“Fought a war or set up your kingdom?” he replied with a forced calm.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Is it so hard to figure out? We didn’t go out and fight some zombies; you set up a kingdom and claimed everybody and everything in it. Real American of you, isn’t it?” he said snidely.
She simply looked at him for a few minutes, debating as to whether she should say anything or just walk away. But she needed him; she couldn’t do it alone and now that the ball was rolling, she couldn’t just walk away. There were a lot of people depending on her now.
“I set it up so that we would have a chance of survival.”
“We? There is no ‘we.’ I have a ‘we’ in Krissy and Danny, and now Justin, but the rest of that ‘we’ is empty now that…”
“Now that what? Go ahead and say it. Now that I killed your wife after she turned into a zombie. Is that what you are trying to put on me? What… did you want to do it? Or did you want to leave her like that?”
“Forget it; I’m not thinking straight right now.”
“It is a little late to forget it, don’t you think, Art? I can tell that you have problems with me, so be a man and spit it out. Isn’t that what men do?” Lisa continued building herself into a fury. Others around them drifted away while keeping an ear turned toward their table.
“They let it go, Lisa, so you need to just let it go,” he said firmly.
She just stared at him tight-lipped and wondering how far she wanted to push this. They had done something here that they should be proud of and he was being a jerk about it.
“How long were you married?”
“What?”
“How long were you married to… Ella?” She finally remembered her name.
“We celebrated eighteen years just two weeks ago.”
“Happily married for eighteen years, huh? I guess you were one of the lucky ones.”
“Nothing is peaches and cream one hundred percent of the time, but we were willing to work together in order to make it work. So yeah, I was one of the lucky ones.”
The mood had effectively lightened but Lisa couldn’t just let things lie. Too much was at stake.
“Look, Art, if ‘we’ are going to make this work, we’re going to have to be on each other’s side. What the major wants us to do is a big undertaking, but I think it will make our chances better.”
“I don’t know if I would throw too many eggs in Major Lindy’s basket if I were you. There is something not quite right about him. He is right about having to take the city completely and that many more people will be coming from other cities though. I’m sure that there are people here from Mount Pine and Piney already. If Little Rock fell—which I am pretty sure it did—then we’re in for a lot of people and we’re not even set up yet.”
“I got a vibe from Lindy also, but posers don’t usually show up in Blackhawk helicopters and surrounded with soldiers.”
“I know; that’s why I didn’t call him out, but he is one to be watched,” Benson said as the major and Brett approached the table.
“There ya have it, folks. I’m glad he was able to stay up long enough to show me the ropes through stage one or I wouldn’t have had a clue as to what he was planning,” Brett said seriously.
“You and me both,” the major replied. “I’m impressed that the people out in those rigs can sit calmly through the swarms surrounding them.”
“Lost in their own worlds probably. Sadly, most have had to go through this with their own family and friends already today. I don’t think that they’re desensitized as much as they’re operating off of shock or adrenaline. I’m sure that we’ll be having several mental issues over the next couple of days, but I don’t think we have any other option. We all saw how efficient they were out there and we’re low on bullets, so unless the entire US military is coming to our rescue, we’re going to have to risk their sanity as well as lives.”
“I don’t think the military would have helped you much, but we will have to keep the operators under surveillance to see how they’re holding up. Maybe we could find some counselors or a pastor or two. I have a chaplain with my group who has worked with PTSD sufferers; maybe he can help. I’ll leave him here when we go,” the major said.
“Go? Where are you going?” Lisa asked, more than a little afraid to be left without his guidance. The whole rescue operation had morphed into something beyond her control and she didn’t know if she was going to be able to deal with it on her own.
“I have a lot to do, Lieutenant. There are a lot of people out there needing help and to help them I have to establish that the Internet connection to the satellite stays viable or we lose all contact with the rest of the world. At last check, our YouTube post of this battle had over three hundred views and multiple comments. People are lost. They don’t know what’s happening or what to do, and if information can save even one of them then we have to try and get it to them. This type of machinery is out there in abundance and accessible to everyone—if the keys were left in them, that is.”
“No worries there,” Brett spoke up. “The ignition system is pretty basic, if not chintzy, and was designed to keep honest people honest. A flathead screwdriver should be enough to use as a key in most of them and nobody locks the doors for fear of locking themselves out.”
“Perfect,” the major said as he typed that info into the YouTube site, where the battle video was posted. “What about flat tires from the bones they are running over?”
“The skid loaders are a concern unless they are solid tires filled with foam or track machines which can still clog up. The loaders are designed for use in dumps, steel yards, and many other rough terrains; I don’t think a bone could pop the thick rubber they have. If they do, tell them to turn everything off and sit still, hopefully they have enough guts on them to smell like a zombie and the things will pass them right by.”
“Smell like a zombie? That should work for cars and trucks too then, wouldn’t it?”
“It should, but it is too early in the game to be making those kinds of calls. I would definitely suggest it though,” Brett replied as the major stood up and drew in a large draft of air through his nose. Instead of the stench of cordite and offal, he smelled the herbs and spices being used in a large vat of chicken soup and brats and burgers on the grill.
