I looked at Fred. He actually frowned. I knew what he was thinking. These people sounded like bad news. “How did you guys meet them?” I asked.
Howard began wringing his hands. “One day, not too long ago, I was fighting with a rototiller, trying to get a garden plot tilled up. I must not have been paying attention. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by a couple of those rough looking men with guns pointed at me, and they weren’t there to help me plant my garden, No sir. They took me to the Captain, that’s what they called him. He was standing outside his bus looking at a flat tire and slapping the tar out of a teenage boy who had run over a pothole or something. So, they walk me up to him and tell him where they found me. He gave me a look, like he was looking at a pile of garbage and said, ‘you’re the first nigger I’ve seen in quite a while.’ Well, I was mad, but I held it in. I knew I was on thin ice.”
He grimaced at the memory. “I tell you, I’ve been scared a time or two in my life and this was surely one of them.” Bernie had fixed a pot of tea and came in with several cups of various shapes and sizes. We each gratefully accepted a cup but quite frankly I was wary of drinking it. Howard nodded in thanks and took several small sips before continuing. “But he let me live, and you guys want to know why. Well, after he had called me a nigger, I just looked at him, pointed at the bus, and told him I had some brand new tires back at the shop and they’d fit perfectly on his bus. I spent the rest of the day working on that damn bus while LaShonda waited on them hand and foot. They ate most of our food. If that weren’t bad enough, he openly talked with his men about killing us.”
Lashonda put her hand on her husband’s and squeezed. “Well, just before they left, the Captain told me in no uncertain words he was going to allow us to live, at least for a while. And then he told me, no that’s not right, he ordered me to report to him if I ever met any other people. He also said we were not to tell anyone about his group.” Trembling hands spilled some of his tea.
“He’s an evil man.” Lashonda added before testing Bernie’s tea. She decided that she liked it and took a few more sips. Fred and I glanced at each other in silent agreement and took a drink. It was amazingly good and obviously had some honey added to it. I looked up at Bernie and he was beaming with satisfaction.
Lashonda continued. “If it wasn’t for Mister Bernie here, we would be starving. He came along and fixed us up.” She laughed suddenly. “You should have seen him the first time we laid eyes on him. He was riding along on his bicycle without a care in the world, and he had one of them wooden beehive boxes strapped on the back.” She laughed again. “Well, I tell you, them bees were all circling around him and he didn’t seem to mind a bit. There must have been a hundred of them.” Lashonda laughed at the memory.
Bernie cackled. “Bees are my friends. They’d never hurt me.”
We all chuckled. LaShonda continued. “He spotted us at the Goodyear store, hungry and looking all pitiful. He stopped and brought us some honey. That was what, about two weeks ago I believe. He’s been helping us ever since. We’re very indebted to him.”
Fred spoke up. “Bernie is indeed a very interesting man. I believe I can speak for both myself and Zach, we’d like to be included in this group. We’d like to help as well.”
Everyone readily nodded in agreement. We made arrangements to deliver the damaged truck and plenty of steaks to the Allen family the next day. On our drive back we reconnoitered some of the countryside in the southeast portion of Williamson County near the Rutherford County line. The area was mostly suburban neighborhoods. Everything appeared abandoned. We saw a lot of decaying corpses and maybe a dozen zombies aimlessly roaming. I shot one, but even with earplugs my head started throbbing.
Fred cleared his throat. “If we do any scavenging, we may have to shoot a few, so maybe we better hold off on that for now.” I had to agree. Instead, I made notes as Fred drove through the neighborhoods. I saw an old pole barn with faded white paint and pointed it out.
“It might have something inside.” Fred grunted and stopped the truck. We cleared the barn quickly and found a five hundred gallon tanker, although it was empty. After we got it hitched up, I leaned against the truck and looked around.
“How’s the head?” He asked. I shrugged noncommittally. I had a headache, but on a scale of one to ten it was only about a five. “Is something else on your mind Zach?”
I shrugged wearily. “It’s a lot of things Fred. I seem to keep screwing up, and just the other day I almost got myself killed. I mean, look how arrogant I was, thinking that I could just charm the pants off of anyone.” I glanced over at him. “We were extremely lucky. You know that, right?”
Fred nodded. “What else?”
I frowned. “Then there’s Macie. The mere sight of her pisses me off now. I mean, I was so damned whipped on the girl and she caused me so much pain.” I sighed and tried massaging my neck muscles. “And seeing her pregnant. I mean, I’m not jealous she’s pregnant by another man. I would have been at one time, but Julie is the only person I think of in that way now. When I see her and her tummy bulge, all I can think of is I want to have kids with Julie. I remember you telling me about your wife and how she had complications in her pregnancy. But back then there were hospitals filled with doctors and nurses. We don’t have that luxury anymore. It’d kill me if Julie got pregnant and then something happened to her or the baby.” I started to sigh again but held it, lest Fred decided I had contracted some kind of sighing disorder. “Fred, I feel like I’m not very competent at this survival stuff. It’s only a matter of time before I screw up and get someone I care about killed.” Fred continued driving, I continued scouting. “You know, Leon almost had me, but he’s nothing compared to this Captain dude. I’ve got a bad feeling about him. It never seems to end.”
