They Were Ready: The Zombie Apocalypse in Black- Book 1 Read online

  They Were Ready

  A Zombie Apocalypse in Black- Book 1

  By

  Michael Redwine

  Copyright © 2017

  www.tbxlbooks.com

  Introduction

  I have been a fan of the Zombie genre since I was a kid. Though I am old enough to have seen Romero’s original * Night of the Living Dead* at an early age, my first Zombie movie was * Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things* from 1972. This film may have been the very first Zomedy or ZomCom. That is, Zombie Comedy for those new to the world of the Undead.

  Like many of you, I have loved the resurgence of * all things zombie* . “The Walking Dead,” “Fear the Walking Dead,” and “Z Nation” have blessed my small screen with plenty of Z-Love. But, like the creatures we adore, my hunger is insatiable. Whenever a movie of note is available, I will plop down on the sofa to inhale the gorefest. It’s not healthy, as my wife would say. But, she humors me.

  There have been a lot of clunkers over the years. But, since the first * Resident Evil* and * Shawn of the Dead ,* we have seen some excellent television and movies. These are a few that are high on my list:

  Dawn of the Dead (Remake) (2004)

  Dead Set (UK) (2008)

  The Horde (FR) (2009)

  Rammbock: Berlin Undead (DE) (2011)

  World War Z (2013)

  Train to Busan (SK) (2016)

  All of these films were amazing. If you have missed any of them, make it your business to check them out. You will not be disappointed. The world has the Zombie fever and there is no cure. Thank goodness.

  I would love to hear what flicks make your list of the Best Zombie Movies of the 2000s. When you finish this book, reach out to me on Twitter or look for our * They Were Ready* Facebook group s o we can discuss.

  This book is the first installment of a series that I have been writing for a few years, off, and on. It is finally ready for the light of day (I hope you agree). It is a labor of love.

  On to the book! Please enjoy!

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgments

  I want thank all of my amazing friends and family! They have enriched my life much more than I deserve.

  Legal Notes

  Copyright © 2017. All Rights Reserved.

  Chapter 1- Departure

  Three matte black vehicles left the compound and pulled onto Highway 72 eastbound toward Chattanooga. The compound was affectionately known as “The House,” but to those who lived there it was much more than that.

  The convoy traveled in a tight line, the result of exhaustive training and experience. The rebuilt & improved 2007 Dodge Magnum led the way setting the fast, but not dangerous pace of 75 mph. In it, the driver and family patriarch, Mitchell Ransom, a Black man in his mid-50s, led his family team into potential danger to rendezvous with his parents coming north out of Atlanta on Interstate 75. The goal was to safely escort them back to the compound. Jimmie Stamp, Mitchell's friend & battle buddy, was in the passenger seat. Jimmie was often a calming influence on Mitch who was known to fly off the handle on occasion.

  Mitchell carried a 5.56 caliber, M4 carbine on a lanyard. He’d spent countless hours in the Magnum learning to drive effectively with that weapon on his chest. He also carried a visible double stack 9mm pistol in a thigh holster. A second single stack subcompact 9mm secreted away on his person. Jimmie had a double stack 9mm and a semi-automatic 20 gauge tactical shotgun. He would have preferred the 12 gauge model, but on the Ransom compound, 20 gauge was the shell of choice. Mitchell knew that most people preferred the 12 and he was worried that the shells would become scarce pretty quickly. Especially since the ladies of the compound were fans of the 12, too, with its lower recoil making for faster training and easier use.Both Mitch and Jimmie had various bladed weapons on them, as well.

  There were only four standard ammo types on the Ransom compound : 22 Long Rifle, 9mm, 5.56 and 20 gauge. The only exception was the recently-acquired M107A1 .50 caliber sniper rifle. Luckily, when they traded for the long range rifle, there was plenty of ammo with it. But, when it was out, it was out.

  Behind the Magnum, in combat configuration, was the Dodge ProMaster van with Mitchell’s youngest son Xander at the wheel. He was well trained & hardened from many battles over these past few months. In his early twenties, X was lethal & proficient. He carried an M4, as well, but his was the 22 Long Rifle version. Mitchell always wanted him to take something heavier, but X frequently reminded him that you can't argue with success.

  Xander’s M4 was also modified to function noiselessly and fitted with a silencer. If you wanted something dead quickly & quietly, Xander was your guy. He could melt into the darkness, silence a heartbeat with a blade, firearm, or hand-to-hand and be back home for dinner, clean as a whistle without a scratch on him. It was uncanny. But that was X.

  In the passenger seat was Lisa, the youngest of Mitch’s kids. She ran communications for the group and kept the line to the compound open for comms and satellite images of the road ahead. Those images were fed to her by Uncle Carl who stayed behind in the radio shack , the communications room at the compound. Lisa was also well trained & tough, but had only recently started leaving the compound with her dad, brothers, and uncles. This trip was a big mission, the furthest they had traveled from The House in a long time.

