“Yeah, yet,” Shaun said. “Do you really want to wait for them to make the first move? I mean is that the smart play here, Aslin?”
Greg said, “Dude, it's all good. First off, they might not even know where we live, and secondly, do you really think they’d be stupid enough to try and take the base?”
Shaun didn’t hesitate. “If I needed supplies, and the people who killed part of my group were the ones in the way then I wouldn’t hesitate. I’d go in guns hot and catch them all off guard. Those guys might be watching us now. If they are, then they probably just figure we have a bunch of stupid teenagers walking around without rifles, and every so often you see an adult driving around or leading a run. I’d go in without thinking about it and I’d think that it was a good idea when I did.”
Aslin said, “That is because you are a weird teenager, Shaun. What are you pushing fifteen now?”
“I’ll be sixteen, and I probably have killed as many or more of those things than most people, including you, Aslin. I’m not keeping track but you get the gist of what I’m saying.”
Clary could see the conversation going in the wrong way and said, “Look, Shaun, we talked about it, and I actually started off thinking the same way that you were. It’s just a matter of timing and what he says makes sense. We go out and get these supplies from the hardware store like Home Depot and then we come back and we stay back. Other than running out and cruising the countryside for some livestock that we could bring back to base we could be here and ready for them. If we decide after surveillance on the other camp that they’re indeed a threat, than I say that we cross that bridge when we come to it.”
“I’d rather be ahead of the game, better to take them out if we need to than wait for them to bring it to our doorstep, don’t you think?” Shaun asked.
Joey who’d been waiting patiently to talk, said, “Wait, those bad men are going to come here? Are they going to hurt us? Shaun said it was safe here.”
“Nah, no way, Joey,” Greg said. “They aren’t going to do anything to us. I wouldn’t let them hurt you. Besides you have the bat man.”
Joey held it up smiling and laughing. He said, “Batman. But this bat only works on zombies. I don’t think I could use this on a person. There aren’t enough of them left to waste. I mean, we can’t cure the Turned, right?”
Aslin said, “No, we can’t do anything to cure them. Just remember, Joey, that just because there aren’t many of us left, it doesn’t mean we need to go out of our way to keep the bad ones alive. It is our job to help keep the good people alive and safe, at least until they can protect themselves.”
“So when are we going, who is going, how many people do you want to take with?” Greg asked.
Clary pointed to Shaun and Greg. “You two are on it, and pick up Hammond and McQuaig. We don’t need to take a ton of people. Greg, does Hammond have his shit under control with that rifle?”
Greg gave a thumbs up. “We’re going to the range after this to teach another class. Did you guys know when you wanted to go?”
Clary pointed to Aslin, who said, “You know we like to avoid both of us leaving at once. Aslin wants to be the farmer, so whenever he wants to go is when you go.”
Aslin looked outside seeing what couldn’t have been a nicer day. He said, “We go today, the last thing we want to do is waste time. Who knows how long it is going to take to figure out how to install all this shit.”
“You realize before Patrick was the head of patrol that he used to be a super nerd, right?” Greg said, “He’d probably be able to help you. Did you want to have him go with?”
“No, he’s been training Bella. Don't bug him; it wouldn’t hurt to have more people know about doing patrol. Shaun is going to need to start sleeping again at night. He can’t do duty so much.”
“I’m not old, Aslin, I can handle anything.” Shaun interjected.
“Right, but eventually you’re going to get tired. You need to be rested, Shaun. You guys go do your class and meet me at the motor pool in an hour.”
Clary coughed pointing to the table. “You guys check out what I have been working on in all the free time I have?”
He pulled back a cover showing a long line of metal tubes. Greg picked one up and asked, “Are these silencers?”
“Well, if you want to be technical, Greg, they’re Suppressors, homemade with love by me, to make your life better.”
Shaun asked, “And are these for the machine guns or the long range rifles?”
Clary said, “For now I’m only able to get them to work on the sniper rifles. The dead are never going to know where you are hiding if you can keep the smell of blood and anything else that draws them in off of you. I plan on making enough for forty rifles.”
