Chapter 7
We had set an alarm for five thirty the next morning. We all got up loaded the trucks with cases of bottled water, energy bars, fruit, and weapons. Everyone we made sure was equipped with at least two fire arms and a knife of sorts. Rus, Jason, George, and I all grabbed bows and arrows. Rus grabbed a crossbow while the rest of us had traditional compound bows. Once we loaded the trucks we headed to the mess hall ate breakfast and got ready to leave. Rus drove one of the semis and rode with Abby and Bruce, Jason drove the other semi since he had drove rigs in the army and had Samantha and George with him, Christi and Brianna rode with Bryan in the refrigerator truck. We left the compound at seven in the morning and heard the doors slam shut behind us and the four by fours get secured back to the door.
Mike got the team working hard while we departed. In the three days while we were on our journey the community worked hard to complete what they could with what remained at the community. Let’s focus on the catwalk and have it finished before they get back Mike said. Day one Mike took Sean and Ben to work on the turnaround out in the field flattening the field making it into a dirt road and then he had everyone complete the walkway on the north wall and a staircase in the northeast corner while Chris finished wiring in the cabins adding a ceiling fan, light switches and a set of plugs to each room. The projects on day one took a total of fourteen hours. In that time the north catwalk and northeast staircase were finished, the cabins were all wired, and the new turnabout was flattened an aligned for an easier entrance to the compound. Great job today everyone Mike said. Let’s get some rest tonight and tomorrow we will finish the east catwalk and stair case, start sanding the drywall mud so we can paint, and finish the garage siding. As everyone was starting to turn in Mike and Blake grabbed a glock each and went out to the hospital. They jumped into the ambulance and left the compound around nine p.m. Bart and Brent secured the door after they drove off. Chris approached the two brothers and asked Where are they headed and at this hour? Mike said we needed something that would help complete one of the projects left but that was all he said I guess we will have to wait and see Bart said. They said they would be back by mid-morning Brent added.
Once we left the compound we knew we needed to get the food last so it wouldn’t sit in the trucks for three days. We can do all the talking over the CB’s since each truck has one Rus said. I say we head for the hardware stores and get more building supplies first, than we can go to the other building and look for other needs for the camp Bruce said. They just built that super lumber yard and hardware store called “Hardware USA” Samantha said. I live down that way and saw the signs advertising for it. It’s about fifty minutes away Samantha added. Well let’s jump on the expressway and head to that store first I said. The highways were always clear every time we have taken them. Shortly around nine in the morning we arrived at Hardware USA. The store was four times the size of any hardware store we had been in and also had a large warehouse stacked with lumber. We headed to the back and hooked Jason’s rig up to one of the trailers that were stationed in the docking area. We parked the rest of the vehicles around the docking station and headed to the front door. We saw some other people there taking supplies as well. There were five men and two women carrying supplies out to a trailer. Are you all ok? Brianna asked. They ignored us and kept going. Come on Rus said let’s get to work. We loaded the truck with more two by fours to help support anything built plus it was the boards we used for making walls. We filled up what would have been a ten foot section of the truck but we had to manually stack some of it and fit it into six feet. I think you better get out here guys Samantha said. We got off the truck and saw that group of people from out front running up and down the aisles looking scared to death trying to climb the shelves in the aisles. We looked at the aisles ahead of us and left to right but didn’t see anything. We headed to the aisles where they were running and they now scattered farther down the store. Right when we got to corner