DINNER PARTY
CHAPTER 68
THURSDAY 1700
CROSS CREEKS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Devin and his caravan were making good time as they came close the Tennessee-Kentucky border. Nothing changed. The scenery stayed the same. Out in the country, the world didn’t seem to change that much prior to the creatures trying to eat anything with skin and two legs. Jamison was leading down the empty highway. The sun was arching in the sky. Jamison saw something in the distance. “Walker, get the binoculars. What is that?” Walker took his feet off the dash and sat up. He rubbed his eyes and pulled the scope off his rifle.
“It’s a guy…in a suit of armor. There’s one of those things coming up to it.” Jamison pressed on the gas forcing the truck to top speed. Devin and the others jumped on the radio.
“What the hell is happening up there?” Devin called into the radio.
“There’s a human in trouble. Redbeard, are there any more of you guys around?” Walker asked as he removed his seat belt.
“What do you mean?” Tara asked from the seat of the armored car. The truck screeched to a halt. Jamison kept the zombie in his sights as Walker approached the man standing in the suit of armor.
“I don’t like this man. This doesn’t sit right. Feels like a trap.” Walker noticed the suit of armor turn toward him with a clank. “What the hell is this?” Walker shouted.
The red-eyed zombie heard him shouting and began to quicken its pace. “Don’t fire. It will alert the others,” someone whispered. Jamison and Walker both took a knee back to back. They created a defensive perimeter. “Who said that? Show yourself!” Jamison shouted. Walker pointed his rifle at the suit of armor.
“You’ll die if you fire!” a female voice came from the other side of the road hidden in the trees.
“Let’s find out!” Walker retorted. The voice let out a whistle. Humans came from both sides of the tree line, three of them total. The creature came closest to the one in the back. The human reacted by smashing it in the head with a log of wood held by a branch like a giant nightstick.
“Are you dangerous?” the suit of armor asked.
“Only if you’re one of them! Are you dangerous?” Walker shouted back.
The rest of the caravan arrived to find six humans, including Jamison and Walker standing on guard. The first human was a skinny girl in civilian tactical gear; she motioned for the two others: both were teenage boys in mismatched clothing. The one carrying the log of wood made a grunting noise while the other one slowly walked up to Jamison. “Sound attracts them. You know this, yes?” one boy asked.
“Yeah, we know, but I’d much rather shoot it than get covered in blood,” Jamison responded looking at the boy carrying the short chunk of wood.
“Ah, guess that’s why we’re still alive. I am Gavin, that is my sister, Raine, and the quiet one over there is my twin, Rune.” Jamison looked at all the ones being named off. He then looked at Walker with a puzzled look. “Yeah, I know,” Gavin started. “Our parents are a little…offbeat.” He let out a smile as he looked back to the trees.
“Who’s that?” Jamison asked pointing at the suit of armor.
Rune came up and sized up Walker. Walker extended his open palm. Rune, not making any noise, grabbed Walker by the shoulder and lightly tapped his forehead on Walker’s forehead. “Yeah, he doesn’t shake hands. He’s a head-butter.” Rune moved to Jamison who was also tapped on the forehead by the young man in the welder’s goggles and some rock-band T-shirt. As Jamison recovered from this new form of personal contact, Rune moved down the group. Jamison looked back at Gavin, who watched his brother make his rounds introducing himself. “He’s a little special, but we love him all the same.”
“Is that your dad then?” Jamison broke in.
“Dad is at the campsite, and my mother has her bow pointed at your back in case you try something stupid.” Jamison looked to the opposing side of the road. Gavin let out a repeating whistle that sounded like a bird chirping. The suit of armor had clanked his way to Walker’s side.
A thin woman came from behind the tree line. She wore black pants and a black wife beater, with archery gloves, a bow, and a rifle on her back. Her long black hair held a tinge of a gray streak on her bangs. She released her grip on the compound bow, only to be met with the cling and clang of the Vikings removing their weapons from their resting places. The woman with the bow turned and pointed it at the Vikings. “Oye!” With the sound of the woman, Rune got in a defensive position.
