Get your motor running

They had gotten twenty two empty beer bottles. "Now what Country?" Doc ask him.

Listen up the Old man and Amanda made this stuff up, and it can be really dangerous if it's done wrong, Cappy you got the battery, wood grain alcohol?"

 "Yep its all over there", Country turned to his head where Cappy was pointing.

"Mom did you get the fertilizer? Becca you got the water,"?

They both answered yes.

"Heres what got, we are going to make home percussion dynamite, each of us will need to very careful, you spill any of this we will be in trouble got me?"

No one spoke a word they all knew that the job at hand would have to be done and done fast! It had taken about twenty minutes to brew up all the materials. "Okay two more things we need, Doc , go get some of that cat litter five pounds will do the trick, Cappy I need you to do something for me lets talk", Country pulled Cappy aside. Doc went after the cat litter, They didn't have any cats, they used the litter in the clay pots that Carla grew herbs in.

  "Cappy what I need is a remote of sorts that will reach out lets say hundred yards, so I can set off each one, using the same remote, can you do that?"

   "Cappy thought for a moment, "Yeah I can do that a T.V. remote will do it"

"You read my mind Cappy".

   "Okay will do my best to make it happen before the sun comes up", He turned and hurried away.

Country stood there, scanning the eastern side of the mesa. Amanda had walked up to him and grabbed his hand. "You know these people can more dangerous than those zombies".

"I know, thats why when I go set them charges I need ya'll up here watching my back, need to keep any distraction off my back", He turned and looked in her eyes. smiled and kissed her.

  "Scumbag of  a man, to shot that woman like that, it just down right pisses me off, think I'm gonna kill that man Woof, what you think?"

    Woof had bellied up and was laying next to Sarge, He just gave him that look that all dogs do when someone speaks to them.

   "Wish you talk buddy".

 Woof could talk, but not like his people, and if he could he would agree with Sarge, in the time before this time, people like that man down there was best avoided by animals, they knew that smell all to well the smell of cruelty and fear mixed together, people who fought dogs before this time, had that smell, he remember from being a pup when his father had been killed in a dogfight, he hated humans like that.

  Woof turned his head and saw the men approaching, Sarge knew who it was, by Woof's reaction.

""Sarge what do you have?" Josiah ask him.

"Take a look for your self".

The Old man took the binoc's and peered through them, he saw the dead woman, and he knew she wasn't a zombie. He saw men getting ready to pull out of the encampment.

                                                          What they couldn't hear

"All right boys shut up and listen up. From what our scouts told me, there seems to be people upon a mesa about five miles south of us. Jimmy you take the jeeps, and fifteen men with you, I want them heavily armed, We'll come in from the west, while your hold there attention we will sneak up the west wall, and taken them, I don't want any of the women killed, just take the men out, do you understand me?"

  Jimmy nodded his head, "Yes sir"

"Good, and seeing that our lead scout found the place, I think it's only fitting that he gets his first choice of the women".

  The man smiled, "Hey boos can do as I please with her?"

"You can, but this time don't kill her when you're done with her, after she is shared then you can have her to finish you're perverted pleasure". he said with a laugh.

 "You four stay here, guard these vans, I don't want no fucking around you here me".

The men nodded, they knew that if they didn't listen to him, they would be strung out for zombie food, thats one fate they didn't want to have. They all have seen what happen to people that were strung out, the pain and agony they went through while being eaten alive. They didn't want any of that.

   "I want to be at least twenty meters apart from each other, take them down one shot, don't really care where you hit them but we need to bring them down, we'll have the rising sun to the left of us, so that shouldn't be a problem", The men look at the Old man, and moved into position and waited.