“I have to admit, this is the best smelling war I have ever experienced. I would start rationing after today though. I wish more wars were led by women; they always bring food.”
“We have over fifty reefers filled with frozen food. A lot of that is meat that won’t last more than a couple months even under ice. Eat now and kill the dead is what I say,” Brett finished and Lisa nodded her head. Famine would be there soon enough.
Benson was the voice of reason. “We’ll do some curing and canning while we can—maybe even find a dehydrator—but we will have to develop a more sustainable system.” All of them nodded in agreement, happy mediums usually worked best.
“You people have done well here; hopefully there are more pockets around the country that have done as you have. I will be in touch soon. ” He nodded and started over toward the helicopters parked in front of the now secure hospital.
The SCA role players were exiting the hospital and heading over to the tables, looking grim yet strangely satisfied. Both she and Benson could see that they were now active players in this war as their once crisp, clean outfits were now splattered and stained with the gore that made them the new age warriors.
It was hard to believe that twelve short hours ago, she and Benson were sitting in the station awaiting the day’s assignments. Word of the apocalypse was still just a rumor starting to take life, leaving them all halfway between scoff and dread. She thought of her goals to catch the serial killer and wondered if he had survived all of this; somehow she knew that he had. Now he had free reign unless he just happened to fall into her hands. He could be right next to her and she would never know it though, he covered
his tracks well. She wondered if the zombies helped his game or hindered it; did he even bother to cover his tracks anymore and how much did it matter? Somehow the crime seemed more heinous when the world was full of people than it did now that there was only a fraction left alive. But she couldn’t think like that. She would find him; she knew it. And when she did find him, she would dole out his sentence as only this new world would allow her to do.
She scanned the buildings and areas that weren’t yet blocked by semis. However, there were already over two hundred semi-trailers with their stronger front bulkheads pointed out at an angle to ward off the approaching horde of dead.
She shook her head once again in amazement.
“Are you thinking about the major?” Benson asked.
“No, I’m thinking about the amount of thought put into this encampment in such a short amount of time by a man who’s not a functioning member of society due to Alzheimer’s disease,” Lisa replied
Several men were hulking around, causing her to think that they were guarding that area, but none of them had guns or weapons and they lumbered more than walked. She looked over at Benson’s kids and saw Danny playing with the puppies, and Justin seemed to be more than a little interested in talking to Krissy like they were at a high school dance. She looked back toward the guards, wondering if they had their act together and saw more of the same but now they were moving into the enclosed area.
“Brett, who is guarding the unfortified sections?”
“We had a couple of locals over there for a while, pretty good shots and a lot had their own ammo,” he said as he looked over at the area of which she spoke.
She heard him before she saw him but the recognizable shout of “Little help! Little help!” told her who it was. His shout was followed by the very identifiable scream from Danny’s mouth.
Benson and Lisa were up and running, signaling to the role players to follow them. Amber saw them first and rushed to catch up. Lisa started firing before she was halfway there and she could hear Benson doing the same. She saw Amber take a knee and pull the .22 magnum she had given her earlier to her eye and start firing. Justin pulled the large revolver, brought it up, and started firing. A wounded woman struggled to her feet, keeping herself braced on the shoulders of Krissy and Danny but the zombies were too close. Justin only had seven bullets and wasn’t a trained shooter.
Benson passed her in a full-on sprint. The only thing on his mind were his kids. He kept a break-neck speed that was only surpassed by the large hound. The border collie was with Danny, who held her pups and attacked the zombies that saw the young mother as nothing but fresh meat.
****
“Help me, Ben; she won’t wake up,” Elise said urgently to the man who had rescued them up by the dam.
“You said she was hit in the head with a propeller. It’s amazing she was standing at all after a bump like that.”
“Help me! I have to get her to that hospital.”
“Well, I’m not going to let you go alone. Rob, get your brother and sister set up to watch the boat while you take us to shore.”
“You can’t go up there, Dad; they were all over the beach last time we were here.”
“I know, I know, but the radio says they moved deeper into the city so maybe we will be okay. This girl needs a hospital and the only ones here are us so we have to,” Ben said, wondering if it was the right message to teach a kid during a zombie invasion. Chivalry meant doing the right thing but in this day and age it could get you killed in a hurry.
“I need you three to watch out for each other, you hear? If I’m not back in two days, go to your uncle Chuck’s just like we planned. He knows we’re coming and he’s ready for us, alright? Now is a time for family, but first we have to help those in need. It is the Lord’s way and how your mother would have wanted us to be.” Their faces told of a very bad and recent story.
“I see some headlights up on the beach. Maybe they can help us?” Elise said. Ben cocked the lever on his rifle and gave her a nod as the three of them lifted Ally into a small electric motor dingy and started advancing toward shore. The bloody bandage on Ally’s head dripped a deep crimson; a head wound like that should have been treated immediately, not just taped and glued. Her skin was pale and her lips showed a hint of blue.
