by Brown, TW
He felt the heat roll over his body as it reflected off the hardtop from the sun that was now almost directly overhead. Making a show of unholstering one of his handguns and placing it inside the vehicle, Joel started toward the man. Of course he still had a variety of weapons, but most were concealed enough that this person wouldn’t be aware until it was too late if things went south.
“I think we’re close enough,” the man finally called out when they were still at least ten yards apart. “I notice you didn’t bother to open your jacket when you made that display of removing a weapon. If you’re out and about with just that single pistol, you won’t be sucking in air for much longer.”
“Name’s Joel Landon.” He decided to dismiss with any of the banter.
“Reggie Keller.” The man folded his arms across his chest. “We aren’t looking for a fight. And since you have that machine gun back there…” He made a nod towards the Humvee behind Joel. “I figure you could take us down without even a single casualty.”
“A big biker gang like you?” Joel snorted. “I imagine you have had plenty of practice in the fighting department. Seems odd that you would just roll over without a problem.”
“We’ve handled our business when we needed to, but the reason we are still rolling is because we didn’t pick a fight we are not positive we can win handily.”
“So you’re bullies.” It wasn’t a question.
“Nope,” Reggie answered. “We are survivors. We don’t just roll in and take shit. In fact, we were heading through town to try and find some group supposedly hanging out at the Hoover Dam. Been listening to their recorded message for two days now. Only, we seemed to have shown up in the middle of a fight.” The man paused, rubbing his hands down his face in a sign of exasperation. “I sure hope we didn’t roll out here for nothing. We actually had a pretty nice setup just outside of Reno. All was going well until a rogue military group came in and screwed it all up.”
Joel smiled. “And what can you offer the community at the dam?”
Reggie cocked his head and then looked beyond at the Humvee again before returning his attention to Joel. “Numbers for one. Ain’t a single one of us hasn’t put down our share of the stenches.”
“Stenches?” Joel arched an eyebrow.
“Walkers…zombies…whatever you want to call them. Can’t deny that those things reek.”
“There might be a way you can assure yourself a place in that group at the dam.”
“Oh yeah? You know ‘em?” The man seemed an even mixture of skeptical and interested.
Joel didn’t answer. He continued to eye the man.
“Look, pal, not sure who you are or think you are for that matter. I had my folks pull up and I came to you by myself to see if there was a way we could pass without a problem. If that ain’t the case or you think you will just roll over us, you’re welcome to try it. And you’ll probably survive it, but you will take some serious losses in the process. We don’t have a beef with you or your people—”
Joel had heard enough. “It’s my group you’re heading towards. We’re from the dam. I set things up there. I say who joins and who doesn’t.”
“Sounds good, but anybody can say that.”
Joel recited the message he knew played on a loop.
“Okay, maybe that is you. Not that you couldn’t just have a good memory. So what the hell are you doing here? This isn’t someplace I’d be scavenging. Lord knows there are places closer and probably less populated with stenches and wanna-be road warriors.”
Joel gave a very brief description of why he was indeed heading into someplace that he’d warned his people away from long ago. “Being able to liberate this group and have them join us would be good in and of itself if their numbers are even close to what we’ve managed to ascertain. But eliminating this group of lunatics is just as important. People like that could pose a problem if they are allowed to get up a head of steam.”
“You mean the Jesus-crispies who keep spewing how this is some end-of-times bullshit?” Reggie scoffed.
“Yeah,” Joel laughed. If this guy did prove to be interested in joining his community and accept the rules he prescribed, he might actually like him. “That’s who I’m talking about.”
“So, if you are in fact the leader of this group, let’s hear your spiel.”
“Excuse me?” Joel was growing impatient. He had people waiting on him and every minute he spent talking to this guy could mean losing more of his people as well as being able to salvage fewer people if Conrad’s group proved useable and willing.
“I think I need to know what I would be getting myself and my people into.” Reggie folded his arms across his chest.
“Here is the short and simple answer since I don’t really have time to waste. If you join us, there is no going back. I won’t have somebody come in, scout us out, and then come back to try and take us down. I have the final say on things, but we do have a small council. If you and your people prove…helpful,” he caught himself before saying the word ‘useful’ and possibly giving the wrong impression, “then you will likely have a member on the council before long.”
“Not sure if we are up to that sort of commitment.”
“Fine,” Joel gave a dismissive wave and turned to head back to the Humvee. “We pass each other with a truce in effect. And tonight, when I’m in my house taking a hot shower, I’ll hope that you and your crew are at least someplace safe.”
He was about to climb into the Humvee when a voice called out from behind him.
“Wait! You have hot water? Like…real hot water?”
Joel turned to see the man walking towards him. He heard the sound of the machine gun adjust to track the man.
“And lights. Maybe we should lead with it in our updated message. But to answer your question, yes, the power is on in our little community,” Joel said as he climbed up and looked over the open door to the vehicle.
“Well then, maybe I spoke a bit hastily.” Reggie glanced up at the machine gun pointed at him and then returned his attention to Joel.
“My terms haven’t changed.”
“Wouldn’t expect them to,” Reggie admitted.
