Zombie Chapter 2

Everyone slowly walks out of Jon's garage and into their cars. We had around 6 cars or so and 5 families to carry. We thought out strategically which cars would help us carry the most equipment, which would give us the best defense and which would be best for gas. At Jon's kitchen table before we set out, I explained my zombie survival plan and everyone agreed to it. Our first destination would be to stop at a small gun shop and "borrow" more guns and ammunition. The roads were mostly calm but there was an unusual amount of police sirens. It appeared that most of citizens didn't think the news was serious. The drive was quick and painless. We all crawl out of our cars and males gather with what weapons we had. We had a couple of handguns but we figured the shotguns would be our representatives. The plan was secure the area and then to have more people come in and snatch the supplies we would need. The store is dark, small and and quiet. I don't think there were any customers in the store. We walk around like any browsing customer would and scan the store. The cashier, who appears to be the only person working the floor, asks if we need any help. We tell him no and continue to browse giving each other silent signals about what we wanted. Eventually a couple of us walk over the the front desk and pretend to look at the items underneath the glass, but were really there to secure the cashier. A couple of the guys pull out big bags and start loading them up. The cashier starts to look around worried angling his head over the counters so he could get a better view. He begins to walk to the back room when a couple of guys hold him up. The cashier understanding he is fucked just stands there with his hands behind his head. Someone runs out and requests a couple of more people to come in and they do with big bags. The "borrowing" process is quick. We leave some cash on the table, which isn't even close to enough, and leave slowly with eyes on the cashier. We all quickly start up our engines and get back on the highway. The roads are fairly empty and we are able to stay in our defensive formation line. We expected to be chased by some cops sooner or later but nothing. You could hear distant sirens and thats when I began to think that maybe the police and other officials had bigger fish to fry. A gun store robbery was now at the bottom of their priorities. Our next stop was North Dakota to pick up Dean and his family. No one has notified Dean yet and I begin to worry that they won't be convinced by what he has seen so far. Stealing guns and leaving everything behind is a pretty big commitment. I am in the passenger seat of Dawson's Chevy Impala and I give Dean a call. We start out with a little small talk and I ask him if he has seen the news. Both of us are to embarrassed to actually express what we are feeling about the whole situation. We start off slow but Dean brings up the fact that the one of the news stations officially brought up the idea that the dead are walking. I ask him what he thinks and he says he is a little worried. After a little more small talk, I tell him what we have been up to and that we are headed North to come get him. He expresses some interest and tells me that he will call us back in a bit after he gets everything straitened out with his family. After I get off the phone with Dean I call the other cars letting them know that the news station Dean mentioned has officially brought up the idea of infected people, or walking dead. We are driving north and after I have some time to calm my mind, we did just rob a gun store, I look out Dawson's window to see that cars going south have piled up. I guess people are starting to buy into this threat. Why south? I guess that the city is providing some sort of protection plan. To populated. I'll pass. People are panicky and stupid. The car ride is quiet. My phone rings. I answer and Dean in a calm voice says that he and his family will be waiting for us. I ask him if the panic has reached North Dakota yet and he says not really and that people are out stocking up on food and supplies, but it isn't extremely out of control. I ask him if it would be possible if him and his family could go out and buy some more food and supplies they think would be necessary and he says yes. I tell him after he finishes with that, that he should stay inside his house with doors locked. I tell him that we should be there in about 3 hours or so and we hang up. 3 hours is shorter then normal, but we are speeding and I figure if cops don't care we robbed a gun store, they won't care if we are going 80 in a 55. The ride is quiet. Dawson eventually speaks up. He tries to cut the tension and tries to keep the mood light by goofing around. He says, "Isn't this just the way we planned it?" I laugh lightly and acknowledge his question. We joke around about what life might be like in 3 weeks. We keep our images bright and happy. "It shouldn't be to bad," Dawson says. We quit talking for a little while and Dawson puts a CD in. A mix. We get out of the city and passed the suburbs and now its just interstate between us and Dean's place. The line of cars heading south into the city ended about 40 minutes ago. I tell Dawson to get off on the next exit. He asks why and turns to get off. I tell him that I want to see how everyone is doing, regroup, restock and take a fucking shit. We pull into an empty parking lot of a warehouse type store. Our cars are the only cars in a giant parking lot and its creepy. Everyone gets out and asks me why we have stopped. They seem cranky. I thought I was doing them a favor. I told them what I told Dawson, that I wanted to see how everyone was doing, keep our spirits up, regroup, restock, stretch, and shit. We assign everyone with a weapon since I wanted everyone to be prepared for what might be in the store. A mixture of the young males and their fathers with heavy weapons are chosen to enter first. Then mixture of the females and older males in the rear. Our priority was to keep everyone safe, especially the women and children. The first line forms at the automatic doors. The doors don't open. Fuck, already a unexpected barrier. I tell Dawson to hold my pistol. I grab the doors and before I pry them open I tell everyone to make sure their guns are loaded