“I heard the noise come from here!” shouts a soldier in the parking lot.
Janet hears the soldier yell and says, “We need to move.”
TJ looks at Destiny and shouts, “Get over to Alice’s apartment and lock the door!”
Destiny, Kara, and Jill run across the hall and into Alice’s apartment.
TJ looks at Janet and says, “Let’s play it cool and just get to the jeep.”
Janet nods her head.
TJ leads the way back to his jeep.
TJ exits the apartment and walks to the stairway that will lead him down to the parking lot.
TJ, Janet, and Odin walk down the stairway.
A soldier sees TJ and shouts, “You, stop right there!”
TJ keeps walking down the steps.
Janet and Odin follow behind TJ.
Two soldiers walk over to TJ and Janet.
“You two, stop!” shouts a soldier.
“What seems to be the problem?” asks TJ to the soldiers.
“This is a restricted area. How did you get in here?” asks a soldier.
TJ and Janet stop walking, and Odin stares at the soldiers.
“We didn’t know it was restricted. We are looking for my sister,” says TJ.
“Did you find her?” asks a soldier.
“Not yet, we are going to try a couple more spots,” replies TJ.
Two soldiers walk up the steps and towards the apartment TJ and Janet came from.
TJ gets anxious as he sees the soldiers going towards the apartment.
“Nice dog,” says one of the soldiers.
Janet takes a step towards TJ’s jeep.
“What’s the rush honey?” asks one of the soldiers as he puts his hand on Janet’s shoulder.
“Please, do not touch me,” says Janet.
“Where you guys from?” asks the other soldier.
“Chicago,” says TJ.
The soldier takes his hand off Janet’s shoulder and whispers in Janet’s ear, “I love Chicago.”
Janet takes a step away from the soldier and shouts, “What’s your problem?”
TJ doesn’t want to start a confrontation with these soldiers, but he also doesn’t want them to keep bothering Janet.
Odin growls at the two soldiers.
Janet steps towards TJ’s jeep.
“Guys, you need to see this!” shouts one of the soldiers from the top of the second-floor stairway.
Janet opens TJ’s jeep passenger door.
The one soldier that was bothering Janet before pushes Janet’s door closed.
“You two aren’t going anywhere,” says the soldier as he stands in front of Janet.
“Don’t let them two leave!” shouts the soldier at the top of the stairway.
TJ looks at Janet and nods his head.
Janet looks at the soldier that won’t leave her alone and says, “I won’t go anywhere. I’ll wait right here for ya.”
The soldier steps closer to Janet and says, “You are coming with me. We have an apartment in here I’d like to show you.”
The other soldier steps towards TJ and goes to grab him.
Before the soldier can grab TJ, Odin jumps up and bites the mans forearm.
The man screams in pain.
AHHHH!
TJ grabs his handgun and shoots the soldier in the face.
“Odin, release!” shouts TJ.
Janet shoots the other soldier in the head and then fires two shots at the soldier that is standing in the stairway.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
TJ opens his jeep driver side door.
Odin jumps in the jeep.
TJ opens Janet’s passenger side door.
Janet fires another shot at the stairway.
BANG!
TJ starts up his jeep.
Janet hops into TJ’s jeep, and TJ speeds away from the apartment complex.
“So much for Tallahassee!” shouts TJ as he drives towards the highway.
“That soldier was so creepy. It’s disgusting what people are doing in this world,” says Janet.
“It’s pretty terrible. People will abuse their power when they can, and the state of the world is showing that for sure,” says TJ.
“What’s the plan now?” asks Janet.
“We need to get back home, regroup, and then see if we can find the Seminole Indian reservation in Tampa,” says TJ.
CHAPTER 5
MOVIE NIGHT
“Dude are you serious?” asks Shaun.
“Yeah, we got some great drone video of St. Pete. It’s pretty awesome.”
“Put that bad boy on,” says Jon.
“I will, just waiting on Matt.”
Shaun, Jon, Phil, and I are waiting in my living room for Matt. I’m having the guys over to show them the drone video I got from Brian. The video is pretty great quality and will show us a lot of St. Pete and DK.
My front door opens.
We all look at my front door and see Matt walk in.
“Better late than never, sunshine,” jokes Shaun.
“Very funny, I’m sorry I’m late,” says Matt.
Matt hands out some beers and sits down on my large sectional sofa in my living room.
I grab the remote to my DVD player and say, “The video I have is from a drone that we have at the Big Club. Phil and I each have one, and I think we should use them to scout the areas around here, the beach, and anywhere else we need to check out.”
“Man, I thought we were watching Step Brothers. I love that movie,” jokes Matt.
“Good one.”
“But, seriously, St. Pete is where we are going soon. The Grove needs our help to clear out the dead and clean up the streets. There is a man on the video called DK. He is one of Jacob’s men, and he looks to have a good amount of firepower and a strong team.”
I hit play on the remote and the guys and I watch the drone video.
“Who is controlling the drone and camera?” asks Jon.
“Brian, he works at The Grove. He is friends with Kat. The woman we met at World of Trade.”
The drone video shows the guys and I detailed information about the buildings, streets, and dangers in St. Pete.
