by DeLeon, Jon
“Agatha came over and gave it to us as a welcoming gift. She’s giving me the tour in about an hour. I’ll be working with her soon, doing water purification and pumping. She was telling me about it a little last night, but she’ll give me the full details later today. Speaking of that, how was your tour? Does the place look nice?”
Tyler accepted a bowl and sat down at the table. “Coffee and chicken noodle soup, this is an awesome day! Yeah, the camp really does seem well set up, like a good system.”
Kurt sat down as well. His response was not as peppy. “It’s not bad, still not home though.”
“We’ve got guard duty today. First day on the job,” Tyler said after a big gulp of soup.
“Yeah, I’m going to pass on the soup and get some sleep,” Kurt said.
“Should have had coffee,” Tyler murmured.
“Maybe, but I’ll take sleep today,” Kurt said while lying down on the couch.
“Kurt, we’re both up. Take the bed,” Liz volunteered.
“Great idea. You’ve never been in the bed yet, have you, Kurt?”
Kurt swallowed, a little awkward.
Tyler continued. “Go experience it. I’m sure you know, what’s mine is yours. All you have to do is take it.”
An awkward silence overtook the room.
“Don’t say it like that. Now it sounds weird,” Liz said.
“What? I’m just saying, he may as well enjoy everything, right?”
Kurt turned away, head into the couch, and went to sleep.
The Settlement: Outbreak Day +11
Kurt and Tyler walked up to the hunting blind overlooking the gate for their first guard duty. Tyler was bundled up in his warm clothes, while Kurt was in his winter jacket and jeans, carrying his entire backpacking pack with him.
Tyler yelled up to the blind, “Philip! Time for us to take over.”
Philip climbed down the ladder a few seconds later. “You’re on time! Good, I hate tardiness. Where are your guns?”
Tyler pulled out his pistol, showing it to Philip.
“Just a handgun? Well shit.” Philip slung a rifle off his shoulder. “Here, take this hunting rifle too.” He handed it to Tyler, who was closest. Tyler took it and handed the handgun to Kurt. Kurt tucked it in his coat pocket.
“Are you going on a hike, Kurt?” Philip asked, smiling playfully.
“He wouldn’t come without it,” Tyler said.
“I don’t go anywhere without it. If I need to run, I’d rather be prepared,” Kurt said equally as playfully.
“You’re safe here. No need to lug that thing around. Here, hand it over and I’ll carry it back to your RV,” Philip said, taking a step toward Kurt.
Kurt stepped back. “Thanks, but I’ll keep it.” This time, his voice was purely serious.
Philip lowered his extended arm that had been reaching for the pack. “Suit yourself. Anyway, boys, enjoy your first guard duty. Albert will replace you at eleven tonight. There is a little solar-powered heater up there in the blind. Just don’t move it much. It’s finicky. You won’t get too cold today, but eventually when you get a nighttime guard duty, you’ll need that little heater. It gets cold, real cold. For now, just keep one eye looking outside for movement. Occasionally you’ll see a deer or some other animal. If it’s a good size, get it. Nothing better than a camp-wide feast. Just make sure you don’t miss. That rifle is sighted well and shoots straight even with a cold barrel. Well boys, enjoy your guard duty. I’m going to figure out what my boys have gotten up to.” Philip turned and headed down the road toward town.
Kurt took a seat on the floor and Tyler on a small camping stool that had been set up so the guard could sit and see easily out the window gap in the blind. Tyler looked around, nodding his head at the sturdy construction of the roof.
“Have you ever been hunting?” Kurt asked Tyler.
“Yeah, a few times, mostly when I was in high school. My dad, uncle and I went as a family-bonding experience, but always with a bow.” Tyler laughed. “My dad used to say it was cheating to use a rifle. Didn’t stop him from teaching us how to shoot though. What about you?”
“Nah, we went camping every once in a while, but that’s about it. My brother and I used to go shooting but never got into hunting.”
“Tell me more about you brother,” Tyler said.
“Joe? What do you want to know?” Kurt asked.
“Anything, we have a lot of time to kill,” Tyler responded.
