“Why?” Shane asked
“Because if we have to get nut to butt to make a path through a horde, it will help cushion the pushin,” Q said. “We had to do that back in Texas, and then had to use a crow bar to get Charity’s trunk open.”
Two hours later, they were on the road with a thirty-eight-foot diesel class A pulling a twenty-foot cargo trailer, and two class C's pulling twelve-foot cargo trailers. Part of Bill’s plan was to arrive at their final destination with enough food to last through the winter and well into the summer so they could begin sustainable farming. Bill and Q had made sure to gather all eight spare trailer tires the garage had stocked on the rack. They were so happy to find them already mounted on wheels and everything. They stopped at the nearest gas station and filled up with fuel and grabbed some snacks for the road.
Back at Papaw's house, everyone there had all the food packed, and of course, Memaw had gone overboard on packing mementoes. They rearranged the living assignments so that Terry and Kathrin would be traveling and living in the class C Jake had driven back. Shane and Anna shared the other small RV with Sally and Leah. Sam, Jane, Sasha, and Memaw would be in the behemoth piloted by Papaw. Of course, D, Q, and Andre stayed in their own camper. That left Bill and Charity to bunk up in his trailer until they got her home to Indiana.
That night, they set up one-hour watch rotations just to make sure everything was where they’d left it in the morning.
By midmorning of ZomPoc day four, they were at Jane's house, helping her and Sasha pack a few things while Bill rummaged through the kitchen.
"What are you looking for?" she asked.
"Trivets, the ones I collected when I traveled the world."
"Oh, I threw those out years ago."
"Why?"
"It was Lorenzo's idea. He thought it would help me move on. I needed to get rid of them."
"Nice. That fucker was playing you like he did me. Did you know he asked me if there was any way we could work things out and reconcile? I told him no way. Three weeks later, y’all moved away together. Some best friend he turned out to be. I hope he died a slow and miserable death. He better hope I don't find him alive. I’ll feed his ass to thrillers piece by piece."
"I actually agree with you there. I found out he was using me as an excuse to get away from his wife."
"Bill, we're loaded up and ready to move out as soon as y’all two are done relieving your hate for each other," Q said.
"Yup. Let's get the fuck outta here."
Chapter 5. The Road to Ft Wayne
The convoy headed north out of Pensacola and hopped on Interstate 65. Everyone agreed the interstates would be faster, but the crew from Texas really wanted to avoid large cities. They’d had enough trouble traveling Highway 190 and Intestate 10/12 from central Texas to Florida. They agreed to go through Montgomery, Alabama, to give the Florida crew a taste of the new big-city life. Bill hoped they all made it out alive, but he needed them to understand wide-open spaces were the place to be nowadays. It was only a 160-mile drive, and it also would give everyone from Florida time to adjust to the lack of traffic, and by then, they would need to stop to let the drivers either use the bathroom or swap out with someone. In Greenville, Alabama, they had to slow down to five miles an hour because the freeway was congested with thrillers.
"Everyone, pull in close. I need your bumper touching the tires in front of you," Bill called over the radio.
"Do not let any of these shit sacks get between you and the trailer in front of you," Q added
"How are we going to see where we're going?" Jake said.
"You won't need too. We're only going five miles an hour, the road is straight, and you probably don't want to see the shit storm that is about to ensue," Bill said
"Yea, I made that mistake back in Texas," Charity added. "I almost died."
As they waded through the sea of bodies, about every fourth one would fall under the massive front end of the 4Runner. Bill told everyone, "Ignore the bumps. By the time the last RV goes over it, it won't be much of a bump anymore."
"We have a few getting pulled under our back tires," Shane said. He was third in line behind Q and D. He was also the first RV with dual rear wheels, and they stuck out slightly further than the trailers in front of him.
