I should just friggin’ move in here. This place has enough food and supplies to last me a hundred lifetimes, Caleb thought as he looked over the dehydrated foods in the warehouse. The food, like all the camping equipment and field gear, were premium in quality and price. The eighty trailer tractors surrounding the warehouse only promised more to choose from. I wonder if I could drive a semi all the way home to Texas? He wondered greedily. Screw it, I’ll find a moving truck. That food has a 25 year shelf life, I can help mom and dad just fine with that. The thought of his parents made him feel pained as he wondered if they were even alive or not. Caleb stepped back out in the sunshine, squinting, even with his shades. He planned to find a decent size moving truck and come back and load up. I just wish I knew where the hell there was a moving truck rental place near here.
“What the hell is that!” Gloria shouted from the passenger seat of the five ton. Ahead of them on State Route 303, she could see her pickup truck, with its distinct flag paint job, coming up the onramp from Camelback Road. “Step on it I don’t want that mutha to get away with my truck. Why the hell don’t we have a fifty on this piece of crap?” She unrolled the window and pointed her M4 towards her truck as Spradling had the old truck vibrating like it would shake apart any moment. The truck made it alongside and she motioned for the white guy behind the wheel to pull over.
Caleb could sense the anger directed at him and realized it was from another infected. His first thought of leaving the old truck in his dust was overridden when he saw the infected was a handsome copper-colored female. He slowed down and laughed at the sound of the truck trying to slow down, expecting the engine to explode. He stopped and the truck partially blocked his way. Behind him he could see a semi pull up to further block him in. There was movement from the bed of the five ton and Caleb saw an old man in uniform draw a bead on him. Damn, I should have put more distance between me and the outpost. Will I get a blindfold or if they shoot me down in the street, he wondered.
“Out of my truck, asshole! Keep your hands where we can see them.” Gloria shouted, feeling her adrenaline surge.
“At the risk of being shot, a Technical Sergeant Muller gave me this truck, or I should say, Major Wilson did, and the sergeant walked me to it. We’re close enough to the outpost for you to call in and confirm.” Caleb fought the urge to laugh when he saw the look on the black officer’s face. “I’ll tell you what, find me a moving truck and I’ll give you the truck. I was about to abandon it anyway as soon as I found a bigger truck.”
“Sergeant Spradling, take the convoy home. I’ll be along in a little bit. I’m going to help the young lieutenant find his way, so he can be gone that much faster.” Spradling was ready to argue, but the young lieutenant in the pickup looked almost helpless, like all butter bars.
“Yes Ma’am.” Spradling then hit the horn three times, before starting up his truck, leaving a heavy black cloud of smoke behind, as the other trucks followed behind. Caleb was almost doubled over with the cloud of smoke as Gloria eyed him carefully.
“Something’s off with you, I just don’t know what it is. Care to tell me?”
“I’m infected like you, you can’t sense that? Close your eyes and just try to make your head blank and you’ll sense me easy. At least that’s what I do. Go ahead and try it.”
“I don’t have to, that’s what I was figuring. Have you found many of our kind?” Caleb could sense her anxiety in anticipating the answer.
“You’re my third infectee I found. I also have some news you’re not going to like. The new president has a hardon for our kind. He’s going to send out orders for us to be rounded up, and anyone not used for medical experiments will be quietly eliminated. That’s why I’m here now, running for my life. The only reason I didn’t run when you signaled me was I could sense you, so I knew it was too early for a bullet in the back of my head. I’m heading for Texas, you’re welcome to come along.”
“Take this exit coming up for Northern Avenue, you can see all the moving trucks on the left, the facility there will have a truck for you.” Gloria ignored his offer as she thought about it, and the crap her new commander was pulling on her, especially knowingly giving away her truck. Caleb could sense her mixed feelings and remained quiet while driving towards the truck rental facility. It looked like at least sixty trucks that would work for him, he just had to get one that ran decently.
