The Dark Trilogy (48 page)

“
What the fuck were you thinking?” he yelled at her, the butt of the rifle pointed at her face. He looked tempted to drive it into her nose, but froze. Cindy, dazed but conscious, stared up at him with raw hatred in her eyes.

Michael took a deep breath and looked around. Everyone was watching him, horrified at what had just happened. Jeff was stunned at Cindy’s reaction to his words, but equally as shocked that Michael had saved him. He watched from his knees as the brooding leader’s expression changed from rage to exasperation.

“
So you all want to leave?” he repeated his question from earlier.

Heads rose up, surprise etched on faces as everyone heard the words spat out between clenched teeth. A few of the survivors replied with timid nods. Shaking his head in frustration, Michael moved back toward the edge of the RV and glared angrily at the infected multitude.

“
Fine then. Go down below. If we’re leaving, we need to move fast.”

Chapter 21

Jeff stood and pulled Megan up next to him, giving her a hug as relief poured over the two of them. His smile faded as he saw Cindy rubbing her cheek where Michael had struck her. She spotted him looking, spat out a wad of blood in his direction and smiled, her crimsoned teeth reminding him of the creatures down below.

He watched Michael move next to her and extend his hand. Cindy stared at it, and her eyes narrowed. It looked to Jeff as if she were debating whether to grasp the appendage or tear into it with her teeth. When Cindy sullenly reached up, Michael hoisted her to her feet. They glared at one another until he turned to address the group.

“
Move it, people! We’re all getting into my RV. Grab as many supplies as you can. We have to get rolling as quickly as possible.”

As everyone scrambled down the ladder, he shouted after them.

“
You have one minute, and I do mean ONE minute!”

Lydia had been watching from below, huddled with the children next to the table on which Ray lay. Jeff smiled at her, and she returned it weakly as Megan ran to explain what had happened. The gray-haired woman’s eyes widened, and she nodded then rushed to her RV.

She flew past Jeff as he moved toward the children. Megan was talking to them, and he looked at Ray, who was conscious again, his face ghostly pale. Jeff could see the veins beneath his skin, and his irises were almost completely milky white. His breathing was shallow, but he appeared to be cognizant of what was going on.

“
So we’re leaving?” he wheezed.

Jeff nodded wordlessly, afraid his voice might crack. Ray was fading, but might have a couple of hours left. The last thing the boy needed to hear was the fear in his voice. When the teen smiled, Jeff tried returning it, but was grateful when Teddy ran up. Ray’s eyes moved to his friend, and his smile widened as they clasped hands.

“
We need to get you up and into the RV,” was the last thing Jeff heard out of Teddy’s mouth as he turned away, relieved. Taking a steadying breath, Jeff moved next to Megan and the kids. He painted another false smile on his face.

Joey, the sandy-haired boy, was trying to look brave as Megan whispered to them. Nathan’s flaming red hair stood out like a beacon as he mimicked the older boy and did his best to stand tall. They remained close to Sadie, whose bright eyes were glued to Megan as the little girl clung to a ratty baby doll.

As he got close, Jeff could hear Megan’s words. “So head on over to Michael’s trailer, okay? We’re going to take a little trip. Isn’t that exciting?” She looked at them, her eyes glistening. When Sadie nodded shyly, Megan ruffled her fine, silky hair. “That’s a good girl.”

Megan looked at the boys. “Take Sadie inside the RV and get in the back. Just ignore the noise outside the camp; everyone will be in there with you in a minute. Now go!” She shooed them away. Each boy grabbed one of Sadie’s hands, and they ran to the RV. Megan watched them go as Jeff slipped a comforting arm around her shoulder. As the children entered the RV, the two adults watched it vibrate from the pounding it was getting from the opposite side.

Jeff looked around the camp. George and Jason had gathered the small amount of supplies from their RV and were back in the courtyard. Frank and Ben had already lugged several large duffel bags full of gear out of their trailers and dumped them in Michael’s. It looked like everyone was about ready to go.

Jeff groaned as he saw Michael speaking heatedly with Cindy near the fire pit. Whatever the argument was about, it seemed to be coming to a close as Michael turned from his girlfriend and whistled to gain everyone’s attention.

Jeff nudged Megan. “Our fearless leader speaks.” She snorted in derision as everyone stopped what they were doing.

“
It’s time to go. Time to say farewell to this place.” Michael shook his head and looked at the ground, his eyes filled with frustration once again.

“
There’s just one more thing that needs to be done before we leave.”

Everyone stood waiting. Jeff could feel the tension in the air; they were all anxious to get a move on and were growing tired of Michael’s little speeches. Jeff glanced at Teddy and noticed the boy had managed to get Ray up off the table. They leaned against it, watching their leader like everyone else.

Michael took the M16 off his back and pointed it at the ground. “This place has meant a lot to us. We fought hard to get here, and it was my hope that we would be able to stay a while longer.” He looked up and smiled. “But it wasn’t meant to be. So now we leave, and hopefully we can make a fresh start somewhere else.” He raised the rifle up. “But first, we need to say goodbye to old friends who lost their lives helping us get this far.”

He turned to face Ray and took aim.

“
Goodbye, Ray.”

Chapter 22

The bullet plowed through Ray’s right eye, blowing shards of his glasses along with globs of brain fragments all over the table on which he had just been lying. The noise exploded around the compound and was swiftly followed by screams and howls of shock.

Teddy stared at his friend as he slipped from his arms and slumped, lifeless, to the ground. Jeff gaped at the corpse and then at the other boy, who could only stare down at Ray’s body, a blank expression on his face.