“Well he’s pretty much the man. He was always the sports star, always smart in general. And probably the thing I was most jealous of growing up, all the girls loved him. Even with a little jealousy and frustration when girls would come up to me and tell me to get him to call them or tell him they thought he was hot, we were always best friends. We were always there for each other. That’s what made it hard when he went into the military. All of a sudden, he wasn’t there, and I couldn’t be there for him. It was just a vacuum that hasn’t really ever been filled.”
Tyler sat quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say. He decided to just ask another question. “What branch?”
“Army,” Kurt answered, snapping out of a little funk. “He’s Special Forces. So he’s gone, most times doing crazy shit. Cool shit but crazy shit. Joe’s always been a fighter. I was always the runner. If he was in Miami when this all started, I’ll bet he fought a bunch of zombies, probably saved some people.”
“Kurt, if he is still alive, I’ll make sure you find him.”
“Thanks.”
A minute of silence followed. Tyler hated silence, so he picked the conversation back up. “What’s in that pack that is so important anyway? I told you Philip would give you shit.”
“Yeah, you did.” Kurt laughed. “It’s just some camping gear, mainly backpacking equipment.”
“Anything to eat? I just got real hungry for some reason.”
“Actually yeah. I have a little stove and a few dehydrated soups at the bottom, if that sounds appetizing.”
“You’ve been holding back! Set it up and cook us a snack.”
Kurt set up the little single-flame stove and cooked a small pot of soup, pouring it into two metal mugs he had fished out of his backpack.
“Kurt, I know you want to be with your brother and all, but I’m glad you happened to cross my path. You’re a good guy.”
“Thanks, man,” Kurt answered, holding his little metal mug out. Tyler clinked his metal mug against Kurt’s. Together they sat watching the sun sinking lower on the horizon. Sunset on their first guard duty.
The Settlement: Outbreak Day +12
“Wake up, Kurt.” Tyler nudged him awake.
Kurt was instantly pulled from a deep sleep. Tyler and Kurt had gotten back last night surprisingly tired from their first guard duty. Kurt had fallen asleep instantly and passed out hard. Tyler waking him up threw him into a slight panic.
“What’s going on?” Kurt shot up ready to run, his heart racing.
“Whoa, calm down, man,” Tyler said. “It’s breakfast time. Liz left us some plates before leaving for her shift at the water pump. The food is still warm but not for long. I guess some other people here, that German couple, have chickens. They give eggs to people on a rotation. We won the jackpot today as a welcome gift. So it’s scrambled eggs today.”
“Really?” Kurt said, in a shock.
“I know, right? Come on, let’s eat.”
Tyler and Kurt voraciously ate the plates of eggs.
Tyler looked up from his nearly clean plate. Just a single piece of egg remained. “Kurt, I want to stay here. I think it’s a safe place. There are more people. Winter is starting to come. I think it’s a good call.”
Kurt felt himself getting nervous. “The only reason we are alive is because we have kept moving. We can’t just stop now.”
“Kurt, we have been running from an unknown existence. Here we have a village, we have protection, we have fresh water, we have propane and gas. This place is perfect.”
“I still feel in my gut, we need to keep moving. Stay on the run.”
“I know you are holding onto your dream of seeing your brother again, but this place changes everything.”
“This isn’t about my brother.”
“Of course it is.”
Kurt couldn’t lie. “It isn’t only about him.”
Tyler shook his head.
“Listen, I’m telling you, if we want to be really safe, we need to keep moving. If we become stagnant, something bad is going to happen. I feel it in my gut.”
“Look around you, Kurt!” Tyler gestured with his hands in a wide circle. “The world is gone. Here we can have a sense of normal.”
Kurt asked, extremely confused, “Are you saying you want to stay here permanently?”
“This is a fresh start. After everything, this place could be a new home, for all of us.”
“I can’t do that. You know I have to get back home.”
“This can be home.”
“I can’t.”
Tyler leaned forward, lowering his tone. “Then let’s stay here for a couple of months. For winter at least. If you still feel the same after that time, then we can talk about us all going together. I don’t want to try roughing it in the winter, man. That’s just not smart. You have to see that.”
