He stepped into the yard and looked around as two of the men grabbed the tank and carried it back to the truck.
“It’s not in great shape,” one of them said, “but it’ll probably do the job as long as we can find a way to cover the top. Looks like it’s broken off.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Snake said.
“You know,” Wolf said, appearing to be deep in thought. “That gate would be just about the right size for the wall at the hospital.”
Snake looked it over and nodded. “If not, I’m sure we could make adjustments. It’s a good, sturdy, iron gate. There’s a pile of sheet metal we could bring along to cover the front of it. What would it take to dismantle it?”
“The gate panels just lift off the pins,” Wolf said, “though that’s something we may want to change. The hard part would be getting the bolts out of the wall, but we could do it.”
“This should help,” one of them said, walking over with a sledge hammer.
“Let’s keep that hammer, too,” Snake said. “We’ve already got one, but it wouldn’t hurt to have another.”
It took a while for them to get the gate and hardware removed and packed into the truck with the tank, but Snake felt that the time had been well-spent. He knew they would all rest easier once they had a gate in place. When they reached the grocery store, Snake yawned and stepped out of the truck. The lack of sleep was getting to him and he took a moment to let the cool air clear his head.
“Okay, guys, let’s make it quick,” he said. “You know the routine, look up, look down. They could be anywhere. Let’s grab some stuff and get out of here.”
One of the men opened the back of the truck and got some help lifting out the tank they had found earlier. It would go back in after the groceries so they could reach it easily to fill it later. The bikers silently took care of the handful of infected that were scattered around the parking lot. The glass doors to the store were shattered and Snake had little hope of finding much, but they had to try. He backed the truck up so it was close to the entrance.
They hurried in and were surprised to find the place fairly zombie-free, though bodies littered the floor. Many of them were still moving, though most were not.
“Looks like someone else got here first,” Snake said. “Made things easy for us.”
“They left a lot of crawlers,” Lindsey noticed. “It almost looks like the legs were intentionally broken on some of them. I wonder why. Why not just kill them?”
In the aisle across from where Snake stood, a figure waited, eyes fixed on the big biker. When it moved, it was faster than any zombie they’d encountered yet.
~*^*~
~30~
Snake moved fast when he saw the large shape coming toward him. He grabbed his aluminum bat and was ready to swing when he stopped suddenly.
“You son of a bitch!” A tall, blond woman stood in front of him, her face inches away from his.
Snake froze. The voice was a ghost from his shady past and Helga was the last person he wanted to see.
Although he’d had a promising future at one time, the war had left Snake with some scars that he’d tried to cover with drugs and alcohol. He had spent the remainder of his youth indulging himself at the expense of others. When he had found God, later in life, he had tried to reconcile himself to those he’d hurt. The problem therein was that the list was so long, he was constantly running into those who hadn’t been aware of his change of heart, or didn’t care.
Although Helga was two decades younger than Snake, theirs was the most serious relationship he had ever had. They’d lived together for a while and he’d even agreed to marry her when she had told him that he had to. When they’d finally set a date, she’d been ecstatic. As the date had grown closer, Snake had grown more uncomfortable. Finally, the day had come. Her family had come into town the night before to attend the noon wedding. As she had visited with them, Snake had told her that he had to go grab a pack of cigarettes. He had hopped on his bike, never to be seen by her again, until now.
“H-hi, Helga,” he stuttered. “I’m still looking for those cigarettes.”
“Cigarettes!” the blond said as she stepped even closer. She was 6’1 of solid muscle. As she grew more agitated, her Ukrainian accent grew stronger. “You left me standing there with over a hundred guests and made me look like a fool. I spent four hundred dollars on a dress for the wedding! Leather isn’t cheap, you know!”
She glared at him then growled and landed a hard right cross to his face.
Snake stumbled backward and caught himself. He’d been hit countless times in his life and this ranked up there with some of the hardest punches. He rubbed his jaw and looked around to see if anyone else had witnessed what had happened. Unfortunately, Lindsey and some of his men stared slack-jawed at him, waiting for a response.
“Guess I might’ve deserved that,” Snake said as he cautiously watched her curled fist for any more signs of aggression.
“Yes, you deserve that!” she said, still yelling as she rubbed her sore hand. “I got your name tattooed on my ass for a wedding present to you! Not too many men around named Snake, you know. I had to find a Jake and change the first two letters!”
She looked like she was thinking about hitting him again but then she let out a deep breath and glanced away, finally waving at some of the other bikers that she recognized.
Lindsey decided she’d be wise to make herself scarce, worried that the woman might get the wrong idea since she and Snake had walked in together. She only hesitated a moment before quietly moving away with the cart, not looking at Snake or the Amazon.
Snake was curious and he almost asked Helga if he could see the tattoo. He quickly came to his senses when he saw her scowling at Lindsey, who was hightailing it down the aisle. His men gave Helga a courtesy wave and, like rats abandoning a sinking ship, quickly followed Lindsey out of sight. Suddenly, Snake found himself alone with the mostly-dead zombies and Helga. The zombies now seemed like better company. His heart raced and a trickle of cold sweat dripped down his forehead as he tried to think of something to say to break the ice in her glare. In his panic, he pointed to where Lindsey had exited and blurted out, “That was my girlfriend.”
