The Rabid Mind Two

by Bruce Buckshot Hemming

  “What about all our supplies?”

  “Haul it all up with you. Your camp is overrun and to rebuild it would take more time than to join us.”

  “You must talk it over with Diego and the others.”

  “Great, how do we get to them without fighting through your old camp?”

  “I know a way around them. But you’ll have to spend the night.”

  “No problem. Get in the front truck with me and show us the way.”

  They loaded up and left the area. The other route took several hours to reach the cliffs. But it was worth the extra effort. No more fighting and they only saw a few infected in the woods.

  They climbed up the ladder to the cliffs and hauled the ladder up behind them. Diego was waiting. “Damn good to see you General. Jim will show your men where they can relax and grab some food.”

  “The hive has taken over your camp. They almost got us. Hundreds. Now the really bad news is a larger hive is heading this way.”

  “Wow, you’re just full of good news.”

  “I think your group should join us up north. Talk it over with your people and let us know. But by the looks of your camp you don’t have any chance of putting it back together to beat winter. With combined forces we could have 50 guns to protect our place. Let’s face it, numbers right now matter.”

  “We would be under your command?”

  “Yes, but it’s not a dictatorship. You will have say in everything. I am thinking long term, we need to stay together.”

  “I have to talk it over with my group. Our people would have to decide. How bad is the camp?”

  “I didn’t get a full count but hundreds poured out of the cabins. I am sure whatever you left behind is destroyed. Your fence is torn in several spots. It would not be easy to clean up hundreds of dead not mention you would have to take the cabins back. How many people are you willing to lose to make that happen? Or a better question is, how many can you afford to lose?”

  “We figure they will move on after a few days. No food, we can wait them out, force them to move on.”

  “That might work but if another group moves in after this group leaves. It still comes down to this….. can you be ready for winter in time. If that group we ran into comes here you can never stop them. The safest bet is to come with us. But that is my opinion. You have to decide. My men can take watches so you can have all your people at your meeting.”

  “Enough of the serious talk right now. Come on in and have dinner.”

  After the meal, the sun set and Diego called all his people together. They started the discussion. The General and his men set up watches along the cliffs. Jim and Debbie walked out to the General.

  “How come you’re not in the meeting?” The General asked.

  “We have our own place; it’s a long story how we ended up here after last seeing you.” Jim said. He lit up a smoke.

  “Your group should join us too. There is safety in numbers.”

  “That is true in some ways, but it’s also a target.” Debbie said. “The raiders will hear of it and you’ll be one big bullseye for them.”

  “Again, safety in numbers. We have better security measures set up now. We have surveillance cameras set up to watch the whole fence line.”

  “We’ll let you know after this is over.” Jim said.

  They looked out to the night as a small group of infected wandered up and shrieked up at them. They heard a chopping sound. Jim was thinking, that is strange. No one would be chopping wood for a fire with that many infected around.

  The General’s walkie talkie crackled. “General are you hearing this?”

  “Roger that, what is your take on it.”

  “Not sure, sounds like chopping maybe five or more axes chopping wood.”

  “Can you see anything with your night vision?”

  “Negative, they are too far in the forest.”

  “Stay sharp and report any movement coming this way.”

  “General were you briefed on the leader?” Jim asked.

  “A leader? No fill me in.”

  “They had a leader. He could order them around. The really weird part was he talked to us.”

  “Talked? Really what did he say?”

  “He called us humans. He said shoot ourselves and let his army feast on our bodies.”

  “Holy shit, are you serious? This is first time we heard of one talking, what else did he say?”

  “That was it, we hauled ass out of there.”

  “A talking leader? Great what the hell are we dealing with? Called you humans? Wow, it thinks we are animals to be used for food.”

  “I guess it’s the most bizarre thing we have run across.”

  “Jim, would you be so kind to go ask Diego to join me for a moment.”

  “No problem.” The uncertainty of what they were up to hung in the air. Like a storm, you can hear coming but can’t see.

  Jim walked into the meeting room. People were arguing over staying put. He heard as he walked in….. “Can we truly trust them? What if they want us to be their slaves?”

  Diego stood up. “Everyone calm down. I think we need a break, let everyone get control of their emotions. Meet back here in ten.”

  Jim walked up to Diego. “The General wants to have a word with you.”

  They walked out together. The General smiled, “Have you guys decided yet?”

  “No, emotions are getting heated so we’re taking a break. What did you want to see me for?”

  “Listen.”

  At first, he didn’t hear anything and thought this was waste of time. Then he heard it and thought, what in the hell. “What is that?”

  “It sounds like axes chopping wood.”

  “Chopping wood? What, are these things building fires? Are they cooking up our livestock?” Diego had a confused look on his face.

  “I’ve never seen them cook or build fires before. But then, I never heard one talk until yesterday. Who knows, maybe this hive is different.” Jim replied.

  “What else would they chop wood for?” The General asked.

