The Long Road

Chapter 7 - Exodus

"This is crazy!" Mrs. Davis said, tears pouring out of her eyes. Daniel tried to calm her down, but she jumped back and glared at him in accusation.

"Don't touch me!" she said. "I'm... I'm going home!"

Philena's blood seemed to cover the entire living room floor. Daniel had draped her body with a blanket from the linen closet. Derek had been contemplating taking her out and burying her with the others in the backyard when Mrs. Davis flipped out.

"Well get the fuck out!" Derek yelled at her, careful to keep the guns pointed at the floor. "Go on! I'm getting tired of your shit! You're fucking crazy!"

"No!" she screamed back at him, then her voice got low as a resemblance of calm returned to it. "No. You...you're crazy. You're the one who...who has killed at least three people, maybe more."

"Well go home then!" Derek yelled, moving towards her and giving her a stern shove.

"I will need food," Mrs. Davis said, having already considered the possibility of returning to her house more than once in the past few hours.

"You need food? Well let me go get you some!" Derek said, then stormed off into the kitchen. After tossing the guns onto the kitchen table,he ripped open the refrigerator door. Without even looking at the items he pulled out, he turned and almost knocked Daniel over on his way back to Mrs. Davis.

"Derek..." Daniel started.

"Not now dammit!" Derek said, then turned the corner and slung the goods at her. A plate busted right in front of her feet, the spaghetti it had once held found it's way onto her pants and shoes. A box of baking powder hit her hard in the face. She winced and stepped back as Derek stepped towards her.

"Is that enough?" he asked, getting in her face. "Or do I need to throw a fucking brick to get you to leave?"

Livie stared down at Philena's lifeless body, oblivious to the screaming of the others. She tried to grasp the gravity of the situation. The last couple of days seemed like a bad dream, one that she couldn't wake up from. To top it all off, the only three people she had left were at each other's throats.

If she hadn't cried so hard for Henry earlier she might have some tears for Philena, but not now. She was exhausted. For two nights she had hardly slept, and what little sleep she had gotten was troubled with worries and nightmares. She didn't even raise her head as Derek slammed the door on Mrs. Davis.

Daniel brushed past her on his way to the window, watching her as she went home. For a brief moment Livie contemplated going with her, but she couldn't go out there. Not after what had happened the day before. What would she do if something happened while she was at Mrs. Davis'? Surely Derek would keep Henry's gun, and Livie doubted he would be willing to let her use it.

She got up off her feet and walked down the hallway. Derek was still yelling and cussing to himself. She anticipated him to call her name, to ask her if he had done anything wrong. It was only wishful thinking, though. She made it to the bedroom and closed the door without interruption, then fell onto the bed and buried her face in the pillow.

It was a childish thing to do, she knew, but it was engrained into her psyche. Every time her dad would make her mad, or anytime something didn't go the way she wanted it to, she would retreat to her bedroom and cry herself to sleep. In the past few months she had been a bit ashamed of doing it. Daniel had told her that it was just part of growing up. She hoped he was right.

Instead of crying this time, though, she laid there and began to think.

Even though her mother could care less about her, she still wondered about her. She had built a new life for herself after leaving her first family. A new husband, two new kids, and even a better job. Even though she rarely called Livie and Daniel at Christmas or sent a birthday present, Livie hoped she was ok.

But where was her dad at? Was he ok? This was probably the most frightening thing of all to her. He might have been a strict and sometimes overbearing man, but she knew that had he been there when everything happened that it somehow would have turned out better than it had. She couldn't bear the thought of losing him. He probably wouldn't have killed the people that had attacked Henry. No, he valued the lives of others too much, but he would have made sure they were all safe.

Derek wasn't afraid to fight these things, and she knew that. But she didn't think we was much of a leader, either. The only reason he had the authority to make any decisions was that they were in his house. In all reality, he was a jerk.

Her feelings towards him were bordering hatred after what had happened to Henry. Livie loved the him and Mrs. Davis so much. She had been going to their porch to talk with them for as long as she could remember. Now Henry was gone, and Mrs. Davis had left.

