“Oh, and I want you to know, we’ve been successful in rounding up several head of cattle. We’ve got them fenced in and they are doing very nicely.” He said.
I nodded. “That is awesome. Your group has been busy.”
“Yes indeed.” He responded. “We have definitely made positive strides in these past few weeks. In addition to the cattle, I believe we have eradicated most of the infected bastards in our immediate area. How about you?”
I dabbed at my face with the sleeve of my jacket. “We’ve had some small successes. After the coyotes killed our chickens we’ve killed most of them off and fortified the coop. I got a smoke house built, and our garden has done reasonably well. Oh, and we’ve killed some zombies, but we haven’t seen very many, lately.”
The Captain held up a finger. “That reminds me. We’ve never discussed the fuel run into Nashville. Did you notice all of the rotting corpses? There must have been thousands of them. There were more dead bodies than there were zombies.”
This time I pulled a handkerchief out of my pocket and dabbed my face before speaking. I explained my theory about zombies dying off.
“Do you really think they are going to die off completely?” Andie asked.
“I do. A human body that is decomposing cannot simply continue to live. Although, I thought they would all be dead by the end of the summer. I was partly wrong, there are still plenty out there, but they are dying off. All of those corpses are proof.” I pondered a moment. “I’m wondering now if these zombies we’re seeing are the result of freshly infected people.”
The Captain nodded somberly. “Food for thought, young Zach. Food for thought. What about all of the rodents?” He asked. “Hell fire, there must have been a dozen rats for every corpse.”
“Yeah, they’ve got a hell of a food source now and there are no humans out there spreading rat poison. They’re going to be a problem for a while. It’s the same with mosquitos and flies.”
We finished our meal in silence. The food was unseasoned and bland. My cooking would never earn a Michelin star, but it was a filling meal nonetheless. After eating, the Captain looked around and grunted contentedly.
“I don’t know if it was the fine meal we just had, but I have a good feeling about this place.” He said. “What do you think, Andie?” He asked. I thought back to the last time he asked her opinion. She said I was full of shit and an idiot.
“I think it will work.” She said as she looked at me. I looked over at the Captain. He noticed it as well. After a minute, he spoke.
“I’m sensing there is something going on between you two. I noticed it the other day as well. Would I be right?” He asked evenly. I spoke first before Andie tried to lie.
I set my plate down. “We have a small confession to make to you Captain. After the fuel run and the tense situation at the rendezvous, Andie asked to meet with me. I was skeptical, but agreed. We met a few days later and talked at great length. You’ll have to ask her, but I believe her intentions were to smooth over any perceived conflict between you and me.” He looked suspicious and stared at me.
I cocked my head. “To be honest, after the fuel run I was through with you. I got the feeling you were going to try to rip us off, but Andie convinced me otherwise.”
His face was without any expression which would give an indicator of his mood. “You thought I was going to steal your fuel? Why would you think that, Zach?” He asked.
I met his stare. “Well Captain, your behavior made me suspicious.” I said.
The Captain looked at me a long moment before slowly nodding. “Fair enough.” I noted he did not try to defend his behavior. I also had not overlooked the earlier comment where he referred to me as an asset rather than a friend.
There was a minute of silence as Andie and I watched the Captain. He sat stoically, fingers interlaced, staring at some unseen object. I was wondering what he was going to do next. Did he have his own sniper hidden somewhere, waiting for the signal to shoot me? He then turned and looked at the expanse of the truck stop. There were abandoned semis and cars scattered throughout the lot. The back lot was completely full of abandoned trucks and there was trash everywhere, along with several corpses.
“Have you been inside?” He asked.
“Nope.” I said. “I imagine there might be a surprise or two waiting in there.” As if on cue, a couple of zombies stuck their rotting faces up against a plate glass window and began scratching at it. Andie pointed and laughed.
“There’s the welcoming committee.” She said.
He gave a smile which may or may not have been contrived.
