Detroit Reanimated

by Michael Halliday

  “Why?” Justin asked.

  “I’m hungry as heck, and this food looks great. I heard you weren’t feeling well, and I learned by my mom that a good dinner makes us feel better.”

  “Turn on the light,” Justin said

  ‘Victory number one,’ Mandy thought. She already got further with him than the others who tried to help the upset young man.

  She flipped on the light. Sitting against the wall on a cot was a stocky boy who looked as if he could be a linebacker for a football team. He was as handsome as his father, with a set of dimples.

  There was a small table with two chairs to one side of the room. She walked over, set the plates down, and sat down. She gave Justin a look to join her.

  ‘Men are clueless at signals,’ Mandy thought.

  “It’s not polite to leave a woman waiting, Justin,” she said.

  Justin got up to go to the table. When he sat down, he studied Mandy, but he still held a frown.

  ‘Victory number two, but that frown has to go,’ Mandy thought.

  “This is the best military meal, I’ve seen,” Mandy said.

  “How many have you seen?” Justin asked.

  “This is the first,” Mandy replied jokingly. She saw that he smiled slightly “Oh wow, is that a smile?”

  “No,” Justin said sullenly. The frown unfortunately returned.

  Mandy wanted to keep any topic that had to do with what was happening outside, families or anything negative out of the conversation until he was ready to talk about them. It was time for this boy to have a spark of happiness for a change.

  “Want to hear something cool?” Mandy asked.

  “I guess,” Justin said.

  “We have the writer of ‘Hero/Villain’ in our group,” Mandy said.

  “Evan Carter?” Justin asked. “Or is it the other guy, Irvine or something.”

  “It’s Evan, and ‘the other guy’ is named Irwin Jamison,” Mandy corrected him. “Irwin did most of the illustrations.”

  “That’s a bunch of bull,” Justin said. “Evan is rich enough to be hiding in some bunker somewhere, just like all the other famous people.”

  “I can take you to him after we’re done eating,” Mandy said, placing enthuses on him eating with her.

  “Ok, but I bet it’s not him,” Justin dared. He started eating the soup and sub sandwich.

  ‘And victory number three,’ Mandy thought, with a large smile.

  “Holy crap,” Justin said. “You are Evan Carter!”

  “In the flesh,” Evan replied. “Glad to meet you, Justin.”

  “He even knows my name,” Justin thought out loud.

  Evan laughed at the young man’s excitement. He turned his gaze to Mandy, who had a triumphant look on her face.

  “Good job,” Evan mouthed. Mandy gave him a wink and a nod.

  Eric seemed amazed to see his son out. He hugged his son for a decent amount of time. The command center was buzzing with activity again. Evan counted twenty-four soldiers come in and take posts at different terminals.

  “I’m in your debt,” Eric said to Mandy and Evan.

  “It’s the least I could do,” Mandy said. “Justin’s too handsome to hide in a dark room all alone.”

  Evan saw the young man’s face turn beet red. Justin studied the other members of Evan’s group, particularly Matthew.

  “I’ll send a squad first thing in the morning to help secure a base location in Detroit,” Eric said. “It’s getting too dark to head out now. I know a great spot we can use up there.”

  “Selfridge?” Evan asked.

  “We could try for there,” Eric replied. “Private, it’s Arthur Hummsfeld that’s over Warren, right?”

  “Yes, sir,” a nerdy-looking private said. “Captain Spelasky is over Sterling Heights.”

  “Ouch,” Eric said at the mention of the second name.

  “Is that a problem?” Cameron asked.

  “I’ll put it this way,” the private said. “You know the reaction a kid gets when he discovers he’s going to Disney Land?”

  “I suppose,” Cameron said.

  “You give that man an order to massacre a village of mostly women and children, and he’d have the same reaction,” the private explained.

  “He knew the order existed somehow prior to going to his camp,” Eric said. “Probably from Hummsfeld, and Sterling Heights had an estimated three-hundred fifty thousand. He was a kid in a candy store.”

  “Is there anyone we could find from the military that could help up there?” Cameron asked.

