Fight 4 Us (Book 7): Weaponize

by Grenda, Brian

  Phil, Matt, and Shaun look into the woods but don’t see anyone.

  Phil shouts, “Thank you!”

  A wind blows the tree branches as Phil and Shaun look into the woods.

  “Can we leave now?” asks Shaun as he looks into the woods.

  I help Bobby G into the electric truck and look into the woods.

  I walk over to Shaun, Matt, and Phil.

  “Thank you! We appreciate the help! Who are you?”

  A man with a deep voice says, “We are friends. Don’t trust the brother. He is the worst of the two.”

  I remember being told that when I was at World of Trade.

  “Who are you? Who can we thank for this?”

  “We will reveal ourselves in time. Stay safe and do not trust the brother,” says the man with the deep voice from inside the well-hidden woods.

  I step towards the woods as I’m curious to see who I was talking too.

  “They want to be anonymous! Let them be hidden! They helped us and that’s all that matters!” shouts Phil as he looks into the woods.

  I look back at Phil and then the woods.

  As I look into the woods, I hear several people running through the woods away from us.

  “Weird!” shouts Shaun.

  “Let’s get the fuck out of here!” shouts Bobby G from inside the electric truck.

  I look at Bobby G and say, “Good idea.”

  I walk over to the dead man that has the arrow in his head and pull the arrow out of the back of his head.

  Shaun drives the electric truck over to me.

  I examine the arrow and find it interesting that it’s all black and very well made.

  I toss the arrow into the back of our electric truck.

  Shaun drives down the street and away from the Conqueror truck.

  Three hidden figures all dressed in black walk out of the woods and drag the dead man’s boy into the woods.

  As Shaun drives down the road, I can’t help but worry about this altercation we just had with Chris.

  “This has to change everything with Jacob! We need to kill Jacob and that little fucker Chris!” shouts Phil.

  “This does change my approach, but not our meeting. I still want to meet with Jacob after we search St. Pete.”

  “You serious?” asks Shaun.

  “They tried to kill us!” shouts Phil.

  “Maybe Chris was acting alone. We don’t know if it was Jacob,” says Bobby G.

  “That’s true, and we can’t start a war just yet. We will get there soon enough. We need to plan this out.”

  Shaun turns onto the dirt road that leads into Bo’s ranch.

  I am nervous as Shaun drives blindly through the shrubs, branches, and leaves.

  Suddenly, the leaves clear and we are on an open dirt road.

  I see horses, crops, a large barn, and people loading up a truck.

  “There is Bo,” says Shaun as he drives over to Bo’s truck.

  Barrett points a gun at Shaun’s truck.

  “Stop right there!” shouts Barrett.

  Shaun stops the electric truck.

  Bo sees that it’s Shaun and me.

  “Put your gun down brother, they are friends,” says Bo to Barrett.

  “More people know about our ranch?” asks Barrett.

  “Yeah, they are more good people,” says Bo.

  We exit the electric truck and walk over to Bo and Barrett.

  “Hey, Bo.”

  Bo walks over to me.

  “What are you doing?”

  “We are loading up this truck to take to the zoo,” answers Bo.

  Barrett gets annoyed that Bo just told me about the zoo.

  “Stop telling people about the zoo!” shouts Barrett.

  “They are friends Bo! We can trust them!” shouts Bo.

  Nicky walks out of Bo’s house.

  “We ready to go?” asks Nicky to Barrett.

  “Yeah. I just put the last box of stuff in the back,” says Barrett to Nicky.

  Bo introduces me to Barrett and Nicky.

  I look at Barrett and say, “We mean no harm Barrett. You can trust us.”

  Barrett is unsure about me and replies, “We will see about that.”

  Nicky says, “Nice to meet you Ryan.”

  Bobby G grabs a bag from the back of our electric truck, and the black arrow falls into the dirt.

  Nicky sees the black arrow and asks, “Where did you get that?”

  I look back at Bobby G and see that Nicky is asking about the black arrow.

