“You’re welcome,” #zombies

Deacon walks across the hall to where he can hear the girls playing.  He softly knocks on the door.  He hears Jaimie invite him in.  He opens the door, stepping just inside the door, and stands there for a moment watching them play. 

Jaimie asks the girls, "What do you guys tell Deacon for taking mommy to get our stuff and keeping me safe?" 

Simultaneously they both tell him, “Thank you, Deacon." 

“You’re welcome,” He replies with a smile. 

He turns to leave when Jaimie tells him to wait.  He turns back around towards her, she stands up, walks over to him and wraps her arms around him.  She lets go.  They share a smile and he turns, walking out towards the elevator.  He gets in and pushes the button, seeing that is what makes it all worth it. 

The elevator door opens, he steps out and goes to the kitchen.  He begins to help prepare dinner.  When it is almost ready, Alicia volunteers to let Jaimie and the girls know that it was almost time to eat.  People start to take places at the different tables in the cafeteria.  Deacon sees Cherise heading towards him, just as Dave slides up on one side of him and Greg on the other.  Cherise turns around disappointed and takes a seat next to John. 

"Wash the stink from that runner off of him" #zombie

Lana just laughs as they go inside to prepare dinner.  Deacon goes back to his truck to retrieve his gear.  Cherise follows him around like a lost puppy, asking more questions just like she had on the ride to the island.

Deacon finally tells her “Why don’t you go and get your son fed, we will talk later.”

He drops his gear in its own pile in the big room, takes his guns up to the observation room, and sets them on the table.  He then goes back down stairs, gathering his things out of the big room and heads toward his room.  Getting to his room, he drops his things, and shuts the door.  Sliding his back down the door he now is sitting on the floor, he buries his head in his hands.  He begins replaying of all of the evil things he has had to do to keep them safe.  He would never have pointed a gun at anybody a week prior.  Now, however, not only is it getting easier to aim a gun at what was a person, but he squeezes the trigger without hesitation.  Deacon can almost feel himself distancing himself from humanity, and this is turning into just another day at the office.

He quietly sits in the darkness until the voices in his head subside.  He can now hear Jaimie playing with Trisha and Becky, realizing that this is the reason for doing the things he has been forced to do.   Deacon gets back to his feet, and opens the door.  Jeff is coming out of the shower.  As he passes he comments to Deacon how he had to wash the stink from that runner off of him. Deacon smiles at him as Jeff continues to the elevator to join Alicia upstairs.

“Greg should just let Deacon knock him out.” #zombie

They walk around to the back of the container to attempt to open it, but a padlock on each door prevents an easy access.  Deacon asks Greg to go get his master key out of the tool box in his truck.  Greg jogs over to Deacon’s truck and comes back carrying bolt cutters.  Greg cuts off both pad locks and they open the trailer.  By this time they have an audience standing behind them.  With both doors wide open, an array of boxes neatly stacked lies in front of them.  Deacon takes a package of papers taped to the side of one of the boxes and opens it.  The papers say that it is all clothing. 

Dave pats Greg and Deacon on the back and tells them “Good find!” 

Dave and Alicia invite their new found roommates to bring all their belongings in to the visitor center. Deacon and Jeff help Jaimie get her and the girls’ things down to their room.  John is the first to ask about a room.  He demands that he should get a big room, as he is the leader of the group at the truck stop.  Deacon just tells Greg to do whatever he needs to do with John.  Greg can see that Deacon is already starting to get fed up with John. 

Dave also takes notice of Deacon’s displeasure, and turns to Lana who is standing next to him. 

“What is going on between those two?”   

She informs him that they have a strange dynamic, “They keep each other grounded.  They have spent so much time together, that it is almost like they can read each other’s mind.  Greg thinks things all of the way through, until he begins to run off of emotion.  Deacon runs more off of emotion, but it makes him more focused.”  

She goes on to tell him that if Greg gets angry, Deacon is about the only one who can talk him down, and Greg is the only one who can talk Deacon down “By the look of things, Deacon’s patience is going to run out quickly with John.”

Dave mutters, “Greg should just let Deacon knock him out.”  

“Ya, we are not too sure of him either.” #zombie

The women and girls run in to the observation tower.  Dave hands them the binoculars,  

            “That looks like a lot of people,” Lana tells them, the excitement building.

            “Ya, but I thought they were going to get supplies, not more people,” Dave tells them smiling.

            They pull into the parking lot.  Alicia, Lana and the girls are standing on the front steps. Dave is winding his way down the handicap ramp.  Deacon’s truck turns off and Greg gets out and runs to Lana, Jaimie to her girls.  Alicia has a concerned look on her face until she sees Jeff walk around the front of the semi.  Dave sees Deacon still getting out of the semi and wheels over to him.

“What did you find,” he asks sarcastically. 

 Deacon begins to tell him that when they were at Jaimie’s, they had a bit of a mishap.    Greg wanders over and asks Deacon if they should find out what is in the container.   Deacon nods, as the three of them start moving to the rear of the trailer. 

“Out of all the trucks, why the cargo container?”

“We can use these containers to build a wall around our new home.”   

Dave looks past Deacon and Greg, he asks who the tough guy is, obviously displeased and looking at John. 

“Ya, we are not too sure of him either.”

"What are those guys doing now?" #zombies

She continues on with question after question, mostly about nothing.  Deacon begins to get annoyed.  It all starts coming back to him why they had broken up after high school.  She asks him if he is with anybody, he tells her no, and that he does not plan on it either.  The whole way out Deacon wishes she would stop talking. 

