The Death Trilogy (Book 1): The Death: Quarantine (19 page)

“As a matter of fact, I did kill someone, Tess, and that person was my brother-in-law,” Daryl said and walked towards the front door.

“You killed your brother-in-law?” Tess asked as she followed behind him.

Devin wasn’t prepared like Daryl but grabbed a rifle, an AR-15 too, and followed Daryl.

Daryl walked onto the front deck, stopping to look down at the bloodstain. He paused as he took in the enormity of the blood-soaked boards and the blood splatter on the siding. He grunted and proceeded towards the detached garage off to the far right.

“Is this a good idea?” Tess asked as she followed him.

Devin was close behind, his heart racing at the anticipation that he’d be in another gunfight in as many days.

Daryl spun around and asked, “What do you recommend, I leave him there?”

“No, let me and Devin go. It doesn’t make sense to turn this into a fight when it doesn’t have to be,” Tess argued.

“Do you really think they’ll just let you have him?” Daryl asked.

“That’s if he’s even there,” Devin added.

Both Daryl and Tess looked at him.

“You’re just assuming; what if he isn’t there? If Tess is able, I think she should go driving around looking for him, take Bri with her,” Devin suggested.

“Two women out and about by themselves?” Daryl smugly asked.

“I can take care of myself, have been for some time now,” Tess fired back.

“Daryl, I have to agree with Tess. She’s more capable than most,” Devin said.

“Fine, do whatever you want. You should take the Humvee, then. If you find diesel fuel, you should top it off,” Daryl said as he put his rifle in the cab of the truck and got in. He looked over at Devin and barked, “Are you coming or what?"

Devin hurried over and got in.

As they pulled out, Devin waved to Tess and now Brianna, who had stepped outside.

Daryl didn’t exaggerate about the distance; they drove just over a mile and pulled off the country road fifty feet from the driveway of Daryl’s sister’s house.

Devin looked around at the endless flat land covered in dead cornstalks. He longed for the day he’d not see the same tired topography.

“Walk up with me to the driveway, then stay put. I’ll go the rest of the distance. I need you to be on the lookout.”

“What exactly are we getting into here?”

“A possible fight.”

“If your brother-in-law is dead, who do we need to be worried about?” Devin asked.

“Oh, my sister shacked up with an unsavory character not a month after I killed Rick. He’s a piece of shit, but he’s a formidable guy. Claims he use to be a Navy SEAL, but many question that, as I do.”

“Great, so we might be going up against a Navy SEAL!” Devin exclaimed.

Daryl stopped and said, “If you don’t want to come, don’t, but don’t be scared. I think the guy is full of shit. He’s not a SEAL, much less a cook from the Navy. I spent eight years in the Army and can spot a liar when I see them.”

“Army?”

“Yeah.”

“That makes me feel better.”

Daryl looked at him squarely and said, “It should.”

Devin laughed to himself. Daryl had a cockiness and confidence that came from somewhere, and anyone that had the stones to be a Ranger definitely would be a confident person.

Daryl walked away from Devin and up to the edge of the gravel driveway.

Devin jogged after him and stopped just short of exposing himself.

“So the house is not fifty feet away; it’s a double-wide trailer. They have two outbuildings behind it, but Simon is most likely inside with Laura and the kids.”

“Um, don’t mean to question, but what’s your plan? This is kind of half-assed.”

“Simple, I’m going to walk up to the front door, knock, and ask if he’s there.”

“That’s not a plan.”

“Of course it is, it’s just not an elaborate one.”

“Aren’t you worried—”

“No, they won’t shoot straight out, but I’m carrying to show them I’m ready to roll if we have to, and my sister will tell me the truth if it means rubbing in that my son ran away.”

Devin nodded and then asked, “And you want me to just stand here?”

“When I hit the front door, step out from behind here so they can see you. I want them to think twice about doing anything.”

“I can do that.”

“Good, I’m on the move,” Daryl said and stepped into the driveway. He made his way towards the front.

The front door of the trailer flew open before Daryl could reach them, and out stepped a tall and skinny man, his shirt off exposing a torso and arms covered in tattoos.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Simon hollered.

Daryl kept marching towards the front, his rifle hanging down with his hand on the pistol grip.

