Riot Radio

Today's song is Riot Radio by the Dead 60's. The zombie apocalypse is coming, are you prepared?

The news on the airwaves never improved and eventually instead of bad news pouring in, the residents of the mesa were greeted with near suffocating silence. Occasionally, a lonely soul would grace the airwaves looking for a modicum of living comfort in the world of the dead but as much as they wanted to reach out, the survivors atop the ancient mesa dared not speak.

As the weeks went by, the need for silence became more and more apparent. While it was true that radio communications often were from harmless survivors there were also the occasional reports of raiders.

Groups of survivors had begun to befriend others over the radio, getting them to disclose more information than what was wise and before long they would find their locations and strike in ways that made the hordes of ravenous zeds roaming the streets seem like a flock of butterflies. And so it was agreed that silence on the shortwave would be kept and the CB would only be used in case of an emergency.

"Bella, Bells, B, Belly bean," Emmett nagged.

Bella took a deep breath and reminded herself that she had given Charlie her word that she wouldn't murder her brother unless he really, really deserved it.

"Can I help you with something Emmett?" She ground out between her clenched teeth.

"I'm bored," he whined throwing his six and a half foot frame down onto a pile of empty burlap sacks.

Bella snorted. "You're- are you freakin' kidding me right now?"

Emmett shrugged, "Um no?"

Bella closed her eyes and massaged the spot between her eyebrows, trying to relieve some of the building tension. She was certain she could feel a headache brewing.

"There are a million and one jobs that need to be done before the first freeze hits in order for us to have any chance at surviving the winter and you're bored. Seriously? You can't find anything to do?"

Emmett sat up and looked idily around the quickly emptying store room as Bella was forced to recount the small supply of canned goods for the third time.

"I wanted to help out in the fields but there wasn't any room for me in the truck. There was too much equipment to haul," he explained.

"Charlie?"

"I already finished my guard shift and you know how strict he is about taking time off between shifts."

"Geeze Em I don't know, maintenance?"

"Nope," he popped his p loudly, "Rose and Jake have got it handled and before you suggest that I help out with dinner or fabrics let me first remind you that I've lit water on fire and that our dear baby sister is running fabrics so unless you want deaths on your hands…" he trailed off.

"Dammit Emmett!" Bella shouted, dropping the worn clipboard to her side. "I don't have time for-," in the distance a dog barked and Bella trailed off, "this. Actually," she paused for a beat, "you know what Em? I do have a job for you. Really perfect actually."

Emmett perked up quickly and scrambled to his feet. "You do?"

Bella smoothed a few loose tendrils of hair back into her messy ponytail and nodded. "Oh yeah, super important too. In fact, you will have our future entirely in your care."

"I'm in," he declared with an air of determination and self-importance.

"Great, follow me," Bella directed as she strode purposefully out the door pausing only a moment to hang the clipboard on a rusty nail. Chest puffed out and shoulders back, Emmett followed closely behind.

"No, nope, ho way," Emmett hissed as 'the future' attempted to scale him like a mountain.

"You said you were in," Bella pointed out with a smirk as she pulled Jack off of her disgruntled older brother and sent him scurrying away to fetch is toys.

Emmett glowered darkly down at his younger sister. "You didn't tell me I'd be a babysitter. You said I'd be protecting 'our future'." He air quoted.

The small brunette grinned. "And you will be," she assured him. "Haven't you ever heard that the children are our future?" She chuckled at her own brilliance.

Emmett growled. "Not funny Isabella."

"Look Em," Bella sighed and decided it was time to put all joking aside. "I really do need someone to watch over Jack and Sammy while everyone else is working. Jack's the most vulnerable and most precious thing we have. If shit hits the fan Rose and I need to know that whatever happens he'll be safe and you're the only one who can guarantee that."

"But-"

"Please Emmy," she begged. "I'm serious. You took care of both Alice and I after mom died so dealing with little kids isn't new to you. You're also the strongest guy I know and I have no doubt in my mind that if things went bad you'd make it out alright. Besides," she added as the small blonde boy ran back toward them excitedly brandishing his prized action figures, "Jack loves you."

"He does?" Emmett asked quietly.

Bella nodded. "Rose told me he talks about you constantly. Apparently you're the strongest man in the world and you should be on pajamas."