Fred was silent for at least five minutes. I had decided he was going to offer no commentary and was about to suggest we head home when he cleared his throat. “We’re going to make mistakes Zach. You’re not the only one who screwed up. I was supposed to have your back and look what happened. I wasn’t on the ball. Those two soldiers were able to sneak up on us and capture Julie. You’re right, we were lucky, but in the words of the infamous Gunnery Sergeant Highway, we adapted, we improvised, and we overcame. Hopefully, we won’t make any more mistakes, but it could happen.”
Fred continued. “Don’t think that a day doesn’t go by when I second guess and blame myself for the death of my wife and her mother. You though, you are selling yourself short. You have done some remarkable stuff and have made a nice home for Julie and yourself.” He cleared his throat. “And of course, Macie.” He continued quickly before I could respond.
“You defended your home from enemies who had you outnumbered, yet you prevailed. When the horse throws you, you get up, dust yourself off, and jump right back on that SOB to show them who’s the boss. That’s what you’ve been doing Zach, you just don’t realize it.” He gave me a slap on the back. “Now as far as those women go, my advice is to spend a lot of time in the barn, especially when that baby comes. Maybe you should get yourself a horse.”
I could not help but laugh. We had totally forgotten about the Captain and talked of a few more inconsequential things. “Most of the stores were depleted of regular gas, but maybe one of them still has diesel.” Fred agreed. We found one at the next intersection, cleared the immediate area, and only located one zombie. I distracted him while Fred snuck up behind him and dispatched him with the trusty machete. I managed to get the top off of the underground tank fairly easily and peered in with a flashlight.
“Is it the diesel tank?” Fred asked. I confirmed that it was with a quick whiff of the fumes. He found the measuring stick and dropped it in. “Oh yeah, there’s plenty in here. That’s surprising. I hope it’s not too contaminated.” I nodded in agreement. We got our pump set up and spent the next two hours filling the tanker.
While Fred monitored the pump, I made my way into the store and looked around for anything that cou
ld be used. The store had been completely cleaned out of all food, beer, and dry goods. The only things left were the store fixtures and a used mouse trap. Even the postcards and maps were gone. Whoever had looted this store had been thorough. There was not any vandalism or random destruction, just a thorough job of scavenging. I was impressed. I also wondered why they did not take any fuel. Were they using the tanks as storage and using only what they needed? If so, they may take offense at our actions. I voiced my concerns to Fred.
Fred took his cowboy hat off and scratched his head. “You want to put it all back?”
I scoffed. “Oh hell no. I was kind of wondering if we should leave a note or something. You know, a hello this is us. Yeah, we took the diesel but don’t be mad, yada yada.”
Fred put his hat back on. “Up to you, but make it quick.” He pointed to the western sky. The sun had set. With no street lights, it was going to get dark quick. We still limited our night travel. It seemed to be prudent to do so. I realized there was no time for any note, or for that matter, no time to paint the rules. I opted instead to spray paint CB channel 19 on the side of the wall.
Fred drove while I took in the scenery. There were multiple side roads that we had not yet explored. I notated the names of the roads dutifully in my notebook as we drove by them. Fred glanced at me from time to time. “Have you given any thought to Nashville?” I looked at him questioningly. “You know, scavenging missions. There are numerous businesses and residences. Plenty of potential. On the river not far from the Titan’s stadium is a large fuel reservoir. You know, those huge holding tanks you never think of until you see them on the news when they’ve caught fire and exploded? There is a site right on Main Street. Those tanks must hold several thousands of gallons.”
Fred was right. It was a lot of fuel. “There is a similar location out in the west side of Davidson County near Cockril Bend. I think BP owns it.” I jotted it down. “If we can ever get up a decent sized group of people, an operation of that size would be very doable. Having a tanker truck would be a plus. I suppose the three of us could do it, but it could get hairy.” We passed a street before I could catch the name. I instinctively turned in my seat in hopes that the taillights would light up the street sign, momentarily forgetting Rick and I had disabled them several months ago. I did not see the street name. I saw something else. “Fred, I think we’re being followed.”
Chapter 38 – The Scouts
“There’s a car back there. About a quarter of a mile. Their lights are off but I caught a reflection from the moonlight.”
“Is it following us?” He asked.
“I don’t think they’re out for a moonlight ride and forgot to turn their headlights on.” I thought my response was rather witty.
“We can’t outrun them while hauling the tanker.” I thought a moment and then remembered the night vision gear stowed in the back seat. “I’m going to pull over. If they’re following us, we need to stop them.” Fred stopped the truck, turned it off, and then took up a position in front of the truck with his trusty six-shooters. I got out of the truck as well and tried to listen.
Fred must have read my mind. “I don’t hear any sound. They’ve stopped and turned their car off. Probably waiting to see what we’re doing.” I agreed and donned the gear. I was instantly rewarded with the green hue. When I switched to infrared I immediately picked up the heat signature of the car’s engine block and the two occupants.
