Zombiefest Ch 10

"Son you run faster then anyone, even at night your glowing eyes leave a purple streak well behind you." Jackson was saying to me as we sat around a fire.

"You must be mistaken." I replied and saw Torie shaking her head at me.

"Well when did that happen?" I asked Torie.

"Not long after the accident." Tami said in answer and I sat frowning slightly.

"So what happened?" I asked and wondered if they had to do something more to help heal me.

"It's as if your body got so broken, that the 'Cure' decided to rebuild you from scratch to make you better." Torie explained. Then she pulled out scans which I had finally agreed to yesterday.

"Your bones are thicker, skin tougher, nearly bent the needle just trying to take a blood sample and your immune system is like nothing I have ever encountered." Torie explained while showing off the results.

"So to be like me now, you nearly have to die?" I asked and she shook her head.

"No, your blood and the changes will reflect as to who you are now. Tami, against our orders, decided to test that on herself. She went through a few hours of the pains we all go through anyways, but by the end.." she paused and looked at Tami, "Show him.."

I watched as Tami took off like a shot and just as they said the girls eyes had a much brighter glow and the streak from her moving so fast left a purple after glow that was not hard to miss. Soon she returned and sat down once again, she wasn't even breathing hard or sweating.

"Not only that but there is more." Torie said slowly.

"Of course there is.." I muttered while Jackson watched me with a light grin.

"Your cells are replacing themselves so rapidly that as long as you do not die right away, you should be able to heal from most any wound, including those thought to be fatal." Torie explained while I sat back and looked at her.

"What else?" I asked and she paused to look over at Maria.

"Son, with the high healing rate, they think you might actually have stopped aging or at least are aging at an incredibly slow rate." Jackson said at last.

"Perfect, now am I only no longer part of the Human species, I am something else entirely." I muttered and looked over at Tami in concern.

"Damnit Baby Girl, you have put yourself in my boat, at least before people could tolerate it. how do you think they will see us when they continue to age and we look like this?" I asked her with worry.

"You saw how they were talking when we left Redmond, just because they are in our House won't mean they won't see or say the same things." I reminded her and she nodded.

"Neither of you are alone.." Charlie whispered and she glanced at Torie and then Maria. I sighed and sat back.

"Now you know why I never had a real family General, your crazy rubs off on them at the worst time." I muttered while he chuckled and Sam smiled.

"I know what you mean, fact is once this mess gets sorted out, I plan to get the cure myself if you all don't mind an old War Horse joining your group." Jackson admitted.

"General you should give that some real consideration. It was bad on me more then five years ago, bad on Maria and Torie not that long ago. We have no clue how bad for someone older then us." I tried to explain to him.

"We served together for many years Major, think I'd let you go this alone now?" he asked and I laughed a bit before I tilted my head listening, Tami was also listening.

"What?" everyone asked while also trying to listen.

"It sounded like a muffled surprise and then a thump, but I can't locate it." Tami said softly. It had Jackson on his feet and the radio.

"All units check in." he demanded. I stood up and turned to gaze at the outpost we had set up heading North. They would have been the first to spot when the enemy arrived, the fact they were well hidden within a cave high over the road way, says the enemy had already started to fan out and possibly stumbled on them by accident. One by one the outposts checked in with the towers.

I caught the Generals attention and used hand signals, he turned back to the radio, "All units switch to channel Bravo Delta and keep the radio clear once radio check is established." he called in and soon after we switched to the new channel and heard the Units check in one by one. A single voice did not call in. With each radio needing a code punched into them every thirty minutes in order to remain active, we knew the radio would not allow them to monitor us for long.

"Dan is most likely dead, but be prepared that he could be alive and used as leverage to try and come into the Stronghold." I said to Sam and he looked alarmed, "I won't open the gate for anyone, I am sorry, but I will not endanger every life against a single one." I reminded him and he nodded. I spun around and tapped the radio to life.

