“If we’re being followed, it will be hard to know once it gets dark. They don’t have to be close. They can sense us somehow. Not sure if it’s our blood or our hearts, but they smell or hear something on a level that we don’t.”
Jack’s eyes bolt open, the whites around his pupils nearly glowing.
“I didn’t know that.”
“Not all of them, but some can, it’s safer to expect all of them are able to.”
The two men resume their travel, with a more methodical approach. Every few minutes Karo stops them and they listen, his head constantly on a swivel. He doesn’t voice it to Jack, but he’s uneasy with how they fled the grocery store. He’s never been one to aimlessly run. He learned early on to always check his surroundings, but Jack was frazzled and afraid, and Karo wanted to get him out of there.
Once the old trailer is in sight their pace picks back up, a certain level of confidence that no strangers lurk behind them having been reached. Jack knocks on the door lightly, following up with a soft announcement. The door is promptly opened by Norman, who wraps his arms around his husband. Karo, left standing outside the trailer, glares at them.
“Inside.” he says sternly.
The embraced lovers step back allowing the irritated traveler’s entry. Daisy rises from the floor, happy to see they’ve returned.
“It’s about time.” she says.
“There was, an issue.” Karo replies.
Daisy’s brow furrows.
“What happened?”
“We were attacked in those buildings.”
Norman stumbles over his own breath, Jack rubs his partner’s back.
“It’s alright honey, we weren’t hurt. It was terrifying, but we made it out just fine.”
Jack can see from his husband’s inquiring look that an explanation is needed.
“The larger building was once a grocery store. When we searched the stock room there were some infected in there. We got out and blocked the doors.”
“What kind of infected?” Daisy asks.
“Not the smart kind, I don’t think. It was dark in there, tough to know how many exactly, but Karo killed two of them.”
“Nothing followed you?” Norman’s hold on himself slips, shaking as the words flow from him.
“I don’t think so. We took extra care on the way back.” Jack assures him.
“Well, that’s good.” Daisy says.
“We need to move camp at first light.” Karo interjects.
“That’s not so good.” Daisy replies, her sarcasm getting away from her.
“Jack, Patrick isn’t doing well. He’s, having an episode.”
“We’ll carry him if we need to, but we move at first light, no matter what.” Karo says flatly, intercepting the conversation.
Daisy shoots an uncomfortable glance to Norman as Karo continues.
“I suggest we all get some rest, we’ll be traveling until sundown tomorrow.”
Jack and Norman retire to the bedroom in the back, the area on the floor still clear from where they slept the night before. Daisy joins Patrick in the other room, the boy still unresponsive. Karo pushes the dresser back across the front door, blocking the ability to open it, then he sprawls out on the floor.
The night passes with an eerie calm. Karo manages to get three hours of sleep before his mind jolts him awake. The days of sleeping more than a few hours at a time are long past for him. While the others rest he packs up all their things, making sure they’re as ready as possible to leave when the sun breaks the horizon.
He wakes Daisy first, anxious to know whether or not Patrick will be able to travel on his own accord. Their day starts with a good omen. Patrick rolls over as Daisy wakes him, makes eye contact with her, and nods in response to her requests.
Karo and Daisy wake Jack and Norman after. She informs them that Patrick is on the move this morning. Norman arises with a smile on his face, happy that Patrick is mobile. In less than five minutes they’re all ready to depart. Karo moves the dresser, and they exit the foul trailer. They’re greeted with a morning dew, caused by the light drizzle during the night.
The group doesn’t make it more than ten feet from the trailer before the most horrific sound they could imagine slams down upon them.
“Where you headed?”
The question comes from behind them. Daisy tenses, gripping Patrick’s arm. Norman freezes, the strength to turn around not within him. Karo whips his body in the direction of the question, having fully faced them before the words finished. Jack follows his action.
Two Adapted stand between them and the trailer. Both of the diseased creatures are wet and trembling, their clothes torn, their appearances unkempt. The hint of a smirk resides on the taller, more brutish one.
“Saw you before.” the taller one says, its words almost having to be forced out.
Karo grits his teeth, “Shit.” he mutters under his breath.
“We been waitin’ for you.” the shorter one says.
Karo puts his arms out, ushering the group behind him. He glances to Jack, keeping the Adapted in his field of view.
“Crowbars.” he softly says to the food enthusiast.
This time Jack does not hesitate, quickly sliding his backpack to his chest and removing the weapons.
“Daisy, quickly take the gun from my belt. Shoot them if it gets out of control, but the less noise the better.” Karo says, a hurried rush to his words, but still keeping his voice low.
The Adapted take off from a dead sprint. Karo returns the action in kind, raising his voice to the group as he separates from them.
“Back up! Get clear!”
He swings the crowbar mid-level, connecting with all his might against the chest of the shorter one. The impact brings forth a wheeze, stunting its movement. Before Karo can make another move, a lumbering arm smacks against his face, the larger one knocking Karo to the ground.
Karo rolls as he hits the ground, putting a few paces between him and the infected. As he springs up to his knees he sees Jack charging. The older man barrels into the larger diseased, the impact forcing it off its feet and sending it crashing to
