Pt Three-Seven

7

The next couple of days seemed to go by fast. The group kind of just recuperated, sitting around getting to know each other. Kailee got stronger and stronger as each day passed recovering slowly but surely from the gunshot wound that had saved her life. The bullet had not made a clean wound luckily Rick and Jake had both been in the military and had to remove them before. Rick had taken a knife that he carried, sterilized it and proceeded to remove the bullet. Kailee had of course screamed in pain as he was doing it, but it was quickly over and they patched up the wound, stopped the bleeding and all that was left was the recovery.

Jake had gone out several times scouring the surrounding area for supplies as he liked to call it but the group knew what he was really up to. He was killing zombies, even though he would come back with different items that he found his bat would always be marked with the tellings of zombie slaying. They left him alone, knowing that it was helping in this dark times. Jake had not found one single survivor in his trips to the outside, he had looked within a 1/2 mile radius including most of the suburbs that were close to the church. All he found were zombies, lots and lots of zombies. Even if he wanted to take them all on there was no way he could do it without losing his life and that was something he didn't plan on doing.

Dave had noticed Aaron was being very peculiar of late. He was not being his usual, cheery and chippy self choosing instead to sit away from the rest of them. Dave chose to ignore it, thinking that he probably just needed time to digest the things that were going on. Kailee was sleeping a lot so Dave had been spending time with Jake and Rick talking and learning from them. They showed him several things including how to properly dress a wound, hold a gun the right way and even a knife. Jake had found a machete on one of his adventures and was showing Dave how to hold it.

"It's good to grip it with both hands so you can get some power behind your swing," Jake was demonstrating, "But it's also good to have some mobility, which you have more of if you only use one hand." Jake switched the machete to his right hand and swung it around in an arc with lightning quick speed stopped and then handed the machete to Dave. "Your turn."

"Alright lets hope I don't cut one of my fingers off," Dave said taking the machete.

"Just do it the exact way I showed you and everything will be fine."

Rick chose to sit against the back wall watching the two men, interjecting with his wise old words when he felt things weren't being done right.

"Make sure your feet are set properly," Rick said. "Otherwise you are going to trip and decapitate yourself and fingers will be the least of your worries."

"The old man is just jealous of your mad skills," Jake said smiling, "He can't move like this anymore since his arthritis set in."

"Ha ha very funny," Rick said in a sarcastic voice, "Don't you have an adventure to go on Pippi Longstocking? Your about overdue for an excursion."

"I thought I would stay in and chill with you guys today." Jake answered. "We got enough things for now to last awhile I don't need to go out and risk myself needlessly."

"God wouldn't like that would he?" Rick asked.

"Besides the point that I have free will to do what I want, no he probably would prefer that I didn't go out and risk myself just to kill a few zombies."

This was one of several times that God had been brought up in the last few days. Jake seriously trying to show his side of the story and Rick making arguments to why he thought if there was a God, he was cold and merciless. Dave was fascinated with the discussion having never heard anything about God before. He had been raised far away from any sort of religion and had no friends that were religious. His mom's side was completely LDS, but she had left the church at an early age, separating herself from her family in the process. She had been a severe alcoholic during her life, dying at an early age not long after Dave was born. Dave's dad went off the deep end and Dave ended up being raised by various different family members until he was eighteen and had just recently gotten an apartment to himself, since he had graduated and was ready to face the world. Now there was not much world to face.

"So you mean to tell me," Rick began on one of the conversations that took place, "After everything you have seen happen in the last couple of days, you still believe that God loves everyone yet he would let something as terrible as this happen?"

"I believe everything happens for a reason." Jake answered. The two of them went on for hours it seemed sometimes. Neither one of them giving in to the other or gaining ground in the discussion, though Jake always kept his cool and Rick took a lot of it personal. Dave could tell that Rick had a reason why he believed the stuff he was saying right now and that whatever it was it had hurt him deeply. Dave could see both sides to the argument, but then again he knew nothing about God or his so called purpose in life. But still something inside of him stirred when they started talking about it and something told him that there was something behind the argument.

The second night at the church after everyone had fallen asleep Dave got up from where he had been laying and walked over to a still wide awake Jake who was sitting on a counter in the kitchen reading his bible. His eyes were closed and it looked like his lips were moving.

"I am not interrupting anything am I?" Dave asked.

"Of course not man," Jake said opening his eyes with a smile on his face, "Is there something wrong?"

Dave thought for several seconds not really being able to think of why he had gotten up and came into the kitchen to talk. It was almost like something wok him up and urged him into the kitchen to confront this man he didn't even know.

"So I was just curious about the qualifications for your little club?" Dave asked, "You don't have to be a saint or anything right? Totally perfect without spot or wrinkle or anything like that?"

Jake sat there looking at this young man for a moment. Here, even now in this world and the state it was in, there was still hope for salvation. Jake was amazed at how God worked, bringing the right people together for just a time as this, so that even just one person could possibly come to know him.

"You know if that were true," Jake started, "Then I would not have a chance to be qualified. I have done a lot of things that I am not proud of."

