Reavers (Z-Risen Series Book 4)

by Timothy W. Long

  We reached a new section marked ‘housing’. He opened a door and led us into a warren of little rooms. Each had been an outdoor shed, and wasn’t much longer than my frame if I stretched out. He took us to number four and gestured at it.

  “Home sweet home. I’ll come get you in the morning. Rest up and we’ll talk more. And Jackson, please, don’t do anything stupid. We’re taking a chance letting you into our home, but we need able-bodied men who aren’t stark raving lunatics.”

  “I’m glad to hear we’re not stark raving lunatics. Got enough of those out in the world now. I’ve seen shit, man.”

  “We’ve all seen shit. Speaking of shit, that dog need to go to the bathroom?”

  “Probably,” I said.

  “See that wall at the end of this hallway? There’s a door that leads to a section of dirt. Some of the other survivors had pets, so we welcomed them. Let her take care of her business, but clean it up with a plastic bag and toss it in the trash. One thing we have plenty of is Ziploc bags. Over a million by last count.”

  “Who counted a million plastic bags?” Christy asked the question I was thinking.

  “Diane. She’s like a human computer. She takes a look at a crate and how much is contained in a single box then spits out a number that, as far as I can tell, is pretty accurate. Wish they’d stocked more stuff like powdered eggs instead of baggies.

  “We have regular patrols in the store. Be courteous and answer any questions if someone stops you. I’ve circulated your name and likeness among the folks here, but most won’t know you until you settle in and talk to everyone. This is an unusual situation, we don’t allow a lot of strangers. I guess Diane felt sorry for you when she found you. I’m thankful for your help capturing the ghoul,” he said.

  “Thanks for taking us in,” I said.

  Christy nodded her thanks.

  “Don’t make me wrong about you, Jackson. I like you and I think you can contribute to our little commune. Just play it cool and do what we ask. As time goes by and you gain trust, we’ll see what that allows as far as jobs and access to more of the store.”

  “Thanks, we’ll do our best to fit in and give back what we can.”

  Douglas nodded once, then spun and left us.

  I poked my head inside the storage unit and found a pair of sleeping bags. They lay on small foam mattresses. There was also a box of assorted protein bars and bags of nuts and dried fruit. How they’d managed to make this much last for so long was amazing.

  There was also a lump of brown stuff in a large freezer bag. I found a small wind up flashlight hanging on a wall and clicked it on.

  The bag contained what looked like a hunk of fresh-baked bread. I ripped a piece off and savored the taste. It was definitely bread, but it had been baked over a fire, and had a smoky flavor. It was one of the best things I’d ever had in my damn mouth.

  We ate in silence and fed Frosty bits of our food. Then Christy spotted another small bag and opened it to reveal chunks of dry dog food. I fed Frosty and even got a giggle out of Christy when I popped a piece of the mutt’s food into my mouth and crunched down on it.

  “That’s gross,” Christy said with a smile.

  “It is, but I’d eat it in the zombie apocalypse,” I said.

  “Yeah, I think we’ve eaten worse,” she nodded.

  Christy stretched out and laid down on her side of the little room.

  “What, not going to take Frosty out to the bathroom?”

  “You guys eat the same food. You take her and I’ll do it in the morning,” Christy said and rolled over.

  I sighed and took the dog to locate the bathroom.

  ###

  03:00 hours approximate

  Location: Somewhere near Vista, CA

  I wasn’t much for remembering my dreams, but that night they were vivid. Joel and I struggled to take on a massive horde of Zs while they swarmed around Anna Sails. Roz lurked in the background, but there was something odd about her. She perched on a grassy hill and catcalled us but it wasn’t her voice. She sounded like she was hissing and spitting like a snake. I came to and sat up in the dark.

  After lying in silence for a few minutes, Christy rolled over.

  “Are we safe here?”

  “What time is it? How long have you been awake?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t sleep much. I can’t stand how quite it is in here. Then there’s your snoring.”

  “Everyone’s a critic.”

  I felt around until I found my flashlight, gave the charging handle a few rough turns and then clicked it on. The little LED bulb came on and flooded the room with dull light. Christy looked tired, but she still offered me a half-smile.

  “Are we, Jackson, are we safe?”

  “I’d like to say that we are. Got this big concrete building, food, water, warm bodies to protect us. But these people, there’s something off here.” I muttered the last bit.

  “The weird thing is how few people are in this building. Have you noticed?”

  “You’re thinking too much. Could be hundreds of people hanging around the place. Back in other sections of the building. Maybe they’re packed to the gills in other sections and they’re saving this area for badass zombie slayers like Frosty here,” I said, and put my hand on the dog’s head.

  She was stretched out between us. She rolled her eyes to regard me, then closed them again.

  “We haven’t seen the whole thing yet. Besides, where are we going to go?”

  “That’s true,” she said. “I just don’t like it.”

  “I don’t like it either. What bothers you the most?”

  “Everything. This place gives me the creeps,” she said.

  “It’s just the darkness. We’re used to running from place to place, living night to night, hoping to score a little bit of food. We’ve been on our own for so long. It’s just being around new people that’s got you spooked.”

