CHAPTER TWO: There Went The Lunch Break
Daniel puttered around in front of the tiny galley that was set up inside his AMUV's rear quarters. "Galley" was actually a very generous term for it—it was basically a gas range similar to the ones found in small apartments in Metro Manila. Next to it was a personal refrigeration unit with storage shelves above it for food containers and such, as well as a microwave oven. The cookware, flatware, and silverware came from a combination PX-discount-and-surplus store in one of the safe zones that he'd last visited.
Omega High Command had allowed him to modify his AMUV in this manner when he'd made it clear that, while he was willing to fight all the zombies, mutants, and whatever other creatures he'd run into out on patrol, he was not going to subsist solely on MRE's. He'd just as soon turn zombie and eat human flesh than eat MRE's for an extended period of time. The other Omegas agreed with him; hence, they had all taken to staking out their own supply depots consisting of secure eating places, grocery stores, and markets.
The aroma of sautéing garlic and onions filled the rear quarters. He'd always loved garlic rice; luckily, he had the necessary ingredients in store. A grateful band of survivors had given him some of their own provisions after he'd gotten them to an Omega outpost where they were eventually evacuated. Among their provisions were garlic, onions, and rice. At first, Daniel had tried to dissuade them from giving him their provisions but they had eventually prevailed upon him. Now he was glad that they had persisted. As he mixed the rice into the onions and garlic, he smiled. It was as if he was home again. He'd always liked cooking; he might not have been good enough to work in a fancy restaurant but he did make it as second cook at the pares joint he'd patronized for most of his life. Thinking of his favorite eating place reminded him that it had been a while since he'd checked up on it. He decided to go there for dinner tonight. Like the grocery store he'd come from, he had fortified it and kept it stocked, especially after he'd spent time at Omega Base.
A discreet beep came from the cab as Daniel was putting the finishing touches on his rice. He gave it one last stirring and covered it, after which he turned off the stove. Then he went up to the cab. All right, he thought. The Road Warrior was coming up to a fairly nice place to eat. It was a small park in front of a church—Nuestra Seńora De Guia, according to the name in front. The armored beast he was riding wouldn't fit in any of the side streets but he supposed he could park The Road Warrior anywhere he wanted since there wasn't any traffic, anyway. He didn't want to park inside the church lot; that was within walking distance of the park—or the plaza, he guessed it was—but a short distance was all a runner zombie needed to get in close enough to snack on someone, even if he was armed. He parked the AMUV directly behind the plaza, across the street from the church. He picked up his guns—the pistol was reloaded already—and added a shotgun to them. Then he went to the galley and brought the entire pan of fried rice with him outside. Selecting a shady spot with a good vantage point and close enough to The Road Warrior, he sat down, took off the cover, and enjoyed the savory scent of fried rice as it wafted up from the pan.
That was when another smell came. He stood up from where he sat, shotgun ready. The Road Warrior's mini-gun was also primed for action, as if it could sense his tension. His eyes scanned his environment. When had he last smelled that smell? His mind told him in a detached way that if he wasn't imagining things, there was no way that could be a zombie because zombies didn't know how to—
He heard the faint sound of a bicycle chain coming from somewhere to his left. He took cover near the table he'd been occupying and aimed his shotgun in that direction. He whispered directions to the AMUV; the mini-gun made the necessary move. Daniel waited, his eyes fixed towards the target area. He could almost imagine a horde of zombies stampeding madly towards him, wanting to turn him into lunch. Well, he was going to take as many of them as he could and then, if he fell, The Road Warrior would immediately self-destruct, taking whatever was left.
He glimpsed movement coming from one a shadowed side street to his left. It didn't look like a zombie…it wasn't lurching or running towards him…it was moving steadily…it looked like…the sound of a squeaking bicycle chain came to his ears again. And the smell…no way, it couldn't be, Daniel told himself. Was it really a…? Just as he was going to stand up and call out, he saw two or three arms shoot out from a door to the right of the figure moving in his direction. An unmistakable human voice—an unmistakably female human voice shouted out, "Fuck! Fuck!" Daniel got up and ran to the rescue, giving instructions to The Road Warrior as he moved. The AMUV's roof opened up and a small UAV followed Daniel into action.
She's lucky, Daniel thought as he entered the fray before him. The zombies that were reaching for the girl couldn't knock down the steel back door of the building they had occupied. That gave the girl time to pull out what looked like a homemade handgun. She took aim at the arms trying to grab hold of her from the small window that was set in the door but didn't fire. She could see that the door was holding them back. Still, Daniel knew that those things would eventually think of exiting by the front door or maybe the front window. The place the zombies had chosen to hide in was a restaurant, from what he had seen. The wraparound window facing the street was already broken in one, maybe two places.
