“My ankle is fucked.” Julie lamented. I could see she had been crying. We got off of the ATV and hurried over to her.
“What happened?” Macie asked.
Julie sighed. “A snake spooked Prancer. She reared back and the saddle came loose. I came flying off and my boot stuck in the stirrup. I don’t know if it’s broken or not.”
I looked her over. I saw no injuries other than the swollen ankle and her scuffed hands.
“Okay, let’s get you loaded up on the ATV and Macie will drive you back. I’ll take care of Prancer.” Julie agreed and we carefully loaded her up on the ATV. I watched the two of them ride away and turned my attention to Prancer.
“Alright girl, if you’re nice, I’ll give you a couple of carrots when we get back.” I guess she understood, she calmly let me fix the saddle and took off at a gallop when I mounted her. We were at the barn within minutes. I walked her to cool her down and then gave her a good brushing before going inside. Oh, and she got a couple of carrots, along with a bucket of water.
I found Julie sitting up in the bed reading a book. She had stripped down to a tee shirt and underwear, and her foot was propped up by a pillow.
“How is it feeling?” I asked.
“It’s better now. The swelling seems to have gone down.” Julie said.
I looked at it and poked it gently in various places. Julie didn’t scream out in pain, which I took as a good sign, but she winced a little and glared at me.
“Yeah, I think you’re right. Hopefully it’s only a bad sprain.” I kissed her ankle before stripping and getting in bed beside her.
“There you go. It’s going to be all better now.” I said with a grin.
Julie chuckled. “Your kisses go a long way.”
“I certainly hope so.” I said.
“You didn’t notice it, but when you kissed Macie earlier today, she actually blushed.”
I frowned. “Why did she blush?”
Julie slapped me playfully on the chest. "Jesus Zach, for a man who is like a fucking genius, you know nothing about women.”
I sighed. “You keep saying that. So edify me, please.”
“You don’t get it. Women need attention. They need to feel loved. Macie hasn’t had anything even close to love in a long time.” She scoffed. “You’re probably the last person to actually show her any genuine love, back when the two of you were dating. All you have to do is give her a hug occasionally, maybe a kiss, tell her how pretty she is, and you’ve made her day.”
“But, why me?” I asked.
“Because dumbass, you’re the only man around.” She paused a moment and her tone changed. “Have you thought about sleeping with her?” She asked tentatively.
I carefully rolled over in the bed and looked at her.
“With Macie?” I asked. I watched her as she nodded her head. I suddenly found myself with several spots on my body in need of scratching.
“No, not really.” I said. Julie wrinkled her brow at me. “I mean, I guess I’ve thought about when we were together that one time, but I’m not going to do anything to betray you. I love you too much.”
She smiled at me. “I love you too, Zach. I know you won’t betray me.” She kissed me and buried her head in her pillow. And then she surprised me. “You’d be surprised to know, Macie loves you as well.”
Chapter 19 – Dentistry 101
We decided on the location where we had first met. The same spot where Fred and I were forced to abandon the tanker. The first meeting, he was waiting on me. On this occasion, I was waiting on him. Although it appeared I was alone, in fact I had company.
The night before, I prepared a sniper pit very close to the same spot where Fred watched over me during the first meeting. It was near some trees in between two houses with overgrown lawns. I dug a hole in the ground large enough for a one hundred and ten pound girl to lay prostrate in. Macie was dressed in camouflage clothing, complete with strips of burlap rags tied here and there. I had her flaxen blonde hair tucked into a Boonie hat, and her face camouflaged with a combination of earth colors. I also insisted she wear a diaper. Julie would have naturally been my first choice for this endeavor, but her ankle was still too tender to walk on. Macie quickly volunteered when I had talked about it.
“Alright, you have a canteen of water, and some energy bars. They’re only a few months past their expiration date, but they’re still edible. Howard is going to drive up at noon tomorrow. He’s going to park right down the road at the burned out house. His instructions are you’ll walk out to meet him at noon, but he is going to wait at least four hours. Do you think you can handle it?” I asked.
