"Clearing Out"

"Clearing Out"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

Today was the day. We had so much to do but with only 4 squads assigned to me that was easier said than done. The plan was to claim this particular area. Clear any undead lurking here and establish an outpost in between the main camp in preparation for expansion. 

Most of those under my wings was a mixture of young people who were eager to see how they could make a difference. Another kind of survivor was also added , the group that seemed to have lost all faith in what humans could do. The Leader wanted me to lead because I used to be both and wanted me to temper both groups. 

Normally team building exercises would be in order but the leader said that surviving against these ghouls together was enough of a bonding experience in itself.

The site was a small town that used to supply the nearby mines. One main street that lead in and out of it.The main encampment was getting more crowded every day and the leader believed that the time has come to claim nearby territories that could be supported from the camp. Security leading to the main camp was great but the living spaces were short on supply. Due to the mistrust that has been bred for years they did not expect any more humans who would brave the Blood Roads to reach them. Yet there were still those arrived either alone or in pairs. Scarred inside and out.

(The Blood Roads were a series of paths that was still swarming with Uncleared areas.This formed a natural defense which made the main encampment ideal)

First order of business was to make sure that they could make this town habitable again. Judging from the dwindling number of zombies that they have found impaled on their palisades it is either they have managed to eliminate most of them in this area and their numbers might have lessened enough so that setting up defensible positions might be easier.

"Kevin , up that water tower please. We need eyes. We don't want any of those things on us before we could control this place."

Kevin showed a lot of potential with his marksmanship but he was not much of a fighter on the ground. He was calm and focused but that same calm and focus dwindled very fast when he was surrounded on all sides. The Leader thought as much so we always assign him to be eyes.

Ardin and Yuua looked cute on the outside.Wiry in frame and quick on their feet we were happy that they joined us. They were our main assaulters. Both were comfortable wielding swords but it was Yuua who moved with such precision and grace. Ardin looked clumsy in comparison but she wasn't so far in the kill department. Yuua had an infectious smile regardless if she was tearing a zombie from limb to limb or talking to you about the weather. I was grateful that they came with me. They were the first pair to reach their assigned houses. Clearing was going to be a house to house affair.

The protocol was to make noise at your assigned unit and attract anything that was inside to go toward the door or any exit. There was always 4 people attached to this squad. Yuua and Ardin were tapping the windows and doors when the last of their squad arrived. One was Alfonso , a squat man with a receding hairline who was turning red from the effort of sprinting. Truth be told he looked like the Spawn character Violator without the clown make up. Along side him was a man twice the size of my lethal girls. He was called Rank. The name was more descriptive. He smelled worse than any zombie. A day with Rank sharpened your sense to smell the undead. First timers like Alfonso over there were more unbalanced by his scent more than anything.

"Can we rest for a minute or two before we open that damn door?" Alfonso wheezed.

"We can rest when we cleared all of the houses in this block" Ardin replied. Her blue eyes seemed colder than normal. Good old Cold eyes. "Here we go." was all she said as she opened the front door.

A family of zombies emerged. A male , a female and an infant that was still hanging from its mothers makeshift cradle. The infant was giving off a shrilly moan as it reached for Yuua who was the nearest person to the now opened door. Ardin dispatched the male easily and lopped off the mothers head. Yuua hesitated from hurting the infant zombie. Rank stepped on its head with one massive boot.

Yuua looked at the giant man and nodded her thanks.

Ardin helped her up and made no mention of her hesitation but she did look at me. I gave her the signal that now was not the time to talk about such things. Cold eyes moved on to the next house. I could hear more zombies in that next one. People who barricaded themselves and died in fear. Sometimes dying was the certain thing. Living , that was uncertainty that you had to deal with day by day. Something just snaps for some people and all they want is that sure thing , that certain thing. Death happens when you don't try to do anything else.

He was hoping that those in this party was looking forward to living.Another couple of hours and it would be too dark. They had to finish before leaving.