Love, Revenge and Zombies

by Travis Cotter

  He had been ready to be disappointed and was taken back by the fact that he wasn’t being told that he wasn’t getting the job. He replied in a serious matter of fact tone “yes sir, I promise you can trust me and I’ll work as hard as you want me to and I’ll always be straight up and honest with you.”

  Nate again cracked a smile and said “then I’ll see you tomorrow morning at seven to start training, if you’re late then don’t bother showing up. If you can handle that than I look forward to you coming to work for me.”

  Paul couldn’t believe it, he had a job and before he got too excited and started celebrating right there in front of Nate he had to calm down and said “thank you so much I won’t let you down, you have no idea how much this means to me.”

  “No problem, I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” Nate said as he stood up and reached his hand out to Paul.

  Paul stood up and shook Nate’s hand with the excitement still racing through him “thanks again,” he said then turned around and walked out of the office.

  Paul left the tow yard with a new found sense of joy that he hadn’t felt in a long time. He made his way back to the bus stop and after about thirty minutes his bus showed up. The wait didn’t bother him at all because he knew things were finally going to get better. He boarded the bus and found a seat at the back and enjoyed his ride home with a smile across his face.

  After he left the bus and started walking towards his motel room, he paused for a minute and looked over at the liquor store.

  He returned from the liquor store a few minutes later took a quick swig of the whiskey but after that one drink he decided that he didn’t want to drink that night.

  He went to his room, unlocked the door and went in to get some sleep before his first day of work at his new job.

  Six

  The next three days passed by without a hitch and Paul made it through his training with flying colors. He learned how to drive the truck, load and unload a car and learned all of the terminology that Nate used on his CB radios.

  After his three days of training he was ready to get into his own truck and begin to make some money. He had some money in his saving but most of it was gone because of the motel and other basic needs that everyone deals with.

  He was looking forward to starting the day off in his own truck and to getting out on the road to start helping people.

  Paul left his motel room that morning and took the bus to work again like he had every morning that week but this time he was a little nervous because it was time to prove himself to Nate.

  Once he arrived at the tow yard he saw Nate and a few of the other drivers gathered around a truck waiting for him with smiles on their faces.

  He walked over to the group of men and said “good morning guys, how’s it going?”

  Nate turned to him and said “good morning Paul, so you ready to get started in your own truck?”

  “Yes sir I am, I can’t wait to get started,” he replied.

  “Well here are your keys and this is your truck,” Nate said as he handed Paul the keys and turned to the truck that everyone was standing in front of.

  He took the keys and walked over to the truck; unlocked the door and climbed in the cab. He sat behind the wheel and looked around the cab as a huge smile spread across his face. Paul rolled down the window as Nate walked up to the drivers’ side door and Nate said “we got you this bottle of champagne to celebrate but you can’t open it until the end of the day.”

  “I'm good with that sir, I just want to say thanks again for this opportunity,” Paul said still grinning ear to ear.

  “You do a good job and make me some money and we’ll call it even,” Nate replied with a smile on his face too.

  As they continued to talk about random things the CB radio went off with a call from dispatch about a car that needed to be towed.

  “I guess you’re up,” Nate said as he stepped away from the truck and let him fire it up.

  Paul headed out of the yard and went to start his first day as an official tow truck driver with a sense of pride that he hadn’t felt since his time in the Army. He seemed to have lost it and replaced it with memories that he wished he didn’t have.

  His first tow went well and the entire day went great. After six tows, three tire changes and two jump starts he headed back to the tow yard to turn in his truck at the end of the day.

  The day was over and the night had arrived. Paul pulled into the tow yard and parked his truck in the same spot that he had pulled it out of that morning.

  He walked across the yard to the office to drop off his paperwork. The office was empty except for Nate who was sitting in his office behind his desk and the night dispatcher over in her office.

  Paul walked over to the open door to Nate’s office and knocked on the door frame.

  Nate looked up and said “so how was your first day?”

  Paul couldn’t help but smile and responded “it was great, thanks again.”

  “Not a problem, I see great things in the future for us. I think you’ll fit in great here,” Nate said.

  “I really appreciate that, I’m just going to drop off my paperwork and head out. The last bus leaves in about ten minutes, if I hustle I should be able to make it,” Paul said as he turned to head over to the bin to drop off his paperwork.

  He dropped the paperwork in the bin and made his way towards the door to catch the last bus home for some much needed sleep.

  “Hey Paul don’t worry about the bus, go ahead and take the truck home,” Nate said as he stood in the doorway of his office.

  “Thanks a lot, this job just gets better and better,” Paul said and then walked over to shake hands with Nate.

  “The only thing I ask in return is after you get a few more days of work under your belt I may need you to do a few tows here and there at night, you ok with that?” Nate said as he returned Paul’s hand shake.

  “Sounds good to me, I’ll be available day or night for you,” Paul said.

  “Ok, have a good night Paul. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Nate said.

  “Good night and I’ll try not to drink too much of the champagne tonight. I’ll see you in the morning” Paul replied and walked out the office and back to his tow truck.

