Chapter 11

Lake City, Michigan
 
Kevin had just left the T.D.F. (Town Defense Force) headquarters building after giving the oncoming shift brief to this week’s group of citizens who were ready to take over Lake City’s perimeter security.

Even in the frigid early stages of winter, with a light layer of fluffy snow blanketing the northern Michigan town, people were buzzing about walking here and there, greeting Kevin with a curtesy nod and smile as he strolled up the sidewalk on main street.

It’s going to be a busy day, Kevin thought to himself as he mentally scrolled down his to-do list.

Before making his rounds to inspect the guard post on the protective wall, constructed out of shipping containers, that surrounded the city he wanted to make a pitstop at the high school to check on the progress of a new project that the neighboring town inspired.

As the TDF Commander, Kevin had no oversite in the giant indoor hydroponics farm being built inside the school’s gymnasium, but he was definitely curious as was most of the town’s hungry inhabitants. The hallway he entered wasn’t much warmer than the frigid air temperature outside, but at least he was out of the wind. His wet boots squeaked as he walked down the long hallway bypassing the designated infirmary operating in the expanded school nurse’s station.

Turning the hallway corner, he came upon large heavy rubber curtains that hung from the ceiling that had been zipped closed in the center. Stepping through, the humidity and temperature rose dramatically. Quickly rezipping the curtains, he understood the purpose for the climate controlling airlock. From inside the airlock, he looked through the safety glass window in the gymnasium metal doors.

A wife and husband, wearing nothing but shorts and light shirts, inspected four above ground swimming pools that sat on the hardwood basketball court. The man dipped a pole into the water and brought up a net full of fish. After a quick inspection, the man returned the flopping fish to the swimming pool. From each pool, hoses ran up scaffolding ladders to the top run where descending troughs slowly drained the pool water through layers upon layers of open face ductwork until the water finally emptied back into the swimming pools.

A small steam-powered engine against the rear of the gymnasium not only heated the room to optimal plant growing temperature, but it also turned a generator producing electricity to power UV grow lights hanging from the ceiling. The steam engine also pumped dirty pool water up into the troughs, where growing plant roots absorbed the fertilizer produced by the fish, which cleaned and oxygenated the water before returning to the pool again.

An amazingly efficient process that fascinated Kevin. Nothing would go to waist. When the fish grew big enough, they would be harvested along with the vegetables growing in the troughs. Any inedible portions would turn into fish food, rabbit food, or sent to the community’s mounding compost bin.

The woman making statistical notes on a clipboard noticed Kevin at the door and waived him in with a smile. From outside, the window he shook his head and simply waived not wanting to disturb their progress or break another climate barrier. His curiosity had been fulfilled, so he left the school to make his rounds.

Kevin wasn’t one for running a micromanaged guard force. It was hard enough to get volunteers without pissing his people off by nit-picking day to day duties, but certain security protocols needed to be properly supervised for the safety of the entire community. Kevin walked the perimeter wall once or twice a week to check on the guard post to ensure equipment was accounted for and answer any questions the wall watch guards may have.

After Victor had left weeks ago, Kevin had been nervous about taking over as the TDF Commander. But the security procedures were already in place and with the help of shift leaders, the organization practically ran itself. New volunteers were trained in basic marksmanship and observation techniques needed for guard post. Advanced tactics and medical training were offered to members of the quick reactionary force that would respond to emergencies inside, on, and outside the perimeter.

Those who showed the best marksmanship, tactical abilities, decision making, and maturity were recruited for survivor relocation assistance which required traveling in small teams far outside the safety of Lake City almost daily as the community continued to expand.

At the main entrance to Lake City were sandbag bunkers on top of the shipping containers bordering the vehicle gate. Kevin looked up noticing a crow perched on the lean-to roof that protected the guard, to some extent, from the constantly changing weather. The young lady on post spun in an elevated swivel chair, made from a vinyl car bucket seat, and waived to Kevin.

“Everything ok up there?” He asked her.

“Yes sir. All equipment accounted for. Nothing to report.” She said with a chipper smile.

She was new to guard duty. Unfortunately, she would soon realize how mind numbing boring the job was and her lighthearted cheery attitude would quickly fade. But Kevin enjoyed her enthusiasm and made him smile.

