The Aftermath Trilogy (Book 2): The Aftermath [Town of the Dead]

by Smith, Daniel

  “No, ma'am. They say there is a bypass road around the town three miles back. That goes west around the town to meet back up with the main highway,” he started as Captain Jones turned on him.

  “What do you mean they are not going to let us go through town and we have to backtrack,” she said angrily turning her gaze to the uniformed officers. The driver look straightforward as he put his hands on the wheel reaching for the ignition.

  “They said at the start of the plague. The military would not bother to help protect them so they see no reason to help us now,” the driver said turning the Humvee on and putting it into reverse.

  The closed and locked windows and doors had security bars reinforcing the windows. Mary looked at the building.

  “This it,” she asked.

  “Yes the first stop of the day,” Dan replied pulling the breaker bar from the shopping cart.

  “Wonderful,” Mary said a little disappointed. “Every one hit the jewelry stores at the mall first and the vaults where locked,” she stated.

  “That is usually the case,” Dan said taking the pointed end of the bar jamming it between the jewelry store door and frame. Finally managing to make a hole in the metal frame after a couple of tries. Dan flipped the bar over and jammed the wedged end into the gap pulling on the bar that barely moved.

  “Give me a hand,” he told Mary as he readjusted his grip and caught his breath, after a couple of tries with them both putting their weight into it the door popped open.

  Breathing hard from the effort they heard the moan of a zombie getting close from around the side of the building.

  “I, not after the last one,” Mary said looking at him. Dan rolled his blue eyes as he drew his sword. Walking to the side of the building to confront the zombie while Mary placed the breaker bar in the shopping cart and started pushing it inside. he turn the corner confronting the zombie, it was a police officer a slight smile crossed his face as he realized the irony of it. However, what caught his attention was the fact he could see the officer’s gun in his holster, he had seen zombie police officers before but never with their gun.

  He opted for the standard two-handed swing to separate the zombies head from the body with a tug of the leathery flesh sending the head flying clear of the body. Placing his boot on the head pinning the head to the ground. The mouth moving in an attempt to scold him. He quickly shoved the point of the sword though the milky white eye stopping the moving mouth. Dan removed the police officers belt and checked the nine-millimeter semi-automatic that was there. It would be fine with a good cleaning putting the gun back into the holster he started removing the officer’s belt. Dan also checked him for body armor but found none and no back up weapon. With a content feeling and gun belt in his hand, he walked back over to the door of the jewelry store going inside to join Marry.

  He found her standing over the bodies of two zombies one was a man in a shirt and tie. The second a woman in a tasteful skirt and jacket outfit at one time now stained and dirty. A pistol and holster sitting on the glass display case Mary examining a second in her hand.

  “They must have been the owners, they were both carrying,” she told Dan as he entered. He held up the gun belt.

  “That is going around today,” Dan replied holding up the police belt before placing in to the shopping cart. What surprised them was the small walking vault was open. Making Dan think that they both died inside the store with the doors and windows locked and the vault open. He gave no thought on how or why they died. He did not linger long on this as he and Mary started to empty the jewelry from the cases in to small decorative bags bearing the store logo. Dan looked into the half-full shopping cart.

  “I am going back to the hardware store to see if they have any shopping bags,” he suggested. Mary looked up from admiring a necklace.

  “Sounds good,” she said placing it into a bag.

  Dan jogged the short distance between stores and was happy to find plenty of plastic bags that he threw into a shopping cart. He paused and stepped to one side of the door when he heard a car engine. Dan moved back into the interior shadows of the building. Watching as truck the city sent went by. Sighing as he started across the street some habits where hard to break. When he returned to the store. They transferred the jewelry they had into the larger plastic bags and finished clearing out the store and safe. Filling two shopping carts with bags of rings, necklaces, earrings and the guns they had picked up leaving the store and it was still early morning.

  “Where to next,” Mary asked sounding happy as she pushed her shopping cart towards the street.

  Dan looked around cautiously, he remembered the people he saw on his trip to Memphis that where pushing a shopping cart while zombies chased them.

  “I thought we would try that white building across the street,” he told Mary as they headed for the intersection.

  They crossed the street as the dark rain clouds started to blot out any sunlight. That they had earlier and made their way towards a large white concrete building with no windows on the side of the building facing the street. They could just make out the tops of some metal antennas on the roof as they approached a small set of double glass door at one side of the building near a parking lot. The entrance set recessed into the building under a large window. Making their way to look through the door they stopped exchanging looks. Both reading the block lettering on the door. El Dorado police substation they both smiled at this.

  Peering through the glass doors fascinated by several zombies in police uniforms moving inside. The sight struck Dan as unusual as he motioned for them to move away from the door. Stopping near the corner of the building looking towards the parking lot. Spotting the remains of a metal pole for the police sign smashed under a ruined car.

  “What do you think,” Dan asked as they walked to the back of the building as a light rain started to fall. Mary was speechless for a moment then said.

  “That is a gold mine of stuff but,” she started then hesitated.

