by Poe, S. B.
“Tequila?” Bridger asked.
“Probably.” Ed said. “In Russ-er I mean, the assholes house.” He pointed at the block building.
“Where did you stay?” Bridger asked.
“Right over there. That little place right there.” He pointed across the street to a small shack.
“Where do you keep your food?”
“Most of the canned goods are in the barn, but there is food kind of stashed all over the place. Ammo too. Assholes plan.”
“How big an area is fenced in?” Bridger asked.
“It’s about two acres. Just a game fence but it is ten feet tall. Keeps the deer out. Kept the Draugers out so far too.”
“Draugers?
“Yeah, Russ-asshole called em that. Said it was some Viking word for walking dead or some shit.”
“This guy was a piece of work wasn’t he?” Bridger said.
“Well, he did have a plan. I didn’t” Ed said.
“Fair enough. Let’s check out his room.”
They approached the block building. The door was set in a frame. It had a pad lock on it but no door handle.
“Got a key for this?” Bridger asked.
“Well, he didn’t know I did but I saw him hide it. It’s right here.” Ed lifted the old metal chair leaning against the wall of the building. The key was under one of the legs. He put it in the lock.
They swung the door open and stepped inside. Bridger reached up and toggled on his flashlight. He swung it around the room. It was impressive. He had not seen this many centerfolds plastered on a wall since that awkward freshman year at Georgia and his roommates obsession with some girl in one of these magazines. He thought that one looked familiar, shining his light on the far wall. He could see a bed and a bunch of boxes on one wall. Another wall had an armory type gun rack with at least half a dozen rifles. He could see several pistols hanging on another rack and several dozen boxes of ammunition. He looked around the room one more time and something caught his eye. One of the walls wasn’t block. It looked like paneling. He walked over to it. He knocked on it and it sounded hollow. He walked the length of the wall knocking on it and found a seam. He pressed against the paneling and it clicked. A door swung open. He swung his flashlight inside.
He saw a small room. Just really a walled off section about three feet wide the length of the wall. The end he was in had a chair with a small table. It faced the other end. At that end, attached to the block wall was a chain with a collar. Bridger walked up to it and looked at the collar. He followed the chain up to the wall.
“Find something to break this shit off this wall. Right fucking now.” Bridger flashed at Ed.
Ed turned and swept his flashlight around the room and saw a crowbar leaning against one of the gun racks. He grabbed it and handed it to Bridger. He ripped the shackle from the wall and threw it down. He walked back out and closed the door.
“Yeah, he was definitely an asshole. And after seeing what he thought he was going to get away with, well, he got what he deserved.” Bridger said. He handed the crow bar back to Ed.
Ed just nodded.
“So now what?” Ed asked.
“I needed to see. To see if you were telling the truth.”
“I know. It’s cool.”
“Yeah, but are you cool. Can I trust you?” Bridger asked.
“Look man. I wasn’t loyal to this guy, just like I ain’t really loyal to you. I am loyal to staying alive. That’s it. Right now you seem like a decent bet to help me in that so I am loyal to that.”
“An honest man, huh?” Bridger said, raising his eyebrow.
“Nope. Just honest about that.”
Bridger chuckled. He still wasn’t sure but he felt a little better. They went around the room taking a quick look at what they could. Stacks of conspiracy books in one corner and VHS porn tapes in the other.
“Did he have power for a TV?”
“Yeah there’s a generator. He burnt through the gas. That was why we went out looking that day. For gas.” Ed said.
“Where’s the generator?”
“In the next building. He put it in there to keep the noise down. It’s pretty quiet but in that building, you can’t hear it unless you’re standing right next to it. Dead never seemed to hear it.”
“Let’s take a look.” Bridger said. He motioned for Ed to go ahead of him. Ed stepped out of the building and Bridger turned to look one more time.
“Yep. Gotta have a housecleaning before Tilly sees this.” Bridger said under his breath as he walked out the door. He locked the padlock and put the key in his pocket. Ed didn’t object. They found the generator and Bridger was satisfied. They started back to camp.
10
For just a While
Feel at Home again
Josh awoke with Lori lying next to him with her head against his chest. He looked down at her hair and ran his hands through it. It was dirty but soft. She rolled away and sat up yawning.
“Good morning.” He said.
“Good morning to you.” She said.
“Good morning to the both of you.” Scott said.
They got out of the truck. The sun was just coming through the trees and they walked to the corral. The others were slowly making their way around camp. Josh grabbed the bundle of firewood they had gathered yesterday and began to rekindle the fire. By the time the rest of them gathered around he had boiled some water and dug out the last tin of instant coffee. Every one sat down as he poured out water for the ones who wanted it. Every one except Jennifer took some. Raj and Tilly walked up just in time.
“So last night, we heard something on the radio.” Josh started.
“Yeah. It was some kind of emergency broadcast.” Scott said.
“What, were they warning about the possibility of dead people coming back or something?” Tilly said.
“No. We're serious. It was new.” Lori said.
“It said there was a Refugee center nearby.” Josh said.
“Nearby where?” Charlie said.
