The Horror Squad: An Apocalyptic Tale

by Weeks, TJ

  WHAT THE FUCK

  THE OTHER two zombies that were lingering in the street started staggering up the driveway as well. It didn’t take long before they were ripping handfuls of the poor dog’s insides out as well and shoving it in their mouths.

  Gizmo ran in the house and grabbed his hunting rifle and dumped a box of shells onto the bed, but was having a hard time steadying his hands from his nerves to load the bullets in it.

  One of the men started trying to walk up the steps to get to us. His mouth still had entrails dangling from the corner of his lip and blood covering from the top of his nose to his chin and he kept snapping his teeth at me like a rabid dog. The man fell a few times. His face was now cracked open, but he kept coming. By now the other two had joined in, with one falling, which offset his leg and it snapped. The bone was protruding through the skin and was poking through the side of his dirty and thin pants. It didn’t phase him, fore he kept trying to climb and pull himself up the steps.

  Gizmo finally came running out of the door with his rifle now loaded. He took aim putting the crosshairs between one of their eyes. I could instantly start to see sweat start to bead off his forehead and into his face. I took a step over and eased the gun out of his hands. He looked over at me and gave a nod of acknowledgment and acceptance. I shouldered the rifle firmly and chambered the first round before finding my target through the scope which looked like a blur from being so close.

  WHILE WE’RE AWAY

  THE SUN rose and Kris’s eyes squinted open to Daltin and Sidnie gathering their clothes and folding them. Kris just knew something was wrong and quickly sat up.

  “What’s wrong?” Kris asked the unusual acting duo.

  “Nothing, we were just waiting for you to get up mama.” Sidnie stated folding her one pair of good blue jeans.

  “Why are y’all folding clothes?” Kris asked in confusion.

  “Because…we are supposed to.” She stated to her mother.

  “Look, I folded mine.” Daltin held up a stack of crumbled up clothes.

  “Well, okay then.” Kris laughed. “I am going to take a shower and then we will go get the rest of the crew and go get some breakfast. Keep cleaning.” Kris encouraged and gathered her half folded clothes and headed out.

  The soap just lathering in her hair and the curtain in the gym bathroom pulled to, the door opened. Kris stopped for a moment waiting for someone to make themselves known.

  “So are you going to be done sometime today so we can go eat?” Tina’s voice echoed.

  Kris smiled hearing her normal grumpy morning voice. “Damn I just got in, gimme a minute or two.”

  “Just wanted to let you know I am taking Sidnie and Daltin with me for breakfast. It’s Pancake Day and the kids are excited and I REALLY need some coffee.” Tina told her through the curtain.

  “I will be there shortly. How is your stomach?” Kris asked.

  “Crampy and it is making my morning extra pissy.” Tina slammed the door.

  Kris finished her shower and walked back down the hall. She opened her door to a floor full of stacks of folded clothes. She laughed at the point that they at least folded them. She put her dirty clothes into the hamper and decided to put up the clothes up later. She made her way to some pancakes, even though they weren’t her favorite, she could handle a couple of them.

  She could hear the kids as she rounded the corner of the school towards the cafeteria.

  “Did y’all already eat?” She asked the foursome.

  They all shook their heads yes.

  “It is Wednesday, y’all get your butts in there and help Milissa clean up breakfast stuff.” Kris told them.

  They quickly rose from the ground and ran around to go inside, knowing that they had to get their chores done before they were supposed to be able to play.

  “Tina, it is Wednesday; they are supposed to help with kitchen duty. Friday they help with the plant, remember?” Kris told her as she sat down.

  “Hell, I can’t remember what day is what. I just know that they are supposed to be doing something. I haven’t even finished my first damn cup, give me a break.” Tina took another sip of her coffee.

  Kris shook her head at her friend and watched as the girls wiped down tables and counters as Milissa and the couple of girls that helped her in the cafeteria got to sit down and take a break. Hudson tried his hardest to sweep the floor with the big yellow push dust mop, unfortunately he left a trail of dirt every time he turned the mop to go the other way. Daltin sprayed the few dishes that were in the sink to make sure there was plenty for the lunch crowd that always came through from the plant. After lunch the kid’s chores were to get with Karen and Milissa and help replenish the food in the cafeteria.

  All of the group back at home felt lucky to have all that they had. They knew that the ones that were outside of the fence were risking their lives to bring back goods that were needed. Hopefully, they were able to bring back enough to not have to go out for a while; and the ones that were out, were thankful for the ones at home that would be there when they got home and the ones that stayed behind to run the plant.

  Lisa had become the best at delegating everyone on what to do to keep things running smoothly. Plus, with everyone intimidated by her, she never had a problem getting them to work and keep things going.

