AFTER BRUNCH, JACK put his name down on the lookout list. He noted with some pride that all the lists were being populated. He watched as several people went about their business, clearing up the garbage and dishes. He was on his way to the library to help do some research on solar panels when a thought occurred to him.
He changed his course and walked to the kitchen.
“Hey mom, Ethan.” He said as he walked in. His mom was loading the dishes into the dishwasher, while Ethan was tying up a garbage bag. They both stopped what they were doing and looked up.
“What do we do with the garbage? How do we get rid of it?”
Ethan responded. “Well, we don’t have a lot of garbage.” He hefted the industrial sized garbage bag in his hands. “I think we only got a couple bags’ worth... I didn’t really think about what to do with it. Slip it out the door?” He frowned as he considered it. “What about if we toss it off the roof? Or leave it on the roof?”
Nancy had retuned from cleaning the tables. She walked in with a bucket and cloth, and unceremoniously dumped the water down the oversized sink. “It’s a good question, Jack. We should put it as far away from the school as possible.” She said.
Jack left the kitchen, promising to mention it to his dad.
The group met that evening after supper. John limped into the cafeteria, assisted by Melissa and even Rosa attended, assisted by the ever-present Shelley. Rosa’s face was so swollen that it was hard to see any emotion on her face.
The group started out with an impromptu applause for their official leader. Craig looked embarrassed by it. He stated to the group that he didn’t expect things to change.
“We’re still a democracy, guys.” He said. “We might not all agree on every decision, but I promise that we will make these decisions together.”
He looked from person to person, including Joe and Nat. “Everybody will have a voice.”
That done, he turned to the business at hand. “Ok. We need to decide on what to do with Patrick’s body. We also need to figure out how to get rid of our garbage.” He said with a quick look at Jack.
Ern stated his opinion first. “I think that we should give Patrick a proper burial. I also think that we should bury our garbage. He said, crossing his arms and looking around himself sternly.
Several people mumbled. Not one to hold back her thoughts, Rachel spoke up. “I’m not sure if I agree, Ern. First of all, it’s risky to go outside. You might get seen or draw attention to us. Also don’t forget that there might still be one of those things inside the fence.”
Joe agreed with his wife. “Why should we put ourselves at risk? Can’t we throw our garbage off the roof or toss it out a window?”
“Is that what my husband is to you now, Joe? Garbage?” Rosa spoke haltingly but her anger was clear.
Joe put up his hands defensively. “I’m sorry Rosa – I mean no disrespect! I wasn’t talking about Patrick. To be honest, I’m not sure what to do... I just don’t want us to put ourselves at risk.” He hesitated, trying to find the right words to say. There were no right words.
“I’ll do it.” Nat said simply.
“Me too. It’s the right thing to do.” Ern added with a stern glance at Rachel and Joe. “There are several shovels in the maintenance room downstairs that we can use.”
Emily was next to speak. “Count me in.” Keith and Melissa agreed to help as well.
Joe cut in before anybody else could volunteer. “Hey hold on! Shouldn’t we vote on this, first?”
“Fair enough. Joe is right.” Craig said. “Ok folks, hands up if you are in favor of burying Patrick’s body, as well as digging a hole outside for our garbage.” Most of the hands shot up in the air. It was clear that Rachel and Joe were outvoted.
“Ok, Joe?” Craig looked at Joe, who nodded, knowing he had been beaten.
“All right. Any more volunteers?”
“Actually, Craig, I think five people should be adequate.” Melissa suggested. “Maybe a couple of folks to help keep watch...” Jack immediately volunteered to man the door as he had done before. Ethan and Maria were quick to volunteer as lookouts.
It looked like the group had reached a quorum. Rachel wasn’t quite ready to let it go though.
“I understand what y’all are doing, and, while I don’t agree, I also understand why you think that it’s the right thing to do.” She hesitated, glancing at Rosa as she spoke again. “But can’t we think of a better solution? One that doesn’t expose us? Think about it. If we lock ourselves up in this place for the next few months, the undead might all be gone! Every time we open up that door, we take a chance that we are discovered! I got to keep my babies safe, damn it!” She got herself worked up into a frenzy by the end of her speech.
Several people shot her angry looks, but it was Nancy who spoke up next. “You’re probably right, Rachel.” The elderly woman looked at her with a tired smile. “But first of all, we are still human beings. That means we are cultured and decent. And that means we do this, for Rosa and Patrick, and indeed, we do this for ourselves as well.” She indicated those around her. “I’m not willing to give up my humanity. And you” –she focused on Rachel and Joe– “need to think bigger than just yourselves and your children.”
“Ern and I... Well, we never had kids. We got some family out of state – but really, it’s always been just the two of us. But now it feels...” She frowned, trying to come up with the right word. “... Bigger.” She nodded.
“It’s only been a few days, but I sense that what Melissa stated is right. We are a tribe now. And we all need to think about what is best for this tribe.”
Craig was about to say something when Nancy shushed him. “I’m not done.”
“Rachel, Joe; Patrick was one of us. We need to take care of his earthly remains. Maybe it helps his soul.” She looked at Ern before continuing. “But more importantly maybe it helps ours.”
