The Rabid Mind Two

by Bruce Buckshot Hemming

  He yanked the string and they heard a low bang and looking out, the sock flew out about ten feet and dropped to the ground.

  Claire laughed. “That should scare the hell out of them. They might trip on the sock.”

  Sandra started laughing. “They will be terrified of that white sock.”

  Matt glared at them both. “That is why we run a test.” He walked off to refill the propane. His pride was hurt and he thought, I’ll show them. He opened the valve counted to ten and shut the valve.

  Walking back, he said. “This should be worth watching.” He pulled the string. Boom. The sock flew out about hundred yards. Smashed through the plywood target, leaving a huge hole. Damn we are going to have to work on this. That sock is not tearing open and letting the steel nuts spread out.

  Claire said. “I have an idea.” She took her knife out and cut the sock so there was only two inches left above the nuts. Closing it off and placing duct tape on it. “This should work.”

  They stuffed it down the three-inch Schedule 40 pipe to the rear, where the four-inch pipe held the gas. The four-inch pipe was capped with a small hole to allow the gas to push out covered by a flapper valve.

  The third test was a success. The sock opened. At forty yards, they had eight foot spread on their plywood targets.

  “Now we have something to use but it weights a ton. We need to rig up a mounting system. I thing we can do this on the roof using the chimney. It will take some rigging up but once we get it up we should be safe. We could cover the whole area around the house.”

  Using 2x4 and plywood they built a level platform on the roof. The next part took some engineering. Matt took a two-inch steel pipe with threads on one end, cut a two-inch hole in the roof and fed the pipe down to a flange that screwed on the end of the pipe. The flange had six holes and he used ½ inch lag bolts to secure it to the roof. It was next to the chimney. He next drilled holes in the concrete block and used metal straps to bolt the pipe in. Just to be extra safe he took a tie down strap around the chimney and the pipe. That should be able to handle the recoil of the cannon. Last, he welded an inch and half steel pipe onto the cannon. This slid inside the two-inch pipe. He could swivel 360 degrees now. He rigged up crude sights. They covered the whole thing with a tarp to keep the rain out. From the attic, they made a hatch so they could get on the roof from the inside.

  ***

  The General and his men had a ten-hour drive to get down to the cliffs. The lead truck was the county snow plow truck. They could clear just about anything off the road. Followed by three GMC Yukon’s. What the General would give to have mortars, machine guns right now. Armed with only small arms AR-15 and 9mm pistols. It would have to do.

  They had hooked up CB-radios so all they could stay in touch. The General rode shotgun in the plow truck. Around midnight they ran smack into a huge hive, maybe two thousand strong.

  The General told the driver to stop. He called on the radio, “everyone, we are stopping, come up beside us to have a look.” They had just crested a hill and looking down, the road was filled with infected walking.

  “Son of bitch, that is a lot to get through. The infected turned around after seeing their headlights and charged at them. The radio crackled alive. “What is the plan?” The urgency could be heard with every word.

  The General grabbed the mic and looked at the driver. “We are driving through them. You all get behind us, we’re Zombie plowing now so stay tight and conserve your ammo.”

  The large five-ton truck jerked forward as the driver put it to the floor shifting gears as fast as he could to get their speed up. “Hang on.”

  They plowed through the infected and like snowflakes they rolled off to the sides with broken legs, arms, crush skulls. About one third of the way through they were slowing down. The General called out. “What is wrong?”

  The driver downshifted trying to keep them moving. “Too many.”

  Picking up the radio the General said. “Boys we are in trouble. Stop, turn around and back off. Don’t try to save us, too many of them. We will keep going as far as we can.”

  “General some are getting under the truck and getting caught up in the drive shafts. Sooner or later they’re going to stop so you turn around and follow us back, you can’t make it.” Came over the radio.

  “You three go first, turn around and get out of here. We’ll be right behind you.”

