The kids padded to me in their slippers, all giving me hugs and kisses with Eric being the exception, but I wasn't pushing it. I was stoked I received a kiss on the cheek from Beverly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jean's eyes glisten as I gave an extra special hug to Eric. Paul was being a butthead and had just today decided he only needed to give out hugs and kisses once a day, so morning was enough evidently. I ignored that as I chased him down and got my lovin’ in. Darn kids will grow up too quickly in our new world anyways, and I was not passing up any of the good stuff with all my children. I also thanked God neither Clarissa or Paul asked about their momma tonight. They had been doing that more frequently and I was running out of things to say.
The kids safely and warmly tucked into bed by Jean and Cara, we retired to our own bedroom. Jean had let me know this morning about her and Cara's little experiment and play time, and I was excited for a repeat with me in a front row seat.
"So, Cara, Jean let it slip about you and her. You girls can get started and I'll join in shortly." I was grinning like a maniac, lying between them with my arms outstretched up behind my head.
"Oh my God, Señor Jay, you are too funny and no is the answer. Maybe tomorrow or maybe not! It will be a surprise if we do." Cara was laughing at me and I could see Jean’s face turn red, but I also noticed she was watching Cara. That was also kind of funny but not, the way Cara had evolved into their leader in such a short time.
"Well, I dunno if I'll get excited otherwise my little sexy Mexican tortilla. Jeez, you're denying your man. I'm so disappointed and may have to trade you in, you know." I pouted and she was laughing harder now as she slid up against me and reached under the covers to grab me down there through my flannel pajamas.
"No way you trade me in, mi amor. I am one of your mujeres, and I have skills. Besides you are already hard as steel!" Then she nodded at Jean and the next thing I knew I had two huge breasts pushed in my face and a soft mouth traveling down my belly as my flannel pajama pants were pulled down. Damn. It's tough to be me!
*****
Chapter 9
DAY 10: 1000 ET Sunday NOVEMBER 13TH
I wrapped my arms around Emma and held her tight. To either side of me stood Paul and Clarissa. Beside Clarissa, Eric and Beverly stood, Jean behind them. To my left were little Cara and LSS, while Ashley stood behind us. Most of us survivors were at the Newaygo City Cemetery, where ninety-two freshly dug graves lined the road in four neat rows with the Croton road soccer field next to their plot. They would hold all those that had died Friday night, and a few more from preceding days.
Two thousand and more people made a sizable crowd, and someone had set up an amplifier system to broadcast this new minister’s words. All of my staff was here, and yes, I was wearing my chromed 9mm in its customary chest holster with my M4 slung across my back. As I looked around, I noticed a few missing from our last sermon. Notably Pete, my best buddy, now being laid to rest, and the Reaper, who was down in Grand Rapids and hopefully still alive.
The sermon when it started was a good one, with some singing, and not heavy on the preaching. More of a remembrance versus an actual Sunday address. Overall, it was a good test of our new minister. We all stood there with tears streaming down our cheeks as they buried each hero, big and small while reading their names, ages and brief histories. It was especially hard with the small children who had no parents and whose names we did not really know. We also broadcast it live over 1300 AM. It was the least we could do for those tiny souls and the brave guardians who had given their lives trying to protect them. Pete’s and Bridget's burials hit me especially hard, and all I could do was hold on to Emma tightly until she squirmed.
Then we reached the point in the service where I was to speak and as I strode forward with Emma in my arms I saw the crowd pressing even nearer the podium we had erected. A King James version Holy Bible lay before me and I picked it up slowly as I turned to the vast crowd and started speaking.
