The Horror Squad: An Apocalyptic Tale (14 page)

Of course there was no ice so she served them hot. The first couple went down a little rough, but got easier with each one we shot back. Donald sipped his slowly.

“What’s one thing you miss about the real world?” Rachel asked.

“You mean excluding Justin? I miss fishing.” I stated.

“Oh man, I haven’t been fishing in what seems like a century.” Steven followed.

“So why can’t we go fishing? That gas station had fishing equipment on its back wall.” Gizmo stepped in.

“Where would we go?” I questioned.

“Lake Tawokani is only about six or seven miles from here.” He replied.

“We can go in the morning. We need it. Maybe it’ll put our mind at ease.” I stated.

“What about home?” Rachel questioned.

“It’s going to take us a few days to get home, if we keep pushing ourselves, maybe longer.” I responded as I shot another drink back and set my glass back on the bar for a refill.

“You guys are going to get drunk and not be on guard.” Donald suggested.

“And?” Gizmo stated.

“You’re not worried that we’ll fall under attack?” He responded.

“You do know that drinkers get drunk, fuck and fight, so which of those do you think is going to screw us over?” Gizmo added.

“I was just saying.” He followed.

“You say too much.” Howard chimed in.

“Oh, that’s your Sergeant talking, you better stand at ease.” I threw out there as Steven and I started laughing.

He set up a little straighter. “I still don’t get what you have against the military.”

“When did you go through basic, kid?” I asked.

“Two years ago.” He answered with confidence.

“Ah…that’s why I have no respect for you.” I answered.

“I got just as much training as you did.” He stated in a pissed tone while springing up to his feet.

I laughed more. “Sit down boy. You got trained with cell phones, cigarettes, snuff, stress cards and kindness. You think that’s training? In my military days we had live rounds going inches over our heads, Drill Sergeants in your face head butting you with the bill of their hats, doing push-ups in ant mounds with no cigarettes, snuff, stress cards and no time to call momma to cry. In my days they raised men, not pussies.” I stated in a stiff tone.

“I….” He started to say.

“Sit down. I respect that you wanted to serve, I just don’t respect your training. The military was built for force, not babysitting. It’s not your fault, it’s the governments fault. However, don’t push your fucking luck boy.” I interrupted.

Donald had a shocked look on his face and turned to look at Howard for backup.

“He’s telling you the truth.” Howard stated.

“It’s nothing against you, you’re still a brother in arms.” Steven threw in.

I turned and looked at Steven and shook my head before taking a drink. Once I finished my fifth glass, I just grabbed one of the Jack Daniel bottles started drinking straight whiskey from the bottle itself.

“Thirsty brother?” Steven asked.

Gizmo looked at me and gave me a head signal to pass him a bottle as well. I reached in and grabbed a bottle and slid it a seat down on the bar counter.

“Na, just drowning some thoughts.” I responded.

Gizmo leaned over and held out his bottle, I clanked my bottle against his. “Cheers.”

I noticed that Steven was only drinking the soft drink with hold the liquor. “You not want a drink?”

“You know I gave all of that up.” He responded.

“Why is that?” Gizmo asked.

“When we first got back from Iraq, I got pretty bad. My wife used to find me passed out in my yard on a pretty regular basis and my kids used to find me passed out and called the police thinking I was dead. Once my wife was ready to leave me, but gave me that last chance, I dropped it all.” He answered.

Gizmo leaned around me to see Steven. “Goddamn, you was one of those extremists.”

Steven looked down at his Dr. Pepper. “Yeah, I’ve never known when to quit, but it’s the one thing that keeps my family with me.”

“So what’s your story?” Steven asked Rachel.

“I’m pretty much a nothing from nowhere.” She responded.

“Everyone has a back story.” Gizmo added.

“I was pharmacist at a local Brookshire’s. Didn’t really talk to anyone, just worked my job and tried to save back money.” She said.

“Well hell, that means you know medicine. That doesn’t make you a no one.” Steven stated.

“Trying to start another family already, big brother?” I asked Steven.

“That’s an assholish thing to say. I was just finding out who she was.” He responded.

“Well, I guess we’re all good and I already knew I was an asshole.” I answered.

“You and me both.” Gizmo stated and we clanked our bottles together again for another cheers.

“Well boys, better grab some boxes, rags or whatever you can find and get some shut eye, it’s going to be a long day tomorrow.” I announced as I grabbed my bottle and took it to a corner.

