Infection |Infected Book 1|

Chapter 11 (original version)

The world seemed to flow in slow motion as I watched Cody approach the infected. He was silent and swift with each step he took. I could tell when one of the infected women smelled him when her head popped up alertly. Before she could let out a scream Cody swung his bat like he was hitting a home run. Blood flowed out of her dented head as she fell to the ground.

Hearing the commotion, a shorter woman with a missing arm ran towards him. Cody brought the bat down on her knee making her let out an inhumane scream. A deafening crack echoed through the parking lot when Cody hit her decaying neck so hard that her head flew off.

Cody didn't see the infected man running at him from behind.

“Cody!” I screamed and stood up from my hiding spot, sprinting towards him. Bits of glass and rock sliced into my bare feet, but I shrugged off the pain and kept running.

My scream had given Cody enough time to turn around and put his bat in front of him as the man tackled him to the ground. He had his bat up across the man's neck, as he snapped his teeth.

I didn't even hesitate as I brought my chair leg down onto the man's head. The nail drove deep into his head and he instantly died. A stream of blood had sprayed onto my face and I wiped it away with a disgusted look on my face. Cody flung the man's limp body off of him and looked up at me.

“You are so stupid,” He said shaking his head. Standing up he engulfed me in his arms.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder as he lifted me off the ground. We didn't speak or cry. Just listening to each other breathing was slowing our heart rate.

I heard a throat being cleared behind us and Cody put me back down.

“If you two lovebirds are done we can check it out inside,” Durbin said looking annoyed. He grabbed his flask from his pocket and took a long drink.

“You know,” I said with a sudden jolt of courage. “Maybe you shouldn't be drinking.”

Durbin took a step closer to me, breathing his alcohol in my face. I stood my ground. “Maybe you shouldn't run your mouth to people that you have no idea what they're capable of.” Cody moved towards Durbin but I stopped him.

“I'm not scared of you,” I said strongly, taking another step towards him. Our faces were only a few inches apart. I could tell he used to be a good-looking man until he let the alcohol get the best of him. “I think you're a pathetic excuse of a man. Does every other woman think so? Is that why you have to drink your life away?”

A smile spread across his face and his gaze fell on Cody. “His mama didn't seem to think so,” He chuckled stepping around me and walking to the doors. Selma, Aundrea and Rich followed; Rich stopping to pat his son on the back.

I turned to look at Cody. “Your mother?”

Cody's face fell sad and he looked down at his shoes. “Yeah,” He said quietly. “Part of the long story.” He looked back up at me. “Let's just go.”

I followed Cody inside. Half of the lights inside the Walmart were on and the others were off. I saw patches of blood smeared across the floor, but no dead bodies. Farther away I could see the shopping aisles, with different products laying scattered across the floor.

“We go as a group,” Rich said to us all. “First, we go get backpacks big enough to hold food and other items we'll need. Then we will get food, water, medicine, and clothes.”

Durbin nodded his head silently and led us to the outdoor section of the door. We grabbed a heavy duty camping backpack for all for us, except Aundrea, which each had a sleeping bag rolled up at the top zipper. Selma found a water purification kit and Rich grabbed some lighters before we went to the food.

We only grabbed things that were ready to eat. Granola bars, cans of veggies, tuna, and chicken with pop-open lids, and numerous amounts of bottled water. We stopped an sat in the dairy section and made ourselves sandwiches, taking a break.

Then we made our way over to the pharmacy grabbing pain medication, burn ointment, bandages, and other medicines that I saw Cody throwing into our backpacks.

“Sit down and give me your feet,” Cody said, surprising me. I had completely forgotten about my cut up feet and looked down at them. There was blood underneath them, staining the tile floor. I turned my head behind me and saw that I'd been leaving bloody footprints throughout the store.

We both sat down on the floor and I put my feet in his lap.

“Why did you run after me like that?” Cody asked with concern in his eyes. “Look at what you did to your feet.” I angled my head to the side and saw that there were pieces of glass and rock still sticking out of my feet, jarring into my flesh.

“I told you I wasn't going to let you die,” I looked into his gray eyes. They were already looking ino mine.

“And I told you not to worry about me,” Cody said firmly. “You could have gotten yourself killed.”

“Well, I didn't. No, thank you Desi?” I rolled my head back to look at the ceiling.

I heard a small laugh from Cody. “Thank you Desi,” He said sweetly. “But don't do it again.”

I smiled at his protectiveness over me and let him get all of the glass out of my foot. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Durbin popping a couple of pills into his mouth, obviously trying to rev up his high. Cody lathered my feet up with antiseptics and wrapped gauze around each foot.

I stood up and laughed. “It's like I have padding on my feet!” I jumped a couple of times and then winced as pain shot up through my feet.

“Calm down killer,” Cody said wrapping his arms around me. “Let's get you some shoes.”

We were escorted to the shoes by Durbin and his shotgun. I could feel the tension rolling off of Cody as he kept glancing over his shoulder at Durbin.

“Aint nothin' to see here boy,” Durbin said after Cody's third glance.

I picked out a pair of comfortable tennis shoes, which were snug around my feet because of the bandages, but I made do.

I was happy when we got to the clothes department, ready to be rid of my dirty bloody shirt. I didn't even bother going to get panties when I already hadn't been wearing any the past two days. I picked up two small tank tops, wanting to leave room in my backpack, and two pairs of comfy shorts.

“No peeking,” I said smiling at Cody. I turned around and lifted my shirt up over my head. I could feel Cody's eyes piercing into my bare back. I glanced over my shoulder and caught him. I giggled. “I said no peeking!”

“Sorry,” Cody said flushing with color. “I couldn't help it this time.” But courteously he turned around and faced the other way.

I pulled one of the tank tops over my head and pulled off the shorts I'd been wearing, replacing them with some new ones.

“I knew you'd look good with no clothes on,” I heard Durbin's scratchy voice say. My face went white when I realized he'd been watching me the whole time.

“You son of a bitch!” Cody yelled from the other side of me. I felt a rush of air as he ran past me, slamming his fist into Durbin's face. Durbin stumbled back but then aimed his gun at Cody.

“Not so tough now are you boy?” Durbin smiled with blood running out of the side of his mouth.

Cody stood still, his face fuming with anger. They stood at a standstill.

I walked in between them and held my hands out in front of me.

“Sorry,” I said telling my voice not to shake. “You won't be killing anyone today.”

“You're lucky your girls got some balls,” Durbin spat out. “Or else I'd have splattered your brain all over that mirror behind you.” Throwing his shotgun over his shoulder, he turned away laughing.

Cody's fists clenched tight at his sides and I put my hand around one trying to calm him down.

“I swear I'll kill him,” Cody said through his teeth.