We ran hard along the catwalk which was for the time being clear and unobstructed. Still it felt like ages to circle around to the far side where the elevator was miraculously waiting for us, door open and just sitting there on our level. We rushed in and moved to the back of the car. Steinberg then bent down to the floor and removed something from the door. As he stuffed the item in his back pocket, I saw that it was a screwdriver. Somehow he (or someone else) had managed to stop the elevator and propped the door open. As the doors closed we heard someone screaming at us.
Through the wire grate I saw a couple running on the catwalk towards us. Both were waving and yelling for us to wait. By the time they got to us, the elevator was already on the move upwards. They yelled curses at us and screamed for us to come back down. I turned to Maggie and James and saw that they stood huddled together in one corner of the elevator, stroking each other in an effort to comfort each other's pain. I turned back to Steinberg who was looking up through the bars of the moving car, indifferent to the shouts and screams of people banging on the outer doors as we approached each level. My stomach twisted in a knot of jumbled emotions.
Anger was the dominate one but it was a mixed type of anger. Mad because we couldn't afford to stop and take on more passengers, mad that the possibility that the folks begging us to ride with us would've probably ignored us as well, mad that we were in this fix to begin with, mad that we lost Frank, mad that I had to be the one to put him out of his misery, mad that our whole world had been turned upside down because some group of morons thought about upgrading a virus in some laboratory and then being stupid enough to let it get away from them. I also had a sense of fear gnawing at me, but it was nameless and I couldn't quite pin it down, except for whenever I looked at Steinberg. I was also elated that we had a chance to get out of this hell-hole. Finally, I recognized a feeling of despair that perhaps no place would be safe. Yet part of me remembered the flash-drive and notebook Frank gave me just before the alarms went off. I made a mental note to try and find a working laptop or computer and try to see what was on the flash-drive.
The elevator jerked to a sudden stop between floors. Steinberg cursed and jabbed the operating buttons angrily in an effort to make the elevator resume it's ascent. He took a step back and tried to peer upwards through the gaps in the metal grate and framework. I looked up from where I was and could see that the outer door on the level above us was opened and someone was waving down at us.
“Shut the damn door! Shut it! Shut it!” Steinberg roared up at them. “Dammit that's an order!”
A moment later we heard the sound of metal on metal as the person above closed the outer door and finally the car began to move upwards again. It stopped on the next level, when Steinberg opened the door we faced not one but three people armed with automatic weapons pointing at us.
One of them yelled at us to get out of the elevator. Steinberg didn't drop his weapon but stepped out and moved to one side. “C'mon,” he yelled to us, “get out, let them have it.” One of the armed men was yelling for us to drop our weapons. Sorry buddy but that isn't an option, I thought to myself as I stepped out and moved back away from the elevator. They made the mistake of not checking if the car was clear and moved in with Maggie and James still inside. They were all cut down by James' shot gun and Maggie's pistol. They were blown back out on to the catwalk. Steinberg quickly stepped to the bodies and picked up one of the automatic rifles and handed it to me, then grabbed another and bent down to move the feet of one of the dead men out of the door frame. Quickly he stepped inside and waited for me to step in and shut the doors. As we rose upwards to the next level, I noticed that none of the three had been shot in the head. But there was too much obstruction and already they were out of sight as we approached the upper-most level where the elevator stopped. Steinberg yanked open the inner door and turned to us.
“We still got three floors to climb, the elevator doesn't go any farther up” he paused long enough to open the outer door, “if we're lucky we can have enough time to put some distance between us and the base, we've got...” he was interrupted by a loud voice that boomed down the shaft. “Attention! Attention! All personnel must evacuate. Core reactor at critical overload. Security procedure Alpha-Omega 271 in effect. There are now 20 minutes to core shut down.” Steinberg cursed and began running down the catwalk, “The computer is shutting the reactor down! When it does that, the core implodes and the base will be destroyed. C'mon! We gotta hurry!” he yelled over his shoulder, carrying the automatic rifle. I grabbed Maggie and James and pushed them in front of me to get them moving.
Maggie seemed to be snapping out of her grief and was holding her pistol in both hands ready to fire, James was already alert and looking for something to shoot at. That fire was back in his eyes, but there was no time to even consider it. Steinberg reached the ladder on the exterior of the catwalks first and without waiting, shouldered the auto and grabbed the railing and swung himself over and up. He began climbing at a rapid pace. We caught up and mounted the ladder and began our ascent. From my estimate we had at least 50 feet to climb straight up. It may not sound very far but when you're carrying full packs and weapons in your hands, it isn't easy. Maggie at least was able to holster her sidearm and have both hands for grabbing the rungs. James and I had to struggle using our fingers of the hand that was holding the rifle and shotgun to hold on to the rung as our free hand reached up for the next one. Clumsy but it worked. Above us we heard a scream and I looked up in time to see someone falling. I hugged the ladder as the body went past and looked up again. Above us there began sporadic gunfire and screams of the living as growls and screeching from the zombies that were attacking them. “Where the hell did they come from?!” Maggie yelled. Nobody had any answers.
Something wet splattered on my shoulder and I saw that it was a blackened liquid that was rotted blood. The grating of the catwalk allowed the blood of the dead and dying to rain down upon us and anyone else on the level below. Screams and gunfire mixed in with the still blaring klaxon horn of the alarm. All of it punctuated by the computer counting down. “There are now 16 minutes to core shut-down.”
Two more bodies fell off the catwalk above us, one human and the other a zombie that was still clinging to them. I watched in morbid fascination as the two tumbled and struck one of the railings of the lower catwalks, separating them to fall separately. Both hit the hedgehog and the results were messy. I was glad that I watched because it brought my attention to the hedgehog far down below us. Before, when Maggie and I saw it, was a lifeless piece of ominous machinery. Now I could see lights turning on and though it was hard to tell from my angle and perspective, that the long pipes sticking out of the domed back were expanding.
I turned my head up to where Steinberg was still climbing. “Steinberg!” I screamed as loud as I could and it got his attention. He stopped climbing and looked down. I pointed down with the automatic rifle while hanging on to a rung with my free hand. “The hedgehog! It's in operation!” Even from here I could see Steinberg's eyes widen in sudden fear. “We need to move! Now!” he yelled back and resumed climbing. Maggie was close on his heels and climbing as fast as she could behind him. James seem to pause now and again to find his grip with the shotgun still in his right hand. He suddenly lost it and it fell down. He yelled out a warning to me and I was able to dodge just enough to prevent it from hitting me full on, but I still caught some of the stock with my ear as it tumbled past me.
I nearly dropped my own rifle as everything suddenly swooned and became distorted. All the sounds were drowned out by a loud persistent ringing in my ear. I held on tightly because it was the only thing I could remember to do and waited for the spinning in my head to stop. Finally it began clearing and I shook my head. I could feel wetness trickling down my neck from my ear where the gun stock struck hard. I ignored the pain and resumed climbing. Looking up at James, threatened to send my head spinning again but he paused long enough to see that I was still climbing and resumed his own hurried ascent.
I concentrated best as I could on stepping up and reaching up to grab rungs as fast as I could, keeping my head tilted up just enough to see the next rung that I needed to grab. I felt my strength failing and my head threatened once more to spin me into a whirlpool of dizziness that would take me of this ladder and send me down to the hedgehog below. Around us was a madness of noise and movement and gunfire filling the shaft with flying lead and the acrid smoke of spent gunpowder. The noise combined with the blaring buzz of the alarm, the computer countdown, screams of the terrified and dying and even the yells of those fighting, all that, mixed with the screeches and roars of the zombies as they seemingly poured out of everywhere and nowhere from within the complex in groups of twos and threes.
People were running, either to escape or to help others with battling zombies, either with gunfire or bravely, (and stupidly, ultimately, futile) hand to hand. It was fierce as people fought for their lives. It was also ultimately futile, far too many bullets were being wasted on center-mass, bullets passing through already dead bodies with little or no effect. Only too late were they learning that head-shots were putting the zombies down. Wasted shots required reloading, and in that the walking dead had their advantages, as one by one they overwhelmed the defenders. It was the beginning all over again, only except via the news channels, that early morning, long ago, on the security guard's television, how the military, police and national guardsmen were over-run I was watching it in real life.
My mind spun at not only the pain of my head, but at the thought that what seemed to be an entire herd had infiltrated the once secure facility. How could they? Living soldiers could not have made it through. I looked up sharply at a scream as a woman on a level above us, was being torn apart and being eaten alive as she stood, pressed against the railing of the catwalk. I saw one of the zombies and recognized them from one of the laboratory ones. The woman I also recognized as I climbed higher and was able to see her face more clearly. She was one of the researchers that had experimented on them. But how did they get loose. Soon the woman stopped screaming and her legs finally gave way as she collapsed under several zombies still tearing and biting into her. I didn't stop climbing though I couldn't take my eyes off the gristly scene now below me.
Moments later I felt hands grabbing at me and nearly panicked until I saw it was James and Maggie trying to help me off the ladder. I had reached the top most level without realizing it. Both were standing on the highest level catwalk where the ladder ended. James grabbed the automatic rifle out of my hand and shouldered it then reached for me. Finally my feet were on level steel grating. I wanted to sit down and take a quick breather, but Maggie moved me along putting my left arm over her shoulder and using her right to grab my pack behind me.