Shaun was thinking about the blood drive and felt even better about the plan. “So by the time that we’ve collected all the blood these guns will be ready and safe to use?” Shaun asked.
Clary pulled back a second sheet showing two already attached to separate rifles. He handed it to Shaun and said, “I’ve been testing these out all week. You will need to figure out your trajectory and if it is going to mess up your math or not, but if you aren’t shooting half mile shots you are going to be just fine.”
Aslin’s eyes grew round at seeing this. He said, “So, who gets the second one? Did you make that for Patrick?”
Clary said, “No, his is ready, I just didn’t bring it with. This is for you, Aslin. I feel a lot better with as much as you miss if they don’t hear where you are shooting from.”
“Oh, blow me. I don’t miss, asshole.”
Clary pulled back the bolt action and handed one to Shaun and repeated the process giving Aslin the second. “I know, I think that if we can get enough people going with long guns that we could sit and pick those fuckers off all day from a high vantage point. We’ll hopefully run out of the dead before the blood. I have been drunk with the idea of having a city that is clear and clean. We could live like normal people.”
Shaun said, “Yeah, normal people living in a zombie ruined town. I like my gates here. But I would have no problems at all with clearing out enough of them that we could come and go as we please. You know there’s still more out there who can be found.”
“And after we clear out the dead,” Clary said, “those who are hiding and refuse to come out finally will. There’s fifty states that we need to deal with and don’t for one minute think that we aren’t going to move through them all if we want to. I mean we don’t have to but if no one else knows what to do then maybe it is the right move.”
Aslin was looking at the computer and said, “Well, maybe we should video it so we can let people know how to take them out.”
Shaun said, “Do we want to make sure that it works before we do something about it? I mean think about it, if we do not know how the blood bags are going to work we probably don’t want people running out giving blood all across America if it just ends up with them gutted in the streets by the Turned. We will know soon enough, and we damn well have all the blood we need to make a dent in them.”
“Well, the minute that we know, I say we stick a kid on this computer for a week straight and all he or she does is post videos on any page or forum or news page that they can. I don’t care where they put it but they have to let people know. That will be their one single job,” Aslin said.
“I’m sure there are plenty of people that can handle something like that.” Shaun said. “We need to go and teach a rifle class. I’d like to try out this suppressor that Clary came up with if that is cool. If it shoots where I want it to then I will be bringing it with as my backup. The idea of shooting them without them knowing where we are makes me feel about as good about our future as anything else.”
Greg said, “We can pick up Hammond and McQuaig also, I’m sure that they’re dying for some free time.”
Joey leaned over and whispered, “If they got any Pepsi or like some jerky, can you pick me some up please, Greg?”
Greg gave him a light punch in the shoulder and nodded gripping his rifle slinging it back over his shoulder. “So what are you going to do with all this free time today, Joey?”
“I got important work to do, Greg. Lou really needs help doing the blood donations.”
Greg started to say something but Joey had already jumped out of his seat. He ran out of the room but ran back in quickly snapping and getting Greg’s attention. “Jerky and Pepsi, Greg, don’t be stingy I want it all, and I’ll share, I promise.”
Greg nodded and Shaun smiled thinking about him. He said, “He’s staying here, Ellie is staying here, we go with a small team to get supplies, is that what we’re thinking? You and four of us, we can be back before anyone misses us?”
Aslin looked at his watch and said, “I’ll see you in a half hour. Take your time with that rifle make sure you trust it. I’m going to the fence line. I’d rather test my gun on the dead. I’m sure there has to be some roaming around that I can target shoot on.”
Shaun looked closely at the new hardware. He looked to Clary and said, “You going to have more of these soon, Clary?”
Clary nodded pushing up to head out. “The next thing I do is head to the armory, crank the music, and start working on more of them.”
Shaun laughed and said, “You still take the time to listen to music?”
“Christ, kid, you realize that there’s more out there than zombies and people trying to kill us, right? If we don’t have a reason to go and enjoy the things that we used to love before the shit hit the fan, then what’s the point of fighting for anything? Normalcy, even in the slightest form, is a gift. Let me ask you, Shaun, Do you still make out with Ellie when she’s healthy, and able.”
