It is dusk now. I’ve decided to make a run for it after sunset. Quite frankly, I’m frightened. There is something about Sherry that is not quite right. I think she may have become infected, or perhaps the strain of the situation has driven her mad. All I know is I’ve got to get out of this place, and away from her, before I’m killed, or worse. I’ve loaded up a knapsack with as much food and water as I can, along with some ammunition for my Glock. My plan is to sneak by her, exit the jail, and take my chances on the street. My destination is my mother’s house. She lives, or I should say lived (I had no delusions, I knew she was dead) in the Five Points neighborhood. At a slow jog, I can get there in less than thirty minutes.
The journal abruptly ended. I closed the spiral notebook and sat contemplating what I had read. There was some insightful information. Had Sherry become infected? She was certainly acting differently from the other zombies. Perhaps Boom-Boom was right, she had simply gone insane.
I looked up when I heard the door open. “What are you reading?” Julie asked.
She had sat in the chair next to me and was looking at the spiral notebook. “It was in the knapsack we found lying in the road.” I said. “It looks like a diary or journal written by a jailer.”
“What does it say?” She asked.
I shrugged. “I’ve only read a couple of paragraphs. Seems like he and another jailer intentionally hid out in the jail when the outbreak was at its peak.” I set the notebook down. The experiments intrigued me and I was going to reread the journal when I had the opportunity.
I changed the subject. “How are your equestrian skills coming along?” Fred had recently started teaching Julie how to ride a horse.
She smiled. “I’m having a lot of fun. Prancer can be a bit mischievous though. If I’m not careful she’ll try to eat my hair, and yesterday the little stinker snuck up behind me while I was bent over picking something up. She pushed me over and then took off running when I scolded her.” She laughed.
“She’s a handful. I don’t know what got in Fred’s head though. One day he up and says I need to learn how to ride.”
“He’s thinking of the future.” It wasn’t a lie exactly. “Fuel has a limited shelf life. It’ll be a matter of time before we’ll be like the Amish, depending on horses for transportation and working the fields.” And Fred wants you to take care of Prancer after he leaves, I thought silently.
“What about biofuel?” She asked. “Can’t cars run on biofuel?”
“Yeah, diesel engines can. There are several restaurants around with grease pits. I’ll need to work on a plan. But Fred’s right. We need to round up some horses.”
It was a lot to think about. I started the generator, went inside and stuck my head in the kitchen. “Fred will be joining us this morning. I think Bernie may even come by. But Fred is the guest of honor today. Could I ask you to cook him a steak?”
Macie looked at me. “Sure. Do you want one too?” I shook my head and headed off to the bathroom to clean up. The water would still be cold, but I was used to it. I washed up quickly and dressed. Julie walked in the bathroom as I was drying off.
“Aw, I wanted to take a shower with you.” She said. I smiled and kissed her.
“Maybe next time. Go ahead and jump in and I’ll tell Macie to get in after you. Today’s an important day.”
Julie was still groggy, but her eyes came open at my statement. “What’s going on Zach?” She asked.
“I’ll explain later. I’ve got to open up the bridge.” I said, kissed her again, and hurried outside before she could question me further.
Fred and Bernie showed up about the time I made it to the bridge. We had located a Volvo truck dealership a few days ago and picked one out. It was a black model VNL630, which I understood to be their middle-of-the-line model. We had done some modifications, including a quasi-cattle catcher Howard had fashioned on the front bumper with some scrap steel. It was designed to push cars and zombies out of the way. We had also loaded it up with anything we could think of. It looked like Fred was ready.
“Good morning Mister Gunderson.” Bernie said in his peculiar high pitched voice as he exited the truck. Fred got out and nodded at me.
“Good morning Bernie, Fred.” I said as I looked at Fred. “All set?”
He nodded again. “Bernie brought his bike along. He said he was going to do some riding around.”
