Surviving The Dead: Heartland Zombie Apocalypse Vol. 1 (12 page)

On this evening before their first house to house mission Amy was anxious to seal the deal with Matt.  Since the send off dinner for Sergeant Andrews and the other soldiers, Matt and Amy had appeared to be a couple.  It was when they were alone and became more intimate, that it felt like the ghost of Matt's wife enters the room and he becomes withdrawn.  Amy had decided to play the shipping off to war ploy on Matt.  Crystal had gotten Tobin to provide a dinner for Amy to share with Matt in her apartment.  Crystal and Tobin were also going to keep Travis and Cassie occupied for the evening.  Amy spoke with Cynthia to help her again with her attire for the evening and any pointers that she could share.

Amy had put her life on the line countless times, she had fought herds of zombies and never questioned her ability to meet the situation.  This simple little dinner with Matt had her a bundle of nerves.  She had no training for this and her mother had left her and her father when she was so young that Amy had no one to model.  She kept running through everything Cynthia told her to do and not to do that by the time Matt knocked at her door she wasn't sure which was which. 

Instead of the deep passionate kiss she wanted to give him she barely gave him a peck feeling the need to move things along, “Matt we'll eat over at this little table would you light the candles while I grab the dinner.” 

“Can do it smells wonderful”, Matt replied. 

“Oh I can't take the credit Tobin whipped this up for us”, Amy answered. 

Amy tried to hard so make dinner conversation that she just kept hammering Matt with questions barely waiting for his reply before shooting out the next question.  As soon as Matt finished his meal she whisked away the plates. 

As coyly as she could, “Matt if would like to take a seat on the couch, I'm going to change into something more comfortable and I'll join you in a moment.”

As Amy quickly slipped into the black negligee from Cynthia and tried to remember where Cynthia  instructed her to apply the perfume, Matt knocked on her bedroom door, “Amy just listen a minute.  I know you are probably real annoyed with me right now and I am aware that I haven't been as open to you as I should.  I could blame it on the outbreak or say I was worried about how the twins would react.  The truth is I have been a stupid man dwelling on the past and not seeing what was in front of him.  I promise if you give me a second chance I will put that behind me.” 

Amy rushed to the door, gave him the kiss she wanted to start the evening with, “Matt this whole evening was supposed to show you how much I care about you, but I'm just so bad at this stuff I just made a mess of things.” 

Matt hugged her close enjoying the smell of the perfume, “Well aren't we a pair.  I am sorry I messed up your reveal though.” 

Amy stepped back so Matt could get a better look at her, “You mean this old thang.  We could start over again if you like.” 

“Not necessary, not necessary at all”, Matt exclaimed and slowly guided her to the bed.

Four days on the road and each house the team hits tells a story of the outbreak.  Some homes had been evacuated and the pickings were slim on those.  There were homes where the families had chosen to suicide.  In one of those the father had shot his wife and daughter as they lay in bed.  The mother had her arms around her child and the daughter had a small pink teddy bear clutched to her breast.

From the blood splatter the man sat down in the chair next to the bed, after killing his family and placed his pistol under his chin.  Instead of aiming the gun so that the bullet would rip through the back of his head he pointed it straight up.  The bullet ripped of his face, but did not damage enough of the brain.  The team found  his blind faceless corpse, stumbling around inside the home. 

Other homes had their belongings mostly intact.  In some cases missing vehicles gave hope that the families found shelter elsewhere.  In many cases the lack of inhabitants explained the small groups of dead they have dispatched on the roads and fields.

Dealing with the constant horrors was having its impact on the team.  On the plus side was a bonding and trust caused by the shared experience.  However, the team had to develop a level of callousness to  deal with the constant barrage to their senses.  Each day was the sight of the dead, the smell of the dead and the sounds of the dead.

In clearing one house in the basement they found the chained walking corpse of an elderly women.  Crystal piked the woman with her baton and joked, “My Grandma what big teeth you have.” 

As soon as the words left her mouth she regretted saying them, “Hank you and Justin wrap up here.”

“Alright Captain.”, Hank replied.

Crystal headed outside where Amy, watching the perimeter, greeted her, “Everything good Cap'n?”.

Crystal stared off into the distance,“Yeah, just needed some fresh air to clear my head.”

Amy nodded, “Ahh”.

Crystal turned towards Amy, “Amy?  Amy how do you handle it?  How do you keep all this from changing you?”

Amy nodded, “Hmm that.  Oh it changes you alright.  I've seen some give into the darkness, but I'm not worried about you.”

“I don't see them as people anymore.  I used too, is that wrong?”, Crystal questioned.

“Of course they are not people.  They used to be.  They were someones father, mother, son or daughter.  They aren't any of that anymore, they're monsters now and you know that.”, Amy replied

“Maybe, still no excuse for me to act this way.”, Crystal grumbled.

Amy laughed, “And that is why I'm not worried about you.  Think about the folks at home.   We protect them from this, “

Crystal smiled, “Thank you.  I better get back in there, the boys are to practical when they salvage.”

The next morning the team came to a small farm.  Pulling up they saw was the carcass of a pony  At the barn was an entire family of the dead, the mother, father, two young girls and a boy little more than a toddler.  The dead were pressing against the barn, clawing against its walls trying to get in.  Hank hit the horn on the truck to attract the dead towards the team. 

