We didn’t see anyone as we moved up the stairs and across the building to the garage. The lock on the fence surrounding the generator was still intact too. It had run out of fuel. Either the people who had taken up residence in the building didn’t realize it was here or were too dumb to realize that they had a huge reserve of fuel in all these vehicles. I knew that at least a few of the gas tanks would be no good. They would either be near empty or the gas would have jellied after all this time, but there should be some usable gas in there somewhere.
Turns out, we didn’t even have to check the cars. There were three big, old fifty-gallon drums already hooked up the generator. I found a scrap of paper and dipped it into the filler cap of the first tank. I held out and set my lighter to it. It went up in a bright flash.
“That’s a good sign, Ken” I said, “Means the gas will still burn. Now all we have to do is get this beast to kick over.”
Ken switched between watching me and glancing nervously at the door we came through.
“Relax, Ken. Nobody we don’t want to see is going to come through that door. They’d have to get through Ranger and half a dozen other guys to get to you. And even then, they’d have to go through me.” That last part sounded so cliché, so action-movie-hero-like coming out of my mouth that I rolled my eyes and apologized. That finally got Ken to grin a little.
I checked the diagram on the side of the starter, squeezed the primer a few times and got both hands around the big pullcord. I yanked the starter once, twice, three times. The big engine coughed and sputtered but refused to catch. I went at it again, nothing. I saw fear and disappointment battle it out on Ken’s face and felt frustration wrinkling my own. I tried a third time, then a fourth. I was about to take Cappy to the damn thing, when my own stupidity struck me. I leaned down and flipped the choke to half-way. One more pull and the genny burst into life with a plume of black smoke from the exhaust.
Ken pumped a fist in victory and actually posted up for a high five.
“Don’t tell my dad,” I said, slapping his hand “He’d never let me live that one down.”
We made our way back upstairs and Ken got right to work setting up monitors and computer towers and docking stations and whatever the hell else geeks did when they were getting ready to go to work. He looked like he finally felt he was pulling his weight and I know how good that can feel. I left him to it and went to get some grub. I needed to figure out a watch rotation, what our perimeter would be, whether or not to clear the building or leave those others to themselves, a bunch of logistical shit that always bored the shit out of me. I wasn’t going to be any help to Ken anyway and besides, I knew a certain vending machine near the caf that might still be holding onto a Big Texas cinnamon roll or two.
19
Earl
Four walls that seemed closer together every time the sun rose. Vincent, in his infinite wisdom, decided that his biggest problem was not the undercurrent of justified grievances brewing in the group outside, but the fact that I kept telling him about it. Even my loyalty had cracks in it. You can only be a punching bag for so long before you decide enough is enough. The guards brought me food, and depending on their level of contempt for me, extras. One or two of them even risked themselves by sitting and playing a few rounds of cards with me.
You never knew what could set Vincent off, and something as simple as a round of Rummy could end with a bullet to your brain. Books would be slipped on the tray if it was one of my friends, and food would be half eaten if it wasn’t. Days passed. Eventually, I lost count of how long he had me locked away. I began to wonder if he would ever let me out.
“Whatcha actually do?” Frank finally asked one night as he passed me my set of cards.
“Told him that there were problems one too many times.” I sighed as I tried to make matches with what sat in my hand.
“Ha! You should have known better! He only likes to hear good stuff. Hell, even then, he wants it exaggerated. Haven’t you been around the longest? You would think that you would know that if you managed to stay alive this long.” He had a point.
“Yeah, yeah.” I said.
“How come he let you live?” Frank asked. I wondered if that was out of survival instinct. I bet they all think I held some secret to keep them alive if Vincent turned on them, too.
“Who knows?” I said, and his face went sour. “It could be anything. It isn’t like he is predictable. Well, maybe a bit. I predict he will overreact all the time.”
“Geez, Nostradamus. Thanks. That’ll help out a lot.”
“When’s the last time predictions ever helped anyone?” I asked.
We played in silence for a few minutes as we both tried to come up with a way to change the subject. Talking about Vincent for too long can put a cloud of depression and hopelessness over even the sunniest of people. It was difficult to think of anything else when someone had a stranglehold over your life the way our island dictator did.
“You finish the last few books I left you?” he asked breaking the silence.
“Yup!” I exclaimed. “I read them twice!”
Before the zombie apocalypse, I wasn’t much of a reader. Nerd stuff wasn’t really my thing. But now, we don’t have much else in the way of entertainment. I mean, sure, we can crank the generator up and do a movie night on the beach when the natives get too restless, but there aren’t any new movies to look forward to, and the fall line up doesn’t exist anymore. So, eventually, you have seen it all, and all that is left is the unturned pages in the library.
“What did you think? If you liked them, the author has a ton of books in that series. I can sneak a few more in at a time. I mean, who knows how long you are going to be locked up in here?” he placed his last card down.
“Has he said anything about when he is letting me out?” And just like that, we were back on Vincent again.
