Apex Predator (19 page)

“I can understand where you’re coming from.  I mean if I was responsible for my brother and these two folks, I’d be protective too.  I mean now that the world’s falling apart and everyone’s lost family and friends; we have to take care of all we have left.  I feel the same way about these guys,” he said pointing towards Jackson and Theresa who were even farther to his right.

“I would do everything in power to keep them safe.  I wouldn’t want to give up too much to a bunch of strangers.  Not unless I thought I had enough to spare or unless they were part of my new family.”  He looked into the eyes of Kerry and Simon.  They were hanging on every word he said.

“Well, I’m glad you understand,” Jimmy replied.  “So if you don’t mind, you guys can leave now.”

SSgt Brown realized there was something more than meets the eye here.  Jimmy Adams felt threatened by his presence and not just because they were going to take the fat guy’s food.  SSgt Brown decided it was time to push a little more.

“Ok, but just a couple of things before we go.”

“No, you need to get the fuck out.”

“Can we at least get some shoes and clothes?  Surely you don’t need every shoe and bra in this store.”  He pointed to Willie’s feet.

“I’m not givin’ that nigger a fuckin’ thing.  You want shoes, there’s a shoe store down the street.”  Bingo!  SSgt Brown continued moving between Kerry and Simon.  Jimmy and Steve continued to pivot, keeping him in front of them.

“C’mon, it’s just some shoes.  He doesn’t even wear your size.”  He let his rifle hang at his chest, putting his arms around the two sales people.  “Wouldn’t you want us share with these two if we had it to share.”

Jimmy had finally lost his patience.  “I don’t give a shit about these two.  Get the fuck outa my store mother fucker!”  SSgt Brown saw the big man start to raise his rifle, his brother moved just a little slower.  He pulled the two kids down and to the right.  Two shots rang out in unison as the trio hit the ground.

The lifeless bodies of both brothers crumpled to the ground.  SSgt Brown looked up at Mike and Jen.  Jen’s 9mm and Mike’s rifle still smoking.  Simon and Kerry sat up, tears flowing down both their cheeks.

“You can have anything you want.  We weren’t really with them,” announced the redhead.  Willie and Jackson helped the two to their feet.  “We know,” Jackson answered.

“Jackson go check the front door,” ordered the NCO.  “Everyone else, don’t move and keep quiet.”  Jackson did as he was told.  After five minute he returned.

“Nothing moving outside boss,” he reported.

“Ok, let’s get what we need and get out of here.  You guys are welcome to come along with us if you want,” SSgt Brown told Simon and Kerry.  “In the mean time, we’re going to need some ammo food and maybe a few more weapons.”

Kerry stepped forward and pulled a set of keys out of the pocket of the corpse of Jimmy.  As she stood back up, she kicked the lifeless body several time, breaking down into tears as she did.  Everyone present knew why.  No one would ever ask.  She wiped the tears from her face as she walked to the gun counter.

“Ok, who wants a free gun?” she asked with a grin.  The group began picking through the gun counter.  Everyone except Mike grabbed at least one knew weapon.  Mr. White handed Mike his Glock.  “I think this is yours.  Don’t think I’ll need this anymore.”  Mike holstered the big pistol.

Theresa kept her shotgun, but did retrieve a small framed 9mm pistol.  She held it in her hand, admiring the shiny framed weapon.  She walked to the next aisle and found a holster that would hold her new acquisition.

Maria found an assault rifle with a collapsible stock.  She held it to her shoulder.  It seemed to fit her well.  Jackson found a 9mm pistol and holster to hold it.  Jen took an assault rifle, as did Willie.  SSgt Brown took two .45 caliber 1911 copies.  SPC Wilcox kept his Berretta and retrieved an assault rifle from Jimmy Adams.  Kerry and Simon both relieved the bodies of their former companions of pistols and ammo.  Kerry found a 20 gauge shotgun and Simon picked up a 12 gauge shotgun.

“I can’t shoot worth a shit,” he said to Jackson.  “My friend Jerry took me to the range once.  We shot all day.  He advised me to buy I shotgun.  He said something about a side of a barn.”

