by J. W. Vohs
The zombie didn’t let go of the teen, but he did turn for a brief moment to see who was making the noise that meant food. That was all the time Jack needed. He leapt over the last of the litter on the floor and swung the battle-ax sideways with a blow that sliced through the zombie’s skull and came to rest in the other monster’s shoulder. As the first zombie collapsed, the second creature roared in frustration and reached for Jack, but the experienced fighter quickly pulled the axe free and drove the top of the blade into the zombie’s face. The blow knocked the creature on its back, but didn’t come close to killing it. Jack lifted the axe for the killing stroke, but stopped in mid-swing as the teenager stepped in front of him and shoved the sharp point of his broken mop handle into the creature’s open mouth with enough force to crush the spine where it met the brain.
Jack leaned on the handle of the battle-axe, catching his breath and mentally checking himself for any injuries he hadn’t noticed during the adrenaline rush of the fight. After a minute or so he realized he must look like a biker-Darth Vader, so he unstrapped his helmet and moved forward to check on the people still huddled behind the counter. The teenager who had fought with such ferocity was on his knees next to an elderly man bleeding profusely from a massive bite to his upper arm. Jack immediately grabbed a handful of T-shirts from a nearby rack and told the kid to keep pressure on the wound.
Behind the counter stood three shaken adults, and between them lay a middle-aged woman sitting on the floor with a glassy-eyed stare of death. She had been bitten in the neck, and the zombie had torn free a huge chunk of flesh that included a three inch section of the jugular vein. Jack asked the three survivors if they were wounded and all of them just shook their heads, still too traumatized to speak. He then turned back to the teen who looked up and asked, “Can you help me, mister?”
Jack knelt down beside the boy and helped apply pressure to the wound. The T-shirts were already soaked through with blood, and from the ashen expression on the old man’s face, Jack knew he wasn’t going to make it.
Indicating the dying man with his chin, Jack asked, “You know this guy?”
The boy teared up as he nodded, “He’s my grandpa.”
Jack looked away for a moment, then grimly commanded, “Look at me, son.”
When the boy met his gaze, Jack explained, “I’m sorry to be so blunt about this, but he isn’t going to make it. He’ll be gone in another minute or two. If you have anything to say you need to do it now.”
The boy let out a sob as he touched the old man’s forehead and cried, “Grandpa!”
The dying grandfather looked up and whispered, “You’re as brave as anyone I ever saw fight, even in Nam. The world just changed on you Tyler, and you’re gonna have to fight now just to live. You understand me?”
The teenager nodded as the old man looked deeply into his grandson’s eyes, too weak to say anything else. Jack declared, “I’m the new sheriff. I’ve fought these creatures in Afghanistan. I’ll take care of your grandson.”
A hint of a smile appeared on the old man’s face as he closed his eyes with a final, shuddering breath. Jack stood up to give the boy a few moments, and turning back to face the three adults his voice was rich with sarcasm. “I appreciate you three helping this kid fight to save his grandpa.”
One of the men sputtered, “I was pulling my wife in here sheriff; you can see what’s happened to her.”
The other two men appeared to be mall-dressed twenty-somethings who could only look away from Jack’s accusing gaze, not even trying to excuse the fact that they had let the kid fight for them. Jack just shook his head in disgust, his irritation interrupted by the sight of the RRT pulling into the front lot. After taking a few moments to assess the scene, Carter turned on Jack with anger in his voice. “Ya can’t keep playin’ hero, Jack! Ya fought nine of these things by yerself?”
Suddenly weary, Jack shook his head. “All of these people would be dead, Carter. I just couldn’t let that happen. I’m trying to be careful.”
Carter seemed a bit mollified as he asked, “What we gonna do with the two dead folks?”
Jack thought for a moment and then asked the grieving grandson and husband to follow him outside where he briefly explained that the bodies of their loved ones would be brought down to the sheriff’s department headquarters. When they nodded their understanding Jack told them to go get in his Jeep, then noted that the other two survivors were already speeding away from the scene. He returned to Carter and answered his question, “Put a bullet through their heads and bag them, then send them down to the department. Drag the zombies into the woods behind this place and burn them.”
Both men endured an awkward silence for a moment until Jack finally offered, “I’m sorry, Carter.”
“It’s all right, buddy, I know ya gotta lot on your plate right now. Just try to remember that we need ya too.”
Jack nodded and promised, “As soon as I can get these people set up in shelters I’ll get back to The Castle. I hope all of you back there can see that we’ll be better off if other groups are fighting this thing too.”
“We do,” Carter explained, “and we’re fine over there. Just be careful and keep in touch.” He then added, “And did I tell ya that yer one bad dude?”
Jack chuckled as he left the store, hoping that Carter knew that luck and a brave teen had also played a big role in his survival. He hoped that the luck held, and as for the brave teen, Jack intended to keep his promise to the dead grandfather.
As they drove back to the station Tyler sat in the rear seat, sniffing back tears as Jack learned that the man who’d just lost his wife was a local carpenter named Barry Stergen. Barry looked to be in his forties, and Jack vaguely recalled hearing mention of Stergen Construction, and that the company had an excellent reputation for quality and honesty.
