CHAPTER 11
The next two weeks was a blur, from getting the store cleared to setting up a makeshift firing range so people can get better at shooting. We didn't want anyone lacking the ability to defend themselves.
We had taken in three more people, a father and his two daughters. They came to us from Dwight and told us that parts of 47 were clogged with Sleepers and Dead. They had tried holding up on their farm but they started getting over run so they took up and wanted to get to family up in Wisconsin.
Once they got here and saw what we were doing here, the father decided it would probably be safer here than trying to travel so far. We welcomed them in with no hesitation. We knew we would need numbers so I was glad to welcome in as many survivors as we could.
So on day 25 plans were made to make a big run to get more supplies. I had moved the final car into place, closing up the firing range from the outside. I parked the massive forklift with the other heavy equipment we acquired from the rental place down the road.
As I climbed down the the stairs I heard yelling and laughing from the loading area. I could tell it was it was Kalie and she was practicing with her crossbow, like she had everyday since she got it.
I walked into the loading area just in time to see Kalie miss the melon-sized target and yell, “Damn! I almost had that one. I made the last three. I think these wood bolts are crap. The carbon fiber ones are perfect every time. I need to figure out why I can't make an arrow straight enough to be accuate.” She said to herself, she didn’t notice me standing there as she bent over to load another bolt into the crossbow.
“You know you only have an hour left before your guard duty. Have you changed your mind yet about making that your primary weapon?” I laughed and turned around to walk to the common area to brief everyone on my plan for the run.
“Don’t you worry JohnJohn I will be the best crossbow woman alive. Just go plan your plan and let me get my job done, bish” She yelled at me.
I never saw the dodge ball that hit me in the back of the head as I walked away, which caused her to bust out laughing. I chuckled and smiled as I walked away, knew, at that moment, that she would become the crossbow legend she planned on becoming.
I walked into the common area. Waiting for me around the dry erase board sat Niki, Dad, Guy, Dan, Amy, Andrew, and Joey.
I walked up to the board and drew a lazy outline of the building and then encircled it with hash marks. “So our next big jobs will be getting this store opened up, floor wise. Let's start in the clothing area. Get everything boxed up so that we can have a huge open space. Niki, Andrew and I will be looking for survivors soon so we will need places to put people. We also need to get a count of bedding and an inventory of food. We have been outfitting a lot of people passing through. I want to make sure we don't run low. Also we need a detailed count of guns and ammo. I know we have plenty from Big R, but it won't last forever.
I also want to check the semis around to see if we can get one or two running. It is time to start working on the huge wall that will encircle the property. The plan I came up with for that, is to send out two teams, one driver and one security per team. This way when there is a trailer we can grab the driver can hook up while the other guards. I figured Dad and Joey along with Guy and Dan. Dad and Guy drive. When we are to that point, you will bring the box trailers into the loading docks. We will crack it open to see if we can use anything if we can use it we unload it if we can’t we close it back up. Then all full box trailers will be brought to the wall and put in place. The empty ones with will placed behind the store for use later.” I pointed at the hash marks on the board. “We will then use the forklifts to tip them over. This will end up making our wall all around the building. Once the wall is built, we then construct a huge gate and remove the trailer that sits in front of the said gate. Does anyone have any questions so far?”
Guy looked at the board and asked, “You told us all this already.” Guy slurred, “Why are you telling us again.”
Guy had been drinking heavily since Kenzi's death, I hadn't seen him sober one day since then. No one said anything because we know he was just processing his loss. But soon I would have to draw a line in the sand, but today wasn't that day.
“Because I want to refresh it in everyone's minds so we don't screw anything up. Anyway, today Andrew, Niki and I will be going over to Greenway to get two pickups and a van, or SUV. I want to get more ammo and weapons for when we get people. There is a gun shop under the bridge, and I know they also carry ammo reloading equipment so that we won't run out of ammo. Though there is one in Coal City, it is too long of a trip now to check it out. We will have to wait to hit that one up when we go check out the power plant. Kurt has been working on the junction box that was hit and has one half of the store back up. So Amy can you please help him with that today, so we can get the other half up.” She just nodded without saying anything, so I continued, “I would also like to go to the sheriffs building to get in their evidence room and see if I can find weapons there. The only downfall is if I do that I will a have to stop by the jail too to get the guards that are left, if there are any, and the inmates.”
Before I could continue, Dad spoke up, “Do you think it is wise that we bring criminals in here there is no way to trust them or get rid of them if they fuck up. Also, what about...”