“I think so, but I have some questions.” Macie said.
“Ask away.”
“Okay, let’s see. Why are we here six hours before you’re meeting him? Why do I have to walk so far to meet up with Howard when I leave? Why am I supposed to keep my walkie-talkie turned off unless there is an emergency? Oh, and let’s not forget, why in the world did you insist I wear a diaper?”
“Those are good questions.” I said. “First, we’re here early so nobody sees us put you here. Second, you don’t want Howard parked close to you. To do so may increase the risk of giving away your position if the Captain has scouts deployed. We don’t have headsets for these walkie-talkies, and there is something about the radio’s sound which carries a long way, especially at night. We don’t want that.” I inhaled. “Now, as for the diaper, at some point you’re going to have to go to the restroom. You are not to get out of your hole and go do your business, because, if you do, you run the risk of giving away your location. You may not know this, but professional military snipers just go in their pants. They’re men after all. A diaper is better.” I let it sink in for a moment before continuing.
“When it’s time for you to leave and go to Howard, it won’t be a casual stroll, you need to be quiet and sneak your way to him. Oh, and one other thing. If you encounter zombies, make sure they’re actually onto you and not simply walking on by. If your life is in danger, start shooting, I’ll come.” I looked at her in the darkness.
“Anything else?” I asked. She shook her head and sighed.
“I can’t think of anything.” She said. I reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders.
“I’m putting my life in your hands. You’re a great shot. If I didn’t think you could do it, I’d have left you at home.” I said. Macie nodded. I was trying to think of anything I had forgotten, and remembered what Julie told me last night.
“You look really cute in camouflage.” I said, then leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. The truth was I could hardly see her in the dark.
“I’ll do the best I can, Zach.” She said tentatively. I nodded.
“In you go.” I said. She crawled into the spider hole and lay prostrate. I covered her with tree limbs and other debris.
I parked at the meeting spot and tried to grab a couple of hours of sleep, but the stress of the impending meeting prevented it. Instead, I sat there, in the dark, thinking about our lives, and found myself thinking of Macie lying out there in a hole by herself. I admitted to myself I was growing fond of her and was a little worried about leaving out there by herself.
The sun rise caused the dew to extract itself out of the ground in a morning mist. It was going to be a nice day. I hoped Macie was not too chilled. The Captain was very punctual and drove up promptly at six. And he was alone, or so it appeared. I stood as he got out of his truck. He was carrying some type of pouch in one hand and a folding chair in the other.
“Good morning Zach. How are you?” He said in his baritone voice.
“I’m doing well Captain. How about yourself?” We shook hands. He unfolded the chair and sat down.
“Quite frankly Zach, I am not doing well and I believe I need your help.” I looked at him questioningly. “I have a toothache. I want you to have a look at it.” He opened the pouch. It looked like a dentist’s kit. “Would you do me the honor good sir?”
“You want me to look at the tooth? In your mouth?” He nodded. “Okay. Uh, hang on a second.” I went to my truck and retrieved some waterless disinfectant along with a mini flashlight. The Captain watched as I squirted the gel on my hands and rubbed it in.
“You see?” He said. “I knew you were the correct person to entrust in this. I don’t think any of my crew would of thought of disinfecting their hands.”
“Yeah, well they’ve not been trained properly then.” I turned on the flashlight. “Alright, lean your head back and open wide.” The Captain obeyed.
“Which tooth is it?” I asked. He pointed at the back on his right side. I used one of those little mirrors first. I saw a distinct dark spot in the middle of a molar and used a probe to poke it. The Captain jerked and grunted.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s a cavity. Judging from the swollen state of the gums around it, I’d say it’s infected too.” I said.
“What do you recommend?” The Captain asked when I pulled my hand out of his mouth.
I sat back down. “Well sir, a dentist would inject your gum with Novocain. Then he, or she, would drill out the cavity and fill it with silver amalgam.”