  “Here is a scary thought. What if they are rebuilding the camp fence? You know, making it their hive headquarters?” Diego said.

  “For what to defend against other hives? This one has a leader that can talk. Clearly, he is smarter. But why? Is there enough food here for them?”

  “We had some livestock but that would have fed a large group for maybe two days. No reason I can think of them to stay? I have to get back to the meeting. Anything changes, let me know.”

  Returning to the meeting they talked it over for another hour and held a vote. Right in the middle of the vote, Jim came running in. “Tell me you have another way out of here?”

  Diego could hear the urgency in his voice. “Yes, there is an old goat path that we can take out in emergency why?”

  “They are bringing ladders to attack us.”

  “Oh, fuck. Seriously?”

  “Yes, all that chopping was for building ladders.”

  “Everyone, battle Stations. Carla, you and Debbie get the rest of the women and children and start the evac.”

  Diego heart stopped. Ladders? Bewilderment struck him hard. How the hell did they learn how to build things? The perplexity of this new development bothered him. If they keep learning, we will lose, no matter what we do.

  ***

  “Claire, you and Lisa go downstairs, don’t let them inside. Sandra, you’re my loader for the cannon and he ripped the tarp off. The shrieking was super loud, he could smell them now, the putrid nausea of the dead they had fed on. Opened the valve he counted. One, two, three up to ten. He closed the valve, aimed at the front yard and fired. Metal shot, like an invisible chain, cut through thirty of the infected in the front. “Reload,” he yelled. Opening the valve as Sandra used t
he plunger to seat the next sock full of death. He yelled. “Clear.” He swung to the back. Boom another thirty or more were cut down. The only problem was the two sides where he could not get clear shot due to being in the middle of the roof. Damn, we need a cannon on each side, he thought. If we live that will be fixed. “Reload.”

  Back to the front. Boom. They were gaining on them, only twenty dead this time but there was less to shoot at. “Reload.” Swinging around to the rear he fired again, clearing a large path. Only a few wounded were left staggering around. “Reload.” He waited until Sandra finish closing the valve, and swung around to the front. The front was almost clear now but he aimed at small cluster. Hit the ignitor and heard pfft. The sock fell out a few feet from the cannon. “Shit, out of propane.”

  “Sandra, run down to the Kitchen counter, more green one pound propane bottles, bring at least two.”

  “Back in flash.” Sandra disappearing down the hatch.

  Matt picking up the Ar-15 and started clearing the front. He could hear the ladies shooting out the door. But he could not see them. They were too close to the house. Running to the side he started killing them as fast as he could pull the trigger. But they were smart, going to the front or back to get away from his deadly fire. As he changed out magazines he heard that guttural grunt again. One of these bastard is giving orders, he thought.

  He next switched to the back and cleared all he could see and ran over to the other side and opened fire on all he could see there. Sandra returned and they changed out the propane bottle and filled the chamber ready to fire. They were all clear. He swung around looking, no targets. Not wanting to waste the gas he shot over the back fence at a cluster of them he saw. Sandra reloaded, but he never touched the valve to refill the propane. No targets, the rest pulled back out of sight.

  He could still hear the shooting below. He heard wood splintering. Next, he heard one of ladies yelling, “They broke through the door, head for the roof.”

  Matt climbed down the hatch and helped the ladies up in the attic. Pulling the ladder up behind them and shutting the door.

  Lisa had her baby and she was crying now from all the noise. They had stashed some supplies up here. Food, water, and extra ammo. Not much, maybe three days’ total. They could hear them running below tearing up the house. Stepping back out on the roof he heard that deep growl again. And the attack started. Pouring over the two sides where the cannon was useless.

  “Shit, they’re learning quick. Sandra, Claire, back to your side, kill as many as you can.”

  The locos were smart now, running across the opening and staying close to the house, working their way up to the front door that was broken open. They stopped shooting. “Reload all the magazines you can find, you three,” Matt called out. He walked to each side but there were none left to shoot at. How many were in the house? A hundred or more was his best guess. He could hear the Caldwell Mag Charger TAC 30 AR-15 Magazine Loader refilling magazines. Having three Ar-15 sure helped. With this reloader they could refill 30 rounds in 15 seconds.

  Where was the damn leader? How could he talk to them and help them avoid the cannon? He could hear the horde in the house tearing things apart below them. How the hell were they going to clear them all out?

  Sandra walked over and handed him a bottle of water. He took a big drink and said. “Thank you.”

  “What is the plan?”

  “Not sure right now. Survive the night. Clear the house in the morning.”

  “You make it sound easy. There are at least a hundred if not more. We don’t have enough guns to take them on. Unless you know a way, we can’t stay protected when we have to reload?” Sandra said.

  Claire walked over to them. “Matt, we need to get steel reinforced doors after this, something they can’t splinter.”

  “We have to survive right now and clean them out. You have any ideas for that?” Matt replied.

  “Tear gas?” She smiled at him.