We went inside to a prepared table. Due to Bernie’s oddities, we had been reluctant for him to be around Julie and Macie. We thought he would be the proverbial dirty old man and would be trying to steal their panties when nobody was looking. However, Bernie was always a gentleman around the girls, and in fact was downright bashful.
Fred led us in prayer before we started eating. The conversation was casual while we ate. I caught Julie looking at me pointedly. She knew something was going on. I waited until we were through eating before I spoke.
“Girls, there is something Fred and I need to tell you.” Macie and Julie looked at me expectantly. I was about to speak when Fred cleared his throat.
“Girls, I’m going to be leaving for a spell.” It took a couple of seconds before it sunk in. Julie dropped her fork. Macie’s jaw dropped and she covered her mouth with her hand.
“Why are you leaving Fred? Where are you going?” Macie asked.
“I want you two girls to know I have grown quite fond of the both of you. You’ve been like surrogate daughters to me. Unfortunately, it is a reminder to me I have a daughter somewhere out there. I’m going to find her, and if I do, I’m going to bring her home.”
“But she’s somewhere in Los Angeles!” Julie lamented. “You’ve no idea where to find her!” Julie was practically shouting now.
“You’re right Julie.” Fred answered quietly. “Beyond knowing she is in Los Angeles, I’ve not a clue where to look. All I have is the address of her apartment. Nevertheless, I must try.”
Bernie hastened a quick glance around the table, and then dropped his head and focused on his breakfast.
Macie looked over at me. “Zach, how far is Los Angeles from here?”
“Approximately two thousand miles.” I replied. The two of them were stunned at the answer. It was as if they never knew this tidbit of information before. But, it was understandable. “I’ve prepared a travel plan for Fred. Hang on.” I retrieved a notebook from the den and brought it back to the kitchen table. Fred knew I had been working on it, but had not seen it. He leaned forward. I had a hand drawn map on the first page with bookmarks and checkpoints along the route. “I named the checkpoints after the phonetic alphabet. If you’re able to contact us by radio, we can monitor your progress.” Or lack thereof, I thought. I looked at the girls. “The reason for the code is for security. We don’t want someone listening in and determining where Fred is located.”
I gestured at the map again. “This is the main route of travel.” I looked over at Fred. “I’ve put an atlas in your truck and marked it with checkpoints. I expect you will encounter possible choke points along the way. The first major obstacle will possibly be the bridge over the Mississippi. It could be clogged with abandoned cars, trucks, you name it.” I looked around the table. “I’ve played around with the variables, and I believe Fred will be capable of averaging two hundred miles a day. This will mean Fred will make it to LA in ten days, and then ten days to make it back, possibly quicker because you’ll now be familiar with the route and obstacles. I’ve given you a timeline of thirty days to search for your daughter. This is a minimum of fifty days. I’ve rounded it up to sixty days.” I pointed toward where the semi-truck was parked outside.
“We’ve worked hard on the truck getting it prepared.” I said, which was an understatement. The doors were stuffed with surplus Kevlar vests we had found at the police academy. There were dozens of them. They were old, which led us to believe they were used for training purposes. We had no idea if they were even effective anymore, but sometimes one must work with what you have.
We had
also salvaged some bullet proof glass from the teller’s booths at a local bank. We had to jury rig brackets to hold them in place over the regular glass, but it would provide some amount of safety for him, although it didn’t seem like it was going to be very feasible. We also created shooting ports for Fred in case he encountered hostiles. I outlined these upgrades. “We also installed a Ham radio, so we’ll be able to communicate.” At least, from time to time. There were bound to be dead spots.
Julie was crying freely now. Suddenly, she jumped up and ran out of the room. The front door slammed a second later. I started to get up, but Fred stopped me. I met his eyes and understood. He needed to talk to her. I sat back down and watched him as he quietly walked out.
Bernie cleared his throat. “Miss Julie needs to add some honey in her coffee, it’ll calm her nerves.”
“Not now Bernie!” I said.
“Just saying.” He muttered under his breath.
