A/N: I will start shifting between POV's of the characters, but I will denote that in each section as it happens. Thanks for reading :)

Days 2, 3 and 4

Chapter 2: Meet the Johnson's

Jake recovered pretty quickly after that. Alex got him fed and hydrated, and gave him regular doses of antibiotics and Tylenol over the next two days. Alex had managed to tend to the most basic of ranch chores while Jake was bedridden, tossing feed to the chickens and slop to the pigs. She'd moved the horses to the southern pasture so she didn't have to worry about feeding them for a couple days. Jake tried to argue with her about helping out two days in to his recovery, but Alex wasn't budging. She needed him at full strength to help her around the ranch, and his recovery would be faster if he just stayed put.

She and Jake had moved to the main house after his fever broke late on Sunday. Alex never heard back from Sheriff Riggs. They tried the internet and the T.V. Nothing. No internet connection and just static on the T.V. Figuring this was an emergency, Alex raided the emergency supply closet her parents kept stocked at the main house. Amongst other things like MRE's, bottled water, first aid kits and weapons, Alex found a radio and batteries. She gave the radio to Jake and had him fiddle around with the dial while he sat in bed and she finished getting their lunch together. He found an emergency broadcast just as Alex came back in the room with their sandwiches and apples:

"... from the emergency broadcast system… A state of emergency has been declared for the entire United States of America. An as yet unidentified illness has breached all quarantines and defied all CDC protocols. Martial law has been declared by the President. All citizens are required to shelter in place until the emergency has been contained. Please stay tuned to this frequency for further updates as they become available… This is a message from the emergency broadcast system..."

They listened to the recording twice and then Jake turned the radio off, tossing it on the bed near his feet. "Well, tha' wasn't very helpful. Wha' tha hell's goin' on? I cain't believe this shit!" he groaned, taking a bite from his apple.

Alex was frustrated. They were four days into this mess and she still didn't have a clue what was going on. Maybe she should drive into town and see if she could find the sheriff or someone that knew something. This couldn't really be the end of the world, right?

"Maybe I should drive into town and see if I can find someone to tell me what's going on. I'm starting to freak out. Why haven't my parents come home?" she sighed, bringing the sandwich to her mouth even though she was no longer hungry.

"Nah, I don' like tha idea of ya goin' inta town alone. Ya heard tha' recording, this ain't no joke. Somethin's gotta be real fucked up for tha' message ta be tha only info they's givin' out. It's been what, three or four days since tha last real news broadcast ya saw?" She nodded to him. "Only four days ta get from normal ta totally fucked? That's gotta be some fuckin' illness. Like a plague from tha bible an' shit."

"Guess you're right. If things really are that bad, I shouldn't go into town alone. But what about the neighbors? I tried calling the Johnson's when I couldn't get a hold of my parents, but the phone just went to voicemail. Maybe I can run over to their place and see if they know anything," she said.

"Still don't like tha idea of ya goin' anywhere alone. We don' know what tha fuck's goin' on out there. I'm feelin' better. We can drive over there after lunch. An' I think we should grab some guns from tha' lock up. We got no idea what's outside tha' fences."

"Sounds like a plan. Let's get you dressed, then we can grab guns from the lockup and head out," she said as she grabbed some clothes from his pile near the bed.

With Jake dressed, and lunch finished, Alex walked down the hall and unlocked the gun room, letting Jake inside while she grabbed a couple of bottles of water to take with them. Jake came out of the room with 2 shotguns, 2 Glocks and ammo for both weapons. "You've shot both these before, right? Know how to use 'em?" he asked, smirking, even though he knew the answer.

She stood there with her hands on her hips and a grin on her face. "Of course I know how to use them! I've shot and cleaned every gun daddy ever brought home. Do I know how to use 'em? I can't believe you," she laughed.

"Jus' gotta make sure. Don't know what ya get up to when I ain't lookin'," he said with that same smirk on his face.

