The Dead Have Risen
#1 of The Dead Have Risen
The Dead Have Risen
© 2010
The Timberwolf
It had been almost three weeks since the zombie out brake, but he had managed to stay alive. Simple because he knew what do and how to stay alive and how to kill the undead. He stands about six foot five, not overly muscled, but muscled enough for it to show and to make all the girls look. His head fur and back and legs were gray, a couple brown streaks ran across the back of his neck. His chest, stomach, and inner thighs where white. He wear an off blue shirt, blue jeans and a pair of well warn work boots. On his head he wear a roll brimmed Stetson. Not because he wanted to play the role of cowboy, but it kept the sun off his face and neck.
The wolf had been working on a friend's ranch when everything had gone to hell in a hand basket. And seeing as his friend had gone into town to get feed for the horses, and hadn't been back in four days. The wolf knows that by the fourth day he wasn't coming back. So he saddeled up one of the horses. He made sure that the rig that he put on the horse had at least one holster for a rifle or shotgun. Then getting onto the horse he stirred her towards his place where he would pick up his shot gun. He also wanted to get his two pistols.
He also wanted to get his bow, that he know would have limitless rounds, seeing as all he had to do is retrieve the arrow after he killed whatever he had too. He also wanted to get his saddle bags. Those he could put food in, extra rounds for the guns, a small first aid kit, and few other odds and ends.
Finally getting to his house which was in a semi rural area, he paid close attention to where the mares ears where facing, he waited a while. He wanted to see if the horse would bulk and then try and get out of doge. After a few long quite seconds, he dismounted and tied the horse off on the fence in front of his house and then unsheathed his knife. Holding it so the blade was facing the ground when held he slowly made his way to the front door. He took his keys out as quietly as he could. Because he knew these things were attracted to sound, he opened the door, and stepped inside. Stepping only a few feet inside he waited and let his eyes adjust to the dim light. Then he made his way to the garage where he kept the gun safe. Quickly open it and pulled out one clip for one of his .44 he started loading it. Then once it was filled he pulled out one of the pistols and slid one round into the chamber, then slid the clip in. The repeated the process for the second one. Then moved to the cabinet next to the safe and pulled out two thigh holsters and put them on. Once he was satisfied that they where secure he moved back to the safe, but in doing so he knocked something over. He froze in place after pulling the knife the he had sheathed in order to load the pistols. He waited, waited, and waited. There was a slight shuffle on the other end of the garage. It was to dim for him to see what was making the noise, but he knew something was there. He eased himself back to where the light switch was. Reaching back, he fumbled to find the switch behind him as he stayed facing the noise. Flicking it on he squinted his eyes as the light turned on and his eyes readjusted. Just in time to see a zombie lunge at him and knock him down.
"Holy...!" Was all he was able to get out before being knocked to the ground. With one paw he kept the creatures mouth from getting a hold of him while the other that held the knife tried to get high enough to stab it in the brain. The two stay struggling for a good few minutes. Then managing to get his knee up and under the creature he pushed hard and forced it to topple over and onto its back. Getting to his knees he started he was getting ready to lodge at the zombie when a loud bang rang out. Blood and brain matter splattering all over the ground as the wolf spun around to see who shoot the creature, knife at the ready.
"Whew there Rambo." A panther chuckled, and offered the wolf a paw. The panther stood about five foot nine, and had a runners build. His shirt was torn in places and his jeans where covered in what looked like dried blood. The panther had no shoes on, thus the quite entrance.
Glad to see that he wasn't the only one still alive the wolf quickly took the offered paw. "Thanks, the names John."
The tall and lean panther smiled and helped the wolf up. "Brian, saw your mare outside then heard you holler. So I figured that I'd try and help"
Dusting himself off John went back to the safe, and noted the one of the pistols was missing. He turned to the panther. "I see you found one of my toys." He said smiling.
Chuckling brain switched the safety on and gave the pistol back, "Yeah, I figured it was either use it, or see how long you would last. I figured that you'd want me to choose the former."
John smiled and nodded. Taking the pistol back he released the clip and put another round back in the clip and put the clip back in and then holstered it, then the other. "Go ahead Brain, pick which ever weapon you want but make sure that it can be used for both close and long range."
"I think that I'll go with the mini-14." He said going for the rifle.
"Rounds are over here for that one then." John gestured to a higher wall cabinet as he pulled his compound bow, he got some arrows for it and placed them in the built in quiver that only held five. Then pulling out his shot gun he loaded it, and then grabbed his saddle bags and then started putting dehydrated food bags into them. Then grabbed the water filter out of his backpacking pack and tossed it in.
"Ok, think I got most of it. Oh a jacket." Slinging the bags over his shoulders so that one was in front and the other was in back he grabbed the bow and the shot gun and went to the bed room. Pulling a ratty old duster off a hanger and throwing it over his other shoulder he turned to the panther that followed him. "Ok, now we're set." Heading to the front door.
