When they first settled here, they had to figure out where to put the infected bodies after fighting off the relentless attacking zombies. If they burned them, the smoke would show for miles. Surprisingly, infected flesh didn’t burn easily and no one wanted to inhale that. They didn’t want to bury them either; someday in the future someone may try to plant food there and the thought of the infected pus oozing around in the ground for years and starting the outbreak all over again was unnerving. The most important thing was the underground river, and the possibility of the infection making its way to their water source. They had been piling rocks on top of the remains away from the compound until they came up with a better option. One day Susan and Edd were checking out the area and came across the quarry, the bottom already covered in rocks and boulders. It was perfect. The bodies could rot in the bottom of that.
“I see why they’re called Cocky,” Tracy said to Mason Henry, watching them drive off.
“I tried to join them but I wasn’t quite good enough,” he replied, without regret. “Chuck is very particular and I don’t blame him a bit. Our safety comes first. Besides he trusts me at the gate and knows that I can see anything coming and give them plenty of warning; nothing is getting through this gate unless I let them.”
“You really do have good eyes,” Tracy mentioned, looking back to where he first spotted the zombies. “That is really far away. Every compound needs the best set of eyes watching out for them. And yours are the best,” she paused and added coyly, “and they’re such a beautiful shade of brown.”
Mason Henry blushed at the compliment.
“Any idea when our shift will be over?” she asked him. “I’d still like that cup of coffee.”
Chapter Eleven
“Your team is amazing,” Antonio said to Chuck after everyone was cleaned up and sitting in the common area drinking coffee. Antonio winced when he took a sip.
“Instant,” Chuck laughed at the look on his face. “It sucks, especially after sitting around for all these years.”
“I wouldn’t even miss it normally since it’s been so long but...” Antonio trailed off then told him about the small can of coffee they shared recently.
Chuck fairly drooled, “Real coffee? Was it amazing? I’ve actually forgotten the taste of real coffee.”
Antonio smiled and nodded at the memory.
“We need to find some coffee bean seeds and grown some,” Terry remarked, sitting down next to them with his own cup of ‘black death’.
“We’ve found some more vegetable seeds recently and are planting them now. Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, that sort of stuff,” Chuck mentioned, taking another sip.
“Tomatoes are a fruit; not a vegetable,” Em taunted as she sat down, blowing on her cup of tea.
Chuck rolled his eyes at her and grinned, “Food snob! But coffee would be great!”
“It should be added to some kind of Wish List,” Terry said.
“It already is,” replied Chuck, chuckling. “It’s at the top of the list.”
Rick sat down with a cup of tea and said, “It’s amazing that you have your own water. We always had to find it then purify it. Or save it from the rain.”
“We don’t take it for granted.” Chuck added, “Most of the rivers in this country have dried up or gone bad. We don’t know if that could happen to this one, so we are preparing.”
Chuck turned to Antonio and said thoughtfully, “You know we make a great team. When the zombies came you barked out orders like it was your compound.”
Antonio started to apologize but Chuck grinned and held up his hand, “Not necessary. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I mean you’re a natural leader. I’m in charge here but I don’t have a second in command or anything like that. I think you’d be perfect. Every command you delivered was exactly what I would’ve said.”
“If you’re offering me the job, I’ll take it,” Antonio was honored. “Any chance to keep me and mine safe is top on my list.”
They shook hands and Chuck said, “Welcome to Cocky.”
When Chuck made the announcement to the rest of the compound he didn’t expect, or get any complaints, especially from the rest of Cocky. Everyone here knew the stakes. They did what was best for everyone and not just for themselves. Additional fighters would only increase their chances of survival. Antonio was proud to be part of it.
Some of Antonio’s survivors were absorbed into Cocky. Tamra and Bob were heartbroken over their missing family members and vowed to stay at the compound to protect others; that would increase the security when Cocky was away. They began working on a plan to search and rescue their captured families but they were waiting on the trader’s return, for the information they hoped he would have. Joe and Sheila were explorers and, while good fighters, weren’t great fighters. Antonio knew they were happiest when they were out scavenging with their sons, not fighting.
