"Wow!" I exclaimed. "You guys did an outstanding job.
Thank you so much! Now, let's get busy and start saving people!"
It seems like so long ago since I made that statement,
but it had only been a few months. People are starting to file in as we have
invited entire groups who were willing to acquiesce to our rules. Even though
the Plant and the Armory were out in the open, we still maintained the secrecy
of the ARC.
We expanded the council and included elections and
representation from the other two locations. The meeting of the council rotated
to each location so as not to give the impression of favoritism.
As time passed and our communities grew, I began to
get a little worried. Even though we're in the middle of the apocalypse,
everyone seems to be a little too at ease.
We're having barbecues and dances. A couple of the Raiders even salvaged some
films and projectors from a movie theater and changed one of the barracks at
the Armory into a theater. We have committed an unforgivable sin: complacency.
We are getting fat and comfortable.
Tim, Von, and Fred have come up with some innovative
ideas, like pinning the DCs in front of the armory to give it the illusion that
it is overrun. Von also suggested that we attach wires to some of the DCs near
the plant to force them to walk in a circle as a deterrent. All of the DCs had
their teeth and fingertips removed.
But the bulk of our community is not ready for what I
feel is coming. And it seems that Di is becoming a little more Pollyanna every day. She is adamant
about preventing us from raising and training a pseudo-army. It's even
beginning to affect the relationship between her and Andre.
"Babe, I know you have an issue with violence and that
we should all 'just get along,' but that's not the world we live in," said
Andre. "You weren't there, so you didn't see the shape Marie was in after that Otto von Douche Bag dude took her or
with what happened to Ellen. What if Jacob and his crew should come back? There
are some evil and depraved human beings out there now with no law to reign them
in."
"I'm not naive Andre, but do we have to become the
evil we are fighting against?" pleaded Diana. "Guns beget violence and violence
begets arrogance and arrogance begets superiority and the whole damn thing
starts over again."
"Look, we're not conquerors!" said Andre. "We're not
looking to take what others have. We are only offering an alliance or an offer
to join us, as well as protect our way of life."
"But what about those folks who turned you down the
other day?" she asked.
"Those hillbilly idiots pulled guns on us and tried to
take our truck. We tried to leave peacefully, but they attacked us," he said.
"They attack us, we attack them, and it always ends
the same: with someone dead," she replied.
"So, are you suggesting that we don't defend
ourselves?" he asked.
"No! I'd die if anything happened to you. I just want
the killing to stop!" she said.
As I moved between the ARC, the Armory, and the Plant,
I saw laughter, I saw people sitting around lazily, but I saw no training. The
twins are making out in the shooting range with Aisha and Regina. Fred and
Ronny are in the motor pool attempting to restore a hotrod that Rodriguez
found. And Rodriguez, with T's and a few of the Raiders' help, is throwing his
daughter, Elsa, a quinceañera.
I mean, one part of me is glad that we are getting as
close to normal as possible, but it feels like the calm before the storm. I
continue on to one of the makeshift dojos set up in the Plant, and I see Em and
Joshua training their hearts out. They get it, but the others seem to be
treating this like a day at the spa.
"You two seem to be going at it pretty fierce," I
said.
"He's good, but I'm better," said Em. And with that
distraction, Joshua swept her legs from under her and slapped on an armbar.
"Hey! No fair, Doc distracted me!" she protested as
she tapped out.
Joshua stood, and he bowed to me and then to Em and
said, "As my sensei says constantly, 'we must be ready for any and all
eventualities.'"
My heart swelled with pride.
"If I may be excused, I promised Jamie I would go over
some 'holds' with her," he said as he grinned and blushed. We bowed, and he ran
off.
"I think you are possibly passing some of your
flirtatious traits on to him," said Em as she slapped my bottom and squeezed
it.
"Only the good ones," I said as I winked at her.