  After a fifteen minute drive Paul was back at the motel, it was a big difference from the wait time and thirty-five minute bus ride that he use to have to endure.

  All together it had been a great day and Paul was genuinely happy, he saw the motel manager walking across the parking lot and decided to go say hello.

  Paul walked across the parking lot to the manager and said “hey how’s it going? I’ve been staying here for a while now and I still don’t know your name.”

  “The name is Scott, how’s the room treating you?” Scott asked.

  “The room is great, I wanted to say sorry again about the other night. Sorry about the door and the trouble with that Jerry guy,” Paul said with a somber tone in his voice.

  “Don’t worry about it, that guy deserved to get his ass kicked,” Scott replied with a chuckle.

  “Yes he did, you have a good night Scott,” Paul said and walked away towards his room.

  “Have a good night,” Scott replied as he headed the opposite way towards the office.

  Paul headed into his room and locked the door behind him. He was definitely ready for a shower and then he was going to head to bed. It had been a long and eventful day, he was still feeling good about everything and for the first time in a while he had hope for the future.

  After a long relaxing hot shower Paul decided to make a quick dinner of canned ravioli. He pulled a can out of the cupboard and took out the one bowl that he owned; he dumped the ravioli in the bowl and set the microwave for two minutes. As he closed the microwave and pushed start there was a knock on the door of his room.

  Paul didn’t really know anyone in town so to get a knock at the door at almost nine at night was some what of a surprise. He had no idea who it could be so he app
roached the door cautiously. There was no peephole on the door so he walked over to the window and pulled the curtain back just enough to sneak a peek at whoever was knocking.

  To his surprise it was Jerry and he now had two friends with him, both men looked to be a little over six foot each and one of them had a large muscular build.

  “Open the door or I’ll kick it in like you did mine,” Jerry yelled through the door as he pounded on it.

  “Give me just a second I’m not dressed,” Paul responded as he pulled on some pants and through on a t-shirt.

  He reached under the mattress and pulled out a 1911 that he had hid there. The gun was now tucked away behind his back in the top of his jeans with his shirt pulled over it.

  He was hoping it wouldn’t come to violence or the need for the gun but last time he dealt with Jerry he had pulled a gun on him so it was better to be prepared.

  “You got ten seconds or I’m kicking in the door,” Jerry yelled again through the door with the anger growing in his voice.

  Paul walked over to the door and calmly opened it.

  “What’s up Jerry? What can I do for you?” Paul asked casually like he was talking to an old friend.

  This only seemed to anger Jerry even more, Jerry had black and blue circles around both eyes and his nose still looked slightly crooked. Paul couldn’t help but chuckle at the look of Jerry’s face and the fact that he came back with his buddies.

  “What the hell are you laughing at?” Jerry said to Paul and then he looked behind him at the goons he had brought with him.

  “You think this shit is funny, I spent the night in the hospital and then two nights in jail because of you,” Jerry told Paul.

  “Sorry Jerry but you spent the night in the hospital and time in jail because of what you did, I only protected that girl from you,” Paul said with a serious face and any humor in his face was now gone.

  “Well you getting involved got you into trouble, you should have minded your own business,” Jerry said with a smirk on his face.

  The smirk on Jerry’s face seemed to piss Paul off more than Jerry showing up with his friends. Paul kept his calm and responded to Jerry’s statement “trust me Jerry I’m not in trouble and I suggest you and your buddies turn around and leave.”

  Paul turned his attention to Jerry’s friends and said “I have no beef with you guys, so I’m going to turn around and go eat my dinner. Have a good night.”

  Paul turned around and began to close the door behind him when he felt the door stop moving. He turned around to see Jerry holding the door open.

  “Trust me Jerry you don’t want to do this, I don’t want to hurt you again and your friends don’t need to get involved in this. Again I’m asking you nicely to leave and move on from this,” Paul said and tried to close the door again.

  “Whether you want this to happen or not, we are doing this and the only person who’s getting hurt is you,” Jerry said with his hand still holding the door open.

  What Jerry didn’t know was after years in the Army Paul was highly trained in many forms of hand to hand combat and Jerry and his buddies were truly no match for him.

  “Last time I’m going to ask you Jerry, leave now or it’s going to end poorly for you,” Paul said while still trying to keep his cool.

  “I’m not going anywhere and we’re doing this,” Jerry said as he shoved Paul away from the door.

  Jerry rushed Paul and came through the doorway ready to punch him but it only took a half second for Paul to take in what was happening and respond. He blocked Jerry’s right fist as it came flying at his face and responded with his own right fist to Jerry’s nose. Jerry dropped to the ground hard with blood pouring out of his face yet again.

  The muscular goon standing behind Jerry’s left side pulled out a knife and came at Paul swinging it. The goon obviously didn’t know what he was doing with it since he was wildly swinging it at Paul. Paul waited an extra second to time it just right and then grabbed the goons’ wrist and Paul spun around to put the guys arm on top of his shoulder. Then with one fluid move he snapped his forearm in half and Paul finished him off with an elbow to the face. The guy dropped to the ground clutching his broken arm and joined Jerry on the floor. Jerry still hadn’t recovered from his nose being broken yet again.

