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

by Smith, Daniel

  The growing hope he felt at seeing the police station crashed when he saw no guards walking the fence in fact he saw no one at all. There should be people working in the yard guards and crews getting ready or leaving for the day.

  “Had they all left where they dead leaving him stuck here in this town of the dead all by himself,” raced through his mind.

  What greeted him next made him fearful seeing the shambling figures pouring onto the street in front of him. The mobs of zombies spilling from the intersections of the street from between buildings as if the town itself was making one final try to make him a permanent resident. Dan risked a glance over his shoulder as he rode seeing the same sight behind him He had no choice but to try to peddle faster to get to the police station first.

  The first few zombies he easily avoided he simply swerved around them on the wide road. As more of the walking corpses came he it became harder time. He was now looking at the doors to the police station when his luck ran out. Avoiding an old woman in a pink and faded torn dress. He hit the raised curb of the sidewalk with the front wheel of the bike, the tire sliding along it as the handlebars jerked violently from his hands. Dan’s body flew through the air as the bike slid out from under him. Landing on the ground hard as he cried out in pain as he landed on his injured leg his bow slipped away from him with the bike landing on top of him. Lying on the ground entangled with the bike the pain in his injured leg throbbing with intensity making it hard to concentrated somehow he managed to grasp his surroundings. He was lying on the wet sidewalk in front of the police station. If he managed to get up he might make it inside before the rotting hands of the undead grabbed him. The moaning massed of zombies was drawing closer by the second as they started encircling him.

  Gritting his teeth he kicked out with his good leg thrusting the bike off him violently into a zombie wearing a tattered black business suit. Pushing himself up using his hands, he managed to sit up, looking around quickly. He was in big trouble there was no way he would get off the ground in time to avoid the first few zombies. Pulling the Springfield Armory G.I government model nineteen-eleven forty-five caliber autoloader with black parkerized frame and dark brown-checkered grips from his holster. He started quickly snapping off shots sending the two hundred and thirty grain full metal jacketed slugs. Rocketing at eight hundred and forty feet a minute into the head of a woman wearing a dirty white bathrobe. Sending the back of her head with long black hair flying into the faces of the zombies behind her. The zombies did not even blink their milky white eyes as the pieces of the decaying flesh splattered across their faces. Snapping off four more rapid-fire shots dropping the closest zombies near him firing the fifth when he heard a sound that scared him like no other. As the fifth shot left the muzzle, he felt more then heard the metallic clank of the slide locking open on the empty magazine. He was out of bullets, his last stupid mistake was going to cost him his life. Instead of having eight shots in his forty-five caliber autoloader seven in the magazine of the gun and another one in the chamber, he had not reloaded the three rounds he had spent last night. One of the first lessons Manny had taught him was to reload to a full magazine as soon as possible to avoid this mistake.

  While all of this was registering on him, he instinctively pushed the small black button on the side frame of the government model nineteen-eleven forty-five caliber autoloader with his thumb. This caused the spent metal magazine to drop from the bottom of the frame while his left hand grab for a fresh clip from the pouch under his right arm. Pulling it free only to jamb it into the bottom of the auto loader using his thumb again to press down on the slide release lever. Allowing the black parkerized slide to slam forward with a clunk chambering a fresh two hundred thirty grain full metal jacketed round. The look on his face said it all as he quickly tried to pull himself backwards on the ground. Trying to give him some distance from the zombies before giving up firing the seven rounds from the forty-five caliber autoloader. The dark brown-checkered grips bucking in his hand as the bullets ripped into the undead zombies closest to him spraying decaying flesh into the street. His mind registered their where to many of them he knew it would not help him as he empty the bullets from the magazine into them. Pushing the small black button on the frame again dropping the empty magazine to slam in another full one in. The black slide slamming forward once again with a metallic clunk stripping a fresh two hundred and thirty grain full metal jacketed round. From the full magazine, thrusting it into the hot barrel. Becoming suddenly clear to him it was too late for him today he dies. Watching the milky white eyes of the zombies staring draw closer as his nostrils filled with the smell of their rank decay of their rotting flesh. Their withered clawlike hands clutching at him as they stretched out grabbing for him.

  Dan did not register the movement to the side of him as he raised the freshly loaded forty-five caliber autoloader and unloaded another seven rounds into the mass of undead reaching for him. His focus on the hands grabbing at him as he tried scrambling backwards on the sidewalk. He barely registered any movement of the black pants and boots as rectangular clear plastic shields slammed into the closest zombies near him. Confused as he spotted the flash of orange sunlight off metal as a machete slammed into a skull with a violent crunch for the zombies reaching for him. They started falling around him having their skulls clove open. Dan tried to resist the hands grabbing him as the Springfield Armory G.I government model nineteen-eleven forty-five caliber autoloader jerked from his hand. He felt himself forcefully pulled from the ground. Looking around franticly at the person who had grabbed the forty-five caliber autoloader from him he barely recognize Commander Hudson.

