Chapter Sixty-Five: You Can't Outrun Them
Ox stepped into the hotel kitchen and glanced around realizing instantly that it was empty. He had the cart ready and the mare and Comanche's horse saddled. Ox wasn't sure what was going on. Evangeline had come to him and told him trouble was brewing and he needed to get things ready. He had gone to the stable and Comanche had quickly exited with Colt.
"Evie?!" Ox called out. "Sue?" No one answered. Ox was about to walk out when he saw the apple pie sitting on the counter and felt his stomach rumble. It rumbled so loudly and for so long that Ox was clamping his hand over it to ease the cramps.
It had been a long time since he'd tasted pie and while his Aunt Rachel wasn't his favorite person in the world, the fact remained that she was a damned good cook.
He used his hand to grab a chuck of the pie and it crumbled in his palm. The thick syrupy juices ran down his arm and he licked them up. He savored one slow bite of the pie, moaning at the deliciousness. Life had lost a lot of its meaning for Ox since losing Katherine but he figured being able to enjoy the little things was the key to carrying on.
Still munching on the pie in his hand, Ox stepped into the sitting room. "Evie! Susette! I have everything ready, let's go!" he called.
Evangeline and Susette came quickly down the staircase and Ox frowned when he saw their tear streaked faces. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Shit, Evie, what's going on around here?"
"There are rabid, Ox, and the doctor feeds people who come to this town to them....." Evangeline's voice trailed off as she eyed the small bit of pie still clutched in Ox's hand. "Please tell me you haven't eaten that pie."
"Uh..." Ox dropped the remaining crumbs quickly. "Why?"
"Because the doctor gave us that pie, Ox! What if it's poisoned?!" Tears filled her eyes anew as Ox's heart began to beat a bit faster and sweat slicked his brow.
"Well I hope it ain't." he mumbled. "Now where's Jedidiah cuz we gotta go!"
"He died." Susette whimpered and Ox groaned. Not again! He held his arms out and Susette ran to him. Ox scooped her up and glanced at the small sack that was tossed over Evangeline's shoulder.
"Let's go to the—" Ox didn't have time to finish his statement because his words were cut off when a single gunshot echoed from down the street. Silence reigned as Ox, Evangeline and Susette stared at each other with expressions that were mixed with confusion, shock and fear.
Then the sounds of the moans began making their through the open front door. So many, so loud that it was like a rumbling thunder echoing in the distance. Never had Ox heard something so terrifying and in that moment as he stared at his terrified younger sister and held this trembling child that was a daughter to him in his arms, he realized for the first time what true fear and terror truly felt like.
***
Colt had his gun drawn as he and Comanche silently crept onto the porch of the cheerful yellow house. His gaze met Comanche's and the Indian nodded. Colt grabbed the door handle and tested it, cursing when he realized it was locked.
He tilted his head toward the door and Comacnhe stepped into place. Colt held his gun ready and Comanche swung out his foot, splintering the wooden doorframe and sending the bright white door swinging inward. It crashed off the wall and Colt burst inside, his eyes scanning every inch of the room at once.
Empty.
He listened close but could hear nothing. His eyes were drawn to a door across the sitting room. Aware that Comanche was right behind him, Colt made his way to that door and tested the handle. This one was not locked.
He stepped into the room and his stomach turned.
Rachel was lying on a bed and a large chunk of her left cheek was missing. There was also a chunk taken from her neck. Blood was pooled around her body on the dirty and stained sheets.
"Comanche, go make sure everyone is ready." Colt ordered.
"Where are you going?" Comanche questioned.
Colt pointed out the window at the doctor's large figure running in the distance. It was clear he had a body held in his arms though Colt had no idea who it could be. Comanche nodded and disappeared from the room.
Colt walked to the bed and pulled his knife. He wouldn't let Rachel turn, no matter how tempting it was to let her become the monster that she had always seemed to be. "Sorry I couldn't protect you." He whispered and then he shoved his blade deep into her temple.
After cleaning the blade on the leg of his trousers and placing it back in its holster, Colt went to the window and climbed out. He aimed his gun and set his sights on the doctors back. It was a shot that would render him unable to continue running but not kill him instantly. Colt needed to talk to the good doctor before the man died.
