“Might not have time for that.”
Chap stayed in the attic while Jacob and Jimmy cleaned the main floor. Weapons and ammunition were distributed. Four days were spent in the store. All was well until the team came down one morning to see everything surrounded by flames and the undead.
“Fire at will!” Wade ordered. “Shoot through the windows! Eliminate all hostiles!”
Although they were surrounded and cut off by swarms of zombies, they had enough firepower to hold their ground. Zombies attempting to reach prey were gunned down again and again. There were close calls, but the attackers were mowed down with numerous waves of bullets. A moment of silence gave them time to reload and recollect.
“Be ready,” Bubba coughed as he held his pained ears. “There will be more. There’s always more.”
Without a word, Jacob and Jimmy rushed to the attic to retrieve ammunition. Zombie attacks came again. Ten minutes of nonstop defending was necessary to stop the zombie onslaught. A long silence followed. Then, a voice bellowed over the roaring flames.
“We are the voice of the town!” yelled the man on the loudspeaker. “Some people with you have stolen from us! Give us the thieves and there will be no more zombies sent in! Let there be peace! You have five minutes to send them!”
“They set fires and send hundreds of zombies to kill us then talk about peace,” Mario spat.
“They don’t want peace,” Erica mouthed angrily. “They sent zombies after my son. They’ll pay. They’ll die for this.”
“Plenty o’ ammo left,” Jacob giggled. “Let em’ send more.”
“How much ammo you got up there?” Bubba asked.
“Enough. Those people outside couldn’t have more zombies than we do bullets. When they run outta zombies, we’ll go with Plan B.”
“What’s Plan B?”
“We enter the sewers through the hole I dug.”
“So, that’s why the jackhammer’s in here.”
“Started digging when the rioting started. Haven’t explored much down there. I’m sure we could find our way around.”
“The path to righteousness is often blocked by the truest of filth,” Vinny moaned. “We are on the right path. To flee is grand. Survival, not war.”
“Let’s escape,” Wade recommended.
The group grabbed what they could and initiated the escape plan. The bathroom’s door was shut and barred with a metal box. All was going well until Bubba’s turn to enter the sewer came. He couldn’t fit.
“My road’s met an end, y’all. I’m too big to fit through the hole.”
“I’ll get the jackhammer,” Mario volunteered.
Mario bolted off to retrieve the key to Bubba’s freedom. Carrying the jackhammer proved to be difficult. Unfortunately, the hostile forces had lost patience. Swarms of zombies were released yet again. Mario plugged in the jackhammer and ran into the bathroom. The jackhammer’s cord prevented the bathroom door from shutting.
“Go,” Bubba said with teary eyes. “No time to save me. Go, son!”
Mario refused to accept Bubba’s defeat. He turned on the jackhammer and began slowly enlarging the hole. Zombies tried to force their way through the door. Bubba’s physique brought forth the undead creatures’ failure to reach them. Time was given to Bubba, enough to allow him to enter the hole.
“I appreciate what you’ve done here,” said Bubba. “But you’ve gotta go now.”
“The hole is big enough. You can fit through now.”
“Yeah, but I’m the only thing holdin’ this door. They’ll be all over me when I try to get through. Ya have to go, buddy. I’ll do my best to be quick. I doubt I’ll be quick enough, though. There’s nothing in here that’ll hold the door. This ole country boy’s runnin’ outta strength! Go!”
“Better make it,” Mario said, carefully entering the hole and making a blind descent.
Bubba tried to escape when he could no longer hold the low-quality door. Loved ones and worrying about whether Mario had enough time to escape were on the southerner’s mind. He hastily made it through the hole just in time, but a sweaty hand slipped.
The big man fell six feet and broke his foot and three toes. He yelped in pain and attempted to get up. Zombie after zombie fell into the hole and on top of him. Bubba’s screams told Mario he had mere seconds to rendezvous with the others.
