be dead. He suggested about eating the rodent, but Joseph quickly disagreed.

“You sure, Joe?” Eugene chimed in. “Ain't up for a little Mickey Mouse?”

“Bite your tongue, kiddo,” said Joseph.

The rat squealed, its lips parted to show off some yellow teeth. Damned ugly ones. It hissed, tail clapping against the floor. Instead of scurrying off, it held its ground. Joseph wanted to wait for the pack rat to get on with its business and go, but that would never happen.

A barrage of squeaking came.

“Mother...” Joseph watched them pour out in the dozens. Fat and burly. He heard Eugene retch, but Alexander was the one who hurled. The rodents dragged themselves pass the width of the hallway, looking like black pebbles skipping through the light.

“We should keep it going, dudes.” Eugene clutched his stomach, seeing the rodents spread out like game pieces.. “Keep the light up!”

The flashlight's glow sprang up, Joseph cocking an eyebrow. He blasted a ray of light down the hall. “I got a plan.”

Alexander wiped spittle from his mouth. “What sorta plan?”

Joseph turned his head. He dropped the flashlight's head, focusing it on the pack of sniffling, nasty rodents. The crazed people, zombies as Eugene called them, ate just about anything with flesh. No matter how much they stank because the pack rats had surely ripened themselves for harvest after scavenging food from the gymnasium.

He smiled a little. “Can't say they didn't have a last meal.”

Deja vu. That's what Lyle smelled. Strange word, isn't it French? Sanders would've known. Lyle turned his head, groggy eyes peering around. It was the clinic. How long had it been? He groaned, feeling his muscles tear or bend from ache as he moved in the clinic.

Once to his senses, he realized that time had barely skipped by. Lyle covered his head with his hands, still hurt and covered in bruises from the pig called Brock. Then he remembered the shit he had gone through. All that humiliation.

But Lyle didn't care. Could care less. Didn't show it as he cocked his head to the side, spotting a group of people huddled together near the reception desk. He was about to jerk back, thinking they were some of those crazy people, but he blinked and saw it was just Susie Brown.

The nurse was whispering to the others and grasping a thick, leather book. Lyle knew it as the Bible. Same thing that had helped Lyle keep his morals. But revenge was wrong, right? You wish. Lyle watched her glance at him, then continued whispering.

He counted at least five men and women. Lyle was about to go back to observing where he was, but something caught his eye. It was that girl. Caroline, Eugene's sister. What the hell was she doing? She seemed pretty into the discussion, her voice was sharp and distinct among the group.

“Bible nuts,” a voice spoke.

Lyle moved with a start. Damn Nolan nearly gave him a heart attack. Lyle looked again at the man. Yeah, it was Nolan. “Recognize that hair from anywhere.”

“Where's the love, CJ?” Nolan was covered in filth and sweat, sitting upright next to him in another cot. His denim shirt had its fabric twisted and spilling out. He had an infected scab on the side of his face. A bloody ear. His eyes were bloodshot as if he hadn't slept for days. Lyle held out his palm, waiting for Nolan to slap it. But Nolan couldn't. He was handcuffed to the bed railings.

For a moment, Lyle forgot about everything that had happened. He and Nolan were back with Dennis at Denny's. Hearing the music blaring in the background while chugging down that last sweet Cola. “Shit...”

“Yeah, they got me.” Nolan fell back, seeking comfort for his sprained back. “I tried making a run for it, but then they's things came. No place to go, so I slipped into the trash. Would've worked, but, as I expected, Brock and his pals stormed right on out.”

Nolan coughed, holding his chest. “Still, they didn't find me. Took five seconds and they finished sweeping the place, y'know, where we mt for the deal a week ago?”

“A week?” Lyle smiled. “Shit, can't remember most of what happened before I wound up here.”

“Ah, you'll remember. Anyways, the boys were about to dip. But then this janky Hispanic dude decided to run at the soldiers, shouting for them to help his ass. Tripped over my leg. Next thing I know, got five rifles aimed at my chest.”

“All that?” Lyle couldn't believe it. If it wasn't for whatshisname, Nolan could have gotten out. Lyle would have found a way out of the school somehow. But now they were back to square one. “We're sitting ducks here.”

“Gotta agree. Brock and Malcolm walked past here not too long ago, and guess who was next to 'em? Hector Fucking Pacino.”

“Who?”

“Insane cop, the one that shot this man, hm, Blake.” Nolan nodded his head to Susie Brown and her cult. “They're protesting. Saying that we're all doomed. That we're not getting rescued. Never.”

“Well this friggin' blows.” Lyle looked around again, finding a window to his right. The sun may as well have said it was still afternoon. “We still got daylight.”

“You planning some wacky shit?” Nolan scoffed. “Lay off it, Lyle. They put me in cuffs and you're too beat up to even lift a finger.”

“I know what I'm doing.” Lyle knew he lied, but he could tell today was the day. He could feel it in his bones, no matter how much they hurt. “Might as well be in handcuffs myself.” Lyle tried to scoot his leg over, keeping his eyes on the nurse. He dropped one leg out, but then his hip exploded in pain.

Suddenly the nurse blew up, figuratively. Lyle wanted her to leave. Scared the living piss out of him. She was yelling and cursing. Then Susie broke out into a fast walk over to the door exit. Following her were the others, chanting.

The six of them tore into the hallway, and Lyle got a glimpse of what they were after. It was the cop, Hector, standing in their line of fire.

