"Thank God for generators."
Bill watched the savory liquid brew from the keurig machine. The delicious, steamy smell of fresh coffee filled the whole kitchen.
"I hate generators." Came Francis' voice.
"Why? They keep power on."
"Until they become a piece of shit."
"I'm sure the generator hates you too."
The veteran looked over at the biker who had his feet up on the fold up table they had found in a closet. Discarding the broken one outside, where Francis had impaled one of the broken legs through an infected's skull into a tree in the yard. He had then wrote in blood on its bare chest: "fuck you, you smelly, fugly cock waffle."
He glared outside as the sun broke through the clouds a little bit. Snow was very slowly accumulating on the ground and he squinted his eyes. "Can I guess everyone will agree with me when I say this? I hate the cold."
"I don't know Francis, we're not all in the kitchen to say." Bill scavenged around for some creamer powder and sugar. He found some in a bottom cabinet. He poured himself a cup as Beth, Jordan and Zoey walked in. Beth made a beeline for the coffee, greedily made herself a cup as well and worries Zoey by making strange motions with her tongue. "She does that a lot, especially when she hasn't had coffee in while." Jordan explained.
"It's been too long." Beth downed it and went for some more.
Francis watched the boy dangerously as Jordan wrapped his arms around her waist. But seeing she was happy, he didn't say or do anything other than get up and walked in the next room. Zoey sat down next and looked at the couple. "So what was your guys' plan? You know, before we ran into each other."
Jordan cast his eyes to the side in thought, "I think we were going to go find whatever evac center was still operating. But if that didn't work out we were gonna head south before it gets too snowy and cold again."
Beth nodded, "not sure what we plan to do if we go south though. What about you guys?"
"Looking for the next evac center as well." Bill replied. He was also sitting at the table and looking through another newspaper. "Well if it doesn't work out you guys wanna tag along?" Jordan asked.
"What kind of question is that? We already decided to stick together. Safety in numbers and all that shit." Beth reminded.
"And your brother."
"'Course. He'd never leave us."
Zoey nodded in agreement with going down south with them, as did Bill. "Got nothing better to do than fight for our lives if there's no more evacs." He pointed out.
Jordan went for the coffee next as Zoey spoke up again, "you know, ever since this whole thing started I haven't seen another female survivor. I was starting to think I was the only girl left. Glad I was wrong." She smiled. Bill glanced at his comrade as Jordan and Beth both gave her semi-odd looks. "No other female survivors?" Jordan repeated.
"No, why?"
"We've met others, most of them were guys. But there were some girls."
She rested her hand on the table, "oh really?"
"Really."
"Yeah!" Beth chirped, "there were some girls but not nearly as many as guys. This disease is sexist."
"I'll say."
Ian was the next to waltz into the kitchen. He stretched and took a big whiff of the delicious smell in the air. "Oh thank God, I was losing hope I would never have coffee again."
"Help yourself," Bill motioned at the pot.
Ian gladly obliged, eagerly taking the rest of the pot for himself. Zoey smiled at his excitement, and then looked over at Beth when she asked the next question, "so Bill, you said you're a Vietnam veteran?"
"I am." Bill confirmed kindly, side-glancing at her.
"My uncle's a veteran too! Not from Vietnam though."
"Is he?"
"Sure is. He was in the army for twenty years, and has been everywhere. He also taught us how to use guns...I hope he's ok…"
Bill hummed in reply, as Jordan rubbed her arms in comfort with Ian watching them. "Even being in a war doesn't prepare you for this. They keep coming and coming and don't Goddamn stop. But I'm sure he is Bethany. Have faith. That's a great thing he taught you two how to use firearms, now that we're in this battle. He'd be proud if he saw how well you both use them on your own."
"Thanks Bill. I miss them, you know?"
Ian patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll find them. We'll find all our families. We'll get somewhere safe where they'll be waiting for us."
Zoey snickered, "I'm guessing you're the other Mr. Positive?" Ian tilted his head at her confused. "Francis calls Louis Mr. Positive because of how optimistic he can be."