  “If only we had some it might work. Any other ideas?” Matt asked.

  “Bait. We get to the truck open the gate and lure them out of here. Drive just fast enough to stay in front of them. Once we get a few miles out of town, lose them and double back.” Sandra said.

  “That is good Idea, I like it. Leave Lisa and the baby here. The three of us climb down off the roof, sneak to the truck and drive out. Only problem is the front gate. Once they heard the truck start they will be flooding out the door.”

  “I will unlock the gate. You two get the truck, pick me up on the way.”

  “Ok, Sandra drives, I will be in the back to give you covering fire. There are too many dead on the pikes, we’re going to have to hit it going pretty fast to knock it open. Claire, you have to sneak up and unlock the gate and sneak back. Can you do that?

  “Matt, you should do the gate. I’ll drive Claire, will give you covering fire.”

  “Ok, now how do we get off the roof without making too much noise?”

  “Use the tarp to climb down.” Matt said.

  Lisa had been sitting on the stairs leading to the roof. She heard it all and walked out. “Do I have a say in this?”

  “Of course, we are open for new ideas. What do you think?” Matt asked.

  “I think that is dumb idea, the three of you leaving me here alone with the baby. If you get killed I’ll be trapped up here slowly starving to death.”

  “Good point, what is your idea?” Sandra asked.

  “Matt, you go by yourself. You unlock the gate and go to the truck. Drive out, I take it one of you two, (looking at Claire and Sandra) knows how to work the cannon right?

  “Yes, we both do, why? Claire said.

  “We can give Matt covering fire from up here. Once he heads out with the truck we let them chase after him, when the majority is clear of the house we kill as many as we can with the cannon.”

  “Or I go in Matt’s place.” Claire said.

  “I’ll do it, I can run faster than you can. It’s settled, that is the plan, so let’s get some sleep. I will take the first watch. If you hear me shooting, get up here, fast.” Matt said.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Sacrifice

  Diego and his men looked out at the night. They could hear them shrieking and grunting below but at first they could not see the ladders. Their eyes adjusted to the night and they saw in horror the infected were carrying ladders up to the wall. The General took charge naturally without even thinking about it. “Don’t let them get the ladder put up concentrate your fire on the one carrying the ladders.”

  They light off-road flares and tossed them down to ground so they could see to shoot. The shooting started out and sounded like the roar of death. Raining hot lead down, dropping any that were touching the ladders. The ladders were large and heavy, needing twenty or more to carry them. Once they killed ten or more the ladder fell to the ground.

  George watched as his Army was shot up. Humans trying to stop them from feeding, how selfish. His infected Army trusted him to provide fresh food and blood for their thirst. He called out in a grunt and his Army retreated back to him. The humans have more guns now. How could they get the ladders up? He looked at the cliffs twenty-five feet straight up. The moonlight lit up the cliffs and with his superior night vision he could see a deep crack in the cliff wall. He pointed it out to his main man and grunt his command. That would provide them cover from the deadly guns.

  He walked out surrounded by his security detail and called out, “Humans, Humans, you’re losing.” His mind struggled for the words.

  A voice answered from the cliff. “What are you, monster, psycho, loco?”

  “Humans, I’m your superior race. You’re like rats to be cleaned out. Let my people feed, surrender. You can’t win. We’ll kill you all, humans!”

  His main man snuck up and put the ladder in the crack, his troops were climbing now.

&
nbsp; The General answered back. “I have another idea. How about we kill you all like rats?”

  “Stupid humans. You can shoot yourself in the head so we can feed or we can feed on you alive. But we will feed on you all.”

  His Army now made the cliff, they snuck along the edge. He heard the gunshot and saw one of his men fall off the cliff. He shrieked out his command the rest surge forward. The charge on the cliff began, they overran one man and tossed him down to the ground and raced forward. The gun fire erupted answering their advance, but too late, in the darkness the men on the cliffs had not realized the cliff was breached. Hundreds more poured up the ladder and joined the others on the cliffs.

  The General ran up to Diego. “We lost the cliffs. Get your men out of here, we’ll be right behind you.”

  Diego called out for his men to retreat. They headed for the goat trail. More ladders made the cliffs.

  The General’s men did a tactical retreat. Falling back and holding a new line, with intense firefighting to hold them back. But with the new ladders they didn’t have the fire power to stop the hundreds coming in. More of his men fell. He called to the remaining of his men, “Abandon the line, let’s move.” They headed out at a dead run straight for the goat trail.

  The infected, sensing victory, charged forward at breakneck speed, their prey in sight now. Climbing over the dead with a single thought, fresh hot blood. Their leader was right, they had won, now for their prize.

  The General and his remaining men made the goat trail. The General stopped at a boulder and sat down and pulled out his last hope. A M-67 grenade. His mind tried to recall the details. What was the kill zone? Fifty feet to sixty feet, behind him was the perfect spot. The cave opening to the trail would bunch them up, maybe he could kill thirty of them and stop the charge.