Z-Day Chronicles (Book 2): Rising Up Read online

  Chapter 24

  Weeks passed by in Mayo as the settlement slowly continued to rebuild itself. Everyone was preparing to leave that small town for good. Since it was close to being taken over by zombies and the settlement’s survivors dwindled, the council believed it was best to continue Northeast.

  With Boris and Alan gone, the council rebuilt itself. Since Boris killed the adviser counseling Jake and attempted to take over the settlement, all of his accusations of Jake were removed from the books and Jake’s record was clean. Nick believed that Jake had done enough counseling and was cleared to continue active duty in the Z-Corps.

  Tyrese kept the Marshal title because although he wanted to relinquish that title and give it to Jake, and everyone on the council agreed, Jake refused. Jake was instead appointed as the Special Operations General, Boris’s old title, and was told that whenever he was ready, the Marshal title would be waiting for him.

  On the last day in Mayo, Jake decided to run with a scavenger party. The small group of five soldiers drove north of Mayo, crossing the Adam’s Bridge, until they arrived at a small gas station in Luraville.

  “Alright, fellas,” Jake began. “Two of you siphon the tanks until the drums are filled or fuel is gone. The other two link up with me.”

  The five exited the Humvee. Two stayed to fill the two drum barrels in the back of the truck, while the other two followed Jake to the doors of the gas station, waiting to breach. Jake peeked through the glass door, seeing nothing lurking in the dark room. On the count of three, Jake opened the door, and the two soldiers behind him quickly rushed inside, scanning each crevice of the store for signs of any roaming zombies.

  “Clear,” both soldiers called out.

  “Alright,” Jake responded as he stepped behind the cash register and picked up some plastic bags. “You know what to do. Only the necessities.”

  The three inside the store stuffed their bags of the remaining non perishable food items, drinks that didn’t spoil over time medicine, and toiletries. One of the soldiers grabbed the fishing equipment in a nearby room such as bait, hooks, and lines. Jake grabbed the tobacco items and in the back counter.

  The three exited the gas station and loaded the supplies in the back of the Humvee. The other two loaded up the drums of gasoline and diesel.

  Clang!

  As the group was preparing to leave, they heard some noise coming from the back of the store.

  “Contact,” Jake whispered. “Circle around.”

  The group split up, with two following Jake on the left side of the store and the others trekking the right side of the store. The soldiers tightly gripped their rifles as they searched for any possible threat. They stayed alert until the group met up around the back.

  “Nothing,” one of the soldiers informed. “Must’ve been a rabbit or something.”

  “One place we haven’t checked yet,” Jake added as he pointed to a large dumpster next to the building.

  The group snuck around the large dumpster bin. Two soldiers stood next to one lid, and the other two stood next to the other lid. Jake readied his rifle as squad prepared to sling open the lids.

  3... 2... 1...

  Once Jake motioned the men to open the lids, they slung the dumpster wide open. Jake quickly glanced inside, preparing to fire at any threat. He quickly stopped himself from raising his rifle when he saw a little girl, shaking uncontrollably as she held a knife close to her chest.

  “Stand down!” Jake ordered. “We got a survivor. Notify Temp-Set.”

  One of the soldiers rushed to the main radio at the Humvee. The other three lowered their weapons and took a few steps away from the dumpster bin.

  “It’s okay,” Jake assured the little girl as he laid his rifle on the ground. “We’re friendlies. Are you hurt?”

  The little girl sat silent as she stayed cradled up in the furthest corner of the dumpster, nearly wallowing in the garbage.

  “Where’s your family?” Jake continued asking. “Are they nearby?”

  The girl then slowly shook her head to the side, staying silent as she did so.

  “Are you hungry?” Jake asked asked he pulled out a small can of mixed fruit. “You must be if you’ve been hiding in there for a long time.”