“That’s personal, Clary.”
“That, my young friend, is you saying yes. All I’m implying is that if you are dealing with the dead, then why do you care about something as stupid as the make out sessions. I will tell you and you can agree or not, it’s because it reminds you of a shred of your old life, or what you wanted your old life to be.”
Shaun shrugged thinking about Ellie’s lips and her touch. He said, “Yeah, well enjoy your music, Clary. Don’t go screwing around though, we need to get a bunch of those things as quick as we can. Not just to take care of the dead but those other people as well. We could fire all day long from different places and they’re never going to know where we are.”
Clary winked as he walked out whistling something. Shaun asked Aslin, “What kind of music does he listen to? Is that country or some old guy music?”
“That, my young friend, is Black Sabbath and it is for everyone. I’ll see you guys soon, go do your class and get the others.”
They nodded and all went in their own directions.
Chapter 3
Shaun didn’t want to have to worry about telling Ellie that she wouldn’t be going on any trips but he knew that anytime you left or had to deal with the possibility of the Turned that you may not be coming back. Greg delivered an enthusiastic Joey back to Lou who had mouthed a few words of thanks to Greg who could only laugh, but knew the chances of him getting Lou’s blessing about his daughters had just grown slimmer. Joey poked his head around the corner and said, “Guess who’s back, Mr. Lou!”
Lou gave the kid an okay sign nodding for him to come in and tossed him a fresh pair of surgical gloves for handling the bags.
Shaun hit Ellie’s room and gave her a quick kiss goodbye and they’d arranged for him to help her get her stuff back to the barracks when they got back from their run. She had agreed that she was fine with that unless someone else was able to help her first but she had been checked on by Lou who said if she was willing and able that she’d be very helpful in the blood drive. Lou had laughed saying you’d think with less than two hundred people that I could’ve been smart enough to space it out over a few days.
Shaun and Greg took their gear by the armory, making sure that there was a respectable amount of ammunition to travel with. They loaded their bags with water, magazines, and a few different calorie bars in case their quick run out hit the fan. When they made it to the range a group of twenty was sitting there, most of them had bandages on over a cotton ball. Shaun could only begin to imagine how long they could trick the dead for, before they learned that the bags of blood meant death to the Turned. He really was optimistic about the prospect of having the ability to clear out an entire town.
When the teens saw the two approaching the indoor firing range they stopped messing around and lined up on a shooting bay ready to fire. They detoured from normal though when they saw Shaun’s newest gadget attached to his high-powered rifle. McQuaig was already pointing at it and walking quickly towards him before she had said anything. “Where did you get that, did Clary make it for you?”
Shaun nodded a little cocky about it. “Yeah, I guess he’s been working on them for awhile. He wanted us to have the option of shooting from a long ass way away and not have the dead know where we are.”
“Did he send one for me?” McQuaig asked. “Do you have another outside for me?”
“Nope, he has this and another one and I think Patrick might have one also.”
“Why the hell don’t I have one?”
“I don’t know, but if you would like to complain to a man that is three times your width and has a foot plus on you, then be my guest. Or you could be patient. From the looks of these things they aren’t easy to put together and he is doing all this on his own by hand, and in-between helping Aslin to run the training for a ton of kids.”
“Fine, Fox, then would you please shoot it and make sure it works. I’m dying to know how much change there is with it. You have two hundred yards I’d say that if you still hit the ten spot I’m going to be even more jealous of you.”
The teens from class had gathered around them and were looking more than a little jealous. They’d put down their training rifles and everyone was staring at Fox’s new toy. Greg pushed him towards the range. “Don’t keep them waiting, Shaun. Let's see how the thing works. Make sure you don’t go blowing your head off with it, I mean you know if it doesn’t work and he was just saying he'd tested it so he could have a guinea pig, go shoot it happily.”
“Wow, Greg, can’t tell you how happy some days I am that no matter how many stupid things we do, that you just continue to survive.”