Jake continued, telling Dave of his past, how he had grown up in the church, but it had been under a whole different mindset then he had now. He fell away at the age of eighteen turning to drugs, specifically marijuana and alcohol to fill the hole that he felt was missing from his life. He joined the military at twenty one thinking it would give him a new outlook on life but it had only made things worse. The politics that ran the military had driven Jake into a deeper hole he continued to spiral deeper and deeper and then he hit bottom. The military had no use for drunks so they kicked him out and he ended up back home in Idaho wallowing in his own self pity. At the beginning when he first got home nothing changed, he was at the bar every night doing the same thing he always did until one Sunday he decided to go back to church.

"It was different then it use to be," Jake continued, "I was greeted with open arms and love at the door unlike anything I had ever felt before. These people didn't know me, all they knew was that I was in need of something and that I had come there to find it. The preacher that morning spoke on God's grace and love, that he cared for us so much he sent his Son to die for us on a cross. John 3:16 says that God loved the world so much that he sent his one and only Son that whoever believes in him will have everlasting life. You ask and you shall receive."

Dave stood there speechless not knowing what to say to what he had just heard. He had been though a lot in his life, and made decisions that he was not proud of. Here this man was offering him something he had never heard before. A chance at a new life, a new beginning and a way to start over. Dave suddenly felt a wave of emotion come over him and he fell to the floor tears pouring from his eyes, Jake hopped off the counter and came to his new found friend putting a hand on his shoulder.

"What do I have to do?" Dave asked in between sobs.

"Admit you are a sinner," Jake began, "And that you are powerless without his help. Ask him to be the Lord of your life and let his grace wash you clean."

Right there on the kitchen floor of an abandoned church in the middle of the zombie apocalypse, a new person entered the kingdom adding another blow to the Enemy's campaign.

*********

Aaron laid on the chair in the sanctuary listening to the sobs coming from the kitchen. He felt a strong anger and hate rise within him like nothing he had felt before. Suddenly beside him a shape emerged from the shadows unseen by everyone else in the building.

Well, Legion whispered, you seem to be enjoying yourself.

"I am doing what I was told," Aaron spoke quietly to his master being careful not to wake up Rick or Kailee. "I feel totally worthless actually just sitting here watching these people prance around and talk about Jesus all day."

Legion cringed a bit at the mention of the name. Aaron could tell that it was painful for it to hear and actually it made Aaron a bit sick even saying it. He had never been into the Christian thing, his grandma had been into it but Aaron had always fought going and luckily his parents were not the church type. His mom was actually a pagan, and his dad, well he wasn't exactly sure who his dad was. His mom had rebelled as a teenager going the opposite way of her mother getting deeply involved with some oculist's at her school. There were many rituals that they believed in including some sexual ones and Aaron was born as a result of one of those rituals. The leader of the group had claimed him of course but there was no way to be sure with all the practitioners that had been involved. It didn't matter of course because he abandoned the both of them three years after Aaron was born, leaving his mother in a mess of heroin and jack Daniel's. She bounced in and out of several rehabs leaving Aaron with his grandmother while she was in. She never gave up on her beliefs and they had led her to her grave as a result of one of the rituals going wrong. That had been two years ago, Aaron had pretty much been couch surfing since then, choosing to have a random life then deal with his grandma's religious lifestyle. And now here he was, in a church the place he never wanted to be with a demon on his shoulder telling him what to do. Well he had been born into it so what was he suppose to expect?

Let's try to keep the mention of that name to a minimum shall we? Legion asked, It's not very pleasant to my ears, especially since Him and us have a little bit of history.

"Oh really?" Aaron asked pretending to be interested.

Yes but soon that will not matter. We are in the process of ruining everything He holds dear and you are one of the keys to do that. Your time is drawing close.

"So my time of sitting here having to deal with all this crap is almost over?"

Yes. Tomorrow, after everyone is asleep you are leaving.

"Really?" Aaron tried to not sound excited. "Where am I going?"

You are going to go east. You will meet up with a woman about three hundred miles from here.

"You expect me to walk the whole way?"

There will be transportation eventually but yes you are going to have to walk awhile.

"Okay then. Finally I can get away from these people, they are driving me crazy."

One more thing.

"What is that?"

Legion looked at the boy with a smile on their face. When you leave, They began, you will leave whichever door you go out of open.

For some reason the words that left the creatures mouth did not make Aaron upset. He felt like something inside that had been holding him back was removed and that he was finally doing what he was meant to do.

"Yes master. Whatever you want."

No hesitation. I like that and trust me you will be rewarded. Feel free to take care of the girl before you leave.

"I have no idea what you mean." Aaron said trying to hide the smile on his face. It was true though, he had been trying hard to stuff the urge of suffocating the girl while she was sleeping. He knew that Dave would be heartbroken if you died and something about that idea made Aaron happy inside.

Sure, Legion said with an evil grin, whatever you decide it doesn't matter she will die either way. Just make sure the door is left open.

Legion disappeared into the shadows leaving Aaron laying on the chairs looking up at the ceiling. He just had to endure one more day of this group and then he would disappear in the night and walk into his destiny.

Pt Three-Six

6

Having left the other three people in the sanctuary, Jake and Rick went up the stairs that led to the second level of the church. The second story contained several different rooms that were used for different things but mostly for Sunday school classes and practices for different competitions that the kids went to. The two of them were going to have to check every one in order to soothe their feelings. They opened the first door that laid at the top of the stairs, Rick flipped the light switch on revealing a bare room.

