Sometimes We Ran (Book 2): Community
Page 8
“Good morning! How did you guys sleep?” Denise asked.
“Like logs. Breakfast was good, too,” I answered.
“Have you two met Ben?” She turned toward a smiling Ben and introduced us.
“Kind of. I think we saw each other the day we came in.” I shook Ben’s hand. “Glad to meet you.” Ben shook my hand vigorously, then did the same to Claire. “Glad to meet you guys. You look a lot better than the first time I saw you.” Ben’s laugh echoed off the walls and surrounded us. He seemed like a jovial fellow.
As we stood making conversation, a cat strolled out from under the car. Claire jumped several feet in the air, and I started to draw my weapon. It was on instinct. The feline stood there and stared at us with big yellowish-green eyes. It began to clean its paws. Its eyes were clear, and it wasn’t trying to eat us. Cats were unaffected by whatever was causing the zombies. Claire and I were just a little jumpy.
“Hey, Chester,” Denise said. “He won’t bother you. Chester is one of about fifty cats or so that hang around, taking care of all the mice.” It was a handsome cat. Chester was pure white with a little black splotch on his nose. He stared at all the humans, looking bored. Claire peeked out from behind me. “Is he okay?” Claire didn’t trust any animals.
“Oh yeah,” Denise said. “Chester is cool. He’s a friendly cat. Very typical…sleeps for hours, then hunts at night. No mice around our food thanks to Chester and his friends.”
Ben bent down and patted Chester on his large, furry head. “He does tricks, too. Ask for his paw.”
Claire bent down and offered her hand. Chester stared at her for a few seconds, then put his little foot in Claire’s hand. She smiled. “He is cool. A cat that shakes your hand.”
I gave Chester a pat on his head. I much preferred to meet cats on the road. The zombie dogs were a huge threat on the outside. They hunted in packs and could travel for miles in search of prey. They were also very hard to kill. I had given up hope that any pet dogs still existed. “Have you found any dogs?” I asked.
“Sadly, no. It’s just Chester and his friends.” Denise answered, giving the fat cat a pet. He rubbed against Denise’s hand and meowed loudly.
Some kids were playing nearby, which got Chester’s attention. He ran off in a flash to join the game. Ben looked at him wistfully. “That cat loves kids. Very strange kitty.”
I pointed towards the sedan. “What’s going on here?”
“A little trip we’re planning. We’ve been in contact by radio with a survivor about forty or so miles from here. A doctor by the name of Connelly has barricaded herself in an urgent care clinic. We were going to pick her up. I could use a doctor here,” Denise answered.
“Were? You might be canceling the trip?”
Denise walked us away from the car for some privacy. “I’ve been thinking about it. Jenny and Ryan still want to do it, but they don’t have a lot of experience on the outside. This trip would be the farthest away from home I’ve sent people out.” Denise sighed. “I really don’t want to lose anyone else, and really can’t afford any more losses in manpower. Mitch was a huge blow.”
There may have been more to Mitch than I realized. “Losing Mitch was bad huh?”
Denise looked at the ground. “Oh yeah. Mitch was a good shot, and he was very brave. He was also cool and collected. If something wasn’t working, he’d abort the mission and get back. I mean Jenny and Ryan are great, but sometimes they can be a little reckless. Almost got them both killed a few times in the past. Mitch was a good leader.”
Claire and I looked at each other. Mitch had seemed a little clumsy and uncoordinated when we met. We had misjudged him. He was asset to the people of Cannon Fields.
And now he was dead.
Denise continued. “It’s a shame, too. I really wanted to bring a doctor here. You know that little flu bug that came through when all this zombie stuff started?”
Claire and I nodded. We were familiar with that particular killer. After the swarms started to subside, a new threat rose up alongside the zombies. A strain of influenza sprang up and ripped through the survivors like a scythe. With no doctors, it killed thousands as it swept across the country. I would bet that whole communities were wiped out. The undead didn’t have to do a thing.
