They were getting smarter.
Closing my eyes, I listened to the hum of the dead throughout the city. I hoped it was going to be the last night I had to hear that. Camp Holly was far enough away that we shouldn’t hear much of anything from the city.
Boomer woke me just before the sun came up.
I stretched as I stood up. I was sore from the past few days of fighting. I had bumps and bruises all over and my head still had a decent sized lump on it.
I grabbed the radio and walked to the back patio. Boomer ran out and did his business. The sky was starting to lighten as the sun rose in the east. It appeared there would be free skies for at least the first part of the day. I could hear a few zombies shuffling about and was sure to stay as quiet as possible.
We went back inside and I woke the others. After, I went into the bathroom to check the various injuries from the previous two days of fighting.
I didn’t recognize the man staring back at me in the mirror. I had a gash on the side of my head from the night we had escaped the Ace Hardware. A scab had tossed a PVC pipe at me, tearing my scalp just above my ear.
A large abrasion was speckled across my forehead. Random small lacerations peppered my face which was grimy from dirt and sweat.
I cleaned the bite wound on my forearm, and bandaged it up. Thankfully, my shirt that I was wearing the night I got bit had distorted the zombie’s bite outline. I could easily pass it off as a wound from something else.
I grimaced and used some water and a towel to clean up.
“’Dog Two, come in. This is Stallion Four. Over.”
I racked my brain trying to remember who Stallion Four was as I grabbed the radio.
“This is Christian. Over.”
“Fish said to let you know we’re breaching the highway underpass soon. He and I are going to break off and rendezvous with you in approximately one hour. Over.” I was pretty sure now that Stallion Four was Specialist Gardner. He was the first of Lieutenant Campbell’s men that I had met.
“Roger that,” I responded. “Enrique and I are about to get on the roof and start taking down the solar panels. Batteries and everything else are packed and ready to go in the garage. Over.”
“Who’s Enrique?” Gardner asked.
“A survivor we rescued. I already let Fish know.” I replied as we both relaxed our radio etiquette.
“Roger. Fish said to keep your radio handy just in case. Over and out.”
There was Fish, treating me like an imbecile again. Of course I was going to keep it handy. Well, sort of. Before climbing on the roof, I handed the radio to Karina.
Enrique and I went to work on the solar panels.
Karina stood watch and I was impressed when she took out three zombies in only four shots with the MP5.
Our mood was good, knowing that we would be with the others soon. Even Enrique made a few light hearted jokes as we worked. I thought that was good considering what he had to go through the last few days. Then again, getting use to loss was an unfortunate result of the apocalypse.
Disconnecting the solar panels from the roof proved a little harder than expected. Florida rain and humidity had made unbolting them difficult, and we had only removed two of the six panels by the time we saw Fish’s truck pull onto our street.
Behind his truck he was towing a trailer. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was the airboat trailer from Camp Holly that we had seen earlier that week.
“You’re not done yet?” he scolded as he got out of the truck. They had opened the gate and backed the trailer up to the garage opening.
I couldn’t tell if he was serious or not, but I didn’t care. I had a shit eating grin wrapped around my face when I saw him exit the truck.
“Nice to see you too,” I smiled. Enrique had just gotten off the ladder and was preparing to receive the third solar panel.
“Who’s this?” Fish asked as Gardner walked over to help Enrique receive the panel. They were both eyeballing Enrique’s awkward armor.
“That’s Enrique,” I grunted as I pushed the panel over the side of the roof. They grabbed it as I slowly lowered it down.
“Hey Enrique. I’m Gardner,” the soldier said as helped bring the panel over to the trailer.
“Enrique, huh?” Fish scoffed. “I guess Gonzo will have a buddy.” Fish was referring to PFC Gonzales, a Hispanic soldier in our group.
“That’s messed up, Fish,” I chuckled.
We spent the next hour taking down the rest of the solar panels and loading up the truck with everything we thought we may need.
