by Daniel Smith
Before turning his attention off the side of the building releasing another bowling ball. Manny watched as an undead woman’s head caved in to the weight of the thirteen pound ball. As she fell to the ground, a strange look crossed over Manny’s face Dan could not decipher. Before he shrugged his shoulders.
“I should lecture you on the morality of throwing bowling balls off buildings at people. However, nothing comes to mind. Except give me one,” Manny said as he extended his hand to the bowling ball that Dan was now holding.
Manny looked off the side of the building before letting the ball go with an underhand gesture. Breaking into a satisfying smile watching the ball impacted into one zombie’s head before bouncing off smashing into another zombie’s head dropping both of them to the ground.
“Now that's how you bowl,” Manny said with a grin.
With the help of Manny, Stefan and Dan moved more bowling balls to the roof before darkness finally descended. Early the next morning as the first rays of light from the sun erupted on the horizon, all three of them stood on the roof with their gear. Below their corner of roof was an emergency exit, taking careful aim they started dropping bowling balls on the now dwindling mass of zombies leaving yellowish spatter marks on the balls and ground.
“When we get back people aren't going to believe this,” Stefan said as he released the ball to see it impact on to an upturned face of a woman. Before laughing slightly. “Another one for the storybooks,” he said as Dan released a ball.
“What do you mean,” Dan said as Manny released another one smacking into a male zombie wearing some security uniform.
“Oh come on, you can't say you never ran into one of the undead wearing some crazy outfit or in a toilet stall or a footlocker or something. Everyone has stories,” Stefan said, picking up another ball. Dan just shook his head saying.
“Never thought of that.”
In two hours, they cleared out one side of the bowling alley enough for them to leave. Even managing to recover the wagons of parts and the few items found in the bowling alley. They had just entered the abounded church when a woman wearing a city uniform ran up to them.
“I am glad you are back,” she started.
“Thanks,” Dan said with a smile that faded with her response.
“We have a schedule radio broadcast with the city and for the last three days the mayor has been wanting to talk to you,” She said pointing at Manny.
Dan looked up to see a somber looking Manny return from his talk with Sandra Dan had been going over their food supplies. He wished he had not sent the entire batch of foodstuff they had found back. After splitting their food with Stefan for the last few days had reduced their food to a low-level and he did not have time to spend hunting right now. The look on Manny’s face stopped his thoughts.
“Let me guess she opened the boxes,” he asked sullenly. Manny stopped short and looked confused before smiling.
“No,” he said sitting down next to him. Dan cheered up a little.
“How’s the food,” Manny asked glancing at it.
“Low,” Dan replied.
“Well that might be good,” Manny sighed. Dan waited for Manny to speak.
“Sandra wants us to come back with the next convoy to help provide security for it.” Dan looked stunned but Manny continued before he could speak.
“She says they found some critical parts for the town power plant and want us to help guard them so the city people who are here can get more instead of providing security.”
Dan looked skeptical at this as Manny nodded before asking.
“What do you think.”
He was silent as he thought for several minutes with Manny waiting patiently for him to speak.
“When would we leave,” Dan asked quietly.
“James and Marion will be here late tomorrow or the next with one day to load and rest the horses,” Manny said thoughtfully looking at him with a sly smile. Dan nodded his head.
“We have about filled up the allowed limit of space for the trip back right,” Dan started and Manny nodded his agreement.
“So anything we pack into the wagon with us if we head back now would be extra,” he asked uncertainly. Manny’s smile broke into a grin.
“We would have to be fast about it tomorrow possibly splitting up at times,” Manny started.
Leaving the church before sunup they rode off on their bikes trailers in tow. Manny arranged for both of them to stand the same watch planning to leave after they finished. They split up with plans to meet at a strip mall later. Dan struggled to pedal the heavily laden bike and trailer with bulging saddlebags and bags of all shapes and sizes tied to the trailer down the street. He had just entered a parking lot of an office building near a concrete flowerbed filled with overgrown weeds trying to cut a few feet off his ride. What he found when a mass of the infected moving in his direction Dan had no time to turn and ride off with the weight down bike and trailer.
Looking around quickly Dan spotted the parking building for the office building making a quick decision. He ran for it abandoning his bike as several more of the shambling undead joined in his chase going right by the bike. They were getting closer as Dan stopped in front of the parking building. Weighing his choices he looked at the concrete stairs leading up to other levels of the parking lot then at the darken interior. Deciding he started running up the stairs taking two at a time to get to the next level. Met by a moaning woman in a tore business suit coming out of the parking lot interior.
Dan wasted no time pulling the black blade from his sheath to swing it with one hand in a violent arc sending her head flying off to bounce down the stairs in sickening sounding bumps. Dan started up to the next level when he saw several shadows start moving from the dim interior towards him. He turned and looked down the stairs at the mass of undead following him and paused. The first of them had reached the stairs to step forward not bringing their feet high enough to clear the step. Falling flat on their faces on the stairs as more undead followed. Soon there was an undulating mass of them on the stairs slowly trying to crawl and climb their way up. Dan let out a slight laugh.
