The Fortress

by Michael Scattergood

  The bullets flew by the zombies, with a couple landing in the zombie bodies, barely slowing them. Bullets flew into neighbor’s cars (not that they were using them), trees, one even shattered a glass basketball hoop backboard. Tracey took a deep breath to regroup, and took one out with a headshot, then another, then ran out of ammo. Jordyn took a third one out.

  “How do I reload?” Tracey yelled over the sound of the bullets. Jordyn passed her another clip in between shots. Tracey looked at it, and then the gun. “But how do I put it in?” She yelled back.

  As she said this, Nick was yelling from inside. Jordyn couldn’t make out what the words were, but they heard banging and clawing from behind the door. Everything was going wrong at once. The two remaining zombies were within 50 yards now. Jordyn was overwhelmed as she too ran out of ammo. Tracey had figured it out right as Jordyn emptied, and gave Jordyn her loaded gun, taking her gun and fresh clip.

  “Keep going!” Tracey shouted as she reloaded the second gun in no time. The two zombies were in their next door neighbor’s lawn now, barreling towards them. Jordyn aimed and took one out immediately, just one more. Jordyn was close enough to make out a face on him. Seeing that it even had a face shocked her, before it was just an unknown entity that threatened her life, a faceless, lifeless creature without any human resemblance. She stopped firing, but Tracey didn’t, and Tracey put a bullet through the face Jordyn was staring at. It almost made Jordyn feel sad. Whoever this person was, or used to be, was gone. If a cure ever was developed, this person would not be lucky enough to use it. She hoped to God that was the last zombie she would ever face, hoped she never again had to kill any living creature. But her own life had to come first, and there was a zombie at the back door.

  The noise was still coming from the back door, banging and scratching. Nick hadn’t opened the door yet, he just stared and yelled. Jordyn and Tracey ran in towards him. The three of them did not know what to do. They didn’t want to open it and have a zombie or zombies immediately in striking range.

  “Let’s go around to the back, sneak attack, yeah?” Jordyn said. They nodded in agreement. The three of them went out the front door; the outside had an eerie feel to it, and although no zombies were in sight, it felt like they were surrounding them. The air was thin and gray, and would be otherwise silent if it wasn’t for the scratching at the back door of the Fortress. Suddenly, Tracey saw one zombie charging them from the neighboring yard. She tapped the other two to get their attention, while debating whether or not to shoot. It would alarm any other zombies in the area of their location, including the one right at the back door. Nick didn’t wait; he impulsively shot at the incoming zombie, seeing no other option. After four shots, he connected with the fifth shot square in the nose, and the zombie fell. The scratching at the back door stopped.

  They stood still, in fear. Slowly, they began to creep around to the back. The scratching was gone, no noise could be made out. Jordyn slowly peaked around the corner. And there he was, a dog. An adorable, tail-wagging, twenty pound dog was sitting patiently at their door.

  “Come here boy!” Jordyn said with a big smile. Tracey and Nick hadn’t seen him yet and were jumbled. The dog turned with excitement and ran off the deck toward Jordyn. Jordyn was down on her knees as the dog ran up and jumped into her arms.

  “Poor little guy! Where are your owners?” Jordyn said as she held the dog.

  “Jordyn what are you doing?” Nick asked with an attitude.

  “What?”

  “That dog could have rabies or something… It could even have whatever zombie virus in going around! Let him go!”

  “You’re crazy! The only thing this little guy is carrying is a big ol’ heart, you cute little boy. Boy?” She lifted him to check his stomach, “Yep, boy.” Jordyn held the dog to her face and let him lick her.

  “Jordyn!” Nick yelled.

  “Oh relax, he’s fine. You’re just upset you were petrified by a puppy at the back door. The Fortress needs a mascot after all.”

  “I forgot we were a sports team.”

  “Glad I could remind ya!” Jordyn quipped.

  Nick turned to Tracey, “You have anything to say about this?”

  “I’ve never had a dog, it’ll be fun! Plus whatever disease he may have he already gave Jordyn and she’ll give it to the rest of us.”

  “Oh, great.”

