by David Achord
“You’re not silly enough to believe all of those food products magically appeared from the local grocery store, are you?” Gus looked at me in growing confusion.
“Are you trying to say you’re responsible for all of this?” he asked.
Julie sat up and spoke before I could. “Of course he’s responsible. We’re all responsible. Zach planned out everything and made it happen.”
“I had help, it was a team effort,” I added, and then turned back to Benny. “If your group is going to stay, our first order of business is going to have to do with the elementary school directly across the street from the radio tower.”
“Oh, shit,” Julie muttered and shuddered involuntarily. The men looked at us in puzzlement.
“It was full of infected kids,” I said as I remembered when we cleared it out. Fred and I were the only ones who actually went inside. There were seventy-seven children locked down with a handful of adults, presumably teachers. The tallest one only came up to my waist, but I had more nightmares about killing those little bastards than I did with anything else I had ever done. The memory was unpleasant.
“We’ve cleared it and disposed of the bodies, but it’ll need a thorough cleaning,” I thought of all of the dried pools of black ooze.
“What’s wrong with the church?” Gus asked.
“It’s huge,” I responded. “Easily capable of holding a thousand people, but it’ll be difficult to defend with your small number of people. The school is closer to the radio tower and smaller, and in case you haven’t noticed, this church has a lot of large windows. The school has smaller windows, which are more defensible. Also, this church is surrounded by asphalt. On the other hand, the school has a large area of grassland. They’ll make for good garden plots. It’s closer to a source of water, and it already has a fence surrounding it,” I looked them over as I spoke. Benny was nodding thoughtfully, but it was hard to tell what Gus was thinking.
“Plus, we’re going to work on clearing zombies within a ten mile radius of this location. If y’all are still here in the spring, there will be a lot more work to do.” I looked pointedly at Gus. “I’m going to make farmers out of all of you.”
Benny grinned. Gus frowned like I said something off color.
Chapter 10 – Welcome to the Group
The next day, Julie and I visited the new arrivals. We were heading toward the church, but Julie pointed as we approached the school.
“It looks like they’re hard at work,” she said. The Huntsville people were all there, unloading equipment off their bus. Ward and Marc waved at us cheerfully when we parked.
“What are you guys up to?” I asked.
“Fred took us to the factory where you guys found all of the copper. We’re going to build another still for water distillation,” Ward pointed. “We found a lot of scrap steel and rebar too. Benny believes he can bar up all of the windows.”
I looked the building over. It had a lot of windows, fewer than the church, but still quite a few. It was going to be an onerous task. Benny approached as I was looking at their supplies.
“What do you think, Zach?” he asked.
I looked at the material. “I think it’s doable. Do you guys have any welding equipment?” I asked. Benny shook his head. “Okay, no problem. We have some back at the house. Perhaps you can make use of it.”
“That’d be awesome,” he replied.
“I’ve got more good news. We’ve made substantial headway in cleaning the interior. I’m guessing we can move in as soon as tomorrow.”
“You guys move quick,” I said. Benny smiled broadly at the compliment.
“I don’t see why it’s necessary to clean up that nasty school and move,” Gus quipped. Benny laughed.
“Zach is right. The church is nice, but it’s far too large for our small group. Why, it will take an enormous amount of wood to have sufficient heating for the winter, and those beautiful magnificent stained glass windows will offer us no protection against hungry zombies.” Gus shrugged, as if none of that information made any difference.
Julie and I helped unload the rest of their gear while we chatted about the area, and I briefed them on some of the past events.
Two people drove up as we were talking and parked by the bus. Benny looked around and smiled as the couple walked up.
“Zach, this is Tonya’s little brother, Anthony, and his wife, Carla.”
Julie and I shook hands with them, although they seemed a little reluctant to return the social gesture.
They were a handsome couple, both in their late twenties, with fine WASP features and probably thought of themselves as liberal hipsters. I had nothing against hipsters, yuppies, or anyone else with mental impairments, but I could tell these two felt themselves superior somehow. They seemed to be the types who would cut you off in traffic because they were absorbed in a meaningless cell phone conversation, and then would look down their nose at you if you had the audacity to honk your horn. Needless to say, my first impression of them was with some amount of antipathy. I caught a glimpse from Julie which told me she felt the same way.
Benny took us on a tour of the school and showed us their progress, while the rest of them unloaded the bus. It was obvious he was proud of their accomplishments. The sludge and grime that had accumulated on all of the floors had been cleaned and everything appeared to be free of dust.
“I admit, I’m impressed,” I said, “y’all have done a lot.”
We made our way back toward the front lobby. Tonya was standing there waiting on us.
“So, what’s next?” I asked.
“Mister Zach, the reason I’m showing off all of our work is so that you all will see that we would be an asset to your group and not a detriment.” He looked hopefully.
“I take it you guys want to stay?” I asked. All of them nodded, almost in unison.
“We had a group meeting,” Benny explained, “and we discussed a lot of things, including either moving on or staying and making a new home here. It was a unanimous agreement. You and your people have the beginnings of a nice community. We would like to be a part of it and we want to contribute. Mac and Fred said it was okay with them, but they also said you and Julie had to agree as well.”