When my head cleared enough to where I could now look up without getting dizzy, I searched for Steinberg. I found him climbing like mad to where the next ladder that leads up to the outer door controls which would open the giant hatch to the surface. Movement above him showed that there was someone else already ahead of him. Steinberg was shouting incoherently at the person above him. With all the noise and confusion I couldn't make out anything they were saying. Maggie grabbed my face and gave me a quick kiss and I felt her push a gun into my hand. She turned and kept watch facing down one path of the catwalk while James automatically took the other direction. He was already firing at zombies on the catwalks below us. Watching for a moment I could see that he was targeting those that were chasing after live humans. James' eyes were alight with the spectacle of a live video game going on before him and he was actually in it. It would've been futile to try and convince him to conserve his ammo. Maggie reserved her own ammunition for any threats on our level. I turned and looked back up again.
It was a confusing mess of ladders, stairs and metal grates topped off by a large round cap of the outer hatch, that reminded me of photos, I've seen years ago, of missile hatches found on submarines or underground launchers. It was big, but only half the diameter of the entire shaft below us. I shouted at Maggie that I was going to climb up and she turned to give me a thumbs up that she heard and acknowledged my plan. I snugged down the straps on my pack that had worked loose during my climb and tried to ignore the throbbing at my ear where the gun hit it. I began climbing up the ladder, shouting at Steinberg to get his attention.
He ignored me and nearly reached the person, who I could now see was one of Steinberg's men. He was punching his finger at a keypad excitedly and my guess was the guy was so scared that he was getting the code wrong and was trying repeatedly. Steinberg was roughly 10 feet under him and still shouting while climbing, I was still two levels beneath him, but gaining on him. Ultimately both of us were too late.
Over the din of the screams of the terrified and dying, gunfire, alarms and the computer counting off the minutes came a siren so loud that I winced as my injured ear's pain level increased. There was a low rumbling noise above us and I could see the hatch moving slowly. Steinberg was screaming angrily as his security bolted for the ladder which lead to the outside. The hatch was already opened wide enough for a man to squeeze through by the time the guard reached the top-most rung. Steinberg had raced around the catwalk and placed his hand on one of the rungs when the guy above him looked up and out of the gap created by the opening and screamed. I could see him reaching for his own side-arm, but it appeared his fingers were fumbling with the safety strap. I moved around and saw the reason for his terror.
The surface was crawling with zombies and several had gathered at the ever-widening gap, some getting low on their bellies and worked their way fearlessly into the pit. Others had grabbed at the screaming guy on the ladder and literally yanked him up and he disappeared. I raced around to Steinberg who had turned and headed back to the keypad and met him half way. “Move, we got to close the hatch and arm the defenses. That idiot did it backwards.” He pushed me roughly out of his way and reached the keypad in three steps. Quickly he punched out a code and I stared up watching as the hatch stopped rising and began lowering back down.
Several zombies had already fallen in, some crushing their skulls as they landed head-first and others crawling where they landed on the catwalk with broken legs. I began firing at the ones closest to us. Steinberg fingers flew over the keypad and that ear-piercing alarm rang out once more. We turned to see the hatchway closing. The result was enough to churn my stomach as zombies were still trying to work their way inside the now narrowing gap. Hands, arms were amputated as the gap closed on them, skulls crushed, squirting their brain matter across the underside of the hatchway and causing a vicious rain of fluids. Still more were cut in half in various places depending upon how far they got their upper bodies in the shaft. The halves fell on to the catwalk below. Some crushing their skulls like before and others gnashing and crawling best as they could towards Steinberg and myself.
I knew that I was running out of ammo and tried to make my shots count as Steinberg worked. “John!” I heard a voice call out. It was Maggie, I looked down between the grate of the catwalk, saw her and James running along towards the stairs that lead up to where we stood. James had abandoned his rifle and was using an automatic pistol. Maggie reached the stair and was jamming another magazine into her own sidearm as she ran. Neat trick, I caught myself thinking. I turned to Steinberg. “How long before we can re-open the hatchway?”
“About 30 seconds after the surface defenses are activated and then they shut down again.” He turned to me with a grin, “there aren't going to be many of them left, I can promise you.” I nodded “alright then what?”
“We get to the surface, Ellis and I have an APC parked about 50 meters from the hatchway, it's covered in camo-netting. We get in that and then haul ass on out of here before the reactor blows.”
Above us we could hear muffled gunfire and explosions, “The defenses are working” Steinberg said, his voice tinged with relief. Maggie and James reached us and stood waiting for our next move. The mutilated zombies were still working their way around the catwalk towards us, but their progress was slow and encumbered by having to crawl over the bodies of the ones we had put down. This made them easy targets for our last remaining rounds.
Far below us the alarms, screams and gunfire was suddenly silenced by a huge noise. The catwalk upon which we stood actually shook. The noticeable difference afterwards was the reduction of volume in the screams and gunfire. We looked to Steinberg for an answer. He nodded , “The hedgehog just went off. We got less than ten minutes.” He turned back to the keypad and began punching numbers again. I went to the edge of the catwalk and leaned over the railing to try and see below us. There was very little movement and even that was obscured by clouds of dust. My eyes scanned best as they could through the haze of dust and smoke. I could see along one side of the shaft, a row of rods sticking out of the rock, a couple of those rods had either dead people or live zombies pinned or both.
Maggie's gun went off twice beside me and it brought me back to the immediate present. She put down two more of the crawling zombies, each of them sporting a nice hole between their eyes. They were awfully close. There were a few more still working their way from the far side of the circular shaft where we were. “There, that should do it!” Steinberg called out. He stood waiting, watching the upper hatchway. We all had our faces up and watched, except for James who was busy reloading what I presumed to be his last clip. For a long moment nothing happened at the hatchway. Suddenly James shouted out and pointed behind Steinberg. We turned and incredibly a panel opened in the rock wall next to the keypad. It was a monitor of sorts. A second later the face of the General appeared. A recording no doubt.
“All access to the exterior are now closed. The base will self-destruct in t-minus 9 minutes and 45 seconds.” Steinberg put his face close to the monitor and screamed. “Bob! Override the locking mechanism for the exterior hatch, security code Yellow-blue eleven!” The face of the general flickered for a moment, then spoke, “Security code invalid. The integrity of the base has been compromised. My programming has deemed that it is best for the base to remain sealed and all possible contaminants be neutralized to prevent further infection.” Steinberg gaped at the screen. I shoved him out of the way. “Bob, Maggie and James are up here with us, please let them out.” The face shook it's head and gave a sad smile. “I'm sorry Mr. Handle, that time has passed, my programming cannot be over-ridden. It was necessary to allow the contamination to occur to facilitate the rebuilding of our nation.”
HUH? What did he just say? “Repeat that last, what do you mean necessary to allow contamination? You mean you let the zombies in?”
The face nodded. “Yes, once the outer perimeter was compromised, my logic circuits calculated that the base had a 22.56% chance of survival and containment. The odds of survival were too small to allow further contamination. All door and hatchways were released to bring in as much of the herd as possible for maximum destruction. Estimated size of the invasion now inside the base is 1723 individuals. The destruction of the base will include those inside and a majority of the remaining herd population outside. All base personnel have been deemed expendable for reasons of national security.”
Seventeen hundred of those things? Where the hell did they come from? How did ... suddenly my mind froze on a single thought and I knew the answer. That bastard. Somehow he managed to lure as many of those things to the base and somehow he managed to sabotage the outer defenses so that the herd would be able to enter without much resistance.
Since the storms from previously had taken out the air patrols the herd was able to approach and enter the base unhindered. I turned to find Steinberg and he was a few feet away from us standing at another panel which was opened and his hands working frantically inside. I stepped over to him and saw he was tugging at a polished steel handle of sorts. “He saw me out of the corner of his eyes and grunted, “Help me, this is...ugh, the manual release for the hatch. Hurry!” Without arguing I reached in best as I could and pulled in the direction he was tugging. It felt like forever but finally the handle jerked in our hands and slid out. “Turn it counter-clockwise” he panted. My position made it awkward and I did the best as I could. Finally our combined efforts managed to turn the handle in the desired direction and it dropped back down into place.
Above us the hatch opened again, no alarms no noise, just a ever widening crescent of light. A growl at our feet pulled our attention away from the hatch. A zombie that was cut in half at the chest along a diagonal, his innards trailing behind him, reached for us with one arm, the other missing at the shoulder joint. Steinberg kicked at it and managed to flip it over. We could see that it once wore the uniform of one of the pilots of the helicopters that patrolled the base. Our friend had been busy indeed.
I pointed my pistol at the skull and pulled the trigger. There was a click. Empty. Steinberg pulled his own sidearm and blew the back of the skull out with a single shot. “C'mon we've got to go.” holstering his gun and making a run for the ladder which lead to the outside. I turned to see Maggie and James were moving up to us and then I chased after Steinberg.
We caught up with him as he began climbing, seemingly not waiting for us. Honestly I couldn't blame him. “There are now 5 minutes and 30 seconds to self-destruct.” the general's voice informed us on the loudspeakers below us. Steinberg reached the top most rung and paused long enough to pull his sidearm and hold it in one hand as he slowly peered over the top rim. His feet moved and he was out in seconds. I was right behind him and when my head cleared the rim I saw the carnage that the outer-defenses had created.