Em joined me as I continued through the Plant. Jason,
Ellen, and Marie were the first ones who decided to take up residence here with
Ernesti and Madison. Where was Ernesti? Where else would he be but with
Madison? Most in our group think that Ernesti has lost it. But I know he stays
with Madison out of obligation. He feels guilty that he was unable to protect
her and that she turned.
"Madison, I really believe I have an opportunity to
return to the living again," he said as he caressed her face and she looked on
with a vacant look in her eyes. "Know that I will never forget you and will
always remember the promise: 'Life continues as long as one lives!'"
He pulled out his blade and sunk it into Madison's
temple. He turned toward us and said, "It's done!" He picked up Madison's
lifeless body and carried it outside. He dug a shallow grave that he insisted
that he alone dig, said a few quiet words, and buried his friend with only Em
and I as witnesses.
Ernesti retuned inside and walked up to Marie and
gently took her hand and said, "I will protect you."
I guess it is spring and love is in the air. I needed
to get out of the confines of the shelters. I asked Em to accompany me as I
checked on a few of the outposts.
We drove to the outpost where we first ran into Em,
Joshua, and the Rodriguez family. The food stores hadn't been restocked and the
weapons had been taken. We replaced the supplies and we continued to the
outpost where we ran into Jamie and Ronny.
There was a couple there. The woman was cradling the
head of the man. She said something that we couldn't make out and she shot him
in the head. She then pointed the gun at her own head and pulled the trigger.
They gave up. I looked at Em and she looked at me, and we both turned to leave.
"Em, I'm worried," I said. "This is the world we now
live in, but everyone at our settlements is living in a fool's paradise."
"They're just happy," she said.
"They're getting soft," I replied. "How do I get them
to understand that this could all end tomorrow, that none of us are really
safe? We have to remain vigilant at all times, but we've gotten too
comfortable."
Our conversation was interrupted by a DC, then two,
three, it was a damned herd! It was as if the fates were trying to prove my
point.
Em, and I were hacking our way back to the car. My
heart skipped a beat when Em and I got separated, and she became surrounded by
DCs. I struggled against the DCs near me and pushed towards her direction. Em
was gone. My heart was beginning to sink, and I grew furious. I was angry
enough to kill them all. These monsters had taken two women from me, and there
wasn't anything I could do about it.
But just then, it happened. I could no longer see her,
but the sound of her blade could still be heard cleaving bone and tissue.
"Em! Keep heading towards the car!" I shouted.
"I'll meet you there, lover!" she shouted back.
But that was when I saw it. It wasn't a herd. It was a
hoard. There were thousands of DCs in the valley and they were all headed
towards the ARC. This one makes the last walk-through look like a picnic.
"This is Doc to the ARC! Doc to the ARC! A hoard is on
its way through the area! Repeat, a hoard is on its way through the area!" I
screamed into the walkie-talkie.
"This is Mirna Rodriguez on comm-duty! Say again!"
said Mirna.
"Mirna, this is Doc! A hoard of approximately 20,000
DCs are headed that way!" I repeated.
"¡Dios mío!
The ranking council member here is Mr. T. I'll let him know rápidamente!" She replied.
As we made it back to the car, it was about to be
overrun. We got into the car just in the nick of time. We hit two DCs as we
peeled out.
In all the time I've known Em, this is the first time
she has looked frightened. But who can blame her? When the herd walked through
the ARC the first time, two people were hurt, and one was killed. God only
knows what will happen this time. How and the hell will they react to this
after so much time of lazing around?
Due to the severity of the situation, we broke
protocol and drove right through the gate of the farm and right up to the barn.
We dispatched the DCs still there. Mirna was on the comms with both the Armory
and the Plant. They had already begun to evacuate the non-fighters out of the
ARC and relocated them to the Plant. The Raiders, whose ranks were recently
increased by Henry, Ernesti, and Jason were all dressed in their riot gear and armed
and ready to go at the ARC. Von and T were there as well.
