by Ricky Sides
Dana did as he suggested and looked the camp over carefully, but she really didn’t need to do that. She had already noted a primary need that John’s people didn’t seem to be addressing. She shrugged and said, “I don’t see any open fields for food production. In fact, the camp is sprawled out in such a way that you couldn’t plant gardens if you wanted to attempt it.”
“Right,” John said. “And we won’t. We are nomadic. We stay in one area until the resources are gone, and then we move on. That’s the way my men like it, and that’s the way I thought it should be too, until I saw the refuge.”
“You keep coming back to that point. I take it you’re reconsidering an attempt to take the place.”
“It’s tempting. The problem is going to be figuring out how to do it successfully, and I still don’t think I can do it with the men I have available.”
“They are ruled by a sort of council, and their group of leaders is soft,” Dana observed.
“They must be, or they would have killed you for trying to overthrow them,” John observed. “By the way,” he added and took her chin in his giant hand and turned her face toward him so he could look her in the eye, “I like you well enough. You’re a good lover and that’s not always easy for me to find.” His face then took on a stern expression and he added, “But if you try that shit with me, I won’t hesitate to gut you like a pig.”
“I just found the man of my dreams. Believe me, Lover, you have no reason to fear me,” Dana promised.
John laughed heartily. “Oh, darling, I’m not the slightest bit afraid of you. I’d just rather avoid having to kill you,” he said.
To his surprise, Dana smiled, and said, “I feel the same way about you, Lover. You treat me the way I want to be treated, and we’ll get along just great. I’ve waited my whole life for the perfect man. So far, you fit the bill, but a couple of men have fooled me in the past. Don’t be one of them.”
Then, Dana’s demeanor shifted as if a switch had been turned on in her mind. She looked thoughtful as she said, “But we digress. I said their ruling body is soft. I was about to add a suggestion. I believe that if your men could capture a few of their people, you might be able to make demands that they would meet.”
“That idea might work, if we could grab the right people,” John said, giving the proposal serious consideration.
***
Randy led the team out on the mission to attempt to see if the visitors from the previous night had led zombies to their area. They traveled two miles, but discovered nothing to the north. Then they turned to the south and stopped a mile south of the dirt drive that led to the refuge. Randy stood guard in his elevated gunner’s chair as Ed, Jason, and Jesse got out of the bus. Hernando was sitting at the wheel. Jesse stopped beside the door to act as guard. His task was to safeguard the entrance to the vehicle while the door was open. Ed and Jason scouted the area. It didn’t take them long to see what they needed to see. Soon, the exterior team returned and Hernando closed the door.
“Several vehicles parked here last night,” Ed reported. “One of them was large and heavy. It could have been a bus or maybe it was a large truck of some sort. I’m not sure what it was. Whoever was here smoked a lot and tossed their cigarette butts out on the grass. They were spread out over a large area on the side of the road, and that’s what makes me think there were several vehicles parked here.”
“Either way, you can confirm at least two, right?” asked Randy.
“There were two here. That’s definite,” Jason responded.
“Then that confirms that the man lied to us last night,” Randy said.
“We also found a couple of bloody bandages,” Ed said. “So he lied about not having wounded people with him as well.”
“They may have been afraid we’d insist on killing them,” Randy pointed out. “After all, they had no way to know if what they’d been told about a cure was true, or if it was that we would be willing to share it with them.”
“Okay, so what do we do now?” Jason asked.
“We go back and let Bill install the rest of the tracking equipment in the bus,” Randy said. “Hopefully, we can use it to track them and gather more information.”
When the team returned to the refuge, they found Herb in the radio shack with Bill who was briefing him on what he had learned.
“Welcome back,” Herb said. “I was hoping to get up in time to go with you guys, but I overslept.”
“We got more sleep than you did,” Randy pointed out. “You were up with Erma watching the baby.”
Herb nodded, and then he asked, “What did you learn?”
Randy then briefed Herb on what the team had discovered. Herb in turn asked probing questions regarding the amount of cigarette butts and bandages the men had found.
Bill interrupted the men when he said, “I have the tracking data loading now. It’s still correlating all of the information and updating the map, but you should take a look at this.”
Herb and Randy moved to stand behind Bill and looked at his monitor. They saw a map with a red line that led away from a small square labeled The Refuge. “The red line represents the route taken by the van your team members attached the tracking device to last night. Note the time marker not far from the refuge. The two times listed are the time it stopped at that location and the time it resumed its journey,” Bill explained.
“That’s the area we were just talking about, Herb,” Randy pointed out.
Herb nodded his head and said, “And they stopped there for fourteen minutes. Longer than anyone would have needed for a bathroom stop or to change drivers.”
The red line continued to the south for several miles, following Dagmar Road until they reached US Highway 70 where they turned east. The line stopped about ten miles or so outside Brinkley, Arkansas.
“Did they stop there?” asked Randy.
“No, they went out of range there,” Bill explained.
“Is that what those OOR initials mean?” Randy asked as he pointed to the initials on the map beside the spot where the red line ended.
“Yes, it is,” the computer technician responded.