“I’ve been in here before, back a few years ago. That is a trucker’s restaurant right there.” The Captain said as he pointed at the window. “Beside it is a fast food restaurant. I always thought that was odd. On the other side is a convenience store. There is a locker room and showers in the rear. The semis park in the parking lot out back.” He looked around while scratching his crotch. “It’s going to take some work.” His thoughts were interrupted by Andie clearing her throat. She pointed at her watch and tapped it with her index finger.
“Zach, I’m afraid we’re going to have to leave. We have a meeting of sorts.” He said cryptically. I was curious of whom he might be meeting with, but I knew he wouldn’t tell me. Maybe I could meet again with Andie and she’d tell me about it.
“No problem. I think I’m going to look around here some more.” I pointed at the zombies. “I’ll take care of those. I don’t think there are any others. Oh, I have some equipment where I can drill out the locks, so I won’t break any of the glass.”
“Excellent.” He said. “If I’m going to live here I want all of the creature comforts I can get.” He smiled pleasantly.
“Andie, do you have that present for Zach?” I arched an eyebrow as Andie trotted over to their Jeep. She trotted back a moment later carrying a book. I took it and looked at it.
“It’s a collection of short stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe.” The Captain said.
“My favorite is The Tell Tale Heart.” Andie said as she stared at me intensely. I picked up on the hint.
I nodded. “I’ll enjoy reading it. Thanks Captain.” We shook hands and they left a moment later. I stood there a few minutes appearing to be interested in the zombies in the window. I was using an old spy trick. At least, it was in every spy book I had ever read, and I’ve read a lot of them.
The plate glass was acting as a mirror. I used the reflection to scan the area behind me. It was a big parking lot, which limited what I could see. I turned around casually and stretched while checking the area. The only thing I saw of concern was the barrel of Macie’s rifle sticking out of the roof scupper. I turned around and pulled my walkie-talkie out of my jacket.
“Come in Saigon.” I said quietly. There was a click of the radio. “Your barrel is sticking out.” I turned back and watched through the window reflection as the barrel slowly retracted out of sight. “Good. I’m going to get inside here, clear the zombies, and have a look around. Watch my six, please.” There was a click of acknowledgement.
When I used the drill to disable the lock, the zombies obliged me by moving toward the door. I dispatched them quickly and dragged them outside. The rest of the building was devoid of any life forms other than an infestation of mice.
The place smelled horribly due to the rotting food from the restaurants. It made me second guess the logic behind using this place. I tied my bandana around my face and went in.
I scored a coup when I found a case of toilet paper sitting on a closet shelf. I carried the box outside and stood there going over the litany of tasks needing to be done to this place. My thoughts were interrupted by Macie’s voice on the radio.
“You’ve got a couple of zombies coming out from behind the building.” She whispered. I drew my weapon and met them as they rounded the corner. A quick two shots and we had two additional dead zombies. Adhering to rule number eight, I dragged them to the middle of the par
king lot and stacked them together. I made a decent sized pile on top of them with the ample amount of trash lying around, a little gas, and set them on fire. I watched for a minute.
“Okay, I’m heading out.” I said loudly into the radio. Macie clicked in acknowledgement once again. I got in the truck and drove away, stopping once I got out of sight. I changed frequencies on the radio and washed up with hand sanitizer while I waited. Macie waited ten minutes before speaking.
“Nobody followed you.” She whispered quietly. I clicked the microphone in acknowledgement, started the truck, and headed back.
“Okay, I’m going to paint the rules and we’re done here.” I said into the radio when I stopped in front of the building she was on. She clicked the radio and I saw a ladder emerge from the top a moment later.
“How’d it go?” She asked.
“Okay, I guess.” I said as I painted the rules on the side of the building she had been hiding on top of. “He’s going to move in there. If it works out, he’ll be a happy camper, king of his own little realm, and we won’t have to worry about him paying us a visit with his crew.” I looked at my work.
