“Come on in,” he invited, and gave his thick white mustache a swipe as he approached the group. “Seth my boy, how are you?”
The dark-haired man smiled. “I’m doing well, Mayor, and you?”
“Oh you know, just another day in the apocalypse,” Mayor Hogan replied. He surveyed the group of soldiers and clasped his hands in front of him. “These must be the military boys I heard about over the radio.”
Kersey stepped forward. “Yes, sir.”
“Oh, don’t call me sir,” Hogan replied with a wave of his hand. “Way too formal. Mayor is just fine.”
The Sergeant nodded. “All right, Mayor,” he replied. “I’m Sergeant Kersey, and these are my men.” He introduced everyone in turn, and Hogan went down the line, shaking everyone’s hand with a surprisingly firm grip.
“Welcome to our little slice of heaven,” he said when he was finished, motioning for everyone to sit at the large table. “And given the look on your faces, y’all look as confused as a chicken in a whorehouse. So what would you like to know?”
Kersey took a seat and swiveled towards the white-haired man. “For starters, how did you manage to secure a city this size?”
“We had a crazy amount of luck,” Mayor Hogan admitted. “The day all of this started spreading, we had a fierce pop-up thunderstorm. Lightning ran in on the control tower at the airport and blew out everything. Had to shut it completely down for a full day. So while the rest of y’all were dealing with those critters running wild, we just had a whole mess of sick folk. We got just enough national news to know what was happening, so we were able to get people quarantined.” He paused, swallowing hard at the memory. “It… it was difficult putting our neighbors down like animals. But just like when a dog turns rabid, you gotta do what you gotta do.”
Kersey nodded somberly. “I think I speak for everyone in my group when I say we know how you feel,” he said. “We’ve all had to do things that will haunt us, but like you said, we gotta do what we gotta do.”
“Thank you Sergeant,” Hogan replied. “Anyway, once we were able to pacify the zombie uprising, it wasn’t too difficult to do the rest. Seth here got us set up with power, we have several farms in the area that we were able to keep running and get set up with greenhouses, and we mostly neutralized the threat from Missoula by blocking up the interstate.”
Bill blanched. “What’s wrong with Missoula?”
“Let me guess, that’s the next stop on this trip?” Bretz groaned.
The engineer nodded. “Yep.”
“Missoula got hit hard,” the Mayor explained. “We were able to evacuate a few hundred people from there, but it was a slaughterhouse.”
Seth drummed his fingers on the edge of the table. “And unless you are finding another mode of transportation, there’s another complication.”
“Let me guess.” Bill raised a hand. “Tracks are blocked?”
“With an overturned fire truck,” Seth replied.
Bill scrubbed his hands down his face. “Jesus fucking christ. How in the hell do you flip a goddamn fire truck?”
“My brother works out at the airport,” Seth explained. “As this was going down, he was in touch with his friend at the Missoula tower, so he got the play-by-play. They had a plane crash after the pilot turned as they were in their final descent. Somebody at the fire department who was way too dedicated to his job drove out there and got attacked. He lost control, and the next thing you know, instant train block.”
Kersey turned to the engineer. “Can we go around Missoula?”
Bill rubbed his temples and sighed. “There’s only one path through the forest, and it runs through Missoula,” he said. “I mean, I suppose we could swing a couple hundred miles south and cut through Idaho, but then we’d have to go through Boise which is considerably larger. And god only knows what kind of shitshow that’s gonna be. I mean it’s already going to be a shitshow when we hit Spokane, but hopefully by then we can get some support from the General.”
Kersey took a deep breath. “I don’t know about you, but I’d rather face a difficult situation while knowing what I’m in for, rather than walking into something blind. Let’s figure out a way to get that fire truck moved.”
“I’m pretty sure there’s some C4 left,” Baker piped up. “Let’s just blow it off the tracks.”
Bill shook his head. “That would most likely destroy the tracks in the process.”
“What about a tow truck?” Bretz asked.
