Zombiefest Ch. 11

It took six more months to find the Vehicles and upgrade them so they could work for what we wanted. Granted for the most part they would never reach proper highway speeds, but maintaining between 35 and 45 miles per hour was good enough. The solar panels wrapped around the trucks and trailers so that no matter the suns angle they still got power.

Small solar powered led string lights gave off enough light around the trucks to at least give the Normals the ability to see where they were going when they climbed the trailers for some sleep. The changed would always be able to see in the dark. Some training went in as to what would be considered as valuable and what was considered crap.

"Okay everyone listen up." I called out and the entire compound quieted down, "Now then my family and I will lead Trader Group One. While I am gone, General Jackson will take over here. He's a fair man and pretty easy going, but do not push him. Where the hell do you think I got those rules from, working with him in his Bases." I called out, a gentle reminder not to be assholes.

"The trader group have already been chosen and trained. If any of you have missing family and want to try and connect. Write letters and send them with the group heading towards their last known locations. We will call out names at each stop for those letters and hope those missing will answer. God willing, maybe we can start to bring families back together." I said continuing. Several people ran off and I assumed it was to start writing.

"Now this first run may take as little as a couple weeks to as long as a month. We will have two groups with each Trader Caravan. The Traders who will be dealing with the Forts and Strongholds, and the Guards whose only job is to insure those Strongholds do not overstep their bounds lets face it we've seen both good and bad in all of our travels, we all have stories of the people and holds we have seen. We want to open trade routes, but we will not allow them to take advantage or try and bully our Traders. The first run will have two functions, first to establish contact and give them an idea what we can part with for trade. To find out what they have that they can trade comfortably, and finally to establish a mail route so people can reconnect, maybe even as pen pals." I stated while many nodded while they listened.

"Currently the loads within the trailers are pretty light, mainly just a few things picked up from raiding the large stores on the fringes of the City. Basic hygiene products, tooth brushes, tooth paste, our own home made soaps and shampoo, hair brushes, things we take for granted because we have them still available to us. We will not be trading livestock or even carrying them until we know what they can offer in return with out hurting themselves." I explained while everyone was nodding as they listened.

"Each Caravan also carries enough cold storage to be able to hunt and trade fresh meat for things that we may consider silly or unusable, but another outpost may see as needed. Think about the things you may want as well. Even frivolous things, and the traders will add them to their lists and who knows, we may find it. Personally I am still looking to complete my AC/DC collection, what can I say?" I said with a grin while people laughed.

With as much power as we got from the combined wind turbines and solar panels, we were able to watch TV, listen to music although still no radio and had access to other things of our more normal lives before the Zombies. We did have to scrounge for every LED light we could find in order to keep power usage at a minimum. TV's, and disc players were also what could be reliably low watt usage as well. It was a learning curve for everyone.

"Tomorrow Morning the caravans will head out, so please if you have letters contact the Leader of the Caravan heading in the direction you want and leave them with them. Each stop they make they will wait a day for trades to be completed and any letters that they may write to be sent out." I said and paused while they looked around at the Caravan leaders who stood beneath signs stating the direction they would be going. "Have a good night everyone, disperse."

My group and I remained under the Sign stating we would be heading West. Our group was also comprised mostly of the Changed or Cured. We never did settle on a name for ourselves. Soon people began walking to the group they hoped would have relatives still lingering in one of the outposts. We ended up with nearly a hundred and thirty letters by the time it was late enough to call it a night and make final preparations for the travel.

"Don't think I ever seen so many letters." one of the leaders remarked and I laughed and held out my stack of them. We had arranged to be up and out of the gate just before sunrise.

"Going to be busy out there for sure." I replied with a chuckle.

"Sir, what do we do if we come to a fort and someone wants to join us or leave but the Leader is keeping them against their will?" one of them asks.

"Against their will? Shoot the Bastard and then see who wants to still leave." I replied calmly, several chuckles were heard and I looked up at them.

"You think I am kidding, those animals have no right to keep anyone against their will, none. You be sure they understand that and if they don't, kill them. Let the rest sort it out. We will not tolerate any might makes right dictatorships. I may be a Dictator to some within these walls, but I do not force anyone for anything and all are free to leave. Long as they do fair work for what they get here, that is all I ask of anyone. Beyond that they have a choice of staying or going as they like, working or starving as they like. But none of it do I force on them." I reminded them evenly and they all nodded in agreement.

"You'll get fools who will try to entice the women and men from your groups. They want to stay in some other stronghold, more power to them. You will get others offering trade for the women, try not to kill them outright, just let your opinion of them be known and move on to the next Outpost. Remember these people have suffered just as much and in some cases even more then we have. We have our haven, and have been living a descent life for a months and even a year or more. The rest out there are still living the same lives they have lived sense this all started, some will be good, others out and out slavery. Up to you all which is worth fighting over, but be ready to stand your ground when I question you on your actions. Understood?" I explained to them and they all stood at attention and saluted.

"Who-Rahhh.. now lets get this show on the road." I called out. Everyone saluted General Jackson as he made his presence known and saw everyone off. As the trucks started up and everyone climbed aboard to take off I looked over at Jackson.

