Run Rabbit Run

The first snow fell this week. I'm hoping some of these bastards will freeze. At least they seem to be getting a bit slower. Lots to catch up on. So I think the last thing I said was that I remembered that there were tunnels in the capitol. Ah yes.

On Thanksgiving, I announced to everyone that we needed a way out. This was a death trap as it stands.

"Okay - we all need to work together here, or none of us are going to live. Now, I'm sure you're wondering who put this guy in charge? Well, nobody. But if you think you're in charge of your destiny going it alone out there, good luck. I've got a plan, and if you don't like it, let's find something that will work."

Everyone just nodded. People were dazed - beaten down by the events of the last few days, and unsure of what to do next. Many of these families I could sense didn't speak English. Some of the neighborhoods east of the Capitol had many Latinos, and it seemed like a good many made it here.

"First - who here can speak both English and Spanish?" I asked.

A man in a brown Carhart coat and work boots raised his hand. "I do."

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Hector."

"Great - Hector - make sure everyone here knows what I'm saying, and that I know what they are saying. Please." I asked him. He nodded.

"Okay first we need to get food. I used to work for a huge non-profit Food Bank. I know exactly where it is. There are thousands of pounds of food there, non-perishable food too, provided it hasn't been looted yet. I think we need one team of people who sneak out of here using the tunnels below the Capitol complex, get to the food bank, load up their truck, and find our way back here. Once we get back to this site, we'll have to be able to drive our truck through a gate, since the tunnels will be too hard to protect while we unload."

Food Banks are actually warehouses that supply food pantries with some, if not all of their food in some cases. I had other motivations too, since the warehouse was a block from my house.

"Second - we need a team of people who can do two things to the wall. First reinforce everything that exists, and secondly, build a gate or entrance of some kind so we can return in the truck."

"Third, we need to get a working radio, and figure out what the hell is going on. Where are other survivors? Who is there? What kinds of supplies do they have. We need to map everything out, and chart a radio tree of survivors that can get news or information to any safe sites by spreading the word."

"Okay anyone who has an combat experience, and someone who has a CDL or at least knows how to drive trucks, raise your hand." About a dozen people raised their hand. "We're going on a field trip."

"Now anyone with construction or engineering experience, raise your hand." About 30 people raised their hands. "You're in charge of the perimeter. Don't ask me how to make a gate either. I have no idea. But we need an entrance to this place wide enough for a truck."

"Anyone here have experience with radios?" I could hear crickets chirping. "Okay then - you half dozen people ransack this place for radios, and I mean CBs. If nothing else, we'll go over to the Lucas building to get some. That's where the Iowa State Patrol was and I'm sure there was some kind of radio there."

"Each team needs to elect a leader. Leaders, make sure your job gets done. We're all counting on you."

"Everyone else, you're killing zombies and protecting our engineering crew. Start scavanging for weapons. My team - let's go."

I had no idea if any of this would work. Either way, my team went down to the tunnels, which haven't been open for some time actually. There were now make shift barriers, but it was easy to break through them. On the other side we had about 3 zombies. They were moaning up against a gate, probably accidentally wandered down there. A large stocky guy, looked kind of like a biker, skewered them all through the head with a rather large knife he had.

Slowly we started inching our way down the tunnel. I didn't want to move too fast because having the group get separated would be disaster. Besides, we only had melee weapons at this point. Shovels, makeshift weapons, flagpoles, stuff like that.

I saw something move ahead. What was that? Then a noises. Fuck.

Around a corner came three zombies running full speed. There were three of us in front. I had a shovel that I was able to swing around and get one of them. Another was hit also with a knife through the eye from the biker looking guy. The last one, a heavyset woman, took the man in the middle by surprise. She lept on him, and bit into him hard. I turned, and with one wack of my shovel, the Z was out of commission.

Our new friend, who I didn't even know, was now laying wounded. Everyone was shouting. Shouting really loud.

"ERNIE!"
"Holy Shit!"
"He's going to turn!"
"He's not dead yet, he can hear us!"
"BUT HE'S NOW ONE OF THEM!"
"Naw he'll bleed to death first!"

I yelled - "FUCK - SHUT THE FUCK UP JUST SHUT UP!"

Then I heard rumbling. I realized it was the sound of a stampede.

"RUN!"