The boy blinked. "Oh...yeah. Of course, now that I think about it Kayla's called me that a couple of times. That's all you can be, especially to get through this."
"Exactly." Jordan agreed.
"You kids are a close, strong bunch I tell ya. Especially you and your sister Beth. You two have real tough skin, having a veteran uncle and raised by an ani-I mean biker." Bill complemented.
Everyone laughed heartily at the bit of humor. Then Zoey was next to speak once more, "I'm glad you're ok. Francis was really worried about you two. He told us how you guys know each other. That's...hard."
Next Jordan had a dark look in his eyes, "I would shoot those two myself if they weren't already gone."
"How do you know for sure they're both dead?" Bill asked. "Because Francis knew their dad and all three knew that monster. So they know how their actions were. They didn't make it, although if they have, they deserve to suffer horribly as infected."
Ian nodded in agreement as Beth went to check if the biker was out of earshot. When confirmed, she returned to her spot. "Francis once told us while growing up he was scared he would become like his dad. He especially became a lot worst towards him and his brothers after their mother passed away."
"What?" Zoey watched her in surprise, Bill turned to them from his newspaper again. "Francis' mom died from bone cancer nineteen years ago when he was sixteen. She had a rough battle with it for years while trying to deal with their douche canoe father in their house back in those days. Until she just couldn't hold on any longer. After she died, as he grew up it became much worst. Physically, mentally and emotionally. Let me remind you, painfully, his dad's an asshole. The two of us have known both sides of his family our whole lives and he has every reason to keep us away from his father's side. I should stop there. It's not my story. But even if Francis does act like an asshole he doesn't mean to. He ain't a bad guy."
"Mm." Bill responded, taking this information in carefully. Zoey looked off to the side thinking about Francis; all the times she saw his angry, hateful attitude before the meetup. Then how sorry he looked afterwards. It wasn't because he claims to be that person now and then. All that aggression, it didn't just come from nowhere. It manifested because of what happened to him as a kid. She now felt bad for yelling and arguing with him, half the time in defense for Bill even if he deserved it some days. Maybe it was time she and Bill tried to understand him a little better.
"Anyway. Is there anymore coffee?"
Ian pushed over the grain container, "uh pfft...whatever's left in here is what there is."
In the living room, Amber stared down at a lump of blankets on the floor. She raised her foot back and kicked it as hard as she possibly could, cracking her toes upon impact. The lump flinched, then, after a few seconds Kayla slowly rolled to where she could see her best friend. Dark, irritated eyes only visible from under the blankets stared up at her. "Is the floor so comfortable you have to become a safety hazard?"
With no answer she rolled back into position and hid under the blankets. "That's what you get for staying up all night."
"As always."
"What if a horde was coming? Would you just lay there and get attacked?"
"So be it."
Amber shook her head with half-lidded eyes. She turned and went in the kitchen mid-conversation. "If you went to college with the six of us Zoey, you'd question your sanity." Ian explained, "our school was an insane asylum."
Bill chuckled as Beth and Jordan groaned stressfully. Remembering every escapade they and other friends had gone through together, among what they witnessed and heard before the outbreak. "So much happened during Kayla and I's freshman year it's a blur!" Amber recalled, "both good and bad of course but oh man, it was an insane clusterfuck cataclysm of events!" She joined Ian's side, where they embraced with a morning kiss. "That makes me wish more I went to school with you," Zoey replied. "My school was boring. I didn't leave my dorm very much but when I did nothing exciting ever happened. What grade are you guys in?"
"Some of them sophomores, some juniors. I graduated early." Jordan answered.
"Damn. I'm still a freshie."
In the background Louis came lurking up the stairs from the mancave, surprisingly not looking or sounding tired at all despite last night. He was carrying a box, from what they could see sticking out from the top were old dishes and silverware. "Sup ya'll."
The sound of a door slamming sounded from the other room while Zoey threw an arm out. "What are you eighty years old now? Why do you have a box of antiques?"
"Hey!" Louis shouted, "Bill's close to eighty!"
