“Get to one of the running vehicles. We’re out of here!” Jack yelled as loud as he could, moving towards the driver’s side of the pick up. “Get to the Suburban. This truck is fucked.” The man behind the wheel nodded in agreement. Jack sprinted for the long bed pick up. Within my life I will…
The Convention Center grew smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror. The driver of the Suburban did all he could to avoid the walking dead stumbling through the streets. The occasional runner sent chills up his spine but he ignored the running abomination continuing to navigate the gauntlet. Behind the Suburban the long bed truck did its best to keep up. Three men rode in the cab, Jack being one of them.
Adam Derroll turned, looking out the rear window of the Suburban. “Hey, man, slow it down. We’re losing the truck.” Adam’s voice shot forward striking the driver like a brick. He hadn’t concerned himself with the other vehicle. His overwhelming desire to keep driving straight out of the city gripped him shutting out the rest of the world. The words from the back of the Suburban snapped him back to reality. He let off the accelerator. His desire to flee the city subsided as he remembered the survivors waiting back at the Center.
***
Just south of the Redding city limits, Kilo Company rested on I-5 with open fields on either side. Sentries spread out and set up a tight perimeter. In the middle of the caravan a trailer buzzed with activity. The sixty-foot trailer housed hi-tech equipment consisting of communications and reconnaissance modules. Soldiers worked feverishly to gather every bit of information possible regarding the city. Hutto stood near the back of the trailer studying recent satellite photos. Hutto weighed his options leaning towards sending in a reconnaissance team to explore the city to pinpoint hot spots. He would order his helicopters up to search the city for survivors and packs of zombies as well. In the smaller towns Kilo Company found survivors huddled together in large buildings and packs of zombies roaming the streets. Now they stood on the threshold of a full-fledged city.
A Private scurried off after handing a second set of photos to Hutto. Redding was a city with two distinctive sections consisting of the older historic section on the west side of the Sacramento River and the newly developed area east of the river housing larger buildings. Hutto, from recent experience and information provided by Military Command, figured the majority of the survivors would be located in the cities Convention Center on the west bank of the Sacramento River. Hutto picked up a radio.
Hutto gave his orders in the command meeting after a short discussion. The officers, some whom had served under him for years, knew his tendencies and trusted his judgment. New officers joining Kilo Company after the infection learned early on Hutto was not to be questioned. As the meeting was adjourning a Private entered the command trailer with new photos. Hutto waved him over and studied them closely.
The Private, with a nervous twitch, pointed at the second black and white photo. “Sir, if I may?” The Private asked with a cracking voice.
“What is it son?”
“Photo two shows vehicle movement. Two vehicles. It appears they originated from the cities Convention Center.”
Hutto looked closely at the photo.
“Gentlemen, we have survivors at the Convention Center and it appears we have two vehicle either fleeing the city or looking for food. You know your orders. Prep the team. We move in sixty.
Fifty-Five
Sugar sensed extreme anger within the man walking towards her in the hall. Instinctively she found an open door ducking inside. She peeked her head out seeing the coast was clear, and trotted quickly to the roof access door of the Bixter building. Outside she found her master and his friends. Once again everything was right in the world for Sugar. She wagged her tail feverishly standing next to Ty pushing her head into the side of his leg begging for attention.
***
The office door burst open, smashing into the wall. Rick couldn’t see straight. He glanced quickly around the office he had called home for the past few weeks. Trash littered the floor and the makeshift bed was in shambles in the middle of the office. Sweat dripped from his brow as anger continued to boil inside. He ran to the window, scanning the street below. Zombies, not many, but enough to cause concern, walked up and down the street. A bloated zombie with blackening skin tripped and fell into a hedge across the street from the Bixter Building. Thoughts of what to do swirled as he breathed deeply.
Rick pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the large office window gazing at the zombies intently. His mind settled on the fact he was still alive due to a perfect stranger and not by his best friend who turned out to be a fucking lunatic. His anger subsided. Ty had taken his girl but there were surely more survivors out there. He had no reason to remain at the Bixter Building except for the obvious fact it was safe.
How long can this possibly last? He continued rolling his forehead back and forth on the window looking for the answer. Zombies wandered the street below never looking up. He closed his eyes sinking deep into thought.
“I can leave whenever I want.” Rick pushed away from the window with a newly found sense of freedom. He looked the room over taking a mental inventory. He gathered the firearms and ammunition in his room placing them in a duffle bag and storing it out of sight. Next he meticulously searched the building for essential supplies. Room by room, floor by floor he was ever vigilant of his housemates. Periodically he entered the parking garage placing his supplies in a dark corner. At times he could hear Katie’s voice yelling for him. He ignored her.
***
“I can’t find him.” Katie told Ty.
“He’s around here somewhere. Give him time, I’m sure he’s just sitting in a dark room thinking. I can’t believe we all haven’t cracked in this place with all that has happened.” Ty looked across the room smiling at Katie.
“I still need to talk to him. I owe him that.” Katie walked out of the office resuming her search.
Ty watched her go then looked down at Sugar. “What do you think girl?”