  “Get him inside” he yelled to the self-defense force members who were closing the circle around him they started pulling him towards the open police station door.

  The self-defense force members would block the zombie’s outstretched arms as another would bring their machete down into the zombie’s skull before using their shield to block the next zombie. Everything blurred for Dan as he felt himself pulled into the lobby of the police station. He barley registering the self-defense force member doing a fighting retreating through the doors of the police station before securing them shut from the rotting zombies outside. He looked around confused at all the faces looking at him in the room. Resisting as the intense pain in his leg flared as they took him into an inner office the sign on the wall.

  “Briefing Room.”

  “Get the medic,” Commander Hudson told a female self-defense force member who had accompanied them into the room. She nodded her helmeted head and quickly left. Dan sat staring around the room his leg hurt badly but mostly he was trying to understand what had just happened, he was alive.

  He had only been sitting in the chair for less than five seconds before Commander Hudson handed him the forty-five auto loader. The metal blue seven round magazine out and the black slide locked back on the frame. He took it mechanically the weight feeling oddly comforting as he slid the last full magazine he had into it and gently eased the slide down chambering a round. Lowering the hammer before setting the safeties he holstered the gun. He watched the people in the room looking at him before he could speak. Katrina ran into the room red hair flowing behind her. She almost knocked him from the chair as she pulled him into a hug.

  “Mother said you would come down that road by dawn, or never,” she exclaimed excitably. Dan blinked at her not sure if he wanted to understand what she had meant. Before he managed to look at Commander Hudson.

  “Thanks, I thought I was dead,” was all he could manage in a quiet voice.

  “No thanks needed, besides if Katrina had not spent the night watching for you and told us you were coming we would not have known,” Commander Hudson said in his soft voice.

  Before he could respond an older man. Wearing a dark blue self-defense uniform with a white armband with a Red Cross on it entered the room. Carrying two large gray boxes followed by a woman wearing a black uniform with the same armband carrying
two more plastic boxes. The two nodded to Commander Hudson who nodded back. He gently put his hand on Katrina shoulder.

  “We will come back after they finish patching him up,” he said ushering her out of the room.

  The medics cleaned and treated the torn flesh on Dan’s injured legs having to put ten stitches into his leg to close the gash in his calve. Dan did not even blink when the needle went into his arm.

  “Tetanus shot,” the medic said.

  After that, they gave him a pair of crutches, which he used to leave the room. Making his way, back into the common area where he slept he saw that just about everyone was there. Katrina holding a clean and dry pair of his clothing for him to change into. She was smiling talking about something his mind did not register as he looked for a place to change. His mind did even register that Katrina went with him helping him undress and change. She was even smiling when Mary approached looking worried at his leg and crutches.

  “I heard you had made it back,” she started as she struggle with the words.

  “We could not help,” he heard her saying.

  “I am fine,” he managed. She hesitated at this.

  “Commander Hudson would like to talk to you, he is in that office,” she was pointing at a corner office with her hand. Dan just nodded at this.

  “Katrina, could you help me fix breakfast,” Marry asked Katrina, who looked at Dan then nodded.

  “We will have it ready for you,” she said smiling as she left.

  Dan slowly made his way to the office as best he could on the crutches, placing them in front of him before swinging his body forward to land on his good leg. As he approached the office, Dan answered a few greetings along the way. He was feeling slightly detached for some reason all the noise and movement around him odd. He stopped in front of the open office door to see Commander Hudson looking at him. He saw him motion for a chair in front of the desk. Moving over to sit down heavily in the leather chair. Commander Hudson studied him for a moment before.

  “How are you,” he asked.

  Dan thought he heard concern in his voice. He just quietly looked at him.

  “Me,” Commander Hudson continued. “That would shake me coming that close to buying it,” he said.

  Dan who was quietly studying him for a moment replied.

  “It did, but I will be all right,” he said with a little more volume then needed in his voice. This answer satisfied Commander Hudson who looked at him before he started speaking in that low powerful voice of his.

  “Everything you said regarding this town was right, yesterday the zombies went after everyone. Several people injured and four dead, zombies overwhelmed them,” Commander Hudson started.

  Dan sat in silence looking at him he wondered if he knew them. His mind flashing to the mental picture of last night running into James and Marion.

  “We think the thunder and lightning agitates them,” he said. Dan just nodded.

  “We had to pull the perimeter guard and keep people out of areas seen from the street. With so many zombies we worried the fencing would collapse. Then this morning they were just starting to scatter when you showed up.”

