Chapter 5


Eve was the first to jump out of Josiah's squad car. Quickly the three men followed her lead.  There was an eery quiet about the dwelling. Almost as though the place had been abandoned.  There was  no activity outside the premises accept for one man, who had now dropped to his knees in the court yard.

The figure was now  bent  over something or possibly someone.  The four of them stood together watching as the man made no other motion keeping his back to them.  Josiah led the group towards the man calling out to him loudly "what happened, do you need help?".   As he  moved  closer  Josiah felt an uneasiness grow stronger inside him.  He slowly placed  his hand on the top of his pistol that rested in his hip holster.  Loudly he called out to him again.  "What happened. Are you hurt?" He moved closer motioning for the others to stay back. There was no answer or  even a gesture that the man had heard Josiah call to him.  Eve eyes darted from one end of the building to the other.  Nothing else seemed out of place.  There was no other movement or stirring of life.    Josiah  took another step closer with Cody, Eve and Doc Keller ignoring his gesturing  that they stay back and   followed right behind him.

 The man turned his head and began to rise. His shoulders hunched forward as he staggered to a standing position.  His feet  moved in a pigeon toed manner as if they were being dragged   along with every step he took..  On the face of the man he noticed  a large gash along his forehead.  His mouth hung open as he snarled loudly towards them with a blank expression.  Then from behind this male figure suddenly appeared another body. Smaller in size but also moving in the same manner. Hunched and dragging its feet.   "What the hell happened" Cody said softly.  More out of impulse than anything else. Not really intending anyone to respond in particular and knowing very well none of them had an answer,  but  unconsciously hoping somehow an explanation  might be offered from one of the other three at what they were seeing.

It was Doc Keller that finally spoke first.  "The man appears to be sick  or drugged and unable to respond to us". Watching him closely he spoke again. "Look at how he moves, its as if  he is dazed and randomly walking, almost lifelessly."  Josiah stepped forward again then stopped.  Fear enveloping him, for the first time in his career he was unsure of what to do next.  He pulled the gun from his harness.  Cody watched him.  Softly  he offered  a thought out loud " He acts like a rabid animal. Gnarling and unbalanced.  They watched as   his arms moved, swinging out awkwardly at the air every so often.  He appeared to be drenched with blood. From behind the figure it was Cody who noticed first, what he had been bent over.  It was another body on the ground.  Laying motionless on its side.  Bloody and disheveled. Eve also saw the lifeless body, just as the smaller figure now dropped to its knees to bend over the figure on the ground. A revolting queasy feeling filled her stomach as she realized what she was seeing.    Josiah and Cody exchanged looks.  Josiah yelled out again to the the figures to stop and continued his approach.

Josiah had dealt with men and women strung out on drugs before.  But this did not seem like they were aimlessly wondering while under the influence of some drug. It appeared they were eating the corpse on the ground. His mind found it difficult to accept. But there was just no other explanation for what he was seeing.  The figure continued to approach them.  He aimed his gun to wards the bloody man in front of him.  "Stop" he yelled once again.  The smaller figure behind him now rose too and awkwardly began to walk  towards them. Bloody and messed. The rabid man still  made no attempt to heed Josiahs request and wildly swung out.  Josiah cocked his pistol  and  demanded him to stop a third time.  Cody rushed the body and knocked him down. He swung wildly at Cody gnashing teeth and growling loudly. Cody backed up as the man attempted to stand. Josiah pulled the trigger as a shot fired out towards the bloody man. He fell to the ground again.