“I think it’s safe to assume they were heading for Brinkley. The question is, did they stop in that area or get on Highway 40 and head for Forest City?” Herb said.
“I’m afraid I don’t know,” Bill said. “The range on that device is limited to a little over twenty miles, and it will get worse as the batteries begin to weaken.”
“Do you think you can get this system installed in the bus in time for us to go looking for them before the batteries are so depleted we’d have to stumble over them to detect their camp?” asked Herb.
“I can get a system running in the bus in an hour. It won’t have the range this one has though. We’re using the antenna array for our radio here. We’ll be on a mobile unit out in the field.”
“Okay, hook it up,” Herb instructed the technician.
“You know, we could save a lot of time if you’d let me accompany you guys on this run. We could be heading for their last known position while I set up the gear,” Bill pointed out.
“He has a good point,” Randy said. “If they’re still driving, they may already be out of range by the time we get there, even if we leave in half the time he’ll need to do the job here.”
“Okay, let’s do it. This is just a scouting mission. It’s not as if we plan to engage them in combat or anything of that nature,” Herb said.
“I have the gear ready to load,” Bill said with an excited tone in his voice.
“Good. Hernando, you coordinate with Bill on getting the gear set up in such a way that it isn’t in your way. Remember, we may have to back up during the trip, so make certain you have a clear field of view.”
“Right, I’ll see to it,” Hernando responded.
“Randy and Jesse, draw some food rations and a gallon of water per party member. Ed, you get the medical kit and draw a hundred of the nanobot injections. I want those secured in
the lock box. We may encounter people needing them during our trip. Jason, get Bill a rifle and a pistol.”
“Are we taking the dogs?” asked Randy.
“Not this trip. I expect this to be a simple location check, and then we’ll return to the refuge. Ox is still healing from his encounter with the coyote anizombie yesterday.”
“The fuel tank is almost full,” Randy said. “Did you want extra fuel this trip?”
“Yes,” Herb responded. “Grab an additional twenty gallons. We can always return it to the stockpile if we don’t use it. I’d rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.”
“Any other questions?” Herb asked. When no one responded, he nodded in satisfaction and said, “Okay, everyone has their assignments. Let’s get started.”
While the rest of the team went about their preparations, Herb went to the clinic to check on Janet and Willard Reagers, and their infant daughter. He found them in one of the quarantine rooms and confirmed that they wanted to become permanent residents of the refuge.
“I hope I can assume there’ll be no more threats to harm people here,” Herb said soberly.
“That’s a promise I’m happy to make,” Willard vowed. “If I could have thought of another way to ensure that you people wouldn’t kill my daughter on sight, I’d have tried it.”
“That’s all in the past now. This will be the last time we speak of it,” Herb said. Then he said, “I’ll give my vote to the rest of the council before we leave and they will let you know our decision later today.”
“Do you think they’ll permit us to stay?” asked Janet.
Herb could see that the woman was concerned, so he sought to relieve her anxiety when he replied, “The voting is a formality, but it’s one we take seriously. No one person should make such important decisions.” He smiled and added, “I don’t think you have any reason to worry, but you need to understand that we all work toward our mutual survival here at the refuge. We’ll expect Willard to help with guard duty and the defense of our home here if we come under attack. The gardens will need to be tended during the growing season. Then other projects come up from time to time that we will need his help on. The point I’m trying to make is, here at the refuge, we all work.”
“What about me?” Janet asked.
“You have an infant to tend to, so your involvement will be different. You’ll be with your daughter most of the time, at least until she’s weaned. Other mothers are here who take turns watching the older children who aren’t in school yet. You can spend time with them. Once Bethany doesn’t need you with her full time, we’d expect you to help in other ways, such as gardening, food preparation and storage.”
“That’s fine. We want to do our share,” Janet said.
“Good. You’ll be informed of the council’s formal decision later today,” Herb explained. He spoke to the couple for another few minutes, and then he left to find his team.
***
The German Shepherd opened its eyes and struggled to its feet unsteadily. It felt a ravenous hunger and weakness. The scent of meat drew its attention and it turned its head in the breeze in an effort to pinpoint the source. Its gaze fell upon Shaunna, who was sitting nearby, holding the meat in her hand. She tore a small section of the meat off the large chunk. The female zombie stared into the eyes of the anizombie and then held out the small piece of meat for it to take.
The anizombie’s first instinct was to bite the female zombie. Its mouth opened as it approached her in preparation for the attack, but Shaunna’s hand darted out and punched it on the nose in a movement so swift that the dog didn’t see it coming. Taken by surprise, the anizombie’s mouth snapped shut. She tried to retreat, but felt something pulling at her muzzle, thus holding her in place.
Shaunna stared into the eyes of her newest follower as she held it by its muzzle. The canine’s instincts kicked in and it recognized her as a dominant force that she must obey. It saw no compromise in her gaze and understood that this creature would demand her instant obedience.
Shaunna continued to look into the eyes of her newest follower for another few moments, and then she released it. She again offered the anizombie the meat. This time, the ravenous creature approached her carefully and with no outward signs of aggression. The female zombie stared at the canine in silence, tilting her head at an angle as she studied it. The German Shepherd reached out and took the proffered piece of meat slowly and gently. It ate the meat and then returned its gaze to the larger portion Shaunna still held in her hand, but made no move to take it. Instead, it waited to be fed.
