S2E05: Part 1
They kept driving east out of Minneapolis and out of Minnesota until they reached Wisconsin. They were low on food and water so they stopped to make a supply run. They were going to leave Serena in the car but she refused to be left behind saying she was pregnant not crippled. They split up to cover more ground but in true Operation Bitemark fashion trouble found them pretty quickly, and a lot of it. Soon they were running down one street to the next trying to weave their way back to their SUV picking up more members of their group as they went. Doc and 10K ran out of one building and joined up with Warren and Vasquez who were coming out of the shop next door and the four of them ran into Addy, Serena and Bailey who were around the next corner already trying to hold off a group of Z's. Their two groups merged as they ran down the street and so did the two packs of zombies forming a small horde. They turned another corner as 10K shot a Z, they passed Murphy who was strolling leisurely under an umbrella that Cassandra held for him. They all bolted right by, Addy holding hands with Serena so she wouldn't fall behind, though the heavily pregnant woman seemed to be having a lot of difficulty keeping up.
"Wisconsin Cheese Day Parade?" 10K read off a fallen banner across the road as they ran.
"Ha! You betcha!" Addy said with a humorless laugh. Bailey looked back as they ran watching the zombies stumbling after them, they were dressed in all sorts of parade attire from cheese hats to marching band uniforms.
"Hey, I thought you control these things." Vasquez said as he jogged past Murphy.
"Not that many. And not for you." The blue man replied still walking calmly as the others ran.
"Whoa wait a minute is that cheese?" Doc asked as Serena dove for a large cutout, the kind you stuck your face through for a picture, and the next second she started heaving. Addy stayed with her and rubbed her back but Bailey kept going with the others knowing being too close to Serena might trigger her own gag reflex.
"No way! The world's biggest wheel of cheese." 10K said with a smile slowing to a stop and watching Doc cut into the wheel.
"It's not real Doc! Come on! We got to go! Puppies and kittens!" Warren shouted.
"No, it is real!" Doc said holding up a sliver of cheese and taking a bite.
"Hey, hey come on, let's go. We gotta move." Vasquez shouted stopping beside 10K and Bailey. Murphy and Cassandra stopped too, Cassandra still holding the umbrella over Murphy's head.
"Hey let's go." Warren said heading for Doc and Addy trying to rally the team.
"She's not moving." Addy said before turning back to care for Serena. They couldn't just leave her behind, but looking at the herd they'd drawn they couldn't stand their ground either, there were at least thirty to fifty zombies all lumbering in their direction now.
"Got an idea. Out of my way Doc I need that cheese." Warren said marching toward him.
"Oh, come on Warren. Can't a man eat a giant cheese wheel in peace?" Doc complained.
"No." Warren said flatly peering around the wheel at the herd, "Remember Philly?"
"Oh, no. Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" Doc asked with a smile.
"I am." Warren said.
"Oh, no, no, no, no." Murphy groaned.
"Yes, yes, yes, yes. Okay." Addy said as she ran from Serena who was now on her knees catching her breath and watched the red head make her way around the cheese.
"Way to be my girl. Thanks." Warren said giving Addy a fist bump as she passed.
"I got it." Addy said bending down and grabbing the wooden block that was keeping the cheese wheel from rolling down the hill.
"What happened in Philly?" Vasquez asked.
"You'll see." 10K said with a grin not taking his eyes off Addy and Warren.
"You ready? One, two, three." Addy counted as they pushed the cheese and it rolled down the hill, it gained more and more momentum as it went and it started rolling over Z's which got caught in the cheese with broken and twisted limbs sticking out of it as it kept rolling.
"Damn." Vasquez chuckled as they watched.
"How long you think it'll go?" 10K asked with a wide smile.
"Could go a while." Warren said, "I'm pretty sure it's all downhill from here to the Mississippi." she said as the cheese made it to the end of the road and kept going, plowing through yard after yard, "Now, it's time to go, if anybody asks. . ." she trailed off turning and leading them away.
