by Jimmy Bird
That’s right you heard me, a long trip is in store for us. You see, it didn’t work out at my father-n-law’s place. That’s not entirely true. It was working out until we ran into some trouble and was forced to abandon it. I guess we could have tried to fight for the place but with such a small number of people to defend it, we would have died. It was the kind of trouble that we didn’t foresee when we choose to go there. Before I go into too much detail, here’s what happened.
Before our previous drive back to the Warehouse, we devised a plan and prioritized the many different things that we needed to do. I would like to say that our first and foremost priority was to Ruff. We knew that it could mean a long hide and seek hunt, but we owed it to him to end his suffering. I knew that it was the least we could do for him.
After taking care of our fallen brother, we needed to find supplies. It just so happens that Moore had two supercenters and four grocery stores within a five-mile radius of each other. It also has a sporting goods store, a farming supply type of store, and two do-it-yourself home projects type of stores. Yes, if we’re careful, we could fully stock up on canned food, cooking supplies, planting seeds, building supplies, and even weapons. With that much land, we figured that we could plant vegetables, but all that had to wait because we had a mission to accomplish.
Unfortunately, we never truly made it back to the Warehouse until now. In fact, it took us half a day just to get back to get close enough the Warehouse from the Sanctuary. While driving, neither one of said much outside of the planning. I think that Danny and I were just ready to get it over with. It was agreed that Danny would drive. I used the silence to reflect on all that had happened since we abandoned the Warehouse and started writing this manuscript.
I would like to start off by saying that before the apocalypse, the travel time from my father-n-law’s house to the Warehouse was usually around forty minutes. Basically, the travel time depended on the traffic and time of day. I would like to point out that since it all depended on traffic, you would think that it would be a lot faster now that most people were either dead or zombies. Unfortunately, we all know that’s not the case.
While it was true that there were now less people on the road, it didn’t mean that we didn’t have to deal with different types of obstacles. There were abandoned or damaged cars everywhere, especially out in the rural country area where there are only two-lane roads. Plus, the zombie hordes were everywhere. It was like they were a pack of wild animals with no alpha leader, but somehow shared a common brain. I know that it’s hard to think of them like that, but if you look at all the facts, it seems true.
Before I get to far ahead of myself, I want to go back to the time we left the Warehouse. It started shortly after arriving at my father-n-law’s house. Unfortunately, we found it abandoned.
To be honest with you, I kind of figured that no one would be here. Especially, since I know the kind of person he was, and I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I had even talked to him. It might have been a few weeks before the world fell apart. Since he was a machinist, we had been talking about creating a custom piece for my motorcycle. Nothing important, it was just something to work on in our own spare time. Unfortunately, we never got around to doing it.
Sorry, I got off the subject. Now, where was I? Oh yeah, now I remember. You see, he loved his family, especially his grandchildren so much that he probably made his way towards Moore just to check on them.
My brother-n-law and his family also lived in Moore, just a few miles from us. I’m thinking that if my father-n-law couldn’t get a hold of either one of his children by phone then he most likely ventured out in the mess to check on us.
We waited around for a day before we raided his tool shed. I wanted to see if he would come back before we went through his things. We didn’t see any signs of him staying there, but it didn’t feel right being at his house without him there. Know what I mean?
Anyway, we ended up using his shovels and tractor to dig a ditch around his property, just inside the fence line. It was a defensive plan for whatever managed to work its way past the fence because they would then find themselves in a deep ditch. The plan was to dig the ditch over six feet deep and four feet wide. It took us nearly a week of digging to just get a half block dug up. With all the rocks and stumps in the ground, not to mention all the trips to Moore took time.
At the bottom of the ditch, we planned on placing post that stuck a few feet out of the ground (we got the idea from movies). The post was going to have double layers of barbed wire wrapped around them. So that whatever did make its way into the ditch, would get their legs either tangled or chewed up by the barbed wire.
If they did manage to make it past the post, then they would have to climb a six-foot sixty-degree angled wall of Oklahoma red clay. Anyone from Oklahoma knows that the red clay from here sucks. When it’s wet, it’s even worse than trying to walk or crawl through thick mud and when it’s dry, it’s like hard textured glass.
Next, we planned on placing another fence on the inside of the property, just a few feet past the ditch. The fence wasn’t going to be anything special, it was just going to be four feet in height. So, whoever did manage to crawl out of the ditch would tear their hands up trying to reach for something to grab a hold of. We figured that if that wasn’t enough to stop whatever came through then we could always add more.
We also started working on ideas for a hidden alternative escape routes through the rear fence if the main gate ever got blocked. Until our defenses were built, we figured that we could position our SUV near the rear exit out of the house. If trouble ever made it past the fence, then we had a quick getaway exit planned.
As a precautionary measure, we took turns routinely doing perimeter checks. We walked the fence in pairs, every two to three hours. We wanted to make sure that we had plenty of warning if something ever did get inside the fence.