“Well,” Denise said sadly, “It killed about a dozen of my people, mostly elderly and young children.” She paused to wipe a tear. Denise wasn’t so happy anymore. “I really wished I had a doctor then. May have saved us the horror of burning all those bodies.”
I looked into her eyes and saw the pain. Denise had stood and watched as people she cared for died, and then she had to burn their corpses. I knew the reasons for having to burn bodies. Even if you bury the deceased, the zombies still came. Somehow, the smell of the freshly dead still reached the senses of the zombies even when you put them in the ground. The dogs were usually first, followed by the Yellow-Eyes looking for an easy meal. It wasn’t safe to bury your friends and loved ones nearby. I knew what Denise had witnessed. There were a few funeral pyres in my past. I felt I wanted to help Denise to erase those horrible images from her mind. I was about to do something noble.
I wanted to help find her doctor.
I touched her shoulder. “Denise, I want to help. I want to volunteer to help get your doctor.”
Denise looked at me with tears in her eyes. “Oh, my. That’s wonderful, but you don’t have to do this. I can’t ask you to go. We just got you rescued. You need to rest.”
“It’s the least I could do. You guys helped us out. Besides, if Claire and I want to live here, anything to increase our survival is a good thing. You need a doctor.”
“How about you?” Denise said to Claire.
Without missing a beat, Claire said, “I go where John goes. I want to help.”
Denise smiled and wiped away some tears. “Don’t you two beat all. Been a long time since we’ve found some survivors like you. Okay. The trip is on.” She called Ben over to where we were standing. “Ben, John and Claire just volunteered for the trip.”
“Is that right?” Ben shook my hand again. “That’s great. Lord knows we need all the help we can get.” He looked at Claire. “First things first. This little lady needs something to shoot. And you, Big John…,” he said, pointing in my direction. ”You need something bigger than that pea-shooter they gave you when you busted out of Double-Six. I think our next stop is the armory.”
Claire and I followed Ben to one of the houses nearby. When we got to the front door, Ben took out a key and unlocked the door. “We gutted a few of the houses near the front to store some stuff. Weapons, food and water, and other supplies.” Ben wrestled with the sticky door, and pushed it open. Calling the storage house an armory was appropriate.
The entire first floor had been cleaned out. Someone had done a very good job of outfitting the house as a storage shed. There were racks and boxes in every spare corner of the downstairs area. The upstairs was probably the same. Even the stairs were packed. It was all weapons.
Rifles of all types were on racks screwed to the walls. Handguns were stored in several lockers on the floor. There were so many guns that several plastic boxes on the floor held some overflow. Boxes of ammunition were neatly sorted on even more metal racks. It looked like years’ worth of ammunition. There were also improvised edged weapons that used to be garden implements, all kinds of knives, and a rack of crowbars and baseball bats. Unmarked scary-looking crates containing God-knows-what filled the floor.
I whistled under my breath as I took it all in. “You guys getting ready for a war or something?”
I made Ben laugh. “You can never be too careful. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. The house next door is the same.”
Claire looked over the baseball bats. “Where did all this stuff come from?”
Ben looked over his armory with pride. “Some of it came from residents. We found some of the rifles and guns.” He pointed to a small rack of automati
c rifles. “We traded your friends at Double-Six food and fuel for those.”
“Yeah. I was told about that.” I hated to think Double-Six knew where Claire and I were. I didn’t want to get Cannon Fields in any trouble.
“Yeah. We haven’t seen them since.” Ben walked over and unlocked one of the handgun cabinets. He reached in and brought up a few guns. “You a revolver man, John? I got a couple of nice ones”
“Got any thing in a 9mm or so?” I felt like I was purchasing a pair of pants.
“Here you go. Couple of them have laser sights. Got plenty of ammo, too.” Ben showed me a few guns from his magic locker. I selected a newish-looking one, along with a few extra magazines. I checked the action and loaded the weapon. It was ready to go.
Ben looked on with a little pride. “Damn. You know what you’re doing.”
I placed my new gun into my holster and said, “You learn quick.”
