AN: This Side or the Other: That's part of Claudia's idea. She wants to include Anna in things so that the girl can heal in a sense.
Living in the land of the Dead
Chapter 7 (Not With a Bang, But a Whisper)
The first few days of being in the prison was fairly what everyone expected. There was a lot of cleaning, moving, and choosing some cells close to each other. Thomas suggested that before anyone went to choosing cells further out we look to staying close that way everyone could be alerted and ready if something happened. The older man looked at the collection of people as he headed into his cell. It had been a hell of a time getting here, but at least the worst of it was over. Everyone made sure that the gate was not only closed, but secured and locked. Thomas had brought in his CB radio since it ran on both AC and DC current. For the last few days all he had gotten over the radio was static and he was ready to turn it off when he heard a click.
"Is there anyone on this frequency? I am on channel twelve." Thomas said.
For a moment there was nothing and then a voice came over the radio.
"Oh Thank GOD! My name is Jennifer Connelly, and I've been trying to reach someone for the last three days! I have no food, water is low, and with the exception of the Dorm I'm in most of the college I'm at has been overrun!" Jennifer's British accented voice said over the radio.
"College… Are you in that Eastern Oklahoma State college?" Thomas asked.
"Yes… Please… Please tell me that you can come and get us!" Jennifer said her voice full of worry and frustration.
"We'll do everything we can. It might take us at least a day or two to get there. The roads aren't clear and we have to clear them ourselves. Can you walk, is there anyone who is disabled?" Thomas asked.
"Debbie is… She's crippled. It happened when those things started to overrun the campus. Her boyfriend Scott pulled her out from the bookshelves that fell on her, but… he… God Mr. he was bit right after." Jennifer said as her voice started shaking.
"It will be alright. We will try to get to you, but stay safe and we'll do everything we can to get you all out of there." Thomas replied.
"Okay…" Jennifer said.
Thomas stood and looked at the CB radio. He had never expected to hear from anyone else. He walked out of his cell and looked at his son Chris as the younger man showed Anna the finer points of self defense with a limited range weapon. The girl was listening and taking in everything that Chris was showing her. She turned to see Thomas standing there.
"Dad what's going on?" Chris asked.
After Thomas had told Chris everything he knew the two of them explained to the group. The others listened and once it was finished Claudia and Trina both let Chris and Thomas know what they thought about it.
"I feel for them, I really do, but can we afford to weaken ourselves? I mean we could lose whoever goes out there." Trina said as she looked at her husband.
"That's one reason why I'm going. I don't feel right having anyone else go instead." Chris said.
"I'll go with him. Hell I have combat training." Thomas said as he looked at his son.
"Yeah, but dad your combat training was over forty years ago." Trina stated.
"It doesn't matter you never forget what you was taught. Believe it doesn't leave." Thomas said as he looked at the other two men.
"Chris man… I'm sorry. With Criese pregnant I can't. I can't take the risk of not being here for my baby." Tony said.
"I understand Tony. It's alright." Chris said.
"I'll go. It wouldn't be right for just the two of you to head out there by yourselves." Darrel said as he looked at them.
"It'll be a nice chance to stretch my legs." Tyrone said with a smirk.
"Well we need to think about what we are going to be using to get out of here." Thomas said as they walked outside.
"There should be something in the garage." Tyrone offered.
They three of them headed across the court yard and approached a seven door garage that looked huge from the outside. Tyrone walked up the rolling doors and looked at the other two. He tugged and nothing happened. Smiling he turned around toward them.
"Good it means that the garage was locked down like it was suppose to be. I doubt if we have any inside waiting on us." Tyrone said as they walked toward the office and Tyrone used the meat tenderizer he had found in the kitchen to smash open the small glass on the door.
The moment they stepped inside the smell of grease and oil hit their noses. Tyrone walked over toward a large cabinet and opened it showing three sets of keys. He tossed one of the sets toward Thomas and the older man caught it.
