The Dead Lands Diary Vol. II)

by S. David Staggs

  ME: More than the rest of us probably. I never asked Reggie or Jim any of that. Boy Scouts and Karate I mean. I’d say it’s a negative with Reggie, though.

  TODD: [laughs] most likely.

  The night drew on. A dark night with little moonlight. It would peek out now and then when the clouds broke and we saw the occasional sprinkle of spring rain. We also spotted the occasional Roamer wandering around. The radio remained silent and we never witnessed any sign of that Bolter pack. We’d hoped those fuckers were long gone. Of course, we hoped for that in the past but that never happened. This was their hunting ground. I knew deep down the bastards weren’t far. The night was slow and dim.

  Then came the morning battle.

  **

  We were all awake when the sun began to break through the night and illuminate our surroundings. We ate an array of snacks we brought for breakfast, from granola bars to stale potato chips. Two hours later and Travis spotted a dark green pickup truck driving slowly from uptown. We hurried into our positions and watched as they approached. They had to see their Jeep anytime. Aside from some abandoned cars up near the Flea-Market, the large lot was empty. The jeep was closest to the road than the abandoned cars. They’d have to be oblivious not to see one of their own.

  Moments later, the truck slowed to a stop on the road. Three men were seated inside and three were in standing in the back, one pointing to the parking lot. They pulled in and came to a halt feet from the front of the Jeep.

  MAN: That’s Oscar’s Jeep. Where the fuck is he and the others?

  MAN 2: I don’t like this…this ain’t like them. Someone’s fucking with us. I’m telling you, they’re dead!

  MAN 1: Shut up!! We don’t know that!

  DRIVER: [gets out] There was a lot of blood in the street.

  [other two get out]

  MAN 2: Exactly!

  MAN 1: So? Could have been infected blood!

  DRIVER: No, it was too fresh. That wasn’t infected blood. And the Jeep is here! They obviously fuckin’ drove here…to get away from something? Someone? The others are parked somewhere here, gotta be.

  MAN 2: Let’s check the Jeep.

  It was time for the ambush. Two were still standing in the back, the others were going around the Jeep. Alexis would open her door from the dentist office and fire an arrow for a guaranteed (likely) stealth kill. I knew she would go for the men standing in the back of truck. With any luck, she could be fast enough to take out both. The rest of us would open fire on the others.

  The two in the truck had their backs mostly to the dentist office and the view was obstructed to the others around the Jeep. For Reggie, Todd, Jim and I, they were right in front of us. Little more of an angle up ahead for Jim and Todd. We waited for an arrow to hit…we’d wait mere seconds for a another before starting to shoot.

  Silently, I saw an arrow cut through the air and impale one of the men through the back. He stumbled backwards and tripped over the tailgate, hitting the pavement face first. As he fell, Reggie and I opened our door. Todd and Jim did the same in the store beside us. We were ready. Reggie took a knee in front of me on the sidewalk and took aim. I stood behind him and aimed. Both of us with automatic rifles. Jim took a knee with his scoped rifle and Todd was above him with another automatic rifle.

  The other man in the back of the truck began to yell out before he was caught with an arrow to the face. He fell over the far side of the truck. Two down, four to go.

  The other men started turning around in different directions, looking around wildly. The driver and another locked onto us as we squeezed our triggers. The blasting sounds rang our ears and echoed through the empty lot. The truck and Jeep were being riddled with bullets and so were the men. I watched as the driver took a bullet to the shoulder and ducked behind the truck. The one that hadn’t wanted to be there…that didn’t like the situation, threw himself over the Jeep to the other side. Another was right behind him.

  The other, however, had been dumbfounded and frozen. Bullets tore through his midsection and sent him back first into the front of the Jeep. He tried to walk to the truck and fell to his knees. Another bullet rang out and hit him in the side of the head. It turned out later the bullet had come from Jim wanting to put the man out of his misery.

  We back up into the store waiting for the inevitable return fire. Two hands rose from behind the Jeep and fired randomly in our direction. We ran to the counter as glass shattered behind us and Reggie screamed. I watched blood fly in front of me and my stomach sank. Reggie began to fall forward and I caught him as we ducked behind the counter.

  I sighed in deep relief. He was hit but he’d live. A bullet had slashed through the side of his right arm. Over the roaring gunshots I couldn’t make out what he was saying but I knew it was extremely profane and probably a lot of blame being thrown my way.

  The anxious man began to creep out from the back of the Jeep and edge forward. We hadn’t fired back and they, he at least, was getting braver. They didn’t know how many of us there were and it was apparent this fella believed they killed us or we retreated.

  One of the other two yelled for him to get back but he waved them off. He edged out closer from behind the Jeep, leaving his cover. An arrow struck him directly through the lower jaw. He dropped the rifle he held and grasped both sides of the arrow that pierced his jaw. He began to scream in agony and shock. His screams were constant and unrelenting.