  The three Yukon’s swung around and headed back up the hill. “Ok, Ben slam on the brakes, put us in reverse and drive us back. Once you’re clear of the horde turn around and get us the hell out of here.”

  Once the truck stopped the horde advance on it with a vengeance. Climbing over the plow and gaining the hood of the truck. Other swarmed on the side. In reverse he backed up but the large truck was at snail pace in reverse. The General yelled. “Can’t this thing go any faster?”

  Like watching a movie on slow motion the truck backed into a driveway to a house. The windshield and windows had been covered with steel mesh to protect against the infected. They grabbed hold and tried to rip it off but the welds held. The General rolled down his window and using his Berretta 9mm he started shooting the ones on his side.

  The truck swung around and started forward up the hill. The shrieking of the horde was becoming overwhelming and suddenly the truck jerked and bounce and stopped. “What is wrong?”

  “I think the driveshaft broke.” Ben said.

  The horde was all over the truck now. Beating on everything trying to get in. The CB radio crackle to life. “What is going on? How come your stopped? Get out of there.”

  The General picked up the mic and yelled over the noise. “We are broken down, think the driveshaft broke. There is too many so you guys back off find a place to hide, we’ll stay until morning.”

  “But General, we can set up fire team and clear you a path to the vehicles. “

  “Negative you get out. We are going radio silent; you keep a man on the radio; if we need help we’ll call. Don’t call us.”

  Ben was in full panic mode. “We have to get out of here we are going to die.” His eyes were wild with panic he looked around fanatically trying to find an escape route. “General, we can do it, shoot a path clear and run for the others.” We’re going to die if we stay here.”

  “Ben, calm down and get a hold of yourself.”

  “General, are you insane we are overwhelmed, we’re gonna die.” His hysteria was building to the breaking point.

  “He reached for the door handle I’m getting out of here.” The shrieking and pounding on the truck the noise was insane. Adding to Ben anxiety.

  The General grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him toward him and slapped him across the face. “Get a hold of yourself and calm down, I have plan. You open that door and we are both dead, do you understand.”

  The man eyes focused. ‘Good, good you have a plan what is the plan.” He was panting. Breathing too fast. His apprehension of being killed causing him to panic.

  “First thing. Calm down, get control of your emotions. Relax, zone out the noise breath. Now think. They can see us, that is the problem. We have blankets so the plan is to lay on the floor and cover up with the blankets. No talking no noise. They will get bored and move on.”

  “But, but what if they get in?” He swallowed the bile in the back of his throat to stop himself from vomiting. The uncertainty of survival was the foremost thought in his mind.

  “Come on, the welds are holding. They can’t get in, the doors are locked.”

  “Are you sure it’s going to work?”

  “Of course, it will, they are sight hunters. When they can longer see, us they will think we escaped and wander off.”

  Within five minutes of laying down the noise started to dim down. Within 15 minutes the infected started wandering off.

  After an hour, the General looked out, a f
ew wandering around but the hive had moved on. Picking up the radio he whispered into the mic.

  “Status report.”

  “We are good General.”

  “Ok, hole up get some sleep but maintain a watch. Come get us in the morning.”

  “Roger that General, good to hear your voice.”

  “Same here see you in few hours.”

  Ben sat up and looked around. “Ah, General, sorry for losing it.” He had calmed down and now feel guilt ridden for almost getting them both killed.

  “No worries Ben, now get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.”

  ***

  The next morning Matt was up working on the roof. Working on the cannon to swivel. He added grease to the pipe so it swiveled smoothly.

  Sandra and Claire talked over coffee. “Claire, what did you mean by share Matt?”

  Claire looked at her friend, was she ready to hear what she really thought? Too soon, have to go slow. Give her time to get use to the idea. “Share his time. You know, there are the three of us and he is going to spend time with me. You shouldn’t feel threatened by it.”

  “Is that all you mean?”