They come to the gate at the toll booth.  Greg and Jeff both get out, Greg and Jeff walk up to the semi Deacon is in.  They tell him that Jeff is going to open the gate and he will pull over to wait for Jeff while everybody pulls through the gate.  Then he will follow them in after Jeff shuts the gate.  Deacon reminds him that Dave needs to see Deacons truck leading them in or Dave will be wasting ammo on them, adding that he doesn’t want to change any tires.  He tells Greg that he will pull over and wait for Jeff, following everybody in.  Greg agrees and returns to the truck.  With everyone through the gate, Jeff jumps in the truck with Deacon.  The “convoy” resumes their course across the causeway.

                                                                        #         

            Back at the visitor center, Alicia and Lana are playing with the girls.  When they suddenly hear Dave, "What are those guys doing now?"  

“We'll see!” #zombie

Everyone gets in to their respective vehicles, Greg leads the way in Deacon’s truck. Deacon is behind him with the cargo container, then John, and bringing up the rear is the motor home and a little car both loaded with people.  On the drive back, Jaime asks Greg if Deacon is ok.  Greg sighs telling her he is fine, but curiously asks why.  She explains that he has been quieter since they left the island.  He reiterates the fact that he believes he is fine, too busy with his own concerns with the new group.

In the semi with Deacon, Cherise tells Deacon he must think she is an awful person. Deacon explains to her that she was doing what she had to do to keep her son fed, taking pity on her for having to go to those extremes.  Cherise disclose that it was John’s idea.

"Surprise,” Deacon says sarcastically. 

Cherise goes on to tell him that John really is not that bad of a guy. 

“We'll see!”    

She asks where they are going, and Deacon tells her simply, “the island.”

She continues on with question after question, mostly about nothing.  Deacon begins to get annoyed.  It all starts coming back to him why they had broken up after high school.  She asks him if he is with anybody, he tells her no, and that he does not plan on it either.  The whole way out Deacon wishes she would stop talking. 

“These people stuck here!” #zombies

Greg asks him what he is thinking.  Deacon proceeds to tell him that he is thinking of taking the whole truck and trailer.  Skeptically, Greg tells him that if he can find the keys, he thinks it is a good idea.  Deacon opens the door, climbing up into the cab.  He starts searching for the keys.  

Looking down at Greg who is watching him, he asks, “Are you just going to stand there?” 

Greg walks around to the other side and climbs in.

“You know sometimes you can be a real ASS,” Greg jokes.

Greg starts searching as he asks Deacon what he thinks about the group.  

“Which ones, I haven’t even met the ones we picked up at Jaimie's.”  

“These people stuck here!”  Greg clarifies.   

Deacon stops looking for the keys, glancing over at him.  He tells Greg that he thinks John might give them trouble.

“John thinks he’s a tough guy, but it isn’t fair to exclude the whole group because of one guy.” 

Greg agrees as he pulls down the passenger side visor.  The keys drop onto the floor of the truck.

"Bingo," Greg exclaims. 

Greg and Deacon walk back to the motor home, rejoining the two groups that have convened and are introducing themselves.

            John addresses Greg and Deacon as they rejoin the group, telling them that he is going to follow them in his semi.  Deacon asks him which one is his.  John points to a tanker.  Deacon asks him what he is hauling, and John informs him that it is full of diesel.  Deacon smiles, thinking to himself that this guy might serve a purpose after all.  The two teenage boys come running over with their arms full of gas cans.  They inform Deacon that his truck is full of fuel.  Greg announces that it is time to go.  John orders Cherise to get in his truck.  She tells him that she is riding with Deacon.  Deacon notices a flash of anger in Johns face immediately.

John replies, “Whatever,” as he walks to his semi.

"What brings you here?" #zombie

Cherise gives him a little smile as she leads them to a motor home.  She knocks on the door, it slowly opens.  Looking inside, Deacon can see that it is crowded with people.  A man comes walking out first.  He isn’t very tall, and obviously overweight.  The man extends his hand.  Very abruptly he introduces himself as John, the man in charge.  Cherise interrupts the introduction, as she informs John that Deacon drives truck like him.  John is intrigued and asks Deacon who he drove for.  Deacon explains he was a delivery driver for one of the local beer companies.  John quickly makes a snide comment about Deacon not being a real truck driver.  In response Deacon bites his tongue in order not cause any undue friction.  Greg shakes his hand, and asks him if his group would like to go somewhere safe.  Looking around at the desperate faces in his group, he tells Greg that they would.  He immediately begins to boss people around, ordering them to get things ready.  A total of fifteen adults and nine children were in the motorhome.    

Curious, John asks what brought them there.  Greg explains that they need fuel for Deacon's truck.  John whistles, and two teenagers coming running to him.  He starts barking more orders, telling them to fuel up Deacons truck.  Deacon thanks John and then wanders back to the semi with the cargo container.  Greg follows, leaving John spouting off more orders.  

"Walkers,” she asks. #zombie

He begins thinking of uses for the trailer.  He decides to go look for Greg and the others, when he hears somebody walking up behind him.  He had seen everyone that was with Greg walk across the parking lot, so he knew it was not any of them.  Deacon spins around drawing out his pistol, stopping with his finger on the trigger.  The muzzle of the gun is about six inches away from a young woman’s face.  He recognizes her as being his high school sweetheart and she immediately recognizes him.

"Deacon," she questions. 

"Cherise" Deacon answers her as he holsters his gun. 