“I see them. They’ve stopped.” I whispered.
“How many?”
“It looks like two of them. Judging from their size I’d guess they’re both adult men. They’re not moving, just sitting in the car.” It suddenly dawned on me. “Fred, I think they have night vision gear as well.”
Fred grunted. “Makes sense.” He spit. “Wonder how long they’ll take before they make a move.”
We stood there in a silent standoff. It was a testament to their discipline. They did not open a car door, light a cigarette, or anything else which would have given away their position. I must admit I was concerned. These two were out at night and were not afraid to follow us. It took me a bit to figure out what they were up to. “Fred, I’m not really sure when they spotted us. I would guess they saw our headlights purely by coincidence.”
“I got a pretty good idea why they decided to follow us.” Fred said. “What’s your opinion?”
“I think they’re following us in order to find out where we live. That’s why they did not try to make contact, or otherwise engage us. They’re thinking of the big payoff.” It made sense.
“I believe you’re right young Zach. Those two are a scouting team. They drive around at night looking for lit up homes and such. Once they find targets, they report back to their boss and come back with the rest of their buddies. It kind of makes me believe we’re dealing with somebody with military training. Somebody who has a tricked out school bus with machine guns. ”
“We could be overestimating them, but I doubt it.” I said. “Look at them. They’re too careful to charge us and they haven’t tried to take us out with a sniper rifle. They’re with the Captain’s group alright, and they want to find out where our honey-hole is.”
Fred was kneeling beside the truck. He spit again. He seemed to do that a lot when he was conflicted or worried. “We need to either engage or get away from them. We can’t lead them back to where we live.”
I agreed. “We’ve got to lose them. The only way we can do it is by driving without headlights. I’m not so sure I can drive the truck with the night vision gear. At least, not with the little gremlin inside my head pounding on it with a hammer. What about you?”
“I suppose that I can try. Either way we’ll have to unhook the trailer or we’ll never lose them. Another option is we can meet them head on.”
I definitely did not want to get into another possible gunfight before I had even healed up from the last one. I voiced this opinion to Fred. He grunted in reply. “Okay, how about this. We unhook the tanker. I’ll leave a note on it trying to establish the infamous vestibule of barter and invite them to join us tomorrow morning for some merry conversation on the CB. It’s the only way we’re going to be able to shake them. They can conceivably follow us all night with night vision. I think they’ll get greedy and go for the tanker. We’ll have lost them by the time they get going again.”
“Alright, sounds like a plan, but I sure do hate we’re going to leave this diesel for them.”
I grinned in the dark. “We may be leaving the diesel and a nice tanker for them, but how far do you think they’re going to get without lug nuts on the wheels?”
Fred worked quickly with the lug wrench while I kept watch on the scouts. Afterword, we got a good chuckle out of our cleverness with the lug nuts. Fred made good time and we were home within twenty minutes.
Fred stopped at the bridge, took the night vision gear off, and looked at me quietly. “Zach, there is something I want to talk to you about.”
In retrospect, I should have begged Fred not to go through with his idea, and we should have killed those two scouts when we had the chance.
Chapter 39 - Starry Starry Night
“Okay, I see the big dipper, but where do I look now?”
I took her hand and pointed with her finger. “Go up the outer edge of the dipper, now do you see the Cassiopeia group?” Julie was lying beside me. She shook her head. “It’s five stars shaped in a W. The middle of the W and the outer edge of the dipper line up. Right in the middle is the North Star, in between the two constellations. It is part of the little dipper, which is known as Ursa Minor. It’s the star at the end of the tail.” It was an unusually warm night for the first of May. After dinner we found ourselves outside, lying on the ground, looking up at the stars.
“The sky is so clear out. There must be a billion stars in the sky.” I grunted in agreement, although her estimate was very low. “Who is Cassiopeia?”
“She was a queen in Greek mythology. Let’s see, she was the mothe
r of Andromeda. She was a vain woman and once bragged Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids, which are sea nymphs. Apparently, it was the wrong thing to say. So, as punishment, the two of them were banished to the stars, or something like that.”
“You are really smart Zach, have you always been that way?” Julie asked.
“He has.” I looked over. Macie had joined us. The constant ringing in my right ear had kept me from hearing her walk up. “He was always correcting our teachers. It didn’t win him any awards, but the teachers soon learned not to challenge him academically. May I join you two?”
I was about to tell her to go wash the dishes, but Julie spoke up quickly. “Sure, we were just lying here looking at the stars. It’s so clear out tonight. Zach said it’s because there is not as much pollution and no city lights reflecting off of the atmosphere.”
Macie awkwardly worked her way to a supine position and lay beside us. It wasn’t long before Curly trotted up and worked his way in between Julie and me. “You’re right, it’s really clear out. It reminds me of that old Don McLean song, Starry-Starry Night. Oh look!” Macie pointed. A bright meteor streaked across the sky, leaving a greenish tail in its wake.
Julie gasped delightedly. “You know what it means? We get to make a wish.” I chuckled. She reached over Curly and goosed me. “You go first Macie, what do you wish for?”
Zombie Rules Page 28
