Lup smiling, with blood dripping from his chin, looked at Juan, “So who's the punta now?”
Juan pulled a shop rag from his pocket and handed it to Lup, “We are fortunate indeed you were here my friend.”
After breakfast Doc Linderman gave the Lexington refugees clearance to join the community at the compound. As they made preparations to leave, Lou went to speak to Crystal, “Do you know what is going to happen to Brittany.”
Crystal shrugged, “Near as I can tell her only family has passed, so we'll have to find her a foster family.”
Lou looked nervously at a spot on the ground as he spoke, “If there is no one else she is close to, I mean I don't know how folks would feel about a geezer like me lookin after a little girl, but I'd do right by her.”
Crystal placed a reassuring hand on his arm, “Let's talk to Pastor Jim a minute, he seems to have a pretty good understanding of his group.”
With meager belongings packed up and most of the people loaded up to move on, Alice took a final look around to assure herself that the structure was left secure in case they had need of it again. Before Pastor Jim was helped aboard the school bus Crystal made him aware of Lou's offer to be a foster parent to Brittany.
“It may sound odd with us living the past couple of months in the schools cafeteria, but Brittany's mom kept the two of them pretty much isolated. I'll talk to Sue Anne, but we all saw how tight the two have become. I doubt anyone would make a fuss.”, Jim said.
On the short ride back to the compound Mac prepared the refugees, “We don't get to see new faces and there is not a lot to break up the routine, our folks are going to be real curious about you. When we arrive we'll get your room assignments and by the time your settled lunch should be ready and we will all start to get to know each other.”
A middle aged man with grizzled hair and beard stood up, “I'm Ben Wisegar and this is my wife Elanor, what if me and my wife don't want to be part of this group of yours.”
Mac shrugged, “That is your choice friend, we'll stock you up as best we can, but it is a dangerous world out there and tryin to grub out an existence always lookin over your shoulder is a tough row to hoe. I don't know what your concerns are. We're not offering anybody a free ride. We require that you participate in the community, but you will have a say as to what that is. Give us a chance and if you decide you can do better on your own that is your decision.”
A number of people turned to Ben and his wife, some concerned that Ben could mess things up for all of them. Others just couldn't believe Ben would even consider heading out into the world on his own.
“Everybody let Ben be. I've spent enough time with these people to know that a certain amount of skepticism of strangers is warranted. These folks are willing to give us a fair shake and I say we give them the same.”, stated Pastor Jim.
“Blade we finished up the houses and businesses. What is the status on the hospital?”, Amy asked
Blade grunted, “That friggin hospital is a damn nightmare. Nooks and cranny's everywhere and a Dee in every one. I know the Doc wants supplies from there, but damn.”
“So what's the plan man?”, Amy asked.
“The plan is we keep trying to make a dent in things and evaluate at the end of tomorrow.”, Blade answered.
“You got it boss. Tell me what I need to do.”, Amy replied.
Hank's patrol was assigned the emergency exit stairway. Hank posted three men at each of four emergency exit doors. Using a drill and sawzall they cut a hole about eight by eight in each door. This allowed them to see into the hallway and if a Dee peered through the hole it was met with a sharpened pipe to the eye. Whenever the immediate area of the door was clear two men would enter the hall blow a whistle to attract the dead and standing back to back fire at the dead advancing towards them. Once the dead got to close they got back to the stairwell and the third man of the team would chain the door shut again.
Amy's patrol got the emergency room entrance. There were easily two hundred dead visible in the waiting area. Access to the emergency room was through a security checkpoint. Overnight they had enclosed the drive-up entrance with fencing with a long chute at the center. This morning they removed the outer doors to the security entrance and Amy rigged the inner doors with explosives. Once she blew the doors the dead would flood out into the fenced enclosure.
Willis' patrol was positioned at the main entrance. The doors to the main entrance had been chained shut so that the automatic openers didn't function when the power was returned. The drive-up to this entrance had been similarly fenced off as the emergency room. There were very few dead at this entrance so Blade volunteered himself to unchain the doors and get out of the enclosure quick.
Lup and Juan were stationed at the emergency room entrance to provide a couple of extra guns when the dead came spilling out. Amy understood that both Juan and Lup were good at thinking on their feet, but had never seen them in action. She positioned them where she could keep an eye on them and they were least likely to be a danger to her patrol.
“Nobody fires until I say so. We don't want them bunching up near the doorway or anywhere on the fence.”, Amy commanded.
“Fire in the hole.”, she called.
Juan and Lup exchanged glances both of them were expecting a bigger explosion. Then as the dead pushed against them the doors they slowly fell back dragging a couple of the dead along. The two men realized Amy had set just enough of a charge to blow the hinges. With the exit now open the dead flooded into the enclosure.