"Watch Towers, keep an eye out and use your thermal imaging, Everyone beyond the walls, save ass plan c, enact now. Stronghold out." I commanded and with out even a response I knew the four hidden spotters where moving to the tunnels that would bring them home. Only a series of knocks on the door would let them back inside.

"Save ass plan C?" Jackson asked and grinned while I just shrugged.

"Movement Tower North West, Near Nugget." a voice said through the radio.

"And so we begin our night, Lets move it Commanders, we have a long night ahead of us and probably a few to kill to remind them we are not with out defenses." I called out and everyone took off to get their people in position and to safety.

At the Tower I pulled up the binoculars and located the heat sources in question. Many stood near the pasture that Jackson had used, but several were moving through the city streets as well in an effort to surround the Hold. We could not allow them access to the Airport as it would jeopardize our power supply, beyond that they could surround all they like and never get anywhere.

"All Towers watching the Airport, kill any one trying to move in or around it, give them no chance to disrupt our power." I radioed in and heard several shots at once.

"Prowler one two and three down. Lost location to prowlers four and five, Over." a voice called in.

"Continue to monitor and eliminate, Out." I ordered and looked back at the General. He spun around and ran out to the Towers in question. His original job in the Marines was as a sniper. Another shot sounded and was followed by several more. In the Binoculars I watched several men being put down on top of the Nugget. The Towers did not like anyone trying to be on our level.

"Towers good job, all Towers, do not allow anyone to gain or remain holding high ground." I called in and patted the shoulder of one of the women who had taken down a Nugget sniper.

Through the night we watched as several more tried to claim one high ground or another only to be cut down. Even the General took out the prowlers once he found the dead ones and tracked the best trails that would have kept them hidden. Once he found them he dropped them both with a single shot while they had stopped to speak to each other apparently. The shot was lined up perfectly and he took them both.

"Movement.." the radio called and I moved with the rest of my Commanders to see where they were and where they were headed.

"Tami, to the control center. I will call out the Claymores to set off." I said and she ran off in an instant. I looked through the binoculars, they were walking down the road with Dan stumbling before them like a shield.

"Bobbi, keep your target on Dan, if it does not look like he can affect an escape, shoot him. It will be much kinder then anything they would do to him if we fail." I said to her and she nodded slowly.

"General, the one who looks like a Mad Max stunt double, remove his head on the go." I said and he nodded while moving into position. I used the radio to speak to the others.

"When I call your name and give you a target, you will move to stay in view of them, if you loose them call out target description and lost. See if another can regain them for you and then you assume their target, am I clear?" I sent out and got returned affirmation. One by one each sniper had a specific target in their sights and were awaiting the Go order.

"Hello the Hold, we have your man. You will open the gates and lay down your weapons..." he continued to speak about safe passage and some other bullshit.

"All shooters maintain your targets, Bobbi, do nothing you will know if you need to do your part or not. When the claymores go off, fire your targets." I called out then called, "Tami, section One A, B, and C.. now!"

Instantly the claymores blew up behind the group sending several followers flying and many in different directions as their bodies were shredded. Shots fire in rapid series of shots and the group of bad guys were dead in moments. Dan stood still looking around slowly in something of shock.

"Rescue, bring our man in and keep your heads down. Snipers watch for anyone who should not be moving or any reinforcements." I called out and took a seat on one of the benches that lined the inner wall of the massive walkway.

"That went down perfectly Major, I couldn't have done better if I tried." Jackson said as he stepped closer and I smiled.

"You don't recognize the defense of the Prime Ministers building back in Afghanistan?" I asked him and he stopped in thought, and grinned at me.

"All your training." I added while he laughed.

"Movement on the rise, it appears the remainder is moving back up the Highway." a voice called out.

"Head count?" I called in.

"Eight, maybe Nine in total." they answered.

"Team One, move up along the Highway, get around them and remove them from play. Last thing we need is for them to invade some other Hold and rebuild to try again. Lets save others from a crappy fate if they were found by them fools." I called in.

