The Rabid Mind Two

by Bruce Buckshot Hemming

  Marcus motioned Jim to the back of the building. He whispered once they reached the back door. “No keys, we have to break in from the back.”

  Jim said, “Let me show you a trick I learned when I was a kid”. It was an old wooden window. Jim slipped his Leatherman blade up to the right side of the latch that locked the window. Once it was above the latch he jerked hard toward the lock, the blade caught the latch and rotated, unlocking the window.

  Marcus smiled and whispered. “Neat trick, old man.”

  They entered the armory quickly and retrieving a bag, started loading it with guns, when they were done, Jim handed Debbie a Glock 17 after screwing on the silencer.

  “Good thinking, Jim.” Marcus said.

  “Alright let’s move, we have seven more raiders to contend with, we need to take them out quietly, and quickly.” Jim said. They peered out of the armory and towards the other cabin, two guards stood in front of it.

  “Ten bucks says that’s where they’re keeping the prisoners,” Marcus said. “Let’s go.”

  They crawled past the mess hall, two raiders were inside, laughing, eating and drinking.

  “We better hurry, before these ravenous bastards empty out our food and drink supply.” Jim quipped, and they got to the third cabin. Marcus stayed on one side, while Jim and Debbie went to the other side.

  “Alright, I’ll go out and distract ‘em, while you and Marcus take them out, is that okay?” Jim said one last time.

  “Not exactly. I think these guys would be less likely to shoot a woman, than they would a man. Let me create the distraction.” She said, handing her gun to him. She stepped out from the corner, staggering a little bit.

  “Hi boys.” She said, in her most seductive voice,

  One raider tapped the other, and a lecherous smile lit up their faces. It had been a while since either of them had been with a woman, and seeing her sent thoughts and ideas into their heads.

  Jim stepped out on the other side of the porch steady his hand on the railing and took careful aim. Pfft. One hit in the back of the head and as he was falling he quickly lined up on the other one. He was turning right when the second shot was fired, literally right into the bullet. He dropped like a sack of potatoes. The blood pour out of his head covering the porch. No way to hide that quickly. Jim said Debbie. “Get them out and armed up fast.”

  Shannon heard a woman’s voice. Debbie? That had to be her. What was she doing? Was she, as Marcus had said, part of the raiders? Where did that leave them? She thought sombrely. Debbie opened the door and stepped in.

  “Boy, am I glad to see you.” She said.

  Debbie dropped the bag of guns, and worked on freeing the tied-up bunch. “Hurry, we made a huge mess out front, won’t be long before the rest figure it out. Jim and Marcus are going to kill the two men in the mess hall.” Debbie freed the General first and together they freed everyone else. ‘In the bag are guns, let’s take this place back.”

  Once freed they were picking out the guns they wanted, when a shot rang out from outside. Followed by rifle shooting in rapid reply. The gate guard had seen Jim and Marcus sneaking up to the mess hall. Jim dropped him with 3 shots from the Ak-47.

  The General taking charge, “All right, everyone get out of the building and spread out, take cover and get ready for a fight.”

  As they were headed out the door they saw Jim and Marcus hiding under the window of the mess hall as one of the raiders was shooting out the window trying to get the right angle to hit them. Jim fired the 9mm Glock, hitting the man’s hand, he howled in pain and Jim pushed his rifle barrel to the side and stood up putting two round in his chest. The other raider fled out the back door. “Marcus, he is running out the back.”

  “On it.” Marcus yelled as he took off running for the alley.

  ***

  The gunshot startled Amos awake. What? How? He thought, incompetent fools, good thing he had taken precautions, he thought grabbing his gun and stepped towards his backup plan. The boy lay quietly on the floor. Taking him had been an afterthought. One he was glad he’d had. First, he had to confirm what was going on, as he approached the door of the cabin, he heard more gunshots. Shit! I’d heard they were a resourceful lot. Where did my plan go wrong? He went back for the boy then, picking him up easily as the gangly little boy hardly weighed anything.

