by Mark Clodi
"So you are banking on them not coming back?" put in Nanci.
"No, not really, for the short term yes, long term, maybe even sooner, they will get back, when the, uh, food supply runs out. We can prepare for them as best we can, we have the whole of Denver to draw on for resources, three or four of my guys come from combat engineer units, and they know what they are doing, we can pour cement, we can build a fortification, a keep at first then expand the walls and reclaim more territory. We can build silos to store food and water in, we can farm land, raise livestock, prepare and prepare and prepare. This is the worst case. I don't count the United States out yet, we will get a handle on this thing, however until then it seems prudent to prepare."
This little speech had a slow reaction on Hank, Juan and Nanci, they thought it over for a few minutes then Juan leaned over and looked Hank in the eyes and said, "What do we do?"
Hank looked at Juan and Nanci then back to the Major, "This is like a what do you call it, a feudal state, practically, is that right?"
The Major hesitated, then nodded slightly, "Not that far, no Lords and Ladies, we maintain the democratic process, however some things could not be debated, within each position of power people are going to have to be able to make choices and enforce the laws of the community. I am not going to create a government from scratch, that will be your job. I will submit the military to whomever the civilians elect as their proper leader. This is similar to how the national guard operates now, the governor of each state has control over how they are used. This is a good system, as it will not circumvent anything we have in place, we will still have the same chain of command that we are used to. We'll still need 'state' level support, representatives, judges, hell even lawyers, sooner or later people are going to commit crimes against the community."
Hank blanched a bit at that.
"What? Don't tell me there is already a problem? Rape?"
"No, no, last night some ya-hoo on guard duty shot another one of our guys. The shooter was a stupid braggart and that didn't help things. The kid didn't die, but he is mad and everyone was ready to tear this guys head off, I have him isolated for now."
Sighing heavily the Major responded, "We have a brig at the base, it is yours if you need to use it, it might be a good idea to get the guy away from everyone else before mob justice takes over."
"I'll have to get the board together and decide that, it is too big for me to just do on my own. I see what you are saying about the government, no chance we could break out north or south?" Hank asked.
Shaking his head Ed said, "I would recommend against it, right now the enemy, the zombies, have their backs pointed at us, why fight through them to put ourselves in front of them again?"
Chapter 30
Jeff was not happy. He was stuck in some cruddy office waiting for everyone to decide what to do with him, all over a stupid mistake. He had not meant to shoot Kevin, he was being careful, so he got a little excited? Who wasn't? Other people had been firing too, it could have been one of them that hit Kevin, hell they could have hit Jeff! He was lucky he was not dead, yet he had to take the fall for the friendly fire? This was not right and he was going to complain to…to who? Hank was the leader of this group, though Jeff hadn't elected him, no, he had not, in fact no one had, he was put up there by his friends because he had what? Fought some zombies? Sent back a doctor with gun ammunition? Big deal! Hank led the group, Hank thought Jeff screwed up and deserved to be punished for it, Jeff was going to be punished. Not fair at all.
If that prick Kevin had kept his yap shut and covered for him, he knew Jeff hadn't meant to shoot him, yet there he was pointing fingers right after it happened. Kevin was Hank's man through and through. Everyone liked Hank and everyone thought Jeff was stupid and deserved to go down. What would they do to him? Surely not toss him out with the zombies? Kill him? Fine him? Jeff laughed out loud at that, money had suddenly, drastically, become worthless, they would not fine him. What about community service? They could make him do forced labor, he bet Kevin would love that, seeing Jeff working his ass off while Kevin sat around laughing at him. Jeff was in the midst of this mental conversation when the door was opened and a guy he only had seen around a few times came into the doorway.
"Jeff, what are we supposed to do with you?" asked the man.
Spying other men, rough looking men, behind the guy, Jeff swallowed visibly and answered, "Nothing. You, uh, heard what Hank said, he would decide what to do later."
"That is just the thing Jeff, you may not have heard but Hank left, took the guy you shot over to the hospital. He is not here right now."
