Brent Acuff - Undead Nation 01 (15 page)

"Hang on there," Luke said. "We've already got a plan from your buddy in there. We just need some time to get things together. We've taken care of things around here long enough, we can handle a little more. But the real question in, can we come?" Luke grinned wide, already knowing the answer.

"You own a gun shop...are you kidding?"

-----

It only took the group a couple of hours to collect all of the necessary equipment that they would need from the clinic and prepare to head out. Dollies and rolling carts were utilized to move the heavier equipment with the lighter supplies loaded in duffel bags. They were able to gather more supplies from the gun store, loading up on ammunition and weapons. Hand trucks from the back of the shop were loaded with as much as they would carry and they began to make their way through the adjoining neighborhood, looking for a place to hole up for the night. Alex's plan was simple, but quite hard to accomplish. He had found the trucks they would need, remembering the stone quarry less than a mile away from his home.
 

The long night allowed Liam, Shawn and Luke to build upon Alex's original idea and a final plan was agreed upon. The following morning the group made their way to the stone quarry, finding the trucks they needed to make their run up north. Within three hours of reaching the quarry, gas tanks had been topped off and additional gas supplies had been gathered and stored for the trip. The open bed of the gravel trailers would allow for three hundred and sixty degrees of fire when they needed it. Gemma was made as comfortable as possible in the sleeper section of the cab along with Morgan and Paula. Stacey refused to stay in the cab, so she joined Alex, Sam, Dr. Cahn and his sons in the bed of the truck. Luke and Shawn would be following Liam and the main truck in a smaller 4x4 truck and would try to distract or clear the path of the rig.
 

Everyone prepared for the night and the long road ahead of them tomorrow.

CHAPTER FIVE

The Farm

And lo, a wandering minstrel wafteth through the village of zombieapocalypseburgville, singing: "Ain't no party like a zombie brain party cause a zombie brain party don't stop. Ain't no party like a zombie brain party cause a zombie brain party don't stop. Ain't no party like a zombie brain party cause a zombie brain party don't stop. Ain't no party like a zombie brain party cause a zombie brain party don't stop. Ain't no party like a zombie brain party cause a zombie brain party don't stop. Ain't no party like a zombie brain party cause a zombie brain party don't stop. Ain't no party like a zombie brain party cause a zombie brain party don't stop. Ain't no party like a zombie brain party cause a zombie brain party don't stop. Ain't no party like a zombie brain party cause a zombie brain party don't stop."

The zombies around Alex shook and gyrated as if they were at a middle school dance. The beat of the music was entrancing and Alex felt himself lose the grip on his rifle, letting it slip to the ground as his body took up the rhythm and he began to dance among the dead...

Alex shot straight up in his sleeping bag. He looked everywhere around him, searching for the dead that had just surrounded him only moments before and found nothing. Placing his head in his hands Alex realized that he had been dreaming one very strange dream. Ever since he had been drugged up in the clinic four days ago, the nightmares and dreams that took over his mind in the night were vivid and strange. But of them all, this one topped it.

Alex and his party had been on the road going on five days and had nearly been overrun numerous times. As the sun set on their group two nights ago, the bodies of the dead and walking dead were piled so high around the truck that those in the bed of the trailer were threatened to be overtaken by zombies who simply walked up the mounded bodies. That was the horrific night that they had to pass through Waco, TX. Judging from the number of zombies attacking them that night, Alex was not sure that anyone in the town had been left alive or uncontaminated.

The battle that took place had a second consequence in that it put a severe drain on their ammunition. Most of the large caliber rifles and handguns were now useless, the empty casings littering the floor of the trailer. By the grace of god, Luke and Shawn were able to topple the pile of bodies stacking up against the front of the truck, giving Liam just enough space that he was able to move through. Alex and the others were forced to find any shops and stores that might possibly contain ammunition. The thought was that when, or if, they made it to the Beard family farm, there was equipment available to reload some of the ammunition, but if they ever faced another night even half as bad as Waco, they would never make it.

