William looks at Jeremy, then me and says, “Much to learn we have in this new world. You, me, Jeremy, everyone. I will learn how to use these guns as they will be a great weapon to fight the living and the dead.”
CHAPTER 16
BEACH CONDO
“I think it’s right up here,” says TJ to Odin.
TJ pulls up to a stop sign in Clearwater Beach.
“Man, I could really use GPS right now,” says TJ as he looks at a bent street sign.
TJ makes a right turn onto a street that is right along the beach.
The street sign says, “Gulf Boulevard.”
TJ stayed a night at his dad’s house and hasn’t been back to his house yet. He hasn’t been able to stop thinking about Janet since he met her.
The roads have become more blocked. TJ was unable to go directly home due to zombies, debris, and abandoned vehicles in the roads.
The road debris, blockages, and zombies redirected TJ towards Clearwater Beach, TJ say the redirection as a sign that he might as well try to find Janet since he was in the area.
As TJ drives down the main strip of road along Clearwater Beach, he sees some disturbing images. The beach is loaded with zombies and dead bodies. A lot of them looked to be beach goers. Families, tourists, kids, and the elderly.
Clearwater Beach has always been a big tourist destination in Florida and the zombie outbreak looks to have hit the area hard.
The streets of Clearwater Beach are covered with blood, limbs, guts, dead bodies, trash, vehicles, and zombies. Some of the zombies are moving while others lay lifeless in the street.
TJ passes several police vehicles that were parked in the street with flashing lights still on.
The streets of Clearwater Beach look to have been a place where a large battle between the living and the dead occurred.
The dead look to have won the battle, as TJ doesn’t see any signs of life on the beach, in the buildings, or on the streets.
TJ passes a condo building and says, “I think that was it. I think that was Clearwater Beach Estates.”
After a quick U-turn, TJ pulls up to the parking lot of the condo.
TJ parks near the front door of the condo building and examines the parking lot and surround area.
TJ looks up at the condo and says to himself, “Nice beach condo.”
The coast is clear and TJ opens his driver side door.
Odin jumps down from the driver side seat, and TJ closes his driver side jeep door.
TJ takes out his handgun and a knife.
The sound of zombie groans and biting noises is heard.
The zombies sound like they are near the condo building, but TJ and Odin see them on the beach.
TJ opens the front glass door to the Clearwater Beach Estates building and enters the lobby.
There is a lone zombie walking aimlessly around the front desk, but is trapped behind the counter.
TJ walks towards the zombie and stabs him in the front of his skull with his knife.
The zombie instantly is silent and falls to the ground as TJ pulls the knife out of his head.
Odin runs to the stairwell door and starts pawing at it.
Odin barks and TJ runs over to the stairwell and Odin.
A zombie is next to the door and is banging on the door to get out.
TJ moves to the side of the door and calls Odin to his position.
Odin runs over to TJ’s right side.
TJ puts his knife in its holster on his belt and grabs the door handle with his left. He has his gun in his right hand is ready to open the door.
TJ pulls open the door and two zombies come falling out. They fall onto the tile lobby floor and have a hard time getting up.
Odin runs over to one of the zombies and bites the zombie in the head.
TJ holsters his gun and takes out his knife from his belt.
SHICK!
TJ stabs his knife into the zombies’ skull and pulls out his knife.
TJ shouts, “Down boy!”
Odin releases the zombie skull and backs away from the zombie.
TJ stabs the zombie in the skull, removes the knife from his skull and cleans off his knife.
“Good boy Odin,” says TJ as he pets Odin on the head.
TJ stands up from the floor and walks over to the stairwell.
“Hello!” shouts TJ.
The echo of the hello fills the stairwell.
The stairwell is quiet and shows no signs and sounds of any zombies.
TJ and Odin start walking up the steps and make it up to the fourth floor.
TJ looks through the clear glass window in the door and sees that the hallway is clear of any zombies or people.
TJ opens the door and Odin runs into the hallway.
