Zombie Rush 4

by Joseph Hansen

  “Well, we’re not warlords; we’re just a few cops and a bunch of construction workers trying to create a safe place to ride this out. The more people, the better the chance of survival,” Benson said as Cat and Malcolm watched on, neither of them having a clue as to where it was going, yet knowing that their time for control was over. “As far as arresting Colonel Jeffers, I argued against it, as did several others. However, he was directly and deliberately intervening in ongoing field operations, which put many lives at risk. So the order to arrest him came from the field, and that was the only way to restrict his movement until we got everybody together and hashed this out.”

  “I assume the order came from Lieutenant Lisa Reynolds?” President Berry inquired.

  “It did,” Benson replied.

  “Yes, we have concerns about her. My major concern is that upon the colonel’s arrival, why wasn’t he instantly put in charge?”

  “According to our state mandate, the highest ranking city or state representative has to report to the colonel and willingly turn over power. This law was written in the late eighteen hundreds to prevent certain levels of control to the wrong people. Colonel Jeffers wasn’t concerned with following any protocol and instead started to take control and issue orders. I have to tell you that we almost lost our power source up at the reservoir due to his lack of tact.”

  Benson saw the writing on the wall. Within a matter of minutes, he would no longer hold any authority and simply be the crippled guy in camp. He could kiss up to the president and hopefully gain a position with her, but too much had happened to start playing those types of games. Too many lives were lost, too much blood spilled to go back to the old ways. This compound was founded upon open and honest practices. They told people the truth about what was happening and how to fight back as well as where to go for safety. If he was going to say anything to the president, it was going to be the truth—all of the truth. “Also Lisa and the colonel have not met face to face as of yet,” Benson finished.

  “Yes, I have heard that Colonel Jeffers did create some issues with his mannerisms; we will take that into account. Also, he was acting of his own accord and isn’t even aware of the bunker in Colorado.”

  “We are assuming that his communications system is out,” the major interjected.

  “Hmmm, yes … However, that doesn’t explain the public executions performed by Lieutenant Reynolds that occupied the Internet for days. She had an unarmed man at her feet, begging for forgiveness and she pulled the trigger. Then she asked everyone else to do the same,” President Berry said sternly, concern etched on her brow. “Do you realize how insane that is?”

  “That man she executed was a slaver, a racist, and a looter. We have no jails and the best way to keep people honest is to empower them with the right to defend themselves as well as others. Now I don’t condone doing it publicly, but it was going to happen regardless of people seeing it or not. The value behind her actions was that it put the fight into a lot of people. They saw her, an average woman, doing everything that needed to be done without regret.”

  “You sound like you admire her,” Major Kyle said.

  “Admire her? She saved my life more than once. She saved my children’s lives as well. She gave us all a place to go and inspired us to fight and take back what is ours. I used to be jealous and felt that I should be the one, but it isn’t me. It’s her, and rightfully so. Three-quarters of the people in here owe their lives directly to her as well as to each other, so you won’t catch me bad mouthing her or anyone here,” Benson finished while Cat and Malcolm stood stoically watching the exchange.

  President Berry and Major Kyle looked at the group, pondering their next move. President Berry gave a curt nod to the major, who nodded in return.

  “Well, Officer Benson, through no actions of your own, you are being removed from your leadership role effective immediately. I’m sure you understand that a presidential decree outweighs any local mandates that you might have.”

  “In my opinion, it does, but I’m sure others will be looking into that. Trust me when I say that I am not regretful of your decision, but there are others who feel very strongly about the separation between federal and state. Besides, I did what I could, but I don’t have the knowledge or ability to manage thirty thousand people—especially from a hospital bed.”

  “Your efforts have been miraculous, Officer Benson; feel no shame in this. In fact, when you are mobile again, come and see me. I have a need of someone like you and the others,” President Berry said.

  “I will, thank you,” Benson replied and felt more than relieved when they turned and left, leaving Cat and Malcolm in the room.