   The men below them began leaving, some to the east and what he counted five the west. He look at his watch, another twenty minutes the morning sun will be breaking the horizon. They all waited in silence,

     Amanda, Cappy, Gail, Linda, and the Doc all had weapons scanning the area around Country as he moved from place to place setting  the homemade explosives. Rebecca was holding the remote. Cappy had rigged an old T.V. remote so that each button would set off each explosive, it was simple, to use, press one once number one went off, press it twice number twenty went off. He had enhanced the infrared to reach about 100 yards from the top of the mesa, that was cutting it close, but that was the best he could do with the time he had. . Country had told them that he set off twenty first, that would bring the assault team at the base of the Mesa, it should drive them back about twenty yards and he would set off the rest.

He continued the zig zag pattern he had started, once he had set the last one he began to make his way back, that's when trouble began, damn zombies had started to gather near the base of the mesa, they hadn't seen him, heard him, or smelled him, they were clawing at the edge of the mesa, Cappy had seen this, and made his way down into the mesa,

Country looked behind him the sun had started to break the morning sky, he was going to be in the middle of this shit storm if he didn't figure a way out, thats when he spotted Cappy, he had exited the mesa, on the south side, carrying an extra rifle, and ammo, Country made his way over to him. Cappy smiled and handed him a rifle, and pointed to  the south east to small mound, Country knew what to do , Amanda had seen this happen as did the others, Country waved and pointed, the ones on mesa knew. Amanda was worried about him, Rebecca, began to tear up.

  "let me have that Rebecca, this will work", Amanda said in calm voice as she took the remote.

"Alright spread out take aim I know the sun will be in your eyes, so aim low, you don't have to kill them, just shot for the legs that will slow them down, got it".

The others nodded their heads.

   The sun had cleared the horizon, shots rang out form the above the encampment the four men went down. the men moved, By the time they had gotten down to it three of the men were dead, one was wounded.

   "So what do we have here?" Josiah said as look down at the wounded man. He could see the fear in the mans eyes.

   "You got to help me please" the man beg.

"I don't think so" Sarge said as he stepped on the mans wounded arm, causing extreme pain, the man cried out in agony.

 "Maybe if you talk we just might, but that depends on what you tell us, got it!"

The man nodded his head. Dave had stood over the and put his foot on his leg, pulled out his knife and brought it down to the calf, the mans eye's widen in terror  and applied pressure, "think this will keep him, dont you guys agree?"

 The man smiled, " I think so, why not give it try, I figure the zombies will be around in twenty minutes or so, they will enjoy this lunch, especially a live one".

Dave applied more press the man began to cry,"I'll tell you everything just don't take my leg pleaseee".

 "Good now talk" Josiah ask the man.

It didn't take long for the man to tell them the plans.

  Dave still held the knife to the mans leg, J.L. had walk over to vans. he saw they were lock down, looking around he found a crowbar, and busted the look apart, and pulled open the doors, what he saw stunned hi. in the van were women and children maybe ten all together. They ahd huddle back, the women stood in front of the children. "Hey Josih you better come see this".

 Josiah walked over to the back of the van. "J.L. open the other one".

One of the ladies stepped forward, "Take me, leave the others I will do anything and everything you want".

He stood quite, he knew now what type of people these men were, "any thing and everything?"
 he said.

"Yes".

  "Good, whats your name and why are you here, thats anything and everything I want".

"I'm Gloria, we were taken from a small encampment about a month ago, these men killed everyone, but the women, and girls"

  "Where was the encampment at?"

"Up near Colorado springs, we were on way to a place that we had made contact with a man named George we were talking to, ", Josiah knew who she was talking about they had been in contact with George for months now, as a matter of fact they were in the process of setting up some trade with George and his group. "Go on please"

  "Anyway we were a day out when they hit us, in the middle of the night, it took no time for the massacre to end, we were totally unprepared for this, I know the damn zombies were a problem but people like these were worse, never made to see George". she hung her head.

  "What about the dead woman?"

 The lady held back her tears, "when they are done with us, and tire of us, they shoot us, I heard them talking about killing all the adult women, and turning the children into sex slaves".

   That pissed Josiah off, Dave, Sarge "bring that scumbag of human over here".

Dave and Sarge took the man by the arms and dragged him to the back of the van, the man look up at the woman.