"We were nowhere near Wisconsin." They all said in unison as they jogged backward then turned and ran back for the car. They all hopped in and kept driving through Wisconsin, field after field passed by as they continued east and Bailey couldn't help but feel a churning in her gut. All their effort to go west was meaningless with each mile back they drove.
"Rollin' rollin' rollin', keep that cheese a rolllin'." Doc sang as they drove on.
"Warren we need to pull over." Addy said and Warren was able to pull over just in time for Serena to jump out and get sick again. The others all got out to stretch their legs and Bailey pulled a map out of her bag and handed it to Warren who spread it out on the hood and looked it over.
"What's their story?" Vasquez asked as he tilted his head toward Serena who was now talking to Murphy though her baby daddy seemed quite uncomfortable which she either ignored or didn't notice.
"What happens in weird zombie apocalypse community, stays in weird zombie apocalypse community." Warren said as she turned back to the map.
"Yeah, been there." Vasquez said as Warren and Bailey gave him a look but then his expression changed and he shook his head in a don't ask motion. Bailey turned to watch 10K who was far behind her with his rifle in his hands looking across the field for Z's to kill. He must have felt her gaze on him because he suddenly looked over his shoulder and caught her staring. She immediately looked away and crossed her arms. She was still embarrassed about the kiss after the nuke and she knew that's what he had been trying to talk about but she just couldn't bring herself to have that conversation right now. She'd been hoping things could just go back to normal if they didn't bring it up again but it seemed he wasn't going to let it go.
"This can't go on." Addy said approaching them.
"I know." Warren agreed.
"Can't we just leave her?" Murphy asked as he walked over, Serena hacking by herself by the back of the car.
"No we can't." Warren said sternly, "We got to find a safe place for her and your baby. Anything happens to you that kid is plan B."
"Plan B? What exactly are you planning on doing with it?" Murphy asked.
"Oh, you care?" Bailey said in fake surprise, "After just suggesting we leave the mother of your unborn child out here, alone?"
"Used to be a descent size Mennonite community just southeast of here." Vasquez brought up, "Pretty remote and isolated. Passed through here a few months ago. They were still safe then, good chance they still are."
"I'll take that chance." Warren said hopeful then gunshots interrupted them and they all dove behind the SUV. More shots kept coming in rapid succession and they all huddled together.
"Get back! Get back!" Doc shouted as Cassandra hopped off the roof.
"Got 'em." 10K said when there was a pause in firing and he rested the barrel of his gun on the hood by the mirror as he looked through the scope.
"What do you see?" Warren asked crouched beside him, Bailey and Addy on her other side.
"Couple of guys in hunting caps. . . " 10K said as another shot went off, "One seriously pissed off looking girl with -" another shot hit, this one ricocheting off the mirror by 10K and he ducked back and turned to Warren, "She's got my same gun." 10K said seeming impressed.
"Well, why's she shooting at us?" Doc asked.
"I dunno. Maybe got something to do with this nice Cero ride we got. Can't imagine our Mexican friends are too popular around here." Vasquez pointed out.
10K stood back up, quickly aiming and taking a shot before he ducked back down, "Winged one." He said as he reloaded.
"Okay, I'm thinking 10K and Addy, you guys lay down some cover fire." Warren said, "And then we'll flank them around –"
"You dirt eating bastards!" Came a shout, "You filthy goat-loving whores! There is a baby on board here! A mother-loving baby! I am going to rip off your arms, and saw off your heads!" Serena was shouting while shooting an automatic rifle into the hills. After she stopped and there was no return fire they all popped out from behind the vehicle with various looks of fear, concern and shock, "Yeah that's what I thought." She said before turning to them with a smile, "People are so rude."
They all slowly got up and Bailey noticed the worried and slightly afraid look 10K had and she had to bite her lip to keep from chuckling. Then Warren took a deep breath after the excitement and looked around evaluating.
"I think it's time for a new vehicle." She finally said then they followed her to where the shooters had been hoping that they had a vehicle big enough for their group. Bailey noticed Vasquez dragged behind and she saw him reach in the broken window of the SUV and pull out the Zeros radio. She turned back before he saw her and made her way up the hill with the others. They were in luck, there was an old red pickup truck at the top of the hill and it would easily fit all of them. There was only one long row of seats in the truck so Warren took the driver's seat and Vasquez got shotgun. Murphy and Serena ended up squished between the two Warren making sure the 'cure' and 'plan B' were safe with her.