  Eric looked at the private for that answer. Private McBurdgen looked through an officer’s dossier.

  “If she’s alive, Lieutenant August Daley is the person to find,” the private said. “I don’t think she would join up with the condemned.”

  “Is that what you’re calling the other soldiers?” Mandy asked.

  “We’re the ones who defied orders,” Eric said. “But we’re not the SS. We’re American soldiers that have one thing in mind, protect the American population. So yes, they should be seen as condemned in the eyes of our military.”

  “I like that,” Cameron said.

  “Trust me,” Peter McBurdgen said. “If I get the chance, I’ll place a bullet in the brain of any condemned soldier I see.”

  -----

  ‘What the fuck are you looking at?’ Edward thought when he saw two soldiers watch him like a hawk. He was unsure, but he felt like these were told to watch him.

  “So what’s your story?” a soldier said as he walked by.

  “What?” Edward asked.

  “You’re going with these people to Detroit,” Private Laura Swan said. “But you act like dead weight. You’ve done dick but bitch since you arrived here.”

  “I’m not going to Detroit,” Edward told her. “I’m going to get my family in Kansas City.”

  “Good luck,” Private Tyler Bailey said.

  “What do you mean?” Edward said.

  “Kansas City is wiped out,” Laura said. “All camps were cleared out. There’s nobody left.”

  “Completely green,” Tyler said.

  Edward hurried off to find Doug. The cop was chatting with Sergeant Humphrey.

  “What’s this shit about Kansas City being completely gone?” Edward asked.

  “It’s a green city,” Greg said.

  “What does that even mean?” Edward yelled.

  “The commanding officers over the shelters in KC were thorough. No living person made it out alive.”

  “How do you know this exactly?” Edward asked.

  “We scouted the closest cities after we took Fort Sill,” Greg said.

  “We need to go, Doug!” Edward pleaded. “We need to see if my family made it.”

  “And risk his life and the lives of his family over a dead city?” Greg said. “Doug, I’d advise you not to go.”

  “We’re not going,” Doug said. “I’m sorry, Edward. I already lost one son. I’m not putting anyone…”

  “Fuck you, Doug,” Edward said before he stormed off.

  “Brewster,” Eliot said. “What’s gotten into you?”

  The pup wandered back and forth next to the ramp wall, growling and sniffing.

  “Grab him, honey,” Nikki told him. “He’s obviously upset about something. We’ll find your dad.”

  Nikki found Doug, who was showing the event truck to two privates.

  “Doug,” Nikki said. “We’re going to the bus. Brewster is upset about something.”

  Nikki wasn’t kidding. The rather squirrely pup was growling and extremely skittish in Eliot’s arms.

  “Do you think you could help us out?” Sergeant Tyrone Covington asked Doug and Nikki.

  “What do you need?” Doug asked.

  “We have a small herd of undead coming too close to the checkpoint. It looks like a bunch of them got riled up from the fallen camp.”

  “I’ll help,” Doug said.

  “I should watch Eliot,” Nikki
said. “I’m sure John would help, if I can get his lips off of Mary’s.”

  “Good luck with that,” Doug said.

  “Say what?” John asked. “What did I kiss, um, miss?”

  His blunder got the three others to laugh.

  “Fall in, lover boy,” Doug said. “We’ve been asked to help take care of a biter problem.”

  “About time,” John said.

  Tyrone led Doug and John to a weapon crate. The sergeant gave each of them a silenced M4. They walked over to the side of the ramp with the other five guardsmen. Below them wandered possibly two hundred reanimated men, women and children.

  “There they are,” Greg said. “Private Swan will provide ammunition.”

  “Let’s do this,” Tyrone said.

  Five men and two women stood at the side of the ramp with their rifles choosing a certain target. The shooters didn’t even have to say what targets should be picked out first. Any of the biters that got close to the ramp they were standing on would tumble to the ground. Biters’ getting below the ramp was simply not an option.

  Doug found an Oklahoma City cop among the group. He squeezed his trigger and two bullets pierced into the cop’s head. One of the female guardsmen winked at him when he looked down the line.

