Pt 2-Three

3

“How long do we have to stand out here man?” Andy asked his friend who had been standing beside him for almost two days, “Are you sure she’s even still alive? Those were some pretty intense noises coming from inside there last night.”

“We have orders Andrew,” Mark answered using his full name purposefully because he knew he hated it, “we don’t go in and we stand her until she comes out and…”

“I know I know make sure no one gets in,” Andy interrupted flustered, he hated being called Andrew. These two men had been a team even before the disaster occurred. They had both worked for a private mercenary group that handled all sorts of jobs ranging from body guard work to government contracts; wherever there was money they were there. Until now of course because money in America was obsolete. Now power was the currency and these two men were with whom they felt was one of the most powerful people in the country or whatever was left of it.

For the first couple months after the incident had occurred they had wandered the east coast killing whatever had come their way surviving in any way possible. They had killed regular people who were just looking for protection, and they had taken advantage of women who had no way to defend themselves. They had been in a small town one night sitting around a campfire drinking some booze they had stolen from some guy they killed when she had showed up. She just walked up to the fire with no care in the world.

“Well what do we have here?” Mark had asked slurring as he spoke, “Is someone a little lost?”

“I think so Mark,” Andy had answered just as drunk as his friend, “Maybe she needs some help finding her way home.”

She had just stood there staring at the fire moving her lips muttering under her breath some language that none of them had understood. Mark stood up and walked over to her putting his hand on her shoulder.

“Hey there beautiful how’s bout me and you have a little one on one time?”

Andy started coming at her from the front running one of his hands through her hair. It was a little dirty, it was tangled and it looked like it had some dried mud or something in it.

“Or maybe some two on one time,” Andy said starting to bring his hand lower towards her chest. Her hand jumped up suddenly grabbing his wrist, with a grip unlike any he had ever felt.

“Ouch, Mark she is hurting me man!” He cried in pain.

“Now that’s not nice!” Mark said raising his voice, “I think someone needs a lesson in manners.” He went to put his arm around her neck but her free arm shot up her elbow striking him square in the nose, he felt the blood start to run down his face and he began to swear loudly.

“Do you not realize what’s around you right now?” the woman had asked tossing Andy to the side like a rag doll. “You two idiots were sitting here without a care in the world and I walked up on you with ease, look around you.”

She put both her hands out and spun around in a circle motioning to the area around her. Both the men looked around wondering what the crazy woman was talking about when they saw them. Dozens of zombies were around them in a very wide perimeter but they weren’t moving at all. They were standing still watching with patient eyes.

“What the hell is going on?” Andy had asked.

“Why aren’t they coming at us?” Mark asked.

Tabitha grinned at them; the light from the fire made it look like her head was on fire.

“Power gentlemen,” she said calmly “powers like you have never seen. I have been watching you two for awhile now I could use some muscle in my operation and you two seem to be quite capable.”

Andy and Mark looked at each other then back at her and then at the zombies surrounding them.

“And what if we refuse?” Mark asked.

“Well….” As the words left her lips the circle of zombies began to move towards the two men, “You end up zombie chow and I go get someone else to help me change the world, your choice gentlemen.”

The choice had been a simple one. There was no way that the two of them would have been able to fight off that many zombies plus who knew at the time what other tricks she had up her sleeve plus they liked her and she seemed to be ahead of the food chain. Many had joined them since then but Tabitha never went anywhere without the two of them by her side, they were her personal guard and reaped the benefits of everything she did. And now here they were standing outside of a shack in the middle of nowhere waiting for her to get done with her little séance or whatever it was called. They left the particulars to her they were only the muscle after all.

“I hope she gets done soon,” Andy said “I don’t really like it out here at night.”

“You’re such a baby.” Mark said laughing and then stopped suddenly looking to the road. Someone was walking towards them. “Who’s this fool?”

********

The traveler had been walking since the sun came up. He had awoken to the warmth of the sun on his skin. A joy had been inside him this morning that he had not had before. Picking up his backpack he had started out earlier then he usually did knowing that today was going to be an eventful day. During his lovely stroll he had come across a few roaming zombies that he had easily dispatched without breaking a sweat, everything seemed to be lining up perfectly leading him to where he needed to be. The voice of his master in his head pressing him forward and the amazing familiar breeze that seemed to be a constant these past couple of days were keeping him motivated walking through the morning.

The traveler was just about to stop for a little mid-day break when he saw something in the distance. A small structure constructed out of some kind of sheet metal he thought he could make out two figures standing by it. He then started to debate whether he should stand back and plan out a strategy or just walk up to the building and see what happened. There will be men, the boys words came back to him, they will try to kill you. The traveler looked towards the building and started walking again. He already knew what was going to happen there was no need for strategy.

As he drew closer to the building he could see that the men were both talking in hushed voices. They had already spotted him from down the road by no doubt and were deciding how to handle him. Both of them were wearing dark sunglasses, were clothed in black vests which had numerous pockets for various little goodies and were wearing blue jeans which seemed a little too perfect considering the living conditions these days. One of them was carrying what looked to be an M-16 the traveler wasn’t quite sure, all assault rifles looked the same to him. The other one held a combat knife, one like Rambo had in the movies, he was picking at his hand with the tip probably trying to get a splinter out by the looks of it. They had to be some sort of ex-military he had seen a lot of people since the world fell apart and none of them had looked as neat as these two. He got closer and closer to them until he was standing in front of the building. He turned and faced the door that the two men were guarding. They were talking to each other not even paying the traveler any mind. He started to walk toward them.