Ben handed me a knife with a black handle and matching sheath. “For your belt. You should always have a knife on you when you go outside, right?” He turned to Claire. “Now, how about you little lady? What’s your poison?”
“Actually, I’m a blunt instrument kind of girl,” Claire said, walking over to the rack of bats.
Like a golfer picking out a club for a shot, Claire picked a few bats off the rack and checked them out. She looked at a few, and then selected a black-painted aluminum job. “This is it. This is the one,” she declared.
Ben shook his head and gave her a knife as well. “All right, then, I guess we’re ready.” He took one of the assault rifles off its rack and dug around in a little box for ammo. “We’ll bring an extra rifle too. You guys know how to fire one of these babies?”
I remembered my rifle that I lost some six months ago. It was a law enforcement model stolen by some punks Claire and I met up with on the road. “Oh, yeah. I had one. Served me well. How about you?”
Ben patted the battered rifle on his shoulder. “No. I do better with the old-fashioned kind. Never took to these fancy rifles. Now, Jenny and Ryan…those two really like the automatics. In fact, Jenny has been teaching everyone in Cannon Fields how to shoot.”
As we exited the Cannon Fields House O’ Guns, I tripped over a box marked, “Caution! High Explosive.” My curiosity was piqued. “What’s in the box, Ben?”
Ben got a slightly evil look in his eye. “It’s a box of rocket launchers. We found them in a busted-up National Guard truck. They are all kinds of bad-ass; they’re shoulder-launched with long-life batteries. I think they heat-seek as well.”
Holy mother of God: rocket launchers. Now I’d really seen everything. “How many do you have?”
Ben patted two large crates. “Two boxes, six each. We’re scared shitless of them. We haven’t figured out a way to test one yet. We decided to keep them anyway. Don’t want them falling into the wrong hands. Besides, they might come in handy someday.”
Cannon Fields was armed to the teeth. “Damn. The next trouble maker that messes with you guys is going to be in a world of trouble. Remind me to knock when I come to the gate.”
We exited the house, and Ben locked it up. With all the guns and bats, we looked like a small army. We arrived at the car just in time to see Jenny and Ryan putting supplies in the trunk. Jenny appeared to be upset, as usual. She and Denise were in close conversation.
Jenny looked up as we approached. “It’s about damn time! It’s getting late.” She glared at me as I held the rifle, and said, “Okay first of all, no rifle for the new guy. The gun is enough. I’m sorry. This is non-negotiable.” Before any of us could protest, I decided to comply and handed the weapon to Denise for safe storage.
Jenny then looked at Claire. “And she doesn’t go. I’ll have enough to do watching the new guy. I don’t need Bonnie and Clyde here cutting my throat and taking the car.”
Jenny still didn’t trust us. Denise started to protest
“Now wait a minute -.”
Jenny cut her off. “Sorry. She stays here. You put me in charge of this thing, Denise. I have to put my foot down; the new guy’s little girlfriend stays here.”
Denise was ready to argue, but I put my hand up to stop her. I turned to Claire. “Well, kiddo. I guess she’s in charge.”
Claire’s face flushed red from anger. “It’s okay. Do what you got to do.”
I had to make sure Claire would be okay. I wasn’t going to leave her if she wasn’t going to be safe. “Denise, I’ll only do this if you can assure me Claire is going to be safe. You have to promise me that.”
“John, you have my word. No harm will come to Claire. I’ll put her with Karen. She can help out in the office. I’ll keep my eye on her.”
I turned to Claire. “Is that okay?” She looked at the smiling Denise, and nodded her approval.
My concerns addressed, I said, “Okay. What’s the plan?”
Jenny got a map from the back seat of the car and unfolded it on the trunk. “Our objective is here: an urgent care clinic. Doctor Connelly has been alternating between the clinic and the mall for the past few months or so. According to our last conversation on the radio, the clinic is becoming compromised. She doesn’t have many weapons, and her options are limited. We’ve got to get to her quick. I don’t want to attract any attention to us, so it’s going to be a quick trip.”
