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

by Daniel Smith

  “Go ahead,” he said. Dan heard the response of the radio.

  “We have secured the church come on back,” the voice that came over the radio said.

  Manny clipped the radio back to his belt and motion for Dan who started pedaling faster. Putting distance between them and the undead before making several turns. Returning up else Ellis Avenue to the church finding the parking lot clear with an awaiting figure by one of the doors, motioning them in. As Dan and Manny got off their bikes, James and Marion approached him.

  “This place is good,” James started. “It has several large doors around back for moving in large items. The horses and carts can come and go without problems. Plenty of room for storage in the main area that still leaves plenty of room between us and the horses,” James said with a smile.

  Dan nodded at this; he sometimes wondered what smelled worse the horses or the undead. Over the next few days the watch schedule allowed enough people guarding their base. Giving them time riding on their bikes with trailers into the homes and businesses to start looking for the items on their lists. Dan and Manny had spent most of the day inside a retail store that did not seem too badly looted going through stuff filling their trailers full and backpacks with items. Manny had wandered off down one aisle and after several minutes did not see or hearing Dan he got a little concerned.

  Manny started checking to see where he was. Manny found him standing in front of the display made of cardboard picturing brightly color monsters and other supernatural creatures; he was holding a thin plastic case in his hand.

  “What do you have there,” Manny asked casually. Dan turned to look at him.

  “I wanted this game for my birthday. My parents could not afford it this happened right before the plague,” he said, rather sadly. Manny just nodded.

  “Well take one, hell why not take ten,” Manny said encouragingly.

  Dan looked at him for a moment tossing several games into the shopping basket; with other items taken from the store. Manny looked at him, stunned for a second.

  “I was only joking.” Dan looked at him as he grabbed a couple of DVD movies off-the-shelf and then another few of video games.

  “I know but Luke and several the other kids still play these back in Hope and I said I would try to bring him something. I think he might like it,” Dan said turning back to look at him. Manny for his part just smiled agreeing.

  “Some words of advice,” Manny started chuckling. Dan looked up at him.

  “Don’t forget something for Sara,” he said with a smile. Dan smiled back.

  “Already covered,” he said smoothly.

  After the day of shopping as Manny joked giving Dan a hard time about some twenty-gallon blue plastic totes he had taken from one store. He had a difficult time strapping them onto his trailer and had to stop several times on the ride back to reposition them. Having just finished their turn at watch both of them decided they still had a little time before they turned into sleep to start sorting through some the items they had found. Dan started sorting through several packages of food, rice, noodles, sugar, salt and spices that did not matter how long they sat on a shelf. As long as they stayed clean and dry they would stay good to place them into one of the blue plastic totes sealing them with a lid that snapped shut forming a good watertight seal. Manny looked at the container.

  “You were right,” he said calmly. Dan stopped what he was doing to look at him.

  “Tomorrow we go back and grab all we can,” Manny said pointing at the containers.

  He said nothing but smiled as he went back to work. Manny watched as Dan sorted through a stack of plastic cases on a table near a pile of magazines and a few cases of canning jars and supplies placing items in the totes. Manny reach down to pick up one of the magazines opening it to see a well muscular, naked woman. Manny placing the magazine back on the table picking up two plastic cases one was a video game. Then looking at the cover of a pornographic movie setting them down. He started lifting a large unopened plastic bag of tampons Dan stopped what he was doing to look at it him.

  “I'm not one to judge, but I don't think Sandra will be happy with some of this stuff in her house,” Manny started calmly.

  “It was on her list,” Dan chuckled as Manny’s eyebrows shot up looking between him and the items on the table.

  “Well not all some people in town have asked for these items offering a good price for them. We will see what I take. I will see what is worth more and how much room we have,” Dan left the sentence hanging seeing Manny’s smile.

  “I am not sure I want to know what she asked for,” he said humorously.

  “But we should compare list to maximize our haul. I assume Sara gave you one too,” Manny finished. Dan pulled the lists he had in his pocket out and handed them to Manny who said nothing. But just nodded before turning and walking over to his own pile of stuff and grabbed some papers. He came back to the table sitting down looking at them.

  “I see we have some duplicates and you have a few items people asked me for,” Manny said looking up. Dan sat down next to him.

  “Let’s see what we can do,” he said.

  Since talking the night before and going through their lists crossing off items they found trading and splitting the stuff the other needed. They found by combining all they lists as one. Finding they nearly completed the lists. They had just spent a good day going through some homes and businesses. Using their standard technique of lowering Dan through the roof into the building on a rope to unlock the doors. Allowing them not to break the windows in case the undead showed up. They had amassed a large supply of salvage. When Manny suggested they fill one trailer and have Dan haul it back while he finished loading the second and would follow. Finishing this task in short-order Dan took off at a steady pace towards their base. He dodged a few of the undead traveling in groups in this city. Instead of the usually ones or twos making it back with no incidents.

