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Chapter 6

Safe Zone

...

Two months ago...

Barbara looked at the building as her dad pulled over the car. The fences had been bolstered. In the parking lot there was an emergency medical trailer, an army camp and trucks, and cop cars. There were a few snipers in the roof, and other soldiers patrolling the area. On the left side of the school there was a few gathering of walkers but they were easily shot down.

The girl smiled slowly. This was it. There was enough people and guns to keep them safe. She wouldn't lose anybody else. She turned to see Isabelle who had been like on a catatonic state since their mother had passed. The blonde was also looking at the school with hope in her eyes. She met Barbara's eyes and smiled back. The brunette reached for Isabelle's hand and squeezed it softly.

The soldiers helped the girls out and the newcomers blinked under the Georgia sun. The girl noticed that the soldiers not only carried assault rifles, but they also had hunting knifes and hand guns on their belts. Both men looked tough and incredibly tired. As if they hadn't sleep in weeks... and probably they hadn't.

"I'm Sargent Kuber and this is Rodriguez," the one who looked older introduced himself. He had blue eyes and a thick grey beard. The other had brown short hair and had a look on his face that the girl didn't like.

"Hi, I'm William Henderson and this is my family," Barbara's father extended a hand and the Sargent shook it firmly.

"Welcome. Is only you five?"

"Yes."

The man nodded. Despite his raspy voice he was being polite.

"Alright. Register over there," he told them pointing at a tent. "Name, age, occupation, and where are you from. You can give me your keys, sir."

Barbara looked at her father not wanting him to do it. She didn't like the idea of just handling them their only escape route. Brett and Blake also turned to look at William but he just smiled at the man.

"I'm fine, thank you."

He tried to walk away but both men blocked his way.

"I'm afraid, sir, I wasn't asking," Kuber replied extending a hand, his face intimidating. "Your guns and weapons too."

William glared at him and squared his jaw.

"No."

"They're official orders."

"In case you haven't noticed there are corpses around walking and eating people. You're not taking my family's weapons away."

By the corner of her eye Barbara saw four more soldiers approaching. Three surrounded the van and the other joined Kuber and Rodriguez.

"Sir, I understand where you coming but this is a safe zone," Kuber said trying to be polite again. "You don't need to worry about the infected in there."

The three soldiers opened the van truck and started unloading their boxes.

"You're taking our supplies too?" Barbara asked him upset. William turned around, seeing the men now angrily.

"We need to gather all possible supplies and distribute them among all the people fairly, miss," Rodriguez told Barbara almost glaring at her. "You'll receive your ration and protection."

"Alright. I understand but you know what, we're fine on our own so, we'll be going," William replied placing a hand on Isabelle's shoulders to guide her back to the van but the three soldiers blocked their path again.

"You're not going anywhere," Kuber told them, looking William straight in the eye, his hand on the handle of his rifle. "Here you're safe. You're staying. Am I clear... sir? Now, the register, your keys and your weapons."

Barbara, Brett, Blake and Isabelle turned to William who glaring and his jaw set, handed the car keys reluctantly to the Sargent. The man nodded at them.

"Now, your weapons. All of them."

Nobody moved until William reluctantly took of the rifle off his back and handled it. And then his hand gun. Barbara handed Rodriguez her rifle and her gun. He snapped his fingers at her.

"The knife too."

The girl turned to her father who nodded. Barbara took off the knife and passed it to the soldier, glaring at him.

"What about our personal stuff?" Isabelle asked. Rodriguez looked at Kuber who nodded.

"You can keep them, but we need to check you don't have any kind of weapon or supplies in there."

Everyone went to the van. Barbara quickly took her stethoscope and the medical kit out and put it under a seat. She looked up to check if they had noticed something but Brett's body was hiding her. She closed it and exited the vehicle.

They had to open their bags and they opened stuff making sure they didn't have anything extra with them. Once they were almost empty handed, they walked into the parking lot to the tent. The busiest part out there was the medical trailer. Doctors and nurses were constantly entering and exiting the trailer, carrying supplies.

Barbara felt her father's hand brushing her shoulder briefly and she looked up to him. He didn't look at her, as if he didn't done it on purpose but he spoke to her in a whisper, barely moving his lips: "Don't put you're a med student."

The girl frowned but looked ahead so the soldiers couldn't notice they were talking.

"Why?"

"Just do it."

They all register and instead of a med student Barbara wrote she was studying Economics. She didn't think they will question her about it. The soldier who was in charge of the register leered at her and at Isabelle in a way it chilled her blood. She just glared at him, letting him know she wouldn't take bullshit, but without any weapon on her and with all this soldiers around she was starting to feel more scared in the safe zone than outside.

Two soldiers walked them to the gym that was crowded with people. Some of them turned to look at them but most of them didn't even look up. It looked like a refugee camp, Barbara thought. They were taken to the far part next to the benches were there were two empty cots. One with a severe look placed two blankets on one cot and passed them a bottle of water to all of them. The other put a medium sized box next to the blankets.

