Chapter 2
Waking up
When he arrived, Bobbie got tetanus shots in his hands, stiches in his arm and had to have surgery to get the bullet extracted from the muscles in his left side. It had stopped three centimeters away from his left kidney. The bandage that he had covered it with was soaked with blood and sweat. When the hospital called his mom she drove as fast as she could to the hospital. Bobbie was unconscious when she got there. She didn’t know anything about the boy’s deadly night until some cops, along with Drysdale, showed up and wanted to question him.
When Bobbie woke up he didn’t know what happened. He had scars on his hands and left arm. He looked to his left and on the night table were wilting flowers on the table next to him. The pain in his side was excruciating. It hurt so much he couldn’t breathe.
POP POP POP
The window shattered and sprayed glass everywhere. It took him a minute to register what happened. Instantly he started looking for his clothes, they were in a drawer by the bathroom. He got on his clothes, shoes and socks and ran out the door. A stretcher was blocking his way out. Pushing it aside he fell due to the pain in his side. The hospital looked like it was hit by a bomb. The lights were hanging by wires and something red was smeared on the walls. Bobbie walked to some doors and found that they were locked. A red body lay on the ground. He turned around and saw a metal door. It opened a little and fingers came out of the small space in between the doors. They looked as if someone had locked them in there.
“What the heck?”  Bobbie said out loud.
He walked about five feet to the emergency exit. When he opened the door an alarm sounded and about fifteen of the spooks appeared from around the corner. He didn’t wait to see what would happen. He bolted down the stairs, kicked open the door and tied it shut with his belt.
He turned around and saw that the whole town was in chaos. People were running for their lives down the main street.
A man ran up to him pleading for him to help his wife and kids. “Where are they” Bobbie asked “They’re locked inside a house on 23rd and Oakley. Please you got to help.” Bobbie thought this over, that address sounded very familiar “Alright, come on.” Bobbie said going down towards Oakley. He got to the intersection when a car careened behind him, striking the man. When he got over to him the man was spitting up blood and gargling. In the car a lady was screaming and using every curse word known to man. Then the screaming just stopped.
Bobbie sprinted down to 23rd and saw a pretty pink house. It looked like it had been shot up by a Huey but still a pretty house. He heard a scream coming from inside the house then a few gunshots.
Bobbie carefully walked in and saw a woman and two children huddled in a corner. The boy seemed to be twelve years old and was holding a .9mm in one hand and a knife in the other. It was Jake. He was scared out of his mind and nearly shot Bobbie when he walked in. The mom and little girls were crying. I turned around and saw why.
Mr. Johnson, the town librarian, was shot in the chest and was still coming after the family. A chunk of his arm was missing and he was making a moaning sound. Jake threw Bobbie the knife and he stabbed it all the way into the man’s skull without thinking. The body fell limply to the ground and Bobbie had just stared at it while Jake was talking with his family.
After Jake stood up a person came crashing through the family room window. She stood up and they saw the most terrifying thing in the world.
The woman had a bite in her neck and was walking towards them. Jake shot her in the head right smack in between the eyes and her head split with a sickening slop.
After getting over the initial shock, Bobbie had everybody go and get into the back room. They got there in half a second while Jake grabbed two .22 rifles and a 308 pistol from the gun safe upstairs. Bobbie was going to make sure that they were going to make it out alive. He got a backpack and filled it with food and bottles of water. After that, the family raced to the garage.
They got into the van and drove out of there going about sixty. When they got out of town, they slowed and noticed something, there was banging coming from the trunk of the van. It sounded like the person, whoever it was, was panic stricken. Jake grabbed one of the 22.’s and Bobbie grabbed the 308 and walked around to the back of the vehicle. It couldn’t get to the front of the car because the luggage was piled up in the back seat. Bobbie looked at Jake and Jake nodded. They opened the lid and saw Bobbie’s girlfriend.
“Jessie?” Bobbie said
Bobbie got her out and she hugged him with all her might. Bobbie thought his eyes would pop out of his skull.
“I thought I would never see you again.” she said, still strangling him. 
“Losing….oxygen….going to….pass out.” Bobbie managed, he was starting to see stars. He was glad though, because his girlfriend was safe. He didn’t care if she was to crush the soul right out of him.
“Oh sorry” she said.
“Yeah so you want to ride with us for a while?” he asked.
Jake was too surprised to speak and managed to ask. “Jessie?”
“Nope I’m her evil twin.” She said smiling. They all stood there in silence for a moment. Bobbie kept rubbing the picture on his necklace she got him for his birthday. He wished he could go back to that time. It was only two weeks ago, but it felt a lifetime away.
“We should get going before they find us.” Jake said finally
“Yeah let’s go.” Bobbie said leaving with Jessie’s head resting on his arm.
They all got in and headed north, away from Atlanta. Getting out of town was hard because there were cars lining the road. On a couple of occasions they had to go through the backyard of people’s houses to the next road.
“Whoa pull over I think I see something.” La Rea, Jake’s little sister, said when they were almost to South Carolina.
“Mom pull over I see it too.” Jake said.
“Oh…My…Gosh.”
Fort Benning was in ruins. The barracks were infernos and were crashing down. The screams of all the residents could be heard from Las Vegas.
“What now?” Bobbie asked, his mouth hanging open.
All of a sudden, something hit the car and it spun in four full circles. They were haunted by what they saw. A black Prius was burning and the windows were smeared red. The odor of wet pennies could be smelled from inside the van. When it had crashed against an old oak tree, Jake and Bobbie got out with the rifles and were inspecting the carnage. The whole back bumper was torn off and the bolts ripped four inch holes in the frame.
“Well we’re lighter now.” Jake said trying to be positive.
“Shut up and get back in the car.” Bobbie said grimly.
Jake complied and returned to the Jeep Cherokee. Bobbie was about to do the same when he heard something in the car. He told Malinda, Jake’s mom, to drive forward so he could inspect the other car.
Bobbie started stalking his way towards the Prius when the van was a dozen yards away. He opened the Prius’ door and a satchel fell out, and a pistol inside it went off, putting a hole the size of a dime in the windshield. Bobbie had thought someone was shooting at him, so he took off.

He sprinted to the car and literally jumped in. Malinda sped off, going down route 185. There were no cars so she got around relatively well. When she started to slow down they were in Tennessee.
Nice driving.” Jessie said clinging to dear life to Bobbie.
“Where did you learn to drive like that mom, you won’t even go above twenty back home.” Jake said, grinning like a lunatic. He loved to go fast on his little motor bike, even though his mom hated him using it.
“You don’t know everything about me.” Said Malinda, smiling like Jake.
“We’ll have to hunker down for the night here.” Bobbie said, holding Jessie.
“Okay let’s stay in that house over there.” Jessie said pointing. A small white house with two windows the size of flat screens was across the road from where they were parked.
“No we shouldn’t, people will be starting to panic and kill each other. Before we know it, the house will be taken over and we will be lucky to escape with our lives.”  Bobbie said, sadness in his voice.
“Hey Bobbie, you and David were in that warehouse and got out alive, can’t you teach us something from that?” Bobbie remembered that frightful night. The screaming, the blood and David, how he fought for life, how he pushed him to come.
“No, I can’t teach you anything from that night. It was a stupid mistake to go.” Bobbie said, looking out the window at the house.
“But still, the woods are a better bet. More food and less chance of getting spotted.” Bobbie said, trying to change the subject.
Then they heard screeching tires and whooping and hollering. A Dodge challenger came careening around a corner, and right at the van.
“Drive, drive, drive, drive, DRIVE!” Jake yelled to his mom. The van skidded into the driveway of the house and they all jumped out and ran into the house. The other car came in as well and three guns popped out and started shooting.
“Crap, the guns are still in the car.” Jessie said when they went upstairs to the master’s bedroom.
“Okay so we’re going to either fight our way out or wait it out.” Bobbie said, trying to catch his breath.
“So we’re stuck between a hard place and a-” Jake couldn’t even finish his sentence because a bullet sped through the window and caught him in the arm. The screaming could be heard over the shooting.
“Pull him into that room!” Bobbie yelled to Malinda and Jessie, who had plastered themselves to the ground. They got him in there and started to apply pressure. Jessie started to wrap Jake’s arm with toilet paper
“Thank you for TP.” Bobbie said to himself. He looked into the closet and was dumbstruck. There, glistening in the wan yellow light, was a shotgun.
“Well hello there beautiful.” Bobbie said as he crawled to it, so he wouldn’t get shot or spotted through the window. The twelve gauge shells were in the cupboard underneath and he got them out in a nanosecond. The kitchen looked like the hospital, minus the blood and skeleton. The men probably thought that they had shot Jake and his family. Bobbie heard the doors open and shut and the guys talking.
“This was so easy… it feels like a little too easy.” A deep voice boomed. The front door flew open and a six foot behemoth walked in.
“Well they won’t be alive if they hid out here.” The giant said. Bobbie was hiding behind the island in the kitchen. As he was trying to formulate a plan he looked up and saw a glass cup teetering in the cupboard.
“No please don’t.”
Too late. It fell and hit the floor with a loud crash. A shorter guy ran in when he heard it. Bobbie took the safety off and was waiting. The tall man started walking. When he saw the man’s boot he rolled out and shot him in the leg. The boom reverberated through the house. The short guy raised a rifle at Bobbie, who rolled forward and shot the small man and sent him back through the front door. The tiny man was dead before he hit the ground. The large man was groaning in pain when Bobbie walked back to him.
“I’m sorry; my brother and I were just having a little bit of fun.” He said when Bobbie walked by.
“You shot my best friend. My Best Friend!” Bobbie screamed at the man.
“We weren’t trying to hurt nobody. It was just fun and games man. Please tell me my brother is okay. Please tell me Jare’ is alright.” The large man said, tears falling down his face.
“You want to be with your brother. You want to be reunited. Here” Bobbie said, his anger boiling over. Bobbie pulled the shotgun up, leveled it with the giant’s heart and pulled the trigger.
He walked upstairs and found Jake was still bleeding. Malinda was applying pressure and changing the gauze pads.
“The bleeding has slowed down and he’s out cold. What happened down there?” Jessie asked bringing in some towels.
“It was nothing.” Bobbie said grimly. Jake took a round through the arm and it was resting in the chest, missing the heart by less than an inch. Jessie was in the hall way vomiting, she wasn’t so fond of blood either, when she heard the door slam. A spook came in and tripped coming up the stairs.
“Bobbie!” she screamed scrambling to get to the room that Jake was in.
“What, what, what?” Bobbie stopped when he came careening out of the door. Jessie was standing at the top of the stairs and was pointing. Bobbie pumped the shotgun and aimed. Right before he pulled the trigger, a round from the side of the stairs killed it with one shot.
“What the, who’s there?!” Bobbie yelled from the landing.
“Don’t shoot now, don’t shoot.” An old voice came from the living room.
“You have stirred up a whole heap of trouble young man and I’m going to give you one chance to team up and start surviving, or you can get out of my house right quick.” The voice called from down below with a southern accent. Jessie and Bobbie walked down the stairs to see who they were talking to.
“Jessie, where are those towels?” Malinda yelled from the bathroom,
“Oh what happened is everything alright?” An elderly woman asked walking out of from behind a tall man.
“Stand back ma we don’t know if these people are trustworthy.” The man, about twenty, said even though he sounded at least sixty.
“It’s okay we have a boy who’s been shot upstairs. We’re just using some towels to keep it clean and fix him up.” Bobbie said, taking a step and putting down the shotgun. 
“Where did you get that shotgun boy? Did you steal it from someone, huh, did you take it from a praying man’s fingers?” the man asked raising the gun so it was level with Jessie’s head.
“What about you, did you leave someone to die out here in this rotting husk of a country.” The man said wearing a frown.
“N-no s-sir.” Jessie stammered.
“Jethro, put down that toy and help these poor children out. Now boy!” the mom said grabbing the shotgun.
“You’ll shoot your eye out with one of these.” She scolded, waving her finger. Like the man was a boy.
“Yes mam.” The guy said.
He came up the stairs along with Bobbie and Jessie with an arm load of towels.
“Here you go. Are you sure he’s going to be okay?” Bobbie said while the guy put them on the floor.
“Yes he is, now, go grab me some gauze.” Malinda said
“Hey what’s your name? You know, since we got your house shot up.” Bobbie asked. “The name Jethro Jenkins, that person down there’s my ma and my pa was killed in the war a few weeks back. He was a great dad, never took anything before his kids. Ya’ll may stay here as long as you want. Just pull your weight and help out around and we’ll get along just fine.” Jethro said extending the ‘n’ for a couple seconds.
“Okay Jethro, do you know anything about first aid?” Bobbie asked,
“Well I just graduated med school and was trying to get a job down at the clinic before this happened. It’s a shame.” He said drifting off.
“Well you can help us now, grab those towels and start heating up your knife because you’ll be cauterizing.” Malinda said sternly.
