Operation Z | Book 1 | Uprising

by Szepanski, G. D.

  It turned out the bridge had been farther away than she thought, but Amy pushed on as she sprinted toward it. When she arrived at the scene of destruction, someone would die. The sharp curve in the road before the bridge came into view and prevented her from having an unobstructed view of the bridge. Her heart pounded, and her breath drew in ragged bursts, but she continued to race ahead as hard as she could.

  As Amy rounded the corner, the bridge came into view, and she saw, NOTHING! Well, not quite nothing. The smoking carcass of the redneck’s pickup truck and a bunch of dead bodies dotted the bridge. Both the Airstream and SUV aren’t there. Amy’s brothers are AWOL too, and they left her without transportation and any supplies. If she weren’t so tough, Amy would have cried. Instead, she plotted her revenge against them all for the failure they caused her.

  CHAPTER 18 - DONALD BISHOP

  AS THEY WALKED toward the store, Donald spoke to the group. “Remember to stick together. We don’t need a repeat of the thrift shop disaster. Gwen and Betty keep your eyes open and watch our backs. Doc, you’ll be grabbing the medical supplies, and I’ll lead our little parade. Try anything stupid, Doc, and my first shot will be through your skull. Everyone understand their role?”

  Three nods and Doc kept his fat mouth shut this time. Walt’s Megastore Warehouse lay ahead of them, dark but full of useful stuff. Why do people loot all the TVs first during a disaster? They all carried a flashlight because of the gloom inside the building. In addition, each carried an empty duffel bag to fill with supplies from the store. They tried to think of everything for their looting incursion this time. Learn from past mistakes or continue to make them and die from your recklessness. Doc huffed and puffed before they even finished crossing the parking lot. It would be a long and horrible apocalypse for him. He’ll have a heart attack and die the first time they have to run from danger.

  The front door parted before them, even with the power off, and the store in total darkness. Donald hadn’t expected the door to open and hoped there wouldn’t be any other surprises waiting for them inside the store. There must be an emergency battery backup for when the power failed to allow shoppers to exit the building.

  The floor plan of this Walt’s Warehouse looked like every other store found anywhere in the country. They would find the pharmacy area in the front on the far side from the entrance they entered through. A few select emergency lights provided their glow, preventing the store from falling into total darkness. They all moved like a squad in combat, except for Doc. Doc's movements were slow, clumsy, and he breathed hard and sweated as if he had been running. He moved through the dark store like a crippled hippo stuck on dry land. Either his lack of physical conditioning or an overdose of adrenaline from fear had their effect on Doc’s sloppiness. Doc proved himself to be a coward since he willingly gave up his trophy wife to secure his own safety in the group. If they hadn’t needed his help, they would have left Doc behind to fend for himself.

  They reached the pharmacy and found the security gate left wide open. It looked like the pharmacist had simply gone to lunch and forgot to lock up behind them. More than likely another group of survivors had already broken in and picked through the drugs behind the counter. But Donald hoped they would find what they needed.

  “OK, you’re on Doc. Take the bags and fill them with the drugs we’ll need. Think about the injuries and sickness that may affect us. Don’t be stingy, because no one will come to restock us later.”

  His hands trembled as Doc took the bag and entered the pharmacist’s area. Donald hoped this guy didn’t have his heart attack here. If he did, they would leave him behind. An entry level medical resident had more value than this pig.

  “Keep your eyes open,” Donald reminded Gwen and Betty. He said it to remind himself too, since he remembered how he became distracted and let his guard down in the thrift shop. It had been almost a fatal mistake for all of them if it hadn’t been for Betty.

  They hadn’t run across any obstacles. But then Betty whispered. “I see someone moving in the shadows.” She pointed further back into the store.

  “Doc, you keep grabbing what we need. You two remain alert. I will go and check it out.”

