DEAD (Book 12): End (13 page)
The important information is the exact location of the compound. While it is the place I was told, apparently there are three buildings up there. They have two of them made to actually look occupied. This is just one of the traps they have in place to take down the unwary traveler.
The parking lot is another area I will need to be cautious. They have managed to conceal trip wires in the weeds that have grown up through all the cracks that have occurred due to the inclement weather and nobody maintaining them. There are a few covered pits around the perimeter, and they keep roving guards as well as lookouts in three hides that are well camouflaged in the trees.
They number eighteen individuals not including her and the young man I killed when I captured her. That will be rough, but it is certainly doable.
Once she finished giving me all the information I asked for, I spoon fed her some of the venison stew that I made using the kill she was stripping when I nabbed her. She actually fell asleep while I was feeding her, so I will get her cleaned up tomorrow.
Honestly, my gut says that I should just go ahead and kill her.
I simply can’t bring myself to do so.
Entry Nine—
It did not take long for her spirit to come back. I got all the stuff gathered for her to get cleaned up. I set it down and then told her I would untie her and let her clean herself up provided she behaved. She promised….that should have been my first clue.
The moment she was free, and had flexed her hands a few times to get the blood back into them, she lunged for me. It was like fighting a wildcat. She scratched and clawed. She even bit me. I was really thankful later that her bite never broke the skin.
Naturally I had to get her back in my control. Once I secured her, I took it upon myself to get her cleaned up. I didn’t want to undress her; that just felt inappropriate. Sure, that might sound funny coming from the guy that tortured her for information these past days, but who knows the workings of the human brain.
I will leave in the morning and see about scouting the compound. Also, I will be keeping my eyes open for any signs of a search party. That would be the best case scenario. Picking them off in smaller groups would certainly be a nice break.
Entry Ten—
Two down and a new prisoner after two very rough days. I am sort of tethered to the cabin right now since I have been unable to simply kill the girl. I can’t stay gone too long since there is no way that I can manage to rig something allowing her to drink or eat. And while she won’t starve that fast, a person can only endure a few days without water before they perish. She is at least lucky that it isn’t very hot. In fact, it looks like we will have rain coming. I will actually secure my two prisoners outside this time so that they can take in some form of moisture. It won’t be all that easy with the two-inch boughs I have secured across their mouths to keep their screams and such to a minimum in the volume department, but it is better than nothing. At least that is what I keep telling myself.
The good news for my original prisoner is that at least now she has company. Also, whether it was because the young man that I captured was simply weaker of mind, or that he saw how messed up his comrade looked and decided that resisting my interrogation was pointless; he broke within hours instead of days.
I was able to compare notes and come to the conclusion that, either they are both being truthful, or they have had a presence of mind to cook up a cover story to use in such an occasion in order to keep suspicions about deception at a minimum.
I will test this tomorrow when I head out for the compound and see about taking a few of them down and evening the odds just a bit more. They would now be down to sixteen if that bit of information pertaining to their numbers is truthful.
I did decide to ask about the Aryan thing and was chilled at the amount of racial hatred displayed by both of these kids. With everything that has happened, how could such things still exist…especially at the level I witnessed.
I was given what I am sure is some sort of “party line” about how the zombie apocalypse was God’s punishment for us refusing to heed the warning of the Tower of Babel. When I stared at them in obvious confusion, they recounted the story and said that God showed man on that day that we were not all meant to mix together. Not only did he confound them with language, but apparently this group believes that this is when he made distinct changes in our skin tone.
I know well enough than to think I can undo this programming. However, I did learn that this little band of miscreants is being run by an old man. This man is the only adult in the bunch. When I implied that such a thing opens itself to implications of inappropriateness, I got hit with more of the obvious programming. First, I was informed, it was our corrupt government that made the arbitrary decision regarding what the appropriate age of consent should be. If I wasn’t such an idiot, I would know that girls were married off in their early teens back in the early days of the United States. Also, other countries observe much younger ages as being acceptable. However, Kenneth Mead had no relations with any of his followers.
Kenneth Mead. This modern day Fagan is building his army of child assassins and indoctrinating them with separatist ideologies to make them focus on something that will justify their crimes. It seems that they make it a point to target communities that are heavily populated with non-Caucasian types. When they go in, they are told to only harm a white person if they interfere. Since most communities have ditched racial divisions a long time ago in order to place survival as the priority, I can’t imagine any community simply allowing these little demons to come in and do their thing without stepping in. As soon as they do, they become fair game.
Now I know what I need to do. Obviously I need to kill Kenneth Mead.
Entry Eleven—
It is often easy to forget that zombies still pose a threat. Sure, most of the time you encounter them in such large numbers that you can hear and smell them far enough ahead in advance that they are easy to avoid. Perhaps that is how a pair of creepers almost managed to end my time on this rolling space rock.
