The Zombie Plagues Dead Road: The Collected books.

by Geo Dell

  ~ Overheard on C.B. Channel Eighteen ~

  “Uh, Base…?”

  “Go.”

  “Uh, Base. They’re at it again… And they’re talking again too… You copy?”

  “Yeah… I got it… We’re listening… Stand by One… You also Six.”

  “One clear,” One said. “I mean standing by…”

  “Six standing by,” Six said.

  ~ Overheard on C.B. radio Channel Ten ~

  “… Okay… One more new pickup coming up,” Mike said.

  “Okay. Everything back here is good… Nothing going on,” Bob said.

  “All the lookouts too?” Mike asked.

  “Quiet,” Bob repeated. “We’ve seen nothing all day.”

  “Okay… I’m heading out Washington… I’ll be standing by.”

  “Four,” Bob said.

  ~ Overheard on C.B. Channel Eighteen ~

  “You North side boys there?” Base asked.

  “You know we are,” a voice replied.

  “It’s business as usual for them, looks like,” Base told them.

  “You been watching them?”

  “Yeah… They’re just swapping trucks… Something easier to get around in,” Base answered.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. Suburbans or Jimmies… Ditching them for pickup trucks. Earlier four went out, four came back. This time two went… Two will come back.”

  “So… Tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow,” Base affirmed.

  ~

  Mike keyed the button on his VHF unit. “Okay. We’re here.” He said. “Give me a little time to find something that’s not all smashed to hell and back,” he said.

  Bob keyed his own mic. “Got you… everything’s good back here.”

  ~ Over heard on C.B. Channel Ten ~

  “Okay… Got a good one… We’re going to head back, but we’re going to cut cross country… Come back Massey Street or maybe Coffeen. See how everything is there. Might be something out that way we can use,” Mike said.

  “… Okay… Base standing by.”

  … A few minutes later…

  “One check in,” Bob called.

  “One here… Nothing… All clear,” Candace said.

  “Two?” Bob asked.

  “Two clear… Dead here,” Ronnie said.

  “Three check in.”

  “All clear here too. Has been all day,” Tom said.

  “Base standing by,” Bob said.

  … About a half hour later …

  “Coming in the back door, Base,” Mike said.

  “Be careful of that section; it’s not stable,” Bob warned.

  “Already past it… At the front door,” Mike called.

  “Base standing by.”

  Silence on C.B. Channel ten...

  ~Overheard on C.B. Channel Eighteen ~

  “They’re back,” One called.

  “Good… What’s all that coming in the back way shit? … Had me worried,” Base said.

  “Well, they’re back,” One repeated.

  “You see them?” Base asked.

  “Of course not… We ain’t got nobody where they went… But… You heard them same as we did… Right?”

  “Right… Right… Just called their posts again… Little while back. … Listen… Keep your eyes and ears open, okay? … You heard… We’re taking them in the morning… I was just concerned they’d be out getting more weapons, people, something, but they’re just gonna sit there and wait for us I guess.”

  “Well… Maybe they think they can get away with what they did to us,” One said.

  “Yeah… Well, they got a surprise coming if they think that,” Base said. “Come tomorrow… Anyway… You hear something you let me know… Base standing by, One.”

  “One clear... Shit… Standing by, Base... Goddammit You know what I mean.”

  Base laughed. “I hear you.”

  ~

  Mike sat in the suburban as it idled behind the dealership listening to the exchange on channel eighteen. When they signed off, Mike hit the power button on the hand held C.B. and turned it off. He looked over at Bob sitting in the passenger seat holding his own C.B.

  “I guess that’s that,” Bob said. He switched his own unit off.

  “Okay folks.” Mike turned to the back of the Suburban. “All clear. Looks like they bought it. Let’s go. We got stuff to do.”

  Nell, Patty, Candace and Molly popped their heads out from under a tarp in the back, climbed over the seat back and stepped down onto the parking lot.