"Well there is one down," Rick said shutting the light back off. "Lets hope its as easy for the rest of them."

"Hey," Jake said pointing down the hall. "That door looks like its open."

"Is that unusual?" Rick asked.

"Well usually they are all closed unless there is someone here."

"Then lets go see what lies behind the curtain."

The two of them approached the door with caution. Rick holding his shotgun close to his body, while Jake grasped the bat with both his hands getting into his hitting stance. As they got to the door, Rick held up his hand to stop Jake and then held up one finger, then two beginning a countdown. Jake guessed they would go at three and he was right because immediately after the third finger went up Rick flipped around the frame of the door shotgun extended ready to blow the brains out of any threat. Jake followed and immediately felt his stomach tighten as he entered the room.

The pastor of the church was spread out on the carpet barely recognizable. He was cut straight down the middle from his throat all the way down to his abdomen, various organs littered the floor. There were also lacerations going down his arms and legs, his eyes were wide open with a look of shock on his face. But that was not the most disturbing part. On the wall sprawled out in the deep red of the pastors blood were three words that caused both sadness and anger to rise up in Jake's body.

GOD IS DEAD

"Well," Rick said putting his finger to the wall to check the writing. "Zombies definitely didn't do this. The blood is dry so it had to have happened last night sometime."

Jake looked down at the man that was lying on the floor. He had not expected to see anyone he knew in such an embarrassing state. He looked over to the desk and saw a coat hanging over the chair. Jake walked over grabbed the coat and threw it over the pastors body trying to give him some decency. He felt a hand on his shoulder as some tears began to fall from his eyes.

"I'm sorry kid," Rick said. "He was a good man. Even though I didn't agree with all this religion stuff he was always there for me. He was always trying to help me even after Megan died and I just blew him off."

This was the first time that Jake had heard Rick talk about Megan since she died. He could hear the hurt and sadness in Rick's voice when he mentioned her name. Poor man, Jake thought to himself, he still hasn't healed. Jake wiped the tears from his eyes, turned around and faced Rick.

"Yes he was. He is in a better place now. We need to find out who did this and right now its pointing to only one person."

"You mean the guy that was already here when we arrived?" Rick asked.

"Exactly. He's the only one that was here, unless someone else is here hiding."

"And that is not likely," Rick said as they left the room and began to walk down the hallway. "Lets hurry up and get this done. I don't trust him down there with the others."

Barely had the words escaped his lips when a scream broke their conversation coming from downstairs. Both men immediately changed direction and hurried downstairs feeling they might already be too late and the person had already struck his next target.

********

Dave and Aaron entered the woman's restroom not knowing what to expect. They hurried around the corner and into the main area, stopping dead in their tracks. There was a man in a policeman's outfit holding Kailee around her waist with one hand and holding a knife up to her throat with the other hand that was also missing two fingers. There was a look in his eyes unlike anything Dave had ever seen. He looked like someone who had lost his mind and didn't have anything left to live for. Dave held up put down the shotgun knowing that it would be useless unless he wanted to hit Kailee in the process and withdrew the 9mm Glock the was stuffed behind his back in his jeans. He held it up trying to aim and get a clear shot at the mans head.

"Let her go," Dave said, "Or so help me I will end you right here and now."

Aaron was silent, choosing to be quiet. He didn't have any weapons, so he was pretty much useless right now. Plus Legion told him to sit and watch so that was what he planned on doing. The door opened behind them, Jake and Rick rushed into the restroom and stopped directly behind Dave who was still holding the gun.

"Danny?" Rick asked recognizing his deputy instantly, "What are you doing son? I thought you were gone."

Danny looked at his boss, insanity in his eyes.

"They are talking to me," Danny said pressing the knife harder against Kailee's throat a small trickle of blood dripped down her throat, "They saved me Rick. They saved me from hell. I have to thank them for the gift they have given me."

"Whoa," Rick said holding a hand up, "Take it easy there Dan. She is just a girl, she hasn't done anything to deserve this. Let her go."

Danny looked at all of them then all around the room and then locked eyes with Aaron a wicked smile on his face.

"I must make way for the one who comes," Danny said. "The one's who serve the master will be saved, the rest will perish. You are all going to die, they are all around you."

"He's lost it." Jake said aloud. "He must be close to turning or something he obviously has been bitten."

Aaron knew that the man was telling the truth but of course he couldn't say anything. He could see the things that were attached to the man and wondered if that was what was all around him at this very minute. There were several small creatures all over the man, they were all black with spikes protruding from their backs and sharp claws on their hands. They held all the mans limbs, controlling his actions and they were all looking directly at Aaron.

"All of you must pay." Danny said, "There is no room for unbelievers. God is dead and stays silent."

The words hit Rick and Jake like a ton of bricks. Danny was the one that mutilated the body upstairs and desecrated the room. Rick looked at Jake who obviously was on the verge of rushing Danny and beating him to death with the baseball bat not caring about the girls safety.

"Easy champ," Rick whispered, "Lets get the girl first then he will get whats coming to him."

Jake nodded continuing to glare at Danny with anger in his eyes.

"Sounds good to me."

