Chapter 23
I slept for twenty four straight hours and when I woke up I felt like the previous year was just a horrible nightmare. But upon seeing the sun rise up over the east wall of the compound I knew this nightmare was real. I washed up and called for a meeting in the command center. Have all task been completed since we left I asked. Yes everything has been completed Christi reported. What else do we need to do in preparation for this attack? Abby asked. We need to prepare all the magazines with ammo, set up the sniper rifles, grenade launchers, and rocket launchers across the south and east walls, and plant the landmines to the south in the open field. We also need to send a team out for food and supplies that will last the next four months, so that means the big trucks should go out and get more refrigerators and freezers too. Cause after we get our supplies we will go on lockdown because we need everyone here to defend the compound. I said. Bruce did you find any more information about the so called “CURE” I asked. Only that there is believed to be a militia somewhere on the strip in Las Vegas using one of the casinos as a base of operation and that they may be working on a cure or have found one that will help both zombie and super-zombies Bruce said, but other than that there is not much to go off of Bruce added. The Wyoming militia mentioned the Sands Bar casino I added Rus stood up and said I have an announcement. We all turned to Rus and listened to what he had to say. I am leaving for Las Vegas tonight in search of this cure and I will return with whatever information I can get before the attack on our home Rus announced. Bev stood up and said I am going with you. I nodded at Rus knowing I couldn’t stop him either way. Rus and Bev headed for supplies as I headed out on the balcony for a cigarette. After lighting it and taking a long drag I was joined by the rest of the committee. Don go hook up a radio to Rus’s motorcycle, Christi please get a small first aid kit ready for them too, and Bruce go and spend time with Abby and that new baby we start working tomorrow I said as I blew smoke from my nose and mouth. I put my head down and said a small prayer.” It’s been a while since we talked. Please guide Rus on his journey and give us a small piece of hope”. I flicked the cigarette butt from my hand and off the balcony as I headed back to the conference room to review maps of where we needed to head for supplies.
Rus headed for the armory to get shells for his shotgun and sharpen his machete and hook swords. Meanwhile Don was in the garage installing one of the CB satellite radios to Rus’s Ural motorcycle and modifying the weapons installed on the motorcycle. Rus came walking in with a supply of weapons he pulled from the armory and Bev had protein bars to feed them for a day or two. So what do we have going on here? Rus asked. Well I just installed a radio and tuned up your weapons, plus I added a hitch to the sidecar and rear of the bike to pull this small trailer Don said. Rus looked at the small three foot by three foot trailer Don added on. This will be perfect to hold all the extra supplies Rus said. Don shook Rus’s hand as Bev jumped in the side car and Rus mounted the bike. Hurry back Don said. Rus smirked while he revved his engine and took off for the gate. Christi handed Bev the first aid kit as the doors slowly opened. I could hear the motorcycle from the conference room and glanced out the window to see Rus looking back and as he gunned it through the gate I could hear a loud Ooooo Woooo as he drove west heading for the expressway. I continued to look at the map and planned a two day trip to the west side of the state to raid for food and supplies to last us the next four months in anticipation of an attack. That night after we readied one of the semi and freezer trucks I poured a double shot of scotch light a cigarette and tried to reach Rus on the CB satellite. Rus come in; this is the outpost commander I said. I could hear static and suddenly a crackle voice came in over the radio. Outpost this is Rus. We have reached the outskirts of Indianapolis, Indiana and have taking refuge in an abandoned apartment complex. The city is also on lockdown and has blockades surrounding the roads in so Bev and I will have to find a way around the city. We will be riding tomorrow until we reach Wichita, Kansas Rus out. The air waves went silent again as I downed the last of the scotch. I got up and returned to my room and crawled into bed next to my wife. I fell asleep wondering what the future had in store for us.
