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.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Begninnig, Part Six
So there we were. Surrounded by a horde of the undead in a CVS parking lot. Thankfully the military Humvee was one outfitted for Iraq or someplace, the windows were bullet resistant and it actually had some armor to it. The armor is not much but we were better off than say in a Dodge Minivan. The things clawed at the windows and pounded on the metal with their fists. Both of us were stunned enough to sit there but we did get a lot of data we subconsciously stored for use later. After the initial fright of these walking horror movie rejects having us penned inside the truck, we shook it off as we saw they were not smart enough to figure out the door latches; at least none of them near us had tried the doors yet.
‘Another fine mess you have gotten me into…’ John chuckled after a moment. I could not help but laugh. There must have been close to 30 or so circling us like vultures, scratching with their nails to get in with us. My eyes widened when I thought of something a bit displeasing. I rotated the key in the ignition switch and the engine roared to life. The dead heads were confused by the sound and moved a pace back from the truck. (I have noticed since then that really loud, deep sounds cause them confusion.) I dropped the vehicle into gear and we lurched forward with bone-crunching sound. We maybe went three feet before the press of creatures slowed our advance. John’s eyes widened when we rolled to a stop.
‘There’s a lot out there, seems maybe the crowd from the hospital picked up our scent. We need to get out of here, you know the back of this thing does not have a lock on it?’ I said as I jammed the truck in reverse and floored it. We stopped when we hit the front of the building, the remaining glass and some of bricks rained down on the roof of the Humvee. The stop was gut wrenching but it did what I needed, opened a space in front of us.
Slamming the heavy truck into its lowest gear I floored the accelerator and we shot forward with respectable if not NASCAR-like speed. The heavy truck plowed into the mob with sickening efficiency, tossing bodies to the side and crushing the ones directly in front of us. We pulled through the crowd and made our get away.
I slowed once we about a block away and stopped. John looked at me like I was crazy.
‘Are you crazy?’ he almost screamed. See I told you. I waved him off and looked out the side mirror. The group was slowly coming our way.
‘Let check something, just bear with me.’ I moved the truck down one block and turned right, and went over two blocks. I then cruised as quietly as the truck would allow and navigated the city blocks to come around ‘behind’ the mass of dead that was at CVS. We were a good 2 blocks away when I turned the engine off and stopped, having enough of a vantage point to watch.
‘What are you doing?’ John whispered to me also watching the dead heads milling around.
‘Observing. I hope I am wrong, but I think these things can smell us.’
John really thought I had lost it now. The trash on the street was blowing away from us toward them so this would be the perfect time. I looked out the door and saw no one and no ‘things’ around us, so I opened the door. I stepped out in the chilly wind and waited. The mob was slowing leaving the lot following our original path, but the closest few stopped in their tracks and started turning in small circles. After about a minute they turned in our direction and slowly trundled toward us. Damn.
I slid back behind the wheel and got us the Hell out of there.
Once back at the Depot we saw the car and mini-van we had met on the road parked outside the fences. We reported to the Major as the truck was being unloaded. He had another person there, a woman by the name of Jennifer, who recorded everything we said by hand. The disturbing thought is they can SMELL us. The Major told us to report back tomorrow to run escort for the 6X6’s as we were going to Lowes to stock up. He also told us we needed to run cover for some people who volunteered to go the equipment rental place at the edge of town and bring back a bob-cat, backhoe and a tractor. He told us to go get some rest as we leave at first light.
‘Another fine mess you have gotten me into…’ John chuckled after a moment. I could not help but laugh. There must have been close to 30 or so circling us like vultures, scratching with their nails to get in with us. My eyes widened when I thought of something a bit displeasing. I rotated the key in the ignition switch and the engine roared to life. The dead heads were confused by the sound and moved a pace back from the truck. (I have noticed since then that really loud, deep sounds cause them confusion.) I dropped the vehicle into gear and we lurched forward with bone-crunching sound. We maybe went three feet before the press of creatures slowed our advance. John’s eyes widened when we rolled to a stop.
‘There’s a lot out there, seems maybe the crowd from the hospital picked up our scent. We need to get out of here, you know the back of this thing does not have a lock on it?’ I said as I jammed the truck in reverse and floored it. We stopped when we hit the front of the building, the remaining glass and some of bricks rained down on the roof of the Humvee. The stop was gut wrenching but it did what I needed, opened a space in front of us.
Slamming the heavy truck into its lowest gear I floored the accelerator and we shot forward with respectable if not NASCAR-like speed. The heavy truck plowed into the mob with sickening efficiency, tossing bodies to the side and crushing the ones directly in front of us. We pulled through the crowd and made our get away.
I slowed once we about a block away and stopped. John looked at me like I was crazy.
‘Are you crazy?’ he almost screamed. See I told you. I waved him off and looked out the side mirror. The group was slowly coming our way.
‘Let check something, just bear with me.’ I moved the truck down one block and turned right, and went over two blocks. I then cruised as quietly as the truck would allow and navigated the city blocks to come around ‘behind’ the mass of dead that was at CVS. We were a good 2 blocks away when I turned the engine off and stopped, having enough of a vantage point to watch.
‘What are you doing?’ John whispered to me also watching the dead heads milling around.
‘Observing. I hope I am wrong, but I think these things can smell us.’
John really thought I had lost it now. The trash on the street was blowing away from us toward them so this would be the perfect time. I looked out the door and saw no one and no ‘things’ around us, so I opened the door. I stepped out in the chilly wind and waited. The mob was slowing leaving the lot following our original path, but the closest few stopped in their tracks and started turning in small circles. After about a minute they turned in our direction and slowly trundled toward us. Damn.
I slid back behind the wheel and got us the Hell out of there.
Once back at the Depot we saw the car and mini-van we had met on the road parked outside the fences. We reported to the Major as the truck was being unloaded. He had another person there, a woman by the name of Jennifer, who recorded everything we said by hand. The disturbing thought is they can SMELL us. The Major told us to report back tomorrow to run escort for the 6X6’s as we were going to Lowes to stock up. He also told us we needed to run cover for some people who volunteered to go the equipment rental place at the edge of town and bring back a bob-cat, backhoe and a tractor. He told us to go get some rest as we leave at first light.
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