“Earlier, I heard gunfire outside,” I said.
“Yes, some of the bandits were taking shots at us from the woods behind the church property. A few patrols went out to try and flush them out,” he said.
“What happened?” I asked.
“We think we hit one of them, and that made the others retreat,” he said.
“Where are my belongings?” I asked. “The things that were in my van”
“They’re right over there,” he said, pointing to a corner of the room.
I walked over to the boxes in which they had placed my things. Digging around inside the boxes, I searched for the printout showing the location of the nearby nuclear power plants. After having to empty the contents of a few of the boxes on the social hall floor, I found it – along with the folder I was given at the nuclear plant.
I placed the map on the table where the deacons were sitting.
“Look at this,” I said. “According to this map, a full meltdown at the Robert E. Lee power plant will flood this town with radiation. We need to evacuate the church.”
Reverend Sikes walked up to the table. I showed him the map.
“I'm afraid the relocation center has already been evacuated,” he said. “And if it’s not evacuated, we may not be welcome there now. We killed three of their soldiers.”
“Well, even if it is evacuated we could still get inside and use the buildings there for shelter. I'm sure they’ll probably leave supplies and equipment behind as well. There is a fuel shortage and they’re not going to be able to carry everything with them,” I said. “And the relocation camp is just outside of the radiation zones. We would be safe there.”
“The radiation levels have been dropping here over the past few hours,” Reverend McMann said. “If we can hold off the bandits, we’ll probably be safe.”
“The radiation seems to have killed off all the freaks in the area too,” one of the deacons interjected.
“But look at this map. There are two other nearby nuclear plants. They’re all going to melt down eventually. The radiation zones all overlap this area,” I said.
“I'm not ready to abandon this church,” Reverend Sikes said. “God will protect us.”
“I believe God will protect us, I believe he allowed us to get this information for a reason. We need to evacuate!” I said.
“Let’s just see how things go,” Reverend Sikes said.
“We don't have time for that,” I said. “The other nuclear power plants could melt down at any time, and Candy needs the equipment at the relocation center to treat Jennifer.”
“God is going to heal Jennifer,” Reverend Sikes said. “Have faith that he’s going to take care of her.”
“I have faith, but while I wait I'm going to try and get her the medical care she needs,” I said.
“We’ll help you in any way we can, Hank,” Reverend McMann said. “But we’re not going to evacuate the church -- yet.”
I stood up and walked away. I was not going to risk Jennifer's life by waiting for them to do the logical thing and evacuate.
Walking out of the social hall, I saw Roy and Kay Bridges.
“We just went in and prayed for Jennifer,” Roy told me.
“I'm so sorry for what happened,” Kay said. “The entire church feels responsible.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“I'm going to see Jennifer now. I need for both of you to start packing. We’re evacuating the church,” I said.
“Is everyone evacuating?” Kay asked.
“No, the pastor won't see reason. But there are two additional nuclear plants about to melt down and whoever stays here is eventually going to die of radiation poisoning,” I said.
“We can't leave the church unless the pastor tells us to,” Roy said. “We’re not going to leave our church family.”
“Then watch as your wife and daughter get sick, throw their guts up, and die,” I said. “That's what’s going to happen if you don't start thinking for yourselves.”
I continued walking towards Jennifer's room.
Sam and Linwood then raced up to me.
“We heard about the nuclear power plants that are going into meltdown,” Sam said. “We also heard that you need to get Jennifer to the relocation center. We want to help.”
“That’s great,” I said. “Please go and try to discreetely convince as many people as possible to get their belongings, make ready their vehicles, and prepare to go. As soon as Jennifer is strong enough to make the trip, we’re leaving.”
“Sounds good to me,” Sam said.
“Just don't let the pastor or deacons know what you’re doing,” I said. “If they find out we could be in deep trouble.”
“We know who to talk to and who not to,” Linwood said.
I walked to Jennifer's room and entered. Nurse Beth was sitting beside Jennifer.
“How is she?” I asked.
“Her blood pressure has improved a little,” she said. “But I don't like her color at all.”
“Does she still have a fever?” I asked.
“Only a low one,” she said. “But that could be a sign of infection.”
I was disappointed at this news. “Thank you for watching her,” I said.
“You’re welcome -- I'm so sorry this happened,” she said.
“We just have to get her the care she needs,” I said.
“I don't know if it’s safe for her to travel,” she said.
“Well, we’ll have to risk it. Staying here too long is suicide,” I said. “As soon as possible, a group of us are leaving. I want you to come with us.”
“I'll go with you,” she said.
“Okay, when Candy comes back in for her shift go and pack your things,” I said.
I went up to Jennifer and kissed her again on the forehead.
“Please hang in there,” I said. “We’re going to get you fixed up, I promise. You’re going to be okay.”
I laid my head next to Jennifer's and started to whisper to her. I told her I loved her, that I needed her, and that she couldn’t leave me all alone.
Slowly, Jennifer's eyes began to open.
“Han . . .” she tried to call out my name.
