The Birth Of Decay (10 page)

             
R
icky loaded all our guns ammo and put them in our backpacks.  I kept my eyes on the road and off and on Ricky would read the map.  We only stopped once at a small gas station and topped off the truck.  We did not grab any food because everything now had started to mold and form into disease-ridden poison.  I shot a decayed in the head and got back on the road. 

             
After a couple of hours, we found Fort Carson and parked a few feet away.  The evening sun shined down on the large building in the distance and only a few small clouds floated over the town.  We locked up the truck and put on our supply-filled backpacks, guns, ammo, two grenades, food and water.

             
“Alright Ricky, we need to keep it together.  Do this for our people.”  I said bravely.  Ricky pumped his shotgun and we slowly made our way to the open gate.  We noticed a military truck wrecked against the small building that operated the gates and peered in, nothing but a decomposing soldier behind a broken desk.  We walked up to the vehicle and looked in; empty.  I motioned for Ricky and we ran up to the broken front entrance and stopped.  I stood there silently and listened for signs of movement; I could not hear anything.

             
We walked in, ran up to a large desk, and started searching for any information we could use.  I turned around, noticed a large map of the wall, and started reading it.  I pointed to our destination; weapon supply room A and supply room B.  We took it all in and figured out our best route. 

We walked down a large hallway and stopped at a set of large double doors.  We peered in the windows and noticed over two dozen decayed soldiers walking around; some were holding their m16 rifles.  We pulled back and I took out my grenade.  “Ricky, I’m going to open the door and throw this in the most crowded part of the room.  Then we got to duck on the sides.”  I said.  He nodded and opened the door, I pulled the pin and threw the grenade in the crowd.  We hid on the sides of the door as they swung back shut.  We covered our ears and the walls rumbled with the heavy explosion. 

              Ricky and I stood up and ran in shotting down the remaining decayed.  One of them shot its gun at the ground as I put a bullet between its eyes.  I waved the smoke away from my face and looked around.  We both put our guns in our bags and took two of the decay’s m16 rifles and clips.  I remembered the course we needed to take from the wall map and ran through another set of doors.  We past a few office doors and found the location with the two storage rooms; three decayed soldiers were near the one of the doors.  I knelt down and took out my hunting rifle.  I aimed at the furthest ones head and fired; he dropped to the ground.  Ricky open fired with his m16 and shot the other two down.  I knew the loud gunshots had to of attracted other decayed, so we worked fast.  I took off my backpack and entered the room.  Hundreds of guns lined up the walls and several footlockers were on the floor.  At the end of the room, another door had been cracked open and Ricky ran in.  I picked up a few Uzi machine guns and put them in my backpack with several clips.  I noticed a large gym styled bag and started filling it with ammo and fully automatic guns.

             
“Holy shit! John check this out.”  Ricky called out.  I set the bag down and joined Ricky in the other room.  He had a large wheeled case opened and a large weapon was sitting in black padding.  I looked at the twenty large bullets on either side of the gun and knew what it was; rocket launcher.  “Shit!”  I laughed excitedly.  He closed the lid, grabbed the handle on one side, and rolled it out of the room.  I looked around and noticed bulletproof vests stacked along a few shelves.  I took my supplies out of my vest and put one of
them
on.  I grabbed a few more and carried them to the next room.  “Change into this.”  I said to Ricky and tossed him a vest.  He started changing into the vest and I opened one of the footlockers; clips.  I tossed a few in my backpack and went over to the next locker; combat boots.  I found my size and put them on.  “Ricky, find your size boot and put them on.”  I said.

             
I opened the next case and noticed the random gun parts.  I went to the next case and opened it, grenades.  “Bingo!”  I cheered.  I reached over, slid my bag over, and stuffed it with several grenades.  “It’s like Christmas.”  Ricky laughed as he put on the combat boots.  I smiled and slid over too another case and opened it; swat styled fumigators.  I stuffed a few in my backpack and went over to a large silver case with large yellow letters on it.  The words did not make any sense to me and I opened it up; varies sized gun magazines and clips.  I tossed a few in the large bag and zipped it up.  Ricky stuffed a few boxes of ammo in his backpack and zipped it shut.  I put my backpack on and felt the weight on my shoulders.  “Are you ready for the other supply room?”  I asked.  Ricky nodded and grabbed the rocket launcher case.