“I’m sorry, I just find it hard to believe that the government is ready to shoot me in the head, just because I’m positive for the infection.” The disbelief on Caleb’s face spoke volumes to her and she said no more.
“I’m guessing you’re the scavenging officer for your group since you’re ‘special.’ Plus, all the semis that you were leading back to your outpost. Why don’t you follow me back to Camelback Road. I’ll show you the best stuff I found in the warehouse, since I can’t take it all with me. Better the military gets it than a bunch of looters.” He almost said it before he broke out laughing.
“So military folks are scavengers and civilians are looters. You’re no longer in; I should shoot you for being a looter then.” Gloria was giving him a big smile.” He began to feel himself reacting and quickly jumped down from the truck to distract himself from her and find a truck.
Gloria sensed his feelings and was going to laugh then went cold, feeling disgust for the man in front of her. She could not describe how she felt, just that she was in danger and should run, but not without her truck. “How about I just unload your stuff from my truck here, then you can load it into whatever truck you pick out.”
“What the hell crawled up your ass and died? Give me a few minutes here, or are you in that big of a hurry to get back to the outpost and get whacked?” He didn’t look at her as he spoke, but he did hear her scream, and punch the side of the truck, then scream again in pain. He fought the urge to run over and help her as he sensed that she was feeling extremely fearful. Fine I’ll get a truck and leave ‘coo coo for cocoa puffs’ here on her own. First woman I can have any hope of having a relationship with and she’s certifiable, he thought as he climbed into a truck with keys, turning the key, he watched the fuel gauge needle go all the way to full. Okay, I’m set. He cautiously backed the 26 foot-long truck back towards the pickup. Gloria slapped the side of the truck when it was close enough and jumped on the back bumper, before rolling up the door. She jumped back down and had the first box of ammo in her hands when Caleb came near her. She no longer felt afraid or nervous.
“Here, I’ll hand you your stuff, so you can put it in the truck how you want it.” Gloria was no longer coming across as angry or happy, that made Caleb even more nervous trying to figure out her mood.
“I guess you really want to get rid of me. Well, thanks for the help.” Caleb slammed the door down and secured it, “Have a nice life, Lieutenant Alban. The offer of a ride to Texas still stands until I finish loading my truck.”
I was an ass to the kid, he’s harmless, Gloria thought as she put her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, I’ve had a real bad couple days.” She then surprised herself when she continued, “I’d like to see those rations in the warehouse you mentioned. We have an okay supply of food, but if I never eat another MRE again, I can die happy.
“Um, just go ahead and follow me.” Caleb mumbled, confused. Damn, even zombie women confuse the hell out of me.
Chapter 4
Surprise, Arizona. April 11, 2029
Major Wilson was playing with the desktop computer on his desk. The kid senior airman that had come in with the convoy from Wyoming had already set up a local network that was tied into the school’s existing network. He was surprised when he tried to pull up his email, he not only had pre-apocalypse email waiting, but a recent email from and old squadron mate, that had the privilege of boasting to have flown with the call sign ‘Air Force One.’ Before he could open it a chat box opened up.
“Ronny, I see you survived and landed on your feet. Congrats on being selected as Commander of Combined Forc
es Arizona. You definitely landed on your feet.” Wilson read from the screen.
“As did you, Air Force One. What’s the president like?”
“I can’t honestly comment on that. A lot of good men and women died to save that…I’ve heard communications are strictly monitored for possible fifth columnists, and crazies that belong to the different apocalypse cults. I barely escaped a cult with the president.
“I saved my brother from prison, then he went rogue. Before I could turn him around, a lieutenant here who has the infection, killed him, and the men who followed him. He was not right in the head, but killing him and his followers was murder, in my opinion,” replied Wilson.
“Well, you should hear something in a day or two about infected personnel being locked up, and then either used for medical experiments or eliminated. I’m unofficially in the presidential loop after saving him.” Wilson read the IM and smiled, he could justify his revenge against the killer bitch!