“Nope, but I’m not close with him.” He said relieved. “No one has been trying to fit into your spot. You would think that someone would make a powerplay to get his ear before he lets you out, but everyone is so spooked by him that they just stay far away. Well, except his two big bodyguards. They are always around, but I never see them speaking.”
“Yeah, they aren’t much for words, those two. They really don’t have that much going on in between their ears, so I wouldn’t worry too much about the two of them trying to replace me. On the other hand, they definitely won’t bring him any bad news.” I said trailing off.
Going to sleep that night was harder than it should have been. I had nothing to worry about when it came to my position in Vincent’s organization. My biggest problem would be if the people ever got fed up with him. I had to find a way for him to see me as loyal, but distance myself enough for the people to let me live if this whole thing ever comes crashing down.
It would probably be best if I could have an escape set up to get off the island just in case. They would have a hard time stringing me up with him if I was gone before they could catch me. That night, I started the detailed plan called Operation Save My Skin. Vincent may have a God complex, but since we found others with an immunity, I no longer believed he was a blessing from Heaven. I should have known no God would make a maniac their messiah.
It was another few weeks before Vincent strolled through the door announcing that I was needed for some menial job. “Earl, get up. You need to go on a run.” He said as he kicked me awake.
“Shit.” I stuttered. “What? Are you really here?”
“Jesus, Earl. Yes. I’m here. Sometimes, you are just so god damned stupid.”
“Sorry. I was sleeping, and it’s been so long.” I stood at attention.
“Don’t be so melodramatic. It hasn’t been that long. I actually forgot I put you in here.” He chuckled.
It took every ounce of my being to smile at him when he said that. All this time, and it wasn’t a punishment anymore. It was an oversight. I thought I was his right-hand man, and in all actuality, I was just an errand boy that is
forgotten as soon as I leave his sight. Showing how I really felt about it would lead to another month or two locked away, so I put the mask back on and complimented his independence as we walked out of the room. Quickly, I shifted to the run he wanted me to lead.
“What are we looking to find, and how many men am I taking?”
“Men?” he laughed again. “No. You misunderstand. I want you to go find this for me.”
“Don’t I need backup? Someone to watch my back?”
“Earl. Are you questioning me again?”
My heart dropped, but I put the mask back before he could see my reaction. With what must have looked like a forced smile, I asked him to continue.
“One of my ladies wants chocolate. I think it is an impossible task, but if it stops her from whining, I say we try to get it. And by we, I mean you. Go grab your shit, and head out. This is a top priority task.” He said as he waved his arms dismissively at me.
I stared at his back as he sauntered through the street. He was oblivious to the glares of hate that poured off the faces of everyone but his guards. The entire island hated him, and the tipping point would come. It wasn’t a matter of if anymore, but of when. Then, I realized the gift he accidentally gave me. If I was sent out alone to the other side of the wall, I would have a chance to start preparing my escape.
The hate and dread I felt was quickly replaced by a feeling of freedom and elation. Maybe, I will head out on the chocolate run and not come back. I wonder if that is how Jessica disappeared. Did she have some way to escape his clutches? It seemed unlikely due to her confinement, but nothing is impossible. I grabbed my gear and headed out into the danger zone with thought of not only my grand plan, but a smile at the possibility that there were others that got out before me. Hope is a powerful thing. It can fill a man with purpose. Vincent almost broke me in that prison, and now he set me free without realizing it.
20
Jeremy
The kid has been with me for about a week now. It is nice to have company. It’s even nicer to have company that doesn’t bring a bunch of drama with them. I’ll take a boy and his dog over a stripper and her admirer any day. The kid is pretty bright for a, well, a kid. He doesn’t draw attention to himself, and that dog of his is amazing. They work together without even speaking. It’s a sight to see.
We have been working on a system I like to call “Jeremy is bait.” Since they’re so stealthy, it makes sense for me to draw out the dead and make a bunch of noise, drawing them away from whatever loot we’re after. Then, the two of them run in and grab whatever deliciousness isn’t spoiled yet, or even better, something that helps keep us safe. They managed to find a handgun and some ammo the other day. I did a very literal, and cringe worthy, happy dance.
The one thing the kid doesn’t know is music. That’s okay, though. It gives me something to talk about as we head to the fort. I may not be much of a talker normally, but it feels strange to lead some kid I don’t know around without at least trying to make him feel like he can trust me. Plus, who else is going to teach him about all things 90’s Alternative?
It took a while, but after a few days he finally opened up a bit. “I think we might stick around with you for a while. That okay by you?” He asked out of nowhere.
“Of course. I told you I was happy to have someone around for a bit. It helps that you have a dog. He makes you a lot cooler,” I said with a snicker.
“Yeah,” he laughed. “He does.”
“Look, kid, I figure you two will stay around as long as it’s working for you. That works just fine for me. When we get closer to the place on the paper, you can decide if that’s where you want to be. If it’s not, you two can just take off. I won’t tell anyone I ever knew you. You two are more than capable of taking care of yourselves. I know you are just hanging out with me because it works for right now. That’s fine by me. I am not really a ‘taking care of people’ kind of guy.” I said as he shook his head.