"We got everyone out," said T. "Von here thinks he has
some way to guide the hoard!"
Von led us all to the conference room. He then wheeled
in a whiteboard that we found on one of the runs.
"We know that the DCs follow sounds and rapidly moving
targets. Well, I think if we use some of the VonBombs, we can force the DCs to
follow both the alarms and the explosions," he said. "The problem will come
when trying to get close enough to deploy the devices. I was hoping we could
use the t-shirt canons that Rodriguez found, but the VonBombs won't fit in
them. So, the only remaining option is to throw them."
"If we all use riot gear and stay a good distance from
them and throw the VonBombs in their midsts, we might be able to guide them to
an area away from our settlements," I said. "Look, dead heroes won't do any of
us any good. Keep your head on a swivel and stay alert. Don't let yourself get
surrounded and overwhelmed!"
"Hmm, you can be overwhelmed and underwhelmed, but can
anyone just be whelmed?" asked T.
His attempts to break the tension with levity was
obvious. We all laughed with nervousness mixed in.
"Today, I'm shooting for plain old whelmed!" exclaimed
T.
"T, come in! T do you read me? Over," said Leon on the
walkie-talkie. "Fred got the tank running. We're ready to show these mofos not
to fuck with us, sir!"
T informed Leon, Fred, and Tim of our plan to try and
herd the hoard using the VonBombs. Leon would only fire if he was certain there
was no one in the area.
Andre, Brian, and Henry took the .50 caliber machine
gun mounted truck and took point. They were followed by Ernesti and Jason in a
pickup with Robert. Ricky drove Joshua and T. I brought up the rear with Gerald
and Rodriguez. We would rendezvous with Leon out by the crest of the valley
provided they hadn't progressed that far. Leon wanted to just run them over
with the tank, but T feared the treads would become clogged with DC parts and
dissuaded him from that course. I tasked Em and Di with shoring up the defenses
for the Armory and the Plant, as we were all out in the field to prevent
disaster.
T and I tried to prepare the group for what lied
ahead. Even though all of us had experienced a herd or two before, I think this
horde was a first for all of us. The sheer magnitude of the undead was
staggering. It was almost beautiful, that is until you realized that they were
coming to devour you.
"I need everyone to steel yourselves today. I don't
want anyone to take any unnecessary risks. Let's do this by the numbers but
remain safe above all else," I said to them. "If you get separated from the
group, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT honk your horn, as that will only
draw attention to your vehicle. Get on the radio. Everyone should have extra
batteries as well."
As Andre, Brian, and Henry pulled up in front of the
hoard, they began to lay down hundreds of DCs and began to create an artificial
wall that causes them to change course slightly.
"Henry, what's the ammo situation like?" asked Andre
over the comm.
"We have approximately 300,000 rounds back here. We
should be fine," responded Henry.
"Okay, we're going to try and continue to guide them
with stacking bodies," said Andre.
"I'll do my best to keep them away from the truck,"
said Brian. Robert followed behind them as Ernesti and Jason shot those who
broke through the wall and caused a new stack.
"Doc, they're trying to push through the wall," said
Jason.
"That's because you stopped and gave them a target.
Keep it moving, and if you begin to run out of fuel, break away and head to the
Plant, refuel and return. Leave at a quarter of a tank of fuel. Ricky, I want
you to pull away at half a tank to ensure that we always have someone on the
line. If worse comes to worst, we have Leon in the tank," I said.
The radio chatter was interrupted as Ricky got stuck
attempting to drive over the fallen DCs.
"Dad, we're stuck!" said Joshua. "What's the plan?"
"We're on our way, son!" I shouted.
Andre circled back to help us as we repelled the
advancing DCs.
"Andre, continue on course with the objective. We have
to guide these DCs away from our settlements!" T shouted.
"But T, we have to save our people!" yelled Andre.
