The Aftermath Trilogy (Book 3): The Aftermath [Ground Zero]

by Daniel Smith

  “All right you can get back in the car,” the Lieutenant finely said.

  Dan turned back to the open car door taking time to look at the soldiers who seemed too had relax a little bit in the way they were standing. The lieutenant had made his way back to the driver side window were Manny sat patiently. Dan climbed into the passenger seat closing the door, catching part of a conversation between the Lieutenant and Manny.

  “Right now you need to head down the ten freeway and go to the Mall of Louisiana. There you will find the reception area for new arrivals at the hotel complex. There are signs marking the way stay on the Highway. Do not exit the Highway before a gated area. Do not stop for anyone if you see someone in trouble move onto the next gate and report it,” the Lieutenant was saying.

  “Understood Lieutenant,” Manny said cheerfully without looking at Dan the Lieutenant stood and nodded his head while making a motion with his hand for them to advance. Dan watched as a couple soldiers opened the gate that sat between two sandbag emplacements for machine guns.

  “That went well,” Manny said as he turned his head to smile at Dan as they started back up the sloping Highway.

  Dan looked at him then around as they went higher towards the steel frame bridge he could see large circular tanks to either side of the bridge with industrial buildings off to one side. The massive light color bridge while open went up and over them the metal skeleton rising to a peak. To start sloping up as they started driving out over the large slow moving River. The other bank of the river showed large open green areas with groups of trees spaced between large multistory office buildings as they made it to the other side of the bridge.

  The off-ramps where blocked and guarded by soldiers on the raised highway set atop massive concrete posts as they made their way into the city. Following the signs, it was showing them the way to the one hundred and ten interchange never leaving the raised highway. Dan looked out the window down through the top of trees to see homes and streets with nothing moving on them they made the sloping turn onto the ten following it southeasterly. Dan looked amazed watching the traffic on this stretch of highway maybe not to the extent before the plague. Still more cars and trucks than he had seen in two years moving in both directions. They slowed slightly as they approached another guarded gated area the guards did not even look at them. As they simply open the gate to allow them through only to close them again as they exited. The highway was turning into a ground-level section as they followed the tree lined road still occasionally passing cars as they continued. Dan sat up more alert as the obvious shapes of the undead began moving out of the tree line towards the Highway.

  Manny slowed the minivan as they approached another incline to get back on the raised section of Highway. Several cars and trucks where stopped in front of another gate as soldiers looked inside the cars one at a time before allowing them through the gate. Dan turned in his seat to look out the rear window.

  “Relax Dan,” Manny said calmly as he moved the minivan up another few feet.

  The wait seemingly took forever as he nervously looked in the side door mirror checking the progress of the approaching zombies. Finally they were at the gate as a soldier motioned them threw before hastily closing and locking the gate. Manny picked up speed as he passed the sandbag emplacements guarding the highway section as three military trucks passed them in a hurry towards the now-closed gate. They both flinched slightly as automatic weapon fire started up. Speeding down the highway starting over a low to the water bridge over what looked like a small lake. Approaching an identical gate on the opposite side of the bridge. Passing again onto the ground-level section of highway.

  “Smart of them,” Manny said conversationally.

  Dan turned to look from the window to Manny who continued.

  “Guard the entrances and exits of the raised highway after they clear them of any zombies. You have a safe passageway that doesn't need constant patrolling,” he said glancing at Dan before turning his attention back to the road.

  “Also you have an area to defend if you need to get people and cars into a safe area fast. You can make your safe areas the sections of the raised highway. That is using your terrain to your advantaged,” Manny said turning his attention back to the road.

  Manny sped the minivan up to change lanes as they passed a convoy of eight big rig trucks making their way down the road Dan looked leisurely at the lead truck with two trailers. It was a massive squared off baby blue truck with chrome. Looking out of place to him on this highway after the last two years. They continued down the 10 through another gate onto another raised section of Highway passing blocked off exits as they continued their journey.