  Dan still said nothing. Commander Hudson either did not notice or pretended not to.

  “You will have to wait till later before we can recover your bow and extra clips from outside.”

  Once again, Dan just nodded.

  “But what I need to talk to you about is what happened to you last night, so when you are ready,” Commander Hudson said looking at him.

  Dan thought for a moment before taking a deep breath and started to recount what happened after he started running from the zombies. Leaving out the part about James and Marion.

  “Train,” Commander Hudson stopped him. Dan nodded.

  “What train and where exactly,” he said turning to a map. Dan rolled the chair he was in over to the map to start using his finger to retrace his path. After he had finished he was still sitting in silence but for some reason feeling a little better.

  “I am impressed; most people would have given up and not have made it,” he said. Causing the commotion in Dan’s mind to calm and let him think clearly for the first time that morning.

  “Not only that you remember exactly where the locations are,” he stated.

  Dan just nodded again before started to get up Commander Hudson stood with him and started walking next to him as he left the office.

  “Get some rest; you will feel better after some food and rest,” he said gently. Commander Hudson left Dan with Katrina and Marry as they finished making some bacon and eggs for breakfast. Looking around he noticed some people watching him. They would turn and look away quickly when he turned to look at them. He tried miserably to make some small talk while eating before Mary had to leave for guard duty.

  “No one can leave until Commander Hudson gives the all clear,” she told him softly looking guilty as she left looking at all the people sitting around the area talking.

  “No surprised there,” he mumbled as Mary left.

  Mabel walked over to them.

  “How are you doing,” she asked in her southern drawl as she nodded to Dan.

  He looked up to her with tired eyes as he tried focusing on her. He was starting to feel tired after eating.

  “Fine,” he managed.

  Mable nodded before turning to speak too Katrina in her slow southern drawl.

  “Katrina, you need to come with me. Dan needs some time to deal with last night,” she said with her dark eyes sending shivers down his spine as she focused on some object behind him.

  Even tired as he was this freaked him out. Watching as Katrina stood to go she stopped looking at him with a large smile returning.

  “Good-bye see you later,” she said walking off.

  Dan spent the rest of the day wrapped in his sleeping bag. His mind wondering between wake and sleep as the events of the last night and the last few days with the events of the last five years playing across his mind. During his awakes time, he would overhear people talking about what they had found and what they could trade it for. Some people making deals already. He would look out of his sleeping bag noticing some people pointing towards him talking in low tones. His mind replaying the conversation with Sandra, Commander Hudson and Loren about the future with the government reasserting control over the country and Loren’s conversation in the store in Memphis about his future.

  What of his future would he continue salvage work, for how long with the government getting more control. Until his luck runs out again. What good was the stuff he had and stored at his house. Not to mention his other cache sites he and Manny had set up. His house this was a new idea for him it was his home. In addition, he had a girlfriend now Katrina. How would life be like together on the road he started thinking of James and Marion. All they had wanted to do was to restart their horse farm instead this town claimed them for its own. Would that be his fate lying on the cold sidewalk surrounded by rotting zombies clawing at him?

  Watching the people, he cared for die around him. On the other hand, did he change it as he told Loren. Start a shop, learn to farm or even join the self-defense force and stay in Hope leaving the ruins of civilization behind him for good. Dan wrestled with these questions all-day broken occasionally by a person he knew that stop bye.

  “Glad to see you up,” Rex said stopping.

  Dan sat up in the sleeping bag taking no notice as the volume in conversations around him went lower.

  “Doing better,” he said looking at Rex trying to grasp the expression on his face.

  “That’s good,” Rex started as he seemingly squinted at Dan.

  “With all the rain thought you might catch a cold or something,” he started his voice trailing off.

  Dan stretched slightly as a pain in his leg shot up it causing him to flinch. He did not notice Rex take a step back.

  “Except for my leg hurting I feel fine,” he replied.

  “That’s good. Take care I will let
you rest,” Rex said backing away.

  “Later,” he replied pulling the sleeping bag back over him.

  Dan woke to something warm pressing into him. Turning his head to see Katrina pressing against his back smiling. Her arm snaking under the sleeping bag to his stomach.

  “I only have a minute just wanted to see how you are doing,” her southern drawl asked.

  “Good,” he replied smiling. Katrina leaned in to kiss him on the cheek as her hand shot lower past his belt.

  Dan’s eyes went wide as they quickly shot around the crowded room. Looking to see if anyone noticed. Katrina gave him a squeeze before she moved off quickly grinning. Watching her go he decided to get up. Using the crutches to move to stand looking out a window. Ignoring the people around him. The day was getting late with the sky darkening as the sun started to set. His mind clearing slightly of his troublesome thoughts.