Leslie slapped him on the shoulder and said, “Hey saying shit like that might actually give you a chance there Chucky boy.”
Chuck’s face got deadly serious and he said, “Wait no shitting, I might have a chance at you?”
Leslie shrugged as she walked past Phelps smiling as his fresh tears of pain were hitting the ground in front of him. Chuck and Jude picked him up and they helped him walk as they entered the factory.
Phelps said, “You do realize my security guard is going to be coming in here at some point right?”
Jude said, "Oh if you are counting on him you probably best be not doing that. He isn't going to probably be doing anything but either leaving here or going to a hospital. We drove through the fence and his guard shack. He isn't going to have a safe place to hide anymore after all this."
Phelps said, “But that keeps people out, you can’t just go and bust through -”
Chuck said, “Oh I think we can, and I’d say since you brought like, all of the damn dead back you don't have a lot of room to be preaching to us about what we can and what we can’t be doing. You just do what we say and we will be out of your hair before you know it. We got a lot of miles to put on our van today between hitting up the news and going back to Iowa. The quicker you get us what we need the quicker we will get out of your hair. I can assume you want us out of here right? I mean you don’t want to invite us up for a lunch right?”
Phelps said, “Yes that would be a correct assumption. So you just want to see the chemical plant then?”
Joanne said, "No I want to see where you store your waste. I'm sure whatever you dumped into the ground isn't what you make here, it's gotta be a runoff or what is leftover after you make the product you actually get money for. How much of it do you have after dumping that shit the last night? A few barrels? A few thousand barrels?"
Phelps laughed and opened the door to the factory. He led them to the back where he opened one more door. He didn’t say anything until he opened the door. He said, “Christ would you look for yourself. I don’t know what some run off is going to do for you, it ain’t like its gonna have any special answers. I still think y’all are full of shit. The minute you leave here, I'm going to go to town and see that you are just a bunch of nuts.”
Jude said, “Oh I very much hope you do that sir. I really hope you do. I think if anyone deserves to have the dead follow him you are a candidate for it.”
Joanne walked in and flicked on the light. She stared around and walked slowly, by her guess the room that lead underground went as far as the eye could see. She turned around slowly and said, "My God were you going to dump all of this waste? Are you insane? Do you not care about the environment?"
Phelps said, "Don't judge me, young lady. They wouldn't call them hard decisions if they were easy. I'm doing what's best for this town."
Chuck said, “Yeah how’s that? By getting everyone killed, eaten, and chased out of town?”
Just as they were about to continue their banter back and forth Steven stumbled in screaming at the top of his lungs. He screamed, "Help, help, help me, please!"
They all turned trying to see what and who was screaming at the top of their lungs. When Steven came into view it was apparent taking the fence down had not been a good thing for him. Phelps saw him first and the realization what these people proclaiming could very well be true. His stomach turned five different ways in a matter of seconds.
Phelps yelled back to him, "Steven what in God's name happened to you, man?"
He already knew the answer but for some reason would not believe it without the man spelling it out for him. Jude whispered, “I would be looking for a new security guard because the one you have right now is not going to last very much longer.”
Steven staggered trying to stay on his feet but not having very much success. His black pants were covered with blood impossible to see of course but the blood was leaving a very long trail and the lights were glistening off of the silk pants.
“What in God's name is going on outside?” Phelps asked.
“I was trying to get free from the guard shack and when I finally got out hands as cold as ice grabbed my arms and teeth tore at my flesh repeatedly. It was a miracle at all I was able to get away from them. I need to get to town and get to the doctor sir, do you think you could give me a ride?”
Chuck said, “Well I think that might be the first time I've heard the word miracle used today. But in his defense he doesn't know about the hell that's about to take over his life or more accurately death.”
Stevens' knees started to buckle and he fell to the ground. He said, "Sir I really think that I need a -"
That was the last word Steven said. The only other noises that would be coming from him were going to be moans and growls. Jude said, “Joanne get whatever sample it is you want to take with. We need to get out of here and get away from Steven before something comes up that we don't want to deal with.”
Joann hurriedly went to one of the barrels opening the small lid and putting in a number of beakers at random barrels along the wall. Phelps said, “I don't know what you're wasting your time for. Its the exact same thing and each one of those barrels that those men were dumping outside. The government was going to shut me down if we didn't get rid of some of the waste.”
Jude said, “It was very hot last night. This shit must have evaporated into the air, and from what I can tell went into the storm clouds as far north as Iowa and I have no idea how far east west and south. If this hits the entire nation now, it could take out everyone. Can you imagine the entire nation filled with the dead walking? The dead turning the living into vicious zombies?”
Phelps stared at Steven laying on the ground and getting a small sense of relief as he was not coming back. Phelps turned around and said, “Well since Steven isn't coming back, then you guys must be full of shit. You’re on crazy pills, or tripping on something. But as far as I can tell something bad happened to him we don't know what and he's dead.”
A moaning came from behind Phelps, his eyes opened wide and he immediately shut up and stopped talking. Chuck said, “Uh that Steven fellow is dead, you know the one that is standing up and crouching behind you, he's the one that you are so worried about?”
Steven started dashing towards Phelps. Jude said, "We need to get the hell out of here."
Jude flipped the switch on the shotgun barrels looking to see if he had one or two shells in it and when he saw one of the shells had already been used he cursed under his breath somehow in all of the craziness forgetting he had a shot taken at him already.
He yelled to Phelps, "Do you have anymore shotgun shells for this thing?"