Johnson shook his head. “Nah man, we’re gonna be hard pressed to find anything with the kind of horsepower that can move a fire truck.”
“Would a dump truck work?” Seth asked, and shrugged as the soldiers all turned to him. “I mean it’s not like you have to worry about the wellbeing of the fire truck, you just need it moved, right?”
Johnson nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, them dump trucks got some power behind them. I think that could work.”
“There’s a landfill in the north part of town, about a mile or so from the airport,” Seth explained. “Should be easy enough to get to.”
Johnson clapped his hands together. “City landfill it is!”
“Don’t say I never take you anyplace nice,” Kersey quipped.
“I do have a couple of requests for you, if you wouldn’t mind,” Hogan cut in.
The Sergeant swiveled to face him. “Of course, Mayor.”
“There are still some survivors holed up in a church downtown,” Hogan explained, folding his hands together on the table in front of him. “We haven’t been able to reach them, and they’re low on food. Would it be possible for you to get them out?”
“I think we can manage that,” Kersey agreed. “What else can we do for you?”
“Despite our barricades on the interstate, we’re still fearful of an exodus from Missoula,” the Mayor replied. “Second largest city in the state, and it wouldn’t take a lot of them leaving to cause us some problems. I know you don’t really have any control over what they do, but if you could try to lead some of them out into the forest we would be appreciative.”
The Sergeant nodded. “We’ll make as much noise as we can while leaving town,” he said.
Hogan raised his hands in thanks. “The fact that y’all are willing to try is good enough for me.”
“Corporal Bretz, would you please take over the planning on this raid?” Kersey asked. “I’m going to go radio the General and see if we can’t get some reinforcements up here to help us out with Missoula.”
Bretz nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Pardon me, son, but did you say reinforcements?” Hogan asked. At Kersey’s nod, he cocked his head. “How many are we talking about?”
“For now?” Kersey shrugged. “As many as they can spare. But once we finish our mission, there’s going to be a couple hundred thousand that will be working their way through here and up to the Northwest.”
The Mayor clucked his tongue. “Seems like you boys are planning quite the party.”
“Something like that,” the Sergeant replied.
Hogan leaned forward. “Well, you tell the General we’re here to help. Probably can’t handle all two hundred thousand of y’all at the same time, but we’ll do what we can.”
“Thank you,” Kersey said, and headed out of the office into the hallway.
CHAPTER FOUR
“Excuse me,” Kersey said to a pair of women exiting a small office, “may I use that office to make a call?”
One of them nodded and held the door open for him, cheeks pinking slightly as he smiled his thanks and headed inside. Once he had privacy, he keyed in the proper frequency.
“Heartland base, please respond,” he said. “This is Sergeant Kersey.”
The response was almost immediate. “This is Heartland base, we read you loud and clear Sergeant Kersey.”
“I have a priority alpha message for General Stephens,” he declared.
“Please hold, I will get him for you,” came the reply.
&nbs
p; “Thank you,” the Sergeant said, and leaned against the desk behind him while he waited.
“Sergeant Kersey, what’s your status?” the General asked.
“General, we’re in Helena, and it’s unlike anything we could have predicted,” Kersey gushed. “The city is fully functional. It’s secure, has power, it’s like nothing ever happened.”
There was a momentary silence. “How in the hell did they pull that off?” Stephens finally asked.
“The short version is that the airport was knocked out the day the virus spread, so they had time to prepare,” the Sergeant explained.
“Better to be lucky than good, I suppose,” the General replied.
Kersey nodded. “Without a doubt, sir.”
“When are you and your team heading out?” Stephens asked.
“Depends on how quickly you can get some reinforcements to me,” the Sergeant replied. “We’ve run into a situation in Missoula and it may be too much for us to handle on our own.”
“I’m sorry,” the General replied, “but your orders are to push onwards. D.C. is breathing down my neck to get the army to the Northwest for their invasion. We’ve had some issues with getting the caravan up and running on our end, so we’re behind schedule. I’m going to have to move Heaven and Earth just to get your some reinforcements to raid Spokane.”