  He had just made it through the makeshift gate that they had erected in the back parking lot to find James hitching the horses to his trailer.

  “Hurry up,” James called motioning him over. Dan jogged over and stopped in front of him.

  “What’s up,” Dan asked.

  “A few of us where asked to make a urgent supply run to Hope to pick up some gear they need here and take some fuel back. My trailer is empty heading back,” Dan stood amazed.

  “Don’t just stand their start loading your stuff we are on a tight schedule,” James said as he moved off.

  Dan did just that grabbing a red handcart to help bring the plastic totes and cardboard boxes over to the trailer. He had started putting the boxes in the trailer when Marion came up grabbing a tote.

  “Get the rest, I will load,” She said placing the tote in the wagon Dan did just that.

  While the wagon seem piled to overflowing Dan, James and Marion manage to load all the items they had found into the wagon. Including the stuff he just brought in on his bike. Dan looked up at James and Marion on the bench seat calling to them as he walked next to the moving wagon.

  “Remember tell them and Sandra especially not to open the boxes until we get back,” Dan said urgently.

  James nodded in understanding and waved going through the makeshift gate following the other wagons. Dan was about to turn to walk back when he saw Manny riding up on his bike. He saw the questioning look he had on his face at the departing wagon.

  “They had to make a run to Hope for some gear they need here,” Dan started. Manny nodded his head in understanding then asked.

  “Could they take anything with them.” Dan smiled at this.

  “Everything we found so far,” he said with a grin. Manny looked surprised but please then a frown formed on his face.

  “Did you tell them to tell Sandra not to open the boxes,” he asked worriedly. Dan looked at him knowingly.

  “Could not stress it enough,” he said shaking his head.

  Dan and Manny got up the next day, still feeling good
about their good fortune so far. Since they managed fulfill their lists they agreed to team up with two of the city workers. A stocky man with no neck and black curly hair named Mark Mulder and Stefan Denmark a tall thin man who wore his long brown hair in a ponytail tied behind his back. Heading over to a machine shop to get some necessary parts and milling bits to fix the milling machine for the town. Spending the better part of a day collecting tools and cutting bits, belts and parts from the machine shop. Storing them in several large balloon tire metal gardening carts. They had brought to carry the parts back in it was later in the afternoon when they were leaving when they started hearing a moaning sound growing closer. They picked up their pace as they noticed a group of about twenty of the undead started falling in behind them. Spilling around the corner of a building another group of thirty zombies started coming for them.

  “Damn, there's to many,” Mark said, pulling a revolver from a hip holster.

  “Don’t waste the bullets. We need to run,” Manny said, breaking into a jog. Heading the general direction they needed to go Mark and Stefan did their best to keep up while pulling the wagons, but when they approached another street they saw a larger group of the undead.

  Moving into the intersection the undead effectively cut them off from their base camp. Abandoning the wagons in the street when the undead group turned to face them they started running to a brick building following Manny as he first went to the front door. Only to find them locked, without a second thought he took off around one side of the building. Manny stopped in front of an enclosed metal ladder heading to the roof and started looking around. Dan stopped looking behind them as the large mob of the undead were just starting around one corner of the building. They had no time to find anything to pull up to the metal ladder with the long door on the first ten rungs to prevent someone from climbing it. Without saying, a word Mark stood in front of the metal panel cupping his hands, motioning for Stefan. Who took a few quicksteps forward lifting his foot high placing it into Mark’s cupped hands. Jumping towards the top of the security door as Mark jerked upwards with a grunt. Lifting Stefan up towards the clear rungs. Stefan grabbed the first rung above the security door struggling to pull himself up the ladder. He reached down.

  “Come on,” he said urgently as Dan ran forward lifting his foot high placing it into the cupped hands as Mark jerked him up at the same time. Stefan grabbed Dan as he flew up helping him achieve the necessary height to grab the ladder as he started climbing to the roof. Manny followed suit, stopping briefly on the ladder to check the progress of the undead horde that closed in on them. Mark backed up a few feet from the ladder risking a quick look at the fast approaching horde. Before taking a running start jumping up to grasp the ladder as outstretched arms started reaching for him. Dan had reached the roof and peered down as Mark made his jump. Appearing in slow motion as Stefan reached out to grab his shirt by the shoulder to pull with a grunt as several members of the undead grabbed at Marks pant leg. Dan tried pulling his bow as Manny stopped climbing and started back down to help in what turned into a macabre game of tug-of-war. Ending when Mark fell yelling into the waiting hoard of zombies.

  Dan looked on in horror as the mob of the undead fell on top of a screaming Mark. He tried to site in and shoot an arrow but had to stop to help Manny pull a frantic Stefan onto the roof. As the two men reached the roof Dan looked over to see several withered and shrunken faces staring up at them their milky white eyes looking hungry. Dan put an arrow through two of them before he felt Manny's hand on his shoulder.

