by Joe Kelly
Slamming the rifle butt down she crushed the skull of the downed zombie, twisted into a elbow strike, the heavy motocross elbow pads she wore shattered teeth and jaw bone of the next zombie.
“holy hell” Mark muttered, having never seen Jill in action before. Watching her and Jared practice and spar together every morning was one thing, but in the real she was hell on wheels.
“Head in the game,” Jared called out as he nudged Mark to one side and way from a zombie that was about to grab him. Jared shot the thing down as Mark nodded his thanks.
Clay had no idea who in the hell these people were, and didn’t have time really. The zombies still in the house were clustered below him. he fired his last bullet putting it square in the middle of the forehead of the lady who had rang him up at Walmart on his last trip before the world had died. He reached for the button to get the chair moving only to grab hold of the arm rests as he was almost yanked out of his seat.
OH crap, he thought realizing that one of the dead had stepped up onto the bodies and had been just tall enough to reach his legs. He struggled to free himself, but the thing had a good hold of him and was pulling him from the seat.
“Go” Jared called out, the team flowed into the house through the front door, precise fire taking down the targets in their zones. Seeing a man hanging onto one of those chair things that carried people up and down stairs, Jared took aim but not before the damn thing bit down on the mans calf. He fired hammering the zombie down in a shower of gore.
to have gone through all this and then get bitten Jared thought as he stepped over bodies making his way to the man who was pulling himself up into the chair. “I’m sorry” Jared said shaking his head sadly.
“For what?” The man asked as he pushed a button and the chair lowered to the ground. “oh that, Don’t worry the legs immune, both legs actually.”
“no one is immune” Mark said as he joined Jared.
“Didn’t say I was immune, I said my legs were.” The man said as he awkwardly stood up. “fake, both of em.” Jared barked a laugh at that. “Clay, Clay Stewart and I am damn glad to see you.”
Jared knew Steve was watching for his reaction, and he could imagine what Steve was thinking another mouth and a crippled one at that. Well brother you’re going to have to deal with it. “Jared Stone, that’s Steve, Mark and Ori and the woman in the doorway is Jill” Jared said pointing to each person in turn. “Look we need to get the hell out of here before more of those things show up. We can come back to get your stuff in a day or two once they have lost interest in this place. Assuming you want to leave of course.”
“Do I like insane, Yes, Just let me get my spare legs and I’m ready” Clay said as he pulled a bag off the chair lift then walked over to a closet and pulled out a duffle bag sized case. “my good legs.” He explained.
Clay was around 25 no more than 30, with dark eyes and wavy blond/brown hair. At a glance the man was built like an athlete, with maybe just a little flab around the mid section but not a lot. His arms were thicker than average, which was about normal for some one who had or still used a wheel chair and crutches on a daily basis.
The dark brown neatly trimmed beard was just slightly longer than stubble and covered a strong angular jaw. He had probably never been considered handsome, but Jared was pretty sure most women would have considered him attractive if they could get past his being an amputee.
“You a Vet?” Steve asked suddenly as they walked out of the house towards the trucks that were now parked along the fence. That assumption was a safe one in the Modern us, but not in this case.
“No, Tried to join up, Army, but they wouldn’t’ believe I could do the job with prosthetics. Wanted to though.” Clay said pausing on the porch to gaze at the body strewn lawn. With a shake he started after Jared. “lost them in highschool, I was riding with a buddy and a couple of friends, My buddy tried to beat a train, the train won. I was lucky, I lost my legs, the driver and the other two guys lost their lives.”
“Ouch” Ori, not the most tactful said. Clay nodded as he made his careful way across the lawn. Fully aware that he was being appraised, and hoping they didn’t decided he couldn’t pull his own weight. “Yeah, ouch. Lost one leg at mid thigh, the other at the knee I was seventeen at the time.” Clay said as they reached the fence, he leaped over it almost as easily as the others.
“we can talk more at the camp, lets get loaded up and out of here.” Jared said. “you can ride with me and Jill.” Steve sighed softly in resignation but said nothing as he climbed into his own truck.
♦ ♦ ♦
“well, Well” Seth said as he watched the trucks roll down the streets. “that’s why they haven’t been back. They’ve been looting the outskirts of town” He frowned thoughtfully, he had been planting surprises all over town for these people and so far they had yet to reenter town. “when you told me to come out here, I wasn’t sure what you wanted to show me.” Seth stated smiling to himself. “But you said they would be back and all but shouldn’t I plant a few surprises out here for them.” he asked turning to look into a shadow filled corner. He stood there for a moment head cocked to one side as if listening then nodded. “no, your right, they will have to come to town if they want fuel and medicine and they only have one way to get there, unless they drive to another town then come up old 52 and right now they have no reason or the gas to take such a long round about trip. So your right there’s no rush.” He said after a moment
He had enough neighbors already and didn’t want any more and the few that still lived in town were a pain in his ass, new ones, especially ones with running vehicles and supplies would be even worse.
