by Kidd, Sean
“I got him.” Luther reveled.
Luther reached to help Cowboy back to his feet. He was bitching at his partner, “Where the hell were you? That thing came out of nowhere. Did you see how fast it was?”
“I did, it took me by surprise too. That’s why it took me a second to kill it. You should be thankful I got him, before he got you.”
“Yeah, I guess so, but next time, please try to be a little quicker on the draw. Let’s finish up the last few rooms and meet back up with the rest of the group.”
Twenty minutes later, all the rooms were cleared. They’d all been empty, except for Cowboy’s. Even the manager’s office was empty. The vehicle on the far side of the lot must have belonged to the male and female zombies Cowboy had encountered. They probably parked on the far side of the lot so their spouses wouldn’t have discovered them, while they were alive. Now they were a pile of rotting meat, and no one cared.
The sun had set, and it was pitch black around the motel. The power was still on, and most of the rooms were lit up.
“You think we should go through and turn off all the lights?” Chevy asked.
“If the lights on haven’t attracted any dead by now, it’s probably not going to. Look around at all the buildings in this city. The place is lit up like a Christmas tree. If zombies like light, I’m sure they’re well on their way to the center of town. Just to be safe, we’ll double up in each room and pull the blinds closed. We’ll be turning the lights out soon, right after we get some food in our bellies. Everyone double up. We’ll take the rooms on the far side. They were all empty. Grab weapons and ammo from the Humvees. Chevy and I will take one of the boxes of ZMapp, Sophie you and Sidara team up and take the second box. Everyone eat, and get some shuteye we’re out of here at 0600.”
“Did you just say, ‘Oh, six-hundred?’ Chevy chuckled.
“Yeah, why?”
“Because it makes you sound, oh-stupid.”
“Oh, shut up.”
I couldn’t help but snicker, “Oh, you’re such a dick, Chevy.”
Chapter 42
Daniels pulled his phone out and checked the messages. There was nothing from Ty. He was about to put it back in his pocket and paused, taking a second look just to make sure. He opened up the message app. There was no way to tell if Ty or Jennifer had received it. He put the phone back in his pocket, wishing for a reply.
“Do you have any family, Master Chief?”
“I do, Daniels. I’ve got a wife and a three-year-old daughter back in Norfolk.”
“Do you know if they’re okay?” Daniels prodded.
“I don’t know. I left them on the base and haven’t heard from them since.”
“It must be so hard to leave them when your country calls. With things as bad as they are, why didn’t you just leave? I’m sure plenty of other guys did to save their families.”
“I’m sure they did too, but the way I look at it is, if I could find those doctors, they could save everyone, including my family.”
“I guess you’re right, but it’s still an incredible sacrifice.” Daniels sighed.
Destiny pulled herself forward from the back seat, “Bunker baby. What street was that we just crossed?”
“It was 11th Avenue.”
“Well, honey. We should see the river any minute.”
Everyone sat up in the Tahoe and started scanning the horizon. Beck was the first to see it, “There it is Master Chief. We made it,” he cheered.
“We haven’t made it until we arm that bomb and get out of the city. We’re only half way through this, Beck.”
“Look at all the airplanes on that boat. What’s that big black one?” Kaden asked, eyes wide open.
The Master Chief looked back and smiled, “That, my boy, is the SR-71 Blackbird.”
“Is it fast?” Kaden asked, quizzing Sawyer.
“Oh, it’s fast. I remember a story from when I was young. I was out golfing with my father and one of his friends who had come home to visit. They were both retired jet fighter pilots. My father’s friend got promoted to Lt. Colonel a few years earlier and transferred to Edwards Air Force Base to fly one of the 32 SR-71s.
At the time, everything about the Blackbird was still classified. My father’s curiosity got the best of him, and he asked his buddy how fast the plane really was. He smiled and used his two hands to demonstrate like he was describing the length of a fish. He said ‘When you go supersonic in your fighter, you pull your throttle back about this far.’ He held his hands about six inches apart. ‘If you had to, you could move your throttle back another inch. Then there’s nothing left. On my Blackbird, supersonic is about here,’ he said holding his hands about three inches apart. Then he said something, and I’ll never forget it. ‘Once I hit that three-inch mark, I can still go back another foot.”