Aaron continued to watch as the creatures tightened their grip on the man. He knew it wouldn't be long until Kailee was just another corpse and he didn't feel sorry. In fact there was not one single emotional thought in his body right now. He could care less what happened to her, if the master wanted her dead than she had to die regardless. He turned around to walk out of the restroom.

"Where do you think your going?" Dave said.

"It's pointless to deal with him. He is not going to let her go." Aaron replied.

"You don't know that."

"Either way I am tired of standing here. I am going to wait for you guys in the other room."

Aaron continued to walk and exited the room with no arguing from Jake or Rick. They didn't care what he did now they found who they were looking for.

"It's time," Danny said lifting the knife just a few inches from Kailee's throat. "The beginning of the end is here. I am a messenger of the one who comes. He will reign forever, all others will be cast down and thrown into the fire."

"Last chance buddy." Dave said, "I am going to count to three."

"No need." Danny said as he brought the knife down towards the girls jugular. Dave pulled the trigger. The bullet hit Kailee in the shoulder sending her back into her captor causing him to release his grip the knife missing by inches. Jake rushed Danny instantly, pulling Kailee out of the way and began to beat Danny with the bat. First he went for the kneecaps, he heard them crack as the bat hit them, shattering from the impact. Danny screamed in pain as Jake continued to crush the bones in his legs. He wasn't going easy on him, who knew what kind of torture and pain his friend had to endure last night. After several minutes he let up his pounding, Danny looked up at him still alive but unable to move almost every bone is his body shattered blood was coming from his mouth as he spoke.

"He called out to God the whole time I was cutting him," Danny smiled. "Each time he did I cut deeper and deeper, removing one organ at a time."

"I hope you enjoy where you are going." Jake said lifting the bat one final time. "Tell your master I am not going to rest until I kill as many of his creatures as I can. He can send as many as he wants, I will be there to stop him even if it means I die in the process."

Jake brought the bat down as hard as he could as he had several times in the past twelve hours. This being the first time on an actual human being though it felt no different then killing a zombie. Danny's face was unnoticeable after a minute, Jake finally stopped and turned to Rick who was just watching. Dave was on the ground with Kailee, he had found some rags in a closet and was applying pressure to her gunshot wound, she had lost a lot of blood already though.

"I am sorry," Dave was saying to her. "It was the only thing I could do."

"I know," Kailee said looking up at him with a smile on her face. "I am not mad. You did what you had to do."

Jake walked past them to Rick who put a hand on his shoulder. They did not exchange words, choosing instead just to look at each other. Both of them knew that it had to be done, but now they were left with more questions. Why hadn't Danny turned into a zombie? Had something or someone did something to hold the sickness back? If so were there others who had been bitten or infected who were under the influence of this thing. Only time would tell and one thing was for certain, they had a lot of work to do.

Pt Three-Five

5

Jake approached the edge of the field with extreme caution. He did not know what kind of danger possibly lied on the road ahead. The weeds in the field were very unkempt; they hadn't been trimmed or cut in ages. The owner of the field had been warned on several different occasions about cutting the weeds but had ignored all of them. Jake wished that he would have because he couldn't see any trace of the road from where he was at and it felt like he was walking into unexplored territory. Anything could be over there and he just had to be prepared for it. He had run into a couple other zombies as he entered the field and had dispatched them with ease. Jake was catching onto this zombie killing lifestyle, not having any problems so far minus the close call last night.

Jake got to the end of the field and carefully looked outside of the weeds, inspecting the area around the church. There was nothing in sight as far as he could see. There were a few cars a ways down from the church pulled over to the side of the road abandoned by the looks of it. Jake looked to the left and thought he could see a few shapes down the road, probably zombies, but they were quite a ways away and wouldn't be any trouble. He took a deep breath, said a quick prayer and put his foot out onto the road. That’s when he felt something press against the back of his head and the sound of what was more than likely a twelve gauge cocking.

"Don't move another step," a voice that sounded very familiar said, "Or I will blow your stinking head off."

"Alright, alright," Jake said lifting his hands into the air still holding the bat. "I am not moving okay? Gosh, I thought zombies were the only things I was going to have to worry about. Now I have to add crazy people to the list."

"Shut up."

Jake stuffed the urge of continuing to rant down as he felt the barrel of the gun press harder into his skull.

"What are you doing out here?" The voice asked.

"I was going to cross this street right here in front of me and go into the church. It was the closest place to me with power so it was a no brainer actually."

"Have you seen anyone else?"

Jake suddenly recognized the voice and it immediately explained his behavior.

"No not a single person. You are the first, even though I haven't technically seen you. I am not doing anything wrong sheriff."

There was a pause for several seconds, followed by a question.

"Is that you Jake?" The pressure on the back of Jake's skull was relieved and he felt an arm on his shoulder pulling him around.

Sheriff Rick Sheldon was standing there with a weak smile on his face. Probably the best smile he could muster actually under the circumstances. The two of them had played softball together over the summer. Rick did not attend the church but his wife had while she was alive. That was the ticket for him to be able to play since the only league in town was a church league. They had many Barbecue’s at the Sheldon's after games but after Megan died well all of that sort of went to crap.

"Good to see you Rick." Jake said looking back behind the sheriff to the two people standing silent, "And you found some friends. Man they must be desperate."