There were bodies everywhere, some still moving but harmless in that the destruction of limbs prevented them from being a threat to anyone. I paused at the rim long enough to give Maggie a hand up as she still wore that heavy pack, she in turn waited for James. I scouted quickly and found a M-16 lying close by. I bent to pick it up and it fell apart in my hands. I dropped the remaining pieces and scouted for Steinberg. He was running like mad towards what looked like a large clump of bushes. I sprinted for him.
When I reached him he was already pulling at the branches and little by little revealing the six wheeled, APC underneath. His camouflage was a mix of branches and netting. Maggie had reached us and had shucked her pack off her shoulders, letting it fall to the ground and was pulling at the camouflage. James arrived and I saw that he also dropped his pack and was searching the ground before bending to pick up yet another discarded weapon. He checked the loads and then dropped to one knee, putting the rifle to his shoulder and began covering us. He fired, once and a zombie on the far side of the opened hatch dropped to the ground. There were several more beginning to get up from where they fell after being mowed down by the outer-defenses, and from the woods around us were more coming out of the tree line. James was trying to pick off as many as he could.
Maggie had found the side door and slid it open, jumped in before all the camo was removed. Steinberg shouted at James, forgetting the boy was deaf. The APC's engine turned over and came to life with a low rumble. I removed my own pack and tossed it inside the open door of the APC and turned to go after James but saw that Steinberg had beaten me to him. He grabbed the boy by the shoulder and pulled at him. James turned and nearly blew the man's head off before recognizing him. James got to his feet and ran in front of Steinberg, picking up Maggie's pack along the way. I got in and stood by the door ready to slam it shut as soon as the two were inside.
The zombies from the trees were nearly upon us as James jumped inside the APC. Steinberg paused for a moment and was about to step in, until James shouted and pointed outside the door. The man turned and saw James pack was on the ground. He spun and took a few steps to retrieve the pack. I shouted for him to leave it but he had already picked it up off the ground and was reaching for the handle of the door to pull himself in. He tossed the boy's pack inside the APC and shouted to Maggie, “lets go!”
There was a muffled gunshot, suddenly he froze, his mouth dropped open and eyes grew wide in shock as part of his vest jerked away from his chest and a hole appeared where his heart would be. There was a small pinging noise behind me. I realized that it was the bullet that hit Steinberg's heart bouncing off the interior of the APC. I reached for him but two zombies appeared behind him and yanked at him, pulling him backwards and to the ground, they fell upon him joined by several others. I shoved at the door and heard another gunshot followed by a loud ringing and a bright flash in front of my eyes as pain tore through my head once more.
I recall my body hitting the floor of the vehicle and Maggie screaming my name, something moved above me and there was the faint sound of metal on metal as I faded out before the world went dark.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Epilogue - Revised
When I came to, the first thing I noticed was how soft everything was around me. Slowly as my head cleared, my awareness sharpened. The softness was a combination of a inflatable sleeping pad under my body and a pillow under my throbbing skull. I blinked and my vision became more acute. It was still dimly lit and I could make out someone sitting on a bench above me. I could hear a low-toned buzzing noise that I ascertained were the wheels of the APC on the road. Above that I heard James calling to his mother, “Mom, he waking up.”
James got up off the bench and knelt down beside me. He gently raised my head, causing me to gasp in pain but I forgot about it when I felt the metal rim of a cool canteen against my lips. I opened my mouth and cool water refreshed my parched tongue and throat as I swallowed. I wanted more but, the canteen was lifted away before I could. “Take this” James said, holding a large white pill in front of my eyes, “for th pain” and placed the pill against my lips until I opened them again. He lifted the canteen from the floor and gently poured a little more water in my mouth so I could swallow. Gingerly he lowered my head back to the pillow.
I could feel the APC slowing down and finally rolling to a stop. Movement behind me, then Maggie's face in my field of view. She looked haggard and tired, her hair a mess in spite of the pony tail which held back most of it behind her. She gave a small smile and touched my head softly. I realized then she was checking the tightness of the bandage she had put on me. Our eyes locked when she looked at me again. Hers were red rimmed but a light within said that she was happy.
“You've been out for about two hours now.” answering my unasked question. “The bullet grazed your skull, so there's no permanent damage.” Her voice steady and calm. I gathered my elbows underneath me and raised my head. Her strong hands on my shoulders gently held me down. “Relax for a bit, we're alright and in no,” a thoughtful pause, “immediate danger.”
I wanted to shake my head to clear my thoughts which were becoming muddled again but realized that wouldn't be such a great idea. There was a throbbing at my left temple that I wished would stop and the rest of my head felt like it was held lightly in a vise. I swallowed and realized that I was still thirsty. “Can I have a bit more water please?”
Maggie smiled and reached for the canteen. She looked at James who sat back on the bench. His face tired and his eyes had that lost look of a survivor. She gave me a few sips, holding my head the same way James did before setting it back down. She screwed the lid back on the canteen and set it down. I saw her hands move and could make out a couple of signs that I had learned during our stay at Wildfire, “lie, sleep, ok” with a few signs in between that I didn't know. Not that it mattered anyway at the moment. He had a look of protest at first then just nodded, and moved to the back of the APC.
Maggie and I turned our attention back to each other. This time I managed to get up on my elbows, before she could push me back down again and I reached behind me to bring the pillow closer to me so I'd have something soft to lean on. I swallowed and asked for more water. Maggie handed the canteen after opening it and then sat down on the floor beside me, watching me as I drank. Our eyes never left each other.
When I finished drinking, I set the canteen down and began, “So, what happened? The short version. I know that I got shot, Steinberg is dead and I'm guessing our friend the sniper is responsible for that. Beyond that...” I trailed off leaving it open for her to fill in the blanks.
She closed her eyes for a moment then opened them. There was a haunted quality about them that I didn't like but I kept my mouth shut. This woman was a combat veteran and had seen stuff I couldn't possibly imagine. Our little escape adventure definitely took a toll upon her. But I felt confident that she would bounce back in time. There was a toughness that I appreciated about her. Underlying that was the softness that cushioned the harshness of all the reality that assailed her senses.
“Well, like I said, the bullet grazed your skull, lucky you, that you were closing the door just as the sniper fired and the bullet hit the edge of the metal and that prevented you from being killed. James pulled you the rest of the way in as I took off. I had to run down a couple of fences and a group of zombies ...” she swallowed, “I didn't dare stop, even for the other survivors that somehow made it to the surface.” She shook her head roughly then resumed, “got back on the main road and pushed this thing as hard as I could. Just then the sniper called on the radio. I don't know how he knew the frequency, unless he snuck in here and set it one night. The guy was very good, getting in the base and back out without anyone seeing him. He was laughing and he thought he had killed you.”
She reached across me and lifted the canteen out of my hand and took a small sip. I noted a slight tremble in her hand but otherwise she was okay. “He was laughing and laughing at us, saying how he was going to hunt us down one by one. Just then the base blew up, I heard him scream before the radio went dead.
“The whole thing went up like a road-side bomb, a huge uplifting of dirt, the concussion nearly knocked us off the road, but I managed. James did the preliminary first aid on you. We drove for about an hour before I felt safe enough from whatever fall out there might be. I don't think that there'll be much considering the main reactor was 8 stories underground and the facility collapsed in on itself. So there'll be a big sink hole that probably won't be safe to hang around for a few years. Considering the location, and how few people there are, I don't think anyone is going to die of radiation poisoning anytime soon...” she trailed off.
“What is it?” I asked gently seeing that there was something disturbing her. She shrugged and looked down at the floor. “Just thinking about the others and wondering how many people managed to get out before it blew up, or are we the only survivors. There so few of us out there now.” She wiped her hands on her pants leg before continuing. “Anyway, I found a spot to pull off and took care of that” pointing to the bandage on my head. “I was so scared that we lost you, I don't know if I ... if I could've ...” her voice broke and she sounded choked up. Oh boy. I reached out and took her hand. “Hey,” I said softly. “It's going to take a helluva lot more than a knock on the head to put me down. I'm not ready to die just yet. Maybe when I'm old and grey, I'll think about it. But,” I stressed, squeezing her hand, “I do think I want to have you with me when the time comes.” I caught her eyes as she looked up at me. “I mean that, really.” I said with all the sincerity I could feel. I'd never thought I would feel this way towards someone and it felt good.
She stared at me for a long moment and bent down and kissed me lightly on the lips. Then sat up, gave a deep sigh. “Well, you rest now, we better keep moving for a while until I can find us a place to pull over for the night. We can sleep in here. Nothing can get at us if the doors are locked and the windows are shut tight.” She raised her hand above her head and stood up slowly to prevent herself from knocking her head on the roof. I watched her by carefully turning my head, as she got in the driver's seat and turned over the engine. She put it in gear and the vehicle moved slowly, the sound of the tires crushing gravel underneath made it's way to my ears until they met pavement.