“Be sure you get some hot tea at HQ on your break. Let me know if you need anything. Stay alert.” He said with a waive as he turned to walk the interior path towards the next guard post. Kevin tried to keep his conversations short, not because he was rude, or didn’t enjoy the chats, but he didn’t want to distract them from their duties. Besides, even being as friendly as he could be, when the guard force commander visited a post it made the guards nervous. Also, if he spent half an hour at each post, he would be out there all day and get nothing else accomplished.

The sun was high in the clear blue sky and sunlight shimmered of the bright snowy ground covering. Looking at the baron trees, Kevin wondered if any squirrels still lived inside the perimeter, or if they had all been hunted and eaten by hungry survivors. Halfway around the perimeter wall, Kevin decided to cut his inspection short and detour towards the mechanic’s garage to check on a vehicle upgrade he had requested, and to warm his frozen toes.

Nearing the shop, he was greeted by Sophie, the only dog left in town who was always excited to see Kevin and jumped up onto him with big heavy paws and a slobbering kiss. For a junk yard dog, she was the kindest and happiest animal Kevin had ever met because Chappy the mechanic loved her so much. When the famine hit, every other pet was forced to be let free outside the perimeter to fend for themselves or had been sacrificed to family hunger. But not Chappy, he had given up half of his own meal rations to feed his K9 child, Sophie.

“Hi Chappy. How are our truck upgrades?” Kevin asked the lanky mechanic that was so skinny his oil-stained jeans drooped off his bony hips.

After Chappy had fell ill and almost died from malnourishment, the Doctor begged Chappy to stop giving his daily food rations to his dog. “Would you eat, while your kids went hungry?” Was Chappy’s response to the doctor. Recently, an entire freight train, full of dry food, had been located on the train tracks just north of the town that ensured their survival, at least through the winter. Since then, there was a unanimous vote approving an additional half ration for Sophie, since she was the last remaining dog in town and all.

“Hi Kevin.” Chappy said through a smile. “Sophie, get off him!”

“That’s okay. Who’s a good girl?” Kevin said in his playful baby voice and tossed a stick for her to fetch.

“I took springs off a heavy-duty truck, and with a little fabricating was able to get them fitted on the old red clunker you guys love to drive around.” Chappy said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder towards the garage. “She’s going to ride stiff; I’ll tell you that for sure. But the upgraded springs were needed to handle the armor plating weight that you wanted in the door, behind the cab and under the dashboard.”

“Thanks Chappy. The extra protection will be much appreciated by the Rescue Teams.” Kevin said, reaching down retrieving the wet stick that Sophie dropped at his feet. He tossed it again, and she took off bouncing through the snow.

“Yeah, well. She’s not going to handle like she used to. You better have the drivers take a few laps around town to get a feel for the extra weight maneuverability before they go out into the bad lands.”

“Good idea, how’s the Hummer?” Kevin asked.

“Piece of government crap is what it is. I can keep it running for a day or two, before it clunks out again. Almost more of a hassle than what it’s worth to keep running.” Chappy said rolling his eyes. “But what else do we have to do?”

Sophie rubbed against Kevin’s leg causing him to take an involuntary step to steady himself. He bent down to grab the slobber covered stick again when she curled her lip, bared her teeth, and growled startling Kevin to retract his hand.

“Sophie! What the hell’s matter with you!” Chappy scowled.

Never had witnessed the dog, that had been adopted by the entire community as a pet, be anything but cheerful, Kevin was taken back and put-on guard not wanting to be bit. But when he stepped away from her, Kevin noticed that the dog’s aggression wasn’t at himself, but her attention was entirely towards the side of the garage.

Kevin drew his pistol automatically. “Chappy, get inside!”

Chappy clapped his hands and whistled trying to get her attention, “Sophie, come on girl. Sophie, come! Sophie!”

She wasn’t moving, and neither was Chappy without her. Kevin pointed his weapon towards the corner of the garage then slowly sidestepped to get a better view, but nothing was on the side of the garage except a stack of bald tires and an old radiator. Kevin, felt he should check the rear and begun slowly circling around the side of the garage.

