Once Bitten: Twice Mad

Chapter Sixty-Four

"Shit."

"Colt we have to leave this town. Something is not right and there are hundreds of flesh eaters. More than we've seen in any herd so far. If they get loose—"

"We're all dead," Colt finished. Colt was sick and damn tired of all this bad luck. Just once he'd like to have the sun shine on his ass. "Alright, you go ahead and get the horse and cart ready and I'll go get everyone. We'll leave immediately. Something has felt off about this place from the beginning and I got a feeling the doctor might just reckon we're food for his sick friends. Let's make sure we prove him wrong on that one."

Comanche nodded and Colt strode from the stables. He went to the hotel door and knocked. "Evangeline, let me in."

It only took seconds before the door opened. "What's wrong?" Evangeline asked with a frown.

"Get your things and let's go. We have to get everyone together."

"Why?" Evangeline demanded.

"Because this doctor has the sick people locked in cellars all over town and he feeds survivors like us to them to keep them alive."

"Oh my god—" Evangeline gasped.

"Yeah, now let's find everybody and get the hell out of here."

"Colt, my Aunt Rachel—"

"What about her?" Colt demanded, dread washing over him.

"She went to the doctor's house a while ago to ask his wife for something."

Part of Colt wanted to say to hell with the woman but another part, the part that was still desperate to save everyone knew he couldn't sacrifice Rachel that simply.

"Evangeline, you get Jedidiah, Susette and Ox. Get your shit and get to the stables. Comanche and I will go get Rachel."

"Colt, you better be careful." Evangeline warned with tears in her eyes.

Colt kissed her lips gently and then took a quick step back. "I don't plan on dying, sweetheart; at least not for your aunt."

***

Evangeline went to the roof first and warned Ox that they had to leave. He nodded, told her to get Susette and Jedidiah and then slid down the roof to help load the cart. Evangeline searched the second story bedrooms and finally found Susette and Jedidiah inside one of them.... Though the scene she was met with was not what she had been expecting.

Susette was crouched on the floor beside Jedidiah who was looking very pale, sweaty and in pain as he lay on the floor clutching at his chest and arm.

"What's going on?" Evangeline demanded with shock as she dropped to her knees beside the man as well.

"My...heart..." Jedidiah gasped.

Evangeline glanced at Susette who was wide-eyed, pale and clearly scared beyond speech. Evangeline turned her gaze back to Jedidiah's pain-filled eyes. "What can I do?"

"I'm dying." Jedidiah replied.

Evangeline shook her head as she laid her hand on his brow. Not Jedidiah! Not another loss to their group! Why was this happening? "You have to get up, Jedidiah. We're leaving. I'll help you get to the stables."

"I'm not going anywhere, Evangeline." Jedidiah replied quietly. "I... am dying."

"But..." Evangeline began and Jedidiah shook his head to cut her off.

"Go...Evangeline... Get out of here...Get the girl to California; that's where you have to go." Evangeline fought back tears, knowing that tears would not help Jedidiah nor the situation they were currently facing. Something about the sound of Jedidiah's voice and the way Susette refused to meet her eyes unnerved Evangeline.

"Jedidiah, what aren't you saying?" Evangeline urged as she placed her hand gently over his cheek. His breaths had become more shallow and labored and his eyes were losing focus.

"Just...go...fast..." he whispered. "There's...not...much... time..."

***

"Uncle Harris, we have a problem!" Rachel was yanked away from the rabid as a young boy of probably no more than fifteen came bursting into the bedroom.

Doctor Harris whirled around, keeping Rachel pulled tight against his shaking stomach. "What?"

"They found the cellars and they're getting ready to leave."

"They can't leave!" Doctor Harris bellowed. "The townspeople have to be fed! What about the pie?"

"No one ate it. I checked."

Rachel stared at the boy with shock. The pie? The pie was what? Poisoned? And how had this boy gotten in and out of the hotel without being noticed? It was Colt's fault for leaving someone like Ox in charge of keeping watch.

"This is not acceptable." Doctor Harris grumbled. "Gregory, go release the townspeople. They will eat today."

"Uncle, two of those men are coming here for the woman. What are you going to do with her?" Gregory asked pointing at Rachel.

Doctor Harris chuckled and tightened his hold on Rachel's arms. "Go Gregory and I'll worry about her." Gregory nodded and ran from the room. Doctor Harris turned once again and Rachel found herself staring at the rabid in the bed. "Gregory needn't worry. You and Judith were just about to sit down to dinner, weren't you dear?"

As Doctor Harris reached down and removed the gag from his wife's mouth, Rachel did all she could think of to do.

She screamed.