My Zombie Shelter (open to everyone)

I handed her the sniper rifle.

"I'd like to teach you how to use a precision rifle," I told her.

She knew weapons already, so it shouldn't be too hard for her to pick up the nuances of precision shooting. I had never attended sniper school in the military, but I had a good friend that was one of the deadliest US snipers in history during the Iraq situation. He opened a training school after he left the Teams and I got to spend a few weeks with him. He was also actively involved with helping vets with PTSD. One of them shot him down one morning at a gun range. Damn shame, because his skills would have been an awesome addition to the world as it was now.

R.I.P. Chris. Godspeed, brother.

"So what ya think?" I asked Mallory. "Want to put a hole in something at a thousand yards?"
 
I listened to everything he said before I answered, "as long as it isn't alive anymore."

I'd fired an antique Mosin Nagant before but it was nothing like the piece of equipment I held in my hands now. I looked up at him, my eyes couldn't help wandering the open field behind him back towards the tree line; checking, always checking.

"I'll pull my truck in further and you should be able to park this thing inside," I told him. I was still eager to get the barn closed back up and I needed to check on what's her nuts, the horse thief.

"You guys hungry? I can figure something out while you get this situated," I nodded towards the....vehicle. It wasn't a truck really, I didn't have a clue what to call it, except maybe The Beast.

Max rubbed his head against my leg.

"You hungry again too," I asked him playfully while I rubbed my hand over his head. He made a groaning sound and proceeded to lean against my leg with his whole body. I handed the rifle back to Mike.

"I guess he's ready to eat too," I said, grinning.

I started back for my truck so I could pull it in more, I parked it so it hugged the left side of the aisle. It looked like the military vehicle would fit in also.
 
I was starting to settle down after the long awaited reunion with Mike and Max. We had exchanged the perfunctory "bro" hugs and back slaps, all while checking out his new set of wheels and other assorted goodies that he had brought back with him. It was obvious to me that something had happened between these two in the time I had been on walkabout, but I figured it wasn't any of my business, so I pushed it out of my mind. All that really mattered to me now was that the three of us were traveling together again and if I had to put up with Annie Oakley bat shit crazy cohort, so be it.

The doc had mentioned food, and although it had been a while since I had eaten anything worth mentioning, I honestly didn't feel like eating. A lot of fucked up things had taken place over the last couple of days and I honestly just needed to take a minute and work shit out in my head.

"Why don't you three go ahead." I said opening up one of the ammo cans in the back of the truck. "I am gonna load a few mags for the AR10 and make a lap or two around the ranch here. I've been on the move for what seems like forever and as much as I miss being part of a group, honestly, I need a small break from the 'crazy' here."
 
I nodded knowingly, still not liking the backside of the barn open. I, too, felt a certain urge for space. I hadn't been around people in a long time. One or two, sure; whole groups were rarer still. It seemed as though the loner types lasted longer in this new reality we were all facing. The military vehicle barely fit in the barn. But I made sure it didn't block any of the stalls before closing everything up and giving Randy the keys to get back in when he was ready.

I opened the stall containing Abby and she and Max greeted each other with the customary sniffs. Then she took off for the house, she wanted to hang out inside.

Turns out, when it's just you and your dog, you forget the little things about people. I forgot how much I liked having someone to hold my hand until Mike grabbed mine in the breezeway on our way inside. It almost startled me, made me bite my lower lip gently and look at him, really look at him. He looked worried, I wondered what expression he saw on my face.

"I'm glad you came back," it slipped out before I could stop it, barely above a whisper.

Tentatively, I leaned in and kissed him gently on the cheek, the fine stubble of his jaw brushing my lips before I pulled back again.

Wasn't any use keeping my distance now.
 
About two hundred yards out from the back of the barn, I took a seat on the ground next to a gray weathered stump along the south edge of the pasture. I leaned back against the crumbling wood and laid my rifle across my outstretched legs. I took a few moments to look around; making sure once again that I was alone. Situational awareness was a life-saving skill nowadays and although I was tired a reasonably sure that this area was secure, one could never be too careful.

