The Road to Macon: A Zombie Novel (16 page)

Yolanda's body, wrapped and snug, was placed carefully into the back of James' truck and then the old Peterbilt pulled out, to be followed by the small convoy of trucks that were bound for Fort Macon.

They pulled into the Fort Macon State Park and drove down an old dirt path that sat in the middle of a line of towering water oaks. These massive sentinels threw dark shadows on the cold and overcast day. The road to the fort became a foreboding experience, as the trucks slowly passed under and through them as if they were the gatekeepers to the last refuge. Kyle, now alone again in his truck, had passed the Peterbilt at the entrance of the state park, and he was the first to see the fort sitting in the distance. He had been to the fort many times and had even done at paper about it in high school. He received a B. He tried to remember what he could about the fort.

Fort Macon was a five-sided fort that was built of stone and brick. It did not stand high, but rather quite low to the ground, or rather it seemed to at first. The exterior part of the outer wall stood only a few feet high, with the interior of the outer wall dropping down fifteen feet into the moat. It was built to hold the large cannon that protected the inlet from invaders. Now, only the concrete and grass existed in this twenty-foot wide space. The moat was twenty-five feet across, it was built to protect the fort proper if the outer walls were ever overrun. It was once deeper and filled with water, but now held only a nicely cut sea of grass. The outer walls then rose up from the moat and stood over twenty-four feet high. These inner walls were over five feet thick and still in excellent condition. A wooden bridge led from the outer fort to the inner fort, where the sally port was. Once you went through the walls, you entered the citadel and found yourself upon a half-acre parade ground that hosts a lonely cannon for visitors to capture the past. Surrounding the parade ground were twenty-six vaulted rooms, or casements that once housed the populace of the fort.

Kyle had seen the empty parking lot and museum as they made their way to the fort but decided they could go check it out later for things to use. They pulled up to the outer walls of the fort and Kyle, feeling defeated himself, grabbed the hand mic from the truck, and tried and failed to convey a successful tone.

"Okay everyone, we're here. We made it. Park and let's gather up here." Kyle dropped the mic and shut the door quietly, noise had become the enemy. Kyle watched the others in the group, all appearing tense and full of gloom, slowly gather round him. Abe, for his part, seemed to have been as strongly affected by Yolanda's death as those who had known her longer. Adversity shared deepened relationships. Defeat, for that is what hung in their eyes, had the group’s shoulders stooped and full of grief. Yolanda's presence was sorely missed, yet there was not time to mourn. The night, with its uncertainties, was imminent.

"Me, Abe, and Eric will guard the perimeter while everyone grabs what they need for tonight," Kyle stated. He thought the best thing for the group now was to be doing something. We don't have time check out the whole fort and we don't want to take a chance an infected might be in there, so we'll all stay together in one of the rooms they have reconstructed. We have to go through the inner fort to get to that.

"I'll cover the far side," James said, look at Kyle with a solid stare.

Kyle hadn't wanted to give James any instruction, not knowing where his mind was at the moment. "Sounds good." James hoisted in rifle at port arms and walked to the back of the caravan.

After five minutes, all were ready to venture into the fort. Kyle grabbed his backpack and those items he would need for the night, took a quick look for his brother, and led them through the outer wall. With the skies becoming darker and night approaching, the walls gave off a ghostly appearance. The group was quiet as they walked over the wooden bridge, their feet making little noise. The bridge led to the sally port and they were soon at the main door to the inner fort.

"Looks like nobody’s home," suggested Patrick, holding the hand of his son. His wife, looking exhausted and scared, was standing close by him with their daughter safely in her hands.

"I’ve got a bolt cutter," offered Eric helpfully, dropping his pack next to his handcuffed uncle, who seemed to find the whole exercise a bore, and began looking in a bag of tools he had.

"You carry a bolt cutter around, do you?" asked Edmund. At this point Edmund understood that his questions drove Eric crazy and he seemed to enjoy asking them.