"Miss! Miss!" he called out. "Back away from there, please!" Without thinking twice, she did. Daniel decided not to use his shotgun. He spoke into his comm unit: "Target acquire!" He waited a few seconds before delivering a second order: "Fire!" He motioned for the girl to move out of the way and she did. A burst of narrow light came from the UAV and sliced through the zombies' arms without difficulty. The severed limbs fell to the street with minimal mess.
"Come on, miss!" he gestured towards The Road Warrior. "This way!" The girl ran past him, taking along her bike with a side-mounted cart. The UAV covered her. Daniel brought up the rear. They ran for the AMUV, knowing that the zombies wouldn't be too happy about losing their limbs and their lunch. They were proven right as the creatures stumbled their way out of the restaurant they had been lurking in for most of the day. The Road Warrior opened fire, obliterating anything that came into the mini-gun's range. Daniel hustled the girl over to the back of the AMUV. "Open rear doors, Road Warrior!" he commanded the vehicle.
"I take it you don't want to leave your bike, right?" he asked the girl.
"No way!" she told him.
"Okay, can you dismantle it somehow? Or at least take the cart off?"
"Yeah."
"Do it." Daniel looked up at the UAV hovering above them. "Keep her covered." Then he went over to the front of the AMUV. The mini-gun had taken care of the zombies from the restaurant but where there were some...he heard a noise coming from the church. Instantly, he crouched into a combat position, bringing up the shotgun. Six or seven zombies were making their way down the church lot—runners, this time. The mini-gun swiveled and fired. No more zombies. He ran back to the back of the vehicle in time to see the girl attempting to load her cart into the rear quarters.
"Leave the LGP tank and the cart! I'll get you another!" he told her. He'd spotted movement from the 7-11 and the Wendy's nearby and he didn't want to stay long enough to find out what kind of zombies those were.
"But I've got things in the cart—" she began but Daniel cut her off. "Grab them and leave the rest!" The girl looked like she was going to argue the topic but the sound of breaking glass changed her mind. Daniel again told the UAV to cover the girl. He ran back to the plaza, shotgun aimed at the Wendy's. He grabbed his neglected frying pan and ran back to the AMUV. The first few zombies were shuffling out of the Wendy's and heading in his direction.
"Done?" he asked the girl. She nodded. "Get in—quick!" She climbed aboard the AMUV. "Take this." He handed her the frying pan. "And this!" Gingerly he reached for something that had been atop the cart. He wasn't going through a screwed-up lunch break without something for all his troubles. "Careful," he admonished her. She took the object in his hands. "Put it on the stove!"
The flash of the UAV's laser told him that the zombies had gotten within firing range. He fired his shotgun and took out two in one blast. He gave the abandoned cart a good shove, bringing it closer to the hungry creatures pursuing him. Then he took aim as he retreated back into the vehicle, ordering The Road Warrior to shut the doors once he was inside. His next shot hit the cart right about where he expected the LPG tank to be. A small explosion took out three or four zombies. He rolled into the AMUV's rear quarters, avoiding shrapnel as best as he could. The UAV flitted into the vehicle close behind him. With the doors secure, Daniel ran to the cab. "Road Warrior, let's get the hell out of here!" he said. As if in agreement, The Road Warrior's engine came to life. The remaining zombies surrounded the vehicle, attempting to shake it and turn it over but the AMUV was too well-centered for them. Daniel decided to give them a little surprise. He flicked a switch on the dashboard. Instantly, several hundred volts' worth of electricity flooded into the zombies trying to restrain the AMUV. Some jittered off the vehicle; others burst into flame. Daniel smiled. A few seconds longer and he could have toasted them. But that was enough. The Road Warrior moved forward, crushing a few zombies that had fallen in its path. The engine revved up and soon the zombies were left behind, still stunned by the electric charge that the AMUV's defenses had unleashed upon them.
Daniel sat in the driver's seat, letting the vehicle travel on its own. Damn, that's no way to spend your lunch break, he thought. Only then did it occur to him that his food was still intact and maybe he would even have some more to go with it. Plus he had a lunch guest. Perhaps that wasn't so bad. He smiled; maybe his break wouldn't go completely to waste. He gripped the steering wheel and told The Road Warrior to let him drive. All he needed now was some peace and quiet so that he could share the comforts of his rolling, armored abode with his guest. He discovered that he was actually eager to sit down with his guest. It had been a while since he and the other Omegas had sat down together to a meal. This would be a nice change of pace.
His disposition improved, Daniel started consulting his maps for a nice place to park and continue his interrupted luncheon.
