The Last Blade Of Grass (10 page)

“Arthur, the fence is secondary to Eleanor or your family, okay?”

“Thank you, Eddie. I’m actually more nervous about seeing my brother than about all this other nonsense going on, can you believe that?”

“I believe it. I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around this whole thing. Be careful out there. People will start to panic, and they’ll be acting like bigger idiots than normal, especially on the road. Take a gun with you and make sure you grab the cash. I don’t want your brother thinking you are trying to pull one over on him. Take about eight grand with you. That amount should cover the cost of most of the fencing he has and help let him know you are being honest with him. Also take one of the letters we printed out from the General. Simone has them, I think.”

Simone walks up with Joshua as I’m heading back to the truck. “Eddie, the internet has been shut down. You need to be quick out there, be careful, but be quick.”

“You mean our service has been shut off?” I ask.

“No. I can still get online, but the only thing that comes up is a government message citing some security act signed into law authorizing the shut-down of the internet. The page tells people to turn to their televisions and radios for information. It looks like they were losing the public relations battle and had to block everyone's access. The TV and radio only have the emergency broadcast alert message, and all it’s telling people to do is stay indoors and avoid people behaving strangely.”

“Damn. This is happening too quickly. If the alert system has been activated, that means people are going to go really bat-shit crazy now. Everyone will be acting
strangely
. Is the phone in the house still working?”

“Yes, and Joshua did get through to his girlfriend, although I’m not sure if she will be coming here.”

“Simone, hang on,” I say as Arthur is driving up with the truck to leave. I wave him down, “Arthur, you need to get in the house and call your brother before you drive down there. The emergency alert system has been activated, so you know what that will do to people. Your brother might not even be there. He might be heading home.”

“If it’s just the same to you, I’ll head straight there anyway. I know him, and he won’t be leaving his store right away. I can’t say what I need to say to him on the phone, and if the sickness is spreading this fast, we’ll need that fence.”

“All right, Arthur, go, but be careful. You’ve got a gun, right?”

“I’ve got two of them, actually. I’ll be careful. Bye.”

Simone and I keep talking as we walk the last few yards to the truck. “Okay, Simone. This changes a few things. You get the girls their target guns and have William ready as well. Start carrying your gun all the time now, load a few of the rifles from one of the safes, and put them around the house. We’re out of the way here but not out of the way enough. I have been inviting more people to come here that we don’t know, like Arthur’s family and the like.”

“More people, Eddie? Do they have specific skills we can use?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. Some of Arthur’s family own the hardware and lumber stores, so they should have building experience. Maybe some farmers as well. I know it isn’t the controlled entry we planned for, but with a pandemic, I think we’ll need numbers at first and can train people as we go.”

“How many people do you think we’ll have?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t know how many people will take the offer or who they’ll bring along. There’s also the very real possibility that some of the people that took survival courses here might come by looking for a place to stay. It could end up being a lot of people, and at this point, I don’t want to turn anyone away, especially anyone that has survival skills. Of course, even though lots of people might want to get here, some just may not make it, so I don’t really know how many, but prepare for a bunch. We’re probably going to have all three houses and maybe even the bunkhouse filled up, but we’ll need the extra manpower to have effective round the clock watches.”

“Eddie, don’t go out there. We don’t need his supplies, and we can give him some of our stuff if he returns.”

“I know what you mean, Simone, I do. But we still need to get Donald’s wife and maybe Joshua’s girlfriend. I need to go because they need someone that can defensively use a gun and an extra set of eyes to watch for trouble. I won’t go anywhere that I think is dangerous. We may not even get a chance to load anything in the truck if I don’t think it’s safe to get to Matt’s place.”

She gives me a stern but worried look.

“I’ll be careful, Simone. I don’t plan on dying on the first day of a zombie apocalypse. We’ll be back as soon as we can, but it may be after dark, since it is already close to two.”

She gives me a hug and kiss, ending with a sad half-smile. I climb into the truck after Joshua to begin my journey into the new American landscape.

Chapter Four

First Contact

The drive into Medford feels strange. I expected there to be more chaos on the roads but there aren’t that many cars out here yet. There are people walking everywhere though, far more than usual. The warning is out now, and you can see by the behavior of the folks on the sidewalks and gathered in front of stores that there is a nervous edge to them, like you see in videos of gazelle in African plains popping their heads up constantly to look for danger. If this sickness is real, we are going to be the prey, but those hunting us will be men, women, and children.

Joshua’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts as we leave the business district and start heading into the housing area where his girlfriend lives. “What are they doing?”

I look back out to see what he is talking about, and the sidewalks and yards are packed with groups of people just like at the business'. To me it just looks like neighbors all out talking with each other. “Everything is out, Joshua. Think about it, there is no internet, radio, TV, or phone service now. Everyone out there is probably just trying to get a little more information. Hoping someone else has heard something that they haven’t.”

Donald adds, “It’s sad that this seems a bit strange to us, but I bet to some of those older folks out there getting together with the neighbors is the long lost normal that they remember. A distant time before smart phones and the internet kept us secluded in our own homes.”