"God word says that hero's will rise among us to protect those downtrodden and in need. He also says that faith will see us through times of peril and sacrifice. Two nights ago heroes rose up and defended the weak, the helpless and the infirm." I paced my words out as I fought for control of my own emotions. Dear friends...family to me, gone forever. "I originally intended to speak of these heroes of our, both young and old, resting in peace after a hard fight fraught with peril and finally death. I've since changed my mind about that. Instead our heroes have just begun their task. Those that have fallen will now watch over the living and in their way as God permits will guild and help us. They will remain vigilant against the evil that has encroached upon our world." I paused. "No my family. They are here with us now, looking down and on guard. I firmly believe this." Then I couldn't speak anymore as emotion choked my voice and I just shook my head angrily. Then my family was all around me, hugging me and everywhere my tear filled eyes could see, people were hugging each other. I had to step down. I couldn't continue.
Near the end of the service, several vehicles approached and parked down the road near the outer edges of our crowd. I saw what looked like several soldiers get out and stand with the masses of our people while the last fifteen or twenty were buried. I assumed they were the new Guard units finally making it in; they could wait for a few more minutes until it was over. I felt as if a heavy weight had settled on my soul. I knew these we had laid to rest would not be the last, and I vowed to make that number as small as possible.
Turning, I saw my kids safely into the hands of my security after kissing each, then a kiss for each of my girls before grabbing LSS and heading to the back. I collected Major Weston and Master Sergeant Trask on my way and the four of us approached the newcomers who were under heavy escort by my troops.
A tall, weather-beaten and darkly tanned man led this new group, and I saw silver oak leaves on his collar. He was smiling sadly and held his hand out as I approached. I shook it firmly.
"Lieutenant Colonel Botello I presume," I asked.
"Yes Sir, and you must be Colonel Scarmon." He was looking at my longish hair and I smiled ironically.
"Yes, recently retired, then pulled into active service by the major here." I introduced my immediate staff and learned his executive officer’s name was Major Harold Phipps. A slightly heavy man, but with one of those happy looking faces you couldn't help smiling back at.
"We decided to house you in the high school and middle school here in town as a temporary measure. I think we laid out enough blankets and mattresses for you, but if we forgot anything let my people know. Over the next few days we'll get you established in Fremont perhaps, which is about eight miles to our west, or in the retirement village here in town which is on our list to clean up in the next few days. In the meantime, I've declared today a day of rest. Food is being prepared, so relax and enjoy relative safety before we work your ass off.”
"Sounds good. Thank you sir," he said as he shook my hand again, then saluted me. A salute I returned.
Miguel had arrived with his wife Rosita and I let them brief the Lieutenant Colonel’s staff with the major and Master Sergeant Trask while I listened in while answering questions presented me. It was busy for a bit but soon they were headed back to the compound and I let them go as I had other plans. My LSS and Darin had stayed behind. Darin and I had made plans for the day. It was supposed to be a big surprise for the kids.
"You ready buddy?" I asked him while rubbing my hands together. Not sure what it was about this tall, bald, imposing figure of a black man but in a few short days he had become one of my best friends and I greatly enjoyed his company. We clicked on the same wavelength.
"You bet, Sir."
It was almost noon and already close to sixty degrees out. I was hoping it would actually get up to sixty-five or even seventy and it might. The sun was shining bright with a perfect blue sky as we gathered everyone up. The kids were more than excited. Darin and I had just informed everyone what we would be doing this afternoon: fi
shing on Hess Lake.
Of course, everyone had already known about it but the children. I needed someone to fix us a basket lunch after all. I had a good spot already picked out on the west end of the lake where it neared Highway 37, and Darin's hunter teams had been working that area over heavy for the last day and a half, eliminating zombies. I knew we would probably run into some because the bastards were everywhere, but two teams would be working the woods during our little outing. In addition, enough of Rosita's chicken pitas had been prepared to feed all of us, including the hunter teams, and my mouth was already watering just thinking about them. She had really gone all out on this picnic for us and I couldn't thank her enough.
What made my day complete was when my parents and brother arrived. I had made it clear I needed them here. Mom was helping my girls and Darin's Jessica, while Dad was watching the girls while drinking a beer. I started to wonder about those Devil's Hole rumors. No! I shoved them to the back of my mind and thought safe thoughts. Zombie Apocalypse or not, they hadn't changed much.
