by Won, Mark
We didn’t get any takers so I called back to the group following us and warned them that the ghouls might be trying for a flanking maneuver, and that they should keep a look out.
That’s when the gunfire started.
About one hundred yards behind us our friends were firing off everything they had. They had taken some cover in the overgrown grass but that clearly hadn’t been good enough. I spun the car about and tromped on the accelerator. The car sputtered and died.
We all baled out and Sam, Gavin, and Max started back toward the main group. I stayed where I was. This whole thing reeked of a trap. Before I could call out to the others a ghoul broke from the tall grass and leaped at me.
As a rule of thumb it’s not a great idea to try and hit ghouls while they’re on the run. They have a weird way of bouncing their heads around while they move that makes head shots unlikely. I have more experience than most, however, so I always felt pretty confident giving it a go. So instead of dropping my rifle and grabbing my knife I lined up a shot.
And got blindsided.
Ghoul number one had been a decoy. Ghoul number two had just been waiting in the tall grass, hoping that I’d turn my back.
I fell hard, the only thing saving me from getting torn to shreds was a few layers of overlapping twisted drain spout held together by duct tape, my ‘armor’. The ghoul’s sharp hands were reaching around from behind, looking for my throat. I instinctively kept my chin down so that the face mask of my football helmet would keep its hands away. As ridiculous as all that sporting gear looked it saved my life just then.
I tried to roll over but its buddy joined in the fray. With both of them monkey piling on me I had all I could do to pull their talon-like fingers off my face. They were strong. Stronger than me and they had me dead to rights. Too bad for them, I had friends, too.
Sam, Gavin, and Max all opened fire on them, being careful to not hit me. The two ghouls were so intent on finishing me off that they didn’t seem to understand their own peril. Maybe they just didn’t care. Anyhow, both ghouls fell off me with their brains coating the pavement (and me).
By then the main group had finished off the two which had attacked them and were running to join us. I ordered everyone to form a circle while Sam checked my cuts. I only had a few scratches and no bites. Apparently the ghouls had only managed to get a mouth full of scrap metal before getting their heads blown off. Everyone was elated (especially me).
I said, “Calm down. Remember there may be others running around somewhere. Those four could just be the tip of the iceberg.”
To which Sam replied, “But those two old folks said there were only four left.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me, Sam,” I said. “For all we know those two elderly persons only ever saw four ghouls at a time. We have no idea how big a pack we’re dealing with.”
Sam was looking at our new (used) car with a worried expression. “Do you think the ghouls made the car stop working? Can they do that?” I thought, Shit, I sure hope not.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Sam. If they had that kind of magic power then they’d have used it to knock out Haven a long time ago. The fact is I bought a lemon. What do you expect with a car that hasn’t had automotive service in over a year?”
That line of reasoning seemed to mollify him. Truly though, anything was on the table. If we can have ghouls, why not gremlins? I thought it best to keep that open minded train of thought all to myself, however.
I radioed back to let everyone know we were okay (no doubt they had heard the shots) and proclaim our victory. Then I had us move through the town on foot as a single unit, with someone facing in every direction. We couldn’t trust the vehicle and those ghouls had been too smart for our usual tactics. There was no good reason for us to split up.
We kept a close watch for trouble as we made our way north. I led us past a church and a Kingdom Hall. They were next to each other and both had their parking lots full. As we walked past we could see faces peeking out the windows at us. They all looked at us like we were crazy. Sam waved.
Eventually, we made it to the Super Mart. Once inside I had us do a little shopping in the gardening section. I was never much for chemistry, but times had changed. A guy by the name of Kane, back home in Haven, had put me on to the formula. It’s simple really.