  ***

  Marcus ran to the back of the building. In the shadows and moonlight he could hear the man running for his life in pure panic. He fired a couple of rounds at him when he caught a quick glimpse of him heading toward the back fence. The man kept running. No time to waste on him Marcus thought. He heard gunfire out front of the building. He ran toward sound to join in the fight. As he ran he thought, how many left? We killed four for sure, one running for Denver that leaves three left. No, two left, Jim had killed the gate guard too.

  He stopped at the edge of the building looking out. He saw another man down in front of one of the cabin. One of ours or a raider. He looked around silence greeted him. Shit, what the hell is going on? Where is everyone? This was a dangerous time who to shoot. How could he tell in the dark who was who?

  ***

  Under the porch light of the last cabin stood a man using the young boy as a shield. Shannon and the General had stopped about twenty yards from them. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Amos threatened, and she saw the tears rolling down her son’s face.

  “Now, when I said earlier that no one had to die, that very much included me.” He continued, shifting where he stood. “You’re going to have to tell me how you guys made this impressive escape, but before then.” He looked up as Jim and Debbie arrived. Oh, so that’s how it happened. If Kyle wasn’t already dead, I’d kill the motherfucker, I told him to check everywhere. He thought, nearly blinded with rage. His hand tightened around the gun. I see we have two new guests. I take it you two saved this motley crew.”

  Jim smiled. “Yes, and killing your friends was our pleasure.” Aiming the Ak-47 at Amos head.

  “Matt, baby, are you okay?” Shannon asked, and her son nodded. “Be brave okay? Mommy’s got you.”

  Amos sniggered. “Don’t lie to children lady, I’ve got him.”

  “I’ll make this quick, I want the General, he and I have unfinished business. I’m taking him, that jeep, and supplies, and you guys can keep your merry little sanctuary. Also, the boy doesn’t have a bullet hole in his head. Everyone just calm down and he won’t get hurt.”

  Shannon flinched at the imagery.

  “What do you want with the General?” Jim asked.

  “Ah, the reason why we’re having this conversation.” He said meaning Jim and Debbie, “You and your lady have cost me quite a lot. I asked one of my men to search the whole place. It’s so hard to find good help these days.” He said with mock exasperation.

  “You didn’t answer the question, bud.” Debbie said.

  “Ah yes. The General. Why don’t I let him tell you? Remember that family up in Roger’s creek General. The preppers? They were being raided peacefully, then you and your batman and robin pushed your way in there and saved them. You cost me a lot that day. I need you to feel that loss.”

  A look of remembrance passed over the General’s face, he remembered very well. He and his son had been returning from a supply run when they’d heard the sound of gunshots and the boy, rest his soul, had run to check thinking some survivors needed help fighting off infected. Survivors had needed help after all, although, as they’d found out, not from infected, but from a bunch of raiders.

  “I remember. That, was you? Wow, you know how to hold a grudge. It’s been a long time now, a whole year, and some months. What’s that got to do with this?” The General asked.

  “Everything.” Amos replied, then his face darkened, “Did you recover their bodies from the fire? I mean, was there anything left to recover?”

  The
General was puzzled by this line of questioning, fire? Then it struck him, and all the puzzle pieces fell in place, and he could see the whole picture. This bastard killed my family.

  “You bastard. There were children in there. My son’s wife was pregnant with her third child, you son of a bitch.” The General was livid with rage, and was barely holding himself together.

  “You didn’t have to kill them. You could have just taken everything and left. You did not have to kill them.” He was angry, but at the same time, he was calm. At least, now he knew the person who killed his family. Any second now.