  “Maybe,” she said.

  “Paranoia will destroy ya,” I said quoting the old song.

  “There was a creepy guy. He kept staring at me and it made me very uncomfortable,” she admitted.

  “You point this guy out and I’ll make his face turn inside out,” I said with real anger in my voice.

  No one was going to mess with Christy. I would make damn sure of that.

  I tossed and turned for another hour, then rose and left Christy sleeping in peace with the farting dog.

  03:15 hours approximate

  Location: Somewhere near Vista, CA

  I took a stroll.

  No one had told me which areas to keep out of, so I wandered.

  I found another row of shelters that were larger than mine. “Must be for Government,” I muttered.

  They were lit by the same dull glow of wind-up flash lights that had been strung up all over the building. They’d never approximate daylight, but it was a hell of a lot better than walking around in the dark. One of the little suckers didn’t glow like the others, so I stopped and cranked the winder until it started to shine.

  A lot of pallets were stacked up, but covered in tarps. There were numbers and letters on them that had some clear designation.

  Curiosity got the best of me. I looked around, hoping no one was watching, then lifted the corner of the tarp.

  Boxes of trash bags lay underneath. I put the tarp back and kept exploring.

  The size of the warehouse was immense, with all of the large shelving moved around to create a new kind of warren, it didn’t help but increase the scale of things.

  I once read that Costco moved shit around all the time so it kept you looking for the things you purchased on a regular basis. The psychology was that if you were looking for old stuff, you’d come across new stuff you didn’t even know you needed to buy.

  I’d never been a fan of the store. What was the point of a single sailor buying bulk supplies? A friend of mine--a Hull Tech named Jerry--used to buy gallon-sized jars of pickles, then eat every one of the damn things in a
couple of days.

  I found the freezer sections, but the power had been cut to them. Inside were stacked more pallets of goods covered in even more tarps.

  Toward the rear of the building I found a large, blocked-off section. Chainlink fence had been set up here, and the door was locked.

  I studied the lock with interest, because it was on the other side of the fence. Who- or whatever was over there had locked themselves in. Behind the fence were a bunch of tall shelving units. They too were coved in tarp.

  A woman’s face appeared behind the fence and nearly scared me out of my skin.

  “Help you, sir?” she asked.

  She was dressed in dark blue digital camo. She had straps and hooks all over her clothing, and carried a handgun in a holster under her arm. She had a knife and another gun on her hip. She was short but stout, and looked like she knew how to handle herself.

  “Sorry, just looking around. I got here last night and was looking for a bathroom. Plus I wanted to stretch my legs. I’m used to being on the move a lot if you know what I mean,” I said with a goofy smile.

  If the US Navy taught one thing and one thing very well, it was how to act like a dumb sailor so hopefully no one gave you any extra work to do on the ship. Out of sight, out of mind.

  I’d kind of blown that last bit.

  “The operation is set up like this: you keep to the front with all the other civilians and you’ll be safe and sound. You come back here, you might have some explaining to do. Are we clear?”

  “Sorry, Jesus,” I said.

  “Just go find something to do so you’re not in the way,” she said.

  “What if something goes down, like an attack on the building? I heard those Bright Star guys are real assholes,” I probed.

  “Just go back to the front, sir,” she said, with special emphasis on the last word, like I was pond scum.

  A man’s gruff face pushed aside a corner of tarp and looked me up and down. I picked that moment to mosey.

  It wasn’t that the guy looked any more badass than the woman. It was what I’d peeked at behind the tarp as he’d shifted it aside.

  Sitting around tables, draped across sofas, and sitting on the floor were at least thirty people dressed in paramilitary gear like the woman had on, and they had enough weapons to start some serious shit.

  Guess I’d found the Reavers after all.

  37 – Scouting

  08:00 hours approximate

  Location: Somewhere near Vista, CA

  There wasn’t a whole lot to do during the first full day. A few folks showed us around, then quickly disappeared. I wouldn’t say we had the run of the store, but for the first time we had some freedom of movement. That was welcome.

  For too many weeks, we’d spent our time creeping around, keeping the noise down, hoping that a pack of Zs wouldn’t hear one of us dropping something or farting in our sleep. Killed by Zs thanks to flatulence: film at 11.

  I was told several times that the rear of the store was off-limits. I noticed “stay out” signs that I hadn’t seen when I’d been wandering around last night, but they were clearly pointed out to me. Why these folks kept the military guys in the back a secret was a mystery.

  Lighting was scarce, but as day came on it illuminated the warehouse from windows set high above.

  We ate a meal that consisted of dried fruit, cold scrambled powdered eggs, and chunky powdered milk. On any day prior to the USS McCluskey smashing into San Diego I would have bitched about the food, but now I sucked it down, and praised it as a gourmet meal. It was better than eating half-cold beef stew from a tin.

  What I wouldn’t give for a damn steak. I suppose the only way I’ll ever get a New York strip again is if I go out, find a cow, shoot it, then figure out how to cut the damn thing up.

  One of the biggest surprises of the morning was when someone called Christy’s name.

  Christy had already taken Frosty to the crapper and returned with a happy mutt. Frosty pranced around us, hopping up and nipping at my hand. I crouched down and rubbed the dog.

