I'm Tired of Zombies | Book 2 | Full Scale War

by Murphy, James W.

  I looked at the areas I could see and saw no one then looked back at Ruth and she gave me a thumb up as she didn’t see anyone either. I threw my legs over the side and slid down on my backside, the M4 up and ready to shoot. I saw three bodies of men that Ruth had blasted with grenades. I stuck them all in the head with my knife.

  After a while, I finally reached the bottom of the ridge and ran to the northwest corner of the garage since the house was still burning. I could tell the fire had reached the armory, as there was a lot of ammo cooking off. I was sorry about that since there was a great deal of weaponry and other things we could have used in there.

  One of the trucks in front of the house had caught fire and soon the other would be torched. I hoped the fire wouldn’t reach the barn or the garage and with the wind blowing gently from the west, we might just be fortunate in that.

  I eased up to the back window of the garage and slowly lifted my eyes over the lip to look. I saw no one, so I stood up and scanned the interior. It looked as though they had thrown a few grenades in there, but other than some light damage, it was still intact. The ATVs and the truck inside looked damaged but still usable.

  I crept up to the next corner and looked around it. Seeing no one, I looked back up the mountain and could see several bodies. None were moving yet so I knew they hadn’t reanimated as Zs. That would be a problem for us to contend with in a short time. I looked back down the east wall of the garage and a Z, who had been one of our attackers, came around the corner from the front yard. I didn’t even get a chance as Ruth had seen it and put a bullet through its head. I looked back at her with a smile and waved. She returned the jester with a wave and smile of her own.

  I moved to the front of the garage, looked around and could see several bodies that would not be reanimating due to the damage we had inflicted. I stood there for several minutes just watching, still somewhat nervous and cautious, and finally felt comfortable enough to venture past the garage. That’s when I saw Dan and Jeff easing up the lane with their M4s at the ready. I waved at them, smiling, and they waived back and began to jog up the lane to where I was.

  That’s when I heard Ruth fire again and turning and looking up at her position, saw her pull her nine-millimeter and fire to her rear. A couple of guys I had hit with my grenades had reanimated as Zs, climbed the hill and were after her. She was firing rapidly and as I watched, I saw her turn and leap down the front of the ridge. When she hit the side, she tumbled and rolled down the face of the mountain.

  I knew she was in trouble, out of control, as her arms were flailing as she tried to stop her descent down the steep slope. I looked up the mountain behind her and saw two Zs begin to tumble down behind her. They didn’t know any better. I ran around to the back of the garage with Dan and Jeff on my heels, to climb the ridge to help Ruth, and as I turned the back corner, I brought my M4 up to shoot the Zs. Ruth had managed to slow herself and was sliding on her backside down the mountain.

  The Zs had no control whatsoever so I took aim and began peppering them with rifle fire, hoping to hit them in the head. Dan and Jeff soon joined me and together we tried to kill the creatures. Ruth had finally been able to get up and started doing small jumps down the mountain. We three continued shooting as she came down as fast as she dared. I’m sure I’d killed one as it went completely limp and actually slowed. The other continued to tumble and I saw one of its legs snap the femur and fold into an unnatural position.

  I cringed glad it wasn’t my leg, and very happy it wasn’t Ruth with an injury like that. I watched the creature tumble and I could see the leg turn and bend in all directions. Man, that would hurt if it were a person. It finally hit flat on its back and sliding on the gravel, the leg bent grotesquely underneath it, so I took careful aim and got a three-round burst into its head ending that threat.

  Ruth was able to jog down the rest of the way to the back of the garage and we embraced. Dan and Jeff both complemented her on the decision to come down the mountain the way she did. Other than a few minor cuts, scratches, and some torn garments she was uninjured and whole. The bleeding was minor.

  “That was close,” she said, out of breath. “There were four of them and I got two up there but freaked as those two got too close. So, I jumped – that was all I figured I could do!”

  “It was good enough,” I told her. “Come on let’s see what we can salvage from this mess.”