  *

  “Captain Thompson, do you know where the colonel is being held?”

  “Yes, Major, right this way.”

  “Hang on one second here, Captain, I need you to be a witness to this.”

  “Yes, President Berry,” the captain replied.

  She looked at the major, who had stood staunchly by her side killing zombies and making sacrifices to ensure that she survived since day one. She needed him and couldn’t have his word be questioned by those of a higher rank who may turn up.

  “As President of the United States of America, I am promoting you to Brigadier General Kyle,” she said and pinned a single star on his shoulder after removing the gold cluster of a major’s rank.

  “Well … that’s a couple of pay grades to jump,” the ex-major said.

  “Ahhh, yeah, checks are going to be a bit late, by the way,” President Berry said with a smile. “You realize this puts you in charge of pretty much everything, right?”

  “I won’t let you down, Madame President.”

  “I know you won’t, Bill.”

  *

  After the president and her cabinet left, a man in a wheelchair—who had obviously been close enough to hear the conversation—wheeled into Benson’s room.

  “Hi, Skit, how are you feeling these days?”

  “It hurts, but feeling useless hurts more than anything.”

  “That bullet in the shoulder isn’t going to bother you as much as that bullet that tore up your hamstring,” Benson said. “That’s going to be a long-term to recovery.”

  “You’re not looking to take bets on who will be walking first, are you?” Skit asked, hoping it wasn’t too early for these kinds of jokes about his missing leg. Tip-toeing around subjects was not something Skit was prone to doing, and he had earned the right to comradery with the police officer.

  “Nope, I already beat you there; I hop to the bathroom all night long.”

  “Damn it, they’re still making me pee in a jug.”

  “Catheter, it’s called a catheter,” Cat said with a smirk.

  Malcolm just stood there, not knowing if he should keep at his duties or if that had all been taken from him. He kind of hoped it had; there were some relatives he had in the hills who he would like to check on even though he hadn’t seen them in ten years.

  “So, what are they going to do to Lisa?” Skit asked, concerned for his friend.

  “I don’t know, Skit. It seems they have an agenda when it comes to her, but I don’t know what it is. They had better be careful though; the people are on her side, and any wrong moves could make things here pretty ugly.”

  “Yeah? What side would you be on?” Skit asked the question nobody wanted to be asked, and he held his gaze on Benson so that he knew he expected an answer.

  “I don’t know, Skit. My first duty is to the people of Hot Springs and what would best serve them. I guess it would all be determined by how the president goes about this transfer of power.”

  “What do you mean?” Cat jumped in.

  “Well, if they confer with the council and retain a certain level of civilian control, I would probably side with them—them meaning the president—and follow her recommendations. But if their intentions are to turn this into a police state or strictly a military zone, then things might get ugly all the way arou
nd.”

  “That all sounds so … clinical, don’t you think? What about your loyalty to Lisa and how she has helped you out? Didn’t she save your kids?” Skit pressed, not really happy with Benson’s answer.

  “She did save my kids as well as my own life. I will never forget that. But my first loyalty is to the people of Hot Springs. Their wellbeing is my main and only concern. The president may have relieved me from duty, but I am still a cop and my oath is still valid. I will be watching things very closely,” Benson said, slightly offended by Skits comment but understanding where it came from. Skit was from the streets. His loyalty to another individual could never be compared to. Benson, however, was part of an establishment and his loyalty was to an ideal and a belief that the community was better than a single individual.

  “I can accept that,” Skit said honestly, but then paused as he looked around the room as if to remind himself of all who were there. “I will say, however, if they intend to execute her, I will not allow that to happen. One way or another, I will not see her killed, period,” Skit said and sat there waiting to see their response. Surprisingly, it was Malcolm who spoke up first.

  “Nor will I. She has done too much for the right reasons to allow that to happen.”

