Slow Burn: A Zombie Novel (53 page)

“
I think I can whip up something to go with them with what else is in here,” she replied. “Besides we’ll have to eat a lot of the perishable stuff first, so the veggies will probably sit for a bit.”

“
Are Hostess Fruit Pies considered perishables?” I asked, tearing another one open. “Damn things are addicting!”

Mattie shook her head and said she doubted it and continued on into the store as I exited out to the awaiting trucks.

It had been a couple of days since our raid to get the generator, and we were gradually becoming better organized. We had several new bodies yet again on this raid. The other volunteers that came with us who were not assigned to perimeter duty were busy loading all the supplies that our vehicles could hold. I walked over to Chris and asked him how the area was looking.

Chris paused to wipe the sweat from his face and gave me a tired look. “The zombies are pretty light today, thank God,” he replied. “I’m getting tired of the howling and screaming. I think I’m starting to hear their damn moaning in my dreams.”

“
You aren’t dreaming it, buddy. They congregate outside the prison walls at night and howl because they can’t reach us. Try wearing earplugs,” I suggested.

Chris shrugged and looked back out at the surrounding area. “I‘ll give it a shot, it couldn’t hurt.”

I helped cut open a propane exchange station that was in front of the store, and we found eleven full twenty pound tanks. After loading the last one, I stopped in my tracks at the sound of engines approaching. I saw three large pickups with several occupants inside each one. I looked over at Chris, but he already knew his job and was on his radio letting the others know we had company.

By the time the trucks came to a halt, Stephen and the others made their way to where I stood.

The newcomers exited their trucks and stood staring at us without talking.

“
Awkward…” Chris mumbled behind me, which made me chuckle.

A door opened on the lead truck. A familiar person approached us with two thug looking bodyguards.

“
Hello my friends, we meet again!” Father Kettle said.

“
Hello as well,” Stephen answered. “What brings you folks here?”

“
We were heading here to get some food for our compound,” Kettle replied while looking around. “However, it appears we are not the only ones who had that idea.”

Stephen glanced back at our almost full trucks. “Yes, well, we needed to resupply our stockpiles because we have had a large influx of survivors lately. Once we finish loading up here, there should be more than enough left over for your people.”

Kettle held his hands out to his sides. “Why should we compete for food and resources? I encourage you and your friends to join with us.”

Stephen shook his head from side to side. “Again, I appreciate the offer, but we humbly decline.”

Kettle looked annoyed. “I’m surely no warrior, but do they not say there is strength in numbers?” He was almost pleading now. “Could not you sleep more securely knowing that not only our forces protect one another but our Heavenly Father as well?”

“
Maybe farther down the road that could become a possibility,” Stephen replied with his jaw set in defiance, “but as of right now the answer is still no.”

Kettle nodded his head, realizing that he was wasting his time with Stephen. His eyes drifted from face to face until they latched onto Mattie’s attractive form. The sudden change that came over Kettle was amazing. He appeared to go from friendly priest to hunting predator then back in the blink of an eye.

His face split into a wide grin. “Ah… Mattie, is it not?” he said softly. “Surely you would enjoy the comfort of physical and spiritual safety, yes?”

Mattie actually shrank away from the weird vibes coming from the priest. “We seem to be doing just fine, Father.”

“
Yes, it appears that way now,” Kettle went on, “but the wickedness living in all men and woman needs God’s healing touch to remain checked in these dark days.”

I’d had about enough of this goofball’s preaching.

“
Exactly what part about ‘no’ did you not understand?” I said harshly. “If we ever change our minds, you will be the first to know. Until then, thanks, but no thanks.”

Kettle struggled to hold back an angry retort as his two bodyguards began to move at me with violence in mind. He stopped the men with a sharp wave of his hand.

“
So be it,” he answered, scanning me from head to toe. “It looks as if some people God just cannot save.”

I chuckled dryly. “Look around, mister. Your God hasn’t done a very good job of saving people lately.”

The anger seemed to radiate off Kettle like a bonfire, and then it fled just as fast. “God be with you, my children,” Kettle said, “and I hope to make your acquaintance again.”

Without a word, he stalked back to his truck with his men, climbed aboard and left the area in a cloud of exhaust.

As the vehicles shrank into the distance, Stephen said softly, “I don’t think he will send us any Christmas cards this year.”

* * * * * * * *

Back at his compound, Kettle swiftly walked through the church and blasted his office door open.

“
How dare that arrogant asshole spit my invitation back into my face like that?” he yelled to nobody in particular, pacing back and forth in front of his desk. “Then the heathen had the gall to insult Almighty God in Heaven as well?”

Some of the men who had been left behind while he went out could only stare at their leader’s rage in silence.

“
My men informed me of their location,” Kettle explained. “I risked my very life to leave this sanctuary and invite them into our fold. And this is how they respond!”

Gripping his hands into white-knuckled fists, Kettle shook them at imaginary opponents. “That Neanderthal shall regret this day!” he growled. “I swear it upon my soul! All of them, especially the woman! I could feel her dark passions eating at my self-control just standing near her!”

“
So what do you plan on doing?” one of his men asked.

Kettle seemed to see his fellow brothers for the first time and quickly recovered his demeanor. “Do? I shall do nothing at the moment,” he decided. “The unrepentant shall be judged by God. Their doom shall be from their own hand, not ours. Now you must leave me to my prayers. I have many things to discuss with my God. Please go oversee the strengthening of our fortifications, brothers. We have many things that need to be tended to.”