  We four went back out to the front yard and surveyed the damage. The house was a going to need a lot of work but would be salvageable as for some reason the fire had died much sooner than I thought it would, although in the back the armory still had ammo cooking off. It looked as though we would be living in the Underground for quite a while. With nothing else to do for the moment, we decided to load up the truck with what we could from the stores in the garage and head over to Julia and Dave’s to see if the four of us could help out.

  As we headed down the hill, we could still see smoke rising over their place. “God, I hope they’re alright,” Ruth said with concern.

  “Keep a sharp eye out for trouble and Zs on the way over,” I said. I went as fast as the terrain allowed. I decided to go the back way, which would get us there quicker and we blasted through the creek crossing to get to their home. As we pulled up, we saw the explosion had flattened the home and garage. The smoldering ruins were scattered all around the yard and we could still see flames coming from the other small house down by the creek.

  I no sooner stopped the truck than Ruth was out and yelling for Julia. I opened my door and standing on the doorframe yelled Dave’s name. We got no answer in return. I was crestfallen. Why did this happen and who were these attackers?

  Ruth had cautiously made her way through the debris that was once Dave and Julia’s home, when she finally came close to where the front steps used to be. She was looking down, drew her pistol and shot into the ground several times.

  Dan, Jeff, and I spun with our M4s up looking for targets, when she turned to us saying, “I know who the attackers were.”

  “How could you?” I asked her.

  “The Doc is lying here, that’s how,” she answered.

  I practically ran to her side. She had shot several of the bodies, including the Doc’s, in the head, but I could still tell it was him. “I never figured he’d do something like this,” I said. “I’m glad they got him.”

  Ruth pointed towards the bus stop shack, or rather what was left of it, and said, “There’s a 240 over there. I wonder if they made a stand of it from there. Let’s dig the out hatch and find out.”

  We made our way through the carnage and found the 240 to be indeed one of the ones we acquired. I tried the hatch and it was locked from the inside, so I picked up a piece of two by four and banged on the hatch cover several times, yelling Dave and Julia’s names as I did so. I would stop banging and listen after two or three knocks and heard nothing at all.

  “Do you think we should open it?” Ruth asked.

  “Why not,” I answered her and yelling for Dave and Julia not to shoot, slowly tried to open the hatch, but it was locked from the inside. I looked back at the house and knew we couldn’t enter from there, and the little house by the creek was obviously out of the question so that made this the only entrance or exit from their underground.

  “Bang on it some more. They have to be down there.”

  “I’ll try, babe. Get down close to the hatch and try yelling some more right next to it. Maybe the sound isn’t carrying that well.”

  She got on her hands and knees and with her mouth right next to the hatch cover yelled for Julia or Dave to unlock the hatch. In between when she took a breath, I would pound on the hatch cover with the two by four.

  Jack came around the corner of the office and yelled a warning for us not to fire. We all waved at him and he came over and joined the four of us. “This place got hit badly,” he said.

  Dan looked at him and said, “Paradise Valley was hit hard also. The house burned some. Doug, w
hat’s down there?”

  I looked up at him and telling the truth, said, “This is Dave and Julia’s underground facility. I don’t know why they kept it secret from you, but that was Dave’s decision.”

  Ruth was yelling near the hatch cover again and finally, after what seemed an eternity, we saw the hatch unlocking. I jumped back and brought my M4 to bear just in case and the Marines followed suit. Ruth pulled her nine-millimeter and we waited. The hatch cover rose, and Julia’s head came up into the sunlight. Her eyes met mine and I instantly knew. She had been crying for quite a while and her eyes were red and blood-shot.

  Ruth reached down after holstering her handgun and helped Julia out of the hatchway. They stood there embracing and crying. Ruth had guessed Dave was gone and I did too. I joined in the hugging and tears were streaming down my cheeks. My dearest and only close male friend in the whole world was gone.

  The three of us stood there hugging for quite some time, the Marines looking on, also saddened, shoulders sagging, rifles hanging limply in their hands. I stepped back first and with my shoulders sagging stood there watching the ladies comfort one another. Finally, Ruth asked, “Are you hurt?”

