by Joseph Coley
“Breach…zombies! Heading for the jail!” Several gunshots snapped at the other end of the transmission, stretching the ability of the small radio to transmit. The gunfire was so loud, that Joe couldn’t make out who was at the other end. “Get in town, ASAP!”
Joe stood motionless for a moment, the world gone into slow motion. He saw Captain White irately shoving his finger at the wall. Rick stood beside White, pleading something similar. Joe blinked slowly and judged the faces of his friends as he looked for some suggestion about what to do. Boyd was hunched up on the steering wheel, eager to move the truck forward. Curtis was sitting in a similar fashion, looking like a jungle cat ready to pounce, and gripping the steering wheel like the last water in the Sahara. Joe looked down, unsure how to continue, until it hit him like a ton of bricks. It was a feeling he wasn’t used to, a feeling of need and one of sudden and overwhelming urgency.
Feeling someone missing him wasn’t one that he was familiar with. It had been nearly ten years since he’d had someone that he wanted to call his own. It had been such a long time since there had been someone in his life that genuinely missed him that he wasn’t familiar with the feeling anymore. He was used to being the hero, being the man who rushed headlong into a group of undead. He was accustomed to using rationale, not thinking with his heart, but his heart was one of the only reasons he wanted to smash down the wall. There was someone, however, on the other side of the wall in front of him that he needed, someone that he couldn’t live without.
Angel.
It was time for him to act, time for him to get rid of the notion that he wasn’t a leader. Rick was right, he could have quit the role whenever he wanted to, but it was part of him. It was a large part of why he’d managed to stay alive as long as he had. If he wanted to stay alive any longer, especially with anyone left to accompany him, then he needed to get inside the town.
“Curtis! You’re with me! We’ll evac the chow hall!” He turned to the Dodge. “White! You, Boyd, and Rick start at the motel and work your way to the jail! Rally point at the jail as soon as you can!”
As Joe trotted back to the LMTV, he could have sworn that he saw Captain White grin. He jumped into the passenger side of the LMTV and slammed the door shut. Curtis mashed the trucks pushbutton transmission into ‘Drive’ and revved the engine. More gunshots could be heard, even over the turbo diesel whine of the LMTV. Curtis released his foot from the brake, and the truck lurched forward. Joe braced himself on the dashboard. He lowered his head as the truck approached the wall of wood and sheet metal. Just before impact, he closed his eyes and prayed, and God only knows that he wasn’t the religious type.
Curtis winced just before they hit. “Hold on to your ass!”
* * *
Kody didn’t like horses. He wasn’t fond of them when they were an enjoyable means of spending an afternoon in the country, and he wasn’t a big fan of them now that they were the primary mode of transportation. They were slow, stubborn, smelly, and randomly took a shit in the middle of the road. He was less than pleased that he had to ride the eight miles one all the way back to Tazewell from his humble abode in Thompson Valley on the back of one. It beat walking, but not by much.
Kody rode with Larry on the back of his horse, Flex, and tried to occupy his mind. There wasn’t much to look at anymore, especially on the outskirts of town. It had been difficult to keep the ravenous kudzu from taking over the sides of the road when the Department of Transportation was still active, and nowadays, the fast-growing vine was out of control.
Balboa rode Beefcake, keeping a few paces behind Larry and Kody. He could tell that Kody was uncomfortable, not only with the horse, but with Larry as well. He watched as Kody shifted in the saddle, vainly attempting to get comfortable.
“You two make quite the cute couple riding on that thing,” Balboa said.
“Oh, kiss my ass. I don’t like riding this thing anymore than it likes carrying two people instead of one. This is why I stick to walking,” Kody replied.
“If you’d like to walk the last mile or so back to town, I’m sure he’d be happy to oblige,” Larry quipped.
Several gunshots rang out, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
“They keep shooting like that, and we’re gonna have a helluva mess to clean up once we get back. I wonder what’s caused all the fuss today? We’ve only had a few groups of zombies over the last few months. They’ve been thinning out some since then,” Balboa said.
