The Horror Squad (Book 1.5)

by Kris Weeks

  Willy nodded at the story. “I have some buddies that were in the military that had a hard time when they got back, and told me stories. It sounds rough. I am not sure I could do all that. Your service is appreciated bud.”

  Andrew nodded with thanks and they waited on Atora to come out of the bathroom. “We got her, she wanted a Willy.” Andrew giggled before walking off.

  The three continued gathering all of the food they could and found boxes from the back to load. Eric was still angrily throwing things onto the floor as they started loading the boxes. All three stared at Eric as he threw his fit while they placed everything neatly. They looked back at each other and laughed. Eric walked off in a huff as they began loading a separate box with the cans that he apparently was trying to destroy and show how tough he was..

  Andrew and Atora stood outside the doors holding them both open while Willy carried out the boxes and piled them into the van. Alex jumped down from the truck and made his way to the back of the van. He stood in front of the open doors and waited for Willy to return with a box to hand to him to help. Willy smiled and passed a heavy load to him. All of the boxes loaded and the van sealed up tight. Andrew and Atora loaded up waiting for Eric. Willy and Alex took it upon themselves to pull out of the parking lot and make their way out onto the road.

  It was getting late into the evening, they were not going to be able to see much longer. Alex pointed to a few of the dead that were stumbling through the woods on the side of the road making their way up to the road.

  “They are going to be up here in no time, we are going to have to hit them. Let’s get home as soon as we can.” Alex stated.

  “I don’t see the van yet, we can’t fit much more on or in either truck. I figured he would be right behind us.” Willy slowed a bit watching his rear view.

  ***

  Bryan hollered to Nate for his help from the barn. Nate came to the barn to see a mass amount of shelving throughout the whole barn. The stables were turned into pantries and the poorly boarded window had been sheet rocked over with a small door put into it as a peephole to see through. The loft now had a wall around it and instead of a rickety old ladder, there were steps that led to it.

  “My God man, how in the hell did you get this all done?” Nate asked.

  “Just thought we needed the storage space for when they get back and all of the stuff from the garden. The loft up there, can actually be used as a couple of rooms if we need them, or storage. I need your help holding this door though so I can screw it to the wall.” He instructed.

  Nate held the large piece of wood and waited for Bryan to finish

  screwing it to the wall and let it go watching it swing shut.

  “Good damn job man!” Nate taking it all in.

  “How is the garden coming?” Bryan questioned.

  “Good, already checked the fence today, need to go back around here in a bit and check it out.” He told him.

  Bryan nodded while putting the finishing touches on the hinges of the new door to the stall to make a closet.

  “Rue, do you need some help?” Ashley hollered.

  “No, I’m good. Just cleaning up and getting everything ready to take to the fire outside.” Rue shot back.

  She knew that the team would be home some time tonight and wanted to make sure dinner was done and everyone had eaten before they got there. Nate suddenly crossed her mind and feeling another man’s hands on her body. She got shivers again. She should not be thinking about him like that. She tried hard to sway her thinking back to the food and kids.

  “Barker, Karlin and Linda, will you three come watch Rowena? Ashley, do you mind?” Rue asked after giving the instruction.

  “Nope, Karlin, go help.”

  Rue carried the mess of a mixture she had created as a sort of casserole out to the fire in one of the dishes that they had brought back on their first outing. She laid tin foil across the home made grate and put down the dish. She had found a perfect spot where the fire wasn’t too hot and put a cover from an old barbeque pit over the dish to hold in heat to let it bake. She stood for a moment with her arms crossed to make sure that it was not going to get too much of the fire.

  A growl echoed through the air. Rue jumped and looked in all

  directions. Another growl came louder this time from behind her. She turned quickly and peeked around the side of the house to see a man

  standing with his head through the main fence towards the front of the house. His head was all she could see. His hair was caught on a piece of wire and the skin from his forehead had been torn and hung on the wire.

