The Zombie Wars: The Enemy Within (White Flag Of The Dead Book 8) (4 page)

The man holding the woman released his grip, and I had to give the woman credit.  She didn’t even bother to cover up or take the gag out of her mouth.  She just spun around and slammed a fist into the side of the man’s throat, putting him on the ground, and causing him to gasp for air.

After that she took the gag out and threw it on the man on the ground.  She covered herself and fastened her coat over her torn top. There wasn’t much she could do with the pants, so I helped her take the pants off the man I had kicked, and she put those on.

“Thank you, sir,” the woman said.

“What happened? What’s your name?” I asked. I already knew what happened at the end, I was curious as to how the story got there.

“Melissa.  Melissa Durant, sir,” she answered. “These two were in my squad, and when we cleared this house asshole here grabbed me, and the other two just went along.”

I looked at Melissa, and I could see why men would be attracted to her. She was a pretty brunette with short hair and light brown eyes.  She picked up her pack and slung it on.  When she looked up her eyes got huge.

I spun around, bringing my Glock to bear.  The man I had taken down on the lower level had returned, and he was coming through the doorway like a charging bear.  I fired point blank into his chest, stopping him cold. He took a step back, and placed a hand on his heart. The awful realization of what had just happened to him turned his face ashen, and then he fell to the floor.

I shrugged at Melissa. “Guess that saves us the trouble of a trial,” I said. I turned to the men on the ground.  “Get up, or I’ll shoot you next.”

The men got up painfully but cooperated.  I marched them out of the house ahead of me, and our little procession headed back to the camp.  Outside, I had Melissa cover the men while I switched from my Glock to my rifle. If the men had any notion of being able to get away while I held a handgun on them, that notion vanished when I held my rifle.

We got back to camp, and I handed the two men off to Steve Mendez.  He didn’t even want to know why one of the men wasn’t wearing pants.  He just put them under guard and left them in the cold.  I aimed Melissa over to the medical center and ordered her to be checked out.  Next I found Tommy and told him what had happened, and after a brief discussion, he went over to the medical center to talk to Melissa. 

I found Charlie a little while later, and he was in the process of getting reports from squads about zombie encounters and numbers.  I gave him a brief on the situation, and he looked grim, but nodded.  Finishing that, I went outside and realized I had never gotten to my vantage point. Oh, well.  It was a moot point now, anyway.  I walked back toward my trailer, checking my rifle in the process.  One of the scope mounts seemed loose, so I stopped to give it a little tighten. 

Figuring I had lost my zero, I now had something to do.  I walked to my trailer and called for Sarah to come out. 

“What’s up?” Sarah’s beautiful face popped out of the trailer just inches from mine.  I took advantage of the opportunity and gave her a quick kiss, which she returned enthusiastically after her surprise.

“My rifle’s scope came loose, can you sight it back in for me?” I asked.  “I’ll watch the boys.”

“Deal.  Jake has been a little difficult today.” Sarah popped back into the trailer, and I followed. She shrugged her coat on and took my rifle from me.

“I’ll deal with him. He’s probably just bored,” I said, taking my coat off and putting my gear away. 

“There is that. When are we done here?” Sarah asked, heading for the door.

“Tomorrow we should be ready to move; the earth movers should be done today and loaded by tomorrow morning,” I said.

“Good.  I like it better when we’re on the move,” Sarah said, stepping outside.

“Me, too” I said, to no one in particular.

A half an hour later, Sarah came into the trailer.  She handed me the rifle and nodded. “Two hundred yard zero, you weren’t far off. By the way, out by the range, there was a man with binoculars studying the camp.  He scampered off when I started sighting in.”

I was suddenly very interested. “You don’t say. Too bad you didn’t get a round his way.  Might have scared him off for good.” I was thinking about my encounter the other day and wondered if it might be the same man.

“Thought about it, but he was gone before I could get a bead on him,” Sarah said.  “Anything else happen today besides your rifle being out of whack?”

I told her about the encounter today with Melissa, and Sarah’s eyes narrowed, but she kept quiet.  I knew she was completely okay with whatever I decided to dish out to the two men, but as I had time to think it over, I realized we only had one real course of action.

“What are we going to do to these men?” Sarah asked. 

“Unfortunately, we can’t do what we would really like to do.  Are they guilty of attempted rape?  Yes. Are they guilty of rape? Probably at some point in the past, yes. But right now, no,” I said.  “And before you jump on me, think about it first.” I could see the storm building in Sarah’s eyes, and I was trying to head it off.