Shaun knelt down taking his baseball cap and turning it around backwards. The kids behind him were murmuring until Shaun flicked the safety off the rifle. They had known he’d gone hot with the rifle and that they should shut up. Shaun fired one shot and turned around smiling. Greg, whose hearing was not what it had been before the Turned, had barely heard anything. Shaun said, “Holy shit, it sounds like an effing cap gun or a twenty two going off! I’m in love; this thing is going to be great.”
McQuaig asked the only question that mattered. “But where did you hit? Did it change the trajectory at all, or are you still dead on?”
Shaun stood handing her a bullet and said, “See if you can match mine? Make sure it wasn’t just luck?”
She laughed taking the bullet happily and crouching down behind the rifle peering through the scope. She said, “You hit dead center, Fox, I’m in love. You didn't change anything with your sights right? You just put the crosshairs on and fired?”
“Yep, come on we still have a class to teach, if you want to shoot then do it.”
Shaun was barely able to stop talking before she was positioned, aiming, and squeezing the trigger ever so lightly until the gun jumped in front of her. She stayed behind the scope checking her shot and when she saw it only a hairline away from Shaun’s shot she said, “I don’t know if you are getting this thing back, Fox. I mean, I think it was meant for me.”
Shaun bent down picking it up not saying anything. Greg blew a whistle and everyone fell into line and started firing slowly. They were required to do drills per magazine standing, kneeling, and laying down. Clary and Aslin had told them that in times of war the perfect, most comfortable shot was a blessing and absolutely nothing was guaranteed. When the class was over the teens put their rifles back into the racks. Greg whistled to Hammond and McQuaig as they followed the rest out. Hammond took it wrong immediately and held up his hands.
“Look, Greg, I just cleaned all those last week. There’s a shit ton of people here, there’s no reason that I have to be bitch boy and clean them all. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to do it.”
Greg smiled knowing that he was going to make Hammond’s day and make him out to feel like an ass. He said, “It could be a million people as smart as you Hammond that could handle it, I don’t pick you because I’m trying to punish you. I’m picking you because I don’t want to do it myself. Besides, you’ve been doing it longer than all the kids, and at this point you’re probably twice as fast as any of them, and on top of all that you do a better job. You want to have a bunch of those kids cleaning the rifles that don’t understand what they’re doing then just say so.”
Hammond didn’t say anything he just turned sulking and walking to the racks ready to spend the rest of his day stripping the rifles down to barebones, cleaning and reassembling them. He actually felt privileged after the incident a few months ago that they still trusted him with a gun. Greg said, “Dude, I'm screwing with you come back.”
“So, I don’t have to clean the guns?”
“No, you do need to clean them, but first we’re going out on a run with Aslin. We thought that you and McQuaig might like to go with, anyone interested in a pass?”
McQuaig was already walking forward nodding yes before knowing where they were going. She said, “Hell yes, I want to leave. What if we find a bunch of people to bring back; are we going to go looking for people? The last few groups that we’ve found have been awesome.”
Greg shrugged, “I don’t think we’re going to look for people. Aslin has some projects that he wants to work on. I have a feeling the next time that we leave we’re going to be looking for the living, but it's going to be to see if there is a threat with those people we found in Johnston.”
McQuaig said, “Those guns being silenced are going to make that easy,” McQuaig said, “if and when we need them of course.”
Shaun said, “I have a feeling we’ll need them. As far away as we could be with these, I think that they’ll be long dead or they will hole up somewhere hiding when they realize they’re fighting a losing battle.”
Greg explained, “We don’t know anything about them, Shaun, except that they didn’t expect to run into a teenager with a machine gun. I mean, can you imagine they probably thought they hit pay dirt when they saw all the gear you had? More than likely figured you'd stolen it from someone and that you didn’t know how to use it.”
“Well, if they’d have been looking at the street in front of them when they pulled up and saw how many of the Turned I took out they probably would have an entirely new approach towards me.”
“Yeah, you are right; they probably would have just shot you in the head and left you for a meal after taking your shit.” Greg said, “The same reason Aslin yells about safety switches and their importance on guns is the same reason that he says repeatedly how stupid it is to go off on our own. I think I’ve heard his speech about how watching your back is a two man job enough times that I'm never going to forget it.”
