“This place sucks,” she heard Jewel say in a soft voice. “Are you still awake, Erica?”
“I’m too tired to sleep. I’m too tired to do anything.”
“I know what you mean. I didn’t think the day would ever end.” She turned on her side to look at her friend. “I wonder how Pastor Zobrist is doing. I’m sure they don’t have him doing manual labor like they have us doing. I’m sure he’s probably giving a sermon right now.”
“You heard what they said when we first got here. Men are separated from the women. He’s on the other side of the property. If he’s giving a sermon, I’m sure the women are not allowed to hear it.”
“I really wonder why that is. What purpose does it serve to keep us separated from one another?”
“I don’t know. Right now, I’m just too tired to care or even think about it. I just want to get a good night sleep before we have to go back to the basement.”
Jewel was about to say something when they heard commotion coming from down the hall. She sprang from her bed and ran to the door to look out in the hall. She saw two men dressed in black carrying M16s running down the hall, yelling for everybody to get back inside their rooms. She watched as they ran past her toward the recreation area. They entered the area and heard them yell something about a zombie. Two shots were fired, followed by one of them saying it was all clear. She continued to watch as Rashida made her way into the recreation area and demanded to know how a zombie got inside the building.
“All right, ladies, the show is over,” she heard Nurse Jackie say from the opposite side of the hall. “There isn’t anything to worry about. Go back to bed. The guards will take care of the problem.” She went back inside the room and over to Erica. “I wonder how a zombie got past all the guards. I don’t think zombies are smart enough to get inside and get this far. I wish we could talk to Pastor Zobrist.”
They heard the men coming back down the hall. She watched as they moved past her room carrying the zombie, creating a blood trail behind it. They heard Nurse Jackie bark orders to somebody to get bleach and clean the mess up. Jewel sat back on her bed and kept staring toward the door. She was half expecting Nurse Jackie to rush inside and put her to work, but she didn’t. She rushed past their room and disappeared down the hall. “Are you still awake, Erica?”
“Are you going to keep asking me that all night? I’m never going to get any sleep if you do.”
Jewel realized she was annoying her friend and lay back on her bed. She stared at the ceiling wishing she knew all the answers to what was happening. There was more going on than she thought and she needed to find out what. The thing was she didn’t know how to get the answers. The place was being run like a prison, so she couldn’t just sneak around to find the answers. The guards would be on her before she had a chance to. If only she had an opportunity to talk to the pastor. He could help ease her mind, or at least let her know everything was going to fine. She was sure he would tell her to get a good night sleep, and then she would see everything would be different in the morning. She didn’t really believe it. She knew once she got back up she would be stuck back in the basement for another agonizing eight hours of hard labor. She didn’t think she would be able to survive another eight hours, but on the other hand, she knew she wouldn’t be able to survive outside with the zombies. She didn’t know what she was going to do. She closed her eyes. She wasn’t going to be able to accomplish anything if she didn’t get any sleep. She slowly drifted into the dream world–one that wasn’t filled with zombies.
Chapter Eighteen
General Milkwood, Donnie, and Angelo had piled several large boxes by the door leading outside the warehouse. Donnie was confident they had gathered everything essential and was standing near the pile as the general appeared carrying a small box. Donnie glared at him as he joined them.
“I found a box of gum sitting on a desk in the main office,” said the general seemingly proud of himself.
Donnie shook his head. He didn’t believe gum was an essential item they needed. “What are you going to do with gum?”
“Lighten up, Donnie. I’m allowed to have whatever I want. What’s it to you anyway. The box is small enough it won’t take up much space,” he said with a smirk. “I know what this is all about. You’re still blaming me for the zombie. Forget about it, the damn thing didn’t bite you.”
Donnie didn’t feel like getting into it with the general at the moment. He needed to focus on getting the bus loaded and getting back to the airport. Once they returned, he would think about how he was going to get his revenge on the general. He turned to look at Angelo. “Let’s start loading the bus.”
