“I’m expecting one day the biters populating St. Louis will run out of food and move west or south since it’s the only direction available if the bridges aren’t maintained. A couple of hundred thousand corpses will have to be eliminated quickly.”
“A sound argument.”
“The majority of people to survive the apocalypse aren’t exactly the kind you invite to Sunday brunch. Only the nut jobs seem capable of living in the Mad Max world.”
“I’ve got a few of those types here. They’re the reason to destroy the base.”
“I want to meet the soldiers you want to hand over to me,” he says.
“They’ve no families or we’re certain everyone’s gone, so you won’t have any abandoning you. They know the alternative was to remain on base and assured death. They’ll follow your orders.”
“Remains to be seen.”
“I wouldn’t assign anyone who would endanger my little girl.”
“Right now we’ve enough food to feed everyone. To take in too many more we’ll have to expand our food production. Expanding too fast could lead to the biters getting inside.”
“I’ve packed reserve supplies meant as backup for the soldiers for you. The rest will be handed out as a diversion while the troops load into the choppers. You should have enough MREs to last until you adjust your food budget.”
He bets he could ask for a nuke and if the colonel thought it would keep his daughter safe it’d be loaded onto a truck.
“You seem to have covered three of the major problems we have with this base. You kept out Infected, you don’t expand beyond your needs,” the colonel pauses.
“You said three problems,” he inquires.
“Well, you don’t seem like the type of man to start a Thunderdome.”
“We’ve cut rations for people who don’t put in a full day’s work. Cures problems quickly, and the only crime I’ve had to punish was a rape.”
“How’d you deal with rape?”
“After examining all available evidence, it was clear he forced himself on the girl, so I cut his dick off in front of my people.”
“Rather Old Testament of you.”
“I can’t handle rapists.”
“A comfort, when you have a daughter,” Travis says.
Kade squeezes and scrunches the breasts of the half-naked woman before him. “Nice and perky.”
“Is this all I’ve got to do to earn some food?” Placid, she keeps her eyes away from his molestation.
“You think some tit squeezing gets me off? You’re going to have to work that pretty mouth of yours.”
“I heard about you, and your bottle fetish. I’ll suck you, but my pants stay on.”
“You want to eat, you’ll do whatever I want.” Kade smiles.
“I’m not that hungry.”
“Not yet.”
“What does that mean?” She knows Kade has insight into the base happenings and his food threat weakens her.
“You’re a smart enough girl to realize food rations have dwindled.”
“I know you’ve been doing more business.” Her eyes admit why she’s here.
“I’ve secured a little place outside the fence safer than this base’s going to be when the food dwindles even more.”
“So we all lose a little weight. The government’s going to take care of us.”
“You really believe that?”
She jerks away from his pawing hands. “You’ve fondled me enough. Without payment.”
Kade grabs her, pinning her arm behind her back as he clamps his hand over her mouth. “Well, I see you’re not a proper candidate for our new home. I’m sure there’re plenty of other women who’ll fornicate on command for food and safety.”
He slides his hunting knife into her back, puncturing her lung. He bends her over the table as she gasps for breath, unable to scream.
“If I did it right I deflated your lung.” He unclasps his belt, dropping his pants to his ankles. “You’ll bleed out. Pretty quick.” He scoops up her blood and rubs it on his cock. “I’ve never killed a person like this before.” He slides his erection inside her. “You’re pretty tight.” His thrusts rattle the desk. “As you bleed out your muscles will contract and you’ll get even tighter.” With each thrust blood pours from the wound. “Feels so good, baby. Too bad you’re just a one-night stand.”
Her body collapses on the desk. She prays for this to end faster than it’s going to. She feels her life slipping, but not as fast as each of his thrusts.
Travis escorts his daughter’s future protector through the hangar bay devoid of any personnel. Helicopters in different states of disrepair line the floor.
“So if I wanted a gunship to protect your daughter…” He leans into a helicopter. It reminds him of the one used in the original Predator. It destroys the illusion of two giant bodybuilders like Arnold and Ventura fitting inside along with the rest of the strike team who were all large, muscular men.
“One vehicle I’m unable to provide. They ordered all our choppers out months ago. We cobbled together a couple more from parts and shipped out all mechanics with them.”
“I wouldn’t want a copter anyway. Noise would attract all kinds of unwanted attention.”
“They are loud.”
“The crew needed to maintain a helicopter would send my food numbers into overload. Those extra people will cause my accountant a number of sleepless nights until I secure enough food for all of them.”
“You have an accountant?”
“I’ve this autistic kid. Brilliant with figures. He calculates the number of people and how many cattle we need to feed them and how much grass the cattle need to eat. All in his head. He has fits when the numbers don’t add up as fast as he thinks they should. I brought in too many cattle last time and now without enough grassland he’s spazzing.”
“These people will take care of extra cattle.”
“Fresh beef keeps away the hunger.”
“Tempting, almost enough to leave my command. I’ve not had a steak in months.”