and ready. Everyone checks their ammo and clicks their safeties off. Appears as though no one did this while we were at the cars and I give them a minute to check everything over. Good thing I brought it up. Dawson checks my gun for me even though it has been checked about 5 times already before we got to the doors. I appreciate his kindness. I tell Jon and Mitch that when I bust open the doors that I want them to criss cross with Jon securing the left and Mitch guarding the right. I tell them I don't want them going in any deeper. I look at Dawson and signal that I want my gun right away when I open the doors. I yell back to the Dads that after Mitch and Jon secure the entrance, that they should move in and support and that Dawson and I will walk in right after and take point. I take a deep breath dip my shoulders and pull. The doors slide open. The air inside is warm and thick and has a dry stench to it. Most of the lights are turned off so its dark. The store is big. Jon and Mitch are already in their spots and the adults move in. Dawson hands me my pistol and we weave through and get to the front. I click for Jon and Mitch to move up. There are a lot of the aisles and I want to secure every single one before we start grabbing stuff. Its quiet and as we get deeper into tho store the sun light coming through the windows becomes darker. After about the 10th aisle Jon and Mitch begin to let their guard down. They being to walk standing strait up and out of formation. I snap quietly and tell them to get lower and back in line. They do for about 2 more aisles and then get tired of it and start to talk out load. When they do I grab Mitch around the collar and I as quietly and firmly as I can grunt in his face to shut the fuck up and I glare at Jon. I didn't want them relaxing and influencing the rest of the group to let their guard down. They fall back in line but I can hear them now mumbling about how Min is a little bitch. I ignore it as long as they follow the plan. While I was cussing the two bone heads out Dawson was still advancing the team slowly. I am surprised at his discipline and leadership skills since he is known as the group Rambo. We maze through most of the store and reach the back. After everyone finishes their business, using the bathroom, stocking up, or whatever it may be, we regroup. Jon and Mitch start walking casually to towards the front and I grab Jon by his shirt and signal them back. They reluctantly assimilate. We sneak back up towards the front and when we get close I tell Dawson that I want him to lead the people out back into the parking lot. I tell him not to stop until everyone is out and safe. He nods and asks what I am going to do. I tell him I am going to let everyone pass and that I am going to guard the rear. As they being to walk I grab Jon and signal that he should start guarding the other side of the line and to keep looking toward the back of the store for a sneak attack. Our line is longer then I originally thought. I am tempted to to turn and see how Dawson is progressing, but I stay disciplined and trust that he is doing a good job. When the back of the line passes me on my left I see a object moving in the dark. It catches my attention quick and I tap Jon on the shoulder to back me while I move in a little closer. I take a couple of steps and being to make out it is a person. The figure turns around. It is Tony picking at a door that says employees only on it. I tell him to get outside and that everyone is waiting for him. He tells Jon and me to hold on for just second because he is going to go in quick and snag some cash. I tell him money has no value anymore and that we should just leave. He continues to to pick at the locked door. Jon yells for him. The door cracks open and he looks back at us and gives us "I told you so" smile. He swings the door open and takes a step in and from his left he is tackled. Jon and I both jump. Tony is now screaming and yelling and I can't make out what is exactly going on. I look out the door and see that everyone is loading up the cars and soon will be ready to go. I take a quick step towards the door and stop. Jon is still standing there. I pull on him and he comes back to his senses. I yell that we need to get the fuck out of here. We run out the doors quickly and I close them behind me. Jon runs all the way to the cars and it startles everyone. I jog back with an eye on the doors. Jon is breathing hard and tries to explain what happened between his attempts to breath. I walk into the group of people with my head down. I am sweating like crazy and I feel heavy. I keep checking the door frequently, pistol ready. The group gets fed up with Jon's attempt to explain what happened and it feels like all the heads turn toward me at once. I just stare at the ground. The paint for the parking lines look new. Bright yellow. I didn't want to be the one to tell them the bad news. I felt guilty, because I felt was my fault that Tony is still in there. Is he dead? One of Tony's parents realizes that he isn't with the group and speaks up. Busted Min. Fuck. I swallow hard break it to them bluntly that Tony is dead. Everyone gasps and stumbles back. I feel lighter. Questions start to fly everywhere and it all sounds like a mess to me. I pay no attention to the questions because I can't make any sense out of the noises and I keep replaying what just happened in my head. When I catch my self drifting, I hear Jon trying to answer some of the questions. He has calmed down. After everyone calms down we regroup and replan. Tony's family decides to go off on their own and I honor their decision. We give them their belongings and some extra supplies and watch them drive off. They turn to go back south. Guess they decided on the Cities. Someone finally says that we should continue to Dean's place and we start packing up and slowly people get back into their cars. My feet feel like they are cemented into the ground and I don't feel like moving. Everyone is now back in their cars and ready to go, but I can't take my eyes off the stores doors. Shouldn't we check if he is still alive? Even though we know he is gone. Dawson comes over and grabs me by the shoulder and guides me toward the car. I take one look before I take a seat. Dawson starts up his engine and we continue north.