Yesterday's Gone: Season Three (THE POST-APOCALYPTIC SERIAL THRILLER)

beneath the skin until it started to tear along the center like a bloody seam, followed by the sickening wet sound of ripping.
    From that seam, flowed something dark and fibrous, as blood and black goo gushed from the wound and spilled down onto Ed’s chin.
    He cringed, turning away and clenching his mouth closed so as not to ingest the putrid smelling shit. It started to spatter Ed’s cheek as he struggled and twisted, swinging his legs enough to try and kick the creature from his body.
    The liquid began to dribble up and toward Ed’s eye.
    If it gets in me, I’m infected.
    Ed clenched his eyes shut as the thing’s grip grew stronger around his neck, choking breath from his body as pain shot through him. Ed felt like his was seconds from being ripped from his body.
    A gunshot thundered in the otherwise empty room, followed by a high-pitched whine, as the body on top of him froze and a fresh batch of hot liquid spilled onto his chest and face.
    Ed rolled over, quickly wiping his face off with the side of his jacket, and spinning around to see Will holding his rifle and taking aiming at Williams.
    He fired, hitting the infected woman in the head and sending her deformed blackened body to the ground in spasms. Will fired again as the child ran toward them, but missed.
    The wee monstrosity was fast. It screeched from some part that was still a child, wailing that Will had shot its mother.
    Five feet from Will, it sprang to its feet, swinging its clawed hands at the old man, knocking the rifle to the ground and hitting him hard in the chest as he flew backwards to the ground. The thing tumbled onto the floor as Will rolled over gasping for air and clutching his chest.
    The creature got up, ready to finish Will for good.
    Ed’s hand found his Glock on his holster and was blasting before the creature made it an inch farther. He fired twice, tearing its small head to nuggets of flesh, bone, and goo. Ed looked up, searching for a Dr. Williams that was already gone.
    “Damn it!” he screamed, ignoring Will and running out the front door and into the night, looking for Williams.
    There was no Williams, just six Guardsmen, all of them staring with pitch black eyes and faces beginning to congeal, standing between Ed and the woods where his truck waited. They began walking toward him.
    Ed raced back inside and slammed the door shut, locking it, then turned to a staring Will.
    “What is it?” Will asked.
    “There’s six more Guardsmen out there,” Ed said. “They’ve been infected, and at a rapid acceleration.”
    “It’s impossible to become infected and to change so quickly,” Will said, “unless …”
    Ed finished Will’s hypothesis. “They’ve been infected all along and it’s been dormant? If that’s the case, then … Oh God.” He shook his head and tried to close his mouth. “It might have infiltrated the Facility already.”

    * * * *

Chapter 10 — Boricio Bishop

    Boricio waited until he knew Will was gone, then crossed the street and opened the door to his old house without knocking.
    Sarah looked up in surprise. “Will’s not here,” she said. “He won’t be back until the end of the day.”
    “That’s fine,” Boricio said. “I’m here to see my main man, Mr. Luca Bishop!”
    Luca tore into the front room yelling, “Boricio!”
    He smiled; even after two long years of Luca doing it, Boricio couldn’t believe anyone could ever be so consistently happy to see him.
    “How come you’re here?” Luca asked.
    “I came to visit you, Little Man. That’s all.”
    Luca eyed Boricio with suspicion. Boricio nodded at Sarah. She took the hint and left the room. Boricio led Luca to the couch and sat. Before he could say anything, Luca said, “You’re here to talk about Dad?”
    Boricio nodded.
    “Why is he mad?”
    Boricio sat in silence before wrapping his arm around Luca and pulling him into a relaxed lean against the back of the couch — much like he imagined they’d be leaning in another ten years or so, each of them holding a beer — then said, “Dad just has a lot on his mind right now. It’s crazy how occupied the old man gets.” Then, for a sprinkle of truth, he added, “And there’s a lot happening at work that he didn’t expect. Nothing for you to worry about, but definitely stuff that’s keeping him busy, and not quite here even when he is, if you know what I mean.”
    “I know what you mean,” Luca nodded.
    Boricio smiled.
    Luca said. “But that’s not all the