"You have your orders, mister. Disobey them again, and
you'll deal with me!" T shouted.
Again, Andre turned his vehicle around and returned to
the task at hand as he, Brian, and Henry were curbing the DCs by creating walls
of the fallen dead. Joshua, T, Gerald, and I shot as many DCs as we were able,
creating a small perimeter of DC bodies as they fell; but they continued to
move forward. Even though we were diligent in killing as many DCs as possible,
a few got through. Joshua and T began to engage them in hand to hand as they
reached over the sides of the pickup. Joshua moved as quickly as a flash as he
dispatched the encroaching DCs. T was equally as effective as they dispatched
any DC that dared to reach into the bed of the truck.
"Damn, boy! You're making me look bad. But I've never
been so glad to look so bad," said T.
"I apologize, Mr. T. That was not my intention," said
Joshua.
"Mr. T?! I pity
the fool!" laughed T.
Joshua looked at him strangely as he didn't understand
the reference.
"Uh-uh! You call me Uncle T!" T demanded.
They smiled at each other, as a DC reached in and
grabbed Joshua by his arm. Everything moved in slow motion, as they tugged back
and forth. The DC attempting to secure the bite and Joshua attempting to break
free. The DC was pulling his arm to his mouth. But I already had the shot lined
up. Boom! The DCs head exploded all
over Joshua. He wrestled his arm free of the grip and looked in my direction
and gave me the thumbs up. As the bodies continued to fall against the truck
driven by Ricky, the sheer weight of the corpses pushed the truck forward and
free.
Ricky continued on to the Plant to refuel while the
rest of us began to toss the VonBombs into the midst of the DCs. You could hear
the faint ringing of the bell of the alarm over the constant moaning and
hissing and then boom! Shrapnel would
lay down about 15 to 20 DCs, and those just outside of the blast radius would
move to the blast area towards the sound and burning flesh.
Again, another VonBomb, then two, now three, four,
five all in the air, then the ringing, followed by the boom! The VonBombs landed far enough within the DC wall to maintain
its integrity but enough to lay down a floor of DCs adjacent to it.
Again, Andre circled around the front of the hoard and
it was actually turning. As they began to head into a nearby quarry, I
instructed the Raiders to continue to herd them into that direction. With only
one way out, we could create a rockslide from the mountain to block the road
out of the quarry and trap the hoard inside.
We began to throw the VonBombs into the quarry and the
DCs began walking off the cliff right into the pit. The wall of DC bodies worked
to lead them where we wanted them. As a few straggling DCs began to diverge
from the path leading to the quarry, Robert ran through a herd. Some of the
body parts from the DCs got stuck in the undercarriage of the truck. Robert
lost control as the truck crashed into a tree overlooking the quarry.
The force of the truck striking the tree caused it to
uproot and lean over the quarry. The truck was halfway up the tree. If the soil
on those roots gives way, the truck and those three men will fall head first
into a pit of thousands of DCs.
"How long before you get back here, Ricky?!" T yelled
into the walkie-talkie.
"We're about 10 minutes out, T," Ricky responded.
Robert was unconscious and Jason and Ernesti were
doing all they could to fight off the remainder of the herd.
"Rodriguez, see if you can get us over there to lend a
hand! Andre, keep pushing those bastards into the quarry! Leon! Stand at the
ready! When Andre gives you the signal, blast the mountainside to pin them in.
Ernesti and Jason, keep fighting. We're on our way! You two have to protect
Robert!" T yelled into the walkie.
As Rodriguez advanced on the hoard, Gerald and I
picked off as many DCs as we could. You could tell that the fighting was
beginning to take a physical toll on Ernesti and Jason. But they didn't stop.
It was as if a bloodlust overcame them. They shot and bashed DC after DC. The
DCs were beginning to advance against the truck and the tree was beginning to
lower slowly into the quarry. The roots of the tree were almost free.
