25 Feb 2130hrs
I’m so tired! We tried to sleep last night but both of us would shoot up awake at any noise. I think I fell asleep around 0600 and woke up around 0845. That will have to be enough sleep. I just wanted to get to my family as soon as I can. We are close to Iowa now and need to be ready. I expect to find large numbers of National Guardsman at the border. Today we have a seen a lot more traffic than usual. In fact the roads are packed. It reminds me of the LA freeway at rush hour. By the looks of things people from all over the country are trying to head north and get away from this plague.
The weather is getting colder. Myself and Smith are not really suited for this weather. We have fleece jackets but that’s it. It’s got to be 20 degrees outside right now. So now there is another reason to not want to go outside. But right now I am not so afraid of the cold or the zombies. It’s the people who are trying to survive. We have noticed a lot more hitchhikers on the road. Most of them have run out of gas in their cars. Smith asked me why we wouldn’t stop to help any of them. It didn’t take long for him to figure it out. We saw what happened to the people who would pull over to pick someone up. It would become a free for all. Everyone suddenly would try to get a ride. In some cases the poor bastard who was being nice would lose their car all together and become a hitchhiker. I was not about to lose this vehicle to anyone. One woman ran after us with a small child in her arms. She screamed for us to just take the kid. Smith glared at me. Before he could say something I told him to look behind us. Sure as shit. The car behind us pulled over to help her. And what do you think those good people got for their effort? They got carjacked. Men with guns were hiding behind the woman’s car. This whole place is nuts. We are stopping for no one. I told Smith that I am in full survival mode. Are mission is to get home. No one else matters right now. I am willing to run down or kill anyone who gets in my way. I just pray God will forgive me when this is all over.
26 Feb 1500hrs
Many words could describe how I’m feeling right now. Disgusted, shocked, lucky… The whole situation right now is so crazy I don’t even know where to begin. Smith and I arrived today at what we thought was another road block. But instead the National Guardsman where just waiving people by and handing out pamphlets. There were signs everywhere instructing people to head north. The pamphlets they were handing out stated that the walking dead freeze and stop moving in extreme cold temperatures. Plus, information on what to do when you come in contact with them. The pamphlet stated that the only way to kill them was to inflict severe head trauma and that if someone becomes infected you must kill them or risk that person coming back to life as a zombie and try to kill you. WTF! I couldn’t believe this. But it gets worse. We drove right past the information point and into their AO (Area of Operations.) No one stopped us or even asked any questioned who we were. We parked the hummer and I told Smith to acquire us anything worthwhile he could find, like food, water, parts, ammo…. I went out to get us some Intel on what the hell was going on. I found the T.O.C, but unlike the Marines this one only had a handful of Specialists and Privates working in it. I asked who was in charge and one of the E-4’s said a CPT Davis was. He also said that the CO and the S2 left early this morning, and would be back this afternoon. And for now SSG Pruitt was in charge. At this point I decided to go into the CO’s office anyways. The soldiers here were being led by a SSG and figured I must be someone important. The Commanders office looked like he had bugged out. There was nothing left in his office but empty water cases and MRE cases. However he left a number of sensitive items just lying around on his desk. His laptop was still up and open. I quickly scanned his e mail. Everything was status update requests. Someone up higher wanted to have numbers of the people heading north. His sent items were the same. All reports on the situation at hand, including how many outbreaks they have had to put down as well as Guardsmen who had been infected. I was about leave when I decided to look in his deleted items folder. There was one email in it. When I read it I was shocked. I decided to print it out and save a copy.
To: CPT Davis, Roger
From: Mr Felts, Richard CIV
Roger,
You need to get out of there! HQ is following some plan that requires people to head north to be some kind of live bait. The Active military is all regrouping at FT Carson CO and Peterson AFB in CO. HQ is hoping the main swarms of the infected will follow the people heading north and get caught in the last winter storms. Get out of there before it’s too late. We are tracking large swarms of infected following the end of the migration. The USMC barricade will fall in the next 2 weeks. Get out NOW!
Rich
I took his laptop and stuck it in my ruck. I went back out to the T.O.C. SSG Pruitt was now here and wanted to know who I was. I pulled him aside and gave him a copy of his COs email. I told him “looks like you’re on your own Sarge.” As I walked away I could hear him cursing his commander. Something along the lines that he was a liar and a coward.
I met up with PFC Smith by the hummer. He was all smiles. When I looked inside I could see why. He had acquired us several new cases of MREs and water. He also got us more ammo for the .50 cal and our M4s. He also was installing new glow plugs in the hummer. He said we will need them as the temp keeps dropping. He was right. It was cold. Today I believe the temp was around 19 degrees. I asked him where he got all this. He smiled and said no one here cared if he took anything. The guys in the maintenance tent said he could help himself to whatever he needed. Great! We needed some luck. I let Smith read the email. He had about the same reaction as SSG Pruitt. I told him my plan was to get my family ASAP and head to FT Carson. He just wanted to go home. We refueled and topped off our gas cans and got out of there as soon as we could. As we left we noticed any of the Nat’l Guardsmen were doing the same. Bugging out! Makes me wonder who is expendable right now.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Chapter 5
24 Feb 2330Hrs
Parked at a truck stop in Indiana. This one is packed! Hundreds of people here who are trying to head north and get away from this plague. People have been trying to get information from Smith and me since we arrived. Asking what the government plans to do about all this. We just tell them the truth. That we just got back from Iraq and are trying to link up with the main force. Hell I want to know the answer to their questions as well. Smith and I are taking turns staying with the Hummer while the other goes inside to eat and use the restrooms. Are vehicle is ideal for these days and we don’t want anyone getting any ideas. While inside the truck stop the shelves are pretty bare. No water or canned food to be found. The diner was still open and serving tomato soup and coffee. Eating something warm is a nice change from the MREs we have been eating. While I was in there I overheard people talking about their struggles and losing loved ones to this plague. It was crazy to hear them talk about their loved ones getting bitten by the infected and dying only to get back up again and try to kill you. A lady was crying in one of the booths. Her husband had died in her home. While she called 911, her daughter went to see him and then started screaming. “Mommy, Daddy is awake!” Only to run in too late. Her husband had bitten her daughter. She had to run for her life. This shit is crazy! I need to get to my family now!