****
“Hey, hey, hey Springers! It looks like we have had a victory up at the Club! Over ten thousand infected were neutralized,” Tasha said not really knowing how they could sensitively refer to their friends and family who had turned into the flesh eaters. Were they dead? She didn’t know; self-preservation superseded the knowledge to know, making the point moot. They were infected and they wanted to eat you—for the most part they were zombies, but she just couldn’t quite call them that yet.
“They could sure use some more bodies up there so if there are any Springers, Pineys, or Mountain Pineys out there, get on over to the Sam’s Club on Higdon Ferry. They have food, supplies, medical services, and most of all, an abundance of hope. Ya’ll bring your guns now. Lakeshore and Panama are being kept open as much as possible so try to stay to the assigned route where there might be help. Highway 70 is a no go. Do not go near the 70; it’s a killing field, and only trained shooters are welcome.
“Okay, on to other things. Pockets of resistance have contacted us and we are busy trying to see what can be done for those souls. Please leave a message when you call and don’t hang up angry. We have a lot of people calling in and have dedicated two more computers just to handle the overload. There’s no telling how long we will continue to have phone service; it’s been a little spotty already. So tell us how many are you, where you are, and what we can do to help you. Short and sweet, okay?
“If you’re in Little Rock, it has been suggested that you head to the McCaine Mall on the north side or the War Memorial Stadium on the south. There are survivors there combating the infected. I wish all of you the very best and pray that we will hook up soon. Now a little something for all of those we have lost. From Hot Motown Spring it’s the Reverend Al Greene singing about how much he loves you all.”
I am so in love with you, the song started and Tasha interrupted quickly with a reminder.
“Remember… aim for the noggin, don’t hesitate, and above all, don’t get swarmed.”
Chapter Fourteen:
Little Help
It was a mad rush toward the breech that was filling up with zombies. How they weren’t spotted with all of the well-laid plans was a mystery that didn’t matter at the moment. What mattered was taking as many down with her M4 that she could without hitting the living. For the first time in her life, kids became a priority for both her and Tonka who was already putting himself between Danny and the approaching mass. She looked for Buck and saw him in the thick of it, swinging his large steel framing hammer. Soon to be overwhelmed, he continued swinging and ignoring his own peril. Cat, the teen who stood by Lisa at the hospital, dropped to a knee and utilized the accuracy of the .22 magnum. She let loose seven rounds at a time with deadly efficiency. She was obviously a competition shooter until today; today it was for real.
Lisa pulled her shot as a man with a ten-foot piece of thin rebar caught its point in the ground, causing him to fall and get stabbed in the back accidentally by the man behind him. He pulled his bar out and continued into the fray as the other man lie motionless and watching the battle approach. She shook her head, wishing she had time to help. She dropped her empty rifle and pulled her Glock, remembering that she hadn’t restocked on ammunition and was limited.
She saw four of the SCA fighters and those who witnessed Norman’s demise operating as a unit, quickly learning to utilize each other’s strengths. They came in from the southwest, which started pushing the mass of dead towards Sam’s Club. However, it only pressed more of the zombies toward Benson’s vulnerable kids, the border collie’s pups, and Tonka, who was even starting to get swarmed as he tried to drag another away from Justin’s front. The thought of losing her newf
ound canine friend spurred her on and she hit the built-up mass of Zs with her .40 in her left and her baton swinging in her right. Four clean headshots cleared the beasts off of Tonka’s back as she pushed a wedge deep into the infected mass. People swinging one-inch thick pieces of rebar flowed into the horde with her, sending blood and brains into a reddish mist surrounding them.
She didn’t know who was with her in this suicide plunge into the mass of infected. She only knew that she had to keep them back until the right equipment arrived. She couldn’t see Benson anymore, and Buck’s shouts for help stopped or were overwhelmed by the squish and crack sounds of steel on skull from the rebar swingers around her. Lisa could keep them at bay for a second or two but wasn’t able to land hard enough blows to kill like the longer, thicker chunks of rebar that had enough weight to do the job.
She needed breathing room to get some sort of system or plan enacted. She couldn’t see how this mayhem could overcome the number of dead trying to get in through the breech. She fired the remaining five rounds from her mag, clearing a temporary space in front of her and allowing the last mag to be slapped home. She looked to her right and saw Bryan from the dojo fighting like a man possessed as he swung his homemade weighted spear with grim efficiency. All of his martial arts training and he was reduced to the simple caving in of heads with wild, high arching, killing blows.
Lisa felt a moment of panic when she saw the SCA players continuing to push the undead into her position. She was being pushed away from the front as more and more showed up from the trailer where the rebar had been fashioned into weapons. There was a line of wildly swinging steel right in front of her that managed to keep a solid defense as more were pushed their way.
A scream from behind forced her to spin and see Benson on the ground, unconscious, and Tonka standing protectively over him with teeth barred. She didn’t know if it was her need to help him that drove her or the .40 full magazines on his belt that spurred her on. She made her way toward the man, who now lay prone on the ground, his head covered in blood.
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