   "How does it feel?" she sneered at him. the man said nothing.

The lady stepped down out of the, and got in the mans face and spit at him.

Josiah pulled his long knife out and handed it to the woman. with out a word she looked the man again. "No pleaseeee don't let her do it" he pleads with the men.

 She look at Josiah, he shook his head, and then she plunged the knife into the man's crotch, the man yelled out Dave and Sarge let him go as dropped to ground and withered in pain.

  "Damn" Doug said.

"Mommy, is it okay? came the little voice out of the van.

"Yes honey it is,".

Thats when they heard the first explosion, Damn it was loud.

"We need to move", Josiah said.

"What about us?" The woman said.

"You can drive follow us, give us five minute head start". Another blast permeated the morning.

Amanda had set off the first charge, what they didn't expect was how loud and powerful it was, she had waited until the men had got with twenty five yards of the mesa, she figured that  would draw the zombies to the men, and distract them, she was right, as soon as the zombies began to move she set off another one. They had made percussion explosives, the way they would kill you is if you were on top of them when they went off, They were all far enough away so the noisy wouldn't disorientate them, but being down there in the middle of it all, that was another story, she pressed one, then five Bang, . Country and Cappy opened up on the confused men, take shots at their legs to bring them down. Amanda and the rest had taken aim at the jeeps with the fifty cals mounted on then they shot out the tires first then the drivers, then the gunners. If the attacking force had been better organized the picks wouldn't of been as easy as they were. within twenty minutes the melee had subsided a bit, another half hour the zombies were having on the wounded men below. Doc got up and went down into the mesa to let Country and Cappy in.

  "Think that will do it", Carla said.

"You think so?" came the voice of the man behind them, "weapons down ladies easy now".

   Carla and the rest turned and say five men, she knew they had scaled the western slope of the mesa.

"I want that one first" one of the men said pointing to Ellie.

 " In a bit but first the men folk need to be dealt with don't think ladies" the man said with a laugh.

Doc was about to reenter the the top of the mesa to grab his med bag when he saw and heard what the men said. He bolted the door from the inside and went as fast as he could to COuntry and Cappy.

Some time ago

 Doc Hart helped them gather the supplies they had needed to defend against a possible attack. A nagging thought had been troubling him for the past few weeks. Something his Dad and Uncle Leo had thought they had figured out about this whole damn thing. He had tried talking to Josiah, but the thought was hard to put in words.

 "Country how long will all this take?".

 "Well doc maybe two hours at the most, bar no zombie problems while setting up, why?"

  Doc shook his head. "I need to get some medical supplies together, in case someone gets hurt, and I want to collect blood from any of them".

 Country gave him a puzzling look, "blood doc?"

  "Yes blood, I need to know why these people haven't turned, or if they have the enzyme in them, that caused this whole mess, or ifs an enzyme that my Dad and Uncle thought that caused this whole mess in the first place."

 "Okay doc, I'm not much into to doctoring, as for collect samples that maybe hard to do, once the blood starts flowing you know them damn things will be coming round".

 "I know but we need to do it".

 Doc turned and left, "Man I hope he knows what we have to do to get his samples", he said to himself.

 "He does" came that sweet voice. "Country the doc has a heavy load to carry, and I know he is asking the impossible, we can do it".

  " I Know Amanda, lets get this stuff ready".

  The doc had made it back to infirmary, and gathered the things he would need. Walking over to his desk, he pulled a key out and unlock his top right desk drawer. Pulled out his father's journal, and began to read a story that his father had come across, many years before this happen.

                                                              Dated April 10 1944

  I have looking for answers to this question, why will this happen? This could be just part of the whole story, but it still doesn't explain, why these occurrences occurred in the past in different parts of the world, but I do suspect that what happen may accelerated the cause.

                                                                 Doc Hart SR notes

   Prior to the establishment of the CDC in July of 1946, the federal  government we had the Malaria control in war areas. but that control not only tried to control Malaria, the physician collected samples of virus from all over, most of them didn't realize that some of what the no name collected virus had special properties to them, DNA and RNA were in it's infancy.