The pistol was extended in his hands. Where his eyes looked, the front sight post followed. He took a half step to the side and felt Sophie under his feet. He retracted his pistol to his chest and looked down. The dog was positioning herself protectively between Kevin and whatever she wasn’t happy about behind the garage.

“Sophie heel!” Kevin said, not knowing if the dog had ever been properly trained.

Kevin continued to sidestep, making a wide arc around the far corner of the garage, slowly revealing piles of car parts in overgrown grass. Cars on blocks, completely stripped truck, and even an old tractor was among the scrap. So far, nothing appeared out of the ordinary, but Sophie continued to growl baring her teeth.

Behind him, he could sense the mechanic was following him. Kevin retracted his pistol to his chest and was turning his head to yell at Chappy to get inside when something dark ran across the garage roof and leapt towards Kevin.

Instantly realizing, that the thing flying through the air towards him was neither animal, nor human, Kevin punched his pistol out forward again towards the mini-Gray that had demonic black eyes locked in on him. In the split second of recognition, his vision focus went from the creature’s ravenous face, to its light and dark splotchy gray skin, to its outstretched arms that ended with sharp talons, and finally his vision focused on the front sight post of his pistol.

Had never seen a Gen 2 before, even though Kevin had no doubt that he was in danger, he paused for a micro-second fascinated by the toddler-like-creature before he squeezed the trigger. The pistol recoiled in his hands. Kevin took a huge step to the left, tracking the limp body through the air until it flopped and tumbled onto the snow-covered ground.

The pistol sights followed the target to the ground. Kevin was more than ready to put another bullet into it, but realized the headless body was in fact, dead. After years of training to avoid getting tunnel vision of the target, that was no longer a threat, Kevin naturally scanned the area around him looking for more targets and to check on Chappy. That’s when he noticed two more creatures materialized in what seemed like a coordinated attack.

Another one was on the roof that took a different path than its predecessor, and instead of leaping off directly at Kevin, it jumped onto a sturdy branch of a nearby oak tree.

The last one rounded the front of the garage shrieking like a banshee and sprinting directly towards Chappy who was directly in Kevin’s line of fire unable to help. The little naked gray creature bound across the snow on hands and feet with its demonic eyes fixated on Chappy who held a big heavy crescent wrench like he was the next batter-up.

From ten feet away, Chappy could see the hunger and hate on the creature’s face as its body compacted, coiled and then sprung through the air with outstretched arms longing to rip meat from bone. With a two-handed swing and a hit, Chappy smacked the side of the young creature’s skull with the wrench spraying black infected blood across his snow-covered yard.

Chappy had put so much force into his swing, that he deflected the trajectory of the attacking creature and the lifeless body with a caved in face, slammed against the oak tree as the last creature jumped from the branch to the ground and landed softly like a feline just feet from Kevin.

Looking through his pistol sights, taking up the slack on the trigger, Kevin witnessed something that he had never seen before. Instead of immediately attacking on the offensive, the gray postured up tall and raising its boney hands defensively and bared its teeth while hissing at Sophie who had again got between the creature and Kevin.

The junk yard dog was angry that something dared enter her domain and threaten her owner. Sophie was pissed! Her ears laid back against her black and white fur while her teeth snapped at the air. She growled with such venom that Kevin took a cautious step back as she begun circling with the creature.

The Gray took a hollow jab towards Sophie hissing through jagged teeth, but it still didn’t attack. Apparently, it had momentarily lost its craving for human flesh and its full attention was on the dog. Sophie continued snapping her teeth, closing distance, forcing the creature backwards, away from Chappy and Kevin, until it was against the garage wall.

Not wanting the desperate creature to get away, or hurt Sophie, Kevin finally shot the thing in the chest, twice.

Like flipping an emotional light switch, Sophie licked her chops, stopped growling, and began wagging her tail again.

Wondering how the three Grays had gotten over the wall and inside the perimeter had Kevin deeply concerned. They would need to immediately reassess their physical security measures, increase patrols, issue a town-wide BOLO (be on the lookout) warning, and many other safety measures. Sophie rubbed against his leg, and dropped the stick covered in frozen slobber lightened his mood again.

He knelt in the fluffy snow to rub her floppy ears, Kevin said in his dog voice, “Who’s a good girl!”