Knight of the Dead (Book 4): Realm

by Smorynski, Ron

  Tom was killing zombies that wandered near. He seemed mentally aligned with the zombies. He saw several and approached them slowly with odd movements, covered in his armor.

  "What's he doing?" Dad noticed.

  Randall and Stu looked. Tom got close to the zombies. Most were usually weak, crawling, or limping. He stared at them, moved with them, and was smart enough to observe if there were others nearby. He deftly killed one quickly with a sword swing to not alert others. The other zombies noticed the zombie fall and turned toward it, curious. He then moved on. Tom was always vigilant and guarded, even as the others worked on the wall. He had come into his own, a guard of focus and force.

  Dad pondered if he'd gone 'native', gone faux zombie. Steve and he seemed out of sorts, not in their relationship anymore. Dad did not want to inquire into the drama of two gay men. He hoped both were okay, happy in whatever was happening. God, please no drama between these two.

  Going out, Nick and Ray had Duanne, Steve, Marcus and Stu as the car crew. They were going to move cars into position, to block the various streets.

  Stu was assigned the steering wheel operator of each car. Nick and Ray stood atop cars to look about for the best setup. Dad admonished them to move slow and not alert the distant zombies. It was easy enough to block off the first blocks nearest the school.

  Duanne, Steve, and Marcus worked on pushing the cars. Aside from Dad, these were the biggest and strongest. Nick and Ray kept guard while directing. Dad and Randall watched from the rear on their bikes. Howie was back in the playground with the Hummer. He fell asleep. Cory, with Lisa and Lena, had stayed back to guard at the school. He walked by and tapped on the window.

  "Yep, yep," Howie sat up.

  Amador and Tom watched the perimeter.

  Ray directed them from the top. He whispered loudly to them, "Move that one, then that one. Bring that one back here. Can you get that one on the sidewalk? Push. Yeah all is clear. Reverse it here. Tighter, bumper to bumper."

  He kept using a lot of hand signals, and whispering orders only after stepping down and quietly going up to the heaving guys. Stu sat in the driver seat. It was good that a short skinny guy was in there, because he was constantly turning and yanking about to see which way he had to turn the steering wheel.

  Everyone had to continually remind each other to stop exhorting orders and stop waving frantically. There were zombies about.

  Dad and Randall watched from afar.

  "I think it's a good idea," Randall said.

  "Damn good idea. Keep out wandering zombies feels like half the battle," Dad replied.

  "Have a zombie free area, keeping them away from us and not alerting with every damn thing we do," Randall affirmed.

  "Yep."

  "We should have a gate, a car that we can move in and out like a gate?" Stu whispered loudly when Ray came up to tell him where to park it exactly.

  "Good idea, but not the cars. Their tires won't stay inflated for long. This one is already going flat," Ray said.

  Stu noticed the guys looked way more sweaty and exhausted, especially in their constricting armor.

  “What about the dumpsters?” Stu asked, spotting one down an alley.

  “Now you're talking!” Ray said, jumping away from his car and rambling over to one.

  “Slow down,” Dad huffed from a distance. No one heard him in his helm. He waved to Steve who noticed then turned to Ray.

  “Careful,” Steve said smartly, going up to make sure no zombie leapt out. “And not so fast.”

  Ray slowed, thankful for the reminder. It was all clear. Ray caught the eyes of Marcus resting against the car. He slowly waved him over. Marcus came up and helped him push the dumpster from down an apartment driveway. It was noisier than they liked. They slowed down, but kept pushing the squeaking grating thing along.

  Once in position, Ray checked and found that it wasn't easily moved. He put bricks or wood or debris against the steel wheels to just make double sure it didn't move. These would be their gate openers and there were plenty of dumpsters around. It looked promising.

  They blocked off a whole street now and felt no wandering zombies could get through. It wasn't a hundred percent, nothing ever was, but it felt way better. A sense of purpose and worth, security and possibilities was growing.

  Dad drove quietly on his bike to them. “Let's do the streets up these blocks first. Sunset can wait."

