Dead of Knight: A Zombie Apocalypse Survival Tale

by Beard, Stephen J.

  I drove past the Miller’s house again then turned around once more. This put the passenger door and the Millers driveway on the same side. As the bus pulled up next to the first zombie, I opened the door and Mike lined up the shot. One down. Mike reloaded. He was getting fast with the reloading now. Zombie number two lined up. And down. By the time I pulled the bus into their driveway, the zombie that had been near the front door was on the driver’s side. It had been staggering in the direction of the road. I reached down to my right and pulled my crossbow. Aim, squeeze and down.

  “Do you want us to clear the house?” asked Mike.

  “Nah, the doors are closed,” Tony said. “We’ll be fine. Thanks you two. I’m awfully glad you found us today.” Tony shook hands with both of us.

  “You might not say that after the tomorrow,” I said. “There are no more easy days.”

  “A little hard work… You know?” he replied.

  “We’ll see you in the morning,” Beth said. She kissed both our cheeks.

  “Be safe,” I replied. “Sleep well. Hey, don’t forget to turn the walkie-talkie on so we can check it.”

  We waited until they were in and the door was closed before pulling back out onto the road.

  “Mobile one to base,” I said into the radio.

  “Go ahead, mobile one.”

  “The Millers are in safely in the house. Please call them for a radio check.”

  “Okay, um. Base to, ah. Base to… Ryan, what do I call them?”

  “Why don’t you just call us ‘base two’ for now,” said Tony over the radio.

  “Very good,” came the reply from Sam. “Base two, how do you read?”

  “We read you 5 by 5 base one.”

  “Whatever that means,” Sam was laughing now too. “We can hear you good, too”

  “Good night base one,” said Tony.

  “Good night base two,” came the reply. I couldn’t resist.

  “Good night John Boy.”

  Laughter from both sides came over at once. Even Mike laughed although I’m pretty sure he had never seen The Walton’s.

  Once inside the house, Mike and I shrugged off our gear and sat down. Sam managed to find a cold Gatorade for Mike and a Coke for me. She was keeping them in the garage.

  “Long day,” said Mike.

  “Sorry again about your father,” I replied.

  Mike nodded.

  “But,” I said. “I’m proud of how both you and your mom are handling it. And we’re all glad that you’re both here with us.”

  “Thanks Ryan,” he said. “I’m glad you found us. We wouldn’t have made it alone.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. You have proven yourself to be pretty resourceful.” That brought a smile to Mikes face. “I’m going to go upstairs and see if my kids are still awake. I haven’t seen much of them recently. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Leave about 6:45 to get to the Millers?” Mike asked.

  “I think 7 am will work; Yeah, that’s fine,” I said. “Tomorrow will be better Mike.”

  He chuckled. “No, it won’t.”

  I went up the stairs and peeked into the kid’s room. They were sound asleep. Damn, I could use a hug. I went in and kissed both of them, pulling their covers up and tucking them in. The fireplace was helping but it was colder in the house than any of us was used to.

  Samantha was reading a book by candlelight. She smiled up at me when I came in.

  “I thought we didn’t have enough supplies to help anyone else?”

  I sat on the edge of the bed and started to take off my shoes.

  “I learned a lesson today from an unlikely source. Even after all he’d been through with the loss of his father just hours before, Mike managed to school me in what it means to be human in the zombie apocalypse.”

  “He and his mom have had a shitty day for sure,” she said. “I don’t want to even think about losing you.”

  “How is Lois, really?” I asked.

  “Better than I would be, I know that. Otherwise… She’s doing better than I expected her to be doing. How are you doing, really?” she asked. I stopped what I was doing and looked at my wife.

  “I had to kill more zombies today than I remember. I was attacked by other humans and then I lost my faith in humanity for a while. I held Michaels hand while he died then drove my knife into his brain through his eyeball. I didn’t know that an eye would squirt fluid into my face if I drove a knife blade into it. To be honest, I didn’t need to know that.”