***
Rick stepped into the parking garage again placing more supplies in the darkened corner. A loud rattling sound from somewhere in the garage alerted Rick to the fact he wasn’t alone. He stood quietly allowing his eyes to adjust to the dark. The end of the garage was dimly lit from the mid-day light. The rattle sounded again.
“Fuck, what is that?” Rick said reaching for his sidearm. Again the rattle sounded. Rick pinpointed the direction it was coming from moving slowly towards the sound. He reached a wall near the exit ramp for the garage. The rattling started again. He peered around the corner at the steel gate where three zombies stood. He had been in and out of the garage three times in the past hour and checked the gate twice never seeing any zombies near it or on the ramp. Now three stood at the gate. Rick watched them for a moment. Their grey eyes, never blinking, stared straight ahead.
The middle zombie, who appeared to have been an elderly female at one time, stood quietly with its hands wrapped around rungs of the gate. Rick watched closely as its head turning from side to side stopped. Its grey eyes stared straight at him. He was sure he could not be seen where he was standing. The zombie’s face distorted, its grey eyes opened wider and it began shaking the gate violently inciting the zombies on either side to do the same. All three shook the gate with surprising strength for dead people. Rick stared in disbelief.
The gate continued shaking violently. Rick raised his sidearm taking aim on the middle zombie. He squeezed the trigger slowly but hesitated before the firing pin fell. Behind the three zombies, Rick could see figures walking down the driveway. Rick lowered the pistol watching for a moment longer. He studied the gate seeing its integrity had yet to be tested. Rick scanned the garage seeing none of the others had come down. He watched the gathering zombies with a strange fascination.
Since the beginning of the infection, Rick had not wanted any face time with any zombie. He had left that sick fascination to Sammy. But now, standing before a hor
de of the undead, protected by a steel barrier, he felt a strange sense of calm wash over him. He wanted to study them, get close to them and maybe gain a deeper understanding of what they were all about and why they were here. Rick dug a digital camera out of a bag stored with his getaway supplies. To his delight, the camera worked. He walked cautiously back to the wall hesitating for a moment before stepping out into full view.
Rick stopped just short of the gate scanning all four corners carefully. Satisfied the gate wasn’t going to give, he held the camera up focusing on the middle zombie. It looked straight at him. Rick zoomed in on the dead grey eyes and snapped the first picture. The flash caused the zombies to pause momentarily. All nine stared at Rick. The moaning stopped. The eerie silence sent a chill up Rick’s spine.
“Oh shit!” Rick said backing up slowly.
The gate came dangerously close to pulling away from its guide track. Rick turned to run for the lobby, slamming straight into Katie. Rick, screaming like a girl, fell hard to the concrete floor of the garage while Katie tumbled backwards striking the back of her head on the floor. Rick scrambled to his feet pulling his pistol out aiming at Katie. It took him a brief moment to figure out it was her. In the background the gate continued shaking violently. Katie didn’t move.
Rick dropped to his knees, trying to wake her. “Katie, wake up, Katie.” Rick reached down shaking her shoulder slightly. Her eyes slowly opened.
Katie’s head throbbed. She reached back and placed the palm of her right hand on the back of her head while trying to sit up. She felt Rick’s big hands grasp her shoulders and gently assist her. The sounds of the gate rattling and the zombie’s moaning filled her ears.
“Are we in trouble?” Katie asked rubbing the back of her head.
“Define trouble. The world has ended, or we’re lunch if we don’t get out of here soon?” Rick replied helping her to the lobby.
“What were you doing that close to them?”
“Know your enemy. I read that some place and it made sense.” Rick answered curtly leading them into the lobby. He closed the large door separating the lobby from the parking garage. The rattling and moaning continued.
“We need to get you upstairs and have a closer look at the back of your head. I didn’t mean to knock you down.”
“Yeah, I know. What’s with all the stuff in the corner of the garage?” Katie asked, walking up the stairs.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Fifty-Six
Flies buzzed about piles of rotting flesh landing, feasting and laying eggs. Zombies walked through the piles with little reverence occasionally tripping and falling into the putrid waste. The front of the grocery store bore the scars of a fierce battle. The windows were smashed leaving glass all around while the front doors stood wide open. Zombies wandered in and out with ease.
“Any ideas?” The driver of the black Suburban asked, staring in bewilderment.
“Clearly we need to find a different store so let’s move. The walking stink bags will see us eventually.” Adam Derroll said from the back seat.
The horn sounded from the truck sitting behind the Suburban.
“What the hell?” The driver said aloud as a runner hit the rear drivers side window shattering the glass and splitting its head open. Rotting flesh peeled from its face falling into the lap of the squirming passenger.
“FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! What the fuck do I do?” Cold hands grabbed for warm flesh. The man in the back seat screamed attempting to pull away from the zombie. Decaying teeth buried deep in his shoulder tearing warm flesh from the bone. The man continued screaming as the remaining occupants abandoned the Suburban. Jack reached the zombie after sprinting from the long bed pick up grabbing it around the shoulder and throwing it to the ground. Jack stepped back watching the zombie flip around with surprising agility to regain it’s footing. Multiple gunshots rang out knocking the zombie to the ground. Jack raised his side arm, pulling the trigger. The side of the zombie’s head lost it shape as blackened brain matter sprayed the pavement.
