Run

by Burk, William

  "OK, so you called for me why then. Couldn't you have told me all this alongside the others?" I ask.

  "Yes, except I'm sending you and Alan in tonight to relieve the two guards out there. It'll be on you two to keep watch overnight." He tells me.

  I sigh heavily exhausted just thinking about it. "I know this shit is important but I haven't had a peaceful night in weeks" I complain

  Owen glares daggers at me for a moment before saying "None of us have had a peaceful night. You and Alan have proven to be highly effective together. For something this critical I'm using teams I know work well together and are reliable. And no one has been better than you two lately. So stop whining and get ready! I want you to rendezvous with Brandon's scout team before full sundown."

  "Alan! James turned up, meet him at the gen room." Owen speaks into the radio while I'm busy looking at my shoes in the shame of my complaining. I look up briefly before I turn to go to the gen room without another word. The gen room as we call it is the corner office of the building with the generator on the other side of the wall and outside the building. We run the wires from the generator through the window to the radio chargers. We have banks of radios and radio battery chargers set up. Making sure all guards are equipped and able to communicate. I beat Alan there grabbing a radio and two fully charged batteries for myself. I tuck them into my pockets and head out.

  I run into Alan at the entrance of the building. "Owen tell you our orders?" Alan asks, spending no time on pleasantries or greetings. I like the guy but he is all business all the time.

  "Yes I know our orders and just need to change clothes and I'll be ready to head out" I answer.

  "Alright meet me in the parking lot when you've changed. I already grabbed our food and whatnot again. Figured I'd make myself useful while everyone was looking for you" He says.

  "That's why I like you Alan. You always make sure to pack a bunch of food" I say with a smile as I rush off to change.

  #

  I walk out into the parking lot to find Alan waiting for me in a small Toyota car. The engine is already running. Seeing me Alan shouts out for me to get in while gesturing to the passenger side.

  "How do we find them?" I ask after getting in.

  "They are holed up in a house that has sight of the entrance and the road into and out of the camp. Blue single-story house." He takes a breath before continuing. "We're taking the highway eastbound to exit 151. From there we find a place for the car and cover the last couple of miles on foot. We should also be in radio range at that time. Once we reach the house, Steve and Noah will leave for home base and we'll take over the watch for the night."

  "A two-mile walk in an unknown and unchecked for zombies area?" I ask worried.

  He takes a moment to respond. "Yes. It can't be helped."

  It's not long before we're donning our packs and leaving the car in the garage of the first house we came to. From here we go south for one and a half miles then turn west on Grand street. Cutting through the yard of the last house on the left. Through the alley and into the opposing house's yard and through the back door of our target house. We move quietly from building to building stopping at each to make sure the way to the next is clear of zombies and people both. In this fashion, we cover the distance to our first turn on Grand in half of an hour running into no trouble along the way. At Grand, we dip behind a shed to radio our waiting team.

  "Echo calling Tango. Do you read?" Alan makes the call.

  Without hesitation, a response comes through."Tango here, How is the weather?"

  "Clear day. Good for a walk" Alan responds.

  "A walk sounds nice. My legs are cramping and could use a stretch"

  "I hear that. Dinner will be served in about fifteen minutes" Alan says.

  "Roger that. Ready and waiting" The voice comes through.

  Alan laughs as he stows his radio back onto his belt. The confusion displayed on my face during that entire exchange clearly amuses him.

  "What the fuck was all that?" The confusion turning to anger in the face of his amusement.

  "It was code in case anyone was listening." He responds with a soft chuckle.

  "The weather is code?" I squint while thinking aloud.

  With a grin, Alan explains to me how the weather was asking after zombies and or any hostiles from the Rats on the way in. The walk was to indicate we're here to relieve them. And the comment on cramping was telling us they haven't moved locations."

  I cut him off mid-sentence "And the dinner in fifteen was our ETA to the house. Interesting code. I guess it could fool someone into thinking we've just set up up camp in the area or something. Pretty lame code still. And if we had setup camp why would we radio each other?"

  "Yeah well, we didn't really have time to plan this all out. Now shut up we still have ground to cover and I'd like to be quick about it." Alan ends the conversation by turning his back to me and beginning the final half-mile trek to our waiting post. We make it to the house without issue. Alan knocks so faintly on the back door I can barely hear it even though I'm just two feet behind him at the door. None the less the door opens only a moment later by Noah who greets us with a large smile.

  "About damn time you guys made it." He says as Alan and I step into the house and close the door behind us.

  "What's the news back home?" Noah asks Alan.

  "All is good. We attack at first light." He answers curtly.

  "Woah, so quick?" Steve says joining into the conversation.

  "The sooner we move. The less time for them to come after us or move camps." I say also joining in.

  "Anyways, You two are to head back to home base and get whatever rest you can. You'll be leading the rest of the guard back here for the assault before dawn. Anything we need to know before you leave?" Alan says changing the topic with their new orders.

