Plague: Death was only the beginning! (14 page)

“The halls of Man are filled with the dead. Who now owes the Piper?’

-Thoughts from the Author

Chapter 42

Tom and the rest of the complex’s people got busy building reinforced coverings for doors, windows, fireplaces, and any opening that was large enough to let the small bats inside. Heavy reinforced metal grates were welded over the vents to the lower levels and deep bunkers. These already had heavy filters in place to keep out biological agents and nuclear fallout elements that might be present in case of a major war.

Bloody bats! This new threat was all they needed to wipe out the human race completely. Maybe those in the far north, and at the poles, might be able to survive. Any area that had seen and supported normal fruit bats could support the vampire bats as well.

Throwing down his hammer and using his drill, he finished putting up the last covering. Afterward, he rested for moment and looked at the darkening skies that seemed to be holding an evil secret. They had rushed to secure the compounds as best they could, and now they could only wait for the bats to arrive. Tony, Sally, and the rest had already gone inside and were checking that all the vents, windows, doors, and fireplace chimneys were sealed tight. Gauging the time left before full dark, he was surprised to see movement all around him. Birds, squirrels, rabbits, coyotes, and even deer were swiftly moving past the fence and were all heading north. Somehow they were able to detect the approaching swarm and were making tracks to try to get to the colder weather above the state line. Only by this time, it was too late. Tom watched in horror as the first scouts appeared from the western skies. They zeroed in on the countless deer that were running away as fast as they could. But bats can fly. Jumping the final six feet to the ground, Tom started his own race for shelter as the first bats started to wing their way around his head. Knowing that swiping at the bats would only waste time and slow him down, he put everything into speed. The front door of Jim Rains’ house was still over 100 feet away, so he made a sharp turn and slammed into the door to the generator shed. Twisting the door handle, he pulled open the door and leaped inside, slamming the door closed again. He immediately began grabbing at the bats that were clawing at his face, chest, and back. Getting one, he crushed it with his hands. He twisted and turned in a struggle to wipe out the filth that had been feeding on him. He grabbed another and another while slamming his back against the building’s walls in an effort to crush the ones on his back. Undoing his shirt and pants, he stripped down to his underwear and began pulling off bats that were feeding from his stomach and legs. Crushing and squeezing, he turned the small black bodies to pulp between his fingers and under his heels. He had over a dozen visible bites marks on his face, chest, arms, and legs. The razor sharp teeth had cut right through his shirt and pant legs as if they weren’t even there. As he looked down, he found a small black mass next to his groin that was continuing to burrow inside. He seized the body and ripped it free before grabbing the biting head and pulling it free of the body. Now, free of the vermin, he took stock in his surroundings. The large diesel generator was rumbling away to the right of him, and the other walls were covered in shelving that held used batteries, bottled distilled water, and various parts and cables. The massive battery bank ran all the way to the ceiling in front of him and extended out three more feet. On the wall next to them was the power distribution boxes and heavy cabling that ran back to the batteries. Two automatic transfer switch units that switched the power from the batteries to the generator once it was up to speed were also there. This allowed the power to be sent to the house and complex automatically by bypassing the massive charge controllers and inverters. Pulling one of the gallon jugs down from the shelf, he poured the distilled water over his head and body to try to remove some of the blood and shit the bats had left. The water pooled inside his pants that were still down around his ankles. After the bottle was empty, he kicked off his shoes and pulled the blood-soaked pants from his tired limbs. Using a rag and another bottle of water, he began cleaning the numerous bite marks and scratches that covered his body.

While outside, the bats clawed at the heavy wooden doors and slid down the metal roof. Tom listened to the sound before deciding that he was as safe as he was going to be. Finally, he walked over to the intercom and told Jim and Kim that he was still alive and was going to be fine. He also asked that they contact everyone and inform them that the bats were everywhere and to stay inside. He also was able to talk to Sally for a few minutes by Kim holding a handheld up to the intercom. She had been crying as she had thought that he had actually died as the bats began attacking the compound. Her relief came across clearly from the speaker as she finally heard his voice strong and clear as a bell. Thank God! Oh, thank God.

“We turn to God in our times of sorrow. Praying that something will save them as the darkness fell.”

-Thoughts from the Author

Chapter 43

Tony and his family could only watch in horror, as the bats seemed to cover everything that was moving. Their exterior cameras had shown the wildlife running past the fences in a vain attempt at freedom. They could only watch in silence as the deer were pulled down by the massive weight of the bats that had swarmed over them. Soon the corpses were abandoned as the bats searched for fresh meat.