He asks her what she is doing out there.  Her demeanor changes to appear that she is ashamed of why she is there.  She begins to tell him as she looks away, that she had intended on trading her body for food to feed her son.  Deacon looks down at the ground.  The realization that this is what the world has turned into, desperation to survive, crosses his mind before he asks if she has seen walkers around here. 

"Walkers,” she asks.

“That is what they are being called.  Well, the slow ones anyway, and then there are runners, they are the fast ones,” He explains. 

“There are some around here.  There is also some really bad people moving around,” Cherise explains. 

She continues, that she has something she wants to show him.  She begins to walk away, and he follows.  Greg sees them.  Running, he catches up to them.

"Hi Cherise."  Greg says recognizing the woman.

"We are almost out fuel." #zombie

They make their way to the truck still firing shots.  Reaching the truck, Deacon is the last to get in.  He turns the key starting the truck, and slams the gas pedal to the floor.  Greg asks Deacon to stop the truck a block away from Jaimie’s house.  Deacon stops, and Greg gets out of the truck.  

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING,” Deacon yells. 

Greg pulls out his pistol as he walks over to a zombie crawling on the asphalt, the first runner that Greg had shot in the leg.  Greg points the muzzle of his pistol at the head of the demonic-like, creature, and fires.  It’s crawling ceases. 

Greg turns around, jumps back in the truck, "GO! GO!" 

Deacon begins shifting gears as they start to pull away.  Deacon looks down at his fuel gauge just as the fuel light comes on and sees that the needle is in the red. 

"Uhh, Greg we are almost out fuel."   

Greg asks him how much fuel they have.  Deacon states that he is sure they do not have enough to get back.       

            Deacon remembers a truck stop a little out of the way in the opposite direction.  They come up to the freeway.  Deacon turns north getting on the interstate instead of south like they need to go to get home.  Greg asks why he is going north if they are almost out of fuel.  Deacon explains that he knows this truck stop a little ways up the interstate, continuing to drive.  Pulling into the truck stop, Deacon parks the truck next to a semi.  His hope is to be able to siphon enough fuel to get them back to the island.  Greg opens the door on the trailer to let the “passengers” out.  Deacon immediately starts looking in the fuel tanks, it does not have much fuel.  He then looks back at the trailer in frustration.  It is a shipping containers that can either go by boat, train or semi.  Deacon estimates that it is about forty five feet long.  He walks closer to it to get a better look.

“LET’S GO, WE CANT FIGHT ALL OF THESE THINGS,” #zombies

 During the onslaught, one more runner appears out of the herd of walkers.  It quickly makes up the distance between it and the group, and is on top of them as the family makes it to the trailer. Jeff quickly puts up the door, closing the latch.  The runner runs pass the trailer. Noticing Jeff as it passes, it stops and turns around.  Jeff stands motionless with absolute terror in his face, the runner is only about ten feet away.  It snarls as it lunges at Jeff, knocking him to the ground.  In a panic Jeff scrambles to get it off of him.  Caught up in escaping its grasp, Jeff is oblivious to the sound of rifle.  The runner rolls off of him, motionless.  Greg turns to look at Deacon.  Deacon is still holding the rifle to his shoulder and looking through the scope.  Greg walks over to Jeff who continues to scream and on the verge of hyperventilating as he clambers to his feet.  Greg looks at the runner, and it is apparent Deacon had put one shot in its eye and another through its forehead. 

            Deacon slides the empty magazine out of the receiver, and removes a full one out of his pants pocket.  Sliding it in the rifle, he begins taking more shots at the walkers who are only a house away.  

“LET’S GO, WE CANT FIGHT ALL OF THESE THINGS,” Deacon yells out.

"You ready for this," #zombie

Deacon glances down the street and discovers a lot more movement, coming towards the families. Deacon whistles at Jeff.  Jeff looks up at him, and Deacon points towards the runners.  Terror flashes across Jeff’s face as it registers what is about to happen.  Jeff is frozen as he watches the walkers and two families running towards them.  Deacon yells, ordering him to keep the trailer door open.  

Greg yells to the families to hurry and get into the trailer, then yells to Jeff to stay by the trailer, “AS SOON AS THE GET IN, SHUT THE DOOR!”   

Complete chaos erupts.  Jeff has taken up a position nervously at the back of the trailer. Deacon runs over to Jaimie, rushing her into the truck.  

Deacon rejoins Greg, where they both look through their scopes.

"You ready for this," Deacon mutters.

There is an anxious crackle in Greg’s voice as he responds “Yep!”

Deacon puts the crosshairs on a runner that is closing in on the families and firmly squeezes the trigger.  Greg and Deacon fire shots as fast as they can.  Greg's first shot somewhat finds its mark, snapping one of the runners legs in half. 

Without looking away or missing a shot Deacon tells Greg, "That will slow him down!" 

Deacon hits the other one in the stomach, releasing what appears to be a greenish, brown, blood splatter.  He keeps pulling the trigger, tracking the shots up to the runners head.  The runner’s body jerks backwards with every shot until the last two shots find their mark, hitting the runner in the head.  It falls motionless in the street. 

“Are they walkers?” #zombie

In the silence, Deacon’s attention turns to Greg who is snapping his fingers.  Deacon creeps over to him, looking through his scope in the direction Greg is pointing, finding movement.  There are what appears to be two families moving towards them.  There is four adult males, two adult females, a younger male and two children, one a boy and the other a girl. 

“Are they walkers?”  Greg asks.