“Jefferson County. Interstate 20 Mile marker 93.” Scott said.
“Jefferson County? Really?” Charlie said.
“Not from here, hello” Tilly said waving her hand. “Where is Jefferson County?”
“Well as the crow flies, that spot on I20 is about ten miles that way.” Charlie said, pointing east.
“How far is it as the bus drives around dead and undead?” Tilly asked.
“A bit further.” Charlie replied. “I would think.”
“Where’s Bridger?” Kate said over her cup.
“Um. He uh, he left.” Raj said.
“Uh huh.” Kate said. “Where did he go?”
“He took Ed, and went to find or to see if that place is real.” Raj stuttered.
“So he just decided to go and find out by himself. Without telling anyone?” Kate asked.
“He told us. He thought you could use the rest and he knew we could keep watch.” Tilly said. “So he did tell someone.”
“Did he say when he should be back?” Evelyn asked.
“He said by mid morning. He said to just sit tight until then.” Raj answered.
“Did y’all not hear what we just said?” Lori asked. “They said a refugee center. Nearby.”
“Really. We should just go to there. Forget this other place.” Josh said.
“But we don’t know enough. When did you hear this broadcast?” Amanda asked.
“Last night.” Scott answered.
“And nothing since then?” Charlie added.
“No. But we haven’t been listening since we came over hear.” Josh said.
“Ok. Scott you and I can go back over and listen on the truck and I’ll see if I can find it on my weather radio too.” Charlie said. “We can do that until Bridger gets back anyway.”
Scott and Charlie stood and walked back over to the front of the truck. They started listening. Josh stood and walked over to Kate.
“How are you doing this morning?”
Josh asked, kneeling down next to her.
“I’m ok. I’m doing ok. How are you doing?” she asked.
“I guess I’m doing ok too.” He said. “You need anything?”
“Nope. Just going to sit here with Evelyn and drink a little coffee flavored water.”
“Ok. Raj asked me to take the next watch, so Lori and I are going to start walking.”
“Be careful.”
“I will”
Kate watched as Lori met Josh as he crossed across the corral. She turned to Evelyn.
“What do you make of that?” she asked.
“Well when boys and girls reach a certain age…” Evelyn started.
“Not that.” She said, smiling.
“I know, I just wanted you to smile today. I think they are doing what we are all doing.”
“What’s that?”
“Figuring it out as they go.” Evelyn said.
Bridger and Ed walked the logging road all the way back to the main road. It was a further this way but Bridger needed to be able to get the bus and the other cars over here so he needed to know where this logging road came out. He had already decided that he was going to try and get everyone to come over here. It wasn’t perfect but it was a hell of a lot better than what they had now. The fence could at least slow the infected down and the buildings would help keep off the cold. And winter is coming. After getting back to the main road he figured it was less than a mile to the turn off to the dirt road on JW’s place. Pretty close. They started walking along the edge of the road.
“So you live around here somewhere?” Bridger asked.
“Not really. Up the road about twenty miles. Collier? Little town. Lived in my grandma’s house. She been dead a few years. My momma run off with some guy before that. Never knew my pops.” Ed blurted out, still carrying the crow bar over his shoulder.
“Well, at least you’re getting to meet some new people.” Bridger said.
“At least there’s that.” Ed said.
They rounded the next corner in silence. They could see several of the infected in the road in front of them. They were gathered around something in the middle of the road. All of them were on the ground. Bridger and Ed ducked down and watched for a minute to make sure there were not any more around. Most of the infected were knelt down over the main carcass, it looked like a deer, but a few had managed to pull off a leg and were off to the side of the main group. Bridger didn’t want to shoot them. He was afraid of what the sound might attract.
“Let’s go around.” Ed said.
“Nope. Can’t just hope they wander off the right way. We don’t leave them for someone else to have to deal with.”
“So what do you suggest?” Ed said. Bridger motioned for him to back up back around the bend in the road.
“Well, I suggest you giving me that crowbar for a minute.” Bridger said.
“I won’t have anything.” Ed said.
Bridger looked at his rifle. He handed it to Ed.
“Don’t shoot it. Unless I tell you too. Ok?”
“You trust me now?”
“Not really. But after this I might.” Bridger said.
Ed handed over the crowbar and took the rifle. He looked it over. It was not like anything he sold at Wal-Mart, that was for sure. This one was heavier with a much heavier barrel. It was marked and scratched like an old tool. This wasn’t some weekend plinker’s gun, this gun had history. He looked up at Bridger again. Bridger smiled at him. He took the crowbar and walked back around the bend in the road. He approached the first infected and didn’t hesitate. He brought the crowbar down into the back of its head with such force that it exploded like a watermelon. The pop sounded like a firecracker. The rest turned from their feast.
“Well shit, that didn’t go as planned.” Bridger said to himself. He brought the crowbar back up and swung it like a bat into the closest one to him.
The crowbar struck the dead in the side of the head and ruptured its skull. It also broke the vertebra holding the head attached and the whole thing came off except for one ligament on the opposite side. The head flopped over to one side as the thing collapsed.