  I worked at her ears--something that made her squint her eyes as her tail thumped. She leaned into my hands, then gave me a huge lick that almost made me smile. Simple things like a dog can make a lonely situation like being stuck in a new location with a bunch of strangers almost bearable.

  “Christy, is that you?”

  Christy spun and regarded a middle-aged couple. The man was in his fifties, and had a shock of white hair that puffed around his head like a halo. The woman's hair was clipped close to her head, and she wore librarian glasses. They wore matching polos and slacks.

  “Huh?” Christy said.

  The woman walked toward Christy with her arms outstretched. I had a little PTSD moment and almost reached for a weapon. Damn, don’t go walking around like the dead, lady.

  “Oh my god, Christy, I’m so happy to see you,” the woman said.

  “You know her?” I asked Christy under my breath.

  “It’s us, aunt Tessa and uncle Clarence,” the woman said.

  Christy screwed her eyes up tightly and then exhaled slowly. Then she ran into her aunt's arms and hugged her tight. Christy started spilling out her story, saying she never thought she’d see another member of the family as long as she lived. The woman’s companion smiled at the pair, then stared at me. We both stood there with our hands in our pockets while the two girls hugged.

  “I’m Jackson,” I said, finally extending my hand.

  The guy regarded it but didn’t offer to shake so I dropped my hand lamely.

  “Where’s Craig?” Tessa asked Christy.

  “He didn’t make it,” Christy sobbed.

  “I’m so sorry honey. He was a good boy. I always liked having you two at the house,” she said. “And who’s your friend?”

  “He’s the guy who saved me in San Diego. We’ve been on the run ever since. Me, Jackson, Roz, Joel, and Anna.”

  I winced as she rattled off the names of our former companions.

  “Oh, I can’t wait to meet your friends,” Tessa said. “Be nice and shake his hand, Clarence.”

  Clarence stuck his hand out. It was like taking hold of a stiff board.

  “They’re gone. Jackson and I are the only ones who made it here,” Christy said.

  “I’m sorry, Christy.”

  The two embraced for another minute before breaking apart. Tessa looked me up and down, then offered her hand. I guess whatever judgment she made about me helping a teenage girl was going to wait.

  “Christy is my great-niece on her father’s side. We haven’t seen each other in a few years. I wasn’t even sure it was her at first, with that rat’s nest of hair,” Tessa said.

  “Yeah. Great to meet you and all. Look, before you start giving me any crap about our relationship…”

  “Jackson!” Christy said.

  “No, I get it. I see how it looks. But I swear to you both, Christy is like a kid sister to me. We’ve had each other’s backs since we met, and she’s a tough kid. I’m proud to call her my friend,” I said, realizing how lame it sounded.

  “I’m sure you’ve been a perfect gentleman,” Tessa said.

  I fought not to roll my eyes.

  “Why don’t we catch up,” the man said, and put an arm protectively around Christy’s shoulders.

  She looked between the two of them and me.

  “It’s cool, just check in with me later, dude,” I said, and offered my hand.

  Christy high-fived me, and the three of them wandered off. Frosty took one look at me and then followed Christy.

  “Traitor,” I whispered.

  I didn’t want to take it personally. I tried to put myself in Clarence and Tessa’s shoes and thought about how it looked. An older guardian had stepped in and protected Christy, so what was my motivation?

  I was sure that was the question, and quite frankly, thinking about my relationship with Christy being anything other than the friendship we had made me sick to my stomac
h.

  I sighed and decided to go look for Douglas. It was that or go back to my little shed and stare at the wall.

  ###

  09:30 hours approximate

  Location: Somewhere near Vista, CA

  We were assigned jobs and told when we should do them. For me and Christy, it was to wander around a couple of rows and wind up flashlights. I did it without bitching, because it was easy.

  A couple of times I was tapped to help move supplies from one pallet to another or pallets from one location to another. We weren’t given a lot of explanation as to why things had to be done; we just did them.

  Christy split her time between me and her relatives. I didn’t begrudge them for wanting her near.

  A routine almost set in, and I found it relaxing to just go with the flow for a while. It was refreshing to just do a job and get a couple of meals a day. It was never enough food, but it was better than being out in the cold, wondering if I was going to eat anything the next day.

  I wondered how Joel, Roz, and Anna would have taken to this new life.

  My thoughts turned to Anna on more than one occasion over the next few days. I missed her and her sharp humor. She was easy to be around, when she wasn’t pushing aside my advances.

  I wondered if I’d ever see her again. Knowing Anna, she’d met up with her friends in Bright Star and taken charge.

  As for Joel, well, he was my best friend, and even though we’d had harsh words before we’d been forced to split up, I was sure we’d be able to put that aside in the future.

  Assuming they hadn’t deserted us on purpose.

  I sighed, and went to find some more flashlights to wind up.

  ###

  10:00 hours approximate

  Location: Somewhere near Vista, CA

  “Dude, you can’t go wandering around like that without your mark,” a voice called.

  I spun, expecting trouble, and found Mateo. He grinned from ear to ear and offered me a fist bump.