Angelo snatched the first large box from one of the piles and Donnie opened the door for him. Angelo took two steps away from the door and was blindsided from the right of him. Angelo was knocked back several feet causing him to drop the box. He tumbled to the ground with a male zombie landing on top of him. The zombie was wearing a camouflage shirt and matching pants. It had a high and tight military-style haircut, and it was obvious that it had been in the military before turning into the creature. Angelo let out a loud cry for help as he fought hard to keep from being bitten by his attacker. Donnie ran out of the building realizing Angelo was in trouble and saw him struggling against the zombie. He quickly searched the ground for something he could use for a weapon. Not far from him he saw a broken cinder block in three large pieces. He bent over and snatched one of the pieces from the ground, but it crumbled in his hand. He tossed what was left of the block aside and bent over to snatch another piece. This time the piece was solid enough to be used as a weapon. He held it firmly in his hand and told Angelo to try to lift the zombie’s head high enough so he could smash the piece of block against it. Angelo continued to struggle against the zombie that had him pinned beneath him. He stared at its face as he tried to lift it. A large chunk of flesh had been taken from its cheek exposing bone. Angelo tried not to look at it, but he couldn’t take his eyes away from it. He kept trying to lift its head so Donnie would have a good crack at it, but it was too strong for him. He was quickly losing the battle against it and feared he would soon lose his life. He felt his arms weaken and the pain shoot through his arms like lightning. He just wished Donnie would do something before all hope was lost. “Do something, Donnie!” he finally managed to scream. He felt the impact as the piece of cinder block exploded around him. He was covered in both shattered block and the blood from the zombie. Donnie quickly helped him roll the zombie off of him and held his hand out to him. Angelo took his hand and let him help him back to his feet. He stole a glance at the fallen zombie lying in a pool of its own blood.
“Are you all right?” asked Donnie, waiting for Angelo to say something.
“It certainly took you long enough. If you had waited any long…”
“You’re welcome, Angelo. Now we need to get the bus loaded before more of those creatures hear us.” He watched as the general emerged from the building and stared at the zombie on the ground.
“Trouble really seems to find you, Donnie,” he said smugly. He pushed past him carrying the small box of gum. “Aren’t you going to help me load the bus?”
Donnie bit his tongue. The general was pushing him too far, and he ached to plant a fist squarely between his eyes. He knew it was exactly what the general was trying to do. He wanted him to throw the first punch so he could have a good reason to fight back. He wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction ̶ at least not yet. He needed to do it on his own terms, at a time when he wouldn’t be expecting it. He watched as he boarded the bus before turning to go inside the building. Once inside he found Angelo staring at the pile of boxes. Donnie approached him and stood staring at him. Angelo shook his head and turned to look at him.
In a shaky voice, he said, “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep putting myself into harm’s way. If I do, I’m going to end up dead, or worse, end up like one of those things out there. I don’t want to roam around as one of those
things. I can’t be a part of this any longer.”
Donnie didn’t blame him for feeling the way he did. Living in the zombie apocalypse wasn’t for the faint of heart or for cowards. Living through it was going to be a constant battle for survival, and not everybody in the world would be able to survive through it. He knew it was quite possible Angelo was one of those types of people. He didn’t know what to say to him. He was in the same boat, but at least he was strong. He should be blaming himself for how Angelo felt. Everything happening around them was a direct result of his actions in Indiana. He didn’t actually think the outbreak would reach this far across the United States. He was sure at some point the military would have been able to contain it. He had severely over estimated them. But still, General Milkwood found a way to survive through it. He knew how he was doing it. He was too stubborn to die. Men like the general, with their high and mighty attitudes, weren’t easily knocked off their thrones. He snatched a box from the pile Angelo was standing in front of. “You know you’re not alone, Angelo. You can consider me a good friend. Good friends protect each other no matter what the odds are. If you have my back, I will definitely have yours just like I did out there. You’re not going to go through it alone.” He took the box and left the building. Angelo continued to stand there staring at the piles of boxes. He knew Donnie wouldn’t always be there. He couldn’t always be there. He knew there would eventually come a time when he would be alone and run into trouble, and he wouldn’t be there to help him. He had a rough decision to make. He grabbed a box from the pile and made his way toward the door. He made his way outside and stopped to watch General Milkwood smashing the head of a zombie repeatedly against the front of the bus until it was a pulpy mess. He let the zombie slide to the ground. He turned to look at Donnie who was standing to the side of him still holding a box. “And that’s how it’s done.” He wiped his hands against the bus. “I don’t know how you lasted this long, Donnie. You don’t have the killer instinct. Don’t get me wrong, you’re a certified trouble maker ̶ but without a mean bone in your body to back it up.” He looked at the zombie he had just killed. “One day that’s going to be you with your head bashed in, and I really hope I’m the one who does it.” He made his way back toward the building pushing past Angelo. “Angelo, I wouldn’t listen to a word he tells you. That man is only going to get you killed.”