Fish radioed with DJ with an update on our status. The big man had driven Big Red for the other scavenging group, which consisted of PFC Gonzales, and Chad.
I was shocked Chad and DJ were around each other, but surviving was more important than holding grudges. DJ had beaten Chad up pretty bad the previous week. He held Chad responsible for Jared’s death. DJ and Jared were friends pre-Awakening.
The story was that Chad had previously antagonized another group of survivors. That group later ran into DJ and a team of scavengers near a Walmart. When the shooting started, Jared took a round in the stomach and died. I couldn’t blame DJ for holding Chad responsible.
I’m sure there were not that many people who could operate the big fire truck, which forced DJ to drive even though he was still harboring a pretty severe wound to his shoulder.
While we were loading up everything, I relayed what Enrique had told me about his wife. Fish seemed off as I told the story. It must have brought up the horrible memory of what Fish had to do to his own wife.
Gardner and Karina stayed out front while Fish, Enrique and I did one more walk around the house to make sure we got everything we needed. Boomer walked next to me as I checked the back patio to make sure we got all the seeds for gardening.
I was on my way back in when I overheard Fish talking to Enrique. I stopped and eavesdropped.
“You going to be okay, Pablo?” Fish asked.
“What you mean?”
“I mean, you just lost your wife to the infection. I see that look in your eye. Christian is vouching for you, but I can tell you’re about to lose it.” I heard footsteps and peeked around the corner. Fish had walked up to him. Fish was shorter than me, but still stood almost a full head over Enrique.
“I be fine,” Enrique said. Fish had a threatening look to him.
“You better be,” Fish dipped down so they were nose to nose. “If you do anything stupid and endanger my friends, I’ll feed you to your wife. You get me?”
I could see Enrique visibly flinch. He gave a slight nod.
“Good,” Fish backed up. “Christian! You ready?”
I composed myself and joined them in the living room.
“Ready,” I said, glancing at Enrique. He was still shaken by Fish’s threat. I didn’t blame him, knowing what it was like to be in Fish’s crosshairs.
Gardner drove the SUV with Karina and Enrique, while Fish, Boomer and I took our truck with the trailer. We wound our way north around the back roads of Palm Bay and into West Melbourne.
“Where are DJ and the others?” I asked.
“A construction site off of 192.” Fish turned down another back road. “We’re gathering building materials. Camp Holly is nice, but it’s not secure. We had a little pow-wow yesterday after I got back. Put together some pretty good plans.”
“Got back from where?” I asked.
Fish glared at me and then turned back to the road. “I went on a scouting trip yesterday.”
I thought about that a moment, realization coming to me. “You mean you came looking for us?”
“You could say that,” he said evenly.
“How close did you get to the compound?” I asked.
“Made it to the gas station. Saw Chuck’s jeep,” he frowned.
“Yeah,” I mumbled. “We barely escaped.”
“Is that where Chuck bought it?” he asked without emotion.
“Yeah. He sa
crificed himself for us.” I said somberly.
I told him the story, leaving out that I had told Chuck about my immunity. That also reminded me that Karina knew I had been bitten. I started to get nervous, thinking that she may tell Gardner while they rode behind us. If she hadn’t, I told myself to remind her to keep it to herself.
“I have to say, that was pretty honorable of him,” Fish said once I concluded the tale.
“He was a good man,” I agreed.
“Fish, this is DJ. You guys close or what? Over.” the radio squawked.
“Tell him we’ll be there in ten,” Fish ordered, while turning the truck down another back road.
“DJ, this is Christian. We’re approximately… approximately one zero mikes out,” I said, remembering in mid-sentence the proper radio etiquette. “Glad to hear your voice. Over.”
“You too, buddy. We’re done loading up. Also, we picked up a survivor. Over.”
I turned to Fish who let out a deep breath. “Great,” he grumbled.
“Friendly?” I asked DJ.