Kurt mulled it over. Winter snowstorms would be coming soon. The rain and freeze earlier had made the roads hell. Full winter would be impassable. “You may be right,” he said.
“I am.”
“Fine. Let’s stay until spring,” Kurt said, nodding his head.
“Deal,” Tyler said, smiling.
The Settlement: Outbreak Day +42
Kurt zipped his jacket up higher, attempting to fight against the cold. The Russian freeze had come in completely. Ice and snow had covered the whole forest. He was walking back to the settlement after Tyler had just relieved him of guard duty.
Guard duty had been split into shorter times during the winter. Philip, Brandon, Jonathan, Kurt, Tyler and three other men in the camp each had solo guard duties lasting only three hours, each on a set rotation, to minimize the time spent sitting in the cold. To make things worse, the mini heater had stopped working. The tree blind was now an icebox.
As Kurt arrived home, he welcomed the warmth of the RV as he opened the door and a wave of heat hit him. He sat down and took his boots and frozen coat off, feeling himself come back to life.
“Welcome back!” Liz said in a peppy tone.
“Wow, you’re happy! How was your shift?” Kurt asked as he melted and put on a large sweater.
“It was good! I got done a little early today. I guess people aren’t using as much water since it’s cold.” Water purification had been set on a similar rotation. Liz was on the same hours shift as Kurt. “It felt extra cold today though. Thankfully since we spend a fair amount of time carrying stuff around, once you get moving, it sort of doesn’t affect you as much.”
“Lucky. I froze my ass off just sitting there staring at nothing.”
“No, not that cute little butt,” Liz said, laughing and winking at Kurt. “Hey, do you want to play cards again?”
“Sure, what’s the game today? Poker again? I smoked you last time we played that!”
“Yeah, you did! Thank God we were just playing for play chips and not something more serious. Today’s game is cribbage. Do you know how to play?”
“Yeah, cribbage is pretty fun. Do we have a board?”
“No, I figured we’d just count up to 121.”
“Oh, gotcha. Cool, let’s play.”
“I think I’ll beat you today. I’m feeling lucky.”
“Really?” Kurt said sarcastically while moving to the table. “I wouldn’t bet on it if I were you.”
“Oh? Do you want to make a bet?” Liz responded. “We could make this really interesting.”
Kurt felt his heart skip a beat for a second. His intuition told him he could push it and rekindle what had sparked that night in the back of the RV. “You feel that lucky, huh?”
“Yeah,” Liz smiled at Kurt sitting on the other side of the table. “What kind of bet are you thinking?”
Kurt had ideas in his mind, none that would end up good. He listened to his heart. “No bets today, just the right to know I beat you in the game of your choosing.”
“Lame,” Liz said back, smirking.
“Shuffle.”
“Fine.” Liz shuffled the cards and started playing. She started talking in the middle of the play round. “Eight, oh, so guess what.”
“Eighteen for two. What?”
“Twenty-eight. I know someone who has a crush on you.”
“Go. Who?” Kurt was afraid that she was going to say herself. He also secretly wanted her to say that.
“Thirty-one for two. Brigiette, the Austrian girl.”
“Four. Really? I’ve talked to her like five times.”
“Well she does. Thirteen.”
“Probably just a matter of me being the only guy her age around here. Not like there’s a lot of choice. Twenty-three.”
“Kurt, any girl would be lucky to have you. You’re cute. You’re funny. You’re kind. You’re a good kisser.”
Kurt looked at Liz with a guilty face.
“Sorry, but it’s true.” Liz put her cards down on the table, suddenly looking sad.
“What’s wrong?” Kurt asked.
“That’s how I used to describe Tyler. Key word, used to.”
“That’s two words,” Kurt quipped jokingly.
Liz wasn’t amused. “Seriously, I thought things would get better now that we’re safe. They haven’t. I just don’t know what to do. I just want to be happy again. Happy like I am when it’s just me and you.”