“I don’t think so!  They are ducking behind things,” Deacon answers.  

He then spots three walkers stumbling around a house in-between them and the survivors.  Jeff puts more boxes in the trailer, before reporting to Deacon that the next trip will be the last. 

Deacon nods.  Jeff leaves them to go gather the last load.  

Greg stands up, motioning to the two families to hurry.  The two that look like the patriarchs grab the two small children and start running straight towards them.  Jeff and Jaimie take the last load to the trailer, oblivious to what is going on.  Deacon keeps watch on the walkers down the street. It is obvious that the zombies see the movement down the street, focusing in on the families. 

“Oh shit!”  Greg says anxiously. 

The zombies quickly jerk around and begin sprinting towards the survivors.  Deacon immediately realizes that these are not walkers but runners. 

"She walks past the corpse of what once was her husband" #zombies

Jaimie kisses her girls, Jeff tells Alicia goodbye, Greg tells Lana goodbye and Dave rolls over to Deacon.  By this time Greg is standing next to him.  Dave extends his hand to shake Deacon and Greg’s hands, telling them to take care.  Both Greg and Deacon nod, and tell Dave that they will try.  Dave can see that they are trying to stay strong, hiding their fear.  Deacon picks up the duffle bag full of ammunition on his way out of the door, along with his rifle.

            They walk out to the truck, get in and start driving back to the city.  There is no movement on the outskirts of the city.  The closer to the city they get the more zombies they begin to see.  It is a quite ride in, each of them are lost in their own thoughts.  They pull into Jaimie’s neighborhood, Greg begins summarizing the plan that they had gone over with Dave the night before.  Pulling up to Jaimie’s house, they sit nervously in the truck looking around.  There is not any movement that they can see.  The once child invested neighborhood now sits barren of all play and laughter of children. 

            Sticking to the plan, Deacon and Jeff creep to opposite corners in front of the house.  Deacon watches Jaimie as she walks past the corpse of what once was her husband.  She turns her head as not to see the gruesomeness.  Greg and Jaimie go inside.  A couple of minutes later Greg comes out, sending Jeff back in.  Deacon and Greg, scan the neighborhood through their rifle scopes, looking up to scan with just the naked eye intermittently.  Deacon listens for any noise, he can only hear the sound of birds.  The silence raises the hair on the back of their necks.  Jeff hauls out load after load, into the trailer.

"Hold these." #zombie

Walking into the big room, he goes to some of his duffle bags still sitting in one of the corners.  As he is digging around in several of the bags,

Greg walks up behind him asking “What are you looking for?” 

Deacon lifts out his 9mm, still in its holster, then another just like it. 

He tells Greg "Hold these." 

Rummaging around further, he pulls out a box of ammunition.  Deacon asks Greg to hand him the guns back.  He pops the magazines out to make sure they are full, and then puts them back in the grip of the gun.  He then racks the slide to chamber a round in both guns before placing them back in the holsters.  Picking up one of the smaller duffle bags, he dumps its contents on the floor.  He throws the 9mm ammo in it, along with a couple of boxes of 12 gauge shotgun shells, and some 5.56 for the AR.  Greg walks out of the room just to walk back in carrying in a box of 7mm ammo.

"Put this in there too." 

Deacon takes the box from him, adding it to the bag.  He zips it up and sets it by the door. He grabs a shot gun and lays it on top of the bag.  Both men walk back into the kitchen, Deacon carrying the pistols.  Deacon sets one of them down on the table, then begins spreading out the other holster.  He asks Jamie to stand up so he can help her put it on.  She stands up and he helps her put it on, he cinches it up and pulls the pistol out.  Holding it up, he shows her that it is ready to go.  All she has to do is flip the safety down (showing her) and pull the trigger!  He slides the pistol back in the holster.  Deacon walks out into the big room.  Greg helps Jeff put on the other holster, telling him that it also is ready.  Giving him a full visual of how it works.  Deacon walks back into the kitchen, and hands Jeff the shot gun.  Greg informs them that it is time to go. 

"Picking up his .45 pistol" #zombie

The knocking at his door wakes Deacon up.  He had not slept that long in several days, he is a little disoriented.  He answers the door still rubbing his eyes.    

“It’s time to get this show on the road!”  Greg tells him before he gets the door open all the way.  

The lights are on, so he knows Dave is already awake.  Deacon takes some clothes out of one of the duffle bags, and walks out of his room to the shower.  He meets Alicia in the hall on her way to Jaimie’s room.  She approaches him, and looks into his eyes and pleads with him to make sure that nothing happens to Jeff.  He can see the tears beginning to form in her eyes and tries to reassure her that he will take care of him.  Once satisfied she allows him to continues to the shower room.  In the shower, he stands still, letting the water hit him directly in the face.  He is mentally attempting to prepare himself for what is about to come.  Deacon knows that if they are leaving the island they are only asking for trouble, but there is not another option.

