by J. W. Vohs
Jack called out to Bill and Sally, “You two come and see this; I want you to know what we’re dealing with.”
The young high school teacher quickly dropped from the tree as his wife rushed out and threw her arms around him with relief. They both stayed well back from the creature on the ground, but close enough that they had no doubt about what they were seeing. Jack asked, “What is this thing?”
Bill half whispered, “I’d call it a zombie if zombies were real.”
Jack chuckled grimly, “Well, Bill, I’d say this is about as real as it gets.”
As if to add emphasis to Jack’s words the zombie renewed his thrashing attempt to escape the weapon that pinned him to the ground, an effort which only increased the size and depth of the wound in his chest.
Jack asked loudly, “Any of you ever seen a human who would still be alive with this thing stuck through his heart?”
A few murmured responses were quickly swallowed by the dark silence around them, and Jack nodded to his teammates, “Finish him.”
All three leaned forward and shot the zombie in the head several times with subsonic, high-grain rounds from their suppressed .22s. The creature immediately stopped moving, and Jack pulled his halberd free. He then pulled out a large Mag-light to add to the headlights and told everyone to examine the zombie. The gray skin and black eyes were odd enough, but the piece of intestine dangling from the creature’s bottom teeth led Sally to toss up her dinner, with Bill imitating his wife just a few seconds later. Even the combat veterans felt sick as they closely viewed the corpse. The halberd had broken most of the ribs on the left side of the creature’s sternum, revealing a gaping wound that had indeed destroyed the heart and most of one lung.
John just shook his head in horrified wonder. “Now I’ve seen everything; zombies are real.”
Jack and his team searched the dead man’s property for any sign of other infected people, but found only his wife’s half-eaten corpse in front of the porch. They put a few rounds in her head to be certain that she wouldn’t reanimate, then hastily buried her in the back yard. Sally and Bill insisted that the couple next door had no children, so the search was quickly completed. While the RRT waited for the Haines family to pack their belongings now that they had decided to accept the earlier offer to move into The Castle, Jack and Bobby loaded the zombie corpse onto a carrier-rack on the back of the Jeep. They were going to show everyone back at The Castle what they were looking for, as well as the wounds these creatures could sustain without any effect on their abilities to continue an attack.
Jack considered his new recruits as he led them back to the retreat. Bill Haines was a science teacher at Central High School, so he probably knew Andi. He was well over six feet tall, broad-shouldered and fit. He had also seemed remarkably calm despite the zombie attack he had escaped. Jack realized that panic could freeze a person in place in spite of the worst type of danger or lead them to make poor decisions when trying to deal with a threat. Bill had led the creature away from his wife and child and kept it occupied, and Sally had the wherewithal to call for nearby help. Bill had definitely displayed the initial traits that Jack was looking for in a soldier, and he made a mental note to ask Carter to begin training the young man as soon as possible.
Sally would be a nice addition to The Castle as well. She was an accountant for a large warehouse in Fort Wayne. Jack knew that throughout history good logistics had won more battles than courage or patriotism could ever dream of, and he hoped that Sally would help organize the care and distribution of The Castle’s stores of supplies, gear, and weapons. The couple had an infant, so Sally would probably appreciate any job that allowed her to be near her baby while working. All things considered, their first mission had been a resounding success!
The rest of the night passed without any calls for help coming into the command center. The RRT arranged for the Haines couple to be settled in The Castle, then spent the rest of the night watching television where they witnessed the world as they knew it slowly collapse before the unstoppable advance of the virus. Entire D.C. neighborhoods were being obliterated by fuel-air explosives and hazmat-dressed soldiers wielding powerful flame throwers. The downtown and the capitol district were considered completely lost to the infected who were finally being referred to as zombies by some reporters. The U.S. Army was fighting back against the infected, but rather than risk destroying the beloved, symbolic architecture of the city with incendiaries and high explosives, the troops were engaging the creatures with infantry weapons.
The RRT watched with disgust as heavily armed roadblocks were systematically overrun by the mindless horde, in spite of fierce resistance by the military forces inflicting massive casualties upon the swarming zombies with Apache helicopters and A-10 ground attack jets. Even Bradley and Stryker armored vehicles could do little to stem the tide of hungry zombies. The soldiers and pilots cut the infected to pieces, but any piece with an undamaged head continued to advance toward its food source. If the footage was to be trusted, twenty or more zombies fell for every soldier killed, but the numbers of the infected never seemed to drop in spite of the carnage being inflicted upon them. In the end most of the Army positions were overrun, usually falling to a combination of being outflanked, crushed by direct assault, and running out of ammo. The only groups still functioning by sunrise were those that had retreated into stout buildings and were keeping quiet.
