by Jean Booth
They were safe.
This was the last time someone would have to walk the perimeter. The fence line protection had been completed last week. Since the day they had moved into this house, they hadn’t seen a single zombie besides the one Matt had killed in the cottage. She sighed again, knowing there wasn’t anything else she could do to protect those they’d saved from those infected. Now that their safety was ensured, it was time to start living. Time to begin the life they were going to lead now that half the country—perhaps even the world—was littered with zombies.
Dog ran over to Sarah, wagging her tail. She reached down to scratch the dog’s ears. Someone else must be awake if Dog was out. Sarah smiled; this seemed so normal. It had been a long time since she’d felt this safe. Dog had been very therapeutic for the few children that were in the encampment. With Dog, they were able to play, laugh, and be reminded that life went on.
Sarah relaxed her guard, enjoying the peaceful night and the company of the chocolate lab, knowing Dog could sniff out one of the undead better than she. They were a quiet pair, continuing the slow stroll around the inside perimeter of the fence. Sarah had to make absolutely certain they’d be safe so she could finally sleep in peace. She had to know for herself that if anything tried to breach their walls, they would have enough notice.
She was tempted to trip the wires again to see how quickly the rest of the shooters would respond. Knowing what was in store for them in the morning though, she held her temptation in check. She knew the wires worked, knew the alarms alerted the rest of the camp, and knew they were as ready as they could ever be against an attack.
She and Dog were quiet as they silently patrolled. Sarah knew that whoever had let Dog out would be looking for her, and she silently hoped it was anyone but Kevin. In another life, he was a college football player, cocky and full of himself. He wrongly assumed that because he was attractive and athletic, all women should fawn over him and want to be with him. Sarah had never liked his type, never even spared him a second thought. She would always be with Matt. She needed his quiet presence and his strength. Kevin took her rebuffs as motivation to change her mind about him. To Kevin, Sarah was property, an item that he couldn’t have so he wanted her all the more.
She heard his footsteps long before she saw him. Dog waved her tail in casual acceptance; she wasn’t very judgmental when it came to the living.
“Hey, Sarah, it’s starting to get cold out here. We don’t have to patrol anymore, why don’t you come inside and get warm?” Kevin sauntered up to her and gave her a wink. His leer let her know exactly what he had in mind to warm her up. She forced herself not to shudder in revulsion, knowing he’d assume she was cold, and jump at the opportunity to touch her.
“I’m fine. This is the last night for patrols, and I’ll feel better knowing everything’s working. I can’t risk everyone’s lives just because it’s chilly. We need to know we’re safe here. Go back, and take Dog with you. We have a busy day tomorrow,” she replied, turning her back on him to end any further conversation. She hated turning her back on people; it made her feel vulnerable, but she didn’t know what else she could do to discourage his advances. She didn’t start to relax until she heard his steps fading.
If she was honest, she was tired, but she knew that she’d never be able to sleep with thoughts about the morning invading her mind. Every time they left the protection of the compound they put everyone at risk. The people who went out risked their lives, and the people who stayed back risked being discovered with fewer people to fight. She knew they had to leave, that it wouldn’t be safe once the snow fell, but she still didn’t like it. They had to gather supplies for the winter. They hadn’t been able to plant crops this year, and they were all still learning how to survive. No one knew the first thing about farming, and only she, Matt, and a handful of the others had ever been out in the wilds of Nevada.
She thought about the progress they’d made in the few short months since coming to this house. She and Matt had never expected there to be many survivors. When the disease hit, it spread like wildfire, consuming all in its path in a matter of days. She still didn’t know how she and Matt had escaped unscathed.
When Frank and Gillian found them, they were more than a little surprised. Frank’s electrical history was a blessing they were thankful for every day. Sarah knew that without him, they wouldn’t have power. It had been such a struggle to get the electricity up and running even with his knowledge. She, like everyone else in the camp, was grateful to have the refrigerators. Without those, and the large freezers, they wouldn’t have had any way to store enough food to last them through the winter.
