Phil says, “I won’t forget that. I will get a team together and start searching the area for anything Conqueror related. We will take them out and get even with Jacob and Joseph.”
Shaun says over the radio, “I think I’m in love with this gun fellas. It is awesome. I killed a zombie about a mile away with the cleanest head shot.”
TJ replies, “Save your ammo Shaun. Don’t attract anymore noise this way either.”
“I know. I Just wanted to fire one shot and see how accurate this thing is,” says Shaun.
“See anything going on around the area Shaun? Use the scope for line of sight and check out the surrounding area for us,” I say over the radio to Shaun.
Shaun replies, “Everything is clear. The fire that Phil set is just about burnt out now. The fire must have attracted a ton of zombies for there are still several zombies stumbling around after being burnt by the fire.”
“Well, have fun up there. Don’t get too sun burnt.”
“Wait a second. I see something in the distance. Like at least 5 miles out of here. I see some movement around some big building. I can’t tell if it’s people or zombies,” says Shaun over the radio.
Phil asks, “What direction are you looking?”
Shaun replies, “I’m looking West. There is a lot of movement going on there. It looks like something we will have to check out.”
“Do you see The Conqueror symbol on the building?”
“Hold on let me check,” replies Shaun.
Shaun examines the building with his scope and checks every visible part of the building that he can see. Several trees around the building are partially blocking his view though.
“I don’t see their symbol, but it could be on the other side of the building,” says Shaun.
TJ says, “Shaun save the radio battery and tell us anything you find when you come back down.”
“Roger dat. I’ll be down in a couple of minutes. Over,” replies Shaun.
I look at TJ and Phil and say, “Let’s get this store under control. Our control. We say what happens to this store and its contents. We might have to make these supplies and products last a very long time. We can’t just give them away. Let’s prioritize what we can trade or give away and what we can’t.”
Phil, TJ, and I walk through the store. We clean up the remaining blood, debris, and mess that we made from our attack on The Conquerors.
Shaun eventually comes down from the roof and helps us organize the store and turn off unnecessary objects that were draining the electricity.
As I’m walking down the aisles of the store, I find myself being happy with all the supplies, food, water, and objects that we have now.
The store is massive and The Conquerors left the store with a lot of items.
The Conquerors did use a lot of products, but there is still a lot left for us and our loved ones. The Conquerors look to have had more alcohol than anything else, as they cleaned out most of the wine selection and beer.
It will take us a very long time to use all the products in this store, but we need to manage the products and items appropriately.
Several hours go by.
Chris and his family, along with Carlos, and Matt return with a lot of products we need to repair the store entrance.
Chris and his family walk into the store from the rear entrance.
“This is all ours now!” shouts Chris.
Chris and Jamie walk over to Phil, Shaun, TJ, and me.
“We are ready to take over this store,” says Chris.
I hear what Chris said and become annoyed with his tone and word choice. I feel that he sees this place as his, and he may become a dictator of the store.
I look at Chris and say, “Good, but first things first. We need to secure the front entrance and we have some ground rules and things we need to honor.”
Chris in a sarcastic tone says, “Sure thing Ryan. We are here to serve you and this place.”
Carlos and Matt walk by us pushing flatbed carts with cinder blocks, mortar, and bags of concrete.
Matt passes us and says, “We have a lot more to move in from the trucks. Can you guys help us?”
Shaun, and TJ help Matt and Carlos unload the items from the flatbed carts and move in the supplies from the trucks.
I walk over to Chris and say, “We are counting on you and your family to take care of this place and keep it secured.”
Chris says, “No problem. We got this. I will keep this place safe and sound. No matter who comes around.”
I don’t have complete faith in Chris, but I’m not sure who else can watch over this place and live here. I need everyone else on other tasks and jobs. Chris and his family are the best option I have right now.
“Good Chris. I know I can count on you and your family. Now let’s get to work.”
Chris and I help Carlos and Matt with repairing the front store entrance. Jamie, Diane, and Chris’ family start to clean out the offices and make the store more like a home for them.
Chris and his family will be living in the store now. We need people at the store at all times, as we need to manage the threat of zombies and people.
Several hours go by and everyone is hard at work.
The store is looking more like a home for Chris’ family and the front of the store is being repaired and closed off.
We had enough cinder blocks and mortar to build up the walls around the front of the store, but will need to go out to a hardware store for supplies to make a metal door.
“That is the last block we have,” says Carlos.
Carlos and Matt designed a good way to fix the hole in the front of the store entrance. No zombies or people will be able to get in without our knowing.
“We will need several pieces of metal and metal hinges to make the door,” says Carlos.
Matt replies, “One solid piece or two bigger pieces are what we are looking for guys.”
Shaun says, “Well Matt, when we go out you can show us what we need and if it will work for the door.”
“Okay guys. Let’s go out and search for the things we need.”
Phil asks, “What vehicles are we taking?”
Carlos says, “You should take the white truck we have and another truck.”
Carlos throws Phil the keys to the white truck.