Carefully I rolled over until I could get myself to a kneeling position. My head spun a little but cleared quickly. I reached out to find hand-holds, which were plenty on either side of me and raised myself up to move to the front. I was just beginning to swoon as I reached the backrest of the passenger seat and steadied myself. Maggie slapped the steering wheel in vexation with both hands, “Will you go back and lie your ass down, you shouldn't be up. You got a nasty concussion and you'll make yourself sick!”
I gingerly moved myself into the passenger seat. “Screw that” I muttered as I buckled myself in. “I wanna ride up with you.” She sighed and shook her head, “Idiot” she muttered just loud enough for me to hear. I saw she had a grin so I knew she didn't mean it.
I reached out and grabbed her right hand and pulled it to me. “So, where are we headed?” I asked. She was quiet for a long moment and I thought she wasn't going to answer at first, then I saw she swallowed hard, “W-where-ever my father told you to lead us.”
That brought a lump in my throat. Frank. A man I'll probably never know the likes of again. He trusted me with his family and after such a short time. I hope that he read me well enough and I hoped that he was right. I promised myself to make sure I wouldn't let him down. I found myself missing him.
“Dammit!” Maggie cursed and yanked her hand out of mine to grab the steering wheel as she swerved to avoid a lone zombie in our lane. It passed on my side and I could see from my window the snarl on it's face as it reached for the APC. Soon it was in the rear view mirror shambling after us and getting smaller by the second.
“Just walked right out into the road.” she muttered, shaking her head as she steered the truck back into our lane. With no other cars to worry about she could've kept us in the middle of the road but I guess old habits die hard. “We're going to have to start treating them like we did the wolves, bears, mountain lions, way back when the pioneers were moving out west into the wilderness trying to tame the land.” She seemed to be talking more to herself than to me. “America is going to have to start over, my father told me. That the sins of the leaders will be cleansed through the rebirth of it's people and the rebuilding of our country. Just as every other country will have to do in their own way, and at their own personal costs. He said that the living and the dying had only just begun.” I watched her as she quoted her father, and could see him in her profile a little. Frank always told me that Maggie took after her mother but I could see bits of him in her face if I looked at it long enough. A single tear coursed down her cheek as she drove on.
I sat back and thought about what Frank had told her. Thought about the information that he gave me. I could sense that he was entrusting me with something valuable. I could only guess that he originally wanted to lead us all to this place. I would have to find a working lap-top to access the USB flash-drive and then use a map to figure out the coordinates in the note-book that was still in my thigh pocket of my BDU's. But for now I just wanted to rest and I made myself as comfortable as my head would allow.
Ahead of us and to our left the sun was low on the horizon, giving us at least a few more hours of daylight. The pain pill James gave me began to give my head a nice buzz. I reached out and took Maggie's hand once more and gave it a squeeze. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to drift off to sleep.
End Volume 1.
James got up off the bench and knelt down beside me. He gently raised my head, causing me to gasp in pain but I forgot about it when I felt the metal rim of a cool canteen against my lips. I opened my mouth and cool water refreshed my parched tongue and throat as I swallowed. I wanted more but, the canteen was lifted away before I could. “Take this” James said, holding a large white pill in front of my eyes, “for th pain” and placed the pill against my lips until I opened them again. He lifted the canteen from the floor and gently poured a little more water in my mouth so I could swallow. Gingerly he lowered my head back to the pillow.
I could feel the APC slowing down and finally rolling to a stop. Movement behind me, then Maggie's face in my field of view. She looked haggard and tired, her hair a mess in spite of the pony tail which held back most of it behind her. She gave a small smile and touched my head softly. I realized then she was checking the tightness of the bandage she had put on me. Our eyes locked when she looked at me again. Hers were red rimmed but a light within said that she was happy.
“You've been out for about two hours now.” answering my unasked question. “The bullet grazed your skull, so there's no permanent damage.” Her voice steady and calm. I gathered my elbows underneath me and raised my head. Her strong hands on my shoulders gently held me down. “Relax for a bit, we're alright and in no,” a thoughtful pause, “immediate danger.”
I wanted to shake my head to clear my thoughts which were becoming muddled again but realized that wouldn't be such a great idea. There was a throbbing at my left temple that I wished would stop and the rest of my head felt like it was held lightly in a vise. I swallowed and realized that I was still thirsty. “Can I have a bit more water please?”
Maggie smiled and reached for the canteen. She looked at James who sat back on the bench. His face tired and his eyes had that lost look of a survivor. She gave me a few sips, holding my head the same way James did before setting it back down. She screwed the lid back on the canteen and set it down. I saw her hands move and could make out a couple of signs that I had learned during our stay at Wildfire, “lie, sleep, ok” with a few signs in between that I didn't know. Not that it mattered anyway at the moment. He had a look of protest at first then just nodded, and moved to the back of the APC.
Maggie and I turned our attention back to each other. This time I managed to get up on my elbows, before she could push me back down again and I reached behind me to bring the pillow closer to me so I'd have something soft to lean on. I swallowed and asked for more water. Maggie handed the canteen after opening it and then sat down on the floor beside me, watching me as I drank. Our eyes never left each other.
When I finished drinking, I set the canteen down and began, “So, what happened? The short version. I know that I got shot, Steinberg is dead and I'm guessing our friend the sniper is responsible for that. Beyond that...” I trailed off leaving it open for her to fill in the blanks.
She closed her eyes for a moment then opened them. There was a haunted quality about them that I didn't like but I kept my mouth shut. This woman was a combat veteran and had seen stuff I couldn't possibly imagine. Our little escape adventure definitely took a toll upon her. But I felt confident that she would bounce back in time. There was a toughness that I appreciated about her. Underlying that was the softness that cushioned the harshness of all the reality that assailed her senses.
“Well, like I said, the bullet grazed your skull, lucky you, that you were closing the door just as the sniper fired and the bullet hit the edge of the metal and that prevented you from being killed. James pulled you the rest of the way in as I took off. I had to run down a couple of fences and a group of zombies ...” she swallowed, “I didn't dare stop, even for the other survivors that somehow made it to the surface.” She shook her head roughly then resumed, “got back on the main road and pushed this thing as hard as I could. Just then the sniper called on the radio. I don't know how he knew the frequency, unless he snuck in here and set it one night. The guy was very good, getting in the base and back out without anyone seeing him. He was laughing and he thought he had killed you.”
She reached across me and lifted the canteen out of my hand and took a small sip. I noted a slight tremble in her hand but otherwise she was okay. “He was laughing and laughing at us, saying how he was going to hunt us down one by one. Just then the base blew up, I heard him scream before the radio went dead.
“The whole thing went up like a road-side bomb, a huge uplifting of dirt, the concussion nearly knocked us off the road, but I managed. James did the preliminary first aid on you. We drove for about an hour before I felt safe enough from whatever fall out there might be. I don't think that there'll be much considering the main reactor was 8 stories underground and the facility collapsed in on itself. So there'll be a big sink hole that probably won't be safe to hang around for a few years. Considering the location, and how few people there are, I don't think anyone is going to die of radiation poisoning anytime soon...” she trailed off.
“What is it?” I asked gently seeing that there was something disturbing her. She shrugged and looked down at the floor. “Just thinking about the others and wondering how many people managed to get out before it blew up, or are we the only survivors. There so few of us out there now.” She wiped her hands on her pants leg before continuing. “Anyway, I found a spot to pull off and took care of that” pointing to the bandage on my head. “I was so scared that we lost you, I don't know if I ... if I could've ...” her voice broke and she sounded choked up. Oh boy. I reached out and took her hand. “Hey,” I said softly. “It's going to take a helluva lot more than a knock on the head to put me down. I'm not ready to die just yet. Maybe when I'm old and grey, I'll think about it. But,” I stressed, squeezing her hand, “I do think I want to have you with me when the time comes.” I caught her eyes as she looked up at me. “I mean that, really.” I said with all the sincerity I could feel. I'd never thought I would feel this way towards someone and it felt good.
She stared at me for a long moment and bent down and kissed me lightly on the lips. Then sat up, gave a deep sigh. “Well, you rest now, we better keep moving for a while until I can find us a place to pull over for the night. We can sleep in here. Nothing can get at us if the doors are locked and the windows are shut tight.” She raised her hand above her head and stood up slowly to prevent herself from knocking her head on the roof. I watched her by carefully turning my head, as she got in the driver's seat and turned over the engine. She put it in gear and the vehicle moved slowly, the sound of the tires crushing gravel underneath made it's way to my ears until they met pavement.
Carefully I rolled over until I could get myself to a kneeling position. My head spun a little but cleared quickly. I reached out to find hand-holds, which were plenty on either side of me and raised myself up to move to the front. I was just beginning to swoon as I reached the backrest of the passenger seat and steadied myself. Maggie slapped the steering wheel in vexation with both hands, “Will you go back and lie your ass down, you shouldn't be up. You got a nasty concussion and you'll make yourself sick!”
I gingerly moved myself into the passenger seat. “Screw that” I muttered as I buckled myself in. “I wanna ride up with you.” She sighed and shook her head, “Idiot” she muttered just loud enough for me to hear. I saw she had a grin so I knew she didn't mean it.
I reached out and grabbed her right hand and pulled it to me. “So, where are we headed?” I asked. She was quiet for a long moment and I thought she wasn't going to answer at first, then I saw she swallowed hard, “W-where-ever my father told you to lead us.”