TJ looks at the condo door numbers and sees that he is at the far end of the hallway.
The condo numbers are going down as TJ and Odin run down the hallway towards the elevators.
Eventually TJ and Odin make it to number 2.
TJ stops at the door and hesitates to knock on the door.
He looks at Odin and asks, “How do I look boy?
Odin turns his head to the side and barks.
“Shhhhh. Quiet boy,” says TJ.
Suddenly the door TJ is standing in front of opens.
TJ points his gun at the person holding the door open.
“What the hell TJ? I almost shot you!” shouts Janet as she lowers her handgun to her side.
Janet pulls TJ inside her condo and Odin runs inside after TJ.
The front door closes and Janet locks the door.
“What are you doing here?” asks Janet.
“I couldn’t call you. I don’t have your number and phones are useless right now anyway. I was in the area as the streets from downtown Tampa to my house were blocked,” says TJ.
“All of the streets were blocked to your house?” asks Janet.
“Yeah. Well, no. I was in the area, and I thought I should check on you,” says TJ.
Janet holsters her gun and says, “Check on me huh? That’s kind of sweet, but I can handle myself. We are safe here for now.”
“We? Who’s we?” asks TJ.
“Me and my two cats. Toby and Chloe,” says Janet.
TJ is relieved that there isn’t someone else in the condo with Janet and especially not another man.
“Well, I’m glad you are safe Janet. It’s hot in here though,” says TJ.
“Let’s go outside. I don’t have power in here. The building has no electricity. Do you have power in your house?” asks Janet.
TJ and Janet walk outside onto Janet’s condo balcony that faces the Gulf of Mexico.
TJ walks outside and feels the gulf breeze hit his face immediately. Janet and Odin follow behind TJ as he sits down in a metal patio chair.
“Yeah, we have power. We hooked up solar power at my house,” says TJ.
Janet replies, “Solar power. How’d you get that? You a brainy act or something?”
“No, actually my group helped me hook it up and it works great,” says TJ.
“Those two people you had in your jeep with you?” asks Janet.
“They are part of my group, but not the people that helped me with my solar connection and the people I see a lot. That was Jon and Kelly. I have a larger group by my house though,” says TJ.
It’s a cloudy overcast breezy day at the beach.
As TJ and Janet are talking, TJ can’t help but to be overwhelmed by the smell coming from the beach.
The smell is a mix of rotting flesh, trash, dead bodies, and fecal matter.
TJ tries to put up with the smell, but is having a hard time dealing with it.
“Is it me or does it smell like rotten eggs and death around here?” asks TJ to Janet.
Janet laughs and says, “I guess I’m used to the smell around here. It’s pretty bad, but I’m use to bad smells as I was raised in the city.”
“What city?” asks TJ.
“The city. New Y
ork City,” replies Janet.
TJ says, “I thought I picked up a little New York accent on ya.”
“Trying to pick me up huh TJ?” jokes Janet.
“Uhh. I didn’t mean,” says TJ.
Janet interrupts, “Relax TJ. I’m messing with ya. I’m pretty sarcastic, if you couldn’t tell already.”
TJ definitely noticed her sarcasm along with the rest of her attributes and assets.
Suddenly a loud group of men is heard down the street going to their vehicles in a nearby parking lot.
TJ and Janet stop talking and listen to the men yelling and talking.
The men are very loud, but one man is particularly louder than the others.
“We are going to get our retribution and take back what was ours! Those assholes at Citrus Oaks can’t get away with what they did to you, me, and our families!” shouts the man.
TJ hears the man yelling and is intrigued as he heard the words Citrus Oaks.
TJ looks at the men in the nearby parking lot but tries to remain hidden at the same time.
“Do you have any binoculars here?” asks TJ to Janet in a quiet voice.
Janet starts to talk with a loud voice reply, but TJ interrupts her.
“Shhhhh. Keep your voice down please. These people that are talking over there are bad people. They are with The Conquerors I believe,” says TJ.