Amy held the fire command until there was a mass of dead in the enclosure. Juan and Lup were positioned at the far end of the center chute and were the last to see any action. They had crept past the dead in the past to bring supplies to the high school. However, having to stand and wait as these dead shambled down the chute hands outstretched ready to grasp, and jaws slobbering and snapping ready to bite, was a nerve wracking experience.
“Juan you ready for this?”, Lup asked.
“Si.”, Juan replied calmly.
“Yeah that's what I figured. Uhh, me too.”, Lup replied.
“Then fire my friend.”, Juan said as he let loose a hail of bullets.
Soon enough the tide of the dead coming out the entrances slowed to a trickle and then stopped all together. By mid morning Blade made the call to take a small team in to sweep the first floor and had Amy do the same from the emergency entrance.
“Hank stick close to that emergency exit in case we need to get out quick”, Blade radioed.
Halfway through and finding minimal resistance Blade requested a report, “Landers check in.”
“Yes Mom. We found some strapped to their beds and a couple trapped in a bathroom, but otherwise clear, we are going to keep moving your direction.”, Amy replied.
“Roger that. Proceed to the emergency exit we'll connect there.”, Blade responded
Once all three patrols were joined at the stairwell exit Blade laid out a new plan, “Hank I think we can step this up a bit. We'll send half your patrol up to the next floor with Landers and her patrol, the other half will go to the top floor with me. I want you two take two men and do a recon of the basement. There are no patient rooms, just the kitchen, cafeteria, laundry and pharmacy. I want you to just make an initial assessment. Understood?”
“Yes Boss.”, Hank replied.
Elise Baker was a dour middle aged woman. In most any conversation with her it was a fair bet she would say, 'If it weren't for bad luck I wouldn't have no luck at all.', or her favorite fall back, 'I swear I was born under a dark cloud.' Normally she worked the night shift at Tri-county hospital. Unlike most she preferred working overnight, business was normally slow at the hospital. As a bonus she could make someone else miserable by waking them from a sound sleep to take their vitals , or if she was real lucky a blood sample.
The day the outbreak hit she had drawn the day shift for the week. When the dead started to rise and turmoil erupted in the hospital Elise muttered to herself,
'Like I always said if it weren't for bad luck.'. Elise ducked into the elevator and kept her finger pressed on the emergency stop button listening to the dead and living claw at the elevator doors all the while she was screaming, 'Go away.'. She passed away from lack of water shortly after the power went off. When her corpse reanimated, craving flesh, it found itself trapped in this dark small box. The thing that had been Elise Baker sat in the dark and waited.
Hank had perked up at the mention of the pharmacy and was eager to get to the basement. Hank's son suffered from migraines. Without the right medications, almost every week the boy would spend a day or two in a dark room racked with pain. Hazel with her herbs was able to reduce both the duration and severity, but little Henry still suffered. Every chance he had Hank would check medicine cabinets or pharmacies, but so far was not able to turn up the needed medications.
The hospital pharmacy located in the basement was Hank's last best hope to find medicine for his son. When given the go ahead Hank selected two men, Clive and a big farm boy they had nicknamed Bull to accompany him. The three moved down the stairs and when they reached the basement emergency exit, Hank peered through the cut out in the door. Seeing no activity Hank removed the chains from the door and the three moved into the hall.
The pharmacy, directly across the hall, was to tempting for Hank. Both Clive and Bull had been on enough outings with Hank that they understood when he pointed at the pharmacy sign. Hank tried the pharmacy door and found it locked. Bull slipped a pry bar from his pack and popped the lock. They moved in formation, but found the room empty. A few minutes of searching and Hank secured the migraine medicine and syringes.
Dropping his find in a pocket Hank directed, “Lets move on”.
The trio moved on down the hall towards the cafeteria. Hank stopped at the double swinging doors and pressed his ear to one of them. Pulling his knife, Hank used the tip to open the door just enough to peak in. Seeing the room inside filled with dead Hank slowly let the door close again.
Holding a finger to his lips Hank explained, “It crawls in there get back to the exit.”
Clive saw a housekeeping cart nearby and retrieved a broom from it. As quietly as he could Clive slipped the broom handle through the door pulls.
“That will hold them for a bit. I always heard that hospital food could kill ya, but never believed it.”, joked Clive.
The three men moved towards the exit. Clive and Bull were in the lead and Hank a few paces behind, pistol drawn keeping an eye on the cafeteria doors. Their path of retreat brought them past the elevator. With the power returned and noises filtering in Elise Baker's corpse began moving around the elevator occasionally hitting a button. As it moved from floor to floor the jerking of the elevator destabilized the awkward creature enough it never got out before the elevator moved on.
Hank's back was to the elevator when it opened and the creature fell upon him tearing a large chunk of flesh from his back.
“Aww shit. I'm bit.”, Hank hollered.
Bull got to Hank first, pulled the Dee off of him and threw it to the floor. Slamming the heel of his boot into its skull he finished it off. If Elise Baker was looking on she would say 'Like I always said, nothing but bad luck'.