  “We just found it. A group of people hiding in the woods saved us as we were coming here,” says Bobby G.

  Nicky smiles and says, “I guess Isiah likes you.”

  Barrett says, “Let’s get going Nicky. Darby and the animals have waited long enough for these crops.”

  Nicky and Barrett get into Barrett’s truck.

  Barrett starts up his truck and speeds down the dirt road towards the exit of the ranch.

  “I don’t think your brother likes me,” I say to Bo.

  “He doesn’t like most people when he firsts meets them. He will warm up to you,” says Bo.

  “You have a nice place here,” says Bobby G to Bo.

  Bo takes Bobby G, Matt, and I inside his house, and we all sit down at the large wooden dining room table.

  “How are you fellas doing? What can I help you with?” asks Bo.

  “We are doing well. We just wanted to see how you were doing after the storm and everything.”

  Bo replies, “We are doing well. The storm didn’t affect us too much. We have been really busy around here, but all is well.”

  “We need to kill that guy! It’s done, the agreement is done!” shouts Shaun to Phil.

  I look at Shaun who is talking with Phil outside on Bo’s front porch.

  “Everything okay Ryan?” asks Bo.

  I look at Bo and say, “Not really. We just ran into a problem on the way here. A problem with another group.”

  “That’s why I don’t mess with other groups. I stay here at my ranch and try to stay away from people,” says Bo.

  “I agree! We need to take those assholes down for good!” shouts Phil.

  I excuse myself from Bo and walk over to Phil and Shaun who are still talking on Bo’s front porch.

  “What’s going on guys?”

  “We can’t let Chris and Jacob scare us. They tried to kill us,” says Shaun.

  “I agree, we need to make them pay, but we need to do it the right way. We can’t just go in guns a blazing for the meeting.”

  “Why not?” asks Shaun.

  “Because, this isn’t a movie. This isn’t some 80’s action movie. We could die.”

  Bobby G talks with Bo at the dining room table.

  “What the hell was that all about in the woods?” asks Phil.

  “I don’t know, but luckily they helped us. I’m interested to know more about this Isiah and his people.”

  “It’s good to have friends around here,” says Phil.

  Matt walks out of Bo’s house eating an apple.

  “Nice of you to join us,” says Phil to Matt.

  “What’s up?” asks Matt.

  “We are talking about what to do next with Jacob and the meeting.”

  “Don’t you want to go to St. Pete tomorrow?” asks Matt.

  “Yeah, I want to check out a hospital there and clear out some areas for us.”

  “What do you need at the hospital?” asks Phil.

  “Lauren’s dad needs insulin. I was hoping they might have some at the hospital in St. Pete. Every place that we have checked has not had any insulin we could use.”

  “It’s gotta be tough being a diabetic,” says Matt.

  “Yeah, I’m sure it is. Keith won’t last long without insulin.”

  Bo and Bobby G walk out of Bo’s house and over to Bo’s horses.

  “How many horses you got here Bo?” asks Bobby G.

  “Eight, we have eight horses here now
,” replies Bo.

  I look at Bo and Bobby G talking and notice the big smile on Bobby G’s face.

  As I see Bo and Bobby G talking, I think about the problems with Chris and Jacob regarding my father and become overwhelmed with a sense of worry.

  “We need to have the meeting with Jacob, figure out a plan, and gain intel. We can’t just go in and blow up the place. We will kill Jacob and Chris, but not right now.”

  “What’s your plan, Ryan?” asks Phil.

  I look at Phil and say, “I will be setting a new agreement between Jacob and us.”

  CHAPTER 10

  BACK TO ST. PETE

  “Thank you, William. I will see you tomorrow,” I say to William over the long-range radio as I’m standing under the oak tree in Bobby G’s front yard.

  “Is William going to help us?” asks Shaun.

  “Yeah, he will be here tomorrow morning, and he is sending some Warriors here and to the Big Club to provide help if Jacob attacks.”

  “Good, I’m not sure we should be leaving this place right now. We need to attack Jacob and take them out,” says Shaun.