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They drove following Vasquez's directions until a barn came into view, Warren pulled off the main road and onto a dirt road as she parked the truck.
"Hey." Bailey spoke up and Doc, Addy and 10K turned to her as she pointed in the distance. Over a hill they could see something moving with legs sticking out of it.
"Is that the cheese wheel?" Doc asked excited and they all chuckled as they got out of the truck bed and the wheel rolled out of sight following the slope of the hills.
"Well, we've seen Amish zombies, Mormon zombies. If we get Mennonite zombies we got ourselves a trifecta." Addy said as she hopped out of the truck and spun her Z Whacker, Bailey jumping out behind her.
"Something must have happened here." Vasquez said, "Barn didn't look that way six months ago." He took out his binoculars, "Wait a minute. There's some livestock. That's a good sign."
"Yeah well we're not going in there blind." Warren spoke up, "So Vasquez, you take the north fence. 10K you go south. Addy and I got over watch. Be back in twenty." She instructed and Vasquez and 10K took off in their assigned directions.
"Fine, I'll just take a nap." Doc said heading back to the truck to relax.
Bailey watched 10K go, she was worried about him going off alone but then took a good look around. The fields were open enough that he'd see and mercy any zombie coming at him from miles away. Vasquez was a different story, she'd seen the way he'd reacted to the Zeros arriving at the greenhouses, and even more suspicious was why would he have any interest in their radio? She had her doubts about him so as Warren went to talk out the details of over watch with Addy, Bailey snuck off after him going north.
She followed him through some thick bushes, keeping low and moving quiet watching for twigs before she stepped. She noticed he kept looking over his shoulder, behavior that tipped her off that he was up to something he didn't want anyone else to know about. He made his way around a red barn and crouched in the shadows, concealed by more trees and brush. He pulled the radio out of his backpack and turned it on. She found a good place to hide just around the corner of the barn in a bush and when Vasquez turned the radio on there were immediately voices talking back and forth in Spanish. She didn't speak the language and it was going way too fast for her to pick up much but she did over hear La Reina, which Escorpion mentioned back at Batch 47, she heard Kurian, the doctor from Colorado she saw them take, then Murphy. Then the name Escorpion, then Murphy's name again. As she listened she didn't realize she had started leaning forward as she tried to hear better until her foot snapped on a twig. She immediately saw Vasquez look around clearly having heard her and she froze up knowing her instinct to run will only get her caught and her best bet was to stay still. She was already hidden, movement would only draw attention. It seemed to work, he didn't see her and returned to his crouch over the radio. Then Bailey took her opportunity and ran behind the barn making a break for it but then suddenly from around the other corner Vasquez was there. He grabbed her by her jacket and forced her against the barn, her feet barely skimming the ground.
"What did you hear?" he growled at her his eyes a fire of rage.
"Spanish." She answered and he slammed her against the wall again. "Hey, hey, hey." She said grabbing his wrists, "If you hurt me, I'll tell the others; if you kill me, they'll come looking for me and they will find out it was you anyway. Your best bet of keeping me quiet is to get your hands off me." She said strongly, remembering back in Warren's house when Murphy had freaked when she'd seen how bad he'd been turning, she'd threatened to cut off his hands if he lay one on her again. With Vasquez she knew she couldn't get away with that threat, so she'd have to use logic, and it seemed to work. He contemplated what she said, knowing it was all true, he couldn't keep her quiet by hurting her and if he killed her Warren wouldn't stop searching until she found out what happened to Bailey, even if she suspected a zombie got her, she'd go looking to give the girl mercy. He let go putting her back on the ground.
"If it makes you feel better, I don't speak Spanish." Bailey said but he didn't look reassured, "You were tense while you were listening to them." she pointed out, "But not in the worried way, like you were planning to turn on the group and you were nervous about how it would all play out when it went down. Your tense was. . . angry." She said and he looked at her with a deep stare, "They're not your friends, whoever was speaking, you don't like them."