“Phil and Matt go in the white truck and Shaun and TJ take whatever vehicle you want.”
“You aren’t coming?” asks Shaun.
I gather Phil, Shaun, TJ, Matt, and Carlos around me and talk to them quietly.
“I’m not going. Carlos and I will stay here and start on making the concrete pillars at the front of the store. I need to watch Chris and his family. I’m not sure I can totally trust him. I want to see what his plan is for the store and what he shows me.”
Shaun says, “Good idea. Keep an eye on him. He might be up to something.”
“You guys be safe. Take the long-range radios and call me if you need anything. The metal door is something we want to get done. Not something we have to get done right now. It’s not worth losing any of you over.”
Phil says, “We aren’t losing anyone today. Let’s get our weapons together and move out. Take a gun, knife, long range weapon like a gun, and a short-range weapon like a bat.”
Matt, Shaun, TJ, and Phil gather their weapons from their own stash and from what we found from The Conquerors.
“Dude? What are you doing Matt?” asks Shaun.
Shaun watches as Matt picks up an axe and starts swinging it around.
“I’m not sure what weapon I want to use. I’m not comfortable with one yet,” says Matt.
Shaun replies, “When we get back, we are getting you trained with weapons. You have to be able to protect yourself out there.”
Matt picks up a handgun, a shotgun, and a bat.
TJ and Phil exit the store, followed by Shaun and Matt.
As the guys leave the store, I notice Chris is watching them leave.
Chris has improved
with his skills and teamwork approach since I first met him, but I remember he liked the idea of taking over this world, when Phil and I met him and Jamie for the first time.
Power can corrupt. Being in control of this store in this world may be a very powerful position. I’m going to have to keep my eye on Chris and keep him in line.
Chris seems like the type of guy who may let the power go to his head and start to act as a tyrannical dictator.
We control this store, not Chris and not any single person controls it. I will make that perfectly clear to Chris, his family, and anyone else that poses a threat to it.
CHAPTER 6
SECURED
“This store has to have what we need,” says Phil as he drives Pete’s white truck into a hardware store parking lot.
Phil, Shaun, TJ, and Matt pull up to a hardware store that was about 10 miles away from the Big Club.
Two zombies are eating a person who is lying in the middle of the road near the front entrance to the store.
The front door is open.
Shaun looks up at the main entrance wall and sees The Conqueror symbol of a circle with a cross in the center of it.
Shaun beeps the horn of the truck he is driving to get Phil’s attention.
Phil stops his truck and Shaun drives to the driver side door of Phil’s truck.
They both roll down their windows to talk.
“You see the symbol on the wall Phil. The Conquerors might still be in this store,” says Shaun.
Phil replies, “Okay, let’s see what is going on here, before we just rush right into the store.”
Shaun beeps his horn again.
Phil looks at Shaun with a confused look and asks, “What are you doing?”
Before Shaun can reply, a man comes running out of the hardware store.
The man is holding his neck with his right hand and is bleeding.
“You have to help me,” shouts the man as he rushes to Matt’s passenger side window.
The man tries to open the door but Matt’s door is locked.
Ten zombies come rushing out of the hardware store front entrance and chase after the man.
Several zombies pass by Phil’s truck as the man runs away and they give chase after the man.
Two zombies remain at the main entrance and walk toward Phil’s truck. The zombies come directly at Phil’s truck and Phil can’t help, but to laugh.
Phil hits the gas pedal and runs over the approaching zombies.
Phil parks his truck near the front entrance of the store. Shaun follows behind him and parks at the entrance of the store as well.
The guys exit their vehicles and wait by the main entrance of the store.
Matt says, “I don’t know about this.”
Shaun replies, “We will keep you safe, just don’t do anything stupid.”
“Zombies must have taken over this store. Let’s keep our eyes peeled and stay ready,” says Phil.
The sounds of zombie moans, groans, and bites are heard as the guys walk into the hardware store.
It’s an eerily feeling as they walk into the store. The store is dimly lit and the guys can barely see in front of them.
They can hear the biting and chomping sounds of zombies eating people, but can’t see them.
Matt finds a shelf filled with flashlights. They are the big flashlights that will provide a lot of light.
Matt says, “Hold on guys, I want to open a flashlight first.”
Matt takes one of the flashlights off the shelf and finds it still in its original hard plastic packaging. The plastic packaging is a pain in the butt to open without scissors.
Shaun walks over to Matt and asks, “What is taking so long?”
TJ kills two zombies with knife.
Phil dodges to the left from a zombie and stabs her in the back of the head.
“I really could use that light Matt,” says Phil.
Shaun takes out his knife and cuts open the packaging and Matt takes out the flashlight.
“We got it open,” says Matt.
Matt opens the flashlight battery panel and sees that it doesn’t have batteries.
Three zombies come after TJ and Phil.
Shaun leaves Matt to help kill the zombies that were coming after TJ and Phil.
Matt searches the shelf for batteries, but can’t find anything but AAA batteries.
