Derek Slaton [Slaton - Dead America: Operation Bismarck (Dead America - The First Week Book 4)

DEAD AMERICA: THE FIRST WEEK

BOOK FOUR

OPERATION BISMARCK

BY DEREK SLATON

2019

CHAPTER ONE

Day Zero +4

First big snow of the year is early, Emily Walker said quietly, running her hand over the framed photograph of her husband. But I did as you taught me, brought in the harvest ahead of schedule. So your daughter and I are doing just fine. She paused, brushing a lock of her sandy brown hair behind her ear and glancing out the window. She took a deep breath and then looked back down at the photo. Well, as fine as we can be given the sickness going around. She shook her head. Jimmy, you wouldnt believe it. Something straight out of one of those horror movies you loved so much.

She blinked back tears as she smiled at the photo, feelingnot for the first timethat her late husband would be right in his element in a zombie apocalypse.

There was a light knock on the doorframe and she turned to the tall teenaged blonde standing there, eyes soft. You talking to dad again? Florence Walker asked.

Yeah, seeing the early snow brought back some memories, Emily admitted. Thought it was a good time for a chat. She set the frame back on her desk.

He always loved the first snow of the year, her daughter said wistfully as she entered the small office. Hed have us out in the front yard as soon as the sun came up, making a little snow family. Wouldnt let me go to school until it was just perfect. She approached the window and smiled, staring out at the dusting of snow sparkling in the moonlight.

Emily chuckled. I remember getting yelled at by the school the first couple of years it happened, but the eventually learned that he was set in his ways and wasnt going to change.

Well, if its clear when the sun comes up, well have to make a small one, Florence suggested.

I think you might be right, Emily agreed, and put an arm around her daughters shoulder. So, are you doing okay?

Yeah, Im all right, the girl replied. Just wrapped up a movie on DVD, then flipped through the channels. Everything in Bismarck is still out.

Based on the pictures they were showing, I get the feeling they are gone for good, her mother admitted. All the chaos in those streets, I just I cant imagine there are too many people left in town.

Are we going to be okay out here? Florence asked, her voice small.

Oh honey, Emily gave her daughter a tight hug, and then pulled back, holding tightly to her shoulders. Yeah. Were going to be fine. Were twenty miles from the city, and we have a nice strong fence around the yard.

There was a chirping sound from the computer on the desk, and the older woman turned to the screen. And, we have a motion detection system, she reminded her daughter. So well know if anything is out there.

She flipped on the monitor, and a dozen camera angles popped up in a grid. She scanned them and then enlarged camera five. There was a lone zombie caught up in one of the barbed wire fences.

See? Were just fine, Emily said, motioning to the screen. The fence caught one of those one of those people.

She turned to the gun rack and pulled down a scoped hunting rifle, checking the chamber.

Florence clasped her hands in front of her. You want some backup?

No, honey, I got this, Emily replied with a reassuring smile. Theres just one of them and Im staying in the truck. Why dont you go get some water boiling so we can have some hot cocoa when I get back?

Her daughter nodded and smiled back before heading for the door. Just dont be gone too long, or else there might be a shortage of marshmallows when you get back, she teased and then darted off to the kitchen.

Emily smiled and shook her head, and then headed outside, heart dropping into more somber territory as she approached the truck. All it would take was one of those fast ones slipping through their perimeter to destroy their quaint homestead. But she didnt want to worry her daughter.

The drive from the house to the fence took a full minute, all the way to the far end of the property. Emily made sure to take it slow in the snow, taking care not to skid off of the path and then have to walk back to the house in the dark. As she approached the property line, she squinted at the zombie in the headlights.

It had been a man, once. It wore a black suit that was caught in the barbed wire, the right sleeve ripped completely off and a big chunk of flesh torn from its arm. Its head lolled back and forth from the large hole in its neck, looking suspiciously like it had been torn apart with teeth.

She swallowed bile and put the truck in park and opened the sunroof. She stood on the seat and took aim, but then the zombie managed to break free of the barbed wire and in her moment of panic she hit it in the shoulder. She had seen how fast these things could be, and didnt know if they could climb, but she wasnt sure if she was safe in her vantage point.

She quickly chambered another bullet and took aim again, expecting the zombie to have closed the forty yards from the fence to the truck already. However, it took her a minute to find it, and when she realized the corpse had barely staggered a few years towards her, she furrowed her brow.

Why arent you running? she muttered to herself.

A cold gust of wind hit her in the face and she hid beneath the down collar of her jacket until it subsided, and her brow furrowed. She ducked into the cab and checked the temperature gauge.

Six degrees, she read, and then stood back up. And with the windchill its a hell of a lot colder than that. She bit her lip in thought, and then took aim at the zombie, that had only made it about fifteen more yards in its staggering stupor. She carefully lined up the shot and took off the head of the walking corpse, leaving the dead businessman sprawled out in crimson snow.

She quickly slid back into her seat and threw the shifter in reverse, tearing off back to the house a lot less carefully than shed approached.

Emily burst through the front door, and then locked it securely behind her. Florence! she called.

The young blonde emerged from the kitchen with two steaming mugs in her hand. You got good timing, mom.

Honey, I need you to pack an overnight bag, her mother instructed.

Florence froze, eyes widening. Mom? Is everything okay?

Everything is fine, hon, Emily assured her. We just have to go over to the Wainwright Ranch.

The Wainwrights? The young womans brow furrowed. Mom, whats going on?

Ill explain on the way, her mother said. We dont have a lot of time. She paused at the panicked expression on her daughters face. Honey, were safe, its just that I figured something out about these things, and I think the Wainwrights might be able to help. I need you to pack a bag, because we might be over there for a night or two.

Florence nodded with a half-hearted smile, and then looked down at the mugs in her hands. And our drinks?

Pretty sure theres a couple of travel mugs above the stove, Emily replied with a grin, and took the steaming cups from her daughter. Ill get these poured over, and you go get your things. Deal?

Florence nodded. Deal. She ran off to pack as her mother entered the office.

She set the mugs down on her desk and opened the closet, moving a few boxes out of the way to reveal the gun safe in the back. She punched in the code and it popped open to reveal a handgun and a few boxes of bullets.

She smiled to herself as she holstered up, remembering the pride in Jimmys eyes when hed gifted her this set on their first anniversary. Shed been so upset, thinking it had been a necklace, and it had crushed him.

Well Jimmy, she said as she turned back to the smiling portrait on her desk, only took fifteen years, but I finally love my first anniversary gift.

CHAPTER TWO

Emily pulled the truck onto the Wainwrights ranch, which was by far the largest in the area. It was a massive crop operation, as well as large chicken and hog farming. During harvest season there could be as many as a hundred workers on site, but this time of year it was just the large family in the house.