“Hey Dad, that’s it on the left up there,” Joshua says as we approach his girlfriend’s place. “It looks like she’s out there with her mom.”

Donald pulls the truck over across the street from her.

“Joshua. When we get out, try and make amends with your girlfriend, but don’t leave the sidewalk and don’t go in the house. The people that live here are already moving in our direction. I’m guessing to see if we have some information since they aren’t carrying weapons. Just be prepared to leave quickly if we need too, okay? I don’t think the disease has made it to Medford yet, and a lot of these people probably have no idea there is anything other than rioting going on in the country.”

“How can they not know?” asks Donald, with derision.

“Most of the news channels, even the news websites, were talking about this like it was another case of violent rioting before it got taken down. Hannah was searching for news related to bites because of what Simone had heard at the hospital. If someone wasn’t searching for bite information, there is a good chance they wouldn’t have heard anything about infection either, since the CDC info never made it to the TV news. On top of that, think about how few people even bother to listen to the news, Donald.”

“Hey, this is great and all, but can I get out of the truck?” Joshua says, waiting for me to get out of his way.

“Sorry,” I say while opening the door and climbing out. “Just stay near the truck, Joshua. I’m going to talk with the people out there and see what they know.”

In less than five minutes we are back in the truck and on our way to Donald’s house. Joshua has a red spot on his cheek from getting slapped, and I have a growing sense of unease filling me. Not an anxiety of what might happen in the future, but what might not.

Donald’s question pulls on exactly what I am thinking. “So what did you find out from those people? What have they heard?”

“Not a damn thing,” I reply. “It’s just as bad as I thought it might be. Maybe it’s worse. Those people haven’t heard anything with any substance about what's happening. They just think it is big city rioting and are pissed that the phones and internet have been cut off because of it. Most of them didn’t even know that there are problems at the military bases. Honestly, it is making me start to think I got this wrong.”

Donald looks over at me and back at the road before asking, “Do you know the sheriff?”

“I don’t know him too well, just a bit as a customer from my store.”

“Well, he doesn’t live too far from us, and is on the same road. We’ll be driving by his place before we get to mine, and we can see if his wife knows anything about what might be happening.”

“That sounds like a plan. I don’t want to be charged with spreading a panic about an outbreak if this really is just massive rioting in cities.”

Donald has a small house on a few acres Northeast of Medford on the outskirts of town. He said it’s a nice place to park his rig, and it has a decent workshop according to his brief description. I haven’t yet found out what type of workshop it is and am thinking to ask him as we top a small hill.

Donald exclaims, “Uh-oh. Looks like something bad may be going on after all. Sheriff Barns is at home and looks to be loading a trailer and his truck.”

“Good. Let’s see what he knows.”

When we stop I grab one of the printouts of the General’s letter and climb out of the truck to talk to the sheriff. He acknowledges me approaching but doesn’t stop loading stuff into his truck. “Hi, Sheriff Barns. I’d like to pick your brain, see what you might know.”

“Hello, Mr. Keeper. You got that truck loaded with stuff from your store?” He stops and smiles at me.

“Just call me Eddie, Sheriff. Actually, that has already been moved. We’re going after Donald’s wife right now. He lives down the street from you a bit. I see you’re packing up, so it’s safe to assume this is the real deal, and I’m not just being a paranoid prepper, right?”

“You’ve heard the alert like everyone else, I’m sure. I don’t trust what the feds are saying, and I don’t like that they are taking charge, so I’m getting my wife ready to go. She’ll be meeting our kids at my son’s place near Klamath Falls.”

“The feds are taking over?”

“Homeland Security is running the show now. They say it’s some kind of executive order for states of emergency. They had some people here at the beginning of the week like they knew this was coming, and this morning, they were heading out to the state police headquarters. Are you going to be staying at your ranch?”

“Yeah, I plan too. Hopefully the hordes of infected zombies don’t rush into the hills in a big wave and find my place,” I say with a little nervous sarcasm.

The Sheriff chuckles, and asks, “Is that what they call the rioters these days? Zombies?”

“Um, no…” I hesitate. “I mean, the diseased, Sheriff.” Sheriff Barns just stares at me, and I can tell he doesn’t know, so I hand him one of the letters. While he reads it, I tell him what Simone heard from the hospital, and how Hannah got this letter printed out before the internet went down.

When he gets about halfway through reading it he runs to his patrol car, cursing the whole way.

Donald and Joshua get out of the truck and stand over by me. We wait and listen to the sheriff trying to get in touch with his men and various police officers and agencies on his police radio. We listen to him speak with the chief of the Medford police department.

“Charlie, you can’t let those Homeland Security guys give any of your men those injections they brought for first responders. I’ve got a letter here from a General Francis that says it may be contaminated, and the people that get the Zeus drug become infected and violent. Zeus is what those guys called that drug, right?”

“Carl, give me a second. I’ve got men at the hospital with the DHS guys right now. I’ll call you back on the direct channel.”

