by P. S. Power
“Because you have two months of food and at least five months of hard weather after that runs out. Somehow we have to find you more food, but we're only going to be able to do so much. It took nearly five months to get food for about seventy people. You have a month to set up ninety, and a lot of you are kids. All of you have to help if you want to live. That's one of the new rules almost everywhere, everybody works.” Though some less than others. He didn't add that. Might as well reset them to a high standard, right?
Everyone here had gotten by while making it harder on other people so far, even if they didn't have a choice. For a group this large to get a winter's supply of food, this late in the season was probably impossible, if anyone wanted to be lazy, that could be enough to send them all to their deaths. Yay.
His little adventure in angry extortion had pointed out to him how fragile so many things were. The greenhouse was a boon, but just taking away the plastic made it useless for instance. Or the clothing... even some of the tools. These people had things that the house didn't, but those were limited in quantity and not going to be around forever. Not even close to it.
He explained it all as well as he could on the fly, and everyone listened, looking afraid. But if they were afraid right now, just wait until the food ran out, there was a foot of snow on the ground and fifty cannibals stood at the gate demanding the young children be thrown out first, because they were more tender.
It was a mess that their men had gotten them into and really, even if they tried, Jake didn't think they'd last half the winter without help.
Honestly they probably wouldn't make it with help either.
But Jake wouldn't just leave them to die. It was hard, because more women just meant more rejection most likely, but they had kids with them, and really, you just didn't abandon people to die. Not if you could maybe do something. Even if it was a lost cause.
“Right,” He said, looking around trying to size everyone up, he pointed to Dave and grinned suddenly.
“See that man right there? He's killed more zombies than any of us could bother to count. He and I are going to teach you basic survival skills, then we're going hunting, for animals, not the dead. Becky? Do you have spare ammunition or anything like that? We have a man that may be able to make more if you have the equipment... Burt? I think I mentioned him?”
Becky didn't answer, a pert looking blonde that had pale skin and couldn't have been twenty-five did.
“Heck yeah! We have re-loaders, brass, and everything else you'd need. Here, I'll take you to it.” She seemed excited at least. And loud about it.
Suddenly they all did as if they'd just been waiting for a chance to prove they weren't dead weight. Well now they'd get it.
Ready or not.
Jake just didn't think it would really be enough.
Not without a lot of help.
Not without a miracle, he amended.
Probably not even then.
It was a chance though, he thought with a shrug. Smiling a little he got to work. It was going to be a long day, and a longer winter.
A very long winter.
A Very Good Neighbor
P.S. Power
Orange Cat Publishing
Copyright 2013
Chapter One
Jake really wanted to shoot the woman in front of him.
Not because her whining was that annoying. Oh, it was pretty bad, but he kind of expected that from her. It was the sound level. They were out in the woods, so it was fairly safe, but her noise discipline was horrible. All of the women were bad at it. He aimed his nine millimeter at her head and started to pull the trigger when another voice spoke softly, about ten feet from him.
“Sue, control the sound, or die.” Dave said calmly, as if he didn't care.
That was a lie of course. The thirteen year old boy really wanted to see the woman's brain all over the forest floor. It was his “thing”. Normally at least. The black haired woman, with dark skin and more than fifty extra pounds on her still, froze and looked at the kid. As if he'd threatened her. At least she had the sense to look scared of that possibility.
Then she noticed that Jake had a weapon pointed at her.
It did get her to be quiet, so Jake smiled silently, nodded, and put it away.
“You can complain, but quietly, please. I haven't had to kill any of you yet, and really don't want to. So remember the rules...” He smiled, trying to look happy about the whole thing. He was, now, but it probably made him look insane.
No big.
They were there to hunt animals and avoid zombies, not call down a hoard on their little bunch of noobs. How they managed to get seven months into the zombie apocalypse without fighting anything for themselves...
Well, Jake knew the story, didn't he? The Westwood Police department had kept them safe, locked behind a wire fence, the whole time. While everyone not a family member, or rape victim/sex slave, had to fend for themselves. Usually against the cops, until the last of them had died a week ago. Now the ninety-three women and children left had to learn to fend for themselves, and freaking fast.
Jake looked at the little group and nodded, suppressing a wince.
Sue was in her forties and fat. Not just Back Before average either, but... plump. Kind of cute for that though, since almost everyone else looked a bit like a refugee anymore. Becky Fines scowled at him and Dave, then, just for good measure at Sue, where at least her gaze lingered. She looked pissed, but then, she always did.
Jake hadn't even told her about how he'd shot her sister in the throat and then used her own knife to cut her head off yet. That would come, probably. At least Tammy had deserved it at the time. Colleen's sister had already been a z when he'd stopped her. The tiny blond girl was the last adult in the group. All of the women were whiny.
Except Darla.
She was seven. Thin and pale like everyone else.
And freaking hard already.
If it had been up to Jake they would have taken her on the hunt and left the other women back at their compound, but they needed to learn. If they didn't want to starve most of the winter at least.
Dave saw the animals first and pointed excitedly, getting everyone to pay attention without any noise at all. Cows.