Luck again shone down and the group had found a gun shop that had been only slightly looted. Most likely the looters had been caught in the midst of stealing the guns and ammunition and were scared off before they could finish. The store had then been left completely abandoned except for the three zombies that were trapped inside. A few well placed shots with the .22 Remington and they were able to move cases of ammunition to the truck. Alex had stood over the bodies of the zombies and assumed that they were the owners of the shop who had prevented it from being looted. He said a silent prayer of thanks for the three, thanking them for giving Alex and his family a chance to make it. Their sacrifice, whether intentional or not, had most likely saved them.

Two more days and nights of slow driving and some intense battles and Liam was turning on the final road that would lead them all to the farm and hopefully salvation. A plume of smoke rose in the distance and Liam was unable to tell if it came from his father's farm or not. They had come too far now to have everything destroyed right before them.

"How much farther,? Alex said through the passenger window of the truck, startling Liam out of his reverie.

"Oh," he stammered. "Not much farther. 'Bout a mile down this road and we'll be there." Liam forced a smile that hardly seemed genuine. "Told you there would be no worries."

A hole punched through the windshield, narrowly missing Liam's head and the intact glasses spidered. A split second later the crack of a large caliber rifle was heard. Everyone was shocked and confused by this turn of events that Alex did not move and was nearly struck down by the second bullet that ripped through the side view mirror next to him, showering him with broken glass, metal and plastic. This caused everyone to react.

Alex let go of the door and fell to the ground, curling his body and letting the momentum carry him away from the rolling tires of the truck. Liam yelled for everyone to hold on and jammed the brakes to the floor. The truck groaned and squealed in protest, but submitted to the demand to stop. The truck was moving at a slow enough pace that it stopped quickly causing everyone in the cab and trailer of the truck to be thrown forward. Stacey's head slammed into the front of the trailer wall opening a large gash in her forehead. The blood spilled quickly from the wound and bathed the floor at her feet a bright red.

Sam, able to direct his fall on a less dangerous part of the trailer floor quickly ran to Stacey's aid, placing his hand on the gash to try and stem the flow of blood. Stacey weakly fought against Sam and tried to convince herself that she was okay. Her slurred speech and the nausea rising in her stomach told the real story and Stacey leaned forward to vomit at her feet. She slumped in Sam's arms and fell unconscious.

Alex climbed to his feet as fast as he could after taking the fall he had, and ran towards the back of the trailer and the ladder that he could use to climb in to safety. A third shot clanged off the side of the trailer showering sparks down on Alex as he ducked around the back of the truck.

Luke and Shawn raced passed the truck and trailer in their 4x4, the engine full throttle in an attempt to close the distance between the shooter and them. The were too far away to take an effective shot back at whoever was attacking them. Their only hope was to close the distance in order to give Shawn a decent chance at firing back. The windshield shattered as a large caliber round penetrated the cab and sent shards of the glass raining on the occupants. Luke shouted out in pain and grabbed at his right shoulder. His hand caught the steering wheel and pulled it to the right causing the truck to swerve out of control. Reason and clear thoughts broke through the pain in Luke's shoulder just long enough for him to slam on the brakes. The truck skipped and fishtailed before slamming into a stone embankment.

The two men leapt from the 4x4, scrambling for cover behind the large wheels. Another shot clanged off the hood of the truck and Shawn and Luke prayed that they were in a safe enough position to come up with a better plan. Shawn looked up towards the semi and trailer and began shouting.

"What are you doing?! Get back!"
 

Liam was running down the middle of the road, dust from the unpaved road partially obscuring him. He was waiving his arms over his head and screaming for them to stop...whoever 'them' was.

"Don't shoot!" he yelled. "It's me! It's Liam!" Whoever Liam was yelling at could not possibly hear him, especially if they were far enough away to make such a large gun necessary. As Liam crossed paths with the wrecked 4x4, Shawn dove out from behind his hiding place behind the wheel and tackled Liam to the ground. As quickly as he could, Shawn then dragged Liam behind the truck and into some cover. Liam was kicking and screaming like a little kid, trying desperately to get himself free. "Let me go! Let go of me goddammit!" Shawn wrapped his arms around Liam's, placing him in something of a bear-hug and pinning his arms to his side. The pain from the days old gunshot wound erupted in Liam's shoulder and he immediately stopped struggling.