“Oh, I guess stairs are not your strong point,” he said to no one in particular as he moved up to the next landing of the car park. While going up he looked over inside the glass building seeing several milling figures in there looking at him some bumping up against the glass, trying to get out at him. Exiting on the top of the car park he spotted another stairwell leading down with only five zombies moving around up here. He started for it before facing a woman. In a torn and dirty blue jeans, torn red crop top tee shirt, tears and bloody bite marks on her paleface and chest set below sunken milky white eyes.
He did not even break stride as he swung the black blade removing most of her head from her neck. As she fell, Dan made it to the top of the staircase looking down. He could see into the parking lot where his bike sat next to the concrete overgrown flowerbed. Part of a courtyard with seating leading towards the glass entrance of the building. The way was clear, as he wasted no time starting down the stairs to get to his bike. When he heard the moaning stopping at the top of the stairs, he turned quickly to see a zombie reached the top of the stairs. Without hesitating the zombie stepped off and immediately fell tumbling towards him trying to jump out-of-the-way stumbling grabbing for the handrail. The zombie tumbled past him as the other three appeared at the top of the stairs. Dan struggled to stand as he half ran half-fell down the stairs past the first zombie as he tried to make the next landing. As the other three undead people stepped off to fall down the stairs chasing after him. One even managing to pass him tumbling down half the next flight of stairs before him. Dan made for his bike in a hurry bike pushing off as he started to rides deciding on which way would be quickest to get back to his companion. He turned back to see another of the undead fall tumbling down the stairs, followed by four more. Dan did not even tried to suppress laughter as he pedaled away.
“Well I just found something
funnier than the undead trying to go upstairs,” he said laughingly as he turned to pedal down the street away from the building.
Dan breathe a sigh of relieve as he caught his breath as he made it to the large retail store that he agreed to meet. Manny at taking stock of only the few abandoned cars in the parking lot. In the distance, one or two milling figures seemed uninterested in him. As he pulled his overloaded bike up to the broken glass of the front door of the store that held Manny’s bike and trailer sitting just inside the entrance. Dan put the bikes kickstand down as he got off leaving his bike outside thinking it was too much work to maneuver the bike through the broken doors. Walking past the large row of red shopping carts. Dan looked into the gloomy interior turning his flashlight on waving it so the white beam of light played about the ceiling in a small circle while not moving further into the store.
After a couple of seconds he saw a responding beam shin on the ceiling in the rear corner of the store. Putting the beam of the flashlight on the floor, Dan moved off in that direction watching to see if the shaking changed. Dan passed the forms of two of the undead with large gashes in their skulls lying in pools of yellowish sap. As he got within one or two aisles the light beam came from before he quietly called out.
“Manny,” Dan called out quietly slowly reaching for the checkered grip of the autoloader.
“Over here,” he heard Manny's calm voice call back. Dan rounded the isle to see four large red baskets stuffed with items as Manny was putting the last of some camping gear into one.
“My trailer is full already. You are never going to fit all of that into your trailer. We won't have time to day to come back to get the rest,” Dan said, looking at the first of the four baskets. He saw Manny nod his head agreeing.
“True, but whatever we don't take today will be here waiting for us if we have time to come back tomorrow. All we do is spend the time riding over here,” Manny said. Taking hold of the first basket’s handle his other hand going for the front of the second basket motioning for Dan to do the same. He started slowly, making his way up to the front of the store where the bike sat.
They had just finished overloading Manny's trailer and pushing the baskets with the rest the items off to one side. To recover later time allowing, as several gunshots rang out followed by the building roar of a car engine racing away. Both Dan and Manny stop what they're doing to look at each other Dan's hand going for the brown checkered pistol grip of the autoloader as Manny grabbed the pistol grip of the shotgun. Manny took the lead as they move towards the broken front doors of the store towards the parking lot scanning it. Seeing nothing, Manny made a motion with his hand for Dan to follow him. Along the side of the building trying to keep what few cars in the parking lot as cover as they made their way towards the street. Stopping near a large round concrete base with a tall light pole on it. They looked out into the intersection to see several bodies lying on the street with puddles of red blood on their chests and pooling around them.
Near an almost new looking silver pickup truck the engine still idling with the driver’s door half opened. They both crouched near the concrete base looking out into the street seeing nothing; they move slowly out Dan with the autoloader in his hand Manny with the shotgun. Manny moved towards the truck as Dan approached the first body. Looking down he saw a middle age man with salt-and-pepper beard stubble sprouting on a now grayish face. Dan nudged him with his foot seeing no response. Dan pushed the autoloader back into the Blackhawk shoulder holster before pulling the black blade of the katana with the distinctive metallic kiss. Placing the angled blade edge on what was once a brown eye. Slowly starting to cloud over to milky white jabbing down quickly thrusting the point of the blade into the man's brain. Manny looked over at him.
“He is dead to,” Manny said, pulling the driver out of the truck and turning off the engine. Dan nodded as he finished pulling the black blade from the man's head moving over to the next one that Manny had pointed out to give it the same treatment as the last body. When Manny approached.