"May want to start preparing rooms in the Casino. Chances are good that on return trips, these same trucks will be bringing in more refugees." I said as Charlie started the lead truck and moved out of the way when I stood by the door.

"Already have the House Keeping group working on that, more then four floors will be ready and available to those who arrive. Also have the Councilors and Human Resources working out job placements based on their skills and abilities, along with group leaders shuffling people around so we can have new recruits being helped and trained by trainers and experienced workers. It'll be fine Commander." Jackson stated and I grinned at him. Turning I climbed into the truck and slowly rolled out the gates with two more trucks and trailers following behind.

No one had come from the West, well not before the Outbreak. Those who were born or had lived in California before the Outbreak had been off visiting relatives in other states. California was the highest populated State in the Nation with more then forty million lives living and working there. For all anyone knew, it now held more then forty million zombies looking to bite someone's ass.

Traveling at Forty miles an hour sounds fast compared to walking or riding a bicycle or running. But when you remembered people use to drive Highway 80 at 70 to 80 miles per hour, yeah, you see my point. You end up staring at the same tree for several minutes while you pass it, instead of it flying by as a near blur. Yeah I'm exaggerating a bit here, but damn, do you see my point at all?

Currently I am still driving after two hours, and the changed are running circles around the caravan as we go much to the amusement of the unchanged.

"Tami, your turn to drive." I called out and she swung up into the passenger seat. She wasn't breathing hard or sweating. She slipped into my seat while I stepped on to the ladder while keeping the door open.

"Got it, have fun Dad." she called with a smile. I dropped down smiling and she closed the door. I loped along at the speed of the trucks and kept an eye out.

"Spotter, any signs yet?" I called up. She was using binoculars and keeping an eye out ahead of us. Last thing we needed was to scare the Forts by having purple eyed people running laps around trucks driving at forty miles an hour.

"Nothing yet, just the zombies, we been leading them away from the trucks and keeping them tied up behind hedges and thick bushes or fallen trees. Looks like they may have had a wild fire at one point up here, some blackened areas just now starting to show growth." she reported quickly.

"Good, let me know if there are any changes." I called up.

"Copy that Commander." she called back.

I began to start running ahead to scout the area we would be coming into along with Torie and Maria. Charlie remained with the caravan and the other Guards who were leading away the zombies while the humans used the binoculars to view the area in every direction including behind us in case the Forts where hidden from one direction but visible from another.

During the Stronghold build up, we had raided every military base that was abandoned between Reno and Las Vegas. In those raids we had grabbed every radio system they had, including creating ways to recharge them using solar cells. Now part of everyone's gear was clipping the solar cell to a shoulder, run the wire to the radio for keeping it charged up, and another wire for an ear piece so the radios did not blare out and give away your positions. The Military radio range was far more then anything you could find in some radio shack or best buy.

"Commander, we have movement and a Fort.." Torie called in.

"Position and remain hidden, we have no idea how they will respond and I doubt any of us are bullet proof." I reminded her.

"About a mile past the turn off into Verdi. Verdi appeared to be nothing more then a Zombie free for all. Survivors highly doubtful." she answered.

"Maintain position, when you see the Caravan, come to us and guide the driver in the lead truck to your position." I stated and moved off towards the small City of Verdi, we had to be sure no one was left before just writing it off.

"Commander, Torie has rejoined the Unit and waiting at her last known location. We can see the fort clearly and they can see us." the front spotter stated and waited for my reply.

"Remain in the open, let them have a look. They may remain in their walls, or send someone out to find out who we are. Be aware any movement that appears aggressive may draw fire. I am sure they have their own snipers as well." I replied while using binoculars to look over the many homes and businesses within the small township. Movement at a second story window caught my eye and I homed in on it. Waiting for several moments I spotted a child in the window, she was at least twelve if not older. She sat down at the floor to ceiling window just watching the zombies move about on the street below her.

I struck a flare and she instantly looked in my direction. I waved the flare and she started waving frantically in response. Well this would get interesting, more then ten thousand zombies and a lone child in the middle of them.

"Gunna need help here, spotted a lone survivor in a two story house and she has many neighbors of the unfriendly kind." I said slowly.

"Team one on the way." Torie stated.

"Team two remain with the Caravan and keep your eyes on those in the fort." I ordered and they acknowledged.

The girl really started jumping around when she spotted the many of us standing on the ridge. We were all waving but looking at the mess below on ground level.

"Well at least we know we can't be changed if they bite us." Maria muttered sourly.

"Getting bit isn't the concern, it's getting overwhelmed and they end up biting us to death." another said in reply and voicing my own concern.

"Okay, they have the river fenced off near the bridge, because of the raging currents there. They are far enough away and on the other side of the greenery, now while they are blind we clear the fence leaving it open for them to travel to the river. String a zip line to get across the river, a counter to bring the handle back up to the top. The garage there should have a spring loaded counter on their garage door to make that possible. We'll start leading the critters off to the River, they can just free float to where ever and we get the girl out of there." I said as I came up with a plan, right out of my ass so who knew if it would actually work.

