by Daniel Smith
“Battery is dead,” he said reaching down and pulling a lever under the steering wheel. Dan heard a popping sound as the hood of the minivan jumped up a couple of inches. Dan followed Manny out of the van, watched him reach under the hood, and released a latch raising the hood. He reached in and tugged on the battery cables frowning. Before straitening.
“I will get some tools you get your weapons. We will head towards the school to see if we can find a replacement battery,” Manny stated as he moved towards the rear of the van.
Dan reached over and pulled the sliding door open before pulling his Katana sword from the rear seat. He put it over his back before reaching into the van again pulling the recurved bow and a quiver of arrows out next and attaching the quiver to his belt. Then started attaching the shooting brace for the bow on to his arm as he finished Manny approached caring a tan canvas bag with a clinking of tools coming from it.
“Take the lead,” Manny said as he slung the short barrel shotgun on his side.
Dan moved off towards a street called Westport staying to the sidewalk. His eyes scanning one side of the street to the other lingering on bushes and trees sitting near houses in case someone or something came out of them. He stopped at the first car he came to on the street it was a dirty two door.
“Leave it. It's too small,” Manny said from behind. Dan nodded and moved on towards a brick church. Moving closer to it as they approached Mouser road standing near the corner of the building they scanned the road and large brick school across the street. Growing in height as the ground sloped down the hill. Rows of double windows broken out along the building.
“That is not a good sign,” Manny said pointing to the broken windows. Dan looked at him a question forming on his lips. Manny smiled and continued.
“People have been around after the law left,” Manny said smiling.
Dan nodded understanding; Manny motioned around the front of the church and moved off towards several cars parked out-front. They moved into the small lot to see several cars with their windows broken out and their tires slashed. Manny motioned to a small van similar to theirs.
“Keep watch,” Manny said as he moved to open the hood. Dan nodded moving away slightly to scan the streets and surrounding buildings as Manny went to work pulling the battery. After a short period of time Dan spotted movement down the street, shielding his eyes with his hands to see several figures approaching. He did not turn as he called out softly to Manny.
“Company’s coming,” Dan said as he slowly moved back to the van. He remembered Manny telling him that fast movement caught the eye quicker than slow movement. Manny had just placed the black battery into the canvas bag.
“What kind,” he asked.
“Not sure,” Dan said pointing towards the figures, from the cover of the van they could see fifteen to twenty people on BMX bicycles riding towards them.
They crouched in silence as the people rode into the parking lot of the school. The group ranged in age and sex some started doing tricks with their bikes as others headed into the school.
“Looks like they have not seen us,” Manny said quietly.
Dan nodded as his stomach tensed up; he was remembering the last group of people they had met in the store. The kids as he thought of them some of them where definitely not kids. Where taking their time at the school making noise as they kept doing bike tricks laughing and talking loudly. Some started smoking as a strange smell drifted across the street. Dan wrinkled his nose at this.
“What are those cigarettes,” Dan whispered to Manny.
“Not cigarettes pot,” Manny said as an answer.
Both of them looked up as the sound of crunching glass sounded above them. The rear window of the van had a small hole in it surrounded by cracked glass. Peaking under the van watching a couple of the kids holding slingshots aiming towards the cars in the parking lot they hid in others at the unbroken windows of the school. Dan motioned to several figures approaching on foot they were shambling.
“Great,” Manny sighed.
“If more show up we leave no matter if they see us or not,” he said to him.
For his part, Dan just nodded as they watched a couple of bike rider’s start peddling towards the figures. The bike riders started doing tricks on the bikes near the pair of people, popping the bike front wheel up. Jumping the bike off the ground allowing the bikes rear wheel to fly out towards the people. The zombies kept grabbing at the riders who managed to stay just out of reach. Occasionally one zombie getting knocked to the ground getting up drunkenly to continue the game to the laughter of the riders.
“That’s an interesting why to deal with them,” Dan said with a smile.
“Damn stupid way you mean,” Manny said in his calm voice, Dan turned to look at Manny from watching the riders then turned back as Manny said.
“They are doing nothing but tiring them self’s out with two but if more show up,” Manny stopped talking. One BMX rider tried to hit one of the chest of a zombies with the front wheel of his bike while popping a wheelie.
However, he miss judge the distance clipping the figures shoulder. Instead of knocking the figure down it violently turned into the biker knocking him off the bike. The other three bike riders braked to a halt with skids leaving dark marks on the pavement as the fallen rider struggled on the ground with the zombie. The other three watched doing nothing as the rider screamed for help as the second zombie fell on to the rider to help the first tear bloody chunks of flesh off the rider. Dan felt a strong hand push him back to the ground as he tried to get up.
“You can’t help him and by the way his friends are just sitting there watching, they would not be happy to see us,” Manny told him quietly.