  Donald headed to the left of the point where Betty saw the movement to flank this adversary. He wouldn’t take any more chances with strangers. First Sean and Joan and then Amy and her brothers. Not to mention the zombies who roamed around looking to attack and make them into a snack. This apocalypse hadn’t been a time to trust others or let your guard down. Either could be fatal.

  Donald crept down and around the aisle until he had the man in his sights. He tried to hide in the aisle while he held a shotgun. “Slowly, put the gun down and keep your hands where I can see them. Don’t do anything stupid.”

  “Donald… Is that you?”

  “No way! Tom? What are you doing here? I haven’t seen you since we were teenagers!”

  Donald pointed his shotgun away from his old friend.

  “After graduation, I joined the Marines. It turned out I wasn’t crazy about being a squad leader. So, I took the opportunity at my next re-up to retire and leave the Marines for good. I came home and took a position in security at Walt’s place. Until you showed up, I had thought I was the last man standing.” Tom said.

  “There isn’t anyone else in the store?”

  “No one living, that I am aware of. I’ve been here for the last few days since I’ve got nothing or no one waiting for me anywhere else.”

  “I have a group of people traveling with me. We planned on stocking up on some supplies and then heading up to my father’s cabin to ride this out. Come with us. I could use another friend and ally. Put your Marine training and combat experience to good use.”

  “Hmm, let me think about it. Hell yeah, man! There is nothing left here for me. I need some human company. It will be good to have someone I trust.”

  “Do all of Walt’s security forces get shotguns?”

  He laughed. “No, I did my own hunting and gathering here in the store when things turned bad. There is plenty of ammo and a few more weapons in sporting goods section.”

  “Ammo we can use, but I have better weapons outside.”

  As they walked back toward the pharmacy area, both Beth and Gwen jumped to attention and pointed their weapons at the newcomer.

  “Stand down, ladies. You won’t believe this, but this is Tom Johnson. We grew up together in Virginia. He’ll be joining us on our travels. Plus, as a bonus, he works here and knows this store. He’ll make our supply run go quicker.”

  Doc finished gathering the medical supplies, so they carried them out to the truck before returning to gather other necessities. Donald felt better having a trained Marine on duty along with the two ladies, so he strutted with a renewed confidence.

  As they exited the store, Helen asked, “Who is this?”

  “My name is Tom Johnson, ma’am. I grew up with Donald in Virginia. What’s your name?”

  “I’m Helen, and the little man is Matthew. The woman sulking over there is Natasha.”

  “I’m honored to meet you all. Let me finish helping Don with the shopping. Then we can get out of here. I don’t enjoy sitting out in the open.”

  “Next stop, food. Grab non-perishable items. Same team with Tom leading this time.” Donald said as a reminder about their mission.

  “You can count me out. I did my duty gathering the meds. Don’t forget I’m the valuable doctor.”

  “Sure, sit this one out then Doc.” It relieved Donald to not have the Doc liability accompany them in the store a second time. The 14-year-old girl had proved herself both tougher and more useful than this guy. How did he ever make it through medical school?

  ###

  By the time they finished hauling supplies from the store, both the trailer and the back of the truck overflowed with stuff. As best as Donald could tell, they had another 30 miles to travel before they reached the cabin. They needed to make it there before nightfall. Too many da
ngers to camp out on the road again another night.

  “Tom, there isn’t room inside the truck for another passenger. You can ride in the trailer.” Helen said. Her cheeks glowed and a grin bent her lips.

  Donald noticed Helen’s interest in Tom, and he appeared to enjoy her attention too.

  “No, that’s OK. I’ll take one of Don’s AR rifles and ride in the back of the truck. That will give me a 360 degree view to see any dangers.”

  As they got into the truck, Donald leaned over to Gwen and said in a voice only she could hear, “You know I’ve never been to this cabin? It might be a shack or hole in the ground. I just don’t know what we’ll find.”

  “Don, you got us this far. It will all work out. Don’t worry. All of us would be dead, or possibly worse if it weren’t for you.”