Eric found what he was looking for and grabbed the long-handled bolt cutter to show Edmund, "Look for yourself son, always be prepared." He seemed pleased with himself. Eric then took the bolt cutter and walked up to the ancient-looking wood doors that barred their way. Their hinges were long, black medieval-looking devices that seemed impenetrable. Erick put his hand on the door and gave it small knock. He could feel the solidness of the wall. He looked down where the two doors, having no lock on them, were chained together with an impressive chain and padlock. On the door above the chain read a sign that said: "Closed for the holiday, will open on Monday." Eric gave a huff and brought the bolt cutters up to the padlock and started to squeeze the handles together. Veins and muscles bulged, as he tried to squeeze the still spread handle of the cutter.

"Let a real man take a shot," laughed the old man, holding out his arms. "Even with these things on I could break that lock.

Eric gave his uncle a nasty look and redoubled his efforts to break the lock. Sweat, pooling and beginning to drip into his eyes, despite the cool day, spoke of the effort he was putting into the massive lock. With a loud snap, the cutter’s edges came together, and the padlock hit the ground. Eric stood back breathing hard and gave a nod to Kyle, who motioned for him to stand near the far door. James grabbed the other door and they pulled them open. The doors, massive things that were inches thick, swung ponderously open, accompanied by a small squeak that came from the hinges. Kyle had his rifle up, as did Abe and Patrick, with Edmund, whom Kyle had not given a gun, keeping a lookout from behind.

They walked slowly through the doors and then under the walls of the inner fort. This tunnel-like entrance was a reminder of how thick and resolute the fort was. The fading twilight threw its last rays of light upon the old walls, causing them to feel menacing and looming, as if there were entering a labyrinth. They walked out of the sally port and to the edge of the parade ground, its dark shadows, not making the small group feel any better.

Kyle, who was in the lead, directed them to the left, where they came upon the first of many open entrances. Kyle and James disappeared through the entrance only to emerge a minute later, then waving the others into the room. They walked into the curved room and saw that it was a recreation of a civil war enlisted men's room, complete with two cots and a mannequin, at work at his desk. He didn't seemed bothered by their company. Patrick's wife, who wasn't expecting the mannequin, gave a jerk of surprise to see the shadowy figure at the desk.

"Kyle," she scolded, staring eyes of fury at Kyle. "You could have told us about that." Kyle grimaced and offered his apology but she had turned her wrath on Patrick who seemed to find the whole thing amusing

"Patrick, you guys take this room, it's clean and pretty warm," Kyle instructed, looking at the kids and giving them a wink. He turned back to Patrick. "Just make a small hole in this flexi-glass. Abe packed a bunsen burner, we can cooks some ramen for tonight's dinner. Eric, can you and Edmund situate your uncle, and then see about closing that door back up from the outside? The rest of us will try to clear the inner courtyard. I don't think anyone has been in here since before this thing started, but let's make sure as best we can tonight. The group, happy to have something to do, began doing their assignments, no questions them.

Kyle, headed out with James and Abe, the latter having the bad habit of taking his 9mm in and out of his holster, some kind of nervous habit he had developed. Kyle gave him a look of question and Abe gave a smile back but kept the gun in his hands as Kyle as taught them. They moved away from the main door, toward the left of the room they were occupying. There were twenty-six such rooms, each with a open doorway with no door, and an open window. The interior had a small window, the size of a cereal box with heavy metal bars, as if in a prison. The first few rooms they came to were depicted with historical scenes that the fort had come through, including the Spanish American War and World War II. The silent mannequins, much like their civil war compatriots, never stirred.

Kyle, Abe, and James, having come upon their last room to check, and having perfected the movements to safely check the rooms, came upon Eric and Edmund heading back from the main gate, it now being sealed with the same chains that previously held people out. Eric had jerry-rigged two large bolt holes that he procured from somewhere, along with another padlock, and chained them in. Eric reported this, and Kyle nodded and told them to wait. James and Abe moved beside the open door and window while Kyle shined a light in all the corners, then entered the room just to make sure. Kyle excited the room and thought he smelled something. He took a long whiff and turned to Eric. That wasn't ramen.

"You didn't go back out there?" he asked in surprise, "without backup?"