Dan gritted his teeth as he thought about what he had just said. The other three riders left their friend. Dan thought bitterly as the zombies tore him apart. The other riders went into the school before slowly disbursing. This left only four bike riders at the school. Dan felt Manny pushing him had he fallen asleep he thought as he rub his eyes. The four bikers had not returned to their bikes from inside the school as a new group of figures appeared from the main street slowly moving toward the school. Dan’s first thought was they were walking plants but the browns, greens and black patches of the woodland camouflage clothing became clear.
As the six people became clearer as they approached the undead feasting. The two zombies that had been tearing the biker apart noticed them, moving from their now finished feast, making their way toward them. However, they had only gone a few feet before the high pitch crack of an automatic rifle boomed out. Sending bloody yellow chunks of gray matter that passed for brains fountain out of their heads violently. The squad advanced on the torn apart figure of the biker looking down on the now moving figure. Before two of them started violently stomping bloodily on the now moving figure much to Dan’s horror.
“Not good,” Manny whispered. “Stay still and don’t make a sound.”
Dan watched as the group of newcomers looked at the bikes and talked for a minute between them. Breaking up to move off taking cover behind cars staying out of site until the bikes owners showed back up. When they finally did, appeared one soldier jumped up and started shouting at them as the rest of the soldiers stood surrounding the bike riders after a few commands that he could not hear.
The bikers where forced to stand with hands on their heads in the middle of the school’s parking lot. The soldiers leader guarding them with his rifle as the others fanned out looking for something. Dan felt Manny’s hand on his shoulder again.
“Stay here, I am going to shift position for a better view,” he whispered Dan just nodded.
Manny slowly moved away as two soldiers started moving across the street towards them. He felt his stomach tighten as he reached slowly behind him pulling the forty-five from the holster at the small of his back thumbing back the black hammer. He did not check for a round in the chamber, he had done that before leaving this morning. He was not sure where
Manny had gone to as he watched the two soldiers make their way towards the parking lot where he was hiding. Their rifles hung loosely by their sides by slings as they talked.
The soldiers getting to the center of the street as a rapid high pitch cracking rang out. Dan watching in horror as the four bikers fell in a hail of five point six five bullets ripping through them. Spent brass casing fell in a stream onto the parking lot from the assault rifle. His finger going from the outside the trigger guard to resting on the trigger as he watched the two soldiers stop in the street turning suddenly.
“What the hell did you do,” one soldier was yelling as he ran from further down the street to the parking lot.
“You do not use that tone with me. I outrank you,” the soldier who had fired yelled back as the other soldier stopped.
“They were looters,” the soldier who had shot said unconcerned.
“They were prisoners,” the other soldier started to argue getting cut off.
“I am in command, our orders said we can shoot looters if needed,” he shouted.
“Now all of you get back to work,” he said glaring at the other soldier moving his assault rifle to point at him. After a tense moment, the soldier walked away shaking his head. Dan felt the tension build in his stomach at this as the other two soldiers started moving closer.
“That man’s crazy,” a female soldier, said as she approached.
Dan could see she was a woman and her partner was a man as they moved into the parking lot.
“Yes but he is in charge,” the man said as he looked at the church.
The man turned his head when she did not answer to see her looking behind a van.
“Hey you ok,” the man, said puzzled at the silence and the fact she had not moved. Moving over towards her unconcerned.
“Hey,” he started to say as he put a hand on her shoulder but stop short as the muzzle of Dan’s forty-five shifted to him from the other soldier. Dan put his free finger to his lips to signal silence as he shifted from the ground to a crouching position with one knee on the ground.
“Hey take it easy,” the man started but went silent as Dan’s finger noticeably tighten on the trigger taking up some slack. Dan made the silence motion with his finger at his lips once more before pulling it across his throat as a way of a threat.
Dan crouched unsure how long they stayed in that position sweat was starting to trickle down his back even though it was cool out. He could see even more sweat beading on the foreheads of the two soldiers.
“Hey what are you two doing,” Dan heard another soldier yell at the two he had the gun on and could hear him moving closer. He saw fear come into the faces of the two soldiers, as he felt a look of grim determination cross his face, he was not dying here today.
“What has your attention,” the soldier who shot earlier started saying as the rest of the soldiers approached. Dan stood quickly moving from behind the van so he could cover the newcomers with his pistol. He could tell from the looks on their faces and the fact their rifles hung loosely at their sides he had caught them off guard.
“Whoa,” their leader started as Dan raised the forty- five to point at his face. He could see one of the four soldiers approaching was a woman.
“Take it easy,” she started, getting cut off by the leader.
“Put the gun down you are our prisoner,” he stated arrogantly as his hand started moving for his assault rifle but stopped as Dan took careful aim for his head.
“There is only one of you and six of us,” he started again arrogantly his hand started to creep towards his rifle once again.
“Wrong on that account,” Dan heard Manny’s calm voice come from behind them. He watched them stiffen at this.
“Also I am pointing a scattergun at your legs not your body armor,” Manny added off handily.
Dan watched as all the soldiers exchange looks between them.
“Ok,” the leader started to say moving his hand from his assault rifle. “No need for trouble,” he said nervously.
