by Lee Thomas
“Leni, how are your people doing? I haven’t had much of a chance to get to know them yet.” I asked my cousin as she walked up to me.
“They’re all scared, and tired, but they will make it. How are we doing? It really bothers a lot of us that we are stopped at night like this.” She replied.
“I know, I don’t like it either, but not much of a choice. Can’t drive far with a flat tire. Just let anyone that’s awake know that we are almost there. That’s the only reason I haven’t stopped us for the night. We should be at the ship around daybreak.” I told her. I was pretty confident of that timeline, provided we didn’t get attacked while changing the tire. I watched the guys getting the jack and spare out so they could change it. Very few people were awake right now, which was fine, it was three in the morning after all. As the tire change got under way, I headed back to my RV to try the radio.
“This is Sheldon Friend, from Oklahoma, searching for Dawn and Tony Nelson or anyone in their group. I am currently in Petersburg, Virginia. Is anyone there?” I repeated my message three times, waiting a few minutes between each repetition. I hoped for an answer, but I didn’t really expect one at this time of night. Suddenly, the night silence was broken by shouts, followed shortly by gunshots.
Throwing my door open, I drew my sword as soon as I was out. I heard the growls before I saw the infected, but the shouts drew my attention the right way immediately. I saw several men had formed a protective arc around the repair crew. The infected were coming from several different directions, so I took the group closest to me since no one else had noticed them yet. Walking up to the first one, I had its attention as I placed my sword squarely in its forehead. I swung to the left, taking out the next one, followed by chopping the knees out of another and leaving it for later.
I kept swinging as I made my way towards the repair team. I had to watch my step as infected were laid out all over the ground. I could hear people in the RV’s yelling and crying, and I hoped that everyone managed to make it back into safety. I planted my sword in the back of the neck of another infected just before it managed to bite Alan, who was one of the men protecting the guys fixing the flat. Sensing the movement, Alan turned and raised his gun. I swatted his arm away with the flat of my sword as I ducked away from his aim. He dropped his aim to the side and nodded at me. That was guy code for ‘thanks for saving my ass, sorry I almost shot you there’. I nodded back at him, and then turned to watch for any other infected coming.
The gunshots had ceased, and I could see several of the men had switched over to swords, bats, and other blunt, non-firearm weapons. A few were starting to walk around checking the infected to make sure they were dead. It was a wise precaution. I checked in with the two changing the flat, and they were just finishing up. I told them to hurry and put everything back up so we could get going again. I then heard my name yelled, so I turned and saw Brian waving at me from my RV’s door. I jogged over to see what had him excited.
“Sheldon, you got a response to your message.” he told me as I got close. He stepped back in and I followed him in. sitting down in the passenger seat, he handed me the radio as I sat in the driver’s seat.
“This is Sheldon, who is there?” I asked.
“My name is Thomas. Tony is on his way, I sent someone to wake him up. We having been waiting for you apparently.” the voice on the other side told me. I couldn’t help but smile as something finally went right on this trip.
“Hello Thomas. Where are you guys at?”
“Fort Lee. The fencing was still secure so we holed up in a few of the barracks buildings here. Tony has been very insistent that you would be here. Several of us were sure you were made up though, no offense.”
“I am real, I assure you. I have had more issues than I expected getting here. Tell Tony my plan is still on. We are headed there now. We have eight RV’s in our convoy, and we are tired, hungry, and ready to get out of these vehicles.”
“Sheldon? Is it really you?” Tony’s voice came over the radio next
“Tony, holy shit man, damn it’s good to hear your voice.” I said.
“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming. Dawn is going to be thrilled. How many do you have with you?” he asked me.
“I believe my count is one hundred forty four. I could be a little off though. How many do you have?” I asked in return. I hoped it wasn’t another hundred or so or I would definitely have to revise my plan.
“I had almost two hundred at one point, but several decided to strike off on their own, and we have lost a few on supply runs. We are down to forty-two now. We didn’t get here in time to save all of Dawn’s family and friends, either.” he replied, exhaustion, frustration, and sorrow all evident in his voice.
“I lost my dad, step-mom, my brother and his wife and kids too. I’m sorry man. It’s a hard situation, it sucks. How are you holding up?”
“Not good man. We have quite a few that have lost hope, but I think that will change soon. How soon can you be here?” he asked me.
“We have a flat that I believe they just finished changing. According to the map, we are about four miles away from the base, so we should be there in less than half an hour, if the roads are clear. We could use some food and a bed if that’s possible for a few hours. I plan on being to the ship by noon tomorrow. Think your people can be ready to move by then?”
“Tell you what, just get here, we will discuss next steps in person. I want to wake Dawn up, and a few others I want you to meet. Get here, I’ll go get things ready.” Tony said. We signed off then, and I went to make sure we were ready to move. The flat had been fixed and all the tools put away, so I told everyone awake that we were leaving in five minutes.