  The South entrance gate opens and two cars drive through.

  The drivers of the cars are directed by Brody to Bobby G’s driveway.

  I see the cars drive down the road towards me, and I flag them down.

  I look at Shaun and say, “I need to check out the hospital in St. Pete for some insulin and other meds. You can stay here if you want.”

  The two cars park in the street next to Bobby G’s driveway.

  “Who’s this?” asks Phil as he walks over to me.

  Felix, Hector, James, and four other Warriors get out of the cars.

  “No Jeremy?”

  Felix laughs and says, “No way, William won’t let him leave The Haven yet.”

  “Maybe one day,” says Hector.

  Felix, Hector, and James introduce the new Warriors to me, Phil, and Shaun.

  I go over the plan for today and where I want the new Warriors to guard and patrol.

  “I can’t stay long in St. Pete today. I want to check out the hospital and see if they have some supplies for us.”

  “Sounds good, we have a safe house around the hospital in downtown St. Pete. We know how to get around St. Pete, but the hospital is a mess. They have an entire wing that is blocked off,” says Hector.

  “Does the hospital have power?”

  “Yeah, the lights are on, and I have heard the generators going the last time we were there,” says Felix.

  Brody walks over to me, Felix, Hector, and James.

  “What’s up guys?” asks Brody.

  “Nothing much man. We are going back to St. Pete for some supplies and to explore some more,” says Felix.

  Brody looks at James and asks, “Who’s the new guy?”

  James doesn’t say anything to Brody but gives him a look of annoyance.

  “He’s James. He’s good people. He might be quiet, but he’s a killer,” says Hector.

  Brody replies, “Okay, whatever you say man. Nice to meet you then James.”

  I direct Brody to take the new Warriors around the South and West entrances and to make sure that they are familiar with our neighborhood.

  A truck comes speeding around the corner and stops at Bobby G’s driveway.

  We all look at the truck.

  Jon gets out of the truck and walks over to us.

  “Kelly, Jerri-Lynn, and Sam are going out on a run, they want to talk with you for a second,” says Jon to me.

  I walk over to the truck.

  Brody takes the new Warriors away from Bobby G’s front yard and to the West entrance.

  I look into the truck and see, Jerri-Lynn, Kelly, Sam, Andre, and Kiersten in the truck.

  “Hey ladies. What’s up Andre?”

  Jerri-Lynn replies from the passenger seat of the truck, “Hey, Ryan. We are going out for supplies. Need anything in particular?”

  “I think Kelly has the list of what we need. The list should have everything we need right now.”

  “Okay, we are going to try a couple of different locations and try to get a lot of different things on the list,” says Kelly from the driver seat of the truck.

  I look at Jerri-Lyn and ask, “Where are you living now Jerri-Lynn?”

  “Across the street from here. Sam and Andre found a great house in the neighborhood across the street from your main entrance,” says Jerri-Lynn.

  “You be careful, and nothing on the list is a must have. Your lives are more important than some books.”

  “You got that right,” says Jerri-Lynn.

  Kelly says, “We’ll see you later.”

  Kelly speeds away in the truck.

  Jon watches as Kelly drives through the South entrance.

  Phil asks Jon, “Everything okay?”

  “No, I’m worried about Kelly. She insisted that she wanted to go on the run today with Jerri-Lynn,” says Jon.

  “Jerri-Lynn, Andre, and Sam are very capable. They are good with blades and have a good plan when it comes to scavenging and staying safe on runs.”

  Jon says, “I know, but I’m not sure Kelly is ready yet.”

  “When she gets back, teach her some things and work on her weapons training,” says Phil.

  Jon smiles and says, “Oh I will. That’s a good idea.”

  I look around and see Shaun, Jon, Phil, Felix, Hector, and James.

  “Where is Matt?”

  Phil replies, “He’s not coming.”

  “Go get him!”

  Phil puts his bag on the ground and walks across the street to Matt’s house.

  “What’s the plan for Jacob and the meeting?” asks Jon.

  “We will talk about that later, but I don’t plan on saying much to Jacob.”