"That's the second bus. It's in pretty good shape, but not exactly the best. Should get us to where we need to go though." Tyrone said.
They walked into the main part of the garage and the bus Tyrone suggested sat at the darker end. Thomas held the riot gun and walked near Chris who had brought the pistol. Darrel who had came with them held his old double barrel and tried not to make a sound.
Since they didn't hear anything Tyrone walked over to the rolling door and unlocked it. He quickly lifted it and the light came into the darker part of the garage. Even with the electricity running they had been unable to see behind the bus, and now Tyrone turned to see the garage supervisor standing with a rat in his hands. The undead creature looked at Tyrone with a confused look and then moved toward him.
"Son of a bitch!" Tyrone shouted as he slammed his meat cleaver across the former shop supervisor's face.
Chunks of dead flesh and blood sprayed off where Tyrone had hit the supervisor. It turned back toward him and growled before Tyrone kicked it to the ground. Suddenly the bark of the forty – five pistol silenced the zombie. Tyrone looked at Chris who held the smoking gun.
"Friend of yours?" Chris asked.
"No, some dumb shit who thought that he was high and mighty. He locked himself inside of this garage I bet and starved to death." Tyrone said as he looked around.
They both turned when the sounds of the engine turning over and catching sounded. They walked toward the bus and looked at Thomas who smirked a little.
"It's older than hell, but it should get us to where we need to go." He said.
They began rolling out and when they got to the gate Darrel looked at them.
"Guys someone is going to have to close the gate and make sure that it stays closed. We can't let any of those things that have started walking down know that we are in here." Darrel said.
"Man's got a point. If one of use tries to shut and lock it from the outside it could take too much time. We could end up getting bit." Chris said.
"Hold on for a second." Thomas said as he picked up the CB in the bus and set it channel 12.
"Tony get your ass out here and help open and close the gate." Thomas said into the radio.
A few minutes later Tony arrived and looked at the fence which had about twenty of those things outside of it.
"What… What should I do?" Tony asked.
"Lead them away for now. Try to get them to follow you down from the gate. We'll open it and close it back." Tyrone said.
Tony nodded and walked by the fence pounding on it.
"Hey you dumb fucks come on! Prime beef right here come and get it!" Tony shouted as he ran down the fence line.
The zombies began following him walking slowly toward the meal that was moving further and further away. Seeing most of them gone Tyrone unlocked the first gate and had Thomas move between the fences. He pulled the first of the gates back to and locked it. He looked at the outer gate and quickly unlocked it. Thomas pulled the bus out and Tyrone quickly shut and locked the outer gate before he ran to the door on the bus. Thomas unlocked it and Tyrone crawled into the bus.
"Alright… Lets go save some college girls." Tyrone said as they began to head off toward the college.
Tony watched as the bus disappeared and ran back toward the prison. He made it inside and saw Trina cleaning their pots and pans. He walked toward her and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"He'll be alright. If anyone knows about this zombie bullshit it's your husband." Tony said.
"Yeah he knows… and he's also too damn good of a person. He could have left those people to fend for themselves. I know that sounds selfish, but why do we have to risk everything to save them?" Trina asked.
"Because it's right, and it is just. It's what separates us from those things walking around out there." Claudia said as she moved toward them.
"you was against Darrel going." Trina pointed out.
"Of course I was and you where against your husband going. Just because it's right and just doesn't mean that we are above being petty and selfish. I want my husband. I want him flaws and all here, safe, alive, and warm. I know that's how you want yours." Claudia said.
"you girls are really too worried. Tyrone is one bad mother. He likes your men and that's why he went with them. He won't let them get hurt." Nadine said.
"I hope so." Trina said as she looked out the cell window toward the horizon that Chris had left toward.
She prayed that they would be fine and that Chris would come back to her.