My father stood there in disbelief, “Have you ever throttled all the way back?” he asked.
His friend laughed and said, “I couldn’t do that, the front of the plane would melt away.” The plane would go so fast, it would just melt away. So to answer the question, how fast is the SR-71? The answer is, about as fast as you can go. If you were to put a number on it, that number would be about 2200 mph. Let me put it in perspective for you. That’s more than a half a mile a second.”
Kaden sat there with his mouth wide open, “Do you think we can check it out?”
“It’s getting pretty dark now, but I’m sure we’ll be able to check it out in the morning. How’s that sound, pal?”
“You know what sounds good to me, Mister Chef?” Destiny teased.
“That’s Master Chief, ma’am.”
“Oh, whatever. Potatoes, tomatoes. What sounds good to me, is us gettin’ in that helicopter parked on top of the boat, and you flying us out of this mess.”
Bunker laughed, but asked, “Is that really such a bad idea?”
“Guys, I wish I could, but there are two problems with your suggestion. First, those aircraft are all decommissioned. Second, I don’t know how to fly.”
“That does propose a problem,” Daniels chuckled, as they pulled up next to the aircraft carrier. “What exactly is the plan, Sawyer?”
“I’m sure this boat's locked up as tight as a drum, which means the place is probably free of threats. Beck will blast the lock, and we'll head to the crew quarters and get some sleep. In the morning, Beck and I will arm the weapon, and we’ll get the hell out of Dodge in case someone down in Atlanta has an itchy trigger finger. How’s that sound?”
“Sounds good to me,” Bunker agreed.
Everyone else nodded and agreed.
“Why doesn’t everyone hang out in the car while Beck and I blast the door. It can be pretty loud and may draw some unwanted visitors.”
Daniels reached for his M4 and a couple of extra mags, “I’ll get out with you guys. You’re going to need someone to watch your back.”
“I’d really appreciate that,” Sawyer said, before stepping out.
Beck reached over his left shoulder and fished around the cache of weapons. It didn’t take long to find what he was looking for. He set it on his lap, as he reached back again for an ammo bag.
“What do you need the rope for?” Cecilia asked as she reached for the items in Beck’s lap.
“Whoa, little lady. That’s not rope. It's Det-cord.”
Beck held up the eight-foot piece of cord that was rolled up like a strand of rope, “I know it looks like rope, but it’s actually C4 explosive rolled out. You see, I take it and stick it to the outside of the door. Then, I use a blasting cap with a fuse to set it off. It will blow that steel door wide open.”
Cecilia was intrigued, “I wanna light the fuse.”
He thought about for a second and said, “You’ll have to ask the Master Chief. He’s the one who likes to blow shit up.”
Cecilia didn’t hesitate to hop out of the vehicle and ask Master Chief Sawyer. Bunker watched the two through the windshield. Sawyer kept shaking his head no, and it looked li
ke he was giving her a hundred reasons why she couldn't light it, with his palms turned up and his shaking head. She moved back to a safe distance while Sawyer pushed the Det-cord along the steel doorframe. Bunker felt a little sorry that Cecilia couldn’t light the fuse. She watched carefully as Sawyer pushed the cap and fuse into the cord. He searched his pockets and came out with a lighter.
“Here we go.” Bunker said preparing Kaden for the blast, but he was well aware, he was staring out the windshield the whole time, “Looks like Cecilia couldn’t convince Sawyer to let her…” he paused, “would you look at that? I’ll be a son of a bitch. That little shit did it.”