  “Save them we are going to need them,” Manny said sadly, as they turned to see Stefan fighting for control of his emotions. Dan had finished a circuit of the roof looking for a clear spot to escape the undead only to find all ways blocked. Returning to Manny and Stefan who managed to calm down after talking to Manny who looked at him as Dan shook his head.

  “We’re stuck here for now,” he said looking around.

  “Hang on,” a defeated sounding Stefan said producing a handheld radio.

  “I’ll try base camp,” he said keying the radio.

  Manny made a motion for Dan to follow him as they made their way to a skylight. Manny handed Dan the black pry bar as he started to pull a coil of rope from around his shoulder as he watched him go to work. Dan with the pry bar started removing the skylight from the mount having done this. They move the skylight aside Before Manny took the opportunity to wrap the rope around the end of a pipe sticking out of the roof as Dan started securing the other end around his waist. Stefan walked over to them to look at them in wonder.

  “I reached base camp right now they do not have the people at the moment to come get us. They say it might be up to four days,” he said slowly. Manny turned to him.

  “Don't worry. We've done this before,” Manny said calmly as Dan finished tying the rope around his waist. Manny producing a flashlight handing it to Dan as he maneuvered himself to the edge of the opening. Manny handed part of the slack rope out to Stefan.

  “Give me a hand,” he calmly said as they took up the slack before Dan crouched down and started to hang over the edge of the opening with his hands before letting go. They put tension on the rope.

  “Lower me, down slightly,” Dan said, turning on the flashlight.

  He played the beam around the open area before him seeing large open spaces. Bowling lanes set against the walls of the building with tables and small chair set in front of them before shelves with bowling balls. An open area separated the lanes a counter sitting between them towards the front of the building was an arcade and bar. Dan played the stark white beam of the flashlight searching the limits of the beam’s range for any sign of movement inside the building.

  “Okay lower me down it looks good,” Dan said as he felt the rope shift as he moved downwards.

  He felt his feet hit the ground as he played the beam of the flashlight around the room again as he started to untie himself. Watching as Stefan lowered from the ceiling followed by Manny reaching the floor he turned looking at Stefan.

  “Give us a hand clearing the rest of the building,” he said as he motioned for Dan to take the front as he moved off to one side, leaving Stefan to go to the other.

  All returning a few minutes later to the rope Manny for his part, seemed calm.

  “We have food so will wait.”

  Stefan looked at Manny then glanced to Dan

  “What else can we do,” Dan said handing the flashlight to Manny. Then started removing his day packed opening it to pull out a solar powered pathway light. Twisting off the top. Flipping the small switch on the backside allowing the LED lightbulb to come on brightening the dimness of the room before placing the light back on the glass case, holding it by the metal handle.

  “Going to look around,” he said as he moved off in the large room. They had been in the bowling alley for two days the city's base camp still unable to come for them. They had managed to find a couple of cases of water in storage in the small kitchen area of the bowling alley. A few cans of unopened nacho cheese sauce. Chile and several bags of stale tortilla chips with several cases of beer wine and liquor from the bar. During this time, they moved around the gloomy interior of the bowling alley hoping the zombies outside would lose interest and go away. Manny sitting lounging on one of the bench seats near the bowling lanes.

  Watching unconcerned as Dan walk by with several empty five gallon plastic buckets and moved to the back part of the bowling alley. Heading towards the rest room, he thought nothing of it at first, but over the course of the next two hours. He heard various noises of tables moving about keeping him from taking a nap. Finally, his interest stirred. Getting up he started walking over to see what was going on. Near the area of the rest rooms, Manny saw several tables were stacked up forming a staircase to the false ceiling. Several panels missing on the table set several of the five gallon buckets with a rope tied to their handle several bowling balls inside each one. Manny watched as the rope tightened on the buckets
then went upwards through the hole in the false ceiling past a missing heating duct in the roof. Manny's interest peaked as he started to climb the makeshift staircase to gain access to the roof. On exiting in the late afternoon light, he looked around seeing Dan off to one side a large pile of multicolored bowling balls sitting near his feet. He watched as Dan picked one bowling ball up and looked over the side of the building before dropping it.

  Dan was on top of the roof a large pile of transferred bowling balls at his feet in the pale light of the setting sun. As he looked at the milling masses of the undead moving around the building below him. Dan slowly reached down placing three fingers into the holes on one of the bowling ball to lift it up looking over the roof before taking aim and letting go of it. He watched it plummet downward with great satisfaction as it impacted squarely on the upturned face of the man with solid milky white eyes with a satisfying thump. Dan picked up another bowling ball and started taking aim at another of the undead when he caught a sound. Turning he saw Manny standing there watching him before looking over at the edge of the building at the undead.

  “What are you doing,” Manny asked calmly in a tone that was neither accusatory nor unfriendly. Dan looked at him.

  “I do not have enough arrows to clear a path through them and if we use bullets. We will make too much noise and attract more,” Dan said.