Eric smiled and pointed at Edmund beside him, "Had King George here." Kyle ground his teeth and looked at Edmund, who seemed about ready to lash out at Eric.

"You know he's not trained for that, we don't need anything else happening to any of us. We have..."

"Okay, okay." Eric held up his hands in a sense of pleading, he reached over and grabbed the taller Kyle's neck and squeezed it, while pulling Kyle toward him. "Safe from now on, Professor, but you might enjoy tonight's dinner."

Kyle clapped Eric on the side of the stomach, with just a little bit of force and said, "Smells good." They all walked inside to waiting steaks and potatoes that were on the grill. Kyle hoped the smell wouldn't carry.

Abe had been surprised he was so hungry and easily consumed two steaks by himself. There was plenty of meat and they wanted to eat it all before it went bad, having no way except Mother Nature to keep it cool. He ate dinner with Patrick and his family, their kids being a light in the darkness for him. A reminder of right in a world of wrong. Edmund had also joined them, keeping them amused with stories of his travels. James was also there, but sat aloof and quiet inside the warm gathering. All in all, it was a balm of peace that was needed.

Abe and Kyle had taken a room two down from Patrick and his family. They were now living in a World War II room that included, among other things, glassed shelves of old rifles. Unfortunately, there were no cots in this room, so they would be sleeping on the floor for now. Doable. He found that after he had eaten he was dreadfully tired and, placing rifle down and removing his gun belt, he slouched down alongside the wall in the vaulted room. It seemed a lifetime had passed since Kyle had awoken him yesterday morning. Fear, uncertainty, and apprehension assaulted him, threatened to suffocate him at every turn. His salvation and rock had been his brother, who seemed to stand prepared, though how was a mystery to him, against this new and sudden nightmarish world that had swallowed them whole. Kyle had taken the first watch with Eric and, after collecting himself, he picked himself up, swung through Patrick's room and picked up the steaks to take them to Eric and Kyle.

Abe walked outside in a world of darkness. He switched on an old light that he wore on a headband for hiking and started up the brick staircase, being careful on the well-worn steps that led to the top of the inner wall. He heard his brothers' voice above him and, giving in to that vile creature of curiosity, delayed his ascent up the stairs to listen.

"We need to get rid of that bridge, it needs to be torn down and we need to replace it with something that we can move out over the moat when we need to," he heard Kyle say. "Can you do that?"

He heard, who only could have been Eric in his southern drawl, answer, "We can but it's gonna take some work, let me think about it."

"How long?"

"To think about it or do?"

"Think do it."

"I can start breaking it down tomorrow and only leave a small part of it standing, so that we might cross single file, until I can think of a better solution."

"Good enough," he heard his brother say. They were quiet for moment when he heard Eric say, "How long do you want to keep Old Ben locked up?"

"Let's give it a few days, just to make sure. Is that good for you?" Kyle asked.

"Yeah, that's fair, I'll let him know.”

"James?" he asked again. Abe hadn't heard the latter before, and did not hear him respond to this request either.

"Okay, let's do that. James," Kyle seemed to hesitate for a minute. "We can bury Yolanda tomorrow. Where would you like to bury her?"

Abe heard the iron, yet soft voice of James for the first time, "Let's bury her outside the walls, under one of those giant trees."

"Sounds good, first thing," responded Kyle. He spoke again to James, "James, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."

He was interrupted by James whose voice no longer sounded soft but certain. "Professor, Yolanda liked you, believed in your idea about this place. You didn't kill her, that belongs to Neil, his time will come. I don't need your apology, and Yolanda would have probably laughed at you trying to offer it." He paused, started to say more than just added, "I'll take a turn around the wall."

"James," Kyle called after him. His voice one of relief at James' words. "Bunk with me and Abe." James made no verbal reply but started his walking again.

Abe heard soft footsteps walk away from the other two and now, feeling too much guilt by his eavesdropping, walked to the top of the stairs and was met by Kyle and Eric.

"Ah nice, just like I like ‘em," thanked Eric, as Abe gave him the plastic plate that contained two large but lukewarm steaks. Kyle also received his with a smile.