The Rabid Mind Two

by Bruce Buckshot Hemming

  “So, what happened to your group, do you know if they survived?”

  She shrugged. “I can’t tell for sure. They were a tough lot.”

  “The reason I asked those questions is because Jim and I were talking and would like to know if want to join us?”

  Lisa seemed to consider the statement, and then asked. “If it’s just an offer, is there another option?”

  Debbie sighed. “Well, yes. You are free to go on your own if you’d like. Although, I’d really like it if you would come with us. Time is short, we need to get on the move. I hate to press you but you have about five minutes to make up your mind. We can’t afford to stay around much longer.

  “Ok, give me some time to think.”

  After a few minutes, Lisa told Debbie. “Sorry, but I want to go find my friends. All I ask is for some food and water.”

  “Are you sure? That is suicide for you and your daughter.”

  “No offense, I trust my friends and our group.”

  “Yeah. I do understand. We all have our own paths to follow. If it’s meant to be, our paths will cross again.”

  “Yeah, that’s true.”

  They gave her some food and water. She walked off and never once turned back to look at them.

  “Come on old man, time to get back to the house.”

  ***

  Claire reloaded her magazine. Seventeen rounds in the gun with two extra magazines. The knife as a last resort. She could not run the generator as that would-be a dinner bell for the infected just across the street. She made a cup of tea. Come on girl, think. Her best choice was to sneak down behind the houses. But what if one of the infected was watching her.

  Dammit, Matt and Sandra, where the hell are you. Her only choice was to stay armed and run out to warn them when they pulled in. She sat on the chair, the sun lit up the room; she was warm and comfortable and soon fell asleep.

  She woke to the sound of a shotgun blast followed by the God-awful shrieking of the infected attacking. Shit, too late to warn them, she ran outside, Jim and Debbie were dropping the infected but more poured out of the house. She reached the gate and unlocked it.

  Jim was reloading as more raced toward him. She ran beside Jim and start firing one handed missed, missed, missed, hit when it was five feet away. Jim yelled at her. “Two hands, slow down, squeeze your shot.”

  He leveled the shotgun and with deadly effective fire clearly a path in front of him. Debbie head for the house. Claire come on, he jammed in fresh rounds as they ran for the gate. “Debbie, close the gate.” She slammed the gate closed.

  Now we have a barrier at least to slow them down.” He looked at Claire, her pistol breach was locked open. “Claire, reload, pay attention girl. “

  She fumbled with the magazine, dropping the first one and pulling the second one but she could not stop her hands from shaking to get it inserted. Debbie pulled her Smith Wesson .357 magnum revolver. Jim was shoving shells in the shotgun but the infected were climbing the fence, one was over and jumped on Jim. He put the shotgun between them and they rolled to the ground. Fighting desperate to stop from being bitten Debbie was firing slow methodical shot killing any that climbed on the fence.

  Claire starred at the fight in a daze. Jim yelled at her. “Kill it already.”

  She snapped dropping the pistol and pull her knife and buried into the things neck.

  She pulled the blade out and it fell over. Jim rolled it off. “Thanks. Claire, behind you.” Like a wild animal, she swung her arm around at gut level and caught the new one in the stomach. She pulled the blade out and straight to the neck. She snapped going wild now and attacking the infected on the fence. Stabbing, slashing, screaming in a deep howl.

  Jim and Debbie both reloaded and finished off the last few standing.

  Claire was stabbing the last one over and over again. Jim thought she must be bitten and she is in the crazy stage.

  In a loud firm voice, he said. “Claire, it’s over, it’s dead. Turn around slowly and drop the knife.”

  Debbie was in shock. “Jim, for God sake, she saved our lives.”

  “Shut up Debbie, we have been gone a long time, we don’t know if she has been bitten.”

  Claire turned around cover in blood. It was in her hair on her face, her shirt soaked, her eyes crazy and distant like animal. Jim held the shotgun on her. “Claire, drop the knife.”

  Once Debbie saw her she too leveled her gun at her. Claire looked at the knife as if someone else had put it in her hand and she dropped it. “I’m sorry, I fell asleep, I was supposed to warn you.”

  Debbie said. “It’s ok, you did a great job killing them. Now Claire, please, you must tell us, have you been bitten? Silently praying she was not.

  “Bitten, no I was sleeping. I woke up when you two were fighting the hive. I came out to help.”

  “Did you get any blood in your mouth?”

  “No, I’m fine, stop pointing your guns at me, I am not infected.”

  “I’m taking you to the shower and you’re going to strip so I can make sure you have not been bitten. Is that ok?” Debbie said.

  Debbie took her in the bathroom and had her strip. Not a single bite. She turned on the water, no water pressure. “I’ll have Jim start the generator and get us water pressure. Be very careful, do not get your hands near your mouth. We need to wash all the blood off.”

  “Jim, she is in good shape but we need water pressure, can you please start the generator.”

  “Ok, will do. Where are Sandra and Matt?”

  “Don’t know. I will find out.” She walked back to the bathroom.

