A Rational Zombie

Chapter 77

When do you think Vlad and Perry are coming back?

Its been over a month. People may travel slowly to avoid attracting infected, but a month is too long. In the first place, the Ranger Station is only a couple days away from the Breakfast in Bed. With how efficient Vlad, Perry, Brett, and Nelson were, they wouldntve gotten distracted. I think theyre dead.

What? Julian stared at me. You really think so, Matt?

Theres no other explanation. Actually, there are one or two others. Or they ran into trouble. A horde maybe, kept them locked in the building. But honestly, after a month on a trip that shouldve taken a week at max, I cant see them having a good end. They havent respond to the radio or walkie-talkies, right?

Julian sighed. If they died, are we staying?

I dont see why not. Winters almost here. The infected arent as active then. If anything, its a blessing that theyre gone. We wont be able to hunt when it snows. Honestly, our food budget was cutting it real close to last through the winter. Now, we dont have to worry.

Julian shook his head. Only you would think that way.

What can I say? Im an optimistic person. The living have to keep on living. The dead are dead. Spending time worrying about someones whos gone is a surefire way to make sure youre next.

They went to hunt the smart infected, right? If they died, then wouldnt that mean they died to it? What if it comes for us next?

Thats not going to happen.

How can you be so sure?

Dont you have faith in Vlad and them? If they did end up dying, they probably led it away from here. Not to mention the number of traps weve set between the Ranger Station and here have greatly increased. Even a normal person would find it troublesome to get past. Bern did hold that infected in high regard, but how smart could it actually have been? Besides, no matter how smart it is, it most likely just leads a horde of infected around. What have we been doing this past month? Getting ready for an infected horde. Youre worrying too much.

I think youre not worrying enough.

I shook my head. Julians a coward. When Bern asked for hunters to accompany him, Julian was the only one that chose to stay behind. I cant blame him; most people are cowards. Theres only three types of people who can survive in this world: the vicious, the cowardly, and the charismatic. The vicious group together. The charismatic lead the cowards.

Matt! Julian! We have a problem! That was Paul. Hes in charge of the radio and walkie-talkies today. Normally, the communicator sits in front of the attic window too. Theres a horde of infected coming our way!

Julian gave me a look that said, I told you so, before running to the window. I got out of my chair and followed him, making sure to grab my helmet off the table. I pushed aside a curtain, but I didnt see anything, just the bottom of the gentle slope that the Breakfast in Bed was on. Which direction?

From the back!

Julian and I half-ran half-stumbled across the room towards the back window. Julian yanked the curtain over to the side before letting out a gasp. Outside, there mustve been at least a hundred infected walking out of the woods. It was endless. Between the gaps of the trees, they poured out like water. At the head of the group, there was someone wearing camouflage clothes and a motorcycle helmet. There was a bow in that persons hand. No, I shouldnt refer to it as a person. According to Bern, the smart infected knew how to use a bow. With the horde behind it, its identity was pretty clear.

Julian gulped, breaking the silence. We prepared, but did we prepare enough?

It should be enough. I hope. Cmon, its a good thing Paul noticed early. The logs can still be used.

Julian and I got our weapons and ran outside towards the back of the building. Along the walls, there were dozens of trees that we had processed over the past month. We cut away their branches and roots, leaving only their trunks behinda bunch of logs, basically. The Breakfast in Bed is on top of a hill. Its not very steep, but its definitely steep enough for logs to roll down with a simple push. The horde was about halfway up the slope by the time Julian and I pulled down the first log and got it into position.

Ready? Julian asked.

Go. I grunted and pushed my end of the log while Julian pushed the other. The log rose slowly, but once it reached a certain point, I didnt have to push anymore. With a thump, it rolled once, then twice, faster and faster. I didnt know how fast it was going, but by the time it reached the infected horde, it was definitely going at leg-breaking-speed per hour. Unfortunately, the smart infected seemed to know what we were doing and had run out of the way. The infected behind it werent so lucky though. The log crashed into them full force, crushing them, running them over while going straight down to the bottom of the slope, only stopping when it hit the forest that the infected were coming from. There were a few that werent in the path of the log running towards us. Luckily, Paul had finally caught up.

Ill hold these off, you two get the logs. I picked up the shield and spear that I had put down to move the log and readied myself for the few infected making their way up the slope. When one got close, I extended my shield out. There was a rubbery bit on its edge that infected loved to bite. Once the infected bit down, I stabbed through its eye, killing it instantly. I pressed my foot against its waist and pushed, kicking it away. Julian and Paul got another log into position while I killed another two infected. The infected seemed to have issues with overcoming the first log, not even having come up a quarter of the way.

Berns Ranger Station mightve been more fortified, but who needs fences when theres logs and gravity?