Chapter 19

Leaving Directions

After having the long discussion with all of the adults I decide it is time to turn in. While waiting to drift off to sleep I thought about car ferries and duck boats and then sweet darkness took a hold of me. I woke up to Hank shaking my shoulder. “Mark, it is morning and we need to get going.”

“I’m up, I’m up.” I groggily replied. Man, I had great dreams last night of exploring the world and being an adventurer. It was right then that I realized that it did not have to be a dream anymore. The world had changed, and I could literally now travel and explore and report back into the base in Andros Island when it was done. I suddenly was reinvigorated with life. All of those stories and dreams I had of being an explorer when I was young, could actually happen now. With this awesome thought in my mind I head over to the cooking area to grab some breakfast.

“Good morning all! What feast are we having today?”

“Well Mark, it is Mark right?”

“Yes dear lady and your name is?”

“My name is Angela. Since you slept in the adults have finished the eggs and bacon. Thus you are banished to the kids table for cereal and milk.”

“Slept in, I will have you know that I was engaged in a high level planning meeting with my two compatriots Senor Eyelid and Mr. Snore.”

I had decided to play along when I see the kids watching from the table. I have always had a soft spot for kids, probably why I became a teacher in the first place. The giggle I receive from the kids at the table was worth me goofing around.

“Very well I will retreat from you this morning dear Angela, but don’t think you have won. I will soon plot my revenge. The bacon will be mine.”

With a little villain laugh I walk over and sit down next to the children and reach for the Lucky Charms. What can I say? I may be over 40 but those dang marshmallows in the cereal are still magical. My festive morning mood is overshadowed by my reality when I realize that the number of times I can enjoy cereal with milk may be severely limited in the future. I mean I know how to milk a cow or goat, but I don’t have one with me. Dang it, I need to add farm animals to the list. We could take several to island. In fact, I remember reading somewhere that there were some islands that had no humans but were overrun with animals. I think there was a pig island and a goat island at the very least. We need to get a set of charts and books about the Caribbean also.

Every time I think about this stuff it gets more and more complicated. Alright enough, what do I need to get done today? I need to set a message for my family that is following that they will see. I need to help find supplies and other useful survivors and bring them in. Finally, I need to find my own boat and crew and head down ahead of everyone else to check out the situation. I don’t want to be here when that family arrives. Once everyone is down on the island I think there will be enough people around that I will be able to curb my feelings, but the group is too small right now for me to ignore that family. I look around for Gerald and spot him talking to a group of people from my group and the boat group.

I walk over. “Good morning Gerald. Good morning everyone.”

“Good morning Mark.”

“I need to borrow a local to help me out this morning. Gerald I was wondering if you could recommend someone.”

“What exactly do you need to do Mark. If I know what is going on it will make recommending the right person easier.”

“Oh yeah I guess it would. Well first I need someone who can lead me to a construction site, power company, or anywhere else that would have a truck with a cherry picker. I need it to go and write a message on a couple of highway signs to bring my family here to the right place. They could be down as early as today or in the next few days and I don’t want them heading into town looking for me.”

“Alright that makes sense. Are you planning on anything else?”

“If there is still time I thought about going for a raid for supplies and possibly looking for any useful survivors.”

“That sounds good. We were thinking about sending half the people out today for the same reason. A few of us are going to go down and talk to the other marina group and try to bring them in with us. Other than that we just need to collect supplies and ships before we head out.”

“Yeah about that. One of the families coming down with mine I really don’t get along with. Very long story and I would rather not go into it right now. I was thinking that this evening I would go shopping for a nice yacht to take down to the island and head out tomorrow morning. I would scout the way if you will. Would you also see if you have one professional ship handler and perhaps another person who would like to go down early and help set things up?”

“This is kind of sudden, but I will see what I can do. That means tonight we will be up late hammering out some details.”

“I know. I will also have to load up whatever boat I decide to take also, but that is on me. So a recommendation for this morning to go with me.”

Gerald sat there contemplating for a moment when another person at the table spoke up, “What about Michael? If they get along then Michael might go down early with him to the island also.”

“That is a very good idea. You can find Michael at the gate.”

“Thanks Gerald. I will see everyone later today.”