  Lisa carried the same model 20 gauge Jimmie did. She carried a more compact double stack nine than the guys used, but she wore two in two thigh holsters. She was fast, ambidextrous, and deadly accurate. Plus, X had her back. They were often at each other's throats when they were younger, but since all this started a few months back, X appointed himself Lisa’s personal bodyguard, and she knew he would lay down his life for her without hesitation. Everyone loved & protected Lisa, but her relationship with X was something special. Luckily, her dating life had been curtailed by the apocalypse or this dynamic would have made her life hell.

  In the back of the van was Bravo, one of the family's four remaining mastiffs who belonged to X. Bravo was a working dog & X’s closest ally. Back at The House he was mostly a sentry & early warning system, but on the road, Bravo was a lethal weapon- 140 pounds of muscle and canine aggression. He would attack the dead when directed; though he did not enjoy the task. None of the dogs did. Ingesting the flesh and blood of the dead made dogs deathly ill. They would be down for days, but uninfected people? Yep. No problem. This era had plenty of bad guys to keep them busy.

  The final vehicle was a Ram 2500 Prospector pickup truck. It was a mighty beast of a 4x4 with high clearance & a wench. The driver was Brandon, the middle son of the bunch. He was a gifted, battle-tested fighter. He carried a 5.56 M4 and a double stack nine on his hip, like his dad, and he carried a wakizashi (Japanese short sword) as a third weapon. He was something to behold with that blade. His brothers jokingly called him “the Blender.” Even before Uncle Carl came to stay with them, he had been skilled with the blade, but training under Carl had taken his ability to an entirely different level. He was also the team’s sniper, and his .50 caliber M107A1 Barrett was lovingly stored in the back of the equally rare Prospector.

  In the passenger seat of the Prospector was the eldest of the Ransom sons, Tommy. He was the best overall fighter among the younger generation, and he was Brandon’s spotter on away missions. He was smart, quick on his feet, and always ready to scrap. He had a family of his own back at The House. His wife Maria & their two daughters waited for him. He worried about them all the time, but he knew there was no safer place for them than The House. He absently tapped the beat that was playing in his head on his 5.56 M4. He had a 9mm double s
tack on his hip, and he carried a 20 gauge on his back, the same model Jimmie & Lisa had, except modified with a shorter barrel. It made quite the mess. Tommy also carried his dad’s old heavy-bladed Gurkha knife. He was death incarnate to those that chose to be enemies of the Ransom family.

  Chapter 2- Regret

  Though Mitch was consumed by the mission to save his parents, his mind drifted to John & Barbara- a young couple who had spent a few weeks on the Ransom compound up until about 10 days ago. John was a White, do-gooder agriculture expert that spent several years of his life in some of the worst places on the planet before America fell apart. Barbara, John’s wife, was cut from the same cloth. She was a surgeon for Doctors Without Borders. She specialized in training local physicians & nurses in the field. They had met while working in Southern Sudan several years earlier and they had been inseparable ever since.

  Barbara, a Chinese Johns Hopkins grad, had given Nadia, Brandon, & Maria an intensive crash course in battlefield surgery—five hours a day for three weeks. It was not enough to put an MD behind their name, but a great improvement on their previous knowledge. Several of the feral pigs that roamed the edges of the Ransom property paid a heavy price for their training. Knowledge is power and bacon.

  Luckily, Barbara was in place to help Mitch’s friend Carl when he broke his ankle during the battle that ensued when the sheriff came calling. Carl was an integral part of the team, and thanks to Barbara and Carl’s own stubborn nature, he was now on the road to recovery.

  Unfortunately, things soured between the pacifist couple and the Ransoms when it came to conflict. As the Ransoms patrolled their stretch of secondary highway for bandits, they were utterly without mercy for that particular brand of human. Road bandits were mostly killers and rapists and like the living dead, they were a scourge of this new America, John and Barbara regarded the Ransom family’s vigilance as “looking for trouble.”

  But, the Ransoms kept the local area safe. They were the apex predators on their section of Highway 72. They took whatever the bandits stole and redistributed what they could not use among the locals based upon need. They were heroes to their neighbors.

  Eventually, the couple decided to move on. Barbara’s family was in North Carolina. That was a good enough reason to leave as any- Family First. Mitch, of all people, understood this motivation, but still couldn’t help wishing that things had gone differently.

  Chapter 3- Dispatch

  A call came into the Magnum’s speaker system from Mitchell’s dad Erick.

  “What’s up, Pop?” Mitch said.

  “Son, I have to pull over and rest. Can't go as long as I used to.” In the background, Mitch could heard his mom Lynnette clear her throat, and they all laughed at Erick’s unintended word choice. It was typical of the Ransoms family to deal with stress through their mutual weird sense of humor.

  Mitch then asked about his brother. “Have you heard from Erick?” In this instance, Erick referred to Erick Jr., Mitch’s older brother. They lost contact a few weeks back. “Not, yet son.” A painful silence followed.

  Jimmie broke the silence. “Y’all be safe.”

  Erick, Sr. responded to the familiar voice “We will, Jimmie. You guys take your time. We will be Ok.”