When our previous attempt failed to reach the Warehouse, Danny and I decided that we were going to take a detour, a long way back to our new home. We figured that we could check out a couple of new places to search for supplies. We figured that if we hit up the stores on our way back to Moore then we would find some much-needed supplies. We knew that our supplies were getting scarce and we would run out eventually, it was just a matter of time. Before that though, we figured the same ‘long way around’ strategy could be used on our way to the Warehouse. We hoped that it would give us a greater chance of finding supplies.
The Warehouse is located just a few miles south of downtown Oklahoma City and we had to go further south to get to the Moore area. On that day, we slowly made our way to the southwest side of the city until we saw a sign for another supercenter store. This one was located just off the highway I-240 and to top it off, there were a few sporting goods stores close by. We knew that with any luck, they would still have supplies in them.
The surrounding roads were awful, with most of the major roads either blocked off or narrowed down by abandoned cars. We slowly made our way down Western Avenue when we came across an abandoned truck parked in the middle of the street. It was perpendicular between two other cars.
The truck looked in pretty good shape with minimum body damage and had almost no blood on it. The glass looked clean in a way that we hadn’t seen in almost a year. Well, not since before the apocalypse. It was one of those rare sights.
It was also the reason we became instantly suspicious, thinking that it might have been some kind a trap. No vehicle could have been that clean and in that good of shape for a year. Let me just cut to the chase, it was a trap.
Danny had been driving at the time while I played the lookout. My job was to keep an eye out for zombies and suspicious looking people. We didn’t want to end up trapped, with no way out, sort of like the trap that was in front of us. Luckily, I spotted it before we got too close.
Before we did anything, we talked about our next move. We figured that every road could be like that one and that our direct path to
the supercenter and supplies was straight ahead. We knew that if I could move the truck far enough forward then we could squeeze the SUV past it. We sat there for a few minutes just to make sure that the coast was clear.
It was agreed that Danny would stay in the car and watch over me while I went to investigate. I grabbed my spear that Ruff had made me and my pistol that I had stashed under the seat. I put the gun in between my back and waistband of my pants. I looked around but couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a setup.
When I didn’t see anyone, I slowly opened the passenger door and looked around again. When I still didn’t see anyone, I lowered my right foot towards the ground and slid out of the seat. I figured that I was being a bit over cautious, but we had learned the hard way not to trust anyone and I wasn’t about to take any chances now.
Danny didn’t feel the same way about things as I did as he frustratingly yelled, “Hurry up Jimmy. The sooner we move the truck, the sooner we can get back home.”
Home? I don’t even know what home feels like anymore. I guess my father-n-law’s land could be considered home. I just never thought about it that way. To me, it would always be my father-n-law’s place. We were just using it until he came back.
Came back? Who am I kidding? He was probably dead or one of the undead. The last place I felt even remotely at home was at the Warehouse, but that was when I still had my kids. No, the Sanctuary would never be my home.
Danny brought me back to reality when he told me once again, “Jimmy! Hurry up!”
I looked around. I had momentarily forgotten where we were. I looked up and saw the nice cleanish truck in the distance and remembered.
I continued to slowly lower the rest of my body to the ground. Once both feet were firmly on the ground, I slowly turned around in a three hundred sixty-degree circle. I still didn’t see anything but couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched.
I turned to face the truck and noticed that Danny was already halfway there. What was he doing? He was supposed to stay back in the SUV while I went to check on the truck. You could tell that he was frustrated by his mannerisms. I wasn’t sure what his problem was.
He kept talking under his breath as he looked over at me and yelled, “Come on, hurry up!”
He turned and quickly walked towards the truck. He didn’t even stop until he was within a few feet of it.
He turned around and asked, “Man, Jimmy. What’s taking you so long?”
To be honest, I didn’t know. I wanted to walk purposely towards the truck like he was, but something was stopping me. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, that this was all a trap. I looked around one more time. When I was satisfied that no one was around, I put one foot in front of the other and began walking towards Danny.
I immediately stopped and pulled the gun from my waist. I quickly raised it towards Danny. Startled, he gripped his own gun.
Lucky for me, he didn’t pull it as he asked, “Jimmy? What are you doing?”
“Danny, turn around and look behind you.”
He slowly turned his head so he could look out the corner of his eyes. You could tell from his body language that he was expecting a few zombies behind him. He almost sighed his relief when it turned out to be a couple of men leaning on the truck with guns aimed at him. Danny tried to say something to the guys but was cut short by a woman’s voice from overhead.
I looked up and saw around twenty people or so on top of the building to our right. Something told me to look to my left. I slowly turned and noticed about the same amount of people on the building to the left. Men, women, and teenagers. They were dressed in similar garments that Kevin and Bruce’s men were dressed in. Man, we were so outnumbered and screwed!
I raised my gun towards the building tops and was told to immediately, “Stop!”
It was a male’s voice that I vaguely recognized, and it had come from behind me. With my gun still raised up, I slowly turned around.