  “There are three G.M.C's with the keys in them over on the other side of that garage.” Mike pointed. “Keys are under the mats... didn’t want to make it too obvious,” Mike finished.

  Candace and Nell stayed behind. The other three were back with the three G.M.C’s a few minutes later. Lining up behind Mike's own.

  Mike looked around the field once, dropped his own truck into drive, rolled off the broken pavement onto the grass and dirt and headed towards the trail hidden at the tree line. The three pickups followed behind him.

  ~ Earlier that day: The cave before sunrise ~

  Mike looked around. Everyone was quietly waiting for him to speak.

  “Here’s what we’ve decided to do. They’re going to come for us… Some of you have heard that because you were listening in when they discussed it. They’ve decided they want the cave… and more… And some of us have discussed that.” Mike didn’t think it bore repeating with the two children there and listening to every word that he said. And there was no place to put them where they wouldn’t hear.

  “This is their fight. Those two groups of men will fight it out. They each want to control this area, and us too.” He paused.

  The silence held in the cave until Mike began to speak once more.

  “So… Do we fight? It’s not our fight. It’s their fight. And, we already decided we were going to leave the cave in just a week or two anyway, so there’s nothing to fight for. I can’t see any of us getting hurt… Or worse… And all for something we don’t even want… Didn’t ask for.”

  The heads started to nod.

  “We can’t surrender though, and we can’t give up, that’s equally stupid. They’ll hunt us down and kill us… Most of us...” He deliberately didn’t look at anyone, but focused on the hanging tarps at the entrance to the cave for a few moments.

  “So, we decided to be as sneaky with them as they’ve tried to be with us. Everything we need is pretty easy to get on the road. Believe it or not, almost all of you in here right now are going in these two suburban’s, hidden in the back… under tarps of course. We’ll pack some stuff in with you. It’ll be tight, but we’ll be able to do it. We're going to drive out Washington Street and make it look like were going to trade these two Suburbans in. What we’ll really do is run you all out one of those trails where you’ll wait for us to finish setting them up. Ronnie and Tom know about the trails and where you’ll be waiting for us. We’ll leave you there and get two other trucks. Then we’re going to do it one more time. While you wait on us, we’ll go back and get the ones we left behind at the cave…”

  He looked around at the cave. “We’ll leave this place empty… We’ll, empty of people. Oh we’ll pull the trucks back across the highway. Make it look like we’re still here, but we’ll be heading for you.” Mike paused.

  “Lilly, Sandy, you two drive the Suburbans. Tim, You’ll let them know when it’s clear. When Bob calls for ninety-nine, that’s you. Just answer and go.” Mike waited. Each of the three nodded.

  “Well. That’s the plan. Maybe it seems too simple… Maybe it seems like running. Hell, maybe it even is, but it’s what we got. By the time they wise up, we’ll be long gone… Safe,” Mike finished.

  “Where do we drive to?” Lilly asked.

  “That trail you’ll be on just runs through the back woods,” Mike said. “It comes out by Adams Center near Route Eleven. We have no idea what shape it’s in. We’ll have to wing it. We
don’t know if there’s anyone out that way either. Keep the F.M. and the C.B. on as well as the VHF. We’ll be about two hours behind you. Wait for us in the woods at the end of the trail.”

  ~ Present Time ~

  Mike came into a small clearing about an hour later. The two suburbans sat waiting. Everyone gathered around. There were pats on the back, hugs, and more than a few kisses too.

  The C.B.’s and the F.M.’s had remained silent. They had left their own VHF units silent as well; although Mike was convinced that if they had been listening on the VHF channels they would have attacked them already. It wouldn’t have been hard to figure out that they were up to something, if only by the fact that they were talking on the VHF systems. Everyone split up between the trucks. They had bottled water, food supplies, but they would have to pick up other things as they went along. They had not been able to pack anywhere near as much into the trucks as they had wanted to. They would head for Adams Center and hope to pick up some of what they needed there before they moved on to somewhere further along where they would spend their first night.