Letting that sink in, Jeff tried to answer in a confident voice that sounded all too whiny and pathetic to his own ears, "Well, he'll, he'll s-sort me out when he comes back. W-won't he?"
Shaking his head the man said, "No, no, see we all like Hank, but he is a nice guy, too nice maybe, Kevin told us some stories about Hank's life and while we trust him to do what needs to be done, we think" the man gestured over his shoulder at the other men behind him, "he might be a little soft on you. You see I don't have my two kids with me Jeff, I don't have a wife anymore, or parents or a sister or a niece and nephew. You follow me?"
Nodding in confusion, Jeff answered, "Y-yeah man I get you, you lost a lot of people in this mess, I did too, you know I had a girlfriend and…" this was a lie and came out like a lie, which seemed to make the man happy. Jeff's voice trailed off, then he asked quietly, "No, no I guess I don't get what you are driving at?"
"I said it already, I lost everyone, until I found these guys, they are my family now, I know that and they know that. But you, you, don't seem to know that. Anyone here would have laid his life down for yours last night, before you shot a guy this morning, but now? Now I don't think anyone can trust you, no one wants you in the family anymore. You're a fuckup, you shot your brother. You shot my brother. You want to know what is worse? You could have shot my kids, who are the ones we have found around the area. You could have killed my kid. You have shown that you could still kill my kids or my brothers and sisters or parents again. You are worse than they are Jeff."
Jeff didn't have to ask who 'they' were. He saw the look of resolve in the man's eyes and he knew, knew something really bad was going to happen. In a quiet voice he asked, "What are you going to do to me?"
The men moved forward and closed the door behind them.
Chapter 31
It was mid afternoon, several hours after visiting with the Major and ironing out plans, several more bus-loads of people had been driven over to the hospital and the mob of zombies that the group had led away from the facility were being led further away and shot to pieces one undead body at a time. Hank was sitting with Juan at a normal looking hospital bed, if it were not for the fact that Kevin, who was laying in the bed flipping the channels on the remote, could not get a single signal the scene could have been one set weeks before the zombie outbreak.
"So you sure you're gonna be okay, huh?" Hank asked Kevin for the third time.
Kevin rolled his eyes and said, "Man, you know I am feeling weaker now, I think you are wearing me out asking me that question. The docs here said I should be fine, they should know. They even x-rayed me to see if anything showed up, that pea shooter Jeff had would have had to hit something key man, like my head or heart or atorta or something."
"Atorta?" Nanci asked and giggled, it was a refreshing sound to hear.
Kevin pretended to go into a funk and slumped over, "Yeah, yeah, I told ya I was not an ace at school huh? Why do you have to dog me like this, I mean I am okay my atorta wasn't shot up and the docs said I need rest, like real rest, you guys only got in 'cause I told em you were like my family now. Don't make me take you off the list."
Laughing Hank said, "Aorta. Okay, okay, I'll lay off too, you are going to be fine, we'll lay off you and heck if you wanted you could probably be the one operating on aorta's, things are going to get worse before they get better, I think, and the doctors
will need all the help they can get, even if it means training someone without a medical background how to operate."
Kevin perked up at that, "Hey you think so Hank? You really think so? My mama would be so happy if I were a doc, I mean really happy."
"The world is changed Kevin, who knows what opportunities are going to be there in the future? If you are interested I will talk to the nurses and docs, if this goes on awhile I can't see them not relying on their assistants more and more as time goes by. I wish I was wrong, I don't think I am. I think all of us had better be looking out for the future in this new world. Things are not ever going to be the same again."
"Yeah Hank? What about you, huh? Are you going to change too?" asked Nanci softly.
Hank knew she was talking about Evaine, or any woman for that matter, he smiled and said, "Nanci, Nanci, Nanci, will you ever stop trying to settle me down? I am a bachelor and I love the life I have now."
"Bah! Men, you always think it is about you, it is about the woman too, not just about men or being alone. So are you?"