I took a deep breath and tilted my head back; allowing my eyes to close for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. The minute I shut my surrounding world out I was whisked away into the dark and dreary abyss that was the world in my head. The first image into my head was as always, Fiona. I clenched my eyes tightly and slap my hands to my face trying to keep the images of my first love from lingering. I can feel my pulse quicken and the familiar burning around my eyes as I fight back tears her memory always brings me. I can only imagine what she must think of me as she looks down upon me from the heaven I hope exists. How disappointed and angry she must be seeing me bounce around, swearing and shooting like some evil western outlaw. How could she not be ashamed of the miserable shell of the man she married that has been killing and stealing his way through what is the world as we know it.

Just as quickly as she appeared, she vanishes and is replaced by yet another ghost from a more recent past, Pandora. Over and over I see flashes of that last moment we shared. Her on a park bench, bitten, bleeding, dying and me lying prone on a rooftop, crosshairs trained on her temple, whispering to her how much I love her. I tell myself that I saved her from a fate worse then death, but did I? Did I save her? Was saving her giving her a last memory of the man she said she loved aiming a gun at her head from a hundred yards away?

"Crack", I hear a stick break in the distance followed by the rustling of leaves. On impulse, my eyes fly open and I bring my rifle to my shoulder as I search out the source of the noise. MY breaths are coming rapidly and my eyes blink quickly as they become accustomed to the light that washed away the darkness inside my head.

Sixty yards to my left, I see a small fawn jumping and running into the field followed by what I can only assume is a sibling. I lower the gun and watch as they jump and turn and play with one another. I smiled slightly as I watched them. They were so free, and seemed so happy. It was like they had no idea that the world had gone to shit and that danger and death was everywhere around them. Maybe it was a message. Maybe Fiona and Pan were trying to tell me something. Maybe they were saying that life goes on, and that I have taken up enough time feeling guilty and sorry for myself. Maybe, they were telling me it was time to eat.....

I stood and watches as they saw me, snorted and then run beck into the grove of trees they came from. With a quick look to the sky, I headed back toward the barn. I felt a little better. It wasn't like I had experience and epiphany or some 'aha' moment. It was more like I recognized that life sucks, but while I'm living it...it's much better with friends.
 
OOC: Moving things ahead a bit

"Your target is the one that looks like Burt Reynolds," I said to her as she lay prone behind the M40. We were in a high hide (on top of a school bus) just outside of the small town where we had originally met. We had a good view of the outskirts of the town with the outer buildings. The geeks were scarce here so it made for good target practice.

"Range is three-twenty-three," I continued as I peered through the nice pair of Steiner range finding binos the Marines provided. "That's five minutes up elevation on the scope. Wind is a full value from the left at seven." I consulted a data book I had retrieved from the drag bag that had held the rifke. "Click two and half left on the windage."

"All set?" I asked Mallory. "Send it when you're ready."
 
I grinned to myself.

"Smokey and the Bandit is about to get smoked..." I whispered.

The thing lumbered along really slowly. The air felt cooler today, Mike said there was very little wind and it would be a good day to learn. I went along with it, like most of his ideas. I was just happy he still wanted me around.

I took those long slow breaths we had talked about, waited for my body to settle. It did after a couple. I made some adjustments to my sights while he rattled off the stats I needed. Then I just waited for the pause, it was hard to find at first. I knew the mechanics of waiting for it, but I still had not mastered how to feel it naturally. My heart rate slowed a little more and I found it, ready....wait....squeeze the trigger.

The recoil made me slide back on the roof of the bus, Mike's hand held my thigh firmly so I didn't go too far. The force jarred my body more than it did when he had shown me, probably because I was lighter. The last thing I needed was to slide off the roof of a bus and break a bone or twist an ankle.

"Did I hit it?" I waited for confirmation as I looked up at him from under the brim of my faded green hat and pulled out the earplugs.
 
Mike and Annie Oakley had been taking up positions on rooftops and replaying scenes from "28 Weeks Later" for days now. I had joined in at the beginning and as nice as it was watching the doc's ass jiggle slightly as the recoil dispersed through her body, eventually I began to feel like I was intruding. They had bonded and I was happy for them both, but seeing up close only reminded of things I wanted to forget.