Jack and the remainder of the crew watched the passenger door open slowly. The occupant slid out of the bloody seat with chunks of rotting flesh falling from his lap down to the pavement with a sickening splat. Jack looked straight into the man’s greying eyes, noticing his shirt was soaked with blood.
“Help me.” The raspy voice was startling.
The others watched Jack step forward, catching the swaying tall man before he fell. Jack helped him to the ground as light rain fell washing blood from his face. “Help…me.”
Jack sat with the man holding his hand tightly. “I’m sorry, brother. You know what I have to do.” The man’s grey eyes stared to the sky. He cocked his head to the side looking Jack in the eye. “Thank…you, do it fast.”
Jack stood, aiming his sidearm at the man’s head. Before the group could protest Jack pulled the trigger.
“What the fuck are you doing? We could…”
“Look around you. We need to get out of here now.” Jack said walking back to the long bed pick up.
The men looking around realized Walkers would be upon them soon and followed Jack to the vehicles. The bloody passenger seat of the Suburban remained empty. Both vehicles traveled south to another grocery store. Adam scanned the cab of the Suburban. The men remained silent as they drove to the next target through debris-strewn streets.
The radio sitting in the middle console of the Suburban crackled to life. “Hey, we’re thinking we should head for the Big Mart on the west end of Cypress.”
Jack picked up the radio shaking his head. He looked at the two men riding in the cab. “This could have come in handy back there.” Jack stated before pushing the talk button.
“We should stop and grab another vehicle before going to the store.”
“Why?”
Jack shook his head again. “The cab of this truck is full and the Suburban is stuffed. We only have the bed of the pick up for supplies. I think we should stop at one of the car lots on the way to the Big Mart and find another vehicle for supplies…Copy.”
“Uh, 10-4. How about the big used truck and van lot on the corner of Marina and Cypress?”
“That’ll do. Lead the way.” Jack sat the radio down watching the dead city roll by.
“You’re full of good ideas. Did you serve in the military or something?” The driver of the pick up asked.
Without looking over at the driver, Jack answered the question. “ No military for me. I’m a teacher and a poet and at one time I was a decent husband and pretty good dad. One thing I was always good at though was logistics.”
The driver watched the road closely, refraining from asking any more questions. Good luck finally rose to the occasion as the used truck and van lot came into view with no zombie activity near. Both vehicles pulled over to the curb in front of the lot. Jack scanned the lot instantly picking out three possible vehicles.
“Well boys, lets get us another truck and get out of here.” Jack said stepping out onto the sidewalk noticing the traffic signals were out.
The occupants of both vehicles emerged standing on the sidewalk. He was still the point man so he seized the moment and gave orders.
“Leave both vehicles running. You four are the lookouts, you three come with me. The sales office should have a keyboard in it. We need keys for those three trucks over there.” Jack stated pointing to a row of heavy-duty trucks parked next to each other.
The designated lookouts spread out in an attempt to cover all angles between them and their counterparts. The remaining four men led by Jack cautiously walked through the lot cognizant of blind corners; deep open truck beds and other areas zombies could hide in. They crept between the small rows of used trucks and vans reaching the tiny office. Jack grasped the doorknob and felt relief as the door clicked open.
Back on the street the lookouts set their perimeter. The streets remained clear of zombies as the four men continued looking for any movement. Standing on the sou
th corner of Marina and Cypress, a lookout raised his rifle taking aim at an alley cat walking across the roadway nearly ninety feet away. He breathed out squeezing the trigger softly.
“Shit.” The young man said lowering the rifle. Three kittens appeared running and playing behind their mother as they followed from the sidewalk into a grassy area disappearing into uncut grass. The last thing he expected to see was new life. He continued examining the streets looking for the undead becoming increasingly surprised at the amount of life around him. Cats, birds, even a ground squirrel scampered by. Life was continuing, maybe not for mankind, but for the remaining creatures of the world. The lookout smiled as he continued observing the area.
Jack opened the door of the office, slowly holding his shotgun at the ready. He studied the interior of the office reaching down to the light switch. No electricity. Daylight filtering in through the half closed blinds provided the only light. The small office was made up of one main room with two desks and a small door at the back of the room. Jack moved into the office looking for the keys to the vehicles. Just as he suspected, he spotted a small pegboard with multiple key sets hanging on the back wall. He retrieved the board.
“Got it. Lets take it outside where we can see.” Jack walked back to the door following the men to the hood of a small pick up sitting near the office. Jack placed the pegboard on the hood and started looking through the keys.
“Hey you, sorry I don’t know your name.” Jack said pointing to a heavy-set man wearing a heavy leather jacket. “Take these keys and try the first two trucks in that row.” The heavy-set man took the keys and began walking over to the trucks.
“I’ll go with him.” Adam said walking away from the remaining two men.
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