Angelo made his way over to Donnie. “It just isn’t fair.”
“How’s that?”
“That people like him are the ones who survive.”
“There is a good reason for that, Angelo. People like him are prepared for anything. They’ll survive anything life throws at them. We better get the bus loaded before more zombies show up. I would hate to have to leave any boxes behind.”
“Donnie, I’ve reached a decision. If you have my back, I have yours.”
“Good. With General Milkwood around, we’re going to have to watch each other’s backs. If we give him the chance, I’m sure he’ll try to kill both of us.”
“I don’t plan on giving him the chance.”
“Neither do I. Just remember, right now it’s two against one. We have to make sure it stays that way.”
“He really thinks he’s better than we are, Donnie, and he doesn’t think anything can kill him.”
Donnie looked at the door leading inside the building. “That will eventually be his downfall. Nobody is infallible. He’s going to eventually make a deadly mistake, and when he does, I hope I’m there to witness it.”
On the way back to the airport, Donnie remained silent. He felt uncomfortable knowing the general was sitting in the back of the bus, most likely glaring at him. He was trying hard to forget about him and what he did inside the warehouse. It was a hard thing to forget ̶ the man nearly got him killed. He imagined the general being ripped apart by one of the zombies. He imagined the zombie snatching his beating heart from his exposed ribcage and eating it like an apple. He knew his heart wouldn’t die. The general would make sure it kept beating, even as the last bit was completely devoured. It seemed farfetched, but he knew it was how stubborn men like the general were. It would take a miracle to bring them down to their knees and keep them down. He saw the airport coming into sight. Once he was there, he knew he had to get rid of him so he and Angelo could be alone to continue their conversation. It would definitely take the two of them to get rid of the general, and perhaps two or more other people, and there could be a good chance it could take an entire battalion of people to stop him. He entered the airport and drove around it until he came to the opened gate leading to the hangars. He planned on dropping the general off there before heading to the plane to drop off the last load of supplies. It would be the perfect place to continue the conversation with Angelo. He stopped in front of the hangar and opened the door. He turned to look at the general. “Here’s your stop. I’ll take the supplies to the plane with Angelo. We won’t need your help unloading the boxes.” The general stared at him curiously. He knew they were up to something, but he didn’t fear he had anything to worry about. He still didn’t consider any of them a major threat. He stood and made his way to the front of the bus. He stopped once he reached Donnie and looked at him.
“I know you’re planning something. I know you too well. Let me remind you I’m smarter than you, so any plan you come up with, I already know about it.” He got off of the bus and made his way inside the hangar to find Hays Leonard.
Hays Leonard and his wife were taking a break from their research. Cheryl’s eyes were playing tricks on her. She decided to make a cup of black coffee and sit outside the hangar to try to clear her mind. She heard her husband walk outside and sit in the lawn chair next to hers. He sat silently for several minutes before finally speaking.
“Are you going to miss it?”
She looked at him and smiled. “I’ll miss what this country used to be before the zombie outbreak.”