we heard a loud moaning sound and saw fifty zombies that filled the entire aisle. Unfortunately when we approached the corner it was the same time the zombies were there. They grabbed Brianna and tore her limb from limb. The blood had splattered across Abby and Bruce’s face. We all turned and ran for the lumber yard it may provide the best cover. We got to the lumber yard and saw the gate was wide open so Bruce and Abby ran over to lock it and protect us from the road side. We all started to climb on different piles of lumber to give us time to defend ourselves. The door busted open and the zombies came rushing out. They weren’t the slow moving zombies you always saw in the old movies. They moved like normal people unless they had a broken limb or were injured in some sort of way. George and Jason started unloading buck shots from there pile on the left side of the doors. Bruce, Abby, Christi, and Samantha open fire from the right side. Rus and I took spots dead ahead of the doors and used our bow and crossbow. Unloading arrows as fast as we could pull back the carbon fiber. The zombie bodies piled up fast. We tried taking them out before they could get anywhere in the lumber yard. It was a hard battle that lasted only ten minutes but we managed to drop every zombie. When we started piling up the bodies the doors opened up and the original group we saw was standing there. Suddenly they pulled out guns and opened fire on us. I took a hand gun shot to the left foot, Rus got grazed in the left thigh, and George to a shot gun shot to the chest killing him instantly. Abby pulled her two Uzi’s out and unloaded both clips toward the group as well as Bruce unloading his AK-47 killing three of the men and the two women. The other two guys ran back into the store and Jason took off running after them. Rus and I chased after Jason while Samantha and Christi attempted to stop the bleeding and revive George. When we finally found Jason he had both guys pinned to the ground stabbing them over and over again. JASON Rus shouted. He stood up and looked down at his blood soaked hands. My brother is… they killed my brother Jason said. He looked at Rus and I, pulled the shotgun up to his chin and pulled the trigger. Jesus I said. Let head back to the others Rus said. We got back to the others they asked what that gunshot was. We told them what we had just witnessed and asked how George was. Christi looked at us with tears weld up in her eyes and shook her head. I bowed my head and said a few words. We then proceeded to get back on the mission at hand. We headed over and got a bunch of doors since they will be needed for bedrooms. Bruce went into the restrooms and disassembled the stall walls in both bathrooms and thought that if we were making a community bathroom this would help serve that purpose. We then went over to the plumbing section and loaded sinks into the truck. Rus and I headed over to an aisle with thick steel poles that were impossible to bend without machine equipment. Let’s take several of those I told Rus I have a idea for the camp and we will also need more cement I added. Then we headed over and got all the tools and supplies needed to install all the plumbing equipment we just got. The only things left to get are some more electrical supplies for repairs Abby said referring to the list she was reading. I pulled Rus aside and told him my idea. A pit I said, so we can bring the children closer to us and make sure they don’t escape and are safe. Rus said we need a thick armored door to go with the steel poles and an enclosure built over the top of the entire pit. Ok Rus said, let’s hurry the others are waiting. We loaded the rest of the supplies we needed and made our way to the vehicles. Who’s going drive the rig now Rus asked? I will Christi said. That one is a single clutch and I can handle that Christi said. We need to go to the hospital next Christi said. You and Rus need medical attention and antibiotics for those gunshot wounds Christi added. Samantha and I will stay watch so everyone else can get some rest now and we can sleep on the way to the hospital Abby said. Its nine p.m. now sleep for four hours and then we will get a move on again Rus said. We all laid down in the cabs of the trucks with the doors locked and Abby and Samantha sat on top of the rigs on look out duty.
