Two hours later they pulled up to the shack, being completely secluded from any local populous they knew for the time being they would be safe. Vince, Kale and James all unloaded the car and carried the water inside the house. All three of them looked around the house, Vince had never been there before and only had heard stories. Smiling to himself he was glad that the key to the house never left his key chain.
"Nice." James said after a quick glance around.
"Yeah, apparently my uncle and grandfather use this house all the time when they go hunting. It's a three bedroom two bath, and I'm sure i heard them talking about a gun rack somewhere." All three of them broke off in different directions looking around to find them.
"Found it!" Kale and Vince both ran to the closet where James was standing. All of them were in awe at the site. Three Shotguns were leaning up towards one corner of the closet the other was a bow with a case of 25 arrows. Two single bolt rifles was hanging on a rack, one with a sniper scope on. On the left side there was a case with a window which showcased a couple of revolver's and four pistols.
Vince walked over to where a couple of boxes were laying about a three feet high and opened them. One was filled with shotgun shell's the other with rifle bullets and handgun ammunition.
"Well, looks like we can at least defend ourselves halfway decent." Vince said.
"Yeah, no shit." Kale replied and then continued. "I saw a TV in the living room, how does it work?"
"Uh, you turn it on."
"No dumb ass, i mean the power."
"Oh, my uncle has a lot of money to blow, he got bored and decided to install some solar panels on the roof. We also have a satellite as well for the Internet, theres a computer in one of the rooms that you connect on. Oh by the way, that room is mine."
Kale gave a small grin at the comment.
"Hey, I'm going to check the tube and see if we can find anything out about...these things. Honestly man this shit is making me jumpy and i don't like it a bit. It's like this whole world has gone mad."
Kale turned and Vince followed suit also wondering what the hell was going on. Sitting on the couch the TV was placed on a small brown stand, above it on the wall was placed a mid evil sword and a shield.
"Dibs!" Vince yelled, happy that they did not notice when they first walked in.
"It's yours bro, last thing I'm going to do is a use a fucking sword." James responded walking in from one of the bed rooms.
Kale turned on the TV and in an instant the news was flashed on.
A reporter who seemed to be in his late twenty's wearing a suit and tie was standing inside a building by a window revealing the outside horrors as he was speaking. Positioning the camera away from the reporter it zoomed in on a man crouched down on top of a woman eating away at her face. The reporter turned and looked out at the poor women's fate then turned back to the camera.
"It seems as the dead came back to life and feed on the living. Experts seemed to be baffled by this epidemic and have found no leads to the cure or vaccine. Experts advise you to find a safe location and barricade yourself in till help arrives. This is Mark warren at Fox 13 news, signing off."
Kale seeming to be non impressed decided to flip channels, James got up and walked towards the computer.
"Reports from all over the state are coming back, governor Charlie Crist has declared statewide martial law. The military is sending over immediate help to rectify the situation, till that time please just lock your doors and stay in your homes for further notice. This is Susan Weathers at Bay news 9 signing off."
Kale turned off the TV disappointed and slouched even further down on the couch.
"Hey guys, come here for a second." James spoke with a hint of excitement in his voice. Both Vince and Kale got up in interest and walked over.
"Whats up?" Vince asked plainly.
"Well, i checked out the cabinets and other than a few things of canned corn and roman noodles we have nothing. So i decided to do some tinkering with the homeland security website, and i found this."
Placing his hands over the key board he started to type incredibly fast and almost instantly a camera view popped up displaying inside of a grocery store, switching camera positions it showed three teenagers all huddled together eating on what looked like cooked steak. Again he switched camera positions of around of the store to find nothing of interest other than the food it displayed, outside were about 20 zombies just roaming around.
Vince stood there completely shocked at what he had seen.
"Let me get this straight, you just hacked into homeland security's website and gained access to any camera you wish?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"The same homeland security that the country's best and brightest designed to be completely uncrackable by the worlds best hackers?"
"Bitch, I am the best." James stated with conviction and a small look to show he felt insulted.
Allowing himself a small laugh, he needed to know where this store was if they were going to restock, and perhaps help a few people as well.
"Where is it at?" Vince asked.
"Publix, right off of Hanley and Waters."
Looking at Kale, Vince had a look of curiosity and determination to him.
"Want to check it out?"
"Wouldn't hurt I reckon." Kale responded.
"Cool, James stay here and keep an eye out. I need to know what exactly were dealing with, call me if anything comes up."
"What? No, I want in too damn it."
"This isn't a fucking game James, people are dead. Mom and dad are fucking dead, we need you to stay here and keep an eye out." Kale responded cutting him off. James on the other hand looked a little pissed but bit his lip and kept his calm.