So far from what I can tell is this whole thing started in Florida. No one here seems to know how it started. But it moves fast and authorities have been hard pressed to stop it. Our plan is simple. Get the hell out of here. Find another vehicle for Smith. It’s getting close to the time that Smith and I will part ways. It should only be a few days till we get to Minnesota as long as the weather holds. A snow storm could really slow us down. But right now we agree, it’s best to travel together and watch each other’s back. Time to get out of here and fuel up and go.
25 Feb 0130Hrs
Oh my God! Where to start. Smith and I had just finished getting ready to go when all of a sudden all hell broke loose! People were running and screaming. Trying to get out of the truck stop. Smith and I pulled the Hummer up to the front door. He manned the .50 Cal and covered me while I went in to investigate. I can only speculate as to what happened. But the infection had got thru the Marines wall. When I walked in I saw a woman dead on the floor. She had her throat ripped out. Since I don’t know how long it takes for them to come back as one of those things, I took no chances and put my knife right thru her forehead. No need to waste bullets. I heard yelling and fighting coming from the back. There were two men trying to hold shut a bathroom door where the creatures were trying to get out from. The men fighting them off had bite marks on their arms. Damn! They are as good as gone. I tell them to open the door and I will take them out. They look me up and down and agree. I tell them to let the door open but use it as a barricade so the creatures will come to me. On the count of 3 they opened the door. Three of those things came tumbling out. Easy targets. Pop pop pop. They were all sent back to hell. I knew what I had to do next. It wasn’t easy. I lowered my M-4 and took out my side arm 9 mil and held it behind my back. I told the two men the coast was clear. I lied. As soon as they came around the door I gave them no time to contemplate what was about to happen. Pop pop. I shot both in the head. I feel bad but I know they didn’t want to become the walking dead. As I left the scene I grabbed my knife back from the dead lady on the floor. I jabbed it into a bottle of bleach, and wiped it off. As I walked out Smith looked freaked. He asked me what happened. I told him that everyone inside is dead and this place is infected. I wish I could poor bleach in my brain and forget everything I just saw and did.
Parked at a truck stop in Indiana. This one is packed! Hundreds of people here who are trying to head north and get away from this plague. People have been trying to get information from Smith and me since we arrived. Asking what the government plans to do about all this. We just tell them the truth. That we just got back from Iraq and are trying to link up with the main force. Hell I want to know the answer to their questions as well. Smith and I are taking turns staying with the Hummer while the other goes inside to eat and use the restrooms. Are vehicle is ideal for these days and we don’t want anyone getting any ideas. While inside the truck stop the shelves are pretty bare. No water or canned food to be found. The diner was still open and serving tomato soup and coffee. Eating something warm is a nice change from the MREs we have been eating. While I was in there I overheard people talking about their struggles and losing loved ones to this plague. It was crazy to hear them talk about their loved ones getting bitten by the infected and dying only to get back up again and try to kill you. A lady was crying in one of the booths. Her husband had died in her home. While she called 911, her daughter went to see him and then started screaming. “Mommy, Daddy is awake!” Only to run in too late. Her husband had bitten her daughter. She had to run for her life. This shit is crazy! I need to get to my family now!
So far from what I can tell is this whole thing started in Florida. No one here seems to know how it started. But it moves fast and authorities have been hard pressed to stop it. Our plan is simple. Get the hell out of here. Find another vehicle for Smith. It’s getting close to the time that Smith and I will part ways. It should only be a few days till we get to Minnesota as long as the weather holds. A snow storm could really slow us down. But right now we agree, it’s best to travel together and watch each other’s back. Time to get out of here and fuel up and go.
25 Feb 0130Hrs
Oh my God! Where to start. Smith and I had just finished getting ready to go when all of a sudden all hell broke loose! People were running and screaming. Trying to get out of the truck stop. Smith and I pulled the Hummer up to the front door. He manned the .50 Cal and covered me while I went in to investigate. I can only speculate as to what happened. But the infection had got thru the Marines wall. When I walked in I saw a woman dead on the floor. She had her throat ripped out. Since I don’t know how long it takes for them to come back as one of those things, I took no chances and put my knife right thru her forehead. No need to waste bullets. I heard yelling and fighting coming from the back. There were two men trying to hold shut a bathroom door where the creatures were trying to get out from. The men fighting them off had bite marks on their arms. Damn! They are as good as gone. I tell them to open the door and I will take them out. They look me up and down and agree. I tell them to let the door open but use it as a barricade so the creatures will come to me. On the count of 3 they opened the door. Three of those things came tumbling out. Easy targets. Pop pop pop. They were all sent back to hell. I knew what I had to do next. It wasn’t easy. I lowered my M-4 and took out my side arm 9 mil and held it behind my back. I told the two men the coast was clear. I lied. As soon as they came around the door I gave them no time to contemplate what was about to happen. Pop pop. I shot both in the head. I feel bad but I know they didn’t want to become the walking dead. As I left the scene I grabbed my knife back from the dead lady on the floor. I jabbed it into a bottle of bleach, and wiped it off. As I walked out Smith looked freaked. He asked me what happened. I told him that everyone inside is dead and this place is infected. I wish I could poor bleach in my brain and forget everything I just saw and did.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Chapter 4
23 Feb 2200Hrs
Today has been nuts! Note to self; the living are just as dangerous as the dead! This morning started out quiet. We thought that once we got to the Ohio/Indiana border we thought we would be home free. As soon as we left Dayton there was a ton of traffic. Live people going nuts, trying to get to a safe zone. There were people from everywhere here. We saw license plates from all over the country. Some of these people look really banged up like they went thru hell to get here. Who am I kidding; they did go thru hell to get here. Some of them thought we were with the ones in charge and started banging on the hummer demanding answers. I told Smith to take off and find us some place quiet. Smith asked me why we had left the road to the safe zone. I told him most likely the safe zone was guarded by military. And that we looked a little out of reg. We took a few moments to shave our beards and trim our hair. To try and look like soldiers again.