Kersey sighed before hitting the button again. “I understand General, and we’ll figure out a way to accomplish our mission. But you are correct that we will need some help with Spokane. What kind of reinforcements can we expect?”
“I’ve been able to get fifteen hundred men to Moorcroft as an advance team,” Stephens said. “Since I know you are close to Spokane, the next shipment to Moorcroft will be supplies. Should be able to spare a thousand men to send your way.”
The Sergeant cocked his head. “Twenty-five zombies to every man. Sounds like a challenge.”
“Well, it’s better odds than you currently have in Missoula, so consider yourself thankful,” the General replied.
“That I do, sir,” Kersey replied sincerely. “That I do.”
“When you clear the way through Missoula, contact me,” Stephens said.
The Sergeant glanced out the window. “The sun is setting low here sir, so we will be tackling this at first light.”
“Understood,” the General replied. “Be safe.”
“Thank you, General,” Kersey replied, and then turned off his radio and promptly threw it down onto the desk. “Fuck my life.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Kersey headed back into the Mayor’s office, where Seth was showing the soldiers where the trucks would be located on a large map.
Hogan straightened. “Did the General have some good news for you?”
“Well, we should have reinforcements,” the Sergeant began, “for when we take Spokane. We’re on our own for Missoula.”
Kowalski scoffed. “Great. So if we somehow survive tomorrow we’ll get some help. Fantastic.”
“Can we not just wait for the Spokane group to get here?” Bretz asked, brow furrowing.
Kersey shook his head. “D.C. is up his ass to get the troops moved up,” he explained. “We have orders to clear the tracks.”
“Suddenly, going AWOL for that meat loaf is sounding a lot more appealing,” Johnson muttered, leaning back in his chair.
“Sergeant, is there anything we can do to help you?” the Mayor asked, clasping his hands in front of him. “We can’t really offer you men as we’re stretched thin between the farms, the power station and the barricades, but…”
Kersey cocked his head. “Could you spare some ammo?”
“Absolutely!” Hogan replied. “Just jot down what caliber you need, and Seth will bring you a care package later in the evening to the Bed and Breakfast on sixth.”
The soldiers all perked up at the sound of that.
It was Mason who raised his hand, eyes alight with excitement. “Bed and breakfast?”
“Yes, sir,” Hogan replied with a grin. “You boys look like you’ve been through the ringer since this shindig got started. Thought you could use a little R and R, so I’m gonna get you set up at the best little B and B we’ve got. Y’all have got a full day tomorrow, so I figure a good night’s sleep followed by coffee and bacon and eggs would be in order.”
Johnson locked his fingers together and waved his clasped fists at the sky, tilting his head back. “Grilled meat, thank you Jesus.”
Hogan chuckled. “So you’re a meat man, are you?”
“Only in his private life.” Kowalski smirked.
The room erupted in laughter, even the man himself.
“My apologies on the phrasing there, son,” Hogan amended, and reached out to clap Johnson on the back. “What I mean is, are you the time of man that appreciates a perfectly seasoned and cooked slab of beef?”
The Private’s mouth practically watered at the question. “Oh, yes, sir.”
“I thought you might be,” the Mayor replied. “Seth, once you get these boys settled in, head down to Big Bubba’s and tell them to set up a table of seven. Have ole Bubba send me the bill.”
Seth grinned and nodded. “Consider it done, Mayor.”
“Thank you so much for your hospitality,” Kersey said, and extended his hand to shake. “I don’t know what else I can say.”
“Nothing else is needed, Sergeant,” Hogan replied, shaking his hand cordially. “Now, you boys enjoy your stay here in Helena. And you let ole Mayor Hogan know if you need anything else.” He shook everyone’s hands in turn again, waving them off at their thank you’s, including Johnson, who was near choked up at the thought of grilled meat.
