“That was too close…” she yelled, almost losing her composure.
He embraced her as if they have been apart for years.
“It’s over, let’s go home,” Frank said. Anna let go of him and went back to carry stuff to the truck. “Is anyone hurt?”
“Anna got us back inside before they got close to us. She did have to manhandle one or two but no injuries,” Steve said. He got close so that only Frank could hear him. “So when are you going to do something about the two of you? That was pretty obvious.”
“Get in the damn truck,” he chuckled, embarrassed by the question.
The uneventful ride back gave Frank sometime to think. About what to do next. About what to do with the group. About Anna. He had never planned on Anna sharing his feelings. Her cool, calm composure usually obscured her true feelings. Then he snapped out of his trance as they pulled up the driveway and saw the gaping hole in the barn and a lot of the roof missing. Natalie cleaned blood off of Tommy. Robby was bringing a fresh towel. Karen walked out of the door carrying a medical kit. Frank and Anna both hopped out of their vehicles and sprinted to Tommy who was bleeding from his arm and forehead.
“What happened,” Frank yelled as he was running over.
“I’m ok, boss. I didn’t get bit. Got attacked by five of them. Took out most of them except one. He tried to bite me so I kind of threw him into the barn and some of the roof kind of collapsed on me. Wasn’t expecting him to go through the wall… Anyway, a nail went through my arm and I got hit in the head by the falling lumber,” Tommy said while blinking the blood out of his eye.
“At least you’re ok. Steve, need some help over here,” Frank said.
Steve ran over with his med kit and bandaged him up while Frank introduced Nick to the group. “The arm just needs a bandage but that scratch on your forehead needs stitches. You also need a tetanus shot. Doesn’t look like you have a concussion, so there’s a silver lining. I will go get everything. Karen, can you give me a hand?”
Frank sighed. “I’m going to go and get rid of the bodies. Anyone want to help?”
Kurt, Nick, and Will volunteered while the rest of them helped unpack everything.
After the bodies were buried and everything was checked and put away, everyone joined in the kitchen for dinner.
“So Nick, you from around here?” Steve said.
“Yeah. I was going to the University, but I’m from Kansas City.”
“Well, welcome to our little family here,” Steve said, sounding as inviting as possible.
“Thanks. I just hope I’m not intruding.”
Robby chimed in. “Nonsense boy. As long as you work for what you eat then you are welcome here.” He shot a thumb at Natalie. “And thanks to this pretty flower over here, we eat very well. She takes the crappiest tasting veggies and makes them taste as good as a porterhouse.”
Natalie started to blush and everyone started laughing.
“Did the watch get their food,” Frank asked.
“Took it to them myself,” Steve replied.
“Good man. We’ll need to get Nick on the schedule.”
“He can take on one of yours since you take it three nights a week instead of two,” Anna interjected.
“Ok. That sounds good.”
“Schedule,” Nick asked.
“Night watch. We have two people on the front and back side of the house at night,” Frank explained.
“Oh cool. When do I start?”
“The night after next,” Steve said putting his name on the list. “With Jim, Kim, and Kurt.”
Frank looked at Anna and noticed her already gazing at him. He needed an excuse.
“Well, I need a shower and then I’m going to bed,” he said, not feeling the least bit guilty about lying.
Frank was wiping off his face after shaving when the door creaked open and there stood Anna. She was wearing very short shorts and a nearly see through tank top showing a lot of her dark skin. Frank was so shocked that this was actually happening that he dropped the towel. She smiled, walked through the door and shut it behind her.
Chapter 6
Rough Nights
Weeks had past and the group’s morale was at an all-time high even though the climate had gotten colder. Everyone was in high spirits, except for Frank.
Frank’s nightmares became more vivid with images of so many dead and eaten, mixed with images from his past. He struggled to wake up and when he finally succeeded he bolted upright in the bed as if possessed. He felt a hand on his shoulder that scared him and him nearly started swinging at the enemy when he realized that Anna was trying to comfort him.
“Easy, soldier. Are you ok,” she asked.
“Yeah…sorry I woke you,” he said as sweat dripped off his nose.
“It’s ok. Come on. Lie back down and try to get some sleep.” she rubbed his back to comfort him.
“I don’t really want to…” Frank sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow. He was afraid that the images would come back.
“Frank, I know you don’t want to talk about it. I wouldn’t either but these nightmares are starting to get worse. You know that you can talk to me anytime you need to. Whenever you’re ready, whenever you need me,” she said, trying to get his confession.
“I know…I need to go for a walk,” he said as he got up then kissed her.
As he got to his feet he noticed Isabelle shivering on her bed. He got a spare blanket from the corner of the room and draped it over her. Anna smiled up at him.
“With all your burdens and demons, you still take care of us. Why? We were never yours to bear,” she said.
He knelt down to her looked deep into her dark, chestnut eyes. “You’re the closest thing I have to a family and I love you just as much. That’s why.” He kissed her on the forehead and walked toward the door.
“We love you too, Frank.”