Yummy, yummy hamburgers and steaks just standing there.
Wily ones that had already gone half feral, but a good sized group. About fifty or so. It was cold enough they could freeze the meat, if they could take any of them. Holding up a single hand Jake pointed at one of the creatures in the distance, marking it as his, then took the rifle off his back and carefully took aim, the wooden stock cool against the flesh of his overly lean face. Dave did the same thing, but everyone else just stood around.
Until Darla threw her hands up and took Sue's rifle, pointing at a large cow, mimicking what the others had done and took aim herself.
Jake whispered to her softly.
“Take the safety off, and shoot on three.” He waited for her to click the little lever down gently then very quietly started his count.
On three the weapons started going off. Two cows fell in the distance, two more staggered. Becky Fines had managed to get herself together in time. Not a head shot, but not horrible really. Jake re-aimed and hit that cow as the others scattered. At nearly the same time two more shots took place. Dave and Darla both hitting the one that she'd shot first.
The rest of the herd ran for it. Jake didn't blame them at all. Four of the animals wasn't a bad day's hunting though. Cheating a bit, because it was unfair to kill them like that, having once been someone's livestock, but any food they got now would help later. He really wanted to avoid cannibalism if he could. So far so good.
Dave looked at the herd and shook his head.
“I think... we should mark their path and come back for them later. From the other side, so we drive them back this way, with a larger hunting team maybe?” He pointed at the animals on the ground.
“We can't really handle those as it is. Which is
a good thing, don't get me wrong. We'll just have to...” Clearly Dave had nothing to add, no idea about what to do.
Jake shrugged.
“We need a vehicle. Sue, Becky, could you go back and get something that will work for this? We'll have to drag them to the road of course. Giant pain. Or...” Looking down at the little girl he tilted his head.
“I'm torn here. We need Darla to work on dressing animals, since she's on the hunting detail full time now, or should be, but... Becky, do you think you can remember to aim for the head if you see any z?”
“What? I... we can't go on our own...” Panic was clear in her eyes now. Jake didn't roll his, but Dave did.
“Of course you can. It's only a few miles and this area isn't that dangerous. Just be quiet and don't spaz out, you'll be fine.”
The women didn't think that sounded like a good idea. Just when they started getting loud again Jake grabbed his forehead, copying a move that Nate, the leader of the House he and Dave lived at made all too often. He really got why now. People were so difficult, weren't they?
“OK...” He fought to sound calm. He didn't make it all the way, but it was, he felt, a noble effort.
“Dave, take Colleen back and get something, will you? Lend Sue your knife, so she can help with your kill.” That got a reaction too, since the older woman blanched at the idea of handling dead cows. She wasn't a practicing Hindu maybe, but she was from India, she insisted, and while eating someone's ancestor may be needed...
Jake nearly shot her.
It was a close thing, his hand actually starting toward his weapon before he aborted the move. He did it, because you didn't kill over people being silly. That would be wrong. The woman wasn't trying to shirk, she was just sensitive. He could relate, though Jake doubted anyone else he knew would believe that. Except maybe Colleen.
Dave got the implied death threat at least and laughed quietly.
“Then make sure you do it with reverence, Sue. Their deaths are giving you and yours life. Try to hold that in mind while you work.” It was... actually pretty deep coming from a guy Jake had once heard suggest that Sue would make a fine meal herself if she didn't get with the program.
Earlier that day in fact.
Even though Jake held to a strict “no human meat” diet plan, he could kind of get behind the idea. At least of executing the woman. Still... The older lady nodded, swallowed weakly and held her hand out for the knife.
Once Dave and Colleen took off, Jake showed the others what to do, then helped each string up and bleed a cow from a tree branch. They were all big, and the rope had to be doubled several times over the thick branches to make it work, everyone helping to get the meat hung, but they had all of them bled and ready for transport by the time the others came back. Along with help.
Sort of.
Suicide Molly and her crew.
Len, who was actually decent in a fight and had turned out to be a really good hunter too, but was otherwise slow mentally. The “Rain man” of the new world, Jake guessed. A strong addition to the group though. His girlfriend, Alba, who was almost unremarkable in every way. Tough though and willing to fight, even take on zombies, if she had to. They'd survived alone for nearly seven months before finding the House. In the real world, alone, and had just happened on Westwood. They knew how bad the world was and more than once he'd caught Alba scowling at the women from the police compound for being stupid. Len didn't do that, he just accepted everyone as an equal, even though most of them weren't yet.
Rounding the team out was Rita, who also made all the new clothing, and was nearly useless in a fight. Skinny even before, lanky brown hair and easily spooked. Weak and not very helpful for the most part.
But she'd come.
Even scared as she was, as ill equipped for everything, she left the safe walls of the House to help these other people, just because it was the right thing to do.
Oh, Molly had pushed her to do it, sure, but even that was incredible. The black haired girl, formerly heavy, now just solid looking, had been the one to suggest they tag along. She'd been teaching people how to hunt z. How to fight them if they had to. Not her strongest suit personally, but so much better than what any of the new ladies had going on so far that it made a certain sense.