Mike and Blake drove for two hours heading northwest. So where are we headed Blake asked. Right before this all started I was offered a job building a new casino Mike said. The foreman who was running the crew I had worked with before and he always had to have all the supplies on site before the project began Mike added. They arrived at the gated construction site around eleven thirty. That’s what I came here for Mike pointed at a huge septic tank attached to the back of a loading truck with tons of plumbing supplies on it. That is what we will need for the new shower/bathrooms. Well since we are here what else do we need, we might as well fill that truck Blake said. A loud noise like a stack of metal poles getting knocked over came from across the site. Blake and Mike drew their glocks and proceeded with caution. They searched for several minutes until they came to a pile of poles that had been knocked over. We must be on the right track Mike whispered. Die you undead spawns of hell they heard shouted. Mike and Blake ran about twenty yards forward to see a man swinging an ax at a small group of five zombies. He had already taken down two of them when Mike and Blake approached they opened fire on the other three killing the remainder of the zombies. The mystery man had fallen to the floor when shots started. After everything was clear Mike and Blake helped the mystery man to his feet and introduced themselves to him. My name is Pastor Scott Schott and thank you very much. I haven’t seen anyone alive in a week. We have built a small community about two hours from here if you would like to join us. I would love to join but I need to get my wife first. Where is she at Blake asked? I left her barricaded in the church while I came out searching for food about a twenty minute drive north Pastor Scott said. Well Blake you take the Pastor to the church and get his wife I will grab what else I can and then start driving the truck back to camp and be safe Mike said. Pastor Scott and Blake got in the ambulance and headed for the church. When they arrived there were six zombies trying to get into the church. Blake flicked on the siren to distract the zombies from the front door, they turned and started heading toward the ambulance driving down the street. Once they were in the street Blake floored the gas pedal all the way down and ran over all six zombies, coming to a screeching halt in front of the church doors. Pastor Scott jumped out and screamed for his wife. Irene it’s me open the doors hurry Scott shouted. Blake looked out to the road to see four of the zombies rise back up and slowly made their way toward the ambulance. Blake said Pastor you better hurry. Blake ran over and fired his glock at the zombies. He managed to take three of them down but one continued toward them. Finally the door swung open and Pastor Scott grabbed Irene and they jumped into the ambulance. Blake jumped back in and they drove off catching up to Mike about half an hour later and they continued driving back toward camp.
Meanwhile back at camp Ben snuck out once everyone was asleep and went out to smoke some pot. After he rolled his joint he noticed someone walking toward him. It was Jon, Sean, and Stephanie. What are you doing? Jon asked. I needed to relax I didn’t realize no one was awake still Ben said. My dad will freak if he knew you had that stuff here Jon said. Well he’s not here right now so I thought it would be fine Ben said. Since my dad’s in charge right now I think you need to put that away or smoke it outside the wall Jon said. Fine help me open the gate Ben asked. They went over and pulled the four by fours out of the supports on the door and opened them up. Ben headed out followed by Sean and Stephanie. Are you coming Jon? Ben asked. No I don’t want to upset my dad and you know it’s never really been my thing Jon said. They walked about fifty yards down the road and lite the joint. They passed it around for a half hour and got pretty stoned. It was a heavy mix with some other drugs that’s why they got stoned so quickly. They looked up and saw a shadowy figure walking toward them. Hey Jon I thought you’d end up coming down Ben said. They all looked since there was no response and suddenly the shadowy image turned into multiple images as if they were walking in a straight line. The shadow images which counted to fifteen now got closer. Stephanie screamed when she saw the whites of all the eyes. Her scream didn’t last long as she got grabbed by another group of five zombies they didn’t see coming. Sean starting punching the zombies trying to save his wife as Ben ran back to the compound. Sean managed to pull Stephanie from the grips of the zombie’s teeth and arms and helped her back toward the camp. When Ben arrived back at the compound he found the doors had been closed and resealed. He screamed for Jon to open the door and let him back in. There was no answer but standing on the other side of the door was everyone in the compound. They had all been woken up by Stephanie’s scream. Sean and Stephanie had caught up to Ben who was pounding on the door. Sean asked Stephanie if she was ok to stand while he helped Ben get the door opened again. I will be ok just hurry Stephanie said. Sean and Ben tried with every effort to push the doors back open when gunshots started going off. They looked up and saw Steve, Chris, and Jon shooting at the twenty zombies from the scaffold and they were only ten yards away. Jon looked down and screamed look out. Sean looked and saw Stephanie was standing behind Ben. She bit into the side of his neck her eyes had turned the piercing white. Sean shocked in disbelief fell back first into the door screaming no. Then Stephanie jumped off Ben and sank her teeth in Sean’s shoulder. The guys continued shooting until all the zombies had been killed. They turned to the front door to see that Sean, Ben, and Stephanie had all became infected. The guys all took aim and fired dropping the trio right in front of the door. Everyone get back to sleep in the morning we need to stack and burn the bodies and then get back to work Chris said. No one is to leave the compound at night and without a weapon. We cannot afford to lose anyone in the compound again Chris said. Lights out Mike and Blake will be back in the morning and we need to be ready to go by then Chris said.