So, needing something to occupy my brain and keep me out of mischief, I decided to utilize my other skills. There isn't a whole lot of use for a mechanic nowadays, but we did have a few pieces of equipment and whole town full of supplies around us so there were things to keep me busy. I serviced and then reserviced the doc's pickup. I even found a brand new set of Mossy Oak seat covers in a parts store a couple of towns over. I had taken to doing supply runs on my own. It was nice not to have to carry conversation or worry about someone else doing something stupid and get me killed.

I hadn't seen anyone new in days though. I had happened upon a few stragglers a few days ago, but they hadn't seen me and I hadn't been feeling especially sociable lately.

I had managed to find a could of CB radios and installed them in both the doc's/my truck and the deuce and a half. I was on the search now for a base unit or even a ham radio to make communication easier when one of us was out and about.
 
I"Did I hit it?" I waited for confirmation as I looked up at him from under the brim of my faded green hat and pulled out the earplugs.

"Tango, down," I replied. "Nice shot," I added. Then, I got a good look at what I'd been missing: her ass was deliciously round as she lay prone behind the rifle.

"Nice ass, too," I told her.

The walking dead were alerted to our presence. The report of the rifle was not a quiet one, and it wouldn't be long at all before they lumbered their way to our hide atop the school bus.

"We gotta move," I reasoned. I took the rifle from her and slung it. I headed down the ladder at the rear of the bus first, scanning as I went to make sure none of the zombies had gotten too close already.

Once on the ground, I looked up to the top of the bus. "Ready," I told her, waiting for her as she came down. I had my M4 to my shoulder, looking over the sight, scanning the area as she made her way. The closest was about 60 yards away. Plenty of time.
 
I looked up from can of beans as the report from either Mike's or the Doc's shot as they continued their relentless pursuit of shooting perfection. I couldn't blame them really, I loved to shoot as much as anyone and there wasn't much else to do to keep one's mind occupied. Add to that the doc filled out her jeans and well, there really was no better way to pass the time at the end of the world.

I dropped the can and wiped my lucky fork on my jeans and stood, grabbing my rifles and slinging them both. I had taken to rambling around ready to start a one man war. I had an AR15 hanging in the front, that was my go to for most situations that I had encountered in my travels. I had and AR10 hanging down my back that was my preferred "reach out and touch shit" boom stick. Last but certainly not least, was the Kimber 1911, Range Officer model that I had hanging on my hip. I was carrying a shitload of weight, but as the weeks went on I had gotten quite strong and fit and could handle the bunch of cargo relatively easily.

I had been out on walkabout for a little over a week, so I thought it might be a good time to hook back up with Mike and the Doc and see what was shaking. I had become really adept at sneaking and peeking my way around, so it was fairly easy to get within twenty feet or so of Mike as he waited for his companion to climb down.

"I'll make you famous!" I yelled, while automatically putting my hands in the air. Scaring Mike when he was ready to fight wasn't really the smartest play, but it did make me chuck seeing almost shit himself.
 
"I'll make you famous!" I yelled, while automatically putting my hands in the air. Scaring Mike when he was ready to fight wasn't really the smartest play, but it did make me chuck seeing almost shit himself.

"Motherfuck!" I hissed, startled by Randy's sudden appearance. The fact he quoted Billy the Kid from an old movie made me smile for a second, then I turned around and shook my head at him. I pointed to my eyes, then with the same hand gestured towards the front of the school bus. The zombie was about 50 yards out now.

I eased over to where he was standing while checking back to see Mallory's progress in dismounting the bus.

"Hey brother," I whispered, "Ive been thinking. We need to find a phone book."

I looked at the walking dead ambling its way towards us.

"See, a phone book will have the Yellow Pages in it, right? And, in the Yellow Pages will be ads for gun dealers. Specifically, maybe Class III dealers. We need some suppressors. Maybe some reloading gear."

"What ya think?"
 
The sudden explosion of explicatives made me jump. I wasn't expecting Randy to intentionally attempt to scare the living daylights out of Mike. He took it rather well. Better than I would have.

I put my boot on the edge of the open bus window to step down. My hands held onto the open windows on either side. My next step was down to the large after market tires. I remembered how the bus ran out of gas and I had watched a line of passengers disembark, single file through town. They didn't make it far before the walkers descended. It was chaos. But that was months ago. I shook my head and finished climbing down.

A quick glance towards the front of the bus and I was nervous. The guys were talking and the smattering of geeks were closing in.