I cleared my throat and grinned. “We had a family meeting last night as well,” I said and glanced at Julie before continuing. “It was a unanimous vote. Welcome to the group,” I said and extended my hand, but Ward and Marc insisted on sealing the deal with hugs.
I left the truck with Julie and drove the men back to our house in one of their cars. I pointed out some of the things we did to our property as we drove.
“The perimeter of the property had cattle fencing already erected. We’ve fortified it with lots of barb wire and more than a few booby traps,” I looked over at them. “Don’t go walking around the exterior of the fence line, guys, fair warning.”
They nodded in understanding.
“What are those?” Benny asked while pointing at the concrete barricades positioned and stacked around the house.
“Road construction barricades,” I replied. “They’re a defense against small arms fire,” I pointed at the shutters. “Fred and I fabricated custom made metal window shutters and heavy steel doors. All of them have firing ports. We can secure the entire house against almost anything, except for things like artillery fire,” I got a couple of questioning looks. “There will come a time when we will encounter marauders. We must be prepared for them.”
Benny suddenly frowned.
“There was a group who passed through our area, we think. There were two men and their wives who had gone out scavenging,” his face darkened at the memory. “The men were shot. We never found the women and believe they were kidnapped,” he wiped his brow. “There was nothing we could do.”
I nodded thoughtfully. “We’ve been lucky, but if we keep broadcasting on the radio, we’ll eventually attract the wrong kind of people.”
They nodded with concern. I continued show
ing them the modifications we had made. In addition, I showed them the chicken coop, the smokehouse, the barn, the root cellar, the greenhouses, and other modifications.
“All of these things were done with a purpose and placed strategically. Some of the projects on the to-do list include things like another silo,” I gestured around. “All of these things should be done to the school as well in order for y’all to be self-sufficient.”
Benny nodded in agreement as we walked inside. I sat them at the kitchen table and got a pot of coffee going.
“I certainly hope y’all are going to help us out,” Benny suggested hopefully.
“Yes, we will,” I said and paused a moment.
“Alright, fellas, I have a bit of a complicated question to ask,” they looked at me attentively. “Something is going on with these infected people. Everyone has been calling them zombies since the outbreak, but I don’t think it’s an accurate term anymore. They’re evolving. Their bodies are showing signs of regeneration and their actions suggest they’re starting to think again,” I got a bunch of wide-eyed looks.
“Really?” Benny asked.
I nodded, and spent the next hour carefully explaining my observations, the reasoning behind my rules, and the journal I found.
“So this Boom-Boom character conducted experiments on infected prisoners?” Marc asked in wonder. I nodded.
“He did, in a manner of speaking. His testing procedures may not have been in strict compliance of scientific standards, yet the experiments he conducted were pretty interesting. His journal was fairly detailed.”
“I’d love to read it,” Marc said.
“Unfortunately, it burned up in a fire,” I went on to explain about Andie’s uncle, his crew, what they had done to us and what we did to them.
“So you killed all of them?” Ward asked.
“Most of them,” I corrected. “The Captain had escaped out of the house before I set it on fire. He figured out we were using the barn as a staging point and ambushed us. He beat the hell out of the two of us, and then he started taking a knife to me. That’s how I got this,” I said, pointing at the scar on my cheek. Marc and Ward looked horrified and absently sought out each other’s hand.
“What happened to the Captain, Mister Zach?” Benny asked quietly.
“Andie had a hideout gun. The Captain missed it when he searched her. While he was busy torturing me, she fished it out of wherever she was hiding it and killed him.”
I topped off everyone’s coffee mug. “Since I’ve told you about Andie, I have an additional favor to ask you guys, which fits into your expertise. I’m worried about her emotional health. She’s been through a hell of a lot for a teenage girl.”
I suddenly remembered her birthday was this month, but had forgotten the specific day. I made a mental note to find out.
“Do you two think you could offer her counseling? She’s experienced some awful events, which has most likely left some deep emotional scars.”
“Absolutely,” Ward immediately replied. Marc nodded in agreement with his partner.
“Okay, good. She’s stubborn, but I bet you two can get through to her.”
“What is the first favor you wanted to ask us?” Benny asked.
“I want to build a man trap, or, more specifically, a zombie trap. I want to catch one of these bastards and do some testing on it.”
Marc gasped. I looked pointedly at the two psychologists.
“Let me explain. I have no interest in torturing them, conducting pain tolerance testing, or anything else like Boom-Boom did. I want to test their cognitive functions. I want to find out at what level they’re thinking again,” I watched them as I spoke. They were definitely interested, and then I glanced sidelong at them. “Then I’ll kill it.”
The three men looked me over, I guess to see if there was a punch line coming. I grabbed one of my notepads and tore out a couple of pages.
“Fred and I drafted a few rough drawings of how it should be built. I don’t know if anyone told you, he’s an engineer as well,” I said. Benny looked at me questioningly. “I think he has a degree in mechanical engineering. Among other things, he built greenhouses for a living. So, all of that scrap steel you guys have left over, I’d like to use some of it to build the cage.” Benny turned the sheets of paper toward him and began silently studying them.