That Super Mart sure had everything. Charcoal, potassium nitrate, sulfur, mixing bowl (wooden), plastic spatulas, you name it. They even had lighters and matches. I loaded up a few empty gas cans with my new explosives and made a fuse out of some tape and gauze. Then we went over to Tires Continental, where I got some gasoline from the pump. I put the gas in smaller bottles and taped them to the outside of my black powder filled gas cans. I thought it might be nice to make the whole incendiary a bit more clingy so I added a little petroleum jelly and detergent to the mix. I had the trap, all I needed next was the bait.
Not wanting to light the whole town on fire I elected a nice spot along the side of the Tires Continental. It was a wide open parking lot, and the warehouse part of the building was made of sheet metal. I set the bombs in a semi circle and had everyone use the roof access ladder to get up top. While we were screwing around I noticed at least three more ghouls checking us out, looking for a weakness.
My guys were on top of the roof looking around and waiting for my signal. I had them back away from the edge, and made sure they remained watchful in case the ghouls climbed the roof and attacked them instead of me. And there I sat. Never before or since had I encountered such calculating ghouls. With me on the ground a couple did eventually try to sneak up the back way. My guys there were ready.
The first I heard of it was a bunch of gunfire up on the roof. No sooner had it begun than six more ghouls tried rushing me from all angles. They had to cover a lot of ground without cover, which was all that gave me the time I needed to pull on the rope that I had tied around me. I was pulled up just as the ghouls converged on my location. Someone remembered to throw a Molotov cocktail as I was pulled over the lip of the roof. I could hear the ghouls trying to scrabble up the sheer side of the steel wall behind me (ghouls are great climbers, but there are limits).
We hustled away from the edge toward Gavin and Sam, who were firing over the other side of the roof at whatever was below. That’s when the gas cans began going off, spraying flaming gasoline everywhere. The side of the building caved in and oily smoke rolled everywhere, obscuring everyone’s vision. The roof shifted beneath us so I yelled at everyone to throw the escape ropes.
No sooner had the ropes hit the ground then one had tension on it. I leveled my shotgun at the point where the rope disappeared over the side. It only took a second for a ghoul to bound up the rope, right into my sights. I blew its head off, and barely had enough time to work the pump before the next came vaulting over the roof’s edge. It landed amid a hail of gunfire fit to sink a battle ship (when they’re in the air like that they’re weakest because they can’t change direction so well).
With no more of the enemy about and the roof feeling like it could give out any second, everyone began shimmying down the ropes. As soon as the first man, Sam, hit the ground two more ghouls charged him from behind some parked cars. He didn’t even flinch. He dropped his rifle and brought up his hatchet just as they body slammed him into the pavement.
Two other of my men were on the ground by then, and they were swinging for the fences. Those two were both armed with rusty old claw hammers. Three on two in our favor seemed a good bet until another four ghouls showed up from who knows where. Things were looking grim.
I gauged the angle as best as I was able and vaulted the lip of the roof. It seemed like I fell forever before planting my combat boots right on one of the ghoul’s heads. Down he went with me collapsing on top of him. My gun was knocked out of my hand when I landed, and the head of my hammer bruised my ribs. I sprained an ankle but managed to roll off my victim before any of the others attacked me.
A couple more guys were down the ropes
and Sam was back on his feet. He was just turning to help the man on his left when he got hammered into the ground again, his face pushed into the pavement. I didn’t have time to draw my weapon so I ran over and grabbed the ghoul from behind, hauling it off Sam. Naturally, it turned and tried to grapple.
Ghouls are about as strong as your common body builder but have no sense of leverage. I was able to wrestle it to the ground, breaking one of its arms, before someone bashed its head in. Then it was over.
We had accumulated numerous bruises and cuts, some of which needed stitches. Two men were bitten and that was my major concern. I remember hoping that the town’s location would grant my men immunity to the effects of the ghoul bites.
After some necessary immediate medical attention was administered we got out of there. I radioed ahead, apprising everyone of our status, while the sprinkler system to Tires Continental went off behind us. The stink of burning rubber was everywhere and I hoped the fire wouldn’t spread. It occurred to me that I might have overestimated the amount of black powder needed to get the job done.