“Okay let’s see what we can do.” Jethro leaned down and put a towel over the gruesome wound. It was bleeding profusely and Jake was as pale as a ghost.
“This is worse than I thought. Why was he hurt, did he owe something?”
“No it was the people who were shooting at us.” Malinda said throwing the towels to the side.
“Who were they, did you know them?”  Jethro was asking more questions than helping and it started irritating Bobbie.
“Hey interviewer, stop asking questions and help!” Bobbie said forcefully.
“I don’t want to die, please don’t let me die.” Jake said gurgling over a pool of blood in his throat. Bobbie had woken him up from his comatose state. Bobbie’s mind raced over that night in the warehouse, David’s leg bleeding, the spooks and the man. Then a realization had hit him like a freight train.
“Oh my gosh.” The man wasn’t running from the spooks, he was running to catch him.
“This is not bacterial; I think this might be a chemical. Where is an ax or something?” Bobbie asked Jethro,
“In the shed out back.” He said, jutting his thumb over to the escape hatch.
“Thanks, I’ll be right back.”
In a dead sprint, Bobbie ran to the hatch. The ladder was rusted but held his weight. On the third step he jumped. The shed was more like a shack and had signs of a rat infestations as well as mold damage. The axe had a wooden handle and iron head. He reached for it when he noticed a shadow covering him.
“Step back from the shed boy. Do it before I have to shoot you.” Turning around Bobbie nearly fainted. Standing in front of him was David.
“David what are you doing here man, I thought you died.” Bobbie said hugging him.
“Get off me; you left me in there to die man, to die. What kind of friend does that, man?” David said, practically throwing him off.
“Hey I thought you died! Don’t blame me for leaving your body there when twenty spooks were in there! If you don’t let me through another kid will die for sure!” Bobbie yelled picking up the ax.
“Where do you think you’re going? I’m not going to let you do that. Jake was a jerk to both of us, he kicked us and started rumors about us. Remember when he put that water balloon full of super glue in your locker?” David asked quietly.
“Yes I do, but that isn’t a good reason to let him die. David this isn’t a game, it’s another man’s life. Please just let me go and save him.” Bobbie said standing. They stood in silence for a few moments when a gunshot rang out, then a scream from the house.
“Come on man, we have to help them!” Bobbie said, pulling David towards the hatch. He knew arguing was going to get him nowhere.
“Now stop screaming you deserved to be shot for your sins.” It was Jethro and he was waving a gun around and foaming at the mouth.
“Please Jethro, just let me go. Just let your mama go.” Jethro’s mom pleaded.
“No ma, I’m not going to let you go, you’ve tormented me for too long.” Bobbie was opening the hatch when he heard another boom of a shotgun. Bobbie jumped up and saw Jake and Malinda bleeding and not moving. Jessie was not in sight and Bobbie could only think of the worse. Still holding the ax, he cautiously walked to the hallway. In the hallway Jethro was standing over his pale mom, and had a look of glee in his eye.
“I did it, I finally did it!” Jethro was jumping up and down gleefully. Bobbie had built up some muscle and was able to heft the ax over his head easily. David came up and the hatch slammed shut with a loud bang. Jethro was in the room before Bobbie could move. A ball of flames shot out of the shotgun and lit the room with a brilliant white light. Jethro missed David and was trying to reload the double barrel when Bobbie came down on him with his ax. Jethro slumped to the ground and the thick red stuff flowed out of him through his nose and mouth.
“What did you do Bobbie? What did you do to him?” David was scared and Bobbie could sense it.
“David, he was about to shoot you, so I took a chance and saved your life. Don’t say what I did was wrong, don’t you tell me that.” Bobbie was talking to David like a mom scolding a young child when he heard a whimper. In all of the excitement, he forgot to look for Jessie.
“Jessie? Jessie where are you!” Bobbie picked up the bloodied ax and started to scour the house. “Jessie come out, it’s okay. It’s just me, Bobbie.” Jessie busted out of the hallway closet and nearly took an ax to the head if she didn’t fall. “Jeez, where were you?” Bobbie said, pulling the ax out of the hardwood.
“Malinda got bit by Jake and Jethro went wild, shooting both of them and started searching for his mom I didn’t,” and that’s where she stopped and looked at the hamburger meat of a person in the hallway.
“It’s a shame, she let me sleep here since the warehouse and it was fine until the dead stopped dying.” David said, poking at the body of the mom.
“Careful, only a bullet to the head will kill them.” Jessie said, clinging to Bobbie. The body made a noise.
“Ah crap, get back both of you.” Bobbie stepped forward and took a swing. Instead of hitting it square in the temple it moved and Bobbie shaved a corner of her head. “Stand back!” Bobbie was yelling at David who was inching closer to the spook to get a better look.
“Just like back at 13.” David said, eyes glazed. Bobbie took another swing and caught the spook in the side of the head.
Twenty minutes later they were on the road, looking for anything that looked like it was safe and secure. They eventually found a small Indian restaurant.
“I’ll take first watch.” David said with a face of stone.
“Remember what happened last time. You died and I got shot. I’ll take first watch.” Bobbie said, basically forcing David to take second watch. Fifty minutes into first watch, Bobbie saw movement and raised the twenty two. He didn’t like having to use such a small caliber rifle, but he made do with what he had.
“Hello is anybody out there?” it sounded like the person was from New York or Chicago and Bobbie could feel a little jolt of excitement. David rolled out of his bunk and went over to Bobbie and when he went to yell out, David caught him.
“Don’t forget what I taught you. The team comes first, he might be a traveling cannibal for all we know.” Bobbie backed down then heard another sound,
“Hank, honey it’s pointless. Nobody is going to let us in and surely not going to trust a man with a short temper.”
“Shut up I know what I’m doing. Just get back in the truck.” Hank said with a hurtful tone.
“David let’s go help them it’s only two people, nothing we can’t handle.” David sighed and then said,
“Okay but if this goes south, I’m blaming you.”
David and Bobbie went out while Jessie watched over them with the twenty two. A woman saw them first and thought that they were spooks.
“Hank, come and help me!” she said with a screech. Hank pounced on them like a panther.
“Back away from my wife.” He said raising a bloody ax.
“Whoa man calm down. We’re human, okay, just trying to find a few wondering souls who won’t eat us for lunch.” David said lowering his weapon.
“Okay son, sorry for the scare, I just lost my whole family except for Andrea here. Can’t hurt to be careful.” Hank said with a country twang.
“You’re mentally stable right? No fits of rage or spent past days in a hospital.” Bobbie asked taking a few steps back.
“No sir, why?” Hank said, doing the same.
“I almost lost my head at the last house we were at.” Bobbie answered honestly.
“Help!!” The yell could be heard from a mile away. When Bobbie heard it, his heart crashed to the bottom of his chest.
“Jessie!” They both turned on a dime and sprinted back to the restaurant.
“Jessie! Jessie where are you?!” Bobbie screamed when they got back. David threw open the door and stopped dead in his tracks when a shotgun barrel was pointing at his face.
“No!” Bobbie screamed and tackled David. The boom was deafening, and hurt Bobbie’s ear for a good three minutes. He and David crawled to a bunch of bushes in front of the restaurant
“That’s right run!” came the voice from inside. When Bobbie heard that, he was dumbfounded. The man walked out into the wan yellow light and David’s heart stopped.

Chapter 4
He never dies.

“Bobbie that’s, that’s, that person right there is.”
“I know man, shut up and he might not hear us.” Bobbie whispered to David and clamped his hand around David’s mouth. The only sounds that were heard were the wind and Jethro’s breathing.
“You stupid people, I’m not going to hurt you. Okay that’s a lie, but it’ll be quick.” Jethro was smiling like a lunatic when a fountain of blood started to poor from his back.
“Hiyagg!!” Jethro fell with an audible thud.
“Okay let’s finish this guy once and for all.” David said, crawling out of the bushes and moving towards the shotgun now at his side.
“Jethro you killed Jake and his mother! His mother man! You will pay!” David yelled as he pulled the shot gun up to his shoulder. “David, wait. We don’t know if he’s faking or just waiting for us to run up.” Bobbie said pulling him back down to a knee. Jessie came running out with the rifle and sprinted over towards Hank and Andrea.
“Come on man; let’s go see if she needs help.” David said to Bobbie. They started to run, then sprint along with Jessie.
“I don’t remember her being this fast.” Bobbie said huffing.
“Something must be wrong.”
David said slowing down. Something was definitely wrong, because when they caught up to her Jessie was sprawled out on the ground.
“Jessie, Jessie come on get up. David what’s wrong with her?” Bobbie said by her side.
“I don’t know man. Back away.” David said sternly
“But”
“Back away Bobbie!” David yelled at him. Hank and Andrea looked like they just saw a ghost.
“She just ran up to us and started talking really fast and the next thing we knew she was on the ground and not moving.” Hank said to David and Bobbie over the crying Andrea.
“Heart attack, she had a heart attack.” David said kneeling down next to her. Jessie had coronary heart disease and had a smoke every once and a while. David remembered saving his grandpa when he was 12.  He started CPR and she came to three minutes later.
“Jessie, oh thank goodness.” Bobbie said wrapping her in his arms.
“What happened all I remember is running then finding some people.” Jessie holding her chest. Tears were starting to roll down her face.
“It’s okay, just rest right now.” David said to her. All of them walked back to their place and bedded down for the night. Well, everybody except for David, Bobbie, and Hank.
“Man what happened, I wake up and the whole world is chaos. Houses burning, people getting eaten, how did they even get out of the warehouse?” Bobbie said not directed to anyone. David sighed then spoke,
“I let them out.” He said with his head down, quietly.
“You what, why did you do that!? I can’t believe you!” Hank yelled at David.
“Hey, I was left in there to die old man, left to die! So don’t go yelling at me for letting three monsters out, okay. I’m sorry, man I’m sorry. It wasn’t on purpose, when I got the door open I had to run. I didn’t think about anything except getting away from that place.” David said burying his head into his hands.
“Hey, it was a mistake, right? Just a stupid mistake, no need to beat yourself over it.” Bobbie said through gritted teeth. He was tempted to pop Hank in the mouth
“Hey you two need to get some sleep, I’ll keep watch.” Hank said. Bobbie and David laid down and went to sleep before their heads hit the hay. Hank felt bad and woke up David.
“Hey, sorry kid, I didn’t mean to jump you like that. It’s just, my whole family got eaten by those things and I lost my temper.”
“It’s okay sir. I know that god is punishing me for what I’ve done. It’s almost my time for watch, you better get to sleep.” Hank fell asleep and David’s eyes drooped, then closed all together.
They woke up to birds and the faint sound of moaning.
“What’s that sound,” David said out loud, forcing himself to get up.
“I don’t know check out the window.” Bobbie answered groggily.
“Dude, come here now. I think Hank is fighting a spook.” David said, getting up. Bobbie’s eyes shot open and raced down stairs.
David was outside and hitting the thing with an ax handle he found.
“All clear, Bobbie come and help me with it.” David said, wiping the sweat and blood off his brow.
“Okay give me a sec.” Bobbie responded.
“I couldn’t yell, didn’t want to attract more of them.” Hank said with a grim stare.
“It’s okay, you bit?” David said, standing up.
“No, but, hey what’s that on your leg?” Hank asks. “It’s a bite, isn’t it; I knew you were up to no good.” Hank said getting up.
“Look, this happened about three months ago. If it infected me, I would’ve changed by now.” David said to the geezer. Bobbie came running out and had a look of panic on his face.
“Hank its Andrea, she’s not moving and there are footprints everywhere.” Bobbie said sinking to the ground.
“I’ll go and check, you stay here.” David said to Hank more than Bobbie. Running in, just the smell signified something was wrong. It was musty and the smoky smell was unmistakable. The placed had been torched with gasoline.
“Jessie, Jessie come on we need to get out of here.” David was yelling and choking on the billowing smoke coming from the back. That’s when he heard the shattering glass behind him and saw Andrea face down with a gash on the back of her head.
“Jessie, Jessie where are you!?” David started screaming despite the smoke.
“What, what’s going on?” David heard just a few feet beyond Andrea.
“There you are, now come on we’re getting out of here.” David said grabbing Jessie. She grabbed Andrea and they all came out choking for air.
“She’s out cold, Hank we have to get out of here now.” David said to Hank who was more than glad to leave. They were all about to go when a sharp crack of a rifle made everyone spin around.
“David.” Was all Bobbie could say before he toppled to the ground?
“Get out of here, Hank take the girls and find cover! Bobbie man, come on get up.” David said, pleaded really, with him. Hank ran over and started to tug at Bobbie’s frame. Finally they got up and were sprinting down the lonely road with Bobbie on their shoulders.
“What was that?” Jessie said when they got to Andrea’s car.
“I don’t know but we need to find gauze and other medical supplies now or else he won’t survive the night.” Hank said ripping off a piece of his shirt.