  “Come on buddy let’s get you some food and water. You want some water? Yeah, water?” Jordyn said to the puppy. He perked with excitement, more at Jordyn’s endearing tone than recognition of the words. Jordyn wondered what kind of dog he was. He was gray with black speckles and black ears. He was somewhat fluffy, medium sized, and wore no collar. Nick wondered if the disease he might be carrying would kill them today or wait a while.

  ****

  Tommy, Bobby, Melanie, and Anthony arrived back at the Fortress the following day. The full house became acquainted with the Kendall’s, and the gang shared the stories of their time apart. The almost registered nurse Jordyn looked over Tommy and Bobby, seeing horrible bruising and swelling that made her think twice about her career path, but no broken bones. Tommy’s knee was undoubtedly sprained, along with Bobby’s right ankle and left wrist. The two looked at each other, knowing for the first time what baggage the other had been walking around with since the flipped car, although Tommy still never mentioned that he definitely had suffered a concussion. There was a mutual sense of pride they felt for each other, they kept their cool and didn’t let the circumstances dictate their fate. Jordyn wrapped what needed to be wrapped, and iced what needed to be iced, which was a lot.

  The gang lay there with a round of beers that were hidden from Casey’s grasp, Tommy and Bobby each leaned against their loves. Jordyn had the group brainstorm dog names. Bobby and Tommy started the rapid-fire technique.

  “Teddy.”

  “No.”

  “Milo.”

  “Eh, maybe.”

  “Sawyer.”

  “Sawyer?” Tommy questioned Bobby.

  “Like Tom Sawyer? I don’t know.”

  “No.”

  “Kevin.”

  “No.

  “Spot, Spike, Scout, Sylvester, Sweden.” Tommy shot.

  “Sweden?”

  “Sorry yeah that one was weird.”

  “Scout is ok though.” Jordyn half-heartedly said. No name quite clicked for her, so she decided to worry about it another day. She’d have a name picked by the end of the week.

  Chapter 31

  “All I’m saying is if it wasn’t for this zombie infestation, it would be Pittsburgh’s year for the title.” Anthony said.

  “You’re out of your mind. You Pittsburgh fans make excuses every year. ‘Oh our quarterback got hurt or we would’ve won it all, oh the refs blew that playoff game, oh zombies suspended the season!’ It’s always something with you people.” Tommy retorted.

  “One of those seems a bit different to me.” Nick chimed in.

  “But the premise remains, Nicholas.”

  “Alright Tommy, who was going to stop them this year? New England is all injured, Dallas is tanking-“

  “Green Bay, baby!”

  “Oh get out of here!”

  “Never bet against my man #12 that’s all I’m saying.”

  Tommy, Melanie, Anthony, Tracey, and Nick were downstairs the following morning. The Kendall’s were cooking, they wanted to be as close to the food as possible after the last week, even though the Fortress selection was not what it used to be. They made the last of the eggs and poured cereal into bowls that wouldn’t be filled with milk. They had enough food to feed the house of nine for two or three days, if they ate light. Bobby walked downstairs and saw the Kendall’s making a mediocre breakfast.

  “I know the food is low guys. Give Tommy and I a day or two to rest up, then we’ll make a grocery run.” Bobby said, with a hint of sadness thinking about the last trip with Matt.

  “And where’s Jordyn this fine morning?” Melanie aske
d.

  “She went back to sleep.” He said with a smile, his face brightened every time he talked about, thought about, or dreamt about her. Tommy smiled too, finally he thought.

  “Hey Tracey,” Tommy said, Tracey looked up from her book for the first time this morning. “I heard you were quite the shot when we were gone, we could use another gun if you’re interested.” Tracey’s face brightened.

  “Yeah!” she said a bit louder than she intended, “I mean, yeah ok I’d go. Why not Jordyn?” she tried to sound less eager than she was.

  “Jordyn wasn’t a big fan of the whole killing aspect; she doesn’t want to have to do that again. But either way word on the street is you were the star anyway. ‘A total badass’ were her words. You in?”

  She smiled, “Hell yeah I’m in.”