"Very funny Locke." Rick said patting Jake on the shoulder and then motioned to the people behind him. "This is Dave and Kailee. They so happened to make it to the station last night. So now here we are. We couldn't get to my car it was surrounded, so we snuck out the back and trekked out on foot. Town is crawling with them man, the early risers were caught out guard they didn't have a chance in hell."

"Well at least you made it Rick. I don't know if there is anyone inside the church but we can go check it out. Maybe these two should stay here while you and I check it out?"

"No," Rick said shaking his head. "These two have been through a lot already. They stay with us plus they are both carrying if you didn't notice which is more then I can say for you. Is that the bat you used in high school?"

"Heck yes man," Jake answered swinging the bat around as if it were a light saber. "I love this bat I can't think of a better way to kill zombies. Already gotten some good uses of it too, see."

Jake pointed to the stains of gore on the end of the bat.

"Well it’s good to see you can handle yourself Jake." Rick said. "Now if you're done being a show off we should probably get inside and out of the open don't you think?"

"Of course sir," Jake said motioning towards the church. "Would you like me to go first?"

"Lead the way Dora the Explorer."

"Oh wow," Jake said as he started crossing the street. "So your a comedian now?"

As they crossed the street, all of them were unaware of something perched above them on the building watching as they entered. A wicked smile on their face Legion could only hope everything went according to plan. But if not, only one person would be leaving that building alive and the future would begin.

********

Aaron opened his eyes at the sound of a door opening and then voices soon after. They went quiet suddenly, probably checking to make sure that the building was empty and that there were no zombies getting ready to feast on their insides. He didn't know what to do, he could just stay where he was pretending to be asleep until they found him, or he could just sit up and show them he was there. There could be potential risk to that, one of them could have an itchy trigger finger and blow his head off. He would just stay put for now, close his eyes and wait for them to see him.

It seemed like hours that he laid there with his eyes closed. All the events of the day played out through his head. He had no idea what Legion had planned but he had been instructed to watch and listen and that was what he was going to do. His thoughts were interrupted at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Aaron? Aaron is that you?" Dave asked coming over and shaking him from his pretend slumber.

"What?" Aaron asked pretending to be groggy. "Who's there don't hurt me. Dave?"

Sitting up Aaron spotted the rest of the people that had entered the church with his friend. Kailee of course, she looked like crap. There was the sheriff, just as Legion had told him and then there was a young man, probably around twenty four or so wearing a Boston Red Sox baseball cap backwards and holding a bloodied Louisville Slugger. There was something about him that Dave did not like, when he looked at him, something inside of his body screamed.

"Thats not a bite there is it son?" The sheriff asked pointing the barrel of his shotgun at Aaron's forehead.

"No sir I ran into a wall in an alley running away from the clinic. I was trying to head north out of town and ran into this place last night."

"I'll vouch for him Rick," Dave said, "We have been friends for a long time."

"Alright then," Rick said, "But if he eats one of us in the middle of the night it’s on your conscience. I am going to check the rest of the building, Jake come with me."

The man in the hat with the bat followed the sheriff to the other side of the building and disappeared.

"Why the hell did you run off man?" Dave asked his friend punching him in the shoulder.

"Ouch!" Aaron said holding his shoulder, "Dude I was freaked out and I ran. I'm sorry I am not use to dead people walking around eating peoples fingers."

Kailee excused herself to the restroom and the two boys sat discussing what had happened to the two of them. Well Aaron left out a huge chunk of stuff for fear of feeling the wrath of his master.

"I am glad you are okay man." Aaron said, "I am sorry I got you into this. I made you go to the party."

"Dude stop," Dave said lifting his hand. "It's in the past, let’s forget about it. Who knows what would have happened if I would have stayed home. Who knows how far this thing has spread maybe we are better off where we are at."

"You’re probably right."

"Of course I am. Now let’s see what there is to eat in this place. Hopefully not just crackers and grape juice."

The two of them laughed as they went into the kitchen looking for food to sustain their hunger. It was short lived as a sharp female scream came from the restroom reminding them of the dangers that were present in this new world they lived in. Both of them rushed to the restroom and walked in, not knowing what to expect.

Pt Three-Four

4

Morning came, and with it the rest of the country awakened to a grim reality. If only the Idaho survivors could see the devastation in the rest of the land then maybe they would realize that they had actually made it better than most people had, especially in the big cities. Pittsburg had been one of the first to go. The disease had spread quickly leaving no room for error and from there it had moved to the rest of the eastern seaport in less than twelve hours. People fleeing in the middle of the night not realizing they had been infected added even more to the chaos. By the time the train carrying the canisters docked on the west coast it was too late, the damage had already been done.

It seemed that every canister that dropped was strategically placed instead of accidentally falling off. They left no room for error, by the time America woke up over fifty percent of the population had already been turned and the rest were left to fend for themselves. But of course no one in the small Idaho town knew what was going on because all the power had been knocked out. They did not know about the military convoy that had been running night drills on the edge of town and had run into an infected Bobby Williams before he had even bit Sharon at her gas station. The infected ones that had retreated with their lives in turn infected personnel back at the base in turn making military support ineffective.