We were quickly back in the area of the mob. I told Smith to go off road and speed to the front of the line. Stop for no one. I t felt like we drove for miles past the line of cars. Finally we got to where we could see the blockade. It caused me to take a double take. It was like a massive wall going in both directions for miles. I asked myself, how could they build this so fast? There was only one way in and it was a single car entry. We raced up to the gate, only to be met by a Marine QRF (Quick Reaction Force) before we even got 500 yards out. Their weapons were trained on us and I swear there was a Cobra helicopter overhead. A Marine called out over a loud speaker for us to get out of the vehicle. We did. I had my ID in my hand and quickly let them know that we were active duty military trying to get back to our unit. None the less they had us drop to our knees and put our hands up over our heads. A Marine LT flanked by two armed Marines walked over to us. He took our ID cards and inspected them. He looked me up and down and said “SFC you look like you have lost some weight.” I laughed and explained we were a part of the units coming back from Iraq and we had been running and gunning our way to safety. He let us up. I told him we needed to get in contact with our unit ASAP. He smiled and said that we need to have the medics look us over first and then we could talk. I said the usual “Yes Sir!” and saluted. Next a group of Navy corpsman came over to us and started checking us over. He pricked our fingers and ran some test to verify we were not infected. He then let us move on to what he called phase 2 decon. Phase 2 decon was not fun. They took our clothes to be washed and scrubbed us with hoses. But it was not water they sprayed us with it was some chemical. It reminded me of the way Clorox smelled. While we were being cleaned the Marines ran sacked our Hummer. Accounting for all our gear and threw out our food and water for fear of contamination. After all was said and done they moved Smith and I into the tent city. The civilians were staying in large white tents with a 10 foot fence around it with razor wire. The Marines were in large tan tents. We were put in separate tents based on rank. Poor Smith, he had to bunk with 20 other Marine Privates. I on the other hand was in a tent with only 5 E-7’s. I guess rank still has its privileges. None the less it felt good to get some shut eye without having to worry about my ass getting bit off. But my thoughts are still with my family. I miss them and all I can think about right now is getting to them. ASAP!
24 Feb 1000Hrs
So far today has shown me how chaotic this pace is. The civilians are pissed that they have to wait 5 days before they can leave the holding area. One of the Marine Gunnery Sergeants told me they do that to ensure that no one has the disease and squeaked by the docs. They say they have put down 3 outbreaks this week and have had to kill hundreds of people. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. I asked him what kind of disease this was and where it came from. All the Marines got real quiet when I asked that question. One pulled me aside and said “look man all I know is the dead walk and if they bite you, we shoot you in the head. We have even killed our own men who have come back with bites.” This shit is freaky! I went down to the T.O.C (Tactical Operations Center) today to find out when Smith and I can get underway. Inside the T.O.C it was total chaos. Everyone running around trying to get status updates and issue orders to field units outside the gate. I stopped a young LT and asked her who was in charge and she explained it was a Major General. She pointed me towards his office and went back to her task. Well with me not being a Marine and not really giving a fuck anymore I decided to just walk right in to the old man’s office like I owned the place.
He was sitting behind a large wooden desk staring at his Laptop. Behind him was a large plasma screen with an image of the United States on it. It had some sort of color coding, showing which states were lost to the infection and which ones were still surviving. All the southern states and east coast were red. The Pacific Northwest was amber. Only a few northern states and Alaska were still green. But before I could speak to him or get any more info his board, he took one look at me jumped out of his seat and yelled “Fuck no! Fuck no! I don’t need some damn Army liaison fucking babysitters down here! Who else is with you Sergeant?” But before I could even answer him. He started yelling again. “I don’t give a shit! You, and all your Amy shit need to go the fuck back to Iowa and leave me alone! Tell General Patreous I have this sector under control! The Marines always get the job done! Now get the fuck out of my AO!” Without missing a beat I turned around and walked right out with my marching orders! I now had a 2 star general telling me to move out. Now off to find Smith.
2230HrsWe are eating dinner in a diner in Springfield Illinois. I found Smith today in the dinning tent on KP. I simply grabbed him up and told him to go pack his shit and meet me at the motor pool. I ran to my tent to get my ruck and get out of this place before all hell breaks loose. When I got to the motor pool I found Smith there arguing with a Marine Staff Sergeant. I asked the SSG what the problem was, we had orders from his MG to roll out and deliver a message to our command. He looked a little annoyed to have an Army NCO tell him what to do. But he looked at me and said “SFC I have not been given those orders. My orders from MAJ Stann are to not release this vehicle or its weapons unless ordered by him.” The SSG was wearing a radio. I told him to confirm our story with the T.O.C. He called in with the T.O.C to verify this. “Devil Dog Tango this is Hammer 12 do the Army personnel have authorization to leave? Over.” He was answered quickly. “Hammer 12 this is Devil Dog 7, unless you want the Gen coming down there himself you had better let them go ASAP. OUT!” For a moment the SSG looked spooked. But he led us to the armor cages and got us back our weapons and ammo. We even managed to gain a few more frags. As soon as our gear was put away and the .50 cal mounted we bolted out of there as fast as we could. Things are bound to go bad there. Better to be as far away as possible when it does.
Today has been nuts! Note to self; the living are just as dangerous as the dead! This morning started out quiet. We thought that once we got to the Ohio/Indiana border we thought we would be home free. As soon as we left Dayton there was a ton of traffic. Live people going nuts, trying to get to a safe zone. There were people from everywhere here. We saw license plates from all over the country. Some of these people look really banged up like they went thru hell to get here. Who am I kidding; they did go thru hell to get here. Some of them thought we were with the ones in charge and started banging on the hummer demanding answers. I told Smith to take off and find us some place quiet. Smith asked me why we had left the road to the safe zone. I told him most likely the safe zone was guarded by military. And that we looked a little out of reg. We took a few moments to shave our beards and trim our hair. To try and look like soldiers again.