  Donald appreciated the faith Gwen had in him, but he wasn’t sure he deserved it. He felt like luck played a big part in his success too many times since they escaped Boston. Luck can run out at the wrong time and then you’re screwed. As they drove off, he said, “Gwen, there is a binder in the glove box. Max, my father’s lawyer, gave it to me, and it has information on the cabin. Pull it out so we can find the place.”

  ###

  They found the unmarked road exactly where the notebook said it would be located. It had been almost invisible if you didn’t know where to look because of a tunnel of trees that obscured the roadway. The road went on for a half mile before it ended at an enormous metal gate. A number pad laid by the side of the road in front of the gate. After they found no power on anywhere for the last two days, the number pad glowed red, and it shocked Donald. He punched in the six-digit code from the book, and the heavy gate groaned inward.

  A wide-open field lay on the far side of the gate, and the road continued on. They drove for another half mile before coming to another imposing metal gate. This barrier’s impenetrability impressed Donald more than the first. Another keypad glowed red before it. Donald consulted the notebook again before inputted the eight-digit code. The gate creaked and moaned as it slid to the side.

  On this side of the gate, he noticed the holes in the ground for pop up bollards beyond the gate. They encircled the entire entrance area opposite where the gate opened. Another open field and the road continued down the center. Donald couldn’t believe the amount of land his father owned here.

  As they approached the third gate, Donald noticed a deep moat dug around the outside of the fence. The fence itself was about 10 feet tall, and the trench another 10 to 15 feet deep. This gate stood straight up like a drawbridge. It required a 12-digit code and after Donald entered it crashed flat to the ground, leaving a flat driving surface to drive across. A gate slid aside behind it, allowing them access to the compound. Donald pulled through the gate and got his first look at the cabin in the woods. Donald couldn’t believe what he saw now that they had arrived at the camp.

  CHAPTER 19 - LT. THOMAS JOHNSON

  LT. THOMAS JOHNSON led a ten-man assault team responsible for guarding the prison transport convoy. His squad traveled between a detention center and a remote airfield location. Both destinations held high classified status and had the highest security known to the US military. They transported the worst war criminals to their ultimate destination. Johnson’s job didn’t include knowledge of what happened to them after the 25-klick trip they took in his care. He guessed tea and cucumber sandwiches didn’t await them. Deliver the cargo and then move on to their next mission.

  The team traveled at the darkest part of the night. No street lights illuminated the way in the desert, and the US Military had the advantage because of their night vision goggles. Their small convoy raced across the desert in the pitch black, to avoid enemy detection. A lead security vehicle, the armored prisoner carrier, and the rear guard made up the convoy. Fast, unpredictable movement kept them all alive and avoided any major enemy confrontations.

  Tonight’s mission goals would be the same as every other night. Lt. Johnson rode in the rear security vehicle per standard operating procedure. All ten men were alert and vigilant. One prisoner they transported tonight claimed number four from the top ten most wanted list. The first twelve klicks of their journey passed by without incident.

  Almost halfway home.

  Then the blackness of the night lit up like the summer sun, and a fireball vaporized the lead vehicle. Lt. Johnson never knew if an RPG or an IED hit them, but he continued to smell the burning flesh in nightmares. The prisoner transport truck skidded, spun, and flipped on its side across the road as the driver lost control. Their armored truck skidded to a stop and Lt. Johnson and his remaining men spread out in a defensive perimeter. Night blindness from the burning hulk of the lead vehicle prevented them from identifying the direction of their attackers. Their night vision had disappeared in an instant with the fiery explosion.

  Small arms fire seemed to erupt from every direction. The 50-caliber machine gun on the top of the armored truck roared along with the weapons of the remaining soldiers. An unknown force surrounded and outgunned Lt. Johnson while they sat at the furthermost point from any help. Johnson radioed for backup, knowing even now it might be too late in arriving.