Phelps couldn't take his eyes off of Steven. He was mumbling something about how this could not be true, but it was barely coherent no one could understand what he was saying. When Phelps could finally speak he said, "I'm getting the hell out of here screw all of you."
Phelps ran toward Steven thinking he would be able to dodge him. He, of course, was wrong. Steven tackled Phelps and took a rip out of his neck. Phelps screamed in agony and Steven then grabbed the man by his ears slamming his skull into the hard concrete beneath him until his head cracked open across the back. Steven was doing this the entire time and as Phelps screams finally stopped Steven lifted his head up ripping Phelps skull in half and gorging himself on his brain. When he looked up he had blood on both cheeks dripping from his face.
Jude walked up behind Steven slowly holding his axe firmly in a baseball grip and took one ending swing at the back of his head. He buried the axe handle and blade into the man's skull. Steven’s shoulders relaxed and his body went limp. The only thing keeping him upright was Jude holding the axe. Jude took a deep breath and asked Joanne, “Did you get everything you need Joanne so we can get the hell out of here?”
She nodded and said, “Yes I think I did, we should have more than enough.”
Leslie said, “Oh my God I can't believe that just fucking happened. That's like one of the worst things I've ever seen in my life.”
Chuck said, “Yeah it just breaks my heart it had to go and happen to such a nice guy. Come on let's get back to the van, and get the hell out of here.”
No one had any problems with leaving the factory building with the chemicals that brought back the dead. Jude saw a spray paint can sitting outside on a cart filled with odds and ends and he slammed the door shut locking them again. On the outside of the door he sprayed; ‘Do not open, death inside. This will bring back the dead do not open!
’
“You know it almost seems like it'd be a smart idea someone stayed here and guarded this shit, what do you think?” Chuck asked.
“I think we stop by a phone and have Joanne here call her boss and let them know the shit has completely the fan,” Jude said.
Joanne nodded and the four walked slowly past Steven and Phelps. It took an extra minute to free the axe head from Steven’s head. He wiped the blade the best he could and secured it back on his back as he had been carrying it all day long. Jude checked Phelps’ pockets finding shotgun shells and cleaned out what he could knowing if they were in a hurry it might be good to be able to buy them some time with a gun. He was not a hundred percent sold on the fact that the shotgun might not be able to take down one of the dead with the buckshot as the ammunition.
Chuck thinking the same thing said, “Do you think the buckshot is actually going to be able to do anything to those things?”
Jude said, "Hell if I know Chuck. I'm figuring out a new plan it seems every other minute. All I do know is I'd rather have this than not. The worst case scenario, if they don't kill them, we can sure take a shot at one of them in a knee."
Leslie said, “Do you think they have any more of those axes in this place? I feel like I'm walking around naked without some kind of weapon. Just seems stupid.”
Chuck smiled and just got punched in the arm. He said, “I'm growing on you. I'm growing on you.”
They found a fire extinguisher sign on the wall and went over. Leslie found herself an axe she could take with her. The only one walking without a weapon was Joanne but she carried her materials and the samples. The four of them made their way back to the front entrance of the factory. When they looked out they saw the dead swarming through the parking lot. They looked all around again trying to find a way to make it back to the van, something that seemed to be getting harder and harder for the four of them to do. Jude saw just barely in the distance an entire field worth of tombstones sticking up from the ground. He pointed to them and said, "How in the hell can a town this small have so many fucking dead people in it. Do these people not live long or something?"
Leslie said, “Seems like we have been here forever. Even if you go to school it seems like you still end up coming back to this town eventually. There is nothing better at least before today anyway then what small town living could provide.”
Chuck said, “You know what I'm from a small town, I can appreciate that Leslie.”
Leslie said, "That is good to know Chuck. Let's get this done so you can go home. I don't need you around me any longer than needed."
Chuck said, "You know words like that can hurt. You know you're going to miss me. Like I said I'm growing on you."
Jude said, “I think I'm done with pulling distraction duty with these damn things. The way I see it this place already has all the chemicals to bring hell on the world right? So what do we care if we trap the dead in there? They can't become more dead right?”
The other three nodded and Chuck said, "So can I assume at the least you have a plan, Jude?"
Jude said, "Yes I have a plan Chuck don't worry buddy. But I do have some probably bad news for you, Chuck."
Chuck said, "Oh shit, oh no what is it, what's the bad news? You're going to make me be what they come after huh? You're going to make me bait damn it. Oh don't do that to me Jude please don't do that to me, buddy."
Judy said, "Yeah it's not all that great of an idea now is it. No, I was just going to say you're going to have to run. These things are walking pretty slow, but it's still not a guarantee they aren't going to catch up to us."
Chuck said, “If it's going to save all our asses, I'll make sure I can get my ass moving. You don't worry about that, just make sure we all stay together everyone. If there is one thing I learned in the Army, you don't go off alone.”
Leslie said, “You were in the army?”
Chuck pumped his arm proudly. He said, "You bet your sweet ass I was honey I mean Jude and I signed up on the same day. Why do you like a man in a uniform? I mean mine probably wouldn't fit, but it still looks damn good on me."
When Leslie smiled shaking her head it was that second that Chuck began to realize that yes he really was starting to grow on her. Leslie said, “Don't go getting carried away with yourself we could just take it one day at a time.”
Chuck said, “Oh God please give me more than just one day to live. Just give me at least one more day damn it.”
Jude said, “Are you done? I mean are you happy now she doesn't completely hate you. You might have, you know a little chance in hell. You ready to listen to my idea?”
Chuck said, “Yep hit me up buddy let's get this show on the road.”