"Has anyone ever told you you're too smart for your own good?" he said.
"I usually stop listening after 'you're too smart'." the words were joking but her tone was not. For the briefest of moments she thought she saw Vasquez struggle to hide a smirk.
"Well you should stop. Or it might get you killed." He said going back to retrieve his backpack.
10K POV
He had to bring his knees up high as he stepped through the tall grass with his rifle in his hands, he walked for a long time before he saw any sign of people. When he finally did see some they looked like they were tending crops and they were dressed in simple white clothes. There were four women and a man.
"Hey!" he shouted waving a hand in the air. One woman saw him and screamed drawing attention to the others, "No, it's okay! It's okay! I'm not a zombie!"
"Schwoat doot! Schwoat doot!" they shouted and pointed their gardening tools at him. He turned just in time to see two Z's charging at him. Without the time to draw his rifle he used the butt of it to smash the zombie's skull and a cloud of white powder came out. It blinded him for a moment and he coughed as he breathed it in. Then the Z got back up, not having been hit hard enough to kill the brain, and grabbed his gun. 10K spun but the Z didn't let go. He grabbed his knife from his right pocket and sliced across the Z's face before bringing the blade to its eye socket and giving it mercy. Then one of the women screamed again and he saw that the other Z had run right by him to get to the group. He drew his rifle and shot it in the head, as he reloaded the woman screamed again.
"Schwoat doot!" And a bloody sheep came out of the grass charging at them. 10K aimed again and fired killing the zombie sheep. Then the five people shouted something else in their language and ran.
"Hey!" 10K shouted as he followed after them going deeper into their small village. He wove between a couple of barns before he caught up with them. They were heading into a larger barn made of sheet metal and were ignoring him as they slid the doors shut and vanished.
"Hey! Hello? Anybody? I'm not trying to hurt you." He said making sure his gun was pointed down as it hung limply in his hand, his other raised showing he wasn't hiding any weapons. "Somebody in our group needs some help. Just a safe place to stay, that's all." He said as he stopped walking, "Hello?"
He gave one more look around to see if anybody was listening before he sighed giving up and tipping his gun over his shoulder as he walked back to the others.
Addy POV
"We got 10K. Vasquez?" She asked as she saw 10K come into view from her place sitting on the roof of the truck.
"Not yet. And what about Bailey? Haven't seen her." Warren asked becoming concerned.
"Eh, she's around." Addy said with a shrug knowing Bailey probably left to do some recon of her own. When 10K got close enough Cassandra stopped and sniffed him making 10K look at her weirdly. When she stepped back he gave her one more strange look before moving over to the others at the truck.
"Well?" Warren asked.
"Yeah, there's still people here but they ran away from me." He explained.
"Zombies?" Doc asked from the bed of the truck.
"The usual." 10K nodded, "Oh, there's also zombie sheep."
"Zombie sheep?" Doc asked and 10K nodded again with a somewhat unamused smile, "Why not?"
"What's all that?" Warren asked gesturing to the white powder all over 10K's face and shoulders.
"Uh. . . came out of a Z's head when I killed it. I dunno, maybe powdered brains?" he said with a shrug and Doc laughed.
"Wash that crap off." Warren said tossing him a rag, "Who knows what kind of zombie cooties are in there."
"Are we going in or what?" Murphy asked sticking his head out the truck window.
"Yeah, but carefully." Warren said, "Something about this doesn't feel right."
"Never stopped us before." Addy said hopping off the roof.
"I haven't felt right since 1973." Doc said as 10K got in truck then tapped the side. Warren drove them further in until they came to a white house and saw Vasquez and Bailey coming around the side.
Bailey POV
"What happened to you?" Warren asked as she got out of the truck and approached them.
"A few Z's." Vasquez lied, "I found this." He said holding up the chuck of meat in knotted string that he'd found.
"What is it?" Warren asked.
"Cured ham." he answered tossing it to Doc, "Maybe mutton. And for you." He unzipped his backpack and pulled out a couple mason jars, "Strawberry jam. Top five missed foods right?"
