Dead States | Year Zero | Nebraska Page 12

  Bill knew what he knew and those men were dead. Bill raced home grabbed their go bags, his Glock, his grandpa's 30 – 30 and his 300. He also packed food , water and clothes into the 4X4. With everything set to go he woke Sara.

  “Sara we need to leave now.”, Bill told her.

  “William Parsons you are not making any sense go where?”, Sara queried trying to make sense of what he was saying. “Bill you know I'm no good without my coffee now pour me a cup and explain this to me slowly”

  Bill had the coffee ready and handed it to her, but wasn't going to waste time on further explanations, “I'm leaving in fifteen minutes with or without you, your choice”.

  Bill's plan was to camp out in the southern part of the state where there were less people, but they hadn't gotten much more than a hundred miles outside of Lincoln before they ran into Colonel Osgood's regiment and joined with them. Sara had seen a couple of the walking dead creatures stumbling about as they drove out of town, but she couldn't believe that the government and the army wouldn't have this problem fixed soon.

  The first few days at the compound were particularly hard on Sara. There was no booze and the forced detox was pure torture for Sara. Sara made up her mind that somebody was going to pay for what she went through. Sara began to hate Ivan McPherson, he was always telling folks what to do and making up lists of chores. Then there was that little slut Crystal, how could anyone think she was a better choice to be in charge of the militia than her Bill was. Sara chose to bide her time, she laid low when there was work to be signed up for, and had a knack of finding kindred souls to commiserate with.

  Crystal's road trip couldn't have been timed better. The threat of imminent danger was becoming a bad memory, Work was done each day fairly early and people had a lot of time on their hands and little to do. With no cable TV, no internet, temperatures in the 90's and tight living spaces folks were starting to wear on each other. Sara was having the time of her life poking the beehive.

  Sara used Bill's position as Chief of Security to take special privileges. Sara had her handful of friends join her in lounging around in full view of folks sweating away in the fields, just to show them that McPherson and the council had no authority to make them work. Bill tried talking to her, but Sara just created a scene. With no other choice Bill called a security detail and confined the women to the Council office .

  Mac and Nana were there to greet the truck as it pulled in, Crystal hopped out of the truck,“Mac what's going on?”

  “Its just Sara Parsons being a pain in the ass. So who do we have here.”, Mac replied.

  “Mac, Nana this little lady is Mary Kay she's got quite the story, but I think we should have Doc take a look at her and give her some time to get to know us.”, Crystal answered.

  Nana gave Mary Kay her best grandmother smile,”Now Dear, don't you worry about a thing. We'll get you settled right quick, your going to fit in just fine.”

  Mac had called an emergency council meeting, in the security office, to decide how to deal with Sara Parsons, “We need to get this under control. If Sara and her friends are going to act like children, I'm content to let them stew a while, but we can't keep them locked up forever for being lazy.”

  With a course of action decided the the council went to talk to Sara Parsons and the small group of women she had convinced to act out with her. Laughter was coming from the council room as they entered.

  “I'm glad you ladies have been enjoying yourselves in here. In fact it seems these past few days you have been having fun at the expense of everyone else. Anyone care to explain to us why you are more privileged than the rest”, Mac exclaimed.

  Sara responded for the five of them, “Mr McPherson let me tell you like it is. We didn't ask to come to this crap hole. We all had comfortable lives before coming here so excuse me if we need a little break. We are not gardeners, we are not construction workers and quite honestly we have to much dignity to wait on tables or sling hash.”, poking a thumb in Crystal's direction, “If we need more supplies than send her out to get more.”

  Hester retorted back first, “The supplies we have were all paid for in blood and it appalls me that you would spend it so freely. None of us asked for this, but the alternative is a terrible death or be turned into one of those things. Crystal just brought in a young girl who spent the last month holed up in a barn eating horse feed and drinking from an animal trough and you ladies want to complain.”

  Bob Ryker picked up from Hester, “The five of you are always first in line for meals and don't leave until the last morsel has been scarfed down. I certainly cannot tell what keeps you so busy except sitting on your ever widening backsides. No offense I'm just telling you, like it is.”

  Sara scowled took a long angry breath, “I guess we are at an impasse then we don't see any need to participate in any of your little projects.”

  Mac gave Sara a cold angry glare, “You do not want to go there. People here are seriously brassed off at the five of you.”

  Maggie O'Toole finally found her voice, “Mr. McPherson, mum Mac what do you suggest.”

  “Thank you. You ladies have some serious fence mending to do. From now on you all are last in line for meals and you are now assigned to cleaning up the dining hall. The alternative is we confine you to your rooms, take you by guard to meals and your children will spend their days at the day care.”

  The other four women readily agreed to the terms, but Sara still wouldn't give. Bill spoke up for his now ex-wife, “Mac thank you Sara will be glad to take your offer.”