“I have an idea on how to deal with them when they do come back.” He promised his friend glancing back at the corner and saw that it was empty. “when you get back I will tell you all about it.” Shaking his head at his friends sudden departure he walked over to the bedroom door and silently closed it then wedged a chair up under the knob. He would have to wait till his neighbors left the area before he could leave, meanwhile his friend had promised none of the neighbors would stop by while he waited but one could never be to careful. He thought as he returned to the window and squatted down beside it staring at the house down the street. “yes I have a few idea’s, you will just love.” He whispered to the empty room.
♦ ♦ ♦
“So still unhappy that we rescued Clay” Jared asked as he came to stand beside Steve, who was watching clay sprint from one side of the camp to the other. he was fast, really fast Jared thought, though Clay had explained it had more to do with the odd looking composite foot, or Blade as Clay called it. Something about the shape and material that not only allowed him to run faster but allowed him to leap pretty high too.
“I was never unhappy about it Jared, Just worried about our supply situation. But its gotten better, especially after yesterday when we cleared the Save a buck.” Steve replied. “now all we need are those parts for the trucks, a second fuel supply and then the medications.”
“the medications are the hardest part, well that and the fuel yard. Gas stations are okay but its hit and miss on whether they have fuel but the Fuel supply yard has four huge tanks that could last us a year or more.”
“And for that we have to get past the center of town, where most of the undead seem to hang out.” Steve commented. “right, and we are almost out of time, Linda says we have to have the stuff from the hospital, Kyle thinks we should find another place to get it from, I want to agree with him, but we could waste days, maybe even weeks and lots of fuel to try and find another place that should have all of what Linda says we need.” Jared said. “So two days from now we are going into town.” Jared said. Risk was a part of the game and like or not to survive and more he and the others had to face those risks or die anyway.
“Good enough for me” Steve agreed.
“Glad you approve.” Jared said jokingly.
“Honestly Jared, I approve more of you finally pulling y
our head out of your butt. We all know why you were waffling, but here’s the truth, We need you to be the strong one, the rest of us can and will waffle, hesitate, but watching you do it bothered us. You never did before.” Steve said then motioned for Jared to remain silent while he spoke. “Like I said we all knew why, none of us were prepared for this, this” He lifted hand in a helpless gesture. “crap. but you’re the best leader for this group whether you realize it or not. So no more hesitating or I might wake up and find out Ori’s in charge then things will go to hell the first time he tries to keep morale up with a joke.”
Jared chuckled at that, he wasn’t going to argue that he was the best leader for this group. Not because he believed it, but because till someone better came along he was it. “well guess its time to head to the Parts store and then we need to pick up the propane bottles Ori wants from Regals Hardware which is near where we are going to be. While we are doing that Jeff, Rob and Warren are going to pick up the dozer. We’ve barely seen any undead in the area so it should be safe enough for three people.”
“lead on fearless leader.” Steve said with a grin. “Should we take super legs with us?”
“Not today, but Kyle and Deacon are going with us.” Jared said waiting for the protest, Kyle and Steve got on each other’s nerves daily.
“great” Steve said then smiled at Jared. “you’re the boss, I’m just the hulking sidekick.”
♦ ♦ ♦
“well it looks intact” Jared said as he pulled into the parking lot of the NAPA, who knew why but it had been built on the edge of town almost next door to the outlying farms. Which place it two miles out from Walmart across the overpass that crossed the bypass. The property was enclosed on three sides by woods which meant that undead had plenty of places to hide.
The building was a single story with metal sides and two large plate glass windows and a glass door made up the front wall. Two cars, covered in pollen and new fallen leaves were parked to one side of store.
Across the street was a old brick gas station with a Garage bay. Over the years it had been a mechanics shop three times, a convenience store once and a thrift store. Now it was just an empty shell fill of dust and memories of a better time before the dead.
“at least there aren’t many of those things” Jill commented as four zombies stumbled out of the store. There were times she had trouble accepting the word zombie, not that it changed what the shambling corpses were.
“spoke to soon” Jared said seeing ten more appear out of the wood line beside the store. “lets get this done,” he said opening the truck door.
“ten to one Jared misses” Steve told as Jared cocked his crossbow Ori grinned. “your on, he’s been practicing. At least he’s a better shot with that thing than with a bow.”
“very true.” Steve agreed. “take the ones at the door first,” he said as soon as Mark joined Jared and Jill.
“Deacon, You stay with Jared, Kyle you come with us.” Steve said hefting the bat he carried and giving Jared a look. He had not been happy when Jared had told him this morning who he would be working with “time for some good old fashioned violence of action.”