He pulled the trigger and Doctor Harris fell. Colt's boots ate up the ground as he ran to the man, his gun still trained on him. The doctor was trying to pull his own gun, though his gut was getting in the way and Colt kicked him hard and yanked the gun from its holster.
"Who do you have here?" Colt asked, pointing at the body that was thrashing on the ground. There was a sack over the head but it was clear the person was a woman.
"My wife." The doctor smiled and Colt felt a shiver work its way down his spine. He stooped low and yanked the sack from the woman's head only to jump back quickly when he found himself looking into the eyes of a rabid. Her mouth was covered with a gag but she was covered in blood.
"You let her bite Rachel?"
The doctor's breathing was labored and he was bleeding hard in the dirt below him. "She was hungry." The doctor laughed, though it turned to a cough. "You rang their dinner bell with that gunshot. The townspeople have to eat."
"They're locked up." Colt countered.
"My nephew opened their doors. Your gunshot is sure to get them stirred up. I might die but my loved ones will live another day by feasting on your people. You can't outrun them."
Colt felt rage fill him. "Your loved ones, huh? Like her?" he pointed his gun at the head of the doctor's wife.
"Don't shoot her!" the doctor cried out, though he was unable to rise to stop Colt.
Colt shook his head. "I'm not gonna shoot her." He raised his boot and brought it down with all his might on the rabid's face, crushing her skull beneath his heel. The doctor let out a primal cry of rage and sadness.
Colt pulled his knife and glared at the fat man on the ground. "Your sick townspeople might just kill my group but they're going to kill you too." He put his knife away and turned his back on the doctor.
"Don't leave me like this. They'll...they'll tear me apart!"
"They're not monsters, doctor, they're just sick people." Colt walked back toward the yellow house and his blood froze when he heard the moans begin. His pace quickened and his only thought was that he had to save Evangeline.
***
Comanche knew it was hopeless the instant he saw the massive hordes of rabid coming from four different directions. There were hundreds of them and Comanche knew they'd all be killed and yet he was unwilling to simply lie down and give up.
He entered the hotel to find Ox, Evangeline and Susette standing there with fear clearly etched into their faces. "We must go." He called over the sound of the moans of rabid. Colt's gunshot had clearly stirred up the rabid, though Comanche did not know how they had gotten loose.
"Where's Colt?" Evangeline demanded.
"I'm here." Colt came into the hotel and Comanche could plainly see on his face that he too had realized the hopelessness of their situation. "Let's get the horses and go. Where is Jedidiah?"
"Dead." Evangeline replied quietly. "Rachel?"
"Dead." Colt stated.
They stepped outside and Comanche stopped in his tracks, sending out his arm to stop the others as well. The horde had descended on the stable. The sounds of the horses screams were soon filling the air.
"Shit." Colt mumbled. "Let's go out the back."
***
Colt knew it was hopeless. He had failed the group. He had failed to keep them safe and now they were all going to die. They ran out the back doors of the hotel, swinging their weapons for all they were worth. The horde of rabid was massive.
Somehow they made it through them and ran for all they were worth. The moaning, stumbling, lurching herd was behind them. Pursuing them tirelessly as the group ran across the hills. Colt could see two rising mesa's not too far away. The space between them seemed narrow. If they could get there, they could climb up and control the flow of rabid.. maybe even wait out the herd.
It was a long shot but it was the only choice they had.
Colt saw Ox stumble and begin to fall behind. 'Comanche, keep Evangeline with you." Colt ordered. Comanche nodded and grabbed Evangeline's arm. She was having trouble keeping up with the men. Her stature was so much smaller that her legs could not compete with their long strides.
"Where are you going?" Evangeline demanded and Colt smiled comfortingly.
"I'm just going to check on your brother.'
Colt's lungs were beginning to burn and his breathing was labored. There was no time to slow down. The rabid would not tire and the group couldn't afford to either. Colt fell in step beside Ox and noticed how pale and sweaty the man seemed.
"Come on now, Ox, ya gotta keep up." Colt urged. He fired several shots back to take down a few rabid who had almost reached them. Looking back awarded him with a view of the sea of monsters bearing down on them. The earth seemed to move with their rotting bodies. Colt saw a man on the roof of a building back in town and knew that must be the doctor's nephew. Colt vowed right then that if he lived through this he would come back and kill that man nice and slow.