Jack told the grieving husband, “I’m sorry I gave you hell back there without asking why you were behind the counter.”
Barry just shook his head, “We were all terrified, sheriff. Those things were unstoppable. Sharon was grabbed by the first one through the door. I pulled him off by the hair, but it was too late. I just held her while she bled out. I knew she wasn’t gonna survive; I shoulda just helped the kid fight.”
Jack spoke assuredly, “Barry, I guarantee you that I would’ve been holding my wife too. You did the right thing. Now, do you have any children?”
“Yeah, but they’re grown and living outta state.”
“You know that we aren’t going to be able to get them home in this mess, right?”
Barry bowed his head. “Everything’s goin’ to hell out there.”
“Yeah, it is, and I’m sorry for your loss. If you can move on after we bury her, I’m organizing several fortified shelters where we can protect people from those things that killed your wife. We need to save as many people as we can, and I could use a good carpenter working on those shelters. Will you think about it?”
“Let me bury her, sheriff, and then I’ll help in any way I can. That’s what she’d want me to do.”
Jack reached out and lightly squeezed Barry’s shoulder, “Hang in there. Again, I’m sorry for being a jerk back there in the store.”
Barry nodded his understanding and Jack turned his attention back to Tyler. “Thanks for helping me out in the gas station. Those older guys were crapping their pants while you were fighting zombies.”
Tyler sniffed and shrugged, “Don’t make no difference, sheriff. I didn’t save my grandpa.”
“Well, I was a Ranger in Afghanistan, and I promise you that sometimes all you can do is fight as hard as you can. You lose people you love in war; every soldier goes through it. So how old are you anyway?”
Tyler looked up with a bit of pride, “I’m fifteen. You really think I’m a soldier?”
“More than that,” Jack explained, “you have the spirit of the warrior in your heart. A part of you had to believe you weren’t going to make it back there, and most of the time when people
know that they just freeze up and die. Warriors snarl and go down fighting. That’s what your grandpa was trying to tell you; since he was in the Vietnam War and knew a warrior when he saw one.”
The boy’s grief returned, “I can’t believe he’s gone.”
Jack struggled for words, finally asking, “How’d he get bit?”
“He pushed me behind him and fought those things. He was trying to protect me.”
“How old was he?”
The boy thought for a moment, “Seventy-two.”
“Do you think he could have lived with himself if you’d been killed by those zombies?”
Again Tyler thought before he answered, “No sir, he would’ve died for me a thousand times.”
“Exactly. He went out fighting for what he loved most, and I guarantee you that is what he wanted when he saw the danger coming—to protect you at all cost.”
Tyler nodded, “Yes, sir.”
Jack tried to move the direction of the conversation, “Where are your parents?”
Tyler looked out of the window, “Dad died in Iraq when I was seven. Mom just left me with Grandpa a few years ago and never came back. She never seemed right again after Dad died.”
Jack felt like his heart had been hit with a hammer as he muttered, “I’m sorry.”
Tyler shrugged again, “It’s all right; I got over it.”
Jack looked the boy over again. He was already tall for his age, thin, but wiry and strong, Short dark hair framed a handsome face that seemed older than the boy’s stated age. Suddenly he was struck with an idea. “You ever seen that castle out on Baseline Road?”
Tyler nodded, “Everyone’s seen that place, sheriff.”
“Well, that place is mine. We have over fifty people in there right now, including my best friend. We were Rangers together, and most of our buddies from the war are in there with us. You said you’re fifteen?”
“Yeah, but I’ll be sixteen in a month.”
“All right, that’s old enough to start military training if you’re interested in staying with us until this virus is stopped.”
Tyler looked hopeful for the first time since Jack had met him. “Are you serious?”
“Sure am, but you have to be positive that you’re up for it. We don’t have any kids your age in there, so you’d have to man-up pretty quick.”
“I can handle that, sheriff.”
Jack hid a small smile, “Ok, then it’s settled. You’re moving to The Castle and joining us.”
Once back at the sheriff’s department Jack told Tyler and Barry to hit the showers in case they’d gotten any blood on them. He didn’t know all the ways the virus could be spread, and he didn’t see the point in taking any chances after a gore-filled battle with a bunch of zombies. He gave them each a choice of dressing in orange jail jumpsuits or sheriff’s department uniforms. Not surprisingly, both of them chose to look like a deputy rather than an inmate. While they were in the showers Jack called The Castle and told Tina about Tyler. She promised to have them drop by and pick him up as soon as the RRT finished with the cleanup at the gas station.
Jack had stripped off all of his outer gear and disinfected it, but as soon as he had Tyler and Barry dressing he jumped into the shower and vigorously scrubbed himself from head to toe. Zombie blood was nearly black, and seemed thicker than that of the humans they preyed upon. Their brain matter was still grey, though much darker than that of a human. Jack knew this because his outerwear had been covered with zombie blood, bone, and brains. He briefly wondered why he had never imagined what a medieval knight looked like after surviving a vicious battle. Nobody wrote epic poems about that part of ancient combat. Nevertheless, he found no gore on any of his undergarments or skin as he inspected himself while undressing. The need he felt to shower was probably more mental than physical, but he knew that he would have felt exposed if he hadn’t taken the time to thoroughly cleanse himself and his clothing.