I awoke the next morning with a little hangover from the scotch I was drinking the night before. I went to the bathroom and filled the sink with cold water. I splashed three big handfuls into my face, popped some pills and headed for the command center. Don and Christi were there waiting for me when I arrived. No word from Rus since last night Don said as I sat down. We have lost so many people from camp last night as well Christi added. What do you mean? I asked. At breakfast this morning Jennifer never showed up so we took a plate but her room was also empty. But there was a note saying since we failed to bring her husband and son home she didn’t want to be saved by us either. So where did she go and did anyone check to make sure the door was still locked I asked. Bart was on patrol last night and said she was out walking by the kids’ cage and suddenly was gone. She walked into the cage locked the door and was eaten alive Christi explained. Well sorry to sound so cold hearted but we still have the rest of the compound to worry about I said. We have a major hall we will be doing across the state. We are going to hit the Superstore distribution center in Grand Rapids with the large semi and the cold storage trucks I said pointing to its location on the map. We have to manage it with only four people because we need as many people here preparing the guns and mounts along the southeast walls, plus maintain the compound. Don and I will lead this journey but who else will go with us. Christi interrupted me and said excuse me, you left for months and you think I am not going to be by your side. I am going and I think Sam should go with us too Christi said. Don can go get the trucks ready, Christi will prepare a med kit and inform Sam for the trip, and I will grab some toys from the armory I said. We loaded up the trucks and made our way for Grand Rapids hoping for the best, but expecting the worst since it was a major city. The roads of the major highway were starting to become tore up due to no maintenance being completed on them. We felt it was safe to take back roads while staying near the highway for guidance.
We made the five hour trip across state and arrived in the evening. We pulled into a small run down diner to figure everything out before proceeding to the distribution center. Well what are we doing first? Christi asked. First let’s see if any of these gas stations have any fuel and get the trucks filled for the trip home and then we will hit the distribution center I said. We all jumped back into the trucks and started trying the gas stations on both sides of the streets to see if any of them had any fuel left in the tanks for us to fill up. We stopped at a half dozen gas stations before we finally found one that still had tankers full of gas. We quickly filled the trucks and headed for an abandoned lot. We slept there overnight in shifts and headed for the distribution center at first daylight. Once daylight hit we headed for the distribution center and we pulled up to the main gate which was enclosed by a chain linked fence and locked with chains. Don and I got out and looked to see if there was a way to open the gate. After looking for a couple of minutes I just pulled my Desert Eagle out and shot the lock off. We pulled the trucks thru the main gate, stopped, and got out to reclose the gate. So how you going to lock it smart ass since you shot the lock off? Don asked. I climbed the gate and when I got to the top I pulled out several bungee cords and started wrapping them around the top portion of the gate, then we headed down a double wide driveway about a quarter mile before arriving at the distribution center. It was a large building at least three football fields in length and five wide. The warehouse was broken down into sections: can goods, produce, butcher shop, box goods, and a freezer department. We backed both trucks into the docking area and got out to survey the surrounding area. The building had several broken windows like other people trying to break into the warehouse. We came across a ladder leading to the roof. Alright I will head to the roof while you three make a walk around the perimeter and find the entrance Don said. Don made the climb to the top of the warehouse and could see the whole fence line that surrounded the property. While surveying the property Don could see small packs of zombies thru a few sections of the tree line that surrounded most of the fence. He eliminated them with a silenced sniper rifle to avoid sending signals out.
