“What’s in here,” he asked as Katrina pulled a long round piece of metal pipe that she used as a weapon.
“The truck battery and tools,” she said with a puzzled look to his question as she got out of the truck and handed him the pipe.
“Do you want me to carry that,” he said motioning to the pack as she put it on with ease.
“Why,” she said reaching out for the metal pipe in Dan’s hand.
All of them heard a soft moaning sound that was starting to grow in intensity. Spotting a growing crowd of shambling figures start coming from a side street towards the trucks with a renew interest that took over their sluggish gait. He and Katrina used this opportunity to start jogging down the street keeping the Peterbilt to their backs cloaking their departure from the figures unseen by the living or dead. While the light rain had stop a little earlier long narrow lightning bolts would still rip across the sky flashing every so often followed by loud rolling booms of thunder. As the pair jog down the two-lane road that was Northwest Avenue. They found themselves among single story commercial buildings of various size and shape, they went passed a dollar store and a pawnshop that Dan had missed last time he was here. That will stay untouched for about five minutes tomorrow morning he thought. He made note of the truck part store as they past it and would let Mabel know about it when they got back. They passed by side streets holding zombies but could not hear if they were moaning. Dan ran amazed, while he had not tired from the distant they had jog. He was breathing heavy but when he turned his head to check on Katrina. He could see she was keeping up with him easily, perhaps even slowing her pace down so he could keep up with her.
This made him wonder she was carrying a large truck battery and tools in her backpack and he was sure it weight more than the gear he was carrying. She was running as if the pack held nothing. They jog passing a Tire Store at the corner of Rowell Street then a gas station, he made note of a liquor store it could prove useful later. They were approaching a school supplies store when they ran into trouble. Coming from both sides of the streets where some zombies now moving slightly faster now that they had seen them from their normal lifeless gait. Worst of all they would block the way before they could pass them. Dan stopped long enough to pull the black bladed Katana from the sheath on his back with a barely audible hiss of metal on metal. Then started jogging again towards the outstretched arms of the closest zombie, as he drew near his mind for a moment changed what he saw, it was not a raining night. It was a cloudy morning as he ran he was turning his head watching James and Marion running after him in the subdued light of the morning from a mass of zombies almost surrounding them.
Dan swung harder then he needed letting the black blade bite into the dry leathery flesh of a middle-age man. Severing his head from the shambling body, and started running again before either the body or decaying head hit the ground. Katrina had swung the pipe like a bat and he could hear the dull crunch as the impact caved the side of the decaying head of a woman in a tracksuit when it connected. They ran through the hole now created in the zombies caused by the woman zombie falling with her head caved in as the others behind it stumbled falling over the fallen woman. They splashed in the pools of water that had formed from the rain as they continued to jog down the street the sound of the moaning zombies growing faint behind them in the failing light. It had started to rain again as they made a right turn on to Fifth street. Passing a large white building with cars still in the parking lot in the rain and fading light he could not tell what it was.
Every so often, lightning flashed illuminate a deserted home or building with a stark brilliance of light before fading back to the growing darkness.
“We should have less than a half mile to go,” Dan said to Katrina as they ran wiping water from his blue eyes.
“If it gets any darker I will risk using the flashlight,” he told her between breathes. The shadows where growing as what little light fade through the rainstorm as the sun was setting as they passed a school. He slowed his pace before stopping as he looked at some spent five point five six shell casings and decaying bodies littering the street mixed between the fallen forms of human bodies. Before letting, his eyes wonder to the chain-link fence that separated the street from the school. Katrina stopped a few feet in front of him and turned back to look at him.
Dan could swear he saw not the setting sun and encroaching darkness. But the cloudy morning sun as Marion fell to the ground in front of the advancing hoard of zombies. He could clearly see himself turning to see more zombies advancing like a wall of decaying death the sounds of their moans growing ever louder. He saw himself raise the Colt assault rifle and fire off a three-round burst, the Five point five six millimeter bullets tearing away pieces of decaying flesh from a man. Holes appearing in his greasy one-piece set of coveralls. As the bullets raced upwards along his chest before hitting him in one of his lifeless milky white eyes. Causing the back of his head to explode in a shower of decaying gray brains and bone. He watched in horror as James stop only to turn running back as Dan shouldered his rifle, stopping him from getting ready to climb the school fence to the other side where there were no zombies. James first tried to help Marion to her feet before throwing himself at the advancing zombies to slow them.
He had only a second to see him pulled down and consumed by the wall of zombies before hearing Marion scream. As the mass of undead fell on top of her. Before he turned to jump onto the chain-link fence and climb over just as he felt the clawlike bones of decaying fingers tugging at his pant leg. When Dan landed over the other side of the chain-link fence in the overgrown athletic field. There was no sign of either of them, just a withering moving mass of zombies where they had fell there moaning was at a frenzied pace.
“Everything all right,” he heard Katrina ask with concern in her voice. This broke Dan from his thoughts to the dark raining night.
