by Kempf, Shaun
“Come to join you, and please, call me Julie. I was major only of those survivors because they needed a leader.”
“Well, then Julie, you can’t,” Ben said.
“I can’t what?” Julie said knowing the answer.
“You can’t come with us,” Ben grabbed the pack he had been given to put his and the other’s personal belongs into. He threw it over his shoulders and stared at Julie.
“Perhaps you misunderstood me,” Julie said putting her hands on her hips. “I’m not asking for permission.”
“Doesn’t matter. I say you can’t come. More than likely we’re going to find more trouble,” Ben argued.
“I understand and accept the risk. I did survive New York.”
“Do you know how to shoot?” Ben challenged.
“Not exactly,” Julie said, her previous confidence faltering.
“No worries,” chimed in Melissa. “I’ll teach you.”
Ben shot Melissa a glare that he hoped she would understand as to mean that she wasn’t helping the situation. It wasn’t that Ben didn’t think that Julie couldn’t hold her own out there, but he really didn’t want to put anyone else in danger. He knew that Michael and Melissa were going to stay by his side until the end just because they had been together so long. The fact that that three of them had survived for so long was a miracle in of itself.
He wanted to shout and yell at Julie to find a nice settlement in the refugee camp. At least she would be safe, mostly. The military force right here would add protection. The refugee camp was located outside and around the bases fortified walls. Much like the castles of medieval times, when danger came the refugees could all race through the base gates and wait inside until it was once again safe to return outside. Still, Ben had heard of bases falling when they were overrun with the Infected.
Julie would be just as safe with them as here. Maybe more so because he could keep an eye on her to ensure her safety. He sighed heavily and relented.
“Fine, you can come, but you’ll practice with Melissa every day.”
The girls hug each other and immediately began chatting. Ben caught Michael throwing him a glance that asked, “What did you get us into?” To which Ben could only shrug his shoulders.
The group, now plus one, began to make its way towards the gates of the base. Ben just wanted to get beyond the walls. He didn’t know if they expected him to find a place nearby to settle down on or if they just didn’t care anymore.
He still had questions about why they became scapegoats for the nearly failed mission and why the higher ups hide the fact that survivors had come out of New York with them. Ben guessed it had something to do with Captain Perret, but that still didn’t explain exactly who the man actually was. Perhaps he was an operative or agent that was still operating under the impression that America needed to be protected from foreign threats. Whatever the reasons, Ben decided that he would never work with a government agency again.
The group was just reaching the gate when another voice called to them causing them to stop. Ben looked back and saw a man in civilian clothes approaching them. The man, who looked fairly young, was somehow familiar, but Ben couldn’t immediately place him. He had to have been one of the survivors, or at least that’s what Ben guessed.
“I’m coming too,” the man said.
“Whoa,” Ben said holding up his hand, palm out. “Who are you?”
“It’s me, Matt Brooks,” Matt said quietly once he got close enough to Ben.
Ben was surprised by the clean shaven face of the former head of security in the underground city. Not only the young man’s facial appearance change, but also seeing him in civilian clothes had made him unrecognizable to Ben.
“It’s good to see that you made it out alive,” Ben offered his hand. He had lost track of the soldier in the tunnels. Matt had been in decided to drift throughout the group, checking on everyone to make sure there weren’t any problems and to do his best to keep morale up in the dark tunnels.
“Glad to be out of New York,” Matt said heartily shaking Ben’s hand. “Thank you for that.”
“No problem.”
“So, where are we heading?” Matt said adjusting the backpack that was slung over his shoulders
“I don’t really think you want to come with us. We’re more than likely heading back out into the Infected Zones, as crazy as that may seem,” Ben replied.
“I figured as much. After watching you guys in New York, I’m in. I want to do what you guys do.”
“You know that the army had rescue teams, right?” Ben asked.
“I know, but I don’t want to have any more to do with them. When we got back I gave a false name and told them that I had pulled the uniform off of a dead soldier. They forced me to give my weapon back, but let me go. If I’m going to follow anyone, it’s going to be you.”
Ben wasn’t exactly sure how to react to Matt’s statement. Part of him wanted to shake the man’s hand again, but the other part, the side of him that had seen others on his team die, and not always in pleasant ways, wanted to push him away and tell him to get lost. Matt was still young, he could yet find an escape from all of this and maybe find a way to actually have a life, but Ben saw the look in the man’s eye. The look that told Ben that Matt was the kind of man that would go down swinging before he ever took a seat in the bleachers.
“Welcome aboard,” Michael said reaching his hand towards Matt. “It’ll be nice to have another member that knows how to handle a weapon,” Michael glanced at Ben.
“Yes, it will,” Ben said a little sarcastically. “Let’s get out of here.”
But before they could move, they saw a Jeep quickly approaching. It parked near the MP’s Jeep and Colonel Tonn climbed out and walked briskly to the group.
“Please don’t tell me that you’re coming with us too,” Ben said preemptively.
“What? No, no. I’ve got too much to do around here. I just wanted to see you before you left. I had a feeling that once you were outside those gates that you’d be heading off to find more trouble,” The Colonel gave Ben a smile.
“More than likely,” Ben replied.
“I wanted you to know that if you encounter any trouble and need assistance, and if you can reach me, I’ll do what I can to help.”
“I appreciate that Colonel, I do, but –“
The Colonel held up his hand, cutting Ben off. “No need to say anymore. I’m just glad your trial ended up the way it did. It’s a good thing news about survivors about New York leaked out,” Colonel Tonn gave Ben a wink.
Ben smiled and nodded, “Yes it was.”
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Colonel Tonn went back to his Jeep and pulled a long green duffle bag from the back. “I took the opportunity to grab your personal stuff and pack it up for you.”
Ben was confused by the bag and the Colonel’s statement. Not only was most of Ben’s things not at this base, but he owned very little except some clothes that he had no hardship in leaving behind. Not only that, but it would have required the Colonel to have had the forethought to pack those things prior to coming here and since he wasn’t on the same base as Ben anymore he would have had to have them shipped, which seemed even more unlikely.
Then the Colonel handed Ben the bag and everything became clear. The heft of the bag told Ben exactly what was inside and from the weight, it was well packed. The old man had provide Ben with the tools necessary to stay alive. He didn’t know exactly what kind of guns that the Colonel was smuggling to him, but it didn’t matter. They would be invaluable now that they were back on their own.
“Thank you again,” Ben said looking at the older man.
“You should have everything you need until you can scrounge together more necessities.” The men shook hands. “Keep yourself safe.”
“I’ll do my best and if not I got a team to look after me,” Ben looked back to his new team. They were a good bunch and he hoped that he could keep them all alive this time. He knew he had high hopes,
but sometimes you had to shot for the stars.
Goodbyes were exchanged one last time and then Ben and his team finally walked through the gate to the world beyond the military base. Ben didn’t know what, beyond the zombies, waited for them, but he was once again ready to take it on. His team might not be able to end this war, but they were going to do their part to put a dent in the zombie population and at the same time, save those who had yet to be infected.