We were quickly back in the area of the mob. I told Smith to go off road and speed to the front of the line. Stop for no one. I t felt like we drove for miles past the line of cars. Finally we got to where we could see the blockade. It caused me to take a double take. It was like a massive wall going in both directions for miles. I asked myself, how could they build this so fast? There was only one way in and it was a single car entry. We raced up to the gate, only to be met by a Marine QRF (Quick Reaction Force) before we even got 500 yards out. Their weapons were trained on us and I swear there was a Cobra helicopter overhead. A Marine called out over a loud speaker for us to get out of the vehicle. We did. I had my ID in my hand and quickly let them know that we were active duty military trying to get back to our unit. None the less they had us drop to our knees and put our hands up over our heads. A Marine LT flanked by two armed Marines walked over to us. He took our ID cards and inspected them. He looked me up and down and said “SFC you look like you have lost some weight.” I laughed and explained we were a part of the units coming back from Iraq and we had been running and gunning our way to safety. He let us up. I told him we needed to get in contact with our unit ASAP. He smiled and said that we need to have the medics look us over first and then we could talk. I said the usual “Yes Sir!” and saluted. Next a group of Navy corpsman came over to us and started checking us over. He pricked our fingers and ran some test to verify we were not infected. He then let us move on to what he called phase 2 decon. Phase 2 decon was not fun. They took our clothes to be washed and scrubbed us with hoses. But it was not water they sprayed us with it was some chemical. It reminded me of the way Clorox smelled. While we were being cleaned the Marines ran sacked our Hummer. Accounting for all our gear and threw out our food and water for fear of contamination. After all was said and done they moved Smith and I into the tent city. The civilians were staying in large white tents with a 10 foot fence around it with razor wire. The Marines were in large tan tents. We were put in separate tents based on rank. Poor Smith, he had to bunk with 20 other Marine Privates. I on the other hand was in a tent with only 5 E-7’s. I guess rank still has its privileges. None the less it felt good to get some shut eye without having to worry about my ass getting bit off. But my thoughts are still with my family. I miss them and all I can think about right now is getting to them. ASAP!
24 Feb 1000Hrs
So far today has shown me how chaotic this pace is. The civilians are pissed that they have to wait 5 days before they can leave the holding area. One of the Marine Gunnery Sergeants told me they do that to ensure that no one has the disease and squeaked by the docs. They say they have put down 3 outbreaks this week and have had to kill hundreds of people. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. I asked him what kind of disease this was and where it came from. All the Marines got real quiet when I asked that question. One pulled me aside and said “look man all I know is the dead walk and if they bite you, we shoot you in the head. We have even killed our own men who have come back with bites.” This shit is freaky! I went down to the T.O.C (Tactical Operations Center) today to find out when Smith and I can get underway. Inside the T.O.C it was total chaos. Everyone running around trying to get status updates and issue orders to field units outside the gate. I stopped a young LT and asked her who was in charge and she explained it was a Major General. She pointed me towards his office and went back to her task. Well with me not being a Marine and not really giving a fuck anymore I decided to just walk right in to the old man’s office like I owned the place.
He was sitting behind a large wooden desk staring at his Laptop. Behind him was a large plasma screen with an image of the United States on it. It had some sort of color coding, showing which states were lost to the infection and which ones were still surviving. All the southern states and east coast were red. The Pacific Northwest was amber. Only a few northern states and Alaska were still green. But before I could speak to him or get any more info his board, he took one look at me jumped out of his seat and yelled “Fuck no! Fuck no! I don’t need some damn Army liaison fucking babysitters down here! Who else is with you Sergeant?” But before I could even answer him. He started yelling again. “I don’t give a shit! You, and all your Amy shit need to go the fuck back to Iowa and leave me alone! Tell General Patreous I have this sector under control! The Marines always get the job done! Now get the fuck out of my AO!” Without missing a beat I turned around and walked right out with my marching orders! I now had a 2 star general telling me to move out. Now off to find Smith.
2230HrsWe are eating dinner in a diner in Springfield Illinois. I found Smith today in the dinning tent on KP. I simply grabbed him up and told him to go pack his shit and meet me at the motor pool. I ran to my tent to get my ruck and get out of this place before all hell breaks loose. When I got to the motor pool I found Smith there arguing with a Marine Staff Sergeant. I asked the SSG what the problem was, we had orders from his MG to roll out and deliver a message to our command. He looked a little annoyed to have an Army NCO tell him what to do. But he looked at me and said “SFC I have not been given those orders. My orders from MAJ Stann are to not release this vehicle or its weapons unless ordered by him.” The SSG was wearing a radio. I told him to confirm our story with the T.O.C. He called in with the T.O.C to verify this. “Devil Dog Tango this is Hammer 12 do the Army personnel have authorization to leave? Over.” He was answered quickly. “Hammer 12 this is Devil Dog 7, unless you want the Gen coming down there himself you had better let them go ASAP. OUT!” For a moment the SSG looked spooked. But he led us to the armor cages and got us back our weapons and ammo. We even managed to gain a few more frags. As soon as our gear was put away and the .50 cal mounted we bolted out of there as fast as we could. Things are bound to go bad there. Better to be as far away as possible when it does.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Chapter 3
22 Feb 2100hrs
This morning Smith and I went to a nearby gas station to for any info and see if there was anything left to take. The pumps were bone dry. Price gouging was very evident in this area. The price for gas was marked up to $30 a gallon. Money seems pretty pointless now. Inside the gas station was more of the same. Everything was gone and cleared out. The cash register was smashed and also empty. My worry right now is not only the walking dead but also the living. We decided to get on our way and not remain a target. As we drove through Ohio the trip was surprisingly uneventful. When we got to Columbus we decided to go into the city to find gas and information. The city was a ghost town. It had a creepy silence to it. Most of the homes in the area had caution tape around them with biohazard stickers on the doors. Checking homes will be out of the question on this trip. The last thing I want is one of those monsters popping out and taking a bite out of me.
Smith found an old newspaper. The entire state was evacuated almost 2 weeks ago. By the looks of things the people looted all they could before they left. We decided to go outside of town to a trucking yard to try and find gas. Hopefully this company locked down their gas pumps before the looting began. The main gate looked secured with high razor wire fences and several large locks on the gate. By the looks of things someone tried to shoot their way in with no luck. Well, good thing my key is bigger. The .50 cal made short work of the gate. We drove around to where the trucks fill up. Once we got the locks off the pumps we had to find the power to the pumps. Again, luck was on our side. The power to this place was still on. We filled our tank and the 2 gas cans we had. We should have enough to get us to Indianapolis with minimum stops. But with all the good luck we just had it was bound to change. Smith came sprinting to me that we had visitors. Living ones. We must have made enough noise to get the attention of the locals. At the gate we could see 3 trucks with armed men. Civilians for sure. They had shotguns and hunting rifles. They didn’t look friendly. And I had no intention of finding out. I told Smith to drive around to see if there was another exit. As we drove around they spotted us. I hoped they wouldn’t do anything fearing this was a military vehicle. But, they started shooting as soon as they saw us. We had no choice. It was kill or be killed. Smith mounted the .50 cal and cut them down. They had no chance at all. This world is no kill or be killed. Trust no one. We left right after the fire fight. Right now we are parked in an abandoned barn house. We are just outside Dayton Ohio. According to the signs on the road Indiana is a safe zone. We shall see. I hope and pray that the signs are right. If the infection has not spread to Indiana the Minnesota must still be safe. I hope so. I need to get to my family and protect them.