David looked forward and saw bright red and white lights pulsating off of the top of a vehicle.
“Hold on, there’s an ambulance up ahead. There has to be something in there.” Hank stopped the car and David jumped and ran. He hadn’t run this fast since school was still mandatory. When he arrived at the crashed car, there was a first aid kit sitting on the driver’s seat. Smashing the window, and setting off the alarm, he sprinted back to the car in a little over twenty seconds.
“Good, hand me that pair of tweezers and gauze.” Hank said ripping Bobbie’s shirt. They were done with the operation in a little over an hour. In that time Andrea woke up and started fiddling with her necklace. It was a golden chain with a shiny silver heart at the end.
“That’s very pretty, where’d you get it?” Jessie asked when David finally got Bobbie to calm down.
“My husband gave it to me before he went off to fight in Vietnam. He never came back.” She said with a distance in her voice.
“Oh I’m so sorry, forget that I asked.” Jessie said looking away.
“Don’t worry, it’s okay. He’s been dead for years. I will always remember the smell of him after working at the local garage.” Andrea said getting lost in her thoughts.
“Why does it feel like I got hit by a bus?” Bobbie asked rubbing his head.
David gave him a glass of water and chuckled saying, “Dude you got shot.” 
“When did I get shot? I- wait I got shot! What happened, where is he?” Bobbie started asking questions until he ran out of breath.
“Dude, it’s okay, you’re okay. Hank here fixed you up.”
“I was happy to lend my abilities at a time of need.” Hank said with a smile.
“David, what happened?” Bobbie asked suddenly hostile.
“Calm down man, you just got shot by the Jethro guy and-”
“Jethro, I was shot by Jethro! I thought you took care of him.” Bobbie said with increasing anger
“Hey! I already told you that he might not be dead, also, it was Jessie who shot him, heck he might be watching us right now!” David’s voice was rising and his veins were poking out. 
“Don’t you go yelling at me for a mistake when you caused all of this!” Bobbie yelled back.
A silence filled the air.
“What did you say? I caused this, how did I cause this?!” David asked Bobbie
“You said it yourself, that you let three out and it spread, it’s not that hard to understand.” David threw a lightning-quick left hook and struck Bobbie in the jaw, sending him to the floor board.
“David, what is wrong with you?” Jessie said, crawling and grabbing Bobbie.
“He was calling me a terrorist of sorts. So if it was him in my situation, it would have been me on my butt.” Bobbie was up now and not caring about the blood running down the front of the shirt.
“What, Was, That?” Bobbie asked between huffs of breath. It took him every ounce of his being not to strangle David.
Hank stopped the truck and walked to the rear passenger door.
“If you kids can’t stop fighting, get out now.” Hank was holding a knife and the three didn’t want to test and see if he would use it.
“Okay, Hank, put the knife down and we can talk.” David was out of the truck now and was inching closer to the man. When he was within arm’s reach, David lunged and grabbed the knife, slicing his hand. They wrestled for a minute, then David wrenched the blade out and got up. Walking away, a piercing scream filled the night air.
 

Chapter 5
The cabin
“AHHHH!” Hank dropped when a spook bit into his neck. Jessie shot it with the twenty two.
“Hank!” Andrea scrambled out of the car to him. “Hank, no don’t go, please Hank.” She said crying on his chest. The bite went far enough in to lacerate the jugular. The blood was spurting like a fountain.
When Hank had stopped bleeding and they knew that he was dead.
“Andrea I’m, I don’t know what to say.” David said climbing out of the car too.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Andrea was still clutching Hank in her arms.
A slight moan came from about fifteen yards away in the trees.
“Hello, is anybody there?” Bobbie started walking with the rifle. He walked three yards in and ran into a string of barbed wire hanging from a tree limb. Bobbie followed it and saw that it was set up to a pack of fireworks. Bobbie stared at it, amazed. Then a barrel nudged him in the back of the head.
“Stand up slowly and nobody gets hurt.”
Bobbie closed his eyes and stood up with his hands up. “Jeez what else?” Bobbie turned around and opened his eyes. Once again he could not believe them. Standing in front of him was one of his old school friends, Lorenzo.
“Hey man, how have you been?” Bobbie and Lorenzo hugged, after he lowered the 30.06 pointing at Bobbie’s head.
“Dude, I don’t know. One moment I’m trapped in a bathroom the next, a woman is standing over me and applying gauze to a huge cut on my chest. I was brought back to a camp and it was training and rehab from there.” Bobbie looked at him and saw a sling wrapped over his shoulder. He could still remember the way Lorenzo would pick fights with the jocks and win. 
“BOBBIE!” it was Jessie and she seemed panicked.
“Come on, we can catch up later.” Both of them started running towards the Pickup. Bobbie came skidding around the corner and stopped dead in his tracks. The doors were thrown open and two of the windows were smashed to shards. David was leaning against the tire. A note taped to his chest said, “You want her, come and get her.”
David was out cold and the car was ransacked. The supplies were taken, but the attackers left the weapons. “Who would do this? What sick person would do this?” Lorenzo started backing away.
“Dude, what happened, you look like you need more help than me.” Lorenzo was staring wide eyed at the truck
“Wait.” David croaked.
“Dude, you’re alive!” Bobbie got down and started to help him up. David was at least three feet taller than him and about seventy pounds heavier.
“’Zo come and help. I don’t think-”
Right then, Lorenzo tackled them out of the way of a flash of light. It hit the car and exploded three feet away from the guys and the forty cracks from it made the scene deafening. When it finally ended, Lorenzo got up and helped David up.
“We have to get out of here, now.” He said, while he and David were hobbling away. Bobbie was trying to get up but his ears were ringing and when he put his hand up to his ear, he saw it was bleeding. All of a sudden another rocket came soaring over his head and blew up in the sage brush to his right.
“I’ve got to get outta here.” Bobbie said to himself and forced up to one knee. He then stumbled towards the direction of the guys and caught up with the boys at a cabin that was a couple of miles down the road. He saw the cabin’s lights were on and Lorenzo dragged him into an old living room. It was decorated with bear and other animal pelts. He could see David’s sneakers in the other room. He walked into the room and saw him out cold on an old cot.
“David, come on man wake up.” Bobbie was shaking him. Lorenzo threw a bucket of water, from the pump outside, on David. He gargled and spat out water. “What?” David exclaimed, gasping for breath and spitting out more water.
“Hey man, what happened when I left?” Bobbie asked, grilling him like a lead suspect in a homicide case.
“After you left, Jessie and I had tried to comfort Andrea but she wouldn’t listen. While we were trying to calm her down, we didn’t notice Hank getting up. When he attacked Andrea, I couldn’t stop him. I beat on him until my hand started to bleed. The knife was broken and dull anyways. Then a group of guys showed up, shot Hank and Andrea, hit me in the head and rode off with Jessie. I was crawling and trying to follow the car. Then I blacked out.” David stopped and looked up. Bobbie then got up and left, leaving the cabin door open. Bobbie sat out by the road and cried.
“Jessie, where are you?” he said, gripping his locket. Lorenzo had walked out and was now sitting by his side.
“Hey I know it hurts but we can-”
“NO, we can’t! Don’t you see, I’m not cut out for this, you’re not cut out for this, David isn’t even cut out for this!?” Bobbie yelled at him and got up and started walking along the road.
“And what if you left, huh? What if you just gave up and ran away from this cabin?” Jake yelled to him. Bobbie didn’t even stop walking. Lorenzo turned and walked back to the cabin.
He walked by an old school house that was just a few standing walls and the foundation. He was about a mile away when he heard the truck. It sounded like it was coming fast and nothing could get in its way. When Bobbie turned around he saw five men in a Dodge pickup coming his way.
“Hey, hey over here!” Bobbie waved his arms then noticed one of them was leaning out of the window.
With a bat.
Before he could turn or even duck, he was cracked in the forehead.
“Woo, Jimmy, that there is a nice one!” came a voice from the truck as it kept driving.
“Oh, wow.” Bobbie said, his hands started to look fuzzy, then he closed his eyes. When he awoke, it was early morning and he could see a couple of dark shapes ahead of him. He slowly got up and started walking, more like crawling, towards the sun. When he got closer he saw the movement had flashlights and weapons.
“Hello, are you hurt, are you one of them?” an elderly man’s voice came from one of the Bobbing lights, it sounded familiar but Bobbie couldn’t remember much.
“I’m fine, who are you?” Bobbie’s voice was hoarse and made him sound like he was a hundred years old. The two men were running towards him, with their assault rifles.
“Son, you look like you haven’t eaten for weeks, let’s get you fed.” They picked him up by the shoulders and dragged and dropped him in the bed of the Ford sitting on the road. They drove for an hour and came up to a two story house with a barbed wire fence surrounding it.
“Why do you have that fence set up?” Bobbie asked sitting up.
“To keep out the roamers, they are always trying to get in.” Said one of the men. They honked three times and a woman came out carrying a twelve gauge.
“Darren, get out and go help your mother.” Darren started to open his mouth. “And don’t give me any lip.”
“Yes pa.” Darren got out and ran to his mother. They opened up the gate and let the truck in.
“So where you from, little fella?” the older man asked. Bobby could sense something odd about him.
“I’m from a little town in Georgia.” Bobbie responded
“Georgia, what’s a peach doing up here?”
“I don’t know running, living, surviving.” Bobbie thought for a second. He then remembered Lorenzo and David and said, “Hey, how far is it to a little cabin down the road you found me?”
“The old Johnson’s place, what you doing down there?” The man asked in his country twang.
“My friends and I were hiding out there on the 7th of April. I just want to know if they’re still okay.” The old man was silent for a second then spoke,
“Son, today is the 5th of June, you were on that road for twenty eight days.”
Bobbie felt like he’d been punched in the gut. For all he knew, Jake and David could dead and rotting in a ditch.
“Can we still go back to the Johnson’s?” Bobbie asked sheepishly.
“Sure.”
The man turned the truck around and started down the dirt road towards the cabin. He let Bobbie climb into the cab when they got out to pavement.
“So what’re your buddies’ names?”
“David and Lorenzo sir,” Bobbie said looking for the old place. About ten minutes into the drive he found it. It was covered in camouflage.
“Your buddies know how to do this?”
“No, hey what’s your name?” Bobbie asked, “My name is Jethro, that there was my son and wife, you want me to come in?” Bobbie felt that the name sounded familiar but didn’t pay any attention to it. His memory was still fuzzy.
“No, but keep it running.” Bobbie jumped out and ran to the door.
“David, Zo, it’s me Bobbie.” It started to trickle a few minutes prior and biq it was pouring now. David came bursting out with a knife and nearly beheaded him.
“Whoa, man calm down.” David was now growing a full blown beard. Lorenzo came out and was wielding the 308 with a pocket knife.
“Bobbie, dude where have you been?” Lorenzo said closing the knife and holstering the 308. David blinked a few times then dropped his knife and hugged him. Jethro got out and flashed his flashlight at him.
“Are you coming? We’re going to drown out here.”
Bobbie thought for a moment, “Hey you guys want to come with me. So far, this guy has been nothing but a savior to me.” Zo took a second to respond,
“Bobbie, you abandoned us two months ago. Me and David here have set up a good place that is warm and doesn’t leak much, but if you want to come down and see us that would work.” Jake’s voice was low but nice. Bobbie was hurt but turned and started to walk away.
“Bobbie, wait. I’m coming with.” David ran up to Bobbie and got him in a loose head lock. Jethro jumped up and put the truck in gear.
“So why did you decide to come?” Bobbie asked David,
“Well when you were gone, Jake became a ruthless person. He shot a man who was begging for food and water, said that we can’t take any gambles. Well, coming with you would be a whole lot safer than staying back there were I would get punched in the face for messing up a snare. Felt like I was living with my dad again.” David sounded like he had been gargling nails.
“We could take all the help we can get. It has been hard work out at the farm with the roamers.”
“Roamers, what are roamers?” David asked perplexed.
“The spooks man, they’re taking over his fields.” David sat up and looked in the rear view mirror. All of the color drained from his face as if someone had pulled a cork at his chin. Bobbie looked back and saw the same truck. With the same guys in it.
“You know these guys, Jethro?”
He was looking straight forward and his face was grim.
“Jethro, what’s wrong?” He started to speed up then he slammed on his brakes and turned the truck. David thought they were going to tip over and go off the side of the mountain.
The other truck stopped and three guys jumped out and came running.
Jethro calmly stepped out with a Louisville slugger and waited.
The first man came at him at full speed.
Jethro waited till the last second and swung.
Ka-thunk
The bat hit him and he flopped on his back. The second guy started to go around the truck when David, who jumped out seconds before, hit him in the back of the head with a big rock. The third guy took out pistol and raised it. David dove in front of Jethro and caught the bullet in the chest. Bobbie jumped out with David’s gun and shot the pistol shooter right smack between the eyes. Bobbie then ran to David and saw that he wasn’t bleeding.
“David, are you okay?”