"Team One on the move, No Survivors, Copy, Out." a voice chimed in quickly. I looked at the General who nodded slowly and sat back on the bench.

"It's tough being King." the General muttered and looked out towards Reno from where we sat.

"Damn straight.." I muttered. Forty minutes later and we heard several rounds of gun fire in the distance. Twenty minutes later and Team One was coming in with radio confirmation of the mission and the password to get back in the Gate.

"I did not survive a Zombie Apocalypse for fools like this to come along.." Torie was grumbling as she walked up and slung the sniper rifle into the rack to be checked in. She is part of Team One.

"Who said the Apocalypse was over?" I asked her and she stopped a moment.

"The Zombie's by all right's should have dried out, frozen up, shriveled away to a final death. But I have not seen one die yet on it's own, never found a zombie body that looked to have just fallen over dead on it's own. So what is keeping them healthy enough to continue moving, to continue to do what they do with out a hint of slowing down?" I asked her. Now everyone was listening.

"Listen I would love to say we have survived them, but the fact is we haven't. We humans are still dying while they continue to live on and on like some strange version of energizer bunny. But the Humans are still dying and not by the Zombies as much and the virus is long gone except for what is still within the Zombies. We are dying by our own hand, while the Zombies just watch and laugh or continue to be brainless, whatever. Point is we have not survived much of anything, we are barely survivors. So do not let up, do not let your guard down, keep watch, stay safe and stay alive. We have not won against an Apocalypse yet.. you are doing well, we have food, water, friends and family and a safe place to sleep, which is a lot better then what most are dealing with, lets continue to live and stay safe." I reminded them all to the smiles and cheers around those who heard me.

I just knew I should have stayed in bed. Charlie was facing me with Torie and Maria along with Sam, the General and Gretchen. I sighed and sat in a chair and waved towards the other chairs around the table.

"Say again, and slower, I just finished a fifty mile run and I have not yet caught up on my beauty sleep." I mumbled to the amusement of the others.

"We all want the change, and there are even more below who want it as well." General Jackson stated and I looked at him for a moment.

"Ever hear the saying, Never raise anything you can't put down?" I asked him and his eyes widened.

"Now with you Commanders, I have no problem giving you what you want. But with the rest, well there are many I would never trust with this and I would kill them outright before I ever banished them. Could you imagine what would happen if I had been a bad person, been greedy and power hungry, could you imagine the damage I could do all by myself?" I asked them and they sat back looking stunned.

"Sure the Cure stuff, makes me more protective of those I call family, I can locate them anywhere even blindfolded. But it does not stop who the person is at their core, the kind of person they are. It does not stop or hinder what I call the Human Condition. As a person most are good at heart, but as a group Humans can be mean vile creatures full of fear and petty jealousies that can get out of control. Why the hell do you think I lock up the damn weapons, now imagine those who do not need weapons to be a threat having this stuff in their veins." I told them as I explained my view once again.

"So you offer it to those you feel you can trust, those who have gone beyond their duty to the Stronghold and for you and the people within." the General stated.

"Like a reward being offered for service, but purely by their own choice as to receive it or not?" I asked him doubtfully. Jackson nodded and smiled.

"Fine, you and Gretchen first, Torie bunk them together so they can help each other through the change." I said while Jackson and Gretchen blushed.

"What you didn't think I noticed your scents on each other, hell even Tami has been blushing ever sense she figured it out two days ago." I spouted leaving Tami to blush brighter along with the new couple. Yeah I never said I wasn't a Jack Ass.

After the seven day painfest, both came out feeling much better. Charlie, Torie and Maria also went through it but for the so called Upgrade, it only took a couple of days to sweat through it. Both the General and Gretchen admitted they had second thoughts after three days of pure pain and no sleep, it left them so exhausted they dozed off and on through the rest of the process.