  “Need ammo,” John said. Private Swan took his gun, released the clip, and replaced it. She handed John the rifle with a grin.

  The undead collapsed with each second that ticked by. The two women soldiers targeted the children primarily. Doug picked off the reanimated women after the cop.

  “Holy hell,” John whispered. “Look at the size of that one!”

  A massive overweight man lingered behind the rest of them. Doug knew instantly the man didn’t have a chance. The obese biter lumbered along slowly.

  John shot at him first, but the large undead man was too far for the bullet to hit its mark.

  “Give him a few minutes, you’ll get him,” Doug said.

  John started to sing something that Doug thought he recognized.

  “What song is that?” Doug asked.

  “’I will not bow,’” Greg said. “It’s from Breaking Benjamin. I love that song. It’s fitting too.”

  “Sure is,” Doug said. Doug took down another biter that convulsed after its body hit the ground. “Finish it.”

  John and Greg sang it together. The words struck Doug deeply. Each sentence ran through his mind as each reanimated person fell. Every verse created a link to a bond between the seven who stood at the edge together.

  “Big Bubba is the last of them,” Tyrone said.

  “I’ll take him,” John said.

  He aimed carefully, taking his time to measure the shot. He squeezed the trigger only when he felt the shot was his.

  “God damn,” Tyrone said. “He just rolled over.”

  “Good job, people,” Doug said. He shook hands with the others.

  “If we had beer, I’d say we celebrate,” Greg told him.

  “I have that covered,” Doug said.

  He ran to the bus, where Nikki and Eliot greeted him. He must have had his victorious grin on his face without realizing it, because Nikki’s face went from concerned to jubilant instantly.

  “Did you get them?” Eliot asked.

  “We got all of them, son,” Doug replied.

  “Good, that’s just a start for them killing Simon,” Eliot stated sharply.

  Doug was lost on how to respond to the statement.

  “They deserve to rest,” Doug told his son. “I’m getting rid of the beer, Nichole. They want to celebrate. Both of you come too. Bring Brewster, Eliot.”

  “He’s the one that alerted the soldiers, dad,” Eliot said. “He started to growl, and walked back and forth by the wall.

  “I saw it too,” Nikki said.

  “You’re kidding,” Doug replied. He was stunned by Eliot’s story. “Maybe he’s going to be even more useful than I thought. You’ll let me know when he does it again, ok?”

  “Yes, sir,” Eliot said. He seemed satisfied that Doug believed him.

  “Where’s Mary?” Doug said. Sudden panic consumed him. “Better yet, where’s Edward?”

  “Mary’s in the bus, Doug,” Nikki said.

  “Dammit,” Doug said sharply. He went to whisper into Nikki’s ear. “I want him on one of those crucifixes.”

  “Get your beer and chill out,” Nikki said. “Mary isn’t stupid or careless. She has her heart set on John. Edward doesn’t stand a chance with her.”

  Doug nodded at Nikki. He kissed her firmly and jogged onto the bus. Mary was lying on the leather sofa reading something on a tablet.

  “What are you reading?” Doug asked while he gathered two cases of beer.

  “The Wolf’s Moon,” Mary replied. “It’s by Patrick Jones. It’s about a killer wolf that’s terrorizing a town. I can’t imagine a fluffy fuzzball like Brewster becoming as vicious as this one.”

  “It’s how we train him,” Doug said.

  Mary had some soft music playing from the bus’s stereo system. Mary was as intriguing to Doug as Matthew was. He wasn’t sure who had raised these two, but he liked how they were presenting themselves. They also were handling all of this tragedy remarkably. He understood why Evan was standoffish to Mary. She was too close to being a woman, and she was already independent. Matt needed someone, and Evan seemed to be the magnet who can best watch over the boy.

  “Evan and the others won’t be back until tomorrow, right?” Mary asked.

  “I doubt they’ll be back tonight.”

  “Then we’ll continue to Detroit?” Mary pondered out loud. “I don’t want to be near Edward.”

  “Come on out with us,” Doug said. “We’re about to enjoy a beer after taking down some biters. Edward won’t be there.”

  “Alright,” Mary said. “I’m not going to drink any of that crap though.”

