Knight of the Dead (Book 3): Fortress

by Smorynski, Ron

  Ray, it turns out, was a prop builder and now movie producer. Or at least was that before all this. He has skills in crafting from decades ago. He wants to help. He can help make the weapons and armor maybe or build things. His wife Cherry, just a fancy wife, is going to help too. They lost their child sadly. They dropped her off at a private school. It was difficult to hear. They hoped we could go to see. But they didn't push it, knowing it was too late. Others went from their group, never making it back.

  They saw what I did. They dressed up, had fancy swords from the movie producer’s collection, practiced, thinking they could do it. They never returned.

  Jake has been awesome. He's good with weapons. When we went back to their panic room, in the mansion of the big guy Ernie, who didn't make it, there were more guns and lots of ammo. The guy was a big movie producer, and Duanne was staying at his fancy spread while doing interviews. Well, his biggest hobby was being a prepper, one of those survive-the-apocalypse guys. He was almost right, just didn't account for zombies. And he was a Hollywood version, where everything was expensive and fancy.

  Jake knew all the stuff. We now have lots of fancy rifles and ammo. Never would have thought that in Hollywood, but oh yeah. And he had a few more samurai and medieval swords. I picked out the best ones for myself: a two handed claymore and an amazing long sword. They all agreed of course that I get the best ones. Hah.

  We took the food supplies, the generator, the medicine, and all kinds of prep stuff, easily driving to and fro after clearing the area each morning. The afternoons we spent cleaning, clearing, repairing, all that. Early evenings we trained. I like that it was after we're a bit tired and fed. It felt like training for endurance. We had a routine as our fortress was becoming more and more medieval, more and more built up. The perimeter fencing was looking gothic or apocalyptic now as Amador and Nick were attaching all kinds of salvaged material day after day. The Horde could get over it. But day to day, there were less and less areas where the zombies could see through and be alerted to our fortress activities. They were also supporting the fence with more and more stuff like wood and materials from the surrounding homes. It was fast and ugly but would give us peace of mind, for awhile.

  And we saw them, all of them, the banners and the work ahead for me especially. Charlotte came to show me, as we stood on the roof, all of us and saw hope spread eternal.

  Banners saying Save Us Knight! spread across the many apartments and high rises. Survivors were abundant and it was time for me to do this, for us to do this.

  Charlotte said, amidst all of us, “It's time for you Dad, the Savior Knight, to save others!”

  Everyone laughed. But the best thing of all, one of the banners far away yet readable had “Sean Here! Injured but Well!”

  That was neat. Nick painted a big sign back. “Coming Soon Sean!”

  It's not over. There are still zombies everywhere. There's still millions out there, spread across Los Angeles County. I'm not sure if we should stay here or get the hell out. But how, trekking on foot? No way. We can't drive out. All the freeways and streets were jammed on that first day. So how can we even get out?

  As the cold of winter comes, will it slow the zombies? The United States Army seems to think so. They are waiting it out in small towns in the mountains. They have big plans to come out when its coldest. Will it work? Seems like it. Or will the hordes of the undead adjust? Will the Devil figure out a way, as he always does, since God has allowed him to unleash Hell on Earth? We shall see.