stay, you’ve got to do better than this.”
I had to agree with him on that. Although fence height was extended by several feet with wire mesh, it looked pretty insubstantial.
“ There’s barbed wire along the top,” Brian pointed out. “Which might not completely stop the zombies but should slow them down. And we’ve got surveillance cameras at intervals.” He pointed to a mini-cam that I hadn’t noticed mounted on a nearby building.
“ There’s a bank of screens in the guard station that’s monitored twenty-four seven. We have three patrols of two-men teams circling the perimeter at all times.”
Just then a man and woman appeared farther down the fence. They were strolling and talking and could’ve been on a date except for the hunting rifles strapped on their backs. Brian raised an arm and waved them over.
“ Lois, Jim, this is Ashleigh and Daylon.”
We shook hands with the couple and exchanged stories. We offered a thumbnail sketch of our time on the road and they told us about their daily patrol.
“ I haven’t seen this many undead in weeks,” Lois said. “We shot two over by Brewster Street and a couple of hours later found one halfway over the fence. Jim took it out.”
“ How’s your ammunition?” Daylon asked.
“ We don’t waste any shots. Let’s put it that way,” Jim answered.
“ If the numbers start increasing, we’ll run out of shotgun shells, and nothing less will take off their heads. I don’t see myself going hand to hand with a blade,” Lois added.
I feel ya, sister. I remembered the feeling of sawing through gristle and bone yesterday. I’d been disgusted yet filled with a horrifying, savage glee. It wasn’t a feeling I wanted to repeat ever if I could help it.
“ I’d like to take a look at the munitions stockpile and see exactly where we’re at,” Brian said.
Jim looked at him curiously, as if wondering why Brian was suddenly acting as if he were in charge. “Everything’s documented in the logbook. The kills and number of shells used is tracked. We’re being efficient, but we’ll need to resupply soon if they keep coming. There’s one now.”
He pointed outside the fence and we all turned to see a man walking toward us. He was about sixty yards away and lurching with the stiff-legged gait of an animated corpse. He spotted us and trotted faster as he approached the fence.
Jim lifted his rifle. I looked away. I really wasn’t into watching a head explode in a shower of blood. I’d seen enough carnage yesterday to last me a while. I touched Brian’s arm. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll walk back to your house. It’s not far from here, is it? I could use some down time. Maybe I’ll play video games with Jeff.”
“ Sure.” He gave me directions. Not too easy to get lost in this cordoned off section of an already small town. “Take it easy today.” He looked at me with those chocolate-drop eyes and I melted. He was sweet and gawky yet sexy too. I could easily fall for this guy.
“ I will,” I promised and said goodbye to everyone before leaving. I only jerked a little when a shot rang out behind me.
Walking through the quiet, well-ordered town was soothing to my soul. I’d love to stay here, squirrel myself away in this little nook and pretend everything was back to normal. Let others fight the big fight out there where wild beasts roamed.
When I spotted the sign for Brian’s street—Sycamore Lane, yeah, it was that quaint, I felt like I’d nearly reached home. I shuffled through dead leaves on the sidewalk and wondered idly if the trees were sycamores. I knew a pine from an oak tree and that was about it. I walked up the path to Brian’s front door, sheltered by a portico. When I opened the front door, a few crunchy leaves blew inside with me. It was a pleasure to shut out the wind and breathe in the scent of chicken noodle soup drifting from the
I had to agree with him on that. Although fence height was extended by several feet with wire mesh, it looked pretty insubstantial.
“ There’s barbed wire along the top,” Brian pointed out. “Which might not completely stop the zombies but should slow them down. And we’ve got surveillance cameras at intervals.” He pointed to a mini-cam that I hadn’t noticed mounted on a nearby building.
“ There’s a bank of screens in the guard station that’s monitored twenty-four seven. We have three patrols of two-men teams circling the perimeter at all times.”
Just then a man and woman appeared farther down the fence. They were strolling and talking and could’ve been on a date except for the hunting rifles strapped on their backs. Brian raised an arm and waved them over.
“ Lois, Jim, this is Ashleigh and Daylon.”
We shook hands with the couple and exchanged stories. We offered a thumbnail sketch of our time on the road and they told us about their daily patrol.
“ I haven’t seen this many undead in weeks,” Lois said. “We shot two over by Brewster Street and a couple of hours later found one halfway over the fence. Jim took it out.”
“ How’s your ammunition?” Daylon asked.
“ We don’t waste any shots. Let’s put it that way,” Jim answered.
“ If the numbers start increasing, we’ll run out of shotgun shells, and nothing less will take off their heads. I don’t see myself going hand to hand with a blade,” Lois added.
I feel ya, sister. I remembered the feeling of sawing through gristle and bone yesterday. I’d been disgusted yet filled with a horrifying, savage glee. It wasn’t a feeling I wanted to repeat ever if I could help it.
“ I’d like to take a look at the munitions stockpile and see exactly where we’re at,” Brian said.
Jim looked at him curiously, as if wondering why Brian was suddenly acting as if he were in charge. “Everything’s documented in the logbook. The kills and number of shells used is tracked. We’re being efficient, but we’ll need to resupply soon if they keep coming. There’s one now.”
He pointed outside the fence and we all turned to see a man walking toward us. He was about sixty yards away and lurching with the stiff-legged gait of an animated corpse. He spotted us and trotted faster as he approached the fence.
Jim lifted his rifle. I looked away. I really wasn’t into watching a head explode in a shower of blood. I’d seen enough carnage yesterday to last me a while. I touched Brian’s arm. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll walk back to your house. It’s not far from here, is it? I could use some down time. Maybe I’ll play video games with Jeff.”
“ Sure.” He gave me directions. Not too easy to get lost in this cordoned off section of an already small town. “Take it easy today.” He looked at me with those chocolate-drop eyes and I melted. He was sweet and gawky yet sexy too. I could easily fall for this guy.
“ I will,” I promised and said goodbye to everyone before leaving. I only jerked a little when a shot rang out behind me.
Walking through the quiet, well-ordered town was soothing to my soul. I’d love to stay here, squirrel myself away in this little nook and pretend everything was back to normal. Let others fight the big fight out there where wild beasts roamed.
When I spotted the sign for Brian’s street—Sycamore Lane, yeah, it was that quaint, I felt like I’d nearly reached home. I shuffled through dead leaves on the sidewalk and wondered idly if the trees were sycamores. I knew a pine from an oak tree and that was about it. I walked up the path to Brian’s front door, sheltered by a portico. When I opened the front door, a few crunchy leaves blew inside with me. It was a pleasure to shut out the wind and breathe in the scent of chicken noodle soup drifting from the
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