Dead of Knight: A Zombie Apocalypse Survival Tale (6 page)

              The salads were delicious and I’m generally not a salad person.  How was life going to be if we couldn’t get things like salad?  Normally, I could live off of frozen dinners but that’s not going to happen in our new reality.  We really were going to have to figure out how to grow all our food.  Well, that’s a thought for another day.

              “When we’re done with this wonderful lunch, I’m going to need some help.”

              “What kind of help Daddy?” asked Tabby.

              “I think I’m going to need you and your mother to help me in the backyard and Mal to be a lookout upstairs.”

              “I’m not going outside.”  Tabby started to cry.  Sam went over and put her arms around her.

              “I’m not sure I want to go outside either after this morning, Ryan.  What are you thinking?”

              “Ladies…”  I got up and walked over to them.  “I would never put you in harm’s way.  Never.  Our yard is fenced, remember?  You won’t be in any danger.  I promise.”  Sam looked a little better.  Tabby wasn’t convinced.  I knelt down next to her chair.

              “I saw those things out there Daddy.  I saw what they did.  And it was Mrs.  Thompson…”

              “No, Tab.  Mrs. Thompson died from the flu vaccine.  That was a monster.  Remember, we talked about the monsters?  It just looked like Mrs. Thompson.  Like it was using her body.”

              I got the look from both of the women in my life.

              “That’s not better is it?”  They both shook their heads.  But, I got a smirk from Tabby.  “Tab, when we’re done, walk with me out back.  We’ll make sure the fence is in good shape and if you can’t do it then you can come back in.  Okay?”

              She nodded.

              “That’s my girl.”

              “What’s the plan, Ryan?”

              “We need more supplies and they have some next door.  We don’t have to drive anywhere and we know the place is empty.”

              “Didn’t they say to stay inside?” asked Tabby.

              “They did, Tab.  But, even with all the stuff we got at the store, it won’t be enough for long.  I have to keep you and Mal and your mom safe, right?  That’s’ my job now.  There’s no place for tour guides in this new world.  There’s things we need right next door and I have to go get them.”

              “You’ll make a lot of noise climbing the fence,” Sam pointed out.

              “Yep, so I won’t do that.  We have two ladders.  I’ll put one on our side of the fence and one on the other side.  That way I can get over quietly.  I’ll put that little folding table we have on our side of the fence.”

              “So, you can get stuff over the fence without having to climb the ladder again.”

              “Exactly, you know how I feel about ladders anyway.  Plus it’ll make less noise.”

              “What are mom and I going to do?” asked Tabby.

              “You are going to be carrying the supplies into the garage and keeping a good lookout.  Only one of you inside the garage at a time.  That way the other can be looking out for zombies.”

              “What am I doing Dad?”  Mal was starting to feel left out.

              “You have the most important job of all, Mal.  We can’t see out front if we’re all out back gathering supplies.  So, I need you to watch for zombies out front.  If you see any, you come to Tabby’s window and bang on it so we’ll know.  Got it?”

              “Got it.”

              “The ladders and the folding table are already in the garage.  We just need to gather up all the grocery store bags we have.  That’ll make it easier to carry things for all of us.”

              With that decided, we took up our positions.  Mal was upstairs where could keep a lookout but more importantly was inside the house where I didn’t have to worry about him.  Tab, Sam and I were in the garage making sure we had everything that we would need.  Ladders, table, bags and I had my handgun. 

              “Let’s go outside and see what’s what.”

              The back yard was surrounded by a typical chain link fence.  We had some flowers, a few trees and the remnants of a summer garden.  But, there was plenty of room to work along the fence on the Thompsons side of the yard.  It was eerily quiet.  Thor headed out to pee and sniff around.

              “What do you think, Tabby?  You okay in the fenced yard?”

              “I’m not happy about it but I want to help.”

              “You’re not a kid anymore are you?  Have you heard from Justin?”  She shook her head.  I walked over and put my arm around her and kissed the top of her head.  She smiled up at me.  But, I could see that she was scared.  “Okay, both of you.  If something happens, your best defense is running.  Zombies move slow and can’t seem to figure out door knobs.  So, you high tail it into the garage and close the door.  Got it?”

              They nodded and we went back inside to get our stuff.  One ladder was set up quietly on our side, the other one on the other side of the fence.  Then the folding table was set up.

              “I’m relying on the two of you to keep an eye out.  You’re protected by the fence but there’s no fence on the other side of the Thompsons yard.  I don’t want to get trapped in there.” 

I kissed both of them and then climbed the ladder and stepped carefully to the other one.  I don’t like ladders or heights.  But, I made it without too much noise or trouble. 

The inside of the Thompsons house smelled as bad as I remembered it.  I quickly regretted not having something to put over my mouth and nose.  The back door from the yard led into the kitchen, but I went into the living room and closed the front door.  I didn’t want any surprises.  Then I realized, there was no way for me to know I was alone unless I looked.  Crap.  I pulled my gun and moved room to room in the house checking to see if I was alone.  I was.  But, I had never done anything so nerve wracking.  I’m not a police officer.  I don’t have this kind of training.  But, something told me this would not be the last time I had to clear a building.  Just another day in a world gone mad.

Back in the kitchen, I filled the sacks with all the canned food I could.  Then headed into the back yard.

“Where have you been?  It’s been like five minutes.  I thought you were dead.  Dammit, Ryan,” said Sam.

“Hey, hey.  I’m fine.  I had to check the house to make sure there were no surprises.  I hadn’t thought of that before.  It took a few minutes.  Here.”  I set the bags over the fence onto the table.  “Gimme a kiss.”  Sam pursed her lips but came over to the fence and kissed me.  “Remember, someone stays on lookout at all times.  I’m getting stuff out of the kitchen so this trip won’t take long, okay?”