As we pulled up to the truck, Gerald and I jumped into
the back of their truck trying to create a counterweight. Rodriguez moved to
get Robert out of their truck and into ours. We were then beset by more DCs
determined to make a meal of us.
Rodriguez kicked one away as he carried Robert to the
truck. Two more were upon him as Jason split one's skull with his machete. The
DCs were now clawing at Ernesti's hoodie. He struggled to free himself from the
death grip of one of the DCs.
Rodriguez had Robert over his shoulder pressed against
the truck while fighting off advancing DCs, Ernesti was still engaging in his silent
tug of war with three DCs who continued clawing at his hoodie. Gerald, Jason,
and I were fighting and shooting, but they never seemed to end. We fought them
back over the edge of the cliff and into the quarry. Ernesti finally freed
himself as he kicked the lead DC into the other two as they stumbled over the
cliff.
Just then, it was as if there was a last-ditch effort
by the DCs, as some were surging from the quarry. And as we were steeling
ourselves for their advance, you could hear it, ratta-tatt-tatt, ratta-tatt-tatt, ratta-tatt-tatt.
It was Andre, Brian, and Henry. The machine gun made
short work of the DCs as their heads exploded. We fought while trying not to
become victims of friendly fire. We herded them together, and Henry took them
down. As what we thought was the last DC to fall, we all kind of just fell
against the truck as Andre radioed Leon to level the mountain. He fired the
shells, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! They hit
hard and rained dirt, soil, and debris over the entire quarry, but our
objective was completed.
As I stood up against the truck, a hand belonging to the
top half of a DC's torso grabbed my foot from underneath it. It bit me hard on
the ankle. As this was happening, Ricky was speeding to our location, and
before he could come to a full stop, Joshua leaped from the back of the truck
and crushed the DC's head with his staff in one fluid motion.
They all looked at me as if I were already dead. T and
Joshua were visibly upset, and though there was a constant moan and hiss of the
DCs in the quarry, there was a noticeable silence as we all stood there. Heads
were lowered and they shook. Andre, Brian, and Henry pulled up, and Ernesti
informed them of what had just happened.
"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck!" T's yell echoed over hissing in the
quarry.
"This isn't fair," said Joshua. "It's not supposed to
end like this for you. You just became my dad."
I think I even saw a tear or two well up in a few
eyes. As I pulled up my pant leg to reveal where the DC bit me, a large
collective sigh fell from everyone's lips. Thank God for boot leather of that
riot gear we found. I shot Joshua the thumbs up.
I checked on Robert and he was slowly regaining
consciousness. We climbed into the trucks and headed back to the ARC. We
showered and changed and then headed to the Plant. As we pulled up to the
towers, we noticed they weren't manned.
There was no sign of an attack and the doors were
shut. As we made our way inside, everyone was gathered in the middle of the
plant floor.
Di approached me and said, "Marvin, I'm so, so sorry."
"Why is everyone so somber? It only bit boot leather.
I'll be fine," I said thinking they had heard about my ordeal with the DC.
I then saw Em. Her eyes were puffy from crying and she
was visibly shaken and upset.
"I didn't know what else to do," she said as she
cried! "I didn't know what else to do!'
In the middle of the floor were three bodies covered
with sheets.
"Marv, I'm so sorry, but I didn't know what else to
do!" she said again as Di put her arm around her.
I was confused and dumbfounded. Everyone's eyes were
on me and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why. I wasn't bitten. I was
going to live.
"My Ma would say you all look as nervous as a
long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking-chairs," I said as I looked around.
Again, everyone looked away to avoid my gaze.
"Hey! Where is my Ma anyway?" I asked.
Again, they all looked away.
"During the excitement, she decided to go lie down in
one of the offices," said Di. "I think it was a heart attack and she passed in
her sleep. When she re-animated she bit Tim's wife who went to check on her.
When Nancy didn't come back, Marie went to check on the both of them, and they
got her. They're all gone."