“Sorry to cut you off, duty calls.” Wilson quickly typed, then exited off the computer. That bitch has seen her last sunrise, he thought joyfully. He looked across the room to his adjutant. “Technical Sergeant Muller, get me Master Sergeant Hale ASAP!” Wilson could not hide his happiness from the NCO, who gave an involuntary shudder.
“Sir, Master Sergeant Hale’s in the armory and will be right up. He’s being debriefed by the scavenger crew they came back early with six semi loads of food stuffs. Will take a few days just to unload and organize, it sounds like.”
“They’re back already?” Wilson almost shouted, as he ran out of the office. Muller just watched him run down the hallway before he closed the office door.
“Master Sergeant Hale, where is Lieutenant Alban?” Wilson was breathless and was holding his 9mm at his side.
“Sir, she didn’t return with her team. Something about helping a guy find a moving truck, then she’d be back.” Hale inwardly cringed at the half truth, but the dick move by the Major, giving away the Lieutenant’s truck, didn’t sit well with him. He could already imagine the fireworks when she returned. Wilson looked at the Sergeant and appeared to be thinking hard.
“Send out the new Guardian with its crew, and the new female Lieutenant, er…”
“Lieutenant Fotos, Sir?” Hale questioned.
“Yes, Lieutenant Fotos, and the Guardian. They are to arrest Alban and bring her back in chains. If she resists, shoot her down like a dog. The president has determined that infected are not to be mixed with the rest of us. I don’t want to put the burden of arresting her on any of the men who have served under her before.” You mean you don’t trust us to obey your order. Is what you mean, Hale thought.
“Better yet, let’s find the Lieutenant, and I’ll give her the instructions so there are no doubts to what is expected of her. She’s probably in the dining facility this time of day” Against his better judgment, Hale followed the major, noticing he was still holding his pistol at his side.
“Um, Major, you may want to holster that before you go into the dining area. I hate for small children and junior officers to be scared for no reason.” Wilson looked at Hale, surprised that he’d followed him, and that he was still holding the weapon. Sheepishly he holstered his automatic, then made sure he was composed before opening the door.
Wilson just opened the door when he was slammed in the face with a basketball, violently knocking him on his butt. The kids who lost control of the ball didn’t stay to see if he was okay as they ran to the other side of the auditorium and melted in with the diners. Everyone else in the room appeared to take a collective breath to see what his response would be. Hale bent over and offered his hand to the major.
His face burning, Wilson probed the side of his mouth and was sure a tooth moved when he probed it with his tongue. Hale was bent over him with his hand out, the sergeant looked like he was fighting back the urge to laugh.
“That’s why tennis is my game, smaller balls.” He gripped the offered hand and forced himself to smile when he stood up. Hale could see through the forced joviality that his eyes had hardened.
“Sir, the lieutenant is in the corner, looks like everyone that came with her is also there.” Hale noticed a real smile replace the fake smile as Wilson headed for the corner.
“At ease everyone. I wanted to give you a little time to rest but I need your help to bring in one of my officers. Lieutenant Alban, is infected, and the president wants all infected secured so they are not a danger to the rest of us. I couldn’t bring myself to have the people that have worked with her to do such a task.
“I understand sir. Where will we find the Lieutenant?” Fotos asked. Wilson went blank for a moment, when Hale came to his rescue.
“She went to help someone to find a moving truck. She was not far from a DIY self-storage facility that sold and rented trucks, so I’d bet she was there. That’s at 303 and Northern Avenue.”
“I found her!” Senior Airman Brown said. His face in his pad, “She must have a radio because I’m seeing activity for that location. If she moves we can easily track her.” He didn’t mention he could tell that Caleb was there too.
“I’ll head out now to bring her back, sir.” Fotos rose and stopped when Wilson held out his hand.
“If you can’t bring her back alive, then dead is okay also, maybe even better for her than living in a cage the rest of her life.” Fotos couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She fought the urge to sit back down as she felt her legs weaken.