To her credit, Sarah did think first, and I knew precisely when she reached the same conclusion I had.  These men would be dealt with, but we couldn’t mete out the justice they likely deserved.

I gave Sarah a hug.  “Don’t worry.  It will be fine.”

The road crews finished the encircling of the city sooner than expected, and Duncan was very pleased with himself as he presented his report.  I took the reports from the other commanders and then had a brief meeting about our two offenders from the day before.  As much as we wanted to hang the two of them, it wasn’t in the cards.  I didn’t want to keep them prisoner since I didn’t want to waste resources on them.  Tommy came up with the best answer, which suited me just fine.  We would banish them upon pain of death should they ever return to any populated area.

In the morning, I held a brief meeting with the two men and the rest of my commanders.  I had each commander take a very long look at each man, and then sat everyone down.  The two men I left standing.

“I’ll keep this short.  I never was long on speeches, and I had hoped never to give this one.  You two are a disgrace to humanity.  I am sure that had I not intervened, you would be guilty of at least rape and then likely murder since a witness would turn you in.  But I didn’t catch you at rape.  I caught you at attempted rape. “I said. “Lucky for you, because if I had caught you in the act of rape, I would have killed you both right then.”

“As it is, you are hereby banished, never to return to any community within the New United States. You will be taken to a place outside the jurisdiction of the laws of the Constitution to fend for yourself as best you may.”

I continued. “You will not be given any supplies save for the clothes on your backs.  As you cared so little for the well-being of a fighter sworn to protect you in battle, we will care as much for you. Should you try to rejoin the New United States, you will be executed on the spot.”

I turned to Charlie.  “Deputy Chief Executive, do you have a place in mind for the banishment of these men?”

Charlie stood. “Yes, sir.” He signaled to the door, and four men entered followed by six women fighters, one of whom was Melissa Durant. Her face was a mask, and her eyes cold as she approached the men. The four men took the two prisoners and marched them out of the room, followed by the women.

“Where’s the nearest place outside our jurisdiction, deputy?” I asked.

“That would be the city of Cedar Rapids, sir.” Charlie said.

“That will do,” I replied.  “Throw them over the wall. Let them try and rape the zombies over there.” It wasn’t necessarily within the law, but it was justice, nonetheless.

Montana (Center Mountains)

“Report.”

The word was ripe with meaning, and none of it boded well. The speaker was a large man, over six feet with heavy, sloping shoulders. His calloused hands were clasped in front of him, resting easily on the oak table he sat behind.  His muscular arms strained at the confines of his shirt, and his large head was topped with dark brown hair streaked with grey. His face was scarred from several battles over the course of the last three years, yet his deep blue eyes had lost none of their fire.  He looked like a mature panther, waiting for his moment to strike. His pose was casual, yet he was capable of explosive movement at any time.

Cole Hobbes was a simple man once upon a time.  He had worked in the trades most of his life, starting out as a bricklayer with his father when he was just sixteen.  Long days of work had filled him out, and the rough and tumble bars his father eventually brought him to had taught him many things about life he had never learned in school or on the job.  By the time he was in his forties, he had buried his father, gotten married and had a son, and basically looked forward to the day when he could teach his son about the value of a hard day’s work.

All that changed when the Upheaval hit.  Cole had been different from his contemporaries, taking advantage of what the Internet had to offer when his son had shown him the way.  On the web he found reports and sightings; things that didn’t make sense.  He’d seen the end coming long before others had, and when the end finally arrived, he was already on his way to a safe haven, family in tow. 

He’d secured a decent sized cabin in the wilds of Montana and set about making sure his family was safe.  Heather Hobbes never questioned her husband and was grateful every day that her family was still together after so many had lost so much. 

Cole had sent a simple message to his friends and coworkers.  ‘Heading to the wild, here’s the coordinates.’ Cole never expected anyone to arrive, but in the months after the upheaval, they began to trickle in. Men with skills; men used to working with their hands.  Men who figured out problems that CEO’s couldn’t ever get in a decade of trying.  Society used to look past these men, never noticing them until needed.  Here they found their friends and brother tradesmen.  Here they built a society with their bare hands.  Here they created a haven from the wild ghouls that had torn so many others apart. And here, Cole Hobbes was the leader of them all.

“We’ve expanded the outer perimeter, expanding the wall well past the canyon. There’s useful timber in the hills and the cleared fields will be helpful for additional crops.  There are two solid rock hills that the electricians want to use for the foundation of their windmills, and they think they can help the plumbers get more water up from the streams.”