  The minivan exited the highway on Bluebonnet Boulevard passing a thick strand of trees then over a sunken drainage ditch. Holding stagnate green covered water before an open field of low grass almost one hundred feet wide. Dan could make out a person riding on a large lawn mower cutting it. He looked around impressed to his right where several large building to his left was the mall even from the distant it looked huge. Making the rows of mobile home trailers covering the parking lot look small in comparison. More of the cement road dividers sat in front of them forcing them into the parking lot of a hotel. A sign now proclaiming the building the visitor and sign in center. There were a mixture of different police uniforms and soldiers in the usual green camouflage clothing directing them to pull under a rectangle entranceway with a peak roof in front of the hotel. Manny pulled slowly to a stop under the entranceway and pushed the lever to make the driver door window go down. He smiled politely as a woman in a light blue police uniform approached them.

  “Where is your transport pass,” she stated not friendly or unfriendly Dan thought. Manny broadened his smile.

  “Well officer,” Manny made a motion of squinting at her nametag. ”Officer Lee we just arrived in Baton Rouge a few minutes ago and did not know we needed one.”

  She bent slightly to look into the minivan as Dan turned to look at her; brown hair in a ponytail with brown eyes looked back at him. A smile crossing her lips as she saw him.

  “Where did you come from,” She asked now with a friendly tone in her voice.

  “Came out of Texas heading for Fayette,” Manny replied.

  “How has the road been,” She asked Manny.

  “Rough,” Manny sighed as he said it.

  Officer Lee just nodded her head for a moment before she stood up.

  “Pull around and park by the flagpole,” she started. To say motioning them to follow the road out of the entranceway. That made a sharp U-turn to a parking spot to one side of a small park area in front to the entranceway that held a round fountain and flagpole.

  “I will walk you over to the admitting building, been a little while since we have had any new arrivals,” she said as she motioned them forward. Dan watched her walk across the small park.

  “She seemed friendly enough,” Dan, thought while Manny pulled the minivan into the parking spot they arrived about the same time.

  She was standing near the passenger door as Dan got out of the van she stood slightly shorter then him. She was still smiling which made him feel uneasy she seemed not to notice the Katana sword on his back and the forty-five auto loader in his shoulder holster. Dan started to reach into the car for the recurved bow and quiver of arrows.

  “Leave those in the car,” Manny said approaching from the driver side Dan hesitated looking up at Manny.

  “Their safe,” the policewoman said. “We patrol the grounds anyone caught stealing we shoot on sight,” she said with a smile. He was unsure if she was joking or giving them fair warning as he put the bow back into the minivan before locking and closing the door.

  “This way,” she said. Motioning for them to follow her as she started crossing the black asphalt driveway towards a small parking lot sitting in front of a large square white building with several large arch windows.

  Dan looked with suspicion at the number of people walking in and
out of the rectangular glass doors. He caught his breath as the foul stench of cigarette smoke caught his nose. Four people were standing about fifteen feet from the door as they smoked. Dan did not give the woman that was standing between them and the door a second look as they approached his attention going back to Manny and Officer Lee.

  “FEMA runs the reception center checking over the health of all new arrivals and accessing job skills and assigning temporary housing,” she was telling Manny cheerfully as they approached the doors. His attention drawn to their conversation and he did not notice the first few times the woman called out for.

  “Billy.”

  Dan was suddenly aware of something wrong as Manny and Officer Lee came to a sudden stop. This caused him to reach up and grab the black leather hilt of the Katana as he watched the woman approach them with a frantic look on her face as she called out.

  “There you are Billy, I’ve been looking all over for you.”

  She had her hand extended reaching for Dan who started backing up pulling the sword from the sheath on his back. Manny immediately reached for him telling him.

  “Put the blade down,” as he put himself between Dan and the woman.

  Officer Lee looked stunned for a second before she reached to restrain the woman who was becoming more agitated.

  “Calm down,” Officer Lee was telling her, as she started becoming more frantic.

  “No Billy’s back,” she yelled struggling.

