by TW Brown
“When we reached the tower—that is what we call the big area that sits at the hub of the pods—where the guards hang out and watch us on their monitors. That is also where you are processed through if you have to go out on transport…like if you need to see a dentist or if you get stitches. We saw nobody up there at all. Even in the middle of the night there are at least five or six guards in there.
“When we reached the end of the hall, Fish boosted me up so I could look inside. At first I thought I was seeing some horror movie on a few of the monitors. There were kids all torn up, stuff hanging out, and dark smears all over. The monitors were black and white, so it took me a minute to realize that it was blood. One other pod was like ours…in other words, everybody was fine. The bad ones were the two girls’ pods.
“I told Fish what I saw, but he didn’t believe me and had a couple of us help boost him up so he could see. It only took him a few seconds before he told us to put him back down. He stood there for a second, and then told us to all go back to our pod. He said he would be there in a few minutes.
“When he came back, he had some nasty stuff splattered all over him, but he also had the emergency keys. All our doors are electronic, but they each have a regular key mechanism that works in case the power goes out.
“Fish had us all sit down. He told us that those rumors we were hearing about zombies were true and that it looked like this place had been abandoned. For whatever reason, somebody had left our door unlocked. He was going to go to the other pod and let out those kids and then he would be back. He told us that he would want a dozen volunteers ready when he got back. He had taken a better look at the monitors and said that there were some girls still barricaded inside the bathroom in one of the pods and that he saw two girls up on top of the vending machines in the other pod.
“He slipped out alone, and things got weird. Some of the others decided that they didn’t want to wait for Fish and help anybody. If they could get past the Tower, then they were home free. About half the others in my pod left. I never saw any of them again.” He paused and seemed to consider that statement. “Well…that is not entirely true. I did see a couple of them later on when we made a run for it. Only, by then, they had become zombies.
“It was strange…because this one kid, Elliot, he never hung out with nobody. Supposedly he was in because he had strangled his little sister in her crib, but that was just the rumor. He never spoke to anybody, and one time, a few of the others tried to jump him. They snuck into his cell during a line movement. A few minutes later, they all came hauling ass out of it. None of them ever said what they saw, but Elliot just came to his doorway, looked around, then went back inside. Anyways, he was one of the ones that left with that group.
“I don’t know if they all tried to scatter as soon as they got away, but the next time that I saw him, he had a big bite on his cheek and a bunch of meat on his arm was just torn apart like he had tried to get a tattoo using a chainsaw. He was just standing there in the parking lot all by himself. There were other zombies around just doing stuff, but it looked like Elliot was studying everything. When all the zombies came at us as we were finally making our escape, Elliot, or what used to be Elliot…he just stood there watching.”
Sean shuddered at the memory. He still had nightmares about that moment when he locked eyes with that zombie and it cocked its head and seemed to be staring at him…waiting. There had always been something just a little bit creepy about Elliot; but Elliot as a zombie was almost too much. It was like he was thinking.
“So once we got everybody rounded up that we could from the pods, Fish told us that there was a huge church up the road. He said that if we were going to find any help, that was the best place to look.
“Only, there was a cemetery right across from the church. There was a huge, black cloud of smoke coming from that direction. To the left was one of those really nice neighborhoods, but there were fires burning that way, too…and a lot of screaming and shooting. So we headed into the woods…”
Kevin sat quietly as the young man told their story. He had heard pretty much all that he needed and allowed his own thoughts to drift. He would need to formulate a plan to deal with that group of men who had hurt these children. And perhaps he would deal with the Bullies as well.
He tried to come up with what he thought might be a reasonable timeline, but quickly tossed it out. There would simply be too many variables to be able to come up with anything that could be considered accurate.
It looked like South Dakota would, once more, have to wait.
7
Purging and Packing Baggage
“I don’t know about what is in the other two cars,” Jon explained, “but it seems a logical conclusion that they are all carrying weapons.”
“And you say that they were visibly damaged?” I asked.
“Wouldn’t they have blown up and wiped out everything?” Jerri asked right on top of me.
“It doesn’t work that way,” Jake said with a shake of his head. “A warhead won’t just blow up if it is broken. It takes a very specific event to detonate a nuclear device. However, if there is a nuclear component…”
“So you are saying that those cars have busted nuclear weapons?” I finally asked after everybody else seemed to go very silent.
“I can only say what I saw in the one car, but—” Jon started.
“But what is the deal with the zombies?” Jerri blurted,
“I wish I knew,” Jon finally answered with a shrug of his shoulders.
“So…” Jerri seemed to blush as she paused on her next question. “Are the zombies going to turn into giant monsters or something?”
“That is only in the movies,” Jon answered.
“So what is the deal with them being all melted?” I asked. I may not have thought that they were going to turn into some sort of giant beasts, or some other weird video game-type mutation, but that whole melted thing had me wondering.
“Who knows,” Jake said. “It may be something in how the radiation affects their dead flesh…but without a real scientist and a lab, your guess is as good mine.”