"Sixty-five son." He reminded.
"My mother and grandparents are into antiques! So, I took a little interest myself. After all, I am an analyst.~" With his nose in the air, he made his way for the living room. "Not an antique analyst!"
"Woman, I!-" Louis was cut short when he tripped on something, they didn't see what, but he violently jerked forward and the box was sent flying. Amber and the others ran to see what was happening in time to watch all of the dishes and silverware soar from the box high in the air and very, very loudly, crash into hundreds of pieces upon smashing hard against Kayla. Immediately, everyone saw her body go from dead still to thrashing from underneath the blankets. From the other side of the living room by the front door, Francis' mouth dropped open and his eyes were wide. A startled Kayla then jumped to her feet and wildly looked around as a commotion stirred. "Oh no, you woke the Dragon." Amber observed.
Francis held a fist to his mouth trying not to laugh, but it didn't help that Jordan, Ian and Beth were now cackling like witches as Zoey and Bill reacted the same as him. His body trembled in laughter while Kayla laid her eyes on Louis, who backed up and held his hand out cautiously. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I am so sorry!" He panicked. She sneered at him after seeing all the broken pieces of glass and now partially bent silverware. Looking like she wanted to murder him six times over.
From upstairs, a bedroom door opened. Keirstan stood in the doorway, grouchy eyes half-closed and a deep frown slid down her face.
She soon stormed down the stairs with the same expression, "what is all the noise about?" She snarked as Kayla looked like she was about to throttle Louis. However she stopped when she smelled the lingering scent of coffee. She mouthed the word and rushed for the kitchen as Amber began to explain to Keirstan what just happened. Louis was now in the fetal position on the floor, as everyone was now having a good time with the episode. Francis had leaned his face against the doorframe with a hand over his head and just boomed laughing his ass off.
Kayla's eyes were full of hope as she saw the keurig. "Oh…" she reached her arms out and raced over to it, now smiling happily...just for the gaping smile to drop into a gaping frown when she saw there was none. She looked in the container, there were no more grains. All through the cabinets. Nope.
No beans. No soul fuel. No hope.
"WHAT THE FUCKING HELL!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, as Keirstan looked around the floor in disbelief. "Calm down," Amber ridiculed. "We'll go to town and get more."
…
The squelching, tearing sounds of knife through flesh and thrashing filled the air in an empty market.
"Fuck!"
Rip!
"Off!"
Riiip!
"Kayla, I think it's dead now." Amber called as she calmly watched her over kill the infected. Its mutilated hand twitched, and the now shredded inside out body decorated the floor. The older survivor bowed her head to look behind herself at her comrade. She yanked her knife out of the head sideways, sending a messy chunk of cranium flying into a shelf with a sloppy thunk. "Now it's dead."
Amber hummed in reply, before movement caught her eye. She looked over in time to see another lunge at her, so she quickly kicked it back and bashed its face in a couple of times with her metal baseball bat.
The two walked side by side until Keirstan came into view. "No coff-"
"God fucking damn it." Kayla turned the other way.
"There's no more coffee in this whole market?" Amber quirked. "No, don't know what that's about. Man she's pissed today." They watched Kayla lurk away and vanish around a corner to double check if the confirmation was true in the coffee aisle.
"When you're kicked then have thirty pounds of glass and silverware drop down on you, and there's no coffee left, you'd be pissed too."
For coffee lovers, coffee was the friendly version of alcohol. Once the cup is full, it's hard to put down. When one smells the delicious aroma, it's like blood attracting a Shark. But when there is none, one is a tired, enraged soul.
Francis came into view from investigating the storage room out back. "There ain't any back there either." He reported, then watched as an even more sour Kayla walked pass with a cart and using her arm to push random things of sugar and creamer powder placed on the shelf they were by inside. In case someone did find some coffee.
"You're gonna lug that thing back to the house."
"Yes."
He followed with Amber and Keirstan close by. They soon heard Ian's voice full of dismay yell as the four exit the store. Slush and wet snow splashed under their feet. "There isn't any coffee in those stores either." He pointed a finger to the buildings he, Zoey and Louis investigated.