“Fine, not much further,” he said a little too fast before starting to jog again past several of the still bodies lying on the pavement. Their faces covered in dark shadows as they passed them by. In a flash of light and a loud rolling boom, they arrived at their destination just past North Madison Avenue. Sitting on the side of the road was a large streamlined black Mack truck with sleeper unit. A fifty-three foot trailer had a small Bi-level golf cart trailer mounted on the back of the trailer by chains. On the sides four smaller trailers for use by the golf carts hung chained to the side.
The truck sitting in front of abandoned electric supply store an occasional flash of lightning lighting up the deserted store with a stark brilliance then faded back to darkness. Katrina put her pack down as Dan caught his breath handing her the flashlight, she walked around examining the truck.
“Looks like it is in good shape,” Katrina said as she reached up and tried the driver’s door only to find it locked.
“Here,” Dan said pulling his pack off and opening a side pouch to grab the keys. Katrina opened the door and climbed into the driver seat; she must have put the key in the ignition and turned. Because the loud clacking noises, that came from the truck startled him for a moment. He looked around in the darkness straining his eyes and ears for any sign of movement or moaning. Katrina climbed out of the cab.
“Sounds like the battery. Should only take me a half hour or so to change it,” she said as she made her way to the large hood and started to open it to access the engine compartment.
Dan looked around the dark street turning to see Katrina working by flashlight on the truck battery.
“How's it coming,” he asked looking around the Street again. Katrina didn't lift her head as she continued working.
“Fine,” she said. “How's it going for you,” she added.
Dan looked at her then to the bodies sitting on the rain soaked street.
“Just fine,” he said shivering slightly from the cool of the evening soaking wet from the rain in the rain.
As a flash of lightning lit the street he could see two figures shambling down it.
“Great,” he said shifting his position to intercept the two figures.
After a moment, another flash of lightning lit them up causing him to screw his face of confusion.
“Did I just see that,” he thought as he did a quick scan of the street to make sure no other zombies were approaching.
When the skylit up with lightning revealing to female zombies. He fought the urge to shake his head as he looked at the two identical zombies. Both wearing a dirty white dress with pink trim torn in places. Once white socks and shoes soft and dirty. Both had disgusting brown hair with unknown items set in into it plastered to their shrunken gray faces that looked almost identical. Both had their solid milky white eyes staring at him as they raised their arms out before them at the same time.
“Twins,” he thought shifting the blade and his positions at a slight angle to them so only one could come at them at a time.
The twin zombies turned towards him almost in unison forcing him to shift his position yet again.
“I heard twins were inseparable in life-and-death,” he thought before lunging forward raising the black blade above his head to bring it crashing down into the first zombies head.
He felt the blade shattered the skull as it stopped somewhere in the zombies brain, causing her to fall to the ground. The twin zombie turned suddenly grabbing at him, managing to get a hold of the sword's blade. As he turned violently jerking the blade free of the following zombies call and the hand of her twin. Causing several tried out with her fingers to fall to the wet pavement. Moving back a couple steps bringing the blade out to his side swinging as if hitting a baseball to connect with the neck of the zombie. Shearing through hair, leathery flesh, bone and muscle to send the head tumbling to the ground next to the body.
Dan stopped to look at the remains of the twins one unmoving the other ones head, scolding him her mouth moving. He moved his hiking boot to pin her head to the ground. Placing the tip the blade into the zombie’s ear. Thrusting downward pushed through the skull with a crunch watching the mouth stop moving before using his foot as a brace to pull the blade free. He took time to wipe off the yellow sap that passed for the zombies blood onto one of the dirty white and pink outfits.
“Yes,” Dan said excitably and saw a big smile on Katrina’s face.
“Shall we join the others,” she asked wiping some water from hear green eyes and face. He just smiled and waved his hand forward as he sat back into the passenger seat shivering slightly in his wet clothes. The hissing sound of air releasing signaled that she let off the brakes and a rumble as the truck started moving forward.
“You have this packed full,” Katrina commented as she applied more gas to keep the rig moving. The truck lights seemed excessively bright in the rain that night as they made the distance to West Avenue quickly heading towards the police station.
The black Mack truck with Dan and Katrina pulled in line behind another rig undetected and only had to wait a few minutes before. They pulled forward threw a makeshift chain-link fence now erected between the buildings on the street. Their success at going undetected short-lived when they were directed to park along one side of the street. Dan could see people approaching before they had gotten out of the truck. He could hear several comments about the truck and trailer before Larry approached him. Katrina’s adopted older brother Larry was a tall, bald, muscular black man in his early twenties.
“That my new truck,” he asked with his wide smile.
“As soon as you get it back to town for me,” Dan said returning the smile.
Here,” Katrina said handing Dan the keys.
She turned to Larry running his hand over the truck.
“You will need to secure the second trailer better,” she said.
Larry turned to her with a wide smile moving off to look it over. As Mable approached in her jeans and flannel shirt. Unconcerned as the rain fell on her short curly hair. She ran her hand along the truck as her dark eyes appraised it. Moving around to stop as Larry approached her.