Meanwhile Christi, Sam, and I made our way around the building until we reached the main entrance of the building. Don we located the main entrance to the building I called over out 2 way radios. Did you find anything on the roof? I asked. I can see some zombies but they are on the outside of the gate and have been eliminated Don said. The only entrance up here is a hatch that is locked and a few skylights. I will look inside while you guys enter from the main entrance. I looked at Christi and Sam, pulled the slide on both my desert eagles; keep your eyes open and your guns up until we secure the building I said. Sam grabbed the handle of the door as Christi and I held are guns up preparing for anything. Sam swung the door open fast as Christi and I entered the lobby. Lobby is secure I called out. Sam you remain here while Christi and I sweep the warehouse. We pulled the front doors shut and put whatever wasn’t bolted down in front of the door to keep anything out. Sam started walking between the two windows looking for any signs of trouble as Christi and I prepared to enter the main warehouse. We opened the large double doors leading into the warehouse. The smell was like punch in the face. It caused instant gagging and we had to retreat back into the lobby. What’s wrong? Sam asked. It smells like death in there Christi said. I can’t tell if there are bodies decomposing or if all the food has rotted Christi added. I wonder how long this warehouse has been abandoned for the food to smell like that I said. Sam put her backpack full of supplies down on the ground and started to dig thru it. Here we go Sam said as she pulled out some bandanas. This should help mask some of the smell, Sam said as she was tying one of them around Christi’s nose and mouth. Here is an extra one for Donnie if he finds a way into the warehouse Sam said. I shoved the bandana in my pocket as I reopened the double doors. We slowly walked out into the warehouse where it was completely dark. The only light came from a large skylight overhead where I could see Don looking thru at us, so I started looking around for a light switch. I found a circuit breaker on the wall and started flipping thru each breaker one by one. I slowly watched as the overhead lights started to warm up and brighten the raided warehouse. Aisles of racks and shelving covered most of the sections I could see from the front door. I assumed it was the box and can good sections with the butcher, freezer, and produce sections blocked off in other areas of the warehouse. There was also a catwalk going across the ceiling hanging about ten feet down and then another section about eight feet below that one connected by small ladders and stairs. The ceiling had to be fifty feet from where we stood. We started down the main aisle of which looked like the box goods section. Some of the boxes were still intact but others looked like mice or rats had eaten small holes into the boxes. As we proceeded forward you could hear the dry stale food crunch under our shoes. After about forty feet and twelve aisles which stretched to the catwalks of box goods we entered the can good section which was about the same in length. I looked up to the second skylight and saw Don overlooking what he could see from his height. Hold up. Don shouted over the walkie. I see something on the left five aisles up from your position. I took position on the right to have a better angle to see down the left aisles and I let Christi take the left side because I wanted to approach the danger first if we had any. We approached the fifth aisle I could see a small pile of cans on the floor and what appeared to be a shoe. Is the right aisle clear I whispered over to Christi? Christi nodded her head so I entered the left side of the aisle and approached the pile of cans with the shoe in it. I started to move the cans off the pile to reveal the shoe was attached to a foot. Damn, Don we have a body under these cans I said into the radio. After pulling back all the cans we found a man in his mid thirties wearing a butcher’s apron and half of his face had been ripped off. I put my desert eagle up to the open side of his face and pulled the trigger. Christi looked on in horror. Why? Christi asked. I said it was a precaution because of past experience that we could take the chance he became a zombie and attacked us I said. We have to move on Christi I said.
We continued through the rest of the can goods and found ourselves in the produce section. Don it looks like all of this produce is rotted as if it has been months since this warehouse got its last delivery or since it was abandoned I said. We made our way to another set of double doors with a warning sign next to the door. What’s that sign say I asked Christi who was closest to it? It has warning of heavy machinery and safety precautions to be taken Christi said. We must be at the butchery section of the warehouse. It has to be attached with the freezer department so the meat won’t spoil I said. We opened the door to see a small ten foot hallway with another set of double doors at the end of it. We entered and closed the doors behind us. As we approached the second set of doors I called Don on the walkies. Don can you see anything in the butchery? I asked. Don was peering through the skylight window but this window seemed dirty, so Don started to wipe the window clean. I can’t see anything right now let me see if I can clean this window off Don said over the two way radio. Don put his weapons away as he got down on all fours and slowly climbed across trying to clean the skylight. As Don was cleaning suddenly he heard a cracking sound and when he looked underneath himself he could see the skylight starting