“Being the second largest beef-producing state in the country, when those city biters figure out there’s a smorgasbord in the countryside…” He shakes his head, trying to avoid the thought of hundreds of thousands of fat biters climbing his fence. “No one in this camp’s listed as a tanner, are they? Those cattle hides will eventually become a source of clothing and blankets.”
“I think I’d remember seeing such a job. I’ll have Hannah check around. There was a group of Civil War reactors. Sometimes those people take up the trades of the time period when they aren’t being doctors and lawyers.”
“We’ve become so reliant on technology and mall shopping we’ve forgotten how it used to be.”
“People will survive this.”
“The kind of people surviving aren’t the kind you want to rebuild humanity.”
“I take it you haven’t run into a great deal of recyclers.”
“Green Peace would be happy. We’re relearning to reuse everything. Nothing’s wasted anymore. We’ve started a junk pile for non-degradable items to find a use for it, and amazingly enough, the most reusable material’s stuff we used to chuck in the landfill. Nothing is dreck anymore.”
“So many people wanted us to become a nation of recyclers.”
“I’d bet if you measured current greenhouse gas emissions they will have dropped to be the lowest rate in the last one hundred years.”
“To fix the planet a few billion people have been reduced to DKs.”
“We’ve still learned nothing. It’s all gone and we still kill each other for the scraps of others. Do you know about the rest of the world?”
“Europe’s about the same as we are. Great Britain is actually faring a little better since it’s a giant island. Russia nuked a city. Destroyed a few million, but the radiation fallout created more undead spreading the radiation across the countryside. China claims nothing’s wrong. They have no Infected. Other countries’ communic
ation fell apart so fast we don’t know. Reconnaissance on the rest of the world isn’t a priority. We’ve pulled back all our forces from around the globe to a staging point to retake the country.”
“Comforting, but…we just took over a few houses. I had my men check each house room by room before we could use them. A good afternoon’s work. This retake is a block-by-block, house-by-house, room-by-room war. That will take years if they are starting on the east coast.”
“Now you understand why I’m entrusting you with my daughter’s life.” They reach a line of trucks and Jeeps.
“I can’t give you tanks. The personnel carrier’s armored. Your Humvee has a fifty cal. mounted to it and plenty of ammo.” Travis opens the back and flips the latches of a plastic weapons case. “I almost drew the line at this.” He opens the case. “Two LAW rocket launchers.” He runs his hand over the metal tube. “They’re not effective against the DKs,” Travis points out. “Those not destroyed in the initial explosion are just crawling bags of flames. Fire doesn’t stop them.”
“I know, but I’ve always wanted to own a rocket launcher. This may be my only chance.”
Travis smiles. He taps other boxes. “Food stuffs and extra automatic weapons.”
“Not a big fan of the spray and pray method. I train my people to aim and shoot. Bullets are the new gold.”
“I loaded the personnel carrier with more ammo. I’ve orders to destroy it to prevent it from being scattered among civilians.”
“I don’t want all these people to die, but can’t feed them either.”
“It’s time to roll the hard six.” Travis closes the cases. “The train wreck’s coming and I can do nothing, but save my daughter.”
“Nothing will happen to her as long as I breathe.”
“I want to assign the base doctor to you, and his wife.” Travis opens the back of the military ambulance. “Fully stocked.”
“Fill it.”
“All the bins are full.”
“You’re going to blow up the hospital. Fill it with medical supplies. Lots of antibiotics.”
“You’re correct. Shouldn’t burn medicine. I’ll get another truck.”
“This caravan’s going to draw some attention from the civilians, just fill the bay space, we’ll unload when we get home.”
“The exploding buildings will provide a distraction. They won’t notice you.”
“I’m going to have to re-plan my route home to prevent any followers. I need some maps.”
Kade locks the metal collar around the neck of the dead girl. He pulls at the chain to ensure it’s securely bolted to the ground.
“You sure about this?” Hale asks.
“When those people realize there’s no food shipment they’ll raid our tents. They’ll find them empty, except for a few guard dogs.” He pets her hair as if she were an animal.
“But won’t they bite people.”
“That’s the point, Hale. The Infected will spread panic and send them running.”
“Kade, if you’re so sure the military’s going to abandon the base, why don’t you just take over when they leave?”
“Do you really think they are going to leave all those tanks lying around?”
“They can’t fly them all out. I drove a forklift. How hard can a tank be to drive?”
“Hard enough, but not so hard they would just abandon them; you’re such a dumb shit.”
“Besides, to be in control here we’d need a steady source of food. There won’t be any more food drops. That’s why the soldiers are running.”
The dead girl’s eyes flash open with a milky white cataract glaze. She snaps her teeth and launches for Hale. The chain stops her just short of sinking an incisor into his leg.
“Kade, she’s dangerous! What if she bites one of us?”
“She’s on a chain, moron. Don’t get close to her. Now, did you come in here for something important?”
“All the remaining trucks are the way you want them. We’ve moved everything else to the farm. Kale thinks you need to send a few more women.”
“Little brother has to learn to share. We’ll have to feed them.”
“It’s a farm. We’ll grow food?”
Kade draws his knife from its sheath. He thinks better of stabbing his henchman and marches from the tent. A balding man whose comb over flaps in the breeze races toward him.