  Rue ran in the house and looked for a weapon. The most she could find was a hatchet she had just used to chop some vegetables to put in her concoction. She grabbed the hatchet and sprinted out of the front door and through the newly fixed gate. The man’s growl echoed louder the closer she got and she was sure at any moment he was going to tear through the fence with all of the racket he was making by banging on it. She raised the hatchet up over her head, holding it with both hands, she came down on his exposed skull and pulled it out. His body went limp. His bloody head hung through the fence line. Rue stood without breath at the effort and adrenaline she had put forth to kill the monster that was trying to get in to her and her children and the others. Bryan and Nate walked up about the time that Rue was backing away and they saw the blood dripping from the blob that hung through.

  They ran to Rue and Nate backed her away while Bryan pushed the head back through the fence with the shovel that he had grabbed on the way up to stoke the fire.

  “Are you okay?” Nate asked holding Rue in his arms.

  Rue nodded and turned out of Nate’s grasp to go back through the front gate. She stopped and turned back.

  “Thank you.” She said.

  Nate nodded and went to help Bryan. A few others were now approaching the hole being attracted to the noise Bryan was making fixing the fence. Somehow the zombie had made his way through the seam between the two pieces of sheet metal. Coincidently, the chain link seam was in the same place.

  “We have to fix that now. There are others coming up. If you will keep them back, I will go get something to fix it up.” Bryan offered.

  “I will just hang with the drunks. It’s all good, I got this.” Nate held the shovel up ready to stab them as they came closer.

  The screen door slammed and Rue walked out with a machete.

  “I couldn’t find this earlier even though it was right next to the door. Thought you could use it or I could help.”

  “No, you go back inside, I will take care of it. Thank you. I don’t want you out here, it isn’t safe.” Nate told her.

  Rue handed him the machete and made her way back inside. Nate watched her all the way and turned back to a woman and child standing with their faces pressed against the fence. Nate lunged the knife through and stabbed the woman and then the child, another was behind them and he stabbed the man in the middle of the forehead.

  “Talk about a splitting hangover.” Nate laughed at his own joke.

  Bryan returned with some extra boards, nails, some more fencing, a hammer, screw driver and tin. He began mending the open hole. He looked at Nate before he began the hammering. The banging led to louder banging on the outside of the fence, and then he began screwing the tin in place and stretched the chain link across.

  “I think we are good. Let’s walk the rest and see if there is any open spots like that.” Bryan suggested.

  Nate nodded and grabbed a few of the materials and walked with Bryan. They searched for any parts that might let them in. There was random banging on the fence throughout their walk, but not a place they saw to where they would be able to get in.

  “Do you know what Rue’s story is?” Nate asked Bryan.

  “No, hadn’t heard. Why?” He wondered.

  “Well, she said she was married. No wedding ring, no sign of a

  wedding ring.” Nate expressed.

  “She seems pretty loyal to Eric
, kind of like old Andrew does.” Bryan admitted.

  “Yeah, but he saved her and her kids.”

  “Are you sure that was it?” Bryan made Nate think.

  Nate shrugged his shoulders. The sun was finally setting over the trees and Nate and Bryan were rounding the last corner as the gate opened and the truck rolled in. They both ran to them and helped Alex push the gate closed.

  Bryan looked around. “No van?” He asked.

  “Nope, we left them back at the store and figured that they would not be far behind. We knew we didn’t have much light left and wanted to make it home. If we need to go back out we will, but this truck uses a lot of gas, we will need to take one of the other vehicles.” Alex explained.

  Willy backed up to the barn and unstrapped the load. He started taking it off the flat bed and setting it down onto the ground. Ashley ran out to help as Alex, Bryan and Nate started hauling it inside.

  “Over here. Bryan told them. “I made two of the stalls just for the big materials.”

  “This place looks great man!” Alex called back to him. “Thanks, thought it would be nice to have a little organization.” He began to stack the bigger planks of wood against the back wall.