  Julia just shook her head no and said, “I’m n…are you?” taking note of Ruth’s bleeding.

  “No, I’m fine, just some cuts and scratches I got from a fall,” Ruth answered.

  I got up the courage to ask, “Is Dave really…” She shook her head yes and began to cry on Ruth’s shoulder again. I looked up into the sky and silently asked God why. The pain of losing my friend hurt immensely and I began to shed tears again. Jeff came over and put his hand on my shoulder then Jeff and finally Jack. We four stood there in our grief.

  Finally, Julia said through her sniffles, “He never knew what hit him, it was instantaneous. He was in the hatch and I tapped him on the leg. When he looked down at me, he was hit and fell to the floor at my feet.” She began to cry in earnest again and reached for Ruth.

  We waited patiently for her, letting her grieve. We did get her to move over to the truck and sit in the cab with Ruth while the three Marines and I fanned out and watched for danger. Finally settling down, she told us the whole story down to the last detail of where the bullet had hit Dave and that a few minutes after that the attackers left in a hummer. Then the explosion knocked her out. Our yelling and hitting the hatch cover is what brought her out of her unconsciousness.

  She talked for several more minutes. Ruth dug out a water bottle from the back seat and unscrewing the cap, handed it to Julia who drained it. She sat there with the empty container crinkling, looking forlorn. I’m sure I had felt the same way when I lost my grandparents and parents. All Ruth, Dan, Jeff, Jack, and I could do for the moment was to be there for her and comfort her as best as we could, not to mention ourselves.

  The sun was just topping the western ridgeline when I said, “Ladies, I know it’s a hard time for all of us, but night is coming on and we need to get somewhere safe for the night. What say we take care of Dave and then head for the Underground over at our place for the night?

  I tried to comfort her by saying, “Julia, Dan and Jeff hosed that green and black hummer, so they won’t be shooting anyone anymore. Dave’s killer is dead.”

  Julia looked up at me and I could tell she was thinking that through. The gutsy lady reached deep into her inner strength and finally shook her head and said, “I’ll show you where he is. We can wrap him in a tarp that’s down there and use a rope to get him out.” She looked up at me and then asked, “Can we bury him with Erskine?”

  “I think that would be perfect,” I said reaching a hand into the truck and giving her shoulder a squeeze.

  She took a deep breath, obviously getting a handle on her emotions and said, “Come on then, let’s do this.” She pointed and Ruth climbed down out of the cab. Julia followed and we went over to the hatchway. She looked at the Marines and me and just pointed.

  I looked down the hatch and could see Dave lying on his left side at the bottom. It was everything I could muster to climb down the ladder. Julia followed then Ruth and the men. As we gathered around Dave’s body, I said we should pray and the six of us held hands and prayed for a while. Tears fell again and we wound up in a group hug once more. Although only being with us a short time, Dan, Jeff, and Jack were obviously a part of the family now as their grief was just as pronounced as ours.

  I finally broke away and went to the storeroom where I knew the tarps and rope were. I also found a long board, a one by ten-inch plank, so that we could tie his body to it. I felt that would make it a bit easier to get him out of the hatchway. I carried the articles down to where Dave was and slid the plank up against him, then the four of us, Dan, Jeff, Jack, and I, rolled his body then laid him back onto it.

  It took the four of us to wrap him in the tarp and get the rope tied such that we could get him up the hatchway. Grabbing the end of the rope, I climbed out of their complex and we went through the process of getting Dave’s body out. I backed the truck up the fence line, got out and dropped the tailgate. We put Dave into the back, closed the tailgate, climbed in, and drove back to a not so Paradise-like Valley. We would leave him in the back of the truck until tomorrow, when I would dig a grave next to Erskine.