“And if there is no dentist available?” He asked.
“From what I’ve read, back in the old days they’d take a pair of pliers and pull the tooth out. Of course, the patient would be drunk or would have ingested a healthy dose of laudanum beforehand.”
The Captain frowned and nodded. “I see. Let’s defer the topic of my tooth for now. Tell me what your ideas are.”
I enumerated with my fingers. “Crop production, cattle production, trade.”
The Captain looked me over. “Explain.”
“First, there is a lot of land here in this area which is not being farmed. We, and I use ‘we’ in the vernacular, need to farm this land and sow crops. The overage can be distributed, bartered, or stored in silos. I believe, in the long run, this will help abate any possible food shortages. I don’t know about you and your group, but my group is going to be hard pressed this winter.” I took a breath and casually looked around.
“Second, there are stray cattle roaming all around. They need to be rounded up and tended to before they’re killed off by coyotes and these feral dog packs I’ve been seeing. This is a very good source of food and trade, which leads to the third idea I have. I think we should set up a trading post. We’re inevitably going to have a good harvest of some crops and a shortage of other crops. You may have an abundance of cattle, and I may have an abundance of vegetables. This is where a neutral trading post will be beneficial. You and I both know there are other survivors out there. A central meeting place will establish networks with these people.” I sat down in my chair. “I have a comprehensive plan all written out if you’d like to see it.” I said.
The Captain looked at me somberly. He was wearing a tight fitting olive drab tee shirt today. His muscles bulged underneath.
“Zach, I have been thinking exactly along the very same lines.” I doubted it, but nodded in agreement anyway. “Much like a Greek agora perhaps?” He asked.
“Yes sir, exactly. A trading hub is much more than just a trading hub, as you well know. When people get together, they talk, and when they talk they give out information. A trading hub is considered a cornerstone in a basic society. At the moment, we’re nothing more than a couple of small bands. We need to expand and grow.”
“Did you have a location in mind?” He asked.
I shrugged. “There are several possibilities. We want a trading hub close to our respective homes, but accessible to others. I say we go with a pre-existing building, maybe a truck stop. A large parking lot would be beneficial. People would come and camp out. We’ll need to harden the building of course.”
“Yes, I see where you’re going with this. It would be a community gathering place, so you’ll need plenty of room.” He said.
I nodded. “We start with something small and build from there. We can do it Captain, if we work together.” The Captain nodded while holding his jaw. It was obvious he was in pain.
“Zach, I have this scenario in my head where you and I spend many an evening around the fire, enjoying a fine glass of cognac, and having many interesting philosophical discussions.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “The people in my group, they’re fine people. Hard workers, but dumber than rocks.” He leaned back. “When I was a younger man, I worked part time at a convalescent home. It was shitty work for the most part. But there was this one highly decorated World War Two veteran. He was a most interesting man. The stories he had!” The Captain stared off into space wistfully.
“So, you and I are about to embark on a great journey in which we rebuild society. In the meantime, what do you recommend I do about my tooth?”
I shrugged. “Take someone you trust, Andie perhaps, go to a dentist’s office, and use the equipment to fix it.” I pointed at my own mouth. “There is a risk factor of course. If it were easy, dentists wouldn’t have to go through so much schooling.”
“Zach, there is nobody else, what should I do?” The Captain asked.
I shrugged again. “There’s no dentist anywhere around, as far as we know. I’ll take my Leatherman tool and pull it out if you want. The extent of my experience is a video I once saw in the Internet. I imagine it will be very painful.”
He looked at me. “Do it.”
The Captain grunted a few times, but never once cried out in pain. It was impressive. I worked the tooth with my pliers for several minutes before it dislodged. After I extracted it, I packed the hole in his gum with Neosporin and gauze. He looked at my work with a small mirror, inspected the rotten tooth, and nodded in gratitude.