His followers closed the office door on their way out. Kettle retrieved the large key ring from his desk and began heading down the steps into the church’s basement. Since the escape of one of his women a few days ago, steps had been taken to further secure this lowest level of the church into a holding area of sorts. The women were bound with restraints in a large common room, and a smaller private room was set in the back corner. Safe and secluded, it allowed Kettle the perfect place to perform his duties. Eagerly he walked to the room at the end of a small hallway where his harem of women awaited him. As he opened the locked room, he heard the soft whimpering of the captives inside.

“
Don’t be afraid, my little flock,” Kettle gently whispered, closing the door behind him. “You should find pleasure in my work.”

Kettle looked at the silent killer as the man put away the blade. Kettle was positive he had more blades hidden on his body. He was also the most deadly and callous killer he had ever met. He looked at the two men who now lay dead at the killer’s feet. Father Kettle had endured another long day as leader of his growing congregation and hated to see it come to this.

He’d just as soon kill someone as step on a bug
, Kettle thought with an evil grin. That was how easily the man killed on his command.

He was his most trusted man that escaped from prison with him and the others. He was also his most forefront fanatical disciple.

“
You have served me well yet again, my son,” Kettle said with admiration. “Those men refused to submit to our laws.”

Kettle had several people out gathering up survivors, some of whom were not open to Kettle’s practices. They also did not wish to have their wives, girlfriends and sisters turned over to be ‘cleansed’.

“
The bigger one there,” Kettle continued, pointing at one of the dead men. “His wife was especially fine. You may take her tonight if you wish.”

“
That will not be necessary,” Jonas replied. “I have other work to attend to in your service, Father.”

“
Very well, my son. What then is the status of Mattie?” Kettle asked. “Since her people have refused to join us, other steps must now be taken. Have the others I assigned been keeping watch of them?”

“
Yes, Father,” Jonas answered. “And they are reporting that the group at the prison is growing stronger. As for Mattie, she is always with that same group of unbelievers. But sooner or later she will be alone outside the safety of the walls, and the men you sent will grab her.”

“
Excellent, my son,” Kettle replied with satisfaction. “I have a new job for you. A job I can trust only you to handle. I need you to infiltrate this prison as soon as it can be arranged. I’ll need you to find out everything you can about them. After we have learned their weakness and when the time comes, we can swiftly destroy them, so they will never be a threat to our plans. Can I trust you with this mission son?”

Jonas dropped to his knees and bowed his head. “My life is yours, Father!”

Yes… yes it is
, Kettle thought before giving Jonas further instruction. “Until that time arrives, I want you to keep an eye out on the men for me, let me know if you feel any of them are not completely loyal to our noble cause.”

Jonas stood and nodded. “Consider it done.”

After Jonas left the room, Kettle lit a candle and followed the stairwell back down into the dark basement. The weak light illuminated the cluttered hallway as he approached the locked door. The closer he got, he heard the muffled crying of several women. Unlocking the door and pushing it open, Kettle looked longingly at the several women tied up and lying on the floor. Some of the newer ones were crying for mercy in the weak candlelight.

A cold predatory smile formed on his lips. Yes, it was quite a harvest of wicked women that was taken with this new group of survivors. His blood began to hammer in his brain and his loins. It was a sign from God that these poor ladies were blessed to have him purge their souls of evil.

Kettle closed the door and the screaming began.

It was going to be a long night for the women.

I looked up from the city map I had laid out on the hood of an old truck parked near the command center.

“
Looks like your scouts are back,” Stephen commented at the commotion headed their way.

They had returned from their morning mission of checking the status of the roadways from here to the far west side of town. Stephen was going to handle the debriefing, and I trusted him to ask the right questions. This raid, while simple enough, was turning out to be a very important one that the majority of our inhabitants were looking forward to. Somehow apparently, word had gotten out to survivors who had been holed up in their homes that shelter and protection was to be had in our compound. I was sure the fact that our generator was now up and running and had the perimeter lights blazing at night had something to do with it. Refugees were turning up a few at a time. Last count had us now at over eighty people and growing.

While it was good to have strength in numbers, the problem was that we really did not have anywhere to put them. The cellblocks of the prison were so inundated with mold and mildew that had not been cleaned in several years that people would rather sleep outdoors in tents. This was fine for the time being, but colder weather was coming. Seeing several elderly persons and young children among our ranks finally pushed me to action. I knew of a large RV dealer on the west side of town that had well over one hundred campers of all different sizes. That was the purpose of our raid today, to acquire shelter for the men and women that now looked to us for their very survival. I picked out about two dozen volunteers to go on this raid and choose their own shelter to bring back to the compound. There was plenty of room in the large prison yard to accommodate the campers. This process would most likely take a few days with several trips necessary to transport all available campers to our current location, but in the end should be well worth it.

This was just one of the various projects we were juggling at the prison this day. Mattie took it upon herself to interview each new addition to our stronghold to find out what they did before the current zombie invasion. We wouldn’t want a baker to be our electrician, you know? So far she had done a good job of finding everyone something to do. Several pencil pushers were now tallying up our current supply situation and working up lists of what we had and what we needed, and I told them to work up a priority list as well. Glancing over at a small group comprised of our newly arrived electricians I saw they had gotten the large generator hooked up to a new junction box and had it up and running. The generator already was running the lights on our walls and the water pump to the well. Now it would be able to provide power and lights for inside the various buildings that needed to be cleaned up, made livable, and put to use. Next I would like them to start running electric lines similar to what a campground has set up for RVs.