Trudge: Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse

by Shawn Chesser

  Cade climbed into the truck and turned the key in the ignition. The V8 rumbled to life. He punched the remote button that started the garage doors plodding upward movement. Achingly slow it revealed the sunny outside and the giant rotting roadblock standing five feet away. He was missing most of his left arm, with each step the stub twitched like a dogs cropped tail. Along with the arm, most of the flesh was missing from one leg leaving the white femur and kneecap exposed all the while lending to his slow gait.

  At first sight of the truck and its occupants the one armed gargantuan started moaning, alerting the other walkers of his find.

  The ghouls swarmed inside the house through the broken front window, spilled into the garage and began banging on the back of the SUV.

  “Go, go, go….!” Ike screamed hysterically from the back seat of the Sequoia, staring eye to eye with Cade’s dead next door neighbor, Dave. Judging from his condition, he wasn’t here to borrow tools.

  The instant the door was fully opened, Cade gunned the truck forward. Several undead now flanked the driveway. They pawed at the closed side windows as the 3 ton truck sucked the muscular one armed ghoul under the front skid guard, its skull popped like an overripe melon as a rear wheel rolled over it.

  Cognizant of the ghoul filled garage behind them, he stopped the SUV momentarily to survey the scene across the street. There was no sign of Rawley.

  Chapter 13

  Day 2 Southeast Portland

  The walkers were converging on them from both directions. From the west came the most walkers he had seen yet. Cade noticed that the more walkers there were in a group, the faster they seemed to move.

  Easing out onto the road fronting his house he paused to steal a last glance at the home that he grew up in.

  He planned to creep slowly east up the street, and try to get as many of the dead to follow them as they could. At this slow of a pace the walkers were crowding around trying to get into the truck. The ones that were too slow to get out of the path of the truck ended up fleshy speed bumps. The trucks windows were getting smeared with gore from the zombie’s attempts to get at them.

  In the rear view mirror Cade noticed flashing headlights; it was Rawley in the Bronco trying to get his attention. He pulled over to the right on the shoulder and waited.

  Rawley opened his window as he pulled up next to the Sequoia.

  “Man, those fucks were getting thick out there. Your house was on the verge of getting overrun also”

  “A couple of them broke my front window, right as we were finishing loading up the gear. Persistent bastards aren’t they” Cade said.

  “Persistent is an understatement. I was hoping to ride this out at home. You’re right, those fucks are very determined. Were lucky, it looked like we both got out of there just in the nick of time. Hey, I need to thank you for stepping in when you did. Where the hell did they all come from anyway?" asked Rawley.

  "The two that saw you unloading supplies alerted the others in the area when they started that fucking moaning”

  “I had no idea that it was that bad, but I wanted to get some groceries just in case” Rawley said.

  “What store was open?” Cade queried him.

  “The only one that I found was the Mini Mart on Holgate. I had to use my credit card because every marked price was jacked up twenty fold. I had no beer in my house either, I got their last case. That little bit of stuff ran me four hundred dollars. The beer alone was half of the cost. No worries though, if I ever see another credit card statement I’ll be amazed. Shits changed forever man.”

  Nodding his head in agreement Cade said “You hit the nail on the head. I was hunkered down in my house since this all started. I have to confess though. I haven’t been very neighborly lately. I had to kill Ted from around the block....he left me little choice.”

  An incredulous look adorned his face as Rawley asked what happened.

  Sparing no detail Cade told him about his first introduction to this new reality.

  Shaking his head, “Heavy shit man. If I turn into one of those fuckers, please finish me quickly will ya?” Rawley implored his neighbor, with a deadly serious look thrown in for good measure.

  Reaching into the center console Cade said "Take this".

  A two way radio sailed through Rawley’s open window. "10-1, is the channel we will be on, were heading southeast to find Brook and Raven. Along the way I hope to help these two find some family."

  “Mind if I tag along?”

  “We could use another set of eyes and ears. Just wondering, where did you learn to shoot like that?”