  Jake showed the closed can of fruit to the girl, opening it up in front of her, revealing the contents within. He slowly inched his arm closer, offering her that scented can of mouth watering peaches and pears. The little girl hesitated for a moment, but accepted Jake’s gift, and then quickly darted back into her corner.

  “If I step back a little,” Jake persuaded as he proceeded to do as he said. “Could you come out? It’s alright; It’s safe.”

  The little girl paused for a moment, then slowly climbed out of the dirty dumpster. As the soldiers began moving closer, Jake raised his hand, halting them, and motioned them to stay back. As he did so, he knelt down in front of her, showing that he meant no harm.

  “What’s your name?” Jake asked, hoping to break the awkward silence. “Can you tell me your name?”

  The young girl sat silently as she sipped the nectar and juice from the can she was holding.

  “I’ll tell you mine,” Jake said as he tapped his chest. “Jaycob Riley...”

  Jake then motioned his hands to the girl, hoping she would respond back.

  “Kaylee O’Brien,” The girl finally said.

  “Are you for real?” Jake asked in amazement and skepticism. “Kaylee O’Brien?”

  “Mhm,”

  No way, Jake thought as he looked up into the sky. I must be dreaming or something. Did You really plan this?! Well, I did say alive and well.

  Jake then revealed a wide grin and began chuckling in amusement and joy.

  “What’s so funny?!” Kaylee asked in confusion.

  “Oh, nothing,” Jake answered as he took a deep breath, holding off on the laughing. “That’s a pretty name.”

  Kaylee thought nothing of it and continued chowing on the sweet chunks of pears in the can Jake gave to her.

  “Hey, there’s a settlement in the town past the bridge,” Jake continued. “There’s plenty of food and water, shelter, and a lot of people. If you want, I can take you there.”

  Jake offered his hand to Kaylee, showing that he’s not a threat to her. Kaylee sat quietly as she finished her can of peaches. She then reached out and took Jake’s hand.

  “Temp-Set, this is Scavenger Charlie,” Jake informed over his hand held radio. “We’re returning to base. Be advised: We found a survivor. She’s a young Caucasian female child.”

  “Copy, Charlie,” replied the lady on the other end. “Medical teams will be on standby to screen her in.”

  Jake and Kaylee, both holding each others hand, then walked to the Humvee, where the rest of the soldiers were waiting on them. Once everyone was inside, Jake gave Kaylee a fresh, unopened bottle of water. After guzzling down a swig of that clean water, Kaylee sat back between Jake and one of the soldiers in the back seat as the driver cranked up the vehicle and drove back to Mayo.

  Chapter 25

  After returning to base, Jake escorted young Kaylee to the infirmary tent at the military outpost. Kaylee was greeted with open arms as the nurses asked her a few check up questions and offered her some more food. A female nurse then gave her some fresh clothing and showed her to one of the vacant rooms at the chateau.

  Jake then met up with Tyrese, who was at the main gate preparing the troops for the next day’s migration.

  “Heard you found a survivor,” Tyrese began.

  “Yeah,” Jake replied. “A small girl. She’s an orphan, from what she told one of the nurses.”

  “Damn shame. It sucks to lose family in this mess.”

  “That’s the thing, Ty: She was orphaned before Z-Day started.”

  Tyrese turned to Jake, revealing skepticism in his face.

  “Foster care or orphanage?” Tyrese asked.

  “I don’t know,” Jake answered. “But what I do know is t
hat we found her in Luraville alone and brought her in. I’m gonna notify Alpha and Bravo Scavengers to search that area for more survivors.”

  As Jake headed for the communications tent, Tyrese stopped him one last time.

  “Hey, Jake,” Tyrese said. “You know you can still come back on the council anytime. You ready to be Marshal Riley once again?”

  “You know, Ty,” Jake grinned. “I think you should keep that spot but I don’t mind being the adviser. Let’s not worry about it until we get to the next town. You know where we’re headed?”

  “Our Shinobi scouts are somewhere northwest of here right now. They’ll let us know when they found a good spot.”