“You didn’t sign it.” Macie said.
“Not yet. Time to add another rule.” I added the following -
Z13: THEY’RE EASILY DISTRACTED.
“Okay, now I can sign it.” I said and added my trademark Z. As an afterthought, I put the initials W-E off to the side. “The Captain will love it.”
Macie shuddered. “I don’t know why you like him, Zach. He’s a creep. He’s molesting his own niece and letting the other women be used as whores for Christ’s sake. I should have shot him.” I glanced over at her. She looked like she was serious about it and maybe even regretted not doing it. After a minute she continued.
“No, wait. I think I know what it is. He’s like a father-figure to you.” I looked at her and frowned. “I’m serious. Think about it. You real father died when you were a young child. The first real man in your life was Rick. He was a good man and took care of you.” She paused and pushed some hair behind her ear before continuing.
“So, Rick dies. Then Fred comes along. He’s been like a father-figure to all three of us. Now, he’s gone and God only knows if he’s alive or not. Howard is our friend and he treats you with deference, but he’s busy with his own family. So what’s left is The Captain.” She had held her fingers in quotation marks and said it in a derogatory tone.
“We should kidnap Andie away from him. There’s no telling what kind of emotional damage he’s inflicting on her. Did I mention he’s a creep?” She shuddered and turned the heat on high.
I stopped the truck. “That reminds me.” I fished the paperback book out of my jacket pocket and thumb through it until I found the Tell Tale Heart story. There was a small scrap of paper wedged between the pages.
“What is it?” Macie asked.
“It’s a note from Andie.” I said. “She wants to meet this Sunday. She says it’s urgent.” I told Macie of the dialogue between Andie and the Captain.
“Who were they meeting with?” She asked.
I shrugged. “I have no idea, it seemed odd though. Why didn’t he say they’ve met some people? Maybe Andie will tell me.” Macie had been eating while I talked. When she was finished she let out a small burp and giggled.
“Excuse me.” She said. I smiled. “What are we going to do now, Zach?”
“Let’s go check on Toby and his sons.” I suggested.
“Okay, but I’d like a favor from you first.” I looked at her. “I need to use the restroom and then I want to shoot a zombie with the rifle. I’ve only ever shot at paper targets with it.” She said.
“Right now?” I asked.
“Yes, right now.” She said, grabbed a paper towel, and got out of the truck. I waited inside while she did her business. When she got back I handed her the hand sanitizer, and then the two of us drove to the bridge overlooking I-24.
“Alright, here we go. You can start with binoculars or use the scope to find a target. I’m betting there is at least one zombie stuck in an abandoned car out there.” I pointed toward the sea of automobiles and tractor-trailer rigs sitting motionless on the interstate.
“What’s the advantage of binoculars over the rifle scope?” Macie asked as she peered through them.
“You’re using two eyes with binoculars and your field of vision is greater.” She picked up the binoculars and after only a moment she grinned.
“I found one!” She said excitedly. “Oh, I found another one, they’re sitting in cars. One of them is sitting in a semi.”
“Are they still moving?” I asked.
“A little bit.” She looked at me. “Can I shoot them?” She asked hopefully.
I made a quick scan for any threats nearby. Seeing none, I nodded. “Sure. You know what to do, right?” She nodded at my question, swapped the binoculars for the rifle, and laid it across the bridge railing. I put my fingers in my ears a mere second before she fired. I saw the starburst explosion of the semi’s windshield, grabbed the binoculars and looked.
“Right in the forehead, nice shot.” She looked at me and grinned before finding her next target.
“Oh my God, what a rush!” She said breathlessly after she shot the last one. I stored the rifle behind the back seat and we both got in. When I got seated, Macie took her jacket off and straddled me. She kissed me passionately, her tongue probing deep. Then she started working at my belt buckle. “Let’s make love, Zach.”
“Right now?” I asked between kisses.