"They'll kill you," Shawn yelled at Liam. "What the hell were you thinking?"

A vehicle could be heard approaching them from the direction of the farm. Something was coming and it was coming fast. Shawn released Liam and grabbed the rifle he had been carrying in the truck. He stood to face the approaching danger and raised his rifle to take aim at the truck barreling down on them.

This time it was Shawn that was tackled and Liam drove his knee into Shawn's gut, knocking the wind out of the man. As he gasped for breath, Shawn watched as Liam stood to meet the newcomer with his hands raised above his head and shouting, "It's me! Don't shoot!" The truck ground to a halt just feet from the 4x4 which Luke and Shawn were hiding behind. An older man nearly fell out of the driver's side in his rush to get out and Shawn and Luke watched as Liam and the older man embraced like old friends.

"I thought you were dead. Thank god, I thought you were dead." The man was sobbing and his tears were soon accompanied by Liam's own. The two stood hugging one another for a long time and Shawn was startled when he saw that Alex had approached them without his notice.

"Shawn and Luke, meet Charles Beard...Liam's father."

-----

Charles Beard related the stories that he and the others at the farm had been facing since the outbreak. Looters, walking dead, even law enforcement had tried, unsuccessfully to take over the farm. Charles had always been a sort of survivalist and 2nd amendment fanatic all his life. The stores of MREs, weapons and ammunition would have armed a small militia. Alex thought of all the times he had called people like this dangerous and ridiculous, conspiracy theorists convinced that the government was going to take away all of their civil rights. Now he was thankful that some of the people were around, and that he actually knew one of them.

"I'm sorry, son. I'm sorry to all of you," Charles apologized for the hundredth time. "I didn't know it was you..."

"It's fine," Liam assured his father. "No harm, no foul. We're just happy that your aims sucks." Nervous chuckles echoed around the room.

"That aim has kept me here, hasn't it? Can't be too bad, if you ask me." Charles smiled and winked at Alex out of the corner of his vision. Santa...that's how Alex would describe him, with the gray scraggly beard, balding head and wire rimmed glasses. Well, Santa if he were a gun-toting conspiracy theorist.

Footsteps from behind them alerted the group that Dr. Cahn was coming back into the room. Luke was right behind him, shirtless with a white bandage covering his right bicep. "It was only a flesh wound, luckily. Probably shrapnel from the bullet fragmenting in the cab." Dr. Cahn stepped to the side to usher Luke into the room. "Pretty lucky guy, here. If that bullet had been six inches to the left..." and Dr. Cahn winced and grimaced at the thought of that outcome.

"Jesus, man. I'm sorry...I'm really sorry," Charles began begging again for forgiveness.

"It's alright," Luke said waiving off any more apologies. "You were protecting your home from what you thought was a threat. Any one of us would have done the same." He met each of the people gathered around the kitchen table and held their gaze for just a moment. "Now the real question is, what do we do now?" Luke's eyes fell on Alex and stayed there, putting all of his trust in the man who had planned their escape from Austin. Soon everyone's eyes were on Alex, waiting for him to speak.

Alex looked embarrassed as he suddenly realized that everyone was looking to him for guidance. "Listen, I...I don't..." He stammered and coughed, uneasy with the trust and hope now thrust upon him.

"Alex," Sam started. "You've been the one that has been the most logical and thoughtful with everything so far. It's been all of your ideas and plans that have kept us safe and gotten us here."

"Not everyone," Alex mumbled, remembering the three people who had died in his presence since this all began.

"And that's not your fault," Liam interjected trying make Alex come out of his stupor. "Those were beyond your control, and you can't blame yourself. Not everyone can be saved, you know this. Hell, you said it yourself..."

"But that doesn't mean I'm right," Alex spat at Liam, a little more hate in his voice than he had planned. "I'm sorry, Liam. It's just...what makes you think I'm right?" Alex shrugged his shoulders to emphasize his uncertainty.