Laughing Hank said, "You never give up? How'd we put up with her all these years Juan?"
"Don't you get me into this, you talk to her, leave me out." Juan said taking a step back and putting his hands out in front of him in a defensive manner.
Nanci, on the other hand, sensed weakness in her prey and pressed her attack, "Answer the question gringo!"
Hank smiled, about to give another evasive reply, then looked from Juan, to Nanci, to Kevin and the words died on his lips. He licked his lips nervously while Nanci put one hand on her hip and pointed the other one at him, "I have seen you with the ladies, you don't touch them, not just with your hands, but not with your heart, you love Juan and me and even, Kevin now." she pointed at the black youth as if to demonstrate a point, "You love us more than you allow yourself to love a woman. Why is that Hank? You can't go on grieving forever. You said it yourself it is a new world and you should be looking out for your opportunities. You better be looking out for them? Do you hear me?"
Swallowing, Hank could not say anything he just gave Nanci a short nod, she smiled triumphantly and announced, "Finally! Sense! I cannot sit in this room talking all day, there is still work to be done." She raised a hand to the men, "No you stay, it is good for Kevin to visit with friends while the doctors allow it. I have to go.", so saying she abruptly left the room. Leaving a vacuum of silence behind her.
"I think…", started Juan, before being interrupted by Kevin who said, "You're doomed now brother!"
Hanked nodded wearily in agreement. He walked over to the second bed in the room and sat down on it wearily. The talk then turned to discussing the girl Kevin had run into, his potential to become a medical assistant and how Hank was going to handle the upcoming elections. Hank and Juan discussed Michael a little bit, Kevin had never met the kid, who was only a little younger than he was. It seemed that he might be okay, if there was no infection or other problems from the surgery. The bullet wounds were terrible, one of his lungs had collapsed, he had multiple broken ribs and he still might die. Even with that the doctor who had spoken to Juan had said the would give better than two to one odds that the young man pulled through, Michael seemed to have a very strong will to live. Eventually Kevin asked Hank what he was going to do about Jeff.
A troubled look came over Hank's face and he replied, "Kevin, funny thing, I shoulda mentioned this before, but I got a little sidetracked by Nanci and well, there isn't a good way to say it, Jeff is gone."
"Gone?"
"Yeah, they put him in the office like I said and when I spoke to the Major he mentioned they had a brig they could secure him in until we figured out what to do. Well, I called back to the Mike's Club and asked them to send Jeff on over so they could take him out of here, you know, before anything happened to him and they said Jeff had taken off."
"Really?" Kevin puzzled this over a few minutes, then said, "Hank I didn't know the guy that well, seemed like an asshole, I mean not at first but as the night wore on he just got worse and worse. He was definitely not a brave asshole. He didn't seem like the kind of guy who would get the balls to escape. You know what I mean? More like the kind to take his punishment, blame someone else and complain bitterly about it the whole time."
"I kinda got the idea that maybe they knew something else about it too. I spoke to Sanchez, I mean that guy knows everything, don't let his age fool you Kevin" Juan nodded in agreement, "he knows something and he is not telling me. I know he would not lie to me, he wouldn't do that. The thing is, if I asked him directly, 'What happed to Jeff?', would I want to know the answer? Maybe it is better if I don't?"
"Aw shit. You think they killed him?" Kevin groaned.
"I don't know Kevin, I don't know. I suppose I had better find out, I just…don't want to..not right now. Juan? You wanna do it?"
Thinking for a minute he answered slowly, "Sì. Yes I think I do. This is the kind of job the second man gets. The dirty job?"
Hank nodded.