  With that, Jake proceeded to the communications tent to notify Scavenger Teams Alpha and Bravo of possible survivors in Luraville. After he done that, Jake strolled to the chateau in Mayo.

  Jake stepped in one of the rooms in the chateau. As he packed up some of the clothes that were laying on the queen sized bed, he looked over and saw a green emerald cross necklace laying across the lamp stand that was set next to the bed. Underneath that necklace was a small compact Bible. Next to that black leather Bible was a pink spiral notebook with a title that read, Notes on the Word of God.

  Jake picked up the Bible and opened it. Underneath the cover was a small letter. Jake opened up the letter and read it:

  Kaylee,

  I’m so proud of you. You have come such a long way from the girl you used to be. I remember when you used to hate going to church on Sunday morning and wanted nothing to do with Scripture and wanted to do your own thing. And then God finally got a hold of your spirit; not only did you start paying attention during Bible study, but you started teaching it as well.

  I know that it has been a struggle during your walk with God, with the people around you looking down on you and turning up their noses. I can’t promise things to be easier as the days progress, and I definitely don’t know how things will be when you go to America. I do know that they may be so much different than County Claire.

  I have never been so worried in my life. Regardless, I am praying that God will protect you and use you as an instrument for others to see Him. Be safe, my darling niece. I love you so much.

  Aunt Lindsey

  Jake smiled as he closed that letter and stuck it, along with the necklace, underneath the cover of that Bible. He then stuffed the Bible underneath his tactical vest and picked up the pink notebook. He carried that notebook outside with him as soldiers came in to clean the rest of the room up.

  As Jake left the room, he saw young Kaylee sitting on the main steps on the bottom floor. Her face was cleaned up and her shiny brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail. She was resting her arms on her knees, which were curled up to her chest.

  “So,” Jake started as he sat down next to Kaylee. “How’s it feel to be around people again?”

  “I don’t know,” Kaylee answered as she stared at the sidewalk. “It feels good, I guess. It feels really different.”

  “How long have you been out there on your own?”

  “About a month. It was only me and Mrs. Betty escaped. She was one of the caregivers at the orphanage I was in. Mrs. Betty died at that store where you found me. Those things didn’t get me though, because I was in that dumpster.”

  Makes sense, Jake thought. Smart move to get in that dumpster. Covers her scent. “So you stayed in that dumpster that entire time?”

  “Mhm,” Kaylee answered. “I only got out when I was hungry or thirsty. There was plenty of food in that store.”

  “Well, you know... we have plenty of stuff around here too; food, water, and clothing and tents, and what not. But tomorrow, we’re gonna be on the road again. Wanna roll with us?”

  Kaylee sat silent, thinking about Jake’s offer.

  “Where are you gonna be going?” Kaylee asked.

  “Don’t know yet,” Jake answered. “But wherever it is, I bet it’s probably safer. We’ve been looking for a place to settle down permanently. Nothing yet, so we’ve been on the move every month. Of course, if you wanna stay here, that’s no problem; we’ll give you some gear and enough food and water for a week.”

  “Hah! No way! I mean, yeah, I can take care of myself. But this is the first time in a month that I’ve actually seen people. I was going crazy in that dumpster, and I didn’t like smelling like one either.”

  “Kinda figured you’d say that,” Jake chuckled. “Since you are staying with us, do you want that one room that you were in?”

  Kaylee stood up and nodded as she let out a small grin.

  “Alright,” Jake finished. “If you want, you can get comfortable in there now, or you can walk around and meet some of the other people around here. I saw a couple of kids passing by that looked about your age.”

  The next day, all of the survivors packed their belongings and loaded them up in the buses. The soldiers had already packed up all of the equipment and prepared to drive away from Mayo.

  Kaylee began following the crowd of civilians when Jake met up with her.

  “Hey,” Jake said. Wanna meet some of the guys before they leave?”