“What? Conquerors here. That groups spreads like a virus,” says Janet.
“I think the man talking is the main guy Joseph, but I can’t tell from this distance,” says TJ.
Janet says, “Hold on, I have pair of binoculars in my closet. I will be right back.”
Janet leaves her condo balcony and goes into her bedroom to look for the binoculars.
As she looks for the binoculars in her bedroom, she sees herself in the mirror. Janet checks herself out in the mirror, adjusts a couple pieces of her hair and makes sure her boobs and butt look good in her clothes.
Janet finds the binoculars in the closet and walks back out to her condo balcony.
Janet hands the binoculars to TJ.
TJ looks through the binoculars and sees the large group of men standing in the parking lot.
“We are going to kill them all!” shouts the man in the parking lot.
TJ points the binoculars on the man yelling at the crowd and says, “Holy crap. He’s still alive.”
Janet asks, “Who?”
“Joseph,” says TJ as he puts down the binoculars.
TJ hands Janet the binoculars and walks back inside the condo.
Janet looks through the binoculars and sees Joseph and another man standing next to him.
“Joseph’s the big guy? Who’s the guy next to him?”
asks Janet.
TJ walks towards Janet and says, “I don’t know let me see those binoculars for a second.”
Janet hands TJ the binoculars.
TJ looks through the binoculars and finds Joseph and the man standing next to him.
“That’s Jacob. Joseph’s brother. Both of them are bad news,” says TJ.
TJ hands the binoculars back to Janet and says, “I need to go back home now. The Conquerors are probably going to attack my friends back home.”
Janet walks back into the condo and says, “I’m coming with you. You will need my help. That group is huge.”
TJ likes the idea of Janet coming with him.
“Pack up your stuff and let’s get going. Joseph and his group sound like they are going to attack my people tonight,” says TJ.
Janet runs into her bedroom and starts packing up some of her belongings.
A cat comes out from under the bed, walks into the living room and meows at TJ.
“Can you get me my two cat carriers in the hallway closet? I have to get my cats in their carriers,” says Janet.
“What? Cat carriers?” asks TJ.
“Yeah, they are in the closet on the shelf. I’m not leaving my cats behind TJ,” says Janet as she puts some clothes in a duffel bag.
TJ exits the bedroom and finds the cat carriers on the top shelf in the hallway closet. He then carries the carriers into the bedroom and puts them on the bed.
Janet keeps packing and bagging up her personal belongings.
The cat that came out from under the bed is standing at the doorway and is looking at Odin.
Odin and the cat make eye contact, and they aren’t sure what to make of each other.
Before the cat can decide if Odin is friend or foe, Janet picks him up and puts him in a cat carrier.
TJ grabs the other cat from the master bathroom and puts her in the other cat carrier.
Loud engine sounds and screams are heard from the street.
“That has to be The Conquerors,” says TJ.
TJ runs out to the condo balcony and looks at the parking lot where Joseph and his group were previously standing.
The group is now in their vehicles and moving down the street.
Joseph is in a red pickup truck, and Jacob gets in the red Hummer that they were previously in when they left the Big Club.
“We need to move now!” shouts TJ.
Janet puts her last item in the bag and says, “Okay, I’m ready.”
TJ grabs one of the cat carriers and walks towards Janet’s front door.
TJ opens the door, Odin runs out the door and Janet follows behind Odin holding a cat carrier and a loaded-up duffel bag.
TJ closes Janet’s condo front door and follows behind Janet as she walks towards the stairwell entrance.
TJ enjoys the view as he is behind Janet.
Odin stops at the stairwell door.
TJ goes around Janet and opens the door for her and Odin.
Odin runs down the stairwell and stops at the closed stairwell lobby door.
Janet walks down the stairs holding a cat carrier in her arms and her duffel bag around her shoulder.
“I’m sorry mama. It will be okay Chloe,” says Janet to her cat Chloe.