He placed his weight on his back leg and brought the chunk of wood to the ready position. Redbeard came forward and placed a hand over his companion’s hands. “Easy, lads, if she was going to kill us, she would have done it by now.” By hearing this, the woman with the bow released her hold on the bow and brought it back down. “Well, this is certainly a sight to see! Rune, play nice!” Hearing the command, Rune eased off his stance and came to Redbeard. He looked him over. From his boots all the way to the beard, and into his green eyes.
Redbeard stood tall. He held his helmet under his arm. Rune placed the giant nightstick on the ground and, in one sweeping motion, grabbed Redbeard and gave him a bear hug. “Sorry, he’s very affectionate!” The woman called over to Redbeard, who took it in stride. “He’s a strong boy!” The woman walked to Jamison. “Who’s the leader?”
“Devin!” Jamison called out. By the time Devin arrived at the party, he had been head-butted by Rune and was halfway through a bottle of cola. “I guess I’m the leader. Who might you be?”
“I am Faith. These are my children.”
“And who is that?” Devin said pointing at the man in the suit of armor.
“Oh…him,” She said looking at Redbeard and the Vikings looking at the suit of armor. “His name is Billy. He showed up a few days ago. He’s a little weird like us, but he’s cool. We’re out here looking for supplies.”
“How’s it going?” Billy asked casually. He raised his visor on his helmet to reveal a beard face and glasses.
Redbeard looked at him. “Just another day in paradise. Are you one of us?” Redbeard responded.
Billy looked at the Viking Elite. “Um, I don’t think so. I’m just an actor.” He placed his lance on the ground next to his armor-covered boot.
Redbeard looked at the younger man. Redbeard looked at him. “Redbeard of the Viking Elite, Southern Chapter. Who are you?” Redbeard looked at the man and back at his own.
“Billy, stage name of ‘Sir Billy,’ Red Knight from Medieval Times. When the shit hit the fan, I was at home. I grabbed my gear and sharpened my lance. Figured ‘what the hell?’ I was with a group but got separated. I led a horde of these things away from them,” Billy said. “There was a herd of them. A massive group, about the size of a football stadium. I led them into an ambush. I wrecked my bike, and I’ve been walking since. I met with this family and decided to stay with them,” Billy explained.
“Why didn’t you go back to your group?” Razor asked.
“Because…,” he choked up. “They were all dead. By the time I made it back, some had turned and began…feasting on those who hadn’t. I grabbed some things and torched the place. I burned it to the ground and waited for any of those fucks to escape. And I started walking. I hate them, and I will kill them all.”
Devin stood there and listened. “Well then, that’s fucking horrible. Glad you’re OK. Where are you staying?” Devin asked.
“We have a camp. What is it to you?” Faith chimed, keeping a defensive voice.
“We are on our way to a safe house. You all are welcome to join us. We’re picking people up as we go along. Do you have a vehicle?” Devin kept his face blank. He was still sizing up these new humans.
“We do.” She was keeping her answers short. Billy was keeping watch. His armor wasn’t new anymore. It had been bashed and stained with blood. The deltoid plates and his dragon-scale chest plate showed numerous scratch marks. There was a red cross spray-painted across his armor. T
here were dents and chips where the paint had been forcibly removed. It wasn’t a showpiece. This was actual armor.
Devin continued. “Well, you are more than welcome to join us. We have been told there is an underground bunker not too far from here,” he said.
“That sounds too good to be true. How do I know you and your men aren’t here to take our stuff and leave us to die? Or rape us?” She asked coldly.
“Whoa-whoa-whoa, lady! You’ve got it all wrong. I’ve seen what these things can do. I’ve seen what humans have become. We’ve lost a few members. That’s why I want you to take your vehicle. You can join us, or you may depart if you find something better. There is safety in numbers, and our numbers are running thin.” Devin looked at the blank face of the mother and children and the man in the armor.
“It’s getting late. It is not safe to be out at night.” She changed the topic.
