Revealed: Parables From The Apocalypse - Dystopian Fiction (5 page)

Breaking The Bank

One does not simply walk into Fort Knox. Fort Knox is symbolic worldwide as the ultimate icon of security.  If you want something safe, you lock it up in Fort Knox.  Located on the corner of Bullion Blvd and Gold Vault Road, it's also synonymous with wealth, or more specifically gold.  Arguably one of the safest, most secure places on the planet, but built by an insecure nation.  The United States was just coming out of the depression, and war was looming in Europe.  With executive order 6102, President Roosevelt ordered every citizen to exchange their gold for US dollars.  This swelled the reserves of government-controlled gold, and created the need for a very large piggy bank.  Hence, Fort Knox came into being.  It was built in the middle of the United States, protected by mountains to the east, and thousands of miles from any open coastline.  Having a military base next door with a few hundred tanks didn't hurt either.  It was home to the US army's original armored tank division, started by General George S. Patton.  Nobody in their right mind would consider an assault on Fort Knox.  Unfortunately for its current inhabitants, zombies have never ever been in their right mind. 

As it turned out, Chaz got his way.  They were less than an hour from the Fort Knox Bullion Depository, and it was still a few hours till dawn.  Approaching the fort unseen would be difficult.  While the zombie wars had taken their toll on the country, those in charge still understood the long game.  Fort Knox was still considered a top priority by the US government, and it was just as tough to get into as ever.  If the wars ever ended, the countries with their assets intact would have the best chance of thriving. The depository was over a hundred years old, and constantly updated with the latest and greatest security.  When you're protecting hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of gold, there's no such thing as a limited budget.

Chaz pulled over to the side of the road and Alex followed suit. Chaz motioned for Alex to approach.

Alex looked to Christa.  "You know the drill, right?  Hit the horn if you see anything funny.  I think we're almost there."

"OK."

Alex got out of the truck, and walked to the back of the personnel carrier.  He shone his flashlight over the cots and at each of the IV bags above them.  None were moving, and the IV bags were still half full.  He walked up to Chaz's window.

"What's up, Colonel, why didn't you just call me on the radio?"

"I wanted to have a private talk before we got closer.  The army base could be monitoring the radios."

"It's about Christa, right?  Look, she won't be a problem.  She's doing her best, and she’s been real good about keeping an eye on our patients.  I think ..."

"I don't give a shit about the girl right now.  We've got bigger concerns.  This is Fort Knox we're approaching.  We're about to break into Fort Knox with a truck full of comatose zombies, a demon child, and stolen military equipment.  Equipment that once belonged to soldiers now lying dead in a ditch.  Soldiers that have friends and maybe family in that fort.  We're going to have a lot of explaining to do."

"Colonel, we're both military.  That has to count for something, you especially.  You're a war hero."

"Hmmf.  Well, thing change.  Remember, we're losing this war.  The losing side of any war never has many heroes in the history books.  I don't know what kind of military force is still at the fort.  Stories I've heard had them doing better than most bases, but that's old news."

Alex looked at his feet. "So I'm assuming you have some sort of plan.  Something more than just doom and gloom."

"Of course.  I've had plenty of quiet time driving up here.  Without chatter from the two of you drowning out my every waking thought, I've actually had a few good ideas."

Alex smiled. "Alright, let's hear it."

"OK, first thing.  There's no point in trying to sneak up to those gates unannounced. They'll see us coming from miles away.  Even slowing down and driving by is likely to draw attention.  First thing I want is for you to wait here.  Don't move."

"Stay here?  And do what?  We're still like thirty miles from the fort."

"They keep track of every vehicle that drives by on Dixie Highway west of their property.  Even army vehicles.  If we split up, we improve our chances of getting through.  I want us to drive by the base one at a time, at least thirty minutes apart.  I'll go first.  I want to get a look at what we're facing before we try getting in.  I'll take Dixie Highway and drive by from the west. I won't slow down and draw attention, so I'll only get a quick view."

"It would be better if we knew what we were getting into."

"You should get a better look. I want you to take Bullion Blvd right past the front gates of the depository.  You can also check out the military base after you pass the depository.  It's riskier being so close, but it gives you a better view of both facilities.  Both of you need to take note of everything you see.   Count zombies, soldiers, fortifications, and note anything that we can use to our advantage."

"We can do it.  I'm a little worried about driving the ambulance with a little kid next to me.  She'll stick out like a sore thumb."

"Boost her up.  Anything that makes her look taller in the seat.  Look for uniforms in the back of the ambulance.  If she's wearing a military jacket from a distance, they may not notice.  Once you pass the depository and the military base, keep driving towards town.  There's an old cemetery just north of the airport. We can meet up there, debrief, and decide our next steps." 

"Great, I always wanted to hang around a cemetery in the middle of the night during a zombie apocalypse.  Then again, if I get shot sneaking around the most fortified facility in the world, I won't have to worry about the cemetery."