I held my hand up to stop his rant, “First it is Grundy County jail, not too worried that may be a serial killer in there. Second, yes there is something we can do, or rather I can do, I will make it clear that any stupidity will mean exile or even death. We are not here to give handouts and let people just live here. Everyone will pull their weight, or there are gone, Everyone will also follow the rules, or they are gone. Now, I want Guy, Dan, and Jen to start by clearing the store, Joey, Kalie, and Amy will go on the roof to pull security. Dan, you and Zach, go into the Auto center and get it working, I would like to reinforce vehicles, forklifts, and anything else we can. Andrew, Niki and I will go on our run to Greenway and the gun shop.”
It was Niki who stood up and interrupted me this time, “I think I should be on the roof with Joey and Kalie. I am a better shot, and I want to see if I can get that ham radio working to see if we can pick up any news that might be floating around. We don't get people from far enough away to tell us what is happening in other parts of the US.” When she finished, I heard Amy chuckle a little.
“Yeah that is fine, Amy are you ok with going with Andrew and me?”
“Yeah I will go, I wouldn’t want to be on the roof and miss a shot or two.” She glared at the back of Niki’s head as she talked.
I reacted quickly before Niki could turn around, “Alright, lets get this started we are losing daylight. Joey, grab Kalie, jen, and Zach, fill them in on their jobs. I will be by the loading dock waiting for you two, make sure you have comfy shoes because our first walk is about a mile through town. Let's do it.”
I walked down the hallway that led to the loading docks, and I kept wondering what the hell that was all about. I thought there had to be something more there. But, I pushed it out of my mind and thought about the task at hand. I knew I needed to get the vehicles, not only to get any supplies we find but also to be able to take the door off the gun shops.
As I rounded the corner my eye caught the site of what I thought was a shadow dip behind a rack of clothes, I pulled out my gun and crept up to the cloths. I moved wide to the left to try and see who or what it was before they saw me and it would give me the chance to run if need be. As I took another step, I almost pissed myself when a big orange tabby bolted at and then around me. “What the fuck,” I said as I started laughing.
I was still laughing when I heard, “Have you finally lost your fucking mind?” I turned to see Andrew and Amy stand there looking confused, which caused me to laugh harder. They just looked at each other not knowing what to do.
I stopped laughing enough to look at them and say, “I am fine, just being given a reality check that I am not as fearless as I act.” I chuckled one last time and walked over to open the door.
I was still smiling to myself as the door raised. Without warning my leg was snatched up, and I was pulled to the ground, I hit with a loud smack as I landed on my back. I looked down my legs and saw that a sleeper had grabbed me. I kicked and reached for my gun. Before I could remove it and aim Andrew was there and had already buried his ax into its head.
“What the hell was that?” He said as he wiped the ax on the cloths the sleeper was wearing.
“I don’t know, he must have fallen asleep on the door, and it spooked when I opened it. Either way, it is dead now. Let's get moving before the light is gone.” I looked down as I walked by and something dawned on me. And with another laugh, I said, “Hey you know what. I think that sleeper was my ex-boss.”
CHAPTER 12
“What do we do now,” Amy said as she screwed the silencer on to her handgun.
“I say we fight our way there. I am ready.” Andrew was wrapping the rope at the bottom of his ax around his wrist as he said this. He set his right foot into the dirt ready to sprint.
“Let me think,” I said I placed my hand on his arm to make sure he knew not to do anything.
We had gotten about three blocks away from Greenway Autos when we ran into, what had to be, a hundred sleepers and dead walking around where Route 6 and IL 47 intersect. Off the top of my head, I didn’t know what to do. I know if we took the back way it would be a maze of alleys and back roads to get there, and we didn’t know if that would be worse. At least here there were still openings.
I didn’t have a clue what to do, then it hit me like a ten ton truck on ice, as I looked into the car that we were using as cover. “Hey, check this out,” I said as I pointed into the window.
As if a gift from my mother in heaven there sat the keys, to this car, on the passenger seat. I shook my head for not seeing them, then I said, “I am going to try and start this. If it runs, I will put it in drive and blare the radio and let it run into them. That should pull the rest giving us enough time to sprint past Walgreens and into Greenway.”
“Well, let's hope this beast runs,” Amy said as she and Andrew took up security spots on each end of the car.