Coming up from behind us was another ten or so people, led by a bearded man that I hardly recognized. It looked like Robert Pierce, Bruce’s brother-n-law. I had never been so relieved to see someone in my life. I lowered my gun and smiled.
I raised my arms in a welcoming motion as I yelled out, “Robert?”
My smile or actions were not precipitated. I felt someone next to me and turned to see Danny standing there. He was panting as if he was trying to catch his breath. My guess was that he ran in order to stand next to me.
I looked back towards Robert, who had continued walking towards us. His men had stayed put, their weapons trained on us. It was a little frightening.
He stopped just a few feet from us, his face had a serious look upon it. His look intensified as he took one step closer to stand in front of us. I’m not sure about Danny, but my body tensed up as I expected the worse. To my surprise, Robert raised his arms and hugged us, together. He pulled away, his face softened up as he smiled.
He asked, “How are you guys doing?”
I told him, “We’re doing fine.”
Danny agreed, “Yep. We’re fine.”
Before I knew it, we were being hammered by questions, “Really? That’s great. Where are you staying? How many people do you have? What kind of weapons do you have? Why did you abandon the Warehouse?”
I was shocked to say the least. Before I could say anything, his expression changed once again as he asked in a serious tone, “Where’s Bruce, Kevin, and our kin?”
I stood there frozen. My mind raced with answers on what I should do. What should I say?
Bruce and Robert were brother-n-laws, everybody knew it. Bruce was married to Robert’s sister. Before the apocalypse, they both worked at the Warehouse, in the same department. The only problem was that, everyone thought that they hated each other. Why would he ask about Bruce?
Robert must have noticed my expression because he asked, “What? You didn’t really think that we hated each other, did you?”
I didn’t respond as I stood there wide eyed. That was exactly what I thought.
His facial expression softened up once again, “It was our plan all along. We wanted people to assume that we hated each other because we didn’t want anyone to figure out what we were up too. You see, we figured that the Council was on to something with all your talk about the End of the World and we wanted to be prepared too. It appears that we were correct in our assumptions. So, the weekends that y’all weren’t training, we were getting together and training on our own. After all, it’s all about family.”
He could see my confused look and immediately pointed towards the two rooftops. My eyes followed the angle towards the roof. I knew immediately that we were in trouble. If there was roughly fifty people here and possibly even more out there, then we were in some serious trouble. I knew that if Robert was looking for Bruce, Kevin, and their kin and if he didn’t get what he wanted then we were going to die.
I felt an uneasy feeling that someone was standing right next to me. I slowly turned back toward Robert’s group and found him standing a mere inch from me, with another serious look on his face. I stood still, as if I was a trapped frightened prey. Danny began to speak, but Robert cut him off.
Robert didn’t look in Danny’s direction as he told him, “Danny, Shut Up!”
Danny being Danny began to protest once again, something about having the right to speak. Robert continued to ignore him as he lifted his left hand. In unison, all guns pointed directly in Danny's direction. Danny reacted by raising his own gun, but I stopped him.
I calmly told him, “Danny, lower your gun.”
As if seeing his position for the first time, he reluctantly lowered his gun without any further outburst. Robert’s face softened up a little as he stepped back a few paces.
He looked up towards the roofs as he spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, “See I told you, Jimmy was the reasonable one.”
He began to walk around me and Danny as he spoke, “We’ve been to the Ware
house and seen the damage. We know that there was a battle there.”
He made a full circle and stopped right in front of me again. He cracked a small sadistic smile as he turned to face me. Danny tried to speak once again, but Robert shut him down by putting up his hand.
In fact, Robert turned to a guy on his left but spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, “If the shorter guy speaks again, without being asked a question, then you have my permission to shoot him. Understood?”
The guy replied, “Yes, Sir!”
I turned my head towards Danny and made eye contact, warning him not to speak. The look he had in his eyes told me that he understood.
Robert watched the silent exchange between me and Danny with fascination. He had heard that the Council members could do it, but never seen it in action.
He smiled as he asked, “Jimmy? What happened at the Warehouse?”
The words got caught in my throat as my mouth was dry. I licked my lips to moisten them, “You’re right. There was a battle.”
Robert’s smile faded as his face took on that serious look again as he asked, “What about Bruce, Kevin, and the others?”
I told him, “I’m not entirely sure.”
My mind raced as I tried to recall the details of what had happened. Did I tell him the truth? I figured why not, we were probably dead anyway.
I went for broke as I informed him, “They were there. They had sent in a couple of people to try to take the Warehouse from the inside and when that failed, they tried to take it by force. We fought back, people died on both sides.”
He asked, “Were Bruce and Kevin were among those that died?”
This is where I decided to lie a little with a hint of truth. I looked him square in the eyes and told him, “I’m not sure. Zombies showed up in the middle of the battle, causing a cease fire as everyone ran for their lives. The zombies then found a way into the Warehouse, forcing us to abandon it.”