“Come to our camp. You can meet my husband. You can stay the night if you want. We offer shelter and food. Nothing more, as long as you behave yourselves,” she said as she placed one hand on her daughter and pointed the way.
“Not a problem, ma’am. We are all good people,” Devin responded.
“My kids are twice as dangerous as they look,” she said over her shoulder as she took the lead.
Jamison, Devin, Erica, and Redbeard followed this family through some woods. “What’s his story?” Devin asked Redbeard.
“He’s a member of Medieval Times Restaurant Knight’s team. Said he grabbed his gear and had a group. They died, and now he’s out to kill them all.” The trail ended in a paved campground. There, Gavin and Raine sat at a fire as Faith went to find her husband.
“Did you find anything?” a voice asked. It was on the other side of their settlement. When he came into view, he was a short man, with long black hair and a short beard that was kept separate and clean. He was wearing an apron covered in blood. When they came up the fire, the short man began to hug each member of his family. The newcomers stood. “Oh, well, you’re a wild bunch, aren’t you?” the man said looking at them.
When the man finished his greetings, he looked to Billy and then back to the newcomers. “They claim to know of a safe place to go,” Billy said as he took a drink.
“Hello, my name is Clint. Are you hungry?” They all nodded their heads up and down.
“I could eat. But I have men as well who are hungry,” Redbeard spoke in his standard thick tone.
“Good, because I just killed a cow, and I don’t think we can eat it all before it rots.” This caused the newcomers’ eyes to expand almost out of their skull.
“Excuse me?” Erica said.
“A cow. You know…‘moo’?” he asked sarcastically.
“Yeah, where did you find a cow?” she asked.
“They’re all over the place. When this went down, the animals got smart and made a run for it. Fences are only in their mind. We’re getting lucky with the ones we find. So…food?” Every one nodded. “Tell your people to bring the vehicles in here through the main gate. I need your help with the meat. My wife trusts you. If you break her trust, you don’t only have to deal with her and Billy, and you’ll have to deal with me,” he said as he pulled out a carving blade.
“After what we’ve seen, I think we can manage,” Devin said. He stuck out his hand. “Devin, this is my friend, Erica, and the leader of a charity biker group known as the Vikings Elite. He goes by Redbeard.”
Clint looked at Redbeard’s armor. “Well, you armored fuckers have this down.” Clint noticed the Valknut on his chest. The Valknut are three overlapping triangles symbolizing the Virtues that were beaten into the man by Ferret on the side of the road. “You’re like him?” Clint asked as he pointed at Billy.
“We are good people, if that’s what you mean. My men and I are not thugs. The military men aren’t either. The common folk we bring haven’t broken our trusts yet. How do you know about this symbol?” Redbeard asked eying the shorter man.
“I used to be a history buff,” Clint said as he tired a rope around the dead cow’s ankles. “Vikings were commonly thought to be marauders, aimlessly killing as they conquered now lands, just like the Crusaders. What the normal people don’t understand is that was the way of the world then. What we know about modern sailing and combat are based upon their lifestyle. Horror stories spoken by survivors, that is all. Did you know that the Vikings were one of the first civilizations to give women power? Women could own land, fight in battle…,” he said, pointing at Tara coming up in her armor. “And they could even divorce her husband,” Clint said as he finished wrapping the wire around the rear ankles of the cow. The rest of the wire was laced around a tree limb and then onto the tail hitch of a pickup.
As the all heaved together, Clint told them how they came to this place. He told them that they were Doomsday Preppers and that the safest place was the forest. Although, their original idea of doomsday was a financial collapse, their plan worked in their favor. He told them that he was a chef in the old world. He also mentioned that he and Billy had stumbled up some materials for reloading ammo cartridges and he seemed to have an idea of how it worked. He and his family reloaded brass that they found as a way to pass the time in the woods. He said they had grown accustomed to sleeping in the trees. From the trees, they saw the creatures moving and changing. Their tent was set up more of a toilet. They cut a hole in the floor of the tent and left the sides up as protection rather than taking a chance crapping in the woods. Clint told them how they heard Billy coming from the sound of his clanking armor. Clint said he refused to remove his armor. He carried two duffel bags and his lance. Over the last few days, he had bonded with the family and become one of them.