After showering he returns to his room, and slides his shoulder holster on.  Picking up his .45 pistol, he pulls the action back to put a round in the chamber before taking the magazine out of the pistol to top off the ammunition in it.  He pops the magazine back in the gun, and slides the pistol in the holster.  Next, he picks up his AR leaning against the wall.  Dropping the magazine out, he tops that one off too.  After reinserting it back into the rifle, he takes the other two magazines out of the rifle case laying on the floor.  After he checks to make sure they are full, he drops them in the cargo pocket on his pants.  He takes a quick glance around the room to make sure he did not forget anything.  As he shoulders the rifle sling, he walks out of the room ensuring to turn off the light and quietly closes the door to not wake anyone.  Upstairs in the cafeteria which is now their kitchen, he finds Jeff, Lana, Greg and Dave are sitting at the table eating breakfast and drinking their coffee.  He takes a plate and a coffee mug out of one of the cupboards.  Filling his plate and mug, he carries it over to the table, and sits down to eat.  From the table they see the elevator door open and Jamie steps out pulling her hair back into a pony tail with her girls and Alicia right behind her.  Greg advises her to get some food.  She informs them as she holds her stomach that she has a nervous stomach and she cannot eat anything.  She begins to get the girls something to eat.  Alicia can see the anticipation is weighing on her and asks her to sit down, assuring her that she will get the girls’ food.  Deacon finishes up, hurrying to gulp down the last of his coffee.  Rising from the table, he tells everybody that he will be right back. 

The end of chapter six #zombie

“I always have time for you and the girls, have a seat.” 

He sits up patting the bed for her to sit down.  She sits down and begins to explain that she is a little scared for tomorrow.  He asks her what she is scared of, knowing what the answer is, but listening for her explanation anyway.  She proceeds to tell him that she is scared that she is going to leave her girls’ orphans, as they have already lost their father.  He can hear her crying at the foot of his bed, and leans over to hold her.  He assures her that everything will be fine, and promises that they will not let anything happen to her.  He does, however, tell her that if she does not want to go, he will not make her go. 

“Your girls will be safe with Alicia and Lana.”  

She gives him a big hug, thanking him.  She stands back up.  Deacon walks her back to her room.  She gives him another hug.  Peering into her room he sees the two little girls fast asleep.  She goes into her room shutting her door behind her.  Deacon turns around and returns to his own room.

"Shoot them in the head" #zombies

The group listens intently as Dave gives them more directions. 

Nobody dares to question him as the tactical aspect has turned out to be Dave’s specialty.  Dave then tells them that is all he has, the rest of it is up to them and their guts.  Deacon stands up and tells them it is time to get some sleep, as they have an early morning coming. 

All agree and head off to their separate rooms to get some sleep.

On the way down the elevator Dave asks Deacon, “Have you had to shoot any of these damn things?”   

Deacon proceeds to tell him about what had happened at the beer plant, at Greg and Lana's and also at Jaimie's. 

He then informs Dave, “In order to put them on the ground you have to shoot them in the head.  Otherwise they just keep coming.” 

Then Deacon finishes by stating that he had to learn this the hard way.  Dave tells him he will keep that in mind.  Arriving at the main floor, Dave goes to the panel turning the key, shutting down the power.  He checks the front door making sure it is locked.  He tells Deacon that he will see him in the morning. 

The emergency lights guide the way for Deacon as he takes the stairs to the basement.  He opens the door to his room, goes in and lays down on his makeshift bed.  As he lays there, thoughts of tomorrow’s mission flood his mind.  Interrupting his thoughts, he hears a knock at his door. 

“Come in,” he announces 

As the door opens he hears a voice, “Deacon, it’s me Jaimie.” 

She steps just inside the door. All he can see is her silhouette from the emergency lights in the hallway.  She asks him if he has a minute. 

"You will be just wasting valuable time if you do.” #zombie

Jaimie asks what time they will be leaving in the morning.  Deacon tells her that they should be on the road, or close to leaving at sunrise.  She stands up telling her girls, that all three of them should go to bed.  Alicia assures Jaimie that she will go down to Jamie and the girls’ room in the morning to watch the girls.  Alicia walks out with Jaimie and the girls, and the four of them head off to bed.

Getting to the meat of their planning, Dave looks at Jeff and asks him how familiar he is with guns.  Jeff tells him the only experience he has had, is the walk through with Deacon and when he shot the walker at Jamie’s with the shot gun.  Dave then turns to Greg and asks the same question.  Greg answers, that Deacon and he have been hunting and shooting since they were old enough to carry a gun.  Dave explains to them that when they get to the house, Deacon and Jeff should take up positions on the front corners of the house.

“That way you both can keep a lookout on two different sides of the house, but stay low.  Greg you go in with Jaimie, leading.  After the house is secure go to the door.  Jeff you go in and help Jaimie pack and get her things out.  Greg you will take up Jeff’s position and watch for walkers with Deacon. If the surroundings become hostile, get Jeff and Jaimie out of the house before it gets too bad. Don’t start shooting unless you have too.  You will just draw unwanted attention.  Moving on, when you guys go on these runs, don’t grab anything that will spoil too soon.  You will be just wasting valuable time if you do.” 

"Please," #zombie

As they eat, Deacon reveals to everybody that he is going to do some scavenging the next day.  Greg clarifies that he and Jeff will go with him.  Deacon asks Jamie if she wants to come along, and they will take her back to her house to gather more of her and the girl’s things. 

Her girls begin to plead with her to go, "Please," they ask, as they begin asking for certain toys. 

Jaimie gives in, agreeing to go only if Alicia and Lana agree to keep to keep the girls with them.  Lana eagerly agrees.  After dinner, Greg asks Dave if it would be ok if they set up their scavenging run planning in the observation room.

“That is probably the best place for it,” Dave answers them. 

They find a folding table, and Jeff sets it up in the observation room.  Greg retrieves the maps from Deacons truck, taking them upstairs.  He unfolds them on the table.  Everyone joins them in the room.  Alicia, Jamie and Lana teach the girls card games, while the others begin to plan the next day’s events.  Dave suggests to them that they should start at Jaimie’s, then work their way around the block.  Greg adds that they should try and find some spray paint, so that they can mark the houses they have checked. 