  Manny was doing fine at keeping Dan from pulling the Katana free of his sheath. While keeping an eye on the crazy woman, police officer and the group of people in medical scrubs who were smoking before now moving towards them.

  “She’s crazy,” Dan told Manny, as he was unsure if he should sheath the sword or not. A woman in a set of blue medical scrubs glared disapproving at him as two men in white lab coats help restrain the woman pulling her away from them.

  “What’s her problem,” Dan had directed the comment towards Manny as he let go of the sword and let it slide by itself into the sheath. The woman in medical scrubs answered.

  “You don’t have to be so judgmental, she lost her son not too long ago,” she stated glaring at Manny and Dan.

  “Easy now,” Manny started in a calm voice. Dan was unsure if Manny directed the comment at him or the nurse. Before he turned more towards him.

  “Just keep in mind the talk we had on how people deal with loss,” he stated plainly.

  His blue eyes dropped to the ground; while Manny was not scolding him, it did remind him of his own mother. For the first time the nurse took a good look at the two of them as a look of concern crossed her face as Dan looked up from the ground.

  “Sorry, I did not mean to be so hard,” she offered as a way of an apology. Officer Lee cut this short as she came up to them.

  “I think it would be better if we went inside now,” she stated.

  They were lead threw a set of double glass doors that slid open automatically under a small canvas awning into the building. The area had once been a large open area but now partitioned into small exam cubicles by white pull curtains on portable metal railings. Small rolling medical bed and cabinets were in them. A nurse walked up to Officer Lee and spoke for a few seconds before she turned towards them.

  “This way please,” she said as she made a motion for them to follow her. “I will check on you later,” Officer Lee told them.

  “Manny more than me,” Dan thought. As they entered, the area a nurse wearing a colorful set of scrubs came up to them holding two clipboards. She handed them one before saying.

  “Please fill these out. If you would go in here,” she motioned to Manny to enter a curtained exam area.

  Manny smiled and entered as she pulled the curtain partially shut before turning to Dan.

  “This way,” she said moving a couple of spaces over and motioning him inside an exam room. Dan followed her in pausing at her instructions to sit on the metal gurney. He thought it was odd as she took his blood pressure, pulse and temperature as he sat there with a sword on his back. He watched as she wrote some notes on the clipboard before pulling a paper gown from the drawer of a roll around cabinet and handed it to him.

  “Strip down to you’re under wear and put this on,” she said as she left the room and pulled the curtain closed.

  “Like hell,” he thought as he tossed the paper gown aside and tried to make the wait as comfortable as possible. Dan sat swinging his feet on the gurney for what seemed like forever considering leaving as he waited before the curtain started pulling back. He looked up to see an older man walk in looking at the clipboard. He stopped and looked puzzled at seeing Dan not wearing the paper gown.

  “The nurse gave you instructions,” he started as he picked up the clipboard. Dan wondered if he was going to get mad he failed to fill out those also. The doctor looking at the empty information on the form.

  “You speak English right,” he asked.

  Dan gave the doctor what he hoped was a sarcastic look before replying.

  “Funny,” the doctor looked at him for several more seconds before saying.

  “How am I supposed to examine you if you do not cooperate,” he stated. Dan looked at him.

  “I don't care but I am not taking my clothes off to put that paper gown on,” he stated rather defiantly. About this time the curtain parted and Manny entered the room smiling politely at the doctor.

  “I am afraid that's my fault,” Manny said calmly to the doctor.

  “I told him to be on guard in a strange place.”

  The doctor seemed too looked at the new person for moment then a look of understanding crossed his face.

  “You just got here,” he said surprisingly. Manny smiled.

  “Yes we have been on the road for some time,” Manny responded easily.

  “You must tell me what's going on out there,” the doctor said losing all interest in any exam.

  After what seemingly took forever the doctor let them go. After escorting them to the hotel. The clerk giving them a room key with a hasp for attaching a personal lock to the outside the door or inside.

