by Evans, Mike
“I’m on it, but if you guys really do go to the college, hit up the cafeteria for me, would you?”
“We are headed out to the middle of nowhere to get ingredients for science man over there. We have all the food we need for a very long time.”
Joey, who when it came to food had zero issues with playing the sympathy card, looked down and reminded Clary of a beagle with big brown round eyes. “I know we have food, Mr. Clary, we just don’t have any of the good stuff and I feel like we only have so long before it goes bad and then what, there’ll be no more cakes, or cookies, or candy bars, or…”
“I get it, Joey, and if we aren’t running for our lives, I’ll try and knock over a vending machine for you when we do end up going to the college, okay?”
“That’s all I ask.”
“Ellie, if Scott’s coming, that’s going to make the truck a little crowded,” Clary explained.
“Well I guess that sucks for Greg, doesn’t it?”
“I need Greg on the fifty.”
“Because I don’t know how to use it?”
“No, you rock it, but Greg’s the best. He’s spent a lot of pent up aggression up on top of that roof.”
“You realize that isn’t fair, right?”
“Right, and unfortunately, I don’t like the idea of...no I hate the idea, despise the idea of leaving Greg here by himself at the base. It just seems like a horrible idea.”
Chapter 4
They attached Earl’s gun alongside the mounted machine gun to the armored Humvee. Greg and Shaun piled in, everyone who’d never met Shaun before but had heard the wild tales of what he’d done were watching with curiosity and wonder. Mr. Li handed him a freshly sharpened blade, which he hoped would not need to be used. Shaun set his silenced hi-powered rifle in the passenger seat, ready to rock if he needed it, along with a fully automatic machine gun. Earl, who’d been happy to find something new to wear, came around the corner with a fresh set of camouflaged pants and a black t-shirt tucked in with its sleeves cut off, guaranteeing there would be no confusion who the redneck of the group was going to be today.
Clary took him in, in all his greatness, and leaned next to Shaun, “You make sure you take shotgun; I can’t handle any more of him then needed.”
Shaun seemed to be distant. He’d staked everything on this trip coming back and the future of everyone that he cared about. The last thing he wanted to do was give them an insurgence of false hope, only to rip it from their hands and throw it in the gutter. He opened the door, looking at the group of people watching. Ellie was standing with Joey and Kya, who he’d not seen the day before when arriving. Brandy and Timmy both stood next to Mr. Li, who’d resumed his spot with the only people he knew. Scott saw everyone and whistled at the fire power. Scott waved to his son as he climbed into the Humvee. He asked, “So any chance anyone brought a gun for Earl or I?”
Greg laughed, he knew Clary’s answer before he could say it, “Are you kidding, a couple new guys that have a magical zombie cure and didn’t bring anything but that with them. You don’t get any of our back stock until you can prove we don’t have to worry about you using it to shoot us in the back. You think coming here with Shaun gives you any weight and you would be more than wrong.”
“Cocky little fucker, aren’t you?” Earl said.
“When you’ve been fucked over and had your world ruined more than once, you tend to take the defensive approach. You earn trust around here. It isn’t anything against you, but if we treat everyone the same then we have a lot less to worry about. Besides, you just stay with us and we are going to be just fine. I don’t know if Shaun boy up there can still shoot, but there’s nothing wrong with having Clary and I as your backup. We are more than capable of handling those bastards.”
Earl’s mouth was agape, unsure how to respond to that. Scott said, “We could go anywhere and do this. We don’t have to stay where we aren’t wanted. Is that what you are asking for? Have you ever heard someone say to work smarter not harder? I’d like to think that still holds true, young man.”
Clary held up his hands, “Maybe we should all just settle down. If you really want a rifle, we can get you one. You don’t understand the shit that we’ve dealt with.”
“I can appreciate that your group has not had the easiest of times. I want to make it real clear that we both want the same thing here. I feel like we are getting off on the wrong foot and I can only blame your previous history with people. We are good people, there are still good people, regardless of if you’ve dealt with some that aren’t the highest of moral character.”
Clary realized that he and Greg were quite possibly being dicks and that they should probably be a little less high strung at the moment. The fact that they’d come to this conclusion after being called out on it didn’t probably help the matter at hand. Shaun said, “Okay, we’ve kissed and made up. Can we get out of here, now?”
No one said anything as they loaded and drove off. Clary didn’t have to stop; they knew his Jeep when he came up and already had the cylinders down so there was no need to stop. Clary looked in his rearview and thought how it was going to take a little getting used to having to see an airplane parked in the middle of the base on a daily basis. Joe and Bob were standing next to the plane, checking the equipment and making sure that everything was in top running order. They had Timmy, Austin, and Phillip playing tag around the wheels, keeping themselves entertained on the base that was new to them.
Clary asked, “So what’s with them working on the plane? Are you guys not staying here? I’m sure we’d grow on you.”