She huffed, grabbed my face, and kissed me. “Yes Zach, right here, right now.” I didn’t need to be told three times. Somehow I got my jacket off and we crawled into the back seat. We tore at the rest of our clothing and went at it with an urgent fury. I was glad I had taken a power nap.
Afterward, we were lying together in the back seat breathing heavily. When our pulse rates returned to normal, I leaned closer and kissed her.
“How are you Macie?” I asked.
“Wonderful.” She responded.
“Well, I guess what I was wondering is, we’ve not talked much about your baby. I mean, I’ve no idea what to say or a tactful way to ask you how you’re coping with his death. If there is anything I can do…” I was interrupted by Macie. She grabbed my hand and squeezed.
“You and Julie have been good to me, Zach. I love you both. You know that, right?” I nodded. She rubbed my chest and was quiet for a long minute before she spoke again. “This may sound cold or cruel, but the first time I held my baby I somehow knew he wasn’t going to live. When I’m alone, I think of him and cry. When I’m around you two, I’m happy. It’s a different life now, but I’m happy Zach.” I kissed her again. I was happy too.
“Is it wrong for wanting you to myself, without Julie, just once?” She asked.
“I don’t know. I guess not.” I said quietly.
Chapter 27 – Fred
Los Angeles Air Force Base was a ghost yard of aircraft. Some had crashed and burned. Many more were parked in military fashion, but otherwise they sat silently. Major Sarah Fowkes pointed, but Fred had no idea what specifically she was pointing at. He leaned forward and looked anyway.
“Do you see? There is one landing strip relatively clear.” Fred looked hard, but he didn’t see it. Sarah began a descent. “The great thing about a C130, they don’t need much room to land.” She looked over at Fred and grinned mischievously. But, only a brief moment, her expression quickly changed back to her game face and concentrated on landing.
Fred watched in growing concern as she lined up on a runway with multiple wreckages all around it. She touched down smoothly and brought the plane to a stop without a spot of trouble. She began the step-by-step process of powering down the engines while she talked.
“If we find any fuel, we can take on several pounds and still be able to take off. I’ll have to make some calculations.”
When she shut down the engines it was quiet again. Fred took his
helmet off. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“Don’t mention it cowboy. What are you going to do for transportation?” She asked.
“I’ll try to find a car with a little fuel in it and a good battery.” Fred said.
“Are you going to ignore the Humvee stored in the back?” She asked sarcastically. “Why do you think I had them load it up?”
Fred looked at her in appreciation. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you, Sarah.” She scoffed and made her way down the ladder.
“Alright you two, make a perimeter sweep of the area, and then find a fuel truck.” She looked back at Fred. “Help me get the Humvee unloaded.” She said with the voice of someone used to issuing commands.
Fred looked at a map of Los Angeles and found the street. He backtracked the route with a pen, measured it, and pointed it out to Sarah.
“It’s not far from here, about ten miles as the crow flies. I’ll take the Humvee. If I’m not back by dark, go ahead and leave without me.”
“Fred, do you actually think I’m going to let you go by yourself?” She asked. Fred looked at her blankly. “I’m going with you.”
“I can’t let you do that.” Fred replied.
“Quit being all macho on me, Fred. It’s a major turnoff.” She tossed the map back at him. “I’m driving.”
Chapter 28 – Secret Notes
“How did it go?” Julie asked when we arrived home.
“The Captain showed up with Andie. It seemed to go well. He’s going to set up at the truck stop. Oh, and Andie passed a note saying she needed to meet with me.” Julie chortled.
I let out a short sigh. “For your information Miss Smart-Aleck, I have no intentions of going alone. You and Macie are free to join me.” Julie snorted again. I blew her a kiss.
Macie changed the subject. “There is some bad news.” She said. Julie looked at us questioningly. “Toby and his sons are gone. They weren’t home when we got there and there was a lot of dried blood on the back porch.”
Z14 (Zombie Rules) Page 16