The Rot: Book 2

Chapter 11

I wanted to wake everyone else in the warehouse. But, since I figured that would net me an ass whipping from Cynthia, I decided not to. Maurice finished taking stock of our supplies, and I sat around and waited.

I know what I saw out there: it was a person running away from the group of dead things. I replayed the scene over and over again in my head and I knew that it was another person out there. If nobody else in the group wanted to go and take a look, then I would.

Once everybody was awake and had their breakfast, Maurice gathered all of us around by the van.

"Okay, guys. It seems that while doing an early morning perimeter check, Reid saw something interesting out there. Go ahead and tell them, Reid," Maurice said.

"Thanks for putting me on the spot," I remarked to Maurice. I'm not a public speaker. "Well, while I was out checking on the fence covering, I heard some noises coming from the street out in front. It sounded like a group of biters."

"A horde?" Phil asked me.

I shook my head. "No. Just a small group of around nine or ten. I couldn't tell for sure, Phil."

"How did you know besides hearing them?" Carla asked me.

"I decided to be a dummy and move a part of the fence covering aside and take a look."

"Real smart," Cyn told me.

"I know. I know. I think when my biological mother was pregnant with me, she lived downwind from a nuclear power plant, I don't know." That elicited a chuckle from the group. "Anyways, the stench at the front of the group saw something from across the way, by those buildings at the other end of the vacant lot, and the biters all gave chase.

When I looked and saw that the dead things were running towards the buildings, I saw someone run around the corner."  Fuck, that was a mouthful.

"A person?" Angie asked me.

"Yeah."

"How sure are you, Reid?" Cyn inquired.

"Pretty damn sure, Cynthia. It looked like they were wearing a light gray jacket. Believe me, I've been replaying it over and over in my head."

"We checked those places out early on, didn't we, Maurice?" Mick asked.

"That's right, we did. There was nothing there. No survivors, no supplies, nothing," Maurice responded.

"Well, we should at least check it out," I said. "I mean, if there is another survivor over there in that area, they might need our help. I'm not saying bring them into our group with the supply situation we're facing, but why not go take a look?"

"And wind up as lunch?" Cyn scoffed.

"Can I touch your feet?"

"Fuck off, Reid."

Maurice was thinking about what I said. Not about touching Cyn's feet, going out and looking for the other potential survivor. "Reid does have a point. We should go check it out. Obviously not all of you have to come along. But I do think that it's worth checking out."

"Hey, I'll go by myself," I said. "No need to risk the whole group."

"I'll go," Carla volunteered.

"Me too," Phil added.

"So will I," said Maurice. "Anyone else?"

Nobody else in the group spoke up. While the volunteers in the group started to get ready, I went back outside to check on things out in front of the warehouse. Everything was quiet, and the road out in front was clear of any biters. I moved another section of fence covering aside and looked out across the lot. I didn't see anything at all. I assumed that the biters chased the person around to the other side of the buildings. Hopefully, the survivor, whoever it was, managed to get away from the dead things.