He smiled as he left the room. He walked outside to find Kim and Steve by the JERRV on watch.
“Evening,” Frank announced.
The two turned toward him.
“Can’t sleep,” Kim asked.
“Not really. Need anything?”
“I could really use a bathroom break, if you got a minute,” Kim said as she did a little dance.
“Go ahead. I can sit here for a while.”
“Thanks,” she said as she rushed past him.
“You ok, Frank?” Steve asked.
“Yeah, why?”
“Just seems like you got a lot on your mind and the fact that you’re up at three in the morning when you could be in bed with a gorgeous Israeli woman. That depressed look on your face really isn’t helping your case either,” Steve said.
“Am I that transparent?”
“Not really. It’s just not the first time I’ve seen you up and about this early this week. If something’s wrong then let us help,” Steve pleaded.
“…My nightmares are getting worse. I don’t know what to do about it,” Frank admitted.
“You’ve never been in the zombie apocalypse before. You need to take your mind off all this crap for a little while. Speaking of which, how is your exotic relationship going? How long has it been now,” Steve asked, making a quick glance behind Frank.
Frank couldn’t help but smile when he thought of Anna and Isabelle. “Five weeks, two days. It’s been great. Couldn’t ask for a better woman. I don’t think I would have made it this long without her and Isabelle.”
“That is so sweet, Frank,” Anna said as she leaned against the column of the porch.
Frank whipped around startled to see her standing there with a blanket around her.
“How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough. I just came to see if you were ok,” she said as she turned around to head back inside. Again, Frank couldn’t help but smile. He saw Kim coming out as Anna stepped inside.
“See you later. I’ve got a gorgeous Israeli to get to,” Frank said with a smile.
Chapter
7
Lucky day
Later that day, Jim, Nick, Tommy, and Frank were in the back yard checking their gear before going hunting. As soon as he had his gear together he pulled out a map and laid it out on a fold up table.
“Let’s see,” he said pointing on the map. “We have had some luck in this area the past couple of weeks, but I think we should branch out a little to try and better our odds. Jim, why don’t you take Nick and hit our usual area and Tommy and I will go to this area.” he said pointing to a new area on the map.
“Sounds like a plan. Hopefully we get something in the new area. Rationing the meat hasn’t been fun,” Jim said.
“True. Growing boys need some venison,” Tommy said jokingly.
“Hopefully. Remember, if you see any Biters walking through, kill immediately. If there are too many then lead them away, don’t lead them here. Make sure you’re not followed back,” Frank said.
“Got it,” the three said in unison.
“The rut should be staring now, so hunting should be good. We should use the doe urine this time around,” Jim said.
As they began to head out to the tree line, Robby called out to Frank.
“Bring home something good boys,” he said.
“Will do,” he called back.
A few hours into their hike Tommy noticed something on the ground.
He signaled for Frank to look. Frank knelt down next to him, touched the ground and whispered, “Deer tracks. Fresh too.”
Frank aligned himself with the tracks and began to slowly and silently follow them. About half a mile down the tracks, they heard rustling in the distance. Frank pointed his rifle in the direction that the noise came from and he saw it. A very large, mule deer stood 100 feet from them. Frank thought for a moment, and then he motioned for Tommy to take the shot since he hasn’t had a kill yet. Tommy knelt, took aim, and breathed out, waiting for the moment between heartbeats, and squeezed the trigger. The buck dropped. When they approached the great animal, he saw the shot Tommy had made. He couldn’t have made a more perfect shot himself. One shot straight through the heart.
“Very nice, Tommy. I taught you well. Now, how the hell are we going to carry this big bastard back,” he asked trying to hold back the excitement in his voice.
Tommy took his backpack off and pulled out a small folded dolly and some ratchet straps.
“Picked these up on our last trip to town. Had to get it after our last kill. Damn thing was heavy,” Tommy said while unfolding the dolly.
They were strapping the beast on the dolly when a gunshot rang in the distance.
They bolted upright and Frank reached for his radio when he heard Jim’s voice.
“Frank! I got dinner,” he said unable to hold back the excitement.
Frank pulled out his radio. “So did Tommy! Looks like we will be eating well for a while.”
As they came back into the yard, everyone came out on the porch to see the group’s prize kills. Jim and Nick had killed a large doe whitetail deer.
“Holy crap,” Steve cried out. “They’re huge.”
Robby came out on the porch. “My mouth is watering already. I’ll go get the knife kits and some gloves for you boys.” He looked a Natalie.
“Looks like you got your work cut out for you. Ha! Cut out for you. See what I did there,” he said as he nudged her.
The whole group burst out laughing. Isabelle came out of the safety of the group to pet the mule deer.
“What happened to it,” she asked with sadness in her voice.
Frank stopped laughing and looked down at her, feeling guilty at the question that he didn’t know how to answer.
Anna knelt down next to her and kissed her on the cheek. “This animal is helping us. Do you feel that grumble in your stomach?”
Isabelle nodded.
“Well, this beautiful animal is going to fix that so we don’t hurt in our tummies anymore. So is that one over there. Ok?”