The large man's ears turned pink and he tried to hide his pleasure. "Well, I mean," he coughed, "alright fine. But no diapers!"

Jack wrinkled his nose in disgust as he passed Bella one of his toys to examine. "I don't wear diapers, only babies and old people wear those Mr. Em. Oh and little monkeys too buts that's cause they like to throw their poops."

The little boy's explanation was delivered in such a matter-of-fact way that both adults found themselves struggling no to laugh.

"Uh," Bella coughed to clear her throat, "right you are bud. Anyway, Emmett here is going to be your new babysitter for when you're mom's working."

Once again, Jack wrinkled his nose in disgust. Apparently these people didn't know anything about big kids like him. "I don't need a babysitter Auntie Bella," he rolled his eyes. "I'm not a baby."

"Course not little dude," Emmett sank down to his knee to be closer to the boy's level. "No way someone like you needs a-," he snorted like the thought was ridiculous, "babysitter. You're way too awesome and grown up for that nonsense. That's why I'm here instead of someone lame, like Alice." Jack raised an eyebrow and Bella hid her smile behind her hand.

"Yeah dude," he continued, "you're actually so awesome that your Auntie Bella had decided you need a bodyguard."

Jack's face lit up and he began to bounce excitedly on the balls of his feet. "A bodyguard?" He yelped liking the sound of this.

"Sure dude, I'm here to hang out and keep you safe when your mom isn't around. You know, guard you from crazy fans and stuff."

"So, not a babysitter?"

"Not a babysitter," Emmett assured him.

Jack fist pumped, "Sweet!"

"Well I've got to get back to work," Bella began to say then smiled realizing no one was listening to a word she had to say. The two had already begun comparing the powers of superman to those of the green lantern and she knew they were lost to her.

Tired of taking inventory of the dwindling stores, Bella decided to take a walk around to check on how the various groups were fairing. After the last group of survivors had arrived, it had been decided that everyone should be assigned a work detail based on their individual skill set and what the community needed most in order to survive.

Charlie had been quick to take up the defenses and with Jasper's help had set up an impressive training regime that everyone, including Jack, was required to participate in.

Rosalie and Jacob had immediately signed up to maintain the various vehicles and other mechanical equipment. It was important that everything remain in good working order should it be needed in an emergency. Others, like Alice, Emmett, and Edward had been harder to find jobs for.

Alice had found her calling in fabrics only because of her love of clothes. She was heading up a small group that was good at sewing as they worked to create quilts and blankets out of scraps of fabric and old clothing that couldn't be mended. It was something that would make a huge difference in the coming winter months when the temperature dropped.

Edward had had a much harder time of it, even more so than Emmett who hadn't found his job before that day but was good at such an array of things that he could usually complete any task given to him. Edward had his sarcastic attitude working against him. After being kicked off of or intimidated by each work detail, he had eventually agreed to become Esme's reluctant assistant since on one else wanted the grisly job of dissecting and studying the rotting zed remains that she had collected.

After checking in on Alice and Charlie, Bella realized it was time for her turn manning the radio again. With a grimace she changed her path and made her way toward the small building she had come to hate. She knew that if it existed in the future, she would need some serious psychiatric help after this ordeal.

She had listened to the broadcast deaths of hundreds if not thousands since arriving in Acoma. She hardly ever slept anymore and when she did her dreams quickly morphed into gruesome nightmares made worse by the knowledge that the very real events they were based on had actually been much more gruesome and terrifying that she could even imagine.

"We've got walkers!" A familiar voice squawked over the radio, drawing Bella out of her ruminations about her mental stability. They were supposed to be maintaining radio silence on the radio so hearing Jacob's voice over the airwaves was certainly startling.

With unsteady hands she fumbled for the CB. "J- I mean Wolf is that you?" she hastily corrected herself as she remembered almost too late that they had decided to use call signs should they have to break radio silence at some point.

"10-4 little Swan," he replied. "Got a horde moving our way."

"How is that even possible?" Bella mumbled to herself. Their position should be far enough from any other human settlement that walkers shouldn't be drawn to their position.

"How far out?" she called back.

"'Bout two miles south of the nest," came the garbled reply.