Sheriff Barns stands up and looks at me with anger etched in every feature. “You got this letter on the internet? God damn it all.” He doesn’t give me a chance to answer. He just goes on to explain, “We have DHS guys that have been speaking with us about getting this injection. They say it is necessary to protect us from the violence that is spreading everywhere. That is one of the reasons I’m getting my wife to leave. Why would they do this? How could they spread an infection like this?”

“They might not know,” says Joshua plainly, and we all turn and look at him. “It is the government after all. They aren’t exactly known for great coordination or organized responses right?” He pauses and we all just stare at him to continue his thoughts. “I mean, it says in the letter they were preparing for martial law, and that the drug was being distributed. The DHS guys could just be following orders not realizing the drug they are carrying is causing the violence. I mean, they wouldn’t hang around while it's given if they know what will happen, right?”

“That makes sense I guess,” replies the Sheriff. “Every part of the military or government that gets the injection would shortly be overrun with the infected, and no one would be able to get a warning out. Everyone down the line would just keep giving the shots, especially as news of violence approaches their area.”

“Carl, this is Charlie, are you there?”

“Yeah Charlie, this is Carl. What do you got for me?”

“We’re too late. Some of my men and the hospital staff were supposed to be given the injection about thirty minutes ago by the DHS people. I can’t reach anyone, not the DHS guys, not my guys or the hospital. I also can’t reach the men I sent down there a short while ago to check on reports of violence. You said it’s some kind of contamination in this Zeus drug that’s causing an infection?”

“Charlie, it’s a letter someone I know brought me. It basically follows the line the DHS guys have given us. It says that the drug is safe and is being administered to the military. Except there is a note from this General Francis that he is stuck in his office. His men are outside killing each other and trying to get in to kill him. He blames the drug and says after people get the shot they get violent and spread the disease by biting people. Bitten people then show the same violent symptoms within one to five minutes.”

“Carl, I have to go. The regular channel is filling up with officers asking for back-up. I need tell my men what is going on.”

“Charlie, if this is an illness spread through the bite of infected people, your men aren’t equipped to deal with anything like that on a massive scale. They can’t try apprehending these individuals or they risk infection themselves. And if the military is already out of the game, we can’t expect help from the National Guard. You’re going to have to tell your men to act defensively, and you know what that means.”

“Carl? I have three groups of my officers that were supposed to get this injection today. I know some of the fire department guys were supposed to get it as well. If your men haven’t been exposed, get them out! Carl, don’t come in to help us, use emergency protocol for extreme outbreak or nuclear attack. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Good luck, Charlie.”

“So I guess that’s it, isn’t it? The infection is here now,” I say to Sheriff Barns.

“Eddie. Thank you for bringing this to me. If the damn phones and internet weren’t down we could warn a lot more people about what is going on.”

“Sherriff Barns, what is the emergency protocol you’re supposed to follow?”

“To avoid having all emergency personnel wiped out by a terrorist attack or outbreak of some type, unexposed or uninfected personnel are required to evacuate the city instead of render assistance. We are supposed to form a perimeter around the city guarding all major roads leaving the area and set up a minimal quarantine zone to check for and prevent any exposed people from leaving. The problem is, we are supposed to coordinate with the National Guard on quarantine procedures. I haven’t heard hide nor hair from the governor or the guard commander. I guess now I know why.

“I don’t have the manpower to do anything without the guard, but at least I can get my people to safety. Eddie, you need to watch out for that newspaper guy Hansen. He stopped by my office this morning after he was at your place, saying I should go arrest you, and confiscate all of your goods for the
community
, but I could tell he meant for him. He knows where your ranch is, so he might be a threat if he survives this cluster fuck.”

“Thanks for the heads up. We should be going. Oh, Sheriff Barns, if you need anything, you know where I am as well. I’m taking people in right now, and we’ll be trying to set up a defensive perimeter around some of my land. If your son’s place isn’t safe or doesn’t stay that way, you and your family can head to mine.”

We say quick goodbyes and get back in the truck. When we start moving I see the Sheriff drop his head, turn and slowly go back toward his car, presumably to call his men and tell them what he knows and figure out what he should do next.

*

Pulling into Donald’s driveway, I see his wife Karen is still at the house, and has a few travel bags set up in a stack out front. As he stops the truck, Katy, his daughter, runs out of the house followed by her mom.

Donald turns and tells me, “I had to sell my truck, and her car isn’t running so well. It was better for her to wait for us here than her possibly breaking down on the road somewhere.”

I nod my understanding, and we all head out of the truck.

Joshua and I carry the bags to the trucks trailer, while Donald tells his wife what we know so far.

“Is there anything else to load up?” I ask as I walk up to Donald and Karen. “Hello, I’m Eddie Keeper,” I say to Karen shaking her hand.

“Hello, Mr. Keeper. I’m Karen. No, there isn’t anything else to take right now. Donald told me on the CB earlier that you would be in a hurry to get some supplies out of the center of town. We do have a lot of things I would like to take with us, but nothing I would consider survival supplies.” She turns to Donald, and asks, “Are you sure we’ll be able to come back to get more things?”