Day 12

I run, with Josh through the alley behind the building we stayed in, leading to  Costco. Our guns at the ready we both stop at the alley's end and peer around the corner towards the opening of the building. There are less zombies than there were last night. Maybe ten standing around outside, just past the doors, while inside we don't know. Hopefully less.

Earlier that morning Josh had gone out to try and find a rear entrance. He had found one, however, he was unable to get it to open and in some spots he could see evidence of it being welded shut. Most likely, he had decided, it was done when they first got there, to prevent anything from surprising them from the back.

Without a word Josh left my side and ran down the street, in view of the zombies. He ran nearly a half of a mile to a Home Depot. None of the zombies see him as he does this, but rather continued to mill around. I wait for the gun shots that Josh will fire once he is ready. We are hoping to draw the zombies away from Costco using gun fire. However, if there are more nearby it could cause a large procession of zombies making their way to Josh.

Several minuted pass before I hear the shots. Three individual and clear shots ring out into the air and echo through the buildings. I look around the corner slowly and watch as the zombies heads jerk up and they begin to move towards the sound of the shots. I run down the alley and hide behind a pile of boxes as one by one they pass by the gap between buildings. None look my direction, seemingly determined to find the source of the loud noise, and not caring about anything else. 

"I got these," Josh says, as he enters the alley. I look at him and see him holding two machete's. "They were right there by the entrance. I thought that was odd." I take mine and strap the sheath to my belt. I examine the blade before sticking it back in its sheath. It is black, and from its weight and look it seems to be good quality. There is a small hole near the top of the blade where the edge comes to a point. The handle is dark brown, wood. Josh's is identical. 

"Shall we," I say, sheathing the blade and lifting up my gun to a readied position. He does the same and we leave the alley, out into the open, and cross the street, carefully making our way to Costco. 

The store is bare. There is little of anything left in it. The food had been looted as well as the clothes, and many of the hardware supplies. There is a lot to cover and so we decide to split up. Gun shot being the obvious sign for help. I make my way down a main aisle, and look down the individual aisles. There is no sign of anyone in this part of the store. 

The deli and butchery stink. The bins are full of rotting, putrid meat. I lower my gun and cover my mouth and nose with my arm. I hurry past until I am near the freezer section. I see my first sign that they had been here. There are chairs, folding chairs, all set up in a circle with a cooler in the middle and several empty cups littered around, on the floor. I walk to where these things sit, undisturbed and do not see it at first. 

It had been lurking near an entrance into the kitchen area where the meats are prepared and as I stepped out it attacked. I stumble around it, falling to the ground as I do so. It leans forward, and for the first time I see its features. Blood speared its face and arms. It was missing part of its cheek and an ear. Its neck as well had a gaping hole in it, but no blood flows from it. Its ripped shirt hung loose, exposing its chest, which was just as mangled as its face and the rest of its body. 

I kick at its chest and am able to push it away briefly before it charges at me again, relentlessly. I've lost my rifle in the attack and as it moves towards me I grab the hilt of the machete and pull it out of its sheath. My right hand burns from the pain of the broken fingers and at that moment I think about putting them in a splint. The zombie reaches out and I can see that his left hand is missing. I stab it in the chest with the machete and it stumbled backwards, nearly falling, but just as quickly recovers and continues towards me. The blade drips with dark red blood in my hand and I look at it for a split second before hacking at the things arms. It cuts through them and the zombies right hand and part of its forearm fall to the ground. I want to throw up, but continue in my defense, stabbing the thing in the head at the same time I hear a gun shot from across the store.

The zombie drops, motionless, and I quickly grab my gun, and, still holding the machete, run towards where I believe Josh is. 

I find him near the registers, a zombie dead, its arms and head slumped over a chain that would otherwise prevent people from checking out in that lane. 

"Snuck up on me," he says, breathing hard; most likely from the surprise and adrenaline, rather than actual physical exertion. He looks at me and at the blood on the machete and also on my jeans. "You ok?" he asks.

"Yeah. snuck up on me as well. I think I need to be a bit more weary."

"Smart to use the machete, though," he mused, a little to casually. "I'm sure their all heading back this way now." 

I find a shirt, folded in a stack and wipe the blood off of my blade and sheath it. "Well, lets find where they are or where they've gone."

We follow lockers near the front to a backroom. The door is locked. I bang on it and yell  to see if there is anyone in there. I wait but do not hear anything.

"Uh, Aaron," Josh says, and he points towards the entrance. Several zombies walk through and make their way towards us. I cock my rifle and pull it up, aiming at them. Quickly I knock again.

"Chad!" I yell, "If you're in there, now would be a good time to let us in." I fire a few rounds and hit a few in the chest and neck. One in the head. I keep firing. Josh hits a few as well. I can tell he's gotten better at his aim. I concentrate and fire off a few more rounds. They connect.

"Come on Chad, it's your brothers. We got the note in your house." I fire again. There are more coming with every bullet fired. Josh is opening my pack, and grabbing another magazine for each of us while I keep firing the rest of my rounds. I drop the clip and reload. Cock the gun and fire twice more when the door swings open.

Chad is standing at the door with a shotgun in hand. He unloads a few shells and the sound is deafening. Much louder than our rifles. "Hey, guys," he says, firing once more. He motions his head, indicating for us to go in, and finally pumps the action, fires once more and we're all in. He locks the door. He then goes to work placing boards in makeshift slots all the way up the door to help protect against the zombies getting in.

He turns around and smiles. "You got my note." I hug him along with Josh.

"I didn't know anyone one was coming. We've been held up in this back room for two days now." There is provisions such as food, water and some blankets to sleep on, and you can tell by the smell that they'd been here for a while. Chad's wife, Crystal, and their two year old son, Clive, are sitting away from the door, she is holding him close. There are others here, as well. Two men and five women. No other children. Chad is the only one, (other than us, now) with a gun.

We say hi to Crystal and give her a hug. Clive is nervous around us and I am sure that our extremely dirty state is not helping. We tell them our story of getting here in brief detail, explaining that we are trying to get to my wife Dawn and my two boys and that we went this way in order to check on them.
We ask if they want to come with us but there is no response. I leave it alone for now.

There is banging on the door and it creaks and moans with the pressure from the zombies trying to get in.

"I guess you're stuck here with us, then," Chad says, smiling, but obviously fed up with being in the room with no windows and poor circulation. We all sat down, leaning against the wall, watching the door and our guns in our laps.