Similar scenes were beginning to play out in other cities in North America and the rest of the world, and Jack suspected that the disease might be turning more virulent as it spread across the globe; the infected seemed to be turning faster than when the virus first appeared. The rest of the world’s cities should have been able to learn some valuable lessons from the military defeat in Washington D.C., but few places had access to the manpower and weaponry that had been assembled on short notice for the defense of the capitol. Of course, most of the elite units from the U.S. and her allies were deployed overseas and fighting their own desperate battles for survival against the infected around the world, especially in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
Local news reported more problems in the city of Fort Wayne and the entire viewing area. Riverview hospital employed people from twelve different counties in Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio, and many survivors from the debacle two nights ago had fled back to their homes in fear and confusion. A good portion of them had been infected before they escaped Fort Wayne, so the virus was spreading unchecked throughout the region. Jack thought about the proof they had brought back from the Haines’ residence and considered calling the sheriff, but then decided he didn’t want to play twenty questions with the old man. For better or for worse, the residents of The Castle had done all they could to spread the word and warn the authorities about what was coming. Now there was nothing left to do but fight for home and family.
CHAPTER 10
Rousing everyone early the next morning, Jack made sure that all of The Castle’s inhabitants had the opportunity to view the zombie corpse before having it taken off-property and burned. Carter continued to lead training classes, but the former Rangers were ready to begin patrolling the area. Three crews were sent out in the Jeeps to check on neighbors and conduct drive-throughs of the nearest small towns, each outfitted and organized in the same way that the RRT was the night before. Jack had warned everyone that noise-concerns would probably soon reduce them to bicycles, but he felt that they could still use the Jeeps for now. Two Hummers were stored nearby in a neighbor’s barn, giving them the option of using vehicles to actually fight from if they found themselves in situations where they didn’t have to worry about noise control. After seeing the teams off and asking Deb to coordinate their patrols from the command center, Jack finally headed to his room for a shower and some sleep.
At three-o-clock a steady pounding at the door woke Jack from a deep slumber that was sorely needed and well-deserved. Greatly refreshed but concerned over how long he’d been out, he leapt to his feet and quick
ly opened the door. Rather than a soldier bringing word of an emergency, he found Andi and her two girls standing in the hallway, smiling at Jack’s embarrassment at being caught in nothing but his boxers. After an awkward few seconds, he stepped back into the room and asked Andi to give him a moment to get dressed.
She spoke loudly through the door, “Deb gave us the tour this morning and said this was your room. The girls have been wanting to see you, and Tina told me you needed to get up. Sorry if we surprised you.”
Jack opened the door as she finished her explanation. He immediately went to one knee and addressed the girls, “Hey kids, how do you like it here so far?”
Cassandra said, “You have lots of animals here; I really like the kitties.”
Greta chimed in, “And you have horses, too!”
“That’s right,” Jack chuckled, “and I’ve been waiting to see if you girls liked the horses and kitties. You see, I need a couple of big girls who can help take care of animals. You know, feed them, brush them, and pet them a lot so they know they’re loved. Can you two do that while you stay here at The Castle?”
The girls both solemnly nodded their willingness to care for the animals, and he looked up to see Andi holding back a smile and mouthing the words, “Thank you.”
Jack turned his attention to the girls’ mother, “Have you settled in ok?”
She looked appreciative. “Oh yeah, this place is great. Thanks again for letting us stay here. Looks like the world is going to hell in a handcart out there according to the news, and I took a look at what used to be Lance Regan. I’m still not sure I can believe or accept what is happening, I mean, it all seems like it has to be a nightmare I’ll wake up from eventually.”
Jack looked sympathetic as he explained, “I do know exactly how you feel, Andi. I’ve spent ten years trying to find a way to deal with the memories of fighting this virus, and now my worst fears are coming true. Plus I keep fighting guilt over not trying harder to convince the world of what I learned the first time I faced this thing.”
Andi confessed, “I wondered about that for a while too, but we both know that you wouldn’t have been able to convince anyone, at least not a rational person. I mean, I’ve seen it and I’m not sure I can believe it. Besides, you needed the government to prepare for something this big, and they would’ve locked you up for talking instead of heeding your advice. You did the best possible thing. You built this place and invited everyone in; I don’t see what else you could have done.”
Jack hadn’t really gotten close to anyone but Carter since his time in Afghanistan, and realized with a bit of shock that he had become emotionally isolated over the years. For some reason he couldn’t begin to fathom, Andi’s absolution of the guilt he felt over surviving, ten years ago and now, lifted a burden he had unknowingly carried in painful silence for a decade. He felt both thankful and confused, but wanted to try to tell Andi how he felt.
“Thank you for telling me that. The rational part of me argues that I did all I could, but my heart hurts over what is happening out there because I couldn’t convince anyone of what was coming.”
Andi put a loving hand on each of her girl’s heads and smiled as she asked, “Promise me that you aren’t going to allow guilt over losing a battle that couldn’t be won affect how well you fight the next war.”
Jack looked down at the girls and for some reason couldn’t stop a lump from forming in his throat as he promised, “Someday you girls are going to live in peace, love someone special with all your hearts, and raise beautiful families.”
The girls smiled but squirmed a bit, quickly growing bored with the serious talk they didn’t understand. Andi finally told them to run out to the swing set and wait for her there.