The horde had to be at least five thousand thrillers strong. For a small town of only eight thousand people, Bill figured that someone had to have drawn them there for a purpose—yet another reason he didn't want to stop anywhere close to a town. He had a gut feeling if they stopped, they would be in bigger trouble than it looked on the surface. The weird thing was that except for the middle of town, where there was a highway interchange, the freeway was lined on both sides by trees. It was here that cars had been parked on both sides to corral in the thrillers. It was also here that they were bottlenecked in by school busses parked across the lanes, so they had to drive on the center shoulder to pass them. As they did, they could hear loud rock music being blared from PA systems in both busses. All the windows were down on the busses, and it shook the fillings right out of everyone's teeth except for Papaw—he had dentures.
A slow and arduous progress was made until finally they broke free on the other side. Bill still kept it slow until everyone had cleared the other side, and then he sped back up to fifty-five mph. A few miles up the road, Bill saw a couple of trucks parked at the rest stop with people standing next to them.
"We might have company soon,” Bill warned. “Everyone get locked and loaded in case they want what we have. It will be dark soon. We can go black and use the NVGs to give us the advantage if they chase us long enough.”
It wasn't long before they had a tail. Papaw let everyone know the guys from the rest stop were definitely following them. The convoy was speeding up and soon going eighty miles an hour. It was the best the diesel pusher could do, and thankfully, the terrain was pretty level through this part of Alabama. Papaw was swerving back and forth as much as he dared in Behemoth to keep the trucks from pulling up alongside of them.
The lead truck got brave and called Papaw’s bluff. He sideswiped the truck with the rear driver-side of the trailer, shoving the pickup into the center median. The grass was slick and muddy from the recent rains. The truck went sideways and rolled several times before stopping. Bill thought he saw people flying out, but in the waning daylight, he couldn't be sure. A few minutes later, Papaw announced that the other two trucks had given up the chase, to which everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"How's your trailer?" Bill asked over the coms.
"Can't really tell. I don't think I hit him very hard, just enough to scare him. It seems to be tracking ok. I'll let you know if anything changes."
"All right, we're stopping just outside Montgomery in another twenty miles, and we'll check everything over there."
They went over the security plan to make sure everyone knew their job to keep the convoy secure. Every vehicle was to pull up to its own pump, and the driver would pump gas. That would give them a chance to stretch their legs but not have to focus on security, giving their brains a break from the monotonous miles interspersed with near-death experiences. The other passengers would post as security around their respective vehicle. Sam and Sally would come over to the 4Runner to assist, since it was only Bill and Charity riding in the lead. The girls had agreed they didn’t want to be up there, because they didn’t want to see some of the atrocities that would be seen only from the lead vehicle. Greenville had proven that theory to be true.
They stopped at a national chain truck stop eight miles from the edge of Montgomery because it had plenty of pumps but the store was small. Plus, Bill wanted to evaluate that trailer before they got themselves into another pickle.
Once the vehicles were fueled and bathroom breaks were in progress, Jane and Sasha headed for the store.
"We're going inside to get some drinks and food," Jane said.
"Let us come with you and teach you how to clear a building first," Bill repli
ed.
"I can handle myself. I don't need a babysitter, and I certainly don't need you to be my dad. I already have one. He’s very nice!"
"Great, but he won't have you if you keep up that attitude, and did you just quote Monty Python?"
"Oh my God! No, I did not, and did you just threaten me?"
"No, it was a warning that if you don't clear the building right, something is going to surprise you and turn you into zombie shit.”
“Nice. Now you’re saying I’m nothing better than zombie shit.”
“You’re insufferable. Fine, go die.”
“Hey, asshole, you’re going to feel really bad if I actually die.”
“Yea, good luck with all that,” Bill said to Jane’s back as she stomped over to Papaw to see if he would help clear the store.
Charity turned to Bill and said, “What does she do for a living?”
“She has a master’s in social work and does family counseling.”
“You’re shitting me.”
“Uh, no, I’m not. While we were married, she crammed four years of college into twelve,” Bill said smartly.
Charity bust out laughing. “Oh, man, you’re funny!”