I slowly slid down the side of the car hoping not to be seen by any of the monsters, and I cursed myself for never sticking with a diet as I should have. I always meant to get back to my Army weight, but somehow I always talked myself out of it. I reached the driver's door and hit pay dirt when I pulled the handle and the door was unlocked. I slowly opened the door and slid myself into the seat to reach the keys in the other seat. I kept my head down hoping not to be seen. Just as I was about to start the car, it happened.
I never heard any warning; I didn’t even hear an engine. All I heard was a low buzz and then the explosion. Amy had grabbed my leg and yanked me out of the car. “Get down!” She yelled at me.
I had just enough time to look up and see three more mini planes coming for the huge group of sleepers and dead. I rolled over and grabbed Amy to cover her and yelled, “Andrew stay down! Get under the car if you can.”
It lasted what seemed like minutes, but I am sure it only lasted about forty-five seconds. I looked up to see if any more were coming in. When I saw none, I pulled my gun from my chest holster and peered over the car. What I saw was amazing.
Where there were over a hundred sleepers and dead, only about five remand living, and those five were messed up in different ways, from missing an arm to missing half their body. It was a complete turn of events. I was about to send up a silent thank you to my mother, but I was stopped short by what happened next.
“Q! Is that you?”
I didn’t need to turn around; I already knew that voice. I was smiling from ear to ear as I turned around and yelled, “Rodney! What the hell was that?!”
He laughed and came over to shake my hand, “That my friend was five radio controlled planes with bellies full of C-4. You like it?”
All I could do was laugh. You would have too if you know Rodney as I did. You see Rodney was one of the people that were so paranoid that he had a bomb shelter under his house with like ten years of rations. I know for a fact he had an evacuation plan in case anything ever happened, he even had evacuation plans from the evacuation in case the original evacuation didn’t work. He enjoys making weird weapons; we called them toys. But, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought any of his plans involved five C-4 laced planes though.
“I don’t know about him, but I liked that Rodney,” Andrew said as he walked up to shake Rodney’s hand.
“Long time no see Andrew. How’s your brother?” He asked.
“He has been better; we had to kill him when he changed,” Andrew stated nonchalantly.
“I am sorry to hear that. I lost my brother too.”
I walked up and hugged him, “Man I was worried about you. I was going to head to your house after our trip here to bring you with us or at least make sure your rations are all gone. Speaking of, why are you out and about? I figured you would be locked away in your shelter.”
He throws a thumb up in the direction of the Mustang down the street, “Well little Miss “We need an update” decided About a month ago that it needed to be updated and made larger. So I have a huge hole in my yard and no shelter. I have the rations though if you guy need some.” He waved his hand to get Britt out of the car.
“No, we are all good, we are held up in WalMart…”
“Holy shit, you actually went with that plan?” He interrupted.
“Yes” I laughed it off
“How much stuff is left in there for us to live on?”
“Everything, this happened so fast there was no time for people to loot.” I was stopped in my tracks when I noticed Britt walking up to us with a cane, “Is she ok?”
“Yeah she is alright, she twisted her ankle as we were running to the car. She wouldn’t have gotten up in time if it wasn’t for Tessa, those things would have got us had it not been for the dog taking them down. So we left to find anyone. I was actually headed to your Dad's house in Goose Lake when I cam across this herd. So I had Britt set up that toy in the car, or she would have to hobble around all day and got the planes out.”
I know he could see the question on my face, but I said it anyway, “That cane is a toy?”
Britt handed him the cane and put all her weight on one foot.
I watched as Rodney took the handle and slid it to one side, then twist it. He then unscrewed it, in half. He took the part without the handle and bent it in three making a rifle butt shape and snapped it to the handle. He took a magazine out of Britt’s chest pocket and loaded it into the handle; he cocked a little nipple on the side of the handle that I didn’t see. When he was done he handed me the rifle, that looked like the skeleton of a rifle.
“This is really cool Rod, how did this one come about?” I said as I lined up the sites and hit a Dead with a head shot from about fifty yards away. I was surprised by the little kick back it had.
“Well, Britt and I went to Mississippi one weekend, and at a truck stop I saw one of those sword canes, and thought, ‘Hell I can make something better’. So I did.”
“As always I am impressed. Good thing we ran into you. We are going to Greenway to get a couple of trucks for supply runs and a couple of Vans for survivors we might find. Now we can grab three since Britt is here since I don’t have a license.’’ This caused us all to laugh. One thing I knew was that as long as morale was kept up and normality was kept, we would fight to live no matter how bad it got. We headed to Greenway that sat only three blocks away.
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