That brought a lump in my throat. Frank. A man I'll probably never know the likes of again. He trusted me with his family and after such a short time. I hope that he read me well enough and I hoped that he was right. I promised myself to make sure I wouldn't let him down. I found myself missing him.
“Dammit!” Maggie cursed and yanked her hand out of mine to grab the steering wheel as she swerved to avoid a lone zombie in our lane. It passed on my side and I could see from my window the snarl on it's face as it reached for the APC. Soon it was in the rear view mirror shambling after us and getting smaller by the second.
“Just walked right out into the road.” she muttered, shaking her head as she steered the truck back into our lane. With no other cars to worry about she could've kept us in the middle of the road but I guess old habits die hard. “We're going to have to start treating them like we did the wolves, bears, mountain lions, way back when the pioneers were moving out west into the wilderness trying to tame the land.” She seemed to be talking more to herself than to me. “America is going to have to start over, my father told me. That the sins of the leaders will be cleansed through the rebirth of it's people and the rebuilding of our country. Just as every other country will have to do in their own way, and at their own personal costs. He said that the living and the dying had only just begun.” I watched her as she quoted her father, and could see him in her profile a little. Frank always told me that Maggie took after her mother but I could see bits of him in her face if I looked at it long enough. A single tear coursed down her cheek as she drove on.
I sat back and thought about what Frank had told her. Thought about the information that he gave me. I could sense that he was entrusting me with something valuable. I could only guess that he originally wanted to lead us all to this place. I would have to find a working lap-top to access the USB flash-drive and then use a map to figure out the coordinates in the note-book that was still in my thigh pocket of my BDU's. But for now I just wanted to rest and I made myself as comfortable as my head would allow.
Ahead of us and to our left the sun was low on the horizon, giving us at least a few more hours of daylight. The pain pill James gave me began to give my head a nice buzz. I reached out and took Maggie's hand once more and gave it a squeeze. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to drift off to sleep.
End Volume 1.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Readers Reviews/Comments On “Caught In A Bind”
(note: DC or Dead Cave is my pseudonym for when I wrote this novel and posted individual chapters on a discussion forum based on the tv show The Walking Dead)
Chapter 1.
Posted 25 October 2011 - 01:55 AM
Great start for our new fan-fiction forum. More to come from this story line I hope.
Posted 26 October 2011 - 01:57 PM
Awesome start DC....keep em coming!!!!
Posted 26 October 2011 - 03:28 PM
Excellent. I like how you gave us enough detail so the story and character make sense but didn't get bogged down before we got a little action. Looks like our hero is in a bit of a pickle! I'm off to part 2!
Posted 29 October 2011 - 10:37 AM
Very nice, DC. Your story reminds a bit of a story I read many moons ago entitled A Boy and his Dog.
Posted 05 December 2011 - 11:25 AM
I want MORE !!!
+1
Very nice work Dead Cave !!
Posted 08 December 2011 - 12:17 AM
I was here. Will spend time tonight reading. Reading is cool.
Posted 10 December 2011 - 11:34 PM
Very good DC.
I have been reading z fiction recently and your work stands up well with published stories... what I have read so far, is as good as a lot of the stories I have paid for.
Posted 15 December 2011 - 10:29 AM
I just discovered this very cool!
Posted 19 April 2012 - 03:40 PM
Dead Cave - I'm finally taking the time to check out your story. Enjoyed this first part.
Chapter 2
Posted 26 October 2011 - 03:25 PM
Love it. Had me on the edge of my seat. Maybe because I have worked on stripped screws before and I know what a hassle they can be. Good idea to whip out the pliers!
I like how the situation seems to get better, then gets worse. He makes it to the ladder, but whoops it's padlocked. Ok, the walkers can't reach the ladder..here comes tall boy! That's fine writing. Building suspense while at the same time keeping it real. And I like the main character's attitude.
More?
Chapter 3
Posted 27 October 2011 - 06:48 AM
I understand it takes time to write quality stories and you are just doing this for entertainment purposes...but don't leave us hanging on the roof.....LOL. Keep em coming!!
Posted 27 October 2011 - 04:14 PM
I hear ya Florida Walker. I felt like it was ME up on that ladder with a buncha dead heads nippin' at my heels! 'ol DeadCave really takes you there. And then leaves you on a roof! Surrounded by zombies! Not cool! Not cool!
Posted 27 October 2011 - 06:40 PM
DeadCave there are several places online that accept horror/zombie stories from freelance artists. I encourage you to look into it. Ya gotta start some where.
I don't see the katana as a stretch. I would have guessed you've had training based on how the character was using it. In other words no "So I swung my katana and chopped off 6 walkers heads in one stroke. Then I lit up a lucky. Ah, that mellow flavor". In Dead World everyone should have a melee weapon of some type. A person with zero training would probably be better off with a machete or a hatchet. But a katana isn't outrageous. Very possible.
Yeah I'm identifying with the character. I like the fact that he has no name. Well, not yet anyway. By not giving him a name it makes it that much easier for the reader to relate to the character. It's a nice technique. We may (or may not) find out his name later but by that time we've already "bonded" with the character if you will.
Posted 28 October 2011 - 06:03 AM
I also like that fact that you have gone out on your own and not followed the Rick/Shane/Lori et al....story. This is a different survivor with his own experiences.
I have read others fan fiction that was based on the GN. Yours is truly original.
Posted 01 December 2011 - 10:28 PM
Delicious! Consumed everything like a hungry walker!
Posted 05 December 2011 - 11:55 AM
very well done Dead Cave.
I really love reading part 2.
Special compliment for the details (loved the people dying in a tree story)
Posted 27 October 2011 - 06:44 PM
Uh oh! Who is this person? Friend? Foe? Big Boobed Blonde who didn't make it into Part 2? Stay tuned true believers! Same DeadCave Time. Same DeadCave Channel!!!!
Smashing a walker with an AC unit! Zombie kill of the week right there! LOL!
Not gonna say any more. You're gonna get a swelled head.
Posted 27 October 2011 - 07:37 PM
The golden shower was awesome. And very shall we say unusual. But c'mon a falling AC unit? That's too cool for the room.
Posted 28 October 2011 - 07:06 AM
The golden shower brings this into the realm of GN....where you could get away with so much more. Maybe next you could work on some zombie porn......LOL
Posted 28 October 2011 - 04:59 PM
Stay away from the movie Dead Girl. You wouldn't like it
But yeah zombie lovin' is probably a tad strong for around these parts. I respect your decision to just stick with pee. You are a gentleman and a scholar.
Hey, whose leg you gotta bite to get a Part 4 around here????
Posted 29 November 2011 - 11:40 PM
I think this is nice. You have talent. Keep writing!
Posted 01 December 2011 - 10:39 PM
Really nice writing. I was convinced and absorbed. I particularly liked the cut away where your principle compares sleeping on the roof to sleeping in a semi.
Posted 05 December 2011 - 12:13 PM
The golden shower was a very original approach and it works perfectly well.
Again, nice work
Posted 20 January 2012 - 11:37 PM
That's karma. Bring back that stinky urine walker.
Boss was here, had to stop for a little, but back for more.
Posted 19 April 2012 - 06:27 PM
Thumbs up!! Good read, so far!
Chapter 4
Posted 29 October 2011 - 05:17 PM
Adding a deaf character to the mix adds all sorts of possibilities.
I'm also digging how the characters only use their weapons when absolutely necessary. While a Tallahassee type character is exciting to watch in reality someone like that probably wouldn't be around too long once the dead started getting all uncool and heavy. Stealth is more likely to aid in survival rather than brute force.
And could a romance be building? Boom chica wow wow!
Posted 02 December 2011 - 05:42 AM
At the risk of sounding sycophantic - you have quite a talent and I'm eager to read more. I remember you mentioned you read Steven King's - The Stand as much as I do. Any chance you were subconsciously influenced by "Nick" with your choice to include a deaf character? Haha! At least you were not as Cruel as King was when he put Nick with Tom Cullen who can't read or sign!
Posted 21 January 2012 - 12:36 AM
Love the reading.
Is the answer most all convenience stores have newspaper stands inside their stores? And the windshield wiper stands, you wont find them in a convenience store?
Chapter 5
Posted 31 October 2011 - 01:36 PM
Awesome story!!! Keeps me reading everyday! Please keep it going!
Posted 06 December 2011 - 01:49 PM
I'll vote AAA
Posted 19 December 2011 - 04:02 PM
Wasn't sure what a Guilly suit was. Good flow to the story.
also in the line
"I didn't get the impression that she didn't trust her son but as the adage goes, two are always better than one."
is there something missing? reads funny to me.
Chapter 6
Posted 03 November 2011 - 07:20 AM
Another good read DC....I read this at work and I got another of my co-workers into your story.......you are getting a following...LOL
Posted 21 January 2012 - 01:50 AM
Super read, on to part 7.
Chapter 7
Posted 03 November 2011 - 05:59 PM
DeadCave, good writing, have been enjoying reading your stories. Hope you keep them coming. Good job.
Posted 03 November 2011 - 07:29 PM
We got names and some back story. I figured she was military.