Tony’s wife and children had to turn away to try to find some distraction that would free their minds and imagination from what they had seen. Tony switched from one camera to another, and the bats continued to swarm like angry bees. Finally, he got on the SecureNet and passed on to the others everything that he had seen so far. The video and text messages that night were grim, and many signed off early as they too had enough.

Sally spent the night with Heather as she waited until dawn before she could rescue Tom from Jim’s generator shack. Heather had gathered a big bag of her supplies, as well as a tetanus booster and IV plasma that should help Tom recover from any shock resulting from the bat bites. She also stocked blankets and a folding litter, so that they could transport Tom back to the house in the morning. Looking up, Heather could see the tears falling down from Sally’s eyes and onto the floor. She could only wrap her arms around Sally’s shaking body and try to comfort her through the long night.

Tony took the news hard as well, as he walked about his vast house and double-checked that all the windows and doors were still secure. Afterward, he brooded as he sat alone in front of his fireplace, which was the only light he had. The flames were hot on his face as he stoked the fire to ensure that the chimney would stay open and clear of bats. Time after time, he thought of everything that Tom and Sally had done for him over the last few years. They even kept up the maintenance on his compound during the sale of his property, something they could have refused as the contract had lapsed. They even came to the airport to pick up him, and his rowdy crew, at the very height of the plague.

Now, Tom was lying on the cold floor of Jim’s shack covered in vampire bites, all because he helped everyone do what the owners should have done a long time ago. That depressed him even more, as Tom had just been to his place a few hours ago as well. Now …

Jim Rains spent the next several hours talking on the intercom so that Tom wouldn’t feel that he was alone in the night. Tom had been able to find a plastic tarp and had wrapped himself up in it to keep warm. He sat huddled beside the intercom and sipped from a gallon jug of distilled water. The taste was so flat that he wanted to stop, but Heather had told him it was vital to keep drinking since the vampire bats had a fast-acting anti-coagulant in their saliva that helped keep the wounds open for several minutes while they licked up the blood. As he fought to keep warm, he continued to bleed out from all the bites on his legs, back, and chest. This caused the blood to pool under him and only added to his discomfort as the hours piled up. Outside, the bats continued to beat at the wooden doors. They were scratching and digging at the edges of the doors and windows in their efforts to get inside. Jim had given up on watching the videos and had just sat reading Tom a Tom Clancy book to pass the time—anything to aid in distracting and helping Tom to kill time. Heather had told them in a video chat that they needed to keep him distracted so that he did not dwell on his injuries. They would keep. As long as he kept hydrated, Tom should be fine until dawn. The whole compound had volunteered to aid in the rescue. Jim and Alex had volunteered first, and that was as many as they needed at this point. Still it was good to hear the people coming together. The entire complex promised to provide anything and everything they might need in the morning. This helped Tom as he slipped into a deep sleep, his body exhausted from the blood loss and the cold.

“The Winds of Fate blew cold and dark as they reached into everyone’s soul.”

-Thoughts from the Author

Chapter 44

Chevy Sands sat with his feet up on the coffee table that was in front of the leather couch. He had found another house that was dead-free, and he basted in the warmth of another fireplace. With the cold weather, he had started looking for houses that had chimneys for just that reason. Now, the large open glass living room reflected the flames as he held a soup pot near the fire. Canned goods were about the only thing that was still easy to find. While the choices were limited, they did fill him up. His biggest challenge was finding clean water. All the pipes had frozen, and he struggled to locate bottled water that hadn’t broken and spilt their containers. For some reason, the stores and houses only had a very limited supply, and he was forced to go deeper into the bigger Wal-Mart and Costco stores to find it. But, in doing so, he was exposed to the terrible smell and dead bodies that covered many of the aisles. He could only proceed by wiping a thick layer of Vicks on his bandana.

Now, he sat in a glorious home with gold fittings and over-sized king beds. This house had a propane fireplace and central heat that he had turned up to a near spa temperature. After the cold, rain, and snow, he welcomed the heat. Reaching out, he grabbed a glass and refilled it with a pale wine that tasted of fruit and sunshine. It must have cost $500 minimum before the fall and now was free for the taking. He drained the glass and poured another. His head was light from the warmth and the wine. He hadn’t had a decent drink since New York, and he enjoyed making up for lost time.

Outside, the snow was falling. Fat and heavy flakes covered the ground and his motor scooter in a blanket of white. Even if he wanted to move on, it was proving impossible for now. Maybe in a few days he could clear off the snow and carefully make his way south. He heard that Texas was warm this time of year.