The boy had been totally eviscerated and one leg had been chewed nearly to the bone making it nearly impossible for him to walk, causing him to lag behind the rest.  The team got out of their vehicles with Blade, Amy standing on either side of Crystal to face the advancing dead, while Hank and Justin kept watch behind.  As the dead approached Blade and Amy stepped away from Crystal to cause the group of dead to spread out. 

The mother and one girl continued towards Crystal, using her baton to contain the mother she stabbed the little girl with her knife, then Crystal quickly shifted the baton to trip up the mother.  Crystal placed her foot on the things chest and drove the point of her baton through its eye.  The little boy was still stumbling towards the team.  Crystal walked up to him and swinging her baton like a club she pierced his little skull.  In less than a minute the five dead ones were put down. 

As the team prepared to enter the house the barn door opened and a teen aged girl stepped out.  “Are you real.  Please I got to know”.

Mary Kay Woltoski was your average teenage girl.  Having just turned sixteen she was looking forward to driving on her own and entering her pony, Bella, at the 4H fair.  She had come into this world though without much assurances of a routine life.  Her mother Belinda had been little older than Mary Kay was now, when she became pregnant.  Belinda's parents were strict Lutherans and kept Belinda on a short leash.  Belinda had become involved with an older boy and for a while their relationship was exciting.  She would sneak out of the house to be with him and cheer him on at the country road drag races.  It wasn't long before Belinda convinced herself that she was in love.  That all fell apart when she told him she was pregnant and he not only dropped her, but started spreading tales about her to his friends.

Having no other choice Belinda told her parents she was pregnant.  They gave her the options of either giving up the baby or moving out of the house.  Feeling the life growing inside her Belinda was unable to give up her baby.  Belinda worked after school at the local feed mill owned by an elderly couple, Benjamin and Esther Sue Thornsby.  The Thornsby's having no children of their own took Belinda in when she told them of her plight.  When Mary Kay was born they treated her like their own grandchild and proudly showed her off to friends and customers.

When Mary Kay was nearly four a young man, Robert (Rob) Woltoski, came into the mill.  He spent a long time conversing with Ben.  Rob came from back east, but grew tired of the hustle and bustle of city life.  He had built up a sizable nest egg and decided to try his hand at ranching.  Ben recognized a greenhorn when he saw one and knew Bob would need a lot of help.  Seeing Belinda casting furtive glances at the handsome young man,

Ben introduced her to Rob, “Rob, Belinda here grew up on a small ranch if you were to ask kindly she may be willing to give you a piece or two of advice.” 

Rob turned to Belinda, “Ma'am I would be eternally grateful for any advice you could give me.  I am more than a little over my head right now, but I promise to be an apt pupil if you are willing to take on the challenge.” 

Belinda was a little nervous to help Rob out.  She had dated a couple of times after Mary Kay was born, but those had ended in disaster.  Because she was a single woman with a child and the rumors spread by her ex she was looked upon as a loose woman and the young men were only interested in sex. 

Rob did seem genuine enough and she was aware of the state of the property he bought.  “Well I do know the old Hobson place well enough, it is a fine piece of land, but old George Hobson really let it go.  I hope you are not afraid of hard work.  I get off of work at five, pick me up then and bring dinner for my daughter and I”.

From that seed their romance started.  It was slow to germinate, but grew every time they got together.  Two months later, on Mary Kay's fourth birthday, Rob offered to take Belinda, whom he was now calling Bell, and Mary Kay to a movie and dinner to celebrate.  From then on the couple had a standing Saturday night date and Mary Kay and Bell spent most evenings helping Rob at his ranch.  Six months later Rob took Bell and Mary Kay on a picnic.  After they ate Rob went down on one knee, took Bell's hand in his and propped Mary Kay on his knee. 

Turning to Mary Kay he said, “Mary Kay I have a very grown up question for you.  I would like to ask your mother to marry me do you think I should?” 

Little Mary Kay was very pleased at having a grown up asking her for advice and whispered into Rob's ear, “Mommy has been waiting for you to ask her”. 

Rob turned to Bell, released her hand and fished a ring out of his pocket.  When he asked her to marry him she promptly said yes. 

Rob then fished another smaller ring from his pocket and turned to Mary Kay, “Mary Kay I have another question for you.  Would you do me the honor of being my daughter?” 

Mary Kay's eyes got wide at the sight of the little ring and hugged Rob around the neck, “Well of course you big silly if Mommy is your wife than your going to be my Daddy.”

After they were married Rob and Bell wasted no time in adding to their family.  First along came Emma, then Jewelie, and Linda.  Finally the couple had a son Abe.  Their small ranch was doing well, but they all had to work hard to keep it going.  They were a close family and most of the time the chores were done with a sense of pride in helping the family.  

One day the news stations began broadcasting odd warnings.  Telling people to stay inside, avoid strangers or anyone appearing sick.  Rob instructed Bell to keep the children in, but the livestock still needed to be tended to and fences needed repair.  While he was working on the fence near the road a car came by and the man driving called to Rob, asking for directions to Lexington.

“My wife is real sick and I need to get her to hospital in Lexington.  The highway is all jammed up and I'm looking for a way around”, the man explained to Rob. 

Rob gave the man directions on a back way to Lexington and then looked in back at the mans wife.  He had her sort of tied up on the back seat and Rob reached in to check on her and she bit his hand hard enough to draw blood.  Rob jerked out his hand and the man stammered an apology and sped off.