“Stop right there, Daryl. You’re not welcome here,” Simon yelled.

Daryl didn’t stop but kept walking; he wasn’t afraid of Simon and wanted to prove it.

Simon reached in the small of his back and pulled out a pistol. He pointed it at Daryl and yelled, “Stop there, motherfucker!”

Daryl walked the remaining few feet till he reached the front steps. He was now only five feet from Simon. He looked down the muzzle of the semi-auto pistol, then looked into Simon’s eyes and said, “Where’s my boy?”

“Your boy ain’t here!”

“Where’s Laura? I want to speak to her.”

Devin heard the loud back and forth and thought it best to show himself. He stepped out into the driveway and stood as tall as he could. A nervous twitch hit him, making his hands and legs shake slightly, but he was getting better at controlling his emotional state. He knew that was key to overcoming the fears and lack of confidence he had before.

Simon looked up and saw Devin. His eyes widened, and instinctually he took a half step back. Seeing another armed man made him feel uneasy.

“You and your fucking pal there need to leave my land, now!” Simon barked.

“I’m not leaving until you give me my son,” Daryl ordered in a forceful tone.

“He ain’t here, man.”

Daryl had only seen Simon once before with his shirt off. He hadn’t been this close before, so he quickly took notice of the trident tattoo on his upper chest with the inscription ‘SEAL TEAM 2’. The first time he’d met Simon years ago at a bar, he knew without a doubt that he was a liar. He remembered that day like it was yesterday. Simon was bragging about the number of kills he had from the war in Syria and how he had literally saved his team single-handedly. It only took Daryl a few unsuspecting questions to know Simon was lying. After having spent a year deployed to Syria, Daryl was familiar with how things ran in-country, and everything that spewed from Simon's mouth was, in his words, ‘pure bullshit.’

“Where’s Laura?” Daryl asked.

“She ain’t here either, man!” Simon yelled, his armed still outstretched with the pistol pointing at Daryl.

“I’ll tell you what, I’m gonna just sit here and wait till she comes back.”

“Get the fuck off my land!”

“First off, this isn’t your land, it’s Laura’s, and second, where exactly could she be? It’s not as if she’s shopping.”

“She ain’t—”

Daryl interrupted him, “She ain’t here, man, I know, I know.”

“Fuck you!”

Daryl saw a small five-gallon bucket close by and walked over to it.

Simon kept his eyes and his pistol on Daryl as he moved.

Needing to find a way to get the gun off of him, Daryl had an idea. He’d present Simon with another target.

Looking down the driveway, Daryl called out, “Devin, come here!”

“Don’t you listen, man? Get out of here!”

Devin began to march quickly down the drive towards Daryl.

Jitters hit Simon as his eyes darted back and forth between them, and his hand began to shake. Not knowing who to put the gun on, he began to move it back and forth between Daryl and Devin.

Devin paused a half step when the pistol was aimed at him, but he pressed forward, trusting that Daryl had it under control.

“We’re not going to leave until I speak with my sister,” Daryl said, then sat down on the bucket.

“She ain’t coming back for a bit. You’re wasting your time here!”

Daryl thought about what Simon just said. It didn’t make sense. Where could she be? He hadn’t seen her since he had killed Rick, and that was over four months ago.

Devin stopped a few feet from Daryl and said, “What’s up?”

“What do you think, Dev? He says my boy and my sister aren’t here. What about my nephew, is he here, I wonder?”

Simon overheard him and blurted out, “No one is here, man. Laura and Seth are gone; they left a bit ago.”

“Where?”

Fear entered Simon’s face as he realized his lies were about to be exposed.

“Where are Laura and Seth? Simon, where are they?” Daryl asked as he stood up. He repositioned his hand on the grip of his rifle and readied himself.

Seeing this, Simon began to shake more noticeably.

“Devin, listen to me clearly. Step away from me.”

Devin began to walk away, but kept the front of his body pointed towards Simon.

Simon again began to point the pistol back and forth.

At first Daryl believed the chances of this altercation becoming violent were low, but that confidence was gone. Something had happened to Laura and Seth, and he knew Simon had something to do with it.

“Simon, where’s my sister?”

“Oh, man, I told you!”

