The Zombie Principle II

by David R Vosburgh

  Sinclair easily overheard most, if not all, of Stephen’s conversation with the Major. It was unlikely that he would agree to jeopardize Major Bradley’s precious cargo to go on a fool’s errand, no matter how well-intentioned.

  “Yeah, he’s at the airstrip. He has that doctor with him,” Stephen replied

  “Sanderson?” Nick asked.

  “Yes … that’s his name. I had forgotten,” Stephen answered as loud noises and frantic voices were heard coming from down the street, on the other side of the truck.

  Everyone moved around the end of the truck and stared down the road as a small group of people could be seen running toward them. Two of them stumbled to the ground as the others continued on without regard to their fallen comrades. Stephen and Nick gripped their weapons tight as Katie Sharpe jumped out of the truck, the bag of ammo in her hand, and moved in alongside them. Sinclair reached into the duffle and retrieved a handgun, the clip already loaded.

  Somehow the half-dozen or so that managed to remain upright ran down the hill to the right without ever noticing Stephen and his group. As he turned his attention to the two people that had fallen he discovered what they were running from. A scattered group of infected were moving toward the two who were just now getting to their feet. The infected seemed to be moving quicker than he had remembered. Still extremely awkward but covering more ground at a quicker pace.

  Stephen started to move forward toward the two, a man and a woman, in case the infected got too close and he needed to pick a few of them off. He froze in his tracks after a few steps as he realized that he no longer had to wrestle with the dilemma of whether or not to search for Kim. He easily recognized her as the woman who had fallen, despite her blood-soaked hospital scrubs and panicked expression.

  Chapter 16

  Rendezvous

  Chester bounced up and down in the seat of his truck as he tore down the gravel road putting as much distance between him and Clyde’s house as possible. He had no idea where this road led. The map was in his knapsack which was probably somewhere back at that house.

  “This road isn’t even on the map!” He thought to himself.

  He had to find the quickest way back to the base because he didn’t have a lot of extra gas for a sightseeing tour. He knew he needed to head north. It was still morning so he spotted the sun still rising and was able to determine east. Based on that, he figured the road was heading in a northwesterly direction.

  At some point, he would have to turn right and head due north. If he could find route 21 or at least a sign pointing in that direction, it would be a start. He double checked his twelve gauge to make sure it was loaded and jammed some extra shells in his pockets for good measure. The road continued on for another mile or so before merging onto another small road but this one was paved. He was now moving northeast and traveling as fast as he could.

  The new road was clean with only a couple of abandoned cars to avoid. He had seen no one yet, living or dead, since leaving the house. His thoughts turned to any potential rescue mission that his absence may have initiated. He would be missed by very few except those kids at the house. They actually seemed to care about his wellbeing. It was something he wasn’t quite used to. Especially that Stephen. He continued to thank him for saving his life at that hotel a while back. It was like he owed him a life debt or some shit.

  His train of thought was interrupted by someone hopping out from behind a large shrub, stumbling into the road. It happened too quickly for Chester to avoid them even though he turned the wheel sharply to his left. It was a fairly narrow road, barely wide enough to allow two cars to pass by and flanked on either side by rocky terrain and large shrubs.

  The unidentified person, now visible as a male and definitely an infected one, glanced off the right front quarter panel and was launched back toward the side of the road. Chester applied the brakes as the truck continued to swerve left and spun around nearly one hundred and eighty degrees. When the truck came to a stop, he gripped the steering wheel tightly as he looked in the direction of the large shrub where the infected had landed.

  He grabbed the twelve gauge and slowly opened the door. There was no movement near the shrub and a quick scan of the area revealed no movement anywhere else. He stepped out of the truck and moved around to the front of the vehicle, checking for any damage his encounter may have caused. The fender was bent and a small piece of grillwork had come loose but otherwise still perfectly drivable.

  Stepping back toward the truck, his eyes fixed on the shrub, he put his hand on the door and pushed himself into the driver’s seat. It was as he was closing the door he first noticed the distinctive sound of gunfire in the distance followed by what sounded like an explosion.

  Major Bradley stood next to the Gulfstream’s retractable stairs, arms folded, staring down at the walkie in his hand. Stephen had given him a fairly vague sketch of what was happening inside the base and it didn’t sound good. He trusted Stephen’s judgment and if he was planning to evacuate, that was good enough for him. His priority was getting Malcolm and Dr. Sanderson together and the fact that he knew who had him and that he would be on his way here soon was at least moderately comforting.

  Captain Morris had climbed aboard the plane to inform the pilot and passengers of the current situation. He had also given the green light to head outside if they needed some fresh air or to stretch their legs. Major Bradley looked up from his walkie to see Dr. Sanderson standing in the doorway. He waved him on down as he took a few steps away from the plane.

  A minute later everyone was out of the plane and milling about the tarmac like nervous fathers in a delivery waiting room. Captain Bannon moseyed on over to the Major.

  “This place got a fuel truck?” he asked.

  Major Bradley looked around. He hadn’t spent much time at the airfield since arriving a few months ago. Most of the fuel on the base was used to run the generators. The Jet fuel could be used in the diesel generators, of which there were plenty. They had priority over the few aircraft that the base had left.