"What's the count?" She asked scrambling for a notebook and a map. She he decided that is was important to track the movement of hordes in order to track their behavior. So far all they really knew about zeds was what they had experienced so far mixed with a vast array of theories derived from movies and comics.

"I'm counting seventeen, over."

"Seventeen crap," she mumbled to herself. "Alright Wolf, I'm on my way out to get some intel on our visitors. Meet me at the pick-up point, in ten, over."

"Roger that little Swan."

Disconnecting from the radio equipment was harder than she had anticipated and Bella found herself struggling to untangle herself from the multitude of wires that had somehow become wrapped around her frame during her short stay in the radio hut.

Poking her head out the front door of the house, she spotted Jared passing by and waved him over.

"Sup Bells?" He asked between bites of his apple.

"Need you to watch the radio for me, I've got to go meet Jake and collect some info on a horde moving our way," she explained hurriedly.

Jared frowned slightly. "Sure you don't want me to come with?"

Bella shook her head. "No I've got it. Jake has the dirt bikes so we'll be fine. Just cover for me k?"

"You've got it but be careful!" Jared called as she dashed toward the staircase.

After quickly explaining the situation to Kim who was on guard duty and reassuring her that she didn't need any assistance at the moment, Bella cautiously wound her way down the ancient staircase. She didn't relish another extended stay in her sickbed because of something stupid like a cracked skull.

After a few minutes of careful descent, she could hear the rumble of engines down below. Speeding up slightly she carefully withdrew her gun as she came around the final blind corner.

"Took you long enough," Rose chastised as Bella slipped the gun back into the small holster she had begun wearing and accepted her helmet.

Bella shrugged but offered no apology. "You going up to check on Jack?"

"Yep. I've got to go see what kind of damage he's caused."

"Well last I saw him he was with Emmett near the sandbox."

"Emmett?" Rosalie asked confusion written on her face.

"I'll let them explain. Anyway, I left Jared in charge of the radio station but he's not great with the equipment so you might want to check in on him and maybe take over in case we call in."

"Do you want me to send Charlie and Jasper down to help take care of the horde?"

Bella glanced over at Jacob's relaxed posture before shaking her head. "Not yet. Let them know what's going and keep them alert but don't send them down yet. I'm hoping they're just moving through but I need to check things out before we make any decisions."

"Alright, if you're sure," Rose agreed. "But if I don't hear from you in the next thirty minutes your ass is mine," she warned.

"Got it," Bella assured her before slipping the helmet over her head and swinging her leg over the empty dirt bike.

Seeing that Bella was ready to go, Jacob kicked off and led the way toward where he and Rosalie had last spotted the small horde. The two sped through the empty desert and eventually up a small bluff. Storing their bikes, they decided to proceed on foot since they weren't sure how well zeds could hear.

"See em?" Jake asked passing Bella his binoculars.

"No, wait. Yep I see them. Took me a minute with the amount of dust they're throwing up. There's seventeen alright. Any idea where they came from?"

Jacob shook his head. "Not yet. I was thinking maybe we should circle around them and follow their tracks for a while to find out. Looks like they're heading right for us though doesn't it?"

Bella peered once again through the binoculars before lowering them with a sigh. "Sure does. Shit. I really wish we knew more about them. I have no idea how they found us so far out here."

"Dunno," Jake shrugged. "Maybe Esme has some ideas or we could test a few theories out for ourselves in just a bit."

Bella cast him a sideways look. "What did you have in mind?"

Rolling off of his elbows and onto his back, Jacob sat up before climbing to his feet and dusting himself off. Offering Bella a hand up he pulled her quickly to her feet and began walking back down toward where they had left their bikes.

"I was thinking we could test their senses after we cull the horde. You know see how well they see, track sound, and smell. I mean I guess they might also be heat sensitive but that wouldn't really help them out here," he gestured to the desert surrounding them.

Bella bit her lip as she considered his suggestion. It would make sense but there were a lot of factors to consider such as the sound of gunshots should they decide to take down a portion of the group to make them easier to deal with.

"Lemme think about it for a few minutes," she requested as she remounted her bike. "I need to figure out a way to do this safely."

Jacob shrugged. "Sure, sure. Anyway, just follow me around the horde since I know the lay of the land a lot better than you do."

Bella nodded silently and strapped her helmet back on, her day was about to get a hell of a lot more interesting.