TJ and Janet make it to the stairwell lobby door.
TJ opens the stairwell lobby door and Odin runs through the door.
“Stop Odin!” shouts TJ.
Odin stops in the middle of the empty condo lobby.
Janet walks through the lobby and is followed by TJ.
TJ walks with Janet over to her car and puts the cat carrier down next to the car.
Odin runs over to TJ.
Janet unlocks her car, and TJ loads the cat carriers in the backseat and the duffel bag into the front passenger seat.
“Okay, now Citrus Oaks is right off 102nd. It’s a main road. We have it blocked off pretty good, and we can only get in the South entrance,” says TJ to Janet.
“I will follow you,” says Janet.
TJ replies, “Okay, but just in case we get split up. Remember it’s off 102nd.”
The loud cars, vehicles, and trucks, go flying down the road in front of Janet’s condo.
There must be about ten vehicles along with the red truck that Joseph is in, and the red Hummer that Jacob is in.
Janet gets into her sports car and starts up the engine.
TJ gets into his Jeep along with Odin.
TJ starts up his jeep and drives out of the parking lot. TJ makes a left onto Gulf Boulevard and follows behind Joseph and his convoy.
Janet speeds out of the parking lot and screeches her tires as she accelerates to catch up to TJ.
TJ can’t help but to smile at the sight and sounds of Janet’s car speeding down the road.
TJ tries to keep his distance from The Conqueror group but remains close enough to know where they are going.
The Conquerors are getting closer to Citrus Oaks, when suddenly half of the vehicles make a sharp right turn and the other half stay on track to go to Citrus Oaks.
“Where are they going?” asks TJ as he sees half of the cars turn off the road.
TJ decides to follow the vehicles that are going towards Citrus Oaks, but notices that the red Hummer is not with this g
roup anymore. The red truck Joseph is in is still on track to go to Citrus Oaks, but not the red Hummer.
“Shit! They are going to the Big Club also. Jacob is going to the Big Club and Joseph is going to Citrus Oaks!” shouts TJ.
CHAPTER 17
GUESS WHO’S BACK
“Breathe. Slowly take a deep breath in, let it out, and relax. Do not hold your breath. Don’t ever hold your breath,” says Li in a gentle calm voice.
I watch as Li and Lauren are working on relaxation and meditation at the end of their training for today.
BAM!
I’m suddenly smacked with a piece of bamboo in the right thigh.
I grimace in pain, but hold back from yelling.
“Eyes focused Ryan. You never know where the attack will come and when it will come. Always be ready!” shouts Bruce.
Bruce has been training me for two days now and he’s been tough on me since we started.
I stand facing Bruce with my eyes locked in his position. He told me to be ready, and I am now.
Bruce picks up a wooden training sword and throws it at me.
I catch the sword and grab the handle with both hands.
“Good. Always be ready Ryan!” shouts Bruce.
Bruce fixes my hand position on the handle and says, “We aren’t playing baseball Ryan. Put your hands like this. Keep a little space between them.”
Bruce shows me several maneuvers and transitions with the sword. I thought I knew how to use the katana, but Bruce is showing me better technique and form. It’s been a while since I had proper martial arts lessons and being taught by Bruce is a nice break from reality.
Another hour goes by, and Bruce and I are done training for the day.
“Thank you, Bruce. I’m grateful for you taking the time to teach me some moves with the katana and with hand to hand combat.”
“You are welcome Ryan. It was my pleasure. We need you alive in this world,” says Bruce.
Lauren comes over to me and says, “You looked pretty good training with Bruce.”
“Thank you, sweetie. How did it go with Li?”
“Pretty good, I learned some throws, kicks, and how to use some weapons. I think I still like the bow and arrow though. They have some targets over there setup,” says Lauren.
Lauren and I walk over to the targets and find William, Jeremy, and a couple other Warriors checking out the guns that I brought them.
Fight 4 Us (Book 4): Conquered Page 16