  After the celebration, Doug sat outside of the bus with Eliot and Nikki. They rested to get ready to leave for Detroit the following morning. He watched Eliot, who was playing with Brewster at Doug’s feet. Nikki knelt down and kissed Doug lightly, then kissed her son on the forehead. She was the first to see Edward approach them. Edward appeared as if he was out for blood. Nikki staggered backwards.

  He took a gun out of his pocket and pointed it at John.

  “Edward, what the hell is wrong with you?” John yelled.

  Edward squeezed the trigger. A bullet pierced right through John’s head, causing a spray of blood and tissue to exit the other side. John’s body slammed into the bus.

  “No!” Nikki yelled. She grabbed her gun, while Edward aimed his at Doug. “Somebody help!”

  “They can’t here you,” Edward said. “You’re toy soldiers are dead.”

  “What have you done?” Nikki asked.

  “Eliot, get inside now!” Doug said. He held his hands up while Nikki held her gun on Edward. “Get inside, son!”

  Eliot grabbed Brewster and ran into the bus.

  “I want all of you outside. Evan, Cameron, all of them.”

  “Edward, you’re completely losing it,” Doug asked. “You know they’re gone. Look at what you did to John. You murdered him.”

  “Get them out here, I said,” Edward said calmly.

  “Look, all that’s inside is Mary and Eliot. Evan and Cameron are gone. They left earlier with Matt and Mandy.”

  ‘You’ll die before I let you say another word,’ Nikki wanted to yell.

  “Murdering son of a bitch!” were the words that came out of her mouth.

  Nikki’s gun went off and the bullet pierced into Edward’s forehead. The damage from the bullet caused a reflex that made his hands clench, including his finger over the trigger.

  The bullet from Edward’s gun ripped through Doug’s neck and out the other side. Blood began to gush uncontrollably as Doug fell to the ground. Nikki shot Edward three more times.

  Sergeant Greg Humphrey rushed in to discover the incident. His mouth hung open from the blood
y scene.

  “No!” Nikki screamed. “Doug, what have I done? Oh God please no, no, no!”

  Nikki and Greg rushed to Doug’s side to try and stop the bleeding, but the damage was too great. Blood ran in torrents from the entry wound. He tried to breathe, but he couldn’t.

  Doug passed away in Nikki’s arms. She sobbed as she held him tenderly while looking at his body. Mary tried to hold Eliot back, but he wrestled out of her grasp. He stopped with the sight of his father lying in his mother’s arms, both covered in blood.

  “Don’t look,” Mary told the boy. “Come with me, Eliot.”

  “What have I done?” Nikki asked.

  “Nikki, I have to do something,” Greg said. “I have to make sure he doesn’t turn.”

  “I-I can’t. I can’t do it,” Nikki cried. “I’m sorry. I can’t do it to him.”

  “Doug won’t feel it, so I’ll do it,” Greg said. “Go take Eliot inside with Mary and Rheana, Nikki. Please, go inside with them,”

  Three other soldiers came to see what had just happened.

  “I did this,” Nikki said. “I should have known better. I’ll do it.”

  ‘You can mourn after you do this,’ Nikki told herself.

  “Do you want my knife?” Greg asked.

  Nikki took the knife that he offered. She believed she could cease any chance that Doug could reanimate after his death. She placed her hand gently on his forehead lovingly. The tip of the knife was placed to enter through the sagittal suture.

  Nikki positioned herself to sink the blade in.

  “I love you, Doug,” Nikki said.

  She drove the blade in as cleanly as she could. The affect was disrupted nearly two minutes before Doug would have reanimated.

  She rested her head on Doug’s chest and cried. Greg went to Edward’s body to see if it needed to be dealt with. Nikki had done the job considering the entry wound was right above the right eyebrow.

  “Incoming vehicle!” a soldier yelled.

  Guards gathered at the gate to find a single vehicle approach quickly. It was too dark to see what the make was.

  “Go get three platoons and the major,” a sergeant ordered.

  A soldier hurried to carry out the command. In just a few minutes, fully prepared platoons gathered at the front gate.