Dan watched as Manny started pulling one soldier at a time from where they were standing making them walk backwards as his shotgun pressed against their necks. While he kept, the rest covered with the forty-five and moved them to the front of the van. Making them drop their weapons, helmets, body armor and boots before making them lay face down on the ground with their hands clasped over their heads and legs crossed. Before grabbing the next one, after the last one Dan joined Manny.
“Ok, stand up,” Manny said quietly but in a tone Dan thought sounded shouted. The group of soldiers stood up and face the two of them.
“You are making a big mistake,” started the leader of the soldiers but stop as Manny’s shotgun snapped up to point right at him.
“Shut it,” Manny snapped all pretense of friendliness gone replaced by a cold tone Dan only heard once before at the supermarket. He watched the soldiers stiffen.
“Here is how this is going to work, I will not repeat my instructions, fail to follow them you die. You take too long to do them you die. You talk back, he shoots you,” Manny motioned to Dan who raised his pistol to point at them.
“Understand,” Manny, barked at them, for their response, the soldiers nodded their heads.
“All right then strip,” Manny, said the calmness back in his voice. Dan watched as looks of disbelieve crossed their faces but before any of them could do anything Manny made a show of glancing at his watch then pointed the shotgun at the first soldier. At seeing this, the soldiers burst into action as they hastily started removing clothing. The men had gotten down to off-white boxer shorts. One woman down to her white panties and bra while the second was down to a green tee shirt and panties she had stopped undressing. Manny moved the shotgun to point at her.
“But,” she stammered stopping as Dan trained the forty-five on her.
The look on her face fell from fear to a deflated look as she reached down grabbing the bottom of her green tee shirt with both hands and pulled it up over her head. When she did this she exposed small firm round breasts with hard pointed nipples showing, looking humiliated she tossed the shirt to the ground. The other soldiers looked her way with the other woman looking sick. Manny grab their attention by clearing his throat then made a show of checking his watch again. This prompted the rest of them to remove the final articles of clothing. Dan swallowed hard as he tried not to stare at the women who for some reason looked more humiliated then the men.
“Start running,” Manny said waving them off with the shotgun. They all turned in a hurry taking only a few steps before stopping short as the four BMX bikers they shot started to stand looking around with blank milky white eyes. They focus on the group of naked people standing in the church parking lot before coming to an unspoken agreement and started moving towards them. Manny did not look at Dan as he spoke but kept the shotgun trained on the soldiers who had stopped splitting their attention between the shotgun and the approaching figures.
“Take them out, but do it quietly,” Manny said looking at Dan.
He nodded his head before he holster the forty-five.
“Let us get our weapons,” one of the topless women pleaded with Manny who just shook his head no.
Dan let the recurve bow slip from his shoulder. He drew a point tip arrow from the leather quiver and notched it to the bow. Pulling the string back, he took aim and let the arrow fly with a twang. The arrow flew straight into the forehead of the first zombie dropping it to the ground. Dan nodded in satisfaction at this, drawing a second arrow, and let it fly watching it sink into the shoulder of the second one. He frowned as the BMX rider did not even notice the arrow in his shoulder. As it continued towards them and pulled a third arrow and let fly with a twang watching with satisfaction as it hit the zombie in the milky white eye dropping it to the ground.
Feeling redeemed in the eyes of the watching soldiers he pulled another arrow. The last two zombies fell before Dan went over to pull the arrows out of them replacing them into the quiver.
Returning to see Manny watching them.
“Still need the bow,” he said calmly as Dan pulled an arrow and notched it and looked around.
“You saw that he can use that at a distance,” he addressed the soldiers.
“Now take off,” he commanded. They watched as the six of them started jogging down the street.
“Ok,” Manny said watching them. “Stay here and keep an eye on them. If I am not back with the van in twenty minutes come running,” Manny said moving to pick up the bag with the car battery in it.
“Ok,” Dan responded glancing at his stainless steel watch. Twenty-one minutes later Dan took one last look at the group of soldiers who had stopped about two-hundred yards down the road and was ready to head for Manny when he heard the van coming. Manny pulled up next to him Dan started to reach for the weapons when he heard Manny call out.
“Leave them,” Dan looked up puzzled but did as he commanded as he got into the van. Manny pulled off down one street then another as he dodged wrecked cars and the occasional infected person.
“Why did we have to leave the weapons and why did you make them strip,” he asked as he turned to face Manny. Manny glanced at him for a second and flashed him a quick smile before facing the road again.
“First they were probably from the safe area and if we run into any more of them having weapons like that would cause trouble.”
Dan nodded at this.
“Second I had them strip for two reasons. The first is control you take a person’s clothes and most people feel helpless just as the first woman who went topless.” Dan felt his face get hot at that.
“Second is if they had any hidden weapons on them we would have seen them,” He finished. This sounded reasonable to Dan.
“And I don’t think we will go to the safe area here, Maybe in the next city.”