  I started crying and Sam came around and helped get the rest of my gear and clothes off. Then she pulled my legs up and on the bed, pulling the covers over me. I let her. I was no help at all. She went back around to her side and blew out the candle. In bed, she cuddled up to me and tried to comfort me in some small way. I cried until I fell asleep.

  Sunday, December 21, 2014

  When the wind up alarm clock on my bedside table went off at 6am, I woke up to the smell of coffee. I considered, just for a minute, that the events of the previous day had all been part of a horrible nightmare. I would just walk downstairs and Michael would be making coffee.

  But, no, the visions of yesterday’s horrors were too vivid. The sounds – too distinct to be anything but real.

  I slowly got dressed and thought of the day’s tasks. Get the Millers and bring them back here. Make sure they both know crossbow basics. Then make sure Tony had all the gear he’d need for the trip. The trip was another matter entirely. I knew we needed more food and water. But, I also wanted more crossbow bolts and some more camping gear, including stoves and fuel.

  The closest sporting goods store was Dick’s Sporting Goods at the Citadel Mall. There was also a Target there but they were both awfully close to the Costco. Were there more people from the group they ran into yesterday? More people who now were looking at payback for what Mike and I had done? Was what we did enough to make anyone move on? Or, was there another group entirely waiting for an easy target?

  Sam woke up and began rubbing my back gently. But, it was startling and I jumped a little.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. You doin okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah, better. You just startled me a little. I was deep in thought about the day.”

  “Sorry. Is that coffee I smell?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I think so. I haven’t been downstairs yet. When I first woke, I half thought that yesterday was just a nightmare and Michael would be down there making coffee.”

  “I’m sorry, lover.”

  “Yeah, just another day in a world gone mad. You want me to bring you back up some coffee?” I asked.

  “No, I’m getting up. I’ve got guests coming.”

  It was, in fact, Lois making coffee in the kitchen.

  “Oh, good morning. I expected Mike, I guess,” I said awkwardly.

  “Good morning, Ryan. I realized last night just how precarious our situation is now. And I know I need to step it up and contribute. In any way that I can.”

  “Thank you, Lois. I know you’ll be a big help,” I said. She handed me a mug of coffee.

  “I’ve come a long way since the morning we met. I plan on practicing with the crossbow in the backyard so I can come on a supply run soon.”

  “Okay, just so you know, I’m really not sexist. If you can help, you can help.”

  “What are you going to help with, mom?” asked Mike as he walked into the kitchen.

  “Supply runs. Once I feel more comfortable with the crossbow anyway.”

  Mike looked at me and I nodded. He just shrugged and thanked his mom for the coffee.

  “Ten minutes,” I yelled after him.

  “Ten minutes,” came the reply.

  Once in the bus, Mike expressed his concerns.

  “I don’t want my mother going out with us. You don’t know her like I do, Ryan. She’ll freak out if we get into any real trouble.”

  “We’ll start her off slow,” I said. “And, I’ll keep a close eye on her. W
e need all the help we can get ya know.”

  “I know. I just don’t want to lose anyone else. She’s all I have.”

  “Of course, but I think she’ll surprise you.”

  There were only a few zombies out on the way to the Millers. And the 3 Mike killed last night were right where they had dropped. I toggled the door for Mike and he got out. I exited on my side and we retrieved the bolts from last night, wiping the blood off on the zombies’ clothes. Beth and Tony appeared at the front door and made their way outside when I indicated that it was clear. Beth had her crossbow and bolts, and a handgun on her right hip. On her left hip was the tomahawk. Tony was similarly outfitted.

  “Good morning, Millers,” said Mike.

  “Good morning, boys,” said Beth in reply.

  We saw more zombies on the way back. Apparently, with no other sources of noise, the bus was really loud and attracted them from blocks away. Something to remember. I swerved around them like a skier on a slalom course.

  At the house, I opened the garage roll up and got everyone inside. It occurred to me that the rollup should be locked at all times. I made a mental note to ask Sam if we had a key.