Cole grunted.  The electricians were goddamned magicians when it came to power, once they were allowed to let their imaginations run free.  The hardest part was getting them the parts they needed to make it all work.  Every home had electric power, and no one was cold in the winter months.  One of the lunatics had built an electric sidewalk that kept snow off of his walkway.

“Good enough.  We could use the timber and the land,” Cole said.  “Anything else?” Cole said.

The advisor, a small man named Darnell Tibbles, had been a welder before the end of the world. He’d known Cole from the old days and had come along a week after Cole had left.  Darnell was an unassuming man, and both he and Cole had been surprised as hell to find that Darnell the Welder was also remarkably organized and efficient at administration. They often joked with each other that had Darnell figured out his secondary skills sooner, he’d have been a rich man with his own welding company.

“Not on the domestic front,” Darnell said. “On the other end, I heard something you might be interested in.”

Cole shifted his head slightly towards Tibbles.

“Do tell.”

“One of the survivors we found wandering the outer perimeter had said something strange before we relocated him,” Darnell said.

“Spit it out, I’ve got no patience for stories,” Cole said.

“He said the army will be here soon,” Darnell said.

Cole shook his head.  “Crazy talk.  The army’s been finished for years.  Even those state centers they set up are done.”

“True enough.”

Cole straightened his back and popped his neck before speaking.

“But?”

“But what if there’s another army?” Darnell asked.

Cole shook his head.  “None that could get us here. We’re surrounded on three sides by canyons, and the other side is a sheer mountain.  Trust me, we’re fine from man, beast, or zombie.”

“Well, just to be sure, I sent a couple of scouts out about three weeks ago to see if there was anything to it,” Darnell said.

Cole stared at Darnell.  “When were you going to tell me about this?”

“I just did.”

Cole stood up, towering over Darnell.  He raised a large fist and held in front of Darnell’s pale face.

“I think I need to remind you who is in charge here.  I’m the one who started this place, not you.  Are we clear?” Cole said.

Darnell took a step back.  “Crystal. I will try and recall the men.”

“Leave them.  If they die out there, it’s on you to provide for their families.  Period,” Hobbes said with finality.  Tibbles knew better than to argue.  Inwardly, he was cursing himself for bringing it up at all.

“Dismissed,” Cole said, sitting back down. The wooden chair creaked in protest as the full weight of the large man bore down upon it.

Darnell Tibbles left the meetinghouse and headed out toward the canyon rim.  He passed several houses and walked down the narrow road of the small town at the base of the mountain.

As he passed a corner, a voice halted him.

“Evening, Tibbles.”

Darnell looked over at the speaker.  He was a young man, tall and strong.  His broad shoulders were accented by his narrow hips, and his arms were long and powerful.  He somehow had managed to get the best of both his parents.  The strength of his father combined with the good looks of his mother. 

Darnell didn’t like the look in the young man’s eye so he decided to play it safe. 

“Good evening, Carson.  How are you?” Tibbles said, careful to strike a neutral tone with his boss’ son.

“Oh, passable. Just passable,” Carson Hobbes said smoothly.  He let his eyes drift out over the canyon, allowing a full minute to pass before he asked his question.

“So, what did my father say about the scouts?” Carson was actually the one who sent the men out; Darnell had covered for him, and they both knew it.  Carson wasn’t yet ready to challenge his father’s authority, but he wasn’t above letting others take the heat if he could convince them it was worth their while.

Darnell whistled softly.  “He wasn’t happy, that was for sure.  Next time I’ll let you take the blame.”

Carson gave Darnell a half smile.  “Now, Tibbles, you know that almost sounds like you want to back out of our deal.”

“Deal?” Tibbles snorted. “You didn’t give me much choice, did you?”

Carson smiled again.  “Well, you do have a pretty daughter.  Maybe I should pay more attention to her after all.”

Darnell’s eyes turned cold. “I’d recommend against that kind of thing, Hobbes.  I respect your dad and what he’s done here, and me taking the blame for you isn’t a big deal as far as that goes.  But if you think you can back out of our deal, you’d best be ready to go all the way.”

“You threatening me, Tibbles?” Carson’s eyes lit up at the prospect of battle, and the only thing he wished for right now was an audience for him to fight in front of.  He’d never lost a fight in his life, thrilling at the feel of landing blows on his opponents.  But for all his fights, he’d never actually faced a zombie.  He had been made safe too soon for that to happen, and others had done the fighting for him.  It was the one thing he longed to do.

Darnell held out a hand. “Not at all.  Just letting you know where I stand when it comes to you keeping your word.”