“Told ya,” said Lyle. Finally he was up, though wobbly on his first steps. He took a deep, curling bread and stopped.“You killed Frank, yeah?”

Nolan closed his eyes, blinking. “Yeah.”

Lyle grinned. He started back again. Nolan's first actual hit on someone. A one-hit knockout. Self-defense, right? Same excuse Brock had probably used to get Hector back on the job. The desperate self-proclaimed 'hero' was running low on boots.

Hector slammed his back to the wall. Started to breath heavily. Gritted his teeth when the nurse came right ah him and smacked him. Damn bitch. He tried not to make eye contact with them. But eye contact was key. That's the tool he used to pressure the mayor and his associates. But now that wasn't a good option.

“Get away from me for god's sake.” Hector had just left his cell, fearing the backlash from outside. And surrounding him was his answer. They hated him for what he did. Blasted a man to smithereens with bullets. Or should Hector say 'saved everyone from a terrorist trying to unleash the wrath of a hundred undead bastards'?

“You wouldn't know God if He stared you in the face!” Susie Brown was full of electricity. For days now, no, for the past month she had been in the shadows. Always in her school nurse uniform and held hostage in her office.

Her closest thing to peace had been the Bible she held in her grip at the moment. And now, there were others just like her. Caroline, the sweet girl she had always been, told her that she'd been worried her father was dead. Susie had done the one thing she could do. Tell the girl that her nightmares were correct. Straight up to her face.

Good medicine.

“Alright, what the hell's up?” Malcolm raced to them. A few minutes before he had finished giving the Joseph kid a heads-up on what to look for. Just the simple stuff, look for some groaning, diseased bodies that can walk and want to take a chunk out of you. Really simple.

“Someone gave these guys the crazy pill.” Hector fell behind Malcolm.

“He's a bastard,” Susie shouted. “And you are too for letting him live.”

Malcolm raised his hands, trying to calm her down. But her followers didn't stop. All this noise nearly made Malcolm deaf. “Ma'am, explain to me your problem.”

“She's got issues,” Hector said. “Crazy bitch!”

Susie threw up her Bible, right in Malcolm face. “It's a sin,” she shouted. “For him to keep living.”

“Ma'am,” Malcolm said, “please calm down. I need you all to go back to—“

“No.” Caroline split away from the group. “No, we won't. You can't keep avoiding us. We want answers.”

Malcolm bit his tongue. Maybe it would be great to give the people some info. Tell them that they were running out of supplies. The power was going out. Basically shit had hit the fan and they were covered in it.

He was about to speak, but became aware of the noise of feet stomping against the ground. He turned. It was Brock, all suited up with three soldiers behind him. Malcolm could always on the man to save the day. Loosen up on the sarcasm.

Brock, obviously, wasn't running. His leg wasn't set for it. Instead he balanced himself on a cane, although it didn't do much to help. Kind of added insult to injury. “Good afternoon, people.” Brock stopped, nodding to Malcolm and smiling.

And just like that, all problem was gone in Brockville. A bright blue day for the capital of Indiana. “Ms. Brown, these men will escort you and your friends back to...” Brock stammered, for a second stricken by fear from the nasty glare of Susie's group. “The clinic? Isn't that where you came from?”

Susie was about to respond, but then one of the soldiers grabbed her and smothered the group entirely. She was up to her wits. Pointed a finger at Brock's nose, growling. “You are hiding things. You are killing us. Why are we still in here? And don't give me any radio bullshit!”

“Lady, calm down.” Brock raised his hands, trying to appeal to her. “If you want answers, you'll get them. We're running dry on boys to rely on to guard this place until the evac shows up. Got me? You haven't seen the worst of it.”

“I saw enough.” Susie shoved away one of the soldiers trying to grab her. “I saw innocent people of this city bleeding on floors. These floors that we're on. You're telling me to forget about what happened. What is happening, sergeant?” Susie walked forward, clenching the pine of her book. “And to make matters worse for us, you have that bastard parading around with a gun.”

Hector grinned. Was just a game for him. He knew Brock and Malcolm needed him. They'd lost nearly all of their marksmen the week before. Hector would take advantage of this. Knew he had to or the two would throw the book at him.

He smiled, chuckling. “Hey, Brown, you've lost your marbles already?”

“Oh to hell with you!” Susie Brown had had enough. She glanced at Caroline, noticing her saddened eyes. “This beautiful young girl has had to suffer under you both.” The nurse shot a sharp eye at Malcolm and Brock. “She lost her father, didn't you, dear?”

“My dad isn't dead.” Caroline didn't quite feel up to it. Lately she had been down in the dumps. Sometimes she'd back away from her brother, Eugene. Always they would make up, but Caroline was pulling her last straw. “I just want you all to stop fighting and do something about this.”

“We are,” Malcolm said, his emotions slipping out. “Trust us. Put some trust into us.”

“That's right, we have.” Susie ripped open the Bible as if she had bookmarked a page. “Here,” She shoved the Bible into Malcolm's face, placing her edgy finger on one of the verses. “Read this out loud.”

Malcolm pursed his lips, looking at Brock who just shrugged his shoulders. “I don't see why this is relevant.”

“Do it.”

“''For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land''.”

Susie smiled, joy blinking in her pupils. “Deuteronomy 15:11.” She paused. “Read that verse that first day you all came in.” She felt accomplished, looking at the soldier who tried to grab her before. You can take me back, son, while we're still breathing.”