The next several trips didn’t take long as I found a bunch of usable stuff in the kitchen.  More canned and dry food.  A case of water.  Flashlight in the drawer.  Why didn’t I think to bring one?  I’ll have to remember to have a flashlight at all times from now on.  I grabbed some empty containers that would be good for water.

“That’s all in the kitchen.  I’m going to go looking in the house some.  It’ll take me longer, okay?”

“Yeah, sorry I yelled at you.”

“No worries.  We’re all a little stressed.  Tabby, you doing okay?”

“Uh, huh.”  But you could tell she wasn’t happy about being outside.

I didn’t know what else useful I’d find in the rest of the house.  But, there was one thing I was looking for.  Kenny Thompson and I had gone shooting together once.  I knew he had a handgun.  A .38 caliber revolver.  If he was like most people it would be in his bedroom somewhere.  Just hopefully not in a safe.

When I entered the bedroom, I recoiled back into the hall.  It didn’t take much to figure out what had happened.  Janice Thompson, sick with some flu like thing.  Kenny Thompson, sitting on the bed trying to help her feel better.  Janice, dead.  Kenny, sobbing into her chest.  Janice, reanimating.  Kenny, shocked as his wife of fifty years begins to tear into his neck and face.  The bed was soaked in his blood.

The bedroom would have to wait a minute.  I looked in the hall closet and found some blankets and candles.  As I handed the bags over the fence, I didn’t know I was crying.

“You okay, Ryan?”

“No.”  But I would say no more.  I’m sure my wife could imagine what had happened between the Thompsons.  I would spare her the details.

Back in the hallway of the Thompsons, I somehow found the courage to go in the bedroom.  Rather than look at the bed and the blood, I focused on finding the gun.  Nightstand, sock drawer, underwear drawer, all the usual places people keep valuables.  Please, God.  Let it not be between the mattress and box spring.  No, it was on a shelf in the closet, just like mine.  I wondered if that’s where I got the idea from.  I managed to get his .38 caliber revolver, about 100 rounds of ammunition and a decent holster.  The gun would be perfect for Samantha.

“This is for you,” I said as I handed the bag to her back outside.  “That’s all I want from inside I think.  I’m gonna toss some firewood over.”

I hadn’t thought of the firewood before so I had no way to carry much of it at a time.  But, it was going okay when Thor started barking.  Thor was a big dog and he rarely barked.

“Dad, look.”  Tabby was pointing behind me.  On the other side of the yard there were 2 zombies.  They were walking into the yard where there was no fence to protect me.  Without hesitation, I climbed the ladder and into my yard even though it would take them a few minutes to get to where I was.  I grabbed the ladder from the Thompson’s side.  Not worried about the zombies climbing it but I didn’t want them to knock it over.

“Tabby, grab Thor and go back inside.”

Then, a faint moaning from the zombies as they approached their prey.  Which was me and Sam, at this point.  Now, more moaning but from the other side of our yard.  There was a zombie in the yard next door.  I recognized it as our neighbor on that side, Ben.  Sam and I grabbed the last of the firewood and threw it into the garage.  Then we stepped back into the yard just outside the back garage door.

“I want to watch this.”

“Why?”

“Just to learn.  Janice couldn’t figure out the screen door this morning.  God, was that just this morning?  I want to see if they can figure out fences.”

They couldn’t.  On the one side, the single zombie pressed himself up against the fence oblivious to its existence.  The two zombies on the other side were doing the same.

“They can’t seem to figure it out.  There’s no effort to climb or even to go around.  They’re trying to take the most direct route to us.”

“Yeah, but they really seem determined to get at us.”

“And, they completely would’ve snuck up on me if Tabitha hadn’t seen them.  They didn’t start moaning until they were close.  I wonder if they’ll stay when we go inside.”

“Let’s go in and find out before more show up.”  With that, Sam and I went in the garage and locked the door.  Mal had come downstairs and was helping Tabby put stuff away.  I went over to Mal and hugged him.

“Good job, buddy.  Any problems?”

“Nope.”  He smiled up at me.  It was important to make sure Mal thought he was helping.  It helped that he actually was helping.  I hoped it would last.

“And you…”  I grabbed my daughter and hugged her tight.  “Good eyes.  They got really close before they started moaning.  You might have saved my life, Tabby.  Thank you.  And you, too, Thor.”  He was at my feet, wagging his tail.  I reached down and patted his head.

“You’re welcome, Daddy.”  I could see she was starting to cry.

“Your safe, Tab.  We’re all safe for now.  It’s okay.”

“I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“It won’t.  Tabby.  Because I need to be here for you guys.  I’ll be careful.  And, we’ll help each other.”

“Hear that?” asked Mal.  Now, we could all hear it.  That unnatural moaning from the backyard.

“Let’s look from upstairs.  They might not notice us up there.”  There were two more zombies out back against the fence now.

“The moaning of the original three must’ve attracted the others.”

“So, we have to be quiet?” asked Mal.

“No unnecessary noises anyway, buddy,” I said.

Thirty minutes later two of the original zombies were gone.  An hour later there were none.

“So, they do lose interest…” said Sam.

              ‘Yeah, but it takes more than 30 minutes.”

“It looks like the fence held them out pretty well.”

“Against a few zombies spread out, sure.  But if all of them were at the same spot.  Would it still hold then, I wonder?”

“Do you think there are a lot of zombies in the area?”

“Well, I think that most of them are trapped in their homes where they fell ill and died.  But maybe 25% are outside because they got bit outside or made it outside after being bit.  Figure there’s 100 houses in the neighborhood.  Maybe an average of 3 people per house.  That’s 300 total people.  Even if only 10% are outside right now that’s still 30 zombies…”

“Plus the 2 you let out yesterday…”