“So why would the zombies all be drawn to the cars like that?” Jamal asked.
“Once again, without a real scientist and a lab, we can’t possibly know for sure,” Jake repeated.
“Should we bring a sample back for Dr. Zahn?” I asked. I mean, she wasn’t a scientist, but she was a real doctor. Maybe she could let us know something.
“We can’t bring a radiated chunk of zombie meat back to camp,” Jon said, but his voice grew quieter with each word. Obviously something was coming to mind.
“What is it?” I finally asked when he just kept standing there with a strange look on his face. “Bad” strange…definitely “bad” strange.
“We gotta get back to camp…now!” Jon snapped. He didn’t even wait for us to ask anything, he was heading back to the truck at a sprint.
***
If I had to describe it in a word: careless. That is how Jon drove as we returned to the campground. When we turned off the main road—which was showing some serious signs of disrepair with huge cracks and potholes—and headed down the little entry road, I saw more than just a few zombies that we would have to deal with by the end of the day.
As we shot past the sentry stand at the entrance, I wasn’t surprised to see nobody there. If somebody does not take things seriously around here, we are all going to die. Moving down Death Alley, I noticed a few zombies that had been taken down littering the area.
By the time we reached the gravel parking lot, it seemed like everybody was out to greet us. Dr. Zahn was standing in the back of the crowd with arms folded across her chest with a look on her face like she had been interrupted from something important.
“Get all the supplies we just brought!” Jon barked as he jumped out of the truck.
Everybody just stood there staring at him. I can’t say that I blame them. I mean, it was a pretty vague demand that probably didn’t seem to make any
sense to those who did not know what we knew.
“What are you talking about?” Dr. Zahn waded through the group. I noticed that her expression had changed. Obviously she had clued in on Jon’s tone and saw it as something to be concerned about.
“How much have you all eaten?” Jon asked instead of providing the answer to Dr. Zahn’s question.
“We made some of the stew this afternoon. What is going on, Sergeant Saunders?” Now I knew the doctor was concerned; she was calling him out by his rank.
“The train that we hit for the supplies…it contains some busted weapons with nuclear ordinance. Probably supposed to be delivered to the airfield. The car we looked in had at least two…what looked like missiles that were damaged, which is why I suspect they were headed for an Air Det up at Fort Lewis. One of them was practically busted in two and there was all kinds of stuff in the compartment.”
“And I assume you saw the symbol which is why you are certain that it was a nuclear weapon.” The doctor seemed to be talking more to herself at the moment.
“Stamped all over the place,” Jon confirmed.
“Do you know for certain that there has been a compromise?” Dr. Zahn waded through the crowd and was now face-to-face with Jon and Jake.
“I know there are busted weapons, I know there was debris all over the inside of the car, and I know that the zombies are looking like toy soldiers left under a magnifying glass on a hot Texas day,” Jake spoke up. I noticed that he was “back in character” for whatever reason. I also noticed Carol observing him like a bug under a microscope.
“But without a Geiger counter,” Jon raised his hands as everybody started to murmur and ask questions all at once, “there is no way of knowing what the actual situation is as far as the extent of the radiation. What I do know is that I can’t take a chance that the food we brought might be contaminated.”
I am pretty sure Jon would have liked those words back as soon as they left his mouth. Everybody started talking and yelling at once. Thank goodness for Dr. Zahn.
“Everybody just be quiet!” she snapped. I don’t care how new you are to the group, one of the first things you learn is that, when Dr. Zahn says something, you damn well better listen. “Now, we only had the one meal and I doubt very seriously that there is any cause to be alarmed. We will dispose of the rest of the food that was brought in.”
“But what about Melissa?” somebody asked. “I know smoking and drinking are harmful during pregnancy…eating radiated food cannot be considered good.”
Credit Dr. Zahn with some restraint because she simply scowled and then went back to work on the group. “We need to start preparing for this move down to La Grande. I want everybody back to work on the stuff that you were assigned. We leave in two days and there is still a lot to be done.”
Meeting over. I watched as the crowd dispersed leaving the doctor, Jon, Jake, and…me. For just a moment, I considered heading around back where the carts were being assembled. However, if I was going to be a part of things, it was time that I start making sure my two-cents-worth is heard.
“So,” Jon finally spoke after the last of the stragglers had departed, “how serious is the danger from the food.”
“Well, I was not a weapons expert,” Dr. Zahn said with a sigh, “but I imagine that we are only dealing with particle radiation. Alpha and beta type, while dangerous, is not like gamma which is basically what you get with an x-ray. I agree that we should dispose of the food only because we can’t really be sure. I hate to waste it, but nobody would eat it now anyways.”
“What about the weapons and ammunition?” Jake asked.
“I say we just don’t draw any attention to it,” the doctor whispered. “Clean them real good and let it be.”
“So you don’t think that there is a danger?” I asked.
