Humanity's Death: A Zombie Epic Read Free Page B

Jack's
face.
    “Its high time I bring back some law and order
to this hell hole.” Candy said.
    “Not sure that’s gonna happen babe. This shit
looks crazy.” Jody replied.
    “Jefferson once wrote ‘Our greatest happiness
does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed
us, but is always the result of a good conscience’” Jack said.
    Andrew shot him a fast look, with a slight grin.
“Don’t think Jefferson ever predicted humans would face this.”
    “John Quincy Adams once wrote, ‘Patience and
perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties
disappear and obstacles vanish’” Jack suggested. He was already
feeling a little better. Or at least that's what he wanted to
believe. The truth was that he was scared and confused. But he'd
never let his family see that. He wanted to be the leader. He
wanted to stay strong for them. Quoting the founding fathers had
always been a coping technique he'd used in the past.
    Jack jumped forward from a sudden jolt against
the back of his seat. “Always the optimist cousin. Not even a
string of noosed dead men can damper your hope.” Candy said from
behind.
    She was wrong.
    7
    The day was warming as overgrown grass reached high
towards the sky in each yard they saw pass by. They'd gotten close
to town, to what used to be civilization—suburbs filled with
matching houses, now an ancient conformity, something that once
repelled Jack, but now only lingered in a sad and nostalgic memory
of what used to be. The sun was reaching high noon, and the smell
of death lingered in the air. Thick humidity weighed heavy on the
hot wind gushing on Jack's face; and dead people roamed
sporadically through the country neighborhoods.
    “We’ll reach the city limits soon.” Andrew said.
His face seemed battered with the pain of humanity's death, yet a
crooked smile emerged in spite of the pain boiling just underneath.
That was, as they say, his way.
    The outermost sections of the city were
deserted; but the high walls of a compound cast dark shadows as the
sun beamed down. “We should hide the Humvee somewhere around here,
and make our way on foot towards the city walls. We need to
observe, and not be seen.” Jack said.
    The ground crunched underneath their boots while
they darted from building to building, always staying in the
shadows. It was midday, and the humidity was sickening, causing
gobs of sweat to run down their legs, arms, chest, neck, and face.
They maintained a steady, and close distance directly behind Jack,
Andrew and Jody in the middle, and Candy taking the rear position.
The old, boarded, and broken stores became numerous—skeletons of
the old order of things, now only dusty remnants and shattered
glass.
    Jack motioned for them to enter a small
building. He carefully stepped through the broken glass pane doors,
glass crackling under his boots. He let out a whistle, just in case
the zombies had chosen the store as a resting place.
    No sounds, no movements.
    Jack took a position near a shattered window,
removed his binoculars, and aimed his view towards a
twenty-foot-high metal link fence that stood about over five
hundred yards away. It was built in the form of a large square,
securing what used to be a sprawling downtown into a prison like
environment. Razor wire round up on both top and bottom keeping any
would be escapees from leaving, and kept any unwelcomed guest from
entering—living or dead.
    A cat walk surrounded the top of the fence line,
connecting to guard towers on all four corners. Guards moved around
leisurely, clearly not worried about trouble coming their way. Jack
doubted they’d seen much resistance since their annexation of the
old town.
    In the middle, jutting high into the sky, was a
Catholic cathedral. Its design was gothic, and it towered high,
with windows that looked out in every direction. It had multiple
towers with large domes, like an onion dome from Russia, with dark
grays and black shadowy hues.
    “I remember