"Lets stock up." Both Vince and Kale walked towards the closet and Vince picked up a rifle and Kale grabbed the shot gun. Both of them went over and grabbed two handguns each with extra ammunition.
"Want anything while were gone?" Vince asked after taking the few minutes to arm themselves.
"Cigarettes wouldn't hurt, Marlboro reds."
"Ill make sure to get you as much as i can, take it easy bro." Vince replied before walking out, Kale on the other hand stopped right when he was about to walk out the door.
"James, if i don't make it back i wanted to let you know that you were always a pain in my ass."
"Fuck you too Kale." cutting in James responded.
"No thats not all, you are a pain in my ass but I'm proud of you man."
"Kale, i just want to let you know if you don't come back, ill fucking go down there and fucking shoot your zombie ass myself." nodding off to his brother Kale closed the door.
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
The black 2004 Corolla pulled in kinda gently, letting the window down Kale quietly slid the rifle out the window and took aim.
"Alright bro, make sure you get a head shot, We don't know if more are going to come after hearing this."
" I know, I know." Kale responded. Quickly he fired two rounds, one hitting a young man with the left side of his neck bitten off right in between the eyes, the other hitting a 60ish old women in the shoulder with a chewed up arm. The women and the rest of the 19 crazed people started to dash towards the car. Punching it in reverse Vince slammed on the gas pedal, pulling his gun back into the car Kale forced himself back into his seat.
"What the fuck are you doing? Keep shooting!"
"Fuck, why couldn't i drive and you shoot!?"
"Because its my fucking car." Picking up a pistol that he rested on the dashboard, he swung the gun out the window and kept firing at the masses until he ran out of ammo. Two more people fell, the rest kept running obviously not caring they were being shot at. Again pushing the rifle out the window Kale took aim and firing three more rounds, taking out one more.
"Fuck! This is going to take forever, any idea's?" A slightly nervous Kale asked.
"Ya, duck!" Slamming on the gas pedal, the tiny Toyota Corolla ran through the angered mob at an increased speed. Vince ducking down to the steering wheel preparing for impact, in case a body flew through the wind shield. Surprisingly it never happened, quickly skidding the car around both Kale and Vince looked up to see the mob slim down to a few and scattered zombies. Taking the keys out of the ignition Vince and Kale both got out of the car, pulled there guns up and took aim.
"Follow me!" Vince fired another round impaling an elderly man in the chest, causing him to fly back a few feet. Kale running around the other side of the car fired a round in the man's head as he proceeded to get back up. The crazed mob now was on there heel's running at a speed that seemed impossible for normal humans.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Tugging at the doors the store would not budge, looking through the windows three teenagers were looking back at Vince and Kale both shocked and scared.
"Let us in!" Screaming on top of his lungs Vince hoped they would, one of the girls started to move but an arm caught her and held her back. Seeing the boy's lips move he knew Kale and him had to make a stand here if they were going to survive through the night.
"Stay close." Vince demanded. Then the Zombies charged, instantly Vince pulled the trigger on his shotgun, completely tearing off a lady's head who looked like she was in here early twenty's. Kale pulled his rifle up, slightly shaking but fighting valiantly against his own emotions to keep control of his fear, he started to fire. Three Zombies were picked off, falling hard against the parking lost asphalt.
After repeatedly pulling back on the trigger and nothing happened instinct took over, he flipped the gun holding barrel first ready to swing it like a baseball bat. The Zombies were cut down to three, three that held any threat to them at least. The others were either dead or crawling around crippled from getting hit by the tiny car, or having a bullet pierce through there spines.
Two of them charged Kale, swinging his rifle he nailed one across the head as hard as he could, blood smearing all over the butt of the gun. The second instantly tried to bite him, dodging to the right kale positioned himself behind the much bigger person, slid one hand on top of its head the other on the jaw and took a tight pull, snapping its neck. Looking over towards Vince getting ready to pounce on the zombie, instead he saw his best friend jam the barrel of his shot gun to a zombie's neck, close his eyes and pull the trigger.
"Fuckin eh!" Vince yelled at the top of his lungs, drenched in a dark colored blood. Most of it sprayed across his face, taking his sleeve of his shirt he wiped the blood off.
The exit door to the grocery store opened up and a teenage kid who looked about 17 was standing in the way. He had black hair to his slim but muscular frame, he stood about 6 foot and about 170 pounds, he also had blue eyes.
Instantly Kale and Vince ran in practically running over the poor guy.