  They nodded knowing he knew what was down there. The streets above, between Sunset and Hollywood and around the school were smaller and confined, easily hiding them so they could do their work. They moved cars about, pushing them into the right spots. They blocked off entire streets, creating barricades at the top near Hollywood Boulevard.

  The cars were butted up against one another and a nearby dumpster was pushed into a choice spot as the gate. There were apartments lined up and down the streets. They all had dumpsters.

  They figured out the best area to do it, where driveways and structures were easiest to move cars. It was still tough work pushing them around, getting them up driveways or cautiously rolling down other ones. Turning cars in tight spots was laborious. Steve, Marcus and Duanne pushed back and forth as Stu turned the steering wheels this way then that way. Many had deflated tires, but very few were flat. Those that were, were left, and they moved on to another car.

  They did all the streets around the school. The first blocks gave them an outside perimeter. You could see the fence wall and the car blockade, and instantly felt the space within would be safe, as long as you moved slowly and quietly. Nothing beyond would be alerted. But the goal was to expand that even further.

  “Eventually,” Dad whispered to himself as he peered up at the blockade.

  The next morning, Lena, Lisa and Marcus took Eva, Amanda, and Cory around to some homes nearby to scavenge for more stuff. Food and water were aplenty, at least as dry goods and water bottles. Every home seemed to have a decent stock of it. And they had barely touched the stock at the local stores.

  Stu and Tom were nearby, pushing the burning bins further out by the car blockades.

  For now, Dad only allowed them to go to the homes adjacent to the school, and only with a clear shot back, retreating to a gate they could get in and close. They did that in the cold of the mornings.

  As the day warmed, all returned to the fortress. They didn't want to alert any zombies as they became more active and aware. The zombies seem to base their active states on temperatures, being active in the mid-morning when it warmed up a bit. In the hot afternoon, they'd lull again, and as evening came, they moved more late into the night until the chill of early morning came on. Dad was anxious to see how they behaved as it got even colder. He dreamed of living in Alaska or further north, pondering they're migration northward, wondering how Alaskans and Canadians were doing.

  Was it Christmas yet? Dad suddenly pondered.

  12. The King

  They were all sitting about for lunch in a classroom. Tables were arranged by Katrina, Eva, and Amanda for eating and socializing.

  “Oh man, we saw a construction site! Piles of unused lumber, cement bags, a mixer, some tools. I think a jack hammer...” Ray said chomping on some dog food and saltine crackers.

  “No jack hammer,” Dad warned.

  “Too damn loud, that'll attract them for sure,” Randall huffed.

  “Oh, hah! Yeah! Anyway, we should get some holes figured out, put in more posts, cement them down, re-enforce those fence posts on the perimeter. Be way tougher,” Ray said crunching on his dry goods.

  “How about us tough guys do some sledge hammering, use some pick hammers, chisels, whatever. We can make some holes!” Duanne added with his super star smile and showing off his muscles. He still had them. “Huh, and young Marcus there, he's got some muscles. He's always hiding them.” Duanne shoved Marcus a bit.

  Marcus couldn't help but grin with his young happy face, sitting with Lena, both getting very close.

  Dad looked and realized, h
e needed to have a talk, a sermon, something, to get this all figured out. There were romances or tensions rising. He could see Cory trying to connect with Lisa and Stu, shifty eyed, pondering her as well. He could see Eva trying to get close to Duanne, and of course, Duanne realizing - what does it matter. He saw Amanda, actually seeing all of this and meeting Dad's eyes, not approving.

  Dad nodded. He hadn't had service, a sermon, a church gathering or Bible study in awhile since the victory. He'd been exhausted mentally and then they got right into cleaning, clearing, then building. Each night he went to bed exhausted. He must start something or they'd all go crazy in their passions. They'd forget their morality, their self-control. He knew it. They'd turn into pirates, road warrior hooligans. They'd go violent, vengeful. He must stop that and veer them to God, to laws, to chivalry, to rules, to an understanding and respect.

  Dad decided it was time. He stood, not knowing what he was going to say. He waved them all to be quiet. Duanne, Howie and Ray weren't used to it, that he was the leader, the one in charge. But seeing all the rest silence themselves and look, they decided to comply.

