Run

by Burk, William

  "What?" Is all I say.

  "Women. Wasn't it said they were holding several women captive? and having zombie fights too for that matter. Didn't see anything of the sort."

  "Yes," I say slowly, trying to think through the fog in my mind. Exhaustion from lack of sleep. And the day of running for my life has left me feeling more than a little dim-witted. It takes me more time then I care to admit before I'm able to put two and two together. Just when it starts coming together Alan speaks up.

  "This means there are more of them out there. It was at least a good majority based on original counts. We'll need to keep our guard up though." No one speaks again until we come into the radio range of home and we try calling into base . Our attempts to reach home are met only with radio silence.

  "Get us back. Now!" Alan all but shouts at the driver before calling over the radio once more for home. When no answer comes yet again he addresses the second car and everyone within his own. "No answer from command. Have firearms at the ready. We don't know what we're heading into. Might be nothing, might be something. Either way be ready." He finishes.

  We race recklessly through the last few streets leading to campus. Several times I'm sure the vehicle will tip over as we swerve around objects in the road and tight corners. The objects, for the most part, are other deserted vehicles. We collectively breathe a sigh of relief as the campus comes wholly into sight. Everything looks normal as we pull closer and into the parking lot for the dormitories. We jump from the cars almost before they are completely stopped. Quickly we make our way to the field and dorm buildings looking for the others.

  "Check the dorms. Everyone was to stay inside until we came back." John shouts already running for the entrance.

  Most of us follow while a handful takes up guard near the vehicles. We set up a rudimentary perimeter around the farm and front of the dorm buildings. John Makes it to the doors shouting into them.

  "Hello!"

  I catch up just as John slams the door shut bracing his back against it and shouting out.

  "Zombies inside!" He gasps out between breaths while struggling to hold the door closed.

  I cover the last few steps in a leap and lend my weight into the effort of holding the doors shut. More guards rush over assisting where they can. With an idea, I push one on the outskirts of the effort into my spot and run for the cars. In our haste to get home and check on everyone, the car was left running. With no time to waste I shift it into drive and drive it right up over the curb and onto the stone path. The guards so intently focused on keeping the doors closed don't notice as I drive a car right up to them. I'm forced to honk the horn for them to finally notice me. I grimace at how loud the horn is. I didn't consider that there may be more zombies not locked inside the building. With their attention now on me. They grasp my plan immediately and people begin shifting their bodies out of my way. I begin inching the front of the car closer and closer. Stopping only for guards to shift further away from the center of the doors. I'm finally able to touch the front bumper of the car to the doors and inch further in. With a creaking of the wall just audible over the ragged breathing and sounds of the engine. I know I've put enough pressure to keep the doors closed. Any more at this point would result in breaking the doors. Then we would have no way to contain the zombies having unleashed them from the dorm they are currently locked in.

  Everybody is speaking at once as I step out of the car. Most of it directed towards Alan and a good number of folks simply speaking their thoughts aloud. Several faces streaked with tears and red puffy eyes. Confused I begin to wonder as it dawns on me.

  "No!" I whisper aloud. "No, no, no!" I continue saying to myself as if it's the only word in my vocabulary. Each utterance of the word louder than the last. I scramble closer to the now blocked off doors and the banging of the zombies. "No, no, no." I continue saying while peering through the glass doors. I recognize the face of every single zombie inside.

  "This can't be happening." I begin trembling. Attempting to deny what my own eyes are witnessing. Tears begin streaming down my face as my eyes dart from face to face. Recognizing all my friends and fellow survivors. Jeff at the forefront of the trapped zombies I notice the blood that covers his chest. Beside him is Jane, one of the younger girls in town only twelve years or so. She assisted often with cooking and cleaning. I continue looking at the faces. T ears blur my vision. I remember everyone's names and the times we had together. Multiple times someone attempts to pull me away. And every time I push them off keeping my gaze shifting through the faces. Not sure why I keep looking, searching the faces but knowing I can't stop if I wanted. Amanda is there near the back as is Frank who was in charge of our farming initiatives. Moments later I come across Adam and stare for a long time as my new mantra begins anew.

  "No, No, No, No."

  Noting Adam is also covered in blood from the chest down. Noticing this my mind latches onto this new information as a distraction. Scanning through the crowd of zombies again. I make note that every single one is covered in blood from the chest down. Even in my grief of losing everyone I hold dear and tried so hard to protect I am able to notice the details. Turning I move among the people who all mill around. Staring towards the building but no one with the courage to face what lies inside. For my part, it wasn't so much courage as it was self-destruction. And a hope that someone, anyone might have escaped this fate. As it is there are several people unaccounted for, Sarah being one of the faces I didn't see inside.

  "Most everyone is in there. I didn't make note of every single person but I did recognize everyone. And based on the numbers alone that's almost everyone." I say quietly to Alan and the other guards that crowded around us.

  "Whoever did this took all our food and supplies as well," Alan reports.

  "They were all killed and turned specifically for us to come home to. Chest wounds on every one of them." A fierce tone in my voice catches Alan's attention. He regards me with a stoic expression before responding.

