Dead Life (Book 3)

by Schleicher, D Harrison

  Chapter 5

  The road was clear for the next few miles and the going was easy. Gina and I spent the time getting to know Rick better. In his previous life, he'd worked for a collection agency. He was a system analyst in their IT department. When this drew a confused look from me, he clarified his old position for me. Rick was a 'computer geek'. Like myself, Rick was another survivor. He was lucky to still be alive. Ill-equipped to live in this new world, his wife had been a stay-at-home mom. They'd been married seven years and had two daughters. Jennifer would have been six and Leslie would have been four. I could tell it was hard for him to talk about his family. They had all been turned the first day of the outbreak and he'd left them locked in their home. The conversation died with the mention of Rick's family. We drove on in silence for a while. I could see the tears streaming down Rick's face from the rear view mirror.

  “Did you know Gina and I worked together at Meyer's?” I asked Rick.

  “I knew you worked there. We shopped at that store and sometimes we went for a late run. I'd seen you a few times. What did you do there, Gina? I don't remember ever seeing you.”

  “I worked in the bakery. I was always in the back of the bakery though. You most likely never saw me.”

  “I doubt I did. When I went to the store late at night like that, I was in and out pretty quick.”

  “You know, Steve was my boss at Meyers.”

  “Really?” Rick asked.

  “No, I had very little to do with the bakery.”

  “You'd have thought you did with as much as you used to come back there.” Gina said.

  “I was just doing my job. Somebody had to keep an eye on you.”

  “Oh your ass. Paul, who worked my nights off, said you never came back in the bakery.”

  “Paul worked hard. He didn't need watching.” I said with a smile on my face.

  “You're nothing but one of those dirty stalkers. That's what I think.” Gina said.

  “I'd have to agree with that.” Cindy's voice came over the walkie talkie.

  “That's right buddy. You are what we call a creeper.” Al chimed in.

  Gina was laughing her ass off. “I was holding the transmit button on the radio. Hey Cindy, Al, tell me why you think my Steve is a creeper.”

  “Give me that goddamn thing.” I said making a grab for the walkie talkie.

  “Just let me say. Steve is a watcher.” Cindy said.

  My face was bright red by now. I really didn't want to rehash this old shit. “Turn it off.”

  “Look at you. You're all embarrassed. I know you used to watch Cindy cut her grass. She told me all about you. You're a dirty man. I guess it was a dream come true for you the other day with Cindy all naked like that.”

  “Hey, that was a bad situation. I derived no joy from that day.”

  “Steve, I didn't think it possible. Your face just got redder.” Gina said.

  “Gina, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you.” Al said.

  “For what Al?” Gina said into the walkie talkie.

  “For rushing to my rescue with your shirt unbuttoned like that.”

  Gina turned the walkie talkie off and set it on the dashboard.

  “Whose face is red now?” I asked. “You don't have to talk to Al but we need to leave that on, honey.”

  Gina reached out, grabbed the walkie talkie, turned it on, and threw it back on the dash of the Hummer. We drove the next few miles in silence.

  “There's something in the road ahead.” Al said over the walkie talkie. “Looks like a plane surrounded by zombies.”

  Al slowed the truck and stopped. We were far enough away from the plane that the zombies hadn't noticed us. Every one got out and gathered in front of the truck.

  “There must be someone inside the plane that's still alive.” Cindy said.

  “I guess we need to draw them away from there. Then we can kill them.” Rick said.

  Al had some binoculars and was looking at the plane. “There's thirty-two zombies up there. I can't tell if anyone's in the plane. But Cindy's right. Somebody must be in that plane and they're probably still alive.”

  “Do we drive up there or walk? I don't want to shoot in the direction of the plane. If we miss, there's a chance we could hit someone in the plane. Plus, I don't want to damage the plane.” I said.

  “You're right. Let's drive a little closer. Then we can get out and come at them from the side. We'll make some noise and try to draw the zombies to us.” Al said.

  “Alright, let's do it.” Gina said.

  We got in the vehicles and drove within a few hundred yards of the plane. The zombies still hadn't seen us so we got out and started off at an angle from the plane. The plan was that Rick was to stay with the vehicles. When we got in position, Al would signal Rick. At that point, Rick would start honking the horn on the truck to draw the zombies towards him. When they were far enough away from the plane, we'd open fire on them. We were in position. Al signaled Rick and he started honking the horn. The zombies all looked to the truck. Five of them started to the truck. The problem was they weren't stumbling and shuffling along like normal. They were running. Al opened fire dropping two. Then his gun jammed.

  Gina, Cindy, and I started shooting at the remaining three running to the truck. Somebody hit one of them and it fell to the ground, got back up, and resumed it's run to the truck. Al tried to get his rifle unjammed but couldn't get the damn rifle to fire again. By this time, the three zombies running to the truck had gotten there and were trying to get in to Rick.

  Al dropped his rifle and pulled his pistol from the holster. He started running towards the truck. As he ran he yelled back at us. “You'd better take care of those others.”