David jumped up and showed the two inch steel covering his torso. “Where did you get that?” Bobbie asked,
“Well when you left me and Jake found a whole shack full of metal and wood and other stuff. We helped ourselves and that’s how we got our setup for the cabin.”
Bobbie stood there for a second then helped him up and said, “Well, uh, don’t scare me like that!” Bobbie said jokingly. He could feel his face getting warm. David looked at Jethro who was just staring blankly into space. Bobbie shook him a little and he still didn’t move.
“Yo, Jethro man, its’ okay he saved you.” Jethro stood for a second and then jumped into the truck and sped off.
“Wait, come back, come back!” Bobbie ran after the truck for a while then stopped when he couldn’t see it any more.
“What was that all about?” David said when Bobbie came back.
“Dude, we need to get back to the cabin. It’s the only option we have right now.”
“What, no, that is not the only way! Remember when you and I wondered off into the woods when we were twelve and stayed in there for a week before our parents came and found us.” David stood there when Bobbie hit him in the jaw playfully.
“You’re right, let’s go into the woods.”
They both walked for a while till they found some thick tree and brush. “Hey let’s go over there and scout out the place.” David and Bobbie raced over to the aspens and looked around.
“I’ll walk up this hill a little bit and see what’s on the other side.” Bobbie yelled down to David.
“Alright, be back in ten minutes.” He yelled back. Bobbie hiked for a while till he found a way over the mountain of a hill. When he peered over, he saw the most horrifying thing in the world.
“Please, just let me go! I didn’t mean to say those things. I’m sorry, please let me go.” Jessie was pleading with a guy that had a rifle at the base of her skull. Bobbie ran down the hill with lightning fast speed and ran into David.
“What man, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He said with a stern look after getting up. “Hand me the pistol.” Bobbie said in a low voice. David looked at him then upholstered the .308.
“Alright man, here you go.” David handed over the gun with care.
“Thanks man,” is all Bobbie said when he left.
He bolted up the hill as fast as his feet could carry him. When he got to the top of it and still saw Jessie pleading with him, he was elated.
“Do you have any last words?” the man said. When Bobbie heard this, his jaw fell unhinged, because those words belonged to Jethro. All of the memories came flooding back into his mind. The restaurant, the house, and how he had shot Bobbie. Feeling his blood turn white-hot, he pulled the gun up and shot Jethro in the shoulder, who screamed in pain and fell. Jessie jumped up and started to run to him. Jethro looked at Jessie running and raised his rifle. “Get down!” Bobbie yelled while raising the pistol again. Jessie hit the ground and Bobbie shot again.
The bullet found its mark and Jethro’s head lurched back and he fell automatically.
Jessie scrambled up the hill and hugged Bobbie with the same intensity as she had when he found her with the SUV.
“Oh Bobbie, I thought you wouldn’t come for me, that you planned all of this.” She said as she cried in his arms.
“Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay.” Bobbie said, holding her head. They walked down to David who saw just Bobbie shooting.
“What happened up there?” he asked
“Nothing.” Bobbie said while carrying Jessie down the mountain.
“Hey, if you were shooting it was most likely not nothing. So I’ll ask again, what happened.” David said when Bobbie got down to him.
Bobbie grabbed David’s collar “Look, Jethro was trying to hurt Jessie; I had to do what I had to do.” Bobbie said angrily. Bobbie tended to Jessie and went hunting at around noon. He wasn’t back till sundown.

Chapter 6
The Cavalry Comes Through
Later that night, when they were sitting around a fire, Jessie told what happened. “Well when Bobbie left to see what that sound was me and David were trying to comfort Andrea. Then Hank got up and bit into her, he literally took a bite out of her neck. Then that man showed up to the jeep. When David got up to ask for help, a teenager got out and hit him with a bat. He dropped to the ground and they then came for me. Hank had almost gotten to Andrea’s windpipe when that man shot him straight through his brain. Andrea had started to get up when he shot her too. I tried to run but the teenager tackled me and I hit my head, making my vision look fuzzy. Then he picked me up, threw me in the back of his truck and took off towards those mountains. His group was living in an abandoned warehouse, kind of like the one David was in. They handcuffed me to a generator and left me there for days. He started ask where you guys were and when I said I didn’t know, he would slap me. That happened for a few days then the leader came in and took the cuffs off. I thought he was going to let me go when he hit me with the same bat David was hit with. Then I woke up in the forest and, well, you know the rest.”
Jessie took a bite of the deer meat that Bobbie shot. David hadn’t talked to Bobbie all day and was glaring at him. “How did you survive?” Bobbie asked wrapping her in a blanket.
“I just wanted to find you guys. You know how if somebody has a will to live they can survive for weeks without water or months without food.” She said leaning on Bobbie’s chest.
“Yeah I know what you mean.” David said, looking away.
They all sat there in silence for a few minutes. “Hey, I already told you, I thought you were dead!” Bobbie said angrily.
“You didn’t even try to check to see if I was dead!” David yelled.
“Guys, please, come on just get along.” Jessie tried to break up the already forming fight. “Hey man, I’m just saying that I turned you from a whimpering school girl into a man, so don’t say you didn’t do anything wrong.” David said.
Bobbie stood up. “What did you say?” Bobbie asked.
“You heard-” Before David could even finish his sentence Bobbie punched him in the jaw, sending a tooth out of David’s head.
“Bobbie knock it off!” Jessie yelled,
“Dude since when could you hit like that?” David asked, spitting a stream of blood out of the new formed gap.
“Say that again and I’ll hit you harder.” Bobbie said sitting back down. “I’ll take first watch.” Bobbie said when he saw the blood sitting on David’s lip. David got up and went into his tent.
“What was that?” Jessie asked shooting Bobbie a look of hate.
“Hey, I was tired of him always saying that I wasn’t good enough or that I needed to man up. What he said just put me over the edge.” Bobbie said innocently. Jessie got up and left without another word. Bobbie was stood around the fire for hours before David came out.
“Hey man, I’m sorry of how I acted.” David said to Bobbie.
“Don’t be. Hey, can you do me a favor?” Bobbie asked David. David thought for a second.
“Yeah, what is it?”
“Can you go check on Jessie; I think she is pretty ticked at me.” David nodded his head and left. Two hours later Jessie came out to talk to Bobbie.
“Look, I’m not going to say anything until you tell me what happened.” Jessie said sternly. She was staring into his soul with her eyes.
“It’s complicated”
“I have time.” Jessie said, still staring into his eyes intensely.
Bobbie thought for a second. “Okay, A few months ago, David and I went into a warehouse. Right off we knew something was up. The lights were out and there was not one person that we could see. We walked for a while when we found a skeleton. It was red and reeked of iron. After we recovered from the shock, we walked for a little while more. Then I got shot, David gets hurt and I think he dies and I leave. That’s the whole story, from start to finish.” Bobbie sat next to Jessie and put his head in his hands.
“Okay, then why does he keep bringing it up? Doesn’t he know it was an accident?” Jessie asked looking toward the mountains.
“I’ve tried telling him that but it seems he doesn’t want to listen to me. Even in times like this, he brings up the past and it only causes trouble.” Bobbie said. Then David walked out.
“Well I’ve decided to leave this place.” David said, setting down the pistol at Bobbie’s feet.
“Fine with me.” Bobbie said without looking at him.
“Look Bobbie, I’ve already told you that I was sorry and that I didn’t mean it, but I’ve seen that all I have caused is sorrow. So I’m going to-’’ Right then an arrow ripped through David’s arm and he fell to the ground. Bobbie pushed Jessie toward the trees and grabbed David. Bobbie picked him up and started to sprint towards the hill. When they got to the safety of the trees they started to work on David. The arrow didn’t even go an inch into him but it was still bleeding.
“Okay, give me a bandage, a few pieces of tape and some of that peroxide.” Bobbie whispered to Jessie.
After about an hour, David was fixed and the sun was starting to crown the mountains. From there they saw the military men in their Humvees. “Hey maybe they can help us.” Bobbie said helping up David. They all trudged down the hill towards the men.
“Hello! Hey over there!” Bobbie yelled and waved his arms.
“Stop right there, we see you.” A blow horn could be heard echoing off of the mountain sides. They all stopped and put their hands in the air while a group of men came running towards them.
“Do you think they’re going to be nice about this?” Jessie asked pointing at the quickly approaching men. The lead person was wearing civilian clothes but seemed to be leading the group.
“Are you infected?” the man yelled at the three, “What happened to this one?” They couldn’t even start to answer because of how fast the men were asking questions. “Foxtrot, this is Alpha company, bringing in three UI’s, come in over.” The man talked into a radio then they all listened to static and then,
“Firing! Corporal, get down to Bravo company’s base now!” the man slid the radio into a pocket in his vest and basically pushed them to the vehicles.
“Okay this is how it’s going down. Bravo’s gate was either pushed down or knocked down and the infected got in. It sounds like everyone got out unscathed except for Lieutenant Buckley. They say he stayed behind to provide cover fire when about twenty of them overpowered him.” The driver said to the corporal in the front passenger seat.
“Okay, if they knocked down that gate it would mean that thousands were around it at the time and if that’s so, then we’re in real trouble. If it got knocked over and they just got in, that’s not much better.” The corporal said.
“Sir, with all due respect, I don’t think someone knocked it down. Bravo was saying that they couldn’t even get their trucks out of there to gather supplies because of the huge horde and they were right next to Nashville. I’m sorry but I don’t think we’ll be able to even make it to the front gates without stalling.” This came from the gunner sitting in the back seat. He was talking grimly.
The corporal thought for a second, “How much ammo do we have for the M60 on the roof?”
“About 1000 rounds sir.” The private said.
“Good, hey kid, you know how to shoot?” The corporal looked at Bobbie
“Yes sir,” Bobbie said nonchalantly
“Good, you can go in with the first squad and clear us a way to the gates, we’ll take it from there. Oh and, what’s your name?” the corporal said,
“My name is Bobbie, the injured one is David and Jessie is the girl we came in with. What’s your name?” Bobbie asked, the corporal was silent for a second,
“My name is Jake” He then turned around and Bobbie saw his face. David was sitting in the back and looked up. Everyone was speechless for a few moments.
“But you were dead, we saw you dead, how aren’t you dead?” Bobbie was asking questions about a mile a second.
“Whoa, whoa slow down, I wasn’t dead, I was sleeping. I woke up when a few of these guys showed up, we heard a rifle shot and all got into this Humvee and started down the road to where we found you. Private Lanning saw David and shot him. It was a mistake, so don’t beat him up for it.” Jake said surprisingly calmly.
The rest of the ride they talked about how they were going to clear out Bravo base and get out. When they got out there it all most went without a hitch. Almost.
Bobbie was covering Jake’s back when he looked over to Jessie. She was in a corner and had about 30 coming after her. She was reloading when one came behind her; she dropped and stabbed it in the head. Then the m60 went and mowed down all of the zombies around her. She was shot in the back.
When Bobbie ran over to her, she was crying. “It’s okay babe, it’s okay. You’re okay, here let’s get up and go to the Humvee.” When he pulled her up, she could walk but was unsteady. “I’ll be right back.” Bobbie said when he set her down next to David with the medic. The driver was gunning the engine and started to head straight for the gates.
“Bobbie, get up to the main guard tower, we have a problem.” Bobbie’s radio crackled to life. He jumped out and ran to the guard tower. Jake was at the door and shooting the zombies all around him. Bobbie sprinted to him and they both went inside and climbed the stairs. On the door it read: EXTREME HEIGHT PROCEED WITH CAUTION. On the roof, there was a guard that was dead.
“Look right there in between his eyes.” Jake said to Bobbie when he got up. There was a bullet hole that must have been shot with a high caliber because the half of the back of the skull was gone.
“So, there were people shooting at us?” Bobbie asked.
“Must have been ambushed or attacked in the middle of the night.” Jake was staring out over the hundreds of dead zombies in the field. “This place used to be a big field where me and my brother would go and shoot targets in the trees. Now I’m out here shooting neighbors, shopkeepers, and just people that would sit on their porches and talk. They’re now walking dead and want to eat us for breakfast. It’s just sick.” Jake was talking and leaning over the guard rail of the tower, which gave way a little. Bobbie took a step toward him when the latch flew open and David climbed up.
“So, you’re alive?” he said with a half-hearted grin. Jake shook his head and looked over to the horizon.
“What did I tell you?” Jake said coldly to David.
“Look, I’m sorry that we thought you were dead.” David replied.
“You know how it feels to be left on your own, in this place. So why didn’t you try to check to see if I was actually dead?” Jake said, still leaning over the railing.
“Hey, I’m sorry, okay? It was a mistake. Why are you so thick skulled?” David was yelling now, “I know Bobbie thought I was dead. He was young and didn’t know how to check. It was a mistake, just like I thought you were dead. So why is it any different from me?!” Jake was silent for a second, he then punched David in the face, sending him reeling.