“We’ll still have to take it easy,” Ben interjected. ”The roads are clogged with dead cars and trucks. We may have to detour.”
“Ben’s right. There may be a few detours. Ryan has marked a few alternative routes. We’ll get to Safety One first, eat something, and resupply. Then, we’ll hit the road to the clinic.”
I had a question. “What’s Safety One?”
Jenny looked a little annoyed, but she pointed to a green circle on the map. “Just a wide spot in the road. In this case, a mini-mall. We stocked an ex-ice cream parlor with extra food, ammo, and other supplies. It’s kind of a safe place to get to when we’re out and about scrounging for supplies.”
Jenny started giving some more information about our trip, but my attention drifted to Claire. She was over by Ryan having a conversation and laughing. Claire was showing him a few of her moves with the bat. There was something weird about their conversation.
I think Claire was flirting with Ryan.
It made sense. Ryan and Claire were about the same age. Ryan was probably her type: tall and lanky, with longish hair and scruffy beard. Still, I felt a little queasy. It was like watching your daughter talking to boys for the first time. I may have to keep an eye on ole Ryan when we get back. I drifted back to the matter at hand as Jenny was wrapping up.
“Okay,” she concluded. “I guess we’re ready to go. Everybody say your good-byes.”
Claire walked over and gave me a little hug. “I guess I’m sitting this one out, huh, Tiger?”
“Yeah. Kind of sucks.”
Claire’s eyes got a little teary. “Yeah. Kind of sucks.” She looked around. “I don’t know if I fully trust these people.”
“You’ll be okay. These people are all right.” I glanced around. Everyone was staring. “Just in case they’re not, keep your bat handy,” I whispered in her ear.
“You bet.” Claire put her arms around me. “Just come back, okay?”
“I will.” I nodded to Ryan. “You want me to bring his narrow ass back, too?”
Claire blushed. She had been caught flirting. “Shut up.” She gave me one last hug.
Jenny took the wheel, and Ryan took the seat beside her. Ben and I slid into the back of the spacious sedan. The seat was very comfortable. I hadn’t been in a car in a long time. Maybe if I asked nice, Jenny would let me drive.
Denise poked her head in the window. “You guys be careful. Get back safe.”
Jenny started the car. It ran a little rough on the old gasoline, but eventually it smoothed out. She put it in gear, and we were off. There was no fanfare, ticker tape, or cheering crowds. We just had Claire and Denise waving as we left.
“Who’s ready to smoke some zombies?” Ryan said, his voice full of glee.
It was going to be a long trip.
Chapter 10
On the Road
It’s amazing what happens to the world when people disappear.
As we rode slowly through the countryside, I took in the remains of our once great civilization. We passed parking lots and side roads overgrown with weeds, buildings that had collapsed, and hundreds of abandoned cars and trucks. In some places, the remains of automobiles blocked our progress down the road. We often had to detour down side streets. Detours that revealed even more decay and destruction brought about not by war or disease, but by simple neglect. No one was left to cut the grass, cut down the weeds, paint the walls, or repair the lights and signs. It was amazing how much maintenance the world needed. I felt like I was on some bizarre vacation as I watched the ruined world go by in the window. Many places we passed were still infested by the undead. I wondered if anyone would be able to put it all back together. Maybe no one could.
I tore myself away from the window. Ryan, Jenny, and Ben were gossiping and sharing inside jokes about the various residents of Cannon Field. I felt like the odd kid going to school in a strange carpool. No one wanted to share anything with the new guy. I missed Claire. If she were with me, at least I could talk to somebody.
It was slow going. The debris on the road forced us to keep our speed down so we wouldn’t hit anything. Sometimes I wondered if walking wouldn’t have been easier. Even though it was only a forty-or-so-mile trip, it was going to take all day. We were also going slow as to not attract attention to ourselves. We didn’t need anybody, living or dead, following us around.
At least that was the plan.
“So, John,” Ben said. “What’s it like out here? I haven’t been outside the gate in a while. Been taking care of family.”