The lake was beautiful, and after baiting all the kids' hooks, Darin and I kicked back near the end of the dock with beers in hand to keep an eye on them. The girls were setting the food up on a picnic table at the sandy shoreline. I watched as some of the security and hunter groups filtered in by twos and threes to grab their share. We were less than a mile out of Newaygo so my tactical radio was live but I kept it turned down. Behind me, Ashley stood with her rifle. It was a bit unnerving and I had tried to get her to join the other girls but she wouldn't leave the kids and me.
"How are the boys doing, bro?" Darin and I had clinked beers then talked. I learned that his Jessica's boys’ names were James and Andy, and they seemed really attached to him.
"Great, Commander. A father couldn't ask for a better pair."
"It's Jay, and we're off duty at the moment."
"Jay. Thank you for this. How are you and Jean's two doing?"
"A bit slower, but still really good. They're hugging me now, which is really cool."
"You know I hate to say it but perhaps if it were only you and Jean, things might be a bit different."
"Yeah, I know. Working on that."
"Working on it hard?"
"Of course not!" I laughed and changed the subject. "More and more military units are arriving. This is a good thing. We need to push back against these zombies and we haven't even seen the main wave of them yet. Upwards of three million could technically come at us from three different directions. I also don't like the fact that they're evolving."
"Agreed, but we have some heavy elements. Watch out, as soon as Major Weston is healed up he's going to want to take a majority of the military and go after this rogue government, you know."
"He's not taking shit until I feel we’re safe from the zombies. That means crushing them in Muskegon, Grand Rapids, and Lansing. If he took them now it would be we that would be crushed in less than two weeks." I fumed as Dan had already been hinting around, but each time he did I put my foot down.
"Right. Hey! What's on that island over there?" Darin was pointing at the scrub island near the center of Hess Lake. It was about seven hundred yards off shore, possibly eight hundred, and for a scrub island it was heavily forested. I had been there many times in my youth and knew there was a nice little clearing in the center. Large enough for a full scout camping trip anyways. The entire island was maybe fifty yards in diameter with the clearing in the center about half that.
"Nothing but scrub and pines. If the lake gets too high it submerges. That doesn't happen often though." I took another sip and examined the island. There were probably not any zombies there, but regardless, its location would make for a lousy post. I shrugged and went back to my conversation. The girls were getting ready to serve lunch and I was starving.
*****
Timmy looked at Jaime and mumbled, "Why are we doing this alone?" Timmy was shivering, even in his heavy coat. They had gone out early this morning because Jaime wanted more ears than Chet. Chet was their leader, and was older at fourteen years of age. Chet also knew how to use guns, because his dad was a hunter. Most of the other kids did not. Chet was fair but not everyone liked him. Jaime didn't, but only because Chet had more ears. Jaime claimed it was because most of the monsters Jaime killed had their ears chewed off already. Timmy really did not believe that but he loved and looked up to his brother.
His brother had kept him safe and had hidden them when the monsters broke the door to their apartment down. Jaime had covered his mouth and held him tight when they heard their parents dying as they lay curled up together in the dryer. Timmy had wanted to run to them, to fight the monsters, but Jaime was a lot bigger and had held him still after shoving a t-shirt in his mouth to keep him from screaming. Then afterwards Jaime had led him from their apartment and found the other boys and girls.
Jaime also had the second highest number of ears after Chet, and it had to be right ears not left ones. That is why they were out by themselves today. Jaime said if they went with Chet, he would get the most ears. Timmy didn't care about ears, or who had the most. He only wanted the monsters to die until all of them were dead like their mom and dad.
"Alright little brother, you ready?" Jaime was at the gate. They had climbed up the tunnel into the small concrete enclosure that had all the metal boxes on the walls. Jaime had told him that they used to send electricity into the apartments, but not anymore. The electricity had stopped a long time ago.
"I don't know Jaime, there's not enough of us."
"Yes there is, little brother. We'll be fine. I'll keep you safe." Jaime was getting ready to open the metal gate. It was getting harder and harder to open because the latch kept sticking. Soon they would have to pour more oil over it to make it work good.