“I’ll do my best, sir.” Senior Airman Wetzel and the rest of the Guardian crew followed her out.
Once outside at the gate, Fotos looked at the four airmen around her. “Men, because I don’t want to crowd the five of us and the prisoner in the Guardian, I’ll take Brown with me in my vehicle and he can navigate us to our target. Once restrained, we’ll bring her back in the bed of our vehicle to reduce the chance of her infecting us. NO ONE will fire on the lieutenant, unless attacked, or on my order. Now everyone stay alert, we don’t know what other dangers are out there.”
“Going out to hunt down the lieutenant?” The transportation pool guard asked. The soldier looked like he was over sixty, and barely controlling his anger as he waited for an answer. Fotos was taken aback by the question and the intense look on the man’s face.
“I’m following orders, soldier,” replied Fotos. “I’d be careful of my tone if I was you.”
“Did the major tell you his brother was a murdering, rapist, slaver? That is, until the lieutenant killed him. You think of that, little missy.” The guard turned and walked away. Fotos heard her men talking behind her, and felt the same way they did.
“We don’t pick and choose our orders. Let’s just get it done.” Fotos was relieved that Brown was staying quiet other than to give map directions.
Wilson stood atop the building, watching the two vehicles exit the compound. The guards atop the building had distanced themselves from the major, ignoring his presence.
I don’t know what will be better, they shoot her down like an animal, or they bring her back here and I get to keep her in a cage like the animal that she is.
Chapter 5
Douglas, Wyoming. April 11, 2029
“The rate of recovery and rebuilding is abysmal, General Peters. What you need to do is go out to the towns and cities and bring back all the survivors to Douglas. From there you can draft all the men and women you need for the army. The others can be pressed into civilian service, similar to the Civilian Conservation Corps. Those that are not willing to support either can be safely secured in one of the correctional institutions until the national emergency has passed.” For the umpteenth time Peters fought the urge to shoot the fat pig faced man standing before him. I don’t really want to go down in history as murdering the President of the United States, do I?
“Mr. President, we barely have control of the one city as it is. People come here voluntarily from all over the country. Once word got out that we were enslaving survivors and locking up
anyone who would not work, it would create a new paradigm where the government would be looked at in the same light as the cults and criminal gangs that have set up their own towns. How about if I send a team to the opposite side of the state, and take part of the power grid down? People will go to where there’s electricity. That way we really don’t use the stick, yet the carrot is still offered. Later when our numbers grow, the grid can be brought back online where needed.” President Richard Etchberger looked deep in thought and looked up only when he noticed the general had stopped talking.
“Um, ya, go ahead. We can always go in later to round up the malcontents. What can you tell me about the status of my memo for rounding up those infected that are hiding within our population and in the military itself?” Here we go, thought Peters.
“Sir, I sent your memo to the legal officers for their review. Then, after they have looked it over, have it go to the Medical Department for their hack. We have to respect people’s personal rights even in the Zombies Apocalypse.”
“I’m the President of the United States of America, not some flunky office worker sending in suggestions. Franklin Delano Roosevelt himself suspended parts of the Constitution during the Second World War, and for good reason. Now stop dragging your feet at every decision I make or I may be forced to select another officer to assume your post. I’ve been very patient, but…”
“Excuse me, Mr. President. Your next appointment is here, Mr. John Favazza. The highest ranking civilian in the government, he is a Senior Executive Service, Level IV, the equivalent of a Major General. He has a presidential briefing he says he’s given to the last five presidents. It’s a matter of national security.” Etchberger took the news with mixed feelings, he was annoyed he’d been interrupted, but enjoyed his ego being stroked when he was reminded he was president.
“Send him in please. General, I want results. Now I need you to leave so I can be briefed.
“Good morning Mr. President. Oh General Peters, you’re here, too. Can you stay for the briefing?” Favazza asked. Peters saw the change in Etchberger’s smile at his invitation.
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