“We’re going to have to push the bars outside BT.” I told him.
“I wish you’d make up your mind.” He grumbled.
“We’ll never be able to pull it in with all those zombies pressing in on it.”
Alex was standing next to me looking like a bowling ball with a sweater on. More sweat popped on his brow as he looked down the expanse of the gate, all that could be seen was a sea of arms and fingernails. As if on cue we turned to look at the huddled form of Justin in the far corner. One didn’t have to be bitten to suffer some affects from the zombies.
“Mike I’m losing my taste for this quest.” Alex said.
“If you stay low Alex, there is a clear pathway.” I said it but I didn’t believe it. It was clear now but as soon as the zombies saw him they would adjust to get closer.
Brendon had been behind us the whole time, just waiting for some sort of instructions or plan. “This sucks.” He said more to himself. The sentiment was appreciated by us all.
“I hear that freezing to death isn’t so bad.” I said resignedly.
BT looked pissed. He frustratedly shot a few rounds into the growing mass of zombies. As one zombie fell two moved in to take its place. We’d never be able to fire enough rounds to clear a wide enough hole for Alex, first off would be the fear of hitting him inadvertently the other was that we just didn’t have enough rounds to have a continuous barrage of bullets. The roach motel moniker looked like it was going to stick.
“FUCK!” I shouted. A baby let loose a long throated wail as if in response. “Sorry.” I muttered earnestly.
The office had become as quiet as a church. “Mommy I found some sleds.” One of the little kids said eagerly.
“Hush now Eddy.” His mother answered him.
I turned to look, if only to be distracted from what lay outside. I walked over to little Eddy, who looked suspiciously like a little old man. His mother pulled Eddy close to herself and shied away from my advancing form.
“He didn’t mean anything Mr. Talbot he was just exploring…you… you know like little kids do.” She said nervously. “I…I promise he’ll be good, and quiet.”
“It’s fine Miss?”
“Jodi, Jodi Ybarra.”
“Jodi, everything’s fine. Do you mind if I talk to Eddy?”
“Sure…sure.” She said nervously. This lady looked like a cat that had her tail stepped on. She was ready to jump at the smallest infraction.
I sat down on my haunches, instantly regretting my decision to get down to Eddy’s level. My knees felt like they were going to shoot straight out of my jeans, like Roman candles on the Fourth of July. Well I was here now might as well get down to business.
“What you got there Eddy?” I asked with my nicest voice, but that was in direct contradiction to the distorted sneer I wore on my face from the blistering pain that was emanating from my knees and back.
Eddy looked at me nervously, trying to ascertain my true intent. But like any six year old, exuberance won out. “I found a sled!”
“Do you mind if I take a look at it?”
Eddy eyed my suspiciously like I was going to take his prized possession. I felt for him I truly did, he had already lost almost everything he had owned. But the riot shield he was holding might be the solution to all our problems.
“Sure mister, there was a whole closet of them.”
“Awesome, do you think you could help me back up?”
Eddy looked at me like I was crazy. “Adults are funny.” He answered.
I have to admit the little bugger was a lot stronger than he looked, he didn’t buckle once as I placed almost all my weight on his shoulder in a concerted effort to arise like Lazarus. Lazarus was more successful.
“Can you show me where the ‘sleds’ are Eddy?” He stepped back as my right knee popped like a firecracker.
“Wow that was cool, can you do it again?”
“I’d rather bite the head off a bat.”
I could tell Eddy was wondering if I was serious or not, and also when I might get around to doing just that, because that would also be awesome.
A minute later, myself, Brendon, Travis, Alex, and BT were standing behind a beaming Eddy, who seemed so pleased that he was the one that found something that we were all so excited to see.
I pulled out a large dusty box from the back of the sheriff’s coat closet. The box had suspiciously been ripped open from the bottom. Eddy flushed as the damaged box came into full view.
I tousled his hair. “You did good kid.” He stood up straighter, pride swelling his small chest.
BT finished what Eddy had started. Three more ‘sleds’ spilled on to the floor along with at least 10 gun shaped tasers, boxes of shotgun bean bag rounds and canisters of tear gas along with 5 gas masks.
“Why in the hell does a sheriff’s office in the friggen middle of nowhere have all this gear?” Brendon asked.
I shook my head.
BT spoke up. “Back after 9/11, when the feds thought that a terrorist plot was being hatched everywhere, they sent these riot control packages to just about every police force in the country.”
“Ah, our federal tax dollars at work.” Alex said sarcastically.
“Yeah this shit just might save our lives though.” I answered. Alex nodded in agreement.
Travis was busy grabbing the bean bag rounds, they might not be fatal but up close they could still do some real damage.
CHAPTER 12 
“Ready?”
“Why do you keep asking me that, Mike?” Alex fumed. His body heat causing a sauna in his makeshift armor. “I just want to get this over with so I can get out of all these clothes.”
“Brendon you all set?” I asked. His stance said he was all set, but his eyes belied him.
BT must have picked up on Brendon’s hesitancy because for the fourth time he offered to do what Brendon was about to.
I looked at BT with my best expression of exasperation. “BT we’ve been through this.”
“But he’s just a kid, Talbot.”
“Dad?” Nicole asked, her eyes expressing volumes. Her unspoken words of why was I putting her fiancée in danger.
I had fully intended on playing the role Brendon was about to embark on but my ankles, knees, and back made a stand-in necessary.
“Who else Nicole?” I begged for her forgiveness.
The hurt of being let down shone through clearly in her eyes. The pain of my injuries paled in comparison.
“Talbot there has got to be a better way.” Tracy chimed in.
“Et tu Brutus?” I said in desperation.
“Mike let’s do this.” Brendon said saving me from the accusations, as he hefted up two riot shields. Covering most of his front and all of his sides he looked like the world’s largest beetle. I prayed that it would be enough.
“Just hit the hole hard and always keep your legs moving.” Travis the football player threw in for good measure.
“Alex you stay close in behind him. But if he gets stuck you have to come back.” I said, the implied meaning was obvious to everyone. If Brendon couldn’t break a hole through the zombies he would be at their mercy, and that was not an attribute they possessed.
“Mike for God’s sake, I can’t leave him behind!” Alex beseeched.
“There is no God.” I said flatly.
Marta hastily did the sign of the trinity on her chest in preparation to ward off the almighty’s smiting of my heresy.
“Alex the train is leaving, you coming?” Brendon asked. He turned to give my weeping daughter a long soulful kiss.
I turned away embarrassed and yes I have to admit a little pissed. She would always be my little girl, if only in my memories, but that illusion was threatened every time I had to witness these intrusions into my fantasy world. It was much easier in my own world not having to think of my little princess doing adult things….much, much easier.