They would sneak around the corner and enter the apartment building. Then find a monster by itself, and kill it, then cut its ear off. That was the plan Jaime had come up with, and Timmy did not like it.
"Chet's gonna be really mad, Jaime. You know what he said about hunting them close to our place. He said it would make them find us." Timmy was getting really scared. At first it had seemed like fun, doing something with just his older brother again like they used to, but the more he thought about it the more he felt it was wrong and too dangerous.
"Chet won't know and we won't let them see where we go, like always." Then Jaime was opening the gate and creeping through, bat held ready. Timmy followed and held his own bat tightly with both hands and stayed close to his brother.
They made it to the apartment building doorway and Timmy didn't think any of the monsters saw them, which was a good thing. Jaime was being very careful and looked around each corner with a small mirror before continuing. Most of the apartment doors were open because they had been raided for food days ago, and chances were good they would find a monster alone in one of them. The monsters liked to explore open rooms.
Jaime would kill one of the monsters with his aluminum bat. Sometimes it took a few swings but eventually he succeeded, then they would cut the ear off. Jaime would keep it in his pocket until they got back to their new home. There one of the girls would put it on Jaime's string.
There! Jaime gave the signal that he had spotted one alone. Timmy could hear feet shuffling and crept closer to Jaime. Then Jaime was running inside the room and Timmy followed. Inside was a monster moving back and forth in the kitchen. There was something wrong with one of its legs, and it was dragging that foot which is why it was making noise. Normally they didn't make any noise, which was really scary. This one was a heavyset woman and she was on the other side of the small island separating the living room from the kitchen. Jaime was already on the other side swinging over it to hit her in the head. It took several swings but eventually she fell and then Jaime was running around to cut her ear off.
Timmy stayed just inside the room while watching the doorway, because the bat hitting the monster’s head was really loud. He was so scared and wished Jaime wou
ld hurry up. Wait, what was that? Movement in the hallway leading to the apartment's bedrooms and bathroom had attracted his attention. Timmy screamed as monsters came pouring out of the opening.
"Jaime! They're coming. Run!"
Then Jaime was beside him clutching an icky ear, holding his bat ready, then swinging hard at the first, hitting it in the knee. Timmy heard a crunch as the leg broke and it fell, but by then Jaime was pushing him backwards into the main hallway.
"Run little brother. Get to the gate!" and they were running, fast as they could with the monsters right behind them. Timmy flew through the door and didn't look back. He heard Jaime right behind him as he pelted out into the street and turned left towards the gate. Only a few more steps and they would be safe. He rounded the corner and slipped, falling to the concrete and skinning his hands while losing his bat in his tumble.
"Get up Timmy!" screamed Jaime as he grabbed Timmy by his coat and threw him into the enclosure. Timmy stumbled again and rolled over. Jaime was trying to get the door closed but the monsters were already there. Jaime was gripping the gate with one hand, trying to close it while swinging the bat with his other hand at the grasping hands that were reaching through its bars, while other dead people were trying to hold onto it, keeping it open. Timmy ran to help but Jaime yelled for him to get back. Then Jaime was wedging his bat between the bars and the latch, forcing it closed. He shifted one hand to throw the latch down, locking it, and the monsters caught him.
Instantly, Jaime was pulled against the metal bars and started screaming. Timmy ran to him again. Jaime was flailing at them with his free hand but it wasn't enough. Hot blood splattered Timmy's face as he heard his brother scream repeatedly. Then Timmy was falling back. He could no longer get close to his older brother as too many monster hands were reaching through the bars and trying to get to him also. He started sobbing while scooting backwards until his back hit the wall, then collapsed and covered his face with his arms, trying to muffle Jaime's screams. Jaime screamed for a long time, and Timmy cried and called his name. Then silence, as Jaime stopped screaming, but Timmy wouldn't look. He knew what he would see. If he didn't look, Jaime would come back to him soon, so he sat there and kept calling his name while sobbing.
Legacy of the Living Page 23