“Thank you, but seriously, it took her twelve years to get a bachelor’s degree.”
“Damn” was only response Charity could muster.
Bill and Charity walked over to Behemoth to check on the trailer. It had definitely hit the front of the truck and would need to be repaired, especially if Papaw planned to use it as a weapon again. Bill had an idea. He got on his phone and started searching for what he needed.
“Alright, y’all, here’s what I want to do, and I need everyone’s help,” Bill said after he’d gathered everyone around. He pointed to a spot on the map he had laid out on his hood.
“We are here, I want us to go over here and stay for the night. I know today was a short day for miles, but we got a late start leaving Pensacola. We will probably be there for most of tomorrow. We will see how repairs and modifications to the trailer go. If it gets too late, we will just stay there tomorrow night too. It’s a day lost, but it will pay off in dividends in the life-saving department. What happened a little while ago is not the first time it’s happened to us.”
Heads nodded from the Texas crew. Bill wondered how long it would be before they were all one cohesive team.
“Good driving on Papaw’s part. If the materials I need are here, I’m going to need help moving sheets of metal from one machine to another and then to the trailer.”
Again, most of the heads nodded.
“For those that aren’t helping me, I’d like you to use this time to learn some new skills, or host some clinics if you will. If D is willing to teach, we need more snipers. She has been a lifesaver many times now, and if we can replicate her skills, that would be awesome. Basic shooting classes are also in order, as well as how to clear a building.”
Everyone seemed to like that idea. The newest members were beginning to see that fighting and lifesaving skills were important. Just as Bill had predicted, Jane and Sasha had gotten a good scare in the quickie mart that had opened their eyes to reality. He was thankful they were ok.
The industrial complex Bill had read about online was as good as he’d hoped. There was a machine shop next to a steel distribution center. The other buildings housed manufacturing equipment for things like power station parts, and one was a distribution center for a national parcel delivery service. The buildings were locked, and they had to break in by shooting the door handles. The machine shop had three large bays, which they pulled the three RVs into, and the whole complex was surrounded by chain-link fencing. That would prove helpful not only for security, but for target practice when the thrillers lined up. Before nightfall, they collected the materials they would need to make the trailer a battle wagon.
The next morning, work began. Bill and his helpers took quarter-inch plate steel and cut it into two-by-eight-foot sections. Then they put each one on the metal bender and folded those ninety degrees long ways down the middle. These would be the new corners for the back of the trailer. Next, they bolted quarter-inch steel sheets to the side of the trailer, from the new corners all the way to the front. Terry found some thirty-six-inch saw blades for a chop saw, and Bill told him to cut them in half. He had Q weld the halves along the bottom of the new armor so they were parallel with the ground.
“Dude, you know my welding sucks.”
“I just need them to not fall off going down the road. They will definitely break off the next time some dick cheese tries to run Behemoth off the road again. The idea is that they are secured enough to slice their tires as they do. I figured this would be a great time for you to practice welding, because we’re going to need those skills in the future.”
“Good point. Ok, I’m on it.”
They also added steel plates to the back for protection and to the front as counterbalance. There had been discussions of cutting ports into the trailer so people could shoot from them, but the voice of reason said it would be too violent back there. With the way Papaw had whipped that trailer around yesterday, it would beat the people inside to death. They might be ok if they were strapped to a chair, but they didn’t have that resource available to them at this juncture. After the work was complete, they estimated the trailer weighed five thousand pounds heavier.
By late afternoon, Papaw backed the trailer out of the bay and shot it a few times with the .308. Most of the rounds deflected off, but the armor-piercing rounds they’d picked up from the National Guard in Texas went right through.
Bill heard controlled rhythmic shooting from the other side of the building. Terry and Sam had been teaching others how to load and clear weapons, and now they were going over the basics of shooting. Bill had both of them handling weapons, since they were teenagers, hoping that someday they would be able to pass those skills to another person.