  "James." He begins to say quietly to me before thinking better of it. He turns to the crowd of guards, only the ten of us that returned. He begins again this time louder. "This isn't over."

  A chorus of men shouting out various phrases. All of it alluding to revenge. And as much as I want those responsible to pay. And in a manner that would leave any sensible person's stomach contents on the floor. The back of my mind says maybe it's best just to leave. Get further away, far enough that I can leave all this fight and worry behind me. Alan must have sensed my thoughts because he says quietly to me.

  "Now is a time for grief, not rash decisions." I nod as he calls out the order for a five-man team to scout the rest of the campus. A search of the buildings looking for any one that may have gotten away.

  #

  While the search team is off checking the rest of campus for survivors. The rest of us are put to work inventorying everything that is left. Taking comfort in the busy work I jump to the orders and run to the cafeteria with Brandon. A quick count of food shows we have only a couple of cases of MREs left. The cases that were stashed under the counters and a handful of canned peas. Even in a zombie apocalypse people still refuse to eat their peas. All in all, we have about two dozen meals between the MREs and the peas. For the ten of us left that's only going to last a day. Fortunately, we always keep food supplies stashed in the cars as well. Not much but combined it may be enough to see us through a second or even third day with some rationing.

  "All the guards not part of the survivor search team. Regroup ASAP" Alan's voice comes through the radio.

  "What now" Brandon utters as we head back.

  Brandon and I are the last to arrive. And almost immediately I notice there are too many people. With five of the guard off searching for survivors, there should only be five of us. Before I can form a question though my eyes fall on Owen's face.

  "Owen!" I gasp aloud. "What the fuck happened out there?"

  He raises his hands in a placating gesture. Addressing
Alan he asks. "Is this everyone left?" He looks over us with a frown.

  "Other than the five searching the wider campus. Yes." He answers curtly.

  Facing us Owen chews his lips for a second before opening his mouth to speak. "Alan has given me a brief rundown of everything that has happened since the swarm. From the time we all got separated. To wait on the highway. To returning here and finding everyone dead and turned." He stops speaking and watches his shoes for a long minute before taking a deep breath and continuing on. "For my own part, I'll keep this short. When the zombies attacked I lost my radio but managed to make it into a house for safety from the zombies. Tim and Sean here managed to make it to the same house and the three of us hoofed it back here to campus on foot. From the house, we were able to sneak out a back door and away from the swarm. Alan tells me that a few of us that remained at the base are unaccounted for. And we are currently searching the rest of the campus for survivors. What is our situation with supplies?"

  Alan steps up to answer "Most supplies were taken. I had us begin taking an inventory when you showed up and we regrouped."

  "OK, So we don't have a total picture yet. Tell me what we do know at this junction?" Owen asks looking over the faces.

  Clearing my throat. "We have two cases of MREs in the cafeteria, seven cans of peas and whatever food we have stashed in the cars."

  "hmm, Alright so the standard was one case of MREs per vehicle with a twenty-four pack of water bottles. We took five cars with us this morning and we returned with two. Has anyone checked the three cars we left here?" Owen asks

  "I'll go check now," Brandon says and runs off when Owen nods.

  "If we ration we likely have enough food for a week with these numbers" Alan includes.

  "OK, What else do we know?" Owen asks.

  "Generator is shot up. Guess they couldn't take it and decided to wreak it so we couldn't have it either." a voice to my left speaks up.

  "Shit, No chance to repair?" Alan asks?

  "None." The man replies.

  "OK, we need to secure a food source or supplies. A replacement generator for our radio batteries. and a safe place. Clearly this location is compromised."

  "Only one car remains of the three left here" Brandon calls out breathlessly as he comes into range.

  "Five dozen meals for a dozen people. Not a good day" Owen says as he walks toward the car blocking the zombies in the dormitory building. He stands for a long time gazing over the hood of the car at the zombies in the building. His face is a stone mask betraying not one of his thoughts. Alan joins him after the search team returns. They found no one. He breaks Owen's attention from the zombies. The two dip their heads together in quiet conversation for several minutes. Before Alan walks away towards the parking lot. Owen continues his observance over the zombies. I run over and catch up and fall into stride with Alan.

  "What are our plans?" I ask of Alan having no idea what to do and wanting to feel useful.

  "The rest of the day is to be spent gathering what's left. Tomorrow we put our friends to rest and move on. This location has been compromised one too many times. And frankly it's too big now for the number of people we have left. We don't have enough people to manage securing it anymore."

  #

  Chapter 29

  The last of us spend the early parts of the evening packing our remaining supplies into two of the three vehicles we still have. The third vehicle being the one used to blockade the door and trap zombies in the building. The packing and rummaging ends almost before it begins . Five cases of MREs, Several packages of bottled water, two dozen radios and charging bases. Plus a dozen extra batteries and some spare blankets we kept in the supply room. The Rats at least didn't get our weapons or ammo supplies of which the vast majority was with us on the assault.

  Mid evening finds us all sitting around a fire. The fire is set up in the corner furthest from the dorm building and the locked in zombies. A lot of idle chat around the next steps is happening but no concrete plans are being settled on. I let it all drift around me and ignore the attempts others make to draw me into the conversation. I focus my attention solidly on my bland meal labeled Chili and Beans. I don't think anyone with a sound mind would call this chili.