"Hold on a sec," Alex said, running back into the gun room. "You forgot these," she said, holding up two holsters for the Glocks. She tossed him one then strapped the other around her waist. She grabbed one of the Glocks off the table, checked the clip, set the safety and stuck it in her holster. She locked the gun room, shoved the bottles of water and extra ammo into her day pack and grabbed her shotgun and headed to her truck. Jake grabbed the other shotgun and followed her out.

The Johnson ranch was a couple of miles away, down a washboarded dirt road. They passed a couple of other ranches but didn't see anyone out and about, which was weird. Most weekends you could find people out working their fields or tending to fences, kids playing in the pastures or the creek. It was eerily quiet.

When they reached the Johnson's property, Jake hopped out of the truck to open the gate, waiting for Alex to drive through before closing it and jumping back in the cab. Alex hated to set foot on anyone's property without notice, but since it didn't seem like the phones were working they didn't have much choice. The Johnson's ranch hands weren't anywhere to be seen, and their horses meandered lazily in the meadow. When they reached the house, Jake called out loudly, "Hello in tha house! It's Jake an' Alex from tha Lazy H. Anyone here?" They waited, watching the house for any sign of life. After a few minutes, Jake repeated the call. Still nothing.

Alex was starting to feel like she was in one of those cheesy horror movies she liked to watch late at night. Only this wasn't predictable, she had no idea what was going to happen next.

"Well, I guess we should go knock on the door," Alex said to Jake, starting towards the steps to the front porch.

"Lemme go first," Jake said, putting his arm out and blocking her way.

They made their way to the door. The entire front of the house was glass and they could see into the empty living room. Jake reached out and knocked on the glass door, "Anyone home?" he called.

After a moment, they saw movement in the shadows of the hallway that led to the back of the house. A figure was slowly moving towards them, limping slightly. "Looks like Mr. Johnson hurt himself," Alex said as she smiled and waved at him. "I hope he's ok. I wonder where everyone else is," she said absently.

As Alex watched Mr. Johnson get closer to the glass, the light from outside illuminated his greyish skin. Alex stopped waving at him as he walked right into the glass, snapping his jaws at them and clawing at the window. His mouth and hands were covered in what looked like old, dark blood.

"What tha' fuck?" Jake exclaimed as Mr. Johnson continued to bang his body against the glass.

Alex noticed that Mr. Johnson's eyes were a milky color, and his some of his skin was peeling off his hands as he continued to mindlessly pound against the glass.

"He looks dead," she whispered to Jake.

"Yeah, tha's what I's thinkin' too," he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her away from the door. "Ya said somethin' 'bout hearing on tha' news that people were gettin' shot after eatin' people but tha bullets didn't stop 'em, right?"

"Yeah, that's what they were sayin'," she replied. "So he's dead? Do you think there's a cure? If he's dead why's he walking?"

"Yer guess's good as mine. Wha' about tha' blood on his mouth? Ya' think that means he ate his family?" Jake asked, regretting saying it as soon as he looked at Alex. Her jaw was clenched and he could see that tears had welled up in her eyes. Her fists were clenched at her sides and her spine was stiff. "Sorry," he said, pulling her into a hug. "I know yer thinkin' 'boutcher parents. They're smart and they're fighters, ya know that. Betcha' they're tryin' their damnedest ta get home to ya," he said as he rubbed her back.

Alex allowed herself a moment to feel sorry for herself and miss her parents. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she pulled out of Jake's embrace. "I'm sure you're right," she said, looking him in the eyes. "But if this is what's happened across the country, I don't think dad has a chance of making it all the way here from the city - sure he's a gun enthusiast and knows how to fight, but his guns are here. And mom… you know her. She wouldn't just leave the people at the care facility. She would stay to make sure they were taken care of. Jake, I don't think they're comin' home," she finished with a sigh.

Jake didn't say anything. He just squeezed her shoulder and sighed, not knowing what else to do.

"What should we do? Should we check the house to see if anyone else is still here? What do we do with Mr. Johnson? What CAN we do with him?" she asked, shoving her feelings about her parents aside and looking back at the figure pounding at the window.

"Why don'tchu stay here an' distract 'im. I'll head 'round back an' see if tha' back door is open an' check out inside. We might have ta' put 'im down though, Al. He don't seem ta recognize us, an' what happens if he tries ta bite us? I'm not eager ta find out wha' happens to a person that's bit."