  Janet ~ March 25th

  We have finally begun, myself, Robert, Sandy and a new young woman named Susan. We also have the two little ones, Janelle and Brian. I’ve taken care of them, taken them in. They will go with us when we go, I expect.

  Sandy had some sort of falling out with Nell. She won’t talk about it, but she’s been upset all of today, and she was upset most of yesterday. She did seem better tonight though, laughing and talking with Susan. I have an idea. Relationships on their own can be difficult, especially now. But I could be wrong. Maybe it’s only the stress we’re all dealing with. Maybe it’ll be easier now.

  I am trying hard to keep myself in check as well. People seem to expect a lot from me. I know that. I see that. I do everything that I can do, but I never know what is right or what is not. We’re sleeping in a field. Better than a cave? Some think so. Soon a longhouse?

  Lilly ~ March 25th

  The last several days have been really hard. So many crazy people.

  We have two more women. I don’t have to worry about either of these two around Tom. Not that I do. I’m really not that insecure.

  I was one of the ones today, I mean the ones with some responsibility. I used to laugh at that. But it made me feel good today to be entrusted.

  I drove one of the trucks. Mike gave me some juice. It was nice. Sometimes I think he thinks of me as a little girl. Maybe that will change? I Hope so. I’m almost the same age as Candace after all.

  Goodbye cave, hello road.

  Candace ~ March 25th

  It’s late. Mike is sleeping. I’m about to be; I just wanted to write this down.

  We escaped today. Really that’s what we did. It was bad back there, but we are no longer there. I’m glad for that.

  We may have a lot of traveling ahead, or we may not. We made good time tonight, but in places the road or the ground was a mess. We passed a bridge that was embedded in the ground at a ninety degree angle. It goes straight up if you can imagine that, two lanes of perfect blacktop shooting up about fifty feet into the air. Who knows how much of it is buried in the ground?

  I am so tired but so glad we are on our way. And safe as well. I’m glad we’re safe. Who knows where we will end up? I can’t think about it now. I’m just grateful to be alive, not caught by those men back there.

  I’m going to stop writing and crawl under the blankets with my man. I’m glad we’re all here and okay…

  Patty ~ March 25th

  We are free. Mike told me what those bastards intended to do. Unbelievable, or it was until I talked with Molly and Susan. We, Ronnie and Tim and I were over on the North side. They would have gotten us eventually. Maybe even could have, but they didn’t. They didn’t, and here we are camped out in a field of hay and Watertown is long behind us. The people I love are safe, and tonight that’s enough to be right with the world, as messed up as it all is…

  Tom ~ March 25th

  I see so many people writing tonight. I guess it’s been that kind of day.

  I thought it would be better to stay. I was wrong. I had no idea how bad things could get. I must have been looking at some alternative world, not the real one. I’ve been like that all through my life. Overly Goddamn rigid! But I’m learning. I have already learned a few things.

  I’m not good with this journal stuff, but when I looked around and saw so many others writing, I decided it didn’t matter. It’s like an outpouring of some kind. We are free, really free tonight. It’s unbelievable, but it’s true. What else is there to wish for?

  I have Lilly. I’m in better shape than I’ve been in for a long time. I can sleep at night. I mean real sleep, not that toss and turn stuff I did in the old world. And I’ll do that later on tonight. Meanwhile, I have one of the first watches. I don’t mind. You know, I don’t pray much, but thank you God.

  Sandy ~ March 25th

  I have never had three days like this in my life before. Emotional highs and lows. I was positive we would be killed. I know that is morbid, but I was. I could see no way out; I mean you have to fight, right? I am not upset that we ran, but I would’ve fought. Honor is more important than life to me. But it was not my decision. I had a say, but my say was in the minority. In fact, it seemed like I was the only one.