"For fu-which one of you jackasses took the rest of it?"
"Have faith, we're in Fairfield. There has to be some around." Zoey rested her gun on her shoulder as Ian gritted his teeth while backing away nervously. Kayla just blinked at her, but didn't say anything.
"Hey! We found some warmer coats and stuff! I just remembered that's what we went back for yesterday too but never grabbed anything!" Beth called from a different clothing department through a window.
"Ya'll, we need to stop hollering."
Bill also manifested into view with a jacket for himself. "Augh I keep telling you all that but none of you listen."
Jordan helped Beth haul their own choice of winter clothing back to the truck. Since they both knew the other fours' sizes it was easy to just snatch and run. "You three are gonna have to go in for yourselves, don't know what you wear."
"Alright, let's go." Louis encouraged Zoey and Francis to change into some more comfortable coats from what they were wearing now. It was leftover winter gear what they found in their last hideout. The biker went to yell something over at Bill, when he stopped once hearing a familiar growl. Alarmed, everyone gripped their weapons and scanned every inch of the area. It wasn't in sight, so they didn't know where it was. Some of the boys aimed their guns in random directions preparing for a surprise attack.
"Just gonna hide huh? Come on out pussy!" Francis challenged.
"No, let's go. It sounds like just one we can leave without anyone getting hurt." Louis said.
Francis groaned, annoyed, as the survivors all seemed to mentally agree and headed for the truck. But then the Hunter began screaming loud, deep screams.
"Ah shit!"
Keirstan peered her eyes up to see it on a roof, tucked between some air vents shrieking down at them. Infected began crawling and throwing themselves out from where they were hiding, alerted by the special infected alarm system. "Good, I weren't leaving till I get me some soul fuel." Kayla beamed. "Are you serious?" Jordan shook his head while Francis laughed and exclaimed "atta girl, up for a fight!"
The infected raced at them wailing their usual angry wails and lashed at them rabidly. Movements the survivors were unfortunately used to now. Everyone began to fire into the swarm in all directions before they spread out, so no one would end up harming each other. Ian pulled out his hatchet and drove it into the side of one's neck as Amber shot a couple on his right. She looked ahead when cackling erupted from somewhere in the swarm and soon spotted a hunched thing sprinting at them with a crazed look in its eyes.
"One of those Jockey things!" Amber warned.
Her and Ian went to shoot at it, however it veered away and lunged wildly forward. It latched itself onto Louis, causing him to scream out in shock, drop his weapon and run about the area as the Jockey, madly laughing harder, scratched at and steered him around. "Help! Get this fucking thing off me!"
"What the hell?..."
Commons ran for him as Bill and Zoey stared on in confusion and disgust at the sight before Bill chased after them. He raised his weapon and fired some shots and missed. "Hold still!" Missed again, "hold still!"
"I can't!"
He then felt the thing jerking against him, "is this thing humping me?! Augh!"
Bill closed one eye, grumbling to himself as the barrel followed Louis and the Jockey. He fired once more, this time blasting off a side of its head. Louis stumbled to the ground as the corpse slumped against him. He threw it away and whirled around to see the commons were closing in fast. The analyst frantically backed away until furious bullets sprayed into them; Ian, Amber and Keirstan ran to his aid shooting away, as Francis used his machete to slash and stab the ones in front of him. Beth decapitated many at once with her katana as he stood beside her and fired even more rounds as backup, shouting insults and profountites while doing so.
"He who tongues!" Everyone heard Kayla holler. A Smoker had appeared and shot its tongue at Zoey who tried to dodge it, but was shoved back in place when a common smacked against her. She yelped when the appendage started dragging her backwards as she fought and struggled to get away until back in the fight Louis aimed his submachine gun up and fired madly into it. Zoey felt the tongue go limp and was going to thank him, when the Hunter immediately dropped down on her.
