“No,” Mike said. “But you are all forgetting something. A while ago I said no axes or knives.”
“Fine, Scouter Mike,” Martin said. “But we can still smash their skulls with chunks of wood or bats or whatever we have.”
“That might work,” Mike said. He thought for a minute. “I suppose. If Steve is right, Connall did die from banging his head against the side of the van. But are you sure that’s something you want to do?”
“We can always run away if something goes wrong,” Ricky said. “You were right. They don’t seem to move very fast.”
“I think you fellas might be on to something,” Mike said. “I would still want you geared up with gloves and the rest to minimize any risk.”
“We can do that,” Martin said.
“We’ve got to be ready to do something,” Kyle said.
“I suppose that’s true, but I don’t want you guys going out looking for trouble! That’s why I told you all, no weapons, in the first place.”
“We won’t, Dad,” said Kyle. “But we do need to be ready in case something happens. We talked about it and you are right. Some of the Scouts could act stupid and get hurt if we gave them axes and knives. They can get hurt without them too. We just want to make sure we have some way to deal with these creatures ourselves.”
“I can understand that,” Mike said with a nod. “I feel like I have no control right now, too.” He looked closely at them for several moments and thought about their promise. But you guys have thought this through, haven’t you? The other Scouts might do something stupid if they have axes and knives, but someone needs to be able to protect them. One day, you might have to.”
“We’re ready to do whatever we have to, Dad,” Kyle said.
Mike looked down at the town. “Then, I guess I have to trust that you won’t look for trouble. If you promise me you will only use axes and knives when you have to, I will allow it. But only with you four. Do you understand?”
Martin nodded. “We won’t let you down.”
Okay then. Now, how about untie me and show me that little manoeuvre again?”
***
Mike stood beside his truck and watched the town. It had been more than an hour since Steve had driven down into Water Valley. In that time he had seen the battered red van cross the main street/highway twice. Steve must be combing every street.
The boys practiced their rope trick on Mike twice more before he gave up being their guinea pig. Then they kept busy working on tying various knots.
Mike ran a hand through his thinning hair. They would have to make a decision soon.
“Dad!” Kyle’s voice held a combination of excitement and fear.
That got Mike’s attention. The moan that immediately followed got Mike running toward his son. He grabbed the axe that he had left leaning against the truck.
“Kyle! Are you all right?”
“Just hurry, Dad and bring an axe!” Kyle shouted.
Mike rounded the truck and skidded to a stop. His jaw dropped. The boys, who he had thought were peacefully working on knots, were standing in the now-familiar pattern with their ropes tight around one of the undead creatures.
Ricky was the first to see Mike. “We got one, Scouter Mike!” he shouted. Sweat was dripping down the small boy’s face, but he was smiling.
“What the hell…?” Mike said.
“It came out of the bushes about five minutes ago, Dad,” Kyle said. He struggled to keep his portion of the rope tight and the monster contained. “We decided to try out our rope trap.”
“Why didn’t you call me?” Mike said. He took a firmer grip on the axe and walked toward the creature.
“We knew we could handle it, Scouter Mike,” Martin said. The creature stepped toward him, its teeth snapping, and he jumped back.
“But why didn’t you call me?” Mike said again.
“Because we wanted to show you we could handle this,” Kyle said. “Now, if you don’t mind, could you kill this thing, please?”
“No, I don’t think so,” Mike said, going to stand beside Kyle. “Give me your section of rope.”
His son looked at him with wide eyes.
“If you boys are going to deal with these things, you need to be able to do it all.” Mike set the axe on the ground and grabbed the rope from Kyle, being sure to keep it tight on the monster. “Take the axe and finish this poor creature off!”
“But….”
“No buts, Kyle. You wanted to show me that you could handle this. So handle it.”
Kyle, looking a bit green, nodded and picked up the axe. He looked at Mike.
“Don’t wait, Kyle. There might be more of these things coming. Any wasted time could cost one of your friend’s lives.”
Kyle set his jaw and raised the axe, tentatively walking toward the imprisoned creature. It moaned and tried to lunge at Kyle as he got closer. Kyle jumped back and almost dropped the axe, looking scared. When the creature didn’t get any closer to him, he wiped the back of his right hand across his forehead and lifted the axe again.
This time, he strode right up to the creature and swung the axe at its head.
The blow made a sound that was a cross between a walnut crack and the shattering of an overripe pumpkin. The blade bit into the monster’s head and a gout of dark, rancid blood gushed out of the wound. The thing went limp in mid-moan.
Kyle dropped the axe to the ground and stepped back. He ran away from the grisly scene around the back of the truck, where he promptly became noisily sick.
Mike and the three remaining Scouts held the ropes taut for another minute to ensure the creature was truly dead before they dropped the ropes. Kyle came from the back of the truck, wiping his mouth.
“Good trial of the rope trap, boys,” said Mike. “I’ve got a few suggestions to make it work better, though.”
“Work better?” Kyle said, his voice almost hysterical. “Do you think we’re going to do this again?”