I like how you're handling the deaf son. My sister is a special education teacher. Put simply she works with deaf children who are intellectually challenged. She also teaches sign language to the parents of deaf children. She signs like a maniac, exactly how you are describing it. I also caught that was the correct sign for "Thank you". My sister has taught me the basics. I don't sign fluently but I can get by. Especially since much of it is facial expression and abbreviated terms.
Posted 04 November 2011 - 06:59 AM
You can't go "balls to the wall" in every post....there has to be some down time to keep it real.
I believe in the GN they talked about the cold weather slowing the geeks down. I haven't read where any weather killed them or any amount of time decomposed them. But it is your story and as a writer you can take it in any direction you like.
Posted 04 November 2011 - 04:09 PM
Usually I would be whining about the lack of zombies. But this is such a good read I almost don't miss them. Almost
Posted 02 December 2011 - 02:05 PM
Really nice chapter. When I first started reading I found myself asking why you'd write first person with John's character but it's really making sense now. I there might be some layers to that onion that will be fun to peel.
Chapter 8
Posted 07 November 2011 - 05:43 PM
I like all the details but I gotta admit I'm looking forward to Tarzan leaving the tree
Chapter 9
Posted 08 November 2011 - 08:32 AM
DC...the book comes out when???? Another good read. Maybe a little too technical for the non-military readers, but you explain it well. I look forward to a daily read. *****Warning******* spoil us with daily writing and we will begin to expect more...LOL
Posted 08 November 2011 - 04:56 PM
I'll add that I enjoy reading your work DC. I will keep reading as long as you keep writing.
Posted 08 November 2011 - 05:00 PM
I remember watching King Kong as a kid. There's this big moment when the gates open and Kong is revealed for the first time. As you hear him pounding through the woods you get that feeling in your stomach. That feeling of the shit is about to get real.
“Somewhere out there a herd was headed our way.”
That line gave me that feeling. Bravo, DC. Bravo.
I'm following the tech stuff ok. I'm not a military person but I've read/watched enough violent movies that I have some idea what you're talking about. Although, like you, I had no idea what a M-86 was. Insidious little device isn't it?
This was a very exciting read. I can't wait to see what they get up to next.
And folks who are reading this don't be afraid to pipe up. DC is laying it all on the line here. If you're shy even a simple "Nice job" will do. And if you don't like it and feel the need to critique I'm sure DC would appreciate that as well as long as it's done in a rational, intelligent manner. "This sucks, dude" will be quickly deleted and I will release George on you
Posted 10 November 2011 - 03:17 PM
Awesome DC!! I check for new writing everyday! Can't wait to see how it goes down, keep up the great work buddy!
Posted 10 November 2011 - 08:04 PM
DC as i have stated before in some of the other Caught In a Bind story lines, Good Read keep up the good work.
Posted 28 November 2011 - 04:36 AM
Interesting story I'm going to go start from the beginning.
Posted 02 December 2011 - 02:43 PM
Thank you DC. You're very industrious and your characters are pitched very nicely. You make me want to know what they are going to do and say next. Like your 'voice' too, very easy to read. Some stuff I had to look up - M-86 had me vexed and ATV didn't Anglicise too well, we say quad bike or quad. No harm done though, still enjoyed the escape.
Posted 19 April 2012 - 09:38 PM
Wow, great job, DC! I don't mind the technical stuff - you explain it well.
BTW, I liked the 'getting to know you' quieter chapters, as well. I really enjoyed getting to know a bit about the characters, and liked that we had to wait until it was natural to learn about out protagonist. Since it's written from his POV, I think it could have come across as egotistical, to listen to him spout off about himself too much. Plus, it made us want it more.
Good stuff.
Chapter 10
Posted 15 November 2011 - 07:03 AM
Come on peeps no replies??? We need to encourage DC is we want more, and I certainly want more!!! Keep up the great work DC!!!! Awesome read as always!!!!
Posted 15 November 2011 - 08:45 AM
I like the addition of this Col guy. I'm wondering where we go from here.
Know what we need though? That's right
I know..I know...be patient....fiddlesticks.
Posted 17 November 2011 - 09:58 AM
caught in A bind is a success! carry on man! I'm addicted.
Posted 17 November 2011 - 01:12 PM
Enjoying the story DeadCave. Thanks for sharing.
Posted 02 December 2011 - 03:14 PM
Good going DC. I'm still reading and still interested to learn more of your tale.
Posted 02 December 2011 - 11:06 PM
I'm hooked.
It's a fun read and I care about the characters.
John's voice is distinct and informal in a way that I think blends well with the setting and circumstances of his life.
You've done very well I think.
If you keep writing I'll keep reading.
Chapter 11
Posted 20 April 2012, 08:26 AM
I found myself getting chills when I read this little bit:
Presumably this man was her husband, long dead, killed somewhere outside of Baghdad a long time ago. In all of those pictures Maggie was the picture of happiness. I wondered for a moment when was the last time she was that happy. Probably like everyone else left alive on the planet, before the outbreak of the dead. Frank's voice calling to me from the kitchen broke me out of my musing and I stepped on out of the bedroom to have lunch.
It's the second time that has happened, so far. You are doing a good job of bringing some emotion into it that feels real. I'm enjoying John's musings, and I like how they are short and not drawn out, since it seems there wouldn't always be much time for contemplation, and even more, one wouldn't always want to let their mind wander into the past and think too much about the way things were. I like it.
Chapter 12
Posted 18 November 2011 - 08:36 PM
DeadCave, i have read all 12 kudos to you keep up the good writing. Have really enjoyed them all and look forward to each addition to your series.
Posted 27 March 2012 - 02:15 AM
Awesome read,
Chapter 13
Posted 03 January 2012 - 01:56 PM
I nodded to my reflection in the mirror, staying with this woman and her son was a good idea after all. Little did I know, how so little did I know.
this line is ominous...
Posted 20 April 2012, 03:12 PM
Anyway, I'm certain that I got tingly, choked up, etc. at all the right moments. Very well done!
Chapter 14
Posted 20 November 2011 - 08:17 AM
I think I wet my knickers
Posted 21 November 2011 - 08:41 AM
DC,
Best chapter yet!!! The action was fierce but not overdone. I felt as if I was in the middle of all the excitement. Awesome read!!!!
Posted 21 November 2011 - 06:43 PM
This is probably my second favorite chapter. I think my favorite was the one where John was hanging from that freakin' ladder with the zombies clutching at him from down below and he's using that little tool to try to open the hatch and more zombies keep comin' in and this one time at band camp....
Ok so I rambled. I love that chapter.
Posted 21 November 2011 - 07:04 PM
DC, great action, great read
Chapter 15
Posted 30 November 2011 - 06:47 PM
Hey man, I've been reading this stories for long before joining (I'm new today!!!!!) and i have to say I am hooked.... Great job!!! keep em coming.
Posted 03 December 2011 - 10:34 AM
Something has to keep you coming back, and money probably isn't (ultimately) what it should be.
I'm not going to lie DC, you've got a kind of Bohemian mythos working right now - Starving artist, struggling to be discovered.
If you do find happiness in a new job... keep it to yourself.
Build the legend.
Chapter 16
Posted 03 January 2012 - 03:07 PM
liked the action in this chapter.
Chapter 17
Posted 01 December 2011 - 07:23 PM
I'm enjoying your forum novel fwiw. Great work diversion.
Posted 02 December 2011 - 04:19 PM
DC, you post chapter 18 just as soon as you're ready. I'll enjoy reading it. Take your time. You've got me hooked on your story. Nice work.
Posted 03 December 2011 - 12:33 AM
MORE!!!!!!!! I'm hooked
Chapter 18
Posted 03 December 2011 - 11:03 PM
Very nice DC. I did enjoy reading the latest installment. I'm cursing you a little leaving it on a cliffhanger like that - writers prerogative and I'll thank you all the more for the next installment when it comes. I noted the link for the HK416 but ironically I had a pretty good idea what that one was having handled a HK417 (larger caliber & can be drum fed being the only real difference). I liked the way you handled John's surprise at the weapon and Maggie's explanation. Felt very natural to read. Thank you sir!
Posted 04 December 2011 - 03:08 PM
As always DC good read, and a cliff hanger.
Posted 05 December 2011 - 08:06 AM
Another entertaining read DC.......I appreciate the distraction from work.
Chapter 19
Posted 06 December 2011 - 02:03 PM
Another cliff hanger DC.....I'm gonna hunt you down and belly slap you silly........LOL
Posted 06 December 2011 - 05:12 PM
WOW
Posted 06 December 2011 - 08:10 PM
Nicely done sir. Not much time this week for chit-chat but I'd be doing myself a disservice had I of not read this. Thanks again and I note that you have your very own topic. Well deserved!
Posted 06 December 2011 - 08:57 PM
I'm actually a bit surprised by the decisions being made here. Ya always keep me guessing DC. Things are about to get ugly me thinks.
Posted 07 December 2011 - 09:43 AM
Wow, keeps me on edge for sure! As always, awesome reading. Thanks again DC!
Chapter 20
Posted 08 December 2011 - 11:06 AM
You have some great writing skills DC, you should write a book! Your writing keeps me checking here everyday for the next chapter! I'll be looking forward to the next one as always!
