The End (23 page)

Martin and the others returned with the bad
news, both Danny and William was found dead, Danny was already
changing, he bet that the two had a fight and killed each other
somehow in the process. It’s hard to explain as he wasn’t there to
witness to event, Martin explains to Emma and the rest of the
people.

Conway and Ashley happily together, the very
next day the men were assigned into one big group, to kill the
remaining mass numbers in Key West, it took a total of 12 days, the
entire area was a rotting, bloody mess with a stink that lingered
for days where ever they went in Key West.

The stink forced everyone to jump in and help
dig deep holes, where they will dump the bodies and set them on
fire, before closing it up again. It was a long job that lasted a
total of 18 days, leaving everyone exhausted and tired. Danny was
buried alongside William within the square of Fort Zachary, the
entire group had proper burials for William, Danny and Jacky, even
though Jason couldn’t attend their funerals, he was still in
recovery and too weak to move, he was still extremely grateful.

The group figured there was only one last
thing to do and that’s to figure out who to lead them, a new smart
leader is crucial for the groups survival and all of them knows
that, Emma refused to be on that list and suggested that each one
should have the opportunity to show what they have to be a
leader.

Even though lives was lost, strangers and
loved ones, the group still carries on and will never forget the
day they got attacked and lost many, whoever took the charge of
being leader, must focus on getting things set up, most importantly
plan ahead for maybe the next big attack.

Chapter 13: Leadership

It’s
been a month since William’s death and the group needs to find the
best candidate to take leadership, all knowing that they will be
lost without a good leader to lead them through the bad times and
the good times.

The new leader will have a lot of new
responsibilities, it was expected that some of them would decline
on the spot; this won’t be held against them by anyone, its
understanding that people will be scared, especially when you know
all of them will be counting on them to make the right choices.

Samantha, Samuel, Emma and her mother
declined to be on the list to run for this opportunity, none of
them felt like they would do a good job, except for Jason but due
to his recent injuries he won’t participate either, this came as a
relief too many, not because of his injuries. Conway knows Jason
for a short while now, Jason sure would make a good leader, but
since the passing of his daughters this man is mentally broken,
beating himself up every day. It’s crucial to have a leader with
the right mind set that will make the hard decisions responsibly,
if this leader couldn’t then he surly will fail.

Bobby on the other hand is disqualified from
this election automatically and will remain locked up until a new
leader has been selected. Emma hopes that the man simply dies or
gets executed even though she knows that probably won’t happen,
everyone here except for Bobby seems to be pretty decent that won’t
go through the trouble to make one suffer, they won’t go through
the fact that they will have to live with it. Emma truly hopes that
the least the new leader can do is exile him from the entire group
and of the Fort.

Martin will most likely hate this idea after
all they are brothers, yet again Emma still noticed he too was
extremely angry at Bobby when Martin received the news, what Bobby
really did to Danny, he really wasn’t impressed you could see it in
Martin’s eyes.

For the remaining candidates Emma developed a
method that might prove accurate, each one will have 3 days to
bring their skills to the table, each one will need to prove they
have what it takes. It doesn’t have to be anything that require a
lot of decision making, all they need to do is show what they can
do that will benefit the entire group and not just themselves.

Upon voting, the method will be in place and
effective tomorrow, though many didn’t like this method and was
seeking an easier way in. Many of the candidates automatically fell
away, Emma expected a lot but not this many, the method is already
working on the first go by separating the weak from the ones that’s
willing to try hard, confident that this is going to work out
perfectly.

The following is the only ones left that are
willing to participate, Martin, Markus and Conway that didn’t want
to participate either if Ashley and Jason didn’t convince him
to.

The following 9 days was hard and the running
was close, Emma suggested to everyone that 3 more days can be
added, a total of 12 days, it was time to vote for the one that did
the best, providing and protecting, though there were no real
threat, but each one had enough time to give examples of their
ideas and how they will protect the group in case of attacks.

Martin has the upper hand when it comes to
eliminating these creatures fast and easily using basic weaponry
that everyone can use, using carved spears that can be made from
any straight stick fast and easily and possibly from steel later in
the future. He had many other methods each one with their downfall
as Emma explains to the people, like the spears easy to make and
you can keep your distance while killing them silently, yet what
about close range or when there is many that attack you at once,
weapons like that only have reach and distance, close range and
this won’t work.

Martin also didn’t introduce any defense
against a large attack, everyone knew how many had died without the
proper protection, he also introduced the same method of scavenging
for food the old hard way, finding canned food, but everyone knows
sooner or later they will need to go further and further away and
the further you have the go the longer it will take the more
dangerous it will get.

Markus had pretty much the same idea about
defense and only to use a gun when needed, with the same scavenging
idea, but instead of traveling far, they travel to spots and bundle
the food up in safe areas, where they can easily return to and
fetch the needed food, still a long process if you had to ask
Emma.

Conway in the other hand has the most ideas,
very well thought out ideas, very creative, for defense against an
attack, small homemade weapons will do just fine if it’s one or two
it can even be more if they are spread out wide since they are
still pretty slow, he also included an entire plan that was tested
out on one small group. This include many old techniques that were
used in the old day, using cans of fuel and anything flammable,
this will only be used if it’s an absolute must, if they somehow
managed to get passed that crack, drums and cans can easily be
tipped over from a roof to set them on fire, most will be dead
before even reaching the Fort.

