“I’ve been thinking. If we really want this place to be secure maybe we could put up steel bars on the windows like at the gun shop. Maybe put up some wire fencing or something around each side of the block.”
“Not a bad idea. I helped install the security bars at the store. Pretty easy with the right equipment. Need to find some better doors too. Seems like they were too easy for you to break into.”
“If you make me a list of what all is needed I will get the equipment. I will do my best to assist you in any way I can even if I don’t have welding experience. As for the doors I’m sure we can find some that are more solid. Might need to do a little repair on the frames. Throw in removable metal bars and locks we should be good.”
“I’ll go with you to get the stuff. I may not be able to do as much heavy lifting as I used to but I can watch your back if nothing else.”
“True enough. Never know when I might drop my keys again and need saving. By the way, there is one cabin that is beyond redemption. The smell and blood are too big of a problem to attempt fixing it up. May put all the bodies in there. Perhaps set it on fire. Let the thing burn down.”
“What if the wind spreads the ash carrying the infection somehow or causes a mutated strand?”
“The thought never occurred to me. There are so many possibilities on how the infection could spread. Maybe even multiple ways. Pretty sure my wife was infected by bathing in melted snow. I think the main way it spread was in the atmosphere by the clouds. There is a possibility that the storm water that was soaked into the ground may also make it impossible to grow anything. We both know that eventually that will be the only option to survive. Perhaps a greenhouse with soil from the stores that is dated as packaged prior to the breakout and a source of uncontaminated water.”
“We will worry about all that when the time comes. For now all we can do is focus on the tasks at hand.”
“You’re right. We should bury or transport the bodies somewhere else to burn them. The cabin need to be demolished though seriously. Let’s go find the supplies for the projects first, then we can go from there.”
After gathering all the supplies necessary to work on securing the cabins, we loaded up the bodies of the Fallen I had disposed of in the back of Jerod’s truck (while wearing thick gloves and clothes we later tossed out). We hauled them to a cemetery finding a back hoe rig that had been often used for digging graves. After digging a massive hole we piled them inside before burying them. I decided to take the back hoe back to the neighborhood with the cabins to help use with the demolishing project. I drove it following behind Jerod on the way back.
We spent the next couple days repairing and securing the cabins. I hunted down some larger demolishing rigs that were fun to learn how to use. We leveled the bad cabin in a few hours. The cleanup was going to take a lot of effort. It was more work than the two of us could do yourselves so we decided to save that job after we had assistance. Midway through the week from meeting Jerod we were relaxing on my front porch on a nice warm evening drinking tea when a van I recognized turned down the path toward my cabin.
“Looks like they made it now that most of the work is done. Go figure.”
“Your friends that you met back in Texas I presume?”
“Yep.”
The sun was at its highest point when the group got out of the vehicle. I was a little surprised to see two women with them. One had a slight resemblance to the brothers.
“I take it that you found your sis?”
“Yeah, she was a pain in the ass to locate. Then we had to rescue her from a tree.”
“Good thing she had three brothers looking for her. I thought only cats got stuck in trees.”
The woman that resembled her brothers walked up to me. “I see you’re quite the character Rye. My brothers must have rubbed off on you. The troublesome cat’s name is Amy by the way. Heard a lot about you. Thank you for what you did with Will.”
Dan and I made introductions to everyone. We traded stories of the last few weeks catching each other up on events. Didn’t take long to figure out the two women were involved. Dan of course joked he brought the women asking where the beer was. I just happened to have hit up a liquor store for when they arrived. Jerod had helped me load up a ton of alcohol although neither of us drank much. We figured that it could be used as a disinfectant among other things. I discussed that fact after showing the group the room I now had fully packed with nothing but alcohol on shelves.
“Well from all the work you have done working on those cabins, acquiring ammunition through our new friend Jerod, and obtaining all the liquor for the parties we are going to throw at your house; it’s pretty much clear that you should be the leader of the group. After all this whole place was your idea.” Dan whistled at the huge stash of alcohol while pouring himself a glass of vodka.
“It was nothing. Just keeping myself busy. Jerod helped me every step of the way. Speaking of weapons and ammo, if you need anything pay Jerod a visit. He pretty much has anything you could think of at his place.”
Jessie who hadn’t said much since they arrived (she seemed busy listening and taking everything in) asked if they might go take a look at the other cabins. Everyone agreed as they all seemed quite exhausted.
“I’ll just take a bottle of this Vodka with me if you don’t mind?”
“Take whatever you like Dan. Same goes for everyone. I just ask one favor. Between the morning hours and say five in the afternoon no one gets drunk. Unless of course we are having some kind of social thing. Same goes if anyone is on guard duty. Wouldn’t be a good idea to be wasted or passed out while the rest of us are being eaten or attacked.”
“So drinking all night is alright then as long as we are not on guard duty,” Kurt asked half joking.