Matt says, “C’mon. I need D batteries. Of course, I would need D batteries for this thing. Who uses D batteries anymore? What am I’m playing an 80’s boom box?”
Shaun, TJ, and Phil kill the approaching zombies, but are wondering why it’s taking Matt so long for the flashlight.
Phil shouts, “What are you doing Matt? We need that light!”
“I need D batteries for this thing!” shouts Matt.
TJ looks on a nearby shelf and sees a shelf of batteries. He searches the entire wall and finds a six pack of D batteries.
TJ grabs the batteries and throws them to Matt.
“Matt, catch!” shouts TJ as he throws the six pack of batteries to Matt.
Matt tries to catch the batteries but he can barely see in the store. The batteries hit Matt in the chest and then the floor.
As the batteries hit the floor, the package breaks open. Batteries scatter all over the floor.
Matt reaches down and sees that there are two batteries left in the package.
He puts the batteries in the flashlight and hits the power button.
A large beam of light shines in the store.
Phil looks over at Matt and sees that a zombie is about to bite Matt’s right shoulder.
“Get down Matt!” shouts Phil as Phil points his handgun at the zombie behind Matt.
The zombie is about to bite Matt on the right shoulder. Matt tries to dodge away but the zombie’s mouth and teeth are right next to Matt’s green shirt.
BANG!
Phil fires a shot and hits the zombie right between the eyes.
Bits of blood and human flesh fall out of the mouth of the male zombie and land on Matt’s shirt.
Matt narrowly escapes the zombie bite and runs over to Shaun and TJ.
“Did he get you?” asks TJ.
“No. Phil got him just in time,” says Matt.
Shaun says, “Damn that was close!”
TJ walks over to the flashlights, rips one out of the packaging, grabs a couple batteries from the floor and powers on a flashlight.
Phil grabs two carts and says, “Put the flashlight in the carts and point them straight ahead. We will be able to see where we are going better and we won’t have to hold the flashlights.”
Shaun says, “I’m sure the doors and metal scrap will be in the back of the store.”
TJ says, “Let’s move to the back then. Keep your eyes peeled and ready.”
Shaun and Matt lead the way with the large flashlights in the shopping carts, followed by Phil and TJ behind them.
Zombies are eating the bodies of Conquerors all over the place.
The guys walk down the large center aisle of the store and come across several groups of zombies eating dead Conquerors.
Phil, TJ, and Shaun easily take out the zombies as the zombies are too busy eating the decaying bodies.
Matt sees a sign in the middle of the store hanging that says, “Wood, Metal, & Exterior Products.”
Below the text, the sign has an arrow that points down another large aisle to the back corner of the store.
Matt says, “This way. The material we need is at the very back of the store.”
Matt pushes his cart down the large open aisle.
“Wait for us Matt!” shouts Phil.
Shaun, TJ, and Phil follow behind Matt as Matt pushes his cart down the center aisle.
Three zombies come out of an aisle as Matt is pushing his shopping cart.
Matt barely gets by them as the zombies reach for him.
Matt makes it to the very back of the store, but Shaun, Phil, and TJ aren’t behind him anymore.
Matt pick up his flashlight and shines it down the center aisle he just came from.
A huge group of zombies is seen.
Matt shines his light on them and shouts, “Guys! You okay?”
The sound of gunfire and zombies being blow apart is heard.
BANG!
BOOM!
Handguns are being fired. Shotguns are blowing off zombie limps.
Blood is flying all over the place.
The zombie herd is thinning out but a large group of zombies remain.
The gunfire stops.
Bat swings, and machete chops are now heard.
Matt looks around and sees something of interest.
Matt leaves his shopping cart and walks over to the object sitting on the floor.
Matt picks up the object and says, “This should work.”
Matt pulls the cord on a chainsaw and the motor turns on. The loud roar of the engine is heard as Matt holds down the trigger.
The chainsaw chain spins as Matt holds down the trigger.
Matt runs over to the zombies and start decapitating several zombies.
Blood is flying all over the place.
CHOP!
TJ chops down a zombie.
Phil and Shaun take out two zombies with baseball bat swings.
Matt shouts, “Move back guys. I got this last row of zombies.”
Phil, TJ, and Shaun jump back from the zombies.
Matt holds down the chainsaw trigger and mows down the remaining five zombies.
Matt is covered in zombie blood.
There is a huge pile of zombies, blood, limps, and brains.
Matt drops the chainsaw and shows an expression of amazement and excitement.
Shaun walks over to the chainsaw and turns it off.
Phil grabs a bag of large rags, rips open the packaging and hands Matt several rags.
Matt cleans himself up and can’t help but to keep smiling.
“That was awesome!” shouts Matt.
Shaun says, “I’m glad you are safe and had some fun bro.”
Shaun, TJ, and Phil walk to the back section of the store and see a variety of materials they can use.
Matt looks down at the zombies and feels a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction of how he took down the zombies.
Fight 4 Us (Book 4): Conquered Page 5