“The truck has a full tank of gas with a couple of spare gas cans of fuel. Go get the bikes ready while I clean out the mess in the cab and finish searching them. I will bring the truck over. We can load everything and drive back to Hope with the convoy ourselves,” Manny said bending down to start searching the bodies for anything of value.
Dan grunted an agreement, jogging off towards the store. He just finished getting Manny’s bike out of the store. He was now maneuvering the trailer through the door stopping at hearing a growling noise. He looked around to see several dogs slinking out of the shadows of one of the abandoned cars staying low to the ground. Dogs were a generous term Dan thought as he looked at the pack of animals. All were thin with skin hanging tightly to their body showing the outline of ribs. Some had large patches fur missing from their bodies. On others showed signs of old and new bite wounds and torn ears. The leader the pack was a large black animal, possibly a Rottweiler. He thought as the dogs started fanning out in a semicircle in front of him staying low to the ground growling.
“Go away,” Dan, yelled waving his arms.
The dogs froze for a second then they started growling again as the continued to move towards him. He looked around for Manny but did not see him as he slowly reached up to pull the blade of the katana from his back. The leader of the feral dogs stopped for a few seconds still growling as Dan took the black blade in both hands bringing it up to his right side, ready to swing. Dan fixed his blue eyes all the leader the dog dark eyes as it crouched down with strands of spit and foam hanging from the snarling mouth exposing its teeth. Dan tensed as he saw the dog crouched slightly lower before in a burst of speed took a running start jumping at him as another dog joined in.
Dan swung the tip of the black blade catching the leader of the pack square in the throat. Cutting deeply into the dog’s neck while powering the blade through to impact into the skull of the second dog watching as both dogs howled in pain as they fell. Dan had to shift his position to avoid the falling dogs after that attack with barely enough time to bring his blade up as another dog came running at him. He slammed the black blade down hard onto the dog’s mangy skull feeling the bones crunch yanking it free as another dog started to charge him but stopped their attack. Dan was beginning to worry. There was still too many left as the engine roaring and horn blaring reached his ears. He saw the silver pickup truck driven by Manny barreled through the parking lot and come to a screeching stop sending the dogs scattering into the parking lot. Manny looked at the three dead dogs sprawled on the ground then to him.
“Are you okay,” he said with concern. “None of them bit you,” Manny followed through getting out of the truck.
“No I am fine,” Dan said as he bent down to wipe the blood on his blade off on one of the dogs for before sheathing the sword. Manny walked over and checked Dan any way.
“Just making sure. We do not know if any of them had Rabies.”
Manny helped Dan load the bikes and trailers into the truck bed hurrying with the balance from the shopping carts into the back of the truck. Manny pushed a CD into the player as some soft jazz music started playing as they drove off heading for their base camp.
An uncomfortable Dan sat perched on top of the overloaded wagon in the early morning light as the large Clydesdale horses strained as they started pulling it. Looking up at the cloudy sky, which threatened rain Dan replayed the conversation he had with Manny the day before.
“We are giving up the truck why,” Dan asked angrily. Manny held up his hands for calm.
“As I said they will make sure our stuff gets back, with the truck and a trailer they found here they can bring more stuff to keep the city up and going,” Manny said calmly. Dan looked at him skeptically before answering.
“And what does that get us,” Dan asked sarcastically. Manny smiled at this before responding.
“It gets us two things. First our extra stuff gets to us. Two we do not have to explain to Sandra why we
got extra stuff and she did not,” Manny replied calmly putting his hands down slowly. Dan looked at him a look of understanding crossing his face.
“I will get my stuff from the truck,” he sighed walking away. As the day wore on Dan felt the wagon slow as he heard James call out.
“Whoa,” to the horses. He turned from watching the other wagons following them to see the convoy of horse drawn wagons and trailers stopping. He looked around they had left the Town of Clinton several hours ago and was still a ways from Vicksburg. The road was clear with nothing moving in the tree or scrub line. Dan watched as the wagons closed up with one person staying with the wagons the rest taking defensive positions on all sides. Jumping down joining Manny and Marion holding her shotgun.
“What’s going on,” he asked. Manny shook his head as he watched a man in a city maintenance outfit jogging up stopping near the forming group. Panting slightly he stated.
“We got some people on the highway ahead wanting a toll.”
Dan rolled his eyes at this before an angry bitter feeling welled up in him.
“How many are there,” Manny asked calmly as a black clad woman appeared next to him with a rifle and scope in her hands. The city worker looked between her and Manny she just nodded her head at the city worker.
“About ten between both sides of the divided bridge,” he stated. The woman in black spoke.
“We outnumber them two to one unless they have people hiding in the brush. Judging from the number trucks that should be all,” she stated.
“But I would like to avoid a fire fight. If we lose any horses we are in trouble,” she finished. Dan listen to several murmurs from the group before speaking.
“Tell them to get packing or else,” Dan stated several others agreed stopping as he looked at a silent Manny. The woman in black looked at him.
“Your thoughts,” she asked. Manny was silent for a moment before speaking.
“You are in charge here so it's your call, but if you want I will go see what I can do,” Manny said calmly.