Last Stand of the Dead - 06 (12 page)

“Yes, everything is where is should be, as if a family decided to take a morning stroll, but no, there’s no sign of struggle, no blood splatter, nothing.”

I watched as Duncan came out of another house. “So there’s no reason these house
s
should be empty.”

“That’s exactly what’s
wrong,
” Sarah
concluded.

Chapter 21

We walked u
p the road, passing Coal Street
, and made our way up to Willard.  In front of us, I could see Charlie and Rebecca come out of a house looking baffled, and Tommy c
a
me out of another house, shaking his head.  I could imagine their conversation was very similar to what we had been discussing.

We crossed Willard
Street
, and waited for the rest to meet us.  I couldn’t make heads or tails of what had happened to this town, but we didn’t need to figure it out, we just needed to get moving if there was nothing here.

“What do you think?” I asked Charlie.  I trusted his instincts better than I trusted my own, and wondered what he thought.

Charlie thought for a minute. “I’d say this town either saw them coming and they’re up in their attics, or they got completely swept away and they’re out in the weeds somewhere.”

I had to agree, this was just way out of the ordinary.  “All right, since there’s nothing we could do here, let’
s get back to our vehicles and
get moving.”

“Duncan!” Tommy called.
“
Let’s go!”

Duncan was walking up Willard
Street
, heading towards the
Wataga
Congregational Church.  It was a low building, shaped in a large ‘L’.  Duncan was walking on the sidewalk, studying the building with an intensity that was raising the red flags.

I started walking in the same direction, and Charlie followed.   Tommy pulled Sarah and Rebecca back to get
the van, and I could hear their
footsteps retreating quickly in the distance.  They would be able to provide an escape if we needed it, but they had to get to it first.

Duncan reached the building, and I could see him carefully trying to look into the windows.  They were casement windows, so they needed a crank to open them, and if there was trouble inside, I doubted any zombies would be able to figure it out.  As I got closer, I could see the windows had been reinforced from the inside, and I figured out where everyone had gone.  This town used the centermost building as a defense center.  In case of attack, everyone retreated to this location, and they set up a coordinated defense.  It made a lot of sense, and should have worked.

I walked around the opposite direction of Duncan, and tried looking in the windows as well.  I could see that there was some reinforcing wood that was put up on the inside, and would be impossible for zombies to pull it out.

I stepped into the parking lot on the west side.  There was a door on the south side, but it was locked.  I put my ear to it and tapped, but didn’t get a response.  I thought I heard a tapping in return, but it could have been Charlie as he came around the corner.

We walked together to the front of the building, and stopped dead.  Duncan was sitting in front of the open doors, his head in his hands, and I thought he was actually crying.  Charlie and I stepped to where we could see
,
and our shoulders slumped as we looked into the church.

Bodies and body parts were everywhere, covering the floor and partway up the walls.  Blood was absolutely everywhere, covering the small pews and alt
a
r.  Men
were torn to pieces and covered smaller bodies
that
they had tried to protect.  The ceiling was decorated in blood spray, and a woman’s body was near the alt
a
r, one arm outstretched,
and holding
on to the small hand of a child that was missing a head.  Deeper into the building
,
we could see additional carnage, and none of it was good.  This town had run for safety, but couldn’t outrun the evil that pursued them. 

Duncan stood up, and I could see he was extremely upset.  I knew what was bothering him, and I put a hand on his shoulder.

“We’re going home.  This won’t happen to our
families,
” I
said.

That seemed to calm him down, and he took several deep breaths to get himself under control.  Charlie flipped on his flashlight, and stepped in the door a few feet to survey the damage.

He moved out again and whistled.  “They’re slaughtered completely.  I’m not sure too many of them
c
ould come back.”

I shook my head.  “The blood is still flowing on the walls.  This happened within the last hour.  Did you see any sign of passage on the north side?”

Charlie shook his head.  “Wasn’t looking for any, but after what we saw last night, that many zombies would leave a huge trail an idiot could pick up.”

“I agree.  But we’re back to square one.  Let’s torch this church and get moving.  I think we need to get home as quick
ly
as we can and see to our own defenses.”  As I said this, the van came slowly down the street.  Rebecca was driving, and Tommy was sitting on the roof
with
his rifle up and ready.  When they turned the corner and were able to see inside the church, their face fell, and Rebecca held one hand to her mouth.

Duncan went to the back of the van and pulled out a bottle of kerosene.  He sprayed in inside the church and up on the wooden parts of the structure.  He used half the bottle, and when he was finished, he tossed a single match, sending the poor souls of
Wataga
up to heaven on smoke trails.

I signaled to the van.  “We’ll stay here, and make sure this thing goes up right.  Go grab the truck and meet us back
here,
”  I
said.  Rebecca nodded and Sarah gave me a small smile.

The three of us stood in the parking lot, and watched the flames spread over the church and start working on the roof.  The flames were mostly quiet, and the windows hadn’t blown yet, but they would soon. 

If they had, we would have been killed.  As it was, it was quiet enough for us to hear the little zombies as they attacked.

Duncan heard them first, a small noise coming from a house.  He just turned his head and suddenly yelled out.  “Here they come!”

I spun around, and in an instant
,
realized I couldn’t use my rifle.  The little Z’s were moving too fast
,
and by the time I tracked them for a killing shot, they’d be too close.  I whipped out my pickaxe and trench hawk, and waited for them to come.  Charlie had his ‘hawks ready, and Duncan was taking a two handed grip on the sword he had unsheathed.

