Day 10: Hard to believe we’ve only been in Cascade Hills for ten days. Feels like months. Especially for Sandy who hasn’t left the base in days. She’s still effectively one-armed due to the pain in her shoulder. Everyone is getting along surprisingly well considering what each of us face outside the gates every day.
With the exception of Sandy we each took turns learning how to fire the Timberwolf. Thing must weigh 25lbs and my first shot knocked me off my feet. We set up shifts for the sniper tower where the .50 cal anti-materiel rifle will stay with watchstanders.
I stood watch with Joe and we listened to radio requests for help from all across the hills. We counted at least thirteen plague hearts and probably nine infestations mentioned. When Beto relieved us we told him about the radio chatter. He asked if we wouldn’t mind hanging out for another hour so he could investigate any threat to our home. While out he discovered an abandoned military comms center and found two frag grenades. I’ve never seen one before. He also found two combat crossbows. Moonbeam grabbed one.
He said the radio reports Joe and I were hearing were true and that the situation was probably even worse. Said he climbed to the top of a cell tower and could see six plague hearts and eight infestations from his vantage point. He took out one infestation in a strip mall on his way back.
Survivors are starting to hear about us and today we had two strangers show up at the door asking to join. Beto said we can’t take in everyone and he was able to direct them to other enclaves that need people. We fed them, let them restock their ammo and clean their weapons.
Sandy says she’s really tired of being stuck at base and Antonio asked her for two more days to let her shoulder heal. She reluctantly agreed. Antonio said he wanted to take down one of the plague hearts near his old hangout. Moonbeam asked Trish if she could drive the Rhames V down to the beat up sedan we found and tow it back.
Trish and Antonio parted with a kiss telling each to stay safe. It was a beautiful moment. I had forgotten how precious – how precarious love can be. I decided to stay with Beto, Sandy and Joe back at base. I wanted to practice some quick-draw moves I learned from my new book. Sandy said she’d join Beto on the sniper tower and monitor the radio.
Moonbeam and Trish returned with the sedan in tow. “I found the instructions!” Moonbeam excitedly declared, finding the owner’s manual in the glovebox. “There’s even instructions on the mods they used!” She is so happy.
Antonio returned with a JL94 Civilian rifle and gave it to Trish. He also brought back a handgun ammo press! Now I can make rounds for my MK (Beto hates it when I call it that!) from our resource stockpile. No more relying on scavenging for clips. Beto said it’s nice to have a little garden but with all the zombies we really need more defense. Everyone agreed and set out to take down the garden and build a watch tower. Once done both sides of the base will be covered. It’s a really good idea and I hate to see it go but that’s the second time we’ve dug up a garden.
Joe took the two frag grenades and a box full of pipe bombs and said he was heading to a heart. I thought he should wait until morning but he had a determined look on his face. Said he needed to relieve some stress. He’s been working in the command center all day. When he came back he said he ran into a couple looking for help to clear infestations. He declined. I asked if it was Walt and Michela and he said no. I wonder what happened to them?
Sandy joined me on watch and had memorized some jokes from the book Trish gave her. She had a way of making the corny jokes funny. We heard another radio call about Trumbull Valley. There was too much static to make out what was said.
It wasn’t long before the zombies attacked the base. I told Sandy to go inside and aimed the Timberwolf toward the gate. I’ve learned how to lean into the firing of this powerful weapon so I can stay on my feet and aim. We survived. No juggernauts this time but two ferals and several screamers. The days of having two or three zombies show up and be considered a menace seem to be over as there were over two dozen of the undead during this siege.
By my counting: Moonbeam has taken out two plague hearts, Beto one, Antonio one, and Joe destroyed the last one. That’s five down yet the threat keeps growing.
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