The weather was precarious at best in the Sierra Mountains. One never knew what to expect on any given day. Winters could be cold, and brutal. Summers could be hot enough to melt tarmac. At other times, the seasons were late in coming, sometimes leaving the valleys void of precipitation for months on end. Without Frank, and Michael– the landscaper—they’d really be in trouble.
Sarah thought about the people at camp. They were truly an eclectic bunch. She couldn’t imagine any other circumstances in which this group would end up together. Michael, for example: he was useful in his own way, providing endless amounts of help with irrigation, and he knew how to work the land. He wasn’t a very pleasant person to be around on a daily basis, however. His main hobby seemed to be complaining, and he had next to no knowledge about guns, or fighting. He couldn’t shoot, couldn’t use a knife, didn’t have very good social skills, and was a general pain in her behind; yet he managed to make it four months without being bitten.
The sun rose a few hours later. Sarah was sitting in the middle of the large lawn that would eventually be filled with fruit trees, and their vegetable garden. She watched as the sun rose over the roofs of the three buildings they called home. The main house, with attached garage and stable, had been left as they’d found it, with limited modifications. The small mother-in-law’s cottage behind was also as they’d found it, at least to the eyes of those who had joined them later. The recent addition to their safe haven was a two-story square structure that sat behind the main house, and next to the cottage. So far, it was just a skeleton of what Sarah hoped it to be one day. They had built the frame, and the stairs, but they still needed to build the inside walls and create some illusion of privacy. Their main concern was just to provide space for people to sleep in relative comfort.
They built this structure to blend into the scenery. They painted everything the same brown and gray color as the surrounding mountains. They had transferred some fruit trees around the new building, and planted privacy hedges to further disguise the fact that there were roughly two dozen people living there. The new building was strictly for storage and sleeping. They all shared the two bathrooms in the main house, and ate together in the kitchen. If any more survivors were found, they were going to have to dig a cellar for storage to provide more space for sleeping.
Sarah and Matt were the unofficial leaders, and shared the small cottage alone. The others had looked to them for guidance and direction, regardless of the fact that they were two of the youngest adults in the sanctuary. Sarah and Matt didn’t know how they became the leaders of this small band of survivors, but they took their responsibilities seriously. They’d protect these people as Mary and John had protected them.
Sarah was secretly grateful that the others allowed them the privacy of the small cottage. She didn’t know if she’d be able to handle living in the main building with all the others. Being on the same property and sharing meals was almost too much for her.
The circuit of the property completed, Sarah made her way to the cottage, where she knew Matt would be waiting. She wasn’t looking forward to what today would bring. Winter was starting to creep into the valley and they had to gather supplies to make it through the next six months. She hated the raids in town, although she saw their necessity.
As she’d thought, Matt was already up, coffee brewing on the
counter and a steaming mug sitting next to him as he perused over the maps one last time. He didn’t even look up from what he was doing, simply nodded to the coffee maker and grunted. From the bags under his eyes, Sarah was certain he’d gotten about as much sleep as she had.
She quietly walked over and poured herself a cup coffee, the one extravagant thing that she allowed herself to pick up on the raids. She didn’t think she could do without the delicious dark piece of heaven. Her lips curved into a smile as she inhaled the rich aroma. The blacker, the better. They sipped in a companionable silence for a few minutes while Matt reviewed the maps. She knew he was checking the routes one last time to make sure he knew where every street led in case of an emergency.
“How were patrols?” Matt asked as he folded the map and placed it in his back pocket.
“Uneventful. We should be safe here, but I still worry,” she replied, knowing he of all people would understand.
He smiled and pulled her into his arms, kissing her on the forehead. “It’s natural to worry. These are tough times. We’ll meet every challenge as we always have: together. Why don’t you go get ready so we can leave? We have a long day ahead of us.”