“Mr. Bowlin, I need food for my kids.”
“Then go to the trading tent.”
“The line’s really long and I heard you’re looking for very specific items.” He unwraps the towel he carries.
Kade shakes the box of .22 shells. “It’s about half full.”
“It’s still over two-hundred rounds. It’s got to be worth a few cans of food.”
“Hale, get this man three cans of food.” Fool. He should save those shells to protect his family. When they do abandon this base I want some of those fifty caliber machine guns. They will tear up the gimps like nobody’s business.
Before he ducks into another tent a dirt-covered pair of teens rush him.
“Kade.”
“You two have nothing to trade.” He notes the girl’s shirt looks like a burlap sack.
“Please, Mr. Kade.”
“What do you have to offer?”
“We heard you sometimes give food for information.”
“I don’t give anything,” he snaps at the boy. “You’ve something valuable I might exchange it for some food.”
“We were up by the motor pool, well my sister was. Sometimes if you look pathetic enough the soldiers will share some of their MREs.”
“Explains the burlap sack.” He runs the back of his hand over the material, making sure to brush against the girl’s budding nipple. This agitates the boy. The girl doesn’t jerk away.
“Don’t waste my time, kid.”
“Well, my sister saw…”
Kade cuts him off, “Then I should be making a deal with her. He shoves the boy back. The kid stumbles and prepares to bum rush Kade, but realizes he has no chance against such a well-fed, armed man.
“How old are you?”
“Fourteen,” she stammers. Hunger prevents her from jerking away from his aggressive caresses.
“What did you see?”
“The motor pool’s been locked down, and there are no troops except a couple of soldiers placing C4 bricks on each vehicle.”
“How does a fourteen year old know what C4 looks like?”
“My brother loves action movies. They all use C4 in them.”
“You wait in my tent. This turns out to be true, I’ll make sure you get plenty of food.” He jabs his shoulder into the boy shoving him back as a reminder who’s in charge.
All this to protect one little girl. He understands why the world fell apart. People put too much importance and resources into a single individual and not enough into the group as a whole. The good of the many outweigh the good of few, he thinks, ignoring his own selfish need to have a hot shower.
He strides the length of the convoy he’s about to take possession of. He slaps the green-camo tail vehicle, a Humvee with a fifty caliber machine gun and four soldiers. Next in the line are a cargo truck full of people and supplies. The ambulance and the armored personnel carrier precedes it. Another cargo truck full of the skilled people he requested. The military tow truck looks big enough to pull a jumbo jet and his sable Humvee leads the pack.
Once the choppers arrive they will drive over this hill to the main gate where the demolitions officer and the gate guards will fill in the blank seats of the convoy. All completed with military precision.
The soldiers will only add to his ability to guard the colony and maybe even allow Simon to train his guards better. A full staff of doctors to add to those he previously rescued, and now medicine. Weapons. Craftsmen. They’ll have to acquire some more cattle and land to graze them, but his camp will have all the personnel it can handle for a while. Safe and secure.
His empty Humvee h
as one spot for the demolitions expert they will pick up on the way out the gate and two other spots for…
A Jeep pulls up with the colonel and his daughter. Corporal Jameson follows the colonel. Private Amie Sanchez hops from the driver’s seat, grabbing her gear bag and rifle. She approaches the Humvee. “I’m your driver now, sir.”
“Don’t ‘sir’ me. I work for a living. Now store your gear.” Emily’s savior notices Private Sanchez’s curves despite being clad in full BDUs.
Travis hugs his daughter before escorting her to the Humvee. “Hannah, this man will make sure you and all these other people will be safe.”
“Dad, that’s what you’re supposed to do. Not some stranger.”
“This is the only way. No civilians are to be evacuated.”
“I don’t want to go, Dad. You can’t abandon all these people,” she blubbers.
“We’re saving who we can, and you saved a second truck load. It’s going to make it harder on the people taking you in. So you must follow their rules.”
“Corporal, put her in the Humvee,” Travis snaps at Nick. He turns to Emily’s savior. “Corporal Jameson has a crush on Hannah. He’s not a bad kid.”
“I couldn’t save my daughter,” Emily’s savior admits, “but I’ll protect yours.”
“The choppers should be here within the hour. Sanchez’s a skilled driver. She’ll get you back to your home.” Travis salutes the man given custody of his only child.
He climbs into the passenger seat of the Humvee. “They sure don’t make these things with a tall person in mind.”
Tears roll down Hannah’s cheeks. “That’s the last time I’ll see my dad.” Nick puts an arm around her to keep her in the seat. Sanchez assumes her position as driver.
“The world has become too harsh a place to say ‘don’t cry,’ of course you will,” Emily’s savior says.
“You’re not much on comforting anyone,” Hannah snaps.
“There’s nothing left to sugar coat. Not after I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve had to kill to protect the people I care about.”
“Have you had to kill a lot?” Corporal Jameson asks, having never fired his weapon off the range.
No Room In Hell (Book 1): The Good, The Bad and The Undead Page 27