Operation Z | Book 1 | Uprising
Page 19
“I’ll look out the window with the night vision scope. Maybe I’ll be able to recognize something,” Donald said.
He scanned the area where Matthew detected the shadow in the camera. Donald found nothing out of place. Not a man, zombie, or even an animal roamed the woods. It must be a reflection on the lens.
Gwen walked over as he finished up the scan. “See anything?”
“No, it must have been something on the lens or a camera malfunction. We’ll keep our eyes open and let the next watch know.”
Neither Donald, Gwen, nor Matthew saw anything else that evening. They told Natasha, Helen, and Betty to keep their eyes open during their watch. The shadow would nag at Donald’s mind and kept sleep out of reach for the rest of the evening.
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Matthew’s eleventh birthday approached, and things had settled down at the camp. Donald and Gwen decided to take him on a surprise camping trip to celebrate his big day. They discovered the lake shortly after they arrived at the cabin, and it had been the ideal spot for a camping trip. It wasn’t far as the crow flies, but required a two-hour drive on the roads from the cabin. They packed one of the electric Jeeps with the supplies and equipment they would need for their trip. Besides Gwen and Matthew, Natasha had been the only other person who Donald trusted with their plans. She gave him tips on how to stay safe while they were away camping. He thought she was being paranoid, but she replied, “Paranoia has kept me alive in many dangerous situations.” He added the items she had suggested to the gear in the back of the Jeep.
The drive had been uneventful, even if it had been long. Thanks to how remote this part of Maine had been, they rarely came across more than a zombie or two at a time. If they stayed in Boston, they would have fought with a new horde each day. Population density was directly proportional to zombie density. They hadn’t seen another living human survivor for almost a full year now.
Once they reached the camp, Donald took the precautions Natasha suggested before he set up the solar charger and the tent. The Jeep’s batteries were dead after the drive, and the solar charger would take 24 hours to replenish them. Plenty of time to enjoy themselves and the fresh icy spring water of this remote lake. It cooled their overheated skin on a hot and humid summer day.
Donald felt the stress melt away as they spent their afternoon together at the lake. Gwen and Matthew both visually relaxed as the day wore on. Playing on the shore of the lake with the two people he loved the most, made him forget all about the apocalypse happening around them. It felt like a normal summer vacation rather than a fight for their lives against flesh-eating monsters.
Then the ground shook from an explosion. Their heads turned as one and they saw the thick black cloud ascending toward the sky from the direction of their camp. What the hell?
Natasha’s advice had been to secure the approach to their camping area with the Claymore mines from the armory. Donald had surrounded the land side of their location before he set up their campsite. When a Claymore mine goes off, it fires shrapnel at the approaching enemies shredding everything up to 100 meters away.
As they looked to the sky in horror, two of the three Claymore mines in their protective bubble went off. Donald grabbed his Desert Eagle and prepared for the coming battle.
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Acknowledgements
There were many people who provided support and help as I created this novel. I’m thankful for each and everyone of you, but I’d like to point out a few individuals who went above and beyond.
A special thanks to Dan J Hall for his editing, encouragement, support, and friendship. He has read this book more than I have over its development.
Thank you to my alpha reader, Carol Battaglia. She read each chapter as I initially wrote them and let me know what worked and what didn’t. Thanks for your support and friendship.
Thanks to the many beta readers who read my story and provided their feedback. The story wouldn’t be what it is today without your efforts. If you’d like to become a beta reader, you can head here and sign up.
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This is a work of fiction meaning the people and places discussed within are purely the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictional manner. Any resemblance to anyone living or dead (or living dead!) or any actual events is pure coincidence.
Copyright © 2021 G. D. Szepanski
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