“I’m sure I’m going to miss everything about America. I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life anywhere else. I don’t want to imagine myself living anywhere else.”
“You know we don’t have a choice. The United States doesn’t belong to the American people anymore. It belongs to the zombies. Listen, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Why do we have to relocate to Isla Zomblar? Why can’t we relocate to Australia or somewhere like that? I doubt the zombies will ever find their way across the ocean. Unless somebody brings them there.”
“Somebody already has. They brought zombies to the new zombie park on the island.” He cleared his throat. “Now that I think about it, I’d rather move to Australia and forget all the zombie business.” He watched as his wife stood up and looked across the airport. Something was slowly making its way toward the hangar. She tapped him on his shoulder.
“Something is coming this way. It’s moving too slow to be a person.” She looked at her husband alarmed. “It’s a zombie! We need to get inside and close the doors before it reaches us!”
Hays sprang from his chair, knocking it over. His heart was racing a mile a minute. He knew his wife was right. They needed to go back inside and close the doors. The last thing they needed was to get attacked by a zombie. He swiftly followed his wife inside the hangar and helped her secure the doors. He watched from the small window on the main door as the zombie continued moving in their direction. “It knows we’re here,” he said, trying to keep calm for his wife’s sake. “It shouldn’t be able to get inside.”
Cheryl sat down at her desk. She wished Donnie would get back. He could deal with the zombie. It’s why he was here in the first place ̶ to get supplies and to deal with all the zombies. She felt frightened. She stared at her husband as he made his way over to her. “What are we going to do? We’re the only ones here.”
“We should be safe inside here. I’m sure zombies aren’t strong enough to bust through the doors. We’ll just sit here and wait for Donnie to return. He’ll deal with the zombie once he sees it. In the meantime, we’ll stay away fro
m the doors, and if we’re lucky, it will forget about us.”
They suddenly heard something topple over and hit the ground from the back-storage area. Cheryl jumped from her seat with her mouth wide-open. “What was that?”
Hays stared toward the back of the hangar. He held his hand up to her and slowly moved toward the back-storage area. Once again, they heard a noise coming from the back area. He turned to look at his wife. “Be still. I don’t know what is causing the noise.” They heard another loud crash. He stopped and held his breath. He wasn’t sure what he should do. He knew he had to protect his wife, which was the only thing running through his mind. He took another step hoping they wouldn’t hear another sound. He felt his wife’s intense gaze as he reached the storage room door and stopped to listen to see if he could hear anything on the other side. He didn’t hear anything, but it didn’t mean that something wasn’t back there waiting for him. It was what he feared ̶ for something to be waiting for him to enter so it could spring on him and tear him apart. With a trembling hand, he reached for the doorknob and slowly turned it. The door gave way and he pushed it open a little in case somebody or something rushed him, but nothing did. He slowly entered and listened. Something in the far corner of the room fell to the ground. He stopped dead in his tracks fearing the worst. Whatever was in the room already knew he was there. He reached over to a nearby metal shelf and snatched a crowbar and held it firmly in his grasp. He wanted to call out to see if anybody was there, but he knew it wouldn’t do any good. If somebody was inside with him, he knew he wasn’t going to answer him. He tightened his grip on the crowbar and moved farther into the room. He could hear a low growl coming from behind some shelves directly in front of him. He now knew for sure somebody or something was in the room. He kept moving hoping he would be able to spot it before it spotted him, unless it was already watching him and waiting for him to make one wrong move. He lifted the crowbar above his head and continued to move forward. Without warning, something sprang out of nowhere, knocking the crowbar out of his hand. He didn’t have time to react. He turned to look at what had crashed into him. His eyes widened once he realized what it was. He heard other growls coming from both behind him and to the right of him. He was completely surrounded by three large zombie cougars. They watched him with milky-white eyes and blood dripping from their mouths. He knew he was in deep trouble. He had heard there had been a rise in cougar sightings in Missouri over the last couple of years. He suddenly heard his wife scream from the hangar area, and he turned to look right as the cougars pounced on him.
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