Kyle studied Steve warily then shrugged as he followed the two men across the parking lot to intercept the three zombies from the store.
“you know Jared you don’t have to put up with that” Mark said trying to smile but the oncoming undead killed his sense of humor.
Jared lifted the crossbow to his shoulder without commenting and took aim. A stroke of the trigger and the string snapped forward slapping the stays sending the bolt hissing across the parking lot. It struck his target in the forehead. The zombie took one more step then toppled over. “that’s one” he said cocking and reloading his crossbow. “anyone else going to shoot them?”
Three more bolts struck home dropping zombies before the rest of the undead broke into a shambling jog. Jill dropped her crossbow and drew her sword gliding forward on the balls of her feet she met the charge cutting down the first zombie, Jared at her side a tomahawk in each hand.
Mark got off one final bolt, it struck his target in the throat which did nothing to stop or slow the zombie. He dropped his cross bow to dangle at his side by its leather sling and drew the machete he carried. “I hate this part” he muttered as he stuck to Jareds side and waded into the carnage.
“not bad” Steve said to Kyle as they stood over the unmoving corpses. He eyed the splintered bat he held, it might last another fight. “Never saw any one pick up a zombie and power drive its head into the ground.”
“Spent a few years as a wrestler” Kyle explained as Jared and the others joined them at the door.
“figured you were a boxer not a wrestler” Steve commented.
“did that too for ten years” Kyle replied.
“Nice to see you two getting along” Jared said moving to the door of the store. “now lets get this over with.” He said pulling the door open.
The light from the plate glass windows did little to illuminate the store past the counter. Unlike stores that had carried essential supplies or firearms and accessories, no one had bothered to loot an auto parts store. The team filtered in then spread out and quickly cleared the store. The three zombies that had exited the store had been the only ones inside. Apparently not even zombies liked hanging out in a parts store.
The only oddity was the corpse in the manager’s office, from the looks of it the man had had been killed by a shot to the head. There was no weapon in the room which probably meant someone had killed him. unless of course someone had come by later and taken the weapon, Jared thought, stop it doesn’t matter know any way.
“Deacon, I want you, Kyle and Steve to get the parts from the back that we need:” Jared said handing the other man a neatly written list. “ Be careful back there, I know we cleared it but all the same stay alert.” Jared told him. Jared ignored the look Steve shot him, it was getting obvious Jared kept putting Steve and Kyle together and Jared wouldn’t admit it but he found Steves reaction funny. You two are going to learn to work together or kill each other, Jared thought managing not to smile.
“Ori get up on the roof and keep watch, Jill I want you at the front door watching the parking lot, in case Ori misses something. The rest of us are going to get everything we can use from the shelves out here. Starting with every bottle of Stabilize, motor oil, brake and transmission fluid we can find and any solar trickle chargers that might be laying around.”
With the engines off and the team working quietly, they drew no attention from the undead still in the area. Jill crouched in the shadows by the door uneasily watching two zombies shuffle down the road. She had never seen one like this, head down, arms hanging limply by their sides as they stumbled towards town.
Quietly the group filled all the garbage bags, Gym and duffle bags they had brought and quietly stacked them at the door. If the undead showed up in force the group would just run to the trucks and leave, coming back later in the day or tomorrow when the undead presence had moved on and load up the supplies.
“that’s the last of it” Steve said quietly an hour later as the group gathered at the front door, handing the list to Jared, each item checked off. “there’s a lot more back there, but we can get it later.” Steve whispered Jared nodded in agreement, they already had enough to fill the back of a truck and half, and still had two more stops to make.
“okay, ever one grab a bag and head to the trucks. One bag, keep a free hand for your weapon.” Jared cautioned them. “last thing you want is to have both hands full and a slung weapon and one of pus bags appears behind you..”
“Steve as soon as we have the light stuff loaded, I want you to back up to the door. Then you and Kyle, being the biggest men here will load it in your truck while the rest of us play guard.”
What we need to do is take a trip to a military base at some point, even if the army is gone there will plenty of things we can use there and both the Army and the Marines had been investing in Solar
power for the last few years and having more panels, with its electrical system and batteries would be a good thing, Jared thought as he heaved the duffle bag he was carrying into the back of his truck, then headed back to grab another bag.
It took twenty minutes to load up all the bags, having to load as quietly as possible adding time but even so by the time Steve had backed up to the door, the undead had began to gather. At first only a few but the sound of a motor was like ringing a dinner bell and they began to pour into the area, the small two or three zombie clusters merged into groups of ten to thirty, stumbling down the road from both directions and crossing the pastures on the other side of the tree line around the store coming from the rear and left side of the store.