More shots, and the faint sound of yelling.
Larry kicked the flanks of Flex, prompting the horse to move quicker. Kody grabbed on to him, barely hanging on as it quickened.
Balboa snapped the reins, trying to keep up with Larry’s steed. A puzzled look crossed his face as he tried to catch up. “Hey! What the hell are we doing?”
A steady staccato of gunfire erupted. Whatever was going on in town was causing one hell of a stir. Both men willed their respective horses to go faster. Balboa’s heart raced faster as more pops and cracks echoed through the small valley outside town.
“Shit!” Balboa said, having a ‘light bulb’ moment. “We got a breach. Don’t we?”
Moments later, a large crash sounded and rumbled the ground, causing the horses to startle.
“Shit! Something just blew in town!” Balboa yelled, looking to the sky for the telltale smoke or fire of an explosion.
Larry kicked Flex’s flanks once again, prompting the animal to go just a little faster. He gritted his teeth. He was pissed. In all the years he had called Tazewell his home, he’d only had this happen once before. He’d hoped that Joe was wrong about Wyatt. He tried putting faith in the fact that he would never find their little corner of Virginia but now it seemed like the inevitable had happened. “I don’t think so! I think someone just crashed the gate! We’re under attack!”
CHAPTER 13
April 18, 2022 – 1410 Hours
Several years of hard work and preparation went out the window as the LMTV crashed through the wall. Wood splintered and flew out in all directions and metal grinded against metal as the trucks crashed through. The residents of Tazewell prided themselves on their wall; it was what kept them safe for all these years. Joe felt a pang of guilt as the LMTV thundered through the structure. That’s going to be a hell of a mess to patch up once this is over. Joe thought absently as he glanced back. IF we make it back.
Curtis wheeled the LMTV into the parking lot of the derelict Food Lion. The chow hall appeared to be empty as they pulled in. Boyd, Rick, and Captain White rumbled past in the Dodge, black smoke billowing from the Ram’s exhaust. They weren’t wasting any time getting to the motel. It would be difficult to evacuate all the people in town, but they had to try. It was no use to think that they would be able to get everyone. There was no getting past the realization that, unfortunately, there were going to be casualties. They weren’t sure of the number of people that would be at the motel, but the chow hall and the motel made up the two most likely places, so they would be cleared out first.
Joe braced himself for the likelihood of losing more friends, more people he could count on – more people like Chris and Ronnie. The sting of losing someone close to him was something he never got rid of, he just learned to cope with it. He was unsure of what his exact coping mechanism was, but he prayed the stress of it all would never catch up with him. Compartmentalize and focus. He shook away his pessimistic thoughts and released the magazine from his M4. Nearly full, with two more mags to supplement it. It would have to do. They sure as hell didn’t have time to fill up any more now, even with the extra ammo cans in the truck. That would be a task for later this evening at the jail.
If there was anyone left to help by then.
Curtis left the truck running, throwing it into neutral and pulling the parking brake. Air hissed from underneath the LMTV. Joe jumped out of the passenger’s side of the truck as Curtis did so from the driver’s side, both men with rifles at the ready. With the overcast conditions of the day, it wa
s unusually dark for being two o’clock in the afternoon. With any luck, they would be able to round up the survivors in town before the sun set. They had four hours left.
They prayed it would be enough time.
Joe swept left, staying close to the front end of the LMTV. Gunfire was still popping all over town, and he didn’t want to be on the unfortunate end of friendly fire. The LMTV was armored and provided plenty of protection, but most likely, there was little in the way of shooting discipline with the folks in town. It was a “shoot first, ask questions later” kind of scene. He watched the right as Curtis paced a few steps off to his left. Both men knew what they had to do; many years of clearing buildings together had given them an unspoken bond where each one knew what they needed to do.
The chow hall had one main entrance with the remains of automatic double doors serving as its main entry point. The glass entryway leading to it had been boarded up a long time ago, leaving no way to see inside. As Joe eased forward slowly, he raised his rifle and aimed into the entryway. Silence greeted him.