  Milissa stayed on top of things in the cafeteria and did what she could to make some great things for everyone’s meals. She would throw things together that no one had eaten before and they would love it and request her to make it again on a regular basis. She kept her food crew in line and followed all the ‘food serving’ rules even with all that was going on, like the health department would be coming soon or something.

  Karen kept everything inventoried and did a good job. She had everything written down from food to linens, to ammo to hygiene products. She kept everything on its own shelf and had an abundance of all of it at this time, thanks to those that went out to gather it. She had so much that she did end up having to store some in one of the bunk houses as TJ had suggested before and had not had to pull any from there since they left with all that she had.

  Martin guarded the gate a lot of the day and night, and was relieved for enough time to get a full eight hours sleep and he was back at his guard post. A few of the others that worked the plant would walk the fence line a few times a day and check for any inconsistencies in the fencing or walls that had been put up. It was a long drawn out process with as much land as there was. Sometimes they would find a rotted piece of metal wall that needed replaced and take care of it quickly or stabilize it the best they could with the tools that had been brought in or found there at the plant.

  Everyone had their own jobs throughout except for Tina and Kris since they had been recently left behind off of the missions to take care of the kids. They both understood, but so wanted to be with their husbands. However, they both had decided that their children still needed to have normalcy, like chores and school and learning things that they would on a normal basis. So on Wednesday and Friday they would do chores around their new stomping grounds. On Mondays and Tuesdays they were to do worksheets that Tina and Kris had made up and they had made a classroom just for schooling for their children.

  Unfortunately, no one else had children that had made it, so the four that were there, were the focus of everyone when they were out around the ones that did have children at one time. Everyone surrounded them and took them under their wing to keep them safe.

  Tina and Kris some days would leave the children to stay in the courtyard as they knew they were not to go anywhere until they got back and would just take a walk around the grounds and make sure that things were running smoothly. When they were out on the missions with their husbands they never really got the chance to check on things and what everyone did since TJ had delegated work to all of the ones that had come on board.

  They loved going into the plant watching everyone working as hard as they were to keep everything going. Lisa was al
ways walking around making checks on her workers and checking off her self-made checklist of things that she had found that had to be done in order to keep the plant on track.

  Tina and Kris would make their way to the cafeteria and check on Milissa and her crew. At this time she had Chelley and Bobbi to help her in the kitchen and a small yard crew that tended to the almost five acre garden that they had planted. They had already grown a plethora of squash and tomatoes, and had some bell peppers, zucchini and onions sprouting that added to the inventory of food for Karen.

  Things ran smoothly around the land that Tina and Kris didn’t have to do much except to take care of the kids. They would jump in if Martin needed a break or walk the fence line to make sure that nothing had been missed, they would chip in at the plant if Lisa needed help or go make something in the cafeteria to relieve some of the stress from Milissa, Chelley and Bobbi at times. Otherwise, they would make sure that things were running as normal as they could for everyone with hopes that it didn’t seem like the apocalypse was upon them. They both knew what it was like on the outside of the walls that they lived in and wanted things as regular as possible on the inside.

  THE START

  CRACK-A-BOOM! Sounded as I squeezed the trigger and lined up the next one. Crack-a-boom! Sounded again as I dropped the second one. The third one was lined up when I felt a slight shove.

  “What the fuck are you doing, those are people?” Tina questioned in a very pissed off tone.

  Gizmo grabbed her and covered her eyes as he closed his own and I lined my shot back up. Crack-a-boom! Sounded for the last time.

  The last guy hit his knees before falling over with smoke from the gun powder still rising from his forehead.

  “What the fuck, TJ!” Tina hollered after pushing Gizmo back.

  “Did you see what those mother fuckers did to that dog?” Steven stated.

  She looked down and saw what was left of the dog and the bits of fur still clinching to their mouths.

  “I’ve got to go see my mom.” Gizmo exclaimed.

  “We can’t just leave these people laying in our yard. We’ve got to call the police.” Tina stated.

  “Then call, but I’m going to check on my parents.” Gizmo continued.

  I held the rifle out to him trying to get him to take it.

  “I need you to come with me.” He stated while pushing the rifle back towards me.

  “Well, let’s go.” Justin stated.

  “We can’t all go, I need y’all to stay here to talk to the police and make sure no more of those fuckers come after my family.” Gizmo responded.

  “10-4 little buddy.” Justin answered.

  Gizmo and I walked off of the back of the porch and out to my truck since his was blocked in.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “EXCUSE ME!” A woman’s voice called from a rooftop.

  I quickly reached for my rifle and started scanning the rooftops. “Show yourself.”

  “I just want to know if you’ve seen my friend, Silvia?” She stated further.

  “Show yourself.” I repeated.

  “I’m not coming out, you’ve all got guns.” She responded.

  “Are you alone?” I questioned.

  “No, my team has the whole area surrounded!” She called back down.

  “She’s alone. Lower your weapons.” I stated to my crew. “We’re putting our weapons down. What’s your name?”