Jackson just laughed and shook his head.  The kid was about his age, but that was about all they had in common.  Jackson grew up in the country.  This kid obviously was a city boy.  Jackson never had much growing up.  He could just see the stereotypical Asian family that produced Simon:  All homework and study, math club, and science fairs.  Jackson grew up having to fight for what he had.  Judging from the bruises and busted lip, Simon never had to fight for anything except maybe an A+ instead of an A-.

“Ok, guys.  Get backpacks, batteries, radios, flashlights, any replacement clothes, food, and water purification stuff we can find.  Bring it back here and we’ll divvy it up.”  SSgt Brown walked straight to the men’s clothes, and grabbed a package of socks.  Oh his feet were so going to love a fresh pair of socks.

The group split up, searching for anything they could find useful.  They would return with arms full of stuff, and then go back for more.  It was Theresa and Mr. White who struck gold.  Theresa brought back an arm full of machetes, knives, softball bats and camp axes.

“This way we won’t have to shoot every Zed we come by,” bragged the teenager.

“Great idea Theresa,” SSgt Brown said.  He picked up a machete and wielded it around a little.  He liked the way it felt in his hand.  He snapped the scabbard to the left side of his webbed gear.  The rest of the group picked through the pile finding the weapon they liked for close quarters.  They continued colleting supplies.

Shortly afterwards, Mr. White walked over, pushing a bicycle.  “I thought we might want to do something besides walk.  We might make better time until we can get some real wheels.”

“Good idea,” SSgt Brown said.  “Everyone go find a bike.  We’re riding outa here.”

Within minutes, everyone had: a bike, backpack loaded with gear, and were armed to the teeth.  Besides personal gear food, and water; there were several emergency radios, rope, a couple of solar power chargers, handheld two way radios, and lots of ammo.

They left the same way they had come.  Instead of crossing the creek with all of their gear, they decided to hit the road before they got to the creek.  They pushed their bikes across 100 yards of open field.

As they reached the road, a lone zombie approached them from the road.  SSgt Brown and Maria both dropped their bikes and charged the zombie.  Maria reached it first.  She was wielding a black softball bat with red and green writing on it.  As she closed with the ghoul, she coiled her upper body like s snake preparing to strike.  When close enough, she delivered a blow to the zombie’s head that would have made Babe Ruth proud.  The zombie’s head snapped back with a crunching sound.  Her second blow knocked it to the ground.  Her third blow crushed the dead man’s skull.  He wouldn’t move again.

The two walked back to the bicycles, blood smeared on Maria’s bat.  Jackson couldn’t help himself.  “Damn girl, where’d you learn to do that?”

“The bar I worked at had a softball team.  I played for the past five years.”

Jackson just shook his head and continued pushing his bike to the road.  Once there, they mounted their new rides and began pedaling.  Jackson kept them in the center of the road.  The group made good time.  SSgt Brown figured they were making about 5 miles per hour.

As they approached an overpass about three miles down the road, it began to rain.  By the time they got underneath it, the rain had turned into a torrential downpour.  Jackson stopped his bike out of the rain.  The others followed suit.

Jackson began climbing the concrete embankment.

“Where you going?” asked Theresa.  Jackson stopped and pointed to the area at the top of the embankment.  Theresa wasn’t sure what he was pointing at.  She shrugged.

“The top, there’s lots of room underneath the bridge at the top.  Should be flat and dry.  Plus, I bet Zed can’t climb this.  So, it should be pretty safe.”

The others agreed.  They pulled their bikes to the edge of the road under the overpass and climbed up the steep concrete embankment.

Jen found a nice flat, relatively clean area to call home.  Her and Mike set their backpacks down, and leaned against the concrete.   Jen looked around at the small group of survivors.  SSgt Brown and Jackson were sitting next to each other, talking in whispers.  SSgt Brown was pointing in the direction that they were traveling, Jackson pointing at the group and then at the bikes.

She couldn’t help but think how lucky they were to find the two troopers.  SSgt Brown was a good leader in her opinion.  He exuded confidence and she felt herself wanting to follow him.  Jackson, she thought, was a good soldier.  His quick decision making from the front of the pack had kept them alive on more than one occasion.