Posted 08 December 2011 - 12:35 PM
Lots of action in this one!!! The twist of James going off the deep end is going to be interesting for our hero. Another great read DC....thanks!!!
Posted 08 December 2011 - 09:49 PM
Delightful carnage
Posted 09 December 2011 - 08:53 PM
Really good read! Enjoyed that very much indeed. I thought the action was well paced and the tension between your groups of the living worked well. Will be waiting for the next installment with anticipation.
Chapter 21
Posted 15 December 2011 - 07:41 AM
I hope the Sniper is friendly.
Posted 15 December 2011 - 02:42 PM
Just caught up with this latest installment. As always really have enjoyed reading your latest. I particularly liked the Colonel's (who has become more like Frank to me now). account of how James and Maggie got to him. The sniper is a nice touch, regardless of where this goes it serves to tantalize me as to another thread that could be picked up later, or not....
I think letting Maggie and John simmer on the back burner during this installment was the best way to write it as it not only (as already mentioned) developed John's and Maggie's back story but put some flesh on the bones of the relationship developing between John and Frank. Nice work sir. Keep writing!
Posted 15 December 2011 - 03:52 PM
Agreed. The sniper is a good hook, even if we never hear from him again. I'm left wondering whether he/she will be a ruthless killer, harm the group in some way, or become an asset. The important thing is I'm left wondering.
And John and Maggie, James and Frank, all of their problems are nicely complicated in the face of a greater threat. A constant threat, that they lose sight of sometimes as they struggle through human issues.
Good stuff.
Chapter 22
Posted 16 December 2011 - 09:36 AM
Well done DC, another nice installment to the story. I felt you were tidying up from last time and setting things up for next time. A nice interlude because of the trepidation that John had and his encounter with the former hunter, now walker. Great description of the walker by the way, said enough to be taken in with a glance without labouring it. I felt I could almost hear those jaws still snapping as John settled his weight over the pummel of his blade to drive home the killing blow.
Had a good laugh at "At least I wouldn't come back as a zombie... or a sparkly vampire I chortled to myself" - Very droll! I actually got more of a feeling for John from this touch of humour and his thought process about the painting he'd recalled. Exactly the same thing happens to me!
Keep writing
Pete
Posted 16 December 2011 - 10:32 AM
Just wanted to chime in that I am still enjoying your story. Seeing a new installment posted always brightens my morning.
Posted 16 December 2011 - 08:30 PM
Very good DC, i was waiting to see if some of the Hunters reanimated, and sure enough they did. I remember one of the shotgun guys was shot in the chest and the other in the head. Still waiting to hear more from the sniper, interesting angle that he took out a Z and left the hero alone.
Posted 18 January 2012 - 08:51 AM
Nice. I'm enjoying this segment of the story.
Chapter 23
Posted 18 December 2011 - 07:00 AM
Thanks for another excellent installment to Caught In A Bind. The more you reveal (or hint at) John's past the more I like him. I felt educated and entertained as I now know the ASL sign for "hungry" although I must admit I'd probably 'overcook' the facial expression leaving me, I assume, somewhat comedic looking!
I'm really enjoying your character portrayals, they are not "cookie cutter". All the characters seem effected by the motion of the ocean, if I can put it that way. I don't know if I'm right or not but I felt there was a chunk of self-editorial that went on during this instalment. There was more that you said regarding the "difficult to lie to" section but how you did it worked well enough for me. Succinct and to the point so no complaints, just an observation as I've got used to the usual flow of your style.
Anyway, do keep them coming. My only complaint is that you don't seem to write as fast as I read, hahah!
All the best
Dodger
Posted 19 December 2011 - 11:01 AM
Just got to reading parts 22 & 23......really am enjoying the attention to detail. I find myself being "educated", thinking...."damn, that is a good idea. I would never have thought to act like that in that situation". If a Z-poc ever does happen, I will be safer due to the knowledge you are imparting on me DC....LOL
Posted 22 January 2012 - 07:13 AM
Super read, lovin' it.
Chapter 24
Posted 20 December 2011 - 06:34 PM
As always great read DC. Am anxiously awaiting to see what the note says, and waiting to hear what Frank found in the dead guys wallet. Definitely thought the dead guy was the sniper until the last paragraph.
Posted 20 December 2011 - 07:45 PM
Don't apologies for the length of that installment. Was nice to get my 'teeth' into your story. Typically you raised as many new questions as you answered new ones which I have come to expect from you. I did like how you played with the expectation that your mystery sniper character was dead, killed by Frank and then led gently along to find the note on the wind shield. Marvelous!
I'm getting a real feel and some affection for your principles now, even though it's through John's eyes. John is becoming more and more intriguing, his pack still puzzles me when mentioned and now the reason for not revealing the note compounds my interest in what you've NOT said about him. Imagination going wild here. I know you won't disappoint when you reveal.
Fully expect you to be rather busy over the holiday season so I'll watch for anything you do post but won't expect anything. Everyone needs a little break right?
I've been wondering about climate, season etcetera. I've got an idea of terrain in my head of a wide well made road threading it's way through wide, lightly forested, gently rolling hills. Bet I'm far from the mark but just out of curiosity, how did I do?
Posted 21 December 2011 - 07:38 AM
I loved the misdirection with the visitor/sniper, and the note is killing me. What did he say? Is Maggie Pregnant?!
Excellent read.
Posted 21 December 2011 - 09:04 AM
I'm loving it!!!! So many things going that keeps you wondering! Now he has to worry about being infected along with keeping his group safe. The description of the intruder into the camp was awesome, I swear I could smell that stink breath from here!!! Ha Ha! I love the attention to detail that brings you right into the story! Great reading DC! Merry Christmas!
Posted 21 December 2011 - 09:43 AM
So the redneck's wallet/ID had something in it that was enough to piss Frank off. Could be a military ID? Also I wonder if that note conveyed to John that the sniper was still alive...but how. I guess the sniper is a lone wolf. I know if it was me I would prefer being on my own. Yeah no one to watch my back, but also no one to mess things up. Less supplies needed etc...
Maybe we will all be better prepared for 12/21/12 now...LOL
Posted 22 January 2012 - 06:31 PM
Read this off a print out and loved every part. I also could smell that stink mouth. Great work DeadCave.
Chapter 25
Posted 23 December 2011 - 08:36 AM
Great, not only do our heroes have to worry about the undead, now they have a psycho stalking them. And a trained one at that. Too late for John to do the honorable think and leave to keep the group safe.....remember the best defense is a strong offense. Our group should give crapbag a taste of his own medicine (and make sure he suffers till death)!!!
Posted 23 December 2011 - 03:42 PM
DC, was curious on what the sniper was up to. Just wonder why the sniper didn't take him out when he clearly had the chance to do it and took out the Z instead, I'm sure the sniper did not miss his intended target. I am guessing the psychological aspect of it with the note and too let his victim know he was coming for him. As always great read.
Posted 28 December 2011 - 02:35 PM
Great work DC. As always I enjoyed your latest installment. I don't have a great deal of time to comment but you should know that I'm a very happy reader. I like what you're doing with the story and I feel it's moving at a good pace. You've a rather nice habit if dropping a few more elements into the mix that make me want to read the next installment. Keep writing man! Happy holidays!
Posted 11 May 2012 -07:38 AM
Well, truth is I read the last few chapters back to back because I was so enthralled, was up late reading it, damn you
I guess when I got done with this one I just kind of made the comment that was freshest in my mind because I was tired.
But really, I don't have much criticism, it's really very very good. Seriously, when you get the typos nailed down and the grammar tightened up (not that it's bad, but you know everybody makes a few mistakes here and there), this will read just like any New York Times Best Seller, I'm serious about that. You've got serious talent for story telling and a great sense of proportion with enough detail to paint a vivid picture but enough of the big picture to keep perspective on the overall situation.
I've never seen a star being born right before my eyes, until now.
Chapter 26
Posted 05 January 2012 - 10:10 AM
Nice chapter......you kept us interested without any action. Kudos to you and the story you are creating
Posted 05 January 2012 - 05:36 PM
As always DC two thumbs up. I was starting to have a twinge of withdrawal pains.
Posted 07 January 2012 - 08:00 AM
Great chapter. I was still on the edge of my seat, even though they appear 'safe'. Loving the whole story, completely addicted, can't wait for 27.
Ur the whole reason I became a member to say 'keep up the good work'!
BitBrit.
Posted 18 January 2012 - 10:05 AM
Finally caught up. Now I have to wait... awwww.
Posted 18 January 2012 - 04:16 PM
I read it all last week, and was addicted. Great story, I could picture the action in my mind while reading it.
Chapter 27
Posted 20 January 2012 - 10:45 AM
DC,
Thanks fo r another fine chapter. I was afraid we wouldn't hear from our survivors again. I understand the effort that has to be put into a story like yours and that effort is greatly appreciated.
Posted 20 January 2012 - 04:15 PM
Woohoo! Another installment. Great as always. Nice decon processes too. The attention to detail is really good, very easy to envisage.
Posted 20 January 2012 - 06:05 PM
As always great read DC. Thank you sir.
Chapter 28
Posted 02 February 2012 - 10:27 AM
Yeah this place is a little ominous. When a place is run by a computer it never turns out well.