  “Rachel.” She called back.

  “Well Rachel, I’m TJ. If you’ll come down, we’ll help you find your friend.” I stated.

  “How do I know you won’t kill me if I come down?” She questioned.

  “I guess you don’t, but you either come down or we’re leaving and you can stay up there by yourself.” I called her out on her bullshit.

  “Okay…I’m coming down.” She responded.

  I could see the top of her head now as she made her way to the side of the building. I took a few steps back to get a better sight of her as she made her way to the side of the building’s roof. She stepped over the side and slid down a storm drain.

  “She’s a hottie.” Justin stated in a low voice to keep her from hearing.

  She stopped at the corner of the alleyway and stared at each of us.

  “I know we’re at the end of the world, but we’re not against shaking hands or at least I don’t think that respect has left us yet.” I stated.

  “Look, I just want to find my friend.” She replied.

  “What does she look like?” I asked and to my shock, her details matched the very girl I had killed the night before.

  “I’m sorry to tell you this, but your friend is dead.” I informed her.

  “What? How can that be and how could you possibly know that?” She questioned.

  “She stole from us last night. I didn’t see her at first, only a shadow. I thought she was a rotter. I threw my knife and she took a spill down the stairs. I didn’t realize she was a human until it was too late.” I explained.

  She started to cry more and more with each word that dropped from my mouth. “You’re a murderer.”

  “If I was a murderer, I wouldn’t take the time to explain what happened to your friend, I would have just killed you.” I suggested.

  “You’re welcome to join us, unless you have somewhere else to go.” Justin chimed in.

  “Do you have a place?” She questioned.

  “Yes, we have a base of sorts. It’s safe or at least safer than being out here.” I stated.

  “But how do I know I can trust any of you?” She questioned.

  “As I stated before, you don’t.” I told her.

  I turned to my squad. “Let’s move out.”

  We started walking down the road once again.

  “Wait! I’ll come.” She shouted, then quickly paused and looked around making sure she didn’t draw any unwanted attention before running to join us.

  Justin was the first to introduce himself out of the rest of the group.

  “It’s nice to meet you. Umm…do any of you happen to have any food?” She questioned.

  Justin slowed his pace and pulled an MRE from his bag. He quickened his pace to rejoin her side and held it out in front of her to catch her complete attention. “I’ve got this.”

  She smiled and brushed her red hair behind her ears with her fingers. “Thanks, I haven’t eaten in a few days.”

  “Oh lord, get a room.” Gizmo stated.

  “No time for all of that. We need to start heading back.” I suggested.

  “Wait, we’re going back a day early?” Gizmo asked.

  “We were able to restock our gas situation, got new weapons and now carrying extra baggage.” I answered.

  “I’m not extra baggage.” She demanded.

  “Look, I’m sure you have really neat things that you’re good at and I’m sure you’re just raining down rays of rainbows, but I’m not going to be the one to show back up to our base with some new chick after telling my wife to stay behind and then inform her that we just decided to let you stay the night with the group of us.” I explained further.

  “Oh shit, yeah my wife would kick my ass too.” Gizmo stated.

  “Yeah, so no matter how you look at yourself, it’s not going to happen…You said you wanted food, well we’ve got food and a place to rest your head. If not, then when we get back to our truck, I’ll hook you up with a few MRE’s and you can go on your way.” I added.

  “A place to rest my head sounds good.” She decided.

  “Then we go.” I stated.

  We all kept walking hardly missing a stride. The streets were a little too empty for my taste. Not that I liked running into the rotters, but being in the city and seeing all these thousands of cars left behind and no bodies to show for it was a little uneasy and hard to swallow. The fact that we had only seen about fifty dead walking in almost two days, was just shocking. I pulled my wallet from my pocket and pulled out a picture of my wife and kids.

  “You’ll see th
em in a few hours.” Steven suggested after peering over my shoulder.

  I slid the picture back into my wallet and secured it back into my pocket. “I hope so.”

  “What do you mean?” He asked.

  “Something doesn’t feel right to me. It’s probably nothing, but even if it’s nothing, you still never know when your time is up.” I stated.

  “I guess you’re right, you don’t know when your time will be up, but I doubt it’s today.” He suggested.

  I started laughing. “No one ever thinks their time is up today until it is.”

  “Never thought of it, but I guess you’re right again.” He agreed.

  He started walking a little faster to get next to me. “Hey brother, did you ever regret your career choice?”

  I looked at him for a few seconds before responding. “What’s your obsession with my career?”

  “I just really want to know.” He cleared up.

  “You know, I’ve always loved writing and getting to share it with the world was a plus. Only thing I regret is thinking I had more time.” I answered.

  “What do you mean?” He questioned.

  “I mean if I had more time or at least knew how much time we had left, I would have taken more time to meet all of my fans…Each and every one of them.” I tried to explain.