“What do you think of my new truck mother,” he said with a large smile.
Mable looked at him then over to Dan and Katrina. Her eyes held amusement as she turned back to her son.
“Your new truck,” she asked.
Larry’s smile grew larger as he put his hand on the truck.
“As soon as I haul the trailer and load back to Hope for Dan. The truck is my payment,” he told her.
Mable cocked her head as she looked at him then to the truck and finally Dan.
“You realized you overpay for that moving job,” she told him.
Dan shrugged as he look at Larry and his mother.
“Probably but I figured to pay that or learn to drive it myself,” he told her.
Mable’s dark eyes went wide at Dan’s statement as she turned slightly to leave.
“I have seen how you drive a golf cart,” she said.
“You take up truck driving and I am living on a boat and learning to fish,” she said walking away as Larry, Katrina and several of the other truckers broke out into laughter.
Dan stood in the rain stunned for a moment before turning to Katrina a slight smile on his face.
“Did your Mother just make fun of me,” he asked Katrina who tried to control her laughter.
“No,” she managed to start saying. “Just your driving.”
Dan tried to look offended before laughing with the others over Mable’s joke. Larry moved to put his hand on his shoulder.
“If she is making fun of you it means she likes you,” he told him walking away.
Dan was about to say something when he noticed several of the truckers shaking their heads negatively at him. Trying to keep the amusement off their faces. Katrina pressed her breasts into his back as he froze at the touch.
“You realize you are now part of the family,” she whispered to him. His response interrupted as he saw Commander Hudson started approaching. He could never read him well, so he was unsure of why he was here.
“We have not been here three hours,” he said motioning to the truck and trailer. Dan unsure if he was mad or not.
“Sandra did tell you, I was recovering this the minute we got here,” Dan replied calmly. He could see the commander watch him for a moment.
“No, She did not,” was his dry response.
“Sorry,” Dan said forcing a smile.
“The good news is the rig the city sent to pull this is free. And an empty trailer is in the parking lot there,” he said pointing across the street. Commander Hudson looked at him again.
“Yes that is good news, but in the future follow all the rules we agreed to,” he told him as he turned and left. Dan was still unsure if he was mad but had no time to think about it.
Mary approached telling them the first floor of the police station was secure and they could go in out of the rain. The storm continued into the night as Dan changed into dry clothes. He sat wrapped in a quilted camouflage poncho liner preparing to go to sleep, it was still early but for him it had already been a long day.
As he drifted off into a light troubled sleep. He kept thinking about the last time he was here. Debating on whether to try his luck in the town more or sit back relaxing until they left. This weight heavily on his mind as he drifted off to sleep. Dan was woken several times that night from troubling dreams involving getting chased by scores of zombies. Then the work crews who started removing items the town needed out of the building to the trailers. He awoke well before sunrise because of all the movement around him. Commander Hudson said he would be opening the gates at dawn to let the crews out to do their salvage work before returning at nightfall. He made a quick breakfast of bread and beef jerky and having some water from the clear plastic one liter bottled he carried in his daypack.
He decided to get ready for the day ahead; he would go out and see what he could find. He checked to make sure the nineteen eleven government model Springfield Armory G.I government model forty-five caliber autoloader.
Sat freshly loaded and ready in his holster. The black parkerized frame with dark brown hardwood grips sticking out of the black nylon shoulder holster strapped under his left arm and the nylon four-clip magazine pouches under his right.
He placed the three-foot straight blade katana sword strapped with the black leather wrapped hilt secured in the sheath on his back. Then he placed his now mostly empty gray daypack over that. Next came the tan web belt that had a green canteen. K-bar knife and two small pouches with some d-rings and a holster for his solar powered flashlight. This finished as he added the tan flattop wide brim hat with one side folded up and buttoned to the one side of the hat to his head. He slung his fifty-three inch dark wood grain recurve bow over his shoulder and attached the black leather quiver with arrows to his belt. Approaching the Black Mack truck to find a group of the independent truckers with Mabel, Larry and Katrina.
“Morning,” Dan called out approaching.
“Moring,” the group responded as Katrina walked up looking disappointed.
“I have to help my mother today. To recover some more big rigs we saw coming into town or at least some usable parts,” she started sadly.
Dan looked over to see Mable watching him.
“I understand that is important,” he started to say. “And that reminds me. There is a truck part store down the street that way,” he finished looking at Mabel.
“Thank you we will check it out and be careful,” she told him with a smile. He was about to respond as Katrina stopped him with a hug. This time it did not surprise Dan much he was beginning to think he had her figured out.
The Military Humvees drove into the area of town that had closely packed single story buildings holding what was once small shops and businesses.
“It looks like a tornado went through here ma'am,” the driver said as Captain Jones looked around at several collapsed buildings others looking like they exploded all over the roadway.
“I can see that,” she said in her monotone voice.
The Aftermath Trilogy (Book 2): The Aftermath [Town of the Dead] Page 12