As darkness began to sit the old bus finally started to make it toward the Eastern Oklahoma college. Chris could see what the Thomas had talked about. There was several of those things up and walking, but they seemed pretty stretched out. They stopped the bus a little ways from the college and crawled out. The creatures hadn't heard them or at least they didn't seem aware of their presence.
Thomas started to get out but quickly he turned on the CB and spoke into it.
"Jennifer… We're here." He said.
"Okay, We're in the women's dorm on the south side of the campus. It should be near the main admin building." She replied.
"I see the building, but we had to park a ways from it. Can most of you walk?" He asked again.
"Everyone except for Debbie." Jennifer replied.
"Alright we're going to come and help you get out. Be ready to move Debbie. Is she light at all?" Thomas asked.
"She'll weigh fifty kilos sopping wet." Jennifer said.
"Kilos?" Tyrone asked.
"About one hundred ten pounds." Chris answered.
"How do you know that?" Tyrone asked.
"College Algebra. I scored high on it because my wife found a reward system that worked." Chris said.
"Like what?" He asked.
"She would strip each time I got a right answer." Chris replied.
"I wonder if I can get Nadine to play a similar game. Alright lets go. One of us should be able to carry her back especially if she can hold on with her arms." Tyrone said as they headed toward the dorms.
They managed to stay out of sight of the things as they moved down the street. Chris looked at the building and saw a little movement toward the front doors. They moved closer and Slowly the front doors opened and a girl with red hair motioned for them to come in. They started inside and she stopped them once they got inside.
"Thanks so much for coming for us." She said in a British accent.
"Jennifer?" Thomas asked.
"Thomas? Thank you!" She said as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged for all she was worth.
"How many more are there of you?" Darrel asked.
"There's three more. Debbie, Janet, and Missy." Jennifer said and almost on que two girls stepped out from behind a door. The first to walk up to them was a bottled blond. She stuck her hand out and smiled.
"Janet." She said.
The other girl stood cautiously away from them. She finally waved, but remained out of reach of them as if they was going to attack her.
"That's Missy. She was attacked by a security guard. He was frantic and threw himself on her. We got to her before he could do anything, but she hasn't wanted to get close to any guys since then." Jennifer said.
"It's alright. I understand. Looks lets get Debbie and we'll all get out of here." Chris said.
They walked inside and sitting in a chair holding a bow and quiver of arrows was a short sandy blond girl. She had this fierce look in her eyes that seemed to say that she would have no problem putting someone in their place. Tyrone walked toward her and looked at her for a moment.
"Miss we're going to have to carry you out. That alright with you?" He asked
"I don't have a choice. Jen take my bow. You're the second best at it anyway." Debbie said as Tyrone carefully lifted her.
She groaned a little but did no other complaining. They walked toward the front of the dorms and Chris held the pistol ready.
"Alright… Lets go." He said as they stepped outside.
The sound of shuffling feet and moans came toward them and they began to head in the direction of the bus. This time however the sound grew quicker and faster. Chris turned around to see what started as a few dozen had turned into hundreds of those things. He realized really quickly that they needed in that bus and quick.
"Run as fast as you can!" He shouted. They moved with a purpose and quickly boarded the bus. Thomas began cranking the engine over and finally it caught.
The sound of it coming to life caused the sounds of the moans and shuffling feet to increase. Thomas put the bus in reverse and began backing it up cursing the backup alarm. He turned around and began heading down the road they came in on. Slowly but surely they began to leave the horde of the undead behind them.
"Well that's one problem out of the way." Thomas said.
"Yeah, but do you guys have a doctor?" Debbie asked.
"Chris has had some premed classes, but he's an English major." Thomas said.
"How far did you get in your premed classes?" Debbie asked.
"Our teacher had been a field surgeon in Vietnam. He taught us a lot more than we was suppose to learn. Why?" Chris asked.
"Because I can't use my legs… and I'm pregnant." Debbie said as looked out the window.