  On their last trip out and the sky fully black now, the gate opened to head lights entering. Andrew pushed the gate closed and Eric appeared at the barn.

  “We don’t leave each other

  behind!” Eric made his way up into Willy’s face.

  “You just left us earlier, I figured y’all would be right behind us. Did you have problems?” Willy shot back at him.

  “No, but what if we had?” Eric asked as he turned away from him. “Get the rest unloaded and put up.”

  The group worked together to put things where Bryan had made the shelves for everything. Eric made his way to the house.

  Rue ran to hug Eric. Rue ran and grabbed a plate from the ones that her and Ashley had already made for the group.

  “I was hoping you would have dinner ready when we got back.” Eric took the plate from Rue and sat at the table. Ashley walked in as he sat down to eat.

  “Your welcome!” Ashley

  suggested he say thank you.

  Eric gave a thumbs up and stuffed his mouth with another bite of the cornbread and spam mixture.

  Ashley rolled her eyes at the man and at the disappointment she had in Rue at serving him like a slave.

  Everyone else piled in and thanked Ashley for a plate as she handed them out. Karlin and the rest were set at the small table set up in the living room.

  “Where is Tyler?” Karlin asked. “No longer with us.” Eric said before taking another bite.

  Alex dropped his fork on his plate and stared at the man.

  Eric had no sympathy to the fact that he had just told another child that Tyler had died or respect that it was his son.

  “I’m getting really tired of your bitter fucking attitude!” Alex stood across the table from Eric.

  Eric looked up at him and chewed the rest of his food in his mouth. “Okay.”

  Everyo ne’s jaw dropped as they heard his response. Ashley ran after Karlin as she ran to the bedroom. Rue looked at Eric, but continued to eat.

  “He didn’t mean to say it so rudely, I am sure.” Rue stated softly. “That was a little harsh Eric.”

  “A little?” Nate questioned.

  Alex took his plate to the bedroom and slammed the door.

  Dinner was finished in silence. Everyone ready for some rest, Bryan offered to take on watch. Eric made his way to the other room that Alex had not gone into and made himself comfortable with Nate, Willy, and Andrew.

  Everything still, Bryan walked the house, looking out of each small opening for anything. Bryan stopped midstride when a door opened from the hall and he watched Ashley make her way to the very last room. She knocked lightly before entering.

  “I need to talk to you.” She stated to Rue. “How can you be so nice to him?” She asked.

  “I have told you all before. I know what he is capable of. He is the leader. He saved a lot of us including others that you don’t know about and we owe him.” Rue explained.

  “You don’t have to be like that with him. We can all take care of things here. Don’t let him run you like that.” Ashley told her.

  “It is okay. I would rather listen and do as he says, than cause any issues. At least we are all safe.” Rue stated.

  “But Rue, you are a strong woman. Men should not treat people like dogs.” Ashley tried to change her perspective.

  “You are right, I am a strong woman. You don’t know half of what I have been through and you don’t know half of what I have dealt with. I CAN tell you that if you don’t back the fuck off and start doing as you are told, you will regret it!” Rue opened the door.

  Ashley made her way into the hall and turned to apologize if she

  offended Rue. Before she could, Rue shut the door in her face.

  Ashley stood there for a moment and glared at the door, hoping that Rue would realize what she had done and open it back up to her; but she did not. She could not believe that Rue left the conversation as it was

  between them.

  Atora had already laid down and was telling Karlin all of the things they had gotten on their trip. Ashley laid next to her daughter and listened as Atora listed off where they had gone and continued with her list of things. Karlin finally fell asleep.

  “What happened?” Ashley asked.

  “Eric happened, I am sure. He let him go out of the store alone and I saved him. Then we were attacked by a horde of them while we were loading up and I guess I thought with Eric there, Tyler would be okay, so I ran around to help out Willy and Alex. After we massacred all of them we all made our way back around to where Eric and Tyler were and he had been bitten.” Atora explained. “It was hard to watch Alex lose his son.”