  The direction from which the arrow flew was noticed. The other two began firing over the back of the truck towards the dentist office. More shattering glass and a female scream.

  I stood and opened fire from the counter at the back of the truck to draw them away. They stopped shooting and the sounds of the mans screams returned. I saw the hidden two run to the back of the Jeep again. The man with the arrow was crawling backwards to take cover, screaming the entire way. That’s when I noticed them…

  The pack of six Bolters were coming down the road far behind them. They cut down a small patch of grass and hit the parking lot at full sprint. Looked like the dead may finish this battle for us. After all the gunfire, the three left didn’t hear the running steps of the infected that cut the distance between them. They were nearly halfway across the parking lot.

  [radio]

  TODD: You guys all see that?!

  ME: Yes, back up. Out of sight!

  TRAVIS: We’re good! We saw them!

  ME: Alexis alright??

  TRAVIS: Fine.

  The men now (minus arrow face) had enough. They threw care for themselves out and stood up to start shooting through the store fronts.

  Suddenly, one of them screamed out: “BEHIND US!”

  The gunfire quickly changed directions. Reggie and I stood halfway up from behind the counter. The Bolters were closing fast. They were only twenty yards away and hauling ass.

  Once in range, one launched through the air. That was new! It tackled the man next to the driver. The driver quickly shot it in the head and took aim at the other five. He shot two in the head and they crumpled to the ground. He gave up after that and jumped in the truck. His friend jumped in the back as the driver backed up and then punched it for the middle of the parking lot. A Bolter jumped in the back, grabbed hold of the guy, and they both toppled out. Once on the ground the creature starting clawing and beating its fists into his face, shrieking as it did. The mans face began to cave in and the Bolter leaned in and began biting through the rest.

  The other two were approaching and then caught wind of the man holding the arrow in his jaw. The blood flowed down the front of him.

  He was trying to get to his feet and saw the Bolters rushing toward him. He began to scream as they plowed into him and slammed him into the hard pavement.

  The driver sped off down the lot and peeled out onto the road and out of view. One got away…which meant we needed to get out of there fast. I imagined a ton of vehicles flying down toward lot at us.

  The screaming brought me back to the current. A Bolte
r was perched on the man and latched onto both side of the arrow and began tearing at it upward. The mans screams fill the air until his jaw separated and the tissue began to tear away. Seconds later the lower jaw was gone and the thing started clawing where jaw had been.

  The man convulsed as the Bolter grabbed hold of his tongue and tore it out. He starting chewing it enthusiastically while the other Bolter was biting and tearing at his midsection. After the tongue was devoured the hideous creature used both hands to grab each side of his throat from the lower jaw line and tear it. It started reaching it’s hand down into the now dead man’s esophagus. Meanwhile, the other had gotten through the flesh of his midsection and was pulling his entrails out.

  I looked over at the other man. The Bolter was pulling apart his skull. I heard the cracking as he snapped it in half. I turned away and looked at Reggie, who had already averted from it all. He was holding his wounded arm.

  I heard a shucking sound and knew what it was before I looked. The Bolter fell over with an arrow through it’s head. I moved out from behind the counter and made my way slowly to the door. Reggie quietly followed behind me. The two remaining Bolters were fully distracted by their meal. Alexis was walking slowly toward them with an arrow drawn. She let it fly and it struck the head of the one chewing at entrails. It fell forward. The other had its back completely to her and was leaned down too far for a head shot. She whistled and it spun around upright and locked onto her. She hit it through the eye before it could even jump to it’s feet.

  Yeah. It was way too easy to feel safe behind those walls. The walls made things fade a little after awhile. Made you soft and weaker. Feeling too safe was a dangerous thing. My healthy fear of the infected was back completely. It never should have left. It was time, after all of this was over, to spend more time outside of the walls. After a year out there nearly dying from these things…being attacked by a horde of over a hundred of those things…how did we become so complacent? Maybe we just blocked it out. Told ourselves we were safe. We needed that. After everything, we had needed that.

  Now everyone was in danger again and the cold fact was that we weren’t safe. Safer, yes, but not safe. Not from the dead or the living.

  **

  We returned home to a lot of worried onlookers who feared that maybe we weren’t coming back. Some actually began to clap and hoot when they saw us pull in at the front gates, which were opened by Ray and Larry. Larry seemed to be much more interactive as of late. That was good. We all had to come together for whatever happened next.

  Alan greeted us as we opened our doors and and climbed out. Reggie’s bloodied and wrapped arm attracted attention and Kelly went to him after hugging and welcoming home her husband. Once noticed, Mindy jogged over to him. It was so nice to have a nurse among us. She led him toward her place. I yelled for Reggie to fill Mindy in on everything while the rest of us spoke to the community.

  HEATHER: What’s happened??

  LILY: What happened to Reggie? Is he okay?

