there organized. It’s nice to see that there are survivors.”
Ted smiled and led the way into one of the buildings. It served as a communal galley and restaurant for those passing through. There was a long moment of silence as the Cock Blockers took in the sight. Clean walls and floor. Working lights. Slop sinks on the far wall to clean up in. More than a few of the group were overwhelmed. Some sat on a bench and cried. Others just stood in a daze.
Pots rattled in the kitchen as people from the little settlement came in and bustled around the stoves. Henry spoke with the leader of the small band at German Corners. He got updates from around the area and passed along what news he had of the world beyond the fence. Sarah Fine, a girl with cocoa colored skin and blue almond eyes, was head of the group. She told Henry that they had another small band of survivors pass through last week. Only about ten of them in that group. Nomads. They didn’t want to settle anywhere. They lived off what they could scavenge and moved along. A lot of shell shocked big-city people couldn’t fathom the idea of staying in one place. They were convinced the zombie hordes were right behind them. Most didn’t realize the zeds didn’t move far from the towns they were infected in. Some swarms moved like the herds of buffalo used to, but it was obvious where they were.
“We’ll have to clean this place pretty good when you leave, Henry,” Sarah said.
“Why’s that?”
“Well, we’d offer them a shower, but I don’t know it’d do a lot of good. They can burn those rags in Geneseo and get new clothes.”
For the first time, Henry became fully aware of the stench of unwashed bodies that rolled from the group. Two of the girls sat and picked lice from one another’s hair. The tattered remains of clothes probably couldn’t survive a wash if one were available.
“Yeah,” Henry said. He dug into a pocket of his fatigue shirt and withdrew a small, folded piece of paper. “This ought to cover lunch. Thank you for your kindness.”
Sarah opened the paper. A small, loose diamond winked up at her from the folds. “Yes, that’ll cover the cost. I was going to ask you for ammo, but this will do.”
Henry grinned. “I figured. Diamonds we got. Ammo can be scarce.”
Chapter 14
After lunch, they climbed back on the bus and headed north. This time, there was much chatter among the group. It was if as they put more miles between them and Galva, they gained some sense of normality. Lunch wasn’t cold from a can. The little settlement was clean and had power. Music played from speakers of a stereo. It was old. Freddy Mercury sung about his bicycle, but it was civilization.
They rolled past fields now tall with prairie grass, burned out buildings. As they passed a nursing home, they saw the windows and doors busted out. Broken glass winked across the parking lot. A skeleton hung halfway out one of the windows. A resident or a zed, no one could tell. Cars abandoned in the lot sprouted grass from under their hoods. They were two miles from town now.
As they closed in on town, they could see the fencing around the outer perimeter. Some was tall chain link, although they had had time to build earthen works like the people of Snareville did. The earthworks were topped with barbed wire and spikes of various sorts.
Where the main road came into town it passed under Interstate 80. Just beyond that was the main gate. Dale slowed the bus as he saw a swarm of zombies boil against the gate. Voices rose in alarm as people realized they wouldn’t just be able to drive through the gates. Gunfire rose in their ears.
Henry dialed in the frequency he knew on the radio. He found this swarm just seemed to come from nowhere, but it must have been shambling down Interstate 80. He signed off and unslung his rifle.
“Okay, here’s the deal. We need to help these folks out. We’ll go in from the right side, flank the zeds and start putting them down. Once
Ted smiled and led the way into one of the buildings. It served as a communal galley and restaurant for those passing through. There was a long moment of silence as the Cock Blockers took in the sight. Clean walls and floor. Working lights. Slop sinks on the far wall to clean up in. More than a few of the group were overwhelmed. Some sat on a bench and cried. Others just stood in a daze.
Pots rattled in the kitchen as people from the little settlement came in and bustled around the stoves. Henry spoke with the leader of the small band at German Corners. He got updates from around the area and passed along what news he had of the world beyond the fence. Sarah Fine, a girl with cocoa colored skin and blue almond eyes, was head of the group. She told Henry that they had another small band of survivors pass through last week. Only about ten of them in that group. Nomads. They didn’t want to settle anywhere. They lived off what they could scavenge and moved along. A lot of shell shocked big-city people couldn’t fathom the idea of staying in one place. They were convinced the zombie hordes were right behind them. Most didn’t realize the zeds didn’t move far from the towns they were infected in. Some swarms moved like the herds of buffalo used to, but it was obvious where they were.
“We’ll have to clean this place pretty good when you leave, Henry,” Sarah said.
“Why’s that?”
“Well, we’d offer them a shower, but I don’t know it’d do a lot of good. They can burn those rags in Geneseo and get new clothes.”
For the first time, Henry became fully aware of the stench of unwashed bodies that rolled from the group. Two of the girls sat and picked lice from one another’s hair. The tattered remains of clothes probably couldn’t survive a wash if one were available.
“Yeah,” Henry said. He dug into a pocket of his fatigue shirt and withdrew a small, folded piece of paper. “This ought to cover lunch. Thank you for your kindness.”
Sarah opened the paper. A small, loose diamond winked up at her from the folds. “Yes, that’ll cover the cost. I was going to ask you for ammo, but this will do.”
Henry grinned. “I figured. Diamonds we got. Ammo can be scarce.”
Chapter 14
After lunch, they climbed back on the bus and headed north. This time, there was much chatter among the group. It was if as they put more miles between them and Galva, they gained some sense of normality. Lunch wasn’t cold from a can. The little settlement was clean and had power. Music played from speakers of a stereo. It was old. Freddy Mercury sung about his bicycle, but it was civilization.
They rolled past fields now tall with prairie grass, burned out buildings. As they passed a nursing home, they saw the windows and doors busted out. Broken glass winked across the parking lot. A skeleton hung halfway out one of the windows. A resident or a zed, no one could tell. Cars abandoned in the lot sprouted grass from under their hoods. They were two miles from town now.
As they closed in on town, they could see the fencing around the outer perimeter. Some was tall chain link, although they had had time to build earthen works like the people of Snareville did. The earthworks were topped with barbed wire and spikes of various sorts.
Where the main road came into town it passed under Interstate 80. Just beyond that was the main gate. Dale slowed the bus as he saw a swarm of zombies boil against the gate. Voices rose in alarm as people realized they wouldn’t just be able to drive through the gates. Gunfire rose in their ears.
Henry dialed in the frequency he knew on the radio. He found this swarm just seemed to come from nowhere, but it must have been shambling down Interstate 80. He signed off and unslung his rifle.
“Okay, here’s the deal. We need to help these folks out. We’ll go in from the right side, flank the zeds and start putting them down. Once
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