“Dammit,” He grumbled under his breath. The situation reminded him of clearing out the grocery store in Rural Retreat so many years ago. Only he didn’t figure on anyone friendly being inside once he got there.
Curtis held up his left hand, forming a fist. Stop. He stepped forward and steadily aimed his ACOG sight into the entrance. He could make out the slightest movement behind the haze of darkness, but he couldn’t tell if he needed to fire. Every fiber of his being told him to pull the trigger and drop the shadowy figure.
It was a good thing he didn’t.
The figure slowly moved through the darkness and into the limited daylight. Joe was the first one of the pair to make out who it was, and he couldn’t have been more surprised at the man standing in front of him. He lowered his rifle. As much as a pain in the ass as the man had been, it was difficult to be mad at him now. He was a black man roughly the same height as he was, built like a linebacker, and one of the few people in town that he honestly didn’t care for. Under the circumstances, he was very glad to see him, however.
“Reggie?”
Reggie carried a longbow – an interesting weapon choice. It was obviously homemade, but seemed like it had seen quite a bit of action. He carried a quiver on his back – also homemade – giving him a Robin Hood-esque look. The irony was not lost on Joe. In that moment, he saw the petty differences that he had with the man disappear.
Reggie waved them forward. “Come on. I have a few of the survivors in here. We didn’t leave the chow hall.”
Joe slung his rifle over his shoulder. “How did you get here so fast?”
Reggie grinned. “I may not agree with the way that you run things around here, but when I heard the shots, I told everyone to stay put. I figured that’s what you would do, Joe. I can’t say that I’m glad to see you under these circumstances, but it is good to see a friendly face.”
Joe frowned. “So you were already here?”
“Yeah. I usually trade some spices with your girlfriend…”
Joe stepped forward quickly; Reggie stopped him with a reassuring hand. “She’s fine, and so is Heather and the kids. I kept them safe.”
A feeling of relief washed over him. At least Angel was in safe hands, as for the rest of the town; it was still up in the air. As if to drive the point home that she was secure, Angel came darting out from behind Reggie. The stirrings in Joe’s heart became a full-on flutter as she met and embraced him. He hugged her back, squeezing her tight against him and letting her know that he was just as happy to see her, as she was to see him. Although he was certain that she hadn’t worn any, he could have sworn that he smelled the slightest bit of perfume on her. It was amazing how the mind could play tricks on you. It was like having a song stuck in your head; it wasn’t there, but it sure as hell felt like it was. Joe squeezed one more time, and then met the beautiful blonde’s blue-eyed stare.
Joe brushed back a lock of her hair. “Hi.”
Angel blushed this time. “Hi. I was so worried that…”
“I know. I’m here now, but we gotta get you and the kids safe.” Joe turned to Reggie. “Is everyone in there ready to go?”
“Yeah, I think so. We got four kids and three adults, myself included.”
Joe reluctantly loosed himself from Angel’s grip. “That’s fine. Get ‘em out here; Curtis and I will cover you guys. Angel, you get up in the back of the truck and give ‘em a hand getting the kids inside the back.”
Several more gunshots popped, closer than the last few that Joe had heard. “And we better make it quick. Reggie, make it happen.” At that moment, Joe realized there was nothing he couldn’t do as a leader. Even the lone dissenter amongst his people was easily taking orders from him, eager to help. Joe himself was surprised at how all the issues that he’d had with Reggie melted away, replaced by the mutual need to help one another. He wasn’t cocky about it; he wasn’t barking the orders like a drill sergeant. He was simply doing what he did best – taking charge. He grinned slightly at Reggie.
“Thank you, Reggie.”