  RAY: Did you-

  TODD: Okay everyone, simmer down for a moment, will ya? We’re going to tell you everything and we’re going to tell you right now.

  RACHEL: Let’s hear it. We’ve been waiting for two days wondering if you were all dead. We’ve been worried!

  ME: I understand. Listen, we have some good news and we have some bad news. We’ll start with the good. We don’t have to worry about five more. The ambush worked. They spotted the Jeep and came right into our range.

  [cheers among a few]

  MARK: And the bad?

  JIM: Nice to see you join us, Mark.

  MARK: Save it. What’s the bad?

  ME: The bad is that we ambushed six men. One got away and no doubt they are rallying for a war.

  LILY: How? You killed five men, how could you let one just get away so easily??

  ME: He didn’t get away easily. He got out by the skin of his teeth.

  RACHEL: Reggie’s arm?

  ME: We can only address one issue at a time, so please. Let me finish. There was a firefight. Reggie took a bullet to the arm.

  [couple gasps]

  ME: He will be fine. Alexis killed two of them from the start. She’s a very brave and skilled young woman. In the confusion the rest of us began to fire on the rest of them. One was gunned down before getting to cover. The last three managed to take over, however, Alexis severely wounded one when he came sneaking out.

  LILY: So how did one escape, Jack?

  ME: I’m getting to that now. The gunfire attracted a Bolter pack.

  [shocked murmurs]

  ME: They came from behind the Head Hunters. Never saw them coming…not until it was too late. One of the men managed to kill three of them on his own. He managed to get into the truck and get away while the Bolters killed the others. We couldn’t get a clear shot to try and stop him, not with the Bolters there. We eliminated the remaining three infected and got back here as soon as possible.

  HANK: I suggest we prepare and get into places. Sooner the better. The Retreat I can tell you are gearing up to search everywhere, no matter how far. Victor will want blood. He’s probably already taken it out on someone.

  TODD: The Retreat?

  HANK: Yeah…that’s what they call the place.

  ME: It’s time to go on full alert now, everyone. Posts day and night in larger number. You hear anything or even think you hear or catch visual of something, then you say something.

  ALAN: Every corner of the community. Every wall between every corner. It’s going to take all of us. Everyone knows their post and knows what to do.

  ME: Let’s prepare, people. Haven is going to war with The Retreat.

  **

  We watched people disperse to get ready and gear up. Some with worried faces, like Lily and Tina. Others calm and determined, like Ray and Larry. Mark and Heather. Karen…for the first time since being here, she genuinely looked concerned. I decided to approach her.

  ME: Hey…you doing okay?

  KAREN: Yeah…why the fuck wouldn’t I be?

  ME: Cut the hard act, Karen. Your face is betraying you today. Stop fighting everyone…no one here is your enemy. The enemy is out there looking for us.

  KAREN: What do you want me to say? I’m scared, okay! That what you wanted to hear?

  ME: I just wanted to hear something other than fuck you or fuck off. I was told you participated in target practice and learning to shoot and all that?

  KAREN: If I’m gonna die…I’m gonna do it fighting.

  ME: That’s a better mindset at least. Did Ray or Alan partner you up with someone for the wall patrol yet?

  KAREN: Yeah, Alan stuck me with Heather.

  ME: Have to spoken to her?

  KAREN: Yeah. And no, I wasn’t a bitch. I tried to be a little more open.

  ME: That’s good. Question now is, was Heather a bitch?

  KAREN: No. She was kinda surprised I guess that I spoke at all. Never spoken to her before, really. She was nice though.

  ME: Keep coming out of your shell, Karen. It suits you.

  Karen: Yeah…we’ll see.

  As I headed across the yards making my way to Mindy’s to check in on Reggie, I ran into Heather half way there.

  HEATHER: Heeeeey, old timer.

  ME: [sigh]

  HEATHER: Awe, no chipperness at all today? [laughs]

  ME: You crack me up, Heather. Every time.

  HEATHER: I know, right?

  ME: So, got paired with Karen?

  HEATHER: Dude! Can you believe the crazy bitch spoke to me??

  ME: That so?

  HEATHER: Yeah! When she opened her mouth I thought an insult was coming and I was ready to blast her in the face. Then she spoke like a courteous human being. Courteous for her, anyhow.

  ME: Well, that’s good. I’m glad. We all need to be together on this. Everything depends on it. I think she sees that. Help her. She’s just scared on the inside.

  HEATHER: I’ll try. Say, going to see Reggie?
/>   ME: Yeah…were you there?

  HEATHER: Just left. He’s pissy as hell, man. Just a heads up.

  ME: Oh, I have no doubt. Already prepared for that! You about to go on watch with Karen now?

  HEATHER: Going to go grab my rifle and sidearm from my house first, then yeah.

  ME: Heather…don’t ever stop carrying your weapons. At least keep the sidearm on you at all times, I know that was gone over with everyone.

  HEATHER: I know, I just forgot to grab it earlier.