She smiled back, kissing him softly before breaking away and heading to the shower. She still wasn’t comfortable showing affection in public, but here, alone in their cottage, she shared her softer side. After drying off, she pulled her light brown hair back into a high, tight, ponytail. She dressed in her favorite jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and her vest with holsters filled with ammo. It was stocked with extra magazines for her twin Walther PPQs that she had strapped against her hip and thigh, as well as the AR-15 that she slung across her back. The sawed-off shotgun was strapped to her right thigh, with a row of shells attached to her left thigh underneath the PPQ. She secured a mean-looking knife in her left boot along with a trio of throwing knives on each forearm.
Before things had gotten really bad, she would have only carried her Walther and maybe an extra mag. Now, she’d gotten used to—and was even comforted by—the extra weight provided by the weaponry and ammo. She could move around as easily as if she were in her pajamas. It helped that Matt had thought to pick up holsters, and vests that kept the guns and ammo close to her body without hindering her movement too much. Sarah sent up a prayer of thanks for the people paranoid enough to design clothes like this. She placed her ever-present penlight and multi-tool in her front pocket for easy access. She was death with a bouncy ponytail.
Matt was similarly dressed, although he had managed to carry a few more guns. He had an AR-15 and SOCOM cross-strapped to his back along with two guns in thigh holsters and one on his hip. Together they had enough weaponry to take out anything they came across. They still didn’t think they had enough; all it would take was one zombie getting by them to ruin everything.
Side-by-side they walked into the main house to gather the rest of the troops. As they entered the kitchen, all talking ceased. Sarah looked at all the anxious faces and prayed that today would be as successful as the previous raids had been. She wondered for a moment if she should give a pep talk, and then shook off the idea. They all knew the dangers, the risks they were taking. They had all agreed that it was worth it. There wasn’t anything else to say.
“Everyone ready?” Her whisper carried across the room. There were nods, and murmurs of assent throughout the group. “Let’s load up.”
SARAH
Michael, Kevin, and Emery headed the first team and they were going to the big home-improvement stores to stock up on lumber, tools, and things needed for the irrigation and water supply for the crops.
This was Michael’s first raid since he’d been rescued, and Sarah prayed he wouldn’t put the other two men in jeopardy with his fear of guns. He was the only one with landscaping experience; otherwise Sarah would never have allowed someone so inexperienced with weapons to go on a raid.
Sarah knew Emery hated leaving the safety of the compound, and his son, Jacob, who was only eight. It had been for his sake that Emery hadn’t been the first to jump on board when Sarah and Matt had presented the idea of going on one big raid before winter set in.
“Jacob has already lost his mother. Couldn’t I just tell the guys what they need to get?” Emery had asked, worry coating his words.
“I understand your fears, Emery, but what if they get the wrong stuff? I want to limit our raids, not have to go out and fix problems that could’ve been prevented,” Sarah had replied. She truly did understand what he was going through. She hated leaving the compound every time they needed something, but it was necessary. “You’re a plumber. You know how to keep our water safe from contaminations. We need you on this.” That had been the final word on the matter; Emery was nothing if not practical. He saw that this was the best way to proceed, for the group, and for his son.
Kevin was the grunt. Sarah knew he enjoyed leaving the safe confines of the compound and all of her rules. Kevin had butted heads with Sarah a few times over various things, smoking being the biggest disagreement they’d had. She was afraid the smell would draw the infected to them and she didn’t like the risk. Kevin called her paranoid, and Sarah was certain he smoked in secret. She knew that he hated her rules, but stayed because he needed the safety the compound offered. Although she disliked Kevin, she had to admit that he was almost as good a shot as Matt was; she knew he’d protect the other two men.
The three men loaded into the first truck, the one they would take to a large diesel semi they had hidden down the road, underneath the freeway overpass. They typically loaded that with as much supplies as it could hold and then took short trips back and forth from the compound to the semi to reduce the risk of discovery.