S
uddenly, I was mad.  Deep, hard
core mad.  I was tired of chasing these fuckers, tired of cleaning up after them, tired of being late to their slaughter,
and
tired of worrying about my family at Starved Rock.  I bared my teeth and gripped my
weapons in anticipation.
  I let my anger wash over me, flowing into my arms and hands.  I wanted a fight, needed it, and delightfully, here it was.

Twenty of the monsters threw themselves at us and I charged them as they came with
in
range.  That threw them off, and several of them came up short as they tried to process this change.  I didn’t give them the chance to figure out what had happened, I waded in and cracked skulls left and right.  I threw bodies away from me and punched the spike end of my hawk into little heads.  I felt a pressure on my leg and looked down to see a small girl trying to chew into my calf.  My pants were of a thick enough material that she couldn’t bite through it, but she was sure working the hell out of it.  I reached
down, grabbed her by the back of the neck,
and hauled her off her feet.  I took a step forward and literally threw her over a fence and into a nearby house.

Suddenly I laughed.  Charlie killed another one and yelled at me while Duncan wiped out two with a single swing of his sword.  “What the hell is so funny?”

“They’re just kids!  They’re not super strong and they don’t weigh much more than dogs!  There’s nothing to fear!” I motioned to the remaining zombies, who milled just out of reach.  “You want to fight, you little
shits
?  It’s time you feared
me
!” I charged again and swung my pickaxe like a bat.  I took three with that move and smashed my ‘hawk into another.  “Come on!”

Charlie laughed at me and grabbed a little boy that had gotten to close.  He held it by the neck and then threw it away from him.  It hit the side of the church with a satisfying crack, and slumped down motionless.

It felt good to be on the offensive, and to be without fear.  They couldn’t get through my gear, and as long as I kept swinging and stayed on my feet, they had no chance.  They weren’t as strong as adult zombies, and they might have been fast, but I didn’t plan on running anywhere.

Duncan was far more deadly with his sword, and bits of little zombies flew all over.  I watched him for a second and figured that would be a good thing for him to teach my sons.  Eventually the bullets would run out, and having skill with a
three-foot
knife wouldn’t hurt.

Suddenly, the attack broke off.  The little Z’s turned and ran into the homes, away from us and angling away to the north.  I picked up my rifle and shot down two of them, and Charlie bagged four.  Two more were gunned down by Tommy,
and that
left the total for this fight at a little over twenty.

I squatted down, and hung my head between my knees.  I was exhausted, and the adrenaline rush from the attack was wearing off, washing out of me like someone turned open a spigot in my foot.  No matter what the hotheads say, fighting wears me out.

Charlie and Duncan came over, wiping off their weapons. 

“You okay?  They get you?”  Charlie asked, worried.

I shook my head.  “Just getting old, that’s all.”  I stood up and walked over to the burning church, and stuck my weapons in the flames that came out of the window.  When the red burned
out,
I wiped them off and put them back where they belonged.  Duncan and Charlie did the same, and I had to admit the burning sword looked pretty damn cool.

Sarah and Rebecca came out to us
,
and Sarah surprised me once by jumping up and wrapping her arms and legs around me.  I held her tight, and she whispered in my ear.

“You scared the shit out of me!  What were you thinking, charging those monsters?”  She said, gripping me tighter.

I chuckled.  “I suddenly realized I wasn’t afraid of them.  I could handle this group, and they were just little kids.”

Sarah pulled back and her eyes were wet.  “Please don’t do that again.  I mean it.”

I looked at her seriously.  “Can’t promise, but I’ll try.”  I put her down and she wiped off her eyes.  I had to admit, Sarah’s discomfort worried me more than facing that horde of zombies.  I’d have to think about this one a little bit.

“What’s the plan, boss man?”  Tommy said as he slid off the roof of the van.

I shrugged.  “Let’s try and get home as quick as we can.  This delay cost us an hour we didn’t have, and I don’t want to be delayed any more.  Cut a trail to home and get there.”

“Amen,
brother,
” Charlie said.

Duncan and Tommy piled into the van, and Charlie followed.  Rebecca accosted Charlie the same way Sarah had
me,
and I could imagine the conversation they were having.

Inside the truck, Sarah held my hand and sat as close as she could. 

“What’s up, babe?” I said, pulling out of the town.

“I’m scared, John.  I don’t know why, but I’m
scared,” she
said.

“Everything will be fine.  When people know what’s out there, they’ll take care of it.  We just have to have faith that Colonel Freeman is doing his job.”

“Just get me home, John Talon.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

If I was worried before, I was downright terrified now. 
Freeman, if you fail, you’ll wish the zombies got you.
I thought.

Chapter 22

“Talk to me
,
Tommy.”

“I’m not getting anything from anyone.  I know we set these people up with communication, but I can’t raise anyone.”

“Keep trying.  Let me know if you get in touch with anyone.   Have you heard at all from Freeman or anyone with the army?”  I asked, weaving around a fallen tree in the road.

“Not yet.  I’ll keep trying.
Tommy out.”

I looked over at Sarah and the worry was starting to show on her face.  We made decent time out of
Wataga
, but then a fall storm came up and we had to wait it out under a viaduct.  It was one of those horizontal rainstorms, and since we were travelling mostly country roads, the likelihood of us sliding into a ditch was too good to risk.  So we waited out the storm and
we
were just getting underway, having lost another two hours of time.  The sky was still grey with menacing rain, but for the time being, it had let up enough for us to move again.
I doubted the zombies could move quickly in that downpour, so they likely didn’t get very far.