Dave smiles, “In the storage closet downstairs, there are a couple boxes of spray paint.” 

Lana stands up at the other table, informing them that she is ready for bed. 

Agreeing with Lana, Jaimie tells her daughters, “That sounds like a good idea.” 

Her daughters begin to whine about going to bed as they begin to yawn.  Lana then asks Greg if he is ready for bed.  Greg tells her that he is going to stay up for a little while longer to get a lot of the details figured out.  They kiss each other as she leaves to go down the hall to their room. 

“We will start tomorrow" #zombie

Greg tells him that he was in construction, operating heavy equipment.  Dave tells him that will be useful, as there is a grader, a loader and an excavator on the island.   Deacon then asks how much diesel fuel there is for the generator. 

“Enough to last a couple of weeks." 

Dave suggests that they could however start scavenging out of Deacon’s truck with his trailer for now.  All three of them agree. 

“We will start tomorrow.  Besides, I left my fishing gear at my house,” Deacon says.   

All three of them go downstairs to rejoin the others. Deacon picks up a few boxes, and takes them upstairs to the observation room.  As Deacon returns, Dave asks him what was in the boxes that he took upstairs.  Deacon tells him that it is bullet reloading equipment.  Impressed, Dave comments that they have thought of almost everything.  Everyone works on getting settled into their rooms.  Deacon’s room is across the hall from Jaimie’s and the girls’ in the basement.  Dave is staying on the main floor and the two couples are on the third floor.  After unpacking in their rooms, they all rejoin each other on the main floor.  They begin to make dinner in the cafeteria. 

Deacon leaves the group and walks out the front door.  Sitting down on the steps, he watches as the sun sets behind the mountain on the island.  Dave wheels himself out, asking Deacon what he is thinking about.  Deacon tells him that is just nice to be able to watch the sun set without having to watch his back.  Dave canters that this is the case for now, but he is worried one day the problem will find its way to them.  Deacon then promises him that they will figure it out when the day comes.  Just then Alicia, walks out asking if Dave and Deacon are ok.  They assure her that they are.  She then, hesitantly, tells them that dinner is ready.  Following her back inside, the small group takes a seat at the table, and begin dishing up their food. 

“What about you, what did you do?” #zombies

Greg rubs Lana’s back, telling them that they will be eating well.  Dave turns to Deacon telling him that he should take one of the bigger rooms, Greg and Lana also.  Deacon replies that he appreciates it, but Jeff and Alicia should take one of the bigger rooms.  He will take one of the smaller rooms in the basement. Dave smiles and nods.  Deacon asks Dave and Greg if he and can talk to them.  Greg looks at Lana and asks if she would mind having everybody bring in the remaining supplies.  Lana agrees and leads the group back downstairs. 

The three men go into the observation room.  Greg and Deacon grab two chairs, pulling them out from the table.  Dave rolls over to them, and asks what the problem is.  Greg looks confused.

“Nothing, but I was thinking of acquiring a couple of semis and using them for scavenging.  What do you two think?” 

Dave tells him that it is a good idea.  He then suggests that each semi should probably have two, fast, scout cars for protection and guidance. 

“We don’t have enough people for that, and me being in this chair does you no good.” 

“You can take a sniper position from here, keeping an eye on things why we are gone.  We know that you can shoot.” 

All three of them laugh. 

“Can either of you even drive a semi?”  Dave asks looking skeptical. 

Deacon nods his head and explains that he was a truck driver for the local beer company. 

“What about you, what did you do?”

“This is home now.” #zombie

Dave explains, “The visitor center is self-sustainable.  It has a big generator, along with solar panels on the roof.  They run everything.  Then, there is the water system.  We get our water from the lake and the system filters it.  The waste water goes in to a septic system.” 

“Nice,” Deacon and Greg exclaim simultaneously.

Dave leads them down one of the halls to an elevator.  They all go in as Dave pushes the B on the panel.  Instantly, Deacon realize that there are actually three floors in the large building, instead of the two they could see from the exterior.  The hidden one being the basement, which is what the B represented on the panel in the elevator.  Showing the group the string of offices Dave explains that if they clean out all of the office furniture, they could use them as bedrooms.  Jeff comments that this place is bigger than he had thought.  They walk through the halls opening up all the doors, to take in their new residence.  At the end of the hall stand two doors.  One with a lady painted on it and the other with a man.  Alicia and Lana ask if they are the bathrooms. 

“Sort of, they are shower rooms,” Dave answers.

They peek inside and Dave tells them that they have all of the amenities of home.  

Greg puts his hand on Dave’s shoulder, “This is home now.” 

Dave leads them back to the elevator.  They go to the main floor, where they had entered through the big entry room.  There a dozen, or so offices, two big conference rooms, and a cafeteria with a large dining area. 

            Finally the top floor containing three larger office like rooms, a small kitchenette, and a large observation room that leads out to an observation deck.  Both of which overlook the island. Lana asks what kinds of animals live on the island.

“There are deer, a pretty good size herd of buffalo, antelope, and elk.  Not to mention all the fish you could eat and the island has the most beautiful birds.  There are ducks, geese, pheasants and several different kinds of grouse.”  Dave answers. 

“What is that” #zombies

Everyone and everything is loaded up in the vehicles.   Deacon watches his house get smaller and smaller in the side mirrors as they drive out of town.  Unknown to everyone, the same reservations are being discussed in both vehicles.  They question Greg and Deacon about whether or not they will be safe on the island.  Both Greg and Deacon describe to them what they know about the Island, or at least what Dave had disclosed so far. 