Sarah knew each team’s plans by heart. After picking up the semi, they’d separate. Emery would drive the semi and Kevin and Michael would stay in the pickup. Michael would drive so Kevin could be their lookout for zombies. Kevin could shoot the wings off a fly in sixty-mile-an-hour wind without batting an eye. He was a good man to have at your back.
The second team was headed out to gather three more deep freezers, another refrigerator, and food for the animals. They had to be able to feed Dog, the cows, goats, chickens, and all the rabbits that lived on the farm until they could figure out how to feed them without actually having to leave the property. Jennifer, Kaitlyn, and Mark loaded into the second truck on the property. Their first stop was to commandeer two more trucks that they could use to transport the bulky appliances. Each of the three that made up the second team were chosen because of their strength and excellence with shooting. As they’d all be alone in a vehicle, they had to be able to drive and shoot at the same time. They’d proven themselves capable in the past and Sarah was confident of their abilities now.
Matt and Sarah had found Jennifer on one of the first raids they had gone on. She was scavenging for more crossbow bolts when they crossed paths. Immediately Matt and Jennifer had clicked, talking about weaponry and survival tactics. Sarah knew they needed her expertise at the compound. A natural survivalist wasn’t someone to take for granted in this new world.
Sarah knew Jennifer preferred her crossbow to her gun, and had it strapped to her back for easy access. She also carried twin Glock 40s in matching thigh holsters in case she ran out of crossbow bolts, which wasn’t likely, as she had rigged each thigh holster with loops to hold extra bolts.
“Are you going to be okay to drive like that?” Sarah asked, gesturing to the bolts on Jennifer’s thighs.
“It’s uncomfortable to sit with the holsters full, but I’m planning on kneeling in the truck’s bed and shooting as many of the infected as I can until we get the other trucks. If all goes as planned, I won’t have to drive far. And then I can store them on the seat next to me,” she answered. She had a vest with extra magazines if she needed them, but her Glocks were always her last resort. “If we have time, and things go well, I might try to pick up some more bolts,” Jennifer said.
“Just be safe and make su
re you get everything on the list first. Matt and I will keep our eyes out for bolts too, but we really have to focus this raid on the essentials,” Sarah replied. She and Matt always came back loaded with extra ammo, bolts, and weaponry. Sarah knew that certain people disliked that they used space in the trucks for extra weapons instead of food, but if the next six months went well, they wouldn’t have to worry about either next year.
She watched as Jennifer went over to Frank. She smiled at their interaction, glad that some things didn’t change. People would still find each other, and there would still be nerves when talking to someone you liked. Jennifer, with all her confidence and skills, was a blushing, giddy girl around Frank. And that man didn’t appear to have a clue.
Sarah knew better than to separate Kaitlyn and Mark. They had gotten married two weeks before the outbreak and refused to go anywhere without each other. Kaitlyn was actually a slightly better shot than Mark, but he had brute strength on his side. They played to each other’s strengths and weaknesses, making them a great team.
Sarah and Matt made up the final group. They were taking the Jeep to stock up on food and ammo. They planned on trading the Jeep in for two vans with removable seats. This was the last supply run they wanted to do until after the snow melted. They went out on every raid, they felt a responsibility to protect and care for the survivors. They worked well together, and didn’t trust anyone else at their backs.
The three teams were scheduled to return to the compound before nightfall. If they didn’t, they were presumed dead and a new plan to gather the missing supplies would be formed. So far every raid resulted in more survivors and zero fatalities. Sarah hoped their luck would continue to hold.
MICHAEL
Kevin, Michael and Emery made it to the semi without any issues. They all got out and scouted the area for any recent zombie activity, and thankfully found none. Emery opened the door to the rig as Kevin kept his gun pointed into the cab. Each man had a weapon out and scanned diligently for any signs of the infected. The semi was clean.