“And if you are serious, then I could use your numbers right now.”
“On this rescue mission you mentioned.” Reggie nodded and clapped his hands together. “I think we can agree to that.”
“Then fall in.” Joel didn’t wait for any further response. He climbed into the Humvee and slammed the door shut, giving Debra a nod to roll out.
As they drove past the post-apocalyptic motorcycle gang, Joel gave them a nod. He also made a quick inventory of the weapons he could see. While they were well equipped, they’d been right to give over to his Humvee and the machine gun mounted on top.
They were just rolling past a small three-car wreck when he noticed the convoy of motorcycles rumbling up from their rear. He smiled. If nothing else, they had fodder for the fight. If things went well, they would have some more fighters to fill out the ranks that had been dented by that earlier attack.
By the time they’d passed through the cloverleaf overpasses that led off in all directions, the bikers had come up and were now mixed in around Joel and his half of the team. Debra’s hands had tightened on the steering wheel at first, but she eventually eased up and focused her energy on driving around the scattered vehicles left to slowly be consumed by a world that would not need their services any longer.
As they cruised along the Las Vegas Expressway, Joel caught sight of the massive medical complex that made up the University and Valley Hospital Medical Centers. Despite the fact that those locations would probably be a hive of undead, there would have to be at least an attempt to glean what they could from those locations.
There remained a lack of any serious amount of the walking dead on the interstate probably due to the tall fencing that lined it. But as the Sahara Avenue exit came into view, a few small clusters began to appear. Joel was about to tell Malik to handle t
hings at his discretion when the motorcycles began to peel away.
Debra slowed and allowed them to take the lead. The bikes with sidecars all took point. In each sidecar an individual stood up, each holding what looked like a katana. They were also wearing some sort of harness rig that kept them tethered to the bike.
“Maybe I was a bit pre-mature in my assessment,” Joel muttered.
“So we won’t be having them join?” Debra asked.
“Quite the opposite.” Joel turned to Debra. “I was almost ready to dismiss them. I figured they would make great fodder and nothing more.”
He turned his attention forward just in time to see the first of the motorcycles reach a small group of zombies. The man in the sidecar leaned out just enough and swung. His blade severed the head in one quick sweep. The body toppled and the head rolled away and disappeared under an abandoned vehicle.
It didn’t matter that the head would still be animate. The body was now out of the picture which effectively removed the zombie from play.
“I think these individuals will make a welcome addition to our numbers.” He considered things for a moment as he watched the brutal efficiency of the bikers as they cut a path through the undead. “Perhaps more so than those individuals who have spent this entire time hiding and hoping for a miracle.”
“Whatever you say, boss,” Debra sniffed as they rounded another bend and now were able to see the once inviting skyline of the newer Las Vegas Strip.
11
Down the Strip
They rolled along on Interstate 15, approaching the area most people now considered to be Las Vegas. They cruised past the Sahara Avenue exit and drew ever nearer to what Joel saw as their ultimate destination.
The next sign overhead read: Spring Mtn. Road.
To the left, what had once been a gold-tinted hotel had obviously suffered a massive fire and partial collapse. The sounds of muffled laughter filtered into Joel’s ears.
Covering his mic, Joel called up to Malik, “What’s so funny?”
“Rump Tower on the left,” was the reply.
Joel looked over and saw that indeed the damage to the structure had eliminated the letter ‘T’ from the logo at the top of the building. “What are we…twelve now?”
“C’mon…it’s a little funny,” Malik snorted. Even Debra let out a slight chuckle. Joel shook his head and continued to keep his eyes scanning in front of them as they neared their exit. This would bring them in at the exact opposite end of the strip on South Las Vegas Boulevard that Will’s group would arrive.
As they’d drawn closer, it was apparent that several fires were burning. Once they reached the exit and passed over the interstate and eventually reached the main strip, the real horror of the situation became apparent.
The haze of smoke was thick in places to the point where it was impossible to see much past the end of the hood of the Humvee. It was also that cloud of smoke that was hiding just how much damage had actually been inflicted.
The sounds of gunfire came in bursts. After each one, a blanket of silence would cover the scene, made even more ominous by the sound dampening caused due to the ever-thickening smoke. The smoke was also practically alive with dark figures that wove, staggered, and stumbled about.
“This sucks,” Debra snarled between clenched teeth as one of the undead meandered directly in front of them.
The Humvee struck it hard with a wet crunch. The zombie vanished from view and the wheels rolled over it, rocking the vehicle and making a terrible noise that made Joel flinch reflexively.
A scream tore from someplace to the right and Joel pressed his face to the window in an attempt to see something. The only thing he saw even the slightest bit clearly was the shadowy form of a motorcycle rolling just a few feet away on his side.
“We need to get out of this shit,” Malik called down. “I honestly can’t shoot a damn thing without the risk of hitting the bikers.”
“Just keep your eyes peeled,” Joel called up.