This morning Smith and I went to a nearby gas station to for any info and see if there was anything left to take. The pumps were bone dry. Price gouging was very evident in this area. The price for gas was marked up to $30 a gallon. Money seems pretty pointless now. Inside the gas station was more of the same. Everything was gone and cleared out. The cash register was smashed and also empty. My worry right now is not only the walking dead but also the living. We decided to get on our way and not remain a target. As we drove through Ohio the trip was surprisingly uneventful. When we got to Columbus we decided to go into the city to find gas and information. The city was a ghost town. It had a creepy silence to it. Most of the homes in the area had caution tape around them with biohazard stickers on the doors. Checking homes will be out of the question on this trip. The last thing I want is one of those monsters popping out and taking a bite out of me.
Smith found an old newspaper. The entire state was evacuated almost 2 weeks ago. By the looks of things the people looted all they could before they left. We decided to go outside of town to a trucking yard to try and find gas. Hopefully this company locked down their gas pumps before the looting began. The main gate looked secured with high razor wire fences and several large locks on the gate. By the looks of things someone tried to shoot their way in with no luck. Well, good thing my key is bigger. The .50 cal made short work of the gate. We drove around to where the trucks fill up. Once we got the locks off the pumps we had to find the power to the pumps. Again, luck was on our side. The power to this place was still on. We filled our tank and the 2 gas cans we had. We should have enough to get us to Indianapolis with minimum stops. But with all the good luck we just had it was bound to change. Smith came sprinting to me that we had visitors. Living ones. We must have made enough noise to get the attention of the locals. At the gate we could see 3 trucks with armed men. Civilians for sure. They had shotguns and hunting rifles. They didn’t look friendly. And I had no intention of finding out. I told Smith to drive around to see if there was another exit. As we drove around they spotted us. I hoped they wouldn’t do anything fearing this was a military vehicle. But, they started shooting as soon as they saw us. We had no choice. It was kill or be killed. Smith mounted the .50 cal and cut them down. They had no chance at all. This world is no kill or be killed. Trust no one. We left right after the fire fight. Right now we are parked in an abandoned barn house. We are just outside Dayton Ohio. According to the signs on the road Indiana is a safe zone. We shall see. I hope and pray that the signs are right. If the infection has not spread to Indiana the Minnesota must still be safe. I hope so. I need to get to my family and protect them.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Chapter 2
20 Feb 1200hrs
I’m still shaking from this morning’s events. I woke up to the sound of someone banging on my window. For a moment I had forgot where I was. I thought I was back in Iraq. But as soon as I turned to look out my window I saw the demon! It scared the shit out of me. His throat was hanging down his shirt. There is no way this man was alive. He was something else. I fired up the Hummer and drove off as fast as I could. Luckily the roads were clear in this area. We could see people wandering around in the fields. We assumed they were like the others we had seen. No sense risking our lives to find out.
As we drove I knew we needed to find gas soon! As we were driving down an old county road we saw a semi truck that had been used as a roadblock. We pulled up alongside of it near the gas cans. There was no one around. Bullet casings were littered all over the road. Signs of a last stand gone wrong. I started siphoning out the gas while Smith covered me from the .50 cal. We got lucky and got enough diesel to fill our tank. As we drove off Smith started to open up to me. His parents and sister live in Fargo N Dakota. He has a girlfriend there too. Like me, he is hoping to find them alive. We have no idea how far this thing has spread. It only took 5 days for it to spread from Florida to New York and destroy the East coast. Please God let my family be alive.
21 Feb 1500hrs
Today Smith was quiet and didn’t look well. I asked him what was wrong and he said his stomach hurt. At that moment I realized that neither of us had used a restroom. We had been so freaked out to leave the confines of the vehicle that we had just been pissing in empty water bottles to prevent getting caught with our pants down. Literally! I decided we should try to clear a gas station to use the latrine and scavenge for supplies. God knows we need to find something else to eat other that MRE’s.
2130hrs
We found a truck stop right before we hit the Ohio border. We have been staying back roads to avoid being seen or heard by the infected. We found the truck stop from a map I took from the semi truck yesterday. It looked to have business going on with 10 trucks parked out back. As we drove around we couldn’t see any people or infected. The trucks all looked empty and there was one car still at the pumps. The gas pump was still sitting in the car and the driver’s door was open. It looked like everyone here left in a hurry. We decided to park around back. We fixed our bayonets to our weapons to keep any kills quiet. I would have loved to have taken one of the SF team’s suppressed rifles. But hey people in hell want ice water. Who am I kidding I am in hell.
As we rounded the building we didn’t see movement inside the truck stop. Then we both stopped in our tracks. The front door was covered in bloody hand prints. I wanted to turn around right then and there. But we needed supplies. As we went in we locked the door behind us to not allow anyone or thing to sneak up behind us. At this point my heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my ears. We used the shoplifting mirrors to clear the isles. However, there were gore marks leading to the back. We were wearing our NBC masks just to be safe, but the sensory deprivation could be fatal. There was no one or thing in the main store, and we proceeded to the back. That’s when we saw them. There were two of them. Well more like one and a half. One of them was only a torso and head. It looked like the stock clerk had made a meal of the gas attendant. As soon as they saw us they tried to run to us. Smith shot the clerk twice in the chest and he just kept coming. I quickly put a round in his temple and he stayed down. We dispatched the other ghoul with a bayonet to his forehead. Smith looked green even through his mask I could see he was going to lose it. I can’t say I blame him. This is beyond disgusting.