  I looked back at the plane and the rest of the zombies were coming for the girls and me. “We need to move so we're not shooting towards the plane.” Gina and Cindy moved off to the right and I started jumping up and down and shouting. I was trying to keep them headed my direction. The zombies headed towards me were your normal stumbler-bumblers. They made easier targets and Gina and Cindy would be able to take care of them in short order. While that was going on, Al made his way to the truck.

  There was a zombie standing on each running board trying to break out the windows on each side. One had climbed onto the hood of the truck and was trying to smash the windshield with his head. Al hollered at the one on the hood of the truck. It looked back at Al, turned, and lept off the hood of the truck. Al shot him in the head mid-leap then shot the zombie that had been trying to get in through the passenger door. It had jumped down off the truck and was running at Al when he shot it. Al went around to the driver's side of the truck and was over there for a minute before I heard the gunshot signaling the demise of the third super zombie. The gunshots coming from the girls had stopped by now. In less than three minutes, they were able to kill twenty-seven zombies. I had to admit, our little group had become a zombie killing machine.

  They were walking towards the plane so I went to check on Rick and Al. When I got to them, Rick was out of the truck and Al was showing him something on the pistol Rick was holding.

  “What's up?” I asked.

  “Rick was trying to shoot the zombie on his side of the truck with this pistol.” Al said. “I was showing him how to take the safety off.”

  “Yeah, I don't know much about guns. The zombie trying to get at me from the driver's door started for Al when he was shooting the other two. When it was distracted, I rolled down the window and was going to shoot it. That's when it saw me and dove in through the window to get me.” Rick explained.

  “The safety was on so Rick was kicking it in the head to keep it from getting all the way into the truck. I just grabbed it by the feet, drug it out, and shot the damn thing in the head.” Al said. “We'll work on your gun handling later, Rick.”

  Rick and Al drove the truck up to the plane and I followed them in the Hummer. Cindy and Gina were waiting for us at the plane. There were two people with th
em and everyone seemed to be okay. As we got closer, I could see the two from the plane were a middle-aged man and a teenaged girl. I parked the Hummer behind the truck and got out. Rick, Al, and I joined the girls with the two from the plane.

  “That was some fine shooting.” Al said.

  “Once Steve got them out of line with the plane, it was easy.” Cindy replied.

  “This is Les and Connie.” Gina introduced. “They were on their way home when their plane ran out of gas.”

  “I thought we would make it back home but we ran out of gas about three miles short.” Les said. “Luckily, this stretch of highway was clear. Otherwise, I'd have had to set down in a field and as you can see, there's a hell of a lot of trees around here.”

  “Looks like you weren't that lucky. You kind of landed in a shitload of zombies.” I said. “Sorry young lady.” I'd forgotten my language around Les' daughter.

  “That's okay mister. My father says a lot worse than that.” Connie chuckled.

  “You can call me Steve. This here is Rick and Al.”

  “Steve, Les and Connie need to get home. They were wondering if we'd give them a ride.” Gina interjected.

  “Sure, that's not a problem.” I replied.

  “Well Steve, it kind of is a problem.” Les said.

  “How's that?”

  “I've been on the radio with my wife. Our house is surrounded by zombies.”

  “Well, what the hell are we doing standing here? Let's get going.” Al said.

  “Les, you and Connie can ride in the truck with Al and Cindy. We'll follow in the Hummer.” I said.

  Chapter 6

  Day 2

  The next day all military personnel were instructed to bring all our gear with us to the office. We were bugging out. Civilian personnel were being left behind to monitor the internet. Even though technically I was with the NSA, I was still in the Army. Most of the people in my sector were civilians so we said our goodbyes and my unit headed out. Our destination was Fort A.P. Hill which was a two hour bus ride from our current location. I spent the time catching up on the sleep I'd missed the night before.

  When we got to A.P. Hill, General Simmons was there waiting for us. He took me aside and introduced me to the base commander Colonel Dan Bradley. I was informed I was to be General Simmons' liaison officer working with the Colonel. The General released me to Colonel Bradley and left. Colonel Bradley informed me my men would be working with his men securing the airfield. The next day they were moving operations from the Pentagon to the Fort.

  Even though the airfield was already surrounded by a ten foot high fence topped with razor wire for extra security measures, we were to build another fence outside the existing one. The outer fence was to be electrified. Other units were working to secure living quarters for the soon to be arriving Pentagon personnel. They were to be stationed as close to the airfield as possible. The half mile stretch of road leading from their barracks to the airfield was to be fenced in also.

  I had gone from office supervisor to construction foreman. I wondered what my new pay grade would be. Later that day we got word that all international flights were being grounded. I heard later that several flights returning State Department officials from western Europe to the U.S. would be allowed in. With all the rumors flying around, the men working around me were wondering what was going on. The prevailing story was that we were going to war with China. If it was only that simple.

