Government Z (Book 1): The Beginning (3 page)

Chapter 4

We headed for the highway and made our way west.  As we drove Christi noticed several zombies scattered across the highway walking toward any sound that was made.  We did not see any survivors as we drove down the highway and made it to the exit ramp.  The trip took us about 25 miles west.  Now we only had 10 miles south to drive to reach town and then another mile west.  I got on the CB radio and told the other to be on the lookout for any survivors trying to flag us down.  Any zombies either shoot them or drive through them.  We started the drive down Main St. heading for the house.  I saw only zombies as we drove the ten miles south and randomly heard gun shots from the vehicles behind us as Bruce and Rus tried to take them out.  We finally made it to my parent’s house with a little day light to spare.  How are we going to set camp up Bev asked.  I said for now drop the trailer off in the drive way.  Then we will park the trucks bumper to bumper and set up tents on one side.  Since the trucks are low to the ground it will be easier to block the underneath side and if we hear any zombies they will have to come around the trailers and we will have time to prepare for them. 

Rus and Bev dropped the trailer in the front to the house where it was level and we wouldn’t have to worry about it tipping over.  We parked the weapons truck at the edge of the tree line which stretched the entire length of the yard on the west side of the property and about thirty five feet north of the pond.  Then behind that we parked the Semi truck up against the trailer door to the weapons truck.  Finally we parked the refrigerator truck perpendicular to the Semi’s cab so that it formed an L-shape with the only access to reach us would be to walk through the tree line or around the pond.  So it should provide us with security for the first night.  Once the trucks were set Rus and I went through the firearms truck and found the tents, folding chairs, and sleeping bags and started to make camp.  Bruce, Abby, and Christi went to the east side of the property past the pole barn and grabbed several loads of fire wood from my parent’s woodpile.  When they returned they started a warm roaring fire since it was early April it became very chilly as the temp fell into the high fifties.  Bev went to the food truck and grabbed two beef roast, some canned potatoes, a case of bottled water, a loaf of bread from the bakery, and a pot.  When she returned Rus and I made a spit to roast the meat over the fire pit.  We pulled some hot coals out to cook the potatoes in the pot so they wouldn’t get to hot in the direct fire.  While the food was being prepared and cooking Bruce and Abby went to the trailer and found some silverware and plates.  It took about two hours on open flame before the food was finished so we tried to eat something and regain our energy. 

After finishing our meal everyone was exhausted, so Rus and I said we would stay watch for the night.  Bev and Christi went into two separate two-person tents we had set up and Bruce and Abby shared the middle two-person tent.  It was roughly around one in the morning by now.  Rus and I started loading all the guns and clips we had so that way we could be ready for anything.  We were both yawning pretty heavily, so I grabbed a lantern from the weapons truck and told Rus I’m going head over to the trailer and see if I can find a coffee pot and some coffee.  Rus continued to fill guns and clips as I made my way to the trailer.  I unlatched the trailer and pulled myself up inside.  I walked down the center aisle that was created in the truck until I found the cookware section.  I thought I heard something move inside the trailer.  I started looking around but I didn’t see anything and figured it was my nerves and lack of sleep getting to me.  I finally found a coffee pot and the coffee when all of a sudden I looked up at the boxes to see a grey cat hissing at me.  It scared that hell out of me as I chased the cat off the trailer.  My heart was racing and pounding so hard it’s all I could hear on my walk back to the campsite.  When I returned Rus asked me what’s wrong.   I told him about the cat and he started laughing at me.  I told him to “shut up bitch” another common phrase from work.  He smirked.  Around two in the morning Rus jumped up out of his chair completely freaked out with his gun at the ready looking all around.  I said what are you doing?  He said didn’t you hear that moaning sound?  I started to smirk and laugh at him.  What? He said.  I leaned toward him and said Abby and Bruce are fucking like rabbits in their tent. So sit down Daniel Boone.  He looked around one more time and sat down. We both just started laughing.  We filled a lot of clips over the next four hours.  The birds started chirping just as the sun started to rise.  A little after six in the morning everyone started waking up.  Rus and I prepared breakfast for everyone then hit the tents for some much needed rest.  Christi and Bev went to the trailer to get batteries out while Abby and Bruce started looking for radios.   Abby and Bruce started tuning two radios both looking for any news on both channels.  Bev and Christi tried working the CB radio to see if they could find any survivors looking for help.

