Stopping the Dead Read Free Page B

that.  Turns out I’m batshit crazy.”
    “Really?” Brian laughed.  “Couldn’t have figured that one out.  You were always so mellow at work.”
    “Yup, that’s me, Mr. Mellow.”
    Brian kept scanning the shadows, listening, watching the long, double fence that stretched around Ernst’s compound.
    “You’re going to be deployed in October, right?” Ernst asked.
    Brian shrugged.  “Who knows now, man.  I mean, if this is bigger than just us, it’ll probably be delayed.  I just hope that the government doesn’t have its head up its ass on this one.”
    Ernst nodded.  “I’m hopeful that there ’ll be some information in the morning.  Right now things are hectic, people are just getting a grip on the situation.”
    “Downtown was crazy,” Brian said after a minute.  They turned another corner and spotted Corey advancing towards them.   “Seemed like every cop in the city was down there.  What happens if it spread out farther, out into the neighborhoods around the stadiums and stuff?”
    “Adam said the National Guard was rolling,” Ernst said.  “I’m thinking that they’re trying to at least isolate the initial impact zone.”
    “Downtown?”
    Ernst nodded.
    They met up with Corey and came to a stop.  Brian’s twin shook out a pair of cigarettes and handed one to Brian.  The zippo followed quickly and in a moment all three of them were smoking.
    “Let’s get back to the gate,” Ernst said.  “Ad am radioed in a few minutes ago to say that he was cutting through the train yard, but it runs along the river.”
    “What’s wrong with the river?” Corey asked.
    “Seems like all of the attacks are in areas off of the river,” Ernst answered.
    “Fuck,” Brian said, “don’t all the homeless live on the river?”
    “During the summer,” Ernst answered .  “Little cooler down there, and there’s safety in numbers.  They make sure that no one messes with their camps.  Why?”
    “The first few attacks we saw looked like homeless people,” Corey said.
    “And the ones that Adam killed came out of Temple Street, you know, where that little bridge runs from one side of the river to the other?” Brian added.
    “Damn,” Ernst sighed.  He let out a long stream of smoke.  “That would definitely explain why all the attacks came off of the river.  Something must have gotten into one of the camps.”
    “But what?” Brian asked.
    “Who knows,” Ernst said, shaking his head.  “The lore on zombies is crazy.  Hell, it could even be chemicals from any one of the plants we’ve got around here.”
    The sound of Adam’s diesel interrupted them, and all three turned to watch it approach the gate.
    “Somebody want to let me in?” Adam said over the handheld.   Within a moment the truck was once more turning around the corner and heading towards the gate.
    Ernst led the way, punching in the code when they reached the gate and stepping aside as Adam pulled in.  Brian followed the pick up as Corey and Ernst secured the gate.  Adam parked the truck near the front door, killed the engine and let his dogs out.  Jack and Diane came tearing towards Brian, barking happily and wagging their tails.  Brian smiled at the dogs, patting each on the head as Adam climbed out of the truck.
    “How is it out there?” Brian asked.
    “Getting crazy.  But here’s hoping it gets secured in the next day or two.”
    Brian nodded as Ernst and Corey came up.
    “Let’s get this stuff in,” Ernst said, “then we can put the pick-up in the garage and settle in.”
    Brian nodded his agreement with the others, and took one last glance at the emergency lights flickering against the growing cloud cover.
     

Corey
     
    Corey sat in a lawn chair outside the front door of the warehouse as the sun started to rise.  Adam was inside making coffee, the dogs still asleep in the kitchen.  Brian was asleep on a cot, and Ernst was somewhere in his giant library looking something up.  As far as Corey