Bloodshed (Book One in the Apocalypse Trilogy)

Chapter 8: Salvaging

Location: Crater Zone and Surrounding Area

Cal

At first light they emerged from the shelter. It was already hot, and the zombies were gone again. After a short breakfast of PowerBars and water, they began the long journey around the edge of the crater.

“How will we know when to stop following the edge?” Johnny asked.

Cal pulled out the map again. “It says that there is an old research station just on the edge. We’ll head forward when we reach it.”

“What was the station researching?” Jake asked.

“The zombie virus,” Cal said. The virus was created in an attempt to create an invincible human. The first experiment had gone wrong, and the test subject had escaped. It had then gone on the infect others and gradually the world had become what it was now. It had long been speculated that the first zombie had control over the others, but it had disappeared too quickly to be tested.

“What, like a cure?” Johnny said sceptically.

“Maybe, who knows?”

They continued for about four hours. When they stopped for a rest they cracked open the trunk with the bombs. It was a demolition kit from a construction site, with dynamite and a remote detonator.

“Well. What are we going to do with this?” Williams wondered. It was a good question. There was only enough to use once, but it would still be a pretty big explosion, much bigger than the two grenades in Cal’s backpack.

“I say we keep it,” Johnny said.

“You just want to make things explode, don’t you?” Cal accused.

Johnny smiled. “You have no idea, mate.”

“Well, as appealing as it sounds, we should save this.”

“You’re right. We should wait for a building,” joked Johnny.

They walked along the rim in silence, sometimes stopping to look at a piece of junk in the Crater. They discussed what they would do with the bombs as they walked, but nobody came up with a useful suggestion.