  Bobby ate his food quickly, then took a plate and a cup of coffee (1 sugar, no cream) back to the bedroom for Jordyn. He set the breakfast on the nightstand and lay down on top of her, kissing her forehead to wake her up. She stirred, and lifted her chin so the next one landed on her lips. She put her arms around his neck so he wouldn’t stop kissing her.

  “But I got you breakfast!” he laughed.

  “This is better than breakfast.” She smiled, and kissed him again. Bobby wanted to bring her breakfast every morning for the rest of his life. The two spent almost the entire day in Bobby’s room. After so many years of what-ifs, poor timing, and fear of ruining a lifelong friendship with unreciprocated feelings, they finally had each other.

  Melanie and Tommy would have spent the day in a similar fashion. The last few weeks have been torturous for the both of them. And now that they were finally together, the thought of leaving the other’s side didn’t even cross their minds. Whether they were on the couch, in the kitchen, or even sometimes in the bathroom, Melanie and Tommy stayed within an arm’s reach. The reason they didn’t spend the day privately, like Bobby and Jordyn, was to make Anthony feel more at home in the new place. He was always a shy guy, and being in a house full of strangers while the three people (Bobby being the third) he has met were elsewhere would have been a less than stellar welcoming.

  Tommy, Melanie, Anthony, Tracey, and Nick all gathered to watch The Sandlot, when Casey walked in to join with a bottle of liquor in hand.

  “No, no!” Nick exclaimed. “Get out of here!”

  “What? Why?” Tommy asked.

  “She ruins every movie I try to watch, she talks over them or tells me how it ends and it drives me nuts.”

  “That right?” Tommy said, “Hey Casey, how’s this one end?” he added, Nick rolled his eyes at him.

  Casey took a pull from the bottle and said, “Beast is just a big ol’ friendly dog” She paused to hiccup, “and then James Earl Jones gives the kid some kind-a mega autograph ball or something.”

  “Oh come on!” Nick yelled.

  “It’s nobody’s fault but yours that you still haven’t seen The Sandlot.” Casey chirped back.

  “Sorry Nick that one was my bad,” Tommy chimed in, “It’s still a classic you’ll love it. You like baseball?”

  “Not really.”

  “Do you like...” Tommy tried to think how else to sell the movie “lifeguards?” Anthony chuckled.

  “What?”

  “Don’t tell him Casey he’s into it now.”

  The only time Bobby and Jordyn came out of the room was for dinner. The gang ate stale pretzels, broccoli, and PB and J without the J.

  “Grocery shopping tomorrow.” Tommy said.

  “I’m still pretty banged up, but yeah we really have to because this is by far the weirdest dinner I’ve ever had.” Bobby said.

  “What time are we going?” Tracey asked.

  “Whenever we get ourselves together, it’s not like we have to worry about the store getting packed during busy hours.”

  “I bet Tracey takes down more zombies than both of you combined!” Jordyn said, “I’ve seen that girl in action, you boys are about to be shown-up.”

  “I freaking hope so.” Tommy said, “I’ve almost died like six times now-“

  “Huh?” Melanie chimed.

  “So I hope she’s a Navy Seal out there.” Tommy finished.

  “I’d be thrilled if she’s half as good as Matt.” Bobby said.

  “Only half?” Jordyn said, thinking it was meant as a slight against Tracey.

  “Half of a decorated Marine? Still better than Tommy and me.”

  “And he still died.”

  The room dropped to dead silence. The phrase had come from Casey, sitting in the living room of the open floorplan. She had polished off the house’s alcohol during the Sandlot, and was coming off a binge that lasted weeks. The withdrawal ate away at her body, mind, and spirit. She sat in utter agony, trying to focus on anything other than the gut-wrenching war of nausea and willpower. She’d seriously considered walking out of the house, picking a direction, and going until she found a liquor store. No gun, no sense of direction, just a quest to appease the nagging voice in the back of her head. Her only refuge was to listen in on the conversation in the kitchen, and her first time speaking up had caused a flurry of emotions from the group. Anger, for bringing it up so casually and disrespectfully; sadness, thinking about a fallen friend and family member; embarrassment, this one fell on Tracey, for having her sister say something so blunt and rude; and reflection; the most experienced warrior of the group had been taken out in the blink of an eye, who was next?

