“Do you have any children, Major?” Fred asked quietly. She arched an eyebrow and scowled. “Betsy is my only child.” Fred continued. “She’s the only family I have left. For the past year, I’ve been asking myself what kind of a father am I to not go find her. It’s something I’ve got to try.”
“Los Angeles is a big town cowboy. Do you even know where to look?”
“All I have is the address of her apartment.”
“You’re fucking crazy, you know that?” She asked rhetorically.
Fred draped the towel across the back of a folding chair beside the door. “Probably. Would you be willing to fly me out there? You don’t have to stay. I can find my way back.”
Major Fowkes finished her drink and set it down. “Fred, you’re totally wrong on this one.”
“Am I? What would your father do?” Fred countered.
“Leave my fucking father out of this!” She suddenly shouted.
Fred looked at the floor, and slowly put his cowboy hat back on. “I apologize for troubling you. I’ll find my way back to the sergeant.” Fred walked out and was half a block away when he heard someone running up from behind. He stopped and waited for her.
“You’re going to try to drive all the way there, aren’t you.” She phrased it as a statement rather than a question.
“Yep.” Fred said, and then added. “I’ve made it a thousand miles already, so, I only have a thousand more to go. Unless you know of another pilot around here I could talk to, it looks like I’m going to have to drive.”
She sighed and shook her head. “Let’s go talk to General Shoemaker.”
Chapter 21 - Winter
Winter is supposed to officially begin on the twenty-first of December, the day when the sun is furthest from the planet. Someone didn’t get the memo. On the morning of the tenth, the rain began. As the sun set, it turned into an ice storm. It lasted most of the night.
We awoke the next morning to everything coated in a thick layer of ice. I’ve seen beautiful paintings and pictures of a frozen landscape, with glistening icicles hanging from tree limbs and waterways covered in a shiny sheet of ice. In reality, ice can destroy trees as easily as fire, lightning, or pestilence. It sure did a number on our radio antenna.
We had a few sunny days after, but it was a two-edged sword. The ice would melt a little bit, and then refreeze at night. On the fourteenth, it snowed. Beautiful, heavy snow flakes, almost eight inches worth. Not a great deal in the northern states, but quite a lot in Tennessee. The three of us gazed out of the window, looking at the snow covered fields.
“We’re most definitely snowbound.” Julie said. I nodded. “I wonder how everyone else is doing.” She said.
“I hope they’re okay.” Macie replied.
“Yeah, me too. I’m curious how the zombies who were outside are faring. I bet they’re frozen solid.” I said.
“We should try to go see Bernie and the Allens.” Macie said.
I shook my head. “When I tried to get out yesterday, there were several trees across the roads and there is a thick coat of ice under the snow.” I looked at the girls. “It’s too risky to travel right now. We’re stuck here.”
Macie groaned. “Cabin fever, here we come.” She said.
She was right. The first few days we spent all day rounding up the cattle and their newborn. As usual, the change in barometric pressure caused a lot of births. There were eight calves altogether. Julie made an offhanded comment about the only male getting around more than me was our bull.
Other than tending to our livestock and the greenhouse, we passed our off time by having contests of disassembling weapons and putting them back together. I had the three of us practice house clearing drills until they begged me to stop. When the sun went down, we either played cards or read to each other by lamplight.
By the beginning of the second week we were getting quite bored and irritable. We had built as many snowmen as we cared to, and the snowball fights were getting old. We discussed our options one evening after we had finished dinner.
“We’ve had a couple of sunny days. Maybe the snow is melting and we can go for a ride.” Macie opined. “What do you think Zach?”
“The temperature has stayed at or below freezing, so the roads probably haven’t thawed out very much. We’re stuck here a few more days I’d say. Maybe tomorrow, after we feed the animals, we can try to fix the radio antenna or even get out and saw up some of the fallen trees. The first day it’s decent, we’ll try to go visit.”
Julie sighed. “So what do we do in the meantime?” She asked nobody in particular.