Reggie’s eyes widened at something behind Joe. Before Joe could spin around to see what it was, Reggie had taken an arrow from his quiver and fired it directly into the skull of a swiftly approaching zombie. The whole process was mind-bogglingly fast. The lone zombie made it another step or two before falling flat on its face. It was a recently turned one was well, evidenced by the bite marks on its neck and the surprisingly quick nature that it attacked. The blood that poured from the finger-sized hole in its skull was pure red, without any of the usual nasty black coloring or clots that Joe was used to seeing. It was one of the town’s residents. He recognized the face of the now twice-dead person at his feet.
It was Jim Crowley.
“Shit! That’s Jim Crowley!” Joe spun back around to Reggie. “Did we have a breach?”
“You mean before you guys busted down the wall?”
“Yeah. What the fuck is going on? Jim was supposed to be on the wall near the jail. What the hell is he doing all the way down here?”
Joe’s eyes widened. The threat was coming from inside the town.
Joe immediately grabbed his radio. “Rick! Don’t go to the jail, I repeat, DO NOT go to the jail. Copy?”
“Copy. What’s the problem? We have a handful of people here at the motel, but we’ve had at least a dozen or more zombies to go with ‘em. It looks like they were turned recently; they are moving way too quick for them to have come from the outside.”
“Yeah, I know. I think whatever has happened; it started at or near the jail. Wait five for me to get there, and we will go from there.”
“Roger. Don’t be too long, I think we’ve got a lot more zombies to deal with before this is over. Rick out.”
Reggie ushered Heather and the other children towards the back of the LMTV. Joe backpedaled, covering the group as they made their way to the back of the truck, scanning back and forth for more potential threats. Curtis covered the other side of the LMTV, watching for undead to pop up.
Reggie hefted the children into the back of the LMTV. There were three boys that were around the same age; they looked to be about six or seven years old, and one girl. As Joe looked closer, they were Larry’s two sons. He hadn’t contacted his longtime friend yet, but he was unsure of whether he was in range. Kody was in Thompson Valley, a good eight miles from town, and on horseback it would take them at least two hours to get there and back. Joe made a mental note to try to get hold of Larry when they got to the motel. His wife, Paige, should be at the motel as well. As much as he hated it, finding loved ones of friends was the hardest part. He couldn’t tell what schedule they had, what habits they kept. It was difficult enough to find people in general; finding someone specific was an entirely different level of difficulty. The lone girl was Victoria, Angel’s lone female charge. She looked at Joe as she prepared to enter the back of the truck.
“I know you won’t let the zombies get u
s. Will you, Joe?”
Joe felt a lump rise in his throat. He tried his best to quell it and remain steadfast for the brave little girl. It wasn’t an easy task, but he resolved himself to keep them safe – at any cost. He bent over and made a mockingly mean face.
“You better believe they won’t, Victoria. I will keep you safe, I promise.”
Reggie lifted her into the back of the LMTV, the child keeping herself emotionally together, being strong and, in turn, making Joe more confident. Angel strapped the children in as best she could, then took a seat herself. All the while, Joe, Reggie, and Curtis kept watch over the back of the truck. After they were satisfied that they were ready, Reggie hopped up into the back of the truck as well, closing the tailgate as he did.
Joe stuck his head up towards the tailgate. Several frightened faces greeted him. As much as he wanted to be reassuring and tell them everything was going to be all right, he knew better, so he put forth the best advice he could under the circumstances.
“Keep your heads down. There is a lot of random gunfire still popping off; I don’t want ya’ll to get hit with friendly fire.” The group nodded collectively, and then took his advice, covering their heads and making themselves as small as possible. Joe hopped down from the truck and gauged his cohorts. Curtis nodded, letting him know that all was set.
Reggie leaned forward and gave thumbs up. “You have an idea about what happened. Care to share?”
Joe nodded slowly. “Someone got bit in town.”
Reggie closed his eyes, a grim look appearing on his face. Several moans and a choked guttural roar came from nearby zombies – ones they could not yet see, drawing his attention towards the sound.
“And I’m afraid this is just the start. Let’s get these people somewhere safe, after that, we can figure out what to do or else…” Joe said, trailing off. He looked off into the distance, more panicked yelling and another gunshot echoing through town.