For Sharon, the weather was a welcome distraction as they sat talking to other survivors over the radio. The shortwave was proving to be a Godsend, as they heard the first news there were still millions of people who had escaped the plague. Trouble was, the populations were scattered across vast areas, and they were having serious issues getting food and water. The reports of bats were still leaving silence behind them as they moved across the south. Sharon and Marsha were shocked to hear that their friend, Tom, had been attacked and had barely survived. They prayed for his survival during the long night that stretched before them all.

Taking a page out of her playbook, Marsha made popcorn and hot chocolate that helped them make it through the early evening. The beds were warm and soft as they finally gave way to sleep.

The next morning, they welcomed the news that Tom had been rescued, and while weak, he was expected to make a full recovery. They were horrified to learn of the extent of his injuries and the dangers of possible rabies and plague from the numerous bites. They also realized that the entire south was under the gun as the millions of bats moved across the warmer regions. If only some way could be found to stop them. Exchanging worries, they were told that only the exhausting food supplies could stop them and that the bats would starve as the last cow or human fell to their bites.

Keeping this news to themselves, they enjoyed playing simple board games with Simon. They laughed as the young boy made faces each time he lost or was set back or rolled with laugher when he won and advanced. His very presence was a joy to the two women as they watched over their young charge. Breaking out her mixing bowl and mixer, Marsha made up a batch of peanut butter cookies. Simon had told her they were his favorites.

They had to laugh as he struggled to hold the warm cookies, as they seemed to melt in his small hands. Oh, to be a child again, except they wished for days of old and not the terror that faced them all now.

“They covered their faces and wept as the darkness approached. Not knowing if the dawn would see them safe and alive as the first of the sun’s rays fell upon them.”

-Thoughts from the Author

Chapter 45

Tom’s eyes opened to a change in scenery after spending the cold night in the generator shack. His body was burning up with fever, and his joints ached as he turned his head to look around. Finding Sally on his left, he tried to smile but only succeeded in pulling the bandages that covered his face. Realizing that he had not dreamed up the night before, he swore under his breath and lay back down.

“I see that it was not a nightmare after all,” he said. “How bad is it?”

“Heather says that most of your injuries were minor, just cuts and bite marks. But they are becoming infected, and that is the real problem. She had Tony drive her back to the hospital in an effort to try to find some stronger antibiotics and additional IV bags. We had to pump a number of them into you today to try to get your blood pressure back up,” Sally said with a smile breaking through. “But, all in all, she thinks you’ll be fine. So just lay back and rest. We have some hot broth warming up to give you. And some Jell-O to chase it with. A real he-man’s lunch!”

“Oh, joy! Hospital food again!”

“Well, we don’t want you to strain your system until you can build up you blood supply again. And any type of moving will tear open your stitches again. So, please don’t try getting up. At least, today. Let’s give your body time to heal a little and see what happens next.”

“Okay, a nap sounds good right now anyway. Wake me when my T-bone steak is ready. Grilled onions and butter sauce, I can smell it already,” he said as his eyes slowly closed.

The cleanup that morning had all of them in shock; small piles of bone and tissue were all that were left of the herd of deer. The best that they could do was to drag the cooling mass into a central location, pour on the diesel fuel, and set it on fire. One coyote’s skeleton had been found with its jaws greatly distended by a large wad of bats that had been killed as they tried to feed on the coyote. They could only imagine the terror the animal must have felt as it was physically torn apart. All went into the fire and was burned, especially the bats’ carcasses, as they could cause diseases. In the meantime, Jim and Kim got busy with disinfecting the generator shed and cleaning up the dead bodies of the bats. They were amazed that Tom had even survived after they saw the number of dead bats that were scattered about the floor. They could only thank God that they had been inside and had not been attacked themselves as they had literally just closed the door after being outside when Tom was attacked. A few seconds either way, and it could have been them and Joanne as well.

So now, they used strong bleach water, thick rubber gloves, masks, and heavy brushes to attack the stains that covered the floor and walls of the building. If they had lost the generator, they could still survive by using the solar generation system. This was their main source of power, and they would just have to use timers on the freezers and refrigerators if they lost the generator. The Author had told them some time back that all he did to ration power was to have the big users on one or two circuits and shut them off at the power distribution panel. It was a simple method of taking control that worked well. Kim used timers to control some of the small appliances that had wall warts. Things like the propane stove clock display and microwave didn’t need to be on all the time either because they used up valuable wattage that could be used for lights, which were vital to morale during the long hours of winter darkness.

Finishing up, they closed the door to the shed. Taking up the bucket filled with dead bats, they went over to the burn pile and placed it in the flames, bucket and all. The masks, gloves, and brushes soon followed. Nothing could be left that might spread disease. As the flames started to melt the plastic, they backed away and just watched. It could have been them. It could have been them.