Also, no matter what else Jake felt about the girl, she'd faced nearly as many undead as anyone had. Often unarmed. Until recently she'd been the screamer for Tipper's cleaning crew.
The zombie bait.
They hadn't managed to kill her, though not for lack of trying on her part. Now, compared to these new women, she seemed like an old war veteran. Calm, sensible and locked on to what had to be done without complaint.
They all fell-to without waiting for a lot of instruction, Jake catching their good example easily and making suggestions as he helped load the fresh meat onto the back of the little six wheeled go-cart thing that had been brought. It wasn't that small really, big enough for the cows, a driver, Colleen, and a passenger. Becky tried to wave Jake into the seat but he shook his head. They wanted a shooter in place there, but Darla made more sense, being smaller and having shorter legs. The rest could walk back.
The girl just climbed into place holding the rifle she'd taken from Sue still. Jake stopped and walked her over the weapon again, and zombie protocol. It wasn't hard. With a rifle, you didn't let them close and took head shots. Stayed calm and focused. The youngster had long, almost white colored, blonde hair and oversized clothing, heavy layers that anyone from the compound would take to be her trying to dress like Jake, or one of the other cleaners from the House.
In other words an armor of cloth, to protect her from attack. Plus it would help to keep her warm.
Sensible.
They moved as a group, going no faster than the slowest person could walk, which, for once, wasn't Molly at all, but Sue, who kept complaining that her feet hurt. After the sixth time or so Molly sighed loudly enough to be heard, and shook her head.
“Yeah, it's harder to walk when you still have the extra weight. All I can say is that it does get easier. Keep going and try to think of something to keep your mind off of it. Dwelling on it just makes it worse...”
Sue looked a bit angry for a second, thinking she was being called fat by the “skinny” girl. That wasn't the point though. Molly looked all right now, sure, but clearly she'd had her own battles there. The older woman just made a face and walked after that. Dave smiled at Molly though and winked at her when she saw him looking. Oddly, the girl blushed.
Odd, because Dave was only thirteen and she was pushing twenty. Or maybe not so strange at that? Just because Jake couldn't score a woman, including Molly, even at the end of the world, that didn't mean anyone else was having problems there. Did it?
Well.
Jake didn't care. Not anymore. No one wanted him, he'd deal and go on. It was just... not fair. Boo-hoo. Life at the end of the freaking world wasn't fun and fair to him? The idea made him smile a little, which got Len, the slow guy to move up beside him, tall and thin, nearly six-two, compared to his own five-eight. He was thin too though. In that they matched.
“What's funny?” The man asked awkwardly. It sounded so painfully slow that Jake almost felt bad for noticing it, but he answered anyway. Honestly, since the man had bothered to actually approach him and did it without any fear at all. That wasn't something he always got anymore.
“Just thinking about how hard it is for me to find a date, even now. You know how it is...” Jake smiled a little bigger, earning a shrug from the other man.
“Not really,” the tall guy said. “Alba's nearly gotten into two fights in the last week, what with women trying to steal me from her. Lots of women now. There will be one for you too. Or more. You're really important. Everyone says so.”
It was a nice idea, but Jake knew it wasn't true.
Even the new ladies didn't approach him, and if he smiled at them, they looked away fast, as if just simple eye contact would make something bad happen. The first
few times he'd noticed it Jake had just figured that it was because he was a strange male and some of the women here had been... abused. Sexually. Especially the younger ones that the cops had stolen from town.
But the other guys that showed up got smiles and pats, even hugs.
Jake got a nice ten foot circle of personal space. It was strange, since his hygiene was good and so far he hadn't even had to shoot anyone. Why they'd react like that he didn't know. His looks? Maybe, but a lot of ugly guys were getting smiles now. There were nearly a hundred women and about thirty guys. Most of the women that didn't like girls weren't exactly being picky.
That didn't need to be said though. Len obviously meant well. After a few moments of silence, the man spoke, sounding not exactly embarrassed, but like his idea wouldn't be listened to. As if he shouldn't speak. Jake gave him all the attention he could spare and not be eaten by zombies. Clearly, if it wasn't important, the man wouldn't speak about it.
“I was thinking, you all dug that underground room for the babies, so the zombies won't hear them? We could do the same thing but bigger or more rooms, for when everyone comes to live with us at the House?” It was a question, but a good point. A great idea really. One that he should have thought of himself.
“Um... yeah. That's solid. Let's get on that with everyone when we get back? You'll want Burt to help you with it. Alba too?” Jake glanced at the man who ducked his head shyly and shook it after a bit.
“I just thought someone should...”
“Right. You're someone. Don't worry, being in charge of stuff is a pain, but not that hard. Just get people to work and keep working, and right now make sure everyone goes fast enough. I figure that we have less than a month to build, but any extra space is going to really make a difference. The House isn't built for a hundred and forty odd people. Not even close.”
Plus, with Heather insisting that anything less than having all the new people at the House meant death for everyone, and her “visions” of the future being annoyingly correct, they had to do something. Harder for the coming cannibals to get at the tasty women and children if they were under the ground. Jake thought about it and nodded. Len really did have a good plan.