  "All has been quiet across the street. They set their base up in the grocery store across the street. Two entrances on the front along with the front of the building being mostly glass walls. It won't provide much cover from our attack. The back of the building is where they have their vehicles stowed away. Along the back is a back door and the truck bay doors as well. We'll want to cover back and front when we launch in the morning." Noah reports.

  "Can we see the back from here?" I ask.

  "No, but you can see all the entrances and exits for the parking lot. The back of the lot is fenced off from the surrounding houses. We're confident no vehicles at least can come or go without being seen from this vantage point." Steve answers this time.

  "Very good" Alan stays handing both of them bottles of water and ushers them out the back door. Moving deeper into the house from the kitchen where the back door is. We find the living room has been arranged to sit comfortably while facing the large living room bay windows. Two recliners have been pushed back into the shadows of the living room. Both having a clear view through the window. It provides the perfect vantage point of the grocery store and parking lot surrounding it. As the sun moves down though we move the chairs closer to the window. Not fearing being seen in the light and wanting a better view with the light being gone. We settle in for a long night.

  Sometime in the middle of the night, a single car leaves the building from the back of the lot. Alan and I watch it leave helplessly as it drives away.

  "Think they're heading for home?" I whisper

  "Maybe. Shit! We should have thought to set up a radio relay for something like this. Nothing we can do now though except stay here and watch the rest of the Rats. Everyone is likely on a high alert back home I doubt even a single carload of people could make through."

  "Could be looking for their missing people too. Well, on second thought that wouldn't make any sense they'd do that during the day I would think." I say

  "Not if they're worried about us finding them snooping around in the light. Nothing we can do about it now though."

  "You know, I realized if the whole group of them was to move how in the world wou
ld we follow. we left the car almost two miles away?" I ask.

  "Uh, I don't know. Let's hope they don't leave" He stops speaking with a shrug and a sip from his water.

  #

  Chapter 27

  The radio squawks to life suddenly. Disturbing the moody silence Alan and I have spent the majority of the night in.

  "Come in Echo."

  "This is Echo, " I respond, bringing the radio to my mouth.

  "Report" The single word all that's needed.

  "No changes to report sir. All is calm here" Alan's voice comes through the radio. He stepped into the backroom to relieve himself and just now comes walking back into the room radio in hand.

  "Good, Sun is on its way. The new day begins soon" the voice I now recognize as Owen comes through.

  "Roger that, " Alan answers back.

  I chuckle at the attempt of speaking in code. Sure anyone who doesn't know what the plan is would be lost as to what is happening but it's so obvious that it's code. Alan Grimaces at me.

  " Whatcha laughing at?" He asks.

  "Nothing, The code just seems silly is all," I answer with a grin still on my face.

  "Don't forget we're going to war today." He practically spits at me. Generally not the friendly type he's at least always been cordial. I don't know if the ill mood is from lack of sleep, the tension of the days coming activities. Or a combination of the two. None the less it doesn't stop me from responding snidely. "We've been at war since this whole shit show started. With zombies or other people, there is no fucking safety anywhere in this world"

  Alan snorts. "Ain't that the truth."

  We share another moment of silence before I lower my eyes and rock myself up and out of the recliner. Standing with a grunt from long hours sitting. I begin doing some simple stretches to ease my body's tension. After a few seconds of toe touches in which I can only manage to reach my upper shins. I stand tall stretching my arms and hooking my rifle over my shoulder. Looking around I realize I don't know what to do.

  "Wait a second. What about us?" I ask

  "hmm? What do you mean" Alan says.

  I explain "What is our role in this. Are we to stay here and watch."

  "Oh. Umm Owen didn't say anything about that other than we'd meet up in the morning. Either he'll send someone to get us as the assault starts or we wait here and join in when we're able" He answers with a shrug.

  Looking around for something to do I find nothing and give up. I plop my behind back into the recliner kicking up the footrest placing the rifle to rest over my legs. Alan looks over me for a minute before joining me.

  "You seem awfully relaxed" A statement not a question from Alan.

  "Just trying to keep it out of mind. But truth be told death doesn't seem as bad as it once did. This struggling and constant fear for my life has become tedious" I say.

  He only grunts in response as we continue sitting in our chairs. We watch as the rays of the sun begin slipping over the horizon. I'm leaning forward in my chair waiting for the attack to begin. The sun moves higher and becomes brighter in the sky. At one point the leaves of a tree blowing in the wind catch my attention from the side of my view. Startling me to attention before I realize it's just the wind. Settling back and taking a breath trying to calm my frayed nerves. I close my eyes for a moment's respite when a grunt comes from Alan to my left.

  "There," Alan is pointing out the window when my eyes snap open. My eyes follow the angle of his pointing finger out the window. To where a handful of figures move toward the grocery store. They move in the early dawn light. A few more moments later More guards come into view surrounding the store from every angle. My initial estimate as to numbers puts the guards at about twenty people. Currently, a solid dozen are approaching from the front.

  "Looks like Owen brought the entire guard?" I exclaim under my breath. Before Alan can respond, a knocking on the front door startles us both from our thoughts. I move to open the door with Alan standing with his rifle at the ready. I open the door in a rush making sure I step quickly to the side and out of the line of sight for Alan.