  “I think most of the jet fuel was appropriated to run the generators,” Major Bradley answered. “But, feel free to look around … but not too far.”

  The meaning behind the pilot’s question finally hit the Major.

  “Are we low on fuel?”

  “We got about three-quarters of a tank but it never hurts to fill up when you can,” Bannon answered with a smile as we walked off in search of a fuel truck.

  Dr. Sanderson and his family were actually laughing and enjoying each other’s company. Catching up after a long separation. The Major had been married once, only briefly, as it became clear to both of them that he was, in fact, married to the army. They divorced amicably and no children were involved. They kept in touch for a while, even after she remarried, but he hadn’t heard from her in over four years. His father had passed away years ago and his mother had been enjoying retirement in Florida until the outbreak. She never made it out alive.

  He checked the walkie one more time hoping Stephen would contact him soon. It just stared silently back at him. He was not good at idle waiting but unfortunately, it was all he had to do at the moment. He couldn’t risk leaving the airstrip.

  Private Stevens was pacing in front of the plane, moving his assault rifle between his hands, when he stopped suddenly. A commotion could be heard emanating from behind one of the hangers, near the golf course. He leveled his weapon and took a few strides toward the noises.

  Although he couldn’t see anything, it sounded like a mix of shouting and weapons fire. With the way sound echoed off these buildings, it was difficult to tell the proximity of the disturbance. As the noise level increased it was obvious, however, that it was getting closer.

  The others had begun to take notice as Stevens continued to walk slowly away from the airplane. Everyone that is except for Captain Bannon who had wandered off to the other side of the tarmac looking for his fuel.

  Major Bradley turned just in time to see
the commotion materialize as a group of civilians and military personnel came around the nearest hanger running toward the plane. Some of them would stop occasionally, turn, and fire a weapon at a person or persons unknown. It was only a few seconds later that the first infected came into view; followed by at least fifty more.

  The first thing Bradley noticed was that the infected were moving much faster than he remembered, the group was having trouble putting much distance between them and the infected. A couple of the military personnel, a mix of airmen and Army Rangers, dropped their weapons, a sure sign they had run out of ammo. He took a second to assess the situation and it didn’t present a lot of favorable options.

  At the rate the humans and infected were approaching the plane it would be impossible to get everyone back on the plane and seal it up before the mob had reached it. Especially with Bannon on the other side of the tarmac. The civilians might try to board the plane, they may veer off and run down the landing strip, or they may head to one of the other hangers and try to take refuge there. It was impossible to know for sure but Major Bradley had to act now to keep his people out of harm’s way. Most of their weapons and ammo was on the plane so they would be of little assistance to the fleeing civilians. Not to mention the Doctor’s antidote was also on board.

  The Major signaled Captain Morris to get everyone away from the plane and head to the control tower. It had only one entrance to guard and had a good line of sight to the entire airstrip. With any luck, the group will lead the infected out past the plane and down the runway. Moving backward and keeping an eye on the rear of their retreat he watched one of the servicemen reach for his belt and pull out a hand grenade. What happened next surprised the Major like nothing else he had ever seen.

  The soldier removed the pin from the grenade and tossed it toward the approaching zombie herd. It landed on one of the infected who, in their effort to move as quickly as possible, was waving their arms back and forth in a herky-jerky motion. It appeared as if the infected, a man of about forty or so, actually caught the grenade and in a single motion slung it back toward the group. The grenade ended up flying over the heads of the fleeing group, landing on the tarmac, and settling, to the Major’s dismay, directly underneath the Gulfstream’s landing gear.

  He continued to move backward, more quickly now, as he watched in horror as the grenade exploded, crippling the aircraft’s landing gear. The nose of the plane collapsed onto the tarmac, cracking the fuselage, and rendering the plane useless. It looked as if they were going to have to find another way out of the base.

  The infected had closed the gap between Kim and the unidentified man. They had managed to get to their feet and were now heading in Stephen’s direction. It didn’t seem like Kim had recognized them yet and was simply running for her life at the moment.

  Nick and Stephen raised their weapons as they moved more quickly toward Kim. Nick had the first clear shot and fired a round, hitting one of the infected in the left shoulder and knocking it back into another who stumbled and fell over the one that was hit. It seemed the proximity of the bullet whizzing by Kim’s head got her attention. She looked up and noticed the truck and the group standing around it for the first time.

  “Kim!” Stephen shouted.

  She didn’t respond as Nick fired off another round plugging a different infected, this time in the kneecap.

  “Kim!” Stephen repeated.

  This time a hint of recognition appeared on her face.

  Stephen began waving his arms as Kim was now less than fifty feet away.

  The infected are moving much faster than before.

  Nick had provided some space for Kim and the other man. This allowed Stephen to run at a full sprint and meet Kim halfway. She nearly ran by him as he reached out his arms and grabbed her. He spun her around so they were face to face. Now that he was close to her, he was surprised at the amount of blood that was covering her hospital scrubs. It immediately raised a few questions in his mind. The first one sent shivers down his spine. Now, however, was not the time. He reached down and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the truck.