  “But what,” Dan prompted Mary looked at him with his arms folded across his chest.

  “The two of us cannot handle it alone. We had a large group at the police station and that was a good two hours of room to room fighting,” she finished looking at him wondering what he was thinking. A smile broke across Dan’s lips.

  “You’re right,” he said glad she had remembered the lesson from the other day.

  “What do you think we should do,” he added looking at Mary.

  She thought for a moment before looking hesitantly at Dan.

  “I think we should call Commander Hudson. The gear in their the town could use,” she said slowly trying to read the look on his face. He kept his face blank as he pretended to think for a moment.

  “I think you are right,” he said looking as relief crossed Mary’s face. He knew the town could use the gear the substation held and after all it was his town to. He watched as Mary removed the radio from her belt changing the channel to his direct one.

  “Commander Hudson over,” Mary spoke into the radio. She paused again.

  “Go ahead Mary,” Commander Hudson’s soft voice came over the speaker. Mary looked at Dan as he listened.

  “We found an intact police substation,” she had barely finished.

  “Where,” came quickly out of the speaker.

  Mary looked towards the street.

  “Northwest Avenue and Fifth,” Dan said casually. Mary nodded thanks as she keyed the radio.

  “Northwest Avenue and Fifth,” she replied.

  “The town is claiming that building and I will be there in ten minutes,” Commander Hudson voice sprang from the speaker.

  “Understood,” Mary replied.

  Dan moved to look in the parking lot behind the building at seven police cars and a paramedic van. Sitting hidden from the street.

  “He said the building. He did not say anything about the cars,” Dan asked her seeing her smiling as she saw what he was looking at.

  “No,�
� was all she said as she looked at the several police cars and paramedic than sitting in the parking lot.

  Dan moved over to the first police car removing the metal breaker bar from the shopping cart holding it his hands. He smashed it against the driver’s door window causing it to shatter. Setting the bar on the roof he reached in to pop the latch to open the truck. Before removing the small lack pry bar from his belt to start working on the holder holding a shotgun in the car.

  “Can you grab the emergency gear out of the trunk,” he called out to Mary.

  “Sure,” she answered moving to the back of the car. Looking in she reached in pulling a black nylon duffle bag from the trunk. Setting it on the ground she started removing the other items as Dan appeared holding the shotgun.

  “Do we take all of it,” Mary asked.

  Looking down at the items Dan thought for a moment.

  “Work gloves, emergency blanket , First Aid kit,” he started listing off the items. “Portable Defibrillator, fire extinguisher and road flares.”

  Rubbing his hand on his chin as he looked over the pile again.

  “Latex gloves and the box of alcohol wipes unless you want anything else,” he said looking at Mary.

  She looked down at the pile of stuff thinking.

  “Commander Hudson may want some of it,” she started saying.

  “He is welcome to it,” Dan said moving off to the next police car.

  “We are going to run out of room in the basket,” Mary said picking up the items placing them in the basket.

  Dan looked over at the mostly full basket and held up the pry bar.

  “You get the locks I will run for some more baskets,” he said

  They finished off the last police car before approaching the paramedic van. Dan still holding the metal breaker bar. Mary reached up to the rear door to open it.

  “Stand off to one side,” Dan said as she turned to look at him as she pulled open the door.

  The door flying open hitting her slightly as a zombie in a light blue shirt and dark pants fell out into the parking lot. Dan immediately shoved the bar forward using the thick wedge-shaped edge to bust through the zombie skull hitting the pavement beneath it before the zombie could rise. A second zombie appeared at the door and started out of the van falling to the pavement like his partner. Dan pulled the breaker bar free causing the zombies head to rise up off the pavement before pulling free of the bar to crash back down into it. Dan spun around in a circle bring the breaker bar up like a baseball bat to connect with the zombies head was halfway off the ground. The bar jarred violently pulling free from his hands as the zombies head caved in on one side falling to the ground. Mary looked wide-eyed at this before looking at him.

  “Sorry,” she started to say as he shook his head.

  So I told you stand off to one side,” he said shifting to look into the back of the paramedic van.

  “It's clear,” he said.

  Dan will admit the commander was punctual. He and Mary had just finished breaking the last lock on the holder for the shotgun. Mounted in the police cars and removing the emergency gear from the truck. The had pulled all the gear and supplies including the rolling gurney from the paramedic van when three flatbed trucks pulled to a stop. Commander Hudson and twenty members of the self-defense force started getting out of the trucks. Dan finished stacking the last of the items taken from the car onto the shopping carts as Mary moved to meet them. Dan watched Dan watched Commander Hudson approach with the others as he looked at the full shopping carts.

  “I didn’t know the cars where in back when I called in,” Mary told him in the way of an explanation. Dan could see Commander Hudson eyelids half close for a second before asking.

  “Are you taking all of it,” he said motioning to the stuff in piles around the police cars.

  Mary looked at Dan as he shook his head.

  “No if you see something you want grab it,” he said looking at the Commander.