Macie raised her hand. “I know!” She jumped up and went to the cupboard. Julie and I looked at each other questioningly. She closed the door and turned around with a bottle of whiskey.
“Where did you find that?” I asked, pointing at the bottle.
“It was hidden behind some junk on a shelf in the barn.” She said. I laughed. Rick probably had bottles of whiskey hidden in all kinds of places.
“Oh, I’ve got one more thing.” She opened another cabinet and retrieved a package of stale Twinkies. She took one out, and put a small, well used candle in the center of it.
“So, what is the occasion?” I asked as she lit it.
Macie looked at me like I already knew. “We’ve totally forgotten your birthday.”
Julie gasped and looked at me. I shrugged.
“When was your birthday, Zach?” Julie asked.
“Last month.” I said. I turned seventeen in November. I shrugged again. “It’s no big deal.” I leaned forward and blew out my candle.
“Oh, my God.” She exclaimed. “I had totally forgotten. I am so sorry.”
“I’m sorry too, Zach.” Macie said. “Please forgive us.”
I held my hands out. “All is forgiven if you give me one of those Twinkies.” I said. “Besides, we have something more to celebrate.” They again looked at me curiously. I took the bottle of whiskey, Jack Daniels black label, and poured a shot into three glasses. At my cue the three of us held up our glasses.
“Here’s to Christmas Eve.” Both of them opened their mouths in a silent O. I chuckled and took a sip of my drink. They followed.
“Holy shit, I’ve totally lost track of the days.” Julie said, and sipped some more.
“Me too.” Macie said. She downed her whiskey and choked. “This shit is strong.” She coughed out. We laughed at her as I stood up.
“Okay. Before it gets too dark out, I have something in the barn I need to get. I’ll be right back.” Julie started to say something. I held up a finger. “It’s a surprise.”
I walked back in a minute later carrying a large cardboard box. I set it down and took off my jacket.
“What’s in the box?” Julie asked.
I smiled. “Why it’s filled with Christmas presents.” The two of them gasped in unison. I set it down, away from their prying eyes. “I believe I’ll have another taste of whiskey.” I held up my glass expectantly. Macie quickly poured and I smiled appreciatively.
“Why don’t you two sit on the couch, I’ll get some wood on the fire, and we’ll get started.” They sat down and Julie lit a couple of candles. I dragged the old wingback chair close to the coffee table.
“Okay, the first presents are,” I reached into the box. “Sports bras and socks.” I smiled as their faces lit up and reached for them.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten the correct sizes. Oops, uh-oh. We’ve forgotten a tradition. Every time you get a present, you have to take a sip.” They readily obeyed. Macie did not cough this time.
“Okay, second present…” And on it went. I had stocked up on several female items when Howard and I cleared the Walmart of its stinking guardians. They oohed and aahed every time I pulled something out, whether it was a bottle of shampoo, bras and panties, or a box of tampons. By the time I was down to the last of the presents, the girls were giggling drunk. I was pretty lubricated as well.
“And now, for the sem
i-grand finale.” I said, and pulled out two pairs of pajamas, the kind with footies and drawings of cartoon characters on them.
“Oh, these are awesome!” Macie exclaimed as she held them up. Julie giggled.
“What, you didn’t get us any makeup?” Julie asked after taking another sip of whiskey. “I’m joking, I’m joking. Thank you for all of the presents sweetheart.” She blew me a kiss.
I smiled pleasantly. “There is no need for makeup anymore.” Julie started to protest but I held my hand up. “However, never let it be said I’m not learning a little bit about women.” I reached into the box and pulled out a small, travel makeup case.
“And, one more final present for you two. I imaging you’d want to wait until it’s a little bit warmer before wearing these.” I pulled out two pair of black nighties.
“Now bear in mind they’re from Walmart and not Victoria’s secret.” I said. The two of them gasped. Julie got up and grabbed me in a hug. Macie followed suit. Julie then grabbed the makeup case and some of the other items.