  The man, a confused look on his face, didn’t know what to do. He almost came to a stop and started looking around. Nick got his attention.

  “Follow them!” he shouted pointing to Stephen and Kim. The man, a dark-skinned African-American of about thirty years old, six feet tall, wearing faded jeans and an orange colored tee shirt, complied.

  Nick took a few steps backward before turning and darting for the truck. He quickly caught up to Stephen who was nearly dragging Kim. He took a quick glance behind him, ensuring the infected were no closer and that they would have time to get into the truck and get the hell out of there.

  Danielle and Jason were in the back of the truck. Lucy had hopped in as well, sitting between them. She didn’t know the outcome of the rescue mission and wouldn’t allow the kids see both parents die in front of them. Malcolm sat silently across from them.

  Stephen and Kim came to a stop just out of view of the kids. Nick came alongside them, blocking any view they might have from the truck; he had seen the blood as well. Katie and Corporal Sinclair continued to keep an eye on the infected. Stephen realized they had only a few seconds but he needed to ask Kim an important question before he let her in the truck.

  “Kim … the blood … have you been bitten?”

  She looked up at him then over to Nick. She seemed to relax a little. Reassured, perhaps, by the presence of two people she now considered family. Looking down, she considered her blood-soaked clothes.

  No … no … it’s not my blood. The infirmary … was in chaos when I got there … wounded everywhere … I tried to help but… it was too late …” her voice trailed off.

  She seemed more lucid now and Stephen did a quick scan of her person which seemed to confirm her assessment; no bite marks.

  “Where are my babies?” she suddenly demanded to know, as if finally shocked into the here and now. Despite her appearance, they couldn’t wait any longer. Her kids would have to see her as is.

  “In the truck,” Stephen answered with a slight smile and a nod.

  She took off and jumped into the back. A loud chorus of “Mom!” could be heard.

  “We gotta go,” Nick said, stating the obvious.

  Stephen turned to Corporal Sinclair.

  “We need to meet the Major at the airstrip corporal,” Stephen said.

  Sinclair nodded and moved quickly to the driver’s side of the truck. Everyone else, including the man in the orange shirt, piled into the rear of the truck. A few seconds later the truck lurched forward and was heading down the hill toward the airstrip.

  Chester had found a sign for route twenty-one and headed north. The base was probably two miles away as he listened for any more sounds of gunfire but heard nothing. He could see plumes of smoke rising in the distance coming from the general direction of the base. With his thoughts centered elsewhere, he neglected to notice his gas gauge was now hovering around empty.

  His attention was drawn to the gauge when the engine started sputtering. The old truck apparently didn’t get the same gas mileage as he remembered. He held on tightly to the steering wheel as the truck bucked back and forth for a few yards more until coming to a stop. Chester sat still for a moment before pounding his open palm on the steering wheel.

  “Not my day,” he thought to himself.

  He opened the door and stood in the middle of the road. Looking both ways he saw nothing to worry about. He turned back and double checked the gas cans in the truck bed. Perhaps there was a little in each that combined might get him to the base. Otherwise, it looks like he would be hoofing it. Unfortunately, all three cans were bone dry.

  He headed back to the cab to retrieve his shotgun and anything else that he might need for the trek back to the base.

  Everyone had made it to the base of the control tower when Major Bradley slammed the door shut. The fleeing humans split just as they reached the plane. Half of the
m ran to the left, running down the tarmac and heading toward the runway. The other half saw the plane, despite its damage, as a safe haven. They ran to the stairs, bent but still attached to the fuselage, and started climbing over each other attempting to get inside.

  The infected that followed was soon upon them. One of the civilians made into the plane but the twisted fuselage made closing the door impossible. Infected began feeding on several humans as two managed to get away. The one in the plane was trapped. The carnage taking place at the bottom of the stairs prevented him from leaving and there was only one exit off the plane. It was only a matter of time before the infected made their way up the stairs.

  Major Bradley slowly opened the door.

  “Sit tight,” he said to everyone.

  He looked down the tarmac and toward the plane. The first group were on the runway and the infected following them were no longer a threat. It was too late to help those at the bottom of the stairs but they may be able to help the individual trapped in the plane.

  He ducked back into the tower.

  “Stevens, Captain, follow me,” he said.

  Private Stevens and Captain Morris followed him out of the tower, weapons drawn. Stevens with his automatic rifle and the two officers carrying side arms. As they approached the disabled plane, it was clear that feeding time was over as the infected began rising and moving up the stairs. The man inside the plane had given up trying to close the door and must have been inside looking for another exit, which didn’t exist or perhaps move something heavy to place next to the door.

  A second later he could be seen through the crack of the door looking down the stairs at the advancing infected. The Major tried to think of anything inside the plane that may be useful but he came up with nothing except the weapons bag. The bag, however, was stored in the storage compartment, it was unlikely that he would find it. There was nothing loose and heavy that could be moved in front of the door. This was not a commercial jet so there was no beverage cart. He took a chance the man had seen them.