Chapter 7
A Great Fall
“David!” Bobbie screamed, as he crashed into the railing on the opposite side and went hurling towards the ground. 
When he hit the ground a big puff of dust enveloped him. “Jake, why, why did you do that?” Bobbie asked through his tears.
“Look, man I didn’t mean for him to topple over the edge. I hit him and he fell backward, okay.” Jake said while backing up, a look of God wrought fear in his eyes.
“No it’s not okay. You just killed my best friend and you think you just brush it off like it was no big deal? No you are not going to walk away.” Bobbie then grabbed his rifle and aimed it at Jake, who started to back towards the door and stopped a few feet away from it.
Bobbie pulled the trigger, but the gun didn’t go off.
Jake saw his chance and lunged for the stairwell right as Bobbie unjammed his gun and fired a burst of shots, all of which bounced harmlessly off the door. He then ran after Jake with the speed of a gazelle.
Jake was two landings below and shot up towards Bobbie on the first flight of stairs. He dived expertly and rolled when he hit the first landing. Jake raced down the last flight of stairs and tried to open the door. It was locked from the outside and wasn’t budging. Bobbie jumped from the second landing and tackled Jake. The wrestled for a few minutes before they heard shots being fired outside. Bobbie got up and shot the lock with the AR15 he had. The door sprang open and he ran outside. When Jake started to follow, Bobbie grabbed him, threw him to the ground, and shot him once in the spine. Jake screamed and noticed that he couldn’t move his legs.
“Do you believe in an eye for an eye, Jake? You see, David was killed, and as should you.” Bobbie said then he walked out. The Humvee was parked right outside and Bobbie jumped in. Jessie was sitting in the back with the Private.
“Where’s David, what happened up there? We heard him scream and came as fast as we could. The spooks were everywhere so Darwin here had to get up to the fifty and mow them down.” Bobbie just stayed silent and got into the vehicle. On the way down, Bobbie told them what had happened. Jessie cried the whole way to Alpha base.
When they got there, it looked like a fully functioning Camp Williams. They saw marines marching, helicopters taking off and people rappelling off walls. “Welcome to Camp Bull, population nine hundred and thirty three.” Private Lanning said, “We know it as alpha base, but like I said before, you can call it camp Bull.” He seemed pretty calm despite the circumstances. “The general will want to see you as soon as you get out. By the way, what happened to the colonel?” Stated the Private.
“It’s none of your concern.” Bobbie replied coldly. They drove to a red brick building and parked out in front. “He’s right in there, be careful, he’s really jumpy.”
Bobbie and Jessie walked into a reception room then into an office. In there, a nearly bald man sat in a chair cleaning a rifle. He stopped and said, “Well, don’t just stand there, sit down.” They both took seats in front of his desk. “I heard one of you shot our Colonels, I heard that he tried to follow one of you and got shot and left. So I’m going to ask you this, which one of you is it?” Bobbie and Jessie stared at each other, and then Bobbie said, “Sir, it was me, but your Colonel committed murder in the first degree. You see, Jake had pushed my best friend David off a fifty foot tower, okay, he died and nothing you can do will bring him back. Do what you will, I won’t care anymore.” Bobbie told the General who was sitting there dumbfounded. He just stared at him with his mouth open, “Son, you’re brave to say that to a superior, I was just going to thank you for stopping one of the biggest traitors in this whole wasteland of a world.” The general looked at him then to Jessie, “Where was she when all of this was happening?”
“She was shot by one of the men by accident, she is okay now.” Bobbie was about ready to get up and leave when the General stopped him.
“Son, you’ve got more guts than half of this army, so, I thank you.” Bobbie stared at him silently then walked away with Jessie.
They got out to the Humvee, where the Private was sleeping in the driver seat. Instead of getting in and waking him up, they both walked down to the barracks, then to the shooting range and then ended up in the cemetery. A funeral was being held for the Lieutenant. “It’s weird to think that in spite of it all, they still give their comrades an honorary funeral.” Jessie spoke into the silence while Bobbie stared. They split up there; Bobbie went to the rappelling tower while Jessie went to the mess hall with a few other women. Bobbie climbed the giant wall and rappelled down it till his hands were bleeding from the rope. After three hours they rejoined and went to the barracks to go to sleep.
At 6:00 am, Bobbie and Jessie woke up for revile and went to the commander. “We want to go out on the next mission.” Jessie said when they walked in.
“You can’t, it’s not protocol, its irrespoinsi-”
“Sir, I won’t ask again, you either put us on the next mission, or we will take everything you have and leave.” Bobbie said with a firm voice. The commander sat for a second touching a little gold elephant on his desk. It reminded him of what he had to do four years ago on that rainy day. “Okay, meet in the mess at 1600 hours and be in full battle dress.” Bobbie and Jessie turned and walked out. Bobbie had seen that elephant before as well.
They talked in the hall, “Jessie, I don’t want you to come out on this op. It’s not safe for you and you’re my last piece of hope I have left, without you I would have nothing to live for.”
“I don’t care Bobbie I’m going and that’s the last of it.” Jessie said angrily.
“Listen I know how it seems like I have a death wish and want to die, but I don’t. I just want the one person I have left to be safe.” Bobbie said with tears in his eyes.
“Bobbie, I know David’s death was hard on you, believe me it was hard on me too.” Jessie started to hug Bobbie and sobbed in his arms, both out of anger and sadness.
“Hey, hey it’s okay just don’t worry about it, I just don’t want you to get hurt like back at the compound. Do you know how scared I was when that happened? I sat in the Humvee and thought what would’ve happened if no one was there to save you. I owe that Private my life and more, did you know he’s thinking of leaving.” The alarm sounded. “Get to the car bay and wait for me, I’m grabbing some weapons and ammo. If I’m not back in 5 minutes, you leave. Don’t ask questions just leave.” Bobbie sprinted through the door and looked around. It didn’t look like it does in the movies, it was quiet and anarchy wasn’t ensuing. He looked around and didn’t know the reason of the alarm until he looked toward the cemetery. Hundreds of spooks were crawling towards the main part of the base.
Everyone was scrambling to get their equipment and fight off the invading zombies. He ran to his barracks and grabbed a rifle, a belt of grenades and a couple of boxes of ammo that he hid, as well as some leather armor, zombies can’t bite through it. He ran out and found they had gotten to the barracks already. Bobbie shot a handful of them until his gun had jammed, their rifles aren’t official military grade weapons. He dropped his rifle and grabbed his pistol from his holster and loaded it. The private had ran up from behind him and started to fire his M16 into the crowd of dead.
“I thought that you had gotten thrown out of the base.” He yelled to Bobby, while reloading,
“I changed General’s mind. Do you know where I can get another rifle, this one is out of commission.” Bobby yelled back.  “Armory is on the main road, about a block away from the mess hall.” Bobby turned and was going to start to leave when the private said, “And Bobby, be careful, I don’t know what’s on Main Street.”
“Will do Private.” he said as he ran to the road.
It wasn’t a long run from his position, but he was still out of breath when he found the small building. Its front door was wide open and men were running in and out. He ran in and grabbed his AR-15 and ran back out. On his way out he saw Jessie running to him. “What the heck are you doing? You need to get your stuff and meet me in the car bay!” Bobby was furious and yelling at her.
“The car bay isn’t there anymore, the whole thing was burned to the ground so I’m sorry if I’m not there but I feel the best thing I can do is at least stand and fight too.” Jessie said, along with some other unholy adjectives, and ran into the armory. Bobbie turned around and saw Private running down the road and was bleeding. Bobbie ran and got to him as he fell to the ground.

Chapter 8
Kenji Yakima
Private’s face was as pale as new paper and was spitting up his own blood.
“Stay with me man, come on, stay with me.”
“Is it that bad?” Private asked Bobbie.
“Nah, it ain’t that bad. What’s your name?” Bobbie said as he picked him up,
“Kenji, Kenji Yakima.” He said as Bobbie ran to the infirmary.
“Alright Kenji, how did you get this wound, were you bit?”
“No, I fell and my rifle misfired. Huh, guess I wasn’t as lucky this time.” His voice was getting raspy and his breathing was labored. “I’m not going to make it, am I?” Kenji asked Bobbie,
“No, you’re okay just hold on, we’re almost there.” Kenji was silent.
“Kenji, Kenji you got to keep talking man.” Bobbie said as he got to the infirmary.
One of the Corpsmen wheeled a stretcher over and him down on it. Kenji’s eyes opened to respond to the penlight the medic had. The Corpsman then started to work on his wound as some doctors wheeled the young man back to the OR. Bobbie lingered in the waiting room. Jessie had walked in and was sitting next to him. He had cried for the last two hours and was sleeping in one of the chairs.
“Mr. King” the corpsman had walked in and was covered in blood.
“Is he okay?” Bobbie was wide awake now and was standing.
“He’s okay but is going to need to rest for the next couple of days. Your friend is very lucky had the bullet been off by one degree from where it was fired, your friend would have bled out in seconds. But one thing doesn’t add up, you say his rifle misfired, am I correct?”
Bobbie thought for a moment, “Yes, that’s what he told me while I was making my way here. Why?”
“Well, because there was no gunpowder residue or anything, burns, marks, etcetera, from any weapon. I’m thinking your friend was shot by someone.” The Corpsman looked at Bobbie,
“Why would he tell me his gun misfired if he was shot, unless?” Bobbie’s eyes went wide, “Jessie we to get out of here now!” he said. She got up and was asking Bobbie what he was doing. “There is going to be an attack or raid on the compound, either tonight or tomorrow morning and I am not going to sit here and await execution.” Bobbie grabbed the keys to a jeep that wasn’t in the vehicle barn and drove to the barracks. He told Jessie to stay in the jeep while he went and grabbed their stuff. He was in and out in less than five minutes.
“Bobbie I don’t understand, why would Kenji want to sell out the base?” Jessie asked as Bobbie was driving toward the gate.
“That’s the thing, he didn’t. Remember our friend the commander, he was the one who sold us out. That elephant on his desk was in the window of Jethro’s house. Do you understand? He was working with that psychopath.” Jessie just sat wide eyed at Bobbie. They drove to the gate and were stopped by two armed guards.
“Where are your papers?”
“Sir you have to trust me, my sister and I have to get out of here, and if you were smart you would too.”  The guard stared at Bobbie and Jessie.
“Ok sir, I’m going to have to ask you to step out and put your hands on the top of your vehicle.” Bobbie hesitated, then gunned the engine and knocked down the gate. He was in Dawson before he even heard someone chasing them. He pulled over to a little farm house and he and Jessie ran in and hid.
“So, what are we going to do now? I don’t see us going back. And for all we know, we could be the last ones here.” Jessie was looking into Bobbie’s eyes, as afraid as a cornered mouse.

“Look, when I was in the camp, I heard a transmission on the radio. It said to head to Macon where there is food and supplies. So that’s where we’re heading for the next few days. We’ll rest here for a couple of days and lay low for a little while, then get there. Trust me, everything will be okay.” Bobbie smiled and hugged Jessie. They sat on a couch in the living room and fell asleep. Bobbie woke up at around 7:00 pm and got up to stretch. He was looking around when he noticed that there was a strange red blinking light in the other room. He walked over and found that it was a camera. “What the heck?” Bobbie picked it up and was looking at the tape. When the screen popped up Bobbie could see a man sitting, tied to a chair.
He watched the video for a couple seconds, then a man had walked in and said, “Now, mister Jacobsen, I’m going to ask you one more time, where is the rest of the group?” The man asked in a Jamaican accent, he was pulling out a machete.
“I already told you, they left before I was awake, I promise I’m not hiding anyone.” The man in the chair said.  Bobbie continued to watch as the man in the chair was beaten and bruised then dragged out of the camera frame. He heard a door slamming in the video, then it was silent. He put down the camera and went back to the living room. “Jessie get up, we have to search this whole house, there might be some survivors left.” Jessie groggily got up and stretched out. “I’ll take upstairs, you look down here and see if you can find any doors or passage ways.” Bobbie said walking up the stairs. He opened the door at the top of the stairs, saw a flash and fell.
Jessie ran up the stairs and saw him crumpled on the top step. She ran up the steps and shook him. “Bobbie! Come on, Bobbie, wake up, please wake up.” She was crying on his chest despite his blood, then heard something in the hallway. She looked up and saw a little girl and a teenage boy standing over her.
“What was that noise?” The little girl asked in a sleepy tone.
“Go to bed Sara, I’ll be in in a sec to tuck you in.” Jessie thought it was weird having a Jamaican this far north but didn’t care. All she could think about was Bobbie and how he was gone. The boy gave Sara a tap on the back as she went to her room.
“Okay, first question, who are you and why are you in my house?” The boy went back to Jessie and helped her up to a back room. It was furnished with a desk and three heavy chairs.