I was crawling through some brush near a stream where I had spotted three of the New Aryan delinquents. I had to lie still when one more of them joined the party. This guy walked within three feet of me and all he would have needed to do was glance to his right and I would have been spotted. That would have been a problem since my knives were all securely in their sheaths, my composite bow was over one shoulder and covered, and my tomahawk was strapped to my back.
I listened to them talk and was pleased to discover that they believed my work to be more than one person. Kenneth was insisting that everybody return to the compound and remain on “lockdown” for a few weeks until whoever these foolish people are get bored and move on {snicker}.
It was while I was on my belly feeling proud of myself that a cold, dead hand got ahold of my ankle. I looked down to see a really old zombie trying desperately to get a bite of my leg. However, between my protective gear, and the fact that the pitiful thing did not appear to have any teeth that managed to survive this long, this attack was limited to an attempt. I reached down and pulled my knife free as the thing gummed my pants leg. It barely seemed to notice as I grabbed its head and plunged my knife into the top of it. When I let go and started to look back to the stream and the children I found myself staring at the second creeper.
This one was perhaps from the first days. It was covered in moss and even had mushrooms growing off it in places. It was a moving piece of the forest floor for all intents and purposes. Once again, I was learning something new.
As you know, most zombies give off that very distinct funk. It has mellowed over the years, or maybe we just got used to it. But, much like you know the smell of a rose without having to see it, you also know when a zombie is near. These had managed to get close to me without me smelling them. They were both old, and they had a lot of growth on them. If I had to guess, I would say they were campers or hikers from back in the day, and that they turned out here in the woods and have just been drifting about in the undergrowth.
Anyway, I stuck my blade in the moldy eye socket of the second one. I guess I must have made a noise when the second one surprised me, because when I looked back the kids were running my direction with weapons drawn.
With no other option, I popped up to my knees and was able to throw the knife I was holding. Lucky me, these kids were not wearing any real protective clothing. My knife buried itself in the gut of the kid. He groaned and fell to his knees.
Since this was going to be a real fight, I twitched enough to bring my ‘hawk around. I swung with an uppercut at the first one to get in range. (Later I would discover it was a girl when I checked the bodies and removed any useable supplies.) The tomahawk connected directly under the chin and shattered the lower jaw and a good amount of teeth if what flew through the air was any indication.
Then I got tackled—sort of—by the two remaining kids. That was a mistake on their part as we hit the ground in a massive tangle of limbs. Me being much bigger than either of them, I had little trouble wrenching myself free. In the process, I managed to snap two fingers on the hand of one of the youngsters. He howled and I swung an elbow in the direction of the one making all the noise. It connected to the button where the upper and lower jaw meet and put him out like a light.
The one still able to fight was another girl. I swear she could not be any older than fourteen or fifteen. I would not be able to worry about that for long as she brought a knife from seemingly nowhere and caught me across my arms that I managed to throw up in a last second defense.
The surge of adrenaline in my system kept me from feeling the pain that throbs now while I am writing this; almost as if it is here to remind me of this spiral from grace.
On reflex, I drew my own knife and thrust forward. It caught the girl in the throat and she was done. Her eyes went wide, but I saw no fear…just anger and hatred.
I need to end this Kenneth Mead person before he can infect another young mind with this nonsense. I had to finish the kid with the gut wound, but I was able to truss up the one I had broken the fingers on before he recovered from my elbow smash.
I think I will take a few days to re-group. Maybe I underestimated this little gang simply because they were/are children. I won’t be making that mistake anymore.
5
“None of this would have happened if you hadn’t marched up to the gates of Montague Village!” a man screamed from the gathered crowd.
“You have no idea what was about to happen,” Catie fired back. “Your leader was about to employ a biological weapon on those people. You don’t think that wouldn’t have ended with dire consequences?”
“No!” the man retorted, seeming to feed off the growing unrest in the gathered assembly of the people who had once more been summoned to the auditorium. “I think we would have been welcoming a bunch of new and thankful citizens to our community with absolutely zero repercussions.”
“Until the other communities in the area got word of what you have done, then it would be just a matter of time before they all banded together with the sole idea of wiping you off the face of the earth.”
“And how would they find out? None of us would be telling them.”
“You don’t think that this gets out some way, somehow?” Catie scoffed. “Then you are an even bigger idiot than I imagined.”
The man lunged forward, but the row of security standing at the front of the stage halted him before he got very far. Melvin stepped in front of the man and shook his head very slowly in warning. The man brushed himself off and stepped back, but his glare had not lessened in the slightest.
“I am sorry that things went the way they did. However, there is nothing that can be done about it now. We have to prepare for a fight. You can be certain that the people of Montague will be marching this way if they aren’t already.” Catie looked up to see the four members of the Beastie Boys enter the auditorium. Their grim expressions told her that they were bringing bad news.