Helga’s eyes narrowed as she turned her head toward the aisle where Lindsey had gone.
“I kill her,” she growled. She thought about going after the other woman immediately, but she wasn’t done with Snake yet. When one of the zombies finally made its way over to her and started to moan as it reached for her foot, she stomped on its head without even looking. It sounded like an over-ripe melon as it burst. Snake flinched.
“That is who you left me for?” Helga finally asked. “That little woman? Can she rebuild transmission? Can she pick you up and throw you on bike when you’re drunk? Nah, that one is way too little!” She was growing more agitated and she erupted into a string of Ukrainian profanities before finally calming down again.
“Fine, Snake. You go. You leave me here again, with zombies this time,” she said, pouting.
Relieved, Snake ran for the door. As he stepped outside, he turned to see the hopelessness in the eyes staring back at him. They seemed to beg, “Please, don’t do this to me.” He’d never seen such despair. He couldn’t do it. He felt like all the anger and ferocity was just a mask, and inside was a childlike innocence. Leaving would be a death sentence; the results could be beyond horrible. Yes, they were zombies, but even zombies didn’t deserve that. Then he looked at Helga. She was extremely volatile, even in normal times, and these times were far from normal. He regretted lying to her about Lindsey, but there would still be a chance that she would eventually give up if she thought he was attached. Besides, her fighting skills could prove to be extremely useful. He hoped the comment she had made about killing Lindsey was exaggerated.
“So, you coming with us?” Snake asked reluctantly.
Helga thought about it for a moment. She hadn’t seen Jake since he’d gone for cigarettes two we
eks earlier, and she was tired of being alone.
“I will go with you,” she said. She reached around the corner for her M16 and slung it over her shoulder then grabbed the bag of ammo.
There were several gunshots as she finished off the zombies that she’d mutilated in the store. Once done, she went outside and disappeared around the building, returning moments later on her Harley. She came to a sliding stop in front of the store.
Lindsey and the bikers came out with their carts filled to the top. They made more trips into the store, leaving the carts at the truck and getting new ones to save time. Two of the men began quickly loading the groceries into the truck.
By the time they had gotten all that they thought they could carry, the dead were beginning to drift into the parking lot, drawn by the sound of the gunfire inside the store.
“Where will we go?” Helga asked Snake.
“We’re staying at a nearby hospital,” he told her. “We have to finish loading up then you can ride back with the boys. Xena and I will be driving the truck.”
He turned to Lindsey and gave her an exaggerated smile so that Helga could see.
“Right, Honey?” he asked, winking at Lindsey.
Helga glared at Lindsey then whipped the bike around the parking lot. She began to methodically take out every zombie in sight.
“Do I even want to know what that was all about?” Lindsey asked with an icy stare. “Xena? Honey? Are you trying to get me killed? That woman could crush me like a bug.”
The bikers watched in stunned silence as Helga decreased the undead population in the parking lot from her moving bike.
“Should she be wasting all that ammo?” one of the bikers asked from atop the truck. “I mean, we’re done shopping.”
“I know this woman,” Snake replied. “The less ammunition she has, the better off we are.”
As he waited for the men to finish loading the truck, a sign next to the grocery store caught Snake’s eye. Festive, multicolored lettering spelled out, ‘Party Store.’
He turned to Lindsey and smiled. “I’d be willing to bet there’s some stuff in here that would make life seem a little more normal to some of the kids at the hospital, maybe even some of the adults.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” she said. “Do you want me to go with you?”
“Maybe just stand guard by the door,” he said. “Just give me a yell if we start to get company.” He walked toward the glass doors and peered inside. Sensing no movement, he pulled the door open and once again scanned the building for any signs of danger. Turning his head toward Lindsey, he asked, “Could you tell the guys to join me when they’re done?”
“Shouldn’t you wait for some back-up first?” Lindsey looked concerned.
“Nah, looks clear from here, besides, they’re busy loading the truck. I think I can handle it,” Snake replied, walking into the building.
Lindsey watched through the glass as Snake disappeared down an aisle. It wasn’t long before she saw him running toward the door, a look of terror chiseled into his face. Lindsey barely got the door open before he came barreling out. She was sure that, had the door been closed, he would have blown right through it.
“Close the door!” he screamed in a tone that seemed odd coming from a grown man, let alone Snake. Lindsey let go of the door and ran, knowing she had no way of keeping it closed. The commotion caught the attention of Wolf and a couple of the other bikers and they hurried over to Snake, who had stopped a safe distance from the store and was trying to catch his breath.
“What is it, boss?” Wolf asked.
“Sorry guys. I can’t. I just can’t,” Snake mumbled, still visibly shaken.
“What could be in there?” Mouse asked Wolf, making certain Snake couldn’t hear. “I mean nothing scares Snake.”
“Only one thing scares Snake, besides Helga,” Wolf replied. “Lindsey, could you keep an eye on him? We’re going in.”