  “I come from a family of hunters. I’ve been hunting since I was six or seven. I like to shoot recreationally as well”

  “And the SKS…”

  “Oh this little guy” he said patting the rifle on the seat next to him “I bought it at a gun show quite some time ago. Hell of a fun weapon to shoot!”

  Cade smirked, “Yeah I could tell.”

  They had been sitting on the side of the road for a few moments before Leo interrupted.

  “There are some of those dead thingys coming.”

  Cade saw the walkers. They were far enough away that they weren’t a threat, but there was also a small compact car, with those stupid blinding blue headlights, closing very fast from the same direction.

  Rawley attempted to wave the car around but the driver locked the brakes and slewed the gaudy Nissan to a sudden stop in front of the two SUVs.

  The neon-green import sported a rear wing that belonged on a top fuel dragster. Low-rider was an understatement. The car sat so low it nearly scraped the pavement. The car’s occupants glared at them. The passenger in the front seat was a Hispanic male wearing black wraparound sunglasses. A bloody do rag covered his head, gang banger style. Sitting in the rear passenger side of the four door Maxima was an Em-n-Em wannabe white kid with bad acne, he was brandishing a chrome semi-automatic pistol. The front seat passenger flashed an Ingram Mac-10 machine pistol. He had a shit eating grin on his face and his gold grill glinted in the sun. The driver was mostly obscured from view.

  Not impressed, Rawley and Cade produced their own guns. A bright crimson beam emanated from the SKS and settled on Slim Shady’s neck. Cade leveled his M4, safety off, hand on the fore-grip and steadied the barrel next to his side mirror while keeping the door between him and the gang bangers.

  Leo stared straight ahead, slowly sinking into the front passenger seat.

  "Smoke the banger fucks" Ike said from the back seat.

  “They may leave us no choice Ike” Cade said in a hushed voice without removing his eyes from the carjackers.

  “Mind your own business bro and get your head down” Leo said, playing the parent role.

  The banger in the front seat spoke, "Were MS13 fool and we takin those trucks, motherfuckers…."

  Cade didn’t let him finish, “Looks like were in disagreement here fellas! Move the car and we go our separate ways…no conditions. I'll count to three. One..."

  He only made it to one before the dumb ass in the front seat started to swing the muzzle of the machine pistol in Cade’s direction.

  Their true intentions made known, Cade caressed the trigger on his carbine, the .223 caliber round went through the bangers gold grill, demolishing every tooth in his mouth and severed his carotid artery before exiting below his right ear. He flashed a surprised look on his toothless mug as he voided his bowels and slumped forward dying. The impact spun his shades from his face and the bloody bandana flew off, revealing a festering bite wound on his clean shaven dome.

  Simultaneously Rawley’s perfectly placed three round burst, impacted right where the laser was aimed, erasing the Em-n-Em wannabes acne addled face.

  In the split second that followed, the panicked driver of the low-rider popped the clutch and mashed the accelerator to the firewall. The little sports car fishtailed and sped away out of control. The horrible sound of tearing metal and breaking glass followed as he wrapped it around a tel
ephone pole 50 yards down the street. The pole shuddered and swayed but didn’t fall.

  The undead were only a hundred feet away and steadily approaching, drawn by the accident and gunfire.

  Cade and Rawley got back into their vehicles and drove towards the crumpled Maxima. The destroyed car now steadily leaked water and antifreeze.

  After slowly rolling to a stop next to the mangled car, Cade put the Sequoia into park and got out. While he was looking inside the wreck, another car stopped.

  "Oh my God is everything OK?” said a frantic, middle aged lady. Her car was loaded to the roof with what appeared to be all of her worldly belongings.

  “It is now" Cade said giving her a tip of his ball cap.

  Eyeballing the two pistols on his person and the big machine gun in his hand she stammered “I, I, I’ll call the police” as she sped away with the phone to her ear, calling 911.

  Good luck, Cade thought.