She screamed again. "Zoey! Hang on I'm coming!" Francis tried to run over where they were, shoulder barging infected as he went and proceeded to pull his gun out. He took aim, but struggled to catch a clear shot. He yelled in frustration and pushed forward to try again. However there was so much movement he was afraid he'd shoot his comrade instead; he kept trying as the flailing infected continued to block his way all around him. Seeing this, Kayla found a clear way where she was to Zoey and switched positions from firing to quickly pulling her knife out, flipped it into the air, caught it by the blade and hurled it at the hooded attacker.
Zoey pushed its head back and struggled to keep its claws away when the knife impaled deep into its snarling face, startling her.
Francis watched the special drop lifelessly on top of her. He finally was able to charge his way over as she shoved the body off. While luckily spared with tears in her clothing and small cuts, he couldn't help but ask. "You ok?"
She nodded, "yeah I'm fine."
"Beth! There's a starbucks over there!" Zoey and Francis heard Kayla shout next as the biker helped the college student to her feet. She pulled the knife out of the dead infected, and both watched as she ran for the coffee shop. "How didn't we see this before?"
"Are you kidding? Right now?!" Beth ran after her.
"It's coffee! MOVE!" She hollered right as a Boomer exploded after shooting it.
Jordan shouted as he dove for a discarded pipe bomb he spotted under a bench, as more infected tipped a car over during their charge in an attempt to kill them all. He glared at the disgusting things and chucked it towards them. "Eat shit you stupid fucks!"
They changed course in pursuit of the pipe bomb, giving himself and others time to recover. Keirstan, Ian and Amber immediately shot at the ones who wouldn't make it to the bomb as it blew the ones who did to pieces. Bone, muscle and parts of intestines flew all around as they were ripped apart. Meanwhile, Bill successfully dodged another shrilling Smoker, shot up its tongue and fired bullets into its face. He then pulled out his knife as he and Ian with his hatchet worked together in taking down more side by side. "Louis! Look out! Here comes another one!" Zoey shouted as she sliced away more of them with the hunting knife.
"NO! KEEP IT AWAY!" Louis screamed when the next Jockey came in sight. It chased after him as he quickly backed away, shooting at the monster when Amber ran up to it from the side and swung her baseball bat into its ribs. It yelped in pain as it soared into the air, and Keirstan shot into the special. The body slammed into a brick wall with the sound of its joints cracking.
"Where did Kayla and Beth go?!" She yelled as it slumped to the ground.
"I don't know!"
Francis and Zoey ran side by side, she slashed throats open before reaching down to pick her gun up as he raised his to take out another Hunter. Ian called out there was another Boomer behind them, at the same time he and the biker fired after it vomited, narrowly missing Louis, who scurried away shrieking in disgust. The analyst then worked with Keirstan and Jordan to kill commons that raced around a corner of a building. They slipped and fell in the gore and snow but tried to keep coming, just to lay still when bullets lodged into their bodies.
"Another bomb or molotov would be very useful right now!" Bill hollered.
"I'm sorry I don't have one!" Francis sarcastically yelled back.
...
Kayla made an excited noise when seeing the coffee machines.
"Seriously, how did we not see this before?"
The sisters hacked and shot away at the incoming threats, glass noisily broke over their shrieks and cries as they were back to back. They flipped tables and chairs trying to get to them, and their blood soon decorated the walls.
Beth then accidently shot a bag of coffee grounds lodged between some shelves with a loud bang, and Kayla shouted at her as the grounds sprayed all over the place; she placed her face in her hands as her sister apologized profusely.
"Beth..."
More infected were crashing their way in.
Beth grunted in aggravation when Kayla remained in this position. "Stupid! Now's not the time!"
Kayla slid her hands down her now determined face.
"Nothin's gonna get in my WAY OF-"
Kayla was cut off when all of a sudden, a loud, deep howl erupted from outside the wall behind where the machines were sitting against. Next, something very large violently exploded through the wall. Dust, pieces of machinery and debris flew all over the place creating a haze and sending both girls into a mad coughing fit.