A smell of cordite and shit permeated the air as Lydia ran over to Teddy, who was now kneeling down trying to speak to Ray. She glanced at Michael for a split second, a look of absolute horror and revulsion on her face.

Michael spun, the rifle pointing at Ben. Jeff had seen a blur of motion out of the corner of his eye, and apparently so had Michael. Ben froze, but the homicidal intent was still in his eyes. Michael held the rifle steady as he glared at everyone. Megan, who was one of the people who had been screaming, shoved her face into Jeff’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her, stunned.

The only sound inside the camp now was of Teddy screaming as Lydia fought to wrestle him away from Ray’s body.

“
It’s time to move on, people! Ray was dead already,” Michael shouted. “We couldn’t take him with us, and you know it. Remember the rules! Once bitten, you’re already dead. There is no going back, no cure, no hope, and no prayers that can change things.” He looked at them with contempt. “Did you really think we could take him with us?” He spat on the ground. “WE CANNOT AFFORD TO BE WEAK, PEOPLE! If you plan on surviving much longer, you better accept that right fucking now.”

His eyes burned into them. Teddy was still clutching at Ray, and Lydia had given up trying to pry him away. Instead, she leaned over him and whispered in his ear as she rubbed his back.

“
Everyone, move out!” Michael waved the rifle and motioned the survivors toward the RV. No one moved at first, and he hissed in frustration.

He went to Frank, who looked afraid of the other man. “Get them all aboard. Do it. Now.” He glared at his underling until Frank bobbed his head and walked away. The rotund hick looked relieved, as if he had barely escaped becoming Michael’s next victim. He waved everyone into the RV. They dragged their feet, a fatalistic look in their eyes.

As Jeff moved toward the RV, his eyes stayed locked on Michael, who was holding Cindy by the arm and giving her a command. She appeared to be the only person besides the leader who wasn’t upset by what had happened. Jeff was not surprised. He watched her bob her head and run toward Ben’s RV. Michael turned back to the others after she left. He kept waving the rifle, urging everyone to move at a faster clip.

Ben had regained his composure and moved over to Lydia and Teddy. As he knelt over them, he spoke to Teddy. The boy shook his head violently. Ben spoke again, and the boy’s thin chest hitched a couple of times before he finally nodded. Ben helped him up, and the three of them moved toward Michael’s Winnebago.

A few moments later, several heads turned as they heard Ben’s RV starting up. They had been on top of it only minutes before, and now it was rocking violently, the infected excited by the sound of the engine roaring to life. With the increase in volume, all hesitation disappeared. Everyone, including Michael, moved rapidly toward the door of his trailer. Cindy was right behind, running across the courtyard.

Fear clung to everyone as they climbed aboard and moved to the back of the luxury cruiser. Cindy and Frank remained up front with Michael as they clung to the remains of their small arsenal. When everyone was on board and settled, Michael shut the door and faced his crew.

No one spoke, but the trailer was noisy as fists and other body parts smashed into the outer wall. The windows were still intact, and the shades were pulled. None of the survivors was interested in moving them to snatch a quick look outside. There was a large piece of cardboard covering the front windshield as well, making the trailer seem cold and dark once the door was shut.

“
We’ll wait a bit before we take off.” Michael’s words were a whisper. “Maybe some more of them will move toward Ben’s RV since its engine’s on.”

The hailstorm of fists did slow, and the sounds of moaning dissipated after a few minutes. Frank had his ear to the passenger window, and when he moved away, he gave Michael a halfhearted shrug. That seemed to be good enough, as Michael reached down and slid his key into the ignition. He nodded at Cindy, and she tore away the cardboard on the windshield.

Michael turned the key, and the diesel engine spit and growled. All that could be seen through the windshield was the back of Lydia’s RV. The right edge of its bumper was touching the right edge of Michael’s. To the left was their path to freedom along with a crowd of unsuspecting stiffs making their way toward Ben’s RV. Michael spun the wheel and flipped the gearshift into reverse. The Winnebago was equipped with a rearview monitor, and he stared at it as he carefully backed away from Frank and Marcus’s RV, which was situated behind them. Several thuds indicated that a few of the ghouls had shifted direction and were coming back. Michael pressed down on the gas, feeding the vehicle more and more until the tires elevated, climbing out of their ruts. The protesting screech as the side of the RV grazed Frank’s trailer made everyone cringe. After easing back until they were clear, Michael twisted the wheel again and flipped the big machine into drive.

He stared ahead at the world beyond the windshield. They were driving into hell, and everyone in the RV knew it.

Michael slammed his foot on the gas pedal, and they rumbled forward, directly into a crowd of rotting bodies waiting for them with outstretched, welcoming arms.

Beyond the Dark

INTRODUCTION

As Patrick D'Orazio's Publisher, it is my distinct pleasure to write the introduction to "Beyond the Dark", the third part of "The Dark Trilogy". The book is a wonder to behold. Why you may ask? The answer is simple ... "Comes the Dark" and "Into the Dark" are two of the finest horror novels I have ever read or published. They are constantly at the top of our "Best Seller" list and continue to be snatched up by the book reading public. Do I expect this for "Beyond the Dark"? You bet your Aunt Bessie I do!

Reading the three books you can see how Patrick has honed his craft. His use of words is sharp. His descriptions are second to none. His "got ya's" are always well placed. Patrick's muse is firing on all eight cylinders.

So you, Dear Reader, are in for one of the great treats in the zombie genre of books. Patrick has written another winner. If you haven't read the first two books, please do that first. Then pick up this wonderful addition to "The Dark Trilogy". You don't want to miss any of the screams that will come from your inner soul.