Undead Defenders

Chapter 7: Sleepless Night

Driving straight ahead, Zairo could not foresee what he would need to do after getting to the emergency announcement building. He had never been to such a building before more or less with broadband networks and connections dying out. There would be no way to set up a connection. Phones with their phone services would be useless at some point. The only use smartphones phones would have are mostly to record notes, images, or whatever useful information that was needed. A person ran in front of the road waving their hands to get his attention. Zairo had to make a hard stop on the break. As the bus came screeching, it barely grazed the passerby. Going to the side they waited for the door to open. Releasing the latch to the bus door, Zairo stared at the stranger.

"P-Please! Let me in!" The man shuddered and pounded on the window door. Snot coming out of his nose freezing from the cold night. Without waiting for approval they tried stepping in, but sticking out his bat the man froze. Zairo threatened the man before letting him on board. "Are you bitten by any chance?" "No...?" The man is confused and impatient. Gesturing the man to slowly spin around. Zairo could see that the man had no injuries regarding infections. Lowering his bat he nudged to the man to hop aboard. "Th-thank you!" He immediately ran inside and took a seat. Taking a breath he noticed Vianette. "Hello, young lady. What's your name? Mines Emmett." "Shut it!" Zairo yelled aloud getting the man's attention. "Anybody else with you?" Shaking his head. Zairo shuts the door to the bus. "What's your name? I haven't asked you yet?" The man asked Zairo. Not responding the man caught on to stay quiet as he saw Zairo glaring at him. "How's your driving?" Zairo asked him. "My name is Emmett, I can drive alright. Never drove a bus before but it can't be too different, can't it? Why?" Pleased Zairo responds with, "Good." For now, he will continue to the station.

 Returning to Catherine and Ron, they had to lay low as well as the kids of Marcus. Comforting his kids he hums to calm the nerves of the children. Ron could only peak with Catherine looking through the window blinds. Looking at their side of the window they saw how everyone was screaming. Eyeing everyone attacking one another after the other. Living in California, they have never seen such atrocities in their entire life. Before Catherine can witness a man getting his guts gouged out she covers the blind. Doing so caught the attention of the infected. Looking around for a glance left and right. It went back to the feast on the entrails when it felt something on their hands. Ron notices Catherine slowly descend to the ground facing her back against the wall. He went to comfort her. "It's going to be okay, don't worry I won't let anything happen. To all of us." He says so while eyeing Marcus and his kids. Catherine in tears, "What are we going to do? We're running low on food. Now we have to deal with psychotic as-." Pausing for a bit not wanting to curse around kids. Marcus crawls to Ron and Catherine, "Uh I know it's not the right time to say this, but can we stay with you guys a bit longer? Until things die down?" Both look at Marcus. "Of course, we won't kick you guys out. Not with how outside is night now." Ron was baffled because there was no way he would do such things given the conditions. "Thank you, Ron, and Catherine." His worries lessen as the safety of his kids is assured. Urging Marcus to huddle with them, he comes closer. "Yes?" Marcus becomes curious about what the two want to discuss with him. "We're...running a bit low on food." Catherine became worried about what Marcus must be thinking. "oh..." He paused for a bit. "It's understandable with how we stayed a night or two over." Ron looked at Catherine with open eyes thinking she could have dealt with the situation better. "Look I have an idea." Getting their attention they look at him. Ron came closer to the window blind, poking a slit for them to see he points to his plan. "These psychos don't stay around for too long." Ron brings his finger for the two to follow. "They seem to attack a person then once their victim gets back up they run away from the area to attack new victims." Both Catherine and Marcus are shocked by Ron's evaluation. After all, Ron used to be in the military, doing his time and serving the country. Ron just wanted to work and live in peace with his loving wife. However, unable to find work for a few years he had to freeload off of his wife. Ron is thankful he has Catherine, without her, he would be a mess. "Honey, what are you suggesting we do with that information?" Catherine asked him. "We are going to have to gather supplies while we have the chance," Ron said with deep enthusiasm, while the two did not like the idea. "You can't be serious? We don't even know what's going on?!" Her screaming caught Roses's attention, looking back at her she smiled to not cause suspicion. 

Lowering her voice she exclaims to Ron, "You can't be serious! Do you want to go out? When we don't even know what is going on right now?" "Yes," Ron answered to her confidently. "You can stay here, watch over the kids. Marcus, what about you?" Marcus looking back to his kids playing games on the TV, nodded immediately to Ron and Catherine. "I do not want my little Tenya to go hungry." He pauses for a bit before continuing. "Hector is a growing boy, he can help while I am gone.". Marcus calls for Hector, "Hector come here son!" Hector stops what he is doing, and immediately goes to his papa. "Yes, papa?" Telling Hector that he will be going out to get supplies, he tells Hector to behave and listen to Catherine. "Yes, papa." Looking at Catherine he blushes a little and goes back to what he was doing. "okay, when do we go brother Ron?" "We head out once there are no more running bodies when the noise dies down." Marcus nods and decides to comfort Tenya, he knows that in his absence she will cry for his presence. "I am going to get a power nap, let me know when things quiet down." Ron goes to his bed, while Catherine just looks dumbfounded. Her anxiety has built up worrying Ron's safety. Catherine had noted that once they received bite wounds the person affected would get back up. "Almost like a zombie," she thought to herself. "No, there is no possible way..." biting her lips at the end of her train of thought. Ron must already be aware of it, given his military background in the past. Knowing he will be going out, she gathers for anything that her husband could use. Gathering old published Magazines she kept for her graphic publishing, grabbed some duck tape for him to use. "what are you doing?" Ron snickered just looking at what his wife was doing. "Uh just making sure you can protect yourself." Ron just smiled and turned around because he needed to focus on taking a nap. Marcus noticing Ron on his bed, decided to follow his example by sleeping on the couch... While the two slept, Catherine stayed vigilant observing the outside night. With what little she can see, she relies on the lit-up signs. Hoping things will be okay.

End