"The bottles of water can be refilled three times a day and the rations are for the whole day. You decided how to divide them."

"Two cots? It's that all?" William asked angrily. "We're five people."

"And you were lucky you have two. Newcomers won't be that lucky next time," the severe-looking soldier snapped at him. "My name is Major Schwartz. This is Bullard. If you need medical assistance or had problems with someone, you come to us."

And with that they left. Everyone glared at them but they couldn't do anything about it.

William just snored angrily and sat on the empty cot and grabbing the box. He opened it and went through the supplies. There were three cans of soup, a tuna can, a peach can, two packets of beef jerky and a packet of crackers. There was also one can opener and two plastic forks.

There was enough for everybody but only for one meal and it wasn't even noon yet. Brett and Isabelle sat next to their father and, Barbara and Blake in front of them. Barbara watched her father going through the stuff with his jaw set and she understood there wasn't much for everybody. The girl felt rage surge in her chest. They had had plenty stuff in their van enough for a week, and they had just caught a couple of rabbits. And they had been not even an hour away from Hershel's farm. If only they had taken another route... Now they were trapped.

"So there's soup, peaches and tuna cans... I'm going to keep them for dinner so here," he passed a packet of jerky to Brett, the other to Barbara and the crackers to Isabelle. "Eat up."

As they opened the food, a black man and his son walked to the cot next to them. He looked like in his forties and the kid was six at most, hugging fro deal life a stuffed baby Mickey Mouse. When he saw them, he smile friendly and walked to them.

"I see you're new here. Hi, I'm Michael Carver, and this is my son, Christopher."

The kid smiled shyly and they smiled back.

"Nice to meet you, Michael. I'm Will Henderson," Barbara's father replied standing up and shaking Michael's hand. "This is my son, Brett and my daughters, Barbie and Ellie. And this is Blake, Barbie's boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you all."

Michael resulted to be a very nice guy. He had been an accountant from Savannah. He had been on his way to Atlanta when he found the high school.

"They made you stay too?" Will asked still angry about it, crushing a little bit his piece of jerky.

"No... at first. They are going to send people to Atlanta, once they know the situation is controlled over there."

The kids and Blake looked at William who lowered his voice so only Michael could hear.

"Atlanta was bombed a few days ago."

Michael's face fell.

"What?"

"We fled from there. I just knew it wasn't safe and two days later we saw it. A few airplanes came and bombed it. You could see the fire from miles."

Michael hung his head and ran a hand across his face.

"My sister was there. We were going to join her," his voice breaking up. Will nodded.

"I'm sorry."

There was a silence where nobody said anything. They just kept eating, thinking about the people they had lost. Barbara thought about her mother, but also about Mrs. Higgins, their housekeeper and former Nana. About her best friends Sarah and Ashley. They had gone to Paris for winter break and she had almost joined them. She wondered if over there the situation was different. Maybe it had been only America the one who had fallen.

Christopher knocked accidentally his Mickey off the cot and Isabelle quickly caught it and passed it to him. The little boy hugged it and smiled at the blonde.

"It's really pretty," she told him with a smile.

"It's his favorite toy," Michael said with a smile. "He has it since he was born, don't you Chris?"

The little boy nodded.

"Ellie has one too, don't you?" Barbara teased lightly her sister, who blushed but opened her backpack and pulled out a raggedy stuffed bear.

"This is mine. Her name is...

"...?" Michael asked confused and Isabelle chuckled.

"For... "

"Maybe we should have allowed you to see that when you were four," William responded with a smile and they laughed.

"That explains a lot. So that's why she's this way," Barbara said sarcastically with a teasing smile.

"Shut up. She's just jealous because I'm the favorite," Isabelle told Christopher who giggled at the sister's banter.

"I'm the oldest. I am the favorite one," Barbara argued, matter-of-factly.

"Technically you're the middle child," Brett replied with the mouth full and a smirk.

"See? You're not loved," Isabelle shook her head. "And she's adopted."

Barbara squinted at her.

"Yes? At least I was planned."

At that Brett and Blake chuckled, both almost chocking on their food. Seeing the kids distracted, William turned to Michael, his face losing the easiness.

"Hey, listen. I wanted to talk to you. I don't want to stay in here for long."

Michael nodded and looked at his piece of jerky.

"Yeah, the ration sucks and the soldiers are assholes. But at least we're safe," Michael shrugged taking another bite of the beef.

"But for how long?" William asked. "Atlanta fell, not long ago. Those things are everywhere and besides... well, things get ugly all the time. I prefer to be able to run than to be held back."

"Where you will go even if they let you go?" Michael said after swallowing looking at the man confused. This wasn't great, but it was better than to be torn apart by corpses.

"I have a place and I think I'll be safe there. But now those assholes took my supplies, weapons and car. So if you think they can let us go."

Michael frowned and shook his head.

"They won't. They haven't let anyone go. Not at least since we got here. This one guy tried it and... well. I haven't seen him, but I know he didn't escape."