  Inside, pleasantries were exchanged and Lois surprised the Millers with coffee. After a few minutes, I ushered everyone out back for crossbow training. I needed to make sure the Millers could use the weapon if they needed to. And, Tony would definitely need to today. They had practiced some last night after they got back and they did well. Even Mal and Tabby got to shoot a few. Lois surprised Mike with her ability as well.

  Soon, Mike, Tony and I said our goodbyes and headed for the bus. Karen followed to lock the roll up. In the garage, we stopped to check supplies. Tony had almost everything he needed except for a knife and a back pack. I had staged one in the garage for him on the way out the door this morning. It had a first aid kit, flashlight with extra batteries and a few AR mags.

  “We need to make a decision,” I said. “I think we need to it a sporting goods store while we’re out. We need more bolts for the crossbows and you can never have too much ammo. Plus we need another camp stove or two and more fuel.”

  Mike and Tony both nodded.

  “Beth would like that,” said Tony. “Right now we’re cooking outside.”

  “Here’s the ‘but’,” I said. “The closest sporting goods store is at the Citadel Mall. There’s a Target there, too. So, it’s kind of a one stop shopping situation. But it’s right across the highway from the Costco.”

  “Chances are, the people you ran into yesterday have been decapitated and won’t be out today,” said Tony.

  “Or, they will be out looking for payback for their dead fathers and husbands,” I replied.

  “What’s the alternative?” asked Mike.

  “There’s a Sports Authority in North Charleston. But, it’s a more heavily populated area.”

  “Well, I’m the new guy but I vote we don’t go there. More zombies and more people. We should probably avoid both,” said Tony.

  “I agree,” said Mike.

  “All right then, let’s go,” I responded.

  The drive to the Citadel Mall took us right by the site of Michael’s death and the fight with the looters. I looked over at Mike and he nodded as I took the bus a little closer. The truck was still there with all four bodies inside. I started to think about the men’s families but quickly shrugged it off. Those men tried to kill us and succeeded in getting Michael. Four to one would be an okay ratio on a battlefield but I knew we couldn’t afford another loss. Not physically, not mentally.

  We continued past the turn to Costco and soon came to the mall parking lot. There were more cars than expected here, too. Some of them were occupied by zombies who turned and snarled when they saw the bus.

  “Crap. There’s a lot of cars here. People must’ve gone shopping while the world ended. There’s gonna be a shit load of zombies in the mall. And the Target is attached to the mall,” I said.

  “Let’s tackle the sporting goods store first,” said Tony. “Then we’ll see about the Target.”

  There were only a half dozen cars parked directly in front of Dick’s Sporting Goods. Three of them had zombies inside. I put my hand on the hoods of the other, all cold.

  We couldn’t see inside the store very well. It was darker than the Costco which had skylights. Nor could we see any zombies. But, based on the vehicles, there should be at least three zombies inside.

  “Alright Mike, we’re going to do this like yesterday. Tony, I’m going to open the doors just enough for one person to get through, that way we limit the number we have to fight at one time. We might have to encourage them to come to us but we’ll cross that bridge when we need to. Check your crossbows.”

  Mike and Tony nodded and went over their crossbows. When they were ready, I used the tomahawk to open the door about 30 inches. But, the front of the store was empty.

  “Keep an eye out behind,” I said. “I don’t want to be snuck up on today.”

  I looked back into the door and saw nothing.

  “Here zombie, zombie. Here zombie, zombie. We have a tasty treat for you,” I just couldn’t help myself. That got a chuckle from Tony and Mike. “What?”

  Then I heard movement in the store. One zombie appeared, then another.

  “Mike,” I said. “Rear guard.” Mike turned to watch behind them.

  Tony raised his crossbow and stepped back from the door and did the same.

  “You want the first one, Tony?” I asked.

  “Sure, I need the practice.”

  “You’ve got it. Head shots only. If you miss, I’ll take it. If we both miss, we prolly won’t have time to reload and it’s tomahawk time. Reload quickly if you get it.”