  “For our own reassurance when we go out,” Manny said to Dan as he eyed the hasps. Dan just shrugged as he looked at the small room with the two double beds and placed a small duffel bag with his possessions on one.

  “How long are we going to be here,” Dan said with an uneasy edge creeping into his voice. Manny just smiled at him.

  “No more than a day or two I think. We'll take a walk in a few minutes. There's a shopping area near the main mall. We can trade for supplies there,” he said placing his bag of his possessions down on the other bed.

  “We'll see the lay of the land before we move on. For now I can use a couple hours of uninterrupted sleep. We are safe enough here and we will place our own lock on the door,” Manny said fishing out a padlock from his bag. Placing the lock on the now closed door.

  Moving over to the empty bed laying down making himself comfortable. Dan even though the uneasy feeling in his stomach remained he looked at the bed the urge not to get up for guard duty strong.

  7 BATON ROUGE

  Dan leaned against the smooth brick wall his arms folded over his chest as he slowly moved his head from left to right his blue eyes scanning the parking lot in front of him. The uneasy feeling from the store was passing as he watched the people walked or bike by past him without even bothering to look at him. It felt unreal in this short period of time he could feel so uneasy in a crowded store. He felt out of place with the black leather hilt of the katana sword he was wearing that was just barely visible on his back. He had kept his arms crossed to hide the Blackhawk shoulder holster with the spring field armory forty-five in it from the crowd. He watched the people pass by him almost all unarmed and only occasionally would he catch a glimpse of a weapon. His attention drawn to the side of the store where several of the portable trailers formed a small alley between the building and a small wooded area.

  The two men talk
ing in front of it stop as he turned his head towards them. One looked nervous Dan thought the other he would swear was giving him a dirty look as he motioned the other into the alleyway out of his sight. He made a mental note of it before his wondering eyes where pulled to the building across the parking lot as a yellow school bus pulled up in front of it. He wished Manny would hurry he felt an hour had passed since he had left the store he was now leaning on. Dan was unsure of why Manny wanted him to keep watch. Instead of going to their room after the noise and crowd overwhelmed him. Going along because Manny was usually right. Dan scanned the mostly empty parking lot again looking at the small island of portable trailers to one side of the mostly open lot. Before stopping on the building with the school bus, he could see several adults gathering around as the front doors opened and kids started coming out of them. The kids all dressed in dark blue or black pants with a pale blue shirt with a collar for the boys or a pale blue and white knee length skirt. With a pale blue blouse for the girls, the kids ranged in age from younger to older than him.

  “School “he thought as he stopped to watch for a moment. “One with an uniform,” he muttered scanning the lot again like Manny had taught him.

  Dan had mixed feelings after seeing the school, part of him was happy that he had no more school . But he was equally sad and missed it and his friends that he had before the plague he took a moment to wonder if they were still alive. Dan set his face with a look of bored indifferences Manny had taught him.

  “Do not look out of place or nervous”

  Manny had told him that will attract attention to you. “Also keep your eyes moving, do not focus too long on one place, try to take in everything.”

  Manny’s voice was saying inside his head.

  “Once you start focusing on one spot you stop watching what’s going on around you and that is when you can get into trouble.”

  Manny’s voice echoing like all the times before in their lessons. He watched everything, the kids getting on the bus, the parents picking their kids up. The ones riding off in groups or alone on bikes. His eyes pausing on the kids forming up into groups across the parking lot away from the eyes of adults. He did not need any lessons from Manny to understand what they were doing. One group of boys had advance over most off the empty lot past the portable trailers to start calling a couple of younger kid’s names. They stood on a small green island in the parking lot with a couple of trees as a group of girls watched and laughed. Dan scanned the parking lot again; he decided he was glad he did not have to go to school anymore. Dan’s eyes snapped back to the boys, as one started pointing towards him. Watching the group’s leader look over at him before looking around for adults. He knew the drill; if he saw no one that could stop what he wanted to do he would act. He saw the number of adults down to a few not paying attention to them.