Ruth took a deep breath and while holding her daughter’s hand said, “I’m a nurse. We began to receive patients a few days before the plague cloud reached us from Asia. I could see the beginning of panic coming and didn’t want any part of it. I made a plan. With the help of my daughter here, we stashed survival goods deep in the underground sewer system. I found a small maintenance shack and we lived there in constant fear. We had flash lights and anytime I heard someone, we locked the door from the inside. We lived there in constant fear for one month. After a month we came out to have a look around. We were very quiet and paranoid of the unknown. We came out near my old hospital and dashed inside and watched the street for hours.”
“We saw and heard nothing. The smell was horrible so we went back to our underground cell. We stayed down there for about another month and periodically came up to look around. There was no sign of life and we came down here to the seaside for fresh air blowing off the Pacific. From our warehouse it has an upstairs office where you can view the surrounding area. It was from there we first saw some horrible deformed human monsters. I’d guess they were talking but in a language we didn’t understand. Once in awhile I could catch a word, but not enough to know what they were talking about. They were looking into everything on the dock. However, we could tell they didn’t like to get close to the water. There was a leader and he had a rifle slung over his shoulder and a pistol on his belt. The others had weapons too. We counted about twenty of them. They would come by here about once a month.”
“Thanks for the story Ruth. Because of the very fact you mention, the monsters are surely to come back, we need to provide protection for all of us. Cathy and the twins, plus Dr. Edwin have experienced the monsters, but we’ll save that story for later. I’m sure we can provide security for all of us behind these barriers. For now we are trying to get some electricity. That will go a long ways to make life a little more comfortable. I’m sure Cathy will make the introductions and let me say we are happy to have you on our team.”
Dan followed James and the rest sat around the table talking and getting to know one another. Ruth asked what or was there a long range plan or location they were going to or was this their final destination. Cathy took it upon herself to tell Ruth they were going to get the research ship ready for sailing and head south to find some fruit and see what was alive and what wasn’t. They she added that they really had no plan but to stay alive and be fairly comfortable was the goal. She added that the monsters were a real threat and then she told all of them their experience at Edwards Air Force Base.
The table went silent. Cathy broke that silence saying they needed to get armed and practice with the rifles. She went on to say, “Look girls, we are fighting for our lives here. Those monsters out there will kill us and cook us for food. I for one will shoot to kill. This ladies is not an optional thing to do. Simply put, it’s either kill or be killed. I prefer living. Okay enough of that, let’s find some water and take a bath or shower.”
Dr. Edwin told me there is a commissary here that has a lot of stuff in it. Let’s go find it. Also with so many of us now, we need to organize a cooking program. Before that we should make a list of names and home town. Let’s find some water first. We can take turns scrubbing a back if you’re not self conscience about your bodies.”
James said to Dan on the way back, “Dan find a big lock for the gate door so we can at least have some time before an attack occurs.”
“I can do that. I’ll be back when I’ve made sure the place is locked up tight. I also think I’ll sit here at the guard shack for awhile and just see what happens.”
“Good idea Dan. Let’s see what we can do to provide some electricity around here. I wonder Dan if there’re any fish to be had around here?”
Chapter XI
From the shadows of the warehouse, a red pair of eyes had watched the whole time from when the woman and little girl stood talking to the other two. It observed the whole clan move to the building and then after awhile came back out. It decided to report back to the leader with the news that food was available at the dock. It scurried unseen back to its lair.
An hour later a hard breathing deformed plague victim reported to his leader. The leader and the others listened to its story and the leader told them that at first light in the morning they would attack the new food source of much needed meat.
****
Dan locked the gate and then had found a chain and double locked the wire gate. From there he and his dogs went exploring. They walked the entire perimeter and found razor wire hard to breach. However, it would only take a heavy duty set of wire cutters to make a hole in the wire mesh. That was the flaw in the system. Dan could think of nothing to prevent that method of entry. But maybe James and Rich had another idea.
James had been thinking hard about the monsters attacking. What he didn’t know was how intelligent they were. Could they reason that climbing the wire mesh to the razor wire was out of the question? Would they find a large set of wire cutters and make a hole. How could they possible keep an eye on the whole surrounding perimeter of the prison?
Back at the generator Rich was ready to start the big motor but needed to charge the batteries. Not far away in a maintenance shed he found a small gas generator. He quickly drained the old gas out and found a can in storage along with a can of starting fluid. James walked in just as Rich pulled the rope starter on the generator. On the second pull it fired off. Rich shut it down and he and James carried it to the big diesel generator. Soon they had the battery charger doing its job so they broke for lunch.