  While they were interacting with the Good Samaritan the toothless passenger reanimated and was fighting the airbag to get at Cade.

  The driver, while still alive, was just coming to the realization that his legs were crushed and his midsection was stuck behind the steering wheel, worst of all he was within biting range of his undead homie.

  Cade saw that the white boy in the backseat had been head shot by Rawley. He was the lucky one and would stay dead.

  Pinned and helpless, the driver started screaming and calling out for his mom as the undead passenger bit his neck and tore away a mouthful of flesh and muscle. Blood sprayed everywhere while the attack continued.

  Rawley asked Cade, “Aren’t you going to put them out of their misery?"

  "Not a chance in hell. Thankfully some things are worse than death."

  Chapter 14

  Day 2 Felony Flats, Outer Southeast Portland

  The encounter with the hoodlums was an eye opener. Not only were the dead a threat but so were the living. Anarchy would be close on the heels of the breakdown of society. Most people had no idea that there was only a thin veneer protecting them from their comfortable lives and the end of civilization as they know it. It happened most recently during hurricane Katrina in the South and it was happening everywhere now. From now on it was a dog eat dog world. Cade really wasn’t surprised that no one responded to the automatic weapons fire in a residential neighborhood. Cops and soldiers are people too, when the shit hits the fan their families and loved ones go to the top of the list. This he understood all too well.

  “Folks we are now on our own. Shoot first and ask questions later” Cade said loudly to anyone within earshot as he reloaded his rifle.

  It was still morning and there was very little traffic but it was going the wrong way. Usually there would be a torrent of vehicles heading downtown to start the 9-5 grind.

  Cade made a conscious decision to travel the back roads while they were still close to Portland and then altogether avoid the bigger cities they would encounter later. Soon the surge out of town would exponentially increase and he wanted to be ahead of the curve. There was an old highway that paralleled I-84 along the Columbia River; it was the one they planned to travel.

  Cade struck up a conversation with Leo. "I’ve seen you guys riding your bikes in the neighborhood. How long have you two lived there?" he was careful not to bring up their parents, considering what he had done to save the kids from their perch in the tree house.

  Cade thought, what the hell am I doing? Remember to keep things professional.

  “I guess since about third grade for me" Leo said.

  Ike piped up from the back seat, "I was a baby when we moved in."

  "How old are you guys now?”

  “I’m nine" Ike said.

  Leo exclaimed “I’m seventeen and I just got my driver’s license at the start of the summer”

  Cutting their conversation short, Rawley’s voice came over the two way radio. "Come in. Hey, are you guys there?"

  Cade grabbed his radio from the center console, "I hear you what's up?"

  "I’ve been watching my rearview since we had to shoot up those assholes back there. Don't look now but half of the ARMY is crawling up our ass."

  The radio in Cades hand beeped as Rawley let go of the transmit button. A convoy of noisy military vehicles overtook them at fifty miles per hour. Both SUVs slowed and moved aside. They were still in the city but the thoroughfare was lightly travelled. There were two Humvees, three Bradley fighting vehicles, and four more Humvees bringing up the rear.

  The long haired Rawley caught icy glares from the sunglass clad troopers riding shotgun in the trailing vehicles. He keyed his mike, “where do you suppose they are going?".

  "I don’t want to be anywhere near where they’re going... As far as I could tell they were in full battle rattle and frosty as hell. Also you don't just drive a Bradley Fighting Vehicle in an American city unless you plan on using it" Cade said.

  "What do you think they are going to be doing?” Ike persisted.

  "With that many fully armed Bradleys, Humvees and a platoon of soldiers all heading towards the Interstate… my guess is that they will be setting up roadblocks on the Interstate and the Bridges. They probably have been ordered to stop travel between Oregon, Washington and Idaho."

  "We better find a back road then" Leo said.

  Cade called Rawley on the two way, “I’ve been thinking, we should go out the old historic highway that runs along I-84 circumventing traffic and roadblocks until we get near Hood River.”