Once we were certain there were no more creatures in the store we were able to relieve ourselves. Even with an armed guard at the door I have to admit I still felt vulnerable. As if one of those things was going to come up thru the seat. After we did our business we grabbed what we could in water bottles and can food. Only options were beef stew and chili. Everything else in the store was gone. But we also had a new problem. There was now five or six of the infected banging on the door. We must have made too much noise. We took a chance opening the back door. The coast was clear. Parking the hummer in the back just paid off. We loaded our new supplies and got the hell out of there. As I pulled out onto the highway there were more of them and cars abandoned everywhere. Good thing we have 4 wheel drive. It made for a rough ride but better than getting stuck on the road with those things. But after awhile there were more and more of them and we could no longer just drive around them. I had Smith take the wheel, while I jumped up to the .50 cal. I had to clear a path before this got out of hand. More than once I had to use my 9 mil to execute the ones trying to climb up the hummer to get to me. But after a few miles we were able to get clear of the mob.
There were far less walking dead as we got further into Ohio. In fact most of this state has reminded me of a ghost town. We parked near an abandoned school for the night. I’m sleeping light tonight and my finger on the trigger. After a day like today I will never be the same again. I killed countless people today. I have to keep telling myself that it was me or them. I had no choice.
I’m still shaking from this morning’s events. I woke up to the sound of someone banging on my window. For a moment I had forgot where I was. I thought I was back in Iraq. But as soon as I turned to look out my window I saw the demon! It scared the shit out of me. His throat was hanging down his shirt. There is no way this man was alive. He was something else. I fired up the Hummer and drove off as fast as I could. Luckily the roads were clear in this area. We could see people wandering around in the fields. We assumed they were like the others we had seen. No sense risking our lives to find out.
As we drove I knew we needed to find gas soon! As we were driving down an old county road we saw a semi truck that had been used as a roadblock. We pulled up alongside of it near the gas cans. There was no one around. Bullet casings were littered all over the road. Signs of a last stand gone wrong. I started siphoning out the gas while Smith covered me from the .50 cal. We got lucky and got enough diesel to fill our tank. As we drove off Smith started to open up to me. His parents and sister live in Fargo N Dakota. He has a girlfriend there too. Like me, he is hoping to find them alive. We have no idea how far this thing has spread. It only took 5 days for it to spread from Florida to New York and destroy the East coast. Please God let my family be alive.
21 Feb 1500hrs
Today Smith was quiet and didn’t look well. I asked him what was wrong and he said his stomach hurt. At that moment I realized that neither of us had used a restroom. We had been so freaked out to leave the confines of the vehicle that we had just been pissing in empty water bottles to prevent getting caught with our pants down. Literally! I decided we should try to clear a gas station to use the latrine and scavenge for supplies. God knows we need to find something else to eat other that MRE’s.
2130hrs
We found a truck stop right before we hit the Ohio border. We have been staying back roads to avoid being seen or heard by the infected. We found the truck stop from a map I took from the semi truck yesterday. It looked to have business going on with 10 trucks parked out back. As we drove around we couldn’t see any people or infected. The trucks all looked empty and there was one car still at the pumps. The gas pump was still sitting in the car and the driver’s door was open. It looked like everyone here left in a hurry. We decided to park around back. We fixed our bayonets to our weapons to keep any kills quiet. I would have loved to have taken one of the SF team’s suppressed rifles. But hey people in hell want ice water. Who am I kidding I am in hell.
As we rounded the building we didn’t see movement inside the truck stop. Then we both stopped in our tracks. The front door was covered in bloody hand prints. I wanted to turn around right then and there. But we needed supplies. As we went in we locked the door behind us to not allow anyone or thing to sneak up behind us. At this point my heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my ears. We used the shoplifting mirrors to clear the isles. However, there were gore marks leading to the back. We were wearing our NBC masks just to be safe, but the sensory deprivation could be fatal. There was no one or thing in the main store, and we proceeded to the back. That’s when we saw them. There were two of them. Well more like one and a half. One of them was only a torso and head. It looked like the stock clerk had made a meal of the gas attendant. As soon as they saw us they tried to run to us. Smith shot the clerk twice in the chest and he just kept coming. I quickly put a round in his temple and he stayed down. We dispatched the other ghoul with a bayonet to his forehead. Smith looked green even through his mask I could see he was going to lose it. I can’t say I blame him. This is beyond disgusting.
Once we were certain there were no more creatures in the store we were able to relieve ourselves. Even with an armed guard at the door I have to admit I still felt vulnerable. As if one of those things was going to come up thru the seat. After we did our business we grabbed what we could in water bottles and can food. Only options were beef stew and chili. Everything else in the store was gone. But we also had a new problem. There was now five or six of the infected banging on the door. We must have made too much noise. We took a chance opening the back door. The coast was clear. Parking the hummer in the back just paid off. We loaded our new supplies and got the hell out of there. As I pulled out onto the highway there were more of them and cars abandoned everywhere. Good thing we have 4 wheel drive. It made for a rough ride but better than getting stuck on the road with those things. But after awhile there were more and more of them and we could no longer just drive around them. I had Smith take the wheel, while I jumped up to the .50 cal. I had to clear a path before this got out of hand. More than once I had to use my 9 mil to execute the ones trying to climb up the hummer to get to me. But after a few miles we were able to get clear of the mob.
There were far less walking dead as we got further into Ohio. In fact most of this state has reminded me of a ghost town. We parked near an abandoned school for the night. I’m sleeping light tonight and my finger on the trigger. After a day like today I will never be the same again. I killed countless people today. I have to keep telling myself that it was me or them. I had no choice.
Chapter 1
Feb 2 1000hrs
I decided to keep a journal today. There’s nothing to do on this damn boat. I’m a soldier not a sailor. My unit freaked out at having to pull out of Iraq so sudden. We just threw all our vehicles and excess weapons on the ships going home and didn’t even have time to account for sensitive items (i.e. weapons, radios, night vision goggles…) something spooked the pentagon to pull us out so sudden. They said it had something to do with a flu outbreak in the south. Sounds ridiculous. Obviously we are not getting the whole story. None the less my unit threw all this equipment on this ship and felt they needed a SR NCO (Non Commissioned Officer) to make sure it arrives in South Carolina safe.
Feb 3 1200hrs
I miss my family. My wife and kids are visiting family in Minnesota right now. We have plans to take the kids to Disney World when I get home. I can’t wait. They have such a great time down there. Hell so do I. I wonder what my platoon is doing right now. I bet they are already home drinking some beers. This boat is to damn slow!