  The other goon was still standing in the doorway; he had yet to make a move. Paul could see the guy was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. He could tell the guy really didn’t want to get involved after seeing what had happen to his two friends.

  “You have two choices, you can drag your buddies out of here and leave or you can make your move,” Paul said to the guy still standing in the doorway.

  “But I have to warn you, you guys have now pissed me off. I was having such a great day and now this, so if you make your move be ready to get it worse than your two friends here,” Paul said as he prepared himself to drop the guy if he decided to come at him.

  “Hey bro I got no problem with you, I’m out of here. These guys are on their own, I don’t even like Jerry. I only came because he said he’d pay me twenty bucks if I came with him,” the guy said and then turned and walked away leaving Jerry and the other guy laying on the floor.

  Paul let the guy walk away and turned his attention back to Jerry and his buddy who was crying on the floor still clutching his broken arm. Paul pulled his 1911 out from behind his back and placed the barrel to the top of Jerry’s head.

  “Hey Jerry, do I have your attention?” Paul asked as Jerry looked up at him to see the gun now resting on his forehead between his eyes.

  Paul smiled at him and said “good I’m glad I have your attention, if I see you or any of your buddies again. I promise there won’t be any talking or fighting, I will kill you.”

  Paul was completely serious now and meant what he said; if Jerry came back Paul would kill him. Jerry knew he was serious, he could tell by the look in Paul’s eyes.

  “Hey Jerry’s buddy, did you hear what I said to Jerry? That goes for you too; you saw what I can do in a fight. Trust me I’m even better with my gun than I am with my hands. Come at me again and I’ll kill you without hesitation,” Paul said. He stepped back and sat down at the table but kept the gun in his hand just in case Jerry wasn’t done.

  “Now if you would kindly stop bleeding on my floor and get the hell out. And I suggest you move on from that girl you hurt the other night. If you hurt her again I’ll destroy you,” Paul said while staring into Jerry’s eyes.

  Jerry slowly got up and then helped his buddy up and they both headed out the door. Paul closed the door behind them and locked it. He could hear the tires squeal as Jerry sped out of the parking lot.

  A minute later there was another knock on the door, Paul went back to the door to answer it and said to himself “what the hell now?”

  He opened the door slowly with the gun in his other hand hidden behind his back. It was Scott the manager who was looking very nervous and asked Paul “is everything ok? I saw Jerry and his buddies walking out of here. Are you ok?”

  “Yea I’m good; Jerry just decided he hadn’t learned his lesson fully the other night. So I had to teach him again but it’s over now. I’m pretty sure he won’t be back,” Paul said as he tucked the gun back in his pants behind his back.

  “Should I call the police?” Scott asked still looking nervous and concerned for Paul.

  “No it’s ok, sorry about the blood in the carpet. I’ll pay to get it cleaned. Jerry and his friends needed a little extra convincing that they were making a poor choice,” Paul said with a slight smile on his face.

  Scott chuckled a little and looked less nervous as he responded “I’m not worried about the carpet, I have a shampooer in my office. I’m just glad you’re ok, I wish I could have helped you kick that punk’s ass!”

  Scott was now smiling as he shadow boxed in front of Paul.

  “I was a golden glove boxer when I was in the Army but never went pro because I got injured in Nam,” Scott said as he sto
pped boxing and almost looked sad as he finished his statement.

  “I’m sorry to hear that but if Jerry comes back I’ll make sure you get to smack him around some,” Paul said and noticed the smile come back to Scott’s face.

  “I appreciate that; you have a good night Paul,” Scott said and turned around to head back to the office.

  “Have a good night Scott, thanks for understanding and I hope there won’t be anymore drama,” Paul said and closed the door and locked it again.

  Paul was hoping the drama was over for the night, he forgot about the ravioli in the microwave and headed to bed. There was no more knocks at the door that night but it was another night full of nightmares and little sleep. The nightmares were the same as always, the same village filled with the same death and destruction.

  Five in the morning came too soon and Paul knew it would be a long day; he was still tired but had to get up and get ready for work.

  Seven

  Paul started the morning off with a cup of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal. He had a second bowl since he realized he was extra hungry because he hadn’t eaten dinner due to Jerry and his buddies showing up.

  He didn’t have to go to the tow yard since he had his truck with him and around 6:30 am his cell phone rang with his first directions for a tow.

  Paul finished his first tow and managed to catch a two hour nap while parked in a parking lot waiting for his next call.

  He woke up to his phone ringing and saw that it was Nate calling him instead of the dispatcher.

  Paul answered the phone “good morning Nate, what can I do for you?”

  “I have a tow for you but it’s a little different than the other tows you’ve done,” Nate responded.

  “I have a car parked in a handicap spot in an apartment complex but he has no handicap tag,” Nate said and then paused for a response.