Shaun said, “Yeah, I get it, Greg. How many times have I left since we got back from that? I remember being pretty motivated to kill when I did not think that Ellie was ever going to get better. I think it was basically kill as many of the Turned as I could, or try to figure out a way to deal with the stuff in my head.”
Greg couldn’t match his hate for the Turned even if he tried. He had accepted the way the world was. If they threatened him, a friend, or a future loved one then he would kill them with no problem. If they could hunt them until the point they could be safe that was fine too, but he didn’t have the hate and feelings of responsibility that Shaun did. Greg said, “But your head has to be doing good now with Ellie ready to get released, right? I mean you are going to be able to handle your shit. I know it’s been a few months since you’ve had to kill one of the Turned but you aren’t jonesing for it, right?”
“I'm good, I just want to do this and get back to her. There’s nothing else I want. I’d stay here but I refuse to put someone else in my spot so that I can stay behind and be safe with her. It is selfish and that isn’t how I roll. I'm not going to put that kind of stress on someone else.”
Hammond stepped up and said “Right, but don’t you think that someone else would like to get off base? At some point it would be nice to have some other people that have the experience that you do.”
Shaun stepped up close to Hammond. “Look, Hammond, I'm going. We can leave you here if you’re going to be an issue. When the rest of the people have all of the training that I do, and don’t need to be reminded of the simplest of things with their rifles, then they can have enough time going out on trips and find people as much as they want to. Until they can do that I don’t want anyone giving me any guilt trips. I have other shit going on and I'm not going to worry about taking a bunch of people who don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground. You got it?”
Hammond nodded slowly, he was doing everything in his power to blink away the tear that was trying to force its way out. He needed no help remembering what he’d done to Shelman because the sound of the blast echoing followed by the screaming in the Humvee that day had been the fuel of his nightmares since they’d gotten back. “You don’t have to be a dick about it, Fox.”
Shaun pushed past him and said, “Grab your gear, and let's go. Aslin is going to be ready soon and he isn’t going to want to wait around.”
Greg ran to keep up with him. He said, “Christ, man, do you need to rub salt in the wound?”
“I do when people won’t let something go. I mean think about what you would do if you had to worry about the people on the crew as much as the dead trying to kill you. We’re going to have enough to worry about going there. We haven’t been to where we’re going, at least not since the dead started coming, and now on top of that he wants to bring a shit ton of people who don’t have any experience. I'm sure that taking others out on runs is definitely a smart idea but if we do that we need to be calculated and ready, and taking them to a gigantic warehouse isn’t going to do anything to help them.”
“The number of people that I trust to have my back is growing slimmer with every kill. The more people we bring on this base the more we have to worry about. I don’t fear those that we brought back the day that we went with you but anyone after that makes me nervous.”
“Dude, relax, we picked up a bunch of freaking kids last time. How bad can it be?”
Shaun shrugged and said, “You take away our guns and put us in normal clothes like the old days and I doubt that we would look very scary but what if we got our hands on some guns; then do you think we’d be something to be a little more nervous about?”
Greg thought of the hours he’d spent driving around the base practicing with the roof mounted machine gun and knew that Fox was no one he would ever want on the opposite end of a rifle while he was angry. “Just relax on the paranoia, man; it is okay to trust people once in a while. If you don’t trust anyone then eventually you are going to end up on the short end of the stick.”
They made it back to the motor pool within twenty minutes. Aslin came up with the largest smile that the two boys had ever seen on his face. Shaun said, “Let me guess, some of the Turned were on the opposite side of the hill? How many did you take out?”
Aslin said, “It isn’t the number of the dead that we take out but it’s the enjoyment of knowing that they won’t be trying to take out anyone else. Oh, and I took out a really large number. I stopped trying to keep track once I hit fifteen. By the time I ran out they still didn’t have a clue where I was. I think our chances just keep getting better in this thing.”
When McQuaig came walking up the path with Hammond, who looked like someone had shot his puppy when he saw the rifle slung on Aslin’s back. She said, “Oh, now this is unfair. Is there like a reason that I don’t get to have one of these rifles? I'm just as good as Patrick and Shaun at shooting.”