  “Me either,” Cat added. “I would take a bullet for her. I know that sounds dramatic, like I saw it on some war movie or something—which I probably did—but it is true. I would take a bullet for her.”

  “Then we all agree. We will accept any judgment passed down with the exception of death. I will also not allow the councils to be shut down and cast to the side. I have worked closely with the military and politicians in the past. If there is one thing that I have learned from those experiences, it is that they sometimes forget who they are working for.

  “America isn’t America unless it is run by a civilian government; it’s up to us to keep it so.” A new voice joined in as a tall, thin man stepped around the corner.

  “Hey everybody, this is Jim. He was my ex’s live-in and basically the stepfather to my kids,” Skit said as he hooked a thumb at the man behind him, causing everyone to look at him strangely. “There are some things we have to work through, but he kept my kids alive and seems to be a pretty good guy.”

  *

  Colonel Jeffers had just sat down to his lunch of a sirloin and baked potato when the new general showed up in front of his cell—actually just a room where he promised not to leave.

  “What in the hell do you think you are doing, Colonel Jeffers?” Brigadier General Kyle said as he came around the corner. The colonel snapped to attention seeing the general followed by the captain who he had left in charge. No matter what Jeffers was planning, the game was up and new rules came instantly into play with the arrival of a superior officer.

  “I am being held prisoner, sir.”

  “A colonel in the United States Army being held prisoner in a cell without bars?” the general said. “I guess I am not familiar with the protocol that would allow this to be a possibility, Colonel Jeffers.”

  “Ah, well, sir. It seems there is a local mandate that requires this to be a feasible course of action. I ordered the men to stand down to prevent unnecessary loss of life.”

  “It’s time to stop playing war games, Colonel, and get back to work,” President Berry said as she stepped from behind the door jamb.

  “Vice President Berry, I’m surprised to see you,” he said with a salute.

  “Unfortunately, it’s now President Berry, Colonel. We have a lot of work to do, so grab your coat and let’s get to it.”

  “I haven’t been released by the authorities, Madame President.”

  “We are the authorities, dumb ass, now move!”

  Chapter 15

  Showdown:

  In national news today … Tasha’s voice rang out over the radio in the heavy-duty truck Lisa got from Kibble. She cocked her head at the mention of national news and noticed Mustafa—whom she had picked up—waking in the back seat of the crew cab. Lisa turned the volume up and listened.

  It has come to our attention that President Grey has joined the ranks of undead. Let’s take a moment of silence and honor our dead president. Tanya paused for exactly one minute before moving on to the next bit of news. Now, it is my pleasure to introduce to you the new President of the United States. Vice-president Berry has taken over the position and seems to be doing a pretty good job.

  There was a moment of dead air before a new voice took over.

  Thank you, Tasha. I want to take a moment and commend you on your efforts to keep a communication line available for the people. It’s a very impressive feat the way the entire populace came together to fight this scourge, and on behalf of all of America, I want to thank you.

  Lisa cocked an eyebrow. She didn’t like to read into things, but with politicians, you kind of had to.

  Thank you, President Berry. I know our law enforcement officials, who managed to put this all together with the help of some others, are grateful for your kind words. Lisa Reynolds, in particular, made many sacrifices and took steps to ensure that we all had a safe place to go.

  I have heard much about Lieutenant Reynolds and look forward to meeting with her. I understand that she was critical in establishing Hot Springs as the base where we can start to rebuild our country.

  Again, Lisa cocked an eyebrow; something was up and she had a feeling that she wouldn’t like whatever it was. Rebuild our country … from Hot Springs? Has the entire country collapsed?

  So I take it you have some plans for Hot Springs? Tasha asked, intrigued by the president’s comments.