The thought of a meal outside was icing on the cake. Not only were they going to have a real, nonprocessed meal in good company but that the meal was being prepared by an actual chef. Devin loved junk food, but it made him sluggish. The sugar was good, but he had sugar crash easily afterward.
Clint also told them that his wife was a school teacher. His daughter, Raine, was eighteen years old, and the two boys were fifteen. Clint gave future insight about their children. Gavin used to play instruments in his spare time, and Rune didn’t speak for some reason. This new apocalypse brought out something new in their children, and they loved them all the same. Within the last week, their lives had crumbled, but they rebuilt it, their way. They had all learned the need to survive.
After Clint grilled hunks of the cow over the fire, the family and the groups were sitting around the fire. Faith was leaning against her husband. Gavin was sitting up on a tree limb. Raine was sitting on a log, sharpening her knife on a wet stone. Rune was asleep in a tree. Razor came and sat next to Raine. His body shook the log, interrupting Raine’s progress. She turned and gave him a cold stare. With a mouth full of sweet, succulent beef, Razor looked at her knife in her hand. “Know how to use that thing?” She moved her bangs behind her ear. She sat the blade and the wet stone down. She looked him in the eyes. She placed her hand on the side of his cheek and pulled his face closer. He closed his eyes, thinking he was about to be kissed.
With her free hand, Raine grabbed the dagger from his belt without making a sound. She pushed her hand on his cheek away and brought the dagger to his throat. “No, but I know how to use this!” Everyone laughed, including Razor himself, trying to break the ice-cold stare she was giving. “Easy, but if you’re going to lift a blade, make sure you keep a firm grasp on it in one motion. Like this.” He motioned for her to release the grip from his throat. He took the same blade and placed it back in his belt. He took a bite from the beef and motioned for her to try again. Clint stopped loading his magazine and began to sit up noticing Razor talking to his daughter. “You don’t have to worry about him,” Malik said.
Rubbing his glasses on his shirt, he spoke: “Razor has an Achilles’ heel for young women…His sister was killed when she was in college.” He spoke as they all watched Razor show her random defense moves. �
�He was just ten years old when she was kidnapped. All the time we’ve been together, he’s taken the women aside and showed them a thing or two about survival. You should have seen him. One time, he let a six-year-old zap him with a stun gun once just to show how it worked.”
Jamison broke the laughter from Malik’s story. “This is amazing, Clint.”
Clint kept his eyes on his daughter and the biker as he told Jamison about how it wasn’t important what you ate as long as you had some spices to go with it.
Billy was laying in his armor. He camouflaged himself with leaf-covered ghillie suit. His suit was wrapped around him like a blanket, and he slept in a set of bushes, concealing his body. The Vikings were stretched out on the ground. It was a lot better than lying in the back of the armor vehicle’s metal box. They’d get up every morning to break out of their armored car and kill creatures that had found them. Tonight was different. Devin and Erica were cuddled against each other. Jamison and Walker had finally come down from their adrenaline-fueled-energy-drink–overconsumption-sugar crash, which was a lot better than the alternative of one of them getting sleepy behind the wheel, the other would fire a pistol outside the wind. Mostly into creatures walking toward their convoy but some were just in the air to scare the shit out of the other.
Rune was awake along with Ferret keeping watch. Ferret was lying on his back, listening as he watched the night sky. While Rune had taken a place on top of one of the vehicles, he sat quietly. With their bellies full, everyone slept soundly. The crickets chirped, and the cicadas were beating their wings in a vibrating racket that faded into the darkness. Ferret listened as he heard inconsistent snoring coming from all sides. This was the first night they slept outside the vehicles. While it was nice to be free and stretch out, it offered a new sense of alertness since they were out in the open. Clint and Faith were both confident that there wasn’t any danger in the woods. They said most of the creatures stayed in populated areas.
The Week of the Dead Page 26