Stepping back in to my RV, I radioed to Jeff and his group to find out how their progress was going. I thought we were too far away to get a response, but I had to try. The only answer I got was static, so I put the radio up and got ready to leave. I checked with the other drivers, and everyone said they were ready. I fired up the engine and waited for everyone else to do the same. With Brian reading the map, we started moving forward. With clear roads, we should be at the base in no more than twenty minutes.
Making turns as Brian told me, we rolled slowly through the deserted streets. Abandoned cars, trash, broken windows, and the occasional scrounging animal was all that we saw. Watching for any movement, I didn’t dare go above thirty miles per hour. We finally saw a sign telling us we were near the base. Making one last turn, we rolled down the road that ran just outside the base.
Following the fence line, another five minutes brought us to the gate. Obviously there was not a gate before, as it looked like a hastily constructed gate was now in place. We swung to the far side of the road so we could swing in with the trailers and I pulled up near the gate. Tony had obviously passed the word that we were coming, as the gate swung open as we approached. I pulled straight in to make sure we all had room. Braking to a stop, I wanted to make sure the whole group made it before continuing.
I got out and started walking back towards the gate as I watched it swing close. Two men started walking towards me out of the gate house as I approached it. One broke off and headed towards a golf cart, and the other met me near the last RV.
“Tony told us you were coming. Please follow us to the barracks.” the man said. I just nodded and headed back towards the RV. I waved to the few others who had started to come out, and told them to get back in. Starting my engine again, I waited for the one in the cart to get his friend and make his way in front of me. Once there, I started rolling behind him. We made our way through the base, turning first one way then the other. It was too dark to see anything with no starlight, but it appeared the base was in fairly decent shape.
We pulled up to a set of four buildings with boarded up windows and a privacy fence. From Tony’s description, this was the place. Our guide pulled into a parking spot in front, and waved us to a lot across the street. It looked big enough for all the RV’s, even w
ith the cars on the back. I pulled in and parked and then watched as the rest of the group did also. Shutting off the engine, I stepped to the back and woke up the girls. Brian went to the back to wake up the others sleeping back there, and I stepped out, followed by very sleepy girls. I watched as others began emerging from the vehicles as well. The two from the cart waved to us and I started walking towards the buildings as the front door opened, and a familiar set of figures walked out.
“Sheldon!” Dawn cried as she ran down the stairs, followed shortly by Tony. I jogged up to them and right into the hug from Dawn. Once she let me go, Tony and I gave each other a brotherly hug as well. It was good to see them both again.
“I didn’t think you were going to make it man.” Tony said as he stepped back. Dawn was busy hugging the girls and crying.
“We had some delays, problems I didn’t think we would encounter, some side trips that were unavoidable. I’ll tell you all about it later. For now, I would just love to find a bed. I know all my people are tired, some are cranky, and all are ready to be out of those vehicles for a bit. Think you can arrange that for now?” I asked.
“Yeah, I already have some rooms ready. Since we have four buildings, and not very many people left, I have an entire floor for you guys. Let me show you. Dawn will get the kids settled, I’m sure.” he told me, leading me inside. I waved for my people to follow us as some of his group came out to help.
We walked through a lobby area, down a hallway, and into what appeared to be a recreational room with large windows. There were tables and chairs set up around the room, but at this hour no one was awake to use it. We kept going and went back outside into the courtyard. It was mostly concrete, but there was a large shade tree planted in the middle of it. We headed towards the building on the left and entered a door which led to the same kind of rec room as the other building. Tony led us through it and down the hallway to the lobby, which led to the stair case leading up. In the lobby, he stopped and turned back to me.
“The second floor is all yours. There is actually no one in this building now, and all the first floor windows are boarded. We have limited running water, so only certain bathrooms and showers are useable, but they are marked. The bedding is clean, and there should be plenty for everyone. I’ll leave you to it, catch some more sleep myself, and we can talk in the morning. Sleep tight.” Tony said, clapping me on the shoulder and smiling. I smiled back, slapped him on the arm as well, said my good nights, and then trudged upstairs with the girls in tow. I knew Michelle would be right behind us, and she would probably insist on being near the girls, so I made sure that Jeff’s kids were settled before finding my own room. The others were still trudging upstairs, some very sleepy still, but I knew they would go right back to sleep being in a real bed again, even if they were only military barracks beds.
Once I made sure everyone had a room and a bed, I headed back to my own room. I removed my blades, set them on the dresser, and removed my boots. I decided on not changing as I didn’t want to sleep too long. Laying down, I fell quickly asleep.
Chapter 8
May 8th, 2018
I awoke to the sound of kids laughing and playing. I glanced over to the window and saw it was daylight. It was rather bright, so I guessed it was probably at least nine or so. I sat up in bed, rubbed the sleep out of eyes and looked around for my small bag of clothes. Rummaging through it, I found a clean pair of socks and underwear and changed them out. I then slipped my boots back on and walked out.
It seemed most of the kids in my group were up and playing in the hallway. It was good to hear them laughing again. I decided to head down to find Tony and see what he had set up here. As much as I wanted to get to the ship, I knew the group would appreciate some time to stretch their legs and relax for a few minutes. I may have to consider revising my schedule. I saw Michelle come out of one the working shower rooms, her hair still wet. A shower did sound wonderful, and I planned on taking one later.