I flipped through a couple of pages and showed them to the psychologists. “Here are some testing formats I thought would be appropriate in determining cognitive functions. Since you two have far more experience in this area, perhaps y’all have a better idea of what tests should be conducted.”
The three men perused my notes for several minutes. Hearing a vehicle outside, I met Julie, Andie, and little Frederick at the door. He was asleep in her arms.
“He had so much fun with Rhonda he’s worn out. I’m going to put him down,” she disappeared down the hallway. Andie pinched me on the butt as she walked into the kitchen.
“How’s it going?” Julie asked as she carefully placed Frederick in the crib and covered him with a blanket.
“Pretty good,” I said. She straightened and the two of us shared a quiet moment together watching our sleeping child.
“Terry said he wants to move into the old house. He thinks he can make it livable.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked as I put my arms around her.
“Yeah, I think it’ll be a good idea,” she turned to face me. My hands wandered down to her backside and I pulled her close.
“Somebody wants to get frisky,” she murmured as I kissed her in the nape of the neck. I mumbled in agreement and kissed her some more. She let out a small moan before she pushed me away.
“We have company,” she whispered. “You’ll have to wait until bed time. If you’re lucky, I’ll let you have your way with me,” she then lightly bit my earlobe and walked out of the bedroom. I watched her retreating backside and then looked back at my son. Sometimes, it all seemed surreal. In addition to being a father to a healthy baby, I had helped bring together a group of survivors. It was a wonderful, yet frightening feeling. I had a moment of anxiety at the thought of failing them somehow.
Chapter 11 – The Trap is Sprung
Andie and I started out at day break. Julie had no interest and said she’d rather wash diapers than fool with a zombie. After a quick breakfast we geared up, jumped in the truck, and headed toward the location where we had put the cage the afternoon before. Andie insisted on driving.
“How’re things with you?” I asked as she turned onto Concord Road. She shrugged.
“Okay, I guess.”
“How’s the journal coming?”
“It’s mostly up to date, except I keep getting the names of everyone in the new group mixed up. Do you?”
“Well, let’s see, there’s Benny, the Asian guy, and his wife, Tonya. Then there’s Tonya’s little brother Anthony, and his wife Carla. They’re the smarmy looking couple who walk around acting like they’re superior to everyone else. There’s Gus, the jowly, pear shaped looking dude, and his three little brats, Vince, Melinda, and Melissa, and, don’t forget Marc and Ward.”
“Yeah, how can I forget them,” Andie said with a little sarcasm in her tone.
“How’re your talks going with them?” I asked tentatively.
She sighed. “Okay, I guess. I’ve only had a couple of sessions with them.”
I nodded, and was about to change the subject, but she apparently wanted to talk about it. “They believe I’ve been confusing sex for love, and that’s why I’ve been so promiscuous.”
“Are you talking about your past?”
“Yeah, my uncle wasn’t bullshitting you that night. It didn’t take very much for a boy to talk me into giving a blowjob, and when the good Captain began molesting me, I was convinced it was an act of love. The docs said I was using sex as a way of getting the attention I was otherwise missing.”
“I hope they’re helping,” I finally said. I sincerely meant it. She had been
through a lot and I knew she had nightmares as much as I did.
“Oh, and when I started talking about you, they seemed surprised when I told them you turned me down for sex.”
I glanced over at her. I was a little uncomfortable that my name was coming up, and a little perturbed at their reaction. “Oh yeah? Why is that?”
“They said most teenage boys let their overactive hormones override their sensibilities. I think they were impressed you established boundaries in our relationship. They said you were a true friend to me.”
I glanced over at her again. “What do you think of their assessment, Miss Andrea?”
She grinned. “Oh, you can come up with the craziest ideas, but yeah, you’re a good friend.”
She suddenly stopped the truck, leaned over, and hugged me. I responded by ruffling her hair, which I knew irritated the crap out of her. She slapped me on the chest and sat back in her seat.
We rode the length of Concord Road and turned onto Franklin Pike before either of us spoke again.
“Zach, is Tommy retarded or something?” Andie tentatively asked.
I took my time before answering. “I don’t think he’s mentally retarded, but yes, he is a little slow. He’s one of those kids who needed a little more tutoring and parenting than the average kid and he hasn’t had either, so I’d say he’s a little underdeveloped emotionally and intellectually.”
“Oh, I guess it makes sense.”
“Don’t worry though. He’s got a lot of mentors now and a sister who dotes on him. He’s going to be fine.”
“As long as you don’t go teaching him any of your bizarre ideas, like this one for instance,” Andie replied with more sarcasm in her tone. “This one is definitely bizarre, even for you.”
“Yeah, I heard you the first thirty times you told me,” I muttered.
With Benny’s help, Fred and I had a trap built quickly. It was a six foot by six foot configuration of scrap metal welded together to form a square cage with a spring loaded door, designed to shut and lock when a zombie walked inside it.