"Thanks." Addy said as he passed one to her.
"Now you're finding food? How are you always finding this stuff?" Warren asked and Bailey kept her eyes down and her arms crossed as she stood between Doc and Vasquez.
"Well he found the key to my heart. Smoked pig." Doc said happily.
"Why don't you have white powder on you?" Warren asked and Bailey could tell the Chief was suspicious but Bailey couldn't think up anything to say that would back up Vasquez, and part of her didn't want to so she let Warren continue her interrogation.
"White powder?" Vasquez asked and Bailey noticed the white dust on 10K, it was on either side of his face, across the bandana he tied around his neck and some on his jacket. Before Warren could ask any further questions there was a loud growling and they turned to see several Z's stumble out of the house behind them. Addy ran forward with her bat and hit one in the head letting out a cloud of white dust that made her start coughing. Warren rushed forward but Vasquez held out his arm and stopped her.
"Wait, wait, wait!" He shouted as Bailey grabbed her hatchet and went to help, his shout making her hesitate.
"Pull back, pull back. Come on get outta there!" Warren shouted as Vasquez drew his gun and shot the next Z. 10K stepped forward to shoot but just then some farmers with garden tools showed up.
"10K! Behind you heads up!" Warren shouted and he stepped back and lowered his gun as the farmers shoved the Z's away, Doc tripped another Z with the string of the cured ham and once the zombie was on the ground 10K smashed it's skull with his oddly shaped pike making another white cloud as they coughed. More Mennonites showed up and each group formed its own semicircle as they faced off.
"You English should not be here." One of the men said.
"We're not staying." Warren reassured him, "One of our people, um, she needs a place to have her baby." Bailey saw all the Mennonites hesitate and look at Serena, Warren went on knowing this was their best bet of a safe place for Serena to give birth, "Can I talk to a leader? An elder?"
"No, no, I, I am leader now. All elders are dead." The man said, "And. . . it is not safe for you here. The white powder. We have anthrax here." He explained a bit shaky.
10K, who'd been swaying a bit looked up at the leader with concern on his face and confusion. Bailey was the same, she didn't know what anthrax was but by the way the farmer said it she knew it couldn't be good, Warren's reaction confirmed her theory.
"Alright folks, time to go. There's no room at this inn. Uh, sorry for your trouble." Warren said clearly in a rush to get her team out of there.
"Everyone has trouble these days." The leader said sadly.
"Ain't that the truth?" Warren agreed as they made to turn back to the truck but as they did 10K fell to the ground.
"10K! Hey." Addy said with worry as she crouched down beside him with Doc. Bailey made her way over and stood behind Doc with her hands on her knees as she leaned over watching him check 10K.
"Oh man, he's burning up." Doc said worried.
"He has it. This disease." The leader said turning to his people, "Milzbrand Krankheit."
"We gotta get him outta here." Doc said turning to Warren.
"And take him where?" Warren asked bringing up a good point.
"I dunno someplace without anthrax, or anthrax zombies or anthrax sheep." Doc said urgently as Addy brushed what was left of the powder off 10K.
"What he needs is antibiotics. You got any of those?" Vasquez asked.
"Yeah, maybe." Doc said getting up to get his bag from the truck. Bailey took his place beside 10K leaning forward to rest her hand over his not sure what else she could do to help. Doc made it to the truck and politely asked if he could get passed Murphy, Serena and Cassandra to get his bag but the first step Serena took and a puddle formed under her.
"What the hell was that?" Murphy asked grossed out and Addy and Bailey looked over to them.
"Water broke Daddio." Doc said calmly.
"Well don't just stand there. Fix it!" Murphy shouted at him and Doc gave him a confused look as they all wondered if Murphy knew anything at all about a woman going into labor.
"It's all good." Serena said calmly with a smile on her face, "Won't be long now papa."
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They moved 10K into a barn full of other sick people. They took off his vest and gave it to Bailey who stuffed it into her bag. A woman came over with half a pill and a mason jar full of water which he accepted in a daze.