Earl answered for Scott, “We had already had the plan from the minute we got here. See, if ya’ll were just a bunch of pricks we decided that we’d just go somewhere else. We were sure that we could find somewhere else to go that we could work on making a big ol batch of this new shit and I could work on the zombie lung while we are getting the right amount ready. Everyone thinks it can be improved or something. I don’t know what kind of miracles they were expecting me to come up with when we were in Chicago. I mean, you can’t make mud out of dirt and water is what I say.”
Scott ignored the statement and added, “I agree with most of what Earl back here said. We won’t waste our time where we aren’t wanted. It makes very little difference to me if this is the first state that is cleared out of the dead if we aren’t wanted. I’ve never spent much time in Iowa, so other than Shaun doing a convincing job of getting us to come here, I don’t have any reason I need to stay. Before we met him, we’d discussed going to California or Florida and working our way north or east. We thought it might give us the best chance at surviving. Shaun mentioned the base and resources you had here and that you could get Mark the equipment and time that he needed to concoct this.”
“You realize you say that like a man that might be more interested in staying than leaving. It is a long way to go to California or Florida from here. I know that isn’t anything for a plane like you’ve got, however if you need to fuel up or have issues, you won’t know what to expect.”
Earl cleared his throat, “Look, let’s go test this shit, you guys quit being assholes to us, and we’ll go on and kill a whole bunch of them zombie fellers and feel real good about ourselves. Now how does that sound to ya’ll?”
Clary nodded, knowing not to look a gift horse in the mouth, and gave Greg a look in the back seat which Greg was pretty sure meant to be on his best behavior and to be quiet. Shaun said, “So do you know where we are going to go try this stuff out at?”
Clary pointed forward and said, “I’d rather start it a few miles away then do it right here. Last thing we need, obviously, is a fresh horde attacking the base.”
“You are just filled with confidence here aren’t you, Mr. Clary?”
“Seeing is believing, Earl.”
Shaun watched as they drove. The idea that this could one day be over was about enough to bring a tear to his eye. The idea that they could live in peace as long as there were n
o others around like whom they’d had to deal with before; he could handle an existence like that. Righting the wrongs of his father would lift a weight incomparable to anything else from his shoulders. Shaun tried to keep his leg still but the excitement was impossible to hide. Clary patted Shaun on the shoulder and the boy that usually didn’t go out of his way to say anything about his emotions whispered, “I hope this fucking works, Clary. I want to see the end of it while we still have so many left.”
“Probably won’t matter how many times people tell you the same thing, is there? You won’t get over it until every single one of those things are lying on the ground face up and dead,” Clary preached.
Greg was years ahead of where he should have been for his age. There had been horrible circumstances for all of them which made them age much faster than any of them wanted to. He said, “Or until Shaun’s looking up from the ground.”
“Yes, Greg, thank you for stating the obvious. I wasn’t sure if that feeling of missing you and being glad to see you was pure or just gas.”
“Man, I tell you, if I eat me any Italian or Mexican food and a handful of other countries’ shit, man you won’t want to be around me. I can clear a damn room with it. Chili ain’t no friendlier either. They should call that shit enemy, cuz other than feeding people, I ain’t never made no new friends on chili days. It just gets brutal, you ever gas yourself out of a room, now that’s hard to handle, and no one to get mad at.”
They ignored Earl, pulling to a stop in a field. Scott looked around the clearing seeing there were no dead anywhere. Scott said, “We were wanting to test this, right? Don’t we need someone besides the five of us to test it out on, like one of your Turned?”
Clary looked back and smiled, like there was definitely something he knew which Scott did not. Minus day one and a quick rescue of Earl and Joe they hadn’t had much real-life experience with them. The safety of the CDC building had ensured that. Clary exited, walking to the back and a second later set an Igloo cooler on the ground along with two wood poles and some rope. Earl asked, “Yeah, this is great sittin’ out here in the middle of a damn field and all but uh, what the hell is he doing? Is there some fishing gear that I don’t see and a pond that I really don’t see? Please tell me he has beer.”
Greg opened an ammo box, pulling out a chain of fifty caliber bullets, “Oh, he’s going to make sure we aren’t bored too much longer.”
“Well, if you put it that way, then I feel even better, thanks for that detailed explanation, Greg. I’m not the easiest guy to keep as a friend, there are a lot of people who aren’t zombies calling if you know what I mean. You better play your cards right, or I’m not going to deal with your teenage attitude,” Earl said as he crossed his arms and attempted to look uninterested in what was happening.
Shaun turned around and explained, “I figured out a little trick with the Turned a while back. We knew that they were blood hungry and the smell of it would bring them in.”
“Shoot, blood, huh? Well I’m sure the super doctor over here would have figured it out eventually. I mean, if they ever left that building besides when they came to help us out.”