“Enough bullshit, Simon, where is she?” he asked. Daryl didn’t want this to turn violent, and he didn’t want to have to kill Simon before knowing what was going on with his sister. However, attempting to just wound someone could be a dangerous gamble on his part. Shooting him center mass was the safest bet for his own survival, and his training had only taught him to kill.

Devin took a few rushed steps, drawing Simon’s attention and the muzzle of the pistol.

Daryl saw this as the opportunity he needed. He raised the rifle and leveled it at Simon.

Simon quickly pivoted back in haste when he saw Daryl’s move.

Daryl squeezed off three rounds; all hit him in the chest.

Simon’s body fell back against the door and slid to the deck. He was dead before his body touched the welcome mat.

Devin had brought his rifle to his shoulder, but the fight was over before he could flip off the safety.

Not hesitating, Daryl sprinted onto the small deck, picked up Simon’s pistol, tucking it nicely into his waistband, and entered the trailer. A strong offensive smell wafted over him. It was a combination of feces, urine and overall grime. The trailer was a mess. From one end to the other trash, dirty clothes and debris lay everywhere. His sister wasn’t one to live like this, so by the state of tidiness, he knew his sister hadn’t been there for some time.

Devin came in a minute behind him and belted out, “What is that smell?”

“It’s scumbag,” Daryl answered as he made his way down the narrow hall towards the bedrooms. He opened each door to find more trash but no sign of anyone, including Hudson. When he came into the master bedroom, he found signs that Simon was involved in some barbaric acts. Leather straps were fixed to each bedpost, and stains, presumably blood, were on the sheets and fabric headboard. Looking for anything that would tell him where Laura could be, he began to scan the room. On the chest of drawers he found Laura’s most valued possessions, her wedding ring from Rick and a necklace she had received when they first started dating. To Daryl, this was a sign that something bad had happened to her. Laura would never leave these items behind voluntarily.

“Daryl, come here quick!” Devin hollered from the kitchen.

Sensing Devin had found something; he rushed down the hall but almost stumbled over a pile of trash and soiled clothes stacked high.

Daryl came into the kitchen, and before he could ask, he saw the horror with his own eyes.

On an island counter lay a large bone, similar in length and appearance to a human thigh bone. From a quick examination, the bone was charred on each end, like it had been cooked over open flame.

Not one to be grossed out, Daryl couldn’t help but cringe when he saw it. Instantly he began to ask himself if this was Laura.

“I’m afraid to open the cooler,” Devin said, pointing to a blue cooler on the main counter.

Daryl was deeply disturbed and couldn’t hide the fact. His body began to tremble, and the fear he had for Hudson grew as he wondered if he had become a meal for Simon. Not able to be in the kitchen any longer, he exited out the back door.

Shockingly, Devin was holding himself together, and for whatever reason, he took note. Six months before he could barely keep himself from fainting after finding his cousin and family; now he was able to compartmentalize what he was seeing and wasn’t overcome by it. He looked around the kitchen for any evidence of Hudson being there, but couldn’t find a thing.

Outside, Daryl pulled himself together and hollered, “Hudson, are you here? Son, are you here?”

A rustling came from the small shed off to the right at the edge of the property.

Daryl ran towards it.

Devin exited the back and saw Daryl racing to the small shed. Sensing urgency, he too ran in its direction.

Daryl reached the door and tried to open it, but it was padlocked.

Inside the sounds grew louder, and to his horror he could tell they were people moaning and scratching.

He looked around and saw a brick and began to hammer at the lock till it broke. He removed the lock and slid open the door. The first thing that he experienced was a strong putrid smell, but this was different than inside the house; this smelled of rotting flesh.

A woman, naked and barely alive, fell to the ground. Her filthy skin clung tightly to her bones, and her hair was cut short.

Horrified by seeing her, both Daryl and Devin took a step back.

The woman rolled onto her side and raised her skeletal arm in a plea for help.

Daryl fully expected this to be Laura, but it wasn’t. He didn’t recognize the woman.

More rustling inside drew their attention.

Not sure he wanted to see but knowing he had to, Daryl took out a flashlight and shined it inside. There in the corner of the shed was another woman crouched down, attempting to hide from the light. Her condition appeared similar to the first, emaciated.