"Well what about me?" Brian asked.
"Well, what about you?" The wolf simple said looking at the feline.
"What about food and a jacket for me?" Brain said, his shirt almost torn to shreds and no shoes.
John sighed, "Go on back inside and grab a pair of boots, looks like you about the same boot size as I am, but my jackets might be a little big for ya."
"That's fine, just as long as I have something warm to wear at night." He said as he heard back inside.
Mean while John secured the saddle bags onto the saddle, then his jacket over those. Then slid his shot gun into the riffle shelve hanging off the saddle. He could tell that the horse was starting to get nerves. Quickly going inside, John went to get Brian.
"Come on we need to go."
"But..."
"We don't have time." John said as he grabbed Brian by the collar of his shirt and started pulling him out. Sure enough, when they got out side there were zombies starting to mill about on the street. John pulled the pistol that hung on his left side and with his right he started to untie the reins. He settled up and holstered the pistol. "Put the jacket on and drop the shoes in the saddle bags." John said as he offered a paw to Brain.
The panther did just that, but noticed that the bow was still on the ground he quickly picked it up and grabbed the offered paw. He was hold up on to the horse. And hold onto John. And just in time as the horse reared up in fear. John quickly got control of the horse and kicked its side steering it away from the undead.
"We have to get back to my buddies ranch. Get you a horse and rig." John said as he got the horse going at a good pace now. It was mid day now. He knew that they day would only be getting hotter.
Once back at the ranch, he led the horse to the barn over to a filled water trough to let it drink. He quickly scanned the stall to see which other horses were readily available. He found one. Turning to Brian, "How much saddle time do you have?"
"Um, did it at a summer camp once." The big cat offered sheepishly.
John went back to the tack room and pulled out another set of saddle bags and riffle sling to hitch on to the saddle on the mare. Once he found what he was looking for, he quickly placed them on the horse. Then he went into the farm house across the yard. Once inside he turned on the TV tuned to the news hoping to find out where a safe zone had been set up. He turned the volume up, simple because he knew that there weren't going to be any zombies near enough to hear it and be drawn to the noise. Then he quickly when to the kitchen and grabbed four boxes of water proof matches from one of the draws. Then went through the pantry knowing that there was some dehydrated food somewhere in there. If nothing else, canned food, which was the only thing he could find.
Mean while, the Brian sat on the couch. He watched the TV, almost in horror at the images that where being shown. It all seemed unreal. "Hey John, can you believe that this is really happening?" he called out, not looking away from the screen. Too entranced with what seemed like the end of the world.
Coming out of the kitchen with a plastic bag, John set it by the front door. "Well with the way that we have been going in medical advances it isn't surprising."
"Oh so your happy with having no meds, or something?"
"No, it's just some of the things that the scientist where doing, where probably doing more then trying to cure the stander cold is all."
"So you think that this was man made? Do you have...." Brian started, but was cut off quickly by John.
"Shh, their saying something about safe zones." John said as he focused intently on the screen.
"Once again, the following military bases are going to be safe zones...." The news anchor read a list of military bases across the country that where taking in survivors.
"Ok, looks like we're going to Vandenberg. Before we go there are a few more things that we need, follow me." John turned off the TV and went up stairs and to the guest bed room that had been turned into his bedroom for the weeks that he would help his friend. He grabbed two Nalgene water bottles off the dresser and tossed one to Brian. Then going to the closet he grabbed a daypack. He dropped the bottle that he kept for himself in the pack, and then checked to make sure that his map and compass was still in the bag. He was glad to see that the where still in there, he was also happy to see his head lamp was still in there as well. He went back to his dresser and dropped a pack of AAA batteries in the bag. He opened a couple draws and pulled out a few pairs of socks, tossing two pairs to Brian, and then dropping two pairs into his bag.
"Come on, back out to the barn" The two headed back down stairs. "Oh, one more thing." He went back behind the stair case and came back holding a couple boxes of ammo. One box for the Mini-14, and one for his pistols. "Ok, now we should be done with the house." With that the headed out to the barn. Once there John looked on one of the work benches and grabbed the pair of binoculars, then a cleaning kit for the guns. Reaching up to one of the rafters above the work bench he was at. "Ah ha, knew he had a box out here." John said as he pulled down a box of shot gun shells. Taking what he found he started putting them into the saddle bags. He put the ammo boxes, map compass, his water bottle. Pulling out the food that he put in the bags from his place.
"Shit, forgot the rest of the food back in the house. Why don't you start putting this food in your saddle bags, and fill up your bottle with water." With that, John ran back to the house, and grabbed the bag of food that he set by the door. Once he turned around, he noticed that zombies where coming up the drive way. Dropping the bag of food he ran back to the barn.