Making my way to the courtyard, I saw several people milling about, apparently just enjoying the sunlight. Walking into the rec room of the first building, I saw a group of men and women playing cards. I walked up to them to inquire where Tony was.
“Good morning. Does anyone know where Tony is this morning?” I asked to the group in general. They all looked at me, and were very polite, but no one knew where he was right now. I thanked them and decided to go check on the vehicles. I also wanted to get on the radio and see if Jeff and his group were within radio range yet. I actually had hoped they would be here by now. I made my way to the RV and stepped in, going straight for the front and the radio.
“Brian, what are you doing here?” I asked, seeing him in the driver’s seat.
“I came out to try to reach Jeff’s group, see if they were close yet. I presume that’s what you’re here for?” he said, turning so he could see me.
“Yes, it is actually. Did you have any luck?” I asked, sitting in the passenger seat.
“Yes, I did. The found another truck, several, actually. One had keys still in it, so they took it back, siphoned the fuel out of the busted one, and managed to get it towed out of the way so they could hook the trailer up to the new one. They are about ten minutes out, as of around three minutes ago.” Brian told me.
“What took so long to get here? They should have been in this area in an hour once they started moving again. Did they have other issues or run into infected?” I asked him.
“Didn’t say. They should be here soon enough, you can ask him yourself.” he replied.
“How are you holding up? I’ve talked to Leni and she seems to be doing ok, but I haven’t had a chance to sit down with you yet.” I asked him. I didn’t know him as well as I would have liked, even though him and Leni had been married quite a long time. I wasn’t sure how to read his body language yet.
“It’s tough man. This isn’t something you can prepare for, because it seems like this something that only happens in sci-fi or horror movies, you know? I never imagined anything like this could ever really happen. It’s almost too weird to believe. But you, you knew, didn’t you? Or you at least had an idea that it could. How else could you have a plan already?” he told me. He kept looking down and couldn’t seem to look up while he talked, and I wondered if he had even shared these feelings with Leni.
“I didn’t know. We ran exercises in the Navy. Mental exercises, designed to get us to think as far out of the box as possible. We were given different scenarios, which we had to take as seriously as possible, and we had to determine a strategy and a plan to implement that would save as many lives as possible. As weird as it was, a zombie apocalypse was one of those scenarios. I don’t know if this will work, but I will try my best.” I told him. I knew most of the group felt like this, it was just so weird to be in a zombie movie in real life. It really was hard to wrap our heads around the fact that was really happening.
A knock on the door got both our attentions. I clapped Brian on the shoulder and stood to answer the door. I found myself staring at a soldier, probably one that didn’t, or couldn’t, evacuate the base.
“Sir, Tony asked me to find you. Your friends with the semi have arrived. He would also like me to show you to his office. Are you ready?” the soldier asked me, Perez, according to his name tag.
“No need to call me sir, I’m not in the military anymore, and I was never an officer.” I told him.
“Yes, sir.” he said, nodding at me before turning and walking away. I assumed I was to follow, so I nodded back at Brian and followed Perez. We walked towards the building we went into last night, and I thought that maybe all the other outer doors are sealed. Entering the lobby, we turned right and walked down a hallway filled with what appeared to be administrative offices. Perez stopped in front of one, nodded at me, then the door, and the walked back the way we came. I watched him walk down the hallway, chuckled to myself, then knocked and walked in the door.
“I see you sent the liveliest of tour guides to fetch me.�
�� I told Tony, who was sitting behind the desk. Tony laughed as I sat.
“Yeah, Perez is still very military. I imagine it’s partly shock of the situation, but he has clung to military procedure like nothing else.” he told me. He handed me a water bottle from a little fridge next the desk. I took a drink from it and sat it back on the desk.
“So you have limited running water, obviously some power. How are your supplies doing?” I asked him.
“Let’s take a walk, I’ll show you. Your friend with the semi should be pulling in any minute now as well.” he said, standing and walking around the desk. We left the office and walked back to the rec room we passed through last night. There were several people lounging around, talking in small groups. A few looked up as we passed and waved. Tony waved back and we kept going out into the courtyard. The building to the left was the one we slept in last night, but Tony turned right and headed for that building. It was a little shorter than the others, but otherwise looked the same.
“We put the fence up closing off this courtyard within a few days of being here. We simply had to go around to some of the houses on base and pull them down in sections. I also had the windows boarded up and all the outside doors sealed except for the main doors of that building. They can be opened from the inside in case of emergency, but all entry and exit is done through that main building. Most of us sleep in that one now, even though we had spread throughout the four at first. We are using this one here as supply storage. The guys I put in charge of the supplies chose to sleep over here, but no one else does. As you can see, none of the doors are locked.” Tony explained as we walked. The courtyard was a pretty decent size, and the buildings were pretty spacious as well. That wasn’t totally unexpected as this was a working base before, and it would have to house quite a few soldiers.