At the toll booth Greg has Jeff hold the gate up as both vehicles pull through.  He then walks back to Greg’s car and gets in next to Alicia, and they continue their drive.  As they get closer to the island, Deacon hears the “Wows” from the little girls in the back seat.

“It is absolutely beautiful.  I haven’t been here since I was a kid, and had forgotten what it was like,” Jaimie exclaims.

Both vehicles pull up to the front of the building. Climbing out of their vehicles still in awe, they begin filling their arms with either boxes or bags as they walk towards the door. 

Dave opens the door and wheels backwards out of the way. 

"You guys can just drop your stuff here, and I’ll give you the grand tour of the place," Dave tells them smiling, as he tries to lighten the mood.  

He wheels over to a panel on the wall, and opens it.  He reaches inside and turns a key.  

“What is that,” Greg asks, just as the lights in the building begin turning on.

"Why do I need this?" #zombie

Greg shrugs his shoulders as they arrive at the gate.  He gets out, cautiously looks around, and lifts the gate so that Deacon can pull the truck through.  Rejoining Deacon in the truck, Greg tells Deacon that there should be plenty of animals on the island to hunt.

As they pull back into Deacon’s driveway, Greg asks, “Why don’t you hook up to the trailer, and I will go get everybody.”

Deacon has Greg pull his car out first, getting it out of the way for a quicker retreat.  Deacon hooks up to the trailer and then goes in to start packing his belongings.  When he gets inside he finds that Lana and Jaimie had packed for him.  The next hour is spent filling the trailer and the bed of Deacon’s truck up.  Deacon turns to Jaimie and the girls asking them if they would like to ride with him.  He then has Jeff and Alicia ride with Greg and Lana in their car.  Deacon goes into the living room to get his calendar, on the end table next to where he had been sleeping the night before.  He picks it up off the table, and stands looking at it.  

He mutters to himself, "Why do I need this?  It isn’t going to bring her back.  All it is going to do is make me miss her that much more."  

Setting it back down on the table, he turns to walk out.  He sees Lana standing in the entryway.  He asks her how long she has been standing there. 

Lana tells him quietly, but tenderly, “Long enough, but you know this doesn’t mean you have to let her go.”

Deacon gives her a big hug, “let’s go.”

“We should be back in about two hours” #zombies

He pulls out the cooler from the backseat of the truck and heads back in.  He returns to the two men, where Greg explains to Deacon that Dave had told him that he was an Army Ranger and that he been shot in Iraq, during the Gulf War.

“That is how I ended up in this chair,” Dave adds as he pats the arm rests on the wheelchair.  

“Well, that explains the dead on shooting,” Deacon says jokingly. 

Deacon then inquires about how Dave ended up out on the island. 

“I was the park manager out here, and I was already out here when everything went to shit on the main land.  It was then that I decided I was better off to stay out here.”    

Greg, anxious to reunite with his wife, asks Dave if he minds if Deacon and he go and get the rest of their group they had left behind. 

Dave tells them, “The sooner the better, before things get any worse on the main land.”

“We should be back in about two hours,” Greg states. 

Deacon, already getting up, shakes Dave’s hand and thanks him, again.  Dave assures them that he will be waiting. 

In the truck, Greg goes on about how perfect the island is.

“It has everything.  Water, it’s safe, and good positioning.  What more could we ask for?”

Deacon breaks in and asks, “What about food?” 

“This place has everything we need” #zombie

Deacon shakes his hand, thanks him, and moves back through the big room and out the door.  He walks to the parking lot and starts waving his hands for Greg to drive down to him.

He hears his truck start up and it starts moving towards him.  He sits down on the curb and waits for Greg to get there with the truck.  Greg pulls up and starts to get out when Deacon approaches the door and tells him just to turn the truck off and come inside with him.  Greg shuts the truck off and follows Deacon inside.

As Greg enters the building, he sees a man in a wheelchair holding a rifle. Deacon introduces them to each other.  Dave apologizes for shooting at them.  Greg assures him he understands, but that he scared the hell out of him.  Deacon asks Dave if he is hungry and explains that Greg's wife, Lana, packed a lunch for them and he was more than willing to share.  With gratitude, Dave tells them that he would love something to eat. 

He points at the empty candy machine with the front glass broke out, “That is all I have had to eat for the last three days, I was trying to conserve the food here.” 

Deacon leaves them to go retrieve the lunch from the truck.  He pauses on the way out to the truck to observe the surroundings.  

“This place has everything we need,” he says out loud, knowing full well that there is not a soul around. 

“What you are looking for?” #zombie

The hallway it is dark, even when he squints he cannot make out the faintest sign of anyone. 

“What you are looking for?”  The voice asks. 

Deacon explains that they mean no harm, and that they are looking for a safe place for them to stay

“One other man, three women and two children,” he clarifies.

A clean cut man in a wheel chair rolls forward holding a rifle.  The man looks as if he was in the military, neatly dressed, strong upper body and direct.  Deacon introduces himself. 

“The man at the truck is Greg.” 

The man replying to Deacon, introduces himself as Dave.  He looks Deacon over,

“I’m all alone here.  If you guys don’t mind my company, you can bring your people here.”  

Deacon then asks Dave if the island is safe.  

Dave smirks a little, seeing Deacon’s seriousness replies, “Yes there is no one here but me.”   