*****
Fred found Julie sitting on top of Rick’s hill. It was an old Indian mound, but since Zach had buried Rick there, they had informally named it Rick’s hill. Fred worked his way up and sat beside Julie.
“The not knowing has been eating at my soul Julie. My only blood, the last living McCoy, is out there somewhere. I can’t sleep, and when I do, I have nightmares. My little girl is in danger and I’m not there for her.” Fred sighed heavily. “I’m probably already too late, but I have to try.”
“But, we need you.” Julie said weakly.
Fred put his arm around her shoulders. “And I need you all. I have confidence you all will be okay. The young man you are in love with is quite capable, in case you didn’t already know it. I’ll only be gone a couple of months. Y’all will be fine.”
Julie sobbed for a couple of minutes. “I know I’m being selfish.” Fred squeezed her tightly. “Will you be okay?” She finally asked.
“I’ll be fine baby girl.” He said. In truth, Fred was scared. Fred squeezed her again. “I need you to be strong for me.”
After a minute, she looked up at Fred. “Okay.” She finally said.
*****
I stood in the yard and watched the two of them start walking back from Rick’s hill. I hoped he had calmed her fears. I did not want him to leave either. We had grown very dependent on him. He was quiet natured, stoic, a calming force during turbulent times. When he told me what he had in mind, I told him he was condemning himself to a certain death. He asked me what I would do if I were in his situation. I couldn’t answer. Instead, I got a fresh notepad and we started planning. And now, here we were. I heard the door open. Macie and Bernie walked outside.
“Is everything okay?” Macie asked.
“It will be. We’re going to have to adjust without him being here.” I said.
“Do you think he’ll be able to find her?” She asked.
“It seems like an impossible feat, but if anyone can do it, Fred can.” I said. Bert grunted in agreement.
“A most impressive man Fred McCoy is. Most impressive.” He said. He glanced at Macie and then averted his gaze. “I stored a large jug of honey in his truck. It’ll help. Honey prevents dropsy you know.” Macie stifled a chuckle. I looked at her and almost smiled, but stopped myself.
We waited for them as they made their way back to the front yard. Fred looked at all of us and gave a reassuring smile. “I guess it’s time for me to start off on this journey.” He said. Bernie grunted in agreement, Julie and Macie nodded with tears streaming down their pretty faces. I was feeling a little emotional as well. I held back the tears and shook his hand instead. Bernie did as well. Fred hugged the girls and walked over to his truck. He opened the door and looked back.
“I would be most appreciative if all of you would look after Prancer. She’s never been alone before and she might get a little apprehensive.”
“I promise I’ll take care of her.” Julie responded. Fred looked at us and nodded. I thought I detected a bit of sadness in his eyes. Bernie untied his bicycle off of the back of the truck and moved out of the way.
Without further ado, Fred got into his semi, started it up, and drove away. The exhaust noise of the large diesel engine concerned me. It was loud and was bound to draw unwanted attention, but there was nothing we could do about it.
We all stood together, waving at Fred as he drove out of sight. The ensuing silence was heavy, awkward. I think we collectively missed Fred before he was even out of sight.
“I believe I’ll ride around and see a bit of the countryside on this end of the county.” Bernie said quietly. “That’s how I met Fred you know. He’s a fine man.” He hopped on his bike and pedaled away.
Chapter 5 – Fred’s Journey Begins
With no small amount of trepidation, Fred got into his brand new and highly modified Volvo truck, waved to his friends, and headed out. He caught one last glimpse of them in the driver’s side rearview mirror before they disappeared from sight, and wondered if it would be the last time he ever saw them.
Surprisingly, Fred encountered very few obstacles, other than numerous potholes, as he made his way to Harding Place. When he got to Bellevue, a once thriving section of west Nashville comprising a rich mixture of commercial enterprise and residential neighborhoods, there was a substantial increase in the number of corpses. They were everywhere, hundreds of them. No, there were thousands of them. They were strewn in the roadways, in the front yards of houses, sitting immobile in abandoned cars. They were in the advanced stages of decomposition now. Even so, the stench was still nauseating. Zach would be hard pressed to fulfill rule number eight (burn the corpses), Fred thought with a wry smile. The big tires of the Volvo squashed a rat as he continued west on Highway 70 and made his way toward the city of Dixon.