             
We ran out of the room and found the other supply room.  We looked around and noticed all of the food rations.  We started laughing excitedly, found a cart, and filled it full of food. Ricky opened a bottle of water and took a few drinks.  “You better not get dehydrated.”  Ricky said to me.  I agreed and opened one of the bottles on the wall and took a few drinks.  I threw a couple of the water cases on top of the cart and nodded.  “Let’s go.”  I said.

             
We peeked out of the room and walked out into the office area.  I noticed a few decayed walking past the window outside.  “When we get to the exit; run as fast as you can to our truck. We gotta cover each other.”  I said.  I handed Ricky a loaded Uzi and we continued past several of the office doors.  We made it back into the room where I set off the grenade and noticed a couple of decayed had gathered in there.  I took out an Uzi and looked at Ricky.  “Let’s do this.”  I whispered.  We jumped out and shot them down with the blinding speed of the guns.  I felt the kick the gun had had and found it hard to keep an aim; I needed practice with these guns.

             
Ricky rolled the case through the room and we ended up in the hallway.  We shot down a couple more decayed at the end of the hall and found the front office again.  I looked through the heavy glass doors and noticed several decayed walking towards us.  “Grenades!”  Ricky yelled.  I opened my bag and took out two grenades.  We had the routine down pat now and Ricky quickly opened the door; I pulled the pins and tossed them in the crowd.  We ran in and hid under a desk.  The grenades went off and the decayed’s dark colored blood covered the glass door and windows.

             
We waited a few seconds and looked through the door; the smoke slowly faded and several more decayed started walking over the dead bodies and making their way to us.  “Shit, there are more of them!”  Ricky yelled.  I was not sure how many would be here but it was a big military base.  I heard gunshots and noticed one of the decayed was shooting his handgun aimlessly.  The gun ran out of bullets and he kept pulling the trigger; it was as if he remembered the gun training and would not stop trying to fire the empty gun.

             
I ran over to the map and looked for other exits.  I noticed one east of this room and it would not be too far from our truck.  I thought about grabbing a military vehicle but knew the gas and batteries had to of been getting bad.  I looked at Ricky.  “I found an exit.”  I pushed the cart down another hallway and went through a couple of turns.  We found the exit and there was not any decayed around.  Ricky opened the door and I pushed my cart through; I was weighed down with two overstuffed bags and a heavy cart.  I held the door open with my foot, Ricky pulled the rocket launcher case out, and I let the door shut. 

We made sure it was clear and started running to the front of the building.  We noticed the decayed still at the front doors and we kept running for the truck.  They heard the wheels of my cart scrapping on the concrete and turned around.  I pushed as hard as I could and noticed my truck in the distance.  We ran up to the entrance gate and we maneuvered the carts over the yellow speed bumps.

              The decayed were catching up to us and I looked back at Ricky.  “Go, go, go!”  I yelled.  We pushed our way to the truck and I quickly unlocked our doors.  We helped each other get the cases in and I noticed the decayed were right behind us.  “Get our bags in the truck, I’ll hold them off!”  I yelled.  I pointed my Uzi and opened fired on the crowd of rotting flesh.  I focused and tried making my aim steady; I was getting a feel of the gun. 

“Get in!”  Ricky called from inside the truck.  He started shooting at the decayed and I quickly climbed into the truck.  The decayed scratched at the truck as I backed it up and and got back out on the main road.  Ricky shot down a couple more of the decayed and we were soon back on our road.

              “Hell yes buddy!”  I yelled in excitement.  I could not believe the new weapons and armor we had.  Wait until Claire and the others see us.  Ricky looked down at his Uzi.  “This is one serious gun man, tore then assholes to shreds.”  He said.  We laughed as I turned off onto our exit and turned on cruse control.

