The zombie game

chapter 19

“Joe.” A whispering voice.

“Joe, wake up.” The voice was growing louder.

“Joe!”

“What the hell?” asked Joe harshly.

“Get up,” said Ken. Joe was feeling a bit better. His head was a bit dizzy, but other than that he was fine.

“Why?”

“Because, just wake up. We need to go.”

“Go where?”

“The hell am I supposed to know?” Joe flipped over and stood up. His clothes were sticking to him with a thin veil of sweat. A guard was standing in the doorway.

“We have to go,” said the guard.

“Where to?” asked Ken.

“We are going out in the yard to help Dave.”

“With what?”

“Shut up,” said the guard, “you'll find out when you get out there.” Joe and Ken and the guard walked down the hallway until they reached the large, front door. Joe was the first person to be outside and he was the first person to notice to heat of the day. Sun beat down on the ground below them. Dave was standing right beside a fence just looking at them pleased.

“Hello,” said Dave.

“Hi,” replied Joe, “what are we gonna be doing?”

“Well, you are going to be helping me out. You will help me, as well as these guys around here, and build parts of this fence.”

“Sounds good,” said Joe, “but in this heat I don't know.”

“Are you complaining?” asked Dave.

“No,” said Ken, “we will just do this.” Joe walked forward and grabbed a metal pole from the end of the yard, hoisting back over his shoulder, and slamming it on the ground. It jutted from the soft earth, awaiting the chain link portion of it as well as the barbed wire. A dark skinned man in ripped and shredded clothing advanced toward Joe, placing the chain link over the post and securing it down. Products had been scarce, so the man used a couple of small, metal nails, and pounded down the right end of the chain link, securing it to the post. A large bed of chain link flapped in the small wind, but the man grabbed it and just held onto it.

Ken walked to a bunch of metal poles that were lying on the ground, grabbed one, and dragged it over to the fence post, standing it up in the dirt. The man went to secure the chain link to the other fence post.

“Quite a job isn't it?” asked Ken. “Especially in this heat.”

“Yea,” Joe agreed, “when will we be...”

“Shhh,” muttered the man, “we aren't suppose to talk on the job.” He had a sort of Indian accent to him.

“Sorry,” said Joe, “we didn't know.”

“Well shut up then. If the guards see us talking they will think we aren't doing our jobs.” The man went back to work, trying to secure the chain link to the posts. Joe grabbed another post and stuck it up right. More chain link was secured to it.

“We aren't made for this,” whispered Joe. “We must get out of here.”

“I know,” Ken nodded, “and I think I have a plan.”

“A plan? Of what?” Joe and Ken walked toward the pile of gleaming posts. Sweat started trickling down Joes face as he just stood there, talking.

“Of how to get out,” muttered Ken.

“How?”

“Find a way to distract Dave—then we can get out of here. Bringing Lewis and Tom and Linda of course.”

“Why them? We don't even trust them.”

“You don't I do,” whispered Ken.

“Fine,” said Joe. The man turned around sharply and out his finger to his lips.

“Shut up I say,” the man said.

“Sorry,” Joe replied. He grabbed a post and stabbed it into the ground. The man secured the chain link around it and the fence was nearly completion.

“What do you think the fence is for?” Ken asked.

“Those things,” Joe pointed. A couple of zombies were standing just outside the compound.

“But why zombies?”

“To control them—to torture them...anything is possible,” said Joe.

“OK,” said Ken. Upon seeing the completion of the fence, Dave strolled out of the warehouse and smiled.

“Now,” he said, his voice booming, “get some of that wood and personally deliver it to me. You.” He pointed to the man. “Go inside and get some water. Now I am not that bad of a guy am I?”

“No sir,” said Joe, shaking his head.

“Okay good,” said Dave, “bring me the wood.”