As the girls skipped down the hallway, Jack raised his eyes to Andi, who looked back through her own misty eyes. After holding her gaze for a moment he made a quiet declaration, “I won’t fail you or your daughters.”
She nodded and smiled wryly, “Are you going to live long enough to see my girls enjoy what you just promised? Seems to me you can be pretty reckless at times.”
Jack looked away before answering with a note of total conviction in his voice. “I grew up like any other American kid. Baseball, mom’s cooking, and plenty of friends and family to enjoy them with. Mom died of breast cancer my senior year of high school, and I just seemed to lose my way. The Army kept me busy for the next three years, and then it traumatized me in Afghanistan. Honestly, I don’t know when I’ve ever felt right, you know, like you feel when you’re ten years old and all you have to worry about is recess and what kind of slop the lunch lady is going to throw at you . . .
“Since the Army I’ve thrown myself into my studies and building this place, but deep inside I think I’ve been waiting for another battle to fight. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like fighting for fighting’s sake. What I mean is, I’ve just felt for the longest time that something bad is lurking in the world and I want to destroy it. I guess I’ve been waiting for my own personal crusade.”
Andi stepped close and pulled him into an embrace. Jack briefly hesitated and then put his arms around her; he expected to feel a bit awkward hugging this very attractive virtual stranger, but was surprised to find that it felt like the most natural thing in the world. She lightly kissed his cheek and whispered, “You’re a good man, Jack.” She pulled away enough to look into his eyes, then continued, “And I believe you’ve found your crusade: a zombie crusade.”
Jack tried to focus on Andi’s words instead of how good she smelled. He smiled at the thought of a zombie crusade. He had never wanted this virus, or whatever it was, to make another appearance in the world, but he did feel destined for this fight. Years ago, as a young soldier, the fight would have been against influential military personnel, government officials, the medical establishment, and reason itself. His judgment, his motives, and his sanity would have been questioned. Now, the fight was a simple battle for survival against a clear-cut enemy. Maybe the battle wouldn’t be so simple, but he knew there was no doubt about who the bad guys were these days.
Andi gazed at Jack as if trying to read his thoughts, and he instinctively reached out and brushed aside a stray lock of hair that had fallen across her forehead. Then, as if by mutual understanding and need, they leaned in to one another and embraced in a long, slow kiss. For an unexpected moment nothing existed for Jack except Andi’s soft lips and sweet, warm breath. Andi broke away and laid her head on Jack’s chest where she murmured, “Usually it would take at least two dates for that to happen, but life doesn’t seem so certain these days.”
Flushed, Jack chuckled, “I’ll figure out a way for us to go on a date before the next kiss.”
Andi laughed and pulled back to where she could gaze into his warm, brown eyes. “I’m a single mother, it won’t be easy for me to free up time.”
Jack promised, “I’m sure we can find a few decent babysitters around here. Carter’s mom loves kids—she’s been bugging them for grandchildren for years now. I’ll pay her well for a few hours of work.”
“Oh really, what are you going to pay her with? I’m not sure money is worth much under the current circumstances.”
Jack smirked, “She really appreciates me just keeping her goofy son alive.”
They both laughed, and a light blush rose on Andi’s cheeks when their eyes locked. Jack reached over and put her hand in his. “I really should go check on the girls,” she murmured without looking away. “Want to come along?”
Jack answered by putting his arm around Andi’s shoulders and steering them both down the hall. Just as they reached the door to the backyard, a breathless Carter appeared.
“There ya are! C’mon man, the sheriff’s at the gate!”
Jack and Carter arrived at the entrance to The Castle to find the inner gate opened, while the outer one remained closed. The sheriff was standing on the other side. When Jack saw the old lawman, he broke into a trot until he reached the gate, shouting over his
shoulder at John and the guards surrounding him, “Why’d you leave him standing out there?”
The sheriff declared, “I told them to keep this gate closed, Jack.”
The officer held up his arm to reveal a blood soaked bandage around his forearm. “I’m not gonna risk bringing infection in there.”
Jack felt sick to his stomach as he stepped up to the gate and mournfully asked, “How did this happen?”
The sheriff shook his head and replied matter-of-factly, “All of my men had been called out on domestic violence and traffic accident calls, and then we got a call from the clinic in Albion from a scared nurse who thought she had a riot on her hands. I headed out there by myself, and thought I was breaking up a normal fight in the parking lot until one of the guys bit me. He looked just like those pictures in the news: gray skin, black, dead eyes. I wacked him with the night-stick but he kept coming. I could hear screaming from the clinic and wanted to get in there, but I couldn’t leave that thing behind me. So I shot him. He kept coming and I kept shooting. I finally remembered what you said about the brain. One round to the head and he went down and didn’t move again.
“The clinic was pure chaos. Two of those creatures were in there attacking folks, and get this, one of them was the doctor. I put ‘em both down with head shots but they’d bitten four or five people who’d been trying to get ‘em under control. On top of that, three other people in there had come in for bites they’d gotten while trying to care for infected people. I couldn’t just shoot those people Jack, I just couldn’t, and I know I don’t have long myself.