  Keying his mike Rawley answered “I concur.”

  Chapter 15

  Day 2 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

  Brook helped Carl wrap their parent’s bodies in their favorite comforters. They gently placed them side by side in the tin garden shed. They barely fit into the cramped space. Their parents deserved to be buried, but considering the dire circumstances it was the best they could do.

  Raven looked on, a tear made a slow descent down her cheek as the padlock clicked shut. She bowed her head thinking to herself, I just want to wake up from this nightmare, please.

  "Raven", her mom called out.

  "Grab your bag, were leaving with Uncle Carl, right now!"

  Snapping out of her funk, Raven did as she was told.

  Carl looted his late parent’s pantry and loaded up the truck. He drove, Raven was in the back and her mom was in the passenger seat armed with the loaded shotgun.

  It was still early and Carl decided to gamble and head for the interstate. They rounded the corner leaving the cul-de-sac and Brook let out an audible sigh. Smoke dominated the horizon from the multiple fires downtown. They drove inland; the traffic at this hour was still light.

  Two Black Hawk helicopters, flanked by Apache gunships bristling with rockets under their stubby wings, roared overhead flying very low on a northern heading up the coast. If she had to venture a guess, Brook thought, they must be heading to Fort Bragg. She knew those were the kind of black helicopters that Cade used to ride in on the secretive missions that Delta Force frequently undertook. They left Myrtle Beach without a real plan except to somehow reunite with Cade.

  Carl was a forty-five year old, bald, divorcee, overweight and a little out of shape. He was also a recovering alcoholic with a great wit and a jaded outlook on life. Being six-foot-four he struck an imposing figure. Around Raven he was a big teddy bear. With Brook, Carl always played the big brother role; he was almost 10 years older than his little sister and overly protective. He had even vetted all of her boyfriends, going so far as to return to his old high school and spy on them without her knowledge. More than one of her suitors did not pass the "Carl" litmus test and were intimidated into finding someone else to date. Carl wasn't sold on Cade at first, upon finding out that he had volunteered to go into harm’s way; his opinion instantly changed 180 degrees. The man was a great father to Raven, Carl’s favorite niece. Brook glowed in his presence. If there was anything he could do to help them find Cade he was all in.

&nbs
p; Chapter 16

  Day 2 Interstate 84, outside of Portland

  The US Army’s moving screen served the two vehicle convoy well. Cade followed about a 1000 yards behind them, Rawley’s vehicle was close behind.

  The Troutdale exit would take them to the old highway. Cade saw brake lights flash on up ahead as the military convoy came to a halt. A moment later, as the Sequoia neared the stopped vehicles the military convoy they had been tailing was waved through and pulled away.

  There was an Oregon State Police Dodge Charger stopped to the left partially blocking the road. The red and blue lights of the patrol car flashed hypnotically. The trooper wearing the trademark Smokey the bear hat put up his gloved hand. Cade came to a stop, turned off the engine and handed his military identification to the trooper.

  The trooper, eyes fixed on Cade, asked "What’s your destination?”

  Considering that the trucks were loaded with his camping gear he said “We are headed to Trillium Lake to do some camping; if the sites are all full then we’ll try Timothy Lake.”

  “Who are these kids travelling with you?" the lawman asked.

  "They’re my neighbor kids, it’s their first time camping.”

  “Have you been listening to the radio?” the trooper asked.

  “No we’ve been listening to CDs…why what’s up?”

  “So…you are not aware that the State of Oregon is currently under a declaration of martial law and that there were deadly viral outbreaks in Portland?”

  “I heard about some sick people but honestly I had no idea about the president’s decision. We had been planning this trip for a while. This weekend worked the best for Ike and Leo’s parents. They were going out of town on business and needed someone to watch these two anyway.”

  Ike and Leo gave each other the look only a sibling would understand; without words, it said they needed each other and had to stay strong to survive the loss of their parents. Both boys remained stoic during the troopers questioning.