             
T
he late evening sun was setting and I lit a cigarette for both Ricky and me.  “Can you believe these bullet proof vests, I feel like a king in this shit.”  I said.  Ricky nodded and posed proudly.  “We proclaim ourselves as king of the decayed.”  I started laughing and looked at my side mirror; bright headlights were on our tail.  “Someone is following us.”  I said in a panic.  Ricky picked up his Uzi and rolled down the window.  “Wait! They may not be enemies.”  I warned.  Ricky nodded his head and I kept my eye on the headlights; they started to get closer.  They got right on my bumper and then suddenly drove to the right side of me.  Ricky grabbed his flashlight and shined it down at the sports car; we looked and noticed a man pointing a shotgun at us.  “Shit!”  I yelled loudly and hit the breaks.  We slowed down to a crawl and the car drove ahead of us a few feet and then slowed down to a stop.

             
I hit the gas again and drove towards them; they took off and stayed ahead of us.  “Hit um!”  I said to Ricky.  He stuck his head out of his window and fired a few shots at the car; the bullets tore into the bumper and truck causing sparks.  I turned on the high beams to try and blind the driver and I noticed the passenger climb to the back seat.  He fired a shot and the back windshield of the car shattered.  Ricky returned fire and shot the man in the chest; he fell onto the seat and Ricky put his body back in the truck.

             
I noticed another set of headlights from behind us and I started to panic; what if I never see my child again…even worse; what if these thugs are attacking my town.  The car from behind sped up and got right up behind me.  “Put on your seatbelt!”  I called out to Ricky.  We put our seatbelts on and I hit the breaks, causing the car behind me to smack into the back of my truck.  I sped back up and caught up to the other car.  I floored the truck and smacked into the rear end of the car in front of me.  He nearly lost control and sped up too try to avoid me.  The car from behind me was now missing a headlight and caught back up to us.

             
Ricky took his seat belt off and stuck his upper body back out the window.  He open fired on the car in front of us and it ended up loosing control and landed in a ditch.  “Take that bitch!”  Ricky yelled at the car as we passed.  The car behind us suddenly started shooting and I heard the bullets strike the cab.  I hit the breaks again and the car maneuvered too the side of me and I sped back up.  “Take the wheel!”  I yelled.  Ricky took the wheel and I shot my Uzi at their car and ended up shattering the side windows.  I Noticed a man in the backseat of the car grab his leg; I must have shot that bastard.  I kept my foot on the gas and took the wheel.  “Get me a grenade.”  I demanded.  Ricky opened the large bag and handed me a grenade.  He took the wheel again and I pulled the pin.  I tossed it through the passenger window and hit my breaks.  The car continued to drive down the road for a few seconds and then the grenade exploded; pieces of metal and glass flew everywhere as the car rolled off the side of the road.  I rolled up my window and took the wheel back.

I felt my adrenaline pumping.  I felt like I was in a dream and had little control over everything.  I slowed my breathing and watched the road.  Ricky opened a bottle of water and handed it to me; I took a few drinks and shook my head.  I just wanted to go home and see Claire and the girls, nothing more.

              I noticed bright flashes in the distance and heard explosions.  I slowed the truck down and stopped in the middle of the road.  The next town was a couple of miles ahead and that is where the bright flashes were coming from.  “Damn, were halfway home and this shit has to happen.”  Ricky said in frustration.  I turned my headlights off and observed the distant fighting.  I pray these people haven't found my town and Claire and the others were in trouble.  I doubt these people are friendly; more like bandits and crooks tearing up the land.  I turned on the radio and heard someone talking.

             
…Take down that damn building, we aint got time too sit around…we will be at the gas station…

             
I turned down the radio and looked at Ricky.  “We got too drive slow and unnoticed.”  I said.  He agreed and I started slowly down the road.  The half moon made some light for us but not much.  I drove around a few obstacles and Ricky helped me with spotting possible barriers; it was nearly impossible.  I drove over a sudden bump and heard a loud bang; the front of the truck started to lower down.  Ricky struck his head out of the window.  “Damn, we hit road spikes.”  He said.  I realized we would be attacked and jumped out of my seat.  “Let’s grab our supplies and hide in the tree lines!”  I yelled in a panic.

             
We dropped all of our stuff onto the road and one by one, we carried our supplies to the dense tree line on the left of the road.  We hid behind the heavy tree braches and waited for a few minutes.  We did not see anyone approach the truck, so we started walking through the tree line.  Ricky and I dragged the supplies through the woods and kept on the same direction of the road.  I noticed an old farmhouse hidden by the trees.  “Let’s check it out.”  I said.