“They should be here by nightfall,” Braden announced as he wove his way to the front of the auditorium. “Also, there are signal fires in three other surrounding communities. They won’t be coming alone.”
This new development sent a ripple through the crowd. Catie watched as everybody processed this latest news. Their expressions morphed from fear and confusion to anger. Unfortunately that anger seemed directed her way as all eyes shifted and seemed to glare up at her with recrimination.
“Okay!” Catie finally shouted, raising her hands to get everybody’s attention. “I have no idea how long you all have been hiding in plain sight like this, but it is time that we stop hiding or running. What kind of life is that? You have children here that have never set foot on the ground outside. They have never run through the grass or picked flowers.”
“Is that your big argument?” the same man who had been antagonizing her so much thus far hooted. He turned to those gathered around him and his smile melted as he saw faces looking up at Catie with thoughtful expressions. “You all can’t be serious!”
“Let her talk,” a woman said, edging past the man to get closer to the woman up on the stage.
Catie fought to make sure that she kept the smile off her face. She was bringing these people in, and they needed a strong person to pull them the rest of the way. She knew in her heart that she was that person. Almost as a signal of agreement, she felt the tiny life inside her kick out twice.
“For too long, you all have been content to survive, but you have forgotten what it is like to actually live! If we make a stand, we put ourselves out there, that is true. And there cannot be a war without casualties. I will not sugarcoat things and have you believe otherwise.” She let that sink in and scanned the crowd. They were still listening despite the looks of fear on some faces. “We are fortunate to be in a position that we can operate more freely than these unknowns who attack us out of nothing more than fear and ignorance. If we hold our ground, repel this attack and then send people to the surrounding communities with an offer of peace, perhaps we will slowly be accepted. The one thing we will stress is that we are staking a claim here and now. We will welcome any who wish to be a part of things and everybody will be treated fairly and as equals.”
There was a pause as people leaned forward. It was like they anticipated that she had more to say. In truth, she had no idea what to say. She was a soldier and a fighter. Once more, she missed Kevin more than words could describe. He would probably know exactly what to say as well as how to make everything happen with precision. She would be flying by the seat of her pants on this, but she was determined. The past several years had shown her wonders and horrors, but now, with hers and Kevin’s child coming into the world, she wanted to settle down and try to make as much of a normal life as was possible in a zombie apocalypse.
“If you are with me and committed to staking a claim in this world…then I welcome you. Make no mistake, we have a fight ahead, but anything worth having is worth fighting for.”
***
“You have got to be kidding,” Catie gasped.
She stood at the edge of what had once been a massive landfill and waste disposal site. Any mounds of trash were now long gone. Either through decomposing, being blown away, carried off by vermin, or, as she thought to be the biggest contributing factor, smashed down flat by the several thousand undead gathered on the massive bowl-shaped pit.
“There is a narrow corridor on the far side from here,” Braden said, pointing out a dark crease that was barely visible. “We lead in any of the smaller herds that we encounter when out in the field. Every so often, we will lure out a few. It is not that difficult.” Catie heard the pride in the young man’s voice.
All four of the Beastie Boys were at her side. It had been Melvin’s idea that she not travel without some sort of security. She’d thought that to be a bit of an over-reaction; he reminded her of how Elliott had met his end and she had accepted the escort with no fuss, although she had her doubts as to his true purpose for the Beasties being out with her.
Mario, Chuck, and Luigi (although he hated being called by that name and insisted that his name was Louis which is perhaps why everybody called him Luigi in the first place) were standing beside her and Braden. None of them seemed the least bit concerned at being so close to this many zombies. She had to believe and trust that they were as safe as the young men professed.
“Seriously,” Braden continued, “all we have to do is station somebody at the entrance and start making some noise. We have all sorts of things stashed over there to make noise with, and in no time, that little gulley is packed with walkers. Once we have a good bunch headed out, we have somebody else make noise back this way. It stops the flow and brings them back around. It ain’t perfect, but it seems to work pretty freakin’ well. Sorta like a leaky zombie faucet.”
“Can we bring them all?” Catie asked.
She knew that she was crossing a line if she chose this path, but much like the era of the old Cold War, she needed a nuclear option if reason would not be heard. This was exactly the sort of thing that some evil villain in one of Kevin’s stories would do. Using the undead as a weapon was terrible, but if she could not reason with these other communities, starting with the folks of Montague Village, then she would take drastic measures.
“All?” came the chorus from all four of the Beasties.
“There has to be over five thousand down there,” Chuck gasped, leaning out over the lip of the ledge and giving a low whistle.
“You know how long it took us to get that many?” Mario asked. “And every time we bring out a batch and run them through town, we always lose a couple. This has been our safety net.”