It was at the intersection of Sawyer Brown Road when he spotted a group of zombies. There were approximately twenty of them standing in the road. They had massed together, as they seemed to do, and were already working their way toward him. Fred decided this would be a good test for the cattle catcher Howard had mounted on the front of the truck. He slowed to five miles-per-hour and barreled through them. It worked as intended, all of them were pushed to either side of the truck. None were caught under the tires or undercarriage.
Several miles seemed to have gone by quickly. It wasn’t until he got to the city of Waverly when he encountered another human.
“Mister truck driver, do you have your ears on?” It was a voice on the CB radio. It was a deep baritone, like it was emanating from the diaphragm of a very large man. The strong southern twang left no doubt this man was a country boy. Fred looked at the radio in surprise for a moment, and then hurriedly grabbed the microphone.
“I am, and hello.” Fred replied.
“What’s your handle?”
“The name’s Fred. Fred McCoy.”
“They call me Big Country, Mister McCoy, and I am pleased to talk to you. But I have to ask, what are you doing in our neck of the woods?” Big Country asked.
“I’m passing through sir, on my way to find my daughter.” Fred explained about his dilemma with his missing daughter and using side roads in order to avoid the massive traffic jams on the Interstates.
“Yes sir, Interstate 40 is clear here and there for a few miles, and then you have major roadblocks. Mister McCoy, would you like to park a spell and socialize with us? We don’t have a lot, but we can feed you.”
“I am much obliged sir, but I believe I’ll wait and catch you on the flip side.”
“I understand Mister McCoy. Have you encountered any other survivors?”
“I have.” Fred told Big Country about Zach. “If you’re ever in the south Nashville or Franklin area, give him a shout on the CB. If he’s around, he’ll answer. Tell him you know me and he’ll take care of you.” Fred also gave him the HAM radio frequency they monitored.
“I appreciate that Mister McCoy. You’re going to be good until you get to Huntington. When you get there, you’re going to encounter a roadblock. You te
ll those fine folks you and I are friends and you’ll be just fine.”
Chapter 6 – An Appointment with Andie
After dinner, the three of us spent the rest of the evening preparing and canning vegetables. The summer had been relatively mild with lots of rainfall. The result was a bountiful crop.
“What time do you meet the dyke?” Julie asked. Macie giggled.
I frowned at the both of them. “Sunrise.”
“Are you going to take her a present?” Macie asked teasingly. Julie laughed this time. They ganged up on me frequently these days.
“Yeah, go ahead and yuk it up.” I said. We finished canning at around nine and went to bed.
I was snuggled up against Julie. I was comfortable, tired, and about to doze off, but she decided this would be a good time to talk.
She turned around and started kissing me. “Zach.” She said.
“Yes sweetheart?” I mumbled.
“Let’s talk about Macie.” I opened my eyes now and looked at her.
“You want to talk about Macie right now?” I asked.
“She thinks you’re going to kick her out after she gives birth.” She said. “Are you?”
In fact, I remember suggesting it not too long ago. “Wasn’t that the plan?”
She started rubbing my chest. She knew how much I liked it when she did that. “She has nowhere to go.” She said.
I smiled in the dark. “You want her to stay here?” I phrased it as a question, but I already knew the answer.
“Don’t you? She’s been really helpful and I’ve seen how you act around her. You’re nice to her. You’re a little aloof toward her sometimes, but you’re nice to her. You don’t mind her being here and you know it.” She stroked my chest some more. “She’s going to need help raising her kid too. Don’t you want to be a surrogate daddy?”
I snorted. “With Jason’s kid? I’d rather not.”
Now she sat up, causing the blanket to fall, exposing her breasts. I always stared at them, they seemed to have a hypnotic spell on me.
Z14 (Zombie Rules) Page 5