“Don't try to talk,” I said. “Just relax. I'm here Thank God you have come to. I was so worried about you,” I said.
“What happened?” Jennifer said. Her voice was weak and trembling.
I placed my hand on the side of her face as I began to talk to her.
“We were driving to the church and you were shot. It was a horrible accident. They thought we were bandits. But we have been taking care of you. You had lost a lot of blood, but Candy was able to save you,” I said.
“Who is Candy?” Jennifer asked.
“The medic that came with us from the nuclear power plant,” I said.
“Oh, her . . Jennifer said.
“Don't worry, she has been totally professional,” I said.
“She better,” Jennifer said, her eyes narrowing.
I looked behind me and saw that Beth was holding a glass of water. I took it from her, and put the straw up to Jennifer's lips.
“Take a sip,” I said.
Jennifer started to drink as carefully held the glass and the straw.
“Not too much,” Nurse Beth said.
“Alright,” Jennifer said as she stopped drinking.
“I feel bad, Hank,” Jennifer said. “I'm so cold.”
“We’re going back to the relocation center very soon,” I said. “They have what you need there.”
“Just rest,” I told her. “I'll be back very soon.”
“Stay with me, please,” Jennifer said.
“I'm sorry, but this is urgent. I have to organize the caravan that will take us to the relocation center,” I said.
“Hurry back,” she said.
“I will,” I said.
I leaned over, kissed her on the forehead yet again, and ran out of the room.
My heart was beating wildly at
the fact that she had awakened, but I was still frightened. She was very pale and weak, and I knew she needed a blood transfusion, badly.
Reaching the door to the room where Candy was sleeping, I slowly opened it. I walked towards her cot and bent down.
“Candy,” I said. “You need to wake up.”
She suddenly jumped up in a panic.
“What is it?”
“It's alright,” I said. “I have good news. Jennifer’s awake and we’re organizing a convoy to the relocation center.”
“That’s good news,” Candy said.
I saw that she was shaking, and I took the sheet and wrapped it tight around her.
“Are you feeling okay?” I asked.
“Yes, I'm okay. I'm just . . . ” she said.
“You’re just what?” I asked.
“I'm just shaken up. At the nuclear plant I felt a little sheltered from the horrors outside. Yes, it was about to melt down and the radiation would’ve killed me, but I was used to my job there. I knew everyone, and I even had my own office. The day the outbreak started I was already at work, and I didn’t see any of the horrors firsthand. I just watched what was taking place on the news, until they stopped broadcasting. Now, I'm in this strange church, filled with weird people, and I actually feel scared for the first time,” she said.
“I'm sorry,” I said. “I hope I did the right thing by bringing you with us. I just didn't want you to die if the plant melted down.”
“No! You did the right thing. You saved my life,” she said. “I just have to get used to the way things are now. Hank, could you do me a favor?
“What's that?” I responded.
“Promise me that you’ll let me stay with you, Jennifer, and the others. I don't want to be abandoned,” she said.
“I swear to you that I’ll do everything in my power make sure you’re never abandoned,” I told her.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Now, when you’re able, please go check on Jennifer while I go take care of a few things. Hopefully, we can leave this place soon,” I said.
“I'll go check on her right now,” she said.
I watched as the petite redhead quickly stood up and walked out of the room with the sheet still wrapped around her
I needed to find her a jacket.
My next goal was to talk to Meredith and Robert. I looked around the church until I could find the door to the bell tower. On the door there was a sign that read, No Unauthorized Entry. I ignored the sign and started climbing up the flight of stairs which led me to a small room where Meredith and Robert were keeping watch. Each of them held a hunting rifle and a scope. They were ready to snipe any bandit that intruded on church property.
“Hello,” I said.
“Hank!” Meredith said. “It’s so great to see you!”
She put down her rifle and reached over to embrace me.
“I'm glad you’re up and about,” she said.
“Thanks. I appreciate it. Jennifer is awake now too,” I said.
“How’s she doing?” Robert asked.
“She’s very weak, and needs to get a blood transfusion. We need the equipment at the relocation center,” I told them.
I went on to explain my plan to them. We would put together a convoy of people who were willing to evacuate, and we would rush to leave before anyone could stop us. They agreed to come with us, and I told them to spread the word to anyone in the church they thought they could trust.
After speaking with them, I rushed back to the social hall. I needed to sit and look through the documents I had been given at the nuclear power plant. I had been told they contained important information. The last thing I needed to do was make a stupid mistake out of ignorance.
As a fast reader, I was able to quickly digest the information in the documents. Most of them were briefing documents about the alien species that certain branches of government were negotiating with. Others documents were memos about the latest communications from the human-like extraterrestrials. One of the documents was particular interesting. It detailed how we had been warned by the space faring, offshoots of humanity that the species we had been negotiating with had used dangerous biological weapons in the past and had eradicated a number of civilizations.