“Yes, well it is time that we venture forward without a net. Trust me, if I call on this option, it is a last resort.”
“Look what we have here,” a voice called from behind the five individuals standing on the ledge overlooking the sea of undead.
Catie felt her blood freeze up just a bit as the voice quickly pinged on her radar as both familiar…and dangerous. She already had her weapon in her hand, and each of the Beastie Boys had his crossbow ready as they turned to face the owner of the voice. When she turned, she found herself staring at the familiar visage of Eldon Lindsay.
This was the man who had first interrogated her when she had arrived at Montague Village. She had put a small beat-down on the man when Dean had ordered him to remove her from the chamber where Kalisha was about to be punished for having left the compound without permission and then returning with a stranger in tow.
Eldon was standing with a dozen men and women in protective gear. Each of them had a bow aimed in their direction. This did not bode well for her or the boys on the surface.
“Hi there, Biff,” Catie said, doing her best to sound casual. She had once told Eldon Lindsay that he reminded her of the character, Biff, from the
Back to the Future
movies. She stood by that assessment.
Three of the people with the man snickered and quickly tried to cover it up. Apparently Catie was not the only person who saw the resemblance.
“Interesting that we find you and your little band of…” Eldon let his voice trail off as he gave a flippant snort and apparently dismissed the four young men. “Aren’t they a little young for you?”
“You mean my security detail?” Catie gestured to the boys who now flanked her; two on each side.
“Not worth much if they let us just walk up on you. And considering the fact that my people all have weapons held on you, I don’t see how they could have any use at this point other than playing the role of human pin cushions.”
“Listen,” Catie held up her hands, “you don’t have any reason to hurt these boys.”
“Catie—” Braden started, taking a step forward to put himself in between her and these strangers, but she held up a hand and eased him back.
“I will surrender to you right here and now if you promise to let these boys go.” Catie reached down and unclasped her belt, letting her weapons drop to the ground. “No tricks, no games. I will come with you freely.”
“But you can’t!” Louis insisted. Catie gave his shoulder a pat and eased his arms down so that the crossbow was pointing at the ground.
She nodded to the others to do the same and then she returned her attention to Eldon. Holding her arms out to her side, she took a step towards him.
The man seemed at a loss for a few seconds. He obviously had not expected this reaction from her. Judging by the look on his face, the man seemed annoyed that she was not putting up a fight. She also noticed how the people with him were letting their weapons droop a little with her apparent refusal to engage.
“Let the boys go right now and there won’t be any bloodshed.”
“You would come with us of your own free will?” Eldon finally asked, sounding confused.
“You people don’t understand,” Catie sighed. “Of course I will come of my own free will.”
“I guess you boys can go,” Eldon finally said with a shrug. “We’ll be seeing you again real soon, though. You can count on that.”
“You heard the man,” Catie said over her shoulder. “Head home, I will be okay.”
“But, Catie—” Braden protested, only to have her silence him.
“I said go home…NOW!”
The four young men moved away, keeping their eyes on the people from Montague Village as well as continuing to look to Catie as if they expected her to change her mind at any moment. She simply gave them a slight nod and then returned her attention to the man standing before her with the eternal scowl seemingly a permanent feature on Eldon’s face.
Things were not going exactly to plan, but they were at least following what she anticipated. There was still a long ways to go before she would actually feel comfortable. Also, she was relying a great deal on other people. That had never been her strength. She always felt that she had to have her hands in every aspect of an operation if it was going to succeed. That used to drive Kevin crazy. The thought of him allowed her to focus on the task at hand once more. It was a pain sharper than any rubber band being snapped on the wrist. She hoped that she would be able to process that loss someday, but for now, she had a job to do.
She needed to establish a safe place to bring up her child. With that in mind, she locked eyes with Eldon.
“I want this whole thing squashed.”
“Are you out of your ever-loving mind!” Eldon spat. “You people murdered Dean Stockton in cold blood.”
“No!” Catie countered. “Denise DeCarlo murdered him. I met with him to try and reach an understanding about the immune citizens of your community.”
“We don’t have any,” Eldon said with a quiet calm that bristled with the hatred he felt towards all who were immune.
It took Catie a few moments to realize what he had said. Surely he could not mean what she thought. She looked deeper into his eyes and saw the cold hatred. Her encounters with this man had been unpleasant for the most part, but she did not think he could possibly be meaning what was going through her mind.
“Every last one of them,” he whispered as if reading her thoughts. “And we won’t stop now until all of you are gone.”
“Are you sure it has to be like this?” Catie asked. She looked at the individuals who stood just a few steps back and was more than a little discouraged when they all seemed unable to keep eye contact. She looked back up at Eldon and felt her resolve intensify with the flutter in her stomach as the baby inside her made itself known; always seeming to do so at the most important moments.