Hank reached into his pocket and pulled the medicine for his son, “Clive get this to Doc. When you see my boy tell him I'm proud of him, tell him I said he is the bravest boy in the world.”, Hanks voice caught a little bit and his eyes teared, “tell Mary, I love her and I'm sorry for leaving her to go it alone.”
Clive shook his head, “Tell them yourself we're getting you out of here.”
Hank gave his two comrades a rueful smile, “You know there ain't no comin back from this. Bull, leave me your pistol, you can't shoot for shit anyhow and both of you give me your spare mags. If I'm going down, I'm going to take those things with me. Haul ass to the exit, that broom handle ain't gonna last long.”
At the stairwell Clive radioed Blade to let him know Hank was in trouble. Blade went down the stairs two at a time with the rest of the militia following close behind. Reaching the basement door Blade found the way blocked by Bull.
“Can't let you by Boss. The Man got to do this one on his own.”, Bull stated resolutely.
Clive explained Hank had been bit, by the dead women who had been trapped in the elevator and that Hank was making a final stand against the dead that were going to come pouring out of the cafeteria. Blade resisted for a bit, but eventually gave in to Bull and Clive's insisting Hank needed to finish this alone.
Hank had taken a moment to enter the pharmacy to grab bandages and gauze to staunch the bleeding of his shoulder long enough to finish the task. Then standing in front of the double doors he called, “Come on you dead fucks, you can push harder than that.”
At his taunts more dead pushed against the doors and the broom handle began to crack and splinter. All at once the doors flung open and the dead spilled out.
Hank was positioned about ten feet from the doors, a raised pistol in each hand, “Well hello boys and girls lets dance.”
Hank simultaneously began squeezing off round after round and slowly stepping backwards. At this range and with such a large crowd, he dropped one with every round. As he fired Hank counted every squeeze of the trigger, one, two, three, four. Stopped to take a quick look over his shoulder, five, six, seven, eight. When he hit forty both magazines were empty and back stepping fast he ejected the magazines and pushed in fresh ones.
By now he had reached a narrower portion of the hall and the dead bunched up, hands out stretched reaching for him. The fresh blood from his wound amping them up, causing them to push against each other each eager to taste his flesh. Hank continued counting his rounds at the seemingly endless horde coming at him.
Again he ejected his spent magazines and reloaded. He was now down to one more spare magazine. By the time his count hit twenty he could see he was making a dent in the horde. When he reached forty he dropped Bull's pistol and loaded his last magazine. The hallway angled back to the left, so Hank took up a position just around the bend. The loss of blood had left him weak and made his head spin. Bracing himself against the wall, a last surge of adrenalin let him take out the final few creatures.
Hank walked back to the exit door and could see Blade peering at him through the cut out. Hank raised his right hand in salute, “Only one left Boss.”
Then raised the pistol in his left hand to his temple and pulled the trigger, saving his friends from having to keep him from turning.
Blade balled his hands into fists, “Fuck”.
Blade quickly curbed his anger, knowing these men and women behind him needed a leader and there was still a mission to complete.
“Willis divide the men up into two teams and search the rest of the floor and make sure we are all clear to bring the salvage crews in. And Willis bring back something to wrap Hank's body in. Bull Clive you stay back and hold the exit. Landers help me get Hank's personal effects to bring back to his wife.”, Blade directed.
Amy and Blade had done this more times than either one of them wanted to recall, but set about the task efficiently. Amy removed Hank's wedding ring, found a picture of Henry and Mary in his right breast pocket, but decided to put that back to be buried with him. Blade pulled out Hank's wallet, it still contained a few bills, credit cards and his license. More importantly it held a picture of Hank and Mary from their wedding day, a baby picture of Henry, a recent school photo of Henry and a worn picture of Mary that Hank often took out when he was away from her.
Finally they took off Hank's weapons. They both hoped it wouldn't be necessary, but the day would most likely come when Henry will need to belt on his Father's holster. Still waiting for the patrols to return, Blade pulled Hank's eyelids closed and they straightened his arms and legs respectfully.
Chapter 9 - Harvest
“Roger. Roger! Come on in now.”, the old woman called.
Roger grumbled, “Nag,nag, nag Old Woman. I'm fine the wind is blowi
ng right down from the hills, if there are any creepy crawlies about I'll smell them long before they get here.”
“Roger dinner is ready.”, stated the old woman.
Roger perked up, “Now your singin my song old gal you don't need to call me twice for supper.”
The old woman teased, “Special treat tonight Roger, we have prime rib, baked potatoes, and steamed asparagus.”
Roger wasn't amused, “Funny looks like eggs and zucchini again. Why don't you let me take care of one of the chickens we're keeping in the back room. Roast chicken would be a nice change.”
Dead States | Year Zero | Nebraska Page 21