  Jim walked away and started the generator. Taking his shotgun, he walked to the front gate. If there are any left they will be coming soon.

  Later in the afternoon Matt and Sandra pulled in. The dead bodies littering the street. There was the CRV but was anyone left alive? Wow, that must have been one hell of a fight.

  Matt stepped out rifle in hand. He was shocked.

  Sandra came running up to Matt. “Are they all dead Dad, Debbie, Claire?”

  Before he could answer the front door opened and her Dad stepped out. “Oh, Thank God.” She said.

  “Holy shit, Jim what happened here?”

  “One hell of fight. Everyone is ok. Well, I mean, alive. Claire, she kind of lost it.”

  “What do you mean, kind of lost it?”

  Jim explained the whole battle. He finished with telling the truth. “We don’t know if she got any blood in her mouth. I think we need to lock her up for three days just to make sure she doesn’t become one of them.”

  They walked inside, Claire came up and hugged them both and said, “Thank God you guys are ok, what the hell took you so long?”

  “We had our own problems.” Matt told the crazy story of a crazed cult and raiders.

  Jim looked at Claire. “I’m sorry, but for everyone’s safety we are going to have to lock you up for three days just to make sure you’re not going to turn.”

  Claire looked a little shocked. “Three days? Totally, or you mean just at night? Can I still work? We must get the pikes up and finish the fence.”

  “Of course, we got the rebar so we can finish the fence.” Matt said.

  “Too late now, but first thing in the morning we need to clean up those bodies. Matt and I will do that, you ladies finish the fence. We told Ty we would call him in three days before we leave. We need some type of cannon.” Jim said.

  Matt said. “I have an idea, Jet and I were talking about it. A propane cannon. Shooting steel nuts from the hardware store.”

  “Ok, you will be in charge of that.”

  They slept in shift that nights. A padlock was placed on Claire’s door. The other four spilt the watches up through the night. Matt had the last watch, four am to daybreak. He watched the street. Two infected roamed
around. But not a huge group. They must have killed most of them.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Reunion

  Two days later Matt and Sandra headed out to find the parts to make the cannon. “Finish sawing up those pipes so we can leave. I’ll load up the rest of the stuff. It’s evening already, we need to get moving.” Sandra said.

  “Yeah, no problem, slave driver. You’re starting to sound like your father.” Matt said with a smile.

  During their searches, they’d collected all the socks and T-shirts they could find. The plan was to have lots of ammo, and needed the shirts and socks to wrap and form fit for the pipes with the plunger.

  They intended to make two cannons, they figured since there were five of them now, operating it required two people per cannon. They had the people so it wouldn’t be hard to do.

  “We’ve got company and they’re coming in fast, I think they spotted me.” Sandra cried out.

  Before she finished talking, one infected burst in through the window.

  “I think these things hate doors sometimes.” Matt said, raising his Glock and shooting the infected.

  “Pick up the pipes, let’s go.”

  As they ran towards the door. Shit, too late, ten more infected were racing in. Running back through the store. Matt picked some strong-smelling sprays and sprayed them into the air, to mask their scents. They hid behind some shelves.

  “Damn. We’re in trouble now.” Sandra whispered, spying one of the infected headed their way.

  “We’ve gotta move.”

  They got up and gently crept towards the door, as the infected went by as one body, round the store, sniffing, but without any luck. Slowly they crept toward the door, and once they were clear, they made a run for. The pipes still in a bag slung around his back, sticking out as it wasn’t long enough to contain their length.

  Immediately when they reached the door, six infected charged in for the kill.

  Matt said. “Enough of this running and hiding shit.” He pulled up his AR-15 with EO-techholographic reflex sight. He put the red circle on the closest one and open fire like a video game he could not believe how fast he could get on target and kill. The six were quickly cut down.

  Sandra said. “Wow, where you get that?”

  “Off the last raider. Nice of him to keep it in good shape for me. You drive. I’ll ride shotgun.”

  Once in the truck and without even thinking he pulled the magazine and reloaded the rounds he had fired. And slammed it back in the rifle.

  ***

  Meanwhile, at home, Jim worked on the Cannon. First off, he made the propane injection meter. He needed a large chamber to hold the correct amount of gas to give the power to shoot out the one pound of steel nuts but not enough to blow up the pipe and kill whoever is manning it. The only safe way was to build it and test it with a very long string.

  He welded the small pipes onto the larger pipe. The small ¼ inch pipe would be used for the igniter. Simple concept, fill the main chamber with gas. Aim, hit the igniter and hang on. It would kick like a mule so it would have to be mounted or put against a wall. But it would be relatively fast. Shoot, reload with the plunger, fill the chamber, repeat.

  It’s just might work. Be like a large shotgun.

  Three days passed. Jim and Debbie were packed up and headed out. Claire was in good shape. The fence was complete, they could withstand one hell of an attack now. All Matt had to do was finish the cannon and their world would be safer.

  Jim looked at the three. “You still need the propane truck, firewood, and more ammunition.”