Mike stared at Kyle until he began to squirm. “You wanted to show me how well your rope trap would work and you did that. It worked exactly as you planned. What you forgot was to have someone around to kill the creature when you caught one.”
“I thought you would do it,” Kyle said.
“So, you expected there to always be a leader around to dispatch these things whenever you caught one?”
“I suppose.”
“Wouldn’t it make more sense to have someone, Scout or Scouter, always ready to do that when you catch one? If you are prepared, then you will never get into trouble.”
“How could we get into trouble, Scouter Mike?” Ricky asked. “We had it caught. It couldn’t get us.”
“Maybe that one couldn’t,” Mike replied. “But what if one or two or a dozen more show up? What then?”
“We could run,” Todd suggested.
“You could do that,” Mike agreed. “In fact, you probably should, but then, you would be leaving your rope and possibly whatever weapon you had, behind too. Wouldn’t it be better to kill the one you’ve caught and use the same trick on the next one or ones?”
“You think we could, Scouter Mike?” Ricky asked.
“I think if you are aware of what’s around you and don’t waste time you will be better off,” Mike said. “For example, if you had someone kill it as soon as it was secured, you could reclaim your ropes and be ready for the next one.”
Mike picked up the axe. “You also have to take better care of your tools.” He held it up and checked the edge of the blade in the light. “See, this axe was dulled by a rock when Kyle dropped it. It might not be effective on the next one until it’s sharpened again.”
“Sorry, Dad,” Kyle said, looking embarrassed.
“Don’t apologize, Kyle,” Mike said. “You all did very well here, but you don’t have time to feel sick or proud or anything else. If there are more of these creatures around, you need to be ready.”
“Now, another way to improve your little trap is to.…”
Martin couldn’t help but think of his family back in Calgary. His mom, dad, sister, and youngest brother were all still there, hopefully alive. It made it very hard to feel any celebration at the success of the rope trap.
Over the next two hours, while he and his fellow Scouts waited for Scouter Steve and the others to return, it just got harder.
The undead were coming more frequently now. It wouldn’t be long before their little rope trick wouldn’t be enough to stop them.
He smacked the blunt end of the axe against the first of the most-recently captured creatures’ heads. It immediately went limp and the guys on the ropes were pulled in by the dead weight of the body. Martin had to move fast to dispatch the other two before they could struggle free.
The additional creatures only served to remind him more of his family. Sure, Ricky was here, but that only lessened his worries by a little. He kept seeing the faces of the others.
What if they were like these creatures? What if they were dead killing machines like every other formerly live person they had encountered? What if Ricky was the only remaining living member of his family?
He looked over at his younger brother, who was busy dancing around the fully dead creatures. He smiled just a little. Little brothers might be annoying, but this one was worth watching out for.
“Look out guys, there’s another one,” Scouter Mike called out. “Ricky, I think it’s your turn to use the axe. Martin, take his rope, okay?”
Martin nodded. Yup. No matter what, he had to look out for Ricky.
***
Mike stared out through the spiderweb of cracks in the windshield of his truck at the rusty red van that drove down the highway ahead. A lot had happened since the Scout troop had left the survival camp and none of it was good. Connall was dead and an entire vehicle with Scouter Jeremy and several boys was missing. He could only hope that they got out of town safely.
Steve had managed to find Shaun and his boys, including Stan. Steve’s eyes had been haunted when he returned leading Shaun out of town. The man stayed very close to his son, Stan, acting afraid to leave him alone. For his part, Stan didn’t seem to want his father too far away either.
They had kept the celebration of finding each other short when the two vehicles had finally met up with Mike, hours late. Steve didn’t even bother to remind Mike of the promise had made to go to the city if he didn’t return after three hours. It wasn’t time for that. Even then, undead were already making their mindless way down the highway toward the Scouts.
They seemed unstoppable.
No. Quick hugs and handshakes were all there was time for. Sadness and mourning would have to wait.
Steve now led the motley caravan away from the dead town of Water Valley, once again moving toward the city. Mike drove in the middle of the pack with Shaun bringing up the rear.
No one talked about what they were going toward. Everyone felt that to talk about the undead plague that had already destroyed Water Valley would jinx anything they might find going forward.
For the first few kilometres, everything was normal. The highway was clear and nothing appeared out of the ordinary.
That is, until the group came upon a smouldering pile that had once been a pair of cars. It was sitting right in the middle of the highway and appeared to be the result of a head-on crash.
The cars were not the only things on the highway smouldering.
An undead figure - the missing arm, crispy black skin, and shuffling gait were clear giveaways - turned toward the Scout vehicles as they neared.
Steve didn’t even slow down; running it down where it walked. Each of the following vehicles did the same. If it wasn’t dead before, they had shown mercy in ending its misery.
They continued down the road in much the same way, occasionally seeing a shuffling figure. Sometimes it was on the road and sometimes it was out in a field.
No one said much of anything.
Mike looked over at Kyle, who was sitting quiet and subdued in the passenger seat of the truck. “You okay, buddy?”
“No.”
That was a fair answer. “Want to talk about it?”
Kyle looked at his father. “What’s to talk about? Everyone is dead! Everything is ruined! Why are we even bothering? We’re probably the only people left in the whole world.”