All told, the added members of Cocky were Antonio (who would now become Chuck’s second), Rick, Tracy, Steve, Carlos, and Rodrigo. With the addition of these six fighters, Cocky would be even stronger.
Chuck called a meeting of the compound and everyone but the sentries attended. He told them about what happened to Antonio’s compound and brought up the rescue mission. He was surprised that he was met with some resistance.
“If you go out to save them, how do we know the cannibals won’t come here and take us?” a man shouted out.
“Or the damned Z.E.D.s?” another man chimed in.
“Shame on you! If those were your relatives, your friends, you’d want to do this,” Shirley shouted out.
The small woman stepped forward to stand in front of Chuck; she was angrier than he’d ever seen the usually calm woman.
“Every human life is precious now!” she snapped. “If it had happened to us and Chuck went to Antonio, how would you feel if they said ‘no’?”
Those who spoke out looked uncomfortable and ashamed.
“Look,” Chuck said, without moving from behind Shirley, he was so tall that the top of her head only came to his chest, “we have more fighters now and more to protect our home. We’ll plan this out before we do it and I promise that home will be well protected while we’re gone. The sentries will be increased and we’ll build up some extra precautions. We already know that Mason Henry can see further than anyone else alive and that’s even without his binoculars.”
There was laughter and Mason Henry, who was finally having his coffee with Tracy, smiled at the compliment.
“We have to get a plan going so when we have an idea which way to go we can go at a moment’s notice. Are we good?”
Everyone nodded, some reluctantly, and a few even clapped.
Early the next morning, before the sun even came up fully, the bell clanged once. Chuck jumped out of bed, threw on his pants, and went out bare-chested and barefoot to see Richie at the gate. One bell meant that one or more of theirs was coming back and there was no visible threat. Richie handed Chuck the binoculars and he looked out to see Trader Joe’s truck. There were other trucks behind and in front of him. Sheila stuck her head out of the passenger window of the front truck and waved enthusiastically, adding a thumbs up.
“They found him,” Chuck grinned as he and Richie opened the gate.
“No one following them,” Bob said at the fence, looking beyond and the area surrounding the trader for any miscreants.
“Trader, sorry to drag you back so soon,” Chuck said as he stepped out of his vehicle.
“No problem,” the trader replied, shaking his hand, “they told me what happened. I’ll show you all the known locations that I think are still current.”
“We’ll make it worth your while,” Chuck said.
“This one’s a freebie,” Trader said. “I hate those bastard ghouls almost as much as you do. I’d give away all my trading goods, if only I could see them all wiped out.”
Antonio came outside, “Good to see you again, Trader.”
“I’m so sorry
about your people,” Trader replied. “I hope you get them back. These Cocky guys will get them back. Of that I have no doubt.”
Antonio nodded and put his hand in his pocket, “Since our compound was burned down, I don’t have much at all to give. We found this on the last mission we were on, when they were hit.” He pulled out something shiny and handed it to Trader.
It was the harmonica. He had cleaned it up and sterilized it last night and it shined in the rising sunlight.
“Are you sure you want to give this up?” Trader asked him. “I couldn’t tell you the last time I’ve seen one of these. They were big back around 2030 but I haven’t seen one for at least three years.”
“When I found it I really wanted to keep it,” Antonio replied, “but after all that’s happened, it just isn’t important to me anymore. As a Trader, I’m sure you can use it; either to trade or to keep yourself happy.”
Trader nodded his thanks and put it in his pocket, “Let me grab my maps and we’ll head inside and see where those ghouls are.”