Finally, Shaunna grunted in satisfaction and tore the remaining meat into two pieces that were about the same size. She handed one to the anizombie and watched as it ate. The anizombie ate its meat with its head lowered while it kept its eyes on the Alpha female. Shaunna took her free hand and picked up Lily’s body. She held it near the German Shepherd’s nose and waited. She crooned in approval when the big canine sniffed at her former pet and then withdrew its nose from its vicinity.
Shaunna watched the anizombie for another minute, and then she got to her feet with Lily’s body resting on her left forearm. She tossed the remaining meat to the waiting German Shepherd, who caught it in midair and devoured it. She walked away, followed by the other zombies who had shown no interest in the anizombie in their midst. The German Shepherd raced past the undead creatures that were following its master and was soon walking at her side. Shaunna took little notice of the creature until they reached the road. Then she sniffed the air and turned to follow the faint odor that was all that remained of Dana’s scent.
Seeing her master’s nostrils working as if she were following a scent trail, the anizombie tested the air with her own nose as Shaunna observed her. The Alpha female nodded in satisfaction and trotted away with the dog by her side. She was content for the first time since the death of Lily. She would permit the anizombie to track her enemy for her, just as she had once followed Lily’s nose.
Chapter 8
The mission.
The grey Mercedes Sprinter minibus bumped as it hit the small pothole in the road, prompting Hernando to apologize for not missing the rough spot.
Randy said, “Boy, I sure miss the smoother roads. It seems like every trip we take is on rough pavement.”
“The highways are no longer being maintained,” Herb replied. “I imagine that within a few years many of the roads in America will become impassable.”
“Many of them were in terrible condition before the fall,” Hernando interjected. Prior to the outbreak of the Akins’ parasites, he had been a successful owner operator of a tractor-trailer rig, and had therefore traveled widely across the country.
The team was almost to Brinkley. The trip had been uneventful, which was just the way Herb wanted to keep it. He had been pleasantly surprised at the absence of zombies during the mission so far. There had been plenty of signs of violent struggles between people and the zombies. Their bones littered the highway, often near clusters of abandoned vehicles. Most of the bodies had long since been picked clean by vultures or had decomposed due to their exposure to the elements. However, their bones remained to give mute testimony to the final moments of their existence.
“Do you have anything to report, Bill?” Herb asked hopefully.
“Not yet,” the computer technician responded. “I’ll let you know if they appear on the tracking system.”
“We’re almost to the spot where they were last pinpointed on the map,” Hernando said. “What do you want to do if we get there and there’s still no contact?”
“If that happens, then we’ll take Highway 40 to Forest City,” Herb replied. “Once we pick up their signal, then we’ll close with them and try to see what we can learn about those people, preferably without being spotted by them.”
“All right. We’ll be turning onto Highway 40 soon then,” Hernando informed the team.
Herb studied the roadway in front of them. The recent frosts had tu
rned the tall grass along the sides of the road a light brown. As they drew closer to Brinkley, the disabled vehicles, which had been sparse for much of the trip, grew more abundant. So did the mangled remains of autos that had collided during their drivers’ panic to escape the zombies.
Herb, who was sitting in the passenger side front seat, was still surveying the roadway ahead of them when he felt the bus begin to slow. “What’s wrong?” he asked Hernando.
“There is possible trouble up ahead,” Hernando responded.
“Where?” Randy asked.
“Do you see the wrecked car on the side of the road with the burned out grass?” Hernando asked.
“Yeah, I see it now,” Randy replied. “That would be recent.”
“Shall we check it out?” Hernando asked Herb.
“Yes, we should. This could have a bearing on the people we’re seeking,” Herb said. Then he instructed Hernando to slow the bus to a crawl to give Randy time to get topside to offer covering fire.
While Randy was elevating his chair, Jason and Ed grabbed their rifles and came forward to join Herb and Jesse, who was sitting in the seat beside Randy.
“Jesse, remember, your primary duty is to guard the door,” Herb said. “And remember to keep your head on a swivel or some zombie will blindside you.”
“Don’t forget to also keep an eye on the sky,” Randy reminded them all just before his face ascended above the top of the bus. The team knew he was referring to the anizombie vulture incident that had occurred just before they reached Newport, Arkansas during their run to rescue Hernando and his people from that city.
“Hernando, get your pistol ready, just in case. That goes for you too, Bill,” Herb said as the bus stopped and Hernando opened the door.
Herb was the first man out of the bus, followed by Jason, and then Ed. Jesse took up the rear and stood blocking the open doorway.
Hernando had stopped the bus on the opposite side of the road from the wrecked and burned-out vehicle with the charred roadside around it. The first thing Herb noticed was the bullet holes in the driver’s side door and the shattered driver’s side window. The second was the corpse behind the wheel, which had been burned to such a degree that its gender was a mystery. The third was the smell, which was horrible beyond description. He made a conscious effort to breathe through his mouth as he walked around the vehicle examining it.