Memaw spent the day in Behemoth cooking a couple of apple pies and meals for everyone. Bill realized that soon, they would need to stock up on dry goods and other sundries. He’d already planned on cleaning out some grocery stores along the way, but it looked like it would need to be sooner. Feeding this crowd was going to require a bit more than they had brought with them. As he looked around, he also realized the need for boots. A lot of people were still wearing tennis shoes or flip-flops. How had he missed that when they’d still been in Florida? After some consideration, he figured it was due to the fatigue and stress the previous couple of days.
During the course of the day, D showed Sasha, Jane, and Anna how to use a scoped rifle. Charity taught Sally and Leah how use a compound bow. Both girls caught on quickly and would need to be outfitted with equipment. Bill decided they might as well make a trip to the sporting goods store. They could stock up on more ammo and get the other items they now needed. Bill and Q knew nobody would be great after one day of practice, but some skill was better than just being thriller chow.
That evening, they had a small campfire between a few of the buildings. Some people were roasting the marshmallows D kept stocked in her camper. Bill and Q were having a glass of Scotch and smoking cigars that they had brought from home.
“Have Scotch, will travel,” Bill joked.
“Nice. It’s the end of the world, and you assholes are sitting around getting drunk,” Jane scolded.
“Look, we’re not getting drunk, just relaxing after a busy day. It’s relatively safe here, and we don’t have watch tonight. This is what you do after a stressful couple of days spent killing and getting shot at. Chill out and enjoy the company of those you love while you can.”
“Fine, whatever.”
Even though it had barely been a few days since the start of ZomPoc, it felt nice to really relax. Nobody knew when they would get the opportunity again, so they savored it. Many talked about the next day. It was going to be busy and would test many of their new skills. Some even expressed concerns about doing it near such a large city like Montgomery.
They all agreed it had to happen and soon. They were running low on food and would also need things once the newest members of the team realized how this new world worked. Using the fear of the previous day’s attack as a catalyst, they spent an hour talking about tactics and how they were going to travel from that day forward.
Bill wanted more eyes looking out, with weapons ready should they need them. They had the manpower to protect themselves, and he didn’t want to squander the gift. Q explained their ideas for firing positions in every vehicle for the next time someone tried to pull a stunt like what had happened that day again. He also stated that it needed to be that way from now on.
The next morning came early, as they were woken up at six am. Everyone wanted to get what they needed and be as far away from this place as possible. To avoid as much of the city as they could, they went south on Highway 31 till they caught a street that would take them east to Highway 231. From there, they went north up Taylor Rd.
They pulled up in front of the sporting goods store of choice, parked three of the vehicles end to end with the passenger side towards the front doors of the building. They positioned the small RVs perpendicular to the other three, one at each end and backed up to the building, effectively blocking off the entrance from the outside world with a U-shaped blockade. Once the inside was cleared, they could easily load everything they wanted without a horde trapping them inside. The only gaps were between the vehicles and the trailers, where Jake, Shane, Leah, Kathrin, and Anna posted as ground security. D, Sasha, and Jane were all posted up top to provide eyes in the sky in all three directions. Bill, Q, Terry, Sam, Sally, Charity, and Papaw would clear this building and load the stuff they wanted into the trailers. Again, Memaw took this opportunity to make sure that lunch would be ready when everyone needed it.
The Alpha team consisted of Bill, Charity, and Terry. They went left, while Q took Sam, Sally, and Papaw, Bravo team, went right. Stepping as silently as they could, Bill and Charity went up the left middle isle, and Terry went up the far isle that lined the wall. When they made their first right to head towards that back of the store, all three shot at thrillers standing there in what seemed like standby mode. At the back, the trio rejoined in the footwear department and headed down the back wall together. They were looking for the storeroom, breakroom, and offices, while Q’s team cleared the rest of the store. The breakroom was clear, and there were nine thrillers in the storage room.
Beginning of the New Beginning, Vol 1 Page 9