"30 yards, we need to move or engage," I reminded them.

As I walked around the side of the bus opposite them, facing the park. I saw two more across the street closing in, they had been ambling in the shade trees where we couldn't see them from up on the bus. Shit. I wasn't in the mood for this. I drew my Glock and held it down ready. Mike had also equipped me with a second handgun, a Beretta I kept tucked against the small of my back.

My truck wasn't far up the road, we could still make it.

"Decisions!" I half demanded, "2 more closing in fast at 3 oclock, boys."
 
I had to admit, Mike's idea was rather provocative. I had briefly thought about looking for suppressors, auto sears, and the like, but had always opted for food and safety when on my foraging runs. That was the down-side of being on my own; there was no one there to cover my six while I just looked around for things that were a bit more interesting.

The doc's admonition that time for reflection and thought was running short. We had multiple geeks inbound and although we could easily dispatch them between the three of us, that would only lead to more and more coming and that was never a good outcome.

"I'm with ya." I hissed to both Mike and the doc. I moved swiftly and took up positon behind the two of them, in preparation to move out. I tapped the doc on the shoulder to let her know I was in position and ready. Normally, when behind someone as well put together as her, my focus would have been elsewhere, but the geeks were less than 25 yards out now and still closing, so my thoughts were more focused on the task at hand.

"Ready on your go Mike." I whispered loudly as I turned and shouldered the AR-15 to cover our collective rears.
 
Randy moved in behind Mallory, and I took a position at his rear, my rifle up and aimed at 45 degrees. I laid my left hand on Randy's shoulder. In this position, all three of us had overlapping fields of fire and could still move fairly quickly as a group.

"Move," I whispered, answering Randy's ready and giving his shoulder a squeeze. "Stay tight and exfil back along the road to the house."

As we began to move, I added, "when we get good open ground between us and them, and have safety at our backs, we will take them out."

I knew good and well what they were all thinking: if we started shooting them here, now, with no distance between us, then we'd have too many coming down on top of us. My plan was to get distance between us and the closest two or three, then when we were closer to Mallory's place, we could take those out. We might have to shoot three or four more afterwards, but those that were the farthest out would lose interest once the firing stopped. It took the things forever to cover any kind of ground, and they seemed to go back to wandering aimlessly after a few minutes if there wasn't something to keep their attention.

Like the smell of blood. Or death.

Speaking of smell, the one was close enough now that I got a good whiff of rot. I felt the bile rise in my throat.

"That's fucking nasty," I whispered, wrinkling my nose.
 
I didn't like being lead in these situations. As much as I knew, both Randy and Mike were much more experienced in these situations. I preferred being between them but I was about to argue when they fell in behind me and Mike gave the word to move.

Things "clicked" for me when I was under duress. Stressful surgeries or dangerous situations caused me to block externalities and focus, almost a hyper focus. I didn't think about the blood or the stench, nothing. All the outside things got faded out, I went into a fully controlled adrenaline rush.

One step, then two, added a few more. The distance was growing. I breathed steadily with my finger poised near the trigger, fully trusting my backup to let me know if anything outside my field of vision was going to cause us an issue.

We crept back toward the house.the walkers were hungry but they moved slowly, not frantically. They were only frantic when feeding. I shuddered.

*"that's fucking nasty..."*

We were in agreement again.
 
I'm not going to lie. This felt good. This felt goddamned good in fact. Wee were communicating and moving like a well-oiled machine. We were a team again, and as much as I like to put on a front of the lone wolf, I liked this much better. There was something about being a part of something bigger than yourself, being connected to others that made a person feel whole; even now at the end of the world. I had felt it years ago with my late wife. I had felt it months ago with Pandora. And now, I felt again with Mike and the doc.

In what seemed like only a few moments we approached the house. I tapped Mallory on the shoulder and then gave the halt sign so the Mike could see and then I took a knee as I looked around.

I signaled to Mike which of the ones outside of the doc's place I would take as I slid the K-bar out of its sheath. I had agreed with Mike's plan, but something in me had decided to take one out quick and quiet. Maybe it was the adrenaline from our group's reunion, but for some reason I was feeling particularly deadly, and wanted to show it.

I checked for acknowledgement from my partners, and then got ready to move.
 
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