“Ok, ok!” Rachel raised her hands defensively. “Jeez. You made your point. But I’ll tell y’all one thing. My babies are the most important thing to me. That ain’t gonna change.”
She stood up and with one last angry look left the table. Joe sat awkwardly for a few seconds before getting up and following his wife.
Christine and Ethan looked at each other, then at the rest of the gathering.
“What she says...” Christine started “Does NOT go for me and my brother!”
Ethan nodded enthusiastically at this. “We all part o’ this tribe, yo.” He added in a mock gangster style. With that, the tension was broken.
Jack and Christine’s eyes met across the table, and the two smiled at each other.
That evening they received more bad news though.
The conversation with Phil went well, although he was clearly worried about the increasing number of zombies around his place.
But there was still no response from the Willemtown group. They were off the air.
Chapter Fifty-seven
Rachel
November 3, 3:20 AM
It was in the middle of the night. Rachel had no clue what time it was. Something had woken her though. She felt Joe lying behind her. He wasn’t snoring, so that wasn’t it.
What did I hear?
Rachel gasped and her eyes opened wide in shock. She could make out two shapes. There were two people standing there! Rachel was frozen in fear. She watched the shapes.
They stood so incredibly still, that Rachel started to doubt herself.
Maybe they’re just shadows...
Then one of the shapes moved. Right towards her.
Rachel screamed. Joe nearly fell out of the two-man cot in surprise. Christine screamed in the other corner of the room, and Ethan launched himself out of bed in a heartbeat. He ran to the door and hit the lights.
There was nobody in the room. Still Rachel screamed. Joe wrapped her up in a hug.
“Shhhh baby. It’s ok. You just had a bad dream, is all.”
“No! They were there!” Rachel point
ed to the front of the classroom. There was nothing to see other than the teachers’ desk and blackboard. The woman was still in a state of panic though.
Joe just held her and tut-tutted. “It’s ok, baby.” He released her and got up to collect the water jug. He poured her a glass of water, then reached into the teachers’ desk.
Somebody knocked on the door of the classroom. “Ethan, get that will you. Tell them it’s a false alarm, just a bad dream.”
Ethan did as he was told. Joe collected two pills from the drawer and returned to Rachel.
“Take these, baby.” She shook her head and turned away.
“Come on, baby. These will help you.”
Rachel regarded Joe suspiciously for a moment. Then her expression softened. “What are they?” She asked in a small voice.
“This one is just a sleeping pill. This other one is an anti-depressant.” He looked at his wife sadly. “There is no Thorazine available, I’m afraid.”
Rachel meekly put the pills into her mouth and swallowed them with a sip of water. She was used to taking pills. She looked over at Christine. Her daughter looked sad. Rachel tried to smile. “It will be ok, honey.” She said without much conviction. Christine laid back down in her cot and turned her back towards her mother.
They waited a few minutes for the first pill to take effect. Rachel’s eyes started drooping. Ethan turned off the lights, and the Collins family settled back down. Rachel didn’t stir for the rest of the night. Her husband and children, however, had a fitful night, filled with dark thoughts and disturbing dreams.
Chapter Fifty-eight
Romy
November 4, 6:35 AM
Romy stood outside. The sun had not yet risen. The only light to see by was from the moon and stars. Romy could not remember ever seeing so many stars.
A soldier on watch stood a few feet away. Romy ignored her. She took a deep breath. The air was so cold it hurt her lungs. But then again, pretty much everything hurt now. Romy had been battered and beaten, tasered and abused. She had been dragged out of cars and through kitchens.
It’s amazing that I haven’t broken any bones. Ah for fuck sakes Romy! Now you’ve jinxed it.
She pulled the borrowed army jacket tightly around herself, to ward off the chill for a little longer. She looked around. There wasn’t much to see. The vista was wide-open. Romy detected the darker shapes of hills to the north, but it was nothing but plains for as far as she could see in every other direction. Romy turned back towards their impromptu camp. She could see the dark outline of their second vehicle. A silver Kia Sedona. Slightly used. So far it was holding up well.
They were far too cramped in the Humvee, and within an hour of their rescue, they were searching for a second vehicle. They found the mini van at a rural property. Luckily, the keys were in it. They divided up over the two vehicles and were back on the road before the zombie in the upstairs window managed to bust through. Romy remembered looking back and seeing the thing that used to be a man, stuck halfway out the window and about to take a nasty fall.
They stayed in a farm that night. The next morning, they had to destroy four zombies that had found them. Or maybe they were already hanging around that house. Romy wasn’t sure. Either way, it was not a nice thing to wake up to. Romy did her part by dispatching one of the zombies.
Yesterday was a cluster fuck. They got on the highway, intending to get to the city quickly. But an hour later they came across an impassable roadblock. On top of that, there was no way to get off the highway. So, they had to backtrack and try a different route. Then they got turned around on the secondary roads. When they finally figured things out it was well into the afternoon.
At least there weren’t too many incidents. Except for that village they drove through. The silver minivan received some new scratches and dents in that village. Including some dark stains.