Carson reached for the older man’s hand.  He’d teach him a lesson right now.  Carson had a strong grip, and he liked to prove it whenever he shook hands.  Grasping Darnell’s hand, he gave a hefty squeeze.

Carson’s grin fell off his face when his hand exploded in pain.  His knuckles felt like they were being folded in half, and his fingers were suddenly numb.  He very nearly fell to his knees when the pain stopped abruptly.

Darnell Tibbles gave Carson a smile of his own as he explained.

“What do welders do all day, son?  They
grip
things and hold them steady. I’ve been a welder a long time, boy, and no one besides another welder could try that little game on me.” Darnell winked at the young man.  “Not even your dad would do that with me, boy.  You do it again, and I’ll crush your hand to a pulp.”

Darnell whistled a little as he walked away, leaving a very hurt, but slightly wiser, Carson Hobbes behind.

Darnell kept walking, following the well-worn trails that wound through the community on the mountain. The paths were lit with small lanterns, and as he looked back, the great peak was covered in ropes of lanterns like a gigantic Christmas tree. Moving through the sparse trees, Darnell waved at folks who were sitting out on their porches, looking out at the incredible view they enjoyed every single day.

He kept walking, moving up the trails until he reached a small level area on the side of the mountain.  It wasn’t very big, but it was big enough for a small two- bedroom cabin that Darnell shared with his seventeen-year-old daughter, Alison.  His wife had actually passed away from breast cancer ten years ago, and Alison was all he had.  He’d been fortunate that his sister had helped him and Alison through the rough times of loss and Alison growing up, but she had been taken by the zombies in the first wave of the Upheaval.

The cabin was small but snug, and it was as comfortable as the two of them could make it.  Darnell only wished for one thing in this world, and that was for Alison to find a good man to take care of her when he was gone. 

Darnell walked through the door and immediately felt the tension in the air.  It was a heavy feeling of dread, like something horrible had happened.  Tibbles reached behind the clock on the wall and pulled out an old but cared-for Smith and Wesson revolver.  It had been his father’s when he had been a state trooper many years ago and had been in Tibbles’ possession ever since he passed away.

“Alison?” Tibbles called out. 

“In here, Dad!” Alison’s voice didn’t seem to have any danger in it, so Tibbles relaxed.  He kept the gun, choosing to tuck it in his coat pocket as he walked over to the living room.

Darnell found Alison sitting in the living room talking to a man about twice her age.  He was clean-shaven with a short haircut, and his clothing was pressed and clean.  His Native American features went very well with his coal black eyes and hair, and there was a hint humor in his face that he claimed was part of his Irish heritage a couple of generations ago.

“Well, Luke Blacktail. What can I do for you?” Darnell asked of his visitor, shaking his hand as the man rose to greet him.

“Well, Mr. Tibbles, there is not much I need these days that requires welding,” Luke said, smiling.  His entire face changed when he smiled.  His stern features melted away, and he seemed genuinely human. But his smile was gone in a minute when he became more serious.

“I do have a question I would like you to answer, if you would, please.” Luke Blacktail sat back down, indicating that Darnell should do the same.

Darnell stood his ground.  “I’ll stand, and I’ll excuse my daughter from this conversation.” He waved a hand at Alison. “Why don’t you head to your room, sweetheart? This won’t take a minute.”

“It might take a little longer than that, and she can stay,” Blacktail said.

Darnell shook his head. “It won’t. And neither will she.  Please, honey. Into the other room.” Darnell watched her leave the room, a worried look on her face.

Luke’s eyes were hard.  “You are a stubborn man, Mr. Tibbles.”

Darnell’s eyes were equally hard.  “Learned it from our boss.”

“That might be considered a dangerous thing to say,” Luke said.

“Are we there, then?  Have we reached the point where we are no longer a community but a kingdom?” Darnell asked.

Luke Blacktail leaned back and sighed.  He’d had similar thoughts himself, and lately it seemed more often than not Cole Hobbes was acting more like a ruler than a leader.

“Not yet. But I caution you to choose your words with care around others,” Blacktail said.

“I’m the soul of caution,” Darnell said, with a smile of his own.  “Now that we have that out of the way and know where we both stand, what was your question?”

Luke spoke softly. “What do you want me to do with the scout that came back?”

Darnell’s heart suddenly leapt into his throat.  He had no idea the men would return so soon. “He’s actually here? He made it back? What about the other one?”

Luke shook his head.  “Only one returned. He said they ran into some trouble in the Dakotas, and his partner was killed by some ghouls that surprised them one morning.”