  “Isn’t the bus about to leave?” Kaylee asked.

  “It is, but if you want, you can ride with me and the other guys for today, since it’s your first time traveling with a large group.”

  “Okay.”

  Kaylee followed Jake until they both met up with Tyrese, Brandon, Kyle, and Grimm.

  “How’s it going, Adviser?” Tyrese asked Jake. “Who do we have here?”

  “This is Kaylee,” Jake answered. “This is the little girl Scavenger Charlie found yesterday in Luraville.”

  “Oh ok. So, Kaylee, what do you think of our setup?”

  “Cool,” Kaylee replied as she fixed her focus on the helicopters and Humvees igniting their engines. “This looks like something from the movies.”

  Kaylee then turned her attention to Grimm. Uneasy of the skull mask Grimm was wearing, Kaylee hid behind Jake. Grimm swayed his head to the left and right, then turned his attention to Kaylee, pointing at himself. As Kaylee slowly nodded, Grimm knelt down and removed his sunglasses, revealing dark blue eyes and a small scar across his right eyebrow.

  Grimm then bobbed his head side to side, crossing his eyes as he did so. Once he did, Kaylee grinned, slightly chuckling. As soon as Grimm got Kaylee’s satisfaction, he slipped his sunglasses back over his eyes and removed his cap, revealing his high and tight haircut, which was beginning to grow out. He then offered his cap to Kaylee, who smiled as she accepted it and placed it on top of her head.

  “Well well,” Kyle complimented. “That’s the closest Grimm has shown his face to anyone. Looks like you made a new friend. How old are you?”

  “I’m eight,” Kaylee smiled.

  Grimm stuck his hand out once again, fist bumping Kaylee, then stood up and headed to the chopper he’s getting on.

  “You’re not going with him, Lieutenant?” Jake asked.

  “Lieutenant Williams is gonna ride with us today,” Brandon responded.

  “Some days, I prefer to be on the ground,” Kyle added. “This just happens to be one of those days.”

  With that, Brandon stepped in the driver’s seat of the Humvee. Tyrese sat in the passenger’s side. Kyle and Jake sat on both passenger sides in the back of the Humvee, while Kaylee sat in between the two.

  Kaylee turned her attention to Kyle’s prosthetic arm.

  “What happened to you?” Kaylee asked.

  “Huh?” Kyle responded, glancing at his arm. “Oh that! Eh, just a little mishap on the battlefield. A couple of bandages, and I was back on my feet.”

  Kaylee nodded as she sat back in her seat.

  As the Humvee followed the rest of the convoy, Jake’s group continued passing fields and forests as they continued down the highway.

  “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,” Kaylee began singing. “That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found. Was blind, but now, I see
.”

  “T’was grace that taught my heart to fear,” Jake joined. “And grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed.”

  As Jake and Kaylee continued singing, Kyle soon chimed in, along with Tyrese and Brandon. The small group in that Humvee became a small choir, forgetting about all the worries of the outside world, as they continued down to their next destination.

  Entry log: Jaycob Riley

  Day 510:

  Well, I have finally have my faith in Something greater than what I can understand. I see that in Kaylee. Everybody on the squad loves her, and she enjoys hanging out with them. I’m gonna see about making her one of the civilian volunteers. I know the guys would love teaching her some things about the Z-Corps, and I know she would enjoy helping out everyone over here.

  I know she has a lot to learn, since she never had any family to teach her anything about life. I’m wanting to do that, but I want to teach her right. The way that my friend Kaylee would teach. I still have her Bible and still hold on to her notes and her necklace. I’ve been reading both, studying them when I’ve had some off time.

  This might be my last entry log for a while. We’re still on the move. We are staying in the outskirts of Valdosta for the time being, but we won’t be residing here permanently. There’s still a lot of zombies that lurk about. One thing I do know is that we’re one step closer to a new home. Adviser Jaycob Riley signing off for now.