It took some doing but we managed to remove the fence, set up a slight platform and a zip line that once the handle was released, the pulley would reverse the spring wheel and it would get pulled back up. One by one everyone would lead groups of zombies out to the river and zip line across while the zombies, having not lost sight of their target, would move into the river only to be swept away.

"Well it's working." Maria said as she climbed up the other side while her group of zombies were bobbing in the water as the river took them away.

"Yeah to be honest I wasn't sure it would." I admitted and she looked at me.

"Never say that again.." she grumped at me and swatted my arm while I laughed with several others.

"Continue to lead out as many as you can, safely. I'll make my run to the house." I stated and before anyone could complain, I was a purple streak running full speed to the house. I will admit to a few close calls as a zombie came around a corner only to go flying when I snap kicked him in the chest and he slammed into a car.

I knocked on a few doors and windows of the house and heard several growls. Opening the door, I ended up with five more zombies intent on wanting a taste of me. I led them to the back yard and left them locked up.

Oddly enough, it was not the girl who had barricaded the stair well, the barricade was piled up from my side. I pulled everything away while she was calling for help and pleading not to be left behind again. I calmed her down and while I continued to pull the barricade down she told me her story.

She and her family were out on summer vacation when the Zombies arrived. They had a private log cabin with their own lake, her Dad inherited it from his Father years ago. They stayed for almost five years and after not hearing anything for so long, they went out in search of information. They had not packed enough water and after the Fort down the road refused them anything, they were forced to come into town to try and find water and shelter from the winter that was already coming in. During the run to this house, one of her brother did not make it. The others had been bitten at one point or another. And her family built the barricade before finally becoming one of the zombies. She has been trapped ever sense, the owner of the house had solar power for heating water and some light power, along with gas for cooking.

They had also stocked up bottled water and dried and canned foods. After the barricade came down she rushed at me and hugged me tight. Turns out I was way off in guessing her age, she confirmed it was sixteen and even showed me her drivers permit. I just grinned at her.

"Okay Cassy, lets get you out of this mess and on the road." I told her and she nodded before looking out the window at the zombies moving by.

"How?" she asked and I grinned at her.

"How are you for adventure and heights?" I asked while shifting a few things.

"Pretty good?" she responded and it sounded more like a question.

"Cassy, you will ride my back and hold on very tight. I will run very fast and you get to scream all you like or laugh just make a lot of noise, we want them to follow us and you will see why when I finish running." I explained while she just nodded.

"Now I see why you wanted me to scream.." Cassy muttered from behind my ear while we watched the zombies jump into the river and float away. She did not scream she was laughing and whooping and hollering far too much for screaming. I activated the radio.

"Survivor safe, move to position one for regroup after loosing your tails." I called in and got several calls of yes Sir. Soon we were all standing on the river bank watching zombies float away.

"That isn't even close to a quarter of them, what did they have some sort of zombie convention here and never went back home?" one of the guys muttered while everyone laughed lightly. As one we moved at speed back to the caravans.

"Cassy, outside of this group, please do not tell anyone of how we can run or how our eyes are so different. I will explain later, everything you wish to know." I said to her and she nodded quickly.

"Cassy this is the trade Caravan Team one from out of Reno. This is Torie and Maria, my wives and Tami who is my Daughter, she adopted me, and her girl friend Charlie." I explained and Tami blushed lightly as everyone greeted Cassy.

"Commander we have movement.." the front spotter called out.

Standing out front now we watched several horses moving towards us. I also noted several moving around our flanks as well.

"Watch Guards note positions of flankers, rear Guards keep note of our rear flank. Shooters remember, One shot, One Kill and move to the next target after firing do not remain focused on the one fired on." I reminded them all and got several affirmatives.

"Nice bunch here, particularly the vehicles. Now if you don't mind, why don't you all vacate those vehicles and move on back where ever you came from before we have to make you move." a man in front said out loud.

"Naw, we like our vehicles, took us a while to refit them into something usable as trade Vehicles. As you do not seem interested in trade we shall be moving along. You all take care." I replied easily enough.

"I don't think you understand, I said.." the man was nearly yelling and I threw a blade that struck his head between the eyes. The rest of his men looked on in shock.

"Anyone else think I don't understand. All of you have an automatic weapon aimed at you, even the fools who think we are not aware of them on our flanks have my men and women right behind them awaiting my kill order. Not a damn one of you will survive this, who wants to die next?" I demanded while pulling up my AK-47 assault rifle that was converted to full auto now that no law said I could not. At the same time weapons were pulled up and the twin 50 caliber was locked and loaded.

"Fine, fine, we will leave you be." a man called out. I narrowed my gaze at him. I could see that the fort was being run badly.

"Pipe me into the loud speakers." I demanded of the truck and Torie hit the switches.

"I am from the Stronghold within Reno Nevada. We have food, shelter for anyone willing to help keep the Stronghold running. We have our own farms, cattle, water supply and security to keep the Zombies and those who would claim to be King over your lives out of your lives. If you wish a life free from being taken advantage of, come out of the Fort and join us, if you are hindered at all. Call out and we will help you." I called out while those on horses started looking a bit worried. Several of us heard the calls and then angry voices demanding silence.