“If you can deal with the hangovers and being woke up if we need help then more power to you. If drinking causes problems with another individual or the group as a whole then we will decide together what to do about it. I don’t want to dictate or be the leader. I just want to set that one ground rule. Call it a founding member’s request.” Everyone agreed granting my request since it made logical sense and because they were truly appreciative of the work that I had done for all of them.
We headed over to the cabins after a little more conversation. It was decided that the women would choose first minus the cabin Jerod had already moved into. The women after a short discussion told us they were going to be roommates since all the cabins were large with several rooms. Jessie let Amy choose the one that she liked the best. She picked one that had a feminine touch to the decorative style of the interior. Exquisite furniture, expensive china displayed in a cabinet, and antiquities out the wazoo were a few of its charms. Art covered the walls portraying realistic wildlife scenes that were almost like you were looking out a window experiencing it firsthand. Found out later they were all painted by the previous owner Amanda Ergot who was apparently a famous artist.
The brothers made a decision to share a six bedroom cabin that appeared to belong to an avid hunter. One of the mounted trophies that they all seemed to admire was of a large Kodiak bear. The game room downstairs equipped with a poll table among other things put them in awe. When I told them that there was a Viper and a Hummer in the garage I thought they were going to have heart attacks.
“The keys are hanging next to the garage. Speaking of transportation, we will have to find a few for the ladies and myself. I’m kind of tired of driving that RV around everywhere. Missing all my vehicles back in Texas. Could also upgrade that old truck of yours Jerod. And if your determined to drive a van Dan the one you have now seems a bit outdated as well, no offense.”
“How about we go check out one of the automotive retailer close by tomorrow? I want a new VW Beetle. A pretty blue one!” Amy seemed overly thrilled at the concept of shopping for cars.
“Of course we probably won’t drive unless an absolute necessity due to a lack of fuel. Unless of course we come across more of those u
ntapped tanker trucks like you guys found on your way here.”
-7-
The following day was spent doing small things such as acquiring transportation. Amy was so delighted when I came across a baby blue VW Beetle while searching on my own that she kissed me on the cheek while jumping up and down with joy. Later, Jessie helped me with equipping homemade silencers for everyone. She shared her military story that she had previously told the Weatherford brothers. She and I tested out the new silencers on a few targets we had set up. She was amazed at the accuracy that Jerod had with a sniper rifle when he joined us. They both gave me pointers on advanced tactics and target practice which I happily absorbed into stores of knowledge. After a few attempts I was able to easily master the suggestions they gave me. Jessie seemed quite impressed telling me that I was a quick study and a natural. By two in the afternoon everyone didn’t do much of anything except relax sharing more stories about our past with each other.
We decided to begin doing patrol from midnight until six in the morning in two person groups. Jerod and I volunteered for the first night. We mostly just drove around the vicinity until we got tired of the monotonous. Jerod suggested perhaps we should drive some of the city nearby to look for signs of other survivors. I quickly agreed being exhausted with the boredom of the same scenery. I told him only for thirty minutes though so that the others were not unprotected (not that that was a major concern as far as Fallen went with all the steel bars and security we installed on all the cabin).
We came across Fallen a few minutes after heading away from the area. Every time one appeared they suddenly vanished once they sighted the headlights. However, the shadows seemed to be growing behind us as we drove. It was like they were watching, thinking, and actually following us. I sped up a little faster to leave them behind. As those shadows diminished more seemed to gather behind us. I made a sharp turn at the end of a block. Coming around the corner I had to slam on the brakes. Around twenty Fallen stood in the middle of the street. More were pouring out of the alleyways on both sides. I shifted into reverse accelerating while driving backwards. I spun the car around shifting back into drive before taking off like the devil was nipping at my heels. It took a while for both of us to calm down. After eventually slowing down I threw on the bright lights for good measure. I made my way outside the city traveling several less traveled backroads to be safe as we headed back to our vicinity. We both remarked that neither of us would ever get bored enough again to suggest searching for survivors in the middle of the night again. If we did it at all it would have to be during the day and only if it were a sunny one at that.
Chapter 3
Beyond the Darkness
-1-
A month has passed since the others arrived. We installed CB radios in all the vehicles. Actually came across a hybrid solar and battery powered radio for our new headquarters we set up in one of the empty cabins. We also acquired handheld walkie talkies for when we are on foot that have a fifty mile radius. We did all this to keep in touch with each other while monitoring for any possible survivors that might be out there.
Our daily routine has been pretty repetitive. They consist of find food, fuel, monitoring and looking for survivors, and guard duty at night. A couple of our properties had wells which we tapped into setting up hand pumps. The theory of the water possibly being contaminated has yet to be tested.
During our down time I have been training with Jessie in self-defense among other things. I have taken Amy on a few shopping sprees because she insisted on having new clothes, new bedding, and a few pieces of new furniture. She also decided that one of their rooms needed a completely new paint job which she finally picked a sky blue. Jessie and I somehow got stuck doing all the labor. As a group all of us got together once a week for social activities form drinking parties, playing cards, or just sharing a meal together. It became a necessity to temporarily forget about the Fallen for a few hours while celebrating the fact that we were still alive.