17
Mario became lost in the darkness. He wondered if he should have taken a different passageway. He wondered if he’d passed the passage Vinny and Warlock took. The realization that he was alone in the dark during the apocalypse hit hard. This was the first lone encounter during the crisis. Paranoid thoughts filled his mind. He could see nothing and had to feel his way around. The possibility of the zombies at the hole catching up frightened him. The thought that he could encounter the abominations in the dark while feeling his way through the tunnels had his legs shaking in horror.
Frightened and alone, Mario wept while blindly and swiftly making his way through the pitch-black sewers. He gave in to fear and panicked. The moans coming from afar put him on the slimy floor. He immediately realized sitting there would result in death, rose to his feet and desperately searched for the correct route.
Mario slipped and fell in the waterway. Covered in human waste, he gagged and tried not to lose the valuable food in his stomach. A dim light shined through a long passageway. Mario’s friends were on the adjacent side. His haste enabled him to catch up. Joyful to have found his friends, he smiled and walked towards them. Casey and Warlock panicked and fired their pistols at an incoming zombie. None would know that the zombie wasn’t a zombie at all.
“We can’t rest anymore,” Jessica complained. “The dead are gaining on us. This place will be swarming with them at any moment.”
“I know where we are,” said Jacob. “Thank God.”
“Where are we?”
“I saw the burger restaurant through the grate. I was the manager there. There’s an exit close by.”
Jacob led the lost to the exit. Few words were said about Bubba and Mario. The diminished team couldn’t acknowledge another great loss. The ten marched for six miles until Jacob collapsed. Casey checked his pulse, frowned, looked at the others and shook her head.
“He’s dead,” Casey said softly. “Exhaustion. His body couldn’t handle it. He was badly malnourished. I won’t put a blade in his head. I can’t do it.”
Jessica planted a kitchen knife’s blade in Jacob’s skull and searched his corpse. She gave Wade the rifle and kept the pistol for herself. The food, water and supplies were split evenly.
“Still think this wonderful compound exists?” Jessica asked Jimmy.
“I do, honey. If anyone in the area is doing well, it’s my crazy brother.”
“Hope you’re right.”
“Strength, determination and grit will get us there. We’re all in hell. This team’s crawling out.”
Another heavy rain came. Unable to see clearly, the nine stopped at an abandoned medical clinic. Casey was the lone person who wanted to go inside. She convinced everyone the possibility of finding medicine was worth the risk. The gamble was risky but well worth it.
Much was found inside the facility. Medical supplies were scattered throughout. The painkillers found in purses and backpacks were the gold in the mine. Boxes packed with candy bars, rotten fruit and potato chips were beneath the refreshment area’s desk. Deceased medical staff and patients flooded the bottom floor. Clearing the building was difficult but manageable.
“This stuff is great,” Wade said happily. “I’ll never get used to smelling or dragging dead bodies.”
Morale was bright but sunk when the local power supply was cut.
“Was great while it lasted,” Warlock sighed. “No more heat. Should’ve packed a blanket.”
“Everything we find in refrigerators will be ruined,” Chap whined.
“We’ll be fine,” John said in an obviously uncertain tone. “Have faith.”
“Your da
d’s right,” said Casey. “Everything’s going to be fine.”
“Another trial begins,” Vinny said under his breath.
“Our destination’s not far,” said Jimmy. “An easy route lies ahead. Some stores and restaurants are the last stops before a long hike. Tomorrow’s the day we get gone.”
That night was quiet. The frustrated team collected rainwater and rested. Vinny and Warlock didn’t sleep. They stared from the top floor and shared cheap rum.
“Think we’ll make it?” Warlock asked.
“If survival is our destiny, yes.”
“Are you always gonna be like this?”
“The Vinny you once knew is gone, my friend. I am an enlightened soul now.”
“Are you aware of what’s happening?”
“Yes.”
“I want my friend back. The new you is weird.”
“That is of no concern to me. I shall do what I can to ensure we survive the new plague.”
“Your new behavior shouldn’t surprise me. We are living in an apocalyptic setting. Still could do without your weird behavior.”