With that I went and gathered up my essentials. Two pistols, my axe-bar, .30 .30 rifle and a backpack full of snacks, ammo and water. I walk over to the gate, which is basically two vans parked nose to nose. When the gate needs to be opened you just need to back one or both vans up depending on the needed size of the opening. I call out, “I am looking for someone named Michael.” A younger gentleman probably in their late teens or early twenties hops down off one of the van gates and says, “My name is Michael, what do you need?”

“Well Michael I just talked to Gerald and his group and you were recommended as someone with local knowledge that could help me out this morning. I am also going to be heading down to the island early and it was suggested that if we got along that you might accompany me with at least one other person to help scope the situation out.”

“Well I will definitely help you out today. Let’s just wait on the other part.”

“Fair enough. Do you know of anyone else heading out today?”

“There is a group leaving in a few minutes to grab a few more vehicles before going out to get supplies.”

“Great, we need them to take us to somewhere that would have a cherry picker truck.”

“What exactly are you trying to do?”

“I need to spray paint instructions on the overpass signs for the last couple of intersections before the marina to make sure my family turns in here.”

“So any vehicle that is tall would work?”

“I guess so, as long as I can reach the signs.”

“Are we going to go for supplies afterwards?”

“Yep I thought we would go exchange the cherry picker truck for a cargo van or truck.”

“Why don’t we just go and get a couple of moving vans and then you can put a ladder on top to paint from and we could fill them up a lot more than a regular truck with supplies.”

I just stared at Michael. This kid was brilliant.

“I want you on my team. That is a fantastic idea.”

Michael just smiled. I led him over to Betsy and made sure he was capable of at least basic gun safety. It turns out he was raised on a local farm and had been hunting since a kid. Unfortunately, he was the only survivor from his family. They had been caught away from their farm and unprepared. He had made his way back home over the last week and then had found this group while exploring a couple of days before I arrived. I set him up with my standard load out. I gave him a .22 pistol, a .45 carbine, 9mm pistol, and a small hand axe. I gave him one of my spare backpacks with some ammo, snacks, and food just like mine.

Soon enough we were in the back seat being driven to a local U-Haul rental site. It was fairly near where the dealership was so it was not far out of the way for the group we joined. In fifteen minutes our driver let us out at Phil’s Self Storage and U-Haul rental center. “Michael, I think we should trade off clearing out the zombies. We both need to learn how the other works. My only suggestion is to keep it quiet. At least until we find the keys.” Michael just nodded and headed to the right. It looked like he was going to circle the building first to be safe. I approved. I follow close behind in case he needs help and I see him efficiently take out a lone zombie with the hand axe I gave him. “Very good, now it is my turn.”

I took the lead and rounded the corner to see two more zombies in the back of the building next to the dumpster. I walk up quietly and trip one and hit the other with my axe-bar. I stepped on the chest of the one I tripped to prevent it from getting up to make sure the one I hit was dead. Once I verified the kill I leaned down and put the crowbar piece through the eye socket of the zombie on the ground. Quiet and efficient just like I was hoping for. I may have been showing off just a bit. “Not bad for an old man Mark.” With that one statement Michael put me back in my place and brought me back to reality. The next five minutes was quickly used to clear the outside of the business and the few zombies brought in by the noise of the SUV that dropped us off.

Once the outside was clear I signal Michael and walk back to the rear entrance. Before I pry it open, I knock loudly. Michael was clearly confused. “Are you trying to see if anyone is home?”

“Nope, this gives any survivors a chance to respond before things escalate out of control. It also draws any zombie on the inside to the door and usually will make them let out a sound so I know if something is waiting for me.”

“Smart, I am going to use that trick in the future.”

I force the back door open and check the surroundings. Everything is clear. I approach the customer service desk carefully and easily see a rack of keys behind it. Well this is certainly turning out easier than I expected. Michael and I decide that the 20 foot moving vans with the low deck and loading ramps will be the easiest to use. I search the place and grab what few snacks and drinks there are, waste not want not and then throw in a bunch of the moving blankets. As we are searching the place I find some paint and brushes and two cans of black spray paint, while Michael found a two ten-foot step ladders. One will be used to get on top of the moving truck and the second will be placed to reach from the top to the sign. With everything we needed found here we are ready to set out and leave some directions.

A quick hour later and phase one of today’s goals have been complete. On three overpasses I wrote, “Pablo Picasso says visit Sunshine!” That should tip off my family to where they need to go and let them know that I am still alright. With the first task done I ask Michael to lead the way to the first supply stop. The local dollar store.