“Give him time. It’s hard to be open emotionally, period. Even more so in a zombie apocalypse.”
“I know it is, but all the things I loved about him are disappearing. He may as well be a zombie. It’s killing off the best parts of him. It’s not doing that to you. You’re still your amazing self.”
“Thanks, but that’s a little exaggeration. I wouldn’t say I’m amazing. I’m a lazy kid who just happened to survive because people around me saved me.”
“That’s not true, not even a little bit, Kurt.” They both sat quiet for a second. Liz broke the silence. “Can I ask you a favor? Talk to him. Try getting him to have fun. Just smile again and lighten up. Please.”
“Okay.”
“Thanks, and in the meantime, talk to that girl Brigiette more.”
“No promises there.”
“Kurt.”
“How many points do you have in your hand?”
“Seriously, Kurt.”
“Look, if you win this game, I’ll go talk to her. If I win, I don’t force social interaction, deal?”
“Deal.” Liz picked her cards up. “I’m going to kick your ass this game.”
The Settlement: Outbreak Day +49
Palm trees waved in the breeze, their green leaves shining brightly in the midday sun that was beating down on South Beach. Joe and Kurt stood in swimsuits, tan from the amount of time they had spent playing catch with a football over their summer break. It had been the last week before Joe started high school. A beautiful moment frozen in time.
Frozen was exactly what Kurt was now. He sat against the back of the icy hunting blind. He was supposed to be looking out on the horizon, but instead he was focused on the picture he had found in the bottom of his pack. That summer had been an amazing time. He was now staring at Joe’s smile, committing it to his memory. Kurt glanced around the blind. All of his things were strewn across the floor. He had gotten so bored that he had decided to empty and pack his pack again. Before finding the picture, Kurt had been most surprised by how many needles he had pulled out of the bag. Most had stuck to his sleeping bag and lean-to from his first night camping in the wilderness.
Kurt probably needed to repack his pack soon, but looking at frozen pine trees, he had no
motivation. This place was cold, hard and unforgiving. Kurt looked back at the photo. It was the opposite. Kurt could almost feel the soft sand, the warm sun and his brother’s arm around him. A tear crawled its way out of his eye.
Kurt sniffled and looked at the setting sun. “Dear Lord, thank you for saving me and bringing me to a place where I’m safe. Lord, please, wherever Joe is right now, send your angels to him. Keep him safe. Amen.”
Florida Keys: Outbreak Day +52
The wind blast from the helicopter blades froze Joe’s face as he sat in the back of the chopper.
“There is the smoke, sir!” Joe heard over the wind on his headphones.
Joe leaned out the side of the chopper, the wind blast intensifying. He spotted white smoke rising from a small Key in the middle of nowhere. They were miles away from the main strip of islands that made up the Florida Keys. “Take us over it.”
The pilot flew them over the small island. Joe could see a large bonfire burning in the center. As they flew to the far end, he saw three people waving, two adults and one child, standing on a long dock with a sunken boat at the end.
“Martinell.” Joe turned to look at the man sitting across from him, the other member of his fire team that was with him on this rescue mission. “You and I are going down to secure the passengers. Once we have them secure, we’ll radio up.” Joe pointed at the other man in the rear part of the helicopter, a search and rescue wench operator. “You’ll lower the cable.”
The man spoke back over the radio. “Hook each of them up one at a time. Let them know we’ll swing out of the water first to make sure we don’t turn them into a human wrecking ball and take y’all out.”
Joe nodded. “Roger.”
The pilot joined the conversation on the headset. “Captain Feller, I’m going to drop you on that dock using the ropes. Then I’ll move to a higher-elevation hovering point to avoid wind blast as best as possible.”
“Roger. Martinell, hook up the rope on the other side.”
Both men hooked up two black ropes, each about twenty feet in length. The pilot hovered over the end of the dock as they threw the ropes out and slid down to the dock’s decking. They each threw their rope off the end of the dock, ensuring they didn’t snag, as the helicopter climbed higher. As the wind blast and noise dissipated, the three people ran up to them. It was a woman in her thirties, a man a few years older and a young girl.