They had taken refuge for the night in a picnic area on the side of the highway. It was literally in the middle of nowhere. The nearest village was almost ten miles away. They were thirty miles away from their destination. Romy couldn’t understand exactly why the other group wanted to go there, other than that there were supposed to be some more survivors in the city somewhere.
Yeah, and hundreds of thousands of zombies. Never mind what else we will run into on the road from here to there.
She turned back to the shelter with a small shake of her head. The building had no walls, but at least it had a roof. They had rigged a couple of tarps and parked their vehicles close, to act as walls and provide some shelter from the wind. Romy was surprised at how much warmer it was inside than it was out here.
She cast one more look east. The glow of light from the rising sun could be detected and the sky there had turned from midnight blue to cobalt. That’s where they were heading.
Romy trudged back to their shelter. She walked back in, without making eye contact with the soldier. The soldier watched her pass and resumed her watch with a shrug.
Chapter Fifty-nine
The Ren
November 3, 9:45 AM
The mood was somber that morning, as most folks at the Ren were still trying to cope with yesterday’s occurrences. People made their way to the lunchroom singly, or in small groups. Eventually, most people had arrived, and breakfast was served.
One positive development was Rosa. She was well enough to join the group for breakfast. Her face was still heavily swollen, and she had trouble eating, but her presence felt like a small blessing.
Craig could see that people needed their spirits lifted, so he got the group talking about weapons classes and aikido sessions in hope that the distraction would help the group. The subject of Patrick’s burial eventually surfaced though.
Mel had created a plan, and the volunteers were anxious but also somewhat reassured by the woman’s confidence. The athletic fields in behind the school provided an obvious location for the grave. The entire school grounds were fenced off, meaning it should be secure. Also, Ern stated that being behind the school meant that it would be much less likely that they would be spotted. The fields provided a flat, wide open area too, so the group would be able to spot any dangers well in advance. The key was to be quick and quiet.
Mel also had a contingency plan, in case one or more zombies showed up.
“If we do run into one of those things, we will have to dispose of it quietly.” Melissa explained.
She explained the tactic that she had outlined the evening before. The tactic was very similar to the one John had used a few days previous. She took her time and talked through it twice, asking questions as she went, to make sure that everybody knew their task.
Bill joined the conversation as well. He waited until Melissa was done to speak.
“I can provide overwatch from the roof.” He supplied hesitantly. When several people looked confused, he explained that he would set up with a rifle up there in case something went wrong. He said his wrist was feeling better, despite the joint being ugly shades of purple and green.
The soldier was healing well. Shelley had taken out the stiches earlier that morning and put a temporary bandage on his face. He’d have a scar. But then again, they all would.
The team decided not to waste any time and get right to it. Sarah, Shelley and Jack went upstairs to retrieve the body and bring it downstairs.
Jack walked into the Bentley’s old room. The smell of blood hung in the air. It smelled... metallic, cloying. Sarah and Shelley followed him in, and they stood over the sheet-wrapped corpse of Patrick. They were deciding the best way to move the body when Joe walked in.
“Are you guys taking the body?” He asked. Jack nodded.
“Well, let me give you a hand.” He stepped into the room.
When he saw the confused faces, he stopped. “Hey, this was the group’s decision. The least I can do, as part of the group, is lend a hand.” He explained and bent down to grab one end of the improvised body bag.
Jack gave him a jovial slap on the bac
k. “Hey, thanks Mr. Collins. We appreciate the help.”
The four of them carried the body out of the room and navigated down the stairs. They passed Maria and Ethan there, as the teens were heading upstairs to pick out good lookout positions.
They noticed a flurry of activity as they moved the body to the gym. Bill had stopped off at the armory first to pick the appropriate rifle and ammunition and was about to head up to the roof. Emily had collected a means for them to communicate. She handed Bill a walkie talkie and kept another one for herself. She had also given Ethan and Maria walkie talkies.
“Stay in touch.” She told him as he headed up the stairs. Bill grinned at Emily. It was the first time anybody had seen Bill come close to a smile.
By the time the body was deposited at the north exit of the gym, Keith and Melissa were walking up with a collection of weapons.
Keith started handing out an assortment of weapons. He handed a garden hoe to Nat, an Axe to Melissa, a long length of metal pipe to Emily, and he had a shorter length of pipe for Ern, who had not shown up yet. Keith pointed at the hammers in his tool belt, when asked if he had any weapons himself. The combatants held their weapons uncertainly.
Melissa tried to pick up their confidence by explaining each person’s task, including the weapons they were holding in the description this time. One look told her what the result of that pep talk was. They looked back at her apprehensively
Well that didn’t help.
“Look.” She pointed at her hip. She was wearing a holster with a sidearm. “We will have protection. Em, this one is yours.” She handed another holster to Emily, who promptly put it on.
Ern showed up a minute later. The old man had found four shovels. The group stood there, looking at each other and at all the stuff they needed to carry. Melissa took charge.
Apocalypsis Immortuos | Book 1 | Syndrome Page 40