She found herself wondering where they had come from.  She knew they were not from the Shreveport area.  They had come from somewhere farther south.  She wondered about their families.  Did SSgt Brown say he was married?  How about kids?  She couldn’t remember.  What about Jackson?  She knew that he had lost his best friend.  She didn’t know anything else about his family situation.  She felt sorry for them.  Not only were they away from home.  But, it was a good bet that their families were suffering this without them.  That had to be tough on the two troopers.

She looked at Mr. White and Maria.  Her heart sank as she did.  These two knew what had happened to their loved ones.  Maria had seen her boyfriend attacked while he was trying to save her and the rest from the monsters.  Mr. White had watched helplessly as his mother shot herself in the head.  She could still see the blood dripping from the old lady’s face and the tears running down Mr. White’s cheeks.

Her gaze drifted to Theresa.  Upon seeing the girl, in her liberated Air Force uniform, Jen could feel the tears welling up in her own eyes.  The girl had been through so much.  She had literally seen her entire family die.  Her mother and father both turned into zombies and her brother killed himself after being bitten.  She had been through more than anyone should.

Then Jen thought about the uniform.  She couldn’t help but think about how Theresa had changed since the day she and Davy ran through the door of her house.  How she was such a timid young teen aged girl, scared and panicky.  Jen couldn’t see the scared little girl anymore.  Jen thought she truly looked and acted like a soldier.

She and Jackson made a pretty good team up front.  The girl has gone from a timid, scared kitten to a full-fledged Zombie eating tiger.  Jen felt sad at that thought.  Theresa’s childhood is over from here on out she is going to have to be a soldier.  Jen hung her head.  The tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

“What’s the matter sweetheart?” asked Mike.

“Nothing.  Just thinking about all the loss, and how we’ve all changed.  How it’s all changed.”

“It’s going to be ok.  There are a lot of people just like us still out there.  Everywhere we go we seem to find someone.  As long as there are other survivors, there’s hope.”

Jen’s gaze fell on the two newest members of the group.  The bruises were too obvious to ignore.  “But what kind of people will inhabit this new world?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Look at those two,” she motioned to the Kerry and Simon.  “Not everyone still breathing is nice.  You think those two thought about that when they let those two rednecks in?  No, they were just a couple of frightened kids.  They were probably relieved to see two living breathing people knocking on their door.  And what did they get for it?”

“Jen, not everyone left is going to be bad.  There’s going to be plenty of good people out there.  We just need to find them.”

“What if there isn’t?  Or, what if they change?  Do you think those two will ever be the same?  Look at that girl’s eyes.  When was the last time you saw so much hate.  Do you think she’ll ever be the same?  What about Theresa?  Look how she’s changed.”

“But they’re not bad people.  Theresa is still the same sweet girl we’ve known for years.  She’s just really good at killing zombies.”

“Really Mike?  Really?  You think it’s just that easy?  You think that seeing your family slaughtered in front of you won’t change you?  You really think she’s the same?  No Mike, the longer this goes on the more the survivors are going to rely on anger and hate.  The more people are gonna be like the Bubba brothers back there, out for themselves.”

She began to quietly sob.  Mike wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer.  He didn’t want to believe what she had said.  He told himself there has to be hope.  He couldn’t help himself.  He found himself staring at the pretty young redhead.  What will the demons do to this one?

Kerry sat quietly a few feet farther away from the group than anyone else.  She tried to size everyone up.  The thin brunette and the guy with the goatee were obviously a couple.  She seemed nice, but Kerry couldn’t decide about him.  He seemed nice enough but something made her uncomfortable.

The big black guy made her feel comfortable though.  The way he held his cool when the redneck brothers were throwing the “N” word around.  He must be a cool customer.  That or he’s a wimp.  She doubted he was a wimp.  He was huge.

The Mexican lady on the other hand was scary.  The way she charged into that zombie on the road.  She can definitely handle herself.  Kerry didn’t get a warm vibe from her.  But, who knows?  They may just turn out to be fast friends.