A small girl was one the floor, no older than 18 months. Her brown hair lay in small rings around her face. A large bruise was on her forehead, and she looked to have other bruises due to some rough treatment by the scum at the back.
As I reached down to check to see if she had a pulse, her eyes popped open and she jerked away from me. She immediately started crying and tried to crawl away behind the photo machine.
“Hey, sweetie! Don’t cry. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to take you out of here. Okay?” I tried to be as reassuring as I could, although I could feel a rising anxiety as some low groans began to start at the entrance of the building. “Come on, sweetheart, we need to go.” I can only imagine what I looked like in the darkened store, but I held out my hand, and as trusting as kids can be, thank God, she took it and came to me.
I scooped her up and ran back to the back door, just as the first zombies came walking in the smashed front entrance. I passed the two on the floor, who were just starting to edge away from their companions. “Good luck!” I shouted as I bolted out the door and ran for the car. The little girl started crying again, and I buckled her in faster than a NASCAR pit crew member. I jumped into the car and drove away, checking the building and seeing about ten zombies wander in the front door. Better than you bastards deserve, I thought, as I passed the three cars. Much better.
I made it back to my subdivision without incident, and the little girl had stopped her crying and started sucking her thumb. Jake had awakened and was fascinated by the new child in his life. He tried every method of flirting he could think of, from smiling to drooling to expansive farting. The little girl seemed oblivious. As I headed down the street I saw my neighbors, Todd and Naomi and their daughter coming out of the side street. I flagged him down and he stopped.
“We’re heading out, John. You and Jake want to come with?” Todd asked me.
I shook my head. “I think we’ll be fine here, thanks anyway. Where are you headed?”
Todd shrugged. “We’re going to try to see if the state center is safe. If not, we’ll head to the cabin outside of Jacksonville. We can live pretty well there till this blows over.”
I looked at him. “Todd, I need a huge favor.”
Todd got serious. “Sure, what do you need?”
“I need you to take this little girl with you. Her parents were murdered and I managed to take her away from the murderers.” I didn’t see any need to explain further.
Todd looked at me for a long moment and then at his wife. Naomi answered for him. “Of course we’ll take her, John. Erica always wanted a sister.”
That settled it. I went to the car and got the now-sleeping little girl from the seat. I carried her to the other car and Nola helped me put her in the back seat. “What’s her name?” she asked.
That threw me. I had no idea. I looked at her wrist and saw a little bracelet. In little letters, the name “Ellen” was spelled out with flowers. My heart caught in my throat and I couldn’t speak; I just pointed to the bracelet.
Nola gave me a hug and went back to the front seat. I went around to Todd and shook his hand. “Good luck, and thanks.”
Todd smiled. “See you again sometime.”
I smiled back. “You bet.”
They drove off and I headed back to my house. Once inside I unloaded the car and took Jake back in. As I lay down beside him I thought about what I had done. I had no remorse, no regret. I felt absolutely nothing. Was this part of who I was becoming? Was this someone I wanted to be? Was this someone I wanted Jake to see as his father? I didn’t have the answers. But a small voice in my head told me I had done the right thing. If I had let those animals go they would have preyed upon others, likely leaving that poor baby to die. Part of me scolded myself for taking such a risk, but a much larger part simply accepted it as what had to be done.
My cell phone rang, interrupting my reverie. It was my brother.
“We made it! We managed to get out while they were going after the radio! We’re on the el, heading towards the lake. I don’t know what we’re going to do when we get there, but at least we’re moving.”
I felt a huge relief flood through me. “Sounds good, Mike. Did you get your gun?”
“Yes, I grabbed it right before they saw us and came back in the house. Two more seconds and they would have had us.”
I exhaled at the close call. “Keep moving and trust no one. Get a boat and get away.”
“Done. Where are you going to be?” Mike wanted to know.
“I’m staying here for a while. No reason to leave.” I was serious, too. Unless I had to, I was not leaving.
“Maybe we’ll head your way. Check the canals for us! Gotta go!” Mike hung up and I was left looking at my phone.
I thought about the events of the day and suddenly I was very tired. I went outside and got the sun-warmed water to give Jakey a bath. I needed some normalcy in this crazy world, but I couldn’t shake the feeling normal was a thousand miles from where it used to be.
After Jake was put to bed, an odd thought struck me. Could zombies swim?
7
We had power for another week before it finally let out. I had been expecting it every day since my run to the drug store, so it was not out of bounds. It was going to be hot, since it was June, but I was able to open the attic vents, and open the second floor windows for ventilation. The first floorwindows, being covered and boarded up, did a really good job of keeping the first floorcool. I was never so grateful for a brick ground floor. It was kind of dark, but it was cool enough that I didn’t worry about Jake getting too hot. We had enough light to see by, and the water still worked, so we were doing okay, all things considered.