By the time Jack was washed and redressed, dusk had closed in on the Midwest. He hated to think about what the night might bring. He wondered what was taking the RRT so long to arrive for Tyler, but when he called Tina she said they would be pulling up at any moment. Sure enough, as he was hanging up the phone he saw headlights pull into the parking lot. Carter and John walked in dressed in full combat gear, and Carter shrugged with a slight smile as Andi followed them into the room. She was also geared up and carrying a helmet, but Jack was not pleased to see that the mother of two and the woman who had taken his breath away was apparently being exposed to the dangers facing anyone pulling duty with the RRT.
Before he could admonish Carter and John the former spoke up, “It ain’t what you think, Jack. She ain’t on the RRT tonight, she just insisted that we bring her here to help you out.”
Jack sputtered as he looked at Andi, “What about the girls? And I won’t be able to concentrate if I have to worry about you being in danger.”
Andi merely smiled as she walked over and patted him on the cheek. “Don’t worry, killer, the girls are with Carter’s mom; she’s been organizing care for all of the kids at The Castle. And I won’t be in danger if I’m with you because you won’t let me get into any trouble.”
Carter and John failed to stifle their snickers as the reality of Andi’s logic sank in. Jack was speechless, and that wasn’t something they saw too often.
Andi continued, “Look, if trouble comes I’m athletic enough to run out of it, or cover your back, whatever it is you want me to do at the moment. But what I’m here for is to help you organize. I’m not one of the fighters at The Castle, yet, so they can spare me for a while. We know you only have two deputies left and far too much work for one man to accomplish on his own. We all want you back as soon as possible, and the best way to do that is to give you some help, whether you want it or not.”
Jack knew a lost battle when he saw one. “All right, I’m sure I can find something for you to do around here, there’s a lot of stuff a woman can do . . .”
He got the reaction he wanted as Andi’s eyes flared a bit, “Ask me to make coffee one time and I’ll practice my new combat skills on you.”
Jack chuckled and turned to introduce everyone to Barry and Tyler. As the older man stepped forward to shake hands, Jack explained, “Barry’s a carpenter, and he’s going to help me with construction on the safe-houses.”
Pointing to Tyler, Jack continued, “This is the kid who fought beside me today. Carter, if it’s all right with you I’d like him to stay with you and Deb till I get back to The Castle. He’s as brave as any of our buddies from the war, and he isn’t afraid of a fight. Get him geared up tonight and start his training tomorrow morning.”
He looked at Tyler, “Carter’s been my best friend since we met on a battlefield in Afghanistan. He’s always had my back, and he’ll have yours too.”
He then indicated John, “This guy was our platoon leader during the war, and he got us back in one piece. I trust him with my life, so I suggest you do the same. I want you to know that you have my word that I’m sending you to the safest place I know of with the most honorable soldiers I’ve ever served with. You ok with that?”
Tyler nodded and stepped forward to shake hands with both men. He looked back at Jack for a moment and the older man stepped forward and gave him a brief hug. He then patted him on the back as he said, “I know this is the worst day of your life, Tyler, but things will eventually get better.”
A tear slipped from Tyler’s eye, and he quickly rubbed it away. Andi stepped to the young man, “Hey, haven’t I seen you at Central before?”
“Yes, ma’am, I pass by your room when I go to world history class. You’re Ms. Carrell.”
“That’s right, and what do kids say about me?”
Tyler’s cheeks turned red for a moment.
Andi laughed, “Not that stuff. What do they say about how I treat them?”
Tyler recovered enough to quietly state, “You’re everybody’s favorite teacher. All the kids love yo
u.”
“I doubt that, but I think they know I’m fair, and they trust me.”
Tyler nodded, “Yeah, they do.”
“Well, you can trust me, too. My two daughters are back at The Castle, and I didn’t even know these guys a week ago. They’re good people, and they’re going to get us through this mess.”
She hugged the boy and he visibly relaxed in her embrace. Then she looked over at Carter, “After he gears up will you take him over to your mom? I want him to meet my girls and the rest of the kids. They’ll be good company for him tonight.”
Carter declared, “We’ll take good care of him. Be careful tonight and make sure ya check in as much as possible. See ya tomorrow.”
CHAPTER 12
As soon as the door closed, Jack asked Barry and Andi to follow him as he went in to check on the injured ex-sheriff. Deputy Little was watching the scene with an expression of sadness and disbelief. He explained that his former boss had said goodbye to his wife over an hour ago, then closed his eyes and appeared to slip into a coma. Jack went in to check on the dying man and found his breathing ragged and shallow. Knowing the end was near he told the grieving wife, “Ma’am, you have to get out of here now, it isn’t safe for you to be in here any longer.” She shook her head and refused to stand, but when Andi came into the cell and took her hand she allowed herself to be led away from her husband.
Once the two women had left the cellblock Jack looked at his deputy, “I hate to do this to you, Jeff, but I need you to know what the end result of this virus does to a person.”