"Exactly.  Be one less thing for me to worry about as well."  The colonel smirked.  "Now, there's one more thing.  Keep your radio tuned to 243 MHz. That's reserved for military aircraft, so no one is likely to be scanning it.  When I get to the cemetery, I'll transmit on that frequency, but nothing verbal.  Just three short taps on my microphone.  If more than an hour passes and you don't hear from me, you'll proceed with the plan regardless."

"And do what?  Just drive by the base and hope for the best?"

"Grow up, boy.  Yes, drive by the base.  Pay attention and come up with a plan.  I'm not going to be around to wipe your ass forever.  If something happens to me, then you're going to have to figure things out."

"Yes, sir."

"And most importantly, keep that kid safe!"

"What ... really? Since when do you give a colonel’s crap what happens to her?"

"Just do it.  Like I said, I had plenty of time to think driving up here. She may be a pain, but that kid may represent our best chance of turning this thing around.  Besides, she's just a kid, right? Or so you keep telling me.  It's your job tonight to make sure she still has a chance to grow up.  Now get your ass back in the ambulance, and wait for my signal."

Chaz dropped the truck into gear, and took off before Alex had a chance to argue.  Not that he would have.

Sleeping Through

Alex slammed the door shut, and locked all the doors.

Christa stared through the binoculars, watching Chaz drive off with their zombie patients.  "Well, what are you waiting for?  Aren't you going to follow him?  I can't keep an eye on our patients from back here."

"No, we're not following him.  We're waiting right here, just like he said."

"Wait? Wait for what?  We can't just sit here.  We need to follow him.  Get to the fort ... right?"

"Not yet.  New plan.  We need to wait for the signal.  Three taps over the radio."  Alex tuned the radio to 243 MHz.  "There we go, all set.  Nothing to do but sit and wait.  The colonel is going ahead to scout things out, then we'll follow him and do the same.  After that, we head to the cemetery."

"Cemetery?  Why do we have to go to a cemetery?  Don't zombies hang around cemeteries?"

"That's silly, why would a zombie hang around a cemetery?  Nothing for them to eat there.  Don't believe everything you read and hear. We'll be fine."

"I hope so.  What if they find us here?  We're food, right?  Wouldn't they eat us?"

"Well I'm definitely food. There's no doubt they'd eat me.  You, I'm not so sure about." 

"I could be food too.  They might want to eat me.  You don't know for sure.  Just because they let us go before, doesn't mean they will again.  I'm nothing special."

"Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.  Just pretend I didn't say that.  And stop thinking about those zombies on the bridge.  Maybe it was you, maybe it wasn't.  Maybe they just had a hankering for bacon real bad."

Christa smiled. "I suppose it isn't so bad.  You're right.  You guys needed help.  It's a good thing we ran into each other."

Alex nodded in agreement. "Think of it like you're a superhero.  Our superhero.  You have an anti-zombie force field around you.  It protects you and all your friends."

Christa looked down. "You might be my friend, but I don't know about Chaz.  He mostly makes me feel bad.  That's not what friends do."

"And you saved him anyway.  That makes you even more super in my books.  You use your super zombie-zapper powers to keep everyone safe.  No matter how big a jerk they are."

Christa giggled.  "You’re my friend, I'm glad I saved you."

"Me too."  Alex smiled back.

"You should try and get some sleep if you can.  We're going to be here awhile, and you're officially off zombie watch.  Today's gonna be a pretty one."

"I'm not tired.  Not really.  I don't mind talking more."

"You're not tired?  Not even after those last few hours of driving and talking?"

"Oh, maybe I am.  A little nap wouldn't hurt."

Christa grabbed a pillow from the back of the ambulance, and propped it up against the window.  Alex took the opportunity to root around the ambulance for anything useful.  He found a med kit case big enough to boost Christa up. In addition, he found some rain gear with military logos.  If they rolled up the sleeves, they should fit Christa.  Not ideal, but better than her school clothes.  There wouldn’t be that much light, so Christa should pass.  He found extra medical supplies for his pack.  Disinfectants, field suture kits, and a few wraps for large wounds.

With the pillaging of the ambulance complete, Alex focused his attention on the radio.  He set the radio to auto scan in the hopes he'd hear something from the depository or the base.  There was nothing but static, and occasional conversations from state troopers in the area.  The usual speeding and license-check requests.  It would be nice to hear from the fort. 

Alex hadn't been a soldier for that long.  In the zombie wars, nobody lasted as a soldier for long.  Relatively speaking, he had lasted longer than most. Chaz's survival instincts had something to do with that.  It had been twenty minutes since Chaz had headed off, and Christa was sound asleep.  He switched the radio auto scan off and dialed in 243 MHz.  Chaz should be checking in soon. 