Deacon sits down for a moment and looks out of the windows. He then asks Dave why he decided to let his small group stay with him.

Dave explains, “If you were looking for trouble you would have not come out here, and you sure as hell wouldn’t have put your pistols on the hood of your truck.  Unless you were desperate.  Why don’t you go get your friend and come back?”

"STOP THERE!" #zombies

Deacon cuts him off, "We need a safer place.  If things go well, it will be worth it.  Besides if this guy wanted us dead he could have shot us why we were driving.  You need to put the spare tire on while I’m gone, so if you need to leave you can.  I’ll be back, don’t worry." 

Deacon starts walking towards the visitor center.  As he gets closer he can see that it is a very large building.  The top floor facing the rest of the island is mostly windows with a big observation deck off to the one side.  He keeps looking at the windows, searching for any sign of movement.  He finds none just as when they were driving.  Looking back he sees that Greg is changing the tire as instructed.   Deacon has made it half way to the visitor center.

            Finally reaching the parking lot, Deacon hears what sounds like a door open. Up the stairs, he makes his way to the main entrance.  The door is propped open.  He walks in to find it opens up into a large room with pictures of different interest points around the island.  He looks at the pictures, all the while staying alert.  He passes a hallway when he hears a voice.

"STOP THERE!"

"The sound of a gunshot ringing in their ears" #zombie

Coming up on the toll booth at the beginning of the causeway, neither man sees an attendant or anybody else for that matter.  Greg gets out cautiously.  He holds the gate open as Deacon pulls the truck through.  Closing the gate,

Greg returns to the truck, and comments on how eerie the drive is, “There just isn’t anybody around.” 

Deacon agrees.  They come to the marina where the road splits off in two different directions.  Deacon asks Greg which way to go as the truck comes to a stop.  

Greg looks at the map, his finger traces the road they were are on before directing Deacon, “Right!” 

Deacon turns right and drives a little further.  They fallow the road around a hill and catch a glimpse of the visitor center roughly one thousand yards away, nestled in the surrounding cliffs.  Deacon stops the truck and both of them get out with their rifles.  They use the rifle scopes to get a better view of the building, there is no sign of life anywhere.  It is a newer, modern building.  They make out at least two floors.   A large parking lot lies in front and wraps around the side of the building. 

“Look it even has solar panels on the roof,” Deacon exclaims, excited about the possibilities. 

They get back in the truck, and drive towards the visitor center.  All the while watching the building.  All of a sudden, one of the front tires is blown out, with the sound of a gunshot ringing in their ears.  The truck jerks to the right.  Deacon brings it to a stop and starts to cuss as they hurry to get out of the truck, and take cover behind the truck.  From a megaphone they here a voice instruct them to drop their weapons on the hood of the truck if they are friendly, or they will be shot.  Deacon stands up and un-holsters his pistol and sets it on the hood of his truck.  He looks at Greg and instructs him to stay there, and if anything happens to him he needs to go back and take care of everyone else.  Greg begins to argue.

"They embark on their adventure"

Deacon agrees.  They come to the marina By the time Greg gets out, everybody is awake. Lana walks up to Deacon, she hands him a small cooler.  She tells Deacon that she packed them a lunch and that they had better be back by dinner time.  She gives Greg a kiss and then takes a step back.  Looking him straight in the eyes with a worried look on her face, she tells them both to be careful and to make sure they both come back safe.  Both Greg and Deacon reiterates that they will be fine. 

            Greg straps on one of the pistols and grabs a 7mm rifle and instructs everybody to stay inside.  Everybody nods in agreement. 

Greg looks at Deacon who is strapping on his pistol and tells him, “Let’s go.”

Deacon grabs his AR and walks out the door.  Greg follows him.  Both of them get in the truck, as they embark on their adventure.  The island is about a half hour drive away. 

On the drive out Greg is quiet, Deacon glances over at Greg, “What’s the matter with you?” 

Greg stays quiet for a moment before he lets out a little sigh, “Nothing.” 

 “I’ve known you my whole life, it has got to be something,” Deacon abruptly states.

Greg begins to explain that he is afraid of what they will find, and that he is scared that they will not be able to provide for everybody.  Deacon agrees with Greg’s fears but tries to reassure him by reminding him that they are the only chance of survival for these people.  If anybody can do it, they can. 

“I guess we had better get this show on the road.” #zombies

Early the next morning Deacon wakes up to thoughts of the island swirling in his mind.  He goes out to the garage and starts rummaging through things.  Greg joins him after about a half hour, he looks half asleep.

“What is with the racket?”  Greg asks rubbing his eyes.   

Deacon tells him that he is packing some supplies for the day.  Checking to make sure that flash lights work, he then puts them in a duffle bag.  He wonders around gathering tools and other items that he finds, putting everything in bags.  Deacon pulls on a pair of boots, and then takes the bags out to the truck.  As he comes back into the house, he goes to his bedroom, and knocks on what used to be his bedroom door.  Jaimie invites him to come in.  He opens the door, peeking his head in.  Jamie and the girls are still in bed.  He quietly informs Jamie that he needs to grab some clothes.  Deacon is careful not to disturb the sleeping girls, creeps over to his closet to retrieve what he had come there for.  He then slinks back out the door, shutting it softly.  He goes to the spare bathroom, and showers.  He then goes to the kitchen to get something to eat.  Just as Greg passes him carrying clothes heading toward the spare bathroom.  

As Greg passes Deacon he tells him, “I guess we had better get this show on the road.”