Feb 6 1900hrs
We had a meeting today. The W02 (Warrant Officer) in charge of the boat let us know we had to change course. Instead of pulling into South Carolina, we are now heading towards New York. It adds some time to our trip. This sucks! I think I will chat up the SF guys and see if I can use their SAT phone to call the wife and let her know.
Feb 7 1200hrs
Things are worse than they let us know. My wife said our reservations to Disney were cancelled and that she was given a full refund. She also told me the whole state of Florida was in a state of emergency due to this flu outbreak. I told her to stay with her mom and I will join them in Minnesota. This must be some bad bug. Reminds me of the swine flu.
Feb 12 1800hrs
It’s been a few days since we had contact with anyone on the mainland. No one is checking in on us and we should arrive in 3 days. One of the SF guys managed to get a hold of one of his buddies in 10th group who was also on one of these transport boats. He said they had lost contact with the mainland as well. His buddy apparently has internet access. He said the CDC has declared most of the southern states in a state of emergency and that the epidemic is out of control. He also said that the UK, France, and China are all reporting outbreaks as well. God, this is worse than the swine flu.
Feb 13 1830hrs
Found out today that the SF guy with the internet connection learned that CNN hadn’t updated their page in a week. The news we got was old! What the hell is going on? I tried to call my wife but all I got was a busy signal. The phone lines must be overloaded right now. I hope they are safe. Tomorrows my birthday. Some of the guys want to celebrate with me and get shit faced. I can use an escape from my anxiety. I wasn’t this worried in Iraq. Just 2 more days and we will be in NYC.
Feb 14 1330hrs
My head is splitting. These guys know how to party hard. They tried to get me to take a shot for every year for my age. Yeah bad idea I’m 33. I just got a few down before I hit the floor. That was nuts. Now just wake me up when we get to NYC.
Feb 16 1000hrs
This is all wrong! We got to New York this morning around 0630hrs and still no response from the main land. We passed an Army base in Brooklyn this morning. Ft Hamilton. It was on fire like many of the buildings. The buildings in the city look like match sticks. CW2 Rameriz doesn’t want to dock until he knows what’s going on. He doesn’t want looters getting on this ship. Can’t say I blame him, we are loaded with vehicles and weapons. If this ship fell into the wrong hands they could be very dangerous.
1900hrs
We are spending the night anchored between NJ and NY. The city looks to be in chaos. Everyone is on edge. CW2 Ramirez is in charge. But there are troops on this ship from 3 different units. The soldiers who work on this ship, me and 9 mechanics from my unit and 6 SF guys from 7th group. And everyone has different ideas as to what we should do next. Right now I just want to get to my family and know that they are OK. I know the SF guys think everything is fucked. They suggested we dock on the Jersey side where things are quite and take all we can and find our way home. I tend to agree. But Chief Ramirez held his ground. He wants to wait for orders and he wants to protect the cargo. But I don’t think orders are ever going to come. Tomorrow I’m going to take some binoculars I found and try and have a look into the city to see what’s going on.
Feb 18 2010hrs
Hell is on earth! I couldn’t believe what I saw today. It was right out of a horror movie. Myself and one of the SF sergeants went out on the main deck and used the binoculars I had to look into the city. There were people everywhere. But they looked like they had been in a fight. Their shirts were covered in blood. Gangs were chasing other people. And it looked like they were eating them. Like a pack of wild dogs. This shit is way out of hand. This is no flu! These people are beyond messed up. I need to get off this fucking ship. I’m going to start prepping one of the up armor hummers. I don’t give a fuck any more. I need to know what’s going on with my family. I think the SF team is going to try to get us docked. I’m with them if they do.
Feb 19 2010hrs
Hold up right now in a wooded area of Pennsylvania trying to get some shut eye. But after what we saw and did today it’s tough to close your eyes. Early this morning the SF team tried talking to CW2 Ramirez again. He again refused to dock the ship. Said he needed orders. So the SF team took control of the ship by force. They put the crew in the galley until we got to shore. Myself and PFC Smith from my unit took the hummer I had prepped for myself. He is from N Dakota and didn’t want to travel alone. My hummer was topped off with fuel and I loaded weapons, ammo, and 2 boxes of frags, water and some MRE cases. I even found ammo for the crew served .50 cal on top of the hummer. I also managed to hide away some NVG’s. When we got to shore the SF team took off in a Stryker that was fitted for NBC (Nuclear, biological, Chemical) missions and bugged out. Said they were headed for N Carolina. Most likely to check on family at Ft Bragg. PFC Smith and I left right behind them. Everyone else was in confusion as to what to do. I just hope they stay safe. As we hit the road we learned that the roads were almost all blocked. Cars everywhere with no one in them. Most were covered in gore marks. Bloody hand prints and what not. We decided to go off road. But then we ran into the local population. These people were clearly infected. They tried to attack our vehicle head on. We tried not to hit them but they clearly had no regard for their own life. What kind of illness does this to a person? After awhile we just had to get away from these crazies and run some of them down. Right now PFC Smith looks completely freaked. That worries me. This kid was on the contact team in Iraq. He would regularly put himself in harm’s way to recover broke down vehicles on the roads in Iraq. I have to admit I’m just numb right now. I might be a mess to right now if I allowed myself to focus on what happened today. I have to focus on getting to my family. Right now they are staying in a real small town in the middle of nowhere Minnesota. I hope this plague has not reached that far.
I decided to keep a journal today. There’s nothing to do on this damn boat. I’m a soldier not a sailor. My unit freaked out at having to pull out of Iraq so sudden. We just threw all our vehicles and excess weapons on the ships going home and didn’t even have time to account for sensitive items (i.e. weapons, radios, night vision goggles…) something spooked the pentagon to pull us out so sudden. They said it had something to do with a flu outbreak in the south. Sounds ridiculous. Obviously we are not getting the whole story. None the less my unit threw all this equipment on this ship and felt they needed a SR NCO (Non Commissioned Officer) to make sure it arrives in South Carolina safe.
Feb 3 1200hrs
I miss my family. My wife and kids are visiting family in Minnesota right now. We have plans to take the kids to Disney World when I get home. I can’t wait. They have such a great time down there. Hell so do I. I wonder what my platoon is doing right now. I bet they are already home drinking some beers. This boat is to damn slow!