The implication was clear and William nodded. Yes, he didn't doubt it would be difficult and more because the order was quickly falling away. These soldiers would realize soon they didn't need to obey nobody's orders anymore and then things would get worse. As a former lawyer, William had seen enough shit to know human greed. If they were being assholes now, he didn't want to see them later.

"So I'll have to figure things out," William responded, his eyes darkening and then looked up at Michael. "Do you know a possible way out?"

The man didn't answer and looked down taking another bite of the jerky. William frowned, reading his face as an open book.

"You do, don't you?" He pressed Michael and he sighed before looking up.

"HEY!" A shout interrupted and they turned to see Schwartz and Bullard coming to them. They looked pretty angry and all the people turned around to see. The gym fell silent.

"What?" William responded angrily, not backing off.

"We found this in your van," He lifted Barbara's med books. "So one of your kids is a med student."

Michael frowned and turned to look at William who glared at the men, defiantly.

"They were my wife's. She's gone."

Schwartz smiled angrily.

"Really? Because we also found this," he lifted a pink stethoscope. "Is this your wife's too?"

William shrugged.

"She liked pink."

"The books have the name of your daughter, moron," Bullard snapped at him. "And there was also this," he threw a photo at them and Barbara's heart sank to her knees. It was a photo of her and her friends, Sarah and Ashley. All of them were on campus with their short white robes and stethoscopes on.

Bullard pointed at her when she looked up.

"You, come with us," he said aggressively. She was still a bit taken a back and she didn't move but her dad did. He stood up and faced the soldiers.

"You're not taking her," he said firmly.

"People need help," Schwartz snapped at him. "We need as many medical helps as possible. And she will have a place to sleep and rations. Come on."

Barbara didn't move and when the soldiers stepped to her, William blocked their way.

"I said you're not taking her," he repeated angrily.

Bullard glanced at Schwartz who nodded softly. Suddenly he punched down William. He had not expected it, and the forced threw him to the ground.

Barbara, Isabelle and Christopher screamed and the girls knelt next to their father.

Brett and Blake threw at the soldiers who grabbed them. One kicked Blake away and the other punched Brett down. Christopher started crying, and grabbed his dad's leg that had just stood up to help them.

"No! Stop it!" Barbara yelled pushing away Bullard who had lifted Blake by the collar. The man barely moved but he stopped, glaring at her. "What the hell is wrong with you? You're supposed to protect us."

"Protect you?" Bullard barked. "My job is to risk my goddamn life every fucking day for all the people in here. And guess what? Things aren't going great. And I'll do my job as best as I see fit. Now let's go."

"No," William stood up but Barbara placed a hand on his chest. Then she picked up her backpack and walked to the soldiers.

"It's fine, Daddy," she assured him, her voice firm and calm. "I'll be fine."

"Barbie," Blake stepped to her but she raised her hand.

"I'll be fine."

William glowered at the men as they took his daughter away. His blood raging wanting to kill something. He turned to Michael who had been almost frozen in place.

"Michael, I need to know a way out of here. Now."

Barbara was taken to the corridor where the infirmary was. They had closed the whole hallway and they were using the other classrooms to keep the patients on. The girl noticed only a few people were using surgery scrubs but all of them had face masks on.

Just as they reached the middle of the hallway a man walked out of a room, his shirt and pants splattered with blood, and wiping his hands on a cloth.

"Doctor Stevens," Major Schwartz called him and the man stopped and turned around.

"We have one more for you. She's a med student," Schwartz said, as they reached the doctor who smiled at Barbara.

"Great. My name is Michael Stevens," he introduced himself, extending a hand. He looked like he was in his forties. He was tall, blond and had a gentle but tired face. The girl instantly felt safer with him than with the soldiers.

"I'm Barbara Henderson," she replied shaking his hand. By the corner of her eye she saw the Major nodding to the doctor and then the two men walked away.

"Nice to meet you Barbara. So you are a med student?" The man asked.

"Was."

The man smiled melancholically.

"Well, yeah. I guess that's how it is now. So how far you did went?"

"I finished premed. I was half way through."

"Well, you're already more prepared than half of my staff. Follow me."

He started walking to one of the classrooms and the girl followed him quickly. He gave her a face mask and she quickly put it on. They were about to enter a classroom when a couple of soldiers entered the corridor carrying a woman.

"Doctor we have another one," one of them told Doctor Stevens and they quickly followed the soldiers. They put the woman on a bed and left the classroom. The girl turned to the doctor.

"What happened to her?"

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me," he replied raising his eyebrows and the girl frowned but she approached the woman. She had a wound in her middle and her shirt was soaked with blood.

"Here," Stevens told Barbara handing her a couple of surgery gloves. The girl quickly put them on and lifted the shirt carefully.

"Stab. She has internal bleeding. Probably spleen or liver pierced. She needs to have a surgery."

The girl turned to the doctor who nodded and then leaned over the woman. Barbara stepped aside so he could examine her and then turned to her. She couldn't see his face but was sure he was smiling.

"I think they send you to me just in the right time, Barbara. Now, get ready to perform the surgery. We have three more in line."