Bunker watched as Sawyer waved Cecilia over and handed her the lighter. It looked like he was demonstrating how to do it. He held onto the back of her shoulders and mouthed something Bunker couldn’t make out. She lit the lighter and yelled, “Fire in the hole!” When Cecilia touched the flame to the fuse, sparks started to fly. The two took off running beyond the back of the Tahoe. Bunker suddenly wondered if he was too close to the blast area, since they were now standing behind his vehicle. As he went to duck in the driver's seat, the blast went off. It wasn’t as big as he expected, but it was enough to blow the ship door open. It now moved freely on its hinges.
Beck gave a few wraps on Bunker’s window, startling him, “Spin this rig around and back it right up to the door. We’ll grab some of the weapons and use it to block the entrance.”
Bunker gave him a thumbs up and started moving the vehicle. He backed up slowly until he heard Daniels give the rear door a few wraps, “You’re good right there, buddy.”
Bunker sat and watched out the front, as everyone unloaded some gear. Daniels took an extra M4 for Bunker and met him at the window, “Okay, let’s kill the engine and put this buggy in neutral. We’ll roll it back against the door and use a rope to secure it. If any of those dead walk by, they won’t see the open door, just the vehicle.”
“Good plan.” Bunker agreed, as he hopped out with Kaden.
With Daniels and Beck pulling on the rope, the Tahoe moved easily. Master Chief had the opposite end of the rope ready and looped some fancy looking knot around one of the ships water pipes, “That should do it,” he said. “Now let’s hit the cafeteria and get some food in our bellies.”
Chapter 43
It was dark out by the time Kane and his brother pulled back into the hotel parking lot. Kane’s brother turned off the engine and sat thinking for a few minutes, without saying a word. He reached over and put his hand on Kane’s cold arm, “My goodness, brother. You’ll catch your death if we don’t get you inside and warmed up. How about a nice hot bath? Let me get that door for you.”
Kane’s brother reached across, pulled the latch, and gave the door a push. He unfastened Kane’s safety harness and gently eased him out of the vehicle. Kane’s body tumbled out of the truck, landing on his head.
Kane’s brother chuckled, “Oh, it looks like you took quite a spill there, brother. You’re such a klutz. Let me help you.”
He jumped out of the MRAP ran around the back of the MRAP where he stopped dead, “How curious, Kane. We appear to have half of a mountain man tied to the back of our vehicle. I guess he didn’t fare too well against the zombie attack, or did you leave him tied to the back of the truck? Oh, you dirty dog. Kane, you’re crazy as ever, my fiendish friend.”
When he got to his brother, he was still giggling over the mountain man. His laughing heightened when he saw Kane.
“My goodness. You did take quite the spill there, didn’t you? Is it me, or is your head a bit crooked now?”
He reached under Kane’s arms and sat him up, placing a hand on each side of his head, “Yes, your head is crooked now, and it’s all soft and squishy. You’ll have to be a little more careful brother, you’re not as young as you use to be.
Let’s get you inside and into a nice hot bath, shall we? You’re still covered in dirt from being buried in that shallow grave. Don’t worry dear brother. I will take good care of you.”
When he let go of Kane, he fell back to the pavement striking his head a second time. The hollow sound of his skull resembled that of a pumpkin being smashed on Hell Night. Kane's brother latched onto Kane's ankle and dragged the body to the hotel room bathtub feet first.
After stripping the clothes off the corpse and drawing a warm bath, he spent the next hour having an in depth conversation while he washed Kane from head to toes. When the bath was over, Kane’s brother dressed him and placed him in bed. The conversation continued until he imagined Kane falling asleep. He sang his brother a lullaby, gave him a kiss on the forehead, and turned out the light for him, “Good night, dear brother. You’ll have your vengeance tomorrow. Sweet dreams.”
Kane’s brother tiptoed out of the hotel room and returned to the manager’s office. He peeked through the window and gave a few light taps on the glass. He raised a welcoming hand as he walked in and said, “Hello, Matilda.”
The dead office clerk, Matilda, was still trapped behind the counter.
“Do you remember me? I checked in a couple of hours ago with my brother Kane? I wanted to come back sooner and speak with you, but we met a friend on the side of the road, and well... we got tied up. I guess a better way to put it is, he got tied up, but then he had to split. Anyway, I thought we kind of had a connection and wondered if maybe you’d join me for a cup of coffee?”
