It only took us a hour to get what I wanted, then to the gas station and fill up the gas canister. We filled it at the small gas station right next to the school, most of the area was clear. Expect for the fact that all the zombies seemed to group around a apartment building at the north side. Anthony and I were slow rolling in the car, I had my map out and was drawing in the buildings we went past. I jumped out a few times to make quick work of some infected.
We went on industrial lane instead of the other two streets, one being the north heading street. I didn't want to deal with a hoard of zombies quite yet. We past a water treatment plant, a selvage yard, a place called 'Tree Products', a mechanic shop, office supplies shop, a hunting and fishing shop, a salvation army and a few unidentified warehouses.
"Oh look Ace Hardware." I say pointing to it. There's a bunch of lumber and a few RV's in the parking lot. Also a good helping of the dead standing near the entrance. "Well have to put that on the list of to go to ASAP."
Anthony makes a humming noise. I've realized that he can hum and grunt, I'd guess its his way of saying yes and no. I point to the road that's ending ahead of us. "Also go left."
"I'm surprised we haven't seen or heard any living people so far." I say as he turns. More auto shops, even a small car dealer and a gas station. Anthony grunts. "Yeah they could be hiding."
This is more of a one sided conversation since he can't sign and drive. He starts to slow down after the turn. I can see two larger buildings on either side of the road and a large congregation of zombies between them. "Hmm, what do you think we should do?"
Anthony side eyes me then rolls his eyes. I look over the scene in front of us, a few of the zombies were making their way over. They were faster, so maybe they only speed up for a few hours? Or maybe these were freshly infected. I couldn't tell. My eyes catch on something and I point. "I will run to that lamp pole, the one not touching all the electric shit."
Anthony turns wide eyes to me and begins signing. "Nope, listen." I put my hand on his. "I can bring their attention away from the lamp post, then run for it. I'll climb it while gaining all their attention. You come in quietly behind and start taking the outer ones out. If they start to turn on you we pull out our guns and you run. They aren't that fast."
'Are your serious?' He asks.
"Yes I am." I open the door before he can sign yell at me. I'm out of the car and across the street to the right, next to what I now know is a bank. I start whistling loudly, the hoard of thirty plus slowly turns to me, the closer ones reaching out and making their way over. I dodge back and forth drawing them from the building that I can see now is a vet clinic. I take out my sword to quick strike a few of the zombies that get a little closer then the others.
When they all seem to run me from the street into the parking long I dash across the road, sheathing my sword. I'd have to clean it and the sheath tonight. I hit the lamp pole, my hands grabbing it up high and my legs wrap around it. Its a lot thicker then most poles I'd climb up, but I manage to squeeze my thighs around it to move my hands up. The pole is only a foot from the building, I could reach out and touch the brick if I wanted.
When I'm almost all the way up movement in one of the windows catches my attention. The curtains move aside to show a older man staring at me with big eyes. Okay, maybe not quite that old. I'd guess forty's, balding and with big rimmed glasses. He looks as shocked as I feel seeing a person on the other side of the window. I bring my hand to my face lifting a finger to my lips and he nods. I point down to the zombies and farther. To where Anthony was outside of the car, crouching and moving through the zombies, knife to the skull with ease. Looking back at the man I can see his shoulders slump, he looks back to me and nods.
He at least somewhat understood what was happening. I pull myself up to the top of the lamp pole, pulling myself up so I can sit on the top of it. Pulling one of my 9mm out I begin singing. "My mother told me, Someday I would buy.."
The song was one of my aunts favorites. She grew up in Sweden, and from what I know was still there. She lived honoring her Norse ancestors where my mom had left for America. My aunt loved to sing, mostly sea shanty's and warrior songs, anything to do with the sea and fighting. Swinging my legs I continue to sing, a little louder. I screw on a silencer onto my pistol and shoot a few zombies from my vantage point. I know, I know. I was going to save the ammo but its to good of a vantage point. I even get to aim down my sights and pop the head of a zombie a little farther down the street.