  “Got it.”

  As the first zombie came through the door, Tony fired. The bolt went into the zombie’s left eye and it dropped in its tracks, twitching a little before laying still.

  “Nice shot, Tony,” I said. “Now reload. I’ve got the next one.”

  Tony began to reload his crossbow as I got the next one and then reloaded. No other zombies appeared. I waited a moment, but heard nothing.

  “Mike, we clear?” I asked.

  “Clear.”

  “Okay,” I replied and stepped up to the door. “Here zombie, zombie…”

  Nothing. Then a little louder.

  “Here zombie, zombie…”

  Nothing. Then a little louder.

  “Here zombie…”

  “That’s loud enough, I think,” said Mike.

  “Okay, we have to go in and clear the store before we can shop. Let’s grab these bolts and get our headlamps on.”

  We cleared the entire store, including the manager’s office, bathrooms, break room and back room. No zombies. It was weird but I felt we were thorough. When we got back to the front of the store, I took a good look outside to see if anything was out of place. When I was satisfied, we got started.

  “Tony, do you guys need any cold weather gear, coats, thermals?” I asked.

  “No, we’re in good shape.”

  “Then it’s guns, ammo and archery.”

  The three of us headed to the back of the store with our carts. We found about ten crossbows and slings for all of them. We grabbed them and all the bolts we could find. It will be enough for now. There wasn’t a whole lot of ammo but we took all we could find of that, too.

  “Ryan, do you have any shotguns?’ asked Tony.

  “No, since we have to shoot zombies in the head I didn’t grab any,” I said.

  “They’re great for home defense,” said Tony. “And I bet one or two of the buckshot would find a head.”

  “Ammo is plentiful,” added Mike.

  “I think we should grab all they have. 00 buckshot only, though. Birdshot would just piss these things off,” said Tony.

  “Sure,” I said. “I’m all for more weapons. Can’t have too many. What else are you thinking?”

  “I like that you’ve standardized your
armory somewhat. We should grab all the Glock and AR mags they have,” Tony said in reply.

  “Agreed. And, both of you: I’m not really in charge…”

  “Yes, you are,” said Mike.

  “Ryan, from what I’ve seen you’re a good leader. You may not want the job, but you’re in charge,” said Tony.

  “Thank you,” I said. “Point is, whatever suggestions y’all have, I need em.”

  “You got it boss,” said Mike as he smiled.

  Tony grinned and nodded.

  After gathering up all the shotguns, buckshot and magazines we could find, we headed over to the camping section. There were 3 camp stoves and a lot of fuel, but nothing else tickled our fancy.

  “I’m sure that as soon as we leave, we’ll remember ten things we should’ve gotten here.”

  “That’s the way it works boss,” said Mike

  When we got back up to the front of the store, I once again spent a few minutes checking for anything suspicious. Even though I didn’t find anything, I didn’t want to take any chances.

  “Let’s go out together. Mike, you take left. Tony, take right. I’ll open the bus door and if it’s clear we’ll load up.”

  They both nodded and I opened the sliding doors to the parking lot. Mike went first, then Tony. I came out last and headed for the bus.

  “Anything?” I asked.

  “Clear.”

  “Clear.”

  We loaded up our supplies and boarded the bus. The Dick’s Sporting Goods raid went off without a hitch. I figured that the raid on the Target would be a different story.

  There were forty or fifty cars in the parking lot in front of Target. Which meant nothing because Target also opened up to the mall inside near the food court. About ten cars had zombies inside. There were also maybe 20 zombies just shambling around the parking lot distracted by the noise coming from the zombie cars.

  “I’m open to suggestions,” I said.

  “Do we absolutely have to take the time and risk to kill these out here?” asked Tony.

  “Yeah, we do,” I said. “Otherwise, we will have a nasty surprise waiting for us when we come back out of the store.”

  “Our strategy of using choke points has worked so far,” said Mike. “Let’s park to one side of the lot and let them come to us. The maze of cars will keep them from getting to us all at once.”