  One of the lad assistance, had packed a sample of what we know now as Zaire Ebola, along with smallpox, malaria, and pneumonia, he did sloppy job of it to say the least, when the samples were delivered back in Maryland the vials had broken, and cross contaminate each other.  This were I suspect the enzyme originated from.

  Disposal procedures were started, but I think that it was to late from the crew that carried it over, to person opening the container, the time bomb had already started ticking. Was it the cross contamination? I'm still not sure, only time will tell. signed John Jenkins.

   That was when it hit the doc, "how stupid I could be" he said aloud slapping his forehead. It had been know that since the 1970's that Ebola could rewrite the DNA of other Ebola virus, why not other virus other than the Ebola itself. and once it got into the host and their immune system was not strong for whatever reason, it rewrote the DNA of the human host, that could explain why babies born during the turning were zombies, or why the elderly turned first, but it don't explain why some people never turned at all. Once exploiter problem was over he would present this to the group, and finding the reason why some people never turned could be the answer to the problem, now that he realized the probable cause of it all, the ones that didn't turn were in essence patient zero's, not the zombies. it also explains why  animals never turned, even the ones feeding on the undead flesh, the metabolism in them difference completely from the human hosts, so it made the virus human specific only!

  He grabbed the med bag and made for the top of the mesa.

 Sarge had made to the rise about thirty minutes before day break, laying low and spying them out, he saw the men he followed, form up around one he figured was the leader of the whole group. He could tell by the animated gestures they were telling him what they had found.

  He noticed that two men appeared to be dragging a woman out of a RV, the leader turned and smiled, pulled his side arm out and shot her in the head, the men laughed. He also saw two small cargo trucks, a few jeeps, with what appeared to have fifty cals mounted on them, an various other vehicles.
 
   "Are you sure about what seen?"The man smiled, "Good we come in from the east at sun rise"

Woof

  Everything had been set up, the food was cooking, and everyone seemed relaxed. The Old man thought to himself "this is all good, maybe do this a little more often, and try to bring back some normally to them all".

  Woof had been laying quietly by the Old man. He felt the Old man scratch between his ears, "you like that boy?" came the voice he knew since he wandered up to the Old mans place five years ago. He still remembered his pack, his family where he came from, but his instinct told him that he belonged here.

  :Josiah how long have you had that dog?" Amanda ask him.

   "Going on six years now, came home from work one day and found him curled up on my front porch, never knew where he came from, but when I walk up to him he raised his head, looked at me, wagged his tail a bit, and went back to sleep. been with me every since, wouldn't know what to without him Amanda,"

  Woof got up, and started walking to north side of the mesa. "wonder what he's going to do now?"

Country said.

  Josiah didn't say nothing he just watched his dog walk over to a spot and sit on his hind quarters staring off in the distance, 

   "Want another cold one anyone?" J.L. said.

    "I'll take one".

     "Wait a minute Doc, I never took you for a drinking man before".

     "Oh he isn't, but you need to ask him about his whiskey drinking with the Old man back in East Texas", Amanda replied.

     "Well Doc tell us about it", Ericka shot in.

  The Doc had just smiled, he hadn't drank that much since he turned twenty one,. Josiah smiled "yeah Rich tell them how our sweet little Amanda into our shit over that".

    Josiah turned his head and looked for his dog. Woof was standing now ears high, he leaned over and whispered something to Carla,. Carla got up and left. "Hey Carla you're going to miss the story" Linda said.

   Carla turned and smiled, "I already know it, Amanda called me when it happen" Carla made her way down into the mesa.

    "Well Doc go for it", Doug said.

   "Okay, when Amanda and I went to inform Josiah about Leo's death, and to take him all the paperwork that he would need to claim all this place we are at now."

  "How did he take the news about Leo?" Dave ask.

   " He took it, with a grain a salt, I still believe to this day he knew when he saw us walking up, anyway thats getting away from the tale my fellow survivors. We went to house, settled in, Country showed up about two hours later, Amanda took a shine to Country that night", Amanda blushed on that one.