Chapter 32
A small stream flowed between the broken concrete of some long ago finished deconstruction. The old pilings and smashed rubble was put in place to shackle nature to man's artificial designs, to prevent erosion from washing out the banks of the stream during the short flood season, which could cause tremendous damage to the local infrastructure if left unchecked. At the top of the broken concrete there was a zombie, a middle aged man with a stupid, grinning face, he lowered his head to the body he was eating on. The body, in the zombie's eyes had a glowing rainbow color that was slowly draining away, the blood and flesh the zombie was stripping off of the corpse was invigorating the zombie, making it stronger, bringing back memories and opening new vistas in the rotting corpse's mind. The newly aware zombie sat up and said roughly, "David. My name is David. I remember now." looking down on the body he went on, "It tastes so good!" this prey had been easy to come upon, it was beaten and injured and more importantly outside the protective zone that David knew was the Mike's Club. The prey had not even struggled until David bit into its thigh ripping off a chunk of bloody muscle mixed in with the tough denim of the man's blue jeans. That bite had gotten a reaction, a scream and a weak attempt to back pedal away that led to nothing. The prey had been too wounded to fight off even a poor, weak zombie like David. As he started to lower his head again towards Jeff's bloody torso a shot rang out and a thirty-thirty bullet took off the top of David's brain, causing enough damage to end his miserable second life in a fountain of red-black gore. David's body fell across that of Jeffs, who was not yet dead, but well beyond feeling at this point. As his life's blood drained out of him Jeff could only think of one thing; how unfair everything was. If he could do it again he would make it fair, he would make. It. Fair.
Chapter 33
Hank, Juan and Kevin were sharing a joke when the door to Kevin's room opened up and the woman Kevin had met out in the Mike's Club parking lot tentatively inched her way into the room in one hand she held a bouquet of flowers in a green glassware vase.
"Knock, knock!" called Krystal as she forced her way into the room. "You guys got room for one more?"
Raising his eyebrows at the sight of the woman Juan nodded 'yes', while Hank said "Sure!"
Turning to Juan Hank asked, "Is this Krystal? The woman you were telling us about?"
Krystal answered, "Yep that's me, you must be Hank then? And Juan, right? I knew Kevin rubbed shoulders with the big wigs, it is the only reason I warmed up to him. Enjoy these flowers Kevin, I know they are not very manly, but there are not going to be many of them in the future, the hospital gift shop only has a few vases left."
Hank took Krystal's proffered hand and then offered to take the flowers from her, she relinquished them with good grace and he set them onto the nightstand behind him.
"Hate to bring you bad news boys, but Nanci says to get out. Hank has his own room he should be resting in and Juan, well, I guess Juan has things he is supposed to be doing too, so sco
ot you two. Nanci's orders. I think she is running things around here now."
Looking at each other Hank and Juan left Krystal and Kevin to themselves. As soon as they were in the hallway Nanci magically appeared and told Hank he was supposed to be in the room next door to Kevin's. The doctors wanted him to rest up, after all broken ribs were no laughing matter. Hank grunted in assent and trudged to his assigned room while Nanci led Juan away with a quick goodbye.
Back in Kevin's room Krystal approached him warily, "I just wanted to say thanks for this morning." she gestured at the flowers.
Kevin nodded, "Aw, yeah, it was nothing, you'da done the same for me, I know it."
Krystal raised her eyebrow and responded, "Maybe…I like to think I would have anyway."
"You would have, I know you would, you're, I don't know, different, you're good, I can tell."
"Thanks Kevin, I appreciate that and I like that you see that in me." Krystal shrugged, unsure of how to proceed, haltingly she said, "So, uh, tell me your story, how you ended up at the club and all. You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine? Okay?"
Kevin nodded his agreement and the two spent the afternoon listening, talking and eventually crying together.
Hank shut the door to his room behind him and looked longingly at the bed. He had not slept well in ages and a real bed and getting some real sleep appealed to him. He was unbuckling his pants when the bathroom door behind him opened up, he was startled and turned to face Evaine, pants half undone.
"Oh Hank!" she stepped forward and embraced him, "Finally! Some action!"
Turning red Hank stammered, "Uh, Evaine. I uh, didn't know you were in here! Nanci didn't say, she just said this was my room." Hank started doing up his pants and belt, when Evaine put her hand on his, stopping him.