The rest we needed we didn’t get.
That night the dead hit our fences. The perimeter guards fired a few rounds and got inside the Depot’s chain link fences, locking the gates behind them. The base's alarm screaming is what woke us up. I jumped up and dressed hap-hazardly (With my Wife’s help) grabbed my AR-15 and went to see what was up. People were running to the windows to see outside. I pushed past some half dressed people and went out the main doors. The flood lights showed our worst nightmare, undead at the gates. And the fence and the lot and the yards. Just about everywhere. There must have been about 100 or so, maybe more, the flood lights were pointed just at the fence perimeter. The fence was bulging in several places as the sheer mass of dead pressed against it. I saw one such place where no one was covering and quickly moved it. I drew back the bolt on my rifle and let it snap home. Then I remembered I only had one magazine, the one in the weapon. People were shouting and then the gun fire started. I shot slowly, aiming at the heads that appeared near the chain links. In less than two minutes I was empty and the fence was still being pushed inward. The poles, even though set in concrete, were starting to give near the ground; time and metal fatigue taking their toll. I took a moment to look around as I hurried back toward the building. Two spots were worse than the one I picked, one section the pole had snapped, but the poles on either side kept that section upright. The things were falling into it and the ones behind kept coming, so the fence was starting to lean in there almost at a 30 degree angle.
As I turned to go into the building I stopped up short as Odessa appeared out of the dark carrying her shotgun and a small black bag full of ammo.
‘I love you.’ I screamed above the din and kissed her quickly. I motioned at the weakened section of fence and we hustled there. John was already there; he too was out of ammo and was using a piece of rebar to stab through the fence.
‘I see dead people!’ he shouted with a smile as I handed him a magazine with my left hand. I just shook my head and flicked the bolt release on my rifle, slamming another bullet into the chamber.
It was near dawn when the last of the things were put down. We were all exhausted and nearly deaf from all the gun fire. Odessa’s shoulder was bruised from the shotguns' kick through the battle. At one point the section of fence we were at broke completely and we had some hairy moments until the Major and 4 men backed us up with shotguns, pushing and cutting the zombies back, so we could drive a Humvee into the gap, blocking the fence section. We then turned our attention to the remaining ones and slowly eradicated them. Miraculously no one was hurt. Okay no one was hurt by the dead. A few cuts, bruises and one unfortunate guy shot himself in the leg, but all in all a complete victory for our side.
The clean up was the worst. We all gloved up and tied clothes or whatever we had around our mouths and started dragging them outside into the field. Luckily we only had to move the Humvee and drag them through the hole. After the stack was made we used some kerosene and had us an undead bon-fire. Let’s just say no one roasted any marshmallows or hot dogs over it. By our fast and loose counting, we had destroyed 215 zombiefied citizens of our small town. That left a lot unaccounted for. Near noon we had the convoy ready and once again I was saddled with John. Two other men were there to get the bob cat and backhoe, William and Ricky Bobby (No I am not making this up). We first went out to Lowe's and liberated generators, tools and more fencing materials. My father had talked to the Major during the clean up and had drawn for him on paper how to reinforce the fences without having to take them out or starting over. That’s my Dad. WWII vet and machinist for my entire life. He showed us how to take pipe clamps and either a piece of pipe (ideally) or even 2X4s (not so good but works in a pinch) and at the half way point attach the reinforcement item and set it at a 45 degree angle out from the fence, inside, and making the amount of weight it can hold at least five times greater. This will work for now, but we will have to make a more permanent fence or wall around us if we are to keep them at bay.
One day at a time, one day at a time.
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