  ***

  Amos was enjoying this. The look of despair that had passed over the General’s face when he’d made his revelation was one he knew he’d cherish forever. Granted, he had wanted the revelation to be under very different circumstances, but the satisfaction from this one had been enough. Just then, he noticed the old man look over his shoulder, and try to hide the fact that he noticed something, whipping around quickly, he saw a young man, machete raised, silently charging towards him. He immediately moved to the side evading the attack, dropping the boy in the process. Dropping his gun trying to grab the kid. Shannon immediately ran to her son and carried him away from the fight that had started. Amos dove towards Marcus, wrestling him to the ground, he dealt three successive blows, and raised his hand for a fourth when a strong grip closed over his wrist, and his head was thrown to the side with a punch that carried such a force, an audible pop could be heard. He turned and spat out a tooth, as the General walked casually towards him, fists clenched at his side. The others stood and watched the standoff, recognising it as the General’s fight.

  He’s older and slower, I can take him Amos thought, getting up and wiping his mouth. He rushed for the General thinking the old man wanted to make this a long drawn out fight. He was terribly wrong. Immediately he reached him and swung his fist towards the General, who ducked to the side, pulling his knife that was tucked into the back of his pants, and stuck it in his stomach. The surprise look on Amos face told the story, he was not expecting this at all. Stopping him in his tracks, immediately he removed the knife, spun it to reorient it in his grasp and stuck it in the back of Amos’s neck, removing it again. He did all this with dizzying speed and an agility one would think impossible for a man his age. Without turning, he walked away. His family was avenged now. He could rest easy knowing his raiding days were over for good.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Double K

  The clean-up was done quickly, a mass fire was build and all the bodies were thrown in. They had lost five men. Two killed during the interrogation when the raiders had caught Ernest and the team, and the three men killed at the fort.

  After all was set back in order new guards were posted. They all slept for the night.

  The next morning Shannon took Jim and Debbie to go talk to Ernest.

  “Double K? Sure, I know the spread, I worked there for two years even. Nice people. I could take you there if you want.” Ernest said.

  “You would do that? We’d be so very grateful Ernest, you don’t know how great that sounds.” Debbie said, visibly happy at the suggestion.

  “It’s the least I can do really. Y’all saved us, it’s the very least I can do.” Ernest said. Jim shook his hand and they went off to prepare to leave.

  The General was very generous with the supplies he gave them to take along. They were giving three boxes of .357 magnum hollow point ammo for Debbie’s rifle and revolver. Four boxes of 12-gauge double ought buck, and much to Jim’s delight, an AK-47 with ten 30 round magazines with five hundred rounds. Taken off the raiders.

  “Nice.” Jim said, caressing the AK-47 lovingly. “Very nice. Now just throw in a tank and some RPGs and we’ll be all set for anything,” he added and they all laughed. Then they were given canned food, a lot of canned food, some salt, flour, coffee, sugar and pepper. Shannon and some of the ladies, handed over some of their feminine hygiene products to Debbie, some soap, shampoo as well as toothpaste and a big bottle of mouthwash. They were also given gasoline.

  “Got any smokes?” Jim asked the General hopefully,

  “Nope, none, kicked the habit last year. Wasn’t easy though.”

  “Ain’t that the truth.” Debbie said, shaking her head.

  “Yeah, I figure now’s as good a time as any to kick the habit.” Jim agreed, “Although, if you have smokes, I really wouldn’t mind.”

  They said goodbye to everyone, packed the car with the supplies, and headed off with Ernest driving in front of them, leading the way in the Jeep Cherokee.

  ***

  DOUBLE K RANCH: 2 days prior.

  The kids huddled in fear, as the infected banged on the doors, shaking the hinges with the sheer force of their combined assault. The older teenager tried to calm the younger boy and girl.

  The woman made her way to the window, and peered out. What she saw broke her heart. The entire front property was covered with infected.

  “TYLER!” She yelled. “We’re not gonna be able to fight them off, they’re too many. I’m gonna need you to get the kids to the truck, old Joe and I here will cover you. Take the back door, the truck’s parked out back.”