  Another thing happened. It was horrible, then beautiful, then horrible, and now unexpectedly beautiful again… I think. I won’t write personal, personal things here though. Even so, I had a chance at something, but I couldn’t do it, couldn’t let myself feel it, so I lost it, but I have another chance it seems. The world is a funny place.

  One more thing, just to remind myself. A certain person who thinks she’s so perfect, can do no wrong, she seems to look down on me. But today I saw the way she looked at someone else… Another woman. I know what I saw from both of them, but I don’t think either of them knows it about each other. My point is, how can she look down on me? How can that be?

  Nell ~ March 25th

  We made it, which is the really big news for all of us. We’ve made it.

  I don’t know where we are going. I don’t think anyone else does either, but we are free of living under siege.

  It was such a good plan. If he was free and I liked men, I would go for Mike. He’s not your typical man. I see the way he treats Candace. Of course Candace is the type of woman who would not take any other sort of man… Or woman? I think so.

  But it’s not just Candace but all women he treats that way. He treats men the same way. He has natural abilities when it comes to people. He is a leader. Anyway, the plan worked perfectly.

  In other news, we are not together like I had hoped. I had written that I had finally talked to Sandy but she denied everything, seemed really embarrassed. So was I. I thought maybe I was wrong, and I guessed I must have been, but that’s the way the world is. Sometimes we are wrong. What I saw may have been only curiosity, something else, I told myself. But, it turns out I was right the first time. I’m getting ahead of myself.

  When she shot me down I was upset, but I went with it. What else could I do? But they say there is a reason for everything, and three nights ago I found out why. I met Molly.

  Molly was one of the women that escaped from those men. She had a really bad time with them, went through some bad things, but that didn’t influence who she is, or what she is. She is still herself in other words; the other part of that explanation went much deeper.

  She wanted me to know that she had always been attracted to women, not men, that nothing they did to her changed her from some other woman into the one I was meeting. It was important to her for me to understand that. I guess it was important to me too.

  She says she has known who she was since junior high. It was amazing to me to meet someone with that kind of confidence. We were talking about real things, heart and mind things, within just a few minutes.

  She and Susan had just not clicked. They like each other, but not on t
hat level. But Susan knows who she is too, and has for a long while. I feel like I am the only one who had to take the long way around to finding out that I am who I am, or admitting to myself who I am… I guess there is a big difference in those two statements. I was hiding out for so long. Living in this little city. My life was so structured. I was married to a man, for God’s sake. Molly was something else. Is something else.

  The next morning, at breakfast, she caught me looking and that was that. We were sitting outside talking a little while later, and she just kissed me. Stopped all of my words and nearly stopped my heart too. And then she smiled, and I kissed her back.

  Sandy came out of the cave a few minutes later, saw us and she just knew. I could tell by the way she looked at us. She was so mad at me. I felt guilty too, but she had said no. She had said that I was mistaken, wrong about her. So not a good way to find out that I was right. Sandy had lived in her shell longer than I had. In the end, we talked it out. We’re okay. We worked it out.

  Molly and I are together. It was just that fast, and it’s good. I feel like I’ve never felt. And we’re free now. And last, my heart is lighter. I saw Susan and Sandy talking and laughing together all night tonight. It made me feel better. I think everyone has seen Molly and me together, but as of tonight we are actually together, as in living together, as in partners, as in sleeping in the same space together... figuring out where we're going to go... together.

  I’m not going to waste any more of my life. I won’t say love. Love takes time, but it is so close that it may as well be.

  Mike ~ March 25th Late Night

  It’s late, but we’ve finally settled down for the night. We have tents, food, and of course we can build a fire for warmth. The basic stuff, right? I think so.

  We drove two hours into the darkness and then pulled off into a big, empty field. We’re in a small town somewhere north of Syracuse. If anyone is here, we haven’t seen them. There’s a small general store. It’s wood framed and in horrible shape, but it’s standing, or most of it is, and the canned stuff is all there. So if there was someone here, they never touched anything inside the store area.