“The most dangerous thing about anything nuclear is the lack of knowledge most people have in regards to it…me included,” Dr. Zahn said in a tone that indicated that we were done with this line of the conversation. “Now, as for this move…if we are going to be on the road in two days, there is still a lot that needs doing. I will leave it to you two,” she waved a hand at Jon and Jake, “to get things in order and do whatever you see fit when it comes to how we should travel.”
“And what about me?” I asked.
“I want you to organize the marching order,” Jon said. “You keep acting like you want to be involved…well that is something you can do. When you have it drawn up, come let me know and we will go over it.”
In other words, do it so I can show you where you got everything wrong, I thought. Well, I’d show him.
***
“Not bad at all,” Jon said as he scanned the sheet of paper I had used to write how I thought we should form up for the trip. “I see you learned from that run with Winters and his goons. Nice job having pickets off the road and using the ridges to help protect our side from attack.”
I was pleased. Not just with myself for the job I had done, but also how it seemed that Jon took notice. At some point, our relationship had taken a nasty hit. But the thing was, I really respected him. He knew what he was doing out in the field. I think it was a lot of feeling like I was some sort of pawn in this battle he and Dr. Zahn seemed to be locked in over the leadership of the group.
“I also notice that you put Shelly on point,” Jon said. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, I could tell he was waiting for me to say something.
“I figured that you would not be okay with her in the rear. I also knew you would not want her out on the side perimeter where you could not see her,” I explained. “If she is out front, then you can keep an eye on her.” I let my explanation hang for a second before adding, “Although I think it is ridiculous. She has done nothing but help since she joined up with us.”
“Listen, Billy,” Jon turned to face me. He didn’t look angry, but there was a severe quality to his voice that I was definitely picking up on. “This is a different game. The world has changed and you can never drop your guard, even for a second. A mistake now costs you your life…if you’re lucky. Most likely, it costs you the lives of those around you as well as your own. You have to treat every person as a possible threat.”
“I get that,” I said.
Looking around, I realized that we were alone for the most part and this was my chance to get my point out without it having to be in front of everybody where he might feel that I was challenging him.
“The thing is, you have something that has been eating at you since Steve died. You have been hard and cold. Now, maybe I was just far enough out of the loop that I was missing out and you have always been this way, but I don’t think so.” I fought everything in my nature not to make an audible gulping noise when I swallowed to try and get moisture to my throat which had gone strangely dry.
“You have been one of those people that I looked up to…until recently. Now, it seems as if you are always looking at everybody like they are the enemy. You even talk bad to Dr. Zahn.” I decided to pause and see if he had anything to say. Nope, he was just staring at me with an expression that became more like a stone statue by the second.
“You don’t…you can’t understand. You’re just a—”
I knew what he was going to say. He was going to call me a kid or a child or something along those lines. I was on a roll and decided that I could make my stand here, or I could let things continue the way they had been lately.
“I’m not a kid!” I hissed. “You can’t call it both ways, Jon. It has been you all along telling me how much I can do. It is you who tells me that I would have been a hell of a Marine. I might be young, but I haven’t been a kid for a long time. I have been out on point, run scouting missions, gone foraging. Hell, I even had to survive on my own for a while when a run I went on while I was at Serenity Base got ambushed and things went bad.”
“I just about let somebody come in and snare this entire group.” Jon’s voice had dropped to a whisper and he was no
longer making eye contact. “I dropped my guard when Winters and his people showed up. I did this right on the heels of losing Steve, Jesus, and the others.”
“How is all of what has happened your fault? I don’t get you so-called adults. I have sat back and watched you all take blame for everything that goes wrong. Dr. Zahn and the whole thing with Teresa. Steve used to beat himself up on a daily basis every single time something went even a little bit wrong.” I was starting to see a definite pattern with the older folks. “I got news for all of you, none of us could have ever done anything to plan for this sort of situation. We are all making our choices on the fly.”
“You don’t—” he began, but I wasn’t hearing it.
“Understand?” I snapped, cutting him off. “How do you figure? I have been part of this group since before you came along. I have been just as wrapped up with keeping people safe. I was there when some folks might have wanted to get rid of Thalia because she was having nightmares and kept screaming in her sleep, which in turn would bring the zombies down on us.
“I joined the patrols when we were at Serenity and helped bring in survivors. I survived on my own out there for a while even.” He didn’t need to know that I basically hooked up with Ian shortly after our patrol got ambushed. The fact was that I had survived out there. “I did what you guys wanted when we were in La Grande, and I’ve kept your secret.”
That last line was one that I delivered in a voice that was barely above a whisper. I still had trouble with that whole scene. I didn’t want my discomfort with what he and Jake had done used against me.
“So don’t start telling me what I do and don’t understand. You all have said it enough, maybe you should listen to your own words…this ain’t the old world any more. Things are different. I feel the loss and am hit by guilt and failure just like the rest of you when things go badly. Jamie was my best friend and hung himself. You don’t think that I ask myself every single day if there was something that I could have said or done?” I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek. The last thing that I wanted to do was start crying.