Trader, Antonio, Chuck, and Terry sat down at one of the tables, two maps spread out. Several others stood around them and listened to what Trader was telling them. Chuck waved Savage over to the table to sit with them for this mission. Her real name was Lindsey Savage but when everyone found out her surname, someone started calling her Savage because it was such a cool name and it stuck. She had a photographic memory and her mind worked in a way that she could scan the wall map and any scavenged maps they found and put them together then formulate the best way to go on their raids. Chuck didn’t take her on the raids; her brain was her strength, not her arms. However, he had her help plan out every mission before starting. Trader pointed to his map and Chuck would make notes on his own map. Savage watched thoughtfully before interjecting with her own ideas. After they finished, Chuck would copy the information to the big map on the wall but take the smaller one on the mission.
“I know there’s one group here. They usually only raid out east, which is the opposite of where I go,” Trader said, “but these two—I’m not sure if they remain. I’ve heard rumors that the one south has moved but no one knows where. I’ve also heard that the other one got wiped out by the Z.E.D.s.”
Chuck took that news with a grain of salt. He hated the Z.E.D.s as much as cannibals but they were the only force with enough men to take out an entire cannibal tribe. It was true that Trader could tell raiders where the cannibals lived but no one had enough fighters to spare to take them on. The sheer size of an average cannibal tribe was staggering. That was the reason they were so dangerous and seemingly unbeatable.
“The one that is closest is confirmed so we’ll check that out first,” Chuck said. “I’d love to wipe them out, whether or not our people are there, but we can’t risk losing anyone.”
Antonio agreed, “If they are there, then we’ll rescue them. If not, we need to make sure the tribe never knows we were there. We don’t want them to backtrack to here while we’re gone.”
Everyone nodded on that one.
“If they aren’t there, the only thing we can do is go to the next possible location.” Chuck continued, “If they aren’t there either, maybe we can figure out where they went.”
“Which is why I want Joe and Sheila to go. They are the absolute best trackers we have,” Antonio suggested.
Chuck thought for only a moment and agreed.
“But you know they won’t go without their boys.” Terry added.
“Jim and Paul are good fighters,” Antonio said, “but they are helluva good trackers, too. Sometimes you gotta take trackers over fighters.”
“I want to go too,” Savage spoke up. “If they aren’t there, you may need me to use the maps along with the trackers to find their new location and determine entry points.”
Chuck looked apprehensive; she wasn’t a fighter at all.
“I know how dangerous this is,” she pleaded. “Why do you think I was alone when you found me? Cannibals took my entire group. The only reason I was missed is that I was away from the camp, puking after drinking some bad water. Everyone I’d ever known was either zombie bitten or taken by cannibals. Please, let me do this.”
She looked angrier than Chuck had ever seen her and more determined.
“You can’t keep coming back here to consult with me if the first place doesn’t pan out,” she insisted. “It would be a waste of time. Time the others don’t have.”
Chuck reluctantly agreed but realized he’d have to leave at least one or two fighters here to replace the four non-fighters that were leaving with them. He needed to get all of Cocky together for a meeting.
Kerry offered immediately, “I’ll stay if you need. I’d love to kill the ghouls but if you need me here, I’m on that.”
“I’ll need one more.” Chuck asked, knowing no one wanted to stay out of the mission, “JJ? Want to stay? You can spend more time with Izabella.”
JJ bit his lip. He loved to spend time with his daughter but he had recurring nightmares about cannibals getting to her, and they increased when Antonio’s group arrived. He really wanted to be part of this mission; it would help his peace of mind. “If I have to but I’d rather go.”
“I’ll stay if you want to go,” Tracy volunteered, “but only if you tell me something.”
“Anything,” he replied, cautiously, wondering what he might have to confess.
“What does JJ stand for, anyway?”
JJ laughed. People always wanted to know and it wasn’t a secret. “Joe Johnson. My parents always called me JJ. Joe’s such a common name anyway, so I like it. No one uses surnames anymore; not since the zombies.”