"What's she giving him?" Doc asked the leader.
"Cipro. From the next farm over. They use it for the animals but it will help."
"Well, why's she only giving him half a pill?" Doc continued.
"We must have enough for everyone." The leader said.
"Enough for everyone to recover?" Vasquez clarified and the leader was silent and Bailey felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach before she looked over at 10K. Warren made sure he was comfortable before she got up and Bailey followed her and Vasquez out looking over her shoulder one last time watching Doc next to 10K.
"We need to talk about your boy." Vasquez said as Bailey listened in from around the corner of the barn. "He won't make it in there. They don't have enough Cipro to cure all of their people. Rationing their supply only means slowing down death. But unless they pick some of them to live. . ."
"And 10K is not even one of them." Warren said putting the pieces together as they walked off heading to the barn where Serena was. Bailey went back into the barn with 10K and saw a woman talking to Doc before he picked up his bag and headed to help Serena. When he left Bailey took his place next to 10K's cot.
"You should go. You'll catch it." He said weakly from the cot as she pulled the thin cotton blanket over him more.
"I'll be fine." She said at war with herself, part of her didn't want to look at 10K, not when he was like this, but the other part didn't want to look away. "You just concentrate on getting better." She said finally looking at him as she got comfortable on a short stool next to his bed. She stayed there and sat with him for a long time, she noticed his eyes started to droop every now and then but he'd shake his head to wake himself up.
"You should get some rest." She said softly, "It'll help."
"I can't." he said turning to look at her, "I'm afraid if I go to sleep I won't wake up again."
"That's not going to happen." She said moving to sit on the bed, "Don't think like that. They gave you medicine, you're going to be okay." She partially lied to both 10K and herself.
10K's eyes shifted around looking at the other sick Mennonites then he looked back at Bailey, "I know what she gave me wasn't enough." He said bringing his left hand to hold hers on her lap, "Just don't let me turn."
"You won't turn, you're going to get better." She said again holding his hand tighter though she couldn't help but notice that his skin was starting to get red where the white powder had touched it. They sat quietly like that for a while, 10K didn't take his hand from hers as her thumb began to rub circles on his knuckles soothingly.
"Read me something." He asked and she turned to him confused, "From your notebook, read something."
"I never told you what I write about." She said wondering if he'd peeked when she'd had her back turned.
"I don't care what it is, just please read something. Take my mind off this for a little while." He asked again still sounding so weak. Without letting go of his hand she reached down to her feet and started digging through her messenger bag. She pulled out the notebook and sat it on her lap but didn't open it.
"They're just stories." She admitted shyly and 10K smiled having never seen that side to her, "They're probably not that good."
"I won't judge." He said still smiling. She flipped through the pages until she found a small story she thought 10K might like, she scooted closer to him so the others wouldn't overhear and quietly read.
"The leaves crunched under his feet as he ran down the path through the forest. The night air was crisp and cool, the sky clear, the dark blue dotted with a thousand stars. He loved being in the woods at night with the moonlight shining through the trees. It was serene but with something else, like at night nature tucked away a secret, and his body filled with adrenaline at the idea of being the one to find it." She peeked at 10K who was looking at her as she read and she couldn't fight off the blush that touched her face. She looked back down at the page and kept reading, about halfway through the story she noticed 10K had drifted off to sleep so she stopped reading and closed her notebook. She tried not to stare at him as he slept not wanting to be creepy but she couldn't help it. He looked peaceful and not in pain or discomfort like when he'd been awake. The red spots on his face had gotten worse as they blistered and dark sores started to appear. Bailey reached forward and brushed some of his hair out of his face and as her fingers skimmed his skin she realized how bad his fever had gotten. Thankfully there was a small table between 10K's cot and the one next to them and it had a bowl of water and a few cloths in it. Bailey got up and rang one out before returning to her spot on the side of the bed and began dabbing 10K's forehead. His goggles were crooked on his head and taking off his army green vest hadn't helped cool him down. Bailey's free hand reached over and touched the handle of her knife, she didn't like to think about it but if 10K did turn would she be strong enough to put him down?