The Horror Squad: An Apocalyptic Tale
The Horror Squad
TJ Weeks
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
The Horror Squad. Copyright © 2016 by TJ Weeks. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. For information, email [email protected]
Weeks, TJ
The Horror Squad/TJ Weeks. - 1st ed.
Title ID: 6149662
ISBN-13: 978-1530619092
First Edition: February 2016
Acknowledgments
I’d like to take the time to thank Karen Dziegiel for all of her hard work going through each of my books. My wife for all her editing and support. Chelley Jordan and Bobbi Payton for so awesomely helping with running my pages. I’d like to thank all of my military buddies for staying by my side with their support.
Most of all, I’d like to thank all of my fans for pushing my work out there. If it wasn’t for you none of my books would have been put on the best sellers list on Amazon and I wouldn’t be up for as many awards as I get put in for.
www.facebook.com/tjweeksofficial
CHAPTER ONE
“COME ON OLD MAN
, pick up your shit and let’s keep moving.” I stated.
Steven looked up at me while still trying to catch his breath from running from a hoard of zombies.
“Let me catch my breath, dickhead.” He responded.
“Alright guys, let’s setup a perimeter. Drop your gear in the center and let’s get a good three-sixty of the area. Steven, you start filling camelbacks in that creek over there.” I called out to the group while pointing the creek out to Steven.
Steven grabbed the camelbacks and started to fill them as the water beaded off the rocks. I stood in the middle of the wooded perimeter slowly looking around to ensure nothing was missed. From a distance I could see a poor bastard still holding a Colt forty-five gripped in his hand after taking his own life. I softly stepped over to the man while still brushing my husky blue eyes across the mixture of trees for surprises. After grabbing the pistol, I started pillaging through his pockets.
“Anyone wear size eights?” I questioned as I got to the man’s shoes.
“Right here!” Gizmo called out.
I pulled the shoes off the man, collected nine shells from his pockets and then stood up with the pistol before walking back over to the center of the group. I didn’t waste any time to put the pistol and shells in my backpack, then tossed the shoes over to Gizmo’s rucksack.
Steven returned with the camelbacks filled and his breath back.
“Okay, listen up. Gizmo, pack those shoes away or change them if you need them. Kris, I want you and Tina to stay in the middle of the group. Justin, I want you to cover the rear. Gizmo and Steven, I want you behind me and Steven….try to keep up.” I stated.
“Roger that.” Steven replied.
“Ten-four, little buddy.” Gizmo and Justin replied at the same time.
I hooked my camelback to my backpack and then took my place back in the front of our small pack.
“Let’s move out!” I called out after making sure everyone was in line.
The wooded area was hard to see through, but with my military background, I was able to spot movement that others seem to miss. I headed up the front and felt comfortable with having Steven with me helping with the spotting of these fucks.
“Doesn’t this remind you of when we were in Iraq?” Steven questioned.
“Hell no, we didn’t have people trying to eat us there. We also weren’t having to defend ourselves against the very people we fought to protect…This is a fucking nightmare compared to that.” I replied.
“I just meant with having to run missions.” He justified.
“I guess so, but we were younger then and it didn’t take as much of a toll on us.” I replied.
“This is true!” Steven stated.
After a few miles of walking and all of us coming upon a few of them to kill, we finally came to a resting point that seemed clear. We all removed the weight and stretched while watching for others to approach. I took a few steps to each side of the group peering through each branch and listening for the moaning or groaning of them. I stepped to the left of the group and over a fallen tree where one laid that had already been stabbed in the head and torn open at the base of its skull, which led me to believe that there were others that were actually alive out here. I stepped around a plethora of vines and could see a white house through some thick brush ahead. I signaled Gizmo to go left and Steven to go right as the rest of us pulled up the middle.