Conway explained his entire plan, even
mentioning that his plans won’t be without flaws but if you have to
think about it, the only thing that needs to be insured when
planning the front line defenses would be to slow a big horde down,
while splitting them up into smaller groups; the trick won’t be to
kill them because eventually if the horde is too big, that
contraption to kill them will fail eventually fail over time. Not
saying that it isn’t a good idea but its best to get them in small
groups and burn them with the fuel, we can easily lure them into
blocks barricade with cars and set them on fire before they could
even think of getting close and when they do pass most will be
injured and half dead already, keep in mind they are slow even when
they do run, they aren’t that fast and only pose a dangerous threat
if they were in large groups.

As of food its best we start gathering
livestock, it’s a huge risk Conway explains, but once they find
clean animals to breed with, especially while there is still canned
food left, by the time we need to go out looking for more food we
would have enough livestock with young to start slaughtering.
Conway knows this can work as he has seen many animals that looked
perfectly fine and with no doubt, had no diseases or anything that
can risk their health.

He also planned a vegetable garden, though he
didn’t talk much of this, he was still unsure and had to work on
the plan before they could put it to work and grow their own
vegetables, some research needs to be done first.

The people ready to vote likes his ideas,
theory’s and plans, Martin can see that they are extremely happy
about it, at first Martin didn’t like it at much but came to terms
that this guy is willing to take risks for everyone, he might just
prove to be a very good leader after all.

The people are talking, it’s like they are
all gossiping, while the three wait patiently, almost an entire
hour passed before they came to a decision, Emma stood up and
thanked everyone that tried but there can only be one leader and
the one with the most votes is Conway.

Martin feels slightly upset but at least he
knows everyone know he at least tried and he himself is happy that
he tried and did this without any cheating, this was a good change,
and he can only hope that Bobby will be treated the right way,
otherwise there will be consequences.

Ashley and Jason is happy for Conway, as he
gives a small speech, after the speech most knew they made the
perfect choice in a new leader, a lot of work will need to be done,
if Conway wants to prove his good leadership material.

“What did I get myself into, you know I only
did this, because I expected I wouldn’t make it,” Conway said
worried.

“I mean, there so much more responsibilities
now with so many decisions to make, making the right one will be
the hardest,” Conway said.

“I know, at least try, maybe it won’t be that
bad,” Ashley said as she holds him tighter.

“She’s right you know, don’t be scared just
do what you really need to do,” Emma said.

“No matter what you decide, there were always
going to be consequences, as long as there is a good reason for
them everyone will understand,” Emma said.

“Guess you’re right, though I have reason to
be worried, I mean I know none of you as none of you know me,”
Conway said.

“You’re smart and you have proven yourself to
us, that you will be good as a leader,” Emma said.

“If you say so, then I guess its ok,” Conway
said laughing.

“Trust me you will do great, beside I already
have a problem you need to worry about,” Emma said.

“Is it about Bobby?” Conway asked.

“Jip that’s the problem,” Emma said.

“To keep things humane, let’s just consider
some facts first,” Conway said.

“I have been doing my investigation and none
of them really knew Danny, most of them agreed that Danny pretty
much kept to himself,” Conway said.

“That gave Bobby no reason to do what he
did,” Emma said.

“No it didn’t, but what if you didn’t Know
Danny? What if you didn’t spend much time with him, you know, to
get to know him? What would you have done?” Conway asked.

“I would have treated Danny the same way, I
would have still cared,” Emma said.

“Right and you did and it only got worse,
what did you expect the people will think? If you weren’t a nurse
with experience with sick people, I bet, deep down inside you, you
would have felt the same to insure the protection of your
daughter,” Conway said, keeping things as calm as possible.

“Your right, I would have done the same, if
he posed any risk to my family, still it was way too soon to tell
if he contracted the virus or not and then this guy, that knows
nothing just goes and kill him,” Emma said.

“Even worse, this guy didn’t kill him
immediately, he tortured him first, what guy that’s concerned about
people will torture first and then eliminate the threat?” Emma
asked.

“I wasn’t aware of that, tell me more,”
Conway said.

“He put the people against me, all voting
Danny should die, after he did that and managed, he asked the
people to give him an hour in order for Danny to say his last
words, when I finally decided to go check he was torturing him, he
did many terrible things to him,” Emma said.

“What did he do?” Conway asked.

“If I must explain this,” Emma said.

“You must, I need to know everything,” Conway
said.

“He pretty much destroyed his manhood by
proceeding in castrating him, and then circumcised him, what person
right in his head, does things like that?” Emma asked.

“This is all done without any proper
treatment, Bobby simple tied him down and proceeded with the
cutting,” Emma said.

“You can stop there, no more I have heard
enough,” Conway said, unable to imagine that type of pain.

“So, what are you going to do about it?” Emma
asked.

“I don’t know yet, I need to think of a
punishment that will equal the pain and suffering like any judge
would,” Conway said.

“Can’t you just exile him?” Emma asked.

“It will pose a risk if I did, we all know
what happened to Jason don’t we now?” Conway asked.

“Yes I know, what else can we do about it?”
Emma asked.

“You should come back tomorrow, and then I
will give a clear answer,” Conway said.

“Very well I shall return tomorrow morning,”
Emma said as she closes the door behind her.

“You see what I meant? I was just elected and
the time to make important decision is already at my front door,”
Conway said.

“Don’t worry, it’s going to be just fine, I
am sure you can figure out a punishment for that man, beside if you
did exile him or even punished him by death, that won’t make us any
better than Bobby,” Ashley said.

“What the hell? I won’t even consider killing
another person and like I said actions like that will make us
forget what people really are, we need to remind our self that we
can be better than them,” Conway said.