I spent a lot of time working out and staying in shape. We had a treadmill in the basement, but since I never really used it much to begin with, I didn’t really care about it when the power went out. I liked jumping rope, so I did that in the basement. I hoped that I wasn’t making enough noise to be noticed, and so far I had been lucky. I really had very little else to do. If it wasn’t for the zombies, and the constant threat of being infected or eaten, I might actually have enjoyed myself .
I had no illusions about being able to withstand a siege. I knew eventually the zombies would get in if given enough time, and time was all on their side. I had to hope to try to remain under the radar and get through this as best I could.
That was a sobering thought that kept recurring to me through the days. What if there was not an end? What if this was the world we had to get used to? Zombies on the prowl, degenerate humans preying upon survivors, God knows what else waiting for us out there. Government control seemed to be lost, what government there was, in all likelihood, was hiding out and waiting for the day when someone else saved their asses.
So what then? I could accept the fact that I was on my own. I could accept the fact that no one was going to save me, and the only way I was going to survive and Jake was going to survive was to find a place that was secure from the zombies, had a source of food and water, and wait for the eventual rot and decay of the infected.
As much as I hated to admit it, Jake and I were going to have to leave. I did not like the thought of leaving my home and all the memories behind, not to mention a lot of resources that might be useful. But I needed to be realistic. This place was defensible, but against a large scale attack, it was going to fall, myself and Jake going with it. The attack might never happen, but I was not going to take the chance.
I began to see more zombies on the street. At one point, there had to be about thirty of them, and they just wandered down the street, not paying any particular attention to anything. They did get animated when a cat ran out in front of them, but they followed it to a house that had a cat door and began pounding on the doors. In a very short amount of time, they had broken in and all hell broke loose. I could see zombies wandering the downstairs, and they seemed to be still chasing the cat. I figured that little tabby was going to be a meal in short order. I
was about to turn away from the window when I heard a scream come from the house and I could see a man and a woman trying to climb out their bedroom window. They had tied a sheet to something, and were trying to shimmy down and get away from their house. I watched the woman slide down and fall on her back, but she got up and seemed unhurt. The man was halfway out the window when a grey arm reached around his neck and pulled him back inside. The woman screamed for her husband, then committed suicide by running back in her house in an attempt to try and save him. Her screams didn’t last long at all.
It all happened in the space of a minute. In an ironic twist, I saw the cat that caused the death of its owners run out of the house again and disappear between two other houses across the street. I felt bad for the couple, as they obviously were laying low and hadn’t been noticed, but they had to have seen what was going on and didn’t take even the most rudimentary precautions. I promised myself to shoot that cat if it even came near my house.
I just shook my head and went back to my business, which was taking care of Jake and getting ready to go. I needed to make sure I had everything ready and would not leave anything behind that was important. I also wanted to make sure that I would still have important stuff to come home to, if this mess ever managed to work itself out.
I packed my “bug-out-bag” with the essentials, and made sure I had enough ammunition. I needed to make sure I had a weapon for silent kills, and my three foot crowbar was enough to foot the bill for that. Plus, it would be a great help if I needed to break into anywhere for shelter. I packed my saddle bags as well, concentrating food for Jacob and water. I made sure they were balanced and placed them in the garage.
I spent a good deal of time figuring out what I was going to take and what I was going to leave behind. I had to re-pack and re-think what I was going to do several times, and it was two days before I finally had everything together.
I decided not to use my car as an escape vehicle. Sure it could go further faster, but it was also a magnet for zombies and others. If I used my bicycle and child trailer, I should be able to move relatively undetected.
Jake was oblivious as I ran around the house getting things ready and making sure we had what we needed. The weather worked for us, as we didn’t need to worry about cold weather clothes, but I packed some footie pajamas for Jake just in case. He was going to need to be strapped in to the bike seat behind me, something I am sure he was going to love. He always enjoyed going for walks and having the wind in his face. I thought about having him in the trailer, but I wanted to make sure I could get him out in a hurry if I needed to. And if I needed to ditch the trailer, I didn’t want to have to figure out how to strap Jake on the bike on the run.
As I looked at my weapons, I realized I had only my SIG, my knife, and my M1 carbine. I wanted to take another weapon, something with serious firepower. I dismissed my shotgun as too unwieldy, and my .22, though handy with a lot of rounds, didn’t make it in the serious firepower department. I decided to take my Enfield, although where the heck I was going to put it was a mystery to me. It weighed quite a bit, and was fairly awkward, although no one who saw it doubted its effectiveness at long ranges. Looking around my garage, I saw my bungee cords, and with a moment’s thought, managed to bungee the Enfield to the center post of my bicycle, with the muzzle pointing forward. The action was still free, and I could easily manipulate the bolt and trigger without too much worry. This gave me a mounted gun I could get into action quickly. I thought about adding the spike bayonet, but figured that would be overkill. I stuck the bayonet in my backpack, just in case. As an additional measure, I wrapped the gun with a towel to hide what it was, but still kept the action loose.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to go and I needed to go now. It was like something was coming on the horizon and if I didn’t get moving, things were going to get bleak in a hurry. There was no explanation for it, it was just a feeling I had. Maybe it was the increased zombie activity in the area. I don’t know. I just knew I needed to get moving.