“Okay big boy, you stay in here. Macie and I are going to fix ourselves up.” Macie smiled and followed Julie into the bedroom, but not before grabbing the nighties and grinning at me. I put another log on the fire before sitting back and enjoying some more Jack Daniels. It had a pleasant burning sensation as it went down my throat. I heard them talking and giggling as I pulled my boots off and placed them beside the door.
They came out twenty minutes later. Both of them had their faces made up, and they were wearing the black nighties, the new panties, and nothing else. I had to admit they looked very seductive and hoped my ogling was not obvious. They giggled as they sat down on the couch across from me.
“Do you like?” Julie asked. I must admit I did. Very much. I stammered out a yes. Macie refilled our glasses.
“Let’s do something.” She looked at us mischievously. “How about a drinking game?” Julie bounced up and down in agreement, which caused her breasts to jiggle under the nightie.
“Okay, but I can’t drink anymore. I’m pregnant remember?” She burst out laughing at her own joke.
“I know. We can play truth or dare.” Macie readily agreed. “You first Zach, truth or dare?” Julie challenged.
And so it started. The three of us, snowed in, each suffering from cabin fever, a bottle of alcohol, a crackling fire, soft candle light, two gorgeous teenage girls sitting there wearing nothing but nighties and a smile. The rest was entirely predictable.
I was the first one to wake up the next morning. The three of us were an entanglement of arms, legs, nighties, and blankets. My bladder was begging in protest and my head was throbbing. I took care of the bladder first, swallowed some aspirin, and found some of my clothes in the den. Managing to get them on, I went outside and turned the generator on. I sat quietly in the den until I felt the water was hot enough, and then snuck into the shower.
I didn’t regret what had happened. Hell, from what I could remember, I had the time of my life. Still, for some reason I felt guilty. As I let the spray work on my pounding head, I sensed someone getting in the shower behind me, followed by a pair of hands rubbing my back. I turned around and faced Julie. She let the spray hit her in the face, got a mouth full of water, and spit it on my chest.
“I’ve got a bad case of cock breath.” She said. I couldn’t help but laugh, which was not conducive to helping my headache. Julie laughed too, and then groaned. “Oh, I’ve forgotten how bad a hangover feels. We should give up alcohol and only smoke weed when we want to party.” She took the soap out of my hand and began lathering me up. When she was finished she gave the soap back to me.
“My turn.” She said. I returned the favor. “Did you have a good time last night?” She asked.
“I must admit I did. What I can remember of it anyway.” I looked at her. “So, why do I feel guilty?”
Julie scoffed as she rinsed off. “Because deep down you’re still an old fashioned guy.” She turned around, pulled my head down, and kissed me. “Let me help you ease your troubled mind. We’re together now, the three of us. One day it may change. In the meantime you’ve got us and we have you.”
I leaned my head down to Julie’s ear. “But I love you. I don’t love Macie.”
Julie scoffed. “You could have fooled me the way you were last night.” She grinned at me and nudged me out of the shower. “I’m going to wash my hair. Wake Macie up and tell her to get in here.”
Chapter 22 – Fred
Fred and Major Fowkes were escorted into the General’s office by a slender black man wearing thick horn-rimmed glasses. He bore the rank of a Senior Master Sergeant. Major Fowkes stopped in front of a desk occupied by an older bald man looking out of his window. She came to attention and rendered a salute.
“Sir!” She said, all the while holding the salute. The General did not turn.
“At ease, Major.” He said, before swiveling in his chair and facing them.
General Shoemaker was in his late fifties, with clear blue eyes augmented by wire framed glasses. With the exception of the hair growing out of his ears, he was clean shaven, including his head. He stood briefly and shook Fred’s hand before returning to his seat.
“Welcome to Tinker. I’m General Thomas Shoemaker.” He said. Fred shook his outstretched hand.
“Fred McCoy. It’s pleasure to meet you.”
“Are you a citizen of Oklahoma City?” The General asked.
“No sir, I’m from Tennessee.” Fred replied.