Alex thought about what Jake was saying. "Do you think there is any way we can just lock him in a room or something? What if we kill him and come to find out there's a cure? I don't know if I could live with that," she finished.

"I get it, Al. But if it comes down to us or him, I choose us. I'll try to wrangle 'im inta a room or somethin'. You stay here an' keep 'im occupied. Don't let yer guard down," he said, patting her shoulder again before heading for the back of the house.

Alex stood in front of the glass door and looked at poor Mr. Johnson. She pushed thoughts of her parents looking like this out of her head and focused on the details inside the house. The living room was a disaster - couch cushions tossed all over, papers strewn about, coffee table upended. It looked like someone had gone through and tossed the place like in the movies. She could see Jake as he approached Mr. Johnson. Suddenly, Mr. Johnson turned around and started moving towards Jake. Alex drew her gun and took the safety off as she reached for the glass door. As she pulled it open, Jake kicked out at Mr. Johnson, knocking him to the ground. Alex looked around the room to see if there was something she could use to tie him up, her eyes falling on an extension cord. She hurried to grab it, as Mr. Johnson was dragging his body towards her with just his arms. Jake grabbed him by the leg and pulled him back, causing the Mr. Johnson to turn his attention away from Alex. Alex took the opening and wrapped the cord around his arms and torso, quickly making a few passes before tying it off. Mr. Johnson continued to try to lunge at them both, snapping his jaws the whole time.

With Mr. Johnson secured for the moment, Jake drew his gun and quickly moved to look through the adjacent rooms. There were six rooms on the first floor - kitchen, dining room, living room, office, bathroom and the laundry room. He quickly checked the kitchen, dining room, laundry room and bathroom, finding nothing of note. He checked Mr. Johnson to make sure he was still secure before moving towards the office. Jake had a feeling that was where Mr. Johnson had come from. He'd passed the room on his way in, but hadn't checked it, wanting to get to Mr. Johnson quickly. As he approached the room, he could hear soft groans. Bracing himself for what he thought he would find, Jake stepped into the room, sweeping it with his eyes.

Movement drew his eyes to the floor near a large oak desk. He could see an arm moving weakly behind it and he stepped further into the room, rounding the desk slowly. What he saw was horrifying - what was left of Mrs. Johnson lay on the floor, moaning and writhing as she tried to inch her way towards Jake. Her stomach had been torn open and her guts spread across the floor around her. Most of the flesh on her body had been torn away and part of her face was missing. Jake turned on his heel, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Alex was guarding Mr. Johnson, who was still snapping his jaws at her and growling. Seeing the look on Jake's face she said, "You found Mrs. Johnson, didn't you?"

Jake just nodded.

"Is it as bad as I think it is?" she whispered.

Jake nodded again. "I think we need ta put him down, Al. Even if there is a cure, I don' think this is somethin' he's gonna want ta survive. Not after what he did ta his wife."

Alex looked at him, then stepped forward towards the office. Jake reached out to stop her. "Trust me, ya don't wanna see it. It's bad, Al."

She looked him in the eyes and put her hand on his, "I know, but if I'm going to have to kill him, or others like him, I need to see what they are capable of. I'll be careful."

Alex moved quickly down the hall and carefully opened the door, gun drawn and at the ready. She stepped in and assessed the scene;Mrs. Johnson was still moaning and trying to move towards the door. Taking a beat to process how badly the body was damaged, Alex recognized that there wasn't anything to be done to save her. Alex cocked her gun, whispered an apology to Mrs. Johnson, put the gun to her head and pulled the trigger.

Meeting Jake back in the living room, she nodded quickly to him. He cocked his gun and shot Mr. Johnson in the head. Alex knew that the Johnson's had school-age children that lived at home, and she couldn't leave without checking for them. She didn't want leave them if they were like their parents. She headed up the stairs to the bedrooms, Jake following close behind. All the doors on the second floor were closed, so they moved as a team from room to room, clearing each before moving to the next. All of the rooms were empty though. Alex hoped that the kids had made it somewhere safe, though she was starting to wonder if there was such a place. What had the world come to?