Once we were back in Flag Town, Tisha took a closer look at the wounded and I called over our chaplain, Ayden, and told him, “We got two men bitten. Sam and Roger.”
He went over and began administering the Lord’s Supper to each of them. That was standard protocol in case of a bite, with the idea being that it might be of some help. I can’t say if it works or not, at least not from personal experience. The trouble is, one can never really know. I love the Lord and all, but right then I was thanking him more for us being in a place with a reputation for people not generally turning into zombies.
When that was all taken care of I asked if we could stay in an abandoned barn for a couple of days. The farmer in question, who’s name I forget, had no problem with us camping out for as long as we liked. He even offered to let us stay in his home. I had to decline. By that point the group with me numbered eleven (what with the injured going back to the buses and other people bringing supplies to us) and I didn’t want to crowd the house or split the group.
While we rested, I called for Doctor Cooper and explained the situation to him, including what Shallow Ford was like. I wanted him to understand what was happening and spread the word as he saw fit.
He asked me, “So what now? Are y’all going home?”
“No, the job ain’t done. I intend to go back in and finish off any more ghouls. After that the mayor and I need to have a talk. It may be a long talk or a very short one, but we need to have it. How would you like to be mayor?”
He seemed quite surprised by the notion. “I don’t know, Paul. Are you sure that’s right?”
“I got to leave someone behind who I can trust to divvy up the food in a more equatable manner. You have people starving in Shallow Ford, and I mean to do something about it before I leave. If you won’t be mayor will you at least consider being the rationing officer?”
He agreed to that much, at least, which was good enough for the time being.
After a few days my ankle felt a bit better so I took my eleven men (well, technically eight men and three women) and we went back into Shallow Ford. Sam and Roger had both survived their ordeal and were eager to kill a few more of the undead should circumstances permit. I had a feeling that all the ghouls were dead, and even if they weren’t the few who were left wouldn’t want to attack such a large group. We made our way to the church and the Kingdom Hall, where I’d seen so many people on our last trip into town.
I stood outside and declared to the good people of Shallow Ford that a number of the ghouls, at least, were dead, and that it was time for them to take back the town. A few eventually came out. What choice did they have, really? It was that or starve.
As the buildings began to empty a man came over to me and introduced himself as Pastor Clark. He asked, “Is everything safe? Did you get them all?”
“I can’t say for sure, Pastor. I know we killed a bunch of them, but how could I know if we got them all? I do know you can’t hide forever. I figure that people must look up to you because you’re a man of the cloth. It’s time to cash in on that. Tell your congregation to arm themselves and get back to church.” The fact was, most of them were already armed. “Tomorrow, at eight o’clock a.m., I’ll be back around to teach your people how to kill ghouls. Then, I’ll take any man with guts hunting. What do you say?”
“I say it’s about time somebody started doing something useful for a change. I’ll let folks know.” And off he went.
Mayor Callow was the last to come forth from the other building, right after his wife and daughter. I walked up to him with a grim purpose but had a change of heart by the time I reached him. I didn’t want to humble him, or kill him, in front of his family. I’ve always felt that was sort of rude.
Instead, I said, “It’s good to see you again, Mayor. I was wondering if I could speak with you privately about the security of your town, and about the steps you’re going to need to take to ensure you’re personal safety.” I’d never spoken truer words.
He agreed, mostly because of that ‘personal safety’ bit, so we went back inside. I began by asking where all the town’s corn was. I told him he had starving people. I found his answer unsatisfying.
“All that food needs to be rationed, Paul. Even you should understand that. I got lucky and some loose cows wandered past the roadblock and into town in February. A couple cows, a bull, and a calf. I don’t know how they made it, but it was a Godsend. I’m making sure that we have enough to feed them.”
