Undead Insidious

Chapter 9

"Take everyone to where Father was killed, except for Chris," Willard smiled. The guards nodded and pushed Johnny out. They grabbed the others who were finally coming to, but still out of it. Willard stood up and motioned for Chris to follow.

"Where are you taking me?" Chris asked.

"Just follow," Willard replied. He led Chris past the shed, stopping in front of a large steel gate with dozens of locks attached. The locks clanked, pulled, and twisted. Gears shifted and the door had finally opened before them. They continued through an unpleasantly dead garden where flowers hadn't bloomed in years. They walked up to a building, Willard unlocking it, then waving Chris in. They crept into the room. It was a large meeting room used for meetings and interrogations. There was a long wooden table with a few chairs and a single light which dimly lit the room.

"Finally," Willard sighed. "Away from everyone."

"What is this all about?" Chris asked.

Willard took a seat and motioned for Chris to do the same, but he remained standing.

"Take the load off!" Willard smiled.

"What do you want with me?"

"Just to talk," Willard replied. "Look, I don't really care that Father is dead, I hated the son of a bitch. But I have to put on a show, pretend I care. Boo hoo!" he laughed.

"If you are happy with his death then just let us go."

"I can't do that. Unfortunately, there must be blood."

"Whose blood?"

"Whoever I deem unworthy," Willard told him. "But not you, no, not you. I want you to join me. We were good friends once upon a time."

"Yeah, in a time that you weren't so fucked in the head."

"I admit, I may be a changed man. And sometimes, I get off on killing people. I smile when I see the fear in someone's eyes. I laugh when someone is dying. I can't just let you all walk, even if I didn't like that stuff. Father was cherished and beloved by all."

"Then just kill Johnny and be done with it," Chris said.

***

Johnny looked at the two men guarding the door; rifles locked on tight. The group was given buckets and mops to clean up the remnants of Father's corpse.

"This is ridiculous," Johnny said. He was the only one who had refused to clean. "Just kill us. This is an insult to injury."

"We can arrange that," one of the guards said. "But Willard wants you alive for now."

"So, we just sit here waiting for our deaths?" Johnny said.

"Maybe Chris can work everything out," George whispered.

"Oh, yeah. The old chaps can have a talk and work everything out."

Nick abruptly started to gag. Vomit spewed from his mouth and nose. "I can't do this!"

"It's going to be okay," Jim said as he embraced his son.

"You're cleaning that up," the guard said.

***

Chris slammed Willard against the wall, but he just started to laugh.

"Oh, Chris!"

"I'm not like you," Chris said. "What happened to you? You had no pulse, you weren't breathing."

Willard shoved Chris off. "Right... That day I woke up and you were gone, I saw him," Willard grabbed Chris' hand and put it against his neck. "What do you feel?"