“I don’t think so,” Mark finally broke the silence pointing his gun in the direction of the traveler. “I think you must be lost stranger. There is nothing in here you need so you need to keep walking.”

The traveler stood there head down saying nothing. There was no point in speaking he already knew what he would be doing it was just a matter of how and when he would be doing it. The second man with the knife pointed it at him and started to walk towards him.

“Hey are you deaf?” Andy asked, “He said beat it and I would listen to him if I were you. You don’t know who you are messing with.” Andy brought his free hand up to grab the traveler and quickly regretted it. Just as he was about to touch him the traveler reached out with lightning quick speed grabbing Andy’s free arm twisting him around while bring his forearm up against Andy’s neck knocking the knife from his hand. Andy had never been beaten before and now here he was at the mercy of some stranger Mark pointing his M-16 at him.

“Mark come on and do something!” Andy yelled he could feel the man’s grip tighten against his throat pretty soon he would be passed out if the man continued to press upon his windpipe. Mark was crouched in his combat stance looking down at the sights waiting for a clear shot at the man’s head when the stranger spoke for the first time.

“Drop the gun, walk away and I promise I will let your friend go. I don’t want to hurt you my business is with whoever is in that building.” He was good he wasn’t letting Mark get a clean shot at his head he kept moving closer and closer towards the building.

“STOP MOVING!” Mark yelled at him. He thought he spotted a weak spot so he shot. Andy yelled in pain as the bullet tore into his thigh blood splattered onto the concrete.

“What the hell Mark???” Andy screamed, “You freaking shot me!”

“Quit your whining it’s only a flesh wound,” Mark assured his friend. He didn’t know what had happened he swore he saw an open spot and in a quick second it was gone. That was like inhuman super fast the only person he had seen move even close to that speed was Tabitha. And then he heard something coming from his right, he looked over and saw two zombies coming at him. Of course they heard the gunshot, and Tabitha was too far into her trance to help hold them back.

Mark decided it would be best to handle the zombies first because he would rather just be dead then to die and come back as one of them. He turned quickly to the right aiming for the closest first; he pulled the trigger twice sending two bullets into its head. The zombie fell to the ground as its friend continued to come towards Mark. He repeated the same pattern with the second one and was satisfied when this one’s head exploded sending chunks of gore flying into the air. He spun back around to put his attention back to the stranger; Andy was on the ground unconscious the man wasn’t there. He caught something coming out of the corner of his eye. Had he flanked him that quick? A machete was coming at his face, in a split second he brought the assault rifle up to block the blade before the man buried it into his skull. Mark kicked out with his leg aiming for the traveler’s midsection but he stepped back pulling the M-16 from Mark’s grasp as he did throwing it to the ground.

“Alright,” Mark said withdrawing a combat knife from a scabbard on his vest. “A good old fashioned fight I can handle that.”

Andy was still out on the concrete blood was pouring from his leg. Mark rushed the man bringing his knife in low for the gut. The traveler brought his machete down almost knocking the knife from Mark’s hand. Mark then retaliated with a swipe to his head only to be greeted with air. This continued for several minutes every time Mark thought he had an opening in less than a second the man had closed it with lightning quick reflexes that Mark had not seen before. This man is special, Mark thought to himself, he has a purpose and nothing is going to stop him unless I do right now. There was another opening. His neck had been wide open for most of the fight and Mark had not even thought of going for it until now. Little did he know that the traveler was baiting him for the final blow. Mark brought his knife down in a swift arc towards the traveler’s neck with the most force and speed he could muster just as it was about to cut into flesh the traveler dropped to his knees bringing his machete across Mark’s abdomen. Mark stepped back dropping the knife putting his hands to his stomach trying to keep his insides from falling out, blood started coming out of his mouth and he fell to his knees dropping his hands to his side letting his vitals come out as he looked up at the man who had killed him. The traveler rushed in with his machete and brought it down and across decapitating him, sending his head bouncing across the hot ground the last look of shock and amazement still locked on his face.

The traveler looked over at Andy who had woken up and was looking up at him with tears in his eyes. He knew he was going to die and the reality of all the horrible things he had done were setting in. The traveler walked over to him holding his blood stained machete up ready to claim another soul.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Andy cried. The traveler looked down at him an emotionless look on his face but somehow it calmed Andy and he quit crying finding some resolve before he died. “I hope you know what you are getting yourself into,” Andy said looking towards the building.

“I don’t have the slightest clue but I am ready for whatever lies behind that door.” The traveler said putting two hands on the handle of his machete bringing it up over his head and down on Andy’s neck severing his head with one clean blow sending it rolling over to rest next to his friends. The traveler looked at the portrait he had just painted then closed his eyes saying a silent prayer for them. He had killed regular people before but it was hard every time he did because they had choices they weren’t mindless monsters. But still people had free will to decide for themselves and those decisions led them to horrible lives and early ends.

The traveler looked to the building still holding the machete tight in his hand. So far everything that had been told to him had come to past. And the biggest part now lied behind the door of this building. He walked forward his weapon in one hand and with the other he put it on the knob of the door and turned it walking into a nightmare.