I could swear that the dog was shaking his head, too. Must have been my imagination. Being on your own for too long can make you a bit nutty.
“We had a group before. Rocky liked it there. They made him homemade food.”
“Yeah?” My stomach growled at the idea of a real homecooked meal. “What made you leave?”
“It just wasn’t working for me anymore. The living can be as annoying as the dead,” he said as he laughed.
“Tell me about it,” I agreed, thinking back to the stripper. One more moment with her and I may have willingly joined the ranks of shuffling monsters.
“I miss video games.”
“Me, too kid. Especially Madden,” I said as I packed up the contents of yet another car that had run out of gas. We were going to be hoofing it for a while again. I loved that neither of them seemed to mind.
“You know I can drive,” he blurted out.
“Well, shit! Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I could have been napping more.”
“I wasn’t sure if I liked you yet.”
That made me laugh until tears rolled from the corners of my eyes. I had no idea why I found it that funny, but it was probably because it was unfiltered honesty. I was so tired of dealing with the fake nonsense you always hear when you meet new people. Not with Max, though. That kid kept it real. Rocky stood watch as we gathered the last of our supplies after I was finally able to compose myself again.
We headed off down the road, hugging the side. Throughout this part of New Jersey, there were long stretches of farmland. Along the sides of the road ran drainage ditches, which we would be able to jump into and hide from the living if we kept perfectly still. The dead were a different story, though. Lying flat on the ground in a hole was not exactly the best way to handle them. So far, our best defense has been a good offense.
We decided not to use the gun that Max had found on zombies. Instead, we opted for a much quieter means of dispatching them. We had been lucky so far that the clusters of zombies we had encountered were small and manageable. I didn’t want to ruin that streak by shooting off a loud-ass gun and drawing in a crowd that would be too big for the three of us to handle. The gun was there just in case jumping in the ditch didn’t work out quite like we hoped it would.
By the end of the night, we had walked far enough to end up in another middle of nowhere cluster of homes that may or may not be classified as an actual town. They had long been abandoned. We were getting close enough to the sanctuary on the flyer that most of the people who had lived here were likely either there or dead. Max and rocky looked exhausted, but they weren’t complaining. I was grateful for that being tired as hell myself.
There were three properties to choose from and each looked equally shitty. I had a sneaking suspicion that this wasn’t due to the apocalypse. I would bet they were shitty before the world went to hell. It just happened that the rest of the world managed to catch up with them now. Property values in this portion of the state were never really all that high anyway. They were just far enough away from civilization to be marketable, however, that was more of an asset now.
“Rocky,” I said, scratching the dog’s head. “You take a sniff around and pick one of them for us to stay in. Preferably nothing infested by zombies. I am way too tired to put up a fight. I just want to eat and go to sleep.”
Damned if that dog didn’t circle the outside of each house, smelling the ground as he went. I never knew a dog that understood English so fluently, but the longer I hung out with these two the more convinced I was that I was hanging out with a real-life Lassie.
Rocky finished his inspections and then walked up to the door of the smallest of the three homes. It looked intact enough. We might have to spend a few minutes shoring up the windows and doors, but it was good enough for an overnight stay. He sat down in front of the door. I was about to make my way up to open the door when Max grabbed the back of my shirt.
“That means there are dead in there.”
“What means there are dead in there?” I asked.
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“Rocky and I have a few signals. That is one of them. If he likes a place, he’ll go to the door. He scratches at it if it’s empty, but if he sits and stares at it there are dead inside.”
“Damn. You two are smart. I thought you had some sixth sense shit going on. That makes a lot more sense. I can’t believe I didn’t pick up on it on my own. You got any other ones I should know?” I was genuinely curious.
“Not right now, maybe later. We need to deal with whatever is in that house before anything else.”
“Alright, kid, but you definitely have to tell me. That is too cool,” I said as I pulled out my 10-inch hunting knife.
We were going to be in close quarters with this one but it made sense to clear the house completely before we settled in for the night. Max had his hatchet at the ready as I pulled the door open. We both braced for the attack.
Nothing.
“You sure, that was the signal for dead?” I turned to ask.
“Yup.” He said and pointed back towards the door.
There was a zombie, but not one that was going to get to us very quickly. It was missing a leg, so it was dragging itself across the floor towards us. As it pulled itself closer, it left a trail of slimy brown goo behind it.
“Maybe we should just pick another place to sleep,” I said.
“You afraid of a one-legged zombie? Come on, we have taken on worse, and that is just in the last few days,” he shot back.
“It’s not that, kid. That thing is disgusting. It’s leaving a smelly trail of either shit or blood behind it on the carpet. I bet it’s managed to get that mess all over the entire house. I don’t want to sleep in there,” I argued.
Aftershock Zombie Series (Book 2): Breakdown (A Collection of Survivors Tales) Page 10