What if all this was just a virus? Or maybe even a parasite? Maybe if she had knocked Henry out, then she might have gotten Derek and Daniel inside. The police would have come to take him away, and then a cure would be found and everything would have been ok.

But Derek wouldn't have any of that, she knew. Even if Daniel hadn't killed him, Derek would have. In Derek's mind, the only thing that mattered was principle. His principle. Henry had attacked Philena, but did that warrant his death if he was sick? By Derek's principle, yes it did. He was unstable. Livie couldn't predict what he was thinking. No one ever could. Essentially, he was loose cannon just waiting to go off.

She felt safe with him, nonetheless. If she couldn't have her dad, then she would gladly settle for him over Daniel and most definitely over Gerald. Over the years, she had seen how he could be. Tact and cool-headed might not have been words to describe him, but resourceful and daring were.

The events of the last few days played in her mind over and over again, and it frightened her even worse to think about it. If she had her cds or her computer, maybe she could cope with things a bit better. She had thought to tell Daniel to go get them, and almost did a couple of times, but it she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if something happened to him. For now, she was content commandeering Derek's room and all of the accommodations that came with it.

A news report, telling of increased activity in and around Franklin, echoed in her ears as she sank into a deep sleep.

XxXxXxXx

Livie was awakened by Derek's yelling. She rolled over and looked at the clock. It said seven forty-eight p.m. She had been asleep quite a while, and even though sleep still clouded her vision and a slight throb pounded in her head, she already felt more rested.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," she heard Daniel say. From the way it sounded they were in the living room.

"Well I didn't ask you if it sounded like a good idea, now did I?" Derek said.

"But what if someone does make it out here?" Daniel asked.

As much as she hated to, Livie lifted herself up and crossed her legs. Putting her head in her hands, she began to wipe the sleep out of her eyes. After sitting there for a few seconds, she decided that she needed to get up.

She dreaded going back into the living room, but she was hungry. With a quiet whimper she got out of bed and went to the door. Once she opened it, a shadow moving on the opposite wall of the hallway startled her. She jumped at first, then sort of recognized it as Daniel's shadow. After realizing this, she smiled to herself in embarrassment, thankful that Derek and Daniel hadn't seen her.

The two of them were still arguing when she walked out of the hallway. Putting off her urge to eat for a bit, she stood there and listened to them.

"All I'm saying is that if it's that bad downtown," Daniel said, "why the hell do you think that it's going to be safe enough to go anywhere else?"

"It's a lot fucking better idea than staying here!" Derek said, standing where Philena's body used to lie. Apparently, from the way the coffee table had been moved to the side of the room, they had taken her outside or to the garage possibly.

"You can go home, too!" Derek continued. "I don't give a fuck. But you sure as hell ain't staying here when I leave."

Livie's face took on a look of confusion. The word "leave" stuck in her head, and she was unable to comprehend what Derek had meant by that. Where would he go? How would he get there? Wait a minute. Where would I go?!

Suddenly she snapped out of her momentary stupor and lodged herself right between Derek and Daniel.

"What are you talking about?" Livie asked Derek, putting her hands on her hips in an aggressive gesture. "Where the hell are you going?"

"I'm not too sure," Derek said, "but I am getting the hell up out of here. The governor just declared martial law in Franklin and some other places. They are saying that everything is under control, but I think the shit's beginning to hit the fan."

"But they also said they were sending out teams," Daniel interjected. "to the parts of town that were unaffected to make sure whatever is going on doesn't spread."

"And you fucking believe them!" Derek said, throwing his hands into the air, "They've had the whole police force, the National Guard, and private contractors. If they couldn't keep this shit contained with all that, then how the hell do you think they are gonna stop it now?"

Livie stepped back and stared at the two of them. Mentally, she pleaded for Daniel to back down. While his intentions were good and his points valid, she really didn't want to see him and Derek get into a confrontation. While Daniel was very healthy and stout for his age, Derek would kill him.