Zombies from the base then in turn wandered to the free way that led to Boise that in turn infected drivers stopping to see what was wrong, who in turn carried their and well to make things simple, a very high percentage of life in populated areas was quickly extinguished. And as Jake Locke sat behind an abandoned Honda Civic in the parking lot of his apartment complex, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. He had heard neighbors stirring early in the morning and had tried to bang on his walls to get their attention but they had just ignored him. He was the religious nut of the complex and people had learned to avoid him and made fun of him whenever they got the chance. If only they knew what waited for them outside. He had heard yells early in the morning from people who had left to go to work, as well as screams of children. He had wanted to get up and go outside but something inside him told him to stay put and kept him on the floor. Almost as if he was being held there by some unseen hand. When first light came he had gotten up on his floor and walked to the front door opening it slowly inspecting outside.

There were at least eight zombies out in the parking lot, wandering around aimlessly not counting the ones he could see along the road. He didn’t want to risk trying to get to his car four zombies surrounded it so he would have to try to make it to the church on foot. He had snuck out easily enough and had made it behind a car on the east end of the parking lot without any of them spotting him, ducking down behind the car as one of them had turned his direction. He had barely handled two of them last night; there was no way he could take eight of them at once. He would have to make it to the road and try to stay hidden as long as he could on his way to the church. It was pretty much a straight shot as soon as he got to the road anyway. He would just have to stay in peoples yards maybe hop over a couple of fences, it would be challenging but he had a feeling he would be making it.

Jake peeked over the trunk, seeing that the way toward the road was clear he got up and booked it for the road making sure that none of the zombies behind him had seen him take off and yelled out a warning to any of their pals. As he turned his head forward once again looking toward his destination he stopped dead in his tracks almost tripping over his own feet. One of them was directly ahead of him looking at him with hunger in its eyes. Blood was dripping from the corners of its mouth and eyes as it came at him with its arms outstretched. Jake ran up to it, both hands curled around his bat and he swung directly at the temple not even hesitating. It hit the skull caving in the side of its head some blood flying against an apartment door as the zombie fell to the ground. Jake swung a second time just to ensure that it was finished and was satisfied when he started seeing brain matter escaping from its head.

Jake had spent a couple of years in the military. They had not been good years, he had gotten into some things he shouldn’t have and had gotten discharged early. He had been too many briefings and watched many videos with blood and gore so it didn’t bother him to see someone’s brain hanging out of their head. Especially since this wasn’t really a person anymore. I was a walking undead, a zombie only out for one thing. His flesh and that was something he wasn’t willing to part with. He kept running up to the end of the lines of apartments and then dove to the right into the yard of the house that was right beside the complex. He hopped the fence into the back yard examining his surroundings. It was your normal backyard, nothing special about it. He ran to the opposite side of the yard hopping that fence as well, into the backyard of the next house. He would have to continue doing this for several more houses and then he would come to another road which he would have to cross another couple houses and then a wide field that was across the street from his church. As he continued jumping the fences, he only prayed that he would make it that far.

********

Aaron awoke from his sleep sitting up from one of the chairs that he had settled into last night. He had gotten to the church an hour after the creature known as Legion had talked to him. He had run into several members of the undead and they hadn’t so much as even glanced at him. They didn’t care about him they didn’t even try to grab him. They ignored him completely almost like he was one of them himself. Maybe I am, Aaron thought. He had no idea what Legion had done to him. If it was responsible for this epic disaster then it who knew what was coursing through his veins right now holding the virus at bay.

Then again he was also thinking why Legion had not let the sickness overtake him. If he was responsible for all this chaos and despair, then why would he want anyone to survive it? Are we interrupting anything? A familiar raspy voice spoke from behind him. Aaron turned around to face the creature that had saved him from becoming a zombie shrugging his shoulders.

“No, not really just chilling you know what else is there to do when the world outside is a zombie infested mess.”

You sound as if you are not grateful for our gift. Maybe we should choose someone else and leave you in here a mindless monster left to eat your friends when they get here.

“What?” Aaron asked making sure he heard the thing right. “Dave and Kailee are coming here? How can you be sure?”

We told you if you did what you were told we would get your friends for you. Well they are coming this way with the local sheriff as we speak.

Aaron sat back down in the chair barely able to process the information that he was hearing. They had made it out of the clinic somehow; they were okay and on their way here. Legion had been right, and Aaron had totally taken his gift for granted he owed him more then that. He got out of the chair, faced the creature and fell to his knees.

“Forgive me,” Aaron said. “You are right I have been ungrateful for this second chance. I promise from now on I live to only serve you.”

It’s not only me you must serve young one. My master must have your allegiance as well.

Master? This whole time Aaron had thought this creature had done this all on his own. And now he was saying that he was only an underling. There was someone more powerful then him out there somewhere in the world. Aaron had no second thoughts he knew in the days to come he would need protection and it looked as if these things could offer it.

“Of course, who is this master that you speak of?” Aaron asked.

Let’s not rush things; you will meet him when you are ready. No sooner, no later when he wants you to meet it will happen, understand?

“Yes.” Aaron responded head bowed. “When my friends get here I will tell them of your amazing mercy and how you have saved me.”

You will say nothing. You are to watch and learn. Your friends and the sheriff are not the only ones on the way here there is another person as well. You will stay here and be silent until you hear a further instruction from us is that clear?

Aaron was dumbfounded. He was to say nothing after everything that had happened. It was actually probably for the best. They wouldn’t believe him anyway, especially Dave he would laugh.