On one such occasion we gathered at the Weatherford household for a long drinking binge of which Dan and Jerod abstained since they were on guard duty that night. I knew when to quit before I had too much. I told everyone that I was in need of some rest as an excuse to leave. I must have somehow missed the ladies leave earlier in the evening. When I made it home I found that I had apparently left my front door unlocked. Feeling my way through the cabin in the darkness I grabbed the flashlight I always left on the bar countertop between the dining room and the kitchen area switching it on. I navigated around the corner towards my bedroom. As I near my room I noticed that a dim light protruded from under the door to the main bathroom further down the hall. A little freaked out I slowly opened the door with one hand resting on the butt of my pistol. To my immense surprise I found Jessie and Amy making out in my hot tub wearing absolutely nothing. Her hearing as always impeccable Jessie turned noticing me standing there likely openmouthed gawking in astonishment.
“Hope you don’t mind we borrowed some wine and candles. Had to borrow the water from your well too. It was quite a chore filling the hot tub.”
“You mean cold tub! Just look at my freaking nipple Rye! There’s not enough body heat between the two of us is all I’m complaining about Jessie.”
“Perhaps you can talk Rye into joining us then love.”
Amy momentarily looked over at Jessie with a curious expression reading her thoughts I can only assume. I had been halfway covering my eyes with my hand a few minutes after Jessie noticed me enter the room.
“Rye would you please join us? You wouldn’t turn down the request of two beautiful women who are in need of your pleasant company and body warmth now would you?”
I felt trapped into obliging the request but extremely turned on at the suggestion. They both noticed how turned on once I got undressed to slip into the freezing water with them.
“Well someone is happy to see us.” Jessie winked handing me her glass of wine.
I do not recall how much we drank while attempting to keep each other warm in various ways. I woke up the next morning finding both of them wrapped around me in my bed. My thoughts were a bit fuzzy on how we ended up here but I’m definitely not complaining. It would of course be nice if I could recall more of the details after the hot tub. Fortunately for me after they both woke up they proceeded to remind me most of the morning. The three of us got together a couple times a week after that night somehow keeping the secret amongst ourselves.
Not even realizing it until days after that one night we had tested the well water on ourselves voluntarily. None of us showed any signs or symptoms of contracting the virus which is a plus. It was impossible to tell the others that we had been guinea pigs for the well water even though we were in short supply of clean drinking water. Luckily Sam allowed us to put off making an excuse of explaining the water was fine to drink. He came across one of those trucks that delivered five gallon bottled water to businesses while out scouting with Kurt. They drove it straight to my house. The news spread quickly that we had an indefinite supply of water to last for a good period of time. I eventually told the others the well water was safe without explaining how I was privy to the information.
A few days later, I was sitting at headquarters with Jerod. We decided to take turns sending out a messages once an hour over the radio for possible survivors. On our fifth attempt a response came back over the channel we had been broadcasting.
“Hello, hello? Can anyone hear me?” A young male voice spoke sounding a little frightened.
I grabbed the mic in a rush feeling an urgency to respond. “We read you loud and clear. It’s nice to hear another voice. Everything alright? You sound a little panicked.”
“Umm, we heard your message about providing protection, shelter, and stuff. Not sure where you’re located mister but to be honest we could use a little help.”
“You can call me Rye. Where are you at and what is your situation?”
“Oh, I’m David by the way. A couple friends an
d I decided to come into an electronic store for some tech. We didn’t make sure the place was completely safe. There are…” A gun shot went off and a girl screamed followed by the sound of things being moved around. “Sorry, we are in quite a fix over here. I have no idea how many Fallen are outside or how long we can keep them out.” David sounded like he was about to break down into tears.
“Just tell us where to find you. We will do our best to help get you guys out of there.”
David took a deep breath calming himself over the line. “I’m not exactly sure of the address. The place is called Alluring Gadgets. There was a police station a few blocks away on Main Street.”
“Ok, just hang tight. Do whatever you must to stay safe. Help is on the way.”
As soon as David had come on the line sounding distraught Jerod took off to get the others. Once they began arriving I was looking in a phone book. I found three electronic stores by that name. Two of them I knew by their addresses were near Main Street. I had to cross-reference the police stations to pinpoint the one we were looking for.
Explaining the situation everyone geared up for whatever we were about to get ourselves into. There was no way we were going to leave survivors in peril, especially a group of kids. I talked with David over the CB radio as we drove to assure them help was coming and to monitor the situation. At one point the Fallen were starting to break in. Calming them down I had them look around for an exit. Outside one of the windows they found a maintenance ladder that was attached to the building running from ground level to the roof. They safely made it out of the room before the Fallen were able to break in. They now were residing on the roof since the ground level was occupied with too many Fallen for any attempt at escaping.
Darkness Falls (Book 1): Rise of the Fallen Page 6