She had seen that vein pop out on Derek's neck before. She had seen him smoke a whole pack of cigarettes in a couple of hours before. Derek was getting anxious. Maybe even scared. To be honest, she was getting stir-crazy staying inside the house herself. But where would they go?

"All I am saying is that we might want to wait and see how things turn out," Daniel continued.

"Wait and see how long it takes for some more of those fucks to make their way here?" Derek replied. "You're fucking stupid. You need to carry your ass back to the house and 'wait and see' how long it is before someone busts your door in and takes a chunk out of your neck."

"You kicked my door off the hinges!" Daniel yelled at him.

"Stop it!" Livie screamed at the both of them, her temper beginning to flare. "Just stop yelling at each other! Hasn't there been enough fighting?"

"Why don't you just shut up?" Derek said, pulling his cigarettes out of his pocket and lighting one. "This doesn't even concern you."

"Like hell it doesn't!" Livie said, then pointed a finger at him. "And I'm getting tired of you storming around ordering us around! Who gave you the right to make any decisions for us?"

"You better get your little ass back in that room before..." Derek started.

"Before what?" Livie asked, bucking up to him. "Are you gonna hit me? Or shoot me in the head like you did Gerald?"

Derek stood his ground but went silent for a second, taking a hit off his cigarette. She had put herself in a situation she really did not want to be in. She hoped that he wouldn't hit her, but she couldn't be sure. Her whole body was shaking now, her muscles tense in anticipation; just waiting for him to knock her to the floor.

Then something changed in his eyes. The smoldering anger was still there, but it has softened. The tension left his muscles as he looked down on her. Livie had bluffed him, and she had won.

"You better watch your fucking mouth," Derek said.

"Tell me," she insisted "where the hell are you going?"

"What fucking business is it of yours?" Derek said defiantly.

"Derek," she pleaded, "I'm scared, and me and Daniel can't make it if something like what happened to Henry happens again."

"If you have to fucking know," Derek said spitefully, "I'm heading up into the country. The people on the news are saying that there's some places up there that haven't been fucked up."

"But how are you going to get there?" Daniel asked, stepping up beside his sister.

"I don't know," Derek said, "But any way is a lot better than sitting here waiting to be be eaten."

Livie pondered the idea. Derek was probably right about the martial law decision. At least two of those things, excluding Kyle, had gotten into the neighborhood even before they declared it. She didn't want to stay there. The prospect of leaving the house scared her to death, but being alone with those things possibly getting closer scared her worse.

"I'm going with you," she said.

Derek gave her a credulous look.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Daniel said.

"I don't really care what you think, Daniel," she replied, turning to face him.

"You're not going," he said, glaring at her.

"Oh fuck you, Daniel," she said. "Just because Dad isn't here doesn't make you my boss."

Her arms went straight to her hips as she glared back at him. She had gotten very good at putting on this front. Her body was still shaking, but she knew she couldn't let them see how terrified she was. She refused to be the little girl that had frozen in tears when Derek was fighting off those monsters. She had to be strong.

"Derek," she said, "Please, take me with you. I don't want to stay here."

Derek just stood there, looking at her. Live was about to break down, her eyes welling up with tears. Just before one rolled down her cheek, Derek spoke.

"If you want to tag along, that's fine. But you will need to keep up. I'm not putting my ass on the line to save your dumb ass."

"But..." Daniel started, then conceded. "Fine. I guess we're going with you."

"Well you two had better get your asses in gear!" he said. "I plan on leaving in about an hour before all this martial law shit gets too deep. You need to find those bags and pack some food in them. I'm going to get the guns ready and see how much shit I can scrounge up."

With that, Derek turned away from them and walked down the hallway. Daniel looked at Livie and shook his head.

"You know I hate you right?" he said sarcastically. All she could do was roll her eyes and go into the kitchen to fulfill the hunger that was growing in her stomach.

XxXxXxXx

Livie's feet began to throb by the time they had made it to the store. Derek had only let her spend a few minutes in her house to gather some of her things before shoving her and Daniel out the door, and the only pair of shoes she could find both of were brown sandals. They were cool and comfortable on her feet in warm weather like this, but they could be painful when trying to keep up with the light run Derek forced them to maintain.