~*^*~
~31~
The men approached the door, their weapons ready. Wolf was first to go in. The rest, still apprehensive from Snake’s reaction, stayed well behind him. The room was dark, except for the light that filtered in from the front windows. Movement was heard coming from the back of the store, followed by a raspy moan. The group cautiously made their way toward the source of the noise. Wolf could see through the dim light that several shelves had been knocked over, trapping something in a back corner of the room. As they peered over the shelves, squinting to see what it was, the aberration appeared. A collective gasp went through the group, as Wolf’s fears were verified. Before them was the mauled face of a creature that, in life, had been a clown. Dried blood blended with its orange wig, which sat sideways on a painted white head. The smeared mascara around the eyes seemed to intensify the milky corneas, and the bright red around the mouth disappeared into its red stained upper teeth. The bottom teeth were missing, as well as the lower jaw. Its tongue flopped from the back of its torn-out throat and the remnants of a windpipe protruded from its neck. Dried blood caked the front of its outfit all the way to its enormous shoes. The men backed up as Wolf raised his pistol and leveled it at the mutant’s forehead then pulled the trigger. The jolt of the blast caused its large round nose to pop off, and the creature slumped to the ground. No one said a word as the men grabbed a few things and left. Wolf was glad to see that Snake had partially regained his composure by the time they returned.
“Sorry, Dude,” Snake said, as he watched the men exit the building. “You know how I am about clowns.”
“Don’t worry, Boss,” Wolf reassured him,” if that were a giant spider, I’d be right there with you.”
Snake couldn’t tell if his friend was serious but he knew that Wolf had an issue with spiders.
“What I don’t understand,” Wolf continued, “is how that thing got bitten in the first place.”
“How’s that?” Snake asked.
“Well, you’d think it would taste funny,” Wolf answered with a smirk. Snake would have thumped him, but he was still too embarrassed. Instead, he muttered something and started moving toward the truck. The groceries were loaded and two of the men were putting the empty tank back in.
Snake stopped when he heard someone say, “Looks like word got out about the party.”
More zombies were beginning to trickle into the parking lot.
Helga asked, “I should shoot these, too, no?”
Snake shook his head. “That’ll just attract more of them. Let’s do it the old fashioned way and save some ammo. Maybe give these guys a chance to try out their new bows, too.”
Helga’s eyes lit up at that thought. “I will help,” she said, leaving no room for argument.
Lindsey bit her lip. She wanted to try out her new crossbow, but she was wondering if she would have an accident with Helga around.
“Okay, Snake, you got me into this,” she hissed, “now you’re going to have to keep her from killing me while I practice with the crossbow, all right?”
“Okay,” Snake reassured her. “I’ll back you up, but don’t shoot her. You’ll just make her mad.”
Lindsey looked at Snake, trying to determine whether or not he was kidding. “I’ll be careful,” she said, getting the crossbow and arrows out of the truck.
One of the bikers brought out some long pieces of rebar they’d picked up, thinking they could use them like lances or javelins. They also had fireplace pokers and crowbars as well as anything else they’d seen that looked like it might make a decent weapon. Helga picked a crowbar and began to walk around cracking heads. She glanced at Snake when she passed him, but only paused a moment before she moved on to the next zombie.
Snake was glad that Helga had something to vent her anger on, besides him, but he hoped that she wouldn’t run out of targets before she calmed down. He kept his distance, just in case. He was surprised at the ease with which she slaughtered her victims. Despite the adrenaline rush, he personally gained no pleasure from it. Every infected he killed wa
s once a living breathing human being; a mother, father, son, or daughter. The hardest to dispatch were the children. He had to keep telling himself that they were already dead, empty vessels possessed by some demonic force. He saw it as a way to bring the tormented beings to their final resting place. Helga, on the other hand, seemed to gain more pleasure with each blow. She definitely had issues and he knew that he had everything to do with that.
Lindsey watched as the other woman coldly and methodically killed off the infected. It wasn’t going to be so easy for Lindsey, but she knew that it had to be done. With a city as large as Lansing, there was little chance that they would ever rid the area entirely of its undead, but it didn’t hurt to diminish the enemy numbers, either. It also gave her the opportunity to try out the crossbow and the practice could mean the difference in life or death for her or someone else.
She looked the bow over. It seemed to be a top of the line model, not that she was a crossbow expert, but it had been the most expensive one in the gun shop, and it had lots of extras, including a scope. She knew that crossbows had been around for a long time, and they seemed to have come a long way since da Vinci had drawn his sketch centuries earlier. Overwhelmed, she was still trying to figure out how to use it when Wombat came to her rescue.
“Having trouble?” he asked with a grin.
“I’m not sure how to work this thing,” she admitted. “I tried pulling the string back and it’s even harder than a regular bow.”
“It’s very hard to do it that way,” he told her. “They have these strings you can use to cock it, but in this case, the bow has a built-in crank.”
He proceeded to show her how to use it and she gave it a try. It was easy but time-consuming. It wasn’t the sort of weapon that was going to be useful in a situation where rapid-fire shooting was necessary, but she thought it might prove handy when the dead needed to be picked off silently.
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