  “Dad, when you saving others!?” Charlotte suddenly blurted out.

  Dad blinked then stared wide-eyed.

  “We gotta get Sean!” Nick sighed aloud.

  “We will!” Dad responded. “We will. We must secure this area. How much of the fence, the wall is finished? Nick? Ray?”

  Nick and Ray looked at each other. They mumbled between 10 and 20 percent, maybe.

  “How many more days?” Dad interrupted.

  “Weeks at least, if all goes well, but not sure about time frame. This is all new stuff man,” Ray said.

  “Getting all the materials takes time,” Nick added. “Doing the blockade stopped our work.”

  Ray concluded, “Once we get back on it, probably just a continual work in progress. It's not like we'll ever know -- till they come again.”

  Amador nodded along, rubbing his scruffy face.

  “People will be running out of food and water, like now,” Steve said.

  “We could try for the closest ones?” Cory said.

  “Doesn't matter who we try for," Dad said, "we'll attract zombies. We'll attract a horde. But if Howie can do his thing with the Hummer, we can get to some. We'll have to try. The problem as well is space. Where are we going to put them?”

  “How are we going to feed them?” Katrina added.

  “And we gotta train them!” Randall added.

  “And which ones are good, which ones can help and which are a problem? Which ones will we have to 'deal' with?” Eva asked with a sneer.

  Amanda, a hard working and brave widow, glared at Eva from behind. Dad saw it. Eva acted innocent. In the big siege, she fled, hiding, not helping at all. She was one who was very loquacious, talking all the time. After her cowardly hiding, Dad thought she turned over that leaf, but it looks like she was returning to her normal presumptuous way. She leered at Duanne who wasn't sure how to respond. Eva noticed Dad's look. She tried to smile it off.

  Dad decided he wasn't going to let it pass. “Eva, you do not speak. Understand?”

  “What? What??” Eva acted innocent.

  “No. You fled and hid, not helping us during the fight. You do not get an opinion. You do as your told and nothing else. Get it?” Dad said, quieting them all as they stared.

  Eva tried to look for support from Duanne or from the younger guys. She then gave a scowling face, her demon revealing itself.

  Dad stared intently at her. “Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, expel this demonic force from her!”

  Everyone was a bit shocked at Dad's sudden religious exhortation. They stared from him to her. She continued her scowl but was obviously shaken.

  “How dare you!” she spat. “I can't fight! I can't fight! I do other things!”

  “Quiet,” Dad said.

  Eva grew angrier, her face red. “How dare you try and shame me in front of everyone! Fuck you!”

  “Quiet,” Dad repeated.

  Amanda grabbed Eva's arm, squeezing it to silence her. Eva resisted but the pain shot up and made her dizzy. “Shut the fuck up,” Amanda hissed.

  “In the name of Jesus Christ, free this soul from the demons, from anger and fear, give her strength,” Dad said softly.

  Amanda let go. Eva rubbed her arm and was bent over, her ragged hair suddenly covering her angry shameful look.

  “What are you doing, a fucking exorcism?” Duanne shot out, trying to be goofy about it.

  Dad ignored it and stared at Eva. “I don't mind that you were afraid, that you didn't fight,” Dad said, stepping closer to her. “You fled in the most intense situation. I don't actually mind. We all make mistakes. What I don't like is that you then assert yourself when you have no leadership, no courage.”

  She scowled a little, but less, looking more shameful and timid.

  “Know your place and do not drum up your opinions or cast aspersions upon others. Let the men, who fight and decide, and the women, who work and risk everything, make the call. And you, work, obey, do as you’re told. Do not connive and seduce.” Dad looked from Eva to Duanne quickly, then back.

  She couldn't but help glance at Duanne, away from Dad.

  Duanne sat up straight, but in that motion, scooted a bit away from her.

  “I do not care if I shame you in front of the others. What I care about is the truth, in all its forms. You, Eva, must know your place. It is one of humility, not -- you are not a mover and a shaker. You are not to convince or persuade. Do you understand?”

  She looked only a moment at Dad, then looked around to see who she could muster to her side. None looked. She realized, like a trapped animal, she had to submit. She nodded.