But it could be a really nice safe haven.
Only thing that I was confused by was the mention of a car. Then I realized you were talking about the elevator.
Posted 02 February 2012 - 07:40 PM
DC , don't know what to say here. You keep looking for criticism on your writing, and i can't really give you any. Your writing is good in my humble opinion. As you know i have read all your writings, and enjoy them. The descriptiveness that you use is outstanding. I can associate with all your main characters. In part 28 just like in all the other parts of your writing, i can actually picture myself there. I felt like i was walking up the corridors with the main characters, getting in and out of the elevators, and sitting in that conference room with them. I could picture the walkers behind the bullet proof glass. I may have seen a spelling error or grammatical error here or there but i was so blown away i don't remember where they were. Keep up the good work DC, IMHO you have a future in writing.
Posted 03 February 2012 - 01:05 PM
Very good DC! You could wrap this all up in a book and sell it! People are looking for these types of stories! Very creative and descriptive, like the Walkin Dude, I feel like I am in the story. Please keep up the great work!
Posted 03 February 2012 - 01:54 PM
Newb here. Just stumbled upon this story and I am blown away. You definitely have me hooked on the story. Now I have to go back and read all the parts. Keep up the great work and I am definitely going to share this site and your story with others.
Peace!
Posted 05 February 2012 - 12:17 AM
well done my friend .. two walker thumbs up .. literally i just cut em off, two different walkers to b precise, and am holding them way up .
Chapter 29
Posted 23 February 2012 - 08:24 AM
Thought I'd chime in again and say I'm still enjoying your story. Kudos for keeping us entertained!
Posted 01 March 2012 - 04:33 AM
This night I was here too. Loved every part. Looking forward to what comes next.
Chapter 30
Posted 04 March 2012 - 07:22 PM
Wow DC Excellent read, had me really going not realizing it was a dream sequence.
Good writing sir.
Posted 05 March 2012 - 03:25 AM
But were they dreams or premonitions?....
Posted 06 March 2012 - 09:12 AM
A dream within a dream within a dream. Some inception sh!t going on there.
Chapter 31
Posted 12 March 2012 - 12:13 PM
DC, Top notch story. I could almost feel myself behind the glass looking at the walkers. Nice plot twists too. Really enjoying your writing.
Posted 14 March 2012 - 06:17 PM
A nice read. Nothing too gory before bed! I'm guessing the calm before the storm....
Posted 14 March 2012 - 07:32 PM
DC as always excellent really enjoyed it. Keep up the good work
Posted 15 March 2012 - 09:45 AM
Cool "Day of the Dead" feel here with the Dr. Frankenstein-esque experiments. I'd say they're pretty well screwed if the computer goes kaput or the AI decides to get cranky. Nice work.
Chapter 32
Posted 24 March 2012 - 03:07 PM
Excellent DC. Looking forward to the escape.
Posted 24 March 2012 - 05:50 PM
Seems like Ellis and the boyfriend could be walker bait on the surface. Hint, hint.
Chapter 33
Posted 10 April 2012 - 07:47 AM
Great set up for things to come. Nice long chapter, but kept my interest with all the detail. IDK if I would be so quick to want to leave such a safe place...but then again, safety is only a frame of mind.
Posted Yesterday, 01:55 PM
It builds...
Chapter 34
Posted 19 April 2012 - 06:49 AM
awesome!! can't wait for the next chapter
Posted 19 April 2012 - 08:13 AM
Nowhere, GN's or the TV show, has a scratch been deadly. Wonder how dangerous the world of DC is?
Posted 19 April 2012 - 03:38 PM
Well worth the wait!
Posted 19 April 2012 - 05:02 PM
Excellent DC, last 2 chapters have been fast moving. Good job.
Posted Yesterday, 02:17 PM
So then I guess James is infected.
Great chapter.
RIP Frank (and Ellis).
Posted Yesterday, 05:28 PM
*applauds*
That was absolutely fantastic. It had me at the edge at my seat, and I couldn't stop reading. I'm excitedly awaiting the next installment.
Great job, DC!
Posted 20 April, 07:40 PM
I am so hooked to this story. You are doing an awesome job and I can't wait to read more. I usually find I hold my breath through most of your action filled chapters. So sad about Frank; he was a good guy. You really have me on the edge of my seat with this sniper storyline and I think James is probably my favorite character. You could easily get a work like this published as long as you kept the official Walking Dead characters out of it.
And I think I remember reading a comment/question from another thread where you asked about copyright. Anything that you write or draw and post online you are the sole owner of. It is already copyrighted and as long as you have the manuscript or work saved on a disk or on paper then you are safe and should someone steal your story, you will have the right to file a lawsuit.
I do have a comment about James being scratched. I don't think scratches infect them. Rick told Shane that the officers at the school must have gotten infected from scratches because he wasn't exactly sure about the fact that everybody is infected. And he didn't want to admit that secret yet. It's my belief that they died and then turned because they were already infected as is everyone. And once Rick saw it happen with Shane, he knew what Jenner had told him was indeed true. But who knows, that's just my take on it. I'm sure others may think something completely different.
I can't wait for your next update. I probably check back everyday to see if you have posted one. Don't make us wait too long and thanks for the wonderful read!
Posted 23 March 2012 - 07:15 PM
I've been an avid reader since childhood. My favorites being Stephen King and Dean Koontz. The Dark Tower series being my favorite. I will always call a spade a spade and have not enjoyed every offering I've read. But I gotta say your story has been one of the most enjoyable reads I've experienced in a long time. I came across it by being a fan of the Walking Dead and looking for a fan forum to read and discuss different opinions. I found the fan stories through a link and accidentally read chapter eleven first and was hooked immediately. As far as I'm concerned the producers of the Walking Dead should fire every writer on staff ASAP and hire you to continue the story line. The way you paint the picture makes me feel like I'm there going through every trial and tribulation as well as the moments of joy. Reading this has been the highlite of my evenings the last three or four days. Please keep me informed of where to read any other stories you have written or intend to write. Consider me a hardcore follower and PLEASE come on Part 33.I'm sitting on stand by and I don't know how long I can last without reading more of your work. Well done my friend,well done.
Thank You,
Posted 20 January 2012 - 10:59 AM
DC,
Your story is very detailed, but it keeps me interested. You do not bore with that detail and it makes me the reader feel as if I am actually there. I can not find fault with your work. As a good writer, you mix up action with periods of detail and also leave open threads to be visited later. I have no opinion on which way you should go with this story, as I am enjoying the direction it is going in now. Honestly I have no complaints and am thoroughly enjoying it and look forward to new chapters. I even have a few "lurkers" here at work reading it also.
Posted 21 January 2012 - 04:37 AM
I see a love story just around every chapter part I read. Will save reading chapter part 13 and the rest tonight. As for me will be sleeping in five hours from now. Also, everything seems real to me and I like it.
Posted 21 January 2012 - 11:34 AM
I've read the last two chapters .. definitely good .. imo, zombie survival works so well, because tho there is an underlying story for characters, anyone can jump in at any junction in the story and be interested .. i dont really need to know what happened before this moment, i just jumped into a story where people are trying to survive and make due with what's left .. i mean we all know the circumstances and the situation, it's nice to see how different people play that out ..
with that said, maybe I'm lazy, so i wont be reading the other 25 chapters lol, but it's nice to be able to jump right in .. and i know if i stop for a while, then jump in a couple chapters from now, i might miss some of the story, but i will still be caught in the moment ..
props where they are deserved .. good writing ..
Posted 22 January 2012 - 04:24 PM
I have been completely hooked since finding it over Christmas. Un-put-downable. I like the way u provide cliff hangers, but provide enough answers in each chapter to keep me reading.
I'll read any genre but haven't read horror since teens, due to my ability to envisage the story, but am truly loving this.
The last author to get me this hooked was the Lincoln Rhyme books (not sure if u consider it a compliment, but its meant as one!)
BB
Posted 04 February 2012 - 07:44 PM
DC , don't know what to say here. You keep looking for criticism on your writing, and i can't really give you any. Your writing is good in my humble opinion. As you know i have read all your writings, and enjoy them. The descriptiveness that you use is outstanding. I can associate with all your main characters. In part 28 just like in all the other parts of your writing, i can actually picture myself there. I felt like i was walking up the corridors with the main characters, getting in and out of the elevators, and sitting in that conference room with them. I could picture the walkers behind the bullet proof glass. I may have seen a spelling error or grammatical error here or there but i was so blown away i don't remember where they were. Keep up the good work DC, IMHO you have a future in writing.
Posted 06 February 2012 - 07:51 PM
Just finished reading all of the parts and now I can see why everyone is blown away with the story. If I were you I would be lookin for a literary agent to sell your writings as a book. The detail and the character development are really good! Hopefully you keep writing and don't develop a major brain cramp.
Peace!
Posted 30 September 2012 - 08:59 PM DC, you really have a gift, and I hope life allows you to continue to write. I'm especially impressed with the way you are able to write personal relationships in a way that makes them seem so very natural. I can't even count the number of times that I choked up as I was reading. The book was extremely well paced and exciting. Had it been a book I could hold, I wouldn't have put it down until I finished, but as it is, I really hate reading on the computer, so it took me a while to get through.
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