  The work went fast but there was a lot of fence to be run. Towers were being hastily erected between the lines of fence. Each tower had a machine gun turret placed on top. Work that normally would have taken weeks to complete was being finished in a day. Flights from the airfield were departing and arriving the entire time. National Guard units were being deployed from A.P. Hill to all parts of the nation. Men and women with little or no training were being called on to defend their country from the impending infestation. The men working with me were nervous. I could see it in their eyes. Word was slowly leaking out as to exactly what we were facing and most of the soldiers that were remaining at A.P. Hill were glad to be here. They assumed that a military base would be safe during an attack. Which was probably true. As long as the fences held.

  Work had progressed swiftly and by night fall all that remained was for the gates to be installed. The Colonel sent a driver to take me to Headquarters. I was glad to get away for a while and hoped I would find an opportunity to call Dad later that night. The driver dropped me off and said he would be waiting when I was done. I went in and found the General and Colonel seated together in a conference room at a large round table. I was reminded of a scene from the movie “Dr. Strangelove.” High ranking officials from all branches of the military were seated around the table. Several monitors were placed around the table and a film crew was there also. It looked like we would be participating in a video conference. General Simmons caught my eye and motioned me over to him.

  “We assume, due to your work at the NSA, that you have somewhat of a grasp as to the situation,” the General said.

  “That's correct sir.”

  “When the conference starts we'll be clearing the room. You and the camera crew will be the only non-participants in attendance. Your job will be to hand out the information packets. I also want you to make sure everyone has whatever they need during the conference. You already know most of the story. If you're going to be my aide it's time you got the whole story.”

  “Yes sir.” Great, now I was the General's personal man servant. The main screen facing General Simmons came on-line and then the rest of the monitors came on. The face of the Secretary of Defense came into view.

  “Gentlemen, let's get right to it.” The Secretary hesitated to let the room clear. “The infection has made the United States. Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Boston, and Atlanta have all reported cases of the virus. The major airports in all five cities have fallen to the infection. The outbreak is spreading to the streets. Hospitals in these cities are overwhelmed with casualties.”

  “It is almost certain the virus has spread from these five cities to other locations in the U.S. We shouldn't have brought those diplomats back from Europe. For the past three days we've screened every passenger entering the U.S. Somehow someone decided we didn't want to offend our foreign diplomats. So we didn't screen the passengers on those flights. That's how the virus got into the country.”

  “Experts say it was inevitable. No matter what we did the virus would make it's way into our country. We were hoping for a few more days to prepare. All essential White House staff including the President and Vice-President have been moved to an aircraft carrier off the coast of Washington D.C. Our government will be run from there. As you know, your staff from the Pentagon will be arriving shortly to your location. A defense plan has been agreed upon. The specifics of which you have there.” The General nodded to me and I began handing out the packets. “Units from all branches of the service are being deployed to select cities across the country as we speak. Safe zones will be established and troops will be taking to the streets to defend our citizens.”

  “Gentlemen, now is the time for all branches of the armed forces of the United States military to stand together. There is a part for all of us in these trying times. We can and we will work together to preserve this great nation. Gentlemen, good night.”

  With that the screen went blank. I wondered how many bases around the country had watched the same broadcast.

  “Captain I want you to attend to refreshments for everyone at the table. Then I want you to take the camera crew and go. Get some rest. Your day is going to start early. Our guests from the Pentagon will be arriving tomorrow.”

  “Yes sir. I'll make sure everyone has what they need.” I got everyone fresh drinks and placed a tray of sandwiches out for them. I hoped no one saw me take one of the information packets when I left.

  The Colonel's driver was waiting for me when I got outside the building. He took me to the barracks where the rest of m
y unit was billeted. I went to my room and got the sat phone from my rucksack. It was going to be risky but I was going to have to call my dad from the base. I went outside the barracks and called Dad. There wasn't much to add to what I'd already told him. Most important was that the virus was already in the country. I told him some of what was going on in India and advised him again to get out of the city. I was glad to hear Dad had found someone to help him. The guy was ex-military and already knew what was going on. I felt better about Dad's chances of survival. We said our good-byes and I went back to my room.

  Before going to bed, I read the information pack from the meeting. I should have read it before I'd called Dad.

  Chapter 7

  Les had almost made it all the way home in the plane he'd “borrowed” from a small airport near Columbia. We were only a few miles from his house so Al put him on the radio and he told us his story on the way there. His daughter, Connie, was a freshman at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Les owned his own crop dusting business, worked from home, and had a wife and another younger daughter. On the first day of the outbreak, Les realized what was happening and boarded up the lower level of the house. He then headed to Columbia to get Connie. Getting there wasn't a problem. The roads had been clear the first day of the outbreak. The problems began when he got to the college.

  Being a freshman, Connie lived in the dorms on campus. The infection had spread quickly through the college. All these kids living close together in the dorms made a perfect breeding ground for the virus. Les had told Connie to lock herself in her room and not let anybody in for any reason. The trip to the university had taken less than an hour. When Les got there, things had been eerily quiet. He went straight to Connie's dorm. The building appeared to be empty when he went in. The normally busy foyer area was quiet. Connie was on the second floor so Les took the stairs and went straight to her room.