“Think so. Over.”
“Roger that. See you in a few. Over and out.” I put the radio down.
The construction site where DJ and his crew were scavenging was large. I wasn’t exactly sure what was being built there, but it had to be at least as large as a super market. The ground had been leveled and the first stages of the outer walls were evident.
Big Red was parked near a large eighteen wheeler flatbed truck. Building materials, from fencing to rebar, were stacked on the top of the fire engine. Behind Big Red was Jenna’s truck. It had a trailer loaded with building materials.
I counted thirteen zombies that had been put down at the site. Their heads were smashed into oblivion, leaving no chance for the zombies to reanimate.
Jenna was securing straps on the trailer while Chad and Gonzales were on top of Big Red, doing the same. DJ was next to the firetruck speaking with who I guessed was the survivor they had found. DJ’s arm was still in a sling, and he held a handgun with an oil filter fixed to the front in his good hand. Most of us were now armed with the jury-rigged suppressors.
Fish and I got out of the truck. Boomer jumped out excitedly and started to sniff around the area. Gardner and Karina joined us as we walked over to DJ and his new friend. Enrique stayed in the SUV. He was staring outside the window at nothing in particular.
“Welcome back to the living,” DJ said as I walked up and shook his hand.
“Thanks,” I smiled.
“Who’s your friend?” Fish asked, skipping any sort of greeting.
“This is Cecil. Cecil, this is Fish, Christian, Gardner and Karina,” the big man said, nodding to each of us in turn.
Cecil appeared weathered and worn, but otherwise good spirited as he nodded to us. “Hey guys.”
He was wearing a stained green T-shirt and dirty blue jeans that had a few rips around the legs. Long, curly brown hair was matted with dirt and sweat, and he had a brown and grey beard that told me he had to be in his late thirties or early forties. On his side was a very large revolver, which I later found out was a 357.
“Are there others with you?” Fish asked.
“Already asked, Fish. It’s just him,” DJ said, answering for Cecil.
Cecil, who was studying our group, fixed his eyes on Karina. I wondered if they knew each other at first, but I saw no recognition from Karina.
“Alright. We need anything else here?” Fish looked around the construction site.
“Yeah, all of it,” DJ grinned. “Take a walk with me.”
Fish complied and the two walked around, discussing the construction materials and the logistics of moving it to Camp Holly.
I looked back at Cecil. He was still staring at Karina, who was chatting with Gardner.
The newcomer saw that I noticed him staring at the teenager, and he gave me an apologetic look.
“Sorry. I don’t mean to stare. Just… I’ve never seen a kid carry an MP5. Times are different.”
“It’s not my gun,” Karina said, breaking off her conversation and nodding to me. “It’s his. He showed me how to use it.”
“Were you law enforcement?” Cecil asked me.
“Umm, no. Why?”
“I was a narcotics detective for Melbourne PD. That looks like it came straight out of the arms room. Where did you get it?” Cecil had a sense of seriousness about him now that made me somewhat nervous. I didn’t want to tell him that I killed the previous owner of the gun.
“I scavenged it. There are a lot of guns lying around these days.” It wasn’t a total lie. I did scavenge the MP5, it just so happened that I took it from someone I had murdered. At least, I still saw it as murder.
“That’s true. Still strange seeing a kid carry it around. Guess I have to get use to that.” Cecil shook his head. His eyes shifted to me and then back to Karina.
“No such thing as kids anymore, hoss,” Gonzales said as he came around the back of Big Red. “Just the dead-heads and the living.”
“And the fuckin’ scabs,” Chad added as he followed behind Gonzales.
Cecil nodded. “Whose dog?” he asked as Boomer came trotting up to our group, seemingly satisfied there were no immediate threats in the area.
“That’s Christian’s, too,” Karina said helpfully. “Boomer’s great.”
“Is he now?” Cecil said as he stepped forward to pet him.