"Ok Brian, this is where we will find out if where boys or men." John said in a low voice as he untied the horses.
"What, what's going on?" Brian shouted in surprise and John's sudden return.
"Just saddle up." John said glaring at the cat, as he pulled himself up onto his horse. Pulling out a pistol he rode up to the barn door and let lose a furrier of rounds at the zombies that had made it to the door. Looking back he saw that Brian wasn't in his saddle yet. Turning back in he dismounted and grabbed the panthers wait band and lifted him up. "Now get on that damn saddle." Brian quickly grabbed the saddle and then pulled himself on and settled into the saddle. "Now, go out to the left. I'll be right behind you." With that he smacked the mares flank and she reared up and started to gallop, knocking a couple zombies to the ground.
Running over to his horse, the wolf grabbed the shotgun and shot off a few rounds. With those rounds he downed the other four zombies the came around the corner. Taking the shot gun in his left paw he got into the saddle and kicked the horse into a gallop and followed after the feline. After about five minutes of hard ridding, they slowed down and John took the lead. They rode for another three hours till the sun started to set. Then John led onto where he and his friend would usually bed down after checking the fences.
Pulling the saddle off his horse, and leaning it against a tree, he walked over the mare and did the same. "Don't you ever do that again." John growled as he dropped the other saddle next to his. He released the spent clip from his pistol and replaced it with a new one.
"But I didn't know, all I knew was you where back and telling me to get to riding." Brian retorted.
"Remember that they respond to anything we do that makes noise or light. And it's a good idea to try and limit our own odor as well." John said, still upset with the panther. He pulled the box of shotgun shells and .45. He sat down and let reloaded the clip and the shot gun. "Instead of standing around and being helpless, why don't you take those horses over the creek there and let them drink." John said chambering a shell, then leaning the shot gun against the tree, and then pulling his jacket out from the tie downs that kept it on the saddle.
Brian reluctantly took the horses over to the water. The whole time he grumbled to himself about how the wolf was treating him. "Who's he to tell me what to do. After all I saved his life. After a couple minutes of watering the horses he tied them off on a posted that seems like it had been there for years.
Looking around Brian couldn't find John anywhere around the camp. He did notice that the wolf had taken his bow with him where ever he went. Brain figured that he'd just wait till the wolf came back. In the mean time he leaned against another tree, pulling out his cell phone he figured that he'd try and get some more news. But of course they were too far out in to the sticks to get any service. "Great you stupid hick, you lead us out into the absolute middle of nowhere."
***
It was almost an hour and half later when John came back with a big paw full of feral rabbits. Sitting down and pulling out his knife he proceeded to gut and skinning the rabbits. "Go ahead and grab the matches out of my saddle bags." He said as he set the meat on some racks that had been sitting next to what looked like a fire pit. John went around the edge of the camp collecting small twigs and dead grass. Taking the Matches the Brian got for him out of his bags, he stuck it and started the small collection of kindling alight. He pressed to feed the flames with twigs then walked off and got a small piece of wood and then put it on. Another thirty minutes later, they had dinner.
"Brian, I just want to say I'm sorry. I Lost my temper earlier, but I..." John started to choke up a little. "That ranch house that we left, it was one of my friends. She was one of the best friends that I had. And I'm afraid that she's gone."
"Hey dude, it's ok. I understand, no one saw this coming. We all lost people that we loved. I'm a little shuck up myself. I heard me dad fall prey to those things as we were talking about how we were going to try and get out of town." He said softly, a tear coming to his eye. "If you don't mind me asking, how long had the two of you, you know?"
"I'm sorry about your lose. Hehe, and no, we weren't dating. I'm gay, and she was the first one I told after telling my parents and they kicked me out." He whipped a tear away, "And don't worry, I'm not going to try and yiff you." He said with a laugh, and looked up and the panther. "What about you, you have a girlfriend?"
"Thanks, and sorry for yours. Yeah, she's in the army. And don't worry, I'm bi. So it doesn't bother me." He said smiling. "I just hope she's ok, she was going to be coming home this weekend. I'm guessing she's at Fort Benning right now helping with making sure that only the none infected get in. What about you?" Brain asked.
"Well I hope she's ok. Yeah, he was down in San Diego on business. Dose security stuff, mostly secret and top secret stuff." He said smiling thinking about him. "So he should be at Camp Pendleton. But we should get some sleep, so you want to take the first watch?"
"Yeah, sounds like he should be safe there. Sure, I'll take the first watch. Want to make it a four hour watch?" Brian asked.
"That sounds good to me. Oh let's put this fire out" John said and the two of them throw dirt on it to smother it. With that, the two of them got ready to sleep and take watch. John took his duster and took it over next to the saddles, racking in some leaves to make good bedding he lay down and placed his hat over his eyes and muzzle. Brian set leaning on the other side of the saddles with the Mini-14.