“Who are those guys?” asks Shaun.
“They are a small group that almost gets killed,” says Phil.
“Do any of them die?” asks Matt.
“Just keep watching,” says Phil.
The guys shout at the television as they witness Felix, James, and Hector take on the horde of zombies.
“That double sword is awesome,” says Jon.
“Those guys are pretty reckless,” says Shaun.
“I had a hard time watching this in real time as I was worried about these guys fighting all those zombies,” says Phil.
Shaun replies, “There are way too many zombies for these guys.”
“It almost doesn’t seem real, it’s like I’m watching a horror movie,” says Matt.
I pause the video as two trucks come into frame.
“This is DK and his men. He is a Conqueror and someone I am worried about.”
I stand up by the television and say, “DK looks to be a tough adversary. He has some serious firepower with him.”
“The two trucks he has are badass. They are all terrain and set up to drive over rough areas,” says Shaun.
I hit play on the remote.
The guys and I witness DK save Felix, James, Hector from the zombies.
“He saved those guys. He might be okay,” says Matt.
“He could be okay, but I’m not taking any chances. He is a Conqueror and that already makes him an enemy.”
“Damn! That guy just chopped off the other guys arm!” shouts Shaun.
“Play it again,” says Phil.
“Was he bit?” asks Matt.
“Yeah, he got bit and they needed to chop off his arm to avoid the infection from spreading.”
Jon says, “That’s a good idea. I might have to do
that one day for you guys.”
“I hope not. I like having both of my arms,” says Matt.
The video ends.
“Well, what do you guys think?”
The room is silent. The guys just look at me.
No one says anything.
I look at the guys and say, “I think we need to head into St. Pete soon but first we need to meet with Jacob.”
“Why?” asks Matt.
“Fuck that guy,” says Shaun.
Jon says, “Ryan wants to meet with Jacob about Channelside. Channelside keeps being attacked by Jacob. We need to stop that.”
“We don’t need to do anything. We have our own problems here,” says Phil.
“We have tons of food, water, supplies, and really everything we need here,” says Matt.
“I want to talk with Jacob about Channelside and see what he wants with them. Also, I want to set up an agreement about St. Pete. We never discussed St. Pete and a couple other areas around Tampa Bay. Eventually we will need to expand our home base and area.”
“I did like the fish they gave us. Brad and Eric are pretty cool guys. I am down to help you Ryan,” says Shaun.
“People are how we survive in this world. How we rebuild this world. Eric and Brad are good people. I will help you Ryan. You know that,” says Jon.
“Thank you, Jon. I’m not going to do anything crazy for Channelside or anything dangerous with Jacob. We have our agreement and after we meet with him again, I don’t see any reason to deal with him for a while.”
“Good, I don’t want to see Jacob ever again,” says Matt.
“How are you going to meet him?” asks Shaun.
“I think we have to go into a Conqueror building and relay the message that we want to meet. I wish we knew where Jacob lived.”
“I think we need to find out where he lives. He knows where we live,” says Phil.
“We will, just not right now. We should talk with Bobby G about a possible location for Jacob’s house.”
“You really think Jacob took him to his house when he kidnapped him?” asks Shaun.
“I don’t know, but it would be a good starting point.”
“I think we go into a nearby Conqueror building and tell them to get a hold of Jacob over the radio for you. We don’t need to be driving all over looking for Jacob,” says Phil.
“Good idea. We can try tomorrow or in a couple days.”
“How was World of Trade?” asks Phil.
“It was great. Shaun, Bobby G, and I made out pretty good. I have something I want to show you.”
I exit my living room.
Phil looks at Shaun and asks, “Did you see those people with the masks over their faces again?”
Shaun replies, “No, not this time thankfully.”
Matt finishes his beer.
Shaun looks at Phil and says, “We did see the gun modification vendor again though. The guys at the gun mod place at World of Trade really hooked us up. We exchanged some stuff from the sporting goods store and seemed to make a nice connection with them.”
I walk back into my living room holding a gun, some bullets, and a piece of paper.
“What you got there?” asks Phil.
“They upgraded my handgun. It can hold more rounds, fires faster, and is just all around better.”
Phil picks up a bullet and asks, “Armor piercing bullets?”
“Yup,” says Shaun.
“Why do we need such a strong bullet?” asks Phil.
“To shoot into body armor obviously,” says Shaun.
I look at Phil and say, “Also, the bullets fly right through zombies’ skulls. They can kill multiple zombies with one shot.”
“Nice,” says Jon.
Matt takes the piece of paper and starts to read it.
Matt looks at me and says, “This is a bullet recipe. Nice. We have to find all these ingredients.”
“Yeah, we can make our own bullets now. Dutch at Precision Elite Mods really hooked us up. Dutch and Cage are pretty awesome there.”
“I will be going back to see them soon.”
“Any progress with getting into level two?” asks Phil.
“No, but I did talk with doorman. He may be able to let us in very soon.”
“Nice, I want to see what all the hype is about,” says Phil.
Jon stands up from my sofa and says, “Alright guys, I gotta get going. I’m tired. What’s the plan for tomorrow and this week?”