Seth led the group outside and up the street, springs in their step despite their exhaustion. The promises of good food and comfortable beds were exciting, to say the least.
“Man, this is something else, isn’t it?” Baker gaped at the open shops around them.
People milled about lazily, enjoying the evening. A group of kids tossed a football around in the middle of the road, laughing and running together like they didn’t have a care in the world.
Kowalski nodded. “Have those kids playing stickball and this is a snapshot out of the fifties.”
“I loved playing stickball growing up,” Bill said, a wistful edge to his tone.
Kowalski raised an eyebrow. “Dude. I thought you were in your twenties?”
“Yeah, but I grew up in the rural Midwest,” the engineer replied. “The nineteen-fifties didn’t hit our town until sometime in the mid-nineties.”
The Private snorted. “Just wait until you get MTV, it’s going to blow your fucking mind.”
“You should have seen our reaction to color TV,” Bill teased.
After a chuckle rippled through the group, Baker took a deep breath.
“Y'all think we can rebuild like this?” he asked. “I mean, if we’re successful in Seattle?”
Bill shrugged. “I don’t see why not. If a bunch of civilians in Helena, Montana can do it, I’d like to think the full force of the U.S. Government would be capable.”
“Well, given our recent history, nation building hasn’t been one of our strong suits,” Kowalski quipped.
Bretz glanced over his shoulder from the front of the pack. “What’s so funny back there?”
“Oh, nothing Corporal,” Kowalski replied innocently, “just laughing at our collective shortcomings.”
“We’re guests here, Private,” Bretz replied with mock sternness, “please keep the flashing to a minimum.”
Kowalski pouted. “Oh, you’re no fun.”
“Well, here are your digs for the evening,” Seth declared as he stopped in front of the Bed and Breakfast. “If y’all want to go in and take a load off for a bit, I’ll go get dinner set up. Give me an hour or so and then head on over there. I’ll have everything ready for you.” He motioned across the street to an old building that looked like it had been there since the dawn of time. Inside the big front windows lay a
family-style diner that added to the fifties’ feel.
“Thank you,” Kersey said, holding out his hand to their guide. “I really appreciate the hospitality. We all do.”
“It’s our pleasure, Sergeant,” Seth replied. “I’ll see you soon.”
The soldiers turned towards the Bed and Breakfast, lingering on the street collectively for a moment.
It was Johnson who broke the silence. “Anybody else feel like this is too good to be true?” he asked.
“You should stop worrying and just be thankful we have a reprieve,” Mason replied, clapping him on the back. He stepped forward and they all bustled into the building, taking in the surreal sight of the happy street once more before entering the coziness inside.
CHAPTER SIX
Johnson practically dove on the plate of pancakes in the middle of the breakfast table. “These are mine, Kowalski!” he cried.
“Dude, you eat any more and that belt of yours is going to commit suicide,” Kowalski said with a shake of his head.
The charming old lady that had brought the food wagged a finger at the soldiers. “Boys, no need to fight,” she declared. “I’ve got another batch on the griddle as we speak.”
Johnson and Kowalski both blushed and ducked their heads, shoulders relaxing under the scolding. Bill took the opportunity to reach over and spear his fork through the whole stack, liberating the pancakes over to his plate.
“Whoa, what the hell, man?!” Johnson yelped, eyebrows shooting up to his hairline.
Bill grinned as he cut a large bite of the sweet treat. “What are you gonna do, court marshal me?” He shoved the gigantic hunk of dough into his mouth and the two soldiers glowered at him.
“Morning boys, did y’all sleep well?” Seth asked as he strolled into the dining room.
There was a series of nods, and a few mumbled responses around mouthfuls of eggs and bacon.
“This breakfast is awesome,” Johnson blurted, spitting a hunk of yellow scramble onto Bretz’ cheek. “Sorry, Corporal.”
Dead America The Second Week (Book 5): Dead America: Heartland Part 3 Page 2