  Matt shook his head. “Jim, can you ever just leave without giving us a worklist?”

  Jim laughed. Looking Matt straight in the eye. “You keep everyone safe. We’ll be back in a few days. Hopefully.”

  Debbie was excited finally going to see her children. They drove off at dawn’s early light. First stop, Brannon house, and make the call.

  ***

  Claire said. “Ok you two, I have request. I have been literally locked up and watched for three days. I am fine. Now I want to leave today. Just to feel free again. Do you understand?”

  Sandra said of course. “You and Matt go on the supply run today.”

  Matt said. “Ok grab your stuff and let’s go.”

  As they drove out Sandra felt a tang of jealously. Stop it, she told herself. You are going to get yourself all worked up over nothing.

  ***

  “It was my freshman year of college. I guess college boys like girls with big breasts. I was being harassed by a couple of them. I was so scared, I thought they were going to rape me. They were drunk, and very horny it would seem.” Claire paused.

  “Jet came to my rescue. Pushing them out of way and taking me back to my room. He was my world. I miss him so much.”

  “Jet was a great guy, I miss him too.” Matt said.

  She started crying now. Her body shivered with tears and Matt held her and pulled her into his arms, and comforted her. She cried, and cried, and cried.

  Then, just as suddenly as her outburst had happened, it stopped and she sat up and wiped her tears.

  “Well, I guess shit happens, right? And when it does, we have to clean it up. That’s just how the world works. How the world always works. Good or not, you can’t stop shit from happening to you. From excited glee, to complete irritation. It just doesn’t matter. Life fucks us just the same. Let’s go.” She concluded.

  In a way, he agreed with her. He felt shit just happened, and should not in anyway determine how one lives his or her life.

  Stopping at a gas Station they approached the building. Matt stopped suddenly. What did he hear? They were instantly on alert, it came from in front of them. Seeing movement inside the building. He flipped the safety off the Ar-15 and shoulder it ready for anything.

  “We can take ‘em. I hate these things. Let’s kill them all. We’ll have to face them sooner or later.” She said, her voice brimming with anger.

  “Are you sure, we don’t know how many are in there?”

  Not saying a word, she charged in the store and started shooting.

  Her aim had improved a lot since she started living in the house. She used two hands and took her time. She was way better now than she had been before.

  She quickly plowed through three more infected as Matt stepped out behind her, he shot one, and another charged him, he dropped it with second shot. Two successive shots from his right claimed the lives of two more locos. He turned just in time to see one charge at Claire, he took it down, quickly and turned to the last one, as he raised his gun, it took off towards them.

  “I’ll do the honors,” Claire said, walking towards him. She emptied the magazines of her gun into the infected, and reloaded again.

  She turned to Matt, her face had a plastic expression. “You good?” She asked in a monotone.

  “Yeah, no bites, I’m clean.”

  “Okay let’s…” her voice trailed off, as she spied something over his shoulder. What the hell, it can’t be. She turned, and saw Jet, standing a few feet in front of them. It couldn’t be Jet, her mind was playing tricks on her. But it looked just like him.

  “Jet?” She called, moving forward. Matt held her back.

  “Baby?” She called again.

  “That’s not Jet. Claire snap out of it.” Matt said.

  “It is. Just wait. You’ll see.” She said, shaking off his hold and moving towards Jet.

  “Baby, it’s me. It’s Claire. Do you recognize me?” She said walking towards him gingerly, he tilted his head to the side as he regarded her.

  “I think he recognizes m…” She didn’t finish her statement as the thing suddenly ran and walloped Claire in the back, sending her sprawling to the floor.

  Matt Double tapped him in the chest. It fell to the floor. Grabbing it by the co
llar he dragged it outside into the sunlight. “Look Claire, it’s not Jet.”

  Claire got up and came to stand beside him. Clearly it wasn’t Jet. What was wrong with her? She looked up Matt tears streaming down her face. “Am I going insane?”

  He didn’t know what to say he just hugged her. “It’s going to be ok.”

  “Matt, you have to help me. Don’t let me go insane.”

  “It’s ok.” Matt thought she really was losing it. How the hell did she think Jet could come back? Did she think it was something like that movie Ghost, where Jet takes over someone else body?

  “I won’t but you have to listen to me. Jet is dead. He can’t come back.” They finished up the supply run and returned to the house.

  The next day. Matt collected wood for the stove till late afternoon, and sat down to rest. Claire came out to join him, and together, they sat in silence.

  “You’re a real hard worker.” She commented.

  “Thanks. Force of habit. When I first met Jim and Sandra, he told me I would have to work to earn my keep. Even though he was joking, I took it literally, and he worked me to the bone, and I went with it. He’s a hard worker too. I just try to be more like him.”

  “Yeah. He and Debbie seem happy.”

  “Yeah, they are. They just clicked you know. You’ve heard them bickering, right? They’re like an old married couple sometimes, it’s cute. It’s just weird how it all worked out though. You know, me and Sandra, Jim and Debbie.”

  “Me and no one.” She finished, and bent her head.