  Felix looks at me and asks, “Do you need help tomorrow with Jacob?”

  “We can use your help tomorrow. I already talked with William about it, and we have a plan for the meeting at the Clearwater Sand Beach Resort tomorrow.”

  “We will be there,” says Hector.”

  “Thank you, but let’s focus on the run to St. Pete. We will take Phil’s SUV with the plow on the front. We want to clear the streets and get to the hospital as quickly and safely as possible.”

  Phil walks back over with Matt.

  “What’s up Ry?” asks Matt.

  “I need you to help guard this place. You have a good number of people here now. Don’t let anyone in or out, unless it’s us or Kelly’s truck.”

  “I will. I will be out and about today,” says Matt.

  “Don’t stay inside your house with Kylie all day,” says Shaun.

  “I won’t. I will be doing a perimeter check and taking notes of any area of concern. I heard some noise in the neighborhood behind ours the other day,” says Matt.

  We load up Phil’s SUV and get ready for the trip to St. Pete.

  Shaun and Jon check out Felix’s custom sword.

  I give Hector a radio and say, “We need to stay in contact with each other on this trip. We will use channel two.”

  Hector turns the radio to channel two and says, “Good idea.”

  Matt goes back to his house.

  I place the top half of my samurai gear on and get into Phil’s SUV.

  Shaun, Jon, and Phil are ready to go.

  Hector, Felix, and James get into Hector’s car.

  Phil leads the way out of Citrus Oaks and Hector follows.

  “What do you think of those guys from The Haven?

  asks Shaun.

  “They seem capable,” says Jon.

  “We are going to find out,” says Phil.

  “Check, check,” says Felix into the radio.

  I pick up the radio and say, “Your radio works. Conserve the battery.”

  Felix replies, “Roger dat. Over.”

  “Oh geez. They are playing with the radios,” says Shaun.

  Phil drives down the road and Hector follows.

  Phil a
pproaches The Grove.

  “What’s that place?” asks Jon.

  “That’s The Grove. That’s where Kat works.”

  “Nice, it’s massive,” says Jon.

  Shaun jokes, “That’s what she said.”

  Phil passes The Grove, and he makes a right-hand turn.

  “The hospital should be a mile or so from here,” says Felix over the radio.

  Phil drives down the road and comes to a large pile of debris in the road.

  Phil looks at me and asks, “Should I try to move it?”

  I see that the debris is made up of thick concrete, vehicles, and other heavy objects.

  “Let’s try to go around it. Try to get around this debris, but then get back on this road though.”

  Phil makes a U-turn and Hector follows behind.

  The streets of St. Pete have an eerie feeling to them, like we are being watched by the dead.

  Felix says through the radio, “Make a right up ahead and then a quick left.”

  “Will do,” I reply through the radio.

  Phil makes a right-hand turn, and we see a small group of approaching zombies at the end of the road.

  Phil slows down as he hears a group of vehicles driving in our direction.

  “What’s up Phil?” asks Shaun.

  Suddenly, two large military Humvee’s come speeding down a side street and stop behind the zombie herd.

  Three soldiers get out of the Humvee’s and approach the zombie herd.

  “What are they carrying?” asks Phil.

  The three soldiers shoot three large nets from their guns.

  “What are they doing?” asks Shaun.

  A large military transport truck drives over to the three soldiers.

  Two more soldiers get out of the Humvee’s and help the three other soldiers that shot the nets on the zombie herd.

  I watch the soldiers capture the zombies and place them in the back of the military transport truck with ease.

  One of the soldiers looks at us, and he closes the back hatch of the military transport truck.

  Shaun sees the soldier and says, “Well, the government is definitely here now.”

  The soldiers get back into the Humvee’s, and they drive away from the street.

  The street is completely clear of zombies and danger now.

  Phil drives down the street and makes a quick left-hand turn.

  I see a part of the hospital in the distance.

  I point and say, “There is the hospital.”

  Two zombies come out of nowhere and are ripped in half by Phil’s SUV plow.