  "Relax Gentlemen, It's just me" Owen stands there with a grin.

  "Didn't think I'd let you two miss the action did I?" He doesn't wait for an answer before giving us our orders. "I want you two standing guard over the back doors and loading bay. Don't let anyone escape."

  "Yes, sir." Alan and I both say in unison. Alan, however, adding a salute to his response. Weird no guard has ever saluted at least not that I've seen but I guess today isn't exactly a normal day. Gunfire rings out in the sky as the guard begins the attack in earnest.

  "Get to position!" Owen says before turning and running down the path back to the street.

  "Let's go," I say to Alan as I also make to follow Owen down the path towards the street and veer left. I cover the distance in a hard run. Making it around the corner in time to witness three of the guard members shooting out the tires of the six vehicles that remain. While several others crouch around the back of the area watching the door and loading bays. Two behind the dumpster and recycling containers. Others taking cover behind the now damaged vehicles. Looking to Alan He gestures behind the nearest car. Gunfire continues to erupt from the front of the store. The store windows shattered from the first few shots. Shots are also erupting from inside the store. I don't know if it's from us or them returning fire. It doesn't take long for the back door to barge open and men begin to pour through it. I notice some of them are already covered in blood in the moments before we respond to their exit. Before every guard in the back lot including myself open fire on them. Unloading rounds into the two men that come through the door and through the open doorway. Before it swings shut on its own accord. In a quieter time, I would reflect on how easy it has become for me to kill. But for now, I'm fueled off the adrenaline rush and continue my vigilance in upholding my orders.

  Several minutes pass by as the Gunfire slows down. Not unlike the way a bag of popcorn slows down in the microwave when it's close to finishing. No one else comes out of the back door. Several minutes after the last of the gunshots echo through the radio goes off.

  "All clear inside. Twenty-three confirmed downed hostiles"

  "Two confirmed down in back," One of the men in back with me confirms the kill count for us.

  "Good work. regroup in front" Owen calls to everyone.

  Standing up tall I spend a moment kicking my legs around like an idiot. Trying to release the cramps from the minutes spent awkwardly crouching. Alan, myself and several other guards from the back, group up while walking around the corner.

  "Pop, Pop, Pop" Gunfire from the other side of the building.

  With rifles in hand, we rush around the last corner of the building. The new round of ongoing gunfire is being unleashed upon a swarm of zombies. Of course, we should have known a damn gunfight would attract zombies. Two of the guard in my little group rush forward bringing their own weapons to bear. Unloading into the mass of zombies as they rush into the fray.

  Owens's voice cuts in over the radio. "Run." Is all he manages to say clearly already heeding his own advice. Reaching blindly to my right and grabbing the person standing there. I begin pulling him back around the corner.

  "We need to get away." I begin to say as I turn around and freeze in my tracks seeing zombies coming from that direction as well.

  "Shit, Shit, Shit," I say doing a quick circle. The only way clear of zombies would be into the back lot which is a fenced-in corner.

  "Over the fence" Brandon calls out while already running towards it. A quick scan around me shows Alan is the only other guard with me. We follow Brandon to the fence and up and over the wooden six-foot slats. Landing in an enclosed yard the three of us breathe a sigh of relief at finding what seems to be a safe place.

  "We need to move. The longer we wait the more zombies will show up" Brandon says urging us to keep moving.

  Wordlessly Alan and I follow him letting him take the lead as he leads us from yard
to yard. Moving steadily away from the grocery store and the swarm of zombies. Alan calls over the radio for anyone who can answer. A dozen different voices answer. Some are able to find safety in houses or vehicles. A few even made it to the parked vehicles that were only a couple of blocks away. Managing to drive them away but are staying in range to help the rest if able. After four or five blocks Alan calls a halt to our movement taking a break in a house on the corner of a street. From the house, we can see no zombies and take back to the radio. With a consensus of everyone able to respond. We have fifteen people holed up across the neighborhood at least somewhat safe. With no word from Owen. Alan takes charge and orders those with the cars to the group at the highway on-ramp. Everyone else is to make their way to the ramp. If stuck they are to remain safe and wait for us to come back to extract them after we regroup. A chorus of 'rogers' comes through as everyone agrees.

  With that done we begin moving again. The closer we move to the highway the more commercial the streets become. With no zombies in sight, we are able to make quick work with a solid trot the rest of the way to the rendezvous location. There we pile into the cars and wait. We periodically call over the radio to check-in. Of the fifteen people, five make it to the cars. Along with my group of three and the two drivers of the cars that makes ten people. Two hours pass without contact with the remaining five guards before Alan labels them as MIA. Calling one last time over the radio.

  "If you can hear this please respond. It's been two hours now and we are preparing to depart for the base. If you are out there and can't answer, make your way to base or find a safe place. We will come back and patrol" He sets his radio down and nods to the driver after a moment of silence on the radio line.

  #

  Chapter 28

  "Wasn't there supposed to be women?" John asks breaking the silence of the car ride home. Several of the guard members look up sharing a singular expression to which I lend my voice.