  All these thoughts and feelings ran through the heads of the Fortress, but the room remained silent. Although the comment was rude and made by an alcoholic undergoing withdrawal, it was just a simple truth. Tommy, Bobby, and Tracey remembered that by simply going out to get food for the gang, they were putting their lives at extreme risk. The mood of the room would never quite recover from that comment. Some light small talk was all that was said for the rest of dinner. After that, they decided to call it a night.

  Chapter 32

  Bobby and Jordyn, age 7:

  It had been a year since the Nagel parents had passed. And Bobby was still getting accustomed to his new situation. His aunt and uncle never wanted kids, ever. It was fact, carved in stone, that Mary and Nathaniel Nagel NEVER wanted kids. But tragedies happen, and everyone thought it best for the young Nagel brothers to move across town, rather than across the country to the hippy cousin who rarely showered, or to their Uncle Ned who may be just a tad off.

  Mary and Nathaniel were not rich by any means, Mary was a receptionist and Nathaniel worked in a warehouse. They were financially stable. It was enough to keep a roof over their heads, pay the bills, keep the pantry stocked, and not much else. Whatever money they had left over they did not spend on possessions, but rather trips. They wanted to see the world, and they did. This meant Bobby and Tommy learned from a very young age how to fend for themselves. This was the first week they left the boys alone, at ages 7 and 4, and it would be the first of many. But Jordyn did not know the parents were gone, that’s why she knocked on Bobby’s window that night instead of the front door.

  The death of the Nagel parents was tragic, and had more of an effect on the boys than any event imaginable, but a case could be made that Jordyn had a worse parenting situation. This was a weird comparison to make, whether to have an abusive parent or dead parents, but they both would say Jordyn’s was worse.

  Jordyn’s dad was a failure. That’s the simple way of putting it. Walter Thompson was a very, very smart man, who once had a wealth of potential. He was an Ivy League graduate who decided starting his own business was a better route than joining an established company with years of success and prosperity, but his business failed. He started another one, it also failed. Then he wrote a book, a memoir of his experience and intellect in the hopes young minds would shape their futures with his words. He had 2,000 copies of it printed, just a small amount until they started to sell and he would have more money to print more for all the people who would want to read his story. His book sold 37 co
pies, total, 11 of them to family members/friends. It turns out people don’t want to take advice from a failure. That’s when the drinking started.

  When sober, Walter would never dream of laying a finger on his loving wife, Victoria. She had done nothing to provoke it, and kept them afloat with her engineer salary. She supported him through his failures and let him explore his unsuccessful path to success. But Walter started drinking, he drank often, and a lot. He would yell and scream at Victoria, blaming her for his failures, saying she held him back from his prosperity. It was a load of crap, and everybody except for drunk Walter knew it. It would only occasionally get physical, and never towards Jordyn, but the young girl couldn’t take it. That was when she fled to the house of the nice boy who had just moved next door this year.

  She tapped on his first floor bedroom window, no response. She tapped harder, and heard the stir of somebody climbing out of bed. She then realized she had no idea if this was his bedroom or the guardians. To her relief, she saw Bobby pull the curtains to see her. He lifted the window, and without a word she slid through. She walked over to his bed and lied down in it. Bobby was unsure of what to do, when Jordyn pulled the blanket up as a gesture towards him. He lay down next to her, and she hugged him, sobbing. Bobby was unsure of what was happening; only that the really sweet girl from next door was upset, and that made him upset. Tommy, at age 4, was in the other bed in the room, and he didn’t wake this instance. But over time, he would see Jordyn come over at night about once a month.

  “I’m sorry.” Jordyn said quietly to Bobby.

  “It’s fine.” Bobby said.

  “Promise me you’ll always be here for me.”

  “What happened-“

  “Just promise, please!” 7-year old Jordyn said through sobs.

  “I promise,” he said appeasing her, “I promise,” he said again, this time meaning it.