  Early the next morning Crystal and Amy were preparing to head out, with a care package from Tobin for the rest of the patrol. However, Mac surprised them, “Mick and I are going to tag along with you for a bit. Mick says there is good hunting in the area your returning to and some caves nearby that we may be able to use to cache supplies. We'll scout that out while your doing your thing. Truth be told kids if I have to be cooped up in here much longer I'm gonna lose it. We'll take the jeep and we'll check in over the radio and plan on catching up with you when you bunk down for the night.”

  On the road there was a lot of down time and Crystal's mind often went to thoughts of Tobin. Crystal was a bit surprised at how rapidly her relationship with Tobin had advanced in the past few weeks. Growing up next door to each other they had always been close, and she had always thought of Tobin as a friend. However, she remembered him as kind of gangly. In the past few years while he was away at school he had taken on a much more manly appearance and had become much more sure of himself.

  With the week on the road now over, Crystal asked Tobin to walk with her down by the lake after dinner. They exchanged very few words, but the way they looked at each other, the caress of their hands confirmed their feelings.

  Eventually they wandered back to Crystal's apartment and she broke the silence, “Tobin I found something out there that I think you are going to like.”

  Tobin looked at her inquisitively, “That is thoughtful of you, but having you back is enough for me.”

  Taking his hand she placed it on the top button of her blouse, “ It is a present and you need to unwrap it.”

  Tobin was a little confused at first, “okay where is it.”

  Crystal undid the first button for him, “right here silly do you think you can finish the rest or do I need to help you some more.”

  Tobin smiled, kissed her and then picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, “I think I can take it from here.”

  With her relationship with Tobin, finally defined, Crystal needed to focus on her role as militia captain. Her patrol accepted her, that was clear and Percy had always staunchly supported her. Percy was a career soldier, what could he possibly see in her that warranted his help. Crystal knew that Mae, in her addled mind, saw her as their daughter Dorothy. Did Percy also feel a father's love for her or was he seeing something in her?

  Percy had been born Parzifal Rainer Braun during the Holocaust. As a Jew in Germany the life he
was born into was sad and terrible. His parents went into hiding shortly after he was born and Percy learned quickly not to cry out. He and his family were captured by the Nazis when he was four. That was the last time he saw his parents and the last time he cried as he was torn from his mothers arms and watched his father beaten to death.

  A year later the camp where Percy had been placed was liberated. For some reason one of the American soldiers took Percy under his wing and when he was shipped stateside he made arrangements to take Percy with him. The soldier placed Percy in the care of a Catholic orphanage in upstate New York. Life in the orphanage was better for Percy, but by no means easy. It took him some time to learn to speak English. While he was trying to learn the foreign language the nuns would keep repeating questions and commands to him over and over in a louder voice each time they repeated themselves.

  Percy's age coupled with his thick accent made him a poor candidate for adoption. For a while he hoped the serviceman that took him from the concentration camp would free him from the orphanage, but those hopes were dashed when he was twelve and learned the soldier had been killed in the Korean conflict. The one thing Percy would not allow anyone to take from him was his faith. He didn't know much more than he was Jewish, but if the Nazi's wanted him dead for that than it must be important.

  When Percy was fifteen a new priest took over stewardship of the orphanage and brought Percy into contact with a rabbi that instructed Percy on his faith. Percy not only gained an appreciation for the religion he so adamantly identified himself with, but also met other Holocaust survivors. At eighteen Percy had to leave the orphanage and having little options he joined the Marines.

  Eventually Percy was posted to Camp Pendleton and met Mae at the local synagogue. Percy never understood what she saw in him, their list of differences was longer than what they had in common and maybe that was what worked for them. They had a traditional Jewish marriage and their daughter Dorothy came along in their first year.

  When Dorothy was four Percy was assigned to a tour in Viet Nam. Percy had barely known life in a family while growing up and found it difficult to leave his. Mae and Dorothy came to see him off on the day he shipped out.

  Percy knelt in front of Dorothy and pinned the Infantry badge given to him by the serviceman on the day he was left at the orphanage, “Dot this pin is for brave soldiers. Can you be my good soldier and take care of Mama while I am avay.”

  Dorothy hugged her father around the neck, “I love you Papa.”

  “I love you to liebchen”, Percy replied.

  Mae and Dorothy kept a steady stream of letters going to Percy. The outgoing mail from Viet Nam was erratic, but they still received letters from Percy often enough to keep Mae from overly worrying. About eight months into his tour the letters from Percy stopped. Eventually Mae received a notice that Percy and his unit were missing in action. Mae took Dorothy aside and tried to explain to her that her father was missing and they may not hear from him for a while.

  “Mama I know Papa is okay. I have been real careful with the pin he gave me and I have been trying real hard to be a good soldier. Papa promised he would come back and you know Papa always keeps his promises”, Dorothy informed her mother with a child's wisdom.

  Mae hugged her daughter and held her head against her shoulder until she could get her tears under control.

  On Dorothy's seventh birthday Mae took her to her grandparents to celebrate her day. When it was time to leave Dorothy was tired so Mae let her stretch on the back seat to sleep on the ride home. As Mae passed through an intersection a drunk ran the red light and broadsided their car. The driver of the other car was declared dead at the scene and both Mae and Dorothy had to be cut from the car.