  As you may have guessed, there are several areas that have survived the onslaught of the undead. However, none of those has been as successful as Hot Springs in bringing in a significant number of survivors, thanks in large part to your broadcasts. There are other stations that have taped loops that replay every fifteen or twenty minutes, but they haven’t had the response that a live broadcast such as yours offers. Hot Springs is uniquely situated in a lower population area with a hydroelectric plant supplying all of the electricity that may be needed. Now, I have been isolated in a secured bunker in the mountains of Colorado, which was specifically designed for an event like this. It has served its purpose and will still be used as a communications hub, but we have decided to move the scope of our operations to Hot Springs to further fulfill the needs and requirements of those who have survived.

  So you’re taking over; is that what I am hearing? Tasha pressed.

  I don’t think taking over would be the appropriate term as much as joining in would be.

  Okay, so why now? I mean, this has been going on for quite some time, and while you have been in your secure bunker, we have been fighting to survive without any government assistance. I don’t mean to be rude, Madame President, but the world has changed. Your carpenters, bankers, and architects have suddenly become warriors over the course of a few days. Do you think these people will just roll over and let you make the rules now? Especially since they have already decided who they want to lead them?

  God damn it, Tasha, you’re just bringing their focus back on me, Lisa thought. The whole situation made her want to crawl into a hole and hide and only come out when she had a new name and face. Lisa started having flashbacks about some of the things they had done to protect those who had survived. “Well, the shit hit the fan almost a week ago. I guess we just have to see what kind of damage the spray causes,” Lisa said to Mustafa, who was listening intently to the broadcast.

  “You sound worried, Lieutenant. This is a good thing. The government is stepping in and taking over; no more hard decisions or watching people you have just met walk to their deaths. It is over for us.”

  “Over for us? Who are you kidding here, Mustafa? What are you going to do when the government shuts you out?” Lisa snapped back.

  “Ah, there are still many lakes to be fished and trails to be hiked. The zombies are dying off; it’s only a matter of time before t
hese new things are taken care of, and then I will finish my retirement.”

  “Those are some lofty goals, my friend,” Lisa said with a hint of sarcasm before returning her attention to the broadcast.

  … so you see, Tasha, it’s important that everybody understands the situation we are dealing with. The undead—or zombies, if you will—are dying off. Their rate of decomposition is greatly altered, but it is not eliminated, so a zombie will only survive for four or five days before the muscles—wait, let me say this differently. Remember when the zombies first arrived and we had fast ones and slow ones? The fast ones were zombies that were on either side of the decomposition phase called rigor mortis. During the rigor phase, they would become very stiff and move as if their joints wouldn’t quite respond. That is the beginning of the decomposition process, a process which cannot be stopped—especially by dead tissue, which is what they are. Now there are several phases of mortis such as pallor mortis and others that need a biologist to explain to me. The bottom line is that between four to six days, the bodies reach a point of decomposition that is referred to as secondary lucidity. This is where their muscles rot from the inside out and don’t have the substance to stay adhered to bones and tendons. The result is as you would assume; they collapse. Their heads still live and their bite can affect you, but for the most part, they are no longer a threat and just require the final killing stroke.

  This is good news, President Berry. Tell me, does the same hold true for this new threat?

  I think I will let General Kyle, the interim leader of our armed forces, explain that as I am still unclear as to their capabilities, President Berry said pleasantly.

  Interim? Tasha questioned.

  General Kyle took his cue. Yes. Just because they haven’t been located doesn’t mean there isn’t a higher ranking officer alive and trying to get out of his or her own situation, whatever it may be. It’s doubtful, but still a possibility. Unfortunately, the Ragers—which is what we have determined to call them for lack of a better term—are a different animal than the zombies altogether. We had only just discovered the possibility of their existence mere hours before the first of them appeared. Unlike the zombies, these creatures are alive and can be killed in multiple ways, but it’s difficult. What the legal implications are for killing them will have to be determined at a later date, after we have re-established a judicial branch. We have, as of yet, only located one upper court judge, and she is pretty beaten up. Until then, all we will tell you to do is to protect yourself and survive.