    No one had noticed that Carla had handed Josiah a pair of night vision binoculars, for that matter no one really took notice of him leaving, and walking behind the entryway to the mesa. 

   " So the two youngins as Josiah would say left us be, Josiah pulled down a bottle of Beam, and when I started telling him everything, He poured us both a shot, and from that point on, the talking didn't cease and the shots keep coming, that went on for about hour and half, then Amanda came back in sneered at both of us, Country laugh about," and thats about it.

  Josiah peered through the glasses, looking in the direction that woof was staring. He spotted them, Pulling the glasses down he shock his head. Went back to his chair, again everyone was talking and having a good time, not really noticing him sitting.

  Sarge stop talking about his time back Kansas state, he had an eerie feeling that feeling you get when you know someone is watching you, but you just can't pin point it, he turned and looked at woof. it was then that it had struck him, that the Old man had gotten up and was gone for a while and returned before anyone had taken notice. He looked at the Old man.

  Josiah knew that Sarge knew something, "listen up everybody, don't react to what I'm going to tell you, but we are being watched right now, I knew something wasn't right when woof walked away from us, nothing like a dog's keens sense of hearing, to alert us, I don't know who they are or why they are watching us, but I do know they are out there".

   No one knew what to say at that moment. "Well now whats the matter cat got your tongues people? Come on now forget about them, we need this what we are doing, there will always be something out there, don't you all feel good? I know I do, and piss on them if they know we know", Carla turned and flipped the finger at them.

   "Hey boss they know we're here, I just got flipped off", 

 "Thats alright I've seen enough, need to get back to the encampment and let the boss man know what we found, I'm sure he will figure out a way to get into that place, besides like you said fresh pussy, and I want some of it!"

   The men left Woof stood his ground until they had all gone, and came back to the Old man. "They gone now boy?" Woof looked up at him and if you could read dogs mind you would know his answer Yes!

   J.L. spoke up first, " I figure who every they are, there not alone,"

   "You're right about that J.L., we need to go out there and follow them, find out where they are going" Sarge said as he stood up.

    "What are you doing?" Lindas ask him.

   "Something that needs to be done, just give me thirty minutes and follow my marks", Sarge left.

    "Go with him boy", 

Woof got up as if knew exactly what to do, and followed Sarge.

     "What about thte zombies won't Sarge be in trouble?" Gail ask.

"No mom, he won't as long as he stays quit they won't mess with him, and I know Sarge he don't go anywhere without his long knife, life the rest of us", Country answered her.

    "Okay here we, J.L. Doug, Dave, you three come with me, bring rifles, Country you take charge here, I figure they will try to hit this place in the morning from the east with the sun in our eye's, take care of business brother, lets go guy's."

      Country, Cappy, Carla, Amanda, Ericka, Doc, Gail and Rebecca, were left standing.

"Aaron I know what we can do, to slow any advance on us, we did it in Israel, and it will work here". Amanda said.

   Country smiled he loved it when she called him by his name, from the first time they met, she had taken his heart, "I know you told me, lets do it, Cappy we need as many empty bottles you can find, Rebecca help him, The rest of ya'll met me at the weapons lockers, everyone moved, no one questioned Country, which after the day was over they would glad they didn't.

Exploiters

 I guess Country said it best, we were all sitting around eating, not really saying much of nothing. I could see the looks in their eyes, all this surviving had gotten to them, day in and out since the out break we had done nothing but dispose of the zombies that came our way. Country looked up from his plate, smiled that wide eyed southern boy look one could have being from the south, "Ya'll know something, we haven't had a normal day in almost a year now, think it's about time we do something about that don't you think so Old man?"

  I didn't say nothing at first, but I knew he was right, we all needed something else to do, just like we did when we were preparing for this instead of sitting around and killing those damn zombies. "I think your right Country, so what is normal now, anyone got any ideas?"

  "I have an idea".

