The door slammed shut behind Josh. I knew it wasn't on purpose. The doors, hastily assembled by amateur carpenters - Josh and I - didn't exactly glide, but they kept the bugs, and unwanted people, out of my office. The sun was beating down today, and I was thankful to have a roof over my head. I was thankful for a lot of things, considering the circumstances. The sun's intensity was exacerbating the tension that buzzed throughout the community.
Sleep was a foreign concept to me since yesterday afternoons attack, a large class 2 assault, that lasted until just before dawn. I knew Josh was, physically at least, much more tired than I. He volunteered to command the section of the wall closest to the attack. Though manned by 5 soldiers - could we really call them soldiers? - Josh was the only one that didn't take a sleep shift. Though I didn't sleep either, I took a 3 hour rifle shift on the far side of the base. Not that I was shying away from duty, but there were so many people running to find me, I didn't want put them in unnecessary danger. While it's nice to have a leader on the front, that's why Josh was there. He was leading in his role, and I in mine. I understood his concern about the patrol. I was strongly opposed to it at first. But a leader has to weigh all his options equally, even ones he doesn't like. The scene in the council as the crack of bullets started to fade just an hour ago was one pure chaos.
"See! I've been telling you all!" Kevin shouted as I walked in. "I've been trying to tell you! There's no fucking point!"
Collin and Pete were trying to calm him down, Liz was screaming at Redmon for coming to her in the middle of combat with a twisted ankle. Joshes seat lay empty, he was still at the wall. Kevin's voice raised again,
"This shows they know where we are! They've smelled us or something! We're all going to fucking die! We should just kill ourselves and be done with it. We should just...we should..."
Kevin's voice faded away. He had suffered a panic attack the night before. With all ties to civilization, or what was left of it, cut, his medications was completely unavailable.
"I hate to say it," Pete added, "But it makes logical sense. These zombies had to have detected us somehow. The odds are, more will be able to."
I shot a glare over at Pete only he saw. He just gave me the raised eyebrows look that reminded me that he was pointing out an important fact, whether or not it would hurt our spirits.
I looked over at Liz. "Medical report?" "No bites. A couple scrapes and bruises from rushing to grab weapons and tripping in the middle of the night. I think your dad almost broke his arm trying to shoot that gun though." I had heard my dad yell after the crack of the rifle roared. I'll drop by and see how he's doing later.
"That's good to hear. Alright folks, I'm glad we came through that unscathed. Regardless of the possibility of other attacks, I think our first priority should be rebuilding defenses and train-"
"Now wait a minute, Maloney."
I turned and stared down Keith Redmon. My childhood rival. The boy who made my early life miserable. Sitting two seats from me, on the council. His position was there as a compromise. One I sometimes regret. Sometimes. Redmon's dad owned a gun store, but had been killed in an attempted robbery of it, on the night the disease broke out in America. Redmon proceeded to hold up in the store until, while on the road, I noticed the sign for guns. Long story short, he gave us his entire stock of weapons and ammunition, in exchange for a council seat and no chore or shift requirements, farming, defending, anything. It was worth it for the community, but not for me. No one interrupted each other on the council. That was a ground rule. That he had broken since day one, and only with me.
"You can't expect us to just sit around on our asses and wait for an entire zombie horde to show up. Smartass over there said they'll be back. Yeah sure, we can build defenses, but we should go scout out. Figure how many there are. Maybe get some food too. You haven't exactly been doing the best job on that end, now, have you? Those crops don't look so hot."
Inside, I raged. Everyone, EVERYONE, took 3 hour shifts tending the crops. Still, there weren't enough hands. And what did he do when he saw me working my shift? He would sit near me, and complain about how hot it was.
I took a deep breath, calmed down, and replied "Redmon, we simply don't have the manpower to send out a scouting party and be able to defend the base. Not to mention our 'troops' aren't exactly trained for an offensive scouting party. Unless you want to command the squad?"
I bit my lip inside. If Redmon called my bluff, Josh would rip my head off. He already was going to beat the shit out of me, but allowing Redmon of all people to command would have done it for good.
"Uhh, I don't think so. I'm too busy here. you know, being a good council member. Interacting with the rest of the community."
Collin did a facepalm.
"But the fact of the matter is we still need to do this patrol. I know that the people will be upset if nothing is done."
Redmon smirked at that last statement. Since he wasn't busy working 13 hours a day to stay alive, he was able to talk to almost everyone in the community, and try and persuade them to his point of view. I was certain within the month he would challenge my spot as leader of the council. Whatever. Right now, politics were irrelevant. Survival was paramount.
"I really don't like the idea. Not only do we lower our defenses here, we risk losing some of our best people."
I hoped this point would strike home, considering some of our best people were either on the council, or good friends with them.
"But I do think Redmon has a point," Pete said, surprising me. "It would be advantageous to learn the size and strength of any zombies down in the valley. Not to mention, we do need some food. Just to tide us over until the harvest."
"I really hate to say it," Collin added, "but it does sound necessary."
I looked pleadingly toward Liz. With a bit of sympathy in her eyes, she said "There might be a drug store or something down there that could be helpful. My medical cabinet isn't exactly up to standards."
Finally, I turned slowly to Kevin. He seemed to have recovered from his brief relapse of the panic attack. "Matt, I really hate to say this, but everyone has a good point. Whether or not we like the origin of the plan," he glared at Redmon, " it seems like a patrol is needed. It might give us a fighting chance against another attack."
I let out a sigh that could have been heard down the whole mountain range. Finally, I said "Alright. I'll talk to Josh...I know him. He will insist on commanding, and to pick his own team. Objections?" No one said anything. Redmon still had a smirk on his face. Everyone else looked tired, scared, and frustrated. "Alright, then it's settled. I'll talk to Josh. And I'll give a speech from the town hall come breakfast time. The people need to know their council has their best interests at heart."
I narrowed my eyes at Redmon. His idea or not, the community was going to hear about the council's plan. Not his. I walked out of the door and started toward my office. I had a speech to write. The hall was full of people, confused and panicked. I was about to say something to calm them down when I saw Josh enter.
"Oh shit," I thought to myself "He is not going to like what I'm about to tell him."