“My boyfriend and I were running from that base up about forty miles north of here. We were running from them because he said that we were in danger. He’s kept me alive since we met each other and now he’s dead. I’m not sure how much more of this I can take, I’ve seen my family mutilated, my best friend shot herself and my boyfriend was killed by a trap. I’m starting to think that I should just end it.” She was crying and the boy had listened the whole time with a grim face. They then heard a crash down stairs.
“Did you bring any friends?” The boy said as he stood up and grabbed a shotgun that was in the corner.
“No it was just us, what’s your name?”
“Phillip, my sister is Sara, let’s go check on what that noise was. Where’s your weapon?” Phillip asked Jessie,
“My rifle is in the jeep outside, but I have my knife.” Jessie said wiping her tears. They walked down the hallway, then the stairs. Jack rounded a corner and saw a United States Marine.
“Drop your weapon and put your hands on your head!” The serviceman yelled from behind his gas mask. Phillip did so and pushed Jessie back,
“Listen, we aren’t infected, one of our people were killed getting in here and we have a little girl upstairs.”
“All clear, stand down men.” The marine took off his mask and sat down on the couch.
“My name is Alex, these two are Rex and Mason. We came from camp Pendleton and are here to find a Robert King.” Jessie was shell-shocked. Was she really hearing this, is she really not alone? She didn’t have enough time to ponder over this while the boys were talking.
The soldier continued, “If you know where he is, you have to tell us. We could get you all to safety.”
“So, what you are saying is that we can go with you and be with civilization or stay here?” Phillip asked.
“Well, yes and no, you can come with us but we can’t guarantee anything permanent right now but it’s a better chance than trying to survive out here in the badlands.” They heard a scream after that. A little girl’s scream.
Phillip turned and ran up the stairs “Sara!” Jessie ran upstairs too. She saw Phillip standing in the door way to Sara’s room. He had his hand over his mouth and was crying. Jessie ran over and saw the horrific scene. An old man had gotten in and had turned into a spook and was stuffing himself with the little girl.
“No, this can’t happen!” Phillip ran forward and tackled the undead ghoul. He grabbed one of Sara’s high heels that were in the corner and proceeded to smash the heel into its head. When he was done it looked like a pile of red rags on the neck of a spook. He turned around and heard a moan. In the midst of his rampage he had forgotten his sister had been infected. He turned around and saw a four foot for little zombie girl standing in front of him. Jessie pulled out her pistol and shot it in the back of the head.
“My sister, you killed m-my sister. She survived all of this and you shot her in the head, y-you m-monster!” Phillip was yelling at Jessie and crying. Just at that moment Rex, Mason, and Alex ran into the room.
“Oh my gosh” Rex stared wide eyed at the gruesome scene.
“What happened in here we heard a gunshot?” Mason walked in and threw up in the middle of the room.
“You two, out of here, now.” Alex said to Mason and Jessie. Jessie turned around and was about to walk out when she was hit in the back of the head. Her eyesight went blurry and she fell to the ground.

Chapter 9
Arlington Texas
When she woke up, she was in another room and sunlight was flowing through the window. Her head itched, but when she tried to scratch, a bandage was over a small patch of hair at the base of her skull. She saw a remote on the night table next to her and thought, “Won’t hurt to try.” She picked up the remote and pressed the power button. She expected the screen to stay black since she had been without electricity for six months, but to her surprise the screen lighted up and she saw a news reporter was on.
“The expected viral outbreak was due to a chemical spill that was in a high altitude explosive war head. The virus had then floated down and contaminated the whole continental United States. It has been contained and the zombies have all but been exterminated.” A nurse walked in, her nametag said Clair, and said,
“Oh you’re awake, do you know where you are, honey?”
“No.” Jessie answered honestly, she didn’t know where she was, what time it was, or even what had happened to get her there.
“Well honey, you’re in Arlington, Texas. It used to be a town of 208 residents, now it’s got well over a thousand.” Jessie sat up, she was finally safe, finally home. Her memories came to her all at once. The house, the marines and Bobbie. She went into the bathroom and threw up. When she went outside she found that it looked like it was normal. Well, kind of normal, the armored trucks were a new sight. She went back inside and into her room. She sat at a desk in the corner and started to cry. She looked up and saw two people walk into the lobby of the clinic. They looked familiar but she didn’t know where she knew them, of course how can you tell by only seeing the back of someone’s head. Jessie put her head back onto her arm and soon fell asleep.
It felt like only a couple seconds had gone by when a knock on the door woke her up. She sat up and turned around. The figure walked toward her and she couldn’t believe her eyes. Bobbie was standing in front of her.
“But you were, how did you-” “The bullet passed through my lung and knocked me cold. Rex stepped on me and found that I was still alive and got me to their truck after he and Alex tackled the Jamaican kid, after he knocked you out, and sedated him. On the way to Arlington he jumped ship and we haven’t seen him since. You have been in the hospital since about a week ago.”
Jessie was still staring at him when she saw movement in the corner of the room. A sandy blonde haired kid walked forward. His shirt was torn up and for a second, Jessie was scared. She had to take a quadruple take. David walked forward and switched on the TV. He turned a couple nobs and found a NASCAR race. Somehow Earnhardt survived and was in second place with Kurt Busch in first on the second to last lap. Jessie wasn’t even watching the race, all she could think was how David had survived.
“Lay down and get some sleep, this is probably a little much for you. Don’t worry you are safe here and me and David will stick around.” Jessie tried to fight off sleep but didn’t win. As soon as Bobbie heard her snoring he turned to David, “Dude, I told you to wear a nice looking shirt and some slacks. Why did you wear that?” Bobbie was staring at David. All he did was sip from his coffee and look at his lotto ticket. Finally, he spoke,
“I didn’t think she would remember me. I wore this to jog her memory. You got to remember I “died” about two or three months ago.”  David finished his coffee and turned off the race when Earnhardt passed Busch with 100 yards to go to the finish line.
“So how did you survive, it was like a two story drop to the ground?” Bobbie was staring at David, waiting for an answer.
“Right before I fell, I got a hold of the railing, slowing me down just enough so I would land on my side, not my back or head. The impact knocked me out and when I came to, a woman was standing over me. She was in Military fatigues and called over a stretcher for me. They took me to a base in Utah and fixed me up. I had a broken femur, tibia, fibula, pelvis, and broke all but six ribs and had a major concussion. After I was healed up enough for transport, they sent me here when there was about three or four hundred people. Then you guys got here and I’ve been crashing with you ever since.” Bobbie was staring at David completely astonished.
“Dude, I have no idea how we are going to get back to our former lives. Just think about all the places that have been turned to rubble. New York, Atlanta, Seattle, it’s like the only place that hasn’t been touched is a handful of military bases and D.C.” Bobbie was staring out towards the east, where he knew that approximately twenty regiments of soldiers were on, basically, a search and clear mission.
“Hey, at least Mrs. Douger’s essay isn’t due anymore.” David patted Bobbie on the shoulder and walked towards the ‘72 pickup that the boys ‘acquired’ from one of the search and clear missions.
“Dude, what are we going to do? Jessie stuck up in that hospital, half of the U.S is dead and, above all, we are going to war with North Korea. What would have made them want to attack us like that?”
David was driving toward the local Walmart. It was what they were using as an HQ considering that the local Army base was burnt down after the rioting had first started. The Walmart was untouched because the virus had all but wiped out Texas when it first landed. The guard at the entrance had been notified ahead of time that “The boys” as they were called, were on their way and had special clearance to go straight to the missions’ executive to get their next T.O.D (Tour of Duty).  They were told it was urgent that they got there ASAP, because they were going on the offensive to stay in the fight against Korea. Britain and the U.K. were untouched by the virus and were sending in troops to help evacuate civilians and protect key infrastructure, (City buildings, churches, Statue of Liberty, etc.) Unfortunately, two troop carrying aircraft had been shot down over New York City from a Korean battleship harbored in the Hudson Bay. One of them had crashed into the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and erupted into a ball of fire, while the other had crashed landed into Bay ridge.
“Well, we weren’t really buddy-buddy with Kim before the virus. He is also an angry, communistic politician that wanted America dead from the start. The only reason we know it was Korea is, Russia is still at a standstill in the Ukraine, ISIS has been out of commission for years, and the Middle East was too poor to attack us. That only left our allies and Korea.” David loved to watch the news when he got home from school or practice and was primarily interested in the military side.
The boys got to the gate and showed the guard their ID’s. They were then ushered through to the automotive bay, which is the command room in the HQ. Radios were buzzing, phones were ringing off their hooks and the General was giving orders to many people at once.
“I need troop transport planes going in to Hawaii and into Grenada. What’s the ETA of getting our guys out to those planes in New York? Johnson, get me the file we have on ‘Un and a cup of coffee.” The General, Major General Powers, was a tall and muscular man in his 40’s or 50’s and had served in the Navy Seals for twenty years. He was also on a rampage to start getting our forces to a base in Europe or the pacific.
“General Powers, Corporals King and Ravenburg reporting as ordered.” Bobbie saluted and waited for the officer to return it. The General saluted back and said, “Boys, we are going to fly you two about three miles away from the big apple so you can go and get the British, that had crashed landed, to our exfil on  the Brooklyn Bridge. They will then give you guys your gear, which will consist of: Scuba gear, waterproof MP5, a belt of grenades each and lastly, a cratering charge with a 5 minute timer. You are to go and place the charge in the engine room and get off that ship. If we can sink that ship, we can start getting troops to Britain and Ireland.” The General took a sip of his coffee and stared at the boys, waiting for a response or a question.
“When do we leave?” Bobbie asked
“You leave at 0100 on Friday, so you two need to get some rest for the next two days.  Then it’s off to save the Brits in New York.” The General looked back down at his file and walked away.
“Dude, we are actually going to start to get a fighting chance in this!” David slapped the top of the dash with his palm. He had been put on restricted duty after being found rigging the lottery tickets at the clinic so he could win an extra week of rations.
“Just don’t get me fired or demoted, okay? I don’t want to get bumped down to swabbing the deck at the bar. I can still smell the smell of alcohol and chips on my shirt.” Bobbie was David’s lookout when he was setting up the lottery.
“Okay, so what’s your plans for the next couple of days? Want to go see Jessie while I hook up with Roxie up at the BX?” Roxie was a tall and skinny redhead that worked up at the Base Exchange and was starting to like David.
“Yeah, that sounds good.” Bobbie’s mind was in a different place. He hated that, even though the zombies were all killed off, the Koreans are still going to attack. The thought of the British being stuck in New York, for the second time in American history, made him want to go right now and attack that ship.
David turned up the radio and was listening to ACDC when he arrived at the clinic.
“Alright, go see your girl and meet me up at the diner at nine. Roxie had to pick up an extra shift so it’s going to be a late dinner.”
Bobbie jumped out and knocked on the side of the door, signaling the truck to leave. He walked across the parking lot to see Jessie. He walked up to the reception desk and saw the same lady he saw earlier that week. “Is Jessie Velacruz still in room 102?” he asked respectfully.
“Yes, you can go on back after you sign in and tell me your name.” The lady smiled graciously.
“Bobbie King.” He said as he signed into the room number.
Jessie was sleeping, but forgot to turn the T.V. off. The box was showing a documentary on the Vietnam War. Bobbie turned it off and sat at the end of the metal bed.
“Jessie, I’m going to have to leave you soon. I just wanted to say that, as long as I live, I will not let anything hurt you.” Bobbie was looking at the wall and could feel his eyes start to burn.
Silence had filled the room and Bobbie could hear his words reverberating off of the tile floors and white walls.
“Bobbie, are you just going to stare at that wall, or are you going to help me get ready?”
Jessie was sitting up in her bed and was smiling and looking at the exhausted kid. He had lost at least twenty pounds since they left the Indian restaurant and his features were looking sharper. However, his face looked like it was void of all joy.
“Jessie, I’ve gone from shooting ghouls to shooting men. I don’t know if my soul is going to heaven or hell. I know that yours is going to heaven and I want to join you but I’m not sure anymore.” Bobbie buried his face in his hands.
Jessie got out of her bed and started to get dressed. She threw on a pair of fatigues and a white t-shirt and was lacing up her sneakers. “Bobbie, let’s meet up with David before he does something stupid.” Jessie grabbed his arm and led him through the door.
Bobbie’s face had gotten significantly brighter after Jessie told him that she was going to be sent to the women’s bay in the suburbs. They were still separating men and women so that everyone could be work ready.
“Apparently the doctors were doing crap loads of tests while I was asleep. Isn’t that a violation of my rights?” Jessie was smiling and looking out of her window.
“Maybe, but they saved your life, so it kind of works out.” Bobbie said with a smile
Jessie playfully hit him in the chest and smiled back. They drove to Skyline Café, a couple of miles north of Arlington, to meet up with David and Roxie. Skyline was a little, retro place that had survived everything and looked like it had been around since the sixties or seventies. They arrived in a little over fifteen minutes and saw David and Roxie standing outside.
“Is Shelia not here yet?” Jessie asked, jumping out of the truck.