The General widened his eyes in surprise. “Oh? All the way from Tennessee, you say? What brings you out here?”
Before Fred explained, Major Fowkes jumped in. “He’s on his way to Los Angeles to try to find his daughter. He wants me to fly him.”
General Shoemaker eyed them both before responding. “Tell me Mister McCoy, how is Tennessee?”
“About the same as it is here. There are a lot of dead people, a lot of those infected people wandering around, and a few survivors. There was a National Guard Barracks in south Nashville, but they had a mutiny of some sort. Some of the soldiers were killed as a result, and a lot of them were killed fighting the zombies.”
“Ah yes, zombies. It seems to be a popular term to describe them.” He turned and pointed out of the window. “At one time, Tinker was home to the 72nd Air Base Wing. The number of our personnel was well over ten thousand. Now, all that is left is twenty-two people, five of whom are civilians.” He swiveled and looked back out of his window. “There was a mass infection of our personnel. Several people died in an attempt to contain them. Then, we sadly realized it was better to kill them, which we did. But, there were too many. Hordes of them would come on post. They never slept, there were no discernable tactics. They simply – came.” He turned back around and faced us.
“We realized later of course they were attracted to the lights, and the noise of the aircraft, so I ordered them grounded. We also lost a lot of lives before we realized shooting them center mass was a wasted effort.” He leaned forward. “You have to kill the brain. That is what is infected, the brain.”
“Yes sir, we learned that as well.” Fred said. General Shoemaker leaned back in his chair and studied Fred.
“The very first thought I had when Major Fowkes said you wanted a plane ride was the cost of the fuel. Aviation fuel is very expensive and I am, was, responsible for the operating costs of the base.” He rocked in his chair with his hands forming a steeple in front of his face. Finally, he looked over at the Major.
“What do you think, Major Fowkes?” He asked.
“The odds are pretty good his daughter is dead, or worse. But, we’ve not conducted any aerial reconnaissance since you grounded me, sir.” She said.
“You’re itching to get some flying in.” The General commented.
“We have a C130 set up with video surveillance equipment. It has an auxiliary fuel tank in the cargo hold, so we’ll have enough range. Also, the GPS satellites are still online. We might gather
some good intel.” She glanced over at Fred. “Besides, the fuel is going to go bad eventually. We may as well use it while we can, sir.”
General Shoemaker swiveled in his chair and resumed staring out the window. “File a flight plan with the Master Sergeant. Give me a briefing when you return, Major. Dismissed.”
Chapter 23 – A New Year
We encountered over twenty trees across the roads leading to Bernie’s house. We started with handsaws in order to minimize noise, but there were too many. Reluctantly, we resorted to chainsaws. Otherwise, it would have taken a week to clear them all. We cleared the last tree about a tenth of a mile from Bernie’s house.
As I suspected, the noise of the chainsaws attracted some zombies. Not many, only five. They moved so slowly it was easy to forget how deadly they could be.
“Who wants to try their hand with a machete?” I asked.
“I will!” Macie said. She took the machete and approached the one leading the pack. He appeared to be a middle aged, diminutive man, wearing jeans and a flannel shirt. She raised the machete in the air, and brought it down in a tomahawk chop on the top of his head. He dropped to the street.
“It’s stuck!” Macie shouted when she could not pull the machete free. The other zombies closed in on her. She yelped and ran back toward us. I laughed and took out the rest of them with my revolver. We dragged them to the side of the road, got a fire going and stood watching them burn
“I’m not used to this manual labor.” Macie lamented. “My arms are going to be so sore and I have two blisters.” She rubbed them tenderly. Julie concurred. I chuckled.
“I think we caught a lucky break. There have been very few zeds in this neck of the woods, nothing like downtown Nashville.” The girls agreed.
“The good thing about it, we’re going to have plenty of firewood.” Then I added a comment. “Besides, I don’t want my girls to be wimps with toothpick sized arms. This is a good workout.” I got a couple of groans in response.
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