A rumble reverberated from Boomer’s chest in warning. My first thought was that something was coming near us, until I realized Boomer was glaring at Cecil.
“He doesn’t know you. You probably make him nervous,” I said, bending over and wrapping my arm around Boomer’s neck. Cecil backed up as I stroked the canine with my free hand. Boomer slowly started to calm down.
“Mount up!” Fish ordered as he rounded the opposite side of the fire truck, breaking the tension.
The issue of Cecil joining our group must have already been discussed, since he jumped into the passenger side of Jenna’s truck. Chad got into the driver’s seat as Gonzales and DJ took Big Red. Gardner drove the SUV with Karina and Enrique. Fish, Boomer and I took our truck.
The drive back was uneventful. I went into more detail with Fish on Chuck and me going after Karina, how we escaped with Chuck’s help and ultimate sacrifice, and our encounter with Enrique and the scabs. He seemed really interested in how Enrique’s wife had been changed. He agreed that the scab had bitten her for the purpose of changing her.
“That’s a game changer, you realize,” Fish stated as we pulled into Holly.
“I know,” I grimaced.
We parked the truck in the large open area in front of the camp. I told Fish I had to use the restroom before I jumped in to help unload all of the equipment we had scavenged.
It wasn’t a lie. I really did have to go, but I had another, more pressing matter to attend to first.
I caught Karina just before she entered the door leading to the reception building, or main hall, as we later called it. It was also the same place where I had almost been killed by the Rhinoceros Zombie a few days before.
“Karina!” I breathed as I jogged up behind her.
“Yes?” she said, spinning around.
“Can I talk to you?”
She nodded and I guided her around to the side of the building.
“What’s up?” she asked.
I took a moment and made sure no one was in earshot of us.
“Karina… Remember what I told Chuck?” I whispered.
“You mean about—”
“About me, yes,” I said, cutting her off before she said anything aloud about me being a carrier or immune. I wasn’t sure which one she had settled on.
“I remember. And yes, I remember you asking me to keep it to myself,” she reassured me.
“Thank you,” I smiled in relief.
“So…?” she asked.
“So… what?” I responded, the smile disappearing from my face.
“Well, I mean,
aren’t you going to tell them?”
I swallowed. I wanted to tell the group. But Chuck’s assertion that I could be a carrier instead of immune exposed me to a new danger. If the group even suspected that I carried the infection, they may have thrown me out or, even worse, executed me. I couldn’t blame them for thinking that I may infect the group or even eventually turn into one of the scabs. It was a very delicate situation.
“I will,” I promised, “but I have to do it in my own way… in my own time. Can I trust you?” I remember the desperation in my voice, as if I was begging her not to betray me.
She put her hand on my shoulder and rubbed it reassuringly. “You can trust me, Christian. And I trust you will do the right thing… in your own time.”
Chapter 8
Return to Camp Holly
April 24th Evening
By the time we had unloaded the equipment from the trucks, it was late afternoon. I took a few minutes to walk the camp with Boomer and investigate our new home. I greeted those I hadn’t seen since we evacuated the Ace Hardware compound. They were all happy that Karina and I made it back and saddened at the loss of Chuck.
In less than a day, we had lost three of our group. The adults of our little group were quickly dwindling. That was probably why Campbell was quick to accept Cecil and Enrique into the fold.
Cecil was undoubtedly going to be a great addition to our crew. He seemed physically fit, even considering the ragged state we found him in. It also was a bonus having a former police officer in our group.
Enrique, we learned while unloading the equipment, worked as a construction worker. He may have been short, but when he finally stripped down the armor he wore, I saw he was in excellent shape. That was probably from working as a laborer for years.
DJ, Fish, and Lieutenant Campbell had spent the night before mapping out how Camp Holly was to be organized. As the sun started to set and dinner was being served, Campbell started going over what the priorities were for the rest of us.
The Hunt Chronicles (Book 2): Revelation Page 9