After about four hours with no luck Rus and I woke up from our naps.  We got everyone together to decide what needed to be done next.  Rus and I will head back to town.   I can get the keys to my parent’s house and maybe a few more supplies I said.   Then we can move some of the supplies into the house and clear the trailers.  Maybe two of you can head to the next couple of towns and see if you can find any more survivors.  The other two can stay and watch over the camp.  Christi said Bev and her will head to the next few towns I know the area pretty well.  Abby and Bruce, you watch over the camp she said.  Rus and I went over to the trailer to gear up for a trip to town.  We both picked out almost identical outfits.  We both had cargo camouflage pants, heavy duty steel toed army boots, and t-shirts.  The only difference was Rus wore a camo baseball cap and I had a bandana on.  Once we dressed we headed for the weapons truck.  Rus had two knives strapped to both biceps easy to grab, his machetes on his back again, a small .357 magnum strapped to his right ankle, two glock handguns strapped mid to upper thigh, and a camouflaged colored sawed off pump action shotgun.  I grabbed my new battle axes and strapped them to my back, put the desert eagles in my back belt area so they could be grabbed quickly, a large combat knife strapped to my left calf, and I also got a camouflaged colored sawed off shotgun exactly like the one Rus grabbed.  I gave Christi a big kiss and told her to be safe.  Bev walked over to Rus and gave him a hug, keeping her head resting on Rus’s chest for several seconds.  We jumped into the Semi and left for town shortly after eleven o’clock.

Christi and Bev started preparing the weapons truck to head to the other towns to see if there are any survivors.  Christi kept the 9mm berretta I gave her.  She had never shot a gun before and was really against having them in our house.  She knew she had to do what she could because she wanted to save our kids and make them better if she could.  Bev packed the magnum in the truck and grabbed two shot guns, the .22 rifle, and two colt anacondas just for extra protection.  Bev then drove the truck over to the trailer where Abby, Bruce, Christi, and she unloaded the weapons truck into the trailer.  If we find any survivors we will need all the room we have Bev said.  Shortly around noon Christi and Bev left for Richmond which was nine miles away. 

Once Christi and Bev arrived in Richmond they decided to spend no more than an hour driving around the streets.  They started on the east side of town driving down street by street shouting out the windows.  As they approached the ice cream shop they saw three zombies trying to break in.  Bev pulled the truck over and pulled the .22 rifle out.  She took aim and one by one picked off all three of the zombies.  As she started to reload the rifle a fourth zombie appeared out of nowhere.  Oh shit Bev shouted.  Christi raised the berretta up and shot six rounds off all into the zombies face.   She screamed a loud ahhhhh as she shot the gun.  Afterward she burst into tears.  Bev grabbed her and hugged her.  It will be alright Christi, you did what you had to do Bev stated.  I am alright search the shop and see why they were trying to get in Christi said.  Bev and Christi tried opening the door but it was barricaded so they broke out one of the windows and shouted inside.  The outside is clear right now is there anyone inside Christi shouted.  Is it safe to come out a voice shouted?  Yes we have a truck and have to move fast we are searching for more survivors.  There were nine people hiding in the ice cream shop.  Six men ranging in age from eighteen to forty five and three women two in their late thirties and one in her sixties .The group of people that were held up inside the ice cream shop was a range of characters.    They all loaded into the truck.  First there was Mrs. Babcock an elderly lady who was about sixty two years old and had recently had hip replacement surgery.  Steve who was forty five and the owner of the ice cream shop, his girlfriend Janet thirty nine who also worked at the ice cream shop.  Then there was Blake, twenty one, Brent, twenty, and Bart, nineteen, three brother who had just returned from college in Missouri on summer break.  Brianna, twenty four who also worked at the ice cream shop while she was going to hair styling college.  Finally there was George thirty and his brother Jason twenty seven who had just returned from a tour in Iraq. As they entered Bev asked who knows how to handle a gun?  George and Jason said they were both in the army and could handle any weapon. Bev gave them both shotguns and said you now have a bigger responsibility.  You will be on search, save, and rescue when we stop to look for survivors.  Let’s finish our search here and head east toward my work Christi said.  There is a hospital there and maybe we can find some more medical supplies and medical staff that can help us more. After searching for another half hour they found four couples and two men.  They were located at their homes and approached the truck as it was heard driving down the street.  Mike forty a construction worker, his wife Jennifer thirty eight a housewife, and their son Jon eighteen a senior in high school. Ben twenty, a friend of Jon’s since they were in elementary school together. Then there was Chad thirty nine, a retail manager at a local suit store and his wife Kathy forty, a secretary at a lawyer’s office, Chris twenty five, a laid off electrician and his newlywed wife Janelle twenty three, an EMT for the local county.  Final couple found was Sean thirty six and his wife Stephanie thirty three, who owned their own lawn cutting service on their first job of the year.  We can provide you with a camp site, food, and weapons if you are will to put your share in right now we are headed east to search the hospital in the River District area.             