“Hardship lies ahead, Warlock. Be ready to kill. The goal we seek may be the answer to the plight.”
18
The damp and chilled survivors moved on around noon. Recently deceased zombies cluttered the main road. Wade and his team were caught off guard by a horde. They had no choice but to open fire. Noise attracted a mass they couldn’t handle. All broke into sprints. Three miles of road were soon put behind them. Exhausted, hiding in an abandoned restaurant was considered. Everyone was rushed by a larger group of survivors while taking a short breather. Wade believed it was all over. He sighed and closed his eyes. He was ready to accept death.
“Looks like we’ve got some trespassers,” said a mustached man in blue jeans and a collared shirt. “Who will speak for this clump of rejects?”
Wade opened his eyes.
“I do my best to lead these people,” Wade answered.
“Your best isn’t good enough. This is our territory.”
“We are not trying to cause trouble. We’re on the run from a massive horde. They’re heading this way. We need to run.”
“I’m concerned about the trespassers standing here. Why should we let you and yours live?”
“It’d be the humane thing to do.”
“The rules have changed. Society and mankind has been all but destroyed. Every stranger is a threat.”
“My friends and I pose no threat. We’re simply trying to get by. That’s all. We help those in need and keep moving whenever possible.”
“We’re in need.”
“How can we help?”
“By handing us everything of value.”
“We can’t do that.”
“We’re in need. Why not help us?”
“I’m sure we can agree on something. Let’s meet at a mature compromise.”
“Sure. Hand over the valuables.”
“Go fuck yourself.”
“Woo! Seems like I’ve hit a nerve!”
“My rifle’s barrel is pointed at your chest.”
“Interesting. You weren’t lying about the horde heading this way.”
“Every second wasted is stupid. Let us go or I’ll shoot.”
“If you shoot me, you’ll die.”
“I know.”
“I’ve decided to show mercy.”
“Same to you, buddy.”
“Returning here wouldn’t bode well for you.”
“Still wasting time, Mustache Man.”
Wade memorized every person’s face as the thugs backed away and disappeared into the alleys. He swore to himself to show no mercy if he saw any of them again. By the time the ambushers were gone, the massive horde was less than twenty yards away. Wade’s team couldn’t run for long. The group pushed to hide in a library.
19
Erica, Chap and Jimmy kept watch as the incapacitated recovered.
“Those people were worse than zombies, Jimmy.”
“That they were.”
“Nasty beasts threatened to kill my nine-year old son.”
“They’ll pay if we see them again.”
“Slow and painful deaths.”
“Every bit of bad they go through is deserved.”
“I feel bad for John. A grown man couldn’t do anything about us being held at gunpoint. Knowing him, I can’t ever mention it to him.”
“We’re close to reaching my brother’s place, Erica.”
“Tell me what you know.”
“There’s a gas station on the left and veterinary office on the right.”
“I don’t care. Where are the woods?”
“There’s a traffic light not far from the gas station. We take a left there and stay on that road until we reach a trail.”
“Chap and I are going to sleep. Yell if anything happens.”
Wade awoke in a panic. He looked outside and felt serenity.
“No zombies,” he thought.
He looked at the books in the fiction section and shook his head at the zombie novels.
“Fiction my ass,” he said aloud.
Still aching and fatigued, he lazily strolled to the front desk. Something in a desk drawer caught his interest. A hastily scribbled note laid beneath a slightly bloodied family photo.
“Every plan fails. Every idea is worthless. We don’t have the numbers, means or courage. I let my family down. I hope God forgives me for my cowardice.”
Wade lit a bent cigar and relaxed in an office chair. Jessica woke up an hour later and sat in the chair across from him. The two refused to make eye contact or speak. Neither wanted to speak of what they’d endured. They enjoyed the peace and quiet. Casey broke the silence three hours later.
“We’ve come a long way, done things most people couldn’t. We’re weakened but are strong. Evil has lashed us again and again. Loss has hit us hard. Getting up and pushing through the pain, surviving and not giving up is our biggest strength. Why? Because we’re the best. Let’s keep winning.”