I continue the song over again, until the last closest zombie is on the ground dead. I look out and don't see any that would be a immediate problem. Shimming down the pole is harder then getting up it, Anthony waits at the bottom and grabs me around my waist to help me down the last few feet. I turn to him and jerk my chin to the vet hospital. "I saw a person in the window."
Anthony's brows raise. He motions me forward, pulling his gun around, not to point it, just there so its ready. I lead him over to the front of the building, I knock a few times and waited.
It didn't take long for the door to open, just enough for a face to peer out at us. A middle aged man who looks like he's missing a few teeth, and has years of sun damage. "Sy'all the military?"
"I'm not but he is." I say jerking a thumb over to Anthony who's eyes are steadily on the door and the man. "We have more military people, and civilians at our camp."
I didn't quite like this guy, I don't know if it was my gut saying he wasn't a good guy or if I was being a asshole and judging him at first sight. He squints at me, then to Anthony before opening the door. He lets us in and shuts it. I wasn't to worried about him at our back, he's a short scrawny thing wearing just overalls. "I'm Chuck." He says looking between us, then starts towards the stairs. "S'Doc is up 'ere."
We follow Chuck up the stairs, when we get to the top the man from the window comes out. "Oh thank the Lord."
"I'm Natalie and this is Anthony." I say as he takes my hand to shake it vigorously.
"I am Doc Miller, and thank you so much. We were all worried about how we would be able to survive with so many of those.. things outside." He doesn't let go of my hand until I raised a brow and tugged a little. "Sorry. Sorry."
"We have a camp not to far from here." I tell him. He looks excited and ushers Anthony and I into what looks like a employ break room. There's four other people in here, two men and two women, three of them wearing scrubs. "Our camp isn't far, we have guards and food. We are working on better housing for people though, its a little cramped."
"Is there room for more people?" One of the women asks standing up.
Anthony starts signing, I nod to him and then to her. "We have room, but its just something to note now. We can take you back there but you'll have to deal with the cramp living until we can figure it out."
"Is it safe?" One man asks. "I don't care if I have to share a bed with five people for the next year as long as its safe."
"There's a fence around the property and armed guards on a patrol. Its probably the safest any of us are going to get right now." I wait for any objections, they just look around at each other, the women sits back in her seat. I have no idea why she got up in the first place. "We do have a few rules, the biggest first rule that I will tell you all now is you will be checked over for infection."
Doc Miller looks to the others then back to me. "We closed everything down when everything went to hell, we haven't left the building since."
I shake my head. "Its just to make sure Doc, we have older people and children in camp."
Doc Miller seems to get it, Chuck looks pissed but doesn't say anything. I look to the others, some seem hesitant. "Look if you don't want to come we can help you get a car and some rations of food. You don't have to come back to camp and you can leave. Or if you go to our camp and don't like it your free to go."
"We have animals here in down stairs." That women says. "We need to bring them."
I think on that, Anthony signs and again I agree with him. "If they aren't chronically ill we can take them, but if its a animal that's going to be a recourse drain we can't."
"We put down the worse off animals when things started." Doc Miller admits to me. "We didn't want to, but we couldn't keep them alive and use all of our medication."
Some of them didn't seem happy with that fact. I'd have to remember which ones were soft. I give him a nod and then the rest of them. "If you can crate them, do so. Anthony and I will get vehicles. Also pack up all the meds you can."
"We don't have storage to move that many things." Doc Miller says.
Anthony points to where we came from, then signs for wood and hard. "There's a Ace hardware around the corner, we can try to find storage bins there."
"Its not full of those things?" The women asks me.
"We can handle it." I tell her. Just for a little security I click my radio. "Dispatch?"
"Go for dispatch." Its Lex's voice, so I guess he wasn't on guard duty and on radio duty.
"We are at a vet hospital on Alberta and Beets ave, we have six hens and a uncounted number of animals." I say it looking at the women, then look over to Doc Miller. "Shadow and I have to go get storage, if we don't make contact in the next four hours send group two to pick up the hens."
It only takes a few seconds for Lex to answer. "Copy, stay safe."