“Yes.” Aaron answered. “I will not say or do anything until I hear from you.”

Good. Now you must prepare yourself for their arrival. Here we need to make sure that your role is convincing there isn’t a scratch on you.

Legion reached its clawed hand out and grasped Aarons head. A burning pain immediately filled his consciousness and he could feel warmness dripping down his forehead. After Legion left Aaron stood in one of the churches bathrooms examining himself in the mirror. There was one gash going across his forehead it looked like he had run into a wall and that was exactly what he was going to tell them. As he left the bathroom and returned to his spot on the chair he wondered what would happen in the coming days and what great things he would do for his new masters and possibly just maybe one day they could change the world.

Pt Three-Three

3

Dave could hear Kailee breathing heavily behind him.

“Hey,” he whispered, “you need to try to be a little quieter. Who knows how good these things’ hearing is.”

“Sorry,” she whispered back, “You know I am just a little freaked out since there are like zombies trying to eat me and stuff. It’s not like this happens every day.”

“Hey, I am scared too we just have to be careful. We don’t know how far this thing has spread. My money is on something from the military base going wrong. I mean the nuclear power plant is up north quite a ways I don’t think that could have had anything to do with it.”

The two of them had barely escaped the hospital. Dave had turned around and Aaron was nowhere to be found. Kailee had been screaming at the top of her lungs one of the zombies was about to lunge at her when Dave had pulled her out of the way and drug her out the door into the night. He was pulling her towards the truck when he realized that there were several shapes standing around it. Crap, he had thought to himself. They were definitely zombies, blood was coming from their mouth and their arms were outstretched and coming towards the two of them.

Dave had immediately changed direction to the left of the clinic practically dragging Kailee behind him as he looked for somewhere they could hide. He came to a door a little ways down, checked it and found it unlocked. It was one of several utility closets that the city had over the town so they could access equipment easier when they needed it. He had pulled Kailee inside and closed the door behind them and now here they were planning their next move.

“Did you check your cell phone?” Dave asked.

“Yeah I got nothing. Not even a single bar. It makes a good flashlight though.”

She held the phone up the light from it barely illuminating the room they were in revealing shapes of several different kinds of equipment. Dave saw a shovel sitting in a corner so he went and grabbed it.

“This will come in handy.” He said swinging the shovel.

“Hey be careful you could knock my head off with that thing.”

“Sorry.”

“So what should we do next?”

Dave thought for a minute. He honestly did not know what to do. He had checked his pockets for his truck keys when they got in the closet and realized that he did not have them. He couldn’t remember is he gave them to Aaron or not. For all he knew he dropped them somewhere on the way here which means he had about a million to one chance to ever find them. They couldn’t stay here in this closet, shed or whatever it was. He had to think of a plan and that’s when he got one.

“We could check the cop shop we drove past on the way into town. I mean out of everyone in this small town if anyone would survive it would be a cop. They have all the guns.”

Kailee looked up at him. The cell phone light clearly showed the fear on her face as she spoke.

“What if we don’t make it? What if they get us?”

Dave walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

“I won’t let them get you Kailee. I have this shovel her and I will beat the living crap out of any zombie that gets within five feet of you.”

“Do you promise?”

“Yes I promise. Trust me okay, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

As the words left his lips Kailee pulled him toward her and began to kiss him. Dave did not resist as he began to kiss her back. The realization that they might die was a little too much for both of them and they both needed to know that they had something before they opened that door and possibly walk into their own death. After several minutes Dave pulled away and looked at this girl he barely knew in the eyes.

“Let’s go.” He said

Kailee nodded in agreement as she stood behind him waiting for him to open the door. He opened it just a crack at first, seeing if there were any of them standing close to the door. As far as he could tell the coast was clear and he opened the door, shovel in one hand and Kailee’s hand with the other. Coming to a corner, he stopped and peeked around. He spotted a shape several feet in front of them, just standing in the middle of the street. He thought it was the old man that they had almost hit earlier. If only he would have ran him over then he wouldn’t be dealing with him now.

The cop shop was a couple blocks down on the opposite side of the road. He wondered if he could sneak by this guy and get across the street. He turned around to Kailee and motioned for her to be very quiet as he began to lead her across the street, being careful not to alert the old man to their presence. They quickly made it across the street and were turning in the direction of the police station when they heard something from behind them. A zombie was almost directly behind Kailee a loud shrill was now coming from its mouth. Dave quickly switched places with her, placing himself between the zombie and her. As the zombie jumped at him Dave brought the shovel in an arc sending it directly into its face, causing it to fall back and then down onto the ground.

Dave immediately rushed up to the fallen zombie and brought the shovel down on its neck. The first blow did not quite do the job, leaving a decent sized gash but the head was still attached and the zombie was trying to get to its feet. Dave brought the shovel down a second time putting all his force behind it, this time severing the head completely; it rolled into the street its body lying motionless at his feet.

Dave turned around to Kailee, grabbed her arm and continued to lead her in the direction of the police station. The old man had seen them and was coming in their direction. No time for him, Dave thought, have to get to the cop shop. Pulling Kailee behind him he rushed to either a hope or a dead end and certain doom.