Feb 6 1900hrs
We had a meeting today. The W02 (Warrant Officer) in charge of the boat let us know we had to change course. Instead of pulling into South Carolina, we are now heading towards New York. It adds some time to our trip. This sucks! I think I will chat up the SF guys and see if I can use their SAT phone to call the wife and let her know.
Feb 7 1200hrs
Things are worse than they let us know. My wife said our reservations to Disney were cancelled and that she was given a full refund. She also told me the whole state of Florida was in a state of emergency due to this flu outbreak. I told her to stay with her mom and I will join them in Minnesota. This must be some bad bug. Reminds me of the swine flu.
Feb 12 1800hrs
It’s been a few days since we had contact with anyone on the mainland. No one is checking in on us and we should arrive in 3 days. One of the SF guys managed to get a hold of one of his buddies in 10th group who was also on one of these transport boats. He said they had lost contact with the mainland as well. His buddy apparently has internet access. He said the CDC has declared most of the southern states in a state of emergency and that the epidemic is out of control. He also said that the UK, France, and China are all reporting outbreaks as well. God, this is worse than the swine flu.
Feb 13 1830hrs
Found out today that the SF guy with the internet connection learned that CNN hadn’t updated their page in a week. The news we got was old! What the hell is going on? I tried to call my wife but all I got was a busy signal. The phone lines must be overloaded right now. I hope they are safe. Tomorrows my birthday. Some of the guys want to celebrate with me and get shit faced. I can use an escape from my anxiety. I wasn’t this worried in Iraq. Just 2 more days and we will be in NYC.
Feb 14 1330hrs
My head is splitting. These guys know how to party hard. They tried to get me to take a shot for every year for my age. Yeah bad idea I’m 33. I just got a few down before I hit the floor. That was nuts. Now just wake me up when we get to NYC.
Feb 16 1000hrs
This is all wrong! We got to New York this morning around 0630hrs and still no response from the main land. We passed an Army base in Brooklyn this morning. Ft Hamilton. It was on fire like many of the buildings. The buildings in the city look like match sticks. CW2 Rameriz doesn’t want to dock until he knows what’s going on. He doesn’t want looters getting on this ship. Can’t say I blame him, we are loaded with vehicles and weapons. If this ship fell into the wrong hands they could be very dangerous.
1900hrs
We are spending the night anchored between NJ and NY. The city looks to be in chaos. Everyone is on edge. CW2 Ramirez is in charge. But there are troops on this ship from 3 different units. The soldiers who work on this ship, me and 9 mechanics from my unit and 6 SF guys from 7th group. And everyone has different ideas as to what we should do next. Right now I just want to get to my family and know that they are OK. I know the SF guys think everything is fucked. They suggested we dock on the Jersey side where things are quite and take all we can and find our way home. I tend to agree. But Chief Ramirez held his ground. He wants to wait for orders and he wants to protect the cargo. But I don’t think orders are ever going to come. Tomorrow I’m going to take some binoculars I found and try and have a look into the city to see what’s going on.
Feb 18 2010hrs
Hell is on earth! I couldn’t believe what I saw today. It was right out of a horror movie. Myself and one of the SF sergeants went out on the main deck and used the binoculars I had to look into the city. There were people everywhere. But they looked like they had been in a fight. Their shirts were covered in blood. Gangs were chasing other people. And it looked like they were eating them. Like a pack of wild dogs. This shit is way out of hand. This is no flu! These people are beyond messed up. I need to get off this fucking ship. I’m going to start prepping one of the up armor hummers. I don’t give a fuck any more. I need to know what’s going on with my family. I think the SF team is going to try to get us docked. I’m with them if they do.
Feb 19 2010hrs
Hold up right now in a wooded area of Pennsylvania trying to get some shut eye. But after what we saw and did today it’s tough to close your eyes. Early this morning the SF team tried talking to CW2 Ramirez again. He again refused to dock the ship. Said he needed orders. So the SF team took control of the ship by force. They put the crew in the galley until we got to shore. Myself and PFC Smith from my unit took the hummer I had prepped for myself. He is from N Dakota and didn’t want to travel alone. My hummer was topped off with fuel and I loaded weapons, ammo, and 2 boxes of frags, water and some MRE cases. I even found ammo for the crew served .50 cal on top of the hummer. I also managed to hide away some NVG’s. When we got to shore the SF team took off in a Stryker that was fitted for NBC (Nuclear, biological, Chemical) missions and bugged out. Said they were headed for N Carolina. Most likely to check on family at Ft Bragg. PFC Smith and I left right behind them. Everyone else was in confusion as to what to do. I just hope they stay safe. As we hit the road we learned that the roads were almost all blocked. Cars everywhere with no one in them. Most were covered in gore marks. Bloody hand prints and what not. We decided to go off road. But then we ran into the local population. These people were clearly infected. They tried to attack our vehicle head on. We tried not to hit them but they clearly had no regard for their own life. What kind of illness does this to a person? After awhile we just had to get away from these crazies and run some of them down. Right now PFC Smith looks completely freaked. That worries me. This kid was on the contact team in Iraq. He would regularly put himself in harm’s way to recover broke down vehicles on the roads in Iraq. I have to admit I’m just numb right now. I might be a mess to right now if I allowed myself to focus on what happened today. I have to focus on getting to my family. Right now they are staying in a real small town in the middle of nowhere Minnesota. I hope this plague has not reached that far.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Intro
So most people have seen a zombie movie or read a zombie comic book. Well so have I and I am hooked into the whole world of zombies. I own every movie you can think of and have read a few books too. So I too have now jumped on the bandwagon and decided to write my own zombie book. I have to admit that my inspiration came from reading J.L Bournes Day by Day. In fact the set up of the book is along the same lines. A military man writing in his journal. I hope mine comes off as different than his. I take a different perspective. My character is enlisted like me, he can't fly a plane he must drive or walk everywhere he goes. Also like me the character has a family and is obsessed with being reunited with them. The main character in my book is cold and calculating when in battle but admits in his writing his fears and real emotions. I hope you enjoy the book. Its still very much a work in progress. In the coming days I will be posting it here for everyone to read for free.
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