  "Shh!" an insistent voice prompts everyone to be quiet suddenly.

  "Shut up. I think I hear something." He says when someone begins to question his command to be quiet.

  Looking up to the source of the voice. I recognize John who is now standing and looking in the direction of the parking lot. The lot that resides to the right of the dorm buildings.

  "What is it?" someone asks after another moment of strained silence.

  John stands for a moment shaking his head before responding. "Thought I heard the engine of a car."

  From the corner of my eye. I notice everyone putting their food down and readying guns in hands. The area drops into a deathly silence broken only by the spitting and cracking of the fire. And the gentle rustling of the breeze through trees and brush.

  "Check the lot." Alan's voice breaks the pressing silence. After several tense long moments of us waiting and listening. after everything that has happened. Not a single person questions the order.

  Moving as a unit the thirteen of us spread out. As we move towards the parking lot and street that runs along the back of the dorms. Each of us taking positions here and there. Some of us stop at the corner of the dorm buildings. Some crouch along the edge of the field with rifles at the ready. I take up a crouch behind a cement bench with a view of the entrance of the lot. Several guards continue moving towards the lot. They keep their heads low and disappear around the corner. After some minutes the lead guard reappears standing tall and shouts to the rest of us.

  "All clear"

  A collective sigh of relief can be felt as people begin to speak again and move toward each other shaking the tension from their fingers.

  "Pop, Pop, Pop" The staccato of gunfire erupts through night.

  All heads and eyes jerk to the source. Just in time to see the three guards that called out the all-clear collapse onto themselves. Their screams of agony echoing in the dark skies. Blood is already beginning to pool around them. I dive for cover face-first into the pavement behind the bench. I cower at the sounds of continued gunfire. Holding my rifle tightly to my chest as if simply holding it can make a difference head buried in the ground. I regain control of myself pressing the panic down. Around the same time, I notice the gunfire has lessened to the occasional shot here and there. I crawl forward enough to see beyond the base of the bench. There are a handful of guards still crouching. Taking positions behind corners of the dorm building. And behind stone benches along the pathway. All are returning fire whenever a figure appears in the lot entrance.

  We are at a standstill. The occasional figure appears and takes potshots and the guards return fire. However, we cannot advance without exposing ourselves. But neither can the Rats attacking us. Keeping the building between us and them might give us an opportunity to retreat. But it means leaving what little supplies we have left. The sound of an engine revving up distracts me from my thoughts of running for it. Looking back towards the enemies in the lot. I watch as the lights of headlights shine onto the path with the car itself out of view. I ready my gun assuming they plan to drive the car onto the path and use it as a shield to advance on us. The engine revs louder as the tires begin to squeal. Bracing myself with a finger on the trigger. The pickup jumps into view bouncing from jumping the curb. I squeeze the trigger gripping tight as it fires round after round into the car. I don't have time to consider why it's moving as quickly as it is I only know I need to stop it and continue firing.

  "Crunch" The pickup crashes into the small Toyota we used to trap the zombies in the dorm building.

  "What," I say aloud, confused watching as the pickup crashes and bulls the Toyota away from the building.

  "Oh no!" I cry aloud as the zombies begin running through the now open doorway. I unload the res
t of my magazine into the crowd of zombies rushing from the doorway. A few drop but most of my shots end up hitting everything but their heads and only slowing them by mere seconds. More Gunfire erupts from all around me. Guards firing on the zombies. Guards firing at the Rats who are now emboldened by the zombie distraction. Rats are now pushing in and pinning us all down behind our respective covers. Having fired the last of my rounds I look away long enough to load my last magazine. After reloading and looking for my next targets. I see the zombies have fully rushed from the building and are after the closest of people which turns out is us. I watch helplessly as three of the guards are unable to move due to being fired upon but unable to keep the zombies off. Two other guards are gunned down as they flee from the zombies. Running out of cover and into the line of sight for the Rats to pick them off. I watch as zombies congregate on the dropped guard members. Kneeling to feast on their fresh corpses. In my fear, I haven't fired a single shot since replacing the magazine. As luck would have it by not using my gun and lying on the ground behind a stone bench. I am lucky to have not drawn attention through sight or sound. As such the zombies turn their attention unto the last remaining survivors. They rush in mass toward the Rats who are retreating away from the buildings. They move further into the lots to escape the zombies themselves. I do some quick math. Three guards shot down at the start. Three guards gunned down during the shootout, Three killed by zombies. And two more guards shot down while fleeing zombies. Eleven people killed That leaves me and one unaccounted for guard surviving.

  My eyes roam across the scene looking for him. Pleading silently to myself not to be left alone in this world. I wiggle my way around the bench trying to get a better view off to my right and behind me. All I can find are zombies feasting on the dead. Movement catches my eye to my left. One of the guards is getting to his feet. He lifts his head and looks right at me as another guard gets to his feet only a few meters behind him. I recognize it, It's Alan. I start to gesture to him to get down when I notice the expression of hunger on his face. His dead eyes staring directly at me.