********

Rick awoke to the sound of frantic knocking on his door. For all he knew it could be zombies clawing, trying to get in to eat his flesh. Then he heard the voices, clear and crisp panicking human voices. He got up from the chair behind his desk and got close to the door.

“Please is there anyone in there? Hello?” a male voice came from behind the door. “Could you please let us in?”

“How many of you are there?” Rick asked from behind the door wary to open it up.

“Oh thank God!” the voice said. “I knew there would be someone here. Oh, right there are two of us. Please could you let us in? Some of them are coming towards us, please hurry open the door.”

Rick thought for a moment. What if they had already been bitten? He knew what would happen to them if they had been. They would become the same flesh eating monsters that were outside the doors. But at the same time it was his job to protect and serve and even if they had been bitten they weren’t zombies yet. They were living and breathing human beings and he had taken an oath.

“Alright I am opening the door.” Rick said as he turned the knob. Two bodies came in. It was hard for Rick to make them out in the dark, but he swore he saw long hair if he had to guess they were both in their late teens. Awesome, Rick thought, now it’s going to turn into Adventures of Babysitting. He closed the door behind them, withdrew the flashlight on his belt, turned it on and pointed it in their direction.

“Dude,” the boy said, “You are going to put someone’s eye out with that thing.”

“I need to have a look at you.” Rick stated. “Need to make sure you haven’t been marked by any of those things outside. I don’t need one of you turning and feasting on my insides while I sleep.”

“We are alright man. Neither one of us have been touched.”

Rick realized for the first time that the boy was carrying a shovel. He shined the light at it and could see crimson red decorating the spade.

“So it looks like you know how to handle yourself. That’s good we are probably going to be doing a lot of that in the near coming future. Go ahead and sit down over here, what are your names?” Rick asked.

“I’m Dave,” the boy said. “And this is Kailee.”

“Hi.” Kailee said lifting her head up for just a few seconds before setting her eyes back down on the floor. Rick could tell from the look on her face that this girl had been through a lot that night.

“So,” Rick began, “How exactly did you find your way to my door this evening?”

Dave spoke for the both of them naturally. He began his story with the party and then explained in detail every aspect that had transpired that night. He started with finding the man lying on the road, convulsions and all, and ended with them sitting there in the office telling their story. Rick then proceeded to tell his story, starting with Shannon barging into his office raving about being bit by the local trouble maker. Then, finding Debbie Sheppard on the floor of a woman’s restroom getting her intestines munched and then ending with Rick making his way back to the police station only to find severed fingers and a trail of blood leading into the night.

“Crap man,” Dave stated. “I thought our night was crazy.”

“It was no crazier than any of ours,” Rick said. “What about your friend? Do you think he made it out?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. I turned around and he was gone. He must have taken off like a bat out of hell.”

“Well we just have to count him as lost. All those people at the clinic are probably zombies by now too. We have to plan our next course of action.”

“What do you mean?” Kailee asked breaking her silence for the first time. “We can just stay here can’t we? You have a radio and guns right? Help will be coming in the morning so we might as well just stay put because this is one of the first places they will look.”

“As much as I would love to believe that honey,” Rick started, “There is a very large chance that no one is coming. I mean who knows if this thing is airborne or not. From the looks of things it looks like something right out of your ordinary zombie movie. Whoever got exposed first passed it on to the first person they came in contact with. It must travel from the blood if I had to guess. Almost exactly like your everyday sexually transmitted disease except it’s transferred through a bite and probably exposure to infected blood. But these are all guesses mind you I am not scientist.

“One thing is for sure we cannot stay here. I don’t have anything for food in this place. And we have no power or running water which means its going to get really gross in here after a couple of days. We need to get somewhere that has a generator and there are only two places in this town that have one.”

“The clinic has one,” Kailee interjected once again, “There were lights on there and the rest of the town was dark. We could—“

“Nice try smart one,” Rick interrupted, “If you didn’t notice the place will now be crawling with zombies so that is a definite no go.”

“So how about the second place?” Dave asked.

Rick didn’t answer at first. The second place was somewhere that he had sworn a long time ago he would never set a foot into. A now it seems that all things pointed to its very door. What an ironic sense of humor God had, if in fact there was a God. Rick was pretty much convinced after the events of tonight that if God really existed he no longer cared about the human race, because if he did he would never allow a harmless girl to be so brutally torn apart and then turn into the very thing that did her in. No, they were in this alone and had to take care of themselves.

“Hello Earth to Saturn anyone home?” Dave interrupted his thoughts. “Where is the second place?”

Rick snapped his attention back to the kids looking them both right in the eye as he spoke.

“The church is about two miles from here. They had a generator and they have their own well which means they have running water. They serve food to the needy and elderly once a week so they should have a full kitchen which means that is where we are going. At first light we leave and head in that direction so you two should rest your eyes. I will stay up and keep watch.”

Of course both of them didn’t want to go to sleep. But Rick demanded that they both lay down in a bed in one of the cells. He was going to make them split up but the girl would not leave the boys side so he gave in and let them share a bed. Eventually they fell asleep surely plagued by memories of the night. Rick sat at his desk cleaning several of the guns that had been in the lockers. In the morning he would lead these two kids to a safer place. His job was to protect and serve and that is exactly what he planned on doing. He only hoped that there could possibly be more people that need the same services.