  Dad did not wish to dwell on it. He had a different message when he stood, and it may even assuage her dark heart. He'd try. “I wish to speak to all of you about us, about US, about all of us.” He stepped to his wife, who looked visibly shaken at what had transpired, but who remained behind her man. “We are at a crossroads. I guess at a crossroads of growth, from just my family, to a few survivors, to now a fort, a castle, maybe even a kingdom.”

  “Whoah, like medieval with kings and queens?” Duanne blurted out.

  “Not quite,” Dad asserted. “But sort of, I don't know. We will have a republic. That's for sure. But we are getting way ahead of ourselves. Perhaps a king and queen is what we need right now. Actually,” Dad stared at Duanne a moment, then glanced across everyone, “it is what is needed.”

  His wife held his arm.

  “Wow,” someone said.

  “Cool,” Marcus said with his bright white smile, looking at Lena. “A princess.”

  “Whah?” Lena blurted back.

  Marcus nodded to her. She was still unsure what he meant.

  “Look, I don't mean actual, actual, but a marshal law sort of thing. That is what we have. We are at war, so that is what we have. That's basically what a king is anyway. We don't have enough, uh, civility to be a republic, a democracy. We are at war and need a military leader, a king. And I am that man.”

  “Here here!” Randall suddenly said standing up.

  Ray, Howie, and Duanne seemed to have an inside joke and all three suddenly blurted out, “Huzzah! Huzzah!”

  They all began chuckling and chortling.

  Dad stood and waited, looking down at them all.

  Duanne patted the others to get serious. Ray nodded politely. Randall sat back down unsure if the joke was positive or negative.

  Dad continued, “What I wanted to talk to you about actually, is God.”

  Everyone straightened out or slumped further.

  “This community is Christian. I am the leader. I am the warrior. I built it and brought you all in. I saved you. But I am not the way or the savior, Jesus Christ is. We are a Christian nation. This is a Christian castle, keep, fortress whatever. I am not here to force any of you to be Christian, to take Christ as your savior. That is not our way. But I am h
ere to tell you, that if you wish to live here, to stay here, there are rules, there are moralities and laws that you must keep. It is for the safety and growth of this community. You can not make up your own rules. And there is punishment for not obeying these rules.”

  “Makes sense,” Duanne said.

  Dad couldn't tell who agreed or didn't. “Punishment is expulsion, which is basically death. But I won't expel you unless it comes to that. But like I said, any endangerment of this community, whether through cowardly acts, through causing division and discord, or through alerting the killers outside, I will act immediately. There will be no judge, no jury, I will act. I don't want to. I may be reluctant and try to resolve it, but if it is endangerment, you must all understand, I will act. Some of you have made mistakes recently."

  Stu cringed. Dad couldn't help but look at him. Ray looked at Stu, then looked back. Dad stared back at him. Ray gulped.

  "It's okay. Mostly. We must deal with mistakes, as long as you either fight or help. I understand. We're all going to make mistakes. Even ones that may get others killed."

  Everyone stared, gaped, realized. Dad looked across them all.

  "This will probably happen. I mean, how can it not, with them out there, constantly at our throats? I will do my best to be fair, to be aware, to know who you are, but it is the cowards, the sowers of dissent, I will not stand. Understand. You will not say you are one thing, then run away. You will not spread dissent amongst us, especially to undermine whatever it is I say or do!" He looked at Eva, at Steve, at all of them.

  Randall raised his hand.

  “Yes Randall,” Dad sighed.

  “What if that person, say, kills you? And well, we're all armed. What if they kill you instead, then we kill them?”

  Dad's wife teared, holding his arm.

  Dad nodded stoically. “Then that's God's will. And the death of this whole community I presume, by revenge, killing each other. You all must realize, this place, our working together, I mean, it's hanging by a thread. I think I'm that thread. If I don't keep that thread strong, or if that thread gets cut, I'm thinking you guys will fall apart. Right?” Dad looked across at everyone. “If I am killed, it is the charge of the rest of you to immediately kill that person, and to vote in a new leader, quickly."