We said our goodbyes and drove away at the same time. I drove a short distance, stopped, turned my radio on, and waited. Howard called me approximately forty minutes later. I answered immediately.
“Do you have Macie?” He answered in the affirmative. I was relieved she was okay and headed home. They were waiting for me when I arrived.
“What in the world were you doing to him?” Macie asked. Howard and Julie looked at Macie questioningly.
“I’m watching them through the rifle scope, and before I know it, Zach is bent over him and has a pair of pliers in the Captain’s mouth. It was weird looking.”
“I have discovered a skill I didn’t know I had.” I said smiling and explained what I did. They looked at me incredulously.
“And he didn’t scream out in pain or anything?” Howard asked. I shook my head.
“Damn.” He said in amazement. He looked at his watch. “You guys need me for anything else? I’d kind of like to get going.” I extended my hand and shook Howard’s.
“Howard, you’ve been more than helpful. Tell Lashonda and the boys hello for us. Oh, I think Julie has a care package made up for you.” Julie limped as she walked into the kitchen and returned with an assortment of vegetables and herbs fresh from the greenhouse.
We stood on the porch and waved as Howard drove off. “Zach, I think you owe me a hot bath.” Macie said. I readily agreed.
Chapter 20 - Fred
Fred saw her as they walked down the road. She was in front of her apartment on the sidewalk performing an endless series of calisthenics. Fred also noted she was clad only in nylon shorts, running shoes, and an athletic bra.
“That’s Major Fowkes.” Sergeant Fandis said softly. “She’ll probably cuss us or something. She doesn’t seem to like anyone.”
“I can hear you Sergeant.” She said as she finished fifty push-ups and stood. Sergeant Fandis saluted when she stood, which she ignored. She was lean and muscular. Fred could not help but notice her taut and defined abs. Her hair was cut short and tied back in a very small ponytail. Her features were sharp, she’d never win any beauty contests, but still, Fred thought of her as attractive. If she let her hair grow out, and perhaps some makeup, he saw possibilities. He could not tell how old she was, she could have been anywhere from
early thirties to late forties.
“What are you gawking at cowboy?” She asked roughly.
Fred took off his hat. “I apologize, ma’am. Sergeant Fandis here says you are a Major. I guess I was expecting you to be all spit and polish, and in uniform.”
She stared at Fred coolly. “Who the hell is this man Sergeant Fandis, and why did you bring him to me? Are you trying to play matchmaker or something?”
“Oh, no ma’am. I’d never do such a thing, trust me.” Sergeant Fandis said, to which she glared at him. “I’ve got somewhere I have to be Fred. I’ll come back and get you in a few.” He quickly saluted and ran off before Major Fowkes could say anything.
“Alright, start with your name.” She ordered.
“Fred McCoy.”
“Where are you from, Fred and why are you here bothering me?” She asked as she wiped the sweat off of her face.
“I’m recently from Tennessee. I’m trying to find my daughter. The young sergeant said you’re the only pilot left. I want to know if it would be possible for you to fly me to Los Angeles.”
Major Fowkes looked at Fred with incredulity and chortled. “You got some balls cowboy.” She finished wiping the sweat off, tossed the towel to Fred, and walked inside.
Fred followed after a moment and walked in as she put a tee shirt on. The apartment was Spartan in appearance and furnishings. It looked more like a college dorm room to Fred, without any posters or photographs. There were two beds with desks and wall lockers on the end. There was one bathroom with a sink, toilet, and shower. It did not appear there was any electricity or running water.
“What’s your daughter doing in California?” She asked. Fred calmly explained while wondering what to do with the towel.
“So, let me get this straight.” The Major said as she started mixing a protein drink with water from a canteen. “Your darling little girl thought she wanted to be the next superstar actress, headed out to Los Angeles, and you’ve not heard from her since the world went to hell?” Fred nodded. “That’s been over eighteen months ago, cowboy. She’s dead or a zombie by now. You know that, right?”
Z14 (Zombie Rules) Page 12