Matilda waved her dead arms in the air, clawing at Kane’s brother. She moaned and charged forward bouncing off the counter, craving his sweet living flesh. The more she crashed against the counter, the more black ooze was forced up from her lungs and out her mouth.
“You do remember me? That’s wonderful, Matilda. I have a thousand stories I could tell you.”
Kane’s brother talked, told stories, and watched her beautiful blue swirling eyes throughout the night. A connection was made between the dead woman and the homicidal maniac. He talked and fell in love while she clawed and moaned, trying to devour him.
Their time together was over when the sun began to rise over the Green Mountains to the east. A mournful feeling surged through his body, knowing their time was ending. He stood up from his chair and took hold of one of Matilda’s hands. She yanked and pulled, but he was too strong for her to pull it away. He leaned in and kissed the back of her hand, “I shall never forget this time we’ve spent together. I must leave now, to fulfill an oath I swore to my brother, but when our quest is complete, I promise you, I will return. Until we meet again, my lady. I must bid you farewell and adieu.
Chapter 44
Kaden searched the coolers in the cafeteria. Each one smelled worse than the last. The power on the Intrepid was sporadic and off more than on.
Most of the time, they’d been trudging around in the dark, lighting their way with some novelty flashlights Daniels found in the gift shop.
Some were in the shape of mini aircraft carriers, while others took on the appearance of airplanes. They weren’t very good lights, but better than nothing.
With no luck finding food in the coolers, Kaden combed over the cafeteria tray line.
All of the chafers were empty. Probably cleaned by the Intrepid staff before they closed down. Kaden tapped his flashlight against the metal chafers as he walked down the food line, anxious to find anything to eat.
The lights were on for the time being, but he liked having the flashlight handy. He didn’t want to be in complete darkness any longer than he had to be.
At the end of the food line, he discovered a vertical glass case food cooler. From a distance, he could see it displayed individual dessert plates. He took a deep breath and held it, already sniffing enough bad food for one day.
The cooler was filled with slices of pies, cakes, and jello. He pulled out a square block of green jello and ripped the plastic wrap off. He lifted the plate to his nose trying to be slow and cautious. It smelled okay. Giving the plate a little shake, caused the jello to wobble. It looked good too. Everything seemed to be
all right, placing his mouth over the entire piece and sucking it in.
Kaden swirled the gelatin through his teeth transforming it into lime liquid. It was warm, but tasted good.
When he finished, he set the plate down and pulled out a slice of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. With his fingers, he shoved half the piece in his mouth. It tasted wonderful. With his mouth full he called out to the rest of the group, “Wo gaa cake.”
Cecilia and Bunker were down the hall, raiding the vending machines. Bunker was trying to put his boot through the plexi-glass front of the candy machine. They had already assaulted the Coke machine, leaving soda cans strewn across the floor.
Cecilia finished chugging a Coke and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as she cheered Bunker on, “Come on, kick that thing,” she encouraged, eyeing the row of candy bars.
Beck came running around the corner with his M4 raised, “What the hell is all the racket?”
Cecilia and Bunker looked back at him with their mouths wide open, staring down the barrel of Beck’s rifle.
When he realized it was them, he lowered the barrel, “Sorry, I thought you guys were in trouble. What the hell are you trying to do anyway?”
Bunker used a finger to point at the vending machine, “I don’t have any money, and Cecilia wanted a candy bar.”
“Cecilia wanted a candy bar, huh?” Beck teased.
Bunker shrugged his shoulders, “I guess if we got it open, I’d have a couple too. Hey, you got any more of that door blasting stuff. That would get this thing open in a hurry.”
“I’ve got something better,” Beck said, “move out of the way.”
Beck reached down to his boot and pulled out a fourteen-inch survival knife.
Bunker eyed the knife, “Ah, you never know when you’re going to need to cut up an apple, eh Rambo?”
Beck smiled, “Yeah, something like that.”