Everyone nodded somberly. The only ones that used their first and last names were the Z.E.D.’s.
Chuck and Antonio were proud of everyone in Cocky. They really expected that no one would volunteer so they were happy they didn’t have to force anyone to stay. Attacking cannibals was dangerous and every one of them had a reason for wanting them dead.
“Okay, we’re set then,” Antonio said. “We’ll leave at dawn. Everyone eat hearty and get plenty of sleep tonight. I’m authorizing second helpings at dinner for everyone on the mission team.”
Edd whooped at that, he loved to eat and could never get enough. The word went out and by dinnertime, the entire compound knew about the mission, and the second helpings. The mission team members were given so many tidbits from almost everybody at dinner, they didn’t need the second helpings. With the spoonful here and forkful there, they had enough for three helpings each, much to Edd’s delight. One little girl even tried to give Chuck her piece of candy that she’d saved since the last guessing game. He wouldn’t accept it and made her eat it right there so she wouldn’t try to give it to another member. He smiled at the look on her face as the candy slowly melted on her tongue. This was what they fought for, this was what they protected, this was what they would die for.
Steve and Bob looked over all the trucks the night before and made sure they were all fueled up with extra diesel cans stored in each. As the mission crew came outside to leave, most of the compound came outside to see them off. Trader surprised them all by pulling out the harmonica that Antonio gave him and played Battle Hymn of the Republic. Everyone who knew the song sang along and there were a few tears shed as Cocky went off on their most dangerous mission ever. In the passenger seat of the lead truck, Chuck looked around at everyone and smiled.
What a great family! He couldn’t ask for better. He looked to those staying to guard and protect.
“Watch over them,” he said then whirled his arm out the open window for Mason Henry to open the gates. Everyone climbed to the sentry boards all along the fence to watch them drive off. Antonio was in the last truck and looked back. The sight of all those faces above the fence line strengthened him.
Chapter Twelve – Fall 2028
Her world was on fire. Tamar lived in a small community of less than thirty people. They shared several cabins that they found
in an old state park, and called it ‘home’.
“Mommy!” she called out, coughing against the smoke.
She could hear screaming but didn’t know where it was coming from. Daddy came running in and whatever he told Mommy scared her so much that she grabbed Tamar and pushed her under the bed, making her swear to stay quiet no matter what. Tamar did that; she was a good girl. Soon smoke poured into the air and it got too hot. Even under the bed, she was having trouble breathing. Finally, when the struggle to breath became too much, she crawled out and ran to the door. She opened the door by the wooden knob. It was a good thing it was wooden instead of metal or she would’ve burned her hand severely.
When she opened the door, flames reached for her as if it were alive and she fell back. She looked around in terror for an escape and ran to the window. The shutters were closed and latched, and she was too small to reach the latch. There were no chairs or table but there was a six-drawer dresser they all shared. She pulled out the bottom drawer and dumped the clothes on the floor. She dragged it to the window; it was heavy, made out of good old sturdy wood. She propped it up on its face and stood on it. She was light enough that it didn’t break, but it was wobbly and she held her balance by leaning on the wall. Now she was able to reach.
The heat behind her increased and she looked over her shoulder to see the bed on fire as well as the rest of the dresser. She climbed out of the window and fell to the ground. She coughed and crawled a few feet before hitting the legs of a man. She looked up and saw that men in uniforms surrounded her.
“Mommy!” she screamed. “Daddy!”
One man picked her up and threw her over his shoulder as she screamed. She looked around wildly for her parents and cried out when she found them. Their bodies were dumped in a pile, along with the rest of the community, murdered by these men. She saw three young men being led away in shackles; in the same direction she was being taken. Suddenly her view was blocked, as a man with a long black braid stepped between them. He deliberately blocked her view of her parents’ bodies. It was a tiny act of compassion from a seemingly murderous man but she only remembered his face, the face of the man responsible for the deaths of her parents.
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