After clearing the house, the pair headed back out to the porch. Alex tried to make sense of it all in her head. She had just killed her neighbor. Or at least, what had once been her neighbor. Alex was certain that what she had done was the only option - there was no way Mrs. Johnson could have recovered from the damage that had been done to her body. Even if they had been able to get her to a hospital. And Jake was right, if there was a cure, Mr. Johnson would have been ruined by the knowledge of what he'd done to his wife. It was the kindest thing they could have done.

Alex sat on the porch swing and thought about this new world she suddenly found herself in. It was clear now that there was something seriously wrong, probably not just here in the US but all over the world. Jake sat next to her, staring at the gun in his hand. "I think we should do somethin' with tha' bodies," he said after a bit. "Don't think it's right to jus' leave 'em in there."

Alex agreed. "We should do something. Do you think it's safe to bury them?"

"Dunno. Maybe we could burn them instead? Ya know, like the Injuns used to do?" he said.

"Yeah… let's do it back home though. I want to get out of here, and we can't just set them on fire and walk away. I'll go look for some sheets to wrap the bodies in," she said as she stared off into the distance. Alex slowly got to her feet. It was only mid-afternoon, but it seemed like years had passed since this morning. Everything was different now, heavier somehow.

"You go on an' sit here while I go wrap 'em up. No need for ya' to help with that," Jake said, watching her carefully. He was worried. She was a tough girl, no doubt about it, but this was something even he was having trouble wrapping his head around.

"Nah. I can help. It'll be faster with two of us. Let's get it over with," she said quietly.

Wrapping Mr. Johnson up was easy. Caring for Mrs. Johnson, however, was challenging. There wasn't much holding her together and the more they tried to move her, the more she fell apart.

Finally, Alex had enough. "Let's just take the biggest parts that are easiest to move. We can't put her back together… I can't… pick up any more of these pieces…" her voice trailed off at the end.

Jake nodded in agreement. "Why don'tcha go wash up while I finish this up. I kin' carry 'em out ta tha' truck myself."

Alex, usually too stubborn to give up on a job, accepted Jake's offer and headed to the bathroom to scrub the blood off of her arms and hands. As she watched the blood run off her into the sink, staining the white of the porcelain, Alex let her mind wander back over the events of the last few days. She was overwhelmed by her emotions - fear of the undead, anger at her parents for not being home, fear they were dead too, hope that somehow they would survive and find her. She had just killed a person, a person she had known and had dinner with and babysat for. Alex was sure killing Mrs. Johnson had been the only option, but it didn't lighten the weight on her soul that pulling the trigger had instilled there. Alex had killed all types of animals, never once flinching at taking that life. But this was different. Or was it? Once these people became monsters, maybe it didn't count as taking a human life anymore. She needed more information about what happened to the Johnson's. Maybe talking to Jake about it would help.

She was happy that Jake was alive, and she had to admit that of all the people in her life, he was the one she would want to go through this with. They had spent hours together in silence stalking their prey and they didn't have to talk to know what the other was going to do. At least that part was easy. Everything else about this situation was complicated and scary, but she could count on Jake, and right now, that was everything.

Alex managed to get most of the blood off her hands, though try as she might, she couldn't get it all out from under her nails. She quickly dried her hands off, feeling slightly guilty for soiling their pristine white monogrammed hand towels. She straightened the towel on the rack then headed out to her truck where Jake was just finishing up securing the bodies.

"Thanks for that. I just needed a minute. I know that they weren't the same people that I babysat for all those years, but it still feels like I killed her... " Alex's voice trailed off, not finishing her thought.