Sitting around the same conference table, plastic fork and spoon, with a choice of tuna, salmon or corned beef, and the clan had lunch. James brought up the security with a big wire cutter to make a hole for the monsters to climb through. He asked the table for ideas and suddenly quiet was observed.
Rich said, “Unfortunately there’s no way to stop someone or something that uses a wire cutter to breach a wire mesh fence. Let’s assume they will come to the front door of this prison. I think they will try the frontal attack and it would behoove us to take out as many as we can the first time around. We are in trouble I think. Water is what we need to protect us. I’d guess we need to blow up the road to the prison. This is an island remember that. The only passage is by that small bridge/street just out front. What if we blow a hole so that can’t pass the bridge?”
Talk about silence in the room. Even James was impressed with that idea. Now where would they find some explosives and he sure wished Rich would know how to use the stuff.
James’s mind was racing and he said, “Let’s get the Humvee and I’m sure we can find what we need at the armory or some base around here.”
Dr. Edwin said, “Whoa, wait a minute James, we have plastic explosives on board the research ship. I don’t know how to use it but there’s a manual with the stuff.”
Rich said, “I know how to use it and if we can find a small boat I can place it underneath where it will do the most damage.”
Ruth said, “I can bring the boat as it’s not far from here. We’ve hidden it pretty well so I can show you where it is.”
Dr. Edwin left to get the explosives and Dr. Miles said he could row very well. Dan and Dana felt the excitement and wondered what the explosion would be like.
By five pm all was ready to go and the row boat tucked away for safe keeping. As luck would have it the main bridge was in the upright position to block road traffic and let ships in and out of the harbor. The secondary bridge to the prison was what they needed to eliminate to stop the monsters from attacking.
The clan debated whether or not to wait until the monsters arrived before blowing the bridge, but it was decided to not take a chance. At five thirty Rich blew the bridge sending chunks of bridge flying everywhere. The almost one hundred foot bridge was literally gone. James could see the Humvee across the way. He sure hopped Ruth was correct that they didn’t like water and wouldn’t use a boat to cross the water. Time
would tell. Regardless, they would set up a watch system with the dogs on alert in shifts.
Meanwhile the group discovered the special housing units, but decided against that idea and opted for dormitory style living for the time being.
****
The next morning about an hour before daylight, James took the next and last shift. He had a nice set of binoculars to look at the far side of the mainland. He saw nothing moving and said to Dan, “Nothing moving yet Dan. I hate waiting but that’s what we must do at this point in time.”
“Do you think they will try and find a boat to come and attack us,” asked Dan.
“If they do they are up against our RPG that we can use against them. I suppose they could come across at night but I think that’s doubtful.”
They sat in silence for awhile and as it started to get light James looked to the mainland and saw something moving. He said, “Dan, something or someone is moving on the mainland. Ah yes, I can see a group stirring around.” James handed the binocs to Dan and he gazed at the far shore. With his young eyes he could plainly see a group of living things moving around waving their arms.
Dan felt small and vulnerable as he thought if it were just him and his sister they would be in big trouble. It wasn’t long and the whole clan was standing looking across the water at the mainland. The binocs was passed around and everyone had a chance to see the monsters in real life.
Nancy said, “Those things are damn scary and I thank you guys for having the knowledge to thwart their attack.
The leader of the monsters said, “For the time being my idiots, we have been stopped from enjoy a nice meat dinner. Now let’s not this stop us, but we must figure a way to get them to come across to us over here.”
END PART ONE
Part Two forward:
The research ship “Flightless” departs Long Beach with a crew of nine humans and three German shepherds. The first stop is Mexico where they hope to find some wild vegetables and fruit to eat.
Our survivors, on the downside, experience hardship, sickness, death, romance and deceit. On the upside, friendships are formed, new life is coming and some unexpected benefits and unforeseen obstacles present challenges for all.
Part Two is scheduled for publication late summer of 2012.
Just a note from the author:
Many novels have been written about the end [almost] of life on earth for one reason or another. I have attempted to show how it really might be after a biological plague eliminates most of life on earth. The details of daily life are evident for all to see and experience. Put yourself in the novel and enjoy the vicarious experience of a lifetime.
Robert [Bob] Waggoner
Flightless Page 8