  “I’m sorry about this Sheila, I really am.” The buff middle aged ranch hand said.

  “Ain’t nothing to be sorry for Ty. You didn’t lead them here. Keep those kids safe. Now go.” She said, getting up and firing off more rounds into the horde, dropping a few of them with the attempt. Damn things seem coordinated, what the hell is happening? She thought. And how the fuck did they find this place? We’d been relatively safe until now.

  When Tyler had arrived at the ranch with the horses, her late husband’s nephew’s kids and two other children, two weeks ago, she’d been overjoyed. After months of trying in vain to fulfil her husband’s dying wish and contact them without success. She’d almost given up and just assumed they were dead. But then Tyler had rode in on horseback with the two smaller kids with him, and teenage kids on two separate horses. After her relief, had subsided. She’d knocked him upside the head for not using a car and exposing them to more danger. He’d explained that he’d had to stick to the back trails and logging routes on their way there to avoid drawing attention to themselves, and she’d hugged him for bringing them safely.

  She’d discovered that the two younger kids were, as Tyler explained, Billy and Annabelle Summers, children to Phil and Debbie Summers who were foster children. After their ranch had been overrun by Infected they’d been on the move, first to the line cabin they owned in the mountains, and now here to the double K.

  Her husband’s Nephew and his wife had asked Tyler to take the kids and go up into the mountains while they distracted the horde of infected that attacked the Flyin’ J property. They’d been relatively safe in the mountains, when one day, one infected had wandered up there and nearly bit one of the kids. It was then he started making plans to leave the cabin. He’d left a note though, he’d explained, because he still held out a little hope that his employer was alive and had gotten out in time before being overrun. The note explained to him where they were headed.

  Now as they were under attack, Sheila wondered if she shouldn’t leave one such note, just in case her husband’s nephew really was on the trail of Tyler and the kids. Deciding that that would be wise, she left her place at the window, and Joe, a ranch hand, took over. She located a pen and piece of paper, and hastily scrawled something on the paper, before nailing it to a wall where it’d be conspicuous. Then she returned to her position, switching with Joe again.

  “They’re out back too Sheila, but they’re just standing, waiting. It seems like they’re trying force us out back or something. They’ve got all other exits covered and are aggressively trying to get in, yet, they’re just standing out back, waiting.” Tyler said, returning to the fray, kids still behind him, he ushered them to a side of the room, then went and
knelt beside Sheila.

  “Dang it, I don’t remember them being so smart, do you?” She replied. “It’s like they’re following some sort of command or something.”

  “Not so close to the window, kids.” Tyler said, and turned to Sheila. “What do we do now? The doors are strong, but they’ll be breached soon. I don’t…” his speech was cut short as one of the infected broke through the boards covering the window close to where the kids were and reaching in. It grabbed unto the shirt of the little boy, and started pulling him towards the window as the other kids held on to his outstretched hand, locked in a tug of war.

  Tyler ran for the window, shooting at the infected. The hand let go but shooting inside was loud and all their ears were ringing.

  “I told you not to stay so close to the window.”

  Another infected broke through the boards on another window, and was halfway into the house. One of the kids screamed and pointed as it got in, and Ty turned around and took it down with a clean shot to the head. It seemed surreal, the smell of cordite was thick in the room and their ears ringing with every shot. Like a madhouse, the children screaming, others shouting.

  “Come Jeffery, help me get this book case against that window.” He called to the male teenager, as they could hear other infected rush towards the window. It stuck its head in, and Tyler put his gun to its face, and pulled the trigger, before placing the bookcase against the window.

  “Take this Jeffery, and stand by that other window. Anything peers through, you shoot. Just like I taught you back at home, okay?” He said, handing the teenager a gun. The latter nodded gravely and went to his post.

  Tyler returned to where Sheila was, still picking out the infected she could see, while Joe tried to reduce the number of infected banging at the door, through the other window.