I began moving things into my den under the garage. The guns and ammo I was leaving behind were already there, so that wasn’t an issue. I brought down anything of value or use, including my tools and clothing. I didn’t bother with Jake’s clothes, as he would have outgrown them by the time we came back, if ever. When I had filled the room, I closed off the opening with a piece of polyurethaned lumber I had cut for that purpose years ago. I took out my caulk gun and sealed the edges. I then put another piece of lumber in front of the opening and caulked that in place as well. That was about as much as I could do as far as keeping water out. With no power, a good rain was going to cause some flooding, and I was trying to save my keepsakes as long as I could. Part of me figured it was an exercise in futility, but a more stubborn part of me refused to accept the fact that this was it, and I was never coming home again.
I went back up stairs to check on Jake, and he was still taking his nap. I checked my bags again and looked out in the garage at my preparations. I figured to move first thing in the morning, and I needed to move quickly. I was headed south, and hopefully I would be able to put some serious distance between me and the troubled spots. With luck, I might be able to find a town that had not been infected, and Jake and I can settle into some sort of life while the rest of the world went crazy.
8
The next morning I got up and checked on Jake. He was still asleep, so I went down and got some breakfast. Cereal bars weren’t exactly the greatest of breakfasts, being a milk and cereal man myself, but with the power out, the only milk I was going to get was from a cow, and I hadn’t seen one of those is these parts. I thought about the route I needed to take, and I figured to avoid main roads altogether. I planned on using the bike trails as much as I could to head south, but I was eventually going to have to cut through populated areas. Hopefully, I could avoid zombies and other ilk on my way.
I went through the house and really looked at it for what might be the last time. I looked at the hardwood floor I had installed last summer and the new bathrooms I had put in for Ellie. I ran my hand over the granite countertop she loved so much, and glanced at the curio cabinet which was now empty, everything being moved downstairs. In the darkened rooms I let my grief go a little, and cried one last time for my wife. After a moment, I heard Jake crying upstairs and hurried to go get him.
As I took him out of his crib, I looked out on the bike path and was relieved to see it was clear. I didn’t need any obstacles this morning, and the sun was bright and inviting. I had no clue how hot it was supposed to be today, and in all honesty, I didn’t care. I had sunscreen for Jake and a hat with a strap for his little head. He was good to go. Breakfast was a quick affair, and then I made preparations to move. I filled all of our water bottles and then turned the water off in the house. I turned on the faucet in the slop sink next to the washer in the basement and let the water in the pipes drain out. I went back upstairs and opened the faucets in the sinks and bathtub and shower. If I was going to be gone for a while, I didn’t want the pipes to freeze and I came back to more of a mess than I needed.
I went into the garage with Jake and strapped him into his seat. He was thrilled to be moving and he gave me a baby thumbs up with some arm waving and squeals. I put sunscreen on his arms and legs, strapped his hat on, and went to the garage door. Fortunately, we had windows on the garage door and I was able to look out. There were two people down the street, and I couldn’t tell from a distance whether they were infected or not. They moved slowly, but it was hard to tell if they were zombies or just trying to be careful. I decided to wait and see, rather than run the risk.
As they got closer, I could see they were not infected, they were just trying to avoid being seen. They were a man and woman, and they had backpacks loaded with materials. They walked down the center of the road, and carried makeshift weapons. The man, about twenty years old, carried a length of lead pipe, and the woman, closer to thirty, carried a police baton. They both
wore knives on their belts and had a hard look about them. I decided to let them pass and go their way, and I would go mine. No need for getting together at this point. They turned to the west and headed off. I silently wished them luck.
I gave them about ten minutes to clear the area, during which I entertained Jakey. He was such a good boy, he didn’t care what we did, as long as I smiled at him and changed his diapers.
Checking the road again, I slowly opened the garage door, keeping an eye on the street. Those zombies from the other day were still out there somewhere, and I didn’t need a protracted battle at this point. The sun was starting to heat up the day, and the bright light made everything stand out in stark contrast. I had a brief thought about the length of the lawn, then shook it off as stupid. I put the padlock on the garage door leading to the house and locked it, then moved the bike and trailer out onto the driveway. Closing the garage door, I padlocked it as well, knowing that it would not do much for someone determined to get in, but I wasn’t planning to give anything away. I hung the key around my neck and with a last look at the house, got the bike and went towards the trail out back.
I followed my fence towards the trail, then turned towards my neighbors’ yard. The ground sloped more gently behind his house, and wouldn’t subject me and Jake to a four foot drop at the edge of the property. I glanced briefly at the two zombies I had disposed of earlier, and they were not a pretty sight. The heat and humidity, as well as incessant flies had done a number on them. George was missing an arm, and the girl’s face was completely torn off. I found that interesting. Apparently the virus only was harmful to humans, animals could feast on the dead without ill effect.
White Flag of the Dead Page 7
