Patrick D'Orazio - Into the Dark

Jeff found the energy to shake his head and glare at Frank. Frank glared right back, angry that his attempt at revenge had failed. He stabbed a thick index finger at his enemy.

“You’re damn lucky that blood’s all over you, you piece of shit. But don’t think you ain’t gonna pay for Marcus. I’ll get your ass soon enough.”

Jeff didn’t bother with a retort. Instead, he raised his hand and gave Frank the one-fingered salute. Frank’s response was to spit at him and stomp back to his RV.

Michael grabbed Jeff by the arm and pulled him to his feet.

“You okay?”

Jeff nodded, though he suspected Michael couldn’t care less about his well-being. It was surprising that he hadn't let his flunky get in a few blows before calling him off, but Jeff guessed Michael wanted the pleasure of beating the shit out of Jeff all to himself.

“Good. Stay out here. Have a seat while I get you something to clean up with.” Michael paused, studying Jeff. “I’ll get you a shirt, too.”

Michael squeezed his arm a little harder, and Jeff resisted the urge to wince. “Remember, I don’t want you going inside. We need to have our little chat first.” He turned and walked toward his RV.

Jeff stood there for a moment, waiting for Michael to slip inside his trailer. He then walked over to where Ben was tending to Ray. The boy’s eyes were closed, and he was twisting and turning, like he was having a bad dream.

“He’s going to need something for the pain,” Ben whispered.

Jeff nodded, and they stood silently side by side, watching Ray struggle as the virus corrupted his body inch by painful inch.

After another minute, Ben spoke again. “You realize Michael is going to want to know what happened out there. Right?”

Jeff rubbed his forehead as he nodded. He looked up at Ben’s bearded face and saw curiosity in the man’s dark eyes. It was clear that Michael wasn’t the only one who was wondering what had actually happened to Marcus.

Turning away, Jeff looked at his RV. He wondered if George was in there with Megan and what, if anything, he had told her about what went on in Manchester.

“Jeff?”

He turned back to Ben and saw that the stoic man’s expression had changed. He looked concerned.

“Be careful.”

Ben glanced around the camp, paused, and then looked past the roofline. He appeared to be listening for something.

“What’s wrong?”

His eyes snapped back to Jeff’s, and he shook his head.

“It’s nothing. Would you watch Ray until Lydia comes out?”

Jeff nodded, puzzled. Ben took one last look at Ray and then turned away. Jeff thought he was going inside his RV, but instead the giant moved toward the ladder.

“Ben? What are you doing?”

Ben didn’t look back as he replied. “I have to take another look out there and make sure everything’s okay.” He climbed the ladder. Jeff could think of nothing else to say, and as Ben reached the top rung, he turned back to Jeff one last time.

“Besides, I need to get my bow back. You left it outside.” Ben winked, just like he did when they first met. Then he was on the roof and, after a few more seconds, disappeared from view.

Jeff looked down at Ray and shivered. They boy had stopped twitching, but was still breathing. Perhaps he might sleep until he succumbed to the virus. It was doubtful, but worth wishing for.

Jeff glanced around the camp and felt completely alone. It was the first time he had felt that way since meeting Megan, and it scared him. Looking at his RV, he wished he were inside with his friends. All he wanted at that moment was to see them again.

A few moments later, when he heard a sharp scream from beyond the camp walls, his blood ran cold. It was the same type of scream he had heard before.

This time it was much closer.

Ben returned shortly thereafter and motioned for Michael, who had just tossed Jeff a clean shirt and wet towel, to come up to the rooftop. When the camp leader climbed back down a few minutes later, Jeff suspected he already knew the gist of Ben’s report: the infected were on the move and inching closer to the survivors' little hiding place in the woods.

After Michael ordered Frank to roust everyone from their RVs for a meeting, he glared at Jeff. There was a fury in his eyes.

“I’ll deal with you later,” he said before storming toward his RV.

Jeff was able to clean off most of the blood and don the clean shirt Michael had tossed at him just as Megan and George stepped out of the RV. Both were shocked when they spotted their friend, since neither had been made aware of his return. Jeff noticed Jason following them out of the motor home and hoped the threesome had put the ugly argument from earlier in the day behind them.

Megan rushed over and threw herself into Jeff’s arms. Before he had much of a chance to respond, she was already pushing him back so she could look at his face. She touched his cheek, as if to reassure herself that he was truly alive. George was not nearly as gentle when he scooped up his friend into a big bear hug.

“It’s good to see you too,” Jeff gasped when George dropped him back to the ground.

When Megan and George had calmed down sufficiently, Jeff stole a glance over at Jason. The boy gave him an awkward grin, and Jeff responded with a sheepish smile of his own. Things were turning to shit fast in the camp, but at least the four of them were still alive and still together… for the moment.

After the quick reunion, Jeff watched as the other camp dwellers filed into the courtyard. Teddy ran over to Ray while Lydia, who had been tending to the injured boy, gave Teddy some quick instructions on Ray’s care. She then turned and scurried over to her Winnebago, where the smaller children were timidly stepping down from the doorway. She huddled them together, kissing and hugging them tightly. Jeff saw the terror on their little faces as their guardian whispered reassurances to them that everything was going to be just fine. Sadie was already crying, and the two boys looked scared as well, though they tried desperately to hide their fear. Jeff forced his eyes away from the makeshift family as Frank motioned for everyone to gather around.

Michael was at the center of the group with his crony standing next to him. Frank carried a rifle in his hands and had the double-barreled shotgun strapped across his back. Cindy hovered nearby, the same predatory expression on her face that Jeff had glimpsed the day before. She not only appeared to be comfortable with their present situation, she looked excited by it. Ben stayed at the edge of the crowd, his brow furrowed in frustration. Jeff had watched the animated conversation between the scout and the camp leader up on the roof and deduced rather quickly that it had not gone well. Whatever Michael had told Ben, it had infuriated him. When the giant of a man climbed back down into the courtyard and started snapping arrows with his bare hands, it told Jeff all he needed to know: things were bad and about to get a whole lot worse.

“For those who haven’t already guessed, we’re about to have company.”

No one made a sound, though Jeff could see Megan tense up. George’s shoulders slumped, as if he had been holding onto a thin sliver of hope and Michael’s words had crushed the last of it. Lydia held the children tighter, shushing them. A quick glance in Cindy’s direction verified she was feeding off everyone’s fear, enjoying the panic spreading through the small crowd.

“Ben informed me that the shit that got stirred up in town is not dying back down. In fact, the stiffs are getting more and more agitated with every passing minute. For whatever reason,” Michael paused and glared pointedly at Jeff, “they are moving toward the camp.”