“Nobody’s winning,” Jessica groaned.
“Casey’s right,” said John. “Every day we remain alive is a victory. Reaching Jimmy’s brother’s place will be another.”
Jessica picked up a stapler and chucked it at the wall.
“None of you care. I’m simply another person in the group.”
“Shut up and listen,” Wade said angrily. “I’m putting my damned foot down. If you’re not willing to fight for every person here, get the hell out and fend for yourself. Teamwork and compassion are what have gotten us this far. Look around yourselves. We are a family. Like it or not, all we’ve got are each other. We’re screwed without trust and teamwork. There’s not a single person here who can go it alone. Get ready to make a final push. Jimmy, we’ll leave when you’re ready.”
“Now’s a good time, bud. Let’s get there.”
20
The final push was made. Wade, Jessica, Erica, Casey and Vinny watched ahead while John, Chap, Jimmy and Warlock watched their flank. All climbed and maneuver around a mass of debris and wrecked trucks to bypass the first two barricades.
“Your brother’s handiwork?” John asked.
“Not sure,” Jimmy answered. “Hope so. I doubt he’s the only one who retreated to these woods. I’m sure a buncha people have fled to this woodland area. I think few who did got here before us were in over their heads. There’s no way an average person can survive in the woods.”
“How many people originally lived on this road?”
“Just my brother. This is his land. Doesn’t care to let a trespasser know it, either.”
“I figured that after seeing the signs and severed heads strung from trees. Almost everything is stained with dry blood.”
“He doesn’t care to kill someone who threatens him.”
“He sounds pretty unstable, Jimmy.”
“He is, but he’ll help us.”
“Maybe you.”
“Don�
��t worry. I’ll talk to him.”
“And that’ll be enough?”
“Should be.”
“We’ll have to do horrible things when useful supplies dwindle,” said Warlock. “We’ll have to be the meanest to thrive.”
“No,” said Wade. “We won’t be raiders.”
“He’s right,” said Jessica. “Desperation will come. When it does, violence and savagery may be necessary.”
“We’re basically here,” said Jimmy. “See the sign down there? We take a right there and walk a little ways. From there, we’ll hit a steep trail.”
Jimmy led the tired followers off the road and onto the trail. At last, the journey had ended. The sanctuary was exceptionally large and surrounded by concrete blocks, wooden logs, debris and metal fences. Nervousness grew when gate after gate opened. Finally, the outermost gate opened. A man in combat armor approached.
“Doing something stupid here results in death,” the thug said clearly to the weary travelers. “At least one person in your group had to know about this place before the world went to hell. That is the person I want to speak to. That individual is to step forward and speak now.”
Jimmy took two steps.
“How do you know about this place, outsider?”
“Howard’s my brother.”
“What’s your name?”
“Jimmy.”
The man grabbed the radio clipped to his belt loop.
“Guy says his name is Jimmy, boss. Should I let him and his people in?”
There was a quick response.
“Ask the man who claims to be Jimmy the following question. What is my least favorite food?”
Jimmy laughed and smiled.
“Well? You heard my boss. What’s your answer?”
“Caviar. He blew chunks everywhere last year.”
The big man responded.
“His answer is caviar.”
“Hot damn! Let my brother and his people in!”
“So, you’re Jimmy. Glad you made it. The boss hasn’t been this happy in a long time. Hurry up, everybody. Get in here.”
The nine followed the guard through the gates and into the well-guarded base. After the sanctuary’s new arrivals settled in, Howard proudly showed Jimmy and his friends around. The nine’s new home held the necessities and then some. The large structures were stuffed with beds, weapons, ammunition, food, water and a miraculous stockpile of medicine. Several acres full of growing crops would prevent hunger. A wide creek provided a reliable water source. Two doctors, a nurse, a half dozen guards, Howard, Jimmy and his friends made up part of the new generation.
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