I could tell right away that Mayor Callow was one of those people who just didn’t get it. And the only way to educate a man like that was through simple straightforward violence. Pain retains. So I gave him a big open handed slap and down he went. He was confused, scrabbling around on the floor, so I helped him up. His piggy face got all scared and he opened his mouth to speak. I slapped him down again. I know I told Jake to avoid head shots, but there’s a time and a place for everything.
After helping him up again I said, “I need you to tell me where the harvest is, Mayor. We’re going to ration it out right now.”
He opened his mouth again so I slapped him down again. Once he had regained all his faculties I continued, “I wasn’t finished. I’ve got a better man than you to handle the rationing from now on. You do everything he says and maybe he’ll allow you to remain mayor. Now, I’m going to ask you a question and you’d better answer. Where is the food?”
“I-i-i-it’s in the silo. At the Mcabee farm.” He seemed terrified. I expect I was the embodiment of every horror he’d ever imagined. If I had to guess I’d say he was more frightened of me than of the ghouls who had made him a prisoner in his own house of worship.
“That’s real good Mayor. Now you’re going to take us there. Before you get any suicidal ideas moving through your head, just remember that if you betray me the first one I kill will be you. Understand?”
He assured me that he did, in fact, understand. I was also able to procure directions to the Mcabee farm. Then I used the walkie talkie to contact Doctor Cooper and let him know where to meet us. He knew the way.
I took the mayor outside to the remnants of the crowd and declared the mayor’s intention to ration out some food. I made sure to name the doctor as the agent in charge of that process. Then we went over to the farm. It was located a mile or so north, almost as far as the northern roadblock but a bit more easterly. That’s where we met Doctor Cooper and a bunch of good ‘ol boys. The doctor had gotten a pickup truck in working order and driven over. They’d managed to find the grain long before we showed up and were already weighing it and handing it out to all the starving residents of Shallow Ford by the time we arrived. I went over to the doctor.
“Hi Doctor. There’s some more folks that need food but I’m not sure if they’ll be able to make it.” Then I explained the mayors hiring practices and named Liz and Mike, the elderly couple, as prime examples of those who might benefit from some special assistan
ce. I told him that I was sure there were others who needed help as well.
He told me, “That’s horrible,” referring to the mayor’s practice of starving anyone not useful enough to his purpose. “I know that Pastor Clark used to run a meals on wheels program. Maybe he can help.” I said I thought that would be a fine idea.
After that everything fell together nicely. There was enough food to go around (and keep the beef fed). The mayor was still the mayor but the job didn’t carry the weight it used to. Between Pastor Clark and Dr. Cooper the ration system held up without any undue difficulties. I did a little quick training and led the locals on a thorough search of the town, but we didn’t find any more ghouls.
We took all three buses through High Quarry to pick up all of the caches left behind by Billy Ray and his buddies. Even after wiping out all the zombies in High Quarry, the three cannibals had still had managed to leave an impressive store of ammunition behind. I gave half of what we found to Doctor Cooper to do with as he pleased.
The folks in town even found the crane they’d used to build the roadblocks. It was still functional, and with it the doctor hoped to restructure the southern roadblock to be more accommodating for anyone who came to pay a visit. Anyone like us. Tisha made a major point of warning the doctor of the perils of roving bandits and the need to keep a constant watch. All in all, we spent about two weeks bolstering our relationship with Shallow Ford before moving on.
No sooner had we gotten back to Haven than Mark asked me to split up my group. Three buses could cover three times the area by splitting up, or so Mark assured me. Also, Mark asked if I could pick out my best men to scout solo. He was looking for a safe route to New Orleans but wanted to keep the buses on rescue missions out west, where he’d heard some radio chatter. It was up to me. Eventually, I gave everyone my blessing and we split up. I knew they could look after themselves. My next stop was a trip back to New Orleans, or what was left of it. Mark felt sure that if enough people had survived in that city then there would have to be some kind of mutually beneficial deal we could make. I wasn’t so sure, but knew we had to check it out.