I sat there thinking about losing Justin and drowning my thoughts. Justin had been my neighbor for a couple of years before all of this happened. We used to sit out in my back yard and drink around my fire pit most nights. He was one of the most considerate guys I had ever known. We were always working on something no matter if it was at his house or mine. I hated his ex-wife and would have to say she was a bitch. She had cheated on him while he was out of town working one weekend. She gathered all her shit, left the kids and took off. I could relate since my ex-wife had cheated and ran off with some jerkoff while I was in Iraq. Only difference was, my ex took my kids. We had many nights where we talked about it. He had eventually quit his out of town job and got a local job to be home and take care of his kids, which I strongly admired.

“You going to sleep with that bottle?” Gizmo walked over and asked as he took a seat next to me.

“Time tells all, brother.” I responded after another drink.

“I hear that. I’m sorry for going off like that. I know we were all close.” He added.

I took a big swig and looked over. “It’s all good. I still don’t know how to cope with it. I know we’re in a new world where losing people is going to happen, but I’m still not prepared to lose those that I love and care about.” I stated.

“I understand. Well bubba, I’m going to try and get some shut eye.” He said before scooting down a bit and laid next to the wall.

I laid back against my corner and continue to drink. I watched everyone lay down one by one. Rachel laid down behind the bar, I guess she thought someone was going to try to cop a feel on her. Everyone else pretty well spread out. I don’t remember falling asleep, so I would assume I just passed out.

THE VISIT

I OPENED
my door and ran up to the house as I jumped over the three bodies that I had put down just earlier. I ran so fast that I didn’t notice the white Tahoe sitting at the bottom of the drive or the swarm of flies buzzing around the three bodies. I swung the door open and before I could even run in, Kris met me with almost a head on collision at the door.

“You alright? Where’s the kids?” I questioned.

“We’re fine…what’s going on?” She questioned back.

I stepped in the doorway and seen everyone sitting on the couch waiting to hear the news.

“I know this is going to sound crazy, but we’re in the middle of the zombie apocalypse.” I announced to everyone.

“Good one buddy, but we all know you’re a horror writer….Where’s Gizmo?” Justin replied.

My eye’s widened. “Oh fuck!”

I ran outside to see him at the bottom of the hill and approaching one of our friends, Josh’s Tahoe.

“Hey, you alright man? Hey bitch, answer me.” I could hear Gizmo as he tapped on the window.

“Get back bro.” I called out as I eased my way down to the truck where I grabbed the rifle out of the seat.

“It’s Josh.” He called back.

I was almost to the door when Gizmo opened the door and Josh bailed out of it and knocking me on my ass. “What the fuck, get him off of me.”

“Josh, get off of him!” Justin called out as he started down the hill and in almost a jog now.

WHILE WE’RE AWAY

KRIS RAN
through some ideas on what could be done to guard the land better. There was no possibility she was letting this base go to shit that they had spent so much time creating, by letting some strangers in to take over. No one would be entering or exiting until TJ and the guys got back and that is just the way that it was going to be. They had everything set the way that it needed to be and Martin did a great job guarding the front gate, but we needed help in that area with new arrivals showing up from out of nowhere. The outlook Kris had was a ’what would TJ do’ mindset. She adored her husband and looked up to him. He had a leader quality about him and was calm in the most uprising moments. That is what made her love him so much. She had to figure out how to keep everyone safe and still keep everything running smoothly.

Tina and Kris had their children help clean the cafeteria after the mass of people cleared out. It wasn’t their day, but it was a good lesson that you help where help is needed, and the girls could always use the help after a crowd like that. They instructed them all on what to do while Shianne went on to the plant to check on what Lisa may need help with there. Once the chow hall was sparkling clean, the younger ones were allowed to the courtyard to do as they pleased; which was normally sword fighting or fort building for the boys and drawing or writing for the girls. Tina and Kris never really wanted them to have to deal with anything that had anything to do with guarding the land or having to possibly see a rotter and fighting for their lives. They felt as though it was the adult’s job to take care of all of that. While they made their way out to play, Tina and Kris sat inside the clean cafeteria and tried to think of ways to solve the guard situation with hardly any people available except for the two of them.

“I think if I walk the wall line late into the evening and stay in contact with Holsinger, after two or three in the morning, we should be fine. So if I do that, I may just have to sleep in a bit and should be okay.” Kris bounced the idea off of Tina.

“Why don’t we split the days? You can do one night of staying up and walking and I will do the next night, that way, we can get a good night’s rest every other night?” Tina threw out.

“I guess we can do that. Are you feeling up to that though, with your IUD just coming out and all?” She asked.

“I’m good, the bleeding has pretty much stopped and the cramping seems to subside when I walk around anyway.” Tina admitted.

“Then I guess we can do that. Whatever nights one of us works, the other will take the kids that night until the other wakes up the next morning. That way, we can stay out late into the night and not have to worry about those crazy brats doing things that they are not supposed to.” Kris laughed.