Everyone put their packs back on and made the moves that I had instructed. There were heavy thick vines growing up the siding and the roof was only spotted with reddish broken shingles. I could see fresh footprints in the dust on the porch. Looked like a size six Nike shoe. Justin stacked the old broken door with me before I kicked it in
the rest of the way. I rushed inside as I cleared the right side with my M-4 assault rifle, Justin cleared to the left. Straight in front of us was a young Chinese woman in about her early twenties. She had very recently turned as you could tell with her skin not taking any discoloration yet. The zombie may have gone unnoticed if it wasn’t for the bit of blood trickling out of her mouth. Her head shot toward us with bloodshot eyes and mouth wide open. I reached to my back and grabbed my buck knife. I wrapped my fingers around her throat to keep a bit of distance and plunged the knife hard but slow into her temple. It was part of our rules to not engage unless necessary and to never waste bullets when it could be handled with hand combat. I usually took either Steven or Justin in with me because Gizmo was all about a big fuck that. He was a great fighter, but scared of too many things.
I pulled the knife from her temple and eased her to the ground to keep it as quiet as possible just in case there were other surprises that awaited us. With a zombie being in the first room we walked into, it was doubtful there would be any living here, but still wanted to clear the house and search for food and supplies. With an uplift of my head, I signaled Justin to take the room on the left and I cleared the right.
There was no food, but the young woman had left a note on the kitchen counter.
“
To whomever it concerns,
My name is Eve Sanders. I was born and raised in Austin, Texas. I never thought it would come down to this, I never thought that I would die at such a young age. I just turned 21 today, most people got to go out with their friends and enjoy their first legal drink, but here I am saying goodbye.
If you’re finding this note, I’m sorry for what you had to go through to get it. I locked myself in this shitty abandoned house to separate myself from the living…If they exist anymore. I was part of a group, but they were more evil than the dead ones. I never wanted to be part of the problem.
Goodbye,
Eve Sanders
P.S. If this is Eric Baily reading this…Fuck you! I’d rather die right here than be your slave.”
I folded the letter up and tucked it in my bag.
“CLEAR!” I called out to the rest of the group.
Steven walked in first and the others followed right on his tail.
“Let’s make camp here for the night.” I suggested.
“Fuck that, we can still make it back before night fall.” Gizmo stated.
“Yes we could, but what are we returning with? We need to just call it a night here so we can make a better search in the morning.” I responded.
“It’s your call.” He backtracked.
“Dump your gear, barricade the doors and let’s eat.” I announced.
The group worked together to get it all done. Steven took it an extra step by running some trip lines with bells attached to them around the house before the doors were barricaded. Everyone left their canned goods in their bags and pulled out different things that had been collected over time like beef jerky, apples and pears. We all shared the best we could as the sun cover depleted. We used our bags for pillows and laid under the windows so we would be over looked from peeping eyes.
Gizmo pulled his wife Tina in close to cuddle with her when she let out a moan of pain.
“What’s wrong?” He asked.
“I’m over a year passed due to get this IUD out of me.” She stated.
“IUD” He questioned.
“My birth control.” She stated while giving him a stupid look.
“Hell, I didn’t know what it was called. Don’t be a dick.” He made clear.
“I’m not being a dick, I just don’t want to die of toxic shock after surviving this long in the apocalypse.” She said.
“Want me to reach in and pull it out?” He joked.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Your idea of getting anything out of me is a direct opposite.” She stated.
“We’ll get it figured out.” He added as he repositioned his head to a softer spot on the bag.
STEVEN SMITH
AFTER WORKING
seven days a week since he had gotten back home from Iraq nine years ago, Steven had grown tired. He was forty-two years old, and time was taking a toll on his back. He had finally found some vacation time and had started packing.
“How long will you be gone?” His wife asked.
“It’s only a week, honey.” He replied as he still focused on packing up his clothes.
“Do you have enough cash?” She questioned.
“I have a couple of hundred in my wallet and my check hits the bank in two days.” He turned and told her to settle her nerves and worries.