Just as he spoke, they emerged from the dense cloud of smoke into an area that was relatively clear. For just a moment, Joel wished they were blinded by the smoke again. Already it had been apparent that what had only recently been considered the crown jewel of the New Las Vegas was in ruins. But now, he could see clearly the scope of the destruction that had befallen this once grand section of the new Strip.
His eyes flicked to the ruined CVS sign. Any hopes of possibly hitting that place on the way out evaporated in the flames pouring from the windows. Debra had taken her foot off the gas as the scene unfurled before them
To the right, what had once been Treasure Island had a few black smudges from old fires, but did not seem as bad as what waited for them up ahead. The pirate ship in front had taken the brunt of the damage on initial glance. It was now little more than a smoldering husk of its former self. However, a pair of thrashing corpses still dangled from the main mast.
“What’s the point?” Debra leaned toward Joel as she took in the scene with a sniff of disgust.
“If that is the worst thing we see, I’ll consider us very lucky,” Joel said as he brought his binoculars up, confirming that the bodies were indeed zombies. Both were still moving their legs and reaching out with their arms, making no attempt to lessen the noose around their necks.
On their left, the Palazzo hotel and casino complex had not fared nearly as well. From the looks, somebody had used it for tank firing practice. There were gaping holes that sometimes extended two and three floors with smoke still seeping from them. There were also a number of bodies scattered about on the pavement and even a few dangling from or poking through the decorative plants that were now as dead as the bodies rotting in their midst.
Up ahead, the going proved to be a bit tricky. An overpass that allowed foot traffic to cross over South Las Vegas Boulevard had a large section blown out. All the debris littered the road and they had to swing over and drive against what would’ve one been the regular flow of traffic as their entire lane was clogged. As they rolled past, Joel was certain that he saw assorted limbs jutting from the debris…many of them still moving and twitching.
They crossed back over as they rolled past the Venetian. On Joel’s side was what had been a large man-made water feature made to look like an oasis. The water had stopped long ago and now it was populated by the undead. The sound of the Humvee had drawn their attention and many were trying in vain to climb up and out of what had once been a pond fed by a multi-tiered, ziggurat-shaped waterfall. Nose down in the dry pond bed was the typical shuttle bus with its massive advertisement for, of all things, a zombie-themed burlesque show. These “zombies” looked nothing like the ones now staggering about. The scantily clad female beckoned with bright blue lips and flowing ruby-tinted hair as a man with far too many defined ab muscles, in Joel’s opinion, held his arms wide to embrace what looked to be a nun with massive breasts. Closer inspection revealed the nun to be a man in drag. Joel wondered if any of them had fared well and then just as quickly dismissed them from all thoughts.
At the familiar arch of a McDonald’s, they once again had to change lanes as the giant globe with fragments of the Harrah’s logo sat in the middle of their side of the street. This was also about as far as they would get in their vehicles. Just ahead the road was clogged with traffic that would never clear.
“There,” Joel said, pointing to what looked like the descending driveway that would take them below the hotel and casino known as the LINQ. They could cross back over to that side of the street and whip the vehicles around so that they were pointing out.
As soon as Debra wheeled the Humvee around, Joel grabbed his small pack from between the seats and jumped out of the vehicle, leaving her to park it as he met with the bikers pulling up.
“You sure about this?” Reggie pulled his helmet off and looked around with uncertainty.
Joel looked at what waited for them as well as what was now stumbling towards them from the direction they’d come. He was
about to answer when all the radios his team carried came to life at once with static and then gunfire. Eventually, a voice carried. The deathly quiet that existed made it seem as if the voice bounced off the walls and echoed the length of Las Vegas Boulevard.
“Boss man, this is Bravo Team. We are in position and can see you. Please confirm status.”
Joel smiled. There had been no plan or contingency made for him coming across a group of bikers. Will had broken radio silence to confirm that he and his team weren’t in trouble.
“Bravo, this is Alpha Actual…we have some extra hands on the ranch who are willing to buck some hay.” Joel glanced at Reggie and shrugged.
“Umm…okay?” Will replied, confusion obvious in his voice.
“You do know that Barnes gets flustered easily,” Debra scoffed as she walked up with her M4 assault rifle fitted with a grenade launcher under the barrel slung across her chest, and a pair of nasty sickle-shaped blades dangling from each hip. Adding to her portable arsenal were a pair of .45s at about mid-ribcage and a shotgun over her shoulder.
“You sayin’ Will is just a pretty face?” Joel quipped.
Debra leveled her gaze at him, her lips pressed tight. “If he can see us, then where the hell is he?”
“Umm…I think I know where,” one of the bikers said, pointing up the street.
Joel shielded his eyes from the sun and scanned in the direction the woman was pointing. Up ahead was an intact overpass. Dangling from the middle was a gigantic pirate flag. A few people stood at the rail with one of them waving both arms overhead.
“Subtle,” Debra said as she walked away from the group, angling towards a pair of undead shambling in the direction of the idling vehicles. With two quick thrusts, she plunged her blade into the temple of each and then turned back to the group. “If this is our staging area, then I say we shut down the vehicles and move out of here. Odds are we’re probably going to have to fight off more than a few of these things when we get back unless we leave a few people behind to keep the area clear.”