They both got sent to his room to finish resting up, they would need to regain their strength. Looking out the window I watched as three streaks of purple were running through the inner walls. Things would be changing and soon, the General had made some interesting points, those willing to put everyone before their own interests deserved to have a chance at a Virus free life if they wanted it.

For the next month, specific people who were noted and noticed by the Commanders or myself were offered the chance to change. Most readily accepted and for good reasons. They wanted to be able to survive a zombie bite with out worry, but they wanted to better serve the Stronghold even more.

A few did refuse saying they wanted to survive on their own as Human, but if there ever was a bite by a zombie they would be right there for the cure in no time. It made sense and probably something I would have said if given a choice.

My family had taken the cure simply because of our circumstances, Charlie bitten, all of us living in the open. Now with the Stronghold up and running, there was no reason to push the 'cure' on anyone and no real reason to actually want it unless you spent a lot of time beyond the walls. Which would be our next topic of discussion in the next meeting which was just starting.

"General Jackson, you have the prettiest eyes.." I said as he sat down, his face darkened with his embarrassment.

"Freakin charmer and a smart ass all at once.." he muttered to the snickers.

"Still thinking about the trade routes?" Tami asked, she always knew how to get the ball rolling.

"Yes and No.. well maybe both." I said slowly which had everyone looking confused.

"We have just the two trucks right now. We also have all the campers and trailers emptied out in the back and many are used by couples for their own privacy as well as a place to call their own finally." I said slowly while they listened.

"I want to start bringing in mobile homes, try and stick to mainly single wide's for a while but leave spacing available for doubles when some of our couples start actually having families." I explained slowly while they listened.

"As for Trade routes we can start talking to the people and see how they stand with it and if they want to get involved in going out to the scattered Holds and begin trade and mail routes." I explained as I sat back.

"The hard part will come from the fact it is strangers meeting strangers for the first time and with some of our people sporting purple eyes, it may not go so well." I reminded them while they nodded slowly.

"Remember what I said about some of those experiences. Some will have been traumatized by Bullies and the like while others will have a might makes right Dictator who will fight tooth and nail to keep what they have, even if it means shutting the world out." I told them while they nodded slowly.

"The trader group will consist of Traders to be sure, but I want them fully trained in hand to hand, and edged weapons training. Small arms would not hurt either." I explained and they nodded in understanding.

"Lets face it if we got word they got hurt, we would devastate the ones who did it even if they did it because they were forced to by someone they feared more. So with full training we should be able to limit it to some degree. I want at least one conversion for every two human trader, they can act solely as security during the runs." I explained while they continued to listen.

"I can get some of our more experienced fighters to start training sessions for everyone, it would not hurt if everyone at least could fire a gun reliably. I'll get our smiths to work on upping ammo production for basic ammo on small twenty two's." The General stated while I nodded.

"Tami, I want you and Charlie working basic self defense with a staff and hand to hand. People will respond more if they see you both can defend yourselves much better then you let on." I told them and they nodded and smiled.

"They are skilled in defense?" Jackson asked and I smiled and nodded.

"Been teaching them ever sense we got ambushed near Lakeview, and after the change they learned even faster, now when we spare we don't hold back and they give me a descent work out compared to most others." I explained and he laughed softly.

Using the trucks and several men and women who knew how to move the Mobile Homes, we began pulling them first off the sales lots around the out skirts of the City. They were already prepped for moving anyways and while the movers and preppers were getting the homes moved, most were ripping up the asphalt and making proper foundations along with power and water hook ups.

As the homes got set up, more volunteers helped with Raiding furniture stores to make them into proper homes complete with towels and linen. After six months we have more then three quarters of the homes moved onto their own small lots with small lawns as well.

Couples got homes if they wanted them, families or soon to be families got either large single wide's or if they already had more then one child, they could get into a double wide. We also extended the outer wall to allow more growth in the area as well. During that time we ended up taking in more refuges as well and we went from barely over three hundred to more then six hundred.