Alex supposed it was as good a time as any to run scenarios through his head.  Be prepared.  What to do if Chaz didn't check in?   He didn't have to do the drive-by if Chaz was missing.  He did say to come up with his own plan.  The drive-by was a good idea. 
What if I don't want to do the drive-by? 
Maybe he'd go save Chaz.  It could happen.  If something happened to Chaz, what would be the best way to save him?  Alex could run into the same problem.  He could always do the drive-by, and go to the cemetery. If Chaz wasn't there, then he’d follow his trail backwards, looking for him.  He'd have the advantage of being on the lookout for trouble.  As Alex imagined more scenarios, he found himself getting drowsy.  He shook off sleep a few times, tried moving around in his seat, and even slapped himself a few times.  Eventually, the day’s fatigue wore him down, and he drifted off.

Race To The Bank

THUD! THUD! THUD!
  Alex nearly leapt out of his skin as he abruptly woke from a bad dream into a bad reality.  Three of those half-dead things were pounding on his window.  He started fumbling for loose wires to start the ambulance.

"Damn it, I really wish I had found those fucking keys!" he muttered as he fumbled in the dark.  Eventually, he got a few sparks, then nothing.  He tried again. The wires sparked a few more times, and the engine jumped to life.  The thumping and swearing hadn't roused Christa, but the starting engine did.  Once Christa caught a glimpse of the freaks, she let out an ear-splitting scream. That chased the last smidgen of sleep in Alex's brain into oblivion.  Then, the thumping stopped.  The freaks outside Alex's window just stood there.  No moaning, no pounding, just motionlessly stood there.  They didn't know what to do.  They didn't stare at Alex, but right through him to Christa.  Then they shuffled around the truck to Christa's side.  They just stood on Christa's side, staring at her.  No moaning, no pounding, no murderous intentions whatsoever.  Alex had never seen anything like it.  Christa was hardly impressed as she shifted in her seat, shuffling closer to Alex.

Alex shifted the ambulance into gear.  "Shit, we gotta get out of here.  This is too weird, even for us."

Tearing down the road, Alex glanced at the dashboard clock, and realized he had dozed off for way too long.  Chaz was an hour overdue signaling, assuming Alex hadn't slept through the signal.  And they were losing the cover of dark.  This was definitely not the way to start the day.

"Sorry, Christa, but I've got to break a few speed limits here.  I think I missed Chaz's signal.  Assuming that he even sent one.  Damn, I sure hope he did.  I hope he’s still there waiting for us.  I can't believe I did that."

"Don't worry, he'll be there.  Where else would he go?  He'll wait for us. I'm sure."

"Yeah, of course.  He'll be there.  In the meantime, I need to make up for lost time.  I need you to do a few things.  See that case behind my seat?  Put it on your seat and sit on it.  And put on that rain gear, and roll up the sleeves till it fits."

"That's pretty big; I don't think rolling up the sleeves is going to help."

"I know it won't be perfect, but do the best you can.  We want to make you look a little older."

Christa got the case, put it on the seat, and placed a blanket over it.  The jacket didn't look that bad once she rolled the sleeves up.

"That looks good.  Now, I have a job for you, and it's important."

"OK, what do you need me to do?"

"We're driving past the depository and the army base.  We need to look for anything that might be helpful.  We want to get into the depository later, and we need a plan.  You're going to help us figure out that plan.  Get a good look around.  Count how many soldiers, zombies, and anybody else are there.  Guards, patrols, whatever.  Don't try and understand what you see, just keep track of everything.  Use your binoculars for distance, and I'll try and take notice of the closer stuff.  This is the most secure building in the world, and they don't like people snooping around, so I'll have to drive fast."

"Got it, I can do that.  I'll be like a little human camera.  Everything stored in my brain."

"Good, that's excellent.  Same goes for the army base as we drive by.  Take notice of everything.  The depository will be on our left, then the base will be on our right further on.  Take note of everything."

They were both quiet as Alex raced towards the base.  Their headlights illuminated highway signs that said Bullion Blvd was two miles ahead.  Alex kept shaking his head and mumbling about screwing up.

"Hey, don't get so down on yourself, Alex.  It was a rough day, you needed that sleep.  Everything will be fine.  Chaz won't be mad at you, don't worry.  He'll be glad to see us, I'm sure.  Well, at least he'll be glad to see you.  I'm not exactly the teacher’s pet."

Alex took a deep breath, then managed a smile as he let it out.

"You're right.  You're a pretty smart kid.  I think he may be a little mad at me still.  Not that there's much he can do about it.  What's he gonna do?  Fire us?  Who else would work for him?"

Christa giggled.  "Yeah, we're the best friends he's got."

"Exactly!"

"Hey, I can see some lights up ahead.  Is that the depository?"

"Yep, and here's the exit.  Alright, time to act normal.  We're just a couple of paramedics returning back to the base.  Nothing unusual whatsoever."

They took the exit right, merged onto Bullion Blvd, and caught their first glimpse of the Fort Knox Depository.  It wasn't exactly great news.