  "Okay Sarge I'll bite, what is it". J.L. ask.

  "Well remember back when Doug and Country came with a idea about a fire pit, and we held back on it, didn't want to attraction attention, right". Everyone nodded their heads to that, attention was the last thing we needed. "Anyway attract attention or not, we need to break away from all the routine shit we do, right now I don't care if if we attract attention or not, maybe that would be a good thing. We have watched groups pass us by while we're up here hiding, and frankly I'm tired of it all".

 Josiah pushed away from the table, "Where you going?"

"Well Carla, I think Sarge is right, time to stop hiding, and start living again, no matter what is going on around us, we're all going to go nuts if we don't do something else, as for digging a pit, well I'm not much into digging, but I think we got a grill or two down in that supply locker, may as well start using them".

  "Damn we usually butt heads".

"Thats how well you don't him, Sarge, when he see's a good idea, he goes for it, and I think I'll give him a hand", Country left the room.

 "Hey Sarge",

  "What Doug".

 "How long have known the Old man"?

  "Fifteen years and we would always butted heads or at least it seemed that way, but now"?

  "Yeah but you're wondering aren't you, got to ask yourself buddy, when was the last time you two went at it?" Sarge stood there in silence, then walked out, "Oh well" Doug shrugged his shoulders and followed.

   Sarge had been thinking about what Doug had said, it has been a while, since him and the Old had butted heads, it was then that it hit him what the Old man once had said to him years ago, "Sarge you and I are cut from the same mold, ex military, there is one thing I do know, no matter what happens if the shit ever hit the fan I know you would have back". Is that why they had not butted heads lately?  The Old man knew Sarge had his back?, Sarge smiled, that had to be it.

    It took them some time, but J.L. and Country had found the grills. "Wouldn't know it charcoal"

"Hey J.L. at least it's a start", grinned Country, "Im'm sure it is Country, lets get them up top.

Country and J.L. had got the grills up top side, they all stood around the grills. "Them grills aren't going to light themselves", Amanda said.

   "Got a problem, here can't find no charcoals", Dave said.

"Well boys looks like ya'll are going to have think of something else, come on ladies, lets get some grub up here, while the Einstein's figure this out", Ericka said with a laugh. The ladies left.

 "You know she's right, the one thing we didn't figure on was a barbecue during a zombie apocalypse"

  "Charcoal or not Dave, it looks to me that Sarge and Country need to solve this problem for us Einstein's, can't cook without fire."

  "Alright Old man, come on Country lets show the Einstein's how it's done".

Both the men went down and out the mesa. "Think they will be okay out there?"

"I'm not sure both them are tough as nails, and know the risk they take going out there, they won't go unarmed Doc".

"I suppose your right Josiah".

  Country and Sarge had exited the mesa from the bottom side of the mesa in the Old mans old beat up truck, they both stuck their heads out the windows looked up and waved at the. Josiah smiled, and waved back. The women had made it back up to the mesa top. The sun was setting when the two men made it back, both of them looked a mess. "Well did you get it?"

"Yep we did, got the whole damn truck full of it Dave", Country said. "even got starter", Sarge piped in.

  "You're a mess Aaron", Amanda said to Country, "why don't you two clean up"

"Yeah Aaron lets go clean up", Sarge said with a laugh.

Country had always like how Amanda called him Aaron, she was the only one who did. He never ask her why she did but it made her happy and being happy was what important especially now.

  The sun had set, the coals were hot and glowing, the cold ones were passed around, and the food was cooking.

  "Hey man you smell that?" the man said to his companions.

  "Yeah I sure do, think we need to check this out", Lets go boys", the apparent leader said.

     It would take them an hour to get with visual range of the mesa, but they would see enough to take back to the rest of their group, to plan a raid.

    "Hey Jason did you see women up there?", ask one of the men.

    "Yep" came the leaders reply.

      "Oh man that s good fresh pussy", the man replied with a laugh

      "Oh yep fresh pussy, no shut the fuck up and keep the noise down and watch for those damn monster".