Rus and I arrived back in Port Huron around eleven thirty and headed toward my house.  It was a clear safe drive back to town.  We arrived at the house and I noticed right away the remains of Mr. Jones were still lying next to the driveway.  All that remained was his skeleton. The only reason I knew it was Mr. Jones was the fact that my steak knife was still embedded in the skull.  I headed for the front door and unlocked it.  I don’t know if the kids are still locked in the dog cage so go in with caution and please don’t hurt my children I said.  We opened the door and I heard a commotion coming from the kitchen.  I went and looked with my shotgun drawn.  The kids were still locked inside the dog cages but were really aggressive.  They looked starved and I tried to feed them meat from the fridge, but since they had become zombies the only thing they craved was human flesh.  We searched the house and all was clear still.  Rus checked out the backyard and saw two zombies walking through the backyard.  He went out on the deck and shot both zombies with one shot from his shotgun.  I then went and checked out the backdoor Rus was dragging one of the dead zombies back into the house.  What are you doing Rus? I asked.  Rus threw the zombie across the island in our kitchen and pulled out one of his knives.  Kids need to eat whether its moral or not this is the best way to feed them Rus said.  He started to filet the dead corpse and put a lot of the cut up meat into the cages and the kids devoured it as soon as it entered the cage.  After that I found the keys, Rus grabbed the other zombie corpse and loaded it into the truck.  We need to go to my house so I can check on my kids too Rus said.  Let’s head there now and then we can stop at Bruce’s place too and check on his daughter.  We made our way back out to Rus’s house.  I asked where he had put the children.  I built a kennel in the garage and secured them there Rus said.  There is a latch on the roof that gives us access to the garage Rus stated.  We lifted the zombie’s dead body to the roof.  Rus opened up the latch and looked inside.  He couldn’t see anyone so he threw the corpse down the opening then all of a sudden out of nowhere the children ran over and started tearing apart the body.  Rus’s eyes were beat red as he was fighting to hold back tears.  Let’s get going we can drop off food to Bruce and Abby’s kids and then we will see what else we may need.

  After we dropped off the corpses and fed the children I got on the CB to contact Christi and Bev.  I asked how the search and rescue was going.  Christi said it was going real well for the most part.  We found nineteen so far and are headed toward River District hospital looking for more survivors and medical supplies.  That’s awesome I am glad you have found some survivors I said.  How are you guys doing? Christi asked.  Well we got the keys to the house, but we realized the zombies become more aggressive the longer they are detained and not eating I said.  How did you find that out Christi asked?  I told her about the kids and how all the zombies only eat human flesh so we went and fed all the kid’s zombies Rus and I had killed and it lowered their aggression.  We are headed to the hardware stores we have some ideas for traps and coverage for the house.  We should be headed back to camp around four this afternoon Bev said.  Ok have everyone fed and ready to work when we get there Rus said.  We have a lot still to do before we can rest, over and out I said.  I then sent out a call to Bruce and Abby to see if they were ok.  Bruce come in Rus called.  How is everything going?  Bruce asked.  Rus told them about all the survivors that Christi and Bev had found and that they would be back around four if they could prepare food.  Bryan and I are headed to some of the hardware stores to get some supplies we have some ideas for the camp.  Be prepared to get working tonight along with all the survivors Rus said.  We will get to work right away over and out Bruce said.