I then came across a communication that shocked me. The human-like aliens had warned of a specific attack, but the military didn’t believe them. It turned out that they were sending a freighter vessel to Earth with supplies, inoculations, and weapons. The ship would land at a set of coordinates on specified date – December 11th. All they requested in return was our goodwill and for them to gain status as a trading partner.
Fascinatingly, I learned that the landing coordinates would put the craft down in northern Arkansas, near Fayetteville. December 11th was less than two weeks away – today was November 31st.
Once we got Jennifer well and found my mom, we must head there.
I went over to the boxes in the corner of the room and searched in them for the firearms that had been on my person before I was knocked unconscious. However, they were nowhere to be found. I opened the backpack of ammo and firearms we had acquired from the nuclear power plant. I pulled out a pistol, loaded it, and went to put it into my belt – but discovered I was not wearing a belt. I concluded that it must have been removed while they were patching up my nose.
I put the pistol in my pocket and hurried towards Jennifer's room. As I ran, I ignored everyone who attempted to speak to me. I didn’t have time to listen to apologies.
Opening the door, I saw that they had been able to put Jennifer in a wheelchair. She was still pale and looked weak, but the fact she was sitting up was a good sign.
“How are you feeling?” I asked her, dropping to my knees.
“I'm a little better,” Jennifer said. “How are you?”
“I feel great now I know you’re still with us,” I said.
I turned and looked at Candy.
“Is she fit to travel?” I asked.
“Not really,” she said. “But I think she will survive the trip.”
“Good,” I said. “I'm getting things ready.”
“We’ll need a wheelchair accessible vehicle to transport her in,” Candy said.
“I'll find something,” I said.
I started to walk out the door when Jennifer reached out and grabbed onto my arm. Her icy fingers chilled my arm.
“Please just sit and stay with me a while,” she said.
I looked at her and I saw tears welling up in her eyes.
“Candy, could you please go and find Meredith and Robert, and let them know what we need to transport Jennifer?” I asked.
“Sure,” Candy said. “But just don’t leave her alone. She’s very weak and needs to avoid anxiety as much as possible.”
“Candy, I'm right here,” Jennifer said. “I appreciate that you have taken care of me, but you can speak to my face.”
“I'm sorry,” Candy said. “You may be feeling better, but you still may have internal bleeding inside. I just need to keep you calm and relaxed so it doesn't get worse.”
“I promise I’ll stay calm,” Jennifer said.
“Okay,” Candy said.
She then rushed out the room.
It was now just Jennifer and I in the room. They had dressed her in what looked like hospital scrubs, and I could see that she was still shivering. I could even feel that the room was colder than it had been. I looked around the room, saw a blanket folded up on a chair, and wrapped it around her.
“I'm not going to let you freeze to death,” I said.
“They say I'm still running a fever,” she said.
“I still don't think it's good for you to sit there without a blanket or something,” I said.
“I remember everything you told me earlier,” she said.
“What do you remember?” I said.
“I remember you telling me how much it hurt that I didn't give you a chance before this outbreak happened. I also remember you
telling me that you loved me, and that you were stupid for not letting yourself get close to me,” she said.
“You heard everything,” I said.
“I did. I just want to say I’m so, so sorry for hurting you. I think I know now how badly I hurt you. All I can say is that I'm sorry,” she said.
“Don't worry about it now,” I said. “I'm going to be here with you not matter what. I'm never leaving you.”
“I just want you to know that I love you,” she said. “If I die, please remember that I love you, and that I wish I had given you a chance a long time ago, if I wouldn’t have screwed it up.”
“You’re not going to die, I promise you that,” I told her. “I don't know when I’ll be ready for a relationship with you, but you’re going to be stuck with me for a long time.”
“I can tell Candy likes you,” Jennifer said. “Do you like her?”
I paused.
“I can't deny she’s good looking and seems to have a nice personality. But you’re the woman I love,” I said.
“I want you to marry me, Hank. But if you can't find it in your heart to trust me and know that I'm not going to cheat on you or leave you, then you might be better off with her,” she said. “You deserve to be with someone -- I don't want you to be alone.”
“I'm not alone, because I'm with you,” I said.
“No, you’re still alone. You care about me and I care about you, but we’re not really together,” she said. “So many women have hurt you that your heart needs to be fixed. If you won't let me try to fix it, then please let Candy.”
A rush of emotions filled me as I started to lose control. I started to cry and walked back and forth across the room.
“I feel like I’m in hell,” I told her. “I have tried to pursue relationships with women only to get ignored and walked over. Now, I have the most wonderful woman in the world wanting to marry me, but it’s during the zombie apocalypse.”
“Can I ask you a question?,” I asked.
“Yes.”
“If I had asked you out on a date a month ago, as something more than just friends, would you have gone out with me?” I asked.
She paused.
“I don't know. Maybe,” she said.
“Yes or no, Jennifer” I said more loudly.
“I don't know,” she said.
Jennifer started to shiver, and I felt ashamed to have raised my voice.
Don't Dare Call Them Zombies : Books 1-4 Page 27