  “Evans, Patricia, Sam,” Commander Hudson said.

  Three people moved over to the piles to start pulling out spike strips traffic cones and other gear to move to the flatbed trucks. Commander Hudson’s gray eyes turned to the baskets. Looking over the baskets contents then to Dan.

  “Sandra will talk to you about some of those items after we get back,” he said shaking his head.

  A slight smile appeared on his face as he shrugged his shoulders.

  “Sure,” Dan replied watching Commander Hudson turn his attention to Marry.

  “How many zombies did you see inside,”

  “Four possibly five in the lobby,” Mary answered.

  Commander Hudson looked at Mary for a moment and seemed sorry.

  “I know you are off duty but we are going to need your help with this,” his statement did not surprise her.

  “I understand,” she said.

  “I can help to,” Dan offered seeing Commander Hudson pause for a moment before turning to face him.

  Commander Hudson cleared his throat before he spoke to Dan.

  “You already have and I don’t want you to take this as an offense. You would be a liability more than an asset,” his statement stunned Dan. He saw the embarrassed look on Mary’s face.

  “This is no slight on your skills,” Commander Hudson started again making eye contact with him.

  “We trained as a group to work this way. And you do not know our ways,” he finished.

  “I understand,” Dan, said a little subdued while it was true. He had seen the Self-defense force members work several times in the past as teams and they worked well that way, all though it still hurt. Mary seemed apologetic as they walked around to the front of the building to the front doors as the Self-defense force members started breaking into teams. Dan looked across the street at the hardware store getting an idea.

  “Commander,” Dan started to say he stopped and turned to face him.

  “Since I can’t help inside, I can get some shopping carts for you to use.” Commander Hudson regarded him for a moment. Dan would swear he almost smiled.

  “That is something I did not think of, Thank you,” Commander Hudson said.

  He could see the surprised look on some of the self-defense force members faces. Dan waited until they had entered the building before crossing the street to the hardware store. He made another slower search of the store, bypassing the aisle with the small corpse and yellow boot prints in it. Finding a large box of plastic string used to tie down light loads a few rolls of duct tape that where overlooked before. He pushed the first set of baskets to the front doors of the police substation as the rain started to come down heavier with a rolling boom of thunder.

  “Damn,” he thought he had left his poncho back at camp.

  Before bringing the next set of baskets over to the substation, he checked the aisles once more and only found a couple of emergency road flare, these he put into his pack. The storm had picked up causing the sky to darken and rain to come down hard making noise between claps of thunder. He was pushing the next batch of carts across the street squinting in the rain to see two figures in the doorway of the substation. Waving their arms and pointing. Dan stopped starting to turn to see what they were pointing at then realized they were trying to get his attention. His attention immediately drawn to a large group of shambling figures coming from the parking lot side of the substation. Zombies and plenty of them. Dan stopped to point at them before he realized the figures in the door had no way of seeing them as they stepped away from the door. He did his best to warn them off before they noticed the first on coming around the corner of the building at them. Dan did not see if they made it into the building as a flash of lightning cracked lighting up something to his left.

  Turning to see a hoard of lumbering decaying mass of undead figures coming down both sides of the street. Dan spun ready to bolt into the hardware store. He froze as she spotted even more zombies coming from around the hardware store. There was no way for him to make it inside th
e store. Letting go of the shopping carts he took his only alternative. He started running for the figures in the door of the substation but realized he would not be able to hack his way inside. The zombies would overwhelm him before he was safe. His thoughts flashing back to a couple of days ago. This time it was him getting surrounded by the undead masses.

  “Commander we have the lobby and first floor secured,” a self-defense force member said catching his breath.

  “ Good work everyone,” Commander Hudson soft voice said as he turned to the set of double glass door set recessed into the building. His face going hard as he watched Dan pushing some shopping carts across the street. Just as a flash of lightning lit up a mass of moving figures in the growing darkness.

  “Damn,” he exclaimed as he bolted for the doors.

  Mary looked over to see the approaching zombie hoard moving up from behind Dan on the street. He had not noticed them yet. Mary rushed to Commander Hudson side as he pushed open the doors to start waving trying to yell over the storm.

  “Look out behind you,” Mary yelled joining Commander Hudson.

  They watched Dan stop in the street and point at them.

  “What is he doing,” Mary exclaimed as several more people joined them at the door.

  Watching for a second before they heard the sound of moaning. Just as the first zombies started around the building from the parking lot. She just had time to see Dan turn and take off running towards them as Commander Hudson swung his machete at the closest zombie. Mary grabbing the door handle yanking one door closed as a zombie smashed up against it. Several other people started grabbing for the doors or machetes to stop the zombies from entering. Mary had time to see Dan veer off from the building running down the street.

  “Everyone fall back out of sight of the doors,” Commander Hudson said throwing the dead bolt locking the doors.

  As everyone started moving out of sight of the doors Commander Hudson’s radio blared to life.

  “Commander Hudson over,” a woman’s voice called out.