to give way. Oh Fuck Don said as the skylight glass completely shattered from underneath him and Don started to fall into the butch shop. Don fell ten feet to the catwalks over head but with nothing to break his fall and not being prepared he fell right on his chest knocking him out for the time being. With hearing the horror of glass shattering in the next room Christi and I burst thru the door in the next room. This is where the fowl stench that spread through the warehouse was coming from. The smell was so strong it ripped through our bandanas. As we looked around there was nothing but blood stains from the unused meat laying everywhere with hordes of flies and maggots covering the meat. As we started looking for Don we came to some half cow carcass that were being cut up and on the floor was the body of a butcher with a hatchet buried in the back of his head. Keep your eyes peeled Christi I have one body over here I said. We continued on and got to a spot with glass shards on the ground but no signs of Don anywhere. I looked up toward the skylight to see where Don had broken through. There I pointed to the scaffolding above us to Don’s body. Don can you hear me? I shouted. Suddenly we heard a gurgled scream come out. I turned around to have a zombie jump on me. I didn’t have time to get my guns up and fire, but just enough time to grab the zombies jaw before he was able to take a bite out of me. Bryan! Christi yelled. I turned to her as she was getting ready to get a shot off. Behind you I said struggling with the zombie. Christi turned around to have four more zombies rushing toward her. These zombies were different than others we had encountered so far. They weren’t the slow moving ones that were easily stopped and they weren’t the half human super breed we had encountered in Washington D.C. They were definitely more aggressive but seem to lack the willingness to control their actions. Christi raised her gun and surprised me with her marksmanship as she shot the two on the left right in the head with only two shots and then the one coming up the middle with another. The one on the right was close enough and swung to knock the gun from her hand. I grabbed the zombie I was struggling with by the forehead and jaw with one smooth motion snapped his neck and shoved his body off mine. I looked up to see Christi handling herself just fine. She punched the zombie in the face and then connected with a roundhouse kick that put the zombie on a conveyor belt. She grabbed it by the throat and walked a few steps to throw a power switch of sorts. I heard the band saw for the animal carcasses start and Christi ran the zombie skull first through it cutting it in half length ways. She looked over at me and I said I have never been more turned on than right now. Suddenly a gunshot echoed through the warehouse and as we turned around we saw a headless body standing about six feet away before it collapsed to its knees and chest. I looked up to see Don, now awake, looking over the rail with smoke coming from the barrel of his gun. I nodded and he shouted down “if you want to fuck can you at least wait until we get back home?” I flipped him the bird and told him to get his ass down here and check the freezer. Don climbed the ladder descending from the catwalks flipped me off with a smirk on his face and headed into the freezer. The freezer door got flung open after about five minutes with Don coming out. It’s clear in there and I am pretty sure I have icicles on my balls now Don said. Nice, go get Sam and barricade the front doors entering the warehouse and let’s get to work I said. Christi opened the bay doors to the shipping dock and got the dock plate setup between the dock and the trucks, I got the only forklift we had seen which was in the first section of the warehouse before the lobby, as Don headed back through the warehouse to get Sam. Don got to the front warehouse doors and headed to the lobby to get Sam. When Don opened the doors the front lobby was deserted and Sam was nowhere to be found. Bryan didn’t you leave Sam in the lobby? Don asked over the walkie. Yeah, we barricaded the front door and she was keeping guard. Why what’s going on? I asked. There’s no barricade, the front doors are wide open, and Sam is gone! Don said. I parked the fork truck just outside the main doors and headed to the lobby. Don and I started to investigate the lobby for clues to where Sam was. Well the objects we stacked in front of the door are pushed just far enough for the doors to open. Look here I pointed to the left of the doors. Those look like bullet holes Don said. Shit we have company coming I said as I pulled my desert eagles out. Don looked thru the front doors to see a group of zombies walking toward the front door. Don and I scrambled to get the doors closed and the barricade back in place. Look in the waiting room Don pointed at two large vending machines. We ran over and ripped the cords out of the walls. Pushing the machines in front of the doors just as the group of zombies reached it. We got to move fast we are running out of time it seems like Don said. As we turned around we shocked to see Sam standing behind the receptionist counter, but something was different about her. Sam, are you ok? I asked. Next to her rose a zombie his mouth covered in blood. I looked closer at Sam’s face and could see her eyes were that pale white and she had a blood mark on her neck. No, Sam! I mumbled to myself. Christi came walking through the door just then and raised her gun up and fired a shot that went thru both Sam’s and the other zombies head. The bodies fell back to the floor behind the desk. Christi looked at me and Don and said lets hurry and fill the trucks.