  Mae escaped with just some cuts and bruises, but Dorothy wasn't so lucky. In the hospital Dorothy awoke briefly and asked for the pin her father had given her. For a couple of days she seemed to draw strength from the pin and then she slowly began to fade. Within the week she had passed. The little pin that had meant so much to Dot and her father Mae had placed in Dorothy's casket. When the funeral was over what strength Mae got from the young girl was gone and with the whereabouts of her husband unknown and her daughter gone Mae broke down.

  The next few months were a fog to Mae. She moved out of her apartment and back with her parents. Mechanically each day she got up, went to her bookkeeping job, came back home. She barely spoke and took little interest in the world around her. Slowly she began to live again. It started with tiny things, helping her mother plan a garden or dinner out with friends. Almost two years after Dot's funeral Mae received a letter that Percy was in a group of POW's to be released and that he would soon be home.

  They had tried to prepare Mae on Percy's condition. Percy had been nearly 200 pounds when he had left and barely weighed 150 now. His body was covered in sores and when he spoke he drifted from English to Vietnamese to German. If this wasn't bad enough he had lost several teeth so his speech was nearly unintelligible. None of this mattered to Mae having him back was enough.

  Mae sat with Percy all that first day and when the nurse came to her to say it was time to leave Mae replied, “Miss I have not seen my husband in almost five years if you think I am leaving his side now you are sadly mistaken.”

  The next several days of Percy's recovery were slow, but eventually his condition began to improve. When she thought he was strong enough Mae tearfully told Percy about their daughter. A couple of weeks later Percy was discharged to continue his recovery at home and Percy asked Mae to visit Dorothy's grave with him. For the longest time Percy stood silently looking at his daughters headstone with his arm wrapped around Mae's shoulders.

  Then with his voice cracking with emotion he said, “Liebchen I am so proud of you. Mama has told me so much about you and how brave and strong you were after the accident. I am so sorry I lost so much time vit you and I miss you so very much. I could not have survived in that camp if it vasn't for knowing that you and your Mama were vaiting for me at home.”

  Percy returned to service and in time became a drill sergeant. He earned a reputation of being a total hard case, but his recruits were consistently recognized as being superior representatives of the Marines. When Percy finally retired the couple settled into a comfortable life. They were enjoying there golden years until Mae began to become forgetful. At first they shrugged it off as just growing older. Than one evening out to dinner Mae excused herself to use the restroom and didn't return.

  Their waiter came up to Percy and told him Mae was in the lobby, “Percy thank goodness you are here. I don't know what I'm looking for, I don't know where I am, I didn't know how to find you.”

  Percy took Mae to the doctor the next day and he was told she was in the early stages of alzheimers. Over the next year things that were easy for Mae slowly slipped away. Percy began to change routines so Mae was never alone. Eventually even close friends became strangers to her and there were times that she would wake up next to Percy and scream at this strange man to get out of her bed.

  There were some medications that helped slow the progression and others to help with her anxiety. Fearing that he had little time left with Mae, Percy booked them a room in the resort that had now become their home. Percy and Mae had come to the resort when Dorothy was three and the resort was being operated as a dude ranch. Percy had hoped that Mae would be comforted by memories of a happy time they shared as a family.

  It was a fortunate decision for Percy not only did this resort end up becoming a refuge for the survivors in a world taken over by the dead, but Mae was able to have a relationship with their daughter Dorothy through the young woman Crystal. If they would have had a chance to see Dot grow up she would have resembled Crystal. It was true that Percy saw Dot's inner strength in Crystal, however, more than anything it was a chance for him to be where he was needed.

  Today Crystal had come to him seeking help with the militia, but mostly looking for reassurance, “My dear I have trained many recruits and m
aybe vun in a tousand has your natural ability to take command. Miss Landers, Mister McPherson, Mister Byrne and myself all saw you as the one to lead our militia. We have many talented people here. You, my dear, direct those talents.”

  A week after the the original crew had returned from clearing a fifteen mile swath around their compound, events were proceeding on the next stages of the plan. Blade, Hank, Justin and Amy each took command of a ten man patrol. Blade and Hank's patrols were out for the week, to extend the safe zone about them to thirty miles.

  Justin and Amy's patrols spent a majority of their time training with the five patrols assigned to the compound. Amy, as the munitions expert, was also spending time with Lois. Lois was perfecting her mix of homemade napalm, to achieve the right balance of stickiness, heat and burn time. Amy's job was to create an incendiary device that would ignite and deliver the burning gel on target.

  After four days of testing at the lab, Lois declared they were ready for a “live” test. The following day Crystal took out a team consisting of Mac, Amy, Lois, Bill and two of the security guards. Jason a brash and cocky young man and Alice a quiet and nondescript middle aged woman. The majority of the group was loaded into the suburban which was towing a horse trailer to be used to move some of the captive Dee's to the quarry. Mick and Amy we're following in one of the jeeps which was towing a trailer filled with supplies to make the incendiary bombs.