A few cars had passed them as they made their way to the main road. Derek tried to hitch a ride for them in the back of a truck, but the driver kept going, causing Derek to fire the .38 into the air a couple of times.

Livie could understand the driver's caution though. If it was her she wouldn't stop for anyone, except for Daniel or her dad. The bundle of cloth in Daniel's arms, sadly trying to conceal the .22, probably didn't help matters any.

Her little back pack had was weighing heavily on her shoulders now, too. Derek was carrying most of the food in the duffle bag, and Daniel's backpack had the rest of it along with some small things like matches, a flash light, and some of his personal effects. Thusly, she was free to pack pretty much whatever she wanted in hers. While some food or drinks would be much appreciated if they couldn't find any for some time, she opted instead for her portable cd player, some cds, cloths, some make-up, and other odds and ends.

Daniel had scolded her at the house for packing things that he didn't "think were necessary", but she just shrugged him off. After all, it shouldn't be too long until all of this was sorted out. She might as well have a few luxuries.

The grocery store was hectic as they entered the parking lot. Cars had began parking in the lanes, on the curbs, and even on the main road. It seemed for every person that ran out with a buggy full of goods, three more were rushing in.

Derek led them to the front of the store and leaned up against the wall, smoking a cigarette. Daniel quietly did the same, but after the rush he had been in to get out of the house Livie couldn't help but wonder why they were just standing there.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked Derek.

"Just shut up and wait," he said, blowing smoke in her face.

She wanted to smack him as she fanned the smoke out of her face, but she along with Daniel had figured out that it wasn't the best time to rile Derek up. Setting her back pack on the ground, she leaned against the wall and watched the people as they scurried around.

A woman in a motorized cart caught her eyes. She must have weighed five-hundred pounds easily, the cart apparently pushed to the limit to get her to the front door of the store. She couldn't help but giggle at the spectacle, even though she felt a little remorse.

As she continued watching the woman enter the store, Derek tugged on her arm. She turned to him to notice he was watching a young couple getting a baby out of the back of their Chevy Tahoe. They were an average looking couple. The man was slender, and wore khakis and a polo shirt, while the woman was a definite bleach-blonde, sporting capri shorts and a tank top.

The man hefted the baby onto his shoulder, and they rushed across the parking lot. It was a little girl, presumably by the pink blanket she was wrapped in. Livie couldn't help but admire the little one as they passed her. She was a beautiful baby. Livie wondered if...

"Come on," Derek said as he lugged the duffle bag across the parking lot.

Livie looked at Daniel in confusion, but picked up her back pack and they both followed him. Derek reached the Tahoe and opened one of the back doors, tossing his stuff into the seat. He then nonchalantly opened the driver's side door and hopped in.

"What the hell are you doing?" Daniel asked him, coming to a dead stop a few feet away from the truck.

"They left the keys," Derek said, pulling them out of the ignition and holding them up for the other two to see.

Livie became very angry. While they were standing in front of the store, Derek was watching the cars. He was waiting for someone to leave their keys. That had probably been his plan all along.

"Derek, this is wrong," Daniel said. "What if we get caught?"

"Who the fuck's going to catch us?" Derek replied as he cranked the engine. "The police are all trying to keep those fucks in town from breaking out. Now get in!"

"They have a baby!" Livie yelled at him, pointing to the car seat in the back.

"Look, it's either them or us right now," Derek said. "And as far as I'm concerned, I want to get my ass out of here. Now get in or I'm leaving you!"

Derek edged the truck forward and cut the wheel, serious about what he had said. Livie growled loudly and walked over, pulling the front passenger side door open. She dropped her back pack in the floor board and got in. When she closed the door, she locked it and scooted as close to it as she could. Daniel loaded all of his stuff in the back seat and sat behind her.

"You're going to hell," Livie said, her head turned towards the window.

"I know," Derek said as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed north.