"I..can't.. Colt." Ox nearly fell and Colt quickly grabbed Susette from his arms.
"What's wrong with you?" Colt demanded desperately. He did not want to lose his friend, his brother-in-law.
"I ate the pie...it was poison."
"Goddammit!" Colt yelled. He fired two more shots behind him and bashed a third rabid in the head with the butt of his revolver, never once slowing his pace.
"Keep Sue and Evie safe." Ox pleaded. "I'll hold off as many of them as I can."
"Ox...." Colt groaned with dread and sadness.
"Go, Colt." Ox stopped suddenly and pulled his gun, firing shots and swinging his fists.
Colt had no choice but to run and when Ox's yells of rage began to turn into screams of pain, Colt was helpless to stop the tears that filled his eyes. Susette sobbed in his arms and Colt squeezed her tighter, hastening his pace and catching up with Evangeline and Comanche.
"Ox?" Evangeline gasped between her labored breaths.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart."
Colt saw the pain etched deep in Evangeline's face but there was no time now to stop and mourn their loss. Instead they ran.
Running. Never stopping. Trying hard not to look back. The sound of the moaning rabid still followed behind them. Growing closer and closer. Their footsteps sounded like thunder and Colt imagined he could feel the earth shuddering and trembling with the force of them.
"Keep running, Colt. I will hold them off or you will never reach that gorge." Comanche spoke, sounding like he was barely winded. Damn injun blood.
"No. We stay together." Colt argued, unwilling to lose anyone else.
"Run Colt. Be with your wife." Comanche shoved Evangeline toward Colt and he took her arm in his hand while still clutching Susette to his chest. "I will go be with mine."
"Comanche!" Evangeline cried out but Colt forced her onward. He glanced back to see Comanche hoping onto a rock and swinging his hatchet. While a big group of rabid were gathering around that rock, more were still coming for Colt, Evangeline and Susette.
The gorge was close now. Colt glanced back again just in time to hear Comanche let out a war cry and leap down into the herd of rabid. He forced himself to look away, not wanting to see his friend torn to pieces.
Colt's legs were beginning to ache. His body was shaking and he could barely breathe. They entered the gorge and Colt's feet tripped over a loose rock. He went down hard, taking Evangeline and Susette with him.
The herd of rabid came closer. They were grunting with eagerness as their hands reached for them; their fingers stretching.
Colt fired his last shot and grabbed the other revolver from his boot. He fired shots from it as well and got to his feet. "Come on!" he yelled, jerking Evangeline up as well. She was sobbing and pale.
"Colt, I can't..."
"Yes you can!"
He reached for Susette but a rabid got to her first. Colt yelled in rage and fired shots but he was too late. The rabid sunk its teeth into Susette's leg and the girl cried out with pain. Colt swallowed hard, aimed his gun at Susette's head and pulled the trigger.
Evangeline wretched and vomited on the ground beside him. Colt grabbed her around the waist and tossed her over his shoulder. He had to save her!
He saw a cliff face ahead with rocks that he could climb up and get to the top of the gorge. From their he and Evangeline might just stand a chance of getting away.
Colt made it there and was about to begin the climb when fingertips closed around the back of his vest and yanked him down. Colt fell and Evangeline fell with him.
"Evangeline!" he screamed.
She screamed his name and screamed for help. Colt kicked at the rabid descending on him for all he was worth, desperate to reach his wife. He could see her backed into the corner and then suddenly the rabid leapt. Colt heard her screams for help turn into screams of pain. Blood splattered against the rock wall behind her.
"No!" Colt was a broken man. He had no reason to keep trying to escape. He had nothing left to live for. A desperate rage filled him and he leapt to his feet. He pulled his large knife and swung it left and right for all he was worth.
He wanted nothing more than to kill as many rabid as he could. They had taken everything from him! Two wives, a daughter and countless friends.
He swung that knife until he had no strength left and then he simply fell backward and let the rabid fall upon him. He felt their teeth and nails sinking into his flesh. Fiery pain filled his body and he closed his arms as his body succumbed to the bites and a rabid began to gnaw on his cheek.......