“I’ll walk out with ya,” says Shaun.
“When are you going to see William?” asks Jon.
“I’m going in a day or two to see William.”
Jon replies, “Okay, let me know when you are going. I want to go with you.”
Shaun shakes my hand and says, “Great movie night. I’ll see you later.”
Shaun and Jon exit my house through the front door.
Phil says, “I guess I’ll get going also. I still have a couple more things to put away in the house.”
I excuse myself from the living room and walk into my kitchen.
Matt stands up from the sofa and looks at Phil.
“You got a second Phil? I want to talk with you privately,” says Matt.
“Sure,” replies Phil.
Matt says, “Let’s go outside.”
Phil and Matt exit my house through my front door.
Phil doesn’t know what to say as Matt and he walk down my driveway.
Matt stops walking and looks at Phil.
“I understand what you and Nicole are doing. I trust you, but I just think it’s way too fast. Moving in together is a big step,” says Matt.
“I agree, but it just feels right. Nicole and the babies have their own space. You and Kylie, and your mom have your own space now,” says Phil.
“You and your family are always welcomed in our home. We are only a couple houses away,” says Phil.
Matt smiles and says, “I can’t believe she has twins.”
“They are great. I love Mason and Mia,” says Phil.
“I can’t believe I’m going to be a father. It’s kind of scary,” says Matt.
“You’ll do great. Kylie is great, and your baby will be the future,” says Phil.
“Wow, that’s crazy to think about. Our baby is the future of this place and the world,” says Matt.
“I know, right? Your sister and her babies are very important to me. Part of me just wants to settle down here and not take anymore risks,” says Phil.
“I know the feeling. I don’t trust Jacob and see him as a threat to us still. We might have to take him out,” says Matt.
“I’m down. We can end the Conquerors,” says Phil.
I walk out my front door and see Phil and Matt talking at the edge of my driveway.
I walk around my house and toss the garbage bag into my garbage can.
“Keep this quiet. Don’t tell Ryan,” says Matt to Phil.
I walk over to Matt and Phil.
“Everything ok guys?”
“Yeah, everything is good. Just talking about a couple things from the video and Phil’s new house,” says Matt.
“Nice. Glad you two are okay with each other.”
“Yeah, we are all good,” says Phil.
“Have a good night. I gotta take a shower and then get some rest. See you guys tomorrow.”
“Night Ryan,” says Phil and Matt.
Matt and Phil walk towards Matt’s house.
“Alright man, I’ll see you later. You take care of my sister and her little ones,” says Matt.
Phil says, “Will do. Night.”
Matt walks into his house, and Phil walks down the sidewalk to his house.
Phil enters his house, and he sees Nicole playing with Mason and Mia in the living room.
“You are all alone?” asks Phil to Nicole.
“No, I’m with Mason and Mia,” replies Nicole.
Phil walks over to Nicole.
“Kylie and Ann just left. I’m surprised you didn’t
see them,” says Nicole.
“I saw a car driving away from the house, but it was hard to make out who was in the car,” says Phil.
“Yeah, it’s pretty dark out,” says Nicole.
Phil watches Mason and Mia playing on a blanket on the living room floor.
“How was movie night?” asks Nicole.
Phil replies, “It was good. St. Pete is a mess, but we have a plan going forward.”
“How was Matt?” asks Nicole.
“Good, we talked about you and you living here,” says Phil.
Nicole picks up Mason and gives him to Phil.
Mason smiles at Phil.
Phil smiles back at Mason.
“How did the talk with my brother go?” asks Nicole.
Phil answers, “It went well. He seems to be okay with you living here now. He just thinks it’s too fast.”
Nicole picks up Mia and sits next to Phil on the sofa.
“What do you think?” asks Nicole.
Phil looks at Mia, Mason, and then Nicole.
“I think it’s great. You three are the best things that have ever happened to me,” says Phil.
“What about the other three?” jokes Nicole.
“Ryan, Matt, and Shaun don’t compare to these two chubby monsters and this hot brunette,” says Phil.
Nicole smiles at Phil.
“But seriously, you, Mason, and Mia are great, and I love having you all here,” says Phil.
“We love being here,” says Nicole.
Phil kisses Nicole.
“Can you help me put these two to bed?” asks Nicole.
“Sure, no problem,” says Phil.
Phil and Nicole carry Mason and Mia to their cribs and put them to bed.
Lauren walks into our master bedroom.
I’m brushing my teeth in the master bathroom.
“Hey honey, how are ya? How was movie night?” asks Lauren.
I spit my toothpaste into the sink and say, “Good. It was good. How are you?”
“Good, I was helping Kelly with the inventory around here. We have a lot of stuff,” says Lauren.
I exit the master bathroom and sit next to Lauren on our bed.
“That’s good. Stuff keeps us alive.”
“Yeah, that’s true. I think we need to get more things and supplies around here and then we will be pretty self-sufficient,” says Lauren.
“What do we need?”
Callie jumps onto our bed.
Lauren picks Callie up and starts petting her.
Fight 4 Us (Book 7): Weaponize Page 5