  “Sandra, what do you want me to say? Yes, he is cute and if you two were not together I would be all over him. But we can’t have tension between us. We have to find a way to work this out. If you relax and allow Matt freedom to spend time with me without jealously the tension would leave. Share his time. Can you do that?”

  “I’m trying. But I love him. We have been through a lot together and I can’t stand the thought of losing him.”

  “You’re not losing him, he loves you.”

  The worry flashed over Sandra face. It would be her fault. No one to blame but herself. She would have to trust Matt. Stop acting crazy. “You’re right Claire, thank you.”

  That evening just before sunset. Matt was locking up the gate and heard the screaming. “A woman off in the distance.”

  He opened the gate ran inside “Sandra, Claire we got problems. Grab your gear. I’m taking the truck you two stay back at the gate, if it goes bad I will be back in a flash, close the gate behind me.”

  “What is going on?” Sandra asked.

  Claire and her were putting on their battle vest. Matt grabbed his and the Ar-15. “Not sure, I heard a woman screaming. Going to check it out.” Matt took off with the truck and the ladies watched him go down out of sight. The silence was broken by the sound of rifle fire. Bang, bang, bang, bang. They could hear Matt yelling. “Get in the truck.”

  They heard tires squealing and soon Matt’s truck was in sight. Behind him made the girls stomach flip. A hive, a solid wall of infected running after them.

  “Holy shit. We’re fucked.” Claire said.

  Matt whipped the truck in, a young woman holding a baby was inside the truck. Sandra closed and locked the gate.

  Matt, getting out of the truck, yelled, “Ladies on the roof. Battle stations.”

  The woman had the deer in the headlight look as she got out of the truck. “I have never seen that many.”

  “Come on inside.” Matt said. The hive hit the fence, the first one impaled on the pikes. Running inside Matt locked the front door. “Lady have a seat we are going to be on the roof.”

  “I can fight. Name’s Lisa.”

  “Not now, take care of the baby and try to keep him from crying.”

  He ran to the ladder leading to the roof. He heard the ladies already shooting. He got up on the roof and looked out. Fuck, hundreds of them. The pikes were already filled up and the others were climbing over their dead comrades.

  “Ladies, save your ammo for the ones getting over the fence.” He lined up on them and started firing. They quickly gained the upper hand and over thirty dead lined the yard. They heard a strange grunt and the hive backed off. They walked along the fence looking for a weak spot.

  “Fuck, one of these is a leader.” Claire called out.

  “Which one, kill it.” Sandra replied.

  “Reload. I’ll get a spotlight.”

  He climbed down and ran into his bedroom and grabbed two 12 volt spotlights.

  The shooting started up again. They now looked for weakness in the fence trying to pull the pikes out of the ground. Claire was dropping them and Sandra watch the others as they slowly circled the fence prying, testing, looking. Any that grabbed and tried to pull a pike, she shot.

  Matt turned on the spotlight, the sight took their breath away. Hundreds. Pacing the fence line. “Ladies, make ever shot count.”

  Lisa walked out on the roof. “Give me a gun, I can shoot.”

  “There is 10/22 Ruger with 25 round magazines over by the platform. Make every shot count. Head shots!”

  Once the things walked all the way around. No one had noticed they were splitting up. They heard a strange shriek growl almost a deep voice but the words made no sense. They attacked all four sides.

  “Don’t let them inside the wire. Kill them all.” Matt was covering the front gate. Sandra on the right-side Claire on the back and Lisa covering the left side. The war erupted as the blood spilled the screaming was intense as hundreds climbed over their fallen comrades to get to the goal of fresh blood. They were in the eye of the storm.

  Lisa yelled. “They getting through, I can’t kill them fast enough.”

  Claire yelled out. “We lost the back.”

  Sandra screamed in pure panic. “We lost it, we are all going to die.”

  Matt shined the spotlight around all four sides. Death was coming for them. The grime ripper was knocking on the door. That was Matt’s only thoughts. We’re trapped in this ring of terror.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Battle stations.

