Anthony DeCosmo - Disintegration

Trevor urged, "We’ll look for your friends, but first we have to stop that bleeding."

The two officers shared a glance and-reluctantly-nodded in agreement.

"By the way, my name is Trevor. Trevor Stone. This is Jon Brewer."

"Thanks for stoppin’ by, Trevor Stone. I’m Jerry Shepherd. This is Sal Corso. Straight from- ouch — Philadelphia."

Sal sneered, "With friggin’ love."

Trevor smashed the window on an old Nissan, eased Shepherd into the rear seat, and slipped the manual shifter out of gear. Sal and Jon pushed the car to the exit ramp and gravity did the rest. The lack of power assist for the steering caused some difficulty as Trevor struggled to keep the wheel from locking. Nonetheless, he maneuvered through the garage and onto the street. Sal, Jon, and the K9s followed on foot.

They helped Shepherd to a bunk inside the RV where Trevor displayed the first-aid expertise of an army medic as he stopped the bleeding then sanitized and bandaged the wound.

The leg needed stitching but three creatures the size of buses approached. At first glance, they resembled an ant/spider hybrid: eight furry legs, six coal-black eyes on an insect’s head, and an abdomen segmented into three parts. One walked along on the pavement pausing to inspect parked cars; the other two crawled sideways on homes peeking in windows.

Trevor retraced Carey Avenue and parked on a grassy stretch near the riverbank. While K9s stood sentry outside, the four men discussed the situation.

After describing the estate, Trevor invited the officers to stay at the mansion.

"That sounds great," Shep answered. "But I’m not going anywhere without Nina and Scott."

"You’re in no position to go looking for them," Jon said.

"I can rest here."

Trevor noted that when Shepherd spoke of this Nina woman his eyes sharpened, revealing something greater than simple concern for a fellow human being, but not the desperate longing a man would show for a lover.

Fatherly concern?

"Who is this Nina?" asked Trevor.

"And there’s another guy," Jon said. "Scott is his name?"

Sal joked, "Yeah, but Nina’s as likely to kill him as anythin’ out there."

Trevor told them, "There’s a good chance she’s already dead."

"No." Shepherd insisted. "You’re not hearing me, son. Nina will survive until she runs out of ammo or Scott does something stupid. She’s alive; I know it. We have to find her."

Trevor said, "Let’s get you back to the estate, stitch you up, then come back later."

Shepherd refused. "That won’t do. It’ll be dark in a couple of hours."

Jon suggested; pleaded, "Trev, I’ll handle this. Steal a car and take him back. Me and Sal here can go with the dogs and keep searching."

He stared at Jon and wondered; he wondered what Jon felt he needed to prove.

"I can live with that," Shepherd said. "For now."

Trevor worried Shep's obsession with finding this Nina would cost lives. He understood survival came down to an equation: save people without losing ones already saved. Adding Shep and Sal to the growing estate would be a net win; losing one or both of them-and possibly Jon and several K9s-in a hopeless search did not serve the interest of survival, no matter how noble.

Yet he agreed because it did not seem he had any choice.

"Okay. I’ll take Shepherd back. You and Sal start searching. Let the K9s sniff her and this Scott guy out. We rendezvous here at 7."

– After hot-wiring a Grand Cherokee, Trevor drove Shep through Plymouth, over the mountain, and to Harveys Lake, avoiding a Devilbat and a slithering Jellyfish along the way.

The estate and the K9s impressed Shepherd as much as Trevor hoped. He introduced the policeman to Lori (who berated Trevor for leaving Jon behind) and Sheila (who whispered hello before running to her room).

With Lori’s help, Trevor properly stitched the wounded leg and wrapped the injury in a more secure bandage, reaching the extent of his medical knowledge. At that point, Captain Jerry Shepherd demanded to return to the search. Trevor stalled as long as possible but that became difficult with Lori glaring at him.

For the return trip, they eschewed the Grand Cherokee in favor of a Humvee. On their way into the city, they dodged the same Devilbat, shot dead a large other-wordily snake, rammed through a trio of Ghouls, and succeeded in meeting Jon and Sal at seven o’clock.

Jon informed Trevor that two German Shepherds died during the search. Trevor knew many K9s would be lost in the weeks, months, and years ahead. Still, two of them dying while not under his command did not sit well with Trevor.

They retrieved a piece of Nina's clothing from the helicopter and gave the K9s a good whiff, then the hunt continued starting with a floor-by-floor search of the hospital that was cut short when a red blob enveloped another K9.

As evening turned to night, they resorted to a bullhorn to call her name, attracting a swarm of cat-sized beetles with razor-sharp mandibles. Scratch another dog.

Trevor insisted they withdraw and succeeded only by convincing Shep that if this girl were as good a soldier as he claimed, she would find shelter for the night.

The next morning-the first day of October-they left before dawn with reloaded weapons, twice as many K9s, and three different vehicles: the RV and two Humvees.

They swept through residential neighborhoods, an elementary school, and several churches. Four more dogs died by late afternoon and Sal suffered a mild concussion when the tentacles of an eight-foot tall carnivorous flower knocked a garage wall on his head.

Round after round of munitions burned away in firefights: First, an elephant-sized beetle beneath the bleachers at a high school football stadium. Second, a mob of Ghouls rousted from a restaurant. Third, small balls of slimy feelers that, while preferring carrion, decided to try a live meal when Jon stumbled upon them in the dining room of a retirement home.

None of that deterred Jerry Shepherd, but as night fell on the second day Trevor felt their luck running out. Certainly, this super-soldier-this Nina Forest-had been something’s dinner.

On the morning of the third day, Trevor decided if they did not find anyone by nightfall, the search would end; at least for him and Jon. Besides, the weather offered a bad harbinger: a cold breeze turned a light rain into icy daggers; a reminder that October had arrived. Some leaves already erupted in fiery colors, meaning the first snow of the season could not be far behind.

Around mid-day, Shepherd took shrapnel from a Mutant’s flintlock in his shin. Although only a minor injury, the blow demanded a run to the estate for more stitches. Trevor took Shepherd to the compound and left Jon and Sal with several K9s.

Late that afternoon, the Norwegian Elkhound named Odin caught a scent. The animal barked and yapped until grabbing their attention, then led Jon and Sal through an old scrap yard to an abandoned warehouse where the roof had partially collapsed.

A hand stretched out from beneath a pile of sheet metal and wooden beams.

"It’s her," Sal said as he checked for a pulse. "It’s Nina, and she’s alive."

Moments before sunset, Trevor hurried in the front door of the mansion having just returned from a fuel run to William and Eva Rheimmer’s farm.

During the trip home, he received a radio transmission from Jon Brewer announcing the successful conclusion of the search for Nina Forest. Somehow, she had survived in that infested city for three days. The other officer, Scott, remained unaccounted for.

"She’s unconscious," Jon said as he met Trevor inside the front door.

Stone noticed Jon beaming. And why not? He had searched unfriendly territory and not only survived but also completed his mission.