“Nah, she said she was grabbing some supplies for work this week and then she’ll be down.” Roxie gave Jessie a hug after she had walked over.
Jessie and Roxie knew each other in junior high and Roxie had gone and seen her when she got a break for lunch. Roxie had literally hiked the way to Texas from Georgia and said that no one had given her any trouble. She was one of the first people to set up and civilize Arlington.
The group talked for a few minutes on minor things, then a black Camaro with blue pinstripes pulled into the parking lot.
Shelia got out and was struggling to carry a box of Spam and another of cooking supplies. Bobbie jogged over and grabbed the two boxes while David grabbed the fruits and vegetables out of the back seat. Shelia had already walked in and went back to the kitchen. Bobbie and David followed with the girls talking behind them. Bobbie set the canned meat on the counter in the kitchen and David put the perishables in the fridge and saw Bobbie walking to the front. David stopped him and took him to the back office.
After closing the door, they sat down.
“General Powers gave me some additional information about our operation in the big apple. We are to find and rescue one of our men, who had been captured, and evacuate him to Brooklyn as well. Only problem is that the brig is on the completely other side of the boat than the engine room. So that gives us two options, we split up and one of us take the cratering charge and the other takes the man and we meet up at the boat; or we go together and traipse all over this stupid ship and try to do both, one after another. You get to make the decision on this one, so what will it be?”
Bobbie was not too happy about having to go all over the ship to find this guy and then blowing the ship up, but he knew it was suicide for the both of them if they split up.
“We’re going to have to stick together and rescue the guy, then go and blow the ship. Did you talk about getting any additional supplies so he won’t be dead weight?”
“Yes, and we cannot have any more supplies, he has to get out of there without being identified as a hostile.” David didn’t like the fact any more than the next guy, but it was how it was.
Bobbie slammed his fist into the filing cabinet next to the door and cussed under his breath. He hated having to put his neck out for a guy that, he didn’t even know and that couldn’t be shooting with them. It made things harder than they should be.
“Okay, so Thursday at 2200 I will go to the armory and grab the 9 mm I’ve been using. We will then meet up on the flight deck and gear up to fly to the hit sight. The whole time I will keep the 9 mil on me and when we find this guy, he will fight with us.” Bobbie grabbed his jacket and turned towards David.
“That sounds like a great plan, let’s get some chow.” David grabbed his hat and walked through the door after Bobbie.
The girls were sitting in one of the booths, talking, when the boys walked up and sat down next to them.
“… I had even gotten my hair done to go see him.” The girls laughed and the two guys looked at each other with perplexed looks. Shelia brought them their dinners, grilled spam on white bread with some lettuce, tomato and mayo, and some silverware.
“Is there anything I can get you all to drink? Maybe some coffee or hot water?” Shelia asked in her sarcastic tone. She had been trying for months to get some instant hot chocolate or even milk.
“Two coffees and two waters, please.” Bobbie and David always got coffee and the girls got usually got water. The one time Shelia got water flavoring packets, the girls had almost killed each other trying to get some.
Everyone was too hungry to talk while they were eating, but when they were done, the room filled with joyous laughter and wonderful talk. Shelia had just gotten done telling a story when there was a knock on the door. They all thought it was strange that anyone else would want to come down, cooked spam and salad wasn’t exactly a five course meal, so David and Bobbie got up and walked to the door. Bobbie opened it and saw General Powers staring at him with an unhappy frown hanging on his face. Bobbie’s heart stopped beating and was too scared to speak. The boys stepped outside and where expecting to get yelled at when the General opened his mouth.

Chapter 10
The battle for the bay
“Boys, we need to send you out to the hit sight in two hours. I would recommend saying your goodbyes because we caught word that the Battle ship also has a couple of subs in the bay armed with anti-aircraft guns as well as anti-troop guns. You are going in with another team with SCUBA gear too, and they will deal with the submarines. If you can make it back to the bridge with the HVI, then pop a green and red flare. Your exfil helicopter will be there within ten minutes, which you will then escort the individual to me, where he can be interrogated and given proper clothes and food. Be on the flight deck at 0300.” General Powers then turned and walked back to his jeep and drove off.
The teenagers walked back into the restaurant with sullen faces and broken hearts. David took Roxie to the kitchen and Bobbie took Jessie outside. Bobbie closed the door behind him and was astonished on how dark it was; he felt like it was closing in him
“Babe, I don’t know if I can guarantee that I will make it back from this op. I want you to know that I love you and I am doing this so you can be safe. If you want to break up with me, I won’t judge you.” His face was wet and if you could’ve seen his eyes, you would see that they were red.
Jessie hugged Bobbie and started to bawl. She was tired of always losing him to something. She wished he could just stay with her and be safe. Her tears made two wet spots on his shirt that he could feel was growing.  It felt like his soul had been ripped out of him, feeling those two cold spots. David walked out and signaled Bobbie that it was time to leave. Jessie let go and let Bobbie go and get in the truck. Bobbie jumped in and saw Jessie wipe her eyes and enter the restaurant.
Bobbie and David sat in the truck and drove to the Armory so Bobbie could grab the 9 mil. David drove off and Bobbie walked in to the small building. He didn’t even have to sign out the gun or talk to the armorer.
He walked out and started the half mile jog to Flight Deck Alpha. He got there and walked back and saw the massive AC-130 fueling up. It was the only plane big enough to transport troops that far of distances. David was talking to a member of the exfil team, and was hefting a large backpack thing onto his back. All at once Bobbie knew, they were going to have to jump from the plane.
“David, if you say we have to jump, I’m going to punch you in the throat.” Bobbie said as he walked up to the boy.
The gear was on the ground and Bobbie knew it was going to be a high jump considering that there was also O2 tanks with masks and all. Bobbie hated heights and especially hated having to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Unless it was burning, there was no reason to jump.
“Look bro, there is no other way. If the C-130 gets close to that ship, it is going down, and it is the last plane we could afford to lose. So pony up and put your pack on.” David threw the bag at Bobbie and finished synching up his. Bobbie tossed his on and walked up the ramp to get on the plane. He felt dread coming over his body and his hands started to shake while he was strapping on the parachute. He finished up and sat down.
David joined him and sat down next to him.
“You still got the 9?” He asked looking over.
Bobbie patted the small area above his left hip. He tied it there with some rope and could feel it tightly against his mid-section. The clip was in his front cargo pocket and liked the feeling of its weight in the large pocket.
“Okay, we are going to jump when we are over New York and our DZ is the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. There is a car dealership close by, where we will break in and grab a car. We will then drive south on 2nd Avenue to Shore Road. It will take about ten minutes if we hurry. After arriving at the hit sight, we will assess the damage of the aircraft and see if there are any casualties. Then we’ll exfil the crew to the Brooklyn Bridge, where we will get the rest of our gear and head to the Battleship. Now we need to sit back and relax for the three hours we get. Come and talk to me if you want a drink or something to eat.” David walked to the other side of the plane and sat back for a nap.
Bobbie wasn’t necessarily excited for the flight but his cold feet went away when the ramp went up. They took off and started to fly for a second. When they were at cruising altitude, he stood up and walked to David so he could grab a drink.
“Hey, wake up. What do we have on the menu today?” Bobbie said as he kicked David’s foot.
“I’ve got some cokes, a bottle of water, fruit snacks, some bud, granola bars and a bag of jerky.”
David took off his pack and grabbed a little bag of rations. He didn’t even wait for a request. Handing Bobbie a Budweiser, David popped one himself and they both drank. Officially, they weren’t supposed to drink on an operation, but, considering the suicide mission they were going on, it was okay. It wasn’t the first time the boys had beer, but the last time they had it, the guys they were drinking with got busted.
Bobbie chugged his and could feel the warmth spreading through to his fingers and toes. His mind went a little foggy for a second but it had cleared up over the next couple of minutes. He grabbed another and walked back to his seat. The empty can hit the ground in less than sixty seconds. Bobbie stared out of the little window next to him and was soon snoring.
Two hours later, the sergeant walked back and woke them up.
“We are 30 minutes from our DZ. Get up, stretch your legs, and pray to whichever god you have. In the event that you don’t have a god, pray anyways, you’re going to need it.”
He then went and threw the cans in a sack and handed them to Bobbie.
“Throw these out in the next ten minutes so there is no evidence of you drinking on the job. I don’t want to be the one who has to clean the bar and get you guys written up.” The sergeant handed the bag to Bobbie and walked back to the c***pit.
David and Bobbie stretched and walked back to the ramp. Ten minutes later, they dropped the bag and waited. They looked down and saw a river and two islands. While they were looking, the boys started to hear a weird whistling sound. Bobbie looked to the back of the plane just in time to see the rocket pierce through and explode in the cabin. David was thrown to the deck but Bobbie was pushed backwards by the explosion and literally fell out of the plane. Falling, Bobbie was desperately trying to get leveled out and control his decent. His mask and oxygen were already on, so he could breathe but his altitude meter was totally trashed. He put his arm to the side and felt the pressure start to flip him. Before he got completely parallel with the ground, he saw David jump out and rocketed towards the earth. He met up with Bobbie and they descended to the ground together.
They fell for twenty seconds then pulled there chutes at 5,000 feet. Drifting down, they noticed the Verrazano Bridge completely destroyed by the British plane. David was staring at the wreckage until he saw his DZ coming into view. Going in to land, he saw shore road and the line of destruction that followed the doomed plane. Even though it had been raining, the fires were still burning.
The boys landed on the docks and cut their parachute lines and harnesses. They had then got to 2nd avenue and started to run. It was still cool because it was early morning and the sun hadn’t even started to crest the horizon. They found a small car dealership and stole a red SUV. David got the car started and started to drive towards Shore Rd. In five minutes they were at the sight and saw the complete carnage.
When the plane had landed, its c***pit and wings were literally ripped off. The rest of it had skidded about 500 yards up the street, making a canal in the road that had water in the bottom of it because of the rain. The boys stopped the car and got out to look for survivors.
“Dude, this looks pretty bad, if there is survivors they’re most likely going to be hurt.” Bobbie said, his head pounding.
“I know but let’s not just leave the scene. If they are hurt, we can save them and get to the bridge.” David said, shouldering his medical bag and walking towards the crashed plane.
They walked side by side, yelling for survivors for about an hour. They were going to give up when they heard a small, barely audible, “help.” Bobbie turned around and saw one man, leaning up against some of the wreckage with a piece of metal the size of a baseball, protruding from his right side.
“Bobbie go grab the car and bring it back to here.” David said, dropping his bag and crawling to the man.
“Hello sir, do you know where you are or what your name is?” David asked, grabbing some latex gloves and scissors.
“I’m leftanant Growley, my squad was on a transport plane to Arlington Texas, when the blasted ship in the bay shot us down. We crashed here, our other plane went down somewhere south of us. When I came to, I had this and Asian looking soldiers where carrying my living men to something called the ‘Bull-tan-noon young’.” Growley had started to choke and cough.
“Okay, which way did they head?”
“South, I watched them carry my men into trucks and drive off down the street.”
David cut off the man’s shirt and saw the piece of metal was poking through his back on the right side. David was relieved it wasn’t as bad as he thought it was. Bobbie pulled up and he helped David put the man in the back of the SUV. They then drove north to The Brooklyn Bridge. Even though it was a simple mission, it was almost three in the afternoon when they got to Northern Brooklyn. When they got to the bridge, Growley had been passed out and they saw their guys running in with a stretcher. Bobbie turned the car off and got out to help. They opened the back door and shimmied the man to the canvas bed. When Bobbie and David had turned, they saw an ambulance coming full speed towards them from Manhattan. It stopped at the SUV and three men pulled him into the rectangular vehicle and started to drive off towards the other side of the bridge.
After that, Bobbie turned and saw the other team grabbing their boats and checking their SCUBA gear. Two of the men, Grimsley and Baggiano, had already gotten ready and were starting to drag the nylon boats to the water. Grimsley, a tall and muscular white man, liked to get the show on the road as soon as possible. Baggiano, a black Italian from Sicily, was usually laid back. However, he was really agitated and wanted to get going immediately on this mission. Bobbie and David had started to throw on the tanks and strap on the MP5’s to their vests.
“Okay, has there been any changes to the plan while we were searching for Growley?” David asked, turning towards the squad leader, Lieutenant Thompson.
“Other than one of the subs had to surface for unknown reasons, no there has been no changes to the plan. We will proceed on schedule with Operation Brave Heart. If we do not make contact with you in two hours after we drop you off, we will leave you and exfil to FOB Charlie in West Virginia.” The officer finished his debrief and went back to looking at his map.
At this point, Bobbie pulled his locket out of his shirt and opened it up to see the picture of him and Jessie. While looking at this, he got an idea.
“Sir, what if we take the battleship? Not only will that make it easier to get troops over to Britain and Ireland, but it will also be a slap in the face for Korea.” Bobbie looked at Thompson and waited for an answer.