"I know. I feel tha' same way 'bout it. I remember when I was 'bout eight we had this dog, Shep. We hadn't seen 'im in a couple days, so my cousin Daryl an' I went lookin' for 'im in tha' woods, checkin' all the spots tha' we liked to play. Nothin'. No sign of 'im anywhere. When we got back to tha' house hours later, Daryl noticed a trail of dried blood leadin' under tha' house. Poor dog looked like he'd been holed up there fer days, covered in crusted blood, flies all over 'im. He could barely move. It was bad. Think he got tangled up with a wild boar or a cougar, maybe a bear. Wasn't nothin' we could do fer 'im, his wounds were all nasty an' infected, had maggots crawlin' all over 'im, his guts was hangin' out where somethin' tore 'im open. Pop said tha' best thing we could do fer 'im was put 'im outta his misery. Ain't tha' same as a person, but I learnt then that sometimes tha' best thing is the hardest thing ta do."

"Yeah, my mom always said that if it feels easy it's probably because it's the wrong thing to do. Said it's always harder to walk the walk than talk the talk. I never really understood what she meant before," Alex replied as she opened the driver's door. "Let's get back home."

Jake nodded in agreement and made his way to the passenger's seat.

The ride back to the ranch was silent. Alex considered stopping by to check on their other neighbors, but she couldn't bring herself to do it, not if there was a good chance of coming across a similar scene as they'd found at the Johnson's. There had to be other's that were still alive, it couldn't just be her and Jake, could it?

Once back at the Lazy H, Alex and Jake silently gathered wood to build a fire to cremate the bodies. By the time they were ready to light it, the sun was just going down, painting the sky in brilliant shades of crimson and copper. Jake gently laid the bodies on the pyre, then doused the pile with lighter fluid. As Jake stepped back, Alex lit a match and tossed it into the pile. Flames immediately erupted and began devouring the fuel soaked branches.

They had built the fire in the middle of a meadow not far from the barn. The area was clear, so the fire wouldn't spread, even if the breeze blew the embers around. Even though it was early October, the year had been very dry and the fire risk in this part of the state was very high. It wouldn't do them any good to set the mountain on fire and lose their hunting grounds. Reality was setting in and it seemed like they would be living off the land for the foreseeable future. No reason to take unnecessary risks.

Alex and Jake stood back from the fire, each lost in their own thoughts. It had been a long, confusing day, and it didn't look like there would be any answers coming their way soon. As the bodies finally started to catch fire, Alex reached out for Jake's hand, needing some comfort as she watched the flames engulf the bodies of people she'd known most of her life. Jake didn't say anything, just weaved his fingers in hers and continued to stare into the fire.

Time passed slowly as they continued to stand there. The darkness slowly swallowed the landscape around them until they could no longer see anything beyond the shadows cast by the flames. Jake squeezed Alex's hand before letting it go so he could throw more brush on the pile - the bodies weren't completely burned yet and they needed to add more wood to complete the job. Alex followed his lead, adding more brush that they had gathered earlier. When the flames were once again leaping over their heads, they both stepped back to avoid the heat emanating from the blaze.

Alex was the first to break the silence. "So what now?"

Jake knew she wasn't talking about the fire, she was talking about life. What were they supposed to do now? "Mmm… dunno," he grunted.

"Ya think we should go into town now?" she asked, unsure if she wanted his answer to be yes or no.

"What'd tha' purpose be fer goin' in? Lookin' fer people? Lookin' fer supplies? What if it's just more a' what we saw today?" His instincts told him that town was going to be bad, and he knew that they were safe here, at least for the time being.

"I think we gotta see if we can get some answers about all this. I mean, if nothing else, we might be able to figure out if there's a plan or something. I just feel like we have to check it out. What if there's some sort of refugee camp or evacuation center?" she asked simply.

"Don't know 'bout you, but I don' I wanna be stayin' with a bunch of refugees. Don't sound safe. But yer right, we should go check it out. I jus' think we gotta be real smart an' careful 'bout it," he cautiously replied.

They stood there for a while longer, watching the flames as they processed the conversation. Suddenly, Alex heard groaning coming from the dark beyond the circle of light cast by the flames. Jake heard the groans at the same time, and they pulled their guns in unison, facing the sounds. They waited. As the groans got closer, they could also hear the shuffling of feet. Alex was pretty sure it was only one… one what, zombie, undead, monster?

Jake nudged Alex's arm and nodded, indicating that he would take the lead. Soon the shuffling body came into view; Alex's heart dropped to her feet as she recognized Manny.