“Shit.” Ed said, watching from a few yards behind.
Bridger swung the crowbar back around and connected with the forehead of the next infected. It split open. He flipped the crowbar in his hand so he was holding it like a cane. He shoved the end up under the chin of the next infected and drove it out the top of it’s skull. It twisted in his hand and he wasn’t able to pull it straight back out. Another infected stumbled towards him and he dropped the crowbar and the dead still attached to it. He pulled his knife and drove it straight into the eye of the dead woman in front of him. He pulled it out and wheeled around and drove it into the eye of the dead man behind him. He reached down and grabbed the crowbar again, placing his foot on the face of the thing and pulling the crowbar back out of its chin. He flipped it again in his hand and swung one more time at the last of the infected, a small child, no more than a toddler. He never hesitated. Pop. Bridger stood breathing deeply. He was covered in blood and rot. He turned and walked back over to Ed.
“Damn dude.” Ed said.
“I just needed to work some things out. Been a rough week at the office.” Bridger said.
He took the rifle back and slung it over his shoulder. He stuck the end of the crowbar under his arm and drew it back out, wiping the big bits off. He handed it back to Ed.
Josh and Lori made their second circuit around the camp. They weren’t straying to far from the center but they were still far enough away they couldn’t be heard.
“I am not going to stay in these woods. I am just not doing it.” Josh said.
“You know I feel that way too but how?” Lori asked. “How are we supposed to convince them to go to the refugee center?”
“I don’t know. I am not sure that the refugee center is still there either.” Josh said.
“But you said.”
“I know. But it has been a while now and we really don’t know how long it has been playing. It could be a few hours old or a few days. A few hours means it might be there, a few days might as well be a few years.”
“So what are you saying?” Lori asked.
“I’m saying I might want to try going somewhere else.”
“Where?”
“Home” Josh said.
“That’s a lot further away.”
“Yeah, but at least we know the area and we’re not just wandering around the woods like cavemen.”
“But won’t there be more of those things.”
“I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. We could go look”
“We could.” She said, smiling.
Josh and Lori walked back into camp since their shift was just about over. Scott and Charlie were due to go out next but they would wait until after lunch. The woods had been quiet for the day so far. Dottie and Amanda had spent most of the morning together in the bus trying to straighten things out. Raj and Tilly had rested as soon as Josh had taken over the watch. Kate and Evelyn were with Charlie, Scott and Jennifer in the corral when Bridger and Ed returned.
“What the hell happened to you?” Evelyn asked.
“Doing what I have too to get back to you.” Bridger smiled, wiping his pants off.
“Save it.”
“Did you find the place?” Charlie asked.
“Yep. Just what he said it was. Maybe a little better.”
“Better?” Kate said.
“There’s a rumor there is tequila.” Bridger said.
“Of course.” Kate smiled, remembering when JW had first introduced her to Bridger.
“So what now?” Josh asked.
“I guess we go.” Evelyn said.
“You guess?” Josh said.
“Well, what else is there?” Evelyn asked.
“The refugee center.” Lori said.
“We haven’t heard anything else about a refugee center.” Evelyn said.
“She’s right Lori.
Scott and I have been listening all morning. Nothing.” Charlie said.
“Well how about going back to South Springs?” Josh asked.
“No. Absolutely not.” Kate said. “We are not going back there. It is too far and it is too dangerous.”
“But we don’t know that.” Josh said.
“I said no, Josh. That’s the end of it.” Kate said. Josh didn’t respond.
“Ok. Well now that is settled. We can leave as soon as we’re ready.” Bridger said.
“Today?” Jennifer asked.
“It’s a mile or so down the road to where we will have to turn back into the woods and follow an old logging road. I am pretty sure the bus and the vehicles can all make it in. There was one really slick spot but I don’t think it will be a problem. So yeah, today. We just need to get everything loaded and go.”
Everyone began to leave the corral as though a spell had been broken. They each went about trying to make sure they could get everything loaded as quickly as possible.
Josh pulled Lori aside.
“Listen. We don’t have a lot of time to decide. I think we should just go. On our own.” Josh said.
“What?” Lori asked.
“Really. We can do this. I can stash a couple of guns in Janice’s car already and I can get a couple more. If you can grab some food, it doesn’t have to be much. I can hunt and fish if we need too.”
“Ok.”
“Really?”
“Sure. Ok.” She said.
“Put everything in Janice’s car. It has plenty of gas and she doesn't need it anymore. Sorry that was…” Josh paused.
“I know what you mean, it’s ok.” Lori said, reaching out and touching his arm.
“Ok meet me at Janice’s car in twenty minutes” Josh said.
“Ok.”
Evelyn and Kate were standing at the rear of the bus helping load the few things remaining onto it. Raj and Tilly had finished loading the SUV and most everyone was gathered back in the corral. Kate watched as Josh walked to Janice’s car for the third time in the last ten minutes.
“Do you think maybe he is making a rational decision?” Evelyn asked.
“Evelyn, his father just died. I am pretty sure he is not making anything close to a rational decision.” Kate said.