  Within an hour of making it to the cliffs the two scouts reported back that the hive had made it to them. They hauled the ladder up and watched the hive below. They shriek in anger at losing their prey. They tried climbing the cliffs but the straight up and down solid rock walls could not be climbed.

  The next morning Diego looked out from the safety of the cliffs. He saw a few of the infected in the shadows of the cliffs. Good, they have to hide from the sun. We have a chance. Jim walked up to him.

  “Good plan. Staging supplies here. How long can we survive here?”

  Diego scratched his beard. “Three weeks, maybe a month before we run out of food.”

  “They have to move on long before that. They have to feed. We literally can starve them out waiting for us. I give them a couple days.”

  “I agree, the problem is the General and his men are coming to help us. How the hell can we warn them to stay back?”

  “The General from up North?”

  “Yes, you know him?”

  “Yes, we helped him out a few weeks back. Good people.”

  “He is coming down with a fire team. I think these are overwhelming numbers and they might not be able to hold them back. I would hate to be the cause of their deaths.”

  “Does he know about this place?”

  “Yes, he knows this is our fall-back position. We need to send a three-man fire team to go back and warn the General when he comes. He should have been here at first light.”

  “I’ll go.”

  “Sorry Jim, thanks, but we need fast men who can run. Young men who are in great shape. No offense, but you would be doing good to run one quarter of a mile. You’re a smoker.”

  “You’re right, getting too old to play solider.”

  They sent out the three-man team. They snuck through the woods the man on point carried a cross bow. Any stragglers they found he took them out with a shot to the head. They left the trucks and walked the area getting a good feel for where the enemy was hiding. So far it was one or two hiding under brush, avoiding the sun. Where was their main force?

  Reaching the camp, they stopped and
observed the camp for movement. Something was wrong. The smell of the dead was thick. The bodies of hundreds lay everywhere. Without the trucks, it took them a few hours to reach the camp. It was close to ten o’clock. The leader called on the walkie talkie. “No signs of the General or his men.”

  Diego answered, “Roger that, give them a few hours, if they don’t show up return to camp.”

  An hour later they heard the vehicles coming. They had been hiding in the back woods. When they heard the vehicles, they walked through the back gate. The vehicles pulled in the front gate and stopped. The three-man team were just past the cabins. They recognize the Black Yukons. They heard a grunting sound, turning around just in time to see the horde pouring out of the cabins.

  They ran to the Yukon’s as twelve men jumped out set up fire teams. Their Ar-15 open fired. The team reached them and joined their ranks firing on the horde rapidly advancing on them. The General called out, “Cease fire; in the trucks, let’s get out of here.”

  Each man from Diego group jumped in a different vehicle and they all put it in reverse and backed out of there, gravel flying. Turning around they cleared the area and stopped in an open field two miles away. Getting out of the truck the General gave orders to set up security detail around the vehicles. “Now which one of you is in charge, I need a briefing on what the hell is going on.”

  A tall young man stepped up. “General, we lost the camp last night and fell back to the cliffs. This morning the three of us were sent to warn you that we estimate they are seven hundred or more strong. We had no idea they were hiding in the cabins.”

  “I figured that out by the surprised look on your faces when you ran to join us. How many people did you lose last night when the camp was taken?”

  “Seven men and two teenage boys. Diego thinks you should retreat back to your camp. With no food around here they should be gone in a few days. He is requesting you return in a week and help us rebuild the fence.”

  “I have a better idea. Last night we hit a hive of maybe two thousand. Our lead vehicle was a county snowplow truck. We tried to drive through them but too many got in behind us and wrapped up on the driveshaft stopping us dead in our tracks. Luckily, we had welded reinforced fencing over the windows and windshield so they couldn’t break in. In the morning, the rest of our teams returned to pick us up. I have a theory they are heading south. Trying for Mexico for warmer weather. I believe your groups should combine with us. We have enough room. We can haul in trailer houses and rig them up with wood stoves to get through the winter.”