  An RPG lit up the night and silenced the 50 caliber gun mounted on the truck. Another orange fireball made the inky desert night light up like a shooting star. Lt. Johnson knew the attackers wouldn’t destroy the prisoner transport vehicle because they planned this as a rescue mission. The enemy would leave no American survivors alive. Small arms fire continued to echo all around the soldiers, letting Johnson know his time had expired.

  A familiar noise in the distance drew closer and gave him a bit of hope. If only they arrived in time to save them. Enemy troops had lit up the night with their explosive attack, but the sky soon would be lit up with friendly fire. They just needed to survive long enough. Then the thunder and lightning arrived. Two gunships escorting three flying troop carriers carried a fast response assault team. Tracers from door machine guns and 20 mm Gatling Cannons made their presence known in the desert.

  The fifteen-man fast response crew secured the prisoners and eliminated the hidden enemy in a matter of seconds. Lt. Johnson and two men in his command survived the night thanks to the crew who came to their rescue. No prisoners escaped either.

  These were the war games Donald, Isaac, and Tom played as they grew up in Virginia. The three friends dreamed of the day when they would all enlist and become the tough fighting force the Marines needed to defend their country. By their 18th birthday, Tom had become an orphan who signed his life away to the Marines. Donald and Isaac had other plans that didn’t include accompanying their childhood friend off to war. It turned out the actual war had been nothing like the battles they envisioned as children, and he resented being abandoned to it by his so-called friends from his youth. Donald and Isaac never had what it took, and Tom wished he never had it either.

  ###

  Tom’s life experience and his veteran status got him the job as security chief for Walt’s Mega Store Warehouse in this nowhere town in Maine. It had been the town where he and his wife had lived, but she hadn’t waited for him to return from the war either. Unlike his time as a Marine, this go nowhere job never endangered his life, until recently. He only had to deal with rude customers, the occasional shoplifter or a drunken brawl in the parking lot.

  Things started going awry only a few days ago. Each morning more store staff called in sick, if they bothered to call at all. The ill staff came from every department in the store, not just his security crew. The media blamed the sickness plaguing the country on some new flu strain the CDC constantly droned on about. Colorful banners hung at the pharmacy, urged the customers to get their flu shot at Walt’s special discounted price. The CDC urged all old and young to comply before it became too late.

  The first strange event had been an attack in the parking lot. Tom rejoiced that the outside of the store wasn’t his jurisdiction, so he called the local sheriff to handle this dust up.
One customer jumped on top of another in the parking lot and started biting and scratching the first. There were plenty of witnesses based upon the screams that came from the front of the store. By the time Tom got outside, the two gladiators ran off through the woods together. Why would they fight with each other, draw blood, and then run off together? People in Maine are strange. He only lived here because this was where his ex-wife had grown up and he wanted to please her. What a mistake that had been.

  News of this strange event prevented many others from venturing out and shopping at the store. When the power blinked out, the remaining employees abandoned ship. Tom stayed in the dark store alone. He had no one to go home to anymore ever since the divorce. So, he walked back into Walt’s sporting goods department and took one of the discount 12 gauge shotguns out of the rack behind the counter. Tom didn’t understand what happened outside of the store, but he needed to be able to defend himself. He decided hiding in the store would be his best bet for the time being since there were plenty of supplies. Plus, he had nowhere else to go. His life had become pathetic after the military and the divorce.

  ###

  The store had some limited generator and battery backup capabilities, but it took no time for these systems to fail. For whatever reason, the main emergency generator never turned on, so it left the store running on the backups to the backup system. Tom knew how to maintain a gun because of his military training, but he didn’t have a clue on how to fix a diesel backup electrical power generator. He helped himself to breakfast and waited to see if anyone else would show up for work today. It wasn’t normal for everyone to skip out on work, but things hadn’t been routine for days now.

  Then Tom noticed two vehicles pulling into the parking lot. A large pickup truck pulled a large trailer made of shiny aluminum with Virginia plates on it. He only noticed the license plates because he grew up there and you didn’t see anyone from Virginia in this part of Maine. Why would they come here?