  We took two of the ATVs and drove up the back trail to the Underground. Ruth fixed us some dinner and we ate in silence. I’d popped the cork on a bottle of wine, which we all drank. I figured it would help to settle our nerves and help us sleep. I didn’t figure we would need to keep watch as we’d pretty much decimated the attackers. Dan, Jeff, and I would drag their bodies down to the quarry tomorrow after we took care of Dave. I don’t know how many Dave and Julia killed, but Ruth and I took out seventeen of our attackers. Dan and Jeff had taken out seven. Jack said he’d killed four. I had counted twenty-two when they first attacked, so that meant we really did them some harm. By my calculations, we’d killed the entire force, but if only a few made it out, then that meant we did very well, defending our little community, probably killing between forty and fifty men.

  I told Julia to sleep in our room, as it would be difficult for her to sleep in the other room where she and Dave had lived for so long. She agreed and after finishing her wine gave each of us a hug and said good night.

  We watched her leave the kitchen, waited a few moments, and heard the door to the bedroom close. Ruth looked at me and taking my hand asked, “Do we need to worry those guys might come back?”

  “If any of them made it out, then I think so, but not tonight. If any of them made it then they are on foot so it’ll be a week or so before we might think another attack may come. We beat them up pretty badly. No telling how many Dave and Julia killed, and Jack, Dan and Jeff said they got another eleven. So, between you and I and the Marines, we took out twenty-nine men. Those I saw over at the Malone’s make me think there must have been between forty and fifty in the attack. That’s a bunch! I’ll take care of all of their bodies tomorrow after we put Dave to rest.”

  Dan added, “I don’t think any got away. We destroyed all their vehicles.

  “I suppose we’ll never really know the reason they attacked us. I’m glad Julia and Dave killed the Doc. Maybe we should go down there and do some more damage, Ruth said with vehemence.”

  “Hold on there, Marshall Ruth,” I said. “I think we should worry about our own situation before we take on a continuation of a war by going on the offensive, we didn’t want the war first place. Both of our homes are destroyed. My best friend has been killed. No telling what kind of shape the other underground is in. This one will do for a while, but if they decide to come back, we’ll definitely be at a disadvantage. We were very lucky today.”

  “Yes, we were very lucky today,” Dan, agreed. “Even after all the planning and getting the areas ready to go for an ambush, they still got to us and we lost a good man because of it. I don’t think we’re ready to go on the offensive yet, but we need to concentrate on defense. I think we should take stock of what w
e have, figure out what we need, plan to resupply and recover. Maybe develop an attack in the spring if we think it’s necessary. That, however, will take some doing as we’ll have to do a recon mission to figure out where they are, what their capabilities are and how best to attack if we do decide to go on the offensive.”

  “Doug, why would we be at a disadvantage?” Ruth asked. “We still have the Underground we can defend like today.”

  I looked at her and said, “If I were them, next time I would have some men get above us and wait. Then I’d begin the attack from below like today, but when we open up from up here, the guys above us will counter-fire with heaven knows what and finish us off.”

  “That makes sense,” she said. “So, what do you propose?”

  “The Ranger shack west of Centennial or their three homes on the south ridge” I said pointing at the Marines. “We can move into one or the other and live there for a while. We’ll come back here for supplies as we need them and even try some repair work. We can rig this place to blow if they come back and take out some more of them. And, if we see or hear them make the turn to come down here, we can set up another ambush at the crossroad onto Highway 130 and give them what for.”

  “I like the way you think,” Dan said. “That sounds good to me. How would you set up the ambush?”

  “I read some books about Vietnam and both the Viet Cong and the US troops used what they called an ‘L’, and it was very effective in an ambush. You know those buildings just across from the ‘T’ of the main road and 130?” He nodded so I continued, “Ruth, you and Julia can be in improved and protected positions there and we’ll prepare positions on the west side.”

  “As they come through, I’ll blow some Claymores and then Dan, Jeff and Jack can open up on them with the 240’s, 249’s, and a thumper, or a combination of all three, getting their attention. When they pile out of their vehicles you two can open up on them and cut them to pieces from your end with 240s, also. Even if some of them do make it to a vehicle, we’ll still be able to pour fire into them as they attempt to leave. We can even set up some explosives and use those Claymore clackers to set them off as they try to get away, like mines or something.