He pondered it for a minute, then spoke. “I’ll give you three additional hours. What you will have to do is get our guys out of there. That way you will have more firepower going into this fight. I won’t guarantee that you will survive, but if you do, you will be the biggest heroes this country will know. However, I still want you to keep the cratering charge in handy, just in case of something going wrong. There is an armory on the third deck, but it is access by keycard and is guarded by two soldiers around the clock. I recommend acquiring some enemy uniforms and getting the jump on them. Watch for cameras and other things that could tip off that the ship is being attacked. Godspeed boys.” Thompson then saluted and walked towards the beach front.
Heading down the East River gave them plenty of time to think over the plan and find a way to do it in the most effective way. Bobbie turned and looked at David and was surprised to see him smiling and looking at a picture. Curiosity overtook him and he shimmied over to David, who was still smiling like a goof.  Bobbie glanced at it and saw it was him and David when they had gone fishing years ago. The boys caught two rainbow trout a foot long each and cooked them over the fire. Their parents were with them, before David’s mom and siblings died, and they all laughed and had a good time. Bobbie was staring at it when David had noticed and handed it to him.
“And to think we caught those suckers using apple cores and string cheese.” David said over the sound of the rushing water.
“We need to go and get some fishing in when we’re done. Seems like a safe thing to do after this.” Bobbie commented, over the water as well. They laughed together until their sides hurt. The boys had then sat silently when they saw the Verrazano Bridge come into view. One strut could still be seen smoldering, while one of the huge aircraft wings were stuck in a chunk of one of them. It put a solemn mood across the whole team.
Bobbie checked his gun and looked forward. David checked his and folded his picture to put it back in his pocket.
The huge ship, with Korean symbols on the side, came into view. Bobbie checked to make sure the 9 was still connected to him. The barrel was still sticking to his leg with the grip tied to his midsection. Grabbing his front cargo pocket, he felt the magazine was there and ready to go. Checking his watch, Bobbie noticed that it was already 1800 and that dark would overtake them soon, which was helpful.
“Okay boys, be here by 2300 or we will leave you and make sure it is blown to kingdom come. Good luck taking the dragon, you two are American heroes and will go down in history.”

Chapter 11
The fall of a King
Thompson then taxied the small boat to the anchor and held it steady while the teenagers climbed their way up to the deck. Climbing over the safety railing, David racked a round and had Bobbie covered while he did the same. The deck was set up to where you can see from one end to the other on each side. Directly in front of them, a door was open and a stairway was leading down to the lower decks. The boys got up, looked both ways, and walked to the door.
Looking down, the lights made the stairs look taller than they actually were. David stepped gingerly down to the top step. He saw that it was stable and motioned for Bobbie to follow. Halfway down, the door at the bottom opened and one soldier had taken a step up and was going to ascend when his eyes met with David’s. He reached for his pistol when David punched two holes into the man’s chest with his MP5. David watched as the man slumped to the ground.
“Okay, keep your guard up, it’s going to get pretty close in here. Expect everything to go wrong.” David said to Bobbie, who nodded to confirm he heard.
David opened the door and stuck his head out to see if anyone was there. The corridor was empty and devoid of anything helpful to find their man. The boys walked down to the end of the hallway and saw a map. The symbols were unreadable, but the pictures could be understood. They found that the brig, where they were keeping the prisoners, was two decks down. David smiled and showed Bobbie, who immediately started to look for another stairway. There was one at the end of the hall. The boys half walked, half ran, to it and as soon as they got there, they noticed their mistake. Three Korean soldiers were rounding the corner with assault rifles. David took aim and shot one before he saw the boys, while Bobbie grabbed his knife and tackled a second. The third one raised his rifle to shoot, when it jammed and David fired a round into the man’s skull. Bobbie finished struggling with the last man and plunged his blade deep into the jugular vein, making him bleed out in seconds. David wiped his brow and looked at Bobbie, who got up and grabbed his weapon.
The boys continued down to another landing, where the picture said it was either a communications room or an internet hub.  Either way, it was not the mission objective, and it wasn’t important. Bobbie turned and checked the stair case to make sure no one was walking up or down. It was clear and the boys walked down.
At the second landing, the picture of the brig was hanging from another locked door. Bobbie looked around for another way in when they heard people’s voices on the other side of the door. Without thinking, David pounded on the door and hoped for an answer. Bobbie dove to the side and looked up at a fire extinguisher. Two seconds later, the door swung open and a Korean man was standing there. Bobbie grabbed the red cylinder and threw it at the man, hitting him in the forehead. David stormed in with his rifle up, but there was no one else in the room. Bobbie shut the door behind them and locked the door.
“Dude, I can’t understand how to open the doors. They’re all in Korean, and I’m not the kind to eat rice and consider my ruler a god.” David said, pouring over the controls to the brig.
Bobbie thought for a moment. “Grab the man, put him in this chair. We’ve got a couple of questions to ask.” Bobbie tossed the man into a chair and secured him to it with his own belt. Waiting for ten minutes, he finally woke up, and the boys got to work.
“Hey, wake up sunshine, it’s time for a test.” David said, slapping the side of the man’s face. His name tape said ‘Cheung’. David would have thought that it should be in Korean symbols, but it didn’t matter.
“You have some people that I want back. For every minute that goes by, we will chop off a toe. If you raise the alarm, we will drown you in the Hudson. Nod your head if you understand.”
Cheung nodded his head. Bobbie let him up and led him, by gun point, to the control panel. Tapping a few buttons, the doors swung open and drowsy men walked out. David grabbed the man and led him out to the men.
“Boys, this is Cheung. He is the man that has been keeping you in confinement for the last however long. But, he had the common sense to let you out of your cells. So let’s have a round of applause for the one man we didn’t have to kill.”
The room filled with clapping, until one of the men stepped forward.
“Boys,” he said in a gruff voice. “Mr. Cheung here was the one that hung Rodgerson from the second scaffolding. I saw it myself, if you clap for him, you are applauding a murderer. I am willing to deal with him, with our rescue team’s permission, likewise.” The red headed man walked over to David and Bobbie. “Boys this man does not deserve to live. Let me handle this.” He said, grabbing Cheung and walking over to the rest of the men. The boys let him do his thing.
The Irishman took Cheung by the collar and led him over to his cell. The porthole in it was just big enough for a body to fit through. Making a rope from his sheets and blankets, the man tied a noose around Cheung’s neck and threw him out. The saw the line go taught, then Bobbie cut it.
“I’m Leslie, by the way.” The man said, walking out of the room.
The boys followed suit and started walking to the control room. Strolling in, they noticed that there was a light tapping on the door. Bobbie raised his rifle and motioned for David to open the door. When they got in position, Bobbie gave the signal and David threw the door open.
In that moment, two things happened, a bright light filled the room and Bobbie was shot. In the head.
When everything had gotten to the point to where David could see, he pulled up his rifle and waited for men to walk through the door. They did and David opened fire, killing four and mortally wounding an additional six. He looked back and saw a string of grenades and pulled the pin and threw it. He sprinted out of the room and dove to the ground.
Fire and light erupted from the electrical room, propelling the door into the wall above David’s head. He got up and wiped the blood from his forehead. The explosion left a gash going across his right eye brow. Despite the ringing in his ears, he walked to the room. Bobbie’s body was virtually untouched, except for the bottom of his pants getting a little burned. David knelt down next to the boy. He started to cry out for his fallen brother.
“Why, why did it have to be you?” he yelled at the sky.
The captives walked up and took off their caps while looking at the scene. Then, from somewhere in the back, someone started to hum. The humming grew louder and louder until everyone knew the song. Almost unanimously everyone started to sing.
“Oh, Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side.
The summers gone, and all the roses falling,
‘Tis you, ‘Tis you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer’s in the meadow,
Or when the valley’s hushed and white with snow.
‘Tis I’ll be here in sunshine or in shadow,-
Oh Danny Boy, oh Danny Boy, I love you so!”

The song ended when everyone had started to weep on each other’s shoulders. Leslie walked up and picked up Bobbie.
“I will carry him to our evac, you can take a squad of my men and finish your mission. The armory is at the other end of the corridor. Be sure to kill the captain, he caused this.” Leslie said.
“Oh, I plan on it.” David said.
Getting up, he pointed at three men and had them grab some weapons. When they got back, he had two of them go up and get in position on the computer room door. Him and the other man followed behind and, when the signal was given, kicked open the door. Two men were standing at servers, writing things down on clipboards. David shot both of them.
They cleared the area and noticed that it was the security room, not communications. Bobbie looked over to one of the desks and noticed a cup of coffee sitting in a cup holder. He grabbed it and dumped the bitter substance over the control panel. It short circuited and threw sparks everywhere. The squad filed out of the room and made their way up the stairs. A literal red sea followed suit. They made it to the captain’s quarters and saw him sitting in his chair, looking at some maps.
David’s rage spilled over and he ran and tackled the man to the ground. His fists were as fast as lightning and hit as hard as a locomotive. David pounded and pounded on the captain’s head till blood erupted from his mouth and ears. David got up and walked out. He looked around and noticed that one of the men, Wyatt, could speak Korean.
“You,” he said pointing at him. “Tell the soldiers to get to the top of the deck. Tell them that the boat has been surrendered and to lay down their guns. Don’t tell them this, but if complete compliance is not met, we will open fire and kill each and every one of them.” David handed him a microphone that seemed to be hooked up to an intercom system.
  He did as he was told and conveyed the message in Korean. Ten minutes later, the crew walked up on deck with their hands on their heads. The former captives followed them, with Leslie in the back, most of which had rifles or pistols. David walked out to the deck and looked at his new prisoners.
“My name is David,” he started, “And I am your new captain. This boat is now under American rule and you are now POW’s if you have any objections, stand up.”
David turned to Wyatt and had him translate. When he was done, two men stood up. David raised his rifle and shot both of them. Their bodies hit the ground while the rest watched on in horror.
The captives lowered the Korean flag and threw it in the ocean. Then, one of the younger men walked forward and raised old glory above. David checked his watch and noticed it was 2257 hours, and smiled. “Right on time.” He said to himself. He walked up to the tower and shot a green and red flare into the sky. Twenty minutes later, the boats came up and had David lower two ladders for them.
“How did everything go?” he asked Thompson, shaking his hand and smiling.
“Everything went without a hitch, what about you?”
David’s smile disintegrated and he said, “We took the ship, but we had one casualty. Corporal King was shot and killed while taking the boat. I would like to have him flow back to Arlington to be buried with military honors.” David could feel his eyes burning, but he held his ground and waited for the lieutenant to answer back.
To his astonishment, Thompson hugged David.
“You two are the most courageous boys I have ever met. When America wins this thing, I will make sure you and Mr. King get a medal of honor.” Two hours later, an AC-130 landed at Teterboro Airport and picked up the fallen Corporal King and David.
 

Chapter 12
Always remembered
They flew the boys back to Arlington Texas with the captives. David had lost it while they were in the air and broke down and cried. Leslie took off his English Army pin and pressed it into the wood on the casket. One by one, the others did the same. When they were all done, the shining coffin was gleaming in the low light. Leslie helped David back to his seat, where he later had fallen asleep. It was deathly silent, and the rest followed David’s example and had fallen asleep too.
Two hours later, they landed in Houston and hitched a ride back to Arlington.  There, Bobbie was buried with military honors. Every one of the shots from the twenty one gun salute made David feel like they were ripping through his chest. After that, Bobbie was laid to rest at a little graveyard, his tombstone being a large, white pillar with the words, ‘Nam illi qui ceciderunt, nos salutant’ carved into it.
Jessie had died in a car accident after the funeral on her way back to her barracks. She skidded off the road and crashed into the forest. Nobody had known of it happening until Roxie found the crash a week later, on a commute to the newly rebuilt Texas Roadhouse, from Lake Ridge parkway. She called the authorities, but it was already too late. She was buried
David and Roxie had gotten married the following year and had three children, two boys and a girl. David had been promoted to General and orchestrated the attack on Kim Jung Un’s palace. The emperor had died waiting for his evac team to get him to a secret base high in the mountains. With that, the war ended because the people of North Korea wanted peace and Democracy.
David started to write books after Korea had fallen two years later. It had been his way to cope with Bobbie. His first few didn’t do so well, a fictional story about fish and sea plants. After that book had flopped, he wrote an autobiography on his father and his career soared. The book got him $100,000 the first month and kept rising after. He became an esteemed author and saved up enough for a huge house. He painted a portrait of Jessie and Bobbie in heaven and hung it in his living room.
Then the house caught fire while he was at a conference in Minnesota. Roxie was badly burned when David had flown back in to see her in the hospital. Her skin looked charred and flakey. David was devastated, as should be expected, he was by her side every day until she had passed away from an infection in her blood. He left the hospital and for two days, didn’t speak to anyone.
David’s last book, found beside his dead body, said “Run!” was the last word David said before he was tackled by a spook.”