“Right, well he’s going to draw in more than we probably want if he has blood in that cooler,” Shaun explained.
The four watched Clary as he pounded two stakes into the ground. His hammering was not very impressive as he was still learning that he was a one-eyed soldier. He managed to get both of them in and used a shoelace to tie a bag of blood between the two stakes. He nicked the tip of it with the blade of his knife and watched as a few drops of blood began to fall onto the ground. Clary had a knowing look that he gave to the two newcomers with them.
Earl watched in awe waiting for something to happen. Scott was impressed because Earl almost made it to the count of thirty before he started asking, those in the car, “Hey, so when do ya’ll want me to get the zombie annihilater ready to rock and roll? This is a precision instrument and it needs time to get ready to kick ass.”
Chapter 5
Ellie watched as they drove away. She couldn’t justify why she needed to go. Greg was better with the mounted gun and Shaun seemed to be the mediator between the veterans at the base and those that were new there. She was pretty confident that the new guy, Earl, was going to potentially get killed by Clary if he spoke too much.
They had gotten the base back to normal and refortified after the attacks. Luckily, there weren't a helluva lot of concerns to worry about, so long as they followed rules trying to keep any reason for the Turned to have any sort of reason to make their way to the base. They didn’t go out of their way to make loud noises any more. They’d made the north field an impressive field. Nothing that would feed everyone but it was enough to add things to the food that they did have. They knew after some time that the supplies would run out and that they would need to figure out something, but for now, things seemed good. The fact that they weren’t solely reliant on a non-replenishable stock of food was a blessing.
Ellie had been working with Lou before he had been lost to one of the Turned. It hadn’t weighed well on her shoulders given the fact the only reason that anyone left was because of her losing her shit. In her defense, she’d thought Shaun had died and with it all logic had gone. She had been in a frantic rage and didn’t know what to do and going for him was the only thing which made any sense to her. She knew now it had been a mistake, but with the loss of Lou, Aliyah, and so many of the new group they’d taken in, she tried her best to not think about her mistakes but to be sure she did not make them again. Regardless of if she didn’t try to think about it, she still knew her memories would be waiting for her in her dreams. After a few hours, she couldn't handle anymore sitting around and headed to the infirmary.
Ellie kept stats on the blood that they had collected while Lou had been around. She’d watched every YouTube video on veins and proper techniques that she could. There had been frustration like not many things else before it. But like most things, with time they had gotten better and now when she was drawing blood on a rotation schedule that kept her pretty busy a few days a week, she was able to not be known as the painful blood taker like when she’d first started doing it.
She was checking her schedule, trying to see what time the next donor was going to be coming in. She was trying to ignore them, but Joey and Timmy were walking slowly side to side in front of the door. Ellie knew that Joey could absolutely do this forever. He had little to do at the moment and without Clary here to try and assist, he had a plethora of time that needed killing. It would seem his new friend would as well.
Ellie set her pen down on the desk, pushing back and kicking her feet up on it. When Joey finally looked up and caught her eyes that was when he came in nonchalantly. Joey looked around the office and said, “Hey...what are you up to, Ellie?”
“Just looking to see who’s up for the day to start off our donations.”
Timmy pulled on Joey’s jersey and said, “What kind of donations? What are you guys talking about.”
Joey said, “She’s a vampire.”
Timmy hid behind Joey which basically made him disappear. Ellie said, “I’m not a vampire, Timmy, my name is Ellie and I am about as close to a nurse as you are going to get around here...or at least if you needed to make a donation, I’d be the one who you get to talk to.”
Timmy didn’t need to think about his answer. He was sure every time that someone asked him about it and the answer was always no. He didn’t do needles and especially wouldn’t mess with them if he had some sort of choice. Timmy who didn’t like to make himself out to be a little kid because until you hit those teen years and realized it very much wasn’t going to slow down, you always wanted that next experience in life. Timmy replied, “Well, you know I’d like to help you out with you being a vampire and all, Ellie, but see I ain’t all that big just yet and I figure that I probably should be five foot tall or something before I start getting rid of it. My sister wouldn’t be too happy either if you go
poking holes in my arms.”
“Don’t worry, we don’t try and take anyone as young as you. Besides, I think just Joey was on the list today.”
“No way, you wrote something down wrong. You know I don’t let anyone touch the gun show. I just wanted to see if maybe you needed any help. Not with taking blood but you know helping stuff.”
“You guys want to go make sure that the perimeter looks good maybe? Or do you want to make sure our count is right for what we should have in the coolers?”
Mark knocked on the door before Joey could say anything else. Ellie looked up, smiling, unsure what anyone would want and why so many people would have to come to her office when she was trying to keep her mind off of what was going on today and the billion emotions she was dealing with. Mark asked, “Do you have a free room, preferably a lab, where I can start setting up? I don’t want to waste any time waiting to get things begun once they get back and we know everything worked as expected.”