  “Poor Alex that was all he had left.” Ashley teared up.

  “Eric acted like it was no big deal. Has he just lost so many people that he just doesn’t care? I don’t get it.” Atora wondered out loud.

  “I wonder what his story is. Did he lose kids or a wife? I haven’t heard him talk about either. I have only heard him talk about people that didn’t listen to him.” Ashley

  expressed.

  “Who knows if we will ever know. The ones that seem to be stuck up his ass are Andrew and Rue and Andrew seems to be coming out of it a bit. Did Rue say anything while we were gone about him?”

  “Well, I tried talking to her some about him being so controlling, she just got angry. So I guess I will leave it be.” Ashley told her.

  Atora raised her eyebrows

  wondering why Rue would be so angry and at Ashley’s expressing her opinion. “I think I will go see if Bryan needs any help.” Atora headed out the door. “Get some sleep.”

  “HEY!” Atora whispered a little louder than she should have.

  Bryan jumped off of the stool he was sitting on and backed up against the wall. Atora laughed.

  “Never seen a big guy move so fast.” She laughed.

  “You would think a sister wouldn’t scare a brother like that.” Bryan grabbed his chest trying to control his breathing. “What ya watching?” Atora tried to quiet her laughing.

  “I have heard a couple of bangs here and there, but mostly the same old stuff. Thought I heard something at the gate earlier, but didn’t see anything when I went outside.” He told her.

  “I’ll check it out. I am just going to walk out on the porch. Hand me those.” She took the binoculars from Bryan’s hand.

  Atora walked quietly through the solid door and then the screen door and out onto the steps of the porch. She raised her binoculars and pointed them at the gate. She scanned the area and couldn’t see much in the dark, but didn’t hear any movement. As she brought the binoculars down, the strap to them made its way tightly around her neck. She tried to scream, nothing would come out with the tightness of the strap. She flailed her arms then grabbed for her
knife that should have been on her hip and felt foolish for coming outside without her knife. She was able to turn her body half way and hit the wall of the house with the tips of her fingers. Bryan came out and the strap loosened immediately from her neck. Atora fell to the ground and grabbed her neck, looking up at a tall broad man that had tried to strangle her. Bryan had taken him from behind and struggled with the man as he tried to loosen his large arms from around his neck.

  “Stop struggling!” He whispered to the man.

  Atora stood and threw a right hook, connecting with his jaw. The man stopped struggling and put his hands up knowing that he didn’t have a chance.

  “Okay okay okay!” The man began to shout and then lowered his voice. Bryan loosened his grip a little and allowed the man to speak.

  “You sure hit hard for a little woman.” The man reached up for his jaw.

  “Who are you and why are you sneaking around here at night?” Bryan asked him quietly.

  “My name is Thomas Malafarina, I am from the next town over. I saw the rebuilt fence and figured someone had to be in here. There had to be food here. I have been walking for days. I haven’t had a bite to eat and haven’t slept with fear of getting eaten. I don’t want to hurt anyone. Can you spare a bit of food and I will be on my way” Bryan loosened his grip from the broad man’s neck.

  “You didn’t have to sneak in. You could have just knocked on the door.” Bryan told him.

  “I figured you had some lookouts somewhere, but I didn’t see anyone.” Thomas stated. “When I saw the little lady looking for something, I figured it was me to shoot or something since I had made some noise climbing the fence. Sorry.”

  “I will live. Atora, this is Bryan.” She introduced, still rubbing her neck. “We have some leftovers from earlier. Not much of a way to heat it up right now, the fire is out, but it is

  something.”

  “I would be grateful for anything right now.” Thomas followed the two inside.

  Atora handed him the covered dish and a fork. The tall man sat down with his knees almost against his chest sitting at the chair that looked like a kiddie chair with him in it. He took fork fulls of the casserole and stuffed his mouth to the point of almost choking himself. Bryan set his water bottle down next to the man and backed away quickly thinking he might draw back a nub if he stayed within his reach for too long.