Mike shook his head at the question. “We are going on because we don’t know that everyone is dead. We know that everyone we have found so far is. That isn’t the same thing.”
“It might as well be,” he said, the anguish clear in his voice.
Mike looked into the rear-view mirror at the other boys. They were watching him very closely, obvious fear in their eyes. Lying to them was not an option.
“Kyle. Guys. I honestly don’t know what we are going to find when we get back to the city. I know what I hope to find.”
“Hope!” Kyle made it sound like he was spitting the word out.
“Your heard me. I said hope,” Mike said, his voice firm. “The city has some advantages that Water Valley and other rural areas don’t have.”
“Like what?” Mike could barely hear Ricky’s voice from the back seat.
“Like police,” Mike replied. “Water Valley had no police force to protect them. There are plenty in the city. There are also fire fighters, ambulance workers, and doctors. That should make a big difference.”
Kyle sighed. “I hope you are right, Dad, but what if you aren’t?”
“Losing hope isn’t the answer, Kyle,” Mike replied. “Does it help to imagine the worst? I don’t think so.” Mike shook his head. “We are going to go home and find our families. I pray to God that they are safe. That is all I can do. I know I’m going to do everything I can to find them and keep you boys safe.”
They all settled down into their own thoughts then, and Mike drove on for several kilometres in silence. The truck’s clock showed 1:07 p.m. Amazing how much had happened in such a short time.
“Dad?”
“Yes, Kyle?”
“I’m sorry.”
Mike looked at him. “Sorry? Sorry for what?”
“I’m sorry I was freaking out. I should be calm like you are. Freaking out won’t help anything. We need to think about how we can help people and the situation. Find Mom and Diana.”
Mike felt a swell of pride. The words coming out of his mouth sounded so mature. Even after everything that had happened, he was still trying to stay focused. “Kyle, trust me, I may look calm, but I am afraid, just like you. There is nothing wrong with that. I would be worried if you weren’t freaking out. This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen and you all are doing an amazing job of handling it.”
“So, what are we going to do?” Kyle asked.
Mike shook his head. “We keep moving toward the city until we either make it or are stopped.” He waved his hand at the general countryside, where there was a group of undead shuffling along in a field. “We can’t plan for what we’re going to find because we don’t know what we will find. I don’t know about you, but I sure didn’t expect this when I climbed out of my sleeping bag this morning.”
“You’re right, Dad,” Kyle said. He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Dad, how are we set for supplies?”
“Supplies?”
“Yeah. You know food and water? We only really planned for the two days of camp and nothing beyond. Do we have enough supplies to keep going if the next town and maybe even the city is overrun?”
Mike was shocked. “I…I don’t know, Kyle. He looked into the rear-view mirror at the boys in the back. Did any of you guys see how much we have left?”
Todd shook his head. “I saw some apple cider packages, hot chocolate powder, and a couple cans of Irish stew, but that’s all I know.”
Mike rubbed his eyes. “We could be in trouble. I’m pretty sure we used most of the potable water and Steve probably poured out what was left so we wouldn’t have to carry it home.” He held up a juice box from his l
unch. “If you guys have any of these left, you might want to save them. I don’t know where we will get our next drinks from.”
Mike accelerated and the truck surged closer to Steve’s vehicle. He pulled up beside it motioned to Steve to put down his window.
Steve and Kyle rolled down their windows at almost the same time.
“What’s up?” Steve hollered over the road noise.
“We might have a problem,” Mike yelled back. “We need to talk.”
“Here?” Steve said. He looked around, shrugged, and slowed his truck.
Mike stopped beside him.
“What’s the problem?” Steve asked, leaning out his window. “None of your boys were hurt, were they?”
“No, nothing like that,” Mike said, shaking his head. “Kyle asked if we have enough supplies in case the city has been overrun. I don’t honestly know the answer to that.”
Steve looked stricken. “He’s right! I hadn’t thought of that. I’ve been so focused on getting back, I hadn’t given our supplies any thought whatsoever.”
“How’s our water?” Mike asked.
“We’ve only got what’s in our canteens and water bottles,” Steve said. “I poured the remaining water out back at the camp like I always do.”
“That’s what I thought,” Mike said with a nod. “We need to find some water before we get to the next town. If it is anything like Water Valley, we won’t be able to get anything there.”
Steve’s smile was grim. “You’re right. We won’t be able to get much of anything there. Not water, nor food, nor gasoline.”
“Nope.”
“Speaking of which, how are you doing for gas?” Steve asked.
“I’ve still got about half a tank,” Mike replied. “I’ve got a jerry can in the back of the truck with a couple more gallons if I run out.”
“That’s good. I’m about the same, although I don’t have the spare fuel in the back.”
“So, what do we do about water?” Mike asked.
“Hey! What’s going on up there?” Shaun yelled from his vehicle.
“Pull up beside me,” Steve shouted back.
Shaun shrugged and pulled his truck up on the passenger side of Steve’s truck. Stan rolled the passenger window down so Shaun could hear the conversation.
Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie Plague Page 7