“Ok,” she said as she got up and Anna dusted off the child’s pants. Anna led her back inside the house to play.
“Well that was depressing. Let’s get them cleaned and cut up before I have second thoughts,” Frank said, picking up the handle of the dolly.
“Pretty sure your stomach is a bit louder than your conscience right now. I can hear it from here,” Tommy said, accepting the knife kits from Robby as he came back outside.
Chapter 8
Trouble Comes
A week later Frank had the group at the JERRV for a meeting.
“We had talked about this at our last get-together. I’ve wanted to do some shooting lessons for those of us who are in-experienced with firearms for some time. Steve and I did some inventory of our ammo and think that we have some to spare. Steve, Anna and I have come up with a group list of the ones who need the training the most. Those are Kim, Kurt, and Karen. We were thinking about Nick but we haven’t had the pleasure of seeing him shoot so, Nick, you might as well tag along too. Tommy volunteered to help me instruct you so he will be going as well. Any objections or questions?”
“Oh, I’m much too old to shoot guns,” Karen said.
“I thought you would say that…” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pistol. “…So that’s why I got this for you last time we were in town. It’s a .22 that kicks like a BB gun. You should have no problem with it.”
“If you think so. I’ll go,” she said.
“We will be leaving in a few minutes so grab some food and water and load up in the van.”
Frank had targets already set up before they arrived so they could get straight to it. They all arranged themselves in a line in front of their respective targets and listened to Frank give the finer points of shooting properly. When he was done the shooting began. They shot on and off for about an hour until Frank thought he heard something on the radio.
“Hold Fire,” he yelled.
“Alpha, Come In,” Anna screamed. He could hear gun fire in the background.
“This is Alpha! What’s wrong!?”
“We’re under attack! It’s not the Biters! These are shooting at us!”
“We’re on our way,” he advised. He turned to the group. “Load up!”
They pulled up the driveway and saw the bullet hole riddled house.
They rushed up to the porch and found Steve with a shoulder wound. It looked like he was beaten pretty badly. Will was trying to help him up. An unconscious biker was at his feet on the porch.
“I’m alright. Check on the others,” Steve said after he spit blood on the grass.
Frank rushed inside to find Robby on the floor gasping for air. Jim, a gash on his cheek and blood on his lips, was holding a wound on Robby’s chest. Frank knelt down beside him. Robby was lung shot. He knew he couldn’t save him.
“…They…took Natalie…and Anna. You…have to get…them back,” he spoke through the coughing and blood.
“I’ll get them back. I promise,” Frank said as tears rolled down his cheek. He leaned away from him.
“Steve! Get in here,” he cried.
“Good…You’re…a good…man, Frank. Look after…everyone…” he said as the light died from his eyes.
Frank reached over and closed Robby’s eyes. He looked over and saw Isabelle in the corner looking at him. He held out his arms for her and without hesitation she ran to him and he hugged her tight as she cried.
Steve stumbled into the room. Jim looked at him with tears in his eyes then shook his head.
“Jim, who were they,” Frank asked, the hate building in his voice.
“Hell’s Angels. They usually hang out at The Tortoise Bar but that was before all this.”
“Watch after her for me please. Is your music player still working?”
“Yeah, Why?”
“Make her listen to it and turn the music all the way up. She doesn’t need to hear what I’m about to do,” Frank said.
Jim looked puzzled until he saw the biker on the porch and the look Frank
had in his eyes.
Frank walked out on the porch. “Karen, Kim, help Steve. Nick, Tommy, help me get this piece of shit to the barn. Kurt, get the 550 cord out of the JERRV and meet us in there.”
Without saying a word they all hopped to their jobs. Frank helped get the biker on Tommy’s back and he carried him all the way to the barn. Tommy sat him in an old metal chair. Soon after Kurt came in with the cord and Frank tied the biker to the chair.
“I would get out of here if I were you. You don’t want to be here for this. Go help bury Robby,” he ordered with a voice of steel that sent chills down their spines.
Tommy shut the door behind Nick and Kurt and leaned against it, folding his arms.
“Get out, Tommy. I don’t want you to see this,” Frank pleaded.
“They have our girls, Frank. I would do this myself but I have a feeling you may be better at it.”
Frank shook his head. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
A few minutes later Frank doused the man with a bucket of water and the man convulsed as he regained consciousness. He looked down at his wrists and tried to force his way out.
“You might as well stop now. You’re not going anywhere. Where are they?”
“Who?” The biker’s first mistake. He was still jerking, trying to get his arms free.
Frank stabbed him in the hand.
“Who do you think!?” he twisted the blade.
“I don’t know,” he screamed in agony. Frank ripped the blade out of the man’s hand.
“Then I’ll try to not enjoy this,” he said in a cold voice as he picked up some rusty shears of the shelf. He started at the first knuckle of the biker’s index finger and snipped off the tip of the man’s finger. The man shrieked.
Life In Death (Book 1): Surviving Death (The Struggle) Page 6