"What the shit?!" Beth yelled as a burly, grey skinned infected slammed against the other side of the restaurant.
Kayla's eyes helplessly followed the coffee machines as they soared through the air and exploded into fire when they crashed into the floor. "NO-HO! ARE YOU SHITTING ME?!"
She turned back to look at it crazily.
The new infected also turned to glower at them. It had a large arm and ripped overalls. A Charger. Beth narrowed her eyes at, readying her combat rifle. But Kayla had none of of it.
"YOU BITCH HOLE!" She screamed with so much rage. At this, all the infected suddenly and shockingly stopped what they were doing and went quiet. They looked nervous, much to Beth's surprise. Even the Charger's face slowly fell into a look of concern. Beth stared up at her since she was standing on the counter, "do you realize what you've done! DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW ATROCIOUS THIS MORNING WAS FOR ME?! THE ANGUISH I FELT? THE DISAPPOINTMENT I SAW! HUH?! "
From outside, both survivors and dwindling infected stopped everything. All stared in the direction of the starbucks as the shouting was the only sound now.
"Holy fuck she's livid." Jordan said.
"THAT'S IT! YOU AND I!-" She sneezed. There was a pause, then she continued raging.
Amber, Ian and Keirstan were not surprised at all and stared ahead with Francis whose mouth was hung ajar.
Next the sound of slaughter met their ears. Mixed with a blade clanging against metal and slicing through flesh.
Bill grunted, "least they're finally lighting up."
Zoey killed one more as the group trotted over. After looking inside, they were surprised finding a large hole in a wall towards the back, unrecognizable gored corpses, and the sisters standing over their work with Kayla fuming through her nose and holding Beth's all bloody katana. There was larger dead body, with a message written above it in fluids saying: "I fucking hate Chargers."
"Did you kill them with your bare hands?" Keirstan looked around in awe. "Might as well have!" Beth exclaimed, "but then my sword was stolen from me."
Her sister handed it back and walked off as Francis praised. The two high-fived, as Zoey reached out to return her knife. "Hey. Thanks for the save back there." She smiled.
Kayla eyed her then the weapon. She took it and moved on. "Mm."
"So this is a Charger," Bill observed the body with Louis and Zoey when she went over to them, as the others went back outside. Someone called that there was a coffee truck nearby, and the sounds of frantic footfall stirred. "Similar to a Tank don't ya think?"
Louis nodded, concern clear in his eyes. "Yeah…"
Zoey folded her arms. "It's just gonna get harder as we go."
Francis opened up the back of the truck. With very little lingering hope, Kayla peered inside. Her eyes grew big.
Among the litter, there ironically sat in the middle of the trailer three extra large bags of coffee. She scrambled in the trailer and snatched them, one was labeled maple pecan, one caramel coffee cake and the other vanilla bean. She sounded like she was about to cry.
"Finally…"
Francis chuckled.
"Got some?" Ian called.
"Yeah-has!"
"Can I have some?!"
"No-ho!"
Once collecting everything they needed, including creamer powder and sugar from another store, the group headed back to the truck.
"This was all for coffee?" Jordan deadpanned.
"And winter supplies, you know that." Keirstan reminded during the ride back to the neighborhood from the other side. She then noticed a medium-sized house that stood out from the rest as they passed by. For some reason, it sparked her curiosity.
...
Francis started a fire as the group settled down. They soon played Jurassic World. He plopped down in a recliner as the others were busy with whatever they were doing while watching it. "Didn't think that would of been a suicide mission for coffee."
"It was successful at least." Louis replied.
"And everyone was spared. She was on the brink of killing us all."
They both looked over at Kayla, who was much too comfortable on the couch, wrapped in blankets and holding a very large mug full of hot steaming coffee. She was smiling, her eyes closed.
And purring.
Louis stared at her intensely until his eyebrow twitched. He looked over at Francis for answers, who just shook his head with his own brows arched up and shrugged.
"I don't know man, I don't know. You're the analyst, you tell me."
"I ain't a doctor!"
Louis glanced back at her. "How are you doing that?!" He yelled.