  This tactic was also a standard practice for the elder Ransom. The old-school tough guy did not like being taken care of or protected, but he knew his son & grandsons were capable and prepared. He also knew he could not get his wife Lynnette to safety without them. He was looking forward to seeing Lisa. Of all his grandchildren, Lisa was his absolute favorite. He didn't think anyone knew, but of course, everyone knew and it always made them smile. Erick didn't know Lisa was on this mission, and Mitch was sure he was going to be pissed when he found out.

  Mitch said goodbye to his father and immediately called back to the ProMaster, “Did you track the phone?” Mitch asked urgently. He heard Lisa talking to the radio shack: “Get Carl to get me a satellite shot of the area and send the coordinates to my GPS up here.”

  Then, tersely, “Yes, on it, and on it.”

  Moments later she replied, “Coordinates set. Images are on Uncle Jimmie’s tablet.”

  Even in his foul mood, Mitch could not help but smile at how quickly and efficiently Lisa was handling her responsibilities.

  Jimmie viewed two satellites images, both of the same position. Just south of Chattanooga at a rest stop near East Ridge. They were only 30 minutes away. One image was current & one was of the same spot 18 hours prior. The dead were in the area, but they appeared to be pretty spread out. That meant there was a chance that they could get in and out unscathed. Wishful thinking, at best. Hopefully, his dad's truck was quiet enough to avoid unwanted attention.

  Erick’s truck was visible on the image, but Mitch quickly realized his parents weren’t alone. There seemed to be a truck about a quarter mile behind them, and this meant that the elderly Ransoms could be quickly overtaken by the potential bandit vehicle. He yelled back to Lisa “Need another sat image NOW!”

  Lisa quickly relayed the request to Carl. The new picture was on Jimmie’s tablet in under 5 minutes, but Carl informed them that the satellite was now out of position and would be for another 10 hours. They were blind. To Mitch’s relief, the vehicle in back had only gotten about 50 yards closer. They were laying back. But, why? Mitch sped up which signaled a predetermined ten-mph speed increase for the column. It was going to be a tense ride.

  Chapter 4- Danger

  Fifteen minutes into the ride, Erick Sr. called back.

  “Short nap, Pop?”

  “Incoming dead, son.” Erick says.

  “How many?” was Mitch’s automatic response.

  “Ten to fifteen. Mostly shufflers.”

  ”Shufflers” was their name for the slow-walking variety of dead. Mitch knew they were still safe. His dad’s truck was pretty sturdy & they had weapons, but, they would have to get out to use them. The choices were simple: Sit tight to wait for help or drive away.

  “Can you leave?” Mitch asked.

  “No. Blocked in.” was the answer.

  “Ok. Sit tight. We’re only a few minutes out.”

  “Hold on. A truck just pulled up behind us. That fool is getting out. Doesn't he see these shufflers?” Erick asked no one in particular.

  “Shit! On the way, Pop,” Mitch said as calmly as he could.

  They heard gunfire just as Erick hung up.

  They maintained speed so they would not blow passed Erick’s position. They were now in sight of the rest area. What they saw shocked the Ransoms and shocking this group was no small feat. What was thought to be 10-15 shufflers was now easily a crowd of 25, but they seemed to be moving away from Erick’s truck. The dead found an easier meal. Or at least, they thought so.

  The stranger that had been trailing Erick & Lynnette was indeed outside the vehicle, but he was no easy meal. This guy was massive. He had a 9mm in one hand and a pink t-ball bat in the other, and his bare, dark brown arms were rippling with muscles and dripping of sweat. He was wearing a motorcycle helmet with a dark visor which made it impossible to see his face, but the headgear could not hide his girth. He was around 6’ 4” and easily 270 lbs. without an ounce of fat on him. Mitch wouldn’t have said the man was graceful, but he was certainly no slouch as the ground around him, littered with the dead-again bodies of his own doing, proved. Even as his footing became perilous, he still shot and swung that adorable pink bat that was now fouled with the black blood of his foes.

  Mitch began growling orders.

  “Brandon and Tommy, get across the road and make a path for your grandparents!”

  “X, pull over directly across the highway. Get in that turret and start laying them down!”

  “Lisa, get a bird up! I need to know how much company all this shooting is attracting.”

  Everyone moved as ordered.

  “I have to find a place to turn around.” The Magnum was an excellent combination of speed and power, but it’s low clear
ance was an issue.

  Brandon and Tommy were a damn good team. The Prospector cleared the wide ditch that separated the north & southbound lanes. Brandon slammed the truck into park as soon as they were on the northbound side. They had their M4s blazing away as they dismounted. Careful, well-placed single shots fell eight dead before they even got close. But more were coming out of the woods east of the rest stop. It wasn't a lot. But, enough that they needed to continue making steady progress.

  Just as the ProMaster stopped, Lisa sent a drone equipped with a day/night vision camera through the turret in the top of the van. She got out of Xander’s way as he climbed. X saw his brothers cutting a swath through the dead from the north. The Prospector was standing by ominously as X immediately began thinning the herd with his silenced 22LR M4. He noticed the huge stranger had dropped his now-empty pistol and was using his pink bat and a knife in his gloved hands. X absently wondered how the giant had found mechanic gloves to fit hands that size. The stranger was slowing now. The exertion was exacting its toll. X hit his comms button.