"You know, you could of fucking let us in!" Kale yelled, showing his obvious discontent with him.
"I'm not about to risk my life to save that of a complete fucking stranger!"
"You know what?" Looking down at the rifle in his hands he started to load the bullets in the chamber and cocked the lever back to ensure it was ready to fire.
"Whoa, Kale calm the fuck down!"
"Why Vince? Because of this fucker they almost got front row seats to see us being eaten alive!"
The kid just stood there nervously unsure what to do, not wanting to piss the newcomer off anymore then what he was.
"Because he was acting to save there lives, you may have done the same." Vince implied, hoping his friend would see reason.
"No, I would have opened the door and save there lives. You would have done the same."
Taking a few breathes Kale calmed down enough to think otherwise of shooting him.
"Name?" Kale demanded looking at the kid which obviously was holding up as the leader of the group.
"Nick, my name is Nick." Stuttering in between.
"Well Nick, fuck you." Pulling back he hit him with a right cross causing Nick to come sprawling down. Using a cash register as a stand he pulled himself back up with a grim determination that was screaming fight across his face. Looking down and seeing the rifle that he used slung across his back and holding a pistol he thought otherwise.
Vince spoke up to dissolve the tension and to finish what they came there to do. "Look I will make this short, we came here because we need food for a house i have outside of the city. The three of you are welcome to go with, but we must hurry."
Nick had a feeling they should not go, why should they? They are safe where they are at, plenty of food and water. He knew he could wait till help arrives, till then they were already in the perfect place to stake it out. He wasn't about to risk a move to this unknown house, they spent the last 12 hours barricading this store. It would last.
"Why should we? Were safe here, safe till you showed up. Its perfect, look around we wont go hungry any time soon" Nick spoke up with absolute clarity.
"Why? Take a look Nick, this place is over ran in a few days, a week tops. We found twenty of em just roaming around, within a few hours there will be twenty more, then twenty more on top of that. I'm going to get the food and get back to my place." Looking over at the girl, she had blond hair and green eyes, she was standing at 5'3 and around 100 pounds. She was standing there just silent obviously shocked at what had happened in these few hours. Most likely she had ran from either school or her house after watching her friends or family been eaten alive. She was in a dire need of a shower as were they all.
"We have running water, television, Internet and enough guns and ammunition to supply a small platoon. Sorry Nick, i like those chance's slightly better than yours. Now, you coming or not?"
Urging words to come out but he could think of nothing, Ashely and Luke depended on him, at least since they all decided to camp out in the grocery store. He had become friends of Luke during school this year through the basketball team, Ashely was his cousin just caught up in the hell storm that started at school, she wouldn't even be here if he hadn't acted quickly and beat the guy off of her who was desperately trying to make a meal out of her. He looked around towards the blond hair Luke who was standing at 5'10 140 pounds. Luke trusted his decision since the start of this, now he had a sense of leadership towards the two. Finally he convinced himself to take the stranger up on his offer, there lives depended on it.
"Well, i suppose it would go quicker if we all scavenged up the food together."
Vince looked relieved. "Agreed, Ashely you and Kale go get some food, ill split off myself, Nick take you and what ever your name is. We meet back here in 10 minutes."
The blond hair skinny guy looked quite offended. "My name is Luke." He stated firmly making sure that the guy understood.
Vince gave a rare but genuine smile. "My name is Vince, please to meet you, Now move!"
Grabbing a cart Vince walked down the aisles and threw in cans of beans and corn, passing by the soda aisle he found a couple of coca cola shirts hanging up in plastic bags with an 8 dollar price tag on them. Looking down at his own shirt covered in blood he reached up and ripped of the plastic cover and put on the shirt and throwing his old one down on the floor.
After they met up they quickly hurried up to the car and threw everything in the trunk, noticing a few zombies that had noticed them the darted inside the car. Starting up the engines, he whipped the car around and slammed on the gas pedal. Doing so everyone could hear the loud thumps that rang off there trunks from the hungry men and women desperately trying to catch there meals on wheels.
Vince was driving in deep thought. In the last 24 hours he had just won his schools 4th state championship in a row, killed almost 20 people and now leading a small group of survivors to what will probably be there home for the next few weeks. It was almost funny though, even though they had almost the whole state of Florida over ran by a bunch of people that would just love to literally tear him apart and eat him alive. He did have a friend who just showed his talent with computers that look like something from the matrix. I'm going to start calling him Neo from now on. Thought Vince. Also he had his best friend who was more like a brother to him who showed him time and time again that he had his back, he knew he could trust him with his life. For a world gone to shit, things looked alright.
